The number of registered hunters in California

Hunting is one of the oldest forms of human activity. Over the centuries, hunting has largely evolved from necessity to sport—although many hunters in the U.S. do process hunted animals for food.

As hunting gained popularity as a leisure activity, ecosystems suffered, which led to various regulations in order to help preserve and conserve wildlife resources. In the United States, each state has set dates for hunting seasons, thresholds for how many tags or wild game stamps are allowed, and specific areas that are off-limits to hunting in order to help preserve habitats and animal populations.

In the past several decades, the number of people with hunting licenses in the United States has been on a sharp decline. This can be attributed to a few factors, namely the rise in urbanization, the development of farmland, a lack of free time among hunters, and limited access to hunting land. Licenses peaked at roughly 17 million in the 1980s.

There are 15.9 million hunting license holders in the United States as of 2023.

The drop-off in revenue from hunting licenses is starting to pose a problem for conservation groups. Thanks to the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937, an 11% excise tax was placed on the sale of firearms for the purpose of funding conservation. Not only that, but the profits from hunting licenses themselves also go directly to conservation initiatives.

Stacker compiled data on the number of registered hunters in California using data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. California is also ranked nationally by per capita hunting license holders based on 2023 data and 2022 American Community Survey population estimates.

So is California holding steady with hunting traditions? Read on to find out.

California: #1 lowest nationally

- Paid hunting license holders: 0.7 for every 100 people (278,210 total)
- Hunting license, tags, permits & stamps: 2.6 for every 100 people (1,018,257 total)
- Total cost of hunting licenses, tags, permits & stamps: $25,799,637

Continue below to see hunting license statistics for other states in your region.

Arizona: #20 lowest nationally

- Paid hunting license holders: 4.7 for every 100 people (349,554 total)
- Hunting license, tags, permits & stamps: 8.4 for every 100 people (617,898 total)
- Total cost of hunting licenses, tags, permits & stamps: $22,260,986

Nevada: #15 lowest nationally

- Paid hunting license holders: 3.4 for every 100 people (106,861 total)
- Hunting license, tags, permits & stamps: 4.6 for every 100 people (146,356 total)
- Total cost of hunting licenses, tags, permits & stamps: $8,169,728

This story features data reporting by Emma Rubin, writing by Meagan Drillinger, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.