Hunting is an American tradition, practiced by millions of people every year. Those who hunt with bows or muzzleloaders usually enjoy longer hunting seasons, larger bag limits, and expanded hunting area access, but the majority of sportsmen and women in the U.S. prefer hunting with modern shotguns or rifles. Data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicates that in 2021, the number of licensed hunters reached a 35-year peak, exceeding 15.9 million for the first time since 1987.
The National Deer Association, committed to preserving wildlife and habitats, reports that in 2021, more than 6.9 million Americans hunted with a firearm, as opposed to only 4.7 million who hunted with a bow or muzzleloader. Factoring in the 2021 census data, there are approximately 21 firearms hunters per 1,000 people in the U.S., with that figure being much higher in certain areas. According to a recent Gallup poll, 42% of U.S. citizens have a gun in their household, and nearly one third of those respondents cited hunting as the primary reason they own a firearm.
Using data from the NDA and U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where firearm hunting, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, is most prevalent. We ranked the 39 states with available information on the number of firearm hunters for every 1,000 state residents in 2021. Additional data on the share of deer harvested using a rifle or shotgun is sourced from the NDA, and the total count of paid hunting license holders per state was obtained from the FWS.
In each of the top six states with the highest concentration of firearms hunters, the total number of licensed hunters per 1,000 people exceeds the national average of 48 per 1,000 people.
In several states at the bottom of this list, the limited use of firearms by hunters is likely a result of legal limitations. In Rhode Island, for instance, deer hunting with a centerfire rifle is banned, resulting in almost 90% of deer harvested in the state in 2021 being taken with a bow or muzzleloader. In comparison, nationwide, only about one-third of all deer harvested that year were killed with a bow or muzzleloader.
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