“Hunting Is Conservation” is a catchy phrase, but it is much more than that. Created and trademarked by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, those three simple words highlight an undeniable and beneficial relationship between hunting and its vital financial link to the conservation of wildlife species and landscapes where they live.
A new breakdown provided by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation breaks down the numbers. And they are impressive. In 2025 alone, funding generated by the Pittman-Robertson Act – legislation that places excise taxes on guns, ammunition and archery equipment – totaled $833.1 million. The users who generated that funding are hunters and recreational shooters. There were 15,650,606 hunters that spent $1.05 billion on hunting licenses and fees that year.
Those who fish did their part, too. In 2025, 29,492,356 anglers generated $841 million by buying fishing licenses. The Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breau Fund, which places excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels and equipment, generated $431 million. Combing those four figures highlighted above equals a total of $3.57 billion for conservation in one calendar year.
Dating back to 1939, if you add all the funding paid by sportsmen and women for hunting and fishing licenses combined with excise taxes, the total is a staggering $89.26 billion. That money goes to state fish and wildlife agencies to carry out science-based wildlife management and research, habitat treatments, land conservation and public access projects, species restoration and protection, enforcement, recreational projects, education, outreach and other aspects that fall under the umbrella of conservation.
One other number is highly notable. Though varying from state to state, most state fish and wildlife agencies receive more than 60 percent of their budgetary funding from hunters, recreational shooters, anglers and boaters. No other users, groups or organizations do more for conservation.
Below is a 2026 state-by-state breakdown of revenue generated by hunters through the purchase of hunting licenses and fees combined with Pittman-Robertson funding:
Alabama – $44 million
Alaska – $52 million
Arizona – $43.6 million
Arkansas – $34.5 million
California – $52.6 million
Colorado – $106.6 million (ranks 1st)
Connecticut – $8.1 million
Delaware – $6.5 million
Florida – $30.2 million
Georgia – $48.4 million
Hawaii – $5.95 million
Idaho – $56.5 million
Illinois – $50.3 million
Indiana – $30.5 million
Iowa – $33.6 million
Kansas – $36.9 million
Kentucky - $37.9 million
Louisiana – $28.3 million
Maine – $19.3 million
Maryland – $14.2 million
Massachusetts – $12.1 million
Michigan – $57.9 million
Minnesota - $56.7 million
Mississippi – $27.4 million
Missouri – $50.3 million
Montana – $63 million (ranks 4th)
Nebraska – $33.7 million
Nevada – $23.3 million
New Hampshire – $10 million
New Jersey – $15.7 million
New Mexico – $40 million
New York – $43.8 million
North Carolina – $35.6 million
North Dakota – $24.4 million
Ohio – $43.2 million
Oklahoma – $31.6 million
Oregon – $51.1 million
Pennsylvania – $72.6 million (ranks 3rd)
Rhode Island – $5.6 million
South Carolina – $21.3 million
South Dakota – $37.4 million
Tennessee – $26.7 million
Texas – $87.7 million (ranks 2nd)
Utah – $39.2 million
Vermont – $9.2 million
Virginia – $37.6 million
Washington – $32.8 million
West Virginia – $18.9 million
Wisconsin – $59.7 million (ranks 5th)
Wyoming – $47.2 million
About Hunt 2 Conserve
Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.
