Financial Returns To Industry From The Federal Aid - Wildlife and ...

and 2006. These online state-level reports do not provide the same level of detailed
hunting equipment purchases that is reported at the national level, but can be estimated
following the assumption that the purchasing pattern for the average migratory-bird
hunter in Virginia is similar to other hunters across the nation. As a result, equipmentrelated
purchases are estimated for Virginia using the national percentage of total
hunter spending that is allocated to tax-related equipment items relative to total
spending (2001: 21% and 2006: 17%). Average purchases per hunter day are $14.52
for 2001 and $8.62 for 2006, in current day (2009) dollars and adjusting for a 30%
market chain markup. 13
Table 4. Virginia’s Resident Canada Goose Hunting: Annual Tax-Related
Investments, Purchases and Returns (2009 $s)
Year
Annual Wildlife Annual Tax Related Annual Excise
1999 Restoration $19,316.06 Funds Equipment Purchases $391,658 Tax-Related 1928% ROI
2000 Invested $18,687.89 $647,393 3364%
2001 $18,170.84 $1,033,435 5587%
2002 $17,888.02 $930,516 5102%
2003 $17,489.43 $733,804 4096%
2004 $17,035.76 $661,717 3784%
2005 $16,477.50 $624,306 3689%
2006 $15,962.57 $521,440 3167%
2007 $15,520.52 $588,391 3691%
2008 $14,946.63 $632,228 4130%
2009 $15,000.00 $632,228 4115%
Average Annual $16,954.11 $672,464.94 3877%
An important assumption is that hunter effort is spread equally across all seasons. This
is not likely the case because the daily bag limit for the regular season is 2 or 3 birds
depending on the hunting zone; the daily bag limits for the extended season is 10
birds/day in September and 5 birds/day in the late season. This increased opportunity
for harvest is likely to have increased participation during the extended seasons.
Evidence does suggest that industry has recouped their investment in research and
management of resident Canada geese in Virginia and continues to earn positive
benefits on annual investments. In fact, in 2009 alone, migratory-bird hunters spent an
estimated $623,228 on tax related items based upon hunting days spent in Virginia.
This is a marked increase ($240,570) in annual purchases relative to spending by
goose hunters in 1999 ($391,658).
When reviewing the return on investments, it is also critical to remember that efforts
across the flyway and within Virginia, in particular, extend well before 1999. The period
highlighted reflects a period that might be described as the later portion of recovery
when returns on investments tend to be larger as direct monetary investments trend
13 Intervening years are estimated using simple linear interpolation.
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