HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut hunters and anglers contribute millions to the state’s economy each year and play a vital role in conservation efforts, but over the last several years, hunting and fishing license sales are trending downwards.

According to the financial ranking site 247WallSt., Connecticut comes in at No. 45 on their list of states with the most registered hunters with the hunters making up less than 1% of the state’s overall population. The website said that the state’s dense population along with a smaller percentage of public lands makes hunting a challenge in the state.

Last year, the state sold 51,995 hunting licenses that generated $1.6 million in revenue, but that’s down from 2023, when the state sold 53,077 hunting licenses. In 2020 during the pandemic when more people were outside, the state sold 59,333 hunting licenses, generating approximately $1.9 million in revenue, according to data from the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“All states saw an increase during the pandemic and then slight declines,” said Will Healey, spokesperson with DEEP. “Sales have been in the range of 52,000 to 53,000 for the past three years. A variation of a few thousand sales year to year is not unusual. It’s too early to comment on 2025 sales figures.”

In Connecticut, a resident firearms hunting license costs $19 for ages 18-64, and $10 for ages 16-17. An archery deer license costs $41 for residents, $21 for residents age 16-17, and $10 for junior archery deer licenses. A resident firearms hunting license combined with inland fishing costs $38, while a non-resident combined inland fishing license costs $110, according to officials. A junior firearms hunting license for ages 12 to 15 costs $11. Junior hunters must be accompanied by a licensed hunter who is 18 years old or older, according to officials.

To manage the demand and ensure sustainable wildlife populations, states often implement a system where permits for archery hunting, especially for big game, are more expensive than general hunting licenses. Non-resident licenses cost the most.

According to state data, sales numbers are trending downwards in almost all license categories including firearm, archery and combined hunting/fishing licenses. Last year, the state sold 9,224 resident firearm hunting licenses compared to 9,469 in 2023. Overall in 2024, the state’s junior firearms hunting license also declined from previous years. In 2024, there were 468 junior firearms licenses purchased, down from 495 in 2023.

Non-resident license sales were among the few categories to see increases last year. In 2024, the state recorded 199 license sales for non-resident firearms hunting and inland fishing permits. That number is up from 2023, when there were 189 non-resident combined license sales. Sales of non-resident combined firearms hunting and all-waters permits, including marine fishing, also saw a slight increase.

The DEEP 2023 Deer Program Summary says “annual deer hunter surveys indicated that Connecticut deer hunters spent an estimated $5,670,554 on deer hunting-related goods andservices in 2023, down from $7,108,582 spent in 2022.

The report indicates 9,183 deer were harvested in Connecticut in 2023, compared to 10,443 in 2022.

“In general, license sales have trended downward as the core group of hunters age,” Healey said. “That said, it is not that simple. Some age groups may see increases, new groups become active (e.g., women) and others move in and out relative to work or family obligations. This by and large is true for many states across the country.”

In Connecticut, the white tail deer remains the most prized game animal. The deer population was at its height in the 1990s, according to deer and moose wildlife biologist Andrew Labonte, who works with DEEP’s wildlife division. In 1996, there were an estimated 150,000 deer in Connecticut. But as the state introduced more hunting incentive programs, the numbers of deer began to decline and stabilize.

“We estimate the state’s deer population to be around 100,000 today,” Labonte said. “Most of the population is in Fairfield County and along the shoreline where there are the least amount of predators. We found that there is a smaller population in Litchfield County because bear and bobcats are in greater numbers, which have an impact on fawn survivability.”

Since the early 2000s, several incentive programs have been introduced, expanding deer hunting across the state. Connecticut’s Earn-a-Buck program, started in 2005, allows hunters to qualify for a replacement either-sex tag by registering three antlerless deer from private land in the same season. In 2013, the state legalized crossbow hunting statewide and in 2015, the state permitted hunting on Sundays. Labonte said these laws have kept the deer population under control over the last decade.

Yet despite these incentive programs, license sales have been declining since the pandemic, which means less revenue for the state’s outdoor programs. Among the programs that relies on license sales and taxes is the Bureau of Natural Resources, which is charged with managing the state’s natural resources through various programs including wildlife management, research and public education.

Fishing licenses have fared better but have also see a downward trend since the pandemic. Last year, the state recorded 188,896 fishing license sales, including inland fishing, marine fishing, non-resident and youth ages 16-17 licenses, for a total of $3.2 million in revenue. That number represents an increase over 2023 when 182,575 fishing licenses were sold raking in $3.1 million. Numbers have substantially declined since 2020, when the state sold 209,507 fishing licenses that generated approximately $4.1 million in revenue.

A resident inland fishing license cost $28, a resident marine fishing license cost $10, and a resident all-waters license cost $32, according to DEEP. Non-resident licenses are more expensive with inland fishing costing $55 and a non-resident all-waters license costing $63. Junior fishing licenses for 16- and 17-year-olds cost $5 and $16 for a junior all-waters license.

Connecticut’s downward trend in hunting and fishing licenses is not an outlier, as the state has largely followed national trends.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, since 1960, the number of hunters in the U.S. increased until peaking at 16.7 million in 1982, after which it began to decline. The numbers started to climb again after 2010 but remain below the 1982 peak. In 2022, there were 15.9 million hunters in the U.S. Between 1960 and 2022, the number of hunters grew by 13.5%, while the U.S. population increased by 84.4%, more than six times as fast.

Fishing licenses also saw a peak nationally in the 1980s and then began to decline over the last four decades, according to national data. In 1960, there were 19.1 million anglers, representing 10.6% of the total U.S. population. At the 2021 national peak, anglers represented 9.7% of the total population. In 2022, that figure fell to 9.3% of the total population.

Connecticut also has small game and trapping seasons for certain wildlife.

The DEEP 2023 Deer Program Summary also notes deer hunters “reported personally observing 111 moose and captured an additional 117 on trail cameras in 18 towns in 2023, with sightings being reported in 104 different towns over the past 27-years. Sightings have been reported from 8 to 43 different towns each year. Moose were observed in Barkhamsted, Canaan, Canton, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Granby, Hartland, Harwinton, Kent, New Hartford, Norfolk, Salisbury, Stafford, Suffield, and Union for 6 of the last 10 years.”

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