Economic Impacts Of White-Tailed Deer From Hunting In Mississippi

Abstract

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an important ecological, social, and economic resource in Mississippi. Studies have been conducted on expenditures by white-tailed deer hunters, but none have administered a research-based, economic impact assessment for white-tailed deer in Mississippi. The economic impacts and associated values of white-tailed deer in Mississippi through a self-administered mail questionnaire were examined to collect white-tailed deer hunter expenditure data during the 2003/2004 hunting season. Expenditures of white-tailed deer hunters were obtained from a mail survey (N = 1,257, 38.6% response rate) and were used in an input-output model to determine economic impacts for the State. Economic impacts generated from white-tailed deer hunting expenditures totaled $951.1 million for the 2003/2004 white-tailed deer hunting season. The value added component of the economic impact totaled $686.7 million and supported 43,964 full- and part-time jobs.