Finally, hunting season is here! This is the time of year hunters like myself rise well before dawn, load up our gear and head out the door to enjoy the beautiful Colorado wilderness.
While I am excited for the opportunity and the challenge, I am proud to know that my passion for the outdoors is part of an important state industry. The dollars hunters spend to sleep in small-town hotels, eat at local restaurants and buy supplies from nearby stores are an important source of revenue for small and large businesses across the state.
In Colorado, hunters spend millions of dollars every year on hunting and hunting activities. According to statistics from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, hunter spending has created over 8,400 jobs and provides $292 million annually in salaries and wages in our state.
It is important for people to know the positive effects hunting has on our economy and conservation efforts. That is why I got involved with Hunting Works For Colorado. This is a partnership of over 100 hotels, resorts, restaurants, gas stations, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors’ bureaus and hunting organizations from across Colorado, working to educate hunters and non-hunters alike about the important benefits hunting and the shooting sports have on our economy and conservation efforts.
Kirstie PikeGunnison