America's Top State for Registered Hunters—See How Your State Stacks Up

Curious about the hunting scene in your state? Here is a detailed list of states ranked by the number of registered hunters, drawing on data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This ranking shows states based on the number of hunting licenses issued per person, using information from 2023 along with population estimates from the 2022 American Community Survey.¹

Whether you’re an avid hunter or just interested in how your state measures up, this list offers a clear snapshot of hunting participation across the country.

50. California

San Francisco California ss2466699759 — Image Credit: GagliardiPhotography/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 0.7 per 100 people, totaling 278,210 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 2.6 per 100 people, totaling 1,018,257 items.
Total Cost: $25,799,637

California has a large number of hunting licenses and permits due to its large population, but the per capita rate is relatively low compared to other states.

49. Rhode Island

newport rhode island cliffwalk dp233519498 — Image Credit: paulbradyphoto/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 0.7 per 100 people, with 7,985 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 5.4 per 100 people, totaling 59,032 items.
Total Cost: $545,484

Rhode Island shows a higher per capita rate for hunting licenses and permits, reflecting a more significant proportion of hunters relative to its small population.

48. New Jersey

atlantic city new jersey dp283979776 — Image Credit: cboswell/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 0.8 per 100 people, totaling 71,707 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 3.5 per 100 people, totaling 322,162 items.
Total Cost: $8,801,106

New Jersey has a moderate number of paid hunting license holders and a notable total cost for hunting permits, indicating a decent level of hunting activity.

47. Hawaii

Honolulu Hawaii dp27048861 — Image Credit: SergiyN/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 0.8 per 100 people, with 11,270 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 0.9 per 100 people, totaling 12,554 items.
Total Cost: $493,305

Hawaii has a relatively small hunting community, with fewer hunting licenses and permits issued, and a lower total cost compared to other states.

46. Connecticut

connecticut ss159469562 — Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 0.8 per 100 people, totaling 30,807 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 2.8 per 100 people, totaling 102,071 items.
Total Cost: $2,348,381

Connecticut has a moderate number of hunters and hunting permits, with a total cost that reflects a balanced level of hunting activity.

45. Massachusetts

Massachusetts dp664176332 1 — Image Credit: mbastos/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 0.9 per 100 people, with 59,652 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 4.0 per 100 people, totaling 278,765 items.
Total Cost: $2,777,155

Massachusetts has a higher rate of hunting licenses and permits per capita, showing a relatively active hunting community within the state.

44. Florida

Orlando Florida USA dp163346214 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 1.0 per 100 people, totaling 217,113 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 1.4 per 100 people, totaling 321,564 items.
Total Cost: $8,517,982

Florida has a significant number of paid hunting license holders and a moderate total cost for hunting licenses and permits, reflecting a well-established hunting community.

43. Delaware

Delaware Water Gap Excursion Train ss2333507713 — Image Credit: MichalKrata/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 1.6 per 100 people, with 16,728 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 5.8 per 100 people, totaling 58,904 items.
Total Cost: $1,636,079

Delaware shows a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and permits, indicating a relatively active hunting population despite its small overall size.

42. Maryland

baltimore maryland dp11609044 — Image Credit: sborisov/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 1.9 per 100 people, totaling 116,422 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 5.2 per 100 people, totaling 321,279 items.
Total Cost: $6,781,632

Maryland has a significant number of hunters and a high volume of hunting permits, with a notable total cost reflecting a vibrant hunting community.

41. Illinois

Chicago Illinois dp26960665 — Image Credit: jacksonjesse/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 2.3 per 100 people, with 289,922 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 11.8 per 100 people, totaling 1,489,355 items.
Total Cost: $34,691,886

Illinois has a high per capita rate of hunting licenses and a very high total cost, indicating a large and active hunting community.

40. Washington

Spokane Washington dp13512705 — Image Credit: digidream/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 2.4 per 100 people, totaling 185,147 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 10.3 per 100 people, totaling 803,307 items.
Total Cost: $20,404,708

Washington has a high rate of hunting licenses and a significant total cost, reflecting a robust hunting community within the state.

39. New York

new york skyline ss1011270001 — Image Credit: IM_photo/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 2.8 per 100 people, totaling 560,346 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 5.6 per 100 people, totaling 1,099,181 items.
Total Cost: $25,259,622

New York has a large number of hunters and a high volume of hunting permits, reflecting a significant hunting community with considerable financial investment.

38. Virginia

Roanoke Virginia dp48667989 — Image Credit: digidream/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 2.9 per 100 people, with 253,650 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 8.9 per 100 people, totaling 771,195 items.
Total Cost: $24,269,249

Virginia has a high per capita rate of hunting licenses and a substantial total cost, showing a very active and financially invested hunting population.

37. Ohio

cleveland ohio dp173353056 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 3.1 per 100 people, totaling 360,421 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 7.5 per 100 people, totaling 878,865 items.
Total Cost: $29,051,314

Ohio has a significant number of hunters and a high total cost for hunting permits, indicating a robust and financially significant hunting community.

36. Nevada

las vegas nevada ss793194880 — Image Credit: Lucky-photographer/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 3.4 per 100 people, with 106,861 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 4.6 per 100 people, totaling 146,356 items.
Total Cost: $8,169,728

Nevada has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses, but with a smaller overall population, leading to a lower total cost for permits and licenses.

35. Texas

austin texas dp676024424 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 3.9 per 100 people, totaling 1,170,316 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 6.0 per 100 people, totaling 1,802,822 items.
Total Cost: $52,468,107

Texas has the highest number of hunters and a very high total cost for hunting permits, reflecting a large and active hunting community with substantial financial investment.

34. Indiana

noblesville indiana ss2106537521 — Image Credit: Roberto Galan/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 4.0 per 100 people, totaling 273,423 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 6.0 per 100 people, totaling 411,339 items.
Total Cost: $13,507,998

Indiana has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and a notable total cost, indicating a strong and engaged hunting community.

33. South Carolina

south carolina state dp383740326 — Image Credit: Kevin@collegevibe.com/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 4.1 per 100 people, totaling 219,222 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 18.7 per 100 people, totaling 986,512 items.
Total Cost: $10,879,343

South Carolina has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and a substantial number of hunting permits and tags, reflecting a very active hunting community.

32. New Hampshire

new boston space new hampshire wc — Image Credit: United States Space Force courtesy photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Paid Hunting License Holders: 4.3 per 100 people, with 60,629 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 12.1 per 100 people, totaling 168,182 items.
Total Cost: $5,419,413

New Hampshire has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and permits relative to its smaller population, indicating a strong hunting culture.

31. Arizona

Sedona, Arizona — Image Credit: Josemaria Toscano/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 4.7 per 100 people, totaling 349,554 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 8.4 per 100 people, totaling 617,898 items.
Total Cost: $22,260,986

Arizona has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and a total cost, showing a prominent hunting community with considerable financial investment.

30. North Carolina

Asheville North Carolina dp11328248 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 6.1 per 100 people, totaling 654,251 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 3.1 per 100 people, totaling 332,215 items.
Total Cost: $14,086,740

North Carolina has a very high rate of paid hunting license holders, with a moderate total cost for hunting permits and tags, reflecting a large and active hunting population.

29. Colorado

Colorado dp80088186 — Image Credit: Sopotniccy/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 6.3 per 100 people, totaling 370,736 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 13.7 per 100 people, totaling 799,965 items.
Total Cost: $82,363,775

Colorado has a high per capita rate for both hunting licenses and permits, with the highest total cost among the states listed, indicating a very robust and financially significant hunting community.

28. Michigan

michigan state dp4772899 — Image Credit: bryndin/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 6.6 per 100 people, totaling 660,933 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 22.0 per 100 people, totaling 2,211,810 items.
Total Cost: $39,740,801

Michigan has a very high number of hunting licenses and permits per capita, with a substantial total cost, reflecting a strong and financially significant hunting community.

27. New Mexico

new mexico state dp183912886 — Image Credit: mj0007/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 6.7 per 100 people, totaling 140,685 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 23.2 per 100 people, totaling 489,379 items.
Total Cost: $21,303,649

New Mexico has a high per capita rate of hunting licenses and permits, with a notable total cost, indicating a dedicated hunting community despite its smaller overall population.

26. Iowa

iowa ss1054256774 — Image Credit: f11photo/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 6.9 per 100 people, totaling 220,576 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 21.4 per 100 people, totaling 684,702 items.
Total Cost: $24,035,299

Iowa has a high rate of hunting licenses and permits per capita, with a significant total cost, showing a strong hunting presence and commitment within the state.

25. Georgia

atlanta georgia dp288188626 — Image Credit: Kevin@collegevibe.com/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 7.0 per 100 people, totaling 769,105 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 14.4 per 100 people, totaling 1,566,735 items.
Total Cost: $22,131,917

Georgia has a high number of hunting licenses and a notable total cost, reflecting an active and engaged hunting community.

24. Kentucky

newport kentucky dp205374450 — Image Credit: appalachianview/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 7.1 per 100 people, totaling 321,347 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 12.3 per 100 people, totaling 555,368 items.
Total Cost: $24,437,041

Kentucky has a high rate of paid hunting license holders and a substantial number of hunting permits, with a huge total cost, indicating a well-established hunting culture.

23. Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Pennsylvania ss2421911639 — Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 7.4 per 100 people, totaling 953,903 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 7.4 per 100 people, totaling 953,903 items.
Total Cost: $45,549,247

Pennsylvania has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and a significant total cost, indicating a large and financially committed hunting community.

22. Oregon

granite oregon wc — Image Credit: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Paid Hunting License Holders: 7.8 per 100 people, totaling 331,475 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 27.7 per 100 people, totaling 1,173,773 items.
Total Cost: $32,497,930

Oregon has a high rate of hunting licenses and permits per capita, with a substantial total cost, reflecting a dedicated and active hunting community.

21. Utah

Ogden Utah ss2424668829 — Image Credit: Heidi Besen/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 7.9 per 100 people, totaling 268,075 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 14.2 per 100 people, totaling 481,714 items.
Total Cost: $22,621,975

Utah has a high per capita rate for hunting licenses and a notable total cost, showing a strong and financially engaged hunting community.

20. Missouri

missouri downtown dp253043688 — Image Credit: carlosphotos/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 8.3 per 100 people, totaling 509,963 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 28.5 per 100 people, totaling 1,760,197 items.
Total Cost: $28,008,035

Missouri has a high number of hunting licenses and permits per capita, with a significant total cost, reflecting a robust and financially significant hunting community.

19. Kansas

kansas city missouri road dp65324029 1 — Image Credit: TommyBrison/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 8.7 per 100 people, totaling 255,143 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 14.4 per 100 people, totaling 422,066 items.
Total Cost: $25,495,743

Kansas has a high rate of hunting licenses and permits, with a notable total cost, indicating an active and engaged hunting community.

18. Nebraska

Nebraska dp624005356 — Image Credit: jjbooma/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 9.4 per 100 people, totaling 185,034 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 20.4 per 100 people, totaling 401,248 items.
Total Cost: $17,206,197

Nebraska has the highest per capita rate for hunting licenses and a significant total cost, reflecting a very committed and financially invested hunting community.

17. Mississippi

mississippi state dp111312730 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 9.6 per 100 people, totaling 283,021 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 14.3 per 100 people, totaling 420,866 items.
Total Cost: $14,878,632

Mississippi has a high rate of paid hunting licenses and a significant total cost for permits, indicating a strong hunting culture and active participation.

16. Minnesota

Minneapolis Minnesota dp13261480 — Image Credit: rudi1976/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 9.6 per 100 people, totaling 550,663 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 25.5 per 100 people, totaling 1,460,203 items.
Total Cost: $36,448,689

Minnesota has a very high per capita rate for hunting licenses and permits, with a substantial total cost, reflecting a deeply rooted hunting tradition.

15. Louisiana

monroe louisiana dp156513872 — Image Credit: digidream/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 9.6 per 100 people, totaling 442,678 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 13.1 per 100 people, totaling 602,579 items.
Total Cost: $10,481,983

Louisiana has a high number of hunting licenses and permits per capita, with a notable total cost, demonstrating a strong and active hunting community.

14. Vermont

stowe vermont dp616850984 — Image Credit: steveheap/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 9.9 per 100 people, totaling 64,343 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 30.6 per 100 people, totaling 197,782 items.
Total Cost: $4,924,792

Vermont has a very high per capita rate for hunting licenses and permits, with a significant total number of items, reflecting a strong hunting presence in a smaller population.

13. Alabama

alabama state dp205357278 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 9.9 per 100 people, totaling 504,600 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 16.8 per 100 people, totaling 854,916 items.
Total Cost: $24,546,028

Alabama has a high per capita rate of hunting licenses and a considerable total cost, indicating an engaged and financially significant hunting community.

12. Tennessee

memphis tennessee road dp308299548 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 10.3 per 100 people, totaling 728,759 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 14.9 per 100 people, totaling 1,054,081 items.
Total Cost: $30,454,104.

Tennessee has a high rate of paid hunting licenses and a significant number of permits, with a substantial total cost, reflecting a prominent and financially invested hunting community.

11. Arkansas

arkansas bridge building dp165817368 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 10.6 per 100 people, totaling 323,474 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 16.8 per 100 people, totaling 510,212 items.
Total Cost: $21,442,583

Arkansas has a high rate of paid hunting licenses and a significant total cost for hunting permits, reflecting a strong hunting community with substantial participation and financial investment.

10. Wisconsin

Wisconsin dp11247132 — Image Credit: rudi1976/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 11.4 per 100 people, totaling 669,813 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 77.3 per 100 people, totaling 4,554,015 items.
Total Cost: $38,348,557

Wisconsin has the highest per capita rate for hunting licenses and a vast number of permits and stamps issued, with a substantial total cost, indicating an extensive and deeply engaged hunting community.

9. Oklahoma

oklahoma ss1368054248 — Image Credit: Tim Holland/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 12.4 per 100 people, totaling 499,182 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 9.2 per 100 people, totaling 370,811 items.
Total Cost: $14,048,834

Oklahoma has a high per capita rate for paid hunting licenses, with a substantial total cost, reflecting a strong hunting presence despite a lower number of total items issued compared to some other states.

8. Alaska

campsite alaska highway ss2259011841 — Image Credit: Natalia Bratslavsky/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 13.4 per 100 people, totaling 98,202 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 79.0 per 100 people, totaling 579,526 items.
Total Cost: $8,167,536

Alaska has a very high rate of hunting licenses and permits per capita, with a significant number of total items issued, reflecting a dedicated hunting community despite its smaller population.

7. West Virginia

morgantown west virginia wc — Image Credit: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Paid Hunting License Holders: 14.3 per 100 people, totaling 253,955 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 38.7 per 100 people, totaling 686,655 items.
Total Cost: $9,558,451

West Virginia has a high per capita rate of hunting licenses and a substantial total number of permits, indicating a strong and active hunting culture.

6. Maine

Maine dp126909008 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 15.0 per 100 people, totaling 207,849 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 17.7 per 100 people, totaling 245,107 items.
Total Cost: $8,765,588

Maine has a very high rate of paid hunting licenses per capita and a significant total number of permits, reflecting a deeply rooted hunting tradition in a smaller population.

5. Idaho

Idaho dp312917042Idaho dp312917042 — Image Credit: sepavone/Deposit Photos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 15.6 per 100 people, totaling 301,994 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 70.4 per 100 people, totaling 1,364,523 items.
Total Cost: $45,929,613

Idaho has the highest per capita rate for hunting licenses and a substantial number of permits issued, with a significant total cost, indicating an extensive and financially engaged hunting community.

4. North Dakota

North Dakota ss2074557931 — Image Credit: Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 19.3 per 100 people, totaling 150,724 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 72.2 per 100 people, totaling 562,595 items.
Total Cost: $13,219,281

North Dakota has a very high rate of paid hunting licenses per capita and a considerable total number of permits, indicating a strong hunting culture in a relatively small population.

3. Montana

montana road ss2133563201 — Image Credit: melissamn/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 20.6 per 100 people, totaling 231,339 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 96.7 per 100 people, totaling 1,086,200 items.
Total Cost: $41,231,097

Montana has a very high per capita rate for hunting licenses and a vast number of permits issued, reflecting a deeply embedded hunting tradition and extensive engagement.

2. South Dakota

south dakota dp215982992 — Image Credit: paulbradyphoto/DepositPhotos

Paid Hunting License Holders: 22.7 per 100 people, totaling 206,316 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 39.6 per 100 people, totaling 360,062 items.
Total Cost: $22,313,451

South Dakota has the highest per capita rate of paid hunting licenses and a significant number of permits, demonstrating an exceptionally strong hunting culture despite its smaller population.

1. Wyoming

Wyoming state ss2180930533 — Image Credit: Kit Leong/Shutterstock

Paid Hunting License Holders: 23.4 per 100 people, totaling 136,205 hunters.
Hunting Licenses, Tags, Permits & Stamps: 47.3 per 100 people, totaling 274,963 items.
Total Cost: $35,230,187

Wyoming leads with the highest per capita rate of paid hunting licenses and a substantial number of permits, reflecting an extremely engaged hunting community in a state with a small population.

Source:

Hunting Licenses, Holders, and Costs by Apportionment Year