The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife estimates that $498 million in economic activity is generated through fishing and hunting. A 2005 report by the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine suggested that hunters spend about $200 million annually on retail hunting related sales here. That spending ripples through the Maine economy, supporting more than 3,500 jobs and creating an estimated $325 million in economic activity, much of which takes place in rural areas where the impact is greater.
Read Original at: The Bangor Daily News (Maine)