These statistics are from 2004 and are particularly interesting to bow hunters from highly populated states such as New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Bow hunters from these states have it tough, at least statistically, when it comes to hunting for mature book class whitetails.

While tracking data over the years it has been interesting to watch as statistics change as far as P&Y entries and ratios are concerned. There has been an influx of hunters over the past ten years buying or leasing large parcels of land and managing those properties for big bucks only. There has also been huge growth in the numbers of non-enclosed pay to hunt ranches and guide services where hunters pay big dollars for opportunities at trophy bucks. These changes in managed property have had a direct impact on the quantity of Pope & Young entries into the record book, and reduced the hunter to Pope &Young entry ratios dramatically, especially in the big buck rich midwestern states where hunter densities per square mile are very low. In some states the entry ratios have been nearly cut in half from 1998 to 2004.

While the hunter to P&Y ratios may seem like a positive indicator of where bow hunting is headed, we view it from a different perspective. We can’t produce more hunting land and as large areas of it are being bought and leased, along with constant urban sprawl, we are pushing the little guy who can’t afford it, out of hunting. Hunting is heading in the same direction here as it is in Europe, where only the rich get to enjoy it.  

In many instances deer hunting is turning into what we consider a form of deer farming. Farmers raise cattle until they are ready for market, and in micro-managed areas, such as what is seen on most TV shows and videos, hunters raise bucks until they are fully mature before they are allowed to be taken. While entertaining to watch, most properties where TV shows and videos are filmed are gross misrepresentations of normal deer herds and hunting conditions.   

Pope & Young 1998 statistics versus 2004 statistics

These ratios are derived by dividing each states P&Y entries into the number of licensed bow hunters from that year.  

State                     P&Y entries / ratios in 1998                        P&Y entries / ratios in 2004

Iowa------------------------145------1 in 253-------------------------------------238-------1 in 197

Kansas----------------------69------1 in 257--------------------------------------141-------1 in 149

Illinois----------------------236-----1 in 367---------------------------------------403-------1 in 297

Nebraska-------------------49------1 in 372---------------------------------------43-------1 in 335

Wisconsin-----------------469------1 in 524--------------------------------------507-------1 in 492

North Dakota---------------14------1 in 835---------------------------------------44-------1 in 353

Minnesota------------------65------1 in 1015------------------------------------102-------1 in 686

Oklahoma*-----------------18-----1 in 1,166--------------------------------------26--------1 in 3,374

Ohio------------crossbow licenses not separate from bow licenses------------------------------

Maryland-------------------40-----1 in 1175---------------------------------------30-------1 in 1,900

Connecticut----------------11-----1 in 1,272--------------------------------------15--------1 in 804

Delaware--------------------5------1 in 1,280---------------------------------------3--------1 in 2,000

Texas-----------------------58------1 in 1,293--------------------------------------84-------1 in 890

Montana--------------------15------1 in 1733--------------------------------------22-------1 in 1,195

Missouri---------------------56------1 in 1739------------------------------------136-------1 in 694

Indiana----------------------52------1 in 2056-------------------------------------130-------1 in 763

Wyoming---------------------5-------1 in 2114---------------------------------------5--------1 in 3,370

New Jersey-----------------21------1 in 2,265-------------------------------------23-------1 in 1,608

New York-------------------66------1 in 2,575--------------------------------------78--------1 in 2,760

Kentucky--------------------40------1 in 2750---------------------------------------54-------1 in 1,666

Rhode Island-----------------1------1 in 2,900---------------------------------------2-------1 in 1,503

Mississippi------------------19-----1 in 3052-----------------------------------------21-------1 in 1,769

Maine-------------------------4-----1 in 3250------------------------------------------2-------1 in 7,450

New Hampshire-------------6-----1 in 3,930----------------------------------------14-------1 in 1,357

Louisiana---------------------8-----1 in 4212------------------------------------------6-------1 in 4,535

West Virginia----------------6----1 in 4333------------------------------------------14-------1 in 1,704

Virginia----------------------12----1 in 4,876-----------------------------------------17-------1 in 3,611

Michigan--------------------68----1 in 5,147-----------------------------------------60------1 in 5,166

Arkansas---------------------5----1 in 6,000-----------------------------------------29------1 in 1,034

Georgia---------------------13----1 in 6,615-----------------------------------------20-------1 in 5,584

Pennsylvania---------------41----1 in 8,004-----------------------------------------86-------1 in 3,308

North Carolina---------------6-----1 in 9,000-----------------------------------------8-------1 in 6,750

Alabama----------------------7-----1 in 9,428-----------------------------------------8-------1 in 9,312

Tennessee-------------------6-----1 in 10,166--------------------------------------10------1 in 9,000

Florida------------------------0-----------------------------------------------------------2-------1 in 12,628

                            Bow hunter Densities per square mile

(bowhunting licenses sold per square mile of land in each state)

 North Central

 Northeast

 West of Mississippi (North)

 West of Mississippi (South)

 Southeast

Densities calculated by dividing the number of licenses sold per state by the square miles of each state. For instance Connecticut sold 13,715 bow hunting licenses and has a total area of 4,845 square miles. By dividing the licenses sold by the square miles we come up with 2.83 licenses sold per square mile. Due to areas of land where hunting is not allowed in each state, these density numbers are not the actual number of hunters per square mile, however they are a good indicator of the general amount of hunting pressure a state receives.

While just about every state has a couple large cities, in most states with large populations such as New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, there are many large cities with sprawling suburbs where hunting is not allowed. In such states, the above hunter densities are much greater than the chart shows.   

1.      Bowhunting License Sales taken from Archery Business Magazine.

2.      State size from: Almanac – U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census