US hunting statistics 2026
Numbers you can actually cite: every figure below is computed directly from our open, linked datasets - regulations summarized from state agencies and nutrition data from USDA-checked sources. Free to use in articles and reports with a link to this page. Data checked July 2026.
34states put no minimum caliber on deer rifles ('open' rules); 5 set a minimum, 0 are straight-wall-cartridge states, and 0 allow no rifles for deer at all
32 vs 14states where .223 Remington is legal for deer vs. explicitly not - the internet's favourite caliber argument, settled state by state
30gprotein per 100 g of venison - against 26g for lean beef, with 3.2g of fat vs beef's 15g
1gfat per 100 g in the leanest wild meat we track (Moose)
33gprotein per 100 g in Wild rabbit - the highest of the 14 wild meats in our nutrition database
8.3mgiron per 100 g in Black bear - wild game generally beats supermarket meat on iron
5.4gaverage fat per 100 g across all wild meats we track - the number behind 'game is lean'
22North American furbearer species covered in our trapping library
Where these numbers come from (and how to verify)
- Caliber rules are computed from our state deer-caliber table - every row links to the state agency source. Regulations change; treat the table as a summary and verify with your agency.
- Nutrition figures come from our wild game nutrition database (14 wild meats plus supermarket comparisons, USDA-checked, values approximate per 100 g cooked).
- Species coverage reflects the current species library and furbearer library.
Primary sources for the bigger picture
For national participation, license sales and economics, cite the primary sources directly: the USFWS National Survey, USFWS hunting license certification data, and the National Deer Association's annual Deer Report. We deliberately do not re-quote their numbers here.
📎 Cite this page
Attribution makes more of these datasets possible. Suggested credit: