Deer hunting means big bucks in Arkansas

Bagging the economic impact of deer hunting in Arkansas is as elusive as hitting a 12-point buck.

• Studies are scarce, but an old one ciphered it to be north of $300 million. Give or take.
• That includes retail sales, salaries, sales taxes and state income taxes.

Driving the news: It's deer season, and modern gun season begins Nov. 13.

Why it matters: Hunting and fishing are great ways to attract tourists to the state using its natural resources and beautiful scenery as bait.

• Spending by both in-state residents and out-of-state tourists drives economic activity, especially in rural communities.
• It also helps control the deer population, which is better for their overall conservation.

By the numbers: There are nearly 222,000 hunters living in the state and more than 72,000 people who travel here to hunt. Those numbers aren't exclusive to whitetail deer hunting.

Zoom out: The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm advocacy group, estimated deer hunting in the U.S. alone to be a $15.7 billion industry.

• A large part of that money goes to the hospitality industry. Lodging accounted for more than $153 million, while food and drink accounted for $1.27 billion.

Read more about Arkansas' deer hunting season from Axios NW Arkansas:

• See photos: A hunting trip Airbnb with zipline and pool
• More urban deer in NWA means more car accidents
• Arkansas plant tackles ammo shortage