States Where the Most People Hunt With a Bow

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There were more than 15.9 million hunters in the United States in 2022, and the majority of them hunt with a firearm. Still, a meaningful subset of hunters in the U.S. use a bow. According to the National Deer Association , a wildlife and habitat preservation organization, 25% of the nearly 6.2 million deer harvested in 2022 were taken with a bow or crossbow.

Bowhunting is typically done with a compound bow, recurve bow, longbow, or, somewhat controversially, a crossbow. Complete with a gunstock and a trigger, crossbows function more like a firearm -- giving weight to the derisive nickname, "gross-gun." Compound bows, meanwhile, are modern bows that use a system of levers and pulleys and are capable of generating more power with a similarly weighted pull than a more traditional recurve bow or longbow.

Reasons why millions of Americans choose to hunt with a bow vary. For one, bow hunting is generally more challenging than hunting with a firearm. Unlike many hunting rifles, which can be effective at several hundred yards, bows generally have a maximum range of only about 40 yards. Bowhunters also benefit from a longer hunting season in much of the country. Additionally, many states have restrictions on the types of firearms that can be used for hunting, making bows a more practical option. (Here is a look at the 30 most powerful hunting rifles you can buy .)

Using data from the NDA , 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where the most people hunt with bows. States are ranked on the share of deer harvested with a bow or crossbow in 2022. Only the 43 states with available data were included. In the case of a tie, the state with more hunters per 1,000 people ranks higher. Supplemental data on deer harvest totals is also from the NDA, while the total number of paid hunting license holders per 1,000 people was calculated using data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey.

Depending on the state, the share of deer harvested with a bow in 2022 ranges from 6% to 65%. The highest ranking states on this list tend to be small and densely populated. Several of these states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, prohibit deer hunting with a rifle. In other states where a high-percentage of deer are harvested with a bow, including Illinois and Ohio, only specific rifles are approved for hunting -- such as single-shot rifles or those that fire straight-wall ammunition.

Conversely, the lowest ranking states on this list are typically not densely populated places. These states, concentrated in the West, often have large swathes of public land where long-range shots are more common. (Here is a look at the most versatile hunting rifle cartridges .)

Why It Matters

Hunting is an increasingly popular pastime in the United States. According to the FWS, the number of licensed hunters hit a 35-year high in 2021, topping 15.9 million for the first time since 1987. Hunting is also big business in the United States. Americans spent a combined $1.1 billion on hunting licenses, stamps, tags, and permits in 2022 alone. Deer are by far the most commonly hunted game in the U.S., and while most deer are harvested with a rifle or a shotgun, more than 1.5 million deer were taken with a bow in 2022.

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