The Most Popular Hunting Destinations in America: All States Ranked

Published: December 27, 2025 by Christian Drerup

Hunting has been an American outdoor tradition since before the country’s inception. Each year, millions of sportsmen (and women) venture into forests, plains, mountains, and wetlands across the country. Every state offers its own unique opportunities, primarily influenced by geography and wildlife populations. Big-game pursuits dominate the West, while whitetail hotspots are popular in the Midwest and South. For many hunters, choosing where to go is just as important as selecting an animal to hunt. Destination popularity is directly related to access, abundance, and overall experience.

Ranking the most popular hunting destinations in America shows us which states consistently attract hunters. It also reveals the reasons behind this frequent influx of hunters. These rankings are shaped by an assortment of factors, including game availability, license accessibility, public land access, season length, and success rates. By comparing all 50 states, we can see where hunters are most active and which regions continue to stand out as top hunting destinations.

To determine the most popular hunting destinations nationwide, we reviewed state-level data on paid hunting licenses issued to non-residents in 2021 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tracking out-of-state permits provides insight into broader hunting tourism appeal. Additional Fish and Wildlife figures on license revenues further indicate high-interest hunting markets. We also included 2021 public land acreage data from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Protected Areas Database. Public sites grant access for hunters during season. Finally, state whitetail deer harvest numbers for 2021 from the National Deer Association conservation group helped account for states with robust deer populations. Alaska, Hawaii, California, Nevada and Utah lacked comparable statistics, so they were excluded from deer-related calculations.

50. Hawaii

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 1,253 (10.0% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $131,565 (the lowest)
Public land area: 40.5% of state land (11th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: N/A

49. Connecticut

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 4,353 (4.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $358,555 (3rd lowest)
Public land area: 15.8% of state land (25th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 8,799 (65.3% antlered buck)

48. Delaware

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 7,161 (12.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $578,951 (5th lowest)
Public land area: 14.6% of state land (22nd lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 15,383 (44.8% antlered buck)

47. Rhode Island

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 7,505 (12.7% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $137,436 (2nd lowest)
Public land area: 10.9% of state land (17th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 2,164 (56.1% antlered buck)

46. Washington

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 15,289 (1.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,298,049 (9th lowest)
Public land area: 38.3% of state land (12th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 24,318 (89.1% antlered buck)

45. Vermont

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 17,406 (8.8% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,008,154 (6th lowest)
Public land area: 16.5% of state land (23rd highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 15,858 (57.6% antlered buck)

44. Massachusetts

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 21,719 (7.8% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $552,371 (4th lowest)
Public land area: 19.4% of state land (18th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 12,403 (64.8% antlered buck)

43. New Hampshire

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 23,335 (13.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,615,871 (11th lowest)
Public land area: 24.9% of state land (15th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 12,551 (64.6% antlered buck)

42. Indiana

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 24,141 (5.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $2,782,471 (14th lowest)
Public land area: 4.7% of state land (6th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 112,482 (47.8% antlered buck)

41. New Jersey

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 24,457 (7.6% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,260,711 (8th lowest)
Public land area: 23.6% of state land (16th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 36,787 (43.2% antlered buck)

40. Florida

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 25,391 (7.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,547,881 (10th lowest)
Public land area: 27.0% of state land (14th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 74,071 (70.5% antlered buck)

39. California

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 26,457 (2.6% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,246,471 (7th lowest)
Public land area: 55.9% of state land (6th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 0

38. North Carolina

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 29,324 (8.8% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $2,852,672 (15th lowest)
Public land area: 10.7% of state land (16th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 168,427 (53.0% antlered buck)

37. Maine

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 35,496 (14.5% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $3,255,392 (16th lowest)
Public land area: 18.1% of state land (21st highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 38,947 (55.7% antlered buck)

36. Nevada

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 36,583 (25.0% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $4,006,161 (18th lowest)
Public land area: 83.2% of state land (the highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 0

35. Virginia

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 48,382 (6.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $4,468,597 (20th lowest)
Public land area: 16.0% of state land (24th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 191,731 (49.0% antlered buck)

34. Louisiana

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 49,667 (8.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $1,991,037 (12th lowest)
Public land area: 10.1% of state land (14th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 233,400 (55.0% antlered buck)

33. Minnesota

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 51,635 (3.5% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $4,201,403 (19th lowest)
Public land area: 18.9% of state land (19th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 184,698 (54.2% antlered buck)

32. Utah

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 53,883 (11.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $7,757,083 (19th highest)
Public land area: 72.0% of state land (2nd highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 0

31. Pennsylvania

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 54,464 (5.7% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $7,365,668 (20th highest)
Public land area: 18.7% of state land (20th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 376,810 (38.6% antlered buck)

30. Oklahoma

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 60,157 (16.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $6,852,283 (24th highest)
Public land area: 11.7% of state land (18th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 117,629 (58.9% antlered buck)

29. Maryland

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 66,013 (20.5% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $3,294,085 (17th lowest)
Public land area: 14.1% of state land (21st lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 67,445 (41.4% antlered buck)

28. Alabama

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 67,183 (7.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $8,605,656 (16th highest)
Public land area: 5.9% of state land (7th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 301,122 (40.9% antlered buck)

27. Alaska

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 70,920 (12.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $2,133,238 (13th lowest)
Public land area: 56.2% of state land (5th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: N/A

26. New York

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 70,991 (6.5% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $4,521,101 (21st lowest)
Public land area: 15.3% of state land (25th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 211,269 (52.5% antlered buck)

25. Oregon

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 73,412 (6.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $6,800,898 (25th highest)
Public land area: 56.8% of state land (4th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 39,588 (91.4% antlered buck)

24. Michigan

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 73,705 (3.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $4,851,976 (22nd lowest)
Public land area: 15.3% of state land (24th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 395,059 (56.6% antlered buck)

23. Texas

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 76,599 (4.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $11,730,687 (10th highest)
Public land area: 4.1% of state land (4th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 827,930 (54.1% antlered buck)

22. Iowa

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 79,161 (11.6% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $8,146,265 (17th highest)
Public land area: 3.0% of state land (3rd lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 102,810 (43.9% antlered buck)

21. Wyoming

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 79,569 (28.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $23,483,498 (4th highest)
Public land area: 54.2% of state land (8th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 35,061 (68.3% antlered buck)

20. Nebraska

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 83,775 (20.9% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $7,225,808 (21st highest)
Public land area: 2.4% of state land (2nd lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 44,802 (60.4% antlered buck)

19. Ohio

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 85,336 (9.7% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $9,663,674 (14th highest)
Public land area: 6.0% of state land (8th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 196,988 (45.2% antlered buck)

18. Illinois

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 90,663 (6.1% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $16,790,777 (5th highest)
Public land area: 4.3% of state land (5th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 146,422 (47.3% antlered buck)

17. Missouri

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 98,132 (5.6% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $12,410,731 (9th highest)
Public land area: 7.6% of state land (9th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 295,143 (48.7% antlered buck)

16. Mississippi

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 99,449 (23.6% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $8,926,508 (15th highest)
Public land area: 9.8% of state land (12th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 269,901 (42.6% antlered buck)

15. Arizona

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 100,746 (16.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $6,890,378 (23rd highest)
Public land area: 55.1% of state land (7th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 14,416 (99.3% antlered buck)

14. South Dakota

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 105,873 (29.4% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $12,822,125 (8th highest)
Public land area: 16.9% of state land (22nd highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 55,141 (62.6% antlered buck)

13. South Carolina

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 111,639 (11.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $5,546,379 (24th lowest)
Public land area: 9.4% of state land (11th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 182,880 (52.1% antlered buck)

12. Kentucky

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 112,806 (20.3% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $10,143,234 (13th highest)
Public land area: 7.7% of state land (10th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 132,328 (51.4% antlered buck)

11. Arkansas

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 131,203 (25.7% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $11,056,366 (11th highest)
Public land area: 13.6% of state land (20th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 181,379 (47.7% antlered buck)

10. North Dakota

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 139,005 (24.7% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $6,916,885 (22nd highest)
Public land area: 21.6% of state land (17th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 32,417 (59.8% antlered buck)

9. New Mexico

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 144,624 (29.6% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $13,471,727 (7th highest)
Public land area: 47.6% of state land (9th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 8,827 (98.4% antlered buck)

8. Kansas

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 148,657 (35.2% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $16,748,471 (6th highest)
Public land area: 1.9% of state land (the lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 84,007 (53.8% antlered buck)

7. West Virginia

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 150,752 (22.0% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $5,045,931 (23rd lowest)
Public land area: 12.1% of state land (19th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 105,274 (61.0% antlered buck)

6. Tennessee

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 159,023 (15.1% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $6,113,188 (25th lowest)
Public land area: 10.2% of state land (15th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 132,214 (56.4% antlered buck)

5. Georgia

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 178,466 (11.4% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $10,602,061 (12th highest)
Public land area: 9.9% of state land (13th lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 257,454 (37.7% antlered buck)

4. Montana

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 201,393 (18.5% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $27,449,806 (3rd highest)
Public land area: 37.6% of state land (13th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 44,714 (62.5% antlered buck)

3. Colorado

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 234,856 (29.4% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $59,814,909 (the highest)
Public land area: 44.7% of state land (10th highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 40,561 (76.8% antlered buck)

2. Wisconsin

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 262,100 (5.8% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $7,957,866 (18th highest)
Public land area: 14.7% of state land (23rd lowest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 309,392 (49.5% antlered buck)

1. Idaho

Non-resident hunting licenses, tags, permits, & stamps issued, 2021: 277,899 (20.4% of total)
Non-resident hunting license, tag, permit, & stamp sales, 2021: $27,522,085 (2nd highest)
Public land area: 68.0% of state land (3rd highest)
Whitetail deer harvested, 2021: 47,502 (75.5% antlered buck)