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Inexpensive outdoor activities like fishing are expected to be popular this summer. Park Record...
Outdoor enthusiasts are expecting more people to get outside to play this summer. The down economy is forcing some people to find ways to vacation close to home and inexpensively this summer. Stress over money is also pushing people outdoors to relax and forget about budgets and pink slips.

Perhaps the best evidence of this trend is the fact that the state has sold 50,000 more big-game hunting permits this year, explained Dean Mitchell with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Mitchell was at the Utah Outdoor Adventure Expo last Friday and Saturday at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City talking to people about the role of wildlife in the state's tourism industry.

Mitchell pointed to a Southwick Associates report that said in 2006 and 2007 hunting, fishing and wildlife watching had a $2.3 billion impact on the state's economy. During that time period, consumers spent twice as much in retail sales on wildlife-related recreation than on skiing and snowboarding.

"People still want to have fun, and it's cheap to buy a fishing license for $26 and fish 365 days," he said.

According to his associate Robin Thomas, fishing as a hobby is in decline across much of the country. In Utah, the sales of fishing licenses keep growing.

"Buying a fishing license is buying a license to relax," she said.

Mitchell joked it gives him an opportunity to forget about his 401k for awhile. Buying licenses for the whole family is usually cheaper than attending the movies together once, he said.

He also predicted that the increased interest in big-game hunting is probably part of the same trend as the increased interest in gardening this year. People are looking to save money in their food budget and also eat better. Hunting is a fun way of putting high-quality protein on the table, he said.

Hubert Cook is often more of a wildlife watcher than a hunter because he's hunting for a prize of a different sort: gold.

Cook was at the outdoor expo on Saturday promoting the Northern Utah Prospector's Association. With the price of gold at $980 an ounce and the increased need for extra cash in the household budget, he said the sale of dredging equipment is up.

"It's a good weekend hobby getting you out into the elements," he said. "I see lizards, foxes and cacti blooming. No one in metro areas is going to have that opportunity."

Shaun Graves was at the outdoor expo promoting Bowhunters of Utah. As president of the group, he knows a lot of the retailers in the state and said some have done well and others haven't in this economy. The difference is the kind of experience they offer in their stores.

"I think people are just getting wiser about where they put their money. People are less into things, but more into how they spend their time," he said.

Retailers who offer a place to come and practice are doing OK and the better quality the practice experience, the better they're doing, in his opinion.

As evidence of his perspective, he pointed to how membership in his organization has doubled every year since they started and he doesn't expect this year to be any different. People are passionate about bow hunting and believe it's a way to spend quality time with family, he said.

Another aspect of the outdoor recreation industry that is doing well in this economy is emergency preparedness equipment, said outdoor expo organizer Brian Brinkerhoff.

Camping gear retailers tell him items like tents and stoves are selling well to use in case of an emergency, and people are taking them out to local canyons to give them a try, he said. The added feeling of security makes those items easier for people to purchase.

The Utah Outdoor Adventure Expo was held June 5 and 6 to coincide with National Trails Day, Brinkerhoff explained. The day is an opportunity to get people thinking about hiking as a sport, he said.

Brinkerhoff is the host of the Backcountry Radio Network. He said the purpose of the expo was to give outdoor experts, enthusiasts and equipment retailers the opportunity to come together, celebrate the beginning of summer and teach outdoor skills.

Brinkerhoff said people tell him all the time that they heard about an activity on his radio show and decided to give it a try. The expo was an opportunity to show people how to do different sports instead of just talking about them and introduce people to the proper gear to use, organizations to join and the passion people share.

"There's a synergy that happens by bringing them together and getting people to play," he said.