Factors Affecting Fishing License Purchase Patterns and Angler Retention Strategies in Iowa

The Iowa DNR Fisheries Bureau (IDNR) is funded by the sale of fishing and hunting licenses and equipment. Continued license sales are critical to provide the funding to effectively manage Iowa fisheries. After years of simply selling fishing licenses, IDNR partnered with the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation in 2005 to assess fishing promotional efforts. These efforts were initiated in response to declining or fluctuating fishing license sales. Fishing promotional campaigns have varied from localized efforts to statewide and from specific target populations to all anglers. Using new strategies to sell more fishing licenses makes financial resources available to be invested in maintaining and improving fishery resources.  Radio and television advertising, live events, magazines, letters, postcards and emails have been used to promote fishing to potential license buyers. An evaluation of fishing promotion efforts from 2005 to 2015 showed that lift ranged from 0.1% to 4.6%. License sales patterns indicate that weather and economic conditions strongly influence fishing license sales.  Results from these assessments include:

• inexpensive postcard and email reminders can be effective
• inconsistent anglers would fish more often if a friend or relative invited them
• weather has a major influence on a person’s decision to buy a fishing license