Over the past week or so, wherever I drive, I seem to be following a camper on the back of a pickup truck. Grocery stores are full of men in plaid and hiking boots stocking up on beef jerky and trail mix. Ah yes, the smell of gun powder and campfire smoke fills the air as hunting season opens. Especially throughout the fall months, a large percentage of visitors to Prince George are here for the purpose of tagging some wild game. As much as our city tries to shed our uncivilized 'redneck' reputation, there is no denying that recreational hunting impacts our local economy in a big way.
You often hear Prince George described as the 'service and supply hub for the North'. The phrase is most frequently used in relation to industry and natural resource projects which are fueled in part by goods and services coming through Prince George. But this time of year, the same phrase may well be used to describe our city's geographic advantage with regard to hunting activities.
Prince George, considered a hunting 'Hotspot' by Outdoor Canada, is the jump-off point for world class wild game hunting in the region. The promise of great hunting experiences draws men and women of all socio-economic levels who often spend big bucks - no pun intended - in order to fill their freezers with organic meat. Consider the possible impact of one hunting visitor who, while in Prince George, may: fill their 26 gallon truck fuel tank, fill several jerry cans for their ATV, top up propane for the camper, purchase groceries for the week, stop at the liquor store, stay overnight at a motel while in transit, buy ammunition and supplies from a local outfitter store, hire a guide outfitter for a hunting expedition, and buy a gift for their family members who've gone without them for the week. Considering the outside dollars that flow into Prince George, I believe that our city needs to embrace hunting visitors with greater recognition and appreciation.
Hunting and trapping activities have always been part of our city and region's history. Hunting is a tradition that also makes us unique. It is represented in Tourism Prince George's "Urban Wilderness" brand and mission to 'attract and serve visitors to Prince George that will experience the urban and wilderness elements that live distinctively side by side and are uniquely ours'. American and Canadian hunters are listed as a secondary target market for Tourism Prince George for good reason. While there are certainly conservation limits, as imposed by the BC government's Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, to the growth of hunting visitors to Northern BC, Prince George businesses should explore how they may cater to this important customer base. Giving visiting hunters a reason to stay in Prince George longer and hopefully spend more money should be the current preoccupation for local businesses. Until next week, stay in the black and keep coming back.
