By the Numbers: Whitetails vs. Wild Turkeys

Whitetails are the most popular game animal in the United States and generate the most revenue, by far. Wild turkeys come in second place — though it’s a distant second. With spring turkey seasons upon us, I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at how these two species stack up in the battle for hunting supremacy.

In addition to being a ton of fun, hunting in the U.S. is big business. In 2016 (the most recent national data available), 11.5 million people ages 16 and older hunted in the U.S., and they spent $26.2 billion — with a “B” — doing so! Of that total, big-game hunting accounts for $14.9 billion, or 57 percent of all hunting...