Description
Hunting and Sports Arms and Ammunitions are designed for recreational purposes. The features of these weapons are distinct as compared to firearms that are used in military armaments. Minimum caliber or muzzle energy firearms are used within hunting expeditions. The design for hunting and sports munitions is governed under the game category for an area during a stipulated timeframe. The use of rifles is however banned in areas with a high population density and limited topographic relief. These governing norms are generally instated to avoid fatalities or cases of a misfire. The regulations for the game category are also stringent for hunting on water bodies, where the danger of ricochet exists.
The instating of norms is of grave importance when it comes to hunting as a recreational activity. For instance, the country Quebec requires the firearm’s operand to have to take required training. Moreover, the possession of hunting and sports arms, as well as ammunition, is guarded by licensing practices. Thus, illicit possession of these weapons could result in a penalty.
However, the PAL (Possession and acquisition license for firearms in Quebec) is waved in case the firearm presently used by the operand is borrowed. Consecutively, the end-user of a borrowed firearm is allowed to operate the same under strict guidance and monitoring. Apart from regulations laid for interpersonal safety, several hunting norms are guidelines that are also imposed to maintain ecological balance. Species on the verge of extinction and several rare breeds of animals cannot be hunted across various countries. For instance, the hunting of tigers is considered to be illegal across several regions. This is predominantly due to extensive poaching of this species which took place historically.
On studying the total regional landscape for the global markets, APAC is noted to be a key demographic for the hunting and sports ammunition market. This is predominantly due to the growing purchasing power of the population. However, in certain countries like India hunting is considered to be a prohibited activity. North America is another key market within for the trade of hunting and sports arms as well as ammunition. The US and Canada account for key regional segments within North America. The introduction of activities like Trophy Hunting is another factor that is poised to boost the market growth dynamics for recreational firearms.
The regional landscaping for North America suggests that roughly 1 Million North American tourists hunt overnight in Canada. Canadians are anticipated to dominate the North American hunting market. Therefore, they are a key demographic of consumers for hunting arms and ammunition. Canadians account for 9 in 10 North American Tourists that hunt overnight. As research suggests, seasonal duration accounts for a key factor that governs the sale of weapons used in recreational activities such as hunting. For instance, South Carolina has the longest deer season which ranges from mid-August to January in some zones. This is predominantly due to the increased reliance on hunting given the weather conditions and the ecology.
On further analyzing the competitiveness of the hunting market in Canada, it is identified that Ontario accounts for a major share of this market. It is estimated that roughly 275,000 North American hunters visit Ontario for hunting expeditions thus making Ontario a key market of interest to the hunting arms and ammunition sector. The RTO13 region within Ontario accounts for roughly 42% of the hunter spending and 10% of the Tourist spending within North America. Some of the other key regional segments that boost the North American hunting market include Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC.
The US is another key market for hunting expeditions. Regions like Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan account for key hunting destinations and consumer segments for the hunting and sports ammunition market. Top countries for US Trophy Hunters include Canada, South Africa, and Namibia. According to the tourism review, some of the key hunting destinations across the world include Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia owing to their wide variety of wildlife and vast expanse of land.
The price analysis for firearms across global markets denotes that South Africa serves as a lucrative market for the purchase of munitions. The prices for weapons in Kenya’s illicit market are relatively lower as compared to global standards. Thus the acquisition of weapons is relatively easier in these countries. Moreover, regional segments like Libya are also popularly known for their exceptionally cheap prices of assault rifles and battle rifles. Comparatively, the prices for arms and ammunition are relatively higher in countries outside of South Africa like Brazil and the United States. However, low-cost handguns can be acquired in black markets stationed within Latin America and the Caribbean. As per the United Nations, the benchmarked price per piece of different weapons indicates that Hunting weapons are ranked to be costliest within their illegal markets. The present benchmarking suggests stockpiling and increased illicit demand for weapons across developing nations. Norms to curtail the same is poised to limit the market growth dynamics for Hunting and Sports arms and ammunitions.
