COEUR d'ALENE - While businesses throughout the country have suffered during the current recession, the local hunting industry remains prosperous.

Archery season is wrapping up, rifle hunters are sighting in, and sportsmen and women are flocking to area retailers. Firearms, apparel, optics, boots - outdoor equipment is a hot commodity this fall, despite a national economy that's still struggling to gain momentum.

"(Hunters) are still going to come in and spend the money on stuff they enjoy," said Brandon Kron, assistant hunting manager at Wholesale Sports on Government Way. "Gotta keep sane somehow, right? They're coming in, and they want stuff to get 'em out there and do the things they enjoy."

Sales have remained steady this year, Kron added, though hunters seem to be waiting until the last minute before they buy their gear - not an indication of the recession, just the usual procrastination.

Mike Abrams sells firearms at Black Sheep Sporting Goods on U.S. 95. Hunters, he said, are still spending plenty of money on guns, ammunition and archery equipment this season.

"I don't think (the recession) is affecting the hunting industry around here," Abrams said. "Anybody that loves hunting - they'll cut corners elsewhere, they're not gonna stop hunting. Just come in here on a Saturday, you'll see."

According to owner Dave Knoll, Black Sheep's business has been booming. But, he said, folks aren't buying the priciest equipment available. Instead of, say, a $600 rifle scope, they're settling for the $200 version.

"I would say that although (hunters) are passionate about the sport, there's a little less spending going on," Knoll said. "The recession is definitely not over in my opinion. I think maybe it is a sense of doing it (hunting) while they can. We always said that the Northwest was recession-proof, but this one is different."

Knoll said many hunters are shopping at Black Sheep because the store is known for its low prices.

"It seemed like (sales) got better when the recession was on," he added. "I feel if our business is even, we're really doing quite well."

Roger Wing, a bowhunter from Coeur d'Alene, was browsing the archery section at Black Sheep on Monday. An injury kept him out of the woods for the early part of the season, he said, but he'll be tracking down game soon.

"I think there are probably more hunters out there, because they're looking for meat, to help with the cost of food and living throughout the year," Wing said. "I think the guys can justify it if they bring back the food ... if they bring the meat to the table. They're out there trying to get an elk to fill that freezer."

Over at Cabela's, a sporting goods retailer near the state line in Post Falls, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts are "just knocking down the doors," according to event coordinator Pete Marion. They're purchasing the usual hunting equipment - firearms, binoculars, camouflage clothing, bows and arrows - along with tents, sleeping bags and stoves for their elk or deer camps.

Sales have increased steadily since the store opened in 2007, Marion said, not long before the recession hit full stride.

"I think the recession hasn't hurt us," Marion said. "As a matter of fact I think it made (sales) stronger."

Yet while sporting-goods retailers have weathered the economic storm, non-resident license sales - a major source of revenue for Idaho Fish and Game - have fallen off.

IDFG wildlife conservation educator Phil Cooper said out-of-state hunters simply cannot afford long distance trips; fees and travel costs are expensive.

For instance, a non-resident elk tag costs $416.75 (and that's just for the tag; the Idaho hunting license costs an additional $154.75). A resident elk tag, however, is only $30.75.

"It's still economical for a resident to go hunting in their own backyard," Cooper said. "From a local standpoint (hunting) is somewhat recession-proof. But for a non-resident, they're finding it hard to justify the expense of traveling."

Resident license sales have stayed fairly steady, but they have also dropped in recent years. Idaho hunters purchased 43,803 licenses in 2007, according to IDFG data. In 2008, that number fell to 43,184, and in 2009 IDFG licensed only 41,784 hunters.

Some hunters have noticed fewer people in the woods.

"As far as the amount of people coming and asking (to hunt), seems like it's down," said Chris Amos, who hunts on private land near Bonners Ferry. But for the most part, he said, local hunters aren't abandoning the pastime they love.

And they're still buying the gear they need.

"(Hunting is) one of the last things they'll give up," he said. "The way we've all been living, we can all do a lot of readjusting."