(CNN) -- Interest in hunting and fishing is on the rise, and autumn's prime season for getting outside and up close to your food.

The number of recreational hunters and anglers in the United States has increased significantly over the past five years, according to a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey. The number of hunters has increased by 9%, while the number of anglers has jumped by 11%.

While hunting has always been a way for self-sufficient people to feed their families, another theory for its current popularity is that it can also be an affordable "staycation" for people trying to spend less in a poor economy.

Steven Rinella, host of "Meat Eater" on the Sportsman Channel and the author of a just-released hunting tome of the same name, says there's more to it. As an increasing number of Americans become interested in where their food comes from and want to play a part in making it, Rinella says that many are newly compelled to try killing their own meat.

"I think it's a cultural sense of people losing connection to the land and to their food, and they're looking to rekindle their fires of passion for self-sufficiency," says Rinella.

The growing interest in farm-to-table dining is part of that rekindling.

"Meat is not just a trip to the supermarket and a Styrofoam-wrapped cut of meat. That meat starts as an animal," says Jeff Rupert, chief of the Division of Natural Resources of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Hunting takes years to master

Yet hunting is not the easiest hobby for a newcomer to master. Hunting is visceral. One is often in uncomfortable settings, and it requires a certain skill set that can take years to master. Those who still want to try hunting this fall have plenty of options all over the country in a wide array of comfort levels, and the Fish and Wildlife Service offers special hunting programs for children, novice hunters, hunters with disabilities, and women.

Right now, Rinella recommends wild pig hunting in northern California and central Texas; pheasant, geese, and duck hunting in North and South Dakota; grouse hunting in northern Minnesota and Michigan; and quail hunting in the southeast.

Big game hunting -- think bear or elk -- requires permits that are a little harder to obtain without a long lead time.

Southern Woods Plantation, Georgia

A classic quail hunt usually means sophisticated lodging, and rural Georgia -- a quail hunter's paradise -- is dotted with old-school Southern plantations that specialize in guided hunts with trained dogs. Options abound, but check out Southern Woods Plantation in the Bobwhite Belt of South Georgia. The main house is sprawling and comfortable, and the hunting expedition is led by expert guides with traditional and specially designed buggies and a set of trained hunting dogs. Hunts are $450 for a full day plus $250 for lodging, with all meals included.

Also in Georgia, the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, six miles south of Macon, just added migratory bird hunting and upland game hunting to its roster and added wild turkey to its big-game hunting program. To check out Bond Swamp, drive down to Macon from Atlanta and choose from a variety of accommodations, from Hilton and Marriott to Super 8s and independent hotel operators.

2331 Georgia Highway 33 South, Sylvester, Georgia 31791; 229-776-0585

How do you feel about people hunting for their own food or hunting as a sport? Have you ever hunted on vacation or to supplement your pantry (or both)? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.