On Wednesday, April 23, hunters, anglers, recreational shooters and trappers from throughout the state joined the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus for ‘Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol’ in Denver. Intended to bring sportsmen and women together with policymakers, this year’s celebration of the Centennial State’s outdoor heritage was a tremendous success.
Representatives from the organizations participating in ‘Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol’ set up booths in the Capitol Rotunda to interact with one another and spread the word about their projects, conservation efforts and youth programs. Throughout the morning, interested legislators, their staff, and members of the public made their way through the Rotunda, giving numerous passersby the opportunity to interact with the leaders of Colorado’s sportsmen’s community.
Following the morning session, attendees joined legislators and others for a BBQ on the East Lawn of the Capitol to enjoy the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus’s signature entrée: all beef hot dogs from the Scanga Meat Company in Salida, Colorado.
Participating organizations then joined Sportsmen’s Caucus Chairs Senator Lois Tochtrop and Representative Jim Wilson in the Old Supreme Court Chamber for a discussion about future engagement with the Sportsmen’s Caucus. Organizations represented at Colorado Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol included: Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Cabela’s, the Colorado Mule Deer Association, the Colorado Outfitters Association, Colorado State Muzzleloaders, the Colorado Trappers Association, Colorado Youth Outdoors, Eagle Claw, HuntData, Jodi Stemler Consulting, the Mule Deer Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, SCI-Denver Chapter and the U.S. Forest Service.
For more information about the Colorado Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, please contact CSF Western States Manager Andy Treharne, at andy@sportsmenslink.org.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
