On March 16, the Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Idaho Sportsmen’s Alliance co-hosted a legislative reception at Beside Bardenay in downtown Boise, Idaho. The event featured a discussion on many of the issues of interest to Idaho’s sportsmen and women, as well as provided an opportunity to honor outgoing Caucus Co-Chair Representative Donna Pence (Gooding).
In addition to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), representatives from a wide range of sportsmen’s groups were in attendance, including the Ada County Fish and Game League, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Idaho B.A.S.S. Nation, Idaho Hunter Education Association, Idaho Traditional Bowhunters, Idaho Wildlife Federation, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever, among others. Other attendees included representatives from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Fish and Game Commission, and the office of Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Senator Jim Risch (ID).
Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Lee Heider (Twin Falls) presented Rep. Pence with a plaque from the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus thanking her for years of leadership. CSF Western States Manager Zach Widner also presented Rep. Pence with a certificate of appreciation from CSF, her fellow Caucus Co-Chairs, and the Idaho Sportsmen’s Alliance praising her steadfast commitment to the Gem State’s sportsmen and women. Representative Pence has served as Co-Chair of the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus since its founding in 2004 and has undertaken tremendous efforts to ensure that sportsmen’s interests are represented at the Capitol in Boise.
“There is no one more deserving of this commemoration than Representative Donna Pence. In her role as a Caucus Co-Chair, she has gone above and beyond in her efforts to advocate on behalf of our hunters and anglers. It will be critically important that the leadership and members of the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus continue the great work she has done,” said Sen. Heider.
“Representative Pence has been an exceptional ally for Idaho’s sportsmen and women during her time in the Idaho Legislature. While we will sincerely miss her leadership in the state house and the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus, we wish her the very best in her retirement and look forward to working with the Co-Chairs of the Caucus to carry on her legacy,” Widner noted.
President of the Idaho Sportsmen’s Alliance Larry Fry further added, “The Idaho Sportsmen’s Alliance offers our most sincere thanks to Representative Pence for all she has done on behalf of our state’s sportsmen and women. She has been an unwavering leader for all those who hunt and fish in our state.”
The Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus is a bipartisan group of state sportsmen-legislators working to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping in the Gem State. The Idaho Sportsmen’s Alliance, formerly known as the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus Advisory Council (ISCAC), is comprised of a diverse coalition of sportsmen’s groups working to advocate for the interests of sportsmen and women in Idaho.
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?
