By Joel Hodgdon, Central Midwestern States Coordinator
On March 6, the Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation hosted their annual sportsmen’s community legislative conference and wild game luncheon. Representatives from hunting and angling organizations gathered to discuss state legislation of importance to Nebraska’s hunters and anglers.
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) Central Midwestern States Coordinator Joel Hodgdon attended the conference and presented to the group on several pieces of federal sportsmen’s legislation currently being championed by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), including the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act, the 2018 Farm Bill reauthorization, and the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Act.
“The engagement at this conference from various sportsmen’s groups across the state shows how important hunting, angling, shooting, trapping, and conservation are to Nebraskans,” said Scott Smathers, Executive Director of the Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation.
After the conference, attendees were joined by state Senate members of the Nebraska Legislative Sportsmen’s Forum, legislative staff, and representatives from Nebraska Game and Parks for a wild game luncheon, featuring locally harvested duck, geese, deer, elk and Nebraska grown buffalo.
The Nebraska Forum is led by Chairman Senator Curt Friesen and Vice-Chair Senator Dan Hughes. The conference and luncheon was sponsored by the Big Game Conservation Association, Cabela’s, Ducks Unlimited, Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation, Nebraska Trout Unlimited, Nebraska Wildlife Federation and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever.
CSF’s Central Midwestern States Coordinator Joel Hodgdon with Nebraska Legislative Sportsmen’s Forum Chair Senator Curt Friesen and Nebraska Sportsmen’s Foundation Executive Director Scott Smathers.
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?
