On October 3, approximately 30 people attended the Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus sporting clays event at the Black Wing Shooting Facility in Delaware, Ohio. Legislators and their staff were invited to attend the informal event for a day of camaraderie with Ohio Department of Natural Resources staff and various representatives from sportsmen’s organizations across the state.
Senate Chairs Joe Uecker and Lou Gentile took the opportunity to address the group and highlight the economic impact of sportsmen and women in Ohio, as well as outline the form and function of the bipartisan Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources was well represented with numerous staffers in attendance, including Director Jim Zehringer and Wildlife Resources Chief Scott Zody. Noting the exciting time of year, Zehringer spoke on the quickly approaching hunting seasons, Ohio’s vast natural resources, and recent legislative issues.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pheasants Forever, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, American Silencer Association, and AcuSport.
The Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators that are committed to protecting and promoting statewide sportsmen’s issues. For more information on the Caucus, please contact the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s Southeastern States Manager, Bee Frederick at bee@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?
