Why It Matters: On November 28, 2023, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted testimony in support of a suite of House and Senate Bills sent to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources that attempt to offer compromise Sunday Hunting roll backs to outright repeal of the ban . A suite of House …
Last Two States with Sunday Hunting Prohibitions See Cautious Optimism Read More »
Why it Matters: Across the Midwest, firearm deer hunting seasons are among the most anticipated hunting seasons every year. Due to both the timing of many rifle seasons in relation to the white-tailed deer rut and the opportunities that rifle hunting can afford, hunters across the country count down the days until they can hit …
Midwest Rifle Season Recap: Why We Love it and What Can We Learn? Read More »
Why it Matters: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission denied a petition to initiate rulemaking around wolf-livestock conflict at their meeting on October 28, 2023. Since that decision, petitioners filed an appeal with Governor Jay Inslee requesting that he overturn the commission’s decision by directing WDFW to initiate rulemaking. This exact process …
Why it matters: Our nation’s vast network of federal public lands and water provide significant recreational opportunities for America’s sportsmen and women. The EXPLORE Act recognizes the importance of federal public lands for sportsmen and women by seeking to increase public access, modernize public land visitation data, and conserve important water systems for anglers and …
House CSC Co-Chair Introduces Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Package Read More »
Why It Matters: Menhaden are a critical part of the coastal ecosystem serving as an important forage food for many recreationally important species such as redfish, speckled trout, and others. In recent months, there have been several confirmed instances of net spills by commercial menhaden vessels. These spills resulted in the wasting of approximately 850,000 …
LDWF Commission Aims to Push Commercial Menhaden Boats 1-Mile Off Louisiana Beaches Read More »
Why it Matters: The use of ballot initiatives to ban hunting circumvents the legislative and regulatory process that provides the opportunity for input by professionals, for revisions, and considerations of broader impacts within the Colorado’s overall science-based management plan. These initiatives can allow wildlife management decisions to be made based on emotion rather than scientific …
Why It Matters: Lack of access is one of the biggest issues facing sportsmen and women today and is reported as a primary reason that lapsed hunters and anglers no longer hunt or fish. Despite its relatively small size compared to other Southeastern states, South Carolina offers abundant access to public land hunting opportunities. With …
South Carolina Proposes New Public Land Hunting Opportunities Read More »
Why it Matters: Access is not only defined as geographic, physical, or temporal access, but it is also the ability to know where, when, and how sportsmen and women can enjoy their respective activities. Unfortunately, that information is not readily available across multiple federal water management agencies, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) recently testified in …
CSF’s Schmitz Testifies Before The House Natural Resources Committee On Water Access Read More »
Why It Matters: Hunting and fishing are societal pillars in Michigan that have significant economic impacts. This legislative package serves to increase consumer confidence when contracting a hunting or fishing guide to pursue the State’s storied fish and wildlife species, while simultaneously increasing revenue and reporting data for the state’s fish and wildlife agency. Highlights: …
Michigan Legislature Passes Commercial Guiding Package After Nearly Decade-Long Effort Read More »
Why It Matters: Currently in New York, a crossbow is classified as a firearm and requires the purchase of a muzzleloader privilege to use a crossbow during the specified seasons. This classification and requirement have created a lot of confusion for hunters. The Federal Government has defined a crossbow as a “bow” and the Internal …
The Ongoing Effort to Expand Crossbow Use in the Empire State Read More »
Why it Matters: Lack of access is often cited as the number one reason sportsmen and women no longer participate in our time-honored traditions of hunting and fishing. Access is not only defined as geographic access or physical access, but it is also the ability to know where, when, and how sportsmen and women can …
CSF’s Taylor Schmitz Set To Testify on House MAPWaters Act Read More »
Why It Matters: On September 23, 2023, sportsmen and women across the nation celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD). This year, Governor Brian Kemp was one of 40 governors that signed proclamations commemorating NHFD. As the original conservationists, sportsmen and women make immense contributions to conservation funding and the economy in Georgia and across …
Governor Kemp Gives Special Recognition to the Sportsmen and Women of Georgia Read More »
Why It Matters: A petition to initiate rulemaking around wolf-livestock conflict was taken into consideration by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission at their meeting on October 28, 2023. The rules proposed by petitioners would have hindered WDFW’s ability to properly manage wolves in Washington State, slowing recovery of the species while …
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission Denies Wolf Rulemaking Petition Read More »
Why It Matters: While some states are attempting to limit or ban hunting mountain lions, Nebraska is creating more opportunities for hunters to hit the fields and attempt to harvest a mountain lion. Hunting has long been a time-honored tradition of sportsmen and women, and increasing the opportunity to hunt big game helps to continue …
Mountain Lion Hunting Opportunities Expanded in Nebraska Read More »
Why it Matters: To date, the Pittman-Robertson Act has generated over $15 billion in critical funding to conserve wildlife, improve recreational shooting and hunting access, fund hunting education programs, and support other programs that are vital to our hunting and recreational shooting heritage. Building on this foundation, the Tax Stamp Revenue Transfer for Wildlife and …
Why it Matters: Introduced earlier in 2023, Massachusetts House Bill 849 and Senate Bill 590, Acts Prohibiting the Sale of Fur Products, seek to prohibit the sale of fur products in the Commonwealth. With cowhide, lambskin or sheep skin, or pelts used in taxidermy excluded from the definitions of “fur” and “fur product,” the remaining …
Massachusetts Seeks to Prohibit the Sale of Fur Products Read More »
Why It Matters: Thanks to the efforts of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the Louisiana black bear was delisted from the Endangered Species Act in 2016. Since then, black bear numbers have continued to climb, presenting a challenge for the state that it has not faced in decades – balancing black bear …
Louisiana Moves One Step Closer to Authorizing a Black Bear Season in 2024 Read More »
Why it Matters: The 2023 legislative sessions have brought several key changes to deer seasons in the Great Lakes region this year. Knowing the changes that have taken place to your state’s hunting laws and regulations is imperative to a successful season. Highlights: Although deer season is only a brief time of the year, legislation …
Does and Don’ts: Deer Season Updates in the Great Lakes States Read More »
Why It Matters: Similar for anglers in the Gulf of Mexico, red snapper are an extremely popular reef fish in the South Atlantic. However, federal stock assessment models suggest they are being overfished in the region, yet the population abundance is higher than it has ever been and continues to increase. Needless to say, the …
Red Snapper Act Advances in House, Opportunities for Better Management May Be on Horizon Read More »
Why It Matters: From sled teams visiting trapping lines deep in the Alaskan tundra, to hunting and fishing camps accessed by small planes, the rugged sportsmen and women venturing out into the Alaskan wilderness have long played a vital role in the state’s history and industry. As has already occurred in many states, development and …
Sportsmen and Women: Alaska’s Past, Present, and Future Read More »
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