News Category: Hunting

Why It Matters: To say things in Augusta have been contentious over the ’25-’26 legislative session would be putting it mildly. Deep-rooted divides, partisan axe-grinding, and all-out obstructionism made advocacy efforts feel like a one-day hike up Everest. Despite the political climate in the state house, several wins were secured for sportsmen and women, but, but other important legislation unfortunately fell short. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) were able to deliver wins […]

Why It Matters: An essential component in defending and expanding our rights and/or privileges to recreate outdoors is public recognition for the cultural significance of traditional sportsmen’s activities and sportsmen’s contribution to conservation. Measures highlighting the significance of sportsmen, like Idaho House Bill 652 (HB 652), which named hunting as the official state sport of Idaho, are one such way to celebrate our outdoor heritage. Sportsmen were the original conservationists and remain conservation’s main source […]

Why It Matters: The Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Agriculture (USDA) are critical departments for sportsmen and women. The two departments collectively manage more than 640 million acres of federal public land, much of which is open to hunting and recreational shooting, and they play a critical role in our nation’s conservation efforts. The Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and […]

Why It Matters: Protecting the private information of license holders gives both new and old hunting and fishing license holders a greater sense of security while they participate in hunting lotteries put on by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Having an added level of security until after the completion of the scheduled hunt gives peace of […]

Why It Matters: Georgia’s sportsmen and women were well represented once again at the Georgia General Assembly during the 2026 legislative session. From issues positively impacting conservation funding to hunter education in schools to prescribed fire, there were numerous wins delivered this session, ensuring Georgia’s hunters and anglers can feel confident their interests were well represented in Atlanta.   Highlights:   Georgia is an incredibly diverse state […]

Why It Matters: Across the country, donation programs have been developed to help turn legally harvested game and meat from nuisance or crop damage licenses into meals for those in need. Each year, many hunters choose to donate animals harvested through regulated hunting, continuing a long tradition of providing food not only for their own families, but also for others in their […]

Why It Matters: Any ban on the use of lead ammunition will likely have a negative impact on conservation funding through a potential decrease in hunting license sales through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Maryland House Bill 1067 (HB 1067) and Senate Bill 181 (SB 181) originally sought to ultimately ban the use of lead ammunition for all game species throughout the state by […]

(April 17, 2026) – Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, sportsmen and women received an important victory with the removal of anti-hunting and dog training language from the House Farm Bill, entitled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, following the release of the House Rules Committee Print. The removal of this language represents a […]

Why It Matters: Though hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife (including by trapping) have long been our heritage, dating back to before the Europeans first arrived in North America, only recently has the “right” to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife come into question. 24 states have already successfully provided their citizens with a right to hunt, […]

Why It Matters: Bringing hunter safety education classes into schools offers kids a chance to learn the fundamentals needed to safely participate and enjoy time outdoors in a controlled, safe, and familiar environment. The experiences that they gain can encourage them to become annual hunting and fishing license holders, where they will join in funding […]

Why It Matters: South Carolina, like many other southern coastal states, continues to see dramatic increases in new residents. Protecting access to quality public land hunting areas should be top of mind for policy makers in South Carolina, especially as populations increase and private land hunting opportunities become harder to come by. Efforts to establish a no net […]

Why It Matters: As hunting participation has generally been on the decline in recent years, access to quality hunting ground is often cited as a leading barrier to hunting participation. These challenges can be exacerbated when access and opportunity are governed by conflicting rules established by multiple agencies, causing confusion among would-be participants. Efforts to codify the state’s fish and wildlife agency as the sole rulemaking and […]