Why It Matters: Hunting is a primary tool in maintaining safer populations of wild game, such as the white-tailed deer. As some states have increased the number of deer a hunter can take, or the “bag limit”, it has become ever more important to provide outlets for that harvest. There are state and nonprofit programs…
Why It Matters: Each year, legislators across the country introduce well-meaning legislation that provides free and discounted hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for certain qualified individuals/groups. However, these initiatives have the potential to have negative impacts on the state’s fish and wildlife agency’s budget. To prevent the loss of sportsmen-generated dollars for conservation funding, Virginia…
Why It Matters: Poaching – the illegal take of game – stands in the way of professional science-based wildlife management and remains among the greatest threats to the social acceptance of hunting. Proactive measures to increase penalties for those found guilty of poaching would disincentivize bad actors from interfering with science-based wildlife management and would…
Why It Matters: Thanks to the conservation management efforts of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and their partners, the Louisiana black bear’s population has rebounded to feature a harvestable surplus – resulting in one of the greatest conservation success stories in the South. The 2024 Louisiana bear hunting season, which ran from Dec….
Why It Matters: As the election year frenzy has settled down over the holiday season, legislative bodies are swearing in new members and choosing chairs and leaders of committees. Although voting numbers seem to be increasing, a historical trend of hunters not voting exists. Some sources prior to the 2024 election were reporting that there…
Why It Matters: Michigan students that otherwise may have never been exposed to our time-honored outdoor traditions could soon sign up for an important elective: hunter education. Counting as both a credit towards graduation and the classroom requirement to obtain a Michigan hunting license, this standardized course stands to create lifelong hunters to join us…
Why It Matters: As states look to appeal to new hunters, offering methods of take that are beginner-friendly can positively impact hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts. With the growing popularity of crossbows, hunters have the opportunity to pursue our time-honored traditions in an exciting manner while expanding access to novice and seasoned hunters alike…
Why It Matters: The well known “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF) has allowed the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to be regarded as the most successful conservation framework in the world. The successful ASCF model can be attributed to a three-tiered funding system that include:…
Why It Matters: As Wyoming State Legislative Committees begin their transition from interim meetings to the 2025 session, new bills are being filed. These early bills can provide insight into the legislative focus for the coming session. Several of the bills filed recently by the joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee included recommended…
Why It Matters: The use of dogs is a deep-seated component of our hunting heritage. Naturally, this includes hunting for a variety of upland species and even larger game such as mountain lions and bears and, without dogs, sportsmen’s success afield would be severely limited for many types of hunting. Additionally, the use of tracking…
Why It Matters: Encompassing roughly 179,000 acres, the Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) is a critical piece of public land that provides access for many sportsmen and women in south Florida. Establishing Wilderness designations within the BCNP would have negatively impacted science-based management practices to improve wildlife habitat as well as access to quality hunting…
Why It Matters: Although victories may be secured during regular sessions, Governors in some states may call veto sessions, in which the legislature has the opportunity to pass additional priorities. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) successfully advocated against the passage of a bill in Illinois that would have prohibited hunters from organizing contests to take…