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…
Why It Matters: Pennsylvania is the second largest state in hunting license sales in the country, yet it still widely restricts Sunday hunting opportunities for the sportsmen and women. Currently, there are only three (3) Sundays in which you may hunt game and there are very limited species that can be targeted. Senate Bill 67…
Why It Matters: Poaching – the illegal take of game animals – stands as one of the greatest threats to the societal acceptance of hunting. Additionally, poaching is a major hurdle for professional, science-based wildlife management. Hunters and non-hunters alike should unite to enact proactive measures that strengthen punishments and incentivize reporting of those engaged…
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife management agencies are charged with collecting data and using what has been collected to carry out science-based management decisions in the best interest of the resource. Because hunting is the preferred management tool for white-tailed deer, this can mean expanded hunting opportunities in areas with larger deer populations:…
Why it Matters: The use of ballot initiatives, like Proposition 127, 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 Colorado’s overall science-based management plan. These initiatives can allow wildlife management decisions to be made based on emotion rather…