Why It Matters: Like many Midwestern states, approximately 80% of the land in South Dakota is privately owned, making public access for sportsmen and women a limiting factor in the state. The Department of Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP), relies heavily on limited public lands to promote quality fish and wildlife conservation efforts while providing…
Why It Matters: Maintaining genetically diverse populations and minimizing human-wildlife conflict are key components to the success of wildlife conservation efforts. Hunting has proven time and time again that it is one of the best management tools to support these efforts. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and its Commission, recognize that hunting would…
Why It Matters: Despite a steady increase in bobcat populations in Indiana, there is not currently a season in place for sportsmen and women to harvest the elusive predator. A bill that would establish such a season has now made its way through the Indiana Senate, and Hoosier sportsmen and women are one step closer…
Why It Matters: Introduced on January 12, 2024, Vermont Senate Bill 258 (S 258) – An act relating to the management of Fish and Wildlife – proposes to transfer the authority to adopt rules for the taking of fish, wildlife, and fur-bearing animals from the Fish and Wildlife Board to the Department of Fish and…
Why It Matters: Currently, in Delaware, Sunday hunting for game birds is prohibited. Delaware’s definition of game bird includes waterfowl, rails, wild turkeys, pheasants, quail, chukar, and doves, amongst others. House Bill 271 (HB 271) removes game birds from the list of species prohibited from Sunday hunting within the First State. While the passage of…
Why It Matters: Bobcat populations have steadily increased in the Hoosier State, yet there is not currently a season in place for sportsmen and women to harvest the elusive predator. Active, science-based wildlife management, which often relies on regulated harvest by sportsmen and women, is critical to the continued success of conservation in Indiana. Highlights:…
Why It Matters: The 2022-2023 winter was hard on ungulate populations, especially mule deer herds in Southeastern Idaho. In fact, record levels of winterkill were recorded across the western states in 2023. One strategy being utilized to help these herds recover is a temporary closure of shed hunting in two Idaho regions as the state…
Why It Matters: The use of ballot initiatives to ban hunting and dictate wildlife management practices, circumventing the 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…
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…
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…
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:…