News Category: Hunting

Why It Matters: Hunters and anglers generate the vast majority of state level funding for conservation through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). State fish and wildlife agencies rely on funds generated by sportsmen and women through sporting license sales and excise tax revenue from the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration programs to…

Why It Matters: Though hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife (including by trapping) have long been an American tradition, dating back to before the first Europeans arrived in North America, only in recent decades has the “right” to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife come into question. To establish in perpetuity what has been assumed for centuries, twenty-four states have […]

Why It Matters: Drone technologies present an opportunity for lawful hunters to minimize harvest loss and increase recovery rates. Recognizing this, states like Iowa and South Dakota have introduced legislation to allow the use of drones to recover mortally wounded game, which the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has been active in supporting. Highlights: The Congressional…

Why It Matters: Today’s youth will soon be shouldered with carrying our time-honored traditions into the next generation. This also includes being the primary funders of conservation through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding. Being proactive and creative in recruiting and retaining the next generation of sportsmen and women is critical in…

Why It Matters: Maryland Senate Bill 181 (SB 181) requires the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to create a lead hunting ammunition phase-out plan on or before July 1, 2029. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) encourages the legislature and the Department of Natural Resources to work together to implement incentive-based programs for the use of non-lead hunting ammunition by hunters, […]

Why It Matters: As the Wyoming State Legislature enters their shortened 2026 budget session, new bills are being filed every day. These early bills can provide insight into the legislative focus for the coming session, and there are several bills relevant to sportsmen on the docket. This includes transferable landowner tags, expanded authorizations for the use of tracking dogs on wounded game, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) tax restructuring.  Highlights:  Wyoming’s…

Why It Matters: On February 3rd, Massachusetts will conclude a listening tour that consisted of three in-person and two virtual meetings to discuss eliminating the ban on Sunday hunting, allowing all hunters to use crossbows during archery seasons, and reducing archery hunting discharge distances to align more with neighboring states. These three provisions would have an immense impact on both hunting access and opportunities and will help with the state’s recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts.  Highlights:  Maine and Massachusetts…

Why It Matters: The Great Plains region saw two Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) legislative priorities introduced last week in Kansas and Iowa, respectively. The Kansas bill would ensure that the state’s fish and wildlife agency is reimbursed for revenue that is lost from free and discounted licenses, while the Iowa bill would encourage political participation by hunters and anglers through voter registration. …

Why It Matters: Today’s youth are the next generation tasked with carrying our time-honored traditions forward. Introducing them to the outdoors helps build the foundation needed to sustain those traditions into the future. Hunter safety education in schools programs play a key role in this effort by instilling a strong conservation ethic, teaching essential hunting safety skills, and encouraging youth to support the “user pays – public benefits” structure […]

Why It Matters: Though hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife (including by trapping) have long been an American tradition, dating back to before the first Europeans arrived in North America, only in recent decades has the “right” to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife come into question. To establish in perpetuity what has been assumed for centuries, […]

Why It Matters: Limiting access to Mississippi’s sportsmen and women through blanket bans on equipment, requiring individuals to have access to 2k contiguous acres of privately owned ground to hunt with, train, or utilize any hunting dog, and requiring people to obtain a depredation permit from the state to eliminate any nuisance animal is entirely unnecessary…

Why It Matters: Sportsmen and women are the backbone of wildlife conservation in the United States, funding the majority of state fish and wildlife agency efforts through the American System of Conservation Funding. In Washington state, challenges like steep budget cuts, predator-prey imbalances, habitat loss, and disease are all negatively impacting fish and wildlife populations. However, active legislative engagement is key to…