On August 30, the California Outdoor Sporting Caucus hosted its annual trap & skeet shoot and barbecue at the Cordova Shooting Center in Rancho Cordova, California. A diverse group of legislators, staff, and sportsmen’s organizations were in attendance, and were joined by game wardens with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who generously donated their time to teach new shooters about firearm safety.
“Hunting, fishing and recreational shooting are deep-rooted traditions for millions of Californians,” said Caucus Co-Chair Assemblymember Jim Frazier. “Events like this are an important part of maintaining this heritage and introducing the thrill of outdoor sports to new friends.”
“It is an honor to Co-Chair the Outdoor Sporting Caucus, and I appreciated the support from our in-state sportsmen’s groups during today’s event. California’s sportsmen and women play a vital role in conserving our outdoor heritage, and I’m thrilled to work with the Caucus to protect and enhance that tradition,” noted Senator Tom Berryhill.
The bipartisan and bicameral Caucus, within the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) network, is an important forum for educating legislators about the many social and economic contributions of California’s 1.8 million hunters and anglers. The Caucus serves to protect and enhance California’s wildlife habitats and to further the understanding and acceptance of outdoor activities throughout the state. The Caucus plays an important role in supporting the interests of California’s sportsmen and women, as well as providing a bipartisan voice for outdoor sporting issues within the State Legislature.
Sponsors for the event were: Butte County Fish and Game Commission, California Bowmen Hunters, California Deer Association, California Houndsmen for Conservation, California Waterfowl Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Gaines and Associates, Monterey County Fish and Game Commission, National Wild Turkey Federation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, San Francisco Bay Chapter of Safari Club International, and Tulare Basin Wetlands Association.
California legislators gathered at the annual trap & skeet event
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
