Why It Matters: The longevity of our time-honored outdoor traditions, and the critical American System of Conservation Funding that these traditions support, depend upon consistent participation by sportsmen and women. Recruitment efforts surrounding popular hunting and angling opportunities are effective but can carry a high cost of entry for beginning sportsmen and women. However, simple outdoor pursuits, such as small game hunting and bream fishing that many of us enjoyed as children, offer affordable and enjoyable entry points as the sporting-conservation community continues its efforts to recruit and retain the next generation of sportsmen and women.
Highlights:
- While big game hunting opportunities generate tremendous excitement, small game hunting offers affordable and readily available opportunities for hunters of all means and skill levels.
- Similarly, while state-of-the-art tackle and technologies like forward-facing sonar are all the rage, simple rod and line bream fishing with nightcrawlers continues to be an excellent, albeit often overlooked, opportunity for success on the water.
- Low-cost and accessible opportunities such as these are key to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s ongoing efforts to support and advocate for legislation designed to aid in the Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation of hunters and anglers.
During the dog days of summer, it’s not hard to find yourself reminiscing on simpler times when the creek or pond, full of sunfish and smallmouth bass, was just a quick drive away. While these waterbodies, and their abundant opportunities for the willing angler, are still where we left them, time and money always seem to get in the way of enjoying the activities that once dominated every spare thought.
Today, much has been, and continues to be, done to promote the recruitment, retention, and reactivation (collectively referred to as “R3”) of hunters and anglers. In support of this, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation continues to advocate on behalf of key priorities like Hunter Education in Schools, Apprentice Hunting Licenses, and affordable license opportunities for Non-Resident College Students. Recent successes related to each of these priorities ensure that young and beginning sportsmen and women have the opportunities to get afield or on the water, but, while license affordability and quality access are major challenges, they are not the only barriers to entry.
Gear, from methods of take to highly technical support gear and clothing, have made incredible strides, allowing sportsmen and women to reach new heights in our hunting and fishing pursuits. While it is true that many sportsmen and women aspire for a loadout comprised of state-of-the-art equipment, the technologies available today can give even the most seasoned sportsman or woman “analysis paralysis”. Factor in the price tags that can coincide with this equipment; we are often not doing ourselves any favors when we look at recruitment.
Fortunately, this is where the fond childhood memories of chasing squirrels with a single-shot .22 or .410, or catching bream with a homemade cane pole become relevant. As we continue to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we encourage you to join CSF in celebrating Hunt Fish 250 by taking advantage of the policy victories that make outdoor opportunities increasingly accessible while keeping things simple by introducing young and beginning sportsmen and women to the incredibly cost-effective outdoor activities that served as the foundation for your current outdoor passions. In doing so, we believe that everyone will find a newfound, or restored, appreciation for the outdoors.