Why It Matters: One of the last lines of defense against attempts to undermine our time-honored outdoor traditions is located on a Governor’s desk. This is why the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC) is a critical component of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) three-pronged approach to our mission. By joining the GSC, Governor Kelly Ayotte demonstrates her dedication to the Granite State’s sportsmen and women.
Highlights:
- On October 22, 2025, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte officially became the 29th active member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus.
- As part of the GSC, Governor Ayotte is now a member of a bipartisan network designed to further protect and advance our time-honored outdoor traditions.
- Since the GSC was formed in 2009, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation has worked closely with GSC members as a final line of defense in support of our rights as hunters, anglers, trappers, and recreational shooting sports participants.
On October 22, 2025, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte became the 29th active member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus. Created in 2009, CSF formed the GSC to protect and advance the interests of sportsmen and women, while shaping policy that is designed to enhance professional fish and wildlife management. The GSC is a bipartisan network of governors who share information across state lines and beyond political affiliation in support of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s mission to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping.
GSC members also work closely with their respective state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses organized through the bipartisan National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC). Together, these two programs represent an unprecedented network of pro-sportsmen elected officials. While many of CSF’s policy victories are won through close coordination with NASC-member caucuses, the GSC has historically played a pivotal role in advancing pro-sportsmen and women’s policy across the finish line and stopping anti policies at their final hurdle.
Most recently, Governor Ayotte signed Chapter No. 21, authorizing air rifles for hunting game, and Chapter No. 22, which increased penalties on poachers – illustrating the great value New Hampshire’s wildlife plays in the Granite State. Governor Ayotte continues a long tradition of the “Corner Office” strongly representing the sporting community of the Live Free or Die state, to include the most recent GSC co-chair, Chris Sununu.
“Hunting and fishing are a proud part of our way of life in New Hampshire. I’m proud to join the Governors Sportsmen’s caucus so we can continue supporting hunters and anglers in our state and across the country,” said Governor Ayotte. “I want to thank Fred Bird and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation for advocating for sportsmen, and I look forward to working together to ensure Granite Staters can continue to hunt, fish, and enjoy the great outdoors.”
Governor Ayotte recently recognized the important role that sportsmen and women play in conservation and New Hampshire’s state and local economies by declaring September 27, 2025, New Hampshire Hunting and Fishing Day. CSF is excited to work alongside Governor Ayotte and her team on behalf of New Hampshire’s sportsmen and women.
