Following an initial meeting, the bipartisan and bicameral West Virginia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus continues to build off the positive work within the Mountain State. On October 18, the Caucus hosted a Clay Shoot with legislators, stakeholders, and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) representatives outside the capital city of Charleston. The event provided an excellent opportunity for an evening of camaraderie, and the forum to discuss potential areas of interest for the Caucus in the next legislative session.
Throughout the discussions, Sunday hunting was identified as a key interest moving forward. Additionally, attendees noted the utility of the Sportsmen’s Caucus in bringing together all vested parties. Caucus Co-Chair Delegate Chris Stansbury stated: “We could not be more excited to utilize the Caucus to further develop relationships with sportsmen’s groups and the West Virginia DNR. Working together, we feel that we can take the necessary steps to ensure sportsmen and women are well represented and that legislators are well educated and informed on the issues of importance.”
The Caucus plans to continue working to protect and advance the strong outdoor sporting traditions in West Virginia, which is a major economic driver for the state. Annually, West Virginia’s 447,000 hunters and anglers spend over $870 million annually and support upwards of 12,585 jobs.
For more information on the West Virginia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, please contact Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Southeastern States Manager Bee Frederick at Bee@sportsmenslink.org.
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?
