On October 20, members of the Wisconsin Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus gathered with Wisconsin’s sportsmen’s community for a day of fishing and shooting at the Caucus’s 2nd annual Cast and Blast event, hosted at the Milford Hills Hunt Club in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Mark Miller, Senator Terry Moulton, Representative Joel Kleefisch, and Representative Nick Milroy attended the event. Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch also attended.
“Bringing together the sportsmen’s community every year at this event lets legislators learn more about issues that are important to the one and a half million sportsmen and women who call Wisconsin home,” said Co-Chair Moulton.
Experienced sportsmen as well as newcomers to angling and shooting had an opportunity to shoot sporting clays and cast for bluegill, smallmouth bass, and catfish. Volunteers from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources were on hand to help teach shotgun marksmanship and anglers from both Wisconsin B.A.S.S. Nation and Wisconsin Trout Unlimited provided casting lessons. During the reception, CSF Midwestern States Director and Fisheries Program Director Chris Horton, along with Great Lakes States Coordinator Joel Hodgdon, addressed the gathering about the upcoming annual Summit of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucus (NASC) and other sportsmen’s issues.
“Wisconsin’s sportsmen and women annually spend over four billion dollars and help support fifty-five thousand jobs in Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Nick Milroy. “This event provides an opportunity for legislators to experience and appreciate the sporting activities that make this important economic contribution to the state.”
Title Sponsors for the Cast and Blast included National Wild Turkey Foundation, the Outdoor Heritage Education Center, and Pheasants Forever. Host sponsors included Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and Wisconsin B.A.S.S. Nation. Supporters included Vortex Optics. A special thanks to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for their support of the Cast and Blast.
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?
