Summary Funding mechanisms for search and rescue (SAR) operations vary by state, but for those in which sportsmen-generated dollars cover the costs associated with these efforts, the end result is a loss in crucial money otherwise delegated towards conservation and wildlife management. States are encouraged to explore alternate methods of funding for SAR crews, in …
Summary The first residential hunting licenses were introduced in 1895 and were considered widely successful in creating funds for the newly established state fish and wildlife agencies. Despite having jurisdiction over the fish and wildlife within the state, the overwhelming majority of state game agencies have little control over setting the price of licenses, permits, …
State Agency Authority to Set License, Permit, and Tag Fees Read More »
Summary Educating the non-hunting and angling public about the numerous benefits that sportsmen and women provide for conservation is one of the best ways to help the public understand our time-honored sporting traditions. State wildlife councils offer sportsmen and women the opportunity to pool their resources and educate the public about how conservation is funded, …
Summary Knife industry and advocacy groups have successfully worked with the U.S. Congress to amend the Federal Switchblade Act so that one-hand opening and assisted-opening knives with a “bias toward closure,” like those used for hunting, are not classified as switchblades. Passing laws at the state level that are similar to the federal exemption to …
Summary In recent years many local governments have enacted vague, outdated laws banning the sale, possession, use, and manufacture of certain types of knives. These ordinances include knives that the average person would consider to be common pocket knives. Vague jurisdictional knife definitions can lead to highly subjective law enforcement scenarios. Upon an arrest, the …
Summary Predator hunting and hunting tournaments, often referred to as “contests,” are time-honored traditions that have recently been subjected to extensive scrutiny by the anti-sportsmen’s community and misinformed general public. Across the nation, both practices serve legitimate and effective purposes towards fish and wildlife conservation efforts. Hunting tournaments are effective management tools of varmint species, …
Summary During atypical social and economic times that devastate communities and states, some governors, through emergency powers granted to them by state constitutions and statutes, have far-reaching authority that can negatively impact our time-honored traditions of hunting and fishing. The COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021 saw the instatement of unnecessary and overreaching restrictions on …
Protecting Our Outdoor Sporting Heritage During Times of Emergency Read More »
Summary During unprecedented and devastating crises, some governors, through emergency powers granted to them constitutionally and/or by statutes, assume far-reaching powers that can negatively impact our nation’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021, some governors enacted executive orders that created unnecessary and autocratic restrictions on …
Protecting Our Second Amendment Rights During Times of Emergency Read More »
Summary A standard capacity magazine generally means any detachable ammunition feeding device that is sold with a firearm when it is shipped new from the manufacturer. In some cases, such as modern sporting rifles, the standard capacity magazine is regularly 30 rounds. Some state laws created after the 1993 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, limit the …
Summary Recent advances in technology, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), which can assist in the tracking and taking of game, have posed an ethical debate within the hunting community. Legislators and sportsmen should be mindful of Fair Chase issues and, on a state-by-state basis, determine if legislation is warranted to ensure hunting is practiced …