Encouraging sportsmen’s involvement in the political process is an important method for protecting our outdoor heritage. Increased public participation, particularly at the ballot box, ensures that hunters and anglers are represented, which strengthens the ability of the sportsmen’s community to collectively defeat anti-sportsmen policy objectives. Facilitating voter registration for sportsmen and women, at the time…
The vast majority of states throughout the nation offer an online component of the hunter’s safety course, which provides potential hunters a way to receive their hunter safety certification at their own pace. By offering new hunters an easy and efficient way to gain hunter safety certification, more people will have the opportunity to begin…
Many state legislatures have enacted legislation to afford senior citizens, veterans, and active duty military members special hunting and fishing opportunities and discounted fees as a means of maintaining hunter numbers, as well as to reward them for their service to the country and commitment to conservation. However, states should be cautioned to work with…
Why It Matters: On September 23, 2023, sportsmen and women across the nation celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD). This year’s efforts from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) helped secure proclamations commemorating the day from 39 governors and the President of the United States. Governors from all 12 Southeastern region states signed NHFD proclamations…
Why It Matters: Skyway Fishing Pier State Park (Skyway Pier) is a popular angling destination for many recreational fishermen in Florida who may not have access to a boat or have mobility issues. Due to its proximity to breeding colonies of pelicans, itis also a hot spot for pelicans getting entangled in fishing line, which may…
Why It Matters: Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a slow and progressive neurological disease occurring in free ranging and farmed cervid species (deer family) that is always fatal and is spreading across the North America and elsewhere. This disease is a massive threat to cervid populations which threatens quality hunting experiences as well as opportunities to…
Why It Matters: Last year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a highly regulated season for some harvest of goliath grouper using population data that showed goliath grouper are no longer subject to overfishing. Counterintuitively, the FWC also proposed a rule supported by the diving community to close three goliath grouper spawning…
Why It Matters: Right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife constitutional amendments protect the outdoor traditions of thousands of sportsmen and women from efforts to limit or outright ban hunting and fishing practices. Anti-sportsmen organizations continually lead efforts to persuade the public to believe that hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife are a privilege, subject to emotionally…
Why It Matters: An effort to make hunting and fishing, including the use of traditional methods, a constitutional right in Florida is underway with the introduction of House Joint Resolution 1157 and Senate Joint Resolution 1234. Currently, 23 state constitutions, including all of Florida’s neighboring states, have been amended to include the right to hunt, fish,…
Why It Matters: Do you have a canine sidekick that accompanies you during your outdoor pursuits? Whether it be a duck dog, deer dog, or a pack of rabbit chasing beagles, if you are a sportsman or woman in Florida that owns an intact female dog over the age of 6 months, then you should pay…
Highlights: The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) is a non-profit, member-based association of professional guides, tournament anglers, angler educators and sportfishing/marine industry professionals dedicated to growing the fishing industry and angler participation. CSF’s Chris Horton presented at the NPAA conference in Fort Myers, Florida on the importance of understanding the policy issues that could impact…
Why It Matters: Earlier this year, the FWC approved a limited, highly regulated season for some harvest of goliath grouper using population data that showed goliath grouper is no longer subject to overfishing. The current catch-and-release regulations in place are proving to be effective in ensuring healthy goliath grouper populations as well as for providing…