Often cited for its potential safety risks, fanning or reaping of turkeys statistically has not proven to be an unsafe act as some anecdotally claim. Simply, the data does not exist to back up the claim that the act or practice of fanning or reaping wild turkeys has a track record of casualties. Additionally, fanning…
Why It Matters: Michigan students that otherwise may have never been exposed to our time-honored outdoor traditions could soon sign up for an important elective: hunter education. Counting as both a credit towards graduation and the classroom requirement to obtain a Michigan hunting license, this standardized course stands to create lifelong hunters to join us…
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife management agencies are charged with collecting data and using what has been collected to carry out science-based management decisions in the best interest of the resource. Because hunting is the preferred management tool for white-tailed deer, this can mean expanded hunting opportunities in areas with larger deer populations:…
Why It Matters: Each year, legislators look at ways to recognize and thank certain qualified individuals/groups by providing free and/or discounted licenses for hunting, fishing, and trapping. While this is well-intended, such legislation has the potential to reap deteriorative effects on the fish and wildlife agencies’ budgets. To prevent the loss of sportsmen-generate dollars for…
Why It Matters: With hunter participation rates declining across the country, the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus enters 2024 with a partial fix on the docket: requiring that a model hunter safety course be created for schools to offer as an elective. Exposing students to firearm safety and hunting practices aims to recruit more young hunters…
Why It Matters: Hunting and fishing are societal pillars in Michigan that have significant economic impacts. This legislative package serves to increase consumer confidence when contracting a hunting or fishing guide to pursue the State’s storied fish and wildlife species, while simultaneously increasing revenue and reporting data for the state’s fish and wildlife agency. Highlights:…
Over the last decade, many states have expanded opportunities for archery hunters wishing to use crossbows. Incorporating crossbow hunting opportunities into game management may increase hunter recruitment and retention, and crossbows can be valuable tool for controlling game populations, particularly in suburban and urban areas. Over the past decade, many states have eliminated restrictions on…
Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for access to activities like hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. As these agencies develop strategies to manage federal lands, it is critical for those who support these activities…
“No-Net-Loss” of public lands has become increasingly important to ensure access to public lands and waterways for current and future generations of sportsmen and women. Sometimes referred to as “Hunting Heritage Protection Acts,” these policies limit the loss of access to hunting and fishing opportunity by establishing a minimum acreage of publicly- owned areas open…
In recent years, Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use has increased rapidly across the country.The unmitigated consequences of such growth not only threatens the environmental health of the lands used in OHV recreation but also threatens to eliminate future OHV opportunities. Some states have taken steps to provide adequate funding for sustainable OHV management and to…
Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws that were initially designed to encourage church attendance. At the time when these restrictions were first put in place, other activities that were illegal on a Sunday included opening a store for business, drinking alcoholic beverages, and tilling your fields….
Concerned about the uncertainty that 30×30 policies may pose for hunting and fishing access, the sportsmen’s community issued the Hunting and Fishing Community Statement on the 30 by 30 Initiative. This statement recognizes and embraces the overlap between the sportsmen’s community’s collective work to conserve fish and wildlife species and their habitats and the establishment…