South Dakota sportsmen and women outnumber the residents of Rapid City, Aberdeen, Watertown and Brookings (136,000 vs. 125,000). Every five years in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey on hunters and anglers, CSF produces a report on the economic impact hunters and anglers have on the economy. This information is vital in helping …
Summary 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 …
Introduction Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a progressive, fatal, degenerative neurological disease occurring in farmed and free-ranging deer, elk, caribou, and moose. The disease was first recognized in 1967 as a clinical ‘wasting’ syndrome of unknown cause in captive mule deer in Colorado. CWD belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies …
Summary Properly managed wildlife habitat is essential for supporting sustainable and healthy wildlife populations. Well-managed lands containvarious successional stages that provide a diversity of habitats capable of supporting a diversity of wildlife. On federal lands, however, young forests and other early seral habitats are often underrepresented. The most efficient method to improve wildlife habitat is …
Summary Exotic invasive species are plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native to the U.S., or regions of the U.S., and that harm, or are likely to harm, the economy, natural resources or human health. Addressing exotic invasive species requires significant coordination and joint actions between federal and state agencies, local governments, and private organizations. …
Summary National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrates the time-honored traditions of hunting and angling, as well as the immense conservation and economic contributions made over time by the original conservationists – sportsmen and women – who support sound, science-based wildlife management through license sales, excises taxes on outdoor gear, and sustainable-use models. National Hunting and …
Summary As with many Constitutional protections, the court system has created carve-outs and exceptions to the Fourth Amendment, one being the Open Fields Doctrine. This doctrine holds that the expectation of privacy provided by the Fourth Amendment does not extend to “open fields” or other wooded properties, regardless of whether a property is posted with …
Summary Shooting ranges have a long tradition of service to a wide variety of citizen groups. However, without adequate range protection laws, safe shooting ranges – which offer valuable public services and recreational opportunities in addition to supporting the American System of Conservation Funding – will be vulnerable to arbitrary sanctions and creative lawsuits. In …
Summary In an attempt to encourage novice hunter participation, many states now offer some form of apprentice hunting license that permits hunters to take to the field with a mentor prior to completing a formal hunter education course. The apprentice hunting license is a tool for recruitment that provides both youth and adult novice hunters …
Summary Several states have passed legislation that allows non-resident, full-time college students to obtain hunting and/or angling licenses at the same price as state residents. The intent of these bills are to increase hunter and angler recruitment and retention within a subset of sportsmen and women which are especially prone to being restricted from hunting …
