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 order…
In most states, fish and wildlife agencies are the entities best equipped to address fish and wildlife management issues within their respective borders. Recent efforts have been made to undermine state fish and wildlife management authority by placing greater authority under federal or local jurisdiction poses a serious threat to the future of state-based scientific…
Anti-hunting, animal-rights extremist groups such as the Humane Socieity of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have always posed a great threat to sportsmen and women, using their political capital to advance a fallacious agenda. Recently, these efforts have promoted the idea that nonhumans (animals) should have the…
The vast majority of states in the nation now have a system in place (whether state-run or administered by a nonprofit organization) to provide hunters the option of donating game meat to those in need. However, processors’ ability to participate in donation programs may be limited by state contract or license agreements that require them…
A number of states restrict the ability of archers to carry a handgun while archery hunting. However, this puts the personal safety of archers at risk through limiting their constitutional right to bear arms. While afield, bow hunters are vulnerable to attacks by large predators as well as criminals engaged in drug trafficking and production…
In recent years many local governments have enacted vague, outdated laws banning the sale, possession, use, and manufacture of certain types of knives.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 presiding…
The use of lead ammunition and lead tackle in hunting and angling is a contentious issue, with the primary concern being the potential effects on wildlife. However, to this date, there has been no documented evidence that sportsmen’s use of lead has had significant deleterious impacts on wildlife at the population level in the United…
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 Fishing…
More than half of the states in this nation do not protect the personal information that sportsmen and women are required to provide when purchasing hunting and fishing licenses. Some of these states require the information to be readily accessible to the public, while others mandate individuals to complete a request for public information application…
In some states, through the collection of signatures, a question may be placed on a ballot to create, amend, or repeal a statutory or constitutional provision. Through these ballot initiatives, laws or constitutional requirements may be created or repealed through popular vote, rather than by the state legislature. Without proper safeguards in place, ballot initiatives…
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 recent…
Though hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife (including by trapping) have long been an American heritage, dating back to before the first Europeans arrived in North America, only recently has the “right” to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife come into question. To establish in perpetuity what has been assumed for centuries, several states have sought amendments…