Some holidays come with cake. Some come with fireworks. National Hunting and Fishing Day comes with muddy boots, tangled fishing line, early alarms, and the strong possibility that somebody will retell the story of “the one that got away.”
SFR dollars yield a public benefit—refining know-how among fisheries scientists, bearing cost-savings, turning out better fishing, and in the case of walleye, great-tasting locally sourced food.
How these southern striped bass spend their days, especially related to spawning, became much clearer thanks to research conducted by fish biologist Jason Marsik with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and his colleague, Dr. Jason Doll at Francis Marion University. Using Sport Fish Restoration dollars derived from federal excise taxes paid by the manufacturers of fishing tackle and a portion of the federal gas tax that is attributable to motorboats and small engines, the two sought to better understand striper habitat use and movements in the Great Pee Dee River, particularly at spawning time.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources fish biologist Jonathan Meerbeek recently released the findings of a multiyear research project that should enthuse muskie anglers in Iowa and beyond. His work stands to make muskie conservation more efficient and the fishing better anywhere state fish and wildlife agencies rely on supplemental stocking from hatcheries.
Barton Evermann was among the most accomplished American fisheries scientists. He was born in 1853, came of age in central Indiana, enrolled in ichthyology in 1881 at Indiana University and studied under Professor David Starr Jordan.
New Springfield Armory National Historic Site exhibit explores the American System of Conservation Funding and the Connecticut River Valley’s legacy in firearm manufacturing.
For outdoor enthusiasts, wetlands are more than just places on a map. They are where outdoor skills are sharpened, traditions are carried on, and the connection between people and resources are strengthened season after season.
There’s a quality in the quantity of brook trout populations on the rise, thanks to Sport Fish Restoration.
Along the West Coast, salmon and trout are threads in the cultural fabric. They have sustained Native Tribes, fueled the economies of entire towns, and sparked wonder in countless anglers. They have even found their way into thousands of schools. Through state fish and wildlife agency salmon and trout in the classroom programs, students are rolling up their sleeves and becoming fish stewards.
In this season of gratitude, we give thanks for another year outdoors, for time well spent with loved ones, for meals gathered from the land and waters we all share, and for the generations of foresight that made this abundance possible.
With funding from the Sport Fish Restoration Act, Virginia DWR has been collecting data and building one of the most expansive long-term snakehead research repositories to understand how the non-native fish are interacting with Virginia fish communities. The species has established itself in creeks, rivers, and even reservoirs through illegal introductions.
