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.”
August is National Shooting Sports Month, a time to celebrate target shooting, introduce new participants to the shooting sports, and recognize the places that make this pastime possible. In Rhode Island, that place is the Great Swamp Shooting Range.
Whether you enjoy seeing pronghorn while driving along a highway, through a rifle scope, or just appreciate knowing they skitter about in the western states, they, and we, are beneficiaries of scientific wildlife management made possible by Pittman-Robertson funding.
There are over 9,000 Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) across the United States. These lands provide places for wildlife to thrive, ecosystems to function, and people to connect with the outdoors.
New Springfield Armory National Historic Site exhibit explores the American System of Conservation Funding and the Connecticut River Valley’s legacy in firearm manufacturing.
Hunting regulations informed by science, created under the aegis of the firearms and archery industries through the reliable and steady funding under Pittman-Robertson, are responsible for the unparalleled restoration of birds and mammals in America from a nadir a century ago.
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.
Beyond gestures, real or perceived, this is fact: hunters commonly share the bounty of the harvest; it’s a custom—a common courtesy, common etiquette.
This February, millions of viewers are tuning into the Winter Olympics. On their screens biathletes glide across snow and into shooting lanes. In seconds, the biathletes still their skis, shoulder their rifles, and aim at the five small steel targets that stand between triumph or a penalty.
Mornings, when the prairies and ponds are still dew-frosted, one of the most enduring and effective partnerships in the outdoors goes to work. A hunter and their dog move together with purpose, guided by scent, sight, instinct, and a bond built over seasons.
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.
Established in 1972, National Hunting and Fishing Day is a reminder of how hunters and anglers helped build the foundation of modern wildlife management in America. Outdoor pursuits like hunting and fishing, away from the hum of traffic and the grind of full calendars, connect people with nature. And this connection carries with it a responsibility.
