Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. wo of Virginia’s neighboring states, Maryland and West Virginia — each a longtime haven for outdoorsmen — are taking very different approaches to youth hunting. Maryland — definitely in the bad-news column — is seeking to put restrictions on young outdoorsmen who may want to hunt. Del. Barbara Frush (D-Beltsville) and Virginia P. Clagett (D-Annapolis) have jointly introduced legislation (HB 655) that would prohibit anyone under the age of 13 from receiving a hunting license. Under current Maryland law, youth under the age of 15 must pass a hunter education course and be under the supervision of a licensed hunter. There is no current minimum age requirement for hunters in the state. “If passed, this bill will have a devastating effect on recruiting young hunters and the future of wildlife conservation in Maryland,” said Rob Sexton, USSA vice president for government affairs. “The bill is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the future of hunting. Parents, not the government, are far more equipped to know when their sons and daughters are ready to hunt.” T To Hunt Or Not To Hunt House Bill 655 has been referred to the House Environmental Matters Committee in Maryland. The “devastating effect” Sexton mentions not only damages efforts to introduce youngsters to hunting, but it also will impact the state’s economy. What can industry companies in Maryland, along with the state’s gun dealers and their customers, families and friends do? Contact your legislators and voice your opposition to the proposed restrictions on youth hunting. If you don’t know how to contact your legislators, call (410) 946-5400 or visit the Legislative Action Center of USSA at www.ussportsmen.org. While some in Maryland’s legislature are taking steps to discourage young hunters, “wild, wonderful” West Virginia is seeking to go a step further than other states in support of youth hunting — by proposing youngsters receive hunter training in school. Already, children as young as 10 are eligible for hunting licenses in the state, once they’ve completed a hunter training and safety course. However, the overall numbers of hunters in West Virginia have declined in recent years, which has raised budget concerns among state officials. State Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey (D-Wy- In-School Courses Step Forward! Take Action! ou noted, of course, all the references to the various states’ “economy” and “budget.” It’s the same with all states. Hunting plays a much bigger role in contributing to states’ economies than most people realize. How many hunters are in your state? How much economic impact do they have? It only take a few minutes to find out where your state ranks when it comes to hunting, thanks to a new report by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF). And just because your state has a wonderful hunting program, don’t assume all is well. Maryland is hardly the only state where anti-hunting activists and legislators reside. The new CSF report, “Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy — A force as big as all outdoors,” was released in December. It spotlights the immense impact sportsmen have on the national economy — 34 million sportsmen spending $76 billion dollars annually on their pastimes of hunting and fishing. In this election year, the report is especially helpful in defining the economic impact of sportsmen and their political clout. “Because sportsmen enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force. When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the nation’s economy becomes more tangible,” said Jeff Crane, CSF president. Crane points out that on a state-by-state scale, “The economic impact that sportsmen have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their states. The evidence is clear: States that encourage hunting and fishing benefit many times over through jobs and taxes, as well as a boost to tourism.” www.shootingindustry.com Y You can download the 16-page report, state press releases and state fact sheets from CSF’s Web site, www.sportsmenslink.org, and from NSSF’s Web site, www.nssf. org. While on the sites, you can quickly determine where your state ranks in the number of hunters, the amount hunters spend in your state and much more. This is all valuable You may download the CFC report from the CFC information when Web site, www.sportsmenslink.org, and from you present your NSSF’s Web site, www.nssf.org. You also can case for continued quickly check your state’s ranking in “Hunting — and increased Spending” and other categories. — hunting in your state. Get involved. If your state doesn’t have a youth-hunting program, help establish one. If you do have such a program, ensure anti-gun, anti-hunting factions don’t dilute its effectiveness. It’s up to all of us to help preserve our hunting heritage. 9 MARCH 2008 19 NWTF Students in West Virginia may soon be able to attend hunter training in school. oming County) has introduced legislation that would allow seventh- through ninthgraders to opt for instruction in courses ranging from survival skills to gun safety. Disabled firearms and dummy ammunition would be used during the course. Bailey doesn’t envision students firing real guns during class time. “It’s a way to take this kind of education in the classroom and make it more convenient for young people,” Bailey said. He is hoping convenience translates into more interest among young potential hunters.