Get outside today and show your sportswoman pride!
Over 100 years ago, hunters and anglers were the earliest and most vocal supporters of conservation. They were the first to recognize that rapid development and unregulated uses of wildlife were threatening the future of many species.
Led by fellow sportsman President Teddy Roosevelt, these early conservationists called for the first laws restricting the commercial slaughter of wildlife. They urged sustainable use of fish and game, created hunting and fishing licenses, and lobbied for taxes on sporting equipment to provide funds for state conservation agencies.
Populations of white-tailed deer, elk, antelope, wild turkey, wood ducks and many other species began to recover from decades of unregulated exploitation.
During the next half-century, in addition to the funds sportsmen and women contributed to conservation and their diligent watch over the returning health of America’s outdoors, sportsmen and women worked countless hours to protect and improve millions of acres of vital habitat—lands and waters for the use and enjoyment of everyone.
In the 1960s, hunters and anglers embraced the era’s heightened environmental awareness but were discouraged that many people didn’t understand the crucial role that sportsmen and women had played-and continue to play-in the conservation movement.
On May 2, 1972, President Nixon signed the first proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day and by late summer of the same year – all 50 governors and over 600 mayors had joined in by proclaiming state and local versions of National Hunting and Fishing Day!
So grab you your friends, pick up your gun or rod and get out there and CELEBRATE!
– W & H
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