National Hunting and Fishing Day was established by Congress in 1972 to recognize hunters and anglers for their contributions to wildlife conservation.

This year, National Hunting and Fishing Day will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012.

• If you purchase firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, certain fishing gear or boat fuel, you are helping wildlife conservation. One of the most significant programs benefitting wildlife conservation and outdoor recreationists today is the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. To learn more about this program and the role hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation, read the article by Mike Schlegel, Pope & Young Club Conservation Chairman, at http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/hahwg/TWS-articles/99-PY_Ethic_PR_75.pdf.
  

Overview

Going back to the late 1800s, hunters and anglers were among the first conservationists to realize that expanding civilization and unregulated market hunting were causing serious wildlife population declines, threatening the sustainability of many species. Their efforts to change that situation helped pave the way for today’s science-based systems of wildlife management, where regulated hunting/fishing and habitat management programs have restored and maintained sustainable wildlife populations for all to enjoy.

National Hunting and Fishing Day was established by Congress in 1971 to recognize hunters and anglers for their contributions to wildlife conservation Today’s wildlife conservation efforts are funded largely by the money that hunters and anglers spend on license fees, as well as the excise taxes that hunters and anglers pay on certain types of outdoor recreational equipment such as firearms, ammunition and fishing gear. These monies support wildlife conservation programs, habitat acquisition, and outdoor recreation opportunities in Arizona and throughout the country. To recognize the contributions that hunters and anglers have made to wildlife conservation, legislation was introduced in 1971 and passed in 1972 to designate the fourth Saturday of every September as National Hunting and Fishing Day. For more information, visit www.nhfday.org.