NEWS RELEASE
Sept. 24, 2024
PHOENIX — It has been more than a half-century since the U.S. Congress and President Nixon first established National Hunting and Fishing Day in 1972, recognizing generations of hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and other outdoor enthusiasts who collectively represent the backbone of wildlife conservation.
Gov. Katie Hobbs recently signed a proclamation celebrating the special-interest holiday — which, this year, falls on Saturday, Sept. 28 — as well as underscoring the state’s hunting and angling community as an important economic driver.
In 2023, almost $70 million was generated through the American System of Conservation Funding to support the conservation efforts of the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The system is a “user pays-public benefits” approach that is recognized as the most successful model of fish and wildlife management in the world.
It’s important to understand how outdoor pursuits benefit wildlife conservation. Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program funds are comprised of excise taxes collected on the sale of hunting and fishing equipment (including 11 percent on ammunition), the benefit of which comes right back to Arizona for habitat improvements, research, surveys, hunter education, construction and maintenance of shooting ranges, boating access facilities and more.
Who benefits? The general public gets better stewardship of natural resources. The state’s more than 700,000 hunters and anglers get more and better places to hunt and fish. State and federal agencies receive more funds to meet their conservation needs.
Interested in learning about hunting, but don’t know where to start? For a complete listing of mentored hunting and outdoor skills events, no matter a person’s skill level, visit the department’s Outdoor Skills Network at https://www.azgfd.com/event/outdoor-skills-network-hands-on-events/.
For those who want to learn more about fishing, or to register for an upcoming clinic, visit https://www.azgfd.com/education/fishing-education/.