We all love the outdoors, including those of us that hunt and fish. That is why Urban American Outdoors is pleased to join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and many others in celebrating National Hunting and Fishing Day.
National Hunting and Fishing Day, celebrated in the United States on the fourth Saturday in September, was established by Congress in 1972 to honor hunters and anglers for their role in conserving wildlife and their habitat.
Though other outdoor enthusiasts may not know, hunters and anglers care and contribute significantly to the conservation of wildlife and their habitat. In addition to paying for hunting and fishing licenses, hunters and anglers pay an excise tax on firearms and ammunition, bows and arrows, and rods and reels that generates $1 billion per year to support the work of state conservation agencies. (At left: Wayne Hubbard, co-founder of Urban American Outdoors.)
My friends at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognize the positive contributions hunters and anglers have on wildlife conservation. The lands and waters they manage not only provide vital habitat for wildlife but also access to outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing.
The Service, which manages a network of 568 National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs), 70 National Fish Hatcheries (NFHs), 38 wetland management districts (WMDs), and more, welcomes approximately 10 million hunters and anglers each year. The number of units in the Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System open to public hunting is 430 and those open to fishing is 360. The total number of National Fish Hatchery System units open to hunting or sport fishing to 21.
If you do not hunt or fish (yet), I still encourage you to find a refuge near you. Other types of wildlife-dependent recreation you can engage in at refuges include hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, photographing wildlife, and more. More than 100 national wildlife refuges are within an hour drive of most major metropolitan areas.
When engaged in outdoor sports or recreation, know that hunters and anglers stand alongside you in your love for the outdoors and in promoting the conservation of natural resources, including wildlife and their habitat, for the benefit of future generations.
Wayne Hubbard is the co-founder of Urban American Outdoors (UAO), which encourages and facilitates diversity in the outdoors. UAO produces the UAO TV show, the first African-American owned and produced outdoor sport and adventure show in the United States. Aired on TV networks across the country, the syndicated show has received four Emmy nominations and more than 70 broadcast awards. UAO also engages in youth outreach and education through its Urban Kids Fishing Derbies in cities across the country. Last year, Wayne was appointed to serve on the Department of the Interior’s Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council established to provide advice regarding wildlife and habitat conservation.
This content is presented for informational value only. It is neither authored nor sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We make no claims as to the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information it contains.
*Updated with 2020 numbers*
