Sportsman Channel Celebrates National Hunting and Fishing Day with Favorite Facts
OutdoorHub 09.27.13
National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFDay) is Saturday, September 28, and Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, is celebrating with a compilation of favorite hunting and fishing facts, along with messages from a few of the network’s TV hosts.
NHFDay was first signed into proclamation in 1972 by President Richard M. Nixon and has been renewed by every U.S. President since. This weekend, numerous organizations host “open-house” outdoor events everywhere from shooting ranges to suburban ponds, providing an estimated four million Americans with the chance to experience, understand and appreciate traditional outdoor sports.
According to NHFDay, President Theodore Roosevelt led early conservationists to call 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. These actions were the foundation of the North American Wildlife Conservation model, a science-based, user-pay system that would foster the most dramatic conservation successes of all time.
“No matter where you live, chances are there is a place not far from you where you can enjoy the beauty of the outdoors,” said Cam Edwards, host of Sportsman Channel’s NRA NEWS Cam & Co. “I hope folks will go out and explore the opportunities for hunting and fishing in their communities. I’m planning on checking out a couple of the local wildlife management areas with my kids… and we’ll be bringing along the fishing poles as well.”
“Like most hunters, I appreciate the attention NHFDay focuses on the critical conservation work we contribute, not to mention the $38 billion in economic activity we generate,” said Ron Spomer, host of Sportsman Channel’s Winchester’s World of Whitetail. “As far as we’re concerned, every day should be National Hunting and Fishing Day. Ours is a lifelong commitment to protecting and enhancing not only wildlife and wild places, but our rich hunting heritage.”
“In my home state of Georgia, hunting season is in full swing on National Hunting and Fishing Day, commented Michael Lee, host of Sportsman Channel’s Backwoods Life. “NHF Day is something we all, as American sportsmen and women, should cherish and spend time in the outdoors celebrating either in the woods or on the water.”
“Hunting and the outdoors is so important to my family and me,” said Brad Farris, host of Sportsman Channel’s Game Plan TV. “As we look through past pictures and discuss memories we have, I would say seven out of 10 involve hunting, fishing, or some outdoor activity. This Saturday, my daughter, Morgan, and I are preparing for the archery opener in our home state of Mississippi.
- Hunting and fishing is the lifeblood of the Sportsman Channel, as more than 38 million Americans hunt and fish.***
- The money from all of the licenses required to hunt and fish cover the conservation efforts for most fish and wildlife conservation programs. Sportsmen contribute nearly $8 million daily, adding more than $2.9 billion annually for conservation efforts. ***
- Hunters and anglers single-handedly generate more than 680,000 jobs annually. *
- The $38.3 billion economic impact from hunting in 2011 was more than Google’s revenue in 2011 ($37.9 billion).*
- More people hunt each year (19.3 million) than play soccer (13.7 million), tennis (13.6 million) or baseball (12.1 million).**
National Hunting and Fishing Day, celebrated the fourth Saturday of every September, remains the most effective grassroots efforts ever undertaken to promote the outdoor lifestyle and conservation. Sportsman Channel is proud to continue as a national sponsor of the day.
*NSSF and Southwick’s Associates Hunting in America Report
**Source: National Sporting Goods Association
***U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Survey
