Events on tap nationwide for National Hunting and Fishing Day
Millions of Texas hunters will observe National Hunting and Fishing Day on Saturday, Sept. 22. Texas is known nationwide for the best in white-tailed deer, dove, and waterfowl hunting. Texas lakes and waterways provide some of the nation’s best fishing. Our hats are off to state and federal agencies, along with private landowners who make our great hunting and fishing available to the millions of Texans and others who enjoy the outdoors throughout the year. Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. serves as this year’s National Hunting and Fishing Day honorary chair. “It’s our duty as outdoorsmen and women to introduce someone to the outdoors so they too understand how our activities help fund and drive conservation,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I encourage anyone who goes outdoors to take someone with them on National Hunting and Fishing Day.”
NHF Day history
Congress established National Hunting and Fishing Day to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation. Since launching in 1971, every U.S. President and countless governors and mayors have formally proclaimed the day. Led by sportsman President Theodore Roosevelt, early conservationists 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 laid 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. Each year sportsmen and women fund more projects that enable more public access areas to be open. Through license sales and excise taxes on equipment, hunters and anglers pay for most fish and wildlife conservation programs. On average, hunters spend $1,638 every year on the sport. Portions of these funds support conservation. National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrates those efforts. Here’s a list of NHF Day events across Texas.
