By Matt Hogan
CSF Conservation Policy Director

A wise man once said, “decisions are made by those who show up”. As an avid hunter, sometimes I worry if hunters will show up when important decisions that affect the future of hunting are made.

Case in point. For more than a year, the U.S. Congress has been debating how money provided through excise taxes on hunting and shooting equipment will be used to recruit future hunters while maintaining current ones. Yet, when I spend time surfing the hunting internet sites to see what my fellow hunters are talking about, there is little or no mention of this issue. Of course, I know it’s not realistic to expect hunters to put on their camo and march on the U.S. Capitol like the Million Mom's - Or is it?

For now, I hope hunters spend some time thinking about and getting involved in the future of hunting in addition to worrying about the newest camo pattern and shotguns. If we, as hunters, don’t take care of our business, you can be sure there are plenty of people who would gladly show up in our place and make those decisions for us. And I’ll bet my new shotgun that we won’t like the decisions they will make.

Over the past year, many hunting advocates have helped ensure that the Congress reinvests the money paid by hunters so there will be opportunities to build shooting ranges and enhance hunter education and promotion programs all across America. If this legislation becomes law and the money starts flowing through the state fish and wildlife agencies to the hunter education programs, I wonder if hunters will be there on the other end to make the most of this hard-fought opportunity.

Will hunters, through their local, state and regional hunting clubs, show up when decisions are made on how this money will be spent? Will members of the industry who have paid into the excise tax pot take the time to be sure "their" money goes to promote our sport and insure it's future? I sure hope so. If a million mom's have the time to do it, I sure hope 14 million hunters do as well.