PrintPublic Access to Private Lands
Incentive programs designed for private landowners who open up their land for public hunting and fishing equals more opportunities for sportsmen.
Registering to vote at the same time you purchase your hunting or fishing licenses puts you on the path to becoming involved in the political process.
Internet hunting became a hot button issue in 2004 after a Texas rancher set up a remote controlled rifle that would have allowed anyone with an internet connection to sit at their computer and, with the click of a mouse, fire the rifle at the targeted animal.
Denying access to fishing grounds is gaining a foothold in saltwater areas along the coasts. Freshwater access issues are also looming. NASC is prepared to address these issues on a state-by-state basis within state legislative caucuses.
Trouble may lie ahead for offshore anglers. Originally intended to restrict the serious impacts of commercial fishing on a few species, Marine Protected Areas have been expanded to include low impact recreational fishing on all species.
The purpose of the apprentice program is to extend limited hunting privileges to persons interested in learning about hunting sports. The opportunity offered with apprentice hunting licenses to "try before you buy" encourages people to participate in hunting under the supervision of a ‘mentor' without the obligation of taking a state hunter education course.
Microstamping and Encoded Ammunition
Microstamping: Using a laser to engrave the firing pin of a firearm to imprint the serial number of the firearm on the casing of a bullet it fires is called microstamping. Encoded Ammunition: The engraving of a serial number on the bullet and casing of each round is encoding. Both technologies are unreliable. This type of legislation, introduced with the intent to reduce crime, won't. In reality, it's a de facto ammunition ban.
Your ammunition could become illegal. Citing potential lead poisoning from hunter-killed carcasses as a health risk to endangered carrion-eating California condors led to a lead ban for hunting ammunition. Other states are pursuing lead bans for upland game - a dangerous trend.
No Net Loss of public hunting lands: If a block of public land open to hunting is lost to development or otherwise closed to hunting, the state must open acreage of the same size to hunting elsewhere in the state = No Net Loss of public hunting lands.
The anti-hunting, fishing, and trapping communities continue to work tirelessly to bring an end to our outdoor heritage. The sportsmen's community, by working together has been successful in defeating a majority of these attacks. But, we need to remain vigilant. As we build our defenses, they fill their coffers and find creative new ways to attain their goals. In recent years numerous pieces of legislation have seemed innocuous at first glance but further review has proven otherwise.
Burgeoning populations of whitetails, especially in suburbia lead to increased interaction with humans. Deer-human conflicts often arise as the deer exceed ‘cultural carrying capacities'. Calls for management practices sometimes pit wildlife managers against animal activists. Opinions on methods for managing deer numbers swing between emotional arguments and stark biological realties.
