Millions of Americans take to the woods, hills and mountains to try to fill their freezers this month. Many outdoorsmen and women also spend time in October by heading to streams, rivers and lakes to fish. The Department of Interior is officially recognizing those pastime activities.
“I am proud to designate the month of October as National Hunting and Fishing month,” said Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “American hunters and anglers are the backbone of conservation efforts, generating over a billion dollars each year for conservation.”
Through the American System of Conservation Funding, sportsmen and women contribute the majority of funding for state fish and wildlife agencies – more than $62.1 billion since 1939 – from excise taxes on their hunting, fishing, recreational shooting and boating-related purchases as well as hunting and angling licenses. Dedicating the month of October to hunting and fishing traditions recognizes the great contributions that sportsmen and women make to fish and wildlife conservation.