Hunting
Get Started Hunting
Conservation & Wildlife Management
Getting the right introduction to hunting ensures a quality experience and the start to a lifetime of enjoyment. Many hunters receive their first introduction to hunting from family or friends as a tradition passed down from generation to generation.
For all hunters, whether they have mentors to guide them or not, the most important first step into the woods begins with a state-certified hunter education course.
About Hunting
Hunting is a useful and beneficial wildlife management tool that ensures and maintains the health and abundance of game species and the balance of our natural resources. There are a number of species, from upland birds to big game animals to hunt. Learn more about these species from game bird and game animal organizations.
Training & Safety
Hunter Education Courses Provided by International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)
Once you have received your hunter education certification, you become part of the largest group of contributors to conservation and wildlife management in America. Be a part of an honored tradition where you too have the opportunity to share with the next generation.
Firearms Safety Rules Provided by National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
While you’re at the shooting range or anywhere you handle a firearm, safety ALWAYS comes first. There are 10 Rules of Firearms Safety. Review, learn and follow them for the safety of you and all those around you.
Game Resoruces
Game Bird Resources Provided by National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
NSSF offers a list of organizations that are good sources of information on some popular American game birds.
Game Animal Resources Provided by National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
NSSF offers a list of organizations who are helpful resources for learning more about popular American big game animals.
Hunting Licenses
State Hunting Licenses Provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
In most cases, in order to hunt legally in the United States, you must have a hunting license from the state where the hunt occurs and comply with the state fish and game department requirements associated with that license.
Where to Hunt
Where to Hunt by State Provided by National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
Select any state to find hunting license and permit information, where to hunt, hunter education classes, laws and regulations, and additional resources.
Conservation
In the first half of the 20th century, leaders like Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold shaped a set of ideals that came to be known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. They articulated the philosophy that all wildlife belong to all of us. That every citizen is entitled to the opportunity to hunt and fish. And that ethical, regulated hunting is the driving force that maintains abundant wildlife.
Hunting became regulated and guided by scientific research. In 1878, Iowa instituted the first bag limit on birds. Lawmakers passed the Lacey Act in 1900, prohibiting market hunting. Ding Darling created artwork for the first Duck Stamp in 1934. The Pittman-Robertson act was passed in 1937, through which hunters voluntarily imposed a tax on themselves, ensuring that a portion of the sale of all firearms and ammunition would be expressly dedicated to managing the wildlife entrusted to the public.
The Pittman-Robertson Act generates $700 million annually, which is distributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to state fish and game agencies across America.
Simply put, the United States has the most successful wildlife management system in the world. Hunters and anglers have contributed more financial and physical support to that system than any other group of individuals.
Hunting Facts
- Since 1957, hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters have raised $57 billion for wildlife and conservation.
- Hunting supports more than 525,000 American jobs.
- There are 9.2 million hunters over the age of 16 in the United States.
- More people hunt each year than play soccer, tennis, or baseball.
Sources
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; A Brief History of Conservation. National Shooting Sports Foundation; Hunting in America.