The Sportsmen's Voice | Hunting, Fishing and Conservation Advocacy with Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation

NOAA’s latest recreational fishing numbers leave out billions, raising serious questions about fisheries management and allocation. Recreational fishing is one of the most economically significant parts of America’s outdoors economy, but a major change in federal data collection could be understating its value. Chris Horton and economist Brad Gentner of the Coastal Conservation Association break down what happened and why anglers should pay attention. Gentner, who previously worked at NOAA and helped build the economic models behind its fisheries reports, explains how the agency stopped producing state-level estimates for durable goods such as boats, fishing rods, trucks, and other equipment. Those purchases account for roughly two-thirds of the economic impact associated with recreational fishing. Without them, recent comparisons between recreational and commercial fishing present an incomplete picture. The stakes are particularly high in the Gulf of America, where a new red snapper stock assessment is expected to trigger another fight over allocation between commercial and recreational anglers, followed by decisions involving federal charter, private anglers, and individual states. Economic data can play an important role in those decisions, making accurate numbers critical. Horton and Gentner discuss where the missing information could come from, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service participation estimates, state fishing license data, and a potential independent review of NOAA’s recreational fisheries economics program. Follow the show for more weekly hunting, fishing, and conservation policy conversations. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter   Follow The Sportsmen’s Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More public access is opening up this fall, but hunters and anglers need to know where. The Department of the Interior has finalized the largest expansion of hunting and sport fishing opportunities in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service history, creating nearly 1,500 new opportunities across 111 national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries in 32 states. More than 92 million acres, representing over 95% of the National Wildlife Refuge System, are now available for hunting. The Sportsman’s Voice Roundup breaks down what this expanded access means for hunters, anglers, and anyone looking for new public-land opportunities this fall. The rule also modernizes more than 1,000 refuge-specific regulations, bringing federal requirements into better alignment with state fish and wildlife laws. That should give sportsmen clearer guidance while recognizing the role state agencies play in managing fish and wildlife. The conversation also covers the ongoing debate over nonresident hunting pressure and overcrowding, recreational red snapper management in the South Atlantic, upcoming Mid-Atlantic hunting seasons, and proposed license fee increases in Tennessee. Together, these issues highlight how access, regulation, license sales, and sportsmen’s participation shape conservation across the country. Follow the show for more weekly hunting, fishing, and conservation policy conversations. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter   Follow The Sportsmen’s Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Modern trapping is growing fast as sportsmen and women rediscover one of wildlife conservation's most effective tools. Trapping is experiencing an unexpected resurgence across America, and the reasons go far beyond fur. Jason Wisniewski, President of the Fur Takers of America, joins Fred Bird to discuss why trapper participation has more than doubled in recent years, what is driving new interest among turkey hunters, landowners, and backyard homesteaders, and why modern trapping remains one of the most valuable wildlife management tools available. The conversation explores how predator management supports healthy populations of wild turkeys, quail, and other ground nesting birds while highlighting the science behind today's best management practices. Jason explains how modern traps are designed with animal welfare, selectivity, and conservation in mind, while sharing how trappers continue to support wildlife research, species restoration, and conservation projects across North America. You'll also hear why hands-on education is changing minds, from wildlife agency staff to elected officials attending the Fur Takers of America Trappers College. Jason and Fred discuss the importance of coalition building, recruiting the next generation of trappers, and helping the public better understand the role trapping plays in protecting wildlife habitat and sustaining healthy ecosystems. Whether you're a trapper, turkey hunter, waterfowl hunter, or passionate conservationist, this conversation offers valuable insight into one of North America's oldest and most misunderstood outdoor traditions. Follow The Sportsmen's Voice for more weekly conversations on hunting, fishing, conservation, and outdoor policy. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: ⁠www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservation victories prove organized sportsmen can still shape wildlife policy before lasting damage is done. For hunters, trappers, and conservation advocates, policy battles don't stop when the hunting season ends. This week,The Sportsmen's Voice Roundup breaks down two major victories that could have lasting impacts on wildlife management across the West. First, Oregon's controversial IP28, a ballot initiative that sought to ban hunting, trapping, fishing, and livestock management, officially failed to qualify for the November ballot after falling short on valid signatures. While it's a significant win for the sporting community, the conversation explains why similar efforts are almost certain to return and why coalition building between hunters, ranchers, farmers, and conservation organizations will be critical moving forward. The discussion then shifts to Colorado, where the state wildlife commission rejected a proposed retail fur ban after hours of public testimony. While that proposal failed, new trapping restrictions and reduced daily harvest limits raise important questions about science-based wildlife management, predator control, furbearer conservation, and the future of trapping as a conservation tool. The conversation also covers national headlines, including Massachusetts' effort to repeal sweeping gun control legislation, updates on polar bear import legislation, prescribed fire and wildfire policy, invasive wild pig management, shark depredation concerns along the Northeast coast, and conservation funding challenges facing Michigan. Follow the show for more weekly hunting, fishing, and conservation policy conversations. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter   Follow The Sportsmen’s Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthy forests begin with better management before the next wildfire threatens wildlife, habitat, and communities. Wildfire smoke stretched across much of North America this summer, but the conversation goes far beyond poor air quality. Forest management, wildlife habitat, and the future of public lands all depend on the decisions being made today. Fred Bird sits down with CSF Senior Manager of Western States and Agriculture Policy Kent Keene to explain why the Fix Our Forests Act has become one of the most important conservation policy discussions in the country. They break down how prescribed fire, responsible timber management, and active forest restoration can reduce catastrophic wildfires while improving habitat for deer, elk, wild turkey, upland birds, and countless other wildlife species. The conversation also explores the unintended consequences of decades of fire suppression, why healthy forests require regular management, and how overcrowded timber stands create conditions for larger, hotter fires that devastate ecosystems, rural communities, and sportsmen alike. Listeners will gain a better understanding of how science-based conservation supports better hunting opportunities, healthier wildlife populations, and more resilient public lands for future generations. The episode also covers the latest conservation headlines, including new federal proposals for grizzly bear management, hunter education legislation in Pennsylvania, fisheries habitat restoration, trapping news, and a major victory against a proposed fur sales ban in Colorado. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter   Follow The Sportsmen’s Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices