The bill, Senate Bill 395, introduced by Sen. Mark Blasdel (R-Kalispell), would establish an apprentice hunting certificate for youth ages 10 to 18 that will allow them to experience hunting under the watchful eye of an adult mentor prior to completing hunter education. Apprentice hunting is a widely accepted and proven recruitment tool that has been established in 35 states, resulting in more than 1.2 million apprentice licenses sold to date.

“Apprentice hunting has quickly become the gold standard for recruiting new hunters,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA vice president of government affairs. “But even better than the number of new hunters, is the safety rate of apprentice hunting. Nationwide research has shown that apprentice hunters are five times safer in the field than the general hunting population.”

Take Action: Senate Bill 395 has already passed the state senate, but it still must clear the full the House of Representatives. Montana sportsmen should contact their representative and urge them to support SB 395. A few minutes of your time may be the deciding factor in your legislator’s ultimate vote on this bill!

To find your representative’s contact information, visit USSA’s Legislative Action Center.

About Families Afield: Families Afield is a joint effort, backed by USSA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Rifle Association, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. To date, 35 states have passed Families Afield legislation, resulting in more than 1.2 million new hunters.

The suit aims to strip the state of Maine of its Incidental Take Permit (ITP), which allows for a limited number of Canada lynx to be caught in traps without the state, or individual trappers, being held liable under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Without this protection, every time a lynx was accidentally caught in a legal trap, the trapper could face federal ESA penalties. 

Canada lynx, which are listed as a threatened species in the U.S. due to fragmented populations, are abundant just north of the border in Canada. In fact, there are many who believe that the lynx populations should be removed from the ESA altogether.

“This case is just another attempt by the animal rights crowd to stop trapping in Maine, even though this issue has already been decided by the courts,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA Foundation vice president of government affairs. “This is really a larger effort to set a precedent that could be used to stop hunting and fishing, too. If they can ban all trapping in the areas where the protected lynx calls home, then what’s to stop them from banning all fishing in a stream that contains an endangered fish species?”      

In 2006, USSA Foundation and our partners successfully defended trapping against a lawsuit brought by Animal Protection Institute (API).  Less than two years later, Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) filed a similar lawsuit, which also resulted in a favorable outcome for sportsmen.  Following the API and AWI lawsuits, the state of Maine petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to grant an ITP. The ESA allows the FWS to grant these permits, which authorize a limited take of protected species, when it happens incidentally to an otherwise lawful activity – in this case trapping.

“This is yet another effort to outright ban, or severely restrict, all trapping in Maine,” said Brian Cogill, president of the Maine Trappers Association. “I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that the animals rights crowd is back in Maine. They’ve tried twice to ban trapping through lynx lawsuits, and they’ve tried twice to stop bear trapping at the ballot box. We remain committed to fighting this lawsuit and protecting sportsmen and women in Maine.”

About the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation: The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) is a 501(c)3 organization and protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. USSAF is responsible for public education, legal defense and research.  Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to USSAF: Online, Facebook and Twitter.

The case started in the closing weeks of the Maine bear campaign over Question 1 on last November’s ballot. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), through their front group Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, sued the state of Maine alleging an improper level of engagement in the the bear hunting campaign. The “state,” in this case, was the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, whose vocal and public opposition to Question 1 didn’t mesh with HSUS’ wish to stop bear hunting in the state.

The original lawsuit sought an injunction that would remove the TV advertisements being aired by the Maine Wildlife Conservation Council that featured department personnel talking about the dangers of Question 1. 

“Political campaigns are won and lost on TV, especially in the case of ballot issue campaigns,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA Foundation’s vice president of government affairs. “There is no doubt that our opponents saw the wildlife management professionals at the department as a distinct threat to their campaign. In response, they attempted to silence the only true experts—the professional staff at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.”

On Oct. 22, 2014, Maine Superior Court Justice Joyce Wheeler denied the request for a temporary restraining order by Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, which sought to remove television commercials opposed to Question 1. In her ruling, Justice Wheeler sided with the right of the state to provide comment. This ruling ensured the TV commercials remained on the air, and just a few days later sportsmen were victorious at the ballot box, defeating Question 1 by a 53-46 margin. Despite the victory on the temporary restraining order and at the ballot box on Nov. 4, the lawsuit remained active. 

In light of judge’s decision and with the election over, on Feb. 24 the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife moved to have the case dismissed because of mootness—a move wholeheartedly supported by Maine Wildlife Conservation Council. However, HSUS lawyer Rachel Wertheime countered that the lawsuit was still valid because the organization would be filing paperwork to once again put a bear-hunting ban initiative on the state’s 2016 ballot.

In her ruling today, Justice Wheeler responded to that motion by fully and finally dismissing the case at the Superior Court level, leaving HSUS, and their front group Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, with few options outside of appeal to the state’s Law (Superior) Court.

“The Superior court already ruled that the state was well within its right to speak out on this issue, and now they have now decided that since the election is over, the case is moot,” said Heusinkveld.  “This ruling just reaffirms our position and is a clear victory for sportsmen and women. There should be no doubt left, the people of Maine deserve to hear from the experts when it comes to these issues.”

About the Maine Wildlife Conservation Council: MWCC was the ballot-question committee set up specifically to defeat Question 1 – the Bear Hunting Ban. In addition to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, it was comprised of the Maine Professional Guides Association, Maine Trapper’s Association, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, and many other organizations concerned with managing the state’s wildlife in a responsible manner.

About the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA)  is a 501(c)4 organization and provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, trappers, anglers and scientific wildlife management professionals.  The USSA is the only organization exclusively devoted to combating the attacks made on America’s sportsman traditions by anti-hunting and animal rights extremists. This is accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and legislative and government relations. Stay connected to USSA: Online, Facebook and Twitter.

Iowa Poised to Become 36th Families Afield State – Senate File 392, sponsored by Sen. Dick Dearden (D-Des Moines), has cleared both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly.  The measure, would establish the state’s first ever apprentice hunting program for adults. Iowa law already permits those under the age of 16 to hunt with a mentor prior to completing hunter education.  But that same availability was not extended to those 16 and older.  Under Senator Dearden’s leadership, the bill received unanimous support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and now awaits the signature of Gov. Terry Branstad.  SF 392 was also supported by the Iowa Conservation Alliance and numerous other sportsmen’s organziations across the state.

Montana Families Afield Bill Advances – Senate Bill 395, introduced by Sen. Mark Blasdel (R-Kalispell), passed the Senate on March 31 and is currently being pending in the House Judiciary Committee. This bill would allow those between the ages of 10 and 18 to try hunting under the watchful eye of an experienced mentor, prior to completing a hunter education course.  Currently, Montana law makes no allowance for new hunters to try hunting before making having to complete hunter education. This concept, known as apprentice hunting, has become a staple of state wildlife agency recruitment efforts all across the country.

New Jersey Families Afield Legislation Clears the Senate – Legislation to authorize apprentice hunting in New Jersey, recently cleared the State Senate with an overwhelming 31-1 vote. The bill, Senate Bill 573 along with its Assembly companion A.2443, is currently pending in the Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. This legislation would allow new hunters age 14 and older to take advantage of a one year apprentice hunting license up to two times in their lifetime. The New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs is actively engaged with the support of the Families Afield Coalition to ensure this legislation is enacted during this year’s session.

Tennessee Rapidly Moving to Expand Apprentice Hunting Opportunities – Legislation aimed at expanding Tennessee’s apprentice hunting program is rapidly progressing through the state legislature.  Tennessee was one of the first states to adopt apprentice hunting when it passed its original apprentice hunting law in 2006.  Now, the state’s legislature is looking to expand the program to allow for multiple-year participation.  This approach is common amongst Families afield states, and has shown the ability to help transition newcomers into hunter education classes and ultimately into regular license buyers.  The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has aggressively pushed for this legislative improvement on the state’s Families Afield program along with USSA and our Families Afield Coalition partners.

“Expanding apprentice hunting opportunities in Tennessee is a proven way to reach out and recruit new and nontraditional hunters. Passage of this legislation will help to put more hunters in the field and ensure that Tennessee’s proud hunting tradition continues on in the future. We want to especially thank the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance for their research and support on this legislation. It was very helpful”, Mike Butler, CEO, Tennessee Wildlife Federation.

About Families Afield: Families Afield is a joint effort, backed by USSA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the National Rifle Association, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. To date, 35 states have passed Families Afield legislation, resulting in more than 1.2 million new hunters.

“It’s exciting to watch USSA’s business partnership program grow, especially when it grows with industry-leading companies like onXmaps. The mapping technology that onXmaps provides to their customers delivers instant information that is used to produce results in the field,” said VP of Development and Membership Sean Curran. “Thanks again to onXmaps for their support of the USSA’s business partnership program. They are a company truly having an impact on our mission to protect and advance the outdoor heritage.”

With the onXmaps Hunt Map, finding a quality hunting location has never been easier. The application hosts a suite of tools that reveal landowner names, property boundaries, topography information and water data, as well as standard GPS functionality to navigate roadways.

Hunt Map was the first product launched by onXmaps. Since that time, Pheasants Forever, Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and other conservation organizations have used products developed by onXmaps for mapping related issues.  

To learn more about onXmaps, please visit their website at onXmaps.com or find them on Facebook.

About the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) is a 501(c)4 organization and provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, trappers, anglers and scientific wildlife management professionals.  The USSA is the only organization exclusively devoted to combating the attacks made on America’s sportsman traditions by anti-hunting and animal rights extremists. This is accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and legislative and government relations. Stay connected to USSA: Online, Facebook, and Twitter.

Hunters across the nation are gearing up for one of the most coveted seasons in the outdoor community – spring turkey hunting. Like coastal residents stocking up on groceries before a hurricane, sportsmen clear the shelves of decoys and ammo at local sporting goods shops. But in the midst of all the madness, many sportsmen forget to gain access to quality hunting grounds – a key component to successfully harvesting a spring gobbler.

Follow these tips to make obtaining landowner permission a breeze.

Visit in Person: When asking for permission to hunt, visit the landowner during times of sufficient daylight. Nobody likes a stranger showing up after dark. Wear clean clothes and explain exactly where you want to hunt and why. Contact landowners through the phone as a last resort.

Be Respectable: Make eye contact and use a polite tone when asking for permission; it can go a long way. Coming off as a kind and courteous individual can turn a “no” into a possible “yes.” Even if the landowner says “no,” thank them for their time. Your good manners may sway their opinions about letting you or others hunt in the future.

Share the Harvest: Landowners oftentimes enjoy the opportunity to consume wild game harvested on their property. Offer a few packages of processed meat in return for the chance to hunt a property.

Provide Contact Information: One of the keys to my own personal success in securing permission has been providing landowners with a business card that includes all my personal details, such as name, address, phone number and hunter identification number. By giving them this information, the landowner feels far more comfortable knowing they can contact me or our state’s DNR if an issue arises.

Offer to Help: See a broken fence when scouting the property? How about that dead tree branch on the lawn from last week’s storm? Trade physical labor or a skill in return for permission to hunt. The gesture lets the landowner know that you place value on using their land.

Take Them Hunting: Extend an invitation to participate in the hunt to the landowner. Many people have interest in hunting, but have never had the opportunity to do so. Teaching another person to hunt helps ensure the future of our outdoor heritage.

Send a Thank You Note: If you happen to get permission to hunt a piece of property, follow up with the landowner after the season concludes. Send them a handwritten thank you card or letter. A few years back, I sent one landowner a picture of my sister posing with her turkey after a successful youth hunt. That picture remains on their fridge to this day, and I enjoy an invitation to hunt year after year.

For more turkey hunting tips and information, please visit our friends at the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance considers itself lucky to have volunteers like Jamie Lukens, a Local Field Director (LFD) from Ohio. Lukens, who started volunteering in March of 2014, knew little about USSA prior to contacting the organization, and has since grown to love and promote everything the organization embodies.

“USSA is the only group that I’m aware of that will come out and say that they support hunting, fishing and trapping. Other organizations only promote involvement in a particular form of hunting, such as bowhunting or waterfowl hunting,” said Lukens. “Unifying all the activities that sportsmen participate in under one banner really attracted me to the organization.”

Lukens at a youth fishing event.

Lukens learned about the volunteer opportunity through USSA’s Facebook page, which serves as a great resource for those wanting to learn more about our work and youth programs.

“When I saw that USSA was looking for volunteers to run the Trailblazer event, I thought to myself: what a great opportunity this would be to work with youth,” said Lukens. “I helped run a Trailblazer event this past August. It was a unique experience to work with the youth and introduce them to a variety of outdoor activities.”

Trailblazer, a youth program run by USSA, is the largest outdoor program of its kind, and has exposed more than 1.8 million youth and their families to outdoor sports since 2001. Lukens hopes the program will help kids discover some aspect of hunting, shooting or fishing that they will enjoy and continue to pursue throughout their lives.

When questioned about what sportsmen can do to create a positive image of hunting, fishing and trapping for the public, Lukens offers a simple solution.

“Sportsmen need to unite and stand together. Hunters argue about the silliest of things, like what kind of broadhead to shoot or whether or not it’s ethical to harvest a whitetail with a bow versus a firearm. Our rights are under attack and if we do not learn to get along we’ll never be as strong as we need to be.”

Lukens also founded and serves as president of The Sportsmen of Tomorrow, a non-profit group in northeast Ohio dedicated to exposing kids to the outdoors. You can learn more about The Sportsmen of Tomorrow by visiting their Facebook page.

Growing up in San Diego, a city known for long beaches, an intense surf culture and year-round sunshine, I never would have imagined that I would become part of its large and culturally rich hunting community. Many of these amazing outdoorsmen and women who hunt and fish also bring youth into the fold.

Organizations, local business owners, and sportsmen from across the county team up every year to put on events that cater to youth hunters. The San Diego Junior Pheasant hunt is one of the larger events, and draws at least 50 youth hunters annually.

Zeke Awbrey, the creator of the event, along with Jim Conners from Willow Creek Archery, started the program in 2001. Awbrey saw a need to expand and protect the future of hunting. “I wanted to make sure that hunting, trapping and gun ownership continued in California,” he said. “Seeing a young hunter in the field was rare. I saw that hunting in California would be a thing of the past unless there was a change.”

The free event includes stations where youth experience activities such as trap shooting, archery, dog demonstrations, trapping, tracking and turkey calling. All of the youth hunters also have an opportunity to hunt pheasants over pointing dogs. After the hunt, youth learn to clean and prepare their pheasants; it’s an A-to-Z experience for youth hunters, and often their first introduction into the outdoors.

The San Diego Chapter of Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, Willow Creek Archery, California Rifle and Pistol Association, Diamond Environmental Services, Flat Iron and San Diego County Fish and Wildlife Committee sponsored the event in 2015.

As one of the many 50-plus volunteers, I was amazed at the teamwork and dedication that everyone exemplified in making this event a success. Once again, it was proof to me that San Diego consists of an incredibly vibrant and proud hunting community that strives to share our passion with the next generation—even if we do it while reveling in the sunshine, surf and sandy beaches.

To learn more about Jen, please visit her Facebook page.

The fight to protect hunting dogs is one of the top priorities at USSA, as the organization monitors an average of 75 dog bills every year. Tri-Tronics’ generous contribution will allow USSA to continue to monitor and address legislative issues affecting sporting dog owners, and keep our four-legged hunting companions in the field for years to come.

“As a waterfowler who has been using Tri-Tronics products for many years, it’s very exciting to have their support included in our business partnership program,” said USSA VP of Membership and Development, Sean Curran. “The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is continuously working on and monitoring dog bills across the country that could affect sportsmen and their hunting dogs. Support from Tri-Tronics strengthens our abilities to protect and advance our outdoor heritage.”

To learn more about Tri-Tronics, please visit their website at tritronics.com or find them on Facebook.

About the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) is a 501(c)4 organization and provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, trappers, anglers and scientific wildlife management professionals.  The USSA is the only organization exclusively devoted to combating the attacks made on America’s sportsman traditions by anti-hunting and animal rights extremists. This is accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and legislative and government relations. Stay connected to USSA: Online, Facebook, and Twitter.

Youth and families visiting these stores have the opportunity to participate in hands-on firearm safety lessons, fishing instruction, archery lessons and trapping demonstrations. Knowledgeable volunteers, many of whom serve as Local Field Directors for USSA, will be on hand to assist participants with activities.

“We look back at the growth and success Trailblazer has experienced over the past four years and are extremely thankful that Cabela’s has been with us every step of the way,” said USSAF Director of Education, Frank Price. “We’re proud to call them our partner and look forward to collaborating with them on additional projects meant to reduce barriers to the outdoors for our youth.”

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors such as Cabela’s, Trailblazer has exposed more than 1.8 million kids to outdoor sports since 2001. The program continues to grow, and will host its 1000^th event this April in Jarrell, Texas.  

Activities and event times vary by location. Contact your local Cabela’s store for details.

For more information on the Trailblazer Adventure Program, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/youth-programs.

About the USSA Foundation The USSA Foundation (USSAF) is a 501(c)3 organization that protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation. USSAF is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. USSAF works to educate the public on the vital role sportsmen play in wildlife conservation, and to reduce recruitment and retention barriers of hunters. Through programs such as the Trailblazer Adventure Program that introduces youth and their families to an outdoor lifestyle; the USSAF’s Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund, which represents sportsmen in lawsuits that affect our outdoor heritage and ensures that the sportsmen’s voice is heard above the rhetoric of the anti-hunting lobby; and the Families Afield program, which makes it easier for new hunters to enter the field, the USSA Foundation works to ensure that today’s outdoors heritage exists for tomorrow’s sportsmen.