Jake's Outdoors

Blog About the Good: National Hunting and Fishing Day

Kristine at the Outdoor Bloggers Summit has issued a challenge to outdoor bloggers to write about the good that occurs when it comes to hunting and fishing. These sports receive so much bad press, we need to take the time to think about, and write about, what is good. Why is that we participate in these endeavors? It is because we see the good! We know the great things that happen because of our involvement, from personal growth and enjoyment, to the protection of the environment, to the fact that getting kids involved keeps them off the streets and out of trouble. So, first, off, hats off to Kristine for putting this challenge out there, and providing a way for us all to join voices and improve the image of our respective outdoor sports.

There have been a lot of great posts that encompass the spirit of blogging about the good this week. You probably have already seen them, but if you haven’t, make sure to go see these posts:

• Another Great Program for Kids, by Blessed
• Hunter Apprentice Programs, by Kristine
• “Hunters for the Hungry” Program of Tennessee, by Deerslayer
• What is No Child Left Inside?, by Rick
• OBS Challenge: City of Hammond, IN, by the Hunter’s Wife
• OBS Challenge: Write About the Good, by the Hunter’s Wife
• National Wild Turkey Federation JAKES Program, by Arthur

I am sure that I missed some good ones, but will be happy to add them to the list if you let me know about them! It is great to see so many people who are interested in writing about the good things that are out there supporting the outdoor sports!

One thing that gets some pretty big news up here in West Virginia is the National Hunting and Fishing Day. This is a day that is set aside, usually in the fall, to promote the outdoor sports. There are several festivals worked in around the National Day here in West Virginia. You can see a list of available activities at the State DNR Page, or at the State Specific Events page at the National Hunting and Fishing Days website. There is obviously some marketing and sales/profit from many of these events, but they still serve to lay out an opportunity for people to see the good that exists in hunting. Many sponsors come to these events, and make them possible for free, or low cost to the patrons. Most of these events have activities for the kids which can encourage them to start hunting or fishing if they are not already so inclined.

Another thing that WV does is to offer a free fishing weekend. I thought that this was in direct connection to the National Hunting and Fishing Day, but upon further research, it does not seem to be. It is an activity that is sponsored by the WV DNR. This is a great opportunity to get someone who does not currently fish started in the sport. There is no license required, so the new fisherman doesn’t have to pay the $20-$30 upfront to find out they don’t like it. Perhaps that fee stands in the way of someone trying the sport. Last year, the free weekend was June 9-10. I haven’t been able to find the date for this year, but I am sure it will be announced soon.

West Virginia has a ton of opportunities for promoting the outdoor sports. I am sure that many states provide the same types of programs. But, it is always good to know what is going on out there, and what opportunities we can join in to promote our sport.