NSSF Endorses National Hunting and Fishing Day

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Conserving wildlife and the lands that house what we all enjoy are of the utmost importance. National Hunting and Fishing Day is a day set aside to celebrate all that sportsmen do to support those efforts. This year the National Shooting Sports Foundation once again announces its continued, major sponsorship of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Their support has forged new pathways for hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen for the past 42 years. Each year, NHF Day is set to take place on the fourth Saturday in September. This year NHF Day falls on September 28th.

As part of the NHF Day agenda, a spokesman that is a true steward of our fishing and hunting heritage and conservation efforts is selected. Legendary bass angler, TV host and conservationist Bill Dance was chosen to represent sportsmen around the nation on this day that was formalized by Congress in 1972.

Dance follows a long line of great Honorary Chairmen that has included Hank Williams Jr., Jeff Foxworthy, Tony Stewart, Boone Pickens, Louise Mandrell, The USA Shooting Team, Arnold Palmer, Wade Boggs and Luke Bryan. Each has a storied past of supporting hunting, fishing and conservation efforts to preserve our national heritage.

“You know, I grew up in a small Tennessee town learning all about the outdoors,” said Bill Dance. “I would’ve never dreamed that small world would shape the man I am today. Valuable lessons learned while spending time on the water and in the woods with my granddaddy and dad shaped the core beliefs I still hold true to this day. To me, NHF Day is a day to reflect about the past conservation pursuits and an opportunity to step forward to expanding what we know. I want my great, great grandkids to enjoy the type of experiences that I had when I was a little one. It is the right thing to do.”

Continued efforts by Dance and NSSF will provide those opportunities for future generations.

“National Hunting and Fishing Day creates a national conversation about the extraordinary contributions sportsmen and women make to conservation and also to promoting firearm safety and ethical behavior in the outdoors,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti. “NSSF is proud to partner with Wonders of Wildlife and Honorary Chairman Bill Dance in this annual celebration of our outdoor heritage.”

“The National Shooting Sports Foundation gets it,” said Misty Mitchell, director of conservation programs at Wonders of Wildlife. “Every year they are the first to step up and voice their support for NHFD. If not for conservation, sportsmen would not get an opportunity to hunt waterfowl in the marshes of Louisiana, fishermen could enjoy a day on Clear Lake and birders wouldn’t be able to enjoy our national forests. The support of NSSF and others makes this a real possibility.”

The growing list of sponsors for NHF Day 2013 includes NSSF, Realtree, GunBroker.com, North American Fishing Club, Yamaha, Ducks Unlimited, Bass Pro Shops, Smith and Wesson, North American Hunting Club and Limit Out Productions.

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Companies or organizations that would like to support National Hunting and Fishing Day are encouraged to contact Misty Mitchell, director of conservation programs at Wonders of Wildlife – nhfday@wondersofwildlife.org.

For more information about NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org.