By Staff Report
Alabama Political Report
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced that hunters and fishermen who participate in National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day) can win a vacation package. NHF Day Challenge participants are eligible for a NASCAR or Ultimate Outdoor experience
National Hunting and Fishing Day. NHF day is an annual celebration of hunters and anglers. Richard Childress, NASCAR legend and honorary chair for NHF Day, is asking hunters and anglers to participate in the new NHF Day Challenge by taking someone hunting, fishing or target shooting.
By pledging to introduce someone to the outdoors between now and NHF Day on Saturday, September 23, participants will be eligible to win a Richard Childress Racing VIP race weekend package or the Ultimate Outdoor Experience from Big Cedar Lodge and Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium.
Alabama Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship said that small game species provide an ideal introduction for new hunters. “Several opportunities are right around the corner including dove season in September with the season opener on Sept. 9 in the South Zone and Sept. 16 in the North Zone, and both squirrel and rabbit seasons open on Sept. 16.”
Blankenship added, “The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division also has 12 community archery parks and 12 shooting ranges that can be used year-round. All you need is either a hunting, fishing, management area or wildlife heritage license to use the ranges.”
Chairman Childress said, “If you are a sportsman, sportswoman or an angler, you can make a difference and support National Hunting and Fishing Day by becoming a mentor. Mentoring is critical to ensure our outdoor tradition lives on through future generations. Make the commitment to take someone outdoors and show them why you value hunting, fishing and target shooting.”
Childress said that millions of Americans spend time hunting and fishing. Hunting and fishing brings friends and family together and provides one of the most immersive outdoor experiences possible.
Childress said, “Today fewer people are connecting with nature through hunting and fishing. As outdoorsmen and women, we are one of the keys to reversing this trend. Help a friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker learn how to hunt, fish or shoot. Introducing someone to the joys of the outdoors not only enriches their life, it creates a future conservationist.”
Each new hunter and angler created helps fund conservation. Every time someone buys a firearm, ammunition, archery equipment or fishing tackle, they contribute to habitat conservation and science-based wildlife management through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program. The WSFR is the cornerstone of fish and wildlife conservation in North America because it brings funding from the sporting arms, archery and fishing industries and sportsmen and women back to state wildlife management agencies. These monies, in addition to hunting and fishing license fees, are critical for conserving fish and wildlife across our nation.
Those who pledge to take someone hunting, target shooting or fishing will be entered for a chance to win two amazing prize packages. The first grand prize is two HOT passes to a future NASCAR race, which includes pit and garage passes, garage and team hauler tours, and an opportunity to meet team owner Richard Childress. The second grand prize package is a trip to America’s Conservation Capital: Missouri’s Ozark Mountains. A passion of Bass Pro Shops founder and Ozarks native Johnny Morris, the destination spans multiple properties and thousands of unspoiled acres, making it the ultimate destination for anyone who loves the outdoors. The package includes a two-night stay in a log cabin at Big Cedar Lodge, America’s premier wilderness resort, and nature-based excursions including guided bass fishing on 43,000-acre Table Rock Lake; Adventure Passes for the Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail and Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum at Top of the Rock; shotgun sports at Bass Pro Shops’ Outdoor Shooting Academy; and passes to Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, the largest, most immersive wildlife attraction in the world, opening Sept, 21, 2017.
Alabama has enormous opportunities for hunting: deer, squirrel, rabbit, geese, turkey, hogs, quail, quail, coyotes, doves, raccoons, fox, alligator, and other species. Alabama has numerous lakes, rivers, and ponds for freshwater fishing and the coastal counties of Baldwin and Mobile provide numerous opportunities for saltwater fishing.
For more information go to: www.outdooralabama.com
