Join the celebration of wildlife conservation during National Hunting and Fishing Day on Sept. 25

The public is invited to a free, family-oriented, fun-filled, hands-on outdoor celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day on Saturday morning, Sept. 25 in north Phoenix.

From 8 a.m. until noon, kids of all ages (that includes you too, mom and dad) will have a chance to:

• Shoot a bow and arrow;
• Shoot an air rifle;
• Learn to cast a fishing pole;
• Learn how to identify wild animals;
• See live wildlife up close;
• Learn about conservation;
• Win prizes and more.

“This event is a great way to experience many traditional outdoor activities that reconnect us with nature and the outdoors,” said Denise Raum, hunter recruitment and retention coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “In addition to the hands-on fun participants will have, they will learn about the important role that hunters, anglers, and shooters have played in wildlife conservation for more than 100 years.”

The event is hosted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department at its Ben Avery Shooting Facility, located just west of Interstate 17 on Carefree Highway. Access the festivities from Archery Drive (traffic light) and follow the signs to the FITA archery range.

Early conservationists, many of them avid hunters and anglers, saw the rapid decline of many species in the late 1800s due to unregulated market-hunting and commerce of wildlife. Through the efforts of leaders like President Theodore Roosevelt, Aldo Leopold, John Muir, and the establishment of sportsmen’s organizations, they helped lead the way in sustaining wildlife and wild places through legislation, including:

• The National Wildlife Refuge System (1903)
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918)
• The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp “Duck Stamp” (1934)
• The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (1937)
• The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (1950)

It is because of this rich history in the conservation movement that in 1971, Congress formalized the proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day as the forth Saturday every September.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general tax revenues to operate. Wildlife conservation and management in Arizona is primarily funded through a user-pay, user-benefit system. Hunters, anglers and sportsmen contribute funding through the direct sale of hunting and fishing licenses and matching funds appropriated by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, a federal excise tax that sportsmen pay on hunting, fishing and shooting equipment.

In 2009, the apportionment from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration fund to the Arizona Game and Fish Department was $16.6 million. Some examples of how those funds benefit Arizona include:

• Habitat restoration
• Wildlife and fisheries conservation/management
• Public shooting ranges
• Shooting education program
• Hunter education programs

For more 'Get Outside' activities for the entire family offered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, visit www.azgfd.gov/GetOutside.