From our state's earliest settlers to today's outdoorsmen, hunting has always been an important part of Ohio's culture and traditions, bringing generations of family and friends together under a common bond, while fostering a lasting appreciation for local wildlife.
For years, hunting was a necessary part of survival. While this motivation is not the primary reason for most hunting today, the sport still plays an essential role in the culture of our communities, the health of our environment and the success of our economy.
According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio ranks 6th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 4th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting industry. Overall, the sport has a $1.5 billion economic impact on the state each year.
In addition, hunters are valuable contributors to local, state and national conservation efforts. The Division of Wildlife dedicated more than $26 million to fish and wildlife management last fiscal year using revenue from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.
The importance of hunting can also be measured by its impact on families and communities. The quality time outdoors shared between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and grandparents and grandchildren helps to strengthen the family bond, while providing an excellent opportunity to not only teach our young people how to be skilled hunters and responsible gun owners, but instills values and wisdom that will help them succeed later in life.
Unfortunately, the number of hunters in Ohio and across the country has been on the decline in recent years, which could impact our local and state economies, disrupt conservation efforts and jeopardize a valuable opportunity to mentor the younger generation.
With this in mind, I sponsored House Bill 296 during the 126th General Assembly, as a member of the Ohio House, which created an apprentice-hunting license program. The bill allows a person with an apprentice license to hunt before completing hunter education courses, as long as they are accompanied by a fully licensed mentor, 21 years or older. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, more than 8,000 young hunters took advantage of the apprentice-license program in its first year and hopefully these numbers will continue to grow in the years to come.
I would also like to mention that Ohio's popular deer-gun hunting season opens statewide on December 1st and runs through December 7th. The season will also include an extra weekend of gun hunting on December 20-21st. This year, the Division is teaming up with Farmer and Hunters Feeding the Hungry-a national ministry, which works to collect venison to feed hungry Americans-to encourage Ohio hunters to donate any extra venison to local food banks and other charitable organizations helping Ohioans in need. For more information, please visit www.fhfh.org.
Hunting continues to have a tremendous impact on our economy, the preservation of our environment and the strength of our families and local communities. I am confident that with ongoing efforts to recruit young people to the sport, Ohio and its hunters will enjoy these benefits for generations to come. For more information on hunting in Ohio, as well as other outdoor activities across the state, please visit the ODNR website at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/.
I encourage all residents of the 1st Senate District to contact me with any questions, thoughts or concerns, or if you need assistance working with a state government agency. You can write me, Senator Steve Buehrer, Ohio Senate, Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio, 43215, or contact me by phone at (614) 466-8150. In addition, I can be reached by email at SD01@mailr.sen.state.oh.us.
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