| DATE: | May 4, 2020 |
| TO: | USF & NRA Members and Friends |
| FROM: | Marion P. Hammer |
| USF Executive Director | |
| NRA Past President |
By Andrew Hay
Reuters
May 3, 2020
TAOS, N.M. (Reuters) – David Elliot first thought of shooting an elk to help feed family and friends back in January when the United States reported its first novel coronavirus case.
Elliot, emergency manager at Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, had always wanted to go big-game hunting and, with the pandemic spreading, there seemed no better time to try to fill his freezer with free-range, super-lean meat.
So for the first time in his life, despite not owning a rifle or ever having hunted large animals, he put his name in for New Mexico’s annual elk permit draw.
With some U.S. meat processors halting operations as workers fall ill, companies warning of shortages, and people having more time on their hands and possibly less money due to shutdowns and layoffs, he is among a growing number of Americans turning to hunting for food, according to state data and hunting groups… READ MORE
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Game and fish agencies across the U.S. have seen an increase in hunting licenses.
By PAUL SACCA
The Blaze
May 3, 2020
As the coronavirus pandemic causes increased risks of the U.S. food supply to breaking down and fears of meat shortages rising, more Americans are turning to hunting to provide their own source of food.
Game and fish agencies across the nation have seen increased interest in hunting licenses. In Vermont, resident fishing license sales are up by more than 50% over this time last year, according to VTDigger.
The turkey hunting season starts this Friday, and turkey hunting licenses are already up 26%. Hunting and fishing license sales have increased by almost a quarter, which is a reversal of recent years that saw a decline in hunting licenses in every county in Vermont. The U.S. saw a 255,000 drop in the number of hunters between 2016 and 2020, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service license data…
READ MORE.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/more-americans-hunting-coronavirus-pandemic
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By Hank Forester, Quality Deer Management Association
One News Page
May 3, 2020
Faced with growing meat shortages thanks to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are turning to Mother Nature for food.
The National Rifle Association has lobbied state governors to keep state lands open to allow people to hunt for food.
Firearm manufacturers have reported sales increases, and the FBI carried out a record 3.74 million background checks in March.
According to Reuters, game and fish agencies across the nation have reported an increase in either hunting license sales, permit applications, or both.
Wildlife experts expect a resurgence in hunting after grocery store meat shelves emptied for the first time during March and April.
People are starting to consider self-reliance and where their food comes from.
We’re all born hunters…READ MORE.