You know what else I am excited about? Hunting season. Yes, I know, some people are not, and that’s OK, but I am. Every year, around this time, I start getting excited to spend time outside, hoping to harvest some animals that will fill the freezer for me and my family. Hunting is not only about harvesting food, but also about connecting me with nature. As my dad says, “Look to nature for your answers,” so it’s important for me to set aside time to go outside, sit down, look around, think, reflect and be ready.

I spent over $100 the other day on hunting supplies. I don’t like to spend money on anything, so when I spend money, I need to reassure myself that: 1. I need the item I’m spending hard-earned money to purchase, and 2. My money is going to the right place. Sometimes I break these self-imposed rules on spending money, but in general, I try to follow these principles. I am very comfortable spending money on hunting supplies because I know a portion of the sales is going to support wildlife conservation.

I am not filling you with a bunch of bologna with that last sentence in the paragraph above.

The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, a federal law passed in 1937, established a reliable, user-pay funding model for wildlife conservation in the United States. This law levies an excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery gear. Revenues collected are returned to state agencies such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for wildlife habitat management, research, access improvements, public shooting ranges and hunter education programs. So, money spent by sportsmen and sportswomen in New York state and across the United States is a direct action to support conservation financially, putting money where our hearts are — managing wildlife and wildlife habitat.

In New York state, the Department of Environmental Conservation administers the funds through grants that typically reimburse 75% of project costs, with the state providing the remaining 25%. The DEC uses this funding to manage Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), such as enhancing habitat, acquiring land, producing research and conducting hunter-education initiatives.

For example, In the Finger Lakes region of New York, Pittman-Robertson funds support many WMAs, such as the Cayuga Shores WMA (formerly Bell Station Preserve) and the Owasco Flats WMA.

The Cayuga Shores WMA is permanently protected, and this 287-acre area includes over 3,500 feet of undeveloped shoreline on Cayuga Lake. The DEC manages the Cayuga Shores WMA using Pittman-Robertson funds, applying techniques such as selective forest cutting to maintain diverse habitat and offer improved public access, according to the DEC website. The Owasco Flats WMA covers about 54 acres north of Moravia, enhances water quality and habitat, and offers wildlife-dependent recreation like hunting and fishing. According to the DEC website, “funding to maintain and manage this site is provided by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration or Pittman-Robertson Act, which is acquired through excise taxes on sporting arms, ammunition and archery equipment.”

According to outdoornews.com, New York state received over $22 million in 2025 from proceeds of Pittman-Robertson Act-generated dollars.

The money states receive depends, in large part, on the number of hunting licenses sold in each particular state. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the federal agency that also oversees the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge) distributes Pittman-Robertson funds to states by formula. Money collected from manufacturers of various hunting supplies goes into the wildlife restoration account, and states such as New York receive annual shares largely based on their land area and the number (and cost) of paid hunting licenses sold.

So, every hunting license that is sold in New York state matters for wildlife management in New York state. The more hunting licenses sold directly impacts how much money can be spent in our state. It’s a novel idea, in my humble opinion.

I have cause for concern. Fewer and fewer people are buying hunting licenses and therefore impacting how much money New York state gets from the Pittman-Robertson funding. According to the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, a public policy think tank founded in 1981 that conducts cutting-edge research and analysis to inform lasting solutions to the problems facing New York state and the nation, there are two countervailing trends that are shaping Pittman-Robertson funding in New York. First, the number of hunters — and thus paid hunting licenses — has declined over decades, which can reduce New York’s share of the national apportionment tied to license sales. Second, firearm and ammunition purchases surged in recent years, driving record or near-record national Pittman-Robertson apportionments even as hunter numbers remain lower than historic peaks. Both of these forces influence the timing and scale of wildlife projects the DEC can pursue.

It makes a big difference when people purchase hunting licenses. If you or a family member or friend once purchased hunting licenses in New York and have since decided not to, for any reason, I would encourage you to revisit the importance of purchasing a hunting license.

Then, when you have your hunting license, take some time to go into the woods, to sit down, look around, think, reflect and be ready. Because if the high school sports are not competing in your local community for you to watch, then maybe you should spend some time in nature.