How State Legislation Shapes Your Hunting, Access, and Conservation Future (Ep 744)

Learn how state-level decisions directly impact your seasons, access, opportunity, and conservation funding.

Host Dr. Mike Brasher sits down with Kaleigh Leager of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and Swanny Evans of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever—two policy professionals working daily inside state capitols to protect hunting, fishing, trapping, and shooting traditions.

Most hunters understand federal policy like the Duck Stamp or the Farm Bill. But far more decisions—from Sunday hunting to conservation funding and public‑land access—are made in state legislatures. This episode explains how the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses works, why states are “laboratories of democracy,” and how small bills can create big downstream impacts on opportunity.

In this episode:

• What the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and NASC network do
• How state bills—good and bad—spread across the country
• Why Sunday hunting reforms matter for access and R3
• Conservation funding: how license structures and federal match dollars really work
• Why discounted or free licenses can unintentionally hurt state wildlife agencies
• The case for resident‑rate licenses for nonresident college students
• How DU, PF/QF, and partners collaborate to stop harmful bills and advance positive ones

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

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Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

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