Dismayed by the lack of marksmanship shown by their troops, Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate formed the National Rifle Association in 1871. The primary goal of the association would be to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," according to a magazine editorial written by Church.
After being granted a charter by the state of New York on November 17, 1871, the NRA was founded. Civil War Gen. Ambrose Burnside, who was also the former governor of Rhode Island and a U.S. senator, became the fledgling NRA's first president.
An important facet of the NRA's creation was the development of a practice ground. In 1872, with financial help from New York State, a site on Long Island, the Creed Farm, was purchased for the purpose of building a rifle range. Named Creedmoor, the range opened a year later, and it was there that the first annual matches were held.
Political opposition to the promotion of marksmanship in New York forced the NRA to find a new home for its range. In 1892, Creedmoor was deeded back to the state and NRA's matches moved to Sea Girt, New Jersey.
The NRA's interest in promoting the shooting sports among America's youth began in 1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones urged the establishment of rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities and military academies. By 1906, NRA's youth program was in full swing with more than 200 boys competing in matches at Sea Girt that summer. Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and others.
Due to the overwhelming growth of NRA's shooting programs, a new range was needed. Gen. Ammon B. Crichfield, adjutant general of Ohio, had begun construction of a new shooting facility on the shores of Lake Erie, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio. Camp Perry became the home of the annual National Matches, which have been the benchmark for excellence in marksmanship ever since. With nearly 6,000 people competing annually in pistol, smallbore and high-power events, the National Matches are one of the biggest sporting events held in the country today.
Through the association's magazine, The American Rifleman, members were kept abreast of new firearms bills, although the lag time in publishing often prevented the necessary information from going out quickly. In response to repeated attacks on the Second Amendment rights, NRA formed the Legislative Affairs Division in 1934. While NRA did not lobby directly at this time, it did mail out legislative facts and analyses to members, whereby they could take action on their own. In 1975, recognizing the critical need for political defense of the Second Amendment, NRA formed the Institute for Legislative Action, or ILA.
Meanwhile, the NRA continued its commitment to training, education and marksmanship. During World War II, the association offered its ranges to the government, developed training materials, encouraged members to serve as plant and home guard members, and developed training materials for industrial security. NRA members even reloaded ammunition for those guarding war plants. Incidentally, the NRA's call to help arm Britain in 1940 resulted in the collection of more than 7,000 firearms for Britain's defense against potential invasion by Germany (Britain had virtually disarmed itself with a series of gun-control laws enacted between World War I and World War II).
After the war, the NRA concentrated its efforts on another much-needed arena for education and training: the hunting community. In 1949, the NRA, in conjunction with the state of New York, established the first hunter education program. Hunter Education courses are now taught by state fish and game departments across the country and Canada and have helped make hunting one of the safest sports in existence. Due to increasing interest in hunting, NRA launched a new magazine in 1973, The American Hunter, dedicated solely to hunting issues year-round. NRA continues its leadership role in hunting today with the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), a program that allows youngsters to build on the skills they learned in basic hunter education courses. YHECs are now held in 43 states and three Canadian provinces, involving an estimated 40,000 young hunters.
The American Hunter and The American Rifleman were the mainstays of NRA publications until the debut of The American Guardian in 1997. The Guardian was created to cater to a more mainstream audience, with less emphasis on the technicalities of firearms and a more general focus on self-defense and recreational use of firearms. The Guardian was renamed America's 1st Freedom in June of 2000.
Law enforcement training was next on the priority list for program development. Although a special police school had been reinstated at Camp Perry in 1956, NRA became the only national trainer of law enforcement officers with the introduction of its NRA Police Firearms Instructor certification program in 1960. Today, there are more than 13,000 NRA-certified police and security firearms instructors. Additionally, top law enforcement shooters compete each year in eight different pistol and shotgun matches at the National Police Shooting Championships held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In civilian training, the NRA continues to be the leader in firearms education. Over 125,000 certified instructors now train about 1,000,000 gun owners a year. Courses are available in basic rifle, pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading firearms, personal protection, even ammunition reloading. Additionally, nearly 7,000 certified coaches are specially trained to work with young competitive shooters. Since the establishment of the lifesaving Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program in 1988, more than 28 million pre-kindergarten to fourth grade children have learned that if they see a firearm in an unsupervised situation, they should "STOP. DON'T TOUCH. RUN AWAY. TELL A GROWNUP." Over the past seven years, Refuse To Be A Victim® seminars have helped more than 100,000 men and women develop their own personal safety plan using common sense strategies.
In 1990, NRA made a dramatic move to ensure that the financial support for firearms-related activities would be available now and for future generations. Establishing the NRA Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization, provided a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible and benefit a variety of American constituencies including youth, women, hunters, competitive shooters, gun collectors, law enforcement agents and persons with physical disabilities.
While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly five million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs. As former Clinton spokesman George Stephanopoulos said, "Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call their congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time."
Events across the West featuring products, services and destinations of 300 to 600 exhibiting companies. Hands-on activities, Youth Fairs, hundreds of seminars at multiple theaters, contests for beginner to expert. These events are the ideal opportunity to discover your life outdoors.
LET US MAKE YOUR NEXT DREAM HUNT A REALITY!
Tucked into the Heart of Texas Hill Country, the over 2000 acre 303 Ranch has been family owned and operated since 2010. Our ranch in beautiful Rochelle, Texas provides a variety of terrain, from rocky rolling hills to cedar thickets and wide-open plains. In addition to our on-site food plots, we also feature an abundance of stock tanks, creeks, and streams that run through the ranch.
When you hunt with 303Ranch, you will have your own expert hunting guide available and travel in comfort with one of our several all-terrain vehicles. You’ll also have access to any of our well-maintained hunting stands and blinds. For bow hunters we have several bow blinds positioned throughout the ranch. After you harvest your trophy, we can field dress, cape and score it for you.
Complimentary with All of Our Hunts
- 100% Opportunity
- All Inclusive Hunt (no hidden fees)
- Access to all of our species
- Lodging – 3 days and 2 nights
- Big Texan Meals, snacks, etc.
- Beverages including beer and wine
- Bass fishing
- Personal 1 on 1 guide
- Field dressing
- Cold storage
- First class processing available
- Caping for Taxidermy $50 Per Head Large Animals and $25 Small Animals
Support Alabama's wildlife by purchasing a hunting, fishing or heritage license. License revenues are matched with federal funds to improve natural resources.
To learn more, visit www.outdooralabama.com.
Offering quality, high performance knives, combo sets, home processing kits, hunting accessories and instructional game processing DVD’s to hunters and outdoor enthusiasts for 25 years. All Outdoor Edge knives are guaranteed shaving sharp out of the box, deliver excellent value and are backed with a reliable warranty and customer service. If for any reason an Outdoor Edge product does not perform as inspected, let us know and we will address the problem.
David Bloch, President, Outdoor Edge Cutlery Corp.
FishUSA is your one-stop, online fishing tackle shop with a wide selection of products for fly fishing, ice fishing, salmon and steelhead, trout, walleye and panfish. We offer fast, flat-rate shipping on a variety of popular and unique products
The mission of Colorado Parks and Wildlife is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources.
We custom build to your specifications. We've made food trailers, flat bed trailers, ATV trailers, camping trailers, and dump trailers. We can also modify any trailer to your specifications. If you can dream it, we can build it!
The AGFC's mission is to conserve and enhance Arkansas’s fish and wildlife and their habitats while promoting sustainable use, public understanding and support.
Locally owned and operated custom rod shop, We repair rods and reels as well, David has been building and repairing rods for over thirty years.
Experience The Hunt with Clear Creek T.V., Outdoor TV show on Carbon TV, marketing for all products! Fully Guided Hunts With Clear Creek Hunting!
Clear Creek TV is a hunting adventure show on Carbon TV. We provide sponsorships, and product marketing. Clear Creek Hunting provides fully guided big game hunts all on private land. Mule Deer, Bull/Cow Elk, and Antelope hunts.
Kevin finally landed on a design that resembled the type of beer packaging he wanted to replicate — a keg. The keg-style growler took off and people were amazed at how perfect it was for replacing traditional glass growlers, bottles and cans.
ManCan is a one gallon, stainless-steel keg style growler that is single wall insulated, not double wall insulated, for a reason.
History and tradition. There is history attached to every Browning product. Even the newest most innovative products. That's because when you take a close look at Browning guns and gear you can see the commitment to innovation started by John Moses Browning himself, over 125 years ago. But not every Browning product is the latest "innovation." Some are tried and true. Yet they exhibit the Browning commitment to excellence embodied in our slogan The Best There Is. JOHN MOSES BROWNING HISTORY.
Dinkwe Safari's specialize in Hunting and Photographic Safari's for International Hunters, with concessions in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
Blue Horizon Costa Rica is offering fishing in Quepos, Costa Rica at a very affordable price. Call us and book your amazing fishing trip today.
Joe Butler still hosts trips to some of the best big fish waters on the planet! Be sure to check availability on Joe's latest Fly Fishing Trips.
Trips include:
Great Lakes areas: Lake Ontario tributaries, Lake Erie, and Lake Michigan.
Fall trips:
Grey Reef of the North Platte River, Wyoming
Big Horn River
Laramie Lakes, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming – lakes, and rivers
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) manages California's diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend.
4 Dot Outfitters Licensed Montana Outfitter: Owners Luke & Kristin Novich
Luke Novich has been a Montana licensed hunting guide since 1999 and started outfitting in 2014. He is a third-generation resident of the Twin Bridges area and operates a ranch along with his family. He has always loved hunting and helping others be successful with their hunt. Luke’s knowledge of the country, elk and horses will offer you an enjoyable, safe and memorable hunt.
The name 4 Dot has history and sentimental meaning. This is a livestock brand that has been in Kristin’s family since the late 1800’s and was one of the first brands registered in Montana. Her grandpa outfitted in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and would be very proud to know the tradition is being passed along.
Our goal is to guide you through the beautiful Ruby Mountains in South West Montana to a hunting experience you will not forget… a trip we hope you will tell your family and friends about, and come back often.
Wholehog Productions PTY LTD.
With Brendan Recently having left Life's a Boar the timing was perfect and they decided
to combine talents and resources and as they said at the time, "go the Wholehog".
That first DVD, "Goin' the Wholehog" set the wheels in motion and ideas were bounced around
that would shake up the hunting DVD market for the better.
"Make them good, make them easy to get, make them affordable."
3 years on and that remains our focus.
"Make them good, make them easy to get, make them affordable."
We hope you continue to enjoy them.
Who we are..
Director, Editor, one time camera man.
Raised in a city in New Zealand, Brendan sort out any wide open spaces he could and set about trapping, catching and chasing anything he could.Tagging along for deer and pig hunts when he was old enough, Brendan found and nurtured his passion for hunting and the great outdoors.
These days he's mostly in the big bad indoors, editing, but occasionally he breaks free to do some filming.
Ox Ranch is in the early stages of creating the finest hunting ranch the world has ever seen. I consider Ox Ranch the ultimate adult playground in which city folk can escape to hunt over 30 species of exotics, blow cars up, explore caverns, shoot machines guns, off road, jet ski, and or any other activity their heart may desire. (tank with firing turret coming soon)
We guarantee a 100% success rate! In fact it is impossible to visit the ranch without seeing hundreds if not thousands of trophy exotics and native wildlife. The majority of ranches are in business to make a quick buck. Unlike most our goal is animal and land preservation with any and all profits being donated back to charity.
At Kistler Custom Fishing Rods, we strive to build the highest quality Custom Fishing Rods on the market.Kistler Custom Fishing Rods is committed to making the best fishing rods in the world with great American craftsmanship, So when our satisfied customers and pro staff share their positive experiences they have with our fishing rods, it makes our hard work worth it. Our rods are field tested by some of the greatest Pro Anglers in the world as well as being put through their paces by our dedicated fans who fish with our rods day in and day out. A Fishing Rod is only as good as the design, materials, and craftsmanship that go into it, and that is where Kistler Custom Fishing Rods shines. If you've never fished with a Kistler, you have to try it to find out that... Fishing Never Felt So Good!
Castlerock Outdoors will assist in marketing, advertising, plus a plethora of other outlets for outdoor companies.We are a marketing company that helps connect businesses with consumers and grow their brands!
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is a state government agency constitutionally mandated to protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of Alaska through the sustained yield principle.
ADF&G manages approximately 750 active fisheries, 26 game management units, and 31 special areas, and our operating budget is approximately $200 million annually.
Jende Industries is a leader in specialty knife sharpening supplies, including the JIGS knife sharpener, custom stones, films, strops, and stropping compounds. We are makers of stones for sharpening systems such as the Jende JIGS for Knives, Edge Pro, Hapstone, KME Sharpener, Tsprof, and Wicked Edge. Bench size strops and films also available. If you need sharp, we have what you want.
Polar Bird has been testing and developing its premium equipment for years in the harsh conditions of Siberia where Polar Bird has revolutionized ice-fishing. We are making the leap across the pond and are now making our premium equipment available to US customers for the first time.
Developed and tested in the strong winds and freezing temperatures of Siberia: Professional anglers from around the world contributed to the final form of this state of the art model. Named “The best choice for ice fishing”: Polar Bird’s premium ice-shelters are made from the highest quality materials and every aspect of the design is aimed at providing a warm, dry, comfortable, sturdy, and easy to use shelter. The Polar Bird “Thermal” or “T Series” ice-shelters provide the function and convenience of a portable style ice-shelter with the warmth and comfort of a permanent style fish house.
Hunt'n Buddy was created with the hunter in mind.
Our team have spent countless hours reviewing and critiquing our own personal hunts, along with the experiences of others.
This led us to the creation of the Hunt'n Buddy App,
Where technology and simplicity mend together for a seamless transition.
Our goal is to increase your success in the field, while making the user experience a simple and easy one.
We have geared this App to be used by hunters of all levels of technological abilities, from the super tech savvy hunter, to the daily smartphone user.
The user friendly capabilities of this app allow you to customize use to your personal skill level. Enable as many or as few of the App functions to your liking.
May all your hunts be safe and guided with Hunt'n Buddy in hand.
God Bless America
The idea is simple. First is to design & develop products that solve basic problems with simple design, and second to play a small role in promoting life in the outdoors. Nature is the great equalizer regardless of who you are. This equalizer gives people an opportunity to realize their true nature as human beings. The concept that we are all connected on some level is at the core of Tribe One. In essence, that we are all part of one tribe.
Providing a concierge service for fishing, sunset cruises, snorkeling, time share resort rentals, villa rentals, restaurant recommendation + transportation
ReelFlyRod.com is an Authorized Dealer for the finest fly fishing manufacturers in the world including: Sage, R.L. Winston, Simms, Ross Reels, Waterworks-Lamson, Redington, Fishpond, Umpqua, Islander, RIO, Scientific Anglers and more! We also offer Professional Guiding Services on the southern Ohio river systems. All the equipment we sell is NEW, factory-built gear with the manufacturer warranty cards. Thank you for supporting your locally-owned, independent fly shops!
We are a family owned Orvis endorsed fly fishing guide service and shop. Our two locations, in Philipsburg and Missoula Montana, provide exceptional guiding, information, and gear for fly fishers world wide.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is the state agency charged with conserving the entire range of wildlife within our borders, from big game such as elk and deer to smaller mammals, reptiles and fish. The Department is one of the nation’s leading proponents of the “North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” which relies on sound science, public participation, active habitat management, strict regulation and active law enforcement to sustain wildlife populations.
My name is Todd Hunt. I've been hand crafting knives for16 years in Seymour, Indiana. I have a full time job and do this on the side as time allows to help support my family when the economy rears up and kicks us. The internet is the next big step for my little business and if you like what you see, let me know.The only way this can be successful is for you to try out my blades
SportEAR Leads the Sporting Good Industry in Providing the Ultimate Hearing Performance & Protection Experience for Avid Outdoorsmen & Women.
Gunnison Gorge 3 day wilderness trips for custom trips focusing on unique themes of fly fishing, photography or exclusive trips for just your group. Trips limited to 8 plus our guides in one of Colorado's most spectacular river canyons.
Unique Outdoor Products are an online sporting goods store committed to meeting all of your outdoor sporting needs. Unique Outdoor Products have everything from duck calls to camo lingerie. Come check out our camo birthday party supplies!
KUIU's design and manufacturing philosophy is simple: make the best possible products using the best possible materials and manufacturing facilities, design for actual needs and problems and not for the sake of design itself, continue research and refinement, and offer absolute customer satisfaction. We're small and focused and we love what we're doing.
Cashion Blanks are constructed of high grade carbon fiber and manufactured by a uni-directional process, which ensures the carbon fiber runs perfectly straight from the butt to the tip. The uni-direction carbon fiber does not wrap or twist as it travels the blank, ensuring the carbon fiber is aligned at 0° without rotation. The uni-direction process ensures Cashion Blanks are extremely strong because the rod will not twist under load. Plus, vibrations have a straight path down the blank to your finger tips providing astonishing sensitivity.
Silver King Lodge is a King Salmon fishing lodge on Vancouver Island BC Canada providing Salmon, Halibut, Lingcod and Rock Cod full packages and Charters
Acute Angling delivers the very best fishing the Amazon has to offer and provides you with a fishing trip of a lifetime. There is no source of Amazon sportfishing expertise greater than that offered by Acute Angling. http://www.acuteangling.com
Big Ed's has been in summit since 2004. We cater to the novice and avid angler alike in Breckenridge Colorado. Ice fishing, fly fishing and charter.
HUNTING WORLDWIDE MAGAZINE
Come and hunt with us: Our new program starts with Africa. Mias Steyn is our PH on the dark continent. Learn more about the wildlife, the hunting areas, the culture and the food. So – stay on our tracks!
Hagen Hunting is bringing a strong, athletic and feminine presence to the Hunting community. Guys, you're welcome to stay in the game, but look out 'cause us girls are coming in hot!
Hunting Magazine (HuntingMagazine.net) - Written by Hunter's, for Hunter's. Every hunter has a great story, how-to article, or photo to share. Share it with us!
