ARTICLES

From Field to Fork

Do you have a desire to learn how to source your own protein?

Have you always wanted to learn more about hunting but weren’t sure who to ask?

Would you like to introduce others to the many benefits of hunting while also helping to ensure the future of hunting?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, or if you are just curious about the Field to Fork program, then we invite to you learn more about the program and how you can get involved! For more information on Field to Fork, or if you are interested in replicating or participating, email Hank Forester.

QDMA’s Field to Fork is a food-focused hunter recruitment program for adults from non-hunting backgrounds piloted in Athens, Georgia in 2016 by QDMA Hunting Heritage Programs Manager Hank Forester and Charles S. Evans, the Georgia R3 Coordinator with the Georgia Wildlife Federation. Hinging on a unique approach involving recruitment at a local farmer’s market, visitors were asked if they wanted to sample from a spread of venison sausage, grilled backstrap or venison jerky, and they were provided with a handout titled “Why Should You Hunt Deer?” They were then offered the chance to participate in a season-long mentored hunting program that would teach them how to hunt and acquire a wild, healthy, local, sustainable source of food on their own.

Learn more about Field to fork here:

Can a Piece of Grilled Backstrap Save Hunting?

H U N T I N G

Mentoring New Deer Hunters in Under-Represented Communities

According to a national survey that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts every five years, of the approximately 11.5 million licensed hunters in the U.S., 90% are male and 97% are Caucasian. There is a growing movement within the outdoor industry to provide equitable access to underrepresented communities and diversify hunting, so it more closely represents American demographics today. Motivated by these disproportions, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), New York Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Hunters of Color, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the National Deer Association (NDA) came together to host a “Field to Fork” mentored hunting event for aspiring hunters from the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community in November 2021. The event was hosted on TNC’s Hannacroix Preserve, roughly 30 minutes outside Albany. Participants ranged in age from 34 to 62 and were given the opportunity to go through New York Hunter Education, learn about deer biology and behavior through NDA’s Deer Hunting 101 online course, gain experience shooting, go on multiple hunts with an experienced mentor by their side, and enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie found in many New York deer camps each fall under a safe and welcoming environment. This video is a documentary of that hunt.

https://youtu.be/mj7QZAQhb8o

“Our ultimate goal is that [Field to Fork hunt participants] self-identify as a hunter, to say ‘I am a hunter, this is something can do and I’m gonna do it’,” said Hank Forester, NDA Director of Hunting. “But what creates that is the community, camaraderie and the social support that pushes them along in their journey as a hunter.” Plans are underway for more events that will help lower barriers to women and minorities and increase deer hunting participation through representation. Financial support for this video was provided by the NSSF^® Hunting Heritage Trust Grant Program — A first-of-its-kind grant program that works directly to support NSSF’s mission of promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports. It is designed to distribute funds to organizations that focus on innovative ways to reach traditional as well as nontraditional audiences by improving access to and participation in hunting. Organizations welcoming those who want to get involved in the shooting sports are critical to the future of these pastimes. So far the grant program has distributed $300,000 in funding to 17+ outdoor organizations funding recruitment, retention and reactivation programs just like this "field to fork" hunting event. Join the +ONE Movement NSSF encourages all current hunters to take the +ONE Pledge. Reach out to someone new—someone outside your circle of friends and family who hunt—and teach them what you know about hunting, conservation and the deeply meaningful ability to put food on the dinner table that you harvested yourself. Talk with your local game wardens and state game agency professionals or reach out to NDA’s Field to Fork program and others like it and let them know you’d like to serve as a mentor. There are thousands of people out there who want to hunt for their own food and don’t know where to turn to get started. With +ONE and programs like Field to Fork, you’re the solution to that problem. You may also be interested in: https://www.letsgohunting.org/articles/adults-learn-to-hunt-with-the-field-to-fork-program/

How Excise Taxes support Fish Restoration, Conservation and More

NSSF has announced an initiative designed to strengthen ties between all excise tax-paying manufacturers—firearms and ammunition, archery equipment, marine and sportfishing equipment—and the state agencies that use these funds to conserve wildlife and habitats through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This new web resource and video series will highlight industry contributions to this partnership. To help everyone get a better understanding of where these excise tax dollars are used and how they benefit all. The Fifth video highlights the success of the Sport Fish Restoration Act in South Carolina. In this video industry and conservation representatives speak to the irreplaceable industry-paid excise taxes that yield science-based fisheries management and increased angler-boater access.

https://youtu.be/6lHopTG4Gu0

Enacted in 1950, the Sport Fish Restoration Act (also known as the Dingell-Johnson Act), collects a 10-percent tax on select fishing tackle from manufacturers and a percentage of tax on motorboat fuels. The money is apportioned to the state fish and wildlife management agencies under the auspices of WSFR for the benefit of fisheries conservation and restoration, aquatic education, and boating and fishing access. Paul Wilkes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region Regional Manager for the WSFR program, said the 72-year-old partnership between the tackle industry and state fish and wildlife management agencies has been transformational for fisheries management—and, in short, made fishing better. Glenn Hughes, President of the ASA, describes opportunities for anglers that would not be possible without these critically important funds. Among other purposes, these funds pay for the maintenance of over 6,000 boating access sites to lakes, rivers, ponds and streams across the country, as well as the stocking of 1.3 billion fish each year of over 70 species of fish. The Partner with a Payer initiative was developed to help generations of employees in the firearm, archery and angling industries, state agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to better understand their, and each other’s, roles in conservation. More info and resources at https://www.nssf.org/partner-with-payer/ See other Partner with a Payer Videos: https://www.letsgohunting.org/articles/how-do-excise-taxes-benefit-hunter-education-clark-county-shooting-complex/ https://www.letsgoshooting.org/articles/how-excise-taxes-benefit-shooting-ranges-ben-avery-shooting-facility/

New Everyday Carry Knives Coming to Stores in 2022

By Christopher Cogley

In 2022, knife manufacturers continue to focus on everyday carry.

The name of the game continues to be the everyday carry options that have become a necessity for everyone — from corporate executives and law enforcement to hunting guides and stay-at-home dads. Knife manufacturers continue to raise the bar on the quality of their EDC offerings by developing innovative new locking and release mechanisms, launching new designs that blur the lines between function and fashion, and improving standards of quality at prices that more people can afford. It’s definitely a good time to be in the market for an EDC.

Bear & Son Cutlery

Bear & Son will be featuring a pair of Carbon Farmhand folders at this year’s SHOT Show. Available in a 3.625- and a 4.625-inch sizes, the Carbon Farmhand folders are designed in the simplistic, Alabama-made style for which Bear & Son is famous. The knives have yellow aluminum handles and 1095 carbon blades. The Carbon Farmhand folders are available in either lockback or slip-joint versions, both of which feature an ambidextrous pocket clip.

Benchmade

Benchmade is releasing a new out-of-the-front automatic knife designed to deliver all the reliability that law enforcement and tactical operators demand, but with a price tag that even the tightest department budgets can handle. The 5370FE Shootout has a 3.5- inch CPM-CruWear tanto-style blade that is spine-fired out the front. The Shootout features a textured CF-Elite carbon-fiber-filled nylon handle complete with a carbide glass breaker and a reversible deep-carry pocket clip. MSRP: $300.

Buck

Buck is releasing new Sport versions of two of its most popular folders. Designed to be lighter weight, EDC versions of the classic 110 Hunter and 112 Ranger, the 110 Hunter Sport and 112 Ranger Sport both feature anodized aluminum handles with OD green canvas Micarta scales and a newly designed deep-carry pocket clip. The clip-point blades on both knives are made from S30V stainless steel and include dual thumb studs. The 110 Hunter Sport has a 3.75-inch blade, weighs 4.6 ounces and carries a $170 price tag while the 112 Ranger Sport has a 3-inch blade, weighs 3.9 ounces and has an MSRP of $160.

Browning

This year Browning is paying homage to its hunting roots with the launch of the Guide Series folder. Created by Wes Hibben, whose father, Gil, designed the first hunting knives to appear in Browning’s catalog in 1969, the Guide Series folder has a traditional style with a 3.375-inch Sandvik 14V28N blade and a Micarta laminate handle. MSRP: $150.

Columbia River Knife & Tool

Columbia River Knife & Tool is launching three new updated versions of its classic M16 knife. All three of the folders in the M16 Deadbolt series feature CRKT’s Deadbolt locking mechanism combined with the Assisted Opening technology and the IKBS ball-bearing pivot system. The 02DB is a compact flipper with a 3.12-inch tanto blade, the 03DB has a 3.58-inch spear-point blade and the 04DB has a 3.89-inch tanto blade. All three knives feature D2 steel and the stylish aluminum handles that have become a trademark of the M16. MSRP: $150-$200.

Ontario Knife Company

OKC is launching a new addition to its classic Old Hickory line. The new compact Old Hickory Machete is crafted in the tradition of the Old Hickory line with a classic American walnut handle accented with brass cutler rivets. The 9-inch 1075 carbon-steel blade has a phosphate coating designed to hold a fine edge. The Old Hickory Machete has an overall length of 15.6 inches and comes with a classic leather sheath.

Outdoor Edge

Outdoor Edge is featuring its new 3.5-inch RazorWork at this year’s SHOT Show. Designed to have 3.5 times the cutting edge of a standard utility knife, the RazorWork was created to handle a wide range of tasks in a variety of locations, from professional job sites to remote outdoor camps. The RazorWork accepts both 3.5- inch utility blades and 3.5-inch drop-point blades. The blades are made from Japanese 420J2 stainless steel and the handle is a glass/ nylon composite and features Outdoor Edge’s Peak Performance grip. MSRP: $34.95.

Spyderco

As part of its Reveal Eight release, Spyderco is launching the Thin Red Line collection of folders that pay homage to the courage of firefighters around the world. The collection features four of Spyderco’s most iconic knives — the Delica 4, Endela, Endura 4 and Rescue 3 — which were designed specifically to meet the needs of first responders. The blades all feature VG-10 stainless-steel blades and have black fiberglass-reinforced nylon handles with a special Red Line insert to remind users of the selfless service of firefighters and other first responders. MSRP: $130-$155. Spyderco will donate a portion of all sales to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

SOG

In 2022, SOG is continuing its commitment to provide knives for a wider variety of users. Among the new offerings is the Altair line, which is designed specifically to meet the needs of outdoor enthusiasts. Created to be lightweight, compact and versatile, the Altair line includes both a folder and fixed-blade option. Featuring CRYO CPM 154 blades and GRN handles, the Altair knives have a simple, minimalistic design that naturally lend themselves to the kind of functional versatility that campers, backpackers and climbers demand. MSRP: $139-$167.

W.R. Case

This year, Case is making a new statement with its Everyday Carry collection. The Marilla and Kinzua both feature S35VN stainless-steel blades and anodized aluminum handles, which are available in black, red or blue. The Marilla (MSRP: $165) has a drop-point blade; the Kinzua (MSRP: $140) has a tanto blade. See more content like this in the 2022 SHOT Show Day 3 SHOT Daily

Check out some of the hottest products from the 2022 SHOT Show https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLecWOcK1HLTzGEhgEOcaHyelAHIvfysIY