In 1777, Vermont became the first state to include the right to fish and hunt in its constitution. In November, Texas became the 19th overall and the 18th since 1996, as more than 80 percent of voters approved Proposition 6.
As we've become an increasingly urbanized society in recent years, sportsmen have recognized the need to protect their rights from an aggressive animal rights movement. Its members view the pastimes as "cruel" and ignore the immense importance of fishing and hunting for conservation, as well as its historic and cultural significance. That was made abundantly clear last fall, when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) faced a firestorm of criticism for its decision to address an exploding bear population with a managed hunt.
Here's what one enlightened anti-hunting activist told FWC: "The world watched the barbaric massacre of the majestic black bears and is disgusted. They should have a 'harvest' for hellbound rednecks."
And how about what happened to angler Ed Loughran last July, during the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on the James River? As he legally fished a tidal area, he was harassed, threatened and sprayed with a hose. In August, meanwhile, Elite Pro Mark Menendez was insulted and threatened on the St. Lawrence River.
With its considerable political clout, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been a leader in the movement to enshrine hunting and fishing as state constitutional rights. And the Texas victory, it said, "brings us one step closer to our goal of incorporating this critical protection across the country."
In addition to confirming those rights, the Texas amendment also designates fishing and hunting as the preferred methods for managing and controlling wildlife. And it specifies that this provision does not affect laws relating to trespass, property rights, or eminent domain.
Texas B.A.S.S. Nation Conservation Director Tim Cook said that bass anglers helped spread the word about the importance of this proposal in the weeks before the election.
"Other than social media, forums, and word of mouth, we didn't feel the need to do much else," he said. "I was told that the outdoor community was pretty confident it would pass.
"While we always have had this right," he added, "adding it to our state constitution may help prevent infringing on our rights in the future."
In Texas alone, almost three million annually fish and hunt, spending $4.1 billion, generating 65,000 jobs and contributing more than $415 million in tax revenue. Across the country, anglers generate more than $48 billion in retail sales each year, with a $115 billion impact on the nation's economy, creating employment for more than 828,000 people, according to the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Association Recreation.
Additionally, license fees paid by anglers and hunters are what finance state wildlife agencies, not general tax revenue. And that funding is bolstered by the federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, which collects excise taxes on fishing tackle and hunting gear and then redistributes the money to the states.
Anglers and hunters also contribute billions to private conservation programs. Protecting their rights provides for the continued existence of science-based fish and wildlife management and habitat programs that benefit all species, not just those pursued by sportsmen.