The SSAA has declared 2013 to be the Year of the Hunter and plans to promote hunting to the general public as well as its members.
Eighty percent of the organisation’s 150,000 members are hunters, and many of them will feature in promotions to be run by the SSAA.
Hunting members may also benefit directly by a new scheme called SSAA Farmer Assist which aims to open up venues on which they can hunt.
“Hunters should be celebrated for the work they are doing on a daily basis for our country and this is what the SSAA’s Year of the Hunter is all about,” SSAA special projects officer Matthew Godson said.
“Initiatives aimed at both our membership and the public will include a series of hunting posters, competitions and press statements engaging the media in the benefits of hunting for the health of our land and as a legitimate recreational activity,” SSAA national spokesman Tim Bannister said.
Research and data drawn the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Queensland University’s recent nationwide survey of hunters, and experience gained from previous activities will form a major part of the SSAA’s Year of the Hunter program.
“We’re aiming to educate the general public that hunters serve a very real purpose and play a very important role in wildlife management and protecting the environment,” Mr Godson said.
“Independent resources … will add credibility to our message and bring the facts to the fore,” SSAA president Bob Green added.
Some of the topics the SSAA will endeavour to push into the public consciousness include the economic value of hunting, management of pest animals, and game food.
“The SSAA believes it is important to recognise the role of hunting in this great nation’s heritage and its crucial role in a sustainable future,” Mr Bannister said.
For more information, see the SSAA’s fact sheet on the Year of the Hunter.
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