WDFW hosts free National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration in Wenatchee

Olympia - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is hosting a National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration on Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the North Central Washington Gun Club, 2710 Gun Club Rd., East Wenatchee.  

"This family oriented event is a great way to introduce youth and newcomers to target shooting, hunting and fishing," said David Whipple, WDFW hunter education division manager. "It's also an opportunity to recognize that hunters and anglers are and will continue to be among the most active supporters of wildlife management and conservation."

Youth 17 years of age and under who attend the event with an accompanying adult can shoot WDFW firearms, archery equipment and air rifles for free. Agency staff and WDFW hunter education instructors will be on hand to teach shooting safety and provide instruction and guidance.  

For those interested in learning to fish, participants can take part in a walleye fishing clinic and learn to cast a line with spinning reels. "There are few things better than fishing to instill appreciation and respect for nature - and maybe also a bit of patience," said Bruce Bolding, WDFW warmwater fish program manager.

The event also features:

• Lunch provided for free for the first 150 youth attendees and accompanying adults.  
• Free participation bags with shooting safety gear for the first 150 youth attendees.
• Door prize drawings.
• A turkey hunting clinic, and presentations on scent-free hunting.
• Opportunities to learn basic knot tying.
• Opportunities to make plaster casts of animal tracks and Japanese-style (Gyotaku) fish prints.
• Conservation organization displays and information.

The free event is hosted by WDFW's Hunter Education Division and the Volunteer Program.  It is sponsored by the WDFW, hunter education instructors, master hunters, the Washington Hunter Education Instructor Association, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Wenatchee), the North Central Washington Gun Club, the Wenatchee Sportsmen's Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Mule Deer Foundation, Pheasants Forever, Bass Pro Shops (Tacoma), Cabela's (Yakima), Sportsman's Warehouse (Wenatchee), Stan's Merry Mart, Volterra Restaurants (Ballard and Kirkland), and Pacific Food Importers.

National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate the conservation successes of hunters and anglers.

Governor Inslee recently recognized "Hunting and Fishing Day" in Washington via proclamation. 

Visit http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/huntered/hunt_fish_day.html for more information on National Hunting and Fishing Day, Governor Inslee's proclamation, and the role hunters and anglers play in conservation across the nation.