For hunters and anglers everyday is National Hunting and Fishing Day, as few  pass without thoughts or related activities connected to spending time on the other side of the window. You may not be planning a hunt, but odds are if you rank as one of America's proud hunter or anglers a short chat about wishing your were fishing or dreaming of a duck hunt is as much a part of the day as your morning coffee. But each year there is one day conciously observed as National Hunting and Fishing Day. I've made a pact I will intentionally relate the value of hunting and fishing to those who may not enjoy the outdoors as we do. I realize we'd all like to think non-users would understand and appreciate the connection to nature--bonding of relationships and all those fringe benefits we savor, most often unless it's money people shrug it off. 

An economic stimulus
Hunting and angling together are an economic force worth $76 billion a year. In 2010, America's economic stimulus package will generate its highest level of federal spending at $236 billion-but hunters and anglers will spend almost a third of that amount all by themselves. A Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation report shows if hunters and anglers were a nation, their Gross Domestic Product would rank 57 out of 181 countries. About 1.6 million jobs depend on hunters and anglers. Gas stations, stores, restaurants, hotels and other businesses benefit, especially in rural America. And these recreations are comparatively recession proof. In the first half of 2009, hunting and fishing license sales actually gained 7.6 and 5.4 percent, respectively, over 2008, say the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.

A important tool for wildlife management
Rabies, crop damages, nuisances. Hunting helps control these wildlife issues and many others-none more dramatic than highway accidents involving deer. White-tailed deer once were on the verge of extinction but rebounded behind historic conservation efforts. Today, deer numbers are skyrocketing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates 1.5 million deer collisions occur each year. Over 200 people are killed annually. According to a Western Transportation Institute calculation that includes costs of emergency response, injuries to driver and passengers, damages to vehicle and more, the 2009 average cost of hitting a deer is $6,600. Total public cost: $9.9 billion a year. Now consider that, nationwide, for every deer hit by a motorist, hunters take six. Imagine the human casualties and costs if hunting ended.