WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – It’s that time of year for members of the Watertown Sportsmen’s Club.
It is time to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day! The day was proclaimed a holiday by Richard Nixon in 1971.
“In recognition that our past, our history, includes hunting and fishing and it also was to promote continuation on the national parks and getting out in the great outdoors,” said Sarah Conley.
Conley is the Watertown Sportsmen’s Club’s president and has been hunting since she was a little girl.
She says the club aims to educate the public and clear misconceptions about the sport.
“It’s a way of showing that it is a family thing, guns aren’t just bad, they’re good. They feed people. A lot of hunters donate their meat to go to the soup kitchens in New York City and big cities,” said Conley.
Bill Hunt is the club’s vice president and an avid trapper.
“This is for mink, muskrat and coon, racoon,” said Hunt as he explained his trap.
It’s been a passion of his for more than 60 years.
He says like hunting, many people think it’s cruel, but he explains why it isn’t.
“Furbears overproduce and the land can only sustain so many so as we harvest some of the animals. We may help maintain a healthy population,” said Hunt.
And for some of the population, game calls can help you reel them in.
“You’re not going to get real loud. If you blow on this hard, it doesn’t even make a sound. So you can’t call too loud and scare the deer away,” said Tim Fralick, owner of Tim Fralick Custom Game Calls.
Conley says the club meets every Tuesday night for shooting and it’s a chance get some of your questions answered before you head out this year.
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