The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) is inviting locals to celebrate and support the annual Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing Heritage Day, on November 15. 

Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing Heritage Day is also commonly referred to as ‘Camo Day.’ 

Executive Director of the SWF, Darrell Crabbe, explained the importance that hunting, angling, and trapping have on our society, as well as the economic benefits. 

“We generate approximately just over 650 million dollars a year into Saskatchewan's economy,” says Crabbe. “It’s an interesting economic driver, unlike most others where the financial benefits go from urban areas out to the rural areas. Not only is it a great boom for small towns in Saskatchewan, but it’s a big quality of life in Saskatchewan as well.” 

Thirty per cent of all license sales (roughly $4.2 million each year) for hunting, fishing, and trapping go into the Fish and Wildlife Development Fund. 

“There is a steering committee that’s made up of six different organizations across Saskatchewan,” added Crabbe. “That money supports the cost to run the Provincial Hatchery at Fort Qu'Appelle, land securement between the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and Nature Conservancy, and a lot of other programs that go on. Education, all the fishery programs, etcetera, are paid from that fund. The majority of those dollars are actually matched by non-government organizations like ours.” 

Over 100,000 licenses are sold per year in Saskatchewan, as it is a ‘haven’ for hunting and fishing. 

“(In most cases) it fluctuates, based on species populations, (but) they usually average around 107,000 licenses sold a year,” says Crabbe. “We just have to look next door at Alberta, who have, if I’m not mistaken, around 8,000 fishable bodies of water, whereas in Saskatchewan, we’re approaching 90,000. The opportunities and resources that are available to Saskatchewan residents certainly make it a haven for hunting, fishing, and angling.”

Show your support for Camo Day by wearing camouflage, and share outdoor stories, photos, and memories through social media using the hashtag, #CamoDay, for a chance to win great prizes.