America's hunting heritage survives only when it is passed from one generation to the next.
That requires more than access to land. It requires education, safe places to learn, responsible mentors, healthy wildlife populations, and a commitment to helping young people understand the role hunters play in conservation and in their communities.
The executive order signed by President Trump on September 17, “Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage,” brings renewed attention to those priorities. While the order covers a broad range of federal land and wildlife policies, three provisions closely reflect work The 1791 Foundation has long supported: introducing young people to hunting and the shooting sports, strengthening state-led conservation efforts, and expanding programs that turn harvested game into meals for families in need.
First, the order directs the Departments of Labor and Education to clarify the availability of federal education funding for school-based archery and hunter education programs. It also calls on the Department of the Interior to identify additional ways to help states cultivate hunting traditions among young people and veterans.
This directive is critically important. For many young people, an archery program, youth shooting team, or hunter education course is their first introduction to the outdoors. When that introduction takes place in a safe, structured and supervised environment, they learn far more than how to hit a target. They learn responsibility, patience, respect for wildlife, and how to handle firearms safely.
These programs also help ensure that hunting and the shooting sports remain accessible to families who may lack the necessary equipment, facilities, or personal connections to participate independently. Supporting youth programs, firearm education, and shooting sports has always been central to The 1791 Foundation’s mission because the future of these traditions depends on creating responsible pathways into them.
The order also recognizes the central role of state fish and wildlife agencies and the importance of Pittman-Robertson funding. Since 1937, excise taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers have supplied states with funding for wildlife restoration, habitat management, hunter education, and public shooting ranges. Those investments represent one of the most enduring examples of hunters and the shooting community directly financing conservation.
Under the new order, the Department of the Interior is directed to encourage state wildlife agencies to use Pittman-Robertson funds to help manage hyperabundant wildlife populations, particularly whitetail deer, while facilitating the processing and donation of wild game to schools and food banks.
That connection between conservation and community service deserves greater attention.
Hunters understand that responsible wildlife management sometimes requires reducing populations that have grown beyond what a local habitat can support. When properly managed, the resulting harvest can serve another important purpose by providing nutritious, protein-rich food to people who need it.
The East Texas Food Bank offers a practical example. Last year, support from the Foundation helped the food bank add a refrigerated trailer for its Hunters for the Hungry program. The additional cold-storage capacity allows donated venison to be safely collected and distributed to families across the region.
In 2026, The 1791 Foundation also awarded over $80,000 to Hunters for the Hungry organization all over America. These organizations work with hunters, processors, and local feeding ministries to provide donated game meat to families across the country. This year’s round of funding tops over $500,000 our Foundation has donated to these organizations in the past five years.
These programs show what hunting contributes beyond the field. A responsibly harvested deer can help manage wildlife populations, support healthy local habitats, and provide meals for neighbors facing food insecurity.
The executive order establishes a framework, but its impact will depend on implementation. Federal agencies, state wildlife officials, and nonprofit partners will need to work together to ensure resources reach effective programs and that opportunities are accessible to the people they are intended to serve.
For The 1791 Foundation, the priorities are familiar: give young people safe and responsible opportunities to participate, support the state agencies and local organizations doing the work, and help hunters turn their harvest into something that serves their communities.
These priorities transcend politics: preserving our hunting heritage and passing it on stronger than we found it.
– Peter Churchbourne, Executive Director, The 1791 Foundation