11 % Federal Excise Tax ?

[LKH]

Use of the PR monies by the states is monitored and must be used for limited things.  Hunter ed is one of them.

[Jeremy]

I have absolutely no problems with the FET on hunting supplies!
As sportsmen (and women) it's our responsibility to project a positive image to the overwhelmingly non-hunting public.  Being able to talk intelligently about concepts such as carrying capacity and where the bulk of the funds for wildlife management and habitat conservation/preservation come from goes a long way to counteract the misinformation that's being circulated.
Over the years the PR act has been expanded, each time voluntarily by the hunting community.  Expanding it to include items used by other outdoor activities has been shot down by other groups in the past.

[nutmeg]

I am in complete agreement with my colleague, Jeremy providing the money goes where it's supposed to. I suspect that it finds it's way into unintended places from time to time and yes, didn't the wood shaft and arrow makers get the shaft from Easton and the ATA?(nut)

[Grey Taylor]

A number of years ago I held a job in the backpacking industry. A movement came up to create a tax similar to the P/R fund but that would be applied to backpacking and camping equipment. Funds would go towards applicable causes like land access, land upkeep, improvements, etc. You should have seen the industry rally against this proposed tax! Talk about it got dropped pretty quick.
As a hunter and fisherman I am proud that I help support the land and the critters that live there, whether I hunt or fish them or not. Backpackers and campers get to ride on our coat tails and I'm 'kinda pi**ed that they don't help carry the load.

Guy

[Dozer]

Dick Lattimer's book "I Remeber Papa Bear" has an entire chapter on the archery tax. Its Chapter 17. I'm not going to retype every thing that was said but your right Bear Heart in saying that Fred Bear was one of the key men behind the tax. The bottom line is that the archery community was supposed to get half of the tax money collected to help build ranges and support the sport of archery. Due to one little word change by a poitician they got screwed out of the money. I could go on about it but you'd be better off buying the book and reading it. If you like Papa Bear you'll enjoy the book. First little bit is sorta boring because Dick talks about himself.
No offense to him, he wrote a good book.