Ky. Fish & Wildlife celebrates National Hunting and Fishing Day

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - People across the country got outside on Saturday to celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day. Here in the Bluegrass, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources opened the Salato Wildlife Education Center to the public.

Manager of the Salato Center, Julienne Foster, says National Hunting and Fishing Day embodies what the department is all about.

“We’re here to teach people about Kentucky’s native species but also the broader conservation aims of the department to care for our natural resources and we’re really wanting to encourage people to get involved in the outdoors and to support outdoor activities,” said Foster. “It’s really important because hunting and fishing licenses the funds from those sales go to support all of our initiatives which are invested right back here in Kentucky into caring for our natural resources.”

Hundreds of people showed up in Frankfort to learn about the outdoors through a number of different activities.

“We’ve got basic archery for folks to try out we have something called a laporte system which is a an opportunity to shoot arrows at foam targets as they fly through the air. It’s a very challenging. We’ve got kayak fishing, you can try your hand at that. We’re teaching people about the life vest safety as well,” said Foster. “Our conservation educators are out in full force around the Salado Education Center. They’re walking along our pathways with props and with some of our program animals, you might encounter a snake along the way.”

You can visit the Salato Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. While the center maintains seasonal hours, the remainder of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife headquarters campus is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Copyright 2023 WKYT. All rights reserved.