Paul Ryan on Record: The Vice-Presidential Candidate on Hunting, Conservation, and Fixed-Blades vs. Mechanicals

While under the national scrutiny that comes with a presidential campaign, Paul Ryan isn’t hiding the fact that he’s a hunter. The vice-presidential candidate is promoting it. 



The former co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and avid bowhunter, stopped by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance 16th Annual “Save Our Heritage” Rally in Columbus, Ohio last weekend to deliver the keynote speech. He told attendees: “Hunters are the original conservationists. Bureaucrats more and more these days think that public lands have to be protected from hunters. I myself see it the other way; I think hunters need to be protected from bureaucrats.” 

Ryan has a strong track record of defending hunters’ rights, including lowering taxes on domestic arrow manufacturers and working to decrease the background check waiting period for firearm purchases at gun shows.

But, there’s a section in Ryan’s ‘Path to Prosperity’ budget plan that proposes selling federally owned lands to help balance the budget. This proposal has raised concerns among some public hunting land advocates.