HARRISBURG — Every shot benefits wildlife management. How? When wildlife was dwindling in the early 1900s, the firearms and ammunition industry stepped up and requested a federal tax be placed on the sale of these items to help fund wildlife conservation.

This tax is a federal excise tax of the wholesale price of arms and ammunition (a cost built into the price of these items and not an additional cost to the consumer).

The revenue generated from the excise tax is apportioned to state wildlife agencies for conservation efforts, hunter education, and shooting programs.

For your shooting enjoyment, and to make you a better hunter, the Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains 36 public shooting ranges across the state, including archery ranges and shotgun patterning ranges.