No general fund tax money is used to fund the HuntSAFE Program. All funding for the program comes from those who enjoy outdoor activities and pursuits. Fees paid for hunting and fishing licenses are a direct source of funds for the HuntSAFE program, funneled through the Game and Fish Fund. Indirectly, funding for the program comes from provisions of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Preservation Act of 1937, sometimes called the Pittman-Robertson Act or simply P-R.

The original Pittman-Robertson Act placed a 10% excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, collected at the manufacturer level. The funds collected by the federal government were made available to the states solely for habitat restoration and rehabilitation, including land acquisition. P-R funding has been a major factor in the purchase and management of thousands of acres of Game Production Areas (GPAs) available to hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts in our state.

A 1970 amendment to the original P-R Act placed a 10% tax on handguns. Fifty percent of this tax fund was earmarked for state hunter education programs. The amount of money available for hunter education was increased in 1973 when an 11% excise tax was placed on archery equipment. These P-R Act funds now pay for 75% of the South Dakota HuntSAFE program, which also includes shooting range construction and shooting range renovation projects.