News

By Bill Horn, Director of Federal Affairs

While debt ceiling talks and the stalled economy dominant Washington, D.C.,  the pot continues to boil  regarding hunting and fishing issues. The Obama Administration just cut a deal with the anti-hunting activists at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) on accelerated Endangered Species Act (ESA) listings.  Per the legal agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is required to consider adding 757 species, subspecies, or distinct population segments to the list of endangered or threatened species.  Decisions on all 757 must be rendered by October, 2016. The list includes species that are presently fished, hunted or trapped, including golden trout, cottontail rabbits, sage grouse, fisher, and wolverine.

Obligating FWS to engage in an unprecedented level of ESA listings will require millions of dollars and  eat up untold hours of agency personnel time.  Other key agency programs will suffer, including operation of the National Wildlife Refuge System (and hunting, fishing, and trapping which occurs on the majority of the 553 Refuge units), migratory bird management, and fisheries restoration.  USSA has always been a strong supporter of FWS and these vital conservation programs. As a former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (overseeing FWS), I am deeply worried that the Obama-CBD deal converts FWS into the “Endangered Species Service.”

The timing on this deal looks like an effort to thwart Congressional efforts to rein in the ESA program.  The House of Representatives is about to pass the Interior Department funding bill (including FWS) which severely restricts new ESA listings.  The House wants the Service to use its finite money and personnel resources to focus on recovering already listed species rather than listing 757 more species (many of which are “endangered” only in the minds of anti-hunting activists).  What CBD, and its Administration pals, cannot get via Congress, they want to get via this court settlement.  

Interior, and FWS, are also about to get a new Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. President Obama recently nominated Rebecca Wodder to the post.  She had her first (of two) Senate confirmation hearings this week.  Wodder is a long time D.C. environmental activist who began her career in the late 1970’s as a staffer for Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) often considered the “father” of Earth Day. She later spent 15 years with The Wilderness Society (with whom USSA has long been fighting over wildlife management and hunting access issues) before becoming Executive Director of American Rivers in 1995. Wodder has not taken anti-hunting positions but has also not been a vocal supporter of the hunting community.  We expect her to take office in September.

Stay tuned and be prepared for what will no doubt be a large and contentious issue facing all sportsmen, sportswomen, and other conservationists.

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

When average sporting dog owners or hobby breeders hear of abuses that can occur in a substandard commercial breeding operation, they react with outrage.  They want to know what can be done to put a stop to abuses.  They are ready to sign on to the effort to help. 

That is, until they find out that the supposed cure, House Bill 1451, may also treat them the same as the alleged target of the legislation, so called “puppy mills.”

They can’t believe that their own elected officials would want to pass a law that would drive many of them out of existence and open their houses up to searches without probable cause or even a search warrant.  They know they cannot afford costly and unnecessary upgrades to their kennels.  They are astounded that their fees will be more than $1,300 each. 

But most of all they cannot believe that legislators haven’t written the bill in a fashion that excludes those who do not raise dogs primarily for the purpose of selling.

“Our members are very caring people dedicated to preserving our working Jack Russell terriers,” said Catherine Romaine Brown, Chairperson of the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.  “Texas House Bill 1451 is unfair to these caring dog owners and could force many of them to give up raising and caring for these wonderful dogs.”

“None of us condone dog cruelty, and the United Kennel Club (UKC) supports sensible legislation that protects dogs,” said Sara Chisnell-Voigt, UKC legal counsel. “However, UKC cannot support laws that negatively affect responsible breeders and don’t serve to meet the objective of protecting dogs. HB 1451 is precisely that.”

“House Bill 1451 establishes unreasonable thresholds, will negatively impact responsible dog owners who are in compliance with current federal and state laws and will not improve animal welfare in Texas,” said American Kennel Club (AKC) Government Relations Director Sheila Goffe.

“Our members would be devastated if this bill were enacted into law,” said Mary Jo Trimble, Executive Secretary of the American Brittany Club.  “Our members breed high-quality championship Brittany’s not only for competition but for the sportsman as his hunting companion.  Yet HB 1451 will treat them with the same iron fist as a large substandard breeder kennel.”

These groups are just the tip of the iceberg of the list of dog organizations who are lining up to oppose House Bill 1451.  You can view the entire list of opponents at www.ussportsmen.org/texas. 

That’s an awfully big list isn’t it?  You’d think that if the legislature was doing something so good for dogs that groups like these would be leading the charge to pass it, not trying to slow it down.  Well here’s why that’s not the case:   

HB 1451 treats a dog owner as a commercial kennel if the owner has eleven un-spayed females and sells just two dogs.  Commercial kennels must then pay a fee that is expected to cost more than $1,300 per kennel.  They will be subject to many new regulations and requirements including kennel construction requirements created by an unelected commission which also has the authority to raise fees. 

This commission is also given the invasive authority to search these dog owners’ residences if they keep as little as a single dog indoors or keep their dogs’ records on their home computer or in a file cabinet in their den.  Under HB 1451, they must open their residences to government inspections without notice, cause, or even a warrant.

Because these people don’t sell many dogs, they are convinced that the increases in costs and red tape will make it impossible for them to keep their kennels open. 

And yet, their pleas fell on deaf ears in the Texas House of Representatives which passed the bill overwhelmingly and sent it to the Senate.  With just a few weeks left in the legislative session, sporting dog owners are worried that their objections will once again be ignored in the haste to simply pass something. 

All they are asking is that their elected officials don’t throw the puppy out with the bathwater.  Senators, please don’t hurt law abiding kennel owners in the zeal to crack down on those few who do not share our passion for dogs.   

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

Surely Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and Jim Bowie are rolling over in their graves.  It is hard to believe that these patriots in the fight for a free and independent Texas would ever have foreseen that a legislature full of supposed conservatives would vote to permit warrantless searches of the homes of those folks who might sell a few puppies at the end of their driveway. That, however, is exactly what took place yesterday as the Texas House of Representatives voted 98-43 in favor of a bill alleged to be targeting so called puppy mills.  Click here to see who voted to take your rights away and to see those that stood up to protect them. 

Puppy mill is a media term coined by animal rights groups to bring attention to substandard conditions in some large scale, commercial dog breeding facilities.  The dog owners that I know, along with hunters in general, all believe that these places should be operated humanely. But as is often the case with legislation drafted by the animal rights lobby, the net has been cast much wider than large-scale commercial facilities. 

That’s why the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Texas Wildlife Association, and many other national and local sportsmen’s and dog groups are opposing the bill.

House Bill 1451 classifies you as a commercial breeder if you maintain eleven female dogs that have not been spayed, and you sell dogs.  Now, to a lot of urban folks having eleven dogs may seem like a lot.  But to a sporting dog kennel owner who uses the animals to chase foxes and coyotes or flush quail, it is not a lot.  And if one of these owners sells even just two puppies, then that person opens his house to being searched by the government without cause.  Without even so much as a warrant.

No warrant.  I guess you can now add the founding fathers to the list of those rolling in their graves. 

But that is indeed the case with this bill.  The fellow who puts a sign to sell a litter of puppies at the end of his driveway is considered a commercial breeder.  The woman who takes out an ad in her local newspaper to sell a few extra Labrador retrievers is to be treated as if she were operating a puppy producing factory.  And yet no one has ever made a case that hobby breeders and sporting dog kennels are operating inhumane facilities that would necessitate these restrictions.

This bill is like treating a mom and pop ice cream stand the same as a factory.  License fees will be higher, even thousands of dollars.  Record keeping requirements must be maintained and be available to the government at any time.  Kennel construction and maintenance will be tightly regulated and specifically spelled out by the government.  The bill sets up a new unelected board of bureaucrats that is allowed to add any requirement, fee and restriction that it deems necessary.  The commission is estimated by the state to cost at least $1.2 million per year, which must be paid by kennel owners.  All of these things will run the cost of maintaining a hobby kennel through the roof, and ultimately out of existence.     

Currently many sporting dog kennels and hobby breeders maintain the records for their dogs on their home computer.  Because, as I keep driving home the point, they are not a large commercial industry.  This bill gives inspectors the authority to search the premises where records are kept without probable cause or even a warrant.  A suspected drug dealer does not have to worry about government enforcers storming his house without cause, but a dog breeder does?  That is simply amazing! 

And what is even more amazing?  Is that this is taking place in Texas.  Not California.  Not New York.  But in the Republic of Texas.  The future home of one of the most restrictive dog kennel requirements in the United States.   

House Bill 1451 is now in the Texas Senate.  Here’s hoping that the elected officials here will remember their historical predecessors and make sure that this bill is written fairly, and properly targets those abusive commercial operators it claims to be pursuing.  Failing that, this bill should be defeated.

To find your state senator’s contact information, visit the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

By Bill Horn, Director of Federal Affairs

For more than five years, the USSA has been fighting to remove the recovered wolf population in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin from the federal endangered species list.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tried to “delist” these wolves in 2007 but was stymied by a federal judge in Washington, DC in 2008-09. 

Last year we kept up the pressure by filing a new petition to delist the wolves.   The Service responded that it would grant the petition and declare the wolves recovered.  We expected formal action this spring.

Last week the Service announced its plans with a classic “give with one hand and take with the other” ploy.  The agency did declare gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the three states “recovered” and that a proposed delisting rule would be out shortly.  But they also declared the “discovery” of an entirely new wolf species – the Eastern gray wolf (Canis lycaon).  However the problem is, no one knows the population numbers or range of this new species, if it’s distinguishable from Canis lupus, or if delisting lupus (and returning management to the states) will impact lycaon.  

I don’t believe that the Service can delist lupus and allow for control and management – and have this action stand up in court - if there is any chance it could adversely impact this unknown new species.  Unfortunately, it will take the Service years to complete a “status review” of lycaon and be able to legally determine that delisting of lupus will not harm the new “species.”  In the meantime, return of Canis lupus management to the states will be stalled.

Consultations with wolf experts persuades us that the convenient discovery of this new “species” is scientifically bogus.   Finding this new species of wolves is like declaring that different races of humans are different species.  We’re all Homo sapiens and the wolves in the Great Lakes (and adjacent Canada) are Canis lupus.

We intend to watch the Service like a hawk, work with the three states, work with wolf experts, and work with our partners – the WI Bear Hunters Association and WI Chapters of SCI a – to make the case for a simple delisting of Canis lupus in the Western Great Lakes.  If the Service plays games and stalls the delisting (or renders delisting ineffective), we’ll be forced to drag them into court to stop this nonsense. 

By Jeremy Rine, Associate Director of State Services

This week the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance sent out an alert to Texas sportsmen asking them to help stop a harmful piece of legislation that is being rushed through the Texas House with little input from the public. 

The bill, House Bill 1451 introduced by Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D- Houston), would classify sporting dog and other hobby breeders as commercial dog breeders.  Doing so would subject them to costly new regulations, random inspections of their homes without a warrant, and expensive new permit fees.  It could force many respectable and hard working sporting dog breeders out of existence.  It’s akin to treating the local lemonade stand like the super market. 

Many have recognized this and opposition to Representative Thompson’s bill has been building. 

To prevent the opposition from being heard, the bill’s sponsor is using procedural “tricks” to force the bill through the House of Representatives without allowing for any real debate to take place. 

Essentially, the bill’s sponsor is trying to bypass the traditional democratic process – which is supposed to allow open and fair debate on legislation.

So how did we get here?  House Bill 1451 was originally referred to the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures, a committee on which Rep. Thompson is a member.  The committee only held one public hearing on the bill.  The hearing was attended by a number of sporting dog and other groups who testified against the bill. 

The Committee then took up a “substitute” version of the bill that contained no meaningful changes to address the concerns raised by sporting or other dog owners.  On the same day the substitute bill was accepted by the Committee it was also passed out of the Committee without any additional time for the public to comment on the substitute, which is still unworkable for sporting dog owners.

Normally, once a bill is voted out of committee it is then placed on the House’s regular debate calendar allowing further debate on the bill.  That wasn’t the case for HB 1451.  The bill was instead placed on the Local and Consent Calendar – a calendar reserved for local and uncontested issues that are deemed to be noncontroversial and on the “fast-track” to passage.  Conveniently, Rep. Thompson is the chair of the Committee that determines which bills make it onto this fast-track calendar.

To say the bill is uncontested is far from the truth.  The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the American Kennel Club, local sportsmen, sporting dog owners, and other hobby breeders have all voiced their strong opposition to the bill. 

Based on mounting opposition to the bill, Representative David Simpson (R-Longview) spoke against the bill and it was withdrawn from the Local and Consent Calendar on Thursday and sent back to the Licensing and Administrative Committee.  But within a matter of hours it was again voted out of Committee without any public comment.

Again, the bill was sent right back to be placed on Rep. Thompson’s “fast-track” Local and Consent Calendar.

What’s happening here is an attempt by the bill’s sponsor to use her power and position over the Local and Consent Calendar to force this bill through without allowing anyone the opportunity to speak against it. 

The bill’s sponsor hasn’t allowed the committee substitute bill to be part of an open and fair debate.  Instead, the bill continues to be touted as a “noncontroversial” bill and is trying to be shuffled quietly through the side door and out of the House before other legislators and sportsmen know what is going on.

Texas sportsmen need to continue to contact their state representatives and let them know that this harmful bill would devastate sporting dog owners.  Tell them that the bill is being forced through without an opportunity for the public to weigh in and without further open debate.  To find your state representative’s contact information, visit the USSA Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

By Tony Celebrezze, Relationship Director

On behalf of all conservationists, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance tips its hat to GoDaddy’s CEO Bob Parsons for being an unapologetic participant in successful wildlife conservation and hunting.

He has been taken to task by PETA for hunting elephants in Africa – elephants that are not endangered but are overpopulated in the area he visited.  PETA, like most animal rights groups, is just an attention pandering organization that fails to let the facts get in the way of their fundraising message and demeans people that think differently from them.

The North American wildlife conservation model, created by Teddy Roosevelt and his fellow hunter/conservationists over a century ago, continues to benefit fish and wildlife in the United States and in Africa where the model has been adopted by other countries.   Parsons take of a bull elephant, as part of a managed hunting program, contributes to successful elephant conservation.

Sustainable hunting supported by sound conservation practices and hunter’s dollars is the centerpiece of the North American model.  Here it has led to restoration of elk herds, reintroduction of wild turkeys, and conservation of ducks and geese.  Internationally, the model is built into wildlife conservation treaties and organizations such as CITES or IUCN. African countries have emulated our success by promoting sustainable hunting and active wildlife population management funded by hunter’s license fees. 

Parson’s take of a marauding bull elephant is part of such programs.  Nuisance wildlife is removed (and poor African villagers’ meager farm fields protected), meat is provided to the same villagers, hunting opportunities afforded, and scarce dollars provided for conservation management.  The locals realize there is value in wildlife conservation and managed hunting. In contrast, rigid animal protection programs (touted by distant urban animal rights fanatics) result in uncontrolled wildlife populations bringing destruction (and often death) to villagers.  Without local support for managed conservation, African wildlife is simply killed as a nuisance or taken by poachers with no contributions to conservation.

One has to only look as far as Kenya to see a sad reminder of this.  Rampant poaching and villagers who are struggling to survive have decimated populations to the point where you have to go to the equivalent of a zoo to enjoy them. Kenya’s misguided attempt to “save” wildlife could not have gone any more wrong.

The thing most Americans don’t know, and something the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance constantly preaches, is that the successful wildlife management efforts comes almost exclusively from sportsmen’s dollars.  These dollars are raised through licenses and the fees sportsmen pay.  They are not general tax dollars.  If we had to rely upon tax dollars, wildlife in this country would be decimated because there would not be enough money to support the needed wildlife biologists and other conservationists to ensure a future for wildlife.

If Zimbabwe or even America had to rely upon donations and general tax dollars to support wildlife management this would be the last generation to see many of the exotic animals we have today.  Conservation and wildlife management will always lose out to other larger issues that take priority with scarce tax dollars like education, infrastructure, prisons and health care.  The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance works tirelessly to prevent this but it is many times an uphill battle.

So it is with great pride that the Alliance stands shoulder to shoulder with Bob and other sportsmen and sportswomen.  With out hunters like him, wildlife populations in Zimbabwe and other countries around the world would be greatly reduced or non-existent.  Through these modern wildlife management efforts, locals in Zimbabwe and other countries have the necessities of life, food and a better way of life.

By Jeremy Rine, Associate Director of State Services

Often times you’ll hear sportsmen say “it won’t happen here.”  They’ll say that they know there are real threats to our right to hunt, fish, or trap out there – in other states – but they don’t think that it could ever happen to them where they live.   Nothing can be further from the truth nor more dangerous for our sports. 

When sportsmen don’t think they are under attack, they aren’t prepared or organized for them when one does surface.

I’m here to tell you that there are threats where you live, no matter how pro-sportsmen your state may be and sportsmen need to be ready to fight to protect their rights.

Maybe today the threats are minimal.  But they are there.  The anti-hunting crowd is always looking to take away small pieces of your rights to hunt, fish, and trap, even in states that are traditionally pro-sportsmen. 

They may take years laying groundwork for an attack.  Or, they may use creative tactics, like masking anti-hunting legislation by labeling it as something that doesn’t appear to deal with hunting at all – such as “animal cruelty” bills that are instead aimed at limiting your rights to hunt.

Even anti-hunting attacks on the other side of the country are a threat to hunting where you live.  Anti-hunters often start anti-hunting legislation in states where they think they have a better foothold in the hopes of starting a nationwide trend that they can use to break into pro-sportsmen states.  One example is the large amount of dog legislation being pushed across the country today.  These bills would have a devastating impact on sporting dog owners, breeders and kennels.  Yet, just a few years ago, only a small number of bills were pending in a handful of states.  Now, over the last two years alone we’ve seen more than 170 bills introduced nationwide. 

Antis have also recently used the courts to try to manipulate the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws in states like Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.  These lawsuits are aimed at setting precedents that can be used nationwide – and used to attack your rights where you live. 

Now more than ever, sportsmen need to realize that an attack on their rights to hunt, fish, or trap could happen to them no matter where they live.  A number of factors make right now a n ideal opportunity for anti-hunters to attack.

States are facing unprecedented budget shortfalls and are looking for ways to fill budget holes.   Add to that, huge numbers of new lawmakers have taken office across the country who may be unaware of the vital role that hunting, fishing, and trapping play in conservation.

On top of that, the animal rights lobby continues to spend big bucks to push their anti-hunting agenda.  They are working in every state – even those that are traditionally sportsmen friendly.

Sportsmen need to be doing the same thing.

What can you do?   Several things can make a difference.  One, you should get to know your elected officials and educate them on the role sportsmen play in conserving wildlife that benefits both hunters and non-hunters.  Second, support a local, regional or statewide species group.  Third, support a group fighting to protect your second amendment rights like the NRA.  Last, support the USSA, your national watchdog for sportsmen’s rights. 

That way, when an anti-hunting attack does surface in your state sportsmen will be organized and ready to defeat it instead saying “I didn’t think it would happen!”

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

This past Wednesday, news of the defeat of a terrible proposal that was being rammed through the Virginia legislature was music to the ears of all involved in the last minute Hail Mary campaign to kill this bill and protect wildlife conservation. 

For those who missed the short, but intense battle, here’s a quick breakdown.  The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, upset with the possible re-introduction of elk into the state, persuaded a senator to introduce a bill on January 10^th that would have allowed unlimited killing of deer, bear or elk by any landowner who claimed to have agricultural damage. And it gets worse.   

When a landowner claimed damage and filed a claim, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries would be required to provide the permit, which would allow the killing of that species for an entire year, with no limits on number or method of take. 

During the three weeks following introduction, the bill was rammed through the Senate without a single “no” vote.  And by early February, it had already cleared its first hurdle, a sub-committee in the House of Delegates.  And worse yet, the bill was likely to be voted on in a full committee on Wednesday, February 16, just 5 days later.    

At 3:00 p.m., on Friday February 11, USSA was notified about the bill by our long-time, national partner, the National Wild Turkey Federation.  NWTF had been notified by a volunteer. 

Once on our radar, we swung into action.  We issued an alert through our Sentry network.  NWTF carried the alert and sent it out through its electronic network.  Our alert was distributed to virtually every conservation and sportsmen organization in the entire country through the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP).  It turned out that the Quality Deer Management Association already had an alert out too.  We reached out to the NRA to see if they knew and would help. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation issued an alert.    

Normally, when USSA does a legislative campaign, it is done with a carefully crafted, precision game-plan.  That plan is designed to deliver our message through volunteer sportsmen directly to the elected officials who are the key players that need persuading.  But in this case, there was simply no time for a “special forces” style assault. 

Not only did we find out when the weekend was nearly upon us, but the weekend was also Valentine’s Day weekend.  I had a hard time picturing many married hunters being able to devote hours urging their pals to spend time pressuring their politicians, all the while abandoning their now simmering spouses.  We do have to live at home of course. 

In the end, we threw everything we had at the wall as fast as we could throw it.  We called outdoor writers.  We put a letter on the desk of each person who would cast a vote.  And we never stopped urging our partners in this community to engage even though the hour was late. 

The hearing was held at 8:30 on Wednesday morning, February 16.  And the bill was tabled, which means that it is likely dead for the year.  The vote was not even close at 17-3 against the measure. 

It was a wonderful victory to be sure.  But even as we take our victory lap patting each other on the back, it is vitally important that we learn the lessons of this short, intense and scary little campaign. 

First, the bill nearly got by our entire community. 

At USSA, we subscribe to a search program to track legislation based on key words that we feed it.  It puts us out in front of nearly every issue against or for our outdoor sports.  We are usually searching for threats to the right to hunt, trap, fish, or infringements on firearms – things like that.  We had not been tracking deer damage or crop depredation because we have seldom seen a frontal assault that originated from the agricultural community.  That was an easy fix.  We have added those terms to our daily searches. 

We have educated our government affairs staff, who read thousands of bills each year, about this debate and the importance of it. 

We have been re-educated on the incredible value of a key volunteer.  The volunteer who first raised the alarm was Virginia State Delegate James Edmonds.  He’s been a member of NWTF for many years and when he saw this thing moving like a freight train he picked up the telephone and called them.  But he didn’t stop there.  He also helped funnel information from sportsmen to members of the committee the day of the vote.

This issue also gave us a good reminder about the power of partnerships and how, collectively, we can make such a difference.  USSA and NWTF?  Sure.  But even more than that, ALL of the groups that helped win the day - those from the AWCP, statewide groups, legislators, local sportsmen’s clubs, individual sportsmen and sportswomen - who sent out their own alerts and piled on.  Together, we killed a bill that was a real threat to wildlife conservation and the future of hunting. 

Finally, the bill gave us a warning shot that we need to do our level best to solve our problems with groups that should be our allies before it bubbles over into open warfare.  It would be easy to look at the Virginia Farm Bureau’s attempt to steam roll sportsmen as simply an outright attack.  But our long-term well being demands we take a bigger picture view.  

Landowners provide the vast majority of hunting opportunities in this country, and when we are not on the same page, it bodes ill for both sides.  Sportsmen and farmers ought to be on the same team.  After all, the animal rights lobby would like to put us both out of business.  So dialogue is essential.   

In all, the defeat of Virginia’s Senate Bill 868 was a great victory, and one that provided a lot of good lessons for the future.  And we are thankful to all who helped make it happen and are proud to stand side by side with them in this battle and those in the future

By Evan Heusinkveld, Director of State Services

­Over the past couple of years, sporting dog owners from coast to coast have been under a constant barrage of legislative attacks that would threaten their way of life.  Be it a bill mandating the spaying/neutering of prized hunting dogs or an overly-zealous attempt to crack down on abusive commercial breeders, sportsmen have consistently been in the crosshairs.  

Make no mistake; these efforts are part of a larger, coordinated push by animal rights and anti-hunting groups to ban commonly accepted practices.  If antis are unsuccessful in obtaining outright bans,  they turn to efforts to over-burden responsible dog breeders and kennels with massive new regulations and astronomical compliance costs, forcing many out of existence.

The major push started with Pennsylvania in 2007 and now more than 150 bills have been introduced over the last two years alone.  In 2011, we’re tracking more than 50 bills in 21 states; and we’re barely six weeks into the year. 

Below are examples of just a handful of recent bills that have popped up across the country. 

Illinois
House Bill 1247 prohibits the tethering of a dog for more than 15 minutes between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. unless the dog has access to shelter, even if the owner is present with the dog. 

Nebraska
Nebraska Legislative Bill 427 would create costly new standards of care requirements for those considered to be a “commercial dog breeder” under current law, including anyone who owns more than four dogs that are intended for breeding.  New requirements include mandatory micro-chipping, nearly continuous access to an outdoor exercise area all times, and mandatory inspections by the Department of Agriculture.

Rhode Island
Senate Bill 140 prohibits keeping a dog penned, tethered, or confined outside for more than one hour at a time without access to a housing facility or unless someone is outside with the dog.  It also would eliminate all outdoor kennels in the state by prohibiting a dog from being kept penned for more than 14 hours in a 24 hour period regardless of how big the pen or cage may be.  Maybe worst of all, the bill would allow the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and animal control officers to enter onto an individual dog owner’s property to search for violations.  This allows enforcement officers access to private property without probable cause or without a warrant under the guise that they are simply “checking” for violations.

So what do we do from here? 

Sportsmen, sporting dog owners, hobby breeders and kennels must continue their vigilant fight against these dangerous bills.  We must not let up… their goal is to wear us down… to make us give up the fight.

You can be sure that the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, our Sporting Dog Defense Coalition and many other groups and organizations across the country will continue to fight for your rights, but we need your help too.

Sportsmen should contact their state legislators and educate them on the danger these bills pose to legitimate and law-abiding dog owners.  To find your state representative’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.  You can also help in the fight by joining the USSA today by visiting www.ussportsmen.org.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Click here if you want to see something kind of scary. 

This is a link that takes you to a landing page over on the Humane Society of the United States’ website.  It shows a map with little paw prints all over it.  Each one is supposed to represent a HSUS “Humane Lobby Day” and there are over thirty paw prints on the map.

So what does this mean?  Well, first and foremost, it means HSUS is organized.  Of course, there is nothing terribly new about this, but it’s still fairly sobering to see it up front and center.  It’s sobering to realize that this group is not just filled with attention seeking PR junkies (kind of like PETA), but that they understand exactly how to make an impact on public policy where it counts.

It also serves as another reminder why sportsmen need to hang together.  It often might seem that we at the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance are always sounding off about HSUS’ “doom and gloom.”  But when you see things like this HSUS website, it’s really not hard to imagine antis are lurking everywhere.  Not all of them act “crazy.”  In fact, many seem a lot like the “neighbor next door”.  That is until you talk to them.

The point of all this is to just make sure you stay on top of your game.   Reading the USSA’s On Target and acting on our Action Alerts is just the start.

We need you to go to your club meetings and tell people about the threats against our heritage.  We need you to let your buddies know about the efforts of groups like HSUS.  We need you to get to know and educate your elected officials. 

We need you to be members of the USSA and get your friends involved too.   Click here to do so.

At the least, you should all sign up as Sentries, defending our rights from coast to coast.  It’s no cost to sign up.  It’s the first step to helping protect the future of hunting, fishing and trapping.  Click here to sign up.

The threat of the animal rights and anti-hunting movement has never been more evident.  Of course, the USSA and U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation will continue to meet these threats wherever they occur whether in the courts, Congress or the state legislatures.  But we need YOU to fill the ranks of our grassroots army.

I encourage you to sign up today and join our ranks –With your support we will continue to beat back the threats to our hunting heritage.

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

One of the biggest announcements to come out of the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), was the formation of a Sunday Hunting Coalition.  This new alliance was formed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation.  The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) is proud to be a part of this collaborative effort. 

The Coalition has just one goal - to facilitate the repeal of laws prohibiting hunting on Sundays in the eleven remaining states that still have the archaic blue law in place. 

Those states include: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The USSA is a veteran of this fight, having forged alliances with sportsmen in many different states to remove bans in the past.  One of the most recent was in Ohio.  The effort helped provide a lot of information on how sportsmen and landowners interacted once the ban was lifted. 

While opponents claimed that if the ban was lifted farmers would close their land to all hunting, it turned out that was not the case.  We also found that fears about trespassing were unfounded too, with no real rise in the number of complaints.  Sportsmen did make concessions including stiffer penalties for those who trespass on other’s property.

However, in the ten years since Ohio became a state that permits unrestricted hunting every day of the week during open seasons, the controversy became a non-story. 

Instead, the story is that states that still have bans are a major detriment to the future of hunting.  For those who live in and near cities, travelling to rural areas on the weekend just to hunt one day is a deterrent. 

I’m a father of four.  It’s hard enough to find the time to get my kids from point a to point b.  But having the government decide that hunting is off limits on one of just two days that I get off per week…it’s a killer. 

It’s also a jobs killer. 

Rural communities depend on hunter dollars flowing into their restaurants, hotels, stores and gas stations.  But these laws literally rob them of one of the two most profitable sales days that exist. 

This is really a question of basic American freedom.  As a property owner, I should have the right to decide whether I want to allow hunting on my land any day of the week.  And as a hunter, I should be allowed to take advantage of the precious hours and days available to me to go into the field with family and friends and enjoy the hunt. 

That’s why USSA is thrilled to be working with these other prominent national organizations.  Together we have a chance to change the future. 

Besides the USSA, the coalition includes:

National Shooting Sports Foundation
National Rifle Association
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
Archery Trade Association
Boone and Crockett Club
Cabela’s
Delta Waterfowl
Mule Deer Foundation
National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses
Pheasants Forever
Quail Forever
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Safari Club International
Wildlife Management Institute

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Is veganism going mainstream?  According to one major U.S. newspaper the answer seems to be yes.  And that is something we all need to take seriously.

Over the last month, we have spent time talking about how the leading anti-hunting group in the country, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is busy trying to “mainstream” its image.  We talked about the group getting a grant from Pepsi and offering “advice” on saving money as Congress deals with gaping deficits and how this allows it to paint itself as a normal group fitting in with what society at large finds acceptable.

In those blogs, I discussed how the threat of anti-hunting groups like HSUS continuing to be perceived as normal only makes our job harder when we try to defend our lifestyle.  However, this whole idea of “mainstreaming” seems to be happening on an even broader scale than one might think. 

For example, I stumbled across this article in the Washington Post.  In a nutshell, the article discusses how hard core veganism is becoming increasingly popular in America.  In fact, the headline pretty much says it all: “Vegan diets becoming more popular, more mainstream.”

First off, it should be pointed out that the Washington Post is one of the top newspapers in the country.  For them to do a story on any particular subject guarantees it’s going to grab people’s attention. 

Second, we come across that word “mainstream” again.  What once was considered a fairly strange lifestyle is now on the verge of being seen as perfectly “normal.”

I don’t practice it, and I bet most of you don't either.  It should also be pointed out that not all those that practice veganism are raving animal rightists.   Many choose to become vegan for a variety of different reasons.

Yet make no mistake.  Many people have become vegans as a direct result of their view regarding animal rights. 

The idea of eating nothing but a plant based diet is, at the very least, a massive change in perspective that goes against almost all of human history.  After all, humans began as hunter-gatherers.  Even after we began settling down to cultivate the land, livestock was still a staple of our diets.

So here we are.  We are watching as old perceptions, taken for granted for centuries, slowly change.

For sportsmen, this matters a great deal.  We all know that urbanization (and suburbanization) continues to be a barrier to access to good hunting land.  We also know that views about animals and animal rights continue to raise serious issues as to what society at large finds acceptable.

Needless to say, changing society is exactly what animal rights supporters want. 

The more people that openly embrace alternative lifestyle choices like veganism, the more potential recruits there are to their cause.  Don’t forget, Wayne Pacelle, the top guy at HSUS, is a vegan.  Is it a coincidence that HSUS is adamantly opposed to hunting and is easily sportsmen’s public enemy number one?

The purpose of this blog isn’t to hammer away at people who choose to live differently than we do. 

It is simply to highlight the fact that as society changes, we all have to be prepared to confront new challenges.  Often, these challenges would have been inconceivable as little as a single generation ago.  Yet challenges they are and we owe it to ourselves to stand up for what we believe.

By the way, we mentioned in a previous blog about how the American Freedom Lodge is looking to buy and refurbish a cabin that will be used to house disabled veterans that the group takes on its annual deer and turkey hunts. 

Well, they didn’t win in December, but did well enough to be automatically considered again at the online grant program, www.refresheverything.com, put on by Pepsi.

For all of you who registered to vote before, click here to check out the current proposal.  If you didn’t previously register to vote at the contest website, you will need to register and vote by January 31 if you want to make a difference in this round.

By Jeremy Rine, Associate Director of State Services

As sportsmen it is often frustrating to hear of court decisions that threaten our ability to hunt, fish, or trap.  Sportsmen can, and I strongly encourage them to, support organizations like the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF).  The USSAF protects sportsmen through the courts and makes sure that their voices are heard. 

Even though sportsmen are often represented in legal battles they can still be frustrating experiences. It often doesn’t feel like you, individually, have control over the outcome.

A courtroom showdown over hunting is a very different battle from those that take place in a statehouse.  Sportsmen cannot call judges like they do their legislators and urge them to side with the outdoor community. Courts also do not hold pubic hearings like that in the legislative process where sportsmen can show up and openly voice their opinions. 

Lawyers must represent sportsmen in the courts.  This can leave sportsmen feeling like they are stuck on the sidelines, despite the fact that they financially support pro-sportsman court efforts.

However, sometimes following bad court decisions there are opportunities for sportsmen to help minimize the damaging effects.  The decision over gun hunting in portions of the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan is a prime example.

As previously reported, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Forest Service’s regulations required that it consider banning hunting with firearms on lands designated as “semi-primitive” within the Huron-Manistee National Forest.

Because of the ruling, the Forest Service is now doing just that.   It is considering whether or not to completely or partially ban gun hunting in these areas and they are looking for the public to weigh in on the decision.

 Sportsmen can actively get back into the game and make their individual voices heard by submitting comments to the Forest Service.  Hopefully, with a strong showing of support from sportsmen, the Service will conclude that a ban is not needed.

Make no mistake, the precedent set by the bad decision is still there.  The decision could lead to more anti-hunting lawsuits over “semi-primitive” areas on other Forest lands.  But, with sportsman action, the effects of the decision can be lessened in the Huron-Manistee area. 

To deal with the troubling precedent itself, the USSA and a coalition of nineteen other leading conservation groups sent a letter to the Forest Service requesting that it rewrite the regulations the Court used to render the anti-hunting decision.

I encourage you to submit a comment to the Forest Service voicing your support for gun hunting throughout the semi-primitive areas within the Huron-Manistee National Forest.  Ask them to support the “No-Action” alternative. 

Comments can be submitted to Lee Evison, Forest Planner, Huron-Manistee National Forest, 1755 S. Mitchell Street, Cadillac, MI 49601.  Sportsmen can also fax comments to Lee Evison at (231) 775-5551 or email comments to comments-eastern-huron-manistee@fs.fed.us.  Comments sent via email must include “Forest Plan SEIS” as the subject line.  Comments must be received by February 11, 2011.

By William Horn, Director of Federal Affairs

The 112th Congress begins this week with major changes.

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) turned over the Speaker of the House’s gavel to Ohio’s John Boehner (R).  House committees, where the real legislative work is done, are getting new GOP chairmen with Republicans enjoying their largest majority in over sixty years. At least in one half of Congress, previous efforts to expand government are being replaced by efforts to rein it in and slash federal spending. 

Since the Democrats retain control of the U.S. Senate (Senator Harry Reid of Nevada remains the Majority Leader and Senator Barbara Boxer of California still chairs the Environment Committee) and the White House, most pundits are predicting a legislative stalemate.   The two parties are likely to start jockeying for position in the 2012 elections and presenting their cases to the public.

In all of this, hunters and anglers should find their issues getting new attention, especially in the House. 

The new Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee (with jurisdiction over fish, wildlife and public land issues) is Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA).  He has been a strong proponent for multiple uses of federal lands including the active management of fish and wildlife.  In the previous Congress he pushed a bill through the House to restore historical fish stocking in naturally fishless lakes in the Northern Cascades. The National Park Service barred stocking, claiming the Wilderness Act and other policies required the agency to keep the lakes fishless.  This was despite many lakes having been stocked and fished for one hundred years.  The bill died in the Senate.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) President Bud Pidgeon, USSA Vice President for Government Affairs Rob Sexton and I met with the new Chairman.  We discussed the challenges facing hunters and anglers.  Those include the growing limitations on wildlife management, public land access and hunting and fishing opportunities.  Many of these issues arise from improper implementation of laws like the Endangered Species Act, the Wilderness Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and other public land statutes.  Rep. Hastings recognizes the same problems and will be examining ways for his Committee to spotlight these issues and set the stage for legislative corrections.

Rep. Hastings has also named second term Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) to be the new Chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans.  Virtually all fish and wildlife related legislation as well as oversight of federal fish and wildlife related agencies come before this important subcommittee.  As a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus he understands his state’s long standing hunting heritage and has been a defender of our traditional rights to hunt, trap and fish. 

The USSA looks forward to working with Chairmen Hastings and Fleming on issues critical to sportsmen and women and will be asking for sportsmen’s help to protect our heritage for today and tomorrow.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

As the President and CEO of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance for over thirteen years, I have been honored to work with many amazing people in the outdoors world.  Few embody excellence as much as Doug Painter of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), who will be retiring on March 31 this year.

Given the close relationship the USSA has with NSSF, through programs such as Families Afield, I have been able to work closely with Doug.  During my tenure, I have witnessed first hand his dogged determination to defend the Second Amendment and the Right to Hunt from coast to coast.  There is no doubt that Doug’s nearly forty year career with NSSF is a testament to his passion for the same things that USSA was founded to protect.  From working as NSSF’s media relations specialist to serving as its president and CEO, his talent was always on full display.  Whether dealing with the media, elected officials or top industry representatives, there can be no doubt that he is a legend whose achievements will live on for years.

From the entire staff at the USSA, we send our congratulations to Doug on a tremendous career and wish him all the best in the future. 

Click here to read NSSF’s press release and more about Doug’s work.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Last week, I wrote a blog about how the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) was “mainstreaming” its image.  I recounted how its win of a $250,000 grant from an online contest by Pepsi will help it in those efforts.  Well, I needn’t have looked far to come up with another good example of the group’s efforts to make it seem “reasonable” and “responsible.”

What did I find? In this blog written by the head of the HSUS’ legislative arm, Michael Markarian.  It basically outlines different policies the government should adopt that are both budget and animal “friendly.”

At first glance, it all comes off like a serious effort by the group to provide helpful advice to the government.  Who could possibly be against stopping the seemingly endless flow of red ink given our current national debt?

However, it doesn’t take long to read between the lines here.  Its entire tenor is intended to paint HSUS as being a “concerned” corporate citizen.  It implies that the group wants to be a partner and is simply looking out for the national interest while it also looks out for the “welfare” of animals.

Again, this is the kind of warm, fuzzy image HSUS likes to portray.  According to its logic, how can anyone (anyone “reasonable” that is, of course) be against them? 

Indeed, if it can convince policymakers and the “average Joe” this is what they stand for, then the battle for sportsmen’s rights will become even more difficult.  Whoever goes after HSUS will be painted with the brushstroke of “extremist” while these antis cling to an image of moderation.

As I said last week, don’t let anyone forget just how much money HSUS has spent fighting political battles just this year! 

“We know that HSUS spent over $250,000 to defeat a pro-hunting constitutional amendment on the ballot in Arizona this November.  They also spend many times that on other issues and lobbying efforts harmful to sportsmen. “

If you’re not convinced that HSUS’ agenda extends much farther than usually spoken of in public, I will leave you with this rather telling quote:

“The HSUS is one actor- albeit a major one- in the larger movement to restructure humanity’s relationship with animals and the natural world…

We exist to change the status quo and to change social norms.  As such, confrontation and controversy are not to be feared; instead, they are logical consequences of meaningful and effective action.”

That is from a memo Wayne Pacelle, the President and CEO of HSUS sent to his staff in 2004 upon assuming leadership of the group. 

Does that sound like a “reasonable” and “responsible” group or does it sound like a group bent on massive change to our traditions and social fabric?

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Even with the controversy over the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) president’s recent comments about Michael Vick are raising eyebrows, the animal right’s group is on the verge of getting a quarter of a million dollars from Pepsi!

Many sportsmen will remember the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) alert that Pepsi was about to give $250,000 to HSUS through a monthly online voting contest at www.refresheverything.com. 

As of press time, there is still no official announcement of the outcome; however, HSUS remains listed as a “finalist”.  Barring something completely unforeseen, it looks very likely to receive a $250,000 grant. 

In the meantime, it is important to reflect on what this means.  HSUS basically continues to “mainstream” itself and works to sanitize its image. 

The clever folks at HSUS know that it is unlikely they could raise millions upon millions of dollars if they are perceived as a big time lobbyist association.  But, if they are seen to be “rescuing animals from cruelty in underserved areas,” which is the focus of the Pepsi grant, they will get people to open their wallets. 

Will HSUS use the $250K to help rescued animals as their application indicates?  Probably.

Of course, with over $150 million in assets, it seems strange that they really needed that $250,000 to do something so obvious to the countless local humane shelters across the nation.  Why weren’t they spending that amount before? 

It has been the topic of many articles and blogs that HSUS spends a small amount of that huge budget on direct animal care and spends the lion’s share on lobbying and campaigns. 

We know that HSUS spent over $250,000 to defeat a pro-hunting constitutional amendment on the ballot in Arizona this November.  They also spend many times that on other issues and lobbying efforts harmful to sportsmen.

Those are HSUS’ true colors.  By potentially getting this grant, HSUS is merely able to reap the benefits of good PR while keeping their “stock of ammunition” aimed at sportsmen and farmers. 

This means that many people will never look beneath the surface at the agenda of HSUS.  They won’t pay attention to HSUS’ attacks on responsible dog breeders.  They won’t pay attention to their efforts to oppose the delisting of many fully recovered animals from the Endangered Species List.  They won’t pay attention to HSUS’ nationwide campaign of attacks on traditional farming practices.   

Simply put, HSUS will appear as mainstream an organization as the Red Cross.  And that is a danger.  It’s a danger sportsmen, farmers and all citizens need to keep banding together to fight.

By the way, for those of you that are interested, it has come to the USSA’s attention that a group with a good cause is in the running for another $250,000 grant from Pepsi.  The American Freedom Lodge is looking to buy and refurbish a cabin that will be used to house disabled veterans that the group takes on its annual deer and turkey hunts. 

Click here to check out the American Freedom Lodge proposal.  You need to register and vote by December 31 if you want to make a difference.

By Jeremy Rine, Associate Director of State Services

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation recently submitted comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) urging the removal of wolves in the Western Great Lakes region as a listed species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). 

These comments were submitted as part of the FWS’ 12-month review of whether or not wolves in these areas (mainly Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) should be removed from Federal protection and returned to state management.

In these areas, wolves have exploded past population goals and the FWS has tried to remove them from ESA protection several times.  Sadly, each time the FWS has moved to delist the wolves the anti-hunting crowd has blocked the delisting with a lawsuit.

After reading through some of the comments submitted by animal rights groups, like the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Help Our Wolves Live, and the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund one thing is obvious -

Their sights remain set on the courts.

Not only are they preparing to challenge any move by the Service to delist the wolves in the courts, they are preparing to argue every angle imaginable to win.

Even though wolves have far exceeded recovery goals, these groups know that in court, the smallest technical detail, unrelated to whether or not the wolves have recovered, can block the delisting.

This tactic undermines wildlife conservation by taking conservation decisions out of the hands of wildlife professionals and putting them in the hands of judges.  Unchecked wolf populations threaten stable populations of other wildlife like deer and elk, they threaten the safety of hunting dogs and pets, and they threaten livestock.  And, as wolf populations continue to grow, the possibility of aggressive wolf incidents towards people will also grow.

Moreover, these lawsuits can delay the delisting of a species for years on end while costing the states and federal government thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Overall, there is too much at stake for the management of a fully recovered wolf population, or any other wildlife population for that matter, to be based on a technical legal ruling instead of science based conservation.

By Evan Heusinkveld, Director of State Services

Over the last few weeks we’ve run a series of blog posts looking at the results of the November 2nd mid-term elections in an effort to help educate sportsmen about how the next two or more years are likely to shape up.  

The one common thread throughout has been the expectation of gridlock in D.C. with the two parties now sharing control.  But a better question should be about what the playing field will look like at the state level for hunters, anglers and trappers in 2011 and 2012.  As sportsmen know well, it’s usually the actions taken in the halls of state capitols that have immense impacts on our sports.

In breaking down the results, two items really stood out to me. 

First and foremost, over half the states in the country (27) have elected a new Governor.  Of those, 18 will see a change in the political party of the Governor: 12 switching to Republican, five to Democrat and one to an Independent. 

But the story doesn’t end there.  The second item that stood out wasn’t that this was a landslide election for Republicans.  Instead it was just how much of a landslide it turned out to be. 

Most of the post-election media attention has been centered on Congressional Republicans regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Meanwhile in the states, the seismic shift towards conservative legislators was even more remarkable but much less talked about.  

Of the 87 state legislative chambers that were up for election in November, a staggering 75 chambers saw Republicans increase the number of seats they held.  Compare that to only seven gains for Democrats and five states that saw no change in their balance. Republicans increased their membership in an incredible 86% of state legislatures.

But election results are only the opening chapter of this story.  This story instead will be written over the next two years as decisions are made all across the country that will impact our hunting heritage. 

Many of these decisions will be made by elected officials who may have little or no familiarity with our issues.  And while any change in leadership can be seen as a threat to current practices, it also may offer possibilities for expanded access, reduction in barriers to youth participation, and the opportunity to work with sportsman friendly legislators.   

Conventional wisdom says that the next two years should be great for sportsmen and gun owners as the wave of Republicans take office.  But I would argue that sportsman-friendly politicians are less identified by the “R” or the “D” next to their name, but as to the area they represent.  More often than not, it’s in the breakdown of urban versus rural that show us who are friendly to our sports. 

Regardless of political party or geographic locale, one fact is clear - new state lawmakers will soon be taking office across the country.  This change is both a threat and an opportunity for sportsmen.  We must all make sure that these newly elected lawmakers understand the importance of hunting, fishing, shooting and trapping to our economy, wildlife conservation, and our culture.  It is on us to get to know our elected officials and help educate them on the importance of our sports to all citizenry in the country.

By William Horn, Director of Federal Affairs

Sweeping changes in the 112th Congress and the U.S. House of Representatives are touching off a major game of musical chairs as committee and subcommittee chairmanships which will impact hunters, anglers, and conservation policy are decided.  

The House Committee on Natural Resources is the key committee for sportsmen. It has jurisdiction over fish, wildlife and public lands and has been chaired over the last four years by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV).  He is likely to be replaced by Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Rahall is expected to leave the committee.

Hastings is a traditional Western Republican who strongly supports multiple uses of public lands.  He has been a friend of hunters and anglers and has pressed the National Park Service (NPS) for more recreation and access friendly policies.  These include the maintenance of traditional fish stocking where NPS wanted to cut it off in the name of "natural management."  His elevation to committee chair should occur on Dec. 6 or 7 when the House Republican Conference meets to elect new chairman.

The outlook for subcommittees is less clear.  The key fish and wildlife subcommittee has been chaired by Del. Madeline Bordallo (D-Guam). Possible replacements in January include Reps. Don Young (R-AK), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), and Rob Wittman (R-VA).  Young is an avid hunter and previously chaired the full committee in the 1990's. However, he has had a rocky relationship within incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R- OH).  Consequently, Young's seniority may not be sufficient to land him the subcommittee chairmanship.  

On the Parks and Public Lands subcommittee, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) is the favorite to take the chair. He would replace Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) -- a very liberal member with close ties to national "green" and wilderness interests.  Rep. Bishop has long fought on behalf of sportsmen in opposition to the designation of new National Monuments from existing public lands.  This is of critical interest to sportsmen nationwide as Monument designations in reality work to limit access to federal lands and restrict wildlife management options.

Subcommittee assignments should be known before Christmas. Once the GOP conference elects new full committee chairs, the new chairmen will work to organize their new committees including subcommittee arrangements. Their recommendations to the leadership should be acted on before December ends.

While changes are coming to the U.S. Senate as well, they are not as dramatic as those in the House.

The Senate outlook shows a major contrast between the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.   The make-up of the Environment committee has hardly changed.  Re-elected Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) should continue in the chair and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) as the ranking Republican. 

Sen. Boxer has been no friend of hunters but has largely ignored fish and wildlife issues except those associated with the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  Climate change and the controversial "cap and trade" legislation have been her priorities.  Since these items are effectively dead in the new GOP-controlled House, Boxer may now switch her role to blocking Republican initiatives such as corrections to the ESA.

The situation in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee remains unclear.  While Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) should stay on as chairman, the identity of the ranking committee Republican is uncertain. It will likely not be decided before the new congress is sworn in this January.  

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) who currently holds that slot would like to remain the ranking minority member.  However, in the wake of her write-in victory as an "Independent", some GOP Senators may want to oust her from the position.   If Sen. Murkowski is removed as the ranking Republican, either Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) or John Barrasso (R-WY) would likely assume the position.  From a policy perspective, it matters little.  All three have been helpful to hunters and anglers. This should be resolved when the GOP Senators meet in December to organize for next year.

While the sweeping changes made to the U.S. House of Representatives on Election Day may offer certain possibilities for sportsmen, the Senate leadership remains unchanged and the overall dynamic of Washington is expected to include significant grid-lock.  While we will continue to press for improvements, the prospects for the advancement of sportsmen’s issues would certainly appear to be a challenging task in the 112th Congress.

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

Politically, the focus of much of the media, and a lot of folks who are interested in such things, is on Washington DC.  Its been well documented how the Republicans rode a groundswell of voter anger to a take-over of the House of Representatives and a much closer margin in the United States Senate.  Most assume that the next two years will be known more for gridlock rather than addressing public concerns. 

I have two thoughts on that.  First is that some things will get done in Washington for those who are willing to do the work.  Sportsmen can’t think that gridlock means we don’t have to pay attention to or engage our elected officials.  It is not the time to think we can just take to the woods assuming nothing is getting done…good or bad. 

I assure you that the Humane Society of the United States will not be putting their agenda on hold for the next two years, and neither should we.

My second thought is about where the game is usually played anyways and that is in the states.  The vast majority of laws that impact our rights to hunt, fish, shoot, trap and even own firearms are made in the fifty state legislatures.

In fact, other than endangered species, migratory birds and federal land management, the rest of laws impacting sportsmen are developed in state capitols. 

And in the states, there will be far less gridlock.  Things will continue to get done in many of these states.  The question will be who will be standing watch to make sure that the interests of hunters, anglers and trappers are protected. 

After Election Day, 15 new states are now controlled by one political party.  By this I mean that the Governor and both chambers of the legislature are now of the same party.  While that doesn’t automatically mean they will all agree all of the time, it does mean that they will start out closer philosophically than if there was a divided government. 

It’s important to think of these next two years in a different mindset.  It’s easy to think about how much defense we will have to play.  But think instead of how many opportunities there could be if we engage the parties in power. 

How many more states could lower the barriers that prevent us from passing hunting on to the next generation?  How many new pieces of land could be open to hunting, fishing and trapping?  How many unnecessary restrictions on firearms could be rescinded if sportsmen were willing to put in the time?

Over the next few weeks, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance will continue to break down the election and what it means to our heritage.   

It’s probably a pretty safe bet that in Washington things will have a hard time passing.  But in the states, the opportunities are there.  And times like these don’t come along very often.   

By Jeremy Rine, Associate Director of State Services

For years you’ve probably been seeing our press releases talking about the ongoing court battles over the Canada lynx and trapping in both Maine and Minnesota.  Hopefully, you’ve read our latest release highlighting the victory on the recent appeal in Maine. 

In the most recent case, the Animal Welfare Institute and the Wildlife Alliance of Maine filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife requesting an injunction to permanently shut down trapping in the state.  They claimed that Maine’s trapping regulations allowed for Canada lynx, a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to be incidentally caught in traps. 

Ultimately, the Court ruled that even if lynx were incidentally caught in traps the antis had to show that accidently catching a single lynx “irreparably harmed” the lynx population as a whole.  In the end, they couldn’t do this.  Sportsmen won the case and the subsequent appeal.

If you aren’t a trapper in Maine or in Minnesota there is a good chance that you’ve wondered what the Canada lynx (and the above case) has to do with you.  Why does a lawsuit concerning lynx in Maine matter to a hunter in Kansas or a fisherman in Florida? 

The answer can be boiled down to two words, legal precedent. 

Legal precedents are set when courts interpret what the law says, in this case the ESA. These interpretations are examples for other courts across the country to follow.   On the surface, the lynx cases were a simple attack on trapping in Maine and Minnesota.  However, had the antis won the legal precedent set by these cases would have set the stage for much, much more than just a ban on trapping in those states.  Anti-hunting groups across the nation could have used the case as a basis in other courts to attack hunting, fishing, and trapping. 

There are all kinds of ridiculous lawsuits that anti-hunting groups could dream up if they had set a favorable precedent in the lynx cases. 

Perhaps they’d set their sights on pheasant hunters in Kansas claiming they are “harassing” an endangered species by simply walking through fields that the species might occupy (harassing an endangered species is prohibited under the ESA).  Maybe they’d seek a fishing ban in Florida because fishermen could accidentally catch a fish listed as threatened under the ESA.

The sheer amount of time and money that these groups have spent in court highlights just how important of a precedent the lynx cases could have set for them and how dangerous it could have been for sportsmen.  They’re willing to spend years in court and countless dollars on legal fees because they know that if they get that one precedent-setting win it will make it that much easier for them to chip away at hunting, fishing, and trapping in other states.

Fortunately, sportsmen have won the first few rounds in the Lynx battles.  Even so, sportsmen can’t turn a blind eye to what is happening in other states because, in the end, something that seems too far away to matter, like the Canada lynx in Maine, could end up playing a pivotal role in whether or not you get to hunt, fish, and trap in your own backyard tomorrow.

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

The dust has only begun to settle on last night’s sweeping decision by Americans to re-make the face of our government once again.  Both in the nation’s capitol and in the states, Republicans made gains that will substantially shape the future of the country and, of course, the lives of many sportsmen and women. 

The difference this time will be all about priorities. 

The vast majority of our elected officials will be headed to the capitols to try to address major economic concerns and serious budget shortfalls.  In many races, victors were heard to say that anything and everything is on the table to balance budgets and jumpstart economies.

Given the length and depth of this recession I suspect that is true.  And that means that sportsmen, perhaps more than ever before, must engage their state and national government. 

Beginning in January a new pack of politicians will take office.  And these are folks that are unlikely to have ever heard of the critical connection between our successful wildlife conservation history and American sportsmen and women.

They may not know that hunting and fishing are major economic drivers across the U.S.  They may not understand that sportsmen pay the freight when it comes to habitat conservation, land acquisition and wildlife management through the licenses bought by hunters, anglers and trappers.

And unless we as a community take action, there will be many legislators tempted by the pots of money where our hunting and fishing license dollars are kept.  This will be especially true as budget axes begin falling to address the sea of red ink.  Once those funds are raided to pay for parks, or roads or prisons or education or any other laudable function of government, we will effectively be killing the goose that lays the golden egg. 

Once sportsmen no longer see a connection between their licenses and beautiful wild places to hunt and fish, they will be much, much harder to convince to support license fees at all.  To us it would be no different than seeing the government take our social security taxes and know that they will not be used for that purpose. 

So what this all means…is that it is up to us to get busy right now. 

We must reach out to these newly elected officials and begin the process of introduction and education into our community.  In some cases some of this has already been done.  But it’s our job to make sure it is done in every case. 

To be sure, national sportsmen organizations including the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance will be doing this important work.  But truly, the best and most effective place for a legislator to get this kind of information is straight from one of their own constituents.  Why?  Because right now when it is fresh in their minds, these elected officials know that without you, they would not have the honor to serve.  Right now is the time to get busy so that we are not trying to educate after poor decisions are made.  Letting that happen would be as much our responsibility as those making the decisions.        

By Evan Heusinkveld, Director of State Services

Early Tuesday morning, November 2nd, polls across the country will open.  This will mark the start of the 2010 midterm elections.  Despite being a non-presidential year, there are still many important races that will affect the lives of millions of sportsmen and women across the country.  This year’s election is as important as ever for hunters, anglers and trappers who must ensure we elect representatives who share our way of life.

Nationally, voters will have the chance to fundamentally change the make-up of Congress with all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representative’s and 37 of the 100 U.S. Senators up for election.  In addition, many state and local politicians will be on the ballot with most states electing new members of their State House and State Senate.  37 states will also be electing Governors and countless states are facing ballot initiatives. 

With so many seats at stake, it’s critically important that sportsmen don’t spend this Election Day on the sidelines.  While sportsmen and women have weathered the multi-million dollar operating budgets and the unyielding attacks of the animal-rights and anti-hunting movement, today we must also face this fight on Election Day. 

Antis across the country are spending huge amounts of money in an attempt to influence the outcome of these elections.  Whether it’s buying advertising in support or opposition to state ballot issues, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to candidates, or simply spending their time campaigning, their efforts to eliminate our way of life continues. 

Take the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for example.  That organization alone has spent over $2 million dollars across the country to try and influence the outcome of this fall’s election. 

That doesn’t take into account the expenditures of countless other animal rights organizations on state legislative, gubernatorial and ballot issue races all across the country.  All told, these groups will make a multi-million dollar effort to influence voters and to push their agenda.

Sportsmen and women have long beat back the antis’ repeated attempts to take away our rights.  This November 2nd, we have yet another opportunity to do so by electing candidates who support our hunting heritage, the second amendment, and realize the danger of the ever-growing animal rights movement. 

It’s our responsibility to each other to ensure that our family and friends realize the importance each election holds. If you want to keep your rights to hunt, fish and trap, you must first exercise your right to vote.  Do so November 2nd.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

In the last On Target, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) issued a call for new Local Field Directors (LFDs). Of course, LFDs are very important and we hope many of you will help out and become one.

There is another area where the USSA needs help too.  This is in our grassroots network called Sentry.

Already, the USSA has a strong voice in state capitals around the country and in Washington D.C.  But, the louder the voice the better. 

That is why we have unveiled our Sentry Program earlier this year with Dick and Mary Cabela as our first spokespersons.  It’s also why many different celebrities have jumped on board including comedian Jeff Foxworthy, the general manager of B.A.S.S. - Tom Ricks and outdoor legend Jim Zumbo.  Just this week we officially added an up and coming outdoor personality, bow hunter and NFL cheerleader Laura Francese as well.

Yet, even as we add celebrities (and there are many more coming), what we really need is YOU!

An army of sportsmen marching on the state capital and flooding legislators’ offices with phone calls and faxes will make sure hunting, shooting, fishing and trapping are not ignored by elected officials. 

The good news is that if you are getting our On Target newsletter and our action alerts, then you've already signed up as a Sentry.  Yet, I bet you have many friends who aren’t getting it and could use it. 

So please, go ahead and share with them a little info about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.  Tell them what we do to defend hunting, fishing and trapping.  Tell them its absolutely FREE to be a Sentry and to be on our e-mail list. 

Of course, we need funds raised through our dues paying members too (we need to compete with the hundreds of millions raised by the antis).  Click here if you’re not yet a member. 

By the way, very shortly, dues paying members of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance will have access to a wide array of new benefits.  So keep an eye out for more info on that!

Bottom line- Please help us by asking all your friends to become Sentries in order to fight the antis and you can help keep the Alliance in the game and by becoming a dues paying USSA member.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

I have always believed that deep within our DNA, we all have a love of the outdoors.

During the first months of 1998 when I assumed the role of president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) a lot of discussion took place on the decline of sportsmen numbers. 

With the support of our board of directors we commissioned a major research study to determine what the major causes of the decline were.  The study entitled, American Public Attitudes on Hunting, represented the most detailed and comprehensive research ever performed on the subject.

Some of the Key finding of the study revealed that:

• The average age of hunters was substantially older, on average, than the population at large,
• Over 85%  of our nation’s population lives in urban areas, as long as four generations removed from rural life and tend to be apathetic about sportsmen in general, and
• The Animal rights movement had become a serious threat through its anti-hunting campaigns.

The study also revealed that sportsmen needed to create both a public educational tool and a recruiting program to attract youth and parents to embrace an outdoor lifestyle.

With this study in mind, the USSAF brought together a variety of players to determine if a creative outdoor program could be created to meet this need.  Based on suggestions from an array of sportsmen, in 2001 the USSAF launched a pilot, called the Trailblazer Adventure Program, in Atlanta, Georgia.  The pilot was supported by the Georgia Division of Wildlife, the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, several local sportsmen/conservation clubs and individual sportsmen.  We expected a maximum 300 participants, 1,360 showed up.  

The idea behind Trailblazer Adventure not only drove a number of people to attend the event, but our post event surveys also indicated that they were ecstatic with the program’s content as well.  In 2002 we conducted five additional pilots around the country to verify whether our approach was correct.  While making refinements at each event, we stuck to our basic format and averaged over 1,000 participants at each site.  In 2003 we expanded to fifteen sights and maintained our 1,000 average.

This fall the Trailblazer Adventure Program will surpass one million participants.  This would not have been possible if it were not for the involvement of state fish and wildlife agencies, youth agencies like the Boy Scouts of America, hundreds of sportsmen/conservation clubs, thousands of sportsmen who acted as mentors, and a number of financial supporters from individual donations to government grants.

It is exciting for me to see this award winning program not only educating the general public on an outdoor lifestyle, but also how much of a key leadership role sportsmen have and continue to play within our nation’s conservation movement.

However, the most exciting part of the story is that we are only beginning to see the benefits of the Trailblazer Adventure Program.  One in four who attended our events expressed a desire to seek more outdoor adventure, and almost all who attended have become advocates of outdoor sports.  This will pay huge dividends in the years ahead.  To add to the excitement, if we continue at the pace we are currently setting, we will surpass the two million participation mark in less than five years.

The Trailblazer Adventure Program has proven that deep within our DNA we all have a desire to enjoy outdoor sports.  All we need to do is give them a chance.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

I know, the headline to this blog is shocking and may come off as almost like a piece of wacky propaganda.  However, while the headline is “crazy” it’s also quite true.

I came upon this blog from HumaneWatch.org.  It outlines the strange tale of an obscure academic article in the Northwestern University legal journal.  Apparently, the head of the litigation unit of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, one of the leading animal rights legal groups in the country, believes it is permissible to prevent people from having babies under a wide range of circumstances.

Carter Dillard, who also happens to on the faculty of the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, recently wrote a paper published in the Northwestern University Law Review.  Amazingly, Dillard actually argues that there should be a constitutional limit on an American’s right to have children.  A key quote from the article, which can be found here, states,

“[A] state can constitutionally justify a legal prohibition on procreation in certain circumstances using the notion of threshold harm, because it accounts for what has been recognized as a compelling state interest: the prevention of children living in certain existences that fall below a given threshold level of well-being.”

You read that right, he is saying that humans should not be allowed to have children if the state determines that the children will fall below some type of threshold for what qualifies as a worthwhile life. 

In other words, if there is a strong chance that parents may have future children with certain kinds of disabilities, the state should prevent those parents from ever having children at all.

Again, this is from the top guy at a major animal rights group that is constantly filing lawsuits for a variety of reasons.  Dillard has also served as a counsel for that other animal rights group we always talk about, the Humane Society of the United States.  Now that is a very interesting relationship and one that raises many questions about the real mindset of the people behind all those warm and fuzzy images…

By Frank Price, Field Services Director

If you’re looking for the kind of person who will always be at your side, through thick and thin, then someone like Jude Fleshman is exactly what you would be looking for.  In every way that counts, Jude is the kind of volunteer any group would fall all over themselves to work with. 

Jude has been a long time member and supporter of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, dating back to its earliest days.    

As the father of a very large family, Jude needed to hunt and fish to put food on the table every night. That experience taught him just how important the sportsman lifestyle is and is a big reason he has been at the Alliance’s side for over 30 years.

He spends many a long weekend running booths at shows and other events promoting the Alliance. He travels far and wide, not just in the Alliance’s home state of Ohio, but across the entire country to help get the Alliance’s message out about the need to work together.

Beyond just what he alone does for the Alliance, Jude has also gotten his children and grandchildren involved in the outdoors and the Alliance too. He brings them to the annual “Save Our Heritage” Rally in Columbus and always fills a table.  He also has persuaded them to work the Alliance booth at the annual Johnstown Sportsmen’s Club Swappers Days event over Labor Day weekend.

As a member of the Hilltop Sportsmen’s Club in Orient, Ohio, Jude has an honor that not many folks can lay claim to-  the club’s archery range is named after him. Of course, having an archery range named after you is the kind of honor that normally happens when you are no longer living.  Needless to say, that makes this quite a statement on what Jude means to the club.

There is no doubt that having an army of volunteers like Jude can get people’s attention. He is a model sportsman and a pillar in the community.  The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is honored to have Jude among our many dedicated volunteers and is always looking to find others who are willing and able to step up to the plate the same way he has!

If you’re one of those people or know someone who is, please contact Frank Price at fprice@ussportsmen.org or 614-888-4868 x 202.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance was first formed back at the end of the 1970s to fight the anti-hunting, animal rights movement.  In fact, we are really the only group in the country whose sole mission is to confront them and beat them.  This is why we think it is so important to keep America’s sportsmen aware of what the animal rights movement really represents and the kind of world they would establish if they ever had the power to do it.

With that in mind, I was struck by this article I came across while rummaging around through some of my favorite websites the other night.  I was struck by how scary the picture it portrays is of what the animal rights movement is really attempting to do.

Quoting from the article,

“Some animal protection activists are pushing for laws that would extend rights and protections to animals that have been, up to now, reserved for humans.”

"Animals are closer to us than an inanimate object that we use as a tool for everyday living," says Adam P. Karp, an attorney in Bellingham, Wash., who devotes his practice to cases involving animals. "The law should recognize animals as legal persons with the same access to justice."

Here’s another section,

“Animal protection lawyers, however, take issue with the fact that the law still classifies animals solely as property—regardless of their relationship with humans—and only allows owners to recover a loss based on market value.”

First off, it should be pointed out that this article is featured on the website of the American Bar Association’s Journal.  Yes, the American Bar Association (ABA) as in the group that by its own admission is,

“the largest voluntary professional association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.”

This means that these ideas, while maybe not yet commonplace, are becoming increasingly accepted by professionals across the country.

As you hopefully recall, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance was leading the charge of fighting the appointment of Cass Sunstein to the position of President Obama’s “Regulatory Czar” last year and we came very close to blocking it.  We did that because, among other things, Sunstein had written approvingly of the possibility of giving animals legal rights.  Clearly, he is by no means alone in entertaining the idea.

That means that the seemingly absurd idea that animals should be treated legally the same as humans is no longer a joking matter.  It’s being pushed hard enough that it is getting a serious look by serious people.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize where all of this could very easily head if we turn a blind eye. 

If an animal has legal rights comparable to those of a human, how can they ever be hunted?  How can an angler ever catch a fish?  Wouldn’t both be pretty obvious violations of their “legal rights?”

Think it can’t happen?  Well, it probably won’t… for awhile, but the fact that the ABA is giving the issue play means that in the future, you never really know.

That’s why the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance needs your help.  We need to be able to make sure we have the resources necessary to shine a bright spotlight on these ideas so that America doesn’t wake up one day and realize their pet could sue them tomorrow.

By Frank Price, Field Services Director

I don’t know about you, but I have to watch the Wizard of Oz with my daughter several times each year.  In fact, it seems like I always have the song, “Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!” swirling around my head.

As I was thinking about e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, texting, blogs, forums and Twitter, a similar tune popped in my head -   “E-mail, Facebook and Twitter…Oh My!” 

I know, it’s silly and I know that all of you rough and tough outdoor guys are going to laugh a little (or maybe a lot), about me watching the Wizard of Oz!  Come on, haven’t YOU ever had to watch it with your kids?  I promise I watch John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies too…

Anyway, who on earth knows what all these funky so-called “social media” things are?

Well, simply put, these are new communications tools helping us all keep up with family, friends and even co-workers.  In a way, they are almost like a “virtual sportsmen’s club.” 

It seems like just yesterday folks were joining a sportsmen’s club to have place to shoot, meet up with other hunters, anglers and shooters to talk about what you did in the field.  Some of the best memories come from shooting the breeze with good friends and talking about the “one that got away” or that impossible shot you pulled off. You could walk in the clubhouse and there would be a pot of coffee brewing, deer heads on the wall, the American flag in the corner and you’d recite the “Pledge of Allegiance” before the meeting.

Of course, this is still what a lot of us do.  Nothing will ever take the place of good, old fashion face to face time at a local sportsmen’s haunt. 

But, social media is providing us with another way to talk to each other.

Think about it, they are now making it easier than ever to post your deer picture or the video showing how hard you fought that Largemouth Bass on YouTube.  Your friends, even the guys you met last year on that hunting trip out west, can comment on it.  You can also e-mail the pictures to tons of friends from around the country or even text your buddy sitting in that duck blind a few hundred yards away to check up on how his day’s going.

While the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is still pretty “old school” on a lot of things (phone calls and personal letters still count in our book), we’re also working hard to get into this new world.

We have a Facebook page, a Twitter page, a YouTube page and a CamoSpace page.  Also, one of our biggest efforts to date is the Sentry program that through email gives you access to important information on how to protect your hunting, fishing and trapping rights.  It also lets you easily pass it all on to lots of others.

We have a Sentry website that’s a one stop shop for things like hunting regulations, maps and weather. There’s contests running now and then and has a place to pin up your photos. Like I said, it’s kind of like a “virtual sportsman club” and its all yours at NO COST. Just need to give us a name, email, zip and phone number at www.ussportsmen.org/beasentry.

Get involved with the group that’s keeping it legal for everyone and check us out at all of our social sites.   Be a part of our virtual sportsman club today! 

By Frank Price, Field Services Director

And boy has the Rushcreek Sportsmen’s Club, nestled in the heart of Hardin County Ohio, stepped up in a big way time and time again.

It has been a part of the Alliance since our beginning.  That means since 1977, when Ohio sportsmen were battling to stop an anti-trapping constitutional amendment.  By the way, sportsmen won that battle by an overwhelming 2-1 margin, the first of many victories won by sportsmen and sportsmen clubs banding together for what is right.

Since the time when we were known as the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America (a name blast from the past!), Rushcreek has always done what was necessary to defend sportsmen’s rights in the Buckeye state.

Almost every year, Rushcreek hosts two events annually to raise much needed funds: their annual Fish Fry in January and their annual Spring Rendezvous shooting event in April. The Spring Rendezvous, in particular, is a collective effort of all the sportsmen’s clubs in Hardin County and another example of folks strapping on their boots and doing good work.

Not only has the club been a financial supporter of the Alliance, they have also been active at the grassroots level fighting for Ohio sportsmen’s rights. 

They were a major player in defeating the 1978 anti-trapping ballot issue that lead to the birth of the USSA, andRushcreek also played an indispensable role defending dove hunting in Ohio when the antis tried to take it away at the voting booth in 1998.  

By showing up in force at the Alliance’s yearly Ohio Legislative Reception in Columbus, Rushcreek stays deeply engaged with their local elected officials.  They do this back home too, always getting local officials to attend club meetings and functions.  At the end of the day, this helps to make certain that the politicians get a taste of what being a sportsman is all about.

Naturally, one might ask what would a sportsmen’s club be without some exciting things to do? 

Well, Rushcreek has tons of things to do for everyone that’s a member.  It features trap, 5 stand, sporting clays, archery, a warm and welcoming clubhouse, wetlands, rifle range and hunter education classes. The club has public sporting clay shoots the first Sunday of every month and a fish fry the third Saturday of every month.

Go to Rushcreek’s website at http://www.rushcreeksportsmen.org/ to learn more about them.

By Bill Horn, Director of Federal Affairs

Hunters, anglers, and trappers lost a great, lifelong friend on Monday.  Former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska died in a plane crash in a remote corner of southwest Alaska. He and a group of friends were flying to the Nushgak River to enjoy fishing for silver salmon. Five of the nine passengers perished in the tragic accident caused by Alaska’s treacherous weather.

A decorated war hero, Stevens had flown the dangerous “Hump” over the Himalayas, while dodging Imperial Japanese Zeros, to deliver war supplies behind Japanese lines in China. It was dangerous work and over 1000 American pilots died.  Young Lt. Stevens survived and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his courage and valor.

Ted’s life- long love affair with Alaska began when it was still a Territory.  His leadership skills were recognized and before long he was back in Washington, D.C. as the Department of the Interior’s chief lawyer and point man on Alaska Statehood.  The Statehood Act passed in 1958 and his role in nudging it through Congress remained one of his proudest achievements.

Stevens always loved Alaska fishing.  A photo of him and his boss, Secretary of the Interior Seaton, standing before a big catch of grayling and trout bore an inscription from Seaton: “this is what happens when you open your mouth too often!” Toward the end of his long Senate career, Ted wrestled a monster king salmon out of the Kenai River and mounted the trophy in his DC office.  Many a meeting about appropriations or public lands policy would be interrupted by the tale of catching the big one there on the wall.

He was in the trenches with the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) when hunting was on the line.  In the late 70’s, the Carter Administration had closed millions of acres of Alaska public lands to hunting.  Wonderful opportunities for moose, Dall sheep, caribou, brown bear, and mountain goats were cut off by the stroke of a pen.  Ted fought to reopen many of these lands and did so in 1980.  With President Reagan in office, Stevens led the effort in concert with USSA to reopen additional lands stymied in the House of Representatives.

Ted was a long time member of the powerful Appropriations Committee which writes the government funding bills.  He served as Chairman from 1997-2001 and 2003-05. Always keenly interested in Interior programs and the Fish and Wildlife Service, he was a longtime defender of access to public lands and protection of duck hunting and conservation programs.  When the lead shot/steel shot controversy in the 70’s and early 80’s threatened duck seasons, he made sure hunting remained open.

Years later, he played a key behind-the-scenes role in enactment of the 1997 Refuge Improvement Act.  USSA led the charge for this important law, which makes hunting and fishing “priority public uses” of the Refuge system (and cut off endless anti-hunter lawsuits seeking to terminate hunting on these public lands), and the bill had easily passed the House.  Senate approval was up in the air until an arrangement was made to “hold the bill at the desk” and pass it without going to committee where it could have died.  Ted helped us make that crucial arrangement.

Revered in Alaska, he became “Uncle Ted”. The rare elected official loved by the voters as much as he genuinely loved them.  One of Ted’s national legacies is the Magnuson Stevens Act that sets ocean fishing policy.  It makes conservation of our precious fishery resources the law of the land.  Implementation of the law is not without its controversies, but Ted was committed to assuring that our great fisheries would be managed scientifically for the benefit of anglers and commercial interests alike.

It was my great fortune to have worked for and with Ted for over 33 years.  For him as a young Congressional staffer when in my 20’s during the great battles over Alaska land designations;  Beside him as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks under President Reagan (a position I would not have gotten except for Stevens recommending me to the President);  And with him representing USSA in Washington, DC for the past 20 years.  A genuine, larger-than-life individual, the tragedy of his death has not really sunk in. 

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

I have always been a nerd when it comes to certain subjects.  For example, one of my favorite topics is foreign and national security, so it was with great interest when I saw that one of my favorite non-work news sources did a story on the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).

In a nutshell, the ALF is a terrorist group.  But they’re also a tough nut to crack because they are so decentralized.  The article I found describes the recent arrest of a “Lone Wolf” ALF terrorist that appears to have been responsible for a June 5 fire at a leather factory in Salt Lake City and a July 3 fire at a restaurant in Sandy, Utah.

The bottom line to take away from this is that the ALF is dangerous and that animal rights extremists are capable of anything in advancing their agenda. 

Below is an interesting section from the article I linked to above describing the general organization of ALF,

“Like its kindred organization the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), ALF was created to follow the organizational principles of leaderless resistance…

One tier adheres to the laws of the land and serves as the aboveground propaganda service for the cause…

The second tier in leaderless resistance is composed of anonymous individuals (“lone wolves”) and small groups of activists (“phantom cells”) who are responsible for conducting attacks — often referred to by the ELF/ALF and other activists as “direct actions.” The aboveground propaganda activists are responsible for providing motivation and general guidance to the operational tier as well as publicizing the cause and exploiting the illegal actions of the underground activists in the media.”

Also, note the conclusion here about the potential for escalating violence by those associated with ALF:

“Polarization in the animal rights community continues to grow, as do calls for lone wolves to remain isolated from more moderate elements of the community, who are seen as potential security threats. As those activists favoring violence draw further from the more moderate members of the movement — either due to ideological differences or the need for operational security — any moderating influence on the radicals will also be removed, and the lack of this influence will result in the more radical elements becoming even more violent.”

By Derrek Shively, Director of Education

What an event! 

This last weekend, I was fortunate enough to travel to Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia to attend the Boy Scouts of American National Jamboree.  From the moment our President, Bud Pidgeon, and I stepped foot on the base we could feel the excitement of such a monumental celebration of scouting not only for the National Jamboree, but for the 100th Anniversary for the Boy Scouts of America.

This year’s National Jamboree also allowed for a bit of excitement for the Trailblazer Adventure Program and one of our long-time national partners, the Crosman Corporation.  We joined forces to sponsor the Conservation Trail passport where scouts achieved stamps for experiencing various conservation aspects from a multitude of agency and non-profit organizations from the across the country.  Upon the completing the Conservation Trail the kids where eager to receive their special Conservation Trail patch.

The experience at National Jamboree and the Conservation Trail should be a spring board for the Trailblazer Adventure Program heading into our fall events.  This fall is going to have an extra special meaning for the program and all of our sponsors, dedicated volunteers, and youth organization partners.  During the weekend of October 2, the Trailblazer Adventure Program will be celebrating the milestone of reaching one million participants!  It was hard to imagine this weekend would be on the horizon back in 2001 in Atlanta, GA with only 1,000 kids.

Help celebrate this upcoming milestone by taking a child fishing, target shooting, or slinging some arrows!

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

First San Francisco, now Austin, Texas? 

And probably plenty more to come...

Since when did banning the sale of pets at pet stores become so popular? 

Recently, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) detailed how San Francisco was exploring the idea of basically banning the sale of pets in the city.  Though the controversial proposal was tabled, it is obvious that the effort is not just restricted to California.  Now, Texas seems a target as an effort to curtail pet stores has sprouted up with the tell tale fingerprints of America’s animal rights groups all over them.

The Austin City Council is looking to vote on a resolution mandating that the city manager work with the city’s legal beagles to create, within 90 days, an ordinance banning the retail sales of cats and dogs.

This can still only be described as a terrible trend.  Of particular concern is that it appears that information supplied by the largest anti-hunting, animal rights group in the nation, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is a major reason for the resolution being taken up.  HSUS’ research is prominently referred to in the resolution.

No one argues that pet stores should be selling animals that were bred in deplorable circumstances.  But two things should be pointed out.

First, can HSUS really prove, as alluded to in the resolution, that 90 percent of the cats and dogs being sold in Austin’s stores really come from abusive commercial breeders?  What scientific evidence is it using to make such a dramatic assertion?

Second, if people feel uncomfortable buying a dog or cat from a pet store, then they don’t have to.  I didn’t.  I got my dog from a local humane society.  Additionally, existing laws that target animal abuse should be enforced.

Why are we letting a group that has targeted hunting for decades and is now targeting farming be in a position to so dramatically influence how we live our lives?  Also, while I know slippery slope arguments can be a little overdone, one does have to wonder where things will go from here.

If every pet store in the country is put out of business, who’ll be next on the target list?  After all, there will always be another supposed “abuse” for HSUS to campaign to stop. 

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

In the wake of San Francisco’s serious look at banning the purchasing of pets, I could not resist sharing this video that I discovered the other day.  It’s a promotional video highlighting an annual Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sponsored activist conference.  I was struck at how well it highlights what HSUS is all about- ANIMAL RIGHTS and changing society. 

Basically, the video is a compilation of highlights from the conference HSUS held last year in the Washington D.C. area (and similar to another one they plan for this year).  Notice all of the “Herbivore” and “Go Vegetarian” signs strewn about the various exhibits.  Also, check out the sign and DVDs at the 43 second mark.  It reads: “NO Hunting: All animals on this property protected” complete with the HSUS logo on it. 

Does this sound like a group that is only against the “worst abuses?” 

Also, you should check out HSUS president and CEO Wayne Pacelle’s comments at the end where he states point blank, “We’re going to change the way society deals with them.”  Kind of sounds like a pretty hard core agenda, doesn’t it?  

I’ve written before about how the powers that be at HSUS see themselves as part of a social movement that is a natural progression, at least in their minds, of the civil and women’s rights movements. 

If this is what you believe, ok, I guess HSUS might be your kind of thing.  If you think comparing animal rights in the same breath as the struggles women and African-Americans have faced is crazy talk, you should spread the word about what animal rightists really represent. 

By the way, according to the New York City blog, the Gothamist, Patrick Kwan, HSUS’ New York State Director was quoted as saying, “The Humane Society of the United States does not support the buying and selling of dogs, cats, and wild animals, such as large constrictor snakes and primates, through pet stores.”  So is HSUS planning to put a San Francisco push on in the Big Apple?

For those listening, HSUS is telling you what they really stand for.  It’s time to get more people to listen.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

The recent news that ESPN is cutting back on its outdoor television programming came as a surprise for many sportsmen.  According to news reports, the only surviving show will be B.A.S.S. Tournament Trail programming, which will continue on ESPN 2 during weekend mornings.

However, while some of the standard programming that many sportsmen have become accustomed to may seem to be disappearing, in many ways this is simply not true.  Outdoor programming whether on the Sportsman’s Channel, Versus or the Outdoor Channel is still robust with those channels specifically focusing in on the outdoor lifestyle. Even more interesting is the  numerous websites that are springing up all the time that give sportsmen exactly what they want and, almost as important these days, when they want it.

Want a good video?  www.camospace.com has plenty from tons of people just like you.  Want to just enjoy a few stories from the field? Check out www.bowsite.com.  Need to learn how to defend your rights to hunt, fish or trap?  Check out www.ussportsmen.org/beasentry. 

Well, ok, the last one  may seem like shameless self promotion , but we really do need  a nationwide  grassroots army to help us beat back  the  anti-hunters,  so  you might consider signing up to be a Sentry  for your rights today .  After all it’s FREE and the Alliance will never sell your info, we just want and need your help to defend hunting, fishing and trapping.   You'll be joining an army that is approaching 100,000 sportsmen and sportswomen. 

 The bottom line is this: while it may take you some time to surf the Web and find what suits your tastes, chances are you’ll be able to find it.  The new media is here to stay and so are outdoor shows and outdoor sports!

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

234 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this nation is preparing to celebrate the most American of holidays on the 4th of July.  Of course, the holiday is about much more than fireworks, backyard barbecues and apple pie.  Simply put, it’s about freedom.  This year, when sportsmen reflect on the idea of freedom, they will be able to smile a little bit more thanks to a major decision earlier this week by the U.S. Supreme Court that reaffirms our Second Amendment rights.

On Monday June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision that made clear that the Second Amendment guarantee of the right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws, not just federal laws.  This long awaited decision will not end the battles over firearm restrictions as many gun control advocates look for ways to continue restricting this freedom. However, it will make their job harder. 

As I think back to what it must have been like at the time America declared its independence, it is striking how the very notion that a group of people could challenge their King was radical.  Fortunately, despite all of the back and forth over the years between those with different ideas of what freedom is, the main concept that a just government is “of the people, by the people, for the people” is still with us. 

The Supreme Court victory reinforces this and is particularly sweet for sportsmen.

After all, sportsmen have always been up front and center defending freedom.  They, maybe more than anyone else, can trace their traditions to the very first Americans who had to struggle so greatly to survive in a new land. Their support for defending the Second Amendment is second to none and now, they can breathe a little easier that that the top court in the land agrees with them.

As I enjoy the fireworks this year, I think my smile is going to be just a little bit wider. I hope it will be for all of you too.

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

Do you like conspiracy theories?  Apparently, the Humane Society of the United States’ President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, does.

You could not ask for a more crystal clear description of the views the HSUS has about hunting than this little piece from a previous Wayne Pacelle blog dealing with Alaska’s wolf management program:

“Many state fish and wildlife agencies cater to sport hunting enthusiasts by managing deer, elk, moose, and caribou for elevated population levels. They treat wild areas as open-area wildlife game ranchers, viewing wild ungulates like cattle and sheep, and killing the predators that threaten them—just like ranchers do. More predation by wolves, bears, or mountain lions means fewer game animals for hunters to shoot. They’ve got an economic stake in the matter: with inflated populations of hoofed game mammals, they can sell more hunting licenses and generate revenue for their bureaucracy.”

In the mind of the head honcho at HSUS, state agencies are basically conspiring to sell licenses in order to increase their bureaucracy.  If this is an accurate reflection of how they feel, how can any reasonable person not believe that they are adamantly anti-hunting?  Instead of acknowledging science, they assume underhanded motivations on behalf of wildlife professionals.

I wonder how the agency folks feel about being accused of this? 

Also, for those sportsmen in the Buckeye State, check out this blog on keeping an eye out for HSUS backers gathering signatures for their big push to go after farmers. 

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

In the latest issue of Buckeye Farm News, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Vice President for Marketing, Doug Jeanneret, and Director of Communications, Greg R. Lawson, help Buckeye farmers get an understanding of the threat they face from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Right now, HSUS requires over 400 thousand valid signatures from registered voters to put a constitutional amendment on the Ohio ballot that will radically restrict what Ohio farmers can do, greatly increasing the cost of Ohio agriculture and causing job loss at a critical time for the state.  Essentially, they are parachuting in from out of state pushing their agenda against our farmers, many of whom, are avid sportsmen. 

So what can you do?  Well, for one thing, if they don’t enough signatures, the issue won’t make it to the ballot. 

So, if you see HSUS activists getting signatures at a local grocery or retail store, go talk to that store’s manager.  Remember, these guys need to have permission to set up shop on private property for political purposes.  If they don’t have it, they shouldn’t be approaching customers, asking them to sign petitions.  Often, even if they do have permission, the manager may not understand the political agenda they’re pushing.  

You don’t have to be confrontational, but none of us should make this easy for HSUS.  A little education here and there can stop them from pulling the wool over the eyes of honest store managers.

Editor’s Note:  According to a recent online survey conducted by AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com, 64 percent of hunters and anglers report they are not using social networking sites, like blogs, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to obtain outdoor information.  While these numbers may be slightly different depending on the polls and surveys taken, there is one clear thing to take away from this, the outdoor sports community should have a more active role in the new media environment in order to share experiences and fight back against the loud voices of the anti-hunting/animal rights community.

This week’s Bullseye Blog is a guest blog, written by blogging expert and executive business coach Barbara C., and will help explain how through blogging, you can get more involved in sharing your passion for the outdoors with friends, family and those that may not know much about our outdoor heritage”.

Did you know there’s an easy and fun way to protect your sportsmen’s rights without ever leaving the comfort of home or taking too much time away from the field?

I’m talking about blogging.

For anyone unfamiliar, the term “blog” is short for the term “weblog”.  But blogs aren’t just “kidstuff” anymore and have exploded in a big way with almost everyone using them.  Blogs are simply a short story mirroring an editorial about a subject that can be sent out quickly to the masses.  There are personal blogs, business blogs, celebrity blogs, and even outdoor blogs.

Blogs are popular for many reasons:  they’re fun, easy to create and can be easily personalized.  They give anyone with the right background the chance to be an authority on the web.

They can also help you protect your rights and traditions by giving you a chance to make an impact on how the public, the press – and even politicians view sportsmen’s issues.

The secret is that blogs run on a technology called RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication.  Simply put, whenever you post content on your blog, it can be indexed in Google or other online search engines almost INSTANTLY.

That means that you have the power to instantly publish content directly onto the web, which can be seen by millions of people – including members of the public, the press and politicians.

And on any given day, when those people perform a Google search for “hunting”, fishing” or “antis” – your blog makes your opinion visible – which means your voice can make the difference on any given day.

Can a simple blog translate into political power?  YES! 

Politicians and pundits check the “blog-o-sphere” daily for the pulse of the people – meaning you.

Blogs are easily the most powerful tool in the fight to protect your rights and those of your fellow sportsmen and women - and it’s as easy as typing.

Which brings us to our next question – are you blogging yet?

As a member of the USSA, you can help simply by blogging!  Help us help you! Take our Sportsmen’s Blog Survey & tell us what you think! Click here!

And stay tuned to USSA for more helpful and exciting blog ideas and information. Also stay tuned for future stories that will connect you to all the info you need to get started with your own blog.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Whenever the President nominates someone to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, it is inevitable that everything they ever wrote or said will be reviewed with a fine tooth comb.  Simply put, these lifetime appointments to a position that will determine whether or not laws are constitutional are too important not to take time and caution when reviewing.

For sportsmen, it is obviously very important to see what a potential Supreme Court Justice thinks about the Second Amendment.  This is especially important in these times, when it seems that around every corner is a legislator or city council person who wants to pass laws that would restrict gun owners’ rights with the courtroom often the last line of defense. 

So naturally, it is no surprise that recent news concerning President Obama’s latest pick to serve on the Court, Elena Kagan, has stirred some concern.  According to recent news reports, Kagan authored a memo in 1987 while serving as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall that indicated she was not sympathetic to the claims of a Washington D.C. man who had said his constitutional rights were violated after he had been arrested for carrying an unlicensed handgun.  

Knowing exactly what this means is an open question. 

According to Kagan, the memo she drafted was intended to reflect the views of her boss at the time and the White House has also chimed in by saying that the opinion was also the mainstream view of the law at the time.  Additionally, when referring (see page 32) to the 2008 Heller case in which the Supreme Court struck down a long-time Washington D.C. ban on guns, Kagan commented, “Essentially, the Court made clear that the Second Amendment right to bear arms should be treated like any other constitutional right – the Court, for example, offered an analogy to the First Amendment – providing strong but not unlimited protection.”

So the bottom line is that the Kagan nomination is ambiguous.  No sportsman could say she would be a “friend”, but the question as to whether she is an outright enemy is not easy to resolve. 

Here’s to hoping that Kagan will clarify these distinct positions during her confirmation process and that our senators ask the right questions.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

As we approach Memorial Day, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance wants to wish everyone a wonderful holiday and urge our supporters to thank the wonderful men and women of the armed forces for the risks they take every single day for our freedoms. 

It never gets old talking about how important the sacrifices made by our soldiers, marines and airmen have been since the Revolutionary War all the way to the current battles in Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond.  This is because, every new generation has its own stories to tell about they played a role in further hallowing the ground we walk on every single day.

From Yorktown to Normandy and Gettysburg to Fallujah, each of these battles, and countless others, has left their marks in our collective history. 

While this is a time to enjoy families during a holiday, it can never be forgotten just how precarious the very concept of freedom is and how difficult it is to defend in the face of challenges that often are unseen until the last moment. Sportsmen and women, many of which are or have been members of the services themselves, understand as well as anyone how precious this freedom is.

No doubt, the flags will be waving, memories shared and loved ones honored.  This is the American way…and the way it should be.

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

Sport anglers throughout the nation are worried about what could be one of the worst ecological disasters in American history.  To none of our surprise, they have “rolled up their sleeves” and are trying to help. Already, thousands of hunters and anglers have been participating in actions like a virtual town hall hosted by the National Wildlife Federation to learn about the impact and how they can begin helping in the clean up. 

The Gulf oil spill has captured the nation’s attention for several weeks as BP, the company that owned the oil rig, has tried several different methods of stopping the leak.  Unfortunately, the efforts have been unsuccessful and it is still unknown exactly how much oil is being spewed into the Gulf.  Also, there is now a lot of worry that the spill could impact the Florida Keys and get further into the Atlantic Ocean itself.

There is now even fear, that eventually the oil may impact the Florida Everglades.  Already, there are several reports warning of dire economic impacts to the Everglades should the spill not be contained.  According to a study conducted by the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, that was partially paid for by the Everglades Foundation, saltwater sportfishing has a $883 million in economic impact on the region. 

Trying to determine how bad an impact the spill will have on those dollars is unknown, but certainly everyone expects a negative impact of some sort.

No matter what one’s perspective is on drilling for oil, all we hope for is that the leaking is stopped, the spill contained and that the damage will prove to be far less than some of the forecasters are saying at the moment. 

One thing that I will take from this disaster is how the conservation ethic of the sportsmen and angling community played an important role in helping to clean up the aftermath of this tragic event. But, what else would you expect from America’s leading conservationists.  

By Derrek Shively, Director of Education

You might not think of folks from New York City being too deeply involved with the outdoor lifestyle.  After all, the most common images conjured up of the “Big Apple” are skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty, not muzzleloaders or archery equipment.  However, despite this conventional wisdom, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) found out that Big Apple kids like to get outside and learn about wildlife, conservation, and outdoor sports just as much as any others.

The USSAF partnered with the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America for a recent event at Ten Mile River Camps in Narrowsburg, NY.  The May 1 event provided the opportunity for nearly 220 scouts from areas such as Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Long Island to get a taste of the outdoors and take part in a variety of shooting activities such as shooting muzzle loaders, shotguns, .22 rifles, BB guns and archery.  Other activities were featured such as conservation education presented by Sullivan County Chapter, Ducks Unlimited, as well as trapper education offered by the Sullivan County Trappers Association. 

Though at 220 participants, this is smaller than the typical Trailblazer event, there’s no doubt this was a great first-time effort and promises to be the beginning of a long-term partnership.    I am already looking forward to working with the council in the future to provide outdoor education opportunities to the youth of the New York City metropolitan area.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

For most, trying to understand a PETA activist is a lot like trying to do some repairs on a new car – it is confusing, not much fun at all, and it might even seem scary.  However, sportsmen, along with farmers, scientists and practically anyone who is part of mainstream society should at least get a little taste of what makes these whackos tick.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately, depending on your perspective), PETA decided to help us all get a little glimpse into their world and their way thinking. 

Click here to watch a video by PETA founder and President Ingrid Newkirk and you’ll quickly understand the thoughts that guide the organization and its supporters.  While the video does show some images that are shocking, listen carefully, and you’ll hear, straight from Newkirk’s own mouth, about animal rights. She doesn’t hide the fact that PETA clearly looks at animals as being virtually indistinguishable from humans in most ways.

Again, this is the big difference between normal people- those that care about animals and who fight against needless cruelty, and an animal rightist- someone who thinks “a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy – they are all the same.”

You don’t have to take my word for it, just listen to Ingrid and she’ll tell you…

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Often, the phrases “animal rights” and “animal welfare” get used interchangeably. This is a mistake.

Sportsmen can easily support animal welfare. No sportsman wants to engage in acts that are maliciously cruel to animals. Indeed, outdoor traditions stem from a deep respect between hunter and hunted. That relationship goes back for literally thousands of years and at its core avoids unnecessary pain and suffering for the quarry. 

Animal rights, however, can never be embraced by sportsmen or anyone else unless they believe animals and humans are equal.

Interestingly, a long, obscure article from a vegetarian magazine shines a bright light on exactly what animal rights means to those who subscribe to it.

On the Humane Watch website, you can read this little gem from 1982 for yourself. It is absolutely shocking! According to the article, HSUS embraced a full blown animal rights position in 1981 and endorsed the following:

“there is no rational basis for maintaining a moral distinction between the treatment of humans and the treatment of other animals.”

Think about that for just a moment. There is no moral distinction between the treatment of humans and animals in the eyes of this group. What does that really mean?

There can be no other way of looking at this than to conclude that this group and other animal rightists sees hunting, fishing and trapping akin to murder and as such should be eliminated.

Remember, this statement is reportedly from HSUS. Does that sound like the belief system of a group that only wants to curb, in their own words, the “worst forms of abuse” as it often claims? Or does it sound like a hard core statement that defines its entire perspective on human-animal relationships?

Beyond the nugget about HSUS, this article also gives readers a good opportunity to examine the philosophical framework that animal rightists embraced over a quarter century ago and still abide by today. Again, this should be of concern to all, but especially to those who think they are simply “helping” animals when they give some of their hard earned dollars to HSUS or any other so-called animal rights group.

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

For over 30 years, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) has defended and promoted valid, scientific wildlife management principles.  It does not defend politicians, unless they are taking unfair criticism by also defending valid wildlife management.

This is the core issue with respect to the story the USSA recently ran criticizing a campaign led by the animal rights group Defenders of Wildlife against former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  The USSA’s effort is not about defending Sarah Palin as a political figure.  It is about keeping the public from being misled by the rhetoric employed by Defenders regarding wolf and polar bear management.

The Defender’s campaign is designed to pressure the Discovery Channel into not airing a new television program starring Palin.  The USSA suggested sportsmen counter the call by Defenders to drop the show.

Our release generated much feedback.

Those who objected to our position need to understand its basis:

1. Wildlife management is a complex subject that can often be mischaracterized in the eyes of the general public when emotional rhetoric is substituted for science.
   
2. Allowing unfounded attacks in a highly publicized environment , in this case regarding wolf and polar bear management, to go unanswered essentially allows those attacks to become the new, even if false, conventional wisdom.   As the USSA’s mission is to promote the sportsman's stewardship role in the scientific management of America's fish and wildlife, it would be a dereliction of our duty (and mission) to not respond.

On point, the USSA strongly disagrees with the two points made by Defenders against Palin’s policies and policy positions.

As the USSA, and several other leading conservation groups, made clear last year; Alaska’s wolf management policy is about predator management.  In contrast to the arguments outlined by Defenders, predator management is necessary for ensuring stable populations of prey species. Many residents of Alaska do rely on moose, caribou, and other wildlife species for food.  Consequently, over predation of those game species by wolves creates a problem for human’s today and in fact, for the predators tomorrow.

Though there can always be disagreement on the details of such management plans, the Alaska program is designed to target only those predators in areas where wildlife populations are not able to reach adequate levels of sustainability in the program’s absence.  Additionally, the plan continued after Palin resigned the governorship, illustrating that the decision was not based upon her opinion alone.  This management program has the support of Alaska’s very capable and professional wildlife managers.

As it relates to Palin’s opinion against the listing of polar bears on the Endangered Species List, the USSA has also argued against that policy.  There is a larger issue at work here than the hunting of polar bears. 

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) does not allow for listing species based on future predictions.  However, this is exactly what happened with the polar bear designation.  Currently unverifiable projections of climate data were assumed, not proven, to cause so much loss of arctic ice that the polar bears were deemed to require protection.  In fact, they became the first species to preemptively obtain ESA protection based on long-term fears over the impact of global warming.  Remember, we are talking about Canadian polar bears whose numbers are at the very least stable with most of the populations increasing.

By agreeing to list the polar bear, the government has created a precedent that can be used to place any type of wildlife under ESA protection.  It is not hard to imagine a future lawsuit where anti-hunting groups seek ESA protection for a wide range of freshwater fish in the Everglades due to long-term fears over climate change flooding the area with salt water – something that appears in news reports periodically.

Consequently, the battle over polar bears has much more to do with avoiding future pre-emptive ESA listings based upon questionable scientific evidence than the limited actual hunting of the bears themselves.

If ESA listings based upon similar questionable evidence begin occurring more regularly, the impact on hunting and wildlife management will be significant. Indeed, the federal government and state fish and wildlife agencies will use its funding to defend against lawsuits not on protecting and increasing wildlife populations.

We at the USSA sincerely appreciate the feedback we receive from our supporters and even our detractors.  The information we send out is designed to help sportsmen develop scientifically based knowledge and opinions about wildlife management.  We also hope that all who receive our information understand that it is our sole purpose and mission to defend the rights of sportsmen and sportswomen across the nation. 

The USSA is optimistic that as sportsmen become more aware of the complex scientific and legal issues surrounding wildlife management, hunting, fishing and trapping, all will understand that sometimes defending what is right requires taking a position that might seem controversial upon first glance, but correct upon further reflection.

Again, we welcome all comments on this and any other issue.

For those of you still wondering what the heck all the hullabaloo about “social networking” or “tweeting” is, this post’s for you! 

Social networking is a simple way for family, friends, and fellow advocates to get together through the Internet to communicate with each other and share stories, interests, pictures…whatever.  While that may not sound like something you want to do, just consider that according to statistics, Facebook has 400 million users around the world! 

What this means is that people are using these sites in large numbers and not just for fun.

They can also be used to get much needed messages out about big time issues, including issues of concern to sportsmen.  The recent Yellow Tail saga is a great example of how social networking can have a huge impact in the advocacy arena. 

For those that are unaware, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) recently discovered that the Australian winemaker was going to give $100,000 to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).  Given that HSUS is the top enemy of sportsmen nationwide; this seemed like a huge issue that sportsmen needed to know about. 

To help spread the message to as large an audience as possible, we posted an action alert calling on sportsmen to contact Yellow Tail’s American distributor on most of major our social networking web pages including Facebook and Twitter. Within a matter of just minutes, one of our followers on Twitter reposted the action alert on their own Twitter page which happened to be frequented by a lot of farmers who have their own reasons to be against HSUS (since HSUS seems to want to put them out of business). 

Within about an hour, people were going to the Yellow Tail Facebook page, signing in as “friends” and then leaving comments for the wine guys letting them know exactly how they felt about Yellow Tail’s support for HSUS.  Hundreds of messages got posted in the first two days.  Needless to say, this grabbed Yellow Tail’s attention.

The social networking barrage continued for several weeks.  From countless messages to YouTube videos of previous Yellow Tail customers emptying their wine bottles, the campaign picked up steam.  Even without the coverage from mainstream media like ABC, CBS or NBC, the effort ended with the parent company of Yellow Tail making a statement that it would no longer support lobbying groups. 

This was huge! Through what was basically an Internet grassroots effort, a big company listened to their customer base and made a policy change.

There’s no doubt that protests could be successful before social networking.  But it used to take a lot of time and a lot of coordination for them to get a company’s attention, much less get them to make changes in policies that customers found objectionable.  

Social networking turns this on its head by rapidly increasing the speed that information travels and how easily it can increase the number of people willing to take action. 

So if you’re not already a member of these sites, check them out.  You can check out the USSA’s social networking sites by clicking the following links: CamoSpace, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube.

I’ll follow up this blog with tips on how to get started, but if you have questions in the meantime, go ahead and shoot me an e-mail at glawson@ussportsmen.org.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog that asked what kind of social impacts the loss of hunting would have on America.

In what was a bit of good fortune, Dave Golowenski, the outdoor writer for the Columbus Dispatch - U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance’s HQ’s local paper- penned a story on Valentine’s Day along the same lines.  The story is a brief review of a book by the well regarded conservationist and behavioral scientist Randall L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart: Hunting as Rite of Passage.

According to Golowenski, the main theme of the book is that hunting societies in the past were able to clearly define the path that boys were to take to change from youth to adulthood.  The book asserts that hunting helps develop compassion by showing young people the mysteries of life and death and the interdependence of all types of creatures on earth.

The book raises profound questions about what it means to be a sportsman and to be a conservationist.  It also raises the same kind of questions I referred to last week, especially regarding what kind of nation will America be if it loses all touch with its outdoor traditions? 

If even just part of what Mr. Eaton suggests is true, then hunting has played an indispensable role in teaching the youth of past generations how interconnected we are to nature and its assortment of creatures.  A loss of that connection could well harm conservation by making it a foreign concept where the next generation no longer has any hands on experience to draw on in motivating them to be stewards of our wildlife.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Sometimes when surfing the web you manage to stumble across some unexpected news and blogs that just make you stop and think.  That happened to me last week with a blog by Tammy Sapp on how hunting and conservation go hand in hand and prompted me to write a blog.  This week, I found another one, this time by commentator Debbie Schlussell.

In this blog, she expresses sadness at how few youth are taking up hunting today.  She also notes how this is not only a bad trend for hunters, but is a bad trend that raises questions about the general future of America.  A couple of quotes from her piece express exactly why this trend is one that needs to be stopped.

“Over a year ago, Sports Illustrated did an extensive article on “How the Decline of Hunting is Changing the Natural Order of Predator and Prey,” detailing the dangers this causes us all, with animals getting more and more brave in approaching human habitats as they search for food.  States have to pay men to come in and hunt, in addition to extending hunting season.

This week, the Wall Street Journal had an interesting piece by Chicago writer Mark Yost, “The Outfitters’ Lament:  Too Few Kids with Guns,” on the decline in kids who are hunters.  It’s not a good thing, and he blames it not just on economics, but also the break up of the nuclear family.  Single mothers aren’t exactly big on taking their sons hunting.  That’s generally a father’s domain. The whole situation is sad, and not good for a civilized society. Part of being a civilization is eliminating the threat of the not so civilized…”

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) has been doing its part to prevent this trend from becoming irreversible.  Through our work with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation, the USSA has passed Families Afield laws in 29 states which reduce legal barriers for new hunters, especially younger ones, to enter the field.

Additionally, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation has spent the last nine years advancing the Trailblazer Adventure Program nationwide in order to introduce youths and their families to the thrill of outdoor sports and the importance of conservation.  This program has been amazingly successful.  In fact, this year we will see the one millionth participant go through the program!

We urge all sportsmen to help us fight this trend of less youth in the field.  Click on the link to our Trailblazer program or contact our director of education Derrek Shively at dshively@ussportsmen.org for more info on how you can help us at these events and do just a little to make sure that hunting and outdoor sports remain part of America’s heritage.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Sportsmen understand that hunting is not just a tradition that is passed along from generation to generation, but is also the cornerstone for wildlife conservation programs throughout the nation.  They compliment and thrive because of each other.

This thought came to me as I read an excellent blog post from a good friend of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Tammy Sapp, editor of The Women's Wire, explaining that hunting is also essential for wildlife conservation around the world.  Her "Wire" is one of three that we always read from Jim Shepard, the other two being The Tactical Wire and Outdoor Wire. 

In that post she interviewed Peggy Vallery, president of the National Wild Turkey Federation.  Peggy has hunted around the world from Africa to New Zealand and from Bulgaria to China.  As an accomplished hunter, she has seemingly seen it all and has been able to observe that hunting provides innumerable conservation benefits everywhere.  As in America, hunting abroad spurs management of wildlife populations, but it also does something else that a lot of people might miss.

It helps to increase the worth of game animals. Often, big game in other countries are seen as dangerous to local communities, especially those cultures that are dependant day by day on what they farm.  Historically, many locals felt compelled to kill majestic animals like elephants and rhinos due to fears over crop destruction.  Animals would also fall prey to poachers who were looking to make an extra buck regardless of the consequence to the animal population.

But with several generations of hunters having travelled abroad, a transformation has taken place.  Hunting brings much money into the local economies in communities around the globe.  That simply has made animals worth more to locals thus reducing poaching.  Additionally, the locals understand that the animals are not their enemy, but a major part of their future well being. 

So understand that this "fireworks and the 4th of July" relationship can be seen not just in Pennsylvania, Texas and California, but in Ethiopia, Botswana, and numerous other places too. 

Make sure to check out this and other blogs from Tammy.  Feel free to leave comments and send us your thoughts at info@ussportsmen.org.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

While one seldom hears about these types of stories, several state wildlife officials did say that this is emerging as a growing trend.  While the USA Today article doesn’t specifically cite statistics, any trend like this should still be a cause for real concern for all. 

So what does this have to do with sportsmen?  A lot. 

Often, the general public does not distinguish between responsible sportsmen and those who poach wildlife.  When a major paper writes this kind of story, it gives more ammo to those who paint all sportsmen with a broad brush. 

Wayne Pacelle at the Humane Society of the United States recently wrote an entire blog calling out sportsmen by claiming that they remain silent in the face of outrageous and obvious acts of cruelty.  It’s up to sportsmen to make sure the general public knows the truth and doesn’t get that impression.

Sportsmen cannot and do not remain silent about poachers.  In fact, sportsmen across the country rally for harsh penalties for poachers and others who have a general disregard for wildlife.  They constantly look to prevent these kinds of things from happening not just because it “looks bad” but because they respect the game they chase and also know poaching is far from the ethics they represent.  Sportsmen plain and simple know they’re better than that.

So every single time you see a nasty letter to the editor that lumps sportsmen in with poachers, send in your own letter.  Don’t let that false impression be the only one the public hears. 

Tell others what it means to embrace conservation ethics and make it clear that sportsmen follow the rules, play fair and do the right thing.

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

Thus far, Wisconsin’s results are staggering: 10,564 youth age 10 to 11 are getting into the field for the first time thanks to Families Afield according to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with a total of 13,271 mentored hunting licenses sold.  This is even more impressive when you consider the bill was just signed into law on August 13, 2009. 

Though the DNR still has to evaluate all of the information, these early numbers are very positive and are certain to grow throughout 2010.  However, it is important to note that Wisconsin is only the latest success story for Families Afield, which now boasts of adding over 300,000 new hunters in the field. 

It is essential that these numbers continue to rise.  Why?  According to the results of a study on public attitudes toward hunting conducted in 2005, the sobering reality is best stated in the reports summary - “unless we take action soon, hunting will be extinct in the United States by 2050.” 

Of course, if there are no hunters, the entire way that we pay for conserving our wildlife flies out the window. .  What’s caused this?  Largely you can point to certain trends in American life such as the urbanization of the public, the aging of the hunting population and the growth and acceptance of animal rights within the mainstream culture.  These cold, hard facts were the impetus in creating the Families Afield Program.

Recognizing that the first way to combat those trends working against sportsman recruitment was to get new people into the field quickly, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and the National Wild Turkey Federation worked collaboratively to initiate Families Afield in 2004.   The program was specifically designed to urge states to review and eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates with the ultimate goal sending more new hunters than ever to hunter education classes, and reverse the trend of declining sportsmen's numbers. Since its inception, Families Afield efforts have passed in 29 states. 

There will continue to be the need to keep those who may have been enticed outside for the first time coming back for more.  But the first step, which is usually the hardest, is to get them out into the field in the first place.  This, Families Afield continues to do, state by state.

The USSA will continue working with our partners, pushing for enhanced opportunities for sportsmen throughout the nation.  Check out www.ussportsmen.org  to learn how you can help make sure the legacy continues.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has done great service to all by examining HSUS’ 2008 tax returns in depth.  To no surprise, the results of that review tell the same story that we at the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) have been saying for years- HSUS is a big time lobbying organization that focuses on pushing their animal rights political agenda more than actually caring for animals with humans placing a distant third.  You can check out the CCF examination by going here and here.

Here is a relevant section from CCF:

“In 2008 HSUS spent more than $2.3 million on a political committee called “Californians for Humane Farms,” which campaigned for the “Proposition 2” ballot initiative in the Golden State. In 2007, it gave over $1.3 million. HSUS also made donations of $200,000 in 2007 and 2008 to the “Committee to Protect Dogs,” a Massachusetts organization that pushed for a statewide ban on greyhound racing with the “Question 3” ballot initiative.”

Indeed, the HSUS reports spending $20 million on various legislative and legal activities in the name of animal care, yet runs a mere five animal care facilities.

The CCF further highlights how the actions taken by HSUS led to a combined loss of 4,000 jobs in those two states. Naturally, this raises the question of just how much the group cares about people when it is busy advocating for policies that are making people lose jobs.

In a nutshell, it doesn’t look like they do. 

For those who want to take a look, here’s the HSUS form 990.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Sometimes it can seem pretty hard to keep track of all the votes legislators make, much less figuring out which are truly good or bad for sportsmen.  Well thanks to HSUS itself, that guessing game has been made a whole lot simpler.

The HSUS’ lobbying arm, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, has just released their “2009 Humane Scorecard” which means now you can see how your Congressmen and Senators stack up on the HSUS “Humane” scale. 

One of the things we at the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance always want to drive home is the importance of grassroots activism and keeping your legislators honest.  Nothing helps defeat anti-hunting efforts better than informed sportsmen who willing to keep the heat on their elected officials.  By checking out this scorecard, you’ll become informed and be ready to talk to your legislators.

If your legislators earn high marks from the HSUS, you should write them a letter and tell them you don’t support their efforts on behalf of a group that stands against America’s outdoor traditions.  If your legislators get bad marks from HSUS, you should write a letter and tell them thanks for not buckling under pressure from HSUS .

Click here for sample letters for a legislator getting good HSUS marks and for one earning poor marks from HSUS.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Gene Mueller, a longtime columnist with the Washington Times recently picked up on a previous blog post where I wrote about Rush Limbaugh winning the Field & Stream online sportsmen’s “villain” contest.  It was a fair piece that made clear that HSUS' main mission is to raise money to, and I quote,  “lobby against hunting and/or medical research in which animals are used to test medication and surgical procedures.”

In a December 29 letter to the editor at the Washington Times, Pacelle goes off and attempts to defend the HSUS’ anti-hunting agenda by stating:

“When it comes to hunting issues, we work to curb the most inhumane abuses, and that's what has led us most recently to campaign vigorously against canned hunting, Internet hunting and the use of steel-jawed leg-hold traps - practices that the HSUS and many rank-and-file hunters agree are abusive and unacceptable.”

Unfortunately for Mr. Pacelle, while his grammar may be fine, his facts are off the mark.  In particular, his claims against “inhumane” traps are ridiculous.  Groups such as the Fur Takers of America, National Trappers Association, and many state and local groups and individuals have spent thousands of hours researching and testing traps and methods to make sure traps being used are the most effective and humane for any animal caught.  Thanks to these efforts, modern trappers have the ability to release nearly every catch unharmed.  These modern trapping practices are supported by state wildlife professionals from coast to coast. Those experts consider trapping one of the most important management tools. 

The bottom line is while HSUS claims it is only against “extreme” forms of hunting and trapping, some recent examples of their campaigns make that an entirely dubious claim.  In fact, HSUS:

·         Opposed Sunday hunting, despite there being no practical difference between hunting on that day and any other day of the week. 

·         Opposed a legitimate deer hunt in Westchester county New York, despite a well thought out proposal from a panel of experts;

·         Pushed to get New Jersey’s black bear hunt stopped which has led to a large increase in potentially dangerous human to bear interactions in the state and ignoring calls from legislators for action to prevent the increased incidences.

·         Led the charge to stop dove hunting in Michigan.  Doves are America’s most popular game bird and hunting has no effect on the population.

·         Criticized and opposed the joint effort by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, National Shooting Sports Foundation and National Wild Turkey Federation to lower barriers to entry in the field for new hunters through the Families Afield program

Seriously. These actions do not look like they are designed to go after only the “worst of the worst” unless your definition of worst is “all”.

HSUS knows it can’t stop all hunting in one shot, but these actions illustrate that it will go after those it thinks it can stop on a case by case basis.  Over time, it is clear that HSUS expects these “wins” will make all hunting and trapping a thing of the past.

Kudos again to Gene Mueller and others in his arena for standing up and telling the truth.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Beginning in 2010, the USSA will be unveiling a new effort we call the “Sentry Program.”  While the final details of the program are still being worked out,

the idea is to offer our current members as well as future members something more and make sure that those who decide to become “Sentries” understand how special they are.

If you think about it, sentries have served a powerful role throughout history, standing along guard towers to defend their cities and their way of life.  Being a sentry was not always easy, they were always the first in line to do battle with the attacking enemy.  Yet, it was their strength of character, honor and perseverance that showed through each and every time they were called upon to throw back an assault.

For sportsmen in the 21st century, there could not be a better description of what is needed from you now.  We face more challenges than ever as the population of sportsmen begins to decline, the sophistication and effectiveness of our opponents grows and the day to day experiences of modern life seem to disconnect us further than ever from nature.  If we don’t act now, our way of life will end within a couple of generations.

So who will help stand along the new guard tower?  Who will defend the heritage and guard the future?  It will be the new “Sentries” who take a stand now.  Will you be one?

Check out the USSA website in January for more details on this exciting and essential new program and learn how to be a “Sentry.”

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Is the mask used by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to cover its agenda slipping a bit lately?

Of course, HSUS is no stranger to controversies surrounding how they raise funds.  So it should be no surprise that many people are raising questions about the latest pitch by HSUS to raise $1 million by the end of the year for its “2010 Animal Survivors Fund.”  What is surprising is that many of those ringing the alarm bells do not usually share our opposition to HSUS.

The e-mail and web solicitation in question comes from HSUS Animal Fighting Campaign Manager, John Goodwin.  In the plea, Goodwin refers to “Fay”, a rescued pit bull that had been abused in a large St. Louis area dog fighting ring.  While nothing in the solicitation appears to be technically inaccurate, some are disputing HSUS’ level of involvement in this issue. 

In particular, many blogs that follow animal rescues questioned whether HSUS has done much to help the dogs after the ring was busted.  According to several blogs, they felt HSUS was capitalizing on major media coverage of the ring’s bust in such publications as Time Magazine in order to raise money while the hard work was done by local animal shelters and welfare groups.

While the HSUS subsequently did eventually offer to pay $5,000 for surgeries to fix some of the dog’s injuries, some blogs expressed disgust at what they felt was a disingenuous fundraising tactic by HSUS.

At Pet Connection.com, Fay’s actual foster parent initially expressed concerns about the pitch by saying,

“I am rather sad that HSUS has chosen to use Fay in their fund drive. Fay has never received a dime from HSUS. How do I know? Because I am the one that is fostering Fay. Fay is currently going through expensive surgeries to recreate medically needed lips so her teeth do not fall out, her jaw bone stops deteriorating, and she can live a normal life. HSUS never contacted us regarding Fay. In the video John states she is in a loving home…really…thanks for the compliment but Fay is LOOKING for her forever home.”

In another example, the KC Dog Blog, a blog that focuses on animal welfare issues, had this to say,

“Meanwhile, there's HSUS. While it is nice of them to give $5,000 to help Fay, that is just a drop in the bucket to the money needed to help these dogs. As the world's largest and wealthiest "humane" organization, they have a responsibility to help ALL of the dogs from this bust. There are 499 more dogs (at least 250 of which are going to be re-homed) that also need help. The $5,000 will just skim the surface on the overall need for help for these animals - and would be a drop in the bucket for an organization that brought in over $82 million in donations last year and over $150 million in cash and investment assets.  Meanwhile, HSUS continues to raise money on the backs of the smaller local rescues and yet is not helping the dogs that are coming from these fighting operations.”

We at the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, see very clearly through HSUS’ mask.  It appears that others are beginning to do the same.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

No,  El Rushbo may not be twirling a handlebar moustache anytime soon, but he did manage to come out on top in Field and Stream’s 2009“Hunting and Fishing Heroes and Villains Face Off.”  This very amusing, tongue in cheek website feature matched up some of America’s leading defenders and opponents of hunting into a single elimination tournament to see who are both the top hero and the top villain for outdoor sports this year. 

In the shocking final round, Rush knocked off PETA founder Ingrid “a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy” Newkirk who had advanced to the final by overwhelming the new “Regulatory Czar” Cass Sunstein.

How did this happen?

Well, the author did a great job explaining his position in this follow up piece at Field and Stream. 

Indeed, Rush taped not one, but two public service announcements supporting the number one enemy of sportsmen nationwide- the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) earlier this year. 

As the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) made clear when we learned about the ads, sportsmen nationwide were shocked.  Maybe Rush doesn’t hunt or fish himself, but to give HSUS political cover by making it seem like they are a-ok was a major disservice to thousands of his fans.  In fact, the USSA felt so strongly about this, that we were one of the leaders in a serious effort to get Rush to disavow the recordings and expose HSUS. 

Though unable to get Rush to publically admit this mistake, the USSA was able to get a lot of media attention on the issue including stories at ESPN, LA Times, New York Post, Outdoor Life and the Washington Times.  You can read some of these stories by Clicking Here.

This effort definitely helped raise the curtain for the general public on just what HSUS’s long-term agenda. 

Of course, the USSA also led a campaign against one of the runner ups too - “Reg Czar” Cass Sunstein and got within five votes of stopping him from taking over the most powerful regulatory position in Washington. 

Maybe next year, the USSA should do its own “heroes vs. villains” smackdown tournament.  What say the readers?

Let me know, glawson@ussportsmen.org

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

This time the ad used former Playboy model and reality show star, Joanna Krupa, striking a provocative pose complete with a halo over her head and a strategically placed crucifix covering her naked body.

While Krupa has previously bared all for PETA, this particular one has brought some intense criticism by numerous religious figures.  For example, Bill Donohue, the President of the Catholic League, issued a statement referring to PETA as having "…a long and disgraceful record of exploiting Christian and Jewish themes to hawk its ugly services. Those who support this organization sorely need a reality check. They also need a course in Ethics 101."

PETA’s shock tactic is nothing new given its history and those tactics probably alienate most reasonably sane people.  However, the move highlights the continuing efforts of anti’s in general to use religion for their own purposes. 

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance has written about this before.  Unlike PETA, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has decided not to offend people in its campaigns, but to use faith to lure more religious folks to its way of thinking.  Just this fall, HSUS promoted a nationwide music tour featuring hot MTV acts that included stops at several Christian universities.  HSUS even has its own dedicated staffer devoted to “faith outreach.”

Dr. Wes Jamison, an ordained Minister as well as a professor of Communications at Palm Beach Atlantic University, has been touring the country highlighting this for awhile.  At a May conference for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Dr. Jamison warned that animal rights’ groups are intentionally selecting certain biblical passages that focus on individuals’ compassion and guilt. 

So once again, while PETA gets its headlines, HSUS is busy trying to make changes under the radar without rocking the boat.  It knows that by cherry picking different passages from the Bible, it might be able to enlist one of the strongest of all weapons in its battle to change American habits.  In their mind, if faith played a prominent role in stopping other “social ills” in American history, it may be able to be used to promote their radical beliefs to end all hunting, fishing, trapping, animal agriculture, medical research and on and on. 

We believe they will ultimately fail in this tactic, but sportsmen should never underestimate the challenge this presents.

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

It is no surprise to anyone that these are tough economic times.  That is why it is so uplifting to read stories about people who are generously donating time and money to help out those in need.  This is especially true for so many sportsmen and sportswomen.  After all, unlike many of the anti’s who love to give a lecture about the immorality of our heritage, sportsmen nationwide are helping provide a basic necessity for those in need

A recent story published by the Associated Press relayed this message, known by many sportsmen nationwide, but one that is often ignored by the mainstream media.  The story details how much help sportsmen are giving to local food shelters in hard hit states like Ohio.  

Last year hunters donated enough venison to food banks for 220,000 meals.  That number will most assuredly be eclipsed this year.

According to numbers supplied by the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, the number of those helped by its member charities was up 37 percent over the last quarter of fiscal year 09 vs. the same time in 2008.  With the latest Ohio bow hunting harvest numbers showing an increase of 4 percent in the deer harvest, there is no doubt that some of this lean, healthy meat will also make its way to food banks which are in obvious need of additional resources.

nbsp;For once, this story avoided the caricature that is often painted by the media of hunters as barbarians killing animals without a care in the world.  In fact, it highlighted exactly what anti’s want people to forget: that sportsmen are one of the most caring and ethical groups of people in this country...bar none. 

It would be interesting to see a story highlighting just how many meals the anti’s have provided for those who need it most.  Considering our biggest foes do little more than raise more and more money to end our heritage, stop animal agriculture, and destroy medical research, I think I know the answer.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

It’s hard to imagine anything more monotonous and painful to experience for a sportsman than the agony of sitting through a long courtroom proceeding. 

Imagine the typical courtroom scene…lawyers shuffling through stacks of paper and looking impatiently at their watches.  Long speeches about the meaning of technical words. All kinds of “experts” constantly reiterating their “facts” and completely contradicting the other side’s “experts.”  The entire process almost seems a bit comical. 

However, sportsmen would be dead wrong if they stopped paying attention to what happens in courtrooms because it’s within those walls that the future of outdoor sports may well be decided. 

The weapon of choice for many shrewd anti’s is no longer fake blood and picket signs, its legal briefs and precedents.  Far more than just words on paper, legal precedents are the lifeblood of the legal system and establish the framework for making future legal decisions.  For this reason, legal precedents have rapidly become the anti’s best friend.

For example, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation’s (USSAF) legal arm, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund, spent precious money and time defending trappers in Maine from an assault on their continued ability to trap.  While this case was important to trappers in Maine, who could have seen their heritage go down the drain if the anti’s had won, the precedent that the case would have established was much farther reaching than trapping alone.

Had the anti’s won their case, every time a hunter, angler, or trapper accidentally caught an animal that happens to be on the Endangered Species List, the anti’s could ride into court and try to block those seasons.  The antis might not have always succeeded in these efforts, but the precedent from the Maine case could well have enabled them to win in many situations.

Fortunately, with the sportsmen’s victory in federal court, the anti’s didn’t get their beloved precedent… this time.  However, there is no doubt that there will be a next time, and time after that, etc.  Indeed, the anti’s know that they don’t need to win every time they go to court; they just need to win here and there to put our outdoor heritage at risk. 

The bottom line is that sportsmen…you need to pay attention to these cases.  No one wants to go to court.  But sometimes, there’s no choice.  The USSAF plans to be there, but we’re going to need your help to keep us in the game financially so that we don’t let any precedents snuff out our proud heritage today or tomorrow.

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

I wish I could fully understand the mentality of our anti-hunting foes.  Maybe I should have taken a few psychology classes in college so it would help me understand what, if anything is between their ears.   Most of the time, their antics leave me just shaking my head. Take for instance the tale about the bowhunter in Connecticut, featured in a recent U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance “On Target” story.

This hunter legally shot a deer but as it died, it crossed onto another landowner’s property.  The hunter did the legal and ethical thing by approaching this landowner about retrieving his quarry.  The landowner, an avowed anti-hunter, refused, which is unfortunately, within their rights.  This anti said that she’d rather the deer rot before letting a miserable hunter have it.  The state wildlife authorities then got called into the fray, but had no more luck in convincing the anti about her wasteful behavior.  The state agency declared the deer irretrievable, allowing the hunter to continue to pursue another animal.  One animal left to rot, one hunter undoubtedly frustrated at the waste of an animal, state wildlife agency personnel wasting sportsmen’s dollars arguing with an anti-hunter, and one clueless citizen somehow reveling in the fact that she has kept a hunter from eating an animal.   

What she just doesn’t get is that she has now guaranteed that this hunter will keep hunting, attempting to take another deer…something he may not have done if left to claim his animal.  Irony with a capital “I”…

Lets review…not letting someone hunt on your land…that’s your right.  Not letting someone retrieve game they legally shot but that died on your land…that’s lunacy to me. Think I’d better look into to some online psyche classes soon… 

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

The HSUS was in the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USSA) backyard of Columbus, Ohio on November 2.  Pacelle came to speak before HSUS members at a town hall meeting.  Having read so many of his blogs and interviews, I decided I had to see and hear just how good the professed silver tongued leader of the animal rights movement is for myself.

The answer - he is very, very slick and a very good speaker.  Not once did Pacelle make any comments that were directly controversial.  Instead, he came off sounding like a reasonable person looking to find areas of common ground with other groups so that animals could be treated better and the “worst abuses” could be curbed.  When approached by audience members seeking an aggressive stand on issues, Pacelle masterfully tiptoed around and continued to maintain the aura of someone who simply wants to reason with people.

It was a well acted performance that reconfirmed to me just how tough the fight is against HSUS.

Sometimes, it may sound like the USSA is playing a broken record about the importance of standing up against the HSUS for your rights to enjoy the outdoors.  People may get tired of hearing about the dire threat posed by HSUS and the other anti-hunting groups.  If you saw and heard what I did recently, you’d understand why the USSA keeps fighting so diligently for our heritage and keeps asking for your help.

HSUS can’t be allowed to be seen as the “reasonable” side of the debate.  If it is, then sportsmen will lose the upcoming public policy battles.  On the other hand, when people hear the truth about the sportsman conservation ethic, it trumps the vague, emotional appeals made by HSUS.

Pacelle said that HSUS is not going away.  Well the USSA has a bulletin for Wayne...sportsmen aren't going away either.  But now more than ever, sportsmen need to continue to be involved in the fight.  They need to continue to write letters to local newspaper editors, continue to talk to elected officials, family and friends about being the greatest conservationists.  Sportsmen also need to continue to support the USSA, helping all of us stand tall like a sentry guarding the castle walls.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

I just spent some time perusing the blog of the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) CEO, Wayne Pacelle and came away impressed not with his goals, but the way he talks about them.

When one reads blog posts like this by Wayne Pacelle about National Parks, its easy to come away thinking, “hey, he’s not that bad of guy.”  It’s easy to agree with statements like, “nature is wondrous, all life deserves protection, and our treks to these gems of Creation are a tonic to the soul.”

It used to be that groups like PETA and HSUS were on the fringe of society.  They weren’t taken seriously by most people because they were outrageous.  They engaged in the kind of protests that make all sane folks just shake their head in amazement.  But that has changed.

The HSUS is now an 800 pound gorilla.  They have a nearly $130 million war chest that they can use at a moments notice to push through their legislative ideas in state capitals and Washington.  They have celebrities like Carrie Underwood (and even Rush Limbaugh) who record public service announcements and donate proceeds of song sales to them.  They are even getting ready to unveil a massive public service campaign to promote adopting pets from shelters, further cementing their status as a “reasonable” organization that only seeks animal “welfare” rather than full blown animal “rights.”

All that combined with a “moderate”, feel good, public persona that avoids crazy talk and silly PR stunts like PETA has made HSUS the most difficult challenge ever faced by those who want to defend their outdoor heritage.  After all, if you say you are against the HSUS, you end up looking like an unfeeling person.

Sportsmen need to remember when fighting HSUS, to fight them with facts and not emotions.  Let your family, friends, neighbors, and elected officials know that hunting and outdoor sports have led to the greatest conservation effort in history.  People need to know that it is sportsmen who have saved animals by responsibly working with wildlife professionals to manage their populations.

Wayne Pacelle and HSUS may have smooth words, but history and facts can and should trump them.  Sportsmen just need to remain focused on telling their story.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

Is it me or is this year just a bit different?  It seems that all we see or do is in state of change and we are helpless to stop it.  Change, as in the past, seems to always present challenges.  Yet it also holds the possibility that opportunities are just below the surface…all we need to do is find them.  Do we simply need to mine deeper to strike gold?

I believe that in most areas of life there is still opportunity although we are entering a new era that will be difficult for many.  On the positive side, these tough times may ignite a desire for many Americans to reevaluate their lifestyles.

Perhaps, they will question working long hours, living in crowded areas and being away from their families too often.  The new reality could even encourage families to take the time to enter the outdoors and enjoy life a bit more.  This may sound somewhat off base with the economic situation that most Americans find themselves in, but just maybe as the average person fully evaluates their financial losses they may come to the realization that “all work and no play” may not have been the most productive model for the long haul.  This could be good news for the family as an institution and a positive upward swing for outdoor activities.

The economic situation may also motivate current sportsmen, sportswomen, and even new candidates to enter the field to help make ends meet.  Just in the past, Americans may rediscover that they can fill their kitchen with quality wild meat and other staples (and maybe even a few delicacies) that could help sustain their families.

Our movement could seize the opportunity in many ways and here are just a few:

• As individuals we could invite friends and family to join us as we enjoy the wonderment of the outdoors,
• Those who are involved in outdoor adventure, from shooting ranges to hunts, could encourage non-sports men and women to sample the fun, and
• All of us involved in the outdoor community could find creative ways to increase the visibility of outdoor sports: from mainstream social gatherings to major media sources. 

Its time to discover ways to get the word out that outdoor sports are healthy, fun and for many,  a welcome break from today’s challenges.

I would welcome your thought on how we could seize this moment in history to encourage more involvement in the outdoors.  Email me your ideas at bpidgeon@ussportsmen.org   

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

I am writing about Cass Sunstein, a close friend of President Obama’s, and his choice to head up the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.  This position is otherwise known as the “regulatory czar”, a person with authority over rules and regulations coming from the executive branch which includes the Departments of Interior and Agriculture. 

So what is wrong with Sunstein?  Mr. Sunstein claims that, “we might ban hunting altogether, at least if it’s sole purpose is human recreation.” He has also indicated support for allowing lawsuits on behalf of animals, a right currently only extended to human beings.  

These quotes were of concern enough that two US Republican Senators, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Jon Cornyn of Texas, placed a temporary hold on the nomination.  But for reasons not completely understood, both removed their holds, clearing the way for the nomination to proceed to a vote. 

I think I know the reason.  The Senators are not hearing from sportsmen…or farmers about why this nomination is terrible for our country and the future of hunting, conservation and farming.  We have no right to expect these Senators, both advocates of hunting, to walk the plank when our own community is largely silent. 

Oh not completely silent.  We’ve issued press releases and on line alerts and other such obligatory hand wringing.  But seasoned senators know the difference.  They know that if this nomination were really important to us, they’d be hearing from hundreds of thousands if not millions of sportsmen and farmers. 

So what’re we waitin’ for?

President Obama appointed Eric Holder, an openly pro-gun control attorney general.  He appointed former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to be Secretary of Agriculture.  Vilsack vetoed dove hunting legislation while Governor.  He tapped Lisa Jackson, fresh from her campaign to shut down bear hunting in New Jersey to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

None of them have openly written about shutting down hunting.  But Mr. Sunstein has.  None of these others have written about lawsuits by animals.  But Cass Sunstein did.

Worse, it is bantered about Washington DC’s political inner circle, that Mr. Sunstein is under consideration as a future Supreme Court justice by President Obama.  How about the prospect of the first openly animal rights judge on the nation’s highest court?   

One explanation I have heard for our community’s silence is that Mr. Sunstein is going to be confirmed regardless of our opposition, so why use up valuable political capital? 

I guess my answer is this: Why have political capital in the first place if not to use it to try to block an animal rightist from being seated in a high level White House position?  Further, I don’t believe that people and national, state and local sportsmen organizations give their hard earned money to the US Sportsmen’s Alliance to see us only get involved in the easy fights. 

So this past week, USSA circulated a letter for organizations to sign on opposing this nominee.  Fifteen organizations joined.  The letter will be sent to Senators this week.

Although a step in the right direction, we need more than just a letter.  So this week, USSA is calling on these fifteen organizations and the rest of the sportsmen’s community to fire up our grassroots supporters and turn them loose on the US Senate.  To ask our contributors and members who give us money to fight the tough ones to join us by calling each of their two US Senators, asking them to oppose the nomination of Cass Sunstein as Regulatory Czar.

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

On May 4, 2009, the Great Lakes wolf population was removed from protection under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).  This action, proposed by the outgoing Bush Administration and then reaffirmed by the new Obama Administration, initially returned the management of wolf populations to the states (in this case Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). 

Not surprisingly, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and a group of other animal rightists filed yet another lawsuit on June 15 that sought to block the delisting.  While the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance was preparing to intervene in the case with its legal arm, the FWS reached a settlement with the antis that put wolves back on the Endangered Species List for now while avoiding a day in court for the administration.

This entire situation was the result of the Bush Administration not following proper procedures with the initial delisting.  Currently, USSA is working with the FWS on another delisting as science has shown the populations have significantly passed the benchmarks established for recovery by the FWS.

Unfortunately, while this ongoing saga continues, there have been multiple reports of hunting dogs being attacked by an expanding population of wolves in Wisconsin.  We expect more problems in other states also.

Its time to remedy this situation.  Professionals in the Great Lakes states including Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin should be able to manage their wolf populations to protect citizens and their pets while protecting the wolves as well.  The federal government should step aside and return the decision-making where it rightfully belongs by completing the delisting process regardless of threats from anti hunting extremists.

Let the states decide!

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

The July 27 lobby day organized by HSUS was part of its held to promote what HSUS sees as the critical role played by “citizen activists” in their quest to be a mainstream organization. This view is cemented by HSUS president and CEO Wayne Pacelle’s own comments when he raved that the group is “in the process of building a powerful social movement.”

It’s not at all surprising that they would organize a gathering of their own activists.  Many groups do this.  What is surprising is how sophisticated they continue to get and how its own leadership considers this a “social movement.”

Social movements have historically been tied to major civil rights issues like the abolition of slavery or women’s suffrage.  It is clear, that the HSUS goal is to make “animal rights” a 21st century version of this. 

Consider, as previously reported, how the HSUS is establishing a “university” to train new activists, like the folks that just went up Capitol Hill.  Pacelle and the rest of his minions know that a “social movement”, especially a growing one, will only increase its ability to be heard by legislators and other political leaders.  These “citizen activists” can influence debates about public policy issues. 

Take it from a member of Congress - these efforts work…

"When members hear directly from their own constituents, they listen
closely…

If it's brought directly to the members' attention that there is a sizable, focused
and motivated group of people in their district, they will be much more likely to take the issue seriously. Grassroots activism does work."

Sometimes it may sound like the USSA is like a broken record, preaching about the serious threats from animal rights groups, but the aforementioned quote is the basis of why sportsmen need to get engaged.  Grassroots works.  “Citizen Activism” works. 

If the antis want to keep charging up the Hill, we can, should, and will too.  America’s sportsmen can never give up the fight and give the anti’s the higher ground. 

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

She wrote down some of her experiences.  As a proud dad who can’t help but gloat just a little about his daughter, I thought I’d share her thoughts with you, since in so many ways this is a reflection on why we at the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance do what we do day in and out- fight for your rights to hunt, fish, and trap.

Anyway, here it is direct from my “little angler.”

Yesterday I stood on the bank, waders up to my hips, and had to draw my sunglasses down over my already bloodshot eyes. At ten pm the sun warmed my hair and mouth. I expected to feel the waters cold on my thighs but I only felt pressure on my calves and knees. The monotony of sockeye fishing is a beautiful solace. Swing, tat, tat, tat, flick...swing, tat, tat, tat, flip.

Pull the line with your left hand and flick your right wrist. Pull. And again, and again. Anything that is not a tat is a red so hold the tension steady.

They jump and arc brilliantly when the cold metal they thought was food tugs at the corner of their mouth. The glint of the sun on their scales classifies them to me, a novice eye, as silvers and yet when you rip their gill with your fingers the blood is so red. Red, just like their meat--dark flesh...wound red, which is why they call them reds I suppose. I stood, water threatening to soak the parts of my jeans not protected by rubber and fished.

He had to show me how but once he did I felt as if I had been standing there on that sand bar of gravel my whole childhood life when I would have surely gotten bored, after the thrill of their trapeze artist act wore off, and started to throw stones into the water to see how far they could skip. Or until a filleted fish carcass floated past and I just had to pick it up and inspect it, drawing my child dirty nails across its spidery bones. Now at 19 I still want to, not out of boredom but to regain that part of me. I caught only one fish, not for lack of trying, or even lack of hooking (dad used to call me his little angler).

I showed the wet behind my ears when I hooked and it jumped and I squealed and I reeled and I laughed just like the child I was imagining myself to be as I caught it. He hooked into a big one and handed the rod to me.

The drag sizzled out and the rod shook beneath my fingers and I did what he told me to do. Rod left, pull up slow, reel fast and push the tip down. Switch sides, pull harder, reel slower and let the tip down easy. The fish swam away from my line and the drag spun and I giggled and lost it, never losing the smile from my face. I groaned and I arced my hips in the ultimate oh-man-no-you-didn't pose and dipped my whole butt and back in the water. He laughed so hard I thought he might fall over as he said "damn Ohioans."

The ride back was cold and I was wet but I kept on grinning thinking of how I would tell you this story.  When we got back he pointed his knife at me and said "here's how it's going to be. I cut you chunk. Then I’m going to bed so you vacpac and freeze. k?" I put my dirty hands on my hips and said "show me how to cut, then deal." Solemnly he put his cigarette between his lips wiped his hands on his jeans and reached out his fingers for a hand shake. I soberly did the same and we shook on it.

He tugged at the waist of his pants, pulling them up his slim hips and asked, "which way do you want to learn?" I shrugged and said "I know nothing.

You tell me." He taught me how to butterfly a salmon but would not let me try as at one in the morning it was finally getting dark out and he was afraid I’d cut myself. So I chunked what he cut and threw the pieces into a tote and proceeded to load them into small bags for sealing. The freezer was at -10 when I entered and the ice crystals fell on my hair and stuck to my eyelashes.

He nodded a goodnight while I worked arms heavy as boxing gloves. The shower and I smelled like fish guts and I flicked tiny scales off of my wrists and neck before crawling to bed after a 21 hour day still grinning.  

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

Last week I received a call from MSNBC.com writer Mike Stuckey who was doing a story on whether there should be a minimum age in which people can hunt unaccompanied.

He called the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) because we are part of the Families Afield coalition which was created to remove barriers that prevent hunters from passing our heritage on to the next generation. Specifically Families Afield has advocated for apprentice hunting licenses, which allow a newcomer of any age to hunt if supervised by an experienced mentor. Together with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation, Families Afield has successfully advocated for such laws in 28 states since 2005. Research and accident data has shown that the mentored hunter is the safest hunter in the woods.  

Mr. Stuckey’s question however was about hunting alone. The question stemmed from a case in Washington state in which a teenage hunter shot and killed a hiker. Washington and six other states do not specify an age for hunting unsupervised. That decision is left to the parents. 

Overall, USSA would argue that parents have the best knowledge of when their son or daughter is ready to hunt and later ready to hunt alone. Despite this, USSA does not outright oppose minimum ages for hunting unaccompanied. However, we do believe that such age minimums should be determined after a careful review of accident data rather than a knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy. 

Any loss of life is deeply regrettable and devastating to the families involved. The hunting community is committed to making the rare hunting incident more of an anomaly than it already is. 

More Americans, many of them kids, die everyday in cars than in the woods hunting during an entire year. Yet, we do not change our laws based on each incident. Nor should we with hunting.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Since then, we’ve been battling to open up new hunting seasons, defend existing seasons, and make sure the public understands that hunters are the number one conservationists in this country. Of course, we have a staff of just over 20 people, which means our ability to fight these battles and get this message out requires YOUR help.

We can bring political expertise and media savvy to the table when it’s needed. But we need the collective voice of the sportsmen’s community to make sure that the message doesn’t stop being heard after a campaign is over and a single battle won.

We want individuals and clubs to be a part of furthering our reach so that we’re not on the defensive when the Humane Society of the United States aims their next shot at hunting. With that in mind, we’re creating a new newsletter that will be going exclusively to our existing club members as well as courtesy copies being sent to prospective clubs. The National Club Leadership Network Newsletter is going to highlight what other clubs around the nation are doing and how your club can help us. Naturally, it will keep you in the loop on what the hot issues of the day are also.

Additionally, we are working on some new programs and membership packages that will bring even more to the table for members and potential members than ever before. Stay tuned for more on this soon.

Finally, we’d like to encourage you to check out our new survey at http://bit.ly/NCUtH. You will need to create login account for our website to access the form, but once you do, it’ll take you right there. The survey focuses on what we can do to make our website better meet your needs and include what you want when you want it.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

Seriously, when we first reported that PETA had asked to be allowed a permit so they could set up a hog farm on the Ohio Statehouse grounds complete with “gallons of urine, tons of manure, and a fan to blow the odors around," I almost laughed so hard I fell out of the chair. 

Maybe it wasn’t absurd by “PETA standards,” but by any normal person’s standard it was totally ridiculous.  Of course, it also seemed pretty obvious that the plan would never fly and PETA would never be given a permit to do this.

Boy, was I surprised when they actually DID get the permit for a July 9 “demonstration.”

For the crazies over at PETA though, this victory wasn’t enough.  Not by a long shot.  Though granted the ability to use a sound system pump out recorded screams of piglets, PETA felt it necessary to appeal the decision denying them the chance to bring 3,500 gallons of pig waste along too.

All this drama in order to promote their cause, which we all know is to impose a radical, vegetarian diet on all Americans. 

I’m sure they’re not going to win the appeal, but the awful smell of their M.O. still stinks. 

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

This isn’t all that surprising. Thought it may sound like we’re a broken record, the HSUS really is enemy number one for the sportsman community. The fact that they are now reaching out in an unprecedented way to actually “educate” (or brainwash) a whole new generation of activists is frightening. They are intentionally trying to keep the numbers of hunters, anglers, and trappers from ever growing and the best way to do this is to strike while the next generation is still young and impressionable. 

How do we fight back against this? How do we make sure that the next generation doesn’t get sucked into turning against our traditions?

Well, it seems the number one way is make sure that kids are getting off the couch and into the field. When kids have a chance to experience what its like to be outside and practicing what their dads, granddads, and even great granddads have been doing, there is a good chance they’ll stick with it.

On the other hand, if they’re playing a video game, watching TV, or scanning the Internet all day, they’re going to end up not having the chance to learn what its like to be outside and embrace the traditions sportsmen have practiced for so long. They also become much easier prey to shrewd groups that want to keep them from ever getting involved.

So if you don’t want to find out in 10 years that your child is getting a degree from “Anti-U” and has turned against what you value, its time to get out there in the field before the anti’s bludgeon them with their propaganda.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

The founders of the USSA and all the staff and board since have remained steadfast in their fight to defend hunting, fishing, and trapping from animal rights extremists. These “anti’s”, called that for their anti- hunting, anti-fishing, and anti- trapping missions, continue to grow in number and in their power.

The USSA and it followers are the eyes and ears of the sportsman community. With the continued growth of the anti movement, this job is more important now than ever.

As such, the USSA has recently added a new, effective tool to help each of you tell your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen about what the anti’s are up to.

We have created the “Eye on the Anti’s” Twitter page at www.twitter.com/EyeOnTheAntis. This page gives you the latest information on what groups like the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, and others are doing to destroy our heritage. By monitoring their outrageous actions, we can more effectively expose their misguided missions and associated work to the American public and act accordingly.

So check the page out and pass it on to everyone you know. Just staying informed about issues is half the battle, so make sure you get equipped and keep your “Eye on the Anti’s.”

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

We just ran a very disturbing story in our most recent On Target about how the anti’s are using religion as way to push their agenda of ending hunting, fishing, and trapping as we know it to an ever broader audience.

That story generated a number of comments from our readers.  It was obvious that the readers must’ve been shaking their head in complete disbelief.  Several even quoted specific scripture that defended our hunting traditions. 

The point here, though, is not to get bogged down in a theological debate, but to highlight the importance of being on guard at all times.  The anti’s never rest and never miss a trick.

That they are attempting to use religion is not really all that surprising.  They already use the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and have tried to co-opt the voice of Rush Limbaugh.  Why not use faith as another tool to reshape our lives in ways we couldn’t imagine?

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance continues to stand at the front line and fight back, but we need your help.  We need the sportsmen community in each and every city across America to keep informed and be ready to speak out. 

If you don’t, who will? 

Simply put, we can’t afford to let the anti’s get away with their efforts to use religion to push their radical agenda on us.

If you’d like to find out more about us and how you can add your voice to the defense of our traditions, please call at 614-888-4868 or e-mail me at anytime at glawson@ussportsmen.org. 

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

Today, more than ever, Americans seem to find ourselves being bombarded with a multitude of messages from so called “experts.”  They always seem to tell us that what they know is much more appealing and “mainstream” than what we believe. Therefore, we need to listen to them not only as Americans, but as citizens of the world.

They push their agenda with massive disinformation using the latest electronic technologies and pressure those who resist by positioning them as outcasts in our society.

Make no mistake; this is a battle for the hearts and minds of the American public. Sadly, their efforts show some signs of working in government circles, the selling of products, and affecting traditional ways of life.  

Shortly after graduating from college I was called to service. I attended the US. Army - Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia and then graduated from Psychological Operation School at Fort Bragg, SC. I was then assigned to Special Forces units as a “Psy-Op” officer at Fort Bragg and in Vietnam. 

Little did I know that my experiences during that time would assist me in identifying the half truths and other methods deployed today in America by some special interest groups. Today, hidden, radical agendas that would have been socially unacceptable a short time ago are undergoing a transformation as part of a sophisticated effort to gain acceptance by the general public.

A case in point is the agenda to ban the way of life for millions of Americans who participate in outdoor traditions.   Organizations like the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) have openly stated that they wish to end all hunting and fishing. To that end, they have spent immense resources to achieve that goal. 

In recent years, the HSUS has been somewhat successful in positioning themselves from a radical lobbying group to a more mainstream organization. In that process they continue to conduct extensive “educational programs” directed at the American public through legislative issues that sound reasonable but beneath the surface, include “time bombs” that would be devastating to citizens who care deeply for the animals that they own. 

This is only a single example of how a propaganda approach works well when the general public does not take the time to discover the hidden agenda beneath the surface.

Our nation’s strength has always been the diversity of our people and the variety of ways we choose to live and approach our challenges. If we strive to create a “plain vanilla” society with no diversity, not only will life have no meaning, eventually, it will also destroy us all together.      

By Doug Jeanneret, Vice President of Marketing

As Benjamin Franklin said before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, "We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." This could certainly be the mantra for our oldest outdoor heritage – trapping.

No other outdoor issue has been as sensationalized as trapping, nor has any other issue had as much misinformation surround it. With trapper numbers at best static, it is a prime target for the anti’s attacks.

Some hunters also openly call for an end to trapping as a way to give the antis “a bone” to keep them away from other forms of hunting. Unfortunately, for all sportsmen, this is just the tip of the iceberg as it comes to the anti’s attacks on our traditions.

So before making a decision about the sport, here are some facts to keep in mind:

• Trapping is our first and foremost traditional outdoor sport, having been the impetus for the opening of the “new world”;
• When properly used, foothold traps are a vital and humane tool for wildlife management;
• State wildlife agency biologists - the same people who have led the resurgence of a variety of wildlife we now enjoy - support trapping and see it as a necessary tool for managing furbearers. Trapping has proven to be a critical element in the comeback of waterfowl populations.
• Wildlife managers also see it as extremely important in protecting the public from outbreaks of diseases such as rabies.

Of course, the animal rights movement continues to spread an abundance of misinformation about trapping in an effort to end what, in its opinion, is an inhumane tradition.

How hated is the sport? Read the rhetoric produced by some animal rights groups:

The Humane Society of the United States, the number one anti-hunting group in the nation has said, "Trapping is well known for the suffering it causes. Strides have been made to eliminate the use of traps in the United States, with eight states (WA, CA, MA, CO, AZ, NJ, FL, and RI) now banning their use."

The HSUS has made clear it seeks an "outright prohibition on all body-gripping traps due to the inherent cruelty of the devices."

The Animal Protection Institute encourages people to prohibit trapping on their land, boycott businesses that sell fur, support trapping bans and encourage non-lethal wildlife controls.

Just as disturbing, as I alluded to earlier, is the fact that some sportsmen have developed the attitude that trapping is a disposable part of our outdoor heritage. They think that a ban on trapping would not affect them and that if the anti's will get what they want they will let other sportsmen alone.

I have witnessed in states such as Massachusetts, that once the anti's stop trapping, they continue to work even harder to destroy other parts of our heritage.

Believe me, if all trapping were banned, anti's would focus on other aspects of our outdoor heritage. Hunting with hounds or bowhunting are already the next traditions in the anti’s crosshairs, but they would be encouraged to continue with an even greater assault on these and other sports.

Sportsmen must understand that if any one of our traditions is sacrificed, other parts of our hunting heritage may fall, as well. We should and must solidify our defenses and support each other regardless of whether we trap, shoot, fish, or hunt.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

Those who hunt are quite familiar with “Dawn’s Early Light.”   For me, it is the best part of the hunting experience. For those many hunts that require you to leave in the middle of the night and travel to a distant location, it is all worthwhile as you are witness to the spectacle of wildlife awakening for the day. 

It is the transformation of being one with nature. You are witness to the first light of a new day. First, the sounds of birds, then the rustle of small animals and other sounds that make you wonder what is causing such a stir. Suddenly, the fist signs of light begin to take over the area and you discover that your surroundings look a bit different than you imagined. 

As the transition from night to day is completed and as the hunt begins, I often think about how our forefathers witnessed the same sights. I also think how the very place I selected could have been a hunting spot for some ancient warrior thousands of years ago. While hunting overall is wonderful experience, those first moments when you are alone and one with nature are priceless.

I feel privileged to experience such wonderment over and over again, but it also saddens me to think that over 90 percent of Americans are totally unaware of this magnificence.

It is so important that hunters pass on these traditions to others and the best way to make your point is to invite them to join you to witness nature coming alive at “Dawn’s Early Light.”

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

Sportsmen nationally were stunned when it was revealed that Rush Limbaugh, the leading talk radio personality in the country, had recorded two public service announcements supporting America’s  top anti-hunting group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). 

What does the furor over the unholy alliance between Rush Limbaugh and the HSUS tell us?  

First and foremost, the organization leaves a trail of bread crumbs leading any reasonable person to understand that they are an animal rights group, not a “mainstream” animal welfare organization as its leaders have been asserting these past five years. 

Too many in the hunting community and the media focus on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as the nation's top animal rights organization.  They aren't, and they're not even close.  They are entertaining in a "train wreck" sort of way because they say and do outrageous things.  While we're busy focusing on their comparisons between slaughtering chickens and the Holocaust, it’s the HSUS that has crept in through the back door to steal our hunting rights away. 

HSUS is pure animal rights through and through.  Even though they make you dig harder, the evidence is there.  The Rush Limbaugh announcement caused me to go to hsus.org to see what they had written.  While I was there I found several items of interest. 

First, I noticed a running commentary on the great disappointment caused by the First Family when the President and the First Lady chose a pure bred dog for their daughters instead of adopting a shelter dog.  There was blog after blog of HSUS members wringing their hands at their choice to choose the dog they want. Meanwhile, the organization's leader, Wayne Pacelle responds with comforting commentary to soothe their anger.  He certainly doesn't sound like an extremist, so its easy to forget that Pacelle was purported to have said that he'd be fine if domestic pet ownership were "one and done", meaning that they could not be bred to produce more pets for sale. 

Yet if you dig deeper in hsus.org, you find the organization is backing legislation in states across the country that mandate the spaying and neutering of all dogs at roughly four months of age.  This of course means that the dogs never would reach the age at which they can be bred.  Until dog breeding activists, sportsmen and show dog trainers weigh in with their elected officials, these bills contain almost no exemption to the spay and neuter requirement.  In other words, the bills represent an end to dog ownership.  Pacelle derides U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) for leveling this charge, but it is not hard to understand that if every state had a spay and neuter law that his "one and done" dream would become a reality. 

Pacelle is a political animal as much as he is an animal rights extremist.  One of his blogs celebrates his fifth year at the helm of HSUS by discussing his dream of transforming HSUS into a mainstream organization.  That doesn't mean that their goals have changed, but rather their sales pitch.  How ironic is it that so may dog owners belong to HSUS, and he uses their money to build the foundation of laws that will prohibit dog ownership in the future?

When it comes to hunting, HSUS has sanitized their website from the majority of their blatantly anti-hunting statements.  Now it just speaks to "cruel" practices such as canned hunts and internet hunting.  Reading their website, you'd almost forget that Pacelle stated that he's out to ban hunting one state at a time.  You would forget that his entire lobbying team is led by former Fund for Animals staff. These people are the veterans of the most anti-hunting campaigns of the last 30 years.  

During interviews, people ask Pacelle and his cohorts whether they oppose hunting.  After stammering a bit, they will state that they will get around to the particularly cruel forms of hunting line explained above.  Instead, the question should be what kinds of hunting does HSUS support?  Pacelle is talented to be sure, but he is caught in a trap of his own making.  If he responds in a reasonable fashion that he supports deer hunting or duck hunting, his own community will tear him apart.  If he stammers and stumbles, and can't quite bring himself to endorse a single form of hunting, then his "mainstreaming" campaign will be exposed for the scheme it is...just a fundraising vehicle to dupe well meaning people into giving HSUS money to implement its animal rights agenda. 

A closer look at HSUS propaganda campaign to eliminate dog kennels

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

Three months into 2009, and we are fully engaged in the largest animal rights campaign ever waged. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) promised to make “puppy mills” a priority issue this year, and they are delivering. 

So far, 41 bills allegedly aimed at abusive commercial breeders have been introduced in 26 different states. This number does not include bills mandating the spaying and neutering of all dogs. Each puppy mill bill is supported by a campaign coordinated by HSUS or a similar animal rights organization. Each attempts to define commercial breeders, but winds up also encompassing private sporting dog and show dog kennels who do not exist primarily for selling dogs. 

What is clear is that legislators in these states are not aware that they are being deceived by animal rights groups. In press releases by legislators authoring the various puppy mill bills, many express shock at discovering that their state is the puppy mill capitol of the U.S.

HSUS claimed Pennsylvania was the capitol. Now it seems that it is Ohio is the puppy mill capitol. Or is it Arizona?…or Colorado?…or Wisconsin?…or Illinois? As a result of this claim, legislators are clamoring to erase the stigma of being labeled the puppy mill capitol from their state’s good name. But they cannot all be the capitol can they? 

The key to resolving this, like so many issues, is education. Legislators want to do the right thing. They rely on constituents to tell them what problems are occurring in their districts. In the absence of good information, a slick propaganda campaign like the HSUS puppy mill effort can really take hold. 

The only cure is a large dose of the truth. We must ask our representatives and senators to verify the claims of kennel abuses before believing that their state is a haven for abusive kennels. Sportsmen must ask their legislators to make sure that these bills do not impact kennels that may sell a few dogs, but primarily exist for hunting, field trials, etc. Elected officials must be told that we’re not the source of pet store dogs. Treating private kennels the same as commercial entities will result in the elimination of sporting dog kennels. 

When told this information, most legislators want to make sure they are not over-reaching. Many have been open to changes protecting sporting dog kennels. The burden is on us to make sure they know the truth. 

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

The economy is continuing to set a negative tone with most of the American public. Everyone has been and will continue to be affected by the greed of others. Yet, isn’t that the case for almost everything we do? 

The human race is interlocked with each other from our environment to our economy, what happens in China with pollution and trade issues has a direct affect on us here in America.

Headlines continue dwell on every negative aspect of the economic turn down but there are some positive aspects to the present crisis. Deep within the lead stories of the day lie small bits of hope that seem to shine like diamonds. I am not talking about a possible surge in the Dow, but the human equation that is so often lost in the greed of those who seem to live for the buck.

I bet you have seen some of what I am talking about as well; families seem to be staying home more, eating dinner together seems to be in fashion again, and families seem to be escaping to enjoy the wonderment of the outdoors. 

Perhaps we are getting back to the basics, spending more quality time with our families and taking time out to be one with nature. Maybe we are rediscovering our comfort zone and just maybe we are determining it is the place that we should have been in the first place.

While I am as anxious to see an economic recovery occur as anyone, perhaps the cycle that we find ourselves in right now, over the long run, may be a healthy reminder of what are the truly important things in life.

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

First, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a statement on March 10 that they are planning to outlaw lead ammunition and fishing tackle on the lands administered by the agency.

As the USSA said in our action alert, this is nothing more than a direct assault on the rights of hunters and anglers. Any potential alternatives to lead are infinitely more expensive and will drive hunters and shooters right out of our sport. 

Given that over 20 million acres of land currently open to hunting will be impacted, this is a huge hit.

Additionally, it should be pointed out that the NPS did not talk to sportsmen’s organizations about the decision in advance, nor did it refer to any specific scientific data supporting its draconian measure. Both of those facts raise further questions about the real motives driving the decision.

The USSA is working to stop the ban. You can help by contacting your members of Congress. Visit our Legislative Action Center and ask your U.S. repre3sentive and both of your U.S. Senators to urge the Obama Administration to put the brakes on this idea.

Meanwhile, the USSA issued an action alert letting sportsmen around the nation know that Carrie Underwood’s new single, “Home Sweet Home,” is benefiting the anti-hunting movement. 

The country music star and winner of the hit television show, American Idol, recorded an update to the well known Motley Crue song. In fact, the song is being used as the “farewell” tune that will be played each week the rest of the season on American Idol as contestants get voted off.  

Part of the money generated through the online sales of the song will make its way into the pockets of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).  The more money it raises, the more money it has to spend to drive hunters, trappers and anglers into extinction.

 The song’s exposure on one of the top rated shows in America guarantees that millions of listeners will be buying this tune and helping the top anti-hunting group in the country.

The USSA is still working to get this song from being played during the show and avoid giving it the kind of exposure that will increase its sales and the money going to a group that specifically targets sportsmen’s rights.

We hope sportsmen will take the time to keep contacting Fox and we’ll let folks know what the next steps to take should be.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is striving to pass   so-called “Puppy Mill” bills across the country. As detailed in our On Target newsletters, many states have introduced such bills this year. Buried within these bills there is a time bomb waiting to explode.

While abusive commercial breeders represent a serious problem, sporting dog breeders have historically been a shinning example of those that properly care for animals. So why do these bills use the iron fist of government to apply the same standards to honest breeders as those applied to mass, commercial breeders?

One might think that this was an oversight by animal rights advocates who wrote the language. Yet, this is not the case. 

The fact that this type of language was successfully challenged in Pennsylvania by responsible dog owners and the USSA doesn’t seem to faze the HSUS.  

So again, why does the HSUS choose to back this kind of harmful language even when knowing it would harm responsible dog owners? Is it possible that they have a hidden agenda? Is it possible this is part of its long-term effort to erode support for hunting everywhere by attacking it anywhere?

It would be interesting to see if contributors to the HSUS would be comfortable with the fact that responsible dog owners would be harmed should states pass the HSUS version of a “puppy mill” bill.

If you question the HSUS’s motives, I urge you to let them know what you think. 

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

In the scripted public relations world we live in today, it is often we hear image gurus talking or writing about picking your battles carefully to make sure that you protect your image in the public eye. In the sportsmen’s realm this translates into the question about whether we should avoid defending hunting practices that are opposed by the general public or the media to protect our image.

Of course we are conscious of how the issues we decide to take on affect our image. But our first concern is about how these issues impact the future of hunting.

Take polar bears for example. For the past year, the USSA has been on the leading edge of the fight opposing listing polar bears as an endangered species. The reason is simple…they are not endangered. Polar bears are abundant. Last year the federal government caved in to anti-hunters and environmental extremists by agreeing to classify polar bears as endangered based on a projection that they will become so over the next thirty years. This amounts to a pre-emptive listing.   

The Endangered Species Act does not allow for listing based on future predictions. The Department of Interior caved in on the issue because of the media frenzy over climate change. In short, the government was more concerned about its public image than protecting endangered species. In agreeing to list the polar bear, the government has sprung a trap set by the anti-hunting and environmentalist lobby. Its impact on wildlife, our economy and hunting will be wide sweeping. 

Now that the government has agreed to list polar bears based on a projection, more marine mammal listing demands will follow. Walrus has already joined the list. What about wildlife in the Everglades? Should all freshwater dependent species be listed now even if numbers do not justify it based on a projection that climate change will flood the area with salt water? 

The impact on hunting and wildlife management will be terrible. The federal government and state fish and wildlife agencies will use its funding, previously spent on habitat, to defend lawsuits forcing them to list abundant wildlife as endangered. Hunters and anglers of course will get to foot the bill of course through our licenses and taxes on firearms, ammunition and fishing gear.

Hunters lost the right to import polar bear trophies as a consequence of the new listing despite the fact that hunter dollars actually are the driving force behind endangered species conservation around the world. The number of hunters affected is only a few thousand. The precedent for all hunters, however is much larger, and could impact millions of us. Regardless of the opinions pushed by the media, we have no choice but to oppose the listing of polar bears as endangered.  

Given this information, what would our image in the eyes of hunters if we sat this one out because we were concerned we would get a black eye at the hands of the media?            

USSA President and CEO, Bud Pidgeon Speaks at Bassmaster Classic

On February 19, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and BASS Youth formed a partnership that will give youth more chances than ever before to learn about fishing.

BASS Federation Nation members and local Federation Nation clubs will be setting up stations as part of the USSAF’s Trailblazer Adventure Program. 

Already, the media’s picked up on the news and folks from across the country have been calling USSAF and BASS about how to get involved.

Given the current leader board at the Bassmaster Classic, with two anglers hauling in 20 pound stringers, it sure looks like luck is shining down. 

If that same luck holds for this new partnership, you can count on seeing kids nationwide flock to the water and start casting their lines!

For everyone there is a job that needs to be done.   For the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the battle is to assure that hunters, anglers, and trappers are able to keep doing what they have always done without the anti-hunting movement or government intruding.

This whole idea really came home to me as I looked through some of the pictures that folks have been sending in of their trophy deer this season as part of our buck photo contest. A number of the pictures have been of children with their first deer.  The pictures made me wonder who shared the love of outdoors with the children. 

Usually it’s the children’s parents or close relatives. Unfortunately, as I was smiling at the pictures I came across a news story about anti-hunters protesting bow hunting in a little town. That made it clear why the USSA is here. It’s here to keep those photos coming and, more importantly, those memories.

To keep this battle going we need you to get involved.

Do you like to teach? There are Trailblazer events where you can introduce children to your sport. 

Do you need something quick? Join the U.S. Sportsmen's Alert email Network and write your government representatives when needed. 

Do you enjoy meeting and talking to new people? Become a Local Field Director and visit clubs in your area. 

Do you enjoy monitoring government? Forward us local legislation that can impact sportsmen.

Each of those actions helps the USSA to help you. Our dedicated, professional staff will never stop until our job is done. So let’s all get together and make great things happen! In the meantime, happy hunting. 

If you are interested in volunteering, but aren't sure how or what you can offer, contact us by email at info@ussportsmen.org, or by phone at 614-888-4868. Our staff can work with you to determine what and where you can best be involved. 

By Rob Sexton, Vice President for Government Affairs 

There’s an old political axiom that says if you leave enough money lying around, someone will come and steal it. During these tough economic times, that temptation is overwhelming to many politicians around the country who are trying to balance state budgets that are deeply in the red. 

There sits in every state millions of dollars of hunting and fishing license fees that provide the fuel for fish and wildlife conservation and habitat enhancement – literally the lifeblood of hunting and fishing. For some politicians in the past, it is too much money to ignore, and our license dollars are diverted to plug budget holes that pay for schools or roads or prisons, or other state priorities. 

It has already begun in 2009. Legislators in South Dakota recently made a run at diverting sportsmen’s dollars, and were turned back by a tide of protest by hunters and anglers and a threat by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to cut off federal dollars to the state. 

In California, “the Governator”, Arnold Swarzenegger is moving to raid $30 million wildlife dollars to help plug his state’s enormous budget deficit. While the US Fish and Wildlife Services has yet to weigh in on the “Governator’s” raid it could easily be assumed that this diversion will put tens of millions of dollars in federal funds in jeopardy.

The bottom line is this cannot be allowed to happen. Once the money addicted government gets its hands on our license dollars, we will see fish and wildlife spending plummet in favor of higher state priorities. It will literally kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Wildlife programs will be severely impacted. This will result in less opportunity for hunters who will no longer see the reason to continue to invest in hunting licenses. This will kill hunting as fast as any anti-hunting or anti-gun bill. 

Sportsmen – Get Ready! The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance will sound the alarm when we hear of a raid on your dollars. Let us know if you hear first. The only way to stop it is to contact your state representatives and state senators. Tell them that hunting and fishing license dollars are only to be used for fish and wildlife conservation. 

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

For those that read our weekly electronic newsletter, On Target, you know that one of the newest, and most insidious, tactics used by the anti-hunting movement involves regulation of so-called “puppy mills.”

“Puppy mills” is a blanket term that is intended to target abusive commercial breeders that supply pet stores throughout the country. While the USSA is in total agreement that horrible, inhumane conditions should not be tolerated, we also know that sporting dog breeders are some of the most upright and caring people out there. If they run a bad operation, their dogs won’t be bought, period. Consequently, they have every incentive to do things the right way.

Lumping sporting dog breeders into the whole debate over “puppy mills” is a sly way of attacking the entire foundation of breeding sporting dogs. Anti-hunting groups like the Humane Society of the United States understand this very well, which is why they are always speaking up and pushing as broad a piece of legislation as they can in every state.

The USSA stopped these efforts in Pennsylvania by obtaining protections for sportsmen in the legislation before it was passed. In Ohio, the USSA was able to block a similar bill. However, legislation is expected to return in Ohio and onerous bills have sprouted up in Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado.

The USSA will stay on the lookout and urges all of our supporters across the country to as well. 

By Greg R. Lawson, Director of Communications

t’s amazing to see the lengths to which the anti-hunting movement will go to attack our heritage. It is even more amazing to watch the assists the movement gets from the mainstream media. Our recent brush with Newsweek magazine shows how the whole thing works.

First, a new, young reporter looks for a story and finds a biologist that obviously has an ax to grind with hunting. This biologist fills the young reporter’s head with information that sounds convincing on the surface, but greatly misrepresents reality about hunting. The reporter runs with the story and all of sudden, everywhere bloggers and other media sources are talking about how bad hunting is.

It doesn’t take any imagination to see that when a negative story about hunting hits the mainstream, sportsmen’s enemies will be talking about and using it as an affirmation of their own radical agendas.

This is another example of why the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance exists. Not only do we fight for what’s right in Congress, state legislatures, and at the ballot; we also fight back in the media. Negative stories that seem ridiculous to us can be exactly what the anti’s want those who don’t know much about hunting, fishing, and trapping to hear. It’s all part of the slow but steady attack on our heritage. But the USSA stands by to make sure our voice is heard.

By Walter P. Pidgeon, Jr., President and CEO

   Pause for a moment and think about what your reply would be if someone asked you, “what do you consider your way of life?” If your answer is a successful career that makes a lot of money, you have missed life’s true meaning. 

   Americans, by and large, continue to focus on the artificial aspects of their lives and seem to forget what is truly important. It’s not how we dress or the possessions we own. They cannot replace our fundamental connection with our natural surroundings.

   Yet, due to urbanization and other factors, most Americans have disconnected themselves from nature. Often, they prefer sitting in front of a computer or television screen to enjoying the wonders of the outdoors.

   Individuals still have the choice to reinvent themselves. For most, leaving their urban lifestyles seems unnatural. However, those who do take the time to enjoy the outdoors are stronger for it. 

   I encourage you to give outdoor adventure a try, whether hiking, camping, fishing, boating, hunting, or whatever excites you. Why not make it a new year’s resolution to get yourself outside at least once a month and take your family with you?