1. Safety. This should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. Safety is first and foremost above everything else. My children have been taught from an early age there are three rules to everything we do outdoors and we discuss them while we’re riding in the truck before each outing. Our entire outing is filled with teaching moments focused on safety. As long as we follow the first two rules then rule three is always automatic.
   • Rule #1 – Safety first!
   • Rule #2 – Listen to Dad.
   • Rule #3 – Have fun.
2. Make it fun. Establish the mindset that when you’re taking a youth into the field it is about them and not about you. Don’t push them to hunt as hard as you normally would, or pressure them into situations because of your own drive. Step back and see the big picture from the child’s perspective. Let them progress at their own pace and they’ll take ownership of the situation.
3. Weather. Some of the best hunting can be in tough weather, but since we’re making this all about the child, optimize the experience by taking them out in pleasant conditions. Early season bow hunts from a ground blind overlooking a field or mid-October walks through the squirrel woods are perfect ways to get youth outdoors.
4. Patience. Don’t lose it.  Children are going to make noise and squirm in their chairs. Find ways to guide their energy while creating teaching moments. Bring along a bird ID book and see how many types of birds you can find together. Collect leaves, acorns and pine cones to match them up to pictures in a tree ID book. If necessary you can even break out an iPod and let them play games for a while.
5. Snacks. This item could easily be listed as #2 because it is almost as important as safety. Bring along some snacks and drinks to share with the child when you can see their attention starting to fade. Let them pick out the snacks at home or even better yet, support your local economy by giving the child a few bucks then stopping at the convenience store. Find a way to make it special or maybe start a pre-hunt tradition here.
6. Exposure. The outdoors can easily be a year-round activity to involve children in. Take them out to help train your duck dog. Involve them in the training by having them give the dog commands or throw out bumpers for the dog to fetch. Invite them to hike into the woods to monitor trail cameras or establish mineral sites. Let them be the first to look through the trail camera pictures when you get them uploaded, and if you’re into naming target deer then let the child pick the names this season.
7. Not for everyone. Don’t put any pressure on a child to take up hunting. Let them come along at their own pace and develop through their own curiosity. When a child sees their parent involved in an activity they will be naturally inclined to want to learn more about that activity. Embrace and encourage that but only at the appropriate pace for that individual child. Pushing them too fast can ruin the experience. Ultimately they may still choose not to hunt anyway, but allow them the opportunity to make that decision. Taking this approach will still leave them with a favorable impression of hunting and our role in conservation.
8. Discuss. One of the things I love most about hunting is that it is an endless learning process. You’ll never know everything there is to know about monster bucks, for example.  Quite frankly, even though I’m always thirsty for knowledge, I don’t want to know everything. That just adds to the allure. Hunting creates an infinite amount of teaching moments as you’re introducing children to the outdoors. They’re naturally inquisitive so this opens up a fantastic set-up for you to talk through the what, where, when, why and how’s of hunting.
9. Participate. A big component of a successful youth hunt is letting them actually play a role in the experience. Let them help get decoys out of the bag, pack their own backpack to carry into the woods or follow deer tracks to where they think a good spot to hunt might be. This not only helps make them feel like they’re part of the team but also promotes active learning through your careful guidance.
10. Timing. From late October to mid November I’m happily perched in a tree stand from before the sun comes until after it has gone down (as long as I have my snacks). However, there is absolutely no way I’d expect my children to be able to endure the same bowhunting marathon. Keep your youth hunts short in duration, maximized with activity and custom tailored to the individual. Just like training a good retriever you always want to finish on a high note. Find that happy medium of just before they’re too tired and bored yet still left wanting more!

This is a subject near and dear to me with two hunting up-and-comers in the family. While there could easily be a list of 100 items to keep in mind, my hope is that these 10 tips touch on some of the main points of introducing our hunting heritage to today’s youth. Above and beyond everything else, just make sure to keep the experience fun for them. The days spent afield have a special way of creating some of the strongest bonds we will experience in life. When put into that perspective, who better to introduce to our hunting heritage than your own children, relatives or family friends.

Candace and a nice buck!

What is your favorite style/method of hunting?

Although any type of hunting gets me excited to spend time outdoors, I know that hands down my favorite method is bow hunting. Whether from a ground blind, a tree stand, spot and stalk, or even night stalking, the challenge of bow hunting makes every hunt more rewarding in my opinion. Knowing and experiencing the countless hours tuning, adjusting, practicing, and learning the intricacies of my bow as it suits my personal shooting characteristics and then waiting patiently for that close encounter in the field for just the right shot on the right animal surpasses any other style of hunting I have yet to experience. It is extremely hard to pick up a rifle after accepting the challenge of a bow and I have recently started learning the basics of shooting a recurve to take the challenge even further.

What do you do for a living? If retired, what did you do?

I am currently employed as a civilian with the Department of Defense.

Why did you join USSA?

There are many organizations available for hunters to be a part of but USSA has an undeniable reputation for positive influence, outreach, stability, education and protection of our rights and heritage. There are so many issues affecting and threatening our hunting heritage and I want to ensure I am educated and current on anything that could adversely affect it. With so much erroneous information and media coverage available (and social media distortion) it is important to get the facts and knowledge. As a hunter and outdoorswoman, I want to continue educating myself as much as possible and I know USSA will keep me on the right path as well as providing opportunities to help others.

What is your most memorable experience while hunting?

I believe this is one of the hardest questions to answer as a hunter! Every moment and every hunt in the field holds some special place in my heart and has engrained a specific memory in my mind; many of those when animals were not even taken. It has never been and never will be about the kill, but the time spent outdoors alone or with others, and the unforgettable moments. However, I won’t avoid the question!

Candace enjoys bowhunting for feral hogs.

I absolutely love hunting wild pigs and I can remember the exact moment and how I felt when I harvested my very first pig with a bow. I was in a tripod in south Texas when a black boar came out. The sun was fading and after what seemed to be an eternity he finally presented a shot. I took it and after my arrow hit he ran straight to my tripod, stood under me and stomped and squealed looking up at me. He ran a few more yards and expired. I know I should have been nervous or scared but I could not remove the grin I had on my face, the chills I had all over my body, and the indescribable feeling that overtook my soul. Not only was this my first pig with a bow, but my first official bow kill and recovery. I had taken other animals with a rifle but I have never let that feeling and excitement from that bow kill leave my heart and it is what drives me into the woods in the dark on solo hunts for pigs nearly every weekend. That moment kick-started a passion deep inside that has led to countless other memories.

What do you perceive as the largest threat to our outdoor heritage?

Unfortunately there are numerous threats to our outdoor heritage that could destroy so much of what we have worked for including deer population, both high density and decreasing numbers due to disease, hunting land access, brutal attacks from anti-hunters and even division within our own hunting community. However, I think there is one massive threat that if addressed right could encompass all of these issues and that is education for both hunters and non-hunters.

With society’s ever-growing need for instant gratification we have to address education through different methods than years past. Gone are the days when a hunter education course as a child, yearly guides and regulation booklets, and newspaper or magazine articles were enough to reach the public and educate or dispel any myths. Now we are battling social media where everything can seems to be trusted as fact without much research. Education will always be the only way to reach everyone equally about all of the threats to our heritage but finding the right ways in today’s modern world is the bigger challenge.

Who do you enjoy sharing your passion for the outdoors with?

Anybody who will listen or read! I talk and write…a lot, but I absolutely love sharing my hunting stories, mistakes, and educating anyone who will listen as well as learning from others. I never know when something I say or write could spark an interest where one never was and thus begin a wonderful journey for someone who may have never considered hunting. I love sharing my passion with all of my social media family, where such a supportive group of hunters exist and stand up for each other; we are constantly learning from each other.

With regards to sharing hunts and memories in the field, my first choice has and always will be my husband Donald. We have learned so much from each other and shared so many memories together that I couldn’t imagine having anyone else by my side. Although we don’t have children of our own, I enjoy the surprise and delight in a young child’s eyes when they experience any ‘first’ in the field. Sharing knowledge and igniting their passion is the future of hunting. I also enjoy sharing my passion with my girlfriends who have the same fire for the outdoors; there will always be a special bond present between us when we are making memories and having fun with anything related to hunting and fishing.

Keep up with Candace this fall by liking her page on Facebook or following her on Twitter.

It was early yesterday morning when I got the first e-mail from our friends at Boone and Crockett Club about the potential for a hunter harassment situation stemming from a young woman from Texas who had posted photos of animals that she had just taken in Africa. In the 24 hours since then the story has exploded and has now become national news due to the attacks this young woman is facing from the anti-hunting community.

Kendall Jones appears to be an all-American girl. She grew up in a family where hunting is the norm, and she mentions on her Facebook fan page that she has hunted since she was a child. Now 19, she attends  Texas Tech University studying marketing and sports therapy and she is a cheerleader at the school. Her busy schedule has not put much of a damper on her hunting enthusiasm, and in fact, she is in the early stages of starting a career as a professional hunter.

When Jones started posting her hunting photos on her Facebook page a couple of days ago from a recent African safari, it sent the antis into a frenzy. It seems there is nothing they despise more than a hunter posing in photos with game that they legally harvested, and when it is a young woman, their frenzy reaches a fevered pitch. As was expected, they launched an all-out social media assault on Jones and they continue to push for removal of her Facebook page.

To read the insults and threats hurled at this young woman, who has done nothing illegal and is simply enjoying her preferred lifestyle, is both hideous and sickening. If you think I am exaggerating, a simple web search on the subject will reveal the true nature of these people who call themselves conservationists. It is especially troubling when the vast majority of the posters have almost no clue about wildlife conservation, and the anti-hunting community in general does next to nothing to help wildlife and habitat.

Based on a recent study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, sportsmen have contributed more than $7.2 billion to state conservation efforts since the signing of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937. Hunters now contribute about $371 million annually through the Act. In addition, almost $800 million is spent each year on license and permit fees while about $440 million more is contributed to hunting and conservation organizations. Ultimately, hunters contribute more than $1.6 billion each year to conservation, which benefits game and non-game wildlife species.

We are still waiting to see the financials on what anti-hunting interests contribute to conservation. I wouldn’t recommend holding your breath in the meantime. While hunters and wildlife conservation organizations continue to do their part to support healthy wildlife populations using sound science as the guide, some of the biggest players in the anti-hunting community are paying huge financial settlements due to a racketeering lawsuit while also having donor advisory warnings issued by a leading charity evaluator.

Sadly, Good Morning America featured an ABC News segment this morning on Jones’ situation and instead of working to find facts they decided to spin the information to suit their need for a sensational story. They even gave a few moments of air time to Jeffrey Flocken, the North American Director of the radical group International Fund for Animal Welfare. On the group’s website they state “We rescue and care for individual animals and deliver effective solutions for the long-term protection of animal populations and habitats.” If this is the case, just what is their effective solution for the long-term protection of African wildlife? If it weren’t for hunters and the money they spend there, these animals would have no chance of surviving rampant poaching and uncontrollable habitat loss. Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems logical that a balanced story might also include a qualified wildlife manager, preferably an African, to describe the situation.

I will give credit to NBC’s Today Show for their coverage of the story. Although they chose to interview PETA spokesperson Lindsay Rajt, they covered the opposing viewpoint by conducting on-camera interviews with people from Jones’ hometown and they are also running a poll asking viewers if Facebook should be removing photos from her hunt. The results after more than 115,000 votes were 62% in favor of keeping Jones’ photos posted on the popular social media site.

In the case of Jones’ African safari, all of the animals she harvested were taken legally and in addition to a significant contribution made to conservation, those who live there will benefit greatly from the meat her hunts have provided. Despite this, her harassers insist on posting inaccurate and sensational information that supports their extreme agenda.

So why is it that animal rights extremists think it is okay to harass and threaten someone simply because they prefer a lifestyle that is different than theirs? We may never understand it, but the bottom line is this type of childish and ignorant behavior is never okay. The good news is mainstream America will not tolerate it and reasonable people can clearly see the radical nature of the anti-hunting community. The idea of someone’s life being threatened as is the case with Jones and many other hunters before her, will not sit well with rational human beings. In the meantime, hunters will continue being the true wildlife conservationists through our efforts and financial contributions.

Among the many new features you will find on our site is the President’s Blog. While much of the content will come from me and will range from the serious to the lighthearted, you will also get a chance to read posts from other USSA staff, volunteers and guest contributors. Admittedly we are not sure exactly which direction we will go here, but we will use your continual feedback to help guide us.

In addition to the blog, we are also launching an exciting new endeavor, USSA TV. Hosted by our very own Kali Parmley, the show will not only provide updates on the latest issues our community faces, it will provide you with an inside look into our work while giving you a chance to meet a number of our dedicated team members. Again, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for how to best use this exciting tool for getting the word out.

Please be sure to visit my Sportsmen’s Notebook blog often. Thank you for supporting USSA, and doing your part to protect our outdoor sports. It truly is Our Heritage. Our Fight!

I am starting to get a real edge to me. Actually, I’m flat out angry. For much of my life I cruised along as an outdoorsman that was simply focused on where the next hunting or fishing trip would be, or what new piece of gear I would save up money to buy. For most people who have hobbies or deep interests in something, they can focus their time and energy on enjoying it without constantly looking over their shoulder for someone trying to take it away from them. If you’re an American outdoorsman, you do not have that luxury.

It’s my job at U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) to lead the fight against the bad guys. Primarily the bad guys include anti-hunting organizations and animal rights extremists. I love my work and consider it a great responsibility, but to be honest, I wish I didn’t have to do it. I wish that we could just be left alone to enjoy our outdoor lifestyles without the constant attacks designed to take away our way of life because someone doesn’t agree with it. All I wanted to do last night after returning home from a business trip was read my hunting magazines and catch up on current events within the outdoor industry. Instead I had to deal with anti-hunting initiatives being advanced in several places across the country. Yes, I am complaining. I am not complaining about my job, however. I am complaining about having to waste time that should be spent on enjoying the outdoor traditions that have shaped my life because of a segment of society that is not only misinformed, but radical to the point of valuing the lives of animals more than humans.

I am scared that the average outdoorsman doesn’t really understand just how dangerous the situation is becoming, and how we may be closer to losing our hunting rights than maintaining them. Just a few of the issues we’re working on as I type this include:

• the attempt to eliminate all types of hunting with dogs in California;

• ensuring that the management of Great Lakes wolves in Michigan is handled by the state’s wildlife management agency;

• lawsuits dealing with wolf management on both a federal level and in Wisconsin;

• more than 100 dog-related bills that could have a profound impact on hunting dog owners;

• protection of sound bear hunting practices in Maine;

• infiltration of state wildlife commissions across the country by anti-hunting interests;

• the attempted elimination of mountain lion hunting in Nebraska despite the clear need defined by the state’s wildlife management agency;

• formal education of everyone from elementary school children to aspiring attorneys by anti-hunting interests; and

• a new anti-trapping bill in New Hampshire.

Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there are undoubtedly dozens of other issues that we don’t even know about. There are also other issues that we are aware of that we just don’t have the money or time to pursue.

I hope if you are reading this that you take a moment to pass it along or simply think about just how threatened our cherished outdoor endeavors are thanks to a group of people who simply don’t agree with our chosen lifestyles. Yes, they are boldly walking into our front doors and telling us how to live our lives. I know that everyone’s time is limited and we want to spend it enjoying hunting, fishing and trapping. I am asking you to please just dedicate a small percentage of that time on helping to protect our outdoor heritage by being aware of the issues, and by being ready when called upon to fight for what you believe in.

I am going to make time to catch up on a few of my favorite hunting magazines and I might even try to do some coyote hunting this afternoon. I hope the next piece I write is something you’ll enjoy. I wish everything I write could be.

Hunters and anglers are viewing with apprehension and concern President Obama’s nomination of Sally Jewell to be the new Secretary of the Interior.  As the steward of hundreds of millions of acres of public lands – held by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Park Service (NPS), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) – the Secretary plays a critical role in managing these lands including policies impacting access, hunting opportunities, and wildlife management.  Jewell’s close association with interests hostile to hunters, hunting access, and traditional wildlife management has USSA watching her confirmation closely.

Find out how Ms. Jewell’s appointment could impact sportsmen nationwide.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/02/06/president-obama-names-sally-jewell-lead-department-interior

The most important thing that the government can do for American sportsmen and women is nothing.  Much like the Hippocratic Oath physicians takes upon becoming licensed to practice medicine – “Do No Harm” should be our first wish from the new Congress.  However, an increasingly urban country – with urban-based politicians – demands that hunters, trappers, and anglers emerge from our defensive bunkers, and try to put in place laws that will protect our precious heritage for generations to come.

For that reason, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act must be resurrected from its death in the Senate late last year, and re-introduced as early as possible in 2013.  While there are many things in the legislation that are essential for conservation, two are vital for the future of hunting, fishing and shooting:

The first is “Open Until Closed.” This provision mandates that Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Land be open to hunting unless federal agencies make a finding that hunting is incompatible with that specific property.  A similar provision was part of a law passed in 1997 for National Wildlife Refuges which resulted in hundreds of thousands of acres in new hunting lands open to sportsmen and women all over the United States.

Anti-hunting organizations know that access to hunting land is key to the survival of hunting.  That is why they and extreme environmentalist organizations fought the provision for BLM and Forest lands this past year.  They have spent the last fifteen years tying up new openings of hunting land in federal court. The “Open Until Closed” language puts a stop to that game and we must fight to make sure that it passes.

The second provision deals with these same groups using the court system to try and force the U.S. EPA to restrict or ban lead in ammunition and fishing tackle.  They are banking that an activist federal judge will bend the Toxic Substances Control Act to apply to ammo and tackle even though that was never the intent of lawmakers back in 1973 when the bill was passed.

The anti’s know that restrictions on traditional ammunition and low cost fishing tackle will drive up the cost of hunting, fishing and recreational shooting, thereby driving another segment of sportsmen and women from our ranks.  It’s all part of their “Death by a Thousand Cuts” strategy they have conceived to see the end of our heritage.

And like “Open Until Closed,” it’s why it is vital that sportsmen fight to see these important protections enacted by the new Congress.

It would be easy to stereotype the Senate with its larger democratic majority and predict that it will not allow either of these provisions to become law.  But that may be premature.  The Senate is a politically pragmatic institution.  And the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid has been shown to be practical when it is in the best interest of his caucus.  The key for sportsmen will be to attract the support of democrats in the Senate, who need our support at election time, and convince them to push for these much needed changes.

The bigger question is what will President Obama, who no longer faces re-election concerns, do if the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act is placed on his desk?  The best thing sportsmen and women can do is to put it there to find out the answer.

You can read much more background information about the case here and here.

We made several arguments why Judge Anderson should dismiss the case and allow wolf hunting with dogs to move forward.  But here’s the best one – Wisconsin law does not permit the Department of Natural Resources to create the unreasonable restrictions on hunting wolves using dogs that the anti-wolf hunting groups want. Here’s why:

Administrative agencies, like the Wisconsin DNR, are generally given their authority to pass regulations by the state’s legislature.  This is how most hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations are created.  Agencies do not have unlimited authority to pass any regulation they can dream up and they cannot exceed what the legislature has spelled out in law.

In the Wisconsin lawsuit, the anti-wolf hunting groups want the Court to force the Wisconsin DNR to enact a number of strict regulations that would make it virtually impossible to use dogs to track and trail wolves.

In 2011, Wisconsin’s legislature passed “Act 21” which specifically forbids a state agency from creating regulations that are not “explicitly required or explicitly permitted” by a statue or other rule.

In the case of wolf hunting, Wisconsin’s legislature directed the DNR to permit the use of dogs to track and trail wolves.  While the legislature gave the DNR explicit authority to regulate how many wolves could be harvested it did not give the DNR authority to create the restrictive regulations on the use of dogs that the anti-wolf hunting groups want.  That authority just isn’t in the law and imposing those regulations would violate Act 21.

In the end, the anti-hunters’ real issue is with the legislature for allowing wolf hunting and wolf hunting with dogs in the first place.  They lost that fight and are now trying to convince the Court to exceed its authority and force the Wisconsin DNR to enact restrictions the law does not allow.

The Court is scheduled to make a ruling on the case on December 20th.

Of particular concern to sportsmen are reductions of Pittman-Robertson (PR) and Dingell-Johnson (DJ) funds to state fish and game agencies.  Sequestration of these funds, which provide for hunting and fishing programs all across the country, could be an unintended and disastrous consequence of the process.

For decades, hunters and anglers have paid special federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear with the revenues going to two special federal funds:  Pittman-Robertson for hunting and Dingell-Johnson for fishing;  PR and DJ for short.  These taxes – about $31 million a year to PR and $34 million to DJ — go only to these two funds and the money can be spent only on programs to benefit hunting and fishing.  In other words, these funds were purposefully designed to be restricted to ensure that the money was not used to pave roads, build prisons, support Social Security, the Department of Defense, or any other federal program.  Furthermore, only the amount of tax revenue that actually goes into each fund can be spent – no money is ever borrowed to pay for PR or DJ projects and no other federal tax revenues support these projects. Because expenditures cannot exceed income, PR and DJ do not contribute to overall spending or contribute to the deficit.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (part of the White House) has the sole authority to decide which federal programs are subject to sequestration. The OMB has interpreted the 2011 budget law that the PR and DJ funds are “non-exempt discretionary spending” and will be sequestered.  That action, scheduled for January, will reduce the amount of PR and DJ funding available for hunting and fishing programs to the tune of $31 million and $34 million respectively. Overall $65 million of hunters and anglers dedicated taxes will be sequestered (i.e., not available for programs [see OMB Sequestration Report, Appendix A at pages 110 and 112].

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, state fish and game agencies and others have argued that the special nature of these dedicated funds means they should not be subject to sequestration.   As these funds come from special user taxes and the monies can be used only for hunting and fishing programs – and do not contribute to the deficit – they should be exempt from the sequestration cuts.

So far the White House is not listening.  Unless the White House and OMB relent, or sequestration is avoided because the Senate and House agree on a comprehensive new budget and spending bills between now and January, $65 million of PR/DJ funds will not  be distributed to the state fish and game agencies hunting and fishing programs.  These cuts represent 100% of annual PR/DJ funding.

For some of us, this is déjà vu all over again!  In the 1980’s, Congress and the Reagan Administration agreed on a similar program of automatic budget cuts called Gramm-Rudman (after two then U.S. Senators).  Like now, OMB decided that the cuts applied to PR and DJ.  Our community objected.  As Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks overseeing administration of the PR and DJ programs, I was right in the middle of it.

Fortunately we were able to persuade key members of Congress to join with us and we prevailed. OMB and the Reagan White House conceded and PR and DJ funded hunting and fishing programs were not cut. It appears it is time to dig out my letters and memos from 26 years ago to make the same case to the Obama Administration.

Subjecting PR and DJ to automatic budget cuts made no sense in 1986 and makes no sense today.  We will be carrying this message to the White House and OMB, and the Interior Department.  If the Administration won’t help, we will be on Capitol Hill asking the Senate and House to protect sportsmen’s dollars.

Our greater worry is that OMB will sequester the PR/DJ funds and let our tax revenues pile up, unspent.  When the unspent amounts total $100 million or more, we suspect that OMB will try to transfer the money – our hunting and angling equipment tax dollars – to some other federal programs.  If they try, they will meet us in federal court arguing that redirecting our tax dollars violates the law.

Hunters’ and anglers’ special excise taxes, and the good work these dollars support, should not be caught up in the political mess created by budget inaction and impasse in Washington, D.C.

Jewell has served on the Board of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and been a strong supporter of the group.  Unfortunately NPCA has been a thorn in the side for hunters.  In Florida, the Big Cypress National Preserve (part of the Everglades and managed by NPS) has been open to hunting since its creation in 1973 and the law establishing the Preserve provides for hunter access via traditional means (e.g., airboats and swamp buggies).  NPCA has sued NPS repeatedly to limit hunter access and bear hunting in keep large areas of the Preserve.  These antics have prompted some environmentalists, who remember the promises made to hunters about continued access to the unit, to accuse NPCA of bad faith.  Does Jewell back NPCA’s anti-hunter campaign in south Florida?

Some 5000 miles to the northwest, NPCA is taking the same tact in Alaska. There it has become the leading force in pressing to impose hunting restrictions in National Preserve units (expressly open to hunting in law).  The group is also pushing the Interior Department and NPS to disregard hunting regulations, to facilitate hunting opportunities, set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Federal preemption of the State’s primary authority over hunting is contrary to settled law and policy.  Does NPCA board member Jewell support Federal preemption of state primacy over hunting (and fishing) in Alaska and elsewhere?

The problems don’t stop here.  Wilderness advocates have been strongly supported – verbally and with large $$ donations – by Ms. Jewell.  These are the same zealots who have sued US FWS and Arizona Game and Fish to block beneficial wildlife management programs on Interior Department lands.  These activists have sued to stop the maintenance of water catchment basins that benefit Desert bighorn sheep arguing that lands within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (created to conserve the sheep) are “Wilderness” first (meaning no management allowed) and wildlife lands second.  Hence the catchment basins must be barred – even though the sheep populations will decline as a result.  Does Jewell believe that Wilderness values are more important than wildlife?

Fishery conservation has been targeted by the same groups.  In Alaska, they sued to stop the State agency from stocking baby salmon in a Wilderness lake.  Even though the stocking program predated the Wilderness designation, no one objected to the program when the designation occurred, and US FWS continued to approve the stocking for more than a decade, the Wilderness bunch got the US Court of Appeals in San Francisco to stop the program because “management” is not “necessary” in Wilderness areas.  And in her home state of Washington, NPCA and Wilderness types pushed NPS to terminate traditional fish stocking programs in the Cascade Mountains.  Will Sally Jewell promote this anti-management point of view as the new Interior Secretary?

USSA will try to get these questions, and others about our hunting, angling, and trapping heritage, asked during Jewell’s confirmation hearings.  If she continues to support the activists she has stood with previously, we would have no choice but to ask the Senate to stop her confirmation.  If Ms Jewell provides assurances that as Secretary she intends to respect our heritage, redeem the promises made to hunters about continued access to federal lands, recognize state primacy over hunting and fishing, and support wildlife management, USSA will be glad to endorse her confirmation and work with her at Interior.   Stay tuned.