4 - 400 Plus Bulls

2lumpy · Feb 10, 2010

Fellow Sportsmen-Message from Don Peay and SFW

We must all come together to win the wolf war ? get them of the endangered species list, and allow for states to manage them. If we do not win this epic battle with the Anti-hunting groups, our western states big game hunting will be reduced by 60 to 80%, and at that point, there is so little opportunity, to cover the costs prices will be very high, the hunting so infrequent, or it will be so low of quality, hunters will simply quit, and our 100 year conservation model will have been destroyed. That is the goal of the WELL FUNDED, HIGHLY COMPENSATED, WELL EDUCATED anti-hunting groups.

SFW has lead the fight to get wolves delisted, and we are leading the fight to keep them in states management. IF for NO OTHER REASON, EVERY
sportsmen who hunts in the west, or wants to someday, should be a member of SFW, and send us a few bucks every year. If this battle is lost, the game is over, literally and figuratively.

SFW has also lead the policy, political and funding effort to restore nearly 1 MILLION ACRES of habitat in Utah. It is close to a $100 Million effort, and just come to the EXPO and see some of the results, there are SOME, I know only SOME TREMENDOUS BUCKS being grown again in Utah on even public land, general season units. WE are peddling as fast as we can to help the DWR, BLM, Forest Service and Private landowners fix deer herds, ranges, and solve conflicts with wildlife and livestock. WE are starting to see some results, and we are going to work to fix the rest of the States, and SFW Idaho just got a $2 Million project going in Idaho, and SFW Wyoming helped get a multi million effort going in Wyoming. Same attempts in New Mexico.

I think also every sportsmen in America can agree in the SFW coyote control efforts.

I think every sportsmen in America can agree with the efforts and results in getting freeways and highways fenced, with underpasses for migration routes ? this is a HUGE effort for now and in the future.

I think every sportsmen in America can agree with the efforts of SFW to get our game and fish agencies to spend our license money and matching funds on producing abundant game and fish, and quite robbing our funds ? which are badly needed for elk, deer, moose, bighorn, goats, turkey, waterfowl and other species ? to build program for spotted owls, desert tortoise, neo tropical song birds and all the other feel good stuff. Not that those feel good species are not important, just don't take our money, that is badly needed for game programs and divert it to non game programs, and then to add insult to injury, cater to the anti hunting crowd.

There are a lot of BIG PICTURE issues we all agree upon, and every sportsmen who wants to hunt the west, should be on board.

SFW has built an incredible team, it takes thousands to win in our arena. Thanks to all of them.

I don't agree with the NRA on every issue, but I send them $200 every year, cause without them, we are done.

I don't agree with every issue the SFW member and SFW Board takes on how deer are hunted ? five units versus 20, 8 year old bull elk, 6 year old bulls, etc. None of us do, but I know we spend and incredible amount of time and effort to find solutions that most agree with and then get it done.

If sportsmen would truly look at the facts, they would see that the ?controversial? SFW efforts for conservation tags and Expo tags, truly has resulted IN DRAMATIC increases in the average income, public land hunters opportunities. The problem is, we have helped build such a great product, instead of 20,000 hunters applying, now 250,000 hunters apply. That is why the drawing odds are tough ? hunting isn't a dying sport, if you build a GREAT product.

And finally, the SFW team works very, very hard. 18 ? 20 hour days if necessary, day in and day out, to get the job done. WE don't get paid extra, we get paid a flat 8 hour a day rate. WE do it, our whole team, because we are passionate hunters, and we have hundreds of TREMENDOUS volunteers. It takes a GREAT team to win for wildlife and sportsmen.

I completely agree with many of the critics ? there are some RICH HUNTERS, who care nothing about the common good, only for themselves. I wish they would help us all more.

But, SFW has also found a handful of very wealthy hunters who care about the rest of us, and they are donating MILLIONS of dollars to make hunting better for all of us. Making dream hunts come true for the working man, for our military heroes, for great family men, who want to see their children have great hunts too.

A gentleman donated $4 Million to SFW to make hunting better, and to give annual funds for our conservation mission. You know what he asked for in return ? Nothing. He just said, ?keep doing a great job, and I am going to donate more?. NO tag, no hunts, nothing.

He also wanted us to be able to reward some of our volunteers who help our team win, and to help our soldiers. He understands how to build a very successful team and business ? he built one that was worth over $250 Million with thousands of employees. He can see SFW is building a great team, and wants us to win, for all sportsmen, for all wildlife. Others are stepping up.

And, this is the result of one of the FIRST of many victories for the working man and our military heroes from that donation. Rather than sending Jeff Foxworthy, Karl Malone, or someone else on the FIRST hunt into this PHENOMENAL area, we had a random draw and sent two of our volunteers and two of our military heroes.

The result, a trip of a lifetime and 4 bulls over 400 inches.

I think we are up to 20 hunts for heroes. Over time, we will do 200, or if more sportsmen get involved, it would be 2,000 or 20,000.

I donate 100% of my time to coordinate all this effort ? and since I already have a 16 hour a day job many parts of the year, it means I just add a couple more hours a day to get it done for these, our military heroes and to thank our volunteers.

And, the end result of all of it is MORE quality hunting opportunities ? THOUSANDS more each year, for all sportsmen on our great public lands of the west and Alaska.

Here is an open invitation to all sportsmen, get involved, help us, help you.

The EXPO produced this year by the MDF and SFW is THE BEST ONE YET, come on down and enjoy the SHOW, and help us win the wolf war, the habitat battles, fix habitat, transplant new herds and flocks, save our hunting heritage.

Give us your input, we listen and try and do the best job we can to keep 200,000 plus wild eyed, fiercely independent sportsmen happy, and that is a TOUGH job, but worthy of the effort.

PleaseDear · Feb 10, 2010

I just hope you are not ripping off Brian and that you are paying for all these Advertisement Threads you keep starting.

Robb

Deerlove · Feb 11, 2010

Did SFW just put you on the payroll, or just sent your son on a hunt???

2lumpy · Feb 11, 2010

LAST EDITED ON Feb-11-10 AT 09:09PM (MST)[p]Actually, it wasn't a hunt, it was a salmon fishing trip, it was fantastic. I can't begin to convey my appreciation. I feel the same about all men and women who offer their lives so you and I can continue to communicate on an open forum without fear of some dictator looping our heads off for something we've said.

I understand your question. Further more I understand the inference. It's okay, I'm not surprised, since you don't know a whole about me, other than what I've posted the last few months, it's most likely, if you dislike SFW and/or Don, you'd want folks to believe I'm bought and paid for because it's easier to explain my support that way, right?

It couldn't be that I can't find any other group getting anything done for wildlife in Utah.

It couldn't be that I support most of what SFW is doing and attempting to do.

It couldn't be that I can tolerate the things I disagree with them on.

It couldn't be that I'm willing to accept their method of using wildlife to generate revenue for the preservation of wildlife and our hunting culture.

It couldn't be that they fight and win battles that I couldn't win by myself or with any other group.

It couldn't be that I respect SFW's ability to absorb the challenges and the filth that gets thrown at them by their enemies in the anti community, and by those whom I believe should their friends in the hunting committee (such as yourself), yet on they work, with passion for wildlife and our outdoor way of life.

It couldn't be that I recognize who is getting things done and who's not and that maybe if I work with the organization that is getting things done, just maybe I'll able to influence them with what I think should be done. Like, if they come to me for help and I can give them help, just maybe when I have something to say about wildlife they will listen to my point of view. (It's brain science, I know.) What good does it do to give your opinion and express your concerns to an inept organization that may be empathic toward your position but is in no way capable of doing anything about it.

I couldn't be that I want to associate with people that are getting things done rather than associate with good people but people are not getting it done for wildlife.

Or as you've inference, and not so subtlety I might add, that I could only be supporting SFW because I'm on the payroll and must surely be a bought and paid for minion.

Hope you not too anger with me now, I'm just a foolish old man that doesn't get it, so what can anyone expect from one such as I.
DC

Hiker of the Woods · Feb 11, 2010

Great post DC!

adamsoa · Feb 12, 2010

DC,
I dont disagree that the SFW is leading the fight on some issues. I'm all for sportsmen gathering to fight the good fight, but to me it seems like they have an agenda that does not look to the little guy. They seem and are percieved to support the rich man big dollar guys.

However, I'm all in favor of killing wolves.

respect my authorita

2lumpy · Feb 12, 2010

adamsoa,
Thank goodness that someone with some kind of influence is having some impact on wolf invasion. I spent three years trying to get Utah's U.S. Rep. Cris Cannon to back down the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Through Cannon I notified, Bishop, Mathison, Hatch and Bennett. Three years of letters, meetings, phone calls, RAC meetings. The results, NOTHING! Not one inch would they move. Once SFW decided the time was right, things began to happen to put Utah in place to protect itself from wolves.

I spent a very long day in the aisles of the Western Hunting Con, and Expo today asking sportsmen and women to sign a petition so the BLM could move forward with a 53,000 vegetation restoration project on the Paunsegant because 2200 tree huggers have written letters to the BLM to prevent them from doing it. While I was there Senator Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden came down the aisle. Senator Christensen was looking for Don Peay to notify him that the House and Senate had just sent the wolf bill to Gov. Herbert for his signature so it can be passed into Utah law.

All I can say about that, is this; Sen. Allen Christensen, sees those Utahan's packed in the Expo, 4 deep in every direction, he looks and he sees support for hunting and fishing and he knows who brought all those people together to celebrate the way of life you and I love. And when I tried for three years to do something, anything, about wolves and the sum total of my efforts was ZIP. So what am I supposed to do? I want to help a guy that I believe is helping wildlife and not just for the wealthy.

Regarding this issue of the supporting rich man and not looking to the little guy. I truly understand that concern, I'm one those little guys. I work for a small school district in Central Utah, I have two degrees and have worked all my life barely making enough to keep five great kids in shoes. I move to Glenwwod, Utah from Alberta, Canada 35 years ago for one reason, I was visiting my wife's family in Richfield and I walked into Pearson's Tire Store. On the wall in their waiting room wall I saw pictures of hunters holding the antlers of mule deer much, much larger than anything I had ever seen in Alberta, I turned to wife and said, "we are moving here? I'm going to hunt deer like those". I returned to Calgary, in six weeks I quit my job as a crude oil analyst with Shell Oil, sold my house and moved to Glenwood. Isince then I have scratched and clawed out a living, gone back to school to get a second degree, so I could increase my income a little, so I could hunt mule deer in the best mule deer environment in the world.

Now you know what's happened to the mule deer that I moved here to hunt. If you don't think I get a belly-ache every time I think about it.........! Everything I sacrificed for has slowly but surely gone to hell.

Now then, I just spent 8 hours around a bunch of little guys and a few really rich guys. I can't say I really get off on the rich guys. They are really not my kind of folks. They kind of look right through you, if you know what I mean. They really didn't know what I was doing there nor did they care, they had their own stuff going and it didn't involve me.

Twenty years ago, out of this mix of humanity comes a guy named Don Peay, I think when he was young maybe he was kind of like me, had no money but he loved wildlife and loved to be out there on the hunt. In the late 80', early 90's he could see the mule deer herd in Utah had fallen off a cliff and he wanted to try to do something BECAUSE he could see us older guys were not getting it done, and he was right, try as we might, WE WERE NOT GETTING IT DONE.

So here is a guy with passion and no money, right. Just a kid out of college wanting to hunt mule deer and it's gone to hell. So what can he do? Some where along in here he starts thinking, "what can I do without influence". He begins to put a plan together and decides it's a government problem and it's only government that will ever be able to solve it, because government make the laws that impact wildlife. He's right in that regard. So now he believes the solution lies with government. How can he move government back to our side, away from those the hate our hunting culture? So he rally's an angry, frustrated bunch of sportsmen on the steps of the State Capital where he and we demand change. We demand Gov Leavitt do something to preempt the decline of our mule deer herds. Leavitt responds and takes 3 million out of generally funds, and forces a defiant DWR to reduce the sale of deer permits.

In the mean time Don's family needs to eat, his kids need shoes too and $10 SFW memberships ($20 now days) don't generate enough revenue to feed a growing family and travel the state, travel to Washington DC and else where, so how does he finance this long and persistent fight against environmentalist with funds beyond our wildest dreams?

He comes up with idea. The idea is, could we use wildlife to help protect wildlife, thereby protect hunting. If hunting persists and the enviro-nazis loose, businesses that benefit from wildlife aught to help foot the cost to do that. The archery manufactures and retailers make money if there continues to be hunters buying bows to hunt. The same is true for the firearms businesses, the gas stations, the restaurants, the boot, tent, game call, and camo garment companies, etc. And yes, above all the outfitters. The outfitters may be the most venerable, if the antis win.

So Don goes to these folks and says, what about it gentlemen? You saw what I can do on the steps of the Capital, do you want to help me, help you, save your businesses by preserving hunting. If I'm going to help you preserver hunting, you're going to have to help pay the bill because I got kids to feed too. Those rich businesses didn't get rich because they are idiots, they could see where hunting was headed and they "hired" SFW" to try and put the train back on the track. They did it for one reason, self preservation! If there is no hunting, the little guy will not be purchasing boots, hats, arrows, bullets, gasoline, motel rooms, tents, trailers, atvs, etc. etc etc. If the little guy doesn't buy, no more business, no more rich guy.

Now he's got money. Now he's got membership. Memberships mean he can influence how people vote and who get's elected. We have to have laws that protect wildlife populations and the hunting culture, not just laws that protect hunting just for the rich, there aren't enough of the rich to affect elections, the little guys way out number the rich guys at the ballet box. The business men know it and the rich guys absolutely know it.

So now sportsmen are beginning to have impact and still in the back of Don's mind is this question, can wildlife be used to benefit wildlife? He see's that the DWR are generating extra revenue by offering a few "elite permits" and say's, maybe SFE could do that. I'll show the DWR, the DNR and our friends in the Legislature if they will let SFW take a "bunch" of these "elite permits" and parlay them into millions so we can really impact wildlife numbers and thereby increase hunting opportunities for everyone, rich guy and little guy.

And..................so far I personally think its working.

There are those who say SFW has gone too far, made too many deals with the devil, gotten too much personal benefit but after spending 8 hours collecting those signatures today I believe there are thousands of little guys who thinks SFW is our only chance of winning this wildlife war.

Could Don have gone about this a different way? Maybe could have but I guess he couldn't come up with a different way or maybe he would have, the plan just took on a life of it's own and he just pushed it along the path off least resistance.

Could he be more humble, more passive, more retrospect with the little guys? Does his inner circle get some perks. Could he be more organized, could he be more open and transparent. Yes, he probably could, but you know that takes time and energy too and I'll bet he get worn down trying to justify every thing SFW does and do, over and over and over again, day in and day out. It takes energy way from what we really need some like him doing for us.

As to the matter of the distribution of funds that are generated from publically owned hunting tags, these "elite tags", and the donations I know SFW receives from memberships, and businesses, business men and women including outfitters. Personally, I am confident the IRS and the Utah Tax auditors keep a close eye on the movement of these funds. I know they watched every non-profit and any for profit entity I've every served on.

In summary, I don't know how many conservation permits are too many, you could certainly get to the point where it's harmful, no doubt, but for me, we're still okay. I would guess, if Don is wise he will stay away from the edge, he would not want to kill that which is making his plan work.

What the percentages of the "for profit revenues" and the "non-profit revenues" go directly into wildlife projects. I truly don't care, 5% or 95% so long as two things are happening, SRW is not stealing or conducting themselves outside the law with the money and equally important, they are conserving, preserving, and enhancing hunt-able wildlife and fighting for both the little guy and the rich guy's opportunity to hunt.

As of this time, from my view of the world, they meet both of my requirements.

adamsoa, I'm guessing that you must think I'm nuts because I know you and a number of folks already know most of this stuff and your angry over one or another position SFW has taken in the pass or the current elk plan issue. I'm sure they gave their input and used there strength within the committee. Wouldn't you expect them to do what they could if they were invited to the table?

It's now after one o?clock in the morning and as I've written this, I've had to get up and walk off three charley-horses from standing on that concrete floor at the Expo all day and I've told them I would come back tomorrow and do the something. I'm not sure I'll be able to get out of bed in the morning but I wanted the other folks that visit the MM forum to know why some of us support wildlife through SFW. Simply put I just don't see anyone else getting a darn thing accomplished.

I've certainly have said enough on this subject. Knowing very well I've not changed your mind but maybe some of the folks that will have taken the time to read this and will get behind what I think is the only game in town.

Folks I know this long and it's full of grammar error and typos, sorry about that, it's the message not the text I hope

adamsoa, hope that ole' hoyt get's it done for you this fall.

DC