Workman (Nathan Adams) Syracuse, UT
First off, my name is Daren Tuttle (Syracuse, UT) and I believe I live right behind you and down one house. Second, you need to know that I was the MDF State Chair for Utah for three years. As such, I have worked with Tony Abbott and most of the top individuals within SFW, & MDF.
What I am about to write is only my opinion and is based only on experiences with these organizations.
Most of the individuals within these organizations have the highest ethics and are really trying to do what they feel is best for Utah and our wildlife. The best individuals within each of these groups are the people on the ground doing the actual work. People such as the Chapter Chairs, State Chairs and Regional Directors. Even more important than that are the individual chapter members. They day in and day out put their money, blood, sweat, and time where their mouths are and are 90% of the reason we have seen any improvement in wildlife management and growth in this state.
Tony is one of those people who you either love or hate. Don Peay is another one. While I disagree with them at times in how they go about getting things down, I do feel appreciative of what they have done. They were willing to do something, instead of just talking about it. There are others like this such as Troy Justensen (SFW), John Bair (SFW), Ray Crow (MDF)and Mike Laughter (MDF). I may not agree with their tactics, but I do feel grateful for their actions. We all just need to realize that sometimes people use this site to vent. Whether good or bad, at least there is a place you can do that and still feel a part of the MM masses.
The comment about the Hunt Expo Tag Draw Odds is very opinionated. Here is my two cents worth. 90% or more of the people out there really don't care about the draw odds. They are just happy to have another chance at drawing a tag or donating to the cause. We all get discouraged and upset when we don't draw. We couldn't call ourselves hunters, outdoorsmens, or human if we didn't. The difference is to be happy for those that drew and start anticipating next year.
There has been talk about John Bair (SFW) drawing a sheep tag this year at the Hunt Expo. I guess I feel that while I am very excited to see him draw a tag like this, I personally feel that you need to stay away from the appearance of any conflict of interest. The main sound board for me on things like this is, if I am being paid for any service by one of the organizations, then I should not be putting in for these tags. I learned this from Mike Laughter (Regional Director or MDF). He will not put in for any raffle or game played at an MDF event/banquet. He only participates in live auctions where there is an equal chance for all and everything is on the table for the public to see. If John is not receiveing any wage or fees from SFW or MDF, then more power to him and I hope he has a blast on his hunt. If he is receiving money or goods for services (salary or auctioneer fee) then forgive this year and in the future, he needs to not be a part of the tags. This is only may opinion though.
Do I think that the draw odds should be posted? If the two organizations running the Hunt Expo stated that they would then I would say that it is appropriate for them to or to at least come out and retract their statement. Either way, our lives go on and it is important to some of us and not important to others.
I hope this helps Nathan, and good luck this year in your hunting and life. If you are my neighbor, I apologize for not meeting you sooner and hope to shake hands with you soon in person.
Daren
