2lumpy
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 8,529
Here are some questions I continually ask myself.
Do I or my children want to hunt and fish in the future?
Do I still believe there are many and diverse people and groups that want to see hunting and fishing activities end?
Do l believe there are groups that want to ban gun ownership?
Do I believe there are animal?s rights groups that want to ban hunting and fishing?
Do I believe these groups will use what ever means they can to accomplish their goals?
Do I believe the gun ban groups and the animal?s rights groups will work together if they believe their goals can be achieved?
Do I believe these groups are in fact working in harmony with each other to that end?
Are my beliefs regarding these groups and their objectives real or are they unfounded personal paranoia?
Do I believe they are dedicated, highly motivated and have large funding sources to see that their objectives are met?
Are these groups passive or are they highly engaged and well organized with powerful and skillful attorneys working with aggressive and committed judges to see that their objectives come to fruition?
Do I believe the State Wildlife Agencies will fight for my hunting and fishing interests or attempt to compromise away our outdoor activities because they either agree with the groups, they are fearful of them, or they lack the resources (money) to stop them legally.
Do I believe the Federal Government will fight for hunting and fishing interests?
I'm going to assume I know your answers to these questions and I believe you know mine. So now what?
I ask myself some more questions, such as:
Do I care?
If I care, is there anything that can be done about it, or, is it too late, if it's not too late, is the effort worth it?
Can I personally do any thing about it?
Do I have the time, the intellectual ability, the determination, the leadership kind of personality and finally to I have the monetary resources to do it by myself?
Can any ?lone wolf? (rugged individual) stop these gun ban, anti-hunting groups?
Do I need help from other like minded individuals?
Are there any like mind individuals and like minded groups?
Can I lead them?
Will they trust me and join with me in my efforts, will they give me their time, their intellect, and their money? Can I unify them in a common cause?
Is there an established group of like minded individuals already established?
Are they effective?
Are their core beliefs similar or the same as mine?
Recognizing that no organization is perfect, is there an organization that is like minded enough and effective enough to help me meet my goals or can I help them reach their goals, which include most or many of my goals but most likely not all of them? (That's a mouthful, sorry.)
I have tired for 35 years to move wildlife issues forward in Utah. I started in 1975. I joined wildlife groups, both local, State-wide groups, national and international groups. I've networked with whom I believed where influential outdoorsmens from business, government and the private sector. I've been naturalyl drawn to friends (whom I love and respect), men and women that are employed by government agencies (State and Federal), members of wildlife boards, non-profit wildlife groups, RACs, etc. I have been elected and appointed to a number non-profit boards of directors, wildlife committees, study groups, etc. All associated with hunting and fishing issues. I believe I earned the respect of some and the loathing and contempt of others. I have been a passive or active member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Mule Deer Foundation, the Ducks Unlimited, the Sevier Valley Wildlife Federation, the Utah Muzzleloader Association, the Utah State Wildlife Federation and the Southern Utah RAC. For some of these organizations I have served as an officer, others I have just been a vocal member, I have traveled thousand of miles, spent thousands of hours, attend hundreds of meeting and hearing and collectively donated thousands of dollars for which I have truly come to believe have been a total waste of time, effort and my limited resources until I reluctantly became a member of SFW.
In my thirty five years of effort, the only organization that has been effective in battling for hunting and fishing has been SFW. Every other organization I have been associated with has wanted to but lacked the talent, intellect, the guts and the resources to do anything more than complain. That is not to say that some of these organizations haven't done some wildlife projects, created some hope and had some fun but as far as hunting and fishing and the improvement of hunting and fishing species, SFW stands alone. Head an shoulders above the rest. I'm not suggesting the NRA, the Sheep Foundation, SCI and a small handful of others haven't been at work but so far as any other group that I've personally been associated with, it's been SFW, and I believe they are more specifically focused on hunting and fishing while the others focus on other things besides the hunting/fishing lifestyle.
As I've said many time on this outstanding MM Forum, I have not agreed with everything they do, nor how they have gone about it. I am not in the inner circle of SFW, I only see what the rest of you do, from the outside. I do know this from personal experience, some times you have to fold?em so you can live to fight another day. What other organization has done anything of significance for wildlife or hunters or fisherman in Utah or for that matter the Mountain West.
Who?
No one can get everyone to agree on every issue, it is humanly impossible. To suggest otherwise is na?ve and dangerously foolhardy and the anti are taking advantage of us at every turn when we do that, they can see we are divided and weak. Why do we all understand so clearly the statement made when this country was getting started: ?We have got to hang together or we shall surely hang alone?. As sure as there is a sun in the sky we will not be hunting or fishing very very soon if we don't give up some of our personal teddy bears and, for the sake of this way of life, agree to move together, as a single unified group. If we can't have everything we want from SFW, WE CAN"T PICK UP OUR BALL AND GO HOME. To do so is to surrender your culture and your lifestyle.
We are literally at war over this outdoor culture, there are ONLY TWO SIDES, one side wants our guns and our wildlife. The other side want us to keep our guns and fishing poles and to preserve the hunting and fishing lifestyle. You are one or the other, THERE IS NOT THIRD TEAM. THIS NOT NOT A THIRD TEAM. We have to know that to be a fact.
I truly and deeply believe SFW represents the hunting and fishing life style and I truly, deeply believe if you are fighting against SFW every minute you might as well be on the other side. The griping, complaining, fault finding is absolutely playing into the hands of the enemy. It weakens the group fighting for our lifestyle. You have got to believe it. Re-read the questions I ask myself everyday. Who, if not SFW?
If the effort to ban our guns and clear our forest of the large mammals cost the anti?s a 100 millions dollars a year, what kind of money do you imagine it will take us to defect them. This is WAR man, wars cost money. If you don't believe it call the anti?s and see what their budget is this year, their budget is aimed right at us, right straight at our culture.
How much can you donate to the cause? Can you give SFW a few million? How about a few thousand? No? Maybe a couple hundred? Can?t do it? Me either! I do not have that kind of money, if I had it I would gladly give it. So what do we do for money, how do we get the ammunition to fight these bastards off our life style and win this Wildlife War?
If sacrificing 300 or 400 animals a year so the wealthy can fund the Wildlife War is what it takes, so be it. I'm darn grateful for them. Do you have any problems with big business or wealth landowners paying for our war with Al-Qaeda? Have you bought any Stealth Bombers lately? How about an armor plated Humvee? Bought any of those and donated them to the Marines this year? Who?s paying of it, the rich do! How come we're not all upset that the rich are paying for that war? What's wrong with allowing the rich to help preserve this way of life too. If we win the war with Al-Qaeda does that mean the rich get all of America? That seems to be the logic some of us are stuck on when it come to the wealthy helping preserve hunting and fishing.
If you can't come up with the money to fund our Wildlife War how is it you suggest we fight it. You don't want the rich to do it, who is going to do it? Or do you really want to win the War? Who?s side are you really on, remember folks, there are darn sure only TWO SIDES, it's THEM or US.
If you have tolerated my rant again you may wish to read a couple more of Don Peays e-mails from this week asking for our support by attending and supporting the Wildlife War at this weeks Western Hunting Expo in Salt Lake City. The post are under General Hunting and are titled:
4-400 Plus Bulls
Kent Hobson?s ?Hunts For Heros?
Don asked me to post them because he can't figure out how to upload pictures to the MM site, go figure!
Respectfully,
DC
Do I or my children want to hunt and fish in the future?
Do I still believe there are many and diverse people and groups that want to see hunting and fishing activities end?
Do l believe there are groups that want to ban gun ownership?
Do I believe there are animal?s rights groups that want to ban hunting and fishing?
Do I believe these groups will use what ever means they can to accomplish their goals?
Do I believe the gun ban groups and the animal?s rights groups will work together if they believe their goals can be achieved?
Do I believe these groups are in fact working in harmony with each other to that end?
Are my beliefs regarding these groups and their objectives real or are they unfounded personal paranoia?
Do I believe they are dedicated, highly motivated and have large funding sources to see that their objectives are met?
Are these groups passive or are they highly engaged and well organized with powerful and skillful attorneys working with aggressive and committed judges to see that their objectives come to fruition?
Do I believe the State Wildlife Agencies will fight for my hunting and fishing interests or attempt to compromise away our outdoor activities because they either agree with the groups, they are fearful of them, or they lack the resources (money) to stop them legally.
Do I believe the Federal Government will fight for hunting and fishing interests?
I'm going to assume I know your answers to these questions and I believe you know mine. So now what?
I ask myself some more questions, such as:
Do I care?
If I care, is there anything that can be done about it, or, is it too late, if it's not too late, is the effort worth it?
Can I personally do any thing about it?
Do I have the time, the intellectual ability, the determination, the leadership kind of personality and finally to I have the monetary resources to do it by myself?
Can any ?lone wolf? (rugged individual) stop these gun ban, anti-hunting groups?
Do I need help from other like minded individuals?
Are there any like mind individuals and like minded groups?
Can I lead them?
Will they trust me and join with me in my efforts, will they give me their time, their intellect, and their money? Can I unify them in a common cause?
Is there an established group of like minded individuals already established?
Are they effective?
Are their core beliefs similar or the same as mine?
Recognizing that no organization is perfect, is there an organization that is like minded enough and effective enough to help me meet my goals or can I help them reach their goals, which include most or many of my goals but most likely not all of them? (That's a mouthful, sorry.)
I have tired for 35 years to move wildlife issues forward in Utah. I started in 1975. I joined wildlife groups, both local, State-wide groups, national and international groups. I've networked with whom I believed where influential outdoorsmens from business, government and the private sector. I've been naturalyl drawn to friends (whom I love and respect), men and women that are employed by government agencies (State and Federal), members of wildlife boards, non-profit wildlife groups, RACs, etc. I have been elected and appointed to a number non-profit boards of directors, wildlife committees, study groups, etc. All associated with hunting and fishing issues. I believe I earned the respect of some and the loathing and contempt of others. I have been a passive or active member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Mule Deer Foundation, the Ducks Unlimited, the Sevier Valley Wildlife Federation, the Utah Muzzleloader Association, the Utah State Wildlife Federation and the Southern Utah RAC. For some of these organizations I have served as an officer, others I have just been a vocal member, I have traveled thousand of miles, spent thousands of hours, attend hundreds of meeting and hearing and collectively donated thousands of dollars for which I have truly come to believe have been a total waste of time, effort and my limited resources until I reluctantly became a member of SFW.
In my thirty five years of effort, the only organization that has been effective in battling for hunting and fishing has been SFW. Every other organization I have been associated with has wanted to but lacked the talent, intellect, the guts and the resources to do anything more than complain. That is not to say that some of these organizations haven't done some wildlife projects, created some hope and had some fun but as far as hunting and fishing and the improvement of hunting and fishing species, SFW stands alone. Head an shoulders above the rest. I'm not suggesting the NRA, the Sheep Foundation, SCI and a small handful of others haven't been at work but so far as any other group that I've personally been associated with, it's been SFW, and I believe they are more specifically focused on hunting and fishing while the others focus on other things besides the hunting/fishing lifestyle.
As I've said many time on this outstanding MM Forum, I have not agreed with everything they do, nor how they have gone about it. I am not in the inner circle of SFW, I only see what the rest of you do, from the outside. I do know this from personal experience, some times you have to fold?em so you can live to fight another day. What other organization has done anything of significance for wildlife or hunters or fisherman in Utah or for that matter the Mountain West.
Who?
No one can get everyone to agree on every issue, it is humanly impossible. To suggest otherwise is na?ve and dangerously foolhardy and the anti are taking advantage of us at every turn when we do that, they can see we are divided and weak. Why do we all understand so clearly the statement made when this country was getting started: ?We have got to hang together or we shall surely hang alone?. As sure as there is a sun in the sky we will not be hunting or fishing very very soon if we don't give up some of our personal teddy bears and, for the sake of this way of life, agree to move together, as a single unified group. If we can't have everything we want from SFW, WE CAN"T PICK UP OUR BALL AND GO HOME. To do so is to surrender your culture and your lifestyle.
We are literally at war over this outdoor culture, there are ONLY TWO SIDES, one side wants our guns and our wildlife. The other side want us to keep our guns and fishing poles and to preserve the hunting and fishing lifestyle. You are one or the other, THERE IS NOT THIRD TEAM. THIS NOT NOT A THIRD TEAM. We have to know that to be a fact.
I truly and deeply believe SFW represents the hunting and fishing life style and I truly, deeply believe if you are fighting against SFW every minute you might as well be on the other side. The griping, complaining, fault finding is absolutely playing into the hands of the enemy. It weakens the group fighting for our lifestyle. You have got to believe it. Re-read the questions I ask myself everyday. Who, if not SFW?
If the effort to ban our guns and clear our forest of the large mammals cost the anti?s a 100 millions dollars a year, what kind of money do you imagine it will take us to defect them. This is WAR man, wars cost money. If you don't believe it call the anti?s and see what their budget is this year, their budget is aimed right at us, right straight at our culture.
How much can you donate to the cause? Can you give SFW a few million? How about a few thousand? No? Maybe a couple hundred? Can?t do it? Me either! I do not have that kind of money, if I had it I would gladly give it. So what do we do for money, how do we get the ammunition to fight these bastards off our life style and win this Wildlife War?
If sacrificing 300 or 400 animals a year so the wealthy can fund the Wildlife War is what it takes, so be it. I'm darn grateful for them. Do you have any problems with big business or wealth landowners paying for our war with Al-Qaeda? Have you bought any Stealth Bombers lately? How about an armor plated Humvee? Bought any of those and donated them to the Marines this year? Who?s paying of it, the rich do! How come we're not all upset that the rich are paying for that war? What's wrong with allowing the rich to help preserve this way of life too. If we win the war with Al-Qaeda does that mean the rich get all of America? That seems to be the logic some of us are stuck on when it come to the wealthy helping preserve hunting and fishing.
If you can't come up with the money to fund our Wildlife War how is it you suggest we fight it. You don't want the rich to do it, who is going to do it? Or do you really want to win the War? Who?s side are you really on, remember folks, there are darn sure only TWO SIDES, it's THEM or US.
If you have tolerated my rant again you may wish to read a couple more of Don Peays e-mails from this week asking for our support by attending and supporting the Wildlife War at this weeks Western Hunting Expo in Salt Lake City. The post are under General Hunting and are titled:
4-400 Plus Bulls
Kent Hobson?s ?Hunts For Heros?
Don asked me to post them because he can't figure out how to upload pictures to the MM site, go figure!
Respectfully,
DC
