If we as wyoming hunters want to see why all this nonsense occurrs in the legislature we dont have to look too far. The problem is us. We fight among ourselves, we get fired up over fringe issues but throw are hands up on important stuff, We dont focus focus on important things like public lands management and access, resource damage caused by ourselves and other public land interests,, impacts of grazing and mineral interests on habitat, and recruiting young hunters. We are failing to support and demand sound research to counter unsound practices and policies. That is why we are losing the fight in the courts to counter efforts by groups that care nothing for our interests. WE as hunters dont seem to give a flip about our own interests or the future of our sport. We dont care about about our future because we as a group our aging and dont have enough youth coming into the sport. How many kids do you see hunting anymore?
Since we dont care enough about our own interests we with few exceptions, dont make any noise when those interests are threatened. Politicians dont fear us and therefore dont care what we think. Do you think that some politician in Baggs hears any thing from anyone but neighboring ranchers and oil patch people? The good old boy network flourishs in this environment. Outdoor recreation produces almost 20 percent of our gross state product but doesnt seem to be important to the good old boys.
So now we have those trying to do away with public lands or degrading the management of those lands rising again, We have legislators advocating removing bighorn populations to make room for domestic sheep. Our federal reps and senators are supporting efforts to weaken the Clean water act so that those wetlands that feed our streams and produce our waterfowl can be drained even though our state is arid. The same folks would weaken the same endangered species act that has protected habitat for both game and non game wildlife on a landscape scale rather than directly address problems with wolves. It goes on and on.
We stay silent and impotent through all of this because we are unable to recognize what is good for all of us. We have common goals but wont fight for them. Im not talking to those groups like those conservation orgs in the sportsmen alliance or those active in contributing or volunteering their time to wildlife conservation and sound sportsmens issues. I also am not talking to those hunters that take time to find out the truth and then write letters and otherwise support our interests. We need to change the way things are done by becoming a political force to be reckoned with. We arent doing that now