Marketing the Truth About Hunting

By Glen Wunderlich

It’s almost time to toot our horn.  No it’s not New Year’s Eve, but when Governor Snyder signs HB 4993 into law, as is expected, Michigan sportsmen and women will have reason to celebrate.

The bill sponsored by Representative Jon Bumstead, would create a statewide council, called the Michigan Wildlife Council, which would be charged with hiring a marketing firm and directing funds for the creation and implementation of a targeted multi-media marketing campaign.

Here is how the plan would work:  Revenue for the information campaign will be derived from the hunting and fishing license package already signed into law.  Beginning in March 2014, a $1 surcharge on every hunting and fishing license purchased will be used to educate the general non-hunting and non-fishing public relative to the significance of wildlife conservation through hunting and fishing. Read more

University of Outdoors to Welcome Students in 2014

Want to earn a living doing something you love in the great outdoors? Now there’s a university just for you. The new University of Outdoors will be opening its doors summer 2014 in two locations — Altoona, Alabama, and Mesa, Colorado, and will be providing its students with useful skills and knowledge essential for developing a career in the out of doors. Enroll now and change the course of your future. Read more

New OK state record rainbow trout breaks 47-year-old record

Mark Reed of Blanchard with his new Oklahoma state record rainbow trout that he caught from Lake Watonga in November. The fish weighed 10-lb., 10.56-oz., breaking the nearly half-century-old state record of 10 lbs., 4 oz.

A new state record rainbow trout was caught recently from Lake Watonga at Roman Nose State Park, reminding Oklahomans that this non-native, cold-water fish is in season and providing plenty of angling action across the state.   On Nov. 17, Mark Reed of Blanchard caught the 10-lb., 10.56-oz. rainbow, breaking the nearly half-century-old state record of Billy Payne, who caught his 10-lb., 4-oz. trout from the Illinois River in July of 1966. Read more

Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund board recommends 76 outdoor recreation development and acquisition projects totaling $27,677,800

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) board of trustees Monday recommended to the Michigan Legislature that 76 recreation development projects and land acquisitions totaling $27,677,800 be funded in 2014. The board this year considered a total of 142 applications seeking $49,431,900 in funding. In a competitive process, all eligible applications were evaluated based on scoring criteria developed by the MNRTF board. Read more

Results Matter in Black Rhino Hunt

By Glen Wunderlich

A controversial black rhino hunt is set to be auctioned by the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia.  Fueled by typical emotion-driven rhetoric, the usual suspects, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), oppose the hunt on the grounds that the animals are endangered.  On the other side, conservationists and biological scientists support the auction as a means to brighten the future of the prized African game species.

First a few facts are in order.  The number one reason for the decline from around a million rhinos in the year 1800 to approximately 30,000 today is poaching.  Rhino horn is one of the mainstays of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and thus has been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of rhinos.  The question is not whether rhino horn actually has medicinal value; enough Asians believe it does, and therefore, its value is literally double that of gold.

Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) was established in 1990 and is responsible for the safeguarding Namibia’s environmental resources.  Since 2004, with the support of scientists in the international Convention on Trade in Endangered Species, Namibia is authorized to sell up to five hunting permits a year. With selective hunting as a part of its comprehensive rhino conservation strategy, the country’s black rhino population has more than doubled since 1990.

DSC expects the permit to sell for at least $250,000, perhaps up to $1 million. All proceeds will be returned to Namibia for underfunded rhino-related projects such as anti-poaching patrols.

Did you catch that?  All proceeds are to be returned to Namibia.

Contrast this with how HSUS uses its questionable tactics to line the pockets of its hierarchy.

HSUS CEO, Wayne Pacelle, raked in $395,000 in total compensation according to its latest tax return. In total, 38 people received over $100,000 in compensation from HSUS—up from 24 the previous year. HSUS put $2.9 million into its pension plan—significantly more than it made in paltry grants to support pet sheltering.

So, rather than paint the DSC with the same brush used on poachers, while lining its own pockets, wouldn’t it be philanthropic if HSUS leaders invested that money in anti-poaching efforts or in efforts to reduce the demand for rhino horns?  (That’s Wayne’s argument against the DSC, by the way, directly from his blog.) Read more

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