Send us your best whitetail stuff (and don't forget to attach pictures!)
Russell Graves - Believes whitetails shouldn't be photographed in the back of a truck with their tongue hanging out.
Location - Texas
Brian Strickland - Has 369,518 acres of land that you can hunt on. Call him at (555) 281-HUNT.
Location - Colorado
Tony Hansen - Is pretty confident Michigan will release at least 300,000 archers into the woods this fall.
Location - Michigan
Jake Fagan - He's really just here to hang out, so don't mind him.
Location - Georgia
Will Brantley - Loves hunting in a dorag because it makes him look Ramboish. Some may call it Little Man Syndrome.
Location - Tennessee
Monday, August 18, 2008
Why Don't We Join?
It's been a long few weeks and I have to apologize for the short lapse in posts. But I've been doing some good work -- work that I would hope every reader of the Rack Report will appreciate. My "day" job is working for a conservation group in Michigan called Michigan United Conservation Clubs (mucc.org).
At MUCC, we fight every day for the rights of hunters and anglers in the state of Michigan. We serve as a watchdog over the state's resources and sportsman's heritage and we've been at this for about 70 years. Cool, huh? Well we certainly aren't the only group fighting the good fight. All across the country state organizations like the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Indiana Wildlife Federation here in the Midwest and others along with national groups that you know by the call letters of QDMA, NWTF, DU and RMEF do spectacular work on a national level.
These groups have been around for so long that it's easy to think they'll always be there and will always have our backs. Well they will. If we make certain that they are.
See, I never realized just how much these non-profit groups rely on their members for support until I actually worked at one. And, trust me, your membership dollars make these places go. Many of this nation's top outdoors-related companies also support these groups. Realtree, for example, has been very supportive of a number of groups including MUCC. But there's a disturbing trend happening. Memberships are slowly dipping for many organizations while others are showing a slight decline in their growth. That's scary.
We need these groups more today than ever. The ranks of the anti-hunting organizations are growing and their bankrolls are thick. I'm not one who believes that money makes the world go round but it certainly wins elections and legal battles whether we like to admit that or not.
I try not to be one of those guys that gets on a soapbox but on this issue I'm pretty passionate and I wouldn't be doing my role if I didn't speak up. Hunters are the original conservationists. We are the ones that truly care about wildlife and the habitat they need. We ALWAYS step up when help is needed. Let's not stop now. If you're already a member of a national or state organization, please accept the gratitude of this Michigan hunter. I appreciate it. But don't stop with one. Support as many organizations as you can and, by all means, don't forget to include your state groups. Most offer low membership rates and usually include some pretty cool benefits like magazines or newsletters.
You may not think that a $30 membership can do much. But you have no idea just how much of a difference it can make. I see my membership fees to NWTF, QDMA and others not as an expense but as an investment in my children's outdoors future. And, hey, the magazines are worth the price.
This is an election year. And I haven't heard much discussion yet about the candidates' views on hunting and the outdoors. Is that because they see us as a declining constituency? I don't know. But I certainly plan to make my voice heard. And the best way I know to do that is by supporting those organizations that fight for what I believe in.
Will you join the fight?
At MUCC, we fight every day for the rights of hunters and anglers in the state of Michigan. We serve as a watchdog over the state's resources and sportsman's heritage and we've been at this for about 70 years. Cool, huh? Well we certainly aren't the only group fighting the good fight. All across the country state organizations like the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Indiana Wildlife Federation here in the Midwest and others along with national groups that you know by the call letters of QDMA, NWTF, DU and RMEF do spectacular work on a national level.
These groups have been around for so long that it's easy to think they'll always be there and will always have our backs. Well they will. If we make certain that they are.
See, I never realized just how much these non-profit groups rely on their members for support until I actually worked at one. And, trust me, your membership dollars make these places go. Many of this nation's top outdoors-related companies also support these groups. Realtree, for example, has been very supportive of a number of groups including MUCC. But there's a disturbing trend happening. Memberships are slowly dipping for many organizations while others are showing a slight decline in their growth. That's scary.
We need these groups more today than ever. The ranks of the anti-hunting organizations are growing and their bankrolls are thick. I'm not one who believes that money makes the world go round but it certainly wins elections and legal battles whether we like to admit that or not.
I try not to be one of those guys that gets on a soapbox but on this issue I'm pretty passionate and I wouldn't be doing my role if I didn't speak up. Hunters are the original conservationists. We are the ones that truly care about wildlife and the habitat they need. We ALWAYS step up when help is needed. Let's not stop now. If you're already a member of a national or state organization, please accept the gratitude of this Michigan hunter. I appreciate it. But don't stop with one. Support as many organizations as you can and, by all means, don't forget to include your state groups. Most offer low membership rates and usually include some pretty cool benefits like magazines or newsletters.
You may not think that a $30 membership can do much. But you have no idea just how much of a difference it can make. I see my membership fees to NWTF, QDMA and others not as an expense but as an investment in my children's outdoors future. And, hey, the magazines are worth the price.
This is an election year. And I haven't heard much discussion yet about the candidates' views on hunting and the outdoors. Is that because they see us as a declining constituency? I don't know. But I certainly plan to make my voice heard. And the best way I know to do that is by supporting those organizations that fight for what I believe in.
Will you join the fight?
Tony Hansen, Michigan Man
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