Do you like a good challenge???

[donniedent]

Fellow hunters,

 

There has been great debate and attention given to the recent HB2072 bill and the fight for/against it. I'm not here to discuss the bill, its proponents or opposition. I'm here to discuss conservation.

 

It is my opinion and I have voiced it many times that if we as sportsmen had been doing all we could possibly do to support conservation and the fight against the anti's that there would have been zero excuse/reason to take tags and aution/raffle them off. In short, I think it was our own fault.

 

All that being said I have a great challenge for all of you! Yaaaay!

 

There are many water/habitat projects coming up. SWSA has one this weekend on the 442 water catchment near Aguila. Here's the challenge. Find a project that fits your schedule and attend and....... bring another sportsman you know and 1 kid with you. Try and find a sportsman that does not frequent these sites, doesn't have an opinion about HB2072 and is basically your average Joe that applies for tags and hunts when he's drawn.

 

Apathy is our biggest enemy. I have personally spoken to leaders from various orgs and they all say the same thing... they can't get more sportsmen involved and they don't think it will ever change. I want to prove them wrong. I think if you have the guts to hunt, you have the guts for a good challenge. I want to prove to the various orgs, the dept and most of all to sportsmen in general that we can and will give our time if its needed.

 

Take a kid hunting??? Take a kid to a water project... then take a kid hunting. Let them earn that hunt so to speak. Teach them that conservation is different than consumption. Teach them to give their time to wildlife and true conservation efforts.

 

I realize I'm preaching to the choir on this and that many of you give your time willingly and without expectation of anything in return.

 

Lets all accept this challenge and do something outside our personal comfort zone. Lets show the dept and the orgs that we do care about conserving wildlife and we don't need to auction tags off to raise the funds to get projects done, we can do it thru volunteering our time and by the sweat of our brow!

 

Donnie Lee

donniepdr@gmail.com

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I accept the challenge:

 

I have been in touch with G$F and am waiting for assessment/assignment for our adopt a tank project. This program according to G$F is really not established in the White Mountain area but they are willing to get us set up whether it is monitoring and maintaining several trick tanks or something of that nature.

 

We are also waiting for approval by the BSA for my 14 year old to use a wildlife conservation project as his eagle project.

 

Steps have been taken to be a part of the solution instead of a bystander.

 

Thanks for the challenge donnie and thanks for your and many others efforts.

[donniedent]

That right there is way cool. Goes to show that you do not need to belong to an org or wait for a big project to do something. I'm completely impressed. And... On top of that you son wants to do a conservation project for his eagle project... You set the bar high brother!!!

 

Donnie

[tjhunt2]

Fellow hunters,

 

There has been great debate and attention given to the recent HB2072 bill and the fight for/against it. I'm not here to discuss the bill, its proponents or opposition. I'm here to discuss conservation.

 

It is my opinion and I have voiced it many times that if we as sportsmen had been doing all we could possibly do to support conservation and the fight against the anti's that there would have been zero excuse/reason to take tags and aution/raffle them off. In short, I think it was our own fault.

 

All that being said I have a great challenge for all of you! Yaaaay!

 

There are many water/habitat projects coming up. SWSA has one this weekend on the 442 water catchment near Aguila. Here's the challenge. Find a project that fits your schedule and attend and....... bring another sportsman you know and 1 kid with you. Try and find a sportsman that does not frequent these sites, doesn't have an opinion about HB2072 and is basically your average Joe that applies for tags and hunts when he's drawn.

 

Apathy is our biggest enemy. I have personally spoken to leaders from various orgs and they all say the same thing... they can't get more sportsmen involved and they don't think it will ever change. I want to prove them wrong. I think if you have the guts to hunt, you have the guts for a good challenge. I want to prove to the various orgs, the dept and most of all to sportsmen in general that we can and will give our time if its needed.

 

Take a kid hunting??? Take a kid to a water project... then take a kid hunting. Let them earn that hunt so to speak. Teach them that conservation is different than consumption. Teach them to give their time to wildlife and true conservation efforts.

 

I realize I'm preaching to the choir on this and that many of you give your time willingly and without expectation of anything in return.

 

Lets all accept this challenge and do something outside our personal comfort zone. Lets show the dept and the orgs that we do care about conserving wildlife and we don't need to auction tags off to raise the funds to get projects done, we can do it thru volunteering our time and by the sweat of our brow!

 

Donnie Lee

donniepdr@gmail.com

 

I like your challenge Donnie and the way you think. We all need to give back, get those who hunt involved in projects along with their families and friends, and educate those who don't hunt in volunteering their time with a project. With that said I still think we still need to continue to have some auction tags. The auction tags that are in place during our elk & deer banquets bring alot of money that I doubt would ever be raised otherwise. It would be great if donations and all the hunters could pull this off but I've been to a few water catchment projects and only a few ever show up. I don't want to sound negative but just realistic here. However, I will take your challenge my friend. Hope to see ya on a project soon!

 

TJ

[donniedent]

I have no problem with the auction tags that we currently have and how the funds are handled. I do not however think that funds raised by public tags should be controlled by private entities.

 

The point of my statement is to hopefully get folks fired up and take some personal accountability for our public renewable rescources... wildlife. If we want to say that wildlife belongs to all of us, we had all better be willing to help conserve that wildlife.

 

"YEAH thats my dog, I don't feed it, I don't give it water, I don't provide shelter for it or take it to the vet... but thats MY dog and you'd better not try and take it from me."

 

One hundred and seventy some odd views and 2 sportsmen who accept the challenge. Maybe they were right... sad.

[joeeden]

I have no problem with the auction tags that we currently have and how the funds are handled. I do not however think that funds raised by public tags should be controlled by private entities.

 

The point of my statement is to hopefully get folks fired up and take some personal accountability for our public renewable rescources... wildlife. If we want to say that wildlife belongs to all of us, we had all better be willing to help conserve that wildlife.

 

"YEAH thats my dog, I don't feed it, I don't give it water, I don't provide shelter for it or take it to the vet... but thats MY dog and you'd better not try and take it from me."

 

One hundred and seventy some odd views and 2 sportsmen who accept the challenge. Maybe they were right... sad.

 

 

Well said. I'm in. I will bring my daughter. But there are really sportsmen that don't visit this site? Also sad.

[tjhunt2]

No they aren't right. 1 hundred and 91 as I count. We can make this work Donnie. Come on all hunters and pledge to give something back. We have got to beat these anti hunters. If we fail then it's on your shoulders. I will never give up. Thanks Donnie for bringing this to the front table.

 

TJ

[Snapshot]

As far as the number of views.....if you look at the bottom of the website page....there are always 3 TIMES MORE non-members, than members, viewing this site at any given time.

 

When I return from Montana this fall, I will pledge to help on some volunteer projects in southern Arizona, as I can.

[donniedent]

Awsome Snapshot. I know they are doing alot more projects down there.

 

One thing me and buddy are working on is getting a list of catchments in region 4 that need attention. Contributing could be as easy as going to a catchment and cleaing bees out of the water or clearing brush out. Deer will stop htting a water source if its too brushed in and there are places for lions to hide. Contact the WM in charge of you favorite unit and see what they need and where.

 

One thing you guys need to remember is that if you join in on a water project, you might find a new hunting spot. Maybe a catchment you've never seen before. They are also great spots to do some lion calling on some of the new "daylong" hunts. You might also get to spend some time with dept employees. Those guys are a wealth of knowledge and tend to open up a bit more on projects. The worst that could happen is you make a few new friends.

 

Donnie

[AZbowhntr]

What would be really nice is if there was a place or website that all of these projects were listed so that someone like myself could go see what is coming up. Maybe there is but I don't know about it. The only time I have ever volunteered for any of these projects is when I was scouting and happened to drive by when a group was working on a turkey habitat area. So I stopped and helped. But I would be willing to help out a lot more if I knew what was coming up and where.

[donniedent]

What would be really nice is if there was a place or website that all of these projects were listed so that someone like myself could go see what is coming up. Maybe there is but I don't know about it. The only time I have ever volunteered for any of these projects is when I was scouting and happened to drive by when a group was working on a turkey habitat area. So I stopped and helped. But I would be willing to help out a lot more if I knew what was coming up and where.

 

 

Excellent idea!!! Funny enough, I was thinking the same thing. How about a blogspot page called "Conservation Corner"?

 

Tell you what guys.. I'll put my money where my mouth is. If we get say... 50 people to commit to my challenge on this thread I will build and maintain a blogspot page dedicated to keeping sportsmen informed on the various projects going on throughout the state.How does that sound???

 

Feel free to suggest a better name too.... PLEASE

 

Donnie

[donniedent]

Oh and if you don't have a kid to take pm me... I have 6! My dad told me how that happens but I didn't listen.

 

Joking aside, if you don't have kids you know someone who does. They are the future of hunting!

 

Donnie

[CouesWhitetail]

What would be really nice is if there was a place or website that all of these projects were listed so that someone like myself could go see what is coming up. Maybe there is but I don't know about it. The only time I have ever volunteered for any of these projects is when I was scouting and happened to drive by when a group was working on a turkey habitat area. So I stopped and helped. But I would be willing to help out a lot more if I knew what was coming up and where.

 

 

Excellent idea!!! Funny enough, I was thinking the same thing. How about a blogspot page called "Conservation Corner"?

 

Tell you what guys.. I'll put my money where my mouth is. If we get say... 50 people to commit to my challenge on this thread I will build and maintain a blogspot page dedicated to keeping sportsmen informed on the various projects going on throughout the state.How does that sound???

 

Feel free to suggest a better name too.... PLEASE

 

Donnie

 

 

Donnie.....Just an fyi that the Hunting and Angling Heritage Workgroup is working on this idea. We discussed it at our meeting a few months ago. We had a social networking consultant there that was going to come up with ideas to create and maintain a site that would have projects from all kinds of groups. Of course I also volunteered to make CW.com available to the conservation groups to market their projects.

 

The HAHWG is a great group created by the AGFD and made up of all kinds of sportsmen to come up with ways to support hunting and fishing in AZ. I posted about the last meeting back in January.

 

here is the link in case you want to get involved with that group. It's a great one.

http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=30171

[azbighornhunter]

Thank you very much for starting this post! I have some input that I would like to share.

 

I have already attended 3 Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society (ADBSS) water catchment projects and 1 Arizona Elk Society project this year (AES). I have already brought new people to each of these projects. Sometimes it's hard to DRAG people out of their comfort zone to go on these projects. However, if you succeed, they are always happy they came.

 

I have personally hauled over 600 gallons of water to local water catchments, and repaired livestock exclosure fences, on my own dime, to support our wildlife this summer. I have done this independently as I have had time and resources. You don't have to be with a group to help conservation.

 

For those of you out there who don't know these things are going on, I have some advice. All of the ADBSS projects this year have been posted in advance on their Facebook page. Also, I have posted info about at least one of them on this site. The AES projects are always on their Facebook page and their website in advance. They have also posted them on this site under "Wildlife Project". The ADBSS and the AES are trying hard to get the word out. There are other groups trying also. For instance, I know the Arizona Antelope Foundation and the SWSA have upcoming projects that they're trying to accomplish. PLEASE "LIKE" SEVERAL CONSERVATION GROUPS ON FACEBOOK OR CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITES IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS. You can even subscribe and get email blasts that will tell you what's going on. The information is out there if you look. All of that is FREE!

 

More importantly though, if you are a MEMBER of these groups, you will get a flyer in the mail to let you know what's going on. PLEASE JOIN SOME CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS!!!!!!!!!! Your membership provides influence when these groups have something to say to support you. These groups NEED your membership!!!!

 

I personally don't care which ones you join, but pick the one that you can afford, with a mission you agree with, and join. I'm sure Donnie has a group that would like to have you!

 

I'm a member of many organizations because I truly believe that conservation is the key to our outdoor opportunities in the future.

 

I guess I'll get off my soap box now.

 

Like I said. Thanks for starting this post. We all need to accept the challenge!

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Thank you very much for starting this post! I have some input that I would like to share.

 

I have already attended 3 Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society (ADBSS) water catchment projects and 1 Arizona Elk Society project this year (AES). I have already brought new people to each of these projects. Sometimes it's hard to DRAG people out of their comfort zone to go on these projects. However, if you succeed, they are always happy they came.

 

I have personally hauled over 600 gallons of water to local water catchments, and repaired livestock exclosure fences, on my own dime, to support our wildlife this summer. I have done this independently as I have had time and resources. You don't have to be with a group to help conservation.

 

For those of you out there who don't know these things are going on, I have some advice. All of the ADBSS projects this year have been posted in advance on their Facebook page. Also, I have posted info about at least one of them on this site. The AES projects are always on their Facebook page and their website in advance. They have also posted them on this site under "Wildlife Project". The ADBSS and the AES are trying hard to get the word out. There are other groups trying also. For instance, I know the Arizona Antelope Foundation and the SWSA have upcoming projects that they're trying to accomplish. PLEASE "LIKE" SEVERAL CONSERVATION GROUPS ON FACEBOOK OR CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITES IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS. You can even subscribe and get email blasts that will tell you what's going on. The information is out there if you look. All of that is FREE!

 

More importantly though, if you are a MEMBER of these groups, you will get a flyer in the mail to let you know what's going on. PLEASE JOIN SOME CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS!!!!!!!!!! Your membership provides influence when these groups have something to say to support you. These groups NEED your membership!!!!

 

I personally don't care which ones you join, but pick the one that you can afford, with a mission you agree with, and join. I'm sure Donnie has a group that would like to have you!

 

I'm a member of many organizations because I truly believe that conservation is the key to our outdoor opportunities in the future.

 

I guess I'll get off my soap box now.

 

Like I said. Thanks for starting this post. We all need to accept the challenge!

 

Good soapbox and good info, thanks..........