Outdoorsmen should stick together
Hunters and anglers often are fragmented into specialty
groups — by species targeted or methods used. It's time
to unite, especially in this political year … and beyond
By Taylor WilsonOK, so it's a presidential election year. Promises are made that, more than likely, aren't actually meant to be kept.
We Americans kind of expect that … past history and all.
But what has been interesting this go-around, from the hunting and fishing standpoint, is the sudden interest in the famed hook-and-bullet crowd.
I mean several months ago many of the leaders of approximately 20 of our nation's biggest conservation organizations met in Washington, D.C.
Yep, leaders from BASS, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and the like were there. They talked with the President and with the Secretary of the Interior.
Strange but true, hunters and fishermen were in the national spotlight with no bad press.
I have also noticed that the national news has begun to make conservation more of an issue this year, likewise kind of strange, especially when they start quoting people that hunt or fish.
Any other year, the mainstream media seems to largely ignore sportsmen … other than a token outdoor page, here or there.
Perhaps this mainstream "rediscovery" of outdoor interest has come about because the last presidential race was so close that having any or all special interest groups, even outdoorsmen, on your side can make a difference in the election's outcome?
Whatever the case, it's kind of nice to know (or at least think) they care, right?
However, the truth be known, we hunters and fishermen carry a lot more clout than most think.
Our problem is that we typically don't show this clout off until we are cornered; i.e. "I don't care about that political stuff, I just want to go fishing. But if you try to keep me from going fishing, I am calling my Congressman, might even go to his house. By the way, where's my fillet knife?"
To make matters worse, we often are fragmented into specialty groups. We're not only divided by species we hunt or fish for, but also by the methods we use.
For example, there are those who just flyfish, those who just bass fish, those who just bowhunt or those who just hunt with a rifle.
The distinctions go on and on.
We tend to be splintered among our own ranks.
Gone are many of the old rod and gun clubs that used to be relatively common in most any community.
I can't help but wonder if such specializing has hurt us or our causes. Hopefully, we will never have to find out.
Because there is always apt to be times when we must flex our muscle and show our strength in numbers — if nothing else — to protect our hunting and fishing sports, it's heritage and the resources we help conserve.
Come to think of it, we hook 'n' bullet folks need to stick together, election year or not.
Taylor Wilson is a free-lance writer and editor for Bill Dance Publishing in Brownsville, Tenn. He can be reached at taylorwilson@billdancefishing.com.
