George wrote:
Mike, you should have fessed up earlier
This response submitted by George on 02/18/2004 at 22:56. ( ) 205.188.209.73
NOW we know why you feel as you do. You can think what you want, but Tony Finazzo is right on with his comment. That's why Delta Waterfowl came into being. DU was turning into a bunch of bunny huggers. Why don't you ask your regional chairman of an initiative a few years back were DU wanted to actually DOWN PLAY the role of hunters in preservation of ducks. How many DUCK HUNTS does your local chapter auction off? How many DUCK GUNS does your chapter auction off? Most auctions I've been to, and I've been to hundreds, are inundated with prints, carvings, sculptures, and nicknacks of all pedigrees. Speaking of pedigrees, only a very few offer retriever pups at their auctions any more either. Most DU monies go to headquarters who either uses it for themselves, paying region directors and buying their fancy Suburbans and to Canada where limits are more liberal and seasons are longer. DU is quickly becoming a shadow of the venerable Sierra Club which USED TO BE a friend of outdoors people. Those days are dwindling fast. But good luck to you and your endeavors. I honestly wish you well.
George, I cant say that I disagree with you. As a matter of fact these are the things many of us would like to change. My chapter is very small and most of our members do feel that things need to change, or at least those of us who actually hunt. I guess im not sure I will continue to support DU if things dont change, but Im not ready to throw in the towel yet, so i will continue to contribute until I feel that its a lost cause. After all you cant say that they do nothing to promote the sport. I personally believe that without Ducks Unlimited's presence over the years the sport of waterfowling wouldnt even exist today, I could be wrong but thats how I feel.
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...the preservation of Waterfowl. Not about hunting.
They realize that their membership #'s are stacked with hunters. But they also realize that if they can focus on the preservation of wildlife that they can also bring in non-hunting members. It's in their best interest to do so, and ours (as hunters)...
I guess that my area isnt full of allot of tree huggers and most of the members in my chapter either hunt, have hunted, or were brought in to the Du thing by hunting relatives or friends. I have never come in contact with an active anti hunter in any of my dealings with my chapter. Could there be some wolves in sheeps clothing? You bet, but thats not what im about, and I do see the good in DU. I dont promote everything they say or do but I do promote the big picture, or should I say the big picture as i see it. SO many people are worried about the big boys in the DU organization and how much money they make. Money talks, and without the money DU wouldnt have what they need to make a large enough impact. I would really like to think that we could get everybody to do what they do for DU just for the love of the cause, but it really doesnt work that way.
In my home state of N.D., DU buys up land & sells it to rich coorperate people! Not to popular with hunter like me! Most ND Hunters have gotten away from DU and moved on to Delta Waterfowl!
I'm glad for you and would be proud to be around someone whose heart is definitely in the right place. So many times I hear people bitching about how terrible an organization is, but refuse to be a part of it to change it. No one makes changes from the peanut gallery. DU is still a good conservation organization with well intended goals. I've just found others that have given me and my state more bang for the buck, but that's certainly no indicator of their popularity nationwide. Good luck.
I believe the original post was about donating work or gift certificates to DU to help their fund-raising and to get exposure. I have been donating $100 gift certs. to DU and sometimes to Pheasants Forever for many years. Not all are returned for actual work. I made the mistake early on of giving a certificate for a free bird mount and the winners were holding out for a swan or a full strut turkey. Lucky for me, none redeemed them. Now the certs are for a monetary amount and a two year expiration.
We just had our Banquet last Friday, and I donated two $100 certs. and did something different. I taxied a Mandarin duck that I obtained from Brad McMillan, and we auctioned that, too. It went for $200, but I have a client that wants the other one I have in the freezer, and I also received work for two mourning doves and two peacocks!
People could see my work, and I received many positive comments. My donations qualify me for a sponsorship, and my wife and I get in for free because of my support.
I also spoke to the Pheasants Forever chairman and will be donating a chukar. One of my past certificates was redeemed by an investor in town who is involved with our college fund-raiser that brings former NFL players to trap shoot and pheasant hunt around Havre, MT every year. They now want me to be available to take in pheasants for these players as needed. Cha-ching! I am part-timer in taxidermy, but you can see how this can snowball.
As far as DU is concerned as an organization, I don't care where the habitat is saved just so long as it is. DU spends 84% of revenues on the ground, 13% on fund-raising, and 3% on administration (all those brand new suburbans for the fat cats). Few if any organizations are as efficient at putting money to work. Our local committee has the local state and BLM wildlife biologists, and the rest are hunters and fishermen. Our crowd is hunters, ranchers, farmers, physicians, businessmen, and mostly married couples. If that isn't a good cross-section to get your message to, then show me a better one.
Then I'd suggest that before you take a bite out of that crow on the plate in front of you, you look at the National Wild Turkey Federation and to Buckmasters American Deer Foundation. Your numbers pale in contrast. BTW, doesn't YOUR regional director drive a DU Suburban? If he doesn't, he's the only one.
Actually, we didn't serve crow, and there's no need to get mean with a total stranger. It was all you can eat prime rib, shrimp, chicken, and all the fixins. Both conservation organizations you mention are great and growing, but turkeys and whitetails are very adaptable, and were increasing rapidly before these organizations came into being. Wetland loss is probably the most important form of habitat loss we see today and have been seeing for some time. Remember how your grandpa used to tell you the ducks would black out the sun? I'd like to see that again some day.
We have a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation that has sprung up here in Havre, though why is beyond me. We do not have acceptable climate or habitat to support large numbers of turkeys around here. We do have a small flock west of Chinook, MT. About ten birds with a heavy domestic infusion as they live on a farmers place. The closest huntable populations are near Lewistown, MT, over a hundred miles away. Anyway, they are now added to the long list of organizations that hit up our local businesses for donations. Elks, ducks, pheasants, walleyes, NRA, schools, civic organizations, a college. And they all seem to mirror the format of a DU Banquet. I guess when you have been doing something right for the past 65 years, everyone wants a piece of the (blackbird) pie. Oh, and Jackie Bushman has a nice suburban, too.
I am a member of DU, Delta Waterfowl, TU, Wildlife Society and I think they all have their place. DU is dedicated to the preservation of wetlands, not American wigeon, American bitterns or American avocets. However these 3 species depend on wetlands as habitat, specifically for breeding purposes. By supporting the preservation of wetlands, DU feels they can attract a wide base of conservation oriented members and I think that benefits everybody as whole. As a wetland scientist, I realize how important wetlands conservation is and will be even more importnat in 20 years as development continues to spread. Delta Waterfowl is more research based, particularly doing research on the science behind breeding waterfowl. All of Delta's monies are spent on research and that fills an important niche as well.
I just wanted to say that all these organizations have their role and if you support any of them, then my hats off to you. Without any of these groups or their members who knows where we would be today.
...promoting the preservation and enhancement of waterfowl HABITAT. If that fails we won't have waterfowl hunting, plain and simple. Marty is right...it is not about hunting, not directly anyway.
DU has a CONTINENTAL perspective...that means Canada to Mexico, not just my back yard or yours. Some folks are just not informed, but the real bottom line is that -thmost of "our" DU funds are expended at the place where we all collectively get the most bang for our bucks-the prarie pothole regions of Canada. If you have never had the chance to fly over Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in a comercial jet on a clear day and looked down on all that real and vital waterfowl habitat, then my friend , you just can not really appreciate what that HABITAT does for all of us.
Other folks are self centered...I will call them NIMBYs...the guys that whine if it is Not In My Back Yard then I will not support it. NIMBYs are also uninformed because they apparently do not know or choose to ignore that DU Has expanded its projects location focus to every state that has or once had HABITAT that can be restored or enhanced...it is called the MARSH Program...a newer and substantially smaller but important focus for DU...Matching Aid to Restore State Habitat projects are all over the lower 48 map ...so the NIMBYs should get off the couch and help DU and their state wildlife agency to identify MARSH project sites in or near their own back yard... propose and lobby for those projects, quit whining and make it happen.
Get a grip...DU is a multi-million dollar conservation BUSINESS and it must recruit, retain, promote and compensate capable staff...RDs to organize and facilitatefund raising...planners, land men, engineers, hydrologists, biologists and such to plan and execute the projects that establish or restore HABITAT.
The truth is that DU has a proven track record that is simply amazing...NOT PERFECT...but amazing. If you put the performance stats on all other conservation organizations inthe USA combined...they do not come close to DU. No one will agree with every decision made by HQ at DU...I don't...but the big picture, focus and mission provides HABITAT for waterfowl.
Now, this silly stuff about Suburbans...simple envy, stupidity or again just uninformed? If you ever worked a DU banquet or event you would know that RDs get saddled with transporting bunches of boxes of DU stuff to and between DU events. The vehicle is a legitimate expense under the IRS Code...do ou suppose any of the Suburban whiners ever took advantage of any type of business or personal credit or deduction in their personal or business life? If they did, did it promote HABITAT in any manner whatever?
NO, I am not and never have been on DU staff...just a 20+ year volunteer from West Virginia who really cares about,believes in and belongs to DU, TU, Ruffed Grouse Society, NWTF and Delta.
Thanks for considering my response.