BHA seems “all-in” with Biden

[greywacke]

There are already dozens if not hundreds of conservation based organizations out there, any spending on that issue by bha is a drop in the bucket of noise for that cause, leave it to heavy hitters like the nature conservancy and whatnot.

That's what I thought was the basis of your opinion. The problem with it is the exact same thing can be said for every church donation that was ever gave with an open heart.

They are competing for access to the powers that be and the fact is that there are a ton of conservation groups that have more to offer those people than bha does.

Like gifts and cash bribes? Sounds like a problem that you should hold your elected officials accountable for, first & foremost.

That money could be used way more effectively towards their initial mission statement of opening up access to public lands.

As far as I can tell, rmef opened up more acres to hunters than bha did during the same time period.

The initial mission statement doesn't involve buying me access and rights of way from individuals. That's not what a hunter gives money to BHA for, that's what a hunter gives money to a landowner for. He don't need NC for that either, btw.
Recreational hunters and subsistence hunters and other public lands users give $$ to BHA $$ to represent them at the State Game Board, and Forest Service work sessions, and when some fools want to dam up the Snow River valley for a private power plant.

 

[Oregon]

I was pretty happy with expanding hunting on my public lands(refuges) done this year.
Guarantee you won’t see any expansion in the next 4.

Newsroom | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

www.fws.gov

 

[Troubleshooter406]

Do not support any organization or person who supports communism or is anti American. Pretty simple, if you support it you will deserve what is coming...

 

[4ester]

Wolves in sheep’s clothing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[greywacke]

Do not support any organization or person who supports communism or is anti American. Pretty simple, if you support it you will deserve what is coming...

"I said Mom, I'm a goddamned United States Marine. I don't need a plastic flag decal on my truck to be patriotic."

 

[def90]

That's what I thought was the basis of your opinion. The problem with it is the exact same thing can be said for every church donation that was ever gave with an open heart.






Like gifts and cash bribes? Sounds like a problem that you should hold your elected officials accountable for, first & foremost.





The initial mission statement doesn't involve buying me access and rights of way from individuals. That's not what a hunter gives money to BHA for, that's what a hunter gives money to a landowner for. He don't need NC for that either, btw.
Recreational hunters and subsistence hunters and other public lands users give $$ to BHA $$ to represent them at the State Game Board, and Forest Service work sessions, and when some fools want to dam up the Snow River valley for a private power plant.

Unfortunately whether you like it or not lobbying is the game and it's not going to change any time soon. On top of competing for attention at the legislative level there is competition for your donation dollar.

I look at it like this.. Here in Boulder Colorado every spring they have the Boulder Creek Fest. At the Boulder Creek Fest there are all kinds of booths set up, most are artists selling whatever it is that they created, some are sales tents selling you windows, some are non profits trying to get you to donate. There are routinely at least 8 or 9 vegan animal rights groups there. Each of those groups is competing for your donation so in the end rather than one group bringing in $10k in funds to spend on promotion and advocacy you now have 8 groups with $1200 each. What are any of these groups really getting done?

I would love for bha's primary focus to be access, which in the end is going to be what rmef does, find private parcels that can open up tracts of public land and buy leases for access or to set up land swaps between the usfs and land owners that could trade parcels of land that may be beneficial for both sides. They can always promote whatever conservation cause they think is worth promoting but putting the kind of money bha can put in to conservation lobbying is akin to dumping a can of beer in to a hot tub.

 

[Okhotnik]

That's what I thought was the basis of your opinion. The problem with it is the exact same thing can be said for every church donation that was ever gave with an open heart.






Like gifts and cash bribes? Sounds like a problem that you should hold your elected officials accountable for, first & foremost.





The initial mission statement doesn't involve buying me access and rights of way from individuals. That's not what a hunter gives money to BHA for, that's what a hunter gives money to a landowner for. He don't need NC for that either, btw.
Recreational hunters and subsistence hunters and other public lands users give $$ to BHA $$ to represent them at the State Game Board, and Forest Service work sessions, and when some fools want to dam up the Snow River valley for a private power plant.

I sure have noticed a lot of virtue signaling in environmental organizations. Seems to attract a certain group of people.

 

[Okhotnik]

Firstly, I'm not a BHA member and have never donated money to their organization and I'll try to answer your question in as neutral way as possible.

Could it be that BHA is more supportive of Biden because under the Obama/Biden Administration there were protections placed on over 5 million acres of Public Land while Trump Administration has removed (or tried to remove) protections for something like 30+ million acres of Public Land?

Again, I'm not picking political sides or even quoting sources or exact numbers on the above, I just seem to remember reading an article in Outside Magazine (not a subscriber, just picked one up while waiting at Discount Tire) (Not biased on tire companies either, I got GoodYears but only because they offered a rebate).

This is just my personal (Non Partisan) guess as to why you may get that vibe from a Public Land Conservation Group.

The EPA under Obama's leadership sure did a number on the Animus River in your state lol

 

[def90]

I don't want to say donate or support one way or another, just do you due diligence and dive in to the public financial reports, look at track records and look at personal positions of management and board memebers and look at the "market" just as you would any other investment before spending your hard earned money on any non profit. Ignore personalities and feelings. You worked hard for it, you want your money to give you your best return on investment that you can, other wise you might as well just throw dollar bills out the window as you drive down the road.

 

[Rick M.]

The EPA under Obama's leadership sure did a number on the Animus River in your state lol

This statement is a bit disingenuous to be fair. The crew was there inspecting the site for a cleanup. It was a complete accident that happened while they were carrying out an inspection. You act like Obama had them drilling for oil or something, lol.

"The Gold King disaster was caused by a contract EPA crew that was checking out the mine for future cleanup work. As they used heavy machinery to peel back a layer of rock and dirt covering the opening — or adit — orange-colored water began spilling out. And then it began gushing out."

 

[greywacke]

Unfortunately whether you like it or not lobbying is the game and it's not going to change any time soon.

You're describing bribery and calling it 'lobbying'. Your elected lawmakers shouldn't chose to vote based on who gives him/her the most shit, but rather based on what is the best morally and among his/her constituents... You remember that constituent and Constitution come from the same word, right? That makes them first kin. Don't let your elected officials take bribes.

And this is a fundamental mischaracterization of "The marketplace of ideas"...

On top of competing for attention at the legislative level there is competition for your donation dollar.


I look at it like this.. Here in Boulder Colorado every spring they have the Boulder Creek Fest. At the Boulder Creek Fest there are all kinds of booths set up, most are artists selling whatever it is that they created, some are sales tents selling you windows, some are non profits trying to get you to donate. There are routinely at least 8 or 9 vegan animal rights groups there. Each of those groups is competing for your donation so in the end rather than one group bringing in $10k in funds to spend on promotion and advocacy you now have 8 groups with $1200 each. What are any of these groups really getting done?

There's still poor people and sick people and wars, so what are any of the churches getting done? Yours may be sheltering the poor and nursing the sick, but it ain't getting me to Heaven. Islam seems like it gives the most bang for the buck lately. And they say they're growing fastest and have the least overhead. By your lights it's better to give the Islam booth your festival trinket munny, no? They make shit happen!

I would love for bha's primary focus to be access, which in the end is going to be what rmef does, find private parcels that can open up tracts of public land and buy leases for access or to set up land swaps between the usfs and land owners that could trade parcels of land that may be beneficial for both sides. They can always promote whatever conservation cause they think is worth promoting but putting the kind of money bha can put in to conservation lobbying is akin to dumping a can of beer in to a hot tub.

Your assumption that they are not about hunter access is incorrect. They are. Top to bottom. One of the best.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Series

Packrafts redefine access for hunters and anglers looking to access wilderness waterways. Alpacka Raft is proud to support Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in their mission to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf...

www.alpackaraft.com

 

[greywacke]

I sure have noticed a lot of virtue signaling in environmental organizations. Seems to attract a certain group of people.

Bless you.

 

[Rhino]

Peace out BHA! Bummer thing is I paid for a two year subscription, but I did get a cool sticker for my gun safe! Use the quads God gave ya!!

 

[Rhino]

Here's my problem with BHA, they started the org saying they would be taking care of the politics for you so that you don't have to worry about it yourself. But they refuse to dive into any of the politics that matter. For instance here in MI in the spring they shut down any boating activities, all public shooting ranges, and campgrounds on state and federal lands due to COVID concerns. BHA would not say a word against it and claimed that isn't "backcountry hunting" so not part of their politics. Even though those are ways/places to enjoy public lands and waters...? More likely its because they wont go against a Dem governor

They also claimed to have a huge involvement with RMEF and the MI DNR buying more land for the elk herd, but when RMEF came out with their announcement they didn't recognize BHA at all because guess who actually ran the show? They just like to claim involvement in everyone's affairs to say they did something so keep paying them.

BHA just makes the appearance they're doing something, while simply riding on the coat tails of the big guys actually doing something. Maybe riding the coat tails isn't even the right way to put it, I guess maybe celebrating wins as their own or as if they had anything to do with it, more than being there for the ruling.....

 

[def90]

You're describing bribery and calling it 'lobbying'. Your elected lawmakers shouldn't chose to vote based on who gives him/her the most shit, but rather based on what is the best morally and among his/her constituents... You remember that constituent and Constitution come from the same word, right? That makes them first kin. Don't let your elected officials take bribes.

And this is a fundamental mischaracterization of "The marketplace of ideas"...


There's still poor people and sick people and wars, so what are any of the churches getting done? Yours may be sheltering the poor and nursing the sick, but it ain't getting me to Heaven. Islam seems like it gives the most bang for the buck lately. And they say they're growing fastest and have the least overhead. By your lights it's better to give the Islam booth your festival trinket munny, no? They make shit happen!




Your assumption that they are not about hunter access is incorrect. They are. Top to bottom. One of the best.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Series

Packrafts redefine access for hunters and anglers looking to access wilderness waterways. Alpacka Raft is proud to support Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in their mission to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf...

www.alpackaraft.com

Lobbying is not bribery. Lobbying requires that you have to pay some "consultant" that has access to both chambers of congress as well as individual members of congress, without this you will never get one on one time with anyone. That lobbyist is hired by other organizations as well so you are competi g once again for their time. Your lobbyist will work to get your meeting aranged with whomever it is that you wish to meet with. If your lobbyist is worth their money you will meet with that representative, if you are an unknown entity and your lobbyist sucks you might meet with an aide or something. Just the way it is, tbere are only so many hours in the day and they have to filter out who gets in and what causes are worth talking to..

What do churches have to do with anything in this thread?

 

[greywacke]

BHA just makes the appearance they're doing something, while simply riding on the coat tails of the big guys actually doing something. Maybe riding the coat tails isn't even the right way to put it, I guess maybe celebrating wins as their own or as if they had anything to do with it, more than being there for the ruling.....

The exact same thing can be said of any church in Colorado. Are you butthurt about them too? Have you posted it on the internet?

 

[KurtR]

At a local level good stuff may get done but with the person in charge at the national level who is alright taking away hunting seasons and controlling what people do on private land with animals they own .Then to get in bed with the anti hunter animal rights activists of them all hsus to accomplish that task shows the true colors. Tawney partnered with the humane society 10 years ago in North Dakota it’s all out there for anyone that wants to find it

 

[def90]

I don't believe you.

Well, should be easy to figure out who placed the initial claims to said "access issue" and then determine where funding and everything came from that drove the final determination.

The NRA has done this forever, some legal group opens a lawsuit somewhere and does all the legal legwork, the NRA provides some sort of funding or whatever at some point in the case, the legal team wins and the NRA announces that they deteated the bad guy. Goes on everywhere which leads back to my previous comments on diving deep and doing your research.

 

[peterk123]

Do not know anything about the BHA, but I got lost at the Biden administration being supportive of hunting, fishing and the outdoors. Is this the same administration that wants to force its citizens into urban housing units, get rid of meat because cattle are bad for the environment, and wants to convert all open land into agriculture because our diets in the future will be all plant based? Oh, and hunting will be limited to bow and arrows because there is that whole gun thing. You know, his first executive order and all. Going to be a fun ride for us outdoorsman when Harris, I mean Biden is finally in there.

Reading through the comments here though, sounds like BHA is a great fit with the upcoming administration.

Sorry about this. But it felt good to write it

 

[bayoublaster7527]

For those of us in Colorado, what deterred me the most from joining BHA was their promoting David Peterson as the founder of the Colorado BHA chapter and vice chair for conservation at the national level. He was instrumental in the ban on spring bear hunting in Colorado. How is that advocating for hunters? I asked this same question when I was interested in supporting the BHA vets initiative (they highly tout Peterson’s veteran credentials) and received no response.
I’m a happy life member of RMEF. Would encourage anyone else to support orgs like RMEF.