For an org that supposedly represents sportsmen, they don’t do much at all other than talk about themselves and push for preservationist ideology; now.
There was a time that the org had habitat managers on staff working to increase not only access but viable habitat, recreational opportunities, and timber income. No longer; resource extraction or management is either ignored or opposed. Now, it’s beer bashes and propaganda, and damned little engagement on policy. Their own annual reports show essentially zero net effect on legislation. Their own staffers on various group pages admit that they only sign on to support legislation when it’s a near certainty (see ID as an explanation of why they did not engage on issues there). And, they have been dead silent on issues such as proposed bans on bear hunting (ME, FL, NJ), trapping (numerous states, including MT and OR where a former state “leader” is tied to the Klamath-Siskiyou group that pushed said ban), grizzly and wolf delisting and predator management (cougar, bear, coyote, etc.) in general, and the new pushes for bans on “contests” that roll up field trials, dove shoots, and plenty more. Coincidentally, of course, those bans that directly impact hunters, anglers, and trappers are pushed by anti groups that just so happen to share some of the same large foundation funders. Fancy that...
What do I think a group that claims to stand for sportsmen and women (hunters, anglers, and trappers) should spend time and money on? Doing real work - like habitat management and land acquisition; effective, real lobbying for and against bills that impact us as to the management of habitat and wildlife; litigation to combat bans and abuse of the ESA. Those would be fantastic places for an organization that really stands for hunters, anglers, and trappers to put time and money...instead of radio, print, TV, and social media ads and beer bashes.
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