How can we move from defense to offense?

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Hi All,

As someone who's been very active in my previous County politics regarding land use issues (non-hunting related), I can say from experience that playing defense all the time is simply brutal and demoralizing. Facing barrage after barrage of attacks with each new anti-.... measure or campaign which tries to disguise its real intentions in some higher moral vision.

While I love shooting the shit and "solving the problems of the world" as much as the next guy, I'm also very much a pragmatist who feels the need to convert theory into practical application. Being a late-onset hunter starting a few years ago at the young age of 48, I'd love to hear from you veterans:

What can pro-actively be done to support public land access and hunting so we can shift from defense to offense?

From my experience, talking with and knowing a couple County/State politicians, grass roots mobilization of calls, word of mouth, emails, etc. is very powerful. Groups have built those networks to defend but how can we leverage that for greater protections in concrete ways?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Buffinnut]

I’m in

 

[TheCougar]

Pint night.

 

[String&stick]

How much time do you have???

To truly be proactive you need to be communicating with state legislators and coming up with positive bills at a state and local level. . This can become problematic when many of their constituents are farmers/ranchers that may have a vastly different viewpoint, it may also mean stepping out of your comfort zone and talking with someone with differing political views that happens to line up with you on what you are working toward.

If you can get some ideas together. . .
Access easements along ROW, conservation stamp required for use of state maintained trails or lands, (completely random ideas here you'd want more concrete things) etc. And you can get those ideas to a state representative. Then he/she can put them into a bill and introduce them, from there you can activate your support networks to call/write/email THEIR representatives showing their support for the bill.

Other than that, support a group that is trying to actively conserve land/habitat, but even they are spending lots of $ on defense!

 

[rclouse79]

Hi All,

As someone who's been very active in my previous County politics regarding land use issues (non-hunting related), I can say from experience that playing defense all the time is simply brutal and demoralizing. Facing barrage after barrage of attacks with each new anti-.... measure or campaign which tries to disguise its real intentions in some higher moral vision.

While I love shooting the shit and "solving the problems of the world" as much as the next guy, I'm also very much a pragmatist who feels the need to convert theory into practical application. Being a late-onset hunter starting a few years ago at the young age of 48, I'd love to hear from you veterans:

What can pro-actively be done to support public land access and hunting so we can shift from defense to offense?

From my experience, talking with and knowing a couple County/State politicians, grass roots mobilization of calls, word of mouth, emails, etc. is very powerful. Groups have built those networks to defend but how can we leverage that for greater protections in concrete ways?

Thanks,

Steve

Good post. The demoralizing feeling you described has been hitting me lately. I am starting to feel like supporting organizations like RMEF is not going to be enough by itself. I want to support an organization who's sole purpose is to file lawsuits against anti-hunting groups. It would be nice to feel like they were the ones being annoyed for a change.

 

[Trial153]

Money and originations that are designed to negate effects the likes of ALC and ALEC. More money to counter the extraction lobby. More money to counter the Ranching lobbies.
Then some sertraline to counter act the depression that is sure to set in.

 

[Str8shooter]

Id like to see some sticks not just carrots. A couple loud ,successful examples of hunter/conservation based recall efforts to unseat some of these jokers would put a little fear into commissioners and legislators throughout a region and could do wonders for making these policymakers rethink entertaining or sponsoring some of these horrendous bills.

 

[caesAR15]

You're asking the right question @lifeisgoodsteve

My $0.02

Grassroots advocacy, the sort we're talking about, is about problem-solving, and in my experience, there's a pair of tools that can solve most of your problems: a scalpel and a hammer. A lobbyist is your scalpel. They do the intricate detail work where a deft touch is required. But some problems exceed their capacity. In those moments, a hammer is required. We are the hammer, the Average Joes who don't wear a suit and tie, who are sick of being railroaded by righteous do-gooders, the ones who have better things to do than read proposed legislation. WE have a tremendous amount of power *IF* we can coordinate. With proper direction and vision, we can swing a heavy hammer. Without it though, we're just a bunch of blowhards hammering our frustrations into a keyboard for forum friends.

I'm considering drafting a whitepaper about grassroots advocacy. I'm past president of my state gun rights organization--Iowa Firearms Coalition--and have been fortunate enough to achieve a fair number of state-level victories on the Second Amendment front. If/when that whitepaper comes together I'm happy to share without any expectation of anything in return. The tools and tactics we used can easily translate to a variety of issues, not just guns. I want to see the causes I support in the driver's seat.

We don't have lobbyists for us Rokslide members, but that doesn't mean we can't start working to build that hammer and start working to give it focus and direction. I'd love to see Rokslide carve out space for a sort of clearinghouse webpage that lists what bills related to DIY hunting are active in what state, as well as directions for members seeking to engage. It could be crowdsourced from within the Conservation forum and our members throughout the country. Heck, I'd even volunteer to help coordinate or get it off the ground. In my experience there's plenty of people that want to help on these types of things, they just need someone or something to help them make sense of what to do.

Moving from defense to offense is not a simple thing and it takes time (i.e. years), but it can be done, I've witnessed it first hand. Success is by no means guaranteed, but the simple act of trying and being proactive is of great value. Not trying, throwing our hands up, saying it's too difficult, only guarantees our defeat.

 

[IsThisHeaven]

You're asking the right question @lifeisgoodsteve

My $0.02

Grassroots advocacy, the sort we're talking about, is about problem-solving, and in my experience, there's a pair of tools that can solve most of your problems: a scalpel and a hammer. A lobbyist is your scalpel. They do the intricate detail work where a deft touch is required. But some problems exceed their capacity. In those moments, a hammer is required. We are the hammer, the Average Joes who don't wear a suit and tie, who are sick of being railroaded by righteous do-gooders, the ones who have better things to do than read proposed legislation. WE have a tremendous amount of power *IF* we can coordinate. With proper direction and vision, we can swing a heavy hammer. Without it though, we're just a bunch of blowhards hammering our frustrations into a keyboard for forum friends.

I'm considering drafting a whitepaper about grassroots advocacy. I'm past president of my state gun rights organization--Iowa Firearms Coalition--and have been fortunate enough to achieve a fair number of state-level victories on the Second Amendment front. If/when that whitepaper comes together I'm happy to share without any expectation of anything in return. The tools and tactics we used can easily translate to a variety of issues, not just guns. I want to see the causes I support in the driver's seat.

We don't have lobbyists for us Rokslide members, but that doesn't mean we can't starting work to build that hammer and start working to give it focus and direction. I'd love to see Rokslide carve out space for a sort of clearinghouse webpage that lists what bills related to DIY hunting are active in what state, as well as directions for members seeking to engage. It could be crowdsourced from within the Conservation forum and our members throughout the country. Heck, I'd even volunteer to help coordinate or get it off the ground. In my experience there's plenty of people that want to help on these types of things, they just need someone or something to help them make sense of what to do.

Moving from defense to offense is not a simple thing and it takes time (i.e. years), but it can be done, I've witnessed it first hand. Success is by no means guaranteed, but the simple act of trying and being proactive is of great value. Not trying, throwing our hands up, saying it's too difficult, only guarantees our defeat.

Great post

 

[Deadfall]

Good luck.

 

[Deadfall]

If you gonna jump in at this stage of game, there is no choice but to be all in. That's 2 to 4 hrs everyday; research, email, phone calls. Can't be just local stuff a the left is far ahead.
Coke is having seminars telling employees to be less white. How long before the left destroys us...idk.
The right may not be great, atleast they will listen.

 

[Sierra Hunter]

I think a useful Avenue would be to push a “science” based approach to management of wildlife and historical uses of the land how it’s part of culture across ethnic backgrounds. A page from “their” book. I’d personally like to see some ground taken back here in CA. I know a long shot

 

[Deadfall]

All this conservation stuff..ie..access, tags, management, opportunity, legislation is important and is frustrating. However, it is small potatoes if the rest of this nonsense isnt addressed. If all the lockdown mask covid stuff is really for the benefit of the public, how do you explain South dakota. Antifa has gone world wide. All the sensorship being allowed. Boarders being opened back up. Billion dollar corp telling their employees to be less white. Thats just the top of head issues. If the left takes over completely we are done and the hunting conservation stuff is mute.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Thanks Guys for sharing ideas.

So believe there's consensus on key points of:

• Grassroots Personal advocacy by working folk contacting politicians
• Professional folks who can carry the torch while us working folk can work
• Pro-active ideas/bills/etc. crafted through ideas of normal folk and professionals
• Funds to support advocacy groups, donate to pro-cause politicians

Organizations exist now (BHA, RMEF, others) who I know are doing pro-active work to buy land to increase access, hunter recruitment and more. If additional ideas and support in the above areas can funnel through existing orgs, all the better.

What seems to be missing, or at least what I personally am ignorant of, is some concrete ideas on what measures can be put forward to protect and enhance our cause.

Not saying it's perfect and not sure how much "teeth" it has, but one good example is the State Constitutional Amendment Utah just passed protecting the right to hunt and fish. One summary explained it as:

"he amendment established a state constitutional right to hunt and fish for the people of Utah. The amendment subjects the right to hunt and fish to statutes that, according to the amendment's text, promote wildlife conservation and management and preserve the future of hunting and fishing. The measure declared that hunting and fishing are the preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife in Utah.[1]"

Any other ideas of things like this or different, which submit to BHA or other orgs?

Can be local or federal.

s

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Ps - Or as Randy N. mentioned in his recent podcast intro on the MT proposed law, is there a need for a new org that is structured to allow for political advocacy as its primary purpose?

 

[Deadfall]

Start by opposing HB 505. Scheduled for hearing 3/9/21 at 3pm, room 172.