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CHANGE FOCUS TO SAVING WILDLAND HABITAT

Even though it has been around for 36 years, I suspect most people don't know that this Saturday, September 27, is National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Let's make this one the best ever by launching a national effort to protect the last of the best wildlife habitat we have left, our 58 million acres of roadless public land. [more]

WHAT IS THE CONGRESSIONAL SPORTSMEN'S FOUNDATION HIDING?

My July 9 column titled, Hunters, Look Beyond the End of Your Gun Barrel, urged hunters to look at the big picture instead of basing their vote exclusively on the gun rights issue, which I consider basically over since politicians won't touch it and the Supreme Court has finally reaffirmed the individual's right to bear arms. The column wasn't about whether Barack Obama is more anti-gun than John McCain, even though most of the comments were. It was about voting for the candidate who would do the most to protect wildlife habitat and hunting access and therefore help save our hunting tradition.

Ironically, on the same day I posted that column, the Los Angeles Times ran an article about a new poll showing hunters preferred McCain over Obama by a 14-point margin.

This didn't jive with my feel for how hunters view the big race, so I decided to check out this survey.

Then, it got interesting. [more]

HUNTERS SHOULD DO MORE OF IT

Editor's Note: This is a rerun of a column I posted two years ago, slightly expanded with new research, and it seems, still quite timely.

Big game hunters, it's your time to rule the forests. Archery seasons are underway, and general big game seasons will be soon throughout the New West. Thousands of hunters will be crawling around grizzly country in the predawn darkness, alone, as quietly as possible, into the wind, and smelling like stale elk pee. If they have a successful hunt, they'll fill the wind with the smell of high-quality grizzly food.

Is this a problem? [more]

LET'S FOCUS ON ISSUES THAT REALLY MATTER

A lot of people are hot and bothered about the Bush administration's proposed rule to allow concealed weapons in national parks, but practically, is this really worth our time and effort?

Yes, it's maddening to tolerate such low-end, election-year politics spurred by the National Rifle Association (NRA), but I say give the gun lobby this hollow victory, so we can spend our time and energy on issues that could really help our national parks instead of worrying about something that's already happening and hasn't caused any problems. [more]

NEW REPORT BY RIVAL PROVIDES ALARMING DETAILS

It's hardly a news flash that the National Rifle Association (NRA) supports anti-conservation, if not anti-hunting, politicians. Even though I've written about it several times, I never realized how bad it was.

A just-released report by the NRA's nemesis, the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA), deals out all the dreadful details, and it should be a major eye-opener for any hunter who still supports the NRA. [more]

GAG RIDE SHOWS THE CHARMING SIDE OF CYCLING

My cycling buddies wanted me to write about what happened on this year's GAG Ride, which stands for Geezers Around Glacier, but I had decided not to do it.

Until I read all the recent negative news about the escalating conflict between cyclists and motorists on our roadways, that is. [more]

THE FORCE IS WITH YOU

If you know how government works (or doesn't) and followed last week's quick reversal of a Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) proposed rule to limit taproom hours, you might be as amazed as I am.

Government officials usually dig in deep and don't like to admit mistakes, but in less than a week, we saw a rapid and decisive turnaround by the DOR and even an admission that the agency hadn't properly thought out the proposed rule before throwing it out into the public arena.

You might be saying, "No Big Deal," but for me, this little skirmish has a big back story. [more]

NEED A GOOD LAUGH THAT ISN'T FUNNY?

It has been depressing lately, don't you think? At the ORG (Old Retired Guys) table at the coffee shop morning after morning, it has been nothing but despair -- the war, the economy, the cost of gas, the steadily shrinking IRAs, the smoke, the aches and pains and health care crisis that makes them worse, and our political leaders unable to do anything about these and most other issues that really matter, at least to the ORGs. Nowadays, it's so hard to lighten up and wear a smiley face.

But alas, thanks to the Montana Stockgrowers Association and Montana Farm Bureau I had a great laugh this week when I read about their proposal to capture, test, vaccinate and release all the elk from coming out of Yellowstone National Park.

Are they serious? Or just trying to brighten our day? [more]

IT'S TOUGH BEING GREEN, BUT WE CAN DO IT

Anybody who follows the endlessly volatile wolf issue--and it's hard not to follow it with all the news coverage--knows the greens won a big victory last week. Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court sided with Earthjustice and 12 conservation organizations and essentially relisted, albeit temporarily, the wolf as an endangered species.

So, what now? That's the question I've been asking people on both sides of the debate this week, and I might have the answer, a way to quickly get the wolf debate behind us. Does that sound good? [more]

MORE FISHING TOURNAMENTS SPAWN MORE FISHING FOR ALL

If you've been reading the outdoor section of NewWest.Net over the past week, you'll know I've been writing about the experience of being in my first fishing tournament, the Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament on Fort Peck Reservoir.

One reason I haven't been in a tournament long ago is some false impressions I had about competitive fishing, mainly my concern that it had a negative impact on fishery. Based on my limited experience, it seems that the opposite is true. Now, I believe more tournaments would mean more fishing and bigger fish for all anglers. [more]

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