2lumpy
Long Time Member
- Messages
- 8,105
This afternoon ten guys and three ladies from south central Utah released another six hundred hen pheasants on State lands. On March 3 another release of another trailer load of pheasants will be added to the ones released today.
SFW purchased the hens and other SFW members hauled the pheasants from the hatchery in Blanding to Salina. They not only paid for the birds but they purchased the fuel and paid somebody to drive from Salt Lake City to Blanding and back, over 600 miles. By the time they caught, banded and boxed 600 pheasants it was a two day trip, somebody paid for meals and a motel room. Now these were hen pheasants, last November they did the same thing with roosters, on three different weekends for public hunters, not for just SFW members, but for anybody with an upland game license.
Then they did it again on at least two occasions that I know of, specifically for youth hunters that had never hunted pheasants before.
That was this year. SFW did the same thing last year. How much did SFW charge for these pheasants and pheasant hunting activities. None a single dollar. All costs were paid out of SFW funds, funds raised at the Expo and other fund raising activities.
Pheasant released by SFW were over $40,000 in the last 18 months.
Last year a local high school wanted to teach high school students to fish.
(The National Fishing in Schools Program is a nationwide, in school program, that teaches the positive lifetime activity of fishing to students in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. NFSP educates students about fish, insects, aquatic environment, resource stewardship and conservation using fishing, and learning the skill of casting, as the instructional tool.)
SFW gave the instructor $1,750.00, the exact amount the instructor asked for. Where did SFW get the money it gave this instructor? Funds from the Epxo and other fund raising activities.
Sevier County asked if local sportsmen find any money to give the County for a raccoon and fox bounty. The County came up with $2000 out of it's budget, SFW added another $2000 from the Expo profits and other fund raising activities. Expo money and other fund raising activities paid for the bounty funds.
Three years ago the US Forest Service need a high fence on the Monroe Mountain to protect an natural burn in an aspen forest. SFW gave the Forest Service the seed money that allowed the USFS to build a $300,000 fence. Fencing the burn kept the Forest Service from demanding a significant elk reduction on the Monroe Mountain, which has been a producer of some of Utah's best elk hunting for the last 25 years. Where did SFW get the money to donate? The Expo and other fund raising activities.
The Minerville Reservoir dam needed emergency repairs last fall or the irrigation company was going to have to drain the Reservoir and lose thousands or maybe millions of dollars of trout and bass. Fish that the UDWR had put there at great expense to us sportsmen, for our fishing pleasure. The UDWR and the Irrigation Company asked SFW if they had any money to make the repairs, so the water and the fishery could be preserved. The repair was funded by SFW at an expense of over $20,000. Where did SFW get the money, from the Expo and other fund raising activities.
Over $100,000 for the Mule Deer transplant on the Pahvant Unit. Who paid? SFW. Where'd they get the money, you already know, the Expo and other funding activities.
All these funded projects where paid for by SFW in the last 18 months. Do a few individuals that work to raise these funds by holding the Expo and work to put together other fund raising activities, so these funds can be give to these hunting and fish project? Of course people are paid, it take time and effort to raise the money to give to wildlife conservation.
This isn't new information to the sportsmen that dislike or mistrust SFW, each for their own reason for the dislike or mistrust. I know they have heard the same song and dance from Birdman, myself and other members of the SFW family over the years. For these folks, nothing Birdman or anyone else can say that will change the minds of those that have become opposed to SFW. I'm sharing this information for the hundreds of other Monster Mule members and sportsmen that only know about SFW from what they read on the these internet forums.
To those that don't know anything about SFW other than what they read here and else where let me share this.
I've been a member of many Utah and National Conservation Groups for the last 39 years. Been on an number of their Boards and given thousand of dollars and thousand of hours of hard earned dollars to these groups and wildlife conservation and I'm not a wealthy man but any stretch of the imagination. I've never been involved with any conservation organization that puts more of it's earning back into wildlife conservation in time, effort and money than SFW. None.
Twenty years ago SFW made a commitment to Utah sportsmen and that was to grow a powerful sportsmen's voice with the UDWR and the political entities that control hunting and fishing decisions in the State of Utah.
Prior to 1994, sportsmen had lost nearly all influence of hunting and fishing decisions in Utah. It has taken twenty years for SFW to build that powerful voice and influence. It has taken millions of dollars and 10 million tears by those who have worked to accomplish the original goal. There have been walls to climb and bridges to build that has taken twenty years to get done. Have there been some unfortunate wrecks along the way, absolutely but, SFW does now have the voice for sportsmen they have worked so hard for. Yes, a powerful voice. They can finally influence conservation, hunting and fishing decisions on all levels within the State, from the UDWR and the Legislature on down to local city and county governments.
There has never been a secret to SFW's objectives, they've have broad cast it from every available media source in the State from day one. Of course, some sportsmen want a different voice and oppose the level of influence that SFW has achieved, I understand and would expect that, I wish it wasn't that way but human nature is predictable, you can't make all of the sportsmen happy all of the time. You certain get to see evidence of that here on MM.
Now some will say I've been bought and paid for because SFW sent my son, an veteran from the war in Irag on a fishing trip to Alaska, along with dozens of other soldiers that have no connection to SFW, only my son. I don't ask for SFW to do that, neither did the fathers of all the other boys that have been sent on SFW's Hunts for Heros. For all I know, they drew names out of a hat. Four years ago, John Bair a SFW member and Banquet Fund Raising Auctioneer drew a sheep tag at the Expo, so John and I and any other vocal support of SFW are labeled as "bought and paid for" by the folks that dislike and mistrust SFW. What should I do, hide and be embarrassed or continue to share why I support SFW? As some have said, a lot of eyes are watching SFW, that's good, shine a bright light, personally I like the light because I've seen nothing to hide. The light has been shining on SFW for a long time, as those that oppose SFW's loud and effective sportsmen's voice have been attempting to find something, anything, where they can stop the fund raising and the fund giving abilities away from SFW, but mostly they want to take away SFW's influence, the influence SFW told every single person in Utah, sportsmen,non-sportsmen and politician they were going to try to develop.
So far as where does all of the money earned at the Expo go? I threw all lot of it into the air this afternoon, in the way of hen pheasants on the Sevier River's banks in Sevier County. I hope you'll get to shoot some of the pheasant SFW bought and release for you this fall.
DC
SFW purchased the hens and other SFW members hauled the pheasants from the hatchery in Blanding to Salina. They not only paid for the birds but they purchased the fuel and paid somebody to drive from Salt Lake City to Blanding and back, over 600 miles. By the time they caught, banded and boxed 600 pheasants it was a two day trip, somebody paid for meals and a motel room. Now these were hen pheasants, last November they did the same thing with roosters, on three different weekends for public hunters, not for just SFW members, but for anybody with an upland game license.
Then they did it again on at least two occasions that I know of, specifically for youth hunters that had never hunted pheasants before.
That was this year. SFW did the same thing last year. How much did SFW charge for these pheasants and pheasant hunting activities. None a single dollar. All costs were paid out of SFW funds, funds raised at the Expo and other fund raising activities.
Pheasant released by SFW were over $40,000 in the last 18 months.
Last year a local high school wanted to teach high school students to fish.
(The National Fishing in Schools Program is a nationwide, in school program, that teaches the positive lifetime activity of fishing to students in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. NFSP educates students about fish, insects, aquatic environment, resource stewardship and conservation using fishing, and learning the skill of casting, as the instructional tool.)
SFW gave the instructor $1,750.00, the exact amount the instructor asked for. Where did SFW get the money it gave this instructor? Funds from the Epxo and other fund raising activities.
Sevier County asked if local sportsmen find any money to give the County for a raccoon and fox bounty. The County came up with $2000 out of it's budget, SFW added another $2000 from the Expo profits and other fund raising activities. Expo money and other fund raising activities paid for the bounty funds.
Three years ago the US Forest Service need a high fence on the Monroe Mountain to protect an natural burn in an aspen forest. SFW gave the Forest Service the seed money that allowed the USFS to build a $300,000 fence. Fencing the burn kept the Forest Service from demanding a significant elk reduction on the Monroe Mountain, which has been a producer of some of Utah's best elk hunting for the last 25 years. Where did SFW get the money to donate? The Expo and other fund raising activities.
The Minerville Reservoir dam needed emergency repairs last fall or the irrigation company was going to have to drain the Reservoir and lose thousands or maybe millions of dollars of trout and bass. Fish that the UDWR had put there at great expense to us sportsmen, for our fishing pleasure. The UDWR and the Irrigation Company asked SFW if they had any money to make the repairs, so the water and the fishery could be preserved. The repair was funded by SFW at an expense of over $20,000. Where did SFW get the money, from the Expo and other fund raising activities.
Over $100,000 for the Mule Deer transplant on the Pahvant Unit. Who paid? SFW. Where'd they get the money, you already know, the Expo and other funding activities.
All these funded projects where paid for by SFW in the last 18 months. Do a few individuals that work to raise these funds by holding the Expo and work to put together other fund raising activities, so these funds can be give to these hunting and fish project? Of course people are paid, it take time and effort to raise the money to give to wildlife conservation.
This isn't new information to the sportsmen that dislike or mistrust SFW, each for their own reason for the dislike or mistrust. I know they have heard the same song and dance from Birdman, myself and other members of the SFW family over the years. For these folks, nothing Birdman or anyone else can say that will change the minds of those that have become opposed to SFW. I'm sharing this information for the hundreds of other Monster Mule members and sportsmen that only know about SFW from what they read on the these internet forums.
To those that don't know anything about SFW other than what they read here and else where let me share this.
I've been a member of many Utah and National Conservation Groups for the last 39 years. Been on an number of their Boards and given thousand of dollars and thousand of hours of hard earned dollars to these groups and wildlife conservation and I'm not a wealthy man but any stretch of the imagination. I've never been involved with any conservation organization that puts more of it's earning back into wildlife conservation in time, effort and money than SFW. None.
Twenty years ago SFW made a commitment to Utah sportsmen and that was to grow a powerful sportsmen's voice with the UDWR and the political entities that control hunting and fishing decisions in the State of Utah.
Prior to 1994, sportsmen had lost nearly all influence of hunting and fishing decisions in Utah. It has taken twenty years for SFW to build that powerful voice and influence. It has taken millions of dollars and 10 million tears by those who have worked to accomplish the original goal. There have been walls to climb and bridges to build that has taken twenty years to get done. Have there been some unfortunate wrecks along the way, absolutely but, SFW does now have the voice for sportsmen they have worked so hard for. Yes, a powerful voice. They can finally influence conservation, hunting and fishing decisions on all levels within the State, from the UDWR and the Legislature on down to local city and county governments.
There has never been a secret to SFW's objectives, they've have broad cast it from every available media source in the State from day one. Of course, some sportsmen want a different voice and oppose the level of influence that SFW has achieved, I understand and would expect that, I wish it wasn't that way but human nature is predictable, you can't make all of the sportsmen happy all of the time. You certain get to see evidence of that here on MM.
Now some will say I've been bought and paid for because SFW sent my son, an veteran from the war in Irag on a fishing trip to Alaska, along with dozens of other soldiers that have no connection to SFW, only my son. I don't ask for SFW to do that, neither did the fathers of all the other boys that have been sent on SFW's Hunts for Heros. For all I know, they drew names out of a hat. Four years ago, John Bair a SFW member and Banquet Fund Raising Auctioneer drew a sheep tag at the Expo, so John and I and any other vocal support of SFW are labeled as "bought and paid for" by the folks that dislike and mistrust SFW. What should I do, hide and be embarrassed or continue to share why I support SFW? As some have said, a lot of eyes are watching SFW, that's good, shine a bright light, personally I like the light because I've seen nothing to hide. The light has been shining on SFW for a long time, as those that oppose SFW's loud and effective sportsmen's voice have been attempting to find something, anything, where they can stop the fund raising and the fund giving abilities away from SFW, but mostly they want to take away SFW's influence, the influence SFW told every single person in Utah, sportsmen,non-sportsmen and politician they were going to try to develop.
So far as where does all of the money earned at the Expo go? I threw all lot of it into the air this afternoon, in the way of hen pheasants on the Sevier River's banks in Sevier County. I hope you'll get to shoot some of the pheasant SFW bought and release for you this fall.
DC
