Mountain Pursuit
Hi All -

"Scout" will the the name of our weekly or bi-weekly newsletter. This is our first edition.

Today I want to update you on stuff we've done, stuff upcoming, and some interesting general thoughts about the reaction I've received to Mountain Pursuit and our approach.



Stuff We've Done:

- I attended the November Wyoming G&F Commissioner meeting in Casper, and commented on hunting ethics/hunting technology in hunting and proposed BLM oil and gas leases in mule deer migratory zones. On ethics, I presented Mountain Pursuit's proposed maximum shot limit distance for archery and firearms, and asked about motorized travel violation enforcement during hunting seasons. The Commission was not too interested in our shot limit distance idea and the department enforcement head, Brian Nesvik, pushed back on travel restriction enforcement.

Concerning Maximum Shot Distance restrictions - this has been by far our most controversial proposal - especially amongst hunters. One note on this, concerning the firearms distance, I re-read the Wyoming G&F White Paper (https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/mtnpursuit/pages/14/attachments/original/1547406828/Exploring_New_Technologies_for_Hunting.pdf?1547406828) on new hunting technologies today and found I had misunderstood where the Wyoming G&F defined "Long distance hunting." - The author's papers define it at 400+ yards, not the 300+ yards I had initially understood. I've updated our position accordingly.

Mountain Pursuit is not alone in it's concern about the ethical issues surrounding extreme range hunting, or the negative public light it puts on hunting. Last year the Boone & Crocket Club addressed the long range hunting issue in their "Hunt Right: Hunt Fair Chase" initiative last year. Click HERE (http://www.huntfairchase.com/a-shot-too-far/) for their discussion of this issue.

This link to "The Best of the West TV 2017 Kill Reel" demonstrates the Fair Chase issue with extreme range hunting (animal has no chance of detecting the hunter, and thus eluding him), and if you read the video comments, you'll see the issue with public perception.

Enforcement of Travel Restrictions During Hunting Seasons - At the November G&F Commissioner's meeting, the G&F Chief Game Warden, Brian Nesvik, told the Commissioners jurisdiction issues with state employees enforcing federal (USFS) travel restrictions prevented Wyoming from enforcing federal travel restrictions on USFS/BLM lands. However, with some research I discovered Idaho has had a strict, seasonal, ATV Hunting Law, on the books since 2004, which includes Idaho Game Warden enforcement of USFS travel restrictions. On our to-do list is to find a Wyoming State representative to sponsor a bill for a similar law in Wyoming, which could be a model for other western states. Working on this now. Here is our position on hunting season travel restrictions (https://www.mtnpursuit.org/mountain_pursuit_supports_hunting_related_penalties_for_orv_and_other_travel_violations_during_hunting_season) - it includes a link to the Idaho law.

Migration Corridors - The G&F Department presented their proposed comments for the BLM to the G&F Commissioners November. Mountain Pursuit, the Wyoming Outdoor Council, Wyoming Wildlife Society and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance and commented that the department's proposed comments were not restrictive enough. In the back and forth between myself, the Commissioners, and the chief Biologists, it was unclear the Commissioners understood what was in the proposal! My understanding is the Department was instructed to re-visit it's comments and the issue is on the agenda for this month's commission meeting. This is just one issue, in one of the western states, as we begin forceful wildlife advocacy from hunting's perspective.

Jackson Hole News & Guide Interview, and Upcoming Podcasts Interviews - Mountain Pursuit was profiled in the local Jackson newspaper, and I was interviewed by Exo Mountain Gear for their Hunt Backcountry Podcast in December. Both James (Mountain Pursuit Vice President) and I were interviewed for the Right to Roam podcast last week. I'm not sure when these podcasts will air, but do expect some pretty harsh blowback from hunters and nonresidents. I've already received several personal emails, mostly from non-residents who object to our resident license allocation position and/or our restriction on hunting. At the bottom of this note is a typical one from a nonresident.

Attendance at the Jackson Anti-Trophy Hunting Demonstration Saturday - Myself and my son, Emmett, attended the anti-hunting protest here in Jackson Saturday, and I spent most my time defending Mountain Pursuit's positions to other hunters also there, including Wyo G&F Commissioner Mike Schmid. Most have issues with our maximum shot range proposals, but also criticize us for "dividing hunters" primarily by taking strong stands on Fair Chase and ethics.

No other hunting advocacy nonprofit, including the Boone & Crocket Club, is as specific, direct and strong on Fair Chase and hunting ethics as Mountain Pursuit. Understand our position on Fair Chase not only is driven by keeping true to the hunt and attempting to keep the balance between the hunter and the game, but also to Protect the Hunt for future generations in the eyes of the non-hunting public. Subsistence-based, ethical hunting still has strong support in the urban, non-hunting public. More specifically, the non-hunting public currently thinks hunting is okay if the hunter consumes the game after the kill (don't kill just to kill), and the game has a chance of eluding the hunter.

This support is not guaranteed into the future - even in the Western US. As evidence, I point to the recent case of the Idaho Game & Fish Commissioner who emailed photos of himself with a family of dead baboons he had shot in Africa, and was criticized heavily for it and eventually forced to resign.

Wyoming Game & Fish Commissioner Tag Report - We published a report on the past decade of Wyoming Game & Fish Commissioner Complimentary Tag donations and recommended the program be ended, and the tags be directly auctioned by the department and the resulting funds be put in the G&F department general fund. Here is our press release (https://www.mtnpursuit.org/mountain_pursuit_calls_for_an_end_to_wyoming_g_f_commissioner_complimentary_licenses) which we sent to every Wyoming newspaper, Game & Fish Commissioner and every member of the Legislature travel, rec and wildlife committee - who oversee the G&F. Not much feedback from the Commissioners and Legislature.

We'll continue to watch ... the Commissioners are making their 2019 donations now. If there are some obvious problems - like not donating a tag to a charitable nonprofit - we'll consider a lawsuit.

One of the most interesting aspects of this report is why other nonprofits have not raised concerns. The answer is that the major hunting nonprofits in Wyoming have all received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Commissioner tags ... and in a way have sold their independence and oversight responsibilities.



Stuff We're Doing

Wyoming Governor's License Report - Have a draft completed and hope to have it published with a press release this week.

Website redesign - In the process of hiring a designer for this now - and hope to make the final hire and get this going this week.

New Hire - We have a listing up on the front page of the website, and will likely post on a couple job sites. We're looking for our initial executive director - someone with a biology or wildlife education and background, a hunter, western state native, and someone who feels passionate about  Fair Chase ... and has a thick skin! If you know of anyone who may be interested - pls send them my email.

Mountain Pursuit Action Fund - Hope to file the paperwork with the state of wyoming this week to create a separate non profit, the "Mountain Pursuit Action Fund." We currently have a 501(c)(3) application for "Mountain Pursuit" into the IRS for review. However, a 501(c)(3) designation will prevent us from doing any hard lobbying and endorsing political candidates. We'll need a (c)(4) non profit to do this - hence the separate organization. Folks can deduct donations to a (c)(3), but money donated to a (c)(3) can't be used for any lobbying or to endorse candidates .... hence the need for a (c)(4).



General Thoughts and Comments

"Dividing Hunters" - This accusation has been lobbied at us for taking strong positions on Fair Chase and Ethics. Key to this criticism is that all hunters need to stick together against the "anti-hunters." But this also assumes we are not divided already. We are when it comes to ethics.

I see 3 groups of hunters when it comes to Fair Chase:

(1) Most practice it, but are uncomfortable with extreme range hunting, celebrity hunters killing 9 bull elk in a year, and other things going on, but are unwilling say anything.
(2) A small minority don't believe in Fair Chase, and have no ethical issues with the questionable side of the sport.
(3) An even smaller minority are hunters like us, who see what's going on, see its poisonous affect not only within the hunting community, but also how it creating anti-hunters, and are now standing up and saying something about it.

The Boone & Crockett Club addresses this issue HERE (http://www.huntfairchase.com/all-hunters-are-brothers-and-sisters/).

Resident vs. Non Resident Tag Allocation - I received several negative comments from nonresidents about our position on license priority for western state residents. Their position is certainly understandable.

However, understand Mountain Pursuit aspires to represent the Western State, resident, subsistence-based hunter who believes strongly in Fair Chase.

Nonresident hunters in western states actually have several groups fighting for their license allocation, including the state's Outfitter and Guides Association, and the recreation industry.

Questions/Feedback/Suggestions?
Please email rob@mtnpursuit.com

- Rob


Mountain Pursuit
http://www.mtnpursuit.org/

Mountain Pursuit · United States
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