TRCP News

1. Help Push “Open Fields” Legislation into Law
2. Sportsmen Speak Out on Sensible Mining Reform
3. Season Three of TRCP’s Life in the Open Starts This Friday
4. Montana Mapping Project Charts Sportsmen’s Knowledge
5. Great Strides Forward for Conservation Tax Incentives
6. Founder of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Named Conservation Hero of the Year
7. Elkhorn Ranch Dedication Celebrates Roosevelt’s Conservation Legacy
8. Minaya Wins "Out West for Your Best" Contest Trophy Mule Deer Hunt
9. TRCP Welcomes McKalip
   

1. Help Push “Open Fields” Legislation into Law
   
   As the seasons change and autumn arrives, so to does the height of the hunting season for much of the country. With it brings the annual rituals and new traditions that are a part of our nation’s history and character: a husband and wife walking the field for upland birds, a group of friends telling stories around camp, a father sharing a deer stand with his son for the very first time. Scenes such as these play out this time of year annually on crisp, clear afternoons and in the chilly, pre-dawn fog throughout every region of our country.
   
   Opportunities to continue these traditions, however, are becoming increasinglylimited. Today’s brutal truth is that the places where Americans hunt andfish have been dwindling for decades, as strip malls, parking lots and everythingelse that comes with urban sprawl gobbles up our wild areas. With these pressures,not only have easily accessible areas for hunting and fishing declined acrossmuch of the nation, so have the number of hunters and anglers. A recent studyfrom the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reveals a 10% decline in the number ofhunters and a 15% decline in the number of anglers from 1996-2006.
   
   These numbers in part a clear picture: America's ability to hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors is at risk due to dwindling access to land. All too often, average sportsmen and -women are encountering “No Trespassing” signs, while many other prime lands and streams are leased.
   
   Despite declines in participation numbers sportsmen continue to shell out hunting and fishing money.  In 2006 alone, almost 34 million Americans enjoyed recreational activities related to hunting and fishing. As a result, sportsmen and -women injected $75.4 billion into rural economies throughout the country, but loss of access could soon begin eating into this economic juggernaut. 
   
   Fortunately, there are programs out there that seek to abate and reverse access problem. Currently, 21 states have public access programs that offer landowners financial incentives to voluntarily allow public hunting and fishing on their land. At the same time, some of these programs also encourage habitat improvement. Known as ‘walk-in’ programs, they have proven to be extremely popular but continue to be severely under- funded.
   
   Since its inception, the TRCP has pushed for improved public access and sought to guarantee you a place to hunt and fish. In 2003, we began working with leaders in Congress to introduce Open Fields legislation that will provide $20 million per year to help states expand or improve upon existing programs and enroll the thousands of landowners they have on waiting lists. It will also help states without any access programs to start new ones.
   
   Each subsequent Congress in 2005 and in 2007 has seen the bill re-introduced, and this year is the closest the sportsmen’s community has come yet to having it passed into law. With the reauthorization of the Farm Bill this year, the TRCP and the strong coalition of sportsmen's and conservation organizations on its Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group have worked with Congress to see Open Fields placed into the 2007 Farm Bill. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and the language also appears in Senate drafts being discussed.
   
   While we are close to success, there is much work to be done to see this through to final passage and enactment. Let your elected leaders know just how important the issue of public access is and its impact on the future of these national pastimes and traditions are to you.
   
   Click here to contact your senator.
   

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2. Sportsmen Speak Out on Sensible Mining Reform
   

   Polluted water seeping from Montana’s Mike Horse Mine Impoundment into a tributary of the Blackfoot River. Credit: Earthworks

   The town of Elko is in the heart of Nevada’s hard rock mining territory. Once heavily dependent on cattle grazing, the area now boasts a half-dozen mining companies that turn out millions of ounces of gold from the area. It’s for this reason that House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chairman Jim Costa decided that Elko would be the perfect place to hold a field hearing on HR 2262, the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 – a bill introduced by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall that has garnered more than 50 cosponsors since its introduction last spring.
   
   But while Nevada’s plentiful public lands offer a bounty of mineral riches, they also provide the vast majority of Nevada's habitat for the state’s more than 600 species of fish and wildlife. These public lands constitute nearly all of the desert, Rocky Mountain and California bighorn sheep habitat in Nevada and provide a large majority of the habitat for pronghorn, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk and mountain lions. They likewise support the primary populations of upland game, such as chukar, gray partridge and sage grouse. The majority of stream trout fisheries, including those for the threatened Lahontan cutthrout trout, are found on public lands. About 90 percent of the state’s big game and upland game hunting takes place on public lands, as does most of the stream trout fishing.

   Willie Molini, TRCP Nevada Field Organizer

   
   These statistics were reported in the Elko field hearing by TRCP’s Nevada Field Organizer, Willie Molini, a third-generation Nevadan who worked for 30 years for the Nevada Department of Wildlife and served as director of that agency for more than 16 years. Willie is working part-time for TRCP as a spokesman and organizer for Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining, a joint campaign of TRCP, National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited.
   
   Sportsmen in Nevada are extremely important advocates for mining reform as the Senate’s Majority Leader, Nevada Senator Harry Reid , will play a lead role in reform efforts. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held its own hearing on mining reform on September 27th, with both Chairman Jeff Bingaman and Ranking Member Pete Domenici expressing interest in seeing sensible mining reform happen in the 110th Congress.
   
   Time is of the essence as the House bill makes its way through the committee this fall. Senators Bingaman and Domenici are expected to draft their own reform legislation in the Senate.
   
   To get involved in the campaign or learn more, go to www.sensiblemining.org.
   
   

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3. Season Three of TRCP’s Life in the Open Starts This Friday
   

   Celebrate hunting season with a new season of TRCP’s Life in the Open starting this Friday, October 5th. Join host Ken Barrett in Alaska, where he and friends from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game will be hunting caribou and fishing for pink and sliver salmon. The first episode of season three kicks off at 7:00 p.m. EDT, Friday October 5th, on the VERSUS network. If you can’t tune in Friday, you’ll have a second chance to catch all the excitement at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday.
   

   Action from season three of TRCP's Life in the Open.

   
   To find out what channel number VERSUS is in your area click here.

    
   
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4. Montana Mapping Project Charts Sportsmen’s Knowledge
   
   The Montana Mapping Project, a component of the TRCP’s Energy Initiative, uses habitat information supplied by hunters and anglers to create a data repository for planning balanced energy development. This groundbreaking effort allows the TRCP to build on its ability to advocate for sportsmen’s interests at both the national and local levels.
   
   The project was launched in June 2007 as a result of a meeting, engineered by the TRCP, which brought together sportsmen’s groups and businesses with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer to discuss responsible energy development in the state. Steve Belinda and Bill Geer, TRCP initiative managers, developed a plan to engage with rod and gun clubs across Montana, collecting geographic data on areas favored by sportsmen for hunting and angling – areas that also hold critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Geer meets with the groups personally – logging thousands of miles in his travels across the state – in order to ensure that sportsmen’s voices are heard and their knowledge of the vagaries of Montana’s landscape is recorded accurately.
   
   

   Habitat information supplied by hunters and anglers will help to create a data repository for planning balanced energy development. Photo credit: Patricia Easton

   Geer takes data garnered from these meetings to Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which wants to produce detailed GIS maps based on the results. “The department doesn’t create maps like this for just anyone,” says Geer. “But they realized what we were able to offer them – intimate knowledge of Montana’s fish and wildlife habitats and details that they hadn’t been able to get anywhere else.” Interest in the project is growing at a national level: Geer has recently heard from Nevada officials who want to pursue similar efforts with sportsmen.
   
   The Montana Mapping Project should result in an invaluable asset as Montana weighs future oil and gas developments and considers appropriate uses of the state’s public lands. The project gives sportsmen an added stake in the future of their hunting and angling traditions, as well. “The rod and gun clubs have access to an incredible amount of information about Montana’s fish and wildlife,” continues Geer. “Collectively, it’s a resource that no one else can provide. These guys aren’t scientists; they’re just hunters and anglers. But they know more about Montana than most people ever will. They care about being able to continue hunting and fishing on these lands – and making sure that their kids and grandkids will be able to, as well.”
   
   Geer has focused his initial outreach efforts on eastern Montana due to pending oil and gas activities in that part of the state. Great Falls, Lewistown and Glasgow are next on his list. If you live in Montana, look for him to make an appearance at your local rod and gun club soon.
   
   To learn more about the Montana Mapping Project, contact Geer.
   
   

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5. Great Strides Forward for Conservation Tax Incentives
   
   Conservation tax incentives, including easements, are extremely important -- but they’re often overlooked by sportsmen. In recent years, however, sportsmen have begun to understand just how effective easements can be in helping to protect the lands they treasure. TRCP partner groups, such as Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and Trout Unlimited, have used a host of conservation tax incentives, including easements, to implement arrangements with landowners that benefit not only ducks, pheasants and trout, but a wide variety of other species.
   

   Sportsmen, landowners and wildlife reap the benifits of easements.

   
   In recent weeks, two hugely important measures cleared a major hurdle toward becoming the law of the land when they were unanimously approved by the Senate Finance Committee as part of a larger measure known as the “Habitat and Land Conservation Act of 2007.” The first is an innovative new provision that provides tax credits for landowners who improve endangered species habitat on their land, rather than having to pay taxes on land that is no longer able to be used for agriculture or ranching.
   
   The second measure, one that the TRCP has long rallied behind, would permanently extend conservation easement incentives. Currently the expanded tax-credits apply only to easements created in 2006 and 2007. In the words of TRCP President & CEO George Cooper, “Making these changes permanent will benefit sportsmen tremendously by ensuring the conservation of more of the land and water essential to fish and game.”
   
   “Easements are one of the most successful tools we have to counteract theeffects of development. Allowing the tax credits to apply to all future easementswill be a win-win for landowners and fish and wildlife,” said Russell Shay, Director of Public Policy for the Land Trust Alliance.

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6. Founder of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Named Conservation Hero of the Year
   
   Grassroots-driven conservation might not always get the recognition it deserves, but the folks at Field & Stream magazine and Toyota Motor Sales are making sure that it gets rightly celebrated in every issue of the magazine and a big annual tripute in New York City. On Sept. 20, in the Theodore Roosevelt Wing of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Field & Stream awarded its second annual Heroes of Conservation Awards. Not only were a half-dozen finalists honored in a ceremony emceed by television personality Tucker Carlson that celebrated the sweat equity they had invested in America’s fish and wildlife resources, one of them drove home in a new truck!
   
   

   Sid Evans, editor of Field & Stream, Brian Maguire, 2007 Conservation Hero of the Year and Tucker Carlson, emcee for the evenig, pose for photos after the awards ceremony, which took place at the American Museum of Natural History.

   That special award went to Brian Maguire of Portland, Ore., who was named the 2007 Field & Stream Conservation Hero of the Year and presented with a new 2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 V8 Doublecab. Maguire co-founded the group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers after losing some of his favorite hunting grounds to clear cutting. After 10 years of work and testifying before Congress, Maguire and his brethren recently got 16,496 acres of mule deer winter habitat added to the 2007 Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act.
   
   In his remarks, Maguire pointed to the ever-accelerating push for oil and gas development on Western public lands as a major threat for the region’s fish and wildlife. “15,000 more wellheads in Pinedale is just not what we need,” Maguire said, referring to federal plans to vastly expand drilling in an area of Wyoming that is prime habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, sage grouse and trout.
   
   With the 2007 Hero of Conservation and the current issue of Field & Stream focusing on this hugely important issue, it was impossible for Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to ignore it when he took the stage for the evening’s closing remarks. The secretary offered the recently announced Healthy Lands Initiative as proof of the Bush Administration’s commitment to addressing sportsmen’s concerns about the proven-detrimental impacts of energy development on fish and wildlife populations. The TRCP believes this initiative is a woefully inadequate substitute for the true reforms necessary to prevent and repair the damage done to our public lands by irresponsible energy development.  Learn more about FACTS for Responsible Energy Development.
   

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7. Elkhorn Ranch Dedication Celebrates Roosevelt’s Conservation
   
   A landscape vital to the history of American conservation has been preserved itself.  A dedication and celebration of Elkhorn Ranch was held in North Dakota by the Friends of the Elkhorn Ranch,

   Elkhorn Ranch lands as they appear today.

   Boone and Crockett Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Located 35 miles north of Medora, ND, Elkhorn Ranch is managed by the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the U.S. Forest Service, Dakota Prairie Grasslands “for the benefit of future generations.”
   
   Edmund Morris, Theodore Roosevelt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, gave the keynote address, “Preserving Theodore Roosevelt’s Conservation Legacy,” on September 15th. The weekend also included the world premiere of TR, a radio drama, and tours of Elkhorn Ranchlands given by rangers.
   
   Spending more than three years in the area after the death of his wife and mother, Roosevelt said of the area, "I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota." Elkhorn is called the "Cradle of Conservation," because, due in large part to his experiences living there, Roosevelt went on to preserve more than 230 million acres of wildlife habitat.
   
   The Friends of the Elkhorn Ranch hope that the “protection and sustainable use of the Elkhorn Ranchlands will ensure that the rugged natural beauty that inspired Theodore Roosevelt and the conservation movement in North American shall be preserved for the benefit of the American people.”
   
   

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8. Minaya Wins "Out West for Your Best" Contest Trophy Mule Deer Hunt
   
   

   Contest winner Sgt. Eduardo Minaya poses with “Big Bill.”

   With the "Out West for Your Best" contest we wanted to thank all of you,our partners, for your support and hard work by giving you the chance to winthe hunt of a lifetime. Stg. Eduardo Minaya’s story was chosen from thehundreds of fantastic entries we received. Ken Barrett, host of TRCP’sLife in the Open, said of Minaya, “I have no doubt he will represent theTRCP partners well. I can't wait to go hunting with him."
   
   Married with three boys, Minaya is an infantry platoon sergeant and marine scoutsniper who has been in the military for 16 years. Involved with operations DesertShield and Desert Storm and operations in Somalia, Kosovo, Haiti and Iraq, heis currently a G-3 operations chief, Training and Education Command, in Quantico,Va. His wife, Tammy, says he is "a country boy at heart, living a city boylife."
   
   Below is Stg. Minaya’s contest-winning essay.
   
   
   
   
   

   In 1980, when I was 12 years old, Mr. Bleech was our next-door neighbor. He was a retired army vet and an avid hunter, and he adopted me as his hunting buddy. His vast amount of knowledge kept me forever listening. He always talked about this buck he called “Big Bill,” who roamed this secret hunting spot in Orange, N.J. We would sit from dusk to dawn, several days during the season, with the determination to only harvest Big Bill. Although we saw him several times, he was always too far away or would disappear in a split-second. Two years later we set up in opposite ends of the field to increase our chances of encountering Bill. In a blink, Big Bill shot out from the trees, as though he had been spooked. I quickly placed my crosshairs on him and, just as he ran into the trees, my rifle went off and so did Mr. Bleech’s. Although he knew I missed, he said that I made the kill shot and let me keep Big Bill. Out of all my field experiences, my best story is still the time I spent chasing after Big Bill with Mr. Bleech.

   
   
   
   

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9. TRCP Welcomes McKalip
   
   

   Katie McKalip

   
   In summer 2007 Katie McKalip joined the TRCP, where as communications manager she focuses primarily on the partnership’s Western lands initiatives. As TRCP President & CEO George Cooper commented, “Katie has an excellent feel for how to communicate with those of us who care about conserving our natural resources and the future of hunting and fishing; she is a fantastic addition to the TRCP team.”
   
   Previously, McKalip was publications editor for Outdoor Writers Association of America. The daughter of an Army officer, she grew up in the Washington, D.C., area and received her bachelor’s degree from The College of William & Mary. Later, she was irresistibly drawn to the Rocky Mountain West and settled in Missoula, Mont., where she attained an M.S. from The University of Montana’s environmental studies program. She enjoys a variety of outdoor activities that vary according to season and include deer and elk hunting in the fall, skiing in the winter and hiking in the spring. In the summer, look for her on the river.
   
   

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Updates from TRCP Partner Organizations - News from the National Conservation Community

American Sportfishing Association From July 11-13, 2007, nearly 7,000 representatives of the sportfishing industry came together to celebrate 50 years of the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, the world’s largest showcase of fishing tackle and accessories all under one roof. More>>
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies A major fish die off concerns biologists in Nevada, according to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. More>>
BASS/ESPN Outdoors Legislation has been introduced to protect anglers and other recreational boaters from a bureaucratic nightmare. More>>
Coastal Conservation Association The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has declared that Gulf greater amberjack are overfished and is considering increasing the commercial share of the fishery and reducing the recreational bag limit to one fish for every two anglers aboard a vessel. The recreational restrictions are being considered despite the fact that unchecked commercial overfishing since 1990 is the primary cause of problems in the fishery.  More>>
Ducks Unlimited Mack’s Prairie Wings, “America’s Premier Waterfowl Outfitter,” is now the exclusive retailer of the Ducks Unlimited WaterDog TV show.  More>>
Federation of Fly Fishers The Federation of Fly Fishers is signing up new members at a discounted rate in attempt to increase support for growing conservation and education programs. More>>
Izaak Walton League of America The Izaak Walton League of America recaps the highlights from their convention this summer. More>>
Mule Deer Foundation The Mule Deer Foundation will hold its 20th Anniversary Banquet and Auction on Thursday, February 7, 2008, in conjunction with the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo (WHCE) at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. More>>
The Nature Conservancy World renowned leaders in science, academia, and business will address critical conservation issues and solutions at a three-part lecture series to be held in Chicago this fall. The series, Envisioning a Sustainable Future, is presented by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with The University of Chicago Graham School of General Studies.  More>>
Pheasants Forever Pheasants Forever’s newest chapter, Longs Peak, launches in Colorado.   More>>
Quail Forever Quail Forever issues its 2007 quail hunting forecast. More>>
Quail Unlimited Land Pride, manufacturer of agricultural and habitat tractor implements, has joined the premier team of Quail Unlimited national corporate sponsors. More>>
Trout Unlimited Trout Unlimited urges sportsmen to consider the possible impacts expanding oil and gas development might have on the quality of their experience should they choose to hunt or fish in areas frequented by the energy industry this season. More>>
Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land and the National Association of Countries jointly called for applications for a national award recognizing leadership in countywide land conservation programs. More>>
Whitetails Unlimited Celebrate WTU and all they do for conservation with a Whitetails Unlimited 25th Anniversary hat. More>>
Wildlife Management Institute Read the latest issue of the Outdoor News Bulletin. More>>
The Wildlife Society Read the September Issue of The Wildlife Professional. More>>

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Grassroots Action

Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development Close to a Milestone

FACTS for Fish and Wildlife: A Balancing Act During Energy Development

Public lands are a valuable resource for millions of hunters and anglers, yet often these lands are not managed with sportsmen in mind. The partners within the TRCP believe that a better balance of fish and wildlife management with energy development – using the FACTS for Fish and Wildlife approach – will preserve the legacy of millions of acres of open spaces that fish and wildlife need and sportsmen cherish. The TRCP’s grassroots campaign, Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, was launched in March to provide a voice for hunters and anglers to help integrate our values into energy development on public lands.

We’re gratified to announce that support for the Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development campaign has been strong and that we’re fast approaching 1,000 members. If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to sign up as a member of Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development – and help guarantee the future of our hunting and fishing traditions on America’s public lands.

Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining

Hundreds of you responded to our call and contacted your representative asking him/her to support the four tenents of mining reform that Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining have put forth to reform the 1872 Mining Law. Thank you for taking the time to do this. To view all our current advocacy campaigns and take action on pressing issues effecting sportsmen and –women, please visit our “Take Action” Web page.  

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Featured Conservation Leader

Featured Conservation Leader:
Bob St. Pierre, National Director of Marketing & Public Relations,
Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever

Bob St. Pierre with his new female puppy Trammell (German Shorthair Pointer) named in honor of Alan Trammell, Detroit Tigers shortstop, at a September 2007 Michigan ruffed grouse hunt.

1. Who got you involved with hunting and/or fishing? When?
My mom and dad have been the biggest influences on my outdoor and conservation lifestyle. Growing up as a “Yooper” in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, our family vacations always entailed a fishing / camping / canoeing trip somewhere on one of the U.P.’s inland lakes. We’d always have two canoes and my brother would go with one parent and I’d go with the other. We’d fish for whatever was biting from sun up to sun down. That first love of fishing must have started when I was around 5 and those trips created an incredible bond between my folks, me, and my brother. I became a hunter when I was about 11. My dad and I would walk old U.P. logging roads looking for ruffed grouse. I loved grouse hunting from the start; fall colors, the surprise of a flush, and the energy of our Brittany. That love of bird hunting burgeoned into deer, turkey, and waterfowl hunting pretty quickly. Some “Yooper” transplants living in Iowa got me hooked on pheasant hunting when I moved to Minnesota’s Twin Cities following college. Now, I pretty much can’t pass up a weekend during the fall without chasing pheasants, quail, grouse, sharptails, Huns, ducks, or geese. I just love bird hunting above all else and love to eat all wild game too!

2. What is your most memorable experience afield?
I can’t limit it to one; so, I’ll give you one fishing and one hunting.
FISHING - When I was a teenager, my family was on one of our summer camping trips for the week. We were staying on a U.P. lake that was filled with monster fish. One evening at dusk, my dad was fishing for bass with a jitterbug surface lure and eight-pound test line. On the last cast of the night, a fish exploded to the surface and took the jitterbug under. It was the biggest musky of our lives. My dad fought that fish for over an hour in the darkness as it pulled our canoe around the lake. After tiring from the fight, the musky rose to the surface and I scooped it up with the net. That experience cemented my relationship with my dad as a teenager, and I enjoy reliving it in stories every holiday season.
HUNTING - Last September at the Pheasants Forever national Board of Directors meeting in South Dakota, I had the opportunity to chase some early season South Dakota geese. The first day, we had tremendous success with each hunter bagging limits of geese. With expectations high, we set off the next evening for our goose hunt. The evening began very hot and sunny, but the skies began to quickly darken after we finished with our decoy work. Off to the west the clouds began to funnel, and within minutes not one, not two, but three tornados appeared on the horizon approximately 1 mile away (okay, maybe 5 miles away) from the field we were laying in awaiting geese. After 5 minutes of debate, we “agreed” that lying in the field would be among the safer spots possible for us. Thankfully, the tornados slipped off by us and we returned to the lodge. We detailed our weather adventure and related our disappointment in not seeing any geese. Howard Vincent, PF/QF President and CEO, retorted, “Of course you didn’t see any geese. Even a goose knows not to go out in a tornado!”

South Dakota tornados	Photo Credit:  Greg Smith

3. What do you think are our most pressing conservation issues today?
I think apathy is our biggest enemy as conservationists. Too many people view the issues facing our wildlife and environment as something that “someone” else will deal with. As hunters and anglers, we have always been the leaders in the conservation and environmental movements of the past. Today, we need to all stand up and break through that apathy and DO SOMETHING to lead the charge for the conservation issues affecting all of us as sportsmen, sportswomen, and human beings. The easiest way we can take the first step in this movement is to join a conservation organization like Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, or any of the other conservation groups leading the charge.

4. What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?
I view the current state of conservation with a lot of optimism. There are certainly causes for concern, but I look at the legacy of conservation from Farm Bill programs like CRP and the discussions of new conservation efforts as a result of energy issues and global climate change, and believe there is great opportunity to gain acres of habitat, improve water quality, and mobilize all citizens around these conservation issues during the course of the next election year.

5. Why are you involved with the TRCP?
The TRCP is a galvanizing force in the conservation world. It brings all of our special interest groups together and gets us all singing the same tune. The consistency of message has already had a tremendous impact in our 2007 Farm Bill efforts and will continue to bring the conservation community to the table as a group with a bigger impact than any of us can have alone.

Visit the Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever Web site. 

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Bookshelf

Something’s Fishy: An Angler's Look at Our Distressed Gamefish and Their Waters - And How We Can Preserve Both by Ted Williams

Well-known nature and conservation writer Ted Williams is an avid fisherman who has devoted many years to writing about the sport and advocating the preservation of bodies of water and species of fish. Here, he brings together his love of angling with his profound sense of responsibility for the environment. Most of the work in this anthology is adapted from articles originally published in Audubon and Fly Rod & Reel (where Williams is conservation editor), and these lively, perceptive pieces take readers across the United States and around the world: trout fishing in Patagonia; bonefishing on South Andros Island in the Bahamas; and tuna fishing off the coast of Massachusetts. Williams’ passion and commitment will inspire fishermen everywhere.

For more information, please click here.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Hunting by Frank Miniter

In The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Hunting Miniter details the concrete benefits that hunting provides to all of us, including how it helps the environment. Speaking with wildlife biologists, hunters, farmers, anti-hunters, and victims of animal attacks, Miniter explains how banning hunting negatively affects wildlife populations and conservation.

For more information, click here.

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Photo Gallery

Check out How Your Fellow TRCP Partners Fared this Season

We need your photos. We are working to expand the photo gallery on our Web site and would love to include your photo. Please send the photo with information on how and where you got what’s in the shot. If we pick yours for our next newsletter, we’ll send you a TRCP hat too. Send photos to photos@trcp.org. Electronic photos only please.

The following is what Megan had to say about her "Partner Pics" submission: Here is a photo of the fall 2006 turkey I shot in my hometown of Claysburg PA! My dad called him right up for me. It was the largest of the 8-9 turkeys I've shot in 13 years of hunting. Hope you put it up on your site!

View the rest of the TRCP Partner Photo gallery here.

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Roosevelt Reflections

Teddy's Mule Deer
by Ken Barrett

“In his book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, T.R. writes extensively about the black-tailed deer of the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming. He describes them as being, “The deer of the ravines and the rocky uplands.” He was of course writing about mule deer, though he never called them that, preferring instead the most common name in use at the time, “black-tailed deer.”

Roosevelt out hunting.  Photo credit: Library of Congress

While whitetails, our most common and widespread deer species, have continued to flourish and increase in numbers, often in the face of development, mule deer populations continue to decline over much of their range. And while they sometimes mimic the whitetail’s ability to flourish in suburban settings, they do best in big wild places like Wyoming’s sagebrush country and among its ravines and rocky uplands, places often under pressure from energy development.

While whitetails are able to adapt to man’s activities, the mule deer, of “the purple sage” and “where the deer and the antelope play,” like so many other species which evolved in these huge yet delicate landscapes, are far more susceptible to human development and disturbances. In Wyoming’s Jonah Basin, near Pinedale, site of full field oil and gas development, mule deer populations have dropped precipitously in the last few years, by most accounts more than 50%. Mule deer don’t like development and they’re telling us so by simply disappearing.

T.R. wrote of mule deer, “Hunting the black-tail is beyond comparison the nobler of sport. Indeed, there is no kind of plains hunting, except only the chase of the big-horn, more fitted to bring out the best and hardiest of the many qualities which go to make up a good hunter.” One can argue whether that is true or not, but the fact remains that a trophy mule deer is now considered the most difficult of all North American trophies to attain, short of the wild sheep.

These beautiful and noble animals flourish in big wide-open landscapes, in what T.R. called the “Lonely Places.” And while few will argue about our need for energy, some among us believe we will be the poorer if Teddy’s black-tails fall victims to poor planning and a headlong thoughtless rush to get every barrel of oil and cubic foot of gas without considering all the consequences, especially to our mule deer.

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