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posted in: General

January 14, 2025

The Wall Tent and the Rifle 

In this first installment of her two-part story, TRCP’s energy policy advisor McKay Fleck writes how the equipment a family shares in the woods, and the public land that makes it all possible, binds them and adds to the long tradition of hunting camp 

In 2018, I earned my hunting guide’s license. I’d be guiding for a fledgling company that a friend established, and my dad and brother decided to drive out from Oregon to be my first clients.  I hadn’t been able to hunt with them since 2008, so this 10-year reunion was bound to be special.  

I’d been living in Wyoming for several years at this point and had reasonable success hunting on public land in my new home, so I felt confident in my ability to find them some deer. My dad had raised my older brother and me in hunting camps on Forest Service land since we were six-years-old, and one of my earliest memories is being absolutely furious that my brother was old enough to go hunting with my dad before me. But I suppose there’s no easy way to explain linear time to a toddler. 

Growing up, our hunting camps were filled with relatives, stories, and tents used long before I was born. Generations had passed down guns, gear, and hard lessons year after year until the sedimentary layers of stories had solidified into traditions that stood the test of time. We carved our tactics out of these stories, learning from the mistakes made by young hunters chasing mature deer and elk since time immemorial. Now, it was my turn to run the camp. 

Bonnie Maplesden (left) and Ryan Fleck, brother and sister, shot the same bull in 1996 outside of John Day, Oregon.

We planned the trip four months in advance. My dad and brother Adam had to figure out what they could fit in their truck and what gear I already had here in Wyoming. My dad planned to bring an old wall tent for us to sleep in, and I would have to figure out where to put it on the mountain.  

When I say “old wall tent” I mean it. It was made for service in World War I. After the Great War, it was used as a cook tent for cattle camps on their ranch in California, before trucks could make it up into the Siskiyou Mountains. The ranch sold while my dad was in college, but the old tent was still employed. My family continued to use it as a cook tent for hunting camps when they moved north into Oregon. My dad would set up a cot in the corner and be the first one up, heating the tent while coffee boiled on a rusty propane heater. The roof is perforated with starlight, a Milky Way of holes from a century of hot ash, mold, and moths. The ceiling lets in just enough light for sleepy kids to find new constellations in the ancient canvas. Despite the romantic image on clear nights, we had to put a tarp over the holey canvas to keep out the Oregon weather. 

So when I saw that my friends were selling their 10x12ft wall tent with an awning and wood stove for $300 on Facebook Marketplace, I jumped at the chance. I called my brother immediately and asked if he wanted to split the price with me, and he agreed.  

“Hey Dad, McKay’s friends are selling this really nice wall tent. Would you want to buy it?” he asked, showing our dad the advertisement.  

“Absolutely! That’s a good-looking tent for a good price,” he replied, enthusiastically.  

“Oh, too bad…it looks like it already sold. Oh well, maybe we’ll keep an eye out for one next year,” my brother lied. It was a spur of the moment decision. The tent would be a surprise early birthday gift for our dad. We had to conspire quickly. How would he be able to keep Dad from bringing the old wall tent without telling him about the new one?  

Despite our dad’s protestations, we packed him up and hauled him up the mountain amid his cries of “this doesn’t need to be an exercise in survival!” 

The friends we bought the new tent from helped me set up the camp before my family arrived. We cut lodge pole pines in the spring and stripped them of their bark, rotating the poles weekly as they dried. These friends were rendezvous reenactors; they spent decades going to traditional rendezvous wearing old fashioned handmade clothing, shooting flintlock rifles and traditional long bows. This wall tent had raised both of their kids, rode on the back of a pack string, and kept them warm through their own hunting camps. Buying this tent from them and learning how to set it up was like becoming a part of their family.  

It was sunny and warm when my dad and brother arrived at my house in Wyoming. We had the evening to catch up and organize our gear before heading up the mountain the next day. We convinced our dad that I “borrowed” a tent and that it was already set up. The next day we would drive to the camp and get settled before the opening day of hunting season.  

That’s when the storm hit. Wyoming weather at its finest dropped about 18 inches of snow overnight. Sixty mile per hour winds, sub-zero temperatures, and drifted snow weren’t going to prevent my brother and me from delivering the best birthday surprise ever! Despite our dad’s protestations, we packed him up and hauled him up the mountain amid his cries of “this doesn’t need to be an exercise in survival!” 

When we reached the BLM road that turned to the camp, we were completely snow blind. I got out of the truck and led the way on foot, bouncing back and forth between the ditches so that my brother could keep his truck on the road. Our dad was still cussing at us, trying to convince us to turn around. Tears froze on my face as I searched for the white canvas tent in the snowstorm. Finally, we arrived. Dad was still skeptical until we untied the door of the tent, and he saw the sign: “Happy Birthday Dad!!!!” He laughed as we explained how we conspired about the tent and how hard it was to keep the secret. The surprise was a success, though he insisted that the frigid winds were making his eyes and nose water. 

The new wall tent was quite the birthday surprise.

I stayed awake all night feeding the wood stove and listening to the dulcet tones of twin chainsaws snoring on the cots next to me. When it was finally time to get up and hunt, the wind had not subsided. We hiked up the draw close to camp as the sun rose, post-holing through snow drifts and looking for any deer who didn’t have enough sense to escape the mountain before the storm. By lunch time, my dad was certain that we were trying to kill him, so we made the tough decision to abandon the camp and hunt from town.  

Desperate for a backup plan, I called my friend and outfitter, Cindy. She had permission to cross private land to access a state section and graciously offered to take us out there for a mule deer.  

Cindy patiently guides Adam toward some Wyoming mule deer.

The next afternoon, we met Cindy at the edge of the property. My dad could watch from the truck as Cindy, my brother and I scoured the state land for my brother’s fist deer. It wasn’t long before we spotted a group of mule deer about 200 yards away, and a forked-horn buck among them. We crawled to the crest of the hill on our bellies, and I sat back while Cindy coached my brother. She was so patient, reassuring him that if he didn’t feel comfortable with the shot, we could find a different animal. He had our great-uncle’s Remington 721, the only gun he had to hunt with, which was sighted to 100 yards. My brother turned and looked back at me. 

“Where should I shoot him?” he asked.  

I reached up and poked him in the ribs behind his arm. He nodded, settled back into the prone position, and fired. He made an excellent shot, the buck dropped, and our dad watched the whole thing from the truck. 

Adam’s first deer with his great-uncle’s Remington 721.

The next day, we went back out to the same spot with the intention of dad experiencing a similar hunt. It was an easy pack out and we knew there were more deer in the area. However, when we arrived at the state land, two cow elk were nestled in a snowbank about 400 yards away. Cindy asked me if I had a cow tag, which I did. My dad laughed and handed over the same Remington that my brother had used the day before. And just like the day before, my dad watched one of his kids harvest an animal on public lands with his uncle’s rifle. We dragged the elk back to the truck and went home to celebrate. 

The family celebrates McKay’s cow elk.

The next day, the weather had shifted back from winter wonderland to sunny and warm. We decided to go take down the wall tent that we had left on the mountain. We were disappointed that we didn’t spend another night in the tent, but my dad and brother were leaving on Saturday, and they wanted to be organized for the long drive. Most of the snow had already melted, and the road to the camp was a muddy mess. We packed everything up and surfed our way down the mountain on a tidal wave of bentonite clay.  

As we drove back, I asked my brother to stop the truck on the rim of a draw not far from the road on BLM land. “Dad and I both still have deer tags to fill, so let’s take a minute to glass.”  

After a few minutes, I saw a buck bedded down at the bottom of the draw a half mile away. I asked my dad if he wanted to try for it, and we decided to put on a stalk.  

My brother stayed with the truck as Dad and I walked to the edge of the draw. It was a steep scree slope dotted with the occasional mahogany shrub. A lone juniper offered us shelter as we surveyed our route to the buck.  

“Could you make a shot from here?” I asked my dad.  

“Nope, just a little too far for my comfort.”  

We inched our way closer. I moved down the slope, careful not to loosen any rocks or stab myself on a mahogany sticker.  

“How about now?”  

“I can’t even see him from this spot!”  

I was beginning to see why he hadn’t harvested a deer in so long. I picked my way to a new spot, about 80 yards from the buck and my dad eased his way over to me.  

“How about now?” I asked, as he looked through the scope of the Remington 721.  

“This ought to do. Just let me take my glasses off real quick.” He lowered the gun to remove his glasses. I continued to watch the buck through my binoculars. The deer was bedded down at the edge of the mahogany and hadn’t moved since we began our decent. The wind was in our favor as I waited for the report of the rifle.  

“Dad, hurry up.” I was not as patient as Cindy.  

“Hang on, I’m just making sure,” he said as he brought the rifle up again. I waited.  

“DAD.”  

“I want to take my hat off first.” He fumbled with his wool cap, and I began to wonder if the buck could see the sun shining off his bald head. I watched through my binoculars as the shot rang out and the buck disappeared from my vision.  

I jumped up and ran to rock outcropping and saw the buck, still laying in his bed. My dad had made an excellent shot, and the buck never woke up from his nap.  

The Remington 721 completed the Fleck trifecta with this buck taken by McKay’s father.

Packing this deer out was more difficult than the last one, as we had to go straight up the slope. I ran back to the truck to retrieve my brother and we carried the deer out of the draw for our dad. We loaded our harvest on top of the wall tent in the back of the truck and headed back to town to celebrate once again. Three days, three tags filled on public land, and one rifle. 

The next time my brother and dad would see that tent would be 2024.  

Read Part II of this story HERE.

Photo credits: McKay Fleck


The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

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January 9, 2025

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Announces Four New Board Members

Experts in conservation, finance, and community building join the leadership team

(Washington D.C.)—The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is pleased to announce the appointment of four new directors to its leadership team. George Cooper, Nick Seidenberg, Ashley Smith, and Bob Ziehmer join the 27-member board that oversees TRCP.  

“TRCP is fortunate to welcome these four individuals as new members of our Board of Directors,” said Alston Watt, TRCP board chair. “Their wide range of expertise will help us build upon our organizational strengths and help conserve hunting, fishing, and the wild places we cherish for future generations.” 

Bios for the incoming board members can be found below. To read more about TRCP’s full Board of Directors and leadership team, click HERE. 

“We are thrilled to welcome these industry leaders and dedicated conservation advocates to the TRCP family,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the TRCP. “Our Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in guiding our organization and empowers us to continue uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices to advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access. With the addition of George, Nick, Ashley, and Bob to the Board, TRCP is well positioned to achieve our mission of guaranteeing all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.” 

George Cooper 

George Cooper is a Partner at Forbes Tate Partners leading the firm’s natural resources and outdoor recreation government affairs practice, representing nonprofits, corporations, and trade associations on policy related to natural resource conservation, public lands, marine fisheries, agricultural land, tax, trade, and appropriations issues. George leverages his extensive network in DC to connect clients with the right people on Capitol Hill and in pertinent federal agencies and guide them in delivering messages and creating conversations that produce meaningful results. 

Prior to joining FTP, George served as President and CEO of TRCP. Throughout his nearly eight years at TRCP, both as CEO and as vice president for policy and communications, he helped create a new strategic advocacy niche in Washington for the nation’s 40 million hunters and anglers. George’s political experience is rooted in Washington, DC political media. Before joining TRCP, he worked for CNN serving as Senior Producer for prominent public affairs shows like “Evans and Novak,” “Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer,” and “Reliable Sources.” George also served as a Senior Producer on the White House and Capitol Hill beats. An alumnus of Denison University, Mr. Cooper earned a bachelor’s in history. He and his wife and their two children live in Chevy Chase, Maryland 

Nick Seidenberg 

Nicholas Seidenberg is a Managing Director at Eastdil Secured, a privately held real estate investment banking firm headquartered in New York. Nick co-leads Eastdil Secured’s Debt Capital Markets division and serves as a member of the nine-person Executive Committee. 

Growing up in Minnesota, Nick developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors. From autumn weekends in duck blinds with his father and brother to summers spent fishing on Minnesota’s lakes, these early experiences instilled in him a lifelong love for nature and quality time in nature with loved ones. 

Nick and his wife, Casey, have been married for 29 years and reside in Washington, D.C. They have three children whom Nick enjoys taking on hunting and fishing trips to Minnesota, Montana and Rhode Island, continuing a family tradition of bonding through the outdoors. 

In addition to his professional achievements, Nick has been actively involved in nonprofit work in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served on the board of Children’s National Medical Center. Nick earned a B.S. in Applied Economics from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business. 

Ashley Smith 

Attorney Ashley Smith is a bi-lingual thought leader, group cohesion expert, writer, and national public speaker. Ashley co-founded The Minority Outdoor Alliance with the mission of uniting communities for the enjoyment and conservation of our natural resources. Ashley is also the founder of NOS Global, LLC, which helps organizations uncover how to benefit from an ever-changing world through data-driven strategic planning and organizational cohesion programs. 

Ashley has had the honor of giving speeches, facilitating workshops, and hosting large outdoor recreational and educational events for a number of state agencies, conservation organizations, and corporations across the nation. 

Ashley completed her undergraduate education at the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and Spanish. After college, Ashley completed her law degree at Georgia State University College of Law. 

Ashley seeks the outdoors as a place to renew and rejuvenate. Ashley likes to meditate, pray, and exercise outdoors. She also enjoys archery, biking, hiking, and fishing. Ashley believes that there is so much more that unites us as human beings than divides us and believes that being outdoors is the perfect setting for memory making, tradition keeping, and connecting with others. Ashley and her husband have a young daughter and son. 

Bob Ziehmer 

Bob Ziehmer currently serves as the Senior Director of Conservation for Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s where he is responsible for providing direction to advance priorities of protecting wildlife and habitat, connecting new audiences to the outdoors, and advocating for sportsmen’s rights and the outdoors. Bob serves as a liaison with state and federal agencies and over sixty national non-governmental groups to encourage advancement of projects, policy, and regulations advancing conservation and protecting our outdoor heritage. 

Prior to joining Bass Pro Shops, Bob served over 25 years (6 ½ years as Director) with the Missouri Department of Conservation, where his work included: ensuring Missouri remained a national leader in forest, fish and wildlife research, management, and education; and served as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet, among others. 

Bob has an unwavering passion for hunting, angling, and other outdoor adventures. His father’s commitment to spending time afield with him instilled the importance of conservation and our individual responsibilities to manage fish and wildlife for future generations, which he has passed along to his children. 

Bob is a professional member of the Boone & Crockett Club. He currently serves as a national board member of: Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports; and National Deer Association. 

Four members also concluded their time with the TRCP Board of Directors in December: James A. Baker IV, who served as TRCP board chair from 2021 – 2023; Bill Demmer, who helped establish the Bill and Linda Demmer Chief Conservation Officer position; Tod Sedgewick; and Aileen Lee.  Their dedication to the TRCP mission and efforts to help advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access are to be applauded. 

 


The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

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January 6, 2025

TRCP Announces New Development and Conservation Leadership

Key positions filled to strengthen conservation and development programs

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announces changes to leadership positions that will help the organization achieve its mission to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.  

Al Clark joins TRCP as the organization’s chief development officer, bringing over 21 years of development and conservation experience to the organization. In his most recent role as national director of development of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Clark advanced the nonprofit’s fundraising activities and major gift development.  His professional background includes development leadership roles at Ducks Unlimited as well as in higher education at Furman University and Wofford College. 

At TRCP, Clark will lead a talented team of development managers for growth in philanthropic and foundation giving, build corporate partner relationships, and oversee the organization’s hallmark annual event, the Capital Conservation Awards Dinner

TRCP is also proud to announce the promotion of tenured staff to two senior leadership positions in the conservation program. 

Joel Webster will serve as the Bill and Linda Demmer Chief Conservation Officer. In this role, he will work with TRCP’s policy team, external partners, and decision makers to further conservation and access priorities for private lands, public lands, marine fisheries, and water. 

Webster has helped advance TRCP’s conservation portfolio since 2007 and is a member of the federal Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, where he advises the secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on habitat and access policy. He also serves as the vice chair of American Wildlife Conservation Partners, a coalition of 50 leading hunting and wildlife conservation organizations. 

Madeleine West will lead as vice president of western conservation. First joining TRCP in 2019, West will work to advance a wide range of federal and state policies, including those focused on wildlife migration and winter range conservation, forest management, backcountry area conservation, energy policy, special places conservation, and expanded public access. 

“I am pleased to announce these additions to TRCP’s leadership team.  Al, Joel, and Madeleine each bring a strong passion for conservation and the TRCP mission and are proven leaders in our conservation community,” said Joel Pedersen, TRCP president and CEO.  “I look forward to working with them as TRCP continues to build on our past successes. They will provide excellent stewardship to TRCP’s partners and community of hunters and anglers as we continue to advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access.” 

Learn more about TRCP’s leadership HERE.  


The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

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December 20, 2024

Why the ACE Reauthorization Act Becoming Law is Important for Hunters and Anglers

The legislation passed the U.S. Senate on December 18, 2024, and will reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling.

The America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Wednesday December 18, 2024. The legislation was sponsored by Senators Carper (D-Del.) and Capito (R-W.Va) and Representatives Wittman (R-Va.), Kiggans (R-Va.), Dingell (D-Mich.), and Thompson (D-Calif.) and will reauthorize multiple programs that benefit hunting and angling including: 

  • The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP), which focuses on state-led, science-based, collaborative efforts to protect, restore, and enhance aquatic ecosystems across the United States. Since its founding in 2006 NFHP has provided over $320 million in funding support for fish habitat conservation projects. 
  • The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which authorizes grants to public-private partnerships to protect, enhance, restore, and manage waterfowl, and the wetlands they rely upon. NAWCA has provided $2.28 billion in grants that have helped conserve more than 32.6 million acres of vital habitat.  
  • The Chesapeake Bay Program, which is a regional partnership that guides the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Since its inception in 1983 there have been billions of dollars in leveraged funds that have reduced nutrient pollution in the bay.  
  • The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit organization chartered by Congress, is dedicated to sustaining, restoring, and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. Since its founding in 1984 it has grown to become the nation’s largest private conservation foundation. 

The ACE Reauthorization Act also helps address threats like chronic wasting disease (CWD) by reauthorizing the CWD task force, which coordinates state, tribal, and federal efforts to limit the spread of CWD. 

“America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act benefits fish and wildlife while enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We look forward to this important bipartisan legislation becoming law and ensuring the continued success of crucial conservation programs that will benefit hunters and anglers for generations to come.” 

The original ACE Act was passed in 2020 and portions of it were sponsored by Representatives Wittman, Dingell, and Thompson. Many of its authorizations were expiring in 2025, necessitating the passage of the ACE Reauthorization Act of 2024 to ensure these programs can continue to operate in good legal standing.   

The legislation was endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the National Audubon Society.  

TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve.   Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water HERE. 


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In The Arena: Taylor Sledge

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Taylor Sledge

Hometown: Ridgeland, Mississippi
Occupation: Business Owner / Financial Adviser
TRCP Role: Flyway Leadership Council member

Sledge has hunted in the far north for Dall sheep and fished the mouth of the Mississippi River. These diverse experiences in wild places have instilled a desire to help conserve wild places so his children and future generations might have the same experiences.

Here is his story.

Sledge with a beautiful Dall ram.

TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you? 

Sledge: I grew up being constantly taken into the woods and waters by my dad and both of my grandfathers. Hunting and fishing are certainly legacy items for me.

TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures. 

Sledge: There are so many to come to mind, but one that sticks with me happened when I was about ten years old. My dad, my brother, and I were fishing at the mouth of South Pass, right where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. It was springtime, and the river was high, running cool and fast. I set the hook on a redfish, and just as I did, I stepped right off the edge of the boat and fell into the river. Lucky for me, I was wearing a life jacket. My dad pulled up the anchor, fired up the motor, and had to chase me down—I’d been swept a good ways by the current! When he finally got me back on the boat, still clutching my rod, I cranked the reel and found that fish was still on. A few minutes later, I brought it in, and we had fresh redfish and speckled trout for supper that night. By morning, my clothes were dry on the railing of our houseboat’s porch, and at sunrise, we went out and caught ‘em all over again.

Sledge and his son Solomon with a trophy crappie.

TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life?  Why should conservation matter to the next generation?

Sledge:  I’m focused on stewardship. The outdoors are a gift, and we get to enjoy it every day. I’m about legacy. Being thoughtful of the environment, the species at hand, and the overall experience of being a conservationist gives me a more grand perspective on what we are leaving for other generations. Being a conservationist has given my life more meaning, and I want that for the people that come after me.

Conservation should matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers because we’re all meant to live alongside nature, not apart from it. That’s a truth that doesn’t change. Passing down our respect and love for the outdoors means teaching the next generation to carry this legacy with purpose. Even in a world that feels more artificial every day, nature has the final say—she’ll always have her way in the end.

Photo credits: Taylor Sledge


The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to further our commitment to conservation. $4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.

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