COMING SOON:

PROJECT ELK

COLORADO
YOUTH

CALIFORNIA
POLITICS

MAINE BEARS
AGAIN!

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE U.S. SPORTSMENS ALLIANCE

SOCIAL
INJUSTICE
A N T I - H U N T I N G ' S U N C H E C K E D W A R O N W O M E N pg. 5

contents
whats inside

S OCIAL MEDIA
The greatest posts from our
Facebook and Twitter feeds.

P resident's Message
A note from Nick Pinizzotto,
President and CEO of your
Sportsmen's Alliance.

EWS
3 NWhats
making headlines
around the country.
estern office update
7 WSportsmen's
Alliance and
ATCC lobby Gov. for scienceminded commissioners.

F AMILIES AFIELD REACHES 38TH STATE

Montana and Colorado join
the ranks of states that allow
apprentice-license hunters.

# projectelk on sportsman channel

Sportsmen's Alliance signs on
as sponsor of one-hour elkhunting special.

social injustice

I n the virtual battlegrounds

of Facebook and Twitter,
social justice reigns supreme
-- except for female hunters.
Unbridled backlash from a
celebrity and his followers
sets a dangerous precedent.

social media
whats trending?

U.S. Sportsmens Alliance

USSA @USSportsmen

Spreading the hunting heritage at

the @USSportsmen Trailblazer
Adventure Day in Alabama this
weekend! #ourheritage

Sportsmens Monthly June 2015

www.facebook.com/ussportsmen

U.S. Sportsmens Alliance

follow us!
www.twitter.com/USSportsmen

U.S. Sportsmens Alliance

USSA @USSportsmen

Were extremely thankful to have

awesome volunteers at USSA.
#hunting #OurHeritageOurFight
www.instagram.com/ussapix

message

from the president

ocial media has changed how people communicate. When

I was growing up, I would take photos on a basic film
camera of the fish and game our family caught or shot and
then wait until that particular roll was full before sending it in to
be developed. By the time the pictures came back, it was usually
already the following season and sharing them almost seemed
like reporting old news.
Fast forward to just a few weeks ago when my wife shot her
first gobbler in Ohio. Within minutes I shared her photos on
social media and with family and friends via email and text. By
the time we left the farm, several hundred people had already
seen them. But is the ability to post hunting and fishing photos
for the masses to see and comment on a good thing?
There are many sides to this argument and you will read about
several aspects of the situation in this issue of Sportsmens
Monthly. Personally, I think its great to share photos of our
outdoor passion, but I also believe lines can be crossed that only
serve to invite negative backlash from anti-hunters and even
non-hunters who arent necessarily against hunting.
That said, it is the anti-hunting community that routinely
crosses the line from general disagreement and into the world of
bullying, antagonizing and threats. Anti-hunting celebrities can
make it worse when they decide to share their opinions.
For example, Ricky Gervais, who has more than 10 million
followers on Facebook and Twitter, mocked and rebuked a
female hunter named Rebecca Francis for killing an old bull
giraffe while in Africa. His followers on social media took it

even further, calling

her disparaging names,
wishing harm and even
death upon her. While
it would be nice to
chalk this up to online
bravado, its not a
stretch to believe that
of Gervais millions of
followers, one might
actually attempt to harm
Francis or another hunter. Celebrity worship in todays society
is what makes idle threats scary, and the ability to find personal
information online is what makes those threats very real.
When posting photos on social media, take precautions about
who you are sharing those images with and how they reflect
upon your hunt, as well as all hunters. Those images and how
you engage online with those who have different views are
important building blocks with non-hunters. Youre never going
to convince an anti-hunter to change their view, but what you
post could influence a non-hunter and that has ramifications for
all of us when a vote to protect hunting is needed.

Nick Pinizzotto | President and CEO

Spreading the outdoor

heritage to future
generations of hunters,
anglers and trappers

1.8 million
participants

events in all
50 states

more than 100

events a year

The most successful youth program of its kind, ussa foundations trailblazer adventure program
introduces youth to hunting, fishing andJune
trapping
across the country
2015 Sportsmens Monthly 2

news

around the country

NSSF HONORS SEN. INHOFE FOR GRILLING

HUMANE SOCIETY OF UNITED STATES CEO

he National Shooting Sports Foundation, the

trade association for the firearms industry
and staunch supporter of the Sportsmen's
Alliance, recognized Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) for
questioning the fundraising tactics of the Humane
Society of the United States. During a subcommittee
hearing on the Bipartisan Sportsmens Act of 2015,
Inhofe grilled HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle about the
organizations misleading fundraising activity. Despite
raising $1.7 million from Oklahomans, largely through
ads implying the funds raised would help animals
displaced by tornadoes, legitimate state animal
welfare organizations received only $110,000.

Harsh Winter Leads to

Future Harvest Cuts

A New York Supreme Court

Justice signed an order forcing
Stony Brook University to respond to an animal rights group
that believed two research chimpanzees were being unlawfully
detained.The group deemed the
order a writ of habeas corpus,
which can only be granted to
people, and claimed victory to
the media that chimps possessed
the same rights as humans.
The judge amended the order
to scratch the writ but let the
detainment issue remain.

An exacting winter across the

northern U.S. has taken a toll
on deer herds. In response,
biologists will look at reducing
hunting permits. That could
mean a 23-percent cut in
Maine, a 4-percent reduction in
Pennsylvania and a 50-percent
decrease in Vermont antlerless
tags. New Hampshire might
trim hunting days, and a drastic
proposal for Michigans
Upper Peninsula calls for a
cancellation of the season.

Aggressive East Coast

Coyotes attack humans

Maine Legislator Proposes

bill to ban Bear hunting

Coyotes up and down the east

coast have made bold attacks
on pets, livestock and humans
alike. Four separate attacks
in a New Jersey township in
less than a month, including
three dogs and a sheep, have
citizens on alert. A Georgia
family awoke to find a coyote
lounging on their kitchen
counter, and children and adults
in one Florida subdivision
were attacked by coyotes in
separate incidences.

Rep. Dillon Bates of

Westbrook, Maine, a suburb
of Portland, introduced a bill
to ban bear hunting with dogs
and traps. Bates seeks to renew
discussions shot down by
citizens last year over ballot
Question 1. As we said prior
to the Nov. 4 vote, if left to
citizens and the legislators who
represent them, bear hunting
is a non-issue. Bates bill has
garnered little support and sits
stagnant in committee.

Sportsmens Monthly June 2015

P H OTO C O U RT E S Y O F J I M I N H O F E - N AT I O N A L S H O OT I N G S P O RT S F O U N D AT I O N

group claims chimpanzees

possess 'personhood'

SOCIAL INJUSTICE

IN THE VIRTUAL BAT TLEGROUNDS OF FACEBOOK, TWIT TER AND

YOUTUBE, SOCIAL JUSTICE REIGNS SUPREME EXCEPT FOR HUNTERS
by brian lynn, vice president marketing and communications

june 2015 Sportsmens Monthly

SOCIAL
INJUSTICE

Social Media Targets

rebecca francis:

jen the archer cordaro:

Vegetarian turned
hunter, Cordaro raised
antis' ire when she
posted a picture with
snow geese. Her messaging cut through the
flak and drew positive news attention to
hunting and her youth
program. Her Facebook page is filled with
facts, and bridges the
gap with non-hunters.

Seemingly absent from

the outrage of social-justice
warriors however, are hunters specifically female
hunters. The fastest growing segment of sportsmen,
women have time and again
been singled out, vilified
and harassed for undertaking the same exploits as
generations of men.
Its apparently justifiable to threaten women
over their participation in

After
posting a photo of her
adopted cat to their local shelters Facebook
page, a journalist from
Germany combed
through Argys photos
and found one of her
with a legally taken
mountain lion from
Colorado. The photo
went viral and she
received threats from
around the globe.

hunting. No feminist group

has applied the hashtag
#WarOnWomen to female
hunters targeted by animalrights activists, despite the
public leveling of obscenities and death threats.
Until recently, mainstream media has never
bothered to address the
discrepancies, despite enjoying the revenue reaped
by covering the flare-ups
with salacious headlines,

sound bites and vitriol-filled

discussion threads.
However, the free pass
of hatred might be coming to an end. On April 17,
the Washington Post, while
covering the latest example
of sexism in America that
being the targeting of Rebecca Francis by comedian
Ricky Gervais, wrote about
the inconsistencies female
hunters face and why they
evoke such derisive scorn.

charisa argys:

Sportsmens Monthly June 2015

THREATENED HUNTRESSES
(CLOCKWISE): REBECCA FRANCIS,
CHARISA ARGYS AND JEN CORDARO.

HANDHELD PHONE CREATED BY CREATIVE STALL FROM THE NOUN PROJECT; TARGET CREATED BY LAURENT PATAIN FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

A recent
target, Francis drew
the disdain of actor
and comedian Ricky
Gervais after posting
a photo with a giraffe.
A fight took place on
Facebook and Twitter, and was covered
by mainstream news.
Gervais backed off
when accused of sexism and shifted gears
to include all hunters.

ODAYS 24-HOUR NEWS CYCLE IS MORE DIVISIVE THAN

INFORMATIVE. BOTH SIDES OF ANY ISSUE CAN FIND CONFIRMATION OF THEIR BIASES ONLINE AND CAN USE THAT
INFORMATION TO STIR A POT OF HATE AND DISCORD.
WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, EVERY MOVEMENT HAS A HASHTAG, AND FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS
AND COMPLETE STRANGERS USE THEM TO EXCHANGE
FRENZIED OPINIONS WHENEVER A NEWS STORY BREAKS
AFFIRMING THE BELIEFS OF ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER.

While its encouraging

to finally see the topic
broached in the media, a
public condemnation of
the unjust hatred from any
public entity politician,
social group or newscaster
has yet to surface. And in
this day and age, that sets a
very dangerous precedent.

act that promulgates their

misguided belief system.
When celebrities use
their influence to target
law-abiding citizens, those
threats can easily move
from benign to malevolent.
Superstars, of all people,
should understand the perversion their celebrity can
create, how statements can
be twisted and the lengths
individuals will go to in
order to impress them.
In 1989, Rebecca Schaeffer, star of the sitcom My
Sister Sam, was gunned
down by Robert John Bardo
her death served as the
impetus for passage of antistalking laws in California.
In 1980, Mark David Chapman killed John Lennon
after idolizing him for years.
And, in 1981, John Hinckley,
Jr., attempted to assassinate
President Ronald Regan as
means to impress the young
actress Jodie Foster.

BRAIN CREATED BY SUPERATIC LABS FROM THE NOUN PROJECT; CRACKED PHONE SCREN CREATED BY SAM MARTIN FROM THE NOUN PROJECT

DIGITAL-AGE
DANGERS
Though online threats
could be chalked up to
hate speech spewed by an
ignorant yet vocal minority, potential for vast harm
exists. Access to information online makes finding
a person's home address,
place of employment or
childs school simplistic.
Animal-rights activists
have assaulted people,
burned multimillion dollar
businesses and universities
to the ground and willingly go to prison for any

The fact that Ricky Gervais, a man who has hosted

the Academy Awards and
who has more than 10 million followers on Facebook
and Twitter, can freely and
without reproach single
out a female hunter, or
even hunters in general, for
targeting by those who idolize him and share a fringe
belief system is scary.
Its also a testament to
the work hunters must
undertake to educate nonhunters and the media
about the role we serve in
conservation, as well as the
management and funding
of wildlife.
Each of us plays a role in
the positive promotion or
eventual demise of hunting,
fishing and trapping. How
we conduct ourselves and
the image we perpetuate to
non-hunters online is just
one piece of the protection
puzzle we must solve.

Rules of Social Engagement

with every social-media tempest surrounding hunters, you have a chance to educate the non-hunting public,
a contingency who, through the ballot box, has the power to end hunting. with every social media post, you
have the chance to advance hunting and to tell the story of how hunters fund conservation and manage game.

change minds, not hearts

focus on facts

ask questions

Youll never convince an animal-rights

activist that hunting is necessary,
so dont concentrate on them. Focus
instead on the non-hunters lurking
and watching online exchanges.
Frame the argument not in emotional
terms, but in science, sustainability,
funding, biology and conservation. Its
about influencing non-hunters and
helping them understand our role in
conservation and wildlife management
throughout the ecosystem from
habitat to apex predator.

Exchanging emotional barbs with an

anti-hunter does nothing to further
your standing in the eyes of onlookers.
Stick to the facts hunters, anglers
and trappers contribute to conservation more than any other single group.
We fully fund 75 percent of all 50
state fish and game agencies, create
billions of dollars in economic impact
for communities and for conservation,
as well as donate millions of dollars
and man-hours of service for on-theground habitat enhancement.

Dont play defense. Sitting back and

justifying why you hunt is a no-win
battle. Use facts and remain levelheaded. ask why a person objects to
hunting or a specific method and put
the ball back in their court. When they
freely object to the death of an animal,
point out that hunters effectively
keep more animals from enduring the
cruel deaths of starvation and disease.
Let their own words shine a light of
ignorance on their viewpoint while you
appear rational to non-hunters.

Avoid Becoming
a Target
Ensure Your Privacy
Keep your privacy settings to friends only
on Facebook and other
platforms so that only
people you know and
trust can view your
content. Check these
settings frequently
as they sometimes
change and different
posts can have different parameters.
Correct Connections
Dont accept invitations to connect with
people you dont
actually know. Giving a
stranger a glimpse into
your personal life has
ramifications.
Post Tasteful Photos
While admittedly
a subjective topic,
photos that contain
pools of blood and
carcasses with guts
hanging out can churn
the stomachs of those
not accustomed to
or who dont understand hunting. Theres
no need to apologize
for being a hunter,
but theres also no
need to antagonize
someone and to turn
a non-hunter into an
anti-hunter by posting
graphic images.

June 2015 Sportsmens Monthly

western office
updates from california

governor's
Office
meets
with
alliance
Sportsmens Alliance and atcc Urge gov. brown in Commissioner Selection

Sportsmens Monthly June 2015

incumbents sit despite lapsed terms

At stake are two commissioner
seats currently occupied by
individuals despite their term limits
having expired. The commission
develops the policies and practices

of the California Department of Fish

and Wildlife, which obviously impacts
sportsmen to a great extent.
The Sportsmens Alliance has put
forward two candidates who would
diversify the commission and give
voice to the concerns of 1.2 million
hunters, anglers and trappers who
fund the states conservation ethic.

Desires for dutiful commissioners

In the end, we just want

commissioners who will do their duty
of protecting Californias resources
by asking tough questions and using
science, said Flores of the desired
change. To date, that hasnt been
the case. Too many decisions are
predetermined and are based on
emotion and politics."

P H OTO B Y YAT H I N S K R I S H N A P PA

hen Michael Flores

and Josh Brones of the
Sportsmens Alliance
met with Gov. Jerry
Brown's office in May, they brought
representatives from a contingency of
groups from the Al Taucher Conservation Coalition, including California
Waterfowl, California Deer Association and the California Farm Bureau
Federation. The alliance hopes to ever
so slightly change the politics and
political makeup of the California Fish
and Game Commission, which to date
has been languid.
Our meeting with Gov. Brown
went well, said Flores. Im hopeful that the next two commissioners
he appoints will not only let science
nurture their decisions, but will also
reflect the diversity of California."

legislative block

status of pending laws

B A D G E C R E A T E D B Y K R I S T I N H O G A N F R O M T H E N O U N P R O J E C T;
S TAT E M A P S C R E AT E D B Y T E D G R A J E D A F R O M T H E N O U N P R O J E C T

Families
Afield
Reaches
38th
State
Trio of states pass laws expanding apprentice hunting licenses

olorado, Montana and

Tennessee all passed
legislation to increase the
recruitment of new hunters and to ensure the future of our
outdoor heritage.
All three pieces of legislation were
supported by U.S. Sportsmens Alliance
under the Families Afield program,
a state legislative effort that creates
apprentice hunting opportunities and
eliminates barriers faced by newcomers interested in hunting.
The Families Afield program has consistently proven to be the most successful initiative in terms of recruiting new
hunters and stabilizing recent trends
of declining hunter numbers in the
United States, said Evan Heusinkveld,
vice president of government affairs
for Sportsmen's Alliance. With Colo-

rado and Montana becoming the 37th

and 38th states to implement the
Families Afield program, and Tennessee strengthening its existing program,
we are encouraged and motivated to
continue to take this program to the
states that do not take advantage of
this highly successful recruitment tool.

Colorado
Senate Bill 226 adds Colorado
to the growing list of states
having passed Families Afield
legislation. The bill allows hunters
at least 10 years of age to hunt
under the watchful eye of an adult,
licensed mentor. SB 226 cleared its
final legislative vote on April 30, and
was signed into law by Gov. John
Hickenlooper on May 22.

Montana

The Montana legislature

passed, and Gov. Steve Bullock
signed, legislation that creates the states first-ever youth apprentice hunting program under the
Families Afield concept. Contained in
House Bill 140, the program allows
new hunters age 10 to 18 years old to
try hunting under the supervision of
an adult mentor prior to completing a
hunter-education course.

Tennessee
Senate Bill 1237 expanded the
existing apprentice program
by increasing the number of
years, from one to three, an individual
can obtain an apprentice license. The
program is open to youth and adults.

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alliance partners

working to support sportsmen

into high country

Catch Jason Matzinger's television series Into High Country

on Sportsman Channel every
Saturday at 12 p.m. EST.

Supporting Project Elk

Sportsmens Alliance becomes part of
hour-long special documenting the hunt

he Sportsmens Alliance has

signed on as a sponsor ofJason Matzingers #ProjectElk,
a one-hour film scheduled
to air on Sportsman Channel Aug. 15
and Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. EST.
#ProjectElk is more than a film
about a man filling an elk tag. With
six years worth of intimate elk footage, Matzinger highlights the challenges the animals face during each
of the four seasons, the intimate connection of hunter to prey and the role
of sportsmen in wildlife management
and conservation.
Jasons vision, storytelling ability
and messaging elevates the genre of
outdoors television to a new level.
One that goes beyond the point of
9

Sportsmens Monthly June 2015

what it takes to kill an animal, and to

a place where non-hunters can begin
to understand why hunters do what
they do, said Brian Lynn, vice president of marketing and communications for Sportsmen's Alliance. That
place and those messages, especially
the role of sportsmen in conservation,
are where the Sportsmens Alliance
wants to be holding discussions.
A Montana native, Matzinger is an
award-winning cinematographer,
lifelong hunter and former guide
who hosts and producesInto High
Countryon Sportsman Channel. As his
reputation has grown, Matzinger has
become passionate about using the
exposure to enhance and improve the
perception of hunters.

It is critical not only for the future

of hunting, but for the future of
wilderness access that we broaden
our audience and inform them how
hunting is critical to conservation.
Many do not understand the complex
domino effect that transpires, taking its toll on the land when wildlife
numbers are not managed properly,
said Matzinger.
Those messages and Matzingers
talent for capturing the essence of a
hunt on film are what attracted USSA
to the project.
Project Elk is not just a film for
hunters, its a film for everyone. It
is imperative that hunters and the
hunting industry work hard to frame
the discussion about who we are and
the incredible service we provide for
habitat and wildlife conservation,
said Sportsmen's Alliance President
and CEO, Nick Pinizzotto. Jasons
outstanding work on this project is a
giant step in the right direction.
Having the USSAs support on this
project is humbling to say the least. It
takes a certain vision to help see this
goal through, and the Sportsmens
Alliance definitely understands the
importance behind this piece, said
Matzinger. I couldnt have asked for
a better partner on this film.

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No.183
Columbus, Ohio

U.S. Sportsmens Alliance

801 Kingsmill Parkway

Columbus, Ohio 43229-1137
Ph. (614) 888-4868 Fax (614) 888-0326

info@ussportsmen.org
www.ussportsmen.org
June 2015

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