Wildlife conservation organizations

[WoodsCraft]

That’s a very short sighted view but this is Oklahoma I guess

If I had my way there would not be non resident licenses , and no I am not only with that view .

 

[HoLeChit]

Ducks Unlimited
Quail Unlimited
Wild Turkey Federation

Are the big dogs. Many others out there. Their effectiveness and handling of funds (management salaries) to be determined.

My guess, almost everyone here supported NRA, but now, not so much.

Man, I'm gonna ruffle some feathers around here, but I really dislike the NRA, they've gone from a decent organization concerned about the 2nd amendment and protecting our freedoms, to a political lobby that sends out excessive junk mail and scare tactics in an effort to get more money for more ineffective lobbying. I feel the NRA has done more bad than good for American gunowners in the past few years.

My question here is how do y’all have money to donate?!?

With what I spend yearly on feeding, planting, and trying to improve wildlife habitat on my place, I’m drained.

I used to be a member of DU and a few other national outdoor/wildlife organizations, but “charitable” organizations have become big business. I don’t personally know anything about Oklahoma Shooting Sports Assn or Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation, but if I had money to spare, that’s where I’d donate. In my opinion, it’s important to support “local” organizations where you can actually see where your money goes rather than supporting the lifestyle of the CEO of a national ”charity”.

I don't have the land to maintain yet, so I figure I should work on supporting an organization that maintains land I hunt on. I would donate $1000 for a lifetime membership to the Retrieverman Conservation Society, and put in some effort helping maintain and collect excess wildlife from club properties.

Honestly, I just scrape pennies and stuff. When I was in the oil business making big bucks I donated a lot of money to ODWC mostly. Now that money has been muuuuuuch tighter I haven't been donating very much the past few years. But even now what I typically end up doing is cashing in my change bucket once a year, and donating that. I'll take X amount of dollars with me out hunting, and try to just spend that when away. Pays for my campsite if I'm not staying on public land, groceries, ice, beer, boat gas, etc. Anything that's left over after each trip gets thrown in my change bucket. I'll also try and put aside some cash every month to drop into that bucket. As a lifetime hunting/fishing combo owner it kinda feels like I gamed the system, not having to pay each year. I also pulled out the disabled vet paperwork and only paid $25 for it at a whole 28 years old. So I feel a little obligated to throw the ODWC extra cash each year, they provide me with 100% of my hunting opportunities anyways.

 

[HoLeChit]

If I had my way there would not be non resident licenses , and no I am not only with that view .

That's a tough one for me. But I cant see myself supporting such a thing. On one hand, I like hunting in other states as well, and nonresident hunters bring in a ton of money for our wildlife conservation and our local economies. But on the other hand, if we didn't have nonresident hunters we probably wouldn't be fighting issues with guides buying out all the leases and driving up costs, and some of our hunting areas wouldn't be so crowded.

 

[WoodsCraft]

Man, I'm gonna ruffle some feathers around here, but I really dislike the NRA, they've gone from a decent organization concerned about the 2nd amendment and protecting our freedoms, to a political lobby that sends out excessive junk mail and scare tactics in an effort to get more money for more ineffective lobbying. I feel the NRA has done more bad than good for American gunowners in the past few years.

I don't have the land to maintain yet, so I figure I should work on supporting an organization that maintains land I hunt on. I would donate $1000 for a lifetime membership to the Retrieverman Conservation Society, and put in some effort helping maintain and collect excess wildlife from club properties.

Honestly, I just scrape pennies and stuff. When I was in the oil business making big bucks I donated a lot of money to ODWC mostly. Now that money has been muuuuuuch tighter I haven't been donating very much the past few years. But even now what I typically end up doing is cashing in my change bucket once a year, and donating that. I'll take X amount of dollars with me out hunting, and try to just spend that when away. Pays for my campsite if I'm not staying on public land, groceries, ice, beer, boat gas, etc. Anything that's left over after each trip gets thrown in my change bucket. I'll also try and put aside some cash every month to drop into that bucket. As a lifetime hunting/fishing combo owner it kinda feels like I gamed the system, not having to pay each year. I also pulled out the disabled vet paperwork and only paid $25 for it at a whole 28 years old. So I feel a little obligated to throw the ODWC extra cash each year, they provide me with 100% of my hunting opportunities anyways.

I have said this before and its not my opinion its a well known fact. The NRA didn't give a hoot about the 2A for most of its existence . The 2A advocacy is a relatively recent development that stems from Neal Knox and the Member Revolt in the 1970's , most of its history was advocacy for competition , hunting and various gun safety programs . In fact I have talked about it at length in another thread .

Yes I am a life long NRA member


As for the wild life conversation efforts and donating money I like to keep things local also and make sure my conversation dollars are working in Oklahoma instead of other states.

 

[WoodsCraft]

That's a tough one for me. But I cant see myself supporting such a thing. On one hand, I like hunting in other states as well, and nonresident hunters bring in a ton of money for our wildlife conservation and our local economies. But on the other hand, if we didn't have nonresident hunters we probably wouldn't be fighting issues with guides buying out all the leases and driving up costs, and some of our hunting areas wouldn't be so crowded.

While I get your view point, I would like to point out that non resident hunters, the explosion of lease hunting everything and guide services catering to those folks have made the costs rise for residents who like to hunt and fish. Other states have actually started restricting and discouraging non resident hunters , because they compete with residents for the same tags and permits .

Wyoming is a good example and honestly I would rather lose the out of state dollars and the non resident hunters. To the money isn't worth the harm they cause to the locals

 

[Bocephus123]

You obviously don't spend much time on OSA in the hunting forum lol.

Don't need too. just thought the comment was odd DU and QU have done a lot!! Question should be where would the numbers be if they wern't around. that's all . No Offence meant.

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

I dontate to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership who's mission is: "To guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish."
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership - Guaranteeing You a Place to Hunt and Fish

 

[Bocephus123]

I dontate to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership who's mission is: "To guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish."
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership - Guaranteeing You a Place to Hunt and Fish

Good one ill have to look at that!!

 

[Bocephus123]

sorry for being Gruff trying to liquidate my dad's estate and it's trying to Whoooop my A _ _.

 

[Okie4570]

I will have to think about it, wanting to keep my money going more towards wildlife conservation at the moment.

Aside from not wanting non-oklahomans to receive your money, what's your reasoning?



Is that the same as donating to the ODWC via their webstore/buying raffles and stuff?

I look at all "huntable" bird species like this, and tend to compare them to other "huntable" animals like this. Considering in OK we don't have issues with animal populations other than game birds, quail/pheasant/turkey, they're purely food for other animals and continue exist because of sheer numbers, they're towards the bottom of the food chain. They have numerous predators from egg to adult, if they become too numerous disease occurs, birds disease easily, the cycle continues.

What's happening now and has been with quail, pheasant and turkey, which don't "migrate" has only declined over the last many years, despite great efforts and money, they continue to decline. Waterfowl.....save the nesting areas(NOT in OK) and there will be more birds, great, but unlike the quail, pheasant and turkey, they do migrate and imo Oklahoma is NOT long the primary destination route any longer. Why spend money on waterfowl that simply don't come here any longer? Spend it on something that might possibly do some good in OK. That said, QU hasn't improved quail hunting here, Pheasants Forever hasn't improved pheasant hunting here, NWTF has done a lot in the restoration of turkeys in OK......decades ago, but the turkey decline we have going on now is unlike anything we've seen in our lifetime. NWTF still doesn't have the answers as of yet. If I can help a local program of any kind that helps local hunters, local kids, local wildlife I'll pick that every time over a mutli-million dollar entity who's success is flying somewhere else for others to hunt. It's no different than supporting "mom and pop's" stores and local businesses.