Originally Posted by
Rob Chipman
180:
"With respect to the "are you a conservationist or a hunter" question. Don't fall for it."
You misunderstand or I haven't communicated it well, but it's not an either/or false dilemma. First, I don't ask if you were one or the other. I asked which you were first. That's an important distinction. Why? Here's why:
"They are synonymous and mean the exact same thing."
To you and me, maybe. To everyone else who has a say? Not so much. Hunters are subject to the criticism that we only want to conserve what we want to kill. You can reduce that criticism to "hunters are only concerned about themselves and what's in it for them, and they want us non-hunters to help them get it".
As you point out:
"The FN and their supporters have done a wonderful job in manipulating public perception in this regard and in my opinion, the FN have become the useful idiots of the Eco-Tourist and Environmentalist movements."
So, the reason you ask if you're a conservationist first or a hunter first is to address this manipulation which you have identified and which I agree exists. Hunters are stigmatized. That ain't news.
As you also correctly observe:
"When [FNs] call for a ban, it's in the eyes of the public that "it must be the right thing to do, after all they are stewards of the land..."
Can you imagine if the public perceived hunters as conservationists first, and hunters second? We wouldn't be stigmatized and the public might just say "When hunters call for something it must be the right thing to do, after all, they're the stewards of the land". That would be an improvement on where we are today.
"I'm really not sure why you'd think I didn't consider the closure of the Grizzly hunt as political and a viewed means of getting votes. "
Maybe I misread you. In your first post you said "The Grizzly hunt was closed down because of a supposed poll that indicated 90% of British Columbians didn't support the hunt." I think we both know that those polls are bullshit meant to give the government cover, and that they could be made valid with very little effort (restrict voting to BC residents, for example). Our miscommunication on that isn't a big deal either way. I think we both know what the govt. was up to.
"...the BCWF should have hit the nuclear button..."
Maybe. The thing is, who would have cared and what would the result have been? The BCWF is a good organization, but they aren't built for dropping the gloves with the rest of boys in this particular playground. Look at the opposition and what they bring to the table. The BCWF is outgunned in terms of staff, skills and money.
In the US the NRA has fought very hard and very aggressively on one side of the gun debate. They are widely hated and demonized as a result, but they have a lot of money and a lot of weapons, and most important they are on the side of a constitutional right that is the next best thing to being written in stone. Anyone who figures they've got a "common sense gun regulation" is subject to a well financed NRA 2nd Amendment challenge.
We don't live in the US and we don't have a constitutional right to hunt. It's pretty tough to ask the BCWF to act like the NRA without the BCWF having the tools. That leaves the option of the BCWF picking it's battles and using persuasion and influence.
"We let them get away with it." We didn't "let" anyone do anything. They did it without our consent, and they'll keep doing it until we get in the game. It is entirely possible that the BCWF isn't the vehicle to get us completely in the game. I think the BCWF is a net positive, but we can certainly debate that in another forum/thread, whatever.
"There are no consequences to phuking with the BCWF. That needs to change. " I kind of agree, although I don't think it needs to be BCWF specific. The strategic question remains: do you make hunters an NRA like group that is widely hated *and* feared? If so, how? A couple newspaper ads won't do it.
Or do you make the public support a different group of real conservationists who honestly want to preserve a wild landscape for the public good? I think that's the more realistic way to go.
"Most of what you say I'd agree with. Some points not so much. "
Set out which you agree with and which you don't. We can make some progress that way.
"But if it's everyone "just do the right thing"..." It's not. I've got a pretty precise plan of attack. It may need more components but the one's I've listed aren't random.
"There's no leadership." vs "The BCWF has operated in a leadership role for decades."
Like I've said, I think the BCWF is a net positive. I'll add that they are not satisfactory leaders at this time. They're trying, no doubt, but you can't argue that they're effective. I say that with respect and gratitude for what they have accomplished, but they aren't built for what we need done.
"....organization re-aligns itself with its share holders. " Fair point, but looking over various threads I think you and I will agree: the "shareholders" (not an accurate term, but whatever) aren't aligned themselves. Are you a hunter first, a conservationist first, a shooter first, or do you want to be all 3 equally and task the BCWF with serving three masters that can often be in conflict with each other?
"Changing the public's perception of hunting and its relation to conservation. By doing so, you take the political gain out of using hunting as a tool to get elected, (and it's always used at our expense and results in bad decision making). With increased voter awareness, you'd get funds re-directed back into proper game management. You'd get more CO's out there and you get more funds for research. Changing people's perceptions is all about consistently communicating your position. "
See, I think we actually agree. The public doesn't see hunters as conservationists. Many of them see us as angry old white guys who like to shoot animals, and many think we're downright psychopathic murderers. We need that changed. I think we just disagree on who is going to get that done effectively.
I don't think the BCWF is the group to do it, at least not on their own. They're outgunned and outnumbered and out pocket-booked. A complimentary organization or two wouldn't hurt. We know that "Protect Furbearers and "End All Trophy Hunting" don't hurt Raincoast or the Suzuki Foundation. BCWF doesn't have to be alone.
But...before you start a new organization you need to know what it's going to try to do....which take us back to the original question: what do we want?