flathunter

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) has learned that the nation's principal anti-hunting organizations will announce a merger on Monday, November 22. In announcing the merger, the unified anti-hunting group will reveal its intention to target bowhunters for extinction.


The USSA, a national organization founded to protect the rights of sportsmen to hunt, fish and trap, has been following a rumor that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the Fund for Animals are preparing to combine forces.

The HSUS, located in Washington, D.C., is the nation's largest animal rights organization raising nearly $60 million in 2002. The Fund for Animals is the most vociferous anti-hunting organization and is headquartered in New York City. It raised $6.7 million in 2003.

Scripps Howard News Service reporter Lance Gay confirmed the merger announcement to USSA late Friday afternoon. Gay stated that sources within the groups confirmed that the new organization would seek to ban bowhunting as a first priority.

In response, USSA announced an emergency meeting of bowhunting organizations, businesses and publications to prepare to counter the attack. The Alliance created the Bowhunter Defense Coalition to defeat a series of attacks on bowhunters during the late 1980s.


"The merger announcement serves as a wake up call to bowhunting groups to reunite to defeat what promises to be a powerful attack on our heritage from this monstrous anti-hunting group," said Rick Story, U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance senior vice president. "To win, we will need to energize the vast grassroots network of sportsmen across this country."


Over the years, the Fund for Animals and HSUS have been the two most formidable organizations working to ban hunting. While the Fund for Animals has been openly hostile to hunters, HSUS has attempted to mask its intentions by raising funds using puppy calendars for promotions. Earlier this year, HSUS appointed former Fund for Animals official Wayne Pacelle to the position of CEO. Combined with the merger announcement, Pacelle's appointment leaves little doubt about the agenda of the newly-merged organization. According to public filings the new organization will have combined assets of as much as $97 million to implement its anti-hunting agenda.


The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

As hunters we must unite and fight this!..This is serious guys and gals!

Two Beards

Hopefully everyone takes note of this and realizes it is a serious threat. Now, more than ever, all hunters need to stand together and protect our bowhunting heritage!

Mathewsboy

And how exactly do we go about FIGHTING it?

Red Hawk

Although this subject has definetly caught my attention and is a serious one; I'm not concerned about the anti's actually getting bowhunting banned. However, if need be, i will stand my ground and support any type of organzation that would help us "fight" against the anti's.

gman1969

One way is to support the voices we already have established in Washington:

The Bowhunter Defense Coalition (which is part of the USSA): http://www.wlfa.org/interactive/feat...ad1.cfm?ID=485

The Safari Club: http://www.safariclub.org/

Free Hunters: http://www.freehunters.org/

These are a few of the organizations that we could support in fighting the attacks on hunting.

On the local level, all hunters need to be united (rifle, shotgun, bowhunting, fishing, etc...) regardless of any differences we may have. As long as we are united, they won't accomplish what they hope for. We need to realize that even though they are saying they are only targeting bowhunting, they ultimately want ALL hunting prohibited. That is their goal. They are going to attempt going at it one small step at a time. They are attempting to isolate bowhunters from all other hunters.

If they can persuade the general non-hunting public that bowhunting is unethical and unnecessary, then their hope is to get it banned. If that is accomplished, then they have their foot in the door to slowly chisel away at the rest of the hunting community a little at a time. Right now they are pooling their resources together by uniting with one another in an attempt to do just that.

If all hunters are united, I don't believe a bowhunting prohibition will take place (or any other hunting prohibition at that). However, one should never underestimate one's opponent. If hunters become relaxed, divided, or indifferent, then this will provide the momentum that they critically need.