Humane Society

[AScott Trout Flies]

Here in England, they have just banned hunting with dogs... in my home country of Scotland, it was banned, by the same government, five years ago. The 'pressure groups' who opposed hunting with dogs, now wish to continue with pressurising the authorities into banning shooting next, with fishing a close second!
Our RSPCA is no longer a charity as such, because it wholeheartedly lobbys for the above. The so-called 'animal-caring' society is now one of the worst pressure groups in the UK, with all its' followers STILL beleiving that it is a charity to re-home unwanted pets!!!
Always look for the hidden agenda when ANY charity calls upon you for donations!And ask "Why do they need to recruit so many new supporters, when they always done ok before?? Is it because so many of these supporters are disillusioned now??"
As a livestock worker, pet/working dog owner, with pastimes/obsessions which involve the countryside, welfare of animals HAS to be my priority, As such, so long as i am RESPONSIBLE, no animal suffers. I cannot say that about the RSPCA, when i last saw a wagon-load of cats and dogs which had been euthanased because a new owner couldn't be found in a 'financially-feasible'(unquote) time!!
So far as animal welfare is concerned, i beleive all RESPONSIBLE people do their bit... but it's difficult to have faith in a 'charity' who seeks to further their power by lobbying government to give them the same powers as our police force!
We need someone to look after the welfare of ANY animal that is treated unfairly, but we most certainly do not need any more of the'YOU CANNOT DO THIS' brigade!!!
Just my 2 cents worth... and be careful who gets your next spare dollar!!
Andy

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As featured in Trout Fisherman, UK, Jan 2005! I'd still rather be fishin'!!

As the President of a small corporation that works exclusively with Non-Profit organizations, and in many cases serves in a Development capacity, it has been interesting to read this thread.

While we have never (nor would ever) work for any of the "named" organizations, I can tell you that our company's "acceptance" rate over the past three years is: one in fourteen. That is, for every 14 requests we have, we only accept 1. Some would say that's a lot of business we are turning away. I see it as ensuring we are representing worthy organizations, and keeping our reputation/integrity intact.

Most of the organizations are declined due to governance issues and/or activities outside of the organization's true mission. Either of which represent a potential misuse of the organization and the funding it receives.

As someone not so "clueless" on this topic, I echo the thoughts and sentiments of many before me. Be careful who and what you support. Years ago, when I started the company I came up with the slogan, "When a worthy cause isn't enough." It's as true today as it was then.

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The smarter I get the less I know.

[Spud]

[url=http://www.hsus.org/:9c202]http://www.hsus.org/[/url:9c202]

That may be what you are talking about...this is NOT related to your local SPCA. This is an activist anti-hunting, anti-fishing, anti-everything group. Calls itself a "Humane Society" so that people actually think they are good for something...

Take a look at this part of their web page...says it all (about hunting anyway). I'd imagine they have similar views on fishing.
[url=http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlife/:9c202]http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlife/[/url:9c202]

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"If firearms cause crimes and kill people, all of the ones I have must be defective."

[Gigmaster]

That's hilarious! I wish I could see it. Most people that would see that ad would simply take it for what it's worth... little or nothing. The only people that it would effect are people who already have that type of mind-set anyway.

As far as seal-hunting, cod and other resource conservation plans are concerned, I'm, not sure that GreenPeace is actually the culprit, at least not exclusively. Many years ago, I was 3rd mate on a fishing boat out of Destin, Fla. We had to deal with many, many groups in addition to GreenPeace, such as the IFGA, the Florida Game and Fish Commision, the Marine Fisheries Commision, the Division of Marine Fisheries, and Post-Grad Marine Biology Students from the University of Florida. Even the Coast Guard inspected us at sea on a regular basis.

In all fairness, I have to say that once in a while, GreenPeace and others like them make some valid points. A lot of times, they don't. The main problem with them, as with most other PACs is that they are fanatical about one section of an issue with out considering any other issues that may accompany it. Example: 1000 GreenPeace volunteers showed up in Atlanta a few weeks ago to protest for Clean-Air and Less Pollution.......ALL DRIVING CARS! I have also seen them protesting the wearing of furs......WEARING LEATHER SHOES, BOOTS, ETC....

I try to educate their members on the realities of life whenever I meet them. Banning an activity preseves nothing, and in many cases is actualy more detrimental. Over-population is as bad as over-hunting. If you really want to protect something, you have to make it commercially viable. If someone can make enough money off of watching seals, or trout fishing or what-ever, it will be viciously protected. Take where I now live for example. There is little or no industy here in the N. Ga. mountains (in the Cohutta Wilderness), except for the small city of Dalton. They are the Carpet Manufacturing Capitol of the World. Other than that, that's it until you get closer to Atlanta. Most of Ga. is the same way. Atlanta is pretty much the whole State as far as business goes. However, people come from all over the world to hunt bears, Russian Boars, deer, fish for native trout, go white-water rafting, hike (there's not even a paved road going to my house)and go wilderness camping. As a result, the single most powerful organization in the State of Georgia is the Department of Natural Resources. They completly run this state! They absolutely micro-manage every facet of outdoor activities, and anything that might even remotely effect them. We have the most all-encompassing, complicated and agravating fish and wildlife laws and regulations of any place in the country! We even have video cameras in the trees to catch people breaking them! Hence, we have beautiful pristine old-growth forests, relatively free from logging, plenty of wildlife and the cleanest streams and lakes you ever saw. You will GO TO JAIL simply for littering, and they will impound your car as well! I thinks it's a bit extreme, myself, but it is effective. The State makes a substaintial portion of its' income from the these activities, especially from people out-of-state. So much so that. a few years ago when the NAACP threatened to boycott the State because they told people our state flag was offensive to Americans of African decent (which was pure political garbage, by the way, but it doesn't matter now), the DNR pressured our Legislature, and they CHANGED THE STATE FLAG TWICE IN TWO YEARS WITHOUT EVEN A PUBLIC VOTE! That's power!

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 28 March 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 28 March 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 28 March 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 28 March 2005).]

The reason for all of these actions, can be describe using one word, "ZEALOT"!

(Zeal-ous) noun, a person who shows zeal for something, especially too much zeal; fanatic.

They believe that they are right, that you are wrong, and what they are doing is good while what you are doing is evil.

~Parnelli

"Grandpa always said, "The only way some people can be nice, is if they are buried 6 feet down!"

[Don Bastian]

I fully support PETA - "People Eating Tasty Animals."

I grew up in northcentral Pennsylvania, still live here, and was raised by a father who taught me how to hunt & fish. Can't remember when I was not fishing in my life. Can't remember not being with my dad when he was hunting. Started carrying a gun and hunting at age 12.
One year before that, I learned the technique of two-man squirrel hunting when I was in the 5th grade. Legally I was not old enough to hunt.
Hunting small game in the woods one day,
my dad turned around and quickly whispered, "Here take the gun. He saw me." (Meaning the squirrel). I took the gun, which I was familiar with operating because I was already shooting at clay pigeons. The squirrel was high up in a big beech tree, with no hole or nest to hide in. A squirrel will flatten itself against the tree and just barely peek over at you, making itself nearly invisible.
Dad told me, "Stay here, don't move. I'm going to walk around the tree, when you see the squirrel, shoot."
Worked like a charm. Dad backed off about fifty feet from the base of the tree, and the squirrel, keeping its eyes on him, backed around hiding from my dad until it was in full view of me. Bang! My first kill. I was proud of that.

I haven't shot a grey squirrel in over 25 years, at least. Now red squirrels, on the other hand, I'll shoot whenever I need a tail because a Red Squirrel Picket Pin with a silver tinsel body is a great fly.

You know what though?

THERE IS NOT A SINGLE THING WRONG WITH THIS TYPE OF OUTDOOR SPORT. I still hunt AND fish and will take on anyone who thinks I should not have the right to do it.

PETA, Humane Society People, Friends of Animals, etc., are all filled with people who I first like to say even though it is not a characterization of the truth, "have too much time on their hands.

This reality has occurred over time with the gradual move from the farms and rural areas into the cities and suburbs.

The fact is in my view, any animal lover who is not a "vegan" has no ground on which to stand to oppose hunting & fishing.

The rest of them are way out of touch with reality and the laws of nature. They try to "Bambi-ize" every living creature with feelings, emotions, and a "life."

Montgomery - Gentry recently released the title song from their CD, "You Do Your Thing." Opening lyrics:

Put me on a mountain, way back in the backwoods,
Put me on a lake - with a big 'n' on the line;
Put me by a campfire - cookin' somethin' I just cleaned -
You do your thing, I'll do mine.

The video is great because it opens with a man driving in the city with a nice buck on the hood of his car, getting cold stares and looks of disgust from people dining at a sidewalk restaurant as close ups show them tearing into a King size cut of prime rib or a big ol' ham hock.

You do your thing, (don't mess with me) and I'll do mine.

I belong to the NRA, Trout Unlimited, The North American Hunting Club, & Catskill Fly Tyers Guild. I will support whenever I possibly can - the truth. Hunting, fishing, sport shooting MUST remain as part of our society. Too many people these days want to bow and kiss the butts of every little fringe organization or ethnic group.

It is just plain wrong for a society and culture to abandon its roots, whatever they may be.

Where we've been is how we got here.



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"Feed the good wolf."

[lee s]

stonefly,
One thing exception as to ALL outdoor recreations is the "whitewater enthusiasts" around here and their "ramp flows" so they can run rivers in the summer. These fluctuating flows are VERY detrimental to the bug life in the river.....the bug life that feeds our fish!
We are not against "floating" the rivers.....just do it during the high water season if you want to. Like we fish steelhead.....DURING the season.
......lee s.

[Micropteris]

That was a great music video even though I didn't think that the song was all that great. I laughed through the whole thing. Next hunting season I know what to do with my deer, bring it to the city and tie it to the hood. *G*

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Who has time for stress when there are fish to catch.
Nick

[Don Bastian]

Micropteris:

The first difference between us is I think "You Do Your Thing" is a great song, a good ballad. It's also a GREAT CD. Needless to say, I am a Mongtomery-Gentry fan.

The second, and more significant difference is this. You wrote regarding your watching the video for "You Do Your Thing":
"I laughed through the whole thing."

What could you possibly find the least bit "funny" about the serious topic of the song while viewing clips of actual television news footage of the Columbine school tragedy?"

One of the threads of advice I give to any young woman looking for a nice man to marry.
"Never marry a guy who only likes "guy movies."

A "real man" is sensitive when sensitivity is called for.

What does this have to do with fly fishing? Perhaps nothing, except that our personalities and character traits spill over into evey facet of our lives.

I for one am not a namby-pamby kind of guy. It's black or white. I believe what I believe for a reason.



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"Feed the good wolf."