Friday, May 4, 2012

Hug an Angler – Friendly reminder from The Wildlife Council


(Video from The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Youtube site)

Ever get the stink-eye from a bird watcher or dog walker while fishing? Ever get a shoreline lecture from some do-well nature lover about how much the sport of angling hurts fish? Negative sentiment towards anglers (and even more so for hunters) can take you by surprise at times.

Many nature enthusiasts may not fully understand that without anglers and hunters, there would be little or no money to manage the large amounts of habitat space nature goers enjoy. Without license revenues from in-state and out-of state sportspeople Colorado would be at the mercy of real estate developers.
The Wildlife Council (Parks and Wildlife) has come up with a new champagne that will help shed more light on who contributes the most to keeping wildlife habitat economically sustainable…sportspeople. Our licenses and fees contribute the lion share of moneys that pay to accumulate, maintain and preserve natural habitat for all sorts of recreational opportunities. 

Admittedly I wouldn’t mind getting a hug from some of the female followers of my blogilicious. A handshake from male followers would suffice. A warm thank you goes out to The Wildlife Council for this friendly reminder.

Good luck and good fishing.

10 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

i read the first couple of lines of your post, then watched the video and said 'i'd give you a hug, matt!' then i read the rest of your paragraph and laughed. :)

meadow said...

I think maybe too much champagne is being consumed. A lot of the money hunters and anglers spend really doesn't help wildlife or habitat. It funds state agency infrastructure like buildings and vehicles. It pays for administrators and law enforcement and pays to promote more hunting and fishing. A lot of taxpayer money from the public at large pays for public land administration and regulations that protect those lands and waters.
I have no beef with well regulated hunting and fishing, but I'm getting very weary of same saying they pay so they can call all the shots. (forgive the pun)

meadow said...

possibly a little too much champagne is being consumed here. Much of the money paid by hunters and anglers does not do wildlife much good. It pays for agency staff and infrastructure; the buildings, vehicles, administration of the hunting and fishing licenses, law enforcement and promoting hunting and fishing. Tax money for the public at large does pay for public lands and waters on which wildlife live. It enforces environmnetal regulations and habitat monitoring.
I have no beef with hunting or fishing when well-regulated but am weary of hunters and fishers making the claim that they are the only ones who pay so they get to call all the shots. (forgive the pun)

cofisher said...

A blatant attempt to get a hug from TexWisGirl? I've never gotten any static from bird watchers, dog walkers, bike riders, carnival clowns or PETA members. I think it has something to do with fly fishing...we are above reproach. At least that's what I've been taught.

Fish on my friend! (hope you get your hug, I don't want anyone touching me.)

justiceforwolves said...

well said Meadow

justiceforwolves said...

well said Meadow

Mark Kautz said...

Jumping off a bike and running across the stream like that might get you decked. If you're planning to do something like that, I'd approach a bit slower, maybe talk it up some before giving the hug.

Mark

Heather Powell said...

I often get the type of feedback you mentioned and agree wholeheartedly, well said. Most great anglers (and hunters for that matter) care deeply about the future growth of the populations of fish and animals and most of us take great pride in ethical fishing/hunting.

BERGIE said...

I have to admit thats a funny comerical i enjoy fishing but i also love riding my dirt bike on trails and im also a farmer i do know that part of the farm bill is for the forest service and i buy fishing permit i also buy a permit to ride my dirt bike on the trails and i also know that many riding clubs and 4x4 clubs volinter to maintain trails maybe instead of the bikers giving hugs they need to buy tags to ride on trails for some reason the bikers are usually the biggest whiners not hugers

Unknown said...

How about the huge forest fire that was just credited to a hunter who was burning an illegal fire??? Id like to hug him..... with a rope.... How much wildlife did this jerk desimate??? Dont break your arms patting yourself on the back...for all the good you supposedly do.... You do twice as much harm.. beer cans, garbage, destroyed tundra... Yeah go hug yourself............ you know what I mean.