2007 ANNUAL REPORT
ORION THE HUNTER'S INSTITUTE

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE THE HEADLINE WAS HARD TO MISS, IT SCREAMED:                 “HE MAKES NO APOLOGIES”  (Neither should we)                             *Ted Nugent lays out hunting’s best defense The article was in the January 2008 issue of the national rifle association’s magazine-American Hunter. The headline worked and I started reading. At first I was startled, Mr. Nugent was talking about the focus that there is today on “ethical hunting” and states: “For any group of individuals to constantly focus on mentioning their ethical standards is,in my opinion, cause for suspicion and scrutiny, which is exactly the reason why the hunting community needs to back away from the tiresome, counterproductive, ethical message that is so often trumpeted on hunting television shows and in articles. I don’t know an unethical hunter. I’ve never met one, and I have hunted with and/or guided thousands of hunters over the past 50 or so years.” Ted went on to say, “It’s almost a contest to see which host or writer can claim to be the world’s most ethical hunter, an act that does nothing but cast a dark cloud over the entire hunting community as if “ethical hunting” is a rarity and must be emphasized.” Ted continued with a comment that “Of course hunters are ethical. There is no reason whatsoever to even discuss such a simple truism. No amount of yammering about hunting ethics is going to attract new people to the hunting fold or convince people that hunters are better than anti-hunters. Speaking about hunting ethics to the non-hunting community does more harm than good.” The article concludes with, “Hunters are the good guys. We don’t need to walk around with a figurative sign around our necks that says, “I’m an ethical hunter.” that’s the wrong approach. My sign says, ‘hunting is a ball of exciting fun’. Please join me in my crusade to spread that good word. Make no apologies. At first I was in disbelief, so I read the article again in its entirety and I would advise you all to read the complete article, not just what I singled out for you to see. After all Orion The Hunters’ Institute has led the charge for ethical hunting since it was formed. Almost every major media has sought Jim Posewitz’s opinion on numerous ‘ethical’ questions. Jim is in constant demand for his speaking engagements and receives rave reviews from hunters, non-hunters, and even some anti-hunters. As a board member I have no lack of direction on what our mission statement is: ORION-THE HUNTERS INSTITUTE IS DEDICATED TO ETHICAL HUNTING AND ITS ROLE IN CULTURE AND CONSERVATION. So we have to be right, and Mr. Ted Nugent is wrong. However, as the days passed and I reflected on the article, I started to see the merit in Mr. Nugent’s argument. When viewing my life and the steps it required to be an ‘ethical’ hunter it became very clear. Like most rural kids in upper Michigan I was party to many less than ethical hunting and fishing practices with my peers. So using the definition from Jim’s book, Beyond Fair Chase, “An ethic is a body of moral principles or values associated with a particular culture or group.  Ethical pertains to what is right and wrong in conduct”.  Ethics are rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular group or culture.  My society that consisted of 9-11 year old boys would lead me to conclude that our behavior fit the criteria listed.  We all know that is a weak argument, and that there is more to ethics and behavior than your immediate peer group. Or is there? It seems more dependant on how large of a peer group is being used. For example, if you were to ask the average hunter in Michigan 30 years ago if baiting was ethical the response would have been ‘absolutely not!’ In fact it wasn’t even legal. If you were to ask the same question today, the response would be the exact opposite. There is hardly a hunter in my backwoods that isn’t baiting in one form or another. Now, Mr. Nugent (who coincidentally is from Michigan) brings a new question to light. Who is more ethical, the hunter from 30 some years ago, or today’s Michigan  (or any other state) hunter? I agree, that today’s hunter is far more ethical in general. A few friends of mine who are conservation officers agree wholeheartedly. They actually miss the ‘good old days’ where it was more exciting to be on patrol. The ethical standard has changed in this neck of the woods, and I am not sure if it is for the betterment of hunting. Luckily for me the most ethical hunter that I have ever met took me under his wing, mentored me, and caused me to mend my youthful ways. He led purely by example and cared little of what others thought of him. He didn’t have a sign hanging around his neck either, but you would have thought so by the reaction of most ‘sportsmen’ that would cross his path. Most of the hunters stood in awe and respect of the quiet man that had the kid in tow. They all knew that he was the ultimate hunter, and most responsible hunters followed his lead. So in conclusion, I am delighted that little Orion The Hunters’ Institute has played an important part in causing the goliath media to be fighting over who is more ethical. Bring ethics to the forefront was why Orion was formed and I am glad that Mr. Ted Nugent thinks that it is time that all sportsman start leading by example instead giving lip service to it. Take time to make sure that you are a role model that a new hunter would emulate and cause an ethical shift by your actions. As you read what Orion has happening in 2008 through the leadership of fellow board members Jim, Eric, Gayle, Randy, Mike, and our staff, I believe that you will see that your support is indeed appreciated and crucial to continued success. THANKS FOR STAYING THE COURSE…..                                                     MARK HIRVONEN, PRESIDENT

Spreading the Message

                By Eric Nuse Ethics in Action        

        Working with the Vermont Hunter Education Program and the Putney Fish and Game Club, Orion helped coordinate the State’s first, “Successful Hunting” program. It was modeled on the IHEA/NWTF Successful Turkey Hunting curriculum. Recent Hunter Education students were invited to attend the training and learn how to be successful and responsible turkey hunters. Each student was given a copy of Beyond Fair Chase and Inherit the Hunt along with a mouth call and the NWTF turkey hunting DVD and CD. Students practiced calling, set up a blind in the woods, patterned their shotguns and practiced shooting. Woven through the training was the history of the hunt, hunter responsibility and ethical decision making.

             Ninety percent of the students went turkey hunting, even though many did not have an experienced turkey hunter to take them. All reported having a great time, hearing and seeing turkeys. Twenty percent harvested a turkey, including this young hunter and his equally young turkey.

 Opportunity on 2008’s Immediate Horizon

<!--[if !supportLists]--> ·         Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLFT), The goal is to expose future agency leaders to responsible hunting and increase their understanding of the passion hunters have for their sport. Trainings are to be held in Illinois and Pennsylvania with satellites set for Kansas and Mississippi. Participants are natural resource graduate and undergraduate college students. CLFT is coordinated by the Wildlife Management Institute and underwritten by the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation.<!--[endif]-->

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         Conservation Education Advisory Committee, Orion will be participating as this group develops a state of the art web portal for science and conservation education teachers. The portal is set to go live in 2008 and is designed to get the latest information and practices into the classroom and the field.<!--[endif]-->

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         Association of Fish and Wildlife Administrators, Trap Standards Committee<!--[endif]--> – I helped with four train-the-trainer workshops for Trapper Education instructors in NY, WI, ME and WV. Our goal is to help instructors implement the “Best Management Practices” trap standards and teaching techniques. My role was focused on how to teach responsible trapping in a way that translates into ethical behavior in the field.

LESSONS FROM A NEW MEXICO ELK HUNT                                        By Randy Newberg – Orion Board  Introduction      Well, we are back from NM.  My 17 year-old son, Matthew, had one of the youth elk tags for unit 16C.  I went down a few days early to scout.  It rained every day of scouting, but I did learn the lay of the land, though my eyes did not see any of the bulls I heard bugling.      Upon drawing the tag, Matthew had concluded he would not shoot anything, unless it bettered the elk he shot in MT in 2005.  Topping that big bull would be a task.  He stated he would rather come home with no elk, or shoot a cow for meat, rather than shoot a young bull.      It was his hunt and his tag, so no argument from me.      If hunting were about the end result, I would have probably hung up my pacs a long time ago.  Having a teenage son to share my field time with keeps my interest high and allows me to focus on the hunt, not the meat or antlers acquired.  Parents among us know what a pleasure it is to watch our children mature and grow to adults.  Maturation pace and perspectives is a result of the experiences our children have.  Hunting experiences have been the shaping influence of my seventeen year-old son, Matthew. We are fortunate to live in a place where opportunity is plentiful and the culture of hunting is deeply ingrained.  Our relationship as father and son reflects that our bonding experiences have been in the fields and forests.  One of the greatest experiences we have ever shared occurred last fall when Matthew drew one of the few non-resident youth elk tags in New Mexico.  The Terms of This Hunt