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      The five days season allowed many opportunities at bugling bulls.  Matthew had decided that he was looking for a special bull, or a cow.  Many nice antlers rest in our shop and it would take something very special to prematurely end this hunt.  If his tag were still unpunched on the final day, a cow would be our target.      We picked up a bad habit a few years ago; it is a habit that requires us to video each hunt to preserve as much of the experience as possible.  The greatest footage is always us talking about politics, world affairs, economic policy, and other topics that seldom get discussed in the busy work a day world at home.  Many sunsets, sunrises, bloopers, and camp scenes are the most cherished.  Hero shots are OK, but not what captures the spirit of our time together.      Our endeavor unfolded in the Gila National Forest, near the Aldo Leopold wilderness area.  Knowing the storied conservation history of these hallowed grounds brought such issues to our minds.  It provided chances for me to talk with Matthew about the hunters who had preceded us, and what that meant to us today.  The Hunt – The Time Afield in New Mexico      Day by day accounts of hunting are not nearly as exciting and interesting as when you actually experience it in person.  So, I will save you the details, but.  Suffice it to say, it was a blast.  My greatest memories of the trip were not the many mature bulls Matthew passed, or the elk we called within slingshot range, but watching Matthew lead the hunt.  Each day was his decision about where to go, which bugles to chase, and what approach to take on each elk we stalked.      Maturation of youngsters exposed to hunting is different than those without the benefit of these days afield.  Nothing pointed this out to me more than Matthew’s first confrontation with a black bear sow and her two cubs.  I had pushed them out of their beds, while walking towards Matthew.  The sow led her cubs directly toward him.  He stayed motionless, letting them have their way.  When it became apparent the sow was going to step on him, he stood up and waved a stick -- she stood startled fifteen yards away.      When I got to him, I could tell that his adrenaline had been peaked.  I asked what was going through his mind.  He recalled being amazed, but not scared.  Though he had a .300 Winchester Magnum, the thought of using it in this situation did not occur to him.  Matthew stated that shooting the sow was not an option, given she had two cubs.  At the time, I thought of this as just another interesting encounters from our days afield.  But that evening, as we sat in camp, I thought about how nonhunting teenagers, or adults for that matter, would have handled a potentially dangerous and certainly heart-pumping experience.  I suspect teenagers without the benefit of days in the hills would have panicked.  Fear would have replaced calm confidence, and the outcome could have been much different.      I watch many young hunters as they react and respond to situations in their daily lives.  Most are more calm and thinking during periods of stress than the actions of their non-hunting peers.  Common sense seems to be more plentiful in their behavior. You are probably thinking, “What does this have to do with shooting a bull?”  Nothing really.  Most of the observations and activities we share while hunting have little to do with taking an animal, still, they are the greatest rewards of taking kids hunting.      The hunting highlight of this trip was without a doubt, the big bull we called in on day three.  This bull had eluded us the first two days.  His bugles were infrequent, but enough to keep us looking for him.  Finally on this day, we caught him and his three cows traveling with a small spike. A few bugles elicited a response.  His cows were feeding slightly downhill across an opening to our left, a mere hundred yards away.  Wind being in our favor, the cows paid no attention to us.  I made a few soft cow calls and within short order, the big bull was walking toward us, occasionally calling to let his cows know that he was their bull.  At one hundred and fifty yards, he stopped to find the cow that was making these soft mews.  He looked our way for over three minutes.  His cows continued feeding as if unimpressed.      Matthew whispered to me that he had a good clear shot.  The bipod was extended and he had ranged it at one hundred and twenty yards.  I had the video camera rolling and the tripod in place.  Matthew begged to shoot.  I told him to wait, confident that the bull would follow the cows and provide unobstructed shooting lanes, for camera and rifle, while entering an open park to our right.  Matthew gave me a look of complete disgust, but trusted his old-man’s planning.  Two minutes later, the bull started moving to his cows.  Matthew moved to my right and put himself in perfect position.       The bull walked toward his cows for forty yards.  Suddenly, upon reaching the edge of the meadow, he turned and started walking straight away from us.  I immediately started cow calling, hoping to turn him and give Matthew a shot.  No luck.  The bull walked straight away, never to be seen again.  I looked at Matthew.  We both knew I had cost him the chance of many seasons on a whopper bull.  A bull with six long ivory points per side and an irregular ten-inch point coming off the passenger side beam.  What could I say?      Knowing I felt bad for letting my desire to film get in the way of Matthew shooting this bull, Matthew smiled and said, “Don’t worry.  We will find him or his brother tomorrow.”  It was obvious who was comforting whom?  I was physically feeling ill.  I had never seen a bull of this caliber while Matthew reminded me that we hunt for fun, and…… this was a lot of fun.  Besides that, if we had filled his tag that day, the season would have been cut short by two days.  We spent the remainder of that day waiting for the big bull to come down to his waterhole.  During the period of high sun, we napped.  We solved a lot of the world’s problems in our conversations of politics, money, human behavior, and hunting history.      The land we now rested on provided rich conversational material.  These forests were once the stomping grounds of Geronimo.  Aldo Leopold spent the formative years of his career as a forest ranger nearby.  Between naps, I tried to add some pertinent history to this hunt.  Yet, I mostly listened.  Matthew pointed out the unique geological features of small canyons and the hiding cover they provided.  Cover for elk, or maybe those being pursued by the US Calvary.  He talked of the differences in vegetation and the habitats they created along with other keen observations not typical of the modern teenager.  Matthew asked my thoughts about whether cattle were detrimental or beneficial to wildlife in this area.  My first thought was that bovines were a negative.  He played devil’s advocate and argued that the limiting factor of elk numbers was not feed, but adequate water.  Therefore, his logic yielded that cattlemen provided a net benefit in the form of water improvements for their stock, offsetting the cost of cattle consuming elk forage. The perspectives entering our discussions were not those of a person whose brain formed playing video games.  They were the perceptions of a person educated in the outdoor world.  I really could not debate his logic.  Which opinion was correct?  I don’t know, but the fact we were having a discussion showing this level of understanding, gave me a proud sense of accomplishment.  Years in the woods had given him the perspective I had hoped for and it was emerging in his thoughts and action. We continued our hunt for elk the following two days.  He carried the heavy loads and set the course of our daily travels.  He was no longer the soft-faced recent hunter-ed graduate.  Rather, he had become a lean, thinking hunter who was confident in his decisions.  A hunter at heart, mind, and in action. Although we had opportunity, this hunt finished without even taking the last day cow elk as planned. I attribute our lack of meat to Matthew’s confidence that hunting is not defined by meat or antlers, but by the enjoyment one finds in spending time in new places, learning new things, and being in the company of old friends.  In this case, his old-man. The After Thought Our camp was packed and we hit the road to the airport where Matthew would board a plane for home.  I would continue on to Utah to try filling my antelope tag.  Matthew had hunted hard and was quickly sleeping.  While driving and watching Matthew sleep, years of memories passed through my mind.  From the first time I saw his fat baby cheeks, to the point of him comforting me as I apologized for messing up the chance at his big bull two days prior.  My eyes were moist as I considered what our futures held.  This would be our last big hunt for many years.  He is a senior and is off to college next year.  Our next out of state hunt will be under different terms.  I will be older and less agile.  He will probably have a wife and family.  The demands of a real job will weigh on his mind.  The beatings taken in real world experiences will have removed some of his youthful idealism.      I am confident the days spent afield will serve him well in the challenges ahead.  He and his other hunting peers will benefit greatly from the days spent hunting.  These young hunters will provide a perspective to life that seems to diminish with each passing generation.  Can I ask for much more than that?  Not really.  However, I would trade my favorite shotgun for another week chasing bull elk in the wilds of New Mexico.

1/8	Grand Forks Herald (with Brad Dokken)	Captive Shooting & The Hunting Ethic
1/12	Shot Show	Personal Ethic
1/16	Idaho Sportsmen's Causus	Banning Commercial Wildlife
1/20	Pheasant Fest Biennial Meeting	The Hunter's Ethic, The American Hunting Heritage
1/27	Wild Game Feed, Helena  MT	The American Hunting Ethic
2/14	Flathead Valley College	The American Conservation Ethic
217	Hellgate Hunters & Anglers (MT)	The Hunting Heritage
2/22	MT Wildlife Federation (Lobbying Day)	The Conservation Ethic of Hunters
2/22	North American Wildlife Library (Film Interview)	Yellowstone Bison
2/22	Hunting/Fishing Legislative Day (MT)	Montana Conservation Legacy
2/27	Capital High Honors Class	Montana's Conservation Ethic
3/3	Boise Sport Show	The North American Hunter's Ethic
3/10	CO Hunter Education	Conservation History of North American Hunters
3/11	Co Hunter Education	The Ethic & Philosophy of Am. Hunters
3/13	Denver Post (Interview with Charlie Meyer)	The American Hunting Ethic
3/23	Cabinet Mountains Resource Group	Mountain Goat Ecology & Conservation
3/27	Misoula Independent (Interview with John Adams)	Buffalo & Hunting National Parks
3/31	National Wildlife Federation	Genesis of American Conservation Ethic
4/12	Rim Country Inst. Rocky Mountain College	The American Conservation Ethic
4/20	MSU Philosophy 105 Class	The American Conservation Ethic
4/21	Montana Wildlife Federation	Annual Meeting
4/27	Pope & Young	The North American Hunting Ethic
4/29	North American Bowhunting Coalition	The North American Hunting Ethic & Commerce
5/5	Colorado Wildlife Federation	The American Conservation Ethic
5/21	ID Dept. Fish & Game Hunter Ed. Instr.	Hunter Ethics
5/22	ID Dept. Fish & Game In-Service Training	Keynote-Our Conservation Ethic
5/23	ID Dept. Fish & Game In-Service Training	The Future of Hunting
6/2	Montana Audubon	Origin of America's Conservation Ethic
6/19	Tajikistan Delegation	North  American Model Wildlife Conservation
7/11	Izaak Walton, National Convention	American Conservation Ethic
7/11	Izaak Walton Youth Tour	The North American Conservation Model
7/12	Izaak Walton National Convention	Advanced Hunter Model
7/29	Great Old Broads for Wilderness	Mountain Goat Ecology & Management
9/15	Dedication of TR's Elkhorn Ranch	Dedication
9/19	Wonderlust MSU	Origin of America's Conservation Ethic
10/20	TRCP, Union Sportsman's Alliance	American Conservation Ethic
11/12	TRCP, Board of Directors	AmericanConservation Ethic
	Waterbury VT	VT Federation of Sportsman's Clubs Annual Meeting
	Columbus OH	Hunting Heritage Steering Committee
	Columbus OH	North American Wildlife Conference
	Lewistown ME	Maine Hunter Ed. Instr. Training
	Burlington VT	IAFWA Trapper Ed. Instr. Training
	Burlington VT	Northeast Wildlife Conference
	Augusta ME	Maine Hunter Ed. Peer Review
	Ft. McCoy  WI	WI Bureau of Wildlife Law Enforcement Futuring Conf.
	Washington DC	Rec. Boating and Future of Fishing Ethics
	Groton VT	Becoming an Outdoors Family
	Bangor ME	Maine Hunter Ed. Instr. Conf.
	Dundee IL	Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow
	Castleton VT	Future of Hunting in VT Conf.
	Madison WI	WI Hunter Ed. Instr. Workshop
	Dundee IL	Consv. Leaders for Tomorrow College Workshops

A BACKWARD GLANCE AND THE 2008 OUTLOOK

 
            Since 2001 Orion The Hunters’ Institute has been delivering the hunter ethics/hunting heritage message in the centennial reflection of Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, 1901 – 1909.  In that context 2007 has been a particularly rich year in that TR gave us some great stories to tell; and today’s hunters took some huge steps forward to enrich our conservation legacy.

             The great story that turned 100 in 2007 was the tale of the ‘Midnight Forests.’  In 1907 conservative western Congressmen attached a rider on an appropriations bill to prevent Roosevelt from creating any new National Forests in their six states.  Because it was attached to an appropriations bill they had the votes to override a veto. Gifford Pinchot, America’s first Chief Forester, worked through the night preparing executive orders adding 21 National Forests to the public estate.  TR signed the orders adding 16 million acres to the public estate before he signed the appropriations legislation prohibiting him from ever doing it again.  It was a bold and great conservation stroke and for more detail on this story see the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Bugle Magazine January/February 2008.

             One hundred years and six-months later we gathered at a site overlooking the Little Missouri River in North Dakota.  Behind the leadership of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Boone and Crockett Club, and the Theodore Roosevelt Association hunters and other conservationists formed into the “Friends of the Elkhorn Ranchlands” to help acquire the home site of Theodore Roosevelt’s North Dakota ranching experience.  Biographers identify the place and time as the “cradle of conservation,” or on occasion the “Walden of the West.”  It is the birth-place of the conservation vision that came to TR while on what one biographer described as “…a lonely hunt in the badlands.”  Today this place of vision is also part of the public estate of conservation and Orion is pleased to be one of the “Friends of the Elkhorn Ranchlands.”  September 15, 2007 was a special day.  It was the day when American hunters, through this acquisition, added more than 5,000 acres to the people’s estate of hope for wildlife.  It was a century and six-months after TR boldly added 16 million acres to get the people started. For more detail on this story see the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Bugle Magazine September/October 2007.

             Orion’s executive director wrote both of the articles cited in this summary.  They were golden opportunities to teach the story embedded in North America’s hunting heritage and conservation ethic.  As we pass into 2008 we have an active and expanding schedule of events through which we will spread hunting’s good news, tell the story of our heritage, and work on raising the ‘ethical bar.’  Thank you for your help, it keeps us in the chase.

CONTRIBUTOR
Jan Dizard	MA
Fanwood Foundation	MT
Richard Hampe	WI
William Herrell	WA
Harry Joslin	MT
Landon Lane	NC
Craig Mathews	MT
Mike McEnroe	ND
Carl Posewitz	MT
Ed Schettler	IA
Johnny Stowe	SC
Larry Strohl	CO
Alan Taylor	MI
Wal-Mart	MT

ASSOCIATE
Jerry Antley	LA
Jim Baumgart	WI
Robert Bobbett Jr.	NV
Dave Books	MT
Mark Brenner	NC
Lee Brown	PA
Robert Bullis	MN
Ned Caveney	MI
Tovar Cerulli	VT
Alan Charles	MT
Chas Clifton	CO
Delta Waterfowl	CT
Angelo DeVagno	NY
Bob DiStefano	MO
Wayne Doyle	KS
Joel Erickson	MT
William Fairhurst	MT
Claude Falls	TN
Vince Fischer	MT
Bill Good	MT
Scott Gordon	NY
Joe Gutkoski	MT
William Hatfield	TN
Jack Heyneman	MT
Chris & Lisa Hyland	WA
Sara Johnson	MT
Dr. Kim Kehr	MT
Janette Kim	NY
Renard Kolasa	MI
Steve Kratville	MT
Richard Kroger	MN
Ray Kyro	WI
Bruce Lemmert	VA
Sanders Marvin	MN
Ron Marcoux	MT
Dr. Charles Marlen	MT
Bob Martinka	MT
Jerry Meacham	MT
Mark Miles MD	MT
Major Miller	WY
Richard Musser	OR
John Nichols	DE
John Organ	MA
Mark Peevey	MS
Stan Rauch	MT
Bob Ream	MT
Richard Schwartz	MN
Philip Strommen	MT
Tracy Watt	MT
Keith Wildeman	IN
Barry Whitehill	AK
John Wilbrecht	WY
Gary Wolfe	MT
Dan Dessecker	MO
Pauline Ziniker	MT

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