Mule Deer Foundation - Helena

[JBS]

To date I have not supported the Mule Deer Foundation since at least in some cases/locations they are tied to SFW. Not supporting them has been easy since PLWA and RMEF have easily tapped my allotted resources. I have been invited to the banquet in Helena and would like opinions from people that are more informed on this if the Mule Deer Foundation specifically the Helena Chapter is a good cause to support?
Thank you for your input.

 

[Nameless Range]

I know some good people who are active in the Mule Deer Foundation in Helena. I know they do some good work.

That said, personally, the Mule Deer Foundation is an organization that borderlines on being worth my money. Their official Facebook Page in the past has been very wolf-apocalyptic, Ted-Nugent-Lovin. All too often they come off as somewhat partisan to me, and not the kind of partisan that benefits mule deer when a far-view is taken.

Just an opinion.

 

[Rat Fink]

I know some of the Helena MDF chapter people. They are strong supporters of the SFW expo in Utah and have benefited from the way those tags are allocated. Not sure on the chapters official stance on issues but if their membership supports SFW...

 

[JBS]

Thanks for the comments. I have generously been given seats at a table for my wife and I so I will be attending. I will also likely be keeping my wallet in my pocket, saving available funds for organizations that I have greater confidence in.

 

[starvingoutdoorsman]

Not trying to be ignorant or anything. One could spend days researching these groups. What is the deal with SFW? Seems to me all organizations have flaws. Like I said, im not trying to be ignorant. Just curious myself. I have been told by a friend at DU he prefers DU over MDF because he wants his money to go to where they say it goes. Did I mention I am not trying to be ignorant!? I can Google till the cows come home and weeding through facts and lies can be challenging to the point I give up 99% of the time.

 

[npaden]

SFW has a nickname that describes it fairly well. Sportsmen For the Wealthy.

They tend to lean toward privatizing wildlife and selling tags to the highest bidder if possible.

They also rate very poorly as a non profit organization with a very large % of their funding going toward management salaries and not much going to any actual on the ground work.

They specialize in back door deals and have very little transparency in any of their dealings, especially with what they do with funds received from public tags given to them to raffle off.

They also opposed the recent Simpson/Tester bill that allowed wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho because it was going to mean less money coming their way if the issue was settled.

Pretty much a classic case of you give me your money, don't ask questions and I'll tell you what's best for you. If you don't like it go suck an egg.

That's my take on them anyway.

 

[Danvet]

Exactly my feelings, npaden.

 

[muleylover]

Isn't it true that over 90% of the MDF money goes right back into their conservation and habitat programs? And isn't this forum itself a partner with the MDF?

 

[npaden]

I don't think you are going to get to 90% going to habitat no matter how you spin it. They do seem to have a much higher % than SFW though.

According to their 2010 form 990 they had almost $1 million going to habitat projects. They report their banquet and convention expense grossed up and there was $3.3 million of that with $5 million of revenue associated with that.

Here's a link to their 990 that they have posted on their site - http://www.muledeer.org/sites/default/files/MDF.2010 TaxReturn.pdf

They have links for the 2011 and 2012 form 990's but the links didn't work for me.

EDIT - Got the 2012 link to work, had to take the s off the https: in their link.

2012 990 - http://www.muledeer.org/sites/default/files/MDF2012 Tax Return.pdf

A little over $1 million in salaries and there they show almost $2 million in habitat projects and program expenses. No real breakdown of what they are though. Still a lot better than SFW but not anywhere close to 90%.

 

[npaden]

MDF is a partner of this forum.

 

[Big Fin]

Isn't it true that over 90% of the MDF money goes right back into their conservation and habitat programs? And isn't this forum itself a partner with the MDF?

We list all the conservation groups that we think are doing a good job. They are not paying for that spot on our "Partners" page. We do it so people can have a quick link to the websites.

We have done some free work for them in the first three seasons, but at this time, we do not have any relationship with them, just providing them a free link in our conservation partners page.

 

[El Jason]

According to a local MDF guy here, they only share the same national banquet venue as SWF and are not affiliated with them.

 

[MDF Regional Director]

Mule Deer Foundation

Good morning, I am the Regional Director of the Mule Deer Foundation and I reside in Billings. I will try and answer a few questions that I have read above as best as I can, but I do invite you to call me, email or visit with me at one of our banquets. We have three more this year in Montana, 8/15 in Great Falls, 8/22 in Helena and 10/11 in Miles City.

First, we are not in any way affiliated with SFW, we do share the costs of putting on the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City (our HQ) and that is all we do with SFW. We did support heavily the wolf issue in which we felt that wolves should be managed by the state and hunted. We hold our WHCE banquets separate from SFW. Wild Sheep Foundation was a partner for a couple of years but decided to go back to Reno. We have been auctioning off a Montana Deer tag at our national banquet and 90% of those dollars go directly back to the state (as mandated), the 10% is used for marketing of the event and other costs on putting on the auction.

MDF supports public access and in fact it is one of our top priorities in Montana and several Western states. Just last month we granted $25,000 to the USFS for the York Gulch Land Acquisition just NE of Helena. We have supported the "Keeping Public Lands Public" bill and we support full funding of the LWCF program which provides access to public lands. MDF does not propose any initiative to any state we are a 501 (c) 3. We do work with State Wildlife agencies to put more emphasis on mule deer. We view the state wildlife agencies as our partners. While we don't always agree with their management decisions, we will work with them on mule deer and wildlife issues and helping to preserve our hunting heritage. We believe states should be the management authority over all wildlife within their borders.

This past year we donated over $20,000 to youth shooting programs in Montana thru the Scholastic Shooting Trust and are in the process of making these donations again. Recently we granted funds to the Bitterbrush project on Mt Haggin, Charchol Gulch project, several noxious weed programs and prescribed burns to name a few. The neat thing about MDF is that local chapters get to choose where to place up to 30% of the funds raised funds in Montana, nice to be able to put something in our backyard.

Anyway, I hope this answers your questions, feel free to ask more or contact me at 406-850-8785 - [email protected] or visit it with me at one of the upcoming banquets.