Sportsmen smear campaign

[Ben Lamb]

Uh oh. More "phony" sportsmen like RMEF CEO David Allen, MDF CEO Miles Moretti, chief editors of Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, companies like Kimber, fisrt lite and Vortex are all speaking out against the transfer and sale of public land.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfRFcmdqL_8#t=151

 

[BuzzH]

Those groups/companies and their associated leadership that are speaking out against the lame idea of the Transfer of Public lands need support and a huge thanks.

 

[1_pointer]

Similarly, those that aren't should be noted as well...

 

[trotsky]

Similarly, those that aren't should be noted as well...

Exactly. I would say give it a little time since some groups havent had the chance to jump on yet. Any group that doesn't support habitat restoration/preservation is not one that deserves your money

 

[Ben Long]

BHA, RMEF, TU, TRCP, MDF have all spoken loud and clear in favor of public lands.

 

[1_pointer]

BHA, RMEF, TU, TRCP, MDF have all spoken loud and clear in favor of public lands.

I greatly applaud them for both their stance and willingness to publicize them. The ones I'm really wanting to hear from are the companies that make the majority of their money from Sportsmen and other users of federal land.

 

[BuzzH]

I agree with 1 pointer, it would be nice to see some major companies step up to oppose the idea of federal lands transfer...some have, more need to.

 

[Hunting Wife]

First post, so forgive me if I screw this up...

Not sure if anyone else followed the North Dakota Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks measure last November, but the smear campaign on Ducks Unlimited in particular was incredible. The bill would have amended the state constitution to direct 5% of oil and gas tax revenues to a conservation fund to protect habitat and create more outdoor recreation opportunities, including for hunting and fishing. No bill is perfect and there is always room for debate on the merits. However, the way that DU, Pheasants Forever, and some other quite well-known sportsmen's and conservation organizations were repeatedly painted as "out of state radicals" and "environmental extremists" who were trying to steal money from schools/roads/police/you name it was mind boggling. Oil and gas interests threw millions of dollars into the mix, and their strategy was almost solely geared toward smearing the conservation organizations.

The measure was overwhelmingly defeated, and the end result for DU is a public relations crisis in North Dakota. Numerous banquets have been cancelled this fall/winter due to the backlash and many landowners are pulling out of any program that has DU attached. I never thought I'd see DU unwelcome in the duck factory.

Unfortunately the smear tactics were proven not only highly successful, but seriously damaging to a popular and well respected sportsmen's organization. A hard lesson learned, I guess.

 

[smarandr]

The measure was overwhelmingly defeated, and the end result for DU is a public relations crisis in North Dakota. Numerous banquets have been cancelled this fall/winter due to the backlash and many landowners are pulling out of any program that has DU attached. I never thought I'd see DU unwelcome in the duck factory.

That's probably the saddest thing I've read in a long time.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

That's probably the saddest thing I've read in a long time.

Politics is ugly and that's a good example of what happens when a certain faction goes all out with ruthless lies to win and even worse accomplishes what they intended!

 

[Gerald Martin]

How's this for some scum on the surface of the information pond?

https://www.greendecoys.com/montana...tent=InStream&utm_campaign=MontanaGreenDecoys

 

[Eric Albus]

Is there anything that is not factual said? I am sure that I will hear a lot of "we do this" "we stand for that", "they do this" , "they take money from them, so how can you believe anything they say"....but in the end, is there anything not factual said in the greendecoy ad, or what ever it is? Just curious to hear either the truth, or the spin..................

 

[BuzzH]

Really Eric???

 

[Topgun 30-06]

BuzzH---He must not have read everything in the links that were tied to the main link. What a bunch of BS they're spewing!

 

[jryoung]

Is there anything that is not factual said? I am sure that I will hear a lot of "we do this" "we stand for that", "they do this" , "they take money from them, so how can you believe anything they say"....but in the end, is there anything not factual said in the greendecoy ad, or what ever it is? Just curious to hear either the truth, or the spin..................

Eric, when GD first showed up I did quite of bit of digging. I reviewed 990s and FEC filings (both of which I deal with professionally and have a firm understanding of). To say GD took a few liberties is being nice. But, I don't know what is worse, the fact that something like GD is out there or there are so many fish willing to take the bait? I'll admit the presentation is good, but when you see many of the links lead to "news" sites and not Federally filed auditable documents it should raise a red flag. Further the website focuses on the "sources of funding" of groups like BHA, TU and TRCP, it draws some loose connections, but where is the Environmental Policy Alliances references to their own funding? The irony is rich, if one was to draw the same loose connections that the EPA does to it's targets and funding to the EPA itself it would be quite entertaining to see a similar website put up portraying them.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Eric Albus, so what conservation organizations are you advocating "true sportsmen" support? I'm not very active politically, but have always identified myself with the conservative spectrum of Republicans when it comes to social issues and fiscal policy. It's been quite an eye-opener to me as a sportsman to see the self-serving and downright irresponsible policies that certain "conservative" Republicans are advocating in regards to public access and wildlife management.

When faced with the decision to support "liberal Democrat's" who are passionate and effective in protecting public access and natural resources versus supporting "conservative Republicans" who advocate turning federal property to state control to private ownership and advance policies that would decimate the elk herd in the epicenter of the best elk habitat in the world for the sake of a few rancher's bottom line; I'll gladly support green decoy conservation groups and "liberal Democrats".

 

[Ben Lamb]

Is there anything that is not factual said? I am sure that I will hear a lot of "we do this" "we stand for that", "they do this" , "they take money from them, so how can you believe anything they say"....but in the end, is there anything not factual said in the greendecoy ad, or what ever it is? Just curious to hear either the truth, or the spin..................

Judge those groups based on their work, not what a DC lobby firm who advocates for drunk driving and teenage smoking says Eric. Pretty easy to see the lies.

But, i guess some folks like to believe things that reinforce their own ideology.

 

[jryoung]

But, i guess some folks like to believe things that reinforce their own ideology.

You mean like the sucker that donate to pet shelters after watching an HSUS commercial?

 

[shoots-straight]

Is there anything that is not factual said? I am sure that I will hear a lot of "we do this" "we stand for that", "they do this" , "they take money from them, so how can you believe anything they say"....but in the end, is there anything not factual said in the greendecoy ad, or what ever it is? Just curious to hear either the truth, or the spin..................

Eric, for one thing Montana Sportsmen Alliance gets all of it's money from donations from individuals, we get nothing from "Left Wing" Groups. All of our donations are recorded with the state and viewable for all to see. We had hardly any budget this year, but gave out endorsements to people who fight for sportsmen, and what we stand for.

We fight for the Montana Resident hunters. Your on the BOD of MOGA, and that group fights for NR hunters, so we happen to be at odds many times with your group. I can see why you would promote green decoys. You know, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" deal.

Because the Republican Platform was calling for the transfer of federal lands to the states we couldn't in clear conscious endorse any of those who signed the platform. We endorsed those R's that had the courage to stand up to the idiocy.

One such race went down to the wire on a race between a moderate Republican, or a Tea Party right winger. The sportsmen s vote won the day.

Most of the R races we played in were decided in the primary, so there was no need for endorsements during the general election.

We make it uncomfortable for commercial interests that would through sportsmen under the bus for a buck.

So is MOGA a sportsman's organization? Have they been doing good things for our resources?

 

[shoots-straight]

Just so all of you know;

I'm one of the founding fathers of the Montana Sportsman's Alliance. We formed to take those that attack the Resident hunters and our wildlife to task for those continual attacks.

I'm a General Contractor, have built residential, and commercial buildings in the Root for over 38 years this year now.

I'm a 5th Generation Montanan, my grandson is a 7th, born & bred.

I"m a Trapper, and have steel in the ground as we speak, (How many greenies do you know trap) I also have several furs that made top lot awards.

When we spoke with Rick Hill for an endorsement, I wore my Top Lot Trapper Hat.

MSA supported HB 212 to clarify, Trapping, Hunting, and Fishing as means of Harvest on the State Constitution.

Do any of those things point to a liberal? Im not decoying who I am? Seems someone is decoying who there are but not us.

We at MSA are up front you know who we are, can you say the same for the groups that spread the "Green Decoys" web site?

When you go to the web site that specifically is attacking us you see they left my name and [FONT=&quot]Sam Milodragovich[/FONT] conveniently off. Why? Because I'm not green enough, and Sam works for North West Energy. That's right, an energy corporation. How can we be anti energy (according to their site) when we have an employee that happens to work for one. One Leader also works for Exxon, one a Realtor, and the other a farmer.

Sounds like a bunch of Greenies to me, LMAO!!!!