President
A LETTER FROM THE
I
t’s the beginning of a new year and that means that
the outdoors industry is buzzing with excitement
with nearly all of the major shows and conventions
being held in the first couple months. This year is no
exception but the buzz was a little different. While
there was the usual thrill of seeing new products and
catching up with friends and industry partners, there
was a bit of an edge that could be felt, and it was
created by the recent attacks on sportsmen by animal
rights extremists.
While popular hunting figures Melissa Bachman and
Olivia Opre became high profile targets, so too did a
young woman from Pennsylvania who was attacked by
a bear while deer hunting. Despite the real possibility
that she could have been killed, PETA sent the girl an
unimaginable letter that included ridiculous quotes
like “This seems to be a good opportunity to put
yourself in the place of the individuals you and the rest
of your hunting party were trying to kill.” Perhaps the
pinnacle was the outrage expressed by animal rights
extremists over Dallas Safari Club’s auction for a black
rhino hunt in the Republic of Nambia, which raised
$350,000 for the conservation of the species. A simple
internet search will lead you to literally thousands
of derogatory comments from people who did not
bother to learn about the conservation benefits being
provided by this auction, and how it will be a big step
toward saving the species.
It is clear that these recent attacks have only served
to further strengthen the grip sportsmen have on
their hunting heritage. We have had enough, and we
will not sit back and let those who oppose us define
who we are to mainstream America. There has never
been a more important time than now to stand up
and protect what you believe in, and I look forward to
fighting with you to defend our heritage.
Nick Pinizzotto | President and CEO
Identification Statement
Did you
Know?
If you were to stop at each booth at
the SHOT show, you would have only
22 seconds to visit each of them. Total
exhibit space for the SHOT show is
equivilant to nearly 11 football fields.
Sportsmen’s Monthly is published by
The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
&
The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation
801 Kingsmill Parkway
Columbus, OH 43229
Ph: (614) 888-4868
Fax: (614) 888-0326
E-mail: [email protected]
Information may be reprinted
with credit to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
2
Sportsmen’s Monthly January 2014