As sportsmen and women, we have seen hundreds of bills put before the government that threaten our lifestyles. Many of these bills have passed. We can blame complacency, distraction, and geography all we want, but the fact is, if any sporting is banned in one state, it affects us all. Unfortunately, not many know that there is a ton of work you can do as a non-resident to help out. We will explore some of those options in todays article.
Step 1: Preparation - First thing is first, realize that everyone you are about to contact is human. Many of these folks will be trappers, hunters, and anglers themselves. Treat each step as if you were contacting your neighbor up the street that you may not know all that well or a far removed cousin. Remember that they are very busy folks, so be brief and stay on topic. Whether you contact them via mail, email, or phone, they will appreciate the fact that you value their time, and it will leave them more time to listen to the rest of us!
Step 2: Politicians (Congress, Senate, and the Governor) - This is probably the easiest step as there are usually form letters available from the resident organizations that are under fire. You may even see them on national organizations like the NRA's websites. Copy and paste the form letter, and edit it for mistakes and to apply to non-residents. Add a new first paragraph to the letter stating that you are a sportsman or woman from out of state but that the current bill will affect you as well. If the bill passes, you will be forced to find another state to recreate in and therefore not be spending your portion of the $8billion (or whatever the industry currently at) outdoor industry in their state. It wouldn't hurt to state that you normally bring friends and/or family with you on those outings.
Step 3: Chambers of Commerce - The next best step, and sometimes better than contacting politicians, is the chambers of commerce in each town. Find the ones that are nearest public lands if you only have time to do a few. Don't use a form letter that everyone is using, but you can create your own to send to multiple CoCs. These folks are business owners and will likely not continue reading it if they can sense it as a form letter. Target the wallet, these are business owners after all. If the bill passes, you will not be visiting their towns and spending money in their hotels, campgrounds, gas stations, or restaurants. It doesn't hurt to throw in the industry value here either.
Step 4: Organizations - Seek out local and state organizations that the bill affects. I'm not talking about sporting groups as they will already be on point. Look at clubs like 4H, Farmer's Unions, outdoor groups, etc. These are the folks you want to explain management to. Hikers and campers are interested in predator control for safety reasons. Most wildlife is interested in ag fields so you can speak on the effectiveness of wildlife control to them. Remember that these are folks who care about their activities as much as we care about ours, and use that to relate to them. Don't use words like "death" or "kill" with them, as these words remind them of their own mortality and are usually not going to help your cause. Instead talk about removing the animals from the areas of concern to create safer trails or prevent crop damage.
Step 5: Rally - If you contact 1 or 2 of these folks and/or groups a week, you're getting your voice out there. The only thing better is to get your friends and family to use their voice too. You've already done it, so now you can show them how. Multiply your voice.
There are so many more things you can do, but most people don't have a ton of time. If you can spare a few minutes each week and target the folks above, you're going to make a big difference to our brothers and sisters in these states. When they are victorious, you will build momentum. Remember that it is important to harness that momentum fast as it will not last long. Use that momentum to pass bills for your states use, repeal laws that were passed over regulating your activities, or call for an amendment to your states constitution to consider trapping, hunting, and fishing a right instead of just a privilege. Then help move these things forward in the states that border yours, or get involved in other state's struggles. You may only have one voice, but if we all work together in unison, that voice becomes deafening.
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