Aldo Leopold was Born in Burlington, Iowa in 1887. Leopold was considered the father of wildlife ecology and a true Wisconsin hero. He was a legend when it comes to conservation and wildlife management. These were not only his only attributes to the wild outdoors. Leopold was a forester, environmentalist and an author. In 1933 Leopold became the Professor of Game Management in the Agriculture Economics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Leopold also attended Yale University’s School of Forestry. While at Yale, he worked many years for the U.S. Forest Service In the Arizona and Mexico territories. Leopold was a Game Consultant as well, chairing the country’s first Department of Game Management at the university of Wisconsin.

His love for the wilderness led to the writing of A Sand County Almanac , which was made up of 41 essays and was published in 1949, eighteen months after his death. His writings are known for there simple directness about the need for wise use of land and water resources. He past away helping fight a neighbors brush fire in 1948.

While reading A Sand County Almanac, I stumbled upon a quote that got me thinking a lot about what some of us take for granted every day. “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” An ethic ecologically, “is a limitation on freedom of action in the struggle for existence.” An Ethic philosophically, “is a differentiation of social from anti- social conduct.” These are both definitions of one thing, that one thing is the tendency of individuals or groups to evolve modes of co-operation.

Some examples of ethics include the Golden Rule, which tries to integrate man to society. Also Democracy, which integrates social organization to the individual. There has not been an ethic that deals with man’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it. The land relation is still economic, giving privileges but not obligations. The land ethic simply expands the boundaries of the community, including soil, water, plants, and animals or in a simpler term: the land.

This sounds simple, and I know most sportsmen practice land ethics every day, but take a look at everything that is being dumped into the rivers, the soil which at least around me has been stained orange from acid mine drainage flowing into the creeks, making it uninhabitable for any type of aquatic animal. The plants also, even though they may be over looked, serve a major role in the ecosystem. They are being cut down in tremendous numbers and who ever is doing it probably has no idea about the effects to the plant community and the organisms within it.

There have been some positive scenarios though, in Kentucky where there used to be old strip mines, they now home over 11,000 head of elk and are continuing to thrive. To sum it up a land ethic changes the role of man from conqueror of the land community to simply a member and citizen of it. It implies respect for fellow members, and also respect for the community as well.

I urge everyone to try and find out what part of nature that you have taken for granted and figure out a way to look at it with a new found respect.

Gerhard Damm has spent the last 8 years bringing the world African Indaba Newsletter free to all who will read it.  He is one of my Heroes in the conservation world and I encourage each of you to download and read African Indaba and sign up to receive it all year long.

 African Indaba Volume 8 Issue 1

Visit the African Indaba Website Here

New York, NY (Jan. 19, 2010) – Sportsman Channel, the premiere all hunting, shooting and fishing network, announced today it would launch a high-definition version of its popular channel starting on January 25. Sportsman HD will simulcast the high-quality programming that is currently broadcast by Sportsman Channel in standard definition. The high-definition service will be made available to all television distribution partners beginning Jan. 25; initially, 33 percent of primetime programming will air in HD format, and it is expected that the majority of all programming on the network will be shown in high-definition by the third quarter. Sportsman HD will be co-located on the same satellite as the standard definition service and will be broadcast using the MPEG-4 format.
 
“Given our commitment to providing a superior viewing experience for American Sportsmen, we felt that it was essential to begin our HD offering at the start of 2010,” said Willy Burkhardt, president of Sportsman. “Sportsman HD viewers will be able to fully immerse themselves into the shows to feel like they are out in the tree stand or on the water with our hosts. High-definition, especially for nature scenes, takes the viewer experience to an entirely new level both audibly and visually.”

MISSOULA, Mont.—Throughout 2010, hunters can purchase four new Leupold products—a spotting scope kit, binoculars, rangefinder and riflescope—earmarked to support the habitat conservation work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The RMEF licensed and logoed products will be available at retailers nationwide.

“This is two great brands coming together for the future of elk and elk hunting,” said Steve Decker, vice president of marketing for RMEF. “Leupold has been a great partner and sponsor of RMEF for years and we’re very pleased to announce this expansion into officially licensed products.”

“Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is privileged to have been associated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for the past 24 years,” said Mike Slack of Leupold. “Since those early years, RMEF has compiled an extraordinary list of accomplishments that we all can be very proud of. We are honored to participate in this new partnership.”

In 2007 Hunter's Specialties began offering for sale a variety of hats with both the Hunter's Specialties and breast cancer awareness pink ribbon logos. 100% of the profits from the sale of the hats is donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise awareness about breast cancer issues and to search for a cure.
 
In 2009 Hunter's Specialties is proud to report they were able to write a check to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for $13,366.20.
 
"We're very excited about the success of the program," said Carman Forbes, Hunter's Specialties Co-CEO. "This shows the overwhelming support that is out there in the hunting community for this issue. We certainly appreciate our customers taking part in this search for a cure with us."
 
Breast cancer is currently one of the leading causes of death among women, with nearly 200,000 cases diagnosed each year and 40,000 fatalities.
 
To make a donation by purchasing a hat, consumers can go to the Hunter's Specialties web site at www.hunterspec.com and click on the H.S. Logo Shop Link.

Kim Rhode is the most decorated female shooter in U.S. Olympic history and she is a big fan of the I-phone and video games.  Kim got together with Naughty Bits Software and put together one of the best online hunting and shooting games I have ever had the pleasure to play.

Kim Rhode's Outdoor Shooting is FUN, easy to play and allows you to hunt all kinds of animals with everything from a shotgun to fully automatic weapon.  The game does not dissapoint and my only wish is that it had a trap, skeet and sporting clays section but that is my only complaint.

I loved shooting rabbits, turkeys, moose(shoot them twice), Grizzlies, elk, deer, birds and such.  I spent seveal hours on this game on flights over the past month and I am sure my seatmates were getting a bit annoyed with me but I was having a blast passing the time on these long flights.

“iPhone gamers will love the game’s unbelievably realistic hunting scenarios,” Rhode said. “Natural sound effects and eye popping 3-D graphics will make players feel like they’re in the middle of the woods.”
 
The combined talents of Rhode and Nicholas have produced what gamers believe is one of the most exciting, challenging games to hit the iPhone. Rhode, an avid hunter who has medaled in four consecutive Olympics in double trap and most recently skeet, provided expert advice on the hunting and shooting aspects of the game. While Nicholas, who created 2009’s mega successful iShoot app, developed the settings that will immerse players in “Kim Rhode’s Outdoor Shooting.”
 
“Kim's name and experience are both tremendously valuable,” Nicholas said. “In addition to being an incredible shooter, she is also an avid video game fan, and we are both very excited for her to star in her own game.”

I especially liked the opportunity to hunt with the automatic rifle...Remember this is a game and it should be fun... It was fun and thats what games should be about.  The game costs 2.99 and you can either visit Naughty Bits or the ITunes Store online.

SALT LAKE CITY – Hoyt is excited to announce that world-renown recurve archer and instinctive trick shooter Frank “Aspirin Buster” Addington, Jr. has joined Hoyt’s Pro Staff. A household name at archery exhibitions for over two decades, Addington has entertained packed houses, politicians, celebrities and dignitaries with his instinctive trick shooting and unbelievable accuracy. This year marks his 25th year on stage, and he’ll now be delivering his pro-archery, pro-family message and delighting audiences with the latest Hoyt recurve gear.

Addington and his Hoyt travel across North America, performing well over 100 exhibitions annually at a number of archery shows and other venues. He’s famous for a long list of unbelievable trick shots, including three baby aspirins at once – behind his back. Another of his amazing feats is hitting a mustard seed in mid-air. His show promotes archery and families spending time together outdoors. “When people come to my show, I want them to have fun and be entertained, to get an intense interest in archery, and to listen to my message about families spending more time together outdoors,” Addington said. “I tell my audiences that a video game, cable TV, or a computer game won't take the place of a day spent outdoors with their families.”

Addington's relationship with Hoyt goes back several decades, as he and his family were personal friends of Earl and Anne Hoyt. “Hoyt has been very good to me over the years and my archery career has opened doors I never would have dreamed about,” he said.

Hoyt is proud to have such a well-respected, talented professional represent the Hoyt name. To learn more about Frank Addington, Jr. – and to see his schedule of 2010 appearances and exhibitions – visit his Website at www.frankaddingtonjr.com.

WASHINGTON – Highlighting a range of issues pivotal to sportsmen-conservationists, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today released its 2010 Conservation Policy Agenda. Developed in concert with the TRCP’s individual and organizational partners, which include national hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, labor unions and grassroots sportsmen, the 2010 Conservation Policy Agenda will enable the TRCP to advance policy solutions on natural resource management issues of common concern and will provide focus to the group’s efforts in the year to come.

“We presently find ourselves in a time that is challenging yet exciting for American conservation policy and the sporting traditions that rely on responsible management of our natural resources,” said Jim Martin, chairman of the TRCP board of directors. “The TRCP will continue to pursue consensus-based, common-sense solutions to these challenges for the good of these resources and in the spirit pioneered by our namesake and standard bearer, Theodore Roosevelt.”

Saint Paul, Minn. – January 13, 2010 – The 621 Pheasants Forever chapters, 103 Quail Forever chapters and 125,000 members of "The Habitat Organization" nationwide completed over 22,000 wildlife habitat projects in 2009, benefitting over 500,000 acres for pheasants, quail and other wildlife. This includes over 8,300 acres of land acquired and then opened to public hunting and recreation as state-managed wildlife areas or federal Waterfowl Production Areas.
 
Pheasants Forever spent over $34.7 million on program expenses last year, including $4.9 on land acquisitions. In fact, since Pheasants Forever formed in 1982, the organization has spent $50 million on land acquisitions, opening 144,000 acres to public hunting and outdoor recreation. And in 2009, 9,942 youngsters took part in local Pheasants Forever mentored youth hunts that introduce them to hunting and wildlife habitat conservation.
 
"The past year was another testament to the ability of Pheasants Forever's local approach to wildlife habitat conservation," said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever National President and CEO. Pheasants Forever and its quail division, Quail Forever, empower county and local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent - the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. "A half million acres is great, but we know with our model, we have the ability to do even more habitat projects on more acres and accomplish more for our favorite upland birds."
 
Since 1982, Pheasants Forever has raised and spent over $365 million, which has helped benefit wildlife on over 5.8 million acres and provided for 68,000 youth to take part in youth mentored hunting and youth conservation education events.

WASHINGTON - Jim Range, a preeminent American sportsman-conservationist whose lifetime of accomplishments included co-founding and leading the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, has been posthumously honored as the 2010 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year Award, the TRCP announced today.

The Conservationist of the Year Award, presented last night by Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation at the 2010 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show, recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to perpetuating the American outdoor way of life. The winner receives $50,000 to direct to his or her conservation organization of choice. In addition, the award can be matched, and its value could reach as much as $200,000. Range's family has designated the TRCP to receive the proceeds from this honor.

"The TRCP is proud to be guided by the vision and legacy of Jim Range, one of the country's greatest sportsmen-conservationists," said TRCP Chairman Jim Martin, "and we are profoundly honored to have this legacy recognized through his selection as Budweiser Conservationist of the Year.