Make sure to stay informed on Ariz. hunting issues

By now you may be familiar with the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) having entered the Arizona ballot initiative process for the 2018 election cycle to halt hunting of all wild cats in Arizona. See it for yourself at http://apps. azsos.gov/election/2018/general/ ballotmeasuretext/I-14-2018. pdf. This is just the beginning of their pledge to stop hunting of ALL wild animals in the entire United States. They are raising large amounts of money off the backs of unsuspecting donors, so be alert to the damage they are determined to do to our hunting rights in our state of Arizona. Also check out Humane Watch at https://www.humanewatch. org, where many of the tactics of HSUS have been exposed.

Be sure to go over every word so you are well informed. Then, I’d say, don’t sign ANY petition or donate money to help them and urge others to do the same.

Their goal with this action is to get Arizona voters to reject a century of sound scientific wildlife management from our Arizona Game & Fish Department biologists, and turn over the management of wild cats to the ballot box, with an emotion based, non-factual initiative. Don’t even consider signing a petition until you have checked this all out from one side to the other and are absolutely sure you are doing making the right move.

Each of us, including all sportsmen and women who hunt and fish as well as outdoor enthusiasts, need to educate ourselves, our family, friends and neighbors on what is really going on! HSUS has named the wild cats in question with three of these species already federally protected with the Endangered Species Act and you can’t hunt them even now. Mountain lions and bobcats that are also a part of their conquest are not endangered and have been successfully managed by the Arizona Game & Fish Department for almost a century with current populations stable and in some areas of the state, increasing through the necessary and successful management process by Game and Fish!

A reminder that sportsmen and women foot the bill for wildlife management in Arizona with their licenses and tag fees. Don’t end up like California having to issue depredation tags to kill (they call it manage) their mountain lions, paid for by their taxpayers. It’s up to each of us to find out all that is going on with this, to NOT SIGN a petition for this initiative and DO NOT contribute to HSUS, Arizonan’s for Wildlife or any other supporter of this initiative. DO tell everyone you know what is going on! I will do my best to learn and report all information on this hunt issue so we can do all possible to protect our rights to hunt and yes, to fish in our great state of Arizona because if they can take away our hunting, they’ll do the same with our fishing and do whatever it takes to prevent us from being able to truly enjoy our outdoors. I’ll report more next week.

Hunt happenings

• It was July 19, 1991, when Joe Melton of Yuma wrote a Letter to the Editor. It is well worth repeating today with all that’s going on.

Joe wrote, “No One Left to Speak Up: First they came after TRAPPERS and I did not speak up because I wasn’t a Trapper; Then they came after CATTLEMEN and I did not speak up because I wasn’t a Cattleman; Then they came after LOGGERS and I did not speak up because I wasn’t a Logger; Then they came after HUNTERS and I did not speak up because I was a Fisherman; They they came after FISHERMEN and there was no one left to speak up. The real threat from animal rights groups and the Green movement is not what they are doing but what sportsmen and multiple resource users are NOT doing to defend the wise use of these natural renewable resources. Wake up, America, before you find yourself ‘Locked Out.’”

Fishing clubs

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: Mark your calendar to include the Jan. 5th Colorado River Open Bass Tournament launching out of Fisher’s Landing. A good time to get your 2018 dues paid if you have yet to do it to get into the fun points competition on the water. Call Mac or Bobbi McDermott at 726-1984.

• ABA American Bass — Yuma Division: Call Jeff at 952 824-0553 to learn about tournaments coming up or visit ABA American Bass — Yuma Division. More information as I hear.

• Desert Draw Series Pro/Am Bass Fishing Club: The Jan. 30th bass tournament launching out of Fisher’s Landing will begin fishing competition for the new year. Call Michael Obney at 928 750-7081 for details.

• Yuma High School Bass Fishing Club: Call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started. Any interested H.S. student will be a part of a exciting year for our next generation of anglers at Fisher’s Landing/Martinez Lake.

Shooting sports

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: Please give us call if you’d like to shoot the trail of 3D animals at the Foothills Archery Range. For directions, call Kevin at 726-0953 or Jean at 247-4450.

• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Anyone interested in trap and skeet? Shoot 8 a.m. to 12-noon Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesdays and Thursdays noon to 4 p.m. matches. Call Bob Avila at (928) 919-0622. For information on the Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program, active at the trap and skeet range at Adair Park, calll Head Coach H. McNutt at 928 580-0918.

• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: “Open” black powder matches at the Adair Park range, 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453. Ask about .22 matches. Plan now to attend the 2018 Yuma Territorial Long Rifles Rendezvous at the range January 11, 12, 13, 14 with FREE primitive and Tin Teepee Camping and Traders Row (All traders welcome, no fee). Events are rifle paper&gong, Trade Gun Gong&Paper, Pistol Gong&Paper, Squirrel Gun Aggregate (40 cal. or less), Flint Lock Aggregate, Chunk Gun Novelty (no special gun required). Fees” adult $20, Family $30 plus $10 blanket prize per shooters. Ranges open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with all firing to be completed by 5 p.m. Saturday. Fort shoot at 10 a.m. Sunday morning/ Saturday Bar-B-Q & Potluck. Shooters (including spouse & children) ticket is 1 side dish. Non-registered: $10 plus potluck dish per person. Call James Ingram 580-9888 or Glenda Graves at 580-0915,

• Cholla Gun Club: Shooting is ongoing at the Adair Park metallic silhouette range — get your firearms in order and join in the shooting. Sign-up at 8:30 a.m. for shooting at 9 a.m. sharp. Matches open to the public with instructions when necessary. All firearms must comply with NRA guidelines. NRA approved matches do not require membership in NRA. No belted magnums — cartridges must not result in damage to targets. Small bore defined as .22 long rifle. Ammunition (no .22mags). The club business meeting is 7 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday now through March at Villa Alameda RV Park on Ave. 5E. Call Glenda Graves at (928) 580-0915. Matches are: • 4th Saturday with shoot fee $5 per gun: Big bore long range pistol; Cowboy lever action rifle, small bore hunter pistol; hunter pistol. Pistol cartridge lever action rifle; .22 lever action rifle. • 4th Sunday with shoot fee $5 per gun: Black powder cartridge and Vintage Military rifle silhouette or fun match. Vintage military rifle is any military built up to 1952. No M-14s. Chickens shot standing. Pigs, turkeys, rams shot off ground rest — replicating military positions while standing. • Alternating Tuesdays 9 a.m. — Schutzen .22 rifle match on the black powder range with 20 shots bench rest at 100 yards, 20 shots standing at 100 yards. Bench rest match 50 shots @ 50 yards. • Wednesdays 9 a.m. — Informal get-togethers for fun and plinking off the bench or standing. Practice shooting skills, test ammo for the gun you want to shoot. Everyone welcome. • Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — BPCR silhouette, vintage Military rifle and cowboy lever action rifle and .22 long range silhouette practice and/ or match. • Fridays 9 a.m. — .22 rifle and pistol silhouette fun matches. Informal gettogether for .22 rimfire rifle and pistol only. Everyone welcome.

• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: Check next week for January shooting at the Adair Park big bore range. Pistol matches are cancelled for now but we may resume them in 2018. Call Joseph Murek at 627-4556, Paul Lerma at 580-7456 or Gerald Brooker at 1-858 349-1311. Ask about the Club Junior Shooters activities. E-mail Joe at umpire1@q.com or brookergerald@attn.net. Visit the club web site at hprefleyuma.

• Yuma Matchmasters: Dont miss out on the Dec. 16 Cowboy Action shoot at the Adair Park small bore range, open to all shooters with registration at 7:30 a.m., shooting at 8 followed by the Cowboy Fast Draw shoot. The Annual Cowboy Action Shoot/Territorial Prison Breakout is planned for Januay 12, 13, 14 at the range with visitors welcome. A variety of matches are offered each month at the range, all open to shooters at 7 a.m. with the steel challenge the 1st Saturday, Multi-gun matches the 1st Sunday. IPSC combat matches held the 2nd Sunday with the Cowboy Fast Draw the 3rd Saturday and SASS cowboy matches the 4th Saturday. Call Irene Snyder at (209) 613-4598 or George Wagner at (719) 660-9466 with questions. Visit the club website at hprifleyuma.net.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club: Archery is offered to archers on Sundays with their practice range also open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 782-1097.

Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@gmail. com or call 247-4450 or call 928 247-4450.