Are You Pro Obama...Or Pro Democratic Party? If So, Please Go Somewhere Else!

Quite honestly, I started this blog a couple of years ago for one reason and one reason only...mostly so I could write about things that just didn't seem to fit anywhere else.  Here you are sure to find many topics and opinions that are most definitely politically incorrect - and that's largely due to the fact that I don't much care for anything that's political in nature.  With that said, I want to make very, very clear that I have absolutely no use for the idiot we currently have in the White House...or for that matter, pretty much the entire Democratic Party.

So, if you are extremely "PRO OBAMA" or "PRO DEMOCRAT"...now is the time to exit this page...to go where you can flock with birds of the same feather.  You're not going to find it on this post.

In reality, this post is actually about SYNONYMS and ANTONYMS...sharing what the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have in common...and what truly separates their values...their beliefs...and their agendas.

 

 

                                                   Political Synonyms and Antonyms

In a couple ways, the so-called "Democratic Party" and the so-called "Republican Party" are very synonymous.  Both are political parties, representing the wants and wishes of American citizens when it comes to political campaigns for electing officials to government offices, whether it be on a National...State...Regional...or Local level.  However, probably the most common similarity is that the word "Democratic" and the word "Republican" are each comprised of ten letters.

That's where the being "alike" comes to a screeching halt.

I grew up in a Democratic household.  My father and mother voted straight Democratic tickets pretty much their entire lives.  It really didn't seem to matter who was running for what office, they ran with the Democrats all the way.  By the time I was old enough to leave home and enlist in the Marine Corps, I had come to the conclusion that if a real four-footed jackass would have been fitted with a bow-tie and ran for public office, mom and dad would have had absolutely no reservation marking or punching their voting ballots for a candidate with a name like Donkey Kong.  Then two or three years later, they would sit around the kitchen table complaining about how the price of this or that had sky rocketed, or how taxes kept climbing in order to pay for this or that public service or benefit. 

And more often sooner than later, Dad would blurt out something to the effect of, "Who in the hell voted this jackass into office?"

Well, Dad, you did!  You and a whole lot of other jackass followers.

It is very clear now, ever since the biggest jackass of them all was elected to the Presidency in 2008, the goal of the Democratic Party is to make government ever bigger, ever more controlling, and the citizens of this country ever more reliant on the government making all decisions for them, and providing their basic needs.  That has been pretty much Obama's platform ever since announcing his candidacy for the Oval Office.  Perhaps that is why he has had such strong financial backing from major supporters of the United Nations' Agenda 21 - which is to establish an extreme socialistic world under one government, with the world population dependent on government allotments and handouts.  You know, kind of how it is right now in North Phillie, East St. Louie and in the Detroit Hoods - where "Big Daddy Obama" won by a landslide during the last election.  No one works...no one shows any drive to do any better...and neighborhoods are nothing more than falling down slums, as government dependents sit on their asses waiting for the first of the month to roll around and the start of another monthly welfare hand out.

That pretty much sums up the agenda of the Democratic Party.  Their only investment in the future of America is to make U.S. citizens more dependent on government...more dependent on government welfare and hand outs.

I've never truly considered myself a Republican, but can honestly say that I've never taken a government handout in the form of welfare or unemployment monies.  Oh, there have been plenty of times when I was "unemployed"...but it doesn't mean that I couldn't find enough work to keep my family fed, a roof over their heads, and clothes on their back.  It just took some real effort and some real creativity instead of just waiting for the postman to drop off a government check and food stamps.

What truly separates the majority of Democrats from the majority of Republicans is that the latter tend to have much better work ethics and are far more willing to work to enjoy the nicer things in life...while the other side does nothing but bitch and moan about having nothing, and feeling that those who have worked for their gains should freely "Share The Wealth".  Hmmm...sounds like another Obama plan.

The Republican Party believes in an extremely scaled down government, far fewer public employees, fewer government hand outs...and establishing the incentives that will put more Americans to work and establish more private sector working opportunities.  In other words, to rebuild the U.S. workforce and the U.S. economy.

Politics in this country have become extremely dirty, and extremely UN-American.  Those elected to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives no longer truly represent their constituents.  They are their to pad their pockets, and most all are on the take one way or another.  Even Montana's two Democratic U.S. Senators are very suspect of receiving "under the table" money.  Both continue to support radial environmental agendas that are largely rejected by those they are supposed to represent.  One great example was when a Western Montana resident and voter went by Senator Jon Tester's Washington , D.C. office earlier this spring to see if he could talk with the Senator.  He was not in the office, so his constituent ended up talking with his top aide, and when the conversation turned to the need for more stringent wolf control and less efforts by Tester to close off public access to more public lands, that aide told him that the Senator would not support or challenge anything that was contrary to the goals of environmental and animal rights groups like the Humane Society of the United States.

So, who's payroll is Tester on anyway?

The world is in turmoil, and our officials in Washington, D.C. fully realize that Americans are now living in a powder keg with a smoldering fuse.  Obama's efforts to attack our 2nd Amendment rights to "Keep and Bear Arms" has been a violation of our Constitutional Rights, and fully shows that he fears a full blown revolution, such as those now taking place around the world.

If it happens here, what outcome would you predict?  If there are "winners" and "losers", do you think the winners will be those who have earned the cash to well arm themselves and stockpile ammunition, or do you think it will be those who sit around waiting for the government to provide them with a substandard gun and a handful of the 6-billion rounds of ammo our government recently stockpiled?

Toby Bridges,
MONTANA MOUNTAIN
CHRONICLE       







 

Senator Max Baucus Responds To LOBO WATCH E-Mail In Regard To His Back And Forth Stand On 2nd Amendment Rights...

April 19, 2013                                          Why I Opposed Expanding Gun Control Recent tragedies have shaken all of us, and everyone wants to do their part to protect our children and communities from violence of all kinds. That debate has sparked conversations around kitchen tables all across Montana. Over the past few months, I have heard from thousands of Montanans, and it was very important to me that every one of you had a chance to weigh in on an open and transparent debate.   What I heard from you was clear: Montanans are overwhelmingly opposed to new gun control laws. That is why I voted against legislation before the Senate this week to expand gun control. And that is why I will oppose anything that infringes on the 2nd Amendment rights of responsible, law-abiding Montanans.   Montanans are passionate about our 2nd Amendment rights. We teach our kids to respect that right, and we teach them to live up to the responsibility that comes with it - just like my father taught me when he gave me my first .22 when I was 13 years old. What makes sense in other states, doesn't make sense for Montana.   Everyone agrees we need to do a better job keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, but infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens isn't the solution. The facts are clear: under the Obama Administration, federal weapons prosecutions have fallen to the lowest levels in over a decade. The Administration isn't doing a good enough job enforcing the laws that are already on the books, so piling on more regulations just for regulations' sake won't do anything to make our communities safer.   We need real solutions that will actually make our communities safer. That is why I supported funding for school safety and mental health resources. And I supported a measure to force the Department of Justice to take a good, hard look at how they can use the tools they already have to keep guns away from criminals, without adding burdens on law-abiding folks in Montana.   A top-down, one-size-fits-all approach like the President is pushing simply won't work for Montana, and it won't work for me. I will not support anything that infringes on the 2nd Amendment rights of responsible, law-abiding Montanans.   All the best, -- ________________________________________________________________________________ LOBO WATCH Response To Montana Senator Max Baucus   Dear Seantor Baucus;   Thank you for sending the following*. And please thank the college intern or aide who actually wrote it for you, they did a fine job. I know it is in response to my e-mail to you dated 4-19-13, in regard to your fence riding when it comes to gun control in America.   My first "gun" was also a .22 rifle - an old Stevens "Crackshot" single shot model. My father never bought that gun for me, and didn't even know I had it, and I managed to keep it hidden from him in the rafters of our garage for several years. I traded a bicycle that I had assembled from junk bicycle parts for the rifle, which was close to 50 years old when I acquired it in 1959, a couple of months before I turned 10 years old.   America was a much different, and much better, place at that time. We actually did have freedoms, and could enjoy them. Back then, I would ride my bicycle up to a small rural gas station, and buy a 50-round box of Winchester .22 long rifle ammo for 45-cents. And I would take that old rifle out and shoot a box of "bullets" just about every week - but my father eventually found the little rifle, rolled up in a piece of blanket. When he learned I had been shooting it for that long, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two quarters, handed them to me, and said... "If you've had it that long and shot it that much, and haven't shot anyone yet, I guess you're okay with it...go buy yourself a box of ammo."   This took place in the democratic socialist republic that used to be the State of Illinois.   Whatever happened to that country? A country where we didn't have a federal government that was so all controlling, and felt that it had to dictate everything in our lives.   Max, the residents of the Great State of Montana, which has become foreign soil to you, see right through the ruse. When it came to your vote against Obama's call for extremely stringent gun control, you and Jon Tester simply cancelled out each other's vote. He's in for another term, and you face an upcoming re-election.   In the following "Why I Opposed Expanding Gun Control", why didn't you share with your constituents your reason for voting in favor of the U.S. signing the United Nations pact known as the Small Arms Treaty? The gun control clauses within that treaty are far more stringent, far more controlling, and would effectively void our Second Amendment rights. Still, you voted for Obama to sign the treaty.   Be honest now, do you truly believe in World Dominance by the United Nations? Do you truly feel that America as we have known and loved it should be abandoned, and the good Ol' U.S. of A. be simply absorbed into a single world government...one run by the United Nations?   Also, why did you not address the manner in which Obama's private military, a.k.a. Department of Homeland Security, sure hasn't practiced any "gun control" and has been actively arming up in order to wage war against Americans? Why else would they need 1.6 BILLION rounds of ammo (enough to conduct 20+ years of combat against U.S. citizens)...and armored personnel carriers? Much of the ammo procured by DHS consists of specialized long-range sniper rounds, and hollow-pointed ammunition - which has been internationally outlawed for combat use.   Now, at a time when the U.S. has become a target for international terrorists, why are so many Democrats so hell bent to disarm American citizens? If there was ever a time in history for every home to have an AR-15 and several 20- or 30- round clips fully loaded...it is right now. Never before has this country been so threatened by enemies - both very domestic and foreign.   The wolf is at the door...and the time for Americans to take up arms is right now.   Toby Bridges LOBO WATCH Missoula, MT   www.lobowatch.com       *Note:  The "following" mentioned in the first line of this e-mail is actually the Baucus newsletter sent out in response to our first e-mail in regard to his back and forth gun control support/opposition.  That message can be read in the following post of this blog, titled "An Open Message To MT Senator Baucus - Taking America Back!"

An Open Message To MT Senator Baucus - Taking America Back!

 

Dear Senator Baucus;
 

I'm sure you have received many e-mails of thanks for voting against the President's strong arm push, at the cost of millions of taxpayer dollars, to enact more stringent gun control - which would indeed infringe upon the right of American citizens "to keep and bear arms."
 

I too would like to thank you for standing up against the pressure I'm sure that was put on you, as a Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate, to run with the pack of other Democratic senators which were attacking the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.
 

What I cannot understand is, if you truly believe in our rights to own and find comfort in the lawful use of a wide range of firearms, how could you stand behind President Obama's support of the United Nation's Small Arms Treaty?
 

You were one of 46 U.S. Senators to support the President's equally strong push for the U.S. to agree to the harsh restrictions on the private ownership of firearms as laid out in that extremely agenda driven treaty. Firearm owners across the country, and especially here in Montana, now view you and the other 45 senators who were ready to hand over our Constitutional Rights to the U.N. as little more than traitors.
 

Fortunately, 56 senators had the common sense to reject participating in the treaty.
 

The President's equally agenda driven desire for the U.S. to cave in to the demands of the U.N. does better explain why the Department of Homeland Security has been stockpiling all of that ammunition (1.6 BILLION rounds to be more precise), and that agency's acquisition of a non-disclosed number of armored personnel carriers. Were you aware that at the height of the war in Iraq, U.S. troops were expending about 6-million rounds of ammunition EACH and EVERY month? Even at that rate, DHS is now sitting on top of enough munitions to wage war with American citizens for more than 20 years.
 

The manner in which you voted in favor of the U.S. signing the U.N. Small Arms Treaty, then to turn around and vote against Obama's (and Biden's) attack on gun owners' Constitutional rights sends more than mixed signals to the Montana residents you are supposed to represent. It tells them that you cannot be trusted...or believed.
 

Real Americans are ready and willing to take this country back, if not at the election polls then by force, as rightfully guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
 

On which side will you stand...with the American people, or with the tyrants who are working so hard to destroy this country?
 

Toby Bridges

LOBO WATCH

Missoula, MT

www.lobowatch.com


Semper Fi

Great Gear & Great Volunteers Are Sure To Highlight 2013 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down In Plains, MT May 4th & 5th!

Womens Army Corps veteran Christy Steigers-Bridges, far left, of Missoula enjoyed the gear she took home from the 2012 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down...Plus worked as a volunteer to make it enjoyable for all vets attending.  Following photos show some of the $2.5-million in great gear to be redistributed to military vets at the 2013 Stand Down.  Click on photos to enlarge.

 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down In Plains Expected To Draw A Great Turn Out

          Per capita, Montana has the largest number of veterans of any state in the Lower 48.  In the six counties that make up the northwest corner of Montana, there are more than 11,000 military veterans, including  4,000 in Missoula County alone.  With just as many next door in northern Idaho, and in eastern Washington as well, the Sanders County Fairground in Plains, MT is expected to be a very busy place the weekend of May 4 and 5 as the second annual Tri-State Veterans Stand Down welcomes veterans of all ages from all three states.  Last year, more than 1,000 veterans gathered for the event.

          So, just what is a Veterans Stand  Down?

          Originally, the term "Stand Down" meant to pull combat troops away from battle, and get them to a place of relative security and safety where they could rest and recover.  Today, the term stands for a program that reaches out to veterans needing a helping hand.  More than 200 such events now take place across the country every year - where military veterans can receive medical assistance, legal advice, food, clothing and gear, along with information on veterans programs and benefits.

          Much of the clothing and gear comes in the form of military surplus.  For last year's Tri-State Veterans Stand Down, coordinator Billy Hill, of Trout Creek, MT, had accumulated surplus items valued at nearly $1.5-million.  The 2012 event was such a success, even more of that military surplus has been provided this year - and since mid March, Hill and a handful of Sanders County volunteers have been extremely busy unboxing and organizing close to $2.5-million of surplus boots, sleeping bags, clothing, blankets,  and other surplus gear.

          "It takes a lot of work to get this much stuff unloaded...unpacked... organized...and laid out...and it takes the help of some great volunteers to make an event of this magnitude run smoothly and be successful," says Hill. 

          Last year, two completely packed fairground show barns of surplus were handed out to Montana, Idaho and Washington military vets.  There is so much gear this year that a third barn had to be added, and it is expected to be nearly all distributed during the two-day Stand Down. 

          Hill is quick to point out, "This is not a hand out...it is a hand up.  It's veterans helping veterans."

          Among the free goods to be redistributed to qualified veterans will be hi-tech modular sleeping systems, extreme cold weather sleeping bags, aluminum pack frames with rucksacks, wool Navy pea-coats, wool socks, wool blankets, insulated underwear, boots, and other surplus military gear.  When Veteran Stand Downs were first widely organized, they were geared to serve the homeless veteran who found "camping out" a new way of life.  With so many people now strapped by a struggling economy, barely being able to stretch one paycheck to the next, or having no job at all, today's Stand Down events are now open to all military veterans.

          The Tri-State Veterans Stand Down takes place at the Sanders County Fairground, 30 River Road, Plains, MT on May 4th and 5th, from 0800 Hrs. (8 a.m.) to 1600 Hrs. (4 p.m.) each day.  Hot breakfasts and lunches will be served both days, and for those who are in need, haircuts and showers will be provided.  Event coordinator Billy Hill says all veterans are welcomed, whether they come for the surplus clothing and gear, the meals, to learn more about V.A. services and benefits, for health services, to seek employment, or for the camaraderie and being with many other military veterans.

          "Everybody's entitled to one of each item and by the time they leave, each should have a sleeping bag.  The bag will be full of items and also a duffel bag will be full," says Hill.

          Those attending must bring a form DD-214, discharge, V.A. or military I.D. as proof of military service.  For more details contact Billy Hill at (406) 847-2407. 

Volunteers Needed - Especially needed are able bodied young men and women who can help veterans, some who are disabled, to pack gear from the fairgrounds to the adjacent parking areas.  Volunteers should contact Billy Hill at (406) 847-2407. 


                                                                                                                                                      _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 

Billy Hill, second from left and far right in the photo at the top of this post, organized the first ever Tri-State Veterans Stand Down, held in May 2012.  Thanks to dozens of volunteers from the Sanders County area, it was not only one of the largest such events held in the state, it was also one of the smoothest run Stand Downs ever held in Motnana.  Billy is shown here with some of the volunteers which are now working hard to organize all the gear to be redistributed to qualifying veterans May 4th and 5th.  Click on photos to enlarge. 

Second Annual Tri-State Veterans Stand Down In Plains, MT Scheduled For May 4 And 5, 2013

          On a chilly and blustery Saturday morning in May of 2012, more than 1,000 military veterans and their family members gathered at the Sanders County Fairgrounds in Plains, MT for the first ever Tri-State Veterans Stand Down.  On hand to meet with them were nearly a hundred volunteers, officials from the Veterans Administration, and leaders with groups such as Wounded Warriors Project and Oath Keepers.  To kick off the two day event, a hot breakfast was served.

            Billy Hill, of rural Trout Creek, MT planned and promoted that event, which has been credited with being one of the largest such Veterans Stand Downs ever held in the state  - and one of the best organized and smoothest running.  Hill is now hard at work pulling things together to make the second Tri-State Veterans Stand Down event even larger and more successful.  The event is scheduled for May 4 and 5, 2013 - and will again be held at the Sanders County Fairground in Plains, MT.

            At the 2012 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down, more than $1-million in surplus military clothing and gear was redistributed to the veterans attending the event.  The array of surplus items included boots, sleeping bags, packs & frames, insulated under wear, wool socks and blankets, pants, shirts, hi-tech polar fleece, gloves, camping gear, extreme cold weather wear, and much more. 

            According to Billy Hill, this year's event will offer more than twice that amount of surplus wear and gear to qualifying military veterans and their family members.   To qualify, a veteran simply needs to have a V.A. or military I.D. card, a copy of their discharge papers or a copy of their form DD-214. 

            Hill says, "It is the need for much of the clothing, footwear and other surplus gear that brings these vets to the Stand Down events.  The distribution of all that surplus gear is the incentive to pull together so many veterans in one place at one time, giving the Veterans Administration an opportunity to share with them the benefits and health services available to military veterans."

            The Thompson Falls Food Bank and the Montana Food Bank worked together at last year's Tri-State Veterans Stand Down to distribute several hundred food baskets.  Working around sequestered federal funding, an effort is now being made to be able to offer those baskets again this year.  Hot meals will be served both days, and for those who have really been down on their luck and have been forced to live out in the elements, hot showers and haircuts will also be provided.  Wounded Warriors Project and Oath Keepers will also be on hand again to provide moral support and guidance to those veterans who have found it difficult to cope with post military life.  Likewise, those vets seeking employment can receive some guidance and assistance at the 2013 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down.

            As planned and hoped for, the 2012 event drew military veterans from Montana, Idaho and Washington.  Billy Hill feels the success of last year's stand down will encourage others to attend this year.  At most, Plains is just an hour and half drive from Missoula.  Hill believes there are 4,000 to 5,000 veterans there, and many could car pool for this year's event.

            He says, "If they do...they need to allow room for all of the great gear they'll be taking home with them!"

            If you are a military veteran, mark your calendar now.  The 2013 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down takes place May 4 and 5, at the Sanders County Fairgrounds, located at 30 River Road in Plains, MT.  The event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. - Toby Bridges, Missoula, MT 

 

Help Needed...

Last year's Tri-State Veterans Stand Down in Plains, MT was the most successful first time event of this kind ever held in Montana.  Billy Hill pretty much single-handedly organized the entire effort, spending several thousand of his own dollars to insure its success.  This year, he is looking for a number of additional sponsors and sponsoring businesses to help defray the cost of an effort that could this year bring in more than 1,500 military veterans.  If you, or your business, or your company can see clear to help sponsor the 2013 Tri-State Veterans Stand Down, those veterans attending, all of those volunteers who make this event run so smoothly, the service organizations and agencies that will be there, and the residents of Plains and Western Montana will thank you. 

                                          Contact Billy Hill At 406 847-2407 
   

E-Mail To Montana Governor Calling For Emergency Predator Control

Following is an e-mail that went out this morning (2-26-13) to Montana Governor Steve Bullock, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, to some upper management with FWP, about 50 state senators and representatives, the state's media, dozens of sportsman/conservation organizations, and to some 200 Montana sportsmen, ranchers and rural residents.  The e-mail calls for Emergency Predator Control Legislation.

To read the LOBO WATCH release on this issue, go to the link in the e-mail.

Toby Bridges,
LOBO WATCH

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Governor Bullock;
 

The token wolf seasons which have been conducted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, coupled with totally inadequate harvests of other major predators for more than a decade, have resulted in a glut of predators which are now destroying the past 75 years of wildlife conservation in this state.
 

Following the 2012 big game hunting season, during which hunters in roughly the Western 1/3 of this state experienced the worse hunting season of their lives, preceded by seasons that have progressively gotten worse, the sportsmen who have funded MT FWP clearly see the problem. Our state wildlife agency has concentrated way too much on managing predators, allowing our big game herds to take a real beating.
 

There is only one way to reverse the loss, and that is to dramatically reduce the number of wolves, mountain lions and bears in Montana. The attached LOBO WATCH release takes a more detailed look at the problem...and what it will take to allow big game and other wildlife populations to recover.
 

This will be the hottest issue you will have to face through your term in office. How aggressively and effectively you work to save this Montana treasure during your first term in office will surely dictate whether or not you even have a shot at a second term.
 

MT FWP has already proven that predator management does not work, now it's way past time for some serious predator control.
 

Toby Bridges

LOBO WATCH

Missoula, MT
 

www.lobowatch.com
 

The attached release has also been published at http://www.lobowatch.com/adminclient/Legislation12/go

 

 

 

 

It's Time For The MT FWP Overhaul To Begin!

Last October, a friend from back in Wisconsin contacted me for advice on a flat shooting load for his .50 caliber in-line muzzleloader.  He had drawn a tag for one of the premier muzzleloader deer hunts in America.  While he followed my NORTH AMERICAN MUZZLELOADER HUNTING website (at www.namlhunt.com ), he just wanted to know what I felt was the absolute best powder, charge, and saboted bullet to use.  Then, he inquired whether or not I had any truly great hunts scheduled for last fall.  So, I shared with him how bleak my hunting was looking, since I would be doing the vast majority of it very close to home in Western Montana, and how devastated our game herds were - due to excessive depredation.

Now, my friend also happens to be the editor of several Midwest outdoor magazines, and he shared that MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks had advertised in those publications that non-resident tags were still available...and that wolves had not significantly impacted big game herds.  The ad proclaimed that great hunting awaited those coming to Montana.  I hunted the entire season with the thought of how dishonestly the State of Montana was trying to sell those excessively priced non-resident big game licenses. 

By the time I finished what had been the worst hunting season of my life, the manner in which MT FWP has lied and deceived hunters, both resident and non-resident, had pushed my anger to the boiling point.  Early this past Thanksgiving morning, I drove out to an area where I used to regularly see elk and deer...and saw nothing...not even fresh tracks.  When I got back home, I knocked out the following e-mail and circulated it to more than 400 members of the shooting & hunting industry, and members of the outdoor media.

We now have a new Governor...now we need a new Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.  It's time for the complete overhaul of that department to begin.  No more chewing gum patch jobs...no more recycling of former has beens.  We need new blood that is willing to get off their asses and out of their offices...roll up their sleeves...and to start taking care of the wolf and other predator problems in this state.  -  Toby Bridges, LOBO WATCH
                                                                                             

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                                                                                                     Thanksgiving Day 2012

Dear Outdoor Industry & Media;
 
How many of you hunted in Montana back in the 1980's?   Among the outdoor writers and editors receiving this, how many of you attended the 1987 Outdoor Writers Association of America Conference held in Kalispell, MT?
 
If you have not been to Montana in the past 15 to 25 years, and you were to return today, you would find this to be an entirely different state - one with far less wildlife than 25 years ago.  And that can be largely credited to one of the worst state wildlife agencies in America - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.  This agency now bends over backwards to insure that a minimum number of major predators are eliminated annually...to insure that the number of wolves, grizzly bears, black bears and mountain lions continue to increase year after year - even when the agency fully admits that it is escalating numbers of these carnivores which have caused big game numbers to nose dive.  Most major elk herds in the western 1/3 of the state have been decimated by as much as 80-percent.
 
Most of that loss has occurred over the past 8 years, under the watch of Governor Brian Schweitzer...and the current MT FWP Commission, which has been headed by Dr. Robert Ream.   This one individual has done more to destroy wildlife resources and hunting opportunities in this state than anyone else who calls Montana home.  (Ream is very much a part of the wolf problem...he was part of the team which wrote the Northern Rockies Wolf Recovery Plan...and has absolutely no business heading the FWP Commission...or being on the Commission period!)
 
Last night, I returned from a lone six-day hunting trip, hunting an area in Montana where, just ten years ago, one could see upwards of a hundred deer a day.  Spending every day from daylight til dark in the field and hunting hard, the most deer I saw in one day was 14.  On three of those days, each day spending a full 10 hours still hunting and glassing some of the finest mule deer habitat in North America or sitting in a stand overlooking a river bottom hayfield (which normally drew 50 to 60 whitetails every evening)...I saw just 2 or 3 deer all day.
 
A few days before leaving on this hunt, the local NBC station here in Missoula aired a story on how the 11,000 hunters in MT FWP Region 1 (around Kalispell), during the first 4 weeks of the 5-week general gun deer and elk season, had "enjoyed" a 4.9% "success rate".  Now, that has to be the absolute worst "hunting success" rate in the entire United States.  As a member of the shooting and hunting industry...why would you waste your time and money to come to Montana?  Many other states offer far greater hunting opportunities.
 
Being as this is Thanksgiving Day, a day devoted to cooking and for being thankful for all we have, I pulled up a very appropriate LOBO WATCH release from a couple of years back which takes a harsh look at a not so tasty dish - one which the sportsmen of Montana (and Idaho) have had forced down their throats. 
 
When is our industry going to pull its head out of the sand, or out of wherever, and stop funding new agenda driven fish and game departments like Montana Fish, Wolves and Parks or the Idaho Department of Fish and No Game?
 
With the success rate so low here in western Montana, the number of hunters going afield is now plummeting quickly.
 
Hope your Thanksgiving Day is filled with a lot more thanks than mine, and hope to visit with many of you at the SHOT Show in January.
 
Toby Bridges
LOBO WATCH 
 
 
PS - The same stupidity that destroyed the hunting in Montana and Idaho is now spreading into the states of Washington and Oregon.


To Read The Release Mentioned In This Letter To The Hunting Industry & Outdoor Media Go To -
http://www.lobowatch.com/adminclient/WolfStewStinks/go