DU Newsletter - A Call to Arms

[Wildfowler]

Ok, you think DU is taking advantage of people like us. Now we are getting somewhere.

You and I don't ever have to ever have to work at another DU event again for the rest of our lives. But isn't the organization as a whole doing a good thing? In that, they are spending some portion of their money towards conserving waterfowl? I choose to look at the positive things DU does.

Surely we won't punish the ducks because of our bad experiences with a very small group of people?

[sportsman450]

Wildfowler-my main beef with D.U. is the use of volunteer labor.
When I've put in no telling how many hours working towards a banquet,and a paid D.U.employee tells me I have to pay for the privilege-IT REALLY PISSES ME OFF!!
That being said,you are right.If any money gets to the ducks ,it's not all bad.
I don't have the answer.D.W. may be it - until they out grow themselves.

[mallardchaser]

Wildfowler and Sportsman 450, have y'all heard of instant messenger?

I'll get us 3 together on a hunt this year and I'll shoot y'alls ducks while you have this in depth du discussion.

[Wildfowler]

Sportsman, I think you are missing my point. The cost of that complex is a fraction of what DU brings in each year. And it's done. They don't incur that type of cost each year. What about all the money they do spend on the ducks.

Do you honestly feel like all the DU projects are not a worthy endeavor? So much so that you honestly feel like it is to your personal advantage to try to convince others that they are not doing anything good.

DU is not perfect. No doubt about it. But what else can we support if we choose to support ducks? DU and DW. I support both and have worked for both. Do you support ducks in any form or fashion?

[sportsman450]

Wildfowler -again the money was spent,AND WASTED,that's my point.
I do agree with you on the rest of it!
AS FOR YOU TEENY PEENY-no I don't know how to use instant messenger,and would look forward to a hunt with Wildfowler-if you promise to leave your call at home!!!!

[Wildfowler]

MC you better work on your shooting if you expect to shoot any of my ducks. I've never hunted with Sportsman, but would be happy to.

May I go to bed now?

[mallardchaser]

teeny peeny, quit looking in the mirror..I wil not leave my call at home. I just got a new one. That will surely make me a "pro" caller. How many ducks did you shoot last year sportsman?
Wildfowler, I think my shooting is just fine, thanks for your concern though.

[sportsman450]

Wildfowler-permission granted. By the way,this was fun.
3x6=18 That would mean 9 appiece for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wildfowler]

Here's a link that should dispell the myth that DU doesn't support hunters.

http://www.ducks.org/waterfowling/hunting_statement.asp
http://www.ducks.ca/aboutdu/hunting.html
http://www.ducks.org/about/faq/faq_hunting.asp

I hope this helps to clear that air about the anti-hunter myth. I prefer to think for myself and form my own decisions/opinions.

[sportsman450]

Wildfowler - your back.
Who said d.u. was anti-hunter? Hunters=MONEY they love that.

You sound intelligent and reasonable.The only doubt there lies in your friendship with mallardchaser!
If I was looking for real evidence,I don't think I would look at the company's own press release.I'm sure ENRON and WORLD-COM didn't advertise what they were really doing.

[Hambone]

Well, I guess it was about time for another anti-DU diatribe, with all of the accompanying allegations based on everything but the facts. We've heard it all before about the "overpaid executives" and the "lavish" buildings etc, etc, etc. What are you, a socialist? Do you really think that a corporation with as much as DU has going on is going to be able to attract a competent executive staff if they don't offer a competitive package? I just don't think that you are going to locate too many nonprofit or profit companies that enjoy high quality leadership from people that work for nothing. It's one thing to serve as an unpaid banquet committee member for an event that happens once a year. It's quite another to take on an executive position of an organization as large as DU. Unless you are independently wealthy, you have to have a paycheck in order to live. There is no nobility in poverty, and no room at all for conservation. On another topic, what's the problem with the TV show? I would much prefer to watch them shoot greenheads at Wingmeade than to see two ol' boys paddle a walmart johnboat out on the Pearl River WMA to shoot spoonbills and coots. I may never get invited to Wingmeade, but it's fun to see how it looks! As I understand the TV business, the reason that they run advertisements between scenes is that the advertisers pay for the time...

[Dutch Dog]

I don't hunt at wingmeade or whatever, but I shoot as many greenheads as anyone else (and up until a couple of years ago I probably shot MORE!). I hunt on public land 100% of the time. I don't go out and paddle a walmart johnboat I have a nice boat with an outboard motor. I would rather watch a good ol' boy and his buddy shoot ducks myself because that is something I can relate to. Hunting on some old southern plantation where there are still "maids" that do everything for you, and they ride around in horsedrawn wagons and shoot quail (that have been planted) etc...that is a bunch of crap, and it is NOT hunting!!! Get out and get muddy, wet, put out your own decoys, and actually have to work for something so you can appreciate it! Hell, the most work they do is putting on their $400 Orvis waders in the morning and walking out to their ride to the heated mansion of a blind. As far as looking for unbiased information regarding DU and its endeavors with their funds, I don't think there IS such a place. Just like someone pointed out...look at Enron...so I would be skeptical about anything DU has released, but on the other hand I would put very little weight into anything else I read negatively about DU, because that info would be biased based upon what the writer of the article's agenda was.

[Wildfowler]

Some people still think that DU is anti-hunting, it was even mentioned in this thread. Anyway, now that I've slept on it and have cooled off, here's what I am trying to say.

People don't need to be so eager jump on the bandwagon. Jumping on the bandwagon does not make you a better duck hunter. Learn to ask questions to verify information. Learn to think for yourself. Just because you see something in print, does not make it true.

Can anyone else help me verify that the detail that I looked up yesterday is correct? Or more to the point. Can anyone else please help me verify that my conclusions are correct. If anyone has any additional factual information that I feel I may have conveniently omitted, please share it with us. Review the charges from Dkman, then review my information. Then review my conclusions based on the detail I provided.

Once you have gotten that far in your own analysis, please let me know what your conclusions are about the charges, or what you think about my conclusions. I'm not here to try to embarrass anyone or harass anyone. I just can't for the life of me understand why fellow duck hunters feel and act the way they do. I will be glad to apologize personally, or publicly, or change my public opinions, or whatever. If I am going about this the wrong way.

Please contribute, you should never quit trying to learn something new.

[sportsman450]

Wildfowler-you come at this with a level head seeking answers and that's good.Maybe you will find some.I hope so.

Dutch Dog-good job.

Hambone-just another word from the d.u. silverspoon section

[Wildfowler]

Hey Dutch, all I have to go on are the fact that are published. So far, no one has been able to show me anything other than their opinions. You very well could be correct. DU could be cooking the books. So far they haven't been caught. And so far this is all I have to base my opinions on. If you know of any accounting irregularities, I would encourage you to share them with me.

Here's why I do not get offended by those TV shows. I personally plan to be a mulit-zillionaire one day. I plan on having some really nice things in life. Regardless on whether or not I achieve these goals, nothing is going to stop me from trying to achieve them. Right now, unless I am a guest on private land, if I want to duck hunt. I must hunt on public land. I consider myself to be pretty good at it, just like the rest of you do. And I enjoy it. And because of it, I will be a much better person one day when I get there. Rather than the "rich peepee" that we all know. I like to see those nice places on the TV shows. I look at those places and get inspired to work harder. I get inspired to save more, or to try to make changes in my lifestyle. So that one day, God willing, I can have a nice place of my own to hunt.

And if it doesn't happen, it's ok. I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I tried to make it happen, but just didn't get there. Not everyone does make it. You know what? I only have myself to blame for not trying. We all have opportunities that occur in life that we have to act on for ourselves if we want to achieve anything for ourselves. If we continue to live in and promote such negativity, we will never achieve any of your dreams.

Fellows, I am not trying to make any enemies here. I like the folks I have talked to here. I do not have any ill will towards anyone here. I want the same things in life that you all want. But negativity is unhealthy to me and it won't get me there.