Since neither Chad nor Billie Ray made the decision that has caused such turmoil, it would be inappropriate for them to comment on it.
I know John as well (not as well as many of you), having worked with him for several years during my involvement with the DU committee in Tupelo and working as the chairman of the Sponsor banquet in Tupelo for a couple of years. I like John and had no serious problems with his support in the Tupelo area. And I wish him well in the future.
I am certain that we will find out in the future the reasoning behind DU's decision to eliminate one of the MS RD positions. Until then, perhaps it might be a good idea to not assume the worst about an organization that has done so much over the years to help the ducks.
And Billie Ray will need all the help he can get to cover the entire state of MS, if that is part of the new plan of DU. And I still fail to see how it is fair or constructive to level personal attacks at BRF or Chad or any particular person employed by DU at the local level. Both are dedicated to their jobs and DU's mission and have a passion for duck hunting. They are one of us. They participate actively on this board, and share good, helpful information about the duck hunting world to keep us all informed. They are each good folks who are right now caught in the crossfire of this backlash. I think they deserve much better from this board community.
The mission of DU is much, much bigger than one person, or even a handful of people. All are important cogs, and any loss will be missed. But, life goes on, and the mission must go on for the good of the ducks, even as imperfect as many suggest.
