Stix's Link
https://www.howlforwildlife.org/pa_sunday_hunting
If you are referring to HOWL, It was actually put together last year to by 2 California hunters who were opposed to the legislation to ban bear hunting. HOWL is not really a group, or an organization, but more of a grass roots effort for hunters across the nation to respond to both threats to hunting and fishing and support pro hunting initiatives. They are much like the Sportsmans Alliance, but are more effective with their email generators, having pre-worded, but modifiable emails pre-addressed to lawmakers and decision makers. You can send a donation, which will help with the administrative costs of maintaining the website and efforts to be effective. Many folks here in Colorado were amazed at the positive momentum that this effort gave on defeating a mountain lion hunt ban legislation last month. Many of Coloradoans donated at least the minimum $5, some of us much more. Please go to the website and check them out: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/what_we_do
What was amazing was for the Colorado Mtn Lion Hunt ban, if you went to a link on the HOWL website, with your phone, you could auto dial the legislators to voice your opinion by phone as well. These guys are really sharp.
So far, they are batting 1000 on all the initiatives this effort has undertaken. If you go to the website on my OP, you can navigate to get more info on this initiative.
Please see the attached link to answer questions. HOWL is not an organization, club, or business. It is a hunting/angling internet platform, created for the reasons listed on the attached link. thus no BOD. It's also not an 'offshoot' of any organization, if that's where you are going.
https://www.howlforwildlife.org/what_we_do
If I was really tricky Id use a fake name on one of my digital weapons to really play with folks lol
I dont want out of state folks driving the hunting wheels in Pa. Like a rock star, or a major gun rights group, have done in the past. Let Pa folks dictate it. Its my state- it’s our state- not yours. What you may not realize that out of state letters, and emails requiring addresses, get chit canned, for good reason. An example: when the 50 yd safety zone was initially discussed the Rep - an “R”, he DEMANDED 250 LETTERS from HIS CONSTITUENTS, before he would introduce such an undertaking. It was introduced.
Being from SW Pa when I hunt Forbes State Forest every weekend it has a multitude of Horseback riders, mt bikers, hikers and leaf watchers until the 3rd or 4th week of October. Most of which buy equipment that falls under PR funding, so they contribute to hunting monetarily, like hunters. So many in fact it’s virtually impossible to hunt. Give them 3 sundays in October, give hunters every Sunday of the year lol
Anyhow I have come out of the woods on 3 occasions in the last 2 years to Park Police at the wait. You see other folks, using the SF are calling in suspicious vehicle complaints to our vehicles. And they get multiple complaints when it occurs, and the Park Police HAVE TO answer each call to meet the operators of the vehicles.
I’m almost giving up hunting up there, but I have faith, that things will fall into place. My thoughts aren’t selfish enough to send my $ to an entity that has no backtrail.
FWIW- I had 2 gobblers coming into a call 3 years ago when I spotted the bright red between the sticks in a blowdown. I adjusted, pulled my gun up and nestled into my sitting stance, when the guy wearing his bright red and blue tossel cap quickly turned and ran back downhill to the Laurel Highlands Trail on which he was training for a mud race. This of course was in the spring.
Why don't you just come out and say why your opposed to what Stix has to say.
And I’m not against sunday hunting, at all quite frankly.
Look at the costs involved….. they may be the greatest org out there! Seriously! But someone is giving this group $ and someone is spending it. Just who is responsible for either?
Look at it this way. HOWL is everything BCHA "claims" to be, without the IPA pint nights. I've sent the emails. When there is a bit more transparency, I'll send $$.
Everything that is offered above is already available from ANY ONE of Pa’s hunting organizations. In the case of bowhunters, the United Bowhunters of Pa have been doing this “stuff” for the near 30 years I’ve been a member. This isn’t a “New idea”. And we’ve been ahead of the curve technologically since it became cool.
EVERY one of our states orgs are grasping for new members, new confidence, new faces, new blood. It doesn’t have to be the UBP, there are many other state run groups. Every group has been on top of this topic for months, offering the same info to members and non alike. It is my recommendation instead of dropping $40 bucks or so on a outside group, send it to the state org that suits you best, Then offer to volunteer for something at least once.
I actually applaud Stix and his ambitions, just not for me, at this time.
I saw what this platform did in Colorado with the Mt Lion hunt ban legislation. One click from your computer sent an email to all pertanent decision makers. One click on your phone received a call back connecting you to the decision makers allowing you to leave a voice message. None of the other conservation orgs have batted 1000 on the issues they have taken up. So far, HOWL has a perfect record. The platform is excellent in uniting sportspeople to promte our common interests. As was said, it is what everyone had hoped BHA would be.
As far as BHA, I was a very active member of BHA prior to learning about HOWL. And BHA has done many good things in their support of public lands, waters and wildlife. But unfortunately they support a political sphere that conflicts with my faith and converative ideals. I have since taken to promoting HOWL's efforts of pro-conservation wildlife management instead of the left of center conservation approach of BHA.
As far as an official organization, that's what HOWL is not. It's an internet/social media platform that allows sportsmen, corporations, and conservation orgs to have a common platform to initiate calls to action. The donations are for maintaining and expanding the platform. There is no requirement to send money to get involved. But after seeing how the effort was coordinated in defeating the anti-hunting legislation in Colorado. I felt compelled to donate. It's nice to have a cause you can personally feel compelled to support because of their effectiveness.
I received replies from some law makers in opposition to the bill as currently written, and would support it If it required landowners permission to hunt Sundays on their private land. I believe in private property rights, but it appears that this is being used as a backwards attempt by some to sidetrack the legislation. I researched this and by PA law, a landowner can put whatever restrictions he/she likes on folks they are allowing to trespass.
This provision already exists for landowners. A land owner can say "no trespassing on Sundays for hunting"
This is exactly how I've felt regarding the Sunday hunting issue and the PFB for awhile now.
I did my research and I'm behind HOWL's efforts for PA hunters and hunters across the country. I actually log into the website daily and look at the issues across the country they are asking for support on.
Stix's posts are spot on regarding HOWL and mirror exactly what I learned about them through my research. He put things a lot more eloquently than I could've.
Ultimately it's everyone's choice to support different organizations, or not just like it's everyone's choice to support Sunday hunting, or not. I'm just hoping that soon, very soon we all have the choice to hunt every Sunday here in PA.