Making a Stand for Our Bowhunting Future

[Psylux]

THIS FROM THE ABA


Hello Jason.
Thanks for your concerned approach.
I can assure you the ABA exec do as much as they can but none of us get paid for what we do.
Believe it or not most of us have to make a living but we are happy to give up our time in persuit of what *we think is the benefit of archery/bowhunting.
In the case you are refering we haven’t had “anything wiped off the map in one day”. NSW has never had any hunting in National forests so anything that is allocated is a plus. Would I like to see bowhunting in these places? Absolutely. Is it likely? Probably not. The government want to eradicate feral animals and the bow is not the tool for that. *At this stage I am hoping the current hunting process will continue in State forests, but time will tell.
(I can assure you that we will do our best to be a part of that process but I doubt that we will see a conclusion prior to the National Election as I am pretty sure the whole thing is about votes.)
Believe it or not the Game Council was never about hunting, it was about feral and pest animal control, the government was using private hunters to help in this regard. Let’s face it, the bow is not going to cut it in a numbers game and numbers are what the GC are about. If the Game Council worked 100% efficiently and effectively it had a use by date anyway, as some time in the future there would not have been any pest animals left to hunt. In this regard the government has now decided there is a more efficient way of handling the current arrangement hopefully it will continue on with a similar process of the GC but it will be handled by an established department (DPI ?) and the GC will be no more.
This has no effect on private property hunting which historically has been the only way hunting could be conducted in NSW.
So what’s to be done? Numbers is the Game. Politicians and governments only care about numbers. So I’ll give you a challenge Jason. Get everyone you know to join an archery/bowhunting association. The more numbers we can quote to these people the more chance we will have of them listening to us. But working against us will achieve nothing but division, and that will get us nowhere.
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Mark Burrows,
VP Bowhunting Division.
ABA.
From: ABA enquiries [mailto:enquiries@bowhunters.org.au]
Sent: Friday, 5 July 2013 8:58 AM
To: eric51@optusnet.com.au; markandellen@bigpond.com
Subject: Fwd: Contact Us
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
Contact Us
Date:
Thu, 4 Jul 2013 10:48:38 +0000
From:
ABA Web SIte: <postmaster@bowhunters.org.au>
To:
enquiries@bowhunters.org.au
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Subject: NSW Bowhunters left out in the cold
Your Message: What do you plan to do to protect our rights now that they have been stripped away. If bowhunting is not allowed in National Forests then State Forests will be next. How did we go from a great prospering culture to being wiped off the map in one day. Time for you people at ABA to step up your game instead of sitting on your hands. Bows will be a licensed firearm within two years if you and the Shooters and Fishers party don't do something. You are our governing body! You represent US. It's time to prove that you are not just a figure head with no power as is bandied around all too often. Restore our culture and our faith.
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Jason Hare
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[Chris81]

Wow, just wow ABA.

[strika]

Reading the ABA reply creates in my mind and impression that the SSAA has more interest in bowhunters rights than the ABA. Go do some searching on SSAA comments and it's members attitudes to bowhunters and you might agree with my opinion. To me, the ABA appears to be totally against what it's members really want?? Volunteers or not, it sounds like they are not in this one...........

[Wilba]

Maybe the ABA needs to change its name to ATA (Australian Target Assosation)
It would be more appropriate as is seams that is its main focus.

[Huntfit]

Boys if you don't like what ABA are about, it is up to YOU to make the change.

Hunters and hunting must use the main stream media, if this includes taking out ads in the popular daily's, so be it.

[Ben S]

This is by far the best news I've heard in a long time, hats off to Gary Mallard. As sad as the GC's demise may be, I hope this can be a catalyst for some big positives within not only the bowhunting community, but the wider hunting community as well. After reading Gary Mallard's words, I have just joined the SSAA and SFP for the first time, and plan to remain a member from here on in. It cost me the same as about 8 arrows.

The FAB will undoubtedly be the best national, credible representation we as bowhunters have ever had.

I cannot urge you enough of the importance of getting behind this movement. This is critical.

If you love bowhunting, and love our way of life, now is the time to do your part in protecting what we all have.

Spread the word - all of you have mates who bowhunt who don't necessarily join in on the forum, and don't necessarily read the magazines or participate at clubs. Those thousands of bowhunters out there in the wilderness are the ones we need to draw upon and make sure this information reaches. I challenge you to email them the link to this thread - or even just tell them about it. I will be doing so today. I'm sure there will be much more information coming to hand over the next few weeks. Thanks Antonio for your tireless toiling as always, well done mate, I look forward to hearing how the meeting goes and wish I could be there. I knew this day would come, and am very glad it finally has.

[Ben S]

Boys if you don't like what ABA are about, it is up to YOU to make the change.

Precisely, well said. Let's not turn this thread into an ABA-bashing extravaganza. Let's look to the positives of the future, not the negatives of the past.

[Pascal]

This is getting out of hand now..i dont know if i can make the meeting but i just joined SFP anyway.

[Psylux]

My intention was not to bash the ABA rather to light a fire under their asses to be more vocal and pass on some info. Such as, their stance on all this? What they are doing to counteract what's happening and what they need us to do to help them win this fight. But we have recieved no information at all. I posted the response to show the differing stance I think the ABA has compared to the majority of outraged hunters.
I just joined the SFP also. Nice work Gary on organizing the meeting in August.

Its great to see action being taken.

[Antonio Lara]

Great to see so many enthusiastic people getting behind this. If all bowhunters work together on this I am sure w e can make a difference. All bowhunters in Oz deserve to have a voice and be represented, be it and association member or not, and hopefully this will finally get us all accounted for in the numbers that we truly represent. Will be great to see everyone work together for once.

I am going to start a thread where people can post that they are or have joined the Shooters and Fishers Party and a are a bowhunter who wants their pastime protected. This will be a great number to take to the meeting whether you can make it or not, just so we can state that we have this many bowhunters who are members who want to be represented from a bowhunting sense.