Hunters and Anglers Buy from Companies that Support Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation

Large majorities of hunters and anglers say they are more likely to buy products from companies that support wildlife and fisheries conservation efforts, according to a recent survey.

Hunters and anglers also perceive specific firms as being particularly strong in their support for conservation.

In separate November 2008 surveys (one for hunters and the other for anglers), respondents were asked if they would be more or less likely to buy from companies that support conservation of wildlife and fisheries resources. A significant 67% of hunters and 52% of anglers stated that they are “much more likely” to buy products from conservation-supporting companies. A further 22% of hunters and 29% of anglers describe themselves as “slightly more likely” to buy products from such companies.

Only 7% of hunters and 14% of anglers stated that companies’ support for conservation had no influence either way on their purchasing decisions.

“These results show that clear majorities of both hunters and anglers are positively influenced in their purchasing decisions by companies’ perceived efforts in support of wildlife and fisheries conservation,” said the survey’s author, Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates.

The survey results also show that hunters and anglers perceive specific companies as being supporters of conservation efforts. In the separate surveys, hunters were asked which listed companies they felt contributed to hunting and wildlife conservation, and anglers were asked which listed companies they felt contributed to fishing and fisheries conservation. A list of companies to choose from was provided to each respondent. The top five brands were (the figure following each company or brand name indicates the percentage of respondents who perceived that company as a conservation supporter):

Chevy Trucks: hunters 16%, anglers 15%;
Budweiser: hunters 13%, anglers 12%;
Polaris: hunters 12%, anglers 8%;
Ford: hunters 10%, anglers 8%;
Yamaha: hunters 8.5%, anglers 10.5%;

Launched in 2006, AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries officials, and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. The list above represents only a small sample of the vast amount of information that is available from the complete survey results. The results are scientifically analyzed to reflect all U.S. anglers. Find out how a subscription to the complete survey data can help your business, government agency, or organization.

For more information, contact Rob Southwick at Rob@southwickassociates.com.

What's Up With Some Hunters?

I must admit to being a regular on a couple of internet messageboards and while they are typically a great place to ask questions and share information, there inevitably are some heated discussions. The one thing that I can never understand though, is some hunters' need to slag other hunters, usually for practices the poster has no experience with. As hunters, we need to support other ethical hunters and while conversations surrounding ethics are certainly a good thing, they don't come with a need to put other hunters down because their ethics may differ slightly from ours or because they have hunting experiences that we don't.

That's my rant for the day......spending too much time in the edit suite gives you lots of time to think. Watch for new episodes of Outdoor Quest TV beginning next week on Wild TV.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to everyone and may your New Year be filled with much success and good fortune.

Does it get any stupider?

I just sent the following letter to the National Post in regard to an article they printed regarding hunting in Alberta. It could quite possibly be the most rediculous thing I've ever read and better suited to the Peta web site than a national publication.....

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1083655

I hope many of you take a few moments to draft a letter as well and send it to the editor of the National Post.

Dear Mr. Libin:

I started to draft a letter but your article, Hunters Go Hog Wild, is so fraught with wild speculation, innuendo and outright lies that it seems pointless...ugh....my head hurts!

Your obvious disdain for hunters and hunting has certainly allowed you to abandon any journalistic integrity that you may have had. Shame on you.

I'm not sure what else to say other than that was one of the trashiest examples of yellow journalism I've ever read. It's a sad commentary on our society when a respected publication like the National Post will publish drivel like this.

Yours truly,

T.J. Schwanky

Hunters' Rendezvous

In the tradition of the great trappers' rendezvous of the 1700s, we decided to hold a hunters' rendezvous this past weekend and gather together a bunch of friends to celebrate the past hunting season. Despite frigid temperatures and deep snow, more than a dozen of Alberta's most dedicated hunters came out to share their good fortune, stories, tips and gear reviews. It started early in the afternoon and went well into the night and many new freindships were forged and many plans laid for the upcoming season.....

Thanks to all that could make it and I hope everyone had a great season and is well underway planning for 2009.

Elk Hunt Day 7

Well, I ended the Arizona elk season with an unused tag. We tried to make a play on a 340-class bull with 60"+ beams this afternoon but it was not to be. Overall, I had a great hunt and I'd like to thank George, my guide Gadget and the crew at United States Outfitters as everything was first class. Not only was USO critical in helping me draw this world-class tag, their guides' knowledge was incredible in this very challenging unit. I'd also like to thank Brenda and the crew at Westside Lilo's for all the great meals! Make sure you stop in there if you ever find yourself in Seligman.

Elk Hunt Day 6

We spent another day watching over a deep canyon where George has had considerable success over the years but luck was not on our side today and we never saw an elk. One more day to go.

Elk Hunt Day 5

Today started off with some excitement when our guide, Gadget, spotted a nice bull at first light. After looking at him for about 15 minutes, I decided not to shoot him. We got ahold of another hunter and he was thrilled at an opportunity at the big 6x6 and he made a great 300 yard shot, killing the bull in his bed. We videod the entire sequence and you'll see the hunt on a 2009 episode of Outdoor Quest TV. The bull was a solid 320 but I'm hoping that my path will cross with something bigger. Tomorrow is another day.

Elk Hunt Day 4

We put in another long day but only got one brief glimpse of an elk a mile away. We did see some javelinas today and a mule deer but that's all that came out on this 70 degree day. One of the hunters in camp killed a monster bull yesterday that grosses 432. Seeing a bull like that keeps you getting up at 4:00 every morning.