I was at the Gerber booth at the SHOT Show and just received this press release from them and thought this was a great story to pass along.
SOLDIER MAKES SPECIAL PRESENTATION
TO GERBER AT SHOT SHOW 2006
PORTLAND, Ore. Gerber Legendary Blades, long known for its support of
America’s servicemen and women, has developed and produced numerous products
to aid soldiers on the field of battle. Now, one of the soldiers has
returned from Iraq to say thanks.
Army SFC Dillard Johnson, penned down in an abandoned building by insurgent
gunfire in Iraq, came under a heavy night attack after bright lights were
used to illuminate his position. With his Gerber LMF II, a rugged 10-inch
survival knife with an insulated handle, Johnson was able to sever a pair of
220-volt power cords without being shocked, disabling the lights. Under the
veil of darkness, Johnson and a comrade were able to wait for reinforcements
before exiting the building unharmed.
To thank Gerber, Johnson¹s unit 3rd Infantry Division, 3/7th Cavalry
presented Gerber President Jason Landmark with the U.S. flag that flew over
the division¹s base in November. The presentation is the highest honor that
a military division can bestow upon civilians. In addition, Johnson
presented that same LMF II used to cut the power cables to Gerber Marketing
Services Manager Mark Schindel
“To receive the same knife that served one of our brave soldiers on the
field of battle is quite an honor,” Schindel said. “The knife and the flag
are treasured by everyone in the company and they will be constant reminders
of why we work so hard to ensure that we make the best knives in the world.”
Joining Johnson in the Gerber booth this year at the SHOT Show was
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Army SFC Sammy Davis (Ret.), who
returned to the booth again this year to autograph replicas of the
Congressional Medal of Honor Citation he received for his selfless and
heroic acts during the Vietnam War.
The soldiers highlighted Gerber’s appearance at SHOT Show where the company
debuted a bevy of new products, from hydration packs to L.E.D. lights to
knives and multi-function tools. Among the new products shown were the
Freehand and Hinderer Rescue multi-tools, Carnivore Blood Tracking
Light, Presto 3.5 assisted opening pocket knife, the Quadrant Hunting and
Medal XC hydration packs, the Superknife 3 Blade Utility Knife and the
Superknife Ultrashear.
February 20th, 2006
I received this information from the Arizona Fish and Game department and thought it was very interesting. They put together a Hunter and Shooting Sports Retention Team (HRR Team) to try and figure out what can be done to retain hunters. It was interesting to find their top reasons for people to lose interest in hunting. The department received responses from approximately 7,000 people, the majority of which consisted of active Arizona hunters. The survey participants identified several factors that represented “barriers” to their participation in hunting, including:
* Not getting drawn for a big game tag – 90 percent.
* Urbanization/development of hunting areas – 65 percent.
* Lack of time – 59 percent.
* Off-highway vehicle disruption – 54 percent.
* Overcrowding – 51 percent.
What I thought was very interesting is that nothing was mentioned about the price of tags and licenses in this report. Clearly the rising cost to hunt has to be an issue. However, there is no question that the difficulty of drawing a decent tag is driving people away. Here is the full article:
Efforts are underway to increase hunter retention
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has recently undertaken efforts to explore opportunities for increasing hunter and shooter retention and recruitment in the state.
In September of 2004, the department chartered a Hunter and Shooting Sports Retention Team (HRR Team) to evaluate potential barriers to hunting sports and to identify specific recommendations that can be adopted by the department to address declining participation in hunting and shooting sports. These trends reflect a national phenomenon that has been experienced by state wildlife agencies throughout the country. Game and Fish’s Pinetop Regional Supervisor Jon Cooley, who chaired the HRR Team, provided the Arizona Game and Fish Commission with a briefing of the team’s findings during the commission’s Jan. 20 meeting in Scottsdale.
One tool the HRR Team used during the process was to conduct an online hunter needs assessment survey that was distributed to 50,000, with the department receiving responses from approximately 7,000 people, the majority of which consisted of active Arizona hunters. The survey participants identified several factors that represented “barriers” to their participation in hunting, including:
* Not getting drawn for a big game tag – 90 percent.
* Urbanization/development of hunting areas – 65 percent.
* Lack of time – 59 percent.
* Off-highway vehicle disruption – 54 percent.
* Overcrowding – 51 percent.
The ability to go big game hunting might be a barrier to participation, but the HRR Team also recognized other hunting opportunities as a way to diminish barriers and increase recruitment. “Among the major themes reflected in the approaches recommended by the HRR Team is emphasizing small game hunting as a vehicle to promote hunting recruitment and retention and to serve as a bridge to the more limited big game hunting opportunities,” said Cooley.
The HRR Team developed12 main recommendations as the base of a comprehensive hunter recruitment and retention program, which are broadly highlighted in the following:
1. Construct a comprehensive property management plan for the Robbins Butte, Powers Butte and Arlington Wildlife Management Area complex to promote small game opportunity and provide a venue for hunter recruitment/retention activities.
2. Develop a short-term hunting lease program through landowner relations designed to obtain access to private lands for small game hunting opportunities.
3. Implement enhancements to the department’s Hunter Education Program that promote course convenience and flexibility to customers and that further institute adaptive management evaluation/management practices that mitigate potential barriers to entry.
4. Charter a team to identify improvements in the delivery of hunting information through the annual regulations booklet in a manner that encourages and facilitates use and understanding by new/inexperienced hunters in particular.
5. Evaluate existing big-game draw and hunt structures to maximize hunting opportunity on a sustainable basis.
6. Institute special licenses that promote participation of new hunters through family/friend social structures that serve to reinforce and support hunting activities.
7. Create department positions, public information and outreach efforts, and Web site enhancements that promote and support hunter recruitment/retention programs and activities.
8. Create a new hunter recruitment and retention coordinator position within the Information and Education Division to launch and coordinate the implementation of department hunter recruitment/retention programs, activities and promotions.
9. Establish a full-time shooting range development coordinator position in the Information and Education Division to promote convenient public access to shooting sports/ranges.
10. Launch coordinated, department-wide public information and outreach efforts that promote hunting and otherwise reinforce hunter recruitment/retention efforts and activities made available to the public.
11. Update the department’s strategic planning documents to proactively address urban encroachment as it relates to maintaining small game hunting opportunities in proximity to urban areas, which serve to advance hunter recruitment and retention efforts.
12. Conduct periodic/annual reviews of important hunt draw and license sales data and trends and apply adaptive management practices to department hunter recruitment/retention programs as needed.
Various HRR Team recommendations are already being implemented. For instance, the big game hunt guidelines were significantly revamped this year in light of the hunter retention team recommendations. Efforts were also increased to provide small game hunters better information on where to go for quail, doves, rabbits and waterfowl. The department developed a Hunter Newsletter and a process has been initiated to look at improving the hunt regulation booklet.
February 20th, 2006
I am finally back in the office and will be getting to some new posts as soon as I can. A lot has happened over the last week and a half since I have been gone. I was at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas and then met up with the wife and kids and went on vacation this past week.
It was good to take a break and that is the reason there has not been any new posts this past week. I took a laptop with me and was planning on keeping some fresh posts coming, but my nine year old daughter would have killed me if she would have seen the computer come out on vacation.
I will be digging through my emails and messages and get to some new posts shortly.
February 20th, 2006
