Sam it was good to talk to you at the Deer Classic. Hope all went well at the DU State convention. You bring up some really good points.
First of all, you are right, it is all connected. The bottom line is wildlife needs habitat and all the groups fight to protect and provide habitat in one way or another.
I think most people who really love the outdoors eventually feel they want to 'give something back' for all the great times they've had and they want to do something to protect the resource so future generations can enjoy the same experiences.
It is very gratifying to see my work help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a variety of conservation efforts, but I never loose sight of the fact that I'm only a tiny piece of the puzzle. None of it would happen if it weren't for the countless people who volunteer to work on banquet committees for DU, PF, WTU, NWTF, Ikes, RMEF and all the other conservation groups fighting to protect our natural resources. These are the people who do the real work, often for little or no credit.
Also essential are the people who attend the banquets and spend their hard earned dollars on raffle tickets and bidding on auction items. Again, not a dollar would be raised if no one bought banquet tickets and came to have a good time and support a worthy cause.
So Old Buck tips the camo hat and humbly says 'your welcome' but it is you people that deserve the thanks and the real credit. That restored marsh, patch of switch grass, tree and shrub planting and food plot can make all the difference in the world to the wildlife that lives there. You're doing a great job, keep it up!
