SCI "First for Hunters"??? / "First for Oil Investors"!!!

ActionBob said:

I got that damned spam and earlier this summer I did receive a phone call soliciting investment. reflecting upon that, I wonder if it was related to my signing up on that special membership deal SCI had going? Last thing I need or want is more junk phone calls!

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Didn't receive any phone calls about the oil deal, but did receive several mailings before I left for the new contract.

Johnny7604 said:

SCI lost my support this year. They were sorely lacking in there response to all the different bans and of course the Cecil incident. In my humble opinion they have lost sight of their mandate and become a self serving organization. I will not be giving them money simply so they can live high on the hog and exploit us.

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A lot of people feel this way.

How did Dallas Safari Club and other hunting organizations do with the PR concerning Cecil?

Hank2211 said:

Got it as well, but I'm a member.

Oil is (or was, until just recently) my business, and I can tell you it's been a pretty crappy business for a while now. I'm astounded that SCI gets involved in selling these - or frankly any type of - investments. The oil and gas business is extremely risky, and I'd have thought wasn't really appropriate for most people, at least as a direct investment. But what do I know. Just been in it for 30 years.

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Hank,

Totally agree with you. I am a degreed Petroleum Engineer and have worked for a major US oil company for 30+ years. I laugh at the site of that Oilboom ad in the SCI magazine.

Two African outfitters that I've hunted with have both told me they don't care for SCI and the way they conduct business. One told me a story about carrying something in the convention hall while setting up their booth. A guy stopped them and said they couldn't do that as it was against the union rules. They had to pay a guy $50 to carry a few items to the booth. Same scenario at the DSC, a guy stops them and asks if he could help them carry stuff and set up their booth. The outfitter goes to pay them and the guy turns it down and says he was glad to help. The outfitter meets the same guy the next day and it turns out he was an exec with DSC, just being helpful. Night and day difference between DSC and SCI, in my opinion.

Basically nothing. When I say nothing I mean they did as much as SCI did. No public response. Shawn did a video 15 minutes. Who saw it? Not the general public. We hunters saw it. We need convincing? No. No social media response, no print ad response, nothing! It infuriates me. We're nothing but a punching bag. I'll say it again as I've said many times before, SCI or DSC combined with the outdoor hunting industry needs to hire a PR firm to handle education to the general public. They are needed to respond immediately when these type of situations arise.

I must say, of late, I have really been wondering about SCI. I live in Scotland and I do enjoy the magazine, despite the strange habit of American newspapers and magazines running a story over several very disparate pages spread throughout the publication. Why on earth does this happen? But I digress. We had a chapter in UK, but basically, from what I understand, great pressure was applied to raise money for SCI - and sadly, that seems to be what they are up to constantly now. So, as a foreign observer, yes they do lobby government, yes they do support some good causes, but I'm afraid a lot of the time its just an organisation focussed on money.
Gentlemen, therefore, am I better supporting DSC?
Thank you.

paladin100 said:

I must say, of late, I have really been wondering about SCI. I live in Scotland and I do enjoy the magazine, despite the strange habit of American newspapers and magazines running a story over several very disparate pages spread throughout the publication. Why on earth does this happen? But I digress. We had a chapter in UK, but basically, from what I understand, great pressure was applied to raise money for SCI - and sadly, that seems to be what they are up to constantly now. So, as a foreign observer, yes they do lobby government, yes they do support some good causes, but I'm afraid a lot of the time its just an organisation focussed on money.
Gentlemen, therefore, am I better supporting DSC?
Thank you.

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Yes.

paladin100 said:

I must say, of late, I have really been wondering about SCI. I live in Scotland and I do enjoy the magazine, despite the strange habit of American newspapers and magazines running a story over several very disparate pages spread throughout the publication. Why on earth does this happen? But I digress. We had a chapter in UK, but basically, from what I understand, great pressure was applied to raise money for SCI - and sadly, that seems to be what they are up to constantly now. So, as a foreign observer, yes they do lobby government, yes they do support some good causes, but I'm afraid a lot of the time its just an organisation focussed on money.
Gentlemen, therefore, am I better supporting DSC?
Thank you.

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I still support SCI, mostly because hunters don't have much else. But I too begin wonder, when I see how much fund-raising SCI does, and how little I actually see of where that money goes. To forestall those who would point out where it does go - note that I said I don't see it, and if I, as a member who thinks he pays some reasonable amount of attention, can't see it, how can non-hunters?

Perhaps they could take a page out of the playbook of Conservation Force - now that's an organization that does real work on behalf of hunters, and could use more funds.

Peter Flack pushed some time ago for hunting organizations to come together,, pool resources and develop a global public communications strategy on behalf of hunters. Yet nothing is heard. Why is that? Is it because these organizations are too busy protecting their little fiefdoms? Is it the "not created here" syndrome?

In the years I have been actively hunting big game, I have joined organizations, paid my membership fees, and made donations, yet every year, my sport seems to become less socially acceptable, more countries are closed to hunting, travel with guns becomes more complicated, and now we can't get our trophies home.

When will hunters stop paying to organizations which don't produce real results?

Frustrated.

It is extremely frustrating to me that the anti's are basically running rampant unchecked and unopposed while the organizations that we pay to represent us quite literally distance themselves and hide from the fight only to appear after most of the smoke and dust has settled with a short soundbite and a few crappy chainletters.

I dunno guys maybe it's just me but I expect that an organization like theirs that is solely dependent on us would fight harder for us.

I don't expect miracles but for crying out loud how hard is it for these groups to rally up with some of the firearm, bow and hunting gear manufacturers and put together a well funded professional campaign. They have the infrastructure already set up to do this stuff. Why is it that we always have to be the ones to take the brunt of these attacks and fight on the front lines while they sit back with our money and do what is realistically nothing? Seems pretty cowardly to me. DSC seems to be the best of the bunch but I want to see more out of these groups before I break my credit card again.

Johnny7604 said:

It is extremely frustrating to me that the anti's are basically running rampant unchecked and unopposed while the organizations that we pay to represent us quite literally distance themselves and hide from the fight only to appear after most of the smoke and dust has settled with a short soundbite and a few crappy chainletters.

I dunno guys maybe it's just me but I expect that an organization like theirs that is solely dependent on us would fight harder for us.

I don't expect miracles but for crying out loud how hard is it for these groups to rally up with some of the firearm, bow and hunting gear manufacturers and put together a well funded professional campaign. They have the infrastructure already set up to do this stuff. Why is it that we always have to be the ones to take the brunt of these attacks and fight on the front lines while they sit back with our money and do what is realistically nothing? Seems pretty cowardly to me. DSC seems to be the best of the bunch but I want to see more out of these groups before I break my credit card again.

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Johnny you echo my feelings to a tee. Man we are getting " run out of town" IMO. No one is looking out for us. That's how I feel. And with good reason. Just look around. And now the TV show blood lions. I don't know what to say anymore.

SCI is a business. Not unlike certain countries that rely on war for specific self interested corporations.

(1) I am sure theirs some way to opt out of third party marketing and internal SCI marketing. (2) SCI are not on the only ones selling mailing lists for marketing, I don't like it but it makes them money. (3) Joined SCI for the Gun insurance, much cheaper then my current insurance carrier, USAA. (By the way the NRA insurance is a joke, IMO). (3) It takes a lot of money to file all the lawsuit on behalf of hunters, and have a lobbyist in DC, I am happy giving them money to do that, but not impressed with the lion response. But maybe, it was strategy of just let it blow over and clean up the mess later and then again maybe not. (4) (a)DSC is my go to club, Don't have to be a member to attend the trade show, and the show is reasonably priced. (b) they have a large educational department to get youth involved in Hunting and the outdoors. (c) they spend a lot of money conservation and actively try to influence policy.

Got it as well, and I'm a member... I cant believe they allowed this type of promo email to go out from a Safari / Hunting Club dedicated to hunters' rights and promoting wildlife conservation

Pro Hunting Safaris said:

Got it as well, and I'm a member... I cant believe they allowed this type of promo email to go out from a Safari / Hunting Club dedicated to hunters' rights and promoting wildlife conservation

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Mailings and phone calls also!

What a scam!