SCI President Calls for Unity Among Hunting Community
WASHINGTON, DC – Larry Higgins, President of Safari Club International (SCI), noted the resignation of Stan Burger from the position of President of the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) earlier this week. He said that the global hunting community would miss Burger’s dedication to the cause of protecting hunting. Higgins called on the hunting community to carry on Burger’s passion for focusing on the threats to hunting.
President Higgins stressed the need for the various organizations in the hunting community to work together in order to deal with the growing threat of the anti-hunting zealots. He referred to a recent article in National Geographic written after a South African professional hunter was killed by an elephant last week while doing his duty to protect his hunting party from dangerous game. The article was callous about the hunter’s death and used it as an opportunity to slam hunting.
Higgins said, “Today we are dealing with heartless and cruel people who know nothing about wildlife conservation and seem not to care about a human death. There is something horribly wrong with this misguided approach to the values of human life and death and wildlife conservation.”
Last year, under Burger’s leadership, PHASA made a decision to distance itself from hunting lions within enclosures. SCI followed that decision by saying that it opposed hunting of any animal within an enclosure if the hunt did not meet SCI’s fair chase standards. These standards include the following requirements:
- The animals hunted must have freely resided on the property on which they are being hunted for at least six months, or longer.
- The hunting property shall provide escape cover that allows the animals to elude hunters for extended periods of time and multiple occurrences. Escape cover, in the form of rugged terrain or topography, and/or dense thickets or stands of woods, shall collectively comprise at least 50% of the property.
- The animals hunted must be part of a breeding unit that is a resident on the hunted property.
- The operators of the preserve must provide freely available and ample amounts of cover, food, and water at all times.
- Animals that are to be hunted must exhibit their natural flight/survival instincts.
More recently, the SCI Executive Committee approved a decision by the SCI Record Book Committee that it would require an affidavit for Record Book entries of predators hunted within an enclosure. The affidavit must be signed by the hunter and the guide certifying that they have met the fair chase standards for estate animals.
* * * *
Safari Club International – First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visitwww.safariclub.org or call (202) 543-8733 for more information.
Chapter Grants, Scholarships and Awards
CHAPTER OUTREACH
Grants
Grant requests are due April 1st and October 1st of each year. Requests are reviewed and voted upon, in May and November, unless other causes justify an urgent meeting and vote, by the acting Four Corners SCI board. All approved grants are issued within 30 days of the board meeting. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, AND HOW TO APPLY FOR, CHAPTER’S GRANTS.
Scholarships
The Four Corners chapter of Safari Club International (SCI), sponsors two local teachers to attend the American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) during the summer of each year. All interested teachers need to have applications submitted to Four Corners SCI, for grant review, by February 15th of each year. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, AND HOW TO APPLY FOR, AWLS SCHOLARSHIPS.
Awards
We are pleased to continue our support of the Legacy Project, a program to help and encourage youth in conservation, hunting, and education. The project helps youngsters not only get outdoors but stay out, enjoy it and then pass it on to others, thus establishing a Legacy. Each year, at our annual banquet/fundraiser we present one local youth with a new rifle. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, AND HOW TO NOMINATE YOUTH FOR THE, LEGACY AWARD.
Four Corners SCI
MISSION STATEMENTTo promote good fellowship among all who love the outdoors and hunting.
To promote conservation of the world’s renewable wildlife resources, recognizing hunting as one of the many management tools.
To educate youth, sportsmen, and the public in conservation of our wildlife and our forest, which is our natural heritage.
To share our knowledge and hunting experiences among all our membership.
To operate the association as a non-profit organization, consistent with its charitable purposes, while providing enjoyment for our members. Always with the goal of helping to conserve the animals that we love to hunt today, for those who will come to love the sport tomorrow.
We support our mission through our fundraising efforts and providing grant donations. Our annual banquet/fundraiser is the primary source of funds. All monies collected go toward our efforts. The good news is 70% of all funds raised stay here. That’s right the majority of our efforts stay local. If you or someone you know have a group which would like to apply for a grant, please submit your application to the address below.
Submit all request to:
Four Corners SCI
attn: Grant Request Committee
PO Box 1401
Bayfield, CO 81122
Categories: SCI News
Leave a Reply