Safari Club International - Alaska Chapter

New HUNT/TRIP listing for 2010

karl — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:15:19 +0000

The preliminary list of hunt and trip donations for the upcoming 2010 fundraiser to be held on Feb. 26 and 27, 2010. This list will be updated throughout January and into February, as new items are made available to us.

As we strive to offer you the best, we may add and delete items from this list. The assignment of the hunts to Friday and Saturday night won’t occur until right before the event.

We have some new outfitter names on the list as well as repeat donors who have supported our chapter year after year, with quality hunts and service. Please review the list and feel free to research them prior to the auction. It is the buyer’s responsibility to understand what they are bidding on. If you have questions about a particular donation, email our hunt coordinator at ron@aksafariclub.org

If you do not purchase one of these donations but intend to book a trip in the future, we ask that you give careful consideration to booking with those outfitters/guides that support Ak Chapter SCI. The generosity of these donors is what enables AK-SCI to successfully support our missions in conservation, education and in advocating for hunters’ rights.

Thank you for your interest and support. Tickets are on sale online now for the Saturday night banquet. Friday night is open to the public, free of charge.

Visit the hunt list page here.

2010 Alaskan Hunting Expo & Sportsman’s Banquet – Feb 26 & 27 2010

karl — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:32:28 +0000

TICKETS & TABLES
Tickets on sale now
$80.00 each
Purchase online at www.aksafariclub.org,
or call
Susan Grasser at (907) 980-9018
Have your credit card
information ready.
•
Exhibitor tables
Exhibitor tables available for rent.
Or ask about complimentary table with
a donation to the auction.
Contact Victor Flint at
907-348-9988
vflint@gci.net
•
Corporate Sponsor tables
Corporate Sponsor Tables available.
Contact Eddie Grasser
president@aksafariclub.org
or call 907-841-0358
or contact
Portia Babcock
portia@alaska.net
or call 907-250-9972
Two levels, $1750 or $2500.
Includes dinner for 10, advertisement in program
and in four issues of the quarterly newsletter,
plus other great benefits.

New Hunt Lists Coming

karl — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:33:41 +0000

At the moment we don’t want to eliminate or change the 2009 hunt list. We will post the 2010 info as soon as possible.

Contact Eddie Grasser at president@aksafariclub.org for more information.

Victory in Court – Judge Allows Wolf Hunts in Idaho and Montana to Continue

karl — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:09:35 +0000

Washington, DC – The participation of Safari Club International (SCI) in a federal lawsuit has helped ensure that hunters in Idaho and Montana can continue hunting wolves under state seasons. The Montana federal court denied a preliminary injunction requested by Defenders of Wildlife and other plaintiffs who sued to stop the hunting season, and to challenge the delisting of Idaho and Montana’s wolves.

Following the April 2009 delisting of wolves, Idaho authorized a hunt of up to 220 wolves and Montana authorized a hunt of up to 75 wolves per season. The anti-hunting groups sued to reverse the delisting and asked Judge Donald Molloy, of the U.S. District Court for Montana, to halt the scheduled hunts on an emergency basis.

SCI is participating in the case to defend the wolf delisting and filed a brief in opposition to preliminary injunction. SCI argued that the delisting was proper, and that Montana and Idaho’s limited hunts would not harm the wolf population, which is many times the number deemed necessary for continued recovery. SCI included with their brief expert testimony about the state of Alaska’s wolf harvests and the difficulties Alaska has had with managing its wolf population despite large bag limits and long seasons.

SCI President Larry Rudolph said “SCI continues to lead the way for the hunting community in efforts to keep the recovered wolves of the Rocky Mountains where they belong – off the endangered species list. The states can and will effectively manage the wolf, as demonstrated by their establishing reasonable and well-regulated wolf hunts. SCI recognizes that a difficult battle lies ahead. Our lawyers are already hard at work to meet that challenge.” The judge’s ruling offers an immediate victory for Montana and Idaho’s efforts to manage their wolf populations and for the hunting community’s interest in protecting the wild ungulate populations that are feeling the impact of the growing wolf populations.

Unfortunately, Judge Molloy’s ruling is only a temporary one and it foreshadows an uphill battle in the ongoing effort to defend the legality of the delisting. To make this victory permanent, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), SCI and all of those who support the delisting will need to convince the judge that the FWS has authority to delist Montana and Idaho’s wolves, while leaving Wyoming’s wolves on the endangered species list.

SCI will stay involved to defend the delisting on the merits. Until the case is resolved on the merits, the Idaho hunt, which began on September 1, and the Montana hunt, which will begin on September 15, will proceed under state law. Thanks in part to the efforts of SCI, hunters in these states can now continue to participate in this important wildlife management activity.

SCI Moves to Defend Wolf Delisting and Fight Thirteen Anti-Hunting Groups

karl — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:43:14 +0000

Washington, DC – Safari Club International (SCI) today asked a U.S. District Court in Montana for permission to intervene in defense of the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf delisting. SCI’s request comes in response to a lawsuit brought by thirteen animal rights and environmental groups on June 2, 2009 to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision that removed wolves in Montana and Idaho from the “endangered” species list.

SCI seeks to participate as a party to defend the federal agency’s decision to recognize the recovered status of the wolves and to turn management of the species over to the states where it belongs. Over the years, SCI has actively participated in multiple cases concerning the status and management of wolves, including litigation in Oregon, Vermont, the District of Columbia and Montana.

SCI President Merle Shepard said “SCI has been the hunting community’s leader in efforts to support the removal of wolves from the endangered species list. Animal rights groups have stymied wolf management and conservation by their repeated challenges to the wolf delisting. SCI is prepared for yet another battle and is looking forward to demonstrating how both scientific management and the law justify the delisting.”

While the “ink dries” on the papers filed for intervention in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf delisting case, SCI is staying at the forefront of the wolf issue around the country, already preparing to move to intervene in another case – an impending challenge to the Western Great Lakes wolf delisting, likely to be filed this week by a separate set of animal rights plaintiffs.

Safari Club International Members Visit Capitol Hill to Discuss Key Issues

Safari Club International Alaska Chapter — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:58:47 +0000

Washington, DC – Over 100 Safari Club International (SCI) members, including the Presidents of the Alaska and Kenai Chapters, met with Members of Congress on the Hill today in conjunction with SCI’s annual May Board meeting in Washington, DC. In more than 180 meetings, SCI members brought the voice of the hunting and conservation community to the Hill, advocating on issues of importance to SCI and its members. SCI’s advocacy, firmly rooted in sound science of wildlife conservation, focused on a number of key legislative priorities including several regulatory issues, federal plans that affect management, conservation and hunting access on public lands, in particular the federal management of the polar bear. “SCI, the leader in protecting and expanding the freedom to hunt, is engaged in advocacy on both the state and federal levels. It is important that our members’ voices be heard at the federal legislative level on issues that affect the SCI community,” said SCI President Merle Shepard. “SCI has been a strong advocate for protecting recreational access to our public lands for families and sportsmen throughout the country. Their members understand the important balance of making land use compatible with conservation,” said Congressman Doc Hastings (R-Wash). ”As Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, I look forward to working with SCI to promote land access, wildlife conservation and the need to restore Americans’ Second Amendment rights in national parks.” SCI’s “Lobby Day” begins with a breakfast briefing from congressional leaders. Ranking Member Hastings was joined at the SCI Congressional Breakfast Briefing by Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR) who is Vice Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus for the House of Representatives and freshman Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA). After the briefing, SCI members dispersed to meetings in all corners of the Capitol complex. They discussed the organization’s accomplishments and goals not only in government affairs, but also in conservation efforts and humanitarian activities. SCI and Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) fund, support, and manage worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services. “SCI appreciates the opportunity to discuss our concerns regarding pending legislation and regulatory efforts with our Members of Congress. We look forward to working with Congress and the administration on key issues to the hunter conservationist community” concluded Shepard.

Contact
Nelson Freeman
Safari Club International(202) 543 – 8733, nfreeman@safariclub.org

2009 Alaskan Hunting Expo & Sportsman’s Banquet

Safari Club International Alaska Chapter — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:09:40 +0000

Ak Chapter Safari Club International

Auction Hunt list updated – Click “hunt list” tab above to view by region

Premiere Friday Night – February 20, 2009

Open to the Public – No admission

Friday Night is Military Appreciation Night

Special Firearm Drawing – just show Military ID

Saturday Night Banquet – Feb 21st - tickets $75 ea, available

Click here for tickets or

Contact (907) 980-9018 or e-mail: admin@aksafariclub.org)

Dena’ina Convention Center 7th Ave Downtown Anchorage

Raffles, Live & Silent auctions

Hunts from around the World, Outdoor Gear, Fine Art, Furs and Jewelry

Largest Taxidermy Display in Alaska!

SCI Commends Choice of Salazar for Interior Secretary

Safari Club International Alaska Chapter — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:50:04 +0000

Washington, D.C. – Safari Club International (SCI) today expressed its support for President-Elect Barack Obama’s choice of Colorado Senator Ken Salazar as his Administration’s next Interior Secretary.

Senator Salazar is currently a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and has been a consistent pro-sportsman vote since he came to Washington, D.C. in 2004. With this appointment, President-Elect Obama has made the logical choice of an Interior Secretary who understands the sportsmen’s legacy of hunting and conservation on America’s public lands.

“We are pleased that President-Elect Obama has resisted the pressure from anti-hunting groups to name an anti-hunting extremist to this important post,” said SCI President Merle Shepard. “Senator Salazar’s pro-hunting votes over the past four years in Washington, and his support for access to federal lands for hunting throughout his entire career in Colorado will prove to be invaluable for sportsmen and women during this Administration.”

Shepard continued, “SCI looks forward to working with Senator Salazar in the Obama Administration to make sure the hunter’s voice is heard on every issue that affects hunting, hunters or science-based wildlife management.”

Contact:
Nelson Freeman
Governmental Affairs and Public Relations
Safari Club International
(202) 543 – 8733
Nfreeman@safariclub.org

SCI-First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s 189 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 18 other countries. 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. Visit the home page www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more information.

ESPN – Swan: Fairbanks Museum of the North spotlights hunting

Safari Club International Alaska Chapter — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:31:06 +0000

SCI Alaska Chapter teamed up with SCI Kenai Chapter to assist the University of Alaska’s Museum of the North in producing an exhibit on Alaska’s hunting and trapping heritage. As the world’s leader in preserving the freedom to hunt and the associated conservation ethic necessary for healthy wildlife populations and ecosystems, SCI was proud to partner with the Museum of the North in providing this opportunity to enhance people’s knowledge and support of one mankind’s most ancient traditions. For more on this story, see the ESPN Sports story by James Swan at the following link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/general/columns/story?columnist=swan_james&id=3654033

Alaska Chapter Wins Top SCI Awards

Safari Club International Alaska Chapter — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:52:07 +0000

At the upcoming national convention in Reno SCI Alaska Chapter will once again be center stage. It has just been announced that the Alaska Chapter has won Top Gun and Diamond Conservation Award honors for this year. Following on a track record of excellence, the Chapter won Top Gun honors in 2004 and Chapter of the Year in 2007, the Alaska Chapter is humbled by this recognition of our efforts.