Hello All,
This spring I asked several of you if you would please write a letter to the USFS Emmett Ranger District in opposition to an Outfitter coming into the heavily populated 32/32A to Bear hunt. Many of you did this and I thank you for that. However, I was hoping the new Ranger for this area would just shoot this bad proposal down with these letters. Sadly, He did not and it is now open for public comment. If we don't flood him now I am afraid our Bear hunting chances are going to be even slimmer for our children. I am not against this Outfitter or Outfitting in general. They have their place and I have used them before. He has a unit already for bear hunting.

As many of you know this area is a very tough to draw controlled hunt area for bear hunting. Imagine not being able to draw this tag for many years and ALL OUR CHILDREN being shut out from drawing a bear tag in their back yard just to see an outfitter (WHO HAS HIS OWN BEAR HUNTING AREA ALREADY) just gets given bear tags to sell to the highest bidder. Selling our wildlife in a controlled area is bad. The draw odds will get progressively worse for everyone and those who don't draw will get to see $$$ just buy others a tag.

This type of proposal was brought up many years ago and the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Assoc. used common sense and biology to say "NO". While some try to paint the picture that I am against Outfitters, it is a blatant lie. They have their place. This Outfitter already has his place to bear hunt and hunts it A LOT. The Outfitters and Guides Assoc. made a bad call on even entertaining this proposal. 32/32A is a very heavily populated unit and holds a lot of people during hunting seasons. Common sense told them that 20+ years ago when they said "NO". (Note: Korell Outfitters in fact holds a spot on the board of directors now)

There is NO biology in this decision. The IDF&G often is asked to increase the amount of tags allotted to the general public. They say no everytime. For 7 years I was the Region 3 Director for the Idaho State Bowhunters. Each year I asked the IDF&G commission to increase the Bear tags in 32/32A and each year I was told the tag numbers where at "TAKE OBJECTIVE". Now, if this proposal is passed by the USFS the IDFG would basically be forced to give tags to an outfitter to sell a hunt for and make profits from. Our controlled hunt area and critters should not be up for sale. It leaves a very sour taste in this Bear hunters mouth.

Once this barn door is opened up there is no turning back. I fear this is just the beginning and more tags and more species of hunts will be proposed in the future. I have had some personal contact with this outfitter in the field and will not comment on those experiences. I am not a friend of his and don't feel friendship should matter in this. I am not against outfitters or outfitting. In fact I have done it and will probably do it again. However, once this barn door is open what happens if this outfitter sells his operation 5 years from now and a very shady operation get's it? What then? That is my fear for my 2 boys. DON'T LET THE BARN DOOR OPEN! Please go to this website and flood it with "I AM IN OPPOSITION" comments for us. THANK YOU!

Teresa MacKenzie-Varner

HERE IS THE SITE.