U.S. hunters, anglers lobby for climate bill

By Ed Stoddard and Richard Cowan Ed Stoddard And Richard Cowan – Sun Oct 18, 8:27 am ET
DALLAS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An unlikely lobbying group is pressing the U.S. Senate to curb greenhouse gas emissions: American hunting and fishing groups who fear climate change will disrupt their sport.

Hunters and anglers are mainly a Republican Party constituency representing tens of millions of votes in the U.S. heartland and could help swing crucial votes as the Senate tries to pass legislation to cut carbon output.

Twenty national hunting and fishing groups urged senators in a letter last month to ensure "the climate legislation you consider in the Senate both reduces greenhouse gas emissions and safeguards natural resources."

Among those calling for "comprehensive" legislation were groups not usually associated with liberal causes, like the Dallas Safari Club, the National Trappers Association and Pheasants Forever.

One of their worries, for example, is that the fowl they hunt might not migrate as far south if northern U.S. states become warmer.

"If you go out and hunt at the same time in the same season and the same place every year, then you understand the changes that are happening," said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president for conservation at the National Wildlife Federation, which claims a membership 420,000 sportsmen in 46 states.

. . .

A 2008 NWF poll of over 1,000 hunters and fishers found that over half classified themselves as "politically conservative." The respondents were mostly white, male and middle-aged -- classic Republican demographic.

Even so, 85 percent agreed with the statement: "We can improve the environment and strengthen the economy by investing in renewable energy technologies that create jobs while reducing global warming."



http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091018/pl_nm/us_climate_usa_1

"We can improve the environment and strengthen the economy by investing in renewable energy technologies that create jobs while reducing global warming." This is directly from the script :)

This is a prime group that is ready to be won over by our party. Howard Dean recognized this back in 2004.

Big, big difference between the two groups. The DU Guns forum has hardly any hunters in it, but it is crammed with agenda-toting gun militants.

FYI: The militants regularly bash hunting types for not being sufficiently radical (i.e., right wing) about firearms policy. The derogatory term used for hunters: "Fudds," after the classic rabbit-hunting cartoons........