Celebrating 2011

A hearty New Year’s cheer from all of us here at Orion-The Hunters’ Institute to you and yours.

With all the problems in the world and hard times here at home, it is easy to get a bit gloomy - not to mention the fact that most hunting seasons are over until spring.

However, as I look back on 2011 there are many accomplishments to be proud of:

·      The concept of fair chase is now common knowledge, as evidenced by the passing of the 600,000 sales mark of Jim Posewitz’s classic Beyond Fair Chase

·      Wildlife as a public trust resource was restored and strengthened in a state legislative battle coordinated by Orion that has positive national ramifications

·      Hunting Think Tank II was successfully held at the Max McGraw Wildlife Center with support from McGraw, the Pope and Young Club and a great group of deep thinkers

·      Our Fair Chase Hunting blog is averaging over 2,000 page views per month

·      The Orion message of ethical hunting is being wonderfully portrayed on the normally dismal TV hunting channels through Randy Newberg’s On Your Own Adventures show

·      Founder Jim Posewitz has published a new book, Taking A Bullet for Conservation, The Bull Moose  Party- A Centennial Reflection 1912-2012

·      Poz is also engaged in an effort to restore a free ranging, huntable bison population on 3 million acres of eastern Montana prairie.

The day-to-day value of Orion was summed up to me in a phone message I got last month from Leslie Kaufman, a reporter and blogger with the New York Times. She said, “I have a question about hunter ethics and I was told that Orion is the place to go.”

 I am optimistic about the future of hunting and the role of hunters in wildlife conservation and look forward to more successes in 2012.

Wishing you a productive and successful 2012!

A hunter’s new years cheer,

Eric and Ingrid Nuse

and the entire Orion family: Mark Hirvonen, Jim Posewitz, Jim Tantillo, Pat Hudak, John Organ, Randy Newberg, and Gayle Joslin