Giveaway | Win a Brand-New Chevy Silverado, the Official Truck of the USA 

Imagine packing up your gear, climbing inside the spacious cab of your brand-new 2009 Chevy Silverado and heading off with your buddies on your next hunting or fishing adventure.  Thanks to a new partnership between the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and Chevrolet, that could be your future this summer.

This exciting giveaway is the latest in a series of USA promotions that have included more than 100 firearms, three trips to the Texas Motor Speedway, a Triton boat and now a Chevy truck. All active USA members who are 18 years or older as of June 30, 2009 are automatically entered in the drawing.

 

A long-standing advocate for conservation, Chevrolet recently added the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and its Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) program to its list of partner organizations, which includes Quail Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation and Quality Deer Management Association.

“In working with all of our outdoor partners, one of the common concerns we hear is that it’s getting harder and harder to find a place to hunt and fish,” said Kevin Messmer, Chevrolet Assistant Regional Marketing Manager.  “Our interest in the TRCP began with its mission to guarantee all Americans a place to hunt and fish, and we’ve been working with the TRCP over the last year to find ways to bring information about public access to the consumer.”

As part of that joint venture, Chevrolet launched a new website dedicated to access, www.AccessTheOutdoors.com, in November 2008.  “Right now, you can go to the website and find public access points for fishing and hunting,” said Messmer.  “We will be working with the TRCP to add more of that type of content along with articles, photos and other valuable information.”

When asked why the leader in America’s full-size trucks supports hunting, fishing and conservation groups and initiatives, Messmer explained, “we feel that our partner groups represent the folks who need a truck for their lifestyle.  It’s how they live, how they work and how they play.”

“Our interest is providing products that fit the needs of people who are involved in the outdoors and taking care of the environment where they engage in their sport,” said Tom Gilbert, Chevrolet Regional Marketing Manager.  “We continue to work on technologies that will improve fuel economy and increase mileage, such as our new hybrid, while still providing the power that outdoor enthusiasts need to tow trailers, boats, ATVs and other equipment.”

Perhaps no group appreciates an American-made vehicle with the capability and superior fuel economy more than America’s union sportsmen and women, which is why the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is thrilled to be able to award one of its members with a brand-new Chevy Silverado.

“The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance brings together union members who appreciate the quality of products made in the U.S. and share Chevy’s passion for preserving the traditions of hunting and fishing, and we feel fortunate to be part of that effort,” said Gilbert. 

"With so many groups vying for the attention of such a well-know and iconic American company, we are truly honored that Chevrolet recognizes the importance of the TRCP's mission and of its union-dedicated hunting and fishing club," said Fred Myers, USA Executive Director.  "Through this partnership, we can greatly enhance the value of USA membership, while helping to educate sportsmen about access opportunities around the country.  We are proud to call Chevy the official truck of the USA." top

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TRCP TV | Casting Call for Escape to the Wild Coming Soon - Apply for Your Dream Trip

You’ve watched your union brothers and sisters travel to Argentina, Panama, Canada, the Rocky Mountains and other incredible destinations for once-in-a-lifetime hunting and fishing adventures.  Now, it’s your chance.  You could be next to win the trip of your dreams and appear on national television on season four of TRCP’s Escape to the Wild. 

TRCP’s Escape to the Wild is a TV program of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, VERSUS Network and several of America’s leading trade unions and contractor associations that honors hardworking union members with the hunting or fishing trip of a lifetime. 

Beginning in early March, you can apply for your chance to stalk exotic African game, chase monster bucks in a whitetail hunter’s paradise, follow the bugle of a big bull elk, play tug-of-war with Guatemala sailfish and more.

TRCP’s Escape to the Wild is the real deal, making dreams come true for union members just like you with a passion for hunting, fishing and the great outdoors. If you don’t think you have a chance, think again.

“Let me be the first to tell you, by not putting in an application, you are missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Jason Berkley, winner of the elk hunt on season two.  “Each of you has the chance to win by taking the time to complete an application. My wife took the time to do this as a surprise for me, and I thank her everyday.  I had an unbelievable time that I would not trade for anything.  Believe me, it is WORTH it!”

 

To Apply: Visit www.UnionSportsmen.org in early March and click on the Escape to the Wild button.  Follow instructions to submit an application.  Direct questions to kcywinski@trcp.org.  top

 

Among anglers, there is perhaps no more controversial topic than whether or not, as conservationists, we ought to fish for bass while they are spawning. Battle lines on this issue were drawn in the sand long ago—some northern laws that prohibit it date back to the 1800s—with no end to the argument in sight.

Those against fishing for bass during the spawn contend that it disrupts the breeding cycle, resulting in fewer fish in the future. However, studies indicate that fishing during the spawn, even if specifically for trophies, does not appear to harm the bass populations. Obviously, taking a spawn-ready female from the bed will, if she dies, reduce the numbers of young bass produced. But bass produce thousands of spawn every year, leaving the surplus, millions of juvenile fish, to become food for other species. So numbers aren’t an issue. Further research has shown that if a big female hasn’t spawned yet and is released in good shape, then it is likely she will spawn.

Contrary to some beliefs, a bedding bass is not easy to catch, particularly the big females. It is true that the small males are often aggressive in their guardian duties, but the trophy fish is very difficult to catch. To catch fish during this time of year, I use two methods, depending on whether or not the water is clear enough to see the beds.

If the water is reasonably clear, I look for hard-bottomed coves, a place where the bottom will be mostly pea gravel and chunk rock. Once there, I get on the deck of my boat and watch for the mostly round nests, areas that have been cleared off by bass fanning their tails. Once I spot a nest, I either look for a bass or its shadow. Once I spot the fish, be it a small male or a large female, I use my spinning reel, spooled with 10-pound Vanish (especially if the fish have already been pressured), and cast a white, Texas-rigged Berkley PowerBait Flippin’ Tube, with the hook barely piercing the skin of the bait.

I position my boat far enough away from the nest so as to not spook the bass, but close enough that I can still see what is going on. After casting just beyond the nest (if the fish hasn’t already gone for the bait), I hop the tube into the nest, working it through the nest area searching for the “sweet spot.” The sweet spot is an area of the nest that, when a bait reaches it, will cause the fish to attack. It may take several minutes or several hours to get the bass to react, but when it does, it will turn itself sideways and scoop the bait off the bottom in an effort to remove the intruder from the nest, but not always to eat it. Because the hook is barely in the bait, it will be easier to set the hook.

If the first approach doesn’t work, I like to turn to a dark colored Berkley Gulp! Lizard and try the same tactics. However, unlike the white tube, the dark lizard is harder to see in the water. If the water is too murky to see the nests, try Carolina rigging in the shallows. And if you’re after smallmouth bass, look for underwater cover to hold bedding fish. Fishing the spawn can be fun, difficult and rewarding all at the same time. Just be sure to practice catch and release so that other anglers will have the opportunity to enjoy the fishing, too.

Larry Nixon is a former Bassmaster Classic winner with more than $2 million in career earnings.  top

 In the face of job and habitat loss in this tough economy, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the Building and Construction Trade Department (BCTD) of the AFL-CIO called on Senate leaders in early February to include provisions for new habitat restoration jobs in the economic stimulus package.

In a joint letter, the TRCP and BCTD identified “shovel-ready” programs and projects that can create new and necessary jobs that would benefit fish and wildlife resources.  One such example is federal programs to remove obsolete dams, culverts and aquatic debris that block fish passage and reduce wild fish stocks.  Additional jobs could be created to improve habitat by reclaiming abandoned mines, repairing park roads, increasing wildland fire management efforts and more.



“The American landscape and the American economy both need boosts,” said Mark H. Ayers, President of the BCTD, who noted that the group highlighted programs in various federal agencies that could get more than 150,000 jobs on the ground “doing good work for our communities.”

Many of these recommended programs were included in the stimulus package that passed on February 14, 2009, and the TRCP applauded its dual investment in our nation’s economy and environment.

“Congress and the administration are keying in on the reality that many investments in quality fish and wildlife resources also are investments in a quality economy,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper. “Several of our partner organizations, including Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League of America, The Nature Conservancy and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, deserve credit for reaching out to our leaders to help grow this understanding.”

Thousands of jobs immediately will follow from the investments in fish and wildlife habitat improvement contained in the stimulus package, a factor that compelled the ranks of union sportsmen to align behind the bill.

Highlights of the stimulus package for fish and wildlife include:

“The stimulus package hopefully will be the first of many times when our leaders simultaneously improve the vitality of our natural and economic resources,” said TRCP senior vice president Tom Franklin. “There are a host of similar projects standing ready for our leaders to embrace, and the community of conservationists is standing behind them.”

 

Learn more about the work the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is doing to guarantee you a place to hunt and fish at www.TRCP.org.  top