New Members Agree: We're On the Right Track

By John Johnson

We're just about halfway through another year, and man are we busy! With the surge in membership over the last couple of months, we have much to do.

Our first ever Year Long Coyote Hunt is currently in its waning minutes, and our next hunt will be kicking off the following day. The first hunt provided us with a tremendous amount of on-the-job training, and we learned much from this experience. We received plenty of input from our participants on ways to improve our next hunt, and we most certainly did.

Whether you were involved in our first hunt or not, you don't want to miss the upcoming hunt. Heck, you have a whole year to bag one and help us raise a few bucks in the process. The prizes are bigger, better and more numerous than last year.

Get involved in the hunt and experience one of the greatest challenges you have ever known. There is additional information and an application in the back of this issue. Multiple tags are available at a reduced rate, so be sure to pass the information along to a hunting buddy.

Membership continues to grow and keeps us very busy. Membership retention is strong, and new members continue to join our ranks. It seems that our sporting community is finally starting to realize that these folks from the USP really do have it together and have our fingers on the pulse of the issues that affect the sportsmen of Pennsylvania.

As things unfold, people are starting to realize that we were all over these issues from day one. I have heard on many occasions from our newer members, "Man, you guys were right, there is something wrong with all of this." Well, I have to agree, and our membership numbers prove it.

Also of note, for those of you following the Jim Wagner membership saga, he has now recruited 55 new members just this year! He'll tell you, "It isn't easy; you just have to stick with it." With yet another dismal deer season most likely waiting for us this fall, I'm figuring he'll close out the year with more than 100 new members. I think maybe we can all go find someone who shares the same concerns as we do and put them on our rolls.

A bigger membership only makes things easier and more attainable, so go grab a couple of disenchanted sportsmen and send their info along to us.

A special thank you is due to all of you who assisted us in our annual Legal Defense Fund drive. Quite a few really stepped up to the plate, and it is greatly appreciated. If you still have not done so, you still have time to get those ticket stubs back to us - we draw the prizes on June 29 in Cross Fork.

I hope everyone's summer is going well and you enjoy your vacations and picnics. Don't forget to book those squirrel hunts before all the invisible tourists who frequent the Pa. Wilds take your rooms at the local motels and rent all of the cabins.

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