I am VERY disappointed in the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) and here is why! I am not going to turn this blog post into whether you are for or against baiting in the state of Georgia BUT instead of something I see as just wrong and misleading and I want to point it out. Full disclaimer, I am for baiting in Georgia and I am a non-resident hunter from Florida that leases land in Georgia.
The problem I have is with the Quality Deer Management Association. I have praised them for years in spreading their programs and the leadership they have taken in educating hunters on how to grow healthier and bigger deer BUT their stance against baiting just upsets me. I have been a member of their association and our hunting lease buys our liability insurance from them. I have been proud to support them with this business. The fact that they use my money and speak against something I feel is a hunter’s right is just wrong. Whether you are for the baiting bill or against, imagine them speaking against you in any case.
Every biologist that works for them can have their opinion but do not use the QDMA pulpit to preach against what I and many consider a hunter’s rights. What if QDMA was against deer hunting with cross bows and voiced their opinion on that under the QDMA banner based on the fact that they think it is unethical? Since they are a non-profit organization, they should remain neutral on topics like this. Especially since there has not been any scientific evidence that baiting deer causes harm to the health of the herd. If they could prove that it does, then they should be the ones standing up and yelling no to baiting based on science. This opinion based situation would be like if the National Rifle Association (NRA) was for citizen’s gun rights but they said it would be okay to take assault rifles. The NRA is against any guns being taken way from citizens just like QDMA should not be against any hunters’ rights.
Brian Murphy, CEO of QDMA, has been all over the newspapers voicing QDMA’s position against baiting in Georgia. QDMA even has included this in their “REACH in Action!” program (http://www.qdma.com/programs/reach-in-action/). From their Website: “Under the Advocacy arm of REACH, QDMA gets involved in numerous whitetail issues annually.” and “From January to November 2010, QDMA engaged in 38 policy or management issues in 15 states (CT, DE, GA, IN, KY, MD, MI, MN, NH, NY, OH, PA, SC, VA, VT) including: * Opposing a bill to change baiting laws in Georgia…”
After researching all of QDMA’s arguments they basically have come up with two; both opinion based. They feel it is unethical and it gives hunters a bad vision to the anti-hunter establishment. I said I was not going to turn this into a baiting debate but I do have to make one comment. I have never heard them lobby against states that have baiting legally, such as Texas. I have never heard them tell people to stop cutting standing corn to attract deer. Does this sound like hypocrisy?
To me, QDMA should be like Switzerland and remain neutral only to step in if science is founded to be truthful. QDMA is an organization that does not have an opinion. If a person who is associated with QDMA wants to voice their opinion then he or she should do so and make it clear that they are not speaking on behalf of QDMA.
Because of their actions, I am going to pull all my money from them including my membership and club lease liability insurance. I hate to do this because I really enjoy their research BUT I am not going to support an organization that is going to campaign against hunter’s rights based on their individual opinions. I would love to know how many QDMA members support their operations that are for baiting in Georgia. I wonder if these members knew how strong a stance they take on this topic, would they still be members? I encourage you to withdraw your support and tell them why you are no longer supporting them. I will be glad to support them in the future if they become a non biased organization and quit taking sides against hunters.