7-12-26 - Doug Ramey, League of Ky Sportsmen on the history and funding issues of the LKS.

Tonight, the show featured current League of KY Sportsmen President, Doug Ramey and past League Presidents Mark Neghery and Ed Morris to inform sportsmen about the history, legacy and funding problems of the LKS.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
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(01:25):
Jim Straighter Outdoors right here on News Radio eight forty whas.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Good evening, everybody, Welcome to tonight's program. Tonight we're gonna
talk about an organization. It's been around since nineteen thirty five.
I'm sure some of you probably have heard a little
bit about it, but tonight we're gonna tell you a
lot about it. I'm talking about the lead of Kentucky Sportsman,

(01:53):
which is a state wider organization that represents the interest
of the sportsman all across the Commonwealth.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
And we have the current president, Doug Raimie, is going
to be on with us, and Doug will explain some
of the history of the league. He's going to tell
you about his.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Ideas for taking the league forward, and he's going to
talk a lot about funding efforts that he's got in
mind to help the sportsman throughout the state. So we
also got Martin Ethery, past President League Kentucky Sportsman, and
Ed Morris, past President League Kentucky Sportsman on with us

(02:35):
as well to talk about funding efforts, the amount of
moneys the league has preferred to conservation organizations, to the
Kentucky Department Official Wildlife Resources, to all kinds of sportsman's
clubs throughout the state.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
And I got an idea, Scott Crohner, and this is.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Going to be a real eye opener for the better
part of our audience because a lot of people just
start aware of how active and some of the really
great things the league has done through the use.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
Well, the league's not too biased when it comes to
helping people out that love the hunt and fish and
partake in conservation activities, and they do a really good
job at helping folks and professions as well. Jim, it's
important that we all go back to the drawing board
at times and remember that those stones that get turned

(03:31):
over there can be some gems underneath those, and those gyms.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
Allow for a lot of good projects.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
To take place for those that are employed and It
allows for a lot of great things to take place
for where we all started, and that's as kids, and
that could be standing on the bank with a fishing
pole or doing a little paddling on a boat and
needing a life vest.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
The League is looking at a.

Speaker 4 (03:56):
Multitude of sportsmen and women across the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
and they're always looking out for the best interest of
everybody who holds a hunting and fishing license.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Absolutely very well said.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
On that note, I'm gonna go to break coming back
from Break again, we'll be talking with Doug Rammy, the
current president of the League of Kentucky Sportsman, and I
think this is going to be a very very educational,
eye opening program to night folks.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
The break is presented by s M I Marine. Go
see him.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
They'll take great care of all your boating needs. Remember
you never get soaked by my friends at s M
I and ASY promise. We're back here with Doug Raymi.
He is the current president of the League of Kentucky
Sportsman and a lot like me. He's a Eastern Kentucky
born and brave kind of feller from Pack County, not

(04:47):
pack Packs County, Is't.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
That right though?

Speaker 5 (04:51):
Just fill that with a p capitall.

Speaker 6 (04:53):
I k e.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yes, sir Doug, welcome a boarding likeing to have you on.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
It was pleased to meet you earlier this year at
the conservation function down here in this part of the state,
and as promised, I promised I'd have you on to
talk about the league and some of your ideas going forward.
So let's start out. Tell people how you got involved.
A little bit about yourself.

Speaker 5 (05:22):
Okay, personally, I started at a really young age as
a member of the Russell Fork Fishing Game Club. It's
the oldest club in our federation that interestingly is full
of history. It was these States Fish Hatchery back in

(05:43):
Roosevelt day. That's built by the WBA in nineteen thirty five.
And when ca Run Lake became a fishery, they shut
it down and was donated at a Pot County Protection
Association of which I'm president of. But one day years

(06:03):
ago Roy francis president. But there was a tree limb
fell up in on the building and he called my father,
selbster Ramy and to come down to help him get
the limb out. And May, being a young boy and
eager to climb, I got upon the roof, pulled the limb,
helped my father fix the roof, and maybe a junior

(06:29):
member at that time. So that's only been forty some
years ago. I've been a member of the league since then.
Dad became president after Roy passed, and he was a
president of this district for some time when we had
quite tailed deer restoration and elk restoration. So I've got

(06:53):
a long history within the league and being involved through
him and.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Your lifelong dog man, beagle man, squirrel dog man, uh,
deer hunter, fishermen. I mean, you're all around outdoorsman, which
I kind of fueled your fire to become involved to
help any way you could correct.

Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yes, Well, like I said earlier, Dad was really involved
when he was young getting the white tailed deer restoration
and was I was just having fun in the hills
and just being a club member. And then I had
raised two sons and got them introduced into the sports.
But there were problems arise with the elk restoration that

(07:42):
led into how we got our black bear population started.
And it was an idea at a federation meeting that
we hosted because Virginia was tagging their elk as white
tail deer and all they really had to do was
call us because these were all they were tagged animals.
We would have came and gott them and brought them

(08:03):
back here and put them in another strip job somewhere,
but Virginia was tagging there elk, and I said, this's
send the message. Just so we got black bear eating
the food. We was having a black bear pop problem
here in Elkhorn City. I said this, send the message.
I said, this, have us a black bear season and
do a lottery like we do the elk, and that

(08:25):
would repleat some of our funds or transportation costs and
things in the elk. And they would send them a
message to neighbors because at that time there was a
black bear season in western Virginia. So that's how the
black bear season kind of the idea got started, and
I was incrementing.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
That was my idea, Yes, sir, And so three time
you progressed to become a director in the league. And
there's a little bit of story there in your dad's
involvements were very instrumental, I think it's fair to say,
and you wanted to take some leadership roles.

Speaker 5 (09:05):
Right uh back in the day. Got to say that
there was enough large game in eastern Kentucky in the eighties.
I mean, if you wanted the hunt deer, we had
to go to Cave Run. It was like a pumpkin
patch when you went to that wm are. We would
go on to Pennyroy Forest and uh and that every
western Kentucky and uh and when I say we, there

(09:27):
would be fifty men from Milkorn and Creek and Pike County.
We would rent the whole the hotel there at Dawson
Springs where a governor's from and uh. We we filled
that small town with the men from this area and
there and the campgrounds. Uh had Pike County tags on
all the vehicles. But you know that's a long trip.

(09:47):
And it was like why why don't we have eastern Kentucky.
I mean at that time in the high school and
when I entered college, I talked to doctor Rowland Burns
is one of my favorite natures and structures. He taught
me geography, but we had a lot of conversation. He said,
the Raymond, you need to educate the people of eastern

(10:11):
Kentucky because most people, if they didn't raise it or
kill it, they didn't eat. But you know when this
league was started especially, but these people, we've honted everything to.
We practically eradicated large game, and uh my father Silvester

(10:35):
lobbed Frankfort and his friends to get white tail deer
reintroduced into eastern Kentucky, and we traded rough grouse because
it was plentiful.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
Small game was.

Speaker 5 (10:46):
Very plentiful here because they had hard winters in western Kentucky.
We traded white uh rough grouse for white tail deer
and gone to reintroduced in the early eighties and it
was a huge success because I all these hardwood trees here,
you know, they just flourished. And then it on fast
forward like ten years or so.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
Hensley.

Speaker 5 (11:11):
Hensley became a commissioner and he come in. We hosted
the Federation meeting and we had large turnouts at our
when we do that at our club. He puffing on
that cigarette. He said, what a cigar? He said, what
about some milk? Great idea. So here the elk, you know,
was introduced in early two thousand. I think we had

(11:33):
the first elk season and they flourished on these abandoned
strip jobs. And yeah, all know how that has snowballed.
I mean, it's been a great thing for tourism, Istery
and took in the hunters and it went along. You know,
Like I say, just a few years after that we
got black Bear and the black Bears just flourishing on

(11:53):
their own. There is plentiful We've probably got as many
black bear here. There's a great smoky mountains. I mean
you just you drive right now, your subject, see them
anywhere out next to the roads, and people's have they're
get becoming a nuisance. Yes, yeah, no doubt that way.

(12:14):
That's the game.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
Population, yes, sir.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Now, you've got a lot of things shared to talk
about tonight, but let's talk about a little bit about
the league, how it was farmed and how it actually works.
You know, it's a district by district state organization. Give
people of glimpse into how it's actually structured.

Speaker 5 (12:38):
Well, we have nine districts, just like the apartment has
in their structure. We mirror that, and we have a
federations of clubs in each district. It's easy to join.
We have a website, Facebook page, but each district has

(13:02):
their own federation of clubs that operate autonomously within themselves,
but they also they are members of the league as
a whole. And you know with anything, there is problems
that happened out in a field, such as you know,

(13:26):
low game populations or too much and if you see
that as a sportsman, you may have too small a fish,
or too many fish, or just what have you. Through
the league, I mean you could have a resolution introduced
in your meetings and in your club, the club present

(13:49):
it to a federation meeting, and then we present it
to legislation. And that is how that you could influence
the game laws. It's through your club membership and through
the being a member of the league. But we are structured.
Me're just pretty much like the commission.

Speaker 3 (14:11):
Yes, and.

Speaker 5 (14:16):
So that's how it said up.

Speaker 3 (14:17):
Means yes, sir. And historically it came about Ed Marsh.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
You might be the best guy to speak to this
because I know you go into the history of a lot.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
About how the league was formed. It actually.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
It helped create the Department Official a life resource give us.

Speaker 3 (14:39):
Oh, that's correct.

Speaker 6 (14:41):
The league, as you said earlier, it was formed in
nineteen thirty five. And the thing you got to remember,
it was formed by a group of very concerned sportsmen
who were concerned about the resource coming out of Teddy
Roosevelt era of conservation, and they started nineteen thirty five,
statewide organization with no telephones, no cell.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
Phone, no internet.

Speaker 6 (15:05):
It was all done snail mail or in person. Pretty
impressive to do something like that back then. They started
the same year the Ducks Unlimited started. In nineteen thirty six.
In Kentucky, there was what they the Reconstruction Act was
passed by the legislature which established the Kentucky Game and

(15:28):
Fish Commission, I believe what it was done. And then
in nineteen forty four, at the pushing of the League
of Kentucky Sportsmen, several legislators and a couple other sportsmen's groups,
the entire Game and Fish Commission was reorganized and reincorporated
into the department that we know today with the current

(15:50):
system commissioners, how the selection process worked and everything. But
the league was part of the deal that helped reincorporate
or reinstitute the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yes, as we know it today. All right, ed, thank
you for that.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
So, Doug, there's another component here.

Speaker 3 (16:11):
Individuals can join, obviously, but explain.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
How the club situation works. Because there's a lot of
sports clubs around the state. They probably don't realize the benefits.
And we're gonna talk a lot about the benefits of
being part of this organization, but explain how that works.

Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well.

Speaker 5 (16:37):
Like I said, we have links on our social media
and you can just Google search and join in that way.
And then we already have affiliate clubs. It's been a member,
I mean, gosh, the rest Sport Fishing Game Club, like

(16:58):
I say, is in round since the sixties, and a
lot of our clubs have been around for a really
long time. Any of the clubs that's affiliated with the league,
you're an automatic member when you join most of the
time and uh them. Uh, but you can be just

(17:19):
a freelance member. You know, you don't have to be
a member of the club. You can get on our
website and and navigate that and uh and join it
as well, and you can be represented. I like, I
like to think that we're the the voice of all sportsmen,
not just league members. Okay, we like to say that

(17:41):
we represent the everyone that holds a hunting fishing license
to legislations when we legislator.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
When we need to.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
Well, it's certainly fair to say that you all have
done so for decades and decades now and I know
you've always been and big about your all affiliation with
other organizations. For example, talk a little bit about that,
you guys.

Speaker 6 (18:07):
We're the state wide affiliate for Sportsman's Alliance, where the
state wide affiliates for the National Rifle Association. We're the
only state wide affiliate for the NRA. We affiliate with
them and work with both groups diligently on a regular
basis for fighting various anti hunting groups, anti Second Amendment groups.

(18:33):
You know, the clubs are the real strength and always
have been of the league. And there's so many clubs
around around the state. Like Doug said, you can join
as an individual, or you can find a club close
to you and join that club.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yes, sir, all right, I got to go to break here,
come back break dege. I want to talk to you
about some of your prerogatives and things that you want
to accomplish out of your posts. The president of the
league and a lot of them are going to interest folks.
I guarantee you all right. Break is presented by SMI Marine.
They are glad to help you with your electronics to

(19:11):
choose the right type of boat. And remember you never
get soaked by my friends at SMI. We talked a
little bit about the league and how it's structured. Now
let's talk about your ideas as president, Programs that you.

Speaker 3 (19:26):
Have passion for and and some.

Speaker 2 (19:29):
Really good things that you're hoping to initiate during your tenure.

Speaker 3 (19:37):
Well, Jim, thank you.

Speaker 5 (19:38):
They are Personally, I feel Bible read that God gave
a man dominion over all things, and I think he's
commanded us to manage our natural resources that he's abundantly
blessed us with. I mean, did you know, I'm sure
you probably do. I'll share this, I look you up.

(19:59):
We have upon four million acres of forest lens and
equally amount as much of a fields and five hundred
thousand acres or WMA that are public lands. We have
over four hundred and forty thousand acres of lakes and
ninety thousand miles of rivers and streams that we can fish. So,

(20:22):
I mean that's a great responsibility. And me personally just
simple man. I just want to have a healthier fishing
game population. I want to hunt deer with the larger rats,
harvest deer with larger rats. I want to catch bigger
fish and see more small game. Personally and as a

(20:45):
league representative and as president right now, I want to
introduce and promote and educator young people. I mean, they
are our replacements. They are the future of everything any
civic organization. But I really feel that that people as

(21:05):
a whole, we're not We're not introducing our young people
to the outdoors like we should and everything else. Uh,
people are more inclined now are young people that they
would just soon have a virtual experience instead of a
real one. And I think it's our job and our
duty to introduce young people to hunting fishing. And I've

(21:29):
learned go ahead, no, no, go ahead, Well I want
to We we have to introduce and or fight legislation
that may hinder the previous two statements. As that happens,
there's ideas that when you are hunting in the field,
that we may need to change a game law or

(21:52):
re reduce a game law, or as we get a
new species a game that we create a new season.
So that's that's how the league can do all that
and how we can influence our legislators and.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
The people because it comes up through the districts and
it's the voice of the sportsman through a statewide organization.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
Doug.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
I know you're really big into the youth. You mentioned
how important it is because they are the future, and
I couldn't agree more. And there's things that the league
has done and is continuing to do. Talk about your
library program, h and some of these other things like
the squirrel shoot, other things that you've all done to

(22:40):
get the youth involved. And I know you've got some
really neat ideas about how to get youth involved to
paint UH created sporting clubs. Let's let's start with the
library deals because that was one of the coolest things
that ever come along, and I think we need to
get give credit to those folks at the league that

(23:01):
started that.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
Well.

Speaker 5 (23:03):
I really ought to give a shout out to Tana Hitcher.
That was her idea. I'm thankful for our ladies that's
involved at the league. What a novel idea is to
put fishing poles in libraries and that was just a
great idea that we purchased fifteen hundred fishing poles and

(23:26):
distributed them, distributed them across the state for the free
fishing weekend, pretty big number. And we've got twenty six
libraries now that has fishing poles that you could check
out just as if they were books. And we have
clubs that monitor to maintain those tackle boxes and fishing poles.

(23:51):
But yes, we're a big proponent of hunter education. It
is required if he was born after nineteen seventy five,
you have to have a safety card. You know, firearms
are dangerous and the issues you can have and we
do have fatalities, you know with any sport. But we

(24:13):
need to educator young people. You know, gun safety, firearms, safety,
tree stand safety.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
Water.

Speaker 5 (24:21):
We're having more incidents on water now as there's more
kayaks and boats on the water now, and we educate
our people through that. But our library program, I would
hope that every library close to a lake or a
stream have at least ten fishing polls to pick from

(24:44):
the be able to check out and go fishing if
you don't, and then when you have as our clubs
become more as we promote our free fishing days at
the first weekend June, we want to put a fishing
pole on tap of box in every young angler's hand

(25:06):
to participate that any of our fishing derbies that we sponsor,
I like to recognize their district five there that they
had a special needs for handicapped anglers. We stalked a
pond out in there and they had a it looked
to me a couple of hundred handicapped anglers out there

(25:30):
that was enjoying fishing. Yes, we do that sort of thing,
and we'll stalk to the pomp hungry trout or whatever,
you know, to make sure they have a good time
a catfish.

Speaker 6 (25:40):
You know, that was their fiftieth anniversary of their special
Olympics derby up in the fifth District, up around the
Campbell County area. I think Campbell County is the host club.
That's the fiftieth anniversary of that event.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
That's fantastic. Well, when Tina.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
Brought that idea up, he ran about me and I said, Tina,
this is a home run. And thank god because the
license plate fees. We'll go into that in depth here
a little later in the program. You all have the
wherewithal the money is to fund that, and you've partnered
with the I think zeb Cole and so the other

(26:18):
the manufacturers to get that stuff at a discounted price.
And uh, well, Scott Calling is an educator, You've seen
benefits of that.

Speaker 4 (26:28):
It doesn't matter if it's four h or Boy Scouts, FFA,
any type of church camp, NASP, anybody that needs to
get young people engaged and involved. There's money out there,
and there's support out there. And that support and that money,
that funding is the League of Kentucky Sportsman. There are

(26:53):
a few men and women in life in the conservation
world that come full circle and gift back, and to me,
that's what the League of Kentucky's Sportsman is all about,
is that they have spent their time afield, they continue
to spend their time afield and on the water, but

(27:13):
they realize that when it comes to a resource to manage,
it is our communities to manage. It is our responsibility
to make sure that people have the things that they
need so that they can engage in activities in the
field instead of having that virtual experience.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
The duty that is upon us.

Speaker 4 (27:35):
As adults is to be able to mature to the
point to where we also give back our time. And
that's what's really important and that's what I see with
It doesn't matter if it's the fishing poles or the
ammunition that the League has supported me with and the

(27:55):
youth that I've served, but we have to understand that
the money is there. The league's done a really good part,
but we also have to step outside of our comfort zone.
And I'm sure Ed Morris and Mark and Jim, I'm
sure all of us can can admit that there's a
few sportsmen and women out there that could be very

(28:17):
beneficial if they just took the energy to go to
the league and say, you know what, I want to
obtain some funds and I want to give back to society,
and I really want to target my youth. And if
you've got an idea, if you've got a project, there's
no script that you have to write, there's no handbook
that you have to follow.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
All you have to do is make that.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
First initial step and either make a phone call, shake
a hand, or make an eye contact with one of
these leagues Kentucky Sportsmen district representatives, and the balls rolling
and you're going to realize it can roll very fast.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
Absolutely, Now, this would be a good point to.

Speaker 2 (28:57):
Educate people about how they can contact and just what
they need to do beyond that initial mark here.

Speaker 3 (29:04):
Yeah, love to interject something, Scott. You you've hit the
nail right on the head on what I understand is
one of uh Doug's initiatives, and that's getting parents involved
to get their kids in the outdoors. And uh, Doug,
I know you're still on you might want to enlighten
everybody about your idea on that. How to get these folks,

(29:26):
the parents to actually begin either joining or start their
own clubs to get these kids in the outdoors.

Speaker 5 (29:34):
Well, I the idea kind of started with my nephew Jacob.
Uh he's been introduced into the league at a young age.
But he started high school at East Ridge and they
were lots of archery equipment, uh, but no team.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (29:50):
They were we've been more basketball, football, baseball, you know,
traditional sports oriented. But we had all the all the
equipment down there that and they were competing for the gym.
And here Jacob's the avid outdoorsman, and let's start an
archery club. And not having a place to shoot, we

(30:12):
as the Rossport Fishing Game Club. We chartered east Ridge. Well,
problem is they didn't have a place of shoot, so
they were welcome to shoot on our grounds. We're blessed
to have several acres there and archery range. You know,
the kids come up and start shooting and there, you know,
that's when it was a good time. To invite young

(30:37):
parents to join our club. And then that snowball if
where even the younger kids and the grade schools that
wanted to have archery teams, and we at that time
we donated like six thousand dollars to buy NASS targets,
safety equipment and three D targets. Realizing that someday some

(31:03):
of these kids will become a sportsmen, will have hunting
fish license and may and may be bowl hunters. And
they also needed a trailer to pull them around us.
We bought that there was another fighter, but we funded
all that and that was per through our license plate funding.

(31:25):
But our grade schools as well started having archery teams
in the junior high programs and we also fed them.
And I'm thinking, well why not all across this state.
That's how we can get young people involved in our
league is in fte of the young parents form the
archery boosters or the anglers. A lot of these schools

(31:47):
have fishing teams as well, and we can promote our
sport through very young people can reach out through our teams.
That's as a we recruit, you know, our young people
parents in that way, it's let them form clothes through

(32:10):
the archery and fishing things, and I really feel that
will be the future of our league and into our sport.

Speaker 2 (32:17):
Well that is a fantastic idea. And back in Ronnie
Wells first really started pushing as his tenure in the
league for this license plate money. I don't think any
of us understood how big it would become, and it's
going to continue to grow. And I guess while we're
on that subject, it's a really good looking license plate

(32:40):
and it helps to support the kind of programs that
you all fund.

Speaker 3 (32:46):
And if you're a sportsman, the extra ten dollars to
have that gorgeous eight pointer on the back of your vehicle,
that's cheap, it sure is, and it.

Speaker 2 (32:55):
Goes goes to help these kinds of things we're talking about.
Let me go to break here, Doug's coming back. I
want to go to a couple of other programs that
you really pushing for as president. This break is presented
by SMI Marine. They're your partner in voting at every stage.
Whether you want to get a catfish boat, a bass boat,

(33:18):
regular pleasure boat, pontoon boat, whatever the case may be,
they're there to help you. And remember, you never get
sold by my friends at SMI. Doug, I know before
we were on the area, you were saying we got
a couple of youngsters coming out of these kind of
programs that have are really done things nationally.

Speaker 5 (33:40):
Yes, we have a young lady over in Nature County
that won nationals and now we've gotten the one that's
going to be qualified I think to compete in the Olympics.
That was their last director's meeting that was mentioned, so
Ed you may know more about that. But now I
mean we have Kentucky is that's going to be recognized worldwide.

(34:03):
So yes, it's a big, huge influence.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
We've got right here.

Speaker 6 (34:10):
In the third district alone, we sponsored three youth shotgun
shooting teams Spencer County, Fern Creek and my home club,
Jefferson Gun Club. Our district has given those three kids
shooting teams over forty five thousand dollars. Because shooting competitive
trap ski sporting plays ain't cheap and when these kids

(34:34):
are traveling to state and then on the nationals, motel rooms,
gas meals, so we try to help them. So a
lot of these families, so we give them a lot
of money to help them along. The Kentucky teams at
the national at the state national SCTP, the scholastic shoots
have done extremely well. Yes, I mean, we've got some

(34:56):
national champions and runner ups and those kids are just
doing phenomenal. A part of the reason is the money
they're getting from the league to help pay their expenses
so those kids can get there.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Cool, Doug.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
I know something else you're real passionate about is getting
venison two needy people into some of these school programs
churches that said, up, you all are boning up some
money for Hunters of the Hungry.

Speaker 3 (35:22):
You want to explain your ideas and your passion for that.

Speaker 5 (35:27):
Yes, I mean, as you know, there's legislation passed that
if you harvest the four do's you're going to get
extra buck tag in the in theer own ones. And
we've id like to feel that we're partnering with the
Hunters of the Hungry that they're going to have trouble
transporting these donated deer to the processing centers. And I

(35:51):
forget how many tons of venison that was processed that
was given out at the Family Resource Center at these
schools for the hungry children to take home with them.
But we and we can influence that in a big way.
It's it's going to be I'm sure after talking with
all the directors. We just Tom down there in district too,

(36:13):
hadn't got us a concrete figure on the refrigeration trailer.
I'm thinking that we're going to spend gonna donate a
refrigeration trailer to the tune of about thirty thousand dollars
so we can transport these deer without spoliage to these
processing centers. So we're gonna we're gonna, you know, help

(36:34):
the hunters or the hunger out in a big way
furnishing that trailer. And we you know, we've mentioned sponsoring
children and their affiliate groups, but you know we're also
big on conservation projects. I mean, it's one thing to
do all that, but we also do a lot of

(36:56):
habitat improvement. We haven't even talked about that.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Yeah, and Mark are going to go into detail about
that in the second hour. Doug, you mentioned that earn
a Buck program. It's it's a little bit the people.
There's a misunderstanding about it. Ed you want to clear
that up. The initial proposal was chained.

Speaker 6 (37:18):
That's where if you shot four doors in a district
one or you know, zone one, then you got an
extra buck tag. Well, sportsmen fought that they didn't like
it because it was all it's very difficult to prove necessarily.
Was what finally went through the legislation is you'll you'll
if you shoot four dose and substantiate that you actually

(37:41):
took them, and there's a process for how to do that,
then your name goes into a drawing, and Fish and
Wildlife has designated one hundred and fifty second buck tags
and if you qualify, if you kill four dose, then
your name will go into the drawing, and then they'll
draw out one hundred and fifty names and those folks

(38:03):
will get a second tag, not for this season, but
for the following deer season.

Speaker 2 (38:09):
Ye okay, well that's something that we'll see how that
rolls out. I wouldn't be honest really in favor of that.
We've done so well with a one buck rule in
the state that anything that starts to edge into that,
I'm a little leg you are it.

Speaker 3 (38:26):
I don't mind saying.

Speaker 6 (38:27):
As it stands, I can kill four of those on
my couch.

Speaker 3 (38:31):
That's right. And who's to say there's nobody to say I.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
Can tell exact four and say I kill these those,
That's right, Doug. In closing, you had a statement that
I can remind you about how you want to lead,
to be a resource.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
You remember what you said there.

Speaker 5 (38:51):
Well, yes, you know there is funding available for these
young archery and fishing teams. You know, join the league,
join the club that's affiliated with the league, you would
have access to this, to the funding.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
Absolutely well, Doug, I can't tell you how much I
appreciate it, partner, and we'll get back to you. All right, folks,
we're back and in this segment, we're talking with past
presidents of the League, Ed Morris and Mark Nethery. Gentlemen,
thanks for being here, been on the program several times

(39:30):
in the past on various issues. You guys are really
good leadership. I might add a lot of really good
things happened when you all were presidents of.

Speaker 3 (39:40):
The league, and we're gonna talk about some of that.
But h.

Speaker 2 (39:45):
Mark, you wanted to explain how clubs can apply for
the money. There's a mechanism there that you want to discuss.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
Yeah. Absolutely. First off, everybody should understand you can join
the league as a club with as few as fifteen members,
So think of it this way. That the Leah, Kentucky
Sportsman is a grassroots opera, grassroots organization. I'll spit that out,
and it starts with an individual and the individual may

(40:14):
simply just want to get involved or may have a
great idea. They find those that are like minded, and
then they form a club. It's as simple as jumping
on the Leah Kentucky Sportsman website and getting a club
application and submitting that in and becoming a club. Once
you're a club within your district, you attend your district

(40:36):
and federation meetings as a club, and individuals are welcome
to a joint as well, and then you submit your
requests for that funding to your district. Your district votes
on it. If it's passed, then it goes to the
league board, which is the assimilation of the director across
the state, who then vote on it. And if there's

(40:57):
any questions about it, and this is what people may
not understand. That money when you pay that extra ten
dollars for the license plate, that money is actually ultimately
controlled by the Kentucky Department of Transportation. So if there's
any question that the board may have regarding what that
idea and what that money can be used for then

(41:18):
it submitted to Kentucky Transportation to get a final ruling
on whether it's aptical or not. But it is really
that simple. But you start off at the club level,
submit your application, submit your requests, and it does take
some time. It's not an overnight process. But there has
been just tremendous amounts of money spread around the state
for just all sorts of things. And to talk about

(41:40):
that a little bit later on, I'm sure, but it
is just it's really one of the greatest things that
the League Kentucky Sportsman does and people just don't really
recognize and understand how important those funds have been across
the state. Well, let's talk about then.

Speaker 2 (41:58):
Let's jump in there, because there's so many things that
you all have funded and it's pretty excellent results.

Speaker 3 (42:08):
Well, the biggest thing that I remember from a number
of years back, and this goes back to when I
was president, one of the biggest expenditures that the league made.
We bought two skid steer pieces of equipment and a
piece of an attachment that's called a hydro clipper. That
equipment was fairly well earmarked to go to Eastern Kentucky

(42:31):
to create grouse habitat, and those pieces of equipment, my understanding,
are still in use today cutting trees and clearing ground
and making brush piles, creating creating habitat for rough grouse.
But in addition to that another funding mechanism, as the
League over the years have received their commissioner tags for

(42:52):
elk and deer and waterfowl and so forth, those funds
were taken and spent and went right back into habitat
as well well, everything from gator uh gator side by
sides to UH chainsaws and thousands upon thousands upon thousands
of alder seed links to create grouse habitat.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
Yes, okay in uh the barge that you all donated,
that was a huge item.

Speaker 3 (43:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (43:22):
That was donated initially to do work on Duck Island,
which is out in Kentucky Lake, to transport materials out
there to help restore that that particular habitat. But since
then that barn has been used consistently for all kinds
of issues down there, especially in Barkley with with with

(43:44):
the Asian carp issue.

Speaker 3 (43:46):
They they've used it for that. They've used it for
all kinds of things.

Speaker 6 (43:49):
But the Leave bought and paid for that barge and
then donated it to Fish and Wildlife, you know, Jim
a few other things just uh, just recently, we bought
a controlled We bought a we bought everybody's familiar with
controlled burns and all the equipment that's required, you know,
the safety gear, the torches, everything. We bought and equipped

(44:13):
a full trailer and closed trailer and fitted it out
with everything from the hoses to the suits to everything
that's required, and we donated it to the Department of
Fishing Wildlife and it's available for any sportsman in the
state to check out. Now there you have to you
have to at least attended their control burns school and

(44:35):
be certified.

Speaker 3 (44:36):
They can't. They just don't give it to anybody.

Speaker 6 (44:38):
But if you've done the parameters, you can get that
at any time.

Speaker 3 (44:42):
Uh. Plot masters, everybody's familiar with the plot masters.

Speaker 6 (44:45):
You pull behind a u TV or even attractor to
put in food plots and native warm seas and grasses.
Almost every district has one available for any sportsman that
wants to call and reserve it. And the League of
Kentucky Sportsman bought every one of those and donated them
to the district. Here the third district, our sets out

(45:06):
at Taylorsville, w m A. And all you have to
do is contact the rangers out there and say, hey,
I'm Joe Smith and I'd like to check out that
plotmaster for two weeks from Savurnay. It's all you have
to do. It's no cost to any sportsman that wants
to utilize that. Up the reef balls. You're familiar with
the reef balls for habitat through the fifth explain that

(45:30):
a little bit so folks know what you're talking about.
It's a well, basically it's a fish tractor. It's a
fish attractor, yes, And through the fifth District that one
of their their expenditures was we bought a big trailer
for fish and wildlife to haul those reef balls on
to get them from where they're made basically that they're
put together, and then get to get them to the

(45:52):
various docks and different lakes and so forth around around
the state of Kentucky. The fifth District bought an eight
foot row motivator and donator to up there for their
dove fields and all the WMAs up in District five.
Just here in the third District, we spent thirty thousand

(46:12):
dollars to replace a covert and a bridge at Yellowbank, WMA.
It was dilapidated, collapsed and people could not get in
and out of the WMA and it set like that
for almost a year. We spent thirty thousand dollars of
license plate money and went down there and rebuilt that
culvert and bridge. And then just last year there was

(46:34):
a big DU project down there that they had gone
through the DU funds. It was a waterfowl resting area
and the third District again, we gave them twenty four
thousand dollars to finish that project, set the water structure
and rip wrap all the banks. We paid for every
bit of that out of the license plate money. You know,

(46:59):
we'd done work on tradewater down in the first district.
We've bought paid for numerous kayak ramps around the state.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
You know, that's one thing that you all have really
been at the forefront of helping with that. That one's
for those kayakers out there that they don't even fish.
They're getting benefited this through the League of Kentucky Sportsman
a lot.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
Of our clubs.

Speaker 6 (47:28):
You know, we're very restricted to how that money can
be spent by the way we want people to realize
through the Partment of Transportation that money can be spent
on habitat improvement, conservation product projects, education, youth events, are
land purchases. That's it. If you're a sportsman's club and

(47:52):
you want to put a roof on your building, can't
do it.

Speaker 3 (47:55):
It's not allowed. We're not allowed to.

Speaker 6 (47:57):
Make improvements on private property. Anything that money is spent
on has to be open to the public. All of
our youth shooting teams such as Fern Creek, Jefferson, Spencer County,
those teams have to be open to any youth that
wants to shoot. It cannot be restricted to just members
of the club kids.

Speaker 3 (48:19):
If it is, it's not eligible.

Speaker 6 (48:21):
Everything has to be open to the public and it
can't be used for anything other than those We just
gave money. Long Run Sportsman's Club their thirty seventh annual
Fishing Derby was just held at Long Run Park and
we provided money for the Every kid left there with
a new ride and reel in a tackle box. And
the neat thing about that was they had I think

(48:43):
he said, twenty kids from home. With the innocence that
they brought out that those kids got to go.

Speaker 3 (48:50):
To that event. And fish.

Speaker 6 (48:52):
And every one of those kids left and went back
to the home of the innocence with a fishing ride
and a tackle box, big smile on their face. They
got the fish all day, they got lunch, they got
the acknowledgment again, that's bringing the youth in. But again
paid for all that through the license plate money. And
there's just I mean, I could sit here and go on, Well.

Speaker 2 (49:14):
We will, We'll flesh all that after this break. The
break is presented by S and my marine. Go see
them that take great care of your boating needs. They
have pontooting boats, deck boats, mass boats, crappie boats, you
name it, and they'll be glad to help you with
your electronics, even show you how to use them.

Speaker 3 (49:34):
Remember you never get soaked by my friends at sm I.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
The guys the shooting events have been a real success.

Speaker 3 (49:42):
From the squirrel rifle deal. Uh talking about that a
little bit. Uh. I know Doug's keen to get that
really up and rolling again in a big way.

Speaker 2 (49:53):
But a lot of money has been put out to
these organizations for these As.

Speaker 6 (49:59):
You know, it's very defensive ammunitions not cheap, and so
the way that KYTC has us set up is, we
have to write the vendor checks direct from the League
to the vendor. In other words, if as Jefferson Gun
Club my home club, we ask for five thousand dollars
worth of ammunition for our shooters, we go get a

(50:22):
quote from We got it from ourselves because we're a
licensed fl But you go to Fern Creek, goes to
Kentucky Gun Company, you get a quote for five thousand
rounds of traps, skeet, whatever AMO it is, and that
goes in with your request. When it's approved, the League
send us a check to that vendor, and then we

(50:43):
call you and say, okay, go to Indian Creek, go
to Kentucky Gun Company, pick up your five thousand rounds,
your five thousand dollars worth of ammo. So we provide
a lot of ammunition to the clay shooting teams. The
Squirrel Rifle We just Bullock County Riding gunn who runs

(51:04):
the Squirrel Rifle Shoot, which is a statewide twenty two
caliber competition for kids all age groups, and they compete
shooting these official targets with twenty two rifles. We just
got them six thousand rounds of twenty two ammunition paid
for again from the license plate money.

Speaker 3 (51:24):
We requisitioned it through Kentucky.

Speaker 6 (51:26):
Got a quote from Patrick Hayden at Kentucky Gun Company,
who is a big backer and a big supporter of
all that we do. I want to get a plug
in for Patrick, but he really takes care of giving
these kids big discounts on their shells and all that
kind of stuff.

Speaker 3 (51:43):
But then we go to the youth archery and the
same thing.

Speaker 6 (51:47):
We help anybody that's got a youth program for archery,
we will help them. Chickasaw Archery for years and still
going on. Every Monday night is youth Night. And all
you got to do is show up an Ali Decker,
Mike Titchener and those guys down there. Monday night is
youth Night and they'll teach the kids how to shoot

(52:09):
what they'll provide them with gear to help them get
and started loaner type gear that they've got it there
that night. But I mean, there's all types of these
programs that were out there spending a lot of money
on hundreds of thousands of dollars that's going back people
People say sometimes well, what's.

Speaker 3 (52:26):
The league done, or what's the league doing? Yeah, what's Yeah,
But all you got to do is.

Speaker 6 (52:32):
Ask questions and talk to all these clubs. I don't
know how many kids. As we're talking about kids, our
member clubs also do things on their own that's not
license plate money, but they run their own events for
these kids.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
One of the big.

Speaker 6 (52:48):
Things that a lot of our clubs do is sponsored
kids to attend summer camp. Tell you, Apartment of Fishing
Wildlife runs three camps, Camp web Camp, Curry Camp Wallace
and it cost I think three or four hundred dollars
a kid for a kid to go spend a week there,
and when they go, they get their hunter safety card,
they learn archery, they learn woodsmanship, and they get to

(53:09):
have a lot of fun. They go swimming, they go kayaking,
they go canoeing. But the league clubs sponsor untold numbers
of these kids every year to go to those camps.
Like I say, the clubs are the heartbeat of the league,
and they're out here working hard and they're little areas,
whether it's Boone County or LBL. LBL has a huge

(53:34):
club down in the first District and they have always
got some kind of conservation program going down there.

Speaker 3 (53:40):
I had LBL.

Speaker 6 (53:41):
They spend the money they requested and they I'm this
last more meeting that I just attended two weeks ago,
I think we end up giving them like ten thousand
dollars for conservation type projects at LBL. So there's nine
districts and they're all getting money.

Speaker 2 (53:57):
Now, fishy is a big focus with the league, and
I know again Doug that's real high on his list
of priorities. And these events have been going on forever.
But talk about those mechanisms and these these high school
bass fishing teams. They need to realize that they can

(54:20):
become part of the league, their kids can be members,
and they can apply for funding for those programs.

Speaker 6 (54:26):
We just I just had a conversation a week and
a half ago with one of our member clubs whose
local high school has a.

Speaker 3 (54:39):
Yep, you know you're a member of me county.

Speaker 6 (54:41):
So telling them the same thing that that guys, you're
always asking for money, and you're asking for funding. K
y TC says, We've got all this money, but we
can only give it if you're a member of the
League of Kentucky Sports. And that's not our rule. That's
a department transportation. We can't just arbitrarily give you money.

(55:03):
For your club, you have to be a member and
like I'll tell him, all that takes is fifteen people
and Meat County High School Bass Club could be a
member of the league and they would be eligible from
funds for the various types of projects. And anybody that's
got a club out there, if you've got a big
bow hunting club, you've got a just a hunting club

(55:26):
or a bird club, sign a new club. You're a
good friend of mine. Scott Smith and Josh browna Kentucky
River Beagle Club. As you know, they have a big
event for kids every year, and now that they joined
the league, so that now they're eligible to get some
funds to help them put on that event.

Speaker 3 (55:47):
For their kids.

Speaker 7 (55:48):
Absolutely well, these are very necessary projects to get the
youth involvement and teach these kids how much fun can
be had in that.

Speaker 2 (56:00):
I mean, it's very broad based, all right. I gotta
go break here. Break is presented by s Andi Marine.
Go see them. They'll be glad to help you in
your selection of the right boat for your needs. Got
all kind of boats to show you for sale. And
remember you never get soaked by my friends at SMI guys,

(56:22):
I want to expand a little bit on the fishing.
You know, we talked about the the fishing tackle in
the schools, the rods and reels, et cetera in the schools,
and Edwin and Ibert actually headed that up through a
program down at the Wolf Creek Fish Hatcher in Russell County,
as I recall, and I asked them if they would

(56:47):
allow the league to run with it because they would
obviously see the benefit. And that's when, as I recall,
Edwen Tamptina to have headed up for the league and.

Speaker 3 (56:58):
That part of it. And while we're all wolf Creek
in there's a huge event down there that you all
help fund.

Speaker 6 (57:05):
They hold a big kids fishing derby down there that
it was just a few weeks well maybe a month
or so ago, and I think they have like a
thousand kids show up for.

Speaker 3 (57:13):
I mean, it's a huge event they sponsored down there. Yes, sir,
all right, Mark, you had something you wanted to speak
to here. Well, you know, the league does a lot
more than is a lot more than the license plate money.
Although that money goes to great causes all across the state.
I think we've I think we've pointed that out to everybody,

(57:36):
but the league is also there fighting for all the
sports people in the state. It doesn't matter what the
issue is. We're not one of the NGO groups out
there that only looks at turkey issues or elk issues
or deer issues. And you know, one of the things
we've been approached with over the years that should be

(57:58):
very near and dear to everybody, and it certainly is
to our fish and wildlife conservation officers. In the beginning,
when the officers the Fallen Officers Memorial was being created,
the league stepped up and wrote the check I think
it was for the first five thousand dollars that went
to that, and then subsequently they did the officers did

(58:19):
a couple of fundraisers which we were involved with as well,
a couple of sporting place shoots, and after the second
year they'd raised enough money to keep the memorial building.
But and that wasn't from license plate monies, wasn't it. No,
that was not. That was simply right out of the
general fund of the league that we did that. But
when you start looking at other things, you talk about

(58:39):
fishing game laws, we were instrumental in the fire to
get a sand Hill cranes in here. We were instrumental
in the constitutional right to hunt and fish.

Speaker 2 (58:50):
All right on the sand Hill crane issues. So people
understand there was tremendous pushback from anti hunting groups. I
mean it was unbelievable, and it was like those these
are shouldn't be game birds and they are regal, well
they're waterfowl when you get.

Speaker 3 (59:10):
Down to it.

Speaker 2 (59:11):
There they should have been in that And I remember
one I think our friend Stuart Ray was chair of
the commissioner.

Speaker 3 (59:18):
He was, and he let him talk.

Speaker 2 (59:21):
But at the end of the day, through a lot
of league members that were there to help promote the
fact that we needed that season, that particular season prevailed
and it's still a season today.

Speaker 3 (59:33):
And it's a growing season as the population continues to grow.
All Right. You mentioned uh the right to hunt fish law.
I believe right the constitutional right to hunt and fishing
then and I was involved in that way, well, a
big way.

Speaker 2 (59:50):
It was done by Greg Stumbo out of the legislature.
And the coolest thing about that was, as I was
reviewing it with Greg, I noticed trapping wasn't included in there.
And to you trappers out there, if you're a trapper
and you want to join an organization to fight for
you to look no further than the league. The League

(01:00:13):
has always been at the forefront of seeing to it.
The trapping season.

Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
Has remain and are in force so that one for.

Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
Anybody who doesn't understand it, we by law in the
state of Kentucky have a.

Speaker 3 (01:00:27):
Constitutional right to hunt and fish.

Speaker 6 (01:00:31):
And when it went to the ballot in November, it
carried by eighty four percent Yes sir, votes cast eighty
four percent of the population agreed with that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:43):
It was one of the largest margins of passing of
a constitutional amendment passing in the history of the state. Yes, sir,
so you know where you can tell where the roots
are for the state of Kentucky. On the heels of
trapping the league, the League has always been there with
the expansion of season as well too, and that's a
big one, and the taking of predators in that regard.

Speaker 7 (01:01:05):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:01:06):
And then right on the heels of that, for all
you bear hunters out there, the League was right there
in the in the in the melee to get the
bear seasons up and going first first. It came out
as a chase season. We fought for that. After a
couple of years of chase season then it became a
take season then, and it was very limited, and we

(01:01:26):
continued to fight for an expanded bear season on the
on the take side well.

Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
And the cool thing about that and the way that
ended up getting into play was through the league. There
were so many houndsmen and other people that knew how
many bears were out there.

Speaker 3 (01:01:43):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
It was another little things that had been studied as
a study to death. Uh, and they were instrumental saying, look,
there's so many bears out here, it's crazy.

Speaker 3 (01:01:55):
We We literally had phone calls from people around the state,
obviously in the bear habitat areas. One mother I remember
in particular, I took the phone call and she said,
We've got so many beers where we are, I'm afraid
to let my kids go in the backyard and play.
I'm looking out my kitchen window right now and there

(01:02:18):
is a bear in my backyard.

Speaker 2 (01:02:20):
You know what happens with the child stumbles in the
middle of a bear. Salah sada cubs, you know.

Speaker 6 (01:02:26):
Speaking to the bear issue, Jim, if you remember, you
and I went up and testified in front of a
House Senate joint committee set up at the head table
and we had Hsus and Pete at the other table,
and we had to argue with the Joint committee. And
one thing I do want to point out is the league. Fortunately,

(01:02:51):
we have a lot of friends in the legislature. We
have a lot of good folks up there who believe
in what we do.

Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
And if you remember, but they.

Speaker 6 (01:02:59):
Were coming back and forth with some amendments and maybe
we can do this. And we literally have people sitting
at the front at the head table that we're texting
you and me asking what do you think about this?

Speaker 3 (01:03:13):
How should I vote? We've been fortunate.

Speaker 6 (01:03:16):
Through the years to have good friends in the legislature,
and I do want to point.

Speaker 2 (01:03:20):
That out, and the legislature by and large, by and large,
I said not in totality, there's been some problems up there,
but have been keen to hear from the sports moment
what do you want?

Speaker 3 (01:03:35):
You know, how do we help you with this?

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
And that's been a very good serious Uh, well, we'll
win the pump New West Street.

Speaker 6 (01:03:44):
I'd like the relation of your state is a little
over three and a half million, and you sell eight
hundred thousand hunting and fishing licenses a year.

Speaker 3 (01:03:53):
It tends to get politicians attention. Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (01:03:56):
Absolutely, Let's talk a little bit about one of my favorites,
because I helped initiate it, and I'm not trying to
toot my own home, but it was a heavy lift
and you guys were really involved.

Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
Has sent it Bill sixty four? Oh, that was a
big one, you said a mouthful there, Yes, sir, you
know that was a fight. Uh, probably one of probably
the biggest fight within us. And I shouldn't use the
word fight, but that was one of the biggest issues
that we worked for. And that created uh uh term
limits uh for the commissioners. Yep. It required if you know,

(01:04:34):
it had always been sort of a political appointees by
the governor without any any other approval than the governor
saying you're the new commissioner. And and so we asked
for Senate confirmation on that. It required audits. And one
of the other things that's really big, especially for our
public hunters out there, public land hunters, no net loss

(01:04:56):
of public hunting Lian, Yes, And what that means is
and it's happened a few times. If we have a
piece of property. When I say we, I mean the
sports people of the state a WMA for example, and
for some reason that property is sold, it is a
requirement to replace at least that same acreage and type

(01:05:21):
of ground, so it keeps our and it's a growing number.
So as that number grows from year to year, so
does the replacement number. So if you hunt our WMA's
around the state, we were there for you right from
the beginning, so we don't lose that land. And Doug

(01:05:44):
in the early part of it. I don't remember the
number now, but he quoted a number. Was it five
million acres in our WMAs. I can't recall the number.
Don't put me on that one, but that's the number
that's stuck in my head.

Speaker 2 (01:05:57):
Well, and you know, here's back to the partnership of
the legislature. When I came up with that idea and
took it to Senator Gary Tapp, he turned around said,
I got a Democratic senator that I can get to
run with this.

Speaker 3 (01:06:12):
It was George.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
And the cool thing about that was my initial impetus
was about the term limits on the commissioners, because I
felt very strongly then till today you need new blood.
You know, two terms up there, there's plenty of time
for someone to make their.

Speaker 3 (01:06:31):
Mark and move on. But that's where I turned to
the league and said, now we got the ball rolling,
what do you all want? And all the.

Speaker 2 (01:06:37):
Things you just mentioned, Mark came from the league, and
so it was hats off and it was.

Speaker 3 (01:06:44):
A heavy lift, but boy was it was fun. You know.
We brought home me Bacon.

Speaker 6 (01:06:48):
I like to say, two years ago you had Senate
Bill three come out. Senate bel three would have changed
drastically the process of how our commissioners Onfish and Wildlife
commission are chosen. It would have taken them away from
the governor and moved them to the Department of Agriculture.

(01:07:11):
Now we all know the Department of Agriculture does a
great job for the farmers, and they hate the deer, I.

Speaker 3 (01:07:18):
Mean, and don't like the barri don't like the turkeys.

Speaker 6 (01:07:21):
And everything you hear from them is you need to
kill more, kill moore, kill moore, killmore, without any type
of scientific study or whatever. And there's a process for
those folks, there's depredation permits. But this was brought about
by a few insenate leadership to move it all to
the Department of Agriculture. And we went to battle on that,

(01:07:42):
and I was dead in the middle of all of it,
and we ended up reaching out and we got national organization,
we got Sportsmen's Alliance, we had DU we had a
Rocky Mountain ELK NWTF Turkeys for Tomorrow, National Grouse and
so asociation.

Speaker 3 (01:08:00):
I mean, we.

Speaker 6 (01:08:01):
Had one after the other that all came and joined us.
And the one lady that I know out there in Kentucky,
larc said it was the most emails she had ever
gotten on one issue at any one time.

Speaker 2 (01:08:14):
They I mean, they well, the disaster disasters, that's right,
I mean, and all the national organizations again piled in
because the League and several of us reached out and said, hey,
we got an is year in this state. It's not
only going to be bad here if it ever happens here,
because there's no other state in the Union that has that.

Speaker 6 (01:08:33):
It was a Senate priority, and they had called for
the vote. They realized they didn't have enough votes, so
they canceled the vote, and finally two days later they
ended up getting enough votes to get it out of
the Senate, and we went to our friends in the
House and Buddy, it never got out of committee. I
never made it to the floor for a vote again.

(01:08:54):
Because we've got some legislators that understand what we fight
for and they actually listened to us. But that was
a big fight and it could have had all serious.

Speaker 3 (01:09:04):
It would have been I'm not afraid to say, it
would have been a disaster.

Speaker 2 (01:09:07):
Let me go to a break here and coming back
from break, we're going to discuss some other things where
the league's been at the forefront as they've been for
low so many years. This break is presented by my
friends at SMI. Go see him the take great care
of all your boat.

Speaker 3 (01:09:23):
He needs you. Never get soaked at SMI.

Speaker 2 (01:09:27):
You know, Mark, we're talking about fish stuff, talking about
the league's involvement with the Asian carp.

Speaker 3 (01:09:32):
And the catfish. Well, you know Asian carp. Everybody knows
the problems with Asian carp and Ron Brooks was the
director of Fisheries at the time when Asian carp really
came on the scene, and he had a great idea
to get people involved and bring recognition to the problem.
And one of the things he came up with it

(01:09:53):
was called the Asian Carp Rodeo. But he needed sponsors.
He needed somebody to help fund the program and get
off the ground, and the League I wrote the check.
I remember signing that check, and I forget how many
tens of thousands of pounds of Asian carp they take
out of there, and it was the springboard for the

(01:10:15):
whole Asian carp industry that's down there now. And also
on Asian carp, I remember making a trip to Washington,
d c. And had a meeting in McConnell's office, and
mccon you know, they looked at us and said, what's
the biggest problem facing Kentucky sportsman? And my answer was
Asian carp And that's where a lot of the federal

(01:10:36):
moneies I like to think precipitated from. Hey, I want
to go back a little bit and correct a statement,
even though I was guessing at the time, Doug didn't
save five million. It's one and a half million acres
of public hunting land, and there's about five hundred thousand
acres of WMA's wildlife management areas that's owned by the department,
So just to clarify that. But the other battle on

(01:10:57):
the horizon for the fisheries is the taking of trophy caffish,
particularly out of the Ohio River and taking them north
to pay Lakes, and the League is right there with
its with some of its club members to fight that
battle as well.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
And as you all know, I've done several shows on that.
I'm passionate about it because pay lake operators out of
state shouldn't be making money out of our natural resources
in Kentucky. I think that's just horrible situation. Anything to
wrap up here, ed, the only.

Speaker 6 (01:11:33):
Thing I want to say is this is our ninety
first year the League of Kentucky Sports, and we are
the oldest sportsman's group in the state. We've been here
the longest and we're probably going to remain here the longest.
We've given all kinds of reasons tonight. But if you're
interested and you have a group that wants to join,

(01:11:54):
reach out to us. You can go to our Facebook
page and just send us a private message and say, hey,
I got fifteen of my buddies we want to join,
and we'll get right back to you.

Speaker 2 (01:12:05):
And that's where you can form a club and get involved.
And if you have need for funding, it's a great
way to do it.

Speaker 6 (01:12:14):
And there are hundreds of thousands of dollars available now.
We spend that every year and there's you know, the
other thing is if you're already a member of the
league or some of these other groups, or you care
about youth events. When it comes time to renew, spend
that ten dollars extra. Like Mark said by the League
of Kentucky Sportsman's Plate, you've heard denied a little bit

(01:12:37):
about what we do with that money and support these
different events.

Speaker 3 (01:12:42):
Yes, sir, I got Mark. I was always asked when
I was president, what does the league do for me?
And tonight if you're listening to this show and you're
not a member of the league, the only thing I
can say is, we can't give you any better reasons
why you shouldn't on a league for what's membership now
eight dollars, five dollars, twelve dollars, Okay, it's the best

(01:13:05):
twelve dollars that you'll get a return on as a
sportsman in the state of Kentucky.

Speaker 2 (01:13:10):
And you'll be part of an organization that's thrunting for
you at every witch stitch. I mean legislatively helping kids,
putting fishing rides in the libraries.

Speaker 3 (01:13:23):
Well, we've covered it. Disabled vets.

Speaker 6 (01:13:26):
We got clubs all over the state running events for
disabled vets NonStop.

Speaker 3 (01:13:30):
Yes, sir, get involved. That's what it boils down. Absolutely,
it sure is.

Speaker 2 (01:13:34):
And again you can check them out League Kentucky Sportsmen
on Facebook or go to Kentucky Sportsmen Men dot com.
Got thanks for being here and thanks for all you've
done through the years with the league, and hopefully tonight
we've focused some people's eyes. All right, be careful out there.

(01:13:55):
God bless everybody.