SCI Hunters’ Convention of Utmost Importance to All Hunters

When the doors open on the 2014 SCI Hunters’ Convention, February 5-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada, there will be literally thousands of things for anyone interested in hunting and fishing to see and do during the four days of the event. Over a thousand booths will be dedicated to outfitters who offer all types of hunting and fishing adventures here in the United States and all over the world. The Hunters’ Convention allows outdoorsmen (and women) to have a one-on-one conversation with the world’s leading outfitters to find the one that best meets their needs for their next hunting or fishing adventure.

In addition to all the outfitter booths, there are hundreds of booths that display a wide variety of wildlife art, sculptures and other collectable items used to decorate the outdoor person’s trophy room and house. Many are one-of-a-kind items.

Add to this the most impressive display of wildlife taxidermy work in the world and a person has no problem spending several days walking and enjoying the SCI Convention floor. If a person is interested in purchasing a hunt, fishing trip or outdoor item, millions of dollars worth of goods and services are offered at the day, evening and silent auctions during the Convention.

All of these are great reasons that anyone interested in hunting should attend the 2014 SCI Convention, but the most important reason to attend is that almost 70% of the funds SCI uses to protect and promote hunting all over the world are raised during the four-day Hunters’ Convention. Register now while rooms are still available and discount badge pricing is still in effect.

It would be hard to say which program is most important in the mission of SCI, but the advocacy work SCI does in Washington, D.C. may top the list. The average hunter and perhaps the average SCI member would be amazed with the work SCI’s group of lawyers, lobbyists, and staff members do on behalf of all hunter-conservationists.

SCI staff members are on the job every day in Washington, D.C. and at state capitals advancing legislation to benefit wildlife, protect hunters’ rights, and improve opportunities to hunt. They are also there fighting bills designed to take away hunters’ rights or that would be detrimental to wildlife habitat.  At any time there are dozens of bills being worked on and it takes a dedicated legal staff to continue to fight for the hunter in the U.S. courts.   No other organization provides the funds and services to lobby the federal and state legislatures and courts the way SCI does. The work of SCI is of utmost importance to every hunter.

Samples of advocacy work being done right now are:

• Working to pass federal legislation that would permanently guarantee that hunters can access hunting on over 500 million acres of federal public lands. Already over 100 members of Congress have signed-on in support.
• Filed briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court on issues ranging from the Endangered Species Act, to roadless land management for the U.S. Forest Service, and rights for citizens to access public lands.
• Suing the state of Virginia to open up hunting on Sundays, which is currently banned by state law.
• Raised over $1 million for Safari Club International’s Political Action Committee (SCI-PAC) from 2010 to 2012. Achieved an 80%+ win percentage for all federal candidates SCI-PAC supported.
• Fighting HSUS ballot initiatives in Maine that would end bear hunting, in Oregon that would stop trapping, and in Michigan that would take powers away from the Natural Resources Commission to designate game species.
• SCI organized a legislative day in Washington, D.C. where 200 meetings were held between members of the U.S. House and Senate and SCI’s members.

Safari Club International

Protecting hunters’ rights and promoting wildlife conservation, SCI’s two areas of focus, historically has been the interest of hundreds of individuals long before SCI was established. But how did SCI as an organization begin?

Forty years ago, there were many safari clubs across the country made up of local, unaffiliated groups of hunters. One such was Safari Club of Los Angeles, which was formed in April 1971 by forty-seven individuals. In early 1972, an out-of-towner from a similar club in Chicago attended one of the monthly Wednesday night meetings, and it was decided that the L.A. club should attempt to combine with the one in Chicago to make it an affiliated chapter. The founder of Safari Club of Los Angeles, C.J. McElroy, went to the Windy City and instituted the new chapter.

Eleven months after the formation of Safari Club of Los Angeles, on March 9, 1972, the name was changed officially to Safari Club International. SCI continued to reach out to other independent safari clubs throughout the United States in an effort to combine them into a single overall organization.

Today, interest in SCI’s two primary missions has grown a worldwide network. Subsequent involvement and promotion of these missions is rooted in each of our 55,000 members, supported through each of our 190 membership chapters found across the globe, and put into action by government representatives and personnel both nationally and internationally.

In this way, we can encourage an appreciation for nature and wildlife so that conservation efforts remain strong, while also fighting to protect our rich hunting heritage. Big changes can be achieved through the endeavors of many who are united in a mission – the mission of Safari Club International.