The Seasons are upon us. August has come and gone. We are planning our fall fishing trips. We are shooting the shotguns at the Portland Gun Club each week in anticipation of the upcoming upland bird and waterfowl seasons. We hope to take our cameras along with some experienced archers as they hunt Deer and Elk in September.
We are way past plinking now as we begin to site in the 7mm-08, 30-06, and 300WSM rifles and the 44 magnum revolver. As we scout western Oregon we do carry Bear and Cougar tags hoping to find the proverbial bear in the berry patch or fend off any predator attack. The best part about it is just being in the woods. It is so peaceful. The other day Donnell and I both commented on the wonderful smells of the deciduous forest…pine trees, fir trees, ferns and more.
What are we going to hunt? Well Donnell and I have the High Cascade Hunt tag for early season deer this month. (dates?). If we are not successful, then we can use these tags for the regular western Oregon season which is October 3 –November 6, 2009. We have not decided on the first or second season for Coast Bull Elk in November, but every morning and every evening Donnell says to me “I want to get an Elk this year”. It was that kind of dogged determination last year that led to the harvest of his first Blacktailed buck in the Willamette Valley east of Eugene, Oregon. This year I am going to get his harvest on video tape.
I am going to have more involvement with kids. We will follow up the new shooters day last month by taking some kids to the free shotgun on Sauvie Island clinic offered by Oregon Fish and Wildlife on September _______2009. And we will take a couple of youth on a waterfowl or upland hunt with us. Our little brother Drey (age 13) has become a fixture on our team. He has taken well to fishing and shooting this summer. Now we want to get him in on a successful hunt.
Finally, our travel plans will take back to Mississippi in December. I have been corresponding and talking by phone to the guys in Cary, Anguilla and Louise Mississippi. They are anxious to have us back and are planning to help us take a monster buck. I can’t wait! In the meantime please share you plans with us. We are always looking for new friends and places to hunt.
Donny Adair, President
African American hunting Association, LLC
An Open Letter
October 5, 2009
Roy Elicker
Director
Oregon Fish and Wildlife
3406 Cherry Ave. NE
Salem, Or 97303
Re: Diversity and Inclusion
Dear Mr. Elicker:
I am writing to ask for your help to increase the number of African Americans and urban residents participating in hunting, shooting, fishing and other outdoor activities in our state and in the nation. About a year ago I created a website (aahunt.com,) and an organization called the African American Hunting Association (AAHA). In partnership with NLE Media of Portland we have created the AAHA Outdoor Show, a 30 minute television show, which can be viewed on the website. The program will be aired on television beginning in 2010. I am attaching an article which will provide more information on what we are doing.
Mr. Elicker if you look at any of the hunting and fishing magazines you will find that there is a total absence of any African Americans participating in outdoor sports. Even your ad for the Hunter Education Program in the July-August issue of Oregon Hunter has a photo which does not appear to have any African Americans. This is characteristic of the entire industry. One of the first things a successful diversity program should do is to depict diversity in all of its publications and advertisements. Leupold and Stevens of Beaverton, Oregon just released the first TV commercial with an African American hunter in it. I saw it for the first time on Saturday and it was exciting to me.
I would like to learn more about your agency’s plans to reach diverse groups. Your programs such as Becoming and Outdoor Woman and Youth Angling and Enhancement are examples of your efforts to reach groups who have not participated at desired levels in the past. Every state has programs targeting youth and women; however, I cannot find any state programs that are targeting African Americans, other people of color or urban residents. I want to take the 13 year old boy I am mentoring through the hunter education program. I could not find any hunter education programs on your website scheduled within Portland or even Multnomah County.
Last week there was a 4-day national conference in Atlanta, Georgia sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service called Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great Outdoors. I hope our state participated. It certainly recognizes that this is a national issue of some importance.
I have a presentation I would like to share with you and interested stakeholders about diversity in the outdoors. I was hoping you would schedule a meeting in Salem or Portland and invite some key people. I have a great deal of experience in organizational development and training regarding diversity development. Together we could make Oregon one of the first states to have a broader program of inclusion.
Please feel free to contact me by email at donnyadair@yahoo.com or telephone me at (503) 515-9853.
Thank you for your consideration
Donny R. Adair, President
African American Hunting Association, LLC.
Cc: Chris Willard, Hunter Education Coordinator
Duane Dungannon, Editor, Oregon Hunter
Fred Craig, President, Oregon Hunter Association
Donny,
I was glad when I came accross your website regarding AAHA. What breath of fresh air. I also would love to see more of our African American heritage enjoying the outdoor sports rather than being cooped up in the hood, and in jail. Much of what you are doing needs to be broadcast nationally. I likewise have 2 sons who join me in the woods, and on the water. What a valuable time for us. Please be encouraged to continue this work, as it is needed in this day, and age.
Calvin Cummings
Beaver Falls, PA.
Thank for the encouragement Calvin. Keep huntin!
Hi Donny,
I got the information on AAHA today from my friend, Tony Sanders. He was extremely excited and after viewing your website, so am I. I have been enjoying the great outdoors since I was about seven years of age. My passion today is traditional bowhunting and my dream is to record video segments of African Americans as well as everyone else enjoying God’s given great outdoors. I have a daughter and son that will share moments with me (this coming hunting season) in my ground blind in pursuit of the whitetail deer. Stay encouraged, you’re doing a good work and I look toward to sharing a campsite with you in God’s great outdoors.
Thank you for your comments and encouragement! Its great to see you are getting the girls out. If you go to mu facebook page you can see a short video of my 20 yr old granddaughter shooying my 357 magnum. My niece Carla, who is in graduate school now at Texas Southern, is on the first 2 tv shows. On the 1st one she learnse how to shoot trap and the 2nd one she goes on a Chukar hunt with us. Keep huntin’!
I BEEN LOOKING FOR A WEBSITE LIKE THIS FOR A LONG TIME,I FROM NY AND BEEN HUNTING FOR A LONG TIME SEND ME SOME OF THEM YOUNG KIDS AND WOMEN HERE SO I CAN TAKE THEM OUT HUNTING AND FISHING. THE OUTDOORS ARE GREAT NEW YORK YOUNG AFRO AMERICAN WHERE ARE YOU.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DONNY ADAIR
Doug thanks for the hit. I always thought of New York as an urban environment until I visited Plattsburgh about 25 years ago. NY is an agricultural state. Beautiful country up there.
This is a great page but you should remove african american and just call it american we shouldn’t have to put something like that infront of american, I was born in the united states like the rest of my family and we don’t used that stipulation african american because i am american and so are you gentlemen.
dear Donny; my name is kirt i view your web site i was exited, i also had the the dream of becoming the first black person to have his own black outdoors hunting show.Because like you i, never seen any blacks on t.v . I just received my first hunting license last month i am from Detroit but move to Maryland,D.C area.Me an a buddy are tring to put together our first hunt.I, Look forward to meet and hunting with you,keep up the good work any news come adav. keep me in form. thanks
Kirt, thank you for letting me know you are out there and starting to hunt. You can do it. I never grew up with the sport either. I hope to tour the east coast next year to talk with peole in a number of communites about starting hunting clubs and promoting the sport in general. Good luck!
Great website. I wish there was a similar organization in the Atlanta area to promote hunting and out door activities as you are doing in Oregon. Keep up the good work, it’s an inspiration.
Thank you Ben I will be coming to Atlanta sooner than you think. I was contacted by others in your area and there is an outdorr youth program in the inner city there that is looking for support. I will let you know whats happening as I get more information.