# Russ Mason's article in MON



## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

Just wondering what everyone thought of the article. How do you think the Wildlife Division has performed under the direction of Russ Mason?


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

I think the have performed poorly. Mason was a big mistake, and should be replaced


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## 2 Kids And I Trap (Jan 5, 2010)

I think Russ Mason has done a wonderful job with what he has to work with. Knowing him personally I like him as a person as well. Russ will stop and answere questions, or explain any issue we need answering. He will also work with us on trapping issues. I would like to hear why swampbuck said he needed to be removed. 

Jon


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## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

How would I rate the Wildlife Division? Well........if I had a customer who had a question for me or my company and they had called me and left messages and emailed me with the same questions multiple times and I never responded I probably would be fired.......and I would deserve it too.......and I would assume I would lose them as a customer. Ironically that would be my answer for the law division too had you asked. But unlike my scenario I am forced to remain a customer of the DNR.


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## ridgewalker (Jun 24, 2008)

swampbuck said:


> I think the have performed poorly. Mason was a big mistake, and should be replaced



 I agree 100% My opinion is based on his performances in NRC meetings [take that very literally] and with the manner in which he treats his fellow employees and with the manner in which he very subjectively treats data and reports.


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

From evaluation of Russ' work history so far, I doubt he will ever be a public servant that will ever be said had greatness thrust upon him. He has had opportunities to cut through the politics of bad policy at times and, instead, fully excepted and embraced them. Because the top DNR brass sees his position as a figure head as well, they should also be held accountable for the status quo his division has held in furbearer management. 

Low level departmental workhorses deal with what they have to work with. Politicians and beauocrats take what they have and exploit it for a cause. Wildlife Chiefs are neither and actually are paid very handsomely to be a horse of a different color that Russ has yet to show capabilities of. I would be more than happy to give a long list of successful middle management public servants in Michigan's history he could take example from if people wanted to start another thread.

While his administration has not included disasterous results, I believe that is more a stroke of his good luck rather than a biproduct of his good management. His apparent inability to juggle multiple high profile issues at one time displays an inartistic approach to his position that mustn't be present if he is to help foster the postive good reputation of the DNR. In short, he is in over his head and abilities. 

As always, JMO.

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## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

Jon, could you please explain your opening comment: "I think Russ Mason has done a wonderful job with what he has to work with." You also state he will will work with us on trapping issues. What issues has he worked with us? Certainly not cable restraints.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

From reading the replies, it comes to mind observations i made throughout my career in a very large company. Many, many people are promoted 1 step beyond their abilities. This is a natural phenomenon because as people work through their careers, many excel at a job and are promoted to the next level that is more involved. Usually the job their promoted to has more responsibilities, more mind taxing, and just plain uses more of the person's abilities. Trouble occurs when a great worker is promoted to the next level, and the next level, etc, and the last job is beyond the promoted's ability and winds-up over their head. They can't go back, they are where they are and many struggle everyday while at work, usually flat-lined pay-wise and will remain at that job unless terminated. 

Such is life and careers, promoted 1 time too many! Promoted 1 step beyond what their abilities allow.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

Russ Mason is the best wildlife chief of my lifetime. I'm 57 years old.

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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Is there a link to the article?

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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

I have worked directly with Russ Mason on several Michigan committees and feel we are fortunate to have him. He has a vision and down to earth sense which he can convey readily. Russ enjoys hunting and has young children whom he is guiding into the outdoors.

I have already seen many of his moves produce outstanding results. Some of his management changes have improved waterfowling and habitat acquisition. He has allowed the deer management process to include input at a great time in our management history. He FINALLY got the much needed license fee increases through.

The job is as thankless as can be and will *ALWAYS* be such.

Typical responses. $ increases in anything will generate the sharpest criticism.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

> I think Russ Mason has done a wonderful job





> Russ Mason is the best wildlife chief of my lifetime.





> He has a vision and down to earth sense which he can convey readily.


Anyone who would sanction a non-commonsensical, 4.25" deer-stop is none of the above in my opinion!!:rant: That person is either educated beyond his intelligence OR has been promoted beyond his ability, maybe both!! 

If Mason had any of the quoted attributes, he'd either have sanctioned a commonsensical, humane, and usable snaring Reg *OR* completely removed snaring from existence here in Michigan!!!


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

LoBrass said:


> The job is as thankless as can be and will *ALWAYS* be such.
> 
> Typical responses. $ increases in anything will generate the sharpest criticism.


1) Public service jobs at every level are, have been and deserve no more recognition than a pat on the back, contain non-competitive high wages, full benefits, pension and, in his situation, retain the security of being high brass in a non-profit organization.

2) Should you want to carry the water for him here, I suggest you give a little more credence to the fact that NO ONE has made any inferences to increases in any license fees within this thread. That alone would help me from dismissing you completely in your opinions seeing as you have not in any past thread that I know of relayed any knowledge of the issues trappers in particular have with this current administration. 

Also, if you have as much experience in Conservation issues as you say you do, then you'll have no problem in admitting the Peter Principle still exists within State Government in Michigan, as Seldom has so eloquently put forward. Anything less and I would say your ability to analyze human resource development within executives lack the same professional critical analysis that you give to thread content.




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## AntiHuntersLoveMe (Apr 18, 2012)

I wish Mason was a member of this site. It would definitely break up the monotony and bring some truth to the data that's posted around here.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

I cant figure out what article in the MON you guys are referring to.
What is it that you trappers dont like about his article?
Is the cable restraint issue your only beef with him?
Some pretty broad statements so far any specifics?


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

I see nothing wrong with cable restraints. I saves alot of domestic animals.

Ganzer


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

...


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

...


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

...


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## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

When I started this thread I did not give my opinion, because I did not want the thread to be bias one way or the other right from the start. I went into this with an open mind thinking I could learn things/perspectives that I did not know. Could those of you that have been asked to clarify part or all of your post please do so. I am very interested in both sides of the story. Your information could very well change my opinion. Thank you.


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## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

Jon, I am not trying to get in a P------ match. I am only searching for facts and opinions on the Wildlife Division's performance since Mason took over. He might be the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am just attempting to learn from others(including yourself), since I am not aware of all Mason's accomplishments. If you do not want to clarify your two statements, that is your choice and I respect that.
Please correct me if I am wrong on cable restraints. Sometime after the trial period of cable restraints members of the furbears group at the DNR attempted to do a study on the effectiveness of various types of cable restraints. They asked for more time than they originally planned on because they could not catch enough canines to validate their research. They finally came back with some recommendations to change the current cable restraint regulation. It is my understanding that Mason tabled the issue. This was before everyone was so heavily involved in wolves,petitions and ballot initiatives. We know that the antis are against any trapping and all trap devices. That being the case; I am not sure how addressing effective cable restraints gives them MORE fuel or ammunition. IF we are not going to address anything the antis do not like, we might as well bite the bullet now and sell all our traps and hounds and take up bird watching as we eat our veggie burger and drink our soya milk since obviously the antis have won.


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## wintrrun (Jun 11, 2008)

swampbuck said:


> Eradicating wild horses, his downfall in Nevada.


He could not find a way to make money off of them.:lol:

http://www.saveourwildhorse.com/PDF/Articles/NevadaWildHorsePolicy-ShootFirst.pdf


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

2 Kids And I Trap said:


> WHY GIVE THEM MORE FUEL TO WORK WIth AGAINST US? The day is coming for our cable restraint issue to be heard. And I will be sitting there when it gets introduced. Will you be?
> 
> Jon


I understand your opinion but my opinion is BALONEY!!!! You can't continue to be afraid of the boogieman! Look where this fear has got the trappers in Michigan. Yes, that's exactly what I mean, look what this "afraid to stand up and fight" has got us. If we are to lose in our struggle to even maintain, let alone regain what has been given up or negotiated away than so be it but for crying out loud fight the "good fight" regardless of who it is we're fighting. 

I've said this before and I'm saying it again, you CANNOT APPEASE the UNAPPEASABLE nor can you COMPROMISE with the UNCOMPROMISABLE!! So STOP IT doggone it, STOP thinking you're fighting the "good fight" because you're not. This wrong thinking is likened to dying of a 1000 knife cuts!!! 

I've been at this a long time and I can with all honesty tell you that I've never had a confrontation with an anti in the field but I have with many hunters. Every confrontation, including unveiled threats in the field came from either bird hunters, **** hunters, or coyote hunters but never one of those boogieman anti's!!!! Why would the anti's be overly concerned with ending trapping is Michigan? Heck, they're letting us and others do their work for them by negotiating away piece by piece until trapping will become irreverent enough to the point of extinction!! 

Now let me address your challenge and question of you sitting in the hearing and where I'll be. I want everyone on the Board to read very closely to what I'm saying. In 2004, being retired AND an experienced snareman I pm'ed two members on this Board telling them I wanted to testify and when and where I needed to be. Here's the frigin answer I got from both- "thank you for your offer to help BUT we've got it covered and don't need you to come down and testify" Is that clear to everyone reading this, if not read it again? So what happened, we wound up with the most ridiculous, non-ccommonscensical snaring Regs in the entire Country!!! Now you challenge me to come and clean-up your frigin mess??? BALONEY!! YOU either fix your mess OR get rid of snaring in Michigan!!!

Anyone who didn't fight against the 2005 Regs and thought negotiating would keep the boogieman in the closet should have been real proud last winter on this Board when poster after poster told of using illegal snares. There was a time in Michigan with the advent of body grip traps that trappers who used them were heralded as using the most humane method available in harvesting furbearers. What happened, when did we "NEGOTIATE" away our using "humane equipment" to now needing to use "species specific" equipment that isn't humane???

My rant is not pointed at any specific individual, it's pointed at those amongst us who I believe are misguided in thinking that bargaining with the State and other sportsmen user groups is the way of surviving from the dreaded anti's when all the while we're being killed one cut at a time by them and in so being, doing it to ourselves!!


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

2 Kids And I Trap said:


> Does your Boss micro manage you, why should Russ. Also why should he want to bring up cable restraints at this time? The anti's are at every meeting since the Wolf issue has been introduced. WHY GIVE THEM MORE FUEL TO WORK WIth AGAINST US? The day is coming for our cable restraint issue to be heard. And I will be sitting there when it gets introduced. Will you be?
> 
> Jon


 
Jon, are you going to answer the question posted as to Russ Mason's accomplishment's he sanctioned for trappers, as requested? If not, and for whatever reason, may I suggest that you say yes or no and stick to the issues poised originally? You made some pretty valiant statements before in support of Russ Mason. The OP and I presume others would like to hear further clarification.

May I also suggest that you state whether they are from personal observation or from position taken by MTPCA as their PR Director? If not, noting the present audience you are addressing and the type of responses you have given so far, I can not see any good for you or MTPCA coming out of it. 

Jon, I like you. You are a well intentioned person. I would also like to see people respect your opinion and look forward to your fact-based observations so as to help them draw their own conclusions. Sticking to that format I believe will help.

No one likes to see public suicides or public hangings of well intentioned people.


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

Seldom said:


> I understand your opinion but my opinion is BALONEY!!!! You can't continue to be afraid of the boogieman! Look where this fear has got the trappers in Michigan. Yes, that's exactly what I mean, look what this "afraid to stand up and fight" has got us. If we are to lose in our struggle to even maintain, let alone regain what has been given up or negotiated away than so be it but for crying out loud fight the "good fight" regardless of who it is we're fighting.
> 
> I've said this before and I'm saying it again, you CANNOT APPEASE the UNAPPEASABLE nor can you COMPROMISE with the UNCOMPROMISABLE!! So STOP IT doggone it, STOP thinking you're fighting the "good fight" because you're not. This wrong thinking is likened to dying of a 1000 knife cuts!!!
> 
> ...


Seldom,

If you would announce to run for the Vice President position of MTPCA that is coming up in August for vote, I will do everything in my power to not only give you my support but that of 1150 other members and a potential 5800 non-member trappers whom, for whatever reasons, refuse to consistently stay members of a trapping organization in Michigan. 

Please consider it.

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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

wintrrun said:


> He could not find a way to make money off of them.:lol:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.saveourwildhorse.com/PDF/Articles/NevadaWildHorsePolicy-ShootFirst.pdf



Unfortunately, when they ran him out of town he landed here. They should have hired someone with experience in a more similar environment and wildlife.


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

Yes, I know. And if it wasn't for the one-party rule in that state being estoppeled in the state judicial system, unlike here in this state where only the one party rule exists, we wouldn't quite possible be dealing with him here either. He may prove to be a cat with 9 lives

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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Seaarkshooter, not only are you a gifted writer but you're also a great comic!:lol::lol::lol:

You've also brought up something though that many forget but I haven't. The 1150 members!! These are the folks who vote into office their leaders, their spokespersons, folks who supposedly have common desires and wants and trust their leaders to pursue like agendas. So, if the membership by majority vote, wants non-commonsensical and impractical Regs, if the majority doesn't want to fight the good fight or challenge our opponents, if the majority feel negotiating is the way things should be done, their elected leadership have no choice even if they wanted to but to follow those directives! That really isn't un-natural, folks tend to vote for themselves or an image of themselves so usually there isn't any conflict with like-mindedness!

Yes, I want someone who will stand up and challenge and call a spade a spade! I want someone who relentlessly wants to know "WHY". I want someone who would, when it came down to the nut cracking time say, NO, THIS IS WRONG AND I WILL NOT GO ALONG TO GET ALONG!!! 

BUT, BUT, BUT, can the majority of the membership grow a pair and support that person even after they voted that person to represent them??? Or as an example, would they point the "dirty finger" when their leaders tell the DNR to take their snaring(only used as an example) and shove it up when the sun doesn't shine and remove it from use. I can hear it now, "why didn't you bargain and negotiate and we'd still have snaring and now it's gone"! I'd be telling'em it was gone a long time ago and you weren't smart enough or maybe honest enough to realize it!!


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

The "majority" doesn't show up at the convention for the vote. At most, you may have 60 people in the room voting, 20 of which maybe directly related to the board if not the board themselves. lol

I have surmised by experience with many, many Association board elections , that if the vote was a mailed in version where the candidates had to campaign and actually effectively communicate their ideals, the results are dramatcally different.

That system effectively forces an association to have good communication with its members. Those associations, are also the ones I've been part of for the last 30 years that have not imploded.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Seaarkshooter said:


> Yes, I know. And if it wasn't for the one-party rule in that state being estoppeled in the state judicial system, unlike here in this state where only the one party rule exists, we wouldn't quite possible be dealing with him here either. He may prove to be a cat with 9 lives
> 
> Sent from my VS870 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app



Agreed, we should never have allowed the legislature to be relegated to the back seat. We now have one single person, The Governor appointing both the NRC and DNR director. One Governor election go's bad and we get someone with anti hunting, trapping, etc......and we will all be screwed.


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## ridgewalker (Jun 24, 2008)

swampbuck said:


> Agreed, we should never have allowed the legislature to be relegated to the back seat. We now have one single person, The Governor appointing both the NRC and DNR director. One Governor election go's bad and we get someone with anti hunting, trapping, etc......and we will all be screwed.


 It could easily happen in the future. The NRC is supposed to be balanced by party but that does not mean that the Director and some of the Commission might have anti hunting and trapping views. Well said, swampbuck.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

Seaarkshooter said:


> The "majority" doesn't show up at the convention for the vote.


 Could be apathy, could be "give a crap less" attitude(different from apathy), OR could be a deep-seated feeling of disenfranchisement!


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

ridgewalker said:


> It could easily happen in the future. The NRC is supposed to be balanced by party but that does not mean that the Director and some of the Commission might have anti hunting and trapping views. Well said, swampbuck.


The governor can't and won't be able to do a clearinghouse of all appointees at one time. No single governor will be able to do that anymore than the governors are able to do that with judicial seating. 

The fact that we have a branch of administrators that are not at the whim of political beaurocrats within the DNR is vitally important to keeping checks and balances in place also...but that should be another thread.

I am still waiting for the list of accomplishments Russ Mason is responsible for with Michigan trappers.

The deafening silence here within that realm speaks volumes. When and if that discussion ever comes to an end, I think another thread is in order to discuss his previous work history elsewhere with trappers. There are people waiting in the sidelines as experts on that discussion.


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## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

My name is Gary Schinske. My posts as Ole Trapper are my own as an individual sportsman and do not represent the thoughts or direction of any partnership, group, organization or association.
Reading the posts of Seldom and Seaarkshooter about boards carrying out the thoughts/direction given by the membership; is it possible that the actions or lack of actions are not Mason's ideas but the direction(marching orders) given to him by the higher ups in the department or state government?


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## WinkyJ (Jan 31, 2013)

Ole Trapper said:


> is it possible that the actions or lack of actions are not Mason's ideas but the direction(marching orders) given to him by the higher ups in the department or state government?


I would say that it's not only possible, but likely. If a governor or his appointees feel a policy change might hurt reelection or reappointment, they have reason to postpone it until their final term. One of the benefits of term limits is that the top dog no longer has to factor reelection into his policy decisions.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

WinkyJ said:


> I would say that it's not only possible, but likely. If a governor or his appointees feel a policy change might hurt reelection or reappointment, they have reason to postpone it until their final term. One of the benefits of term limits is that the top dog no longer has to factor reelection into his policy decisions.


If the elected official is doing the will of his constituency, there should be no concern of elections


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## WinkyJ (Jan 31, 2013)

FREEPOP said:


> If the elected official is doing the will of his constituency, there should be no concern of elections


Well, there is the issue of funds pouring in from national and international organizations to oppose him. It's expensive to overcome that.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Seeark,

Governor Snyder has appointed or re-appointed every single member of the NRC as well as the DNR director.

Any 2 term governor can do that, they can also remove commissioners and the director and replace them.


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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

WinkyJ said:


> Well, there is the issue of funds pouring in from national and international organizations to oppose him. It's expensive to overcome that.


Exactly the spotlight and crux of my posts. Who is and who is not acting in the best interest of trappers and whom is looking at their own self preservation at the expense of them while making decisions at every level.

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## Seaarkshooter (Nov 5, 2009)

An issue worthy of another thread for sure. The details of which are best discussed in other forums unless they specifically point to the question of how trappers feel the wildlife division has served them under Russ Masons direction.

Just so you don't think I'm stonewalling or deflecting, I do have very specific opinions that reflect my memories of a older system we had here in Michigan, feudal in nature almost, that made it impossible to deal with entrenched, political beaurocrats in the Department.

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## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

Well amazing dialog going on.

Just to bring into this topic a few other points. 

I never saw an out pouring of support for Muskrat Season to be extended. Something I personally think should have stayed the way it was, but in exchange for a longer Muskrat season we lost 90 percent of our Fisher/Marten season. Something we were told we needed to do to save them. And then were shown COMPUTER AIDED DATA. Not one bit of field studying was done.

Also yes I am happy I can now trap a Bobcat. But why A 10 day season for trappers and 30 plus day for houndmen. EQUAL ACCESS not so much. 

I think Seldom went over the cable well enough.

Also the members were in support for mink snaring. But instead we got a longer Muskrat/Mink season. 


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## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

I think you are absolutely right Dave. Longer muskrat season was not on any list I saw or heard of. Another one of those items I believe to be a token change so the Wildlife Division can say all the things they GAVE us. Same as this new regulation to trap on beaver dams. That was not on any list that anyone I have talked with knew about. The closest thing I could come up with was when some 2 to 4 years ago someone from UPTA asked at one of the Furbearer Work Group meetings for a definition of a beaver dam. Abandoned dams without water was what they were trying to determine if it fit the definition or could be trapped unrestricted. Another token given trappers. In the article I mentioned in the opening of this thread, Mason talks about how good and important it is to send his people to the trappers college sponsored by FTA. Maybe we should send some of them back for a refresher. I was dumb-founded in the original wright up when they ony wanted to authorize 110s and the selling point was that it would give trappers more opportunity to harvest muskrats, mink and ****. Well you can catch a **** in a 110 but it certainly is not something we would advocate trying to do. I have more comments that I will add to this thread later.


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## Ole Trapper (Mar 31, 2014)

Since I started this thread I thought it appropriate to add some closing comments. The original intent was to see if others felt Mason lives up to what he says is important in the article. The general drift of the article was that he encourages his staff to participate in various outdoor activities so they can better communicate and interact with the various user groups such as trappers, bear hunters, upland bird hunters, houndmen, deerhunters etc. (The thread has spread out into other areas.) It looks like he and his staff do that but on a selected basis. When you look at the activities of the groups that he and a select group of his staff attend, I think it shows you how influence happens. It appears to me that he is much more interactive with those groups that have demonstrated their ability to have large finances. This does not mean the groups are bigger or the sportsmen they represent are bigger in number, but that they have big bank accounts. Kind of reminds me of our politicians in Washington. For now, it is what it is and only we, the people, can change that. It appears there is some minor shake up going on in Washington so maybe the people have had enough and are finally doing something. If you do not like what is happening in the DNR, you do have the ability to get involved and do something about it. They are a government entity and the government is supposed to work for us. Mason most likely is doing what he was hired to do as directed by the higher ups. The definition of higher ups seems to change and often never identified. Could someone else do abetter job, most likely, but we could also have someone doing a much worse job as well. You need to be the judge and act accordingly. Here is a link to Masons background: 

http://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/21914/



Thank you for all your comments. I hope they have been read by many and taken to heart by the higher ups.


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