Sportsmen are making a big difference

Comprised of dedicated sportsmen with a vision for protecting the life they so dearly loved, the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association can trace its roots back to the late 1890s. At that time, the club was referred to as the local gun club.

In 1910, it evolved using a more formal name of the Hamilton Sportsman’s Club. Some of the early issues the club engaged in were sawdust contamination of the local waterways, the amount of game taken in certain areas of the Bitterroot, the release of non-native species in the rivers and other habitat areas of the region.

In 1912, the club raised the funds necessary to ship more than 100 elk from Yellowstone to the Bitterroot. During the 1920s to the 1940s, the club was active in predator control, installing fish barriers and distribution of salt for deer and elk populations.

During this time the club developed a strong relationship with the state game department to further enhance wildlife survival and habitat improvement. In 1948 new corporation papers were drawn up and the Hamilton Sports Club officially became the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the club continued its mission with such projects as fish releases, construction of elk fences to protect hay crops of local ranchers, and grain purchases to feed upland game species.

During this period, the club also made a commitment to public education through the purchase of books and journals on wildlife and conservation for the public library. The club also began hosting fundraisers to raise money to help run the business of the club.

In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, the club was under the visionary leadership of a quiet man named Nick Kramis for whom the club’s prized “Sportsman of the Year Conservation Award” is named.

He realized that to achieve ongoing influence and a voice in the decision-making process, they would have to involve themselves in such issues on a statewide basis. The result was that the club affiliated with the Montana Wildlife Federation and developed committee functions for lobbying at all levels of the policy-making spectrum.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the club began assisting the Montana Wildlife Federation with legislative lobbying. The Club’s fundraising efforts also increased to include an annual banquet and auction. These funds were placed back into the community in the form of wildlife and habitat enhancement programs.

In 1991, the club spearheaded a lawsuit regarding poor management practices regarding the grazing of domestic sheep in areas where bighorn sheep range. The result of that lawsuit was statewide guidelines for public lands to ensure the survival of the bighorn sheep.

In 1996, the club received a donation of 40 acres of land along the Bitterroot River from the five past club members. Today, this land serves as a source of hunting and fishing opportunities for club members as well as a place to spend a relaxing day on the river just taking in the beauty of the Bitterroot Valley.

During the 1990s, the club was instrumental in establishing a “citizen watch” program with an emphasis on anticrime measures at recreational access sites in the Bitterroot Valley and to provide documentation of criminal violations of fish and game laws as well as public access violations.  

Today, the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association continues its historical mission that was established by the previous generations of dedicated sportsmen and sportswomen. The membership that comprises the work engine of today’s club is as diversified as the issues the club addresses. The common thread that binds the organization is each member’s passion to protect the right to recreate the Bitterroot Valley and to pass this heritage on to future generations.

Because of the wide diversity of interests within our club membership, the club has developed a subcommittee form of operation. Members are encouraged to become involved in areas of their interest in order to provide the optimum knowledge and expertise to address the numerous complexities of wildlife and natural resource management.

Future endeavors of the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association will continue with our work on legislative issues related to wildlife and natural resources, continuing a strong working relationship with Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks by providing input on game season development and game management, working on statewide issues dealing with public access to public resources for the purpose of recreation, and any other future issue that would endanger the right to recreate in the Bitterroot Valley.

Special thanks goes to club members, Linda Habeck and Dale Burk for providing historical information in writing this article.

(David L. Harlacher writes for the Montana Wildlife Federation.)