MBA 2008 Convention

Speakers

AERIE BACKCOUNTRY SPORTS MEDICINE SEMINAR

You won’t want to miss this seminar. It is designed to educate any individual who spends time in the outdoors. The instructors are bowhunters and RN’s or MD’s. They will discuss prevention, recognition and treatments of common and treatment of common outdoor injuries and illnesses such as hypothermia, dehydration, wound management, animal attacks (the last one being important but not too common!), particularly relating to bowhunting in Montana. We will focus heavily on prevention of these problems and basic treatments, and make first aid kit suggestions. We also plan on discussing basic outdoor survival principles that hunters could benefit from.

JIM POSEWITZ

Jim Posewitz was born in 1935. After introducing himself to the joys of hunting, fishing and trapping, he moved to Montana in 1953 pursuing fish and wildlife management studies. After graduation from Montana State University he spent 32 years with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, leading the agency's ecological program for 15 years.

In 1993 Jim founded Orion the Hunter’s Institute, a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of ethical hunting and wild resources essential to that purpose. In association with that work Jim has published three books: Beyond Fair Chase; Inherit the Hunt; and his latest, Rifle in Hand. In addition to Orion, Jim has been executive director of the Cinnabar Foundation since its inception in 1983. Cinnabar awards environmental protection and wildlife conservation grants in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Jim has pursued an intense interest in the essence of the hunt and the history of the hunter-conservationist. As a result, he holds an appointment as adjunct professor of history and philosophy at Montana State University. Through the years numerous groups have recognized Jim for his work. Among the many recognition's are the American Motors Conservation Award; Montana State University's Blue-Gold Award for "distinguished services which have contributed to benefit mankind" and, most recently the 2004 Outdoor Life Conservation Award for his contribution to our national conservation effort.

GENE WENSEL

Gene Wensel needs no introduction to the bowhunters of the Montana Bowhunters Association, because not only is he a Life member, he is also one of the MBA’s founding fathers. We are indeed fortunate to have Gene as a Key Note Speaker and also to be presenting seminars.

Gene Wensel was born in DuBois, Pennsylvania on opening day of the 1944 bow season and was raised in the green mountains of Vermont. His dad started bowhunting in 1949, so Gene spent most of his childhood time in the outdoors. Bows and arrows have always been a part of his life. Gene grew up to graduate from college in Indiana and soon headed west to Montana practice for over 30 years as a chiropractor. In search of bigger whitetails and smaller winter kills, he moved to Iowa in 1999.

Gene has hunted with recurves and longbows for almost 50 years. Many friends have commented he never put his toys away since childhood. Gene and his twin brother Barry hunted deer with bows and arrows long before there were things like non-military camo, food plots or specialty seeds. There were no compound bows, cell phones, GPS units, video cameras, ATVs, high fences or weekly deer shows on television.

The Wensels have been affiliated with multiple national hunting organizations, including the NRA, PBS, QDMA, P&Y, B&C, etc. Together they have written half a dozen books and hundreds of magazine articles. They have been involved in many video, audio and television productions. They have done hundreds of speaking engagements and hunting seminars all over the world. Bowhunting has taken them all over America, Canada, Alaska and Africa. In 1998, they brought Wensel Woodsman broadheads to the world. Gene got his biggest exposure during the seven years of his “Classic Whitetails” road tour, annually captivating audiences by the thousands.

Gene and his brother Barry, often called the “Ramblin’ Rednecks,” always displayed fun while hunting. Yes, its serious business at times but it should always be fun. Today, the Wensel brothers go on playing with their toys, bringing laughter and respect to our outdoor heritage.