DSC Foundation at its core is an entity that supports wildlife conservation and community development through hunting all over the world. DSC Foundation has always, and will continue to, step forward when operators, outfitters, and communities need help.

“DSC Foundation has a history of stepping up in time of need,” said CEO Rob McCanna, “and this time is no different. When we heard about the tragic events impacting our friends, the board acted immediately to provide these emergency funds. We are establishing this new campaign moving forward to address these critical situations now and in the future. DSC Foundation stands ready to help those who need it most.”

To donate to the “A Better Tomorrow” fund, click here.

On behalf of everyone in the hunting community, the DSC Foundation refuses to let these criminal acts go unchecked and overshadow all the conservation and local community success stories we see each day. Nor will it diminish our commitment from continuing the long-standing positive impact hunting has had on wildlife and wild places.

Accordingly, DSC Foundation’s “A Better Tomorrow” campaign will raise awareness and critical funding to ensure the future of wildlife, wild habitat and the people who call these places home. To ensure these recent criminal acts will not deter, but rather motivate the hunting community. That good will prevail.

Donations to the “A Better Tomorrow” campaign will:

• Ensure global anti-poaching efforts continue
• Ensure critical community initiatives within these hunting areas continue
• Address other needs as they arise within these communities

Rest assured, 100% of these funds will directly aid the people and wildlife of critical conservation areas around the globe, vital elements that are direct benefactors of hunting. DSC Foundation and hunter-conservationists worldwide thank you for your support of this important initiative.

The post “A Better Tomorrow” Campaign Update appeared first on DSC Foundation.

One of our community, Kambako Safaris, in Northern Mozambique, has had their camp devastated by criminals. Their hunting camp was looted, razed to the ground, and everything taken, including uniforms for anti-poaching scouts, food supplies, radios, and other essentials for keeping this conservation area intact.

“We’re still in shock. It’s devastating to see 20 years of hard work and commitment to conservation and community wiped out in a single day. But this will not be the end of Kambako,” stated Jacques Hartzenburg, of Chapungo-Kambako Safaris.

This incident is going to have a tremendous effect on wildlife conservation and community development. The hunting-operator community over the last 20 years has created a ring of protection around the Niassa Special Reserve, creating an indelible conservation success story for wildlife, including incredible plains game, tremendous buffalo, and the only exportable lion population in Mozambique.

Not only has wildlife conservation been the recipient of hunters’ efforts, but the communities living in and around Niassa have benefited with significant employment, the building of schools and scholastic essentials like school desks, chairs, beds all created by local people, paid for by hunters, for their kids. All that effort could now be in jeopardy.

DSC Foundation refuses to let all the conservation and community success go by the wayside due to this incident of criminality and, as such, has decided to step into the fold to help. DSC Foundation has approved an emergency grant to Kambako Safaris to provide much needed assistance, directed specifically to helping the following efforts in their conservatory Niassa, Mozambique:

• Support to ensure anti-poaching efforts in Kambako Safaris conservatory area continue
• Support to ensure community initiatives established by Kambako Safaris including schools, medical, community gardens, food (meat), etc. continue
• Support to address other needs tied to these communities

100% of these funds will directly aid the people and wildlife of Niassa, two vital elements that are direct benefactors of hunting.

In the coming days and weeks, DSC Foundation will roll out a greater initiative in combating these terrible acts against conservation. With your support, the Foundation will remain at the ready to quickly assist and act no matter where the need arises.

If you are a hunter that has booked in Northern Mozambique, DSC Foundation and DSC advise you to reach out to your operator/outfitter to discuss the current situations in the Niassa region and how it may impact your planned hunt. DSC Foundation and DSC stands with our operators in Mozambique as well as our members and hunters that hunt there.

The post A Better Tomorrow – A Rallying Cry to Support Wildlife and Local Communities appeared first on DSC Foundation.

“And in what way would you like to make a difference?” I asked.

“Porque si no lo hare quien lo hara?” she responded!

“Because if you don’t, who will? Is that correct? I know very little Spanish.   Would you please speak English?”

She smiled, then without so much as the slightest hint of an accent, “Yes Sir, Mr. Weishuhn!  I believe everyone can and should make a difference when it comes to the land and wildlife. My ancestors came to what was to become Texas not long after Cabeza de Vaca in the late 1520’s.  Later generations received land grants from Spain in the 1700’s. Those huge landholdings diminished divided many times with each succeeding generation.  Today my mother and father own only small acreage compared to what the ranch was many years ago. That makes me even more interested in managing the habitat and animals that reside on our property.”

She continued, “You may not recall or remember, over fifty years ago my grandfather asked you to do a helicopter game survey of the ranch and asked your guidance in establishing a wildlife management program.  During the survey you photographed a huge whitetail buck, a double-drop-tine, with a very wide spread.  You told my grandfather you thought he was close to 30-inches wide.  Later you gave my grandfather a picture of that buck. It hangs in the ranch house in a place of honor.”

I well remembered that extremely wide with drop-tines buck. He was one of the widest bucks I have ever seen and most impressive.  A typical 12-point, he had five primary tines per side plus main beams which were massive with 8-inch drop-tines, one per side.  Remembering, I was momentarily lost in the memory of that magnificent whitetail.

“We still hunt the property and have continued with your initial management program, simply adapting things from year to year based on rainfall.  We still have cattle, cows and calves, which we rotate from pasture to pasture.  We let the cows graze about half of the grass, then move them to the next pasture. Doing so we never really over-graze any of the pastures.”

“Do the deer follow the cattle?  What I mean is, when the cows are moved to the next pasture do the deer them move into the pasture that’s been vacated by the cows?”

“Usually they tend to be about two pastures behind.  That gives that pasture time to recover so there are more forbs or weeds which deer like and eat.” She responded.

“Do you have water troughs for the cattle and do you make certain there is water in those pastures where the cows have been vacated?”  I asked.

“Yes Sir! In your original management program, which we still have, you suggested to my grandfather to make certain every pasture had at least one water source. You further suggested creating small fenced to keep out livestock “spill over pond” a short distance from the water troughs where all types of wildlife have ready access to water.  You also suggested i some water troughs to pile rocks in one corner where birds can land and drink without the chance of falling in.  Partly because of this we have a lot of different kinds of birds!”

I was impressed the ranch was still carrying on what I had suggested back in 1978. Might not sound like much piling rocks in the corner of a water trough, or creating a “spill over pond, but indeed is of a tremendous benefit to immediate area wildlife.   One of the other things I often suggested back then to make water for livestock accessible to wildlife, particularly in larger, taller water troughs was to float a 12’ by 18” inch wood plank on the surface. This accomplished with a 1”x12” board 18-inches long, a chain attached to the bottom of the board, the other end attached to a weight, such as a 1-pound coffee can (plastic) in which has been poured concrete. Make certain the chain is long enough for varying water depths.  This give game birds and song birds a platform to land on and drink.

Because of the young lady’s comments, I explained how to float a plank for birds to those attending.

“Do you do anything in terms of soil disturbance to encourage weed growth on the property?” I queried.

“As you suggested back when my mother was a very young, we disk either side of some of our pasture roads to encourage plants like croton, ragweed and native sunflowers.  These produce seeds but also small insects for young quail and other birds, as well as forage for deer. We usually do this in February.” She replied!

“You mentioned wanting to make a difference.  I suspect what we’ve talked about is only a small part of what you are doing or plan on doing.” Said I. She smiled.

“Yes Sir!  I try to learn all I can about wildlife not only what lives or visits our ranch and that which we hunt, but also what can be done in town where we live.  In our yard, we plant a lot of different kinds of flowers to provide pollen for bees a nectar for other pollinators.  We even plant milkweed for monarch butterflies. Even there we can make a difference.  And that’s something nearly all of us can do!”

I looked across the crowd gathered thankfully because of a DSC/DSC Foundation sponsored event (www.biggame.org and www.dscf.org), there I saw many smiles and nods…

Indeed, we can make a difference when it comes to wildlife. If you happen to love wildlife, thank a hunter, for it is those who hunt who pay for wildlife conservation and they are the real reason we still have an abundance of wildlife species!

     — Larry Weishuhn

The post “Making a Difference” by Larry Weishuhn appeared first on DSC Foundation.

During my talk I had noticed her “making faces” when I mentioned shooting animals.  I suspected she was there not because she loved the outdoors, or hunting or fishing….

I smiled and wagged my head in a negative manner, “No Ma’am…  But because of hunting we have butterflies, particularly compared to those areas where we do not hunt!  And, I happen to really like watching butterflies in fields of wild flowers, as well as bees and other pollinators.  If I see a lot of butterflies and bees, I know our wildlife management program, involving hunting, is doing its job of providing food and cover for all wildlife species including butterflies, bees, bugs and beetles, as well as song and game birds, and, non-game and game animals!”

“How can killing animals help create more butterflies?” asked she with a look of disdain.

Again I smiled, at the same time thinking, “Thank you, I thought you would never ask that question.”

“As a wildlife biologist I have had the opportunity to work with and in many different types of habitat and terrain across the world.  All too often by the time I was called in to help, the property was in horrible shape. By that I mean most of the native vegetation was gone, eaten into the ground by too many animals. Without ground cover when it rained the soil eroded, taking with it seeds that had long been dropped to the ground where they waited to germinate. Over-grazing and browsing destroyed the plants which had lived there.  With nothing to eat the animals there starved to death, or if they had the capabilities, moved to other areas where they created the same problems of no food or cover, followed by soil erosion when it rained.  All this essentially because there was no hunting of the animals that lived on the property to properly conserve or manage the wildlife habitat, and, the animals to keep them from eating themselves out of house and home.”

“Without plants to hold the soil when it rains, and to produce vegetation; forage, seeds and fruits for insects, birds, small animals, large animals, wildlife cannot exist in those areas. One of the reasons for hunting is to sustain and keep wild populations from growing so large they destroy the habitat where they live.  In many ways wildlife and wildlife conservation are not unlike a many-pieces puzzle, where all pieces are essentially the same size, but shaped differently.  Increasing one or two pieces of the puzzle affects all the other pieces.  If those pieces are increased they take space away from all the other pieces of the puzzle.  The normal-sized pieces must adjust by decreasing in size.  By continuing to increase the size of those one or two larger pieces, soon there is no more room for the smaller pieces.  Eventually the smaller pieces will be deceased out of existence.  They will be gone. At that point the two larger pieces totally control the entire puzzle and the many smaller pieces (butterflies, included) will be gone.  Once that happens even the larger pieces will soon disappear.  It is no longer a puzzle simply one mass that is no longer of interest…or filled with life.”

“The role of sustained hunting is to try to keep all the pieces of the puzzle essentially the same size, uniquely shaped they may be, viable and all integral to each other, so there is room for all the pieces, which help each other continuing to exist!”

“Butterflies, bees as well as song birds are all pieces of that giant puzzle.  If they are present, I know the overall habitat is in good shape. Hunting makes certain all the pieces of the puzzle are there in proper proportions where all things benefit. So we come back to butterflies.  Beyond as mentioned loving to watch butterflies, I know when I see them, the habit and the animals that live in that habitat are in harmony, again thanks to hunting!”

“If you truly love wildlife, all wildlife, thank a hunter, not only for keeping habitat and animals at a level where all benefit, but also because of the dollars hunters contribute through the Pittman Robertson Act of 1937 which provides money from the excise tax on the sale of guns, ammo and hunting equipment to State’s wildlife departments, and, through the sale of hunting licenses. Those hunter-generated dollars are then invested in non-game and game animals/wildlife and habitat so all will exist long into the future!  Remember, if you truly love wildlife thank the hunters. Without them there would be few if any butterflies!”

— Larry Weishuhn

The post “Butterflies!” – by Larry Weishuhn appeared first on DSC Foundation.

She scooted as far away from me as her airline seat would allow. With a sour, disgusting look she replied, “I detest hunting and those who hunt and kill animals.  It’s so disgusting and horrible.”

I smiled as I tightened my seat belt, all the while thinking I really don’t care all that much for people with a closed mind who have no understanding of life, wildlife and the perpetuation of wildlife habitat.  I kept smiling.

“I suppose you also kill elephants!” said she noticing the elephant in the DSC logo.  “They’re endangered!  Hunting elephants is so wrong. They should do you to you what you do to those poor animals!”

I continued smiling and asked, “Ma’am, where do you live?”  Before she could answer I continued, “I’ll bet you live in a very nice home with running water, rooms that are warm in the winter and nicely cooled in the summer, each of your children has their own room and you drive a very nice car.  You’ve probably not gone hungry or thirsty a single day of your life.  Your food comes from a grocery store and not a small garden behind your house.  Bet too, you have a really nice landscaped lawn.”  I continued as her eyes narrowed… “If that’s the case, good for you and your family! I’m proud of and for you!”  I hesitated, then added, “We’re really blessed and fortunate, aren’t we?”

I could see she now was wondering where I was going.

“Yes ma’am!  My wife and I are the same way. We each have our own car, live in a really nice house with a near constant temperature, regardless of what the weather is like outside.  And we do get some of our food from the grocery store, but much of our meat comes from the animals I hunt and the fish I catch.  Our garden provides some vegetable, but never quite enough.”

“You actually eat the animals you kill?” she immediately retorted again with a pained look on her face.

“Yes Ma’am we do.  I harvest several deer each fall hunting season, then compliment the venison with pork from wild hogs I shoot and fish I catch. Venison is cholesterol free, also free of hormones and antibiotics injected in the chicken and red meat one buys at the grocery store. Same with the vegetables we grow.  We very seldom use insecticides, so most of what we eat is all natural.  And because we harvest our own meat and vegetables, guess what, our meals are healthier and taste better as well!”  She was listening, finally!

“Have you ever been to Africa, real Africa and not an artificial national park?” she nodded in negative manner.  “I have, including some of the back country, far outside of the city limits.  Living there is not easy…  You mentioned elephants. What if you, your husband and four kids (I had noticed she was wearing a necklace with a token for what I thought possibly were representative of her children), lived in thin-walled one room house, smaller than your master bedroom, no kitchen, no indoor plumbing, no air-conditioned cooled air during the summer. And only a fire when it was cold, for which you had to gather sufficient wood to keep your family warm but also to use for coals to cook on.  If you were really fortunate maybe you had a couple of goats that produced milk which you and your family used, and offspring you occasionally got to feast on, or sold to someone else so you could buy clothes or food.  Maybe if you’re really fortunate you have four our five chickens for eggs, but also to eat their offspring.  Since there is no such thing as running water in your house, you have to walk two-miles oone way each day to pump water into a five-gallon bucket which you carry back home, hand-pumped from a community well.”

I could not really tell if things were soaking in or she was simply listening hoping I would shut up and no longer talk to her.

“Two days ago when you walked to get water, the elephants returned and pushed the hand-operated water pump over.  Now there was no water available until it could be prepared.”

“Just before the elephants showed up again, your garden was looking beautiful, squash were just about ripe, your ten corn stalks each bore at least a couple of ears.  You were so truly proud of your garden and the food it would supply your family for the next months.”

“Realizing there was no water from the well, you, thirsty and tired, started walking back home.  The closer to your one-home, the louder was the trumpeting of elephants. They were obviously headed toward your garden.  You took off running to get to your house to protect your children and your garden from the elephants.  Screaming at the top of your voice you charge toward the thirty of more elephants walking toward your house and garden. They pay you no attention and keep advancing on your home.  You run into your house gather up your three older children, the oldest 5-years of age, and the 6-month old baby they had been watching while you went for water.  Back outside, you scream and hope the elephants leave.”

“One older cow, obviously the matriarch of the herd, raises her head, flat her ears in an effort to look even bigger, trumpets loudly and charges your way.  You’re not sure whether to turn and run away or try to hide in your house.  You’re in a quandary, last time the elephants were in your area, your best friend and her young son were trampled by elephants.  He died, but she miraculously survived.  Were your husband here, maybe he could help.  He unfortunately is several miles away, helping that village dig a new water well. Amongst all the screaming and trumpeting, you throw your broom at the closest elephant, grab your two-year old daughter’s hand and beg your two older boys to run as fast as they can. You stay between the elephants and your children and run for the cover of several big trees, hoping they will provide protection for you and your children.”

“Once into the tall trees, you stop and look back at your house and garden.  Several elephants of eating everything in your garden. Once your garden has been eaten and destroyed, they smell the vegetables you had already picked and put into the house for future family meals.  Using their foreheads, the elephants push down the walls of your home, then eat the vegetables you had stored there.”

“Food gone, home destroyed, the elephants step a few more times on what is left of your house, then slowly shamble away….”

With that I quit talking and let her think!  I notice her tears start falling.

“We live in a different world than those who have to deal with elephants on a daily basis.  It’s hard for us to comprehend what that has got to be like.  Were we in their shoes, we would look at elephants in a lot different way.”  She nodded in agreement.

I waited a few moments then, “Africa is indeed far different than our world.  Hunting plays such an important role in the conservation of elephants and other African animals.  Do you realize the only countries where elephant still exist outside of national parks are those countries where elephants are hunted?  If elephants in their native lands do not have an economic and real value, they disappear.  Where hunting is allowed elephants flourish, hunting provides jobs, which equate to providing food for the local human population, not only from money that digs wells, pays for education of children, but also in terms of protein from the meat of elephants.  Because there is real economic value from hunting, local populations tolerated some ‘interference’ from elephants and other wildlife. Hunting truly promotes life, rather than death.”

“Conservation promotes LIFE, Preservation promotes DEATH!!”  Conservation is defined and is in the real world, the wise use of. Preservation preserve only one “thing” at the total expense of all other things, i.e. animals and wildlife habitat.”  I’ve been on national parks in Africa that were established and are maintained simply for elephants.   In the process of doing so they have increased elephant numbers to where they have destroyed what habitat was there.  Elephants will push over trees, eat only one limb and move on to push over another tree and od the same.  I’ve been fortunate to have visited national parks where elephants were “preserved”! Before the now protected elephants increased in number, many wildlife species, terrestrial, birds, reptiles, amphibians and plant communities flourished.  Elephant populations increased, due to not being hunted or properly managed.  Soon they destroyed the habitat for all wildlife.  All other wild animals and birds either starved or moved if they were able to areas where there were no elephants. Today only elephants survive in those same areas, and even there, their numbers are down because there is no longer sufficient food available to suppor them.  Some moved to different areas where they also destroyed the habitat there.  Many died due to starvation.  Preservation promoted and continues to promote death!’

Up to that point I had spent most of my time watching reactions from the woman I was primarily addressing.  I had not paid attention to others sitting nearby who were listening to what I had said.

“Hunting promotes and is wildlife conservation, again the wise use of. Hunting creates healthy wildlife populations of all kinds and maybe even more importantly healthy habitats that supports all wildlife.”

“We can never forget essentially all life on Earth is dependent upon the death of another organism.  Vegans and vegetarians kill what they eat no less than do predators or carnivores.  Fruits, nuts and the like are after all simply embryos.  Leaves are alive no different than the chicken, fish, red meat carnivores live on.  If we are alive, we are so because we have killed so we can remain so. That’s simply life…”

Several within hearing of what had said were nodding approvingly.  I knew there was a reason I wore a camouflage shirt with a DSC logo…

 — Larry Weishuhn

The post “Lessons” – By Larry Weishuhn appeared first on DSC Foundation.

Mark Haldane of Zambeze Delta Safaris provides more information:

“Isn’t it funny how our goals change with time? When I started out hunting, it seemed to be a numbers game. Then it went onto the biggest horns, and now it’s firmly the oldest animal.

With this in mind, Zambeze Delta Safaris has always placed a huge emphasis on taking mature, hard boss buffalo – the older the better. There has been stiff competition amongst our PH’s to see who takes the oldest buffalo each year with his hunter.

Being close to our hearts, we decided to have a floating trophy made to honor the oldest buffalo taken each year.

In 2024, Bubba Rasberry took this remarkable trophy with a buffalo that was measured at 13.8 years of age. To make this even more remarkable, Bubba was our oldest client last year, clocking in at 83!

With this trophy, we honor two incredible Dagga boys, firstly the Buffalo and secondly Bubba.”

Thank you Zambeze Delta Safaris for all you do!

The post Zambeze Delta Safaris awards their 2024 “Dagga Boy” trophy to Bubba Rasberry appeared first on DSC Foundation.

As some of you may know, the Dallas Safari Club Convention week in Atlanta was my first official full week on the job as the new CEO for DSC. Convention was a steep learning curve for me, meeting people, learning about the mechanics of the event, and taking in as much information as possible. This past week has allowed me, our DSC staff, and our volunteer leadership to have a short time to debrief, while also continuing to take in and process data and valuable feedback, so that DSC can collectively understand how to best move forward.

As we ended our first convention in Atlanta 9 days ago, we had a “CEO roundtable” with a representative group of about 50 exhibitor partners to receive real-time feedback on everything that could be improved for future shows regarding thoughts and concerns about everything Atlanta. Between the information that was openly shared during the roundtable, combined with the continuous flow of information over the past week via event surveys, formal letters, social media posts, and direct conversations with our valued exhibitor partners, sponsors, and members, our DSC team has quickly gained important context on the broad sentiments regarding the outcome of the convention, as well as expressed concerns regarding possible future plans.

Though the feedback we have received spans the spectrum from negative to positive, the two most common themes that are reflective of the feedback include this: there is a broad concern from our convention stakeholders regarding our ability to enjoy the degree of success for all stakeholders that we have become accustomed to over the years should our convention remain in Atlanta; and two, there is an expressed strong commitment from our convention partners to continue to support DSC but with a request for improved communication.

This update letter today is to start that process for better communication and let you all know that DSC is hearing your concerns.  We understand that without the support from our exhibitor partners, sponsors, donors, members, and others, DSC will not be able to continue to deploy our mission as successfully as in the past and to continue to be looked at as a world leader in supporting conservation and being a strong voice for our important hunting heritage.

Listening and communication are a good start but putting an actionable plan together that addresses the concerns is what matters the most.  The DSC team is currently working around the clock to put that plan in place as quickly as possible so you can see how serious we are taking the current situation.

I ask for your continued patience and support as we work through this important process. My goal and commitment to all of you is to have more details by the end of January or early February that will allow you to better plan for upcoming events based on our path forward that we are charting now.

Thank you all, again, for your candor and continued support of DSC.

Rob McCanna
CEO DSC and DSC Foundation

January 21, 2025

The post CEO Update appeared first on DSC Foundation.

This wonderful prize, valued at $15,000, was donated by Kalahari Safari and the Wildlife Gallery. It is a 5 day plains game safari for two hunters in Namibia, that includes trophy fees for 1x oryx and 1x springbok for each hunter PLUS a $5,000 certificate towards custom life-size taxidermy. (Full details are in the DSC 2025 Convention catalog).  The DSC Foundation thanks Kalahari Safari and the Wildlife Gallery for this 100% donation.

Congratulations Joshua!

The post Announcing the Winner of the DSC Foundation Raffle appeared first on DSC Foundation.

Raised in South Texas, Erika embodies the region’s rich outdoor traditions. The daughter of a retired Air Force fighter pilot and a fashion buyer, she grew up immersed in activities like hunting, fishing along the Texas coast, and working cattle on her family’s ranch. After completing her education at The University of Texas, Erika built a successful career spanning over 20 years as an Accounting Director for a Whataburger Franchise. Beyond her professional life, Erika is a dedicated wife, mother, stepmother, and grandmother.

Currently serving as President in her fifth year on the DSC South Texas Chapter board, Erika’s leadership is instrumental in advancing our mission. Her recent trip to Namibia provided her with invaluable insights into the effective use of funds raised by her chapter, emphasizing the significant impact of our collective efforts.

Russell Stacy, President of the DSC Foundation Board, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Erika to our Advisory Board. Her extensive experience and commitment to conservation are tremendous assets that will undoubtedly enhance our efforts.”

Please join us in warmly welcoming Erika Gonzales. We look forward to the fresh perspectives and contributions she will bring to our efforts.

The post Welcome Erika Gonzales to the DSC Foundation Advisory Board! appeared first on DSC Foundation.

Learn more about the great work being done by The Wildlife Society. 

The post 2025 DSC Foundation Education Award Winner: The Wildlife Society appeared first on DSC Foundation.