Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Officers from the Chattanooga area were in for another surprise Thursday as the Chattanooga Area Chapter of Safari Club International (SCI) donated two video cameras, three handheld GPS unit and five Camelback water backpacks for their use in wildlife enforcement.
These donations follow last week's donation of an $1,100 Roboturkey and several other previous donations of equipment to aid in area wildlife law enforcement.
The robotic wildlife is used by law enforcement officers to catch people who hunt illegally by driving around on roads and highways... or out of season.
TWRA officers returned two Robodeer previously donated by SCI for repair.
According to SCI Chapter President Bill Swan, "The hides on these two Robodeer now resemble Swiss cheese from being shot so much. The chapter will have the skins replaced with actual whitetail deer skins at a cost of $650 each."
Swan said the Chattanooga SCI Chapter is able to donate these items from funds raised at area banquets.
"We keep 70 percent of all the money we raise at our banquet for use locally," said Swan. "Most of the other conservation groups are required to submit as much as 90 percent of the funds raised to their national office. Our Chapter is committed to providing as much support as possible for wildlife preservation and promoting our hunting heritage in the Greater Chattanooga Area."
Among other recent projects sponsored by the Chapter are the donation of self-inflating life vests for the Fire and River Rescue Unit of the Chattanooga Fire Department and the donation of seven Garmin Nuvi units, blue vehicle lights and surveillance equipment for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The Chapter is also on target, in conjunction with the SCI Conservation Fund, towards meeting its pledge of $20,000 for the Tennessee Elk Restoration Project.
SCI nationally represents 55,000 hunters and sportsman and is in the forefront of protecting hunter’s rights worldwide. The local chapter is represented by 100 members in the area.
For more information on joining SCI, call Bill Swan 423-899-9000.
(l-r) Matt Majors, TWRA Wildlife Officer; Brandon Wear, TWRA Wildlife Officer; Bill Swan, SCI Chapter President; C.J. Jaynes, TWRA Supervisor; Chris Willmore, SCI Chapter VP