The Dallas Safari Club has selected Jeff Crane as the winner of their annual Peter H. Capstick Hunting Heritage Award. Jeff is the President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. He also serves as the Vice-Chair of the NRA’s Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Committee on which I also serve.
From the DSC announcement of Jeff’s award:
Rob McCanna has resigned as Executive Director of the Dallas Safari Club and Russell Stacy has been named as Interim Executive Director. There is no public word as to why McCanna resigned or whether it was a forced resignation. Having met him at both the DSC Convention in January 2025 and later at the NRA Annual Meeting in April, I thought he was both a good fit and a very good executive for DSC.
Below is the official announcement from the DSC Board:
DALLAS, Texas (October 22, 2025) — Dallas Safari Club (DSC), a worldwide leader in hunter-funded conservation, is pleased to announce that Russell Stacy, former DSC Board Director and DSC Foundation President, has been appointed to serve as Interim Executive Director, effective immediately.
Stacy, a longtime supporter and leader within the DSC community, steps into this role as the organization initiates a succession plan for its top executive position following the departure of Rob McCanna, who had served as CEO since January 2025.
“Russell brings a wealth of experience, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of DSC’s mission and vision,” said Ray Mulholland, DSC President. “He is exceptionally qualified to guide our organization through this interim period, ensuring stability and continued progress as we move forward to celebrate DSC’s Convention, taking place this coming February in Atlanta.”
A familiar face to many within DSC and the broader international hunting community, Stacy has co-chaired the DSC Convention for the past four years alongside his wife, Mary Edith. He has served in numerous other volunteer and leadership roles over the years and has long been recognized for his commitment to advancing DSC’s mission of Conservation, Education, and Advocacy. His proven leadership and passion for conservation make him ideally suited to lead DSC during this period.
“I am honored to step into this role and continue working alongside our dedicated board members, staff, volunteers, members, and exhibitors,” Stacy said. “Together, we have accomplished great things, and I look forward to building on that momentum. The future holds exciting opportunities for DSC, and I am committed to advancing our key organizational priorities and to ensuring the future of our hunting heritage.”
Mulholland expressed the Board’s appreciation for McCanna, stating “The DSC Board values the significant contributions Rob has made as CEO. His efforts have been pivotal in guiding this great organization through numerous recent challenges and milestones.”
The DSC Board anticipates a seamless transition and remains confident in the strength of DSC’s management team and dedicated staff. “The entire Board of Directors has full faith and confidence in Russell and our outstanding team to continue advancing DSC’s mission fulfillment objectives,” Mulholland added.
As DSC looks ahead to its 2026 Convention, the organization remains steadfast in its commitment to serve members, volunteers, partners, and the entire global hunting and conservation community with integrity and excellence.
If I remember correctly, Stacy was one of the people manning the DSC booth at the NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
Commentary on the forums dedicated to hunting in Africa is not exactly complimentary towards Stacy nor hopeful for what this means for DSC. There have been a number of issues plaguing DSC over the past couple of years including the leadership changes and the reaction to the temporary move of the convention to Atlanta.
At the Accurate Reloading forum under the headline “The Continued Implosion of DSC”, MJines said, “Looks like the Rob McCanna is out. Served as Executive Director for less than ten months. The leader of the coup that led many of the former directors and executive leadership to resign has been installed as the Interim Executive Director.”
Likewise at the AfricaHunting.com, there are questions about this change. After questioning the timing of it, MDWest whom I’ve both met and corresponded with, said, in part, “I also question their choice for Interim Executive Director.. I admittedly DO NOT know him personally… I do know however that his name came up several times earlier this year in threads about DSC, the direction its taken, decisions that have been made, etc.. and that the name was not placed in a positive light..” He went on to question whether given this if the optics would not have been better to appoint a different person as interim executive director even if Stacy remained the power behind the throne.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Life Member of DSC and on the Board of Directors of their Carolinas Foundation chapter.
Rhino Rescue: Battling Extinction in South Africa is a documentary that details the efforts to protect one of Africa’s most endangered species. The documentary is funded in part by the Dallas Safari Club along with others in the outdoor industry including Leupold scopes and Federal ammunition.
Set against the vast and untamed landscapes of Rockwood Conservation, a 33,000-acre sanctuary dedicated to preserving the future of white rhinos, the film immerses audiences in the harrowing realities of conservation. With approximately 400 white rhinos residing within its borders, Rockwood represents a glimmer of hope for a species on the brink of extinction. However, the growing threat of poaching continues to push these majestic animals closer to the edge, making this conservation mission an urgent and formidable challenge.
From the outset, Rhino Rescue goes beyond traditional wildlife documentaries by presenting the personal stories of individual rhinos, showcasing their unique personalities, social behaviors, and deep familial bonds. The film underscores the fact that each lost rhino is not just a statistic—it’s a life filled with connections and experiences.
The documentary also shines a light on the dedicated veterinarians, caretakers, and conservationists working tirelessly to protect, heal, and rehabilitate rhinos injured by poachers. Through raw and emotional storytelling, viewers witness the deep emotional toll of conservation work, as well as the extraordinary dedication required to give these animals a fighting chance. One particularly moving sequence follows a young rhino calf that, after losing its mother to poachers, struggles to adapt to life in the sanctuary. The conservation team’s unwavering efforts to nurture and rehabilitate the calf provide a heart-wrenching yet inspiring portrait of resilience.
The trailer for the documentary is below:
The documentary is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime. You can find it here. (#commission earned) It is also available on Make Ready TV and Apple TV. It appears that there is no cost to view it on Make Ready TV thanks to ads.
The documentary was directed and produced by Fernando Coehlo. Interestingly enough, I met Fernando and his wife Bri at the Atlanta airport as we both were coming back from South Africa last year. We had a nice chat while waiting to go through US Customs. Given they were traveling with film gear I am wondering if they hadn’t just filmed this documentary. I know they had done some hunting while in South Africa.
One of the questions I have been getting with some frequency as a candidate for the NRA Board of Directors is, “Can I vote online?” I have to answer that they cannot and they must use the paper ballot that was mailed to them in the February issue of the various NRA magazines.
It is a reasonable question and with today’s technology the question really should be “Why can’t I?” We vote proxies for multi-billion dollar public companies online all the time with the option to use a paper ballot. We use DocuSign to sign off securely on mortgages and financial transactions. Judge Cohen called the paper and ink petition signature gathering process as very “20th Century” and “antiquated”. In his Final Order, while permitting the paper petitions to remain, he said the NRA must provide an online alternative.
It is doable and I know it is doable because I just voted that way this evening for the Dallas Safari Club Board of Directors. I realize that DSC is a much smaller organization but I can’t see why it could not work for a larger organization like the NRA.
I was given an Election Code and Voting PIN. The ballot had the names of five candidates plus spaces for three write-in candidates. I could vote for up to three candidates. I ended up voting for only two and the system questioned whether I wanted to vote for a third candidate before submitting my vote. I didn’t and it went through with no troubles. As you can see above, I even got a confirm that it was a success.
This system was run by a company called YesElections which was formerly known as Election-America, Inc. According to a PDF e-book that I downloaded, they are able to handle hybrid elections where members are sent a paper ballot with the option to vote it online.
I plan to follow up with them this week and ask is there a maximum limit on the number of voters that they can handle. I know there are other companies like ProxyVote that handle millions of proxy votes during Annual Meeting season. While the latter is exclusively for the financial world, YesElections seems to work with a wider range of clients ranging from associations to unions to educational institutions.
Read their e-book yourself. Can you think of any reason something like this could not be implemented for the 2026 NRA Board of Directors’ election?
I can’t.
As some may know, I am on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Safari Club – Carolina Foundation. It is the DSC chapter covering North Carolina and the Upstate and Piedmont of South Carolina. We are a 501(c)3 charity dedicated to conservation, education, and advocacy. We got started in late 2023 and have been working, bit by bit, to get up and going. It is not easy starting a new organization from essentially scratch though we have had lots of help.
We are finally at the point where we will have our first fundraising banquet. It will be March 1, 2025 at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina. Founded by NASCAR legend, former NRA 1st VP, and current Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Richard Childress, the winery features 30 different wines made from grapes grown on 70 acres of vineyards. The vineyard is part of the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area. The winery features a very nice event center for corporate and private events which is where the gala will be held.
The event will feature both live and silent auctions. These auctions will be accessible for online bidding by those unable to attend in person. A link to that will go in February. I know we will have many firearms, donated hunts, and other fine items up for bid or raffle. Indeed, I just secured a donation of a 10-day cow Cape buffalo hunt in the North-West Province of South Africa from Bos en Dal Safaris.
If you are interested in attending, ticket sales have begun and will continue until February 15th. Either go to our website or use the QR code in the image above. Likewise, if you are interested in donating an item for the auction or raffle – and it need not be firearm or hunting related – please contact us at dsccarolinas@gmail.com.
The new “professional opportunity” to which Corey Mason will transition is as the Executive VP for Conservation and COO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. It appears that he will remain with the Dallas Safari Club over the next month before moving on to the new position.
The Wild Sheep Foundation announced his hiring yesterday.
BOZEMAN, MT — The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) is pleased to announce that Corey Mason of Texas will join WSF as Executive Vice President of Conservation, effective August 12, 2024. In this capacity, Mason will lead WSF conservation efforts to conserve and enhance wild sheep and their habitat worldwide. He will also serve as Chief Operating Officer, supporting the foundation’s current and future programs and strategic initiatives.
“Corey has served the conservation and hunting community with distinction as CEO of Dallas Safari Club (DSC) for the past seven years and as a Regional Director, Program Leader, and biologist roles for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for sixteen years before leading DSC,” stated WSF President and CEO, Gray N. Thornton. “He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist®, and a recognized industry leader in promoting sustainable use, not only in North America but around the globe. Corey has worked extensively with state, federal, and international agencies and conservation industry NGOs. He brings talent, capacity, relationships, and additional leadership to the WSF staff – he is a blue chip hire, a franchise player, and a force multiplier to our team. I am thrilled, and we are honored to have him join WSF.”
Mason has a BS and MS in Wildlife Management and has served as an organizational lead for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES Conference of Parties and Animals Committee meetings. He also serves on the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Board and state advisory committees for bighorn sheep, mule deer, and whitetail deer and was a member of the National Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council.
Corey will work closely with WSF Vice President of Conservation Kevin Hurley, a 50+ year wild sheep conservation leader and veteran who on July 1st transitioned to part-time with WSF as he nears retirement. As COO, Corey will work alongside WSF President & CEO Gray N. Thornton to expand current programs as well as help launch innovative WSF initiatives.
“I could not be more excited to join WSF’s incredible team. I have admired the organization’s focus on strategic initiatives and programs, and having worked in the conservation space for decades, I have seen that WSF’s leadership is widely recognized and respected and that the professionalism and efficiency of the staff are appreciated by members and partners worldwide,” Corey Mason stated. “I am eager to support the important mission of WSF and look forward to serving its members,” Mason added.
“As the world’s leading wild sheep conservation, advocacy, and hunting organization, WSF directed $9.2 Million to Grant in Aid, education and outreach programs, and our state, provincial, and tribal agency partners during our 2023-2024 fiscal year ending June 30th. This is $1.7 Million more than the $7.5 Million we directed in fiscal year 2022-23 for an incredible $16.7 Million to mission programs in just two years. Adding Corey Mason to our team will help ensure that those dollars make an impact on the resource, and with our agency and chapter and affiliate partners, Put and Keep more Wild Sheep on the Mountain,” Thornton concluded.
From what I can gather reading comments on various forums made by long time DSC members, there has been a fight going on between those who wanted DSC to remain a “hunting club” and those who wanted it to progress into more conservation and advocacy for some time. A number of board members and the President-elect resigned over it. There was a dissident faction in 2019-2020 that floated an effort called “Save DSC” that some have called an attempted coup. The “Save DSC” group forced a vote on changing the bylaws which only got 18% in favor of it. As I have only been a member of DSC since 2022, I am somewhat ignorant of all the forces at work behind the scenes, what happened in the past, and who is who. This all could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for Mason who decided it was time to leave for greener pastures. I will say that in the couple of meetings I was in with Mason that he seemed like a breathe of fresh air after enduring some of the stuffiness of the NRA’s hierarchy.
I do hope that all goes well for him at the Wild Sheep Foundation and DSC can find a new Executive Director and CEO that can take it into the future.
Corey Mason, the CEO and Executive Director of the Dallas Safari Club since September 2017, is out according to an email sent to DSC members today. Whether he was fired or decided to step aside is not known at this time.
There was a good deal of discontent over the decision to move the annual convention from Dallas to Atlanta for the next five years. That move was due to the demolition and reconstruction of the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Dallas Convention Center. Work on it was due to begin this summer but seems to have been postposed until after January 2025. Many felt that the convention should have remained in Texas and been moved to a city like San Antonio. In the meantime, the Texas Trophy Hunters Association which is now part of SCI, scooped up the open January slot and will hold their Outdoors Extravaganza there in 2025.
DSC President Ray Mulholland sent out this message today around 2:30 PM EDT:
Good afternoon DSC Members, Volunteers, Exhibitor Partners and Sponsors,
I’m writing to share an important update about the evolution of our leadership team. Our CEO, Corey Mason, will be transitioning to a new professional opportunity. Corey has been a pivotal force in driving numerous successful national and international initiatives and strengthening our organization. While we will certainly miss his leadership, we fully support his decision and recognize that this move is a testament to the high regard in which he is held within the world of wildlife conservation. We wish him nothing but the best and are deeply grateful for all he has done for DSC.
In light of this transition, our Board of Directors will immediately engage in the search for a new CEO who will continue to build on the strong foundation Corey has laid. During this time, our dedicated executive team will maintain focused and steady leadership, while continuing to advance the DSC mission. Brian Fienhold, DSC’s Director of Operations and Development, will serve as Acting CEO during the search process.
We are eagerly anticipating our upcoming annual convention in Atlanta, which promises to be another incredible hunting and conservation gathering for all. We look forward to seeing you there and thank you for your continued support and dedication to DSC.
I am not upset that the convention is going to Atlanta as that is an easy drive for me. However, if you have to come from Texas for an event that used to be in your own backyard, I can understand the angst.
Monies raised by the Dallas Safari Club have gone to support a wide variety of projects and organizations dedicated to its mission of conservation, education, and advocacy. These grants are distinct from other grants made by the DSC Foundation. The bulk of these grants are funded with monies raised at the annual DSC Convention in January.
Corey Mason, DSC’s CEO, discusses the grants made in 2023 in the video below.
These grants range from support of efforts to stop wildlife crime both here and abroad to efforts to support Texas-based food banks which use hunter-donated game meat.
You can see more about the grants made by the DSC Foundation at this link which are in addition to the ones detailed by Corey Mason.
The North Carolina Chapter of Dallas Safari Club is in the process of being organized. Currently, the only chapters DSC has in the Southeast are in the Low Country of South Carolina (Charleston) and in Georgia.
I received a text this past week from Emaneul “Kappie” Kapp announcing the formation meeting. He has been active in the Georgia Chapter and is helping organize the North Carolina Chapter.
The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 16th, at 11am at Suffolk Punch Bowl Brewing South End. The address is 2911 Griffith St, Charlotte, NC.
Kappie told me in a follow-up email that DSC has approximately 100 members in North Carolina. I would add that even though there is a South Carolina Chapter, Charlotte is a lot closer than Charleston to the Upstate of SC as well as to Rock Hill.
From what I understand, Bruce Boroski, DSC Chapter Development Manager, will be joining Kappie at the meeting.
So if you live in NC, the Upstate, or the Rock Hill area and you have an interest in promoting the DSC mission of conservation, education, and advocacy, I would urge you to attend this meeting. Even though this is a 2 1/2 hour drive for me, I intend on coming down from the mountains to attend.
The Dallas Safari Club held their annual general meeting by Zoom on Thursday. They elected new directors, new officers, and made a few bylaw changes.
From DSC:
DSC held its Annual General Meeting last night via Zoom. New Directors were elected, officers were confirmed for new terms and all bylaw changes were approved.YesElections supervised the electronic voting to ensure a fair and 100% secure process.
The three newly elected Directors are as follows:
Immediately following the AGM, the Directors elected the following officers:
The bylaw changes passed at the meeting by member vote included cleanup of grammatical errors in the current bylaws, giving the option to extend a Presidential term to include a second year at the Board’s discretion, and making the Chapter Liaison an officer.
Thank you to all members who participated in these important elections.
While I am a member of Dallas Safari Club, I am not a voting member. I really had hoped to attend their convention this past January but I just could not make attending both it and the SHOT Show work. I did attend last year and enjoyed it tremendously.
I did get to meet Tim Fallon and enjoyed my chat with him at the SCI Convention. He owns FTW Ranch and the SAAM shooting school in Texas.
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