Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/116174
dad was Mr. Basilio. I'm Carmen." That meeting took place at the memorial service of our mutual friend Bob Wehle, the architect of the Elhew pointer bloodline and one of Sporting Classics' 30 most influential sportsmen of the 20th century. Another mutual friend who was in attendance introduced us: Earl Crangle, the renowned professional bird dog trainer and field trial handler. And therein lies the point of all this, for while tributes to Basilio never fail to cite his lethal left hook or his indomitable will or his refusal to play ball with the Mob, not a one of them mentions his love of upland bird hunting, or that he was the co-owner of the field trial champion pointer Rumson Farm Hayride. In 1958, the same year as the second Robinson fight, Hayride made history by becoming the first (and still only) dog to become a three-time winner of the National Open Pheasant Championship – a feat so noteworthy it earned a mention in Sports Illustrated (where, for the record, Basilio appeared on three covers). Hayride's co-owner and handler was Earl Crangle, and it was through Earl that I learned of Basilio's interest in dogs and hunting. After meeting at a field trial in the early '50s – one wonders how many contemporary boxers have attended a field trial! – Crangle and Basilio became fast friends. They gunned grouse and woodcock in New York and quail in Georgia, and in Crangle's recollection Basilio was "a tough all-day hunter and superb wingshot who loved hunting over well-trained bird dogs." Somehow, I think the "Canastota Clouter" would be pleased to have that as his epitaph. – Tom Davis lower barriers to youth hunting. "We applaud the leadership of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish for taking this huge step to preserve our hunting heritage," said Melissa Schilling, director of recruitment and retention for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. "Families Afield youth hunting initiatives are safe, and these early and exciting experiences mean individuals are likely to remain active hunters as they get older." NSSF established the nationwide Families Afield effort in cooperation with the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the National Wild Turkey Federation to tear down barriers that restrict youngsters from hunting with adult mentors and that deter adults from trying hunting. With assistance from the National Rifle Association and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Families Afield initiatives have resulted in more than 800,000 apprentice hunting licenses purchased since the program's inception in 2004 and an increase in the number of youths enrolling in hunter education classes. New Mexico's provision means that new hunters under the age of 18 using a mentored license are allowed to hunt under the supervision of a legally licensed adult. The youth must still complete the full hunter education course before becoming fully licensed and able to hunt without supervision. "With their vote, the State Game Commission affirmed the desire to implement a program that will immediately enable children to have a positive experience when given the chance to hunt with a mentor," said Jim Lane, director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. "I am extremely excited about what this means for the future of hunting in New Mexico and proud of my staff for working with our hunter education instructors to build a program that will ultimately form the next generation of safe and responsible hunters." Learn more by visiting www. familiesafield.com. – Bill Brassard, NSSF director, Communications FAMILIES AFIELD CONTINUES TO GROW NATIONWIDE The continued success of the Families Afield initiative is welcome news. The initiative's latest success was a unanimous vote by the New Mexico Game Commission to pass a mentored youth hunting measure that will allow a youngster to give hunting a try with a licensed adult before completing the state's hunter education course. New Mexico is the 34th state to approve Families Afield legislation designed to S P O R T I N G C 18 L A S S I C S