The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) was a United States-based non-profit 501(c)(4) organization which operated from 2005 to 2010. The group described itself as a national grassroots organization for responsible gun ownership and advocated for increased gun control. The organization's president, Ray Schoenke, said the AHSA was intended to bridge the gap between urban liberals and rural gun owners, but closed down due to a lack of support from the Obama administration. Critics, including the National Rifle Association, questioned whether the membership was representative of gun owners and suggested it was a front organization for gun control advocates. Description The AHSA described itself as "... a national grassroots organization committed to safe and responsible gun ownership" and "... a mainstream group of hunters who are looking to belong to a gun owners association that doesn't have a radical agenda", and as a moderate, common-sense advocacy organization. It favored most restrictions on firearms, but believed that little progress will be made until gun owners are allowed to bring their common-sense perspective to the table. In March 2008, Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke stated that he saw his organization's issues "as complementary to" those of the AHSA. Despite the similarity in name, AHSA had no ties to the field marksmanship promoting organization, the Hunter's Shooting Association (HSA). History In June 2006, Executive Director Bob Ricker formally introduced AHSA at a press conference at the annual conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Ricker said at this conference that the NRA and other 2nd Amendment rights organizations did not address the specific concerns of hunters - protecting hunting lands and wildlife habitats - which led to the creation of AHSA. In 2007, President Ray Schoenke addressed the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. As of October 19, 2010 The AHSA website has been taken down. President Schoenke stated that the group was closed because of lack of membership. Stated goals The AHSA web site indicated four general programs: "Protecting our sporting heritage" "Hunting and fishing conservation" "Gun safety" "Law enforcement training, outreach and development" Leadership The leaders of the AHSA were: Ray Schoenke, Founding President. A former football player for the Washington Redskins, Schoenke ran for Governor of Maryland in 1998 as a Democrat. He is a millionaire and has contributed to numerous Democratic politicians and causes. Schoenke has donated to Handgun Control, Inc., which actively lobbies to ban some types of