A Brief BHA History III: Taking The Initiative and Raisin’ Hell “This is why BHA was built. For this opportunity. For this fight!” Taking the initiative. That’s how Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) got started over twenty years ago.[1] It’s why the “Gang of Seven” stood around that southern Oregon campfire during March 2004 and brought our BHA tribe into existence.[2] They were anticipating (i.e., hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst) this moment, when our great public lands ...

Full digital issues of the Backcountry Journal are available to BHA members. Check out a preview below, or click here to join BHA. Already a member? Click here to log in.

A Message from BHA President & CEO Patrick Berry   Public land is as American as Mom’s apple pie and the stars and stripes. It’s woven into the fabric of our history, culture, and principles of democracy. It’s the place where generations of hard-working Americans have pursued their passions for hunting and fishing, nurtured an enduring conservation ethic, and found solace from the rest of life.  The concept that our shared resources can be managed in a collaborative and cooperative manner to ...

    By Dalton Valette   To celebrate this year’s Presidents’ Day, let’s look at the long history of America’s heads of state who enjoyed the great outdoors. For us, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, one mustachioed man may come to mind, but there have been plenty of other hunters and anglers who’ve resided in the White House.   George Washington (1st president, 1789-1797)  Throughout his illustrious career as a surveyor, farmer, soldier, and president, Washington enjoyed a great amount of time ...

Full digital issues of the Backcountry Journal are available to BHA members. Check out a preview below, or click here to join BHA. Already a member? Click here to log in.

Full digital issues of the Backcountry Journal are available to BHA members. Check out a preview below, or click here to join BHA. Already a member? Click here to log in.

This article originally appeared as the President's Message column of the Summer 2024 Backcountry Journal.   By Patrick Berry Imagine the excitement and anticipation after a long week of work as you load up the jon boat and head out to one of your favorite hunting or fishing spots. It’s going to be a glorious day, you think to yourself. On the drive, you might ruminate about the grudge bass that you hooked a couple of times but couldn’t bring to the net, or the time you took your two young ...

This article also appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Backcountry Journal.    By Bryan Jones This fall the public’s right to hunt will take center stage on the ballot in Colorado with a proposed ban on hunting mountain lions, bobcats and lynx (a federally protected, non-huntable species). Not only would this hunting ban define in Colorado state statute the legal hunting of multiple wildlife species as “trophy hunting,” it would also classify “trophy hunting” as a Class 1 misdemeanor. BHA ...