It was opening morning of Colorado’s 2nd rifle elk season (Oct. 29 – Nov. 6, 2022) and I was hunting in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. During September I had the opportunity to do some scouting in the area (on Sept. 19) with my friend, local hunter-conservationist and Colorado BHA Habitat Watch Volunteer Rick Hooley. We subsequently heard one bugling bull and I saw another, posing for photos roadside, the prior evening (see “Elk Hunt Scouting” photos link below). Colorado BHA ...

  BY KEVIN FRALEY Snowdrifts piled up and buried my cabin in interior Alaska in the winter of 2019. Outside, temperatures hovered as low as minus 40 degrees. When the cold, dark months trapped me inside, I used the time to dream about Alaska’s short summer and fall seasons. Inside, I pored over online maps, planning an early fall trip. I’d stumbled onto a scientific report from the 1970s that described fish presence in rivers of Alaska’s Arctic Slope, the area of mountains, tundra and ...

Wyoming has long worked to balance private property rights with the right to hunt. Under current Wyoming law, it is illegal to enter private property to hunt, fish, trap, or collect antlers: W.S. 23-3-305(b) states, in part, “No person shall enter upon the private property of any person to hunt, fish, collect antlers or horns, or trap without the permission of the owner or person in charge of the property.” This is known as the hunter trespass statute, and it provides Game Wardens with the ...

Public land hunting 101: Etiquette, Emergencies, and Education  Public land hunting can be a rewarding experience.  There are more than 85 Wildlife Management Areas in Kentucky, which provide ample opportunities to explore, hunt, fish, and preserve. Each person that utilizes WMAs during their time out and about should remember they are not alone in their adventures. Which is why as good stewards, proper hunting etiquette, preparation for emergencies and adequate education for future ...

Public Testimony given on 10/28/22 at the WDFW Commission Meeting: Good morning, Commissioners, my name is Dan Wilson and I’m the co-chair of the Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. During the wildlife committee meeting on Oct 13, I was disappointed when a commissioner cast doubt on the idea that hunting plays a primary role in conservation and I feel the recurring obligation to clarify the interdependency of hunting and conservation before this body. Of course economic data ...