The noble northern pike does not get the respect it deserves, but I will die on this hill, violently swinging a red and white spoon like a medieval flail as I face the charging hordes of  walleye purists, wielding whatever lure of the day they carry designed to catch more fishermen than fish. Whether that pike be fried, baked, broiled, skewered in kabobs, pickled and canned, poached as if lobster, or even the eggs salted for a poor man’s caviar, I will put it up against anything (and ...

Birds will soon hit the ground under a Fish, Wildlife and Parks program aimed at increasing the number of youth hunters by stocking pen-raised pheasants on state-owned land across Montana, including Beckman Wildlife Management Area near Denton.  The project has ruffled the feathers of some sportsmen’s groups, who call it a waste of wildlife funding dollars they say should be spent instead on improving pheasant habitat, while supporters say it is a valid way to encourage more youth to ...

The Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers joins the National Deer Association in calling for the regulatory oversight of the 723 captive deer shooting facilities to be transferred to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). The presence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the Pennsylvania’s deer herd is a threat to the future of hunting in Pennsylvania and the $1.6 billion in economic output generated by hunting that supports many jobs and businesses. CWD was first found in ...

July 13, 2022   Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks c/o Ken McDonald P.O. Box 200701 Helena, MT 59620   RE: Habitat Conservation Lease Agreements EA   Dear Mr. McDonald,   I’m submitting this letter on behalf of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (MT BHA) and our nearly 3,000 dues-paying in-state members. While we broadly support efforts to provide vital habitat for wildlife in this state, we believe this new lease program proposal is misguided and wholly unnecessary. This ...

July 12, 2022   Governor Gianforte Attorney General Knudsen Commissioner Downing Secretary of State Jacobsen Superintendent Arntzen   CC: Secretary Christensen   landboard@mt.gov   RE: Willow Creek Acquisition   Members of the Montana Land Board, The Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers submits this comment in support of the proposed Willow Creek acquisition adjacent to the Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area. The Montana Chapter’s nearly 3,000 dues-paying members have a keen ...