Divisions among Montanans regarding how elk should be managed on private lands were center stage in a short Sept. 24 Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. At issue was the commission’s approval of 10 free either-sex elk tags to three Montana ranch owners in exchange for limited public hunting access to their lands. “These are, in the minds of a lot of Montanans, heading toward privatization and commercialization of wildlife, which … is the death of our fish and wildlife management,” ...

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With Montana's general waterfowl season starting October 2nd, we figured it was a good time to share this Field to Table recipe from Montana BHA member Julie Mackiewicz, with special assists from Pondo the black Lab! Waterfowl Confit   Ingredients: 8 goose legs or 12 duck legs, plucked with skin on and as much fat left on as possible ½ Cup salt 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, plus one sprig of thyme 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, plus one sprig of rosemary 6 garlic cloves Cooking ...

On September 25, National Public Lands Day, the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers worked with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Tangle Free Montana to pull a half mile of dilapidated, unruly, wildlife-impeding, rickety and rotten fence from the Mount Jumbo Wildlife Area just outside Missoula. About 20 people gave up a beautiful Saturday in September (during archery and upland season!) to take on the challenge. The group was varied, being made up of BHA volunteers and board ...

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers members depend on North America’s public lands and waters for their time afield. Their diets rely on wild game and wild harvested foods. They’re young. They’re politically active and politically diverse, not gravitating to any one party or shunning party affiliations outright. They serve in the military at rates more than twice that of the U.S. average.   This is the portrait of the BHA membership as revealed by BHA’s 2021 membership survey, the annual ...