Some of the best mule deer and elk hunting in Montana is at risk of being negated by oil and gas development. Unless the BLM hears from public land owners, 650,000 acres of public lands in Central Montana - places like the Missouri River Breaks, the Rocky Mountain Front, the Judith Mountains and the Durfee Hills - will be managed almost exclusive for energy expansion with considerations for wildlife, habitat and public access and opportunity largely ignored. That is, unless the BLM hears ...

The decline in the numbers of American hunters and anglers is not just bad news for our connections to the natural world and for our heritage. Because the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is based on the robust sale of hunting and fishing licenses, the decline is hitting us all right where it hurts most: in funding for habitat projects, public lands management, restoration,  scientific research, access, and on and on. What is the answer? Hal goes to the primary sources: Samantha ...

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow – bear with me – and on LeVar Burton's “My Little Island” episode, he visits the Caribbean island of Montserrat. There, he visits the sandy beaches, discovers exotic fruits and vegetables at the street market, and most interestingly, LeVar follows a local into the mountains to look for the “mountain chicken.” Leptodactylus fallax, commonly known as the mountain chicken or giant ditch frog, is a frog species endemic to the Caribbean islands. True to its ...

This article first appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Backcountry Journal. Join BHA and get the journal, quarterly, in your mailbox.   By Patt Dorsey   There is a lot we know about chronic wasting disease and there is much to learn. We know that CWD is affecting members of the deer family, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and moose. We also know that CWD is spreading. Biologists have now detected it in 26 U.S. states and in three Canadian provinces. Scientists know that prions ...

The California Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) recently authored a letter of support for Congressman Jared Huffman’s (D-CA) Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act (H.R. 2250). This legislation provides critical provisions that will support hunting, fishing, public access, recreational opportunities, fire resiliency and create economic opportunities in important communities throughout Northern California. The legislation includes the following ...