By Alex Sakariassen - September 6, 2018 - Originally published in the Missoula Independent  Last spring, a billboard appeared in the Bitterroot Valley. It featured six pissed-off-looking locals and a demand aimed at Ravalli County’s five-member commission: “Respect public lands.” The same photo and message were duplicated on yard signs distributed throughout the county by a group of citizens calling themselves Our Land, Our Legacy. Four months later, the commission asked Attorney General Tim ...

by Tovar Cerulli - Orion: The Hunter's Institute The image is familiar: A hunter crouches beside a dead deer, grinning into the camera. What do we make of this picture? We all see the hunter’s smile. We all see the beautiful animal, now dead. And we all recognize some connection between the two. From there, though, interpretations diverge wildly. Critics of hunting are apt to see mindless brutality. The hunter has killed, appears to have enjoyed killing, and now gloats over a carcass. ...

With the Department of Interior's current emphasis of energy dominance on our public lands it’s important for us as sportsmen to be paying close attention to where and how this development is taking place. A timely example of this is the upcoming BLM December lease sale here in Colorado. With 227 parcels totaling 236,010 acres across the state, many impacting priority habitat for sage grouse, elk, mule deer, bighorn, moose, and pronghorn - there is a lot at stake. As sportsmen we know our ...

News for Immediate Release Sept. 1, 2018 Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org   BHA Members Unite During Public Lands Month Work days, policy forums and storytelling nights across North America celebrate public lands and waters; National Public Lands Day is Sept. 22 MISSOULA, Mont. – September is Public Lands Month, and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers members are uniting to celebrate, defend and enhance through sweat equity North American public lands and ...

The Colorado State University (CSU) Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Club recently appointed a new club president, William Lueth. William was raised in rural northern Colorado and started hunting at an early age, joining his dad on elk hunts and fishing forays. “My grandparents always told me stories of their hunting and fishing experiences,” he adds. “Recently, I have been going fishing and hunting with a close friend, who has helped me to further refine my skills.” He took up ...