The following is Montana BHA's response to a recent survey conducted by the Environmental Quality Council in regards to the management of federal lands in the state.Montana Environmental Quality CouncilPO Box 201704Helena, MT 59620-1704Attention:  EQC Members:As a statewide hunting and angling organization, Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (MT BHA) consists of over 300 engaged Montana men and women. The following is our response to SJ 15 and the recent survey of counties re SJ15 by ...

As a big game hunter who (like over 90% of Colorado sportsmen) hunts public lands, the recent push by some elected officials and big-industry groups to transfer our federal public lands to state ownership, or to sell them off outright to private interests, is more than a little troubling. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that long ago (during the Bush administration years) that similar shenanigans were taking place: former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) introduced a bill requiring the federal ...

By Brian JenningsWhen the U.S. Forest Service was formed in 1905, it was charged with managing our public forests for the greater good of all.  We all own them and have a right to use them.  But the Forest Service is also charged with protecting the natural resources in our forests, and sometimes that means policy decisions don’t square with the wishes of everyone.  A prime example concerns off-road travel on public lands in Northeast Oregon.  Those who prefer OHV travel in the forests often ...

Colorado BHA held its sixth annual Rendezvous during June 6-8. A group of 20 attendees from around the state set camp in southwest Colorado’s San Juan National Forest south of Pagosa Springs. Camp was located on the Blanco River with easy access to fishing/hiking and within a stone’s throw of the 158,000-acre South San Juan Wilderness, home to the last known grizzly bear to roam our state.*See this link for more photos from the rendezvous.It was a relaxed, mostly unstructured “get ...

By Grant Alban   If you’re like me (or shhh, my wife), you often have trouble pulling fish out of big rivers.  Here in western Montana there is no shortage of great trout water (or so I’m told) – and that certainly seems to be the case…for others.  I’m not a novice angler.  I do occasionally catch fish when I go out and I have had some good days, but ususally they aren’t so good.  I can read water and I understand where fish should be holding, but often times, most times, I don’t catch ...