At sunset on Saturday, a small and enthusiastic group of BHA volunteers joined up with CDFW's Region 6 sheep biologists at the foot of the Marble Mountains in the Mojave for the annual desert bighorn sheep survey. After camping through a windy night, everyone woke to a mercifully overcast morning. Three teams, each led by one of the scientists, were off not long after dawn, and everyone was at their first glassing location shortly after 6 a.m. It didn't take us long to find sheep as we ...

Support a 2nd Bear Tag in CA! CDFW has released their final black bear conservation plan, and in response, CA BHA has submitted a resolution calling on the Fish & Game Commission to implement a 2nd bear tag. Help advance bear hunting opportunities and science-based wildlife management in California by signing our petition here! Event/Stewardship Updates: Duck Camp: In January, BHA volunteers gathered in Mendota for our annual Duck Camp. Birds were shot, stories were shared, and fun was had ...

Counting Sheep in the San Gabriels – Even When We Don’t See Them Earlier this spring, BHA members joined volunteers from the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS), personnel from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), and the U.S. Forest Service to support the annual bighorn sheep survey in the San Gabriel Mountains. This collaboration is part of an ongoing partnership between BHA and these critical groups and conservation agencies—one rooted in a shared ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 12, 2025  Contact:  Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy & Government Relations, mcarthur@backcountryhunters.org    New Legislation Would Safeguard 58,000 Acres, 74 Miles of Public Lands and Waters in Oregon   Landscapes included in newly-reintroduced Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act provide habitat for salmon, trout, deer, elk, and bear, among other wildlife    Washington, D.C. – A vast expanse of national forest lands, free-flowing rivers, ...

Welcome to your first glimpse of BHA's Western Policy Spotter - a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting wild public lands, waters and wildlife across the West. Much like wading through the marsh wearing heavy waders and a bag overloaded with decoys, BHA’s chapter leaders are trudging through a few bills this legislative session that will require careful footwork and dogged persistence. While there are many mission critical bills currently in front of BHA's chapters, one ...