The Iowa chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is proud to offer a highly-coveted Statewide Special Non-Resident Deer Tag! This will be the second year in a row that the Iowa BHA chapter has been awarded this tag as a fundraising opportunity for BHA. The winner of this special auction will be awarded one tag for a whitetail of any sex plus one antlerless tag. Iowa consistently ranks in the Top 5 states for trophy whitetails, but being drawn for a tag as a nonresident can often take ...

The Iowa Chapter of BHA held the inaugural BHA Bluegill Bash on Saturday, June 15th to kick off Father's Day weekend. This event took place at Hickory Grove Lake, which was chosen not only for its proximity to Des Moines and Ames but also for the lake’s beautiful setting and excellent fishing. Despite challenging weather conditions that day, we had a strong turnout of over 40—including many families. For lunch, guests were served crowd-pleasing hot venison sandwiches in the style of Philly ...

The Iowa Chapter of Backcountry Hunter & Anglers is happy to report that HF 2104 died in subcommittee today. As a result of an outpouring of support by Iowa’s hunters, anglers, trappers, and public land advocates, the members of the subcommittee voted unanimously in opposition. HF 2104 would have removed the ability of the Iowa DNR to purchase public land at auction or acquire it from non-profit organizations who acquired it in a competitive manner. During the casting of the votes, the ...

In a state where less than 2% of the landmass is publicly accessible, and even less open to hunting and fishing, the Iowa Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers has identified a need to increase opportunity through land acquisition. Over the past year, IA BHA has helped to fund acquisitions on properties in 3 counties across the state through partnerships with County Conservation Boards and other NGO partners.  1.) IA BHA supported Lyon County Conservation and Director Justin Smith in ...

The Iowa BHA Chapter seeks to ensure our outdoor heritage of hunting, fishing, and trapping on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. That vision depends on equitable access to habitat and healthy wildlife populations. Senate File 516 proposes that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources focus on managing its current lands and not prioritize adding public access. BHA views this as an underhanded way to block public land increase and lead to the eventual removal of the public ...