FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   March 18, 2025      CONTACT:   Devin O’Dea, Western Policy & Conservation Manager, odea@backcountryhunters.org     Denver, CO – In a huge victory for public land owners, today Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) applauded the ruling by United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirming the right to “corner-cross" to access public lands. The ruling marks a pivotal decision that cements the legality of public access to millions of acres of public lands in ...

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 ...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The days are getting shorter and hunting season is officially upon us. Like most of us here at Wyoming BHA, we expect many of you are spending as much time afield or on the water as possible this fall. With that in mind, here's an abbreviated recap of what we've been up to this quarter. Policy Updates In August, Wyoming BHA submitted comments on the Proposed Big Game Damage Claim regulation change, which was similar to HB60 that we ...

As hunters and anglers, we invest significant time, money, and care into the management of our state's wildlife and habitats. It's our right to protect these investments and ensure that our hard-earned license fees are used wisely, not to fund a damages program that incentivizes wildlife to consolidate on private lands in potential "wildlife refuges"—something our new Director of Game & Fish is aiming to address. However, this is precisely the incentive that will be created if the proposed ...

On May 1, 2024, BHA habitat stewardship staff joined Biologists and seasonal field staff to modify barbed wire fence along the Gas Hills Highway outside of Lander, Wyoming. This BLM boundary fence was installed over 70 years ago; as a result, it was not built with wildlife friendly practices in mind. This is a story that is consistent across the intermountain West. The impact of this project was three-fold considering it borders crucial winter range for pronghorn, sage-grouse core area and ...