For Immediate Release

April 24, 2024 

Contact: Thomas Plank 303-720-0111, [email protected] 

BHA 2024 Rendezvous Celebrates 20 Years as the Voice for Public Lands, Waters, and Wildlife

MINNEAPOLIS, MN— This past weekend in Minneapolis, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) commemorated its 20th anniversary at the 2024 North American Rendezvous, BHA’s flagship annual gathering. Overall, the event was wildly successful, drawing members and supporters from across the continent to celebrate their shared passion for conservation and advocacy for public lands, waters, and wildlife on behalf of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. This year marks the first time the Rendezvous experience was brought to the BHA community outside of the Northern Rockies, pulling in hundreds of additional attendees from the region. 

"The personal connections and shared commitment for the BHA mission that exist across our broader community is nothing short of remarkable,” said Patrick Berry, president and CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Every time I connect with BHA members and chapter leaders across the continent I am inspired by their passion and dedication, and their participation and engagement during my inaugural Rendezvous experience was no exception. This really is a can’t-miss event for hunters and anglers who care about conservation and the future of our outdoor pursuits."

This year’s Rendezvous boasted record participation in the Wild Game Cookoff, and featured a variety of seminars focused on wildlife management, how-to demonstrations, and special presentations on emerging issues aligned with the BHA mission. Featured seminars were offered by national leaders Jon Gassett from the Wildlife Management Institute and Gaspar Perricone from Freestone Strategies in Colorado on the growing threats to science-based management of public wildlife resources. Additionally, BHA founder Ben Long was on hand to help mark two decades of BHA’s remarkable trajectory, provide his expertise on successful advocacy, and share his personal story that inspired his BHA journey. 

During the inspiring and sometimes emotional annual awards ceremony, BHA members and chapters across the community were recognized for their exceptional achievements over the past year for their contributions to their chapters and the BHA mission. Select awards included BHA’s Washington Chapter and their efforts to protect hunting opportunities, as well as recognition of the individual accomplishments of Arkansas’ James Brandenburg and New England’s Patrick Saunders. 

Additionally, the annual Field to Table Dinner highlighted the culinary skills of some of the finest wild game chefs in North America who delighted guests with an incredible multi-course meal featuring a wide variety of sustainably harvested wild game. And during the annual BHA North American Board Meeting held in Minneapolis prior to the official start of the Rendezvous celebration, a new slate of officers were elected to help guide BHA ‘s trajectory in the coming years. Newly elected board Chair Ryan Callaghan hails from Bozeman, MT and currently serves as the Conservation Director of MeatEater. 

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.