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Our Passion
Hunting and fishing isn’t what we do – it’s who we are. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers celebrate the great American tradition of testing your personal boundaries amid the solitude of the wilds. We understand the urgent need to speak up for those irreplaceable experiences if we want that kind of opportunity for future generations.
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Protecting Habitat
As students of nature, hunters know that adequate and healthy habitat is the foundation of healthy wildlife populations. In the end, our freedom to hunt and fish depends on habitat. Native wildlife has both intrinsic value and is often reflected in the health and quality of habitat itself.
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Standing Up for Your Rights
We are “boots on the ground” hunters and fisherman, standing up for quiet experiences in wild habitats, entirely removed from the disturbances of crowds and machines. We enjoy the wonder and adventure of the pristine outdoors with our friends and families – and work to defend and expand quality opportunities for hunting and fishing.
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Engaged Membership
We help sportsmen around the country be effective, protective voices for the wild habitat essential to quality hunting and fishing opportunities. Our membership is actively engaged, and our voices are trusted and respected.
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Backcountry Guardians
We combat threats to the wild, quiet habitat that support our traditional hunting and fishing opportunities and access. We stand up to off-road vehicle abuse of public land and wildlife, as well as those who would abuse our habitat and water for commercial gain. Our networks of on-the-ground volunteers help report abuse and comment on issues impacting our public lands.
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Vigilant Advocates
We constantly identify critical projects to improve access and habitat, applying our values, and developing beneficial relationships with private property owners, local agencies and community leaders.
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Active Educators
We educate and inform our membership, the public and decision-makers through our website and our publications and one-on-one communication. Our quarterly magazine, Backcountry Journal is a forum for member stories, state activities, and the most pressing issues we face.
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Watch Our Video
We speak for traditional hunting and angling interests, the voice of sportsmen who love truly wild places: the home of a real backcountry experience.
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Welcome to Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Thompson Divide: CO BHA Asks the USFS and BLM to Let the Leases Expire
As outlined in an article that can be found on CO BHA’s Issues page here, the Thompson Divide provides one of the largest remaining tracts of unprotected, undeveloped roadless habitat in the state of Colorado. It remains one of the top units for elk hunting in the state, serves as the headwaters of four high-quality trout streams and hosts a fragile population of mule deer.
On February 28, 2013, CO BHA spoke alongside other sportsmen, ranchers, teachers, the CEO of Patagonia, and over 50 other community members in support of withdrawing mineral leases on the Thompson Divide. Our testimony highlighted the need for undisturbed big game habitat, cold and quiet waters and scientific data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife which suggests that “gas development in this area is likely to be detrimental to mule deer and other wildlife.” For a Public Radio broadcast on this hearing, featuring CO BHA’s testimony (1:50), click here.
Sportsmen Encouraged by Secretary of Interior Nominee
The news that President Obama has selected REI CEO Sally Jewell to lead the U.S. Department of Interior is encouraging for backcountry hunters and anglers who rely on quality wildlife ha
bitat to continue our traditional, non-motorized sporting heritage.
Ms. Jewell was a key stakeholder in discussions to craft President Obama's America's Great Outdoors program, an agenda for the 21st Century to support community-driven outdoor recreation initiatives that was widely embraced by the sportsmen community. We hope she builds on that experience as Interior Secretary and pursues a balanced approach that prioritizes sportsmen access and protection of critical wildlife habitat and puts energy development on equal footing with protection of our public land and water.
Utah BHA Hosts Randy Newberg of On Your Own Adventures
Utah Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are honored to host Randy Newberg at the 2013 International Sportsmen Expo (ISE) in Salt Lake City, March 14-17. As host of the Sportsman Channel’s “On Your Own Adventures”, Newberg is a do-it-yourself hunter that hunts exclusively on public lands.
In line with this focus, Utah BHA will be hosting two of Randy’s ISE seminars on do-it-yourself public lands elk hunting during the show. In addition, BHA members are invited to a meet and greet social with Randy on Saturday (3/16) evening after the show.
A Special Offer from BHA Sponsor Seek Outside
Colorado-based Blue Ribbon Sponsor, Seek Outside is offering a special discount to all BHA members on six and eight person tipis. Purchase a tipi between now and the 2013 North American Rendezvous (March 24) and receive a 7% discount. If you’d prefer to check out Seek Outside’s light weight, packable tipi’s before pulling the trigger, they’ll be at the North American Rendezvous in Boise March 22-24. Additionally, Rendezvous attendees will have the opportunity to win quality gear from Seek Outside during the raffles and auctions.
Check-out Seek Outside’s tipis online, here and if you decide to take advantage of this offer, use promo code “BHA2013” at check out.
BHA Visits Washington DC
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers takes pride in being vocal advocate for the public backcountry lands that sustain our hunting and angling traditions. While the roots of BHA’s advocacy efforts reside largely at the local level with advocates that have boots-on-the-ground experience with the land, our voice, knowledge and passion for the lands we hunt and fish is being recognized nationally.
On December 3, 2012 Backcountry Hunters & Anglers representatives from throughout the West traveled to Washington DC to meet with staff from the White House and Congress. The purpose of the trip was to introduce staff on the hill to the issues that we care about back home.
The issues discussed included:
- Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – BHA’s focus was to speak-up in support of conservation funding provided by LWCF, a program which funds public access for sportsmen and habitat for wildlife.
- “Making Public Lands Public Act” – A component of the Sportsmen’s Act which would dedicate 1.5% of LWCF funds to providing access for sportsmen to otherwise inaccessible, land-locked ‘public’ parcels.
- Standardized Visible OHV ID – For years BHA has advocated for a nationally standardized visible ID on all OHV’s to aid in enforcement efforts.
- Locally-Based Public Land Protections – In Utah; Idaho; Colorado; Washington and elsewhere BHA is involved in collaborative efforts to come up with habitat protection plans for public lands which balance varied interests.
BHA discussed these issues with staff for: Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA); Rep. Mike Simpson (ID); Rep. Dave Reichert (WA); Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT); Rep. Jason Chaffetz (UT); Sen. Harry Reid (NV); Sen. Mike Crapo (ID); Sen. James Risch (ID); Sen. Mark Udall (CO) and the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality.
While discussions on each of the issues varied greatly from office to office, the following are brief summaries of discussions on each issue: