OUR BOARD: Click here to contact the Wyoming chapter board.
Cheyenne/Laramie:
Buzz was born in Missoula, Montana and grew up hunting, fishing, and trapping in western Montana with his parents, grandparentsand brother. Elk and deer hunting were always the focus, but mountain goats, moose, and bighorn sheep provided some great backcountry adventures.
Buzz attended college at the University of Montana and received a Bachelors in Forestry Resource Management. While attending college, he also worked for Region 1 of the U.S. Forest Service at several ranger districts. From 1998-2000 he worked for the School of Forestry as a Project Manager, overseeing a large contract with Turner Enterprises as a Riparian/Wetland Manager. Currently he is working for the Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station.
In 2000, Buzz and his wife, Patricia, moved to Laramie, Wyoming and are enjoying the great hunting and fishing opportunities Wyoming has to offer. Buzz also enjoys the challenge of hunting new species and states all across the West. Hunting adventures have taken him from near the Arctic Circle to within a mile of the Mexican border.
Tanner Belknap - Laramie/Cheyenne Assistant Regional Director
Tanner joined BHA in October of 2018, attributing his introduction to our work to Hal Herring and Steve Rinella. Tanner grew up outside of Auburn, Alabama and moved out West as soon as he could. Some of Tanner's earliest memories are catching big Alabama bass on a two-foot Mickey Mouse spin cast pole. He grew up primarily as an avid spin fisherman for bass and fly fisherman for trout with his Dad always by his side. Tanner's obsession with bowhunting began when his Dad bought him a compound bow for Christmas in middle school. Tanner slowly learned every possible way to make mistakes as a bowhunter on a mix of public and private land out East until he moved out West. Tanner now primarily bow hunts for big game and fishes for trout. That being said, he will happily hunt or fish for anything given the opportunity. Tanner went to college at Oregon State graduating with degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering and accepted a job as a Civil/Environmental Engineer in Laramie, Wyoming.
Guy Litt - Wyoming Board Member
Guy first heard about BHA around 2014 and soon joined. He was raised on a small farm in southeastern Ohio where he spent his free time learning to hunt from patient mentors. Guy makes a point to pay it forward and mentor new hunters each year. Guy often chases big and small game, and gets most excited for the archery elk rut. Guy dabbles with fishing, and figures an older, wiser, more patient and skilled self will dedicate more time to casting a fly rod.
Guy first moved to Laramie to study at University of Wyoming, where he earned a graduate degree in water resources engineering. Previously, Guy worked on community engagement for issues concerning water systems and cattle ranching in Panama. Guy works for a scientific R&D non-profit working on topics related to hydrology.
Guy is interested in engaging BHA’s membership on topics related to i) scientific management of our fish and wildlife, and (ii) collective effort on improving our policy literacy.
Jackson:
Erik lives with his wife just outside of Jackson, Wyoming and works for the National Park Service. He moved to Wyoming 8 years ago to chase his dream of hunting and fishing in the vast wild landscapes of the west. Erik cut his teeth at the age of 10 hunting whitetails, turkeys and small game while growing up in the hills of northern New Jersey and has been a diehard fisherman since the day he could up hold a fishing pole. Today his favorite days in the field are spent burning boot leather in the mountains chasing bugling bulls with a bow. However, he won't pass up the opportunity to take home a mule deer, antelope, or grouse for the freezer, cast a fly to a cutthroat, or jig through the ice for lake trout. Erik brings to the board the perspective and fresh enthusiasm of a lifelong sportsman who discovered the bountiful public land paradise of the west later in life and grew up in a place where public access was hard to come by. He also brings valuable knowledge from a career in habitat restoration and land management and a passion for protecting wild places for us to hunt, fish and recreate.
Pinedale:
Liz Lynch - At Large Assistant Regional Director
Liz first learned about BHA when she was a new hunter; she was living in Missoula, where BHA HQ is located, at the time, and BHA’s mission and values really resonated with her. She grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, in the northern part of the state. She also spent a lot of time on Lake Sebago and also the southern coast of Maine growing up.
She started saltwater fishing when she was in grade school, and it was something she loved to do with her dad and her grandpa as a kid. She's dabbled in fly fishing a handful of times since high school. She didn’t start hunting until she was in her mid-20s, when her then-partner taught her the ropes and encouraged her to join him when he was out waterfowling after she expressed interest in learning to hunt and cook wild game. She fell in love with it quickly, and it’s been a huge part of her life ever since!
She considers herself a generalist gun hunter. Being in Wyoming means she has all kinds of amazing upland, waterfowl, small game, and big game opportunities available to her over-the-counter, so she tries to take advantage of that from September to March. She'll be getting her first bird dog this fall, so she's especially looking forward to adding even more bird hunting to the calendar.
Lander:
Jared Oakleaf, WY Board Member
Jared Oakleaf is a BHA life member and legacy partner out of Lander Wyoming. He is a civil servant and volunteers for several conservation organizations. He credits mule deer with teaching him to have a high fidelity to his home range.
He brings to the board an ability to build coalitions and partnerships, while simultaneously upholding BHAs mission and values.
Cody:
Kayla Nagle, Cody Assistant Regional Director
Kayla joined BHA in 2019 after hearing about all of the great projects BHA was involved in through hunting podcasts. Born in Saint Louis Park, MN Kayla Moved to Pierre, SD in 2nd grade and grew up there on the Missouri River. Kayla's Dad and his family hunted and fished and so she was brought out at a young age fishing and to flush pheasants prior to joining deer camp with her Dad, brother, grandpa, uncles, and cousins. Kayla's family helped foster her love of hunting and fishing. With them and the support of friends, she gained the confidence to actively pursue hunting and fishing year round on her own and with others as her passion continued to grow. She would call herself a generalist hunter. She loves the challenge of big game, but also looks forward to upland birds, and dreams of the once in a lifetime hunts. She also enjoy all types of fishing, from backpacking into alpine lakes to fly fish for trout, bowfishing for carp from her paddleboard, ice fishing, and spin/baitcasting for whatever bites wherever she may be traveling. Kayla is a Physician Assistant based in Cody.
Sheridan/Buffalo:
Pete was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania where he grew up hunting small game, turkey, whitetail deer, and fishing. He hunted and fished with parents, uncles, grandparents and friends with the primary focus on whitetail deer.
Pete, Diane and their two bird dogs (Bella and Gunnar) reside outside Buffalo Wyoming. During the spring and summer months Pete spends as much time as possible in the Bighorn mountains on his horses or with a fly rod in his hand. Pete spends the fall season either bow hunting or with a shotgun in hand hunting birds. During his free time (when he's not hunting), he enjoys running, hiking, backpacking and fishing with Diane and his animals.
Gillette:
Wallace Leastman, WY Board Member
Hi, I am Wallace Leastman. My wife, son, daughter, and I live in Gillette, WY. Growing up my family did not hunt, however we received wild game from friends for a source of meat. I have always enjoyed trapping and hunting and I sought out people to mentor me in the hunting world. Now, much of my spare time is spent hiking, hunting, or fishing on our public lands. Last year I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. I feel that with the knowledge I gained while pursuing this degree will benefit the BHA. Last year I began my journey as a guide for elk hunting in the Big Horn Mountains. Preserving the public land and educating future generations is a legacy that I want to leave.