March 16, 2022   Wildlife Division Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks PO Box 200701 Helena, MT 59620-0701 fwpwld@mt.gov   Re: Comments on Proposed 2022-23 Mountain Lion Regulations   The Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (Montana BHA) represents roughly 3,000 dues-paying sportsmen and women in Montana who value quality recreational opportunities and ethical conduct in the outdoors. Our Chapter values the opportunity to hunt mountain lions in quality habitats and strives to pass ...

On March 22, the Environmental Quality Council (EQC) will meet to discuss the Contractual Public Elk Hunting Access Agreements, commonly knows as '454 agreements.' Made infamous last fall by wealthy, out-of-state landowners like the Texas-based Wilks Brothers, recent changes to the 454 program have left a bad taste in Montana hunters' mouths. Now is our chance to fix them. Photo Courtesy of Jeff Avgeris   EQC Meeting1:30pm, Tuesday, March 22nd Room 137, the Capitol in Helena   Montana ...

Last week, in a 4-3 commissioner vote, the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition (SCIC) opted to withdraw its application from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to build a highway through the Book Cliffs region. “What’s this about a highway going through the Book Cliffs?” This was a question I heard all too often from attendees that stopped by the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers booth at the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo in February, peering over the “Stop the Book Cliffs Highway” ...

Growing up in northern Minnesota, with the great outdoors at my doorstep, facilitated plenty of hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking and canoeing in the vast expanse of woodlands and waterways found there. As a result, I’m no stranger to encountering the region’s predator and prey species, including whitetail deer, moose and wolves. Still, I can count on one hand the close encounters I’ve had with wolves during my lifetime. Boundary Waters Journal publisher Stuart Osthoff is in the same boat. ...

BHA continues to track litigation over hunting and fishing opportunities on national wildlife refuges, including reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is engaged in discussions with the Center for Biological Diversity.   We’ve always supported the expansion of public hunting and fishing access on National Wildlife Refuge System lands and waters, for many years and across multiple administrations, and we remain strongly opposed to any actions that would diminish the expansion of ...