August 8-10, 2025 The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) 16th annual Rendezvous is scheduled for August 8-10, 2025. We’ll set up camp in the Gunnison National Forest south of the rugged West Elk Wilderness at the Soap Creek Corral Dispersed Camping Area (see related information/links below). Adjacent to the Dispersed Camping Area is the Soap Creek Campground, which has 21, first-come first-served sites. Sites include a picnic table and fire-ring. The campground has a ...

During early April members of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) and other conservation groups converged in Washington, D.C. to advocate for keeping public lands in public hands. I had the privilege of visiting the offices of both Colorado U.S. Senators and four U.S. Representatives to talk about the importance of public lands—places like Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument—to veterans, hunters, anglers, and all Americans.[1] Congress passed and President Theodore Roosevelt ...

The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) appointed Damon DeGraw to serve as a Routt National Forest Habitat Watch Volunteer. Damon grew up in a town of 500 people in northeast Iowa. “I bet my grandpa had me fishing with a bobber about the time I was able to walk,” he said. “By the time I was five I’d grab my plastic gun and go ‘hunting’ in our backyard for whitetail (my stuffed animals)—then I would come in the house saying, ‘Mom, dad, look at my deer!’” That led to ...

The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) appointed Jason Judge to serve as an Assistant Regional Director for the Southeast Group/region.Jason started hunting and fishing in Minnesota when he was a child. “My mentors included my dad, uncles, and family friends,” he said. “The fall months were spent chasing whitetails and waterfowl, and we fished in the summers and winters.  Now I hunt and fish in Colorado and the surrounding states. I hunt deer, elk, turkey, and ...

The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) recently appointed Cade Kloberdanz to serve as an Assistant Regional Director for the Northwest Group/region. Cade has been fly-fishing for over 30 years and it’s one of his main passions. He majored in journalism in college and has a knack for writing and public speaking. “I’m new to hunting and only started in 2024, but it’s become just as big of a passion for me as fly-fishing is,” he explained. Cade also served in the U.S. Navy ...