The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers recently appointed Kris Hess to serve as an Assistant Regional Director for Boulder County. Kris was born and raised in Alpena, Michigan. “I grew up in a hunting and fishing family in northern Michigan and started fishing and hunting whitetails at a young age,” he said. “I stepped back from hunting for many years but was reinvigorated in 2015 after my first Colorado elk hunt with my father.”  “I’ve since had a growing passion for elk and ...

Decline in Western Arctic Caribou Herd Abundance Calls for Unity and Problem Solving Important information regarding a decline in the Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WACH) was recently published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This decline highlights the need for hunters to prioritize research and lobby for effective management practices and safeguards for the future of the WACH. The 2021 photo census results for the WACH (WACH Working Group Binder) show a significant decline in the ...

This hunting season four hunters were cited for criminal trespass in Carbon County, Wyoming for corner crossing. They have pleaded "not guilty" and currently this case is pending. Corner crossing is a legal grey area that stems from the public's desire to access their public land by stepping from one corner of public to another. We believe this act does not violate law or cause any negative impacts to private landowners and their use of their property. These four hunters took every ...

During a 2021 Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) Rendezvous in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, we were joined by the local Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) District Wildlife Manager. One of the topics we discussed was the increasing impact of off-road recreation on public lands habitat.  As detailed in a 2018 Colorado BHA report (“Impacts of Off-Road Recreation on Public Lands Habitat”), “Wildlife habitat in Colorado is being significantly impacted by the proliferation of ...