News for Immediate Release Oct. 19, 2021 Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org  MISSOULA, Mont. – A former member and chair of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ North American board of directors, Ryan Busse, has written a book about his career in the gun industry. Busse’s book “Gunfight” is unrelated to BHA, and BHA is not connected to it in any way.   In 2014, BHA’s North American board voted unanimously in support of a policy statement declaring BHA’s commitment ...

August on the Lake Michigan side of Wisconsin is a tricky time of year. The big lake can’t quite decide if it's ready for Fall or if the boiling windless Summer days will prevail. The complexity of August is compounded by the coming Fall salmon runs. First the Chinook Salmon come into port and run the Milwaukee, Sauk and Sheboygan rivers. They are followed closely by the Cohos and up north the Pinks before winter ice up. All these events are determined by water temperature and weather.   A ...

Soon we will all fill out our ballots (or head to the polls) to join in the 2021 election. One of the initiatives we are asked to decide is Amendment 78, officially known as the Custodial Funds Appropriations Initiative. Custodial funds are state revenues that are not generated through taxes. Custodial funds come from federal grants, pension funds and court-approved settlement funds. There is currently a lawsuit seeking to either remove the question from the ballot or have the votes go ...

For those wanting the state to take more action to preserve coldwater fisheries in southwestern Montana rivers, this summer demonstrated the need. But the governor has yet to heed their call for a task force to tackle the problem. This week, a panel of four advocates for Montana’s rivers, fish and the fishing industry discussed the effect of this summer’s heat and drought on streamflows and fish, and suggested some ideas the state needs to consider to maintain Montana’s reputation as a ...

Everybody knows that wildlife in the United States is owned by all of us. Elk, deer and other species are held in the public trust, period. But what happens when publicly owned big game is commercialized – and when hunting opportunity for public wildlife is sold to the highest bidder? What happens when so-called “private land” licenses can be used on public land? Some Western states are grappling with those questions now, but New Mexico public land elk hunters have been living under these ...