*Washington State BHA volunteer and National Board member for BHA AFI Justin Spruiell made the below public comment at the WDFW Meeting in response to One commissioner telling hunters and anglers to be nervous when discussing hunting opportunities, while multiple commissioners have deep ties to anti-hunting organizations. To submit your own comments follow the link at the end of the post*     Hello commissioners and Staff, Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I am Justin ...

Of the many things that I remember wanting as a young kid, but not among the few that I never obtained, living in Alaska was in the top two. Early in my military career and after garnering support from my wife in 2012, I re-enlisted in the US Army specifically for a duty station in Alaska. As I drove the Alaska Highway into Southcentral Alaska, I remember thinking “God help me if I ever take this for granted.” As any younger Service Member should, I had another list: achievements - all the ...

Capital Region Chapter Vice Chair and Mid-Atlantic AFI Liaison   Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a fly-in hosted by the LWCF Coalition in Washington, D.C.  This is the second time I have participated in a fly-In.  The first was a virtual fly-in, which was in support of the North American Grasslands Conservation Act (NAGCA), hosted by the National Wildlife Federation.  This fly-in was in support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and there were several ...

I recently had the pleasure in attending the 2023 North Carolina Armed Forces Initiative Turkey Camp as a mentor.  There was a bit of trepidation on my part about being a mentor as I do not have a lot of experience hunting turkeys.  It was not something my family did growing up in Pennsylvania.  We were the standard white-tailed deer and small game hunters.  All told I have a total of four seasons worth of turkey hunting experience.    Adding to my trepidation is the fact that I have yet to ...

My father has been a lifelong hunter, fisherman, and general outdoorsman. One of my favorite parts about him, though, is that he has just never been very good at hunting or fishing, at least in the traditional sense. His limited success has paradoxically inspired in me a deep love for hunting and fishing.   On his annual waterfowl excursion to the Lake Huron waters near our home, my father struggles to wingshoot; he jokes his shotgun must have a defective curved barrel. Fishing seems like a ...