In the mountains just east of Missoula, Montana, in and around the Lolo National Forest, lie 6,140 acres of private lands owned by a timber company that has allowed public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. The private lands are part of the Western lands “checkerboard” that dates back to the opening of the frontier, when the U.S. government awarded sections – square miles, or 640 acres – to various private companies (such as the railroads) to log and develop, while keeping ...

There had to be a solution. A timber company called Pope Resources – the largest landowner in the region – wanted to sell off thousands of acres of its holdings at the eastern end of Swift Reservoir, along the southern slopes of the spectacular Mt. St. Helens in Skamania County, Washington. The timberland was worth millions and would be worth even more if developed into as many as 395 20-acre lots. The problem? Such development would forever change a working forest – one producing more than ...

If a single landscape can embody the true wonder of the Land of Enchantment, it is the Valles Caldera National Preserve, in the Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico. The caldera is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption that created a yawning high-altitude system of richly-grassed valleys over 13 miles wide, with a high point of 11,253 feet at Redondo Peak. The preserve is managed by the National Park Service and is open to some of New Mexico’s most breathtaking big game hunting ...

The Rensselaer Plateau in eastern New York state holds the state’s fifth largest stretch of forestland, surprising in its vastness of more than 100,000 acres. Wildlife abounds, with game species such as grouse, whitetailed deer, black bear and wild turkey thriving, along with a host of creatures rare in the East: fishers, bobcats, moose, a life list of migratory songbirds.   This near perfect example of a robust northern mixed hardwood – sugar maple, red oak, yellow birch – and conifer ...

Idaho BHA has launched a new program aimed to recruit new hunters and to accelerate the learning curve before the hunters take to the field.  The program , called "Learn To Hunt: Field to Fork" is specifically for new or inexperienced hunters over age 18. The 12 slots for the inaugural program filled in just a few days with a diverse group of men and women from southwest Idaho.  The program is comprised of 5 sessions, mixing classroom and field work. Participants who complete the entire ...