Sure it looks strange, doesn’t fly unless it has to and is generally regarded by hunters as the slightly better looking sister of the American Coot (aptly named by waterfowlers “Fulica Americana” (fool duck)). But did you know that the Ruddy Duck’s flavor was historically regarded second only to the Canvasback and Redheads, or as Hank Shaw puts it, “the original butterball? If only I had known this when I was 13, my uncles would have been quite proud of their nephew’s frequent harvest.While ...

 The following article was published in the The (Salida, Colo.) Mountain Mail: 4/10/13.  The original version can be found here.Recently, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall introduced legislation that would designate 22,000 acres of Browns Canyon between Salida and Buena Vista as a national monument and (in part) wilderness area, which would ensure the canyon remains just like it is now for future generations of hunters and anglers and other outdoorsmen and women.Some 102,000 acres in the area were first ...

The following is a letter that was sent to Minnesota DNR Commissioner Tom Landweher on behalf of MN Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, in support of the expansion of more Hunter Walking Trails (HWT).  The letter was signed by 200 Minnesota sportsmen who agree that a better balance of motorized and non-motorized hunting opportunities on state lands is needed.Tom LandweherCommissioner, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources500 Lafayette RoadSt. Paul, MN 55155Dear Commissioner Landwehr,We write ...

The following article originally appeared in the Topeka Capital-Journal on February 2, 2013http://cjonline.com/news/2013-02-02/wolf-killed-kansas-first-more-centuryTHE BACKCOUNTRY Hunters and Anglers organization — a national non-profit sportsmen conservation outfit dedicated to ensuring opportunities to hunt and fish on wild public lands and waters — is organizing a chapter to work on behalf of Kansas’ remaining wild spaces.Led by BHA member Daniel Schapaugh, a Kansas native who values the ...

NM BHA Update –As you’ve probably heard by now, this past Monday President Obama permanently protected 242,555 acres of high quality elk, mule deer, antelope and big horn sheep habitat through the designation of the Rio Grande National Monument (RGDN). NM BHA is honored to have been an instrumental part of the coalition that built the overwhelming community support that ultimately pushed this proposal over the finish line.The following links provide more information on the designation and ...