By Ben LongBackcountry enthusiasts need to cut things, big and small. Get a log out of the way, shorten a guy line or snip a leader on a fly line. Part of being a competent backcountry traveler is gaining basic skills with things that are sharp.Fundamentally, this comes down to the knife, the axe and the saw. All three are wedges — a knife is a wedge with a handle; an axe is a wedge with a lever and a saw is a series of small wedges on a long blade.Beyond that, each tool has a list of pluses ...

The following is a guest post from BHA member Tovar Cerulli, author of The Mindful Carnivore.  CO BHA will be hosting a discussion of his book in Boulder on May 30 and in Denver on June 3 (details below). During my decade as a vegan, I found hunting nearly incomprehensible. Why on earth would someone voluntarily participate in such a pursuit, heading to woods or fields armed with the intent to kill a wild animal? After a decade as a hunter, my understandings have shifted. Hunting calls me to ...

To the Nevada State Senate Committee on Natural Resources:Senate members Ford, Manendo, Segerblom, Goicoechea and SettelmeyerRe: AB 345 (re: management of wildlife)From: Karen BoegerBoard member, NV Chapter Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA)May 14, 2013Dear Chairman Ford and committee members,I urge you to support AB 345 as amended. Nevada's valuable wildlife resource, and the public to which it belongs, will benefit by the proposed revisions and addtions to NRS 501.100.  The current $3 ...

August 25, 2013   Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (commonly called “drones”) are increasingly important in the military and have high potential to contribute to the fields of wildlife biology, search-and-rescue, agriculture and many other applications. However, in private hands there is small but growing interest in using these highly sophisticated remote-controlled aircraft to scout, monitor and stalk big game. BHA believes this technology represents a widespread opportunity for abuse, and ...

May 9, 2013 To: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission From: Montana Chapter, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Issue: Regulating Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (Drones) in Hunting Background: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (commonly called “drones”) are increasingly important in the military and have high potential to contribute to the fields of wildlife biology, search-and-rescue, agriculture and many other applications. However, in private hands there is small but growing interest in ...