On a cool evening, I sat hidden amidst a group of boulders, watching the north face of a 11,000-foot summit as over 100 elk made their way out of the timber and onto open grasses along the adjoining alpine basin. It was a sight I hope to remember for the rest of my days. And yet, as impressive as it was, this spectacle had a downside. That being … it was July … not September: no rut crazed bugling elk, no aspens draped in the colors or autumn, and no crisp morning air.  There wouldn’t be a ...

Photos: Erik Peterson "The movement for the conservation of wildlife and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method.” – Theodore Roosevelt (1916)   By Thomas Baumeister   As Americans, we intuitively understand that some things in life deserve to be protected for our collective benefit, such as the air we breathe and the water we drink. In Montana, this also includes fish and wildlife, along with the ...

  By John Simoneau   A few years ago I was hosting friends for whitetail hunting camp, and we were looking for a new place to explore. Studying the state websites and mapping apps we decide to visit the 6,000-acre Kennebec Highlands Public Reserve. I mapped out a loop with drainages, saddles, wetlands and fading skid trails. While climbing to the first saddle I thought I heard an occasional duck call. Finding the deer sign I was looking for I settled in to sit. I could hear the sound of ...

This title is part of BHA's Jim Posewitz Digital Library: Required Reading for Conservationists   Doug Peacock’s collection of stories in his most recent book, Was It Worth It?, proves his obsession with and loyalty to a life lived on the edges of civilization. Peacock is a man who went further, deeper, and spent more nights in wild places than most. He was so exceptional that Edward Abbey modeled his infamous character George Hayduke on him: a character willing to fight and die for ...

Photo: Josh Bent BY TREVOR HUBBS BHA’s Armed Forces Initiative is a group of North American veterans from all branches of service who understand the power our land has. Whether it’s Coastal Carolina swamps, a logging road five miles into the Maine hardwoods or a misty mountain view in western Alberta, AFI members know there is something special to these places. They have walked across the chasm of leaving the service and through our public lands have come out the other side. The military is ...