The Hughes Creek Road in Ravalli County was illegally gated for decades. Landowners blocked the road with gates, threatening signs, and even machinery, essentially giving themselves exclusive access to hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. The issue has gone to the courts, including the Montana District and Supreme Courts, and the rulings have always been the same: the road must be opened to the public. It’s a public road. Despite the rulings, the illegal gate remained, and ...

As the demand for publicly accessible places to hunt and fish continues to grow, so have incidents where “no trespassing” signs have been placed to block public access to your public lands or waters. Many of us have seen it, some of us have reported it, but the question becomes, "What recourse do we as public land owners currently have to right this wrong and stop such acts of hunter harassment?" As of right now? Not much. That’s why BHA chapters and others are working so hard in ...

A local conservation group and the U.S. Forest Service have proposed a land exchange that would put an end to decades of confusion over where the public can access the Custer-Gallatin National Forest in Montana’s Crazy Mountains. If the deal goes through, a new 22-mile public trail will wind through the eastern side of the Crazies, about 40 miles northeast of Bozeman. The issue? Hunters say they will lose access to the public lowlands—and the elk that reside there—on the east side of ...

Hunting season is here. Many hunters— including me — will head out this weekend in search of good times and a chance at harvesting Montana’s publicly owned game. While afield I’m often reminded of how lucky I am to hunt and to participate in the North American Model of Wildlife Management. This fuels my desire to preserve our traditions and opportunities and push back against efforts to privatize and commercialize our wildlife. Time afield also provides an opportunity for introspection. ...

The Montana Land Board has approved acquiring a new piece of land to become a Wildlife Management Area. In a four-to-one vote, the board acquired more than 5,000 acres, at the base of the Big Snowy Mountains.Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has cited the lack of public access to the mountains as a primary factor for an elk population which is 900% over objective.Initially, the land belonged to Forrest Allen of Cody, Wyoming, and it was donated after his death in 2019 to a children's ...