My wife and I were enjoying a cross-country ski in a New York State Forest.  There was a foot of fresh powder snow and the skiing conditions were perfect.  We had stopped at a trail junction to chat and enjoy the scenery.  It was a cold quiet day in the woods with almost no wind.  The snow was untracked. Except for our ski tracks behind us. The serenity was shattered by the eruption of a large brown bird only inches from my ski tips. It materialized from nowhere, leaving a cloud of fine snow ...

We had followed the trail for a half mile when it ran headlong into a fence.  Signs nailed to the trees blared messages of unwelcome: ​“Private Property” and ​“No Forest Service Access.” They were emphatic: The trail ends here.  Our map — the official map of the Custer Gallatin National Forest — said different: The trail continued for another seven or eight miles, a substantial orange line winding through the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains.  The signs, though, had the desired ...

The alarm went off way too many hours before sunrise. The air was crisp with indecision on layers to wear. How many decoys to bring, what snacks to pack. Did the dog’s vest make it in? Should we shoot 2 3/4” or 3” BBs? This sounds like the start to any good waterfowl hunt, but this one comes with a twist.  The blind we were headed to was inside city limits, on Sandpoint Idaho's City Beach to be exact, which is usually a no hunting zone.  It’s also a no dog zone, but our fiery springer ...

The Montana chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) is hosting a raffle for one of the Treasure State’s most coveted big game tags, and it’s open residents and non-residents alike. The winner will get an antlered mule deer tag valid in every hunt unit in the state—even hard-to-draw units knows for massive mulies. It’s the first time that a Montana conservation organization has hosted an open raffle for a trophy tag, as licenses like this are typically auctioned off to the highest ...

*** Submitted via email on February 9th. Learn more and submit your own comments by February 12th at 5pm. ***   February 9, 2024   Liz Bradley, Region 2 Wildlife Manager Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 3201 Spurgin Road Missoula, MT 59804 fwprg22@mt.gov   RE: Spotted Dog WMA Grazing and Water Development Plan Draft EA   Dear Ms. Bradley,   On behalf of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and our roughly 3,000 dues-paying members, please consider the comments below outlining ...