The winter of 2022/2023 produced epic snow totals in Southwest Colorado. As Durango resident Dave Marston (publisher of Writers on the Range) pointed out, it was “obvious this winter as roofs sagged, driveways became mini-canyons, and snow at the nearby Purgatory ski area outside Durango reached 20 feet high in places. USDA SNOTEL sites above Vallecito Reservoir measured snowpacks at 170% and 180% of normal.”[1] Although I’ve hunted in similar spring conditions once before, the snowpack may ...

While hunting Rocky Mountain elk or mountain Merriam’s turkeys or any other wild game in southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains I generally endeavor to meet up with Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) founder David “Elkheart” Petersen. David is a renowned trad bow elk hunter, hunting ethicist, and former U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot.[1] While discussing elk hunting with David at a local watering hole a while back I mentioned a recent hunt—that included 50 hours and 50 miles ...

Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers recognized chapter Vice-Chair/Legislative Liaison Ivan James for “Decades of Selfless Leadership and Untold Contributions of Time and Effort To Wildlands and Wildlife Preservation Efforts.” After retirement Ivan spent 13 years on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Bowhunters Association, the last 11 as Vice-Chairman for Legislation. Each of these years he worked on from seven to eleven bills. Ivan was also an early BHA member and attended the first ...

The Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Sigurd F. Olson Award recognizes outstanding effort conserving rivers, lakes or wetland habitat. Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) Co-Chair Don Holmstrom is the 2023 recipient. Don was recognized at a ceremony during the BHA North American Rendezvous in Missoula on March 18. Don is BHA life member and coordinates the Colorado BHA Habitat Watch Volunteer (HWV) program in conjunction with his chapter Co-Chair duties. Don has had a career as a ...

The Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers recently appointed Lewis French as an Assistant Regional Director for the Central West Slope Group. Lew was born in Long Island, New York, and raised in West Newbury, Vermont. “I started hunting at age 12 protecting our vegetable garden from wood chucks,” Lew said. “No one in my family hunted but there was a vintage copy of ‘Camping and Woodcraft’ by Horace Kephart in the house that I read many times.” He attended college at the ...