What began as a sweeping prosecution for three bull elk poached in Musselshell County ended last month with a conviction for a single elk killed out of season and a man's hunting privileges revoked for 10 years. Earl Russell Benes, 27, was convicted at trial in 2021 of poaching a single bull elk, despite, according to charging documents, admitting to shooting three elk out of season from a vehicle in two shootings a few days apart in 2019. On Dec. 18, District Court Judge Randal ...

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is built on the idea that the stewardship of our public lands, waters and wildlife means not just conservation in the field, but advocacy within the halls of power as well. This is what our federal policy work has led to in the past year with the support of our members, who none of this would be possible without. Thank you.   ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: In 2023 BHA advocated for the following actions taken by the Department of Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest ...

Ambler Road: My Father's Foreboding By Barry Whitehill       Fly-fishing and athletics were my Dad’s salvation. At age 12, his father was sent to the penitentiary in Monroe, Washington for embezzling funds as a Justice of the Peace in Klickitat County. It probably didn’t help my grandfather’s cause to try and cover his tracks by setting a fire that burned the woman’s bathroom of the County Courthouse. Suffice to say, my father’s life became harder after that, with the Depression still making ...

During Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting in Helena last week, a subtle yet profound shift occurred, signaling a troubling trend in Montana wildlife management. This shift wasn’t a change in policy or a new regulation; it was a shift in decision-making, from a steadfast reliance on science to an expedient embrace of special interests. This move was evident by the unanimous vote of the seven-member Commission to eliminate science-based quota ranges on permit allocations in ...

  2023 has been an eventful year for the Michigan Chapter of BHA! This year, we've been deeply engaged in vital policy work that is shaping the future of our precious public lands and waters in the great state of Michigan. From our active involvement with Department of Natural Resources' land management decisions, rallying opposition to the expansion of Camp Grayling, and fighting for the protection of sport fish, Michigan BHA has been at the forefront of advocating for new and continued ...