Final lease retirements safeguard critical fish and wildlife habitat,  culminate decades-long effort by hunters, anglers, others   HELENA, Mont. – Montana hunters and anglers are celebrating following the secretary of Interior’s cancellation of the last remaining oil and gas leases in some of the finest big game habitat and native fisheries in North America: the Badger-Two Medicine area of the Lewis and Clark National Forest.  Following 35 years of legal and political battles over leases ...

Measure recalculates costs of public lands transfers, facilitating giveaways WASHINGTON — The 115th Congress capped its first day late Tuesday with a vote to give away America’s public lands and waters, recalculating the costs of public lands transfers and easing current restrictions for shifting their oversight to individual states or private interests. Passed largely along party lines by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a rules package, the provision would designate any ...

Public land traditions, opportunities and access form the center point of a new alliance MISSOULA, Mont. — Weatherby and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers today announce the launch of a corporate partnership that will elevate both Weatherby’s and BHA’s efforts to conserve, provide access to and enjoy North America’s wildest backcountry lands and waters. The history of Weatherby began in the mid-1940s when a young cartridge “wildcatter” named Roy Weatherby set out to change the world of firearm ...

As a big game hunter who (like over 90% of Colorado sportsmen) hunts public lands, the recent push by some elected officials and big-industry groups to transfer our federal public lands to state ownership, or to sell them off outright to private interests, is more than a little troubling. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that long ago (during the Bush administration years) that similar shenanigans were taking place: former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) introduced a bill requiring the federal ...

MISSOULA, Mont. - In the wake of the arrest in Oregon of Cliven Bundy, a Nevada scofflaw and leader of a movement to seize public lands from the American people, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers President and CEO Land Tawney issued the following statement: "The American people can take satisfaction in knowing that justice is being served to those who would steal or misappropriate our public lands and waters. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers thanks federal law enforcement personnel for arresting ...

MISSOULA, Mont. - The sportsmen's group Backcountry Hunters & Anglers urged cool, patient heads to prevail in the extremists' occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, valuable public lands fish and wildlife habitat located in Oregon. "National wildlife refuges like Malheur are a treasure shared by all Americans," stated BHA President and CEO Land Tawney. "The actions being perpetrated by extremists in Oregon are the misguided actions of a fringe element - and should be condemned ...

BHA rejects proposal from congressional fringe that would gut 50-year-old conservation, access program WASHINGTON - Legislation introduced this morning would dismantle the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a keystone federal program that has enabled conservation and enhanced public access to millions of acres over its 50-year history, drawing heavy criticism from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, which dismissed the proposal as a nonstarter. The bill, introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop from Utah, ...

SALEM, Ore. – Proponents of fair chase hunting are celebrating a success in the Beaver State as the Oregon Senate advances legislation that would ban the use of drones for hunting and scouting. “The sportsman’s voice is ringing loud and clear in the Oregon legislature,” said Ed Putnam, co-chair of the Oregon chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “This bill speaks to the core of who we are as sportsmen, and we commend the legislature’s willingness to consider it.” BHA’s Oregon chapter ...

by Bob Marshall      The Senate this month has been considering the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015.  So sportsmen have cause to wonder which of these two clichés will apply: A) The third time’s the charm. B) Familiarity breeds contempt. At this point there’s a 50/50 chance for either, which is why individual sportsmen need to get involved.Some history: This is the third consecutive year such legislation has been introduced. Each edition has been packed with important – even critical – ...