I didn’t grow up hunting. Back in Minnesota, it always felt like something other people did to embrace the cooling temps and an excuse to sit in a deer stand and drink beer all day. Not me....Still, I struggled to take the leap on my own. I had always been the curious observer tagging along—helping prep gear, mapping hunts on OnX, waterproofing tents, packing food—yet never the hunter. That’s when I discovered Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ Hunting for Sustainability program: a chance to finally step into the role I’d been circling for a few years.

This is your October edition of BHA's State Policy Spotter - a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting our wild public lands, waters and wildlife across North America.

Note - this is not a comprehensive list of legislation or issues that chapters are working on, but rather a spotlight in the moment of what is moving. There are many more bills and issues BHA's chapters are grappling with so be sure to check out individual chapter pages for more news and updates.