Hunters love to spin yarns, and fish stories as unbelievable as they are entertaining are as old as angling. In this light, storytelling is familiar territory for the BHA community. On a chilly December evening in Vermont, members of the New England Chapter gathered for a Pint Night that celebrated tales from the field with a new twist.
Teaming up with environmental education staff from Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and local food advocates from Rooted In Vermont, we created a "story slam" styled platform to share hunters’ and anglers’ tales alongside those of backyard maple sugarers and backcountry foragers.
Close to 70 people packed the bar space at Zero Gravity Craft Brewery in Burlington to hear three keynote speakers, and for a chance to share stories of their own. From a multi-generational perspective on foraging for connection to heritage—and for survival— to two fledgling hunters’ accounts of laughter and hard lessons in pursuit of fall turkey, the evening centered new voices in the BHA community while celebrating longstanding traditions.
Closing the evening with a high note, BHAers made a tangible commitment to mentorship and bridge-building by raffling off three opportunities for attendees to spend time in the field learning with expert foragers, anglers, and hunters.
Eric Nuse delights a packed house with a tale of moose hunting in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
About New England BHA Chapter
New England BHA is a voice for the sporting community in New England that values solitude, silence, clean and free flowing rivers, and habitat for large, wide-ranging wildlife.