Click here to contact the Wyoming chapter board.
Buzz was born in Missoula, Montana and grew up hunting, fishing, and trapping in western Montana with his parents, grandparentsand brother. Elk and deer hunting were always the focus, but mountain goats, moose, and bighorn sheep provided some great backcountry adventures.
Buzz attended college at the University of Montana and received a Bachelors in Forestry Resource Management. While attending college, he also worked for Region 1 of the U.S. Forest Service at several ranger districts. From 1998-2000 he worked for the School of Forestry as a Project Manager, overseeing a large contract with Turner Enterprises as a Riparian/Wetland Manager. Currently he is working for the Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station.
In 2000, Buzz and his wife, Patricia, moved to Laramie, Wyoming and are enjoying the great hunting and fishing opportunities Wyoming has to offer. Buzz also enjoys the challenge of hunting new species and states all across the West. Hunting adventures have taken him from near the Arctic Circle to within a mile of the Mexican border.
Pete was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania where he grew up hunting small game, turkey, whitetail deer, and fishing. He hunted and fished with parents, uncles, grandparents and friends with the primary focus on whitetail deer.
Pete, Diane and their two bird dogs (Bella and Gunnar) reside outside Buffalo Wyoming. During the spring and summer months Pete spends as much time as possible in the Bighorn mountains on his horses or with a fly rod in his hand. Pete spends the fall season either bow hunting or with a shotgun in hand hunting birds. During his free time (when he's not hunting), he enjoys running, hiking, backpacking and fishing with Diane and his animals.
Liz is a "late to the party" hunter and Life Member who first connected with BHA when she was living in Missoula and learning to hunt in her 20s. She grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, and enjoyed spending her childhood summers in the woods and waters of southern Maine. After bopping around the country for a decade, Liz now lives in Lander, Wyoming, with her husband, Jared, and their two bird dogs, Rhiza and Indiana. When she's not chasing things with antlers or wings, she works as an archaeologist, and enjoys spending the rest of her time cooking wild game, gardening, writing, and removing dog hair from her belongings.
Erik lives with his wife just outside of Jackson, Wyoming and works for the National Park Service. He moved to Wyoming 8 years ago to chase his dream of hunting and fishing in the vast wild landscapes of the west. Erik cut his teeth at the age of 10 hunting whitetails, turkeys and small game while growing up in the hills of northern New Jersey and has been a diehard fisherman since the day he could up hold a fishing pole. Today his favorite days in the field are spent burning boot leather in the mountains chasing bugling bulls with a bow. However, he won't pass up the opportunity to take home a mule deer, antelope, or grouse for the freezer, cast a fly to a cutthroat, or jig through the ice for lake trout. Erik brings to the board the perspective and fresh enthusiasm of a lifelong sportsman who discovered the bountiful public land paradise of the west later in life and grew up in a place where public access was hard to come by. He also brings valuable knowledge from a career in habitat restoration and land management and a passion for protecting wild places for us to hunt, fish and recreate.
Wallace Leastman, Board Member
Hi, I am Wallace Leastman. My wife, son, daughter, and I live in Gillette, WY. Growing up my family did not hunt, however we received wild game from friends for a source of meat. I have always enjoyed trapping and hunting and I sought out people to mentor me in the hunting world. Now, much of my spare time is spent hiking, hunting, or fishing on our public lands. Last year I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. I feel that with the knowledge I gained while pursuing this degree will benefit the BHA. Last year I began my journey as a guide for elk hunting in the Big Horn Mountains. Preserving the public land and educating future generations is a legacy that I want to leave.
Tanner joined BHA in October of 2018, attributing his introduction to our work to Hal Herring and Steve Rinella. Tanner grew up outside of Auburn, Alabama and moved out West as soon as he could. Some of Tanner's earliest memories are catching big Alabama bass on a two-foot Mickey Mouse spin cast pole. He grew up primarily as an avid spin fisherman for bass and fly fisherman for trout with his Dad always by his side. Tanner's obsession with bowhunting began when his Dad bought him a compound bow for Christmas in middle school. Tanner slowly learned every possible way to make mistakes as a bowhunter on a mix of public and private land out East until he moved out West. Tanner now primarily bow hunts for big game and fishes for trout. That being said, he will happily hunt or fish for anything given the opportunity. Tanner went to college at Oregon State graduating with degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering and accepted a job as a Civil/Environmental Engineer in Laramie, Wyoming.
Guy first heard about BHA around 2014 and soon joined. He was raised on a small farm in southeastern Ohio where he spent his free time learning to hunt from patient mentors. Guy makes a point to pay it forward and mentor new hunters each year. Guy often chases big and small game, and gets most excited for the archery elk rut. Guy dabbles with fishing, and figures an older, wiser, more patient and skilled self will dedicate more time to casting a fly rod.
Guy first moved to Laramie to study at University of Wyoming, where he earned a graduate degree in water resources engineering. Previously, Guy worked on community engagement for issues concerning water systems and cattle ranching in Panama. Guy works for a scientific R&D non-profit working on topics related to hydrology.
Guy is interested in engaging BHA’s membership on topics related to i) scientific management of our fish and wildlife, and (ii) collective effort on improving our policy literacy.
Jared Oakleaf is a BHA life member and legacy partner out of Lander Wyoming. He is a civil servant and volunteers for several conservation organizations. He credits mule deer with teaching him to have a high fidelity to his home range.
He brings to the board an ability to build coalitions and partnerships, while simultaneously upholding BHAs mission and values.
Kayla joined BHA in 2019 after hearing about all of the great projects BHA was involved in through hunting podcasts. Born in Saint Louis Park, MN Kayla Moved to Pierre, SD in 2nd grade and grew up there on the Missouri River. Kayla's Dad and his family hunted and fished and so she was brought out at a young age fishing and to flush pheasants prior to joining deer camp with her Dad, brother, grandpa, uncles, and cousins. Kayla's family helped foster her love of hunting and fishing. With them and the support of friends, she gained the confidence to actively pursue hunting and fishing year round on her own and with others as her passion continued to grow. She would call herself a generalist hunter. She loves the challenge of big game, but also looks forward to upland birds, and dreams of the once in a lifetime hunts. She also enjoy all types of fishing, from backpacking into alpine lakes to fly fish for trout, bowfishing for carp from her paddleboard, ice fishing, and spin/baitcasting for whatever bites wherever she may be traveling. Kayla is a Physician Assistant based in Cody.
Luke started his hunting career in the hills of Southern Kentucky, tracking rabbits with beagles and hunting anything else that offered a chase. When he was in High School he took his first Mule Deer trip to Northwest Colorado, and was hooked.
After graduating from Murray State University and an apprenticeship at MCU, he worked as an Environmental Educator in Georgia. Then as a Forestry Technician for the USFS at Land Between the Lakes, and also a Wildland Firefighter throughout the West, while also working as a hunting guide for 7 years.
Moving West permanently a decade ago, he’s worked for an energy company, ranching operations, and is now a small-business owner. He and his understanding Wife, along with their daughter have now settled in Laramie WY. His current outdoor obsessions in order: 1) Guiding new hunters on their first outing, 2) Fly-fishing with Tenkara gear.
Pete Madsen worked and lived in 9 other states and two other countries before settling in Wyoming. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Northern Arizona University Management after pursuing his interest in the great outdoors. His professional career has involved wildlife and habitat mangement with state, federal and private entities, as well as a variety of recreational guiding including ziplining, jeep tours, trail rides, day hikes, and pack trips. After a lifelong interest, Pete became the first hunter in his family during his early adulthood and looks forward to upland, waterfowl, big game and small game hunting every year. He enjoys hunting, fishing and camping in the Wilderness and backcountry with his friends, family, dogs and llamas the most. As a passionate public land and waters user and advocate, he became involved with BHA to continue to enjoy wild things in wild places.
Andrew was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He grew up hunting, fishing and trapping on the family lake property as well as the public lands around northern Indiana. He began traveling out west at a very young age being fortunate to have family in Cheyenne Wyoming.
After graduating graduate school he and his wife moved to Colorado and explored everything the west had to offer hunting, fishing and trapping on the western slope while serving on the Colorado BHA Leadership Team and working as the Recreation Supervisor for the City of Glenwood Springs.
Finally, in 2023 he and his wife made their way to Cheyenne Wyoming where he now works as the Recreation Manager for the City of Cheyenne.
In his free time, he loves exploring everything Wyoming has to offer with his wife Morgan and their dog Ruger from the hunting, fishing and great public lands that Wyoming has to offer.
Click here to contact the Wyoming chapter board.