BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS AND ANGLERS

Access has emerged as a priority issue for American hunters and anglers, and lack of access is cited by sportsmen as the No. 1 reason why we stop pursuing our passions.

Our outdoor heritage is guided by the public lands legacy established by President Theodore Roosevelt and his fellow visionaries. These foresighted individuals understood the importance of taking action both for the sake of the resource and for the benefit of the generations that follow ours. That spirit of stewardship, along with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and the Public Trust Doctrine, make the United States unique. They set our country apart by declaring that fish and wildlife belong to each and every citizen – and we all have equal opportunities to access and enjoy them.

The concepts of access and opportunity extend well beyond physical barriers. Well-monied interests are invested in dismantling the North American Model in favor of practices that benefit only those who can pay for these privileges. BHA is committed to amplifying the voices of our state chapters to influence policies that not only address the physical issue of access but also prioritize conservation of key lands and waters, protection of valuable habitat, implementation of responsible land management policies, and resistance against the privatization of public lands, waters and wildlife.

Created by Congress over 50 years ago, the Land and Water Conservation Fund remains America’s most successful conservation program. Advancing a bipartisan commitment to safeguarding our sporting heritage, the LWCF conserves lands with quality wildlife habitat, secures water resources that support healthy fisheries and enhances public access to recreational opportunities like hunting and fishing that fuel a $887-billion outdoor recreation economy.

For generations, sportsmen and women have depended on the public hunting and fishing access and quality fish and wildlife habitat provided by LWCF. Now is the time to permanently reauthorize and dedicate funding to this important program for the generations that follow ours.

In the early 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt helped pioneer standards for ethical hunting. Our country has changed enormously since then, and new challenges have arisen with changes in technology and financially motivated special interests.

We now are facing threats that Roosevelt and his contemporaries scarcely could have imagined. Emerging technology like drones gives sportsmen an unfair advantage in scouting and hunting.

These and other fair chase issues demand our vigilance and continued advocacy. We not only must abide by the principles handed down by Roosevelt and other sportsmen; we also must update and elevate those principles to address our rapidly changing culture. Overall, we must ensure that the ethical pursuit of fish and game is upheld as dearly as our own obligation to morality and citizenship.

North America’s public lands and waters are the lifeblood of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. These are the cherished wild places that restore our spirits and provide the solace of solitude. They’re where we go to challenge ourselves in pursuit of adventure and game. They are strongholds of important wildlife habitat and fisheries, providing places where a range of species – everything from elk and mule deer to grouse, waterfowl and native trout – can grow to maturity and thrive.

Every citizen owns a share of public lands and waters in the United States. It is up to us to defend this heritage and ensure that our legacy of stewardship is handed down to future generations intact. We work to maintain our longstanding sporting traditions through hard work and a focus on the following:

Habitat Conservation
Conserving Priority Landscapes
Responsible OHV Use and Management
Defending Our Public Lands Legacy

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers developed the Hunting for Sustainability program to provide interested Montana-based collegiate students the resources and mentorship necessary to become independent sportsmen and women. This mentorship includes in-field days where we discuss and experience the fundamentals of hunting on public lands including; gun safety, ethics, processing and an understanding of hunting’s pivotal role in conservation. These events are guided by a robust field of mentors and volunteers provided via the BHA network that partner with novice hunters and anglers, giving them guidance and mentorship to become independent, ethical and conservation driven hunters and anglers. Our objective has been to select highly motivated university students and immerse them in a conservation and hunting skills development program where the aspects of becoming a confident and productive sportsman or woman and conservation leader are addressed and developed. A shift in outdoor recreation participation, conservation ideals and public lands advocacy are dependent on broad-scale citizen engagement. It is this challenge that perils the outdoor recreation community. The diverse collegiate demographic holds the power and momentum to carry such ideals forward. Student led efforts, such as Hunting for Sustainability, have an unmatched level of effectiveness in delivering impactful and replicative opportunity. Currently, BHA’s collegiate program does not possess the fiscal power to independently fund this program. In Montana, 40% of students who have participated in Hunting for Sustainability have gone on to buy a hunting license and tag within 2 years of the course and an additional 40% have accompanied licensed hunters in the field within the following two years

We will continue developing leaders within their respective schools who can help train and educate friends and fellow students on the important role hunting plays in conservation as well as develop new conservation minded hunters and leaders. While our current courses are only intended to reach 20 people each curriculum, best practices developed through the program will be used to expand the program in future years. Additionally, through various work service projects, seminars at the Universities and events, we expect to directly reach 100+ students, with indirect reach through newly developed leaders greatly exceeding that number. In Montana, 40% of students who have participated in Hunting for Sustainability have gone on to buy a hunting license and tag within 2 years of the course and an additional 40% have accompanied licensed hunters in the field within the following two years Foundation, we will expand the Hunting for Sustainability model by implementing a year-long support and education system. We will provide guidance and mentorship for an entire year, which will include two weekend-long Hunting for Sustainability gatherings. The hunting courses will cover the fundamentals of hunting on public lands; gun safety, ethics, processing, and an understanding of hunting’s pivotal role in conservation. This program is driven by a team of mentors, provided by the BHA network that will partner with these novice hunters, giving