Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Podcasts and Blasts

In Episode 7 of the Backcountry Report, Chris reports from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting and covers major conservation news, including Minnesota's Boundary Waters mining debate, NOAA's revised recreational fishing data, proposed Clean Water Act changes, and the future of the Roadless Rule and Forest Service travel management. The episode also features updates from Colorado, Massachusetts, Maine, and Texas, plus ways to support public lands during Public Lands Month. Show Notes : Help Us Get to 1 Million Signatures and Save Our Public Lands - https://www.savepubliclands.us/ Roadless Rule: A Closer Look at the Record: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/roadless-rule-a-closer-look-at-the-record Roadless Rule: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/maintain-national-forest-roadless-areas/ Travel Management: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/speak-up-for-responsible-travel-management-on-our-national-forests/ Outdoor Life - EPA to Reopen Comment on Clean Water Act Rewrite That Could Leave 80 Percent of U.S. Wetlands Unprotected https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/epa-wotus-public-comment/ Colorado's Ammendment 83 - https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/amendment-83-colorados-right-to-hunt-and-fish Texas BHA Adopt-An-Access Initiative: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/texas-bha-chapter-and-tpwd-enter-agreement-for-adopt-an-access-initiative Forged & Found Online Auction - https://go.bhafundraising.org/forgedandfound26/Campaign/Details Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this episode we are going to explore Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) preparedness and prevention in the Northeast. As you might know, the Northeast is currently the last CWD free region in the country. We'll hear from experts in zoonotic disease and learn some of the ways that state agencies and BHA are working to protect our wild deer herds and quite possibly the future of deer hunting and conservation as we know it in the Northeast Guests Include Krysten Schuler, PhD. Department of Public & Ecosystem Health. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Mike Woods. New England BHA Chapter Chair. Show Related Links Cornell Wildlife Health Lab

Chris kicks the show off with a tribute to Wendell Berry, who died this week at 92, and the language he gave hunters for understanding their place in the food chain. In conservation news, Governor Walz signs an executive order blocking mining near the Boundary Waters, juvenile silver carp are found closer than ever to Lake Michigan while the Brandon Road barrier sits idle under administrative review, and the Trump administration pressures the Park Service toward an unprecedented land exchange inside Yosemite. Policy Watch covers the Roadless Rule DEIS, the Travel Management rewrite, and a questionable 20,000-acre land transfer in Alaska. Plus: Minnesota BHA wins the Outdoor Leaders Award, voices from the Kankakee Jamboree, and a roundup of Public Lands Month events and giveaways. Show Notes: Help Us Get to 1 Million Signatures and Save Our Public Lands - https://www.savepubliclands.us/ Roadless Rule: A Closer Look at the Record: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/roadless-rule-a-closer-look-at-the-record Roadless Rule : Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/maintain-national-forest-roadless-areas/ Travel Management: Take Action - https://takeaction.io/bha/speak-up-for-responsible-travel-management-on-our-national-forests/ Proposed Alaskan Land Transfer - https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/opportunity-to-comment-on-the-proposed-land-transfer-in-houston-ak Minnesota Chapter Wins Outdoor Leaders Award - https://www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details/minnesota-bha-chapter-wins-2026-outdoor-leaders-award-for-public-lands-stewardship Forged & Found Online Auction - https://go.bhafundraising.org/forgedandfound26/Campaign/Details Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

Twenty-five years ago, the Forest Service made one of the most consequential land management decisions in its history: protecting nearly 60 million acres of national forest from new roads and logging. That protection — the Roadless Rule — is now on the chopping block, with the USDA formally proposing to rescind it and a public comment period open through September 21. In this episode, we sit down with Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited, who helped write the rule from inside the Forest Service back in 2001 and has spent the decades since defending it. Chris breaks down the real economic, ecological, and cultural reasons the rule exists in the first place — from a $8.5 billion road maintenance backlog to jaw-dropping habitat numbers (75% of Idaho's Chinook and steelhead habitat, for example, sits in roadless country) — and then dismantles the arguments being used to justify tearing it down, including the Forest Service's own data showing roadless areas actually see more wildfire fuel treatment, not less. It's a clear-eyed, fact-first breakdown of what's really at stake for hunters and anglers, and a case for why showing up with data — not just outrage — is how this fight gets won. Comment on the Roadless Rule before September 21! Trout Unlimited's Roadless Report Chris Wood Roadless podcast with Hal Herring

This week on The Backcountry Report, Chris covers major developments affecting public lands, waters and wildlife—from a massive expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities on national wildlife refuges to proposed changes involving tribal water rights and the future of NOAA's Arctic Report Card. The episode also examines the proposed repeal of the 2001 Roadless Rule, Vermont's primitive-camping updates, and border infrastructure construction in and around Big Bend National Park. Plus, hear how BHA volunteers removed a mile of obsolete fencing in Wyoming and learn how you can get involved in stewardship projects nationwide. Show Notes Vermont Primitive Camping Rule Update: https://fpr.vermont.gov/primitive-camping-rule-amendment Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this episode, we delve into the fascinating field of Human Dimensions in wildlife and natural resources management. Discover how this discipline is shaping informed decision-making among state and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Whether you're already familiar with the Human Dimensions or hearing about it for the first time, you'll learn how it's helping to address some of our most pressing conservation challenges. Guests Include Josh Morse, PhD. University of Vermont Jody Simoes, Ph.D. Human Dimensions Project Coordinator. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Shelby Perry. Wildlands Ecology Director. Northeast Wilderness Trust. Show Links: Journal Article: Ecosystem service assessment of coyote stories reveals tradeoffs from human–coyote interactions in rural Vermont, United States . Conservation Science and Practice. Joshua W. Morse, Cheryl E. Morse, Rachelle K. Gould. October 2024. Northeast Wilderness Trust Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

In this episode of the Backcountry Report, Chris dives into the latest conservation news and boots-on-the-ground action from across the BHA community. We explore a surprising connection between air pollution and wildlife behavior, looking at how pollutants are degrading the natural "smellscape" that animals rely on to survive. Then, we break down urgent policy updates, including a critical public comment period on wetland drain tile setbacks and a major review of Wilderness Study Area management. Finally, we highlight inspiring volunteer efforts from Minnesota to California, featuring a partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver water to endangered desert bighorn sheep. Plus, get the details on upcoming chapter events you won't want to miss. Show Notes Pollution is Changing the Smells of Nature, With Risks for Wildlife: https://e360.yale.edu/features/smellscapes Wilderness Study Areas: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/15/2026-11951/policy-review-blm-manual-6320-considering-lands-with-wilderness-characteristics-in-the-blm-land-use Wetland Drain Tile Setback Action Alert: https://t akeaction.io/bha/comment-to-conserve-wetlands-with-science-based-drain-tile-setbacks-2/ North Carolina Banquet: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/4870/e/north-carolina-chapter-4th-annual-conservation-banquet-durham-nc-8-aug-2026 Busting Clays in Western PA: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/5181/e/2026-badlands-classic-3d-archery-shoot-medora-nd-8-aug-2026 North Dakota Badlands Classic: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/events/eventid/5181/e/2026-badlands-classic-3d-archery-shoot-medora-nd-8-aug-2026 Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this first installment of our new Backcountry Conversations podcast series, we sit down with BHA Director of Development Trey Curtiss for a follow-up to Trey's popular April 2025 episode with Hal Herring — the one where he described killing an over-the-counter bull elk eleven years running on public land. A year later, the obvious question: did he find number twelve? Or did we jinx him with that episode? Trey walks through a general Montana season from archery to rifle. Along the way he gets into the things that actually make the difference back there — glassing timber, deciding where other hunters won't go, the karma he thinks he owes the elk woods, and the nervousness that never quite goes away no matter how many seasons stack up behind you. Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

Summer is in full swing, but fall is on the horizon. In this episode, we dive into major headlines impacting our public lands, from the reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments to a new lease sales in Ohio's only national forest. We break down what these policy shifts really mean for habitat, access, and long-term stewardship. Then, we share some hard-won conservation victories, preview upcoming BHA events, and hear from volunteers doing the essential on-the-ground work. Show Notes: Wayne National Forest Oil/Gas Leases: https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=798d6bf4-a7f2-f011-8407-001dd80bcf93&_gl=1*18w6a6b*_ga*OTU0NTk0MzA0LjE3ODQ1ODk2MzI.*_ga_GQKKTMMT8V*czE3ODQ1ODk2MzIkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODQ1OTA0MzAkajYwJGwwJGgw MassWildlife Goals for Upland Habitat on WMAs: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/goals-for-upland-habitat-on-masswildlife-lands onX Roadless Rule - By the Numbers: https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/roadless-rule Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In Part II of our look at brook trout we are going to hear from fisheries managers and state officials from around the Northeast and learn how climate change is influencing brook trout management and fishing regulations. Guests Include Adam Kautza. Coldwater Fishery Resource Project Leader. MassWildlife. John MaGee. Program Supervisor for the Inland Fisheries Division. NH Fish & Game Mason Trumble. Deputy Commissioner - Environmental Conservation. CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Brian Eltz. Senior Fisheries Biologist. CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Fred Henson. Cold Water Fisheries Unit Leader. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Nate Camp. BHA Volunteer/Tenkara Wizard Show Related Links Journal Article: Concurrent warming and browning eliminate cold-water fish habitat in many temperate lakes. Stephen F. Jane, Thomas M. Detmer, Siena Lr. Larrick, and Siena L. Larrick. 2024. Benjamin H. Letcher USGS Profile

A major CWD study reveals new transmission risks. The Forest Service proposes a rule that weakens public input. We track urgent conservation funding in Congress, new grazing directives, and state-level fights in PA, OR, and CO—where the Roan Plateau is under threat. Plus, boots-on-the-ground updates from Idaho and New Mexico. Show Notes : Forest Service Directive Overhaul: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/01/2026-13281/organization-functions-and-procedures-public-notice-and-comment-for-standards-criteria-and-guidance CWD Study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7613 Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this launch episode of the Backcountry Report, BHA introduces its new Podcasts & Blasts feed, covers major conservation headlines — from a federal order loosening motorized access and attacks on the Roadless Rule to wetlands funding, the America the Beautiful/Legacy Restoration Fund, Potential for Sunday hunting in Massachusetts, California MPA petitions, and a Montana corner‑crossing lawsuit — highlights grassroots stewardship wins and upcoming BHA events, and more. Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

Today, we're diving into the world of brook trout -- how they're being affected by our changing climate, and what that means for the future. We are also going to take some time to appreciate this incredible species. Ongoing research here in the Northeast is revealing some amazing insights into the resilience and adaptability of these beloved fish. Guests Include: Adam Kautza. Coldwater Fishery Resource Project Leader. MassWildlife. Stephen Jane, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow. University of Notre Dame Benjamin Letcher, Ph.D. Ecologist. USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center. Show Related Links Journal Article: Concurrent warming and browning eliminate cold-water fish habitat in many temperate lakes. Stephen F. Jane, Thomas M. Detmer, Siena Lr. Larrick, and Siena L. Larrick. 2024. Benjamin H. Letcher USGS Profile

It's MEMBER APPRECIATION WEEK at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. And for our podcast listeners who aren't already members, we're giving you a special chance to become one. For the month of June, use discount code BLAST10 at checkout for 10% off all Individual & Family Memberships*. Join today, fuel BHA's conservation work and enjoy the many other perks of being part of our community. Thanks for being a BHA member! *does not apply to Gift Memberships Today's episode: In this episode of the Conservation Cooperative, we're looking at how roads impact wildlife and the role that wildlife crossings can play on the landscape. Guests Include: Ben Goldfarb. Award Winning Journalist and Author of Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet Kate Cleary, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies. SUNY Potsdam. Acting President of Algonquin to Adirondacks Collaborative. Erin Sito. U.S. Public Policy Director. Wildlands Network. Brian Bird, Ph.D. New England, New York, New Jersey Chapter Coordinator. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.

Inside a new economic assessment of federal public lands For a lot of us, public lands are deeply personal. They're where we learned to hunt, where we camp with our families, where we go to breathe a little easier and remember what matters. But increasingly, the future of those lands is being debated in terms of economics, efficiency and ownership — and those conversations are getting louder across the West. On this episode of the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers podcast, we sit down with BHA's Regional Stewardship and Habitat Connectivity Manager, Dre Arman, to unpack a new economic assessment put out by BHA's Idaho chapter and partners examining what a large-scale transfer of federal public lands to the state could actually cost. We break down the numbers behind land transfer proposals, the jobs and communities tied to public lands, and why these conversations matter not just for Idaho, but for every public land owner in America. It's a thoughtful discussion about stewardship, economics and the long-term future of the places we all care about. READ the 2026 Economic Assessment on Proposals to Transfer Ownership of Federal Lands to the State of Idaho Podcast reminder: BHA is still planning next steps for our podcast. Thanks for listening to this new and important conversation, and we'll be sure to update everyone as soon more information is available on what's to come. Thanks for bearing with us.

Today, the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers podcast is sharing the second episode of the Conservation Collective, where they're talking striped bass, the most sought after fish on the eastern seaboard. Often described as "everyman's fish" it's pursued by an extraordinarily wide range of anglers. Those anglers could be shorebound, or they could be on a million dollar center console. A lot of people also fish for stripers, NOAA estimates over 20 million trips a season, and so, the fishery has a significant cultural and economic impact up and down the coast. Once hailed as a conservation success story, now, the future of the stock is in question. In this episode we'll dive into the latest science that will inform future management decisions and look at the different factors that fishery managers are considering. In addition, we'll discuss how New England and New York BHA are working to restore future abundance of this fish we love. Huge thank you to our guests: Charles Witek. Conservationist and Fisheries Policy Expert. NY BHA Policy Team Member. Mike Woods. New England BHA Chapter Chair. Ben Gahagan, PhD. Recreational Fisheries Program Leader. Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Kimberly Fine. Fisheries Biologist. Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Will Poston. Policy Associate. American Saltwater Guides Association Nichola Meserve. Fishery Policy Analyst, Interstate Management. Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. Citizen Science Data Portal Striped Bass Citizen Scientist Project Sportfish Angler Data Collection Team - MA Division of Marine Fisheries Charles Witek's Blog - One Angler's Voyage

While BHA's Podcast & Blast takes a moment to plan its next steps, we're sharing the first episode of our Conservation Cooperative podcast (recorded previously), which looks at a scenario playing out across North America -- one that the New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) has been grappling with for a few years: the rapid development of recreation trails and their encroachment on wild places. We'll explore some of the factors that are driving trail development in the state of Vermont and how it impacts the conservation of our wildlands and wildlife. While we explore the issue in the Northeast, it's a discussion sure to resonate with public-lands advocates across the continent. Big thank you to everyone who came to the table to discuss this topic . Ethan Dreisigacker. New England BHA Board Member Meredith Naughton. Wildlife Biologist Allison Adams. Director. Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative (FEMC) Dave Furman. New England BHA Member Andrea Shortsleeve. Private Lands Habitat Biologist. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Nick Bennette. Executive Director. Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) RJ Thompson. Executive Director. Vermont Huts Association

After nearly a decade behind the mic and more than 225 episodes digging into the people, places and fights that define our public lands and waters, Hal Herring is stepping away from BHA's Podcast & Blast and onto his next adventure. For this final episode, we turn the microphone around. Hal joins former BHA Vice President of Communications and longtime Podcast & Blast producer Katie McKalip, along with BHA Brand and Editorial Manager Zack Williams, for a conversation about how the show came together, what made it matter and a few of the moments they'll carry forward. What emerges is more than a look back at a podcast. It's a reflection on the kind of storytelling that has always powered BHA: grounded, firsthand and rooted in real places and real people. Over the years, Hal sought out voices with deep experience on the land — people who knew a watershed, a forest, a migration route or a community intimately, and who could explain what was at stake in plain, honest terms. Episode after episode, the show reminded us that conservation is not an abstraction. It lives in boots, horses, boats, gravel roads, campfires and long miles — and in the people willing to show up for the future of public lands and waters. We're sad to see Hal go, but grateful for everything he helped build and excited to see what happens as he wears out his next pair of boots. Listen to his final episode wherever you get your podcasts, and stay tuned as we chart what's next for BHA's podcast. The views and opinions expressed in the Podcast & Blast are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. The Podcast & Blast with Hal Herring is brought you by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and presented by Silencer Central, with additional support from Decked, Dometic, and Filson. Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: https://www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters

In this episode of the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Podcast, host Hal Herring speaks with investigative journalist Andrew Becker about the complex and increasingly contentious issue of stream access in Utah. Centered around Becker's deep-dive reporting for The Drake , the conversation explores how a state that is roughly 75% public land can still have most of its fishable water flowing through private property. Becker traces the issue back to Western settlement, including the belief that water is a shared public resource. From the Equal Footing Doctrine and questions of navigability to Utah's modern walk-in access program, the episode unpacks how legal history, culture, water scarcity, and population growth collide. Unlike Montana's high-water mark standard, Utah's approach is fragmented and heavily shaped by private ownership of streambeds — a critical distinction in a state where most water runs through deeded land claimed under early homestead laws. The discussion also wrestles with harder questions: What does sustainable access look like in the second-driest state in the country? How do stocking programs, public funding, and private landownership intersect? And how do conservation ethics balance with expanding recreation pressure amid climate change and rapid development? Ultimately, the episode frames Utah as a microcosm of the broader Western struggle over public trust, private property, and the future of access — where law, history, culture, and conservation all meet at the water's edge.

On this episode of the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Podcast & Blast, Hal Herring sits down at his home in Augusta, Montana, with singer-songwriter and wilderness mule packer Jackson Holte . Jackson talks about how long days in the wilderness shape his music, how silence and hard work inform art, and why public lands and access matter so deeply to who we are and how we live. From packing strings in the Bob Marshall to writing songs that carry that landscape forward, this is a conversation about craft, heritage, and the freedom worth sustaining. https://www.instagram.com/jackson_holte_ The views and opinions expressed in the Podcast & Blast are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. The Podcast & Blast with Hal Herring is brought you by Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and presented by Silencer Central, with additional support from Decked, Dometic, and Filson. Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, the voice for your wild public lands, waters, and wildlife to be part of a passionate community of hunter-angler-conservationists. BHA. THE VOICE FOR OUR WILD PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS AND WILDLIFE. Follow us: Web: https://www.backcountryhunters.org Instagram: @backcountryhunters Facebook: @backcountryhunters