Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Podcasts and Blasts

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
  • 4.8 (877)
  • Wilderness
  • Updated Semimonthly

Hunting. Angling. Public Lands. That's the meat of what BHA's Podcasts & Blasts is about, and we cover the gamut. With guests that range from outdoor writers to backcountry hunters to legendary anglers, we seek to uncover the stories, the truths, the controversies, and the epic conversations that our public land heritage provides.

  1. 3d ago

    Conservation Cooperative: Episode 7, Part I - CWD Preparedness in the Northeast

    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

  2. Sep 4

    Backcountry Report - Ep. 6 A Farmer's Death, a Park for Sale, and a Billion-Dollar Barricade

    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

    Backcountry Report - Ep. 6 A Farmer's Death, a Park for Sale, and a Billion-Dollar Barricade

  3. Aug 27

    Backcountry Conversations - Ep. 2: Debunking the Case to Rescind the Roadless Rule with TU's Chris Wood

    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

  4. Aug 20

    Backcountry Report - Ep. 5 Roadless Rule, Refuge Access and Big Bend Under Pressure

    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

    Backcountry Report - Ep. 5 Roadless Rule, Refuge Access and Big Bend Under Pressure

  5. Aug 13

    Conservation Cooperative, Ep. 6: The Field of Human Dimensions

    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

  6. Aug 6

    Backcountry Report - Ep. 4: Scent, Setbacks, and Stewardship

    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

    Backcountry Report - Ep. 4: Scent, Setbacks, and Stewardship

  7. Jul 30

    Backcountry Conversations - Ep. 1: 12 Bulls in a Row? BHA's Trey Curtiss

    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

    Backcountry Conversations - Ep. 1: 12 Bulls in a Row? BHA's Trey Curtiss

  8. Jul 23

    Backcountry Report – Ep. 3: Monuments, Management, and Membership Opportunities

    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

    Backcountry Report – Ep. 3: Monuments, Management, and Membership Opportunities
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Hunting. Angling. Public Lands. That's the meat of what BHA's Podcasts & Blasts is about, and we cover the gamut. With guests that range from outdoor writers to backcountry hunters to legendary anglers, we seek to uncover the stories, the truths, the controversies, and the epic conversations that our public land heritage provides.

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