I grew up hunting and fishing roadless and non-motorized areas. Around 1980 or so my brother and I had January archery mule deer tags in NM. We start walking around 4:00 am behind a gate on an old closed road to reach the edge of a sagebrush flat a couple miles in we knew the deer would be feeding in. An hour or so into the walk we hear motors and the slobs blew by us on their dirt bikes w/ their bows strapped on back. Being kids we both instinctively picked up rocks and threw them hard, luckily we missed. that experience and others since have made me very passionate about protecting the roadless areas we have. When I heard about Backcountry Hunters and Anglers I knew this was an organization that I belonged in. This small group is already making waves and being heard by federal and state agencies and taken seriously. BHA is getting things done to protect our hunting and fishing heritage by preserving the backcountry which is essential for not only the experience of the hunt but critical for the fish and wildlife.
This year elk hunting I found and documented two different illegal ATV trails and reported them. One goes across a small river and up a hillside in plain view of a major road. the other took about a mile of chainsaw work to clear the trail of downfall by the culprits. These guys have no fear of getting caught. The Forest Service and BLM is shorthanded on law enforcement. In my opinion if the penalties for the few that are caught were way stiffer things would change. Say, make them pay for every blade of grass they smash or confiscate the machines. Well, enough ranting. I would say you can’t go wrong by supporting Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
