Bowsite.com

Don’t be deceived.

Contrary to what the organization’s name might suggest, upon closer examination BHA does not appear to primarily be a hunting/fishing organization. They are more akin to an environmental activist group (like the Wilderness Society) with a few lanes of overlapping areas of interest with the hunting/fishing community. But, rest assured, their support of hunting and fishing it is only under terms that align with and support their views (and those of their partners) of what constitutes environmental sustainability.

According to the podcast they are also leading efforts to divert Federal funds set aside for hunting and fishing to other green projects they and their partners support. Land definitely sounded more like someone running a political campaign than a supporter of our hunting heritage.

If they approached any hunting organization I’m affiliated with my initial reaction would be Proceed-With-Caution, and only partner with them where our issues clearly overlap.

Because its like a hanging curve ball...

Thank you! Thank you very much!

Because its like a hanging curve ball...

Thank you! Thank you very much!

Because it's like a hanging curve ball...

Thank you! Thank you very much!

Because it's like a hanging curve ball...

Thank you! Thank you very much!

I am a member of BHA. Not necessarily because I support them but because that's really the only way to understand what they stand for. Get involved, read everything they send you and absorb it all. I was hearing a lot of bad about them so I joined. That's the only way I could figure them out.

I spend a lot of time reading everything I can about politics and the psychology of the right and the left. I'll piss some people off here but this is what I've learned.

The environmental movement has been co-opted by the far left to the point that it's no longer really about the environment anymore. It's totally about politics. Here's the proof. There are things that are environmentally horrendous but completely ignored by the environmentalists because to say anything would bring harm to far left politics. Wind farms kill millions of birds annually, including eagles, hawks and bats, yet complete silence. Not only that, Obama gave an illegal exemption to wind farms that kill eagles. Think about that for a minute. You or I accidentally kill an eagle and we can go to jail. Not so if a wind generator kills one. Illegal immigration and homelessness is a pollution and environmental nightmare but not a word. They preach renewable energy, yet brag about removing hydroelectric dams and condemn nuclear. You hear all about how we are polluting the oceans, yet the only places in America where they actually dump trash into the oceans are completely run by the far left. None of my trash ever makes it into the ocean. One really has to wonder if they are really pro environment or just anti human. Revelations from some of the environmental leaders of today show an obvious anti human mindset.

Now, I'm not saying that BHA is all of this but I do realize that there are hunters who embrace the far left environmentalism and those people have to have a home. The leadership of BHA seem to be more modern environmentalist than hunter advocate. I could be proven wrong.

There is no doubt that BHA is anti extraction, anti logging and anti mining. That is why they are getting so much money from people who want to do away with hunting. That is also a reason for their success. It's easy to sell clean forest and "save our public lands". What I need to reconcile on a personal basis is this. "Are they too far left for me to support".

I try to consider all sides before I make a decision but in the end, common sense has to rule my decisions. I don't want to see more drilling on public lands but I do drive a fossil fuel burning vehicle to get to my hunts. Every single person reading this does as well. I want my house to be lighted, warm, cool and comfortable. I want fresh food and clean water every single day. All of this comes with a cost. We either drill for oil and gas close to home or we import it from places hostile to us. To think we can do without it is just idiotic. Where do we draw the line? Zero drilling, some drilling or uncontrolled drilling?

Then what about logging? As far as I'm concerned the best way to improve habitat for the things we hunt is for there to be a decent amount of clear cut logging or forest fires. Either one improves habitat immensely. Which one makes the most sense?

I'm going to maintain my membership with BHA through the fall elections. Will they support hunting or will they support modern environmentalism? There is a huge difference and they can't support both.

BHA could be an extremely effective pro hunting organization it they focus more on hunting and less on environmentalism. I sincerely hope they figure that out.

There a big difference between saying your against wolves being released in CO under any circumstances and saying your against it being done as ballot initiative. Don’t say your against ballot box biology. Your either against wolves being released in CO or your not. You can’t be a good egg forever at some point you have to hatch or rot.

Really? No, really? Until I see an OFFICIAL statement on BHA's national site, it's just words on a blog. Curious? Do knee pads and a box of tissues come with a BHA membership? Perhaps Patagonia Tissues...

Really? No, really? Until I see an OFFICIAL statement on BHA's national site, it's just words on a blog. Curious? Do knee pads and a box of tissues come with a BHA membership? Perhaps Patagonia Tissues...

Really? No, really? Until I see an OFFICIAL statement on BHA's national site, it's just words on a blog. Curious? Do knee pads and a box of tissues come with a BHA membership? Perhaps Patagonia Tissues...

Because it's like a hanging curve ball...

Thank you! Thank you very much!

No surprises. Didn't learn anything new about BHA. They are on my side sometimes, other times not. Not a fit for me to be a member. Which is odd because I really like hunting, angling and backcountry. Not sure if its odd due to them or odd due to me :^)

They support new wilderness at every opportunity because it is all about "the habitat". Wilderness is unmanaged, and typically summer range. Winter range is far more important for herd health, which is commonly private. Wilderness is access for a small segment. When you create new wilderness, I would argue it is a loss of access for all but a few.

I heard some bragging on the podcast about getting access to already leased, ag used state lands, but nothing about getting access to private like Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Huntable land is huntable land, who cares about ownership?

Should we have access to state lands? Yes. Is it overgrazed and worth bragging? I don't know, some of it will be. I'd be more impressed when we add 8 million acres of private.

Then they kicked me off their Facebook page for pointing out flaws. Totalitarian control of messaging, and censorship.

Met many good people in the org, but doesn't mean I agree to the point I'll support with dollars.

Cba, sci, rmef are getting my dollars.

They support new wilderness at every opportunity because it is all about "the habitat". Wilderness is unmanaged, and typically summer range. Winter range is far more important for herd health, which is commonly private. Wilderness is access for a small segment.

I heard some bragging on the podcast about getting access to already leased, ag used state lands, but nothing about getting access to private like Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Huntable land is huntable land, who cares about ownership?

Should we have access to state lands? Yes. Is it overgrazed and worth bragging? I don't know, some of it will be. I'd be more impressed when we add 8 million acres of private.

Then they kicked me off their Facebook page for pointing out flaws. Totalitarian control of messaging, and censorship.

Met many good people in the org, but doesn't mean I agree to the point I'll support with dollars.

Cba, sci, rmef are getting my dollars.

"Here's the proof. There are things that are environmentally horrendous but completely ignored by the environmentalists because to say anything would bring harm to far left politics. Wind farms kill millions of birds annually, including eagles, hawks and bats, yet complete silence. Not only that, Obama gave an illegal exemption to wind farms that kill eagles. Think about that for a minute. You or I accidentally kill an eagle and we can go to jail. Not so if a wind generator kills one. "

This is completely false. I have personally worked on no less than 20 wind projects that are collecting data and/or applying for eagle take permits. There has never been an exemption of eagle take by wind farms in the Obama administration or any other administration. See the link.

Yes, wind farms do kill birds but they are at a much lower rate than plain ole house cats, cars, and buildings. Why are you not railing against ferel cats, automobiles, and gold mirrored buildings if you are truly concerned about incidental killing of birds?

I'm not at all trying to hijack this thread but people posting completely false like this should be challenged. It's irresponsible. If you have proof otherwise to my statements I would like to see it. Post a link.

Back to the OP, I listen to the BHA podcast (thanks for posting) and I'm still happy with my membership. They fight to keep public lands open to hunting so I'm good with their mission. They are accomplishing their mission so I good with their actions.

"Here's the proof. There are things that are environmentally horrendous but completely ignored by the environmentalists because to say anything would bring harm to far left politics. Wind farms kill millions of birds annually, including eagles, hawks and bats, yet complete silence. Not only that, Obama gave an illegal exemption to wind farms that kill eagles. Think about that for a minute. You or I accidentally kill an eagle and we can go to jail. Not so if a wind generator kills one. "

This is completely false. I have personally worked on no less than 20 wind projects that are collecting data and/or applying for eagle take permits. There has never been an exemption of eagle take by wind farms in the Obama administration or any other administration. See the link.

Yes, wind farms do kill birds but they are at a much lower rate than plain ole house cats, cars, and buildings. Why are you not railing against ferel cats, automobiles, and gold mirrored buildings if you are truly concerned about incidental killing of birds?

I'm not at all trying to hijack this thread but people posting completely false like this should be challenged. It's irresponsible. If you have proof otherwise to my statements I would like to see it. Post a link.

Back to the OP, I listen to the BHA podcast (thanks for posting) and I'm still happy with my membership. They fight to keep public lands open to hunting so I'm good with their mission. They are accomplishing their mission so I good with their actions.

When will bowsite get like buttons?

My money is BHA will be goo goo eyed for chickenlooper. They won't come out and say it, but it will be a questionnaire that shows how great chickenlooper will be for all they stand for.

I’m a long time member. Was a fan of some of the work they did here in Wyoming, as well as in South Dakota (I live pretty much on the border of these two states, on the Wyomi side). Upgraded to life membership a couple years back as I wanted the fly rod, and it ended up making the life membership VERY cheap (and helped a bit with taxes even). As I said, I’ve been a fan of some of the things that some of the local chapters have done so it seems like an organization I should at least give a shot to.

Certainly there have been times that I have pondered canceling my life membership.

I certainly believe in fighting for keeping public land public, but also certainly I do not agree with some of the things they stand for. I don’t think they are the new Sierra club...........yet. But they could go that way. Honestly it kind of seems to me that they’re straddling the fence, and I will be pretty interested to see which way they fall.

As I said, I have not received my membership as of yet. But that certainly could happen in the future. and by the same token, they are growing organization, and if they could start to do this right they could become a pretty good asset to our hunting community. Really hoping that’s the direction to go.

Your link contradicts your statement. The link you provided allows for wind farms to be given "take" permits for when they kill eagles. My statement is true. Wind farms are allowed to kill eagles with little or no repercussions. Find a dead eagle at a refinery and all hell breaks loose. The wind farm industry is not held to the same standards as the oil industry.

I may have hyperbolised my statement, but the premise is still the same.

Environmentalists care more about politics than about the environment.

Attached is a link to info on an eagle take permit that was for a housing development. Again, it's not just for wind development but for all businesses.

Proud BHA member.

When will bowsite get like buttons? "

x10

Not bad work if you can get it though...... If I start a "Hunters for AOC" org maybe I can tap into some of those leftist dollars myself..... has to have hunters best interest at heart, I mean, uses the word and everything.....

RMEF was pulled back from the brink a few years ago, or at least their trajectory altered..... but unless their base puts on some serious pressure I don't see that happening with Sierra Club Lite. Their current directors seem more enamored with the money, political power and rubbing the correct elbows than anything that actually promotes hunting. And they seem to already be whispering in ears about "the big picture"....

Gonna be a washboard ride from all those hunters when they are tossed under the bus....but at least the spring Orvis line is out..... what's on the craft tap tonight?

They are right about some things though. My neck is a bit red, guess I should have turned the brim backwards workin' on the house this weekend, maybe a flat brim is better? Don't know, guess I'd actually have to see somebody that had worked with one on.=D Quit drinking beer for lent a while ago, but they are right.... like to lighten up a few other "packs" for sure..... have a wolf coat on my bucket list.

Sorry, I couldn't help it. I farted while typing this too.

All in good fun!!!!

Reading between the lines...point well taken.