Hunting with My Granddaughters

October 21, 2024

TRCP’s Nevada field representative Carl Erquiaga recently published the below story about hunting migrating mule deer with his granddaughters in the November 2024 issue of Fur Fish Game magazine. This long-established periodical will celebrate 100 years of contiguous publication in 2025

As I’ve grown older, having granddaughters has become one of the most enjoyable parts of my life. My eldest granddaughter Hayden, now 14, drew her first deer tag in our home state of Nevada in 2022. We did our best to make the most of the entire experience and it was, quite honestly, nothing short of perfect. She took a nice muley buck after hunting for several days, and the family was very proud of her – no one prouder than her Papaw.

Hayden shot her first buck in 2022, a year before Carly’s first hunt.

Each child and grandchild my wife and I are blessed with has a special place in our hearts. My second granddaughter Carly, being my namesake, has a grip on me I cannot explain. She’s a little sassy with a wry sense of humor that we share. She’s also fiercely independent.

In 2023, Carly, age 12, became eligible for a hunting license. She hoped to draw one of Nevada’s coveted youth deer tags. Before she could buy a license and apply, she was required to pass the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Hunter Safety course. I helped Carly study, went over gun safety as well as some basic wildlife management principles, and attended the class with her. She passed with flying colors.

When Hayden turned 12, I bought her first hunting license and helped her fill out the application for her tags. I did likewise for Carly. As luck would have it, Carly drew a northeast Nevada deer tag for the October 2023 season. The mule deer herd there is migratory, but I had confidence we’d find deer.

Carly prepared for the hunt all summer. She shot a .22 rimfire, then graduated to her uncle’s youth-sized .243 Winchester. True to family form, she was a natural shooter.

In mid-October, we – Carly, her father (my son-in-law) Garrett, and myself – packed my camp trailer and made the six-hour drive to the unit. We’d scheduled six days for the trip, but I didn’t believe we’d need that long. Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men.

As the sun illuminated the slope, we glassed the basin ahead and saw a group of does with three small bucks in the shadows.

We arrived at camp early enough to make a short afternoon hunt. As we made our way up the first of many rough, rocky roads, I asked Carly if she was ready to wake up at 4:30 a.m. every morning. “Yes!” she said, with no hesitation.

I told her I didn’t want to make this too much work, but hunting big game does require commitment. She said she was ready. I jokingly mentioned something about not wanting her to be grumpy in the morning.

“You know, Papaw, I’m generally a pretty jovial person,” she quipped. I tried to contain my laughter, recalling a slightly less than jovial stage – thanks to her fiercely independent streak.

We spent the evening glassing to no avail. It rained off and on most of the afternoon. With the temperature dropping, we returned to camp, ate and warmed up. The RV made it easy to keep Carly’s spirits high. We planned to be in another area at daylight.

I never sleep well the first night of a hunt, and when the alarm went off, it felt like I had just fallen sleep. I didn’t want to wake Carly, but to my surprise she popped out of bed and got her breakfast together, not quite jovial, but as good as one can be at 4:30 a.m.

We made it out of camp plenty early but had to wait for sunrise before going up the road. It’s a good thing we did. We hadn’t even reached the canyon when a young buck and doe crossed the road in front of us – no chance for a shot – so we eased up the trail to the ridge.

As the sun illuminated the slope, we glassed the basin ahead and saw a group of does with three small bucks in the shadows. They were a mile away, but we noted their location and turned up the ridge.

Granddaughter and Papaw in the side-by-side.

On top, Garrett spotted more does with one small buck in the draw below. They were working their way up the opposite ridge and soon disappeared over the top. We tried to cut them off, but rounding the last corner, into the draw, we saw does running, but no buck. I was about to whisper to Carly he might still be there, when he ran out, full tilt, stotted over the ridge, with no chance for a shot.

We spent the rest of the day glassing and checking new areas, ending up in the basin where the shadow bucks were at first light. We saw plenty of wildlife, including pronghorns, chukars, and sage grouse, but the bucks never materialized. Still, the day was a success because Carly remained in great spirits.

The next morning, we were up very early again, returning to where we’d been the first afternoon. It was October 14, when the solar eclipse passed over Nevada. We hoped to see it later that morning, if the clouds broke.

When we reached where we wanted to glass, a side-by-side UTV with three young men pinned behind binoculars greeted us. The canyon below showed three deer – two forkhorns and a small three-point – moving through brush toward the closest ridge. They were well out of range, so I took the opportunity to teach Carly some hunter etiquette. The other hunters were there first. I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t cut them off if we went after the bucks. I was ready to talk to them, but they picked up their gear, headed in a different direction, evidently not interested in the bucks.

Those bucks were exactly what we were looking for. As soon as the trio disappeared behind the ridge we went after them.

The memories made with my granddaughters were only possible with Nevada’s incredible wildlife. The deer we hunted migrate across hundreds of miles to their winter range. If we as hunters want to continue to make meaningful memories outdoors with our families, we must get involved in conservation efforts.

We made good time reaching where they’d fed, their tracks peppering the ground. We followed those tracks around to the edge of the canyon, when I spotted the bucks 140 yards on the opposite side, according to the rangefinder.

Feeding off each other’s excitement, I set up the tripod for Carly. One buck moved up the ridge between bushes where, if he stopped, Carly would have a good shot.

But he didn’t stop, traveling almost out of range.

I felt uncomfortable having Carly shoot at the moving buck. I felt it was better to let him go, and didn’t feel too bad when he ducked into some very thick aspens. The other two should be following shortly. One was that nice three-point.

We waited for his friends to come along. We waited and waited. But they never came out.

Now, I felt disappointed for not letting Carly try a shot. She might have connected when the buck wasn’t moving. I’d hoped for the better buck, but that wouldn’t matter to her. In fact, at one point, the little buck stepped out of the aspens, broadside, at 400 yards. She asked if she could try the shot. I told her no because she’d never shot that far. Better to be sure than take a risky shot.

Walking back to the truck, I was feeling bad. But Carly was still excited and looking forward to the eclipse. Kids are so resilient.

Watching the eclipse with her and her dad was a very special experience. The rest of that day and the next we continued to explore as much new country as we could. We saw deer every day, but no bucks within range or in places we could stalk. Some bucks we tried to stalk, only to find another hunter filled his tag on them. The others gave us the slip.

Carl and Carly take a break from hunting to watch the 2023 eclipse.

On Sunday night, the return trip looming, our spirits were low. We’d have time for a four-hour hunt that morning before breaking camp and heading home. At 4:30 a.m. we all moved a little slower, a little bit grumpy.

We went to the spot where Carly’s father had shot his first deer in 2020. That day, we only had time for a short hunt, but we made it happen. I hoped for a repeat. But despite checking several honey holes, we didn’t see a deer. Returning to camp, I told Carly I was sorry she didn’t tag a deer, and that I was proud of her great attitude and thanked her for wanting to hunt.

“It’s okay I didn’t get one,” she said. “But I am a little less jovial. There’s always next year. And I will be glad to get home, take a shower, and sleep in.”

Then she gave me a hug and said, “I love you, Papaw.”

I believe Carly learned a great deal about hunting and the responsibilities that go with it. I’m sure some of my ramblings about wildlife and its management challenges will sink in. And I know there are still good kids out there who are being given the tools to get through life and make good decisions. I’m very proud of my kids and grandkids.

The memories made with my granddaughters were only possible with Nevada’s incredible wildlife. The deer we hunted migrate across hundreds of miles to their winter range. If we as hunters want to continue to make meaningful memories outdoors with our families, we must get involved in conservation efforts.

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Learn more about TRCP’s work on big game migration conservation HERE.

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by: Christian Fauser

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

October 17, 2024

Come for the Squirrel, Stay for the Pigeon

TRCP’s western water policy associate reflects on a recent event and how hunting and camaraderie reaffirmed his passion to conserve Arizona’s public lands and waters

As I approach my fifth year as a resident of Arizona, I have been spending time reflecting on two influences that drive my passion for Arizona’s public lands and waters, and the plethora of hunting and angling opportunities they offer nearly year-round. After attending the 8^th Annual Family Squirrel Camp, hosted by the Arizona Wildlife Federation and the Arizona Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, my belief in the power of mentorship and tenacious commitment were further entrenched.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to spend three days in Northern Arizona’s Coconino National Forest with my friend Jack Kelly-Willis, where we attended the 8th Annual Family Squirrel Camp. This annual event centers on offering a comfortable, approachable setting for introducing new hunters to the sport, introducing the unique small game hunting opportunities Arizona affords, and fostering a sense of public land stewardship and conservation ethos in all who attend and participate. 

The 8th Annual Family Squirrel Camp took place over three days in Northern Arizona’s Coconino National Forest.

For three straight days, one would be hard pressed to find a dull moment at Squirrel Camp. First, it was immediately apparent to everyone involved that population numbers for Abert’s squirrel in Arizona were high, with many of us bagging our limit of five squirrels within the first few hours of the day. Additionally, the event coincided with band-tail pigeon season, North America’s only native pigeon species, and with many folks also hitting their daily limit of two pigeons, the phrase, “Come for the squirrel, stay for the pigeon,” was coined and repeated frequently throughout the event (by me). 

The event strongly reaffirmed how important my friend Jack was in introducing me to hunting in a way that equipped me with the skills and knowledge to grow as a hunter independently. He took me on my first squirrel hunt and traded an otherwise successful quail season for one watching coveys fly far away as I fumbled with the safety on my shotgun, and he embodied saint-like compassion and patience as he helped me untangle countless nymph rigs that he helped me set up only minutes before. In that vein, it was incredibly heartening to watch experienced hunters mentor children and less experienced adults as they pursued squirrels across our tiny patch of the Coconino National Forest. Hands down, the most fulfilling and exciting experience I had during Squirrel Camp was helping a new squirrel hunter spot, tree, and shoot her first squirrel. It was a helpful reminder that I have a duty to pass along the lessons Jack imparted to me. 

Experienced hunters mentored children and less experienced adults during their three days together.

The education and mentoring went far beyond harvesting squirrels. There were demonstrations on how to properly process squirrels and pigeons. For those interested in saving their squirrel hides, Jack demonstrated how to properly flesh out, dry, and store squirrel hides.

Nathan Fyffe, Statewide Small Game Biologist for Arizona Game and Fish Department, gave a talk to the camp on the countless hunting opportunities that exist across the state. Arizona is home to two species of jack rabbit, one species of cottontail, five species of squirrel, three species of quail, more than twenty species of duck, three species of dove, chukar, sand-hill crane, javelina, mule and white-tail deer, elk, turkey, bear, cougar, and others that I am sure I am missing. You could say that Arizona is almost like a Western state, in terms of its hunting opportunities. But I’d say it’s even better – it’s a Southwestern state. 

The event also showcased the contagious commitment and tenacious dedication to Arizona public lands and waters conservation and passion for hunting and fishing exemplified by Michael Cravens. Michael is the AWF’s Advocacy and Conservation Director and the Vice Chair of AZ BHA. While you might think hunting and fishing for every species Arizona has to offer while raising two kids and a juvenile hawk would leave little time for advocacy, you’d be sorely mistaken. In the past year, I have had the privilege of watching Michael defend public lands at the state capitol, serve game to state politicians in order to highlight the subsistence benefits of hunting in Arizona, and spend a whole day driving 30+ individuals around Northern Arizona to educate them on wildlife corridors, habitat connectivity, and forest management. His commitment and dedication are inspiring.

Michael Cravens proudly displaying his harvest.

Nights were spent sharing conversations with new and old friends, eating meals consisting of locally harvested game, and listening to fireside speeches from Michael and other AWF and AZ BHA representatives. While giving a speech around a fire immediately enhances credibility in and of itself, these individuals spoke with the passion and vigor of Teddy Roosevelt himself when holding forth on the indescribable value of Arizona’s public lands and waters. They reminded all 40+ attendees of their responsibility to protect, conserve, and enjoy what belongs to them. These folks went a step further in taking the time to educate camp participants on how to proactively engage with the state legislature to advocate for Arizona’s public lands, fish, wildlife, and our sporting traditions.  

I’d be hard pressed to believe a single individual walked away from this event without fully understanding that none of the joy they experienced over our three days together would be possible without our nation’s publicly accessible wild spaces. Even more, I have a feeling that participants left knowledgeable of how to make their voices heard and support efforts to safeguard our country’s public lands legacy.

Campsite camaraderie at the 8th Annual Family Squirrel Camp.

As a representative of TRCP, I am proud that we are an active state partner with AWF and AZ BHA. I am proud that I get to play a role in conserving Arizona’s wild spaces, and I am grateful for the endless opportunities to hunt and fish in this state. 

This event brought home the power of mentorship and tenacious commitment for me and further inspired my work to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish. As hunters, anglers, and conservationists, let’s keep reaching out, mentoring, and inspiring our kids, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and the greater community just as Jack and Michael did for me. 

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

September 24, 2024

Coastal Reserves Conserve Habitat, Offer Fishing & Hunting Access

Almost all of the nation’s 30 Estuarine Research Reserves allow rod and gun recreation, and we can help ensure they receive continued Congressional support

If you’re a seasoned saltwater angler, you know that healthy estuaries mean healthy sportfish populations. Take the Chesapeake Bay or Florida Everglades, for example. Without these semi-enclosed, shallow-water systems and the menhaden, mullet, ballyhoo, herring, and other forage fish and crustaceans they support, there would be no recreational fishing because there would be no sportfish left that rely on them. What you might not know is that there’s a system of research reserves around the nation that for more than 50 years has been dedicated to conserving coastal habitat, while offering hunting and angling opportunities, youth education, and community support.

Reserves span all U.S. coastlines, and more have designations underway or have been proposed. Credit: NERRA

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 30 coastal sites designated to protect and study the nation’s diverse estuarine systems, with sites on every coast and the Great Lakes. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other federal agencies with matching state and private funds, and the reserves are managed by a state agency or university with input from local partners.

95 percent of the reserves allow fishing and 85 percent permit hunting.

The reserves span the breadth of the country’s highly varied estuarine habitats, such as mangrove forests, beaches, salt marshes, rocky intertidal zones, oyster reefs, and mud flats, and most contain extensive submerged aquatic vegetation that provides critical fish habitat. These reserves also provide public access to more than 1.4 million acres of coastal lands and waters.

A waterman harvesting blue crabs at the Chesapeake Bay Research Reserve.

“They protect places and people all around the coasts,” said Rebecca Roth, executive director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA), a non-regulatory body that supports the system of reserves. “Every reserve is there because people cared passionately about the place and worked hard to get it designated.”

Benefits For Recreation, Education, & Economies

Over decades, National Estuarine Research Reserves have created a national dataset that provides a record of how coastal weather, water quality, sea levels, habitat, and vegetation have changed over time – all collected, synthesized, and analyzed according to stringent standards, to be used by scientists, resource managers, and others. Roth says the reserves also address climate change concerns at each site 365 days of the year, to track short-term changes and long-term trends on the coasts.

“We are the only national network that comes with a standardized estuary monitoring program, integrated science and education programs, strong connections to local communities, and a dedication to sharing what is learned across a national network,” Roth said.

Reserves provide key opportunities for education and training for outreach efforts about the data collected there. They demonstrate the value of conserving habitat to schoolkids and people of all ages, with more than 73,000 K-12 students benefiting in 2022 alone, and coordinate citizen science and volunteer cleanup efforts. Each year they sustain more than 10,000 jobs – providing significant local economic inputs – and are visited by more than 650,000 recreationists.

Anglers fishing near the site of the designated Atchafalaya Reserve in Louisiana. Credit: Cajun Coast Tourism

“Coastal reserves protect essential breeding habitats, act as natural buffers against rising sea levels, and support species adaptation to climate change,” said Jamelle Ellis, TRCP senior scientist. “By preserving ecosystems, they enhance climate resilience for wildlife and ensure sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities.”

The management plans that direct current reserves allow for recreational fishing in 28 of the 30 sites, and hunting in 25 of them. Regardless of whether sporting is allowed on these properties, however, all provide nurseries for species like sportfish and the forage fish they depend on for food. The wetlands and shellfish reefs they protect also help filter water and their lands serve as terrestrial habitat refuges for game species like deer and waterfowl to ensure more robust local populations. Other recreation activities popular at these sites include bird watching, hiking, and paddling.

NERRA’s Roth says that as more and more coastal lands are developed, the reserves become even more important as habitat for game species and places where anglers can target inshore species like redfish and striped bass. “We know that 75 percent of all fish caught begin their life in the nursery grounds of an estuary,” said Roth. “When you protect these waters and provide proper stewardship of the lands that surround them, you protect the nursery.”

Whitetail deer caught on a game camera at Guana Tolomata Matanzas Research Reserve in northern Florida. Credit: NERRS

A Long History

In the late ‘60s, America’s coasts were under intense pressure from population growth and development was taking a toll on coastal lands, waters, and wildlife. As a result, in 1972 Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act to set national policy to “preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance, the resources of the Nation’s coastal zone.” The act provided a backbone for creating the Research Reserve System. Through this act, states maintain rights to sustainably manage their own coasts while receiving federal financial and technical support. The act would later authorize the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP), which protects ecologically important coastal lands and those with other values, such as recreational opportunities or historic features.

The CZMA has been amended 11 times since its initial passage to expand authorities and add focus areas, and NERRA is seeking in this federal legislative session for Congress to again reauthorize and update the reserve program and authorize funding for the Reserve System and the coast and estuarine land conservation program. Congress has not provided authorizations for either the national reserve system or CELCP since fiscal years 1999 and 2013, respectively.

Researchers measure a salmon at the Kachemak Bay Reserve in Alaska.

“This has major implications for habitat protections, as the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program under the CZMA has already protected more than 100,000 acres using matched federal and state funding,” said David Pelikan, TRCP climate resilience program manager.

As it does every year, NERRA is requesting that Congress provide funding to address operations, research, facilities, and procurement and acquisition of new properties. Authorized funding amounts to reflect the needs of the coastal communities are being sought through passage of H.R. 6841, the Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act, which was introduced in Congress last December. The bill would direct NOAA to designate five new reserves, significantly increasing the areas studied and protected and creating many more opportunities for angling and other public recreation, more habitat for fisheries, more coastal lands to protect communities from extreme weather, and more opportunities for businesses that rely on healthy coastal environments. The bill also would establish in statute existing reserve programs like Coastal Training that support fisheries, businesses, and communities and direct their execution as a matter of national policy, to ensure that these programs continue to serve communities in the future.

What Are Specific Reserves Doing?

There are too many research reserves to allow detailed descriptions of each. Below are a few examples to demonstrate the breadth and variety of the system.

Rookery Bay

Located in southwest Florida near Naples, the Rookery Bay Research Reserve offers spectacular fishing, teeming with inshore fish species like redfish, snook, and tarpon in its extensive mangrove habitats, and provides refuge for more than 50 species of birds. It offers an environmental learning center, and as part of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, its wetlands benefits from clean water coming south and serves as a final filter for water entering the Ten Thousand Islands area of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. This reserve is closely tied into the local community and has used its offices to convene emergency responders during hurricanes. This is one of three reserves in Florida.

Click here to tell lawmakers to support Everglades conservation

Chesapeake Bay

With more than 30 miles of waterfront on the Maryland side of the Bay, the Chesapeake Bay Research Reserve offers extensive fishing access over oyster reefs and seagrass beds for inshore species like redfish and flounder – as well as edible invasive species like blue catfish – plus habitat for baitfish like menhaden, 44 miles of hiking/paddling trails, and a nature discovery center targeting youths. A similar reserve also exists on the Virginia portion of the Bay.

Kachemak Bay

Home to chinook and coho salmon, halibut, whales, and many seabirds, the Kachemak Bay Reserve’s research on juvenile salmon supports Alaska’s $595 million-dollar commercial fishing industry. Also, commercial fishermen are brought upstream of the reserve to learn firsthand about the importance of protecting the watershed’s habitat to benefit salmon and jobs that depend on them. The reserve brings $1.2 million of federal and state finding to the local economy each year and helps recreational shellfish harvesters respond to toxic algal blooms.

Any new reserves must permit existing recreational fishing and hunting.

Coming Soon

Designations are already underway for two new reserves in the U.S. – in Louisiana and Wisconsin. More will be added if Congress reauthorizes the CZMA. A third site in the U.S. Virgin Islands also would be advanced in its designation status, and a reserve in Michigan and new sites in Maine and Florida are in the pipeline. Any new reserve must permit existing commercial/recreational fishing, hunting, and other cultural uses.

An angler net casting at the site of the designated reserve in the Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana. Credit: Cajun Coast Tourism

A Louisiana reserve is already in the final review process for its designation. This site is located in the Atchafalaya Basin of the Mississippi River Delta and would support not only local fisheries and economies, but also protect coastal habitats, ensure a perpetual undeveloped buffer to protect communities from the more frequent and severe storms expected because of climate change, and create better access to the Atchafalaya Basin and its delta system of over 4,000 acres of wetlands. The reserve will also allow the opportunity to educate the public about sea level rise, land subsidence, and the importance of restoring more natural sediment flows from the Mississippi to build back land and wetland habitat.

Click here to learn how you can advocate for habitat-driven climate solutions in your state.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

September 19, 2024

Reflections on Salmonflies, Big Trout, and Winter Range

The author, TRCP’s Western conservation communications manager, remembers how a day of good Spring fishing can reveal the importance of intact habitats and healthy winter range for big game

Salmonflies, big as hummingbirds, flew so close to my head my first reaction was to duck. Alders shook in the breeze that carried the massive stoneflies out over the river, and flycatchers and robins did their best imitations of peregrine falcons as they launched after the orange T-bone steaks. Trout, braving the surface for meals equal to a thousand trico mayflies, gulped and slapped the bugs with such intensity any angler might honestly think a child was throwing rocks into the current. This was a good time to be in the Lolo National Forest, an opportunity my buddy James and I wouldn’t miss.

Still needing to cling to the streamside willows, I worked my way from eddy to eddy where rocks interrupted the flow. My size 10 skinny salmonfly buoyed a size 10 black stonefly pattern that probed below. The first fish was a foot-long rainbow on the edge of a glide. She must’ve known her cousins just to the west in Idaho make annual trips to the sea and she was inspired by them. Going airborne and catching the current twice, the trout fought above her weight class, and I thanked her as she kicked back into the shallows after I freed the hook.

The T-bone steak of the dry fly world: the salmonfly.

The Lolo National Forest stretches across 2 million acres of western Montana. This landscape offers vital habitat for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and moose, and invaluable, intact cold-water systems home to native fish like bull trout and Westslope cutthroat as well as wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout. These millions of acres support innumerable recreation and commercial opportunities that provide thousands of jobs in local communities.

As with all National Forests, land management plans must be updated periodically, and the Lolo’s has not been revised in over two decades. In that time, new challenges have arisen that must be addressed, including increased outdoor recreation, the growing presence of noxious weeds, and the impacts of decades of fire suppression combined with hotter, drier weather. And with burgeoning exurban development, winter and transitional ranges for elk and deer continue to fragment on neighboring private lands.

A mature brown trout released back into the cold waters of the Lolo National Forest.

The brown missed the nymph on my first float. I could see the fish turn, but when I lifted the rod there was nothing. I bit the inside of my cheek and told myself to wait. The flies smacked the rock and began their second drift. I saw the trout come unstuck again, and when the top fly disappeared, I was connected.

Then I ran downstream.

The brute rode the swift water down. I tried to turn the brown and grinned at myself for foolishly not using 3x. The fish worked below me, but made a poor choice to head back upstream, fighting both the current and me. James netted the exhausted trout, and we admired the golden sides void of talon marks and a mouth uncut by tippet or hooks. An unlikely, unscathed mature fish returned to the river.

As we climbed the bank to continue to the next run, we saw the old scat of wintering elk, pellets a chalky brown under the ponderosa pines. A few of their tracks were still caught in the path where mud dried a month or more ago. Their presence a reminder that our feet could carry us from the river to the peaks of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, all on contiguous public land.

A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.

The Lolo is currently in the process of updating its land use plan, and engaged hunters and anglers will have upcoming opportunities this year to speak up for a successful planning outcome that conserves important big game and fisheries habitats and maintains special places for outdoor recreation. A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.

Over 2,000 elk roam the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds. These herds mostly calve and spend their summers in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas at the northernmost reaches of the Lolo. As winter dumps feet of snow in the high meadows, the elk drop down onto private, state, and Bureau of Land Management land along the rivers.

The Forest Service must incorporate the latest science, utilize the best-available conservation tools, and prioritize coordination with other stakeholders to safeguard big game corridors and winter range as the agency initiates the forest plan revision process for these public lands.

Winter range in the Lolo National Forest.

The day turned to evening and we made our way back to the vehicle. Drained from fighting the water and cobble, we trudged toward the fantasy of pizza and burgers once we made it back to town.

Then the pool came into view.

The current hugged the large bolder like an old friend. It was a place that a trout would feel safe and happy: depth, a bubble line buffet, and the barrier of a rock field to keep most anglers away.

But we braved the rock field and James worked the bubble line until his salmonfly was pulled under by the great-grandma of the rainbow I caught earlier. Rod doubled over, he climbed the rock over and back as the trout couldn’t decide which way to run. Finally, she settled in the shallows, and I returned the favor of netting the fish for my friend. Already recovered from the spawn, the fish was strong and turning silver, with a pink cheek clinging to the spring cold.

Swallows had filled the air, chasing a hatch of mayflies upstream. Beyond them were grassy parks that in the evening would welcome mule deer and elk, all of them feeding and moving higher.

Photos courtesy of James Wicks

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by: Alex Funk

posted in: Hunting & Fishing Access

September 17, 2024

Sporting Groups Unite Around Policy Recommendations to Strengthen Wetlands Conservation Efforts

Conserving wetlands and streams is critical to the hunting and angling community.

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, along with valued partners representing sporting and conservation interests released its Sporting Community Wetland and Stream Platform which outlines several policy recommendations seeking to strengthen federal wetland conservation efforts.

Conserving wetlands and streams is critical to the hunting and angling community. Wetlands and streams provide crucial public benefits, including supporting fish and wildlife habitat, helping to recharge water supplies, reducing flood impacts, and enhancing water quality. Yet, wetlands and streams are at risk more than ever. The most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Status and Trends Report finds that more than half of wetlands in the lower 48 states are gone, and loss rates have increased by 50 percent since 2009. Additionally, the recent loss of federal protections for many wetlands and streams has made it much more difficult for federal agencies to safeguard some of our most vulnerable waters from pollution and destruction. Without additional conservation actions to protect these ecosystems, wetland loss will likely continue, reducing ecosystem benefits for people and habitat for fish and wildlife.

These waters provide habitat for more than half of North American waterfowl, critical spawning grounds for salmon and trout, and drinking water for millions of people.

Given these challenges, the sporting and conservation community acknowledges that lifting up federal and state wetland and stream conservation efforts will be important. Our platform includes recommendations for action by both Congress and federal agencies. “With these recommendations, we intend to unite and amplify the voices of hunters, anglers, and conservationists whose outdoor traditions depend on conserving wetlands and streams,” said Alex Funk, Director of Water Resources at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP is eager to work with partners to advance these recommendations while working to secure long-term protections for our country’s wetlands and streams.

“Conservation and restoration of wetlands and tributary streams are essential to securing safe drinking water for all Americans, fighting the climate crisis, and providing essential habitat for fish and wildlife,” said Jared Mott, Conservation Director of Izaak Walton League of America. “These recommendations are a helpful roadmap for limiting alarming declines in the number and productivity of these ecosystems in the face of the elimination of longstanding Clean Water Act protections. The League is proud to collaborate with our partners and announce these proactive steps we must take to save the nation’s wetlands and waterways and ensure a future with clean water.”

Photo Credit: Christian Fritschi

“Hunters and anglers understand that wildlife rely on healthy, abundant water bodies. Last year, the Supreme Court unwisely removed longstanding protections for many streams, wetlands and floodplains – leaving them vulnerable to pollution and destruction,” said Glenn Watkins, Senior Policy Specialist of Water Resources at National Wildlife Federation. “While a full restoration of federal protections is needed to safeguard our waters, this platform lays out commonsense actions Congress and federal agencies can take in the meantime,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “These measures will help support healthy populations of ducks, fish and other game species while protecting drinking water supplies and reducing flooding.”

Read the full suite of recommendations and policy platform HERE.