Duck Sunrise. Photo by Aaron Hebeisen

We pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. The only light we see is from the dash and cargo lights as we gather our gear. We do one final pocket check- phone, wallet, license, keys- before rounding the gate, passing the “Walk-In Access Only” sign, and head off down the trail, our path illuminated only by the low beam of our headlamps.

The quiet of the forest gives an almost spiritual rejuvenation that washes away the noise from the everyday hustle and bustle.  

This scenario is one that plays out season after season across the country for public land hunters and anglers.  

Public land and water access is a unique privilege we enjoy in North America. It allows us access to untrammeled, wild places where we pursue fish and game at no cost to us other than that which we spend on licenses and equipment.  

Wildlife Management Areas, State and National Forests, public boat access ramps, and Wilderness Areas like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area are managed by state and federal agencies for the benefit of everyone and for that of wildlife and the ecosystems they call home.   But who speaks up for these wild spaces where we seek that solace and challenge?  

Nonprofit conservation groups have existed for decades for the specific benefit of many North American Game Species – ducks, pheasants, deer, elk, turkeys, and fish, but until 2004, there was no organization that stood for the conservation, protection, and expansion of our public lands and waters. That is why Backcountry Hunters & Anglers was created.  

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) is a grassroots 501c3 nonprofit conservation organization and North America’s voice for public lands, waters, and wildlife. BHA has chapters in 48 states and 3 Canadian provinces and boasts nearly 30,000 members nationwide. We engage on issues that protect wild places, our right as citizens to access them, and to ensure healthy wildlife populations once we get there.  

In practice, this means hosting stewardship projects like invasive plant removal, boat ramp cleanups, and projects to remove hazardous timeworn fences.  

But most importantly, it also means advocating at the federal and state legislature to speak up for public access, public land conservation, and science-based wildlife management following the North American Model, a century-old, foundational set of best practices.

The Minnesota Chapter of BHA is one of the strongest in the country, boasting 1,300 members statewide. It is also the reason BHA chose to host its annual national gathering, the North American BHA Rendezvous, in Minnesota on April 18-20, 2024.  

In Minnesota, we have incredible access to public lands for hunting and fishing.  But just because we have those places now, does not mean we always will. On Feb. 19, 2019, the Board of Commissioners in Lac qui Parle County voted to reject the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources proposed acquisition of 2 parcels totaling 240 acres. These proposed acquisitions had landowners who were willing to sell their land to the DNR to expand a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and increase recreational opportunities. This blockage by the commissioners in a Minnesota county, renowned for its waterfowl hunting, flew in the face of property rights and disregarded the wishes of the majority of Minnesotans who wanted more public lands and public access. 

Minnesota’s BHA Chapter mobilized, sending letters to commissioners, and showing up to testify at town hall meetings. After 2 years of court battles, the Land Exchange Board overturned the County commission’s decision, and the land sale was approved.   

I wouldn’t be a good Minnesotan if I didn’t also mention our water access. Lakes and rivers across the state offer tons of opportunities for hunting and fishing, both open water and ice fishing. I recently canoed into a small group of islands to deer hunt and was surprised not only by how many deer I saw, but how unafraid they seemed. These deer were less pressured by hunting and predation, and I had more chances in 2 days than I sometimes have in a season in some of my mainland haunts.

Moving north from Lac qui Parle, BHA has been heavily involved in opposing the copper-sulfide mining proposals by Twin Metals near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. BHA believes in the multiple-use ethic of our public lands, including logging, mining, and other extractive practices when they can be done responsibly and won’t cause irreversible harm to our natural resources. But this type of mining has a long track record of permanently scarring the landscape, and the BWCA and surrounding Rainy River watershed is not the place to try to make it work.

The BWCA is our crown jewel, our Grand Canyon, our Yellowstone, and when I travel, people are always asking about it. We at Minnesota BHA seek to ensure that it stays wild and pristine for generations to come.  

Finally, BHA stands for our public wildlife. What good is a public hunting area if there isn’t any game to pursue once we get there? In addition to stewardship projects and advocacy at the capitol, the Minnesota Chapter hosts events to engage sportsmen and women, educate them, and encourage them to become better conservationists.  

This fall, MN BHA is hosting 5 “CWD Pint Nights” around the state. We are partnering with the Minnesota DNR and hosting these free, happy hour-type open houses where DNR biologists will show how to remove the lymph nodes safely and effectively from a harvested deer and send them in to have them tested for Chronic Wasting Disease. Attendees will have the chance to see these extractions performed on a real deer carcass, ask questions, and be given a CWD Test Kit to use and send in samples from their own harvests. The DNR reported that in 2022, counties where these Pint Nights took place yielded the highest return of CWD sample kits.  

Increased access means increased opportunity. Increased opportunity means more hunters and anglers afield, which means more revenue to restore habitat, and better management of the places and animals we love. This management not only helps our game animals, but songbirds, reptiles, fisf and pollinator insects.

Do you want to help wildlife? Buy a duck stamp. Buy a fishing license. Pick up trash in the woods even if it isn’t yours. More hunters & anglers also means more voices that can stand up at the capitol or a town hall meeting in opposition next time legislation is proposed that hurts our natural resources.   Public lands and waters are for everyone.

Whether you hunt, fish, camp, bike, paddle, birdwatch or berry pick; No matter where you live, where you came from, or how much money is in your account. Help us bullhorn our voice in support of North America’s public lands and waters and join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.  

For more information, visit backcountryhunters.org.  

Aaron Hebeisen is the Regional Chapter Coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers overseeing and supporting chapters in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. He lives in Red Wing, MN with his wife Olivia and 6-month old son, Carter, and spends his time chasing ducks, deer and turkeys and getting out on the water at his family cabin near Nashwauk, MN.