Interview: Michael Woods of BHA

So throughout the week, both through email and over the phone, I had the opportunity to interview Michael Woods. Michael is a Rhode Islander and board member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers' New England chapter. I've had a great time getting to know both Michael, and what BHA does here in New England where we have different kinds of access issues. So, let's get started.

Introduce yourself:

My name is Michael Woods, I'm a Rhode Islander, a hunter and an angler, and a board member of the New England chapter of the national conservation and public land advocacy group Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

How did you get involved with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers?

I first joined BHA in early 2017 after learning about Rep. Chaffetz's proposed bill HR621 to sell off roughly 3 million acres of federal land spread across 10 states. Prior to this I was (and still am) a very big fan of Joe Rogan, Steven Rinella, and Mark Kenyon, and I'm not sure who exactly deserves credit for getting me off the sidelines but it was some combination of that bunch. I purchased a $25 1 year membership to BHA because I was confident that BHA would put my money to good use in opposing that proposal and other like it. At the time I had no knowledge of BHA's local presence in New England until I received an email in early 2018 from the New England chapter chair, Rob Bryan of Maine, hoping for volunteers in Rhode Island to step up and get some on-the-ground activity going in the state. In volunteering to do so I became the first state leader in RI and organized a handful of events that year, including pint nights and a land stewardship project. If I were to pick a single event when it became obvious to me that this was a community that I needed be an active participant in it would be the August 2018 New England Rendezvous, a 2 day camping outing in southern Maine where I got to know many chapter members, leaders and board members. I was voted on to the board in the weeks following, and I have been doing my best to add value to the organization in that role ever since.

Can you give us a little background on yourself?

I grew up in suburban New Jersey in a non-hunting (but not anti) family, and came to Rhode Island to attend Brown University. After graduating in 2009 with a degree in engineering I co-founded a technology company where I currently work as an engineer, headquartered outside Providence, RI. I have fished for as long as I can remember, but my hunting journey didn't begin until after I graduated from college. While I have picked up some knowledge and mentoring during my journey, the majority of my growth as a hunter has been self-taught on public land in RI.

What is the main goal of BHA?

Our stated mission is: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands and waters.

What is the main goal of the New England chapter of BHA?

Our national mission carries over and applies here also, but the challenges that we face in New England are a bit different than those out west where BHA was founded. There are several ways that we carry out the mission here, including providing mentoring and education to new and/or inexperienced hunters who are interested in learning, attracting people who are interested in organic, healthy living to consider hunting and fishing as a source of high-quality food, keeping an eye on state and municipal legislative activity that pertains to our mission, building alliances with state, regional and local organizations and businesses that have similar goals to BHA, and promoting hunting and fishing in a way that is friendly, reasonable and acceptable to the general public.

Can you discuss some of the major projects that BHA is running in the New England area?

One of the most significant ongoing projects that we introduced last year in New England is our mentoring program. The goal of the program is to help those who are interested in hunting to be successful regardless of their current skill level, and to get them started with realistic expectations and fair chase ethics in mind. In 2018 the program was available to all New England BHA members, and paired experienced hunters with people who were interested in advancing in a particular pursuit. From there we let the pairs figure out the best way to communicate and work together. In some cases our participants were brand new to hunting, and in other cases they had been trying for a couple years but were growing frustrated and needed a bit of a push to get that first deer or to get to that next level. The program was a great success, and we are currently in the process of evaluating it and figuring out how we can improve and expand it before the upcoming spring turkey season.

What are some of the major barriers BHA is facing? Money? Support?

We currently have an incredibly passionate and driven team of leaders in New England and our membership has more than doubled in each of the past three years, and that isn't indicative of facing major barriers. The explosive growth that we have enjoyed s is a direct result of doing the work and carrying out the mission at the national and chapter level, and opening the door to those who are interested in being a part of what we're doing. If I had to highlight a barrier for the New England chapter it would be bandwidth - our chapter board and state leaders are all unpaid volunteers, so we are all balancing professional lives in addition to putting time to the local work we do for BHA. Obviously, the more funding we have the more work we can take on, and our major sources of funding are memberships and BHA gear sales at New England BHA events. We receive very good support from the national office when and where it is needed, and have a terrific regional coordinator who helps out with large events and chapter organization.

Do you trap, hunt, or fish?

I hunt and fish. I have considered trapping but don't currently have the time to get into it. A large component of my personal ethic is killing to provide, and I also don't have a direct use for the harvests from trapping either.

Do you consider yourself a specialized hunter (i.e whitetail) or a generalist?

I consider myself a generalist, in the sense that I can pursue nearly all species that we are legally allowed to in Rhode Island with a level of proficiency above novice. However, the time that I spend planning and outdoors is skewed extremely heavily towards bowhunting whitetails, and that is a year-round pursuit for me that is constantly on my mind. I also spend a ton of time fishing for just about everything I can from the bank, in waders or from a kayak, and shell-fishing. In the past year I was introduced to hunting for edible mushrooms by a people I met through BHA, and I am super intrigued by the concept of foraging for wild edibles. I am currently in the process of planning my first western hunt with some help from people I have met through BHA.

How was your season this year?

2018 was the best season that I've ever had. It wasn't outstanding by any conventional metric, but I killed enough to provide myself with meat for the year and the experiences that I had, my own personal growth and evolution, the lands that I explored, and the people who I have met set this year apart from any other. An enormous part of that came through my increased involvement in BHA - both the members and leaders that I have worked with and bounced hunting ideas and concepts around with, as well as the people who I have met and mentored through the mentoring program.

What is hunting like in Rhode Island?

Hunting is never easy if we consider it for what it is - we are trying to kill an animal in an environment that it is far more familiar with than we are, that doesn't want to be killed, and that has one or more senses that might be significantly different and probably more acute than our own. I can say from personal experience that Rhode Island has a TON of opportunities for both the brand new hunter or angler, as well as the experienced one who is looking for mature animals, all on public land. As is the case in any region where we are competing with hundred or thousands of others for the best opportunities, one needs to be flexible to find them. This means being very diligent in monitoring sign and pressure and being willing to move around, using a totally mobile hunting setup, wearing rubber boots or carrying waders to cross rivers and swamps, using a canoe or kayak for access, or just getting really, really far from the nearest access. In Rhode Island we have a long hunting season and have no restrictions on Sundays, currently allow unrestricted use of crossbows for all archery deer seasons (great for new hunters), and everything is over the counter with liberal season bag limits.

After reading through the initial email interview, we decided to have a chat over the phone to get some finer points. I was definitely intrigued by the mentor program they offer, since it has been a question with several of you guys, my readers. It's still in it's infancy, but last year they managed to link up about 20 folks, and all reviews appears excellent. They collect info from prospective mentors and mentees and then find matches. Once they do, they contact the parties and hook them up with contact emails. This way your information remains private, unless you decide to divulge more during your time together in the program. Once they get ready to unroll the 2019 program I will be posting the information on how to sign up, and very possibly may be volunteering to mentor myself.

I've always voiced my support for the BHA organization, but until speaking with Michael, I was not fully aware of how much they do for the hunting and fishing community. Everyone I've ever talked to from their organization has been polite and willing to help in any way they could. This just solidifies my belief that BHA is a trustworthy organization that is truly on our side. Thank you very much to Michael Woods for taking the time to speak with me and get the information out there to my readers. I would also like to thank my readers for being the driving force in my mission to solidify our lifestyle in the American landscape.