New studies show high-intensity fires burn 30 times more acreage today than just four decades ago, often leaving forests unable to return to their pre-wildfire state.

“Wildfire has always been part of western forests,” said Jonathan Coop, professor of environment and sustainability at Western Colorado University. “What’s changing is the pace and impacts of fires. As extreme events become more common in a hotter, drier climate, we can’t count on forests to persist or grow back the way they have in the past.”

Coop worked with researchers from the University of California-Berkeley, Colorado State University and both the U.S. Forest Service and Canadian Forests Service to analyze more than 33,000 wildfires that occurred from 2012 to 2023. Their findings suggest that as conditions become more favorable for fast fire growth, forests may be increasingly pushed toward long-term ecological change rather than recovery.

As of mid-September 2026, more than 56,000 wildfires burned 8.5 million acres of forests and grasslands. They also threatened public safety, triggered evacuations and destroyed homes across multiple states while decimating wildlife and riparian habitat.

New UCLA research found high intensity fires in California are significantly different and much more destructive compared to those in the 1980s and 1990s, which burned mostly at low or moderate severity, benefitting habitat and ecosystems.

“These high-severity, forest-replacing fires used to be uncommon, and now it’s the dominant fire type,” said Park Williams, senior study author and UCLA professor of geography. “Fire is a natural process that can be healthy for ecosystems, but most of California’s tree species have a difficult time coming back following fires that kill huge swaths of trees.”

Researchers pinpoint two causes of the uptick in severe fires. One is dense fuel loads and the other is environmental dryness. 

“When the weather is hot and dry, the vapor-pressure deficit is high, which leads the atmosphere to act like a sponge, soaking up surface water. In general, the warmer and drier the atmosphere, the more high-severity fire we saw over the last 40 years,” said Mitchell Hung, UCLA lead author and graduate student. 

Thinning, burning do a forest good

Another recent study shows a combination of thinning followed by prescribed burns every four years help ponderosa pine forests better cope with wildfire and drought. In fact, frequent fire is “key to the function of this ecosystem,” according to Andrew J. Sanchez Meador, professor of forest biometrics and quantitate ecology at Northern Arizona University. 

“We actually found that both young and old trees responded to the thinning and grew really fast. That’s not a surprise with young trees. When you open up and make resources available, young trees can tend to thrive and jump on that,” Meador told KNAU. “But what we found was trees 500 years old had dramatic increases in growth rates, suggesting that if we treat, both young and old trees can increase their vigor, they can be more resilient to drought, insects and disease. And what we also found was that if we introduce fire into this system, we don’t increase the mortality in that.”

Meador said he understands that people are afraid of fire but counters the best way to address longer burn seasons is to apply frequent prescribed burning on a landscape scale.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo source: InciWeb)

Can hunting and killing an animal improve the health and sustainability of that wildlife species?

Researchers from Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture & Natural Resources decided to tackle that issue. In search of both a better understanding and clarity, they studied hunting’s perceptions, pastimes, attitudes, impacts, motivations, laws and regulations, and its connection to the natural world. To do so, they analyzed data from what is called the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species – an inventory of the conservation statuses of more than 1,600 worldwide mammal species – to see if there was a connection between the type of hunting and conservation status of the species.

Results showed species hunted for sport were less likely to be threatened and more likely to have stable or even increasing populations compared to non-sport hunted species because, in part, wildlife populations were highly managed and benefitted from sport hunting revenue. The funds generated by it are used to bolster anti-poaching efforts and support large expanses of suitable habitat and other management activities, furthering wildlife conservation and preventing habitat loss for wildlife and humans alike.

Other results found that species hunted for food were not more likely to have decreasing populations or be classified as threatened, a surprising result as household consumption and commercial benefits were more likely the reason for illegal wildlife killings. However, in some regions, habitat loss is the primary driver of species loss.

“These results suggest that sport hunting is linked with more favorable conservation status of mammal species and can be a component of sustainable wildlife management,” according to the study authors.

To view a list of 25 reasons how hunting supports conservation for hunted and non-hunted species alike in North America, click here.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Threaten to sue, file lawsuits and then, if needed, appeal. That equation comes right out of the anti-forest management playbook of litigant environmental groups. And it is playing out yet again in western Montana.

A federal judge recently lifted an injunction allowing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to go ahead with the Gold Butterfly Project, planned logging and fuels mitigation in the Sapphire Mountains designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire while also improving wildlife habitat and overall forest health.

“Responsible forest management produces much-needed timber, makes housing more affordable, prevents wildfires and saves lives,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division. “We are combating efforts to weaponize procedural statutes against the responsible use of America’s vast natural resources.”  

Well-known litigant Michael Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies that filed the original injunction, immediately announced his organization would appeal. Garrity claims the project authorizing 5,300 acres of timber harvest and 2,100 acres of other restoration treatments would trigger detrimental issues because it would take place in “a key corridor for grizzly bears,” as per the Missoulian. There is no established grizzly population in the Bitterroot Valley region although USFS noted grizzlies occasionally wander through the area.

USFS first proposed the Gold Butterfly Project in 2017. It stands as an example of a much-needed forest management project strung along due to continual environmental litigation.

According to Evergreen magazine, Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed 86 of the previous 186 environmental lawsuits against the federal government and does not track the detrimental impacts of litigation on overly dense landscapes of ladder fuels and closed canopies that are increasingly susceptible to wildfire, insect invasion and eroding habitat.

For Garrity, it’s just another page from the playbook.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

An Illinois woman is on administrative leave after cyberbullying a young girl who returned home from a dove hunting trip.

11-year-old Avery Houk posted a video talking about her outing and dove recipes. Shortly after, one of the Facebook comments jumped out at her and her family. “They mate for life. I hope you die soon little girl.” (Note: The claim about mating for life is biologically untrue. Mourning doves are seasonally monogamous during mating and rearing but will form new pair bonds.)

“It was kind of shocking how someone would say that,” Houk told WICS-TV.

Word quickly spread and it turned out the woman worked as a payroll secretary at the local school district, which placed her on administrative leave and then released this statement: “Mattoon CUSD #2 is aware of a recent social media comment made by a district employee that has caused significant concern within our community. We hold our staff to the highest standards of professional conduct, and the district does not condone this behavior. The actions of this employee are entirely inconsistent with the values, standards and expectations of the Mattoon School District. Upon becoming aware of this matter on Friday, September 4th, the district took immediate action. The employee was placed on administrative leave.”

Tom Houk, Avery’s father, complimented the superintendent and said the woman’s actions should not place a negative light on the school. His daughter then appeared in another Facebook video that since drew more than 1,500 likes and 150 comments.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve had a strong passion for the outdoors and the experiences it provides for my friends and family. I will not let negative comments stop me from enjoying the outdoors or standing up for what is right,” said Avery.

“We're the future of the outdoors and make sure you stay kind. Don't be afraid to stand up to bullying. Just be brave,” she added, when talking to WICS-TV.

Mattoon is a small city in eastern Illinois about halfway between St. Louis and Indianapolis.

Click here to watch the WICS-TV report.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Americans love their guns and they love their AR-15s.

A new national survey found there are about 40 million AR-15 rifles across the United States. Data shows 25% of gun owners have at least one while about 13% own a similarly styled semi-automatic rifle.

AR-15s are constantly under the microscope with lawmakers in various states looking to implement restrictions or bans on their ownership and usage. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to address the issue in their next session, which begins in October.

The 2026 National Firearms Survey proclaims to be one of the most thorough ever conducted. It found there are 88 million gun owners in America or roughly 33 percent of the population. Together, they own 461 million firearms or about 5.2 per owner. Of that total, 208 million are handguns, 154 million are rifles and 99 million are shotguns.

“Firearms ownership in America has continued to broaden and deepen,” wrote William English, Georgetown University professor and political economist, who produced the report. 

The survey found women now make up 45.7% of gun owners. It also shows an uptick in minority ownership. Thirty-three percent of black Americans are gun owners along with 28% of Hispanic Americans and more than 19% of Asian Americans.

Hunt 2 Conserve is a strong advocate of the Second Amendment.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) lethally removed three wolves in northwest Colorado because of their continuing attacks on cattle.

On Sept. 7, CPW removed an uncollared male yearling wolf from the Copper Creek Pack in Pitkin County and an uncollared male yearling from the Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County. According to the Colorado Sun, the agency then killed a female wolf from the One Ear Pack in Grand County two days later on Sept. 9.

Ranchers tried a series of non-lethal but unsuccessful deterrents like range riders, remote cameras, strobe lights and even guard dogs but could not stop the attacks.

“CPW’s field staff in Northwest Colorado is working hard to implement conflict minimization tools and techniques to help reduce wolf-livestock conflict in the region,” said CPW Director Laura Clellan. “We remain committed to both Colorado’s livestock producers and efforts to support our growing wolf population. I would like to thank our staff for their efforts and the impacted producers whose trust and collaboration is crucial as we navigate this challenge.”

In June, CPW also removed an uncollared wolf formerly of the Copper Creek Pack in Routt County because of chronic attacks.

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 6, 2026, Colorado’s wolf population, estimated to number at least 32, killed 33 cattle (bulls, calves, cows and steers) 33 sheep and one dog.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: Lori Iverson/UFWS)

Three weeks after a state lawmaker promised to introduce legislation to permanently protect hunting, fishing and raising animals for food in Oregon, a different woman announced plans for a ballot measure to address the same issue.

Kari Goodhart said it was so ridiculous that Initiative Petition 28, which would have made hunting, fishing and ranching a crime, almost qualified for the 2026 ballot that she filed paperwork to counter that. IP 25 would amend the state constitution so Oregonians “have an individual, fundamental right to hunt, fish, trap, farm, ranch, raise livestock, cultivate crops, harvest natural resources, and engage in generally accepted practices of agriculture, animal husbandry and scientifically based wildlife management.”

Goodheart needs to gather more than 156,000 approved signatures for it to qualify for the 2028 ballot.

Sen. Christine Drazen unveiled a draft bill in early August to amend the Oregon Constitution, which would “declare a constitutional right to hunt, fish, harvest wildlife, gather wild foods and plants and raise livestock, poultry, crops, trees and other resources.” It would also “promote conservation or management of wildlife or other natural resources for present and future generations.”

For Drazen’s proposal to legislatively qualify for the 2028 ballot, it first must be introduced in the 2027 legislative session and then approved by state lawmakers. Oregon Democrats currently own a super majority in both the Oregon State Senate and Oregon House of Representatives. Drazen is a Republican, who is also running for governor.

At that time, David Michelson, IP 28 chief petitioner, told the Oregon Capital Chronicle that even if Drazen’s measure qualifies for the ballot, he would also be able to use the ballot initiative process for his measure in the future. However, constitutional changes, as proposed by both Goodhart and Drazan, would likely preclude a statutory measure as IP28 contained.

Several Oregon hunting conservation organizations are evaluating the language of the two proposals and, following the November elections, are expected to determine a strategy for 2028.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Looking to “root out waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources launched an investigation into the activities of 19 litigant environmental organizations. It claims the groups use the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), National Environmental Policy Act and others to bolster their bottom lines by collecting taxpayer-funded reimbursements for their attorneys’ fees.

“Fee-shifting provisions currently permit...organizations to effectively function as law firms funded by taxpayer dollars, employing a simple but lucrative profit model: sue to block federal actions in friendly courts, collect taxpayer-funded attorney’s fees and costs whenever prevailing or able to settle in court, and fundraise on the back of courtroom victories,” according to committee letters forwarded to each of the serial litigant groups.

Below are three examples:

• Oregon Wild challenged the paperwork of a collaborative forest management and wildfire mitigation effort called the Grasshopper Restoration Project meant to improve 11,000 acres of forestland. The U.S. Forest Service settled the case by reducing the size and scope of the planned work. Oregon Wild also received $55,000 in taxpayer-funded attorney fees as per the EAJA. On July 7, the activist group joined Wild Earth Guardians to announce an intent to sue over four more projects in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Several weeks later, the Grasshopper Fire roared to life in the project area of northwest Oregon. It burned multiple homes, triggered evacuations, destroyed wildlife habitat and charred nearly 94,000 acres in Oregon’s worst wildfire year on record, which totals more than 2.3 million acres.

• Bloomberg Law reports the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) is one of the most active litigant environmental organizations since President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025. CBD’s executive director boasts his organizations has a goal of filing more than 300 lawsuits before Trump leaves office. CBD filed 266 during the first Trump administration. Capital Research Center Managing Editor Ken Braun testified on Capitol Hill that CBD received $23.4 million in taxpayer funding over the past five years, a total that equaled 13.6 percent of the organization’s total annual revenue over that same time.

• In 2017, the Alliance for Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council cited ESA concerns and convinced a federal judge to grant an injunction stopping a collaborative forest project to mitigate wildfire risk and improve wildlife habitat in western Montana. Two months later, lightning sparked the high-intensity Park Creek Fire that triggered evacuation orders, closed the forest and burned the project area. A U.S. Forest Service report later showed the groups exploited the EAJA to receive $100,500 in attorney fees.

Seventeen congressional representatives from 15 different states signed letters sent to the activist organizations, which are the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Cascadia Wildlands, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, High Country Conservation Advocates, Montana Environmental Information Center, Native Ecosystems Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oregon Wild, Rocky Mountain Wild, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Sierra Club, Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians, The Wilderness Society, Wilderness Watch and  Wilderness Workshop.

The committee asked the groups to send documents and other requested information by Sep. 18. It also requested in-person testimony in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 20.

Hunt 2 Conserve supports EAJA revisions to stop the continuing fiscal abuse carried out by extremist groups.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

Protecting, defending and championing the hunt is core to the mission of Hunt 2 Conserve (H2C). That is why H2C is a staunch advocate of hunting, fishing and trapping as key wildlife management tools used by biologists and game managers to maintain healthy and sustainable wildlife populations, and to help fund habitat conservation.

Anti-hunting, animal rights and other extremist environmental groups use ballot initiatives, litigation, petitions, legislation, P-R campaigns and other means to try to threaten and sidestep the time-tested model and remove hunting from it. They often criticize state wildlife agencies and their wildlife management practices as ineffective, detrimental or unsuccessful. However, it is the agencies' continual research, planning, implementation and monitoring of hunting regulations, quotas and seasons that, in fact, benefit and protect wildlife. 

Below are a few recent examples that highlight how state agencies use hunting and hunters to intimately manage wildlife and habitat for their overall good.

• The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife announced the adoption of emergency regulations so hunters can help to limit the spread of chronic wasting disease 

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced a permit application period for hunters to help manage the state's black bear population

• To manage the growing local deer population and its ecological impacts on habitat, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced a special management hunt at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park

• Just two days after it opened, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced the closure of all bighorn sheep hunting in District 300 because the quota of two was reached

• The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission announced an increase in hunting and fishing fees to generate funding for wildlife management and conservation

• South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks asked hunters to report dead deer so it can better grasp a perceived outbreak of hemorrhagic disease

• The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced the application period for hunters to help manage sandhill crane and bobwhite quail populations

• To prevent habitat damage during extreme drought conditions, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources approved 450 additional antlerless elk permits across eight hunting units

In addition to being the main tool for game managers, hunting is a key fundraising mechanism for conservation. Since 1937, a federal excise tax on guns, ammunition and archery equipment generated about $18 billion while hunting licenses and fees create about $900 million annually for conservation. Also, 60% of budget funding for state fish and wildlife agencies are generated by hunters and anglers. Hunters also donate $440 million annually to conservation groups like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. 

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: Michael Johnson/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Hunt 2 Conserve supports a newly signed executive order by President Trump that is in line with its mission priorities to advance hunting and conservation.

The president announced the executive order, titled Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage, at a Rose Garden ceremony attended by federal officials and lawmakers as well as hunting and outdoor organizations. Among them was the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s president and CEO Kyle Weaver, whose statement is below.

“On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, we thank President Trump and his administration for recognizing the vital role hunters play in sustaining wildlife and for issuing the Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage Executive Order that strongly aligns with RMEF’s mission to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. We are honored by the president’s invitation to attend the White House ceremony where the policy was announced.

“The order’s focus on expanding public access, actively managing habitat, facilitating wildlife movement and habitat connectivity, strengthening cooperation with state wildlife agencies, supporting science-based management of game populations, addressing predators and other population-limiting factors, and combatting invasive species closely reflects RMEF’s work for more than four decades. These priorities are central to our mission, and we look forward to working with the administration, federal agencies and state partners as the order is implemented.”

About Hunt 2 Conserve 

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: White House)