As part of their Armed Forces Initiative, the nonprofit organization Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) will be hosting a Spring Turkey Dual Skills Camp in Thompson Falls. BHA has partnered with Patrol Base Abbate, a nonprofit organization whose physical patrol base is located in Thompson Falls. The camp will run April 29 to May 2 and according to Morgan Mason, Armed Forces Initiative Coordinator for BHA, he will be bringing 20 veterans from across the country to take part in the skills camp. Mason says he has spent the last three months organizing and planning. “This will be the first time these camps will be hosted in Thompson Falls,” Mason said. “When we take these veterans out, we’re giving them lifelong skills. These camps give both tactile and cerebral engagement to the vets.” Wildlife biologists and hunting mentors will teach biological aspects, such as the way a turkey moves. Mason says this creates a good platform for how to hunt a turkey.

Veterans will be paired up and will head out with a mentor for a full day of hunting turkeys. Each group will cover the tactile knowledge required to locate, hunt and process a turkey. At the end of each day, the entire group will gather around a campfire and work toward increasing their knowledge of public land and water advocacy. “How do we protect our public lands and water? How do we stand up and utilize our voice,” Mason asked. “That is our overall goal here, to build the next generation of conservationists.”

BHA will utilize these camps, not just to take veterans hunting, but to develop long-term relationships, as all veterans who attend the skills camps become alumni and attend future camps for support. While Mason is still looking for donations, he says the vast majority of what is needed for the camps are groceries. BHA plans on putting all donations back into the community and will purchase supplies locally.

BHA would like to host future camps in the Thompson Falls area, but they are still looking for funding. In order to find more local funding opportunities, Mason reached out to Sanders County Community Development Corporation (SCCDC) Executive Director Ray Brown. “We are recognizing that there is a growing demographic of veterans in Sanders County,” Brown said. “We are wanting to provide support wherever we can.” The executive director says the SCCDC can provide technical assistance as they work toward assessing the needs of BHA. Brown said he has had previous discussions with Mason to find solutions and help BHA fulfill their mission.

One way Brown was able to assist Mason with the funding needs was an invite to the Mission West regional partners meeting last week in Plains. The meeting served as a networking opportunity for Mason to meet community leaders and local nonprofit organizations. As Mason voiced his desire to create future opportunities in the area, he said he’s also looking for different funding opportunities and individuals to collaborate with. He told regional partners, “I want to showcase how rich Montana is for these opportunities.”

BHA has created an immersive hunting and educational experience that includes every aspect of turkey hunting, as well as lessons in backcountry medicine. Mason says the evenings will serve as an opportunity to converse with veterans and show them how they, as future conservationists, can confidently engage with legislators and policy influencers to voice the changes they want to see. While the inaugural skills camp is already underway, those interested in helping bring more veteran focused events to the area can go to BHA’s website, http://www.backcountryhunters.org, for more information.