If you spend time on any social media platform, you’ll notice hunters often arguing over minor issues. However, in recent weeks, they have set those disagreements aside to unite against the selling of Western land. Senator Mike Lee (R) from Utah proposed selling this land to developers, but, understandably, the situation did not unfold as he had hoped.
On June 16th, news surfaced about a provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” that would permit the sale of millions of acres of land in eleven western states. As awareness of this troubling development grew, leaders within hunting communities began to voice their concerns about the importance of coming together to advocate against the sale of this land to private contractors. Hunting influencers like Cameron Hanes and Steven Rinella used their social media platform to urge hunters to come together and reach out to their representatives.
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming were the eleven states included in Lee’s proposal. Many of these states are popular destinations for elk hunters from around the globe. Each of these states offers public land where hunters can pursue a variety of big game species, including moose, bears, deer, mountain sheep, mule deer, mountain lions, and more. The potential economic impact on these states could have been devastating.
Hunters began contacting their state representatives to express their concerns about Lee’s land sale. The united front was evident through the numerous phone calls, emails, and texts sent to these representatives. Five Republican senators—Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR), and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA)—joined forces to oppose the inclusion of public land in the bill, each stating they would vote “No” on the legislation. Senators from both parties also started to advocate for the removal of public land sales from the bill.
On the evening of June 28th, Senator Lee ultimately agreed to remove his proposal to sell public land in eleven states from the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Hunters worked diligently to protect these lands from being sold to private investors. Senators took the time to listen to their constituents and advocated for the preservation of public land, considering the economic impact on each of the eleven states. It is crucial for hunters to remain vigilant and closely monitor any future discussions regarding the sale of public land to private investors. This situation illustrates the remarkable accomplishments that can be achieved when hunters collaborate for the greater good.