BHA sues to ensure MT corner crossing

[elkduds]

Lawsuit Filed to Cement the Legality of Corner Crossing in Montana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2026 Contacts: [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] Lawsuit Filed to Cement the Legality of Corner Crossing in Montana Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Public Land & Water Access Association partner to secure...

www.backcountryhunters.org

 

[Elky Welky]

Lawsuit Filed to Cement the Legality of Corner Crossing in Montana

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2026 Contacts: [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] Lawsuit Filed to Cement the Legality of Corner Crossing in Montana Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Public Land & Water Access Association partner to secure...

www.backcountryhunters.org

Rock on @elkduds ! Thread started in MT issues here includes legal complaint and press releases:

https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/la...rner-crossing-in-montana.332763/#post-4052248

 

[elkduds]

Rock on @elkduds ! Thread started in MT issues here includes legal complaint and press releases:

https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/la...rner-crossing-in-montana.332763/#post-4052248

Found the MT thread after posting, see @Elky Welky 's link for much more discussion.

 

[Rack Daniels]

It shows you, “see if this is being discussed already” when you go to start a thread….

 

[Elky Welky]

It shows you, “see if this is being discussed already” when you go to start a thread….

I strongly debated between posting in the public land issues or Montana issues forum when I posted earlier. I think elkduds might have made the better call. Either way, big day and it's good to share with everyone.

 

[NR_Hunter]

BHA does indeed remind me sometimes, no matter how much I whine about some things they do, why I still pay my membership dues every year.

 

[lastlight]

Where’s OnX at on this? They have more money than Elon. They better step up and put their money where their mouth is.

 

[elkduds]

It shows you, “see if this is being discussed already” when you go to start a thread….

I checked in the Public Lands thread before posting this. It was not mentioned there. Did not think to check deeper, considering the news had national interest and impact and is routinely discussed in Public Lands. Your point is duly noted.

 

[MTGunner]

Reading the corner crossing dilemma over on Rockslide seems it has been decided by our governor and not the courts. SCOTUS declined to hear the case and upheld the 9th district courts decision. Yet, there may be more. It’s a shame that public land is not open to all. We pay a fee to hunt state lands but the corner crossing issue leaves a sour taste in our hearts. So, I will read more and await for someone entity to resolve this issue.
There are wardens that want nothing to do with this. But, have been told to issue a ticket for trespassing in the corner crossing dilemma. We shall see what comes next. MTG

 

[R.K.]

Reading the corner crossing dilemma over on Rockslide seems it has been decided by our governor and not the courts. SCOTUS declined to hear the case and upheld the 9th district courts decision. Yet, there may be more. It’s a shame that public land is not open to all. We pay a fee to hunt state lands but the corner crossing issue leaves a sour taste in our hearts. So, I will read more and await for someone entity to resolve this issue.
There are wardens that want nothing to do with this. But, have been told to issue a ticket for trespassing in the corner crossing dilemma. We shall see what comes next. MTG

Just one thing to add- 10th circuit found CC was legal in Wyoming. MT is in the 9th, so it is undecided law here.

My thoughts are that this is a clever and nefarious administration we are dealing with, and they wouldn’t have pushed this issue in MT if they didn’t have something up their sleeves. I’m highly suspicious of the happenings right now, and don’t trust them to play fair.

 

[COEngineer]

From Cal (BHA CEO):

​

​ Conservation work means finding common ground around a campfire, at a kitchen table or in a commission meeting. But there are moments when, despite every good-faith effort, the only remaining path forward runs through a courthouse. For Montana’s hunters and anglers, we believe we’ve reached that point on corner crossing. Last week, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, alongside the Public Land and Water Access Association, filed suit against Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks over the agency’s recent decision declaring corner crossing unlawful and directing wardens to issue citations for criminal trespass and hunting without landowner permission. We did not arrive here lightly. For years, BHA has worked hard to build relationships with landowners, sportsmen, agencies and conservation partners because we believe lasting conservation happens when people work together. The vast majority of Americans – no matter if they stand on the private side of the fence or the public, or the political right, left or center – are in favor of clearly defined access and enhancing our shared public lands. This lawsuit is not about attacking private property rights. And it is not about attacking the agency. In fact, BHA is currently defending FWP in a separate lawsuit surrounding elk management because we will always stand up for sound wildlife management and the public trust. This case is about something much larger: whether 871,000 acres of public land can effectively be locked away from the public without legislative authority, public process or clear legal precedent. For decades, Montana existed in a legal gray area on corner crossing. Wardens were directed not to issue citations because neither the courts nor the legislature had clearly settled the issue. Last year, however, FWP issued internal guidance directing wardens to begin enforcing corner crossing as criminal trespass and trespass to hunt without landowner permission. That shift happened without public notice, without public comment and without clear statutory authority. We respectfully disagree with that interpretation. The 10th Circuit Court already ruled corner crossing legal in Wyoming and the rest of its jurisdiction. No Montana law explicitly says corner crossing is illegal, and we believe the public deserves a voice when an agency changes a longstanding interpretation that impacts access to hundreds of thousands of acres of land owned by all of us. We also believe there is a commonsense path forward. There is a long history of balancing Montana public access with private property rights in practical ways. We’ve seen that in our stream access laws. We’ve seen it in collaborative conservation efforts across the state. We extended olive branches. We pursued compromise. We sought clarity directly from the agency. But at the end of the day, protecting public access sometimes requires defending it in court. Corner Crossing is a core issue for BHA; it should be a core issue for all. Access is the gatekeeper to the creation of future conservationists, hunters, anglers, and stewards of the land. If you’d like to contribute to BHA’s corner crossing work, here’s how you can help: join or gift a BHA membership, upgrade to a life membership, or donate to BHA today. Your support plays a critical role in BHA continuing to make a united stand for access to our public lands and waters. Thank you for standing with us across North America, for caring about this work and for continuing to fight for the wild public lands and waters that define who we are. In solidarity, Cal​