Bow? Check. Quiver? Check. Arrows? Check. Elk call? Check. Backpack? Check. Camera? Check.
The Full Draw Film Tour brought the hunting experience to the big screen Aug. 29 at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre. Roughly two hours of short films from independent filmmakers encapsulated the lives of local conservationist hunters by displaying bow-hunters on the prowl in the backcountry.
The films featured hunts of various game in remote locations, intently focusing on the camaraderie of the hunt.
This year’s Moscow screening was the third hosted by the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA), who had the rights to the films, said Jade Helmich, Full Draw Film Tour owner.
While the 2017 tour is ending soon, Helmich said 2018 will have some shows starting in late spring.
“Grab a camera and film your adventure in the fall,” Helmich said. “You never know what kind of story you might capture.”
One attendee, Dan Vakoch, said he isn’t a bow hunter but still enjoyed the event.
“It was a great event to come out (to) and support Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, which I joined last year,” Vakoch said. “It’s about keeping the backcountry, and public land, public.”
Eric Crawford, co-chair of the Idaho Chapter of BHA, said the organization’s core tenants are access and opportunity, public lands and public waters and fair chase. The organization is committed to conservation.
“It’s a big misconception with hunters that all we want to do is kill stuff,” Helmich said. “Truly the biggest conservationists are hunters.”
The Idaho BHA chapter is directly involved with boots-on-the-ground conservation efforts, Crawford said. Even being one of the smaller states population-wise, he said the Idaho chapter has experienced the fastest membership growth. The organization also has a club at UI, he said.
They’ve reclaimed illegally pioneered all-terrain vehicle trails, removed fence in lands that block wildlife movement and are restoring a burnt cabin with Idaho Fish and Game, he said. They also have a representative for the Clearwater Basin Collaborative, he said.
They maintain a collaborative effort to responsibly manage natural resources for the six million acre stretch of public land, according to their website.
With chapters in 34 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian providences, BHA is one of the fastest growing sportsmen’s organizations in the country, according to their website. BHA is also made unique by their non-species specific stance, which Crawford said attracted him to the organization.
Full Draw Film Tour puts on roughly 35 shows across the country, and allows about 15 other organizations to host screenings, Helmich said. They’ve been doing the tour for seven years as of this year, according to their website.
While Full Draw Film Tour is active on many different social media platforms, Helmich said they mostly post on Instagram.
Crawford said “Harvest of the Moon” was his favorite film in the tour because it emphasized the beauty and camaraderie of the hunt. The two hunters in the film only caught one mule deer, exemplifying the feeling he said he gets while hunting. The harvest comes second to the experience, Crawford said.
Both Crawford and Helmich independently said they fear states might privatize public lands if they managed them, which they said they feel the federal government wouldn’t do.
Crawford, who has been involved with BHA for four years, said the chapter’s biggest issue is protecting public lands.
He said he believes the best-case scenario for public lands is for them to remain under federal management, along with a collaborative effort with state and local governments. This model would be like the Clearwater Basin Collaborative, which he said is quite successful.
“If I have the opportunity, and I do, to help fight to keep it public, then my children and their children will be able to enjoy the same wild places that I’ve enjoyed,” Crawford said.
Kyle Pfannenstiel can be reached at [email protected]