Backcountry Hunter is a place to log hunts, share gear that works, and help other hunters get better. These rules cover everything you post here: hunt logs and stories, harvest photos, loadouts, reviews, comments and replies, and profile content. They sit alongside our Terms of Service.
Legal, fair-chase hunting only
Post hunts that were legal where and when they happened. We remove content that shows, describes, or encourages:
- Poaching: hunting without a valid license or tag, out of season, or in a closed area or unit.
- Illegal take: over-limit harvest, the wrong sex or species for the tag, shooting from a road or vehicle where that is banned, or spotlighting where it is illegal.
- Methods that are not fair chase, such as chasing game with motor vehicles or aircraft, or taking animals that cannot escape (for example, high-fenced or trapped animals presented as wild hunts).
- Trespassing on private land, or advice on how to get away with it.
- Wasting game meat, or leaving an animal without making a reasonable effort to recover it.
- Buying, selling, or transferring tags or permits where the law does not allow it.
Laws differ by state and province. If you are not sure something was legal, leave it out. We don't rank or reward kills, and we don't host kill contests.
Harvest photos
Harvest photos are welcome. Keep them respectful:
- Clean the animal up and pose it with respect. Avoid gratuitous blood, wounds, or entrails.
- No photos that mock or disrespect the animal.
- Only post photos you took or have permission to share, and only of people who agreed to be shown.
- Don't include anything that gives away a hunting spot: GPS coordinates, map screenshots, trailhead signs or recognizable landmarks you want kept private.
- Mark a photo of a harvested animal as sensitive. Harvest photos start out marked. Sensitive photos are blurred for visitors who aren't signed in and for hunters who turn off "Show harvest photos", and are never used for link previews.
We remove location and camera data from every photo you upload. Hunt photos are kept only as resized copies, and a private hunt's photos are only shown to the people who can see the hunt.
Spam and self-promotion
- No ads, referral spam, or the same comment posted across many pages.
- Links are fine when they help (a manufacturer spec sheet, a regulation page). Posts with several links from new accounts are held for a quick review before they appear.
- Disclose it when you are paid by, sponsored by, or work for a brand you write about.
Respect other hunters
- No harassment, threats, hate speech, or personal attacks.
- Don't post someone else's personal information or hunting spots.
- Honest, critical gear reviews are welcome; fake or paid-for reviews are not.
How we enforce this
Anyone can report content with the flag button, including the "Illegal activity" reason for poaching or illegal take. Our moderators review every report. New accounts have lower posting limits, and some of their posts and images are reviewed before or shortly after they go public. We may hide content, warn an account, or suspend it.
To report a wildlife crime directly, contact your state's poaching hotline or wildlife agency. Questions about a moderation decision? Use the contact form in the site footer.