Hunt Talk Radio, Randy Newberg Unfiltered | Hunting | Conservation | Politics | Tactics

In this episode (195) Randy shares the mic with Shannon Waters of Gastro Gnome and Ty Stubblefield of Wild Bison Ranch to talk about backcountry food, food quality, starting businesses around wild food ideas, hunting stories, stories of how they got into hunting, what it takes to start a small business, bison conservation stories, how to make great food from great products, and some other fun stories from two great people.

In this episode (194) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy invites John Barklow, lead designer for Sitka Gear, and Tyler Johnerson, Randy's former camera guy and amazing hunter, for a discussion about how product testing works for high performance products.  We all benefit from these intensive testing processes, yet we seldom get to hear how it works, when it succeeds, and when it is time to go back to the drawing board. John and Tyler talk about the many products John has designed for Tyler to test and the process used to improve the Sitka Jetstream Jacket that launched this summer. Many hunting stories get told along the way, explaining the tough conditions that brought about a new idea.

In this episode (193) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio Randy is joined by Todd Wilkinson of the Mountain Journal. Topics covered include the consequences of human development on western landscapes, loving it to death, lack of care about wild things, running out of habitable land, destruction of the things we love, no restraint to say NO, critical need for private land conservation, loss of migration corridors, and a host of other topics focused around destruction of wild places by the sheer volume of human activity, and other topics related to the rapid destruction of America's wild places.

In this Episode (192) of Hunt Talk Radio Randy shares a mic with Jim Heffelfinger,  a member of the Mexican Recovery Team and Wildlife & Science Coordinator for Arizona Game & Fish.  Topics covered include the history of Mexican wolves in the southwest, history of the recovery efforts, and status of recovery.  Any Endangered Species issue requires discussion of the Endangered Species Act, the struggle between politics and science. We explore the likelihood of recovery, the impacts Colorado gray wolves could have on Mexican wolves. and a wrap up of the status of mule deer and blacktail deer based on Jim's projects with the Association of Western Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

In this episode (191) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy shares the mic with Chris Servheen, PhD who dedicated his entire career to the cause of grizzly bear recovery in the Lower 48.  Topics covered include the history of Gbears, population trends, human encroachments and habitat impacts, Gbears need big country, human caused mortalities, working on "delisting" and getting sued for doing so, why Gbears get in trouble, intricacies of the ESA, risks of living and recreating in grizzly country, why we should celebrate Gbear recovery, the risks politics brings to wildlife management, and a ton of other great topics from the expert on Grizzly Bear management in the Lower 48.

In this episode of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy and Johnathan O'Dell are talking about food, culture, traditions, people, and how hunting is a common thread that weaves through so much of our lives.  Topics covered include Johnathan's travels to other hunting cultures, what those cultures have/miss compared to US hunting, history of hunting storytelling, the founders of conservation, having uncomfortable discussions, excluding opposing views, how it works in England, Johnathan's new podcast "From The Backburner," selecting interesting guests rather than popular guests, abundant wild food in Europe, commercial sale of game in other countries, and another history filled discussion that reflects Johnathan's views and his new podcast topics.

In this episode (189) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy has Lorenzo Sartini of GOHUNT to talk about technology that impacts hunting as much as it impacts society.  Topics covered include hunters as a cross-section of society, conservation as a means to improve all our draw odds, impacts of diminishing access, the need for DIY hunting and hunters, the value of non-resident hunting, technology as a tool for better hunting and conservation, we are all non-residents in 49 other states, and many other timely topics related to allocating hunting opportunities.

In this episode (188) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy visits with Adam Foss to talk mountain hunting and wild sheep conservation.  Adam explains a rare opportunity to win a sheep hunt with him in the McKenzie Mountains, a hunt he will film or photograph thanks to the Wild Sheep Foundation. Randy's Montana goat hunt with Adam and friends gets a day-by-day recite. Other diversions include growing up hunting mountains, commitment to conservation, telling stories, risk management, allure of sheep hunting and sheep hunters, and many other perspectives from a man immersed in hunting the mountains.

In this episode (187) of Leupold's Hunt Talk radio, Randy visits with Terry Meyers, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, a prior guest who exemplifies citizen-conservation.  Topics covered on this early March conversation include the policy issues facing bighorn sheep on public lands, when multiple use becomes conflict, disease as a constraining factor for wild sheep, local groups making a difference at the state level, what is m.ovi, wild rams no longer allowed to wander, simple answers don't solve complicated problems, paying for grazing retirements, converting from domestic sheep to cattle, Federal land policy conflicting with state agency wildlife policy, compromising to zero, incentives provide good outcomes, and many more complications related to wild sheep management and the future an iconic species.

In this episode (186) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy and Shane Mahoney wrap up their five-part series on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This episode does a quick summary of where wildlife conservation is today, the challenges we face, and explores what adaptations will be necessary to meet the needs of a growing world population, shrinking habitat base, changing climate, and pressure to expand  funding and representation beyond hunters and anglers.  Are the values expressed in the Model able to accommodate the changes ahead? Who and to what expectations will wildlife be managed and allocated?  The path ahead has more questions than answers.

In this episode (185) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio Randy and Shane Mahoney continue with Part 4 of 5 in their discussion of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, detailing the next three tenets 1) Public Trust Doctrine, 2) Democratic Allocation of Opportunity, and 3) Allocation by Law. Issues explored start with the Public Trust Doctrine as applied to wildlife policy and allocation.  From there we examine how law is the basis for all wildlife allocation and applied in a democratic manner, discussing ideas of commerce around wildlife, responsibility of Public Trustees, respect for Property Rights, legislation and policy to provide the "greatest good," along with many other interesting tangents.

In this episode (184) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio Randy and Shane Mahoney continue with Part 3 of 5 in their discussion of the North American Wildlife Conservation Model, detailing the next two tenets 1) Eliminating Commercial Markets and 2) Legitimate Purpose for taking wildlife. Issues explored are the commerce around dead animals and the value of life wildlife, intended exceptions, what is legitimate purpose and what is not, what contradictions exist, how the tenets evolve from recovery to sustainability, subsistance and indigenous priorites, the history of how these tenets were critical for wildlife recovery, and many more interesting paths.

In this episode (183) of Hunt Talk Radio, Randy and Shane Mahoney continue their discussion on the concept known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.  In Part 2, they start an in depth discussion on the seven tenets that support this Model.  This episode focuses on 1) science as the foundation for wildlife management and 2) wildlife considered an international resource.  Shane explains that the Model is a set of principles that express the values we have in how we want wildlife to be held, managed, and allocated. To support management we must use the best information, mostly scientific information, a long history of which got us to where we are today.  Many species span multiple countries, requiring an international perspective in management and allocation.

In this episode (182) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy and Shane Mahoney discuss the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.  Shane is an expert on the Model, having shared many works with Dr. Valerius Geist, the person most credited with this Model's current description.  In this first episode topics covered include what this Model represents, the history of wildlife in North America, the seven tents that comprise the foundation of this Model, why Dr. Geist defined how our Model works, what the Model is/isn't, disruptive events that helped form our conservation ethic, and a host of other relevant history to explain the context of how the tenets of this Model were developed and the relevance of the Model today.

In this episode (181) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy shares the mic with three members (Justin Schaaf, Nuridia Nulliner, and John Sullivan) of the Montana Citizens Elk Coalition, a grassroots group focused on elk management in Montana.  Topics covered include how to be effective at the local level, understanding process, showing up matters, learning by listening, finding values to support, changing landscape of wildlife politics, when policy becomes politics, be at the table or be on the menu, and a lot of other ideas for effective advocacy.  Go to https://www.montanaelk.org/ for more information.

In this Episode (179) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, two attorneys bring their legal expertise to the discussion of private and public property rights where properties adjoin or intersect.  Tom Stonecipher and Nick Vandenbos have been researching this topic and share their findings, along with an explanation of how law is not static and application of law is dependent upon facts and circumstance, responding to the practicality of the situation.  A Wyoming court case is ongoing that addresses this topic in both a criminal and civil context.  Lots to think about here.  Enjoy!

In this episode (178) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy lays the groundwork for the upcoming legal analysis in podcast episode 179 that will dive into the complexities of property law in instances where private and public property intersect.  This podcast explains what to expect in the series, a history of how these lands became a "checkerboard," trends that have us focusing on public land access more than ever, contributing factors that have merged in the corner crossing debate, and an overview of the Wyoming case currently being litigated.  This podcast is important background for the next podcast where a deep legal analysis is provided by attorneys.  For a good legal background, download this article - Professor Shelby Green Public Land Analysis

In this episode of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy shares the mic with renowned ecologist, Arthur Middleton, PhD.  Topics covered include the complexity of large systems, the danger of over simplifying science, urgency of habitat conservation, migration corridors at risk, elk are tough critters, the dangers of being a predator, observing wolves, there are no simple answers, communicating science to advocate for conservation, new ideas for private land conservation, deeper discussions on rapid changes to critical landscapes, Yellowstone as a petri dish, and some sidebar discussion about Dr. Middleton's time as a falconer.

In this episode (177) Randy has a return guest, Ed Arnett, CEO of The Wildlife Society, the leading professional association of wildlife scientists, biologists, and managers. Topics covered include using communications to create advocacy for the causes of wildlife and conservation, the Wyoming Migration Initiative example, tell your own story, outreach will build support for science, disincentives for communicating science, background on TWS, great hunting information created by scientists, and a continued focus on making the great scientific work consumable and digestible for the general public concerned about wild place and wild things.

In this episode (176) of Leupold's Hunt Talk Radio, Randy shares the mic with Lydia Parker and Alex Harvey from Hunters of Color.  Topics covered include a history of the organization, outdoor experiences of BIPOC hunters, Randy as the "gray-haired white dude," the tragedy of Peter Spencer's murder while hunting, making the outdoors more inviting and safe for everyone, the fact that not all people get the same treatment in outdoor experiences, what can we do to support the efforts of HOC, and other topics that might cause some discomfort for the traditional hunter who assumes the outdoor experience is the same for all Americans.