The Hunter Conservationist Podcast

In this episode Mark is joined by life long Ontario hunter Sean Foster to uncover the truth about hunting coyotes in Ontario with hound dogs. Sean describes a typical day hunting coyotes, how hunters put dogs onto the coyotes, and the farm areas that hunters focus on. Sean talks about hunting regulations, ethical hunting, the importance of calling dogs off a hunt, mange, exploding populations, how coyotes are actually taken, whether a chase harms the coyotes, the hound hunting community and respect for coyotes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers the rough start for Bill C-21 in the senate and how it may be a good sign, a bit more on Ontario's dog trialing pen areas licensing controversy, no go on goose control in BC, coyote bites gardener, cougar attacks and renaming bear spray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Jesse Zeman, Executive Director of the BC Wildlife Federation is back on the podcast. Jesse talks about a research project he completed looking at the willingness of hunters to pay for a moose tag under different combinations of moose management models, percentages that license fees contribute to moose management, and how many moose are allotted to hunters. Find out how much hunters would pay if only a portion of their moose license fee were used for managing moose versus all the license fees. Jesse also describes the level of confidence and trust hunters in BC have in the government and what hunters would be willing to pay if BC had a US-style Game Commission or a co-government wildlife management model with First Nations. Finally, find out what a protest vote is and how researchers handle them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by the Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Holly Wise, Vice President of the BC Trapper's Association joins Mark & Curtis on this episode. Holly is BC’s first certified women’s trapping instructor, and she talks about her journey to becoming certified. Holly discusses her other outdoor teaching pursuits including the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program and the hunting training course. Holly talks about what it means to her to teach and pass on her skills, the interest in trapping, trends, and barriers as well as the challenges trapping faces. Other topics covered include places to trap, the pros, and cons of society-owned traplines, priorities for the future, urban geese and snakes caught in garden deer fencing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers an interesting and chaotic fishery for the American eel in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, a controversial amendment in Ontario for training dogs to hunt coyotes, whether addling goose eggs will work, a judge's ruling on salmon fishing in Alaska, spotted owl rewilding effort in BC and new legislation in Haida Gwaii. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Paul Jones, senior biologist with the Alberta Conservation Association joins Mark and Curtis to talk all things pronghorn. Topics covered include historic and present-day distribution, population dynamics, migrations, migration barriers, pronghorn friendly fences, highway crossing structures, twinning rates, migratory versus nomadic, urban pronghorn, principles for managing pronghorn for hunting and the longest distance travelled by a pronghorn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark is joined by firearm policy expert Tim Thurley again to discuss the federal governments latest gun control amendments to Bill C-21. Topics Tim cover include magazine capacity, the semi-automatic prohibition clause and the resurrection of the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Mark and Curtis are joined by Tim Killey, President of the BC Trappers Association to talk about fisher trapping and conservation in British Columbia. Tim explains the current trapping restrictions on fishers in Central part of the province and new regulation proposals being tabled. As well, Tim explains the two fisher sub-populations in BC, and trappers concerns about how the endangered status of the Columbia sub-population was established and the estimates of how long it will take fishers to go extinct with and without trapping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark discusses his assessment of the veterinary photographic records of wolves killed in the caribou recovery areas of BC, some great news from the Nakusp caribou maternal pen, Canada’s commitment to the 30x30 biodiversity initiative, the future of hunting in Northern Manitoba and another anti-trapping campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota John Schneider and Adam Weir join Mark and Curtis to discuss spring black bear hunting. John speaks from experience hunting in Alberta and Adam from hunting in Ontario. The guys discuss what spring bear hunting means to them, what the landscape is like where they hunt, how to find spring black bears, hunting methods, judging bears, bating tactics, step to safely recovering a bear, advice for new hunters and of course, lots of humour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers a decision in Alberta regarding wild boar farming, white nose syndrome in bats in BC, coyote killing contests in Ontario, true wild horses in Canada, new firearms acts in Alberta and Sask, caribou in Nunavut, Roosevelt elk on Vancouver Island, an Indigenous Protected Conservation Area in BC, boreal caribou and climate change in the NWT, poaching fines, and Manitoba’s limits on foreign freelance waterfowl hunting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hang on this is a a big episode! Tim Thurley, Canadian firearm policy and firearm homicide expert joins Mark to give a full update on everything that's been going on in the gun control debate since the hunting firearm amendments to Bill C-21 were with drawn. Topics covered include, recent random homicide trends in Canada, public fear, whether gun control leads to less firearm violence, variants, the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Report's potential impact on licensed gun owners, pro and anti-gun control groups, a polarized nation, loss of public trust, tin foil hats and whether the entire gun control debate is about public safety or political tactics to position parties for an election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Joe Northrup , Research Scientist Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Mark Ryckman, Manager of Policy Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Joe was the lead scientist on the recent study looking at the question of whether the Ontario spring black bear hunt reduced or increased human bear conflict. Joe discusses how the study was conducted and what its major findings were. Topics discussed include the spring bear pilot hunt, changes in bear populations, changes in human-bear conflict, baiting, age and sex of bears taken by hunters, possible explanations of the human-bear conflict phenomena, limitations of the study findings and whether the research will bring about changes to the spring bear hunt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark brings you up to date on CWD in Manitoba, new CWD research, court challenges to the federal fish farm ban in BC, Nova Scotia’s moratorium on fish farms, goldfish the size of footballs, the state of the mackerel fishery closure in Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan deer depredation permits, and Alberta’s new Firearms Act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark bring you up to date on an feral/wild horse crime in BC, destruction of fish habitat, endangered caribou recovery in Manitoba, Jasper National Park and Ontario, wolf control in a National Park and whether firearms are worth more than endangered caribou. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to You By Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Charles Whitwam, founder of Howl for Wildlife joins Mark and Curtis to discuss hunter activism. Charles explains how the Howl for Wildlife call center works and cites several great examples of where Howl has helped organize hunters’ voices to make a difference in protecting science-based wildlife management, hunting and trapping. The guys discuss trends in hunter engagement, the idea of hunters becoming activists, the four quadrants of activism, getting hunting brands and influencers to promote action campaigns, reclaiming the wolf as a symbol of hunting not anti-hunting, fostering the pack mentality, howling across borders, hitting anti-hunting groups in the pocketbook and anti-hunting t-shirts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Tyler Freel, staff writer for Outdoor Life, host of the Tundra Talk Podcast, and Alaska state resident join Mark and Curtis to discuss predator management. The guys dig into a new scientific paper out of Alaska that says predator management has not helped hunters to harvest more moose. Topics discussed include factors other than predator control that influence moose hunter success, why caribou were left out of the analysis of hunter harvest, predator management objectives, the reliability of hunter harvest to predict moose populations or as a measure of success for predator management, predatory scientific journals and shooting down spy balloons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark’s covers federal actions on Atlantic salmon fish farms on the west coast, Quebec’s endangered caribou and BC’s endangered spotted owl. As well, Mark covers stories about Saskatchewan deer hunting, a potential Indigenous Protected Conservation Area in the Yukon, the elk population in Banff National Park and New Brunswick’s lynx and wolf conservation status. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark provides an update on gun control Bill C-21 and covers stories including COVID in deer, Saskatchewan's deer hunting problem, modifying geese habitat, the first ever Caribou Summit in the NWT, hunting caribou from snowmobiles, an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in BC, commercial fishing and trapping fines, and the Alberta bison ghost herd. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Wildlife biologist/scientist Mateen Hessami joins Mark and Curtis to scrutinize a new research paper that looks at whether the newly reinstated spring black bear hunt in Ontario has reduced human-bear conflict in the province. Mateen discusses key things that wildlife scientist looks for in setting up research studies as well as concepts such as confounding factors, before and after studies, length of time, change in human population and hypothesis testing. Matten discusses whether this research study provides a robust conclusion about bear hunting and human-bear conflict in Ontario. Other topics discussed include motivations of hunters for spring bear hunting, spatial overlap of bear hunters and human-bear conflict areas as well as the efficacy of hunting for reducing bear populations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In the episode Mark and Curtis talk turkey with Matt Besko, Director of Wildlife and Licensing for the province of Alberta. The topics they cover include the moving wild turkey from BC to Alberta, the difference in attitudes towards managing wild turkey in BC versus Alberta, the philosophy of non native wild turkeys in an altered landscape, valuing wild turkeys, wild turkey-human conflict, myths about wild turkey, adaptive management, Alberta’s wild turkey Minister tags, hunting wild turkey, iconic hunting cocktails to represent the regions of Canada and gator tails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark brings you up to date on the issue of too many geese on Vancouver Island, geese frozen to the ground in Ontario, rehabilitating an angry moose in Ontario, moose poaching fines, illegal trapping in a Vancouver Park, beavers moving in to the arctic, white nosed syndrome in Alberta, rabbit hemorrhagic disease in Alberta and a feel good deer hunt in Nova Scotia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark is joined by Doug Chiasson, Executive Director for the Fur Institute of Canada. Doug and Mark discuss two recent trapping stories trending in the news across Canada. One story is from Prince Edward Island involving a tragic story of a family's dog and illegal trapping on private land and the second story is about an urban bobcat in Calgary Alberta with a trap on its foot. The guys assess the anti-trapping angle in each of these stories and they provide a nuanced assessment of the two stories and the likelihood commercial trapping was involved. As well, this episode provides some tips for backcountry users on how to be prepared for the emergency of a pet getting caught in a trap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Dr. Doug Manzer, Senior Scientist & Wildlife Program Manager with the Alberta Conservation Association joins Mark and Curtis to discuss all things upland game birds. Doug breaks down upland game birds into their primary habitat niches and provides insight into the life cycles, feeding habits, and significant sources of mortality. Other topics covered include upland game bird conservation and management, bag limits, harvest reporting, flushing rates, grouse populations, snow cover, upland game bird hunting, hunting with dogs, wing shooting, and the value of pursuing grouse with purpose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers the last stories from 2022 including, the United Nations COP15 summit on biodiversity conservation that was hosted in Montreal, protecting 30% of the earth, polar bear declines in Hudson Bay, the findings of a 2009 fatal coyote attack, coexisting with coyotes in Ottawa, annoying turkeys at a Montreal daycare, First Nations opposition to the gun control Bill C-21, pellets from a turkey hunter’s shotgun that hit a bystander, CWD updates for Manitoba and BC, researching chinook salmon that migrate between Alaska and the Yukon, a reduced fine for feeding bears in Whistler BC, the 2022 Fishery Audit, whales on the west and east coasts and, pesky rodents in Banff’s cemeteries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Curtis and Mark are joined by Mackenzie Clarke, wildlife biologist and researcher, Fredric Hanner, CEO of the Blaser Group UK, and team member of the Wild Boar Fever show on My Outdoors TV, Matt Besko, Director of Wildlife and Licensing in Alberta, and Dr. Lee Foote from the University of Alberta. Topics discussed include a check up on the state of wild pigs in Canada, how wild boars are hunted across Europe, how driven hunts are run, wild boar population control and management principles in Europe, the reality of managing wild pigs with hunting vs eradication in Canada and whether Canada could develop a wild boar driven hunting culture based on the methods used in Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode Curtis and Mark are joined by Robbie Kroger of Blood Origins. The crew discusses the state of the debate over hunting and how social media is the new public square for the debate. Robbie provides his thoughts on how this debate is going and what hunters are doing well and not so well. Topics covered include using truth and proof, extremists versus moderates in social media, stepping outside the echo chamber, shifting moderates views, the social media prism, opening your mind with an ice pick, polluting the public debate, whether facts are enough, whether you should tell people what to think, occasionally speaking the truth to punish, the Zimbabwe elephant story, conservation hunting, tell the story about the consequences of hunting, and taking bullets in the chest and the back as well as Robbie’s priorities for Blood Origins in 2023 that will continue advancing a pro hunting narrative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark is joined by Adam Weir, Fisheries Biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters. Adam provides a breakdown of the major fishing regulation changes being proposed for FMZ 10 and 15. Adam also provides a high-level overview of Ontario’s’ ecological basis for its fisheries management zones and the collaborative round tables as well as the key changes the province is proposing for walleye, brook trout, and lake trout. Adam identifies the regulation proposals OFAH supports and the ones it is pushing back one, where anglers can get more information and where anglers can provide their own comments on the proposed fisheries management regulation changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Doug Chiasson, Executive Director of the Fur Institute of Canada. Doug provides a summary of the Fur Institute of Canada and its main role and different programs. Doug talks about the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards, how modern humane traps work, how traps are scientifically tested and certified, coupling best management practices with trap technology as well as how the Fur Institute works with trappers and trap manufacturers to continually improve traps for commercial trapping as well as wildlife research trapping. Doug also gives an update on the testing and certification of modern power snares and the guys have some fun learning about how far back Doug’s family history in Canada extends. Show Notes: The Fur Institute of Canada https://fur.ca/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode Mark is joined by Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus. Bob provides his thoughts on the amendments to Bill C-21 with respect to how they are including more hunting firearms. Bob also provides a call-to-action explaining how hunters in Canada can take action. Contact Hon. Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety Email: [email protected] Hill Office Telephone: 613-992-6361 Constituency Office Main office – Toronto. Telephone: 416-781-5583 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode Mark is joined by Romy Vaugeois, Program Manager at Seals & Sealing Network. Romy provides a summary of the Seal Summit held in St. John’s Newfoundland in early November including who organized the summit, who was in attendance, the main topics that were presented, some actions that came out of the event and what participants thought of the Summit when it was over. Show Notes: https://canadiansealproducts.com/ https://proudlyindigenouscrafts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers stories about the new amendment to Canada’s firearms Bill C-21, salmon and sturgeon deaths in BC, Yukon sockeye, COVID spike in rockfish poaching, a permanent rat poison ban in BC, censoring old growth stats, urban goose hunting permits, more coyote attacks, a rabbit viral disease in Alberta, an update on the NWT First Nations hunting camp search and possible implications for narwhals in Nunavut from an increase in mining production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Dr. Jason Fisher, a wildlife scientist from the University of Victoria. Jason talks about his research on the wolf cull in Northern Alberta specifically the behavioral changes in wolves. As well, Dr. Fisher provides are summary of the status of wolverines in Western Canada. Other topics the guys discuss include ideas why the wolf cull in caribou recovery is so controversial and upsetting to some people, as well as, wolverine competition with other meso carnivores, and a scientist and his whiskey distillery. Show Notes: Two Dogs Brewery and Macaloney's Island Whisky https://victoriacaledonian.com/ Dr. Jason Fisher http://www.jasonthomasfisher.ca/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Dr. Lee Foote to learn a heck of a lot about ducks, geese, and hunting them. Lee goes into detail about duck and goose navigation, flyways, why waterfowl bother to migrate, duck physiology, the reason for bright colours, goose pairing, mating for life, prairie potholes, whether predator management is justified, duck mortality with and without hunting, why shoot drakes instead of hens, why hens take such a beating even without shooting them, the role of vocalization and calling ducks, why some waterfowl need extra protection, lead shot, healing after injuries, camouflage, catfish noodling, possums, gators, Doctor Pepper with peanuts and how shooting blanks leads to divorce among goose pairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Ryan Kole, Vice President of the BC Trappers Association, and wildlife scientist Dr. Clayton Lamb. A recent research paper has reported that some grizzly bears in Southeastern British Columbia have lost toes on their front feet because their paws had gotten stuck in traps at one point in their lives. Topics discussed include understanding where and when bears might be at risk of being exposed to traps set by licensed trappers, whether bears can pull their foot out of a small trap, private land versus licensed use of commercial traps, humane trap design, speed and power of small traps, exclusion plates on marten trap boxes, other ideas to prevent incidental catch of grizzly bears, why this might just be a Southeast BC problem, regulations versus best management practices and collaborative opportunities to test preventative traps designs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark is joined by Matt Besko, Director of Wildlife and Licensing for the Province of Alberta. Matt provides some thoughts and perspectives on the recent Parks policy update clarifying hunting in Alberta Provincial Parks and Recreation Areas. Matt explains the alignment between the Park’s policy and the Wildlife Act. Topics Matt and Mark discuss include asymmetrical antipathy, public perceptions of protected areas, history of hunting in Alberta Parks, the use of bait for bear hunting, GPS collars on hunting dogs, whether hunting dogs chase non-game animals, whether bating might cause black bears to become food habituated, fair chase and ethical hunting practices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers a poaching investigation in the North West Territory Bathurst Caribou herd, a youth Whale hunt, an Avian Flu update, killing cormorants in Newfoundland, Newfoundland fishing closures, BC anglers being frustrated with DFO, salmon at the Big Bar landslide on the Fraser River, animal attacks, new signatures to an international Indigenous Bison Treaty, the federal gun buyback program, lead poisoning in Haida Gwaii eagles, a lead ammo study in Saskatchewan, brain worm research in Nova Scotia, endangered caribou in Quebec and Jasper National Park, poisoning small mouth bass in Nova Scotia and lobster labelling to save North Atlantic Right Whales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by biologist Pat Stent for a conversation about the alarming trend in the number of illegal bull elk being killed by hunters in Southeast BC’s East Kootenay Zone of Region 4. To set the stage the guys discuss the geography and ecology of the Kootenay as it relates to what elk need, the history of the 6-point bull elk season, the Raedeke Report, current elk population dynamics, recent bull harvest trends, and what the upward trend in illegal bulls represents from the perspectives of future elk conservation and elk hunting opportunities. The single biggest issue biologists grapple with the illegal bull kills is trying to understand exactly what the causes are that are driving hunters to make mistakes and what to do if the trend continues to escalate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Dr. Eric (Rick) Taylor. Eric is a Professor and researcher from the University of British Columbia. Eric provides some background biology on steelhead and what makes them different from salmon. Eric describes the history of the Interior Fraser River Steelhead populations and their precipitous declines as well as what the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) said about the Interior Fraser River Steelhead populations, the Minister’s response to the Committee’s recommendation to protect steelhead under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, the altering of a key scientific report, preventing steelhead bycatch without closing the commercial fishery, pinniped management, shrinking fish, the uncontrollable ocean, when opportunity and preparedness meet, the shortcomings of the federal Fisheries Act, who should be in charge of fish conservation, steelhead recovery plans, how public advocacy for fish may be changing federal policy and putting butts in spawning grounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Jenn Thornhill Verma author of the book Cod Collapse. Jenn describes the uniqueness of Canada’s Grand Banks, the history of the Newfoundland Labrador cod fishery, the cod moratorium put in place in 1992, the impacts of the 200-mile limit, the social costs of the lost cod fishery, scientific models, discounting knowledge of the inshore fishers, lessons learned, whether history is repeating itself, evidence-based decision making, fisheries management via the adjacency concept, state of the cod stock recovery, community wharves, oil rigs, resettlement, what Canadians can do to help fisheries, cultures whose identify is a fish, power of municipal laws, nature as a legal person, who was held accountable for the cod collapse and the meaning of Jenn’s words when she wrote - Life as it once was is gone, but what remains is what inspires. Show Notes Jenn’s book Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland's Saltwater Cowboys https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45550794-cod-collapse#CommunityReviews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode Curtis and Mark are joined by Mara Cur. Mara is a teacher and mentor who is joyfully passing on the ancient art and skill of natural hide tanning. Mara breaks down the steps of turning a raw animal hide into a textile by explaining smoke, bark, and mineral tanning methods as well as the process of making rawhide. Other topics Mara covers includes her own journey into tanning, the history of tanning, which tanning method cultures around the world have in common, using local resources for tanning, split grain, full grain, hair on versus hair off textiles, buckskin, brain tanning, breaking a hide, the molecular change that transforms a hide into textile, how to care for a fresh game hide, the life story that is written into each hide and purple leather. Show Notes: Follow Mara on Instagram @fern.and.roe Mara’s website: www.fernandroe.com Upcoming classes (book online at Mara’s website) August 25-28 Sooke BC Sheep Skin Sept 2-5 Salt Spring Island Smoked Tanned Buckskin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Wildlife Ecologist Mateen Hessami. Mateen recently completed his thesis research on the controversial moose reduction and stabilization program which was put in place as part of British Columbia’s endangered caribou recovery strategy in the Revelstoke Valley. Topics Mateen covers include the history behind the moose population boom in the Revelstoke Valley, Indigenous knowledge and values, the relationship between moose, wolves, and endangered caribou, shifting carrying capacity, doomed moose population, calf to cow ratios after population reduction, apparent competition between moose and caribou, the uniqueness of the moose management strategy in the Revelstoke Valley, hunting as a management tool, putting moose meat in people’s freezers, meeting social objectives, First Nation’s reliance on moose instead of salmon and caribou, science-based wildlife management, balancing public interests, the white-tailed deer dilemma, save the cow moose signs and a duck hunting program for UBC students. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers stories of great white sharks in Canadian waters and new science about shark populations, as well as the anniversary of the 1992 Atlantic cod fishery moratorium, commercial herring quota cutbacks, Gulf of St. Lawrence cod fishery, more Northern BC salmon closures, endangered steelhead science being withheld, Southern resident killer whales, different perspectives on ocean-based fish farms, whether speed reductions help save wildlife from collisions, whether to relocate grizzly bears or not in Alberta, the story of the white bear that came back - we thought he was gonner but he just wouldn’t stay awayyyy, new Manitoba CWD hunting zones, lawsuit filed against the Alberta government over coal, charges against Ontario’s new Minister of Natural Resources and feral rabbit – hate or love em. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this tribute to late-night, slow-burn FM radio-style broadcasting, Mark and Curtis are joined by John Schneider, host of the Food Afield Podcast and member of the From the Wild Series. The guys learn about all things traditional archery from John including, why get into traditional archery, primitive archery, traditional archery, types of bows, poundage, how to pick a bow, arrow selection, ordering online, effective shooting range, making a personal connection while hunting, bear hunting on Vancouver Island, whether you should buy a bow from e-Bay and instinctive natural language when one hooks and loses a big fish. Show Notes: Traditional Bowhunting 101 workshop in Alberta https://www.foodafieldpodcast.com/product-page/traditional-bowhunting-101 FoodAfield Podcast https://www.foodafieldpodcast.com/ From the Wild https://www.fromthewild.ca/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark explores the June 30th announcement by the Tŝilhqot’in Nation condemning the B.C. government’s moose harvest allocation for the Chilcotin Region of British Columbia. Mark provides an overview of the Tŝilhqot’in Nation’s concerns, some background on the history of moose in the Chilcotin, findings from the central interior moose research program, how moose hunting opportunity was allocated between First Nations, resident hunters and Guide-Outfitters for 2022, and excerpts from the wildlife managers report explaining how the allocation decision was made and the factors that were taken into account. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Mark and Curtis are joined by Jesse Zeman, Executive Director of the BC Wildlife Federation to discuss the government’s controversial decision to put bighorn sheep in BC’s Kootenay Region on Limited Entry Hunting. Jesse discusses the contradictions that the BC Wildlife Federation has recently uncovered regarding how sheep tags were allocated to BC residents versus Outfitters, how the conservation status of sheep changed depending on which group tag numbers were being calculated, and whether provincial policies were followed with respect to over-allocation, success rates and huntable sheep populations in the Kootenay Region. Jesse also describes how mountain goat hunting opportunity in the Kootenay Region is being taken away from BC residents even though goat harvest rates are well below targets. Jesse explains the three things the Federation has asked the Minister to address Show Notes BC Wildlife Federation Letter to Minister Conroy on Kootenay Region Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Goat Allocation. https://bcwf.bc.ca/letter-to-minister-katrine-conroy-related-to-bighorn-sheep-and-goat-hunting-in-region-4/ Bighorn Sheep Science Webinar with Dr. Marco Festa- Bianchet https://bcwf.bc.ca/when-does-selective-hunting-lead-to-evolutionary-change-and-what-if-anything-should-we-do-about-it/ Bighorn Sheep Limited Entry Hunting in Region 4 with Gerry Paille of the BC Wildlife Federation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hd66tRBSR4&list=PL_Xj1_ue6mYCAgViGwS4meExm09nGOxMf&index=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Mark covers a controversial reduction in moose hunting for BC hunters, polar bear problems, polar bear quotas, polar bear harvest research, narwhal hunting, firearm regulations, problem geese, snow geese deaths, bear attacks, conflict bear management oversight, class action lawsuit over the BC grizzly hunt, a half-baked deer rescue plan, Newfoundland Labrador’s new helmet laws for hunters, urban coyotes versus super pigs, more cormorant culls, seized elvers, mackerel for tuna fishers and tipping points – the line between when Canadians love and then hate wildlife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curtis and Mark are joined by Andrea Wishart to talk all things squirrel. Andrea is a Ph.D. student at the University of Saskatchewan and an evolutionary and behavioral ecologist studying red squirrels in the Yukon. This is a fun look at one of Canada’s most underrated, abundant, and accessible wildlife species. Topics covered include red squirrel biology, life span, territory size, boom and bust cycles, predator avoidance, food refrigeration, bequeathing food caches, the motivation to store tree cones, turf wars, effects of logging a forest during the winter, middens, larder-hoarding, getting yelled at, Canada’s amazing Kluane region in the Yukon, squirrel rattling, Sabre-toothed squirrels, and the happy conclusion to Scrat’s story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you buy Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by their long-time friend Chris New. Chris is an avid fossil hunter and has helped paleontologists identify new trilobite species previously unknown to science. Chris’s journey and passion for fossils started at young age near Cranbrook, British Columbia and now he travels all over the place hunting fossils. Chris talks about how he got started in fossil hunting, how he preps fossil hunting, what he does in winter offseason, as well as how he gathers intel and leads on fossil sites. Other cool topics the gang discussions include the brief history of fossil formations, how to get into fossil hunting, how to hunt fossils, trilobites, similarities between fossil hunting and game hunting, laws around digging, poaching fossils, Burgess Shale, how crime doesn’t pay in fossil hunting and whether Ricky Gervais trolls fossil hunters on social media. Show Notes Here are the scientific names of the trilobites that Chris, his collecting partner Chris Jenkins, and his daughter Rebecca have had named after them for having discovered them. Olenaspella chrisnewi Anechocephalus rebeccae Orygmaspis jenkinsi Claycreekia chrisorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Dr. Howie Harshaw from the University of Alberta, Dr. Lee Foote, and Matt Besko to discuss the decline in waterfowl hunter numbers in Canada. The group discusses waterfowl population trends, social science as a tool for wildlife management, hunter recruitment, retention, and reengagement strategies, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, access to private land, barriers to waterfowl hunting, inclusivity, cultural and ethnic differences among new hunters, complicated hunting regulations, duck stamps, paying for conservation bird watchers interested in waterfowl hunting, hunter surveys, trusting scientists, truck noises and practicing being on podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices