Ahi Va

For many Americans living in urban centers, the barriers of entry into hunting, fishing and spending time in nature can be immense. Arlando Chiles was living in one such environment during a challenging time in his life. A series of unfortunate events had led to him being evicted from his home. As he was packing his belongings and grappling with the fear of having no place to go, his television randomly began playing a hunting television show featuring Randy Newberg on a black bear hunt in Southeast Alaska. Randy's contagious smile and the allure of an adventure in a place as different as inner city California as one could imagine, captivated Chiles. In this episode, Jesse Deubel speaks with Chiles about how that moment in time changed his life and helped shape the course of his future. Sometimes referred to as "Buckdablackhunter," Chiles founded Campfire Evolution. Campfire Evolution provides a platform to have meaningful, educational and inspirational conversations with diverse people. Everyone can get around a campfire. Chiles wants people from all backgrounds to get outside and camp with him. Take him up on that offer. Until then, enjoy the listen!

"A Lovely Tongue Sandwich" is a recipe found in Hank Shaw's amazing cookbook, "Buck, Buck, Moose" on page 247. Podcast host, Jesse Deubel describes this as his favorite wild game recipe followed by "Liver Mousse" which is on page 323 of "Pheasant, Quail, Cottontail" also written by author, chef and hunter Hank Shaw. In this episode Jesse and Hank are joined by NMWF's very own Ray Trejo as the group discusses wild game processing, cooking and meat preservation. Ray and Hank compare and contrast techniques and methods for "ice-aging" venison. Jesse talks about his recent experimentation with freeze-drying his own backcountry meals. Hank walks the audience through some delectable preparations for wild-harvested delicacies abundant across New Mexico including cholla buds and prickly pear cactus fruits...or tuna's as they are called in Spanish. This discussion is all about food and about New Mexico so of course there are a few mentions of chile. This episode is sure to trigger your appetite.

Enjoy the listen!

For more info:
https://honest-food.net
https://nmwildlife.org

Adrian Angulo and Jesse Deubel sit down with Sarah Candelaria and Laura Lewis to talk all about the youth programming offered by the New Mexico Wildlife Federation through Nature Niños New Mexico. Learn how Sarah Candelaria turned her vision into reality by growing New Mexico’s premier environmental education and outdoor learning platform. When a child catches their first trout, sees an eagle take flight, or explores a backcountry trail, they light up, they learn something new, they connect. But it’s not always easy to get outside—it might seem far, unfamiliar, or there’s just not enough time in the day. That’s where Nature Niños comes in! We are here to be New Mexico's outdoor learning team. We take the guesswork out of getting outside so families—across generations—can access and explore the outdoors alongside a family-focused, professional team. Enjoy the listen as you consider how to get the young people in your life unplugged from the electronics and plugged into the adventures that abound outside.

For more info:
https://www.natureninos.org/
https://nmwildlife.org/

The Sandhill crane is believed to be one of oldest living bird species in the world, having occupied our planet for roughly two million years. Throughout their existence migratory Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) have been migrating thousands of miles between their summer and winter ranges. The changes that have occurred along this route over this span of time is difficult to imagine. In recent history, human impacts had a devastating effect on the population of this species. By the 1900’s habitat loss by human development and overhunting had reduced the population of these birds to near extinction. Today, the Sandhill cranes that depend on New Mexico for winter habitat are thriving. This astonishing recovery has occurred despite estimates that more than 90% of the historic wetland habitat in the Middle Rio Grande has been lost during the last two hundred years. From 1935 to 1989 it's been said that the Middle Rio Grande Valley saw more than a fifty percent reduction in wetlands. Fortunately for our Sandhill Cranes, in 1939 the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge was established to provide critical stopover and winter grounds for migrating wildlife. On this episode of the Ahi Va podcast, Jesse Deubel speaks with two of the nation's most experienced professionals who have been instrumental in the continued success of both Sandhill cranes and the habitat on which they depend.

Alan Hamilton, Ph.D works with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation as the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Program Director. In this role he has led the implementation of three Standard NAWCA grants that combined protected and enhanced 5,467 acres of wetlands in the Middle Rio Grande. Dr. Hamilton is also the founder and board president of Rio Grande Return. Rio Grande Return is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to protecting New Mexico’s rivers, streams, springs, seeps, and the unique habitats and diverse wildlife they support. Matt Boggie, Ph.D is a wildlife ecologist and his research has centered on integrating statistical approaches to investigate how environmental change and natural and anthropogenic disturbances modulate the behavioral responses of wildlife and influence the habitat and distribution of wildlife populations. Through effective partnerships, his research has contributed to the development and implementation of broad-scale conservation strategies. He places a high value on bringing together partners and stakeholders to address shared conservation priorities and combining efforts to deliver actionable outcomes His doctoral research included a detailed investigation into the winter ecology of the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes in the Middle Rio Grande Valley and assessed how the population responds to landscape change.

December 1st-3rd, 2022 Friends of Bosque del Apache will be hosting "Festival of the Cranes + Virtual Crane Fiesta." This event is a stunning celebration of Sandhill cranes and everything their history and resilience can teach us about ourselves, the natural world and intersection that exists between the two. Hope to see you at the festival. Until then, "Enjoy the Listen!"

For More Info:
https://friendsofbosquedelapache.org/festival/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew-Boggie-2
https://riograndereturn.com/
https://www.newmexico.org/listing/bosque-del-apache-national-wildlife-refuge/363/

Black Horn Guide Services is a no-nonsense hunting outfitter/guide service that specializes in providing intense outdoor hunting experiences for adventurous appetites. Regardless of your hunting experience, Ryan Gentry and Cole Johnson will teach you things in the field and will push you to your limits. Entering their first year in business, these two entrepreneurs are dedicated to helping people make the most of their fortune AFTER they draw a big game tag in New Mexico. This outfit isn't interested in helping hunters manipulate their draw odds or buy their way to the front of the line. Black Horn Guide Services believes the opportunity to pursue publicly held wildlife on public lands should be equally accessible to all, regardless of wealth or land-ownership status. These opportunities are becoming increasingly hard to draw. When you draw, maximize that rare opportunity by entering the field with true experts who know and value the privilege you have been afforded.

Having met on Otero Mesa, these public land appreciators know the value of protecting and preserving our collectively owned, federally managed, public lands. Southeast New Mexico is home to the Permian Basin and Cole Johnson makes much of his living working in the oil and gas industry. Cole and Ryan both recognize that certain places should be managed for priorities other than energy extraction. Cole also derives income from having robust wildlife on public lands so he can take hunters out to pursue adventures in those places. Clearly, Otero Mesa is special and deserves special protections. These two hunting guides are intriguing, entertaining, and definitely inspiring. This conversation goes all over the place from elk to turkey to deer, pronghorn, moose, ibex, barbary sheep, trail cameras and whether or not we should be allowed to hunt with scoped muzzleloaders in primitive weapon seasons. We discuss adding Black Bear, Javelina and Mountain Lion to the wanton waste statute in New Mexico so edible portions of those animals must be removed from the field. NMWF is honored to have spent this time with these amazing hunting guides, and we truly hope you enjoy the listen!

For more info:
https://www.instagram.com/blackhornguideservice/
https://nmwildlife.org/

As a young boy from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Gabriel Vasquez had a very negative experience when his father first introduced him to camping, fishing and enjoying the outdoors on public land in New Mexico. Gabe's father was undeterred. The resoluteness displayed by his dad had a profound impact on Gabe who went on to become an avid outdoorsman and a professional conservationist. Currently Gabe works for HECHO [Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors]. Prior to that, he worked for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. In his role with NMWF, Gabe introduced countless youth to the outdoors by providing them with transformative opportunities to connect with nature. Gabe shares one story set in the Gila Wilderness wherein he tricks a group of teens to scale a formidable peak by implying they would obtain a cellular signal from the summit that would allow them to check their social media accounts. By the trip's end, looking at the screens on their phones was far less desirable to them than enjoying meaningful adventures in the wild. Jesse Deubel and Gabriel Vasquez are also joined by NMWF staffers Adrian Angulo and Ray Trejo who both serve on the board of directors for the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project. Founded by Gabe and headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico where he resides, Nuestra Tierra has quickly grown into a powerful conservation organization gaining recognition on the national stage for their incredible work. You'll have to listen through some laughter on this one, but we sure hope you enjoy the listen!

For more info:
https://www.hechoonline.org/
https://nmwildlife.org/

Warning: Contains Adult Language

Christopher Allen coined the term "Hoodneck" as a play on words to describe himself as a person who grew up in the hood and also identified as a redneck. The term would later become the name of Chris' 501c3 non-profit organization which focuses on the recruitment, retention & reactivation of sport shooters, hunters, anglers & farmers. According to their mission statement, "Hoodneck is the BRIDGE between two stereotypes that society tries to separate & is here to put an end to all negative stigmas placed upon them!"

Consistent with our goal of supporting cultural conservation, in this discussion we explore the conservation journey of a couple of inner-city kids from Galveston, Texas who followed two very different paths to reach the same place. Our conversation covers a wide range of topics including their vision for the future of fishing, farming and firearms. Ernal Mayberry works with Hoodneck as their director of agriculture. Mayberry tells the unique story of how he enrolled in college with the original intent of becoming a pharmacist so he could, "be a legal drug dealer." His interest quickly transitioned into sustainability and self-reliance. Enjoy the listen as we talk hunting, fishing, farming, culture and conservation in an effort to dispel societal myths and unite outdoor enthusiasts from all backgrounds.

For more info:
https://www.hoodneck.org/
https://www.instagram.com/hoodneck_/

https://nmwildlife.org/

About 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, Tyrannosaurus roamed the land on continents that were positioned very differently than they are today. Ths skies were filled with Pterodactyls and a variety of other pterosaurs. The oceans teemed with giant sea dinosaurs like Mosasaurs and Elasmosaurids that grew longer than 50 feet. In the freshwaters, fish from the family Polyodontidae swam with their massive mouths wide open as they used electroreceptors located on their long, snout-like rostrums to detect weak electric fields which indicated the presence of prey items like zooplankton in the water column. There are six known species of these paddlefish. All but one of those species are extinct. The surviving species, the American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) native to North America, continues to swim in our waterways with very few morphological changes since the earliest fossil records of the Early Cretaceous, 120 to 125 million years ago. While paddlefish populations have declined dramatically across their historic range, the state of Oklahoma has done a phenomenal job of conserving this magnificent species. Nels Rodefeld is the communication and education chief of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Nels is a true paddlefish expert. Silvana Braculla Yaroschuk is the multistate conservation grants program manager for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Silvana and podcast host Jesse Deubel had the honor of spending a day fishing for dinosaurs with Nels Rodefeld and the Assistant Director of Operations for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Wade Free. It was an amazing experience full of excitement and education. Learn how the team from Oklahoma's state wildlife agency has implemented creative solutions to fund paddlefish conservation. Enjoy the listen!

For More Info
https://nmwildlife.org/

On June 3, 1924, the Gila Wilderness became the first officially designated wilderness in the world. Including the acreage from the Aldo Leopold Wilderness and the Blue Range Wilderness, this wilderness complex encompasses 558,014 acres of purely wild and rugged landscape. This 872 square miles of breathtaking wilderness is managed by the Gila National Forest. In anticipation of its centennial birthday, a diverse array of writers contributed unique works expressing their connection to this place and the experiences that helped develop that connection. In this episode, Jesse Deubel speaks with one of those contributing authors, Dr. Karl Malcolm. Malcolm and Deubel are joined by Leia Barnett and Madeleine Carey, both of whom work tirelessly everyday to advocate for the Gila in their roles with Wild Earth Guardians. Both Barnett and Carey were instrumental in the process of producing the powerful anthology, "First and Wildest - The Gila Wilderness at 100." The conversation was recorded on May 12. The following day, a human-caused wildfire erupted amid terrible conditions. The worst drought in 1,200 years coupled with unseasonably high temperatures and unrelenting winds caused the fire to spread at record speed. This wildfire will forever change thousands of these pristine acres of wild beauty. Fortunately, the Gila is as resilient as it is beautiful. The topics discussed include everything from hunting turkeys to eating cicadas. As with any discussion about the Gila, the celebration of the area's wildlife takes center stage. Happy birthday Gila. Enjoy the listen!

About the book:
https://www.torreyhouse.org/first-and-wildest

For more info:
https://nmwildlife.org/

Ivan Valdez is an owner of the Reel Life Fly Shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition to running a retail operation, Ivan is also a professional Fly Fishing Guide. Gregg Flores is the founder and owner of "Where the River Runs." Where the River Runs or WTRR as it is often referred to is a content creation company. Ivan helps travelers to New Mexico make lasting memories on New Mexico's trout streams and rivers. Gregg tells stories and documents the experiences of people around New Mexico. It's not uncommon for these two professions to intersect. Gregg and Ivan have shared the water many times. In this episode we really explore what sharing the water means. On March 1st the New Mexico State Supreme Court ruled that the waters of New Mexico are public and are open to the public for the purpose of recreation. We talk a little about what that means and why it matters. Equally important, we discuss the critical importance of responsible recreation. Public waters belong to all of us and therefore we all have a responsibility to take care of these waterways. We must be committed to be great stewards of our public lands and waters as well as great neighbors to those who own adjacent private lands. Enjoy the listen!

Fore More Info:
https://www.facebook.com/TheReelLife/
https://thereellife.com/flyguide/
https://www.facebook.com/WhereTheRiverRuns
https://www.wheretheriverruns.com/
https://nmwildlife.org/