Antonio Salgado was born in Texas but grew up in a landlocked state in Mexico. So how did he become a fish biologist working with kids and adults to increase the understanding of salmon and steelhead life cycles in Oregon? We sat down with Antonio to learn more about the life of a Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program biologist, or STEP bio for short.

Rated slightly nerdy

Attempts to introduce these Central Asian partridges to Oregon began more than 100 years ago. But they finally took in the 1950s and 60s. Now chukar are one of the more popular gamebirds in the state as hunters chase these them over some of the roughest, most spectacular terrain the state has to offer. We talk chukar biology with ODFW upland gamebird biologist Mikal Cline and hunting them with avid chukar hunter Carla Gibson.

Rated lightly nerdy

Ron Wold has been putting in for controlled hunt tags since the beginning. And when he didn't draw, he started exploring the process in-depth looking for a better way to apply each year. He learned that he could make math-based predictions (not guarantees) with the information ODFW puts out each year after hunting seasons end and started a website to help other hunters better understand the process. We talked to Ron about why he started the project and how others can benefit from his work.

Rated moderately nerdy

There are four species of seals and sea lions found in Oregon waters. By far the most common encounter most people have is with California sea lions, which can be found hauled out in places like Newport and the Sea Lion Caves near Florence. But harbor seals are also commonly spotted along jetties and basking on sand rocks or along sandy spits. But Oregon also has Steller sea lions and even some Northern elephant seals. This time of year it's possible to spot seal pups left on the beaches while mom hunts for food. This week's podcast features ODFW pinniped biologist Susan Riemer talking about pinniped biology, behavior and how to safely view these interesting marine mammals.

Rated slightly nerdy

Amanda Hubler often hunts Oregon's south coast for big elk. In 2020, she won an ODFW Premium Hunt tag and ended up with her largest bull elk yet. Premium Hunts were established during the 2016 big game hunting seasons to provide an alternative to typical highest-bid auction tags. Anyone can buy one application per tag series, and everyone has an equal chance of winning the tag. We walk through Amanda's hunt experience to learn more about hunting with a Premium Hunt tag.

Rated not nerdy

Sometimes natural disasters can block fish like salmon, steelhead and lamprey and keep them from getting upstream to spawn. But human development has lopped off thousands of miles of good spawning and rearing habitat over time. In this episode, we talk to ODFW biologists Greg Apke and Kenny Loffink, both of whom have worked in ODFW's Fish Passage and Fish Screening programs, about those programs and how they've worked with public advisors to solve some of the biggest problems that keep fish from reaching the best habitat.

Rated slightly nerdy

Pamela Slaughter was born and raised in Oregon. But her access to all of Oregon's beautiful natural resources has been limited by the color of her skin, the lack of representation of people of color in the outdoors and fear. As a result of this, she founded People of Color Outdoors, an organization geared towards empowering communities of color to redefine their relationship with the outdoors through multi-generation group outings and education events.

Sharon Ross started Afrovivalist to provide communities of color in Oregon with vital outdoor survival skills based on what she learned from a childhood spent hunting and fishing in rural Southwest Oregon, lessons from her military father and a lifetime of watching people suffer during natural disasters due to lack of preparedness. Today she takes people through specially designed experiences to provide them with the tools they need to be better prepared whether recreating outside or facing a devastating winter storm.

Salmon forecasts are notoriously tricky both for the folks who make them and for the folks who depend on them. Forecasting salmon is all data, math and models, a dance of ever-changing variables and changing technology. ODFW Fish Division Deputy Administrator Chris Kern explains the who, when, where, what and why of salmon forecasting.

Poaching isn't limited to game animals, the illegal taking of wildlife and other natural resources impacts all Oregonians. Oregon State Police Sergeant Erich Timko of John Day and Senior Trooper Marshall Maher of Oakridge, along with ODFW's Stop Poaching Campaign Coordinator Yvonne Shaw, join us for a wide-ranging conversation about poaching, enforcement efforts, new technology to combat poaching and about how all Oregonians can play a role in the fight to reduce poaching.