On today’s food episode, Dr. Brian Bird joins me to chat about handling, preparing, and cooking his favourite fish caught through the ice. In addition to being a geologist, Brian has years of experience handling and butchering wild meat. Brian gives a fantastic overview of how to filet a fish, adding in a few key tips that will make the process easier. We chat about some of the ways he likes to prepare lake trout, perch, and pike, including oil poaching, oven baked, canning, ceviche, the good old fashioned fish fry, and Brian’s recipe for fish cakes.

On today’s episode, we discuss:

• Book: “Hook, Line, and Supper” by Hank Shaw: https://hunttoeat.com/shop/cooking-and-processing/hook-line-and-supper-hank-shaw-cookbook/
• For all of Hunt To Eat’s Hank Shaw-inspired products: https://hunttoeat.com/product-tag/hank-shaw/
• Book: “The Splendid Table” by Lynne Rossetto Kasper: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/291405.The_Splendid_Table

On today’s episode, Demiesha Dennis, founder and director of Brown Girl Outdoor World (BGOW) joins us to talk about guiding people into the outdoors, fishing, joy and empowerment in the outdoors, and how she works to “Change the Narrative Through Adventure.” Demiesha is a knowledgeable fly angler, an absolute blast to talk to, and she is doing some great things in Canada to build a strong and supportive outdoor community. In the conservation segment, we cover some updates on eagle populations and environmental contamination from lead ammunition (30:41); results from a new survey that shows an increasing number of voters in western States are concerned about environmental issues, including climate change (39:10); and a new report on British Columbia’s conserved areas that found many of them do not meet the international criteria for protected areas (43:15).

In this episode, we discuss:

• Brown Girl Outdoor World: https://browngirloutdoorworld.com/
• Colour The Trails: https://colourthetrails.com/
• Outdoor Afro: https://outdoorafro.com/
• Article: “Vermont delists bald eagle”: https://wildlife.org/vermont-delists-bald-eagle/
• Article: “Lead diminished bald eagle recovery and continues to pose risks”: https://wildlife.org/lead-diminished-bald-eagle-recovery-and-continues-to-pose-risks/
• Article: “Lead poisoning is suppressing eagle populations”: https://wildlife.org/lead-poisoning-is-suppressing-eagle-populations/
• Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-aims-to-protect-endangered-wildlife-from-massive-sport-hunting-fishing-expansion-on-national-wildlife-refuges-2021-11-29/
• Sporting Lead-Free – Resources on effects of lead: https://sportingleadfree.org/resources/#showmethescience
• Paper: “A Comparison of Lead and Steel Shot Loads for Harvesting Mourning Doves”: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f8f1855277b015a2164f63f/t/620eaf220364cc59264faea4/1645129506821/2015+A+Comparison+of+Lead+and+Steel+Shot+Loadsfor+Harvesting+Mourning+Doves.pdf
• Paper: “Performance of Lead-Free versus Lead-Based Hunting Ammunition in Ballistic Soap”: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f8f1855277b015a2164f63f/t/620eaf37a97c7032e4f92441/1645129536000/2014+Performance+of+Lead-Free+versus+Lead-Based+Hunting.pdf
• Article: “B.C. flouting Canadian, international standards on protected areas, says report”: https://biv.com/article/2022/02/bc-flouting-canadian-international-standards-protected-areas-says-report
• Report: “An Honest Accounting: Improving B.C.’s Approach to Claiming Other Conserved Areas”: https://cpawsbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22-02-04-OECM-report-%C6%92-reduced-1.pdf?utm_source=north%20shore%20news&utm_campaign=north%20shore%20news%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral
• Kaska Dene IPCA: https://denakayeh.com/kaska-dena-ipca-video/

On today’s episode, Dr. Chris Darimont joins us to talk about a paper he co-authored a year ago that caused some debate among hunters. The paper, “Large carnivore hunting and the social license to hunt”, examines social theory around perceptions of hunting. We chat with Chris about some of his reflections on the paper one year after publication and what he thinks its insights can teach us about how hunters should engage in thoughtful dialogue with non-hunters and ensure we are being steadfast and respectful ambassadors of hunting. In the conservation segment, I take a bit of a deep dive into the recent initiative to suspend the black bear hunt in California (47:25). I go over some of the rationale in Petition 2021-027 submitted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and offer some reflections on the current state of data, what is needed moving forward, and what you can do to get involved. The California Fish and Game Commission is meeting today (February 17, 2022) to hear the petition, so be sure to follow up on the results of the petition and tune in to later episodes for updates. I also give you a discount code that can be used on Hunt To Eat's black bear hunting t-shirt to show your support for bear hunting.

Today, we chatted about:

• Paper: “Large carnivore hunting and the social license to hunt”: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13657
• Article: “Citing wildfires, animal welfare activists petition California officials to stop bear hunting”: https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article257512894.html
• Article: “Editorial: Are California’s bears in peril? Suspend hunting season until we know”: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-02-05/lets-not-hunt-more-bears-until-we-know-how-many-are-there
• Humane Society of the United States black bear petition: https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/HSUS_Letter-Comission-Black-Bear-Hunting.pdf
• CDFW “Black Bear Take Report 2020”: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=195525&inline
• “Berry Dash – Black Bear Hunting T-Shirt”: https://hunttoeat.com/shop/t-shirts/signature/bear-hunting-t-shirt/

On today's food episode, Nova Scotian fisher, hunter, and chef Alyssa LeBlanc rejoins us to chat about white-tailed deer. She covers everything from why she is so precise and careful during the butchering process to mouth-watering recipes for butter-basted backstrap and venison donair. Check out Alyssa's other recipes on Instagram at @alyssaleblanc16. Be sure to subscribe and rate the show where you can!

In this episode, we discuss:

• Video: “Three Pronghorn Cross Under Barbed Wire Fence”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtczcWUkbvc&t=14s
• Fence adjustments in Alberta: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/pronghorn-fence-alberta-conservation-1.6298645
• Alberta Fish & Game Association Pronghorn Corridor Enhancement: https://www.afga.org/pronghorn-corridor-enhancement/
• Alberta Conservation Association “2020/21 Project Summary Report”: https://www.ab-conservation.com/downloads/annual_summaries/wildlife/aca_summary_2020_2021_pronghorn_fence_crossing_enhancement.pdf
• Wyoming Game & Fish Department 2021 sage grouse wing count results: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/2021-wing-counts-indicate-dip-in-sage-grouse-repro
• Wyoming sage grouse data review: https://wyofile.com/new-sage-grouse-data-alarming-state-biologist-says/
• News on bison transfer: https://buckrail.com/28-yellowstone-bison-transferred-to-montana-indian-reservation/
• National Park Service Bison Conservation Transfer Program: https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/management/bison-conservation-transfer-program.htm
• InterTribal Buffalo Council: https://itbcbuffalonation.org/

On today's episode, Alyssa LeBlanc joins us to chat about east coast Canadian seafood. You might recognize Alyssa from some of the wonderful cooking content available on the Hunt To Eat website and YouTube channel. She tells us about heading out in the ocean in her not-so-seaworthy boat to fish for mackerel, haddock, cod, and flounder (plus the occasional shark encounter); foraging for mussels and clams; and shares a couple of recipes, including a truly east coast take on poutine. This is part 1 of a surf and turf double episode, so tune in next time for some more great tips from Alyssa on venison cooking. You can find Alyssa on Instagram @alyssaleblanc16.

On today’s episode, photographer and conservationist John Marriott joins us to chat about his work photographing wildlife in the Canadian Rockies and the need for collaboration across hunters and non-hunters in working towards habitat conservation. In the conservation segment, I give some updates on recently proposed and potential changes to hunting in Washington, Colorado, and Arizona; why I don’t use the term “Antis” to refer to a large group of people with diverse perspectives; the need to emphasize science-based management and talk about the personal and subjective reasons we hunt for more effective advocacy; ways you can get involved to support ongoing hunting opportunities; how you can send in comments to the Arizona Game and Fish Department by January 30th; and a recent scientific study that mapped global threats to biodiversity and what it tells us about concerns for endangered species.

In this episode, we discuss:

• John Marriott’s photography: https://wildernessprints.com/
• Film: “In the Cross Hairs: The Road to Recovery for Alberta’s Threatened Grizzly Bears”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G61twkGsGI&t=297s
• Information to join WDFW special meeting: https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings/2022/21january2022-fwc-agenda
• Petitions related to Washington 2022 spring bear season: https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/spring_bear_petitions_-_all.pdf
• Colorado SB 22-031: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb22-031
• AZGFD Hunt Guidelines and Hunt Recommendation Process information: https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Guidelines/
• AZGFD Proposed Hunt Guidelines 2023-2028: https://azgfd-portal-wordpress-pantheon.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/AZ-Proposed-Hunt-Guidelines-2023-2028-Hunting-Seasons_12-28-2021_optimized.pdf
• TWS article on Mapping Biodiversity Threats: https://wildlife.org/mapping-global-threats-of-biodiversity/
• Paper: “Using the IUCN Red List to map threats to terrestrial vertebrates at global scale”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01542-9

This is an extra episode of the Hunt To Eat Show. Peter Spencer was a father, partner, brother, son, provider, and hunter. In this episode, Demiesha Dennis of Brown Girl Outdoor World and Lydia Parker of Hunters Of Color tell us about what is known of Peter Spencer's story and talk about the need for anti-racism in the outdoors. Peter Spencer was a Black man who was found dead with nine bullet wounds after joining a group of white men in an outdoors activity in December 2021. While the investigation is ongoing, there is action we can all take right now and carry forward all the time. Demiesha and Lydia talk about the need to always center the humanity of Black people and even more so those who are victims of violence. As a hunting community, we need to take collective action to create a world where hunting and the outdoors are safe for Black folks. We need to actively listen to Black voices and what they tell us about what safety means for them. Please join us in listening to Demiesha and Lydia about what we need to do as a hunting community to ensure that the outdoors are for everyone. We felt it was important to use this platform to amplify this story and the voices we need to hear at this time.

GoFundMe campaigns to support Peter Spencer's family:

• https://www.gofundme.com/f/75z7gh-justice-for-peter
• https://www.gofundme.com/f/peters-funeral-arrangements-atasteofjamaicapitt

Hunters of Color Coalition Letter:

• https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-peter-spencer-an-open-letter-from-outdoorspeople?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=c06a1710-7667-11ec-8e85-f33b50100dfc

Other links discussed in this episode:

• Erica Nelson, REAL Consulting: https://www.consultreal.org/
• Crystal Egli: https://www.crystalegli.com/
• Jacqueline L. Scott, Black Outdoors: https://blackoutdoors.wordpress.com/
• Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter From a Birmingham Jail": https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

On today’s episode, we chat with Michael Hunter, a chef, hunter, forager, and the co-owner of Antler Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant that specializes in cooking and serving game species in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I chat with Michael about how writing and publishing “The Hunter Chef Cookbook” inspired him to open his own restaurant and he shares some ideas about cooking a couple favourite species. On the conservation segment, we revisit the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative and discuss a recent scientific paper that evaluated Y2Y’s success in contributing to biodiversity conservation targets.

• The Hunter Chef Cookbook: https://thehunterchef.com/
• Antler Kitchen & Bar: http://www.antlerkitchenbar.com/
• An evaluation of the Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.588

On today's episode, we are joined by Gabe Vasquez, a City Councilor in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Gabe is running for Congress in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District and joined us to talk about conservation priorities in New Mexico and his approach to navigating the intersection of conservation and politics. He gives us an update on the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) and the success of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument as a conservation success for New Mexico (2:15). During the conservation segment, we chat more about bighorn sheep conservation in New Mexico (38:18) and dig into the rich complexities of the Colorado wolf reintroduction project (45:19). You’ll also hear about a new structure of the Hunt To Eat Show that will give you a content fix every week from now on.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA): https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Wildlife-Conservation/Policy/Recovering-Americas-Wildlife-Act
• The Outdoor FUTURE initiative: https://outdoorfuture.org/press/this-land-is-our-land
• Success of bighorn sheep conservation in New Mexico: https://www.newmexicomagazine.org/blog/post/bighorn-sheep-return-to-new-mexico/
• Contribution of hunting to sheep conservation: https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/hunting-tags-help-bring-back-new-mexicos-bighorn-sheep/
• Decision to reintroduce wolves to Colorado: https://www.npr.org/2020/11/06/931472376/in-historic-move-colorado-voters-decide-to-reintroduce-gray-wolves
• Findings and recommendations of the Wolf Management Working Group: https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/SpeciesOfConcern/Wolf/Wolf_Working%20_Group_Recommendations_2004.pdf
• Hydatid disease in wolves: https://idfg.idaho.gov/conservation/wildlife-health/hydatid-disease
• Colorado Proposition 114: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/lcs/2019-2020_107bb.pdf