Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt – Season 3 Episode 4 – March 2

This week, Steve Belinda and Miles Moretti are sitting down with the 53rd Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, along with Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife president Troy Justensen at the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo. It’s Bernhardt’s first trip to the Expo and he talks about how impressed he is with the event. They talk about all that has been going on in the two years since Bernhardt’s predecessor signed Secretarial Order 3362 Hunt Expo on big game migration corridors and winter range habitat. We hear about how much money has been directed to better understand these migrations, as well as to improve the seasonal habitats that are so important to mule deer. Bernhardt tells us about how growing up in Rifle, Colorado, has impacted his decision-making in his role overseeing the nation’s federal public lands. He also talks about some of the actions that he’s most proud of during his tenure at the Department.

National Wild Turkey Federation President/CEO Becky Humphries – Season 3 Episode 3 – February 17

On this episode of Talking Mule Deer, Steve and Jodi talk with one of the leading ladies of the conservation community – Becky Humphries, President and CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Becky tells us how she got her start as a wildlife biologist ultimately working her way to lead the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. After leaving the state she spent several years running the Great Lakes office for Ducks Unlimited before she moved to NWTF seven years ago. We talk about the organization’s Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt initiative including their efforts on active habitat management that is good for wildlife, but also helps improve forests and hopefully reduce the risk of catastrophic fires. She talks about how NWTF, like MDF, is working with the U.S. Forest Service on stewardship agreements that are allowing the organizations to oversee habitat restoration projects including a pilot project in Colorado through the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative. For the Save the Hunt part of their mission, Becky tells us about their efforts to bring in more hunters and shooters to carry on our traditions. We wrap up by talking about the priorities NWTF has on their radar screen for the coming year.

Western Hunting & Conservation Expo with Rob Keck and Miles Moretti – Season 3 Episode 2 – February 7

Today we’re previewing the 2020 Western Hunting & Conservation Expo with MDF President/CEO Miles Moretti and Hunt Expo Master of Ceremonies Rob Keck. Hear about what’s new for this year and why 2020 should be the year that you come to Salt Lake for this incredible event. We talk about the exhibit hall and 200 tag drawing, and Miles tells us about some construction that’s going on near the Salt Palace to keep in mind as you get to the event. Miles and Rob talk about the evening speakers and the entertainment that is a big part of Hunt Expo, the events like the Ladies Luncheon that is a hit every year, the seminar series, and all the other things that you can do. Get more information online at www.huntexpo.com or on the Hunt Expo app!

Congressional Update with Jeff Crane and Miles Moretti – Season 3 Episode 1 – February 3

On our first episode of our third season, we’re talking with Jeff Crane and Miles Moretti to get an update on what happened in Congress and the Administration for sportsmen in 2019. We start by hearing about S. 47, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act – a compilation of many bills related to conservation and sportsmen’s priorities – that was enacted into law last year. A key issue for sportsmen that was included in this package was ensuring that federal public lands are open to hunting, shooting, and fishing unless specifically closed. In addition, it included permanent authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund including a provision that will ensure a portion of this funding is dedicated to providing access points to federal lands. We also learn about the American Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act which passed out of the Senate unanimously on a voice vote in January. This bill includes authorizations or re-authorizations for several important conservation programs like the National Fish Habitat Partnership, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and more. Another bill organizations are focused on is the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act which would provide a substantial increase in funding to state fish and wildlife agencies. Jeff and Miles also give us an update on the efforts of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council to advise the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior on key sportsmen’s issues including on migration corridors and CWD. Our last discussion is about the network of groups that work together through the American Wildlife Conservation Partners to provide information to presidential campaigns on key priorities to the sportsmen’s community. We wrap up by giving you the information you need to be engaged on these policy issues!

MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E30 - Eric Dinger with Powderhook and Outdoor Life Hunting Editor Andrew McKean

This week on Talking Mule Deer, we are visiting with Eric Dinger and Andrew McKean about mentoring new hunters. We open by talking with Andrew about his journey as a conservation journalist – as well as his journey to live in “the middle of nowhere” in Glasgow, Montana. Then Eric tells us about Powderhook, the technology company he founded that is making it their mission to add 3 million new hunters in the next five years through mentoring. He jokingly refers to Powderhook as the hunting mentor “match.com” because it’s intended to help connect new hunters with experienced hunters to get more people in the field. This new social technology is tapping into what more people are using for acquiring information and helping to reduce the barriers that people who might be interested in hunting may be facing. Andrew, who is renowned as a tremendous storyteller, is helping Powderhook to communicate our outdoor heritage and build the mentor network willing to take someone new out in the field. We hear about the experiences he’s had mentoring his daughter to hunt, featured in an article in Outdoor Life, then mentoring a man in his community who never had the opportunity to hunt before, and this year mentoring three different hunters he had never met before. We wrap up by talking about how it’s a responsibility for those of us who love to hunt to share this love with people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get outdoors. As Eric says, the start of mentorship is an invite – he calls on all of us to take that step and ask someone to go with us this hunting season.

MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E29 - Ron and Betsy Spomer of Ron Spomer Outdoors

This week we are honored to have the incredible Ron Spomer and his wife Betsy talking mule deer with us. Ron has been a nationally known outdoor writer for decades and he tells us about how he got his start in the industry. We talk about the history of conservation and that we are now facing a lot of challenges in our efforts to protect the wildlife and outdoors that we love. Betsy talks about some of her international hunting expeditions, including an experience in a swamp in Mozambique. They tell us about the things they’ve seen on those international hunts that provide an interesting comparison to North American wildlife conservation and sustainable management. In addition, we talk about the increased focus on wild game cooking and the growing numbers of people taking up hunting because they’re interested in where their food is coming from. The Spomers tell us about their new home in Idaho and the habitat restoration that they are planning for the mule deer and elk that are found on their property – as well as a Columbian sharp-tailed grouse lek. We wrap up by talking about the individual actions that hunters can take to help with boots-on-the-ground habitat conservation work as well as protecting the rights of hunters through groups like MDF.

MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E28 -Talking Arizona with Jim Heffelfinger and Jake Jaeger

This week we’re talking with Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Jim Heffelfinger and the MDF cooperative wildlife biologist, Jake Jaeger. First, we get an introduction to Jake who is working with Arizona Game & Fish helping with mule deer conservation through a partnership with the Mule Deer Foundation. Jake and Jim then talk about how Arizona is a different place due to the boom and bust water cycles in the state. Jim tells us a little bit about how most of the state’s mule deer populations are not traditional migrants (except for those on the Kaibab Plateau in the Arizona Strip) but still move across the landscapes seasonally to access food and water. We also hear about the Arizona governor’s tags that are used to generate funding for conservation – 100% of which goes back to the state for habitat restoration projects through the Habitat Partnership Committee. Jim tells us about the three research priority projects collaring deer to learn more about migration patterns associated with highway development and learning the movements of a herd in a known high elevation summer range. We wrap up with talking about how habitat improvements are making a huge impact on herd health which has been shown by GPS movement data showing use of restored habitats and avoidance of areas that weren’t treated.

MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E27 - Outdoor Writer -Jim Zumbo

On this episode of Talking Mule Deer we are honored to talk to renowned outdoor writer, Jim Zumbo. Jim tells us about how he began his career working on forestry in Utah and as a forester/game warden at West Point, NY, before heading back to Utah as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management. Jim wrote his first article for Outdoor Life in 1966 and he received an offer from the magazine to go full time as an editor in 1978. He reminisces about the banner days of mule deer hunting in the Book Cliffs and tells us a classic Zumbo story about his most memorable hunt with his daughters out there. We talk a little bit about his favorite places to hunt and also about wildlife behavior and mule deer migrations. Jim gives us a few tips on how he’s found big bucks and how you can too. You can always keep up with Jim on his blog at JimZumbo.com as well as the back column in Petersen’s Hunting magazine as well as several other publications.

MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E26 - Bureau of Land Management Wildlife Program

Today Jodi, Steve and Miles Moretti talk with Frank Quammen, national wildlife program lead with the Bureau of Land Management. We learn a little bit about what the BLM is and what it’s overarching multiple-use and sustained yield management objective means. Frank also talks about how the wildlife program staff work to ensure that wildlife conservation considerations integrate with the many other uses on the lands that they manage. We talk about the role that BLM is playing in conservation of big game winter range and migration corridors through Secretarial Order 3362 and we hear about restoration projects getting underway in these key areas. Frank also talks about other issues affecting rangelands in the West including wild horses and burros, sage grouse, wildfire restoration. We wrap things up by talking about the broad challenges BLM faces in trying to manage so many interests on lands that are loved by millions of people.

MDF Podcast - Talking Mule Deer with Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler

S2 E25 - North American Non-Lead Partnership

Today’s episode of Talking Mule Deer features a conversation with the North American Non-Lead Partnership’s Leland Brown (Oregon Zoo) and Chris Parish (The Peregrine Fund). The partnership’s two main functions are to preserve our wildlife conservation and hunting heritage at the same time. They are helping to share information about non-lead alternatives in ammunition for hunters. We talk about this contentious issue and how lead being introduced into the environment can impact non-target wildlife species. Chris tells us about his experience on the voluntary lead ammunition exchange program that he was involved with on the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona to help conserve condors. They talk about the different options in lead free options for both rifle and shotgun ammunition. The non-lead partnership emphasizes that they are not promoting an alarmist message, they are trying to present the information that will allow hunters to make a well-informed decision about their own choices.