National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

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National Wildlife Federation Outdoors episodes

January 28 Urgent Action Needed to Protect the Boundary Waters with Lukas Leaf and Matthew Schultz
Urgent Action needed! In this episode Aaron sits down with Lukas Leaf and Matthew Schultz from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters. The House of Representatives recently voted to strip a 20-year moratorium on mining in the Boundary Waters region and in the headwaters of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness through the unprecedented use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA). A vote in the U.S. Senate is expected to be held any day. Aaron, Lukas, and Matthew walk you through the conservation history of the region and its values, why mining here is a terrible idea, how the 20 year mining moratorium came to be, what the CRA is and why this particular use of the CRA is like nothing in history, and what you can do today to help keep protections in place. This episode is a must listen if you are an American conservationist.

NWF Outdoors action alert: https://support.nwf.org/page/93268/action/1?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=20260126_Outdoors_ETT_Senate_BoundaryWaters_NoSpecies_Email1&utm_content=20260126_Outdoors_ETT_Senate_BoundaryWaters_NoSpecies_Email1+6313878455&ea.url.id=4517047
Sportsmen for Boundary Waters website: https://sportsmenbwca.org/; Sportsmen for Boundary Waters action alert: https://bit.ly/SpeakUpForTheBWCA

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48 min
November 03, 2025 The Legacy of America’s Public Lands - with Hal Herring
Aaron and Tanner sit down with renowned, award-winning journalist, writer, and communicator Hal Herring — one of the leading voices on the history and future of America’s public lands. From the hills of Alabama to the Montana mountains, Hal has explored nearly every facet of conservation, restoration, and land management. He’s thought about it, written about it, and lived it. In this episode, he shares his deep understanding and fiery passion for wild places and public lands.
Join this fascinating and wide-ranging conversation as we trace the origins of America’s public lands—how we got them, the defining (and sometimes disastrous) decisions along the way, and what’s at stake today. Hal helps us imagine a hopeful path forward, one where healthy, thriving landscapes remain a shared inheritance for future generations.
Hal is a one-of-a-kind storyteller and advocate for wild spaces. Tune in for an insightful, funny, and thought-provoking discussion that will leave you inspired to reconnect with—and reinvest in—our public lands.
Explore Hal’s work:
https://www.halherring.com/
The Narrow Corridor – Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson
From the Nobel Prize–winning authors of Why Nations Fail, this book explores how liberty survives only when governments and citizens maintain a delicate balance of power.
Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of America’s Public Lands – John Clayton
A dual biography of two giants—Muir the preservationist and Pinchot the conservationist—whose collaboration helped establish the concept of publicly owned lands.
Our Common Ground: A History of America’s Public Lands – John D. Leshy
A sweeping account of how the U.S. came to hold nearly one-third of its land for the public good. Leshy reveals how bipartisan decisions built the foundation for recreation, conservation, and education on 600 million acres of shared land.
Mining Law: A Study in Perpetual Motion – John D. Leshy
A deep dive into the 1872 Mining Law—its history, flaws, and modern-day implications for land use, environmental protection, and mineral policy.
DeVoto’s West: History, Conservation, and the Public Good – Bernard DeVoto
A collection of essays from one of America’s most eloquent defenders of public lands. DeVoto fought to protect Western landscapes from privatization and exploitation, arguing for strong federal stewardship—a message still powerfully relevant today.
This America of Ours: Bernard and Avis DeVoto and the Forgotten Fight to Save the Wild – Nate Schweber
An award-winning chronicle of Bernard and Avis DeVoto’s crusade to save national parks from privatization during the McCarthy era. Their fight for conservation, free speech, and democracy remains a timeless call to action.
Lands Worth Saving: The Weeks Act of 1911, the National Forests, and the Enduring Value of Public Investment – James G. Lewis
A look at the transformative 1911 law that created national forests in the East and restored millions of acres. This book connects the historic Weeks Act to today’s efforts in climate resilience and forest protection.
The Nation’s Largest Landlord: The Bureau of Land Management in the American West – James R. Skillen
A comprehensive history of the BLM and its evolving mission to balance conservation, industry, and public access across 258 million acres of land. Skillen explores how this complex agency reflects America’s conflicted relationship with its own natural resources.
Hal’s Reading List

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1 hr 23 min
June 25, 2025 A Critical Moment for Public Lands and How We Can Respond: A Conversation with Congressman Gabe Vasquez
This week, during one of the most perilous times for public lands in recent memory, the NWF Outdoors Podcast hosts Aaron Kindle and Tanner Saul sit down with Congressman Gabe Vasquez,public lands champion from New Mexico’s 2nd District and co-founder of the bi-partisan Public Lands Caucus.
We talk about the real threats facing public lands and the urgent need for bipartisan action. Congressman Vasquez shares his personal journey into Congress, his love for New Mexico’s wild places, and why he helped launch the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus. He breaks down how and why he’s fighting to stop land sell-offs and what we can do to maintain access and improve management on public lands. Even if we win current battles, we must remain diligent and defend public lands as the national treasure they are.
If you hike, hunt, fish, or just love being on public lands—this one’s for you.

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41 min
May 05, 2025 Understanding the Corner Crossing Case Every Hunter’s Talking About
In this episode, NWF’s Aaron Kindle and Tanner Saul team up with veteran Wyoming journalist Angus Thuermer to dive deep into one of the most contentious public land battles in decades: corner crossing. With decades of boots-on-the-ground reporting, Angus brings a sharp perspective to the legal, ethical, and conservation questions swirling around this case—and what its outcome could mean for hunters, anglers, and all who rely on public lands across the country.
Angus Thuermer | Wyofile: https://wyofile.com/author/angus_thuermer/
NWF Outdoors Links
Website: https://www.nwf.org/Outdoors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nwfoutdoors/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWFoutdoors/

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42 min
April 07, 2025 Parks, Purpose & Public Lands with Walt Dabney
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Walt Dabney, a true public lands champion and a neighbor to Aaron in Buena Vista, Colorado. Walt's incredible 43-year career with the National Park Service, spanning iconic locations like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the vast wilderness of Alaska, and his subsequent leadership as Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife, offers unparalleled insight into the value and the current threats facing these vital resources.

The conversation takes a critical turn as we delve into the most pressing issue facing our public lands today: the significant loss of experienced staff and vital resources. Walt minces no words as he explains the devastating impact of these cuts on everything from visitor safety and resource management to the economic well-being of gateway communities. He paints a stark picture of overflowing restrooms, increased risks of unmanaged wildfires, and the potential for irreversible damage to these cherished landscapes.

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1 hr 6 min
March 29, 2025 NWF Outdoors Podcast Is BACK - New and Improved Content!
We're back! Outdoor traditions, and especially our public lands, are uniquely American. Something worth investing in and fighting for. Recreation. Cultural artifacts. Drinking water, fishing, wildlife habitat, energy resources, hunting and the backbone of rural economies. Our public lands provide so much for so many, and there's thousands of stories around each one of them. We aim to tell those stories and show our listeners the connection between enjoying the outdoors and engaging in conservation.

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17 min
September 21, 2023 They’re Building Land in Louisiana!
The great Mark Twain once wrote, “Buy land, they aren’t making it anymore,” but Mr. Twain was wrong! The Mississippi River and the state of Louisiana are working together to build tens of thousands of acres on the Louisiana coast. Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s Chairman is Bren Haase. Chairman Haase is a passionate hunter and angler from Sportsman’s Paradise, and he joined us to talk about Louisiana’s coastal land loss crisis and how the state is battling that crisis for both people and wildlife.
Suggested Links:
https://coastal.la.gov/
https://midbasin.coastal.la.gov/
https://coastal.la.gov/our-plan/2023-coastal-master-plan/
https://www.vanishingparadise.org/blog/2022/8/creating-paradise-at-davis-pond

Due to advertising inserted into the show post production, we are no longer able to provide show notes.
Please be sure to following NWF Outdoors on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube!

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1 hr 2 min
September 14, 2023 All things Mule Deer (and all deer) with Jim Heffelfinger
Aaron and Bill sit down with renowned deer expert, speaker, and author Jim Heffelfinger to discuss a wide-ranging set of topics focused around the status of mule deer. We expand on what is impacting mule deer health and abundance, CWD, what impacts antler growth, how habitat changes life histories of mule deer, and many other fascinating topics. We even throw in a good deer joke. Jim is the complete expert on mule deer and this is a discussion you don’t want to miss.
Suggested Links:
https://deernut.com/home
https://wafwa.org/wpdm-package/2023-range-wide-status-of-the-black-tailed-and-mule-deer/
Follow Jim on Instagram @CervidNut

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1 hr 15 min
August 31, 2023 Talking the Hottest Hunting app with Jared Larsen of onX
Bill and Aaron have a fun conversation about all things onX hunt app with Jared Larsen, the company’s Whitetail Marketing Manager. We talk about the advent and growth of the company, new features, things in the works, how they feel about the complaint that folks don’t have to put in the work to scout areas, the conservation work onX does, and many other interesting topics. We also take a few questions from listeners who will now receive a one-year elite membership. Jared is a fun and charismatic dude. You don’t want to miss this one.
Suggested Links:
https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app
https://www.onxmaps.com/news
https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives
https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/private-land-public-access

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1 hr 20 min
August 17, 2023 Living Life and Catching Fish with Hard Work and Common Sense
Lots of guests elicit laughter and also a few tugs at the heartstrings. Laughter is pretty easy, but it’s rare a guest has both Aaron and Bill holding back tears in between the laughs, but Joey Monteleone did just that. From working hard in the inner city as a child of immigrants to traveling North America lecturing, writing and filming television shows about fishing, Monteleone has managed to live the life so many of us dream while hopefully watching a bobber during our youth. Over 50,000 (more than 1500 over five pounds) bass later, Joey’s focus on simplifying tackle and techniques is awesome information for both beginner and veteran fishermen.
Suggested Links:
https://hub.jacksonkayak.com/team-jk/kayak-fishing-factory-team/joey-monteleone/
https://www.amazon.com/ILL-BE-TENNESSEAN-YA-History/dp/1689845139
https://www.amazon.com/60-Seasons-fishing-Joey-Monteleone/dp/1952474922
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Storms-CentAnni-Joey-Monteleone/dp/1957344202/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15Q7IQIDO5MUD&keywords=the+secret+of+storms+joey+monteleone&qid=1692194518&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+secret+of+storms+joey+monteleone%2Cdigital-text%2C106&sr=1-1-catcorr

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1 hr 5 min

About National Wildlife Federation Outdoors

From the publisher's feed

The National Wildlife Federation Outdoors Podcast explores the biggest conservation issues and most interesting conservationists and programs throughout the country, from national programs to…