The Evolving Hunter Podcast

This week, we’re switching things up with a listener Q&A episode. Francis returns to The Evolving Hunter to help me tackle questions sent in by hunters from across the country.

We get into everything from the practical to the philosophical: what new hunters spend too much time worrying about, the skills they should actually be developing, ethical shot decisions, hunting the wind, turkey calling, choosing a rifle, moon phases, Western hunting, and what it really means to move beyond being a “beginner.”

We also dig into some bigger questions surrounding hunting and conservation, including what declining hunter participation could mean for wildlife funding, why Hunter Education doesn’t necessarily teach you how to hunt, and the challenge of helping someone move from completing Hunter Ed to actually feeling confident in the field.

Along the way, we talk about bad gear purchases, lessons learned the hard way, hunting mistakes we still make, backpacks and boots, DIY elk hunts, wilderness skills, mentorship, and why sometimes the best thing a new hunter can do is stop watching YouTube and start connecting with real people.

This one is less interview and more two hunters sitting down and working through the questions a lot of us have probably asked at one point or another.

Have a question you’d like us to tackle in a future episode? Send it to [email protected].

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

Follow The Evolving Hunter Podcast on Instagram and YouTube, and if you enjoy the episode, share it with someone you’d like to get into the woods with.

Passing hunter education is an important first step. But what happens after that?

In this episode of The Evolving Hunter Podcast, Jae sits down with Bryan Posthumus, Statewide Hunter Outreach Coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to talk about what it actually takes to help new hunters move from the classroom into the field.

The conversation starts with listener questions from Colorado. Evan wants to jump straight into elk hunting but is not sure where to begin. Maya wants to hunt because she wants a closer connection to her food, but she is trying to help a non-hunting family understand that decision. Trevor wants to hunt but lives in an apartment, drives a small car, and has no freezer, leaving him wondering what happens if he is actually successful.

Those questions lead to a much larger conversation about the challenges facing new hunters.

Bryan and Jae talk about scouting, building skills before the season, starting with small game, learning to process an animal, finding hunting opportunities, and using resources like the Colorado Hunting Atlas. They also discuss something that may be even more important than gear or hunting knowledge: finding a community.

Bryan shares his own hunting story, from growing up waterfowl hunting with his dad and helping with hunter education classes to spending two decades working in natural resource management before eventually finding his way into hunter outreach with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The conversation also explores the difference between hunter education and hunter outreach, why mentored hunts and hands-on programs matter, and why experienced hunters do not have to be experts before they can help someone else get started.

Jae and Bryan also dig into R3, the effort to recruit, retain, and reactivate hunters, and why participation in hunting is closely connected to wildlife conservation, habitat management, and the future of hunting opportunities.

And maybe most importantly, they challenge the idea that a successful hunt has to end with an animal on the ground. Every trip adds another piece to the puzzle. Skills improve. Knowledge grows. Stories accumulate. Sometimes you even almost get run over by a skunk.

For a new hunter wondering, "What do I do after hunter education?" this episode is a great place to start.

Have a question, story, or comment for the show? Send it to [email protected].

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

Follow The Evolving Hunter Podcast on Instagram and YouTube at @EvolvingHunterPodcast.

Get outside, keep learning, and keep evolving.

Black bears probably are not the first thing that come to mind when you picture the coast of North Carolina, but maybe they should be.

In this episode of The Evolving Hunter Podcast, Jae sits down with Chase Luker of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for a deep dive into black bears, bear hunting, and the hunting culture of eastern North Carolina.

Chase shares how growing up hunting in rural Alabama eventually led to a career in conservation and outdoor education, along with the experiences that turned bear and waterfowl hunting into two of his biggest passions.

From there, the conversation gets into the bears themselves. Why does eastern North Carolina produce such massive black bears? What are they eating? How do their seasonal habits differ from bears in colder parts of the country? And what should a hunter actually look for when scouting bear country?

Jae and Chase also talk about the long tradition of hunting bears with hounds, stand hunting and spot-and-stalk opportunities, identifying boars and sows in the field, choosing hunting areas, reading bear sign, managing human pressure, and some of the mistakes new bear hunters can make.

For someone interested in trying bear hunting, Chase offers a simple starting point: do your research, find a mentor or experienced guide, learn the country, and spend time watching bears before worrying about harvesting one.

They also swap a few memorable bear stories, talk about just how good bear meat can be, and somehow finish the conversation discussing handmade duck decoys and why creating something yourself can add another layer to the hunting experience.

Whether you are thinking about hunting black bears for the first time or simply want to better understand one of North America's most fascinating game animals, there is a lot to take away from this conversation.

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

Have a question for the show? Send it to [email protected].

Follow The Evolving Hunter Podcast on Instagram and YouTube at @EvolvingHunterPodcast.

Stay safe, stay curious, and keep evolving.

In this episode of The Evolving Hunter Podcast, Jae sits down with Jordan Likes, Hunter and Angler Program Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to talk about what it really takes to become a hunter.

Jordan shares his own path from growing up in a Colorado hunting family, to working as a wildlife officer, to eventually helping lead hunter education and outreach efforts across the state. Along the way, Jae and Jordan explore the role hunter education plays in creating safe, ethical hunters and, just as importantly, what hunter education cannot teach you in a weekend.

They dig into one of the biggest challenges facing new hunters: what comes next?

How do you find a mentor when you don't come from a hunting family? How can parents support a child who suddenly wants to hunt? What skills should a new hunter focus on first? And how do you avoid comparing your first season to the elk hunts and mountaintop success stories you see online?

Jordan and Jae talk about mentorship, preparation, managing expectations, starting with small game, building outdoor skills one piece at a time, and why becoming a hunter is less about reaching some imaginary finish line and more about continuing to learn.

Whether you're trying to figure out how to start hunting in Colorado or you're several seasons into your own journey, this conversation is a reminder that nobody has hunting completely figured out. And that's part of what makes it worth pursuing.

Have a question you'd like answered on the show? Send it to [email protected].

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

Follow The Evolving Hunter Podcast on Instagram and YouTube @EvolvingHunterPodcast.

Stay safe. Stay curious. Keep evolving.

In this episode, Jae Ellison interviews Brandon Maahs from South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks about hunting, hunter education, and community building. They discuss shot decision-making, public land etiquette, essential gear for beginners, and how to get involved in hunting in South Dakota.

A huge thanks to Brandon for joining us for this episode!

Check out the SD agency website: Click Here

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

In this episode, Rachel Crume from Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources shares insights on hunter education, mentorship, and programs like NASP to encourage novice hunters. We explore strategies for building confidence, access, and community engagement in hunting.

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

In this episode, Scott Petrie, CEO of Pass It On Outdoor Mentors, shares insights on expanding hunting mentorship programs, overcoming barriers for new hunters, and the importance of conservation education. Discover how mentorship can scale and impact the future of hunting and wildlife conservation.

Pass It On Outdoor Mentors - Click Here

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

Join us as Jim Welsh, Yukon conservation officer, hunter education coordinator, and Canadian Ranger, shares insights from his epic 3,100 mile snow machine expedition across Canada's Arctic. Discover lessons on survival, community, and the parallels to hunting and outdoor skills.

Check out this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm_HeJSgGzY

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

If you're gearing up for spring turkey season, check out the Turkey Hunting Fundamentals course. It's a great course and will help you get started without all the guesswork! Check out the course at certifiedhunter.com/courses.

Show Notes:

In this episode, we explore the multifaceted world of hunting, conservation, and community building with Morgan Evans from NWTF. We discuss the conservation success story of the wild turkey and how organizations like NWTF are fostering inclusive, impactful hunting communities.

A huge thanks to Morgan for joining us for this episode! If you'd like to learn more about the good work NWTF is doing, check out their website at www.nwtf.org.

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

If you're gearing up for spring turkey season, check out the Turkey Hunting Fundamentals course. It's a great course and will help you get started without all the guesswork! Check out the course at certifiedhunter.com/courses.

Show Notes:

In this episode, Jae interviews Carissa Daniels from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to explore the motivations behind new hunters, the importance of hunter education, and how agencies can better engage diverse audiences. They discuss practical steps for beginners, the evolving landscape of hunting participation, and the future of hunter outreach.

A huge thanks to Carissa for being on the show!

Thank you to our partners at CertifiedHunter! Hunter Education is a critical (and often required) part of starting your hunting journey. CertifiedHunter has created an online course that will help you get started on the right foot and meet your state requirements to purchase your hunting license. Visit certifiedhunter.com/evolvinghunter to get started!

If you're gearing up for spring turkey season, check out the Turkey Hunting Fundamentals course. It's a great course and will help you get started without all the guesswork! Check out the course at certifiedhunter.com/courses.

Resources from the show:

Check out upcoming educational programs in North Carolina