Through the Gates

In Episode 51 of Through the Gates, we head to the Furtakers of America Convention in Spencer, Iowa to uncover the challenges hunters, trappers, and conservationists are facing as politics, activism, and ballot-box biology threaten the future of wildlife management. Dan meets with Paul Antczak, Bret Bohn and Ivy O’Guinn - stars of the History Channel series "Mountain Men," as well as Iowa DNR conservation officer Katherine Hoeppner. The guests share stories from the field, and the opportunity they have with their respective roles to educate about the North American Model and the role of sustainable hunting and trapping.

Whether you’re a hunter, angler, landowner, or wildlife enthusiast, this episode delivers an unfiltered look at the fight to protect traditions, working lands, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

👉 Subscribe to Through the Gates for more unfiltered conversations about conservation, politics, and protecting the future of our outdoor heritage.

🔗 Brought to you by Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management
🎯 Learn more: https://savethehuntcolorado.com

#IowaWildlife #HuntingRights #SaveTheHunt #ThroughTheGates #BallotBoxBiology #WildlifeConservation #HuntingHeritage #NorthAmericanModel

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Celebrate the first 50 episodes of the Through the Gates podcast with producer Sean Ender as look back at some of our featured guests and their stories of conservation, wildlife management, hunting adventures and more. This compilation celebrates our accomplishments with the show thus far as we look to expand upon the relationships we've built and set ourselves up for success in our ongoing effort to defend the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and Save the Hunt.

🔗 Brought to you by Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management
🎯 Learn more: https://savethehuntcolorado.com

In case you missed some previous episodes, take a step back and listen to the full episodes featured in this compilation!

06:26 - Ep. 3 - Boone and Crockett
08:16 - Ep. 8 - Wild Sheep Foundation
10:55 - Ep. 22 - Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
12:19 - Ep. 22 - Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society
13:52 - Ep. 11 - Falconry
15:22 - Ep. 14 - Kody Lostroh
17:54 - Ep. 15 - Trapping in the Yukon Territory
19:12 - Ep. 16 - Christine Koeppen
20:29 - Ep. 33 - Jeremiah Wilber and War Party Movement
24:47 - Ep. 43 - Lion attacks and Duluth Underwear
29:03 - Ep. 8 - Bighorn Sheep Biology
31:23 - Ep. 20 - Wildlife Services and Sage Grouse Conservation
36:13 - Ep. 18 - Colorado Gun Laws, 2A 
38:39 - Ep. 41 - Copper Creek Wolf Pack Kill in Middle Park
40:35 - Ep. 48 - Copper Creek Wolf Pack Impacts in Pitkin County
42:36 - Ep. 35 - Randy Newberg and Defeating Proposition 127
44:59 - Ep. 39 - Ovis Wildlife

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In this episode of Through the Gates, we sit down with Shorty Gorham, world-renowned PBR bullfighter and proud advocate for science-based wildlife conservation. From 27 years in the arena to the dedicated life of a houndsman, Shorty shares an unfiltered look at his lifestyle, commitment,  and the grit behind protecting bull riders and the hunting tradition.

We cover:
- His rise in Professional Bull Riders (PBR)
- What it takes to fight bulls at the highest level
- Life after retirement
- His passion for hounds and mountain lion hunting

👊 This is more than a rodeo story — it’s about brotherhood, mental toughness, and protecting a way of life.

🔗 Brought to you by Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management
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In this emotional and brutally honest episode of Through the Gates, host Dan Gates sits down with Colorado ranchers Nikki Day and Amanda Cerveny as they share what really happened after the Copper Creek Pack of wolves were secretly dropped near their homes in Pitkin County.

These aren't activists. These are mothers, wives, and land stewards living with the consequences of ballot box biology, a reintroduction that isn't following the science and leaders who outright lie to the people impacted the most. Hear what state officials didn’t tell them, how their families are coping with fear, loss, and trauma—and why they’re speaking out now.

🛑 If you think this is about wolves, you're missing the point.
 This is about trust, truth, and the fight for rural Colorado’s voice.

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In this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates delivers a critical update on Colorado’s ongoing wildlife policy battles—including an inside look at the fur bearer working group and the rising influence of animal rights extremists in shaping wildlife regulations. With Amendment 14 already limiting science-based tools for wildlife management, new petitions now threaten to ban the sale and use of all fur-bearing species in Colorado.

Dan unpacks how these campaigns, driven by emotion—not data—undermine the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Plus, get an exclusive preview of the upcoming Outdoorsman Days event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Colorado Trappers and Predator Hunters Association.

🎯 Topics Covered:

- Colorado’s fur bearer working group update
- The danger of ballot-box biology and anti-hunting agendas
- Upcoming citizen petitions to ban fur harvest
- The importance of science-based wildlife management
- Full preview of the 2024 Outdoorsman Days event

📍 Event Info:
🗓 August 8–9, 2024
📍 Pathfinder Regional Park, Florence, CO
🎟 ColoradoOutdoorsmanDays.com

🔗 Support the cause: SaveTheHuntColorado.com

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In this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates is joined by two veterans of wildlife policy in Colorado—former CPW Commission Chair John Howard and longtime wildlife professional Dean Riggs—for a deep dive into the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

They share decades of field and policy experience to help listeners understand what’s at stake: how ballot initiatives, shifting politics, and public misinformation are threatening science-based wildlife management. If you care about conservation, hunting, public lands, or just want to understand the system behind wildlife decisions in the West—this conversation is for you.

📢 Learn why Colorado’s wildlife is more than just ballot box fodder—it's a legacy of science, sacrifice, and stewardship.

🔔 Subscribe for more on conservation, wildlife policy, and how you can make a difference.

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🌐 Visit https://savethehuntcolorado.com to get involved.

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In this episode of Through the Gates, we revisit the 7 Tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation—the foundation of science-based wildlife management in the U.S. and Canada. Host Dan Gates breaks down each principle and how they’re being threatened by ballot box biology, misinformation, and political agendas.

Featuring a powerful speech from conservation icon Shane Mahoney, this episode is a must-watch for anyone who cares about public land access, ethical hunting, and the future of wildlife management in North America.

🎯 Learn how to use these 7 tenets as tools to educate others, influence policy, and defend the model that has sustained wildlife populations for over a century.

🔗 Download the educational video series: https://f.io/kBZpUsX2
🌐 Visit https://savethehuntcolorado.com to get involved.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro: Defending the North American Model
1:00 – Why the 7 Tenets Matter
3:00 – Eroding the North American Model
4:27 – Tenet 1: Wildlife as a Public Resource
6:03 - Tenet 2: Markets
8:35 - Tenet 3: Law
9:28 - Tenet 4: Legitimate Purpose
10:42 - Tenet 5: International Resource
11:53 - Tenet 6: Science
13:03 - Tenet 7: Democracy
14:34 – Shane Mahoney’s Speech
28:25 – Take Action & Save the Hunt

#NorthAmericanModel #WildlifeConservation #DanGates #ShaneMahoney #BallotBoxBiology #SaveTheHunt #WildlifeManagement #PublicLands #TrappingDebate #FurHarvest #ScienceBasedPolicy #EthicalHunting #ColoradoWildlife #ThroughTheGatesPodcast

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Dan heads to Bozeman, MT for the Ram Rendezvous with Wild Sheep Foundation and Schnee's Boots. He talks conservation, ballot box biology, and what’s coming next for wildlife management.

#RamRendezvous #WildSheepFoundation #Conservation #BallotBoxBiology #DanGates #SavetheHunt #HuntingPolicy #BozemanMT #WildlifeManagement #WesternHunting #PublicLands #SchneesBoots

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On this week's episode of Through the Gates we sit down with lifelong rancher and conservationist Rusty Ross, whose family has been working the same Colorado land since 1904. Rusty shares raw, personal stories of surviving not one but TWO mountain lion attacks, land management, the toll of predator mismanagement, and the impact of ballot-driven wildlife policy on rural families and ranching traditions. We dive into the consequences of wolf reintroduction, rising predator populations, and the growing disconnect between urban voters and those who live with the realities of wildlife every day. From firsthand lion encounters to the collapse of logging and the fight to preserve agricultural heritage, this episode is a must-listen for hunters, landowners, and anyone who believes in science-based wildlife management.

#ColoradoRancher #WesternLifestyle #huntingisconservation #savethehunt #wildlifeconservation

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This is the full force of the anti-hunting agenda coming to fruition and it's time to reengage. Host Dan Gates lays out the multi-faceted approach from the anti-hunters that we're facing currently and that will all align - coming to a head this year and next to end hunting. Led by the Polis administration, their agenda aims to dismantle Colorado Parks and Wildlife and all forms of consumptive use through more ballot box biology, eroding 125+ years of science-based wildlife management, stacking the wildlife commission, agenda driven working groups and more. We cannot afford to lose at any level - We showed what was possible by defeating 127, now they need to feel the full force of this community. Step up and get engaged or we will lose hunting forever; we will lose wildlife conservation.

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