Every April the Wisconsin DNR releases a questionnaire to the public to ask for public input regarding conservation-related issues that are on the radar looking towards the future. The in-person Spring Hearings are then held by each district's Conservation Congress, where citizens can ask questions, and make their opinions known about issues that matter to them. It's an incredible opportunity for regular people like you and I to provide input, and an even better opportunity for outdoorsmen and conservationists to help further initiatives towards positive change. Some of the questions also make you think pretty hard.
This week, Pierce sits down with Wisconsin BHA Board member, Alec Bekkers, to discuss a few of the Hearing questions that stuck out to them the most, and more importantly, what some of them mean for conservation, public land access, and hunter/angler rights and opportunities. The guys cover a little bit of everything including: trout regulations, wake boats, panfish limits, technology in the outdoors, houndsmen advocacy, and most importantly, that outdoorsmen need to do a better job of showing up, making their voices heard, and fighting for hunter rights. It's a thought-provoking conversation that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can go find the spring hearing questionnaire on the DNR website, and join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers at https://www.backcountryhunters.org/join
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Wisconsin Sportsman - Ruminations From The Spring Hearing with Alec Bekkers

The Sportsmen’s Empire is a collection of outdoor hunting podcasts for the die-hard sportsman. These podcasts are jam packed with fun and educational information about whitetail deer hunting and other outdoor content that will not only help you in the field, but help scratch the itch when you can’t be in the tree stand or duck blind. Nine Finger Chronicles, Houndsman XP, DYI Sportsman, The Hunting Gear Podcast, and Southern Ground just to name a few.

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Early mornings, cold fingertips, shots ringing out over the marsh, and a limit of ducks on the strap might feel like a lifetime away right now, but in the words of Wisconsin Waterfowl Association's Executive Director, Bruce Ross, "If you want birds in the sky in the fall, you have to put them on the ground in the spring by creating good habitat." The key point there is, "creating good habitat", and that's exactly what the WWA is setting out to do with the launch of their new Public Lands Restoration Initiative!
In partnership with the DNR, the WWA is setting out to help identify, evaluate, plan, and implement restoration on historic wetlands across the state that have been impacted by agricultural drainage and/or development, and this week, Pierce sits down with Bruce Ross to hear all about this new initiative, and how they plan to get it done. It's a fantastic conversation that will leave you searching for the sign up link to join WWA, as Bruce shares what the WWA is all about, what they're doing to help protect and restore wetlands, how they're going about educating hunters and non-hunters alike, and so much more. Whether you're a lifelong waterfowler or someone who's never even thought about it, this episode is for you. Go check out the WWA website to learn more about all the awesome work they're doing at wisducks.org, and mark your calendars for Saturday, August 24th to attend the Waterfowl Hunting  Expo in Oshkosh!
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Wisconsin Sportsman - The WWA's Public Land Restoration Initiative

When host Steve Fielder was a young hunter attending coonhound events in Virginia and West Virginia, prior to his registry days, he often hunted with John Sturgill and Les Bolen. The duo were coon hunting buddies and were a force to be reckoned with in competition and on the numerous pleasure-hunts our host enjoyed with them in those days. Each man was noted then and now for having world class Plott Hounds. 
Recently, Jamie Estep, who joins Sturgill and Bolen in this episode, designated the annual National Plott Hound Association’s West Virginia Plott Sectional the John Sturgill Tribute Hunt and Show. Sturgill was honored throughout the recent three days of hunts, shows and bear events. Estep invited Steve to judge the bench show on Friday, setting up the perfect opportunity for the friends to get together and recall old times.
This is a feel-good conversation centered upon hunting in the rugged West Virginia mountains with Plott dogs. Estep recalls Sturgill and Bolen as role models for his own career which now includes the title of Field Representative for UKC and anchor for the YouTube video coverage of the popular Tournament of Champions for coonhounds. 
Steve is betting you will really enjoy this one.

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Hound Dog Network - John Sturgill Tribute Hunt

In this episode, Jon Teater (Whitetail Landscapes) and Tom Biebighauser (Wetland Restoration and Training) discuss the importance of wetlands and restoring our properties with better management tactics. Tom has developed highly successful and inexpensive techniques for restoring wetlands and streams that should last forever without maintenance. He cautions against using berms, dams, dikes, levees, weirs, diversions, pipes, pumps, water control structures, or wells that all require frequent and expensive maintenance. Having built over 1,400 dams he has since decommissioned over 300 dams and impoundments, restoring natural valleys in the process.
Tom explains the benefits of wetlands and wet areas for deer and how we can better utilize these areas to enhance our hunting properties. Tom explains the benefits to deer, why deer need wet areas and the health benefits to deer. Tom explains how to build a wetland, taking a soil test, and how deep you need to dig to understand the right amount of clay to get the areas to support all season water. Tom explains the importance of groundwater in certain areas to establish wetlands. Tom explains site selection for creating wetlands. Tom explains in many instances why creating channels, ditches are not necessary to maintain water within these wetland areas.
Tom details how to establish wetlands in dry areas to techniques that can support wetlands during droughts. Tom explains the rare species that come to wetlands and how to better the ecology and related predators within the food chain. Tom explains why plastic water holes are unhealthy and how these are impacting the areas so negative. Tom explains why midges and mosquitoes come to exist in wetlands and how to reduce the volume of certain insects on the landscapes.
Tom explains the benefit of building wetlands with woody debris. Also, using natural large boulders and other rocks to ensure there is diversity of structure in and around wetlands. Tom explains the benefits of planting trees in wetlands and how to manage cattails in these areas. Tom explains water fluctuations and how to reduce non-native plants in wetlands. Tom details native plants that are ideal in wet areas and benefit wildlife. Tom explains the method to create a technique of creating uneven ground establishing more diversity. Tom explains why dams do not work, flooding, muskrats, and beavers are the demise of dams. Tom explains the top plant that deer eat in wetlands.
 
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Tom Biebighauser - Wetland Restoration & Training (wetlandrestorationandtraining.com)
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Whitetail Landscapes - Waterholes, Wetlands, and Improved Deer Habitat

On this episode of GOHUNT’s Western Rookie Podcast, Brian has Kyle Sinclair-Smith on the podcast to share what it’s like chasing giant Canadian Bucks & Bulls!
Kyle his family run a cattle ranch and hunting outfitter in the Calgary area and consistently gets himself and clients on some giant animals! Kyle shares what it’s like hunting private land archery only tags and using tree stands to pattern big bulls just like elk. Brian and Kyle also talk about private vs public land issues and some differences between the US and Canada when it comes to leasing private land for hunting. Click the links below to see more of Kyle’s adventures.
 
https://www.instagram.com/kssbowhunter/


Connect with Brian Krebs
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Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to Brian@westernrookie.com!
 
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Western Rookie - Giant Canadian Bucks & Bulls

This week on the Missouri Woods & Water Podcast we bring you another MWW Classic and one of Nate's favorite shows ever to record, episode number 22, hunting nocturnal bucks with Josh Honeycutt. Josh is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to hunting whitetails, and he has some great information in the show about how to target those bucks that seemed to have gone nocturnal. Thanks for tuning in!!!
 
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Wisconsin Sportsman - Ruminations From The Spring Hearing with Alec Bekkers

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