Craig Jourdonnais is the Hunt Coordinator and Big Game Research for the MPG Ranch, a 15,000 wildlife and conservation focused ranch in Western Montana. Prior to this, he spent 33 years with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as a game warden, biologist, and video production specialist.  The bulk of his study was in the Madison, Gallatin, and Bitterroot Valleys focusing on the impacts that elk have on the landscape.  It was during these studies Craig began to document the mortality hunters have on populations and animals that are hit but not harvested. 

Topics Discussed:

• Hunting grasshoppers with rubber band guns
• Growing up hunting Montana
• Defining wounding loss
• CSI of an animal kill site
• Hunter impacts to elk populations
• Hunters’ responsibility to know their equipment

Chasing Rabbits

• Wounding Loss Study
• Craig’s work at MPG Ranch 
• JJ Outdoors with Jake Jourdonnais

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram.

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Kaitlyn Farrar and Beth Vallieres are both Adult Onset Hunters with backgrounds that were not favorable to hunting.  But after moving to Montana and finding themselves in a decidedly hunting-friendly state, they gave it a try.  What follows is a success story of hunters welcoming others into their ranks. Beth and Kaitlyn share their experiences in this first part of a series that looks at how the hunting community can bolster their ranks with a natural and relational growth.  Beth is an artist and wild-horse gentler living in Whitefish, Montana. You can find more of her work on Etsy.  Kaitlyn completed her undergraduate degree in wildlife biology at the University of Montana and spends much of her time outside birding. 

Topics Discussed: 

• Hunting as a culture.
• Birding as a requirement for a hunting partner.
• First lessons from an adult onset hunter.
• Doubling up on first bucks together.
• Learning on the fly how to field dress a deer. 

. Chasing Rabbits:

• International Hunter Education Association
• Hunters Connect

You can find more about me, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

This is the first in a series of episodes titled Hunting Perspectives.   Hunters around the world will share their experiences and challenges and give you a view into their traditions. 

Charlie Jacoby co-founded Fieldsports Channel in 2009 with David Wright. Charlie's background is editing hunting magazines, while David was a news producer for the UK network ITV. Their idea was to collide the world of weekly hunting magazine with TV and produce a magazine TV show. Happily, along came YouTube and gave them the perfect platform. With 10 million individual, logged-in viewers every 540 days, Fieldsports Channel is now the most-watched hunting TV show in Europe and one of the biggest in the world.

Topics Discussed: 

• Anti-hunters around the world. 
• Ferreting for rabbits.
• Bringing your harvest to a wild game market. 
• The six species of deer in the UK.
• Bigfoot and the 4th Dimension.
• UK view of North American Hunting
• Snipe hunting, the American way.

. Chasing Rabbits:

• British Deer Society
• Fieldsports TV Channel
• Dawn of American Deer Hunting

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Elevate Your Ethics.
Because whether you’ve hunted for a single day or a lifetime, we never stop trying to elevate the hunt.

(These shorts will share new ideas, people, and issues within the larger topic of Hunting's Culture and Ethics.)

Where to start?
-An introduction to Jose Ortega y Gasset and his book.  Make your experiences personal, relatable, and shareable. 

 “One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted.”

“A Good Hunter’s way of hunting is a hard job which demands much from man: he must keep himself fit, face extreme fatigues, accept danger. It involves a complete code of ethics of the most distinguished design; the hunter who accepts the sporting code of ethics keeps his commandments in the greatest solitude, with no witnesses or audience other than the sharp peaks of the mountains, the roaming cloud, the stern oak, the trembling juniper, and the passing animal.”

~Meditations on Hunting by Jose Ortega y Gasset, Twentieth Century Spanish Philosopher.

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Maranda Hough  is a multi-passionate, lifelong Montanan who has spent almost 30 years of her life enjoying the outdoors, fitness, health and beauty. From the time she was 3 years old, she accompanied her father in the duck blind, fishing boat, and later progressed into big game hunting. Since shooting her first mule deer buck at age 12, she has strung together over 15 seasons of Montana big game harvests, to even include a solo archery elk harvest in 2020. Although she is a marketing professional for the outdoors industry these days, she has a huge passion for helping women and youth girls get confident outdoors. She plans to re-launch her company Rocky Mountain Women Outdoors this year in an effort to create hands-on hunting education experiences for women that actually help them become proficient hunters on their own.

 Topics Discussed: 

• Growing up in a hunting family and culture.
• Finding solo success in the field.
• Failing and Rising in the outdoor industry.
• Examining how and why you present yourself on social media
• The use and need of the term “huntress.”
• Changing the narrative to being about proficiency and confidence. 
• Hunting with your significant other.

 Chasing Rabbits:

• Maranda Hough Website

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Dr. Chris Nicolai is a renowned waterfowl biologist who grew up and completed his undergraduate degree in Minnesota.  His Master’s degree from University of Alaska and  Ph.D. from the University of Nevada are both focused on breeding black brant in western Alaska.  He is a foremost expert on waterfowl banding/tracking, hunter-harvest modeling and other critical science. Chris has spent 15 years working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and moved to Delta Waterfowl in Bismarck 2.5 years ago as the resident research scientist. 

Topics Discussed:

• Brant and why they are the coolest goose of all.
• Oologists and egg collectors.
• Snow, Blues, and Ross Geese histories.
• Goose Genetics
• Snow goose population impacts on other waterfowl.
• Updating the Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) and what that would take. 
• Climate change’s impact on food in the arctic.

Chasing Rabbits:

• Alaska Bird Trails: Adventures of an Expedition by Dog Sled to the Delta of the Yukon River at Hooper Bay

• Search for The Blue Goose: J.Dewey Soper: The Arctic Adventures of a Canadian Naturalist

• Join Delta Waterfowl

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Dr. Colter Chitwood grew up hunting, fishing, and exploring the woods and waters of northwest Georgia. Years later, his wildlife ecology career has taken him across the U.S., from graduate degrees in North Carolina to postdoctoral positions in Missouri and Montana. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Forest Wildlife Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State University, where his research focuses primarily on population ecology, predator-prey dynamics, and forest habitat management for game species.

Topics Discussed: 

• Why Oklahoma should be on your hunting radar.
• Growing up hunting turkeys in Georgia
• Glory days of turkey hunting over?
• Extension offices as a resource for hunters. 
• Does spring turkey hunting impact breeding, hatching, and populations?
• Sportsmen advocating self-restraint for conservation.
• Turkey subspecies: who can really tell?

 Chasing Rabbits:

• Join the National Wild Turkey Federation
• Find Your University Extension Offices 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, on his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Elevate Your Ethics.
Because whether you’ve hunted for a single day or a lifetime, we never stop trying to elevate the hunt.

(These shorts will share new ideas, people, and issues within the larger topic of Hunting's Culture and Ethics.)

The Need to Self-Police

• Hunters used to be heroes in society…it was the huntsman that rescued Red Riding Hood…
• Recognize errors in judgment and know when/how to respond.
• Hold your self to a higher standard, and call others to the same.
• If we don’t self-police, someone else will.
• 2018 Coyote-Whacked by Snowmobile 
• Hunting’s future is in all of our hands.  I hope that the generation that comes after us are beneficiaries of our willingness to look within the hunting community and find a way to elevate our hunting.

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Dr. Jared Beaver grew up in North Carolina and received a B.S. in Biology from Wake Forest University, an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at the University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. at Texas A&M University.  His research has focused on the various aspects of white-tailed deer population ecology and habitat management.  Jared’s career ambition has always been a position allowing the opportunity to blend person-to-person extension work with applied research and teaching, and in April of 2020 he jumped at the opportunity to serve in the role of Assistant Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist at Montana State University. While much of Jared’s career has focused on management of large mammals, particularly game species, his program at MSU is continually looking for ways to blend wildlife research with applied management by identifying conservation opportunities which have direct relevance for private landowners and wildlife managers. Jared is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and lives in Montana with his wife and their two young boys.

Topics Discussed: 

• Defining and developing a land ethic
• Aldo Leopold as the father of land and wildlife management
•  The “Bambi-Syndrome”
• Balancing the Wildlife Management Triangle:  wildlife population, habitats, and human Need
• The “Tragedy of the Commons” and selfishness of humanity
• The Myth of the Non-Consumptive User
• Finding common ground to collaborate

Chasing Rabbits:

• Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
• Aldo Leopold Foundation 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Rick Sacca is an American hunter living in Japan.  He has hunted in the US Northeast, the Carolinas, Hawaii, and worked in the hunting industry in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of NW Montana.  He has been fortunate enough to have earned hunting licenses and firearms permits as a foreign resident in Japan and had the opportunity to experience hunting Japan-Style.  Using his experience as a Montana hunter education instructor, and a Montana Master Hunter, he offers insight into the similarities and differences in hunting techniques, processes, and hunter ethics. 

Topics Discussed: 

• Ancestral right to free access to land.
• Trapping and spearing wild boar.
• Different ethics in different cultures.
• Japan’s effort to recruit and develop new hunters.
• How General MacArthur setup hunting seasons.
• Proving your mettle in a Japanese hunting club.
• Hunting as military training.
• Redneck-Fusion Teriyaki with Shika Deer.
• Community as the driver behind hunting. 

 Chasing Rabbits:

• Rick’s Blog, https://yabanjinlifestyle.blogspot.com/
• Hunting Perspectives, United Kingdom

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Logan Metesh is a historian with a focus on firearms history and development. He runs High Caliber History LLC.  With more than a decade of experience working for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, and the NRA Museums, his ability to present history and research in an engaging manner has made him a sought after consultant, writer, and museum professional. The ease with which he can recall obscure historical facts and figures makes him very good at Jeopardy!, but exceptionally bad at geometry.

𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝: 

• What it takes to be a firearms historian
• Rise of hunting with firearms in 1600’s
• Matchlock to wheellock to flintlock to percussion
• Mountain man rifle maintenance 
• Lewis and Clark’s airgun
• Advances in technology and its impact on western wildlife
• Distance and Limitations: self-imposed vs. technology 

Chasing Rabbits

• High Caliber History
• The Outlaw Gunner by Harry Walsh

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Gilbert Villegas was born and raised in Deming, New Mexico and spends most of his time hunting and fishing with family and friends. He graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. For the last 19 years he has worked as the Wildlife Biologist and Hunt Administrator on the largest military installation in the country.  Working on 2.2 million acres has rewarded him with a vast amount of experience in wildlife management; ranging from ungulate aerial surveys, wildlife captures and various wildlife surveys.  As the Hunt Administrator on White Sands Missile Range he has managed thousands of hunters and escorted many hundreds of oryx hunters and Desert Bighorn Sheep hunters and guides on private land.

Special Note:  We recorded this episode to give the novice oryx hunter a foundation for their hunt.  We cover a wide range on oryx hunting, strategies, and history that will help increase your odds of success.  But situations change and you’ll want to make sure you are up to date, so make sure you check with Villegas and the NMDGF well before your hunt begins. 

Topics Discussed: 

• Hunting on an active, U.S. Military missile range
• Natural history and biology of a desert African antelope
• History of oryx introduction to New Mexico and White Sands Missile Range
• Applying for  oryx licenses and types
• Where to source oryx hunting information
• Strategies and gear for success

. Chasing Rabbits:

• New Mexico Department of Fish and Game Oryx Hunts

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

• Moose Everywhere!
• Foraging around the country.
• Allemansrätten: The Swedish Right to Roam
• Aging and Curing everything from goose to deer.
• Hunting capercaillie and seals.
• Sweden and USA Hunting differences.
• Hunter Education in Sweden.

• Other Hunting Perspective Episodes:  United Kingdom and Japan. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Justin Iverson is a third generation rancher on a legacy ranch in the Potomac Valley of Montana.  In his time he has seen what happens when ranches don't plan for succession and success.  He often speaks to sportsmen groups and stock grower association meetings about finding ways to cooperate. 

Topics Discussed:

• Working on a legacy ranch in Montana
• Rancher stereotypes.
• The best way to get access to hunt.
• Ways sportsmen get themselves kicked off property.  
• How conservation easements have helped keep lands open.
• Reaching around grizzlies and the ESA.
• The localvore movement and raising beef.

Chasing Rabbits:

• Western Landowner’s Alliance
• Montana Stock Grower’s Association

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

JD Tanner is the Director of Education and Training for Leave No Trace. As a member of the Center’s Education Team, JD manages the long-term, strategic organizational education and training initiatives. With over 20 years of experience as an outdoor educator and administrator, JD brings a perspective from over 17 years in higher education, as well as previous experience as a Traveling Trainer. JD has a BS in Outdoor and Therapeutic Recreation from Southeast Missouri State University, a MS Ed in Recreation Resource Administration from Southern Illinois University and is currently a Doctoral Student in Education at Southern Illinois University.

Topics Discussed:

• How big of an issue is human presence left afield.
• Why hunters should care about where they leave carcasses and gut piles.
• The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace.
• Loving our resources to death.
• Steps to minimize your impact.

Chasing Rabbits:

• Leave No Trace
• Hunting Ethics in LNT
  
  

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Montana State Representative Marilyn Marler and Montana Outfitter's and Guide's Association Executive Director Mac Minard discuss how differing political views find common ground on wildlife issues while attending the National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses Convention in Bozeman, Montana.  There is no shortage of tribalism in our world today and wildlife issues are not an exception.  Often the choice is for combative stances instead of cooperative and collaborative approaches.  Listening to this conversation today you’ll hear that regardless of your political affiliation, our passion for wild things and outdoor pursuits can unite us all.   

Topics Discussed:

• What is the Sportsmen's Caucus?
• What hunting means to Montana's Economy.
• How do you find common ground with divergent views?
• Informed and Involved Sportsmen.
• Best Practices for communicating with policy makers.
• Future of wildlife management and legislation in Montana.

Chasing Rabbits:

• Montana Outfitters and Guides Association
• Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Alex Valdivia  was born in Cuba just west of the capital city of Havana.   He grew up watching fisherman bring in the daily catch and then would forage around his home for dinner.  After his family won visas to the US, he arrived in Florida at 15.  He quickly found that cooking would be his passion.  This led him to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Miami from 2006 to 2008 and the world of being a private chef.  He also has a passion working with animals as a renowned professional dog and dolphin trainer. With his culinary specialty of wild game, Mediterranean and Spanish style dishes, Alejandro looks forward to the journey ahead becoming the chef he’s always wanted to be, with his buddy and four-legged companion Mako by his side.

 Topics Discussed:

• Growing up in Cuba and foraging and hunting.
• Discovering good cooking.
• Finding and prepping spruce grouse in Montana.
• Biggest mistakes cooking wild game.
• Introducing people to wild game.

Chasing Rabbits:

• Forloh Clothing and Gear

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Catherine Semcer has worked with the Sierra Club and federal land management agencies to reduce climate, ecological, and regulatory risks to their operations.  After leaving the Sierra Club, she was part of the executive team of an NGO that provides training, advisory, and assistance services to anti-poaching units in Africa.  Now as a research fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Montana and the African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, she serves on the advisory board of the Game Rangers Association of Africa.  Catherine is an expert with the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, and the Chair-Elect of the International Wildlife Management Working Group of The Wildlife Society.  She is currently pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom where her research focuses on the contributions of the private sector to conservation in Africa.

Topics Discussed: 

• The African Model of Wildlife Conservation.
• BioDiversity Credits and investing in conservation.
• “Conservation is the business that enables all other businesses.”
• Giving non-consumptive users a seat at the table.
• The value of hunting  to conservation beyond funding.
• Ivory and Horn Trade.
• Weaponization of “Trophy Hunting”
• Informed and Involved on African Wildlife Conservation.

 Chasing Rabbits:

• Property and Environment Research Center
• Catherine's Articles 
• Cries of Savannah by Sue Tidwell
• How to Talk About Hunting with Mark Duda

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Janelle Hansen  is not a hunter.   She doesn't have an aspirations to become one, either.  Yet she is like 90% of America who approve of hunting as long as it is regulated and the animals' death serve a purpose.   Growing up in Washington, she moved to Montana and works in early education.  Conversations like this one give a glimpse into mind vital demographic, their questions, and concerns surrounding hunting.  It is easy for us as sportsmen to remain close to the tribe, but in doing so we miss oppurtunities to share our experiences and remain relevant in society.  Our hope is that this episode will help you understand the questions that non-hunters have and began to think through your answers.

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• What's for dinner?
• Rapid fire questions on hunting.
• How do you view guns and hunting?
• Surprise that hunters fund wildlife management.
• What do you think of how hunters are portrayed in culture?

 Chasing Rabbits:

• How to Talk About Hunting by Mark Duda

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Chad Bishop is Director of the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana.  He is responsible for a wide array of functions tied to running the wildlife program, with an emphasis on faculty and student support and program outreach and development.  Prior to University of Montana, Chad spent nearly 16 years working for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, initially as an ungulate researcher and later as an administrator.  He received a B.S. degree from Montana State University in Biology with a Fish and Wildlife emphasis (1995), M.S. from University of Idaho in Wildlife Resources (1998), and Ph.D. from Colorado State University in Wildlife Biology (2007).

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• Great American Outdoors Act
• Recovering America's Wildlife Act's failure to pass.
• Incoming widllife managers who don't hunt.
• Major challenges coming up. 
• Rise of non-consumptive users and social/emotional based decisions.
• Why hunter mentorship is vital to hunting's future. 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Sue Tidwell is a multi-award-winning author whose thirst to explore wild places took her to the Tanzanian bush where she was infected with an extreme case of African fever, a condition that grips a person’s heart like a vice and never lets go. Tidwell, in her debut title Cries of the Savanna, is determined to light that fire in the heart of her readers as well. 

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• Sue's evolution of thought from doubter to a staunch supporter of well-managed hunting
• Human and wildlife conflict in Africa
• Poaching's different targets in Africa
• How hunting protects habitat
• The deficiency of photo-journalism to support wildlife
• The myth of non-consumptive tourism

Chasing Rabbits

• Purchase a copy of Sue's book on her website. 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Rick Brazell is the founder and president of the First Hunt Foundation.  After 36 1/2 years of working for the U.S. Forest Service as a wildlife biologist, natural resource staff officer and a line officer managing millions of acres, he wanted to find a way to share his love of hunting and help others learn.   He has a passion for hunting and helping others discover the life changing benefits of becoming a hunter.  The First Hunt Foundation provides training and insurance for mentors as well as serves as a portal nationwide for new hunters looking for guidance.

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• Why hunting needs mentors now.
• The Anti-R3 Movement.
• The Five Stages of a Sportsman.
• The high retention rate of mentored hunters.
• Lowering barriers to hunting while still "earning" it. 

Chasing Rabbits

• Become a mentor.

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Gary is one of those old timers we all hope to be someday:  retire early, move to the land of your boyhood dreams, and spend the rest of your life hunting and fishing.   Born in raised on a farm in central Michigan, he completed his degree in Fisheries and joined the Army.  In 1962 he married his sweetheart and spent 52 years with her and his two boys.  His work as a fisheries biologist took around Michigan, including 18 years at the manger of the state's best trout stream, the AuSable River.  In Gary's words, "If I had it to do all over again, I would have come to know the Lord a lot earlier and been a better husband and father. Everything else I would leave the same." 

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• Life after 80 years of hunting and fishing.
• Remembering your first buck.
• The really important things in life. 
• Hustling even when life is tough. 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Hannah Downey is the policy director at PERC, leading policy strategy and government affairs efforts to implement key policy reforms based on PERC’s groundbreaking research. She has applied her passion for the outdoors to advance lasting conservation wins since joining PERC in 2015. Hannah has testified before Congress and works closely with policymakers at the federal and state levels on conservation issues, and her work has been featured in media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The Hill.  Though she grew up in the Midwest, Hannah was lucky enough to spend her summers in Montana and worked as a backpacking guide in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness throughout college. Hannah now calls Bozeman home and fills her spare moments coaching youth mountain biking, serving on the board of the local ski foundation, and enjoying the wonderful outdoors every way she can.

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• Dinner discussions with a politically-opposite spouse.
• How sportsmen's groups help or hinder the cause.
• Incentive programs that encourage conservation practices.
• Opportunities for Sportsmen to invest in conservation.
• Reforming the ESA.
• Upcoming Conservation Issues Sportsmen Need to Know.

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Aaron Schmaus  is a multi-faceted professional with a distinguished background in the military, literature, as an athlete and in videography, and digital marketing. As a dedicated father and husband, he channels his diverse expertise to enrich the experiences of individuals navigating the great outdoors. Through insightful discourse, he sheds light on pivotal issues such as wildlife conservation, veteran welfare, and the intricate interplay between humanity and the natural world. As the esteemed host of The Primitive Republic Podcast, Schmaus delves into a wide spectrum of human experiences, seamlessly transitioning between riveting outdoor narratives and insightful explorations of the human condition. Presently spearheading Wrangled Media, Schmaus's innovative vision revolves around producing compelling digital content tailored for both individuals and businesses.   

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• Passing on hunting as a hunting safety instructor. 
• Finding common ground in morals and ethics.
• Quickest way to ruin a hunting partnership.
• Knowing what it means to be part of a team.
• Ten rules for a good hunting partner.

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Michael Sabbeth is a lawyer, author, and lecturer on ethics and rhetoric. His recent work, The Honorable Hunter: Defending and Advancing Our Hunting Heritage, is a step by step guide on how to develop your own conversations on hunting that will be effective helping non-hunters better understand our passion.   He has been a lecturer at Master Hunter Education programs, is an NRA-certified instructor in shotgun disciplines, a Boy Scout merit badge counselor in the shotgun discipline, consults for the United States Shooting Association on media relations and writes for many prominent hunting and shooting magazines, including Safari Magazine, The Double Gun Journal, Sporting Classics and ClayingShootingUSA.  

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed: 

• Hemingway, his writing and discipline and drinking.
• Ethics are everywhere in hunting and not just situational.
• Crafting arguments in response to anti-hunting.
• Virtual signaling and pathological altruism.
• Words matter: trophy hunting.
• Self Policing as hunters.
• Finding legitimacy in hunting. 
• Harvesting vs Killing.

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Mark Damian Duda is executive director of Responsive Management. Over the past 35 years he has conducted over 1,000 studies on how people relate to the natural world. He is the author of four books on wildlife and outdoor recreation and more than 150 published articles and peer-reviewed papers. He is a certified wildlife biologist and social scientist and holds a masters degree in natural resource policy from Yale University. 

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• Social science is why it matters for hunters.
• Negotiating a place for wildlife on the landscape.
• How to talk about hunting. (Book link)
• Words Matter, pictures matter, tone matters.
• Animal rights vs animal welfare vs animal dominianism. 
• Communicating Effectively: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
• Hunting’s best arguments.

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Charles Whitwam is the founder and president of Howl for Wildlife.
Howl For Wildlife provides streamlined tools and resources with regards to issues surrounding wildlife, hunting and/or fishing management.  Howl For Wildlife provides content & education sourced from biologists, partner organizations, and boots on the ground experts/individuals who are directly involved in the sustainable growth and health of wildlife in North America.   Howl For Wildlife provides the public with streamlined access to officials, decision makers and influencers through industry leading technology.

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• Food unites all humans, hunters and nonhunters.
• Taking back the hunting narrative.
• Mobilizing sportsman to action.
• What is your trophy in hunting?
• Giving hunters the tools needed to fight anti-hunting dishonesty. 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Ethan Yazel is a 4th generation muzzleloading enthusiast, with a familial love of muzzleloading dating back to the 1930s. He’s always had a passion for history and thinks it is important to archive the stories of today's muzzleloaders for future generations.  His platform I Love Muzzleloading hosts a ton of great resources for the beginner or enthusiast, including his own podcast and YouTube Channel.

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• The growing number of hunters and seasons across the country.
• Defining what a muzzleloader is and isn't.
• How to address technology creep.
• How to stay in step with the spirit of primitive weapons. 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Carrie Bilbao is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Public Affairs Specialist at the National Interagency Fire Center.  Before diving into her wildland fire management career, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from Boise State University.  She has spent 26 years working for the BLM in Boise in wildland fire management as a wildland fire investigator, fire prevention officer, mitigation and education specialist, and public information officer.  Carrie also dabbled in fire suppression operations as a wildland firefighter, engine operator, helitack crewmember, and a type 5 incident commander.

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• The Big Burn of 1910 and its lessons.
• Fire management on public lands.
• Hunting safe around wildfires.
• Gear and prep for staying alive.
• Urban fires and the need for vigilance.
• Finding fire safety info at NICS Predictive Services. 

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram.

Elevate the Hunt also produces For Those Who Serve, a podcast connecting military members with hunting opportunities. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Since he was a boy running around the woods and water of Southern Ohio, hit songwriter Andrew Scott Wills has been enamored with American history. He spent his summers combing the dirt for arrowheads and visiting historical forts and memorials. As he a teenager he discovered Eckert's "The Frontiersman" and built his first CVA Kentucky long rifle kit. Around the same time he bought a junk guitar for $20 and started songwriting.  Life took him on a whirlwind journey of college, marriage, fatherhood and a career of songwriting on Nashville's Music Row notching Billboard charting singles and hundreds of recordings. He grew tired of his career depending on the unreliable music industry and fickle artists. All the while, the frontier was calling.

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• Why the mountain man culture draws us in.
• Could we make it back then?
• Becoming an American Mountain Man.
• Jack Hinson and his one man war against the Union.
• How to quit your job and go west.
• Making his sound bring back the feeling of 1820s.

Elevate the Hunt also produces For Those Who Serve, a podcast connecting military members with hunting opportunities. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Brittany Boddington's hunting career began after high school when, as a graduation gift, she went on her first safari with her father, taking five trophy animals. She now spends most of the year happily living out of a suitcase in pursuit of exotic animals and exciting adventures. She writes for several notable outdoor publications and was honored as the first woman to ever appear on the cover of Petersons Hunting Magazine. With her father Craig’s help Brittany has discovered a love for the great outdoors and has become a passionate hunter and conservationist. She now devotes her time to She Hunts, a skills camp developing skills and confidence in women beginning their own hunting careers.

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• Handicapped by chivalry.
• Men and women have always hunted together.
• How guys teach wives and daughters to hunt, and lessons they could use.
• The growing demographic of single women who just want to secure their own meat.
• Introducing your daughters to hunting.
• The Death of the Huntress and staying feminine. 

Elevate the Hunt also produces For Those Who Serve, a podcast connecting military members with hunting opportunities. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Faith Johnson's journey into the world of pageantry began in 2016 when she won the prestigious title of Miss Montana's (Outstanding) Teen in her very first attempt. Her story is one of determination, talent, and a heart dedicated to making a difference.  An actress since the age of 4, Faith's love for theater has always been a driving force in her life. She pursued her passion for understanding people by earning a degree in psychology and sociology from Montana State University, maintaining a 3.95gpa. Remarkably, she joined the workforce at the young age of 15, gaining invaluable life experiences early on. 

Her passions extend beyond the stage and academia. She has a deep love for art, a fierce enthusiasm for hunting, and an unwavering commitment to family values. Her Montana roots run deep, and her pride in being a born-and-raised Montanan shines through in her advocacy and actions. Faith's Social Impact Initiative, "W.I.L.D. Life: Wilderness Inheritance, Land and Diversity" is a testament to her dedication to preserving the natural beauty of Montana. Faith is not just a pageant queen; she's a fearless advocate for keeping Montana wild, accessible, and thriving. She’s a girlie girl with a passion for getting her hands dirty, the embodiment of strength and grace, and she’s determined to make a lasting impact on her beloved state.

If you enjoy the podcast, we'd really appreciate it if you drop us a review, share it with a friend, or find us on Instagram.

Topics Discussed:  

• Growing up hunting in Montana.
• Wildness, inheritance, land diversity, stewardship
• Keeping the hunting heritage alive.
• The reality of the hunter's paradox.
• Sharing hunting with the pageant circle. 

Elevate the Hunt also produces For Those Who Serve, a podcast connecting military members with hunting opportunities. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

As we ready to launch episodes on January 1, here's more about what is behind the Venery and Veritas Podcast.

Support the Show.

Mike McTee starting off the Venery and Veritas Podcast discussing lead-free ammunition.

Mike's research and passion for helping FELLOW hunters learn more comes through clearly. Look for his book on golden eagle research, Wilted Wings, later this year.  We appreciate your comments below and your reviews on your favorite platform.  You can find more of Mike's work at www.mpgranch.com.

If you are interested in learning more about non-lead ammunition and making the switch, you can visit the North American Non-Lead Partnership and  Huntingwithnonlead.org
And on Instagram @nonlead_partnership and @huntingwithnonlead

You can find more about me, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Erin O’Regan White of Missoula Wine Merchants helps us know how to pair your huckleberry-glazed elk tenderloin or what you should pour when serving roasted squirrel.  Erin is an oenophile and adult-onset hunter who has introduced her two young sons to hunting. 

Topics discussed:

• Where to start with wine?
• How does wine enhance the taste?
• What are the key wine descriptors?
• Specific selections for the wild game protein. 
• Utilizing your local wine merchant. 
• What hunting looks like with your 8 year-old son. 

Chasing Rabbits:

• Wine Bible – Karen Macneil
• www.winefolly.com with Madeline Puckette
• And of course, your local wine merchants. 

You can find more about me, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Jeff Darrah is a retired game warden and Executive Director of MT Sportsmen for Wildlife.  In his nearly thirty years of patrolling Montana he has seen dramatic shifts in hunting’s culture. He continues to help mentor the next generation of hunters as an instructor at many events throughout the state. In this episode we cover:

Topics Discussed: 

• What’s happening to the hunters that age out?
• How can we capture the hard earned wisdom of aging hunters?
• Seeing a mentorship come full circle.
• Hunter education as the foundation of hunter recruitment.
• Staying involved in hunting.

Chasing Rabbits:

• First Hunt Foundation
• International Hunter Education Association 
• Your State Agency’s Hunter Education Program.

You can find more about me, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Kelli Lutz began her wilderness medicine career with wilderness first aid elective in college.  She quickly changed her degree and now uses her Wilderness EMT to instruct others and provide medical coverage to wilderness movie sets.  She has guided whitewater rafting, backpacking and ice cave glacier tours in Alaska.  She currently teaches for Aerie Backcountry Medicine when not shed hunting with her husband and Weimaraner, Blue.  

Topics Discussed: 

• Working on remote movie sets.
• Identifying life threats and assessing patients.
• Working in austere environments and being resourceful.
• How a WFR course prepares you for hunting solo.
• MacGyvering treatments when in the backcountry. 

. Chasing Rabbits:

• Sign up for a Wilderness First Responder Course: https://aeriemedicine.com/

You can find more about me, your host, at my website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Ally Marshall has been a licensed falconer since 2006 and has flown multiple species and styles of falconry, from micro-hawking with kestrels, merlins, and sharp-shinned hawks to hunting rabbits with red-tailed and Harris' hawks, to hunting versatile quarry with goshawks and Cooper's hawks. She is the current president of the Montana Falconers' Association and owns and operates a dog training and boarding kennel in Florence, MT. 

Topics Discussed: 

• Why would anyone would want to hunt with an antiquated method?
• The process for becoming a falconer. 
• The lifestyle required to fly raptors. 
• How falconers saved the peregrine. 
• Any day you come home with your bird is a good day. 

. Chasing Rabbits:

• Montana Falconers Association
• North American Falconer’s Association
• The Falconer’s Apprentice by William Oakes

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Tyler Parks Region 2 Wolf-Carnivore Specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He grew up in the Bitterroot Valley and early on found a passion for Montana's wild places and wildlife.  In 2009 he graduated from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology. Tyler has studied and worked on projects including snowshoe hares, bobcats, black bears, grizzly bears, and mule deer.  In 2012 he began working on wolves and in 2016 entered his current role as the Region 2 Wolf Specialist. 

Topics Discussed:

• When where wolves extirpated and naturally repopulating Montana? 
• What wolf pack dynamics and behavior?
• Suggestion on strategies to locate wolves.
• What are the current wolf dynamics in Montana?
• How do wolves interact with other carnivores?

Chasing Rabbits

• Wolves by David Mech 
• Wolves on the Hunt by David Mech

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram. 

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.

Jana Waller, is the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commissioner for Region 2 and host of SkullboundTV.  Jana has blended her intensity for conservation with her communications background, actively promoting women in the outdoors and hosting hunts for veterans.  She continues her work by writing, speaking, and donating her artwork to raise awareness and support for conservation and veteran causes.  

Topics Discussed:

• Working in today’s Outdoor Media
• Using her platform to give back to veterans
• Being selected by the governor to be a commissioner
• Communicating for maximum influence
• The increasing presence of non-consumptive users in wildlife management
• Current issues before FWP

Chasing Rabbits

• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
• Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

You can find more about Everett Headley, your host, at his website or Instagram.

Intro Music: Jason Shaw- Back to the Woods
Outro Music:  Bumy Goldson- Keep Walking

Support the Show.