Roe Hunting Resources' Podcast

Part Two with John Leonard is here after a bit of a stressful and emotionally draining couple of weeks for Chris. The loss of friends/loved ones is always tough, but it helps being able to talk to someone who's walked that same walk, and who knows what you're going through. In this episode, Chris and John start off talking about personal loss, dealing with cancer, reminiscing about John's brother Joe, and providing some recommendations for those that might not have faced personal loss in their lives as of yet. From there, they finally dive into the conservation topics they didn't get to in Part One, namely: – State Governors' Auction and Raffle tags, and putting serious money on the ground for research and habitat conservation; – Wild sheep disease issues with domestic sheep and goats; – Should there/could there be more sheep (or even more goats) in Colorado; and – More!

Taking a little break from Colorado wolf discussions, Chris finally sits down with long-time friend and passionate sheep hunter John Legnard. The intent of this discussion was to dive into some pretty deep topics, but as Chris is known to do with good friends, the discussion doesn't even get to the planned "meat and potatoes" but instead burns through 3.5 hours of "drink and appetizers" in the blink of an eye! This was a fun conversation that'll need to continue, so this will serve as a "Part One" of the longer discussion. In this episode, John and Chris dive into: – First tastes of bighorn sheep hunting; – Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society, its beginning and importance; – The origin of the S34 sheep herd and its conservation legacy; – Hunting (and debating ideas surrounding) human-habituated critters; – Old sheep and seasonal tastiness (is sheep meat actually any good?); – Brewing beer with the O.G.'s of "craft beer"; – The secret to brewing the perfect Hefeweizen; – Being the luckies S.O.B.!; – Giant rams of Colorado, with shout-out to Janet George for all she's done for hunter conservationists in Colorado; – Putting in the work; – Science in hunting, and teasing out the "Devil in the Details"; – Where to put your money if you want to fund conservation; and – More!

A shorter podcast for those weary of the 3+ hour marathons, we're diving into Part Two of the discussion with Mike Schlegel, formerly of the Idaho Fish and Game, regarding wolves, their impact on Idaho, and lessons for Colorado - should anyone be willing to listen! This discussion dives in head-first, so buckle up, and TAKE NOTES! ...if you want to chime in on the USFWS 10(j) rule public comment period, there are some serious points in here to consider! If you want to testify before the Colorado State Legislature on CO Senate Bill 23–256, listen closely and take notes – there are serious points to consider!!! Right out of the gate, this episode hits on: – Elk movement and the realities of the elk population in Idaho before and after wolf reintroduction; – Elk depredation on agriculture/hay stores/production vs. livestock depredation; – Federal land habitat quality and management; – The fallacy of the "Trophic Cascade" regarding wolves in many habitats; – The true "cost" of the wolf reintroduction – livestock vs loss of license sales vs game damage claims on ag products; – Who really decides who is a "wolf depredation" specialist; – A message to sportsmen for the USFWS 10(j) ruling public comment period; – What does the 10(j) actually give us???; – What exactly IS a "self-sustaining" wolf population???; – Where the hell are the "sportsmen's groups" that offer a "good investment?"; and – SOOOOooooo much more!

The Colorado Legislature recently introduced a "Wolf Bill" – Senate Bill 23-256 – that has everyone in a tizzy, and sportsmen hopeful for a way to stop the wolf reintroduction in its tracks. Chris says it's not going to even pass, BUT... For this episode, John McDonald and Justin Nolan join in to talk about the Bill, what it does, what it doesn't do, the Wildlife Commission meeting, the Senate Ag Committee hearing, and the reason Chris changes his mind regarding the Bill by the end of this conversation. There's a lot in here, so if you feel your time is limited, jump to 1 hour and 30 minutes, and start from there, otherwise, listen to it all, process it, and then reach out to Justin at HuntersforColorado@gmail.com and GET INVOLVED! ...we need CHEEKS IN SEATS!!!! Massive thanks to everyone who's reached out and extended their support! Like always, our members – YOU – make all of this possible! I can't thank all of you enough, other than to endeavor to keep these conversations going! Your financial support is the fuel that keeps this engine running!

This week's episode starts off a multi-part discussion with Mike Schlegel, former [elk] Research Biologist and Regional Wildlife Manager with the Idaho Fish and Game about Idaho's history with wolves, and the wolves that were released/reintroduced there. Although there were at least five topic/bullet points to dive into at the start of this conversation, Chris and Mike only got to point number two in the span of three hours, so follow-up discussions are in order, and are definitely forthcoming! LOL! In this episode Chris and Mike talk about: – Kansas whitetail and turkey realities of today; – Spring elk calving habitat vs. spring bear habitat and ungulate predation; – Idaho's history regarding their wolf reintroduction; – Chris playing "devil's advocate" and the return of Chris's "Black Hat"; – Colorado's proposed reintroduction timeline/release schedule; and – More! Enjoy!

This week we listen in on the discussion recorded by Jim Huntsman of "The Western Huntsman Podcast" back in early March, continuing the "Is Hunting Conservation" themed discussion between Chris, Jim Huntsman, and Guy Duplantier of "The Western Contours Podcast. In this extremely fun "Part 4" of the discussion, the guys dive into: – Responses to critics; – Can sportsmen not learn from the mistakes of the past?; – The shifting "Overton Window" of sportsmen's issues; – Rallying around issues vs. our collective culture; – Putting the cost of sportsmen's "tags" into perspective; – Colorado Parks and Wildlife expenditures and where sportsman dollars go; – Where sportsmen can spend money for habitat; – What should sportsmen post on Social Media; – The importance of the "Neutral Middle"; and – Much more! Enjoy!

Well, the first one was so fun, Chris and Cliff decided "Why not?!?!" and turned-and-burned a "Part 2" discussion to continue discussing Colorado wolves, elk, and several more things to include: – The intangible costs of effective sportsmen advocacy; – Science vs. "science"; – Embracing "wokism" and capitalizing on culture in the 10(j) Rule; – Money vs. "sound investment" in advocacy; – Thoughts on future elk hunting [draw] strategies; – Private habitat partnerships with the USFS; – The future of Colorado's moose populations; – Hunter "investments with assurances"; and – More! Enjoy!

For this episode, Chris brings in Cliff Gray to talk about Cliff's knowledge of elk movement, behavior, hunting, and outfitting in a variety of northwest Colorado Elk/Deer Game Management Units, and get his thoughts on the upcoming wolf reintroduction, and "what could be" with the reintroduction effort, and if sportsmen got their $#!+ together! Cliff was the owner/operator of Flat-tops Wilderness Guides for nearly 10 years (amongst other guiding/outfitting activities), and now has a very informative YouTube channel called "Pursuit with Cliff" (along with his Instagram page under Cliff Gray) where he shares a TON of knowledge from his direct experience for those just getting started in the hunting/elk hunting. Cliff is also a great "critical thinker," while being a humble dude, so he's a great person to dive into a variety of topics with, and especially those that might be tricky, controversial, and uncomfortable. In other words... another great "intellectual sparring partner" for some of the discussions we've had on here of late! For this discussion, we touch on: – Guiding/outfitting in Colorado – Forest Service management of guides/outfitters/habitat management/fire fuels mitigation, and more – Elk movement and behavior now vs. "what could be" once wolves hit the landscape – What Colorado sportsmen "might/could" do, and what they darn-well "should" do in response to what we're seeing with the wolf reintroduction, and – More

Public comment on the Colorado Wolf Reintroduction and Management Plan is pretty much over, and after the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting on February 22, 2023, it looks like Colorado's elk hunting future is uncertain at best, to down-right over as we all currently know it, at worst! From Chris' perspective, having worked across from – having to deal with – animal activists throughout his professional career in Colorado for more than 20 years, he's not too optimistic, and believes Colorado's elk hunting [possibly most, if not ALL, hunting] is nothing more than a "dead man walking" at this point. In this discussion, Chris outlines: – Why he thinks that; – What his professional experience with animal activist groups is; – His experience with what happens when activists drive public policy; – What sportsmen can/might want to "do about it" with regard to the current climate of activism driving wildlife policy in Colorado.

This is a long discussion, covering a bunch of topics regarding the Colorado Wolf Reintroduction and Management Plan – SPECIFICALLY – the realities surrounding the process, the Wildlife Commission, and what sportsmen "can do about it." This discussion covers a bunch of questions that folks have been asking/talking about, with Chris giving you the cold hard truth, as he sees it, for what is REALLY going on, and what will REALLY happen as this Plan moves forward; there's been a lot of misinformation, misunderstanding, and inadvertent wasted effort on the behalf of sportsmen, so it was time to have a "different discussion" regarding this issue to cut through some of the B.S. Obviously, these are Chris's opinions, but they are based on his more than 10 years of direct sportsman's political advocacy in Colorado, and more than two decades of working with controversial wildlife species conservation and management WITH AND AGAINST animal activists/"advocates" who gain/are afforded the opportunity to drive public policy. Best listening for this discussion will probably be achieved by setting your playback speed to 1.25 or faster; the intro explains why. As always, fire away with your thoughts/input once you chew through it!

This is a long discussion, covering a bunch of topics regarding the Colorado Wolf Reintroduction and Management Plan – SPECIFICALLY – the realities surrounding the process, the Wildlife Commission, and what sportsmen "can do about it." This discussion covers a bunch of questions that folks have been asking/talking about, with Chris giving you the cold hard truth, as he sees it, for what is REALLY going on, and what will REALLY happen as this Plan moves forward; there's been a lot of misinformation, misunderstanding, and inadvertent wasted effort on the behalf of sportsmen, so it was time to have "a different discussion" regarding this issue to cut through some of the B.S. Best listening will probably be achieved by setting your playback speed to 1.25 or faster; the intro explains why. As always, fire away with your thoughts/input once you chew through it!

Oh...buddy! ...this one is gonna be a DOOZY with the audience! ...a few of you will love it. Some of you will consider it. A $H!+ ton of you will CRUCIFY us for even discussing it! But... come hell or high water, we're damn sure gonna talk about it; ...the Kifarucast discussion between Aron Snyder and Josh Bowmar, regarding the conclusion of the Bowmar case in Nebraska! We're not even going to give you any spoilers... if you follow Aron Snyder or Kifarucast, or you follow Chris through Roe Hunting Resources on social media, you KNOW what we're gonna discuss here, the controversy, and the PUBLIC OPINION of it all! Well... how about we have a DEEPER level of discussion than just plain primal emotion? I know... scary, right?!?!? Well... Buckle up, because here...we...go!

Episode 64 is an "early release" over the weekend to give folks coming back from the Western Hunt Expo some more entertaining "meat, gristle, and bone" to chew on for their trips back home! In this episode, Aron Snyder of Kifaru, Kifarucast, and Born Primitive Outdoor jumps over onto THIS side of the podcast universe and joins Chris in the continuation of the discussions from the most recent 5+/- hour marathon Chris just did over on the Kifarucast podcast last week. For this discussion, Chris and Aron dive into thoughts revolving around proposed changes to Colorado's next season structure, wherein hunters – both Resident AND Non-Resident – may end up seeing big changes. Some of the topics covered include: – The crazy differences in value-sets that apparently Colorado hunters have for their reason for hunting. – Should Over-the-Counter (OTC)licenses be modified for Non-Residents? ...ALL public land hunters – Resident and Non-Resident alike??? – Will Resident hunters be willing to accept a massive fee increase to cover the loss in revenue typically brought in by high numbers of Non-Resident hunters? – Will Colorado simply "trade evils" to address an "issue" that may be closer linked to habitat issues and elk numbers, as opposed to actual "hunter dissatisfaction/crowding" issues? – And more!

How in the WORLD does one synthesize a response to the volume of comments and input generated from the previous discussions of "is hunting conservation" over the past few weeks into ONE podcast episode? In short... you DON'T! ...you CAN'T. Chris set out for this week's podcast to address many of the comments, and engage the feedback, from his previous discussions – found both here, as well as The Western Huntsman podcast and The Western Contours podcast – only to find the topics and discussions to be covered were WAY too involved, lengthy – and specific – to wrap ANYONE'S head around into one podcast episode. So, this episode shifted to simply providing a partial explanation of what has been heard previously, to provide context as to where things are headed, and extend a commitment from Chris to try and "do better" in the realm of providing mentorship for the "younger/newer" generation of consumptive wildlife users in this Sportsman lifestyle and community we all love and cherish.

Chris has spent a considerable amount of time, of late, being somewhat/relatively/extremely (depending who you are) critical of the sportsman community, and there are a few folks that are uncomfortable about that. Well...why? ...is it that Chris is saying something wrong, or is it that he's saying something that makes you THINK – and that, as of yet, you don't have a response to??? In this podcast, Chris goes over where he feels he "stands" within the sportsmen community in recent days/weeks/months, and offers a series of metaphors to better frame where his mindset is, and how it relates to the broader sportsmen community. In this discussion, Chris will: – Start with a children's nursery rhyme; – Set the stage for the underlying metaphor of the "North American Model of Wildlife Conservation" being the perfect example of a frat house; and then – Dive into our "house", the activities within it, the players, where they stand, our neighbors, the community, and what the hell Chris is hoping to do these days. Enjoy! ...and if this discussion pisses you off... make an argument. Make your case – unemotionally – and continue the discussion/dialog. Otherwise, just chew a little longer on the gristle that Chris just fed you, and swallow it! How's THAT for a closing metaphor?

I'm baaaaaaaack.... I know, I know... it's been a while... BUT... It's time to get back in the saddle so-to-speak and jump back into the fray of podcasts regarding all sorts of pertinent issues – especially sportsman advocacy issues. We'll eventually talk about my 2022 elk season, this past deer season, etc... BUT... right before Christmas, Jim Huntsman of the Western Huntsman Podcast, asked if I'd be willing to be a part of a multi-part series podcast discussion exploring – essentially – my criticism of the #huntingisconservation sportsman advocacy movement, with Jim, myself, and Guy Duplantier of the Western Contours podcast. Of course I said yes. So....a few days before Christmas, we dove into "Part 1" of that discussion on the Western Huntsman's podcast, with the intent to continue that discussion on my podcast, as well as Western Contours. Well... here's Part 2 of that discussion. For the first part, folks need to go the Jim's podcast over at The Western Huntsman podcast and give it a listen. This... well, this is a "Part 2" of the topic, and for this discussion, we get a bit more organized, and a HELL of a lot more "RAW" with the conversation asking the question: IS hunting conservation? Give it a listen, and send us your feedback! ...the conversation will continue after this over on Guy Duplantier's "Western Contours" podcast in the near future.

This episode has "flowery language" right out of the gate! Chris is back home for a little bit, so he sat down with Guy Duplantier of Western Contours Podcast for a little bit of a "bonus" episode, and had a great conversation catching up on all things life, the Colorado elk season so far, and what's to come this season. Regardless of what we see on Social Media, life is LIFE, and sometimes it's challenging. Chris has been dealing with a variety of challenges this year, and the attempt at recording this podcast was just another in the string of many ridiculous roadblocks, pot-holes, pitfalls, and other random BS that served to challenge his sanity and whether or not the podcast was even going to be. So Chris was a bit "frustrated," shall we say, coming right in at the gate of this conversation. Little did he know, Guy had just got done dealing with HIS version of life's "kick in the nuts!" This is a great conversation covering a variety of topics, with some good laughs thrown in along the way. From dealing with pets, people, and who we'd extend our hand to in an emergency, to the Colorado opening week of elk season, to reviewing Guy's epic elk melee and his reaction to it, to Chris's opening week and more, this episode is a good one to settle in and enjoy!

It's almost time to leave for elk camp, people! In this episode, Chris covers: – What he's been recording/working on these past few weeks, and the need for uncomfortable, but honest, dialog; – Recent "Subscriber Only" podcast discussions; – Leaving for elk camp on Wednesday and the options between two weeks of "play" or "putting the first acceptable bull on the ground and getting back home"; – Checking in on friends, family, and ESPECIALLY the landowners you plan to hunt with (at least in western Kansas) regarding their mental health/well-being, and the conditions of the farms and ranches you plan to hunt on in the aftermath of this brutal heat and drought; – Social Media; and – More!

Subscribers' Only podcast edition talking about: – ACTUAL elk reproductive/mate selection strategy; – Herding behavior (especially of young bulls); – Do bulls only chuckle at other bulls???; – Why Chris prefers to go after bulls that ONLY chuckle; – Use of Contact Bugles on OTC public ground; and – More

Steve Chappell of Elk Camp TV and Elk Camp Guide Service rounds out this season of the Philosophy of Elk Calling series in spectacular form! This is a GREAT discussion that every elk hunter should listen to, whether you're a beginner, or you consider yourself to be as experienced as they come! Steve is one of the most humble, while being one of the most consistently successful, elk hunting human beings you'll ever find in the field, and his experience across more than 20 years in some of the most challenging units, through all of the challenging seasons, gives his perspective on elk calling a weight that can't be ignored. There's too much in this episode to even try to list, so just get comfortable, hit play, and take notes!