Shootin’ the Bull

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) sits down with Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist), Kolby White (Conservation Officer - Southeast Region), and his right-hand man, Bear — an energetic black Lab and certified K9 Officer with Idaho Fish and Game. Bear and Kolby have been working together, wearing the Fish and Game badge, for just over a year. Other Topics: The Caribbean of the Rockies; Journal of a Trapper by Osborne Russell; what's inside a K9 handler's truck; any rivalries between working dogs and residential dogs?; a K9 officer's training regimen; when your grandfather's a game warden; patroling Idaho's borders; the history of canines with Idaho Fish and Game; "resting cop face"; can they sniff drugs?; training a dog to search for specific evidence; Bear's least-favorite word; potential hazards for a K9 officer; when your department property eats your other department property; finding a dog-sitter; the severe winter of '23; the Montpelier Reservoir state-record tiger trout story (and a $400 fine); stealing opportunities from other sportsmen; the folly of social media grip-n-grins; solving a case with your grandpa; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) sit down with Roger Phillips (Public Information Supervisor), Tara Reichert (License Operations Manager), and Alex Erickson (Customer and Vendor Relations Manager) to discuss why Idaho is moving to a draw system for nonresident deer and elk tags and what sportsmen and sportswomen can expect when December rolls around. Other Topics: Roger's "Charlton Heston voice"; Tara's return; what the nonresident tag drawing will look like in December 2025; how the new system came to be; what came out of the Non-Resident Tag Issuance Advisory Group; Idaho: the last holdout for true over-the-counter nonresident tags in the West; the truth of how IDFG is funded; that gas station in Arco; feedback from license vendors; buying a 2026 Idaho nonresident license before applying for the draw; why Idaho's nonresident draw is in December; how many choices do hunters get?; the definition of random; how the process of applying with a group works; the timeline moving forward; voiding Connor's 17 applications; why a NR hunting license is required before applying; other hunting opportunities if you don't draw; Disabled American Veteran (DAV) tags; Tara pretending she's not a "stats gal"; and more. Additional Links 2026 Nonresident Tags Supplemental Brochure Nonresident Deer and Elk Tag FAQs Nonresident Tag Issuance Advisory Group Disabled Veterans Programs Returned Sold-Out Tags 🎯 APPLY HERE 📬 Get in touch with our Licensing Team! Email licenses@idfg.idaho.gov. Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) sits down with Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) and Matt O'Connell (Regional Conservation Officer, now retired) and discuss how one Wisconsite wound up enforcing wildlife crime in Idaho for close to 31 years.  Other Topics: Becoming a "Senior" Conservation Officer once your hair goes grey; "junior baby game warden"; 5 years in Yellow Pine; packing out a deer on your mountain bike; bucks in boats; the Mighty Pointers; stumbling upon a caged bear in Shenandoah National Park; busting an elk poacher in the Frank Church Wilderness; bone-headed tourists in national parks; Yellow Pine's world-renowned golf course; putting on your biologist hat as an officer; community relationships; Free Fishing Day; pros and cons of technology; Game Warden Magazine; processing 35mm film for evidence; when a selfie becomes evidence; capturing bighorn sheep in the Owyhees; why you don't have to be a "hard ass" as a conservation officer; fighting off hypothermia on Monumental Summit; when Ralphie (from A Christmas Story) stops by the Nampa Regional Office for an elk tag; urban poaching; the psychological burden of dealing with bad people; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) heads to Mackay with Tom Talley (Staff Engineer) to chat with the current and former Mackay Fish Hatchery crew — Christian Brown (Mackay Fish Hatchery Manager), Kelsey Lear (Mackay Fish Hatchery Assistant Manager), and Mick Hoover (Former Assistant Mackay Hatchery Manager). The Mackay Hatchery just celebrated its 100th anniversary, supplying fish for Idaho's anglers since 1925. And you won't believe some of the stories from back in its early days. Other Topics: Mick's unofficial Mackay Museum; the view from Christian's porch; a "boutique hatchery"; learning to weld as a hatchery manager; 100 miles from everywhere; how you end up at a fish hatchery; living at work; visiting the Mackay Hatchery on your next family vacation; digging up horse bones; slaughter hatcheries; feeding horse flesh to fish; "meat tubs"; Connor eats a fish pellet; modernizing fish food; why hatcheries exist; resident vs. anadromous; the birds and the bees (but for fish); hand-stripping; other hatchery lingo; producing roughly 3 million fish a year; hauling fish to every corner of the state; air-dropping into alpine lakes; fish backpacks; where to catch golden trout; working in -40 degree weather; "Hay Spur" history lesson; Mick's quest for milk cans; scuba-diving an alpine lake and "fish torpedoes"; the first stocking trucks; 1925 REO Speedwagon; how hatcheries are funded; worst thing you've ever smelled on the job; what a hatchery employee smells like; a quick and dirty history of Mackay; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) sits down with Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist), TJ Ross (Regional Communications Manager), Mike Thomas (Regional Fisheries Biologist), and Rob Ryan (Fisheries Mitigation Staff Biologist) up in the Panhandle Region. Other Topics: An alligator in Coeur d'Alene Lake; piano keyboard eels; how to make time for fishing when you're a fisheries biologist; Mike's shed hunting prowess; bobcat fried rice; Rob's quest for walleye; from farming to fishing; Chain Lakes largemouth; what is an acoustic tag?; what a Panhandle regional biologist looks at; how walleye impact other fish; the mystery of mysid shrimp; mysid shrimp cakes; how to prioritize different fisheries; the three-legged stool of fish management; the importance of angler feedback; scrambled walleye eggs; what the heck is a "duty officer"; wrangling skunks; why you never go on a deer call by yourself; when people ask you bigfoot questions; Rob's encounter with a backwoods bigfoot hunter; jug lines; Mike and Rob's huntin' stories; Connor's purple-breasted grouse; catching a fork in the North Fork CDA River; when you spot an elk shed while snorkeling a river; TJ sinks a drone in CDA Lake; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) sits down with Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) and long-time conservation officer Brian Marek, who recounts some of his most memorable moments patrolling the Treasure Valley and beyond for 26 years. Other Topics: Connor's squirrel skinning crime ring; from forestries to Florida; parking Shaquille O'Neal's car at Disney World; cutting your teeth as a wildlife tech; going to the "dark side"; Arco, the Atomic City; waiting in hay fields for spotlighters; a Treasure Valley love affair; upstate New York gets cold; being an urban conservation officer; the huge problem with litter; Tootsie Rolls and Ritz crackers; why you have a lasso in your patrol truck; the "Roaming Officer"; Treasure Valley alligators; pets becoming problems; working with other local law enforcement; Brian's wild Tazmanian poaching case; a horrific day at Brownlee Reservoir; when a beaver wipes out 10 of your prized maples; when (and when not) to call the CAP hotline; running out of gas in a helicopter; Elliott the Elk; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Jen Bruns (Clearwater Regional Communications Manager) shoots the bull with Robert Hand (Regional Fisheries Biologist) and Brian Knoth (Regional Fisheries Biologist) in Lewiston, Idaho. Robert and Brian talk about the work they do with habitat restoration and monitoring projects on the Potlatch River in North Central Idaho. Other topics: Being surprised by a steelhead; homesteading with goats and chickens; from Alabama to Idaho; free-range kids; what is a "regional" fisheries biologist; steelhead monitoring program; what do steelhead need?; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. 

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) sits down with Tom Talley (IDFG Staff Engineer) and David Bernasconi (Regional Wildlife Biologist - Southwest Region) to learn about patterns and behaviors of big game animals and how to hunt them from the perspective of someone who studies them for a living. Does being a wildlife biologist make you a better hunter or does being a hunter make you a better wildlife biologist? Other Topics: Crawfish boil etiquette; crawdads vs. mud bugs; is prematurely asking for someone’s InReach number inappropriate?; David Bernasconi’s “handshake of approval”; meat wagons; the history of opossums in Idaho; opossum vs. possum; the popcorn of the food chain; what a wildlife biologist looks for when hunting; why animals heal faster than humans; tracking big game throughout the year; Ride or Die 39er; when your prime hunting spot has “no game”; a year in the life of an ungulate; surfing the green wave; is the mule deer rut getting later?; why herds behave differently; Boise River vs. Owyhee migration patterns and geography; the right way to contact your local biologist; learning from hunting failures; are engineers good hikers?; know your hunting spot; not getting shot in the face; finding another hunter’s used underwear; learning the vocabulary; how to be a well-rounded outdoorsman; scraping wolf turds; tick exodus; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. 

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) sit down with two Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners, Ron Davies (Salmon Region) and Don Ebert (Clearwater Region). Additional topics: Don's dang golf balls; what does a Commissioner do?; appointed, not elected; Commissioner Davies answering an ad in the paper; a lifetime of public service; Commissioner curveballs; the dedication of Fish and Game staff; balancing science and public input; what a Commission can and can't do; quorums; regional differences; when Don gives Ron some of his region's anadromous fish; checks and balances; the public's business; 63 years in Weippe and living in your grandparents' home; the hustle and bustle of Clayton, Idaho; the challenges of population growth; why Idahoans want opportunity—even if they don't harvest; Ben comparing archery elk hunting to golfing; Weippe Country Club; chronic wasting disease; predator management; hunting technology; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. 

You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Fish and Game. From fish squeezers, deer muggers, and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.