On this episode of Gritty Bowmen, I get to hang out with the one and only Randy Newberg! Randy Newberg identifies himself as a “hunter.” Growing up in a small town in the midwest--Randy spent a lot of time running around on public land hunting and trapping small game. I would say that Randy is the quintessential “Public Land Hunter” and he uses his platforms to advocate for hunters and public access. In addition to representing hunters in Congress and state legislatures, he serves as a volunteer and board member for many hunting and conservation groups. I can honestly say that Randy Newberg is one of my favorite people on the planet. He says what he means and and means what he says. And if you don’t like what he has to say, well then, you’ve mistaken him for someone who gives a damn. Follow Randy on Instagram and facebook and check-out his youtube channel for some good public land hunting films.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk about our Canada Moose hunt and charging Grizzly.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we meet with my buddy Chad Nelson, a.k.a. the Gritty Angler and Seth & Shirl Larsen from Canvas Cutter. The Canvas Cutter bedroll is extremely versatile, durable, water-resistant and comfortable. I don’t always have the chance to sleep on a nice bedroll when backpack hunting, but it sure is nice to have for those late night pack outs in the truck.
What you just heard, or watched, is a promo clip from my friends at Montana Wild of their new video called, “The Outlier.” It’s a great video and we talk about it a little on today’s episode of Gritty Bowmen. But the conversation drifts into heavier and more controversial topics as we discuss the subject of game violations, ethics, and poaching.
First off, I want to make sure it’s very clear that I have tremendous respect for Law Enforcement agencies and for our Fish and Wildlife Officers across the Nation. In fact, some of my closest and dearest friends are police and fish and wildlife officers. Furthermore, I would count these men among the best human beings I know. That said, not all human beings are created equal--not all law enforcement personnel do a good job.
Let me ask you, when confronted by the following situation, what do you do? You’re out deer hunting. You see a great 3x3 buck and you take a shot at it. The buck runs behind some cover--it disappears for a moment. And then you see him, he’s standing just beyond the point where you took the first shot. You take aim--and this time you drop him where he’s standing. As you walk over to tag your deer, to your utter shock and dismay, you realize you accidentally shot two deer. You thought they were the same deer but they weren’t--you have broken the law--committed a game violation. It was an honest mistake--a complete accident. What do you do? Do you call your State’s wildlife division and report yourself? Do you tag one of the deer and pretend nothing happened? Do you take both deer so as not to waste the meat but don’t report your violation?
And let’s say you report yourself to local Wildlife Officials. Do they give you warning and say it was an honest mistake? Or do you get the maximum fine and lose your hunting privileges for 3-5 years?
We’ve all heard stories like this that end well and that end badly depending on how you look at it.
In 2013, Montana Wild set out to make a fly fishing film for Bull Trout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. This decision and subsequent actions would lead to a long and drawn-out investigation of Montana Wild and would result in a series of game violations that would eventually be settled outside of court.
There’s always two sides to every story. I’m fully aware of this. On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk about the Montana Wild side of this story--something that Zach and Travis, the owners of Montana Wild have not hitherto publicly discussed in a forum like this. I applaud them for doing this podcast with me. A close friend of mine asked me why I would did this podcast with Zach and Travis. Why would I talk about this subject? Why not just stick to a discussion about their awesome new video, The Outliers, and leave it at that?
First of all, I don’t like ignoring the elephant in the room--it feels fake. The entire time we talk about the new video there’ll be people out there calling them poachers under their breath. And that’s another reason I wanted to talk about this--it bothers me the way individuals hang people out to dry for poaching allegations before any convictions are made. What happened to 2-sides to every story? Or innocent until proven guilty? Or, let him without fault cast the first stone? And it annoys me the way people blow violations out of proportion--the way some people act you’d think that someone who shot a squirrel out of season is the equivalent of a child rapist. Let’s keep things in perspective.
The thing is… I appreciate the sincere effort and skill that goes into the production of Montana Wild films. I truly feel, whether they made mistakes or not, that they have a sincere love of the outdoors and a passion for presenting a positive message about hunting to the world at large. You can see it in their films. And frankly, I feel a responsibility to share their side of the story because I’m not perfect. Aron Snyder isn’t perfect. We’ve all done stupid and ignorant things--and I’d like to think that someone would give me the chance to share my story if the roles were reversed.
And I think that it’s an important discussion to have. If I’m being completely and totally honest I harbor a natural wariness and a minor lack of trust for law enforcement personnel that I don’t personally know--and it’s not because I’m guilty of something--it’s primarily due to the imbalance of power. I think it’s good to talk about these things.
In the end, I want there to be trust and respect between fish and wildlife personnel and hunters at large. I never want to see an “us” vs. “them” mentality at play. I want to see mutual trust, shared goals and genuine appreciation between all of us.
Take a listen to this podcast and let me know what you think. And if you’re interested, and want to see some good elk hunting film go and buy Montana Wild’s new video, “The Outliers.”
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we give our third update on our 2017 Archery Elk Hunt with A-ron Snyder. We talk Giardia, Navigatioin, Survival, Elk, Sketchy Wind and more. In case you missed the first two updates go check out Episodes 283 & 284.
Round Two: On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we give an update on our 2017 Archery Elk Hunt with Cousin Ben Morris and A-ron Snyder.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we give an update on our 2017 Archery Elk Hunt with Cousin Ben Morris and A-ron Snyder.
While hanging out in British Columbia with @bartlancaster on our Mountain Goat hunt the subject of BC's impending Trophy Grizzly Bear Ban was a recurring topic of discussion. Bart lives and breathes in the Canadian bush and he has first hand experience and knowledge about predator populations in the backcountry and their impact on ungulate species. Bart loves grizzly bears and wants them on the landscape in healthy numbers. But he also wants healthy moose, caribou, elk and deer populations too, which means predators should be managed. And Bart believes we should not favor certain species when it comes to wildlife management; we should manage for ecological balance--and that includes the real and honest impact that humans have on the wild, of which we are a part.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen Aron Snyder and I share our recent archery mountain goat hunt in British Columbia with Bart Lancaster.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen I sit down with Rihana & Ty Cary at the SHOT show in Vegas. I love Blacktail hunting and Rihana shares how she got a monster in 2016. We talk about the Cameron Hanes 5k run and how Ty & Rihana stay motivated to train during the off season. If you haven't seen it, go check out my "Treestand 101" video. It's good stuff.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we meet with Outdoor Anna Lea. She shares some recipes and why she hunts. You can find her recipes on outdoorannalea.com and follow her in Instagram as outdoorannalea
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk about the recent Grizzly Ban in BC, Archery techniques and Aron's recent antelope hunt.
On this Gritty Gear Review we talk Bino Harnesses. We review the Alaska Guide Creations, Marsupial Gear and Sitka Gear. Each one has pros and cons and you'll find out which ones we plan to use for our upcoming hunts. -Stay Gritty
I was fortunate to meet Samantha Reynolds and Michael Barry at the @ladieshuntingcamp this summer. As I got to know them I was impressed by their perspective and attitude toward hunting. I felt as though these two individuals embodied the "new hunters" that Shane Mahoney (@conservation_visions) spoke of in the last podcast. Sammy isn't quite sure if she's ready to hunt; but Mike is committed and Samantha supports him. I hope this episode gets you thinking about hunting, why you do it, and how you represent hunters at large.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen I talk with Shane Mahoney. Shane Patrick Mahoney is the President and CEO of Conservation Visions Inc.. A Newfoundland native, he holds both an Honors and a Masters of Science degree in Zoology from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Mahoney has over 30 years experience working primarily as a scientist, wildlife manager, policy innovator and strategic advisor.
Shane is a brilliant and passionate conservationist. And he has been working on a massive project called “The Wild Harvest Initiative.” Shane explains it like this: Safe, healthy food is important to everyone. Every year, some 40 million citizens in the United States and Canada take to the fields, mountains, forests, streams, and lakes, returning with a harvest of wildlife and fish to feed their families and share with friends. Just how much of this natural, organic food do these two nations provide annually, and how valuable is it to our societies? At this point, no one really knows. “It’s time we did know,” said Shane Mahoney, founder and CEO of Conservation Visions, Inc., a private conservation organization focused on building broader coalitions in support of biodiversity and the natural world. “We’ve known for well over a century that conservation of the world’s ecosystems is critical to human well being and that the sustainable use of wild resources brings enormous and unique benefits to human beings everywhere.”
On november 30th of this year, British Columbia says it will no longer allow the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in the Canadian province.
Of the approximately 15,000 grizzlies in British Columbia, about 250 are killed by hunters annually, according to government figures.
Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson characterized that level of hunting as “sustainable” in an interview with the CBC.
However, he says the decision to end trophy hunting is “not a matter of numbers, it’s a matter of society has come to the point in B.C. where they are no longer in favour of the grizzly bear trophy hunt.”
The key word in the above statement is “trophy.” As stated, the population of Grizzly Bears is robust and the harvest rates are sustainable; but regardless of these facts, Grizzly Bear hunting has been banned by the voice of the people. And something that was “legal” is not legal anymore. I’ve been saying this for a long time, legal is not an argument for hunting. As Steven Rinella recently said, “it’s legal for a man to cheat on his wife but nobody believes that makes it okay.”
Why did 90% of the electorate vote against “trophy hunting Grizzly bears?” If you’re a hunter, are you surprised by this vote? Is hunting even a relevant activity in today’s world? Why do people despise trophy hunting? What is trophy hunting? How have hunters in the United States and Canada portrayed hunting in the last 20 to 30 years? What motives and values do we display and promote on our TV Shows and Social Media Outlets? Does it matter? If we send the wrong message, what’s at stake?
These are the sorts of questions that Shane tackles on a regular basis. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to personally visit with Shane and have him as a guest on this podcast.
I hope you listen to this entire podcast and that it causes you to feel an increased measure of concern for wild animals and wild places. For, “hunters of have an inseparable relationship with nature and a responsibility to protect it.”
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen I sit down with my good buddy, Jason Phelps of Phelps Game Calls. Jason shares some of his elk hunting experiences and what he's learned along the way.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen Sthealthy Hunter, Ryan Lampers and I review the book, "Boone: A Biography" by Robert Morgan. We talk about Daniel Boone's life as he helped bridge the gap of westward expansion in the United States, his love of the frontier and how he felt as it started to become "over populated", how he was captured by Indians and managed to escape, his daughter's capture and much, much more.
If you liked this podcast you may also enjoy our other Gritty Book Club reviews:
EPISODE 196: Extreme Ownership with Corey Jacobsen and Jordan Harbertson
EPISODE 223: Ego Is The Enemy with Corey Jacobsen and Jordan Harbertson
Additional Book Club Suggestions based on this book:
American Serengeti by Dan Flores
The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History by Joseph Marshall
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
#GrittyBC #GBC
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk broadheads with Aron Snyder. He talks about mechanical vs. fixed blade and pros and cons to both.
Broadheads reviewed on this podcast: NAP Kill Zone, Grave Digger Cut on Contact, Grave Digger Chisel Tip, Iron Will.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen Aron and I talk about our experience at the Total Archery Challenge in Big Sky, Montana. We discuss some exciting new things coming up for Aron, as well as our upcoming 2017 hunting season.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk with Dustin Roe and Cole Kramer at the Sitka Converge in Bozeman, Montana. Dustin and Cole are backpack sheep, moose, bear and mountain goat hunting guides in Alaska and BC. They are a wealth of knowledge. We also talk about Dustin's pack dogs and the pros and cons. Dustin owns Backcountry BC and Beyond. Cole owns Kramer Kodiak Guide Service and Adventure Mountain Hunts. I hope this episode makes you as excited for hunting season as it does for me. -Stay Gritty
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen I hang out at xXx Archery in Rainier Oregon with good friend, Jason Phelps. I asked Jason to give me some elk calling lessons and decided we might as well throw on the headsets. I hope you find this information valuable and good luck on your hunts.
More podcasts like this:
EPISODE 26: Get'em Close Elk Hunting Seminar with Jason Phelps & Aron Snyder
EPISODE 99: Phelps' Elk Nuggets #1
EPISODE 101: Phelps' Elk Nuggets #2
EPISODE 105: Phelps' Elk Nuggets #3
EPISODE 115: Phelps' Elk Nuggets #4
EPISODE 118: Phelps' Elk Nuggets #5
EPISODE 126: Phelps' Elk Nuggets #6
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk with my friend Mark Livesay of Treeline Pursuits. I first met Mark at the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Rendezvous in Missoula, Montana. On this podcast we talk about hunting with Llamas; Mark's new obsession. Check it out. It's good stuff. You can follow Mark on social media @treeline_pursuits on instagram or Treeline Pursuits on Facebook.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we meet with Brandon Bates, Casey Harbertson and Brian Brian McElrea to talk technology and hunting.
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk with Corey Jacobson about his film, "The Linguists".
On this episode of Gritty Bowmen we talk with MMA fighter, Chad Mendes and former MMA fighter, Luke Caudillo. This is just a bunch of guys hanging out and having a good time. Aron and Luke go way back and they like to talk smack. It's funny stuff.