It's the final episode of The WildFed Podcast, and Daniel and our show producer Grant Guiliano get together to reflect on the last few years of podcasting together, tie a bow on some of the recurring themes we've discussed on the show, as well as look to the future of WildFed.

They chat about the value in reconnecting with the species in your landscape, their thoughts on the future regulations of hunting and foraging, imposter syndrome, plans for a future podcast + a few teasers for Season 4 of the WildFed TV show, and more.

We're so incredibly grateful for your listenership and support over the years! Stay tuned for what's to come...

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/174

Well, it’s finally here. The last interview of the WildFed Podcast. We'll be back next week with our producer Grant to do a final wrap-up, but as far as guest appearances go, who better to take us out than Dan Flores, and on what better topic than his new book, Wild New World. The book is incredible, even, dare we say, required reading for anyone who’s been following the journey of this podcast. It’s not just a history of North America and the animals that live here now — the extant animals — and the ones that were here before — the extinct ones. It’s also the story of the human predator crossing through Beringia and being unleashed on a homonin-naive megafauna assemblage and the impacts that would have here over the proceeding 20,000 years or so. 

It traces its way through the Clovis and Folsom cultures, to the post-ice-age extinction events that led to the great mass of cultures we refer to as Native American, up to the point of contact with European explorers. Then, what follows, as we are all painfully aware, is the Great Dying, which led to the loss of some 80-90% of the indigenous peoples of the continent due to diseases that Europeans had developed significant immunity to but were novel to Native America. And of course, colonization and westward expansion. This then gives way to the most substantial human-induced biomass reduction in known history, the denuding of the land and the commodification of its wildlife — which comes with it several tragic, high-profile extinctions. This part of the book is both compelling and at the same time gruesome and loathsome to read about. It’s truly a blemish on the history of this country and something we are a long way from reconciling still.  

Eventually, this leads to the beginnings of the modern conservation movement, which carries us through to the present day, exploring both its sometimes less-than-savory origins, but also its tremendous wins, like the Endangered Species Act. 

The book walks us through to the very present with some speculation about the future.

When Daniel last spoke to Dan, he'd only read a few chapters, and those were some feel-good pages. He didn’t really understand what was to come or how it would shake him to the core. He didn’t expect it would cause him to reevaluate many of his assumptions or make him audit his own practices and how they relate to this bigger-picture history.

It’s so easy to forget that we live, not as isolated points in space and time, but rather in a continuum. Embedded in a fabric of living history. Without context for what has come before, we can inadvertently focus myopically on where we are now. Conservation is no different. While our methods for wildlife management are light-years ahead of where they were just a century ago, one thing we've learned making this show is there’s still a LONG way to go. It’s far from perfect.

All that said, humans are and always have been — as long as our genus has existed — predators. Not just dietarily, but behaviorally. Those of us that hunt and fish know this in a very intimate way. The idea of giving that up is not really an option for most of us — despite the hopes of the planet’s vegan contingent who believes we can just implement a species-wide dietary experiment on the human population without any malnourishment consequences to ourselves or children. Daniel has been down that road and it leads, in his opinion, off the rails and into nutritional bankruptcy. 

So, it seems to us that we need to learn to balance our needs, wants, and desires as a predatory animal with our needs, wants and desires for intact fauna and healthy ecosystems. No easy task. One that’s not just centuries, but millennia, in the making.

It seems to us that this decade could be characterized by a now hyper-connected and networked human race coming to terms with itself, its past, and its future. Those of us who champion a meaningful ecological trophic connection to wildlife are going to have to do the same. We hope, when the dust settles, we can still hunt, fish, and forage, since as Daniel has stated on this show dozens if not a hundred times — we think this is essentially human. 

Who knows where this all leads, but we're grateful to Dan for this book and the incredible work that must have gone into writing such a sweeping ecological and environmental history. We suspect this one is destined to be a classic. Dan is, no doubt, one of the most important environmental writers of our day, and it’s an honor to have him back on the show — and especially as our final interview. 

As we mentioned earlier, we'll be back next week for one final, more intimate episode of the show. Thank you so much for following along on this journey, for your support, and for your listenership. It has meant the world to us!

Now, here’s our second interview with Dan Flores on his newest book, Wild New World!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/173

Our guest today is Tim Clemens of Ironwood Foraging, back for his second appearance. And this one is a lot of fun. In fact, Daniel was enjoying this conversation so much that he had to pull himself away to make his next appointment. They kind of range all over a pretty broad topic set just having fun and seeing where the conversation led them. We think you’ll appreciate the outcome.

Otherwise, we're going to be brief today, and let this conversation speak for itself because the grid is down here, and we’ve been without power for a few days now. Daniel had to shut the generator down to record the podcast intro due to the incessant grumbling noise it makes, so had to record on battery power. There’s a thick blanket of heavy wet snow bending all the gray birches and young poplars over pressing their canopies to the frozen ground. They say we won’t get power restored for another 36 hours or so, which is just part of living in rural Mane. It’s a bit of fun having this disruption to modernity, but it also makes things like podcasting a bit more challenging.

Oh, and one quick bit of housekeeping, we’re going to take next week off from the show to focus on the Holidays, so there won’t be a podcast next Tuesday. But of course, we’ll be back the following week.

Until then, we hope you have an incredible winter solstice and Christmas. As the Crooners say “It’s the most wonderful time… of the year!”

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/164

Tyler Sharp — CEO & Editor in Chief of Modern Huntsman — joins us for a fascinating conversation on his time in Africa, his thoughts on the rebranding of modern hunting, and how we can take control of the hunting narrative before we lose it forever. Tyler shares about his immersive experiences living and hunting in the African bush that were formative to his balanced outlook on modern hunting culture, and we also get to dig in on one of the most controversial hunts on earth — the African elephant. Tyler is passionate about elevating the hunting narrative, and we discuss his thoughts on the North American model of conservation, the hunter's paradox, and how we can make hunting more inclusive for all who want to participate.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/074

Dr. Karl Malcolm is an ecologist and hunter who leads the Renewable Resources department for the Eastern Region of the US Forest Service. With his inclusive, boundary-pushing, and thoughtful ethos on conservation, he's a model of the hunter/conservationist of the future. In this episode,  Karl shares about his experiences working with Moon Bears in China and the contrast between hunting and conservation here versus there. We also discuss his fresh perspectives on bringing other stakeholders outside of the hunting and angling community into the conservation funding model and how we can build bridges between hunters and non-hunters. Karl encourages us to push the conservation conversation into a new arena, and this thought-provoking interview will give you a lot to think about!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/073

In today's episode, our host Daniel Vitalis shares an incredible experience he had fishing for a blacktip shark in the Florida Keys. Despite strong, well-managed populations here in the US, fishing for sharks has become somewhat controversial — largely due to unregulated and unethical practices in other parts of the world — and Daniel's story leads this episode into a much bigger conversation about the complexities of fisheries, regulations, hunting predators and the emotional charge around charismatic species, and the future of hunting and fishing in the US. Enjoy!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/072

Today's guest is Dr. Susan Crockford — zoologist, author, and the polar bear expert that’s rocking the boat on the climate change narrative that these bears have become — through very manipulated data and media talking points — enmeshed in. To be clear, this podcast isn’t countering the theory of climate change, but rather the way polar bears have been misused as the charismatic mega-faunal poster children for climate change. Susan is here to share her research and set the record straight on polar bears, what’s really going on with the arctic ice, and what can happen when you step out of line in the scientific community. This eye-opening interview is a must-listen!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/071

In his book, The Fifth Beginning, archeologist and anthropologist Dr. Robert Kelly proposes a way of looking at the human saga that divides our history up into five distinct turning points — what he calls Beginnings — times of radical transition that fundamentally alter the way we live on the planet and with one another. In this conversation, Dr. Kelly walks us through the history of humanity, using the first four Beginnings as a framework that leads us to what he proposes is our current major stage of the human journey — the Fifth Beginning. This is a fascinating conversation, and we range across both time and geological space as we review human antiquity and speculate about our future too.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/070

Barb Barton — author of Manoomin: The Story of Wild Rice in Michigan, endangered species biologist, and leader of a local women's circle that teaches traditional wild food knowledge — joins us to share about wild rice, wild foods, and relationship to place from her unique perspective as someone with experience in both indigenous and modern approaches. Daniel and Barb discuss the history of wild rice, appreciating wild foods as gifts, the importance of restoring traditional knowledge, how speaking the English language vs North American indigenous languages can shape our worldview, and how to create ecological change on an individual level.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/069

It's always a pleasure to have Arthur Haines — botanist, forager & Maine Guide — back on the show! In this episode, Daniel and Arthur go in-depth on maple syrup, maple trees, and their own home sugar bushes. An iconic wild food of the Northeast, maple syrup is an important staple in both Daniel and Arthur's homes. Tune in to gain an understanding of the process of harvesting maple syrup, its indigenous history, health benefits and nutrient profile, along with simple strategies for a beginner's maple sugaring set-up. If you're interested in getting started harvesting maple syrup, this conversation will give you invaluable insights from two seasoned harvesters to get you going this spring!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/068

"Hunting teaches a person to think with his heart instead of his head. That is the secret of hunting," says Dr. Randall Eaton — internationally-recognized authority in animal behavior, wildlife conservation and human evolution — in his book The Sacred Hunt. Dr. Eaton has dedicated his life to promoting hunting as a healthy expression of humanity, and it was a great honor to have him join us for a conversation about the more spiritual side of hunting. In this episode, Dr. Eaton shares his perspectives on the importance of connection and respect in hunting, the origins of trophy hunting, and recounts some of his incredible experiences with whales. We even get into some fun and subjective side tangents, including his thoughts on metaphysics and psychic communication with other species!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/067

Tony Seichrist — owner and head chef at The Wyld and past podcast + WildFed TV show guest — just hosted us for a week of hog hunting outside Savannah, Georgia, and we sat down to talk wild hogs, recap a successful hunt, and to discuss our wild pork preparation. Wild hogs are invasive to the area and can be particularly destructive to native habitat and agricultural land, so hunting them is not just encouraged, but rather, management agencies are seeking total eradication of this deleterious, non-native species. In this episode, we discuss the wild hog conundrum — hunting with reverence and respect, yet also with a goal of eliminating the species from the landscape. There’s plenty of side tangents on utilizing meat from older animals, what it means to self-identify as a hunter and more!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/066

Donnie Vincent — explorer, biologist, conservationist, and sportsman — uses cinematography to share intimate stories and adventures from the field that beautifully represent his conscientious approach to hunting. In this thoughtful conversation, Daniel and Donnie explore why the struggle and hardship in hunting is well worth the reward. They discuss how connection to land and participation in the cycle of life fuels what they do, and they also unpack why being present in the hunt matters. A must-listen and inspiring conversation for all who value procuring their own food from the wild!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/065

Daniel met Dr. Ann Cleveland back on Halloween of this year, when he was invited to give a guest lecture at the Maine Maritime Academy where she’s a Marine Biology Professor. Her husband, Dr. Alan Verde, who is also a professor there, was a guest on our show back on episode #160.

While they were there, Ann gave Daniel and his wife a tour of the campus, and they had the opportunity to talk a bit about her work there, and he thought it would be great to get her on the show to discuss it. We didn’t expect for them to take such a deep detour into the big picture of our precarious situation here on earth, but we're glad they did. Daniel and Ann go deep on topics of climate, fisheries, and our future here on this beautiful planet.

We always imagine that those in marine biology must have a front-row seat from which to view the severity of our pollution crisis, habitat and biodiversity loss, and the rapid climate-induced ecological changes that are taking place in a way that most of us — especially if we aren’t engaged ecologically with nature — are only intellectually aware of at best or oblivious to at worst.

So, in this conversation, Daniel quickly found himself parting with ichthyology and focusing more on the existential. It’s hard not to, since the more time we spend hunting, fishing, and foraging, the more concerned we grow for the planet’s ecology. Not because of hunting, fishing, or foraging themselves, but because — like we just mentioned for marine biologists — these food pursuits bring you face to face with the reality of what is happening in the “environment” that everyone loves talking about but so few really go out and experience.

In particular, we wrestle with the population-wide reliance on commercial fisheries. We always cringe to say that out loud. We have several friends that make their living as fishermen. We love what they do, love to eat their harvest, and love to go out fishing with them when we have the opportunity. We deeply respect the trade, profession, and ancient lifestyle of those who work the sea. We recognize its important place in our heritage and that it's a lot more than just a job.

We also feel that ending the market hunt was one of the best things we could have done for conservation and it's the reason that contemporary folks like you or me get to hunt in North America. If we had continued on, harvesting our game for the market, it’s unlikely they’d be much of anything to hunt today. Many now recovered expirations would have, no doubt, become extinctions. We'd be remiss not to mention the passenger pigeon as a perfect example of what we mean.
Things in our sea are more complex. First, they are far more productive than our terrestrial ecosystems, giving the false impression that they can supply our population with protein limitlessly. Due to the water’s obfuscation, the ocean’s reserves can seem bottomless. But of course, they aren’t. With so much of the modern world still dependent on the sea for its food, we don’t think it's alarmist to be concerned about the sustainability of this approach. But unlike landmasses with sovereign borders, the seas are a shared resource. Who can regulate them? Who would we trust to regulate them?

And while we here in the US have made tremendous strides towards sustainable regulation, much of the world is far too concerned with immediate subsistence to trifle with such concerns. People need to eat.

We believe in wild foods — of course — it's why we make this show. In particular, we think the wild foods of the sea are critical to our health and can help foster an important relationship to planetary ecology when approached with that intention. But, like a good old case of cognitive dissonance, we simultaneously fear we are taking too much, too fast, with technologies that are too disruptive or too effective.

Want to know the solution? Yea, us too. But until then, we appreciate being able to have the conversation. So a big thanks to Dr. Ann Cleveland, who came on to talk about ichthyology, and found herself in a conversation about the sustainability of the human lifeway on planet earth. Ann, we really appreciate your input and perspectives here. We hope this conversation inspires some deeper thought and inquiry into the topic. It certainly is becoming a pressing one. And we can’t help but think things are just getting started!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/163

Dr. Greg Skomal — senior fisheries biologist with Massachusetts Marine Fisheries — is one of the world's leading shark experts and is the foremost authority on great white sharks in the Northeast. Join us for a glimpse into a typical day at "the office" for Greg — from harpooning great whites for research off the coast of Cape Cod to an adrenalizing encounter with a shark while out on the boat’s pulpit. In this riveting conversation, Greg sheds light on this often misunderstood species and shares a bit about their evolutionary biology, life history, intelligence, attacks on humans, and the current science that informs white shark management and conservation.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/064

Dr. Mark Elbroch — mountain lion biologist, tracker, writer & Puma Program Director for Panthera — joins us to discuss his latest book, The Cougar Conundrum, where he unpacks the relationship between humans and mountain lions, as well as challenges the North American model of wildlife conservation. Mark gives us a brief history of hunting and conservation, and we explore his thought-provoking — and sometimes controversial — views on our current wildlife management policies. A must-listen for anyone interested in wildlife conservation, hunters and non-hunters alike!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/063

We sat down with wild game cookbook author Kate Gooding at her home in Maine to chat about our shared love of preparing and eating wild game. A self-trained chef, the secret ingredient in Kate's flavorful dishes is the eclectic range of spices she utilizes. Kate shares some of her favorite ways to prepare wild game, including two of our favorite meats — bear and beaver. She also shares the basics of making a delicious stock, her essential kitchen equipment recommendations, and her top spice tips. Kate's enthusiasm about wild game cookery is sure to inspire you to experiment in the kitchen in the new year!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/062

Ben Greenfield — host of ‎the Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast and New York Times Bestselling author — is perhaps best known for his contributions to the world of biohacking and human body/brain performance. He's also an avid outdoorsman who hunts, fishes, forages and cooks wild food meals alongside his wife and twin sons. In this interview, we delve into how Ben incorporates wild food into his daily life and the creative ways in which he includes his boys in the pursuit of wild food. We also get into some illuminating conversation on spiritualism and how scientific reductionism has disconnected us from nature.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/061

Dr. Krysten Schuler — wildlife disease ecologist at the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab — joins us for a briefing on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a highly contagious prion disease that affects deer species. We learn some facts that may surprise you about prions, best processing practices for deer hunters in CWD-affected areas, and Krysten's thoughts on the future of deer hunting in the US. We also get into Krysten's research on lead ammunitions' impacts on wildlife and how she and other researchers are working to get more hunters to make the switch to non-toxic ammo.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/060

Mansal Denton is the founder of Sacred Hunting and host of the Mansal Denton Podcast. Mansal has a fascinating past that ultimately led him to mentoring under a Muskogee/Creek medicine man in his pursuit of the art of sacred hunting. In this powerful conversation, Daniel and Mansal explore their own conscientious approaches to this ancestral practice, Mansal's unique experiences hunting with indigenous peoples, our death-phobic society, and becoming comfortable with mortality. At the heart of sacred hunting is connection — to food, to place, to the species you hunt, and, for many, to spirit.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/059

"Whether your interest is harvesting wild plants for food and medicine, hunting to feed your family, or being better prepared for the potentially challenging times ahead, cultivating natural awareness and a deep understanding of ecology will give you a serious edge."

Chris Gilmour — forager, tracker and wilderness survival guide — joins us to share how cultivating awareness can increase your competency and resilience in the field and beyond. We discuss how you can use tools like tracking and bird language to hone your senses and build awareness in all aspects of your life. We also chat about how tracking has shaped our development over time, fascinating micro-nuances in tracking, counter tracking, and Chris even gives us some simple awareness exercises you can get started with right now.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/058

Judy Camuso is Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and is the first woman ever to lead MDIFW. A wildlife biologist, avid birder, hunter and outdoor enthusiast, Judy's world is rooted in the outdoors, and she's ardent about preserving access to hunting and fishing for all. It was great fun getting to ask Judy some of our most pressing questions regarding state management of wildlife and wild places. We also chat about getting women involved in hunting, Maine's unique access laws, and so much more!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/057

It was a great time getting together with wild food enthusiast, author, and foraging instructor Langdon Cook. Daniel and Langdon had a wide-ranging conversation focused on the wild foods of the Pacific Northwest but with an overarching theme of stewardship of wild species and places that's applicable to any ecoregion. Tune in to hear about x-rated clams, the fascinating underground world of mushroom hunters, how the plight of wild salmon impacts us all, and so much more!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/056

Natalie Bogwalker is the founder and director of Wild Abundance, a permaculture and homesteading school nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Natalie is passionate about preserving ancestral primitive skills, and we had a lively conversation about the importance of keeping these skills alive in modern times with a focus on wild food, hide tanning, and community involvement. We also get into the ins and outs of hide tanning, including the history, science and practical applications of this lost art.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/055

Thanks for tuning in today! Every once and a while it's fun to take a break from interviewing and just have a conversation between Daniel and our producer and editor Grant — musing, rambling, and recounting our recent adventures and shenanigans.

If you’re new to the show, maybe go back an episode to hear our typical format. Otherwise, behold the obnoxious characters who bring you these shows each week, as they sound when not speaking to their betters.

Here in Maine, we are beginning the descent into winter. We're pretty excited about that. We're gonna get some much-needed catch-up time at home, the ice fishing season will start soon, and we can put the finishing touches on Season 3 of the WildFed TV show before it goes to air.

We still have a little bit of filming left for Season 3 of WildFed, and everything is on track for a Season 4 — so if all goes as planned we’ll jump right into filming again this coming spring! We still have time for your TV episode ideas, so please write us at info@wild-fed.com or on our social media to plant the seeds of future episodes you’d like to see, host, or even be a part of.

In the meantime, we just want to thank you again for all your support! It means the world to us to have such a wonderful audience for the content we produce. So thank you for tuning in here for the podcast, and on the Outdoor Channel or Amazon Prime for the TV show.

And of course, we’ll be back next week with another interview — covering the kinds of wild food and ecological literacy topics we love to feature here.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/162

Dan Gardoqui — nature-based mentor and bird language expert — joins us to share how bird language and tracking can not only make you a better hunter but also improve the richness of your experience in the field. Talking with birds is being in conversation with the wild, Dan says, and it will make you more conscious of how you move through the woods. In this fascinating conversation — complete with Dan's bird calls and squirrel alarm sounds — he shares how birds can reveal nature's secrets and provides actionable tips to get you started in learning bird language and tracking.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/054

We hosted new hunters Martissa Williams and Rod Coleman in Maine to guide them on their inaugural hunt. During their visit, we explored how race can create unique barriers to entry when starting out in hunting. Hunting is a shared evolutionary and ecological food acquisition pattern of all of humankind, and we hope this conversation can open dialogue on how we as hunters can make sure that everyone who wants it can easily find a pathway to this ancient but relevant practice.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/053

Ed Butler aka the Working Class Woodsman is a skilled woodsman with a lifetime of knowledge from time spent in the woods. He's a native of rural New Hampshire and is passionate about all things hunting, harvesting, foraging, and fishing in the Northeast. We had a great time sitting down to talk with Ed about what his wild food year looks like — an impressive array of species, including black bears, bass, beavers, and more. We also chat about the value in processing your own game, persisting through failure in the field, specializing vs generalizing in hunting, and pro-tips on cooking squirrel and beaver. Enjoy!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/052

Emma Teal Laukitis and Claire Neaton — the Salmon Sisters — grew up on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska where they've worked on their family's commercial fishing boats since they were young. In this episode, Emma and Claire give us a glimpse into their inspiring and unique seafaring lifestyle. They share about the Alaskan salmon fishery, the role of women in commercial fisheries today, and the ins and outs of the industry. At the heart of their message is a deep appreciation for their coastal heritage and creating meaningful relationships to wild places through fishing and food.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/051

The close bond between humans and dogs is undeniable. But how did our stories become so intertwined? David Ian Howe — anthropologist, archaeologist & science educator — studies the relationship between dogs and humans, and he joins us to share how dogs became domesticated. Tune in to hear how this story unfolds from the early human-wolf relationship all the way up to our modern times with hundreds of breeds of the domestic dog. Daniel also shares about his unique experiences hunting with dogs, including his own Plott Hound, Ellie.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/050

Arthur Haines — botanist, forager & Maine Guide — is back on The WildFed Podcast! "We are pieces of a complex web," says Arthur in this intimate and powerful conversation. From describing their stories of miscarriage and the loss of a newborn to recounting their experiences hunting black bear, Daniel and Arthur cover some pretty personal and thought-provoking territory on the topics of birth, life, death, and the ethics of killing.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/049

While filming with our friend Lori McCarthy in Newfoundland, we sat down for a roundtable discussion with Lori and local artisan Clare Dawn Fowler. Lori has dedicated her life to preserving the cultural food heritage of Newfoundland, and Clare creates sustainably beautiful designs using Newfoundland harp seal leather and fur. In this episode, we explore Newfoundland's cultural heritage, specifically the long-standing tradition of seal hunting. Quite controversial in some parts of the world, in Newfoundland, seal hunting is an integral part of who they are. Clare and Lori share the story of the local seal hunt, the many uses of seal throughout their culture, and the importance of traditions like this one being preserved for future generations.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/048

Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental writer and the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. Ben's expansive knowledge on the deeply misunderstood beaver, their profound positive impacts on ecosystems, and how they've shaped our history will re-orient your view of North America, and with any luck, convert you into a Beaver Believer. In this episode, Ben takes us through the captivating history of beavers from their Pleistocene roots to their near extirpation during the "fur-pocalypse" to modern restoration efforts — with lots of fascinating facts about the industrious beaver along the way.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/047

After an afternoon of tasting wild apples, we sat down to talk with apple enthusiast, author, forager and arborist Matt Kaminsky, aka Gnarly Pippins. Matt teaches us about the apple’s “extreme heterozygosity,” a trait that leads to the incredible genetic variation we see in their wild fruits. We recorded this conversation at Red Kill Mountain — the largest wild apple savanna in New York. In this episode, Matt will guide you through the world of wild apples — from pippins to prohibition and everything in between. And there’s some good tips for foragers too. With apple season fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to get up to speed before you get out on the land!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/046

"As foragers, we need to be gardeners," says Ben Falk — regenerative ecosystem architect and founder of Whole Systems Design. In this insightful conversation, Ben shares how we in the wild food world can be agents for good on the landscape. He discusses strategies for creating habitat for wildlife right where you live — building resilient living systems that attract wildlife and allow wild plant populations to flourish. We also discuss sustainable foraging, our responsibility to tend the wild, Ben's essential daily tools, and why beaver should really be a verb.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/045

We've got a really important episode for you today. At least, important to us, and probably to you too if you’ve been listening to this show for a while. In fact, in some ways, it feels like it helps to make sense of a couple of important themes we’ve explored again and again here over the last 160 episodes. Most notably, those of wild game conservation — who funds it and where its efforts have been focused, as well as invasive species — and in particular, how significant the threat from them is, how we could or should be dealing with them, and what feedback loops we may be creating through our attempted conservation efforts.

The interview is with Dr. Bernd Blossey, who specializes in the intersection between whitetail deer and their high populations, invasive earthworms in North America, and invasive plant species and how the three of these factors intersect, overlap, and exacerbate the issues that each, individually, creates on the landscape.

Basically, it's like the title says. Too many deer, too many earthworms. Specifically, too many whitetail deer on our landscape, far more than can be sustainably supported by our ecosystems. And the invasion of earthworms beneath our feet in North America, most of which are not native here, since the last glaciation pushed all the worms back to the deep Southern United States. There were, after all, 2 miles of ice covering the land that now is home to now our northern forests. When those forests regrew, they did so in the absence of earthworms, and the worms that are here now are not just exotic but extremely deleterious to those forests and many of the native plant species that live there. These two factors — over-populated whitetail deer from above and exotic earthworms from below — might be influencing the spread of invasive plant species in ways that aren’t readily apparent to the untrained observer.

But Dr. Blossey — a professor who heads up the Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants Program at Cornell University — is going to pick that apart for us today, helping to make sense of the data. He’s also a hunter himself, so his view of conservation is informed from an inside perspective.

The conclusion we've walked away with is that a lot of what we’ve been calling conservation in the hunting community has really been about creating sufficient deer hunting opportunities. This makes sense since it’s been hunters footing the conservation bill over the years, but high deer numbers aren’t synonymous with healthy ecology, and we may have reached, and exceeded the ecological carrying capacity for whitetail deer in much of the country. This might be a welcomed problem were it not for the devastating consequences this is having on our flora, and in particular how it might contribute to the spread of deleterious exotic species. Like a lot of us, Dr. Blossey likes to hunt and eat whitetails, so he’s sympathetic to our desire to have ample opportunities, but after listening, one can’t help thinking we need a more holistic approach to conservation in North America. And one that, and we say this a little begrudgingly, brings more than just hunter's voices to the table.

After several years of actively exploring these issues, we feel that this conversation has been a missing piece of the puzzle. Certain things just weren’t adding up for us. It’s already changing the way we look at the landscape and our role as hunters.

We hope you find it as eye-opening as we have.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/161

Clay Bowers is a foraging instructor and wild food generalist based in Northern Michigan. He aims to inspire people to become integrated with their local ecology through foraging and leads foraging classes locally. In this conversation, Clay and Daniel reflect on some of their favorite wild food endeavors, including sucker fishing, squirrel hunting, and trapping. Clay also has some thought-provoking ideas on how foragers can infuse a bit more soul and story-telling into their writing. Enjoy!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/044

Jennifer Frazer is a prolific freelance science writer and ardent Under-Loved Lifeform Enthusiast. Join us as we unpack some of our world's lesser-known — but truly fascinating — organisms. Jennifer has dedicated her life to sharing her excitement about the amazing creatures that share this planet with us. In this episode, you'll learn about the lichen fungal co-op, the complexities of classifying organisms, the amazing abilities of slime molds, immortal bacteria, and why you might not want to eat brains.   View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/043

Bruce McGlenn is a third generation hunter-gatherer of the Northwest and founder of  Human Nature Hunting — a Washington-based school dedicated to healing the connection between humans and nature through hunting and gathering. In this episode, we get to the heart of the ancestral practice of hunting and take a look at where it's going into the future. Bruce and I have a thoughtful conversation on perceptions of hunting, diligence in butchering, newcomers to the hunting world, and the importance of being a good steward of life and death. Bruce is an incredible resource for those just getting started on their hunting journeys!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/042

John Slattery — bioregional herbalist, forager, educator, and author — is passionate about helping people develop deep and meaningful relationships with wild plants. In this episode, we delve into the medicinal side of wild plants and hear about John’s personal journey along the plant medicine path in the desert southwest. His approach is grounded in traditional indigenous knowledge and years of hands-on experience. This conversation will leave you inspired to deepen your connection to your local flora... and, perhaps, view plants with a bit more wonder.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/041

Tune into this special edition of The WildFed Podcast for a spring turkey hunt recap from six hunters — some seasoned turkey hunters and some just starting out — including a few familiar voices. From the calls and the shots to missed opportunities and amusing predicaments to a young boy's first turkey hunt and the hunt from a perspective of a state turkey biologist — this episode is packed with insights! Our guests include Carter Heath, Christi Holmes, Justin King, Kevin Merrow, Kelsey Sullivan, and our podcast host Daniel Vitalis. An enjoyable and informative listen for avid turkey hunters and beginners alike!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/040

Adam Haritan is the nature enthusiast behind Learn Your Land — a media channel dedicated to plant and mushroom ID, wild food harvesting,  and the benefits of nature connection. Daniel and Adam have a lively conversation on all things wild food, including why you should get to know non-edible wild species, understanding wild mushrooms, the future of foraging regulations, why so many mushroom foragers are "psychedelic people," how hunting changes nature interaction, and more. Adam's enthusiasm is sure to inspire you to deepen your connection to your local landscape!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/039

We had the serendipitous opportunity to sit down with local Maine legend and State Bear Biologist Randy Cross just as he was ending an illustrious 37-year career leading the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife black bear management and monitoring program. A guide and mentor at heart, Randy shares his profound wisdom and insights into black bear history, behavior, ecology, and his forecast for bear-human coexistence into the future. A must-listen for anyone interested in bear ecology and the conservation of all wild species, especially this incredible omnivore.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/038

Daniel had a great time chatting with Wade Truong and Rachel Owen — the charismatic duo behind Elevated Wild, a brand dedicated to hunting, fishing, foraging and exploring the untamed table. Rachel and Wade are based in Virginia, where, they say, "it's a great place to be a wild foods generalist." We take a walk through their wild food year and hear about the many different species these two get after — Snakehead, Sika Deer & Cobia to name a few. Their innovative culinary creations and cooking tips are sure to inspire you to take your wild food cooking game to the next level!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/037

Micah Woodcock is a wild seaweed harvester and the owner of Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Company. His life is intimately intertwined with the marine ecosystem where he sustainably hand-harvests these nutritious sea vegetables. Tune into this interview for Micah's sustainable harvesting techniques, the wild world of seaweed politics, a fascinating discussion on developing a relationship to place, and much more. If you eat seaweed, want to, or best of all, are interested in procuring your own supply, this interview is not to be missed!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/036

After a week spent offshore fishing and wild hog hunting in Georgia, we sat down with our gracious host Tony Seichrist — lifelong fisherman and chef at The Wyld — for a wide-ranging conversation you do not want to miss. Tony is something of a renaissance man, and his journey to becoming a chef is both fascinating and inspiring. We also get into the local sheepshead fishery, Tony's pro fish cooking tips, knife skills, being a generalist, and a recap of our memorable Georgia hunting and fishing adventures.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/035

Who doesn’t love Marine Biology? Daniel recently had the opportunity to give a talk at the celebrated Maine Maritime Academy, addressing a class of marine biology and oceanography students. While he was there he met today’s guest, Dr. Alan Verde. Alan is a biologist and diver who specializes in corals, anemones, jellyfish, sea cucumbers and octopus.

Alan, along with the school where he teaches, is training the future generations of young people who will eventually contribute to the stewardship of our seas. It’s a big responsibility, given the precarious situation we now find ourselves in on planet earth.

Beyond the classroom curriculum, Alan leads multi-week dive trips with his student base to spend time with the organisms they’re studying in their natural habitats. It’s so important, because it’s all too easy to study a topic from afar, or from an ivory tower, not realizing you only know the thing superficially, rather than intimately. But Alan makes sure his students are getting below sea level to interact in ways that are more meaningful than just turning the page in a textbook or turning in a paper.

It’s why we promote participating in hunting, fishing, and foraging for food. We worry that without an intimate relationship, one that's up close and personal, we’ll just slowly forget the organisms we share this planet with. So whenever possible, whether it's through eating, like we promote so much here, or it's through biological work like Alan teaches, we need to get hands-on. Once you know a creature it's hard not to factor its needs into your decision matrix.

That’s the kind of experiential knowledge we’ll need the policymakers of the future to have.

Of course, the biology, physiology, and ecology of the particular organisms that Alan focuses on are fascinating all on their own, so there’s plenty to learn here today too. The underwater world is so physiologically alien to our own as to make it, effectively, another world. Yet we do share this planet with these creatures, as well as, ultimately, a common ancestor. So, foreign as they seem, they are our relations. And while it’s important to remember who we share the planet with, it’s also easy to forget if we have no contact with them. That’s why Alan and Daniel both, in their own ways, recommend you get out there. There’s still a whole world populated by incredible and unique organisms just waiting to be remembered and factored in by us. All we have to do is go meet them!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/160

Dylan Stewart is a Maine-based spearfisherman, freediver, and the talented artist behind Bold Coast Burns. In this episode, Dylan gives us a glimpse into what it's like freediving and spearfishing off the coast of Maine, sharing some of his incredible experiences along the way. We discuss the species Dylan targets when spearfishing, freediving safety and breathing tips, the unique firsthand perspective of fish behavior that diving offers, the evolution of Dylan's fish artwork, and so much more. Enjoy!

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/034

Renowned botanist Arthur Haines joins us for a conversation that ranges from deep, philosophical ideas about early human beings to extremely practical tips on harvesting wild blueberries. With a low barrier to entry, wild blueberries are an excellent pursuit for the novice and experienced forager alike! In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn about the wild blueberry's range and its important function in the diet, along with harvesting and processing best practices to get you started in the field this summer.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/033

In this interview, we learn about the complex world of lichens from Felicity Roberts — a rural Newfoundlander, lichen expert, certified herbalist, writer, and wild food advocate. "There's nothing simple about lichens," says Felicity, and she's not kidding. These extremophile organisms — often called "the lungs of the forest" — can be useful indicators of the health of an ecosystem. Felicity's enthusiasm for lichens is contagious as she guides us through the biology, folklore, and practical applications of these natural wonders.

View full show notes, including links to resources from this episode here: https://www.wild-fed.com/podcast/032