What does it mean to be a conservation advocate? It's different for every person. This week, Artemis ambassador Anne Jolliff talks about what she's learned over the past year about how to best advocate for wild spaces. She shares her "why" and her "how," and more on how it's going. 00:20 Artemis 101 and advocacy 1:00 "Go Confident as an Advocate" program 3:00 Ladies and gentlemen... we are hearing from a mother of 5-year-old triplets 6:00 Why be a conservation advocate?  8:00 First thing: What's holding you back? 10:00 The first time you speak up for something you believe in 13:00 Writing an op-ed, testifying at a hearing, sharing what you know with others 15:00 Preconceptions about what it means to "be an advocate" 16:00 "I'm not here to be the magic bullet that changes everyone's minds and pivots this whole discussion, as much as I would like it to... but I am going to show up." 21:00 When was the last time you changed your mind?  23:00 Wear fancy dresses in the dirt, ya'll 28:00 Start by watching... hearings, the political process, everything. Follow the groups that fit your beliefs. Engage. Reach out. Talk to people. 33:00 Don't be afraid to fail... failure is integral to how you learn this kind of thing 37:00 Ethos, logos, pathos 39:00 Bear! Right there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Tingey is one of the brains behind a small packrafting company called Alpacka Raft. It started as a basement type of operation, fueled by adventures in the Far North, including time spent in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Sarah tells us about her experiences on that incomparable landscape, plus what it's like to travel there with a small child (on a 10-day packrafting trip, of course). Taking kids into the backcountry isn't all puppies and unicorns, but it can be hugely rewarding when we do make the effort. 1:00 Engage the BLM on Arctic Conservation Issues at www.nwf.org/protectthearctic 4:00 Career life at a small outdoor products company like Alpacka Rafts (you're a jill of all trades) 6:30 Packrafts - they started as a means for water travel in the deep backcountry, like -- say -- a 700-mile trip across Alaska's Brooks Range 9:00 From a basement sewing machine operation to a company that employs 45 people 10:00 "Design by Sheri" - a staple of the Warren Miller ski days, also what would be the skill base for a packraft company 14:00 Sheep hunting; New Mexico elk hunting 21:00 Visiting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and suddenly feeling like all those discussions about oil development weren't very abstract anymore 25:00 Check out a map of where ANWR is 26:00 Efforts to conserve ANWR predate Alaska's statehood 28:00 Would you rather visit a place called a 'petroleum reserve' or a 'wildlife refuge'? 30:00 Taking a BABY rafting on a 10-day trip in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (flash floods, weather delays, hustle hustle hustle) 33:00 Risk judgement when conditions change (leave the stress out of it) 36:00 Carrying a baby in the backcountry; hunting with a baby (or not) 42:00 Growing up in a hunting family, but not ever going along 43:00 Sharing the burden of all the extra energy that goes along with taking a kid outside 47:00 Taking kids into the wild isn't all unicorns and ponies 51:00 Catch the Emily Ledergerber episode on Hunting While Pregnant 53:00 An 185-mile overland trip over several drainages in Alaska, and getting to see a pristine salmon run 56:00 "The 'potted plant' phase [of babyhood]... soak it up." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tracy Shaw might be best known as the @arkansasoutdoorswoman, but she's also a single mom, an aspiring bush pilot, a mentor to others, and an Artemis Ambassador. This week on the podcast, Tracy shares with us the joy of being a mentor to others -- even when it means being lured into gator hunting by your friends and fan base. Plus: magical waterfowl hunts, sticking to your long-term goals, and saying 'yes' to being a mentor. 2:00 - Goose and duck jerky #droolemoji 4:30 - Opening the invite to women and children in the outdoors through mentorship 8:00 "I get to be a part of so many firsts. And I just feel so blessed and honored." 9:00 The 65-year-old who wonders if she can do a goose hunt... then shoots her first goose and has it literally fall in her lap 12:00 Landowner arrangements surrounding gator tags 14:00 When your Instagram fan base begs for a gator hunt 16:00 Checking gator lines after they've been baited -- excitement like never before! Could be a 4-footer, could be a 12-footer 19:00 Encouraging others around you during high-adrenaline hunts  20:00 Gator meat can taste kind of swampy, but dressing the animal thoroughly helps 22:00 Slipping game meat past your kids 25:00 Getting the family hooked on wild turkey 28:00 Finding the family balance between kids/work/outdoors time 30:00 "I decided I wanted to be a bush pilot" - adventures in the air, and never surrendering your dreams 34:00 A 10-year-old's first goose hunt 36:00 Setting goals and slaying them 40:00 Mentoring newbies... safety should come first 45:00 "You can do anything you want to do... you don't have to be the best at it" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're joined by biologist Nova Simpson, who works for the Nevada Department of Transportation to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in our travel corridors. We talk about wildlife overpasses and underpasses (even for things like snakes and toads), how those projects are funded, and whether they're effective at reducing vehicular collisions with wildlife. Plus: horses, whitefish dip, and HEAT. 4:00 "Large mammal mitigation specialist" - how can we help animals live more comfortably in our shadow? Also... state road departments have biologists on payroll! 6:00 "Road ecology": The study of how wildlife moves/adjusts to road infrastructure 7:00 Animal-vehicle collisions 12:00 There are 15-20 varieties of threatened animals for whom vehicular collision is a pretty significant source of mortality. Example: Florida panther 13:00 Roads fragment habitat. How can we restore connectivity?  14:00 (RE)CONNECTING WILD: Restoring Safe Passage Mitigation project over Nevada's I-80 on the species’ migration route. Win for drivers, win for deer 18:00 Conservation priority so often comes down to available funding and time resource 19:00 Roadkill collision app in the works 20:00 Overpasses/underpasses on highways, fencing projects, bridge crossings, "animal sidewalks," etc 26:00 Only about 2% of crashes in Nevada involve wildlife 32:00 Agency vs. private funding for wildlife crossings 34:00 How do animals safely cross a highway? New York Times article on wildlife crossings (including the rattlesnake underpass) 37:00 Toad crossings 38:00 Current transportation bill in D.C. includes funding for wildlife mitigation for the first time in U.S. history 41:00 Check out the NWF Outdoors podcast wherever you get your programming 42:00 Wildlife cams... THE THINGS YOU SEE! 47:00 Anyone apply for draw tags? Not drawing in an area with 90%+ draw odds... #darnit 51:00 Training our horse pals :)  55:00 Whitefish dip   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tia Shoemaker grew up in a remote Alaskan hunting lodge. Christine Cunningham didn't come to hunting until she was an adult. Both women found they had a passion for telling authentic stories from the hunt field, and together they launched the outdoor journal, "Traverse." The first issue is out now, and both women join us to talk about what makes for meaningful experience in the field.  1:00 Growing up on a historic homestead in Alaska at a family-owned hunting/fishing lodge. Pilot's license = mandatory 4:00 Hunting ptarmigan with a bow as a five-year-old... also, playing "guide and client" with a sibling 7:00 Traverse - an outdoor journal focused on hunting ethos, edited by Tia Shoemaker and Christine Cunningham 12:00 Christine Cunningham's book "Women Hunting Alaska" 13:00 "Ready? Fire!! Aim?" 15:00 Recovering from a surgery can make you zero in on what you'd most like to be doing 17:00 Feeling more "awake" in the hunt field + crawling at cockroach speed 22:00 Traverse = "the cave paintings of our time"... storytelling at the nexus of connection and place 28:00 Do hunting stories where everything goes right paint an authentic picture of the sport?  30:00 Celebrating experience as much as we celebrate success 32:00 First issue of Traverse is out now! TraverseJournal.com 36:00 "Be fearless and available to the moment" 41:00 Tia on NWF's "Vanishing Seasons" podcast ... "Wealth isn't about how much we have, it's about how much we enjoy it." 43:00 Pebble Mine prospect in Bristol Bay... it's been a long fight 48:00 Submissions at Traverse mag 50:00 Artemis Book Club - our first read is "Braiding Sweetgrass," virtual book club chats are on the horizon 51:00 Other book recs: "The End of the Game" by Peter Beard (LINK); "The Living Mountain" by Nan Shepherd; "The Old Ways" by Robert MacFarland; "Heartsblood" by David Peterson 58:00 2021 Artemis Ambassadors... you're going to meet them soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you heard of the Artemis book club? The club's summer read is "I Don't Know Why I Swallowed The Fly" by Jessica Maxwell. In the spirit of fly-fishing season, here's a treasure from the Artemis Archives -- Ali Bear giving us the play-by-play of casting. It's simply wonderful. Don't forget to join our community online in the Artemis Facebook group, or email us at artemis@nwf.org if you know of a book we should all read.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaitlin Barnhart is one of the co-founders of The Mayfly Project, an initiative to connect fly-fishing mentors with foster kids. A lot of the lessons we learn on the water carry over to the rest of our lives. Slow down and work out all the knots. Seek help from those with more experience. Kaitlin also tells us what it's like to grow a passion project into a national organization with employees and volunteers galore. 00:40 Remember Sarah Topp and Timberdoodle? 3:00 Ground-nesting bird species and dogs-always-leashed rules, even on public lands 5:00 Timberdoodle: The dog who pulled her owner on rollerblades six miles in 24 minutes... "It was terrifying, but I find that fun." 8:00 When you learn to fly-fish in Alaska and then return to Idaho... "Oh, I guess I'm not as awesome as I thought I was." 9:00 The Mayfly Project -- linking foster kids with fly-fishing 10:00 Foster kids and access to sports/the outdoors 12:00 Becoming a mentor with the Mayflly Project 14:00 From the genesis of an idea to 53 locations with mentorship projects in place 17:00 Teaching a conservation ethos alongside fishing 21:00 Fly-fishing gives us so much bounty 25:00 Slow down and work out the knots (Fishing lesson, or life lesson?) 28:00 When people are in and out of someone's life, the outdoors can be its own kind of steady relationship 32:00 When Mayfly project kids teach OTHERS to fly-fish 35:00 Making an investment of time into a kid is huge 38:00 Bringing a Mayfly type of project to a new place: it usually starts with a single invested, committed, connected person 41:00 When a non-profit grows from a self-motivated, two-person hustle to an organization with employees and volunteers galore 42:00 Find the Mayfly Project on Facebook and Instagram 45:00 Fly-fishing as a mom with three kids... and when fishing kids evolve from littles to teens 48:00 Fishing as a meditation / escape 52:00 Did you miss our fly-repellent tip on Amber Rose from Victoria's Secret? 56:00 Getting some instruction vs. teaching yourself 57:00 Hey, everyone... exciting news! Artemis's Fly-Fishing Tactics event is ON. There's a goodie bag, a storytelling contest, and loads of tips. Join us! Register here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artemis heads afield this week to talk with storyteller and adventurer Mandela van Eeden in Montana. Mandela's upbringing was split between South Africa, where her family harvested from the sea, and Montana - where they gratefully accepted the river's bounty. She went on to become a raft guide in the Grand Canyon and in New Zealand. Mandela talks to us about connecting to place, pursuing your dreams, and how we can care for what sustains us. Plus, a black bear walks in on Marcia and Mandela mid-way through the episode. (No jokes, folks!) 4:00 All the 'boks' in Africa, which is Afrikaans for 'deer' (springbok, bontebok, gemsbok) 5:00 A childhood split between the African bush and Montana, leaving your heart in both 11:00 Three Gorges Dam & the Yangtze River 12:00 Storytelling with sound and music AND raft guiding both hemispheres 16:00 What's the core value that makes us do what we do? 18:00 The Oily River Rendezvous and seeing an oil spill from the river's view 19:00 "If you think you're too little to make a difference, you've obviously not spent the night with a mosquito." 22:00 "Grand Canyon pink" - a rattlesnake endemic to that space 24:00 Getting Primitive program gets kids into bushcrafting 27:00 Fish in one hand, shark in the other 30:00 Fly-fishing as a family affair 32:00 Podcast interrupted by a black bear... yep, bonafide bear strolling through! 37:00 The myriad of ways in which people gather from the sea 38:00 NWF Outdoors podcast, Vanishing Seasons 41:00 If you want to connect with a place... BE there. Fully present. Cease the wandering mind. 42:00 Yoga sutras written by Pantanjali 49:00 Connection to the outdoors through harvest + patience and mindfulness 50:00 The value of a mentor 54:00 Riverboarding the Grand Canyon for 15 days... the dream started with a flip (link to article?) 56:00 Thalweg: the fastest current in the river 59:00 "Go into your dream closet and dust off some of those ones you've filed away." 1:03 Introducing family to game - antelope and bear... and recruiting a nephew into the ranks 1:06 Listen to what your body tells you to eat (plus, spearfishing) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BeBe Dalton Harrison was raised in a South Carolina fishing family. They often caught their supper from the salt marshes -- fish like large-mouthed bass, sea trout, and flounder. As an adult, Bebe now has the dream job of sharing her love for the salt marsh with other women, families and kids. Today on the show: A Carolina bug-battling tip straight outta Victoria's Secret, sea trout versus freshwater trout, and tackle-purses. 2:00 Tips for not scratching mosquito bites, other than willpower. A hot tip from Victoria's Secret (picked up at a tackle shop)... it's called Amber Romance 5:00 Other sensory vibes: The aroma of a salt marsh 7:00 South Carolina Wildlife Federation effort to restore a coastal bird rookery 10:00 Growing up in a fishing family on the South Carolina coast - sea trout, flounder, crab, sea bass, weakfish, etc 14:00 Taste test: Freshwater vs. sea trout 16:00 Hush-puppy fish fry 19:00 Growing up in fishing, growing away from it, then circling back around as an adult 21:00 Finding your path (however circuitously) 22:00 Want to break into an agency job? Persistence + volunteering + keep applying 25:00 R3 - Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation 26:00 Developing a salt marsh education program + Angling Women, a business to teach introductory marsh fishing to women and families 30:00 Poll: Who do you think asks for fishing lessons more often... men? Or women? 33:00 The tackle-purse! No, really. Plus, rod charms. 35:00 Environmental education bearing fruit: When a kid in a salt marsh ed program becomes a fishing guide 37:00 The $700 fish pic 42:00 From spin rods to fly rods + that first tug on a fly 45:00 Taking someone new? Especially a kid? Try leaving your rod at home. And maybe pack some non-fishing entertainment, too 50:00 "However you treat the trip is how they're going to remember it." 53:00 Find BeBe and Angling Women on Facebook and Instagram 59:00 Get in touch! artemis@nwf.org, or, check out our Facebook group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we hear from South Carolina hunter Morgan Harrell, who checks in with us on Artemis's first turkey camp in the region. Plus, what's different about hunting with other women? Also in this episode: snow geese parts, what we remember from our childhoods, and eating the non-traditional cuts of meat. 2:00 "The only thing between Columbia and hell is a screen door." 4:00 Artemis South Carolina takes flight - women are coming together to share the sport 6:00 Nuts/flour/fish/moonshine... peek into thy freezer, peek into thyself 7:30 Canning wild game... yay or nay? (Pressure canning and the fear of blowing your house up) 10:00 Snow geese hearts and livers 12:00 Liver puddin' 17:00 Heart slices over the camp fire + other family memories 18:00 Being the only woman on the trip; Making use of every last bit of your harvest 21:00 Eating the non-traditional cuts - neck roasts, caul fats, etc 24:00 The regional ethics of what we do/don't eat 29:00 Family hunt camp and dead rattlesnakes that keep on wiggling 33:00 Childhood memories from the outdoors that persist 36:00 Artemis South Carolina does turkey camp!  38:00 What's different about a hunt with all women?  44:00 Finding turkeys (or not) 45:00 Hogs do the darnedest things 51:00 Are we ready for the Official Mary Lynn Fan Club yet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems like a no-brainer: Let's conserve all wildlife, right? Jen Syrowitz of Washington state joins Artemis to talk about the importance of funding, which is possibly one of the least sexy parts of conservation. We also talk about upland bird hunting (dog, or no dog?), grouse, prairie chickens, and partridge. 6:00 Saving your seasonal bounty in the freezer... then realizing harvest time is almost upon us. Time to use those huckleberries/grouse/[insert food here] 7:30 Sand County Almanac  8:00 Graduate school in Manitoba to bird hunting to a conservation career 9:00 Conservation Northwest = the NWF affiliate in Washington state 11:00 Prairie chickens 15:00 Upland bird hunting: Dogs vs no dogs 19:00 First bird: a Hungarian partridge flushing overhead 21:00 Funding for wildlife management... but first, let’s go back to early environmental ed 26:00 How can we give people the right ecological literacy to understand (and participate in) wildlife management decisions? 31:00 We invest in what we know and love 32:00 Missouri conservation tax - a miniscule sales tax add-on that earns big 35:00 Recovering America's Wildlife Act  - proposed legislation to fund conservation work to revive wildlife populations on the brink of ESA listing 41:00 Funding = the most unsexy conservation topic... but also vital  43:00 Northern gardening woes 45:00 Bear cub on the trail! Plus, channeling Tina Turner when you need her 49:00 Grassroots conservation + changing gender dynamics of land ownership 52:00 Missing a shot 53:00 "The honorable harvest" + Artemis book club: "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be a conservation advocate? It's different for every person. This week, Artemis ambassador Anne Jolliff talks about what she's learned over the past year about how to best advocate for wild spaces. She shares her "why" and her "how," and more on how it's going. 00:20 Montana Wildlife Federation + Artemis 101 1:00 "Go Confident as an Advocate" program 3:00 Ladies and gentlemen... we are hearing from a mother of 5-year-old triplets 6:00 Why be a conservation advocate?  8:00 First thing: What's holding you back? 10:00 The first time you speak up for something you believe in 13:00 Writing an op-ed, testifying at a hearing, sharing what you know with others 15:00 Preconceptions about what it means to "be an advocate" 16:00 "I'm not here to be the magic bullet that changes everyone's minds and pivots this whole discussion, as much as I would like it to... but I am going to show up." 21:00 When was the last time you changed your mind?  23:00 Wear fancy dresses in the dirt, ya'all 28:00 Start by watching... hearings, the political process, everything. Follow the groups that fit your beliefs. Engage. Reach out. Talk to people. 33:00 Don't be afraid to fail... failure is integral to how you learn this kind of thing 37:00 Ethos, logos, pathos 39:00 Bear! Right there! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jodee Dixon joins Artemis this week to talk about bear hunting in southeast Alaska. We talk about spring versus fall bear fat, pie crust, trichinosis, skinning a hide for preservation, scouting tactics, and more. Plus, what does hunting do for our sense of self? It's kind of a forced meditation, which is a powerful experience -- both as it's happening, and months later when we enjoy our harvest at the table. 2:00 Cold-season gardening, y'all 5:00 How does hunting change our relationship to the natural world? (Hiking feels extremely anticlimactic, for one) 9:00 How bear hunting differs from other quarries, and predator vs. prey dynamics 15:00 Bear meat, spring vs. fall 17:00 Predator hunting... it's an intimate decision for some hunters 18:00 Trichinosis  23:00 Freeze in chunks for grinding later (even MUCH later) 25:00 Catch our 'What About the Hide?' episode (or the blog post) it inspired a bear-hide tanning project. Want to TRY a hide? Roadkill can be a good starting point 30:00 Ticks... or mosquitos? (Or devil's club?)  33:00 The zen of hunting for a distilled/strengthened self... a "forced meditation" 40:00 Boat-assisted bear hunting in Alaska (with a side of grouse) 42:00 Predator hunting: bears, wolves, cougars... it's different 43:00 Black bear kidney fat for pie crusts 47:00 Mind-blowing bear biology... body temperatures, the quick transition out of torpor, floating eggs, etc. 51:00 "A bear without its hide looks a lot like a person." 55:00 Skinning paws/nose/head for a hide destined for the taxidermist (and OTHER languishing hides) 56:00 Sleeping on the boat, dragging anchor, custom-sewn sheets for the v-berth 59:00 2021 Artemis Ambassador squad... assembly in process! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week... fire! Artemis is joined by Jaidyn Hranicka in Wisconsin, who works as a prescribed burn specialist. Wisconsin has a multitude of different ecosystems -- deep dark woods brush up against prairie-like oak savannas. Jaidyn talks to us about what it's like to work in the fire industry. Plus: Turkey misses, brook trout, and trail baloney. 2:00 Trail baloney: A mixed-game, smoked, and pan-fried treat (also a great friend-maker) 4:30 Wisconsin's varied ecotypes 7:00 Fishing for native brook trout in small streams 8:00 Reintroducing fire to oak savannas 13:00 Prescribed fire as a surrogate for natural fire; It's a management tool for fire-adapted ecosystems 18:00 Burning different ecotypes at different times of the year, but generally in a March-May window 22:00 The effect of Rx burn on wetlands 25:00 The nuts and bolts of a day of prescribed burning 29:00 "Dot ignition" and low-intensity fire strategies (plus, sleepover duty for one crew member) 32:00 Fire stories: the one that got away... #nostructuresharmed 38:00 "Burn boss" ... might be the best job title ever 42:00 Loving where you live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yasss, pythons. Not a typo. This week on the podcast, we hear about how Amy Siewe went from snake lover to snake hunter -- and how her hunting pal Anne Gordon-Vega also became a python contractor. Pythons aren't native to Florida, and they wreak havoc on native ecosystems. So... when you find a 17-foot python big enough to swallow a deer, in the middle of the night, and you're alone... how DO you handle that? 3:30 Badass python-hunters are grandmas, too!  5:00 Life transition: Going from being a real estate broker in Indiana to a Florida python hunter 7:00 A brief history of pythons in Florida... a non-native, apex predator 9:30 "In the southern part of the state we've lost over 90% of all mammals." It's shocking. No opossums, no raccoons, no marsh rabbits.  12:00 Miami, drugs & exotic pets 14:00 Pythons are VERY difficult to find in the wild 15:00 What eats baby pythons? Plus, python breeding 17:00 Two python facts: They're the only snake that sits a nest, and the "babies" are 18-24 inches when they're born. (AH!) 18:00 When a python regurgitates the last four things it ate... 23:00 The contractor program in Florida - Florida Wildlife Commission; South Florida Water Management District 26:00 The python-hunting version of a Florida family vacay 30:00 Meeting your first deer-eater sized python at 2 a.m., laying over its body so it doesn't wrap you, and wrestling it into a bag 34:00 Snake-bagging 101 37:00 Catching a python on your ebike 40:00 Team-tagging pythons at night in dark, dark swamp water  43:00 Wrangling a 17-footer, with a timely assist from passing hunters 48:00 Python hunting is actually not much like how it's portrayed on reality TV 51:00 BSwanky handbag line from Florida pythons 52:00 Amy is a full-time python-hunter... and she also saves the skins for her own line of product. Find her online, Python Huntress 53:00 What does it PAY to be a python contractor? It's not about the money... "I do it out of love (for the Everglades), and -- I'll admit it -- adrenaline." 54:00 Python hunting is a night-time thing... outsiders can totally try it on vacation, but start by paying attention to the rules: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 55:00 The Florida Python Challenge - cash prizes! ATVs! Reptile stuff!  56:00 Are we putting a meaningful dent in the python problem?  58:00 Snake-tracking hound dogs 59:00 Find @PythonHunter_Amy on Insta, or PythonHuntress.com for those snake skin goods we mentioned; Find Anne on the FWC Python Contractor FB page 1:04 Turkey hunting! It's ON. (Dinner Island Ranch, where working cattle land meets public lands) 1:06 When mom makes you a snake bag for the record-breaker on the horizon... <3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artemis ambassador Phoebe Stoner joins us this week to talk about becoming a hunter as an adult, and about realizing that serving on a board is for EVERYONE. We hear about hunting in the greater Yellowstone area, plus making a difference in the same region through service to municipal/non-profit boards. Also? That elk is SO MUCH BIGGER than a whitetail.  2:00 Rocky Mountain gardening... keeps you on your toes!  4:00 Growing up in a rural, ag-centric place in a progressive/liberal family 6:00 That first whitetail deer in the greater Yellowstone area... first deer, trembling arms 10:00 Being a new hunter, your mental checklist in the field can feel so long compared to people who grew up doing it... but it DOES get shorter over time 13:00 Hesitating and second-guessing... those things can be good  16:00 Hunting/fishing... it can be hours of low-key mellowness before 'the thing' happens and you're 0 to 100.... "everything I've been working for is right here!" 19:00 Serving as a board member on a conservation group... from interest to 'yes, I'll do it' 22:00 Being a 20-something in Jackson likely means you'll have approximately four jobs, have trouble finding a place to live... AND, if you don't ski, you also might feel like something of an outsider 25:00 Offering public testimony to a group of policy-makers... it's kind of what democracy is about 28:00 Boards... they're everywhere! Corporations, non-profits, city/county government, state government, state agencies, etc 29:00 Board service is a great way to interact deeply with people you might never otherwise meet; And you have useful expertise! Truly. Boards benefit from backgrounds of all kinds 32:00 Every board's dream: Engaged, responsive people (knack for tangent-killering is a bonus) 38:00 What exactly does it mean to be "an expert"? (Pssst... you don't need to be an expert to have something important to say.) 41:00 Board struggles... how to make them productive versus time-wasting? Good facilitation helps. 43:00 Being a 'yes person' can bring you to a lot of AMAZING opportunities... the harder part is nailing the work-life balance 44:00 "I'm a recovering people-pleaser." (More on this? NPR's Life Kit podcast on it is worth a listen, How to say no, for the people pleaser who always says yes.) 47:00 Spending your career as an advocate vs. volunteering as an advocate 54:00 First elk after deer... 'Wow, this is big' 55:00 When your body falls INTO the elk's body (AH!) 57:00 There ARE perks to learning things the hard way 59:00 Peer mentorship for ladies on boards, anyone? Like a book club, maybe? 1:03 Purchasing a raft with a partner, two doggie life jackets included... life = changed!! Plus, learning to steer the oar rig 1:06 A healthy appreciation for realizing you don't know anything 1:07 Happiness is... a new toilet you install yourself 1:08 Artemis 'Turkey Tactics' storytelling contest... check it out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we 'pick' the brain of morel expert Kristen Blizzard (see what we did there? 'Pick' the brain? Har, har.) Kristen and her husband run ModernForager.com, an online resource for foragers across the country. Kristen tells us about everyone's favorite -- the morel -- plus other mushrooms you can easily add to your repertoire with a little extra know-how. We also discuss how to harvest for success in the kitchen. The culinary possibilities are endless! 3:40 - Harvesting arnica when the mushrooms aren't in 5:00 - Kristen and Trent Blizzard run ModernForager.com 9:40 - Mushrooms totally have a terroir, a sense of flavor imparted by the place they were harvested. It's simply lovely. 12:30 - What apple is to tree, mushroom is to mycelium. The mycelial network is everywhere! Under every forest floor. They're tree-like.  14:30 - "The Wood-Wide Web" – check it out https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/04/the-wood-wide-web/478224/; https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/from-tree-to-shining-tree 21:00 - Morel hunting wonderfully overlaps with spring bear season. Wild mushrooms complement wild game so beautifully. 23:00 - Adding a new mushroom to your foraging repertoire is a big deal! On posting a mushroom pic to an online forum, and having multiple different (very confident) answers on what it is 24:00 - Coral mushrooms are very hard to tell apart. Some cause gastric upset, others are fine. (Corals = mushroom jerky) 26:00 - Safe foraging is like any hobby: The more you do it, the better you get. Don't eat random mushrooms. Work on your ID skills 28:00 - People from Michigan = Michiganders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crystal C. Shaw is the Chief Operating Officer for the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. She previously served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Illinois Conservation Foundation. Ms. Shaw spent her earlier career in real estate and executive search advisory and consulting assisting search firms and businesses with c-level recruitment within privately held and PE-backed companies across industries. Ms. Shaw holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Environmental Sciences from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She currently serves as a committee member of the Chicago Downtown Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and co-founder of Shane’s Anglers, benefitting Cal’s Angels. She is a life sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and the Ruffed Grouse Society. She formerly served as an Auxiliary Board Member of the Sue Duncan Children’s Center. Ms. Shaw enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, fly fishing and hunting. Links: www.mcgraw.org www.annieoakleyshootersni.org  Show notes: 0:52 – What is inside Crystal’s freezer? 1:51 – Overview of Crystal’s background (three countries and eight states). 4:45 – Childhood adventures, hunting, fishing and upbringing. 8:13 – Hunting and fishing in Australia. 10:26 – Path to cofounding a nonprofit. 12:15 - Best path to obtaining a job in wildlife conservation? 14:00 - Tips for folks who want to reach and grow in the field of conservation. NETWORK! 14:52 - The Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation. 20:52 – Ding Darling was friends with Max McGraw! AND they both have a women’s incitive! 22:46 - What is CLfT? 24:44 - Short break for a message from our partner, Prois, and our partner program, NWF Outdoors. Be sure to follow and support both on social media. 26:07 - Favorite field experiences. #DesertQuailHunting 29:20 - Biology, research and the urban coyote project! 32:15 – Fellowship and internship opportunities… reach out to Crystal directly! 33:08 – Crystal looks to the future of conservation. 39:08 – www.annieoakleyshootersni.org  (Fall classic is Sunday, September 24th) 41:43 – Closing statements… hits and misses! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Chance worked as the southeast program cordinator for Artemis over the past two and a half years. She is intelligent, kind, humble, empathetic, skilled and incredibly talented at everything she does. She made an impact on every single ambassador and leader she came into contact with and her leadership will be greatly missed. Ashley is now advancing onto the next stage of her incredible career in wildlife conseration.  Ashley lives in east Tennessee with her husband and two dogs. She spends time outdoors as a hunter, angler, and horseback rider. Ashley was raised on a farm in Minnesota and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin. After graduation, she traveled around the country working as a wildlife technician on numerous research projects. In 2013 she boarded a plane for Ghana, West Africa, where she spent two years serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a rural village. Ashley fell in love with a scraggly little puppy during her time in Ghana and managed to bring him all the way back home with her. Upon her return to the United States, she began a master’s program at Mississippi State University to determine how hunting pressure influences deer movements. While there, she met her husband and they acquired an English Springer Spaniel that is the most versatile (and crazy!) hunting dog you’ll ever meet. Ashley’s role as the South East Regional Coordinator was to extend the work of Artemis to southern states by supporting sportswomen as conservation leaders and helping them to build community. She did this... and so much more.  Show Notes: 1:22 – What’s in Ashley’s freezer? 7:01 – Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in Alaska! 7:42 – Ashley takes about her background as an equestrian enthusiast. 14:27 – Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in Tennessee! 16:02 – Ashley talks about growing up on a farm and her relationship to food. 41:20 – Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in Georgia! 24:28 -- Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in TN! MARY LYNN! 27:54 -- Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in Oklahoma! 30:22 -- Special message from Marcia – YES, that Marcia!!! 32:52 – Ashley talks about having a baby and working and being mom and all the good things! 36:07 -- Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in Florida! 44:38 -- Special message from a duck hunter extraordinaire! 46:08 -- Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in New York!! 48:01 -- Special message from an(other) Artemis ambassador based in Tennessee!   50:27 – Ashley shares a conservation tid-bit. 54:41 -- Special message from an Artemis ambassador based in Ohio! 57:20 – Closing from Ashley… Ashley, we love you! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for our community and wildlife.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gina De Bernardis, an Argentine hunting guide, was introduced to hunting and fishing by her father Héctor, who has been a hunting guide since his youth. Gina and her brother, Laureano, now run the family business with their father and they hunt all around Argentina. During this episode, Gina reflects on being a female hunting guide in her country, how conservation works in Argentina, struggles with poachers, invasive species and the interesting sounds produced by red stags!  Suggested Links: https://www.instagram.com/g.huntress/ https://www.instagram.com/debernardishunting/ https://debernardishunting.com/ Gina's email:info@debernardishunting.com Show notes: 1:17 – What’s in your freezer?? 1:41 – Why so much red stag meat? 4:23 – Gina shares a little about her background and upbringing. 5:14 – Getting into the guiding business, successes, and challenges. 8:01 -  Transitioning from wanting to be an artist to wanting to be a hunting guide. 10:35 – Merging art and hunting through photography. 11:32 -  What is it like to be a female hunter in Argentina? 14:06 – Hunting is part of the “underground” in Argentina? 16:07 – Gina takes friends out but it is difficult to folks to understand. 20:07 - Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. 22:02 -  Signs and symptoms of dengue fever! 25:20 – A day in the life of a Argentina based hunting guide. It’s a BIG COUNTRY! 29:27 – Where does Gina guide hunting trips in Argentina? 32:12 -  How does conservation work in Argentina? Is there anything similar to the North American model of conservation? 37:26 – What does it mean to be a “fielder”? 38:25 - Lands management in Argentina. 41:10 – Cutting the grass or mowing and how this can hurt partridge. 44:03 – Gina shares one of her favorite stories from the field. 50:40 – What does the stag roar sound like and what is the season? 52:20 - Do the animals experience a lot of pressure in the areas Gina hunts? What about poachers? 54:25 – Do women come and hunt in Argentina? What are Gina’s hopes and dreams in this realm for the future? 56:46 – Weekly closer: hits and misses! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few legacies can impact the amount of people, organizations, species and habitats that Becky Humphries has. Starting as an employee of the US Fish and Wildlife Service in the 1970s, she quickly transitioned to state wildlife work the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and grew through the ranks culminating in her being appointed Director of the Department of Natural Resources and then in 2010 of the newly-developed Department of Natural Resources and Environment, which combined the DNR and state’s environmental agency. She was the first woman to hold either director role in Michigan. Humphries’ leadership saw the department through some of the most trying and uncertain times – including the discovery of Bovine Tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease in the state. Humphries’ work with the DNR elevated her to leadership roles within Association of Fish and Wild Agencies. She not only won their two most prestigious awards for her work, but she was named chair of the Fish and Wild Health Committee and led the National Fish and Wildlife Health Initiative. After more than 30 years with the DNR, Humphries left in 2011 to join Ducks Unlimited as the director of conservation partnerships. In 2013, Humphries joined the National Wild Turkey Federation as its chief conservation officer before being named chief executive officer in 2017 (Sourced from Michigan United Conservation Clubs). Suggested Links: https://www.nwtf.org/ http://www.peddersolutions.com/ Show Notes: 0:36 – Becky talks about where this episode was recorded at the North American Fish and Wildlife Conference. It has been happening since 1911!! 1:22 – A little on Becky’s background and start in conservation. 6:10 – Mentorship. Becky talks about some of her mentors during her career. 10:52 – Discussing professional courage and steps in moving up the ladder and picking your battles. 13:14 – “You always want to work around people who are very ethical.” 15:45 – Becky talks about some of the biggest projects she was involved with during her career. Notable projects at each stage. 28:00 – Becky reflects on where it has worked in her advantage to be a female in this industry. 33:28 - Pathways and pipelines to leadership. Did Becky set her intention to be the CEO of the DNR? 35:41 - Short break for a message from our partner, Prios, and the NWF Outdoors Outdoors podcast. 37:07 -  What’s in Becky’s freezers?! Better late than never ;) 39:48 -  Becky reflects on her passion for turkey hunting, bird hunting and her bird dogs. 41:33 -  What projects has Becky worked on over the years? 49:50 – The conversation regarding hunting, taking a life, spirituality, remorse, and conservation. 51:33 -  Becky to continue to stay engaged in the conservation community. 52:28- Closing statements and final advice for women who want to work in conservation and the out of doors. 54:39 - Becky’s plans for the future after retirement. 57:10 – Sam, Carlee and Becky share their hits and misses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Crump owns and operates Frigate Adventure Travel with her husband, Justin. Kate is a fishing guide based in Bristol Bay, Alaska and Oregon’s North Coast. Kate serves on the board of Pacific Rivers and is a member of the North Coast Citizens for Watershed Protection, promoting and protecting healthy watersheds. Her writing has been featured in the Fly Fish Journal, Trout Magazine, Patagonia Fly Fishing catalog, and the Salmon Steelhead Journal.  Links: Pacific Rivers Films: https://www.pacificrivers.org/storytelling.html Short Lesson on Snake River Dams: https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/our-work/saving-salmon/snake-river-dams Our lodge: www.thelodgeat58north.com Show notes: 1:02 – Kate shares what is in her freezer… Bristol Bay salmon, lincod, blackcod, elk and pig! 2:25 – How do you ship a pig to/from Alaska? 3:31 – Alaskan Airlines is unlike any other airline; they transport a lot of interesting supplies. 6:12 – Kate shares some background on her business and adventures in life as a fishing guide. 9:38 – Kate talks about her upbringing and start in fishing. 14:24 - Kate reflects on the value of being super present when fishing and how spirituality plays a role in her angling pursuits. 17:17 - What lead Kate to Washington and her first-time fishing?  21:31 – The awesomeness of Kate learning to love fishing and then moving to Alaska to become a fishing guide. 23:48 – Carlee asks Kate how she creates a safe and fun environment for kids to learn how to fish. 27:01 – Short break for a message from one of our partners, PRIOS, and our partner podcast NWF Outdoors. Be sure to follow Artemis and NWF Outdoors on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! 28:22 – Kate talks about the Bristol Bay Defense Fund and why we need to protect Bristol Bay. 32:45 – A crash course on the Snake River Dams and the story of the Columbia River salmon. 36:05 – How are we still talking about building dams in 2023? 39:35 – Genetic differences between spring and fall chinook salmon. 42:32 - How can people engage and contribute to these efforts (salmon and steelhead recovery). Take the time to sign your name and check the box on ACTION ALERTS! 45:19 – “I definitely and truly believe that the best way to heal our world is to start with ourselves… just being very kind to everyone you run into.” 47:47 – Kate reflects on hard questions and one of her favorite moments on the water. 53:45 – Hits and Misses of the week! Goose hunting, fishing with babies and travels to Chile!                 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acting Director at Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Heather Disney Dugan, shares her career path, favorite State Parks, her adult onset hunting stories with friends and family, and recognizes her mentors. “From sunrises at eleven mile and seeing the sunlight shining through the crystals that are hanging frozen from evergreen trees…I'm one of the luckiest people in the world to be able to have experiences like that and get paid for it.” Artemis Ambassador applications are still open, apply here before March 13th!   4:00 Favorite state parks 11:00 The initiative providing sustainable funding for Colorado’s state lands 20:00 In pursuit of turkeys…as an adult novice 24:30 Check out our Turkey Tactics Webinar! 30:00 Heather taking her son hunting & family stories 34:00 A thought for folks new to conservation, “A degree of change in time results in a monumental arc of change over time” 40:00 Ashley’s research findings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Ashley and Mandela as they interview Carlee, the new Artemis Program Manager, and delve into details of her career, education, and path to becoming part of the Artemis Team. AND…our 2023 Ambassador Applications are open until March 13th, 2023. Apply Here! A program of the National Wildlife Federation, Artemis seeks build a community of bold sportswomen who can articulate conservation issues to their legislators as well as skin a deer. Check out Artemis events in-person and online and connect with extraordinary sportswomen in your state.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Traditional bowhunter Beka Garris joins Artemis this week to talk about what it's like bowhunting with a baby. Yes... literally WITH a small child. Beka tells us about harvesting two deer (and a squirrel) alongside her daughter. She also talks about traditional bowhunting, the skills involved, and how your experience in the outdoors changes when you have a little one in tow.  2:00 Tiny human podcast crashers... #momlife 3:00 The switch from bowhunting to traditional bowhunting... the trad bow range is more like <20 yards 5:00 "If anyone wants to put the work in, they CAN do it... it's just a lot more work than a compound bow." 6:00 Hunting with small children (yes... like, hunting with them literally on your back) 8:00 Bug repellent (AND... the Victoria's Secret scent that some anglers swear by (BeBe Episode) 10:00 A Thermacell for bugs 11:00 Shooting squirrels with a trad bow... "it's hard." (But also fun.)  12:00 Hunting rabbits with a trad bow AND a beagle -- you come to rely on the intuition of your shot. Here's an exercise: Throw a shoe box into the air and try to shoot it 15:00 Bow skills: Back tension and proper release (aaaand... release words!) 17:00 Fitting a trad bow & arrow selection 20:00 Bowfishing 23:00 Hunting outdoors with littles: Take it slow, make it short, just ease into it 26:00 The 'death' part of hunting for kids 30:00 Children playing with bows 35:00 "Are you willing to give up the idea of definitely filling your tags to take your kid?" 37:00 Every kid is different in how they handle the outdoors 39:00 "When deer-hunting, you can't really worry too much about being scent-free if you have a kid in diapers." 42:00 Harvesting, dressing, and dragging a deer back to the Jeep as your infant snoozes 45:00 Deer-sized cargo carriers on a vehicle 50:00 HERUpland podcast, BirdDog Babe podcast 52:00 Find Beka on Instagram (@bekagarris) and Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part highlight reel, part blooper episode: Artemis's end-of-year special is back. Hear the most memorable clips from our THIRD year on the airwaves. As always, thank you for being here.   1:00 Artemis's Women in Conservation Leadership series aired this spring, an 8-episode dive into the stuff strong leadership is made of 4:00 Check out Artemis's field episodes: A rabbit hunt with Mary Lynn and turkey camp in South Carolina 6:00 This year we brought you field events, book clubs, tactics courses, a year's worth of podcasts, and more. If Artemis has meant something to you, please share the show with a friend or leave us a review wherever you listen. If you're able to donate, all financial contributions are put toward expanding access for women in sporting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artemis is revisiting one of its most popular series ever: A deep dive into ungulate biology with the scientists of the Montieth Shop. Mule deer are remarkably faithful to the geographies they were raised in... until they're not. Ungulate ecologist Rhiannon Jakopak talks with us about rogue individuals, migration fidelity, the rose petal hypothesis, and more. Plus, the emotions of harvesting your first animal (slash ANY animal).  4:00 From vegetarianism to wildlife science to becoming a hunter with your sci-pals in tow 6:00 Taking a life... you process it while you're literally processing it. The complicated feelings are normal; they don't need to go away 12:00 Those hunting mentors who make you feel encouraged, not pressured 14:00 A first-time mule deer harvest: Watching an individual deer for weeks before getting a shot on it at 28 yards.... and just like that, a life is changed 17:00 Knowing your local mule deer as individuals... so much so that you recognize certain animals in friends' harvest photos 19:00 Transition from bow- to rifle-hunting... there's a different feel to the hunt 23:00 The Rose Petal Hypothesis - this idea that female deer establish home ranges that are adjacent to and overlapping those of the female parent and sisters in a manner that looks like the petals unfolding on a rose 24:00 Mule deer have high fidelity (faithfulness to preferred geographies) and philopatry (those places near where they were born/reared) 28:00 Because of high site fidelity/philopatry, mule deer are especially slow to fill habitat vacuums... if we inadvertently remove them from a landscape, it can take a long time for new deer to show up 31:00 Combining knowledge from the science world with the place-based experience of hunters, ranchers, and other intimate land users 32:00 Rogue deer do colonize new habitats! They completely buck the fidelity/philopatry pattern, especially with their winter range 36:00 The first year of an animal's life is crucial for establishing the behaviors that'll govern behavior later on - rogue deer go rogue as yearlings 39:00 Mule deer have generally low fawn survival... but they also typically have two fawns per year 41:00 Scientist #facepalm: when all 50 collared fawns in your study die 45:00 Why is it so fun to pick on bird people? Jokes aside, they have some SOLID science on taught vs. inherent migration 48:00 Do relatively common species lose their mystique for us? Heck no. Next time you see a deer on the side of the highway, ask yourself how many mountain ranges it crossed in the past year 52:00 Those big antlers on your buck? They're a symbol of an intelligent species on healthy, connected habitat... be reverent, everyone! 57:00 How do we tell compelling science stories? 1:02 We're in an unprecedented era of everyone caring how we communicate/reach each other 1:06 The good news: Everyone cares about mule deer. The bad news: We disagree what's going on with them 1:08 Scientists as arbiters of information for policymakers 1:13 MontiethShop.org - a place to get involved and be in the loop on new science; Also @Monteith.Shop on Insta Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're revisiting one of Artemis's best-loved series of all time - Chasing Ungulate Tales with the scientists at the Montieth Shop at the University of Wyoming. You've heard it before: "If we kill the animals with the biggest horns, aren't we selecting for smaller horns over time?" This week we take a deep dive into that question with ungulate biologist Tayler LaSharr in the third episode of our special series with The Monteith Shop. We'll also talk about her research into how mule deer behaviors are affected by harsh winter events.  2:30 Squirrels... the gateway drug to hunting? 4:00 A Wyoming antelope hunt with all the science gals, creeping in for that 150-yard shot 7:30 Autopsy is to human what Necropsy (NEE-kraap-see) is to animals 9:00 Antelope heart pastrami (!!!) - get the how-to right here 10:00 Jess's Wyoming tag line-up: Three antelope, three elk, three deer, and one bear 13:00 Research deep-dive: The effects of hunter harvest on horn size in sheep. It started with a paper that used Boone & Crockett data to assess changes in horn size over time 14:30 Bighorn sheep harvested by hunters anywhere are required to be checked into a Fish and Game station… which means there's a treasure trove of data on size/ages of in every state 16:00 Horn size is a function of age + nutrition + genetics 19:00 Mom's nutrition affects her son's antler size 21:00 Does the removal of big males (by hunter harvest) change a population's genetics over time? A lot of it has to do with the average age of rams being harvested in different years 23:00 Alberta harvests sheep by a different standard -- the four-fifths curl. When you have management scenarios where harvest is determined by horns and not age (the annuli), there is evidence that it leads to decreased horn size over time. For example, if a five-year-old grows fast and gets to that four-fifths curl before other individuals his age, he stands to be harvested sooner from his population and may not have adequate chance to breed and pass on his genetics 25:00 How do you age a bighorn sheep?  27:00 One hedge against the overharvest of big-horned young animals is a conservative tag system... it's still a once-in-a-lifetime hunt in many states 29:00 "Evolution reverse" is this theory (/misunderstanding) that hunter harvest of big-horned animals selects out those traits in a population over time. In reality, it's way more complicated than that... management strategy plays a big role in how traits persist over time. Many factors are involved, and broad generalizations generally don't hold up all the time. 31:00 Changes in game management aren't often reflected in an animal population for years/decades 37:00 Rhiannon Jakopak's digest of Tayler's horn size work in layman's terms 38:00 Connecting sheep scientists with sheep hunters 40:00 The Wyoming Range Mule Deer Project  - a long-term study following deer individuals throughout their lives AND their offspring 42:00 Looking at the after-effect of harsh winters on mule deer. Differences in behavioral strategies? Migration routes? Reproductive strategies/mothering behavior? What allowed them to survive when other deer succumbed to winterkill? 48:00 Fish and Game departments have to balance immediate hunter desire against the long-term, ever-changing health/hardiness of game populations 57:00 The genesis of an ungulate biologist!  59:00 Check out more of the Monteith shop at UngulateCompendium.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artemis is revisiting its best-loved series of all time: A deep dive into ungulate ecology with the scientists at the Montieth Shop. This week we're surfing the green wave! Seasonal mule deer migration is based on food availability. Deer move across the landscape to maximize their access to high-quality food resources. We're joined by migration ecologist Ellen Aikens  to learn more about Wyoming's mule deer populations and how they're challenged by drought, climate change, and energy development.  PLUS: Artemis's long-time partner, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is offering an incredible giveaway that includes a guided pheasant hunting trip in South Dakota, a travel voucher to get there, and a $4,000 gift card to Scheel's. Don't miss out!  3:00 - Artemis's first guest to connect from overseas! Plus, moving to Germany during the pandemic 6:30 - Animal research: A generally rewarding endeavor with LOTS of challenges 8:00 A new scientist asks her peers/mentors, What's one of the most important fields to be savvy in? "GIS/remote sensing" comes up again and again 11:00 GPS collars let us see where an individual animal is going, year after year -- it's a bonafide jackpot of data. This field is called "movement ecology" 12:30 Marcia's sage advice: "Do what you enjoy doing until you don't enjoy doing it anymore. Then go do something else." 13:30 Sampling the field April-August to survey which plants are available and when. Documenting the seasonal change from green to brown was revelatory! Plus, KNOWING the place. 17:00 Dynamics in plant growth and seasonal transition influence how animals move 18:00 To study mule deer you need to become versed in the world they live in 20:00 "The green wave" - this idea that for deer and other species, young/emergent plant species are the most nutritious growth. That stage is staggered across an elevational gradient -- and this is the 'green wave' -- moving to find that nutritious feed 22:00 Most mule deer move from a low-elevation winter range to a higher elevation spring/summer range. This is colloquially called 'surfing the green wave' 24:00 Migration isn't a continuous line from Point A to Point B. Mule deer spend about 90% of their time on migration at stopover sites, foraging and eating 27:00 What makes a good stopover? It totally depends. Elevation plays a big role. They're generally places that are more lush than the surrounding area. 30:00 Fall migration: A combination of fleeing cold/snow, plus finding the lushest feed given the season... the "residual greenness" 33:00 Drought has an effect on how well mule deer can surf the green wave, which is shorter; Energy development also affects that migration 35:00 Mule deer in the West have high fidelity to their migration routes 38:00 Mule deer DO move through energy development sites... but they're not able to use those areas to the degree they would if there was no resource development there 39:00 A high-quality study would collect data BEFORE an energy project, DURING it, and AFTER reclamation 45:00 Being migratory is key for mule deer in the Wyoming Range. There ARE resident deer populations, but it's a small fraction ( Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're revisiting Artemis's most-downloaded series ever, Chasing Ungulate Tales, featuring scientists from the Monteith Shop, an ungulate research lab at the University of Wyoming. This week we're joined by Rebecca Levine, whose research is focused on understanding the thermal ecology of moose. More than half of southern moose populations in the Lower 48 are in decline. We talk parasite loads, chronic wasting disease, the mysterious moose of New Zealand's fjordlands, and what habitat a moose needs to stay cool. Also: bear spray works for moose, too.  PLUS... Artemis's long-time partner, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is offering an incredible giveaway, which includes a guided pheasant hunting trip, a travel voucher to get there, a $4,000 gift card to Scheel's, and loads of other gear. Check it out and be sure to enter.  4:00 When do you get to call yourself a 'hunter'? 5:00 In the southern half of moose's range, about half of populations are in decline 7:00 Why is heat stress so particular to moose versus other cervids? The skinny: They're big, they're dark, and they don't sweat. 10:00 How do moose find those spots to cool off in? 12:00 Collaring MOOSE... it's a PROCESS. But the video collars? SO COOL 15:00 Moose = tick paradise 16:00 Moose are intermingling with more ungulates that they ordinarily may not have overlapped with, which is one vector for parasite spread 18:00 Preg-checking a female moose 21:00 Twin prevalence in moose 24:00 Different subspecies of moose and their historic ranges... they're unique in that moose are circumpolar. They're in Russia, China, Canada, Alaska, etc. 28:00 Moose are relative newcomers to Wyoming/Utah/Colorado 32:00 Moose reach heat stress above 55 degrees... and they indulge in a number of behaviors to mitigate heat -- bedding down in marshes, traveling to higher altitudes, etc 36:00 Chronic wasting disease effects all cervids, including moose 37:00 Wyoming Chronic Disease Management plan 44:00 Bilingual fishing/game regs - Kansas just did this, and the results are great 46:00 Monteith Shop on Insta (@Monteith.shop) 47:00 Funding is a limiting resource on the production of high-quality science 47:40 Monteith Shop website, UngulateCompendium.org 52:00 Moose encounters in the Brooks Range... MONSTERS RISING FROM THE WILLOWS! Bear spray doesn't help you feel brave in that moment 53:00 "Don't run" is the general advice for wildlife encounters... EXCEPT with moose 54:00 National Park Service project to preserve big-horn sheep in Grand Teton National Park 55:00 Charismatic megafauna vs charismatic megafauna... eliminating mountain goats to preserve bighorn sheep 56:00 Three hours to go a mile in canyon/bog/swamp... great chance for a somewhat scary moose encounter! Also, that moment when your scientist friend hears something and says, "Hmm... that sounds like a large mammal." 59:00 Two cans of bear spray deployed... which totally got the target animal, but also the person in flight 1:01 Bear spray is oil-based, and thus very sticky 1:04 In 1910 moose were introduced into New Zealand's fjordlands. The population never really took off... the last sighting was in 1980, BUT, it's led to a Sasquatch type of fervor, with the occasional wingnut moose sighting in that area. #moosetrivia 1:06 Moose = swamp donkeys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karlin Gill grew up among her family's outfitting business... in Karlin's words, "Food is our love language." Hunting was always a part of her life, but hunting and foraging came to take on new meaning for Karlin as an adult as she grappled with Crohn's disease. This week we talk about actually wanting to eat what you hunt -- making exquisite food from the wild. Plus: Big bucks, missing the shot, field to fork, and TWO giveaways on the table.    2:00 Tanner crabs from Alaska & transporting your bounty on a passenger flight #carryoncrabs 4:00 Growing up in a subsistence-centric household 6:00 Artemis's foraging outing was a huge success! 7:00 Wanting to eat the bounty you forage/harvest (versus choking it down) 9:00 New to foraging? Start with something easy to identify: Pawpaws, acorns, etc. 10:00 Acorn flour, acorn milk (and mushroom flour, ya'll) 14:00 A hunting season where you just can't get into the deer 18:00 I like big bucks and I cannot lie #buckfever 21:00 National Deer Association's Field to Fork program 24:00 TWO GIVEAWAYS, everyone! First, Artemis is teaming up with Prios for the month of November to offer a full outfit of swag. Check out the Artemis Instagram or Facebook feeds for all the details on how to enter. Also, Artemis's long-time partner, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is offering another giveaway, including a guided pheasant hunting trip, a travel voucher, and a $4,000 gift card to Scheel's. Don't miss either chance!  26:00 Crohn's disease 27:00 Safari Unlimited hosts an incredible dinner for Artemis's deer camp... "Food is our love language" 31:00 Being a hunter's ed instructor, and generally having a love for outreach/education 37:00 White belly dance 40:00 Hits and misses... the only way to never miss is to never shoot 44:00 Why can't we easily pop the deers raiding our gardens.... WHYYY!? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Peters works at both The Ruffed Grouse Society and The American Woodcock Society -- groups that aim to preserve upland bird habitat across the country. Members of both groups are heavy on sporting tradition (cue the bird dog talk), and part of Ashley's job is to build bridges outside that arena. On this episode we talk about forest health, disturbance, people management, and the future of our forests.   We have a giveaway going for the month of November! It's from Prois, and we're giving away a full outfit -- a Trial Pack, Torai Pants, Torai Jacket, Cap, AND a Tintri 2.0 shirt!! Check out the Artemis Instagram or Facebook feeds for all the details on how to enter.   4:00 Crop-share/produce share arrangements 6:00 Combining fish/game with what's in season around us (even acorns) 9:00 Connect with Ashley @grouse.lady, or listen to her previous episode of the Artemis podcast 12:00 When do adult-onset hunters finally identify as just "hunters"... ? 14:00 The culture of sporting dogs is a source of camaraderie among grouse conservationists 15:00 The crop: A peek into what your grouse has been eating 19:00 Bird digestion 101: Sooo... what's the point of the crop?  25:00 Grouse rely on a mosaic of different forest types to hack it year round 28:00 Disturbance (logging, Rx fire) can be a boon to long-term forest health 32:00 It's more difficult to restore a species that's gone from a landscape than it is to prevent its demise 38:00 Conservation best practices are always changing, but how well we talk to each other will always be paramount 43:00 "Wildlife management is people management" 45:00 The Women's Forest Congress 49:00 All of us influence the future of our forests 53:00 Bird dogs make our forays into the forests more colorful 59:00 Pudelpointers as bird/family/companion dogs... zeroing in on your breed? Try a NAVHDA hunt test 1:05 Her Upland Grouse Camp 1:08 Upland hunting might be the most baby friendly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Tanya Dowdy and her husband sold their veterinary practice, she started working at a tackle shop. That led to a boater safety job, requiring Tanya to get her captain's license. Before she knew it, she was elbows-deep in Reel Chica Charters, which takes anglers of all abilities on fishing trips off the coast of South Carolina. Tanya is on a mission to make angling and boating more accessible to everyone -- especially women.  3:00 A freezer portrait from a woman who gets to fish 12 months of the year 5:00 From a family business to working in a tackle shop... then an invite to get your captain's license... then, "Why don't you do fishing charters?" 8:00 The process of getting your captain's license 13:00 Girl meets redfish 16:00 What to expect on a fishing charter 17:00 The smell of "pluff mud" -- sulfurish and smells like home 23:00 Charters can tailor a day of fishing to most experience levels on board 25:26 Pssst... we're doing another giveaway! This time it's from Prois to give away a full outfit! Yes, that’s correct, we are giving away a Triall Pack, Torai Pants, Torai Jacket, Cap, AND a Tintri 2.0 shirt!! Check out the Artemis Instagram or Facebook feeds for all the details. 27:00 When a rodmaker asks you to join a photoshoot in Alabama, you say YES (St. Croix Rods) 29:00 The catch of a lifetime 32:00 Conflict over redfish breeding and easy catching conditions 33:00 "Covid did crazy things for the fishing and water industry." 35:00 Be a conscious angler/guide with responsible fish-handling 37:00 Ventilating a fish 39:00 Sharks... the 'tax collector' of the seas 42:00 SaferBoater.org ... We all have to do driver's ed for cars, but no so for boats! (That said, it's still a good idea) 50:00 Getting a kid his first saltwater fish... "This is why I do this and I love doing this." 54:00 Find Tanya on Instagram or at Reel Chica Charters 58:00 Companies buoying female charter captains (and anglers): Aftco, St. Croix Rods, Z-Man Fishing, Eye Strike Fishing, Rheos glasses, Shimano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bethany Bethard grew up knowing that her grandfather was a hunting fiend, but hunting wasn't a big part of her own upbringing. As an adult, though, she got curious and started getting in the field more. Bethany is a homeschool mom of five kids, and a military spouse, and she's adamant that just because you're a mom doesn't mean you don't get to have your own identity. Plus: Hunting military lands, representation in the field ("You can't be it if you can't see it"), Oklahoma elk hunting, jerky methods, and bison. Pssst... we're doing another giveaway! This time it's from Prois to give away a full outfit! Yes, that’s correct, we are giving away a Trial Pack, Torai Pants, Torai Jacket, Cap, AND a Tintri 2.0 shirt!! Check out the Artemis Instagram or Facebook feeds for all the details. 3:00 Oklahoma IS an elk-hunting destination... check our our episode with Alyssa Bowen to hear more about it 5:00 Hunting on military property... like public lands with way more rules 7:00 Making time to hunt with five kids in the mix 8:00 Aaaand a deer-hunting fail with young kids 10:00 Absorbing family hunting knowledge, but not having it as a regular part of your upbringing 12:00 Jerky making au natural 18:00 Tracking down your family's sporting history 19:00 "Just because we're a mom doesn't mean we lose our identity." 22:00 Incorporating indigenous heritage into a modern sporting tradition 25:00 "The Time of the Buffalo" by Tom McHugh 27:00 Using homeschool to follow family passions/interests 30:00 Representation in the outdoors matters... "You can't be it if you can't see it" 34:00 'Earn a buck' regulations... you have to harvest does before you're issued a buck tag 38:00 Bison hunting 44:00 Hunting is a service to family 47:00 Striving to be a well-rounded hunter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outsiders might think of Long Island as a suburb of New York, but it's also a remarkable place to be a hunter and angler. Two years ago, bow-hunter Jacqueline Molina was featured in the New York Times as part of a growing movement of women taking to the woods on Long Island, which struggles with deer overpopulation. That exposure led her and some friends to start a women's hunting group. This week on the program: Blowfish, pandemic hobbies, Euro mounts, and solo hunts. Plus, don't forget to take the Artemis podcast listener survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Isle Royale Outfitters. 2:00 Fishing for blowfish... the other "chicken of the sea" 6:00 Long Island Babes and Bucks @longislandbabesandbucks Email: libabesandbucks@gmail.com 8:00 Long Island... sportswoman's paradise! 11:00 The DIY approach to teaching yourself how to hunt 12:00 Sitting in the tree stand with your nursing school books on your lap, trying to turn pages as quietly as possible 14:00 Look at Hunter You from three years ago... have you changed? 18:00 In case you missed Ashley's Artemis deer camp report from Tennessee... it's still there! 21:00 Pandemic hobbies... how about turning those skulls into art? 24:00 See Jacqueline’s work on her Instagram @jmolina319 26:00 How-to on Euro mounts - use a salon product that seems to make bone shine bright 31:00 "Deer Overpopulation Meets Its Match: Women Who Hunt" New York Times  36:00 Hunting headspace... especially if you're solo 39:00 Going into a hunt thinking you won't see anything... then... EVERYTHING 43:00 Hunting snacks & snack faux-pas (and tuna hearts) 48:00 Matthews V3 bow 49:00 Retire and old bow, lighten the draw weight, and save it for those super-frigid days   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the program, a reunion! Mandela van Eeden is leaving Artemis for an epic road trip throughout Africa, where she plans to put her storytelling skills to work on behalf of endangered elephants and rhinoceros. Marcia drops in to talk about what she's been up to ever since leaving Artemis a year ago. We discuss conservation work, burnout, and the powerful feelings of success in what can feel like an up-and-down career.  5:00 Bear-fat French fries, applesauce up the wazoo, and game as a substitute for lamb in recipes 8:00 Straddling life between South Africa and Montana 12:00 Cultivating a life in radio... 18 years strong (then transitioning to video) 14:00 'The Easter rhino'... also an egg-layer? 15:00 Conservation as a family legacy/identity 19:00 "If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've obviously never spent the night with a mosquito." 22:00 Career transitions and the why of how we find our paths (with a side dish of burnout) 28:00 Supporting public educators with counseling 32:00 When your hometown feels a little more cozy in the outdoors than it used to 35:00 Inadvertent geotracking of your wildlife photos  38:00 Lessons learned from a career at NWF - lead-free ammo, wildlife crossings, CWD, policy change, salmon recovery, and more 42:00 Advocating for the Grand Canyon on Capitol Hill 52:00 Staying involved in advocacy in Montana and abroad 53:00 Game Rangers International; Xplorer Maps 55:00 The Trail Less Traveled podcast and radio show 56:00 Interacting with children at home and abroad 57:00 Storytelling as a conservation tactic 1:06 It's not goodbye... it's 'see you downstream' 1:09 "This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. --George Bernard Shaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes from the Artemis archives... Beavers are amazing! Artemis is diving straight into the beaver pond with Dr. Emily Fairfax, ecohydrologist, science story teller, and beaver dam enthusiast. Join us to hear how this keystone species shapes our landscape, supports wildlife, and improves our watershed wherever they slap a tail. Plus, don't forget to take our podcast listener survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Isle Royale Outfitters. The giveaway closes on Nov. 2.  2:00 "Beavers are a keystone species, which means they modify their environment in a way that influences the whole ecosystem." 3:30 First beaver experience... when your animal guide finds you 5:30 Idaho's beaver reintroduction efforts involved parachuting them in the Frank Church 7:00 Hauling a canoe over a beaver dam (over and over) in the Boundary Waters makes you realize what incredible engineers beavers are 9:00 Beavers are masters at helping lands retain water longer, which benefits a slew of other animal species – including fish, birds and ungulates! 11:00 In Nevada, beavers started improving cattle grazing land... but their real hero moment was during a drought, when areas with beavers stayed greener longer. 14:30 Now there's just two species of beaver: North American Beaver and the Eurasian Beaver. They're different enough that they can't interbreed, but both are dam-builders 15:00 There used to be 20-odd beaver species... some dug spiral burrows into the earth, others were Pleistocene-size beavers as big as linebackers 16:00 Dam-building was a hugely advantageous skill, evolutionary-wise... it meant beavers could build their own habitat pretty much anywhere there was water 17:00 Beaver populations remained stable pre-settlement, when some indigenous cultures had ways of self-regulating harvest. The European fur trade marked the start of beaver decline 19:30 "Ecological amnesia"... when people can't remember whether or not an animal is native to a landscape 21:15 Beaver dams generally don't stop the flow of water completely. Beavers then dig channels out from the dam, dispersing water, and also giving them routes back to the dam (so they're not just chicken nuggets waddling around on land). This is the chief mechanism of how beavers turn streams into wetlands. 26:00 Water retention, water temperature, and soil health in beaver habitat 28:00 How beavers overwinter... it's brilliant 31:30 Beaver family units... they mate for life!  33:00 Adult beavers can be enormous... up to 110 pounds, especially in northern climates. (They're also a favorite food for some wolf packs.) 38:00 BDA = beaver dam analog (basically a human-constructed beaver dam to replicate the species' effect on the landscape) 39:00 Beavers and people/private lands... we have some tricks for management, like the "beaver deceiver" 41:00 Beaver presence in Nevada... it's a big of a mystery how they got there. Beaver dispersal is difficult because they're not well-adapted to moving over land 45:00 Beaver misconceptions are a huge obstacle for beaver conservation. Education is an important arm of conservation. 48:00 Beaver ponds are remarkable fire deterrent, and they're refuges for wildlife, "emerald sanctuaries" 51:00 The West has lost 60-90 percent of its natural wetlands... this has likely affected how fire behaves on the landscape 52:00 Beaver ponds = duck city! 53:45 "Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter" by Ben Goldfarb 55:00 How accurate is our perception of what a Western stream looks like? Those smooth-banked places we like to fish? They're not as natural as they look. 58:00 Find Emily @emilyfairfax on Twitter, or by email emily.fairfax@csuci.edu 59:00 Emily's film on beavers and wildfires 59:30 Beaver ponds are full of pointy sticks! But they're very stable to walk across Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tice Supplee has had a remarkable career in wildlife management and conservation. She served as a game warden in Arizona, and after retirement she became active in conservation groups like the Arizona Antelope Foundation and the Arizona Elk Society. These days she works in bird conservation, and we discuss habitat restoration. What's good for elk is often good for birds - it's a win-win. Plus: Zuni bowls, sourdough victories, condor reintroduction and more. Also: Artemis has a giveaway going on! Take our podcast listener survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Isle Royale Outfitters. 3:00 Archery elk hunt 4:00 Coues deer in southeast Arizona 7:00 Hunting in your 70s, being a game warden & game manager 8:00 Audubon Southwest 9:00 When respectable, nice people violate wildlife laws (and busting in on an illegal elk camp) 14:00 Why people violate game laws 16:00 Arizona Elk Society, Arizona Antelope Foundation and board service 19:00 Bringing veterans into conservation, starting with a hunt 20:00 Auctioning off game tags to fundraise for conservation, perks and drawbacks to the program 24:00 Grassland restoration work for bird habitat (plus... the pinyon jay!) 26:00 Habitat improvements for some ungulates/birds often benefit others... but not always 29:00 On southeast Arizona: "We don't have a lot of anything, but we have a little bit of just about everything."  31:00 Condor reintroduction and lead ammo 32:00 90% of captive doves force-fed two size 8 lead pellets died, compared to 0% of doves that were not fed lead shot 34:00 Arizona's yellow-billed cuckoos 35:00 Zuni bowls: an old-school method for increasing water retention on the landscape 39:00 New to conservation? Join an organization. If you can't join, volunteer. You can help no matter where you are in your sporting journey, and you'll meet a lot of people 44:00 An archery elk hunt turns into a recovery mission, then getting the abrupt whiff of elk after hearing an unusual bark 51:00 Vacuum-sealing your meat... it KEEPS 53:00 You've earned a travel trailer when you're in the field as much as Tice 54:00 #sourdoughvictories and a rabbit hole on heirloom flour 1:00 "The Time of the Buffalo" by Tom McHugh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beth Johnson has 15 chest freezers, 2 walk-in coolers, and 3 added walk-in freezers. Johnson's taxidermy shop is predominantly women, and they specialize in hunting mounts of all kinds (from bison to zebras), and doing the odd job for Hollywood here and there. This week we hear from a taxidermist with 35 years of experience on how you can best ready your harvest to be mounted by a taxidermist. Don't forget to take the Artemis podcast listener survey for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Isle Royale Outfitters.   2:00 We've got some serious freezer real estate on hand 3:00 Hollywood's need for taxidermy (those roadkill items you see in movies aren't fresh carcasses) 4:00 Doing a taxidermy job out of someone's favorite mule #foreverfriend 5:00 Getting your science degree, becoming a teacher... then realizing your path is elsewhere 7:30 A predominantly female taxidermy shop 9:00 How you take care of an animal before bringing it to a taxidermist influences the quality of the final mount 10:00 That duck whose feathers got blown off? Maybe not the keeper to mount 12:00 The "pantyhose" trick for keeping feathers flush and lifelike on bird mounts 14:00 The scoop on freezer temps 17:00 Odds are you don't gut/skin the same way a taxidermist does; Tips for getting your quarry from the field and into the taxidermy shop 19:00 Multi-species displays... it's a dream job where science and artistry blend 23:00 Plant/vegetative elements in displays 26:00 Turn-around times 34:00 Comparing mounts from the '60s versus present day - the forms are completely different 37:00 Prepping a hide for tanning 40:00 Yep, you can get the hide of a favorite dog tanned up for your couch 43:00 Salting a hide properly (birds included!) 48:00 Taxidermist vs. catfish 51:00 Embracing trial and error 53:00 Recreating illegal-to-harvest species like eagle and owls using chicken/goose feathers 54:00 A drawer of chicken feathers also comes in handy when Hollywood needs a parrot doing a specific thing 55:00 Feather, Finn and Fur Taxidermy & Red Barn Processing (and Atlanta Poultry Processing for all things chicken)  56:00 "I just can't sleep fast enough to get back to work"... when you love what you do Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiffiny Sanders is a mother of four, an avid sportswoman, and an ambassador who aims to connect others with the outdoors. Tiffiny is an adult-onset hunter who got into sporting when she got together with her husband. In this episode: waterfowl retrieval in gator country, food as medicine, the tension between loving animals and harvesting them, race and identity, and building a community of hunters. 2:00 Hunting in the Florida heat: stay cool, acclimated to the heat, and covered up from insects 4:00 Gator bait trivia: Which body part floats and rots nicely?  7:00 "I'm definitely an outdoors grocery shopper." 9:00 Waterfowl hunting in Florida & retrieving ducks in gator country 13:00 Adult-onset hunting, large families, and sticking with it through small kids 14:00 Acquiring hunting knowledge online (YouTube, podcasts, articles, etc) and distilling the useful parts 19:00 Outdoors & natural foods as medicine 23:00 Nontypical Outdorsman- promoting outdoor diversity and inclusion by education and outreach 27:00 @lolaofthesouth  29:00 The tension between loving animals and also harvesting them for food 32:00 Choosing your role in the food system 33:00 Looking different than your family (both natal and family by marriage) 36:00 When farm children go vegetarian & embracing the freedom of choice for your kids 41:00 The JOY of watching your kids succeed in the field, and anticipating a similar journey with your grandkids 43:00 Teaching hunter's ed, becoming an Artemis ambassador... SHARING the wisdom/power/knowledge of sporting with others = a joy in and of itself 46:00 Artemis waterfowl hunt on the horizon in Florida toward the end of January, keep an eye out for registration 47:00 Franchi Affinity Catalyst, a shotgun designed for women Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're headed to Mississippi with Leah Robinson, an Artemis ambassador and sportswoman of the South. She fills us in on what alligator season is like (gator nuggets, anyone?), the tradition of froggin', and some of the finest waterfowl hunting in the U.S.  2:00 Alligator season in Mississippi 3:00 So... how much meat do you get off a 10.5-foot alligator? #gatornuggets 6:00 Getting to the BIG gators (catch and release is harder than it is with fish) 9:00 Two lines and a snare 11:00 Feisty female gators 12:00 Dispatch, hauling into the boat, then a hot tip for quickly measuring a gator's length 15:00 Mississippi Wildlife Federation 16:00 Childhood sweetheart, gator wrangling BFF... #allinahusband 18:00 Getting hooked on bird hunting (and getting your first turkey five years in) 21:00 Building a community of sportswomen by starting with camaraderie and education 23:00 A hunter-to-bird ratio on the rise in the Mississippi Delta 29:00 Academics Afield 31:00 Nurturing a family culture of hunting, even as the family grows up 35:00 Hey Yeti, you ready to sponsor the Artemis pod? 38:00 Memorable duck hunts 40:00 Game warden encounters 42:00 "There's just something so special to me about froggin'" 48:00 Doing something new (like pheasants) as a family 52:00 The kind of turkey hunt that's worth waiting five years for 1:02 Gun/ammo incompatibility Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bailey Petersen helps facilitate Minnesota's woodcock banding program, which enlists the help of volunteer dog handlers. Dogs have to pass a control test before they're approved to join. We talk about steadiness in a bird dog, protective vests, and breeds - from Münsterländers to Llewellin setters. Plus: Grouse hunting in Minnesota... what to look for and what differentiates grouse habitat from woodcock habitat. 1:30 A little woodcock 'splash' for your sniffing pleasure, everyone 3:30 Harvesting wild rice... it involves a 'ricing buddy', a canoe, and tools called 'knockers' 7:00 Agencies working hand-in-hand with non-profits on habitat restoration 10:00 When a professional interest in healthy lakes leads you to appreciate waterfowl in a new way 11:00 Small Münsterländer; Llewellin Setter 13:00 Finding 'your' dog breed 15:00 Skijoring with your dogs 22:00 Minnesota's woodcock banding program 24:00 Recruiting new human/dog woodcock-banding teams 28:00 Testing dogs: It's about steadiness and control 32:00 The 2-week banding season overlaps with hatching 34:00 Finding a nest is an exercise in extreme caution 38:00 Steadiness training... start with "whoa," then add a temptation 43:00 Band return rates on woodcock are 11%, which isn't too bad 45:00 "If you have a cooperative dog, then it's really just an exercise of repetition." 46:00 Grouse hunting Minnesota, a pep talk  47:00 Hunter walking trails on OnX 50:00 Woodcock cover vs. grouse cover... "It becomes grouse cover after it's been prime woodcock cover." 52:00 For grouse, look for fruiting shrubs (chokecherries, highbush cranberries, hazel, birch) 58:00 Protective dog vests 1:05 Seeds embedded in dogs... #problems Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Tina Dokken, hunting started with a chocolate lab. She was determined to be the best fur-parent she could be, and took her dog all over. She met her husband at a dog festival, and that's when her journey into sporting started in earnest. Tina is a gifted teacher -- both in person and over her YouTube Channel, Tina DokkenUnleashed. She talks about how learning is a mindset, and being curious and willing is the path to an adventurous life with your animals.   3:00 Tina's Mexican pheasant recipe 5:30 Getting your chocolate lab into hunting  6:00 GameFair festival (like a state fair for dogs... also a place to find a husband!)  9:00 The freeze-thaw longevity of a single duck used for scent training 13:00 Being a great learner carries over to being a great teacher 15:00 Visual vs. verbal learning 18:00 When your dog chooses your husband 21:00 Learning from people who aren't your spouse/partner 23:00 Eye dominance 25:00 Shooting stance 30:00 Developing a mount technique  34:00 Progressing to other shots (and clays vs. real-life hunting) 36:00 Franchi shotguns and short-stock guns 41:00 Bridging the dog work with hunting 46:00 Hunting by yourself means following your dog (versus the others in your party) 49:00 Trusting your dog 53:00 Pheasant tricks 55:00 Hunting quietly with dogs 56:00 Snare-prepared... "you never know" 58:00 Gun safety... it's a journey, and you never stop improving; show off your empty barrel 1:00 "Tina Dokken Unleashed" YouTube channel 1:05 Archery hunting with a baby -- balancing that counterweight on your back as you draw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adult-onset hunter... traditional bows... five kids... would you guess those things add up to having six deer in the freezer? This week we're joined by Melody Haege, who talks to us about how she settled on traditional bowhunting when she began her sporting journey, and what it looks like today. 2:00 Living in the Minnesota 'big woods' 3:00 Six deer doesn't last that long for a family of seven; Keeping the blood to train a scent-tracking dog 4:00 Pig procurement & fat rendering tips 8:00 Deer hunting with a traditional bow (you need to hear about this 27-yard shot) 14:00 Adult-onset hunting & going all in 15:00 Being an excellent shooter isn't always synonymous with being an excellent hunter 16:00 You don't know what you don't know 18:00 Crossbow to traditional bow transition 20:00 Hunting/archery isn't one parent's "thing"... it's the family's thing 23:00 Making hunting a shared joy among family sometimes means putting the brakes on your own journey 24:00 Tree stands vs. ground blinds when hunting with kids 25:00 Judging snacks by how loud they are to unwrap 27:00 Stalking with a 7-year-old #buckfever 30:00 Building bridges with farmers 37:00 Hunting styles/methods vary by geography/culture... "Even if it is legal, that doesn't mean it's respectful to the animal" 40:00 Homeschooling & time management (say, during deer season) 47:00 Finding a balance when it comes to engaging your kids; Going by their cues 51:00 Family hardship... there's significance/meaning in doing hard things 54:00 The 75 Hard challenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcia Brownlee is leaving Artemis after four years as the program's manager. (Sad faces!) Artemis is housed under the National Wildlife Federation's public lands team, but its leadership team is made up of women from women across the country. Under Marcia's wings, the program has grown from a feeble idea tossed around at a campfire to a program with 71 ambassadors in 35 states. Artemis hosts events in-person and online, and connects sportswomen across the country. Artemis also seeks to foster a the kind of community where women can articulate conservation issues to their legislators as well as they can skin a deer. Today on the program: A deep dive into Marcia's work the past four years and where Artemis stands. 3:00 Marcia's #freezerconfessional leads us down a coffee-routine rabbit hole [pssst... want to hear from Artemis's coffee queen? You need to listen to the Sharenda episodes 1 & 2] 7:00 Coffee processes in the home vs. the field 9:00 The real Marcia Brownlee, ya'll... how do you describe yourself to people who know you? 13:00 Getting into hunting with the help of great people + the merits of DOING something with our loved ones 14:00 "I applied for the job with Artemis and was kind of shocked when I got it, but obviously very excited." 17:00 A nod to the NWF/Artemis work community 21:00 The back channels of conservation work... it's invigorating to be in the know 22:00 Pssst... the Artemis program manager job is accepting applications on a rolling basis until September 5th! 23:00 "You may have what they don't know they need" - never take yourself out of the running for an opportunity you're interested in 27:00 Shaking the outside expectations and defining your life/goals/mojo for yourself 33:00 Mentors in conservation -- they shape us, buoy us, and build us into better versions of ourselves 35:00 "Your Mountain" podcast with David Willms 37:00 Mentoring people you may never meet in real life 41:00 Intimacy between virtual-only co-workers 43:00 The self-declared adult sabbatical 48:00 "It's all about people. If we want to fix things -- we need to start with people." 51:00 Hunting brings us a sense of self-efficacy, confidence, independence... there's a strong mental health thread woven through sporting 58:00 Artemis is changing... but the core values remain the same #futureisbright 1:01 Conservation needs more engaged sportswomen 1:07 When you're social skills are fine-tuned for an in-person workplace, then switching to entirely remote work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Ellen Candler's career track in predator biology is full of riveting stories -- from trapping a mountain lion under the famous 'Hollywood' sign outside LA, to working on cougar and wolf studies in Yellowstone. Candler has always been interested in how added resources influence the wildlife in their vicinity -- whether it's a hunter's bait pile for bears, or a leftover gut pile from someone's deer kill. 2:00 A how-to on freezing morels 5:00 First-time hunting emotions 6:00 Remembering wolf introductions as a child growing up in Idaho 7:00 Predator field work outside LA (like riiight under the famous 'Hollywood' sign) 10:00 Work as a cougar/wolf field tech 12:00 When you say "hey bear!" and a bear pops its head up #whoa 15:00 Becoming a mother... defending your PhD... #nbd 17:00 Does wolf behavior change when bear bait piles are available? 22:00 ...so, where DO you get wolf urine? 25:00 Diabetic bears  30:00 The Offal Wildlife Watching Project ... which scavengers are the gut-eaters? 33:00 The longevity of gut piles as a food source varies depending on the season 37:00 Every time something dies, it's a resource pulse for the surrounding environment (hunters = gut piles) 43:00 Residual lead from ammunition + public education 48:00 "Hunters need to realize that what they're leaving on the landscape is eaten by other things" Ellen is always happy to take more hunter volunteers for Offal Wildlife Watching. Current research is focused in Minnesota, but if you’re outside the state and are interested in participating, reach out to Ellen: belle130@umn.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes on a timely subject matter: Rifles - they seem so simple, right? You put the bullet in. You pull the trigger. You (hopefully) kill the animal. But there's a lot of nuance in how a rifle performs, and it can often feel overwhelming to new hunters. This week we're talking to two experts from the firearms industry: Rachel Schmidt, formerly of Kimber Manufacturing, and Neal Emery of Hornady.  3:00 - Mushrooms in lasagna? OR CAPERS?! 5:30 - Piscivorous: You were probably missing this from your vocabulary. 7:00 - On growing up in a hunting family, "I never knew there wasn't hunting." 14:00 - Rifle calibers... what do those numbers mean?  15:00 - First off, you don't need to be a rifle caliber/reloading expert to have enough working knowledge to go hunting. So don't sweat it. Start with knowing what you want to hunt. 18:00 - Calibers are confusing. It's like learning the English language... there are some general rules, but lots (LOTS) of exceptions. 19:00 - Hornady website, go to "Rifles" and "Ammunition" for a basic caliber chart 21:00 - Start with the basics: How does your rifle work? What does the firing pin do? How does the safety stop it from firing? Check out this great animation from hunter-ed.com. 27:00 - Caliber is just a size. The same caliber bullets can come in different weights, which are called grains (i.e. 220 grain versus 110 grain) 32:30 - Rifle fit and recoil. Heavier guns generally absorb recoil better (the downside: you have to carry them places). 35:00 - Muzzle brakes screw onto the tip of your barrel, and they dissipate the pressure of the air as the bullet exits the barrel, lessening recoil 37:00 - Recoil pads can go on the back of the gun to soften the recoil impact on your shoulder 37:15 - And different ammunition has different recoil... minimizing the weight of the bullet can reduce recoil some. And different gunpowder has different burning properties that can affect how a bullet feels leaving the barrel. In short: Lower recoil loads exist. 39:30 - Does noise make recoil feel worse? Wear ear protection! 44:00 - Bullet construction: This controls how fast (and when) a bullet opens up...aka mushrooming. 50:00 - How well a rifle shoots certain ammo is subjective. The only way to know what works best for your gun is to try a bunch of different bullets. 1:00:00 - Checklist for choosing a rifle: Game you're hunting, stock fit against your body, weight of the rifle, budget. 1:04:00 - Length of pull: distance between the trigger to the butt of the gun 1:06:00 - Hornady cheek pieces 1:12:00 - Rifle myth busters: "A good cartridge for women and kids is the .243" 1:24:00 - Marcia's Moroccan Fish Tagine with halibut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jillian Kilborn is a wildlife biologist in Vermont whose species of focus include pine marten and lynx. Jillian is also a mother, and watching her kids fledge as sportsmen and women has been a rewarding journey. The fulfillment she feels in watching them forge their own paths is part of what drew her to Artemis. What it means to be a hunter looks different for every person -- sometimes it's about the quarry, or the camaraderie, or just being outside. All 'whys' are valid here.    1:00 That moment when you say, 'You know what? I'm good with a little AC in my life.' 3:30 Bird parts in the freezer for training a bird dog 5:00 Ground sniffers vs. air sniffers  7:00 Lab-griffon mix  10:00 Pine marten recovery in Vermont after the trapping boom a century ago 11:00 Lynx recovery in the Northeast (yep, also in Vermont!) 12:00 Trapping pine marten 14:00 Handling the "furry vipers" 17:00 Building the Artemis community 22:00 Being an add-on vs. an integral member of the hunting crew 25:00 The 'why' of hunting varies person to person  30:00 Baby's innate berry radar 35:00 Being an active outdoorsman/woman and then having kids -- sometimes you have to split your time in the field so someone can tend to the offspring 36:00 Watching your kids fledge as their own selves in the hunting world 37:00 The most epic, 90-minute turkey show... at 80 yards 40:00 How many sporting lessons do we learn in hindsight? #somany 41:00 Turkey breast marinated in pickle juice 43:00 Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program 46:00 Introducing women to trapping 48:00 NTA Convention in Ohio 53:00 Ground blind visibility... like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak 56:00 Temperature tolerance 1:01 Artemis program manager job Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we do a deep-dive into the latest avian flu outbreak with Dr. Jennifer Ramsey, the state wildlife veterinarian for Montana. The latest outbreak was notable for its severity and the breadth of species it reached -- from waterfowl to raptors to turkeys. Dr. Ramsay said they would sometimes even find an entire nest, adults and fledglings, that had succumbed to the virus. Plus: Going from a traditional veterinary practice to wildlife veterinary medicine; ornery moose, and what biologists are watching for during the fall migration. 2:00 A peek inside a scientist's work freezer 5:00 Wildlife CSI 6:00 Marcia's stuffed zucchini recipe 10:00 Regular veterinary medicine to wildlife veterinary medicine 15:00 Avian influenza + wildlife... not all influenzas are created equal 17:00 The current avian flu is hitting snow and Canada geese especially hard; raptors are also struggling 20:00 Transmission by nasal secretions, saliva, feces (...but how did the turkeys get it!?) 21:00 Avian flu symptoms in birds 22:00 So... can you eat them? 25:00 Seeing an entire nest of raptors (adults + chicks) succumbed to avian flu 27:00 Proximity to people influences the degree to which birds are tested/detected 29:00 The role of the public in avian flu detection 34:00 Communicating a wildlife pandemic with the public  40:00 The timing of migrations and avian flu outbreak 42:00 Transmission between domestic and wild birds 49:00 Mortality in bad bird flu outbreaks can be severe 52:00 Darting an ornery moose at a campground 56:00 Darted animals... you're safe with us!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Southeast has lost about 99% of its native grasslands. When Brittney Viers started working as a biologist on northern bobwhite quail conservation, she realized being a botanist would was critical to revelaing the bird's relationship to its habitat. Brittany works for Quail Forever, which strives to preserve remnant grassland habitat and restore degraded habitat for quail in Tennessee. Plus: Making biologists talk to landowners, the North America Grasslands Act, ticks-on-baby problems, and mountain "balds." 3:00 Botany, biology + grasslands 6:00 Studying bird health by studying plant/grassland health 8:00 Quail Forever 11:00 Coordinating regional conservation partnership programs for grassland health (ecosystem-level conservation = doesn't give a hoot about state lines) 13:00 Northern bobwhites in the East: Challenges with successional environments, lack of escape cover, thermal cover for the winter... habitat is paramount 16:00 Invasive species and herbicide use 17:00 Predators are not the main reason for quail decline 19:00 "Quail" to Westerners vs. Easterners 21:00 When biologists are REQUIRED to do landowner workshops... and the power of grassroots outreach (pssst... it can happen over a tailgate) 25:00 Hosting quail habitat workshops in places where land management is working 26:00 North America Grasslands Act 27:00 Southeastern grasslands... not the same as the tall-grass prairie of the Midwest 28:00 Many grassland birds are struggling 30:00 Grasslands in the Southeast have declined by 99% 34:00 It's hard being a grassland specialist in an area with dwindling grasslands -- they're fountains of biodiversity 36:00 There's something special about grasslands for the human soul 37:00 "Balds" - mysterious open areas on the tops of mountains 39:00 Southern grasslands -- rhododendron to cacti (they can vary greatly in makeup) 42:00 Woody encroachment: The timbered look isn't natural in a lot of parts of the Southeast 44:00 The absence of fire on the landscape 46:00 Blackbelt Prairie in Mississippi 52:00 Blueberry hunting with babies, then de-ticking your baby in the car 54:00 Listeners... a special Artemis announcement! #nospoilersintheshownotes 56:00 Artemis Program Manager job... share it with the best people in your sphere! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices