Hunting Matters – Details, episodes & analysis

Heidi Lyn Rao was hired by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 1998 and has recruited, trained, and retained volunteers, as the Hunter Education Specialist for Southeast Texas. In 2010 she also assumed the role as statewide Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Coordinator.

During her TPWD career, she developed many partnerships and organized many education & outreach events. She started “Take Me Outdoors Houston” in 2009, when the Texas Wildlife Expo ended, and brings this annual family-friendly, free, hands-on outdoor event to Discovery Green, Downtown Houston. She hosts wildlife workshops ranging from alligators to big game. She promotes hunting and outdoor safety to groups ranging from elementary school aged to flying offshore via helicopter to speak to oil and gas employees in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on a platform. From teaching firearm safety to Rodeo Clowns during the Houston Rodeo, to hosting Hunter Education classes at the Sam Houston (horse) Raceway, conducting National Archery in the Schools Program and Student Air Rifle certifications, and partnering with many hunting, shooting and conservation organizations across Texas.

She has coordinated twenty-seven statewide BOW workshops across Texas, including the first-ever VIRTUAL BOW in 2020. She has reached over 7,000 Ladies who have attended BOW and continued their outdoors skills ultimately becoming hunters, anglers, and archers, especially through mentored BOW hunts. To date, 10 Texas Outdoor Women Network (TOWN) groups have launched across the state because of the statewide BOW.

She received IHEA’s Professional of the Year; IHEA’s Executive Director’s Award; TPWD’s Terry Erwin Hunter Education LEGACY award, Houston Safari Club Educator of the Year and she is also in the Texas Hunter Education Halls of Fame.

She and her (now retired) TPWD Game Warden husband of 25 yrs., John, have 4 boys: Dominic is 21 and works for Laser Shot Simulations in Houston; Matthew is 20 and is a sophomore at the University of Arkansas with a 4.0 and on his way to be a large animal vet; JohnJohn is 17 and is a Junior; and Luke is 14 and is in 8th grade. The Rao’s are avid hunters and enjoy camping, trapping, and the shooting sports together.


WEBSITE: https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/hunter-education

SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/tpwdoutdoorwoman

Chris Dorsey has been called the 'brand-father' of outdoor television having helped create and launch almost 60 series in the outdoor genre and an equal number of series in mainstream television, including for such networks as ABC, Discovery Channel, History Channel, HGTV, Travel, DIY, ESPN, WGN America, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Destination America, Oxygen, and all the outdoor networks.

Dorsey formerly served as editor in chief of Sports Afield and Ducks Unlimited magazines, is the author of twelve books, and is a regular contributor to Forbes. His work also has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Newsweek, and The Robb Report. He is among the world's most widely traveled hunters having taken the twenty-nine big game species of North America, the deadly seven species of Africa, the spiral horns of Africa and the wild turkey world slam. He is a member of the Outdoor Legends Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the Ray Scott Trailblazer Award as well as the Curt Gowdy Memorial Award.

Dorsey has also served in board and advisory positions of numerous conservation and sporting advocacy organizations. Chris is the producer and host of Sporting Classics with Chris Dorsey television show airing on Outdoor Channel, CarbonTV, Waypoint TV, Outdoor America, and Wild Television Network.

Bill Stransky is the Executive Director of The Texas Rice Industry Coalition for the Environment (R.I.C.E.). The Texas Rice Industry Coalition for the Environment (R.I.C.E.) was formed in February 1995. Their mission is to build a coalition of interests to foster and strengthen relationships between the rice industry and the natural resources of our rice-producing area in Texas.

R.I.C.E. has created, enhanced, and/or restored an estimated 15,000 acres of wetland habitat and an additional 20,000 acres of native prairie. This includes work on all of the national wildlife refuges located on the upper and middle Texas coast as well as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Management Areas (WMA). R.I.C.E. has also worked extensively on private lands including establishing perpetual conservation easements on 4 ranches.

Scott Leysath, better known as “The Sporting Chef,” has spent a lifetime developing his own brand of fish and game cooking mastery. As someone whose passion and profession are one in the same, Chef Leysath is undoubtedly among the best in the business. He’s a “regular” guy, not a classically trained chef, who sincerely wants anything with fur, fins and feathers taste as good as it gets.

Leysath cut his culinary teeth in the food and beverage industry. From bouncer to vice-president, he worked his way up the corporate ladder of a 34-unit Western U.S. chain before starting his own restaurant co-venture near Sacramento, California. His menu included a variety of fish and game. The restaurant hosted fish and game feeds, inviting customers to sample locally harvested deer, waterfowl, upland game and fish. His catering company also prepared banquet meals for Northern California sporting groups like Ducks Unlimited and California Waterfowl Association.

Someone took notice of Leysath’s engaging style of sharing his cooking skills and invited him to work on both sides of the camera on HGTV’s “Home Grown Cooking with Paul James.” He spent the next few years developing over 180 show themes as well as appearing as a frequent guest. In 2002, he launched his first TV show, the original “Sporting Chef” and eventually joined forces with veteran outdoor host, Donny McElvoy, on the “HuntFishCook” show on Sportsman Channel. January 2014 marked the revival of “The Sporting Chef” show, but with a very different format that includes a broad range of pro chefs, lodge cooks and others who share their tips on how to prepare fish and game as well as general knowledge topics for outdoor enthusiasts. The show has been called, “the fastest half-hour on outdoor television” with quick segments that range from one to three minutes long. If you walk away from your TV during “The Sporting Chef”, you’re going to miss something of interest.

Scott is also the host and producer of the Dead Meat TV show on Outdoor and Sportsman channels. The show features less sought-after fish and game and the people who hunt, fish, trap, spear and catch them. Says Leysath, “It’s as much about the people and cultures as it is about the food. Who knew that armadillo tastes like pork? And that they can transmit leprosy to humans?” In 2021, Leysath’s Sporting Chef Productions and partner 4Mile Post Productions launched The Fishmonger show on Outdoor Channel. It’s about the challenges and lifestyles of the American commercial fishing industry.

Scott Leysath is not a “foodie” who is on top of the latest food trend. His goal is not to out-chef anyone, but rather to inspire home cooks with simple solutions to everyday fish and game cooking challenges. In his latest cookbook, “The Sporting Chef’s Better Venison Recipes,” he writes “Recipes that are simple to prepare, don’t require a long list of obscure ingredients and, most important, taste really good will be in use long after herbal foams have evaporated. Molecular gastronomy is interesting, but I’d rather go fishing.”

Leysath travels the globe, making personal appearances at outdoor shows, trade shows and corporate events. He entertains audiences with what the calls “short attention span cooking”, throwing fish and game into a skillet in blazing speed. He has been the cooking columnist for the Ducks Unlimited Magazine since 2007 and Hunter’s Horn since 2016. He has also contributed to several other outdoor publications for over 20 years. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two setters. He’s an avid hunter and angler who prefers a homecooked meal over high-dollar fine dining fare.

Modest by nature, Scott Leysath has developed a cult-like following over three decades of recipe development, public appearances, cooking columns and television hosting. If you are not part of the world of outdoor enthusiasts, he might possibly be the best chef you’ve never heard of. To those who hunt and fish, he’s “The Sporting Chef.”

Mike Jaster is the Vice President of Athena Gun Club. Mike has been with the company since its inception and has been involved with everything from retail sales, procurement, LE sales, vendor relations, and now managing all daily operations. Mike is also a full-time firefighter/paramedic at one of the local fire departments. In his spare time, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife Cheri, and three children, Gracie, Zachary, and Nolan.

Steve Hall grew up in Denver, CO and graduated with a B. S. degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University in 1981. Since then, he has served as American Sportsman's Club Colorado Services Manager, Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) Education/Outreach Director, Texas State Rifle Association Executive Director, International Hunter Education Association (IHEA)-USA Executive Director and currently serves as the TPWD Hunter Education Coordinator.

During his TPWD career, he initiated or helped develop many education & outreach programs (e.g. Mandatory Hunter Education, Outdoor Woman, Aquatic & Boater Education, Parrie Haynes Youth Ranch, Texas Youth Hunting Program Partnership, 4-H Shooting Sports and Sport Fishing Partnership, TX Archery-in-Schools, TX Student Air Rifle Program, Target Range Grants, Fly Fishing and Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo). He teaches for the Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow national program and has been inducted into the IHEA & Texas Hunter Education Halls of Fame. Steve also was honored nationally by the Aquatic Resource Education Association. Steve is an avid bow hunter and fly fisherman and continues to volunteer to teach in many outdoor education programs.

Dante "Dan" Pastorini reached legendary status in the 1970s as the dashing young quarterback of the Houston Oilers. Selected No. 3 overall in the 1971 NFL Draft out of the University of Santa Clara in California, Pastorini arrived in Houston with the expectation he could rescue the moribund team and take them to the top of the league. It didn't take long for Houstonians to truly embrace Pastorini, and with salt-of-the-earth head coach Bum Phillips and colorful teammates like Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Elvin Bethea and Earl Campbell, the memorable "Luv Ya Blue" era was born. Before long, the entire country was shaking Columbia Blue pom-poms for the Oilers and Pastorini's legacy -- bolstered by a record-setting role in the 1974 Pro Bowl -- was cemented in place.

After his playing years were over, Pastorini remained in the embrace of his adopted hometown and with an "Official Texan" decree signed by the governor himself, Pastorini laid down roots in the energy capital of the world. Immediately after his 13-year NFL career concluded, Pastorini stayed in sports by piloting a variety of racecars and boats, winning events and setting records along the way on both land and water.

Always anxious to give back to the city that still reveres him, Pastorini has supported countless charities throughout the years, none more so than the Be An Angel Foundation, which helps profoundly deaf children and families supporting multiple children with disabilities. Pastorini currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the well-respected entity.

Pastorini also progressed in the business world, owning and operating DP Quality Foods, working as a consultant for human resources giant Insperity, serving as a Senior Account Manager for DataWorks Plus and filling the role of COO at Turbine Metal Technology.

Through the years, Pastorini helped with the marketing efforts of industry leaders like Seagram's Spirits, the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association, Lamborghini Motorcars, Coors Light, Mopar Performance, Kendall Oil and Champion Spark Plugs. More recently, Pastorini was inducted into the Houston Sports Authority Hall of Fame alongside fellow honorees George Foreman, A.J. Foyt and Jackie Burke. Pastorini also is enshrined in the Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame, the Impact A Hero Hall of Fame and is one of Mike Ditka's Gridiron Greats. In 2019, the prestigious Houston Touchdown Club named Pastorini "Touchdowner of the Year." In 2020 he is selected for the East West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame in Tampa, FL. A veteran of football broadcasting, both in radio and television, Pastorini remains in the spotlight to this day, living in the shadow of downtown Houston.

Brian Gilroy, Co-Founder/CEO, Wildlife Partners

Brian was raised in Texas and grew up with a love of the outdoors. During his first career, he spent almost 20 years in the oil and gas industry. His primary focus was financial services related to the oil and gas exploration business. He spent the majority of his time managing investments for high-net-worth investors. In 2002, he founded an oil and gas exploration company and placed approximately $100,000,000 of investment capital in various exploration projects across the United States.

In 2011, Brian began investing in the exotic wildlife industry. As a result, he co-founded Wildlife Partners in April of 2016. As an entrepreneur, hunter and conservationist, his love for wildlife has led Brian to create an innovative model that marries wildlife conservation with capitalism. Wildlife Partners is today the largest breeder of exotic wildlife in the United States. The company has amassed more than 10,000 acres and is breeding 60 species with more than 3000 animals.

Will Morgan is the Marketing Director for Outdoor Edge Knives & Tools. Upon graduation in 2007, Will moved to Steamboat Springs, CO where he began working as a manager of outdoor recreation for a shared ranch community. His responsibilities included overseeing mountain biking, Nordic skiing and fly-fishing operations until the fall of 2012. He then moved to Eagle, CO where he began his professional career in marketing with UrgeMedia. While there, he advanced quickly to become the Director of Producer Relations where he managed twenty-five multi-faceted marketing strategies across television, social and digital media. In the spring of 2020 he came on board with Outdoor Edge as their Marketing Director.

Chris Dorsey has been called the 'brand father' of outdoor television having helped create and launch 56 series across numerous national outdoor networks through his company Dorsey Pictures founded 20 years ago. He's also created nearly an equal number of popular mainstream television series and specials on scores of networks including History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, HGTV, DIY, Travel, Oxygen, ESPN, NBC Sports, Oxygen, Spike and many others. He's also hosted nearly 400 episodes of outdoor programs--including Sporting Classics with Chris Dorsey currently airing on the Outdoor Channel--and is among the world's most widely traveled hunters having taken all 29 North American big game species, the Deadly Seven of Africa, the spiral horns of Africa and the turkey World Slam.

He's the author of 12 books on outdoor and natural history subjects and his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, Newsweek, The Robb Report and most of the outdoor periodicals in the English-speaking world.

He’s also a columnist for Forbes, covering a wide range of topics including politics, public policy, conservation, and the outdoor industry. He previously served as editor-in-chief of Sports Afield and Ducks Unlimited magazines.

He was inducted into the Outdoor Legends Hall of Fame in 2021, and he's also served on numerous boards and advisory positions throughout the outdoor industry always with an eye for showcasing to the masses the important role that hunters and anglers play in supporting conservation. As such, he's a recipient of the Curt Gowdy Memorial Award from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and the Ray Scott Trailblazer Award from the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.