Your Mountain – Details, episodes & analysis

In late August, the state of Utah asked the United States Supreme Court to hear a case, where if Utah prevails, it could force the federal government to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of more than 18 million acres of public lands in Utah, and potentially hundreds of millions of acres of public lands across the country to states, or the highest bidder. Dave and Nephi take a deep dive into the issue discussing topics like: Utah's claims, how we got here, whether a decision favorable to Utah would include lands outside of Utah or lands beyond the Bureau of Land Management. They also discuss what happens if the Supreme Court declines to hear the case (hint: that's not the end of it), what they might want legislatively, their $12 million public education campaign, and other things you should know about this effort. If you are passionate about public lands, you should not miss this episode!

Organizers in Colorado gathered enough signatures to put a proposal to end mountain lion and bobcat hunting on the ballot this fall. Gaspar Perricone has been fighting this, and other ballot box biology efforts for years. He joins Dave and Nephi to discuss what it all means for the future of hunting and wildlife management. The guys also raise a glass to former co-host Mike McGrady for his recent appointment to a judgeship. Audio is a little choppy in spots, but don't let that keep you from listening to this important episode. 

Hunting season is well underway, which means the guys aren't recording much, and when they do they take weeks to publish. However, they found time to sit down and talk about some current events that hunters and anglers should care about. They discuss: collaboration in SW Wyoming on land use planning; wolf reintroduction; ballot box biology strikes again in Colorado to try to end mountain lion and bobcat hunting; and the MapWater Act. They also recount their elk hunting experience this fall. Spoiler alert: only one of them punched their tag, and it wasn't Nephi. 

In their first live podcast, the guys are joined by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon; WY Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik; WY Game and Fish Commissioner Ralph Brokaw; and Wyoming Wildlife Federation's Jess Johnson. Topics include: the mountain goat controversy in Grand Teton National Park; migration corridors, being an effective advocate, the Camo at the Capitol program, and more. You don't want to miss this episode. 

Government feeding programs for elk are controversial. However, the guys don't shy away from controversy. Topics covered in this episode include: the history of elk feedgrounds; how feeding programs work; disease transmission; costs of operation; challenges with ending programs; opportunities for adaptive management; local and national political impacts; and more. There's a lot to unpack here, and not nearly enough time to discuss it all. 

State legislatures are in session all over the country, which means anything is possible, and hunters need to be engaged in the process to protect their interests. The guys highlight a handful of good and bad bills from around the country, and explain why what happens in one state can impact another. Topics covered include: hunting contests, trapping, landowner licenses, ammunition restrictions, hunting with dogs, license allocations, Sunday hunting, and hunters safety in the classroom. Check it out!

Laying the groundwork for a discussion on the rules for defining the phrase Waters of the United States, Nephi and Mike run through the process of Congress writing laws, agencies creating implementing regulations backed up by guidance, and how those regulations can be challenged in court. It is a clean overview of the process that is carried out all the time at the federal and state levels of government. 

The guys bring you two episodes in one to discuss the policy and science of using traditional lead ammunition and alternatives. Episode 1 features ballistics and ammunition expert Ryan Bronson discussing the use of traditional lead ammunition. Episode 2 features Chris Parish and Leland Brown of the North American Non-Lead Partnership discussing non-lead alternatives. Spoiler: everyone agrees there is no need to further regulate lead ammunition, but there's still a lot to unpack here. Enjoy the dialogue! 

The guys discuss the origin and meaning of the term "Green Decoy." Are there nefarious operatives in our midst? Are some of the most popular hunting organizations in the United States just Trojan horses for "extreme environmentalists?" Can hunters and anglers call themselves environmentalists? Is there a simple test for determining whether someone represents a legitimate hunting or angling organization? These questions, and many more are answered during this entertaining episode. 

Dave and Nephi plead for Mike's return, but are forced to record without him once again. They discuss ballot initiatives, and how they are used as a tool to limit and outright ban hunting. Topics include: the history of the North American Model; constitutional rights to hunt and fish; wolf reintroduction by ballot measure in Colorado; wolves in Wyoming; the use of ballot initiatives to ban or restrict trapping, bear hunting, and mountain lion hunting; what hunters should do about it; and more!