The Hunter Conservationist Podcast

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Joe Northrup , Research Scientist Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Mark Ryckman, Manager of Policy Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Joe was the lead scientist on the recent study looking at the question of whether the Ontario spring black bear hunt reduced or increased human bear conflict. Joe discusses how the study was conducted...

In this episode Mark brings you up to date on CWD in Manitoba, new CWD research, court challenges to the federal fish farm ban in BC, Nova Scotia’s moratorium on fish farms, goldfish the size of footballs, the state of the mackerel fishery closure in Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan deer depredation permits, and Alberta’s new Firearms Act. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

In this episode Mark bring you up to date on an feral/wild horse crime in BC, destruction of fish habitat, endangered caribou recovery in Manitoba, Jasper National Park and Ontario, wolf control in a National Park and whether firearms are worth more than endangered caribou. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brought to You By Community-Minded Alpine Toyota       Charles Whitwam, founder of Howl for Wildlife joins Mark and Curtis to discuss hunter activism. Charles explains how the Howl for Wildlife call center works and cites several great examples of where Howl has helped organize hunters’ voices to make a difference in protecting science-based wildlife management, hunting and trapping. The guys disc...

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Tyler Freel, staff writer for Outdoor Life, host of the Tundra Talk Podcast, and Alaska state resident join Mark and Curtis to discuss predator management. The guys dig into a new scientific paper out of Alaska that says predator management has not helped hunters to harvest more moose.  Topics discussed include factors other than pr...

In this episode Mark’s covers federal actions on Atlantic salmon fish farms on the west coast, Quebec’s endangered caribou and BC’s endangered spotted owl. As well, Mark covers stories about Saskatchewan deer hunting, a potential Indigenous Protected Conservation Area in the Yukon, the elk population in Banff National Park and New Brunswick’s lynx and wolf conservation status. Learn more about you...

In this episode Mark provides an update on gun control Bill C-21 and covers stories including COVID in deer, Saskatchewan's deer hunting problem, modifying geese habitat, the first ever Caribou Summit in the NWT, hunting caribou from snowmobiles, an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in BC, commercial fishing and trapping fines, and the Alberta bison ghost herd.  Learn more about your ad choi...

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Wildlife biologist/scientist Mateen Hessami joins Mark and Curtis to scrutinize a new research paper that looks at whether the newly reinstated spring black bear hunt in Ontario has reduced human-bear conflict in the province. Mateen discusses key things that wildlife scientist looks for in setting up research studies as well as concepts such as con...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota   In the episode Mark and Curtis talk turkey with Matt Besko, Director of Wildlife and Licensing for the province of Alberta. The topics they cover include the moving wild turkey from BC to Alberta, the difference in attitudes towards managing wild turkey in BC versus Alberta, the philosophy of non native wild turkeys in an altered landscape, valuin...

In this episode Mark brings you up to date on the issue of too many geese on Vancouver Island, geese frozen to the ground in Ontario, rehabilitating an angry moose in Ontario, moose poaching fines, illegal trapping in a Vancouver Park, beavers moving in to the arctic, white nosed syndrome in Alberta,  rabbit hemorrhagic disease in Alberta and a feel good deer hunt in Nova Scotia.   Learn more abou...

In this episode Mark is joined by Doug Chiasson, Executive Director for the Fur Institute of Canada. Doug and Mark discuss two recent trapping stories trending in the news across Canada. One story is from Prince Edward Island involving a tragic story of a family's dog and illegal trapping on private land and the second story is about an urban bobcat in Calgary Alberta with a trap on its foot.  The...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota       Dr. Doug Manzer, Senior Scientist & Wildlife Program Manager with the Alberta Conservation Association joins Mark and Curtis to discuss all things upland game birds. Doug breaks down upland game birds into their primary habitat niches and provides insight into the life cycles, feeding habits, and significant sources of mortality. Other topics...

In this episode Mark covers the last stories from 2022 including, the United Nations COP15 summit on biodiversity conservation that was hosted in Montreal, protecting 30% of the earth, polar bear declines in Hudson Bay, the findings of a 2009 fatal coyote attack, coexisting with coyotes in Ottawa, annoying turkeys at a Montreal daycare, First Nations opposition to the gun control Bill C-21, pellet...

In this episode Curtis and Mark are joined by Mackenzie Clarke, wildlife biologist and researcher, Fredric Hanner, CEO of the Blaser Group UK, and team member of the Wild Boar Fever show on My Outdoors TV, Matt Besko, Director of Wildlife and Licensing in Alberta, and Dr. Lee Foote from the University of Alberta. Topics discussed include a check up on the state of wild pigs in Canada, how wild boa...

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode Curtis and Mark are joined by Robbie Kroger of Blood Origins. The crew discusses the state of the debate over hunting and how social media is the new public square for the debate.  Robbie provides his thoughts on how this debate is going and what hunters are doing well and not so well. Topics covered include using truth and proof, ex...

In this episode Mark is joined by Adam Weir, Fisheries Biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters. Adam provides a breakdown of the major fishing regulation changes being proposed for FMZ 10 and 15. Adam also provides a high-level overview of Ontario’s’ ecological basis for its fisheries management zones and the collaborative round tables as well as the key changes the province is...

In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Doug Chiasson, Executive Director of the Fur Institute of Canada. Doug provides a summary of the Fur Institute of Canada and its main role and different programs. Doug talks about the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards, how modern humane traps work, how traps are scientifically tested and certified, coupling best management practices...

In this special episode Mark is joined by Bob Zimmer, Member of Parliament and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus. Bob provides his thoughts on the amendments to Bill C-21 with respect to how they are including more hunting firearms. Bob also provides a call-to-action explaining how hunters in Canada can take action.   Contact Hon. Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety Email: marco....

In this special episode Mark is joined by Romy Vaugeois, Program Manager at Seals & Sealing Network. Romy provides a summary of the Seal Summit held in St. John’s Newfoundland in early November including who organized the summit, who was in attendance, the main topics that were presented, some actions that came out of the event and what participants thought of the Summit when it was over. Show Not...

In this episode Mark covers stories about the new amendment to Canada’s firearms Bill C-21, salmon and sturgeon deaths in BC, Yukon sockeye, COVID spike in rockfish poaching, a permanent rat poison ban in BC, censoring old growth stats, urban goose hunting permits, more coyote attacks, a rabbit viral disease in Alberta, an update on the NWT First Nations hunting camp search and possible implicatio...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Dr. Jason Fisher, a wildlife scientist from the University of Victoria. Jason talks about his research on the wolf cull in Northern Alberta specifically the behavioral changes in wolves. As well, Dr. Fisher provides are summary of the status of wolverines in Western Canada. Other topics the guys discuss...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota   In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Dr. Lee Foote to learn a heck of a lot about ducks, geese, and hunting them. Lee goes into detail about duck and goose navigation, flyways, why waterfowl bother to migrate, duck physiology, the reason for bright colours, goose pairing, mating for life, prairie potholes, whether predator management is...

Brought to You by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined by Ryan Kole, Vice President of the BC Trappers Association, and wildlife scientist Dr. Clayton Lamb. A recent research paper has reported that some grizzly bears in Southeastern British Columbia have lost toes on their front feet because their paws had gotten stuck in traps at one point in their lives. To...

In this episode Mark is joined by Matt Besko, Director of Wildlife and Licensing for the Province of Alberta. Matt provides some thoughts and perspectives on the recent Parks policy update clarifying hunting in Alberta Provincial Parks and Recreation Areas. Matt explains the alignment between the Park’s policy and the Wildlife Act. Topics Matt and Mark discuss include asymmetrical antipathy, publi...

In this episode Mark covers a poaching investigation in the North West Territory Bathurst Caribou herd, a youth Whale hunt, an Avian Flu update, killing cormorants in Newfoundland, Newfoundland fishing closures, BC anglers being frustrated with DFO, salmon at the Big Bar landslide on the Fraser River, animal attacks, new signatures to an international Indigenous Bison Treaty, the federal gun buyba...