The Hunter Conservationist Podcast

In this episode, Curtis and Mark are joined again by Dr. Marco Festa-Bianchet – professor wildlife researcher at the Unversité de Sherbrooke in Quebec, and Jesse Zeman – Executive Director of the BC Wildlife Federation. Topics discussed include Mountain Goat ecology and biology and what makes goats unique, what some of the newest science is telling us about goats, age of primiparity, whether selec...

In this episode Mark and Curtis talk to Gerry Paille of the BC Wildlife Federation. Gerry is the BCWF Chair of the Wildlife and Allocation Committee and the provincial rep that helps assess proposed regulation changes.  Learn about BC’s system of making changes to hunting and trapping regulations. in this episode the guys do a deep dive into a bunch of proposed changes to BC’s hunting and trapping...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Curtis and Mark are joined by John Schneider and Kevin Kossowan. John is the host of the Foodafield Podcast and celebrity, on the From the Wild. Kevin is the creator of the From the Wild, and hunter-chef extraordinaire.  In this episode the guys discuss white-tailed deer hunting, rattling, whether rattling antler size matters, how far away do bucks...

In this episode Mark covers trending stories from across Canada including CWD in Manitoba, COVID in deer, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s global presentation on peatlands, more fish farms in BC, buying guide-outfitter licenses for conservation, a deer cull in Quebec moves forward, Ontario’s cormorant cull, moose hunting moratorium in Quebec, a moose attack in Alberta, the impact of the fall time change o...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Curtis and Mark are joined by Dr. Keith Munro, wildlife biologist for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters to talk all things moose.  Dr. Munro describes the moose sub-species in Canada, and the guys debate whether the Canada moose is real or not. As well, Keith talks about some of the key aspects of moose ecology, biology, habitat requirem...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Curtis and Mark are joined by Matt DeMille, Policy and Program Director for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. Matt authored a comprehensive report describing what a reasonable hunting firearm is in Canada. Matt’s report will become a resource to inform the court about hunting firearms. Matt talks about his journey trying to define a hun...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Episode supporter – The Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance Curtis and Mark get together with Dr. Lee Foote for a cuss-filled, mantra bashing, nuanced, philosophical bumper sticker brainstorming conversation about the mantra - use science not emotion, which is so often used to defend hunting. The guys breakdown science and emotions into their basic element...

In this episode Mark covers the story of what’s going on with invasive wild pigs in Canada, Ontario’s new legislation regarding invasive wild pigs, grizzly bear attacks in the Yukon and Alberta, more grizzly bears shot and left, Douglas Lake Ranch access court appeal update, urban deer turned into food in New Brunswick and a hefty penalty paid for feeding bears in Whistler BC. Learn more about you...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Episode supporter – The Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance Curtis and Mark are joined by Neil Keown, Chair of the Alberta Chapter of the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Neil dives into some of the contentious public land issues in Alberta including Chronic Wasting Disease, the Bighorn Wilderness Area proposal, and the opening of the eastern slope of the...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota Episode supporter – The Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance In this episode, Curtis and Mark unpack the entire topic of hunter mistakes. The guys discuss the 3 types of hunter mistakes, cancel culture, the idea of a path to redemption, some hunting fines, and prohibitions from around Canada, the conundrum for wildlife management if fines are too high, the...

In this episode Mark covers a story about wildlife getting their own money, wolf control public input survey, Stanley Park coyote update, reversal of a commercial fishing closure decision, getting gored in the pit, Canadians who think hunting firearms should be banned, Ontario sandhill crane and mute swan hunting season proposals and ice-hurling polar bears. Show Notes Predator (wolf) management p...

Brought to you by Community-Minded Alpine Toyota In this episode Mark and Curtis are joined by Dr. Nikolaj Bichel. Nikolaj completed a PhD thesis on trophy hunting, hunting, hunters, and anti hunters. Nikolaj explains his definitions of trophy hunting and trophy and where those concepts originated. As well, he explains the difference between utilizing animal parts and displaying animal parts, coll...

Brought to you by Community Minded Alpine Toyota in Cranbrook, BC Sheep hunter Tom Leonard signed in at the Eaglenest Trail Head on September 11, 2005 before hiking into Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park in Northern British Columbia for a hunt of a lifetime. Tom never returned from this hunt. 16 years later no trace of Tom has been confirmed despite the searches. In this episode Mark and...

In this episode Mark and Curtis are joined by their friend Ross Blake. Ross has lived in different countries and experienced very different cultures. Ross has a diverse perspective on hunting and conservation and is on route to becoming a hunter. Everything seems fckd up right now with the environment, conservation, and hunting including forest fires, climate change, anti-hunting petitions, enviro...

In this episode Mark is joined by Dr. Lee Foote and Matt Besko, a couple of wise guys. The gang talks in depth about COVID-19 in deer, CWD getting into cows and monkeys, coyotes biting people, crime sketches for coyotes, coyotes with personalities, massive poaching penalties, illicit sea cucumber trade, the illicit ivory trade, Canada considers trophy import ban, how big Africa really is, deer bir...

This episode is sponsored by The Heid Out Restaurant and Brewery and supported by iHunter app. In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Matt Besko and Dr. Lee Foote. Matt is the Director of Wildlife and Licensing for Alberta Environment and Parks and Lee is a retired professor from the University of Alberta. Matt and Lee delve into the deep nuances of hunting and cover everything under the s...

This episode is sponsored by Fisher Peak Brewing Company and supported by iHunter app. In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Chad Stewart, a biologist in the deer program for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division. The crew discusses the evolution and spread of white-tailed deer in North America, why these deer are so successful, and whether their expansion is due...

In this episode Mark updates you on a major salmon fishing closure, the Big Bar landslide on the Fraser River, Canada Goose Fur without fur, Banff elk, the cost of the federal gun buy back program, seal culls, the science of bear relocation, grizzly bears without toes, grizzly bear habitat carrying capacity, a poacher loosing truck and boat, Canada’s protected areas report card, narwhal hunters ve...

This episode is sponsored by The Heid Out Restaurant and Brewery and supported by iHunter app. In this episode Mark and Curtis are joined by Dr. Marco Musiani from the University of Calgary. The hosts dig more into the topics of predators, predator science and predator management with Marco. Marco provides his thoughts on whether the polarization over predator management is getting worse or better...

In this episode Mark updates you on the alteration of a scientific report by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that might cause steelhead to go extinct, a new wildlife coalition in BC, the danger of bird feeders, contaminated wild foods by forestry chemical spraying, the loss of being able to ship firearms and ammunition in Canada, body cams for Conservation Officers and a bear watchdog overs...

This episode is sponsored by Fisher Peak Brewing Company and supported by iHunter app. In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Dr. Sophia Gilbert from the University of Idaho to talk about predators. Everyone weighs in on why there is so much controversy around predators, why predator management is dividing people, the use of human dimensions and social sciences in predator management, soci...

This episode is sponsored by Heid Out Restaurant and Brewery and supported by iHunter App. In this episode, Mark and Curtis are joined by Dr. Adam Ford from the University of British Columbia -Okanagan. Dr. Ford is the Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology, a member of the British Columbia Minister’s Wildlife Advisory Council. Adam leads the Wildlife Restoration Ecology Lab at UBC...

In this episode Mark covers some controversial fake new stories from across the country including sponsored hunting regulations, wild turkey culls, dreaming about salmon fishing, new measures to address hunting social media, new research on hunting-related social media content, a proposed bait and switch caribou recovery plan, a whale of post pandemic economic recovery plan and how it’s all just f...

This episode is sponsored by Fisher Peak Brewery and supported by iHunter App. In this episode Mark and Curtis talk with Alexia Constantinou from the University of British Columbia. Alexia recently completed her Master of Science degree and defended her thesis. Alexia’s research looked at the response of small and large mammals to clearcut logging and selection harvesting across three study sites...

In this episode Mark covers new caribou research and what’s happening to endangered caribou habitat, grizzly bear recovery in Alberta and fight over hunting, West Coast Councils’ call for a wolf hunting ban, moose populations in Northern BC, US-based Sinixt People’s right to hunt in Canada, Seaspiracy and the Canadian seal hunt, tree planting, court ruling on Aboriginal fishing vessels, BC Parks b...