Mule Deer Foundation - Talking Mule Deer Podcast

S1 E13 - Jason Matzinger - #ProjectMuleDeer

Episode 13 - Jason Matzinger – #ProjectMuleDeer

Into High Country’s Jason Matzinger talks to Steve and Jodi about how he got into producing outdoor television – but more importantly, he talks about his three-year journey to produce #ProjectMuleDeer which will premiere on September 22, 2018. Jason tells us about his inspiration for #ProjectMuleDeer and why this project is so important for not just mule deer but for the legacy of hunting. We talk to him about one of his most memorable deer hunts with a cagey old buck and he also shares why high-elevation glassing is his favorite style of mule deer hunting. Matzinger’s conservation vision shines through in our interview and we are excited to share this episode of Talkin’ Mule Deer right before #ProjectMuleDeer airs on September 22 from 7-8 pm ET on the Sportsman Channel and then from 8-9 pm ET on The Outdoor Channel.

S1 E12 - Colorado - Andy Holland (CPW) and Marty Holmes (MDF)

Episode 12 - Colorado Mule Deer – Marty Holmes and Andy Holland

This week, Steve and Jodi talk about Colorado’s mule deer with Marty Holmes, MDF’s Colorado regional director, and Andy Holland, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s big game manager. Andy talks about how herd management planning and how that affects the limited license draw, while Marty talks about how important it is for hunters to be knowledgeable about and engaged in this process. With one of the fastest growing populations in the country, wildlife conservation and the future of hunting in Colorado is a challenge. Marty describes some of the key committees he participates on within the state on issues like conservation funding, balancing conservation and recreation, wildlife/transportation management to improve highway safety and wildlife corridors, and more. They also talk about the “Future Generations” act to increase revenue for Colorado Parks and Wildlife – since the interview was done at the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo, that legislation was signed into law by Governor Hickenlooper and will help with the long-term sustainability of the agency. Finally, we talk about new shed hunting regulations that are going into effect to reduce disturbance of wintering animals.

S1 E11 - MDF Founder - Emmett Burroughs

Episode 11 - Founder of MDF - Emmett Burroughs

On this episode of Talking Mule Deer we talk with Emmett Burroughs who founded the Mule Deer Foundation in 1988. At the time, Burroughs was producing wildlife videos; through interviews with state agencies he learned more about mule deer and black-tailed deer, and some of the challenges deer are facing. Through those early conversations, he realized that deer were declining throughout the West and resolved to start a group to help make a difference. The early days of the organization required a lot of hard work to build the awareness of hunters to start a board and help generate the funds necessary for conservation work. Emmett talks about the tenacity of MDF staff and supporters to grow the organization, start the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo, and work on the important conservation issues affecting deer in the West. 

S1 E10 - Weatherby Inc. - Adam and Brenda Weatherby

Episode 10: Adam and Brenda Weatherby

Steve and Jodi visit with Adam and Brenda Weatherby of of Weatherby, Inc - the American firearms company. Adam is the third generation Weatherby to run his family’s company, which was started by his grandfather, Roy, in the 1940’s. Adam talks a little bit about how Roy, a farmer from Kansas, started tinkering in his basement after he moved to California and founded the company that has thrived on innovations in fast shooting rifle cartridges and high-quality firearms. We also talk with Brenda about how she got her start hunting – even though she’s been part of the Weatherby family for more than two decades, she took her hunter safety course with her daughter and started hunting just three years ago. Brenda talks about the women’s rifle, the Camilla (named after Adam’s grandmother and Roy’s wife), and we also talk about their new Carbon Mark rifle. Then Adam and Brenda give us an overview of the company’s big move to Sheridan, Wyoming. Adam talks about joining the Mule Deer Foundation as a board member and his enthusiasm with the growth of MDF chapters and the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo.

S1 E9 - Heartland Bowhunter - Shawn Luchtel and Mike Hunsucker

Episode 9 - Heartland Bowhunter’s Shawn Luchtel and Mike Hunsucker

On today’s episode of Talking Mule Deer, Steve and Jodi talk to MDF partners Heartland Bowhunter. Shawn Luchtel and Mike Hunsucker let us know how they got their start archery hunting in Missouri but how the fever for hunting western mule deer and black-tailed deer took hold with them. They provide some tips on things they’ve learned adapting from whitetail hunting to spot and stalk hunting in the open country of the West. We talk about some of the gear that’s necessary for western hunting that eastern and midwestern hunters might not consider and the importance of advanced preparation. Mike and Shawn also talk about how telling the story of the entire experience of hunting and conservation is a fundamental part of the production of their television show and why they have established a relationship with the Mule Deer Foundation to share the conservation message.

S1 E8 - MDF's Habitat Stewardship Program

Episode 8 - MDF Habitat Stewardship Program (Stan Baker, MDF Habitat Stewardship Coordinator & Kevin Zieman, USFS)

This episode of Talking Mule Deer focuses on habitat stewardship projects that the Mule Deer Foundation is involved in across the West. MDF’s Stan Baker, who helps coordinate these projects with federal land management agencies, discusses what stewardship agreements are, what makes them different and how MDF has been able to work with a variety of partners to implement habitat restoration efforts. In addition, Kevin Zieman, who works with the U.S. Forest Service in California describes how these agreements have benefited federal public lands, state and privately-owned land, and, of course, mule deer, black-tailed deer and other wildlife species. We also talk about some of the specifics of why active management is necessary to maintain healthy sagebrush and forest systems in the West.

S1 E7 - Skullbound TV's - Jana Waller

Episode 7 - Skullbound TV’s Jana Waller

Today on Talking Mule Deer, we are talking to Jana Waller of Skullbound TV. Jana tells us about her days as a “tomboy” in Wisconsin and her start hunting with her dad, and how hunting has allowed her to connect with her dad and with many other people over the years. Her career life began in investments, but she started writing articles for outdoor publications and that is how she met her partner, Jim Kinsey, who films and produces Skullbound TV – which was at the time the first outdoor hunting show solo hosted by a woman on The Sportsman Channel. She talks about the importance of “branding” hunting in a positive way to boost the credibility of women as hunters. She provides advice on what she’s learned about how to handle the online bullying that is occurring on social media that is increasingly targeting women hunters. Jana also tells us about the artwork that she does on skulls (the genesis of the name “Skullbound”), including the one that she donated to MDF during the 2018 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. She also talks about her role helping to carry MDF’s message through the work that she does.

S1 E6 - MDF Senior Staff - Mike Laughter, Randy Morrison, and Marshall Johnson

Episode 6 -Mule Deer Foundation Senior Field Staff

On this episode of Talking Mule Deer, Jodi and Steve talk to a few of MDF’s field staff including Director of Field Operations Mike Laughter, and senior regional directors Randy Morrison (California and Eastern Nevada) and Marshall Johnson (North and South Dakota). These guys are the lead boots on the ground for MDF helping our chapters grow and raise funds for mule deer and black-tailed deer. They describe how chapter fundraising works to raise Chapter Rewards for the state Project Review Committees to allocate funds to conservation projects – from the traditional banquet to unique new opportunities like Beers for Deer and Gunapaloozas. Randy and Marshall also talk about some of their state-specific efforts including wildfire restoration in California and habitat and access projects through the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund. Finally, we talk about how people can get involved in the Mule Deer Foundation to start a chapter or volunteer for deer.

S1 E5 - AZ Game and Fish Dept. - Jim Heffelfinger

Episode 5 - WAFWA Mule Deer Working Group Chair - Jim Heffelfinger

Jim Heffelfinger is the wildlife science coordinator with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, chair of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) Mule Deer Working Group, and a renowned expert on western deer management. Jim describes how WAFWA developed the Mule Deer Working Group in the 1990s to help coordinate state efforts for conservation of mule deer. We talk about these efforts – along with some interesting biology knowledge about why hybridization between whitetails and mule deer is so rare, the proper pronunciation for Coues deer, antler development, and other ramblings. He’s also leading the charge to write the latest definitive text book on mule deer and black-tailed deer biology.

S1 E4 - Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shops/Cabelas

Episode 4 - Bass Pro founder - Johnny Morris

This week, Steve and Jodi spend time with a conservation icon – Bass Pro Shops Founder and CEO, Johnny Morris, and his son John Paul. We learn a little bit about Johnny’s upbringing in the outdoors thanks to his parents, the start of Bass Pro Shops, and the reason why supporting conservation is so important to him. We also talk about the opening of Wonders of Wildlife,  Johnny’s new aquarium and conservation history museum in Springfield, Missouri, and the shared vision for conservation and outdoor recreation after the acquisition of Cabela’s. Conservation is a consistent theme for Morris, and we talk about his role in a recent Blue Ribbon panel trying to find a solution for funding state wildlife conservation efforts. And finally, we touch on something really important… NASCAR. Both Johnny and John Paul love car racing and Bass Pro-sponsored driver, Martin Truex Jr., won the NASCAR Monster Energy championship last year.