Our Worst Fears Have Been Realized with Gray Thornton
On this show, Adam is joined by the President & CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), Gray Thornton.
Adam and Gray managed to connect in-person while Gray was recently in BC, and on this episode, they tackle the concerning news out of Alaska about a potentially deadly respiratory pathogen being found and documented in multiple Dall sheep and mountain goats. This is a big issue in the wild sheep conservation world as these respiratory pathogens have been implicated in large-scale die-offs in bighorns in the lower 48, BC, and Alberta.
Gray shares the background on these respiratory pathogens, discusses the current situation in Alaska specifically and thinhorn range generally and, perhaps most importantly, brings us up to speed on our options going forward.
It should be added that this is a fluid and dynamic situation. The news originally broke on March 13th, and since then more information has been released suggesting this outbreak is more widespread than initially reported. To say both the extent of the problem and the solution to preventing further infection is a moving target, would be putting it mildly.
That said, the worst fears of many people involved in wild sheep conservation and wildlife veterinary science have become a reality. If you care about wild sheep, this is a must-listen episode.
Web: www.wildsheepfoundation.org
Instagram: @wildsheepfoundation
On this show, Adam sits down with past guest Chris Barker, and newcomer Kyle Stelter at the 25th Annual Kamloops Convention of the Wild Sheep Society of BC.
Both Chris and Kyle are actively involved with the WSSBC and wild sheep conservation in general, and Adam travelled up to Kamloops a couple weeks back to sit down with these two ardent conservationists to discuss the past, present and future of the WSSBC and why regardless of what province or state you call home, the wild sheep of BC need and deserve our support.
At the time of this interview (two weeks ago), the news out of Alaska that a deadly respiratory pathogen implicated in large scale die-offs of bighorns in the lower 48 states and BC and Alberta, had not yet been announced. In a sad twist of fate, Adam, Chris and Kyle discussed this very threat and how important it was for the hunting and conservation community to take this risk very seriously.
There is now no doubt that Canadian and Alaskan thinhorns need every ounce of support we can provide. Regardless of whether you’re a die-hard sheep nut, or simply hope to one day find yourself in sheep country this is a must-listen episode covering some critical topics related to the long-term sustainability of wild sheep in BC and across North America.
Instagram: @wildsheepsocietybc
On this episode, Adam is joined by Bryan Martin for his second appearance on the podcast. He is the owner and founder of Asian Mountain Outfitters and in the simplest sense, is a hunting consultant. Part guide, part outfitter and part booking agent, he brings an immense amount of knowledge and experience to serving his clients’ needs…and this week’s show.
Bryan has guided and outfitted around the world for nearly 20 years and has personally been on over 100 mountain or backcountry hunts. He is undoubtedly one of the most experienced and accomplished mountain hunters alive today.
On Bryan's first episode, we did a worldwide review of the sheep and goat opportunities available to the adventurous hunter, but on this episode, the focus will be on ibex. Bryan will explain his recommended destinations, outline the climactic and logistical realities of hunting in each country, and cover what to expect on the hunt itself if you were to book one of these highly affordable international hunts.
Bryan and Adam also spend time discussing the gear and skills required to be successful on these challenging expeditions.
And as a final note, what makes these hunts so appealing is not only the reasonable cost and the epic adventure involved, but the fact that in any given year you can easily fit one of these hunts into your schedule. So, if you didn’t draw that tag you were hoping for, plans fell through on another mountain hunt, or you have some money burning a hole in your pocket and can’t wait years to find an opening in North America, Bryan can get you lined up for a Central Asian hunt on relatively short notice.
To find out more, tune into this episode and go to www.asianmountainoutfitters.com or follow Bryan on Instagram @asianmountainoufitters.
On this episode, Adam is joined by Mark Hall. At the simplest level Mark is a scientist. He holds a master's degree in environmental science and is a Professional Agrologist and retired Professional Forester.
Mark is also a passionate hunter and an even more passionate conservationist and it is on that topic specifically that Adam was interested in bringing Mark on the show.
Mark runs his own blog called Hunter Conservationist and writes prolifically about conservation, hunting, social policy, social science and how all these topics weave into what could be called the modern conservation landscape.
Mark is not shy about his opinions. He is critical and outspoken about certain aspects of the hunting industry, and in some cases, has ruffled some feathers with what he’s said or written. But what makes Mark’s writings so important is that they are factually and experientially backed perspectives on the critical matters that impact the conservation space. In today’s sociocultural landscape, we need more people to write and think like Mark.
We hope you enjoy this thoughtful and enlightening conversation with Mark Hall!
On this episode, Adam is joined by the full crew of guys that were on the JOMH’s recent late season goat hunt and film expedition.
This podcast was recorded part way through the trip and includes an interesting mix of guys that have diverse perspectives on the question of what makes a great hunter? You’ll hear thoughts from Dustin Roe, Nolan Osborne, Dan Watson, Steven Drake, Connor Gabbott and of course Adam.
This is an opinionated topic and the group doesn’t shy away from tackling the differences between guided and non-guided hunters, high success ratios versus more selective hunting, killing for meat or age or score and many other factors that play into one’s “success” as a hunter.
We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did recording it!
Thanks to our guests:
@dustinroe
@nmo
@danwato
@stevendrakephoto
@taluscreative