Mark Kenyon - A Passion for Public Lands

Mark Kenyon is a conservationist, outdoorsman, and author of the fantastic new book "That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands." For years, Mark has been well-known and respected in the hunting world, thanks in part to his website, blog, and podcast called Wired to Hunt, which focuses on the finer points of big game hunting. Mark and Wired to Hunt recently joined forces with Steven Rinella's MeatEater brand, which has helped to amplify Mark's impact on the worlds of hunting and conservation. "That Wild Country" is the culmination of many years of Mark's adventures, experiences, and writing, and I expect that Mountain & Prairie listeners will thoroughly enjoy it. From the outside, it appears that Mark is cruising through life, living the dream-- he hunts, writes, creates shows, and generally pursues his passions at full speed on a daily basis. But when you scratch below the surface, you'll see that Mark's professional path has been (and still is) defined by extreme focus and hard work, as well as an insatiable curiosity for everything from whitetail deer to US history to the finer points of public lands legislation. He walked away from an impressive and safe career at Google to merge his vocation and avocation, choosing to bet on himself rather than corporate America. And his bet paid off-- between his podcasts, articles, essays, videos, and, now, a book, Mark's body of work has educated and inspired countless people throughout the world. We started our conversation by discussing "That Wild Country," which is one of the most engaging and "user-friendly" explanations I've read of the history of public lands, as well as the modern-day controversies surrounding public lands. We discuss the conservation legacy of the other Roosevelt-- Franklin D Roosevelt-- and how his presidency revived our nation's commitment to public lands stewardship. We dig into the details of the Pittman-Robertson Act, a historic piece of legislation that all of us who love the outdoors need to understand. We discuss the short and impactful life of Bob Marshall, the famed conservationist who is the namesake of Montana's legendary Bob Marshall Wilderness. We also discuss a lot about Mark's personal backstory-- his decision to leave Google for Wired to Hunt, his recent merger with Meateater, how having a son has changed his perspective, his daily routine for maximum productivity, and much more. And finally, we touch on why Michigan seems to produce so many committed conservationists and outdoor writers. I've admired Mark and his consistent, high-quality work for years, so it was a thrill to finally chat. I encourage you to check out "That Wild Country" and the Wired to Hunt Podcast, but in the meantime, enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Mark Kenyon. https://mountainandprairie.com/mark-kenyon/ "That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands" by Mark Kenyon TOPICS DISCUSSED: 5:00 - An overview of “That Wild Country” 9:00 - Timeline of writing the book 11:00 - FDR’s influence on the conservation movement 16:30 - Ins and outs of the Pittman-Robertson Act 20:50 - Arguments around a “backpack tax” 21:40 - Who was Bob Marshall? 25:00 - How to write about dry subjects in an entertaining manner 29:00 - The effort of writing a book 29:40 - How having a kid changed Mark’s working style 32:20 - Mark’s morning routine 35:45 - Mark’s unique career path 38:00 - Epiphany moment in Mark’s career 40:30 - Merging with Meateater 42:30 - Secrets to Wired to Hunt’s success 47:00 - Mark’s “Back 40” project 50:00 - Why does Michigan produce so many outdoor leaders? 52:45 - New information learned about Theodore Roosevelt 57:45 - Optimism or pessimism for the future of public lands 1:01:30 - Important non-profits that Mark supports 1:06:45 - Mark’s favorite books