Season 3: Episode 9: Outdoor Media, Conservation Storytelling & the Hunting Industry Job Market

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation sit down with Kevin Paulson — founder of HuntingLife.com, creator of the Outdoor Hive newsletter, and Executive Director of AGLOW (Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers). Kevin traces his career from litigation work in Washington, D.C. through outfitting in Idaho and Montana, to building one of the outdoor industry's most recognized media platforms. He discusses how storytelling has shifted from newspaper columns and legacy print magazines to blogs, podcasts, YouTube, and digital newsletters — and why that evolution is critical to growing hunting and fishing culture in a country where fewer than 10% of the population hunts. The conversation covers the outsized role outdoor media plays in shaping public perception, including a focused discussion on the Boone and Crockett Club's poaching research led by Jon and his wife. The hosts and Kevin agree that public attitudes toward poaching must shift the same way drunk driving did over the past 40 years — from tolerated to socially unacceptable — and that effective storytelling is the primary tool to drive that change. Kevin also breaks down the trade show circuit, explaining how events like SHOT Show, the Archery Trade Association show, SCI, and the Western Hunt Conservation Expo serve as essential networking hubs where he runs up to 65 meetings in a single week across his three organizations. Finally, Kevin introduces Outdoor Hive, a free weekly newsletter now in its 77th issue that lists outdoor industry jobs from the factory floor to the C-suite — filling a gap that LinkedIn and other general job platforms have never addressed for the hunting, fishing, and shooting industries. He also previews AGLOW's upcoming annual conference in Lewiston, New York near Niagara Falls, which will feature a fishing tournament on the Niagara River — one of the premier freshwater fisheries in North America.   For more information: Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://conservationstewards.org HuntingLife.com: https://huntinglife.com Outdoor Hive : https://outdoor-hive.com Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers: https://aglowoutdoors.com   #wildlifeconservation  #huntinglife  #outdoormedia  #ConservationStorytelling  #HuntingIndustry  #OutdoorHive  OutdoorJobs  #OutdoorCareers  #aglow  #OutdoorWriters  #huntingandfishing  #NorthAmericanConservationModel  #PoachingAwareness  #wildlifemanagement  #huntingcommunity  #outdoorpodcast  #conservationfunding  #wildlifeprotection  #HuntersForConservation  #outdoorindustry  #OutdoorNetworking  #SHOTShow  #wildlifemanagementinstitute  #outdoorstewards  #OutdoorStorytelling