The Hunter Farmer Artisan Podcast with Ryan Garrett

Jillian Garrett shares a piece she wrote a while back, but its theme remains ever topical. Predators, especially wolves seem to bring out extreme viewpoints on both sides of the aisle. This essay is an exploration of the flaws in those ideas.

Anti-hunter turned hunting rights activist Brant Macduff is the author of The Shotgun Conservationist. Host Ryan Garrett sits down with him to discuss it's appeal to non-hunters who care about the environment that hunting might not be the big bad destroyer of the environment that they think it is. We also talk about how we can better get out of our echo chamber and engage with the broader public. You can follow him on Instagram: @stuffinmyapartment and his book can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1643261037?k=shotgun%20conservationist

Field and Stream author, and consummate conservationist Alice Jones Webb sits down with hose Ryan Garrett to discuss some of the misconceptions that non-hunters have about our lifestyle. She also shares how her father was a huge part of the reason she became an outdoor writer. If you want to check out what Alice is up to the best way to do it is to subscribe to her newsletter Take it Outside on Substack.

Host Ryan Garrett shares a piece that describes his origin story as a hunter, farmer, and artisan, and cook. He describes the importance of self-sufficiency, desire for self-improvement, and the need for a connection to something bigger than yourself.

Host Ryan Garrett interviews Kelsey Ross, with the Conservation Coalition of Washington state. Full disclosure, Kelsey has helped with this show more times than could be properly counted. Her knack for keeping track of every potential threat to conservation in Washington State and nationally as well as carefully documenting the key points of who said what and when has been instrumental in organizing efforts to preserve hunting as a heritage. If you want to follow the Coalition, you can check out their Instagram: @Conservation_coalition_of_wa

Listen to Jillian Garrett explain in her own words the moral complexities of hunting predators as it relates to the current politics of Washington state. This is an episode for hunters and non-hunters alike. If you want access to content like this on a regular basis consider signing up for her Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/JillianGarrett/about

Host Ryan Garrett discusses the weaponization of of the term "Trophy Hunting" with BHA board-member Clarence Rushing. People coming from different backgrounds can hear the same term and have wildly different interpretations of it, in this episode we explore how we might be able to bridge that communications gap. And make sure you read Clarence's article on the subject here:https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article283850398.html

Jillian Garrett discusses the concept of "compassionate conservation" with host Ryan Garrett. Anti-hunting groups have spent a lot of money looking for a term that sounds like a great replacement to the North American Model of Conservation. But it is clear they did not put a lot of thought into the negative impacts of such a system.

Host Ryan Garrett sits down with Malcolm for an honest discussion about the racial divide that exists for hunting in North America, and how some organizations like Hunters of Color exist to break that divide down. If you have 12 minutes I highly recommend you watch their promotional video I mentioned in the show. It was eye opening for me.

This episode was honestly a difficult one for me to record as HB2118 effectively puts me out of business as a gunsmith in Washington. We discussed how this bill got to this point, how bad it was in the beginning and the similarities between 2A rights activism and hunting activism.

In this bonus episode, Host Ryan Garret goes over the events of the October Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, namely the approval to begin rule-making on the Bear and Cougar petition and the bad news that it could bring for hunters as a whole. In the interview section of this show, Jillian brings some timely historical context to the ballot box biology campaigns these groups have ran in the past, as well as some insights on how to combat them.

Host Ryan Garrett sits down with Sue Tidwell, author of Cries of the Savanna. Sue is a non-hunter who through her experiences in Africa has become a staunch advocate of hunting both over there and here at home. We discussed how and why her thinking on the subject has shifted over time. Her book can be found at https://www.suetidwell.com/ If you are interested in supporting this show please go to patreon.com/HunterFarmerArtisanPodcast

Host Ryan Garrett interviews Columbia County Commissioner Marty Hall, a rancher who took the time to speak at the October 27th meeting to share his views on wolf management. A rancher first, and a sportsman second, Marty has some interesting perspective on what we do right, and what can be improved.

Host Ryan Garrett interviews Jillian Garrett about her recent article published in the Northwest Sportsman detailing the most recent petition coming from Anti-Hunting groups regarding Cougar and Bear hunting. We discuss the dangers of ballot box biology, anti-hunter tactics, the flawed nature of the “science” they brought forth in the petition, as well as a few things hunters could do better to help cast themselves in a better light among the non-hunting public. Please urge the commission to reject the Cougar and Bear Rule-making petition by emailing them at: [email protected]. You can read Jillian Garrett’s Article at: https://nwsportsmanmag.com/the-danger-of-disinformation-why-washington-cougar-bear-petition-should-be-denied/ If you are Interested in supporting this show, you can do so by going to patreon.com/HunterFarmerArtisanPodcast and starting a subscription.

Host Ryan Garrett sits down with our buddy Gary from the Conservation Coalition on how hunters have organized their voice and the effects that has on the Fish and Wildlife Commission. We review some of the key moments from the October 27th Meeting.

Host Ryan Garrett interviews Dan Wilson, a Northeast Washington Sportsman who actively participates in too many conservation advocacy groups to count. When dealing with complex problems revolving around conservation policy, he is on the short list of people to talk to. In this interview he put on his Forest Coalition hat to discuss wildfires, forest management, and the importance of opposing stakeholders finding ways to engage and present implementable solutions to policy-makers.

Host Ryan Garrett walks through Fish and Wildlife Commission commentary surrounding the Draft Conservation Policy discussed during the Big Tent Committee meeting on Oct 26th. He explains how this informed informed his public testimony on the 27th. Both meetings are a matter of public record, and can be found here. ⁠https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/meetings/2023⁠

In this bonus Episode, Marina Flips the script a bit and has some questions about climate, conservation challenges, and life advice from host Ryan Garrett.

Host Ryan Garrett interviews Marina Treese from Axis Sustainability. Marina’s background with boots-on-the-ground conservation is impressive, and her perspectives on the preservation vs. conservation argument are well worth a listen. There was enough content that I needed to break up the discussion into two episodes, so keep an eye out for the second bonus episode where Marina flipped the script and asked me for my perspective on a few things.

Host Ryan Garrett and First Hunt Foundation mentor Ray Livingston sit down to chat about how we help usher the next generation of hunters towards success. We also pick out the two peices of hunting gear you should not skimp on when you are getting started on a budget. You can see Ray on the popular History Channel series Mountain Men and Alone.

Host Ryan Garrett discusses the origins of HowlforWildlife.org with its founder Charles Whitwam. We discuss the use of AI in light of recent public testimony against the HOWL platform, as well as the humanity of documenting hunts through trophies. Note from 11/24/2023. Fixed the Editing Error on Ann Presna's quote running over interview dialogue.

Host Ryan Garrett breaks down hunter concerns arising from the August 10th meeting of the Wildlife Committee of the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission. This should serve as a call to action for any hunter thinking that there isn't an issue. Get involved. A good place to start would be: Conservation Coalition of Washington State https://www.howlforwildlife.org/ BHA

Host Ryan Garrett interviews Jordan Rash, a freelance writer with experience in both the Washington and Oregon State Legislature. We discuss the importance of bipartisan political engagement in the fight to save hunting as well as the ethics of hunting and eating.

Host Ryan Garrett discusses the ways that hunters shape the public’s perception of hunting with Mandy Carlstrom the Communications Lead for the Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. We also talk about how important mentorship is. Especially for adult-onset-hunters facing the steep leaning curve of the pursuit.

In this show I spend a lot of time talking about how we fight to preserve hunting, but I think it is important to share why. Jillian Garrett and I recount the story of my 2020 Bear, because it encompasses so many of the reasons that hunting is important to us.

I have a conversation with Marie Neumiller about some upcoming issues with the commission. The importance hunting plays in lowering our footprint on the landscape. We touch on the misuse of the precautionary principle. Her work with the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council is invaluable. If you are interested in getting involved with it, you can find their site here https://www.inwc.org/

Hunters are a diverse group of people that come from all walks of life. While our pathways into hunting are varied, our love for conservation is universal. Author Jillian Garrett shares her journey into hunting and her love of conservation in a letter she sent to the Commission in the Spring of 2022.

Host Ryan Garrett has a conversation with Justin Spruiell with BHA’s Armed Forces Initiative about military service, healing through the outdoors, and the significance of getting involved. Justins group can be reached at BHA_AFI through Instagram. Episode art Photo Credit: Aaron Agosto @aaronagosto

Host Ryan Garrett addresses the concerns of public comment manipulation and responds to the accusations that hunters believe equality feels like oppression.

Jillian Garret is one of the actors behind the scenes since the 2021 Spring Bear cancellation. Her perspectives on the WDFW Commission's desire to change policy language to get around their mandate are worth listening to. Editing note:I changed the title to make clear that we are generally talking about the WDFW Commission, and not WDFW Department staff. There is a clear line between the two, but it can often get blurry. Some Sources from Jillian: Hunters are a minority, making up roughly 4% of the population in the U.S. (There are various sources for this statistic, but you can reference this NPR article if needed: https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/593001800/decline-in-hunters-threatens-how-u-s-pays-for-conservation) Jillian Garrett’s unique hunting origin story: http://www.bear-hunting.com/2023/7/beyond-the-acorns Hunter, Farmer, Conservationist: http://www.bear-hunting.com/2022/8/letter-from-a-wildlife-conservationist Best Available Science as defined by Washington Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/laws/wsr/2000/03/00-03-066.htm

Host Ryan Garrett introduces himself and the issues that face sportsmen and women in Washington state. Currently, the WDFW Special Commission seems to be taking an anti-hunting stance. This direction not only imperils hunting and fishing, but the wildlife and ecosystems that consumptive use supports. If you don't like the direction of the commission, they can be contacted at: https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/commission/contact