#81 - Hunting the Himalayan Snow Cock with Matt Hardinge

06/24/19 • 56 min

Matt Hardinge is an upland bird hunter, backpacker, photographer, and filmmaker who has found a way to pair bird hunting with backpacking. He joins the podcast to talk about a recent film about a hunt for the elusive Himalayan Snow Cock. We cover everything from what the Snow Cock is, how it was introduced, why it’s so difficult to hunt, and what Pheasants Forever is doing to protect birds of all species so they can flourish as their natural habitat becomes increasingly damaged.

Show Notes and Links

Introductions
Matt’s background
Accessibility to public lands
Introduction to the Himalayan Snow Cock
How Matt found his way to pursuing this bird
What makes the Snow Cock so difficult to hunt?
How to hunt a Snow Cock
Transitioning from the standard bird hunt to a backpacking bird hunt
Why the bird was introduced into North America
Conservation in the world of birds
What habitat do upland birds need to survive
How hunting plays a role in the conservation of a species
The general feel for how bird populations are currently doing
Intro to the Pheasants Forever Organization
How acquiring land works with the Org.
How Matt came to do what he does
Why Matt is attracted to the outdoors
Recruiting new hunters
Matt’s favorite way to cook game birds
How to reach Matt
The film https://youtu.be/Ul7XJmBoGeg
https://www.pheasantsforever.org/
https://projectupland.com/
https://www.instagram.com/matthardinge/

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Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.

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Show Notes and Links

Introductions
Matt’s background
Accessibility to public lands
Introduction to the Himalayan Snow Cock
How Matt found his way to pursuing this bird
What makes the Snow Cock so difficult to hunt?
How to hunt a Snow Cock
Transitioning from the standard bird hunt to a backpacking bird hunt
Why the bird was introduced into North America
Conservation in the world of birds
What habitat do upland birds need to survive
How hunting plays a role in the conservation of a species
The general feel for how bird populations are currently doing
Intro to the Pheasants Forever Organization
How acquiring land works with the Org.
How Matt came to do what he does
Why Matt is attracted to the outdoors
Recruiting new hunters
Matt’s favorite way to cook game birds
How to reach Matt
The film https://youtu.be/Ul7XJmBoGeg
https://www.pheasantsforever.org/
https://projectupland.com/
https://www.instagram.com/matthardinge/

Support the show

Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.

Previous Episode

#80 - Exo Mountain Gear Death Hike Recap

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This episode recaps my experience on the Exo Death Hike in 2019. At the time of its release, it’s been one week since these events occurred, so it was important for me to capture my thoughts and get them down into an episode for others to learn from.

I cover what the Death Hike is, how it works, what it entailed this year, and most importantly, what I learned from it. This hike is meant to push your limits, and it did just that. There were a number of things that happened to my body that I think are worth talking about in hopes that others can learn from my experiences.

This podcast was created to help people backpack better. Sometimes we do well and sometimes we don’t. What matters is that we continue to learn and share that knowledge with those around us.

Show Notes and Links

Intro to the Death Hike
What the Death Hike involved
How my body performed
Issues with eating and how to avoid a personal hunger strike
Feedback on the new Exo K3 Frame
Lessons learned
Footwear
Pace
The importance of challenges
Stop comparing yourself to others
Passionate people doing passionate things
Gear highlights
Audience Q & A
Final Thoughts
https://exomtngear.com/

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Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.

Next Episode

#82 - Thru Hiking, Happiness, and Taking Action with Dylan Tonkin

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I found Dylan Tonkin through his post on LinkedIn where he described what it was like hating his job, quitting, hiking a long trail, and finally starting his own business.

Dylan and I chat about his personal story and what he’s learned from it. We discuss what it means to be happy, what it means to find happiness, and how important it is to pursue what you want by taking action.

Show Notes and Links

Introductions
Backstory on Dylan’s social media post
The breaking point for Dylan
What it was like taking the leap
Experiencing the AT
The decision to hike more trails
Life after the trail
Taking risks
On being happy
The result of Thru-Hiking and life after the trail
Thoughts on the increase in vlogging on trails
What’s next for Dylan
Advice for those who might be where Dylan was at work
How to follow up with Dylan
https://www.facebook.com/dtonkin3
https://www.facebook.com/dstonkin/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dylan-tonkin-show?fbclid=IwAR0ulQirCzZn3qXYIRLKWsiqL3LYfX2iVWPINSuYZKeENmJcwrqH9cI_YWk
https://www.instagram.com/dstonkin