Dear Hunter Podcast

On today's show, we're again joined by our good friend, Sam Leatherman, to try and answer an almost impossible question - What makes a good hunter? We discuss the following topics:

• Does killing animals necessarily make you a good hunter?
• Can you not kill animals but still be considered a good hunter?
• How being respectful, passionate, and ethical makes you a good hunter.
• How do we measure good hunters?
• The role social media plays in how we view good hunters.
• Who is the best hunter we know and why?
• And much more!

In today's episode we talk about a varierty of topics including what management projects we're most excited about for 2023, CWD media and journalism, and big picture decision making and how it effects wildlife. We also talk about preparing now for the fast approaching habitat season that's right around the corner!

In this episode, we introduce the Give For Grouse Initiative, a fundraising project we created to raise funds for direct, boots-on-the-ground conservation and management of the ruffed grouse. Ruffed Grouse are a species of decline across much of their range, and we're making it our goal to give this iconic upland species a promising future.

And we've already launched and accomplished two fundraising projects! Raising over $4,000 that we're donating to Ruffed Grouse Society Biologists for the purchase of controlled burn equipment and tree plantings. We'll be launching our next fundraiser soon, so stay tuned to learn how you can help us continue to give for grouse!

In our most meaningful podcast yet, we're introducing The Bucks to Birds Campaign. A conservation collaboration unlike any other, The Bucks to Birds Campaign is a coalition of deer hunters, upland bird hunters, wildlife managers, and conservationists all across North America coming together with a common goal in mind -- saving the ruffed grouse.

We talk about how the campaign came to be and how you can help give the Ruffed Grouse a positive future. If you'd like to donate and make a difference to this campaign, please visit:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/buckstobirds

In today's episode, we chat with Colby Kerber, Pheasant Forever's Hunting Heritage Program Manager, about arguably the number one issue to wildlife and hunting - recruiting and mentoring new hunters. Colby shares with us his insights and experiences on recruiting new hunters to the outdoors and why it's crucial to our hunting heritage that we pass along our tradition. Colby also offers up solutions on how to introduce people to the hunting and outdoor lifestyle in a way that ensures they'll be true conservationists and students of nature.