Episode 14 - Why do we hunt? Exploring the documentary The Bear Hunter

Episode 14 - Why do we hunt? Exploring the documentary The Bear Hunter

A raw, unfiltered look at bear hunting that challenges everything you thought you knew. What drives a hunter to pursue one of North America’s most powerful predators? This conversation digs into the emotional, philosophical, and deeply personal realities behind bear hunting, moving far beyond surface-level debates around conservation or sustenance. Filmmaker and lifelong hunter Jack Evans and his father Mike, chair of the Boone and Crockett Club’s communications committee, share the story behind The Bear Hunter, a documentary born from years of backcountry hunting, global journalism, and time spent immersed in wild ecosystems from the Yukon to Africa. What unfolds is an honest exploration of the tension every hunter feels—the balance between reverence for wildlife and the act of taking a life. You’ll hear how Fair Chase ethics, wildlife conservation, and personal responsibility intersect in the field, especially during high-stakes pursuits like grizzly bear hunting. The discussion also pulls back the curtain on the spiritual side of hunting—those quiet, often unspoken moments that shape a hunter’s values far more than the harvest itself. This isn’t about justifying hunting. It’s about confronting the hardest questions head-on. What makes a hunt ethical? Why pursue animals we don’t need to survive? And how can storytelling through film reshape how non-hunters view the role of hunters in conservation? For hunters, anglers, and anyone who values wild places, this is a rare look into the mindset that defines a life spent outdoors. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and conservation conversations.   Get more from Boone and Crockett Club: https://www.boone-crockett.org [https://www.boone-crockett.org]              Sign up for FREE newsletter: https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login# [https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login#]

BONUS: Breaking Barriers to Hunting Through Wild Sustenance Field Course

New hunters find confidence, purpose, and connection through hands-on wild game and field experience. A new generation of hunters is being shaped in the field, not just the classroom. At the University of Montana’s Wild Sustenance course, students step into hunting culture through hands-on experience that blends conservation, ethics, and real-world skill building. From firearm safety and time on the rifle range to field dressing and wild game processing, this conversation digs into what it actually takes to move from curious outsider to confident participant. You’ll hear how first-time hunters navigate common barriers like access, gear, and mentorship, and why structured education can accelerate that learning curve. There’s a strong focus on practical takeaways. Listeners will pick up insights on choosing versatile calibers like the .30-06 for big game hunting, understanding the realities of Western hunting versus Midwest whitetail traditions, and building confidence behind the trigger. The discussion also explores the deeper motivations behind hunting, from sourcing your own meat to rejecting industrial food systems in favor of wild game. Equally important is the cultural side. Community, shared meals, and respect for the animal all come through as central themes. Whether it’s elk burger, bone broth, or tacos made from a successful harvest, food becomes the bridge that connects conservation to everyday life. This is a grounded look at how hunting skills are taught, learned, and passed on. Get more from Boone and Crockett Club: https://www.boone-crockett.org [https://www.boone-crockett.org]              Sign up for FREE newsletter: https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login# [https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login#]

Roosevelt Ranch Radio #3: Wild Sustenance: Learning to Hunt, Butcher, and Think Like a Conservationist

From first rifle shots to butchering elk quarters, new hunters learn the realities of wild food. For many aspiring hunters, the hardest part isn’t pulling the trigger. It’s knowing where to start. At the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in Montana, a group of University of Montana students stepped into the world of hunting through the Wild Sustenance field course, a hands-on weekend built around the fundamentals of ethical hunting, wild game processing, and conservation science. By the end of the course, students who had never hunted before were learning to field dress elk and whitetail deer, practicing archery and rifle shooting, and cooking fresh venison straight from the grill. This conversation digs into what that experience actually looks like. Graduate student Dylan White shares what it’s like entering the hunting world with zero background, and why programs like this matter for recruiting the next generation of hunters. Wildlife researcher Chris Hanson explains how long-term trail camera research reveals migration patterns, habitat use, and the daily movement of animals like elk, mule deer, and whitetails across Montana’s landscapes. Along the way the discussion moves through the deeper questions behind modern hunting. Fair chase ethics, wildlife management, and the role science plays in conservation all come into focus. From bear safety and firearm training to packing out meat and understanding complex hunting regulations, the Wild Sustenance course offers a full field-to-table introduction to hunting in the American West. For newcomers and seasoned hunters alike, it’s a reminder that hunting is about far more than tags and trophies. It’s about learning the land, understanding wildlife, and earning your place in the tradition. Follow the show for more weekly hunting, fishing, and conservation conversations. Get more from Boone and Crockett Club: https://www.boone-crockett.org [https://www.boone-crockett.org]              Sign up for FREE newsletter: https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login# [https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login#]

Episode 13 - Fair Chase Leadership: Mary Webster on Conservation, Policy, and Hunting’s Future

From duck blinds to boardrooms, a lifelong hunter shapes the future of conservation. Mary Webster’s path into hunting and conservation started the way it does for many upland and waterfowl hunters, in a family rooted in the outdoors. Growing up in Minnesota around bird hunting, duck camps, and working dogs, she developed an early appreciation for wildlife that would eventually evolve into a career at the intersection of conservation policy, environmental law, and sustainable resource use. That foundation carried west, where time spent hiking, fishing, and studying wildlife in Colorado sharpened her understanding of how landscapes, wildlife biology, and human use all collide. Her work as an environmental attorney and oil and gas commissioner brought real-world experience in balancing development, habitat conservation, and long-term ecosystem health. Now serving as the first female president of the Boone and Crockett Club, Webster offers a clear-eyed perspective on the future of hunting. She breaks down the critical difference between conservation and preservation, explains why fair chase ethics remain central to modern hunting, and outlines how policy, science, and hunter education must work together to protect wildlife. Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of wildlife conservation policy, the North American Model, and how today’s hunters play a role in shaping the future of big game hunting, habitat management, and ethical outdoor traditions. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and conservation conversations.   Get more from Boone and Crockett Club: https://www.boone-crockett.org [https://www.boone-crockett.org]              Sign up for FREE newsletter: https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login# [https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login#]

Roosevelt Ranch Radio #2 - Women in the Arena: Recapping A Montana Outdoor Skills Retreat

Seven women stepped beyond comfort zones to claim confidence in Montana’s backcountry. At the foot of the Rocky Mountain Front, the first Boone and Crockett Club Outdoors Women Skills Retreat brought together a small group ready to work. Over three days at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch, participants tackled hands-on outdoor education built for real-world confidence. They split firewood, built backcountry fires, and talked campsite setup and bear safety, including an inert bear spray demonstration. Fly tying sessions covered matching the hatch, fish identification, and macroinvertebrates critical to successful fly fishing in Montana rivers. When wind kept rods off the water, the learning continued indoors with practical trout ID and fisheries conversation. On the range, women with little to no experience gained confidence through structured firearm safety, .22 rifle fundamentals, and 9mm pistol shooting. Conversations around women’s shooting groups, range etiquette, and choosing the right firearm made the instruction practical and accessible. Archery basics, power tool demonstrations, and even sunrise hikes and yoga rounded out a weekend focused on building independent outdoor skills. What emerged was more than instruction. It was mentorship, camaraderie, and proof that hunting, shooting sports, and backcountry skills are learned by doing. For women curious about elk camps, waterfowl blinds, or simply handling tools with confidence, this conversation lays out the pathway: show up, try, learn, repeat. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations.   Get more from Boone and Crockett Club: https://www.boone-crockett.org [https://www.boone-crockett.org]              Sign up for FREE newsletter: https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login# [https://www.boone-crockett.org/user/login#]