Project Upland Podcast

The Governing Body with the Greatest Impact on Hunting

Fish and Game Commissions Sit at the Intersection of Science, Politics, and Public Responsibility for Wildlife In this “Civics of Conservation” episode of the Project Upland Podcast, AJ and Gabby are joined by veteran journalist and former Montana Fish and Wildlife commissioner Andrew McKean to explore the often misunderstood world of fish and game commissions and the powerful role they play in shaping wildlife policy across the United States. Together, they examine how commissions function at the intersection of science, politics, and public accountability, overseeing everything from hunting seasons and regulations to agency budgets, conservation priorities, and long-term strategic planning. The conversation breaks down how commissions operate, how the public can engage with them, and why their influence reaches far beyond hunting and fishing. AJ, Gabby, and McKean also discuss the growing pressures facing wildlife commissions as debates intensify over predator management, non-game species, scientific research, funding, and the public trust in wildlife management. Along the way, they explore how commissions increasingly serve as the front lines of both conservation and conflict, where science, public opinion, and political realities often collide. Throughout the episode, they argue that understanding how fish and game commissions operate is essential for anyone hoping to engage meaningfully in the future of wildlife conservation, hunting, and public policy in North America. Listen to past episodes here: Project Upland Podcast [https://projectupland.com/category/project-upland-listen/project-upland-podcast/] If you want to support independent journalism, check out the Project Upland Podcast Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]

The Public Trust Doctrine - The Civics of Conservation

How the Public Trust Doctrine Built the Uniquely American Idea of Publicly Owned Wildlife and Wildlife Management In this episode, AJ and Gabby explore the origins of the Public Trust Doctrine with Leon Szeptycki and examine how a series of legal and political turning points helped shape wildlife conservation in the United States. From Roman law and medieval England to landmark Supreme Court cases and the conservation movement of the Progressive Era, they trace how the idea of wildlife as a shared public resource became embedded in American law and culture. AJ and Gabby discuss how Europe’s long history of private hunting rights tied wildlife access to land ownership, and why the United States ultimately took a different path—one in which wildlife is collectively owned by the people rather than by landowners or the state itself. They break down several pivotal Supreme Court cases, including Martin v. Waddell, Illinois Central Railroad v. Illinois, Geer v. Connecticut, and Hughes v. Oklahoma, explaining how each helped define the relationship between public ownership, state authority, and wildlife management. Along the way, they explore how these decisions laid the groundwork for modern fish and wildlife agencies and the broader North American Model of Conservation. This episode also examines modern tensions surrounding public lands, private landowner tag allocations, and the ongoing debate over who truly benefits from wildlife management today. Throughout the episode, AJ and Gabby argue that understanding the civic and legal foundations of conservation is essential for hunters hoping to engage meaningfully in the future of public lands, wildlife policy, and access in North America. Listen to past episodes here: Project Upland Podcast [https://projectupland.com/category/project-upland-listen/project-upland-podcast/] If you want to support independent journalism, check out the Project Upland Podcast Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]

Rare Itinerant Breeders: How Researchers Discovered the Woodcock’s Unique Breeding Strategy

GPS tracking reveals American woodcock re-nesting movements across the Atlantic Flyway In this episode, AJ and Gabby talk with Colby Slezak, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Rhode Island, about a surprising breakthrough in American woodcock ecology: evidence that female woodcock can be itinerant breeders. Colby explains how new GPS tracking technology, combined with on-the-ground nest checks through the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative, helped confirm a behavior that had long been suspected but rarely documented. When nests fail, some female woodcock will travel long distances and attempt to nest again elsewhere, sometimes multiple times in a single spring. We unpack why woodcock have such an extended breeding season, what low nest success looks like on the ground, and how constraints like GPS tag size and battery life shape what researchers can learn about breeding ecology. Colby also reflects on the moment he and his colleagues realized their data supported this long-standing theory, an unexpected discovery that reshaped how researchers understand woodcock breeding behavior. The conversation then shifts to Colby’s brief time with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and what federal workforce reductions and buyouts may mean for conservation capacity, long-term partnerships, and the institutional knowledge behind migratory bird research. To learn more about the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative, visit woodcockmigration.org [https://www.woodcockmigration.org/]. Listen to past episodes here: Project Upland Podcast [https://projectupland.com/category/project-upland-listen/project-upland-podcast/] If you want to support independent journalism, check out the Project Upland Podcast Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]

How White-Winged Doves Are Outsmarting Extinction

In Texas [https://projectupland.com/rules-regulations-and-seasons/bird-hunting-in-texas/] and Arizona [https://projectupland.com/rules-regulations-and-seasons/bird-hunting-arizona/], white-winged doves [https://projectupland.com/dove-hunting/white-winged-dove-zenaida-asiatica-bird-profile/] are culturally significant and a part of each state’s hunting heritage. Biologists are actively studying these unique migratory birds; in fact, the first research project to ever outfit white-winged doves with GPS transmitters is currently underway in Texas. In this episode, AJ and Gabby talk to Owen Fitzsimmons [https://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/about/owen-n-fitzsimmons-ms], the webless migratory game bird program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Owen, alongside Dr. Jennifer Smith of the Caesar Kleburg Wildlife Research Institute [https://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/about/jennifer-smith-phd] at Texas A&M University Kingsville, to learn more about the urban ecology, behaviors, and life history of white wings.  Tune in to learn how white-winged doves are expanding their range, interacting with mourning doves [https://projectupland.com/dove-hunting/mourning-dove-zenaida-macroura-bird-profile/], and defining what it means for wildlife to thrive alongside people. Listen to past episodes here: Project Upland Podcast [https://projectupland.com/category/project-upland-listen/project-upland-podcast/] If you want to support independent journalism, check out the Project Upland Podcast Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]

The Birds Aren’t Alright

In the Project Upland Podcast [https://projectupland.com/project-upland-podcast/] episode “The Birds Aren’t Alright,” hosts Gabby Zaldumbide and A.J. DeRosa speak with Dr. Michael Brasher, senior waterfowl scientist at Ducks Unlimited [https://www.ducks.org/] and co-chair of the State of the Birds Report [https://www.stateofthebirds.org/2025/] Science Committee, to uncover what the latest data reveal about bird population trends—and what is at stake if federal funding for avian research disappears. Bird species have been monitored for more than a century, but if federal funding for avian research is lost, what else will vanish with it? The conversation traces the roots of modern bird monitoring back to the first Christmas Bird Count in 1900 and explains how decades of citizen science, state surveys, and federal efforts now feed into one of the most important bird conservation reports of our time. Dr. Brasher shares how long-term data collection reveals population changes in ducks, seabirds, upland game birds, and more, underscoring that the greatest driver of decline is widespread habitat loss. The discussion highlights the concept of “tipping point species”—birds that have lost more than 50 percent of their population over the last 50 years, including iconic game birds such as the greater sage-grouse [https://projectupland.com/grouse-species/sage-grouse/greater-sage-grouse-centrocercus-urophasianus-bird-profile/] and the lesser prairie-chicken [https://projectupland.com/grouse-species/prairie-chicken/lesser-prairie-chicken/]. The hosts emphasize both the hope and urgency contained in the report: citizen science tools like eBird empower everyday birders to contribute critical data, while conservation policies such as the Duck Stamp Program have proven their value in reversing declines. Yet the episode also warns of looming threats, including deep funding cuts to federal conservation programs and the risk of losing the scientific foundation for hunting regulations. Ultimately, the conversation serves as a call to action for hunters, birders, and citizens alike to participate in monitoring, advocacy, and habitat conservation to ensure the future of North America’s birds. Listen to past episodes here: Project Upland Podcast [https://projectupland.com/category/project-upland-listen/project-upland-podcast/] If you want to support independent journalism, check out the Project Upland Podcast Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/ProjectUpland]