Protect What You Love: Judy Camuso, Commissioner, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

I am going straight to the top!

My guest today is none other than Judy Camuso, the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. If you’re a guide, hiker, bird watcher, kayaker, hunter, game warden, fisherperson, whatever else in Maine, Judy has an impact on your experience in the outdoors.

Wildlife-related recreation brings more money into Maine's economy than downhill skiing and snowmobiling combined…. to the tune of $1.4 billion. That’s Billion, with a B.

Judy manages a division with a $32 million budget and over 300 staff. She’s the first female Commissioner of IFW, appointed by Maine’s first female governor, Janet Mills. And yet, about 5 minutes into my conversation with her, I got over being intimidated and was wishing I lived closer to Augusta, so we could get together for a socially distanced beer at some backyard campfire to extend the conversation.

Judy and I talk about owl banding, conservation, and the crazy balancing act that’s often required to stay atop the tippy, three-legged stool that is wildlife management decision-making (bonus points if you listen to the whole episode and figure out where I got that whole metaphor thing from!)

I hope you’ll all check out Judy’s Instagram, and also the array of offerings from Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife - you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube.

Finally, if trying new things outdoors in a safe, supportive environment is your jam, I personally recommend you look into the Becoming an Outdoors Woman programs in Maine or your home state - the one-day program I took my mom to on a Mother’s Day whim several years ago was what re-ignited the little spark inside of me that eventually became this podcast. (And yes, my mom is THAT cool - she shot skeet and had a blast, pun intended!)

More useful links:

• Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife - keep checking the website for “Next Steps” and other new programs Judy and the IFW team will be adding in the coming months!
• Maine Audubon
• BOW - Becoming an Outdoors Woman in New Hampshire
• Fish + Game Changers Podcast
• Maine Fishing Laws Online Angling Tool
• Maine Hunter Safety online course
• Institute for Bird Populations - course on bird banding
• Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Looking for 'that thing' I talked about in a previous show? Make sure to visit the Guides Gone Wild website for more goodness from every episode!