Muley Matt Howell - Hunting’s Role In Conservation 11.16

Episode #: 299

 

Title: Hunting’s Role In Conservation

 

Show Notes:

At the Mule Deer Convention in Utah, I caught up with Matt Howell, the current president of Four Corners SCI, and we talked about his hunting this year and current issues his chapter is facing.  Matt’s approach to hunting is based in conservation, so he talks about how that shapes his hunting strategies and his club’s work. 

 

He talks about the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado, and some of the problems with reintroduction specific to Colorado. They’re currently looking at bringing in twice the number of wolves in just 3 years, which is far more than was brought into Yellowstone. 

 

They’re bringing in a Canadian greywolf, which is a new species, and of course that has implications that the state isn’t prepared for yet. It’s on the ballot right now, so if it’s passed, it’ll be the first species reintroduced via ballot box. Matt says it’s like managing wildlife based off of emotions and not facts. Matt shares a resource for organizing against this ballot measure.

 

Hunters have a vital role in conservation, and both Matt and I feel like that role is sometimes overlooked. Matt shares some hunting stories, and his approach to deer hunting. Sometimes finding the biggest deer or the biggest rack ends up being all a hunter can think about. Because Matt is focused on conservation, he shares how that impacts which kind of animal he tends to go after.

 

We finish up by talking about the state of hunting and some of the challenges facing Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, and Utah. 

 

 

What’s Inside:

• We discuss some of the implications of reintroducing Canadian grey wolves into Colorado.
• The tricky issue of managing wildlife with a new, untested species.
• The key role of hunters in managing deer, elk, and moose. 
• What hunting as conservation looks like for Matt Howell.

Mentioned in this Episode:

FourCornersSCI.com

Coloradans Protecting Wildlife

 

Short Description:

I visit with the president of the Four Corners chapter of Safari Club International, Matt Howell, about some of his current work in Colorado. We cover the potential reintroduction of a non-native wolf species to wildlife in Colorado, and talk about using hunting as a tool for conservation. 

 

Tags:

reintroduction of wolves, wolves in Yellowstone, wolves in Colorado, wildlife management, mule deer convention, mule deer hunt, hunting tags, elk hunt, wildlife conservation