#32 Keeping wetlands wet! In southern Oregon with Ed Contreras

In this weeks episode we learn about the importance of wetlands in SONEC (Southern Oregon and North Eastern California) to waterfowl, waterbirds and a way of life on private lands. This is my old stomping grounds where I cut my teeth as a private lands habitat biologist.  How is the NRCS and Intermountain west joint venture helping to protect this important migratory corridor? What does it take to get a cool job like Ed has? Listen in to find out! 

My new friend and co-worker Mike and I were lucky enough to squeeze in some time to chat about Kansas!A place I have never hunted and a place that has had some pretty good upland bird hunting the past couple years. We chat about bird biology, bird hunting and some about his work with prairie chickens and now the National Wild Turkey Federation. 

In this episode Bill and I get a little nostalgic about NAVHDA and Wirehairs long since passed to the happy hunting grounds. We talk about changes in the boise valley, Blue grouse hunting and about some of the wirehairs and wirehair breeders we have known. Some of our favorite dogs which became the foundation dogs for several kennels. Bill had Black Canyon kennels but we talk about Grossklaus, three devils, Blue collar and Bachman bay kennels a bunch of rich bird hunting history with this line of dogs. I hope to interview all the wirehair breeders in the west. 

Monty Gregg a career Forest service biologist that holds the coveted title of game bird centers of excellence biologist covering Oregon and Washington. He has 20 years experience in central Oregon and is the lead for partnerships with the National Wild Turkey Federation. We cover some history of the Forest service, fire management and some current projects we are working on. 

While waiting for an unbelievably thick fog to lift while chukar hunting in the Owyhees Frank Pucccio and I sit in his chukarjeep and record some stories. Frank founded Hun Hill Kennels and gets out hunting an incredible 5 days a week! We cover topics on chukar biology and hunting tactics, raising and breeding griffons and living in southern Idaho. 

WHAT the HECK is bird fanciers lung??? How could it change your life and the way you enjoy outdoor sports? Give this podcast a listen and find out!

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Sculling is a method of sneaking up on waterfowl by laying on your back in a special boat with a long whippy oar sticking through a hole in the transom. This method was used by market hunters and is still in use today. In this episode we chat with Humboldt county natives Chris and Steven Jensen about their experiences growing up on Humboldt bay which is the main hub of west coast sculling. We talk about different floats, oars and techniques used by scullers to hunt waterfowl and other things. Scullers are some of the most closed lipped hunting groups you will ever find! 

I dedicated this episode to my long time friend Bill Pinches of Arcata, CA who was a sculler, decoy carver and heck of an interesting human! 

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Interesting chat about doing bird research in remote Alaska. Bryan has done work on all kinds of waterfowl from Texas, California and Alaska. Bryan studied Brant in Cold bay Alaska for his masters and currently does some interesting work with Brant, eiders and pintails. Bryan is enjoying the rural alaskan lifestyle and getting out and doing some hunting based out of Bethel. I was pretty Jealous of his swan hunting!

Jeremiah and Johanna both have some interesting perspectives on the future of hunting and cooking wild game. Jeremiah challenges the traditional way we have been recruiting new hunters. The ethics of posting photos on social media. We cover some of the philosophy of why locavores and millennials are getting so interested in hunting for food.We have a great discussion about ways to mentor a new hunter through their first hunt. The wild game cooking discussion will have you thinking about recipes and how you are gonna process the meat before you even pull the trigger. 

***Challenge yourself to be a bean burrito!!! 

Check out Jeremiah's Field to plate website! 

https://fromfieldtoplate.com/

NWTF is working hard to recruit hunters!

http://www.nwtf.org/about/outreach

Nerd out with Casey and I on the life history and management of Cinnamon Teal in Colorado. Also we discuss remote waterfowl research in Alaska. She tells her story to becoming a bird biologist and bird hunter. She goes from vegetarian to newly minted wild game chef and well on her way to being Dr. Setash! Casey and I talk about hunter recruitment programs we have been part of and mentoring new hunters. We also talk about doing research and habitat projects on private lands and some of the techniques we use to get access to lands for research and hunting. 

Had a fantastic chat with my Father, Val Bachman a wildlife biologist for forty years who grew up hunting and guiding in the marshes surrounding of the great salt lake of Northern Utah. We talk about growing up in utah and tell some of my favorite family hunting stories about snipe, pheasants, waterfowl and bird dogs. Dad talks about his favorite dogs, how we got involved in GWP breeding and how he designed our families custom bird hunting camping trailer called "the lions den"