Hunting Ain't Easy
Hunting ain't easy, but we love the challenge, the opportunity and the wild places it brings us. Hosted by California hunter Mike Costello, the podcasts digs into California hunting topics with specific focus on public land deer and bear hunting. We believe that habitat improvement, herd management and predator management are topics that need more attention. Look forward to guests who will shed light on what we can do as hunters and conservationists, to put more animals in the woods. Mike is an "adult onset hunter" and the score card going into 2021 seasons is: Deer 0, Bear 1. We're going to follow Mike's misadventures, scouting tactics and success. "Big buck down" is coming in '21!
Episodes
Nearly 150 MILLION Americans live within 2 hours of an ocean... so the concept of "hunting the coastal waters" is something that we all need to be aware of and support. Just like hunting, angling opportunity is part of the basic human experience, and as a community we need to be concerned about habitat quality, access and opportunity.
Nearly 1200 pages of petitions have recently been submitted to the Calif. F&G Commission, mos...
Nearly 150 MILLION Americans live within 2 hours of an ocean... so the concept of "hunting the coastal waters" is something that we all need to be aware of and support. Just like hunting, angling opportunity is part of the basic human experience, and as a community we need to be concerned about habitat quality, access and opportunity.
Nearly 1200 pages of petitions have recently been submitted to the Calif. F&G Commission, mos...
"The steal our tag funds and squander them away on BS that does nothing for wildlife!!!!"
This is THE rant we hear too often... but is it true? Listen in on this episode where Mike talks with the #1 expert on big game hunting regulatory process and topics in Calif. He's a hunter and has been working as a lobbyist to represent hunters and conservation groups in Calif. for many years. Listen in and tell me what you think.
ALSO: co...
Habitat matters.
Nothing else matters about wildlife populations and management if the underlying habitat isn't robust and healthy. On the bet that enhancing and restoring the forest and riparian areas of a chunk of burned land can add value and improve things for mule deer and other critters, I just bought myself a habitat project!
Listen in and follow along... as this multi-year project is just getting started!
The attacks from a global anti-hunting (anti-human) industry are ever present. They have incrementally shifted minds and hearts by defining words while our community was not looking. Now we must enter the arena, fight to share our stories, values and the success of hunting as a sustainable tool for wildlife success and conservation.
In this episode:
- Winning the minds of non-hunters
- Don't call them animal rights activists
- C...
The team over at Vantage Point Archery reached out to talk shop and we went down all the rabbit holes. Listen along as we discuss the importance of advocacy, HOWL for Wildlife, archery and of course their lineup of premium American made broadheads. Are you a hand-gunner? You'll want to learn about the new compensator from Vantage Point Armory!!
Click through, comment, follow and engage!
Calif. end of season mule deer hunting... chasing the buck after a cold and snowy fall storm, hoping to catch them on the way towards their migration routes. I talk about some of my winter gear setup, the mental break that I had and subsequent "quit" on the hunt. Some thoughts about staying in the game instead of giving myself an "out" from the grind of wind, snow and cold.
Let me know your thoughts @ Instagram "HuntingAintEasy"
...
Apologies for the scratchy sound!!
In Part 2 I talk through hunt days 4 through 7, with a lot of focus on a doe that I watched for nearly 9 hours and then the 7+ hour spot and stalk on a mature buck high up in an alpine basin.
Everything came together in textbook style. This hunt validated so many lessons from master muley hunters, it was incredible to experience and replay - and this hunt will form the basis for many future adve...
We're back!!!
2022 and 2023 have been tough on the podcasting schedule, but this hunt is a perfect reboot for the podcast and will lead into several hunting stories, and advocacy topics that hunters here in CA need to stay engaged on.
In this episode I share a little background about my new "Sponsors"... (HA!) "2 Dog Lodge" and "Camp Leland". As always I also encourage you to click over to HOWL for Wildlife - and take action!
...
Non-hunters, anti-hunters and species-preservationists... can those of us who VALUE resource for successful wildlife management rely on any of these groups for support and alignment? Anti-hunters: no, we cannot. They would rather critters and habit fail, than have hunters participate in success for wild-life. Species-preservationist: no again. They don't believe humans are part of the natural world and deny any role hunters can/sh...
There are some things that really piss me off. This Part 2 of 2...
Charles (Howl For Wildlife) is often on the receiving end of my texts, calls or emails where I'm just a bit triggered by what I consider BS in and around the hunting community. Whether it is legacy NGOs who don't pull their weight, or anti-hunting orgs who corrupt data and manipulate the hunting community.. or actual "hunters" who think hiding our adventure and suc...
There are some things that really piss me off. This Part 1 of 2...
Charles (Howl For Wildlife) is often on the receiving end of my texts, calls or emails where I'm just a bit triggered by what I consider BS in and around the hunting community. Whether it is legacy NGOs who don't pull their weight, or anti-hunting orgs who corrupt data and manipulate the hunting community.. or actual "hunters" who think hiding our adventure and suc...
The Wildlife Resource Committee meeting with the F&G Commission and CDFW this week brought out the WORST in the anti-hunters, and they showed up in numbers. The hunting community didn't show up in the numbers we hoped, but our voices are unique, diverse and respectful - which means we are heard much better by the Dept and F&G. Meeting Documents linked here.
This 1-hour discussion is a recap of the highs and lows of the WRC meeti...
On Jan 11th and 12th there is a Wildlife Resource Committee meeting that needs you. How can you contribute? Email before Jan 5th. Attend in person (Sacramento). Attend via zoom!
What's in play? Well here's the Agenda
- Petition 2021-017: 2nd bear tag, new premium hunts statewide, modernized Big Game draw system
- Bear mgmt plan update: we must be listening and contributing to this today.
- Elk mgmt plan update: new zones, more ...
Hey friends, yes the CDFW and Fish & Game Commission is listening. We have a new Elk Biologist taking the lead and progressive NEW opportunities to hunt elk are coming our way. 3 new elk zones, modified seasons, increased bull and anterless tags - improving opportunities to hunt Tule Elk, Roosevelt Elk and Rocky Mountain Elk in California?
How does our hunting community support and guide this across the line for a real win??
1) ...
2022 was a tough year for my hunting - not so much because of critters, or weather, or mountain conditions. Work, family, priorities, decisions and distractions made time in the wilderness short - but it was SWEET.
This podcast features my mountain musings, as I recap each day on the mountain and share thoughts as the hunt evolved. I got to ride out a nice little snow/wind/rain storm, saw a lot of deer and put a bear in my sigh...
It's been TOO MANY WEEKS since the last podcast. I've had more ideas and conversations rattling around in my head than I can count, and I should've captured those and shared them. Spring and early summer were consumed with all-the-things we try to balance and stay sane: work, family, scouting, a 9-day spring bear hunt, checking and setting trail cameras in 7 different backcountry areas!
Follow along in this podcast as I share my t...
Part 2 of 2.
Dan Ryan is an avid hunter and outdoorsman with a profession that allows him to get to know land and habitat all over California. In this 2 part podcast Dan and I get down to talking about 6 of the most popular and accessible "draw zones" which require a Premium tag for archery, rifle/general or muzzleloader hunt opportunities. Any hunter with 3 to 17 points in California is probably considering hunting or scouting th...
Dan Ryan is an avid hunter and outdoorsman with a profession that allows him to get to know land and habitat all over California. In this 2 part podcast Dan and I get down to talking about 6 of the most popular and accessible "draw zones" which require a Premium tag for archery, rifle/general or muzzleloader hunt opportunities. Any hunter with 3 to 17 points in California is probably considering hunting or scouting these zones as ...
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