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PODCAST

Connecting with Conservation

Do you enjoy angling, boating, hunting, recreational shooting or just getting outdoors and into the backcountry? Connecting with Conservation is the only podcast that delves into the business of conservation. We talk with state wildlife agency and industry experts about how conservation is achieved in the United States along with the tremendous impacts to local economies that driven by the recreational user. Join our hosts as they explore this often unknown or misunderstood aspect of how fish and

sports wilderness

All Episodes

29:34

Season 3: Episode 7: The Future of Deer Hunting,...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/02/18

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, Jon and Jim welcome Jenifer Wisniewski, Chief Marketing Officer at the National Deer Association and long-time leader in conservation communications. Jen shares her unique background in state agency marketing and R3 efforts—recruitment, retention, and reactivation—and explains how thoughtful marketing strategies can generate millions in license revenue and boost federal conservation funding. With 11 million deer hunters in America, she highlights the

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33:08

Season 3: Episode 6: Sporting clays for sick kids...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/02/10

Kids & Clays Executive Director Zac Lemmon joins Connecting with Conservation to share how charity sporting clays events across the country are raising millions for Ronald McDonald Houses while introducing thousands of new shooters to the outdoors. He traces the program’s growth from a single Chicagoland event in 1999 to more than 40 million dollars raised, 40+ annual shoots in over 20 states, and a waiting list of houses eager to participate.The conversation walks through a typical event

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38:21

Season 3: Episode 5: Managing the Business of...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/02/04

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto sit down with Amanda Wuestefeld, the Director of the Indiana DNR Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Nature Preserves. The discussion highlights the success of wildlife restoration projects for species like elk, turkeys, and deer, which are funded through Pittman-Robertson (PR) dollars and sportsman's excise taxes. Amanda provides an in-depth look at the 12-year process of establishing Indiana’s first sustainable Bobcat

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36:57

Season 3: Episode 4: Trapping Myths, BMPs, and...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/01/27

Bryant White of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies joins Connecting with Conservation to unpack modern trapping, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and why regulated trapping remains a critical wildlife management tool. From river otter and beaver restoration to managing human–wildlife conflicts and protecting infrastructure, he explains how agencies use trapping for conservation, public safety, and habitat health.The discussion covers AFWA’s decades-long BMP research, rising trapper

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31:25

Season 3: Episode 3: Wild Sheep Conservation and the...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/01/20

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto sit down with Corey Mason, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Conservation at the Wild Sheep Foundation. Corey shares his extensive background—from his time at Texas Parks and Wildlife to international conservation work—while explaining the unique challenges facing wild sheep across North America and beyond. Listeners get an insider’s look at the habitat, natural history, and incredible

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35:08

Season 3: Episode 2: Elevating Indigenous Voices in...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/01/13

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto sit down with Dr. Julie Thorstenson, Executive Director of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society. Julie shares her remarkable journey from wildlife habitat restoration on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation to leading a national organization dedicated to supporting tribal conservation efforts. Her insights reveal the complexity of managing fish, wildlife, and ecosystems across tribal lands and the

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32:32

Season 3: Episode 1: Range USA supports wildlife...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2026/01/08

Dive into the business of conservation with Tom Willingham of Range USA, discussing the recent opening of their 50th indoor range, welcoming 350,000+ new shooters yearly, and how the excise tax from firearms and ammo sales helps to support wildlife conservation. Hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto explore how indoor ranges cure cabin fever while supporting wildlife, habitats, shooting opportunities, and other outdoor-related recreation.Learn how recreational shooting bolsters the billion-dollar

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32:59

Season 2: Episode 53: Wildlife Corridors, Migration,...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/12/30

Wildlife migration is one of the most fascinating, and urgent, challenges in modern conservation. Today we’re joined by Casey Stemler, former U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service leader and architect of the national Wildlife Corridor & Big Game Migration Initiative (Secretarial Order 3362). Casey’s background spans wildlife biology, policy development, and federal leadership, making him uniquely qualified to explain how major landscape-scale conservation happens.We discuss: Why wildlife corridors

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32:55

Season 2: Episode 52: ATA’s Fight for Fair...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/12/22

Hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto interview Dan Forster, VP and Chief Conservation Officer of the Archery Trade Association (ATA), on the podcast Connecting with Conservation. They explore ATA’s evolution from a business trade show to a key player in policy and funding for wildlife efforts. Forster details his wildlife biology background and Georgia DNR leadership before joining ATA.The episode dives into excise taxes on bows, arrows, and accessories, which generate $50 million annually for state

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33:55

Season 2: Episode 51: Restoring Elk in the...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/12/16

Elk once roamed much of the eastern United States but restoring them has taken decades of science, funding, and collaboration. In this episode, Steven Dobey, Mission Lead for the Eastern Region of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), joins us to explore how elk restoration has succeeded across Appalachia and the Midwest.We discuss the history of eastern elk extirpation, modern restoration efforts, and how states like Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina are

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37:47

Maine’s Wildlife Conservation Story—from Moose to...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/12/09

Commissioner Judy Camuso of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife joins us to explore one of the most wildlife-rich states in the U.S. We dive into the science, management, and on-the-ground conservation work that keeps Maine’s natural heritage thriving. From world-class target shooting programs and public shooting ranges, to ice-fishing traditions, brook trout and Arctic char research, and the nation’s longest-running black bear study, this episode highlights how conservation

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33:51

Season 2: Episode 49: Inside Modern Trapping with...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/12/02

Discover the essential role that regulated trapping plays in North American wildlife conservation. In this episode, Jon and Jim sit down with Jake DeBow of New England Naturals to explore how modern trapping works, why it matters, and how fur, meat, and other resources can be utilized in sustainable and ethical ways. We discuss the real science behind trapping, state wildlife agency needs, and how trappers contribute critical data to wildlife management programs. Jake also shares how he and his

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35:27

Season 2: Episode 48: West Virginia Elk Restoration,...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/11/25

Go behind the scenes of West Virginia’s wildlife management with Paul Johansen, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, we explore how elk restoration, big-game management, and healthy forests are funded and sustained through hunting and fishing license dollars, federal excise taxes, and powerful public–private partnerships.Paul shares how West Virginia successfully

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34:13

Season 2: Episode 47: Inside Smith & Wesson –...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/11/20

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto sit down with Kyle Tengwall, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Strategy at Smith & Wesson. Kyle shares insights from more than 25 years in the shooting sports and outdoor industry, including his early days at Federal Ammunition, his time with Duck Commander at the height of Duck Dynasty, and his leadership role at one of America’s most iconic firearm manufacturers.Kyle discusses Smith & Wesson’s

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58:22

Season 2: Episode 46: Wild Turkey Conservation and...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/11/11

This episode of “Connecting with Conservation” features an in-depth conversation with Jason Lupardus, CEO of Turkeys for Tomorrow, alongside Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto from Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation. The hosts and guest discuss the challenges facing wild turkey populations across the southeastern United States. Jason shares personal stories from his early days turkey hunting in Alabama and his long career in wildlife biology, illustrating why

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28:43

Season 2: Episode 45 – Building the Next Generation...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/11/05

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation sit down with John Nelson, President of the USA Clay Target League, to explore one of America’s fastest-growing high school sports — competitive clay target shooting.Nelson shares how the league began around a Minnesota kitchen table in 2007 and has since expanded to nearly 2,000 school-sponsored teams across 39 states,

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35:13

Season 2: Episode 44: Understanding Hemorrhagic...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/10/28

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto from Outdoor Stewards of Conservation sit down with Dr. Mark Ruder, Director of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at the University of Georgia. They explore the science, history, and management implications of hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer and other wildlife.Dr. Ruder breaks down how diseases like Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and

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35:30

Season 2: Episode 43: Conservation in the Caribbean:...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/10/22

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, Dr. Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and co-host Jim Curcuruto of Outdoor Stewards of Conservation travel (virtually) to the U.S. Virgin Islands to talk with Dr. Nicole Angeli, Director of the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Fish and Wildlife.Dr. Angeli shares her remarkable path from field researcher to leading wildlife conservation efforts across the Caribbean. She discusses the challenges of managing limited land and resources,

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32:15

Season 2: Episode 42: Boyd Duckett on Major League...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/10/15

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto sit down with legendary angler Boyd Duckett, co-founder and CEO of Major League Fishing (MLF). Boyd shares how MLF is reshaping tournament fishing through innovation, conservation, and youth engagement — from high-school and college programs to real-time “catch, weigh, and release” technology that protects fish and supports better data for state fisheries.They dive deep into how fishing licenses and excise taxes

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31:59

Season 2: Episode 41: Guns, Game, & Giving Back: How...

Connecting with Conservation ·

2025/10/07

In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett and Jim Curcuruto sit down with Jeff Sterner, a lifelong outdoorsman and the Channel Sales Manager for Benelli USA, to talk about how one of the most trusted names in firearms fuels conservation across America. From the legendary Super Black Eagle to the innovative Lupo Rifle, Jeff shares the history, technology, and reliability that make Benelli a favorite among hunters—and how their commitment extends far beyond the field.Hear how

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