Hunting & Fishing British Columbia

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … This week, Randy I talked about changes to B.C.'s hunting regulations that came into effect on July 1. We also talked about upcoming fall hunting plans, as well as Randy's "fishing trip of a lifetime" to a prime wild lake in northern Saskatchewan...BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … Today's episode is the story of what could have been a new world-record chinook salmon, caught by a BC couple in 2019. It was a monstrous fish estimated to weigh approximately 106 pounds. I say estimated because these anglers released the fish alive instead of killing it, and without a carcass to officially weigh, the current official world record of 97 pound four ounces set in May 1985 remained unchallenged.Randy spoke to the woman who caught this chinook and while she was happy to share the details of the catch with hm, she didn't want to chat with us live. Instead, we reached out to James McGregor at Advanced Taxidermy, who was the taxidermist who made a replica of this monster salmon. He shared his perspective about this salmon as well as about catch-and-release fishing, which he agrees is a growing trend.Lastly, we talked to Ted Walkus, the maager of the Good Hope Cannery Eco-Tourism Lodge in Rivers Inlet in BC. His lodge is heavily involved In efforts to promote and support catch-and-release of big chinook salmon. Ted hopes that catch-and-release for chinook will spread across the BC coast.But first, Randy and I chatted at length about catch-and-release and was it means to fishing … And just a quick note, this episode was recorded mostly in the spring, which is why you'll hear us chatting about early season fishing in July… It took a bit of time to get all the bits and pieces for this one together …*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time. Links:James Anderson Advanced Taxidermy — https://www.advancedtaxidermy.comTed Walkus Good Hope Cannery Eco-Tourism Lodge — https://goodhopecannery.comBCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … This week, Randy I talked to Greg Anderson and Dan Buffet from BC's Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. A portion of all hunting and angling licence dollars in BC goes to the HCTF, which uses the money for a wide variety of conservation and land acquisition projects.We talked to Dan and Greg about the history of the HCTF, how it chooses projects to support, and other related topics.But first, we talked about an interesting moment I had on the water — a moment that could have been frightening but for some good luck ….BC HCTF website — https://hctf.caBCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … This week, Randy I had a rambling chat about the terrible choices of spring. With so much opportunity for outdoor activity available this at this time of year — what do you choose to do with your time? We also discussed successes and failures we've had on recent trips. Both of us have had some great days on our local lakes fishing chironomids for trout. I've also been chasing bears with my bow, and despite my best tries, have not been able to find a way to close the deal on a bruin.We wrap it up with an update on the court case for the two dudes busted for filming a 30-day survival challenge in Banff National Park, a two-hour show they posted on YouTube.*****BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … This week, Randy I talked to Toby Tobiasson and Sara Dirienzo from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department about how their state manages hunting and access to wildlife. It's remarkably different than how it is done here in BC, and most of western Canada.Randy and I decided the most important difference, however, is in the way they treat the hunting community. Game officials there have regular, meaning conversations with hunters and treat them more like partners.Today's chat is a loose continuation of the last episode, which focussed on Limited Entry Hunting and people's perceptions of the system. The same as last time, Randy and I concluded the number one thing that western Canadian hunters need to do is pay attention to what is happening and be prepared to speak up.Decisions around hunting and fishing opportunities are often socially or politically based, and groups that speak on behalf of the sporting community become crucial. Groups like the BCWF are a great way for hunters to have their voices counted and heard.But before we continued our gripe about LEH, Randy and I chatted about our late May outdoors activitiesLinks:BCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … This week, Randy I talked to Jesse Zeman, who is the executive director of the BC Wildlife Federation, about B.C.'s Limited Entry Hunting regulations. The LEH system has been used in B.C. for many years and is designed to balance hunting opportunity against wildlife resources.Jesse wrote a research paper in 2009 that found 60 per cent of hunters are not happy with the LEH system. His paper also outlined the current system and possible alternatives to the LEH regulations. It's a complex topic and Jesse has done his homework in regards to the system and how it works.We also talked about how hunters and anglers can influence government to protect their sports and activities for future generations. The short answer — “join a gang,” said Jesse, such as the BCWF or another group such as Backcountry Anglers of BC or the Wild Sheep Society, to name a few. Being part of a community such as the BCWF carries weight and can significantly influence decisions government make. Decisions around hunting and fishing opportunities are often socially or politically based, and groups that speak on behalf of the sporting community become crucial. We also talked about the BCWF's recent set of resolutions passed at the April convention. The resolutions are full of incredibly valuable recommendations around hunting and fishing in B.C. and everyone should have look to see how the BCWF is working on our behalf.I've included a few links in the show notes to some key documents we discussed in this episode, including Jesse's research on LEH, and the BCWF's recent resolutions. Lastly, I've included a link to the BCWF's membership page. For those who have never considered membership — and I was one of them — have a look and think again.  There is value in being engaged and active.But before we started our gripe about LEH, Randy and I small-talked about the unseasonably cold spring and early season fishing …Links:Jesse Zeman's research paper on LEH in BC — https://bccf.com/sites/default/files/LEHReviewOct2009.pdfBCWF resolultions passed at the April 2022 convention — https://bcwf.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-AGM-Resolutions-Submitted.pdfBCWF membership page — https://bcwf.bc.ca/membership/*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … This week, I met up with Jeremy and Kevin to talk about our journey in bowhunting to date. Through the last two seasons, we've had a variety of experiences with our bows — some good, and some not so great — and I wanted to see how we all felt about our ongoing commitment to bowhunting.It was an interesting discussion about hunting, ethics and personal choice. Our chat also shows there is not always a clear path or easy answers, and that hunting is an individual journey that we take based on our own reasons.Randy was out of town for this chat but joined me later to listen after the fact, and offer some of his thoughts …*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … Today, Randy and I talk with Wes David, the host of Fishing the Wild West TV Show, about his pathway from pro bull rider to host of a popular TV show exploring sport fishing in western Canada. Wes's show focuses on teaching, conservation and the experience of fishing more than just tactics and gear. He says his main motivation for doing the show, now in its seventh season,  is to “help people catch one more fish” as well  meeting people at the boat launch to “talk hunting, fishing, farming and ranching.”Before our chat with Wes, Randy and I chat briefly about the upcoming season here in BC …*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … Today, Randy and I talk are talking about access to land, specifically, private land. While much of western Canada is accessible to hunters via Crown land, sometimes the best places to hunt are on private land, especially close to urban centres.Will Ciancone and is family have been ranchers for decades, owning and managing tens of thousands of acres of land near Kamloops. Over the years, Will has seen his fair share of hunters wanting to hunt on his family's land. He's had good experiences and bad ones. They have suffered cut fences and horses and cows killed by hunters. Despite that, he said he was always prepared to allow hunting on their lands so long as the people doing the asking were respectful, and showed they cared about more than their own selfish motivations to be able to hunt on prime private land.Will says the key to winning a rancher's trust is by building relationships, and showing that you care about more than just killing a deer …Randy and I also chat about two “survivalists” caught by authorities filming a YouTube survival movie in Canada's Banff National Park. In the name of their show, the two men killed endangered trout and destroyed habitat, to name just a couple of the infractions they are charged with…*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … Today, Randy and I talk about taxidermy, what is a trophy and why hunters like to have animals mounted. It's a controversial topic for some anti-hunters who see heads on walls as a some kind of terrible display of all that is wrong with hunting.The reality is though, the reasons why people seek out a taxidermist to mount an animal are more complex and much more personal than claiming  bragging rights. Mounting an animal is usually more about respect for the wildlife and a way to remember special events as it is about displaying trophies.We reached out to BC taxidermist Lino Grifone to talk about the work he does, and the things hunters need to do to ensure an animal they want mounted gets to the taxidermy shop in the best condition possible, There is lots to know, and many little tricks an tips that will make the difference between a quality mount and one that ends up in the garage.You can find Lino's website at http://grifonetaxidermy.com.*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in BC for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to chat through the coming months about a wide range of topics related to wildlife, hunting and fishing.If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … Today, Randy and I talk about the BC government's recent decision to extend its wolf cull program in parts of the province to save at-risk woodland caribou. The wolf cull is always a hot topic in BC, with strong opinions  both for and against.We decided to reach out to a biologist to learn more about the complexities of tis issue. Doug Heard retired in 2015 from his job as a wildlife biologist with both the governments of the NWT and BC and is now an independent researcher with his company, Tithonus Wildlife Research. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia.He has devoted much of his life to the study of caribou and ways to keep them on the landscape. His knowledge of caribou and wolves and the relationship between them made for a fascinating discussion that will hopefully help others understand more about the issue.Before we called Doug, however, we spent a few minutes catching up on our recent outdoor activities.*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans. I've hunted and fished in B.C. for more than 30 years, and come to love everything about this province and all it has to offer.This will be the third year I've worked on this podcast, and I'll admit it's been hit and miss at times, with probably a lot more misses than hits along the way. It's not an easy thing to do, but I'm giving it my best shot. This year, I've teamed up with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and a skilled hunter with a lot of wisdom and experience to share. We're going to work our way through the coming months talking about a wide range of topics. We have lots of ideas for episodes, but we want to hear from you as well — what do you want to hear about? If there's a specific topic you're interested in, let us know, we'll see what we can do. If nothing else, send us an email letting us know how we're doing. It's not easy podcasting in a vacuum, and a little feedback will help us stay on target… Reach us at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com … Today Randy and I chat about what's in our freezers. A full freezer is the ultimate goal of hunting, it's why we are out there. But the wrapped packages of deer and moose are more than just meat — they are also memories of trips and experiences, so we decided to reminisce a bit and recount how our freezes got full, or in my case anyways, why it's still empty…*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com …  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and today, Randy Nelson and I chat about an aspect of ice fishing that I don't think many people know about, one that could — at least theoretically — get you into trouble with the law…We also talk about spending time in the off-season building skills with a bow or a rife that will make a difference when hunting. We've all heard it — practice makes perfect, and there is no question that time spent on the range outside of hunting will increase your skills, confidence, and chances for success.*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at bchuntingandfishing@icloud.com.  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and on the podcast, I chat with people about the activities we love,,,.It's been a while since my last chat with someone, almost a year actually. I'll blame a pandemic, a new job and lack of time as the reason. However, I'm back again in 2022 to continue on. Through this year, I'll talk with a variety of outdoors folk but especially with Randy Nelson, a retired fisheries officer and avid hunter who's agreed to help me keep this effort going.Randy is also a writer, and his second book about poaching in North America is expected to be released later this year.This time around, Randy and I talked about ice fishing for Kokanee, one of the more worthwhile outdoor pursuits we can find in our area at this time of the year…. *****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and every once in a while, I chat with people about interesting aspects of our outdoor sports.This time around, I talked to Kamloops flyfishing master Brian Chan about his prediction for this year's upcoming fishing season — especially as COVID continues to dominate — and how he is setting up a new boat for stillwater fishing this spring…   Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and every once in a while, I chat with people about interesting aspects of our outdoor sports. This time around, I talked to John Zubak, a Kamloops hunter who truly embodies the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. John and his family eat only wild meat, a decision they made years ago. That decision gave John's hunting new purpose, and also fuelled a passion for cooking.  To share what he knows about cooking, John hosts a YouTube cooking channel called “In the Kitchen with John” in which he shares pioneer-spirit recipes that are perfect for those who are seeking greater connection to their food. John and I talked about what it means and what it takes to be protein self-sufficient … In the second part of today's show, Kevin Wood and I called up Jeff Maron, a Chilliwack-based archer whose obsession with perfection led him to create his company, Pin-It Custom Bow Strings. Jeff is fanatical about bow string quality and has developed his own system for building quality strings that not only last but shoot arrows to the highest possible standards. It's an interesting chat about many technical aspects of bow strings that most of us probably never think much about. ***Jeff Maron decided pretty early on in his archery career that he could build better bow strings than what is available from most string makers. He carefully studied all aspects of strings and learned how to avoid the common pitfalls that plague archers who don't shoot good strings. Jeff promises his strings will never stretch and will last tens of thousands of shots. At the same time, they will provide dependable repeatable performance that will translate into new levels of accuracy. Both Kevin and I have bought strings from Jeff, and both of us will wholeheartedly agree — Jeff knows how to build high-quality strings. Visit Jeff's website at https://www.pinitcustombowstrings.com to learn more… ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and every once in a while, I chat with people about interesting aspects of our outdoor sports. This time around, Jeremy Jensen, Kevin Wood and I met up at Jeremy's archery warehouse in Kamloops to shoot some arrows and bullshit in rambling fashion about bow and arrow accuracy. I'm not sure how much fact we brought to the table, but it was fun to discuss all the same… It's a good time of year to sit around and have long rambling chats about stuff like this… Hunting season is still a long way down the road, and hey, you have to kill time somehow.  ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and this week Jeremy Jensen, Kevin Wood and I talked about the end of the hunting season, how it all turned out, and what role bowhunting will play for us in the future. We also answer some questions from a listener about things like cover scents, camo, how to carry binoculars, and making best use of the off-season to practice… Lastly, my apologies for the sporadic episode publishing schedule this past fall. These sorts of projects are often the first to be sacrificed when life gets busy.  All that said, doing this podcast is something I enjoy, and I'll be back in the New Year with a resolution to record content more regularly. If there is something you want to hear about, or something you want to share, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. So until next year, thanks for listening, and now on to our chat …*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I was back in the archery warehouse with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood, talking about the past six weeks of hunting, including some great early season success for mule deer and blacktail deer, chasing Canada geese with arrows and our attempts to track down a goat-killer, a massive black bear we nicknamed Tank … *****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to fly-fishing master Brian Chan about the terrible choice outdoors folk face every autumn — do we fish or hunt? It's a dilemma Brian faces every year now that he has become enamoured by bowhunting for deer, as the fall also provides such excellent stillwater fly-fishing opportunities in B.C.'s lakes. Brian's choice? Hunt hard during the early September archery season then fish hard after that. Brian provided me with many great tips and suggestions for catching fall rainbows … I also chatted with Randy Nelson about his trip to B.C.'s Peace country for moose. He and two friends spent nine days looking for a bull moose in what should have been prime hunting country. As it turns out it was incredibly hard country to get around in, something that led to the unexpected discovery of a young couple who spent two days walking through swamps and bush after their truck got stuck bumper deep in thick mud.***Randy Nelson has made many trips to B.C.'s far north hunting moose. In late August he and two friends made another trip to country north of Fort St. John in search of moose. This trip turned into a different kind of experience, however, as he and his crew suffered truck troubles, wet weather, and not many moose.Randy's hunting trip quickly turned into a day-long rescue mission, something that ultimately created an experience that will remain burned into his memory … He and his friends helped rescue a young couple whose truck became stuck deep and hard in thick mud far off the main road. His crew sprang into action, setting aside their hunting to help these strangers out of a really difficult situation.  Their actions were a great example of an ethic we should all aspire to — when the call comes to help someone, answer it. It's an act that might one day need to be repaid …  I apologize for the sound quality upfront. To make sure we could respect social distancing, Randy and I chatted in a Kamloops park that proved to be a busy, noisy environment …  *** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I was back in the archery warehouse with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood, talking about the frustrations of tuning a hunting bow, getting ‘bunny fever,' and the troubles with trail cams… We also talked about the upcoming deer season, which is only a week or so away, and how we feel about the prospects for our upcoming hunts. *****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to Randy Nelson, an avid hunter and retired fisheries enforcement officer about changes to B.C.'s hunting regulations, which were released July 1.There have been several province-wide changes or additions to regulations, as well as many regional changes. We discussed these changes, possible reasons why some of them happened, as well as our plans for the fall hunting season.*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British  Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and along with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood, we're talking about first steps in bowhunting. All of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's deer hunting season. This week, we met up at our indoor shooting lanes in Kamloops to reflect back on six weeks of bear hunting in B.C.'s Interior. Just to summarize, for those who don't want to listen to the chat but want to know how our hunt turned out, here are the stats. In the end, we saw 18 bears, and had three opportunities to nock an arrow to a string. In the end, however, we didn't shoot a bear with an arrow, highlighting one more time how much hunting with a bow changes the game. Had we been hunting with rifles instead of bows, we'd be telling a different story. We had five solid opportunities to shoot a bear with a rifle at distances less than 100 yards. Closing distances from 100 to 50 yards or less to get into bow range, however, proved to be an entirely different task… Despite how it ended, we consider the season to be an inordinate success. We learned tons about bears, and saw amazing amounts of wildlife, including big bucks, does, fawns, grouse and more rabbits than we could count. We toughed out some long days cruising rugged backcountry on ebikes, and endured evenings with murderous clouds of mosquitoes. And we found some amazing new country that will certainly draw us back this fall. Most importantly, though we had a great time … So please, listen in as we chat about how it all went down. If you hear a question that you have an answer for or have a comment, let us know. Send us an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com . We'd love to hear from you … ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, our final conversation in this podcast series, Randy talks about different judicial commissions and inquiries he took part in during the late stage of his career, quasi-judicial hearings sparked by public concern about the state of B.C. salmon stocks.  As well, Randy talks about his work to improve relationships with First Nations communities, and steps he took to try to improve morale and in DFO. Lastly, Randy gives us a hint about his next writing project, a comprehensive book about poachers and poaching across North America …***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm back with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood talking about first steps in bowhunting. All of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's deer hunting season. In this episode, we met up at our indoor warehouse shooting lane to talk about broadheads. There are many, many choices these days when it comes to broadheads, and deciding what to tip your arrows with for hunting can be a daunting task. Before the three of us chatted, however, I had a conversation with Mitchell Haifley, the owner of VPA Archery, a US manufacturer selling, among other things, a line of precision-machined broadheads in a wide array of weights and configurations. We talked about the differences between fixed blade and mechanical broadheads and Mitchell weighed in on some of the things he thinks about when it comes to broadheads. After my chat with Mitchell, Kevin, Jeremy and I had a look at a small selection of broadheads that VPA sent our way, and discussed things we have been thinking about when deciding what broadheads to hunt with. Lastly, we gave the VPA broadheads a quick shoot at our indoor range, and discovered a couple of interesting things that will certainly affect how we make our broadhead choices down the road…***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.  I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers.That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.In this instalment, Randy talks about confronting corporate attitudes in BC Hydro, as well as building working, mutually beneficial relationships with the media, something so few in the law enforcement community were prepared to do…***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues…If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, Randy talks about investigating and charging the BC Ministry of Forests with environmental offences, and working with outdoors sporting groups to get the word out about poaching …  ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm back with Jeremy Jensen and Kevin Wood talking about first steps in bowhunting. All of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's fall hunting season. In this episode, we met up at our indoor warehouse shooting lane to talk about bow sights, what's working for us and why. We also had a chat about the Garmin Xero A1 laser range-finding bow sight, a unique piece of technology that offers bow hunters a potential pathway to faster and more accurate shooting in the field. The sight is not without issues, however, and we discussed the pros and cons of this piece of high-priced bow technology and whether any of us will ever end up with the sight on our bows in hunting season. I've had the opportunity to try the sight on two occasions and offered my thoughts about what works and what doesn't. We wrapped up the chat with talk about upcoming plans to get in the field in the next week or so to chase bears with arrows, a new experience that will be much different than any of us newbie bowhunters are used to … ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I talked Dr. Adam Ford and Chloe Wright, a PHd student. Both are wildlife researchers who work and study at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus in Kelowna. The two are currently halfway through an ambitious research project on southern B.C.'s mule deer. Using GPS collars and remote cameras, they are mapping movement patterns and ranges of mule deer across wide, diverse landscapes.While the work is not yet complete, the research has already turned up several interesting insights about mule deer, including which of B.C.'s predators have the most apparent impact on deer herds. ,,,, Already, the work is clearly showing the importance of habitat, as the GPS tracks collected so far show deer often move long distances — as much as 100 kilometres — between summer and winter ranges, using predictable migration routes.  I talked with the two researchers about many aspects of their research, including how it might one day be used to benefit deer populations…***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time. Learn more about the project here: https://bcwf.bc.ca/initiatives/mule-deer-project/ 

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.In this episode Randy talks about a serious conflict he and other officers faced during a staged protest with First Nations fishermen on the Chilliwack River. The turmoil that followed was a period he describes as the darkest days of his career … ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to Kamloops-based fitness coach Rob Petrie about better ways to build fitness for hunting season. He provided a great deal of useful information, including about the Tabata Method, which is a form of interval training that can deliver big fitness boosts fast. We also talked about different ways to train for specific kinds of activities unique to hunting, such as holding a bow or a firearm steady, and recovering from exertion more quickly. The bottom line, though, no matter what you are training for, the most important aspect of a program is consistency and continual effort through time.*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.Find Rob Petrie's website here: http://www.f3fit.ca 

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this episode, the 10th in the series, Randy talks more about his stories from Quesnel, where he spent five years conducting enforcement and education poachers ... ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I'll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.  I'll let you all decide if that's true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell. I'm Robert Koopmans, and today's topic — "Just like fly fishing, bowhunting offers new pathways to self-discovery ..."*****  Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you've heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to Hunting and Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm back with Jeremy Jensen talking about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's fall hunting season. In this episode, Jeremy and I met up with Kevin Wood, another newbie to the world of archery and bowhunting. Kevin picked up a bow last fall and dove head-first into the sport. He's practised continually to develop his archery skills and learn the technical aspects of hunting with a bow.  A few weeks ago, he put it all together for a first-ever hunting trip to Mayne Island BC, where he and a friend chased fallow deer. This is a unique hunting opportunity in BC, one that allows hunters to pursue the introduced exotic all year-round. These deer escaped from a game farm years ago and are overpopulating the small island, which sits in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Kevin had a great trip, and shared with Jeremy and I how it all went down … ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Hunting & Fishing BC series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, the ninth in the series, Randy talks about undercover work, and moving to Quesnel in B.C.'s Interior where he encountered an entirely new culture of poaching… ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I had a phone conversation with Marni Freeman, a Kamloops woman who wants to spread the word about Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread by ticks, and the devastating effects the disease can have on a person's health.  While COVID-19 dominates the world right now, it's important to remember there are other risks to protect against as well, including ticks and the danger they pose to health. It's a serious topic for people who spend time in the outdoors, especially those who leave the beaten path. The spring is the time of the year when parasitic ticks are becoming active again, and everyone who spends time in wild places can encounter them. Marni was bit by a tick years ago but wasn't diagnosed until last year. She continues to suffer debilitating effects from the disease, and said she wants to help others avoid her experience … ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers.That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures.In this instalment, the eighth in the series, Randy talks about his three years of enforcement in the Nass Valley, an especially  beautiful and resource-rich area of northern B.C.  ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm back with Jeremy Jensen talking about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's fall hunting season.Today we chatted about a variety of topics, including overcoming resistance to resistance bow releases.Following recent advice, both of us have moved away from index finger trigger releases and are focusing on developing skills and form with resistance-based bow releases. Jeremy recently picked up a Nocked-On Silverback, while I bought a Stan Perfex resistance release.  Also up for conversation was our first hunt of the year for Canada geese, and prospects for chasing black bears with bow and arrow …

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers.That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, the seventh in the series, Randy talks about his dead encounter with a charging grizzly bear and her cubs, and other kinds of conflict ... ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers.That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, the sixth in the series, Randy shares stories of counting salmon, burning fuel trucks and budget cuts. ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I'll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.  I'll let you all decide if that's true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell. I'm Robert Koopmans, and today's topic — "Ethical behaviour, my own included, requires more than talk ..."*****  Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you've heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm back with Jeremy Jensen talking about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's fall hunting season. In this episode, Jeremy and I called up Al Campsall, a Williams Lake competition archer and bowhunter to discuss bowhunting accuracy, and what is the best way to learn how to become accurate enough for hunting.  Al is a former member of the Canadian National Archery team who continues to coach extensively. His skill and passion for archery and hunting are well known in B.C. and he is respected for his skills across Canada.Al shared with us a ton of valuable knowledge, including what releases lead to the best results, and at what distances we should spend most our time practising. He also shared his wisdom in regard to best bow weights, and how to pick out arrows that will work best for hunting. ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers.That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, the fifth in the series, Randy talks more about poachers and "fishy stories, as well as first encounters with corporate arrogance. ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I'll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.  I'll let you all decide if that's true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell. I'm Robert Koopmans, and today's topic — "Guns do kill people. Even if people don't want them to..."*****  Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you've heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Today's show is just a quick update to mark one year of my podcast. Just over a year ago, I launched the first episode of the Outdoor Narrative, which was a chat with friend Kevin Dergez about ice fishing for brook trout in a lake near Kamloops. Ironically -- and this was not be design – last week's show was also an ice fishing episode with Kevin, this time for kokanee.  This is just a quick update to let you know what I'm planning for the show this year. I've been playing around with different formats for the show through the first several weeks of 2020 and tried a couple of different things. I think I have settled on a format I will follow a while, although I want to hear from you all if you think I am on the right track. For the next several months, I will put out a general show on Monday about everything from wildlife to ecology to bowhunting and fly-fishing. I will have a short opinion piece on Wednesday, and I'll close the week with more readings and discussion from Randy Nelson's book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics.” Randy and I have done five episodes so far, and based on the contents of Randy's book, I expect the series will run at least 25 episodes. He has a wealth of material to share, great content bout BC and fisheries management over the years. If you haven' yet done so, join in and follow along. There is a lot to learn. For those of you are wondering, Old Dogs Howling, the episodes I published here earlier this year about fitness and healthy living, have moved to and continue to publish in their own dedicated podcast space. I felt the show needed its own place so that it could better explore a wider range of issues. If you want to hear more, just search Old Dogs Howling in Apple Podcasts and Subscribe. All the episodes I did here are now over there plus a few new ones.  Lastly, I really want to reach out to you all and hear what you think. For the last year, I have put together these podcasts and haven't heard a lot from anyone. I know people are listening I see the stats and know that I have an audience of people that stretches across BC and the western US and even a few listeners fro m overseas., But now, I want to know if you think I am on the right track. Are there other things you want me to talk about? Different subjects? Special guests?How can I make the show better? This podcast stuff was all new to me, and I know I still have a great deal to learn, but I won't get better if I done hear what I'm doing right or wrong. I want to make a show that's meaningful to other people who share the same passion for the outdoor as I do. So please, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I really need your input … And one last favour I want to ask. My goal this year with this show is to see it grow, to reach more people than last year. One more time, I need your help to make that happen. If you like what we've done through e past year, share the show with a friend, or on a Facebook group that you follow devoted to hunting and fishing. Most importantly, please leave me a good rating on Apple Podcasts, and even better, write a short review. This isn't about ego or vanity. I don't fully understand the mafic on Apple's algorithms, but I am led to believe that growth and being found is in part dependent on such things … I've enjoyed putting together this podcast over the past year, as it has reminded me of my journalism days — especially the several years I spent from 1999 writing and editing an Outdoors section for my newspaper. As I did then, I tried to focus on bringing people different knowledge and perspectives about hunting and fishing — stuff that was a little different than the outdoors related content we so often see. That's all for today. I'll be back this Wednesday with some more #WildThoughts and on Friday with another set

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers. That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases. Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, the fourth in the series, Randy talks about a range of experiences around Vancouver, the Interior and Vancouver Island, policing fisheries for smelt, roe and salmon involving diverse groups of people, including some without clothes. ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I'll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.  I'll let you all decide if that's true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell. I'm Robert Koopmans, and today's topic — "There is no conflict between love of nature and hunting."*****  Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you've heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm chatting with Kevin Dergez about a recent trip to Paul Lake near Kamloops in search of kokanee through the ice. I've never been a huge fan of ice fishing, although I always try to get out at least once a year, just to remind myself that I'm not missing anything. This year was no different, except for one main thing — we were after kokanee, which is a much different fish than trout. Kokanee are essentially a freshwater sockeye salmon, although much smaller than their ocean counterparts. I consider sockeye salmon to be one of the best eating fish we have the ability to catch in B.C., so the chance to find a version so close to home — and perhaps easily catchable — sparked up my interest more than usual. Will this be the year I tip over and commit to ice fishing? Maybe, as my trip with Kevin provided just enough success to keep the idea alive… ***** Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. I'm Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we'll catch you next time. 

Federal Fishery Officer Randy Nelson's first love was catching poachers.That obsession, plus a wily mind and a passion for marathon running, spelled trouble for scores of law-breaking anglers for more than 35 years. Three decades in the field also netted Randy an eclectic and hair-raising collection of stories about everything from charging grizzlies to high-speed dirt road car chases.Randy put those stories in print in 2014 in his book “Poachers, Polluters and Politics,” which was published by Harbour Publishing. In this Outdoor Narrative series, Randy shares his book with us and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of his adventures. In this instalment, the third in the series, Randy talks about a summer of bouncing around B.C.'s West Coast, and returning to Vancouver to take up the sport of catching crab poachers. ***** For those who want a copy of Randy's book, visit http://www.harbourpublishing.com/ and search for the book's title from the company's expansive library of books devoted to lifestyles, adventures and stories of the Pacific Northwest.  Thanks for joining me for this episode. I hope you'll be back next week, when Randy's adventure continues… If you'd like to share a thought, send me an e-mail at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

 Not long ago, I started writing an outdoors column for our local newspaper. In this Outdoor Narrative series, I'll give voice to those words, for no other reason than I can, for no better reason than I think I have something to say.  I'll let you all decide if that's true or not. Maybe my columns will prove to be nothing more than pointless rambling and empty words but I hope not. Time will tell. I'm Robert Koopmans, and today's topic is, “Are animals human? Only if you ignore one big difference.”*****  Thanks for listening. If you want to share a thought about what you've heard, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com.

Welcome to The Outdoor Narrative, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columba and western Canada. I'm Robert Koopmans and this week I'm talking with Jeremy Jensen about first steps in bowhunting. Both of us have decided that this year will be the “Year of the Bow.” We've made a commitment to hunt only with a bow and not firearms, and we have set out to gain the skills and knowledge required before this year's fall hunting season. But as I discovered last week, the path isn't always smooth, and some of the bumps to progress are not the easiest to absorb …*****Thanks for listening to this week's episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at info@theoutdoornarrative.com. Thanks again, and we'll catch you next time.