Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast

Guess who's back? This week, on the Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast, we discuss your options when you just cant make the hunt. Join us to see what to do with your tag.

Slick heads. Green heads. Coming in on a string. Shoot 'em in the lips. There are a ton of slang terms used in the hunting world and they can be fairly universal like "bag limit", down to as specific as a family or group of hunters using a term only understood by each other, like "2 hundo". This week we are joined by our friend @nmduckboy aka "Dirty Dave" to have a fun discussion about the many different colloquialisms that are so interlaced with our language as hunters. As we expected, these terms are so ingrained in our speech patterns that as we did this podcast we found ourselves using slang terms to define slang terms! This is by no means a comprehensive discussion about decoding hunting jargon, but it is a fun discussion that may be eye opening to some as to just how many of these terms can dominate discussions around hunting!

Podcast from elk camp! Kyle got a quick chance to slip away and join Rodney and Deedon for the 2021 elk hunt for an evening and morning hunt. Hunting has been tough! It has been hot and the elk are not yet talking making for some difficult hunting conditions for an archery hunt. We talk about hunt strategies when other things aren't working. We also talk about the fact that having a bear tag in the pocket helps change you perspective and allows options to open up. 'Tis the season! Good luck to everyone out there hustling and remember to enjoy the experience!

In a first for the Hunt it Forward program, we were able to take a participant out and do some spot and stalk skills learning in the field on a real animal! Shea was with us for an evening to learn about glassing, reading sign, animal behavior patterns, putting a stalk on pronghorn antelope. We were also joined by Cozzy, Shea's longtime friend from back east. While Cozzy has previously hunted white-tail deer, this was his first experience learning about western big game hunting. It was a great experience that thus far we have not had the chance to implement into our program, so we were thoroughly excited to take the opportunity for some hands-on education. We never get tired of the excitement these participants bring to the hunts as it is infectious and reinvigorates our efforts in this worthy cause! Don't forget to follow Shea's Hunt it Forward experience through all our podcasts!

As a second part to last week's EPLUS soapbox, we take a look at the discussions that are being had regarding wildlife management in New Mexico. You remember the disaster that was Senate Bill 312 from the 2021 legislative session right? Well, that fight isn't over. Proponents of wildlife reform are starting the push again to change the Department of Game and Fish name, purview, and authority. Kyle recently participated on a panel discussion in front of the legislative Water and Natural Resources committee as an opponent of the drastic wildlife management reform that was proposed in SB312 and will continue to be pushed going into the future. What proponents of this reform want you to believe is that Game and Fish only care about game and fish species. The truth is that Game and Fish already has the authority and processes in place to address "species of greatest conservation need" as well as any other species that may need protection. Join us for a very informative podcast! Show Notes: NM Wildlife Conservation Act WNRC Panel Discussion NM State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA)

You guessed it! we are back on the soapbox! Why??! Because they just keep pushing. Had a friend of podcast send us an email that went out from the New Mexico Wildlife Federation that was a call to action asking people to contact the Attorney General's office to petition for the removal of all Private Land Elk authorizations in the state. If you will remember, not too long ago, Senator Martin Heinrich released a letter urging the governor's office to take action against private landowners and do away with the Elk, Private Land Use System (EPLUS). At that time, Jesse Deubel himself publicly stated that the senator's letter was targeting the unit wide aspect of the EPLUS system. We told you then that the ultimate goal was to do away with the private lands systems and gain access on private land for public hunters. We had to say "I told you so", but there is no denying it now. Understand the issues, educate yourself, and make a conscious decision where you stand....just make sure it's not because someone else told you to.

Join us on the go for a podcast in the field. Rodney is pretty legit when comes to e-scouting, and what's more is he is becoming more fond of it every time we have a hunt. However, it should go without saying that it can't replace the knowledge you get by ground truthing what you see in the imagery. We are out and about for a look around the hunt area. Don't mind the truck noises, there's no substitute for boots on the ground!

As a follow up to last week's episode where-in we talked with Mike Shine, one of two participants in our Hunt if Forward program this year, we sit down with our second participant Shea Hoffmann. Shea may be the participant that has been the most excited to do Hunt it Forward. He goes all in!! Between the time that we invited him to do the program and sitting down for the first podcast together, he has already bought a couple guns, a bow and a full set of camo. Talk about stoked! We love seeing people this committed and know that that excitement will only grow as we mentor them through the process. Shea had a ton of questions that we think most new hunters probably have, so listen in while we get acquainted with our second Shea to go through Hunt it Forward. This could get confusing! We will have to decide how to distinguish between the two. What do you think? Should it be He Shea and She Shea or One Shea and Two Shea?

This week we are joined by Mike Shine. Mike is one of our newest Hunt it Forward participants. Mike is originally from Massachusetts and while he grew up around some exposure to firearms, he has had limited exposure to hunting. The Pandemic really brought Mike to the awareness that he feels strongly about knowing where his food comes from and instilled a desire to be more self sufficient in obtaining his own welfare. He is extremely interested in getting into hunting as it is a way that he feels he can ethically put meat on his table while at the same time be an active participant in conservation. We are really excited to have Mike with us this year for Hunt it Forward!

This week we discuss a myriad of topics. A long standing issue that we have had conversations about before is re-surfacing....stream access. We talk about our personal stances on the subject particularly in light of New Mexico's lack of flowing water. We also remind people that vigilance is key when it comes to other hot-button issues such as E-plus and 30 by 30. These conversations are still being had and rest assured we need to keep our fingers on the pulse of what is happening. We also talk about the fact that it is ok to be a hunter without having to explain why. What better time than the off season to pontificate about ongoing issues? Join us!

Been a long time coming, but we got ole' Dodo back on the air! Caught him at the right time too, as he just got back from what sounds like a pretty cool trip to South Africa! Very entertaining and informational episode! Join us!

What does fly fishing have to do with Unicorn crap? Join us for this week's podcast! Summer is always a slow time for hunting, so why not pick up a rod and go "hunting" for trout. We were joined by friend of the podcast Dave Stambaugh and welcomed first time guest Brian Palmer. Brian is a native New Mexican who has been fly fishing since childhood. He has been a professional fishing guide for the past 23 years. We discuss casting basics, mimicking natural food sources, and enjoying the experience. There are also no shortage of laughs as we cover what to do with your hands, unicorn crap, and stripping! You don't want to miss this one!

We wanted to bring a little levity to the podcast as we have seen too much negativity in hunting recently. We wanted step back and take out the politics and arguments and just talk about why we love hunting. We got back to telling hunting, AND fishing stories!

Sometime, there is something you think you will really like, then you try it, and you don't. That was us this week. Come check out this weeks podcast about backpack hunting, turkey and the draw results.

You asked for it, we deliver! It's half way through Spring Turkey season here in New Mexico. Hopefully you are having success! If not, this podcast might help. This week's episode features a special guest with 30+ years experience chasing the long beards. Josh Waldrip is a Sergeant with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. He is a native of New Mexico having grown up in Artesia. Josh started hunting turkey with his family when he was a child and has carried that passion full circle as he is now passing his knowledge along to his children. While he doesn't claim to be an "expert" on the subject matter, he certainly is well versed in the topic and passed along some great information and tips about turkey hunting great for both beginners and longtime hunters alike. We talk life cycle, habitat, diet, roosting, and of course hunting techniques. What makes this podcast so great is that Josh brings a perspective for hunting western birds which is a completely different ball game from eastern birds! He has been there and made those mistakes! We hope you find some tips you can use! I sure know we did.

In this week's podcast we are joined by Ellary TuckerWilliams and Kent Keene of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. Ellary recently brought to our attention a nation wide initiative that is now being championed by the Biden Administration among others to "protect" 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030. As with many such broad based, ambiguous movements, sportsmen and conservationists including ourselves have our trepidations, and rightly so. There has recently been an onslaught of legislation introduced, fought, and in some cases, passed attacking our long standing heritage of hunting, fishing, and trapping. Join us as we discuss where the movement started, issues with it, and what you can do as a sportsman to stay engaged and informed. We also discuss Congressional Sportsman's Foundation purpose and involvement in the issue. We want to thank Ellary and Kent for a great podcast that was extremely engaging and informative! If you are interested in learning more about CSF and other sportsman group involvement in the 30 by 30 initiative go to www.huntfish3030.com If you would like to stay informed about more than just 30 by 30, visit congressionalsportsmen.org. You can also sign up for their newsletter and the Tracking the Capitols report to stay up to date with legislation impacting sportsmen in your state. You can also find a copy of the American System of Conservation Funding fact sheet for New Mexico on our website. Did you know that in New Mexico, 99.3 of NM Game and Fish's budget is sportsmen and women generated dollars? This fact sheet breaks down how conservation in New Mexico is paid for! Check it out!

We had the pleasure of chatting with Brandon Waddell who runs Mountain Archery Fest events which are family oriented 3D Archery events. These events are unique in that they encourage involvement of the whole family and feature some seriously awesome 3D courses and much more. Check out their website here ! We thoroughly enjoyed this podcast and hope you do too!

After a couple months of some pretty heavy and passion filled topics, we decided we wanted to do an episode of "light and fluffy" to loosen back up a bit. It was a long legislative session here in New Mexico and we were physically and emotionally drained from the fight, so after taking a week to recoup, we are back to re-touch on how we got started. We discuss Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast beginnings, our evolution as a podcast, our passion for the Hunt it Forward initiative and more! Tune in with us as we connect back to what started it all!

This podcast is a little late and we hope to start next season with a podcast on the proclamation when it comes out, but we still come in under the wire for one of the Big Game draw deadlines! We give the proclamation a once over as is needed on an annual basis so you can make sure that not too much has changed. Reminder that the deadline to put in for the draw in New Mexico is fast approaching! Good luck everyone!

Season 3 wrap up. We talk about a recent big win for the New Mexico hunting community when SB312 was tabled in the Senate Conservation Committee. We also run through the crazy year that was 2020, Hunt it Forward, Hunt giveaways, and personal hunting adventures. We have been blessed to do this for three seasons, and thoroughly look forward to season 4. A big thank you to all of our listeners!

Just like a magic trick, they get you looking at all the extra tags you will have a chance to draw and then sneak in some real dingers. This one gets a little rowdy for sure. Come check it out. 

I wish I could have actually waited, but I couldn't. The conclusion of our 2b archery deer hunt, what a time.

Big Unit, Big Expectations and Big Deer! An archery deer hunt in January in unit 2B in New Mexico. Need I say more?

We got a chance to finally catch up with a fellow New Mexico Sportsman, and businessman Adrian Vigil. Adrian started out as an airbrush artist in High School and started a business doing that. A couple years ago, Adrian started an apparel company inspired by his love of the outdoors. He has some pretty wicked designs and we had a great time learning about 'Game On Outdoors' and telling great hunting stories. Check out Adrian and Game On apparel on Facebook, Instagram, and at their online store. Also find Game On apparel at select retail locations across New Mexico and elsewhere!

Part 2 of our post hunt podcast with Ryan and Shay after their very first public land hunt. They were both successful in taking a cow elk and we discuss patience, perseverance, and hunting until the end. Join us for the wrap up of a great hunt for these two new hunters!

We figured ou,t after our inaugural participants drew their first public land elk tags, but were unable to make the hunt work, that we needed to change the program up a bit. So rather than taking on new participants each year, we determined to carry participants through an initial learning year culminating in a private land hunt, then follow that up with an advanced learning year culminating in a public land hunt (hopefully!). Our second year participants Ryan and Shay join us in the middle of their hunt for part 1 of this podcast where we put this new aspect of public land hunting into practice since they were fortunate enough to draw public land cow elk licenses. Ryan came out successful and we discuss public land hunting, the gutless method of breaking down an elk, and looking forward to the next day's hunt and opportunities for Shay.

Lance Bernal joins the program to discuss the bighorn sheep bug. We talk about his first bighorn hunt in Mexico Check, the Wild Sheep Foundation, and restoration of bighorn sheep in New Mexico. We reminisce about the recent hunt we were able to guide on and the experiences that make these hunts some of the most challenging you will ever do. As has been stated about sheep hunting, your first time will determine whether you catch the sheep bug or vow never to go again!

On this week's episode, we are happy to have a topic submitted by our listeners. We get a chance to discuss how COVID has affected hunting and the hunting community here in New Mexico. We also take up a topic that we have discussed before briefly, but get more in detail about the controversial Elk Private Land Use System (EPLUS). Join us for an extremely complex subject.

This week we are releasing a podcast that we recorded several episodes ago. Its a little out of order but that's ok. We have a cool story about a listener and we ramble on about several topics as we head down the road. Come check it out.

Kyle and I take a stab at defining what hunting is. At least what it is to us.

We heavily advocate for hunters to unite around common causes, however sometimes you also have to just call Bulls***. This week we do just that. The NMWF and NMBHA have significant influence with the current Game Commission and key members of the New Mexico Legislature and are leading the charge to implement some drastic rule changes that would have a negative impact on hunters in New Mexico and New Mexico's wildlife. They are pushing to double the cost of a Habitat Stamp that is required to hunt, fish and trap on Federal lands. Additionally they want to discard the current E-Pus system and make New Mexico more like neighboring states. Their vision for elk hunting in our state has far reaching, unintended consequences that we believe have not been properly addressed.

This week we got a chance to collaborate on a podcast with another local NM podcast producer and long time elk hunter Joe Giglia of Elk Bros and the Blue Collar Elk Hunting podcast. Joe has been hunting elk (mainly with a bow) for the past 39 years on public land. He has an amazing ability to close the deal and bring home meat for the freezer and has killed bulls 37 of those 39 years using the New Mexico public land draw system. He is also an awesome teacher and has built an online elk academy to share his knowledge. We talk elk hunting, draw systems, and coaching styles to boost success.

Adult onset hunters helping create new adult onset hunters is a really cool thing. It is what Hunt It Forward is all about. Kyle and I were very fortunate to sit down with Jen Judge and Aaron Gulley to talk about their journey into the world of hunting.

This week, Kyle and I sat down with Lance Bernal,the wildlife manager for Vermejo Park Ranch. I bet you can guess what we talked about. 

This week we talk some trash and talk about social media relationships and hunt preparations. Come check it out.

Like them, love them or hate them... leave them. On this weeks episode of the Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast, Kyle and I explain how not to be a douche.

Kyle and I are digging into the effects that the changes to the A-PLUS system have had on the herd. We are taking a look at the numbers from last years harvest and what they mean. Come check it out.

Change is not always good. If you do want to advocate for change at least get your facts right. Some people are calling for a change to the E-PLUS system. Kyle and I talk this week about Why this is a bad idea. Come check it out.

nmduckboy is back. This week Dave Stambaugh joins us to talk about small game. Lots of squirrels in this episode. Come check it out.

A healthy forest is good for everyone. Home owners, hunters, wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts. So Kyle and I sat down to talk about it. Come check it out.

Camping with children is an adventure unto itself. It is not easy but the rewards are great. Start them young and they will learn a great appreciation for the outdoors. On this weeks podcast break down some things we have learned over the years camping with our little tikes. Come listen in.

Mentoring is a great, and needed thing in the hunting community. The week, on the Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast, we talk about a few of the things we have learned since we started the Hunt It Forward Initiative. Come check it out.

This week on The Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast, Kyle and I break down the Great American Outdoors Act, that has just passed the Senate and is Heading to the House of representatives. By all our research, this bill is a great bill for public lands and many outdoors enthusiasts, but is it going to benefit Hunting? Come listen and find out.

Didn't draw a tag? Looking for something to hunt? We have you covered. This week, on the Nada Grande Outdoors Podcast, we talk about all the different options still available for big game hunting this year. Come check it out.

It's summer, the big game hunts are months away, but should we wast this time? I don't think so. This weeks we talk about some things you need to start doing now, to get ready for your upcoming hunts. Come check it out.

I love it when we have guests, and this week is no different. Dave Stambaugh joined us to talk waterfowl hunting. Something I have never done a lot of but by the end could not wait to grab some waders and head out.

Here is last weeks live podcast. Hope everyone enjoys. Kyle and I talked live on Facebook and Instagram about the doldrums of summer.

What is the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation? What does it mean? What are the tenets and how do they work? That's what Kyle and I wanted to find out. Captain Ty Jackson, of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, sat down with us this week to discuss what exactly is in the model and what the tenets mean, as well as how they work together. Come check it out.

Hunters helping hunters, is conservation. Change my mind. You can't. This week Kyle and Rodney sat down to talk about what they have been seeing on social media since the draw results came out. There are a few trends specifically, that bother them. Also, congrats to all who drew tags and heart felt sympathy for those that did not. Adios.

I love having guests on the podcast. And this weeks guest has no shortage of GRRR. She is a great hunter and tells some great hunting stories. For the second time Kyle and I got to sit down with Tammy, of Zephyr Fitness, to talk a little hunting. This time, fortunately, she didn't work our tails off in the gym.

Wont let us leave the house to record a podcast, fine, we'll just go live.