Anna Borgman – Obsession, Curiosity, and Purpose-Driven Work
Anna Borgman is a Montana-based butcher, chef, and writer whose work focuses on helping people better understand and appreciate the origins of their food. Whether writing an article for Steven Rinella’s MeatEater or helping to field harvest and process a bison, Anna has a gift for helping curious, conscientious people become more educated about the …
Christy Sing Robertson – On Grit, Hard Work, & Going All In
Christy Sing Robertson is a hatmaker and the founder and owner of Sing Hat Company. Based in Jackson, Wyoming, Christy has evolved rather quickly from making a few hats for herself and several friends into becoming one of the most popular and sought-after hat makers in the West. Whether she’s hand-shaping palm leaf hats for …
Jesse Griffiths – Humility, Curiosity, and Creative Cuisine
Jesse Griffiths is an Austin-based chef, author, hunter, and fisherman, and he’s also the co-owner of Dai Due Butcher Shop & Supper Club and the New School of Traditional Cookery. Jesse’s work has been featured everywhere from The New York Times to the Joe Rogan Experience, and he’s a regular contributor to Steven Rinella’s MeatEater. …
Equitable Access to the Outdoors in Texas
This is the first of two live episodes that were recorded at the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s 2023 annual meeting in Houston, Texas. The topic of this panel discussion was Equitable Access to the Outdoors, a subject that is timely and important in all areas of the West, but especially important in Texas, …
Bryce Andrews, Part 2 – “Holding Fire”
Bryce Andrews is a Montana-based rancher and writer, and he’s the author of the brand new book Holding Fire: A Reckoning with the American West. Longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners will remember my first conversation with Bryce back in 2019 when we discussed his writing, conservation work, ranching experience, and his first two books. I …
Chris Dombrowski, Part 2 – “The River You Touch”
Chris Dombrowski is a Missoula-based writer, poet, teacher, and fishing guide, and he’s also the author of the excellent new book The River You Touch: Making a Life on Moving Water. If you’re a longtime Mountain & Prairie listener, you probably remember Chris’s first appearance on the podcast in which we discussed his first book …
Mike McTee & Vince Slabe – Win-Win Solutions in the Fight to Save Eagles
Mike McTee and Vince Slabe are Montana-based researchers who use cutting-edge science, writing, and educational programs to protect eagles in the American West and beyond. Both Mike and Vince are laser-focused on the surprisingly little-known issue of lead poisoning in bald and golden eagles, a problem caused mainly by eagles scavenging the remains of big …
10 Must-Read Books about the American West, with Mark Kenyon
Mark Kenyon is an author, podcaster, conservationist, and member of the MeatEater crew. You probably know him from his excellent book That Wild Country: An Epic Journey Through the Past, Present, and Future of America’s Public Lands, the Wired to Hunt podcast, or his contributions to MeatEater’s Netflix show and other video productions. To learn …
Land Tawney – Energetic & Optimistic
Land Tawney is the President and CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, one of North America’s leading and most effective advocates for wild public lands, waters and wildlife. Founded around a campfire in 2004, BHA uses education, nonpartisan political advocacy, stewardship initiatives, and stakeholder coalitions to ensure the protection of our public lands for generations …
Dylan Tomine – Protecting What He Loves
Dylan Tomine is a conservationist, angler, and author of the excellent new book Headwaters: The Adventures, Obsession and Evolution of a Fly Fisherman. Headwaters is a collection of essays and stories from Dylan’s life as a self-proclaimed fly fishing bum, a life that has taken him from his home in the northwest to the far …
Kate Mannix – A Legacy of Land Stewardship
Kate Mannix is a rancher who works alongside her family on the Mannix Ranch in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley. The Mannix family has been ranching and stewarding their family ranch since 1882, back when Timothy Benjamin Mannix purchased the land from the Northern Pacific Railroad. For generations, the Mannix family has served as loyal caretakers of …
Alvin Dedeaux – Living His Dream
Alvin Dedeaux is a renowned Austin-based fly fishing guide who is one of the Lone Star State’s most sought-after experts in the pursuit of everything from Guadelupe Bass in Central Texas to Redfish on the Texas coast. Alvin is an ambassador for well-known brands such as Howler Brothers and Yeti, and he’s twice been a …
Reflections On My First Elk Hunt, with Adam Gall
Longtime Mountain & Prairie listeners will remember Adam Gall– he’s a Colorado-based hunting guide who, along with his wife Ana, owns Timber to Table Guide Service. Adam is a highly regarded expert in the pursuit of elk and mule deer, and he offers a variety of outfitting services ranging from public land hunts for experienced …
Ryan Busse – Standing His Ground
Ryan Busse is a Montana-based conservationist, public lands advocate, and former top-performing firearms executive. He’s also the author of the new book Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, which has received advanced praise from everyone from Publishers Weekly to Senator Jon Tester. Ryan is a life-long hunter and angler, as well as …
Adam Gall – A Reverence for Wildlife & Wild Places
Adam Gall is a hunting guide and owner of Timber to Table Guide Service, a guiding company focused on helping hunters of all skill levels put wild, healthy, and delicious meat on their tables. Based out of the small town of Hotchkiss on Colorado’s Western Slope, Timber to Table offers multi-day hunts on both public …
Matt Barber & Joel Doub, Part 2 – Tales from an Entrepreneurial Adventure
Matt Barber and Joel Doub are the owners of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, one of the West’s most renowned custom fly rod companies. I was introduced to Matt and Joel nearly three and half years ago and was quickly fascinated by their entrepreneurial journey and Tom Morgan Rodsmiths’ storied history in the fly fishing world. As …
Kelsey Johnson – Chasing Her Artistic Ambitions
Kelsey Johnson is a Bozeman-based artist whose work highlights the epic wildlife, people, and landscapes of the American West. Using graphite pencils and oil paints, Kelsey creates stunning, life-like artwork– works that you would assume were created by a full-time artist with decades of experience. But in reality, Kelsey is new to professional art– she …
Monte Burke – Exploring Obsession
Monte Burke is a journalist, New York Times bestselling author, and contributing editor at Forbes, Garden & Gun, and The Drake. His most recent book is Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World-Record Tarpon, which was one of the best books I read in 2020. He’s also the author of …
Jessica Wahl Turner – Outdoor Recreation & Rural Economies
Jessica Wahl Turner is the Executive Director of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), America’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and organizations. Currently, ORR is comprised of 31 national association members that serve more than 100,000 outdoor-related businesses, which is an amazing feat considering that the organization is less than three years old. Jessica …
Gabe Vasquez – Advocate for Equity in the Outdoors
Gabe Vasquez is the founder of the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project and currently serves as a city councilor in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Gabe has devoted his entire career to advocacy and conservation, specifically for the people and places in the border region of New Mexico. He’s worked for Senator Martin Heinrich, the New Mexico …
Rachel VandeVoort – Harnessing the Power of Outdoor Recreation
Rachel VandeVoort is the Director of the Montana Office of Outdoor Recreation, an office that advocates for the outdoor recreation industry and works to leverage its numerous benefits to the state. The office was created in 2016 by Montana Governor Steve Bullock, and he tapped Rachel to be its first director, where she built the …
Dan Prenzlow – Generous Service, Humble Leadership
Dan Prenzlow is the Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the agency charged with managing wildlife, lands, natural resources, and outdoor recreation throughout the great state of Colorado. Dan started with the agency back in 1986 as a District Wildlife Manager and steadily worked his way through the ranks, assuming the role of Director …
Callan Wink – A New Voice for the New West
Callan Wink is a writer, novelist, fishing guide, and surfer who currently splits his time between Livingston, Montana and Santa Cruz, California. He’s the author of the newly released novel August, as well as the highly regarded short story collection Dog Run Moon, books that I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed. Callan’s writing speaks for …
Peter Heller – Chasing the Flow
Peter Heller is a renowned novelist, as well as an award-winning adventure writer and former contributing editor to Outside, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Adventure. Since age eleven, Peter has been committed to the craft of writing, and his lifelong love of words and stunning prose are the threads that connect all of his work– …
Hal Herring – A Man of Words & Wild Places
Hal Herring is an award-winning journalist and writer whose work has appeared in such notable publications as the Atlantic, the Economist, and Orion. He is also a contributing editor at Field and Stream and a regular contributor to High Country News. Most recently, Hal has made a name for himself in the podcast world as …
Mark Kenyon – A Passion for Public Lands
Mark Kenyon is a conservationist, outdoorsman, and author of the fantastic new book That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America’s Public Lands. For years, Mark has been well-known and respected in the hunting world, thanks in part to his website, blog, and podcast called Wired to Hunt, which …
Becca Aceto – Forging Her Own Path in the West
Becca Aceto is an Idaho-based conservationist and is currently the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Idaho Wildlife Federation. Prior to this position with IWF, she worked in a variety of jobs closely connected to Idaho’sIdaho’s rugged landscapes—as a naturalist, Forest Service wilderness ranger, and a Forest Service Wildlife Technician. Given her professional commitment to the lands …
Live in Bozeman!
Live in Bozeman! This episode is a special recording from a Mountain & Prairie live podcast in Bozeman, Montana. On August 30th more than 300 folks gathered at the historic Ellen Theatre in downtown Bozeman to watch, listen, and participate in a wide-ranging conversation with four amazing women of the West—hat-maker and farmer Cate Havstad; …
Mary Rondepierre – Melding Work, Play, and Purpose
Mary Rondepierre is a fourth-generation Montanan, avid sportswoman, and a public lands advocate who has explored our nation’s wild places from coast to coast. She is also the Marketing and Experiences Manager at Filson, one of the most renowned and respected outdoor apparel brands anywhere. Currently based in Seattle, Mary has managed to combine her …
Chris Dombrowski – Words, Water & the West
Chris Dombrowski – Words, Water & the West Chris Dombrowski is an author, poet, and fishing guide who lives and works in Missoula, Montana. As a writer, Chris is probably best known for his book Body of Water: A Sage, a Seeker, and the World’s Most Elusive Fish, which is one of the best books …
