Wildlife Management Institute

05/29/2026

Water, fire, sagebrush, and the vast open landscapes of the American West are at the heart of this week's conversation. In Season 3, Episode 19 of Connecting with Conservation, co-hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation welcome two guests from the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV): Hannah Nikonow, Communications and Marketing Coordinator, and Charlie Holtz, Field Delivery Capacity Coordinator. Together, they pull back the curtain on one of the largest, and least talked about, conservation partnerships in the United States, one that spans 11 states, roughly half a billion acres, and three of the West's most critical habitat types: sagebrush rangelands, working water and wetlands, and dry frequent-fire forests.
Hannah and Charlie walk listeners through what the IWJV does on the ground, from helping multi-generational ranching families implement conservation practices on their working lands, to placing conservation professionals within BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and NRCS offices to deliver habitat programs where they're needed most. The conversation ranges from the mechanics of beaver dam analogs and low-tech stream restoration to the challenges of invasive annual grasses, encroaching conifers, big game migration corridors, and the West's intensifying water scarcity. Hannah also shares the IWJV's innovative approach to public outreach, including hands-on journalist field workshops that take reporters into sagebrush country and along the Bear River corridor to see conservation work firsthand rather than just reading a press release.
Whether you're a wildlife professional, a western landowner, a hunter chasing sage grouse and pronghorn across public lands, or simply someone who wants to understand how the vast open spaces of the Intermountain West are being protected and restored, this episode delivers. The IWJV is one of conservation's unsung institutions, and this conversation is a compelling reminder that the people, partnerships, and funding mechanisms behind the work matter just as much as the work itself. Learn more and explore their stories at IWJV.org.

For more Information, Visit Us at:
• Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute •
Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org
• Intermountain West Joint Venture: https://iwjv.org

05/29/2026

Water, fire, sagebrush, and the vast open landscapes of the America...

05/29/2026

Water, fire, sagebrush, and the vast open landscapes of the American West are at the heart of this week's conversation. In Season 3, Episode 19 of Connecting with Conservation, co-hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation welcome two guests from the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IWJV): Hannah Nikonow, Communications and Marketing Coordinator, and Charlie Holtz, Field Delivery Capacity Coordinator. Together, they pull back the curtain on one of the largest, and least talked about, conservation partnerships in the United States, one that spans 11 states, roughly half a billion acres, and three of the West's most critical habitat types: sagebrush rangelands, working water and wetlands, and dry frequent-fire forests.

Hannah and Charlie walk listeners through what the IWJV does on the ground, from helping multi-generational ranching families implement conservation practices on their working lands, to placing conservation professionals within BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and NRCS offices to deliver habitat programs where they're needed most. The conversation ranges from the mechanics of beaver dam analogs and low-tech stream restoration to the challenges of invasive annual grasses, encroaching conifers, big game migration corridors, and the West's intensifying water scarcity. Hannah also shares the IWJV's innovative approach to public outreach, including hands-on journalist field workshops that take reporters into sagebrush country and along the Bear River corridor to see conservation work firsthand rather than just reading a press release.

Whether you're a wildlife professional, a western landowner, a hunter chasing sage grouse and pronghorn across public lands, or simply someone who wants to understand how the vast open spaces of the Intermountain West are being protected and restored, this episode delivers. The IWJV is one of conservation's unsung institutions, and this conversation is a compelling reminder that the people, partnerships, and funding mechanisms behind the work matter just as much as the work itself. Learn more and explore their stories at IWJV.org.

For more Information, Visit Us at:
• Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute
• Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org
• Intermountain West Joint Venture: https://iwjv.org

Water, fire, sagebrush, and the vast open landscapes of the America...

05/19/2026

What's happening to mule deer, and why should anyone west of the Mississippi care? In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of Outdoor Stewards of Conservation sit down with Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of both the Mule Deer Foundation and the Blacktail Deer Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation about one of the West's most iconic, and quietly troubled, big game species.
Greg brings one of the most distinguished careers in American wildlife and land management to the table. After 25 years with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, including five as its director, he served as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before returning west as Utah State Director for the Bureau of Land Management, overseeing roughly 22.8 million acres of public land. Today, leading both the Mule Deer Foundation and the Blacktail Deer Foundation, he's channeling that experience directly into species he's hunted and cared about his entire life. The conversation covers the multi-decade decline in mule deer populations, an estimated 50 to 60 percent drop across western states, and why there's no single simple answer. Habitat fragmentation, invasive plants like cheatgrass, suppressed fire regimes, migration corridor loss, surging road traffic, predator-prey dynamics, and severe winters all play a role, and Greg makes a compelling case that solutions require the same complexity as the problems themselves.
The episode also touches on the North American Model of Conservation and what makes it unique globally, the importance of treating Pittman-Robertson excise tax revenue as an investment rather than a burden, the growing challenge of wildlife ballot initiatives bypassing science-based management, the lesser-known Blacktail Deer Foundation and the species' coastal rainforest habitat from California to Alaska, and why nonprofit conservation organizations can say things in public that government agencies simply cannot. Jon draws a thought-provoking parallel between mule deer declines and the emerging turkey population struggles in the East and raises an important question about whether the wildlife management profession has the right experience base to manage declining species after a century focused almost entirely on restoration success.
For more information, reach us at:
Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute
Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org
Mule Deer Foundation: https://muledeer.org
Black-Tailed Deer Foundation: https://blacktaildeer.org

conservation

05/19/2026

What's happening to mule deer, and why should anyone west of the Mississippi care? In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the ...

05/19/2026

What's happening to mule deer, and why should anyone west of the Mississippi care? In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of Outdoor Stewards of Conservation sit down with Greg Sheehan, President and CEO of both the Mule Deer Foundation and the Blacktail Deer Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation about one of the West's most iconic, and quietly troubled, big game species.

Greg brings one of the most distinguished careers in American wildlife and land management to the table. After 25 years with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, including five as its director, he served as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before returning west as Utah State Director for the Bureau of Land Management, overseeing roughly 22.8 million acres of public land. Today, leading both the Mule Deer Foundation and the Blacktail Deer Foundation, he's channeling that experience directly into species he's hunted and cared about his entire life. The conversation covers the multi-decade decline in mule deer populations, an estimated 50 to 60 percent drop across western states, and why there's no single simple answer. Habitat fragmentation, invasive plants like cheatgrass, suppressed fire regimes, migration corridor loss, surging road traffic, predator-prey dynamics, and severe winters all play a role, and Greg makes a compelling case that solutions require the same complexity as the problems themselves.

The episode also touches on the North American Model of Conservation and what makes it unique globally, the importance of treating Pittman-Robertson excise tax revenue as an investment rather than a burden, the growing challenge of wildlife ballot initiatives bypassing science-based management, the lesser-known Blacktail Deer Foundation and the species' coastal rainforest habitat from California to Alaska, and why nonprofit conservation organizations can say things in public that government agencies simply cannot. Jon draws a thought-provoking parallel between mule deer declines and the emerging turkey population struggles in the East and raises an important question about whether the wildlife management profession has the right experience base to manage declining species after a century focused almost entirely on restoration success.

For more information, reach us at:
Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute
Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org
Mule Deer Foundation: https://muledeer.org
Black-Tailed Deer Foundation: https://blacktaildeer.org

conservation

What's happening to mule deer, and why should anyone west of the Mississippi care? In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the ...

05/08/2026

What does a firearm importer have to do with healthy deer herds, turkey populations, and public shooting ranges? More than most people realize. In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of Outdoor Stewards of Conservation sit down with Neil Sanders, VP of Sales and Marketing at SDS Arms, to pull back the curtain on how the outdoor fi****ms industry quietly funds one of the most successful conservation models in the world.
Neil brings more than two decades of experience in the outdoor industry — from his early days with Peterson's Publishing titles like Guns & Ammo and North American Whitetail, to long tenures at Thompson Center and Mossy Oak, to his current role growing SDS Arms and its portfolio of brands including Spandau Arms, MAC (Military Armament Corp.), Inglis, and Tokarev. Based in Texas, Neil is an avid bird and big game hunter who has built his career around connecting consumers with products they actually want — and making sure those products carry their share of the conservation load. Under his leadership, SDS Arms has grown more than 70% in four years, importing over 200,000 fi****ms annually, each one generating Pittman-Robertson excise tax revenue that flows directly to state wildlife agencies for habitat, access, and public shooting infrastructure.
The conversation covers how the Pittman-Robertson excise tax works for importers, why firearm companies rarely get public credit for the conservation dollars they generate, how SDS Arms supports organizations like NWTF, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and Quail Forever at both the national and chapter level, and what the outdoor industry needs to do differently to tell its conservation story. Jon and Jim also make the case that wildlife agencies need to do a better job recognizing their industry partners publicly, and Neil shares the story of how a novel pump-action shotgun nicknamed the "Butt Pump" went viral with 50 million social media views seemingly overnight.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE FIND US AT:
Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute
Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org
SDS Arms: https://sdsarms.com

****msconservation

05/08/2026

What does a firearm importer have to do with healthy deer herds, turkey populations, and public shooting ranges? More than most people realize. In this episo...

05/08/2026

What does a firearm importer have to do with healthy deer herds, turkey populations, and public shooting ranges? More than most people realize. In this episode of Connecting with Conservation, hosts Jon Gassett of the Wildlife Management Institute and Jim Curcuruto of Outdoor Stewards of Conservation sit down with Neil Sanders, VP of Sales and Marketing at SDS Arms, to pull back the curtain on how the outdoor fi****ms industry quietly funds one of the most successful conservation models in the world.

Neil brings more than two decades of experience in the outdoor industry — from his early days with Peterson's Publishing titles like Guns & Ammo and North American Whitetail, to long tenures at Thompson Center and Mossy Oak, to his current role growing SDS Arms and its portfolio of brands including Spandau Arms, MAC (Military Armament Corp.), Inglis, and Tokarev. Based in Texas, Neil is an avid bird and big game hunter who has built his career around connecting consumers with products they actually want — and making sure those products carry their share of the conservation load. Under his leadership, SDS Arms has grown more than 70% in four years, importing over 200,000 fi****ms annually, each one generating Pittman-Robertson excise tax revenue that flows directly to state wildlife agencies for habitat, access, and public shooting infrastructure.

The conversation covers how the Pittman-Robertson excise tax works for importers, why firearm companies rarely get public credit for the conservation dollars they generate, how SDS Arms supports organizations like NWTF, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and Quail Forever at both the national and chapter level, and what the outdoor industry needs to do differently to tell its conservation story. Jon and Jim also make the case that wildlife agencies need to do a better job recognizing their industry partners publicly, and Neil shares the story of how a novel pump-action shotgun nicknamed the "Butt Pump" went viral with 50 million social media views seemingly overnight.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE FIND US AT:
Wildlife Management Institute: https://wildlifemanagement.institute
Outdoor Stewards of Conservation: https://stewardsofconservation.org
SDS Arms: https://sdsarms.com

****msconservation

What does a firearm importer have to do with healthy deer herds, turkey populations, and public shooting ranges? More than most people realize. In this episo...

04/28/2026

Dr. Karen Waldrop has served as DU’s Chief Conservation Officer since 2019