The Origins Foundation Podcast

There is a thing called the "Governor's Tag" in our wildlife management system. It’s an often expensive tag that is accused to be antithetical to the North American Wildlife Model - because only the rich get to play in that proverbial sand-box. This is why Robbie went to New Mexico to start a documentary around this "Governor's Tag" - there is no better place to do this than in New Mexico. Robbie sits down live with John Mark Matkin, following his three-year journey to hunt New Mexico’s coveted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep after ultimately winning the state’s Governor’s Tag for $1 MILLION. Robbie and John Mark are joined by outfitters/guides Jim Breck and GT, John brings us through the failed bids, setbacks, surgeries, and determination that finally led him to an extraordinary 200-plus-inch ram in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico. There is so much more to this story than this podcast, but this is the beginning.

Do you have questions we can answer? Send it via DM on IG or through email at info@theoriginsfoundation.org

Text us at 601-790-0607 with thoughts, comments and ideas for guests and episodes

Support our Conservation Club Members!

Classic African Hunting: https://classicafricanhunting.com/

Landtrust: https://landtrust.com/

Everyone Deserves to Play: https://theoriginsfoundation.org/conservation-projects/everyone-deserves-to-play/

See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe

Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io

This podcast is brought to you by Bushnell, who believes in providing the highest quality, most reliable & affordable outdoor products on the market. Your performance is their passion. https://www.bushnell.com

This podcast is also brought to you by Silencer Central, who believes in making buying a silencer simple and they handle the paperwork for you. Shop the largest silencer dealer in the world. Get started today! https://www.silencercentral.com

Don't forget to go subscribe to our new The Origins Foundation Podcast Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundationPodcast - who knows, you may be a lucky subscriber who wins some cool stuff from our partner companies!
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Ashlee and Robbie are back after a long stretch of travel to break down the most recent news, including the new Rule released changing the method by which USFWS will establish migratory bird hunting season and limits, the new quotas released for elephants, rhinos and leopards in South Africa, the latest on the Roadless Rule proposed rescission and debate, a new Elk Habitat Plan for WY, no new grizzlies for California, and whether or not Trump is selling part of Yosemite.

Do you have questions we can answer? Send it via DM on IG or through email at info@theoriginsfoundation.org

Text us at 601-790-0607 with thoughts, comments and ideas for guests and episodes

Support our Conservation Club Members!

Classic African Hunting: https://classicafricanhunting.com/

Landtrust: https://landtrust.com/

Everyone Deserves to Play: https://theoriginsfoundation.org/conservation-projects/everyone-deserves-to-play/

See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe

Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io

This podcast is brought to you by Bushnell, who believes in providing the highest quality, most reliable & affordable outdoor products on the market. Your performance is their passion. https://www.bushnell.com

This podcast is also brought to you by Silencer Central, who believes in making buying a silencer simple and they handle the paperwork for you. Shop the largest silencer dealer in the world. Get started today! https://www.silencercentral.com

Don't forget to go subscribe to our new The Origins Foundation Podcast Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundationPodcast - who knows, you may be a lucky subscriber who wins some cool stuff from our partner companies!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robbie sits down with Kristie Gill, a PhD student out of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, doing her field work in South Africa. Kristie has an incredible journey from an anti hunter to actually becoming PRO hunting and the evolution of her preconceived notions to opening her eyes to the realities of wildlife conservation. This all started with her first visit to South Africa and someone taking the time to explain to her the value of sustainable use of wildlife.

Do you have questions we can answer? Send it via DM on IG or through email at info@theoriginsfoundation.org

Text us at 601-790-0607 with thoughts, comments and ideas for guests and episodes

Support our Conservation Club Members!

Classic African Hunting: https://classicafricanhunting.com/

Walther: https://waltherarms.com/

Everyone Deserves to Play: https://theoriginsfoundation.org/conservation-projects/everyone-deserves-to-play/

See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe

Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io

This podcast is brought to you by Bushnell, who believes in providing the highest quality, most reliable & affordable outdoor products on the market. Your performance is their passion. https://www.bushnell.com

This podcast is also brought to you by Silencer Central, who believes in making buying a silencer simple and they handle the paperwork for you. Shop the largest silencer dealer in the world. Get started today! https://www.silencercentral.com

Don't forget to go subscribe to our new The Origins Foundation Podcast Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundationPodcast - who knows, you may be a lucky subscriber who wins some cool stuff from our partner companies!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Flashback Podcast to March 2025 (Episode 543):

There are certain topics in this world that are likely the most controversial - wolves, feral cats, and wild horses. Wild Horses for some reason evoke such emotions that there has been little work done on exposing what is actually going on.

We are starting to delve into this topic more and more and there is not greater place to talk about this topic than Nevada. Former Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employee Jenny Lesieutre is now speaking out around the management of wild horses after being involved in the space for almost two decades. As a horse owner and self-professed horse lover herself, you’ll find that it is not from a place of malice that she advocates for management, rather because they are destroying their own habitat and environment without badly needed management protocols - because leaving them alone isn’t working. This is a MUST LISTEN PODCAST.

Update August 2026: You have likely seen the social media posts and New York Times article discussing the adminstrations new "rules" around gathers, horse slaughter, etc. As an update, nothing has changed. Everything around horses is the same as it has been for the last 20 years.

Do you have questions we can answer? Send it via DM on IG or through email at info@theoriginsfoundation.org

Support our Conservation Club Members!

Classic African Hunting: https://classicafricanhunting.com/

Landtrust: https://landtrust.com/

Everyone Deserves to Play: https://theoriginsfoundation.org/conservation-projects/everyone-deserves-to-play/

See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe

Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io

This podcast is brought to you by Bushnell, who believes in providing the highest quality, most reliable & affordable outdoor products on the market. Your performance is their passion. https://www.bushnell.com

This podcast is also brought to you by Silencer Central, who believes in making buying a silencer simple and they handle the paperwork for you. Shop the largest silencer dealer in the world. Get started today! https://www.silencercentral.com

Don't forget to go subscribe to our new The Origins Foundation Podcast Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundationPodcast - who knows, you may be a lucky subscriber who wins some cool stuff from our partner companies!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s deep dives are all about wild managed lions in Kalahari Oryx Reserve. This success in lion conservation has been at the expensive sacrifice of millions of Oryx. Is there a way to balance the budget of this outrageously priced all you can eat feline buffet, though? There is one, and it’s hunting. Learn more in this deep dive!

Do you have questions we can answer? Send it via DM on IG or through email at info@theoriginsfoundation.org

Support our Conservation Club Members!

Classic African Hunting: https://classicafricanhunting.com/

Landtrust: https://landtrust.com/

Everyone Deserves to Play: https://theoriginsfoundation.org/conservation-projects/everyone-deserves-to-play/

See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe

Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io

This podcast is brought to you by Bushnell, who believes in providing the highest quality, most reliable & affordable outdoor products on the market. Your performance is their passion. https://www.bushnell.com

This podcast is also brought to you by Silencer Central, who believes in making buying a silencer simple and they handle the paperwork for you. Shop the largest silencer dealer in the world. Get started today! https://www.silencercentral.com

Don't forget to go subscribe to our new The Origins Foundation Podcast Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundationPodcast - who knows, you may be a lucky subscriber who wins some cool stuff from our partner companies!

Intro Music: Captain Joz - Smile High, artlist.io license

If you are interested in us deconstructing a science article, report, or government brief, please send it to us at info@theoriginsfoundation.org with the subject - Deep Dive Idea.
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