Through the Gates

What happens when wildlife management becomes a political fight?
In this special Through the Gates x The Mountainside Podcast collaboration, Dan Gates and Bobby Marshall sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about Colorado wildlife, hunting, fishing, conservation, CPW, ballot-box biology, and the emerging fight over Colorado’s constitutional right to hunt and fish.
This conversation goes far beyond hunting.
Dan and Bobby break down why wildlife management affects hunters, anglers, hikers, mountain bikers, photographers, ranchers, outdoor businesses, and anyone who enjoys Colorado’s public lands and wildlife.
A major focus of the conversation is the proposed constitutional right to hunt and fish in Colorado and the argument that complex wildlife-management decisions should remain grounded in science, data, professional wildlife management, and adaptive management.
They discuss:
• What Colorado’s constitutional right to hunt and fish actually says
• What the proposed amendment does — and does not — do
• The concept of “ballot box biology”
• Why CPW and professional wildlife managers play such an important role
• Colorado’s experience with Proposition 127 and wolf reintroduction
• Mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, bears, wolves and beavers
• The debate over trapping and wildlife-management tools
• How hunting and fishing contribute to conservation funding
• Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funding
• Why wildlife doesn’t recognize state boundaries
• Colorado’s rapidly growing human population and increasing recreation pressure
• The changing relationship between wildlife and outdoor recreation
• Why non-hunters have a stake in wildlife management
• How people outside Colorado can support Colorado’s wildlife-conservation efforts
• How to talk to someone who doesn't hunt or fish about wildlife conservation
• And why Dan believes wildlife management should remain adaptable as conditions change
The conversation also gets into something that often gets overlooked: Colorado’s wildlife belongs to everyone.
Whether you hunt, fish, hike, camp, photograph wildlife, ride a mountain bike, own a ranch, or simply enjoy seeing elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and other wildlife in Colorado, the decisions being made today can affect how those resources are managed for generations.
This is a conversation about wildlife first — and the people, policies, science and funding mechanisms that determine how Colorado manages it.

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What does Colorado’s Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish actually mean—and why should it matter to people who don’t hunt or fish?
That is one of the central questions explored in this special episode of Through the Gates, featuring internationally recognized conservationist Shane Mahoney, President and CEO of Conservation Visions and founder of the Wild Harvest Initiative.
This conversation is especially relevant for Coloradans who love the outdoors but may never have hunted or fished. If you hike, camp, mountain bike, kayak, photograph wildlife, watch elk and moose, enjoy Colorado’s public lands, or simply care about healthy wildlife populations, this episode explores the connection between those experiences and the system of wildlife conservation that exists today.
Mahoney and Dan Gates take a deep look at the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and how regulated hunting and fishing fit into a larger system designed to maintain abundant wildlife populations and provide public benefits.
The discussion covers:
• Why wildlife is considered a public-trust resource
• How North American wildlife populations recovered from historic declines
• Why wildlife abundance benefits hunters AND non-hunters
• The connection between hunting, fishing and sustainable sources of food
• How hunting and fishing contribute to wildlife management and conservation funding
• Why science-based wildlife management matters
• What “sustainable use” actually means
• The history behind the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation
• The role of regulation in preventing overharvest
• The importance of wild foods and the Wild Harvest Initiative
• How conservation can serve people who never hunt or fish
• The debate surrounding fur-bearing wildlife and commercial use
• Why wildlife management has to account for changing populations, habitat and human communities
• What the proposed constitutional protection does—and does not—say about wildlife management
• Why understanding the issue matters before Colorado voters make their decision
One of the most important themes of the conversation is that wildlife conservation is not exclusively about hunting.
Mahoney argues that the recovery of elk, deer, pronghorn, waterfowl, bears and other wildlife has created opportunities for everyone—from hunters and anglers to hikers, photographers, birders, climbers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. As he explains, abundant wildlife adds another dimension to the Colorado outdoor experience regardless of whether someone ever harvests an animal.
The episode also examines an important question for anyone thinking about food and sustainability: How does harvesting from the wild fit into the modern food system?
Mahoney discusses the millions of people around the world who continue to rely directly on wild resources for food and livelihoods, and why he believes sustainable, regulated harvest should be considered alongside other approaches to food production and conservation.
And ultimately, the conversation returns to Colorado.
The Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish is discussed not simply as a question for hunters and anglers, but as a question about wildlife management, science, public trust, outdoor recreation, food, conservation funding and how Colorado manages its wildlife for future generations.
If you're a Colorado voter who doesn't hunt or fish, this episode is an opportunity to hear the history, philosophy and arguments surrounding Amendment 83 directly and consider how those ideas relate to the wildlife and outdoor experiences you value.
Listen before you vote. Learn what the issue actually says. Consider the different perspectives. Then make your own informed decision.

The fight to protect hunting, fishing, trapping, and science-based wildlife management doesn't stop at the U.S. border.
In this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates sits down with Mark Hall, Executive Director of Wild Origins Canada, in Squamish, British Columbia, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of hunting and conservation across North America.
The conversation explores the growing battles over hunting and wildlife management in Canada, the similarities between Canadian and American conservation fights, and why hunters may need to stop playing defense and start thinking strategically about the next 5-20 years.
Mark explains the mission of Wild Origins Canada and the importance of telling the story of how hunting benefits wildlife, communities, families, and conservation. Dan and Mark also discuss the power of documentaries, podcasts, social media, and influential voices in reaching the non-hunting public with a message grounded in wildlife management and sustainable use.
The conversation gets into some of the most contentious issues facing hunters and conservationists today, including grizzly bear hunting, wolf management, mountain lions, beavers, trapping, Indigenous rights, land access, public opinion, wildlife science, hunting tourism, conservation funding, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
They also examine why hunters in Canada and the United States may need to start thinking and acting as one North American conservation community.

Instead of waiting for the next ballot initiative, lawsuit, campaign, hunting ban, or attack on wildlife management, Mark and Dan discuss building a proactive strategy—developing the messaging, research, relationships, funding, and media infrastructure needed to reach the non-hunting public before the next fight begins.

Topics include:
• Wild Origins Canada and the mission to tell the truth about hunting
• The importance of changing the hunting narrative
• Grizzly bear hunting in British Columbia
• Colorado's Proposition 127 and lessons for Canada
• How wildlife issues cross international borders
• Attacks on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation
• Wildlife science, peer review, and competing research
• Public opinion polling and social science
• Cougar and wolf management
• Trapping and predator management
• The growing debate over beaver management
• Indigenous rights and wildlife management in Canada
• Hunting tourism and its economic importance
• Conservation funding and philanthropic influence
• Why hunters need to support conservation organizations
• The role of Joe Rogan, Steve Rinella, Cameron Hanes, Charles Whitwam and other influential voices
• Building a proactive North American conservation strategy
• Why hunters need to stop fighting as isolated groups
• The need for a “meeting of the minds”

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO
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Colorado's fight over hunting, wildlife management and the future of conservation continues—and this episode of Through the Gates takes that conversation from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission all the way to the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Dan Gates breaks down the latest Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting, including concerns over public comment, commission procedure, stakeholder representation, science-based wildlife management and the push to make major decisions before a new administration takes office.
The conversation then shifts to Frontier Safaris in South Africa, where Dan sits down with Barry Birchell to discuss nearly four decades of wildlife conservation, hunting, habitat management and the economics that make wildlife worth conserving.
Barry explains how his family built Frontier Safaris from a single ranch in 1987 into a massive operation spanning tens of thousands of acres, and why hunting has played such an important role in keeping that land in wildlife production rather than returning it to traditional cattle, sheep and goat ranching.
The discussion covers the relationship between hunting and conservation, photographic safaris, predator management, wildlife populations, sustainable harvest, genetics, local employment, meat utilization and the economic realities of managing wildlife in Africa.
Barry also explains the philosophy behind the phrase "if it pays, it stays" and why he believes hunters have played a critical role in the remarkable growth of wildlife populations in South Africa.
Back in Colorado, the episode returns to the fight over the constitutional right to hunt and fish, including Amendment 83 and the growing debate over who should make wildlife management decisions: politicians and activists, or professional wildlife managers and scientists.
If you care about hunting, fishing, public lands, wildlife conservation, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, or the future of our outdoor heritage, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Watch. Listen. Educate yourself. Then make up your own mind.

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO
Sign the Initiative 302 petition: savecoheritage.org
Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us
Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com
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What happens when a ballot initiative goes far beyond hunting and fishing?

In this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates sits down with Charles Whitwam of Howl for Wildlife for a wide-ranging conversation about the growing national fight over hunting, fishing, agriculture, wildlife management, and the future of conservation.
The conversation begins with the history of the partnership between Howl for Wildlife, Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project, Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management, and other conservation organizations before diving into some of the biggest issues facing hunters and wildlife advocates today.
A major focus is Oregon IP 28, an initiative discussed in the episode as potentially affecting hunting, fishing, animal breeding, ranching, farming, livestock production, and locally sourced food. Charles explains why he believes IP 28 represents more than a single ballot measure—and why the larger issue is the growing disconnect between people who participate in these activities and people who have never experienced them firsthand.
The discussion also covers Charles' upcoming documentary on IP 28, the people and communities he plans to interview in Oregon, and the importance of telling the human stories behind hunting, farming, fishing, ranching, and food production.
From there, Dan and Charles turn their attention to Colorado Initiative 302 and the proposed constitutional right to hunt and fish, discussing what the language actually says, the role of science-based wildlife management, and how supporters believe the measure could provide a constitutional framework while preserving the state's ability to regulate hunting and fishing.
They also discuss:
The history of Howl for Wildlife and its role as a "force multiplier"
The fight over mountain lions and Colorado Senate Bill 31
Proposition 127 and Colorado's battle over mountain lion hunting
The controversy surrounding Catalina Island mule deer
The importance of food, farming and local food production
Why hunters need to communicate more effectively with non-hunters
The growing movement to establish constitutional rights to hunt and fish
Colorado's role in that broader Western movement

One of the central themes of the conversation is that the future of hunting and wildlife management won't be determined solely by hunters. It will also depend on whether people who don't hunt understand how wildlife is managed, where their food comes from, and why science-based conservation exists in the first place. Charles specifically discusses conversations with people who have little or no connection to hunting and how those conversations can change perceptions.
The episode closes with a discussion about leadership, cooperation among conservation organizations, and the idea that protecting hunting and fishing rights is becoming a broader movement across the American West.

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO
Sign the Initiative 302 petition: savecoheritage.org
Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us
Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com
Follow CRWM on Facebook: facebook.com/savethehuntcolorado
Follow CRWM on Instagram: instagram.com/c.r.w.m