Through the Gates

Dan Gates breaks down and responds directly to public comments from the loudest anti-hunting activists influencing Colorado wildlife policy, including First Gentleman Marlon Reis, Project Coyote representative Mark Surls, and Samantha Miller (Ctr. for Biological Diversity), examining how their rhetoric collides with science-based wildlife management and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.Using their own words, Dan examines how emotional activism, misinformation, and ideological pressure are increasingly shaping wildlife decisions — often at the expense of science-based management. The episode highlights how these narratives impact Colorado Parks and Wildlife, public trust, and the future of regulated hunting, trapping, and conservation funding.This is a critical conversation for anyone who cares about wildlife science, transparency, accountability, and keeping conservation decisions in the hands of professionals — not extremists.Listen, share, subscribe and stay informed — the future of wildlife management depends on it.👉 Support the mission: SaveTheHuntColorado.com👉 Join CRWM: Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management👉 Follow the fight for science-based wildlife managementSend us a text STREAM TO SHOW - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjalEoOauqM3xLSHrq3FO680x-XriQcD https://throughthegates.buzzsprout.com- Thank you to our Sponsors -https://davistent.com/https://minturnanglers.com/https://salidagunshop.com/https://www.coloradosheds.com/https://www.coloradooutfitters.org/ https://rusticliving.com/

In our final episode of the year, Dan Gates takes a serious look at what’s coming next for Colorado’s furbearer management as the CPW Commission prepares to debate sweeping changes that could permanently reshape wildlife conservation in our state. We dig into what’s really at stake — from the future of regulated trapping and ethical fur use, to the role furbearers play in healthy ecosystems, to the danger of emotional politics replacing science-based wildlife management.We talk about what these proposals could mean for Colorado’s wildlife, ranching communities, working landscapes, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. If you care about science, sustainability, ethical use, and real conservation, this is a conversation you need to hear.Listen, share, subscribe and stay informed — the future of wildlife management depends on it.👉 Support the mission: SaveTheHuntColorado.com👉 Join CRWM: Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management👉 Follow the fight for science-based wildlife managementSend us a text STREAM TO SHOW - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjalEoOauqM3xLSHrq3FO680x-XriQcD https://throughthegates.buzzsprout.com- Thank you to our Sponsors -https://davistent.com/https://minturnanglers.com/https://salidagunshop.com/https://www.coloradosheds.com/https://www.coloradooutfitters.org/ https://rusticliving.com/

In this episode, Dan updates us on some of the recent news coming from Colorado breaking down the political influence on Colorado wildlife management and the real-world consequences now playing out inside Colorado Parks and Wildlife.The discussion begins with the resignations of Director Jeff Davis and Commissioner Murphy Robinson. Dan explains why these departures matter, what they signal about internal pressure, and how politics are increasingly overriding professional wildlife expertise.From there, the episode dives into beaver management, furbearer policy, and how trapping bans and public perception are reshaping effective conservation tools. Dan also addresses deer population research, declining herd health, and how predator management—or the lack of it—directly impacts big game across Colorado.This conversation ties each issue back to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, explaining how funding, data-driven decisions, and professional biologists are being sidelined by emotion, ballot initiatives, and political optics. For hunters, conservationists, and anyone who cares about where their food comes from, this episode lays out why Colorado has become ground zero for a national wildlife policy fight.Listen, share, subscribe and stay informed — the future of wildlife management depends on it.👉 Support the mission: SaveTheHuntColorado.com👉 Join CRWM: Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management👉 Follow the fight for science-based wildlife managementCelebrate the Women of Conservation initiative - Buy your calendar today!https://markitmyway.chipply.com/crwm/product-detail-shell.aspx?pid=18789292&eid=355074&cid=2151159&lastaction=viewallSend us a text STREAM TO SHOW - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjalEoOauqM3xLSHrq3FO680x-XriQcD https://throughthegates.buzzsprout.com- Thank you to our Sponsors -https://davistent.com/https://minturnanglers.com/https://salidagunshop.com/https://www.coloradosheds.com/https://www.coloradooutfitters.org/ https://rusticliving.com/

In this unique Through the Gates episode, Dan visits Colorado Gators in the San Luis Valley—one of the most unexpected reptile sanctuaries in the West. Chad Hacking walks us through the history of the farm, how a tilapia operation became an alligator rescue, and why hundreds of gators now thrive in a place better known for snow than swamps.Hear the real story behind reptile rescues, why alligators don’t make good pets, how invasive snakes became a crisis in the South, and what it takes to care for hundreds of crocodilians at 7,500 feet. From reptile behavior to wildlife education, this episode blends conservation, curiosity, and Colorado oddities in a way you won’t forget.Perfect for listeners interested in wildlife sanctuaries, conservation, invasive species, reptiles, and the North American Model.Listen, share, subscribe and stay informed — the future of wildlife management depends on it.Send us a text STREAM TO SHOW - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjalEoOauqM3xLSHrq3FO680x-XriQcD https://throughthegates.buzzsprout.com- Thank you to our Sponsors -https://davistent.com/https://minturnanglers.com/https://salidagunshop.com/https://www.coloradosheds.com/https://www.coloradooutfitters.org/ https://rusticliving.com/

In this special international episode of Through the Gates, Dan sits down in remote Porcupine Plains, Saskatchewan with Bryon Patchin, owner of Piwie Lake Outfitters and a lifelong trapper, guide, fur buyer, and outdoorsman.Bryon shares a rare inside look at what it means to truly live off the land—from 40 years of trapping, guiding whitetail and black bear hunters, and buying furs across some of the most remote regions in Canada. He explains how Indigenous trappers survive without roads, how registered traplines work, the challenges of fluctuating fur prices, and the realities of predator–prey cycles, wolf pressure, and habitat conditions.This episode highlights the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, sustainable use, and the deep cultural connection rural Canadians have with wildlife management. It also draws important parallels to the challenges U.S. sportsmen face with misinformation, anti-hunting activism, and the growing disconnect between urban emotionalism and real conservation.If you care about hunting, trapping, land-based heritage, or understanding where your wildlife conservation dollars go—this is a must-listen.Listen, share, and stay informed — the future of wildlife management depends on it.👉 Support the mission: SaveTheHuntColorado.com👉 Join CRWM: Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management👉 Follow the fight for science-based wildlife managementSend us a text STREAM TO SHOW - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjalEoOauqM3xLSHrq3FO680x-XriQcD https://throughthegates.buzzsprout.com- Thank you to our Sponsors -https://davistent.com/https://minturnanglers.com/https://salidagunshop.com/https://www.coloradosheds.com/https://www.coloradooutfitters.org/ https://rusticliving.com/