Mule Deer Foundation - Talking Mule Deer Podcast

Welcome Back! MDF Talking Mule Deer is back on the airwaves in 2023. The last 15 months have been a crazy time at MDF and a lot has happened in our quest to conserve black-tailed and mule deer and it's time to bring you all up to speed. This episode's Guest is MDF's President & CEO, Joel Pedersen, who visits with Steve and Jodi about the exciting times at MDF including a record setting mule deer tag. We cover the latest with MDF's conservation program, which has expanded rapidly, and highlight the wins MDF has had over the past year and upcoming events which will make 2023 an even better year. 

We are excited to have host of Skullbound Chronicles on CarbonTV, after a long absence! Jana is a Life member of MDF, a MDF Ambassador, and a newly appointed Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Game Commissioner. Those that have attended the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo will also likely recognize her from her hosting duties in recent years, or her painted or beaded skulls, donated to raise funds for conservation efforts.   We spend time catching up on Jana's move to CarbonTV, her dedication to supporting veteran organizations, promotion of women in the outdoors, her new role with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’, and a whole lot more! 

Spring has sprung, and Talking Mule Deer is back with President/CEO Joel Pedersen, who takes time to discuss his first Western Conservation and Hunting Expo as the leader of MDF, and talks in-depth about the first annual Mule Deer Summit that was held at the WHCE. Big dollars were raised at the show, and Joel talks about how MDF will be utilizing those funds to accomplish work on the ground across the mule deer habitat range.  We also take a few minutes to talk to MDF Outreach Coordinator JJ Hinton about how we are utilizing digital media, and specifically social media, to expand the reach of our organization in the future.

Into 2022 we are racing, headed full steam into the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo! We get WHCE Director Ray Crow and MDF President/CEO Joel Pedersen on the record, talking all things Hunt Expo. WHCE is a huge fundraiser for wildlife conservation across the West, and we've got some new events, changes, and a breakdown of how MDF utilizes funds raised towards work on the ground that directly affect mule deer habitat. As he approaches his first anniversary as the head of the organization, Joel briefs us on how the organization is doing, and some changes being implemented under his watch. Don't miss the chance to learn more about how MDF is changing the landscape of West.

Just in time for your holiday travels, for our final episode for 2021 we are spending time checking our lists, and reviewing the work being accomplished in Wyoming. We chat with one of the newest MDF Biologists, Habitat Partnership Coordinator Nicole Reed on her work in WY and CO, and WY Regional Director Shawn Blajszczak gives an update on how to get your hands on some special edition Wyoming Whiskey, and other initiatives in the state.

As the year draws to a close we are headed to Arizona, to get updates on how GPS collar data is being utilized to determine how the Mule Deer Foundation accomplishes its project work. Lucas Olson, MDF/Arizona Cooperative Wildlife Biologist is a GIS and mapping specialist, giving us a rundown on how GPS collars are driving the next level of research on mule deer migration and habitat use, while Jackson Miller MDF/Arizona Cooperative Mule Deer Biologist shares how the data being collected, turns into projects on the ground.

Today we are headed to Nevada to check in on the status of the mule deer herd with Nevada Department of Wildlife Director and President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Tony Wasley and Game Division Chief Mike Scott. Tony and Mike spend time discussing project work occurring in Nevada, how these projects are financed through auction tags, MDF Chapter Rewards, and grant funds provided by partner agencies. Any conversation about habitat health in Nevada also has to include the status of feral horse populations in the state.

With Montana archery seasons already in process, and the rifle season racing up, we are going in-depth with MT Game Management Bureau Chief Brian Wakeling, and MDF’s MT Regional Director Chris Fortune. Brian details how weather conditions across the state will affect hunting opportunities, particularly the drought conditions and wildfires this summer, and Chris gets granular about how MDF is working to ensure a healthy herd in MT.  

2021 Range-wide Status of Black-Tailed and Mule Deer with Jim Heffelfinger and Joel Pedersen - Season 4 Episode 10   We are excited to bring you the 75th episode of Talking Mule Deer, and we could not think of better guests than MDF President/CEO Joel Pedersen, and Arizona Game and Fish Department Wildlife Science Coordinator Jim Heffelfinger to talk about the 2021 Range-wide Status of Black-Tailed and Mule Deer produced by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Mule Deer Working Group. This episode goes in-depth on how the working group functions, and how the 24 different states and provinces that make up the group use their deer population data to develop the annual report. The team explores why it is a challenge to make blanket assessments on mule deer decline, and how a majority of states are seeing stable or growing populations. We also talk about some of the variables we are seeing this year with drought, fires, and disease that may impact future populations.

Randy Morrison, MDF California Habitat Partnership Coordinator - Season 4 Episode 9   After a little break from episodes, Talking Mule Deer is back with Randy Morrison, MDF’s Habitat Partnership Coordinator in California. Randy discusses his transition into this new role after being Regional Director for the state. Randy starts off telling us about a current project in the Stanislaus National Forest and details how MDF treatment processes mimic natural disturbances, creating exceptional habitat for mule deer and black-tailed deer. We talk about how these landscape level contracts evolve over the course of several years, from initial discussion to equipment on the ground. Randy tells us about the California Big Game Management account that allocates tag revenues for programs that benefit big game herds in the state. We learn about Randy’s replacement as MDF’s California Regional Director role, and he reflects on the long standing relationships he developed in the role. As we wind down, Randy discusses a the challenges and opportunities for black-tailed deer management in California, and how MDF will be working to take a much larger role in their conservation in the future.