Hal Herring is an award-winning outdoor journalist, fierce public lands advocate, and thoughtful, action-oriented conservationist. He’s also an accomplished podcaster and host of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers’ Podcast & Blast with Hal Herring. If you’re a longtime listener of Mountain & Prairie, you may remember my first episode with Hal back in December of 2019– pre-pandemic, when the world was a much different place. Like me, Hal was born and raised in the south, and also like me, his Southern accent has not faded. But he’s made Montana his home for many decades now and has established himself as one of the most respected voices in conservation here in the American West.
This episode was recorded live and on stage at the 2024 Old Salt Festival on the Mannix Family Ranch in Helmville, Montana. If you’re not familiar with Old Salt, it’s a three-day gathering in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley that combines live Americana music with artists like Sterling Drake and Summer Dean, wood-fired cooking with chefs including Eduardo Garcia, and a General Store featuring western makers such as Cate Havstad, Jillian Lukiwski, Christy Sing, and many more. The festival also includes a ton of on-stage conversations about land stewardship, conservation, history, literature, and more– and this is one of those conversations.
Most of you are probably already familiar with Hal, but if you’re not, you are in for a treat. Hal brings such energy, humor, and knowledge to everything he does, and he has helped me in my own personal journey to better understand this complex region known as the American West. In this conversation, we covered a lot, including: Hal’s journey from Alabama to Montana, his thoughts on the current state of family ranching and public lands, optimism vs pessimism, and who he admires in the conservation space. We also discuss his forthcoming book on public lands, an idea he is working on for a new podcast, and we take a number of questions from the audience.
I know you’ll learn a lot from this episode– I consider Hal a great teacher and leader, and it’s always an honor to spend time with him. Tickets for the 2025 Old Salt Festival are on sale now, so follow this link to learn more and secure your spot at what will surely be another amazing weekend with amazing people.
Thanks to Hal for the conversation, to the Mannix Family for opening up their ranch for this festival, and to you for listening!
---
Popular Podcasts
Boysober
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com