Hunting Ain't Easy

Complaining isn't working, but advocacy will. It's time to lead... It is time to call upon the California Dept of Fish & Wildlife, and the Fish & Game Commission to refresh the 10-year old Wolf Mgmt. Plan, establish a practical and sustainable roadmap to delisting and long-term management of wolves. It is time to identify the risks that subsidized wolves present to human communities, the economy of California and all taxpay...

AB1038 brings hounds back to the bear woods in CA, and it gives the Commission and Dept the tools needed for effective black bear management, increased harvest where warranted and more effective conflict reduction. 

This is a nationwide call to action - because a win in California is a win for everyone! Time to step in and help here... this will be a long campaign where we are approaching the 2nd gate, of about 7 if we are to take ...

Welcome to Hunting Ain't Easy... listen, share & take action here! . https://www.howlforwildlife.org/cacoyote 

The backstory on this issue is shared via Chriss Bowles (California Bowmen Hunters) and Charles & Mike (HOWL). Bottom line is that bad optics and complete lack of context has some folks at the F&G Commission thinking that coyote (nongame species) need special regulations developed for hunting.  Whooaaaaa nooooo...

Join HOWL for this Virtual Townhall Event: Wolves, Lessons for California 

HOWL for Wildlife welcomes Justin Webb (Executive Director of the Foundation for Wildlife Management) and Jessi Johnson (Government Affairs Director, Wyoming Wildlife Federation.)

Wolves are on the cusp of exponential population growth in California. The known wolf population nearly doubled in California in 2024 and is now reaching past 70 animals, with 9 pa...

Join HOWL's Jan 28th "Wolf Lessons Learned" Townhall featuring Justin Webb (Foundation for Wildlife Mgmt) and Jess Johnson (Wyoming Wildlife Federation)....  MEMBERS ONLY so join today! 

Wolves are here, and they're not going away. Planting flags of extreme support, or extreme opposition, only guarantees a long fight, unresolved conflict, and more work for lawyers.  So... how do we bring stakeholders together to build effective, su...

Please... Listen and Share 

Malcolm Brooks is the uncle of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks, the young men who were enjoying a day of shed hunting, scouting and outdoors recreation when they were attacked by a mountain lion. Malcolm shares the story of the attack, and wildlife management policies gone wrong here in California, in a newly published New York Times Magazine article (Jan 2025). 

NYT Magazine Article

Malcolm Brooks - Substack

H...

Use these links to follow along: 

- WATERFOWL Recommendations

- BIG GAME Hunt Recommendations

- Email Support and feedback by end of day 12/9: fgc@fgc.ca.gov

- HOWL for Wildlife... JOIN THE PACK! 

- Message me on IG for Q&A - HuntingAintEasy 

Quick summary... CDFW is bringing regulations update package for Commission review and discussion (and decision!). It all adds up to more hunting opportunity, science-based wildlife mgmt d...

This conversation is in regards to the 6/19 Commission meeting.  Join the meeting via ZOOM if you can... hunters' voices are NEEDED in this forum. 

Short notice but dig in and listen if you can. The Commission is proposing "Emergency Regulations" in response to 2 detections of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in CA. 

I want the Commission and Dept. to treat other known and pre-existing "existential threats" to deer herd success with e...

This is an opportunity to proactively influence a management plan document that will impact bear hunting and ecosystem management for the next 10+ years!  The Calif. Dept of Fish & Wildlife has provided a (draft) 2024 Black Bear Conservation Plan for public review and input. 

Here at HOWL we have developed no less than 78 comments, questions and recommendations for this plan. 

In this episode of @huntingainteasy I break down th...

Nearly 150 MILLION Americans live within 2 hours of an ocean... so the concept of "hunting the coastal waters" is something that we all need to be aware of and support. Just like hunting, angling opportunity is part of the basic human experience, and as a community we need to be concerned about habitat quality, access and opportunity. 

Nearly 1200 pages of petitions have recently been submitted to the Calif. F&G Commission, mos...

Nearly 150 MILLION Americans live within 2 hours of an ocean... so the concept of "hunting the coastal waters" is something that we all need to be aware of and support. Just like hunting, angling opportunity is part of the basic human experience, and as a community we need to be concerned about habitat quality, access and opportunity. 

Nearly 1200 pages of petitions have recently been submitted to the Calif. F&G Commission, mos...

"The steal our tag funds and squander them away on BS that does nothing for wildlife!!!!" 

This is THE rant we hear too often... but is it true?  Listen in on this episode where Mike talks with the #1 expert on big game hunting regulatory process and topics in Calif. He's a hunter and has been working as a lobbyist to represent hunters and conservation groups in Calif. for many years. Listen in and tell me what you think. 

ALSO: co...

Habitat matters. 

Nothing else matters about wildlife populations and management if the underlying habitat isn't robust and healthy.  On the bet that enhancing and restoring the forest and riparian areas of a chunk of burned land can add value and improve things for mule deer and other critters, I just bought myself a habitat project! 

Listen in and follow along... as this multi-year project is just getting started! 

"Plumas Headwa...

The attacks from a global anti-hunting (anti-human) industry are ever present. They have incrementally shifted minds and hearts by defining words while our community was not looking. Now we must enter the arena, fight to share our stories, values and the success of hunting as a sustainable tool for wildlife success and conservation. 

In this episode: 

- Winning the minds of non-hunters

- Don't call them animal rights activists 

- C...

The team over at Vantage Point Archery reached out to talk shop and we went down all the rabbit holes. Listen along as we discuss the importance of advocacy, HOWL for Wildlife, archery and of course their lineup of premium American made broadheads.  Are you a hand-gunner? You'll want to learn about the new compensator from Vantage Point Armory!! 

Click through, comment, follow and engage! 

Vantage Point Archery - IG

Vantage Point ...

Calif. end of season mule deer hunting... chasing the buck after a cold and snowy fall storm, hoping to catch them on the way towards their migration routes. I talk about some of my winter gear setup, the mental break that I had and subsequent "quit" on the hunt. Some thoughts about staying in the game instead of giving myself an "out" from the grind of wind, snow and cold. 

Let me know your thoughts @ Instagram "HuntingAintEasy" 

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Apologies for the scratchy sound!! 

In Part 2 I talk through hunt days 4 through 7, with a lot of focus on a doe that I watched for nearly 9 hours and then the 7+ hour spot and stalk on a mature buck high up in an alpine basin.

Everything came together in textbook style.  This hunt validated so many lessons from master muley hunters, it was incredible to experience and replay - and this hunt will form the basis for many future adve...