David Quammen, the evolutionary author behind Robbie’s favorite book ‘Monster of God’ (you’ve DEFINITELY heard that title a few times) joins Robbie for an amazing, insightful conversation with his favorite author.

Peet Van Der Merwe is a senior lecturer on tourism economics at Northwestern University in South Africa. Peet has dedicated much of his career to studying the economic impacts of consumptive (hunting) tourism, tourism writ-large, and how they benefit the region. So, if hunting disappeared, what would happen to the economy and wildlife conservation? Its an important question to ask and get answered because value is the thing that will keep wildlife around for many generations to come. Robbie delves deep with Peet to talk about it. If you LOVE the SHOW don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts to make sure you don't miss a single episode. 

Lucas Cooke, CEO of Field and Game Australia, joins Robbie on the podcast on the eve of the upcoming duck season in anticipation of the amount of anti hunters that will be pushing back on the duck season. Antis fell just short of a victory last year when the parliamentary inquiry voted to suggest banning duck hunting in Australia, but the force of the trade unions swayed them, and the labor government refused to ban duck hunting. Today marks the opening of the 2024 duck season in Victoria Australia. Blood Origins and Field and Game Australia have teamed up on a great pro-active piece - by putting a billboard up in Sale, Victoria showing people truth about duck season. There has been a seperate website set up to direct folks to what is duck hunting in Victoria: www.savethehunt.com.au 

Sarah Vermaak was a non hunter before she got married into the Vermaak family. The Vermaaks are a stalwart family of the hunting industry of South Africa, starting in 1970 (they are actually the longest standing outfitter in South Africa) and as a result today has very much become an avid hunter. Robbie catches up with Sarah on location in Zululand, in the hills next to the Tugela river, when he was in South Africa at the beginning of March filming an embedded Blood Origins episode with the Vermaak family.

Robbie catches up with Jess Johnson, the Government Affairs Director of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, an independent affiliate of the Wildlife Federation and the biggest and oldest conservation advocacy organization in the state. The two cover Wyoming’s HB 60 concerning elk population issues in the state, some misinformation that’s spreading around about the unlimited elk tag proposal in Wyoming, the Kelly Parcel in Grand Teton National Park, wolves in Colorado, and more!

Here is the question on everyone’s lips – are mountain lions in Colorado trophy hunted? The technical answer is no. The emotional answer is tied to the motivation of the individual. Motivation is something that is not easily controlled – this is for all segments of the population including drunk driving, cheating on your taxes, taking steroids for body-building competitions – its unclear what makes people do certain things. Mix in different backgrounds, different ethics, and how you were raised – all combined in a melting pot that is diverse as humanity itself. So all we can talk to is the technical, legal answer. That answer is no – mountain lions are not trophy hunted in Colorado. You see they are not classified as a trophy animal, nor are they classified as vermin or furbearers, they are classified as big-game – just like wild sheep, elk, mule deer, pronghorns. Big game are hunted for many reasons, but the law tells you that you must sustainably utilize all parts of the animal. For example, by law you are not allowed to leave the meat in the field. By law you are not allowed to leave the head in the field. By law you are not allowed to leave the cape in the field. It all has to come out with you. So here's the #truth

Eamon Waddington is a passionate bowhunter in Australia. As he grew in his bowhunting career and started growing more and more on social media, he constantly had folks reaching out to him asking him all the normal questions - how do I get into it, where do I go, how do I cook the meat. He figured - man there is definitely a niche that is needing to be filled - from that Broadside Hunting was created - an opportunity for people to learn how to hunt, butcher, cook, in a hosted environment. He tells his story to Robbie and explains why he is so passionate about this.  

We’re keeping this lady's full name anonymous, and as a result Robbie gets to delve deep into a discussion with a private landowner within Cabaneros National park, where hunting has been banned. They talk about the system, what challenges she faces, and what that means for the land. This podcast is going to be followed up with several videos towards the 3rd Quarter / 4th Quarter of 2024 in which the full Cabaneros documentary will be complete and released for everyone to see. Its a documentary that covers the impact of a ban of hunting on people, on their livelihoods, on wildlife, and on the habitat. 

Robbie records this introspective Roundup solo from his hotel room in space after a grueling trip that saw the Blood Origins team span two continents in the quest to share the heart of hunting with you all. He makes a big announcement of a new Heritage Tier supporter of Blood Origins in Bergara, covers what exactly the Blood Origins team was up to in Spain and South Africa, an upcoming appearance on Jim Shockey’s podcast. Robbie covers the economic and environmental impacts of anti-hunting pushes in Spain, elephant controversies in Tanzania and Kenya, and more.

Here is a question floating around out there – are mountain lions and bobcats threatened and endangered in Colorado? This question is a valid one. We currently hunt both species in Colorado and if their respective populations were threatened in anyway or endangered, then all the sportsmen and women in Colorado and those non-residents that hunt them would say absolutely, we shouldn’t be hunting them. This is an incredibly important question to answer specifically in light of the potential ballot initiative being moved forward through signature gathering in the State of Colorado right now to ban the hunting of mountain lions and bobcats. So what’s the truth? Here's my answer ... If you have a question that you would like us to answer please reach out to us via DM on IG or via info@bloodorigins.com

South African wildlife researcher Willem Briers Louw joins the Blood Origins podcast to talk about his role in wildlife research and monitoring. One could argue that Willem has the best job in the world (or more likely the most romantic job in the world). Flying around in helicopters, helping dart elephants, collaring lions and elephants to camera traps, to a recent research program started out the 24 lions project to the 100 lions project and more. Willem is in the thick of it as the lead researcher with Zambeze Delta Safaris in the Delta of Mozambique. This podcast should inspire anyone to understand more about wildlife, more about African wildlife, and maybe inspire you to live out your dreams and be a researcher in a setting like Willem is in.

Robbie is joined by Renée Thornton, the volunteer Chair of the Women Hunt Program at the Wild Sheep Foundation, one of dozens of programs out there trying to help provide educational resources to the fastest growing demographic of hunters - women. Renée was a non-hunter - from a farming family, no less! - and once beginning to consider the ethical implications of eating meat, she began to consider what becoming a hunter would mean for that choice. This podcast is a look into that journey and if you are one of those women early in your hunting career or are considering taking up hunting, this podcast is an invaluable resource for what you need to do.

Robbie is joined LIVE on location along the Tugela River, in the heart of Zululand, in South Africa with the Slots Media boys and Kolby Edwards with Mutambo films to talk about their latest trip to SA. From more lost luggage to a malaria infection to tweezing nipple hairs, it’s as much wild antics from the Slots Media boys as you’ve all com to expect.

Harvard Hansen is a hunter out of Norway, and an absolute podcast novice. He reached out to Robbie to say that we had neglected to ever have a guest from Norway on the show, so Robbie invited him on to talk about the landscape, species available to Norwegian hunters, and the issues facing hunters in Norway. 

Dave Carson and Kaz Dube are professional guides in Zimbabwe. And while they are ecotourism guides, NOT professional hunters, but still had to do everything a professional hunter would have to do during the course of their qualification - such as shooting an elephant to pass and get their rank as professional guide in Zimbabwe. Robbie discusses the potential animosities between ecotourism and professional hunting and how we can bridge that gap as conservationists for the good of the resource. 

Robbie hosts an anonymous conversation with a friend’s  anti-hunter girlfriend after dinner in South Africa, and the result is a heartfelt discussion that explains how what we do from a hunting perspective is good for wildlife and how having an open mind can lead to some incredible conversations and education on the issues!

Erik Verreynne, has been a wildlife veterinary surgeon in Botswana for the last twenty years. He is a non hunter and wildlife conservationist on the front lines of the information war around hunting because of where he lives and the work he does around elephant conservation and conservation sustainability in Botswana. This conversation is probably one of the first conversations around changing Botswana elephant populations with someone who has been in Botswana for 20 years and has seen the changes with his own eyes since he has been involved in the wildlife conservation game. 

Robbie recounts the story of finding his grandfather’s .416 Rigby - gone for thirty years - during his November trip to South Africa and interviews the man that had the gun all this time after Robbie bought the gun back from him. 

McKenna Noata is a black African professional hunter in South Africa. There are not many black PH’s in South Africa, and so Robbie delves into the ‘why’ of McKenna getting involved in wildlife conservation, starting his career as a black PH, his upbringing as it pertains to wildlife, and how he perceives the future of getting more black South Africans into being professional hunters. 

We bring you this conversation recorded on-location at the Remington Ammunition factory between Robbie and Audrey Mayes, the marketing specialist of Remington Ammunition (and host of their new podcast!), as the two talk about hunting, the Big Green Brand and legacy, and so much more!

Adam Bender, the official first employee and Development Director of the Cabela Family Foundation, joins to talk about his new role, what the Cabela Family Foundation is planning and doing, how we at Blood Origins are teaming up with them, and more!

Robbie is joined by traditional bowhunters Michal Arnette (who has been on the podcast before) and Bob Bourland, to have a conversation about the traditional bowhunting wing of bowhunting in direct response to the long range rifle conversation of an earlier episode with Gunwerks in 2023. 

Kendall Long, formerly of ‘The Bachelor’ fame, came to the defense of hunting in a recent Instagram spat - and as such Robbie invited her - unbeknownst to the reason behind her social media following - to talk about hunting, the perceptions around it, and the reasons behind hunters’ pursuit of game afield. She comes on to get ALL her hunting related questions answered - from conservation to trophy hunting to book recommendations by Robbie!

Charlie Dunn and Will Fortescue are non-hunters, one of Robbie’s favorite type of guest. Self-identifying as ‘not anti-hunters, but pro-conservation’ and ecotourism operators in the photography space in Kenya, that are weighing in with Robbie on a recent controversy regarding two elephants in Tanzania.

Ian Nowak, the head game warden of Bulule Game Reserve, which is part of Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR) on the West side of Kruger National Park in South Africa. Ian joined Robbie to talk about his recent elephant hunt controversy that Balule had to fight tooth and nail to have their side of the story told, and the effect bad journalism has on the lives of those living on the ground.