Regional South Australia Parliamentarian (and former veterinarian) Nicola Centofanti joins Robbie to discuss her actively championing the fight against the proclamation to ban bowhunting by Susan Close in South Australia. When Robbie first reached out to Nicola the Bowhunting Ban Petition being run by the Australian Bowhunting Association was pinned at the top of her Instagram. Here was a politician in rural Australia pushing back against the ban. I (Robbie?) wanted to understand how this was transpiring and was there anything that could be done about it. Was it a done deal? Listen in to see what Nicola has to say.

Robbie dives into a question about the truth of how Mountain Lions are ACTUALLY doing in Colorado. As a question from a non-hunter, quasi-anti-hunter, meant to convince that hunting is affecting mountain lion populations in a negative way. Robbie dives into the intersection of mountain lions and their range, which butts up to the edge of highly populated (and increasingly-more-populated) regions of Colorado, and asks the tough questions about mountain lions that you need to hear.

Steve West, a 20-year veteran of the Sportsman Channel and Steve West Adventures, joins Robbie on the Blood Origins podcast to talk about his 23-year career in the outdoor space, what it’s like to be an influencer in our space, what the future of communication around hunting looks like, all while hunting elk near Steve’s home in Oregon. Robbie was first introduced to Steve when he reached out almost 5 years ago and wanted to give Robbie encouragement around what he was doing with Blood Origins. Fast forward to today, Robbie got to spend a week with Steve hunting, and really getting to know him. 

Robbie dives into a question that comes to us a lot, which is ‘Are African elephants endangered?’ for this Short Truths episode. The answer is both “yes” and “no”. According to CITES, elephants are indeed an Appendix 1 species, as well as being listed on the IUCN Red List and enjoying ESA protections domestically in the States. The important distinction to make, though, is that those protections refer to the species as a whole, not smaller sub-populations across the African continent, where some populations are sustainable, growing, and even large enough to cause conflict with humans and the elephants’ own environments.

Robbie is joined by Matt Land and Jacob Lishen, the co-founders of Land Limited, a cinematography production company out of North Carolina. Robbie and the Land Limited boys were in South Carolina filming an embedded Blood Origins episode, and decided to lay down a podcast to talk about the filming and success of Lionheart. They reminisce about the grueling film schedule, injuries on set, and more. If you haven't watched Lionheart go find it on Youtube or on Facebook or just google Lionheart Blood Origins film and you will find it.

Self described Red Deer lover and hunter, Clark McGhie of Australia joins Robbie on the podcast this week - after we’ve been trying to get him on the show for at least two full years, we have finally caught up with him and his nomadic wasy. This conversation, if you know anything about Clark, is centered around his controversial stances on deer hunting in Australia and the delicate situation that is deer “hunting” in Queensland, since it is technically illegal in the state of Queensland, it is all technically “pest control”. Robbie and Clark talk about opportunities for hunting in Queensland, what the future holds for hunting in Queensland. Most importantly this is an eye-opening conversation about how do we look to the horizon in Queensland to ensure 1) "hunting" stays around, and 2) more importantly that there is an opportunity to expand opportunities around it.

We are launching a BRAND NEW podcast - CIC X BO Our Voice. The International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and Blood Origins have teamed up to bring you a series of "Voicess" from around the world which seeks to explore the native voices of indigenous peoples and how they are affected by issues around wildlife. In this inaugural episode, Robbie is joined by cohost, Bupe Banda, and the pair interviews Bilal Mustafa. Bilal just finished a post-graduate degree in International Wildlife Conservation at Oxford, and who is set to undertake a doctor in philosophy around the intricacies of trophy hunting in Pakistan, his home country. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at info@bloodorigins.com or DM us through our social media platforms.

John Radzwilla, CEO of Hook and Barrel Magazine, joins Robbie to talk about hunting, how it fits into his magazine, his life as an adult-onset hunter, his outdoor growth, and where he sees the print genre going. Hook and Barrel, while having a premium subscription model, is actually given away for FREE at several large outdoor retailers.

Dr. Samuel Shephard, a professor of environmental sciences at Ava Maria University in Florida joins Robbie to discuss a paper he wrote in Nature Sustainability, one of the top publications in the science space, titled “Recreational Killing Of Wild Animals Can Foster Environmental Stewardship”. Sounds absolutely crazy that by hunting, killing, and being a part of nature you are possibly a better environmental steward - something that we have been preaching for quite some time. Dr. Shephard goes into the ‘why’ behind his paper, and how he and his co-authors came to the conclusions they did.

Robbie and Ashlee are joined by Mark Hall, the Director of Blood Origins Canada, for this week’s roundup. After discussing this week’s recent controversy in Manitoba around hunting tag allocations, the crew breaks down the goings on around the country for conservation including a draught out west, an 11 year old’s big horn sheep hunt and what it means to draw a once-in-a-lifetime hunt that young, a deceptive opinion piece against Florida’s Yes On 2 campaign, and much more!

Secretary Madison Sheahan is the youngest director of any game and fish agency in the United States, and joins Robbie to talk about her state of Louisiana’s incredible black bear success story - from nearly endangered to a huntable surplus population, there’s a lot of success to brag about here. Robbie brings this to you recorded on location from the Secretary’s office in the Bayou State and is an incredible capstone to last week’s Louisiana black bear podcasts. If you are a Louisianan resident you need to apply for the Black Bear Lottery, which closes September 25th, 2024!

Two massive, hunter-led pieces of legislation are on the ballot THIS NOVEMBER, and it is up to hunters around the country and in those states to stay informed, get involved, and fight for what’s right. Aside from the ubiquitous Colorado Mountain Lion issue we’ve spent a lot of time talking about, the other huge ballot initiative is the “Yes On 2” amendment in Florida to constitutionally enshrine the right to fish and hunt in the Sunshine State. These are winnable and we have momentum, so get the scoop and get involved. Robbie talks to the two gentleman spearheading this issue - Travis Thompson Executive Director of All Florida and Luke Hilgemann, executive director of IOTR. If there was one episode to share with all your friends this is it - especially those in Florida!

Robbie is with Steve West, from Steve's Outdoor Adventures this week in Oregon. After a chilly morning with Steve in Oregon, he and Robbie catch up on this week’s roundup on why elk archery hunters only see a 3-8% success rate, Robbie’s elk hunting in Oregon, his in-person testimony to defending black bear hunting before the ODFW in Oregon, in addition to the Namibia drought, Florida’s Yes On Amendment 2, and more.

Maria Davidson, the large carnivore specialist at the Safari Club International Foundation, joins Robbie to discuss tthe history of Louisiana Black bears that has led up to the point that now there is a recreational sport hunting season for bears. After 30 years spent working for LDWF on large carnivore conservation, this is a keystone moment in the career of this incredible professional and the science and why behind a black bear hunt in Louisiana. Now working for SCIF Maria is continuing her work in carnivore biology and conservation across the world.

John Hanks, the Large Carnivore Program Specialist of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife And Fisheries, joins us to discuss the Notice of Intent by LDWF to hunt black bears this December. This is the first podcast in a series of podcasts around Black Bears in Louisiana, and will be followed by two more podcasts: 1) with Secretary Sheahan about now what - how the state plans to execute the lottery and the hunt, and 2) with Maria Davidson and the history that led us to this point. John Hanks was Maria Davidson's successor at LDWF, and as Maria’s successor, studying large carnivores down in the Bayou State, we hear from John about the resurgence of black bears in the state and how the hunt will be an integral part of that management plan. 

Ashlee and Robbie chop it up about a new custom hat partnership with Lost Hat Company and an upcoming booth appearance at Dallas Safari Club. Then, we get a recap of the premier of Lionheart in Colorado along with an update on the expected ballot initiative there, along with all the news fit to print in the hunting space including a young boy attacked and wounded by a mountain lion, AI misinformation being deployed in anti-hunting efforts, misinformation about big tuskers in Africa, spearfishing vs fly fishing, and more!

Lifelong outdoorsman and retired Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Trooper Stanley Steele joins Robbie to discuss the importance of hunting and conservation in the outdoor community and the need for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to be more engaged in advocating for their values and passions. Stanley and Robbie discuss the upcoming commission meeting in Oregon, where the adoption of the 2025 big game seasons (including the spring bear season) are on the table. Stanley and Robbie dive deep into the importance of science-based wildlife management and encourages people to support the professional opinions of biologists and conservationists and the need for effective messaging to counter the negative narratives surrounding hunting and conservation.

Today’s question is whether an elephant is really worth an eye-watering $1.6 million of its lifetime, and Robbie is here to provide the context needed to understand this talking point in just 5 minutes. The original 2014 report by the David Schildrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya was picked up by numerous news outlets and went viral, but the intent of the report was to show the live value of an elephant when compared to a POACHING context, not a legal and regulated hunting context.

Returning guest (and Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner) James "Jim" Goughnour joins to discuss another controversial March decision by the AZGFC to reject all three remaining big game auction tags in Arizona (mule deer, elk and sheep) in favor of a more competitive, raffle-esque allocation system in order to give ‘Joe Six Pack’ - or the common man - a real shot at hunting desert sheep. You would have seen conversations about this, emails about this, and wondered if this is actually a good thing or a bad thing. Robbie and Jim get into the nitty grittty of the decision, whether there will be a "told-you so" moment in the future, and whether in this case, bold decisions yields great benefits for wildlife and hunters.

Rebecca Jones, Chief People Officer for Orvis, joins Robbie on Blood Origins to discuss her role and what it is to connect people - both internally and externally - with the Orvis brand. From how it is seen in and outside the walls of the office, Rebecca ‘Jonesy’ Jones is an Aussie living in the US and adult-onset hunter that lives and breathes the Orvis lifestyle. Recorded live on the Cobourg Peninsula of the Northern Territory of Australia.

Recorded on-location from Australia, Robbie is joined by David Luxford (the self-described ‘village idiot’ and arguably Australia’s most famous bowhunter), Nick Joyce (owner of The Last Frontier Safaris), and Rebecca Jones (Chief People officer of Orvis) from a beach in the Northern Territory of Australia. Surrounded by the soft crashing of waves in the background, the team talks through their Banteng adventure and talks about hunting culture in Australia and around the world. Its an extra-ordinary Round-Up podcast that will have you deeply desiring to go and explore places through hunting. Isn't that one of the coolest things about hunting?

Do sportsmen actually pay for conservation? This is a common question from the anti-hunting lobby. The short answer? Yes. In fact, NO other collective group of people in the United States contributes more than sportsmen. Where does this question come from, then? A “study” by the Mountain Lion Foundation claims that 94% of conservation funding is actually from the lay public. However, upon examination, the study is full of red flags and is not peer-reviewed. Listen in to get Robbie’s take as he breaks down what it means, and why sportsmen are the top funder for conservation.

Retired Veterinary biologist Larry Patterson joins the podcast to give an insight in the progression and growth of elephants in Botswana. Robbie's introduction to Larry was fortuitous in nature - while Robbie was in a gas station in the town of Maun, in Botswana he saw a book called "Aiming to Save" with a cross-hair on the front of it on an elephant. At first glance, he expected this book to be a book of anti-hunting sentiment to elephants and naturally purchased it. But upon reading it and closer inspection of the front cover - the cross-hair was on the rump of the elephant i.e., where a vet would shoot a dart to tranquilize the elephant. In our latest documentary on Botswana, Robbie picked up a biography of Larry’s life and the work he has done in Botswana for elephants. Larry is not a hunter but shares his views on wildlife management and elephant management issues specifically in Botswana. This is a fascinating insight into Botswana's elephant history and most importantly since Botswana has the largest elephant population in Africa today.

Robbie comes at you with this week’s roundup with part two recorded on location in Tanzania during a recent Blood Origins trip to see from a ground-level perspective the big tusker controversy between Tanzania and Kenya. Robbie and the Slots Media boys (plus Steff, aka Gerald!) are back to catch up after a grueling 12 days of filming to discuss whether anyone's mind has changed based on seeing and hearing what they have filmed. This podcast is probably a highlight in the elephant controversy as everyone has had an eye-level view of the situation, have heard from all sides, visited both Kenya and Tanzania, and really gotten as deep a perspective on the issue that anyone really has - so what did that do? Interestingly, specifically Steff who is a non-hunter in our crew, didn't really have an opinion last week on the podcast, this week has now formulated his opinion. Unfortunately - even though Robbie mentions that they filmed it (and they did!) Lewis deleted the video file - so no possibility of seeing Lewis covered in a traditional Masaai shuka!

Robbie is joined by outgoing Dallas Safari Club CEO Corey Mason and interim DSC CEO Brian Feinhold to dispel any and all rumors around the transition of Corey and the next steps for the Dallas Safari Club. Robbie wanted to have this conversation with Corey and Brian to give people a sense of what is coming next for DSC and the amazing conservation work they do, the road to Atlanta in 2025, and for everyone really to hear straight from the proverbial horses’ mouths about what happened and whats coming next.