In this episode, we sit down with Blake Dudzik, longtime hunter, as him and Dean break down their experiences deer hunting in Illinois and Wisconsin.

A common misconception of hunting is that people often think it is a cruel sport that people do purely for self-satisfaction. While there are many forms of hunting and different hunters with different intents, deer hunting across the United States is typically a sustainable and ethical way to maintain deer populations.

Due to the extirpation of natural predators such as wolves and bears in certain states, deer do not have many, if any, natural predators. This causes their numbers to grow exponentially to an amount that their habitat cannot provide for. Without hunting, many of these individuals would die due to starvation or disease, specifically chronic wasting disease (CWD).

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and moose and is also known as "zombie deer". CWD is a cruel way for these animals to die and is one of the reasons that hunting of these animals is not only allowed, but encouraged during hunting season.

Deer populations are monitored closely and determines how many permits are given and how long hunting seasons can last. A quick death by gun or bow is far more ethical than starving or getting CWD and is why deer hunting IS ethical and supported when in accordance with the seasons and laws.

Tune into this weeks episode to learn more from Blake and Dean as Jake takes the backseat to learn from these two longtime hunters. If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure to like the video and subscribe to the channel to help us grow our community!

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Unchanged for 340 million years, predating the dinosaurs, this parasitic species has survived 4 major extinctions and dates back to the Paleozoic era.

After being introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1800s, this invasive species has been wreaking havoc on native fish populations and is being called, "America's first destructive invasive fish species".

These prehistoric fish latch onto the side of other fish, using their sharp, horny teeth to tear away at the flesh to suck its blood and bodily fluid. In its native ranges, the northern and western Atlantic, the host fish are able to withstand the Sea Lamprey latching onto them. In the Great Lakes, the smaller and less adapted fish often die. Each Sea Lamprey kills roughly 40 pounds of fish per year, leading to urgent efforts to manage these populations.

Field biologists are doing everything they can to insert barriers that prevent them from moving upstream and use lampricides - a chemical that kills sea lamprey but not other fish - to reduce their numbers. Today, we talk with MSU graduate, Conor O'Kane, as he discusses his experience working with these field biology programs during his Master's Program.

As always, make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave a comment. We're looking to build a group of outdoor enthusiasts committed to wildlife, conservation and adventure!

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Monster bass, a 10 pound walleye, 39 inch muskie and 50+ years of fishing experiences!

This week we sit-down for our first guest episode with longtime freshwater fisherman and Jake's dad, Bob Johnson, to dive into the world of fishing. Bob's experiences provide listeners with an in depth view of what it looks like to be a passionate angler and how that's allowed him to have some trophy catches over the years.

From tips and tricks, to the ethics of keeping your catch and the changes he's seeing with climate change, Bob hits all the important topics on what he's learned over the years to be a responsible, yet effective fisherman.

From winning tournaments to being featured on the cover of Midwest Outdoors multiple times and a frequent contributor to the Chicago Sun Time's Fishing Report, Bob's expertise has reached many and we're happy to dive deeper here on the show.

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to check out the linked content! We have a few different videos on our channel of some of Bob's fishing experiences. Be sure to also subscribe to the channel and leave him a comment!

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