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Ryan and Valerie Watson saved their pennies to be able to afford a dream island vacation on the Caribbean Islands of Turks and Caicos. The dream turned into a nightmare, however after 4 loose rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition was found in Ryan’s luggage when they were LEAVING the island. That means it made it all the way to the island undetected by TSA. What seems like an innocent mistake has turned into a hellish reality for their family as Ryan now faces up to 12 years in a Turks and Caicos prison cell.

The Oklahoma couple discusses how things played out, including Valerie being arrested as forced to stay on the Island for 10 days while the Turks and Caicos officials debated on whether or not to charge her as well as her husband. Ultimately, she was given her passport back and allowed to return home to the U.S. and their two young children. Sadly, Ryan is the first American to run into this accidental misfortune on the island, he now is sharing an apartment with another American who was arrested in February and is awaiting his trial and sentencing (which will set the precedent for what is expected to happen to Ryan).

Are U.S. government officials intervening on his behalf? What legal options does he have? What are the conditions of Turks and Caicos jail cell? And most importantly, why is an island that relies on 94% of their GDP coming from tourists… well targeting tourists with absurd laws? Much to discuss with this amazing couple that has seen their family torn apart by arbitrary law.

Click here for the Watson’s GoFundMe page.

Texas Parks and Wildlife has proposed two major changes in mountain lion management. The question is, why? Mountain lions are treated as a non game species in Texas with no closed season or bag limit. But don’t let that fact lead you to believe that Texas hunters are out killing mountain lions indiscriminately, we aren’t. In fact, Texas is no different than any other state when it comes to the reality that most hunters won’t ever see these amazing and extremely reclusive animals in the wild. We likely never have and never will.

TPWD Wildlife Diversity Program Leader Richard Heilbrun joins me on this episode of Campfire Conversations to discuss why TPWD has proposed the changes? Is there scientific data to support it? OR, is it something else… like maybe pressure from a known group of anti predator hunters? We discuss the Mountain Lion Stakeholder Group (including who is on it) and what went on behind the scenes over the past year and half after Texans For Mountain Lions petitioned TPWD to enforce strict season dates, bag limits, limit trapping methods among other things without any scientific data to support their demands. I ask Richard the tough questions and the what these changes mean as far as potential further restrictions in the future.

Leave Your Feedback for TPWD here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/business/feedback/public_comment/proposals/202405_mountain_lions.phtml

Compound vs Crossbow, Bait vs no Bait, Mechanical vs Fixed Blade…these debates continue to rage on within the hunting community. I do believe there’s a time and place for healthy debates on such topics. However, when I see hunters continue to attack each other on social media and in public I can’t help but wonder why they believe their way is better. This episode focuses on the reality that the hunting communities’ biggest enemy is often times itself. I share my recent interaction with a turkey hunter who’s take actually blew my mind. I truly believe the mindset he displayed in our conversation could be the undoing of our hunting pastime unless we call it out. We can do things differently and still be on the same team.

Then we take it the next level by discussing a group of hunters that actually went as far as to have 3 months of their state’s coyote season shut down to all hunters. That’s right, hunters actually reducing their season and rights in the name of…what? Passionate Michigan predator caller Chris Kreiner joins us to shed light on the group of houndsmen who ultimately got Michigan to close coyote hunting for 3 months out of the year. Chris (along with many other passionate predator hunters) went to the commission meetings to protest the advances of these houndsmen but ultimately the Michigan Department of Natural Resources sided with the houndsmen citing “social science” as the reason the season needed to be shut down for 3 months each year.

Chris also explains Proposition G – a mid 90’s law that Michigan adopted to ensure that sound science had to determine all changes or closures in hunting regulations and seasons. So is “social science” really science at all? And if not, will this change in season dates ultimately be overturned in the legal system? It’s sets a terrible precedent when you label public perception as actual science. You can find more from Chris at his website: https://www.krop.com/ckreinermedia/#/

 

When I got wind that Texas Parks and Wildlife was considering cancelling the long standing spring snow goose conservation season (you know, the one where you take the plug out of your shotgun and there’s no daily bag limit) I was immediately intrigued. WHY? The conservation order has been in place since the mid 1980s. Is it no longer an effective way to help control snow goose numbers?

Texas Parks and Wildlife Waterfowl Program Lead Kevin Kraai makes his return to the show this week. He answers the tough questions and reflects on the expected blow back from some hunters and outfitters that view this is nothing more than lost hunter opportunity. However, it’s important to note that the conservation season was never intended to be a permanent deal. We discuss it in great detail while hitting on some other interesting topics including:



* Teal season across Texas

* historical tension between representatives from different fly ways

* one state’s defection from the Mississippi Flyway

* coyotes displace the #1 nest predator of ducks

* historical analysis of mid continent snow goose population over the past 50 years and why that lead to Texas becoming the 1st state to cancel the spring conservation season

* why are snow goose numbers on the decline?

* why did the duck season split move a week later in the season ( I know a lot of us were less than thrilled to get that news) ?

* widescale changes in greenhead behavior AND patterns

* other puddlers picking up the slack?

* positive pintail news?

Silencer Central’s Brandon Maddox makes his return this week. We discuss the upcoming November election and what that means for the gun industry. We also get into the latest product launches (like the Speed K pictured in this post) and the expected lifespan of a suppressor. Other highlights from our discussion include:



* how to add new suppressors to an existing trust

* benefits of suppressors for women and youth shooters

* the recent hiccup with the ATF

* A more positive experience more likely to bring a new hunter back

* upcoming hunts including an African safari that leaves Cable a little jealous!





Then we check in with father/son big bass aficionados Brodey and Stetson Davis. Their accomplishments speak for themselves as Brodey holds the Lake O.H. Ivie big bass record with his 2022 lunker that weighed 17.06 lbs. Stetson recently joined his dad in the annals of big bass lore when he skipped school and landed a sharelunker of his own- a 13.31 lb whopper out of Lake J.B. Thomas. Stetson’s fish destroyed the previous junior angler record for the lake btw. We hit on a myriad of big bass topics including:



* Brodey’s favorite month for lunker class bass

* How has Side Scanning technology changed the game for targeting big bass?

* Should it be legal in tournament fishing?

* What bait did they each use to land their lunkers?

* Where is Lake J.B. Thomas and why is it producing big bass?

* Turkey and deer hunting tales

* What happens once you catch a 13 lb class bass (what does Texas Parks and Wildlife do)?

When the Endangered Species Act passed in 1973 it was widely supported by hunters, conservationists and animal lovers alike. However, somewhere along the way it’s mission was abandoned. Animals no longer needing protections stay on the list in perpetuity. When biologists deem a species recovered and recommend removing them, the antis sue to try to get them relisted. Rinse and repeat.

On this episode I’m joined by our old friend and Safari Club International’s Executive VP of Government Affairs Ben Cassidy. We discuss the status of the ESA and how a new bill ( America’s Wildlife Habitat Restoration Act – sponsored by congressman Bruce Westerman – R-AR)  could help ensure states get to work with the feds to try and recover and ultimately delist species within their borders.

We also discuss the importance of SCI’s Hunters Embassy. The only one of it’s kind in Washington D.C. , this is the epicenter of protecting our rights as sportsmen both in North America and internationally. Plus, it just sounds freaking cool to say that we as hunters have our own Embassy!

(Ben live from the Hunters’ Embassy in D.C.)