Colorado is at the center of some of the biggest battles over hunting, wildlife conservation, government policy and the future of the West.

In this extended episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates sits down with two guests who approach those issues from very different positions — but ultimately arrive at many of the same questions about leadership, government, conservation and the future of Colorado.

First, Chris Tymeson, Vice President of Government Affairs for Safari Club International (SCI), joins Dan to discuss the growing national and international fight over hunting and wildlife management.

Tymeson spent 22 years as the chief attorney for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks before moving to SCI, giving him a unique perspective on wildlife management from both the government and advocacy sides.

The conversation covers why Chris believes Colorado has become “ground zero” for the anti-hunting movement, the growing threat of ballot-box biology, wildlife commission appointments, predator management, firearms legislation, ammunition restrictions, trophy-import bans and the importance of sportsmen's coalitions.

Chris and Dan also discuss Colorado’s proposed constitutional right to hunt and fish, Kansas' experience establishing a constitutional right to hunt, fish and trap, and why protecting hunting and fishing at the constitutional level could become increasingly important as political pressure on wildlife management grows.

The conversation also goes far beyond Colorado. Chris explains SCI's work around the world, including international hunting, African wildlife conservation, trophy-import restrictions and the consequences that can occur when outside political interests attempt to dictate how other countries manage their own wildlife.

Then, after the sponsor break, Dan sits down with Kevin Grantham, former Colorado Senate President, former member of the Joint Budget Committee and current Fremont County Commissioner, who is running for Colorado State Treasurer.

Grantham discusses the Colorado state budget, government spending, TABOR, the role of the State Treasurer, the state's investment portfolio, PERA, unclaimed property and what he sees as the biggest problems facing Colorado's fiscal future.

The conversation also explores the changing political landscape of Colorado, the urban-rural divide, population growth, changing demographics, the relationship between state government and rural Colorado, and whether Colorado needs greater political balance.

For hunters, anglers and conservationists, this episode also offers an important reminder: wildlife conservation doesn't happen in a vacuum. Wildlife management, public lands, natural resources, hunting and fishing are all influenced by politics, elections, legislation, commissions and the people who occupy positions of authority.

From the national fight to protect hunting to the political and financial decisions shaping Colorado, this is a wide-ranging conversation about who controls the future of Colorado — and what happens when politics collides with conservation.

ABOUT THROUGH THE GATES

Through the Gates brings together wildlife professionals, hunters, anglers, conservationists, politicians, biologists, attorneys and policymakers to examine the issues affecting the future of wildlife and the outdoor heritage of the West.

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What does it really mean to be a hunter? Is it about filling a tag, harvesting a trophy, or everything that happens along the way?

On this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates sits down with Jordan Budd, a Nebraska-based hunter, guide, filmmaker, and outdoor storyteller known for her work with MeatEater and Rockslide. Raised on her family's third-generation cattle ranch in northwest Nebraska, Jordan developed a passion for hunting, archery, and filming at an early age. Today, she has built a career around guiding hunters, pursuing big game across the West, producing outdoor films, and helping tell the story of hunting and conservation. Dan and Jordan explore the changing culture of hunting, the pressure to harvest, and the influence of social media and outdoor television on hunters' expectations. Jordan shares why some of her most meaningful hunting experiences have had nothing to do with whether she filled a tag, and why showing the realities of an unsuccessful hunt can be just as important as documenting a successful one. The conversation also takes a deeper look at the challenges facing today's hunters, including declining hunting opportunities, increasing difficulty drawing tags, wildlife habitat conservation, and the role of science-based wildlife management. Jordan discusses her family's ranching legacy, changes in Nebraska's mule deer and whitetail populations, the impacts of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), and the growing presence of elk. Dan and Jordan also discuss the importance of hunting ambassadors, women's growing influence in the outdoor industry, predator management, grizzly bears, wolves, and the need for hunters to stay engaged in wildlife policy and conservation issues. From high-country archery mule deer to the realities of guiding, filmmaking, motherhood, and maintaining a family ranch, Jordan offers a candid perspective on what it takes to build a life in the outdoors—and why protecting hunting opportunities matters for future generations.

In this episode:

• Jordan's journey from a Nebraska ranch to the outdoor industry
• Why hunting is about the experience, not harvest
• Social media, hunting television, and unrealistic expectations
• The challenges of guiding hunters and managing expectations
• Archery hunting, mule deer, elk, and Western hunting opportunities
• Women's influence and representation in hunting and conservation
• Ranching, wildlife habitat, and the importance of private land conservation
• Nebraska's changing deer populations, EHD, and elk expansion
• Predator management, wolves, grizzly bears, and wildlife policy
• Outdoor storytelling and the future of hunting films
• Why hunters need to be engaged in conservation and wildlife decisions

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#ThroughTheGates #JordanBudd #MeatEater #Hunting #WildlifeConservation #SaveTheHunt

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO

Sign the Initiative 302 petition: savecoheritage.org

Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us

Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com

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What happens when wildlife management becomes a political fight?

In this special Through the Gates x The Mountainside Podcast collaboration, Dan Gates and Bobby Marshall sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about Colorado wildlife, hunting, fishing, conservation, CPW, ballot-box biology, and the emerging fight over Colorado’s constitutional right to hunt and fish.

This conversation goes far beyond hunting.

Dan and Bobby break down why wildlife management affects hunters, anglers, hikers, mountain bikers, photographers, ranchers, outdoor businesses, and anyone who enjoys Colorado’s public lands and wildlife.

A major focus of the conversation is the proposed constitutional right to hunt and fish in Colorado and the argument that complex wildlife-management decisions should remain grounded in science, data, professional wildlife management, and adaptive management.

They discuss:

• What Colorado’s constitutional right to hunt and fish actually says
• What the proposed amendment does — and does not — do
• The concept of “ballot box biology”
• Why CPW and professional wildlife managers play such an important role
• Colorado’s experience with Proposition 127 and wolf reintroduction
• Mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, bears, wolves and beavers
• The debate over trapping and wildlife-management tools
• How hunting and fishing contribute to conservation funding
• Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funding
• Why wildlife doesn’t recognize state boundaries
• Colorado’s rapidly growing human population and increasing recreation pressure
• The changing relationship between wildlife and outdoor recreation
• Why non-hunters have a stake in wildlife management
• How people outside Colorado can support Colorado’s wildlife-conservation efforts
• How to talk to someone who doesn't hunt or fish about wildlife conservation
• And why Dan believes wildlife management should remain adaptable as conditions change

The conversation also gets into something that often gets overlooked: Colorado’s wildlife belongs to everyone.

Whether you hunt, fish, hike, camp, photograph wildlife, ride a mountain bike, own a ranch, or simply enjoy seeing elk, deer, bears, mountain lions and other wildlife in Colorado, the decisions being made today can affect how those resources are managed for generations.

This is a conversation about wildlife first — and the people, policies, science and funding mechanisms that determine how Colorado manages it.

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO

Fund the Campaign: WildlifeDeserveBetter.com

Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us

Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com

Follow CRWM on Facebook: facebook.com/savethehuntcolorado

Follow CRWM on Instagram: instagram.com/c.r.w.m