Andy McLaughlin joins the show from a remote island in Alaska where he lives off the land enjoying a true subsistence lifestyle. Having grown up with grandparents who were passionate about the outdoors, Andy became interested in nature at a very young age. Spending much of his childhood on farms in the Midwest, his early connections to the land ranged from farming to hunting, fishing and foraging. Well respected for his culinary skills and creativity in utilizing wild game in the kitchen, Jesse ...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 14 min
On this very special episode of the Ahi Va Podcast listeners will have the opportunity to meet District 15; State Representative Dayan Hochman-Vigil. Having served as the Chair of the House Transportation, Public Works & Capital Improvements Committee, Rep. Hochman-Vigil was instrumental in helping New Mexico become the very first state ever to develop a statewide Wildlife Corridors Action Plan. Now serving as the House Majority Whip, Rep. Hochman-Vigil continues to leverage her leadership a...
Jun 01, 2025•32 min
New Mexico became a national leader in providing equitable opportunity to experience the outdoors when the New Mexico Outdoor Equity Fund was created in 2019. Now, more than five years later, the impact this program has provided to communities across New Mexico is undeniable. Listen in as Jesse Deubel speaks with Karina Armijo, the director of New Mexico's Outdoor Recreation Division. Karina Armijo has 27 years of experience supporting small businesses and events in Northern New Mexico in both t...
May 01, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Senate Bill 5 [SB5], The Wildlife Heritage Act recently passed the NM State Legislature and was signed into law. SB5 provides a wholistic approach to updating the systems in place for wildlife management in New Mexico. This bill was supported by one of the largest and most diverse conservation coalitions ever to be assembled in the state. Each organization who worked tirelessly to help this necessary bill become law approached the goal from a unique perspective. The values, priorities and missio...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 32 min
Jesse Deubel invites David Willms, Associate Vice President of Public Lands for the National Wildlife Federation onto the show. Before joining the National Wildlife Federation, David served as a natural resources policy advisor to Wyoming Governor Matthew H. Mead, and a natural resource attorney in both the public and the private sector. He also teaches a graduate course on the Endangered Species Act at the University of Wyoming, and writes frequently on various wildlife and land management issu...
Mar 01, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Hunting is conservation. That phrase was popularized by David Allen while he was the CEO at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. David is a marketing genius. That phrase went viral and hunters continue to use it at every opportunity. There is a lot of truth to those words. For about the last 100 years hunters have been the primary source of conservation funding. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is an enterprise agency. The roughly $50 million dollars per year they operate with is not pro...
Feb 01, 2025•1 hr 15 min
At Zulu, they believe that everything is better in hiking boots. Zulu Archery & Outdoors is a veteran-owned business that supports all local outdoor communities and provides outdoor experiences that can accommodate any explorer. Their outdoor services provide life-skill experiences through hiking, land navigation, camping adventures, and guided hunts. They specialize in creating outdoor experiences that help their customers grow in their physical abilities, confidence, problem-solving skills...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 14 min
URGENT: The very existence of public lands in the United States of America is under the greatest threat conceivable. What would the loss of public lands mean for you, your family and the activities you enjoy? What if the road leading to your favorite trailhead or camping spot was gated and locked? What if you were blocked from your favorite hiking or fishing spot by "PRIVATE-NO TRESPASSING" signs. Whether you enjoy visiting National Parks, wildlife refuges, lands managed by the Bureau of Land Ma...
Dec 14, 2024•45 min
Seek Outside designs and manufactures performance-built backcountry products in Western Colorado. The mission of Seek Outside is founded in their passion for the outdoors, wild places and the experiences they provide. The company exists to improve the all season backcountry experience, and to help protect and conserve the wild places we all love. In mid-October, Jesse Deubel had the opportunity to put some Seek Outside gear to the test during a muzzleloader elk hunt in the Gila. After the hunt h...
Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 23 min
Anyone who has driven through New Mexico recently has seen the large installations of wind turbines popping up across the landscape. If you've been next to a semi-truck carrying a single blade for use on one of those turbines you can appreciate the massive size of these windmills. These modern structures are drastically different from the old, rickety, wooden stands that might stretch 40' into the air and support a metal bladed pinwheel designed to pump water from the ground. These modern, power...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 22 min
Join NMWF's executive director Jesse Deubel as he talks with the president and president-elect of NMWF's board of directors. After spending his career with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, John Crenshaw has invested twelve years leading NMWF as a board member and perhaps as the longest serving president of the board. John shares some very interesting history about the organization and numerous issues that hunters and anglers in New Mexico care about. As John prepares for his second re...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Mandela Leola van Eeden sits down with Jesse Deubel to discuss "The Trail Less Traveled" and a wide array of global conservation topics. "The Trail Less Traveled," hosted by Mandela, is dedicated to documenting humanity & planet earth by gathering stories & sounds from the most remote locations around the world. Growing up, Mandela spent a season in South Africa, a season in Montana & various seasons traveling the world with her flight attendant mother & vagabond father. At an ea...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 18 min
On June 3rd, 1924 the Gila Wilderness became the world's first ever administratively designated wilderness. Forty years later when the Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson the National Wilderness Preservation System was established and the Gila became a congressionally designated wilderness. Remarkably, even four decades before the United States Congress had the ability to designate wilderness, a U.S. Forest Service employee by the name of Aldo Leopold had a vision f...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 4 min
On this special episode, Jesse Deubel talks with Brandon Butler about all things conservation including Brandon's newest film, "SHIRAS: A Nonresident Montana Moose Hunt." Brandon Butler is a syndicated outdoor newspaper columnist and freelance magazine writer. His column, Driftwood Outdoors, has appeared in over 50 different newspapers and magazines, and currently runs in over 30 publications. He has won many awards for his outdoor communication work. Butler has established himself as a conserva...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 19 min
On this very special episode of the show Jesse Deubel sits down to have a candid conversation with his good friend and mentor, Kent Salazar. Kent worked for 20 years as a director of environmental health for the City of Albuquerque. He was appointed by NM Governor Johnson to the Western Governors Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission to develop regulations to improve visibility in Class 1 wildlife areas; and Governor Richardson to serve on the NM Climate Change Task Force and develop tran...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 7 min
The Arizona State Game Commission recently passed a rule to eliminate the practice of auctioning off select tags for big game species as a tool to raise money for conservation. Many people are concerned the reduction in conservation dollars will have a negative impact on wildlife in the state. Some advocates commend the commission in Arizona for their ongoing commitment to adhering to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and respecting wildlife as a public trust resource. In this ep...
Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 16 min
If one wants to learn to play the guitar, a quick search on Google will likely reveal a variety of instructors in your state willing to provide lessons. If you have a guitar, and maybe even if you don't, the process of beginning to learn how to pick the strings is relatively easy. A quick internet search, a couple phone calls and a few dollars later, one will likely be receiving professional coaching on how to produce music on that instrument. Overcoming the barriers to entry when it comes to hu...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Join Big Addison and Jesse Deubel as they discuss the history and magnificence of Columbus, NM and the vast public lands surrounding this quaint community. Today, most visitors to Columbus are there for a short stop while en route to Old Mexico. Situated just a few miles north of the port of entry to Palomas, MX visitors often stay on the US side of the border and walk over to Mexico for shopping, dining and reduced price medical care. The treasures of this region are plentiful and one of New Me...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 8 min
"I'm only one person so I can't make a difference...said eight billion people." "A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit." Both of these quotes came up during this great conversation between Jesse Deubel, Matthew Monjaras, Justin Trussell and Anthony Lucero. This dynamic group discusses a variety of topics including waterfowl hunting, water management, habitat conservation and the importance of educational outreach. All four of these friends h...
Jan 01, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Description: There are numerous barriers to entry for new hunters and those returning to the activity after a long absence. Recruiting a good mentor can help shorten the learning curve. Access to knowledge provided by a mentor can provide guidance regarding when, where and how to pursue our quarry. It's also important to be equipped with the right gear when entering the field, especially in remote, backcountry hunting situations. In this episode Jesse Deubel talks with Sam and Natasha Wallick as...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 38 min
In the last episode [episode 30] Jeremy Romero and Jesse Deubel covered the pre-hunt planning and preparation that ultimately contributed to confidence and success during the hunt. In this episode, the conversation turns to the series of events that occurred in the backcountry while pursuing the bull of a lifetime. The conversation continues on to discuss meat care, the pack-out and an array of other topics that will benefit any elk hunter. Combined, Jeremy and Jesse have roughly 50 years of exp...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 35 min
In spring of 2023 Jeremy Romero, Regional Connectivity Coordinator with the National Wildlife Federation received the news that he had drawn a coveted public land elk tag through New Mexico's big game public draw. Jeremy immediately went to work on building a plan so he could make the most of this tremendous opportunity. Hall of fame automobile racer Bobby Unser said, "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." With immense appreciation, Jesse Deubel, NMWF's Executive Director accepted ...
Oct 01, 2023•1 hr 19 min
In this episode Jesse Deubel interviews his good friend Matthew Monjaras about the tremendous work Matt is doing as the founder of Impact Outdoors. The mission of Impact Outdoors is to impact communities through education, conservation, and meaningful outdoor opportunities. Their team achieves this mission through strong relationships, community involvement, dedicated volunteers, and a strong passion for the outdoors. Jesse has had the privilege of participating in outings with Impact Outdoors f...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 16 min
In the summer of 2022 the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish successfully acquired nearly 55,000 acres of previously private land and added it to the Marquez Wildlife Management Area. This public land expansion has already proven to provide significant benefits to wildlife and to New Mexico's human residents. This property was purchased by a willing buyer from a willing seller. In this episode, Jesse Deubel speaks with Jon Graham about Jon's recent hunting experience on the newly expanded Ma...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Dr. Blair Wolf is a professor of biology and as an ecological physiologist-animal ecologist is interested in how animals cope with challenges of desert environments. He is also a long-time member of the board of directors of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. Recently, Blair Wolf helped to recruit the newest member of NMWF's board. Blair refers to Dr. Carlos Martinez del Rio as one of his mentors. Carlos recently retired from his position as a professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiolo...
Jul 01, 2023•1 hr 21 min
In this episode Jesse Deubel shares a conversation recently had by Randy Newberg and Shane Mahoney. Herein, these two conservation leaders begin a deep dive into Conservation Vision's "Wild Harvest Initiative." This discussion is the first in a five-part series.The New Mexico Wildlife Federation is a proud partner of the Wild Harvest Initiative. We are honored to introduce you to the most comprehensive explanation of the Wild Harvest Initiative ever to be articulated. Enjoy the listen! For more ...
Jun 01, 2023•3 hr 9 min
New Mexico has become the poster child for the privatization of wildlife in the United States. The privatization, commodification and commercialization of wildlife, which is supposed to be managed as a public trust resource has countless consequences to the future of hunting. How is it that this state, with such a deep hunting culture and tradition allowed the opportunity to pursue wild game to become increasingly available to the wealthy regardless of residency status at the expense of New Mexi...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 32 min
In this episode Jesse Deubel and John Stallone talk about the importance of reclaiming the wolf. As apex predators, human hunters and wild wolves have much in common. Over the years though, many hunters have perceived wolves as competition for the prey species that human hunters also pursue to feed our families. Perhaps because of this relationship that some hunters view as adversarial, the image of the wolf has been embraced and adopted by many organizations who use it to portray an anti-huntin...
Apr 01, 2023•1 hr 18 min
In a major victory for public access, the Supreme Court of the United States has declined to hear arguments from landowners who claimed that a New Mexico court ruling upholding the public’s right to access rivers and streams that flow over private property amounted to an impermissible government taking. The supreme court on Monday denied a petition filed by Chama Troutstalkers, LLC and Z&T Cattle Co., LLC. The companies’ owners, who have ties to Texas, had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rev...
Mar 01, 2023•13 min
For many Americans living in urban centers, the barriers of entry into hunting, fishing and spending time in nature can be immense. Arlando Chiles was living in one such environment during a challenging time in his life. A series of unfortunate events had led to him being evicted from his home. As he was packing his belongings and grappling with the fear of having no place to go, his television randomly began playing a hunting television show featuring Randy Newberg on a black bear hunt in South...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 19 min
