S2, E16 - Conservation Visions, Shane Mahoney

We are honored to feature the renowned conservationist Shane Mahoney on this week’s Talking Mule Deer episode. Shane describes how he grew up in Newfoundland and how his childhood experiences formed the foundation for his own conservation vision. Shane is one of the most eloquent philosophers in the hunting and outdoor community who has been carrying forward his message of continuing these honorable and sustainable traditions to a broad audience. Our conversation touches on the deeper connection we humans have historically had to the natural world and the need to tap back into this connection as a culture. Shane’s Wild Harvest Initiative is working to quantify the economic value of sustainably harvested wild game meat as an influence on our culture and health. We also get Shane’s perspective on the development of the concept of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation; the approach has been around for over 100 years but the conceptual framework to explain the approach has only been around for a few decades. Dr. Valerius Geist, Shane and several other colleagues helped to develop the original concept and how this vision has been the foundation of wildlife conservation in this country. He will be releasing a book in the Fall of 2019 that presents the Model and the challenges and opportunities we have as conservationists moving forward. This is one Talking Mule Deer conversation you do not want to miss!