Salt Lake City, Utah: The Mule Deer Foundation will be launching a new podcast series called Talking Mule Deer with the first episode available on the MDF website on Monday, April 23. Talking Mule Deer is intended to be an entertaining and educational listening series featuring interviews with MDF staff, mule deer biologists, land managers, hunting industry experts, and celebrity sportsmen and women. The first episode features MDF President/CEO Miles Moretti talking about the growth of MDF and how the organization is making an impact for deer across the West.
“I am excited to be launching MDF’s podcast, Talking Mule Deer. We hope this will be an informative new tool to reach out to avid western hunters and conservationists about how they can be more involved in mule deer and black-tailed deer conservation,” commented Moretti. “MDF has grown significantly in its 30 years; we have a tremendous chapter network, effective habitat restoration projects, and some of the best volunteers in the country. Talking Mule Deer will give us a chance to spotlight MDF’s great efforts and hopefully give listeners some new knowledge about wildlife biology and conservation.”
Talking Mule Deer is hosted by Steve Belinda and Jodi Stemler, two long term conservation professionals. Belinda is a wildlife biologist and policy expert who has worked for the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service and then started working with several sportsmen conservation organizations. He has broad knowledge about habitat management and wildlife conservation, and he’s an avid outdoorsman. Stemler has specialized in conservation communications with a number of organizations and industry partners for more than two decades. She’s an award-winning freelance outdoor writer and a reactivated hunter who is learning every year as she sees hunting through her daughter’s eyes.
Belinda and Stemler use their broad experiences in conservation and the outdoor industry to guide the Talking Mule Deer conversations through a variety of topics. The episodes are intended to focus on three core areas: information about the Mule Deer Foundation including its habitat projects, chapter efforts, and more; educational episodes about mule deer and black-tailed deer conservation science describing deer behavior, emerging wildlife management issues, hunting tips and tactics, and much more; and entertaining or newsworthy interviews with outdoor celebrities, industry professionals and policy makers.
Over the first month, Talking Mule Deer will release a new episode every week with the first episodes featuring Miles Moretti (April 23), the Ladies of MDF (April 30), Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke (May 7), and Bass Pro Shops Founder and CEO Johnny Morris and his son John Paul (May 14). After the first month, episodes will be released every other week and will feature interviews with Mule Deer Working Group chairman and noted deer biologist Jim Heffelfinger, Adam and Brenda Weatherby, Skullbound TV’s Jana Waller, Heartland Bowhunter’s Mike Hunsucker and Shawn Luchtel, Colorado Buck, MDF regional directors talking with federal and state wildlife biologists, and many more. Each episode runs between 15 and 30 minutes making them fit comfortably in an average daily commute.
Go to the MDF website to listen to the podcasts and to follow the podcast feed to automatically receive the latest episode. Follow the Mule Deer Foundation on Facebook to keep up with announcements about upcoming podcasts and everything MDF!
About MDF
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-3337.
MDF is Dedicated to the Following Goals:
To restore, improve and protect mule deer habitat (including land and easement acquisitions) resulting in self-sustaining, healthy, free ranging and huntable deer populations.
To encourage and support responsible wildlife management with government agencies, private organizations, and landowners.
To promote public education and scientific research related to mule deer and wildlife management.
To support and encourage responsible and ethical behavior and awareness of issues among those whose actions affect mule deer.
To support regulated hunting as a viable component of mule deer and black-tailed deer conservation.
To develop programs that focus on recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation.