What happens when our idea of perfect, untouched nature conflicts with the realities of wildlife conservation?

On this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates sits down with Trinity Vandenacre of Life in the West for an in-depth conversation about hunting, wildlife management, predators, ranching, conservation, and the misconceptions shaping public opinion across the American West.

Trinity challenges what he calls the “pristine myth”—the belief that nature was once perfectly balanced and would return to that ideal if humans simply stepped away. Drawing on his experience in the Western way of life, he discusses why wildlife management is more complicated than many people realize, why historical comparisons can be misleading, and why responsible human involvement matters to the future of wildlife.

The conversation explores the role of regulated hunting in maintaining wildlife populations, the debate over wolves and other apex predators, Colorado’s growing human population, forest management, wildfire, habitat, and the challenges of communicating conservation to people outside the hunting and ranching communities.

Dan also opens the episode with an update on Colorado Amendment 83 and the constitutional right to hunt and fish, discussing traditional methods, existing hunting restrictions, the role of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and the importance of science-based wildlife management.

Whether you're a hunter, angler, rancher, wildlife enthusiast, or someone who simply wants to understand how conservation works, this conversation examines the difficult questions facing wildlife and the future of the American West.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Colorado Amendment 83 and the constitutional right to hunt and fish
• What “traditional methods” means in the debate over hunting and fishing rights
• Trinity Vandenacre’s journey into Western lifestyle and conservation content
• The “pristine myth” and the idea of untouched, perfectly balanced nature
• Why regulated hunting is a wildlife management tool
• Wolves, elk, moose, beavers, and the complexities of predator-prey relationships
• Yellowstone and why its wildlife management experience may not translate directly to Colorado
• Hunting, wildlife abundance, and the funding of conservation
• Ranching, public lands, forest management, and wildfire
• How social media shapes public perceptions of hunting and conservation
• Why conservation requires looking forward instead of trying to recreate an idealized past

FOLLOW TRINITY VANENACRE
Find Life in the West and Trinity Vanenacre on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

SUPPORT CONSERVATION AND THE FUTURE OF HUNTING
Learn more about the effort to protect hunting and fishing in Colorado:
SaveTheHuntColorado.com

Learn more about wildlife conservation advocacy:
WildlifeDeserveBetter.com

If you care about wildlife, conservation, hunting, fishing, and the future of the American West, help us spread the conversation.

👍 Like the video
💬 Share your perspective in the comments
🔔 Subscribe to Through the Gates
📲 Share this episode with someone who wants to understand wildlife management and conservation.

#ThroughTheGates #WildlifeConservation #Hunting #WildlifeManagement #ColoradoWildlife

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.

#ThroughTheGates #ChrisTymeson #KevinGrantham #SafariClubInternational #Colorado #ColoradoHunting #WildlifeConservation #Hunting #Fishing #WildlifeManagement #RightToHunt #Conservation #ColoradoPolitics #TABOR #SaveTheHunt

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

STREAM TO SHOW -

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVjalEoOauqM3xLSHrq3FO680x-XriQcD

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

Follow CRWM on Facebook: facebook.com/savethehuntcolorado

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