Steven Rinella talks with Jim Baichtal of The Blacktail Foundation, Janis Putelis, Ryan Callaghan, Phil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider.

Topics discussed: When you only shoot with a muzzleloader; all the records; the old ass deer bone; the conservation of blacktail deer; the "shirker buck" theory; moon phases; an animal at the edge; timber management and harvest; long days on the hunt for blacktail; how half of the blacktail fawns are eaten by black bears; licking branches; and more.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:10 Muzzleloader Hunting and Personal Stories
03:02 Geology and Its Connection to Hunting
09:54 Cave Exploration and Archaeological Discoveries
15:05 Black-Tailed Deer Conservation Efforts
21:06 Understanding Black-Tailed Deer Taxonomy
27:09 The Impact of Climate on Black-Tailed Deer
36:02 Predation and Population Dynamics of Black-Tailed Deer
45:45 Historical Deer Populations and Habitat Changes
48:52 Timber Management and Its Impact on Deer Forage
49:51 The Lifecycle of Clear Cuts and Deer Populations
56:16 Current Deer Populations and Habitat Management Challenges
01:00:16 Population Estimation Techniques for Blacktail Deer
01:04:32 Optimal Habitat Density and Deer Movement Patterns
01:09:07 Conservation Efforts for Blacktail Deer
01:23:11 Future of Timber Management and Deer Habitat
01:30:21 Ongoing Projects and Future Directions for Conservation
01:31:11 Impact of Habitat Management on Deer Populations
01:34:10 Predation vs. Habitat: Finding the Balance
01:37:01 Understanding Fawn Predation and Bear Behavior
01:40:25 The Decline of Deer Populations: Habitat Loss
01:43:21 The Importance of Blacktail Deer Research
01:46:53 The Role of the Blacktail Deer Foundation
02:11:32 Advocacy and Habitat Restoration for Blacktail Deer