New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Seeing bears and mountain lions who have been collared.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is always out on Vermejo.

I mean, I would run into them all the time.

They were fantastic to see out there and to say, "Wait, this is a private piece of land that has bison on it for cultural purposes, and you're gonna let the government come out here and hang out? Like, wait a second," you know? "This is a-- Like, this doesn't sound like a billionaire's property to me." Um, and you know, but there were all these benefits to the science and to the shared knowledge and to these shared projects going on.

I thought, wait a minute, if I'm this accomplished at making all these other people, who rightfully so deserve amazing credit for what they're doing in the athletics and the outdoors, then wouldn't this be simpler and easier with scientists and biologists who have something we can actually relate to? And wouldn't it be fun to see them get the credit for this work that, if it's done well, is totally invisible to us, right? We would never know if it's functioning, because if it's functioning, we're not paying any attention to it.

And I thought, man, that sounds like a really fun path to commit to, you know? And, and something that I could do.

And of course, that was inspired by knowing these really great people out there and, you know, the collaborations between the wonderful people working for New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Lance and Gus and Roy and all the folks working together on Vermejo, and just seeing that that's a possibility and that that management is available.

And then lo and behold, this is the pinnacle of large landscape conservation.

So for those who are maybe kind of hunting curious, what suggestions or advice might you offer them?

Well, Yeah, I would say one thing that's really great now, I don't know if this is happening in Colorado, but here through the Department of Game and Fish and then also through like New Mexico Wildlife Federation, there are a lot of opportunities for learning how to hunt.

Especially here, there are a lot of women-focused opportunities.

So they'll have a monthly gathering for women that's about like how to hunt for turkeys, how to call.