Let’s Hope The Weather Holds

I speak to Roy Sloan, General Manager of the Fiorldand Wapiti Foundation about the lawsuit Forest & Bird has brought against the foundation and against the Department of Conservation, and about the consequences it might have for all hunters in New Zealand. All deer species are introduced into New Zealand. Hunters say they have to be sustainably managed, with lobby groups saying they have to be removed as much as possible, often via poison bait or by helicopters operators who shoot them, as they destroy native flaura. FYI folks, we had connectivity issues and the sound is quite poor at times.

I speak to Gwyn Thurlow, Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel at the New Zealand Deer Stalkers, about new DNA evidence on the origin of New Zealand chamois, and new historic finds on the history and practicalities of their translocation after local and Austrian newspapers were digitized. Gwyn is working on a book he hopes to publish in a year with the evidence and his years of Chamois hunting as topics. We speak abou local herds, how they were caught in Austria, how they were shipped and almost perished on their trip, what they were fed and loads more. He gives me Chamois hunting tips.

Podcast live. The campaign against meat. In this episode I speak to Prof. Dr. Frédéric Leroy about the campaign against meat. Frederic is part of a research group in industrial microbiology and Food Biotechnology at the Department of Bioengineering Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels. He talks about the the intricacies and politics of the EAT Lancet diet and its stakeholders, he tells me about one liners, hyperbole and simplification of the meat and livestock argument, climate and the vilification of meat, we talk about why he took to Twitter to tackle misinformation about meat, how studies about meat’s place in healthy diets have been inaccurate, why a UN environmental group says meat is our most pressing issue, we talk about fermented meat, issues with the Global Burden of Disease study, why the fight against CO2 has left the building, and the influencers in the campaign against meat. Frederic on Twitter/X @fleroy1974

In this episode I talk to Sean Andrews, founder of the New Zealand based Category 3 Fly Company. C3 supplies flies world wide. He tells me about ice fishing for trout with flies and a hand line in Sweden, how he learned to fly fish on chalk streams in the UK as child on the same rivers Frank Sawyers was a river keeper, how difficult it is to find a tying partner, who the greatest fly tyers in the world are, why tying a hare and copper commercially is difficult, he speculates that the 101 is the perfect fly, recruiting people for fly tying who needs a leg up in life, paying royalties for new fly patterns, how you get space in a fly shop, the politics in the fly industry and the challenges the industry faces. https://www.category3flycompany.com For those interested to read on some of the UK father of fly fishing Sean mentions go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sawyer_(writer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._E._M._Skues

I speak to Ben Kepes from Cactus Outdoor about making hard wearing outdoor gear locally, how climbing bums become business owners, 30 years of Cactus Outdoor, their ethos of gear that last vs. gear that has to be constantly replaced, a ethical business model that is not seasonal, his outdoor missions, other companies he admires, how to make profit when you make quality and not quantity, what is legacy and more.

I speak to regenerative sheep and beef farmers Amy and Hamish Bielski. They tell me about their transition to regenerative farming and finding a sweet spot that works for their farm. We talk about an article they wrote (https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/amy-and-hamish-bielksi-our-research-down-on-the-farm) where they spell out their confusion about carbon taxes and how measuring a farms carbon footprint is not as easy as it seems. The Bielski's say they sequester more carbon on the farm than they produce. We touch on creating value for consumers, how many regenerative principles stem from the US and Africa and what that means for New Zealand, we talk about energy transition and how few people understand the carbon cycle.

I speak to Corina Jordan, chief executive of New Zealand's Fish & Game. She tells me about shotguns that kick, training deer and pheasant dogs, the work Fish & Game does to rehabilitate create and save habitat for fish and game birds, what type of horse she wants for hunting, taking time out to get outside, the type of people Fish & Game has in its arsenal of talent, hunters as examples for other hunters, conservation, utilisation, social license of hunters, the role influencers play in the industry, broken bones and scars and much more.

Artist, fly fisherman, fly guide and conservationist Johann du Preez talks about fishing mad spots like Sudan, Sette Cama and Guyana. We talk about conservation, tropical diseases, having your passport taken, sucking as a client, the Indifly Corps, creating livelihoods for small communities and of course his amazing art and the techniques he uses. Follow him on instagram @johanndupreez_art https://www.instagram.com/johanndupreez_art/ For indifly go to https://www.indifly.org

In this episode I talk to Navigate founder Anna Benny about her view that precision fermentation is a threat to the New Zealand dairy industry. We talk about how changing climate policies play a role in the possible disruption of the dairy industry. We talk about why meat possibly won't face a big disruption from novel proteins. We praise milk for its nutritional properties. We talk about how she is perceived in the industry as a result of sounding the alarm bell to possible threats. We theorise how the dairy market will look in future. We talk about regenerative farming. She talks about her views about what will happen on her farm in future.

Ferreter James Curry tells me how he uses ferrets to catch rabbits in New Zealand where rabbits are an introduced pest. He talks about how he got into ferreting, training ferrets, how an obsession became a job, getting permits to transport ferrets, that are also an introduced pest and why his ferrets are named after psycho killers. Find him at www.jimsbunnyhunters.com

I speak to Prof. Emmanuel Bobobee from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in Ghana. We talk about his cassava harvester, the challenges smallholder farmers face with cassava production, the need for governments in Africa to support mechanisation and processing. We talk about the perception of cassava and perceptions about smallholder farmers.

General manager for the New Zealand Game Animal Council Tim Gale speaks to me about the days when his dad used to supply deer farms with wild caught hinds. He gives me tips on training a dog to hunt deer. We lament that we don't get out enough. He tells me about his horse wrangling and hunting guide days overseas. We discuss working with people with opposing views and diplomacy. We discuss the challenges the council face and the challenges deer, tahr and chamois face.

In this episode I speak to Fish and Game field officer Cohen Stewart about research done in Southland in New Zealand about how native eel thrive in hunter created duck ponds. Cohen talks about how the study came about, the methods they used, and their findings. He also talks about his passion for hunting deer over his German Short Haired Pointer, how he joined Fish and Game, and how he began fishing. All music by Jacques van Wyk

Andrea Mattioli quickly became a legend under fly fisherman in Auckland when he began working at a local shop Rod and Reel. When the shop closed everyone missed his no nonsense approach, humour and willingness to talk fishing for hours. In this podcast he tells me about growing up in Italy and fishing in the traditional 'al tocco' style since he was a kid. He tells me how in the region where he grew up the biggest decision a kid makes is picking between soccer or motorbike racing, he chose racing. We talk about catching marble trout in Italy. He tells my about the connection he feels with fish when he catches them on dry fly. We talk about fishing for Instagram. And how he now fishes while carrying his 11 month old son on his back. All music by Jacques van Wyk

I speak to editor and founder of Project Upland magazine A.J. DeRosa about bird hunting in the USA, his dogs, how he started the magazine despite being told it won't work and how punks can also hunt. He talks about hunters getting involved in politics, how to use climate change to get funding to secure more bird habitat, how denying climate change is not helping, how being a hunter does not automatically make you a conservationist. He gives me tips about buying my first bird dog, he talks about working for the police and about electronic dance music, his favourite shotguns and more Have a look at https://projectupland.com All music for the podcast by Jacques van Wyk.

In this episode I speak to Pelham Jones, president of the Private Rhino Owners Organisation about what it takes to conserve rhinoceros in South Africa, the sale of almost 2000 rhinoceros by John Hume, the human and animal toll rhino poaching takes, why South Africa is not allowed to legally sell rhino horn, how the sale of rhino horn is similar to trading deer antler in the way New Zealand does, we talk about sustainable utilisation, why CITES opposes trade, the Asian black market for rhino horn and more. We also talk about how to see when rhino are stressed, litigations against the South African government, how rhino populations in South Africa grow by over 7% per year despite natural losses and poaching, all thanks to private owners, how private rhino owners own more than 60% of rhino in the world and carry a massive conservation burden. All music by Jacques van Wyk.

Homesteading in New Zealand is growing, especially after recent floods and the Covid pandemic. I speak to Michael Andrew, editor of Lifestyle Block magazine about homesteading in New Zealand. We ask are preppers crazy? (No they're not!) We talk self sufficiency, hunting, fishing, bartering, permaculture and how he is building his own homestead in Raglan, New Zealand. Note; the interview was done late last year, so when he refers to next year he means 2024. All music by Jacques van Wyk

The De Winton’s golden mole was last seen in 1937 and was declared lost to science. But a team of researchers recently used environmental DNA to find it again and also managed to get hold of one of the moles and take DNA sample swabs. I speak to Dr. Samantha Mynhardt, a Conservation Genetics Researcher, about their discovery on the South African West Coast. We talk about the potentials of the use of environmental DNA in conservation, the sniffer dog they used to detect the golden mole, why it is better if some species are left undiscovered but why finding the De Winton's mole is good, the threats against it and more. Samantha is part of the Drylands Conservation Programme, for the Endangered Wildlife Trust and an extraordinary lecturer for the Department of Botany and Zoology at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

What is better than a weekend hunting mission with mates? So, in this episode I speak to Riley Meason and Gabe Ross from The Weekend Mish. They talk about how they started hunting, building a YouTube channel brand, their participation in the reality TV show Tracked, how they handle criticism, their recent hunt in the USA and why it rocked, big missions and taking risks, what a trophy is, the future and more. Gabe cuts out a few times and Riley and I just keep talking. We laugh at our own jokes. Good times! Check them out on https://www.youtube.com/@TheWeekendMish All music by Jacques van Wyk

In this episode farm nutrient advisor Melinda Turner and Barrie Riddler talk about their theory that using less fertiliser on New Zealand farms will mean more profit for farmers and better animal health. They talk about their deep frustrations with the idea that maximum production means maximum profit. Some of what they say might be triggering to anyone who does not understand the curve of diminishing returns. Barrie talks extensively about the software model, E2M, that he wrote. He voices his frustration with how averaging is used to make decisions on farms. Melinda talks about the connection between soil and animal health. She talks about a need for plant system modelling in Overseer, and how soil optimal ranges are based on averages that are useless for individual farms, and how she believes farms have to be treated as individuals. She talks about how there is little understanding of how what happens in soils has an impact on livestock health. She says she doesn’t use the term regen as it is basically just good farm practice. Barrie says if a greenhouse gas tax kicks in and software uses averages to calculate future fertiliser use on farms, then the best and most efficient farmers will be penalised the most. They voice opinions on sale reps. Some useful information. A E2M intro and demo https://youtu.be/kSHcWXJ08Sc John King explaining diminishing returns https://youtu.be/F9ytTwU_TUQ E2M-technical-foreword.pdf (landcare.org.nz) This is a full and at times complex overview of E2M Sarahs Country discussion on E2M https://youtu.be/bl3tuI7im3I E2M Detailed Overview https://youtu.be/SmEx7irZP14 Annette Litherland, Takaka Study Takaka-Case-Study-3.pdf (landcare.org.nz) https://landcare.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/E2M-technical-foreword.pdf And last but not least a explanation by ChatGPT that Barrie provided on E2M: "E2M (Enviro-Economic Model) is a unique farm-planning tool that can identify how to achieve a particular outcome on a farm within the many constraints that farm operates within—whether it be maximising economic performance or minimising external inputs, nutrient losses, or emissions. It is a full farm systems model, summarising farm operations in fortnightly increments including pasture growth, grazing, fertiliser use, economics, nutrient outputs, and greenhouse gas emissions. E2M works differently to other farm systems models available in Aotearoa New Zealand (and the world)—and this makes it much more efficient and effective than those models. E2M is based on a linear-programming platform and can model whole farm systems including greenhouse gas emissions. It differs from other farm systems models worldwide as it avoids the restrictions that linear programming exhibits when integrating multiple complex systems."