Shootin’ the Bull

Idaho Department of Fish and Game
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From fish squeezers, deer muggers, and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game.

  1. APR 22

    Ep. 16 - These Boots Were Made for Walkin' with Sierra Robatcek

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) sit down with Sierra Robatcek (Big Game Habitat Staff Biologist) to discuss how Fish and Game tracks migratory species—deer, elk, and pronghorn—and why that information is so invaluable.  Other topics: Mispronouncing Sierra's last name; what is a habitat biologist?; Sierra's personal migration from Colorado; Fish and Game family; the difference between mule deer and wolverines; more to habitat than meets the eye; regional biologist vs. staff biologist; why does mule deer migration matter to sportsmen?; the pursuit of food; uncovering 12,000-year old migration routes; crossing five different highways; herds of moose; pronghorn can't jump; nature vs. nurture; how Idaho Fish and Game tracks animals; deer muggers; slingin' animals; what's the data for?; conservation relationships matter; why does a town deer stay in town?; animal-safe fencing; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    1h 37m

  2. MAR 20

    Ep. 15 - Hound Dogs and Mountain Cats with Carson Watkins

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) travels to Coeur d'Alene to talk with T.J. Ross (Panhandle Region Communications Manager) and expert houndsman, Carson Watkins (Panhandle Regional Supervisor).  Other Topics: Poppin' claws; Carson's tenure bouncing around the state, North Idaho vs. Southeast Idaho mountain lions; how do you get in to running hounds?; Blue the Bluetick; teaching a young dog an old dog's tricks; Carson's approach to mountain lion "hunting"; how does IDFG/houndsmen manage North Idaho mountain lions?; reclassifying lions as a big game animal (thanks to houndsmen); were hunters harvesting more lions back then or now?; what does a good day of mountain lion hunting look like?; hunting lions is...hard; a mountain lion's daily routine; advances in technology; hound hunting misconceptions; Carson's most memorable cat hunts; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    2h 42m

  3. FEB 20

    Ep. 14 - The Tall Tails of a Clearwater Trapper with Bill Seybold

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) visit Lewiston and talk with Jen Bruns (Regional Communications Manager) and Bill Seybold (Clearwater Region Trapper Education Coordinator). Other Topics: Bill celebrating his 642nd birthday; trapping with Grandpa in Wisconsin; Bill's famous Beaver Balls; ranking roadkill by flavor; are younger generations getting into trapping?; species you can (and can't) trap for; are trappers a dying breed?; Bill's "trapping Crocs"; Jen's muskrat jawbone earrings; what does beaver castor smell like?; the time Bill lured in his future wife using a turkey call and beaver castor; Mandles; beaver choice cuts; Connor's freezer full of pine/red squirrels; mandatory trapper ed; the do's and don'ts of trapping; going after raccoon dogs in Russia; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    1h 35m

  4. 12/24/2025

    Ep. 13 - Good Neighbors and Elk Landscaping with Tara Ball and Deborah Monzingo

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) visit Lewiston during the November Commission meeting and talk with Jen Bruns (Regional Communications Manager), Tara Ball (Regional Wildlife Biologist), and Deborah Monzingo (Regional Wildlife Biologist). Other Topics: Having fun with the last name "Ball"; catching the Fish and Game bug; studying Andean bears in Ecuador; why everyone seems to go to U of I; being a two-month-old in elk camp; learning how to age deer teeth; when dreams of becoming a "roller disco queen" don't pan out; what is Good Neighbor Authority?; OGO's; elk habitat projects; elk food vs. deer food; "elk ice cream"; what's happening in the Clearwater Region; mastication; seeing different animals on game cameras; conversations with codgers; wildlife habitat is extremely complex; the Big Burn; "How to Think Like an Elk"; working with private landowners and sportsmen; Crystal Balling the future of GNA; inspiring the next generation; Shootin' the Bull podcast puts people to sleep; "Indian Creek Chronicles" and other book recommendations; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    1h 6m

  5. 12/10/2025

    Ep. 12 - Urban Crocs and Mouse Docs with Kris Bragg and Jacob Berl

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) head to Coeur d'Alene to chat with T.J. Ross (Regional Communications Manager), and Kris Bragg and Jacob Berl (Conservation Officers).  Other Topics: Kids are expensive; "Doctor Officer"; educating the next generation; a doctorate in rodents; Euro mounting a prairie deer mouse; Kris' new hound dog, Doc; treeing a moose; wearing your enforcement hat when you're hunting; patroling the Panhandle; the weirdest thing Kris has ever found in the woods; a crocodile on the loose in Post Falls; what is a Cuvier's dwarf caiman?; the mystery of the "Tubbs Hill gator" continues; do North Idaho game wardens get claustrophobia?; the most common violations; educating vacationers about urban wildlife; getting chased up a tree by a cow moose; when bigfoot turns out to be an owl; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    1h 7m

  6. 11/26/2025

    Ep. 11 - The Many Hats of a Mackay Warden with Steve Roberts

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Tom Talley (Staff Engineer) head up to Mackay to talk with Christian Brown (Mackay Fish Hatchery Manager) and Steve Roberts (Conservation Officer in the Mackay Valley). Other Topics: Forecasting the Mackay Miners' football season; "re-districted" to the Upper Snake Region; patroling the Snake River corridor; first outdoor podcast; what's so special about Mackay?; commuting alongside seven 12,000-foot peaks; who technically patrols Mount Borah?; patroling the Lost River Range when you're afraid of heights; the limitations of motorized vehicles (and mules); the moment Steve knew he wanted to be a game warden; when a wasted antelope carcass leads to a wasted elk carcass; varying degrees of wildlfie violations; small-town vs. urban game wardens; what kind of calls does a Mackay warden get?; the "naked man at Mackay Reservoir" story; Mackay Reservoir's 4.6-star Google Review; kokanee; wildlife trafficking; putting on your biologist hat; fruit leather; relationships with your trucks; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    1h 39m

  7. 11/12/2025

    Ep. 10 - The Bear of Bear Lake County

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Host Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) sits down with Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist), Kolby White (Conservation Officer - Southeast Region), and his right-hand man, Bear — an energetic black Lab and certified K9 Officer with Idaho Fish and Game. Bear and Kolby have been working together, wearing the Fish and Game badge, for just over a year. Other Topics: The Caribbean of the Rockies; Journal of a Trapper by Osborne Russell; what's inside a K9 handler's truck; any rivalries between working dogs and residential dogs?; a K9 officer's training regimen; when your grandfather's a game warden; patroling Idaho's borders; the history of canines with Idaho Fish and Game; "resting cop face"; can they sniff drugs?; training a dog to search for specific evidence; Bear's least-favorite word; potential hazards for a K9 officer; when your department property eats your other department property; finding a dog-sitter; the severe winter of '23; the Montpelier Reservoir state-record tiger trout story (and a $400 fine); stealing opportunities from other sportsmen; the folly of social media grip-n-grins; solving a case with your grandpa; and more. ----more---- Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    1h 41m

  8. 10/29/2025

    Ep. 9 - Idaho's First Nonresident Tag Drawing

    You’re listening to Shootin’ the Bull — a podcast by Idaho Department of Fish and Game. From fish squeezers to deer muggers and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game. Hosts Connor Jay Liess (Public Information Specialist) and Ben Bieri (Digital Content Specialist) sit down with Roger Phillips (Public Information Supervisor), Tara Reichert (License Operations Manager), and Alex Erickson (Customer and Vendor Relations Manager) to discuss why Idaho is moving to a draw system for nonresident deer and elk tags and what sportsmen and sportswomen can expect when December rolls around. Other Topics: Roger's "Charlton Heston voice"; Tara's return; what the nonresident tag drawing will look like in December 2025; how the new system came to be; what came out of the Non-Resident Tag Issuance Advisory Group; Idaho: the last holdout for true over-the-counter nonresident tags in the West; the truth of how IDFG is funded; that gas station in Arco; feedback from license vendors; buying a 2026 Idaho nonresident license before applying for the draw; why Idaho's nonresident draw is in December; how many choices do hunters get?; the definition of random; how the process of applying with a group works; the timeline moving forward; voiding Connor's 17 applications; why a NR hunting license is required before applying; other hunting opportunities if you don't draw; Disabled American Veteran (DAV) tags; Tara pretending she's not a "stats gal"; and more. Additional Links 2026 Nonresident Tags Supplemental Brochure Nonresident Deer and Elk Tag FAQs Nonresident Tag Issuance Advisory Group Disabled Veterans Programs Returned Sold-Out Tags 🎯 APPLY HERE 📬 Get in touch with our Licensing Team! Email licenses@idfg.idaho.gov. Have a question or topic suggestion? Drop us a line at podcast@idfg.idaho.gov. Follow Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

    52 min
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About

From fish squeezers, deer muggers, and everyone in between, these are the conversations with the men and women of Idaho Fish and Game.

Information

  • Creator
    Idaho Department of Fish and Game
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Shootin’ the Bull

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