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Hunting Ain't Easy

Hunting Ain't Easy

Mike Costello 58 Episodes Apr 15, 2025

Hunting Ain't Easy is a California-focused hunting podcast hosted by Mike Costello. It covers public land deer and bear hunting, with a special focus on California D-zone hunting. Episodes discuss scouting tactics, habitat and herd management, conservation, and how hunters can help put more animals in the woods. The show follows Costello's adult-onset hunter journey, including his misadventures and successes, as he works toward more big buck encounters.

Episodes

Big (good) changes in California - Bear, Deer, Elk, Wolves and More
Big (good) changes in California - Bear, Deer, Elk, Wolves and More Apr 15, 2025 2792 Hey there... there's so much coming at us in California, and a lot of it is GOOD.  SHARE this podcast with your community - LET'S LEAD.  First: Please SHARE the podcast so everyone is updated, informed and ready to act.  Show notes: many links below that need your action, attention and advocacy.  FGC Meeting Agenda 4/16: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=229367&inline FGC Meet
Leading the Call for Wolf Mgmt Plan Updates
Leading the Call for Wolf Mgmt Plan Updates Mar 24, 2025 3054 Complaining isn't working, but advocacy will. It's time to lead... It is time to call upon the California Dept of Fish & Wildlife, and the Fish & Game Commission to refresh the 10-year old Wolf Mgmt. Plan, establish a practical and sustainable roadmap to delisting and long-term management of wolves. It is time to identify the risks that subsidized wolves present to human communities, the e
What world are we in??? Progress with Calif. Bear Legislation, use of hounds!
What world are we in??? Progress with Calif. Bear Legislation, use of hounds! Mar 11, 2025 1461 AB1038 brings hounds back to the bear woods in CA, and it gives the Commission and Dept the tools needed for effective black bear management, increased harvest where warranted and more effective conflict reduction.  This is a nationwide call to action - because a win in California is a win for everyone! Time to step in and help here... this will be a long campaign where we are approaching the 2nd
Headwaters Retreat - X6A Zone Habitat Project Update
Headwaters Retreat - X6A Zone Habitat Project Update Mar 8, 2025 3557 Get involved and help us WIN - let's bring back the use of HOUNDS - for bears, support AB 1038 - for mountain lions, support SB 818  ** Headwaters Retreat - follow along and let me know if you want to reserve some time at the camp!  AirBnb Link: http://airbnb.com/h/headwaters-retreat Headwaters Retreat - Facebook  Headwaters Retreat - Instagram  
Ep 54: F&G Commission is considering coyote regulations, and what you can do?
Ep 54: F&G Commission is considering coyote regulations, and what you can do? Feb 2, 2025 4126 Welcome to Hunting Ain't Easy... listen, share & take action here! . https://www.howlforwildlife.org/cacoyote  The backstory on this issue is shared via Chriss Bowles (California Bowmen Hunters) and Charles & Mike (HOWL). Bottom line is that bad optics and complete lack of context has some folks at the F&G Commission thinking that coyote (nongame species) need special regulations devel
Jan 28th Virtual Townhall: Wolves & Lessons for California
Jan 28th Virtual Townhall: Wolves & Lessons for California Jan 14, 2025 259 Join HOWL for this Virtual Townhall Event: Wolves, Lessons for California  HOWL for Wildlife welcomes Justin Webb (Executive Director of the Foundation for Wildlife Management) and Jessi Johnson (Government Affairs Director, Wyoming Wildlife Federation.) Wolves are on the cusp of exponential population growth in California. The known wolf population nearly doubled in California in 2024 and is now
Ep 52: Wolves in California - with California Wolf Watch
Ep 52: Wolves in California - with California Wolf Watch Jan 6, 2025 5779 Join HOWL's Jan 28th "Wolf Lessons Learned" Townhall featuring Justin Webb (Foundation for Wildlife Mgmt) and Jess Johnson (Wyoming Wildlife Federation)....  MEMBERS ONLY so join today!  Wolves are here, and they're not going away. Planting flags of extreme support, or extreme opposition, only guarantees a long fight, unresolved conflict, and more work for lawyers.  So... how do we bring stakehold
Ep 51: Malcolm Brooks "A mountain lion attacked my nephews..."
Ep 51: Malcolm Brooks "A mountain lion attacked my nephews..." Jan 2, 2025 4807 Please... Listen and Share  Malcolm Brooks is the uncle of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks, the young men who were enjoying a day of shed hunting, scouting and outdoors recreation when they were attacked by a mountain lion. Malcolm shares the story of the attack, and wildlife management policies gone wrong here in California, in a newly published New York Times Magazine article (Jan 2025).  NYT Magazine A
Rally & Support! CDFW Bringing New Hunts, More Tags
Rally & Support! CDFW Bringing New Hunts, More Tags Dec 6, 2024 2969 Use these links to follow along:  - WATERFOWL Recommendations - BIG GAME Hunt Recommendations - Email Support and feedback by end of day 12/9: fgc@fgc.ca.gov - HOWL for Wildlife... JOIN THE PACK!  - Message me on IG for Q&A - HuntingAintEasy  Quick summary... CDFW is bringing regulations update package for Commission review and discussion (and decision!). It all adds up to more hunting opportu
CWD "Emergency Regulations!" in California
CWD "Emergency Regulations!" in California Jun 18, 2024 1578 This conversation is in regards to the 6/19 Commission meeting.  Join the meeting via ZOOM if you can... hunters' voices are NEEDED in this forum.  Short notice but dig in and listen if you can. The Commission is proposing "Emergency Regulations" in response to 2 detections of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in CA.  I want the Commission and Dept. to treat other known and pre-existing "existential t
Call To Action: Calif. Bear Conservation Plan COMMENTS
Call To Action: Calif. Bear Conservation Plan COMMENTS Jun 11, 2024 1628 This is an opportunity to proactively influence a management plan document that will impact bear hunting and ecosystem management for the next 10+ years!  The Calif. Dept of Fish & Wildlife has provided a (draft) 2024 Black Bear Conservation Plan for public review and input.  Here at HOWL we have developed no less than 78 comments, questions and recommendations for this plan.  In this episode
Ep 47 California Marine "Hunting & Angling"  - proposed closures, need for hunting community to rally!
Ep 47 California Marine "Hunting & Angling" - proposed closures, need for hunting community to rally! Mar 11, 2024 2695 Nearly 150 MILLION Americans live within 2 hours of an ocean... so the concept of "hunting the coastal waters" is something that we all need to be aware of and support. Just like hunting, angling opportunity is part of the basic human experience, and as a community we need to be concerned about habitat quality, access and opportunity.  Nearly 1200 pages of petitions have recently been submitted to

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