Shootin’ the Bull

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
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📬 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.
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Ep. 8 - From Back East to the Backcountry with Matt O'Connell

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) and Matt O'Connell (Regional Conservation Officer, now retired) and discuss how one Wisconsite wound up enforcing wildlife crime in Idaho for close to 31 years. 
Other Topics: Becoming a "Senior" Conservation Officer once your hair goes grey; "junior baby game warden"; 5 years in Yellow Pine; packing out a deer on your mountain bike; bucks in boats; the Mighty Pointers; stumbling upon a caged bear in Shenandoah National Park; busting an elk poacher in the Frank Church Wilderness; bone-headed tourists in national parks; Yellow Pine's world-renowned golf course; putting on your biologist hat as an officer; community relationships; Free Fishing Day; pros and cons of technology; Game Warden Magazine; processing 35mm film for evidence; when a selfie becomes evidence; capturing bighorn sheep in the Owyhees; why you don't have to be a "hard ass" as a conservation officer; fighting off hypothermia on Monumental Summit; when Ralphie (from A Christmas Story) stops by the Nampa Regional Office for an elk tag; urban poaching; the psychological burden of dealing with bad people; and more.

Ep. 7 - Life at the Mackay Fish Hatchery

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) heads to Mackay with Tom Talley (Staff Engineer) to chat with the current and former Mackay Fish Hatchery crew — Christian Brown (Mackay Fish Hatchery Manager), Kelsey Lear (Mackay Fish Hatchery Assistant Manager), and Mick Hoover (Former Assistant Mackay Hatchery Manager). The Mackay Hatchery just celebrated its 100th anniversary, supplying fish for Idaho's anglers since 1925. And you won't believe some of the stories from back in its early days.
Other Topics: Mick's unofficial Mackay Museum; the view from Christian's porch; a "boutique hatchery"; learning to weld as a hatchery manager; 100 miles from everywhere; how you end up at a fish hatchery; living at work; visiting the Mackay Hatchery on your next family vacation; digging up horse bones; slaughter hatcheries; feeding horse flesh to fish; "meat tubs"; Connor eats a fish pellet; modernizing fish food; why hatcheries exist; resident vs. anadromous; the birds and the bees (but for fish); hand-stripping; other hatchery lingo; producing roughly 3 million fish a year; hauling fish to every corner of the state; air-dropping into alpine lakes; fish backpacks; where to catch golden trout; working in -40 degree weather; "Hay Spur" history lesson; Mick's quest for milk cans; scuba-diving an alpine lake and "fish torpedoes"; the first stocking trucks; 1925 REO Speedwagon; how hatcheries are funded; worst thing you've ever smelled on the job; what a hatchery employee smells like; a quick and dirty history of Mackay; and more.

Ep. 6 - Deep Diving Panhandle Fisheries with Rob Ryan and Mike Thomas

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), TJ Ross (Regional Communications Manager), Mike Thomas (Regional Fisheries Biologist), and Rob Ryan (Fisheries Mitigation Staff Biologist) up in the Panhandle Region.
Other Topics: An alligator in Coeur d'Alene Lake; piano keyboard eels; how to make time for fishing when you're a fisheries biologist; Mike's shed hunting prowess; bobcat fried rice; Rob's quest for walleye; from farming to fishing; Chain Lakes largemouth; what is an acoustic tag?; what a Panhandle regional biologist looks at; how walleye impact other fish; the mystery of mysid shrimp; mysid shrimp cakes; how to prioritize different fisheries; the three-legged stool of fish management; the importance of angler feedback; scrambled walleye eggs; what the heck is a "duty officer"; wrangling skunks; why you never go on a deer call by yourself; when people ask you bigfoot questions; Rob's encounter with a backwoods bigfoot hunter; jug lines; Mike and Rob's huntin' stories; Connor's purple-breasted grouse; catching a fork in the North Fork CDA River; when you spot an elk shed while snorkeling a river; TJ sinks a drone in CDA Lake; and more.

Ep. 5 - Urban Warden: Patrolling the Treasure Valley with Brian Marek

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) and long-time conservation officer Brian Marek, who recounts some of his most memorable moments patrolling the Treasure Valley and beyond for 26 years.
Other Topics: Connor's squirrel skinning crime ring; from forestries to Florida; parking Shaquille O'Neal's car at Disney World; cutting your teeth as a wildlife tech; going to the "dark side"; Arco, the Atomic City; waiting in hay fields for spotlighters; a Treasure Valley love affair; upstate New York gets cold; being an urban conservation officer; the huge problem with litter; Tootsie Rolls and Ritz crackers; why you have a lasso in your patrol truck; the "Roaming Officer"; Treasure Valley alligators; pets becoming problems; working with other local law enforcement; Brian's wild Tazmanian poaching case; a horrific day at Brownlee Reservoir; when a beaver wipes out 10 of your prized maples; when (and when not) to call the CAP hotline; running out of gas in a helicopter; Elliott the Elk; and more.

Ep. 4 - Restoring Potlatch Wild Steelhead With Robert Hand and Brian Knoth

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 Jen Bruns (Clearwater Regional Communications Manager) shoots the bull with Robert Hand (Regional Fisheries Biologist) and Brian Knoth (Regional Fisheries Biologist) in Lewiston, Idaho. Robert and Brian talk about the work they do with habitat restoration and monitoring projects on the Potlatch River in North Central Idaho.
Other topics: Being surprised by a steelhead; homesteading with goats and chickens; from Alabama to Idaho; free-range kids; what is a "regional" fisheries biologist; steelhead monitoring program; what do steelhead need?; and more.