WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:05.160 Welcome to Moro Outdoors on News Talk five sixty KLVI. This is Chester Moore. 2 00:00:05.799 --> 00:00:09.400 This week we're gonna have one of the more unique programs we've really ever 3 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:14.800 had. I'm interviewing Grayson Highfield. She is the winner of our Tony Houseman 4 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:19.519 Conservation Legacy of what we do through my higher calling Wildlife, and she has 5 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:24.640 a unique story. She went from being a vegetarian for most of her life 6 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:31.239 to becoming a hunter. I'm so excited to have my new friend Grayson Highfield 7 00:00:31.640 --> 00:00:34.600 here on the program. I met her at the Sheep Show in Reno. 8 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:39.320 She is a twenty twenty three graduate of the Women Hunt Program of the Wild 9 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:42.600 Sheep Foundation. And I got to meet her at the sheep Show and my 10 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:45.320 friend Kat Hunter, who's been on the program, said you gotta make this 11 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:48.079 check. She likes to write. She's really awesome. And I gave her 12 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:50.439 my card and I said, you know, if you'd like to do something 13 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:53.000 out there writing, contact me. I can make that happen. In like 14 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.560 fifteen minutes later, I get this like Shakespearean text, you know, with 15 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.799 all this awesomeness on it, and most people I say that to never hear 16 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:03.280 from again. So I thought, she's a real go getter, and she's 17 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.079 someone who's going to have a wonderful future whatever she does. So welcome to 18 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.359 the program. Thank you, Thank you so much for having me. Now. 19 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:15.200 You have a very interesting journey ending up at a women Hunt program because 20 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.159 you were a vegetarian for twenty out of your twenty seven years of your life 21 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:23.840 just about Yeah. I was really little when I decided I didn't want to 22 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:29.439 eat meat. Wow. We connected on our love for animals, and I'm 23 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:32.920 such a softie, and I said to my parents, they're too cute and 24 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.480 I don't want to eat them. And I stuck to my convictions for a 25 00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:41.560 really long time on that, and it wasn't until I moved to Wyoming about 26 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:47.079 a year ago that I kind of had decided I wanted to eat meat again. 27 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.239 And one of my moral convictions is that if I was going to eat 28 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:53.319 meat again, I was going to learn how to harvest it myself. Wow. 29 00:01:53.959 --> 00:01:57.480 So that is how I ended up applying to Women Hunt and have been 30 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:04.079 on this journey for the last year. That's a pretty intense conviction that because 31 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:07.240 most people never consider that, you know, even if it's this dad, 32 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:10.000 even they just eat it. You go, Okay, you know, I 33 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:13.759 was a vegetarian. I like animals. I want to get back into eating 34 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:15.400 meat, but I'm gonna at least be able to say I can harvest my 35 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:21.560 own meat. Yeah, And I think that's just morally something that I stand 36 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:25.800 behind because the life of an animal is so important to me, and so 37 00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:31.360 if I'm going to use it to sustain myself, then I need to be 38 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:38.199 able to understand what goes into taking that animal's life. And that's kind of 39 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:43.800 how I ended up deciding to hunt. And I've always respected hunters and fishermen 40 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:50.039 fisher women because I think it's one of the cleanest, most ethical ways to 41 00:02:50.199 --> 00:02:54.319 harvest and sustain yourself. I think that it leaves one of the lowest carbon 42 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:59.319 footprints. That's the first time on this program that's ever been mentioned a low 43 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:02.199 carbon footprint. So you're you just give us a first. Yeah, you're 44 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:07.560 the first. Something I think about all the time, because I consider myself 45 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.560 an environmental advocate, right, I consider myself someone who is a proponent for 46 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:15.000 conservation, and I think that's something that needs to be considered, right, 47 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:21.240 and let's talk, you know, farm to table, the that's that is 48 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:28.400 like the least amount of effort going into transporting that food and creating that food. 49 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.759 It's in the wild, it's living a beautiful life. You get to 50 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.159 harvest it. Maybe it's a lot of personal effort, sure, but I 51 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:37.680 think that's a good thing. Well, no one can leave this planet without 52 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.800 having blood on their hands of animals. If you're a vegan and you eat 53 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:46.000 vegetation, there's a plow that went across the field and something got killed. 54 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:51.199 It's not a personal contact. So I definitely respect the fact that you had 55 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.400 this journey and you had your convictions, and you're like, man, that 56 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:57.159 steak looks pretty good. So I want to get back involved in some meat, 57 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.360 but I want to make sure that I have the gumption and know I 58 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:02.240 could do it myself. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And I mean I 59 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:09.680 even grew up around people who raise their own meats, and I also really 60 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:13.280 respected that and one day I'd love to be able to do that for myself 61 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:15.360 as well. A school, Yeah, very much. So you're very much 62 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.399 in the horses. I'm a horse girl. Yeah, and you live in 63 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:23.480 Wyoming, which is a great place to be a horse girl. It is. 64 00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:26.720 Yeah, it's funny, it's you know, not where my horse girl 65 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:30.920 journey started, but it's why I've ended up. And I'm up in Cody, 66 00:04:30.920 --> 00:04:35.560 Wyoming, which is beautiful country. It's wild country, so much amazing 67 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:41.279 wildlife and so many hunters and anglers which is kind of amazing. And it's 68 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:44.920 been such a great support system for me to lean on during this journey. 69 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:50.879 The horses are just my favorite hobby. Yeah, I've had it be a 70 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:57.680 job for me. Worked for the Forest Service last summer as a crew lead 71 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.360 for a trail crew and we were stock supported, so we were on horseback 72 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:06.360 and packing in on mule and stock and horses for up to eight days in 73 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:10.199 the back country there. Oh, your backcountry people make me feel like a 74 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:13.800 slacker down here in Texas, you know, Like, yeah, we backcountried 75 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:17.319 and for like seventeen thousand miles and then camps for five weeks, and I'm 76 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:19.759 like I stayed at a hotel or stayed in a cabin and went hunting, 77 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:23.759 you know what i mean, Like you guys are you know? And plus 78 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:27.160 horses don't like me very much, Like have many horses for a ministry and 79 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:29.680 they're cool, But other horses I've written I did, You're a terrible rider 80 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:34.120 get off me. So being able to utilize horses could be a very important 81 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:40.800 part of your hunting journey. That's actually one of my biggest goals. So 82 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:43.920 I've been a horse girl my whole life. I grew up writing English, 83 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:47.399 actually retrainlating that because I have no idea what that is. So English saddles 84 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:51.120 are a lot smaller. I did your sage and eventing, so it's jumper 85 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:58.560 stuff. I didn't get into Western until I moved to Colorado. I lived 86 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:02.240 in Colorado for four years and started to kind of. I do a lot 87 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:06.399 of I still do drisage, I do. I train with drissage principles, 88 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:13.560 but uh, when I started packing is when I started riding Western more consistently. 89 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:16.480 And it's it's a lot. It makes a lot more sense for mountain 90 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.079 riding obviously, you know you're packing a lot of stuff on your saddle. 91 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:28.319 And so my horse is my two. I have two colts. One is 92 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:30.720 going to be five of this coming June and one is just about to be 93 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:35.839 two. And I started them both myself, and it would be a dream 94 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:40.319 of mine to take them both out in the back country on an out Hunt's 95 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:43.839 going to happen the two horses, it'll happen. Yeah. So what are 96 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:48.560 your horses names? Spruce and Indy. Yeah, Spruce came with his name, 97 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:51.839 and then Indy. We were trying to kind of stick to a theme, 98 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:56.199 and her name came to us in the back country this summer. I 99 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.800 picked her up in September and it was on the last hitch that we went 100 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:03.199 on. We're sitting around a campfire and she's a little sorel so she's a 101 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:08.800 little red mare and we were thinking, you know, I love Indian paint 102 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:11.720 brush, and so that's how she got her name. It's funny. Indian 103 00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:15.279 blankets my favorite wildflower. So Indian paint brush is cool too. Yep. 104 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:21.480 So you know, moving to these states where you have large carnivores, you 105 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:26.240 know, then you got horses. What is that gonna be like? Is 106 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:30.040 there gonna be is there training for that with the horses or is there any 107 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:33.199 kind of like or more training for you on handling the horse and situations like 108 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:39.800 that to be around gris and gris and gray wolves and everything else. Yeah. 109 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:42.279 So honestly, I'm more worried about my dog than I am about my 110 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.439 horses. Yeah, my horses are flight animals. And they're smart. My 111 00:07:46.519 --> 00:07:49.439 dog would probably try to take on a pack of wolves just for the heck 112 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:56.480 of it. But so my horse is Spruce was born on a ranch in 113 00:07:56.560 --> 00:08:03.439 northern Colorado, and so he had been around black bear and sure mountain mountain, 114 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:07.160 but you know, he's smart about it. I actually took him into 115 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:13.800 the back country for the first time last summer and we had a grizz walk 116 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:18.439 right behind their pasture. And horses are alert and their ears are looking and 117 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:24.319 their their heads on a swivel. But horses are also pretty big animals, 118 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:28.360 so it'd be pretty rare. I think that you'd have a grizzly actually try 119 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.440 to to come after one. I think, you know, the horses are, 120 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:35.559 like I said, they're going to be alert and they're paying attention. 121 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:37.679 I'm thinking more of being like on a switch back on a mountain and there's 122 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:43.600 a grizzly right there in front of I have not luckily run into that situation. 123 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.879 We had some you know, kind of down off trail. We did 124 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:50.759 have a black bear about twenty feet off the trail, which I have a 125 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:56.440 video if he's just rooting around. Horses were just locked in on him. 126 00:08:56.679 --> 00:09:01.879 The bear did not care about us at all. I think it's more just 127 00:09:01.960 --> 00:09:05.720 if you have horses that have been experienced in the back country and then you 128 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:11.679 bring, you know, your young one out, they learn from the other 129 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:13.840 horse the other ones too. That makes sense, Yeah, and a lot 130 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:20.720 of its trust as well, building a relationship with your horses and they trust 131 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:24.679 you, right, you're not scared of this situation. I'm not scared of 132 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:31.559 this situation and knowing that you're not going to leave them into anything anything bad. 133 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:37.200 Right. I find it interesting to speak with people who come from different 134 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:43.080 backgrounds and the great outdoors, and I really found Grayson's story fascinating. She's 135 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:48.879 such a great young lady and she's part of our Tony Houseman Conservation Legacy Award 136 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:52.320 family. Now and when we come back on More Outdoors, We're gonna hear 137 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:58.879 more about Grayson's story and her goals for the future for hunting and for conservation. 138 00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:03.879 Welcome back to More Outdoors on News Talk five sixty KLVA. This is 139 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:09.600 chester More. Follow my blog at Higher Calling dot net. Follow me at 140 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:15.360 Higher Calling Wildlife on Facebook and at the chester More on Instagram. Very active 141 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:20.559 there. Continuing our conversation with Grayson Highfield well, I was really happy to 142 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.840 be here and I didn't witness it, but I was on the grounds. 143 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:28.000 When you ate your first crawfish, I did. What was that like? 144 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:37.360 Oh, that was so fun. That was my first crawfish boil last night, 145 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:41.360 which was super fun. I had Chef Josh walk me through, you 146 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:46.840 know, breaking the process. Yeah, and it was you know, it's 147 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:52.120 funny. It's it's a lot of work and a little bit of meat. 148 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:54.720 But it was such a great experience and I'm glad that happened here. What 149 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:58.480 did you think about it? I thought it was good. Okay, because 150 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.960 the show is based out of Southeast Texas, where it's basically Western Louisiana cuisine. 151 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:07.919 Yeah, so we like our crawfish. And I had to I had 152 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:09.360 to mention that because you came run a Chester, I ate a crawfish. 153 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:13.840 I'm like cool. I got a picture with my first crawfish too, So 154 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:16.759 that's good. So you're getting in your journey, You're also get to go 155 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:20.720 and see a lot of different culture, a lot of different areas. And 156 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:26.600 what is it about wild places and wild things that you enjoy? Oh gosh, 157 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:31.240 that's such a good question. I feel like I can breathe when I'm 158 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:35.879 in wide open spaces. YEP. I grew up in an environment that was 159 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:41.879 way different. The East Coast is kind of a sprawling metropolis and some spots, 160 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:48.960 and I went out west for the first time when I was thirteen to 161 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:54.440 southern Utah, did a four day pack trip supported by pak lamas, and 162 00:11:54.519 --> 00:12:01.120 it was just like my mind just opened. And from the age of thirteen, 163 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:05.159 I knew that I was going to be somewhere way more wide open. 164 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:09.000 I love it. Speaking of pack lamas, I'm in a Rocky Mountain National 165 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.600 Park like four years ago and we go down this spot and I see these 166 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:16.840 lamas walking down. What in the heck? So, what was it like 167 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:20.120 with pak lamas. Oh, they're so fun. I have a picture I 168 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:24.759 just found the other day of me as a fourteen year old with my arm 169 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:30.960 around this lama neck. We had so much fun. But they only fit 170 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.759 when they're provoked. That was something fun I learned. So they're not just 171 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:39.679 they don't just goun spitting at people, but they're hardy little animals. I 172 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:43.039 mean, it's kind of amazing what they can carry in the environments that they 173 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.399 can get into. Because we were climbing through sandstone, and we were in 174 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:52.919 Escalante, the Grand Staircase National Monument in southern Utah, and just the way 175 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:58.679 that they can traverse that environment, it's pretty impressive. Wasn't part of the 176 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:01.720 reason they were kind of institute in that is because they have less of an 177 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.799 impact in certain areas with their feet and stuff. I'm not sure. Yeah, 178 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:07.360 because I've heard that they have less of an impact and maybe horses and 179 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:11.120 other stuff in certain areas that actually may be true. I know horses can 180 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:15.240 be very damaging to the erect Yeah, but like you know, there's certain 181 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:18.159 areas like Alama. I'm like, yeah, I have bad memories of Alama, 182 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:22.519 Like I have this Llama that was like evil. Yeah, we ran 183 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:24.519 into and it was like this, And we've got in our wild Wishes program 184 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.399 did a Lama wish and that lama was cool. This other Lama is like 185 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:31.559 I'd wake up and coming after me. You know, Like it's really kind 186 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:37.320 of funny. But you know, I love your infectious energy for life and 187 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:41.799 wildlife and wild places. You've done things with the Fort Service to BLM. 188 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:46.080 You've done some fire work. Tell us a little bit about that. Yeah, 189 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:48.759 I worked in wildland fire for a couple of years. I actually went 190 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:54.320 through a women in wild landfire but camp in twenty nineteen with the Vale District 191 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.879 BLM out of eastern Oregon and separated. I had been offered a job on 192 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:03.600 an engine the next summer. I actually turned it down and was doing other 193 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:07.279 things for the Forest Service and then came back to it and I was an 194 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:13.399 initial attack dispatcher for two years, and then I also was detailed onto an 195 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:18.720 engine summer of twenty twenty two for ninety days, which was such a cool 196 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:20.679 experience. It was a slow summer, so I didn't get to see that 197 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:26.399 much fire, so I wouldn't you know, I have been qualified as a 198 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:30.600 firefighter. Didn't see a lot of major fire. I hiked into a couple 199 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:37.480 Yeah, yeah, but it was so cool and honestly, my favorite part 200 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:41.840 was patrolling because we would go out and patrol and I know we've talked at 201 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:46.000 Estes Park and Rocky Mount and some of your favorite place place planet. Yeah, 202 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:50.559 and I was on the Arapaho Rosevelt National Forest, so yeah, so 203 00:14:50.039 --> 00:14:54.159 Estes Park was part of our North zone and you know the South zone as 204 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:58.960 well. But I was patrolling on the North zone and I just the wildlife. 205 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:03.279 We saw it was amazing Dak Warren's news all over the place while we 206 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:09.320 were patrolling. Love it, Love it. So we have something we do 207 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:13.720 at higher calling wildlife every year. Thunderous would be our fourth year of this 208 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:18.879 and it's called the Tony Houseman Conservation Legacy Award. Tony Houseman was a visionary 209 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:24.840 hunter conservationist and first heard of him by he had these big science Houseman properties 210 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:30.799 which still exist as why Gisola does that? And I read an article on 211 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:33.080 newspaper when I was a kid that he was a safari hunter and he was 212 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:37.919 actually past president of the Houston and the Dalla Safari clubs different times. And 213 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.559 one day the phone rings at my house. It is like nineteen ninety three, 214 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:46.519 late ninety three or maybe early ninety four, and I've maybe just been 215 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:50.320 writing for a year or so in a newspaper. Call him and Chester Moore 216 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.159 is Tony Houseman. Hi. Tony never met him, just assumed I knew 217 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:56.200 who he was. I guess, you know. And he's like be in 218 00:15:56.200 --> 00:16:00.279 my office at noon and I'm like, okay. So I went to his 219 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:03.519 office and it's like Kate Buffalo Heads and Kudu and Elk and I walk in 220 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:06.879 and he says, have you ever written for a hunting magazine? And said, 221 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:10.200 no, service newspaper right now, and he goes, you will, 222 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:12.039 So what do you mean? He goes, I just shot the world record 223 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:15.960 red stag and news in with a muzzloader and hunter sworn from the Uston Safari 224 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:19.600 Club wants the story, but I'm not letting them publish it until you write 225 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.080 it. He had never met me. He just saw a glimpse of me 226 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:26.720 and a call him and told me he saw something. So when I saw 227 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:33.519 you and met you at the sheep show, I saw something intangible and you 228 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:38.000 heart thank something that can't be you know it's there, and I saw there's 229 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:41.399 greatness in you, and then I started, you know, I looked at 230 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.279 some of the things you did and me and my wife Lisa talked about it, 231 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:51.000 and I'm like, man, everything about what Houseman did for me is 232 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:55.120 what I want to implant in you. So we're happy that you are twenty 233 00:16:55.159 --> 00:17:00.080 twenty four Tony Houseman Conservation Legacy Award winner. Thank you because we see greatness 234 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:07.119 in Grace and Highfield and know that you're going to do great things because you're 235 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:11.279 a great person. It's an outgrowth of you, and that's what this ward 236 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:14.599 is about. Everybody can have like a great resume and stack up whatever, 237 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:18.279 but they ain't got heart. Don't count. Yeah, you got heart and 238 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:22.839 you got You're gonna do great things and you already are. So just congratulations 239 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:25.920 on that, you know, and I'm super excited to see where you go 240 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:27.599 and what you do. Thank you so much. It was such an honor 241 00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:32.680 to be selected. I was so excited when you called me, and I 242 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:36.039 just wanted to say one thing that got my wheels turning when you were talking 243 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:41.200 to me about it that his last hunt was a gain hunt. Yeah, 244 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:45.400 And I feel like I've spent so much time considering what it means to be 245 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:51.960 a hunter, and it just really got the wheels turning on the definition of 246 00:17:52.039 --> 00:17:57.160 a hunter, right, And I think some people there's this divisiveness and sometimes 247 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:03.799 people think it's just killing, and I think there's so much more to it 248 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.599 than that, right, Like, how do we redefine so that people can 249 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:11.640 understand that green hunting is a thing, right, or people go out and 250 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:15.440 hunt lions to radio call or that. Sure. Yeah, there's just so 251 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:18.839 much to it and I really would love to find ways to be involved on 252 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:22.440 that side of the same. Well, you know what, I have an 253 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:26.319 opportunity for a green hunt you, yes, and we'll have to talk about 254 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:30.720 that. Okay, Yeah, I just got hit up on something on that 255 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:33.720 that would be so cool. It's not a rhino, it's in textis but 256 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:37.400 we like you. But if it was a rhino, I'd probably go do 257 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:44.400 it. But anyway, thanks for spending time telling us about you and your 258 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:48.359 awesome life, and thank you for your friendship and for what you're doing and 259 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:52.119 just being you. Thank you all right. That was recorded at the Hunt 260 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:56.400 Fish Podcast summit out at the Warren Ranch. And I think it's very important, 261 00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:00.680 especially on the hunting side of things, to talk to people who do 262 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:07.920 hunt who come from different backgrounds because things are so political and so divisive now. 263 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.960 And that's what truly cool about the Women Hunt program of the Wild Cheap 264 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:15.079 Foundation is a lot of ladies from a lot of different walks of life coming 265 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:19.960 to the program. I've been involved in covering the Women Hunt program since its 266 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:25.680 inception three years ago, going on four years ago, and it's very interesting 267 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:30.279 to see all the backgrounds of the ladies and Grayson is really awesome and she's 268 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:34.559 actually gonna be helping us with our Yellowstone Mission trip that we're working on here 269 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:37.839 later this month. So a lot of great things happening, a lot of 270 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:41.920 interesting people, And if maybe you have an interesting story to tell about your 271 00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:47.920 involvement in hunting, you can email me at chesteratchestermore dot com. You never 272 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:52.519 know you might end up being a guest on More Outdoors here on news Talk 273 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:57.160 five sixty klv I. And when we come back, we're gonna completely shift 274 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:03.279 gears for the rest of More out Doors tonight. Welcome back to More Outdoors 275 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.400 on News Talk five sixty klv I. This is Chester Moore. If you 276 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:11.680 want to follow my work, go to Higher Calling dot net. Also find 277 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:17.400 my work in Texas Fishing Game magazine every month and various publications around the world. 278 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.680 You can listen to the show every Friday year from six to seven pm 279 00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:25.519 as well as getting the podcast. Go to KLVII dot conflict of the podcast 280 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:27.839 link looking at the archives of the show, or check us out on the 281 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:33.160 iHeartRadio app. I have a really really special guest for the next two segments, 282 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.880 Al Perkinson. He is the CEO and founder of the Heeo Sunglass. 283 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:44.640 They're doing some amazing work to save CEA Flats in the Caribbean. Thanks thanks 284 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:48.079 for having me man Now, first off, and now I'm from Southeast Texas. 285 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:52.240 I have a hard time pronouncing my name correctly. Sometimes b a Jio 286 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:57.279 down here in Southeast Texas could spell a lot of things, that's right. 287 00:20:57.400 --> 00:21:03.480 But heo is is pronounced. It is pronounced by a lot of people a 288 00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:10.359 lot of different ways. But that's cool. It's an old Mexican name that 289 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:15.000 means the shallows. So it's the flats, the bay used, the saltwater 290 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:19.799 marshes. There's low lying areas, and since that's our zone that we care 291 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:23.359 the most about, the most passionate about, we thought of you an appropriate 292 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.240 name for the company. I absolutely love it, and of course I've always 293 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:30.920 been drawn to those areas in my life where they're incredible, not just sport 294 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:37.440 fishing opportunities out but just the biodiversary that we all crave in these incredible areas. 295 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:41.039 But let's talk about the heel itself for a second. You guys debuted 296 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:45.359 April twenty twenty one. That's right, we did. It. Took us 297 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:52.400 a little over a year to sort of conceptualize and build our product and right 298 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.960 in the middle of COVID that was more challenging than it normally would be, 299 00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:59.960 absolutely, but we were able to pull it off, and yeah, launched 300 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:04.599 in April and retail and online. Now these sunglasses, of course I know 301 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:08.880 this because I work in the sport fishing industry, and of course I sunglasses 302 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.720 are important not only for eye care but for proper fishing. They will to 303 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:15.880 actually see down in the water column. But kind of give us a rundown 304 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:19.559 just on your basic philosophy of the sunglasses part before we really dig into the 305 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:25.960 conservation. Yeah. Well, I think overall, we wanted our sunglasses and 306 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.480 everything we do, including the packaging, our T shirts, hats, all 307 00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:36.759 of that to be sustainable so have a small impact as possible on the flats 308 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.680 and other parts of the ocean. So that's kind of where we started. 309 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:45.160 All of our frames are sixty five percent plant based material. But these things 310 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:51.400 are also an important tool for anglers, and the better you see the fish, 311 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:55.640 no matter what kind of castor you are, the better chance you have 312 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:59.440 of catching them. So we came to the market. We knew that, 313 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.000 you know, having been in the sunglass business for twenty years, we knew 314 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:07.359 the technology that was out there, and it was all old. You know, 315 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:11.359 five to eighty was created back almost twenty years ago at this point, 316 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.079 so we knew of some new technology. We knew it was time for something 317 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:19.640 fresh. So we well, we focused on instead of yellow light like all 318 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:22.680 the other competitors. Yeah, that was table stakes. We did that. 319 00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:29.599 We focused our lenses on reducing and filtering out all of the harmful blue light 320 00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:33.839 from the light spectrum, and the result of that was that the lenses just 321 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:37.440 cleared up. It was kind of like you have a windshield with a lot 322 00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:44.160 of dirt on it and you put your washer on and watch them away and 323 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:45.920 all of a sudden everything clears up. Well, there's a lot of that 324 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:51.839 kind of dirt and static in the blue light spectrum and part of the spectrum, 325 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:56.799 and so we cleaned all that up and the lenses are really beautiful. 326 00:23:56.119 --> 00:24:02.480 The other thing was just to you know, do get into technical about all 327 00:24:02.519 --> 00:24:03.960 this stuff. When you build a lens, you build it in a stack. 328 00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:07.759 It's a bunch of different layers, and we found that the more red 329 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:11.920 that we put into the base lens layer, the more contrasts you would get, 330 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:15.359 the better you could see fish off the bottom and also the deeper you 331 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:21.640 could see into the water column there. And so we developed these. The 332 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.440 rose mirror that we have and the violet mirror that we have both have red 333 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:29.920 bases. The other lenses have a lot of red as well, but not 334 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:32.920 quite as much. And when we took those out to the flats and took 335 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:37.519 those put them on guides and let them test them out, they were a 336 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.400 shock at how much better they could see, how much deeper into the water 337 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.200 column, and how much more contrast they could put two big things on the 338 00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:48.839 lenses, you know, And that contrasting as a fisherman is a very very 339 00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:52.039 important thing because sometimes you're seeing a fish it's not moving, sitting with its 340 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:56.839 back, that's basically the same color as the bottom. But there's just one 341 00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:00.559 little difference or something that there's any amount of contrast, there's some that's what 342 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:04.759 your eye picks up on exactly, you know, And to see the fish 343 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:08.440 pop against the bottom and the guy next to you is like, what, 344 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:12.599 I don't see a fish down there. Yeah, you can tell the difference 345 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:15.960 pretty quickly. Yeah, And that's really important, especially thinking about these flats 346 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:21.960 fisheries. I mean, you're dealing with clear water, typically very shy fish 347 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:25.039 in many occasions, and what blows my mind. I mean, like even 348 00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:27.079 here in the Texas coast, sometimes you'll have a speckled trout, a really 349 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:32.119 big speckled trout that doesn't spook to your really you don't even see the fish 350 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:34.839 to you're right on top of it, you know, And you know it's 351 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:40.519 just using that that camouflage and that nature based camouflage and being able to pick 352 00:25:40.519 --> 00:25:44.240 that fish out and cast to it, of course can be that leads you 353 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:47.279 to more fishing success. And then you go to the more extreme example of 354 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:51.319 flats fishing like I've gotten into of the last year for bonefish and permit and 355 00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:52.359 all that kind of stuff, it just takes it to a new level. 356 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:56.480 Yeah, no doubt. You know, the whatever kind of boat you're in 357 00:25:56.920 --> 00:26:02.559 is just going to spook the fish. And so the farther out that you 358 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:07.519 can see them, the less chance you have of spooking them. And you 359 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:11.559 know that sometimes makes the difference between a great day and that's a great day. 360 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:14.880 Yeah, and your sunglasses come in quite a few different designs. I 361 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:18.039 mean, you've got stuff for pretty much every style someone will want to use. 362 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:22.720 Yeah, you know, I think when it comes to fishing sunglasses, 363 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:29.279 the uh you know, the more light that you can block from the sides, 364 00:26:29.640 --> 00:26:33.160 especially coming in, the better and so the base curve is really important. 365 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:37.960 The bigger the curve, the bigger the wrap, the more lights you're 366 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:41.640 going to block. But also a lot of the light comes in from the 367 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:44.839 sides, and there are a couple of different ways to block that light. 368 00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:47.920 So you can have fat temples and those will block a lot of that side 369 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:51.319 light. You'd have side shields, which is going to block a lot of 370 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:55.680 it, and so those are the two most common. We have a lot 371 00:26:55.720 --> 00:27:00.319 of those in the line. But some people don't like to look that, 372 00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:03.759 you know that they don't like to look for the fat temples or the side 373 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:07.000 shields. They want something more every day wearable. So we came out with 374 00:27:07.079 --> 00:27:11.920 the line of thin temples that have sort of a hidden sun ledge we call 375 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:15.160 it, and it's on the inside, you don't really see it from the 376 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:22.160 outside. Design itself, that's going to create the conditions that your eye operates 377 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:26.319 in that are going to allow you also to see a lot more of this. 378 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:30.599 Yeah, really key stuff and looking good but also very functional at the 379 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:36.000 highest levels. Now, what really got me hooked on this al was the 380 00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:41.480 conservation innovation you guys are doing and actually going out and finding ways to work 381 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:47.559 with local communities in places like Mexico to restore seagrass flats and conserve these areas. 382 00:27:47.559 --> 00:27:49.319 So just tell us about how that project started. You know, the 383 00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:56.160 area of the ocean that we think is the most important right now is the 384 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:02.319 put the affection that's closest to the land. Because about it, you know, 385 00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:04.960 the ocean, the part of the oceans that's closest to the land is 386 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:11.119 getting most of the abuse from the land. Right That's where some off happens 387 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:15.759 and our habitat degradation happens all that. So we so we wanted to focus 388 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:22.880 on protecting that, and there really wasn't a ton out there that you know, 389 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:26.759 tons of tons of groups, tons of people really focused on that. 390 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:32.720 But those are also the estuaries of the nurseries for the ocean, and so 391 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:37.519 that's where that's where the young fish, you know, that's where the bait 392 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:42.200 fish, that's where the crustaceans, all of us important sea creatures live. 393 00:28:42.319 --> 00:28:45.519 And so if we want to protect the future of the oceans, we've got 394 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:51.960 to protect the flats, and so that's really started out as our focus question 395 00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:53.759 is, you know, how do we do that, because man, it's 396 00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:59.920 a big problem. There's you know, there's so many people you know who 397 00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:03.400 heard here's so much bad news all the time, you know, and so 398 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:07.440 they wanted they wanted to feel like there's some hope. So we kind of 399 00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:14.519 we started small and we're really just going we're starting in the Caribbean ocean basement, 400 00:29:14.759 --> 00:29:18.559 and we started in Ishclac, Mexico. And when we went to Ischcolac, 401 00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:22.759 we saw solve some problems and we said, hey, we can solve 402 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:26.119 these problems, or helped solve these problems. So one of them was ocean 403 00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:29.759 trash. Man. There was so much trash on the beaches down there, 404 00:29:30.119 --> 00:29:33.079 not because the people in the town, the small town of Ishcolac put it 405 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:37.079 there, but because the ocean washed it up, you know, from other 406 00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:41.519 countries and cruise ships stuff like that. So we created a T shirt that 407 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:45.640 had a rooster on it, which is a painting in the on a building 408 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:48.799 in the town of Ishcolac, and a hat and we said, look, 409 00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:52.880 we're going to take all the proceeds and we're going to donate it to a 410 00:29:52.960 --> 00:29:56.440 fund to help clean up the beaches, and so we ended up bringing a 411 00:29:56.480 --> 00:30:00.079 woman out of the village who was actually a daughter of the first fishing guides 412 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:07.759 down there and p organized. So already we have cleaned up all the beaches 413 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:11.039 in Ishkaelac. Unfortunately, the trash SAP's coming so they keep, you know, 414 00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:15.839 keep circulating, but we're going to keep you know, the T shirt 415 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:18.119 sales don't cover all the costs that we just pay for the rest of it. 416 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:22.200 But it's it's it's a little thing, a little project in a little 417 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:29.119 place, but it's created this attitude within the town where they're more you know, 418 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:34.599 fired up about conservation and have more ownership and more pride in their town. 419 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:38.119 And that's spilled over into a lot of different things. And then we 420 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:41.960 can tell that story. You know, maybe others will do it as well. 421 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:45.599 We're also about to launch a frame that has paintings of coral reefs on 422 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:49.480 the inside of it, and now we'll go to plant corals in the reef 423 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:56.559 which lines the whole Messo American reef lines second largest in the world, Mexico, 424 00:30:56.640 --> 00:31:00.839 Belize and South. Come back on more those well, talk more with 425 00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:06.720 al Perkinson of BAHEO. Welcome back to More Outdoors on News Talk five sixty 426 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:11.319 klv I. This is Chester Moore wrapping up our conversation with Al Perkinson of 427 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:15.720 the Heeos. But we're going to keep you know, the T shirt sales 428 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:18.279 don't cover all the costs that we just pay for the rest of it. 429 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:22.119 But it's it's it's a little thing, a little project in a little place, 430 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:27.680 but it's created this attitude within the town where they're more you know, 431 00:31:29.079 --> 00:31:34.160 fired up about conservation and have more ownership and more pride in their town. 432 00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:37.880 And that's spilled over into a lot of different things, and then we can 433 00:31:37.920 --> 00:31:41.519 tell that story. You know, maybe others would do it as well. 434 00:31:41.079 --> 00:31:45.359 We're also about to launch a frame that has paintings of coral reefs on the 435 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:49.440 inside of it, and now we'll go to plant corals in the reef which 436 00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:56.119 lines the whole Messo American reef lines second largest in the world, Mexico, 437 00:31:56.200 --> 00:32:02.160 Belize and South and so we're you know, again, it's a small project, 438 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:07.720 but hopefully it'll grow into something bigger. We've also hired scientists to do 439 00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:13.759 some mapping of the flats down there so that we know we can measure a 440 00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:20.119 progress over time. But I think that to me, the most exciting thing 441 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:22.960 is a project we're going to be launching the first quarter of next year, 442 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:30.359 and it's called the Yucatan Trail. And you know as well as I do, 443 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:34.400 that if people love something, they want to protect it. And so 444 00:32:34.119 --> 00:32:42.119 we're starting a whole initiative to make the saltwater flats and international travel more accessible 445 00:32:43.079 --> 00:32:47.079 and domestic as well, more accessible to young people. So we're creating a 446 00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:52.279 trail that'll be a whole system of people who it will be cheap places to 447 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:58.160 study, it'll be some di y type of guidance that occurs along the trail, 448 00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:04.119 and then we'll tie in conservation projects for people to volunteer on as well. 449 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:09.599 But so bringing youth in to the fight is I think the most important 450 00:33:09.640 --> 00:33:15.200 thing that we can do, because they're the next generation of conservations. It's 451 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:21.880 been said that bonefish provide us practice, TARP and provide us excitement, permit, 452 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:25.119 provide us humility. But what can we provide them in return for so 453 00:33:25.319 --> 00:33:31.599 enriching our lives, our support for the science behind the fight, our support 454 00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:37.880 for bonefish and tarp and trust. Please join us today at PTT dot org. 455 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:45.000 These species well being depends on all. What I've found is some of 456 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.559 these young people that are maybe facing special challenges or just young people in general. 457 00:33:50.119 --> 00:33:52.759 When they get something and they get they really get onto something, they 458 00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:55.000 stay with it like a pit bull. They don't want to let go. 459 00:33:55.599 --> 00:34:01.000 So you guys being able to provide these opportunities like go down to the Yucatan 460 00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:06.240 and you know, as self guide and maybe help conservation projects, I mean 461 00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:08.639 that that could be huge because that empowers people, you know, I think 462 00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:13.800 I think too much maybe in some of the conservation elements been like Okay, 463 00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:16.280 it's us elite guys doing this or whatever, and then you know, donate 464 00:34:16.360 --> 00:34:20.440 some money to do this, and that's great. Money makes the world go 465 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:22.440 around. But I think what I'm seeing you guys are also doing the thing 466 00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:25.679 where you're trying to find a way to empower a younger generation. Am I 467 00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:31.880 correct? Yeah, that's right, and empower the indigenous people who live in 468 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:36.199 a lot of these areas as well. It's it's their home, yep. 469 00:34:36.440 --> 00:34:42.079 And if ultimately, if they're not engaged, it's not going to get protected. 470 00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:46.239 So so yeah, man, it's not you know, the biggest role 471 00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:51.639 that we can have is really empowering other people and not trying to do it 472 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:55.840 all ourselves. And yeah, hopefully we can we can help increase the number 473 00:34:55.840 --> 00:35:00.679 of people who are fired up about you help them, help them the planet 474 00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:07.440 and fishing and all the things that we're super stoked about. So this Yucatan 475 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:12.280 trail situation seems very similar, like maybe like the Appalachian Trail, you're trying 476 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:15.840 to kind of model something like that perhaps, and then but tie it into 477 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:22.360 like flats conservation or rainforest conservation along the way. Yeah, exactly, you 478 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:27.599 know, it's the applats and trails a great idea. I think people love 479 00:35:27.679 --> 00:35:31.559 trails because they can they can maybe do a piece a year, very few 480 00:35:31.559 --> 00:35:37.280 people do the whole thing. But there's nothing like that for fishing out there, 481 00:35:37.400 --> 00:35:42.920 believe it or not. And so we're gonna we're gonna do our best 482 00:35:42.920 --> 00:35:47.320 to create the first fishing trail in the world and hopefully do a lot of 483 00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:52.519 them as time goes on around different spots around the world. Yeah, that's 484 00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:54.119 sound, that's very inspiring. And the coral reef thing right now, I 485 00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:59.719 was just talking with some people from the Moat Marine Laboratory about coral problems in 486 00:35:59.719 --> 00:36:02.400 floor for example. I mean, that's a mega problem around the world with 487 00:36:02.440 --> 00:36:07.800 pollution and plastics and everything. So great to see the Heeo taking a stand 488 00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:10.039 and aspiring people. But it's really interesting how you and I are sitting here 489 00:36:10.079 --> 00:36:15.360 talking about this, And I mean our interest in this probably hailed from sitting 490 00:36:15.400 --> 00:36:20.199 somewhere fishing at some point. Flats for example, I've taken a deeper interest 491 00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:23.360 because I got into fishing for bonefish and trying to catch a permit last year. 492 00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:29.079 And I was actually talking with doctor Aaron Adams from the Bonefishing Tarpent Trust 493 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:32.559 after I caught my first bonefish. He said, Chester Bonefish or the gateway 494 00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:37.360 drug for flats fishing, And I said, you have already booked a permit 495 00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:40.760 trip, you know, But it's not just the thrill of the catch. 496 00:36:40.840 --> 00:36:45.440 It's that you're in this beautiful habitat that you want to see live forever, 497 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:51.239 you know, because of the fishing component. It creates that interest, and 498 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:53.719 we just got to kind of figure out how that we can take our interest 499 00:36:53.880 --> 00:37:00.840 beyond the catch and putting more back into the resource. Yet that's totally right, 500 00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:07.960 and that's why I believe that you know, anglers and other people who 501 00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:15.159 enjoy the outdoors hunters, they're engaged in conservation, and I think a deeper 502 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:19.280 level even than some of the groups who just kind of want to wall things 503 00:37:19.320 --> 00:37:25.159 off and create parts. I think we should all band together and work on 504 00:37:25.239 --> 00:37:32.000 these issues as one group, for sure, because you know, the resources 505 00:37:32.039 --> 00:37:38.559 aligned against us are are pretty significant, So we need everybody who cares about 506 00:37:38.599 --> 00:37:44.920 it to band together. But if you're out in it as an angler, 507 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:47.800 you're more connected to it in a lot of ways, because in order to 508 00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:52.719 be successful catching that permit, you have to know where the crabs live. 509 00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:55.320 You have to know where the grass is, and you have to understand the 510 00:37:55.320 --> 00:38:00.719 barometric pressure and the tides and the winds, and there's so many factors, 511 00:38:00.880 --> 00:38:05.360 and so in learning about all those different factors, you all of a sudden 512 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:09.480 become more knowledge about the environment, more connected to it, and so I 513 00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:14.599 think you have a deeper appreciation of it, the circle of life, you 514 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:19.400 know that kind of thing, and you have a deeper appreciation, and therefore 515 00:38:19.760 --> 00:38:23.320 your desire to protect it is even higher. So I don't know. I 516 00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:31.000 think people who who active environment, if they do it upperly in a sustainable 517 00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:36.480 way, ultimately that's the answer to get more people using that because they're going 518 00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:40.719 to be connected more and actually I think care more. Agreed man. And 519 00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:44.880 I just saw a really interesting example of this on the Texas coast. A 520 00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:50.199 friend of mine has a little apartment complex he owns close to a cop and 521 00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:53.679 obey and he has he had a little two acre reef by his property, 522 00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:58.039 oyster reef he fished for years and I'm meet him there one day and he 523 00:38:58.119 --> 00:39:00.960 walks last year, he walks up to me walking out of the water. 524 00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:04.000 He just looks angry and he's and I said, what's going on? Then 525 00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:06.519 he goes, it's gone, And I said, what's going to? Goes 526 00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:10.000 the reef? Because we're having an issue here with some illegal oyster harvest and 527 00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:14.039 some things like that with different areas and moving into back bays and stuff. 528 00:39:14.039 --> 00:39:17.199 There's a big push about protecting oyster harvests. And you know, they came 529 00:39:17.239 --> 00:39:21.320 in in the and the incomplete little reef is completely gone. It's gone, 530 00:39:21.519 --> 00:39:23.480 and and he's like, you know, that's what we call all of our 531 00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:28.599 fish. That's that was the my sweet spot. And it got him really 532 00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:31.760 wanting to be engaged in learning more about protecting oysters in Texas Bays because of 533 00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:35.519 that encounter out there, because he cared enough to fish. Now he's like, 534 00:39:35.719 --> 00:39:37.280 we've got to figure out how to make sure if this doesn't happen in 535 00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:42.039 other places. So it's always exciting out there. And how I'm excited that 536 00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:45.719 you guys have this really cool Yucatan project and the coral project and the plastics 537 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:50.440 issue and keeping up the beach cleaning and uh, where can people get more 538 00:39:50.440 --> 00:39:53.719 information if they want to get connected with the BHEO, Well, I think 539 00:39:53.760 --> 00:39:58.679 you know, they can reach out through social for sure. And back One 540 00:39:59.239 --> 00:40:04.719 is our social g and he's out there outside of my office talking to folks 541 00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:08.360 all day every day. I also go on to our website at Heosunglasses dot 542 00:40:08.400 --> 00:40:14.000 com and we have some good information about things there as well. Yeah, 543 00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:15.760 it's great stuff. Well, I'll tell you what. I appreciate what you 544 00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:17.840 guys are doing. And thank you so much for taking time to be on 545 00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:22.280 the program. Thank you, Chester, appreciate it. Byke cue the Jaws 546 00:40:22.360 --> 00:40:28.199 theme, great white sharks have been proven a swim in Texas waters. Hi. 547 00:40:28.360 --> 00:40:30.800 This is Chester Moore hosting More Outdoors on News Talk five sixty k l 548 00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:36.440 v I and founder of Higher Calling Wildlife Now. I've been investigating great white 549 00:40:36.440 --> 00:40:39.039 sharks in the Golf of Mexico for a number of years. There are a 550 00:40:39.079 --> 00:40:44.719 lot of hidden records of great white stadium back into the nineteen thirties in Texas. 551 00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:50.639 Recently, ocean based satellite tagging group oh Search tagged great whites off the 552 00:40:50.800 --> 00:40:54.280 coast of Canada that ended up in the Gulf of Mexico and one of them 553 00:40:54.360 --> 00:41:00.039 was found about one hundred miles off the coast of Galveston. I uncovered I 554 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:04.920 verified evidence of great whites dating back to the nineteen thirties in Texas, with 555 00:41:05.079 --> 00:41:08.679 consistent catches about up into the nineteen fifties, and then something happened. They 556 00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:15.079 simply disappeared long lines which were essentially miles long trot lines set in ocean waters. 557 00:41:15.199 --> 00:41:19.639 Sharks are often caught on them and have their fins cut off and thrown 558 00:41:19.639 --> 00:41:23.280 them back into the water alive to fuel the demand for shark fin soup. 559 00:41:23.400 --> 00:41:29.079 In many Asian countries, this caused a great depletion of many shark numbers. 560 00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:34.119 Great whites are often caught in nets set for other species, as great whites 561 00:41:34.119 --> 00:41:38.199 are typically born on the East coasts in the Atlantic and the juveniles swim into 562 00:41:38.239 --> 00:41:42.039 the warm waters of the Gulf to feed and grow up. Now that we're 563 00:41:42.039 --> 00:41:45.599 removed the nets, great whites are coming back. Whether that scares you or 564 00:41:45.639 --> 00:41:51.880 excites you, it's a fact. You can learn more at osearch dot org. 565 00:41:52.480 --> 00:41:55.280 Thanks so much for listening to more outdoors. You can check me out 566 00:41:55.280 --> 00:42:00.280 at higher Calling dot net, at the chestermor On Instagram, are Calling Wildlife 567 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:05.159 on Facebook. God bless you and have a great outdoors weekend.