Ep. XVI - Colton Zirkle (Missouri Hunting Heritage Foundation)

Rashad Rollins: All right. Welcome back to the Field Notes with Rashad podcast. I am here today with the executive director of Missouri's Hunting Heritage Foundation, Colton Zirkel. Colton, how are you, buddy?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: I'm doing great, sir. How are you?
Rashad Rollins: Doing great, man. Thank you so much for coming on. I had done a podcast with Roger Cole and Levi Eubanks of the Missouri Black Bear Foundation, the the chapter there. And you came came highly recommended from those guys. And so I know you were just with them, what was it, last weekend at the at their their expo? How did that go?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: It was great. had a lot of families come in. It was great to see so many kids, you know, and people
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: brought their dogs and things. So it was it was a good time. Lots of cool vendors that I had not gotten to meet 'cause, you know, I don't get to spend too much time down there in super southern Missouri. So it was great to be down there.
Rashad Rollins: And you're out of the Jefferson City area?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yep, yep. Live not too far from Jeff City. Try to stick close to central Missouri makes it easy to you know, make it to just about anywhere in the state in a half a day. So
Rashad Rollins: Absolutely. So just from like the bird's eye view, you know, a lot I I know Missouri's Hunting Heritage Foundation is still kind of an up and coming organization. So, you know, what's kind of the mission statement there? What is the Missouri's Heritage Hunting Foundation?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, so we actually just celebrated the 20th anniversary of our first clinic during youth turkey season. So we we are starting to get some age going to us. You know, next year will be the official 20-year anniversary of the founding of the organization. So the short of it is we take kids hunting. you know, our group was founded by some hunter ed instructors who would see these kids that would go through their hunter education course, you know, they'd see them years later, like at Walmart or just out and about in public. And they'd say, you know, well, how's hunting going? You know, have you shot a deer yet? You know, and these kids were going, Well, I've never been. I've never gotten to go hunting. So our program includes hunter education, which is now just four hours for the in-person portion. We do shooting instruction and then we take the kids on a mentored hunt. So all of that is provided for free to the participants. And the parents are actually required to attend the entire course with the kids. So they can get hunter ed certified, they can get shooting instruction if they don't have any experience and, you know, go on the hunt as well. So, you know, we believe the buy-in from the parent is also super important.
Rashad Rollins: a hundred percent. And I do apologize for misspeaking there. That is not an up-and-coming organization. Twenty years is quite the 10 years. So that's impressive.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah. Yeah, that's all right. Yeah. Yeah. and I've just gotten to be a part for the last it'll be four years this summer for me being on board. So I'm glad I've gotten to be a part and you know, we're really growing statewide. So right now we're kind of situated across the I seventy corridor here in Missouri from Kansas City to St. Louis and a little bit north and south in some places. but working off of that area for our youth hunter education clinics.
Rashad Rollins: And that and that's so huge. I mean, North Missouri is absolutely incredible, but w due to those population densities, I know that public pressure, public hunting, or public land pressure, excuse me, can be, you know, just just a little bit overcrowded. And I know that some of our MDC's proposed changes to kind of limit non-residents' participation up there is to hopefully offer better opportunity for like youth hunters. You know, I I I talk to people all the time. I'm reminded of a gal who works over at one of the bow shops that I frequent and you know she didn't grow up hunting, but her kids have taken a liking to it. And so it's and her husband didn't wasn't hunter, so it's kind of this type of thing where it's like, how do we get these kids out and and help participate? And so that was one of the big reasons I wanted to kind of have you on is to help spread this information so people who are in that that boat can can start getting access and start getting resources to learn how to hunt. And I love that you guys offer the hunter education too. In interestingly enough, I actually sent my wife through hunter education recently and there was some stuff in there that I was like, I need some brushing up on that. Like this is it's a really
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: extensive program.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, it's pretty cool. you know, lots of the things, especially since becoming a hunter ed instructor myself, you know, I try to employ just about everything in that course, you know. and I, you know, like the fall arrest system, you know, or a safety harness. you know, I started getting too many friends that were falling out of trees, you know, and just almost ending there. hunting career, you know, unless it be you know, from a track chair or something. And there were a lot of those scares. So I wanted to I wanted to employ that one. And then, you know, there's a really cool video in the Hunter Ed where they show how good Hunter Orange works in the field. You know, so the Missouri requirement is an orange hat and an orange vest. And they move people, you know, feet back into the woods, you know, and it's like, 15 feet all the way out to like fifty five. And it's crazy how far into the woods you cannot see a person. You know, if
Rashad Rollins: Mm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: they're wearing the orange vest and they turn sideways, that's a pretty small window of orange. And, you know, I may, you know, I don't I don't get to hunt public land too much. just because, you know, meeting friends from church and that sort of thing, lots of private landowners have deer that need to be taken off. But you know, wearing a full orange. shirt. It's it's cool to watch those videos and learn, you know, from when I took it, you know, and it was like a ten or twelve hour course, having it just be four hours is, you know, pretty great.
Rashad Rollins: And I love too, 'cause they make it like almost they've kind of gamified it where it's like you're almost watching a movie or like a video game or a T V show or something. It's it's really easy to kind of stay engaged with it now.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yes. Yep. Yep. So for ages eleven to fifteen, the four hour in person session is required and age sixteen people can take Hunter Ed completely online if they would like.
Rashad Rollins: Yeah, that's great. I mean, it's I had my first public land sort of like interaction deep in the woods that was somewhat just I don't know, alarming, I guess might be the appropriate word. It was during turkey season here in southwest Missouri. And I was deep, deep into some timber, you know, probably five, six hundred yards off from the road, chasing this gobble early in the morning. And I kind of get up to this ridge where I kind of had an idea he'd be strutting. And I get in there and I kind of see some movement back there. And I'm like, okay, that's probably that bird. Let me kind of get down, honkered up. I didn't aim my weapon downrange, but I kind of got set up and my weapon is pointed in that direction. I pull out my vinos kind of get, you know, a positive ID. And it's another freaking hunter. And I'm just like immediately my mind starts racing through all these like, my gosh, could you imagine if I wasn't paying attention or if he wasn't being as conscious about what was moving in that line? Absolutely terrifying moment. I backed out and was like, I'm hunting somewhere else. I didn't even because I was the only truck at the that trailhead. I was like, how the heck did you even get in here?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Right,
Rashad Rollins: One.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: right.
Rashad Rollins: But, you know, and so th that was like for me, because I'll be completely honest. Prior to that event, you know, I'm a bow hunter. I don't really wear a lot of hunter orange when I'm out. and shotgun during turkey season or waterfowl is really the only time I'm in the woods with a firearm. And I was like, okay. This reframes things for me a little bit in terms of hunter safety because that was kind of spooky.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, yeah. And we try to cover like, you know, a few hunter, you know, accidents or incidents while we're in our sessions. You know, we try to have a recent story that we can share with the kids and the parents just to show how important this is. You know, and and turkey hunting is definitely one of those where, you know, you're out there, you wear an all camo, you're hiding behind something that looks just like a turkey making turkey noises and you know, that positively identify your target, it's amazing how many stories I hear about people who have shot at movement or sound. And, you know, as somebody like you and me, that's just crazy. You know, I I need to shoot a legal turkey, which means one with a beard. Right? If I don't even see a turkey, all I see is movement, how could I ever know that it's a legal bird? You know?
Rashad Rollins: Yeah.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: So
Rashad Rollins: And I always get kind of concerned with maybe some of our elderly hunters who their hearing or their sight might be diminishing, but they love to turkey hunt. And you know, maybe there's some cognitive decline happening there. You could see how you could end up in a situation that's highly, highly unfavorable or You know, some you know, there's I've run into hunters who are just blatantly ignorant, you know, like or the rifle hunting in a boat only area. And it's like I'm like, man, I I don't want to go like confront this person and be confrontational. But I'm like, there's a reason you're not supposed to have these weapons in here, you know? I mean and
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Right. Well, sounds like a sounds like a good mentorship opportunity, you know, bring out a younger person and pass it along where, you know, having I mean the buddy system, right? We talk about that in Hunter Ed too. Having somebody out there with you. you know, and in that situation, sit right next to the person, you know, never have an opportunity where one person could be in front of the other, you know.
Rashad Rollins: No, and I think you're absolutely right. I recently did a podcast with a friend of mine, Damon. He has a YouTube channel, Strange Woods Outdoors, and he hunts a lot down here in Southwest. And he's really taken a a strong liking to the mentorship. You know, after turkey hunting for years and years and years and deer hunting for years and years and years, it's he's kind of at the point where he's increasing the level of complexity, you know, shooting more traditional equipment to just keep it interesting. But he's found so much satisfaction and so much purpose in the youth mentorship. Do you kind of get that same feeling from your work?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: I mean, it's really cool, when you get to see a young person, you know, just experience the woods for the first time. You know, there's just some of these kids, unless you told them, they would just show up in, you know, their lounge clothes from home. You know, they'd show up in sweatpants and flip flops because they don't know. And so to Take the kid all the way through the process and get them all the way out to the woods for their first time hunting. You know, whether we see the target animal or not, they've learned something, you know. And for us, even if the kid chooses not to become a hunter after that, if they've had a positive experience, you know, and they have a positive outlook on people like us so that they'll support us doing what we love, all that's a win. You know, or if they just become You know, they go to our shooting portion and enjoy shooting. Well, they're major contributors to conservation, even if they never buy a hunting permit. You know, so it's really cool to watch these kids and to watch the parents watch their kids
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: as they go through a program.
Rashad Rollins: You know, I'm I'm a firm believer that you have to have something to to be passionate about and that helps offer discipline, whether that's archery and bow hunting, or maybe it's kicking a soccer ball around, as long as I think it it does a lot for a young person. And you know, you you had kind of mentioned the the the the happiness and the fun that kids kind of get to have out in the woods. I feel super fortunate myself because now as I go into the woods, I I'm like it makes me feel like being a kid again, running around. around in the I grew up in a place where there's a lot of cedar and pine and and and evergreens. And when I'm out there, even if it's with a bow, it's like as we get older, we have to like attach an a purpose to something. So I'm like, I'm gonna go outside and play with my bow and chase whatever
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: it is around in the woods. And I I I get really excited about kids who are getting into that now and then they'll go through life and maybe that you hear about maybe they fall out of it and they get back into it in their twenties or something after college and they get to relive that something that anchors them back to their youth because man, life is hard. The world is crazy. And I think it's so important to keep a little bit of that youth spirit in us as we get older and as we as we grow. It's kind of esoteric, but I think you know what I'm
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Well,
Rashad Rollins: saying.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: even a child, you know, we start at age eleven because that's when they can get hunter ed certified. Even watching a child, you'll find which part of, you know, hunting or the outdoors that they tie into. You know, like some of you know, we get little surveys afterwards, but some will say, I like the shooting the best. Some said I like the hunting the best. And those that get to harvest, lots of them say I like getting an animal the best. But You know, other ones, you know, we'll do like upland bird clinics and so the guys will bring their dogs. Some kids really like the dog side of it. we try to feed them some wild game dish while we're there and usually try to make it the animal we're hunting. but some tie in from the food side, you know, so to you can you can watch a kid, you know, over a whole weekend and see which part clicks. which part they'll want to continue on or what's their what part of the program is what they buy into. You know. It's really cool to watch 'cause it might be different from the parent, you know.
Rashad Rollins: absolutely. so I wanna I wanna dive more into this, but first I wanna know, you know, what's your hunting history? D w did you did were you the type of guy who hunted with your dad and your granddaddy? and then kinda how did you end up here with MHF?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, I actually my dad and grandpa weren't really hunters. you know, my grandpa used to hunt with his brothers when they were kids, but my dad and grandpa were more into like shooting sports, you know, like they shot competitively in some local leagues and things and and I did start there too. You know, I shot in 4 H and in Scouts and that sort of thing and really enjoyed that, but it was a kid that was in school, you know, in elementary school, he'd come in talking about all these hunts he had gone on with his dad. And I remember one time he brought in an elk ivory ring, you know, that his he and his dad had killed and had a ring made out of one of the ivories from the elk. And it's like, this is really cool. I want to get involved. And so, you know, I sat through that two-day-long hunter ed course, which was Tough on a little kid, you know, sitting there for all those hours. And it was not the most interactive back then, you know. I was in a and it was hard to be because I had like a hundred and fifty people in the class, you know. So, but my dad connected me with a mentor who was his cousin. So I guess my second cousin or however that works, and To this day I still go hunt with him. and he actually mentors for us with MHHF now too. And so to watch that all come full circle is really cool. to get to share, you know, because I have a lot of the same background as these kids. You know, my dad did not have the hunting expertise, but he made sure to find me someone who did, you know, and set me up in places where I could succeed. You know, they supported hunting and me going. But he wasn't really into it himself and he'll still go with me sometimes, but you know, still the same way. He's more tied in on the shooting side than he is the hunting. So
Rashad Rollins: And so how old were you when you got involved with the foundation and 'cause now you hold a very prominent role. what kind of inspired you to to get involved and and how did that all kind of shake up?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Well, so to to bring it all together, I grew up as a kid going to one of the conservation offices, you know, the MDC offices. We called it the Nature Center. so you know, I was really into insects as a kid and they had some cool and still and they had it bug collections there. And so I got tied in with them. I went and got a degree in wildlife biology from Missouri State. I went in and got a master's in entomology from Arkansas. And I went to work for the Department of Conservation. So I was there really just a few months before I came up to Jeff City and worked for the Conservation Federation of Missouri, which is a nonprofit organization that they really advocate for sportsmen's rights and outdoor rights. You know, they go to the legislature and they'll testify in committees and things, and I still volunteer to do those kinds of things today, but the MHHF is an affiliate of the Conservation Federation of Missouri and that's how I learned about the organization in this position. So
Rashad Rollins: Well, that's great. And with your education background, it sounds like that's been it it's been able to be really beneficial. I know that it seems like sometimes policy I feel like sometimes policy is a little bit too swayed by just purely public opinion. And I know that public opinion is a is a part of it, but I think we're seeing that public opinion maybe take up a little bit more of the pie. And for me it's a little concerning.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Well, it's been it's been great to work at these organizations and especially up here at the state level where you know I'm I'm blessed to live here in the central part of the state and get to interact with people who come up here to go to the Capitol. You know, I get to connect with folks you know, who are coming to either talk to the legislature or talk to the department about these issues. So I get to see both sides and and with the science background like I can tie all of those things together in some ways to try to understand, you know, the needs of the people and the needs of the resource. You know.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: So it's it's it's good to be here and be able to speak with lots of different sides of the issues.
Rashad Rollins: Absolutely. And with you being closer to the Capitol and and doing a lot of work in that I seventy corridor, I would like to know kind of your opinion on the proposed deer changes to the nonresident hunting and which like I believe is kind of primarily targeting that northern part of the state. We to be completely honest, the non resident pressure down here isn't super, super problematic where we're kind of going to a legislative level with it. But from what I understand, the closer you get to the Iowa border, the more and more packed it is. And it's just and just crowded. And, you know, as an avid waterfowl hunter, I have friends in St. Louis who will tell me, if you don't got the coin to shell out for a private lodge or something like that, you're probably not going to get into a good duck hunt, which absolutely breaks my heart because I think you should be able to go kill a limited duck with an old 870 and some, you know, some steel you got laying around.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, yeah, I that's what I shoot. So I I agree.
Rashad Rollins: Yeah.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: well and this is just my opinion because I don't get up there too much. I'm from northern Missouri, but you know, was able to take myself hunting more since I've lived in the Ozarks. And you know I see a lot of outcry on social media about it. and I think for out of staters, we are one of the easiest states to come hunt and one of the least expensive. And once again, it's my opinion, because I'm not looking at all the prices everywhere else, cause I don't get to travel outside of state much to hunt, and I'm very grateful to live in Missouri and have all these resources and be an in-stater, you know, and get to go. but I do agree that public land, especially deer and waterfowl, can be a challenge. and like you mentioned your friend branching out and making it a little more challenging for himself. You know, certainly going during archery season opens up a bigger window. but my this is my hot tip for anybody that wants to hunt private land. I also can't afford, you know, a lease anywhere. And that really scares me more than anything is cause it it does kind of turn it into a rich person's game. and I think the outdoors should be accessible for everyone, regardless of how much money they have. and so one of the ways I get onto private land is by trapping. So I have I'm just a water trapper. I don't have any expertise in land trapping. but you know, trapping beavers, muskrats, otters, that sort of thing. And Most of the time the landowner considers them a pest, but to me, if I had to give up everything else in the outdoors, I'd keep beaver trapping. and so once I get onto one property doing that, usually the neighbors will ask me to come too. And then they've got a buddy that lives several miles away that needs those animals off of his property. And especially for people who manage for waterfowl, they always need a trapper at the duck club. and so we've actually started adding trapping clinics with MHF too and that's partly the reason is there's tons of opportunity and there's so few people doing it.
Rashad Rollins: See, I I love that you say that because that's something that I've kind of just started preaching a little bit is trapping for access. And it's it's that type of thing, you know. I mean, trapping can be time intensive. The initial cost to get yourself a dozen dukes can be a little high or if you're using a conibar in the water. But I mean, I got a trap back there from, you know, early 1900s that if I was to dunk it, I could probably still use it and, you know, degrease it a little bit.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: yeah. Yep. Yep.
Rashad Rollins: So it's it's one of those things I think it's people appreciate it because you know, look, if especially for turkeys, right? If you got a dog proof is like, I think you get dog proof for like eight, nine, ten dollars. And coons will absolutely decimate, decimate a nest. And then, you know, we've seen all the damage coyotes can do to fawn, to hens, to, to, to everything, really. So, you know, trapping for access is one of those things I am a firm, firm believer in. I plan on doing a lot more of it myself. And I actually, this is going to be my first year really, really trapping beavers. So I might be calling you, being like, hey man, what do you think about this set? What you think about that? Because I'm
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, yeah.
Rashad Rollins: out there and I see beaver sign everywhere. And and personally, I have like a a strong fascination with those free trappers from the early 1800s. Like when I daydream, it's like me. going west with a bunch of, you know, carnivarers trying to scratch out a living like with the natives and the whole thing. Like it's just, you know,
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, yeah.
Rashad Rollins: if and so that that's really cool. And so that's working for you up there is that trapping for access.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, and same thing. I mean, I didn't grow up a trapper. you know, I've been doing it for like five years now. I watched a lot of YouTube. I joined the Missouri Trappers Facebook group and I got you know, I I lived on a small lake, you know, a big pond with three other houses and it had a muskrat issue. So I posted in that group on Facebook and I said, Does anybody know where I can get some muskrat traps anywhere close to me? And they all commented. I drove there. I bought two 110 con bears and I caught six muskrats in three days. That's like, all right, I'm hooked, you know. And then like a few weeks later, I posted in the group again. I had an opportunity to go trap some beavers down in southeast Missouri. And two people commented and on the way down there, one guy loaned me his traps and another guy gave me lure. And that night I caught two beavers. And it's like, man, you know, either I am the best beaver trapper in the world,
Rashad Rollins: Yeah.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: or it's a target-rich environment. And it's something you can pick up if you have any sort of woods knowledge.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: and I think, you know, I agree with other people who have said that trapping makes you a better hunter, even a better fisherman, you know, and you know, might accidentally catch one in your trap, even but it's It's so cool and there are so many people willing to help. And like you said, you might call me. Well, I'd keep a couple of guys on speed dial too when I'm standing in the water. it's like, What did I do wrong? How can I make this better? And I call these guys and you know, they've been doing it for thirty, forty, fifty years. And to you know, they're it's hard to replace that sort of knowledge, you know.
Rashad Rollins: a hundred percent. Yeah. And it's it's so fascinating to me because, you know, if we re rot if we w rewind a couple hundred years, beavers, I mean, were almost entirely extirpated from this area because of that fur trade. And that's you know, why we that's why we went west in the first place. And I mean, it's so funny to look at in hindsight. It was all for like a silly hat, you know, and And beaver prices are up again thanks to Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: That's right. That's right. Yeah. They're starting to trail off a little bit, sadly, but yeah.
Rashad Rollins: Yeah. I was surprised to see skunks so high this year.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yes, yeah, another hat, to I think it was a specific community of people that make a hat out of skunk tails. So yeah.
Rashad Rollins: Hmm. I mean, it'd be the type of thing you see skunks on the side of the road all the time. And and I'm anytime I see a a something, I'm like, what is that? Big coon, big possum, big muskrat, whatever time of year it is. And I would see a skunk and I'd be like, ooh, and look at the tail cut off. I'm like, well, because it was 15, 20 bucks right there laying on the side of the road. So if
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yep. Yeah, just for the tail. Yeah. Yep. And y not everybody leaves those laying on the ground, right? Yep.
Rashad Rollins: Right. Yeah. so if you were to maybe put together like a just a like a script, if somebody was like, Hey, I'm watching this Field Notes podcast and they were talking about going up to a duck lodge or going up to a landowner and saying, Sir, I'm a trapper. I would like to trap your land to what's your what's kind of your script? How do you how does that play out for you?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: So it's funny because my my cold calls happen mostly when I'm trying to get access to people's fruit trees on their property. You know, like so many people have an apple tree or a pear tree or whatever, and the fruit falls to the ground and nothing uses it. Right? So those are the people where I'll write a little note card, you know, and I'll put something that I've made, you know, whether it's a cider or jelly, something. I'll put that in them their mailbox with it taped. And I have yet to get somebody ghost me. Everybody's called me back to at least say thanks for the jelly, whatever. You know, and so I've heard that like dear meat diplomacy. You know, you put some jerky in there, something a little more shelf stable if it's warm out. but I actually start with just people inside my network, whether it's people at church or friend of a friend, you know, put it out there on Facebook and say, Does anybody know anybody? And I can usually find some sort of a connection there.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: and you know, once I meet these people, they already have a need, right? They need these animals gone, whether they, you know, have a fish pond that an otter has come to and they don't want the otter in there. You know, they've got their bank is eroding, they've got muskrats in the dam. and my phone number gets passed around to these people. through friends of friends or they say, Well, I have a buddy, you know, in scouts. You know, so I start certainly within my network. Although I do drive down the highway and see, you know, beaver lodges or chew sticks from the road and I know they're there. and I use on X to find, you know, who the people are, if they're local, you know, I've yet to have to send a letter to those people because I have I have so much opportunity to do this. I think that's what
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: people don't understand is if you start asking, you're gonna have more places to trap than you have time to go.
Rashad Rollins: And that kind of naturally evolves into getting deer permission or turkey permission down the line.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: It's so easy after that, you know, because you've already shown them that you're responsible. you know, I think that would be one of the things I'd write into the script is be respectful while you're there. You know, I whether the landowner asks me to or not, I always let them know when I'm there, when I'm gone, you know, if and where and for how long I have traps out. I try to share with them, you know, if I'm trapping, if I get a furt and I like to give one back, you know, and I know my former board president's gonna watch this and he actually bought one from me, but you know, he was just covering the tanning prices, so don't want him to hear that I'm giving stuff out. But you know, and that just establishes a good relationship with the landowner.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: and like I said, once you have a good relationship with one, others will have you out to You know, and it's a it's a small ask if you're a meat hunter, right? S once again, these landowners, if they have any sort of crops, they don't want a ton of deer on their property. and so for me that's been my end to a lot of agricultural properties is they want does gone. You know, and I I have yet to shoot a big giant buck. I hope to someday, But I'm into it a lot for the food and like you said, just the experience of being out there, right?
Rashad Rollins: Yeah.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Like I just love watching the woods wake up. My wife, the most insulting thing she's ever said to me is, Why do you go? You never get anything. It's like, Wow. Well, thanks, you know. but yeah, I mean if I don't come out with a deer or a turkey, I can at least come out with mushrooms or a deadhead or something, you know.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: like you it's it's my excuse to be out there, right?
Rashad Rollins: Hundred hundred percent. And it's not about killing, you know. I for me personally it it I don't I don't mind taking just because we do use you know every part of the buffalo so to speak and i like to shoot big bucks you know i i'll hold out but that's after I almost you know I'll go out opening day and go as fast as I can to get a dough into the house, into the freezer. So that way when I'm like I'm going out and it's you know a month down the line my wife's like You haven't brought home nothing. It's like, no, no, no. Remember that dough that we turned into jerky and sausage and that we've been eating all over, you know, those steaks and everything?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: No. No.
Rashad Rollins: So then I can kind of hold out a little bit more. but that's you know, the another beautiful part about Missouri, I mean, you could fill six freezers. I mean, we dough
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: tags are very, very abundant, which is not super common in every state from what I understand. So I feel like another one of those things that we're super, super fortunate to have.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, and I've I've got a lot of landowners through MHHF that have us out to their property because they have too many deer. You know, it's more well, when they're losing acres of crops to deer, you know, it that cuts into their bottom line pretty fast. And so they are very interested to have us out, you know, for two reasons. Get a few deer off and make more hunters.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: You know, create the next generation of hunters.
Rashad Rollins: And I would imagine kind of being associated with the foundation, it gives you a little bit more credibility and responsibility. It's there's a a sense of like yeah, just like accountability by having that foundation at attached to you. So a landowner might have a little bit more trust in it. And I could say the same thing about individuals who want to become a member. You know, if they're talking to a lander, say, well, you know, hey, I'm a member of MHHF or BHA or I contribute to Ducks Unlimited or Delta Waterfowl, whatever it may be, it kind of allows the landowner, gives them a little bit more credibility where it's like, this person's not going to be coming in here doing donuts in my field, drinking beer, throwing their cans all over the place, type of thing.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Right. You know, I I keep my work permissions and my personal separate just because, you know, I am the paid guy. The volunteers do I think have a lot more opportunity to kind of use that and say, Hey, you know, I work with an organization where we teach kids ethical, you know, being ethical and moral in the outdoors, you know, all the way bottom to the top. Think my volunteers do have a lot of opportunity to kind of share that. And, you know, I say all the time, I take these kids hunting in places that I've never gotten to go. You know, we we partnered with Merrimack Spring Park in St. James, and we have hosted a hunt there the last two years. And the first year we did it, it was the first hunt on that property in 87 years.
Rashad Rollins: wow.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, so I mean, it does have conservation area that surrounds part of it. But those deer on that property know they're safe. And I think every group last year saw bucks, and a lot of them saw multiple bucks. And, you know, they didn't quite come to Crossbow Range, which, you know, that was just an artifact of the way we were doing it that season. But, you know, we're also partnering with Great Rivers Habitat Alliance up in St. Charles on their new property. and we took a kid out there dove hunting last year. And I mean it was just clouds of doves coming in. You know, this kid, the only reason he quit is because his shoulder was sore, you know, he's starting to get a bruise. You know, he killed seven and it's like, okay, I'm done. It's been great, you know. But yeah, so these these kids get very good opportunities through us, but as far as my permissions go, I've I usually keep it separate because I want really I want the kid to have the first opportunity.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: You know, we talk about recruitment, retention, reactivation. Well, the the youth part of our clinics are the recruitment. You know, they're number one. Wanna see if we can get them on board with what we do. But our mentors, our volunteers, they're retention and reactivation, right? They're just as important. They're out there buying permits, they can drive themselves places.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: so all very important. And so I I hope that our volunteers are getting plenty of those opportunities by being a part of us.
Rashad Rollins: So have you had any instances in where someone f from the youth being mentor or something had an opportunity just on like a giant buck or something that nobody had anything crazy happen yet?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Not not while I've been involved. we actually have had, you know, taxidermists be members of ours and they'll donate a mount to a kid that harvests during one of our clinics. since I've been on, no monsters have been harvested by our participants. but we have lots of really cool stories where it it is a monster to that kid. You know what
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: I mean? Like No, it's not a boon and crockett deer, you know, but it's it's the biggest deer that kid has ever seen. You know. so we had a kid, we participate in the governor's deer hunt as well, which is put on by a whole bunch of conservation partners and it's during that early antlerless season in October. doing it again this year. We just had our first meeting this morning, but a kid and his dad came to that clinic and the kid did not want to shoot a gun. We went to the range. He was, you know, it intimidated him. you know, I think he had probably gotten kicked by a high-powered rifle at one point and was gun shy. But we put a crossbow in that kid's hand and his face just lit up. You know, like he was really excited to go out and shoot with that because there's no noise. You know, and it's sh shooting a crossbow is pretty cool to hear that thwack and watch that go into the deer target and all that. And so he got to go with us for one of our regular clinics because he wasn't hunter ed certified yet at Merrimack Springs. And you know, it was light for I don't know if it had been sunrise yet. And his on the way to that clinic, that kid and his dad had bought a really nice crossbow. So they got it all cited in, they were ready to go, and he shot a doe right at sunrise. And so, you know, and that dad was leaving looking at hunting properties on his phone. You know, so they were they were
Rashad Rollins: Ha ha ha.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: in, you know, they'd been to two events and they were sold, you know.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: so those types of stories are really cool to watch.
Rashad Rollins: Well, because, you know, that is gonna be such a a lasting experience. And most people by the time they get that first dough and if they have a taste for it, I mean it's off to the races. It's like you almost want to feel bad for because it's like, man, hope you're good at saving money because it's about a if you're like me, it's like, you know, new guns and new camo and new this
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: yeah.
Rashad Rollins: and new that and just forever. I when we bought this house I got a shed in the back and I said, Don't even think about putting none back there. It's filled with duct decoys and layout blinds and old archery equipment and camping
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: gear and it's gosh, it's so addicting and and so fun. And obviously it doesn't have to be crazy expensive, you know. I mean you can get away with with very little, fortunately. And and that's
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: a great that's a great thing. Now one one question I did have is, you know, with the foundation, you guys seem to focus, you know, a lot on on recruitment. so are there's kind of this, you know, Mobius tension between like recruitment and preservation. How do you feel you guys kind of marry those two ideologies?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Now when you say preservation, what what kind are you talking about?
Rashad Rollins: Cultural, and you know, 'cause it like it's in the name, right? Like heritage. So like I guess I guess a a better way of framing the question would be like, what are the cultural sort of keystones that you guys focus on in these clinics?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: You know, I I have heard an MDC employee actually talk about this where he took his young daughter out hunting and she was on her phone and she was Snapchatting her friends. And he took her phone away because he's like, You just need to be out here, you know, observing nature, blah blah blah. And he looked And she was using her phone to Snapchat her friends who were also out hunting with their
Rashad Rollins: Mm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: dads. And so for them, they didn't have the deer camp experience like we did. You know, like I grew up with my cousin and his dad going to the check stations when those were all mandatory, you know, pre-CWD when they were just checking deer opening weekend and you know, to watch the truck roll by with the rack, you know, hanging over the edge. you know, we go to the cabin and it's three generations of us there, you know, talking about hunting, eating my great aunt's cinnamon rolls, you know, all those traditions and heritage and all that sort of stuff. And, you know, if there's any backstrap left from last year, we're grilling it, you know. And
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: a kid right now might not have those opportunities because in some ways hunting's almost skipped a generation. You know, you look at the average age of a hunter in Missouri and it almost goes up by one every year. And that's a
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: dangerous place to be. Cause guys like you and me are here in the middle and we could lose it. You know, it takes one generation, it can take one, you know session of the legislature, really. You know, it could take one
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: ballot for us to lose all of our our heritage, as you mentioned. So you know, that was her Deer Camp experience with Snapchatting her friends. And even now I'll Snapchat my friends from the blind, but I didn't grow up with that. Right. And so we have lots of, you know, we have kids at these clinics and I have never once, never once had to tell a kid to put their phone away. You know, I don't know if the parents are doing it in the background or what, but in some ways lots of kids are starved for Something like this, it's so real, you know, it's outdoors,
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: it's something so human. every part of it can be new for a kid. Like I said earlier, from just being outside, that's new for some families, to watching a sunrise. Some of these kids have never seen the sun come up before. You know, they've definitely never listened to the birds as that's
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: coming up. You know, they've never watched a snake go across the path, you know. So if we can just get the kids out there, the outdoors will do a lot of the work for us.
Rashad Rollins: Yeah. Yeah. No, that's a really interesting perspective. And you know, look, I'm guilty of it too. If I'm in the tree stand and it's getting 10, 30, 11, and I haven't seen much yet, it's like, okay, maybe I'll pull my phone out. I got a couple bars of service. Let me answer some texts, check the emails, that type of
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: thing. and it's it is fascinating, right? Because it's like you talk about Snapchat, it's like that is a part of the cultural epicenter of today's youth. And and it's it's cool that they're It's we wanna hold on to older ways that of doing things like the way that we learned how to do something or the way that our papi learned how to do something. It's like we want to hold on to that and cherish it. But that in a way foregoes the evolution of the very thing. And it's like, you know, it would be more common to see somebody carrying a notebook or a journal with them out there. And but now it's like you got Snapchat or you got pictures or, you know, I'm the type of guy I film a lot of stuff. So I have, you know, two GoPros and this, that, and the third and
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, yeah.
Rashad Rollins: You know, a long time ago, people would say, like, you know, that's almost blasphemous, or even taking a picture with the game. They they say there's
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Sure. Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: types of things about that. So it's like nobody's I'm not, I'm not perfect, and I don't think that. But then again, if the youth is sharing that experience on Snapchat or on TikTok or Instagram or whatever, and maybe some of their school buddies see it and then that can, you know, even maybe even lead to recruitment of new youth hunters potentially, or just talking about it, you never know where those kind of seeds cause that was one of the big questions I had is, you know, how much of it the kids in the digital age are you seeing? But you're almost you get you're getting that unique privilege of taking them out of that element a little bit and back here on Earth, dirty hands. You know, maybe maybe a little wet feet, maybe a little hungry belly.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah. Cold. Yeah. You know, my son is two and but he watches outdoor boys on YouTube, you know. and lots of these kids, that is where it started, is on YouTube. You know, they saw that and they're like, Dad, can we go do that? Or mom, can you take me? And they're the parents are like, I don't have any idea how to do any of this. But that's
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: I mean, MHF is a perfect fit for those types of people because we start at the bottom, work our way up, you know. and for our program, the kids are limited to one hunting clinic just because we want to get as many people their start. But we try to partner every every clinic with another organization like NWTF, you know, like a local Quail Forever chapter, a local DU chapter, to make sure these kids You know, they've gone on their first hunt, but we want to make sure it's not their last. You know, and
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: they can continue to connect with their mentor, they can get plugged into more opportunities. But you know, for us, hunting doesn't have to look like it did for our grandpa. You know, so many of those things are never ever going to change in the way we do it. You know, I'm thinking about trapping, and you were talking about going out west. Well, you know, a beaver does what a beaver does. And you're gonna catch him pretty much the same way you would have 200 years ago. You know? so I don't I have not ever had to fight technology once a kid is at our clinic. but getting them to our clinic, that's tougher. Cause the kid's schedule is so full these days. You know, I talked to so many kids who are involved in sports. And, you know, I've I wasn't ever much good at sports or didn't have any interest, you know. So for me, I could excel in the outdoors because anyone can. You know, you find the thing that you like the most, you can build up that skill set and you can do it. You know, you can find that person to mentor you. you know, and like I've run into lots of custom callmakers lately. That's their end, right? They love woodworking and they use that as a tool to get outside. You know, that's
Rashad Rollins: Mm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: their buy-in spot. So once we get a kid there, they usually want to be there, you know.
Rashad Rollins: Yeah. So a couple of things. I I definitely, you know, we're trying to grow BHA's footprint down in Southwest. And I think, you know, sometime in the future we should definitely talk about some type of collaboration down here in Southwest because like I said, I know a lot of people who personally could use the education, could use a a place for kids to get that, you know. I'd be more than happy to get involved myself. And I have a lot of friends who I think would be willing to donate some of their time as well. So I think that's something that we should definitely talk about in the future for expanding
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: both of our programs.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah. Well let's let's touch on that just briefly. So MHHF has two fully equipped trailers, equipment trailers. So we have two chapters, one in Kansas City, one here in central Missouri, where you know we can host up to two clinics a weekend, right? so we provide training for people who would like to become mentors. You know, it it really translates to mentoring any age, right? We focus on youth, we do some adult events too. but we can take that trailer anywhere across the state. You know, if if someone has a group of kids that need hunter ed, if I can find a property in mentors, we'll go. You know, I just have to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. You know, so if there's a group of guys or gals who this is their passion and they want to pass it on. We'll come down, we'll do a new mentor orientation, we'll let them use our gear and find the kids, you know.
Rashad Rollins: Mm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: So that's certainly we're always interested in going new places and working with new people.
Rashad Rollins: No, that sounds that sounds awesome. so I'm assuming that you get a lot of time to connect with the parents in these situations as well. what do you what do you kind of see as the consensus that parents are finding as the primary hurdle for getting outdoors, getting them, getting their kids in, especially if they don't come from a hunting background or have a lot of experience themselves? okay. Sorry for that intermission, folks. We are back. So, Colton, what I was thinking is when you're talking with these parents and they're kind of having, you know, maybe they're coming in for the first time with these kids, what are the big hurdles that they're seeing? Maybe they don't come from a hunting background. Is it time constraints, equipment? Where do you feel like the they're really f hitting that that wall?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: A lot of it is time constraints. you know, there's there's just so many things that want a kid's attention, you know, at that age, you know, and a lot of it's sports or band, you know, choir, whatever, any of those extracurricular things. can you hear me okay, Rashad?
Rashad Rollins: Yep, yep, no, I can hear you.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Okay. and so there's just I think that is the thing, but also like the the barriers to entry are they just don't know how to do it. You know, so until they hear about something like MHF, and there are lots of organizations who do youth hunting programs, right? as far as I know, statewide we're the only one that throws all of it together into one weekend with Hunter education and shooting and the hunt. So but yeah, it's the lack of knowledge, not knowing someone who can take their child hunting, whether they're not plugged into an outdoors type community. so just literally taking the first step and time constraints for us seems to be the two biggest things.
Rashad Rollins: So, but your events are organized in a way where somebody could come in with just a desire or a some type of kindling in their heart to hunt,
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, yeah.
Rashad Rollins: whether it's to provide me to get that experience. They can get the hunter education, get the certification, get some know-how, and maybe even the parents be like, hey, you know, I got 500 bucks, $1,000 I'm ready to spend on this, maybe some equipment recommendations. And they
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yes.
Rashad Rollins: can have enough to. get out in the field and give it a go that fall or that winter.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yes, yeah. you know, our our clinics are specifically geared to people who wouldn't have the opportunity outside of our clinic to go on their first hunt. so now we do work with people who are experienced hunters, right? It's just a k a guy who wants his kid, or you know, a person who wants their kid to get their hunter ed, right? And we we try to recommend those people go to a clinic where they don't have expertise. Right? So if they're if they're all deer hunters, all they've ever done is deer hunted, we'd like to invite them to go on a waterfowl hunt. You know, somewhere where they'll get some new experience as a family.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm. And I can imagine with the waterfowl, you waterfowl is It's complex. I mean, it's so complex and so dynamic. And a lot of people, it's one of those ones where I see I feel as if though we have less involvement from people who didn't get it passed down to them. Whereas like somebody can go pick up a a a rifle or a bow and go deer hunting because quite frankly, we see deer everywhere. Right. It's like getting involved with ducks, it's like, you gotta have decoys, you gotta have waiters, you gotta have a shotgun. What's a plug? What's a duck stamp? What's this? What's that? And also I think that the areas in which to hunt ducks is fewer and further between. So much more more difficult, which kind of leads into the question that I had of which activity do you feel is like the most Well wh which ones the kids like the most? Is it the deer clinics? Is because I've seen you guys done trapping clinics with some big old frickin' XL beavers, like massive blankets and some goose hunts and whatnot. is it those more like shotgun wing shooting events that are more involved, maybe a dove hunt? Or which one do you think gets people the most fired up, the kids nowadays?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: man, I that is a tough question to answer because I don't get to see very many kids at multiple events. You know, so it it looks like every kid is really excited to be at every event, you know. now we do have families that will go to a hunting clinic and then also come to a trapping clinic. And so that's really cool because once again it's a completely new experience. it's something that none of them have done. and it's also something you don't see unless you're out there for that purpose. You know, to see a a beaver swimming, to watch them slap their tail on the water, you know, for trapping, that's just it's really cool. So we got to do that this year, have a couple of families who attended a deer clinic last year come to our trapping clinic. And that was a lot of fun just watching them, you know, once again, watching their experience. So I think that as as far as clinics go, I don't know that I could name one that's the most fun. I think they're all great for the people who have never gotten to do these things before.
Rashad Rollins: I had seen some pictures from the trapping clinic and I was kind of curious because it's did you guys set the traps the night before and then they gotta come up and help pull traps? Cause then I seen you did some scanning as well. How did that kind of logistically work out?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, so we're we're still building our trapping model, right? And trying to establish the ways that work best for us. So this year we did have the mentors come out the day before and set some traps. You know, because water trapping, you only have to check the traps every forty-eight hours instead of every twenty-four hours, because the the traps are submerged, right? The animal will be preserved under the water. So we did set them the night before. Just to hopefully ensure that we caught something. Right. So then Saturday morning we did like basic beaver biology and trapping regulations, talk through some of the traps and that sort of thing, just general trapping info. And then Saturday afternoon the mentors took everybody out to go and actually set the traps. So for the most part, the participants watched. Just because you know a big three thirty is pretty dangerous, and we didn't want to put a kid in freezing cold water with a three thirty, you know, a giant conibear trap, a body gripping trap.
Rashad Rollins: Mm-hmm.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: but they were right there, and when we pulled them out, I mean the kids, you know, once we verified that the trap was not set, the kids got to pull them, you know, when there was a beaver in there and they carried the animals back and so they were right there in the midst of everything. You know, they got to see how the whole process worked, you know, and and touch the animal and and eat the animal. You know, we did beaver pulled, you know, pulled beaver sandwiches this year. last year we did beaver pho, like a Vietnamese dish with beaver fat biscuits, you know. So yeah. Yeah, should've come. You sh have to come this year. You should come this year. So yeah.
Rashad Rollins: I'd love to. I would absolutely love to. Yeah. Trapping is high, high on my radar. And it's I feel like finding good I like I have more than enough opportunity to do land trapping, but finding good beaver spots in my region has been a little bit more difficult. Now I hunted a lot in southeast Kansas and it was like beaver sign galore. But, you know, it's two hundred and fifty bucks for a fur bearer license out of state and I'm like, okay, you know, you gotta kinda weigh all these things out after a while. But I would love to get involved with the trapping clinics. I mean, 'cause there's still I have I have a lot to learn there as well myself. I mean, I might be right there next to little Timmy trying to figure it all out.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: That's right. Hey, and those clinics we call them bring a kid, but really anyone is welcome at our trapping clinics. So come on.
Rashad Rollins: so your guys' organization, you know, typically, you know, these these organizations, the lifeblood is your is your volunteers. and so w how where do a lot of your volunteers come from? People who heard about the organization, who have a passion for hunting, fishing, trapping, whatever it may be, and want to get involved, or what is your kind of recruitments effort look like for that?
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, so we go to a lot of other organizations' events and talk to them. especially a lot of other conservation organizations, they have even within their own like chapter bylaws, they've mandated themselves to do some sort of hunter recruitment event. and not all of them either know how or have the the final thing to push them over the hurdle to make that event happen. And we come alongside a lot of those groups and make those things happen. So a lot of our volunteers are already volunteers of other organizations. some we meet at you know recruitment events, like we went to Pheasant Fest when it was in Kansas City last year. we'll go to the Conservation Federation meeting, things like that where we can in the Missouri Hunting Expo, you know, where we can meet. Other like minded people who want to make sure that this thing that we love doesn't pass away.
Rashad Rollins: That's that's that's incredible. And so You know, sometimes I find myself when I'm in these fights for public land or hunting rides, or it seems like things are getting diminished. It can get, you know, you can kind of kind of spiral into some negative places. And I think for me, getting involved with the organizations like I have has allowed me to be more optimistic about it and feel like I'm doing something. Do you feel optimistic about the future of hunting in the state of Missouri and the the sort of crop of people that you're helping influence? Does that give you Optimism for the future.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: I think like you mentioned, if if you look at the national or even global picture, it can get you down. just because there are so many I mean, they w it looks like our opponents wanna do death by a thousand cuts. You know, they'll just take a little away here and a little away there, you know, like I'm watching what's going on in Colorado with the trapping and the fur sale ban and that's pretty scary, you know. And things like that, or you know, like bear hunting or something like that, or the low-hanging fruit, you know, trapping is a low-hanging fruit. and so, you know, we we are taking that generation, which a lot of them don't have any knowledge unless we share it with them. You know, there's a quote that I love that says people can only care about what they understand. Right, and they can only understand if they're taught. And so that's what we do. You know, we're out there not only with the youth, but with their parent. And sometimes the parents have to bring extra kids along, or both parents will come, or grandma and grandpa are will come. And so it's it's really a family event. And I do think that, like you mentioned earlier, it's important for all of us, every single one, to be involved in some organization. You know, I'd I'd love to have more people here at MHHF. BHA is great too. you know, CFM, so many of these organizations are working hard to make sure that this tradition will continue. and it is something that can go away. You know, that's What people need to understand. Like in Missouri, it's already in our constitution that wildlife has to be managed through science-based management for the benefit of the people. Right. And other states are trying to get those things into their constitution. and that's something we talk about is the Missouri model of conservation and how it's different. Most states don't have what we have. You know, so to share those things with these kids, they're not learning that everywhere. unless they've got a you know conservation in their school curriculum, they don't know these things unless people like you and me tell them and show them.
Rashad Rollins: Abs absolutely. And I know that, you know, our conservation model with the sales tax primarily is highly, highly respected. And I think every state, you know, could benefit from it. I mean, they want to, you know, most states will tax whatever for whatever, but it's like, hey, one tenth of every dollar every cent, not even every dollar, one tenth of every cent, you know, just gets put into conservation and it is so incredibly effective. I mean, There is not a state in this country that doesn't have that, that couldn't benefit from it. And I'd be willing to bet if we pulled, you know, the majority of people, it's like, hey, are you willing to give a tenth of a penny to for conservation to help, you know, expand public lands, wildlife, waterways, fisheries, whatever it is. I mean, I'd like to I'd like to talk to the people who would say no more than I'd like to talk to the people who would say yes, you know. And
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Right. Yeah.
Rashad Rollins: and it's one of those things where it's allowed us to have. You know, I think we could always use a little bit more public land, but and it you know, ever it's always funny. It's the it's the public lands that that I hunt, it's it's never quite good enough. They're never quite doing enough work. But the public lands over there, man, I bet those ones are really good. You know, it's
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Right.
Rashad Rollins: like one of those things it's like the grass is always a little bit greener, but at the end of the day, there's always seems to be pretty good game and pretty good opportunity. And it's it's one of those things is because of those conservation efforts that It is kind of touted like that. And it's why we've had such a robust population. I mean of of deer, of turkey, of different, you know, even fish species. It's for how much and how old of a state Missouri is, the opportunities are still very upplenty. And yes, we don't have elk roaming the entire state like we used to and the bears have diminished and now they're kind of blooming back up, but for as old of a state Missouri as being developed before we had conservation models, I think we're in a pretty dang good spot. And it if it hadn't been for the advocacy, because look, no offense to Kansas City and St. Louis, but city centers oftentimes make decisions for more rural areas. You know, I have 14,000 people in my town. You know, on a statewide level, our votes are easily going to get kind of diminished by in popul the populist vote, anyways. I mean, that's a that's a small sector of some of these bigger cities. And it's it's it's unfortunate when you have those larger populations kind of making decisions that affect the whole state because it's like, hey, if you live in the center of St. Louis, you're far away from rural America where these these outdoor activities happen. And yet their vote still counts towards that. And it's like you guys aren't the ones spending, you know, well, I can't say they're not spending on conservation because thankfully for our tax, like I just mentioned, but they're not buying the rifles and the ammunition and the archery equipment that does help fuel that Pittman Robertson and stuff like that. And so I think that the more that we talk about it and the more that we recruit people and And for me, it's documenting hunting in a positive light. That's not just a blood and guts type of show. it's it's the best thing that we can do to make it more accepted and and and promote it even even further. And sorry, I'm I got on a little bit of a rant there, but it's something I'm I'm very, very passionate about because Man, the you the the anti movement, it's not slowing down. And so we have to put our foot on the gas and and and do the work like like you're doing. And and so that's that was a huge, huge reason why I wanted to get you on here is because the power is in the youth and it is in the people and you guys got your thumb right on that pulse and I absolutely love that.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, and in Missouri, at least for me, I'm only limited by my skill level, right? I'm not limited by the amount of opportunity there is. You know, like yeah, I I drive and I always wonder, you know, when I'm driving to a hunting property how many people I'm passing, you know, the I'm going to where they live and they're coming to where I live, you know. But you know, we have resources like the Mo Outdoors app and the Mo Hunting app. You know, like if I log into Mow Outdoors or just open the app, you know, the first thing that pops up is what type of activity would you like to do? If I click hunting, it shows me all the areas closest to me where I can hunt, what I can hunt, you know, what seasons are open, what methods I can use, and it's all right there in that app. You know, and you touched on the tax. and I think that's something that's very important because it's gonna come up. Well, one of them is coming up for a vote. this fall. And the so in Missouri we have two taxes for the outdoors, basically is how I would say it is we have the one eighth of one percent, which is the design for conservation. So one eighth of every penny of everything bought in Missouri goes to the Department of Conservation, right? And that's a tiny amount. It's a minuscule amount, but it does make our one of our conservation department one of the best funded in the country, which allows us to do things like endangered species work. It allows us to do our own research right here in the state. you know, whether that is partnering with the university or not, we get to do it here. you know, and I've gotten, like you said, it allows us to purchase properties, you know, and buy, make more public land. You know, in Missouri it's what, 93% private, you know, maybe 7% public.
Rashad Rollins: It's a lot.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: It it might be way less than that, but it opens up those opportunities. And the that tax is constitutional and it does not sunset. The one that does is the one-tenth of one percent soils, parks, soils, and water tax. So that one goes to the Department of Natural Resources and it sunsets every 10 years. and I the thing I want people to know is that that tax has nothing to do with the conservation department. You know, if you vote for it this fall, last year it passed by over eighty percent. In twenty sixteen, more than eighty percent of voters were in favor of that tax. And like you said, I can't think of a single thing eighty percent of voters would rally around besides like our state parks, good soil and clean drinking water, right? You know, so that's what's coming up this fall is the one-tenth of one percent. you know, I would encourage folks vote in favor of that tax, please. That's what keeps our state parks free to go into. You know, we don't have a per car or a per person ticket that we have to pay to enter our state parks. so you know, so many great things come from both of those taxes. And it's because we the people impose those on ourselves.
Rashad Rollins: And and for me personally, I'd pay I'd pay it gladly. You know, it's if if if er every jug of milk that I buy, I know just a little piece of it goes to that. I mean, it's it's phenomenal. And so, well, Colton, man, that's all the that's all that's the questions I had for you. I don't want to take up too much of your time. If people want to get involved and whether it's volunteering or even, you know, they have children who wanna, you know, come to one of your guys' clinics, what's the best way to get involved? Or if they want to become a member and just help support the organization with with a with an annual membership.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, so we actually built a brand new website last year with help from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation. So that is MHF.us. So I'm sure you can put that in the notes for people, but that'll show you about our clinics. We've got a sporting place tournament coming up in Lanexa, Kansas on September twenty sixth. So bring a team, sponsor, volunteer. You know, we'd love to have people come. And then yeah, so our clinics, volunteer information, all that's on our website. You can follow us on social media. We're at Mo Hunting Fed on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook. So Facebook and Instagram are the ones that get updated the most. So yeah, we'd love to have anybody or send us questions if you want to get into hunting. you know, even if you're an adult, I I usually know groups that I can plug people in with or find a mentor. for people, so come our way.
Rashad Rollins: Absolutely. Well, I really I really appreciate your time and and I'm glad we were able to connect. Let's definitely stay in touch. And if you ever, you know, want to come on again or you got something coming up, please let me know and I'm more than happy to to help out in any way that I can.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Yeah, thank you, sir. And I'm sure we'll be talking more in the future about how we can work with BHA and I'm appreciate you having us on and just, you know, lifting up the outdoors and putting it before more people. hopefully they'll, you know, stop just driving by places and actually get out of the car and look and walk on, you know, and
Rashad Rollins: Yeah.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: and not be afraid to do so. So
Rashad Rollins: Okay. Well, that was the Field Notes podcast. Colton Zirkel with Missouri's Heritage Hunting Foundation. Thank you so much, man.
Colton Zirkle, MHHF: Thank you.