Through the Gates

Women are becoming one of the most important voices in hunting, conservation, and the outdoors — and in this episode of Through the Gates, we explore why.
Dan Gates sits down with Renée Thornton, founder and chair of the Wild Sheep Foundation's Women Hunt program, and Rachel Ahtila, professional guide and longtime Women Hunt advocate, for an in-depth conversation about getting more women into hunting, breaking down barriers, mentorship, conservation education, and the role women can play in defending the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
The conversation goes far beyond simply getting women into the field.
Renée and Rachel explain how Women Hunt evolved from an idea into a growing program providing skills training, mentorship, hunting opportunities, community, conservation education, and support for women at every stage of their hunting journey.
They also discuss the challenges women still encounter entering a traditionally male-dominated hunting community, the importance of representation, the evolution of women's hunting gear, the power of social media, and why the hunting community needs to reach beyond its traditional echo chamber.
The episode also explores how hunting can become a gateway to conservation, food sovereignty, outdoor education, family traditions, and advocacy — and why women may be uniquely positioned to communicate those ideas to people who don't traditionally identify as hunters.
Then, in the second half of the episode, Dan talks with Dana Dykema, host of the Women Hunt IGNITE Podcast, about her own journey from having virtually no connection to hunting to becoming a hunter, conservation advocate, podcast host, and voice for the hunting community.
Dana shares her experience at the Women Hunt Field to Fork program, learning to shoot, harvesting her first animal, navigating hunting as a mother of four, exploring fishing and other outdoor pursuits, and discovering the larger conservation community.
They also discuss why sharing the real story of hunting — where food comes from, how hunting funds conservation, and why sustainable use matters — may be one of the most important challenges facing hunters today.

In This Episode
Women Hunt and the Wild Sheep Foundation
How Renée Thornton got into hunting
Rachel Ahtila's career as a professional guide
Breaking down barriers for women in hunting
The evolution of women's hunting gear
Hunting mentorship and education
Field to Fork hunting
Women as conservation advocates
Reaching beyond the hunting community
Social media and conservation messaging
The Women of Conservation initiative
Overcoming fear of firearms and harvesting an animal
The emotional side of learning to hunt
Hunting as a source of food and connection
Dana Dykema's journey into hunting
The IGNITE Podcast
Hunting and fishing in British Columbia
Why the hunting community needs more voices

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Ryan Callaghan—known to millions through MeatEater and now President & CEO of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers—joins Daniel Gates for one of the most important conservation conversations of the year.
From his beginnings as a Montana hunting guide and First Lite employee to helping build MeatEater and now leading one of North America's largest conservation organizations, Ryan explains why protecting hunting, fishing, public lands, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation requires more than buying a hunting license—it requires action.
Together, Ryan and Dan discuss:
• Ryan's journey from guide to conservation leader
• Behind-the-scenes stories from the early days of MeatEater
• Why coalition building is the future of conservation
• Public lands, access, and the biggest threats facing hunters today
• Oregon's IP 28 and what it could mean nationwide
• Colorado's Constitutional Right to Hunt & Fish initiative
• How hunters, anglers, ranchers, agriculture, recreation groups, and public land users can work together instead of being divided
• Why advocacy matters just as much as time spent in the field
If you care about hunting, fishing, conservation, wildlife management, public lands, or the future of the outdoors, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO
Sign the Initiative 302 petition: savecoheritage.org
Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us
Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com
Follow CRWM on Facebook: facebook.com/savethehuntcolorado
Follow CRWM on Instagram: instagram.com/c.r.w.m

00:00 Introduction & Mission to Save the Hunt
00:43 Meet Ryan Callaghan
01:32 Ryan's Background & Growing Up in Montana
04:00 Building First Lite & Early Conservation Work
07:00 Joining MeatEater & Leading Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
09:20 New Fatherhood & Life Updates
10:35 How Ryan Ended Up at MeatEater
18:30 From Outdoor Jobs to Conservation Leadership
23:45 Why Hunting Advocacy Matters
25:45 Coalition Building Over Division
28:10 Lessons from Ranching Communities
32:40 Why Hunters Must Stop Fighting Each Other
33:20 Public Lands & Responsible Recreation
37:15 Politics vs. Policy
40:05 Supporting Businesses that Support Hunting
41:40 Conservation, Agriculture & Finding Common Ground
45:30 Responsible Resource Development
50:45 Oregon IP 28 Explained
57:30 Colorado's Right to Hunt & Fish Movement
1:03:30 Why Join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers?
1:06:20 Building Stronger Conservation Coalitions
1:12:20 Volunteerism & Stewardship
1:15:40 Reaching Non-Hunters Through Conservation
1:17:45 Why Wildlife Management Shouldn't Be Decided by Emotion
1:20:00 Final Thoughts & Call to Action
Ryan Callaghan, Dan Gates, MeatEater Podcast, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Daniel Gates, Through the Gates Podcast, public lands, hunting rights, right to hunt and fish, North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, conservation, wildlife management, Colorado hunting, Oregon IP 28, hunting advocacy, fishing rights, public land access, hunters united, wildlife conservation, hunting podcast, outdoor podcast, science-based wildlife management.

What does it take to build one of the most recognizable brands in hunting while becoming one of the strongest voices for wildlife conservation?
In this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates sits down with legendary hunter, entrepreneur, conservationist, and Primos Hunting founder Will Primos for one of the most personal and insightful interviews he's ever given.
Will shares the incredible story behind building Primos Hunting from a garage startup into one of the biggest names in the outdoor industry. He discusses the evolution of game calls, hunting videos, elk calling, turkey hunting, business leadership, and how timing, innovation, and authenticity changed hunting forever.
More importantly, Will explains why science-based wildlife management, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and educating the non-hunting public are more important today than ever before.
In this episode:
• The incredible story behind founding Primos Hunting
• Building a hunting company from a garage
• How VHS tapes revolutionized hunting education
• Why authenticity built one of hunting's biggest brands
• The evolution of turkey, deer and elk calling
• Product innovation inside Primos
• Entrepreneurship lessons from growing a national company
• The importance of habitat conservation
• Why science—not emotion—must guide wildlife management
• Educating non-hunters about conservation
If you believe in conserving wildlife through science-based management, responsible hunting, and protecting the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, be sure to subscribe and join us for future episodes.
SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO
Sign the Initiative 302 petition: savecoheritage.org
Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us
Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com
Follow CRWM on Facebook: facebook.com/savethehuntcolorado
Follow CRWM on Instagram: instagram.com/c.r.w.m
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Meet Will Primos
01:39 Growing up and early influences
06:57 Starting Primos Hunting in a garage
09:58 Audio cassettes that changed hunting
11:42 The birth of hunting videos
17:06 Timing, innovation & entrepreneurship
18:02 Conservation begins with education
20:31 Building the Primos brand
22:00 Expanding beyond turkey calls
27:58 Product innovation & Trigger Stick
37:50 Conservation becomes the mission
42:58 Teaching the next generation
48:59 Ballot box biology & public education
53:24 Challenges facing hunting today
56:10 Why everyone impacts wildlife habitat
1:00:51 Future hunting plans & favorite adventures
1:05:03 Final thoughts from Will Primos
1:06:03 Colorado Outfitters Association
1:06:50 Mintern Anglers
1:07:07 Rustic Living
1:08:09 Outro
Keywords
Will Primos, Primos Hunting, hunting podcast, Dan Gates, elk hunting, turkey hunting, deer hunting, wildlife conservation, North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, science-based wildlife management, conservation podcast, elk calling, turkey calls, hunting industry, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Colorado hunting, hunting heritage, wildlife management, public lands

***This episode was recorded with GoHunt in late May. While much of conversation is relevant and educational, some edits were made to remove content out of date. ***

Colorado is at a crossroads.

For the first time, Colorado has the opportunity to become the 25th state to protect the constitutional right to hunt and fish, creating another layer of defense for science-based wildlife management and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
In this episode of Through the Gates, Sean Ender sits down with Dan Gates, President of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (CRWM), to break down what this proposed constitutional amendment actually does, why it's needed, and what sportsmen and women—both inside and outside Colorado—need to understand.
The conversation goes far beyond a ballot measure.
Dan explains how Colorado became ground zero for wildlife policy battles, why anti-hunting organizations continue returning after every defeat, how the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Commission influences the future of hunting, and why educating the public may be the most important conservation effort of our generation.
Whether you're a hunter, angler, conservationist, landowner, or simply care about science-based wildlife management, this conversation explains what's happening in Colorado—and why it could influence wildlife policy across the country.
If you value responsible hunting, fishing, public lands, and the future of conservation, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Colorado's wildlife management is at a crossroads.
In this episode of Through the Gates, Dan Gates breaks down one of the most consequential Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meetings in recent memory and explains why sportsmen, anglers, conservationists, landowners, and anyone who values science-based wildlife management should be paying attention.
From controversial furbearer bag limit decisions to growing concerns about politics overriding wildlife science, this episode explains what happened during the July Commission meeting, why those decisions matter, and how they connect to Colorado's proposed Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish (Initiative 302).
Dan discusses:
• The recent CPW Commission decisions on furbearer regulations
• Why science-based wildlife management is under increasing pressure
• The role of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation
• Why the constitutional amendment does not remove management authority from Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• The dangers of ballot-box biology
• Why hunters and anglers need to become more engaged before future wildlife decisions are made
Whether you're a hunter, angler, wildlife professional, or simply someone who believes wildlife should be managed using science instead of emotion or politics, this conversation provides important context for the future of conservation in Colorado.
If you enjoy the podcast, please Like, Subscribe, and Share to help spread the message.

SUPPORT THE RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH IN COLORADO
Sign the Initiative 302 petition: savecoheritage.org
Donate to CRWM: savethehuntcolorado.com/support-us
Learn more: savethehuntcolorado.com
Follow CRWM on Facebook: facebook.com/savethehuntcolorado
Follow CRWM on Instagram: instagram.com/c.r.w.m