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Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold

Bringing Back the Wild with Mike Arnold

By: Mike Arnold
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Mike Arnold explores how science, tradition, and hands-on conservation come together to protect the wild places and wildlife we care about.

Your host, Mike Arnold, is professor of genetics, a lifelong hunter, and a conservation biologist.

As a genetics professor who spends as much time in the woods as he does in the lab. Mike studies wildlife, has a passion for hunting, and cares deeply about conservation.

On this podcast, Mike dives into the science and stories behind bringing wildlife species back and keeping wild places wild.

Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Erica Tergeson, Dallas Safari Club Government Affairs Director discusses the advocacy protecting hunting
    May 26 2026

    In this episode of Bringing Back the Wild, Mike Arnold sits down with political strategist and Dallas Safari Club Government Affairs Director, Erica Tergeson, to explore why hunters must stay engaged in Washington, D.C. Erica shares her upbringing on a Colorado ranch, where she learned to shoot a Ruger .22, hunted prairie dogs, and developed a deep respect for rural life and wildlife. She explains how that background led her to Capitol Hill, where she now fights daily to defend hunting from federal restrictions and trophy import bans.

    Erica breaks down how excise taxes through the Pittman-Robertson Act fund state wildlife agencies and why many lawmakers still misunderstand that system. She details her work building relationships with key committees, supporting pro-hunting candidates, and countering well-funded animal rights campaigns. She urges hunters to visit their representatives, engage across party lines, and support DSC’s political action committee to protect conservation, hunting traditions, and the future of wildlife management.

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    32 mins
  • Cecil Corringham of Life-Form Taxidermy discusses conservation and community outreach funded by hunters
    May 19 2026

    In this episode of Bringing Back the Wild, Mike Arnold sits down with South African master taxidermist Cecil Corringham to explore a life shaped by resilience, artistry, and a deep love for wild places. Cecil shares how he grew up in an orphanage and discovered hunting during weekend trips to friends’ farms, where he learned independence, bushcraft, and respect for wildlife. A survival course under renowned conservationist Dr. Ian Player cemented his passion for Africa’s wild landscapes.

    Cecil traces his unexpected path into taxidermy, where natural artistic talent and relentless work ethic helped him build Life-Form Taxidermy into a world-class operation employing more than 100 people. He explains why hunters drive conservation across Africa, support rural economies, and protect habitat from poaching and corruption. Beyond business, Cecil funds anti-poaching units, supplies critical gear, and leads wheelchair initiatives that serve rural communities in Mozambique, South Africa, and Kenya.

    This conversation highlights hunting’s role in conservation, the responsibility that comes with success, and the power of giving back.

    #BringingBackTheWild #CecilCorringham #LifeFormTaxidermy #HuntingConservation #AfricanWildlife #EthicalHunting #AntiPoaching #SustainableUse #WildlifeManagement #Mozambique #SouthAfrica #HuntersForConservation #RuralCommunities #ConservationLeadership #WildlifeArt

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    28 mins
  • Larry Weishuhn discusses all things Coues and Carmen Mountain Whitetails...and everything else...
    May 12 2026

    Larry Weishuhn—Mr. Whitetail—returns for our first-ever repeat guest episode, and he delivers a masterclass in deer, habitat, and conservation.

    Larry takes us deep into two extraordinary hunts for the smallest whitetail subspecies in North America: the Carmen Mountain whitetail (Odocoileus virgininianus carminensis) and the Coues deer (Odocoileus virgininianus couesi). He breaks down their biology, behavior, and habitats—from the rugged, high-elevation mountains of West Texas and northern Mexico to the oak- and pine-covered Sierra Madres of Durango.

    This conversation goes far beyond hunting stories. Larry explains how exotic species like aoudad and elk reshape fragile desert ecosystems, compete with native deer, and force landowners and biologists to rethink wildlife management. He ties it all back to habitat, conservation economics, and responsible harvest—straight talk from decades of field experience.

    If you care about whitetails, wild places, and doing conservation the right way, you don’t want to miss this episode.

    #BringingBackTheWild #LarryWeishuhn #WhitetailDeer #CouesDeer #CarmenMountainWhitetail #Conservation #WildlifeManagement #HuntingHeritage #HabitatFirst #DSC #BackcountryHunting

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    45 mins
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