• Conversations 2.11: Dr. Richard Chandler

    Recently, FWC revealed the final product of the South Florida Deer Study, a multi year paper that provided a in depth examination of how deer in both Big Cypress and Panther NWR behave and are affected by hunters, predators, and hydrology. This study is remarkably timely, given the backdrop of the Western Everglades Restoration Project coupled with hunters observations of the Big Cypress deer herd. The study can be found on FWC’s website or you can find it on Dr. Chandler’s site here, where you can also follow Dr. Chandler’s other works. Go to Patreon and become a friend of the show OFFICIALLY here! Need an auctioneer for your next…

  • Conversations 2.9: Danielle Kirkland, FWC Invasive Plant Management

    Chances are, if you’re listening to an outdoors podcast, you’ve heard some mention of the topic of Spraying.  We toss around binary concepts – stop spraying, ban chemicals, poison . . . In this week’s conversation, we take a measured approach with an expert on the subject, FWC’s Danielle Kirkland, a leader in the state’s Invasive Plant Management Team. We go into detail on why spraying occurs, why natives matter, why managing invasives needs to continue, how herbicides are approved for usage, the creation of muck, lake levels, and pay to spray – plus why Danielle does what she does . . . You do not want to miss this…

  • Conversations #2.3: Ryan Hamm

    Ryan Hamm is with FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries – in this week’s episode, we chat about anything and everything, including R3 in fishing, Lake Management Plans, Triploid grass carp, basketball, and even a little hunting . . . Go to Patreon and become a friend of the show OFFICIALLY here! Need an auctioneer for your next event?  Mark “Dobe” Dobersch is your guy! Check him out here! Follow Cast and Blast Florida: Instagram – Twitter – Facebook – Website Want to experience a world class duck hunt or fishing charter? E-mail Travis to book today . . . Connect with the gang on social media: Travis Thompson – @travisthompson – Instagram – Twitter – Facebook Nathan Henderson – @nhenderson77 – Instagram – Twitter – Facebook Emily Thompson…

  • #11: Allen Martin with FWC – Black Crappie

    ‘Tis the season . . . For specks.  Black Crappie.  One of the most popular fish in the Sunshine State, we’re talking this week with one of the experts on these tasty and fun spotted slabs! Allen Martin is Biologist with Florida Wildlife Commission and helped create the Black Crappie Management Plan – he took some time to work with us unpacking Specks and everything you’d ever want to know about Crappie! Follow Cast and Blast Florida: Instagram – Twitter – Facebook – Website Want to experience a world class duck hunt or fishing charter? E-mail Travis to book today . . . Connect with the gang on social media: Travis Thompson – @travisthompson – Instagram – Twitter – Facebook Nathan Henderson –…

  • Conversations #9: Dr. Grace Sturdivant

    Dr. Grace Sturdivant is an Doctor of Audiology from Jackson, Mississippi.  A graduate of Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, Grace has pursued hearing protection in the arena of shooting sports through her company, Otopro Technologies . . . we discuss why guns are bad for your ears, how hearing works, tailgating in SEC country, and the best types of protection from loud noises.  Also, peanut M&M’s. Find out more about Otopro Technologies and Grace’s work here. Follow Cast and Blast Florida: Instagram – Twitter – Facebook – Website Want to experience a world class duck hunt or fishing charter? E-mail Travis to book today . . . Connect with the gang on social media: Travis Thompson – @travisthompson – Instagram – Twitter – Facebook…

  • Conversations #2: Eric Weather

    Remember, as a kid, how you wanted to take your net and catch one of every little fish and crab and creature on the grass flats behind your hotel when you were on your Florida vacation? That’s Eric Weather’s job. Eric is a biologist with FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), and this week he spends an hour with us discussing how he got to Florida, his love of the water and everything in it, and how FWRI informs so many of the fisheries decisions we see as anglers! Indices of Relative Abundance The McCall’s Basin Theory of sampling for fish The Otolith (ear stone) for aging fish If…