This summer Backcountry Hunters & Anglers at Kansas State Club President Ian Burrow was joined by Kansas State University Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Professor Dr. Adam Ahlers on the East Meets West Hunt Podcast for an energetic conversation surrounding the role college students fulfill in today’s land and wildlife conservation advocacy.

Host Beau Martonik dives into the weeds on BHA’s Collegiate Program on the latest episode of the East Meets West Hunt Podcast: What is the Collegiate Program? What impact is it having on campuses across the nation? What does one need to do to start a new college club affiliated with BHA? While Ian provides the grassroots insight and discusses some of the great things happening with the club at Kansas State, Dr. Ahlers provides his academic perspective on the program, college students, and R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation).

The East Meets West Hunt Podcast is your resource for all things adventure hunting. This podcast is geared towards the hunter that wants more out of the hunt than just the kill. It’s for the hunter that loves planning and preparing for the hunt, just as much as the hunt. You can find the EMW Podcast on your favorite podcast source. EMW also donates 3% of all apparel proceeds to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. To learn more about the podcast, blog, and purchase some awesome apparel go to: ​www.eastmeetswesthunt.com​.

BHA at KSU is recognized by Kansas State University as an Independent Student Organization. The club serves as an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and Kansas residents to share their appreciation for America’s natural heritage through both educational and recreational opportunities.

PODCAST HOST

Beau Martonik

“How do you define adventure?”

Beau is a bowhunter, outdoorsman, and conservationist. Beau grew up in the heart of the Allegheny National Forest, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Growing up in a small town, spending all of his spare time in the Appalachian Mountains. Beaus takes his nutrition and fitness seriously to prepare for the mountain, and improve overall health. He is driven by the adventure and the challenge of being successful on public land, Do-It-Yourself hunts in spectacular places from East to West. The goal his new business endeavor, East Meets West is to help more people experience adventure style hunts and improve their lives in all aspects.

WILDLIFE AND OUTDOOR ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT PROFESSOR

Adam Ahlers

“We’re losing a lot of younger hunters.”

Adam Ahlers is an Assistant Professor and applied ecologist in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University (KSU). He received his Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) in 2015. His research is focused on understanding how wildlife populations are impacted by environmental change. To this end, Adam has conducted studies that have investigated how survival, space use, and population distributions of various wildlife species are affected by landscape change. He also teaches courses at KSU that focus on the management of wildlife populations and their habitats. Adam is very active in The Wildlife Society and American Society of Mammalogists. In his spare time, he loves exploring Earth with his wife and two daughters or hunting and fishing in wild places.

CLUB PRESIDENT

Ian Burrow

“I have a voice that I can use.”

Ian is a Senior at Kansas State University pursuing a degree in Political Science with a focus on Environmental Policy. Ian reached out to BHA at the beginning of the year and has been working tirelessly to establish a club at KSU that is directly affiliated with the national BHA organization. He is a Kansas native, raised in Overland Park, and acquired his initial appreciation for the land in his youth through agriculture and 4-H. The value of clean air and clean water become extremely prominent to Ian during his time and travels spent with the Army. Ian is married to his beautiful wife, Alexis, and spends his free time seeking out new adventures. They have a dog, Harper, and she has a cat, Henry.

Collegiate Program

BHA recognizes the important role college students play in BHA’s conservation and public land protection mission. Connecting college students and BHA state chapters helps build the BHA community and is key to fostering the next generation of conservation minded hunters and anglers and public land advocates.