In the Arena: Cason Short

April 28, 2026

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Cason Short

Hometown: Hunter, Arkansas
Occupation: Owner of Bill Byers Hunter Club, partner of farming operation Byers Family Ltd., and co-host of The Standard Sportsman Podcast
Conservation credentials: Short developed a passion for hunting greenheads in the flooded timber of eastern Arkansas through the guidance of his father and grandfather, and translated that knowledge into managing the family farm and on-site hunting club for conservation. In 2024 and 2025 he was an advisory council member for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and he shares his knowledge of waterfowl hunting in the wooded bottomlands of eastern Arkansas on a popular weekly podcast.

A lifelong Arkansan, Short is the third-generation operator of the Bill Byers Hunter Club near Hunter, Ark., which has been hosting duck hunters for more than 70 years. The property offers thousands of managed acres of seasonally flooded timber and rice fields, with food plots, a hunting lodge, and strategically placed pit blinds – but much hunting is still done knee-deep in green timber. Short recently began to share his experise and insights on waterfowl hunting in the highly productive habitat of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV), an area adjacent to the Mississippi River that includes eastern Arkansas, through The Standard Sportsman Podcast. Sponsored by names like Ducks Unlimited and Sitka, the podcast features informational discussions about regional waterfowl behavior, habitat, and private lands conservation, as wells as the strong duck hunting heritage in Arkansas. Short endeavors to hang on to hunting heritage and conservation principles and share them with others as widely as he is able.

Here is his story.

My earliest memories of hunting come from being around our lodge as a young boy. I would tag along with any guide who would let me, and I never missed a chance to hunt with my father and grandfather. Duck hunting was a huge part of our life, but my grandfather instilled upon me the importance of stewardship. As a landowner, he felt he was entrusted with taking care of the land and everything on it. Having a farm for a playground lent itself to enjoying everything outdoors, from fishing to whitetail deer hunting.

I’ve been blessed to spend a lot of time on our farm, but my greatest memories aren’t necessarily from my own hunts. Seeing my three sons harvest their first duck and then their first deer are by far the greatest moments in the field. It’s pretty special to see the fourth generation carrying on the role that my grandfather passed down on the farm.

“Reaping the rewards of your own hard work is hard to beat.”

I’m a pretty simple man. I like working to build something, and that makes hunting and fishing at our farm the best. Don’t get me wrong, I hope to take my children out West one day to chase elk, or possibly east to hunt the waterfowl there, but reaping the rewards of your own hard work is hard to beat.

Conservation doesn’t just enhance my outdoor life. It’s better to say it allows me to have an outdoor life. Without conservation production, agriculture would be all we would know. There wouldn’t be any room for wildlife. But it can be difficult to convince a farmer and businessman to leave money on the table and do something in the name of wildlife. Voluntary programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Wetland Reserve Easements (WREs) – both funded by the Farm Bill – offer an economic alternative to ag production. Both in terms of income to offset the loss of taking land out of production, and the overall bottom line when we look at marginal farmland and the losses that may be incurred when Mother Nature has other plans.

When these programs are implemented as part of an overall conservation plan, the rewards to both the landowner and the wildlife that inhabit it can be amazing. With these types of programs, we have reduced the taxpayer burden by restoring marginal farmland that could have seen a number of crop insurance claims, and we’ve also increased the carrying capacity for wildlife that benefits users well beyond the borders of the property lines. We’ve seen it firsthand with our reforestation projects. Obviously, the target species have thrived, but it’s the effects on non-target species that really open your eyes to the scope of the good that is being done. A simple project targeting whitetails and waterfowl now also plays host to bobwhite quail, rabbits, and box turtles.

Funding has become the biggest conservation challenge in eastern Arkansas. Or maybe access to funding. There are great programs out there like WREs, but the vehicles to get the funding to the areas that make the biggest impact are failing Americans. We need to conserve where we can have the biggest impact, but that’s hard to do that when we put stipulations in place that dictate where that funding has to be spent. Too often, small tracts of land are prioritized because of their proximity to protected lands, as opposed to their overall impact and value to wildlife. If the goal is “farm the best and restore the rest,” we must be proactive in how we select and fund these projects.

Conservation is a mindset. It’s knowing that you have a duty to the land. Without it, we wouldn’t have the great outdoors. I’m involved in conservation for four main reasons: Byers, Mac, Ford, and Charlie. My four children. And for the entire next generation of outdoorsmen and women. As small towns dry up, and year-round sports continue to attract young kids, hunting and fishing continue to take a back seat. All while we continue to lose habitat. We must conserve what we have, and hopefully restore even more if we want to hang on to the legacy of hunting and fishing for future generations.

Banner image credit: Ed Wall

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

It can be difficult to understand all the acronyms tied to Farm Bill conservation programs and why the reauthorization and improvement of this legislation is a top priority. In The Hunter & Anglers Guide to the Farm Bill, we demystify the Farm Bill and the crucial conservations programs that sportsmen and women should care about.

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by: Dan Morgan

posted in: In the Arena

February 27, 2026

In the Arena: Josh Warren

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Josh Warren

Hometown:  Ashland, OR
Occupation: Director of Marketing for WorkSharp
Conservation credentials: Warren is is an Oregon hunter and angler who values public lands and the North American Model of Conservation. Through his role at WorkSharp, he helps support conservation partnerships that sustain wildlife, habitat, and opportunity for future generations.

For many hunters and anglers, the connection to conservation begins close to home — in the woods behind the house, along a familiar stretch of river, or through time spent learning from mentors and family. That sense of place is something Joshua Warren carries with him, both personally and professionally. As Director of Marketing at WorkSharp, Josh represents a company rooted in Ashland, Oregon, a community defined by its access to public lands and wild country.

Here is his story.

TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?

Josh Warren: I was introduced to the outdoors at a young age, and it shaped much of who I am today. Time outside wasn’t just recreation — it was where I learned patience, responsibility, and respect for wild places. That perspective carries directly into my work at Work Sharp. We’ve proudly rooted our company in Ashland, Oregon because of its natural beauty and access to public lands. For decades, we’ve built tools for hunters and anglers, and one of the most rewarding parts of what we do is watching someone experience that spark for the first time — whether it’s chasing their first elk, landing a salmon, or simply spending meaningful time outside.

TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.

Josh Warren: One of the experiences I look forward to every year is FishCamp. We bring together a small group of men and women from across the outdoor community and gather along the Columbia River during the fall salmon run. It’s an intimate setting — long days on the water, evenings around the campfire, stories shared, and genuine connections made. FishCamp grounds us. It reminds us why we do what we do — building tools that help people make memories in wild places and supporting conservation efforts that ensure those opportunities remain for the next generation.

TRCP: If you could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be and why?

Josh Warren: While there are many places around the country and around the world that are fascinating, adventurous and unknown, there is something special about hunting the woods behind your house, your local unit, or the river on the edge of town. It harkens back to the original reason people hunted and fished: survival. Going back to the roots of hunting the same woods, fishing the same rivers and streams means something. It’s not about Instagram, it’s not about trophies — it’s doing it because we love it, even in its most mundane form.

TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life?

Josh Warren: It feels cliché to say that we’re protecting something for generations to come, but I can certainly recognize that if we hadn’t made decisions years ago about protecting wild lands, I wouldn’t have the same opportunities today that I do. I recognize the power we have just by existing in this time to protect lands and species that would be immensely harder to recover and protect in the future. Many of my favorite memories come from places that are protected through wilderness designations, roadless regions, or simply the fact that in Oregon we can hunt a wide variety of species because they still exist. Rocky Mountain elk in Northeast Oregon are a prime example of old conservation work that has benefited me and my family over the years.

TRCP: What are the major conservation challenges where you live?

Josh Warren: It’s complex, and in many ways our specific region, Southwest Oregon, has benefited from strong belief in conservation. But there are still challenges. It could be controversial, but I think one challenge is education for people, specifically non-hunters, to understand how our model of conservation is funded. Oregon faces threats of anti-hunting laws regularly. Hunting and fishing licenses and tags directly support the conservation of the species we hunt and the public lands we maintain. The model of conservation works as well as any through history, and that continues to be new information to many people who oppose hunting and fishing.

TRCP: Why is it important to you to be involved in conservation?

Josh Warren: We have significantly more power to preserve and conserve now than we will at any point in the future. We must do what we can as early as we can.

TRCP: Why should conservation matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers?

Josh Warren: Ultimately, the next generation needs to decide if they value conservation for themselves. I believe there is value in living life hands on — pushing back against the rapid evolution of technology and convenience and pursuing a life where we count on our own two hands. Hunting and angling are incredibly grounding and are one of the ultimate expressions of living life hands on. I believe that’s good for people and for humanity.

Photo credit: Josh Warren

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: In the Arena

January 13, 2026

In the Arena: Marcus Hockett

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Marcus Hockett

Hometown: Dillon, MT
Occupation: Field Producer for Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg
Conservation credentials: Hockett’s B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management and experience in the field as a research technician working with wildlife biologists combined with his background and passion for the outdoors make him an ideal advocate for public lands, hunting, and fishing.

Hockett has hunted across the West, filmed hunts from above the Arctic Circle to the deserts of the Southwest, and has already spent more nights sleeping on public lands than most hunters twice his age. His commitment to conservation and excellent communications skills (he has an M.F.A. in Science and Natural History Filmmaking) have helped solidify the Fresh Tracks brand not only as an entertaining hunting show, but as a trusted source for information on the conservation issues impacting America’s hunters and anglers.

Here is his story.

TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?

Marcus Hockett: My parents made sure I was immersed in the outdoors, and my dad took me hunting every chance he got. We were lucky to live in an area with public land and plenty of hunting and fishing opportunities, so I’ve been able to recreate and explore in some amazing places my entire life.

Hockett with a public land, September bull.

TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.

Marcus Hockett: While working for Montana State University as a research technician, I was with a group deep in the backcountry doing surveys for mountain goats and bighorn sheep. One survey in particular stands out when we were perched on top of a mountain looking over a massive view-shed (the view of an area from a specific vantage point).

Our job was to systematically glass and precisely pinpoint the location of sheep and goats on a map. During the survey we had a goat right below us, a group of bighorn rams fed on a bench down below, beyond the rams were two herds of elk with rutting bulls going crazy, off to the side a pack of wolves were bedded near a kill, and at the kill a grizzly with three cubs cleaned up the scraps. This scene unfolded over an hour or so as we watched in pure silence.

We weren’t supposed to talk to one another during the surveys to assess detection probabilities, which is when one surveyor saw an animal that the others did not. However, one of the grad students I was working for eventually broke when a big boar grizzly chased off the sow and cubs and he blurted out “Are you seeing this?!”

We all replied with “Yeah, this is insane!”

That survey stuck in my mind as an example of a landscape that was truly wild and untouched. Being able to sit there in silence and soak it all in just made the memory that much clearer.

TRCP: If you could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be and why?

Marcus Hockett: Wild sheep. Anywhere they live. I’ve been extremely lucky to be able to hunt them twice and film a handful of other hunts. I may never get to hunt them again, but being up where sheep live and trying to find a mature ram forces you to be in spots you would never otherwise be.

It bothers me a bit that my answer is wild sheep because hunting them is simply unattainable for most people. It’s either cost prohibitive or you have to win the hunting lottery to chase them, but the landscapes and habitat that support them are some of the most scenic, awe-inspiring areas in the world.

A big smile before a long pack out after a successful sheep hunt.

TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life?

Marcus Hockett: It’s a way of protecting and maintaining my favorite things in life. Nearly all of my recreation involves public land or water, and if those lands or waters are degraded, so is the experience.

Working on a juniper removal project will enhance habitat for mule deer that I might eventually hunt. Advocating for conservation funding to support an easement on private land can prevent land from being subdivided and developed, keeping winter range intact for elk that I might eventually hunt.

There are a lot of ways folks can be involved.

TRCP: What are the major conservation challenges where you live?

Marcus Hockett: In my opinion, habitat. Wildlife needs a home, they need something to eat and drink. It’s challenging because everyone wants a piece of the pie and the pie is usually shrinking. Whether it’s for development, resource extraction, etc. It’s tough to keep the habitat we have and tough to restore it after it’s been degraded. There are a lot of competing interests for land and resources, so convincing people to value wildlife and natural habitats more than the alternatives can be a real challenge.

TRCP: Why is it important to you to be involved in conservation?

Marcus Hockett: Well there’s the selfish reason for protecting my favorite things so I can continue to go outside and enjoy those things… but I also recognize that a lot of people benefit from public land and it’s worthwhile to conserve wildlife and their habitat so future generations can enjoy them. Plus, it’s just nice to know that there are natural places that haven’t been heavily altered by man.

It can be hard to be optimistic at times, but there is always something we can make progress on. Where progress is made depends on which politicians, land managers, and wildlife managers are leading, but there is always something that can be done.

Hockett with a Yellowstone Cutthroat to be excited about.

TRCP: Why should conservation matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers?

Marcus Hockett: So people can continue to enjoy the things they love. I think a lot of people care about wild things and wild places but don’t realize how threatened they actually are. All too often we hear about how much better things used to be “back in the day.” It’s not easy, but if enough people care about conservation, it is possible to make things better in the future.

Photo credit: Marcus Hockett

by: Noah Davis

posted in: In the Arena

December 29, 2025

In the Arena: Zack Williams

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Zack Williams

Hometown: Missoula, MT
Occupation: Editorial and Brand Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
Conservation credentials: A lifelong angler and hunter, Williams has been a steelhead guide in the Pacific Northwest and is the founding editor of Swing the Fly. Williams used this expertise and passion for conservation to find a job working in the hunt-fish nonprofit space.

Zack Williams garnered his maniacal angling mindset from a childhood in the water-logged state of Michigan. This fanatic pursuit received a steroid shot to the arm when he found the steelhead rivers of the Pacific Northwest and took a foray down the Andes chasing trout. Now Williams has settled in Montana and scrambles through hellholes looking for elk and mule deer when he’s not standing up for public lands and hunter and angler access in his role at Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.

Here is his story.

TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?

Zack Williams: I was fortunate. My dad had me waiving around a fly rod at the age of two. By the time I was five he was taking me smallmouth fishing on our local Michigan river upwards of five nights a week. When I wanted to start bowhunting at 12, he picked it up with me. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude – and my mom as well for allowing us to disappear at will to fish and hunt.

Williams happy before a long, dark packout.

TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.

Zack Williams: Being a weekend warrior these days, I cherish the memories of extended periods spent detached from the hustle of modern life. A few cherry examples are four months in Argentina chasing trout down the length of the Andes in my 20s; two summers spent living out of a tiny camper from Oregon’s North Umpqua River to Michigan up to Jasper, Canada, and across the West with my wife, two large dogs and a cat; a fall and winter spent living in a tiny backpacking tent with my dog chasing steelhead across the Northwest. I look forward to future opportunities to detach like that again, hopefully with my wife and daughter if they’re interested.

TRCP: If you could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be and why?

Zack Williams: I’m always curious about what lies over the next ridge. Rather than dream of faraway lands, I think I’d choose somewhere I’ve never explored here in Montana, free of roads and with lots of downed trees, nasty November weather and minimal people, to chase elk or mule deer.

TRCP: How does conservation help enhance your outdoor life?

Zack Williams: Everything I value, outside of family, can be directly traced to wild public lands and clean, cold water. Conserving those is everything to me.

TRCP: What are the major conservation challenges where you live?

Zack Williams: There are a lot of important issues at the forefront right now, but for me, number one is saving the Roadless Rule. So many of the quality experiences – and so much of the quality wildlife habitat – we have are dependent on having roadless tracts of public land. Beyond that, fiscally, it just doesn’t make sense to build more roads when we don’t have the funding to maintain the ones we have. There’s a lot of misunderstanding concerning the Roadless Rule – what it does and what it doesn’t do. I hope hunters, anglers and policymakers will take the time to understand the facts about it before the next comment period in the spring of 2026.

Williams and his daughter, Cora, with a Westslope cutthroat.

TRCP: Why is it important to you to be involved in conservation?

Zack Williams: I have a young daughter and would like her to have the chance to experience wild public lands and waters like I have. Beyond that, it just feels like the right thing to do.

TRCP: Why should conservation matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers?

Zack Williams: Once these places are gone, they aren’t coming back. As the man TR himself said in my favorite part from the Man in the Arena speech: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”

Apathy is not an option these days when it comes to conservation – and a whole lot of other things it seems. I don’t think we have a choice unless we’re OK with seeing it all go away. Maybe it’s always been that way, but to me it feels like we’re at a very critical moment for public lands and waters. We need a new generation of leaders to stand up like those before us did.

Photo credit: Zack Williams

by: Noah Davis

posted in: In the Arena

December 23, 2025

The Physical Art of Photography: A Conversation with Brian Grossenbacher

The photographer, angler, and conservationist shares stories from an adventure-filled career, tips for budding photographers, and the importance of being involved in conservation

Brian Grossenbacher has become one of the foremost photographers in the hunting and fishing space. Arriving to the art in the midst of a fly-fishing guiding career, Grossenbacher’s singular eye—an eye that he developed from decades of hunting and fishing—offered unique perspectives and angles that editors and companies gravitated to. Over the course of his career, Grossenbacher has shot across America and the world, capturing the moments that pull all of us to the woods and water.

In our exclusive TRCP conversation, Grossenbacher recounts adventures chasing salt-water crocodiles in Myanmar, guiding fly fishing trips down the Yellowstone in the 90s, how and why he first picked up a camera, and the physicality of being an outdoor photographer. This is one you won’t want to miss.

Can you pack more adventure into a single photo?

In our conversation, Grossenbacher provides a few tips to photographers looking to improve their skills.

“Shoot with your subject matter in mind and use the camera to crop for you,” offers Grossenbacher. “When you set up a shot, think about where you want the subject to be. Don’t just shoot everything wide and figure that you can go in and clean it up later. Be intentional with how you’re shooting because if you do just go out and spray and pray…it comes back and it haunts you on the back end when you have to go through and edit all those photos.”

“Be intentional with how you’re shooting…”

Grossenbacher has shot commercial campaigns for Yeti, Orvis, Simms, Costa, and Mossy Oak. He recently surpassed the 300th magazine cover milestone and regularly contributes to publications such as Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Covey Rise. Grossenbacher also provided the photographs to the book Trout written by Tom Rosenbauer, as well as The Orvis Guide to Upland Hunting written by Reid Bryant.

But it’s Grossenbacher’s combined skill with a camera and his commitment to conservation that makes him such an invaluable member of the outdoor community.

“If conservation just becomes part of our mindset and we approach life as our responsibility, I think we’re gonna make the world a better place,” said Grossenbacher.

Conservation ensures the future of these places and our outdoor traditions.

Learn about outdoor photography, the importance of conservation, and more in our full conversation with Brian Grossenbacher.

Watch the interview HERE.

Photo Credit: Brian Grossenbacher

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