Join us this week as we broadcast live from the Mile High Hunt and Fish Expo. Discover what’s new and exciting at this year’s event, where outdoor enthusiasts gather to explore a wide array of vendors, gear, and conservation efforts. We’ll provide tips on how to navigate the expo and make the most of your visit, including insider details on promotional codes and can’t-miss attractions. We’ll also discuss the growth and impact of the expo over the years, exploring how it has evolved to become a staple event for outdoor enthusiasts in Colorado and beyond. With special guest interviews
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado, Colorado’s premier outdoor radio show heard every Saturday afternoon on KLZ 560 with insights on hunting, fishing, archery, guns, and ammo from Colorado’s top outfitters featuring the industry’s leading experts on how to enhance your experience in the great outdoors. Now, here’s your host, Scott Watley.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good afternoon and welcome to Sportsman of Colorado Radio. We are coming to you live from the 2026 Mile High Hunt and Fish Expo. It opened yesterday. This is just a three-day event, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. We’ll be here until 6 o’clock this evening, and then the doors open on Sunday, 9 to 4. And I hope you’ll come out and see us. Also have Kevin Flesch here with us. Kevin?
SPEAKER 05 :
Man, what a show. No doubt, Scott. Really fun. So many new vendors, so many things to see. Folks need to come out at least for a day, maybe two. It’s a beautiful day today, but you’ve got to come indoors, check things out.
SPEAKER 07 :
What do you think about the new facility here at the National? Oh, my gosh.
SPEAKER 05 :
Spectacular, right? Easy in, easy out. Really nice facilities, and it gave us so much more room to get additional vendors and for people. new things for people to see. So incredible. People have to come down and see it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, folks, to get here, let me help you. Most of us think about the National Western. We think of right there off of Brighton, off of I-70. All right, don’t go there. We are at the brand-new facility that just opened at the beginning of the year. So what you want to put in your GPS is 4850 National Western Drive. Again, 4850 National Western Drive. That will lead you right here. Plenty of great parking. And when you come in the door with your ticket, they will give you a free entry. We have a lot of great drawings up there, over 20 guns. In the drawing, we’ve got a lot of great trips. It is fantastic. And once again, with your paid admission, you get one free entry, and then, of course, you can buy others as you wish. Now, if you go to milehighhuntexpo.com for your ticket, this is for your general admission ticket, put in the promo code SOCR for Sportsman of Colorado Radio, SOCR2026, and that will get you 10% off of your general admission ticket. There is a big banquet tonight. I think there’s a few tickets left for that. It is our night for conservation, and that is a separate ticketed event, and the promo code is not for that. It is strictly for your general admission ticket, but it’s going to be fun. We’ve got a live auction with just a lot of great items. We’ve got some governor’s tags for some big game. We have a statewide Colorado pronghorn tag. It’s going to be an auction. A lot of great trips, a lot of unique things you will not see in any other auction, any other sports-type banquet in this state. So super, super exciting. And, Kevin, I think you’ve got to, man, when you walk around the showroom floor here, such a great mix of gear, manufacturers, outfitters. I mean, it’s just such a great mix and a great family event. Man, there are so many kids here.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, yeah. Lots and lots of strollers running around. Absolutely. I mean, just so many different options for you to think about, different trips and different things to do, and also all the gear that you need to do all that stuff with. So, incredible.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, absolutely. And we’ve already done a few interviews. We’ll be playing those here over the next couple of weeks. Um, no one, um, boy, that was right next to us that we, uh, and my wife will be excited to hear about this, but it is sportsman’s cove lodge, uh, great fishing out of Alaska. And, uh, you’ll be hearing that interview next week, but, Boy, if there’s a destination you have, I mean, there’s not too much that’s not covered here in this show. And I think a lot of shows we go to, you know, you see, you know, 30 South African outfitters, and all you have is outfitters. And I’m telling you, this is a great balance from – I mean, gun manufacturers, we’ve got Seekins Precision across the aisle. We’ve got our friends at LT Arms. We’ve got Silencer Central. A lot of great gear is here from all the big-name manufacturers that you hear usually just on a national level. They are here in Denver, Colorado this weekend at the 2026 Mile High and Hunting Fish Expo. Now, our show replays on Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m., so if you hear this Um, after March 20th through the 22nd, uh, don’t come out. All right. It is just this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 20th through the 22nd. Kevin, you know, as you, as you look through, uh, and think about where the mile high hunting fish expo just started, you know, three years ago, and we’ve been with them from the inception here. I mean, quite the growth and quite the foundation, I think to build the best show here in the West.
SPEAKER 05 :
No doubt. No doubt. And they’ve got lots of room to do additional things in the coming years. But this year, I mean, the amount of different vendors and the different types of things that you can see. The thing that really struck me this year is all the different types of, you know, like tent manufacturers. And, you know, we’ve got our sponsor Davis Tent, but you also have the really ultralight stuff. And there’s several different vendors that are doing those sorts of things, which is super interesting to see. And then all the different arms manufacturers and silencers, you know, Colorado’s going through this restrictions and, and everything else, but you can come down here today and order a silencer and, uh, they’ll walk you through the process so that if you have questions about that and you’re looking for something, this is a place to come just for that alone.
SPEAKER 07 :
Sure, absolutely. And by the way, that $200 tax stamp is gone now with the big, beautiful bill we had at the beginning of the year. So again, Silencer Central is just right across the aisle from us, and they can help you go through that process and take care of that for you. I am looking at just a list here, and I just want to give you a couple of names. Hey, if you want to see some live llamas, we’ve got them here. And we’ve got some buffalo hunts. We’ve got our friends from Bushman’s Quiver, Quality African Safaris. Our friend Dan Gates is here for Colorado’s Response for Wildlife Management. Dr. Melissa Fling is here, Custom Air Solutions. And, again, just to look through some of the names, we’ve got Fierce Firearms. Our sponsors here, LT Arms, again, Seekins Precision. I mean, we have a lot of other gun manufacturers here. And as Kevin said, man, as far as gear and equipment, If you’re into the mountain type hunts, I mean, they’ve got a lot of the great drinks for you that you can mix in. We’ve got our friends from One Shot Gear here as well. Our friends from Rain and Skies, Waterfowl Club, Peaks is also here. And just Muley Freak is here. The Mountain Hunter is here. I mean, Mountain Ridge Gear is here. Just so many, many great vendors. Now, tonight I mentioned we’re having our night for conservation and just so many great items in there. I think we’ve got about 38 live auction items. And as I mentioned, we’ve got some governor’s tags. That is going to be online as well. So go to milehighhuntexpo.com for details, and it’ll show you how you can get in on the online auction if you can’t be here tonight. as well. And Kevin, you know, what amazed me is some of the booths here. I mean, a lot of our vendors here have some very, very large, nice booths showing a lot of gear.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. A lot of gear. You know, the one thing you didn’t mention, Scott, is Texas hog hunts.
SPEAKER 06 :
Oh, you’re right.
SPEAKER 07 :
I’ve got that in my nose, but you’re right. We’ve got our friend Quentin Smith here with Dose Plumas. We’ve got Alan Schaffner here from Lone Star Hunts. And if you are looking for some fun, I’ll tell you, we have hunted with both of these. Quentin, we just did this last December, Kevin and I. And, of course, you’ve heard of Lone Star Hunts with Alan Schaffner for many, many years with us. But if you are looking for some action-packed, hunting i’m telling you these are two places you want to visit in texas and um great great and they’re here yeah and they’re here yeah absolutely and um and quentin and alan they’ll i’ve been talking with both of them here uh kevin you know they’re even working out something for some corporate folks um you know hey if you want to put a deal together and hunt a certain number of days, figure out the number of hogs. Both of those guys will work with you to tailor a package that you do. They all have their kind of normal packages, but if you want to do something different, they can help you. And, Kevin, we looked at some gear across from us from our friends at UrsaGear.com was their website, I believe. But, man, looking at where gear has gone today and just the fit of it and some jackets we were looking at today, I mean, it’s crazy where they’ve gone to. And let’s be honest, hey, they’re not cheap. I mean, they’re expensive. But this is gear that’s a buy once, cry once, so to speak, and gear for a lifetime, really.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yep, completely agree, Scott. And the fit and finish, unbelievable. And it’s one of those things where you can’t get it online, but you can come down the next couple of days and try it all on, figure out what works for you. That’s the big thing with these shows is to actually get your hands on this stuff.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. And I also want to mention we’ve got some great swag here from our friends at the Colorado Wildlife Council. They have some great tote bags. We’ve got some phone chargers. Our friends from E-Bike of Colorado are here. And, again, just so much to look at and fierce firearms. I’m kind of walking around the showroom right now. We’ve got Sheepfeet here. We’ve got Ironwheel with their broadheads. I mean, I’m telling you, we’ve got Montana Knives. Hey, you’re looking for a knife? This is the place to come. Several great manufacturers of knives. As I mentioned, our friends from One Shot Gear. You’re looking for optics? Kevin and I visited over at our friends at Maven Optics this morning, and Toby with Leica Optics. You’re looking really, Kevin, at good quality. And I think that’s what I’ve heard. I’ve just walked around and stopped some people in the aisles and asked them what they thought about the show, and they said, man, this is all good quality stuff. And I think that’s what we were hoping to bring to Denver, Colorado, and to bring to Colorado is just a good quality hunting and fishing X-Tope.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yep, completely agreed.
SPEAKER 07 :
completely agree we got cva as well they got their muzzle loaders here and their lineup of firearms king’s camo they have a huge display and i’m over here right now i mean they’ve got kids t-shirts all the way from 15 bucks they’ve got some hunter insulated loft jackets at 65 is normally 120 so if you’re looking for some gear king’s camo Again, go to milehighhuntexpo.com and look at the seminars. There’s a lot of seminars here. We’ve got our elk calling contest, waterfowl calling contest. We’ve just got a lot going on. So, again, I hope you’ll come. Now, again, when you come in with your ticket, they will give you a free entry, and you’ll see a lot of different tumblers up at the front, and you can put one of those in. And then they’ve got some others, of course, that you can buy. to get in on some of these drawings. And we will draw those at 4 o’clock on Sunday and get in touch with those winners. But sincerely, Kevin, I tell you, I’m just really excited about where I think, you know, this show is going to go. Phil Mendoza with No Limits Archery and Avarian, owners of it. And like I say, we’ve worked with them since the inception of this. But, man, these guys are really, really putting forth so much effort to just bring Colorado a good show.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, and they’re succeeding. And so people got to get down here and make sure that they, you know, see all the different things and hopefully win some big prizes and take advantage of it while it’s here the next couple of days.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yep, absolutely. So again, milehighhuntexpo.com. Put in the promo code SOCR2026. and that’ll save you 10% off of your general admission ticket. And come see us. We’re booth 346, and we’d be glad to visit with you, give you some of the swag we’ve got from our friends at the Colorado Wildlife Council. And once again, Saturday here, we’ll be here until 6, and then tomorrow the doors open at 9 and closes at 4. So I hope you’ll come out and see us. Kevin, I know we’ve got a lot more stuff to do here. We’ve got a big banquet tonight. But, folks, when we come back, some more interviews are coming up. So don’t go anywhere. More with Sportsman of Colorado coming up right after this.
SPEAKER 08 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
If you’re in the market for a new rifle for the big game season or a new shotgun for some doves or upland game birds, head on over to The Gun Room. Kevin Flesch here from Sportsman of Colorado inviting you to visit Denver’s oldest gun dealer. And that’s The Gun Room at 1595 Carr Street in Lakewood. They offer buy, trade, consignment, transfers, and appraisals. And if you purchase a gun, we’ll cover your background check fee. It’s The Gun Room, 1595 Carr Street. Tell them Sportsman of Colorado sent you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Looking to gear up for your next hunt, fishing trip, or camping adventure? Head to the Outdoorsman’s Attic, Colorado’s largest consignment store for hunting, fishing, and camping gear, located at 2650 West Hampton. Hey, this is Scott with Sportsman of Colorado Radio, and you’ll find Wall to Wall, outdoor gear to firearms and ammo. You’ll find incredible selection at unbeatable prices, plus clothing over 90 days old is up to 50% off, so there’s always great deals waiting. Whether you’re upgrading gear or just getting started, the Outdoorsman’s Attic is a must-stop. Mention Sportsman of Colorado for additional discounts. It’s the Outdoorsman’s Attic, where smart outdoorsmen shop. Tell them Scott sent you. It’s 2650 West Hamden.
SPEAKER 09 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
KLZ 560, your home station.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome to Sportsman Colorado. Thank you so much for being with us today. Hey, we’ve got a great show in store for you. We’re going to kick it off with our good buddy, Billy Paddock. It’s the Outdoorsman’s Attic. Absolutely one of my favorite stores to visit, usually several times a week because you never know what you’re going to find there. It is absolutely Colorado’s largest consignment store for the outdoors. When we say outdoors now… We’ve got really three main categories. We’ve got hunting, fishing, and camping. And, again, you’ll find some pre-owned items, some used items, we’ll say. And, hey, sometimes you’ll find some things that have never been used or gently used as well. But it’s always good quality no matter what you’re looking at. And with that, we’ll welcome the man who had the dream and started it all years ago, Billy Paddock. What’s going on, bud?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yep, yep.
SPEAKER 07 :
you have dreams or nightmares too yeah it’s a good nightmare it’s been been quite a long time i think it’s shoot it might be even what i think 16 years now that i started it i was just fixing to ask you so 2026 what does that bring you to so wow that’s crazy when you look at those first few remembering back those first few weeks and months six months eight months i mean What kind of things were you getting, and what were people, their reaction? Because there’s nothing like this, man. I’ve never, I mean, even traveling around and going in different, I’ve never seen a consignment store for stuff like this. So, I mean, what was it like?
SPEAKER 03 :
It’s crazy, you know. It started off with my dad’s stuff and my stuff, you know. And, you know, that’s how I did it. I’m like, ah, I need to sell all my stuff, so maybe start a store, you know, because… Back then, Craigslist was big, and then the clothing consignment stores were kind of just getting going. And I’m like, well, there’s got to be a place for guys that like stuff like me, hunting and fishing and camping. And it kind of took off. We were in a tiny little spot, and it quickly got filled up. And then I moved to this other location. We’ve been here for, gosh, I don’t know, 10 years now. And now that thing’s getting too small, and it’s getting narrow in here.
SPEAKER 07 :
I know. Oh, man. Yesterday when I was walking around, I was like, wow.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, yeah. But, I mean, it’s great, you know, seeing all the stuff that comes in and actually, you know, having guys come back with stories of their hunting and fishing using stuff that they bought, you know, fairly inexpensive and got to go and experience something that they otherwise were going to get priced out, you know, especially like fly fishing, which is hot and I just spent a couple minutes with a guy today talking about how he just bought a rod and reel from me over the summer, and he used it the entire summer, and he just got hooked on it. Now he’s looking to upgrade, and so he’s going to bring his stuff in, get rid of that, and upgrade to something new. And that’s kind of how the games played.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. That’s so cool. And you know what too, it’s just so neat because I mean, you guys were like this when you were down on Broadway, you know, and your mom and dad were there too. But I mean, it’s just the relationships that really that you build there with customers, because I mean, rarely, I mean, we get new people that come in, but I would probably say 80% of the time you hear the bell on the door, you look up and call somebody by name. And you know what? That’s rare in today’s world. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I definitely try, you know, I, I treat everybody that comes into my shop as a friend, you know, because ultimately that’s my moneymaker is I make all these relationships with friends. You know, yes, the shop does, you know, bring in a profit, but I really enjoy talking with people and finding and getting to know them. And, you know, because I’m stuck behind the counter, I kind of live through these guys and gals that, you know, are going fishing, going camping, going hunting. And so I get to kind of experience their trip, you know, And I’m like, oh, yeah, I remember when I could do that here at the shop. And so I get kind of jealous, too.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right, right, right. Oh, man, that’s great. Again, Billy Paddock is with us. It’s 2650 West Hamden is the address. And, again, it’s called the Outdoorsman’s Attic. And, hey, great place to certainly buy some things you need, but also a great place to take some things. Like Billy just said, hey, when they started out, some things you’re not using anymore in these three areas along the lines of hunting, camping, and fishing. And so… Billy, let’s take the consignment side of it first where people want to bring things to you. It’s been a while since we’ve kind of just told people how that process works and kind of what you’re looking for. So let’s start there.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. Yeah. So we, you know, we’re pretty easy going here. You know, so what we do is we try to get people to, you know, bring their stuff in. We set up an account for them and everything. And, you know, we go from there. It’s not rocket science. I try to make it as easy as possible for people. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s kind of an old-school handshake and a smile kind of thing. I’ve got to judge what people are looking to get out of their item. Guys, we have to be realistic. It is still a used item. We don’t want museum pieces in here, but for a lot of people, it works out really well because A lot of guys, you know, they buy something thinking that, you know, this is what I’m going to start doing. I really enjoy it and quickly realize that maybe I’m not going to do this after all. And so then it sits in the closet and it sits there and it sits there and it sits there. And people are like, well, what am I going to do with this stuff? That’s where I come in. Let’s get it out of your closet, get you some more money to get back into something that you do want. But more importantly, get in front of somebody that says, yep, that’s the thing for me. I’m going to go and try that out.
SPEAKER 07 :
Sure. And so, I tell you what, we’ll start at the basement. We normally start upstairs, but there is some parking around back where we hide Scott the gunsmith. And Scott does a great job there. And that’s been a great deal now for these number of years that Scott’s been there, having him there, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I’ve learned so much. And, you know, he brings a wealth of knowledge that, you know, there’s no way that I could possess it. Watching him work downstairs on on old guns and, and stuff that, you know, I would be scared to death to touch, you know, and, uh, you know, quick turnaround too. It’s great. You know, and it’s, it’s, it is a very valuable thing for me. Um, you know, and he does a great job down there.
SPEAKER 07 :
Sure. Yeah. He’s been doing it a long time. Um, all right. We got some live bait down there as well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yep. Yep. The whole fishing apartments down there. I got all the tents and sleeping bags that anybody would ever want. I know it’s kind of cold right now, but spring’s going to be here before we know it. everybody’s going to have to start thinking about the big game season. So, you know, start making your wish list early, guys. Sure. And you know what?
SPEAKER 07 :
You get some good quality things down there, too, like I mentioned. I mean, some name, you know, Davis Tent certainly is one of our sponsors and all, but I’ve seen some Davis Tents down there. I’ve seen some very good Primos blinds, you know, decoys you get. I mean, it’s just –
SPEAKER 03 :
a lot of stuff you get down there it does it does it you know it’s a little overwhelming for the first timers but you know after they get that original deer in the headlight look you know off their face and everything they start digging they’re like oh my gosh look at this you know it’s it’s you know reasonably priced i can buy it and i can go and use it this is great it’s gently used and like a lot of things you know you mentioned the davis tent some of the tents that come in They might have had one season in them, and then guys are like, oh, I don’t want to do that. That’s too much work. I’m going to use an RV. Well, guys that still want to use the wall tents and everything, it’s a good way to save a buck. It’s not going to be dirt cheap, but at the same time, there’s… you know, because it is a used item, there’s a little bit of a break for you. Right. Absolutely.
SPEAKER 07 :
And then moving upstairs, of course, wow, I’ll just start over to the pack wall. Man, just looking through there again yesterday. I mean, man, if you can’t find a pack in there that works, you’re probably don’t know what you’re looking for because, I mean, you’ve got sizes, shapes, prices, types of packs, and some really, really good deals.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I mean, it starts from just, you know, like a concealed carry, you know, side bag all the way through the mystery. I’ve got like half a dozen mystery ranch packs right now, which usually guys don’t give those up. You know, they want to hold on to them, but I’ve got a bunch of them. I’ve got some QEU packs and a lot of backpacking packs, hiking packs, and then the hunting packs too. You know, again, gently used, you know, a lot of that stuff. Guys find that one pack doesn’t work for them, so they want a different pack. Well, you know, swing in. And that’s the funny thing about most of my customers, like you. You come in at least a couple of times, you know, maybe once a week, you know, maybe twice a week.
SPEAKER 07 :
Dude, I’ve got where I can find something that’s brand new that was just dropped off two days ago, you know, because I’m like, something looks out of place here. Something was added.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yep, yep. Yeah. Yeah. You know, and I mean, we’ve got all the, you know, continuing through. I mean, I’ve got a ton of clothing, you know, a lot of nice clothing. I mean, a lady just dropped off a bunch of Filson hunting clothes. Nice stuff. And, you know, I go through that stuff constantly. And then, of course, we’ve got all the reloading stuff, which I’ve got quite a bit of reloading stuff, some powder and primers, which I know that stuff’s coming back now, but the dye sets and You know, you start, especially the new guys that are trying to get into reloading, you know, it can quickly get out of hand as far as how much you’re going to pay. Sure. And if the dies are in good shape, you know, there’s no sense in paying $60 for a die when I’ve got it here for $30, you know. Yeah. You know, and, you know, then, of course, we’ve got the wall of firearms there and the handgun case is full, you know. It seems like I’ve cornered the market on the 9mm. I’ve got every brand of 9mm made. It seems like in there.
SPEAKER 06 :
Again, yesterday when I was looking through there and I walked to that case, I was like, you couldn’t put another pistol in there. I mean, you’ve got a lot of pistols in there.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it’s crazy in there. I kind of look at them as like the pandemic guns are coming back to haunt me now. People that bought pistols. crazy on the 9mms. They weren’t necessarily handgun people. They just bought them just because they can and they picked up that they needed it. Now they’re coming back in here. This is a good way to save some money on some very gently used handguns. Some of them are brand new guys. I’ve got a bunch of Weatherby’s up there right now, a couple of Field Nice. If you’re a left-hander and you’re looking for a Weatherby Mark V, I’m your man. I’ve got two of them here. So come on down.
SPEAKER 07 :
And, you know, I was looking around there yesterday. You’ve got a good selection of ammo, but just right there in front of the counter, folks can walk in the door, and you have a boatload of shotgun shells. I mean, I’ve seen some waterfowl stuff, you know, some clay shooting loads, whatever. But, I mean, you’ve got a lot of shotgun shells there at really good prices.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I’ve got so much that I’m starting to try and – reduce the prices on them just to get some floor space back, you know, because that’s getting kind of valuable in my shop again, the floor space. And so there’s good deals on the ammo as well, you know.
SPEAKER 07 :
Sure. So the way it works, as Billy said, hey, you come in, if you’ve got some things you want to turn into cash and, you know, upgrade some things like that, he’ll open you an account and you can kind of build it up and check in when you want. And you can take your cash or spend it there, which is usually what I end up doing. Uh, but, uh, it’s just a great way. And then I say, you, you get to just see so many things in there and, you know, and Billy, I bought, you know, some boots there. And I want to mention that real quick, cause you’ve got a pretty good selection of boots and, and really in a, you know, from, I don’t know, I think the smallest size I happened to glance yesterday was a nine, but up to, I think I saw a pair of boots. It was a 15, 14 or 15 in there. So you’ve got, you got a pretty good selection there too.
SPEAKER 03 :
I do. Yeah. You know, and again, I mean, a lot of those boots, uh, Guys will try them on. They don’t want to break them in. They’re like, oh, they don’t fit. Well, you can’t return them. And so they bring them to me. You know, I’m selling something practically new for a lot cheaper than what you’re going to find at the big box stores.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, take a look and see if it fits you. Absolutely. It’s the Outdoorsman’s Attic, 2650 West Hamden. They’re in Sheridan. And, Billy, I mean, I know how to get there. I mean, the back of the store faces the main Hamden we all think about, but then you’ve got the little service road cut off there, right?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, yeah, correct. It kind of runs parallel there, you know, on the north side of 285 between – I think that’s River Point Shopping Center. Right. The light there. And then Federal. Right. All right. Pretty easy to find.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah. And what are your hours, sir?
SPEAKER 03 :
So we’re closed on Sundays and Mondays. Tuesday through, excuse me, Tuesday through Friday, we’re open until, I’m here at about 830. And so if you guys show up, my Jeep’s sitting in the front, we’re open. Okay. The posted hours are 930, but I’m always here. Right. And then we’re open until 5.15 because I want to beat the traffic. Not 5.30. I found a sweet spot there, guys. 5.15 is when I want to win. All right.
SPEAKER 07 :
Then Saturday is –
SPEAKER 03 :
Saturday we’re open from 9 to 4. 9 to 4.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Folks, I’m telling you, great friendly shop. Billy and Haley, they’re usually there. And just let them know you heard them here on Sportsman of Colorado. Oh, I want to mention this, too, on the clothing real quick. I noticed a sign yesterday that you had 50% off on some clothing that was 90 days or older. And hey, mention Sportsman of Colorado and we’ll just put it this way. There’s some extra discount Billy can do for you when you mention the show. He’ll do it for you. And Billy, I’ve seen a lot of smaller sizes in there, even for some kids and different things. So that’s always a big struggle for parents is trying to find things for kids and not spending a lot of money. So again, just come by and take a look and see what you got.
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s for sure, yeah. Kids clothing is always hot in here. It’s, you know, I can’t get enough of it, guys. And kids grow. Right. So bring it in.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, if you’ve got some, bring it to the store and let Billy open an account there and help another kid out to get out and enjoy the outdoors. So, Billy, we appreciate it, man. Thank you for all your years of support and friendship for the show. And I’m sure I will see you in the next couple of days.
SPEAKER 03 :
I can set my watch to it, Scott.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, bud. That’s Billy Paddock. It’s the Outdoorsman’s Attic, 2650 West Hampton. When you go in, just let them know you heard them here on Sportsman of Colorado, and we’d appreciate that. Real quick, let me mention. The 2026 Mile High Hunt and Fish Expo is March 20th through the 22nd. It’s going to be at the brand-new event center at the National Western Stock Show area there. And you can go to milehighhuntexpo.com. Use our promo code SOCR. That’s Sportsman of Colorado Radio. SOCR 2026. You’ll save 10% on your tickets, and you’re going to be hearing more about that here in the coming weeks as well. But we are looking forward to our third year. with the Mile High Hunting Fish Expo. You’re listening to Sports from Colorado. We’ve got to take a quick break, and we’ll be back with more right after this.
SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
Here’s your Water Talk Minute with Paul the Waterman, brought to you by Water Pros.
SPEAKER 02 :
So, one of the things that we’ve learned, and you can check this out factually information for yourself by going to theepa.gov, The EPA has a laundry list of unregulated contaminants. And what that means, folks, is that your municipality does not have to test for these contaminants. And so they’re not reported in your annually water quality report. This is something that has to change. We have a false sense of security about the quality of our drinking water, from pharmaceuticals to the levels of PFAS and Gen X chemicals, which was recently removed from the EPA contamination list. And for example, there’s a contaminant on the unregulated list called 1,4-Dioxin. 1,4-Dioxin has been in our water supply since the early 1900s. Check out my podcast on Spotify, Paul the Waterman, or waterpros.net.
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SPEAKER 07 :
Sportsman of Colorado Radio is brought to you by the Colorado Wildlife Council. The Council works to educate the public on the importance of scientific wildlife management, conservation, and the benefits of wildlife-related recreational opportunities, specifically hunting and fishing. For the hunter and angler community, this educational mission is vital. It empowers us to become effective advocates for the wildlife and outdoor traditions we value. Their mission is to ensure that Colorado’s wildlife is preserved for future generations through public education. Learn more about their work and how it supports your role as an advocate at cowildlifecouncil.org. We thank the Colorado Wildlife Council for their support of Sportsman of Colorado Radio.
SPEAKER 12 :
This is KLZ 560, your home station.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Sportsman of Colorado. Again, thank you so much for being with us. Well, you know, over the last few months, we have been working with the Colorado Wildlife Council, and we are very proud to be working with them and getting out their message and really letting our sportsmen, outdoorsmen, men and women know about the council and all they do. And to be quite honest with you, I was not 100% clear about And I’ve really enjoyed doing these interviews. We’ve had Nate Zielinski on with us, Brian Gwynn. And today we are honored to have Lonnie Kitching with us. And Lonnie is the chair for the West Slope Angler representative. So, Lonnie, thanks for being with us today on Sportsman Colorado. How are you?
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, good. We got to bump into each other at the International Sportsman’s Expo. And little did we know here soon we’d be on the radio together. So I’m glad it worked out. Hey, tell me. Well, tell you what, let me let me break it down a little bit for folks, because, again, we’re trying to educate everyone on the council and. you know, through my research and just being around you guys here for the last few months. There’s nine individuals that make up, I guess we can use the term, this board. Would that be the right way to say it?
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh yeah, that’s what we’re called.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay, all right. So we’ve got, you got nine individuals, which is great. So you got two people that represent the hunting and fishing public east of the Continental Divide. You’ve got two west of the Continental Divide on the hunting and fishing side. You’ve got one that represents the agriculture and livestock industry. We have another set of people. They have two. You have one that represents municipalities, one that represents counties. Then they have a media person and marketing expert. And then they’ve got someone that represents Colorado Parks and Wildlife. And as I mentioned at the beginning, Lonnie is the chair of the West Slope Angler Representative. So Lonnie, fill us in a little bit about your background a little bit and let folks get to know you a little bit. So how did you get to this point? Fill us in.
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, boy. Well, I will do that with a disclaimer to the listeners that my intro will be the most boring segment.
SPEAKER 07 :
No, I’ve read about you. You’ve done a lot of cool things and still doing cool things.
SPEAKER 10 :
Oh, well, seeing it’s right around lunchtime, maybe a chance for them to go get a sandwich or something. Five years ago, I was contacted by our CPW area wildlife manager to let me know that the agency had a Wildlife Council opening and would I be interested. At the time, as still a sitting elected on town council, you find yourself invited to get involved with stuff pretty often. So I said to him, what? don’t know what is it and he came back with i don’t know i have no idea well okay thanks so do you have something you can send to me which he did um that didn’t really describe much other than if you’re interested please submit a letter of interest which out of sheer curiosity i did what i got back was a short description showing two openings one for a municipal rep and one for a West Slope angler rep. So, okay, as a sitting EO on Carbondale Town Council in public life and a local fly fishing outfitter in private life, I checked those boxes. What the heck? I just wanted the info. Sure. What came next was a request for letters of qualification. Keith, I was just trying to get something to pass along to my CPW Service Center, who We, as longtime river users, work closely together in this region. You may be familiar with the term rugged resourcefulness and rural environments, one for all and all for one. Well, that’s how it is up here in the mountains. Well, moving on, no big deal. I got a letter from the Carbondale mayor and one from the president of the Roaring Fork Fishing Guide Alliance I just termed off the founding board from. And the next thing I know, I get an email requesting an interview to get a better description. Okay, pitching, suck it up.
SPEAKER 06 :
See where your curiosity got you?
SPEAKER 10 :
Exactly. If this is what it takes to get more info for the team, we’ll do it, which I did. And it was the first time I set eyes on the then Wildlife Council chairman, Dan Gates.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, okay, our former guest, yes.
SPEAKER 10 :
You can only imagine. Well, and then next came a letter congratulating me on my municipal rep appointment. There was evidently a qualified guest. alternate for the west slope angler seat but not one for municipalities well i figured i’m already neck deep in muni governance and being dubbed the town’s water maven i wanted to help my wildlife region so why not take this opportunity to see how the state works here i still am into my second four-year term now serving as chair of the wildlife council succeeding dan gates who could Um, but I will say that, um, you know, and plus along with having worked alongside my local area service center for years, and that maybe this appointment could now help me support them internally. So I, I was hooked. Um, what came out of this though, it’s been a far better understanding of state operations. Um, I, I will say that, um, of course the wildlife council, also falling under the Department of Natural Resources is by statute an independent adjunct entity to a well-known CPW agency. So although it sounded like an ordeal, the self-orientation I did during and following the process actually taught me a lot. For instance, as a member of the public, I probably… most folks in general population. When I previously saw CPW officers in their khaki shirts carrying a sidearm, I assumed they provided a service that we as taxpayers funded. Totally wrong. Just like with a municipal, whatever it is, chamber of commerce, public works and parks and rec department that I oversaw in my municipal role, these functions are self-funded by way of facility usage, memberships, lodging tax, water delivery, infrastructure maintenance, to name a few. Of course, if you present an eligible project or program, you might qualify for a state or other grant to help you out. By comparison, Parks and Wildlife is including the Wildlife Council, are primarily funded by a small portion, $1.50, of state-regulated hunting and fishing licenses and the commercial outfitter permits we all have to requalify for and renew every season, not taxes. Who knew? Anyway, Scott, I won’t drag on.
SPEAKER 07 :
down this rabbit hole any further so we’ll turn it up but this brings up exactly what you know when i first met with brian uh gwen and we started talking about this i was talking about the education side of it i think is so vastly important for sportsmen you know outdoorsmen men and women uh to really let them understand how CPW works, just like you described there, you know, what that $1.50 goes for. And I mean, I will tell you right now, that has shocked a lot of people that I have met. They did not know either.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. Well, I mean, okay, so we’ve done it. We’ve done our little bit of education, which It takes me, and before I forget, if you don’t mind, we are now once again asking for nominations for Conservationist of the Year. And this is intended to recognize individuals and organizations making an impact on wildlife conservation, sustainability, and conservation-oriented public education. Well, you can’t understand that unless you know the backbone of it, right? Which, you know, we’re trying to push across to the listening public. So if you as listeners know someone whose work supports Colorado’s natural resources, and also highlights the role of hunting and fishing as a historically essential method of science-based conservation for the betterment of wildlife, that’s a person we’re interested in. We’re honoring those who embrace conservation being a shared effort, and with each person’s commitment, be it a rancher, landowner, birder, angler, hunter, or whoever it is, that contributes to making a difference for Colorado’s wildlife, their sustainable habitats, and continued enhancement, of course, of our personal enjoyment as well.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. And, you know, and they can just go to the website, cowildlifecouncil.org, to nominate someone for that?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and you can pick up a nomination sheet, or whatever you call it.
SPEAKER 07 :
That sounded good to me.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. Okay. They’ll recognize it when you see it. But yeah, fill that out. And it could, pardon me, it could be for an individual. a group, you know, whoever you feel meets those objectives to really help people understand better what goes into the beautiful environments and landscapes that we enjoy.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. And you can follow the Colorado Wildlife Council on their social media. And, hey, when you’re on, share their Science in the Wild post. And you sharing that helps get the message across to reach people who may never visit. you know, a bait shop, an archery range, anything like that. And, and again, it’s just a chance to stay educated. And Lonnie, I think, you know, when we look at, you know, we’ve got elections coming up and being educated on a lot of things can really help you be better at everything, but even a better voter, you know, if you’re just aware of what’s going on and not just listening to all the hype and maybe media things out there to really be educated on, about things going on out there in the outdoors here in Colorado. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and another thing you might do if you don’t have an opportunity to come into the wilderness yourself, I mean, there are a lot of expos and stuff that are happening in the city right now. This seems to be a good time of year in between seasons to show people what the benefits of hunting and fishing are. I mean, I see the outdoor industry in general and the sportsperson’s participation in particular being very robust. I’m not sure if it’s a COVID residual or a normal fluctuation according to whatever else is attracting or demanding people’s time. But the last couple of expos I attended were hopping with interest. People just really rapped over what is being shown. And with that, I should give a big Valentine’s Day shout out to Tightline Outdoors, Colorado Triad Unlimited, the Roaring Fort Conservancy, and numerous other foundations and federations for their great wildlife conservation partnerships and wildlife council support.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. And mentioning expos, hey, Lonnie will be at our Mile High and the Colorado Wildlife Council will be at our Mile High Hunt and Fish Expo, which that’s coming up March 20th through the 22nd. And again, you can go to milehighhuntexpo.com for tickets. Put in the promo code SOCR for Sportsman of Colorado Radio, SOCR2026. That’ll give you a 10% off your pick your tickets. A lot of people have been buying multi-day tickets for that. That 10% is better than getting two bucks off a ticket or three bucks off a ticket. So again, milehighhuntexpo.com and the promo code is SOCR2026 and save 10% on your ticket. And we’ll be doing a lot of interviews there. Matter of fact, Lonnie’s going to be back with us there for a a much more expanded interview. Our time was a little bit short today, but we definitely want to get her on and, and talk about some of these things. And then Lonnie, you know, I didn’t realize once again, until I really got into this with y’all that this, the council was actually established in 1998.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, it was, um, through a legislative move. There was a, oh, some, uh, misrepresentation of the spring bear hunt, um, that caused, um, You know people to question and disrupt what our historical or what our yeah what our historical hunting cycle is and so. The legislature took it up, actually, and through a bill, they then established the Colorado Wildlife Council to specifically engage in educating the public on the benefits of hunting and fishing based on the regulations that were in place. I mean, this isn’t a free-for-all out in the field.
SPEAKER 15 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 10 :
We’re very strictly regulated. I mean, I as an outfitter, as I mentioned, have to re-qualify for my license every year. So, you know, we’re pleased about that. We have so much history in the United States overall, but in particular in Colorado, the establishment of the state and what it took to sustain ourselves. And we don’t want to lose that. We don’t want to lose the value and the history that brought us to be. And we want to respect it. We don’t want to damage it. So that’s a big part of What we are is to just educate folks on the benefits, how science in the wild is applied to this. It doesn’t happen randomly. We have a very talented, highly educated staff of well-trained professionals that are looking at
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, here’s what, yeah, let’s do this because we do have about 90 seconds left. But let me end it with this, and then again, we’re going to get you back on. But once again, a couple of high points I want you to get in the interview. And there’s a lot of reasons why the Colorado Wildlife Council exists, but here’s one I just really want to get across to all of our sportsmen out there. You know, they want to support for wildlife management, ensure that hunting and fishing remain protected activities for future generations. We’ve got this Conservationist of the Year. Once again, you can nominate someone by going to cowildlifecouncil.org for that. And for more information just about the council, visit the website, follow them on their social media. And, again, we’re going to be doing these interviews here for the next few months. So we certainly want to help them get their message out and, in turn, help us as sportsmen and outdoorsmen understand all that the Wildlife Council is doing for us here. And, Lonnie, we want to thank you for all your contributions. Not only have you done, you’re continuing to do. And I know you’re going to be in the future to do. So we thank you for that as well. And I look forward to seeing you at the Mile High Hunt Expo March 20th through the 22nd. We’re going to do this again.
SPEAKER 10 :
Okay. Thank you very much for having me on.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. That’s Lonnie Kitching. Once again, she is the chair for West Slope Angler Representative for the Colorado Wildlife Council. And our show today is brought to you by the Colorado Wildlife Council. And once again, we want to thank them for their partnership. Want to thank Dan Gates as well and Lonnie for being with us today. And you, our listeners out there. Remember now, Sundays you can hear a replay of our Saturday show, 8 in the morning, 8 at night, and then the following Thursday from 9 to 10 a.m. right here on KLZ 560. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend. Leave it right here on KLZ 560.
SPEAKER 11 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
