Patrick Durkin
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Melbourne Bureau Chief @financialreview BOSS Deputy Editor email: pdurkin@afr.com Open DMs Mobile: 0401226780
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Articles by Patrick Durkin
S3E2: The Reckoning of Chai Vang
Subscribe On the opening weekend of Wisconsin's 2004 deer season, a confrontation over a tree stand erupted into one of the deadliest hunting-related shootings in American history. Six hunters were killed, two more were wounded, and the man responsible disappeared into the forest. But what drove Chai Soua Vang to open fire? Was it a case of self-defense gone horribly wrong, or a calculated act of murder?
Patrick Durkin: Wisconsin’s Tom Tiffany can’t tell trivial from crucial on conservation issues
Unlike some politicians who pander to hunters when seeking their votes, Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany doesn’t pretend to be a hunter or angler. He’s to be commended for that. President Bill Clinton and wannabe president John Kerry once play-acted as waterfowlers, and former Gov. Scott Walker feigned interest in deer hunting. Walker bought his first deer hunting license at age 39 in 2007, three years before running for governor.
Ep. 502: A New Mine in the Arctic, Shooting Does in Vermont, and the Oldest Animal Alive
Subscribe This week, Cal shares the latest on a proposed mine in the Brooks Range, Vermont's first firearm doe hunt in nearly 40 years, and research into the longevity of a 194-year-old tortoise. Calls to Action: If you have tips on grizzly poaching in Alberta, visit the Report-A-Poacher website at alberta.ca/report-poacher Connect with Cal and MeatEater To learn more and get involved with any Cal to Action, click here.
S3E1: The Disappearance of Noel Dalluge
Subscribe On Halloween weekend in 1986, 17-year-old Noel Dalluge traveled to a remote Minnesota hunting cabin with his high school buddies. The plan was simple: party, hunt, and celebrate the end of football season. But early the next morning, Noel vanished into the woods... without a trace. An extensive search turned up nothing, and questions about what really happened that weekend have haunted his family for decades.
Hunting Reminds Us of Passions, Memories, and, Especially, Death
Whenever we drank coffee at breakfast or beer at dinner, my late friend Tom Heberlein and I liked discussing how and where hunters preferred to die. Such talk at Old Tamarack—Heberlein's hunting shack near Mellen, Wisconsin—was usually light-hearted. As Professor Heberlein knew too well, death isn’t something you order from menus or schedule on calendars.
Patrick Durkin: Satellite-linked phones guide rescuers to remote areas
A family friend who loved spending weekends on his motorcycle insisted that safety rested mostly on himself, even though a bumper sticker on his car advised “Watch for Motorcycles.” As he often said: “You die when you quit fearing them.” He didn’t mean you must be too terrified to ride motorcycles. He worried that complacency would kill you, while respectful caution kept you safe.
Emoto Lab Study Shows Tokyo Tap Water Forms More Complete Hexagonal Crystals After Passing Through the Aqua Energizer
Tokyo tap water after passing through the Aqua Energizer, photographed at the Emoto Lab in Tokyo. Untreated Tokyo tap water, photographed at the Emoto Lab for comparison. The Aqua Energizer by The Wellness Enterprise, with its signature sacred geometry emblem. A new study at the lab founded by the late Dr. Masaru Emoto observes structural changes in Tokyo tap water before and after treatment with the Aqua Energizer Water remembers what it has been through.
39 Years Later, Vermont Resumes Doe Hunting During Gun Season
President Ronald Reagan was heading into his final year in the White House when Vermont hunters last shot antlerless deer during November’s 16-day firearms season. Vermont’s no-doe hiatus, which began after the 1987 gun-deer season, will end at dawn Nov. 14 when roughly 77,000 deer hunters hit the woods for opening day of the gun-deer season. The state’s Fish and Wildlife Board voted 7-5 in July 2025 to reopen antlerless hunting during firearms season this year.
Ep. 943: Did a 3-Year-Old Really Shoot Another Hunter?
Subscribe Steven Rinella and the MeatEater Crew Discuss: last spring’s Wisconsin turkey hunting tragedy; how to get the right blend with your burger meat; is the snow goose free-for-all coming to an end; a kid gets busted for peddling black market turtles; 14 bears are euthanized in Bozeman thanks to an illegal bait pile; and more! Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTub 00:00:04 Speaker 1:...
Ep. 941: The Life and Times of a Gator Man
Subscribe Steven Rinella talks with alligator hunter Bob Stafford after a successful Florida hunt. They discuss Bob's experiences as one of Florida's first gator hunters; how gator hunting continues to evolve and the ways in which gators respond to hunting pressure; Bob's experiences a commercial gator egg collector; the difference between catching baby gators and giant gators; the markets for meat and hides; and more.
Ep. 1077: Back 40 - Four Decision Most Hunters Make That Cost Them More Deer Than They Realize
Subscribe In this episode of Back 40, Jake Hofer sits down with Bill Winke, Jeff Sturgis, Adam Keith, and Aaron Warbritton to tackle four decisions that could be costing hunters more deer than they realize.
Patrick Durkin: Wisconsin Natural Resources Board should worry more about helping deer than hurting CDAC members’ feelings
"Logical, responsible lawmakers don’t eliminate effective methods without suitable replacements," Durkin writes, "but here we are, 12 seasons later, watching NRB members resign themselves again to a toothless deer plan because they lack viable options." (Photo by Patrick Durkin) When the Natural Resources Board (NRB) tried mopping up Wisconsin’s 2026 deer management plans during its June meeting, members merely rearranged the dust and debris while wishing for better things next year.
$10,000 bond set for Wisconsin deputy in shooting that injured turkey hunters
Wisconsin is one of about 35 states with no minimum hunting age. (Stock photo) Bond was set at $10,000 for the Racine County Sheriff’s Department deputy who faces four felony charges after his 3-year-old daughter triggered a shot that wounded a turkey-hunting mentor and that man’s 7-year-old son April 12 during Wisconsin’s youth-only turkey season. James D. Lehman, 35, of Union Grove, made his initial appearance Sept.
Record EHD death toll hits 1,600 deer in southeast Wisconsin
Most Wisconsin EHD cases occur in August and September, but this year’s outbreak started in late July, the earliest such deaths on record. (Stock photo) The death toll from Wisconsin’s worst outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) climbed past 1,600 the past three weeks, with the virus killing at least 500 more white-tailed deer while spreading into two more southeastern counties. As of Sept.
Patrick Durkin: Crossbows help Wisconsin set third highest arrow kill last deer season
The 2025 kill was also the first time Wisconsin crossbow hunters shot more than 70,000 deer since crossbows were legalized for all bowhunters in 2014. (Stock photo) As Wisconsin bowhunters returned to the woods Sept. 12 for the 2026-27 opener, let’s review the 2025 hunts, which toppled 113,620 whitetails, the state’s third highest archery kill on record. Crossbow hunters registered a record 71,387 (63%) of those deer, a 10.6% increase from 64,555 deer in 2024.
Record EHD deer deaths piling up in three southeast Wisconsin counties
Deer in southeastern Wisconsin are suffering the state’s worst outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) since this viral disease first appeared in 2002, with nearly 900 whitetails likely dead as of early September. Confirmed reports of EHD-killed deer as of Sept. 4 put the count at more than 700 in Washington County, more than 150 in Waukesha County and more than 30 in Ozaukee County.
Ep. 500: Conman - The Education of Little Tree (Part 1, Revisited)
Subscribe Some stories are just too good to only hear once, so we are going back to listen again to Clay Newcomb as he ask talks with New York Times best selling author Steve Rinella and Dr. Dan T.
Ep. 498: This Country Life - The Story You're About to Hear Is True
Subscribe Brent's opening up the police files for this one. He's detailing a case that turned dangerous and quick reactions saved the day. You have the right to remain silent get a rare glimpse into Brent’s past that he seldom talks about. Thank you to our sponsors, Case Knives and Stor-Mor. Connect with Brent and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips 00:00:04 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves.
Ep. 927: Brent's Manitoba Moose Hunt | 12 in '26
Subscribe Join Brent Reaves and Josh Spielmaker in this Q&A interview to hear behind the scenes details from Brent's Manitoba Moose hunt that didn't make the film. Brent chronicles the trip from start to finish and shares some surprising insights gleaned from his experience. He also answers some viewer questions about the hunt.
Patrick Durkin: Wisconsin’s Ben Gruber campaigns for wardens’ healthy work culture
Assembly candidate Ben Gruber thinks the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a detached, centralized command structure that ignores an often-toxic work environment for Wisconsin conservation wardens. Since January, Gruber has been on leave from his DNR law-enforcement duties and his role as union president of Conservation Wardens Local 1215.
A 35-year-old Wisconsin sheriff’s deputy faces four felony charges after letting his 3-year-old daughter trigger the 12-gauge shotgun blast that wounded a 40-year-old turkey-hunting mentor and the man’s 7-year-old son during April’s two-day youth-only turkey season. James D. Lehman of Union Grove was charged Aug. 17 in Racine County Circuit Court with two counts of second-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon and two counts of injury by negligent use of a dangerous weapon.
Racine County deputy faces four felonies stemming from mentor turkey hunt in Wisconsin
A 35-year-old Racine County Sheriff’s Department deputy faces four felony charges after letting his 3-year-old daughter trigger a shot that wounded a 40-year-old turkey-hunting mentor and the man’s 7-year-old son April 12 during Wisconsin’s two-day youth-only turkey season. James D. Lehman, of Union Grove, was charged Aug. 17 in Racine County Circuit Court with two counts of second-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of injury by negligent use of a dangerous weapon.
Ep. 924: MrBallen on SEALS, the War in Afghanistan, and a Career in Storytelling
Subscribe Steven Rinella talks with MrBallen on: his Navy SEAL experience; the nature of evil; a career pivot into storytelling; aliens; and more.
Ep. 494: Your Most Important Gear - Your Body
Subscribe For men, taking care of your body can often slip down on the priority list, but your health is a savings account you can either make deposits or withdraws. On this episode, host Clay Newcomb is joined by Dr. Jason Lofton an Dr. Adam McCall as they discuss the most important things that we as men can do to remain healthy, fit, and provide maximum longevity of the bodies we have been given.
Ep. 1064: Foundations - Rich Deer, Poor Deer
Subscribe Dominant bucks command the best resources, which allows them to survive and thrive. Thinkiing about them as wealthy is a unique way to understand their motivations and daily habits, and can help you become a more lethal big buck hunter.
Fisherman Discovered Two Friends Entombed in Car for 45 Years in Wisconsin Lake: Part Two
This is the second of two articles on the haunting disappearance of two Wisconsin hunting/fishing buddies who vanished in February 1961. Their remains weren’t found until July 2006, trapped inside their upside-down car on the bottom of Lake Waubesa near Madison. After two Wisconsin hunting and fishing buddies vanished into the early-morning darkness of Feb.
Ep. 489: Future Wild - Building a Life Close to Water and Wildness with Riverhorse Nakadate
Subscribe This week on Future Wild Mark's joined by diehard angler, advocate, and author Riverhorse Nakadate to discuss how he's built a life that revolves around water and wildness, the challenges and joys of becoming an advocate for wild things, and the lessons he’s learned writing and filmmaking in defense of the Boundary Waters and other similar water-filled and wild paradises. Thanks to our sponsor, Conservation First Bank.
Patrick Durkin: Sonar expert Rick Krueger solved Wisconsin’s 45-year mystery of two missing men
My dad’s oldest brother, Donnie, worked at Kellogg’s cereals in Battle Creek, Mich. Each summer, he pulled his boat and its twin 50-hp Mercury engines 320 miles to a cabin he and Aunt Jeanie rented for two weeks on Lake Monona in Madison, Wis. That was the early 1960s, when rental cabins bordered the beach at Esther Park. Our family didn’t own a boat until 1968, so Uncle Donnie’s vacations offered us rare treats to waterski and fish from a boat.
A quick chat with Mossy Oak’s Ronnie ‘Cuz’ Strickland
Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland will turn 72 this month, and he’s in no hurry for a younger person to take his job as Mossy Oak’s senior vice president after nearly 40 years with the company. Besides, it’s not easy to replace a man who considers his career a long-running string of divine interventions. Strickland joined Mossy Oak as a salesman in January 1987, less than two years after Toxey Haas launched his company and created its legendary “Bottomland” camouflage pattern.
Snapshot Wisconsin helps track the state’s elusive river otters
You’ll always find more otter puns than actual otters if you go looking for either. Just google “otter puns” and you’ll find lists of 37, 40 or even 200-plus otter puns, jokes and one-liners. Some of them aren’t bad. What’s another word for an otter’s life partner? Its “significant otter.” Speaking of which, researchers can’t agree on whether river otters mate for life. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here.
Patrick Durkin: Unsightly fish sores don’t always make fillets unfit to eat
Few conversations are more futile than trying to persuade someone to eat a fish that’s scarred by a virus, parasite, bacteria or other nasties. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognizes that challenge, which is why it includes this explanation on its fish diseases web page: “Even though we are reporting on fish disease in Wisconsin, we encourage you to continue to enjoy your fishing experience.
Fisherman Discovered Two Friends Entombed in Car for 45 Years in Wisconsin Lake
This is the first of two articles on the haunting disappearance of two Wisconsin hunting/fishing buddies who vanished in February 1961. Ronald Wick, 19, and Carl Stolz, 21, vanished for over 45 years after they went joyriding across a frozen Wisconsin lake around 3 a.m. on Feb. 21, 1961. The baffling fate of the two hunting, fishing, and trapping buddies sparked decades of rumors, theories, and heartache for the men’s families and friends.
Ep. 911: Makaw Whaling Practices, Treaty Rights, and Regulatory Challenges
Subscribe Steven Rinella talks with the Makaw Tribe about: whaling techniques; whale sushi; the history of Makaw whaling; regulatory hurdles; and more. Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube 00:00:08 Speaker 1: If this is the me Eater podcast coming at you shirtless, severely, bug bitten, and in my case, underwear listening.
Patrick Durkin: What happened to this bluegill? A handful of theories exist
When my grandsons catch a bluegill 7 inches or longer, it seldom swims another day. Catch and release? Save your breath. The boys haven’t yet read stories by the immortal humorist Patrick F. McManus, but their thinking aligns with his comment in “Kerplunk,” one of his 2007 stories: “I remember only one fellow who practiced catch-and-release.
Subscribe This week, Cal covers the long-range commute of the pronghorn, calls out egregious environmental misinformation, and fixes his truck’s busted tie-rod on the side of the road. Connect with Cal and MeatEater To learn more and get involved with any Cal to Action, click here. Cal on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips 00:00:10 Speaker 1: From Meat Eaters World News headquarters in Bozeman, Montana.
Ep. 905: The Life of a Crabber
Subscribe Steven Rinella talks with professional crabber, Luke McFadden, about: the crabbing industry, crabbing techniques, crab biology, crab grading, and more. Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube 00:00:08 Speaker 1: If this is the me Eater podcast coming at you shirtless, severely bug bitten. 00:00:14 Speaker 2: And in my case, underwear. Listening toast, you can't predict anything.
Ep. 1052: Foundations - The Evolution of Trail Cameras and How Hunters Still Use Them Wrong
Subscribe The history of trail cameras is one that covers several decades, and highlights the march of technology in the hunting space. This four-decade journey has culminated in some of the best tools whitetail hunters can use to learn about deer behavior - provided they use them correctly.
Wisconsin’s Northern Highlands research station has been for answers for 80 years
You likely missed it, but the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area in Vilas County celebrated its 80th anniversary June 20, making it one of the world’s longest-running fisheries research projects. So, let’s blow our kazoos and pop champagne corks to show we support the Wisconsin DNR’s commitment to research and science-based policy-making. Sure, lawmakers often ignore it, but we’re better served when data-driven facts steer and sustain publicly-owned fisheries.
Patrick Durkin: Salmon strike twice during Sitka fishing trip
Cool, crisp air creeping across the boat’s stern near Sitka, Alaska, raised goose bumps on my forearms. I shivered and considered retrieving a hooded rain-jacket from the cabin. Instead, I rolled down my sleeves. Sarah Farber, the charter boat’s captain, looked up from a fishing knot she was tying and explained the sudden chill without being asked. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here.
Ep. 476: Backwoods University - Catching Crawfish
Subscribe Without a doubt, crawfish, or crayfish, are the most well-known, and tastiest crustacean in all of North America- but how much do we really know about them? Where did they come from? How many of them are there? What role do they play in the ecosystem? We’ll all learn by the end of this that these tiny shellfish have more to offer than a what comes out of a boiling pot.
Ep. 473: Backwoods University - Bonus Episode: Anti-poaching Stories
Subscribe In this bonus drop of Backwoods University, we have the opportunity to hear from a man named Joshua Lawes, who spent several years in the wild lands of Africa, working in antipoaching teams. As you can imagine, he has some pretty wild and fascinating tales, along with some insight on how conservation works in Africa and how it dippers for North America.
Patrick Durkin: Alaska’s magnificence reminds us of our fragile insignificance
Everyone who visits, passes through or lives in Alaska likes quoting a statistic about Mt. Denali, North America’s tallest mountain. The oft-quoted stat isn’t Denali’s height – 20,310 feet, or 6,770 yards – above sea level. No, the oft-repeated statistic folks love, but few verify, is that only 30% of visitors trying to see Denali actually do, given the persistent clouds often blocking their view. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com.
Ep. 1046: Foundations - How Big Bucks Make People Really, Really Stupid
Subscribe From high-profile poaching cases involving giant bucks, to our personal failures during encounters with good deer, the reality is that giant whitetails have the ability to melt our brains and make us all dumb in the moment.
Patrick Durkin: Landscapes endure despite varied users, abusers
Skip to content Wednesday, June 10th, 2026 Main Menu Menu Wednesday, June 10th, 2026 Main Menu Menu Home » Nature Page & Night Sky » Patrick Durkin: Landscapes endure despite varied users, abusers Hunters, anglers and other hobbyists find infinite ways to use and abuse the lands we visit or occupy. This custom-made sign bordering public lands specifies which outdoor activity the landowners welcome on their property.
S2E8: The Mysterious Death of Jon Young
Subscribe In January 2019, retired archeologist Dr. Jon Young was found dead in the smoldering ruins of the adobe home he'd built by hand outside Taos, New Mexico. The fire marshal found evidence of accelerants in five locations. The autopsy flagged a suspicious hole in his skull. A neighbor saw unfamiliar men outside the house minutes before the blaze. And yet, no one has ever been charged — because, incredibly, no law enforcement agency ever opened a homicide investigation.
Patrick Durkin: No room for guilt if scoring on rare gobbler double
If I didn’t view turkeys as nature’s most fickle, frustrating and fascinating bird, I might have felt guilty for shooting a gobbler May 8 as it stood confused while its buddy flapped its last among my decoys. I suspect that Emily Krumenauer, my hunting buddy and family-friend, frazzled my gobbler’s composure when she shot its running mate seconds earlier with her late father’s Model 12 Winchester. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com.
Ep. 457: Civil War - Part 1: The Seeds of War
Subscribe Host Clay Newcomb begins a new series on the American Civil War with historian and educator, JD Hewitt, of The History Underground. Clay invites you to go on a journey to ask the question that still divides Americans more than 160 years later: What was the Civil War really about?
Ep. 29: What Were Charlie Russell and L.A. Huffman Trying to Tell Us?
Subscribe Charlie Russell and L.A. Huffman became famous for their nostalgic art about the Frontier world they experienced in the West. But with a fascination with what Russell called “Dreamtime Montana,” exactly what were they trying to tell us about the West’s future? Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube, Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.
S2E5: The Assassination of Tommy Ballard
Subscribe Tommy Ballard refused to let his daughter’s disappearance fade away. After Crystal Rogers vanished in 2015, Ballard became the face of the search. He organized volunteers, worked with investigators, and publicly called out the man he believed was responsible. A year later, while hunting with his grandson, Ballard was shot and killed. The attack was precise. Intentional. And, to many, not a coincidence.
Patrick Durkin: Wisconsin’s spring hearing voters support license fee increase
Wisconsin’s outdoors community supports paying more to operate the state’s fish and wildlife programs, but not necessarily at any price. That’s one point to take from nearly 6,900 votes cast during mid-April’s annual conservation hearings, a statewide effort by the Department of Natural Resources and the citizen-based Conservation Congress.
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