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Speaker 1: Good morning, Welcome to the Big Outdoors News Radio seven

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Speaker 1: hundred WLW, Cincinnati, home of the best Bengals coverage. Chip

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Speaker 1: Hart with you this morning, and Director Mary Mertz, Ohio

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Speaker 1: Department and Natural Resources. How in the world are you

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Speaker 1: on his fantastic Saturday morning here in Ohio.

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Speaker 2: I am great, Yeah, ready to go.

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Speaker 1: Well, good good. It's great to have you with us.

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Speaker 1: I know it's been a couple of years. First things, First,

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Speaker 1: your leadership conference. I was just flattered to be invited

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Speaker 1: to that, which was attended by all of your division chiefs,

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Speaker 1: and I thought that well, of course it was a

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Speaker 1: panel on I guess media relations and all that, and

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Speaker 1: I was one of the panelists, and as was Chez.

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Speaker 1: I can't remember his last name, but he is the

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Speaker 1: executive director of the excuse Me Outdoor Writers of America.

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Speaker 1: So I found that your group were very good students,

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Speaker 1: including yourself.

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Speaker 2: Well, I mean, we love to hear from you all

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Speaker 2: because I think no one has a singer better on

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Speaker 2: the pulse of what people are interested in, what they

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Speaker 2: care about, what the trends are. Because I know you

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Speaker 2: hear from your listeners all the time, and so kind

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Speaker 2: of seeing it through.

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Speaker 3: Your eyes is an important part of what we want

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Speaker 3: to do.

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Speaker 1: Well, I tell you what, I was flattered, and I

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Speaker 1: did have the ability to set up a couple of

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Speaker 1: future interviews, like with Division of Forestry, Oil and Gas Leasing,

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Speaker 1: and let's see, I have had Glenn from State Parks before.

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Speaker 1: Of shoot, there there was another one. Oh yeah, Ohio

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Speaker 1: Geological Survey. So I was flattered. And secondly, I was

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Speaker 1: also flattered to have an invitation for the premiere showing

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Speaker 1: of Wild at Heart, which is the big screen presentation

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Speaker 1: on Ohio's Outdoors. So that that last week was fantastic

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Speaker 1: as well. So for listeners, could you give them give

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Speaker 1: them an overview of what this is all about.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So we are super excited about this IMAX movie

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Speaker 2: that we are sharing with the public just now. So

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Speaker 2: it's a forty five minute you know, I'm ax in

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Speaker 2: you like you would typically see museum centers across the nation,

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Speaker 2: and it shows all that's beautiful in overios outdoors. It

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Speaker 2: shares some really important conservation stories and makes the point

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Speaker 2: that when we are intentional and thoughtful about conservation, we

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Speaker 2: can be successful, you know, as in the case with

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Speaker 2: eagles or trumpeter swans or Bobcats. There are many other examples,

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Speaker 2: but those are a few we chose the future in

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Speaker 2: the movie. It tells a lot about what you can

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Speaker 2: do outdoors in Ohio, mountain biking and kayaking and I

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Speaker 2: sing and you know, all sorts of recreational sports. But

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Speaker 2: really the message we want to share is twofold that

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Speaker 2: we should all work together to restore nature because nature

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Speaker 2: restores us. It's good for physical well being or it's good.

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Speaker 3: For our soul.

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Speaker 2: Right, So that's kind of a message, and we want

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Speaker 2: to tell that message because you know, especially.

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Speaker 3: For young people, we want them to be future conservationists.

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Speaker 3: We want them to.

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Speaker 2: Help us preserve this incredible, wonderful, magical Ohio landscape for

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Speaker 2: future generations.

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Speaker 3: Also, we're trying to accomplish with it. And it's I

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Speaker 3: hope you, I hope, I hope you thought it.

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Speaker 2: Was beautiful as well.

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Speaker 1: Oh I did. And I've really had no preconceived notion

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Speaker 1: of what it was going to be about, because being

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Speaker 1: a native Ohio and and spending practically my whole life

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Speaker 1: and every day of the week outside, you know, whether

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Speaker 1: it's farming or working on the farm, or fishing or hunting,

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Speaker 1: you know, they're they're across Ohio. There really is a

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Speaker 1: hell of a lot, you know, We're not you know,

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Speaker 1: we're not at Kentucky or West Virginia with you know,

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Speaker 1: the kinds that kind of a resource. It's completely different.

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Speaker 1: So I came into it with a pretty open mind.

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Speaker 1: But then, you know, by the time we got fifteen

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Speaker 1: minutes into it, I really felt that it was you know,

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Speaker 1: it was directed at people that maybe don't get those experiences,

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Speaker 1: you know, on a regular basis, and with all of

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Speaker 1: your IMAX theaters around Ohio and like other states, they

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Speaker 1: get a great you know, just a phenomenal number of kids,

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Speaker 1: you know, with families or student groups. So I think

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Speaker 1: that you know that that was I guess intentional, you know.

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Speaker 4: Also yeah, so I mean, it's going to be playing

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Speaker 4: at the Sitement Museum Center, the Boon Shops in Dayton,

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Speaker 4: it's going to be at the Tweedo Imagination Station, it's

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Speaker 4: going to be at the Cleveland Museum Center, and it's

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Speaker 4: a number of a mcp from the state.

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Speaker 3: But eventually, probably next.

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Speaker 2: Spring, we're going to provide the videos to costumes and

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Speaker 2: schools across the state. In the meanwhile, they can take

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Speaker 2: their classes to the these gym centers. But we have

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Speaker 2: an education guide on our website that teachers can use.

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Speaker 1: Well that's well, lead you hold that thought, just sit tight,

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Speaker 1: because we've got to pay some bills around here. My

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Speaker 1: guest is Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz chip

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Speaker 1: Hart The Big Outdoors News Radio, seven hundred WLW, Cincinnati.

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Speaker 2: Mister Penney, we have a long road ahead of us.

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Speaker 1: His Ryan Thomas, Hey, we're back The Big Outdoors News Radio,

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Speaker 1: seven hundred WLW, Cincinnati, home of the best beangles covered Chippart.

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Speaker 1: My guest is Ohio Department and Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz,

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Speaker 1: who is going into let's see, is it seven years now? Mary,

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Speaker 1: I'm thinking.

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Speaker 3: Yes, it is. Okay your leading the department?

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Speaker 1: Well, great man. Next year, of course, you know we'll have,

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Speaker 1: you know, have a change in the governorship and all that,

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Speaker 1: and I'm gosh, have you considered sticking around?

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Speaker 2: Well, I think that's not up to me. Does That's

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Speaker 2: up to the new governor. But you know, I think

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Speaker 2: every governor comes in with their their agenda and their

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Speaker 2: hopes and dreams, and they find the team that can

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Speaker 2: execute for them. I know that was the case with

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Speaker 2: myself and governor the wine.

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Speaker 1: Sure.

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Speaker 2: You know, he is a conservationist, a hurt and he

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Speaker 2: constantly challenges us to do better and and you know importantly.

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Speaker 3: Provides the resources we need to do the work.

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Speaker 2: And I hope that happens with the next administration.

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Speaker 1: Well I do too. I think it's up to people

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Speaker 1: like us and my listeners and those are you know,

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Speaker 1: the sportsmen and every other walk of life that loves

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Speaker 1: the outdoors in Ohio. It's really becomes their responsibility to

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Speaker 1: ensure that, uh that you know that everything continues in

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Speaker 1: the best Your shoes are going to be huge to film.

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Speaker 1: That's all I'm going to say.

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Speaker 2: Well, we've had we've had a lot of fun and

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Speaker 2: a lot of opportunity, and I think, uh, I think

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Speaker 2: we at least some some great legacies behind. But I'm

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Speaker 2: it's more, I'm sure the next Grip's.

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Speaker 3: Going to do this as well.

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Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sure we're going to make sure that. So

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Speaker 1: back to Wild at Heart, which is how long will

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Speaker 1: that run in the theaters and at Imax in total?

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Speaker 2: I mean or just right so, but it has to

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Speaker 2: do with viewership, right, So it's really in the hands

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Speaker 2: of the museum centers in the theaters now to see.

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Speaker 3: Who shows up to watch it, Okay.

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Speaker 2: And in your so they will get to make those decisions, right. So,

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Speaker 2: so the movie was our gifts to them, and and

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Speaker 2: they will run it as long as they can get

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Speaker 2: great viewerships.

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Speaker 3: Ok you know, I hope a long time.

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Speaker 1: Well good, And of course you're coming into the holiday season,

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Speaker 1: and of course the weather change seeing which means usually

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Speaker 1: visitation at the indoor museums will typically trenned up. So

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Speaker 1: I think that timing is timing couldn't be better, right.

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Speaker 2: The Thanksgiving, the Christmas holidays traditionally are really high seasons

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Speaker 2: for all these folks. So so you know, we think

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Speaker 2: it's going to get some great viewership and then by

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Speaker 2: the time it has the schools in the spring, they'll

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Speaker 2: be ready.

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Speaker 1: To do some more work on fantastic. Now, whose idea

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Speaker 1: was it to grab Archie Grip and to narrate it?

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Speaker 1: I had not I had not heard that name in

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Speaker 1: quite a long time. And of course the stand out

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Speaker 1: at Ohio State.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so a Governor's Arne and Lieutenant Governor Jim Trussell

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Speaker 2: book cut up. They you know, we were we were

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Speaker 2: looking all around the state thinking you are famous Ohioans

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Speaker 2: who can really bring some authenticity. People will recognize the

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Speaker 2: voice in the name and it'll be meaningful.

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Speaker 3: And they took that up.

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Speaker 2: So they called Archie Griffin and he agreed to do it.

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Speaker 2: And you know, I had the opportunity to sit in

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Speaker 2: the sound group as he was recording a lot of

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Speaker 2: it and what a what a great individual, what a

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Speaker 2: phenomenal individual.

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Speaker 3: And he did a great job. So I think I

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Speaker 3: think people will connect with him.

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Speaker 1: Well, I think it.

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Speaker 2: Was.

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Speaker 1: It was a great fit. He's got a great voice

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Speaker 1: and although I hadn't heard it for a while. So next,

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Speaker 1: what was the impetus for the for the film? How

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Speaker 1: did it come about? Because the Department nor any of

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Speaker 1: the divisions that I can recall, have ever done, you know,

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Speaker 1: a feature film like that unless it's back on the archives.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know if there's her future film. Well,

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Speaker 2: of course, you remember Wildlife used to have a show every.

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Speaker 3: Really yeah, but I still see that on TV now.

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Speaker 2: But you know, I really was back in twenty nineteen

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Speaker 2: when we were thinking how can we be as creative

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Speaker 2: and innovative and to fill the governor's you know, mandate to.

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Speaker 3: Find a great way to reach people.

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Speaker 2: We made a long list of all our dream items,

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Speaker 2: and I'm really pleased it in seven years for really seeing.

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Speaker 3: A lot them come true. So this was a long

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Speaker 3: time in the making. It was on an idea list.

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Speaker 2: Back in twenty nineteen, and it took, you know a

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Speaker 2: number of years to figure out how to get it done.

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Speaker 2: At the end of the day, it was only.

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Speaker 3: About a year and a half of filming.

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Speaker 2: So the actual making of it was a you know,

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Speaker 2: around a little bit less than two years, but the.

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Speaker 3: Idea germinated for a long time, surefer.

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Speaker 1: Well, and you had to capture all the seasons of

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Speaker 1: Ohio because you know, the landscape changes obviously, and you're

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Speaker 1: doing different things. I thought the ice fishing piece was

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Speaker 1: I thought that was great. I mean, that was brilliant.

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Speaker 3: That's one of my favorites.

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Speaker 2: And the whole thing, I fucking John is going to

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Speaker 2: go on to be a movie star thing.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but that's one of my favorite scenes of Calvie and.

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Speaker 1: He was smoking a cigar. That was great, you know,

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Speaker 1: but don't Grandpa's they do that. So director merg sit tight.

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Speaker 1: We'll be back with more of the Big Outdoors. News

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Speaker 1: Radio seven hundred WLW Cincinnati back at the moment, and

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Speaker 1: we're back the big out Doors News Radio seven hundred WLW,

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Speaker 1: Cincinnati Chip Park. My guest is Director Mary Merch, so

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Speaker 1: high a Department of Natural Resources, and of course stick

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Speaker 1: around and catch the big one all day long. It's

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Speaker 1: gonna be a heck of a great day. Gary Jeff's

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Speaker 1: up after the bottom of the hour news and a

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Speaker 1: legend in his own mind. Yes, thanks, Danny, I appreciate

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Speaker 1: he'll appreciate that. And then Michael k Allen and the

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Speaker 1: ramps and raves aforementioned of his life all week long,

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Speaker 1: and we got sports Ken prew everything everything and of

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Speaker 1: courses at a bye week for the Cincinnati Bangals. There

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Speaker 1: back following Sunday. So I got it right, even though

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Speaker 1: I'm not a sports turbil. What do you think, Danny?

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Speaker 1: Is that good?

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Speaker 3: That was good?

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Speaker 1: Impressed? Even Gary Jeff would be he will be impressed.

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Speaker 1: Director Merch. Let's switch gears here and talk about H

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Speaker 1: two Ohio, which was the dream of Governor Dewines. And

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Speaker 1: that continues. But I understand there was a funding cut.

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Speaker 1: How will the projects be affected?

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Speaker 3: Great? So there was a funding cut in the.

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Speaker 2: Budget approved by the General Assembly, in June, and so

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Speaker 2: you know, we've been.

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Speaker 3: Figuring out how to deal with that because we know

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Speaker 3: this work is incredibly important. So we've we've done a

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Speaker 3: few things.

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Speaker 2: You know, first is make sure as always that were

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Speaker 2: absolutely efficient with every dollarded granted ours and so you know,

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Speaker 2: we're making good decisions on what projects we're going to do.

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Speaker 2: We've also been out trying to work with the private sector.

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Speaker 2: So there are you know a handful of companies that

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Speaker 2: are very interested in helping us plane up.

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Speaker 3: Ohio's waterways, and so we've.

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Speaker 2: Worked with them on private sector brands and that's very

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Speaker 2: helpful to make.

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Speaker 3: The money go further. We've also the Ohio Water.

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Speaker 2: Development Authority has decided yet I think partly because of

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Speaker 2: the budget cuts, to help us more substantially with some grants.

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Speaker 2: So at the end of the day, we're still going

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Speaker 2: to see a lot of progress.

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Speaker 3: But but yeah, there.

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Speaker 2: Wasn't cut and we'll just see the best we can

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Speaker 2: look every dollar we out.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, Now, will h to Ohio continue into the next

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Speaker 1: administration or is it something that that is uh? I guess,

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Speaker 1: you know, at the desire of the governor or the department.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think we hope it will continue into the

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Speaker 2: next administration, and certainly I will tell you many of

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Speaker 2: the projects we've kicked off, they will by necessity, right,

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Speaker 2: These are big construction projects that take two to three

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Speaker 2: years to complete, so anything we start won't finish into

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Speaker 2: the next administration. Yeah, I think, you know, there have

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Speaker 2: been conversations.

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Speaker 3: I don't know where we'll.

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Speaker 2: Go if if if folks will consider a bond of issue,

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Speaker 2: you know, an environmental water bond issue. That's a possibility

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Speaker 2: that's under discussion, and I don't know where that'll go

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Speaker 2: or where that's will stand yet, but you know, that

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Speaker 2: is an option and an opportunity. So I think there's

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Speaker 2: a lot of conversation about how we continue this program because.

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Speaker 3: It is very popular, a lot of support. I think

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Speaker 3: it's a great control.

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Speaker 1: High Well, yeah, I agree with you one hundred percent.

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Speaker 1: And of course I think it's up to our listeners

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Speaker 1: and a sportsman and all the organizations out there, while

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Speaker 1: Farm Bureau, you know, uh, just a lot of different

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Speaker 1: entities to to you know, I guess help see that

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Speaker 1: does continue, uh, you know, as far out as we

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Speaker 1: could possibly make it. So what is uh, what's left

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Speaker 1: on Director Mergencys place through the next year. What what

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Speaker 1: what big thing? Or are you on maintenance?

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Speaker 3: Oh no, we're not allowed to be on maintenance.

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Speaker 2: We are We're full speed through the finish line. So

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Speaker 2: so it's ohio for that's a priority. How do we

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Speaker 2: how do we try to make that permanent? How do

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Speaker 2: we do the best show we can with the dollars

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Speaker 2: we have? So that's a huge amount of time. We

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Speaker 2: still have a number of large construction projects in our

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Speaker 2: parks and wildlife portfolio. So you know, we're building a

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Speaker 2: big visitor center around at Appalachian Hill's wildlife area and

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Speaker 2: that comes along with some cabins and an upgraded campground.

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Speaker 2: So I'm looking forward to opening that next spring. So

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Speaker 2: so that'll all become a reality next spring, as well

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Speaker 2: as other construction projects around the state. So you know

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Speaker 2: we're a very infrastructure heavy group. Yes, yeah, that infrastructure

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Speaker 2: they can need to to maintain your conservation places.

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Speaker 3: So those are those are a couple of the big things.

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Speaker 1: Well, and and I again agree one hundred percent, and

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Speaker 1: I don't always agree with the division of waterlife hundred percent,

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Speaker 1: but ninety five is a pretty good target. Okay, So well,

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Speaker 1: I appreciate your time this morning and to catch up

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Speaker 1: and to see all the great things happening, and you

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Speaker 1: know Watson Store down the road. So director Mertch, thank

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Speaker 1: you very.

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Speaker 2: Much, appreciate the opportunity.

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Speaker 1: Okay, with that, we're going to hit a break and

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Speaker 1: back for a couple of minutes The Big Outdoors News

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Speaker 1: Radio seven hundred w LW, Cincinnati, the home of the

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Speaker 1: best Bengals coverage. You they We're back the Big Outdoors

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Speaker 1: News Radio seven hundred WLW, Cincinnati, Chip hard with you

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Speaker 1: to the bottom of the hour when the news happens

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Speaker 1: and Gary, Jeff and uh well the guy with for

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Speaker 1: two first names is how I refer to it. That's right,

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Speaker 1: mister Walker. That's right. Yeah, I like his nightcap show. Okay,

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Speaker 1: week some during the week if I can manage to

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Speaker 1: stay yeah, anyhow, I can't anyhow to recap, According to

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Speaker 1: director March, you will be able to see the Wild

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Speaker 1: Ohio film at various IMAX theaters from Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati,

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Speaker 1: Cleveland and let's see where else to do. I think

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Speaker 1: I got them all anyway, and in theaters around Ohio,

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Speaker 1: so that'd be cool. And Pheasants are releasing or will

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Speaker 1: be released beginning October twenty fifth selected wildlife areas around

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Speaker 1: the state. They're talking about fourteen thousand ringneck pheasants. This

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Speaker 1: is a shoot neat thing people, that's what they're there. Okay,

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Speaker 1: shoot them, take them home and eat them. Okay, this

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Speaker 1: is not it's not catching release Okay. That's for fishing.

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Speaker 1: And Houston Woods has certain areas open for hunting now

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Speaker 1: through February twenty eighth, and if you just pull that

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Speaker 1: up online, you can look at their pretty little map

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Speaker 1: with colored areas where you could hunt and or need

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Speaker 1: a special permit. So I didn't even know about that,

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Speaker 1: so that's kind of cool. Well that means I gotta

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Speaker 1: get out of here. Thank you. I'm ready to go

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Speaker 1: with that. I'm out of here. Gary Jeff is next

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Speaker 1: The Big Outdoors News Radio seven hundred WLW Cincinnati be

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Speaker 1: Safe in the Woods and Safe on the Water for

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Speaker 1: Security Awareness Month, and LifeLock is here with tips to

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Speaker 1: help