Episode Details

Title: Mid-Mike; a middle brother in middle age Release Date: June 2025 Length: ~1 hour 17 minutes Guests: Mark Ruhl (Host), Mike Ruhl (Guest) Description: In a special birthday edition of the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast, Mark turns the tables and interviews Mike on the occasion of his 45th birthday. This in-depth conversation traces Mike’s journey from growing up the middle Ruhl brother in Pennsylvania to building a life as a fish biologist and conservation leader in the American West. Along the way, they discuss family dynamics, deer camp memories, outdoor mentors, career milestones, and the timeless value of relationships and experiences. Topics Covered: 🎂 Reflections at 45: What time teaches us and why middle age brings gratitude. 🎣 First Outdoor Memories: Crabbing at Cherrystone, native brook trout at Poplar Run, and Mike’s first deer. 🧬 A Career in Conservation: From Mansfield University to Yellowstone and New Mexico Game & Fish. 📚 Books that Shaped a Life: Hemingway, Steinbeck, Leopold, and the influence of Pop Grant’s reading habits. 🎓 Formative Educators: Mr. Stover and Harold Burkheiser’s roles in guiding Mike’s passion for biology. 🧭 The Move West: Dreaming of Montana as a kid, internships in Yellowstone, grad school in Kentucky, and the decision to move to New Mexico. 🐟 Fisheries Work in Wild Places: Tagging trout, hunting oryx, and navigating the balance between field biology and family. 🎧 Behind the Podcast: How MeatEater inspired the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast, and why recording family stories matters. Quotable Moments: “Time is the one thing you can’t buy more of.” “I’ve decided what matters most in my life is the interplay between relationships and experiences.” “We never found any trout in caves, which made writing my thesis very easy.” Mentioned in This Episode: Steve Rinella and MeatEater Student Conservation Association (SCA) Mansfield University & Western Kentucky Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls and Green Hills of Africa Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose Conservation authors Ben Goldfarb (Eager, Crossings) Memorable teachers: Mr. Stover, Harold Burkheiser, Dr. Soderberg Call to Action: Subscribe, leave us a review, and share this episode with someone who could use a little inspiration to chase their wild life. Follow us on Instagram @outdoorruhls and visit outdoorruhls.com for more.