The Origins Foundation Podcast

Episode 589 – Robert Mahaffey || South Dakota Antelope Foundation

Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Mike Axelrod
Guest: Robert Mahaffey, Chair, South Dakota Antelope Foundation

Overview

This episode features Robert Mahaffey, board chair of the newly established South Dakota Antelope Foundation. Host Mike Axelrod invites Mahaffey to share the story behind the organization—its purpose, challenges, successes, and the vital work of pronghorn antelope conservation in South Dakota. The episode spotlights issues of volunteer engagement, antelope population dynamics, habitat restoration, and the intersection of hunting, conservation, and local community involvement.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction & Storytelling Roots (00:50 – 06:43)

• Background of Guest:
  • Robert Mahaffey based in Rapid City, SD; lifelong hunter; conservationist with a passion for antelope.
  • South Dakota's rich tradition—stories like the WWII pheasant sandwiches in Aberdeen.
• Unique Aspects of South Dakota:
  • Landscape diversity, from flat croplands to the Black Hills.
  • Deep hunting and conservation culture, peppered with unique local stories.

2. The Birth of the South Dakota Antelope Foundation (10:05 – 15:30)

• Why Start the Foundation?
  • Mahaffey: "I could never really figure out why there was not an antelope organization in our state." (10:16)
  • Sparked by long-standing concern over declining pronghorn populations.
• Population Dynamics:
  • 1970: ~20,000 antelope;
    2008: 80–90,000—peak and beginning of decline;
    2023: ~29,000 in spring, 34,000 projected with fawn recruitment (11:00–11:12).
  • Target population: 60,000 for a healthy herd, as advised by state biologists.
  • Encroachment and habitat fragmentation recognized as primary threats.
• Founding Story:
  • Inspired by conservationist Randy Newberg’s encouragement: "If you want to do something, you gotta do it." (14:43)
  • Networking with the Arizona Antelope Foundation—major mentors.
  • Noted absence of a national antelope organization, leveraging lessons from Arizona’s impactful operations.

3. Organizational Mission & Approach (17:19 – 21:13)

• Non-Hunting, Pro-Conservation Mission:
  • Mahaffey: "We are not a hunting organization. We're a conservation organ because we try very hard to appeal to non-hunters as well as hunters." (19:36)
  • Emphasis on boots-on-the-ground projects like fence removal to improve antelope habitat.
  • Strategic outreach to all community members, not just hunters.

4. Challenges in Modern Conservation (21:13 – 29:46)

a. Volunteer Recruitment Crisis

• Only Nine Volunteers:
  • Mahaffey: "Volunteering for habitat projects is the biggest issue I think we face." (21:36)
• Barriers:
  • Physical difficulty and lack of "sexy" social media content.
  • Cultural gap—many eager to participate in recreation (e.g., archery events), but few in labor-intensive projects.
• Frustration Over Perceptions:
  • "There's a lot of assumption that this is just gonna all be here tomorrow..." (21:56)
• Type 2 Fun:
  • "It's type two fun, right? It sucks whilst you're doing it, but...man, that felt really good actually, you know." – Axelrod (26:49)

b. The Reality of Fence Removal

• What is Woven Wire?
  • Two strands of barbed wire on top, mesh beneath to keep sheep in—remnants from now minimal sheep production.
• Stories from the Field:
  • Sometimes only two volunteers showed up to remove miles of fencing (24:01–27:02).
  • Mahaffey describes the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie post-projects, quirks like "camp cook" wife, rattlesnakes, and 100-degree heat.

5. Creative Solutions & Success Stories (28:26 – 36:14)

a. Ideas for Engagement

• Integrate With Fitness Groups:
  • CrossFit, running clubs—leveraging exertion as a draw (29:28).
• Influencer Involvement:
  • "If your brother Steve Rinella showed up for a fencing project...you'd have to have traffic control." (30:14)
• Proof of Impact:
  • Story: After fence replaced with smooth wire, antelope returned to a pasture for the first time ever—"Right there is a win." (32:41)

b. Understanding Migration & Advocacy Needs

• Pronghorn Migration:
  • Example of one doe traveling from Buffalo to Wall, SD, avoiding barriers.
  • Inspired by "Unwired" documentary and ongoing research.
• Species Uniqueness:
  • "If the antelope in North America ever just are gone, they're done. Like, there is no more. You're not going anyplace." (36:14)
• Personal Connections:
  • Mahaffey: "I don't ever want to have to go drive to a park to show my kids or my grandkids these things. I want to go drive off on a gravel road." (39:25)
• Changing Rancher Attitudes:
  • Once seen as pests (“tundra maggots”), now appreciated as keystone species and neighbors.

6. Funding, Politics, and Solutions (40:53 – 49:23)

• Nonprofit Realities:
  • Emotional lows of losing tiny donations; determination to innovate.
• Policy Ideas:
  • Tie conservation volunteering to hunting preference points (43:16).
  • Private landowner coalitions—work-trade for hunting access.
• Organizational Integrity:
  • 100% volunteer-run, all funds remain in South Dakota, tightly focused mission—no paid staff.
• Partnerships:
  • Open to collaboration with North American Pronghorn Foundation and others, but strictly focused on South Dakota.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conservation’s Real Priority:
  • "All of that is a hundred percent irrelevant if the number one thing we don't have, and that's wildlife...It's totally pointless. You'd have all the access [in] the world, but if you...can't see anything, it's gone." – Mahaffey (18:18)
• On Volunteer Work:
  • "Volunteering needs to literally turn into a flex and it's really super hard to do that...conservation content on social media...is not sexy and it doesn't get likes." – Mahaffey (21:54)
• On Tangible Impact:
  • "Here comes this doe antelope and crawls underneath the smooth wire...and that's the first time I in my life have ever seen an antelope in that pasture." – Mahaffey (32:32)
• On Antelope Rarity:
  • "If the antelope in North America ever just are gone...You're not going anyplace...This is the only place that they are. And when they're gone, they're gone." – Mahaffey (36:14)
• On Leaving a Legacy:
  • "We want to leave something here for our grandkids...not just to hunt, but also to look at and also understand the history of how we have cohabitated..." – Mahaffey (40:23)
• On Organizational Integrity:
  • "We've really tried to mold ourselves as being so focused on boots on the ground...A lot of money's come out of our own personal pockets." – Mahaffey (45:33)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50 | Introduction to Robert and preview of topics | | 10:05 | Mahaffey’s personal and organizational background | | 11:00–11:12 | South Dakota pronghorn population numbers and changes | | 14:07–15:30 | Founding story, inspiration from Randy Newberg, ties to Arizona’s org | | 17:19–21:13 | Mission, outreach to non-hunters, focus on impact not sport | | 21:36–27:02 | Volunteer struggle; stories about turnout and hard work | | 28:26–30:14 | Brainstorm & creative approaches for volunteer engagement | | 32:32 | Memorable story: antelope returns thanks to habitat restoration | | 33:01–36:14 | Discussion of migration, "Unwired" documentary, fragility of antelope species | | 39:25 | Mahaffey on why public, wild antelope are personal | | 40:53–44:42 | Advice on sustaining a nonprofit, aligning incentives like preference points | | 45:33–49:23 | Funding philosophy and how to maximize impact locally | | 49:30–50:07 | Where to learn more, donate, or volunteer |

How to Get Involved

• Website: sdantelopefoundation.org
• Instagram & Facebook: South Dakota Antelope Foundation
• Opportunities: Membership, donations, volunteer for projects (especially upcoming summer fence removals)

Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is candid, passionate, and pragmatic. Mahaffey brings humility and humor to the challenges, while expressing deep respect for both the natural world and those who work to protect it. Host Mike Axelrod balances curiosity, encouragement, and practical suggestions, all with the overarching objective of promoting conservation as a collective responsibility.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in on-the-ground conservation, the realities of maintaining wildlife populations amid human expansion, and the ways that small, dedicated groups can make a real impact for future generations.