Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Regional Coordinator, Lance Kuester, did a Walk a Mile in My Boots exchange in the Kansas Flint Hills. Neighbor ranchers got together to assist Bill Sproul with fall gather and shipping. Lance was invited to participate. Lance learned more about the cattle industry, by moving cattle by horseback, vaccinating, and loading the cattle on trucks for shipment to the feedlot.

Deputy Regional Director, Jay Slack, went to the Pitchfork Ranch in Meteetse, Wyoming where he worked with Jack Turnell and his cow-hands July 17 - 21, 2006. The week chosen for the exchange ended up being the perfect week -- the Little Venus fire came through where Jack Turnell's cattle were grazing and Jay was a very needed extra hand that day to get the cattle out of harms way. Jay learned how to cowboy up "trial by fire." The cowboys were evacuated and Jay spent the remainder of his exchange working at the Pitchfork Ranch headquarters, assisting with things such as water control structures. Jay learned a lot and felt the exchange gave him a better feel for the day-to-day challenges ranchers have to face.

Jack Turnell did his reciprocal exchange with Jay Slack November 6-8, 2006 in Washington, D.C. Jay spent a day "walking in the boots" of the Fish and Wildlife Service Directorate. The 2nd day he went to the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) where the Division of Productions conducted a taped interview about Jack and Jay's Walk a Mile in My Boots exchange, to be used as an educational tool by Course Leaders at NCTC and others in the Service. The third day Jack had an opportunity to meet with National coordinators of several of the Service's key programs and conduct a Brown Bag Lunch for Service staff in the D.C. area. Jack felt like the exchange was worthwhile and sees the Walk a Mile in My Boots program as a good start in working closer together.

Mountain-Prairie Region Regional Director, Mitch King, went on a his Walk a Mile in My Boots exchange April 24 - 28, 2006 to the Mannix Brother's Ranch and the Four Season Cattle Ranch in Montana. Mitch had an excellent experience learning about the cattle industry and how these cattle producers, in the Rocky Mountain Front and Blackfoot Valley, live in harmony with wildlife, while still maintaining a profitable cattle operation.

Montana rancher, Dusty Crary, completed the reciprocal part of the exchange and "walked in the boots" of Mitch King as well as Director, Dale Hall, and other Directorate members in Washington, D.C. on June 13, 2006.

Dan Brewer works for the Helena, Montana Ecological Services Field Office as a Fisheries Biologist. Dan was interested in the Walk a Mile in My Boots Program to learn more about ranch life in Montana and how he could work closer with the ranch community to develop his fisheries programs. In the fall of 2003, Dan went to Bob and Kathy Lee's ranch in Judith Gap, Montana.

Previous Service Director, Steve Williams, completed his Walk a Mile in My Boots exchange June 15 - 18, 2004 in the Nebraska Sandhills. He worked with Mike Kelly and Craig Utter at their ranches, helping to move cattle, put out mineral salts, and brand calves. Steve learned a lot from the Nebraska ranchers and feels the experiences he had will help us to work together to protect habitat for wildlife while also maintaing rural lifestyles.