Lone Star Outdoor Show

Perhaps the greatest conservation success story of our time is that of the wild turkey. Market hunting, timber cutting and a general disregard for the resource resulted in less than 30,000 birds left in North America by the early 1930s. Our TPWD Turkey Program Leader Jason Hardin makes his return to the broadcast. We take a look back at the history of the recovery effort and what Texas Parks and Wildlife is still doing today to continue that mission in East Texas. Next our old friend and renown big game hunter and world traveler Corey Knowlton jumps on to discuss a rare firearm malfunction that left him temporarily blind while on safari in Tanzania. We also get into Governor Tags and what geographical characteristics the average guy should look for if trying to kill a monster bull or buck on on public land out west. One thing that truly bothers both Corey and myself is the hunting community’s insatiable appetite to destroy itself from within. We get into that irritating phenomenon. Also the “I only kill what I eat” mantra…Corey has some fundamental issues with that movement as well. Of course we revisit the controversial black rhino hunt and the hell that it brought on Corey and his family. Now that we’re a few years removed, would he do it again?

Our good friend and firearms writer Kevin Reese of Pulsar Night Vision and Thermal Imaging dropped by the studio to discuss some outside of the box applications for thermal optics. I have long been a fan of scouting with my Pulsar thermal monocular (Helion XP 50 pictured here) but over the past year or so I have started using it more and more during daylight hours. Invaluable tool to have in your hunting pack. Thermal doesn’t discriminate between night and day, it simply detects heat signatures. I found the Illinois buck I would eventually shoot while daytime scouting with the Helion. Then we dive into Midwestern whitetail hunting with Kyle Pavlick- 2nd generation operator at Golden Triangle Whitetail in Pike County Illinois. I recently had the opportunity to chase some of their giant bodied, big racked bucks during the Illinois muzzle loader season. We discuss that hunt and why they grow them so big in the corn belt.

My better half and I recently celebrated 10 years of marital bliss by taking a trip to the Dominican Republic. Being the saint that she is, Erin agreed to go offshore fishing with me while we were in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, I fear her first blue water outing might be her last. Erin jumps on to discuss how she feels the trip went. Between her and the other tourists on the charter boat, it was quite the circus! ( I was all smiles while Erin was doing some ‘chumming’ of her own ) Next, our old friend Mark Boardman of Vortex Optics drops in. We dive into his budget friendly Do It Yourself Alaskan Moose hunt. Plus, a successful late season Colorado mule deer hunt. Mark and I then take discuss the validity of the saying “don’t pass something the first day that you’d gladly shoot on the last day.” Then we switch it up and hit on the newest gym from Vortex, the Razor AMG HD rifle scope (which I just put on my 7mag). Mark tells us why this scope is a cut above the rest. (Mark with his Alaskan bull) If you’ve been following along on social media or tuning into the show, then you know I’ve been dealing with some serious BS on my Oklahoma deer lease. I’ll give you the details on how that thing played out. You always hear about big bucks turning otherwise good people into the shadiest scum out there. This was my first time experiencing it firsthand.

The always affable Captain Len Girard gets things going with a saltwater fishing report. We find out what the redfish and trout are hitting and where Captain Len is finding them. Also, sight casting for black drum and what to expect with high water and the pending fall flounder run. Then our longtime friend Steven Rinella makes his return to the show. Topics discussed: state management of wildlife on federally managed land, sportsmen at the voting booth, comparing our worst tasting bites of wild game, the growing Meat Eater media company, the new Fish and Game Cookbook, the truth about coyote control, cougar hunting, The Wild Within and much more. We round out the show by reflecting on my recent situation regarding my Oklahoma deer lease. I’ve never been so jealous of the folks who own their own land.

As a father, you experience things that leave a lasting impression when it comes to your offspring. The first time they score a goal in a soccer game, the first fish they catch and damn sure the first time they go deer hunting with you. But I’m not going to get all sappy on you guys. Rather, I figured we should experience through a young boy’s eyes and so I invited Henry to join the show this week to recount everything about his first time hunting big game with dad. (Our Clay County 9 pt I shot with him in the blind with me). He was a bit nervous when I put the microphone in his face, but the warmed up pretty quickly once we started talking about hunting. I am not sure when he will be ready to pull the trigger himself, I hope maybe next season. Ultimately, however I will leave that decision up to him. Then we spend a couple segments with a couple old friends from First Lite when Ryan Callahan and Tag Spenst jump on to discuss Tag’s Alaskan Dall Sheep hunt. You might recall we had Tag on the show prior to heading out for this once in a lifetime ram hunt, a hunt he won through a drawing at Sheep Show in Reno last year. Ryan provides some interesting prospective as he played an instrumental role in helping Tag get ready for this hunt. You might not be aware that prior to this Alaskan adventure, Tag had harvested a mallard hen, and that was it! Talk about baptism by fire. We discuss the training and preparation that goes into preparing a non hunter for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Tag gives us the details on how the hunt played out in Alaska’s famed Brooks Range. We also discuss gear, his First Lite kit he took, bear spray vs sidearms and much more. Good times and great conversation with a couple solid dudes.

If you aren’t aware of Florida’s Amendment 13, then you will want to listen to my visit with Jack Cory of the Florida Greyhound Association. Amendment 13 is up for vote in the midterms and if passed it would end Florida’s rich tradition of Greyhound racing (they currently have 11 of the nations 19 remaining dog tracks). You might be asking yourself “So What, Why Should I Care?” The reason we all need to be aware of this proposed amendment and do everything in our power to defend it is very simple, anti hunting animal rights activist groups such as PETA and HSUS had a hand in drafting the legislation and they used verbiage that a Florida circuit judge already ruled to be “intentional trickeration”. What does that mean, and how does it affect the rights of sportsmen and women? Tune in to find out what Floridians stand to lose. Jack explains the severity of the situation and that most voters don’t realize what they’re actually voting in favor of by saying yes to Amendment 13. Next I will give you my thoughts on how effective pop up blinds are for whitetail hunting. Traditionally, I have preferred tree stands, but elk, pronghorn and life in general got in the way of hanging them on a new property I hunt in Northwest Texas. So I decided to put out some pop ups and see what would happen. To say I have been pleasantly surprised would be an accurate statement. I think in many instances you can go so far as to set up the blind the day of the hunt. (Pictured here is blind I nicknamed ‘The Stagecoach Blind’ due to the unique history of the rubble it sits on) We round out the show by heading to Pike County Illinois to chase giant Midwestern bucks with Mike Pavlick of Golden Triangle Whitetail. The longtime outfitter knows a thing or 2 about putting clients on big deer. We discuss why Illinois’ Golden Triangle is considered one of the nation’s premiere destination for hunters seeking Boone and Crockett caliber deer. We discuss nutrition and Mike offers his advice on what a hunter needs to do in order to kill a giant whitetail. (197 inch Booner killed by one of Mike’s clients on the past few seasons.

Recently there has been quite a bit of concern over Bovine Tuberculosis being transmitted to whitetailed deer. While it’s not rare in Northern states such as Michigan, I haven’t heard of it in Texas yet. Many of you emailed or messaged me on social media asking if you needed to be wary of this disease in Texas deer. I honestly didn’t know the answer but Texas Parks and Wildlife Whitetail Deer Program Leader Alan Cain does. We discuss the possibility of bovine tuberculosis in Texas deer and what role climate has to do with it’s frequency. Next I am joined by Olympic National Park Deputy Superintendent Lee Taylor. The park has been dealing with multiple issues stemming from introduced mountain goats for some time. While native to other parts of Washington State, the goats are not native to the park having been introduced nearly a century ago. With that in mind and the increasingly aggressive nature of the Olympic goats (they show no fear of humans and are attracted to our sweat and urine) the park has come up with a 2 part plan to relocate/kill off the entire population. Personally, I have no problem with that plan. But I see a golden opportunity for hunters to play a role in the removal of the goats. Does the park see it the same way? 700 goats is a lot to relocate, Lee gives is the inside scoop on whether or not hunters will be involved in this project that is designed to restore the park to it’s more natural state. We round out the broadcast by checking in with Elite Series angler Hank Cherry. You probably remember last week’s episode with anglers Kelly Jordon, Chris Lane and Brent Ehrler (all of whom left the Elite Series for the newly formed Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour) and so this time we’ll hear from someone on the outside looking in. What was Hank’s reaction to the monumental shift in pro bass fishing? What about guys like himself who obviously are in the top 80 anglers in the world, but were never extended an invite to be a part of the Major League Fishing 80 man field? What does it mean for the Elite Series and BASS? What about the FLW Tour? What about the direction of the sport going forward with 3 circuits and a limited amount of sponsorship dollars? So many questions for Hank as we try to peel back the layers of what really went on and why within his sport.

On this week’s show we hit the Alaskan tundra with Derrick Ratliff of Horizon Firearms. Derrick along with 3 of his buddies, recently completed a do it yourself Barren Ground Caribou hunt. Derrick gives us the low down on what gear he took, caliber rifle, the style of hunting caribou on open ground, cost associated with this hunt and more (Derrick with his bull, taken with the Horizon 6.5 PRC). Derrick also talks about his interactions and dealings with Grizzly bears on this trip. All four hunters harvested bulls, and all 4 felt the wrath of a hungry grizzly taking what it wanted to from their meat stash. Derrick explains the lack of human fear these bears exhibited and whether or not this is common on this type of hunt. A grizzly bear’s work on the Horizon guys meat stash. The bears literally left the guys with 80 lbs of salvageable meat from 4 caribou. We wrap up the discussion by talking New Mexico rifle elk hunting. Something that Derrick does nearly every fall. This year he hit an elk in No Man’s Land. We discuss that area on an elk and hear how a similar shot ended up having a more positive outcome.

If you haven’t heard, professional bass fishing is going in a new direction. 80 of the sport’s top pros recently announced they were leaving their respective Elite Series/FLW Tours to fish in Major League Fishing’s new Bass Pro Tour. This is a monumental movement for many reasons. Major League Fishing’s format of Catch, Weigh, Release is entirely different from traditional 5 fish tournaments. I am thrilled to have 3 of the sport’s best jump on for a round table discussion on why they all decided to jump ship for Major League Fishing and how this will affect the sport of bass fishing going forward. Never a dull moment with our old friends Kelly Jordon, Brent Ehrler and Chris Lane chiming in on the sport’s new direction. Next we check in with Dr. Donald Thomas- Entomologist Research Biologist for USDA. Dr. Thomas sheds some light on the cattle fever tick infesting South Texas whitetail and nilgai herds. So much so that nearly 100 deer were culled in the Port Mansfield, TX area last summer in an attempt to keep the ticks from further spreading the disease. This topic is historically fascinating as it goes all the way back to the early cattle drive days. We round out the broadcast when Dallas Safari Club Executive Director Corey Mason makes his return. Topic of discussion with Corey centers around the reversal of the much publicized Wyoming Grizzly Bear Hunt, the first of it’s kind in the lower 48 since the mid 1970s. Sadly, a federal judge recently squashed the hunt by putting the bears back on the endangered species list despite wildlife officials stance that the bears have reached recovery goals.

Lifelong hunter Brittany Longoria joins the show this week. She recently made international headlines when this photo of her and a giant leopard surfaced after a recent trip to Namibia. The anti hunting community pounced and it wasn’t pretty. For some reason they can’t seem to grasp the fact that attractive young females also enjoy big game hunting. Brittany jumps on to discuss this phenomenon. We also dive into her thoughts on sustainable use hunting and how we choose to portray ourselves to the rest of the non hunting world. Unlike many of the female hunters we see become instantly famous after this type of ordeal, Brittany didn’t seek the attention, in fact she didn’t give SCI permission to share it publicly. Then our old friend, author and wild game chef extraordinaire Hank Shaw drops in to discuss some fresh takes on dove and duck recipes. Cooking is one of those things where we always find inspiration from others, and Hank has inspired alot of the things I attempt in the kitchen. During this visit, we also discuss upland hunting and Hank’s quest for the North American small game slam. Hank’s latest creation: Chicken Friend dove breasts in tomato gravy! We round out the broadcast by talking Panhandle Pronghorn and hunting Australia’s Outback with longtime outfitter Clay Pope of Pope Brothers Guide Service and Outfitting. Hunting pronghorn in agricultural regions like the Texas Panhandle is significantly different than chasing them out West. Clay talks about this style of hunting speedgoats on land that is flat for as far as the eye can see. Decoys, shot placement, caliber and bullet selection are all discussed. Plus we hear all about the month he spent hunting in Australia this past summer.

Kopfjager Industries continues to push the envelope in precision shooting advancements. I’ve been a huge fan of their Reaper Grip for some time now and have had success hunting with it in a variety of applications. When I heard they were coming out with a new mount, specific for box blind hunters I knew we needed to take a closer look at the AMBUSH. Our friend Matt Banes (co founder of Kopfjager Industries) joins us in the studio to discuss the new mount and the latest and greatest from Kopfjager. Next, I sit down with some good friends in the form of Ducks Unlimited’s Chris Jennings, Mossberg’s Linda Powell and Kent Cartridge’s Andrew Howard. The 4 of us recently met down at the Texas coast for early teal season. On this media hunt we were using 28 gauge Mossberg’s with Kent Bismuth loads and Mossberg 20 gauges with Kent Teal Steel #6’s. Small gauges for waterfowl made for some sporty shooting no doubt and the 4 of us sat down for a round table discussion after one of the hunts. Topics included: Bismuth’s lethality, the Trump Slump in the firearms industry, crappie vs walleye for the table, “Minnesota Nice”, Lake of the Woods grouse hunting, Duck Hunter numbers on the uptick and much more. We wrap up the broadcast by spending some time with Plateau Land and Wildlife’s Tim Milligan to discuss the option of enrolling one’s property into Wildlife Management vs Ag (running cattle). You might not be aware that you can keep your tax break the same by simply switching the exemption from Ag to Wildlife Management. Tim discusses the positives from doing so, and if you lease your hunting land (like me) then you still might want to let your landowner know about the possibility.

My longtime friend and elk hunting partner in crime Chisum Cooke makes his return to the show on the Elk Edition. We train 51 weeks of the year for one glorious week chasing bugling bulls together each fall. This is ultimately a recap of this year’s New Mexico public land archery elk hunt, but as you listen, you find that elk hunting isn’t a hobby for Chisum or I. It’s the thing that keeps us grounded and focused in our daily lives, 365 days a year. On this episode you’ll experience the highs and lows of elk hunting the pre rut with Chisum and I. Silent bulls, blisters, mile upon mile, burns, funny cliches and a good bit of elk hunting strategy. We also break down our gear, shelter and much more.

Early teal and resident Canada goose seasons are open throughout much of the country. With that in mind, I shed some light on how I like to hunt those little blue winged feathered rockets during September. I walk through an article I wrote for Cabela’s Outfitter Magazine a few years ago. 15 years worth of experience has taught me a great deal regarding early teal. Don’t make it more difficult than it has to be. Next, one of my favorite singer/songwriters joins us in studio. Jerrod Medulla recently hit #1 on the Texas music charts with his tune “Unbroken Horses”. We talk some deer hunting, redfish and of course take a listen to some of Jerrod’s latest tunes among other things. Then, we wrap up the broadcast by checking in with Isocialboost founder Devin Leonard. In the social media driven world we live in, anybody can become a social media influencer. So for any of you guys or gals out there looking to make a name for yourself in the outdoor space, you will want to listen to Devin’s message. Isocialboost can create that jumpstart you need to start attracting sponsors and eventually making a living in the hunting/fishing community. Oh, and Devin is also a backcountry mule deer fanatic, so I am sure we’ll get into that topic as well.

Any waterfowler can tell you that Pintails have struggled in recent memory. But nobody seems to have a firm understanding as to why. Other puddle duck species are thriving, well above their long term averages yet the Pintail’s population trend seems to dip year after year. Ducks Unlimited Chief Biologist Tom Moorman makes his return to shed some light on the pintail’s struggles as well as to break down the recent USFWS Waterfowl Survey Report. All puddle ducks were down (except Wigeon) from last year with Gadwall making the most surprising fall at 31% down from the 2017 Survey. Tom explains why it’s not all doom and gloom despite the poor survey results. Other things we discuss in detail include redheads and ringnecks – two of my favorite diving ducks. Then, United States Senator Ted Cruz (R. Texas) makes his return to the show. Senator Cruz recently sponsored a bill known as the SAVES ACT which would affect non native wildlife management practices. I ask the senator to explain exactly how the SAVES ACT would affect exotic wildlife populations going forward. Also, we get Senator Cruz’s take on the possible transfer of federal land to state control ( a notion recently brought to the forefront by Utah Senator Mike Lee). We wrap up our discussion by hitting on the 2nd Amendment and the upcoming election. His democratic opposition Robert Francis O’Rourke is known to wear his “F” rating from the NRA as a badge of honor. But that isn’t all you will dislike about O’Rourke. Senator Cruz gives us a brief overview of his opponents running platform. Next Will Mosely of the Noble Research Institute drops in to discuss some outside of the box thinking on prescribed burns and when we should be implementing them for the betterment of our whitetail herds. I think it’s been beaten into our heads that this practice should be done in late winter before the spring green up, but Will has some data that suggests otherwise pertaining the the crude protein loads of 4 common plant species that make up a good portion of a whitetail’s diet.

It’s almost here! September 1st will find 300,000 Texas hunters in the field with shotguns in hand. Texas Parks and Wildlife Dove Program Leader Owen Fitzsimmons jumps on the show to discuss the imminent season. We talk 2018 production, re-nesting habits, shells fired per bird harvested (Texas hunters harvest 10 million dove annually), adjusted season dates and much more! Then we spend a significant amount of time talking all things archery elk with our old friend Ryan Callaghan of First Lite. How close is too close to set camp in area holding elk? What is his go to for light weight water purification? Once you’ve put a mid day bull to bed, should you go in and kill him in his bed, or try to sweet talk him to you? We also discuss different calling techniques for different situations. If you enjoy chasing bugling bulls I think you’ll enjoy the discussion.