Lone Star Outdoor Show

We start off by visiting with whitetail hunter Jim Stinson. Jim oversees a 10,000 acre, 10 member deer lease in deep South Texas. Their strict management plan has resulted in some great deer over the years, but none were as impressive as the buck that became affectionately known as “Superbuck”. Sadly, this deer was poached in 2014 by one of the lease members and then snuck across state lines all the way back to Idaho. 2 years later, after a lengthy investigation and the hiring of private detectives, Superbuck was finally returned back to Texas. Jim talks about how they grow giant deer, and how they came to catch the poacher. (Jim and Superbuck after his return to Texas) Then we discuss the latest in precision shooting with Horizon Firearms President Derrick Ratliff. Also, what is the correct age to introduce firearms to a youngster? Is there a right or wrong answer? Lastly, what can be done if your child (or even a friend for that matter) turns out to right hand, left eye dominant? Derrick breaks down what he did for his 5 year old son Rhyder. We wrap up the broadcast by breaking down a recent anti hunting piece published by National Geographic. Author Stephen Leahey lumps hunters in with poachers while in the same breath blames hunting for the potential extinction of some of our big game species. Are you kidding me? I refute it with facts and science.

We start off by checking in with South Texas deer huntress Jayme Derouen who recently was able to harvest TWO Texas mountain lions while looking for a shooter buck at her deer lease. She recounts the events of that hunt. The odds of seeing one lion, let alone three (yes she saw three) and harvesting a pair are astronomical. Truly the hunt and experience of a lifetime. Then we sit down with our old friend and lifelong hunter/conservationist Ivan Carter. When he speaks on conservation issues, people tend to listen. We get his take on some new initiatives regarding giraffes and anti poaching as well as changing social perception of hunting by the general public. 25 years ago, being a professional lion hunter or elephant hunter was a badge of honor. Now things couldn’t be further from the truth. Ivan and I recording the interview at Dallas Safari Club Convention 2018 We wrap up the show by talking winter redfish, Texas Parks and Wildlife mandated fishing closures due to freezing temps and Hurricane Harvey’s revitalizing affect on the South Texas coastal fishery Captain Len Girard joins us to discuss.

Texas Parks and Wildlife has approved the testing of a new sodium nitrite based hog poison called Hog Gone. TPWD Wildlife Division Director Clayton Wolf makes his return and we break down the widespread implications of introducing poison into the food chain. Clayton also talks about the lethality of this poison. How many times do the hogs have to ingest it? How fast does it kill them? Is sodium nitrite toxic to other animals and if so, how does TPWD intend to make sure that those other species don’t eat the poisoned feed? We get the answers. Next, it’s a story of the one that got away when my friend Don Gresham joins the show. Don and I had the pleasure of enjoying a hunt in 15 degree weather earlier this week. I took a nice 10 pt on the hunt but we experienced something that neither of us had ever seen in the whitetail woods! We wrap up the show by talking public land duck hunting and habitat improvement projects with Ducks Unlimited Regional Biologist Kevin Hartke. We discuss some of the projects his team is working on from a conservation standpoint and how they can benefit those of us who still grind it out on public land. We also dive into the funding behind these projects. It might shed some light on where your license sales funds go and how NAWCA (North American Waterfowl Conservation Act) uses federal dollars to match funds put up by DU and state agencies.

We discuss hippo hunting in Tanzania, the Grizzly Bear ban on hunting in British Columbia and the upcoming Dallas Safari Club Convention with DSC’s Executive Director Corey Mason. If 15,000 grizzly bear with hunters harvesting 200 annually isn’t sustainable use hunting, then I don’t know what is. Next, we take a look at winter whitetail deer nutrition with QDMA’s Kip Adams. Their are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to when to feed deer during the winter, and in extreme cold weather environments feeding corn might actually be lethal to deer. Kip explains why. Then we check in with Borderlands Research Institute Director Dr. Louis Harveson. We discuss their 17 year study on West Texas mountain lions and what their findings indicate for the longterm outlook of Texas’ largest apex predator. If you haven’t seen the short 7 minute film “The Lions of West Texas” I suggest you check it out. Very well done. We wrap up the broadcast by taking a look at the ridiculous proposal by the Sierra Club to reintroduce Grey Wolves into Colorado. I explain why this is an incredibly stupid idea that flies in the face of North American wildlife conservation.

We spend a few segments recounting one of the most epic journeys of my life when houndsman, mountain man and cougar hunter Wayne Pennell joins me. Over the past 20 months, I have spent 17 days and 3 different trips to Colorado to hunt mountain lion with Wayne and his hounds. We’ve caught 4 lions, but on this trip, we caught the right lion as the 3rd time was a certainly a charm. We discuss dry ground hunting, lion hounds, the mountains, cougars and what it means to truly be a houndsman and mountain man. Then I am thrilled to have original country artists Sam Mason and Songbird Jones join me in studio to spread some Christmas cheer! They play some original Christmas tunes including my favorite “Leaving Santa Lone Star”. Of course we also mix in a little hunting and fishing talk as well.

Renown hunter, author and videographer Remi Warren makes his return to the show this week. Many of you have heard about the Grizzly charge experienced by the Meat Eater crew recently. Remi was there and recounts that hairy experience firsthand. In reality, does it really matter if you have pepper spray or a gun? Or is the bear just on you before you know it? Remi gives us his take after surviving one of the most scary interactions a hunter can face in North America (or anywhere for that matter). Then we shift gears and discuss taking on the backcountry during the dead of winter. Snow and sub freezing temps are common during late season hunts. Remi gives us some of his favorite tips on how to stay warm and functioning in those harsh environments. We talk gear, how to heat your sleeping bag, footwear, starting a fire and even nutrition. (Remi with a nice elk he took in less than ideal conditions) Then we spend a couple segments calling coyotes with our old friend Jeff Thomason of Predator Pursuit. We break down his usual set up and the sounds he plays this time of year. Then Jeff gives us a couple outside the box tips, one that has proven especially deadly for grey fox. (Jeff with a night’s fur haul)

We kick things off by discussing an usual topic, but one that every hunter faces on a pretty regular basis. Where to go the bathroom in the whitetail woods? We’ve all been sitting in our blind or stand when an unfortunate case of bubble gut takes us by surprise. So…where to do the deed? Our old friend Dr. James Kroll (aka Dr. Deer) jumps on to talk about the 1’s and 2’s of the whitetail woods. Do deer know the difference between human waste vs a coyote or even livestock? What about #1? Dr. Deer has some interesting insight on the topic. Then we spend a couple segments with one of my favorite new country artists when Mo Pitney stops by. The Illinois native sings some of the most authentic and well written songs I’ve heard in recent memory. So, when I found out Mo was a huge bowhunter and even raises his own Brittany’s, I knew we had to get him on the show. Tear Jerker Warning though- we take a listen to his tune “It’s Just A Dog” and you’ll probably end up with a tear in your beer. Mo and ‘Duke’ chasing roosters in South Dakota: We wrap up this broadcast with Quail Coalition Executive Director Jay Stine. Quail coveys appear to be down this season despite decent range conditions across much of the state. Jay gives us some things to think about from a parasite standpoint as well as predators. Interestingly, he even admits that there’s one predator that might even be helping quail numbers. Always great talking bobwhites with our good friend.

It’s no surprise that Crossman Corp filed a petition with Texas Parks and Wildlife to try and get their Air Bow and Big Bore Air Rifles allowed as legal means of take during deer season. Afterall, they are the largest manufacturer of both on the planet. Somewhat surprisingly, TPWD decided to entertain the idea and do their own study on the lethality of these weapons. We discuss their findings with TPWD Whitetail Deer Program Leader Alan Cain. We discuss how effective at killing these weapons are and what season they would be allowed in. Also, does Alan and TPWD share my sentiment that the Air Bow is actually a gun that shoots a spear and not actually archery equipment? We find out. Then we spend a couple segments talking venison with our old buddy and renown wild game chef Hank Shaw. If you’ve ever ordered a dry aged steak at a fancy restaurant then you know how tasty that process can make a cut of meat. It can do the same for specific cuts of venison. Hank tells us what cuts to dry age and how to do it. Turns out all you really need is a beer fridge lol. We don’t skip over wet aging either, a process that takes a lot less time and very little effort on your part. We wrap up the show by going deep for winter blue cats with guide and North Carolina state record blue catfish hold Zakk Royce. He tells us where to find them, what water temps to look for and how to rig up to try and land a trophy blue cat. (Zakk with a recent 83 lber)

We start off the broadcast by checking in with our old friend Derrick Ratliff- President of Horizon Firearms and iota Outdoors. We discuss his recent Wyoming mule deer/pronghorn hunt. How easy is it to draw a tag in Wyoming? Then we get into the meat of the discussion when it comes to the ethics of when or when not to shoot an animal? Eating, Fighting, Bedded or Breeding? When shouldn’t you or should you always take the shot if it leads to a clean kill? I think Derrick and I are on the same page here. Next, we discuss the newest caliber to hit the hunting/shooting industry. The 6.5 PRC (released by Hornady at Shot Show 2017) is essentially a 6.5 Creedmoor on steroids. Derrick talks about it’s performance capabilities and how it stacks up balistically against other comparable calibers. Horizon Firearms is one of the first gun makers in to be building rifles in the 6.5 PRC caliber. Looking forward to the discussion with our good bud. Then, I recount my recent trip to Oklahoma and the rutting activity that I experienced. More specifically, the rut always seems to bring out monster bucks that we never knew existed. They avoid feeders and trail cameras like the plague but you can catch them slipping during the rut. The 9 point I took showed up on camera one time on November 16th. This old warrior below never has been caught on camera or seen in person in 3 years on our place. Man I love the rut! We wrap up today’s broadcast by welcoming Sportsman’s Box founder Adam Whitehead to the show. The North Carolina native is a lifelong hunter and angler. We discuss Sportsman’s Box – the first outdoor centered monthly subscription box of it’s kind. What kind of hunting/outdoor products can you expect in the monthly box? Adam talks about some of the practical gear you can expect and some of the companies that Sportsman’s Box works with. Use the promo code ‘TisTheSeason’ for holiday savings when you check out on their website!

I’m honored to have an outdoor legend join the show this week in the form of J Wayne Fears. The longtime author and lifelong outdoorsman has written over 6,200 published articles to go along with 33 books covering a myriad of outdoor related topics. Today’s discussion however, will focus on the lives of those American frontiersmen, mountain men and long gun hunters/trappers that came before us. J Wayne talks about their clothing, weapons, diet and hardships they faced. It was a hard life, much different from ours with our $1000 layering system and modern weapons. I find looking at where we came from to where we are today a fascinating topic and J Wayne adds a wealth of knowledge to the discussion. (J Wayne with a nice whitetail buck) Then we head to the Texas Hill Country to chase my favorite exotic species with longtime axis deer guide Eric Harrison. We take a listen to the Ezy Axis deer call and Eric demonstrates how he uses this call to bring in axis deer pretty much year round. Heck, I might even make a fool of myself and try to blow the call during the visit. We also get his favorite axis deer recipe and discuss using rattling horns when axis hunting. (Eric and a recent client with a monster low fence axis)

Dallas Safari Club Executive Director Corey Mason makes his return to the broadcast this week. We discuss how USFWS foreign policy is negatively affecting some of Africa’s Big 5 species. When you prevent hunters for bringing their trophies back to the United States, you devalue the life of the species. Thus is the current situation with lions and elephants specifically in certain African countries. Corey explains how this flies in the face of science based wildlife management. If the local inhabitants of a country or region see no value in an animal, (I.E. they can’t make money off the animal) they will kill them indiscriminately and convert their habitat to cropland. (these lioness met an unfortunate end due to increased human/animal conflict). Hopefully Secretary Zinke will right these wrongs and USFWS will stop trying to dictate Africa’s wildlife management strategy. Next we go inside the mind of a duck with longtime guide and U.S. Army Veteran Beau Saucier of Outlaw Outfitters. To successfully hunt ducks, you need to understand why they do what they do. From loafing spots to decoys and calling, Beau breaks it all down. We dive in deep with our old friend and pick his brain on 25 plus years of experience. (Beau doing what Beau does best) We wrap up the show with a very interesting guest in Sam Ayers. The Los Angeles native and passionate bow hunter lives a country lifestyle while his job keeps him trapped in Hollywood’s concrete jungle. This 180 degree change in lifestyle is fascinating as Sam will even tell you he always wanted the penthouse apartment, fast car and fast pace of life, but somewhere in his early 30’s he realized that life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. We talk hunting, rehab (Sam tore ligaments in both knees on a recent elk hunt) and we discuss his podcast: Living Country in the City. Check it out when you get a chance.

World respected conservationist, biologist, writer and Conservation Visions founder Shane Mahoney joins me this week for an in depth conversation on a couple different topics. First, we take a look at the term ‘Trophy Hunting’. It’s origins mean something totally different from how many people interpret it today. Why the shift in attitude toward that term over the past 100 years? Should we as hunting community embrace that terminology or shy away from it? After all, isn’t being a selective hunter and trying to harvest the mature male of the species not only trophy hunting, but also conservation? We dive in deep with one of the most respected individuals among our ranks. Then we take a look at a new study Shane is heading up in North America. The goal of the study is to quantify (in pounds) how much protein hunters and anglers harvest each year. What if hunting/fishing were to go away? Can you imagine the economic windfall and direct affect it would take on our society as we know it? I don’t want to go into too much detail, best just to tune in and let Shane explain the implications. (Millions of North Americans head to the woods or water to harvest their food each year) Check out Conservation Visions if you haven’t already. Follow Shane on Facebook and Instagram.

Mossberg’s Linda Powell makes her return to the show with some British Columbia moose action. She talks about this hunt in detail and the gun she used to take this giant bull. Then we discuss the ground breaking Mossberg Shockwave – a unique design that makes this weapon the ideal personal defense scattergun. Available in 12 gauge and now in the more recoil friendly 20 gauge. (Linda with her bull) Next we spend a couple segments with Turnpike Troubadours frontman and avid hunter Evan Felker. I don’t know many country artists that have a kennel full of Deutsch Drahthaars and English Pointers so Evan is a unique breed. The kind of guy you’d like to sit around the campfire with and pass around a bottle of bourbon after a long day in the woods. We talk old Browning shotguns, training and raising quail dogs, archery elk hunting and the new record ‘A Long Way From the Heart’. I don’t know how Turnpike keeps doing it, but this might be their best work yet. We wrap up the show by visiting with our good friend Sean Callahan of Southpond Outdoors. Every season, we see giant bucks killed on relatively small farms. Sean joined that club last week with this Missouri monster. Taken on the 95 acres he purchased last spring. The buck he nicknamed ‘War Machine’ was perfect for a segment on ‘Small Farms, Big Bucks’. Be sure to check out Sean’s ‘Southpond Outdoors – The Pursuit to the Plate Podcast’ for more great hunting content and wild game recipes. (War Machine grossed 189 2/8 inches)

We kick things off by taking a look at the HECS Stealth Screen and the technology behind this game changer. HECS President Mike Slinkard drops in to explain how the HECS system causes animals to think the human wearing it is an inanimate object. Sounds crazy, right? Well I’ve seen enough videos and heard enough testimony to want to give it a try. I mean if a hunting suit truly allows you to sit in the open and draw a bow with an animal looking at you less than 20 yards away, why wouldn’t you want it? (Bobcat less than 5 feet from hunters wearing their HECS Stealth Screen Suits) Next we are joined by Peyton’s Project founder Tammy Reece. Back in 2010 her 23 month old niece Peyton Hood was killed by a 10 inch rattlesnake. Tammy’s response was to create this organization to help prevent other families from suffering the same tragedy. You might have listened to our recent episode with rattlesnake bite victim Greg Pavur – he is the one who told us about this great project that was responsible for making sure the rural hospital he went to had a supply of very expensive anti venom. Looking forward to visiting further on the topic with Tammy as she explains how Peyton’s Project has and continues to save lives of venomous snake bite victims. Then we check in with our longtime friend Captain Mike Holliday of Costa Sunglasses. The longtime Florida saltwater fishing guide talks about Hurricane Harvey/Irma’s effects on their respective fisheries and marine ecosystems. We also get into some late fall snook and tarpon before wrapping up the discussion with the latest technology from Costa Sunglasses. If you haven’t looked through the Sunrise Silver Mirrors…I suggest you do! We wrap up the broadcast when Randy and David Burt and Blake Branch drop by the studio. This trio of lifelong hunters have a new business venture in Texas State of Mind Coffee Company. We dive into coffee’s revered place among the hunting community. Also, what makes a good brew vs a bad one? We’ve all had that gas station cup of coffee that resulted in immediate heart burn- what causes that? What about different caffeine levels in different roasts? Be sure to check out the High Brass, Hail Call and Buck Fever blends on their website and save 15% on any order if you use the promo code LONESTAR15! (Photo from GoHunt)

Well, here it is – our 400th Episode. I can’t believe it’s been almost 8 years since we embarked on this journey. So, thanks to each and every one of you who tune into the broadcast. Whether you’ve listened to all 400 episodes or 4, I sincerely want to thank you. That being said, Episode 400 takes us back to July and my first trip to South Africa. I’ve had a couple months to look back and reflect fondly on this experience and each time a twinkle comes to my eyes. Hunting with John X Safaris on South Africa’s Eastern Cape was everything I imagined and then so much more. Throughout this episode I will attempt to take you on that journey with me as I give a day by day account of what transpired on what I can honestly say was the trip of a lifetime. Kudu is the #1 animal on most hunter’s lists. Mine was no exception. Glassing for these magnificent creatures in the mountains of the Great Karoo reminded me very much of elk hunting back in the states. No matter the species, we spent a significant amount of time behind the glass. I love this kind of hunting and was pleasantly surprised by how much glassing we did. The sunsets and terrain reminded me very much of the Texas Hill Country and even the mountains of far West Texas. Mother Africa wasn’t shy about showing off her vast beauty. Everyday was an adventure and my warthog brought hunt home highest honors in that department. I still laugh when I think about my PH Carl Van Zyl saying “You wanted a rodeo, you got one now Cowboy!”. The Lone Star Outdoor Show Africa Trip with John X Safaris is scheduled for June 22nd – 30th. Email me at lonestaroutdoorshow@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining me on this epic adventure!