Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!

Today, I'm joined by my friend Tyler Ball in this episode as we recap his first venture into the hunting world: a 2019 New Mexico pronghorn hunt. Tyler is a brand new hunter and we'll talk about why he decided to start hunting in the first place, how he prepared for this hunt, how his New Mexico pronghorn hunt went, a couple of things we plan on doing differently in the future, and why you should...

Today we'll be talking about two of the largest and most impressive species of North American big game: elk and moose. Fortunately, getting the chance to harvest both species is within reach of most hunters who want it badly enough. With that in mind, we have a guy here with us today that has been there and done that: Jake Downs. Heck, not only has he successfully taken both elk and moose, but he...

The .25-06 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .270 Winchester are all relatively flat shooting cartridges that are good choices for hunting a variety of big game. While each of the three cartridges offer certain benefits to hunters, there are a lot of misunderstandings regarding their capabilities and it's incredibly easy to get confused when trying to understand their true strengths and weaknesses. He...

Though it was originally introduced in the early 1900s, the .35 Remington remains a solid big game hunting cartridge under the right conditions. However, there aren't many choices for factory loaded .35 Remington ammo these days. Fortunately, the different varieties of factory loaded .35 Remington ammo currently available from Federal, Hornady, Remington, and Winchester are all designed for huntin...

Today we're going to discuss a pretty old cartridge that's still quite capable under certain conditions: the 35 Remington. It's still hanging around, but I'd say that it's one of the most under-rated brush cartridges in North America today. Well, we're going to discuss why this is the case today. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automati...

Today we'll be talking about two species of North American big game that fill the dreams of many hunters: mule deer and elk. Fortunately, we have Kevin Paulson from Hunting Life , who used to own an outfitting service offering guided mule deer and elk hunts, with us today. He's going to give us an overview of elk and mule deer hunting, how you can make your dreams of hunting them a reality, and a...

Today I wanted to take a few minutes to give you a brief update on what my hunting season will look like this year. Now, we're still in the dog days of summer down in Texas, but I've gotten all the draw results back from every state I put in for this year, so my hunting schedule for this fall and winter is pretty well set and I've been starting more detailed preparations for hunting season. Here a...

In this episode, we'll be talking about a subject that's really important for all hunters, but doesn't always get the attention it deserves: taking care of wild game meat. With that in mind, today we're joined by Mark Norquist from The Modern Carnivore . He'll give us an overview of some easy steps that hunters can take to take care of the meat from wild game at the site of the kill, how to transp...

Due to advances in powder and bullet technology, ammo for the .45-70 Government is now even more effective for hunting than it ever has been. Today, I'm going to talk about a couple of different ammunition options from Hornady, Buffalo Bore, Barnes, and Remington for the 45-70 that are great for hunting a variety of big game like deer, bear, and moose. Show notes:  https://thebiggamehuntingblog.co...

Article Referenced In Show:   45-70 Government-The Ultimate Guide To Everything You Need To Know Best 45-70 Ammo For Hunting Deer, Bear, Moose & Other Big Game – 45-70 Govt Hunting Ammo Recommendations 30-30 vs 45-70 - Blog Article Referenced In Episode 450 Bushmaster vs 45-70 - Interesting 45-70 Govt comparison 45-70 vs 308 - Interesting 45-70 Govt comparison Today I'll be discussing a cartridge...

Many hunters do the vast majority of their shooting from a bench rest, but this is not the best way to practice marksmanship under typical hunting conditions. Now I don't know about you, but I've never taken a shot at a deer, or any other big game species for that matter, from a bench rest. It's very important that hunters learn to shoot from positions they are more likely to use when hunting.  So...

In this episode, we'll be talking about a subject that's really important for all hunters, but usually doesn't get the attention it deserves: physical fitness. Regardless of the hunt, you'll probably enjoy the experience a whole lot more and improve your odds of success if you're in better physical shape. With all that in mind, today we're joined by Tim Kjellesvik from The Thinking Woodsman . He'l...

While the hassle involved with airline travel seems to be getting worse and worse each day, flying with a gun actually isn't as complicated as you would think. There is a right and a wrong way to do it though. Today, I'm going to talk about how to fly with a gun on an airline without breaking the law or otherwise getting into trouble. I'll also cover some different things you'll need to keep in mi...

Many different things can damage your ears, but if you do a lot of hunting with firearms, there's one simple thing you can do to avoid hearing loss and make sure you don't have to wear hearing aids later in life: wear ear protection while you're hunting. In this episode, I go over some of the best hunting ear protection products that you should be wearing afield to safeguard your precious hearing....

Trophy hunting is a very misunderstood topic these days, even among hunters. The many misconceptions and myths that surround trophy hunting have helped turn it into a very controversial subject. With all that in mind, my goal for today's show is to clear up some of the misconceptions about trophy hunting in Africa and help set the record straight. I'm also going to go into detail on the tangible b...

Today I'm going to talk a couple things that you as the client can do to make the most out of a guided hunt in Africa. Just like in the last episode, some of the things I'll be talking about in this episode are specific to hunting in Africa, but there's also a lot of good advice for guided hunting in general, regardless of where you'll be hunting. So even if you're not considering booking a hunt i...

There are lots of hunting outfitters in Africa to choose from. While many are very good, there are some really bad apples that you'll really want to avoid. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help separate the good from the bad and choose the right outfitter for your dream Africa hunting safari. In this episode, I'll go over some tips and tricks you can use to find a good right hunti...

If you use a powerful enough cartridge, loaded with premium quality bullets, and place your shot where it needs to go, then even the biggest, toughest, and meanest cape buffalo won't go very far. However, if you mess up in any of those areas, things can go sideways in a hurry. In this episode, I discuss the best cape buffalo hunting calibers and bullets that you should consider using on a cape buf...

Also known as Nyati, mbogo, or simply the "Black Death" Cape buffalo are right up there with kudu in terms of animals that hunters dream of pursuing in Africa. This is for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is the unique feeling of matching wits with a truly dangerous animal on his own turf. Today, I'm going to talk about the cape buffalo: how they're different from water buffalo, what mak...

When they close their eyes and try to imagine a deer rifle that best represents classic  Americana , many hunters likely picture a lever-action chambered in .30-30 Winchester. That shouldn't be surprising because after all, the .30-30 Winchester has been around for well over a century and has arguably taken more deer in United States than any other cartridge. In this episode, I discuss why the .30...

In this episode, I discuss how to prepare for an African hunting safari, some underrated hunting gear that a lot of hunters forget and really regret not having (like a basic gun cleaning kit ), and some tips on shot placement on African game. Show notes:  https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/podcast/ huntpreparation / Sponsor: Big Game Hunting Adventures Learn more about the outfitters in  Namibia an...

In this episode, I discuss some of the most commonly hunted species of African plains game, especially for those on their first African safari hunt: warthog, impala, blue wildebeest, zebra, and kudu . I also talk briefly about the cartridges and ammunition that are best suited for hunting those species of African plains game. How to fill out the SAPS 520 form (which you'll need to do if you're hun...

Hunting in Africa was one of my dreams for many years until I made that fantasy come true back in 2006 on a hunt in Namibia with my dad. I've been back to Africa a number of times since then with safaris in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique where I've hunted many species of plains and dangerous game. During the course of all those hunts, I've learned a great deal about hunting in Africa (ofte...

Hunting big game with a muzzleloader can be an extremely fulfilling experience and as a result, muzzleloader hunting is becoming more and more popular among hunters these days. However, hunting with a muzzleloader can also be extremely challenging and frustrating. This is especially true with late season muzzleloader hunting where hunters may have to deal with extremely cold and/or wet conditions....

Today I'll be talking about one of the most popular hunting muzzleloaders in the United States and why it's such an awesome choice for hunters: the CVA Optima. I'm also going to talk about some of my hunting experiences with the CVA Optima and the specific bullets I've had success with (namely PowerBelt and Barnes T-EZ bullets). Show notes:  https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/ cvaoptimamuzzleloader...