6 Ranch Podcast

Bob Bennett just turned 103. He is one of the last living veterans of WWII. He’s still driving a pickup around the mountains of eastern Oregon. Here’s a bit of his story. Incredible guy. 

Austin Smith is a USMC veteran and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. He is the natural and cultural resources manager of the 640,000 acre Warm Springs Indian Reservation. In this episode we talk about tribal warrior culture and history, the treaty hunting rights of tribal members, and the natural resources and wildlife management strategies and challenges on and off...

It’s 3:30 in the morning, you clamber out of your bedroll, pull on cold cowboy boots and amble over to the chuck wagon where whisps of steam curl off biscuits in a Dutch oven. You wash it down with a cup of coffee then saddle your horse and ride out with the rest of the cowboys in the dark— three or four hours later as the sun crests the ridge you find the cattle, gather them up, sort off the calv...

This episode is recorded with Ramzy Hattar, a first generation American who has become a successful entrepreneur across multiple industries, states and countries. His next venture is creating a spearfishing charter in Mexico, which is where I travelled to record this episode. Ramzy has lived 10 lifetimes already and his sense of adventure and determinism have become a great source of inspiration f...

The lottery systems that hunters have been forced into participating in are complex and difficult to understand. The question I ask is whether we should buy into the hype or not. Here to offer a different perspective is JR Dabey from HuntSource. Enjoy!

While sailing back to land at the end of a two week spearfishing expedition, Tony Dooley and I sat down to record this episode detailing the strange and wonderful experience we’d just had in this incredible country. Tony absolutely roasts me in this one too, so hang in there for that. 

Juan grew up in Venezuela and after the political turmoil in his country where he was held at gunpoint multiple times he left and has since taken up work running an old steel sailboat for expeditions of many kinds around Central America. In this episode we discuss the science that’s being conducted on the reef through his boat, sailing stories, and what it means to live on the sea. Check out more...

This episode was previously uploaded in an incomplete format which is my fault and you have my apologies. It’s a good episode and worth the full listen if you are interested in the logistics and planning considerations of doing an out of state hunt. In particular we are talking about an Alaskan moose hunt but the lessons can be applied in many places. 

Nate Illingsworth is a breath of fresh air. He seriously enjoys hunting but doesn’t take himself seriously. Thanks to a sedentary lifestyle and close proximity to a Buckeyes Nate found himself on the scary side of 300lbs. Now he runs marathons and is prepping for his first full Ironman. We talk about the reality of fitness for backcountry hunting and you don’t want to miss the story of his absolut...

The two most successful wildlife conservation models in the world are the North American and African models, both of which rely upon hunting. However, hunting North America is increasing in cost and is more and more reliant upon lottery systems with many hunts requiring decades of applications to get the state’s permission to hunt. Cliff Gray is a professional hunter and guide with a lifetime of h...

Planing an out of state hunt can be really intimidating. My buddy Brian Trainor from Rucklist is headed to Alaska this fall for a moose hunt and we talk about the planning process and all the logistics that go into a hunt like this. What happens when transportation breaks down? How do you get meat back from Alaska? What are some gear considerations? It’s also just a good conversation. Enjoy and ge...

My friend Buck worked as a sniper in the National guard and the USMC. He’s now considered by many to be the nation’s foremost expert of rifle optics. From some good stories to advice on optics that any shooter can benefit from, this episode, recorded live on a wilderness hunt, is built just for you. Enjoy the beginning of my 7th year of bringing you a new podcast every week. 

You asked the questions, and I answered them. For those who enjoy the diversity of subjects in this podcast, which I assume is most of you— this is the rapid fire version of that. Don’t forget to get outside and enjoy yourselves. 

Rawley Bigsby legally killed a wolf who was attacking his cattle in eastern Oregon. He’s a rancher and family man who is running for county commissioner to serve his community. We get into the politics of wolves, grizzlies, timber and the natural resource issues that rural Oregonians care about. This is your chance to get to know Rawley. Enjoy the episode. 

Spring turkey hunting in the West is a completely different game than the hardwoods and farm country most hunters are used to. Big country, low bird density, steep terrain, wind, and pressure all change how you locate, call, and kill gobblers. In this episode of the 6 Ranch Podcast , we break down real-world tactics for hunting Merriam’s and Rio Grande turkeys in mountainous terrain—from first lig...

How does a bill navigate the state senate and house in Oregon? Does the Governor veto bills out of spite? What issues are facing wildlife and agriculture in Oregon? These are some of the questions we answer in this week’s episode with my dad as he just got home from his second legislative session as an Oregon State Senator. 

The head guide at Avon Valley Safaris is none other than the legendary Kate Bryant. Kate guides stone sheep and moose in Canada during fall in the northern hemisphere and heads back to New Zealand to guide red deer, fallow, and sheep during their fall as well. I had such a good time hunting with her that I couldn’t help but sit down with her and Darren to talk about the unique challenges of guidin...

I travelled 8,277 to make this podcast episode and to join Avon Valley on an adventure. I’m down here hosting a trip where the guests and myself have been hunting red stag, fallow deer, spearfishing and having an absolutely amazing time. In this episode we talk about how to hunt New Zealand and a bit of what to expect. Darren is a fantastic human being and we recorded this episode on his boat afte...

My 93 year old grandma, who now has five great great grandchildren, is back to talk about writing, gardening, hunting and life. There’s a 0% chance this episode doesn’t warm your heart and put a smile on your face. 

Chris Wittman, one of the founders of Captains for Clean Waters joins the show this week to talk about how they are fighting for free speech in Florida to stop a bill that would make it so that someone who calls out agricultural pollution could be sued without the opportunity of recompense.  We talk about that, tarpon fishing, and the greater mission of Captains for Clean Waters. We need your help...

Brent Oliver was partially decapitated by a cable strung between two trees while riding his dirt bike. After someone passing by did CPR on him for two hours. He was without oxygen for over twenty minutes and died. And came back. His story of recovery from a quadriplegic to having a thriving career, a family, and becoming an elite off-road driver is among the most powerful narratives I’ve ever hear...

Rounded to a whole number the percentage of hunters who are successful with their cougar tags in Oregon is 0. Joe Lewis his cougar tags 9 out of the last ten years. He is in the elite minority of people who have cracked the code on cougar hunting without dogs, and this week’s episode we talk about how it’s been done in the past and how his tactics have evolved. You aren’t going to want to miss thi...

Bill Ables is back talk about backcountry flying, chukar hunting and stories from his game warden days which he retired from 25 years ago. 

The language of hunting matters. Policies that affect hunting, hunters and wildlife require the buy in of people who don’t hunt. This is a discussion between myself, Robbie Kroger from the Origins Foundation and Charles Whitwam from Howl For Wildlife. You will not find two people more dedicated to defending wildlife or hunting than these two men. Enjoy the conversation. 

You worked your tail off to bring that meat home from your hunt, don’t mess it up. On this episode Adele Nash, who is a classically trained chef sits down to talk about the ways you can prepare, cook and present your harvested game in some ways that will honor that animal and impress the friends and family you are serving the meal to. And it’s way easier than you might think. Adele works as a priv...