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

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...

Since I first started hunting with a muzzleloader, I've tried out several a number of different muzzleloader sights and scopes and have gotten excellent results from several of them. Choosing the best sighting system for your muzzleloader really depends on what conditions you hunt in, what you're trying to accomplish, and what the regulations are where you're hunting. In this episode, I'm going sh...

I think most hunters will agree that choosing the right propellant and primer for your muzzleloader can be an overwhelming experience due to the sheer number of options available. I struggled with the same problem when I first got started hunting with a muzzleloader many years ago. Since then I've tried lots of different load combinations and I've also gained a lot of insight into the strengths an...

In this episode, I interviewed Brad Watts of Muzzle-Loaders.com and we discussed hunting with a muzzleloader in detail. We discussed the different types of muzzleloaders, the capabilities and limitations of modern muzzleloaders, the advantages of hunting with a muzzleloader, some specific muzzleloader equipment recommendations, and what states offer particularly good muzzleloader hunting opportuni...

The .308 Winchester is an excellent cartridge, but that hasn't stopped wildcatters from attempting to improve upon it over the years in various ways. The .243 Winchester and 7mm-08 Remington are the two most common examples of cartridges developed by necking down the .308 Winchester to shoot smaller diameter bullets. While each of the three cartridges offer certain benefits to hunters, it's still...

In this episode, I interviewed Fred Bohm. He's been bitten by the Coues Deer bug and routinely heads down to the Sonoran Desert each year in pursuit of these wily desert whitetails. He'll be covering where to head to go Coues Deer hunting, some of the best practices on how to hunt them, and why Coues Deer are such a darn addictive animal to pursue. Show notes:  https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/po...

What's the real deal with the 6.5 Creedmoor vs 308 Winchester? The .308 Win has been around for a long time and has great reputation as an effective hunting cartridge, but many are skeptical of the capabilities of the newer 6.5 Creedmoor for hunting. Unfortunately, there is a lot of marketing hype as well as a few genuine misunderstandings regarding the capabilities of the 6.5 Creedmoor that compl...

We were fortunate to interview Ryan Lisson of Zero to Hunt on this episode and he provided a bunch of great tips and tricks on how to find a place to hunt on public land, how to scout a new area without leaving home, and then what sort of things you should be looking for when scouting an area in person. Ryan is a veteran hunter and a wildlife biologist by profession, so he has a lot of experience...

Most hunters probably agree the .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield are both quite versatile and effective cartridges. While there is an overlap in their capabilities, the two cartridges are best suited to different tasks and represent two different ways of thinking. This is part of the reason why each cartridge has such a dedicated and loyal following and why the 270 vs 30-06 debate continues...

While many hunters know a little bit about shotgun gauges, I think that most people would likely agree the subject can be really confusing. That's perfectly understandable because the way shotgun gauges are classified is counterintuitive at first glance.  For that reason, I'm going to discuss the ins and outs of shotgun gauges in detail in this episode. I'll go over the history of shotshells, how...

Both the 7mm Rem Mag and the 300 Win Mag probably are among the first cartridges that spring to mind for hunters thinking about buying a new rifle for a serious hunt they think they'll need a real heavy hitter on. They're both excellent cartridges and are similar in many ways, but they're also different in a few key areas and each is best suited for particular situations. Here's a detailed breakdo...

The .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and .300 Winchester Magnum are all outstanding big game hunting cartridges. Though they're similar in many ways, they're also different in a few key areas and each is best suited for particular situations. Here's a detailed breakdown of the history, strengths, and weaknesses of each cartridge as well as recommendations on which one you should be use for spe...

We interviewed Clay Newcomb of Bear Hunting Magazine on this episode and he provided a great overview of the awesome bear hunting opportunities available in North America. Even though they are one of the most widely distributed game species on the continent, black bears are still something of an enigma to most hunters. Fortunately, Clay did a great job removing some the mystery surrounding the sub...

Hi, I'm John McAdams, and I want to thank you for joining me on the very first episode of the Big Game Hunting Podcast. If you've always dreamed about going on some sort of hunting adventure, this podcast is the perfect resource for you to turn those dreams into reality. Twice a week we'll discuss everything from where you need to go to hunt various species, how to find an honest hunting outfitter...