Call of the Outdoors

Did you know Pennsylvania is home to enough state game lands (SGL) that each hunter could have two acres to themselves? Public Lands Section Chief Curtis Noll and Land Management Group Supervisor Rodney Mee join host Matt Morrett to highlight 106 years of the SGL system, the habitat projects that make these lands primed for wildlife, and how we can all keep the 1.5 million acres of SGL wild.   Epi...

Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to discuss the 2026-27 license year, including guaranteed antlerless licenses for residents, expanded Sunday hunting, turkey season updates, elk applications, and more opportunities than ever to get out in Penn’s Woods.     Episode Highlights:   2026 hunting licenses go on sale June 22, and residents are guaranteed antlerless licenses More Sun...

Applying for the hunt of a lifetime just got easier.   Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield joins host Matt Morrett to provide an update on the Pennsylvania elk herd, explain all the changes to elk hunting for 2026-27, and share tips for getting a glimpse at bugling bulls in elk country.   Episode Highlights: Overview of the current status of PA’s elk population How the simplified elk application process...

Are we living in the golden era of the wild turkey? The godfather of turkey hunting thinks so.   Pennsylvania native and former NWTF CEO Rob Keck joins host Matt Morrett to discuss his role in the turkey hunting boom, from talking conservation with U.S. presidents to expanding opportunity to millions of new hunters.   Episode Highlights Rob’s PA roots and early days hunting Penn’s Woods History of...

Following the Board of Game Commissioners April meeting, Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to discuss expanded Sunday hunting opportunities, updates to big game seasons and bag limits, and the expansion of the Certified Hunter Program. Episode Highlights: Details on Sunday hunting dates for 2026-27 Why migratory game birds won’t be included in Sunday hunting opportunities Chan...

Turkey hunting icon and champion caller Eddie Salter joins longtime friend Matt Morrett to share stories chasing gobblers with the greats, calling strategies for fooling toms, and wisdom from decades of tagging longbeards.   Episode Highlights: How Eddie got his start turkey hunting and building calls at 10 Insights from winning dozens of turkey calling contests Tactics for success in the turkey w...

Prescribed fire is a HOT topic in Pennsylvania!  Fire Program Manager Bryan Whitmore and Southcentral Assistant Regional Forester Brent McNeal join host Matt Morrett to discuss the value of prescribed fire as the ultimate habitat management tool that directly benefits game species and how meticulous practices ensure safety and promote healthy native wildlife habitat.     Episode Highlights:   Curr...

Growing up with Yellowstone as your backyard gives you a unique appreciation for the great outdoors — just ask Senator James Malone.   The minority chair of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee joins host Matt Morrett and Executive Director Steve Smith to discuss his journey from subsistence hunting in Wyoming to serving Pennsylvania’s top county for hunting licenses sold. He also shares deta...

Proposed Change to Firearms Deer Season At its meeting next week, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will consider a proposal that could change opening day for hundreds of thousands of deer hunters. Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to explain details of the potential change, how it could affect other hunting seasons, and ways to share feedback with the board.   Epis...

Hall of Fame trapper and award-winning bowhunter Tom Miranda joins host Matt Morrett to share insights from over 40 years in outdoor television and a lifetime in the woods. Learn what it takes to be a wilderness trapper, how he achieved the highest honor in conservation, and who he credits with influencing his hunting success.   Episode Highlights: What trapping taught Tom about the woods How he g...

Drone recovery, shortened bear seasons, tree stand snacks — we’re tackling the tough topics! Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to answer YOUR questions, straight from social media. From what to do if you find a roadkill deer to why Sundays weren’t included for spring gobbler, they explain current regulations and the latest updates.    Episode Highlights: How changes to regulat...

Pennsylvania state game wardens don’t just check hunting licenses in the field — they wear many hats to protect people, wildlife, and habitats.   Col. Rod Danley, the new director of the Bureau of Wildlife Protection, joins host Matt Morrett to share the history of game wardens in Pennsylvania, the passion they share for wildlife, and how hunters can have a great interaction with a warden in the w...

Deer Camp Kinship: A Hunting Legacy of Giving Back We hit the road for every hunter's favorite place — deer camp! Host Matt Morrett is joined by Dan Smoker of United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania (UBP) and Game Commissioner Bob Schwalm to discuss the powerful sense of community behind our Pennsylvania hunting heritage. From mentoring new hunters to partnering with farmers to helping feed families in...

Conservation funding is going off with a bang! Shooting Sports Division Chief Todd Holmes and Range Management Coordinator Luke Johnson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the value of the Pittman-Robertson Act to conservation, successful shooting range improvement projects, the new features drawing people to shooting sports, and the goals the Game Commission is aiming for in the near future.   Epis...

Pennsylvania is making momentous strides in shaping the future of conservation with Act 36 of 2025, which fully repeals Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting and authorizes the Game Commission to regulate opportunities.        Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to commemorate the event that is going down in conservation history. They go on...

Tree Trailblazers: Forest Stewardship & Wildlife Strategy   Managing over 1.5 million acres of land may seem daunting — but not for Pennsylvania Game Commission’s habitat management staff.     Northwest Regional Forester Scott Wolbert, Northcentral Regional Forester Dan Heggenstaller, and Forestry Division Chief Paul Weiss join host Matt Morrett to discuss how the agency uses sustainable fores...

Episode 58: PA Residents Guaranteed an Antlerless License for Any WMU   You get an antlerless license! You get an antlerless license! Everybody gets an antlerless license!   Well, all residents for 21 days, anyway.   Executive Director Steve Smith and Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the biggest changes for the 2025-26 license year, including guaranteed an...

If you can outsmart a longbeard here, you can probably outsmart one anywhere. Pennsylvania birds can be challenging to hunt. Grand National Champion and PA native Hunter Wallis joins host Matt Morrett to yelp about the Keystone State’s rich turkey hunting heritage, tips for calling in birds all season long, and woodsmanship skills for spring gobbler success. Episode Highlights: Tips for taking you...

It’s turkey time!   Wildlife Technicians Rachel Pennell, Tony Musselman, and Andrew Cushman join host Matt Morrett to discuss Pennsylvania’s largest-ever wild turkey study and their boots-on-the-ground experience with birds that will shape the future of turkey management in the state.   Episode Highlights:   How the turkey team uses thermal imaging and radio transmitter technologies to collect dat...

Question: what kind of bear is best? Black bear! The Game Commission’s new Black Bear Biologist Brandon Snavely joins host Matt Morrett to provide insight into the latest black bear science, a look at a year in the life of a Pennsylvania bear, and tips for coexisting with these opportunistic omnivores. Episode Highlights: The state of the black bear population in Pennsylvania Current studies and r...

It’s about that time when white gold starts dropping in Penn’s Woods!  Forester Chris Sabol and Recruiting Outreach Specialist Tyler Strohecker join host Matt Morrett to share their tips for finding dozens of antlers across Pennsylvania public land and how shed hunting helps them harvest bucks each fall. Episode Highlights: The best time of year and conditions for shed hunting Where to look for de...

Piling up corn for deer might seem helpful during harsh winters, but feeding wildlife is actually dangerous to animals and humans. Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson and Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Di Salvo join host Matt Morrett to explain how supplemental feeding negatively impacts wildlife, why food plots and birdfeeders are different, and how Pennsylvanians can create complex habita...

We’re nearly halfway through Pennsylvania’s deer firearms season, but hunters still have plenty of opportunities to get into the field and fill tags! Range Management Coordinator Luke Johnson and Deputy Director of Field Operations Dave Mitchell join host Matt Morrett to discuss their changing strategy as hunting season progresses, go-to guns and gear throughout the year, and why no amount of tech...

From finding camouflage corn culprits to taking tips from scorned lovers to catching bear poachers in the act, the life of a Pennsylvania state game warden can be rewarding, dangerous, and anything but boring. Southcentral Region Director Seth Mesoras and Assistant Counsel Jason Raup join host Matt Morrett to discuss the demands of serving as a game warden, the intensive process of investigating p...

The Drury dynasty has become synonymous with monster white-tailed deer, but did you know Mark and Terry got their start filming turkey hunting videos in the 80s? Mark Drury joins host Matt Morrett to share insights from 35 years in hunting media, from the conditions he looks for to consistently shoot world-class bucks to his tactics for balancing the buck-doe ratio for better rut activity. Episode...