Gamekeeper Podcast

This week we get serious and hear a duck hunting story that came awfully close to having a bad ending. Like many of us want to do, Jason Cook found himself duck hunting during a major freeze up. When his dog fell through the ice on a long retrieve and couldn’t get out…like all of us would, he started to his dog in attempt to save him. It's a perilous situation and when Jason falls through the...

This week we discuss the art of calling coyotes. Expert caller Jon Collins of FOXPRO joins us to explain the many calls and techniques he has learned through years of chasing the crafty critters. Ole Wiley is found in every area of the country, and as Gamekeepers we worry about our fawns and turkeys.  We all knew they are formidable predators, but we learn they're susceptible to calling year...

This week we welcome Jessica Crawford, an incredibly knowledgeable Archaeologist hailing from The Archaeological Conservancy, to discuss all things related to our Native American cultures spanning from thousands of years ago to present day. What type of tools did they use and how did they make them? What site types did they inhabit? Did they practice any type of gamekeeping similar to how we do it...

On this extra episode, we learn how to take care of and maintain waterfowl and deer mounts. Dust, sunshine, beetles, and more deteriorate your taxidermy mounts and Tyler Coleman of Full Circle Waterfowl helps us understand how to care for them. If you have mounts, it’s worth the listen. Gamekeepers also have to take care of their taxidermy trophies. Listen Learn and Enjoy. Show Notes :  Many thank...

On this week’s episode we talk about taxidermy and how it’s been a part of our culture for many years. Who hasn’t seen a big deer head hanging on a wall and wanted one for their own? It’s a way to pay tribute to the animal and to an especially memorable hunt.  Guest Rett Kelly of Kelly Taxidermy has been in the business for over fifty years and knows a thing or two about it. He also explains some...

In this BONUS episode, in the wake of the recent record cold temperatures, we help Gamekeepers understand what has occurred to their food plots and why many are dead. It’s been the worst fall and winter we can remember for plots starting with the drought and ending with the unrelenting, single-digit temps for multiple days. These conditions have been brutal. Guests Dustin Wiseman and Mitt Wardlaw,...

EP: 127 (CLASSIC EP: 68) Creating Whitetail Hotspots We take a break this week to spend time with our families during the holidays and revisit a classic episode, EP:68 Creating Whitetails Hotspots. The discussion centers around ways to improve the deer hunting for mature bucks on your property. Our featured guest, eccentric wildlife biologist Mark Thomas, does a deep dive on some of his best strat...

For this week’s episode, Dr. Mike Brasher, senior waterfowl scientist at Ducks Unlimited, gives an update on the avian flu that’s currently affecting waterfowl.  We want to understand what it is, how it spreads, the risk to humans and of course our dogs.  While we learn the overall risk to dogs and humans remains low, experts are highlighting areas of potential concern and advising on steps that h...

We all know that lithium batteries are pricey, but recently they’ve become sky high and increasingly more difficult to find on the shelf. We interview industry experts from Spartan, Reconyx, Moultrie and also Eric Gansta @trailcamology about tips, tricks and products to save some money and increase performance. Each guest has some great points, so no matter what brand of trail cam you run we think...

This episode has us listening to Mark Drury as he explains some of his tactics for hunting the rut and how he sets up his properties to take advantage of the rut and late season.  He is an amazing whitetail hunter and Gamekeeper as evidenced by the giant bucks he hangs on the skinning rack each season. Do you think two and three years ahead? Mark does and he explains, along with sharing his one ma...

In this BONUS “How To” episode we interview lifelong professional butcher Adrian VanZyl, who originally hails from South Africa, to discuss the process of processing deer meat. We point out he is from Africa to help explain he has had many insightful experiences with various wild game species that helped him understand the best way to butcher whitetails. He sheds light on how to protect the meat f...

This week we humbly apologize to the squirrel. Across the whitetail’s range, our collective love of deer and deer hunting has made many of us forget about what once was a very strong hunting tradition. We don’t want to spook our deer, so we’ve backed away from roaming the woods in pursuit of bushy tails. Squirrels are a challenging target, live in beautiful hardwood habitats and can be fantastic t...

This week we continue to celebrate our love for deer season and the white-tailed deer by telling more deer stories. We have a full slate of guests tell their favorite stories, including Daniel Haas telling the story of Mr. Fox’s deer hunts from last year. You’ll be entertained and learn lessons you can apply to your own hunts. You are not going to want to miss this one. Listen, Learn and Enjoy. Sh...

This week we have three uniformed Mississippi game wardens in the studio, reminding us to be safe this hunting season with stories of other hunters who weren’t. After years of repetition it’s easy to become complacent, get in a rut and take for granted the things we need to do to stay safe in tree stands and around firearms.  This podcast is a shocking reminder to wear your safety belt, unload you...

This week we sit down and talk ducks with Dr. Ryan Askren , a waterfowl ecologist/researcher from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, and the legendary Jim Ronquest from Drake Waterfowl Systems.  There is much to learn about the migration habits from the data that GPS transmitters have provided. We also dig deep into habitat, forage preferences, nocturnal instincts, and many other questions...

This week, we take a deep dive into where and how brassicas (including radishes) and certain clovers have been developed. Long time New Zealand seedsman, Stephen Bennett, of the 100 plus year old seed company, PGG Wrightson Nutrition, explains the whole story. The science PGG Wrightson has put behind these plants is nothing short of impressive, and there are many questions answered. Not a hard sel...

This week on our podcast we celebrate the white-tailed deer. With firearms seasons opening everywhere we are reminded just how much we all love whitetails, so we ask our friends to tell some of their favorite deer stories. Cuz and Jeff Foxworthy join us, and of course we laugh A LOT, but sharing the memories just makes us all realize how much deer season means to us. Listen, Learn and Enjoy! If yo...

This week we have an interesting discussion about how suppressors can help Gamekeepers manage their properties. We have always preached how important it is to reduce pressure and noise pollution and suppressors can really help a Gamekeeper do that. Especially when having to harvest a high number of does to meet management objectives. The guys from Nosler and our own local expert explain the whole...

This week we have a lot of fun with our guest Gerald Swindle. He’s a well celebrated professional bass fisherman, but is also a rabid Gamekeeper who intensively manages properties in multiple states. We discussed improving the hunting, habitat and value of his properties in between his funny comments. You just have to hear his story about qualifying for The Bassmaster Classic with an upset stomach...

This week we discuss a topic that can be polarizing. No doubt feeding and the use of feeders is rampant across the whitetails range. Where legal, feeders can help a Gamekeeper’s efforts to attract and hold wildlife on a property, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE in a way that minimalizes potential problems. There are right and wrong ways. In an effort to learn, we have Dan Moultrie discuss what he believes w...

This week on the Gamekeepers podcast we welcome a pair of guests to sit between the turkeys and answer a lot of questions about white-tailed deer. Dr. Bronson Strickland and Dr. Steve Demarais of the Mississippi State Deer Lab join us and we talk about change. The change in the physiology of bucks from summer to fall, the change in the native forage and planted plots from summer to fall, and the c...

This week we change gears a bit and try to learn how to be a better archer and how to control our composure during the heat of a moment prior to a shot. These are very important aspects of a Gamekeepers journey. Our guest Paul Korn from Wisconsin, truly is an expert bowhunter.  He has been to so many places, hunted almost everything and has some fantastic stories to tell. We start off learning “ho...

This week we have Addison Edmonds of Gunner Kennels joining us to discuss dog safety. Also in studio is world class trainer Bill Gibson of the Gamekeeper kennels and some of the stories of snakes, icy cold water and truck accidents will have you wanting to hug your dog. They are examples pure unconditional love and clearly it’s up to us to keep them safe. On this podcast we point out some ways tha...

This week we discuss and learn about one of our favorite birds, the Mourning Dove. We all love a good dove shoot and the traditions that have been ingrained in our culture. The experts from the MDWFP join us to explain how to manage and attract more doves (legally), and how to identify a baited field. They also explain their banding process, what they hope to learn, and just exactly how a game war...

This week our hometown hero and brilliant biologist, Dr. Bronson Strickland, joins us once again where we discuss forage plantings for our favorite cervid, the white-tailed deer. We ask a lot of questions including what we need to be planting, vs. what we want to plant. Bronson also brought a list of trivia-style deer related questions to ask us, which was loads of fun. One question about how many...