Gamekeeper Podcast

This week we’re joined by Peter Frank, the young man who’s spent over 400 days canoeing “The Great Loop” and still has quite a ways to go. Peter draws a crowd whenever he paddles through a community and is cheered on by well-wishers. Wearing clothes he made to resemble French sailors from a by gone era, the sight of this determined young man who resembles a pirate creates lots of questions. We wan...

This week we are joined by Lee and Frankie Hatton from North Alabama. These guys are long time coon hunters and caretakers of the world renown “Coon Dog Cemetery” in Cherokee, Alabama. This sacred place was created in 1937 and has grown into legend. The stories of the history and traditions of coon hunters and of this final resting place for over 300 coon dogs flow freely. The respect shown to the...

This week we’re joined by special guest Chip Henderson of Pine Lake Church to discuss his love of bowhunting whitetails and his journey to the pulpit.  Chip’s a humble yet vivacious preacher who often mixes his hunting experiences into his sermons. He’s serious about his bowhunting and even more serious about changing and impacting lives. This is one where everyone can walk away with something use...

This week we’re joined by Ricky Flynt and Brad Baugh and they tell us about some amazing bowfishing adventures. Brad is a SERIOUS bow fisherman and there is much to be learned from his experience. Their friendship was formed over an alligator hunt, but has cemented in the duck blind and on the bow of Brads deluxe bowfishing rig. It’s a great summer time or off season hunt/fish experience, and the...

 This is a re-air of a Gamekeeper Classic. Our late friend Barry Smith offers so much to a listener, from fishing advice to hunting stories. Enjoy.  This week we have Barry Smith, a highly respected fisheries scientist with a lifetime of innovation and experience around managing sportfish. It’s a conversation that includes crappie, catfish, flathead catfish, shell crackers, river fish, bass, crawf...

On this episode we’re joined by the legend himself, Bill Dance. The man needs no introduction and his name and image is synonymous with bass fishing. We learned about how he got started fishing as a youngster and how he came to fish in the first ever BASS tournament. His career is an amazing  story of doors opening and people helping.  We also ask him about managing ponds, picking worm colors, fav...

On this episode we're joined by Dr. Jerome Goddard, Extension Professor of Medical Entomology at Mississippi State University. He is a true character and knows his insects. We wanted to learn about chiggers also called red bugs and ended up learning about ticks and Alpha Gal Syndrome. There is so much a person needs to pay attention to when outside and Jerome carefully explains it all. We rea...

On this show we’re joined by Chris Cook who was a 30 year employee with the State of Alabama focused on managing white-tailed deer. Chris specialized in helping clubs and landowners improve their deer herds and hunting experiences. He was responsible for areas that already had a high population when he started and also areas with hardly any deer. We ask a lot of questions and hear some great info...

This week, we’re joined by George Warthen and Morgan Richardson of the Florida Wildlife Commission. They discuss how the scientific management of black bears now requires the addition of hunting as a tool to take the next step in conserving the resource. It’s a frank conversation about how things were, how they are now, and what needs to happen for the state to manage its rapidly growing bear popu...

On this episode we discuss crappie with expert fisherman Hayden Jeffries of Brandon, Mississippi. Hayden has won more tournaments than we can list and is widely considered to be the best at what he does. By fishing 12 months a year he has a handle on what they do and how to catch them in the various seasons. We end up learning a great deal and discuss fishing tactics for different lakes, depth, wa...

On this special episode we’re joined by Dr. Marty Brunson and his son Spencer to talk about many subjects near and dear to our hearts. The story of Catch A Dream is a one that will tug at your heart strings and we also learn about the new Bottomland camo Bible that just rolled off the printing press. Along the  way the conversation gets deep as we discuss God, nature and how we all experience the...

On this episode we are joined by Sarah Parvin and we get to meet her dad, Dr. Dennis Olive, to get an update on the progress of the Slab Lab. We learned a lot more on this episode about the history of the pond and how they had grown largemouth bass in the fourteen pound range before deciding to commit to Coppernose Bluegills. That’s right, fourteen pounds! Dennis explained he added 100,000 pounds...

On this episode we’re joined by wizard weatherman Eric Snodgrass who studies weather around the world to help farmers make the most informed weather based decisions. Weather obviously affects all of our daily activities, but we’re selfishly interested in it mainly for gamekeeping reasons. We have plenty of questions and Eric has engaging answers. You don’t want to miss this one. Listen, Learn, Enj...

 On this special episode the CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Joel Pedersen, gives us an education on the proposed public land sale. His thorough analysis of the situation and understanding of the process is centered on facts. We want to know and so do our listeners, so we went to the best. Joel is a hunter and conservationist himself, cares about the resources and does a fa...

On this episode we have Kyle Lybarger of the Native Habitat Project to talk about his crusade to save and enhance all things native. Kyle and his compadre Luke Chaffee are all over social media teaching the world why we need to be concerned. It’s a deep discussion on the importance of saving the natives and fighting the invasives. We also discuss how to use natives and apps to find a better huntin...

On this episode we’re joined by Joe Gonyo, who is best known for his role in driving the Russell Moccasin Company for many years. We met Joe thirty plus years ago and bonded over a shared the love of turkey hunting and waterfowling. The history of the iconic Russell brand is an amazing story itself. We learn a lot about boots and caring for them and what to select for different hunting situations....

On this episode we are joined by Mr. Fred Pringle who tells us about the process of re-stocking whitetails in and around Alabama. It’s walk back in time with a gentleman who worked almost 50 years for the Alabama Conservation Department. Mr. Pringle managed Stimpson Wildlife Sanctuary and part of his responsibilities were to trap and relocate whitetails. How do you catch a deer? We learn. It’s a f...

This week we sit down with Manuel Enriquez of the El Halcon Lodge in Old Mexico to talk about Goulds and Ocellated turkeys. Manuel and his family have a 35 year history of hosting and guiding hunters in his native country along with a thorough knowledge of hunting both birds. It’s a bucket list trip for most of us and an interesting, insightful discussion. Listen, Learn and Enjoy. If you enjoyed t...

This week we’re joined by Dr. Mike Chamberlain (@wildturkeydoc) to talk turkey and learn insights into the latest research. We always enjoy talking to Mike and find ourselves fascinated by the work he and his cohorts are doing to better understand wild turkeys. Listen, Learn and Enjoy. If you enjoyed this Gamekeeper episode, send the guys a message and don’t forget to include your contact info so...

This week we are joined by Arthur Stephens and Carolyn Nistler of Matson Lab in Montana. Many of us have tried to age deer the old-fashioned way using jawbones, and some believe we can judge a buck’s age on the hoof. But once they get past five or six years old, it becomes difficult to know for sure. These really old deer can be especially challenging. Recently, some teenage does have been harvest...

This week we’re joined by our favorite Gamekeeper, Jeff Foxworthy. This one is pure fun as we hear the engaging story of Jeff getting bitten by a copperhead—and the chaos that followed. You’ll be surprised at what a snakebite can cost. He also shares several more funny stories, and we talk tractors, grandkids, deer browse, artifacts, and more. Jeff is a great guy and incredibly entertaining. Liste...

This week we’re  joined by Garrett Clevinger of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to tell us about their successful elk restoration project. It’s an example of conservation, cooperation and hard work. Garrett tells the story of how they identified a region that was ideal habitat, worked with other agencies to acquire some breeding stock to release and how it’s grown into a population that’s...

This week, we get down in the weeds with Brian Johnson, a.k.a. @anatomyhunter, to better understand why we sometimes lose whitetails after what seems like a perfect shot. There’s a lot at play here, and Brian is on a mission to help hunters gain deeper insight. As a former taxidermist and wildlife sculptor, Brian has a keen eye for detail—and he’s applied that precision to studying the internal pl...

This week, we’re joined by Capt. David Stiller and Capt. Lew Childre, who share the incredible story of the giant bull shark they recently caught in the coastal waters of Alabama. David Stiller’s story is nothing short of amazing—he’s a real-life Quint from Jaws. Lew Childre, a seasoned shark fisherman himself, adds color and insight to the tale. We also dive into the techniques of shark fishing w...

This week, we’re joined in studio by Montana wolf trapper Paul Antczak and Bill Duke of Duke Traps. You may recognize Paul from recent seasons of the History Channel show Mountain Men . A lifelong trapper, Paul shares his fascinating journey—one that led him to Montana in pursuit of wolves. His stories of off-the-grid living, protecting his dogs, and the intense process of trapping wolves are noth...