Gamekeeper Podcast

This week we have agriculture/chemical specialist Frankie Williams of Nutrien on the show to help explain the options around plowing. Frankie brings years of big ag training coupled with hands on wildlife food plots experience to help us all improve our farming for wildlife. We talk disc, discing, no till plows, overseeding and many other options. It’s an interesting discussion. Listen, Learn and...

This week we take a deep dive in improving the huntability of a property with a Kenny Thompson owner of Plots Plus. Kenny manages a bunch of farms, plants hundreds of acres, creates water holes, funnels, turkey dusting areas and much more. He explains what he does and how access is one of the most important aspects to consider. Along the way we talk clover and we were shocked to learn his secret f...

On this bonus podcast we talk with the Fisheries Extension Professor at Mississippi State, Dr. Wes Neal, about the invasive carp species (including the “jumping” carp we’ve all seen in videos or person) who’s populations have exploded in our U.S. river systems. We talk about them and their close relatives the grass carp, bighead carp, and black carp. We also learn about another well-known invasive...

This week we all sit mesmerized by Dr. Craig Harper of UT as he explains his twenty-five-year study of fire and how it affects habitat. We’ve all known the importance of dormant season fires on the landscape but Craig explains the importance of fire at other times of the year and the exact benefits. His long study in conjunction with many other smart minds is now being explained and the results ar...

This bonus episode we are joined by crow hunting expert and world class caller Sandy Brady. Imagine killing 8,000 crows a year and over 400 in one hunt!  Sandy takes it very serious and hunts them hard. He explains his set up style and more importantly explains the black birds vocalizations. He’s also a big turkey hunter and teaches us that the way most folks try to get a turkey to shock gobble is...

On this episode we’re joined by Pierce Young, a deer biologist with the MDWFP who specializes in private lands advice. We start off asking a lot of questions about fawns, the birthing process, how they learn to nurse, their scent, how mom moves them and hides them plus more. We learned a lot and we went on to discuss what most folks are doing right and wrong in terms of managing their property. We...

On this week’s bonus episode we walk down memory lane with Rusty McDaniels and Joe White, two guys who have been filming for Mossy Oak for a long time. We ask about what they have seen outfitters do to manage deer and turkeys that we could learn from, how they have seen attitudes about conservation change. We learn about the bonding that occurs in a hunting camp, the work ethic that has to be pres...

This week we learn about predator hunting with thermal equipment. Two excellent Louisiana outfitters who specialize in hunting pigs and coyotes with thermals at night join us to explain just how it’s done. It’s a fascinating discussion and we all learned that we all want to experience this unique hunt. We know first-hand how devastating pigs can be to a property, but these guys have found a way to...

In this BONUS episode Dr. Erick Larson, the Miss State University Extension Corn and Grain Crops Specialist joins us to explain growing corn for wildlife. Everyone readily admits a field of standing corn can attract and hold wildlife and teamed up with cool season plantings can create beautiful areas of green/grain. However for many food plotters, growing corn can be a bit intimidating. We ask Eri...

This week we are joined by Natalie Krebs, Executive Editor at Outdoor Life. She recently traveled to Australia to learn about the anti-hunting movement that’s vigorously trying to stop duck hunting. We were fascinated to hear about how these groups operated. We’ve never encountered an anti-hunter during a hunt…have you? Her stories are shocking and we thought that every hunter should pay attention...

This week we are joined by retired Game Warden Tim Flanigan. His new book, Night Killers: Blood Lusting Poachers tells the story of his career operating in the dark of night chasing night hunters. The poaching activity where outlaws utilize bright lights to aid in the unethical harvest of deer goes by many names such as shining, spotlighting, and jacklighting to name a few, and it occurs wherever...

This week we’re joined in studio by Maggie Williams, a young lady that proudly calls Arkansas home and ducks hunts 60 days a year and chases turkeys in more than a dozen states. How did she get the passion for hunting? What aspects of the sport drew her in? We asked her a lot of questions and found her to be a very interesting interview.  We talk greenheads, wood ducks and wild turkeys and her tal...

This week we’re joined in studio by an old school quail hunter who hunted through and vividly remembers the good ole days of bobwhites. Mr. Tommy Paulk is a larger than life character from Bullock County, Alabama that loves to hunt “pottidges” as he likes to call them.  Once a crop duster with over 30,000 acres of private land access, he flushed many a covey and tells us all about it. Who wouldn’t...

This week we have Dr. Mark McConnell, Asst. Professor of Upland Birds at Mississippi State, to talk about the current status and future of a bird we all love so much. The flush of a wild bobwhite quail is an experience that many younger hunters may never have, and we discuss just how did we get to this scenario and what realistically can be done. It’s a deep subject, and you’ll hear it’s one that...

On this week’s BONUS podcast we have crappie fishing legend Jimmy Slater in studio to explain everything crappie/white perch/sac-a-lait. His family has been in the crappie jig business for over 50 years and they’ve kept their finger on the pulse of both old school and new modern techniques. Crappie are a lot of fun to catch and delicious to eat. Listening to Jimmy will help you understand these fi...

On this week’s podcast Dr. Philip Lavretsky of UTEP and Dr. Brian Davis of Miss State University join us to explain the frightening scenario of the degradation of wild mallard genetics. Released “game farm” mallards were previously thought to not survive the winters, and certainly weren’t thought to be breeding with wild ducks. Turns out that’s not true as they are having an increasing genetic inf...

On this week’s BONUS podcast we’re joined by celebrated pro bass fisherman Gerald Swindle. He’s also a very serious hunter and Gamekeeper so we had a lot to talk about.  Our plan was to get him to explain a year in the life of a largemouth bass (which he skillfully does), in order to comprehend what they are doing each season of the year. The GMAN’s professional insight into their behavior can hel...

This week we’re joined in studio by World Champion Coyote caller Torry Cook of Arkansas. Torry, an obsessed hunter, has raised multiple coyote pup litters through the years in order to learn from them. You might wonder if raising pups has made him soft hearted towards them? Trust us, it hasn’t. It was totally a play to get knowledge and use it against them. It’s fascinating to hear him explain wha...

This week we have Vandy Collins, who just may be the most experienced dove field preparer alive today. If not, he isn’t far behind. He explains what he has learned through his many years of managing fields and hunters. Vandy is a wealth of knowledge and he isn’t shy to share his opinion. His tell it like it is attitude makes him seem crusty, but beneath that veneer, is a guy that deeply loves dove...

This week we have saltwater expert Tom Rowland on to discuss sharks and how they are affecting fishing. It seems social media is full of videos of sharks attacking many different species of hooked fish. It’s really sad to see a big tarpon or any other fish get targeted.  Is it the way we fish that is causing this? Are they conditioned to a fisherman’s habits? Is there a solution? Are there more sh...

On this week’s BONUS podcast we’re joined by Bluegill record chaser and affable fisherman Trevor Fry. Who doesn’t love catching bluegills in the summer time? For many of us, it evokes special memories from our childhood. Trevor has taken his passion to the next level and as he stalks trophy fish in an effort to catch the Louisiana state record. He has come close and the pond he is intensely managi...

This week we’re joined by falconer Jeremy Jones, and his two raptors, Ruben the tiny kestrel and Eagle, the red-tail hawk. We learn about the millennia-old sport of falconry and the many details and hurdles that go into being a falconer. We were amazed to find out it’s all about the hunt and these birds are trained to be hunting partners. It’s a fascinating look back into ancient hunting culture a...

This week’s BONUS episode is a deep dive into understanding chufas. Our expert guests Travis Sumner of SC and Jacob Gray of MS, are two long time Gamekeepers who have literally planted thousands of acres of chufas for turkeys. We talk about where they came from, why turkeys love them, when to plant, how to plant, fertilizer and herbicides. Suffice it to say, we learned a lot. If you’re interested...

This week we welcome Anthony Ballard the MDWFP Bear Coordinator and Dr. Dana Morin a carnivore expert from Mississippi State University to talk about the black bears of Mississippi. The Magnolia State has a long, historic tradition with black bears, dating back to when the Delta region was still massive old growth timber and full of bears! Then of course there is the infamous Theodore Roosevelt hu...

Catfish week continues as we discuss catching cats with more traditional methods than the previous podcast. We ask our catfish experts Geoffrey King, Corey Stout and Ted Swords questions about tight lining, limb lines, jugs and trotlines.  There is a lot of good information here for all budgets and skill levels, and their explanations are a lot of fun. You’ll be craving some fried catfish when thi...