Outdoor Ruhls

Episode 77: Spring Ruhls In this follow-up to the winter farm episode, the Ruhls gather in Quentin, Pennsylvania—joined once again by Uncle Sim—to bring the story into spring. As the thaw sets in, the work ramps up fast. March means one thing above all else: manure. From hand-forking frozen piles into spreaders to racing the mud and broken chains, the crew paints a vivid picture of just how physic...

Episode 76: The Zoo Keeper Chronicles In this episode, Mike sits down with Dale and Denise Snyder—family members and lifelong animal people—for a wide-ranging conversation that blends family history, hard work, and an unexpected journey into the world of zoo keeping. From Dale’s upbringing on a Pennsylvania farm to a 40+ year career working with North American wildlife, the story unfolds as one of...

Episode 75: Disturbance by Design This week on the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast, Mike sits down with Karl Malcolm —conservation professional, lifelong outdoorsman, and one of the most compelling recent voices in the conservation space. Recently featured on the MeatEater Podcast, Karl brings a rare blend of deep scientific knowledge, field experience, and thoughtful perspective to a wide-ranging conversat...

Episode 74: A Picture’s Worth... In this episode, Mike and Caitlin are joined by GT for a conversation about old photographs, the memories they preserve, and the way a single image can instantly carry you back to a different time. What starts with digging through family photos for an Outdoor Ruhls social media project turns into a deeper reflection on family history, outdoor traditions, and the em...

Episode 73: Camping with Kate Mike and Caitlin kick off the episode by looking back at last week’s conversation with Mountain Hollow Game Calls and celebrating the new “official turkey call” status for the Outdoor Ruhls podcast. From there, they welcome one of their longtime Yellowstone friends, Kate Olsen, for a conversation that feels equal parts reunion, storytelling session, and tribute to the...

Episode 72: The Legend of Mountain Hollow Spring is creeping in, gobbles are echoing across ridges, and turkey season is officially on our minds. In this episode, Mike sits down with Jeremy Cressley and Adam Brewer of Mountain Hollow Game Calls , a small, family-run company with a 44-year legacy rooted in the hardwood ridges of Pennsylvania and New York. From booth days at the Harrisburg Great Ame...

Episode 71: A River Runs Through Us Mike, Caitlin, Poppy, and Robert recap a family weekend trout trip to the world-famous San Juan River in New Mexico—one of the best trout fisheries anywhere, and only a few hours from home. Robert proudly reports on the highlights: cold mornings, frozen rod guides, lots of action early, and “pretty big” trout, while the adults compare notes on what they caught (...

Episode 70: Love Ruhls Throwback Episode: “Romancing the Spam” (Originally Episode 5) It’s been a busy week around Outdoor Ruhls. We’ve upgraded the Outdoor Ruhls West Podcast Studio, and Mark and Rachel have been hard at work on a special cooking project we can’t wait to share more details about soon. We’ve also scheduled a family reunion for the end of March, and Mike and Emmit are heading back...

Episode 69 Show Notes: A Homestead Castle… In this episode, Mike sits down with his neighbor John Brown —one of the most industrious (and endlessly interesting) people in New Mexico—to unpack the wild, winding story behind their little corner of Santa Fe. What starts as a conversation about neighbors and an RV park quickly turns into a deep dive into homesteading, New Mexico history, family legacy...

Show Notes — Episode 68: Expectation, Meet Reality… After a full year of anticipation, Mike and Caitlin finally get the crew up at 3:30 a.m. and hit the ice—only to get completely skunked. Not a bite, not a fish in sight… just one lone pike visible down the hole, like it was there purely to taunt them. Which sparks the episode’s theme: all those times the outdoors (and life) humbles your plans and...

Episode 67 Show Notes A Ruhl’s Best Friend… In this episode, Mike and Caitlin check in with Mark and Rachel from the Outdoor Ruhls East studio for a heartfelt (and funny) conversation about dogs—the ones we’ve lost, the ones who shaped our lives, and the ridiculous trouble they sometimes get into. The episode centers on saying goodbye to Hatch, Mark and Rachel’s beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a...

Episode 66 — O’Hare? Oh No! Mike opens this episode with a rare confession: he doesn’t usually listen back to the podcast once it’s edited—but last week’s episode with Uncle Sim was different. After going back and listening as a fan, Mike reflects on just how special it is to hear firsthand stories from someone born in 1932, whose lifetime spans from horse-powered farming with barely any electrici...

Episode 65 — Winter Ruhls In this mid-January “slow season” check-in, Mike, Mark, and Poppy look ahead to a quick Pennsylvania trip for the last week of flintlock/muzzleloader season—and hope for ice fishing that’s been spotty in PA and nearly nonexistent in New Mexico. To lean into the winter vibe, they call up Uncle Sim (born 1932, turning 94) to hear what winter meant on the Rexmont farm before...

Episode 64 Show Notes Title: To Be Precise… Hosts/Guests: Mark Ruhl with guest Dan (Rachel’s brother) Main Topics: Precision/custom rifles, modern cartridges, optics, reloading, ethical range, and why Western hunts shouldn’t be put off. Overview Mark sits down with his brother-in-law Dan—an unapologetic precision-rifle nerd—to talk about how “custom rifles” have evolved from the old days of bluepr...

Episode 63 — “Pulpo Bob Goes Spearfishing” Setting: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — last full day of the trip, sunrise coffee over the Sea of Cortez , private beach cove + pool life with the kids. Summary The crew recaps a week in Cabo built around family and fishing: striped marlin “combat” fishing close to shore, a slow tuna day, and then a smaller-boat trip that produced tuna, wahoo , and the main eve...

Episode 63 – “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Flintlocks Revisited)” – Show Notes (Medium) It’s Christmas week , and the Outdoor Ruhls crew is down in Cabo San Lucas with family—so instead of a brand-new episode, Mike replays a fan-favorite from last year: “Beautifully Imperfect,” the episode that captures why Pennsylvania flintlock muzzleloader season is the real “most wonderful time of the...

Episode 62 – “Safety Third” – Show Notes Mike, GT, Mark, and Matt gather for a laughter-filled tour through decades of mishaps, close calls, and self-inflicted injuries that earned the family motto: Safety Third . After a quick recap of New Mexico whitetail hunting—highlighted by Robert’s impressive 8-mile day and his deep dive into the Hunter Ed manual—the crew turns to stories from Pennsylvania’...

Outdoor Ruhls Podcast – Episode 61 “Hell on Ice” A spray-painted “PET” deer, a viral MeatEater post, custom Outdoor Ruhls Stormy Kromers, and a 60-year-old wooden toboggan that refuses to retire—Episode 61 is full-tilt winter chaos. Mike and Mark open with the story behind the now-famous “PET” deer that wandered past their Pennsylvania blind, how the video ended up with Steve Rinella, and why it’s...

Episode 60: Seven for Seven Show Notes – Outdoor Ruhls Podcast Seven years old. Seven-point buck. First day of rifle season in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Mike sits down with brothers Mark, Matt, and Davey—and the kids—to relive a wild opening day that ends with Robert tagging his very first deer. It’s a full-family, full-circle kind of story: archery season recaps, arguments about Saturday vs....

Episode 59: German Roots, American Soil (Part 2) Hunting stories, canning venison, bone broth, and the legacy of an old-world Oma This is the second half of our two-part conversation with Erika — Rachel’s mom and CJ’s Oma. 👉 If you haven’t listened to Episode 58: German Roots, American Soil yet, go back and start there first. Mike opens the show from New Mexico , talking about their upcoming trip...

Episode 58: German Roots, American Soil (Part 1) Erika’s Old-World Childhood, Multi-Gen Living, Gardening, Canning, and the Roots She’s Passing Down This week, Mark and Rachel sit down with a very special guest: Erika — Rachel’s mom and CJ’s grandma (Oma). Erika grew up in a small village in southwest Germany where almost everything was homegrown, home-baked, home-butchered, and home-preserved. In...

Show Notes — Episode 57: Long Exposure Episode summary Mark takes the host chair for a heartfelt conversation with his wife, Rachel , tracing her path from Pennsylvania whitetails and waterfowl blinds to a thriving wedding & elopement photography career. They revisit her famed Illinois buck, the Potter County cabin coincidence, blue-hour imagery, documenting real moments (not just grip-and-gri...

Episode 56 — Happy Birthday to Us! Guests/Voices: Mike, Mark, Matt, and Poppy (recorded in Quentin, Pennsylvania) Summary The Ruhl boys celebrate one full year of Outdoor Ruhls with a roundtable: remembering dear family friend Catherine Schott , swapping mid-season whitetail updates, plotting a mentored-youth hunt for Robert, and looking back on favorite episodes and lessons from year one—plus a b...

Episode 55 — In Memoriam of Catherine Schott Dedication: This episode is lovingly dedicated to Catherine Schott—a surrogate grandmother, steadfast friend, and bright thread in the Outdoor Ruhls family fabric. “Hey, lady—this one’s for you.” Episode Summary: On the one-year anniversary of the show, Mike and Mark press pause on the planned celebration to honor the life of Catherine Schott. As a trib...

Episode 54: Friendship in Paradise Where: Immigrant, Montana, in the shadow of Emigrant Peak Guests: Mike & Alison Himmelspach (dear friends, horsemen, hunters, and excellent storytellers) Theme: How a tight-knit Yellowstone community became lifelong hunting partners—plus deep cuts on horse packing, Montana wind, Fort Peck boat hunts, New Mexico Oryx, and the grind of unlimited bighorn sheep....