The Fair Chase Podcast

James sits down with Mike Roux, a turkey hunter in his 55th season, NRA American Hunter staff writer, and host of the Mid Mo Reapers YouTube channel. Mike grew up chasing Ozark gobblers in southeast Missouri and has spent more time watching turkeys with a camera and a notepad than most have with a gun. The conversation gets into how Mike reads the three phases of the spring, why he stopped calling...

Spring is in full swing and the guys are fired up! In this episode, Joe and the crew break down what's been an incredible turkey season so far — with six birds down and counting — while diving deep into tactics that actually work in the field. From reading a tom's morning mindset to the critical 9-to-noon window that Joe swears by, this episode is packed with practical turkey hunting advice for hu...

Mike Herne joined us to talk about the path from Army Ranger to the hunting industry, the origin story of Tricer, and why the tripod world has been building legs upside down for years. We get into 74 coyotes in a season, what turkey hunting actually teaches you about calling elk, why predator hunting might be the best training a big game hunter can do, and the "burn the boats" philosophy. Plus the...

Cory Godar, Marketing Director at Latitude Outdoors, joins us to talk new gear for 2026 — including the carbon synergy sticks, the flyer pack, new 7mil ropes, and what's coming down the pipeline. We also talk tick season, saddle hunting for bears, and the return of the Fair Chase Film Festival this June in Grand Rapids.

Kifaru is about to turn 30 years old and they're stepping into apparel for the first time. We sat down with Aris, the designer behind the new line, to talk through every piece of cutting-edge clothing. Aris came from 10 years designing high-end runway stuff in NYC before making the jump to the hunting industry with First Lite. Now he's bringing that experience to Kifaru and the result is a tight,...

You've probably heard us mention Trophium on the podcast. This week, we sat down with Doug VanderMolen, one of the co-founders, to dig into what the app actually is and why it exists. Doug's background is in tech. He spent years at Google and has built his career around making products that actually work for people. He met his co-founder Jeff on a bike trip through Mississippi, and Jeff pitched hi...

Matthew Morris hosts the Bowyer Podcast and has spent the last few years deep in traditional archery—making his own bows, hunting with stick and string, and talking to the craftsmen behind the craft. In this episode, we get into what draws people to trad archery, the line between traditional and primitive, and why the community should celebrate anyone picking up a stick bow. Matthew also talks abo...

Steve Richards has spent his entire life hunting and trapping in New Jersey—a state most people don't think of as sportsman's country. In this episode, he talks about growing up in the Pine Barrens, learning to snare coyotes from a mentor his dad thought was too wild to introduce him to, and chasing 400-pound bears in North Jersey. Steve shares the lesson that changed his trapping: why coyotes kep...

Your Trophies Deserve a Home! So, post them to Trophium. It's the new mobile app where hunters & anglers post their latest trophy pics, preserve their memories, and build a legacy. Check it out at: https://trophium.co/ On this episode, we hear from David Cammenga, a Michigan hunter who drew a Colorado public land elk tag at 21 with his twin brother Johnny. David takes an elk and plays cat-and-mous...

Your Trophies Deserve a Home! So, post them to Trophium. It's the new mobile app where hunters & anglers post their latest trophy pics, preserve their memories, and build a legacy. Check it out at: https://trophium.co/ On the second episode of our listener hunting stories series, we hear from Pieter Sheridan, a Michigan hunter on his first trip out west chasing mule deer in Wyoming. With a rifle g...

On our first listener hunting stories podcast of the series, we hear from Dylan Seeley, a Michigan bowhunter. Dylan shares a memory made with his dad, involving a nice buck in Northern Michigan. Your Trophies Deserve a Home! Trophium is the premier mobile app where hunters & anglers preserve their stories, share their trophies, and build a legacy that lasts. Check out more at: - https://trophium.c...

On this episode, we talk conservation with Dr. Robbie Kroger, PhD restoration ecologist and founder of the Origins Foundation. Whether you hunt or just care about conservation, this conversation will challenge your assumptions. We also cover: -How wolves, grizzlies, and elephants don't need "saving" anymore -1.5 million square kilometers of habitat protected by hunting in Africa -How "Save the X"...

On this episode, we talk deer tracking with Tony Hill from Find a Fred Deer Tracking. Tony's been running blood trails for seven years with over 400 recoveries under his belt. I also share my recent gut-shot buck story, 9 hours of hell wondering if I'd lost him. Spoiler, I did. We also cover: -The #1 mistake of tracking deer -Wait times for gut shots, liver hits, and muscle wounds during the rut -...

Mid-October means bucks are moving and we're deep into whitetail season on The Fair Chase podcast. This week, we're back with repeat guest Todd Bumgardner from H uman Predator Pack Mule to dive into the physical and mental demands of mobile public land hunting. We cover: - Why whitetail hunting fitness is more than just "walking to your stand" - The reality of tracking wounded deer and dealing wit...

Today, we bring on our cameraman Jordan to tell the Alaska story from behind the lens, and how it ended with his first-ever animal taken. We also cover: - Alder patch recovery on Joe’s black bear (and why it got spicy fast) - Starlink comms, 24-hour rule nuance, six-wheelers, and filming while trying not to break gear - Managing blown-out sun, puzzle-piece storytelling, and a GoPro mounted outside...

Fall is in full swing, and Joe and I are back with an update on what’s been a whirlwind season so far. From Alaska bears to Colorado mule deer and Michigan hunts, we’ve been busy, and we’re just getting started with whitetail season around the corner. Today we talk about: -Four-bear Alaska adventure: black bears, a grizzly, and Jordan’s first animal -A close-range bow stalk with a black bear at 9...

Summer’s winding down on The Fair Chase podcast, but we’re gearing up for fall with Codie Bhuyan from Tekton Tools. As Codie trains for a marathon to prep for the Ohio hills, we talk Tekton’s immigrant roots, activity-focused hand tools, and how they’re innovating for hunters like us. Codie shares a wild breakdown story where basic tools saved his whitetail hunt, proving why you can always use som...

The Fair Chase podcast catches up with Julie Chevrefils, President and CEO of Carbon TV (and newlywed!). From fashion modeling and pro poker to piloting, producing hunts, and now guiding hound pursuits in Arizona, Julie’s path is incredible. We tallk about her sunrise wedding, debunking hound hunting myths, and why mountain lion meat is so delicious. As Carbon TV evolves with Roku, affiliate tools...

On this episode, James and Joe talk black bear baiting. Joe's hunted bears in the UP since his teens and has learned a lot. As fall approaches, we break down our 2025 plans, from scouting natural food sources to camera strategies and avoiding bait pitfalls. Joe shares trial-and-error lessons on keeping baits hot, outsmarting wary boars, and why consistency trumps fancy setups. Whether you’re a new...

Welcome to another episode of The Fair Chase Podcast! Today, Joe and I are diving deep into his upcoming grizzly hunt in Alaska, now less than two months away. As summer heats up, the excitement is building for this unique adventure.   Joe shares all the details about his return to a favorite Alaskan hunting ground, a place he considers his top spot with no close second. This is a dream hunt for J...

Today we talk with Gary Cornum, Easton Archery’s marketing director since 1993. As summer is getting started up in Utah and Michigan, we’re planning grizzly hunts and sneaking in some smallmouth fishing. But today's discussion is all about arrows.   Gary tells us about Easton’s 100-year legacy, starting with handcrafted longbows to now cutting-edge carbon shafts. We talk about new arrow trends, a...

The Fair Chase podcast is back, and we’re diving into our wild bison hunt with Jordan Parham, our ace videographer. Fresh off releasing Frozen Arrow, we unpack the chaos of bowhunting bison in brutal -30°F South Dakota winds. Jordan talks about filming in frostbite conditions, juggling cameras, and capturing a rare pass-through shot that stunned our guide. We break down the hunt’s highs, lows, and...

Turkey season’s wrapped in Michigan, and Joe’s off chasing bears, but The Fair Chase podcast is back with Mark Naida, editor of Michigan Enjoyer—a fresh outlet hyping the Mitten State’s lifestyle and politics. Mark’s a first-time hunter, and we took him on a wild turkey chase in Northern Michigan, trading his laptop for a shotgun. From the city to the woods, he got a crash course in calling, freez...

It’s all hands on deck in Michigan for turkey season on The Fair Chase podcast, but we’re hitting pause to talk boots with Mike Edwards from Schnee’s in Bozeman, Montana.   Mike’s been steeped in boots and big game hunting since he was a kid, taking over the family business that’s been crafting legendary pack boots and mountain boots since the ‘80s. From chasing mule deer to obsessing over bow hun...

Spring is heating up on The Fair Chase podcast as we gear up for Michigan turkey chases and bear hunts! This week, we’re pumped to have Dylan Dawson from OnX, a decade-long veteran of the ultimate hunting app. Dylan’s a Montana native who’s been hunting since he was tagging along for a 190-inch mule deer at age 5, and now he’s driving OnX’s Western big game marketing.   We dive into how OnX evolve...