The Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast

Ben Jones, President and CEO of the Ruffed Grouse Society and the American Woodcock Society, joins Reid in a discussion about the great work being done on the ground at RGS, and the work that still needs attention. The duo digs into the work of listening to and coalescing the wants and needs of different groups to the ultimate good of grouse, woodcock, and ecosystems. A great conversation with one...

Zander Ault of Patagonia, AZ joins Reid to discuss what it's like to live and build a business in one of bird hunting's most iconic destinations. Not a  hunter himself, Zander (and his partner Heidi) landed in Patagonia for the extraordinary gravel cycling, but soon found that the region was ground zero for desert quail hunters. Having opened and owned several businesses in town, Zander explores t...

In this episode, we visit Orvis Hill Country Shooting Grounds in Blue Ridge Summit, PA, where General Manager Jeremy Mays is joined by new property owner and tech entrepreneur Ben Wallace. While Orvis continues to manage day-to-day operations, Ben brings fresh investment and bold ideas to elevate the facility. Together, they share their vision, recent upgrades, and what's next for this impressive...

Bringing back a favorite episode from 2019, Reid digs deep into shot-shell development with two members of the Winchester Ammunition Team-- Mike Stock and Ben Frank. This episode explores all facets of shotgun shells including performance, construction, and the different materials that impact both. It's a great chance to "nerd out" on the nuances of shotgun ammunition with two industry pros.

2025 Orvis Endorsed Wingshooting Guide of the Year Tyson Tabler chats with Reid about wingshooting in Saskatchewan, building an outfitting business in western Canada, and what keeps him coming back to guiding year after year. Tyson, a Colorado native, built his business Feathered Fowl Outfitters to deliver exceptional waterfowl and upland hunts on the Canadian prairie. In 2025, a tally of Orvis cu...

Reid has a chat with Connor Carson, Orvis in-house Gunsmith. Orvis has employed a full-time gunsmith (or 3) for nearly half a century, and Connor continues that tradition of repairing, maintaining, evaluating, and customizing fine guns for Orvis customers. Calling in from his bench at Orvis Sandanona, Connor discusses some favorite guns, some interesting repairs, and the path he took to wind up in...

Vermont Game Warden Kyle Isherwood joins the podcast to revisit the topic of the Vermont Warden Service. For any interested in learning more about what goes into becoming a Game Warden, and what our Warden Service does day-to-day, this is a great conversation with a great guy. Kyle discusses his personal path into the service, and also explores some thoughts around how to have positive interaction...

  In another solo installment, Reid shares a story first published in Shooting Sportsman Magazine. He explores old friendships, memory, and the threats to both while telling a story of a long-ago waterfowl hunt in Northern Vermont.

Del Whitman of DC Whitman Custom Gunsmithing returns to the podcast to explore the challenge of finding the right gunsmith for your needs. Del and Reid dig into the question, and provide some thoughts on how to best assess the issues that need attention, the level of execution desired, the time and money a customer is willing to dedicate to a gunsmithing project, etc. From there, they give a few t...

Reid is joined by @birddogvet Seth Bynum to discuss the common field injuries that impact gundogs, and how t deal with them. Seth goes on to detail what he takes in the field with him for a first-aid kit, what protective gear he recommends, and how to complete a through tailgate check of your dog post-hunt. He also describes his journey as a hunter and a veterinarian, and highlights his new platfo...

This show was originally posted on Januaryt 21, 2022. Wade Truong of Elevated Wild joins Reid for an hour discussing food. Wade and his partner Rachel Owen built Elevated Wild as a platform to discuss hunting, fishing, foraging, mentorship, and game cooking. Wade, a Virginia native, describes his career in commercial kitchens and his journey into the outdoors, using the natural landscape as a mean...

Mark McConnell, Asst. Professor of Upland Birds at MS State, joins Reid to discuss Gentleman Bob, his distribution, habitat needs, and history in North America. Mark is a biologist and hunter who has been drawn to bobwhite quail research for his entire career, and he speaks to the different habitat types that sustain bobwhites, and the ways in which land use practice has impacted their range.

Orvis product developer Jesse Haller returns to the podcast to chat about hunting, bird dogs, and gear. He and Reid swap questions in back and forth that explores favorite pieces of gear, most dreamt-about places to visit, and grail guns,

Reid chats with Grant Ritchie of Minam, Oregon, about hunting the Hells Canyon area by raft. Grant has a long family history in the region and has been guiding cast-and-blast trips on the Snake and Salmon Rivers out of his Oregon-based Minam Store. Grant discusses his family history, his personal return to the area to become an outfitter and guide, and the remarkable bird hunting experience availa...

Reid welcomes Friis Arne Petersen and Andreas Peter Wilhelmsen of Denmark to the podcast to discuss their innovative new shooting device, the TrapMaster. In short, the TrapMaster is an electronic device that presents clays that are spun much like ZZ Birds, but that can be launched from a handheld device. The podcast explores the evolution of his unique shooting tool/game, the culture of shooting i...

Dave Perkins joins Reid to talk a bit about the Orvis Endorsed partnership of Wingshooting Lodges, Hunting Grounds, Guides, and Outfitters. As an Owner, Board Member, and former Executive of the Company, Dave has long been committed to the idea of providing customers opportunities to have their own experiences in the field. He talks about how facilitating experiences in the outdoors remains a core...

Terry Wieland, longtime Gun Editor at Gray's Sporting Journal, joins Reid to discuss 40 years as a freelance gun writer, the roots of his love for journalism, and the Golden Age of Spanish gunmaking. Terry is the author of numerous books, Spanish Best among them, and this study of the Spanish trade remains the definitive work on the topic.

Reid welcomes Trent Leichleiter, Managing Partner of Nebraska's Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club back to the podcast. On this visit, Trent discusses some tactics for late-season midwest roosters while also giving an update on KAMO Inc., the organization he started some years ago to mentor new outdoors people and also find forever homes for gundogs in need. More at www.kamoinc.org

In another chat with the great Del Whitman of D.C. Whitman Custom Gunsmithing, Reid and Del explore the proper methods for preparing guns for long-term storage. Guns left for any length of time can fall victim to moisture, oil seepage, corrosion, and a host of other ills. Del explains how to prep guns for storage in a manner that ensures their safety long-term.

Reid welcomes Mike Neiduski of Ugly Dog Hunting back to the podcast, this time to chat about his journey toward ownership of this online retail company. Mike talks about his path, his dogs, and his commitment to a lifestyle that revolves around upland pursuits.

Bob St. Pierre and Andrew Vavra of Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever join Reid to recap the 2024 Rooster Road Trip. This adventure took Bob, Andrew, and several other friends and partners of PF/QF on a journey across North Dakota hunting public lands for wild birds, with the goal of sharing thoughts on access, habitat, and the great conservation work of the Org. With Orvis as a product sponsor, Andr...

Reid is joined by Tom Roster for an in-depth look at shotshell performance and lethality based on shot type, load, shot size, and overall ballistics. In a career that has spanned 50 years, Roster has become THE definitive resource on reloading and shotshell ballistics. His studies of non-toxic shot lethality in waterfowl have become the definitive resource on the matter, and have informed generati...

Greg Carpiniello joins the podcast again to dive into the contents of the Orvis gun racks, identifying 5 interesting guns currently for sale. Unsurprisingly, 5 guns became 7. Reid and Greg look at a few great Spanish offerings, contemporary and classic British guns, and a workhorse German O/U.

Montana native Trent Kleppen joins the podcast for a wonderful and far-ranging discussion of the bird hunter's journey, love of place, and a fascination with bird dogs. In search of wild bird and untamed country, Trent has bounced from northeast Montana to Oklahoma to South Texas. His story is reflective of his innate curiosity, consideration, and striking ability to articulate what captures the b...

Reid welcomes World Sporting Clays Champion Anthony Matarese, Jr. and hunting icon Will Primos to the podcast to discuss the duo's new book Straight Shooting for Hunters. The trio discusses how clay target shooting can inform game shooting and help the upland and waterfowl hunter become more successful. Will and Anthony also discuss their unique accolades and backgrounds in the shooting space, Ant...