The Outdoor Life Podcast

Earlier this spring, on a ranch in Texas, we got the chance to sit down with the two diehard predator hunters who developed the fast and flat-shooting .22 Creedmoor.  While that cartridge had been developed as a long-range varmint and predator round Derrick Ratliff and David Stroud have also seen it produce some impressive results on whitetail deer. In this episode of the podcast, you’ll hear the...

The Hearing Protection Act got thrown out of the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill — as expected. Brandon Maddox, the CEO of Silencer Central, breaks down what happened, why the gun industry split into two camps over this, and what all this has to do with the death threats he's been getting. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson . Guest i...

It's telling (and fun) to test all the new flagship compounds side by side, but one of the highlights is mapping out where the archery industry is headed — and what bowhunters should look out for. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson . Guests include P.J. Reily and Conner Kaufhold of Lancaster Archery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

Contained inside the "Big Beautiful Bill," which will influence national priorities for health care, taxation, agricultural policy, and defense spending, is a provision that would require the U.S. government to sell between 2 and 3 million acres of federal land over the next five years to help fill the budget hole created by tax breaks. Hunters and public land advocates strongly oppose this large-...

When lawyers for the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance finally got their hands on the thousands of texts and emails exchanged among four anti-hunting wildlife commissioners, they uncovered just how bad the anti-hunting takeover has gotten there. Find all the evidence against the commissioners here: https://sportsmensalliance.org/news/exposing-washington-fish-and-wildlife-commissioner-violations/ Guest is...

In this bonus episode, hunting editor Andrew McKean returns to his Missouri family farm in November for a farewell to his childhood home and his late father. He couldn't know that he'd come away with the best buck of his life. The original story, "The Homecoming Buck," appeared in our Nov. 2010 issue. You can also see photos here: www.outdoorlife.com/homecoming Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

A class-action lawsuit is accusing retailers like Bass Pro and bowmakers like Hoyt of artificially inflating the prices of archery equipment. Industry insiders say they’re simply enforcing minimum advertised prices to help local bow shops and protect consumers. Full story: https://www.outdoorlife.com/pricefixing Guest is executive gear editor Scott Einsmann. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five A...

Justin Lee of Choteau, Montana, was mushroom hunting with his brother-in-law last month when they were charged by a grizzly sow. The encounter itself lasted seconds. Here's what Lee has to say about the aftermath. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted and produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is Justin Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio DNR law enforcement officers Isaiah Gifford and Matt Roberts  helped uncover one of the biggest poaching busts of the century. Here's how they did it — and why they had to keep it under wraps for so long. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by news editor Dac Collins. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While he's written about ammunition plenty in the past, OL shooting editor John B. Snow has never been fully satisfied with how we (or anybody else in the outdoor industry) has gone about testing it — until now. Full story: The most accurate rifle ammo, range tested https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/most-accurate-rifle-ammo/ What is mean radius, and why do we care? https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/...

Introduced in the dark of night, with no debate, no actual maps, and no idea of fiscal impacts, the bill that requires the sale of 500,000 acres of federal land shouldn’t be supported in Congress or back home. Our conservation and hunting editor Andrew McKean explains why. This episode is brought to you by Freedom Munitions. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Al...

Ammo prices have come down since the pandemic spike, but they’re still higher than they were in early 2020. We asked ammo industry insiders about their pricing and why ammo is so dang expensive. Here's what we found — and why you shouldn't blame tariffs just yet. This episode is brought to you by Freedom Munitions. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinso...

If you really want to become a better shot on big game, there's no better way than competing in an NRL hunter match. Our senior staff writer Tyler Freel is an experienced sheep, bear, and moose hunter — and he's still learned plenty from competing. Zero your rifle with 20-shot groups: https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/how-to-zero-a-rifle Lessons from NRL hunter: https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/5-t...

Land Tawney, the former CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, is back with a new lobbying group. And he's going hard against politicians who are pushing anti-public lands initiatives. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is Land Tawney of American Hunters and Anglers. Learn more about your ad choic...

There's a lot more to decoy strategy than simply staking out a hen and jake at 20 yards. Here's how Mark Drury of Drury Outdoors thinks about how to match your decoys to specific scenarios and — just as importantly — when to leave them in the bag. Follow more from Mark on Deer Cast: https://www.deercast.com/ Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor-in-chief Alex Robinson. Prod...

In this episode from the annual OL gun test, shooting editor John B. Snow and senior staff writer Tyler Freel tackle rifle trends, the most interesting new guns of the year, how the 7mm Backcountry stacks up with extended testing, handgun optics, ammo accuracy, and more. Related Stories: What is mean radius: https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/what-is-mean-radius/ A better way to zero your rifle: htt...

No matter if you own half a dozen cans or you've never even shot one, there's a lot to learn about suppressors. In this week's episode we cover the rapid-fire evolution of silencer tech, the growing popularity of cans, and why you should really — no, really — be shooting suppressed. Related Stories: How to buy a suppressor: https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/how-to-buy-a-suppressor/ The best suppres...

When it comes to calling and killing turkeys, Shane Simpson is the real deal. In this week's episode he calls in from the field with advice for striking birds, specific calling scenarios, setting up, and more. To find Shane’s videos and custom calls, check out his website: https://www.shanesimpsonhunting.com/ This episode is brought to you by Vortex. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Ho...

After months of social media controversy and a formal Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation, Casey Brooks shared his story with us. Here are the details behind the hunt. Read the full story at https://www.outdoorlife.com/brooksbull This episode is brought to you by Vortex. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive...

We agree that close-quarters turkey hunting is always the goal. But if you need to take a longer shot or watch a gobbler walk off, you can't just assume your TSS load has you covered. Here's how shotgun writer Phil Bourjaily says to prepare for that make or break scenario. This episode is brought to you by Vortex. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson...

A serious threat to federal land is unfolding across America right now. It's also—maybe, possibly—an opportunity to fix the management issues that've led to this crossroads. Read the full story at https://www.outdoorlife.com/transfer Read more on the poll of Western voters: https://www.outdoorlife.com/westernpoll Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted & produced by executive editor Na...

When Utah duck hunter Chris Pebley was thrown out of his duck boat, his buddy Weston Leatherow thought Chris had only broken his leg. The stakes were actually much higher. Read the full story here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/duckboataccident Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guests are Chris Pebley and...

Contributor Christine Peterson spoke with many of the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior employees who lost their jobs on Friday in the latest round of cuts to the federal workforce. She explains who lost their jobs, the reason given, and what it means for anyone who hunts, fishes, or recreates on federal public lands. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Produced and hosted by...

Champion turkey caller and callmaker Matt Van Cise has soft spot for friction calls. Here's how he thinks about selecting a call, holding and striking it, and putting that all together in the woods. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Guest hosted by executive editor Scott Einsmann. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is High Class Calls maker and champion caller Matt Van Ci...

Our hunting and conservation editor dives into the recent federal funding freeze, the new secretary of the Department of the Interior, and more. Edited by Mike Pedersen / Eighty Five Audio. Hosted by editor in chief Alex Robinson. Produced by executive editor Natalie Krebs. Guest is hunting and conservation editor Andrew McKean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices