Oklahoma Outdoors - Sportsmen's Empire

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoor podcast we send our farewell to John Hudspeth. For four years, John has poured his passion into the podcast and has devoted to bring forth great episodes and we set down to thank him for all he has done. John talks about some of his new adventures for the future for his property and upcoming hunts. We also discuss the new transition from Oklahoma Outdoors podcast to Day 3 Outdoors podcast and some of the new guests and directions we are headed with the podcast. Stay tuned because its going to be a wild ride!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John and Levi are running down their gear list and checking it twice. Since spring time is often one of the best times to buy more gear since a lot of companies are running sales, the guys decided this was a great time to talk about the gear that they have used and trust. They cover tree saddles, tree stands, bows, arrows, clothing, and even rifles. John and Levi's gear lists really compliment each other since the two often hunt in very different styles, even though both hunt in the same areas. Levi and John also talk about their last weekend of duck hunting, and the varying success they both saw. Though the season was not what they hopped it would be, they were both able to find a little bit of success as the season closed out.

With most of the major hunting seasons coming to a close across the country, many avid outdoorsmen and woman are already hard at work prepping for the fall of 2025. This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John and Levi talk about what they do once the current hunting season comes to an end. For Levi, this is the time of year he likes to do a lot of his scouting for the following year. He does a lot of e-scouting and puts boots on the ground to locate bucks to chase during the fall. For John, this post season is going to be filled with a lot of habitat work on his new property. Though he is starting with a blank canvas, the canvas needs a ton of work to make the best possible property that it can be.

The Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast is back this week with a great episode and a great guest. The 2024-25 Oklahoma deer season has officially come to an end, and Levi Mayfield joins John to talk about their seasons. For Levi, John, and seemingly many others across the state, it turned out to be an odd fall this year. Not only were temperatures well above average for most of the fall, but it also seemed like there was a lack of big bucks to chase this season. Levi talks us through his season including tagging a good buck on public land, and just missing out on another really nice public land buck.John had an interesting deer season as well. Even though he had access to more property than he ever had before, he really struggled to find a good deer to chase. After a heart breaking trip to Kansas and a missed opportunity on a really nice buck, John's Oklahoma season was pretty uneventful. That is until the last day of the season, when a last ditch effort and a whole lot of luck came together and John was able to arrow his biggest bow buck to date!

Merry Christmas! This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast is all about family. John has a big announcement at the end of the episode, but starts things off with a story of a close encounter with one of the two bucks he is still trying to tag this season. The buck won this round, but there is still time left on the clock. After that, John talks about a family outing where his wife took a nice big boar with their daughter in the blind with her! Little Hallee did great and got to experience hunting for the second time this year. The very next morning, John took his brother, niece, and two nephews duck hunting on a little farm pond and ended up having a heck of a hunt. His nephew shot his very first duck which ended up being a banded mallard!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John heads to west Texas to chase mule deer in the Guadalupe Mountains. John had been looking forward to this hunt since he booked it in the early summer of 2023. He was originally supposed to go to south Texas, but unfortunately the ranch he was supposed to hunt on sold. Luckily the outfitter was able to move some things around and John headed west for his first ever fully guided hunt.Upon arrival, John quickly realized that the cards were stacked against him as far as the weather was concerned. Sustained winds of 20+ mph and gusts as high as 35 mph kept the action a little slow the first two days. On the third day however, the winds died and the temps dropped and those final two days turned out to be magical. When all was said and done, John barely had enough room in the cooler for all the meat he brought home, including a pleasant and unexpected surprise. And of course, things ended up coming down to the wire.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John gets back on track and talks a little bit about how his 2024 Oklahoma rifle season went. Since John was unsuccessful, he is preparing for his favorite time of the year which is late season whitetail hunting. John talks a little late season strategy, and how he believes this may be one of the best and "easiest" times to kill a mature buck. Bucks big and small will become a slave to their stomachs again as they prepare for winter, and if you stay after it there is still time to put one on your wall.John finishes this episode with a little pre hunt chat about his upcoming Texas Mule Deer hunt. There was one big kink in his hunt plans, but after ironing out a few details the hunt is still on and John can't wait. This will be Johns first ever guided hunt, and he is excited for the experience and the opportunity to chase a new critter in wild country.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John takes some time to talk about his 2024 deer season so far, and the challenges he has encountered. John has done a lot of hunting this year, but it's been different than in the past. With November coming to a close, John really hasn't spent much time hunting his own properties. He has only hunted his family ranch a handful of times, and with the warmer than usual temperatures, those hunts have not been very productive. John does talk about a quick trip he made to the ranch, and also about his trip to Texas and the close encounter he had with his recurve bow. There is still a lot of season left, and John is ready to buckle down and get serious now.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is breaking down his controlled deer hunt at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. As soon as John found out he had been selected for the hunt back in June, he immediately began doing his homework and trying to learn as much as he could about the hunt and how it worked. What he found, is that there was not a ton of information out there on what to expect on this particular hunt. As he picked up bits and pieces from other hunters over the months leading up to the hunt, he still had a lot of questions leading up to the weekend of November 8th. After going through the process and coming home empty handed, he made up his mind to provide as much information as possible to future hunters who drew this coveted tag.John briefly tells the story of his hunt and what he experienced, but the bulk of this episode is more about the process, the lessons learned, and what he would do differently next time. John lays out all of the rules of the hunt, and also talks about the terrain he encountered, the vegetation, and recommendations on gear to bring. John talks about the challenges of this hunt, and how just because you see lots of deer, does not mean its easy to actually fill a tag. He also shares some thoughts on the quality tag system, and some thoughts on whether or not this hunt may or may not be right for you.

This week John is celebrating the 200th episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors podcast. Almost 4 years of stories, education, and just downright fun. John takes some time at the end of the episode to not only thank the listeners for their support and encouragement over the years, but also to highlight some of his favorite episodes. This show has covered mountain lions, alligators, elk, pronghorn, fish, bears, mule deer, and of course the glorious whitetail buck. All of these critters just listed can be found right here in the Sooner state. The Episode timed out perfectly with a big announcement John has been wanting to make. To find out what that big news is, you'll have to check out episode 200 of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, a proud member of the Sportsmens Empire Podcast Network!

Youth weekend has come and gone in Oklahoma, but this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast John is sharing some of the success that his family had. It was hot and dry with bad winds for much of the weekend, but that didn't stop John from getting his niece and nephew out for a little deer hunting. It turned into a bit of a grind, but eventually they were able to get on a deer and fill the family freezer. In part 2 of this episode, John talks about the unusually warm weather Oklahoma and much of the country is experiencing, and how John thinks it will affect not only the upcoming rut movement, but also the late season deer hunting success rates.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, we kick off the storytelling portion of the year with a dandy 200" buck taken on Opening day. 22 year old Hunter Wesberry picked up a new property this year, but had no idea what was in store for him and his family. After walking the property and doing a lot of scouting, he set up a trail camera and quickly got a photo of a buck with a lot of potential. As the summer went by and the buck continued to grow, Hunter knew this buck was special. Opening day came and the wind and weather conditions were perfect for what Hunter needed to go after the buck he called cactus. After only a few hours of sleep he climbed into his stand well before daylight and began the long waiting game.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John talks about his recent adventure of trying to find the elusive Oklahoma black bear. The trip started off promising, and John was able to find some bear sign way up a remote river. The trip took a turn however when John hit a submerged object on the way back to the boat ramp that rendered his propeller essentially worthless. After hunting on his private land spot in the morning and stealing a propeller of an old jon boat, he was back in action for the evening. John also talks a little bit about the upcoming cold snap and some new bucks that have shown up ahead of it. It is looking the things may work out great for the upcoming youth weekend!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is changing things up a little bit for the opening weekend of the 2024 hunting season in Oklahoma. Due to not having the quality of bucks he has grown accustomed to chasing on his home place this year, he is hitting the road (or water) and trying something a little different. John plans to take his boat into a more remote portion of Oklahoma and chase public land bucks and bears. Thanks to some updated regulation changes this year, a bear tag is now included in the lifetime license package, meaning John and other lifetime license holders are able to hunt bears without buying additional tags. John plans to use his boat to access hard to reach public land places in hopes of tagging either a whitetail buck or black bear in south eastern Oklahoma with his bow.

Happy Deer Season Eve! This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John keeps it simple and gives you 5 simple tips to make you more successful during the 2024-2025 deer season. Many of us wait all season long for October 1st to roll around, and John wants to make sure that everyone makes the most out of their deer season. This will be John's twentieth deer season, which is hard to believe, but he wants to take all the lessons he has learned over those twenty years and help you be as successful as possible.In this episode John talks about being patient, waiting for your moment, being selective, and much much more. He also emphasises that if you have not gotten all your preseason work done, now is the time to do it before things really get good. And don't just get things up and running now, but keep everything running from now until the buzzer beeps, because you never know when that buck of a lifetime is going to step out and offer you a clean shot and a chance at glory!

John is coming at you live from Kansas this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. John took his mobile studio with him and recorded updates throughout the week in a semi-live format. After covering a lot of miles, John saw a couple really nice bucks and put himself in position to take a really nice 10 point. He still can't explain what happened, but it is quite a story as to how that buck didn't get a ride back home in the back of John's truck. John got to experience strong winds, storms, heat, and a beautiful landscape that is completely different than what he gets to hunt at home.

A long awaited and much anticipated episode this week as John prepares to head north to Kansas to chase open plains whitetails with his muzzleloaders. John starts the episode off by talking about more local things like the deer he is seeing on the ranch and an exciting new property he picked up in Texas. After running cameras for several weeks, the outlook is not looking great so far, and if he had to choose a spot to hunt tomorrow, he would probably find himself hunting public ground.After the local stuff, John goes outbound and talks about his upcoming trip to Kansas, which if you are listening to this episode when it comes out, he is already there. John discusses his camp set up, his scouting, and what he expects to encounter. John did not have a chance to make a scouting trip over the summer, so he is going in completely blind. Though he did not get to put boots on the ground, he has spent countless hours e-scouting ever since he put in for the tag back in April. He feels confident that with a little gravel under the tire and some dirt under his boots, he can find a spot to take down a big bodied Kansas buck. 

John is joined by a very special guest this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. Jeremy Aron, better known as the Do it Yourself Hunter, hails from Mississippi and has been traveling around the country hunting whitetails on public land for decades now. Jeremy has a passion for sharing his adventures and encouraging others to get out of their comfort zone and take advantage of the same opportunities that he enjoys. Jeremy has hunted over 20 states, and has no plans of slowing down any time soon.Jeremy talks about how he got started hunting out of state, and gives a few pointers for folks looking to plan their first out of state hunt. Jeremy also talks about how he stays mobile out on the road, not only with his hunting setup, but also with his vehicle. Jeremy hunts out of an SUV instead of a pickup so that he can eat, sleep, drive, and camp out of one rig and be as mobile as he needs to be. This is a great episode for anyone looking to take the next step in their hunting career and have their own adventure.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John comes to you live from the Southern Plains Outdoor Show. John loaded up the truck with his recording equipment and setup at the show to record interviews with vendors and attendees. To start off the show, John talks to Oklahoma Game Warden Dillon King to cover the new hunting license structure and changes. Warden King also talks about some of the more common mistakes people make while out in the field.Next on the list are a couple young men who started "Hunting God Outdoors." Hunter, Gunner, and Roman's goal is to bring people closer to God while also enjoying the outdoor pursuits that we all know and love. After the Hunting God Outdoor boys, friend of the show Charles Greer with Whitetail Fanatic Land Consultants stops by the table for a quick summer time update. He and John talk a little food plot strategy and what this fall may bring to each.To wrap up the show, Daniel McVay and Chancey Holdsworth of Buckventures drop by to talk a little behind the scenes of what it is like to be a part of a major television show. They talk about how much time and work goes into producing a 22 minute episode, and what it takes to put on such a large production. The guys also give some advice for young people who want to get into the industry, and some good ways to get started.

Bill Hart joins John on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast this week to talk about growing, holding, and hunting big Oklahoma bucks. Bill has been hunting Oklahoma since the 1970's and has learned a thing or two over the years about what it takes to hunt and harvest big mature whitetail bucks. Bill and John discuss the environmental and manmade factors that go into putting big bucks on the wall, and how it takes a lot more than just throwing some corn on the ground. Bill talks about his year round feeding program, but also how he does not hunt his feeders in an effort to create a safe space for deer to go to and meet their nutritional needs. John and Bill talk about how to hunt feeders just like a natural food source, and how bedding and does play just as big of a roll in a big bucks life as food does.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by his long time friend Charles Admire for a little preseason BS session. The guys talk about what they have been working on over the summer to help them this upcoming fall, and quickly get into a discussion about how much things have changed since having kids. Charles and John both have 2 year olds, and Charles and his wife recently had their second child. The guys talk about getting older and the delicate life/hunting balance.John and Charles also spend a good amount of time talking about muzzleloaders, and the challenges they bring. After using iron sights while hunting New Mexico last year, Charles has been swapping the irons out for a scope in order to hunt Oklahoma this fall. John continues to struggle getting his gun to group, and after discovering he was using too much powder, he has little time left to diagnose and problem solve before his upcoming hunting trip in Kansas this September. 

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John recounts his guided fishing trip down in Florida. Redfish were the number one target for the trip, and one of the highest fish on John's bucket list. His Brother in law Logan tagged along and teamed up with Captain Torin of One More Charters. Right off the bat the guys faced challenges with high summer temps and low tide waters. After some time trying to catch bait, they finally went after the big fish and it turned into a pretty epic morning of fishing.After the fish tale, John talks about his recent trip up to the McAlester Army Ammunition plant to try and learn a little bit about the area before his hunt in November. The base was open for a traditional bow only 3D course that pushed several archers to their limits. John met some great people, learned some valuable information about the hunt itself, and got a feel for the area. The main thing he learned was just how thick the cedar choked timber was, and how getting a clean shot is going to be extremely difficult!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by Keith Hagen to talk about the upcoming Southern Plains Outdoor Show. The yearly show is meant to be a benefit to help individuals from Oklahoma cover medical expenses due to serious illnesses. Visitors to the show can expect to see vendors, food trucks, and can partake in a cornhole tournament with prizes being awarded to the top team. There are also tons of raffle prizes to be given away, and all proceeds go directly to those in need. The show takes place on August 24th and will be held at The Bridge Church in Mustang, Oklahoma from 10am to 3pm.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John has a lot of life and hunting season updates to catch everyone up on. He starts off by talking about his most recent trip out to the ranch where he did some work on his new feeder setup for the upcoming season. He also FINALLY got his cell cameras running after getting a bad batch of batteries and his cameras dying after only a few weeks back in mid June. John also talks about some gear updates he has been working on, including a new traditional bow he bought for his upcoming hunt at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. John also got a little work done on his compound bow, and learned a few things about muzzleloader accuracy. To finish things off, John also talks a little bit about his fishing plans on his family vacation to Florida. 

We have a very special episode this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. Native American Tribes have a rich history with Oklahoma's land and wildlife. Many of the tribes represented today were on the landscape long before statehood, and have a relationship with wildlife that goes far beyond hunting for pleasure and past time. Trenton Kissee is the acting secretary of interior affairs for the Muscogee Creek nation and has a Natural Resources degree from Oklahoma State University. He joins John this week to educate us on the involvement that the tribes have in promoting wildlife and habitat in Oklahoma. Trenton and John talk about the new agreement the big five tribes came to that allows tribe members to hunt on each other's reservation lands. Trenton also talks about some research projects the tribes have been helping on, including opening up some CWD testing sites to make testing available to more people. And just for fun, Trenton puts on the host hat and asks John a few questions about his upcoming hunt on Big Mac aka the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

If you could go on any hunt in the world, what would it be? When Andrew Kobe asked himself that question, he knew there was only one answer. That question is what led him to some of the most remote country in North America in search of one of the planet's largest mammals, a moose. This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John and Andrew discuss what all goes into a dream hunt such as this one. The guys start out by talking about how to find a reputable and trustworthy outfitter, no matter what game species you are wanting to chase.Andrew also lays out the process of packing and traveling with a week's worth of gear and a firearm to another country. The United States part of it was not that difficult, but when he landed in Canada, they were not so easy. He also talks about the type of gear needed for a hunt like this, and some of the things that made his trip more enjoyable. Andrew also talks about the hunt itself, and what it took to get a fully grown moose worth of meat back to his freezer at home.

This episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast is all about gear. John has three out of the ordinary hunts this year that all feature different states, terrains, weapons, and gear. John breaks these hunts down one by one and discusses the drastic differences in gear he will need for the different hunts. John will start off with an early season September muzzleloader hunt in Kansas. After doing a lot of map scouting, John learned that the area of Kansas he will be in is much more remote than he realized. This hunt will probably be a truck hunting scenario, something John has not done much of recently.Back in Oklahoma, John drew a tag for a traditional archery only hunt which means he will need to polish his archery skills. After testing out an old recurve he had, he discovered a bent limb which makes the more powerful bow not an option. He now has to decide to stick with his 40 pound longbow, or drop some money on a new recurve. He also has to decide if he wants to stick to hunting on the ground or practice shooting a long traditional bow from a tree stand.The last hunt of his season will take place in the cactus covered mountains of south Texas. Clothing is the main concern on this hunt. Being just off of the Rio Grande River and Mexican border, this area has some of the most unpredictable weather in the lower 48. Add long hikes mixed with hours of sitting and glassing, you just never know what you are going to end up needing to put on or take off in a moment's notice. All while possibly needing to take a 300 to 400 yard shot at any second.

On this episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John reveals a secret project he has been working on all spring. John grew up fishing and duck hunting on small farm ponds, so they have always held a special place in his heart. For the last couple of months, John has made it his goal to turn one particular pond into a fish and duck paradise. While growing a 10 pound plus bass in a 1 acre pond may not be realistic, John's goal is to simply maximise its potential and create a fun and exciting place for him and his friends and family to enjoy.Almost anyone can gain access to a small farm pond, which is part of the reason John feels so passionately about this project. After a lot of research, John set out to make the best fishery possible out of a one and a half acre pond that has been in his family for about 50 years. John's other goal was to do it as cheaply as possible. Structure, water clarity, and overall fish population are the main concerns, as well as hopefully growing some edge vegetation that will make the pond more attractive for waterfowl. So if that little mud hole in the middle of a cattle pasture is all you have to work with, don't fret. Almost any water source can serve a purpose for an outdoors man or woman willing to put in a little work! 

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast John is joined by Brian Halbleid of the Migration Waterfowl Podcast. A Pennsylvania native, Brian grew up deer hunting like most young boys and girls in the Keystone state. It wasn't until a little later in life that he was introduced to duck hunting and he hasn't looked back since. John and Brian talk about some of the differences in hunting northern vs southern ducks, and how the timing of when things get good may differ. They touch on a little bit of everything, including decoy spread layout, when to use or not use spinning wing decoys, and the advancement of motion decoys over the years. Towards the end of the episode, John couldn't help but talk about deer a little bit. Brian discusses how the human population has changed hunting in his area in recent years, but that it's not all bad change. He also talks about what a difference antler point restrictions have made on the trophy quality in the state, and how education has led to more hunters passing younger bucks.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John and his guest Connor Little cover the widely used but rarely discussed topic of deer feeders. For as commonly used as deer feeders are in the hunting world, there is a certain taboo about them that causes most people to stay pretty tight lipped about their use. The fact of the matter is though, where legal, a large majority of hunters utilize feeders. So if they are legal, and people are using them, why not talk about them?Connor and John talk about the different types of feeders out there and some advantages and disadvantages to each. The guys also talk about "hand corn" or simply placing bait on the ground and its effectiveness in the right situation. Connor talks about the ongoing battle a hunter will have with livestock and undesired critters like hogs and racoons any time a feeder is used on the open landscape.

The south heads north this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast as John chats with his buddy Nate Rozeveld from Michigan. Nate is the host of the Michigan Wild Podcast on the Sportemen's Empire and recently came down to join John on an Oklahoma hog hunt. John and Nate cover a variety of topics including how social media may have actually improved Michigan deer hunting for the better. John asks Nate about his thoughts on one of John's favorite topics, the one buck vs two buck debate. Nate also explains Michigan's varied landscape including the famous "U.P." or upper peninsula.Being a podcast host himself, Nate does a great job of turning the tables and asking John a few questions about his property and hunting in Oklahoma. After seeing John's property this spring, he had some questions about how John sets up and hunts his family cattle ranch. The guys also talk about if you can have "too many mature bucks" on a property and ways you can prevent that from happening.

This episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast is all about summer time. John starts off with a quick story of how he almost went on a last second Canadian black bear hunt! He got invited on not just one, but two bear hunts in the same day. After that the episode gets a little more serious and John covers a few things that all whitetail hunters need to be doing this time of year. He also has a brief discussion on if summer time trail camera data is actually helpful for killing a buck later in the fall. 

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John kicks things off with an exciting announcement he has been keeping secret for almost a year now. After the big unveiling, John moves on to one of the most exciting parts about spring, spring food plots! It was a busy weekend at the ranch as John planted all three of his spring plots for a total of around 5.5 acres. As usual, things didn't go as planned when the local seed store was completely sold out of soybeans which had been his first choice after having such success with them last year. But some quick research and a few questions led him to buying a nice mix comprised of two varieties of cowpeas, millet, soybeans, and okra. John also ventured into some new territory and planted his very first alfalfa plot. In an area that saw a lot of browse pressure last year, John decided to switch things up and see if alfalfa could outgrow the deers stomachs. He also increased the size of that plot by almost 4 times! Follow along as John walks the listener through his step by step process and points out what he did right and several things he did wrong.

John starts this episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast with some important information concerning bill HB 3462 which aims to release captive "CWD resistant" whitetails into Oklahomas wild herds. The bill lines out the plan and even talks about how land owners can opt into the program to potentially have deer released onto their property.After the more serious introduction, the episode takes a turn to the lighter side as John is joined by Julius Craig of Deltaflauge Outdoors to talk about hunting in different states. The guys hit on Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, and Julius's home state of Louisiana. Being a new Oklahoma resident, Julius also asks John some questions about some of the state's lesser known game like bear and antelope. John also recounts the story of his truck getting stolen out of a Denver hotel parking lot on his way to hunt elk in north western Colorado.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is headed back to Nebraska to chase merriam's turkeys. John hunted Nebraska in the spring of 2023, but was so sidetracked by scouting for deer on the new landscape that he didn't take turkey hunting near as seriously as he should have. Heading into the trip this year though, John had a completely different mindset. He was determined to bring home a merriams, which would be his third of the four subspecies of wild turkey. This trip brought plenty of challenges, and though John had no problem finding birds, getting one into shotgun range proved more challenging than he expected. Like many western animals, the merriams he was chasing seemed to have no predictable pattern. Simply traveling wherever the wind blew them on any particular day. After three long days and a few disappointments, John finally caught up to a small group of strutters on the last day. However, even with a long beard at fifteen yards, John found out it's never easy!

Spring is quickly making way for summer, and John's thoughts have been shifting towards the upcoming fall and all the different places he'll be hunting. On this episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John gives a peak behind the curtain of what has been going through his mind when it comes to gaining access to more properties. Every hunter dreams of buying their own farm or hunting place, but that's not always in the cards. This year John is determined to gain access to more ground, and possibly even in other states. John talks about the trouble he has had finding a credible least online, and gives some good tips on how to find land owner information for good ol knocking on door permission. 

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by Justin Townsend of Harvesting Nature and the Wild Fish and Game Podcast. If you have a desire to do more with wild game than just deep fry or grill it, Justin is here to help. Harvesting Nature focuses on educating hunters on how to get more out of the game they take. No matter if you are wanting to create a culinary masterpiece, or just looking for something to change up the usual routine. Justin and John touch on a few of the more popular wild game species in Oklahoma including whitetail deer, wild hogs, and waterfowl ranging from ducks to greater Canadian geese. There is so much to cover that the guys didn't have time to deep dive into any particular topic, so be sure to check out Harvesting Nature online or tune into the Wild Fish and Game Podcast to learn more about getting the most out of your wild game!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John heads west to chase Rio Grande turkeys with his long bow! This was John's first turkey hunt of the year, but knocking the dust off would prove to be difficult with how much water was on the ground. John had an odd combination of wet muddy ground and hot 90 degree temperatures that made finding turkeys difficult. After putting several miles on the side by side, the first evening proved to be uneventful.The scouting mission was not a complete failure though. Two other hunters had been on the property for three days before John got there, and while scouting he found a big section of the property that they had not been able to access due to the deep mud. That is the area John chose to focus on the following morning, and he found himself surrounded by gobbles with daylight breaking! 

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John heads west to chase Rio Grande turkeys with his long bow! This was John's first turkey hunt of the year, but knocking the dust off would prove to be difficult with how much water was on the ground. John had an odd combination of wet muddy ground and hot 90 degree temperatures that made finding turkeys difficult. After putting several miles on the side by side, the first evening proved to be uneventful.The scouting mission was not a complete failure though. Two other hunters had been on the property for three days before John got there, and while scouting he found a big section of the property that they had not been able to access due to the deep mud. That is the area John chose to focus on the following morning, and he found himself surrounded by gobbles with daylight breaking! 

We have a very important episode this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. At the end of March, the governor of Oklahoma signed the "License Modernization Act."  This legislation drastically changes the current license structure for the state and is set to go into effect this summer. This act combines current licenses, simplifies many, and raises some costs. One change that is sure to strike up some hot conversations is how the non resident deer license has almost doubled! John walks through the act and talks about the good and the bad of what is about to take place. This episode isn't all legislative talk however. John also talks about his recent hog hunt with the boys from up north. Two Michiganders and one Ohio native make the trek to Oklahoma to help John and his family with their hog problem, and do a pretty dang good job of it!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by fellow Sportsmens Empire podcast hosts Nick Otto and Nate Rozeveld. This podcast was recorded as Nick and Nate were driving down from Michigan to Oklahoma for a few days of exciting hog hunting action. The Michiganders were loaded down with firepower and coolers and ready to take on whatever may come their way. Nick was able to come down and hunt with John in 2023, but this was Nate's first trip down to hunt hogs. The guys talk about some of the stereotypes around hogs like the crazy population numbers and how tough the animals are. They also have a discussion about different firearms and calibers that are used to hunt wild pigs. Nick voices his goal of changing the negative perception hogs have at the dinner table, and vows to change the minds of Oklahomas and others about what a great gift these tasty creatures can be if taken advantage of. Don't forget to check out Nick (The Huntavore) and Nates (Michigan WIld) podcasts also available on the Sportsmens Empire Podcast Network!

Welcome to the first turkey hunting episode of 2024! Keith Hagen joins the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast again but instead of mule deer the guys chat about wild turkeys. Along with Keith's taxidermy business, he has been a turkey guide in Oklahoma for several years and has helped beginners and experts alike bag big 'ol Toms. This episode covers a little bit of everything. Keith and John talk about map scouting, the importance of camouflage, calling and reading birds, and more. Keith talks about his decoy preferences and again, reading the birds to give them what they want. Towards the end of the episode they cover actually killing a bird and all the different weapon choices out there. From a trusty ol 12 gauge to the new .410's on the market that are quickly growing in popularity.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, Tyrell Roy is back to talk about his Kansas public land whitetail adventure. Tyrell is a very accomplished whitetail hunter, and consistently kills mature bucks on his family farm and permission properties in northern Oklahoma. Like many of us whitetail nuts though, he was looking for the next challenge. He found all the challenge he could handle a little ways north on Kansas public land.After not drawing a tag in 2022, Tyrell set his sights on 2023 and was determined to make it happen. After the buck he scouted all summer was taken by another hunter on opening day, it was back to square one with the season already under way. With Kansas's recent trail camera ban, Tyrell had no other way to scout than boots on the ground and dirt on the tires. It took all season, but after a tip from a friend he was able to make a play on a great whitetail buck. If you have ever wanted to chase western whitetails, this is an episode you need to hear! 

Spring is here and gobble filled mornings are just around the corner. This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is bringing back an old turkey story from a few years back. John and his good friend Stiles headed to the Texas panhandle with Stiles's son, SV. It had been many years since the guys had driven out to Stiles's grandmother's place to chase big tom turkeys, but when they got there things fell right into place again.Not only were they successful at tagging a couple nice birds, but John also got to learn a lot about hunting with kids. SV is a trooper, and has never met a stranger, but when it comes to being quiet and still, it's hard to ask too much from a youngster. John got to see first hand that fruit snacks and peanut butter crackers could be just as important on a hunt as box calls and decoys.

John is fresh off the dozer and this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast he is talking about manipulating habitat to put mature whitetail bucks in shooting range. There are a lot of videos, podcasts, and articles about habitat improvement, but this week John takes it one step further than just making a hunting property better for wildlife. While you are improving the landscape, why not also improve your hunting? This is an interactive podcast where John uses drone photos of his actual hunting locations to talk about how you can improve your property while also improving your hunting.Be sure to check out the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcasts social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram before hitting play on this episode. There are 4 pictures with labels that will help create a visual of what John is talking about during this episode. From the drone shots, you can see how John creates food plots, bedding areas, and travel corridors that all work together to put John in a position where the deer feel completely comfortable but also offer him shot opportunities. Don't want deer coming from the east because they'll get your scent? Manipulate the landscape in such a way that makes them come from the west. And don't think you have to have hundreds of acres to use these strategies. The three locations John uses in this podcast are all in a 140 acre area.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast John hosts traditional bowhunter Nathan Lattimer. Nathan grew up hunting with a compound bow, killing his first deer at only 12 years old. After years of hunting and taking several nice bucks, he began to feel some of the challenge slipping away. Looking to shake things up, he gave his compound bow to his son and picked up a Bear recurve and never looked back. Nathan doesn't claim to be an expert at traditional archery, but his journey into hunting and being successful with his recurve is a great story of determination.John and Nathan start out by talking about some of the obvious differences between compound and traditional hunting. Next, Nathan talks about his mindset going into the woods. John asks about his "standards" and if they changed after limiting himself to trad gear. John then asks Nathan to talk about some of the things he has learned that would translate back to hunting with a compound if he were to switch again for some reason.

One thing that makes Oklahoma so unique is its wide variety of game animals. This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John talks with Keith Hagen of Southern Plains Taxidermy about hunting Oklahoma mule deer. Keith grew up hunting whitetails like most of us, but after spending some time chasing mule deer in western Oklahoma and Texas, they have become a huge part of his yearly hunting routine. Keith strictly hunts mule deer with a bow, making it all the more challenging.Keith and John go over some of the differences in mule deer behavior, and the differences in hunting them versus whitetails. Keith talks about his equipment and what he thinks is important for specifically hunting Oklahoma mule deer as opposed to states further west. Keith also uses his experience as a taxidermist to give some pointers on field care for your trophy if you plan to get it mounted, and some good and bad strategies for getting your animal out in the sandy brush country of the Oklahoma Panhandle.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John takes some time to cover a wide variety of topics that have been on his mind. First up are a few exciting events coming up that any outdoor enthusiast should be attending. After that, John digs into the 2023-24 deer harvest numbers published by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservations, and a new thought he has on why this deer season seemed a little odd. John also discusses some turkey harvest numbers and why he is optimistic about this upcoming spring season.After nerding out on some numbers, John goes over a recent news article he came across about how wild hogs may be good for the environment. While hogs have their place, John is afraid this particular article had a hidden agenda in its midst. To round things off John touches on a few other topics like using forestry mulchers on hunting properties, preference points, and planning ahead for this upcoming hunting season. 

If the term "hard work pays off" was ever to describe an individual, it might just be talking about Bryson Ziegler. Bryson joins the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast this week to talk about his awesome 2023 season which saw two great mature bucks hit the ground. The first buck Bryson took broke all the rules of big buck hunting. He killed the 7.5 year old on a morning hunt in the middle of the "October lull". If that isn't impressive enough, Bryson then took an even larger buck on a small permission property. He didn't just fool this buck once. After missing the buck with his fathers recurve, he put in the work to relocate the bruiser and again got him within bow range and made it count.

We hit something a little different this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, sandhill crane hunting! John's good buddy Charles just returned from a bucket list hunt and one that John was quite jealous of. Sandhill cranes are present in large numbers in western Oklahoma and Texas, and as Charles will discuss in this episode, make for a fun and engaging hunt. The "ribeye of the sky" are not as easy as you might think to hunt, and possess a keen eye for anything out of the ordinary.Charles and his buddies were able to hunt cranes and geese on this trip, which makes for a great comparison of the two species and helps people relate to something they may be a little more familiar with. Charles talks about the strategy they used, the decoy set ups, the size shells, and the hides the group used to put a 14 man limit on the ground one day, and a stack of geese the next. If a crane hunt isn't already on your list, it definitely will be after this episode!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by Oklahoma Drone Recovery founder Rhett Acker. Rhett was on the show back in September (episode 141) to talk about his company and the services that they offer using thermal drones to recover anything from downed deer to pets and people. This time, the guys dive into Rhett's very successful fall of recovering hunters' deer and all of the lessons he learned along the way.Rhett did a great job of keeping up with statistics this year, and learned a lot about what a wounded or dieing whitetail does in the moments after the shot. The thing that surprised John the most, was how many deer they found that were still alive hours later. Another interesting point was how the animals acted based on the weapon that was used. This episode is packed full of lessons for beginning and seasoned hunters alike.