Episodes
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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!
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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.
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Missing episodes?
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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