Episodes
-
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.
-
Missing episodes?
-
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.
- Show more
