エピソード

  • Episode 22 - Build a Hunting Career: Mark Kenyon on Storytelling, Conservation, and Public Land

    Episode 22 - Build a Hunting Career: Mark Kenyon on Storytelling, Conservation, and Public Land
    2026/04/22
    How Mark Kenyon turned passion for hunting into a career while protecting public lands and wildlife for future generations. Mark Kenyon built Wired to Hunt from a simple blog into one of the most influential voices in whitetail hunting, podcasting, and conservation. This conversation traces that path from early days learning HTML and writing daily with no income, to launching a podcast before the outdoor industry understood the format, to eventually joining MeatEater and shaping national conversations around public lands and wildlife policy. There’s a clear throughline for anyone chasing a career in hunting media or outdoor storytelling. Consistency matters more than talent early on. Developing a unique voice is critical in a crowded space. And long-term success comes from stacking small daily wins, not chasing overnight growth. Kenyon also breaks down the evolution of hunting content from early whitetail media and VHS tapes to today’s digital ecosystem, offering practical insight for aspiring creators. The conversation moves beyond content into conservation, including the importance of public land access, the reality of policy battles, and projects like the Tucker Town Game Lands initiative. It closes with a look at modern conservation storytelling, large-scale wildlife restoration, and a western bison hunt that brings it all full circle. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations from the front lines of wild places. Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Mark’s work: https://www.themeateater.com/listen/wired-to-hunt Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 8 分
  • Episode 21 - From Field to Table: Better Wild Game Cooking Starts Here

    Episode 21 - From Field to Table: Better Wild Game Cooking Starts Here
    2026/04/08
    Turn every hunt into unforgettable meals with simple, proven wild game cooking strategies. Cooking wild game well is the difference between obligation and obsession. This conversation with wild game chef Jeff Benda breaks down how to transform your hunting and fishing harvest into meals your family actually craves. From spring turkey hunting to waterfowl hunting and venison preparation, the focus is on practical techniques that elevate flavor without overcomplicating the process. You’ll learn how to get more meals out of a single bird, including breaking down a wild turkey into multiple dishes like curry and fried tenders. There’s a strong emphasis on using the entire animal, especially often-overlooked cuts like turkey legs and waterfowl thighs, turning them into slow-cooked meals, stocks, and shredded recipes that maximize your harvest. The discussion also tackles common mistakes that ruin wild game, like overcooking venison and improper meat handling. Simple adjustments like aging, proper field care, and cooking to medium rare can completely change how deer meat tastes. For anglers and hunters alike, the takeaway is clear: better preparation leads to better experiences in the outdoors. Whether you’re chasing gobblers, shooting ducks, or filling a deer tag, these insights will help you cook with confidence and deepen your connection to the outdoors. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations from the front lines of wild places. Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Turkey Curry: https://wildgameandfish.com/golden-pheasant-curry/ Turkey Tenderloin: https://wildgameandfish.com/turkey-tenders/ Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    54 分
  • Episode 20 - Ben O’Brien on Reinventing Hunting Media and Telling Better Stories

    Episode 20 - Ben O’Brien on Reinventing Hunting Media and Telling Better Stories
    2026/03/25
    What happens when hunting media stops playing it safe and starts telling the truth? Ben O’Brien has spent the better part of two decades pushing the boundaries of hunting media, and this conversation tracks the path that got him there. From growing up hunting whitetails and squirrels in the East to navigating the early days of digital content, Ben shares how he found his footing in an industry that was still figuring itself out. This is a deep dive into the evolution of hunting storytelling. You’ll hear how traditional outdoor magazines operated, what changed when digital platforms emerged, and why the shift toward authentic narratives around wild game, conservation, and the full hunting experience mattered. Ben breaks down the moment when media began focusing less on trophy photos and more on the reality of the hunt, from field to table. There’s also a behind-the-scenes look at the risks that come with challenging the status quo. From controversial magazine covers to building new platforms in uncertain territory, this conversation highlights what it takes to innovate in the hunting and outdoor industry. If you care about where hunting culture is headed, how content shapes public perception, and what it means to tell better stories about wild places and wild game, this one delivers. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations from the front lines of wild places. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Check Out The Western Wingshooter Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4G1dEZmKle5Dp2t4QnDckT Check out the Prairie Tales Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prairie-tails-podcast/id1765350230 Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Leaf’s work: https://sportsmenbwca.org Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 29 分
  • Episode 19 - Fly Fishing Built This Life: Oliver White on Risk, Lodges, and Purpose With Oliver White

    Episode 19 - Fly Fishing Built This Life: Oliver White on Risk, Lodges, and Purpose With Oliver White
    2026/03/11
    From broken bones to global fishing lodges, this story redefines what success outdoors really means. What starts as a kid catching fish on canned corn turns into a life built around fly fishing, risk, and relentless curiosity. Oliver White walks through the path from self-taught angler to world-traveling guide, then into high finance in New York, and back out again with a clear vision of what a life outdoors should look like. This conversation digs into the realities behind building a career in fly fishing and the outdoor industry. You’ll hear how guiding evolves from a side hustle into a true profession, what it takes to run a fishing lodge at scale, and why hospitality and memory-making matter just as much as putting clients on fish. There’s real insight here for anyone interested in fly fishing trips, destination angling, or building a business rooted in the outdoors. Oliver also shares hard-earned lessons from launching lodges in remote locations, navigating risk, and understanding the balance between passion and sustainability. From the rivers of Wyoming to the flats of the Bahamas, this is a look at what it actually takes to create a lifestyle centered around fishing, travel, and entrepreneurship. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations from the front lines of wild places. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Check Out The Western Wingshooter Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4G1dEZmKle5Dp2t4QnDckT Check out the Prairie Tales Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prairie-tails-podcast/id1765350230 Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Leaf’s work: https://sportsmenbwca.org Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 2 分
  • Episode 18 - Bird Dogs and the Obsession That Never Ends

    Episode 18 - Bird Dogs and the Obsession That Never Ends
    2026/02/25
    Upland hunting isn’t a hobby. It’s a lifelong obsession fueled by dogs, weather, and wild birds. Tyler Webster of the Western Wingshooter Podcast and co-host of The Flush joins the conversation fresh off the road and straight out of Pheasant Fest, where nearly 29,000 bird hunters gathered to celebrate conservation and bird dogs. This is a deep dive into the mindset of serious upland hunters. Tyler breaks down what it takes to hunt 140-plus days a season, how weather patterns dictate sharp-tailed grouse and pheasant populations, and why following rainfall matters more than following tradition. Wes Larabee brings a lifetime of dog experience, from running big game hounds to raising pointing dogs and retrievers built for both waterfowl hunting and upland bird seasons. You’ll hear what really drives bird dog handlers, how pheasant, Hungarian partridge, and sharp-tailed grouse numbers swing with moisture and cold snaps, and why scouting habitat and brood surveys matter more than social media reports. The conversation also touches on labs versus setters, balancing duck hunting with upland pursuits, and how events like Pheasant Fest fuel conservation funding across the country. If you care about bird dogs, wild bird numbers, and the culture that surrounds them, this one hits home. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations from the front lines of wild places. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Check Out The Western Wingshooter Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4G1dEZmKle5Dp2t4QnDckT Check out the Prairie Tales Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prairie-tails-podcast/id1765350230 Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Leaf’s work: https://sportsmenbwca.org Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 10 分
  • Episode 17 - Boundary Waters Under Threat: Why Sportsmen Must Speak Up Now With Lukas Leaf

    Episode 17 - Boundary Waters Under Threat: Why Sportsmen Must Speak Up Now With Lukas Leaf
    2026/01/28
    One vote could change the future of North America’s most iconic wilderness waters. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness isn’t just a postcard destination. It’s one of the most water-rich landscapes in the country, a place where canoe routes, cold-water fisheries, grouse covers, and family traditions intersect. In this conversation, Sam Soholt sits down with Lukas Leaf of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters to unpack why this landscape is facing renewed pressure from proposed copper-nickel mining and why hunters, anglers, and outdoor users should be paying close attention right now. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of how sulfide mining differs from traditional iron mining, why the Boundary Waters watershed is uniquely vulnerable, and how pollution upstream would directly impact fisheries, waterfowl habitat, and backcountry recreation. Lukas explains the current congressional push to overturn a long-standing moratorium using a rarely used procedural tool and why that move has implications far beyond Minnesota, potentially opening the door to weakened protections on public lands nationwide. The discussion also grounds the policy debate in lived experience. From spring lake trout openers and cast-and-blast grouse trips to the quiet lessons learned after days of traveling by canoe and portage, this episode captures what’s truly at stake for sportsmen who rely on clean water and intact wild places. It’s a reminder that conservation isn’t abstract, it’s personal, practical, and worth defending. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations from the front lines of wild places. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Leaf’s work: https://sportsmenbwca.org Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    49 分
  • Episode 16 - Why Grasslands Matter for Wildlife; Native Habitat with Kyle Lybarger

    Episode 16 - Why Grasslands Matter for Wildlife; Native Habitat with Kyle Lybarger
    2026/01/14
    Grasslands built wildlife abundance long before food plots, timber cuts, and fire suppression changed everything. Grasslands shaped North American wildlife long before modern land management and in many places, they’re quietly disappearing. In this episode of Legends of the Wild, Sam Soholt sits down with Kyle Lybarger, a forester-turned-habitat specialist who’s helping hunters rethink how landscapes actually function. Kyle breaks down how fire, grazing, and native plant diversity once created productive ecosystems that supported whitetails, turkeys, quail, waterfowl, and pollinators year-round. The conversation goes beyond theory, digging into practical lessons from prescribed burning, restoring native prairies, and managing land in ways that work with natural systems instead of against them. Listeners will learn why grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems in North America, how invasive species quietly undermine hunting habitat, and why native plants outperform food plots over the long haul. Kyle also explains how small-scale habitat work (whether on three acres or three hundred) can dramatically increase wildlife use without constant inputs of fertilizer, seed, and labor. From waterfowl habitat and ground-nesting birds to deer movement and seasonal forage, this episode connects the dots between conservation-minded land stewardship and better hunting outcomes. It’s an insider conversation for hunters, anglers, and land managers who want healthier ground, more resilient ecosystems, and wildlife habitat that lasts. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Kyle Lybarger’s work: https://www.nativehabitatproject.com/our-team Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    1 時間 5 分
  • Episode 15 - Boat-Built Ingenuity on the Chesapeake: Crabber, Camper Boats, and DIY Watercraft

    Episode 15 - Boat-Built Ingenuity on the Chesapeake: Crabber, Camper Boats, and DIY Watercraft
    2025/12/31
    A Chesapeake crabber turns scrap boats into floating camps, proving grit and creativity still rule the water. What happens when a first-generation waterman applies backcountry thinking to tidewater living? In this episode, Sam sits down with Chesapeake Bay crabber and boat captain Luke McFadden to unpack a mindset rooted in self-reliance, problem-solving, and life on the water. From building a camper atop a 12-foot jon boat to engineering pontoon stability and walk-around decks, Luke explains how minimalist design and reclaimed materials can unlock serious capability for hunting, fishing, and extended time outdoors. Hear how these DIY watercraft become functional tools for real pursuits, including float-based deer hunting, coastal fishing, and overnight camps in unpredictable weather. Luke breaks down the gear decisions that matter when space is tight, why every item must earn its place, and how safety planning changes on big water like the Chesapeake Bay. The conversation also explores Luke’s path into commercial crabbing, what it takes to survive as a young waterman today, and how direct-to-consumer thinking led to building a crab stand from a salvaged wooden workboat. Along the way, we dig into content creation, long-form storytelling, and why hands-on outdoor skills still resonate in a digital age. This is an insider conversation about working waterfronts, adaptive hunting strategies, and the satisfaction of building something that works because you need it to. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/ Get to know your host, Sam Soholt: https://www.instagram.com/samsoholt/ Check out Luke McFadden’s work: https://www.youtube.com/@fvsoutherngirl?themeRefresh=1 Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ This podcast is powered by Moultrie, the official trail camera of Field & Stream: https://www.moultrie.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    続きを読む 一部表示
    59 分