Coyotes feel random until you zoom in on what they repeat. Aaron sits down with Cody Sanchez for week two of coyote hunting and gets specific about what “range” looks like in real timber country: tight home cores for established breeding pairs, big moves for transients, and why a single square mile can hold an entirely different group. If you have ever seen one coyote once and then lost the trail, this conversation helps explain what was probably happening on the landscape.

We also dig into coyote habitat and scouting without the fluff. On uniform timber company ground, “good-looking cover” is everywhere, so Cody leans on what is measurable: scat in the road, fresh tracks on muddy stretches, and the fastest shortcut of all, locating coyotes with howling. We talk about when coyotes get vocal, when they shut down, and why judging howl distance in steep, timbered terrain is harder than most hunters admit. A small change like gaining elevation and working top-down can make your locating way more accurate.

From there we move into predator calling strategy and how to structure a hunt day. Rabbit distress still kills, but we explain why pup fights, group howls, and other coyote vocalizations can flip a switch on a bored or hung-up animal, plus how coyotes get “educated” when one escapes. We finish with a practical take on run-and-gun, stand spacing, and why proximity kills more coyotes than perfect sounds ever will.

Subscribe for the next part, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review if it helps your season. What part of coyote hunting do you struggle with most: scouting, howling, or stand strategy?

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Coyotes don’t play by daytime rules, and that’s exactly why so many hunters are turning to night stands and thermal optics. We sit down with Cody Sanchez of Thermal Dispatch to unpack what really changes after dark—why coyotes move more, respond harder to calls, and force you to rethink setups in Western Washington’s tight timber and mixed-use ground. If you’ve only seen wide-open prairie hunts online, this conversation reframes the game for ferns, logging roads, and urban edges where coyotes thrive but rarely show themselves.

We get practical about the tech curve—spotlights to red lights to night vision to thermal—and what each step taught us about pressured coyotes. Cody breaks down thermal palettes, detection versus identification, and why removing visible light prevents educating pairs that slip away and never forget. We also get clear about the law: where thermal is allowed for predators, where it’s banned for big game, how daytime heat affects performance, and why some states are rethinking rules as adoption grows. The throughline is simple—use the tool responsibly or risk losing it, because predator management needs effective methods.

From seasonal rhythms to pelt quality, timing is everything. Late summer into fall brings dispersal and the highest dog counts of the year; late October to mid-February offers the best fur; March denning can make responses slow and quiet. Along the way, we swap stories about striking color phases and tough-luck survivors that still answer a call. It’s a grounded, field-tested view of coyote behavior, ethics, and policy that respects fair chase while recognizing the real impact coyotes have on fawn survival and working lands.

If you care about calling, conservation, and keeping opportunity open, this one belongs in your queue. Tap follow, share it with a hunting partner, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

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The shows are finally in the rearview, the colds are fading, and the conversations we had at the booth lit a fire under us. We met listeners who’ve packed freezers and missed shots, shook hands with makers who obsess over the little details, and left with a sharper vision for where we’re headed: more field-ready skills, smarter gear choices, and a community that knows how to defend what it loves.

We kick off with show highlights—new backdrops, loaned mounts that stopped people in their tracks, and partners whose products actually solve problems. From Bravo Tents to Skullcraft Collective to Blacktail Solution, we spotlight the folks building quality for hunters who care. Then we map what’s next: a coyote hunting run with Cody Sanchez, thermal tactics, smarter predator calls, and hands-on learning through our classes and Hunter’s Gathering.

Midway through, the terrain changes. We tackle the tough policy questions shaping access and opportunity. Can anti-hunting groups game limited-entry draws? How do point systems differ by state, and what does point creep mean for your odds? Most urgent of all, we unpack Oregon’s IP28, a sweeping proposal framed as anti-cruelty that reaches far beyond hunting and fishing into ranching, slaughter, and even pest control. We lay out the economic and public health fallout, and we make the case for alliances across hunters, anglers, farmers, exterminators, guides, and processors who are all on the line together. Public lands also take center stage as we push back on efforts to enable federal land sales, arguing for a nonpartisan, long-term commitment to keep BLM and national forest access open and managed well.

We close with action. If the local rooms won’t hear us, we find bigger rooms: write the White House, contact agency heads, and ask for federal commitments that secure hunting and fishing on federal lands and protect public health. Meanwhile, we’ll keep teaching the craft—predator strategies, gear that works, and better decision-making in the field—because skill and stewardship go hand in hand.

If you value stories from the booth, hard-won tactics, and straight talk on policy, hit follow, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review telling us the one issue you want us to tackle next.

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What if your mount could tell the whole story every time someone walked past it? We sit down with Clay Bond from Bonded Outdoors to talk about turning memories into heirlooms with personalized leather tags and shoulder-mount patches that hold dates, places, spent brass, and even the state-issued tag. It’s a simple idea with real weight: a clean, handsome way to “hang on to the hunt” and keep the people, the work, and the moment alive.

Clay opens up about launching Bonded Outdoors in late 2023 while juggling full-time jobs and opposite schedules. We get candid about the realities of the outdoor industry—hidden fees, website builds, insurance, shipping, and the discipline it takes to limit product options so quality stays high. There’s no gloss here, just field-tested advice: grow slow, master a few pieces first, and let your systems and customer feedback guide what comes next.

We also compare marketing paths that work and those that don’t. Print ads in regulations books and magazines felt promising but delivered little, even with promo codes. Short-form social video did the opposite, driving authentic reach and orders by showing process, first-harvest celebrations, and real mounts. We dig into why consistent branding beats chasing trends, how apparel should support recognition rather than distract, and why “serve first, then hunt” is the culture filter for partnerships and pro staff.

At the center of it all is Duke, the blacktail whose antlers became the “U” in the Bonded Outdoors logo. Clay’s story of a rainy day, a daughter scrambling through laurels, and a family-first harvest brings the brand to life—and proves that meaning beats measurement. If you’re building an outdoor brand, or simply want a better way to honor your own hunts, this conversation is a guidepost.

Subscribe for more honest conversations about hunting, gear, and building a life around the outdoors—and share this episode with a friend who’s sitting on a great idea.

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Think blacktail won’t daylight over bait? They’re not stubborn; they’re spoiled for choice. We bring on Gary Sims—cofounder of Limbsaver and the mind behind Blacktail Solution—to explain how flavor, precision nutrients, and smart timing flip the script on nocturnal patterns while building a stronger herd. Gary grew up on the Oregon coast with elk and blacktail everywhere, and that background led him to a simple idea with big consequences: if a blacktail likes it, every other ungulate will eat it. The trick is getting them to like it consistently.

We dive into why west-side deer often ignore salt blocks, and how a true supplement fills the gaps: protein for tissue and antlers, calcium and phosphorus for bone density, selenium and zinc for immunity, and iron for oxygen-rich blood. Palatability is the hinge—blacktail are picky—so Gary micro-batches every bag for identical flavor and nutrient delivery. Then comes the behavior shift: put out a small amount in mid-afternoon to create urgency. Early visitors win, late visitors lose, and bucks start sliding into that 4:30 to last-light window instead of 10 p.m.

Along the way, we talk antler jumps from solid frames to genuine trophy class, better doe lactation and fawn vigor, and why this mix draws elk yet tends to be ignored by bears. We cover post-rut recovery, winter stress, and how targeted feeding can reduce wasted effort for weekend warriors. We also address the realities of bait bans, selective harvest, and what real herd health support should look like when seasons are short and pressure is high.

If your goal is bigger racks, healthier fawns, and more daylight chances, this conversation lays out the playbook: precision ingredients, consistent flavor, and timing that changes behavior. Tap to listen, then tell us your smartest feeding tweak or timing trick. If you enjoyed the show, follow, share it with a hunting buddy, and leave a quick review so more folks can find us.

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Not every buck is meant to be chased. We dig into Bud’s hard-won blacktail system—how a season of empty sits became a framework for finding “killable bucks” on pressured public land. The shift sounds simple but it changes everything: hunt the animal that proves he’ll move in daylight, in places he already feels safe, on a route you can protect with wind and access.

We walk through the Elvis vs. Charlie saga to show the pivot in real time. Elvis patterned every exit and showed up minutes after dark. Charlie started to daylight when we nudged a stand 40 yards up the hill—proof that micro-moves beat marathon effort. From there, we break down how to read October like a live map: fresh rubs, crisp tracks, and the narrow, quiet trails that skirt heavy doe traffic. We get specific about “dark” cover, why alders lie, how to use mushrooms and holly as subtle habitat tells, and how to read satellite texture to find edges worth your boot leather.

Gear and shots matter once you’re in range. Bud explains the comfort curve at 12 to 18 yards, why nine yards can feel too close, and how heavy arrows and broadhead construction impact penetration on big-bodied blacktails. We compare chisel-tip versus cut-on-contact failures, talk quartering-away priorities, and outline a shot plan that keeps tracking short and clean. Along the way, we cover managing multiple sets without diluting effort, refusing to ask a buck to cross exposed features, and balancing late-season grind with early-season opportunities when a summer pattern gives you a green light.

If you’re heading to our classes or Hunter’s Gathering, bring your pins and 360 photos—we’ll review your actual spots and walk through an e-scouting workflow that blends OnX, Google Earth, and fresh sign. Subscribe, share this with a buddy who’s chasing ghosts, and drop a comment with the one change you’ll make to turn your next buck into a daylight certainty.

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What if the biggest lever for stronger deer herds isn’t predator control, but the ground under their hooves? We dig into fresh data, field studies, and on-the-ground observations across California, Oregon, and Washington to challenge a common assumption: that coyotes, bears, and cougars are the primary drivers of deer declines. Yes, predators take a heavy toll on fawns, but when landscapes lack protein-rich forage, edge, and cover, mortality stays high even where predators are scarce. The thread running through it all is habitat.

We break down population estimates for elk, deer, bears, and cougars, then zoom into unit-level realities like hoof rot in Southwest Washington and how aging forests reduce carrying capacity. The research is striking: in California chaparral, fawn-to-doe ratios jumped from 85:100 in tall, dense stands to 147:100 where prescribed fire and reseeding created a patchwork of grasses and legumes. Even two years after wildfire, ratios rose to 116:100. That mosaic of cover and fresh browse turns out to be a recruitment engine, and the same principle holds in timber country where rotational logging creates productive early-successional forage near security cover.

We also talk age structure and why older does matter more than most people think. Mature mothers pick better nurseries and keep movements tight, boosting fawn survival. Predator control has a role—especially targeted coyote work near fawning windows—but without habitat, gains fade. With habitat, regulated hunting becomes a precise tool for balance, helping prevent density-driven disease and keeping herds resilient.

Our takeaway is simple: build coalitions around habitat first. That message resonates with hunters, hikers, and conservation-minded voters alike and delivers more deer, healthier ecosystems, and better seasons. Join us as we connect the dots between policy, science, and practical land work—and help spread the word. Subscribe, share with a friend who hunts, and tell us: what habitat project would you champion where you live?

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The trailhead looks crowded and it’s tempting to say hunting has exploded—but the numbers tell a different story. We dig into decades of data from California, Oregon, and Washington and find steep declines in license sales even as state populations soar. That drop doesn’t just change who we see in the woods; it guts the funding that keeps wardens in the field, hatcheries open, and habitat projects moving. It also shrinks our political voice, making it easier for decision-makers to ignore science-based game management when only a sliver of voters are hunters.

We talk openly about the culture, too. Social media can turn a quiet hunt into a performance, piling on pressure to “fill a tag” and nudging some toward bad choices. We push back on that and return to first principles: your tag, your hunt, your standard. Meat in the freezer is a trophy. Passing a buck can be the right move. Teaching a new hunter might matter more than posting a grip-and-grin. Those small, ethical choices create a healthier community—and better outcomes for wildlife.

Solutions start with unlikely allies. Deer are an umbrella species; when deer do well, ecosystems do well. That’s why we champion broader coalitions—hunters, anglers, hikers, timber partners, and conservation groups like Mule Deer Foundation, RMEF, and NWTF—focused on habitat restoration, responsible predator management, migration corridors, and access. We also tackle the access debate head-on: gated roads bottleneck people and inflate the sense of crowding, and paid entry can feel unfair, but with intentional partnerships and clear rules, working forests can be wildlife engines and reliable hunting grounds.

We close by calling for science-first management and unified advocacy. When participation falls, we need more voices, not fewer; more mentorship, not more gatekeeping. If you care about blacktails, elk, or healthy forests, your voice matters right now. Subscribe, share with a hunting buddy or an outdoors-curious friend, and leave a review telling us the first step you’d take to strengthen conservation where you live.

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