The Outdoor Life Podcast
Episodes
Turkey Calling Secrets with Champion Caller Dustin Jones
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dustin Jones is an accomplished competition turkey caller, hunter, and call maker. He's got plenty of awards to his credit (like winning the 2025 Gra...
They Lived in the Boundary Waters for an Entire Year
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A decade ago Dave and Amy Freeman spent a year living in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Now, as the fate of the wilderness hangs in the ...
The Full Story Behind Our Controversial Helicopter Hunt on Landlocked Public Ground
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last season, hunting editor Andrew McKean and his buddies accessed a piece of public ground by flying in. The aftermath of their once-in-a-lifetime hu...
Unexpected Takeaways from the Ultimate Turkey Load Test
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're digging into the nuances of TSS and lead turkey loads, both in terms of price and performance. Executive editor Natalie Krebs recen...
Randy Newberg Breaks Down What’s Coming for Public Lands in 2026
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Randy Newberg and Andrew McKean explore how our lawmakers are eroding protections for public land, throwing out public input, and how this is all goin...
Surprising Destinations for the DIY Turkey Hunter
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For six seasons Roy Holdford, also known as Curl Hunts, has loaded up his van and hit the road for three full months of DIY public-land and permission...
NWTF's Top Researcher Explains the Turkey Decline
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Wightman gets that America’s turkey hunters are cranky. Understanding and applying turkey research, he says, can help. That's why he wants...
Here's Why the Plan to Recover Wild Bison Has Become So Controversial
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last month the U.S. Department of the Interior said it will revoke the grazing permits that have allowed American Prairie to run bison on roughly 63...
The Flooded-Corn Controversy vs. Duck Hunting's New Reality
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
All duck hunters want to talk about right now is the growing debate over the culprit of shortened mallard migrations in the Mississippi Flyway. Here's...
New Guns, Trends, and Tech from the SHOT Show
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This year's SHOT Show features new guns, of course, but we're also seeing introductions of electro-optics, the suppressor boom, and more. Hosted by e...
Director Brian Nesvik on the Future of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
OL hunting and conservation editor Andrew McKean heads to D.C. to interview Brian Nesvik, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under hi...
I Corner Crossed the Wyoming Ranch That Started It All
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Contributor and Wyoming resident Christine Peterson returned to the Elk Mountain ranch that started the legal battle over corner crossing all those y...
Our Senior Staff Writer Nearly Died on a Backcountry Hunt
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As many Outdoor Life listeners and followers might have heard, our senior staff writer Tyler Freel was severely injured during a backcountry hunt in I...
Spearfishing for Walleyes Is Coming to the Great Lakes. And That's Not a Bad Thing
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Spearfishing for walleyes and other game fish has slowly been gaining traction in the Great Lakes, and starting April 2026, the sport will enter a new...
This Is Why You're Getting Bad Blood Trails with the 6.5 Creedmoor
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are lots of things to consider when it comes to cartridge selection for killing deer. But when it comes to recovering those deer, especially w...
Levi Morgan’s Whitetail Secrets
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our gear editor got a chance to hang stands and trail cameras with Levi Morgan this summer. Now he's back hunting with the championship archer in Illi...
How Trawling Is Robbing Alaska's Anglers
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, trawlers operating off Alaska’s coast legally catch, kill, and toss overboard tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of salmon, along with ...
The Bizarre Mystery Behind the World-Record Whitetail Sheds
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Antler collector Josh Duncan paid a premium to own the world-record whitetail shed antlers. But after he bought them, a troubling revelation came to l...
Is Ryan Callaghan the Optimist Our Public Lands Need?
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The MeatEater personality and longtime conservationist has been tapped to run Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Here's how Ryan 'Cal' Callaghan thinks ...
Everything You Need to Know About Broadheads and Arrow Speed
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gear editor and absolute archery geek Scott Einsmann explains all the testing he's done lately on arrow speed and broadhead performance. Hosted by E...
The Ethics of Long-Range Hunting
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's probably nobody out there who has covered precision rifles, ammo, and optics more intensely than OL shooting editor John B. Snow. But John is ...
The Truth About Bear Guns
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of things people get wrong about picking a bear rifle or defensive gun. According to our resident Alaskan and bonafide griz skinner Ty...
Trump Just Approved the Ambler Road Project. Here's What Outdoorsmen Need to Know
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an unprecedented move, President Trump announced he was invoking an obscure federal provision to disregard public feedback and move forward with th...
What Really Happened to the Missing Colorado Elk Hunters
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest story in the outdoors recently was a tragic one. Two elk hunting buddies, Andrew Porter and Ian Stasco, were found dead in southern Colora...
Jack O'Connor Was Right All Along
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
OL's former shooting editor is arguably the greatest outdoor writer of all time. And even though Jack O'Connor was writing decades ago, much of his w...
A Kid Shot His First Turkey. Why Is He Being Charged with a Felony?
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A teenager is facing a felony charge in Georgia for killing a turkey that was strutting on his family’s property this spring — a bird that his for...
Bowhunting Dall Sheep Solo — with a Longbow
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Alaska hunter Paul Forward explains what it's like bowhunting for doll sheep solo, why the Brooks Range is so special, and why he thi...
The Drone Project That's Revealing Surprising Buck Behavior
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After collecting hundreds of hours of drone footage of wild deer on his family's Missouri property, Derrick Dixson of the Whitetail Research YouTube c...
Hard Truths About Scouting Public Land
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're hunting public land, you're probably not going to be able to pattern a mature buck before opening day. But that's not necessarily a bad thin...
Don't Buy a New Optic Without This Advice
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about a new pair of binos or a riflescope? Here's what optics editor Andrew McKean recommends before you spend your hard-earned cash. This e...
Why the Boundary Waters Mine Is a "Bad Trade"
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many outdoorsmen, conservationists, do not want to see a massive copper-nickle mine carved into the headwaters of the Boundary Waters. To better ex...
One of the Greatest Archers of All Time Explains How to Be a Better Bowhunter
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Outdoor Life podcast, gear editor Scott Einsmann sat down with Levi Morgan, a pro-archer, 16-time 3D archery world champion, an...
How I Stopped a Charging Griz at 5 Yards (with My 10mm)
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On a hot summer evening, two Alaskans were scouting for the upcoming moose season when they accidentally walked right into a grizzly bear’s kill. Th...
Sued, Sabotaged, and Threatened: The Cowboys Caught Up in the Wild Horse Problem
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Contractor and lifelong wrangler Jackie Hughes knows how to scout and bait-trap wary feral horses. She also knows how to deal with irate activists wh...
Are Conservation Groups Spending Our Money Wisely?
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After DOGE canceled funding for the Take Me Fishing campaign and the organization that administers it, the fishing industry was upset. Many online com...
Deer Hunting with a .22 Creedmoor?
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this spring, on a ranch in Texas, we got the chance to sit down with the two diehard predator hunters who developed the fast and flat-shooting...
Why Can’t We Pass Silencer Deregulation?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Hearing Protection Act got thrown out of the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill — as expected. Brandon Maddox, the CEO of Silencer ...
The Best Bow of the Year Is...
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's telling (and fun) to test all the new flagship compounds side by side, but one of the highlights is mapping out where the archery industry is hea...
Randy Newberg on How Hunters Can Kill the Public Land Sales Bill
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Contained inside the "Big Beautiful Bill," which will influence national priorities for health care, taxation, agricultural policy, and defense spendi...
The Washington Wildlife Commission Is “Bad Government on Steroids”
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When lawyers for the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance finally got their hands on the thousands of texts and emails exchanged among four anti-hunting wildlife...
Father’s Day Special: One Last Hunt on the Family Farm
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, hunting editor Andrew McKean returns to his Missouri family farm in November for a farewell to his childhood home and his late ...
Is There Really Price Fixing in the Archery Industry?
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A class-action lawsuit is accusing retailers like Bass Pro and bowmakers like Hoyt of artificially inflating the prices of archery equipment. Industr...
What Happens After You Kill a Grizzly in Self Defense
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Lee of Choteau, Montana, was mushroom hunting with his brother-in-law last month when they were charged by a grizzly sow. The encounter itself ...
The Game Wardens Who Cracked the CJ Alexander Case
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ohio DNR law enforcement officers Isaiah Gifford and Matt Roberts helped uncover one of the biggest poaching busts of the century. Here's how they ...
The Most Accurate Rifle Ammo We've Ever Tested
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While he's written about ammunition plenty in the past, OL shooting editor John B. Snow has never been fully satisfied with how we (or anybody else in...
Inside the 'Dark-of-Night' Scheme to Sell Public Lands
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Introduced in the dark of night, with no debate, no actual maps, and no idea of fiscal impacts, the bill that requires the sale of 500,000 acres of fe...
Why Does Ammo Keep Getting More Expensive?
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ammo prices have come down since the pandemic spike, but they’re still higher than they were in early 2020. We asked ammo industry insiders about th...
The Shooting Match All Hunters Should Compete In
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you really want to become a better shot on big game, there's no better way than competing in an NRL hunter match. Our senior staff writer Tyler Fr...
America's Great Public Lands Agitator Is Back
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Land Tawney, the former CEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, is back with a new lobbying group. And he's going hard against politicians who are pus...
Advanced Turkey Decoy Tactics with Mark Drury
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot more to decoy strategy than simply staking out a hen and jake at 20 yards. Here's how Mark Drury of Drury Outdoors thinks about how to m...
The Best New Rifles & Handguns of the Year
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from the annual OL gun test, shooting editor John B. Snow and senior staff writer Tyler Freel tackle rifle trends, the most interestin...
Suppressors Are the New Normal
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No matter if you own half a dozen cans or you've never even shot one, there's a lot to learn about suppressors. In this week's episode we cover the ra...
Turkey Calling Tips with Shane Simpson
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to calling and killing turkeys, Shane Simpson is the real deal. In this week's episode he calls in from the field with advice for striki...
The Real Story Behind the Pending World-Record Elk
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After months of social media controversy and a formal Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation, Casey Brooks shared his story with us....
Everything You Need to Know About Shooting Turkeys (Beyond 40 Yards)
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We agree that close-quarters turkey hunting is always the goal. But if you need to take a longer shot or watch a gobbler walk off, you can't just assu...
It's Time to Start Taking Public-Land Transfer Seriously
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A serious threat to federal land is unfolding across America right now. It's also—maybe, possibly—an opportunity to fix the management issues that...
I Nearly Died on a Duck Hunt
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Utah duck hunter Chris Pebley was thrown out of his duck boat, his buddy Weston Leatherow thought Chris had only broken his leg. The stakes were ...
The Feds Fired Key Public-Land Workers. Here's What It Means for You
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Contributor Christine Peterson spoke with many of the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior employees who lost their jobs on Friday in the la...
Friction-Call Secrets from the Winningest Turkey Caller in History
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Champion turkey caller and callmaker Matt Van Cise has soft spot for friction calls. Here's how he thinks about selecting a call, holding and striking...
Trump, Conservation, and Public Lands
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our hunting and conservation editor dives into the recent federal funding freeze, the new secretary of the Department of the Interior, and more. Edite...
How Do You Wage a War on Poaching? With Lie Detectors, K9 Units, and Pure Grit
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
South Africa has a poaching problem. A decade ago, General Johan Jooste oversaw the transformation of Kruger National Park’s field rangers into an ...
New Guns, Trends, and Ammo from the SHOT Show
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
These are the new guns that have caught our team's attention at the annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show this week. Guests are shooting ed...
The Most Interesting (and Polarizing) New Rifle Cartridge of the Year
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No one has more trigger time with the new 7mm BC — or more accuracy and velocity data — than our shooting editor. Here’s the full story behind F...
Wolves Will Be Delisted, and Other Predictions for 2025
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hunting editor Andrew McKean runs through the outdoor issues that will make headlines this year. Just take each with a grain of salt. Edited by Mike P...
The Story Behind the Craziest Poaching Case of the Year
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One year ago, Ohio resident CJ Alexander killed a truly monster buck and his story went viral. This month, he was sentenced for one of the biggest poa...
What We Get Wrong About Whitetails, with Jeff Sturgis
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You've got everything dialed: food, habitat, stand setup, and day-of strategy. The only problem? You're not actually killing your target bucks. Jim St...
How to Miss Fewer Birds
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wish you had practiced more this summer? Field and Stream's shotgun editor Phil Bourjaily explains how to tune up your wingshooting mid-season and, ju...
Are American-Made Knives Still the Best?
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tester, collector, and all-around knife nerd Scott Einsmann explains what's going on with knives made in the USA, why Chinese-made knives might surpri...
Real Talk About the Best Deer Cartridges and Bullets
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shooting editor John B. Snow explains why a .300 Win Mag won't fix all your problems, and more wisdom to keep in mind this season. Edited by Mike Pede...
Ditch Your Treestand and Hunt from the Ground, with Andrew McKean / Masters of the Rut
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You don't have to sit in a treestand all fall. Hunting editor Andrew McKean has killed deer all over the continent. Most of the time, it was with two ...
How to Help New Hunters Shoot Their First Deer with Natalie Krebs / Masters of the Rut
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every year our executive editor takes someone from a non-hunting family on their first deer hunt with the NDA's Field to Fork program. Here's what she...
Secrets of Big Buck Killer Jared Mills / Masters of the Rut
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hunter Jared Mills shares his tips for making the most of your opportunity when a big buck finally comes into range. This episode is brought to you by...
Advanced Trail Cam Tactics with Josh Honeycutt and Dr. James Johnson / Masters of the Rut
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t just scroll through your trail cam pictures. Instead, apply these strategies from outdoor writer Josh Honeycutt and Dr. James Johnson, both of...
Secrets of GPS Collared Bucks with Dr. Bronson Strickland / Masters of the Rut
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At this point in the deer season, all serious whitetail hunters have two important questions to answer: When will that target buck move? And where wil...
Hunting Big-Woods Bucks with Brett Joy / Masters of the Rut
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of our six-part series, we're interviewing expert deer hunters from all around the country. Today we're talking to Brett Joy, a ...
Why Small Cartridges Are So Effective on Big Game
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
folks have been putting big animals down for over a hundred years with cartridges that would have social media commenters’ thumbs worked into a fren...
Why Your Trail Cameras Don’t Work
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you have a love-hate relationship with your trail cameras, you're not alone. That's why we sat down with Rich Howell, the founder of Trailcampro.co...
Inside the Strangest Fishing Competition in America
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every September, trout guides and amateurs alike descend on the Snake River to compete in a charity event. It’s based around a simple yet formidable...
Did YouTube Ban Gun Videos?
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Social media has become an inhospitable place for anyone who is creating firearms content. That’s why a new, misunderstood YouTube policy has create...
Where Are All the Ducks?
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Duck hunters reported one of their worst years on record last year. The USFWS says mallard numbers are up and breeding ducks are looking their best in...
The Biggest Myths in Mountain Hunting
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
OL's resident mountain hunter Tyler Freel separates fact from all the fiction surrounding backcountry gear, prep, and execution. Here's what matters, ...
Why Today's College Anglers Are Tomorrow's Bass Pros
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the best bass fishing in America is happening on the college circuit. And as these leagues have expanded, they’ve become the ultimate provin...
The Only Bowhunting Gear That Actually Matters
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As bow season approaches, you might be scrambling to get everything on your setup perfectly dialed. Instead, re-center and think about what actually m...
The Best New Shotguns of the Year
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We headed to Grinnell, Iowa, to test the newest field of sporting and hunting shotguns, plus an entirely new field for this year: tactical shotguns. S...
Why Forward Facing Sonar Won’t Be Banned
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no more polarizing topic in the fishing world right now than forward facing sonar (FFS). At this point, it’s foolish to deny its effective...
Why Traditional Backpacking Gear Is Dead
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we sit down with staff writer and PCT veteran Laura Lancaster to explain our recent ultralight backpack test, why hunters might be intereste...
What You Need to Know About New Optics
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we sit down with our optics editor, Andrew McKean, to discuss the armloads of new optics he's been testing for weeks, including binoculars, ...
Here’s How Hunting Gets Banned
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-hunters have a playbook that's extremely effective at persuading the public to change wildlife management. This week on the podcast, Alex intervi...
Has Trail Cam Technology Gotten Too Good?
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's a lot to love about new trail cameras as their features get more sophisticated and easier to use. There are also a few concerns with all that ...
Quick Strike with Joe Cermele: Old School Bass Lures You Should Be Fishing Right Now
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast we're introducing you to Outdoor Life's newest podcast: Quick Strike with Joe Cermele. In this first episode of the show, OL'...
Fudd Lore: 5 of the Worst Myths in Rifle Shooting and Hunting
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To be a Fudd, you simply have to hold onto an old idea no matter how much new and better information contradicts it. This mindset has always been a pa...
Australia Has an Anti-Hunter Problem, and the U.S. Isn't Far Behind
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Animal-rights activists have gained permanent ground in Australia in the fight to shut down recreational duck hunting. Much of what’s happening in ...
Budget Bows vs Used Flagships: What's the Better Deal?
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
P.J. Reilly has been reviewing bows for Lancaster Archery Supply since 2016 and that historical context makes him one of the most knowledgeable bow re...
You've Been Sighting in Your Rifle All Wrong
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most people walk away from the range with a “near-o” rather than a zero, as one of shooting editor John B. Snow's precision rifle buddies aptly pu...
Why Big-Game Auction Tags Are a Necessary Evil
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Highly-coveted statewide big-game hunting tags have traditionally been auctioned to the highest bidders. But the idea that opportunities to pursue pu...
I Shot a Mountain Lion at 7 Paces
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years Scott Haugen has hunted plenty of dangerous game animals, including man-eating lions and crocodiles in Africa and a man-eating tiger in...
Deer Love Mushroom Food Plots. Why Aren’t More Hunters Planting Them?
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so hard for deer hunters to believe that deer love mushrooms? We asked deer hunting and mushroom food plot evangelist Matt Williams about th...
PFAS Bans Will Radically Change How Outdoor Gear Is Made
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The forever chemicals known as PFAS are in everything from takeout containers to your favorite breathable, waterproof rain gear. They're also getting ...
Why the Wyoming Wolf Torture Incident Could Shape Wolf Management for a Generation
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If there’s anything redeeming about the February incident in which a wild wolf was run over by a snowmobiler, then muzzled and paraded around a Wyom...
The Best New Guns of the Year
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 2024 Outdoor Life Gun Test introduced us to sweet-shooting rimfires, a pile of impressive centerfires and handguns, and what might be the best bol...