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I’ve known Brett Jepsen and Charles Spiegel a long time. So long, in fact, that they both had corporate 9-5 jobs when we first started hunting together. Three Curl Outfitters was in its infancy back then (as was this show) which meant Brett was guiding duck hunts part time and barely making enough to break even after factoring in leases, fuel and gear. So when did Charles come on board as a partner, when did they quit their 9-5 jobs and go all in, and how has their business evolved over the last 15 years? If you’re looking to make it as an outfitter, it requires dedication and a leap of faith
I traveled down to the New Braunfels area last week to hang out with the good folks over at Woods Cycle Country. The longtime power sports dealership is family owned and operated by hunters and anglers. You walk into the showroom floor and immediately see the taxidermy proudly displayed by their employees. Hunting rifles in gun vices are often worked on during slow days. This is a dealership for sportsmen, by sportsmen. In addition to picking up a new 2026 Can Am Defender Lone Star Edition, I also had the pleasure of spending a night bowfishing with Sales Manager Dean Morehead and top sales gu
This was one of the most fun conversations I’ve had in some time. New Jersey native Christian Zeron will tell that he’s “old to watches, new to hunting”. The luxury watch dealer recently went on his first duck hunt which subsequently led to a full-blown immersion into the outdoor lifestyle. Next thing he knew, he was trading in his Ralph Lauren cashmere sweaters for the latest high end hunting apparel from brands he couldn’t even pronounce. Then came gun purchases and his first international hunt (dove hunting in Argentina). I have always said that social media is a double-edged sword, does th
Madie Demaske is a lifelong big game hunter. The 2026 winner of the prestigious Diana Award (highest honor awarded by SCI to female hunters) has traveled the globe in search of the next hunting adventure a dozen times over. Her true love is mountain hunting for goat and sheep species. Her passion for conservation and legal background lead Madie to a position as full-time member of Safari Club International’s litigation team. Highlights from today’s conversation include: * Madie’s upbringing hunting big game in Colorado * Passion for sheep and goat hunting across the globe * Which of North Amer
Most duck hunters feel like waterfowl hunting has gotten more difficult in recent years. Some complain of a lack of access while others gripe about overcrowded WMA’s and other public water bodies being chalk full of other hunters. Couple that with a multi-year drop in duck numbers and it’s not hard to see why most hunters think killing ducks is harder than it’s ever been. On today’s episode I sit down with Tennessee Tech Associate Professor of Biology and waterfowl researcher Dr. Bradley Cohen. We discuss some recent research his team (as well as some trusted peers in the field) conducted on h
Our old friend Robbie Kroger of Origins Foundation makes his return to the show this week. We’ve been friends for nearly a decade at this point, and I always enjoy hearing about the Origin Foundation’s latest conservation work. During today’s discussion we focus primarily on a recent cheetah relocation project (the largest and riskiest on record) that Robbie was directly involved in. From the fundraising to boots on the ground, he was there every step of the way. Some might think it’s odd that hunters take an interest in a species like cheetahs that we don’t really hunt or talk about frequentl
Huntstand’s Josh Dahlke is obsessed with turkey hunting. When he isn’t in the turkey woods each spring, you can find him pouring over Huntstand maps planning next spring’s turkey hunts. During today’s conversation we dive into a myriad of longbeard related discussion points. Highlights include: * Turkey Season recap * How many states did he hunt this spring? * Which state proved to be the most difficult * Hunting turkeys in the rain – why do they do what they do? * Cyclone rain suit from Muddy * Thoughts on reaping and fanning * Why does reaping bother so many hunters? * Viral turkey hunting v
“Chronic Wasting Disease is going to wipe out whitetail herds”! We’ve all heard the jargon put forth by popular NGOs as well as many of our state wildlife governing agencies. But after 18 years of doing this, I (as well as you) am still waiting for the great CWD die off in a whitetail herd. Take Wisconsin for example, the state with the highest CWD detection rate in the country, yet they have a deer population that keeps growing, and growing to the point that the Wisconsin DNR keeps issuing more and more deer tags to hunters in an attempt to limit population growth. So how is that possible? Ho
Over 400,000 Americans now suffer from Alpha Gal Syndrome, the tick-borne illness that causes a red meat allergy (among other symptoms). Fitness guru and ironman athlete Erin Oprea joins the conversation this week to discuss her journey fighting Alpha Gal and subsequently offering anyone affected with the disease some hope of making a full recovery. Erin isn’t some super outdoorsy hunter or angler. She actually was bitten by a Lone Star tick while taking the dogs for a run in downtown Nashville. After pulling the tick off of her leg, she didn’t really think anything of it. A few weeks later, h
Carl Van Zyl and I have spent over 2 months of our lives hunting the South African bush together. Having just wrapped up our 9th safari, we sat down in the library at John X Safari’s Woodlands Camp to talk about our recent adventure. In addition to recapping the ups and downs of our latest safari, we also take a historical look at the historical romance and allure of hunting on the Dark Continent. From the days of Teddy to Hemingway to today’s hunter, what has changed vs what has stayed the same? Highlights include: * Safari number 9! * Who originally is responsible for planting the African sa
Nina Rogers and Meredith Powroznik met at a Field & Stream turkey camp this spring. The pair became fast friends and before they knew it, they’d spent the majority of turkey season trying to accomplish a pretty lofty goal: get Meredith a gobbler with her longbow. During this episode we discuss the ups and downs and close calls of their quest. Highlights from the conversation include: * Their dads’ respective roles in getting them involved in the outdoors * Thank you for your service * Calling turkeys with just your mouth * Meredith’s dedication and successes with the longbow, but why? * Nina a
Dr. Keith Tidball recently was named Executive Director of the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation. The Ivy League educated outdoorsman certainly bucked the norm during his time at Cornell. Highlights from today’s conversation include: * Upstate New York * How many Ivy League Schools can Cable name? * Educated rednecks * Bambo flyrods * Tying your own flies * Old guns * Safari Club International invests in the next generation of sportsmen and women * Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation and its role introducing American youth into the outdoor lifestyle * Answers on wild game nutrition * SCI Chapter support o
Matt Ward didn’t grow up hunting. The California native discovered his calling in his late 20s. But for the better part of the last 3 decades, he’s traveled the globe 10 times over in search of the next big game experience. His travels have taken to over 50 countries where he’s been charged by elephants, had guns drawn on him by the cartel and seen people executed in small town Islamic communities in the Middle East. On today’s episode the ‘A Hunter’s Quest’ personality and I touch on those things, plus a myriad of other topics including: * His advocacy and film for Catalina Island titled “Sav
Mark Lamb is an experienced Sheriff and an authentic, unapologetic, proven conservative leader. As Sheriff, he has seen the dangers of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime with his own two eyes. Currently running for Congress in Arizona, his #1 priority to keep Arizonans safe from the D.C. swamp and all it encompasses.
I’ve been highly critical of TWPD of late. Primarily regarding the attempt to force mandatory mountain lion harvest of a non-game species, which has drawn alot of interest, even on a national level by now. Recently, I made a post criticizing another recent proposal in the form of allowing high fence ranches in Texas four archery only counties (Grayson, Collin, Rockwall and Dallas) to hunt with rifles. These landowners knew the counties were archery only when they high fenced their ranches, so why should they expect to be above the law of the land? After seeing my commentary, Texas Parks & Wild
Louisiana outdoorsman Barret Fritscher joins the program this week. A tugboat captain who takes off a month every waterfowl season to chase ducks/geese from the Dakotas back home to Louisiana, the man lives and breathes hunting. By his side the whole time is his faithful black lab “Juice”. So, what’s the big deal? Plenty of guys head north with their duck dogs every fall. That is true, but do their faithful 4 legged duck hunting buddies also hunt bullfrogs? Yeah, it seems like something only a Cajun would come up with it, but it’s freaking awesome, nevertheless. I stumbled across Barret & Juic
Tammy Bartels joined me at the recent NRA Convention in Houston, Texas. She is the Operations Manager for Women for Gun Rights. Highlights from the conversation include: * Growing up in a hunting family, but not really understanding the 2A was for her as well * Women empowered by carrying * What is Women for Gun Rights? * Women highest percentage of new gun owners * Firearm instruction * Women at the polls
Our friend Baptiste Marchais makes his return to the show this week. Having fled the Muslim/Socialism takeover of his native France for Texas 4 years ago, Baptiste is the epitome of an immigrant success story. He built his outfitter/tourism business from literally nothing into a thriving enterprise that brings European hunters to the Lone Star State for a taste of our culture and hunting tradition. Highlights from the conversation include: * Fleeing France for Texas * Hunting culture in France * Predator (lack thereof) hunting in France * What does he guide his international clients for in Tex
The Hunter Chef makes his return to the show this week. Always great catching up and talking wild game with Michael Hunter. The longtime owner and head chef of Toronto’s popular Antler Kitchen & Bar has two wild game cookbooks under his belt and his currently working on number 3. Highlights from the conversation include: * Michael’s first Rio Grande turkey in Texas * Recording fail at SCI in Nashville * Crappie for the table * Busted speeding in small town Texas * USA vs Canada – at least you still have Maple Syrup * Celebrating 10 years of Antler Kitchen & Bar * The seedy underbelly of the se
Our longtime friend Baker Leavitt makes his return to the show this week. We roll unscripted and off the cuff. He mentioned he would be in the DFW area en route to a Mexico turkey hunt and we decided to get together. I can’t remember everything we discussed but some of the highlights include: * Mexico gobblers * RHINO cucks * What grade does Trump deserve in 2nd term? * Iran – his defining moment for America, what will his legacy show? * Elephant hunt doesn’t pan out * Mid-Terms * Southern Poverty Law Center – WTH!!! * Puerto Rico * Will it be AOC? * What’s next on the bucket list?
Mossberg VP Of Marketing Richard Kirk is a straight shooter; a no BS mentality delivered with a touch of humor. We sat down at the recent NRA Convention in Houston for a candid conversation spanning a myriad of topics. Highlights include: * Richard’s background/humble beginnings making $20K a year in NYC * What was it like working at Kimber with Ryan Busse? * A recent Alberta black bear hunt * The PRC Craze * God Bless Texas * Shorter barrels for hunting * It’s all threaded now * 590 Bliksem * The first gun Mossberg ever made (Brownie .22 Pistol) * Why did we get out of the pistol game recentl
This is the most important podcast we’ve done so far in 2026. For anyone that is unaware, Texas Parks & Wildlife is considering pushing the envelope even further on mountain lion regulations by requiring mandatory harvest reporting on a NON-GAME SPECIES! My friend and West Texas Big Bobcat Contest founder Jeremy Harrison makes his return for an in-depth conversation regarding a serious fundamental issue that appears to lie at the head of the snake in the form of TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz. Jeremy and I met in August of 2022 while speaking at the annual TPWD Commission Meeting in A
Our longtime friend and hunting icon Larry Weishuhn makes his (and one of the nicest folks in the outdoor community) makes his return to the show this week. “Mr. Whitetail” has been rattling in big bucks longer than many of us have been alive. Highlights from our recent conversation at the NRA Convention in Houston include: * What’s up with Cable’s haircut * Larry’s involvement in Texas inaugural spring turkey season (circa 1970s) * Turkey roosts in the thousands * Spring black bear and the death moan * Rattling 101: When, where and how long does he rattle? * Major and minor feeding times, doe
Jason Hardin has worked with turkeys for a long time. He’s headed up Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Turkey Program for the past 19 years. I am excited to have our old friend back on the airwaves this week to discuss a wide array of turkey related topics. Highlights from the conversation include: * Wildlife Biologists that actually hunt and why that is important * Jason’s early public land gobbler success this spring * Public land turkey opportunity in Texas * Chachalaca hunting (What the heck is a chachalaca?) * Are modern decoys and practices like “reaping” having a negative effect on wild turkey p
I haven’t come across many Western big game hunters who are as passionate as Carter Lewis. The Virginia native simply lives and breathes it. Remarkably, he’s living his dream of chasing bucks and bulls through the backcountry on one leg. A fireman by trade, Carter was hit by a tractor trailer on his first day on the job and tragically had to have his right leg amputated below the knee. Instead of wasting away feeling sorry for himself, he was back in the woods 3 weeks post-accident and has been going full tilt ever since. We talk about the accident and recovery before diving into a myriad of t
