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 to go all in. Highlights from the conversation include: * Taking conference calls from the duck blind * We go way back * Raising our kids in the outdoors * Get them the donuts! * That time I gave Brett a mullet in a Kansas duck camp * GMO corn and how it affects duck migration * More corn and more lakes in Kansas than ever before, what does that mean for Texas duck hunters? * Why don’t any of us guide turkey hunts anymore? * Season leases available (Three Curl Lease Connection) * Dove forecast * Thermal hog hunting offered a way to go full time * Helicopter hog hunting * How do they not run out of product (hogs)? * Charles’ thoughts on TPWD not requiring a hunting license to hunt feral hogs * Are they still mad at the ducks like we all used to be? * “Put the beers away and the fire out” * Make it fun for the kids if you want them to come back * Target Rich Environment on the Pursuit Channel

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 guy Tyler Lynham. After that, Tyler invited us all over to house so we could tape the show in his awesome man cave. Highlights from the conversation include: * Bowfishing on Canyon Lake (first time at full pool in over a decade) * Did I do better or worse than last year? * How a side by side changed the game for our family over the past 12 months * Tyler’s African Cichlids * Texas Cichlids * Dean and his 6.5 Creedmoor * Neck shots on big nilgai bulls * Tyler’s obscure .243 on steroids * Exotic sheep meat * Anyone eating auodad? * Upcoming alligator hunt * New Can Am’s bigger engine and back up cams * Benefits from Can Am, Polaris & Kawasaki, plus a new player in the game (CF Moto) * What side by side would they each choose if money wasn’t an object and why? * Fall hunting and fishing plans (Stunning cichlid display in Tyler’s trophy room)

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 the good outweigh the bad? Most of the time I’m not sure. However, when Christian randomly popped up in my algorithm, I knew on that day, social media was a good thing.  Being along for the ride as he embraced a lifestyle (that he admits was always calling him) that he knew nothing about has been one of the most wholesome and rewarding things I’ve seen in 2026. Highlights from our conversation include: * Growing up in the New York metro area * Why do metropolitan men fail to get into the outdoors? * Isn’t it in our DNA as men? * “I say ‘Ya’ll” all the time now” * Duck hunting in a Rolex * Tarpon fishing in Florida * An international wing shooting trip * What is Christian’s goal with his newfound passion? * Best bang for your buck luxury watch? * Did cell phones hurt the high-end watch industry * “It’s really just a big flex” * Hemmingway, Capstick and Ruark * Emasculated and hopeless men * A chilled bottle of Vermentino and a half a pound of squid, the good life isn’t that expensive * Thanks Dad

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 America’s 4 sheep species is the most challenging to hunt? * Time spent in Africa * How a law degree lead to a career at Safari Club International * Trophy import permitting issues * Bontebuck and Cape Mountain Zebra * What is the Federal Subsistence Board and what purpose do they serve? * Why should Alaska be managed differently than every other state? * Federal Subsistence Board’s lengthy history of unscientific wildlife management * Who loses out when they overstep their boundaries? * SCI’s role in combatting their overreach * Moose and caribou primarily in the crosshairs * What constitutes a “rural user” * Alaska gets it right on predator management, activists interfere * Upcoming hunts for this fall

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 how hunting pressure affects the way ducks move on a landscape. Highlights from a very interesting conversation include: * Growing up hunting in New York * Climate’s impact on waterfowl survey results * If we get rain, will the ducks rebound? * Duck farming and how it changes (or doesn’t) how ducks congregate on the ice line * Gadwalls and their low brow diet * Widgeon and ringnecks – forever intertwined * How ducks use refuges closed to hunting * What happens when ducks are pushed off a refuge by boat traffic? * How ducks react when they see a human vs hearing a shotgun blast * Measuring the impact of shotgun blasts with modern technology * Radio backpacks on migrating mallards * Are ducks really feeding more at night to avoid hunting pressure? * The right ratio of food vs habitat

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 frequently in conservation circles. But this is who we are and what hunters do so for the Origins Foundation to step up and invest in this kind of work isn’t surprising at all. Highlights from the conversation include: * How did Robbie and Origins Foundation get wind of this project and subsequently become a huge part of it’s success? * Why are cheetahs one of the most threatened large carnivores in Africa? * The bottleneck and inbreeding * Why don’t hunters historically pursue cheetahs? * The lion problem * Cheetah behavior and range * 53 Hours of nail-biting relocation * Did we lose any cats? * Canoes and cheetah crates in croc infested waters * How did National Geographic pick up the story and what does that mean for the hunting community as a whole? * Grandaddy’s .416 Rigby * Buffalo hunting in his footsteps * No mountain reedbuck? * Perhaps a pronghorn? * A place where the beautiful game, education and hunters beautifully intersect * Privatization of wildlife and why it works in Africa (Image Courtesy of the Origins Foundation)

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 videos…good or bad? * How many birds does the average hunter tag each spring? * Using Huntstand features to find new hunting spots * How many states has he hunted in? * Lyme disease update

“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? How can the population keep expanding if the whitetail deer boogeyman (CWD) is killing them all off? The answer to that rhetorical question, of course, is that CWD isn’t affecting their whitetail herd whatsoever. That reality holds true in every other state with positive CWD tests as well. This week, we are joined by a man who’s studied up on the numbers far more than I have. Stephen Ziegler of the popular Rack Junkies Facebook page and co-owner of Delong Lures has not only looked at deer population numbers, but more importantly he’s done the investigative digging on why the CWD narrative continues to be pushed on not only hunters, but also the non-hunting public. He must have uncovered some uncomfortable truth because the National Deer Association blocked not only Rack Junkies, but also his personal profile after Stephen posted what the CEO makes annually and how much tax-payer grant money they get for “CWD Research”. In addition to uncovering the greatest hunting hoax of our generation, we also dive into some other discussion points including: * How did he end up acquiring Delong Lures? * Who should be held responsible for caribou dying off in the Lower 48? * Hunting NGOs he’s found to be on the up and up financially vs those that aren’t * Bucketlist Florida hunting/fishing trip * Nick Shirley of the outdoor community * Corner crossing * What is Public Land intended for?  Should hunters be the only beneficiaries? * State wildlife agencies on the take for CWD grant money * National Deer Association drops 97% of their member base, CEO Nick Pinazotto’s salary goes up! * Trump’s actual legacy when it comes to sportsmen

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, however, she started having odd symptoms. After weeks of not knowing what was going on with her body, she realized that her strict carnivore diet of red meat was actually causing adverse reactions to her body. After getting her bloodwork done, it was also confirmed that Erin not only had contracted Alpha Gal, but Lyme Disease as well. Her recovery process was extremely aggressive, and she proved that Alpha Gal is beatable with the right focus and treatment plan. Erin talks about the importance of having a strong mental approach coupled with Chinese medicine and modern peptides. The result was beating Alpha Gal with a clean blood test after just 3.5 weeks! Her testimony should give all of us who routinely come into contact with ticks a little bit of hope that Alpha Gal is beatable.

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 safari seed in the big game hunter’s mind? * From the days of Roosevelt to Hemingway * What happened from Hemingway to the 1970s? * The seismic shift when Kenya shifted directions * A door opened for South Africa * The early days of John X and the South African safaris in general * Sleeping in the truck for 3 days waiting on an international client * What the heck was a Delta Pass? * The early SCI convention days * The change in mindset from the early collectors chasing inches to today’s hunter chasing experiences * Shooting from the bottom up * A special impala ram * Cable and Carl stumble upon a new species * An impressive nyala bull * A species list on a truck dashboard * A missed kudu bull * Reminiscing about a spectaculer mountain reedbuck