6 Ranch Podcast

I travel to many different states each year to hunt, but one of my favorite places to go is Texas. In fact, I just got back from an awesome Texas hunt where a buddy of mine harvested a beautiful scimitar oryx. Texas' rich species and terrain diversity offers some incredible opportunities, but if you've never traveled out of state to hunt, the planning process can be daunting. I'm here to tell you that it's not as complicated as it seems. In this episode I'll walk you through how to plan a Texas hunt. I'll cover choosing a target species, finding a guide, flying with your gun and ammo, and how you'll get your meat and taxidermy home. With the start of a new year, I encourage listeners to step out of their comfort zones and seek new hunting opportunities, in whatever way they can. 

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is worse than losing an injured animal. I would go so far as to argue that when it comes to finding that animal and ending its suffering, it’s unethical not to use every available tool in your toolbox. One tool that we can potentially add to our arsenal is the use of drones. Mike Yoder is on the leading technological edge of hunting with his company, Drone Deer Recovery. If you lose a deer in the state of Ohio, Mike can meet you with his $20,000 thermal imaging drone and locate your dead or injured animal relatively quickly. But of course, many states don’t allow the use of drones in recovery (or hunting) period. I’m fascinated by this concept, and I want to hear your thoughts. Is drone recovery ethical or not? 

Drone Deer Recovery

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As one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, and certainly one of the most difficult to hunt, there's a good reason that cape buffalo are referred to as "black death." Mike Fell, a professional hunter guiding in east Africa, knows not to underestimate these animals. But even the most experienced hunters can be caught in a dangerous situation. About 6 months ago, Mike found himself face to face with an angry, wounded charging bull. Though Mike managed to kill the buffalo, he was gored in the groin just a centimeter away from his femoral artery. Mike's story is incredible, and his life’s work conserving and protecting African game from poachers is something to be admired. 

Email Mike to book a hunt at [email protected]

The 6 Ranch Podcast is coming to you from Kansas this week, as I'm joined by Shane Smith and Cody Tutak of Six Star Outfitters. Shane and Cody have spent their whole lives in Kansas and guide for white-tail and turkey. And with 25 collective years of coyote hunting experience, they also make a lethal team in coyote hunting competitions. In this episode, Shane and Cody walk me through how to hunt in Kansas for turkey, coyotes, and white-tailed deer, from gear selection and running stands, to reading animal behavior and making a clean shot. 

Book a Hunt with Six Star Outfitters 

The lower 48's grizzly bear population is expanding, something that Jaden Bales of Wyoming is well aware of. As an avid hunter, Jaden knows the risks and is here to share some tips to keep you safe in bear county. He's also the Communications Director for Wyoming Wildlife Federation, where his job is to bridge the knowledge gap between scientists and the public so that Wyoming residents can be informed wildlife advocates. In this episode, we discuss issues that are negatively impacting wildlife, such as vehicle collisions and chronic wasting disease. And with that, Jaden shares some possible solutions as well as what you can do to help. 

Jaden Bales on Instagram

Wyoming Wildlife Federation
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A life in rural Alaska is a totally foreign concept to most people. Unless you’ve experienced it, you have no clue what it takes. Patrick Lumba is one of the few who’s lived in the Alaskan bush. Though he currently lives in Wassila, Alaska, Patrick spent 9 years in the little town of Galena. With no roads in or out, and a population of 470, Galena is truly remote. In this episode, Patrick describes the seasonality and subsistence hunting rural Alaskans experience in a year. We also get into a fascinating hunting regulation that I’ve never heard of in my life, trophy destruction. 

I've gotten a lot of questions lately from folks who want to hunt spring bear, but don't know where to start. Something that catches new bear hunters off guard, is the fact that, in some states, you need to be applying for spring hunts right now. So, I decided to sit down and give you a step-by-step guide to western spring bear hunting. I’ll walk you through why to hunt, how to apply, and where to go. Then we’ll cover the hunt itself with tips on targeting boars vs sows, what gear to bring, and my favorite hunting method, the spot and stalk. Hunting spring bear is a hell of a good time, and I encourage folks to get out there this upcoming season.

Shoot me your questions on Instagram, or by leaving a review on apple podcasts. 

In my home county, at the head of Wallowa Lake, sits a local heirloom, the Wallowa Lake Lodge. Built in 1923 from trees cut and milled on site, the lodge has seen nearly 100 years of visitors and locals alike enjoying the property, as the world changed around it. In this episode, the lodge's General Manager, Madeline Lau, sat down with me to share some fascinating history, from reintroducing elk via trains and skis, to the story of Taft and Tarzan, two of the largest elk the state has likely ever seen.

Check out the Wallowa Lake Lodge:
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Kevin Plew has been fascinated with hunting his entire life, working as a hunting guide since the age of 14.  Elk is his passion, but he also guides for mule deer, white-tail, and buffalo. On a very recent hunt, Kevin found himself alone, face to face with an aggressive 225-pound black bear. His story is incredible, and further illustrates the need to carry a pistol while in the woods.

And to kick off this episode, we've got a special deer hunting story from 9-year-old Capen, the 6 Ranch Podcast's biggest fan. Capen loves to hunt and particularly loves the bear stories that have been told on this show.

Kevin on Instagram 

Cougars are one of the most divisive animals in the state. Hunting cougar with dogs has been illegal in Oregon since 1994, which creates strong opinions on both sides of the issue. And with incredibly low success rates, cougar hunting in Oregon is one of the toughest hunts in the nation. In today's episode, I'm joined by cougar expert, Derek Broman, for a deep dive on Oregon cougars. Derek is the Carnivore Fur Bearer Coordinator for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, where he manages the bear, cougar, wolf, and fur bearer programs. We'll cover cougar biology and physiology, Oregon's cougar history, how the species has been managed, and how these powerful and elusive cats interact with other species on the landscape.