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#54 A good hound’s voice in cool October air can carry a lifetime of lessons. We sat down with filmmaker and houndsman Clayton Stark to unpack how he turned backyard pups and pleasure hunts into a thriving outdoor life—without trading joy for scorecards. Clayton grew up in northwest Ohio where mature oak woods meet endless corn and soybeans, and coons grow big on easy calories and low pressure. He shares why he hunts for love of the chase, not arguments in the dark, and how coaching football taught him the same virtues that make great dogs: empathy, care, and patience.

We dive into practical ground truth for gun dog owners. Clayton’s start-to-finish approach puts pups in the home first for socialization and crate training, then graduates them to safe yard freedom and short woods walks to learn logs, water, and navigation before pressure. He times work to conditions—resting young dogs in drought, hunting more when crops come off and the air cools. We compare breeds—walkers, blueticks, black and tans, redbones, and curs—and prioritize loud, houndy voices, steady minds, and zero meanness. On the deer side, we trade tree-stand strategy, longbow humility, and the modern accuracy of muzzleloaders like the Thompson Center Acura V2. Gear talk stays honest: today’s bows—from Bear to Hoyt, Mathews, Elite, and Bowtech—are all killers when tuned to the hunter.

Wildlife trends raise bigger questions. Fox numbers are climbing across Ohio and as far as Texas, while pheasants fade with habitat changes and succession. We explore trapping, access, and the role of community in stewardship. Then the stories kick up: a bead-sight 12-gauge buck from childhood, filming hunts so his dad could still “go along,” and a knife-only hog hunt that redefines adrenaline. Clayton also teases a 50-part video series on raising and starting pups—nutrition, structure, exposure, and the moment a young dog “gets it.”

If you care about working dogs, tradition, and practical training that fits real life, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe, share with a hunting buddy, and leave a review to help more dog folks find the show. Then tell us: what are you doing this season to pass the torch?

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