On this week’s BONUS podcast we’re joined by Bluegill record chaser and affable fisherman Trevor Fry. Who doesn’t love catching bluegills in the summer time? For many of us, it evokes special memories from our childhood. Trevor has taken his passion to the next level and as he stalks trophy fish in an effort to catch the Louisiana state record. He has come close and the pond he is intensely managing seems quite capable of producing a record fish. We sit back and listen to him thoroughly explain his thoughts and then we finally get a chance we fire our questions. It’s a fun episode about a great fish with some MSU and LSU baseball stories at the end.  Listen, Learn and Enjoy.

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This week we’re joined by falconer Jeremy Jones, and his two raptors, Ruben the tiny kestrel and Eagle, the red-tail hawk. We learn about the millennia-old sport of falconry and the many details and hurdles that go into being a falconer. We were amazed to find out it’s all about the hunt and these birds are trained to be hunting partners. It’s a fascinating look back into ancient hunting culture and into what makes a person want to hunt alongside raptors today.  Listen, Learn and Enjoy.

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This week’s BONUS episode is a deep dive into understanding chufas. Our expert guests Travis Sumner of SC and Jacob Gray of MS, are two long time Gamekeepers who have literally planted thousands of acres of chufas for turkeys. We talk about where they came from, why turkeys love them, when to plant, how to plant, fertilizer and herbicides. Suffice it to say, we learned a lot. If you’re interested in turkeys and plant chufas or are thinking about it, this podcast will help you. Listen Learn and Enjoy.   

Show Notes:
BioLogic’s NWTF Turkey Gold Chufa Seed: https://www.plantbiologic.com/products/turkey-gold-chufa-food-plot-seed 

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This week we welcome Anthony Ballard the MDWFP Bear Coordinator and Dr. Dana Morin a carnivore expert from Mississippi State University to talk about the black bears of Mississippi. The Magnolia State has a long, historic tradition with black bears, dating back to when the Delta region was still massive old growth timber and full of bears! Then of course there is the infamous Theodore Roosevelt hunt that led to the creation of the Teddy Bear. We’ll look to the past, discuss the present and then look to the future in our conversation. It ends up being an interesting look at an often maligned animal that’s making a comeback against the odds and a chance to hear from the people that are dedicated to see it be successful. Would you climb 25 feet up a tree to look in a den and check on cubs knowing the momma bear was there also? That’s the dedication of a biologist that cares. Listen, Learn and Enjoy.

Show Notes:
MDWFP Black Bear Program: https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunting/black-bear-program/
MSU Carnivore and Population Ecology Lab: https://www.carnivore.fwrc.msstate.edu/people.php

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Catfish week continues as we discuss catching cats with more traditional methods than the previous podcast. We ask our catfish experts Geoffrey King, Corey Stout and Ted Swords questions about tight lining, limb lines, jugs and trotlines.  There is a lot of good information here for all budgets and skill levels, and their explanations are a lot of fun. You’ll be craving some fried catfish when this one is over. Listen, Learn and Enjoy. 

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This week we’re talking about grabbling catfish! It’s a crazy sport that has people catching giant catfish with their hands. Would you reach into a hole in the bank and let a big blue cat bite your hand so you can catch it? We are joined by catfish grabbling experts Geoffrey King, Corey Stouts and Ted Swords of North Mississippi who know how to grabble. We ask a lot of questions and they explain how it’s done. Each of these guys have caught catfish over 70 pounds with their hands. We were fascinated at their stories and know you will enjoy them as well. Listen, Learn and Enjoy. 

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On this timely classic episode we do a deep dive on planting sunflowers. Whether it’s a legal dove field or an area for your family to enjoy we learn the latest techniques. We’re joined by Twinkie Estes of Nutrien and he explains the details of the modern herbicide resistant sunflowers that enable a Gamekeeper to grow a clean and attractive field.  Doves love sunflowers and so do we. Listen, Learn, and Enjoy.   

Show Notes:
Growing and Managing Sunflowers: PDF

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This week we have a very interesting discussion with author Erika Howsare, whose recent book, The Age of Deer, The Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors recently caught our attention. It’s a fascinating look at the white-tailed deer and its relationship with man over time. She explains, “deer have been an essential part of human life for millennia and today our relationship is still intimate, yet full of contradictions:  we hunt and protect them, we cull them in suburbs while mythologizing them as icons of the wilderness.”  Erika didn’t grow up hunting and readily admits she was ambivalent about the whole process. However, through her research on deer and an open mind, she develops a very deep introspective into hunting, hunters, and our view of the world.  If you’re a hunter, especially a deer hunter, you need to listen to what she has to say. Listen, Learn and Enjoy.    

Show Notes:
 The Age of Deer, The Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/731239/the-age-of-deer-by-erika-howsare/ 

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On the latest BONUS podcast, we address the often overlooked step of cleaning your firearms after the season. Longtime gunsmith Ed Sanders teaches us all a thing or two. Do you purposely dry fire your rifle to release the spring pressure? Do you apply a coating of oil in your barrel after the season to prevent pitting? What about the newer guns with applied camo finishes? How do you maintain them? Pat Epling of Mossy Oak joins us to explain all that. Lastly Dr. Ned Miller takes a few minutes to help us understand the sleep debt we all incur during turkey season and how to recognize the signs of its time to stop and get some sleep. Wake up and smell the coffee guys, let’s take care of our guns and ourselves. This one needs to be shared with the younger hunters to help them develop good habits.  Listen, Learn and Enjoy.  

Show Notes:
Ed Sanders Gunsmith: https://edsandersgunsmith.com/ 

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This week we have Dr. Steve Ditchkoff from Auburn University on to discuss the latest on the exploding feral pig population. He’s studied wild pigs extensively during his career and thinks they are the smartest critters on the landscape. How come we rarely see many wild pig road kills? Did you know De Soto brought over the first pigs in the 1500’s, yet they never exploded until the last 40 years. Why?  He explains and we also talk meat, diseases, trapping, their sudden spread and how some states are handling them a bit differently.  Steve explains the hope that the new toxicants have for the future. We’ve been wanting to talk to Dr. Steve for a while, and he was well worth the wait. It’s an insightful discussion and one that Gamekeepers can learn from. Listen Learn and Enjoy.  

Show Notes:
More on Dr. Stephen Ditchkoff: https://deerlab.auburn.edu/dr-stephen-ditchkoff/
The Auburn Deer Lab: https://deerlab.auburn.edu/ 

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