This week we welcome Drs. Dwayne Elmore and Bronson Strickland to school us all on aflatoxin. Aflatoxins are produced by a couple of species of fungi in the genus Aspergillus that can appear in a variety of situations, and when ingested can be harmful to the very birds and mammals we cherish. Our expert guests thoroughly explain aflatoxin, practices we can follow to help prevent it, what to do if we discover molded feed, and then offer some feed solutions that can help. Anyone that feeds corn or uses feed based attractants needs to pay attention and be informed. Respect the science and the game we love. Listen, Learn and Be a Responsible Gamekeeper.         

Show Notes:
MSU Deer Lab 

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This week we have a really interesting and hardcore gamekeeper named Andy Orlando, whose profession is “helicopter wrangler.” Andy works for a private firm contracted by various agencies to safely and ethically capture live animals such as pronghorns, elk, big horn sheep, mule deer, bears, and others via helicopter. From there he bails out of the chopper and performs whatever analysis is needed to fulfill the contract. He recently celebrated his 10,000th successful catch-and-release. Andy talks business and shares his methods and some crazy stories, but also hits on the pursuit of his US turkey slam to boot!  You’ll love this one. Listen, Learn, and Enjoy! 

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Put your chaps on, as this week noted herpetologist Jimmy Stiles busts into the Gamekeeper studio with five venomous snakes that any of us could encounter. It’s an amazing podcast of information and education. Jimmy knows snakes, and his explanations help us understand these reptiles a bit better. It’s a fascinating look into something that strikes fear into most people. We learned Jimmy was a big turkey hunter and watches for snakes just like we do. As a professional herpetologist, he demonstrated safety and preached respect while answering the many questions we fired at him.  Listen, Learn and Enjoy.       

Show Notes:
Follow Jimmy on Instagram @jrstiles75
BioLogic Quick-Sow no-till food plot mix: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/biologic-quick-sow-deer-plot-85520

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This week we learn more about the “Slab Lab” and the quest to grow a world record class bluegill. Sarah Parvin from The Slab Lab and Shawn McNulty of American Sportfish Hatchery join us to explain the process and help teach us what they have learned.  It’s an amazing story of a father and daughter’s shared obsession and a fisheries biologist pushing the science to the edge in an effort to grow a four pound plus bluegill. Can they do it? Listen, Learn and Enjoy.    

Show Notes:
American Sportfish Hatchery
Follow Sarah: @sarah_the_closer_pravin 

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This week we all listen in amazement to the stories that our guest Trapper Mike AKA the @pythoncowboy shares. Southern Florida and the Everglades has become an invasive species nightmare with pythons, monitor lizards, iguanas and even herpes infected monkeys. Trapper Mike, a “Gladesman” is doing his part to protect the wild places he loves. In the process, he has trained an amazing dog named Otto to help him find snakes, snake eggs and retrieve the iguanas. Mikes an interesting guy and his passion for the Everglades is apparent.  Toxey thinks he has the best dog story he has ever heard. You must hear Mikes story of the 135 pound python that severs an artery in his arm and nearly took him down while he was hunting by himself.  Listen, Learn and Enjoy.   

Show Notes:
 Follow the Python Cowboy (Trapper Mike)
 Facebook - @MartincountyTrapping&WildlifeRescue
Instagram - @pythoncowboy
YouTube -  @Pythoncowboy

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This week Will from @november_south teaches us about the art of flintknapping and building self-bows and arrows similarly to the way the Native Americans did. This talented craftsman amazes us with his arrowhead/knife building skills and thorough explanations of his processes. His award winning handmade bows are some of the most amazing hunting tools we’ve ever seen, and his tapered cane arrows fletched with turkey feathers and hafted with homemade stone points spin like high dollar carbons. We ask a bunch of questions and he has great answers. It’s impressive that Will successfully hunts with this gear that he builds, and he shares tips for getting deer within ten yards. As we close out, he demonstrates his musical talents as well. We all came away thinking that this is one of the most interesting podcasts we’ve done. Listen, Learn, Enjoy, and be Amazed!    

Show Notes:
Follow November South
Instagram - @november_south
YouTube -  @NovemberSouth

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On this week’s bonus episode of the Gamekeeper Podcast, we re-hash a visit to the gulf coast near Corpus Christi, TX, where we helped document a team of researchers and volunteers as they successfully re-established new oyster reefs with recycled oyster shells. Dr. Jennifer Pollack, from the Texas A&M Harte Research Institute (HRI) in “Corpus,” and Pat Murray, the President of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) joined in on the discussion. We also learn about the program being put on by HRI called Sink Your Shucks... "It's habitat forming." We learned there are many similarities between improving habitat on land and along our shorelines, and how easy it is to make a difference.

There's more to come on this story! In November of this year, "The Oyster Project,"  produced by AFTCO and Mossy Oak will drop. We are looking forward to sharing this with you and helping spread the word about the good work that CCA and Texas A&M Corpus Christi is doing to improve the habitat of coastal waterways.

Listen, Learn, Filter, and Enjoy!

Show Notes :

[1] Become of Member of CCA - Join Today
[2] Learn about Sink Your Shucks program managed by the Harte Research Institute at the University of Texas A&M Corpus Christi 

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This week we expand our horizons and spend time with Dr. Colter Chitwood of Oklahoma State University. He is known as the @biggamedoc and has many interesting big game research projects that we learn about including one where they catch Pronghorns with helicopters and later they follow the GPS signals of the does, sneak in to try and capture day old fawns. Colter explains the mystic of the Pronghorns and It’s a fascinating to learn about them. We also learn that you shouldn’t text while flying a helicopter and how one of the helicopter wranglers just captured his 10,000th animal. We also discuss collared animals and how the researchers want you to react to seeing one. Listen, Learn and Enjoy.   

Show Notes:
 Follow Dr. Chitwood on IG: @biggamedoc
Chitwood Lab: https://colterchitwood.wordpress.com/ 

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This week, Rob Kinney and Dudley Phelps take over the podcast studio again to hit on a few of the many habitat-related questions we get from our listeners. The questions are short, but in true “Dudley style” the answers are on point yet all over the place at the same time. We wouldn’t have it any other way! Listen, Learn, and Enjoy.

Powered by Mossy Oak's Nativ Nursery - check out the nursery for all your tree, wildflower, and habitat needs. Visit the page here.

Show Notes:

[1] Nativ Nursery Wildflower Seed Packs 
[2] BioLogic Organix - Plant & Soil Food Fertilizer 

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This week we have Hank Parker sitting between the turkeys in the GK studio, to answer our questions and entertain us with stories. We do a in depth discussion on what he has learned through his many years of planting food plots including:  how he picks a site, the way he fertilizes, his thoughts on lime, and how he plants his plots. Hank has figured out a system that works for him, and we can all learn from his trials and errors. We ask him which states excite him the most for big deer, he tells about his favorite outdoor experience (which will put a lump in your throat), and he tells a hair raising story about being chased down by the Federales in Mexico. We also get an education on the new and improved way to hunt the Ocellated turkey in the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s an informative and fun one you don’t want to miss!  Listen, Learn and Enjoy.  

Show Notes:
 Stay connected with Hank at https://hankparker.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hankparkersoutdoormagazine/ 

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