Taking an interesting twist to the normal podcast format, guest Eddie McMillan, a novice hound hunter from Oregon, plays host to the show, interviewing Chris and Steve on several subjects of interest to houndsmen of all stripes.

Originally from Texas, McMillan comes from a beagling background and became interested in big game hunting with hounds after moving west. Reading several of McMillan’s questions and comments posted on social media, Chris conceived the idea of a having a guest host the show. The contact with McMillan revealed an interesting and entertaining host-in-the-making. McMillan accepted the invitation and the result is a podcast that listeners, especially those new to the sport, will enjoy.

McMillan seeks answers to questions on several topics including how the co-hosts got started, who were their influential mentors, and what were the pitfalls they encountered along the way? Addressing the stages of hunter development, how to encourage new hunters to be involved and how to bridge the communication gap between older and newer hunters, are subjects that make this an informative and entertaining episode with an unusual twist.

In this episode, Chris and Steve interview professional Maine guide, world class award-winning taxidermist, wildlife biologist and successful Plott houndsman Mark Dufresne. Mark has won awards at the state, national and world levels for his taxidermy skills.

Growing up in the hill country of Massachusetts, Dufresne graduated high school with a class of six before attending Maine’s Unity College where he graduated at the top of his class in wildlife biology. Dufresne recounts his Alaskan days as a biologist studying the Sheefish, a large and little known species of whitefish. Dufresne relives numerous encounters with Alaska’s grizzlies while performing his work.

Dufresne discusses his early beginnings hunting bear with hounds in Massachusetts with some of the best-known Plott men of the day including WWII hero and renown Plott breeder Leroy Haug. He and Steve have a conversation about Plott bear dogs and the strains from which Dufresne’s professional pack is comprised. Dufresne reveals his opinions of the differences between Plotts and other hound breeds when used to catch bobcats and black bears that may surprise some listeners.

Dufresne is a widely talented and interesting guest that listeners will enjoy.

In this episode Chris and Steve visit with Allen Gingerich, Senior Director of Field Operations for the United Kennel Club (UKC). UKC is the primary registry for hound enthusiasts desiring to hunt with and breed purebred hounds. Many hounds that are in use today as hunters trace their roots to the seven UKC-registered breeds.

Chris and Steve encourage Gingerich to reveal interesting aspects of his job as Field Director in the sometimes topsy-turvy world of competition hunting, as well as the ins and outs of the registry business in general. The guest’s musical interests and an insider look at life on the road attending coonhound and beagle events are moments to be enjoyed.

Gingerich, a popular figure in hound circles, will entertain listeners with his humor and accounts of interesting aspects of the hound sport that listeners may have failed to consider. This extended episode will be a favorite of houndsmen of all persuasions.

Chris and Steve take a time out to do what every hound person loves to do and that’s simply to talk dogs. In this episode they take a look at the progress of the podcast since inception and discuss highlights of previous episodes. The upcoming benefit for injured houndsman and professional guide Leon Brown is discussed along with a recap of the recent visit with Freedom Hunters leaders Anthony Pace and Bud DePlatchett.

Midway the podcast, Chris calls the customer service staff at Double U Hunting Supply to discuss how the company is able to get product into the hands of consumers so quickly and to announce a new tech support feature to the podcast involving Double U support staff.

Chris reaches into the mailbag to field a question on breeding, sparking a conversation with Steve about the importance of really knowing the dogs in the pedigree or background before breeding that dog. The guys discuss inbreeding, the increasing interest in cross-breeding coonhounds and discuss a popular stud dog that may play a part in an increase in the practice. Steve offers his thoughts on family breeding hounds and the boys discuss several prominent players on the hound-hunting stage today.

This is an episode for those wanting a break from the rat race to reflect on a variety of subjects that are important in a houndsman’s life.

In this episode Chris and Steve interview Freedom Hunters Founder and Program Director Anthony Pace along with Board member and East Coast Coordinator Bud DePlatchett. Freedom Hunters is a Military Outreach program dedicated to honoring those who protect our freedoms. Freedom Hunters reflects the outdoor community's appreciation to our troops by taking select active duty and combat veterans, families of fallen heroes, and children of the deployed, as well as those wounded or injured, on outdoor adventures.

Chris and Steve discuss the inner workings of Freedom Hunters including how the organization is formed and supported, how hunt recipients are selected and relive hunting trips taken with military guests on all types of game. Hound hunters will enjoy Bud DePlatchett’s exciting accounts of deer hunts with hounds on Virginia’s eastern shore. Listeners will also enjoy a look at the relationships between the warriors and the hunting dogs as well as those between hound owners and their hounds.

This powerful episode reveals the emotion and extreme dedication of Freedom Hunters as they take active duty, wounded, and Gold Star families of the deployed on hunting and fishing trips to relax and recoup. As Anthony and Bud reveal the vision to recognize, thank and extend appreciation to all members of the military and their families, Chris and Steve share a special announcement concerning Freedom Hunters and the Houndsman XP podcast.

Facebook: Freedom Hunters

Chris and Steve sit down with Native American Calvin Redhouse to discuss his heritage as a member of the Navajo Nation in the southwest United States and his Rez Hounds outfitting business. In this episode, Calvin discusses many topics including life on the “rez,” his military service and his passion as a southwest houndsman.

Redhouse, like so many Americans and especially Navajos who have a long history of military service, was impassioned by the 9-11 attacks and chose to join the Marine Corps. Deployed an amazing five times in ten years, four to Afghanistan and once to Iraq, Calvin was ready to return to his native land.

Upon discharge from the Marine Corps, Redhouse would find solace in the mountains of his homeland where he now hunts mountain lions, bears and bobcats with his pack of “Rez” hounds. Turning his passion into a business, Redhouse operates his guide service under the Rez Hounds banner, enabling clients to experience the beauty, magnitude and ample game populations of the 17.5 million-acre Navajo Nation. Illustrating his passion, Calvin hunts five to seven days each week despite holding down a nighttime security job.

In this episode Redhouse discusses his relationship with Carnivore TV host and producer Gary Roberson whom he now assists as videographer and film maker for the popular outdoor show. Listeners will enjoy this amazing story of Native American life, patriotic service and hound-hunting passion by a man that typifies the extreme houndsman like no other.

FaceBook Contact: Rez Hounds

Instagram: rezhounds16

The Houndsman XP Podcast hosts Chris Powell and Steve Fielder chat with Double U Hunting Supply owner Buddy Woodberry. Chris and Steve talk to Buddy about his background with hounds, the history of Double U and the impact the company has had on the hunting industry. Buddy is an advocate for houndsmen and continues to provide services and support to houndsmen and several pro hunting organizations across the nation. The discussion takes the listener on an in depth journey to discover the roots of the sport's premier equipment outfitter Double U Hunting Supply. Listen as Chris and Steve interview Buddy about his company, the involvement with state organizations, Buddy’s personal passion for hunting with hounds in the Pacific Northwest and the companies relentless desire to provide the best products and customer service to the hound hunting community.

In the second part of the podcast, Buddy interviews Chris and Steve. Buddy drills down on the motivation to produce Houndsman XP. Chris takes you into the depths of his soul, his loyalty to a friend gone to soon, and his desire to keep up the fight against the anti hunting movement. Steve explains his long time dream of diving into broadcasting for the benefits of hound sports but finds new opportunity in the podcasting medium. This three way conversation exposes the nerve that drives motivated people to be committed to the sport of hound hunting at an eXtreme Performance level.

Hound hunting is under attack across North America. Animal rights organizations like HSUS, PeTA and The Fund for Animals continue to devise ways to keep our hounds out of the woods. Across America, front-line organizations like the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation (MHDF) represent our main defense against the onslaught of ill-conceived regulations that, if enacted will spell the end to the sport of hunting with hounds.

In this episode Chris and Steve talk with Mike Thorman who has served MHDF twenty-four years, many of them as Legislative Director. Steve and Mike relive many of the battles they fought together when Steve served as Vice President of Legislative Affairs for two national kennel clubs. Victories under Mike’s direction have included the fight to create hound-friendly recreational trespass laws and the defeat of overly restrictive animal cruelty and puppy mill legislation. Some of the bills the MHDF has successfully defeated were not necessarily dog related but nonetheless affected the ability of houndsmen to free cast their dogs afield in Michigan.

Mike Thorman is a former drill sergeant, high school football coach, farmer and lifelong houndsman. He runs the pack of Walker hounds he has bred successfully over several decades on coyote and bear in his native Michigan. Listeners wishing to join the fight against the foes of hound hunting will profit greatly from this informative and entertaining episode.

Success, for houndsmen of all persuasions depends upon the performance of quality hounds that are bred to do the job. Top-performing hounds are the products of those skilled in the art of breeding dogs. Whether the proving ground is a cornfield-bordered Midwestern woodlot, a moss-draped southern swamp or a cliff-laced southwestern canyon, regardless the type of game the breeding behind the hound will largely determine the success of the hunt.

In this episode, Chris and Steve interview Treeing Walker breeder Randy Smith whose Lone Pine Treeing Walker kennel in Pennsylvania has produced several winners in the fast-paced arena of competitive raccoon hunting, America’s largest organized sporting dog activity. Smith and his partner Tom Strang won the 2016 World Championship for coonhounds sanctioned by the world’s largest coonhound registry, United Kennel Club and have made numerous appearances in the finals of the most prestigious events in the sport.

Chris and Steve explore Smith’s background, his philosophy on breeding hounds and the keys to his success as a hound breeder and competitor. Smith’s portfolio of non-hound related outdoor pursuits, including fur trapping nationwide and trophy pike fishing above the Arctic Circle, typifies the extreme performance mindset of our guest, embodied in each episode of the Houndsman XP podcast.

In this episode Chris and Steve join fellow houndsman Allen Hallada, DVM, to discuss a wide range of topics relative to maintaining top health and performance in working hounds. Dr. Hallada, affectionately known as Doc Holiday on hound-related online message forums, presents common sense answers to frequently-asked questions about hot topics in the realm of canine nutrition and wellness. Hallada fields the hosts’ questions about identification and treatment of tick-born diseases, internal and external parasites, hot-topic canine ailments such as hypothyroidism and hip dysplasia. He delves authoritatively into the murky waters of best practices for feeding our hounds, identifying the good and the not-so-good in the broad field of commercial diets for working dogs.

Hailing from the upper Midwest, Hallada began coon hunting with hounds as a young man and has continued to run hounds as he moved his practice, first to Idaho and ultimately to California where he now resides. Chris and Steve successfully coax down-to-earth answers to timely questions from one of the premier authorities on hound health and performance in the nation. Hailed as a highly-interesting and well-informed individual, Hallada doesn’t disappoint.