KEOTA OUTDOORS

In this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down in the Mancave with family friend Brent Bernhardt to talk all things upland bird hunting, bird dogs, and getting back into waterfowl hunting.

Brent grew up hunting during the good ol’ days of quail hunting here in Missouri and spent much of his life chasing quail and pheasants behind bird dogs. He shares stories from decades in the uplands and explains how his hunting has evolved over time — including a recent transition to hunting with a new dog, a female black lab.

This season, Brent has been quail hunting his lab as she learns the art of pointing, while also getting back into duck hunting to give her more opportunities to retrieve. Luke and Brent swap stories from a great bird season, touching on the challenges, the wins, and the special moments that only happen when hunting with dogs.

Luke also talks about hunting his dog Timber during her first season and how she’s done an excellent job retrieving ducks and geese.

If you love bird hunting, bird dogs, and hearing real stories from the field, this episode is packed with great conversation and memories.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

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 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

On this episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down in the mancave with his longtime waterfowl hunting buddy Bailey Small. The two dive into the 2025 waterfowl season so far — the highs, the lows, and the unforgettable hunts, including a Canadian goose band that highlighted the recent part of the season.

Luke and Bailey talk through the challenges and rewards of chasing migrating birds on Missouri’s public land conservation areas, sharing real-world experiences that every public-land hunter can relate to.

Bailey also opens up about his dog Rip and the journey behind Small Kennels, his gun dog training business. With five years of experience and a reputation for producing high-quality dogs, Bailey breaks down his training programs, his approach to developing reliable gun dogs, and how he manages to hunt so many days during the season.

If you’re into ducks, geese, public land, or gun dogs — this one’s for you.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

 On this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Max and Luke sit down to break down the second attempt at filling Luke’s Colorado deer tag—an impromptu trip that turned into an unforgettable adventure. 

After heading back to Colorado for one more shot, Luke found himself in the middle of three action-packed days of spot-and-stalk hunting, filled with close encounters on big mule deer and impressive whitetails. The terrain, the stalks, and the unpredictable moments kept the energy high and the pressure on. 

But persistence paid off. Luke ultimately connected on a heavy, unique, battle-worn whitetail buck—an old warrior busted up from a season of fighting. Taking him on the ground, with a bow, at 30 yards made the moment even more special. 

In this episode, you’ll hear the full story: the history behind the buck, how each stalk unfolded, what nearly went wrong, and how the entire trip came together in a big way. 

If you love raw hunting stories, ground-level encounters, and the payoff of grit and determination, this is one you won’t want to miss. 

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

Luke sits down in the mancave with Kale McCubbins to tell the story of his incredible Missouri whitetail — a main frame 10-point with a 15-inch double beam, nearly 18 inches of antler broken off, and a final score pushing 180 inches. Kale only had a couple trail camera pictures and a hunch the buck was still in the area, so he trusted his instincts and used some creative tactics to stay in the game.

On November 13, a little confusion in the stand led Kale to draw on what he thought was a different buck — but the mistake turned into the hunt of a lifetime when the arrow found its mark on this big, mature Missouri whitetail.

In this episode, Luke and Kale break down the chaos, the quick decisions, and the wild emotions that come with sealing the deal on a true backwoods giant.

If you love big buck stories, honest hunting talk, and good old-fashioned deer camp storytelling, this one’s for you.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

In this Outdoor Drop episode, Luke checks in live from the deer stand on Missouri’s rifle opener. He kicks things off by finishing the story of the buck he shot with his bow and gives an honest update on how that hunt ended. Then he recaps a wild week of bowhunting with Max—full of close calls, missed chances, and lessons learned. To top it off, Luke shares the story of his dad’s biggest whitetail ever—a giant 168” 14-pointer taken on their small family farm. The rut’s been exciting, unpredictable, and humbling… just the way deer season goes.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

Luke sits down with Max in the mancave to swap stories from an action-packed stretch of hunts. Max kicks things off with a recap of his Colorado rifle mule deer trip, where he and his family got a close encounter with a great public-land buck—but the hunt takes a tough turn when the shot doesn’t connect as hoped. Then the guys shift gears to whitetail season in Missouri, where the rut is heating up. Luke shares the story of multiple close calls with his target buck, and just hours before recording, he finally got an arrow in him. With the outcome still uncertain, the two talk through the shot, tracking plans, and the rollercoaster that is deer season.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

Kiley’s back — and he did exactly what he said he would in Episode 1. After breaking down early-season whitetail strategies on the very first Outdoor Aligned episode, Kiley put that plan into action and tagged a 147-inch 8-pointer on September 18th.

In this episode, Kiley walks through the full story — from scouting and patterning the buck, to his second sit with a thunderstorm rolling in, and the long, rain-soaked recovery that followed. Luke and Kiley also look ahead to the rut, swapping plans and stories about target bucks and close encounters that keep the fire burning.

It’s a story of strategy, patience, and proof that sticking to the plan pays off.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

In this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke and Max tell the full story of “Ghost,” the 187-inch mule deer that closed out their annual Colorado spot-and-stalk hunt. After a long, careful stalk, a less-than-ideal shot led to a restless night and a big decision — calling in a big game tracking hound to help recover the deer the next morning. The story comes full circle when the guys finally lay hands on a buck they’d known from the year before, with trail cam photos and close encounters adding to the history behind this giant.

From there, Luke recounts a long, exhausting stalk on another buck that came heartbreakingly close, before wrapping up with this episode’s “One That Got Away” — the tale of a 200-inch whitetail deadhead they narrowly missed finding themselves.

This episode has everything — strategy, emotion, and the reality of western bowhunting. Tune in for one of the most memorable hunts yet from the Outdoor Aligned crew.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

In this episode of Outdoor Drop, Luke and Max sit down in the camper to recap days 3 through 6 of their annual Colorado spot-and-stalk mule deer hunt. The trip hasn’t been easy — a shed antler punctured a tire, a few arrows disappeared into the corn, the heat has been brutal, and for a while, the deer just weren’t cooperating.

But persistence pays off. Late in the trip, the guys turn up the big buck they spotted on day one and make a careful stalk through the open country. This time, everything comes together. Tune in to hear the full story of the successful harvest, the ups and downs along the way, and what makes this hunt one they’ll never forget.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.

In this episode of the Outdoor Drop, Luke and Max sit down by the camper to recap the first two days of their annual spot-and-stalk mule deer hunt.

Day one kicked off with a big buck sighting that set the tone for the trip. What followed was a long, intense day of heat, sweat, and stealth as we tried to close the distance on that deer in a thick cornfield. It was an adrenaline-filled stalk that came close — but not close enough.

Grab a chair by the fire and join us as we relive the start of another memorable hunt, talk strategy, and share what we’ve learned from the early action in mule deer country.

Thanks for listening to The Keota Outdoors Podcast

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @KeotaOutdoors  
 For bonus drops and raw in-the-field episodes, look for "The Outdoor Drop" releases.
Questions, guest ideas, or feedback? Email [email protected]  
Remember, stay aligned with the outdoors.