Oklahoma Outdoors

John is back from his early season Nebraka whitetail hunt, and he is ready to break down what he learned this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. It was a quick trip over a long weekend full of car trouble, getting stopped by land owners, learning a heck of a lot about whitetails, and having a blast doing it all. Everyone has heard that whitetail deer are "creatures of edge" and over Labor Day weekend John really got to learn what that meant. The mixture of crop fields, CRP, and timbered creeks gave ample opportunity to see how deer use different terrain features and vegetation types to their advantage. John also learned that not all soybeans are created equal, or have the same appeal to deer.

One of the best surprises of the trip though, was how easy it ended up being to gain access to private land. It definitely helped having a local inside man to speak on John's behalf, but over all most of the people John interacted with were happy to help or at least give some knowledge. John left his house with 110 acres to hunt, and driving home he now has access to over 1,300 acres for future trips! So even though he came home with a giant pot of tag soup, the trip was far from a waste, and the knowledge he gained on this out of state trip will absolutely help him bag more bucks back on his home turf. 

This week the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast travels to the whitetail paradise known as Iowa. John met Daryn Yoder of Forerunner Blinds at the ATA show back in January, and the two instantly hit it off. Daryn is a family rancher, a bucking bull breeder, an all around great guy, and the owner and founder of Forerunner Blinds. Daryn talks about why he started the company and how it has continued to expand from blinds, to ebikes, and most recently the purchase of Monster Meal deer supplements. Daryn took his knowledge of animal husbandry from growing up around farm animals and now applies it to help people grow bigger healthier whitetails. 

You are going to want to stick around for the end of this show also, as Daryn and John discuss what makes Iowa whitetail hunting so special. John asks about Iowa's deer management laws to see if there are any ways Oklahoma could improve its own practices. The two talk one buck vs two buck tags, doe numbers, ag practices, and much much more.

One thing most people just don't realize about Oklahoma is how diverse it is. Today's episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast highlights one of the lesser known habitats in Oklahoma, the mountains that dominate the South Eastern portion of the state. Michael Harrell grew up in those mountains, and today hosts a successful hunting show called Surrender Outdoors. On this week's episode, Michael and John discuss all the challenges a person faces when trying to hunt the big mature whitetails that call this area home. Many people are drawn to this area for the rugged landscape and large bucks that dwell within it, but Michael assures anyone interested that it is not for the faint of heart!

Michael and John cover a lot of the usual hunting topics, but from a mountain whitetail perspective. It's pretty hard to grow a foodplot on rocks, and with such drastic elevation changes, thermals often trump wind. John and many Oklahomans have the headache of dealing with hogs, but have you ever tried to keep a black bear off your bait pile? This episode is as unique as the terrain it covers, and Michael does a great job of teaching people what he has learned in his many years of hunting this remote and beautiful landscape!

Last weekend John had the honor of leading a session at the National Wild Turkey Federation's deer conference in Oklahoma City. The conference was intended to help bring in and educate new hunters from across the state, and the turnout was very encouraging for the future of hunting! John decided why stop at only those who could attend though, so this week's episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors podcast is all about gear. John will be going over all the essential gear a person needs to get out in the woods and confidently harvest a deer. For the non beginner listeners, this episode still has something for you. After John goes through the essentials, he runs down his entire gear list for the upcoming season. Bow, rifle, broadheads, binoculars, knife, treestands, popup blinds, and everything in between, he talks about why he bought it and if he would buy it again.

For John's talk, he broke the gear into three categories: Essential, Recommended, and nice to have. John is a firm believer that gear should never be the reason a person chooses not to hunt, and most people probably don't need nearly as much gear as television shows or advertisements would lead them to believe. Are binoculars nice to have, sure, but are they really essential? Listen to this week's podcast to hear John's take on binoculars and loads of other gear.

Today's whitetail hunters are becoming more and more mobile, and Out on a Limb is here to provide the gear folks need to make those split second moves as easy, quiet, and efficient as possible. Matt Garis joins the Oklahoma Outdoor Podcast this week to talk about their complete lineup of mobile gear and accessories. Matt and Out on a Limb started off making lightweight tree stands and climbing sticks, but have quickly made a name for themselves in the saddle hunting community with their rugged yet extremely light saddle platforms. All of Out on a Limbs products are machined and made right here in Oklahoma by passionate and experienced hunters, and if you get the opportunity to handle some of their products, the craftsmanship really shows. These stands and platforms are so lightweight it is almost an optical illusion when you pick them up, it just doesn't seem possible that they can be made out of metal. 

After Matt and John finish the mobile gear talk, John dives into a little preseason hunt update. On his last trip out to the ranch he discovered the cows had destroyed everything, and he means everything. Luckily most of it was fairly easily fixed, and he got a little extra work done as well. He is preparing for his early season Nebraska hunt, and trying to finish up his preseason prep on the home place in Oklahoma.

Tony Peterson of MeatEater joins John on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast this week. John recently found out that he has an opportunity to hunt velvet whitetails in Nebraska in just a few short weeks, and he couldn't think of anyone better to get advice from than Tony. Tony is a long time outdoor writer, host of the Foundations episodes of the Wired To Hunt podcast, MeatEater content contributor, and all out deer hunting nut. Tony has a knack for getting it done on quick out of state bow hunts, just like the one John is about to embark on.

John and Tony dive right into what it takes to kill an early season whitetail. John has a lot of cards stacked against him on this quick hunt, but Tony helps him shuffle the deck to try and sort a few things out. John will have only two or three days to locate and kill a buck in a mix of corn, CRP, and timber. Tony and John talk about where bucks might be bedding, what types of food sources they might be hitting, and how John might be able to get in between the two. Tony also talks about how much he enjoys hunting Oklahoma, and the guys spend some time talking about the current state of the deer herd and how it might improve. If you have ever wanted to tag an opening day whitetail, this is the episode to help you do it!

This episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast has been a long time coming! Dalton Wortham with the Creek Adventure Podcast joins John this week to talk about fly fishing in Oklahoma. Dalton makes it a point to let people know that fly fishing is not just for the trout streams of the rocky mountains, or the overly wealthy. Dalton and his friends do a lot of their fly fishing in rivers and lakes right here in good ol Oklahoma, and target a vast multitude of species. If you can catch it on a regular rod and reel, there's a good chance you can catch it on a fly rod!

Dalton and John talk about all aspects of fly fishing, from beginner rods to the basic gear you need to get started. John asks about some flies that work well in Oklahoma as well as other places, and a few good bodys of water people should check out. And though the guys make it a point that fly fishing is for more than just trout, they do talk about some of the great trout fishing opportunities that Oklahoma offers for both fly fishermen and rod and reel folks. There is no way you can listen to this podcast and not get at least a little curious about fly fishing, and Dalton throws out some other great resources to help people get started and learn more.

We have a very exciting and much requested topic this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. Returning guests Jonny Griffin and Josh Garroutte both join the show for a public land whitetail roundtable. John asks the questions, and Jonny and Josh answer from their unique and different perspectives. Jonny is more of the traditional treestand hunter, while Josh has been making a name for himself in the open country ground hunting game. So no matter how you choose to chase whitetails, we have an answer for you on this episode. 

Topics covered include where to start hunting, how to use trail camera data, buck bedding and how it plays into your strategy, wind, and terrain just to name a few. Along the way all three gentlemen drop plenty of tips and tricks from using online maps to cheaper feed for your feeders. To end the discussion, Jonny and Josh both help John with some potential hunting strategies for his upcoming early season Nebraska velvet hunt. The boys truly cover it all in this episode!

Stay inside and beat the summer heat with a good old fashion BS session this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. The dog days of summer are here and it is hot and dry. This week on the podcast, John discusses his off-season prep, his plans for this upcoming fall, and gives his two cents on the current dry conditions. John talks about how he thinks the drought will affect the deer herd, and how that will play into his hunting strategy for this fall. 

A large portion of this week's podcast is about John's plans for this upcoming fall, and if you are a listener of the show, he is looking for your input! Oklahoma whitetail, Texas whitetail, and Colorado elk are already on the schedule. John also has an opportunity to hunt whitetails in Nebraska, and the potential to hunt black bear and mule deer in Oklahoma. He is looking for some listener input to help him decide, so give this episode a listen and then let him know what you think!

BABY IN THE HOUSE!!! John and his wife welcomed their little girl into the world last week and all three of them are doing great. Lucky for all you listeners, John prerecorded an episode for you guys beforehand so there is still an Oklahoma Outdoors podcast this week! John will be telling the story of his 2022 spring turkey, and how an out of town wedding turned into a lucky stroke for his turkey hunting. 

John stopped by a friends lease on his way to a wedding in west Texas and had only one morning to get it done. With a little OnX scouting and a whole lot of luck, John was able to have one of his best turkey hunts ever. Multiple setups, quick decisions, and a turkey right next to the truck are all a part of this exciting story!