Ryan Uffens sits down with Dalton Harum - Boise firefighter, former college baseball player, and lifelong Idaho hunter. They talk about what hunting really takes beyond the highlight reels. They cover the grind of OTC/public-land success, controlling adrenaline, learning through failure, and how family changes the “why” behind the hunt. Plus Dalton’s no BS take on gear, mindset, and staying in the game when things go sideways.

Key Takeaways

• Time in the woods beats perfect conditions — you can’t kill from the couch, and “bad” days can produce the best opportunities.

• Adrenaline changes everything — range practice helps, but real reps on animals teach composure and shot execution.

• Failure is the teacher — spooked animals, missed shots, and mistakes are what build real skill.

• Don’t get trapped by Instagram standards — shoot what makes sense for your hunt; reps matter more than antlers.

• Mindset is the real gear — staying mentally strong (and connected to family when solo) is what keeps you grinding until it happens.

Follow Dalton Harum: Instagram

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In this episode, Ryan sits down with Tim Maddock, founder of Madd Hunts, to break down how a family tradition evolved into one of the most accessible DIY Coues deer and Sonoran big-game operations in Mexico. Tim shares the 25-year journey of figuring out the entire Mexico hunting system on his own from contacting ranchers to securing gun permits and how that knowledge now allows everyday hunters to experience world-class trophy hunts at blue-collar prices. They discuss safety in Mexico, the mental game of long water-hole sits, Tim’s once-in-a-lifetime three-year quest for a Boone & Crockett typical buck, the differences between desert and mountain ranches, and the logistics hunters should understand before booking their first trip. Whether you're curious about DIY hunting in Sonora, planning a mule deer or Coues deer adventure, or wondering how the process works, this episode is packed with real insight from someone who has lived it for decades.

Tim learned every aspect of hunting in Mexico by doing it himself contacting ranchers, securing paperwork, and navigating logistics before turning it into a business with his sons.

Sitting 11–12 hours a day for multiple days requires discipline, patience, and a mindset shift—boredom followed by seconds of pure adrenaline.

Coues deer rut mid-January, mule deer rut earlier, and mountain vs desert ranches offer completely different hunting styles spot-and-stalk vs water-hole ambush.

5 Key Takeaways:

Mad Hunts was built on 25 years of firsthand experience: Tim learned every aspect of hunting in Mexico by doing it himself, contacting ranchers, securing paperwork, and navigating logistics before turning it into a business with his sons.

Safety concerns are often overstated: After decades of traveling to Sonora, Tim has had virtually no negative cartel encounters. Safety largely depends on the region and sticking to vetted routes and ranches.

Desert water-hole hunts are a mental game: Sitting 11–12 hours a day for multiple days requires discipline, patience, and a mindset shift… boredom followed by seconds of pure adrenaline.

Prime hunting windows vary by species and ranch type: Coues deer rut mid-January, mule deer rut earlier, and mountain vs desert ranches offer completely different hunting styles spot-and-stalk vs water-hole ambush.

DIY and semi-guided hunts make Mexico affordable and accessible: DIY hunts start around $4,500, semi-guided around $5,500, providing international trophy opportunities at a price point most guided U.S. hunts can’t compete with.

Instagram: Kade Maddock

Instagram: Connor Maddock

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In this episode, Ryan sits down with elk addict and Florida resident Scott Dunton to explore what it takes to build a western hunting lifestyle while living at sea level, working a demanding medical career, and managing type 1 diabetes. Scott opens with the contrast of his South Florida routine hunting invasive iguanas with a blowgun in his neighborhood before shifting into his annual migrations west to Montana and Wyoming. He recounts a brutal archery hunt in Montana’s Crazy Mountains, where he tagged a 6x6 bull on day one and immediately stepped into one of the hardest pack-outs of his life. From there, he and his buddy moved into Wyoming’s Bighorns on a rare once-in-two-decades tag, chasing a 360–370 class bull above timberline through miles of rugged country.

But the hunt took a shocking turn when their camp was raided in the middle of the night bows sabotaged, gear stolen, and their sense of safety shattered. Scott shares the psychological toll of knowing people, not predators, had been just feet from their tents, and how anti-hunter hostility has changed the way he thinks about backcountry safety. Still, the trip wasn’t lost; help from the folks at Paint Rock Lodge turned a nightmare into new friendships. The conversation closes with Scott’s gratitude for his father’s mentorship, why sharing meat matters more than antlers, stories from his spot-and-stalk bear and pig hunts, taking his 12-year-old daughter on her first whitetail hunt, and his best advice for newer hunters still trying to notch their first tag.

Key Takeaways

• Invasive species offer real hunting opportunities: Florida’s iguanas give Scott a year-round “mini-hunt” lifestyle and keep his skills sharp.
• The Crazy Mountains are unforgiving: Montana tested him with brutal terrain, deadfall, and a punishing pack-out after tagging his bull.
• Camp theft & anti-hunters are a real concern: Having bows cut and gear stolen in Wyoming did more psychological damage than physical—reminding hunters to stay vigilant.
• Hunting with health challenges is possible: As a type 1 diabetic, Scott proves that preparation and discipline can overcome serious obstacles in the backcountry.
• Mentorship accelerates success: His father’s guidance—slow down, glass more, read sign—has shaped almost every win in his elk-hunting journey.
• The real trophy is sharing meat: Giving elk steaks and jerky to friends and coworkers is one of Scott’s favorite parts of the hunt.
• Go “one more ridge”: When you’re ready to turn back, push farther. Most hunters won’t—and that’s why you’ll find elk.

Follow Scott Dunton: Instagram

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Logan reflects on his first-ever archery elk kill... a solo hunt in grizzly country that turned into a picture-perfect rut experience with bulls screaming every day. Coming off a successful bow kill on a buck, he went in confident, determined, and eventually sealed the deal after a few hard days. His wife and father-in-law joined him afterward to pack the elk out. Thankfully only a mile and a half downhill. Logan wasn’t chasing antler score, he was just focused on getting it done and enjoying the process.

He also shares upcoming hunt plans, including a late-season backpack rifle deer hunt in new country, and laughs about freezers overflowing with meat after a moose and multiple deer between him and his wife.

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In this episode, Ryan sits down with Logan Romney aka The Creative Hunter. Logan shares how a childhood spent following his dad through the mountains, a COVID-era camera purchase, and a love for wildlife photography evolved into a full-time career filming hunts and creating premium content for hunting brands eventually leading to projects with names like Gritty/Brian Call.

Logan breaks down what it really takes to film hunts especially self-filmed hunts from using nothing but your phone to building a simple but effective camera kit. He walks through how he structures his story in the field using constant “past, present, future” updates, how he thinks about B-roll, and why power management and reliable optics matter more than fancy camo. Logan and Ryan also swap stories on grinding through long, discouraging stretches in the mountains, spotting and stalking bears in brutal country, and why the hunters who consistently punch tags are the ones who stay relentless when most people tap out. If you’re a new hunter or an aspiring hunting filmmaker, this episode is a blueprint for both capturing your story and sticking it out until it finally comes together.

FOLLOW LOGAN ROMENY:

• Instagram
• YouTube

1. Use the camera you already have - You don’t need a $5,000 setup to start. Your phone plus a spotting scope adapter can capture solid footage and kill shots. The most important camera is the one you’ll actually use.
2. Self-filming is way harder than filming someone else - Trying to be both hunter and cameraman is tough and often unrealistic. Logan recommends learning by filming other people’s hunts first so you can focus on storytelling without making hunt decisions at the same time.
3. Structure your story with “Past, Present, Future” - Every time something changes, Logan films a quick update that covers: what just happened, what he’s doing now, and what he’s going to do next. Those talking updates, supported by B-roll, are what turn random clips into an actual film.
4. Gear smarter, not richer - Logan suggests starting with a used camera if you upgrade, something under $500 will do more than enough when you’re learning. For lenses, a 24–105mm f/4 is his do-it-all workhorse, with a longer zoom (70–200 or 100–400) as a nice-to-have, not a must-have.
5. Power and audio matter more than you think - Multiple power banks (like Dark Energy) and a small solar panel keep your phone and camera alive on long hunts. Phone audio is usually fine, but DSLR audio is trash without an external mic and wind cover especially in the mountains.
6. Good glass + good habits beat fancy camo - Logan calls out how overrated camo is compared to optics and glassing discipline. Get to vantage points where you can see a lot of country, glass off a tripod, and really pick apart edges, cover, and timber instead of just scanning open hillsides.
7. Relentlessness kills more animals than talent - Almost all of Logan’s success this year came late in his hunts... day 10, 11, 13. His advice to new (especially archery) hunters: don’t quit early. The people who consistently kill are the ones who stay in the game when it’s not fun anymore.

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Whitney Tramel... host of the Wild Strength Podcast and a strength & conditioning coach joins Ryan to trace an uncommon path into Western hunting. Named after Lake Whitney and raised on Texas catfish fries and Girl Scout campouts, Whitney didn’t pick up a bow until COVID, when ammo was scarce and the mountains of Colorado were calling. She went all-in, haunting the pro shop to learn the lingo, buying a flagship rig, and eventually selling almost everything to move to Colorado and chase elk on public land. Whitney and Ryan get honest about the steep reality of over-the-counter elk hunts, locating animals, closing distance, and choosing ethics over low-percentage shots. They trade hard-earned tips lik ehunt slow, “hunt your way in,” and using predawn locator bugles, swap close calls, and dig into why time in the mountains becomes a mental reset as much as a meat mission. Whitney ties it back to her coaching roots on how fitness, breath control, and resilience translate directly to backcountry success—and shares what’s next: a New Mexico cow elk rifle hunt, Missouri whitetails, and winter waterfowl. She closes with her mantra for new hunters and big goals alike: “Do the damn thing” stack your life to make the hunts happen, no excuses.

Key Takeaways: 

• You can start late, just immerse yourself in a pro shop, ask questions, and go all-in to accelerate the learning curve.
• OTC public-land elk is brutally hard; set realistic expectations about finding animals and closing distance.
• Ethics over ego: pass low-percentage lanes and only loose an arrow when you have a clean, confident shot.
• Fitness matters... strength, breath control, and resilience directly translate to backcountry performance.
• Hunt tactics that work: move slow, “hunt your way in” never go off-duty, and use predawn locator bugles to find elk.
• Conditions and pressure shift behavior so scout early, learn draw/tag systems, and adapt when opener changes everything.
• Stack wins and meat: build confidence on small game/waterfowl and design your life to make hunts happen
• Whitney lives by the motto of “Do the damn thing.”

Follow Whitney Tramel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneytramel_

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildstrengthpodcast

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@huntstealth\

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In this episode of The Hunt Stealth Podcast, host Ryan Uffens sits down with legendary mule deer hunter Marlon Holden, known online as The Gray Light Hunter. Marlon shares the mindset and discipline behind chasing mule deer deep in the high country where oxygen is scarce, storms roll fast, and only the most determined men endure. Together, Ryan and Marlon dive into what it means to do hard things, build a life of freedom, and live with intention.

They talk about sacrifice, faith, and the spiritual connection between man, the mountain, and the hunt. Marlon opens up about his evolution from a boat captain to one of the most respected bowhunters in the West, his views on masculinity in a soft world, and his new ventures including the Gray Light App and a technical mountain apparel line designed for serious hunters.

Whether you’re a seasoned backcountry hunter or just beginning your journey, this conversation will inspire you to push harder, think bigger, and chase your passion with purpose.

Key Takeaways

• Doing Hard Things Builds Grit: Marlon discusses how modern life has softened men — and why enduring difficulty in the mountains restores purpose and strength.
• Faith and the Hunt: The power of gratitude, reverence for the animal, and the spiritual bond that comes from taking a life to feed your family.
• Mindset Over Circumstance: How deliberate choices and self-belief can turn dreams into a lifestyle of freedom and adventure.
• Preparation and Perseverance: Physical readiness, altitude training, and mental discipline are what separate quitters from killers.
• Legacy and Creation: From the Gray Light App to his new technical apparel brand, Marlon shows how art, business, and hunting can merge into one calling.

Follow Marlon Holden

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graylighthunter

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Ryan sits down with Utah elk hunter Ashton Oborn to swap storm-soaked mountain stories, hard-won lessons, and one unforgettable redemption bull. The two met at Hunt Expo, later linked up with mutual acquaintance Dustin Green and finally got boots on the same ridge where weather, fog, and blown-out switchbacks tested every plan. Ashton traces his family’s 20+ years in the area, from his youth-tag growing pains to the day he dropped his biggest bull with a .270 pump-action, open sights. Together, he and Ryan break down reading fresh sign, calling nuances, swirling winds in burned timber, and the painful truth that sometimes bulls “talk” but won’t play. There’s camp comedy too with zero sleep, bad walkies, and a lost iPhone somehow recovered on a rockslide, plus a nod to horses and mules as the ultimate backcountry cheat code. They close on passing it forward: helping others tag out, getting kids on youth tags, and Ryan’s resolve to notch his first big-game kill on the extended season.

Key Takeaways:

• Weather windows matter: big rains/fog can light elk activity, but also wreck access and visibility.
• Stay when you strike sound: if a canyon has a talking bull, don’t leave; let patience beat panic.
• Sign literacy: fresh droppings, rubs, and that unmistakable elk smell can outscore glassing.
• Wind in burns: regrowth + deadfall = elk highways and brutal, swirling thermals.
• Calling discipline: match the mood; soft cow sounds can keep a cautious bull around.
• Redemption hunt: Ashton’s best bull came close and fast be ready for short, thick-timber shots.
• Community > ego: helping a buddy tag can be just as sweet; take the kids early and often.

Follow Ashton Oborn:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashtonoborn/

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Call to action: If you’re grinding your first elk season (or returning for redemption), share this episode with a hunting buddy and drop your “stay-in-the-canyon” story in the comments. Rate/review to help keep Hunt Stealth the fastest-growing hunting podcast in the nation. Stay safe, and God bless.

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Jeff Barlow... better known online as Nimrod Outdoors joins Ryan to talk family, faith, and the kind of hunts that turn into lifelong stories. Jeff shares how a joking nudge from his wife and a verse about the “mighty hunter” Nimrod sparked a 15-year digital journal with his seven kids, documenting everything from first tags to pack-outs. He tells the incredible Depression-era tale of his grandfather’s 34-inch cactus buck that fed the family and, decades later, found its way back home. We go deep on elk and mule deer strategy, why bugles in bow range raise the neck hairs, and Jeff’s wild Wasatch opener where a missed arrow turned into an eight-foot shot on a six-point bull. He also walks through his once-in-a-lifetime Utah moose hunt snow tracks, near misses, and the final pack-out with friends.

Jeff breaks down Sneek Tec: wind checkers, cover-scent sprays (sage, cedar, juniper), and “sneek boots” that quiet your steps plus how these tools buy you the 20–30 seconds that matter. We finish with advice for new hunters: enjoy the ride, put meat in the freezer, and don’t chase someone else’s score chase experiences with the people you love.

If you enjoyed this episode: follow, share it with a buddy, and leave a rating. Stay safe, and God bless.

Takeaways:

Origin of Nimrod Outdoors: A nudge from Jeff’s wife + the Old Testament “mighty hunter” = a 15-year family hunting journal across Facebook/IG/YouTube.

Legacy Story: Jeff’s grandpa’s 1934 cactus buck fed the family during the Depression; decades later the antlers were returned to the family—now hanging on Jeff’s wall.

Close-Quarters Elk: On Wasatch opener, a miss turned into an 8-foot archery shot on a six-point—proof that persistence (and good positioning) pays.

Moose Tag Marathon: Snow tracking, public-land chaos, two misses with a bow, then a successful rifle finish—highlighting patience, adaptation, and teamwork.

Sneek Tech Breakdown: Wind checker + cover-scent (sage/cedar/juniper) + quiet “sneek boots” to reduce foot noise—tools aimed at smell, sound, and sight to buy crucial seconds.

Why We Hunt: The therapy of mountains—bugles at bow range, rain-washed pines, and shared hardship—matters as much as (or more than) punching tags.

Advice to New Hunters: Enjoy the ride. Don’t chase scores; chase experiences, meat in the freezer, and memories—especially with your kids.

Follow Jeff Barlow:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nimrodoutdoors/

Website: https://sneektec.com/

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Ryan sits down with entrepreneur and charter captain Anthony Williams for a wide-ranging conversation that runs from marlin on blue water to bulls on steep ridges. Anthony shares how growing up in rural North Carolina shaped his outdoor grit, why marlin fishing feels like hunting, and how a brutal first day in elk country rewired his training. He breaks down a simple but savage prep plan (hill repeats on a bike + max-incline treadmill “climb the mountain”), talks bow vs. rifle strategy when learning a new place, and opens up about access, public lands, and representation in hunting.

 We also preview Anthony’s stacked season: Roosevelt elk in Oregon, Alaska fishing + Yukon moose off a gravel bar, New Mexico elk (Unit 5B), Ohio whitetail redemption, and a Marlin bender in Mag Bay. 

Anthony’s closing mantra is classic: “Get your ass up and do it.” Don’t wait.

Key Takeaways:

Train like the mountain: Crush hills on a bike, coast to let lactate build, then repeat; add max-incline treadmill “mountain climbs” for real-deal elevation legs.

Bow vs. rifle with intent: Use a rifle to learn brand-new country; return with a bow once you understand terrain, animals, and access.

Public lands matter: Access is opportunity, especially for newcomers and underrepresented hunters. Stay vigilant about policies that threaten it.

Alaska is calling: OTC opportunities won’t last forever, if it’s on your list and you have the skills, go sooner than later.

Bias toward action: Life’s short... stop waiting for “perfect timing.” Plan, prepare, and go.

Follow Anthony Williams:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/completeoutdoors

Website: https://captanthony.com/

Follow Ryan Uffens:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanuffens

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanuffens

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