The LandTrust Podcast

What does a first spring turkey hunt in Wyoming look like when you bring your dad and brother?

In this episode of the LandTrust Podcast, LandTrust Founder & CEO Nic De Castro sits down with LandTrust customer Caleb Barber to relive a spring Merriam's turkey hunt at Laurel Leaf Land Co. East near Gillette, Wyoming, hosted by landowners Stasi & Brian Shippy.

Caleb, his dad and his brother traded backcountry elk camps for an off-grid cabin on a regenerative ranch. A tom came in to 15 yards on the very first morning, Caleb's dad took his first spring turkey a day later, and three hunters went home with two birds and a trip they called awesome.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

👇 Book this hunt:

🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations about hunting, conservation, land access, and the people shaping the future of the outdoors.

#TurkeyHunting #MerriamsTurkey #WyomingHunting #LandTrust #PrivateLandHunting #SpringTurkey #TurkeySeason #HuntingPodcast #DIYHunting #HuntPrivateLand #OutdoorPodcast

Chapters

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What happens when a Hollywood music video director who had never spent time in the woods decides to learn to hunt California's toughest deer zone?

On this episode of the LandTrust Podcast, Nic De Castro sits down with Clark Jackson, a Hollywood music video and commercial director who started hunting three years ago after a health wake-up call and an elk dinner from a coworker. After 50 days chasing a public land blacktail in California's A Zone without getting near a buck, Clark booked a DIY hunt at Avina Ranch on LandTrust and walked into a bedded group of shooters on day one.

Clark talks through the blown stalks, the wind lesson he'll never forget and the fork buck he took on his last day. He also explains why he extended his trip, how he thinks about leases and guides, and how hunting has rippled through his family, from his daughter's fishing to a 250-pound halibut in Alaska.

About the property: Avina Ranch is a privately owned, 323-acre property in Lake County, California, just outside Cobb, with rolling meadows, oak and pine woodland and chaparral that hold resident Columbian black-tailed deer. It's a day-hunt property with no lodging, water or facilities on site.

What You'll Learn:

- Why California's A Zone is one of the hardest over-the-counter deer hunts in the country

- What 50 days on crowded public land taught Clark, and what changed on day one at Avina Ranch

- Why more time around animals makes you a better hunter than more time at the range

- Why public land hunting isn't free once you add gas, time and days in the field

- Where DIY private land fits between backcountry public land and guided hunts

- How LandTrust landowners differ from outfitters and year-long leases

- How hunting changed Clark's health, his family and his conversations with non-hunters in Hollywood

Clark, at the end of the episode: "it's been the place where I felt the most comfortable to fail, and in doing that, I found my most success."

Hunt Avina Ranch: https://landtrust.com/l/avina-ranch/5d8caa84-43c5-4b86-ba68-8cd0f61899d2?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep45_clark_jackson

How to book: open the Avina Ranch page (or search "Avina Ranch" on landtrust.com), pick a package under Available Packages, choose your dates and book.

Create a free LandTrust account and get alerts when new properties and hunts list: https://landtrust.com/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep45_clark_jackson

LandTrust+ (early access to new properties, sweepstakes entries, booking liability coverage): https://landtrust.com/plus?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep45_clark_jackson

Have a Five-Star Story? Email [email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Cold Open: Shooters on Day One

00:17 Welcome to The LandTrust Podcast

00:55 Meet Clark Jackson: From Hollywood to Hunting

01:14 A Health Wake-Up Call and a First Elk Dinner

04:06 First Hunt: Blacktail Deer and the Unicorn Buck

05:27 Why California's A Zone Is So Hard

07:27 Finding Avina Ranch on LandTrust

10:57 Day One at Avina Ranch: Beating 50 Days of Public Land

14:15 Learning the Wind the Hard Way

16:20 DIY Private Land: Opportunity, Not Outcome

18:20 Why Stalking Beats Range Time

20:41 Hunting, Fitness and Losing 115 Pounds

25:55 Public Land Isn't Free: The Real Cost of Hunting

28:26 Making a Short LandTrust Trip Count

32:33 Talking With Landowners Before You Hunt

34:52 Guides, Outfitters and Rec Tech

36:58 Trailhead Crowds and Opening-Day Traffic Jams

38:55 Leases vs. DIY Private Land

43:22 Why LandTrust Landowners Aren't in the Hunting Business

48:42 How Hunting Rippled Through Clark's Family

54:26 Catching the Turkey Bug

58:43 Being a Hunter in Hollywood

1:01:13 Why Clark Eats Less Meat as a Hunter

1:04:33 LandTrust for Anglers, Overlanders and Birders

1:05:27 Wrap-Up and What's Next for Clark

1:06:51 Outro: Avina Ranch, Free Account and LandTrust+

Follow LandTrust

Instagram: instagram.com/landtrust_hunt

Facebook: facebook.com/landtrusthunt

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/landtrustinc

Site: landtrust.com

What happens to the land we love when farming stops making financial sense?

On this episode of the LandTrust Podcast, Nic sits down with Jace Young, founder and CEO of Legacy Farmer, to take a deeper look at the economics behind America’s farms and ranches, and why sportsmen should care.

Jace grew up on a large family farm in Western Kansas before working in agricultural banking. After seeing firsthand how financial stress, debt, and a lack of succession planning can threaten multi-generational farms, he eventually founded Legacy Farmer to help farmers and ranchers better understand the financial side of their operations.

In this episode:

- Why owning thousands of acres doesn't necessarily mean a farm or ranch is profitable

Jace shares some powerful stories from his time in agricultural banking, including what he witnessed when a fourth-generation Kansas farm ultimately filed bankruptcy.

For sportsmen, understanding that side of the equation may be just as important as understanding the wildlife and habitat on the other side of the fence.

#LandTrust #LandTrustPodcast #Hunting #FarmLand #Farmland #Agriculture #RuralAmerica #LandManagement #HuntingAccess #LegacyFarmer

Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Why Hunters Should Care About Farmland

🔗 Follow:

YouTube: youtube.com/c/jacedyounglegacyfarmer

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/legacy-farmer

Site: landtrust.com

Andrew ("The Flip Flop Guy") and Lauren Brown join Nic De Castro on the LandTrust Podcast to share their first season using LandTrust for DIY private land turkey hunting.

From calling in stubborn gobblers in Montana to learning directly from knowledgeable landowners, they break down what worked, what they'd do differently, and why private land access through LandTrust changed the way they plan hunts.

Whether you're planning your first DIY turkey hunt or looking for more access across the country, this episode is packed with practical tips and real hunting stories.

🎙️ In this episode:

- Andrew & Lauren's first season using LandTrust

👍 Subscribe for More Outdoor Conversations

The LandTrust Podcast brings together founders, conservation leaders, landowners, and passionate hunters shaping the future of hunting and outdoor recreation.

#TurkeyHunting #LandTrust #DIYHunting #PrivateLand #TurkeySeason #HuntingPodcast #MontanaHunting #HuntTurkey #OutdoorPodcast #PublicLand #Conservation #TheFlipFlopGuy #LaurenBrown #NicDeCastro #Hunting

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Intro

🔗 Follow:

Andy - The Flip Flop Guy

Instagram: instagram.com/theflipflopguy

Facebook: facebook.com/TheFlipFlopGuy

Site: www.theflipflopguy.com

Lauren Brown

instagram.com/laurenbrown8g

LandTrust

What does a dream turkey season look like?

In this episode of the LandTrust Podcast, LandTrust Founder & CEO Nic De Castro sits down with longtime LandTrust customer Trey Thorsen to relive an incredible spring turkey season that took him across three states and three unique private properties.

From battling stubborn gobblers in Georgia, to hunting alongside welcoming landowners in Washington, to chasing Merriam's turkeys on the expansive Laurel Leaf Ranch in Wyoming, Trey shares the stories, challenges, and memorable moments that made this season one to remember.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

- Hunting private land in Georgia, Washington, and Wyoming

👇 Find your next hunt:

🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations about hunting, conservation, land access, and the people shaping the future of the outdoors.

#TurkeyHunting #LandTrust #MerriamsTurkey #EasternTurkey #RioGrandeTurkey #PrivateLandHunting #TurkeySeason #HuntingPodcast #DIYHunting #TurkeyHunter #HuntPrivateLand #OutdoorPodcast

Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Meet Trey Thorsen

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What does it take to build one of the most influential platforms in Western hunting?

What does hunting access look like from the landowner’s side?