We’ve been gone about eight months. No big announcement, no explanation, just quiet. Episode 39 of the Road Hunter Podcast is us breaking that silence, and it’s also the story we’ve been sitting on since June: a wildfire burned to within about 50 feet of our tent while Eli, his buddy Jacob, and Jacob’s dad Darren were out catfishing in Eastern Oregon, and we almost lost Eli’s boat.

Watch the full episode below, or keep reading for the rundown.

Short version: Eli landed a grown-up job after high school and then got hurt, Brad picked up a different job on top of it, and the day-to-day grind of putting out a podcast quietly lost the fight against actual adulting. Nothing dramatic, just the kind of thing that kills a lot of shows. We’re not going to over-explain three months of silence into eight, and we’re not going to apologize for it either.

What changed: the site got a redesign, new articles are running every Wednesday, and they’re built more educational this time, less “look what we did” and more “here’s how you find animals and fish if you have no idea where to start.” That’s the new focus going forward, and it’s enough to build a schedule we can actually keep.

Here’s the promise, and we’re only making the one we know we can keep: new episodes every other Friday, new articles every Wednesday on failedoutdoors.com. That’s it. That’s the deal.

Eli, his buddy Jacob, and Jacob’s dad Darren headed to Hell’s Canyon country near Ontario, Oregon, right on the Idaho border along the Snake River, to catfish out of Eli’s drift boat. Darren had just reworked the boat, sturdier transom, better mounted for the motor, and it ran fine before they left. It did not want to run once they got there.

The whole first day went to fighting that motor: it would run, then it wouldn’t, then they found the actual problem, a clogged impeller that meant no water was circulating to cool it. Fixing it meant Jacob stripping down and hanging off the back of the boat in the water while Eli held his legs so he didn’t go under, digging around for a dropped clip. A passing camper stopped to make sure the kid dangling off the boat was okay. That’s the kind of trip it already was before the fire ever showed up.

They got the motor running, caught catfish, including one big enough to bend the rod flat and take off with the line, no pictures, and found a local guy running a fishing shack that doubled as a whiskey import business, good fishing reports included. Normal trip. Then, walking down to fish, they noticed a smoke cloud in the distance. Other campers started clustering up and talking about it. Eli and Jacob weren’t worried yet, it looked far off.

That changed fast. A trip back for forgotten pliers was enough time for the smoke to visibly close the distance. Eli hiked up to a ridge to check how close it actually was and watched a kid crest the top, turn around, and sprint back down. A call from Darren followed: get back to camp, they were being told to get ready to evacuate. By the time they made it back, that had already escalated to a Level 3, go now.

They didn’t waste time. The boat went on the trailer first, unhesitatingly, no insurance on it and no version of the trip where they left it behind. Explosives and propane went in the truck next. The tent and anything replaceable stayed put. Did you grab the boat was the first question asked once everyone was safe, and the answer was yes, before almost anything else.

They ended up riding it out on a stranger’s dock, a mechanic who worked highway breakdowns and had a garage full of cool cars, invited them to fish off his property while they watched. From there they watched the fire jump the road they thought would hold it and tear into the trees near their old campsite. When it got bad enough, they pulled back further to a truck stop, spared by a burn scar from a fire the week before, and watched fire crews and line crews work while the power got cut as a precaution. Some other campers left later than they should have, RVs still hooked up with the fire already at the road.

They spent the night in a motel in Ontario. Back at camp the next day, the fire had burned to within about 50 feet of the tent. It didn’t take the tent, or the cushions inside it. That’s not a story we’re exaggerating for the podcast, that’s the actual distance. We got lucky. Not “funny story” lucky, actually lucky.

We’re telling this one straight in the episode, on purpose. Wildfire isn’t an abstract thing out here. If you’ve spent any real time in Oregon’s forests and rangeland, you know someone who’s lost more than a boat to one. The chaos and the scramble, that’s fair game for the podcast’s usual tone. The fire itself isn’t the punchline.

If you’re heading into fire season yourself, Oregon’s wildfire response dashboard and InciWeb are worth bookmarking before you need them, not after.

The episode also gets into a story out of Tennessee: two guys took a side-by-side out during an active flood warning and ended up needing search and rescue after getting stuck in a creek. Nobody hurt, nothing but pride lost. It got us talking about our own history of decisions that seemed fine at the time, including a windstorm that turned into a blizzard while we hiked out of a hunting camp with trees coming down around us. We’ve been lucky enough to never need search and rescue ourselves. That story’s a reminder it only takes one bad call to change that.

Coming up: John Berger, back for a second sit-down. Last time was his own journey and the accident that changed how he hunts and fishes. This time it’s how Cummings Creek Retreat has pivoted into a nonprofit supporting veterans and disabled first responders, alongside his friend Fernando. Genuinely good work, worth the listen.

Life caught up with both hosts, Eli started a job after high school and got hurt, Brad picked up a new job too, and the weekly grind of producing a show lost out to actual adulting. Episode 39 marks the return with a schedule built to actually stick: new episodes every other Friday.

During a June catfishing trip in Eastern Oregon’s Hell’s Canyon country, a wildfire escalated to a Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation and burned to within about 50 feet of the group’s tent. Eli, his friend Jacob, and Jacob’s dad Darren evacuated and got the boat out first; the full account is in Episode 39.

Near Ontario, Oregon, in the Hell’s Canyon area along the Snake River, right on the Idaho border.

Every other Friday, with new articles publishing every Wednesday on failedoutdoors.com.

Two men in Tennessee who took a side-by-side out during an active flood warning and had to be rescued by search and rescue after getting stuck in a creek.

Featuring a return visit with John Berger about Cummings Creek Retreat’s pivot to a nonprofit supporting veterans and disabled first responders.

We’re back, the boat made it, and we’ve got a schedule this time that we intend to keep. New episode every other Friday, new article every Wednesday. Thanks for sticking with us through the quiet stretch. We’ll see you out in the woods! We’ll see you in the next episode.

The post We’re Back! We Almost Lost Our Boat to a Wildfire appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

It’s late November and we’re back in the blind for another Road Hunter Podcast hunt. The ducks were slow, but the coots kept things interesting: we ended the morning with 3 coot, 2 ducks, and plenty of laughs.

Related: duck blind talk.

While we wait on birds, we break down the final days of elk season: what went right, what went sideways, and what we learned as we close the book on another year in the mountains.

If you like duck hunting, real talk, and end-of-season storytelling, you’re in the right place.

If you’ve never hunted Oregon coot, here’s the deal: when the ducks go quiet, the coot flotillas don’t. They sit out in the open like they’re daring you to shoot, and Oregon lets you take 25 a day, on top of your regular duck limit since coot don’t count against it. So when the action slows, we water swat a few just to keep the morning interesting. Logan even shot one with no bullets in the chamber on his first try: failed outdoors, folks. That’s the brand.

Logan water-swatted his first duck of the season, a hen mallard, the only legal bird that day, and we’re counting it. First duck’s a first duck, no matter how it gets in the bag. We’ll admit we stole a couple of his earlier opportunities too. When they’re landing right in the spread, instinct takes over before manners do.

Eastern Oregon elk season was tough: lots of hiking, almost no sightings. The coastal side wasn’t much better; we busted a herd in heavy fog and never got a shot lined up. The one bright spot: Logan capped off the season with his second blacktail buck in two years, a fork-and-spike (a “spork,” if you’re keeping track of our nicknames). There’s guys who can’t say they’ve shot two bucks in ten years, let alone two seasons.

No. Oregon allows up to 25 coot per day as a separate limit from ducks, making them a good option to keep busy when duck action is slow.

Crowded blinds mean birds get flared by neighboring hunters before they reach your decoys. It’s part of public-land hunting: spreading out and being patient helps, but you can’t control everyone else.

Absolutely. A legal spike fills the freezer and the tag exactly like a trophy buck does. Trophy hunting is fun, but meat in the freezer is the real win.

Catch us in the next episode: we’re heading into duck season hard and chasing crab and steelhead before the year’s out. Thanks for listening, and get outside even if you come home with tag soup.

The post Duck and Coot Showdown and Elk Season Wrap Up appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

Join us in the Eastern Oregon backcountry as we chase elk, glass the ridges, and talk through one of the biggest moments of the season: Eli missing a big buck on the very last day of deer season.
In this episode of The Road Hunter Podcast, we break down what happened, what we learned, and how those tough misses shape us as hunters. Plus, we share fresh elk sign, strategy talk, and the highs and lows of being deep in the timber.

Related: Ryan’s trophy elk bow hunt.

If you love real hunting stories, honest conversations, and the raw beauty of Eastern OR, you’re in the right place.

We spent the better part of two weeks in Eastern Oregon chasing elk, and the weather never cooperated. It felt like June for most of the hunt, 65, 70 degrees, sunny, which is about as far from “elky weather” as you can get. Lots of miles on foot, plenty of deer sign, even a monster mule deer buck with antlers like a field goal post, but elk stayed scarce. A wolf moving through the area probably didn’t help.

On the final day of deer season, Eli and his mom spotted a big buck standing in the trees with a few does, got set up on a tree limb for a rest, and were just about ready to shoot when, you guessed it, the Jeep’s car alarm went off because a door wasn’t shut all the way. The buck bolted. By the time they circled back, someone else had already found him; drag marks told the story. That’s failed outdoors right there.

More often than not, when you bump a deer like that, it doesn’t just vanish, it does a big loop and circles back toward where it started. The lesson: when you bump one, sit tight and let it settle instead of chasing. Eli did the loop and came back to last-known location, but someone else beat him to it.

Elk move most when temperatures drop. In warm, dry conditions, they bed deep in timber during daylight and barely move, which makes them far harder to locate even with heavy scouting.

Don’t chase it immediately. Deer that get bumped commonly circle back toward the area they came from. Back off, give it time, and approach from a different angle later.

Yes, especially in quiet, dry conditions, elk can hear vehicles and voices from a long way off. Walking in instead of driving close gives you a much better shot at staying undetected.

Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve, that’s elk hunting. Thanks for following along, and we’ll see you in the next one.

The post Eastern Oregon Elk Hunt and Eli’s Last-Day Buck Miss | Road Hunter Podcast appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

This duck blind public land sit on Savvi Island turned into an unforgettable hunt. 🦆 We double up on two birds while calling in ducks and swapping stories about the season. As deer season winds down, we talk about shifting gears into elk season: what we’ve learned, what’s next, and why the grind never stops for The Road Hunter crew. Tune in for good laughs, duck calls, and real talk from the blind.

Related: duck and coot season wrap-up.

This sit on Savvi Island started slow: lots of teasing ducks that circled and flared off, a couple of close calls stolen by the blind next to us, and Ryan still chasing his very first duck. Then a pair came in low, turned, decoyed straight over the spread, and we doubled up. Two gadwalls, a mated pair, both down. Not skunked anymore.

If you’ve never hunted Savvi Island’s west side, here’s how it works: hunters line up early, draw a numbered poker chip, and that number determines blind order. We pulled 48 out of 45 available spots: right in the middle of the pack. Get there early if the west side is your only plan, because if you draw a high number, you can still bail to the east side’s leftover draw hunt.

Both kids closed out deer season with spikes, not monsters, but meat in the freezer, which is the whole point. Now it’s full send into duck season, with elk and steelhead still on the books before the year wraps.

Hunters line up before shooting light and draw a numbered chip determining blind selection order. Lower numbers get first pick of available blinds; if you draw late and the good spots are gone, some areas let you move to a different unit’s leftover draw.

A shotgun, waders, and a basic set of decoys covers it. You don’t need a dog or a kayak to get started, though both make retrieving easier.

Yes. A legal spike fills a tag the same as any other buck and is a great confidence-builder for a young or new hunter.

Thanks for listening: get out and chase some birds, even if it takes a few cold sits to get your first one.

The post Duck Blind Talk on The Road Hunter Podcast appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

In this episode of The Road Hunter Podcast, we talk about the slow late-October deer hunting season. Deer sightings have been scarce, and the rut feels late this year. We share what we’re seeing (and not seeing) in the field, discuss weather and moon phase factors, and swap thoughts on how to stay patient when the action cools down. Grab a coffee, settle in, and join the hunt talk!

Related: breaking down a clearcut.

Late October is usually when the rut starts stirring bucks into moving during daylight, but this season it felt late. We sat a clearcut with a known game trail cutting through the bottom, a spot that’s held 25 deer at once in years past, and still came up quiet. That’s deer hunting some days: you know they’re there, you just have to out-wait them.

When the action’s slow, we still focus on the same edges every time: the tree line where deer have come out before, the flat where they feed, and the well-defined game trail cutting across the bottom. Patience and consistency beat driving around hoping to get lucky.

Rut timing shifts year to year based on temperature, moon phase, and local deer density. A warm or inconsistent fall can push peak rut activity later than usual.

Not necessarily. If a clearcut or edge has produced sightings in the past, it’s usually worth sitting it out longer rather than burning time and fuel driving to a new, unknown spot.

Stay patient out there: the bucks will move eventually. Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you next time.

The post Late October Deer Hunting: Where Are the Bucks? 🦌- The Road Hunter Podcast appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

This bow hunting elk tracking story doesn’t have an easy ending. Ryan shares a deeply personal and emotional story from this past bow season: a once-in-a-lifetime shot on a massive trophy elk… that didn’t go as planned.

Related: Brayden’s bowhunting elk story.

He walks us through the moment of the shot, the confidence he had in the placement, and the gut-wrenching days that followed searching for an animal that never turned up. It’s the side of hunting we don’t talk about enough: the reality, the responsibility, and the respect we owe the animals we pursue.

This isn’t a story of success, but it’s one every hunter needs to hear.

Ryan was sitting against a stump mid-morning, half-distracted on his phone, when a bugle that had been working him for an hour finally paid off: a mainframe 7×7 bull walked to within 33 yards. He drew, settled his 40-yard pin a touch high for the actual range, and released. Solid hit, but high and back. A second arrow at a guessed 55 yards found the spine area as the bull moved off, blood pouring, never gaining elevation as it disappeared into the clearcut.

Great blood for 300 yards, then it thinned out near a piece of intestine: a sign the hit was high liver and gut, not the clean double-lung pass-through everyone hopes for. The crew gridded close to 80 acres across two days with a handful of strangers who volunteered off a Facebook post. No bull, no second arrow, no closure. It’s not the first animal lost, and it won’t be the last, but every hour of that search mattered.

This is the one place the jokes stop. A clean miss is just Tuesday. Wounding an animal and not recovering it is the actual failure, and it’s on every hunter to do everything possible to find it: waiting the right amount of time before tracking, gridding methodically, and asking for help instead of giving up. Ryan did all of that. Sometimes it still doesn’t end in a recovery, and that’s a weight every bowhunter eventually carries.

For a hit that isn’t an obvious quick kill, give it at least 30-45 minutes before moving in, and longer if the shot placement is uncertain. Pushing too early can push an otherwise recoverable animal further away.

It often indicates a gut or liver hit rather than a complete pass-through. These shots are survivable for the animal longer and can result in a much longer, harder track than a double-lung hit.

Rules vary by state and have changed in recent years: check current Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations before using or requesting a blood-tracking dog, since it was not legal at the time of this hunt.

If you’ve ever lost an animal you couldn’t find, you’re not alone: your time’s coming if it hasn’t already. Thanks for listening.

The post Ryan’s Trophy Elk Bow Hunt Gone Wrong | Road Hunter Podcast appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

Ever missed a shot you were sure you’d make? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Road Hunter Podcast, we dive deep into the shots that didn’t land: from buck fever and bad angles to mental slip-ups and gear failures. We break down real hunting experiences, what went wrong, and how you can prepare better for your next shot.

Related: hunting concealment.

Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or just starting out, this honest conversation will help you improve your aim, mindset, and strategy in the field.

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We’ve missed a spike at 50 yards (deflected off a branch), missed a 100-yard chip shot clean for no good reason, and whiffed a long shot at our long-running target buck “Goliath”: twice. Misses happen to everyone, even with practice. The difference between a good hunter and a lucky one is what you do about it afterward.

We run dial-up scopes in mils and tape our click values to the buttstock so we’re not guessing under pressure. Using one consistent bullet, Hornady Precision Hunter ELDX across the family, means our drop data stays reliable from gun to gun. Skip the brand-hopping; consistency at the range is what saves you in the field.

We’ve been running long-range .22 drills on a spinning target at 100 yards: hitting a quarter-sized target at that distance with a rimfire is humbling, but it builds the fundamentals that carry over to the big-game rifle. Dry-fire practice and time at the range matter more than any gadget.

Adrenaline, rushed setups, and misjudged range cause most misses, regardless of experience level. Even well-practiced shooters forget to dial their scope or range a target under excitement.

Practice on small targets at extended distances with a low-cost rimfire rifle. Hitting a small target consistently at 100 yards with a .22 builds the precision habits that transfer directly to a big-game rifle.

Yes. Sticking with one bullet and load keeps your ballistic drop data consistent, which matters more at extended range than any single piece of gear.

If you’ve missed one this season, you’re in good company: tell us about it in the comments. Thanks for listening.

The post The Shots You Miss: Why Hunters Fail & What You Can Learn | The Road Hunter Podcast appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

The Road Hunter Podcast has officially hit 100 subscribers, and we’re celebrating with a giveaway! 🎁 In this episode, we share all the details on how you can enter to win. We also dive into some essential beginner hunting tips, covering gear, scouting, and strategies to help new hunters get started the right way. Whether you’re brand new to hunting or just want to brush up on the basics, this episode is packed with insights and a chance to win!

Related: finding public hunting land.

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Visit our site for the lastest podcast and other merch. https://www.failedoutdoors.com

The first question every new hunter asks is where to even go. In Oregon, that list is bigger than most people realize: state parks and greenways near civilization (usually shotgun/bow only), national and state forest in the Cascades, BLM checkerboard land, tribal land open to public use, and timber company land: some open freely, some requiring a free permit, some gated where you park and walk in.

OnX Maps is the tool that changes everything here. Look up landowners in your area, check their websites for public access rules, and confirm before you go: we spent years driving roads until they dead-ended into private gates before we figured this out. Don’t make our mistake.

You don’t need Gucci gear to fill a tag. $25 Wranglers from Walmart camouflage you about as well as the expensive stuff: deer care a lot more about scent and movement than brand names. But there are three places we don’t cheap out:

Sitting alone and glassing for hours gets old fast. Having someone next to you, even just to laugh at how miserable you both are under a poncho in sideways rain, makes the long sits tolerable and the failures memorable instead of discouraging. Find a buddy who wants to be there as much as you do, or you’ll end up driving around more than sitting still, which is the opposite of what works.

Every “10 tips to be a successful hunter” article on the internet skips the boring truth: most of hunting success comes from sitting still on a stump, glassing the same edges, until your butt goes numb and then further. Deer tuck into the little crevices and seams of a clearcut and don’t move until you’ve stopped looking. Outlast them.

Use OnX Maps to identify BLM, state forest, and timber company land near you, then check each landowner’s website for specific public access rules before heading out.

A rifle or bow, a decent pair of binoculars, a scope that dials to distance, a rangefinder, rain gear, and good boots. Clothing and calls can be budget options: spend your money on glass and footwear instead.

No. A dog helps with retrieving birds, but plenty of successful hunters, including beginners, get by without one.

Giving up on a spot too early. Most success comes from sitting and glassing far longer than feels reasonable, not from constantly moving to a new location.

Get out this season and try it, even if you suck at it and even if you don’t get anything, that’s how all of us started. Thanks for listening and subscribing.

The post 🎉 100 Subscribers Giveaway + Beginner Hunting Tips | The Road Hunter Podcast appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

On this episode of The Road Hunter Podcast, we dive deep into travel management and how it affects your time in the field. Whether you’re out #scouting new areas, planning your next #deerhunting trip, or prepping for #ElkHunting season, understanding these rules can make or break your hunt. We break down the good, the ugly, and what every hunter should know about road closures, access points, and responsible use of #publicland. Perfect for anyone passionate about #hunting and the #outdoors, this discussion will help you stay informed and prepared for your next adventure.

Related: deer season prep checklist.

Travel management closes vehicle access on logging and timber company roads during hunting season, forcing everyone to park and walk in. The upside is real: it stops the guy who drives the middle of a clearcut you just hiked an hour to glass quietly. We’ve watched it happen: full orange, sitting in plain sight on a ridge, and a truck still drives straight through the cut and looks up at us on the way.

The rules aren’t consistent statewide. The “one hour before/after legal light” window changes by unit, the enforcement varies by officer, and what happens if you tag an animal right at that cutoff is handled “case by case”, which isn’t an answer, it’s a maybe. We know a guy who got a ticket close to the gate and still couldn’t fight it. And when timber company permits and travel management overlap on the same ground, good luck finding a clear answer on which rule actually applies.

The best explanation we’ve heard: travel management exists to keep elk pressured up in the timber instead of pushed down onto farmland, where they tear up crops. It’s plausible, we’ve watched elk concentrate on the one road that borders ag land every season, but nobody’s published the research to confirm it’s actually working, and blacktail-specific population science is thin compared to what’s out there for whitetail.

Travel management restricts motorized vehicle access on certain logging and forest roads during hunting season, typically requiring hunters to park at a gate and walk in rather than drive through.

No. Time windows and enforcement vary by unit and by the specific agreement between agencies and timber companies. Always check the rules for your specific hunting unit before the season.

Enforcement is generally handled case by case, which means there’s no guaranteed protection. Plan your hunt with enough buffer time to field dress and pack out well within the access window.

Navigate it carefully, follow the rules even when they’re frustrating, and we’ll see you out there. Thanks for listening.

The post Travel Management Rules – The Good, the Bad & What You Need to Know appeared first on Failed Outdoors.

Join us at Cummings Creek Retreat for a special episode of The Road Hunter Podcast! We sit down with John Berger to recap an action-packed weekend filled with building archery courses, trimming trees, creating food plots, and so much more. Hear the stories, tips, and laughs from our time outdoors making this retreat a hunter’s paradise. #TheRoadHunterPodcast #CummingsCreekRetreat #JohnBerger #OutdoorAdventures #ArcheryCourse #FoodPlots #HabitatManagement #WeekendProjects #HuntingLife

Related: mid-summer deer season prep.

John Berger built his archery courses to be the closest thing to a real hunting scenario you can get with a 3D target. Two of the courses give you the yardage to the animal but not its exact position, you have to find it. The third course strips even that away. No flat backstops, no straight-line walks: just realistic uphill, downhill, and across-the-draw shots through actual terrain.

The property maps at 325 acres flat, but between the elevation change and the terrain, it hunts more like 500-600. Course four alone runs nearly three-quarters of a mile with targets out to 92 yards, and it requires a backpack, water, a radio, and a sidearm, not for show, but because mountain lion sign is real up there, and altitude alone will wear out anyone not acclimated to it.

John’s philosophy is simple: he gets more enjoyment now watching someone else make the shot than making it himself. That’s the whole retreat in one sentence: food plots, water development, archery courses, all built so other people can have the experience he’s already had. Safety comes first, everyone wears a seatbelt, signs a release, and carries a radio, but after that, it’s just a genuinely beautiful, private piece of ground with darker skies than you’ll find anywhere near a city.

A well-designed course should mimic real hunting conditions, varied terrain, uncertain target positions, and realistic distances, rather than a flat walk with a clear backstop at every station.

A backpack with water, a radio for check-ins, and a sidearm for deterrence are reasonable minimums on ground with confirmed mountain lion or bear sign, even if you’re not actively hunting that day.

If you want to check out Cummings Creek Retreat for yourself, visit cummingscreekretreat.com. Thanks for listening, and we’ll catch you in the next one.

The post The Road Hunter Podcast at Cummings Creek Retreat | Weekend Adventures with John Berger appeared first on Failed Outdoors.