The Texas Campfire

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Richard Jankovsky for a conversation about a life shaped by service, working dogs, determination, and more than a few unexpected turns along the way.

Richard’s story starts long before tracking dogs and law enforcement.

He talks about getting into trouble as a young man, including the time he was caught stealing watermelons, and how one judge helped steer his life in a completely different direction.

From there, Richard shares stories from boot camp and his time in the Coast Guard, including some of the lessons he learned the hard way and the moments that taught him how to keep moving forward even when he did not always understand what was coming next.

Mark and Richard also get into his experience working with dogs.

Richard talks about becoming one of the first handlers in the Coast Guard K9 program and what it was like helping build something new when there was not much of a roadmap to follow.

That experience with dogs eventually carried into another part of his life: tracking wounded deer with hog dogs.

Richard shares stories about working blood trails after hunters had lost the track, trusting the dog when the sign disappeared, and the satisfaction that comes with recovering an animal that might otherwise have been lost.

The conversation also turns to Richard’s time in law enforcement and the mindset that helped him make it through the Highway Patrol Academy.

There were opportunities to quit, but Richard refused to walk away.

That same determination shows up throughout his story.

But like most conversations around the campfire, this episode is about more than careers, uniforms, and working dogs.

It is about second chances, the people who change the direction of your life, refusing to quit when things get difficult, and finding purpose in places you may never have expected.

If you enjoy military stories, law enforcement, working dogs, hunting, tracking, or simply hearing from someone who has lived a life full of experiences worth telling, you’re going to enjoy this one.

Pull up a chair and join Mark and Richard Jankovsky around The Texas Campfire.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Garret Rossi of Hebbronville Machine Shop for a conversation about cowboying, welding, machining, work ethic, and building a business in South Texas.

For Garret, working with his hands started early.

He talks about learning to weld when he was young, the people who taught him along the way, and why those early lessons became about a lot more than just learning a trade.

They became lessons in work ethic, problem solving, and figuring out how to get a job done.

Mark and Garret also get into the cowboy side of his story.

They talk about what really makes somebody a good cowboy, why skill can look different depending on who is watching, and the differences Garret has seen between cowboys and true horsemen.

From there, the conversation moves into Hebbronville Machine Shop and the kind of work that comes through the door.

Garret shares stories about solving problems other people could not, including jobs where customers had searched across South Texas for somebody capable of building exactly what they needed.

He also talks about investing in CNC equipment, why making that jump was such a big decision, and how one machine ended up paying for itself in just eight months.

It is a good look at what happens when old-school knowledge meets modern equipment.

But this episode is about more than welding and machining.

It is about learning a trade, taking pride in your work, knowing when experience matters more than appearances, and building a reputation by being the person people call when they need something done right.

Garret’s story is rooted in the kind of South Texas work ethic where you learn early, figure things out as you go, and keep improving at your craft.

If you like cowboy culture, horses, welding, fabrication, machining, South Texas businesses, or hearing from people who know how to build and fix things with their own hands, you’re going to enjoy this one.

Pull up a chair and join Mark and Garret Rossi of Hebbronville Machine Shop around The Texas Campfire.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Riley Rhodes for a conversation about a lifetime spent in the cattle business and the people, relationships, and experiences that have shaped it.

For Riley, cattle were part of life from the very beginning.

He shares the story of getting his first cow as a kid, growing up around livestock, and developing a passion for the business long before it became his career.

From there, Mark and Riley get into the world of cattle buyers, auction barns, and the relationships that keep the industry moving.

Riley talks about buyers he has worked with for decades, the importance of trust, and why strong relationships still matter in a business where reputation can mean everything.

They also talk about the Texas cattle market and some of the challenges producers are watching today.

That includes the growing concern around screwworm, what it could mean for cattle producers, and why Riley believes it is important to understand the situation without immediately hitting the panic button.

The conversation also gets into herd numbers, the cattle supply, and how changes across the industry can affect everyone from the rancher raising calves to the people buying and selling them down the line.

But like most conversations around the campfire, it is not all business.

Riley shares stories from growing up around cattle, life at the auction barn, and even the story of a first date that somehow took him from Texas all the way to Atlanta.

This episode is about more than cattle prices and market reports.

It is about growing up in the business, earning trust over decades, learning from the people who came before you, and staying connected to an industry that has shaped families and communities across Texas for generations.

If you like cattle, ranching, sale barns, Texas agriculture, or just hearing good stories from someone who has spent a lifetime around the business, you’re going to enjoy this one.

Pull up a chair and join Mark and Riley Rhodes around The Texas Campfire.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard heads to Three Rivers, Texas to visit Rodney and Jarrett Geisler at Performance Top Drives and step inside the wild world of custom hunting and ranch trucks.

What started decades ago with homemade racks, ropes, levers, and questionable engineering has turned into something completely different.

Today, these rigs can have hydraulic steering, luxury seating, massive stereo systems, Starlink internet, thermal cameras, televisions, refrigerators, liquor cabinets, margarita machines, shooting benches, elevators, custom paint, and just about anything else a ranch owner can dream up.

Rodney shares how he went from working as a mechanic to building his first top drive almost by accident, and how one customer led to another until Performance Top Drives became a business building custom rigs for ranchers, hunters, celebrities, international clients, and people all over the world.

Mark, Rodney, and Jarrett also get into some of the craziest builds they have ever done, including rigs built for famous athletes, international royalty, massive party trucks, quail rigs, luxury touring vehicles, and custom builds costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And then there are the stories.

Burned-up trucks, low bridges, blown tires, late-night deliveries, hunting rigs catching fire, six-hour delivery parties, Marfa lights, ranch roads, and plenty of moments where things almost went completely sideways.

This episode is about more than hunting trucks.

It is about South Texas ingenuity, ranch culture, custom craftsmanship, family business, and building something that lets people enjoy the outdoors with their friends and family in a completely different way.

If you like ranches, hunting, trucks, fabrication, big boy toys, or just hearing stories about crazy ideas that somehow became reality, you’re going to enjoy this one.

Pull up a chair and join us at Performance Top Drives in Three Rivers, Texas.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

This week on The Texas Campfire Podcast, we’re doing something a little different.

Instead of a traditional sit-down podcast, Mark Hubbard takes you on the road for a more visual, show-style episode as he heads to Animal Artistry of Texas to visit his longtime friend and taxidermist, Gerald Lieck.

Mark is picking up two deer mounts from last season, and both come with a story. One is a South Texas whitetail that ended a 38-year stretch without him pulling the trigger on a trophy whitetail. The other is a massive Sonora mule deer he almost passed on because he thought the buck was too thin-horned.

What starts as a taxidermy pickup turns into a deeper conversation about hunting, patience, memories, and the emotion behind the animals we choose to harvest. Mark talks about why he went so long without shooting a trophy whitetail, the moment this deer finally changed his mind, and what it felt like to walk up on an animal that meant that much after all those years.

Gerald also shares the heart behind his work as a taxidermist, the responsibility of preserving someone’s memory, and why every mount is more than just antlers on a wall. You’ll also meet Emily, the young taxidermist Gerald is mentoring as he prepares to pass the business and craft on to the next generation.

This episode is part road trip, part hunting story, part taxidermy shop visit, and part reflection on why certain animals stay with us forever.

Because this episode is very visual, you’ll get the full experience by watching it on YouTube.

Watch the full episode here:
youtube.com/@thetexascampfire

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Jim Williams of V8 Ranch for a conversation about Brahman cattle, South Texas ranching, family legacy, cattle judging, hunting stories, and what it really means to ride for the brand.

Jim may call himself “just a sharecropper from South Texas,” but in the cattle world, V8 Brahman cattle are known far beyond Texas. From Hungerford and Wharton County to Houston, Mexico, Latin America, Pakistan, and beyond, the V8 brand has become part of the worldwide Brahman cattle story.

Mark and Jim talk about the history of V8 Ranch, the origin of the V8 name, the cattlemen who shaped the breed, the importance of good females, why Brahman influence matters in hot country, and how generations of ranchers have built their lives around cattle, family, and hard-earned reputation.

They also get into old South Texas hunting stories, George Light, Joe Finley, the Callahan Ranch, old deer camps, cattle show memories, judging with integrity, 4-H and FFA, raising kids around livestock, and why agriculture is not just a job, but a lifestyle you never really clock out of.

This episode is about more than cattle.

It is about family, legacy, character, South Texas brush country, and the people who still understand what it means to take care of the land, the livestock, the customer, and the name on the brand.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with Jim Williams of V8 Ranch.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Morgan Tyler for a conversation about West Texas ranching, family land, hunting, history, and the kind of country that gets in your blood and never leaves.

Morgan’s family has been tied to Presidio County for more than 140 years, going back to the days when cattle were driven west and ranches were carved out of some of the roughest country in Texas.

Mark and Morgan talk about the Trans-Pecos, Marfa, Presidio County, old ranch families, the Marfa lights, border stories, aoudad sheep, desert bighorns, elk, mule deer, mountain lions, blue quail, and what it takes to make a living on land that is beautiful, harsh, and unforgiving.

They also get into the changing landscape of West Texas hunting, from aoudad and elk hunts to mule deer management, predator pressure, private property rights, and why some of the best hunting stories come from places where you barely have cell service.

This episode is about more than hunting.

It is about family legacy, rugged country, and the people who still understand what it means to live close to the land.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with Morgan Tyler.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Austin Benning, owner of The Sharp Shooter Gun Shop in Corpus Christi, for a conversation about the gun industry, suppressors, thermal optics, hunting rifles, bird hunting, and how fast the firearms world is changing.

Austin grew up around the gun shop his parents bought in 1998, and today he is carrying that family business into a new era. From range renovations and social media growth to new firearms, suppressor technology, and a team that knows how to serve both hunters and gun enthusiasts, Sharp Shooter has become a staple in South Texas.

Mark and Austin talk about the major suppressor shakeup, the history of the NFA, Form 4 wait times, $0 tax stamps, 4473 suppressor transfers, Silencer Shop, GOA, and what these changes could mean for gun owners and dealers moving forward.

They also get into modern hunting technology, including lightweight suppressed rifles, new ammunition, thermal scopes, laser rangefinders, ballistic calculators, predator hunting, dove season, sub-gauge shotguns, indoor ranges, and why the gun industry can change almost overnight.

This episode is for hunters, gun owners, ranchers, and anyone who wants to understand where firearms, suppressors, and hunting technology are headed next.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with Austin Benning.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Dr. Scott Bugai, known by many as Classic Country Vet, for a conversation about veterinary medicine, Texas ranch life, deer, disease, hunting, and the outdoor world most people never see up close.

Dr. Bugai shares how a kid from Seguin became a Texas A&M veterinarian, built a life around animals, and found himself working on everything from dogs and cattle to emus, ostriches, whitetail deer, and some of the biggest wildlife issues facing Texas today.

But this episode is not just about being a vet.

Mark and Scott talk about the deer breeding industry, high fence hunting, land fragmentation, CWD, EHD, bluetongue, screwworm, medicated feed, private land, public opinion, and why so many conversations around hunting and wildlife are more complicated than people want to admit.

There are funny stories, hard opinions, hunting memories, vet clinic realities, and a little Yorkie named Smokey Joe who may steal the whole show.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with Dr. Scott Bugai.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Bill Hellen, a South Texas rancher and ranch historian whose family story reaches deep into Hebbronville, Jim Hogg County, La Mota Ranch, and the old cattle country.

Bill shares the kind of South Texas history that rarely gets written down.

From one-legged pioneers and old ranch families, to vaquero culture, wild horses, cattle drives, droughts, oil field changes, military stories, and the fight to keep family land together, this conversation is full of the people, places, and memories that shaped ranching in South Texas.

But this episode is not just about land.

It is about loyalty, family, work ethic, old cowboys, forgotten ranch customs, and why these stories need to be told before they disappear.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with Bill Hellen.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.