Wingmen by Eastmans'

Wingmen host Todd Helms sits down to review the gear he and crew have been using this fall and give a quick update on Hondo and his first hunt! Hondo is crushing it and Todd explains the journey to get to this point and why he waited to hunt Hondo until he was two. With Christmas right around the corner Todd dives into the gear he and crew have been using and why any waterfowl or upland hunter would be stoked to unwrap it. From hunts and gear to dogs and birds, this episode is loaded with top notch information.

Host Todd Helms wanted to know more about how these fellas got started in the waterfowl/big game outfitting business and to learn exactly what they offer besides world class goose and black bear combination hunts. The conversation spans everything from origins and services to arctic wolf hunting adventures that border on the unbelievable. Adventure is a part of daily life in and around La Crete, Alberta, Canada and these fellas fully embrace it. Grab a beverage, sit back and prepare to be amazed listening to this episode!

Recorded on location in La Crete, Alberta, this episode features two of the hardest working guides in the business, Curt and Rod Friesen of Wingmaster Outfitting. These guys busted their butts for us during our week of hunting and Todd sits down to pick their brains and get some Canadian perspective on waterfowl hunting, especially along the famous Peace River in Alberta. This is a must listen for anyone looking for a once in a lifetime waterfowling experience.

Todd Helms and Brandon Mason sit down to discuss their upcoming hunt for waterfowl and black bears in northern Alberta. The guys are taking Brandon’s son Hunter to help film but there’s sure to be some golden father & son moments along the way. The guys are stoked for their trip and discuss everything that’s gone into this adventure and what they are expecting. It’s yet another can’t miss episode of The Wingmen Podcast.

Fellow Eastmans’ employee and Wingman, Scott Reekers sits down with host Todd Helms for a preview of their 2022 hunting seasons but the conversation quickly turns to the trials of training dogs and balancing family life with a hunting addiction. The guys delved into some big game conversation and extolled the virtues of Wyoming’s season structures that allow wingshooters a very long and very liberal hunting season. This is another solid episode of the Wingmen Podcast.

Ike Eastman is the owner & CEO of Eastmans’ Publishing, aka The Boss but he hates that title and is honestly one of the most visionary leaders we’ve had the pleasure to work with. Ike and host Todd Helms try to keep the conversation focused on an incredible hunt with Ike and and his oldest daughter last winter but they wander down a maze of rabbit trails along the way and discuss everything from shotguns and shooting to getting kids hooked on hunting and their road trip to pickup Hondo, Todd’s new Labrador, from Southern Oak Kennels. This one is as entertaining as it is long and it’s well worth the listen.

Ed was on the podcast last year prior to our Sage Grouse hunt together in late September and has become a good friend. In this episode Ed and Todd talk Sage Grouse hunting, cooking, habitat and of course the tenuous status of the big birds themselves. Eventually the chit chat turns to dogs and dog training as Ed is a former trial circuit judge and trainer. One thing is for certain, when Ed and Todd get to visiting there isn’t much oxygen left for bystanders.

Every now and then we have the pleasure of having a guest on the podcast whom we feel like we’ve known for a long time and we instantly connect with as the conversation flows naturally as the time slips away. Marty is one of those guests. Host Todd Helms and Marty talk Labradors, dog training and of course duck hunting in this longer than normal episode and the hits just keep on coming. If you like dogs, hunting, good stories and laughter then this episode is a true can’t miss!

Throwing it back to host Todd Helms’ roots with episode 61… Ruffed grouse in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Kyle Warren of Paint River Llewellins in Ironwood, Michigan. Kyle breeds and trains Llewellin setters and is a wealth of information on dogs in general. We’ve never heard scenting and scent cones described in as much detail or understood them better than after our chat with Kyle. We also 100% agree with Kyle’s take on owning the “right” dog and how breeders can help make that decision easier. Todd did that with Hondo and it was a very good decision. If you’re an upland hunter or a dog person this is a can’t miss episode.

We decided to ask Chad to come back on the podcast to give us a life update since he and his wife are new parents. We wound up making endless connections between dog training and parenting. Chad and host Todd Helms also discuss the difference between a “meat dog” and “field trial dog” and how the best retrievers can do both. This episode is full of laughs and insights and the 90 minutes goes super fast! Don’t sleep on this one.