Oklahoma Outdoors - Sportsmen's Empire

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John heads to west Texas to chase mule deer in the Guadalupe Mountains. John had been looking forward to this hunt since he booked it in the early summer of 2023. He was originally supposed to go to south Texas, but unfortunately the ranch he was supposed to hunt on sold. Luckily the outfitter was able to move some things around and John headed west for his first ever fully guided hunt.Upon arrival, John quickly realized that the cards were stacked against him as far as the weather was concerned. Sustained winds of 20+ mph and gusts as high as 35 mph kept the action a little slow the first two days. On the third day however, the winds died and the temps dropped and those final two days turned out to be magical. When all was said and done, John barely had enough room in the cooler for all the meat he brought home, including a pleasant and unexpected surprise. And of course, things ended up coming down to the wire.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John gets back on track and talks a little bit about how his 2024 Oklahoma rifle season went. Since John was unsuccessful, he is preparing for his favorite time of the year which is late season whitetail hunting. John talks a little late season strategy, and how he believes this may be one of the best and "easiest" times to kill a mature buck. Bucks big and small will become a slave to their stomachs again as they prepare for winter, and if you stay after it there is still time to put one on your wall.John finishes this episode with a little pre hunt chat about his upcoming Texas Mule Deer hunt. There was one big kink in his hunt plans, but after ironing out a few details the hunt is still on and John can't wait. This will be Johns first ever guided hunt, and he is excited for the experience and the opportunity to chase a new critter in wild country.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John takes some time to talk about his 2024 deer season so far, and the challenges he has encountered. John has done a lot of hunting this year, but it's been different than in the past. With November coming to a close, John really hasn't spent much time hunting his own properties. He has only hunted his family ranch a handful of times, and with the warmer than usual temperatures, those hunts have not been very productive. John does talk about a quick trip he made to the ranch, and also about his trip to Texas and the close encounter he had with his recurve bow. There is still a lot of season left, and John is ready to buckle down and get serious now.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is breaking down his controlled deer hunt at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. As soon as John found out he had been selected for the hunt back in June, he immediately began doing his homework and trying to learn as much as he could about the hunt and how it worked. What he found, is that there was not a ton of information out there on what to expect on this particular hunt. As he picked up bits and pieces from other hunters over the months leading up to the hunt, he still had a lot of questions leading up to the weekend of November 8th. After going through the process and coming home empty handed, he made up his mind to provide as much information as possible to future hunters who drew this coveted tag.John briefly tells the story of his hunt and what he experienced, but the bulk of this episode is more about the process, the lessons learned, and what he would do differently next time. John lays out all of the rules of the hunt, and also talks about the terrain he encountered, the vegetation, and recommendations on gear to bring. John talks about the challenges of this hunt, and how just because you see lots of deer, does not mean its easy to actually fill a tag. He also shares some thoughts on the quality tag system, and some thoughts on whether or not this hunt may or may not be right for you.

This week John is celebrating the 200th episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors podcast. Almost 4 years of stories, education, and just downright fun. John takes some time at the end of the episode to not only thank the listeners for their support and encouragement over the years, but also to highlight some of his favorite episodes. This show has covered mountain lions, alligators, elk, pronghorn, fish, bears, mule deer, and of course the glorious whitetail buck. All of these critters just listed can be found right here in the Sooner state. The Episode timed out perfectly with a big announcement John has been wanting to make. To find out what that big news is, you'll have to check out episode 200 of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, a proud member of the Sportsmens Empire Podcast Network!

Youth weekend has come and gone in Oklahoma, but this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast John is sharing some of the success that his family had. It was hot and dry with bad winds for much of the weekend, but that didn't stop John from getting his niece and nephew out for a little deer hunting. It turned into a bit of a grind, but eventually they were able to get on a deer and fill the family freezer. In part 2 of this episode, John talks about the unusually warm weather Oklahoma and much of the country is experiencing, and how John thinks it will affect not only the upcoming rut movement, but also the late season deer hunting success rates.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, we kick off the storytelling portion of the year with a dandy 200" buck taken on Opening day. 22 year old Hunter Wesberry picked up a new property this year, but had no idea what was in store for him and his family. After walking the property and doing a lot of scouting, he set up a trail camera and quickly got a photo of a buck with a lot of potential. As the summer went by and the buck continued to grow, Hunter knew this buck was special. Opening day came and the wind and weather conditions were perfect for what Hunter needed to go after the buck he called cactus. After only a few hours of sleep he climbed into his stand well before daylight and began the long waiting game.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John talks about his recent adventure of trying to find the elusive Oklahoma black bear. The trip started off promising, and John was able to find some bear sign way up a remote river. The trip took a turn however when John hit a submerged object on the way back to the boat ramp that rendered his propeller essentially worthless. After hunting on his private land spot in the morning and stealing a propeller of an old jon boat, he was back in action for the evening. John also talks a little bit about the upcoming cold snap and some new bucks that have shown up ahead of it. It is looking the things may work out great for the upcoming youth weekend!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is changing things up a little bit for the opening weekend of the 2024 hunting season in Oklahoma. Due to not having the quality of bucks he has grown accustomed to chasing on his home place this year, he is hitting the road (or water) and trying something a little different. John plans to take his boat into a more remote portion of Oklahoma and chase public land bucks and bears. Thanks to some updated regulation changes this year, a bear tag is now included in the lifetime license package, meaning John and other lifetime license holders are able to hunt bears without buying additional tags. John plans to use his boat to access hard to reach public land places in hopes of tagging either a whitetail buck or black bear in south eastern Oklahoma with his bow.

Happy Deer Season Eve! This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John keeps it simple and gives you 5 simple tips to make you more successful during the 2024-2025 deer season. Many of us wait all season long for October 1st to roll around, and John wants to make sure that everyone makes the most out of their deer season. This will be John's twentieth deer season, which is hard to believe, but he wants to take all the lessons he has learned over those twenty years and help you be as successful as possible.In this episode John talks about being patient, waiting for your moment, being selective, and much much more. He also emphasises that if you have not gotten all your preseason work done, now is the time to do it before things really get good. And don't just get things up and running now, but keep everything running from now until the buzzer beeps, because you never know when that buck of a lifetime is going to step out and offer you a clean shot and a chance at glory!

John is coming at you live from Kansas this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. John took his mobile studio with him and recorded updates throughout the week in a semi-live format. After covering a lot of miles, John saw a couple really nice bucks and put himself in position to take a really nice 10 point. He still can't explain what happened, but it is quite a story as to how that buck didn't get a ride back home in the back of John's truck. John got to experience strong winds, storms, heat, and a beautiful landscape that is completely different than what he gets to hunt at home.

A long awaited and much anticipated episode this week as John prepares to head north to Kansas to chase open plains whitetails with his muzzleloaders. John starts the episode off by talking about more local things like the deer he is seeing on the ranch and an exciting new property he picked up in Texas. After running cameras for several weeks, the outlook is not looking great so far, and if he had to choose a spot to hunt tomorrow, he would probably find himself hunting public ground.After the local stuff, John goes outbound and talks about his upcoming trip to Kansas, which if you are listening to this episode when it comes out, he is already there. John discusses his camp set up, his scouting, and what he expects to encounter. John did not have a chance to make a scouting trip over the summer, so he is going in completely blind. Though he did not get to put boots on the ground, he has spent countless hours e-scouting ever since he put in for the tag back in April. He feels confident that with a little gravel under the tire and some dirt under his boots, he can find a spot to take down a big bodied Kansas buck. 

John is joined by a very special guest this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. Jeremy Aron, better known as the Do it Yourself Hunter, hails from Mississippi and has been traveling around the country hunting whitetails on public land for decades now. Jeremy has a passion for sharing his adventures and encouraging others to get out of their comfort zone and take advantage of the same opportunities that he enjoys. Jeremy has hunted over 20 states, and has no plans of slowing down any time soon.Jeremy talks about how he got started hunting out of state, and gives a few pointers for folks looking to plan their first out of state hunt. Jeremy also talks about how he stays mobile out on the road, not only with his hunting setup, but also with his vehicle. Jeremy hunts out of an SUV instead of a pickup so that he can eat, sleep, drive, and camp out of one rig and be as mobile as he needs to be. This is a great episode for anyone looking to take the next step in their hunting career and have their own adventure.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John comes to you live from the Southern Plains Outdoor Show. John loaded up the truck with his recording equipment and setup at the show to record interviews with vendors and attendees. To start off the show, John talks to Oklahoma Game Warden Dillon King to cover the new hunting license structure and changes. Warden King also talks about some of the more common mistakes people make while out in the field.Next on the list are a couple young men who started "Hunting God Outdoors." Hunter, Gunner, and Roman's goal is to bring people closer to God while also enjoying the outdoor pursuits that we all know and love. After the Hunting God Outdoor boys, friend of the show Charles Greer with Whitetail Fanatic Land Consultants stops by the table for a quick summer time update. He and John talk a little food plot strategy and what this fall may bring to each.To wrap up the show, Daniel McVay and Chancey Holdsworth of Buckventures drop by to talk a little behind the scenes of what it is like to be a part of a major television show. They talk about how much time and work goes into producing a 22 minute episode, and what it takes to put on such a large production. The guys also give some advice for young people who want to get into the industry, and some good ways to get started.

Bill Hart joins John on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast this week to talk about growing, holding, and hunting big Oklahoma bucks. Bill has been hunting Oklahoma since the 1970's and has learned a thing or two over the years about what it takes to hunt and harvest big mature whitetail bucks. Bill and John discuss the environmental and manmade factors that go into putting big bucks on the wall, and how it takes a lot more than just throwing some corn on the ground. Bill talks about his year round feeding program, but also how he does not hunt his feeders in an effort to create a safe space for deer to go to and meet their nutritional needs. John and Bill talk about how to hunt feeders just like a natural food source, and how bedding and does play just as big of a roll in a big bucks life as food does.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by his long time friend Charles Admire for a little preseason BS session. The guys talk about what they have been working on over the summer to help them this upcoming fall, and quickly get into a discussion about how much things have changed since having kids. Charles and John both have 2 year olds, and Charles and his wife recently had their second child. The guys talk about getting older and the delicate life/hunting balance.John and Charles also spend a good amount of time talking about muzzleloaders, and the challenges they bring. After using iron sights while hunting New Mexico last year, Charles has been swapping the irons out for a scope in order to hunt Oklahoma this fall. John continues to struggle getting his gun to group, and after discovering he was using too much powder, he has little time left to diagnose and problem solve before his upcoming hunting trip in Kansas this September. 

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John recounts his guided fishing trip down in Florida. Redfish were the number one target for the trip, and one of the highest fish on John's bucket list. His Brother in law Logan tagged along and teamed up with Captain Torin of One More Charters. Right off the bat the guys faced challenges with high summer temps and low tide waters. After some time trying to catch bait, they finally went after the big fish and it turned into a pretty epic morning of fishing.After the fish tale, John talks about his recent trip up to the McAlester Army Ammunition plant to try and learn a little bit about the area before his hunt in November. The base was open for a traditional bow only 3D course that pushed several archers to their limits. John met some great people, learned some valuable information about the hunt itself, and got a feel for the area. The main thing he learned was just how thick the cedar choked timber was, and how getting a clean shot is going to be extremely difficult!

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John is joined by Keith Hagen to talk about the upcoming Southern Plains Outdoor Show. The yearly show is meant to be a benefit to help individuals from Oklahoma cover medical expenses due to serious illnesses. Visitors to the show can expect to see vendors, food trucks, and can partake in a cornhole tournament with prizes being awarded to the top team. There are also tons of raffle prizes to be given away, and all proceeds go directly to those in need. The show takes place on August 24th and will be held at The Bridge Church in Mustang, Oklahoma from 10am to 3pm.

This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, John has a lot of life and hunting season updates to catch everyone up on. He starts off by talking about his most recent trip out to the ranch where he did some work on his new feeder setup for the upcoming season. He also FINALLY got his cell cameras running after getting a bad batch of batteries and his cameras dying after only a few weeks back in mid June. John also talks about some gear updates he has been working on, including a new traditional bow he bought for his upcoming hunt at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. John also got a little work done on his compound bow, and learned a few things about muzzleloader accuracy. To finish things off, John also talks a little bit about his fishing plans on his family vacation to Florida. 

We have a very special episode this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. Native American Tribes have a rich history with Oklahoma's land and wildlife. Many of the tribes represented today were on the landscape long before statehood, and have a relationship with wildlife that goes far beyond hunting for pleasure and past time. Trenton Kissee is the acting secretary of interior affairs for the Muscogee Creek nation and has a Natural Resources degree from Oklahoma State University. He joins John this week to educate us on the involvement that the tribes have in promoting wildlife and habitat in Oklahoma. Trenton and John talk about the new agreement the big five tribes came to that allows tribe members to hunt on each other's reservation lands. Trenton also talks about some research projects the tribes have been helping on, including opening up some CWD testing sites to make testing available to more people. And just for fun, Trenton puts on the host hat and asks John a few questions about his upcoming hunt on Big Mac aka the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.