The Wild South

Dave and Eddie go deep on one of their favorite species: brook trout. Their guest is Nathaniel “Than” Hitt, a researcher with the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia. Hitt discusses threats to the fish (the only native trout of the southern Appalachians), as well as signs of hope—and ways in which anglers can provide important data to help ongoing studies. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.Sites mentioned in Episode 8:Hitt’s USGS ProfileEa...

Dave and Eddie talk with Andrew Zimmern, who has traveled the globe and eaten some of the most surprising and unconventional dishes the world has to offer. He’s also spent years fishing and hunting close to home and perfecting the art of preparing freshly caught fish and game. Listen for Zimmern’s cooking tips, his favorite spices, his story about visiting James Beard’s home as a boy in New York City, and more.Sites mentioned in episode:Zimmern’s WebsiteZimmern’s Instagram: @chefazZimmern’s Y...

The Austin-based guide discusses fishing the rivers and lakes in and around the capital city, as well as throughout his home state of Texas. He also details the humble beginnings of what’s now known as the LoCo Trash Bash, an annual event focused on cleaning up the lower Colorado River; the unexpected origins of his eponymous Dedeaux popper; and his former life as frontman of the funk band Bad Mutha Goose and the Brothers Grimm. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.Editor...

This time, it’s all about Dave and Eddie and their efforts as dads to raise kids in the outdoors. They talk about successes, challenges, and where they’ve sometimes fallen short. As Eddie says, it’s “not all that easy to raise outdoor kids in the modern world.” They also discuss how as youngsters they learned the ins and outs of fishing and hunting—including, for Dave, one painful attempt to land a trophy bass. Even if you don’t have kids of your own, you might pick up a few things that could...

Dave and Eddie talk with Tom Rosenbauer, the renowned fly fisherman who has spent forty-eight years with Orvis, written more than thirty books, and hosts a popular podcast. Rosenbauer discusses getting his start at Orvis, why he’s obsessed with carp, his role in bringing the bead head fly to the United States, and the work being done to save the Everglades. The Wild South is presented in partnership with Duck Camp.Sites mentioned in Episode 4:Rosenbauer’s Instagram: @rosenbauertOrvis Homepage...

Dave and Eddie talk with wild turkey biologist Mike Chamberlain about threats to the birds’ populations and the ways regulators, conservationists, and sportsmen and sportswomen are working to keep their numbers healthy. They also discuss ethical quandaries they and others face as turkey hunters. The episode is an edited version of a conversation held before a live audience at the G&G offices as part of the 2023 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. The Wild South is presented in partnership w...

Dave and Eddie talk with guide and environmental advocate Hilary Hutcheson, who grew up on the rivers of her home state of Montana, continues to guide there, and is a leading voice in raising awareness of how climate change is affecting North America’s fishing heritage. The mother of three grown children has fished all over the world (with a soft spot for the South), has testified before a Senate committee about the state of fisheries across the country, and is an ambassador for several of th...

In the inaugural episode, Dave and Eddie talk with world-renowned outdoorsman Flip Pallot about his time as a young boy growing up in a small, wild town called Miami, his breakthrough TV show, how he casts with a fly rod differently than most anglers, and why watching as many sunrises and sunsets in a single lifetime is a pursuit worth beginning at any age. Presented in partnership with Duck Camp.Sites mentioned in Episode 1:Flip Pallot’s InstagramFlip Pallot’s Youtube ChannelFlip PallotHell’...

The Wild South comes to you from Garden & Gun magazine, featuring conversations with legends of the sporting world–from fishing and hunting guides to artists and wild game chefs–and dives deep into conservation issues as well as entertaining stories–of success and failure–from the field. Hosted by editor in chief David DiBenedetto and contributing editor T. Edward Nickens, The Wild South leaves no kudzu leaf unturned to bring you fresh perspectives and insights about the land we love.

Darla Moore knows what it’s like to be underestimated, and so does her hometown. The successful businesswoman and philanthropist always had to prove herself—to make Wall Street bigwigs look past her good looks and Southern accent. But she persevered, making her name (and a couple of billion dollars) in finance and investing, a success that landed her on the cover of Fortune magazine, the first woman to do so, and eventually on the greens at Augusta National, where she became one of the first women to be invited to join the club that hosts the annual Masters golf tournament. While she was away, first in Washington, D.C., and then, in New York City, her hometown of Lake City, South Carolina, a once-vibrant farming community, had come on hard times. But Moore never forgot where she came from, and returned to live part-time in the place her family had called home for generations with a business plan to revitalize her beloved community. Today, due to many of Moore's initiatives, Lake City boasts ArtFields, a top-notch art competition and festival; a thriving downtown; and year-round tourism, thanks in part to the Moore Farms Botanical Garden, a sixty-five-acre research garden on Moore’s grandparents’ land. In this episode, we hear about the transformation from Darla Moore at her Lake City home, Mayor Lovith Anderson in Lake City’s Bean Market, and Holly Shady, a director of ArtFields.

Robert Earl Keen has been writing songs since the late 1970s, when he was an English major at Texas A&M University and has been performing them live for almost as long. We recently caught up with Keen to talk about his life, his songs, his upcoming tour with college buddy and fellow Texan Lyle Lovett, and training his new dog, Cormac.

Frontman for the Steep Canyon Rangers, Woody Platt, takes us back to the band's beginning, discusses the magic of Steve Martin, and why he still calls Brevard, North Carolina, home.In eighteen years, the Steep Canyon Rangers have gone from playing underground bars in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to selling out Carnegie Hall. Guitarist, singer, and frontman Woody Platt, who founded the bluegrass band along with college friend and Rangers banjo player Graham Sharp, sits down with us to discuss the band's evolution and an unexpected partnership with comedian (and banjonist) Steve Martin.In this episode, Platt, an avid fly fisherman, also takes us back to his home in Brevard, North Carolina, and explains how the town's natural setting and musical traditions have impacted his life.

“Bourbon will make you do funny things,” says chef Edward Lee. Growing up in Brooklyn to Korean immigrant parents, Lee’s move to Louisville, Kentucky might surprise some. But sixteen years and several successful restaurants, cookbooks, and television shows later, Lee has made his mark on Southern food. He joins us on the podcast to discuss his new book Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine, which guides us a on a tour around the country eating Lebanese kibbeh in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Vaca Frita in Miami, and slaw dogs in West Virginia. Also chef Lee remembers writer and television star Anthony Bourdain, tells us why he never orders shrimp, and recounts how he masterfully negotiated the purchase of an impressive vintage bourbon collection, including a bottle of Echo Springs from 1917.

Yes, the turnip greens at Taqueria del Sol are legendary (as are the tacos and margaritas), but there is more to this wildly popular Southern restaurant. We caught up with chef Eddie Hernandez and his business partner, Mike Klank, who together have been cooking up delicious Mexican food in Atlanta for more than three decades, to find out how this unlikely duo met, why they're so successful (hint: it's the food), and to dig into Eddie’s new cookbook, Turnip Greens & Tortillas. Plus, at the end of the episode, we switch gears and get a crash course in Southern style with Sid and Ann Mashburn on their three must-haves for every well-dressed man and woman.

Pulitzer-prize winning presidential biographer and Chattanooga native Jon Meacham has written books on the lives of Thomas Jefferson, George H. W. Bush, Andrew Jackson, and the relationship between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. He joins us in this episode of the Whole Hog to discuss essential Southern reading, the historian’s responsibility, moving back to the South, and his new book, 'The Soul of America: The Battle for our Better Angels'.

From Mother Maybelle to Loretta Lynn to Kacey Musgraves, women have been a leading force in Country music since the beginning. In her book, Women Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives, author and music critic Holly Gleason spotlights the impact of twenty-seven legendary artists. Plus, we listen to lots of great songs.

Rick Bragg’s new memoir The Best Cook in the World, takes us back to Possum Trot, Alabama, but this time it’s all about the food. We talk to Rick about the dishes he grew up eating; his momma, Margaret; and the legacy of Southern blue-collar cooking. Ham and red-eye gravy over fresh diced tomatoes, anyone?

On the final episode of the Whole Hog's second season, host John Huey looks back at the year in Southern culture. Matt Hendrickson joins the show to talk about 2017's best music releases, Kim Severson weighs in on Southern food, and Square Books’ Richard Howorth discusses the year's must-read Southern books. For more coverage of the year in Southern food, music, books, and more, keep an eye on gardenandgun.com.

Garden & Gun's latest book, S Is for Southern, is an encyclopedia of Southern tradition and contemporary culture, and this episode of the Whole Hog is its crash course. Host John Huey is joined by editor in chief David DiBenedetto for a rundown of the new book, along with lively readings from some of its contributors. Hear Julia Reed's ode to Doe's Eat Place, a Greenville, Mississippi, institution. And listen in as Roy Blount, Jr. riffs on humidity, Kathleen Purvis retraces bourbon's roots, and Randall Kenan talks Charley Pride.

Jessica Lange is one of the most accomplished actresses of the past four decades, earning acclaim and industry-wide respect for iconic roles in films like Frances and Tootsie, and on Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire. But Lange is a talent behind the camera, too. Her photography is featured in the latest issue of Garden & Gun, in which Lange joins author and G&G contributor Julia Reed on a road trip through the Mississippi Delta. Go beyond the feature in the latest episode of the Whole Hog, where host John Huey is joined by Lange and Reed to talk about the trip.