Call of the Outdoors
Imagine sitting around a campfire listening to a group of friends share their passions, stories and connections to the great outdoors. At the Pennsylvania Game Commission, our passion is WILD, and “Call of the Outdoors,” the agency’s podcast, is all about wildlife, hunting, habitat and conservation efforts in the Keystone State. Each episode includes a unique look into a Pennsylvania wildlife-related subject, a few laughs, and is sure to leave listeners with a renewed sense of knowledge and pride in the work being done on behalf of wildlife. Join the campfire and explore lots of ways to promote and enhance Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources for current and future generations!
Episodes
Did you know Pennsylvania is home to enough state game lands (SGL) that each hunter could have two acres to themselves?
Public Lands Section Chief Curtis Noll and Land Management Group Supervisor Rodney Mee join host Matt Morrett to highlight 106 years of the SGL system, the habitat projects that make these lands primed for wildlife, and how we can all keep the 1.5 million acr...
Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to discuss the 2026-27 license year, including guaranteed antlerless licenses for residents, expanded Sunday hunting, turkey season updates, elk applications, and more opportunities than ever to get out in Penn’s Woods.
Episode Highlights:
Applying for the hunt of a lifetime just got easier.
Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield joins host Matt Morrett to provide an update on the Pennsylvania elk herd, explain all the changes to elk hunting for 2026-27, and share tips for getting a glimpse at bugling bulls in elk country.
Episode Highlights:
- Overview of the current status of PA’s elk population
- How the simplified elk application process will work
- Det...
Are we living in the golden era of the wild turkey? The godfather of turkey hunting thinks so.
Pennsylvania native and former NWTF CEO Rob Keck joins host Matt Morrett to discuss his role in the turkey hunting boom, from talking conservation with U.S. presidents to expanding opportunity to millions of new hunters.
Episode Highlights
- Read more
Following the Board of Game Commissioners April meeting, Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to discuss expanded Sunday hunting opportunities, updates to big game seasons and bag limits, and the expansion of the Certified Hunter Program.
Episode Highlights:
- Details on Sunday hunting dates for 2026-27
- Why migratory game birds won’t be included in Sunday hunting opportunities
- Changes coming t...
Turkey hunting icon and champion caller Eddie Salter joins longtime friend Matt Morrett to share stories chasing gobblers with the greats, calling strategies for fooling toms, and wisdom from decades of tagging longbeards.
Episode Highlights:
- How Eddie got his start turkey hunting and building calls at 10
- Insights from winning dozens of turkey ca...
Prescribed fire is a HOT topic in Pennsylvania!
Fire Program Manager Bryan Whitmore and Southcentral Assistant Regional Forester Brent McNeal join host Matt Morrett to discuss the value of prescribed fire as the ultimate habitat management tool that directly benefits game species and how meticulous practices ensure safety and ...
Growing up with Yellowstone as your backyard gives you a unique appreciation for the great outdoors — just ask Senator James Malone.
The minority chair of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee joins host Matt Morrett and Executive Director Steve Smith to discuss his journey from subsistence hunting in Wyoming to serving Pennsylvania’s top county for hunting li...
Proposed Change to Firearms Deer Season
At its meeting next week, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will consider a proposal that could change opening day for hundreds of thousands of deer hunters. Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to explain details of the potential change, how it could affect other hunting seasons, and ways to share feedback ...
Hall of Fame trapper and award-winning bowhunter Tom Miranda joins host Matt Morrett to share insights from over 40 years in outdoor television and a lifetime in the woods. Learn what it takes to be a wilderness trapper, how he achieved the highest honor in conservation, and who he credits with influencing his hunting success.
Episode Highlights:
Drone recovery, shortened bear seasons, tree stand snacks — we’re tackling the tough topics!
Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to answer YOUR questions, straight from social media. From what to do if you find a roadkill deer to why Sundays weren’t included for spring gobbler, they explain current regulations and the latest updates.
Episode Highlights:
- How changes to reg...
Pennsylvania state game wardens don’t just check hunting licenses in the field — they wear many hats to protect people, wildlife, and habitats.
Col. Rod Danley, the new director of the Bureau of Wildlife Protection, joins host Matt Morrett to share the history of game wardens in Pennsylvania, the passion they share for wildlife, and how hunters can have a great in...
Deer Camp Kinship: A Hunting Legacy of Giving Back
We hit the road for every hunter's favorite place — deer camp! Host Matt Morrett is joined by Dan Smoker of United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania (UBP) and Game Commissioner Bob Schwalm to discuss the powerful sense of community behind our Pennsylvania hunting heritage. From mentoring new hunters to partnering with farmers ...
Conservation funding is going off with a bang! Shooting Sports Division Chief Todd Holmes and Range Management Coordinator Luke Johnson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the value of the Pittman-Robertson Act to conservation, successful shooting range improvement projects, the new features drawing people to shooting sports, and the goals the Game Commission is aiming for in the near future.
Episode Highlights:
· How the Pittman-Ro...
Pennsylvania is making momentous strides in shaping the future of conservation with Act 36 of 2025, which fully repeals Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting and authorizes the Game Commission to regulate opportunities.
Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to comme...
Tree Trailblazers: Forest Stewardship & Wildlife Strategy
Managing over 1.5 million acres of land may seem daunting — but not for Pennsylvania Game Commission’s habitat management staff.
Northwest Regional Forester Scott Wolbert, Northcentral Regional Forester Dan Heggenstaller, and Forestry Division Chief Paul We...
Episode 58: PA Residents Guaranteed an Antlerless License for Any WMU
You get an antlerless license! You get an antlerless license! Everybody gets an antlerless license!
Well, all residents for 21 days, anyway.
Executive Director Steve Smith and Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the biggest changes...
If you can outsmart a longbeard here, you can probably outsmart one anywhere. Pennsylvania birds can be challenging to hunt. Grand National Champion and PA native Hunter Wallis joins host Matt Morrett to yelp about the Keystone State’s rich turkey hunting heritage, tips for calling in birds all season long, and woodsmanship skills for spring gobbler success.
Episode Highlights: Tips for taking your turkey calling to the next ...
It’s turkey time!
Wildlife Technicians Rachel Pennell, Tony Musselman, and Andrew Cushman join host Matt Morrett to discuss Pennsylvania’s largest-ever wild turkey study and their boots-on-the-ground experience with birds that will shape the future of turkey management in the state.
Episode Highlights:
- How the turkey team uses thermal imaging and radio tr...
Question: what kind of bear is best? Black bear!
The Game Commission’s new Black Bear Biologist Brandon Snavely joins host Matt Morrett to provide insight into the latest black bear science, a look at a year in the life of a Pennsylvania bear, and tips for coexisting with these opportunistic omnivores.
Episode Highlights:
- The state of the black bear population in Pennsylvania
- Current...
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