Call of the Outdoors

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 futu...

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 Ste...

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 Heg...

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 D...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

It’s about that time when white gold starts dropping in Penn’s Woods! 

Forester Chris Sabol and Recruiting Outreach Specialist Tyler Strohecker join host Matt Morrett to share their tips for finding dozens of antlers across Pennsylvania public land and how shed hunting helps them harvest bucks each fall.

Episode Highlights:

• The best time of year and conditions for shed h...

Piling up corn for deer might seem helpful during harsh winters, but feeding wildlife is actually dangerous to animals and humans.

Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson and Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Di Salvo join host Matt Morrett to explain how supplemental feeding negatively impacts wildlife, why food plots and birdfeeders are different, and how Pennsylvanians can create comp...

We’re nearly halfway through Pennsylvania’s deer firearms season, but hunters still have plenty of opportunities to get into the field and fill tags!

Range Management Coordinator Luke Johnson and Deputy Director of Field Operations Dave Mitchell join host Matt Morrett to discuss their changing strategy as hunting season progresses, go-to guns and gear throughout the year, and why no amou...

From finding camouflage corn culprits to taking tips from scorned lovers to catching bear poachers in the act, the life of a Pennsylvania state game warden can be rewarding, dangerous, and anything but boring.

Southcentral Region Director Seth Mesoras and Assistant Counsel Jason Raup join host Matt Morrett to discuss the demands of serving as a game warden, the intensive process of inves...

The Drury dynasty has become synonymous with monster white-tailed deer, but did you know Mark and Terry got their start filming turkey hunting videos in the 80s?

Mark Drury joins host Matt Morrett to share insights from 35 years in hunting media, from the conditions he looks for to consistently shoot world-class bucks to his tactics for balancing the buck-doe ratio for bette...

Hunters are at the forefront of wildlife conservation — the Pennsylvania Game Commission depends on hunter harvest and input for the future of hunting in the Keystone State.

 

Heading into hunting season, Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to discuss key changes for this fall, tips for success in the field, and updates on hot-button issues like Sunday hunting in Penns...

With participation numbers trending downward nationwide, efforts to recruit, retain, and reactivate hunters are more critical than ever. Hunter-Trapper Education and Outreach Division Chief Courtney LaCivita joins host Matt Morrett to detail what the Game Commission is doing to create new hunters in the Commonwealth, and Environmental Education SpecialistBrian Collett shares his personal...

Did you know Pennsylvania proudly claims an elite archery program and a 2024 NASP world champion? Shooting Sports Division Chief Todd Holmes joins host Matt Morrett to discuss how participation in Pennsylvania NASP has skyrocketed over the last decade, and competitor Madi Rhinevault shares her firsthand experience rising to the top of the life-changing program. Episode Highlights: Resour...

Did you know the sixth-largest non-typical bull on record was harvested in Pennsylvania? Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield joins host Matt Morrett to discuss how the Game Commission’s reintroduction and careful management have resulted in a thriving population of world-class wapiti here in the Commonwealth. They also share a behind-the-scenes look at the elk license drawing, tips for applyin...

Bowhunting big woods bucks isn’t just a fall hobby — it’s a year-round grind. Beau Martonik of East Meets West joins host Matt Morrett at the Total Archery Challenge in Seven Springs to discuss ways to improve your archery skills in the offseason, effective summer scouting strategies, and how to take advantage of the millions of acres of public land available to Pennsylvania hunters. Epi...

With nearly a million passionate hunters in Pennsylvania, the new process for purchasing antlerless licenses led to high demand and longer-than-expected wait times last year. So the Game Commission made some key changes for the upcoming license year to streamline the process and guarantee antlerless licenses for most residents. Deputy Director of Field Operations Dave Mitchell joins host...

The future is bright at the Pennsylvania Game Commission! New executive director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to provide Pennsylvanians with an update on the latest changes within the agency. Learn how 30 years of public land hunting and legislative expertise ultimately led Steve to this pivotal role and gain insight into his vision for the future of wildlife conservation. Episode...