Gamekeeper Podcast

This week, we are joined by John Byrd of Mississippi State University to discuss the highly invasive cogongrass and other troublesome weeds that create challenges for farmers, landowners, and gamekeepers alike. John is a true weed scientist who dedicates his time to helping farmers and gamekeepers combat these issues to protect crops, wildlife habitat, and the land they manage.

We all learned a lot from this conversation, and we bel...

In this special Father’s Day episode, we share some heartfelt stories about the fathers who shaped our lives. We asked members of the Mossy Oak team to reflect on their dads and the memories that still mean the most to them, and the responses were incredible.

From life lessons learned in the woods to moments that still bring a smile years later, these stories remind us of the lasting impact fathers have on who we become. We en...

This week we are joined by native plant specialist Kyle Lybarger and Cahaba Riverkeeper David Butler and we learn about a really unique and special plant. The Cahaba River Lilies bloom each spring and attract world wide attention. Once upon a time, many southern rivers had these lilies blooming on their shoals in the spring. Today only a few places still have them.  These delicate white blooms create a sea of white along the s...

On this episode, we are joined by David Faubion, editor of Guns & Ammo Special Interest Publications, to discuss calibers, trending rifles, and bullet preferences. Dave has lots of real-world experience and shares with us what he has learned over the years. He kicks off the podcast with a great story about calling in a big alpha male wolf in the Idaho wilderness this spring. It's a fun and informative episode.

Listen, Learn, and...

On this episode we are joined by Dr. Ashley Dumas again and she explains the fascinating story of when Hernando de Soto's expedition met the Mobilian people in October 1540 at the Battle of Mabila in present-day Alabama. This violent clash—triggered by a hostage standoff with Chief Tuskaloosa—led to the destruction of the palisaded town and remains one of the largest, bloodiest battles fought on North American soil. As ...

On this episode with talk with New York Times best selling author, Monte Burke, who is very interested in studying and sharing the persona of fishermen who will do just about anything to be at the top of their game. His books Lords of the Flies and Sowbelly dive into the interesting cast of characters of chasing world record tarpon and the extreme efforts on going to catch the world record largemouth bass. Monte is a great conversa...

On this episode we’re joined by Dr. Ashley Dumas, the Professor of Anthropology at the University of West Alabama. We are all fascinated by the Native American artifacts we often find on our hunting properties and hearing how they thrived in the wilderness. How did they hunt, forage, fish, make tools, set up villages and camps? Dr. Dumas explains fascinating aspects of the culture of the Native Americas. 

Listen, Learn an...

On this episode we catch up with Kevin VanDam, one of our favorite Gamekeepers, to learn about his turkey season and what work he is doing for the upcoming deer season. Kevin is a fervent outdoorsman and loves improving his farm for wildlife. Apparently, what he is doing is working and we all can learn from his success as well as his trial and errors. It’s all about deer and turkeys.

Listen, Learn and Enjoy.  

If you enjoy...

On this episode we’re joined by Johnny Wilson, PhD, of Central Life Sciences to explain the invasive red and black imported fire ants (Genus Solenopsis). In the South these tiny ants are everywhere, and we wondered if and how they impact the wildlife we so dearly love.  The short answer is YES, they do! We wanted to learn about how they got here, how they operate, how to deal with them and can we control or at least supp...

On this episode we’re joined by two scientists from the US Geological Survey and we discuss the precipitous decline of many wild birds across America. Dr. Jeff Hostetler and David Ziolkowski explain the USGS breeding bird survey process and the data that’s been collected for almost 60 years on the many wild birds species we all seem to take for granted. It’s shocking to learn of the big decline in many of them. It...

This week we play part two of our conversation with the legendary women's basketball Coach Vic  Schaefer.  It’s the powerful story of his sons accident and his road to recovery. He talks and we listen. In fact, the story is so powerful we decided to not insert commercials to prevent interrupting this meaningful and often tearful telling of a very trying time in his family. You’ll be moved. 

Listen, Learn a...

On this episode we talk about hunting bullfrogs with Danny Moreland. Danny is an avid hunter and owns TigerBack Lodge in Arkansas and chases bullfrogs with a passion. Frog gigging has long been a part of rural lifestyle and each state has its own rules. It’s interesting to hear how it’s done and oh by the way,  the legs are delicious. Danny is also an excellent cook and prepares 100 legs for us to eat prior to reco...

This week we are joined by legendary Coach Vic Schaefer. Considered to be one of the best collegiate women’s basketball coaches of all time, Coach is also a rabid turkey hunter and fisherman. He has produced national title contending basketball teams at Mississippi State and now Texas. He joins us in person to tell sports stories, hunting and fishing stories and explains how the outdoors helps him relax. It’s a fun podc...

On this episode we are joined by Jordy Veillon of Louisiana to explain crawfish farming. Crawfish boils are a spring/summer tradition across the South that is gaining popularity elsewhere. But do you know the whole process of raising them from seed to the boiling pot? Jordy is pure Cajun and entertains the group with his wit while explaining the whole process of raising crawfish to sell.  We ask questions from feeding ducks to...

On this episode we’re joined by Dr. Ned Miller in studio to explain snake bites and provide a road map of what to do plus what to expect.  Ned is a serious hunter himself and understands the scenarios a hunter/fisherman could find themselves facing.  Gamekeepers working on a property face many chances to encounter venomous snakes and stinging insects, and everyone needs to have a plan. Dr. Ned explains it all. 

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On this episode we’re joined by Dr. Guy Harvey. Most folks will recognize the name from his amazingly detailed artwork that beautifies everything from tee shirts to murals all over the world. But his story is one of a love for fishing, the salt water fisheries and dedicating his life to understanding and conserving the oceans and its resources. Much of his understanding of fish and fishing was learned underwater with cameras ...

On this episode we are joined by frequent guest and wild turkey researcher Dr. Marcus Lashley. Fresh from a Mississippi turkey hunt, he sits down and we discuss the latest research findings from his captive poult research project at the University of Florida. The birds are 11 months old now and he and his team have learned so much. Its an interesting discussion. 

Listen, Learn, Enjoy. 

If you enjoyed this Gamekeeper episode...

This week we’re joined by Mr. Allen Jenkins who spent his decades owning Lynch calls and turkey hunting. Mr. Jenkins is tells the story of how he first met M.L. Lynch and how their lives intertwined around a love of turkeys. He is a great story teller and we enjoyed each one he told. It’s a walk back in time and a chance to meet a very private person that’s had a big impact on the sport of turkey hunting. 

Lis...

On this episode we are joined by Dr. Bronson Strickland and Mitt Wardlaw of Wildlife Investments to discuss the highly intriguing and somewhat mysterious warm season annual American Joint Vetch. It’s commonly referred to as Deer Vetch, or its proper name is Aeschynomene. Whatever you call it, it’s a fantastic deer forage that tolerates heavy browsing like a champ.  

We learn that it fills a late summer gap, where to...