Impact Outdoors Podcast

What an exciting episode about the new relocation project of Desert Bighorn Sheep coming to the Franklin Mountains in Texas. Recently, at the 2025 Sheep Show in Reno put on by the Wild Sheep Foundation I was able to sit down with my good friend Dr. Sam Cunningham, President of the Texas Bighorn Society, and Froylan Hernandez, Desert Bighorn Sheep Program Leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. We had a great chat about the history of the Desert Bighorn Sheep in Texas and some of the battles they face today ultimately leading to the need for this historic relocation...

What a great time at the 2025 Sheep Show in Reno this year while getting to sit down with my good friend Wayne Saunders of the Warden Watch Podcast. Now the Executive Director of the International Wildlife Crimestoppers. Wayne and I have recorded an episode before (linked below) and spoke a lot about his career, but on this episode, we get to learn all about IWC and his new role as director. We also discussed IWC's new Certified Ethics Pledge campaign and how you can get involved. There's plenty of fun game warden stories mixed in on this one so...

Had a great time catching up with Renée Thornton about all the new things going on within the Women Hunt program and where the program is going headed forward. We also chatted about the new short film "Beyond Bonds, A Women Hunt Story", which you can check out through the link below. Huge thanks again to the Wild Sheep Foundation and the Women Hunt program for their continued support of the Hunt Fish Podcast Summit.

Check out the film here:

https://youtu.be/xzaL5LEhsjE?si=tOa93gZsVLzzBP-y

Mikayla Killam with Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service is on the show today to talk about her job and dealing with Human/Wildlife conflict. Most people think of things like feral hogs or coyotes being the main animals people have issues with, but there are many species that can be an issue in both rural and urban communities. One that we did a deep dive on this episode is the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture. Be sure to catch this episode because you will learn a lot of new information on what is being done to...

On today's episode is Grayson Highfield, who was part of the Women Hunt 2023 class. Grayson currently lives up in Wyoming and really enjoys spending time outdoors, especially with her horses riding in the backcountry, writing and currently working for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation as their outreach coordinator. We touched on a lot of different topics during this conversation about life growing up, writing, getting her first horse and the decision to apply to the Women Hunt program and how that has changed her outlook on a lot of different things for the better! Excited that Grayson was able to...

What happens when you get 5 guys around a table to talk about fishing, especially when it's covered in Little Debbie snacks??? A lot of laughs, confusing words, a few tears and stories about how fishing has changed our lives. Join us on this episode as Derek York, Michael Scherer, Todd Craighead, John Maynard and Steve Stubbe sit down for a bit to talk about some of our experiences on the water and some of the people we've met along the way. This is a good one so sit back and give it a listen. And be sure to subscribe...

Excited to have Pastor, Fishing Guide and Duck Dog Trainer Brian Johnson join us on this episode of Impact Outdoors Podcast as we sit down and visit at the 2024 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit about fishing, hunting and spreading the good word. Brian is pastor at First Baptist Church in Winnie, TX. He also loves to fish and started guiding bass fishing trips a few years ago. He is the owner of Duck Dog Trainer, where he and his family own and operate a 15-acre site in east Texas training some of the finest hunting dogs around. Make sure and...

Hey everybody, welcome back to another great episode of the Impact Outdoors Podcast coming to you from the 2024 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit at the Warren Ranch. I am excited to have my good friend Mr. Josh Stratton from the Mule Deer Foundation on the show today. Josh is the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for MDF along with being an avid outdoorsman and conservationist. We had a great conversation about some of the projects and initiatives going on with MDF across the country as well as talking about our love for our home state of Oklahoma and how muc...

After traveling to Africa with her husband on a hunting safari, Sue Tidwell discovered a story of how the people of Africa rely on hunting not only as a means for conservation, but to provide for their families and to deter poaching. Sue made a promise to help convey the message of why hunting and conservation is so important over there and shares that message in her book, "Cries of the Savanna". Be sure to check out this episode and grab a copy of Sue's book in print or listen to the audio version.

Sue Tidwell Author...

Danny Henderson lives in Colorado and a few years ago found out about the Women Hunt program and was accepted into the inaugural class in 2021, which proved to be a huge turning point in her life. Being part of this program has truly been an opportunity of a lifetime for Danny and so many other women looking to be a part of the hunting community. From all of the adventures of being at Women Hunt and those that followed, listen to Danny's story about her journey and what it has meant to her. Be sure to check out this...

I recently met Herman Brune at the 2024 DSC show in Dallas after hearing stories about him from different individuals that left me wanting to learn more about this man, a true Texas legend! Herman has done many things throughout his life, from guiding hunters from Mexico to Canada, Professional Saddle Bronc riding, to being an established and award-winning author of several books and countless articles for some of the most iconic magazines you know. The stories are endless, and we get to hear several on this episode. His words flow seamlessly as he speaks about days gone by and...

For most of his life, Chef Joshua Schwencke has utilized food and the different ways of cooking it as a gateway to teaching people the value of doing it yourself. Whether it is through the harvest of wild game or shopping at your local meat market, Josh has been instrumental in teaching people not just how to cook, but to have fun with it, learn the history behind it and to not be afraid of trying something new. We had a great conversation at the 2024 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit and also were treated to one of his Gastronomy Live...

On this week's episode of Impact Outdoors, we are once again coming to you from the 2024 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit at the Warren Ranch here in Texas. This week we are excited to be joined by Basheer Benhalim, one of Hunters of Color's Texas Ambassadors. Hunters of Color is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the goal of increasing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) participation in hunting for the sake of conservation, food sovereignty, and to preserve their ancestral traditions. Basheer has a deeply rooted background here in Texas and grew up in the outdoors. Having lived in different places...

Very excited to welcome Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb onto the show for this episode for a great conversation about her growing up in the outdoors, navigating through her career in business and politics and then reengaging with the outdoors through her love of hunting and shooting sports. Janet has done a great job as First Lady by being a mentor to so many in getting into the outdoors. Janet and I talk about what it was like after being part of a home invasion and how that spurred her to take action in being better prepared and trained...

On this episode of Impact Outdoors Podcast, I am joined by Kyle Hand, Statewide Game Bird Specialist from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at the 2024 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit. Kyle has had a great career so far at TPWD, working on numerous projects around the state dealing with Turkeys, Quail and more. We get to talk a lot about the life cycle of the wild turkey and some of the incredible things they have to do to survive. There is also a great deal of discussion on habitat, predators and the distribution of the Eastern and Rio Grande subspecies...

Great 1st episode to kick off the 2024 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit with my good friend John Maynard, owner of Badger Claw Outfitters. John has an incredible background growing up in the outdoors from living in the Pacific northwest in Washington state and currently now in Texas where he makes an incredible lineup of handmade leather and waxed canvas goods for a wide variety of uses. Be sure to give this one a listen and check out John's stuff online and on his social media channels.

Camping and Outdoor Gear - Badger Claw Leatherworks (badgerclawoutfitters.com)

...

Mang is not your ordinary apparel company, just selling shirts with cool designs. They are much more than that and have an incredible vision for what they are wanting to accomplish with their business. I recently was able to get with Kyle Rossin, one of the founders of Mang, and hear about the company that he and his brother Keith created. With every shirt they have sold, their slogan "Buy one, Plant one" comes true. With hundreds of thousands of trees planted and countless restoration projects being done in Florida and other countries, this company is making a huge...

Ryan Baudhuin is a Marine Combat Veteran, photographer, videographer and so much more. Since finding his true calling in the outdoors and bringing opportunities to veterans across the country, Ryan has impacted countless lives through his work. This was a great interview with a lot of different topics, so make sure and check it out and follow Ryan online.

Instagram - Ryan Baudhuin (@ryanoffthegrid) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook - Facebook

YouTube - Ryan Off The Grid Trailer (youtube.com)

https://youtu.be/PUByTPD8XTk

High Point Adventures (@highpointadventures) • Inst...

On this week's show, I was able to chat with my good friend Andrew Austin (@thetexasnaturalist) about his incredible journey so far. Andrew and I met a couple years ago through the podcast summit I host every year, the Hunt Fish Podcast Summit. He does a lot of really cool things when traveling across the region, especially if you like looking at cool animals. Andrew has a passion for conservation and educating people on all different aspects of the natural world. He is also a great photographer and has been able to work on some incredible projects like Deep...

Scrolling through Instagram a while back, I came across Emmanuel Williams fishing out in the Atlantic on a Sea Doo of all things catching some amazing offshore fish. Fishing on jet skis is something I have seen, but not at the level he was doing it. We got the chance to meet at ICAST this past summer in Florida and finally got to record a show. Emmanuel is really good at documenting his experiences offshore and incorporating the entire process into his videos making them very educational for everyone. We got to discuss his upbringing and passion for fishing...

Excited to welcome Pat Murray to the show this week. Recently at ICAST, Pat and I were able to sit down and talk about his passion for fishing and conservation and how that led him to getting involved with CCA (Coastal Conservation Association) and now as the national President of the group. Recreational fishing advocacy, habitat improvement and outreach are a big part of what CCA does and we cover a lot of more great topics in this episode. Be sure to check CCA out and get involved with them in your area.

Find out more about...

Well, this episode wraps up our recordings at the 2023 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit and I am really excited to welcome back to the show my good friend Turner Rowland. Turner has had an incredible upbringing in the outdoors and has really let those outdoor passions guide his career as he is now working with Waypoint TV and helping grow their company. Turner has also hosted his own podcast and been a backcountry elk guide, while spending any spare time on the rivers of Montana and Tennessee flyfishing. On this episode, we got to cover a lot of what all...

Great episode this week here on Impact Outdoors Podcast with Joe Richards of Richards Outdoor Photography. Joe and I got to sit down at the 2023 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit and visit about his family's passion for photography and the outdoors and what it means to them to capture some incredible moments in the outdoors. Joe is also a graduate student at Texas Tech University studying wild turkeys in central Texas and looking at a number of different things with his research. Joe is really a shining example of making your passion into your career and I can't wait to...

Excited to have Jake Hill on the show today talking about some of the amazing opportunities he has found himself doing over the last few years including his work with Buffalo Kloof over in South Africa and the East Foundation right here in Texas. A lot of great insight into the world of hunting and conservation in Africa and how it differs so much from here in the U. S. We have some in depth conversations on what it takes to be a guide over there and the differences in the illegal poaching industry. Make sure to give this...

On this episode I am joined by Dr. Sam Cunningham, President of the Texas Bighorn Society (www.texasbighornsociety.org) at the 2023 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit held at the Warren Ranch. The history of the bighorn sheep in the Lone Star state has been a rocky one with the species being completely extirpated by the early 1960s. But with help from groups like TBS, state wildlife biologists from Texas and other states and other conservation groups like the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Bighorns are being reintroduced here in Texas and are making a great comeback! Although there are still a...

Steven Bardin, owner and operator of Texas Pro Lake Management, and Kanyan Klein, also of TPLM, were able to join us at the 2023 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit and we got to sit down and talk about some of the innovative ways they are able to manage private lakes and ponds for landowners in Texas and beyond. We also discussed the formation of the Black Bass Stewardship Group between Bardin and bass fishing legend Gary Klein, Kanyan's dad, and how this has all led to working with Major League Fishing and the creation of their Fisheries Management Division. With multiple...

Back with another episode from the Hunt Fish Podcast summit featuring Kat Hunter, 2022 graduate of the Women Hunt program who has just recently took up the sport of hunting and also jumped right into the world of conservation being involved with numerous groups including the Wild Sheep Foundation, Texas Bighorn Society and more. Kat's story is truly motivating and really makes you wonder why the outdoors market historically has been such a male dominated industry. With more and more stories like Kat's coming to the forefront, it's important for everyone to realize we all have something great to offer...

On this week's show, I'm honored to have Larry and Austin, ambassadors from Hero Hunt, Inc., joining us at the 2023 Hunt Fish Podcast Summit. This organization does an incredible job on bringing our line of duty injured heroes, military, police, firefighters and other first responders back into the fold of camaraderie they left when leaving the service to our nation due to those injuries. Being able to come together and use the outdoors and the sport of hunting to offer opportunities for these heroes is making a huge difference in countless lives. Make sure to check them out on...

Troy Fowler aka The Ranch Fairy is taking the bow hunting industry by storm with his commonsense approach to the basics of shooting an arrow for maximum lethality while hunting. Terms like FOC, splines, shaft length and tuning your arrow so you can shoot straight are used all the time in his videos on his YouTube channel where you can learn firsthand how to do certain things that will greatly improve your shooting ability and make you think about how each component on your arrow reacts in different situations. I really enjoyed having Troy at the 2023 Hunt Fish Podcast...

Excited to be bringing you live episodes from the Hunt Fish Podcast Summit once again with our first guest Todd Craighead. This is Todd's second time being at the summit and what an incredible show we have recorded for you. From how we save hunting to some crazy hunting stories that only Todd could have experienced, this episode has it all. Make sure to follow us online on our social media channels to stay up to date with all of the episodes coming out and if you haven't yet, please go and hit the subscribe button and leave us...

On this week's show, I'm joined by Eric Clark, host of the Okayest Hunter podcast. Eric has been producing content for quite some time in the outdoors realm and we got a chance to discuss that path and where it has lead him to today and where it's going. From deer hunting to electronics use to the grind of trade shows and merchandise, we cover a lot of good stuff so sit back and enjoy this episode. Be sure to check out Okayest Hunter's social media channels and their YouTube.

Okayest Hunter™️ (@okayest_hunter) • Instagram photos and videos...

Gene Gilliland joins me on this week's show and we cover a lot of different topics covering how he developed such a passion for fishing, his career as a fisheries biologist in Oklahoma and his current role as the national conservation director for B.A.S.S. We also talk about some of our favorite fishing spots across the country and what it takes these days to get into the conservation field. Be sure to follow everything going on with B.A.S.S. and join their Facebook group, B.A.S.S. Conservation. Be sure to like and...

Jack Brackin, director and editor of The Captain's Log tv show on Waypoint is doing some incredible things right now. This past summer I got to witness firsthand the vision Jack has when filming on location and seeing how he puts a story together for the show. It was a pretty cool thing to see and a lot of it comes from his passion for fishing his whole life. Listen in as we discuss how he got started in the outdoor industry at such a young age, some of the cool things he's doing with skull taxidermy work now...

With deer seasons winding down across the country, the majority of hunters can't help but think about the fast-approaching turkey season. By far my favorite time of the year to be in the woods, the wild turkey provides a great way to get outdoors and actually interact with the animal you are chasing. Aaron Warbritton of The Hunting Public is one of the best in the sport at being able to coax these birds into his spread and what better way to kick off 2023 than with some great tips and tactics on hunting early in the season and some...

Ben Masters grew up in Texas loving the outdoors creating a passion for telling stories through his filmmaking and conservation work. His latest film, "Deep in the Heart" is one of the most exciting wildlife documentaries to come out recently and has really shined a light on the wide variety of species that call Texas home. The success of the film has blown away all expectations and having the likes of Matthew McConaughey narrate your film doesn't hurt either. With some of the first footage ever captured of Ocelots in Texas to Mountain Lions traversing the vast landscapes of...

Edwin Evers is best known for being one of the best bass fishermen in the world and rightly so after winning two world championships in the sport along with countless tournament wins in both the BASS and MLF tournament series. He is also a very successful pecan farmer in Oklahoma and is now diving in headfirst into the high school bass fishing scene. With all of this going on Edwin still finds time to continue helping others learn to get better at the sport of bass fishing through his YouTube channel. We discuss all of this and more on...

Texan to the core, Grahame Jones grew up loving the outdoors and figured out how to turn his passion into his profession. Grahame recently retired as director of the Texas Game Wardens and now serves as the Texas state chair for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He is also a fulltime guide in and around the Austin area fishing the numerous lakes and rivers in the Texas Hill Country. This was a great episode with plenty of stories to go around from Grahame's childhood trips down hunting in Mexico to chasing poachers in East Texas as a Game Warden to...

This week's show features David Moss, Fisheries Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy in Florida. Listen in as we discuss some of the issues facing snapper and grouper species when fishing offshore and ways that you can help ensure a successful release of the fish that you return to the water. The Nature Conservancy's "Deck to Depth" Program is leading the way in educating anglers about the beneficial use of descending devices and the success rate of using these devices to safely return fish that are suffering from barotrauma back to the depths from which they were caught.

Join us on this week's episode as I sit down with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation's Chris Geib, Chief Development Officer, over at ICAST and we catch up on all the great things going on over at NPCF with their Fishing Funds the Cure fundraisers along with all the other ways you can get involved to help fund the research that will end childhood cancer. To find out more about NPCF and their mission, you can go to:

Home - National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (nationalpcf.org)

https://youtu.be/hDcMVv0RpGM

If you...

I recently sat down with Krissy Wejebe, daughter of the Spanish Fly tv host Jose Wejebe, at ICAST. And on this episode, we talked about what it was like growing up in Florida with a dad that was a fishing guide/tv host and a mother who was a dolphin trainer. Jose meant a lot to so many people and when he passed away, it left a lot of people asking what they could do to help. Soon after, Krissy started up the Jose Wejebe Spanish Fly Memorial Foundation to continue her father's legacy through conservation work, education and...