The Ozark Podcast

40 Episodes
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By: Ozark Made

In the Ozarks, people have always lived in rhythm with the natural world. Hunting, fishing, and living off the land, aren't just things we do, it's who we are. And though our lives are inextricably linked to the land we live on, we've never been more disconnected from it. So join us, as we travel across the region to bring you the voices of the Ozarks to deepen your connection with the land, sharpen your skills in the outdoors, and help you learn what it means to be an Ozarker. Our guests and the information they share are especially relevant...

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Ep. 249 - Brian Slane - How to Use Small Bucks to Find Big Bucks During the Rut
Today at 11:00 AM

That little 4-point running at 7am? He just told you exactly where the big one is...


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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vortex Optics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Industry leader in scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars

⁠Nested Treestands⁠ - The mobile stand setup for the modern hunter

⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Eureka Springs⁠⁠⁠⁠ - plan your next Ozark adventure this fall


Brian Slane is back for part two of the most tactical deer hunting conversation we’ve had on this show. He breaks down one of the most underrated rut strategies in the Ozarks: using small bucks to locate giant ones locked down with does during peak rut.

He also walks through his full morning routine on a new piece of ground, how to approach a stand without blowing it out, and the scent control system he’s spent years perfecting.


Ep. 248 - The Old Ozarks - Booger Season (S2:E8)
Ep. 248 - The Old Ozarks - Booger Season (S2:E8) episode artwork
Last Friday at 10:00 AM

Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, in honor of the day before Halloween, we’re heading into the holler after dark to talk haints, boogers, and the wonderfully weird menagerie of monsters that used to spook the old Ozarks.

We’ll start by digging into the Germanic roots of “spook” and “haint,” and trace “booger” all the way back to 16th-century England’s “boggard,” through cousins like “boggle” and “bogeyman,” landing on the real-life, long-gone roadside attraction Booger Holla on Arkansas’s Highway 7.

Then it’s on to the long sweetenin’: the strange a...


Ep. 247 - Brian Slane - The One Deer Feature BETTER than Rut Funnels, Rub Lines, and Bedding Areas
10/28/2026

"I don't leave my truck until daylight"


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Nested Treestands - The mobile stand setup for the modern hunter

⁠⁠⁠Visit Eureka Springs⁠⁠⁠ - plan your next Ozark adventure this fall


We discuss rub lines, wind switches, rattling methods, and the most overlooked deer behavior pattern that Brian uses to predict (to the day) when he'll harvest his buck each year.

If you're looking for something different than the rise and grind / walking in the dark method, you've come to the right place.

This is the most unique Ozark deer hunting episode we've ever released.


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Ep. 246 - Larry Dablemont - Stories from the Old Timers of the Big Piney River
10/21/2026

"He hid in a cave for 8 months, stole bread to survive, and paid for it with mink furs"


Together with...

⁠⁠Visit Eureka Springs⁠⁠ - plan your next Ozark adventure this fall

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vortex Optics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Industry leader in scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars

Nested Treestands - The mobile stand setup for the modern hunter

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ember Shoals Outdoor Resort⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Just steps from World-Class Trout Waters


Larry sits down to share the men who shaped him: a grandfather who set a St. Louis fur record in 1927, never believed in electricity, and taught Larry everything a wildlife degree couldn’t.

You’ll hear about running a pool hall at 13, guiding float trips at 12 for 50 cents an hour, selling D-graded college essays to national magazines for $35, and discove...


Ep. 245 - The Old Ozarks - The Boy That Knowed the Yiddish Curver (S2:E7)
Ep. 245 - The Old Ozarks - The Boy That Knowed the Yiddish Curver (S2:E7) episode artwork
10/16/2026

Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, it’s October, which means it’s baseball month on The Old Ozarks — a mystery box of Reggie bars in rural Arkansas leads us from one bragging Hall of Famer’s “pinto bean English” to a forgotten pitcher who inspired a Martin Scorsese classic.

We’ll start with Ouachita Mountains native Dizzy Dean, whose swagger on the mound was matched only by his butchering of the English language in the radio booth — “throwed,” “swang,” “slud,” and a whole dialect of nonstandard preterites rooted deep in Ozark and Southern speech...


Ep. 244 - Larry Dablemont - The History of the Jonboat: Built for the Ozark Way of Life
10/14/2026

The Ozark jonboat wasn’t just a vessel, it was a way of life, and one man’s family built them from scratch.

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Larry Dablemont, author of 14 books on Ozark life and a lifelong river man, sits down at his Lightning Ridge home to trace the full history of the Ozark jonboat from his grandfather finding a wrecked boat in a drift in 1914 and teaching himself to build one, to Hollywood celebrities floating the White River on multi-day guided trips, to the slow disappearance of the rivers themselves.

Larry walks through the anatomy of a real wooden jonboat using a model his family built, explains why the Ozarks produced a style of boat found nowhere else, and tells...


Ep. 243 - Joe Massey - Black Bear Stories, Part 2: The Side of Hunting Nobody Talks About
10/07/2026

Hunting is emotional.

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After 30 days of baiting, $1,000+ in food, and a week off work — Joe Massey drew back on a shooter bear at 17 yards and made a bad shot.

This episode doesn't end with a grip and grin. It ends with something rarer in outdoor media: honesty. Joe walks through the shot, the search, the rain that washed away the blood trail, and the emotional weight of wounding an animal you've spent months pursuing and genuinely love.

It's a conversation about the heartbreak side of hunting that most people never show. This is the episode you share with someone who doesn't understand why hunters feel what they feel.


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Ep. 242 - The Old Ozarks - Willie French Goes a-Hunting (S2:E6)
Ep. 242 - The Old Ozarks - Willie French Goes a-Hunting (S2:E6) episode artwork
10/02/2026

Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, we're a-huntin' and a-fishin' through the diary of a Shannon County farm boy who came of age just as the Ozarks' wildlife paradise was slipping away.

We'll start with "a-prefixing," that old Ozark and Appalachian habit of putting an "a" on the front of a verb — straight out of 18th-century English nursery rhymes like "A-Hunting We Will Go" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and still alive in hollers today.

Then it's on to the long sweetenin', the teenage hunting diary of Wi...


Ep. 241 - Joe Massey - Black Bear Stories, Part 1: 30-Day Bait Pile and Passing On a Third Bear
09/30/2026

500 pounds of bait, 30 days of sweat equity, one week off work, and a shooter bear at full draw...

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Our good buddy Joe Massey is here to pull the curtain back on his 30-day Ozark black bear bait hunt. Joe breaks down every dollar spent, every Friday afternoon in the summer heat filling barrels, and every bear that showed up on camera.

If you've ever thought about hunting Ozark black bears, this is the episode that tells you everything you actually need to know before you spend a pretty penny.


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Ep. 240 - Logan Huff & Morgan Guss - The Ozarks' Best Kept Secret is On the White River EVERY Fall
09/23/2026

Fall on the White River is the BEST time to catch a certain TROPHY fish.

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Morgan Guss and Logan Huff of Diamond State Fly Co. join the Kyles live from Cotter, Arkansas for a full breakdown of what fall fly fishing on the White River actually looks like — lower flows, more user-friendly tactics, gorgeous foliage, and rainbows that are noticeably bigger thanks to the new regulations.

Whether you've never held a fly rod or you're ready to level up your streamer game, Morgan and Logan lay out exactly what to throw, where to find fish, and how to read the river when the water changes from 700 to 20,000 CFS in a single afternoon.

This one doubles as a trip-planning episode: cov...


Ep. 239 - The Old Ozarks - The Sweet Sounds of Big Sugar Creek (S2:E5)
Ep. 239 - The Old Ozarks - The Sweet Sounds of Big Sugar Creek (S2:E5) episode artwork
09/18/2026

Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, we're boiling down sap and tuning up the shape notes — from the vanishing rituals of Ozark sugar camps to the banks of Big Sugar Creek, birthplace of one of gospel music's biggest names.

We'll start with the sweet, half-forgotten world of sugarin' off time: granny gourds, alder spiles, kittles of boiling sap, and the snow-day treat known as a waxin', plus a tour of the sugar-flavored place names still dotting the map.

Then it's on to the long sweetenin', the life of Al...


Ep. 238 - Ryan Walker - 40 Years on the James River: "We're Losing Smallmouth"
09/16/2026

Data could change how Missouri manages its best smallmouth creeks.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Ryan Walker is back for part two, and this time the conversation goes deep on conservation. For five years Ryan has been quietly logging every fish, every location, every date, building a citizen science dataset compelling enough to bring before Missouri's regs committee.

He breaks down why current limits are too loose, why the spawn closure Missouri implemented is brilliant, and what he'd change tomorrow if given the keys to MDC.

Whether you're 22 or 52, if you love these Ozark rivers, you need to understand what's at stake — and what one person with a notebook can actually do about it.


Toget...


Ep. 237 - Ryan Walker - The 10% Rule: How to Find Smallmouth in Late Summer on Any Ozark Stream
09/09/2026

The best smallmouth guide in the Ozarks (voted on by YOU) just gave away his entire summer playbook (recorded from a raft on the river).


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Ryan Walker joins the guys mid-float on the James River for one of the most practical fishing episodes the show has ever done.

From how to read braided water and find that magic 10% of the river that holds fish in August heat, to the counterintuitive topwater tip that changes everything, Ryan hands you a summer smallmouth framework you can use the very next time you hit the creek.

Whether you're floating with a kid, learning fly fishing for the first time, or a seasoned...


Ep. 236 - The Old Ozarks - The Rurnt Day of Major Wolf (S2:E4)
Ep. 236 - The Old Ozarks - The Rurnt Day of Major Wolf (S2:E4) episode artwork
09/04/2026

Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, we're talking milk gone bad, mythical giants, and one very "rurnt" 72 hours — a Confederate major's real-life brush with a firing squad that came down to a president's telegram and a matter of hours.

We'll start with Blinky Blue John, the Ozarks' own giant of legend, whose curious name traces back to superstitions about witches souring milk, before landing on the region's favorite way to say something's gone completely to pieces: "rurnt."

Then it's on to the long sweetenin', the harrowing true story of...


Ep. 235 - Spencer Daniels - Is There a Breeding Population of Mountain Lions in the Ozarks? (Plus: Black Panthers)
09/02/2026

A breeding population of mountain lions just showed up 100 miles from the Arkansas border...that changes everything.


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Arkansas' large carnivore coordinator Spencer Daniels drops one of the most jaw-dropping revelations in recent Ozark wildlife history and finally puts the "Game and Fish is hiding mountain lions" myth to rest for good.

You'll hear exactly where these cats are coming from, what 58 confirmed sightings actually mean, and whether there's already a breeding pair hiding somewhere in Arkansas right now.

Then the episode goes full Ozark folklore — black panthers, the screaming-into-a-hole myth, AI photo fakes, and the family stories every person who grew up in these...


Ep. 234 - Spencer Daniels - Bear Seasons Reg Changes for 2026 + Last Year's Fatal Bear Attacks Explained
08/26/2026

Arkansas Game & Fish Bear Program Coordinator Spencer Daniels sits down to address the two fatal black bear attacks that shocked the state last year (the first recorded fatalities in over 100 years) and what we've learned from them.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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He walks through both incidents with honesty and care, explains the brain lesion findings from the necropsy, and gives every hunter, hiker, and camper in bear country a clear safety playbook for what to do if things go sideways. Beyond the attacks, Spencer breaks down the 2026 season changes — including the earlier opener, what to expect from the population, and why bear hunting over bait is actually one of the most ethical conserv...


Ep. 233 - The Old Ozarks - On the Lookout for Ary New Deal Relics (S2:E3)
Ep. 233 - The Old Ozarks - On the Lookout for Ary New Deal Relics (S2:E3) episode artwork
08/21/2026

Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, we head out looking for "ary" trace of the Great Depression left on the Ozark landscape — and it turns out, once you know what to look for, you can hardly go "nary" a mile without finding one.

We'll start in Grandpa's hayfield with the hillside ribs known as Mangum terraces, tracing their spread from a North Carolina farm in the 1880s to the terracing craze that swept the Ozarks under FDR's New Deal. Along the way, our short sweetenin' digs up the backwoods twins "ar...


Ep. 232 - Ralph Meeker - Small Property Deer Hunting: The Summer Checklist for Success This Fall
08/19/2026

The deer you harvest this fall are being won right now.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Arkansas Game & Fish State Deer Coordinator Ralph Meeker breaks down the summer checklist every small property hunter needs before season opens.

From designating a sanctuary and hinge cutting the right trees, to understanding why deer remember your stand location down to 55 extra yards by season's end, Ralph gives you the science-backed playbook for holding more deer on limited ground.

You'll also learn why summer is actually the most nutritionally stressful time for deer — and how that changes what you should be doing on your property today.

This is the episode that turns a 22-ac...


Ep. 231 - Chad Johnson - The Hatch Gap: A Guide's Playbook for "Slow Times" on the White River
08/12/2026

You're fishing the White River, but there's no hatch...Now what?


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Top White River guide Chad Johnson is back for part two — and this time it's all about bugs. He breaks down the three major hatches on the White River, what's actually changing about them year over year, and the simple seasonal framework that tells you exactly what to tie on from January through fall.

More importantly, he reveals what to do on those in-between days when there's no obvious hatch — and why adjusting your depth six inches might be the only fix you need.

If you've ever stood on the White River wondering why the f...


Ep. 230 - The Old Ozarks - These Sticks are Made for Walkin' (S2:E2)
Ep. 230 - The Old Ozarks - These Sticks are Made for Walkin' (S2:E2) episode artwork
08/08/2026

Welcome to The Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week, we start with a word that'll make any bush-hogger wince — "stob" — before hobbling our way into the true tale of a tiny Arkansas crossroads with a mighty title: the Walking Stick Capital of the World.


We'll trace the Scots-Irish roots of "stob," pay tribute to Karl Childers and Sling Blade along the way, and then head to Fryatt, Arkansas — a wide spot in the road barely big enough to see both its highway signs at once — to meet Newt Blagg, the handle-m...


Ep. 229 - Chad Johnson - What is 'The Push' on the White River? The Guide Secret Most Anglers Don't Know About
08/05/2026

Most anglers sit and wait on the White River. The best guides are always moving.


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Top White River guide Chad Johnson reveals one of the most overlooked tactics in Ozark fly fishing: chasing "the push."

When rising water triggers a feeding frenzy, most anglers enjoy it for a few minutes and stay put. Chad explains why the smartest move is to run downstream and get ahead of it again, and again, and again.

He also breaks down the full picture: how to read the generation schedule, what CFS numbers mean for your day, and the single rule that tells you exactly where brown trout are ho...


Ep. 228 - Do the Ozarks Have a Conservation Funding Gap? We did the Math.
07/29/2026

This math will change how you think about the outdoors (especially if you're a hunter).


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The Kyles break down exactly where conservation funding comes from in Arkansas and Missouri, and what happens when fewer people hunt and fish.

With a whiteboard and real numbers pulled straight from AGFC and MDC budgets, they map out the full picture: $141 million vs. $283 million, the 1/8-cent sales tax, Pittman-Robertson, license revenue, and who's really footing the bill.

Then they run the scenario nobody wants to talk about — a 20% decline in sportsmen — and the number needed to replace it will stop you cold.

This is the c...


Ep. 227 - The Old Ozarks - Muley Cows and the Poll Tax (S2:E1)
Ep. 227 - The Old Ozarks - Muley Cows and the Poll Tax (S2:E1) episode artwork
07/24/2026

Welcome to The Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins...

This week for the first episode of season 2, we're playing a road-trip counting game older than the interstate itself: Zip Horse. And using it as our launchpad into the vanishing world of Ozark mules, the surprisingly Celtic backstory of a "muley" cow, and why nobody wanted anything to do with a "poll tax." No, not that poll tax...well, sort of.

Let's dive into this episode of The Old Ozarks...


What is The Old Ozarks?

The Old Ozarks is...


Ep. 226 - Katherine Andrews & Becky Flynn - Are We in Danger of Loving the Ozarks to Death?
07/22/2026

Hunters, hikers, and mountain bikers are all fighting for the same land, and someone has to figure it out.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Part 2 with the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation gets into the hard stuff. We tackle the real tension between user groups head-on — cyclists vs. hunters, growth vs. conservation, loving a place to death vs. sharing it with the next generation.

You'll hear why the Mena Bike Park won't hurt hunters, how gateway activities like fishing could save the conservation funding model, and what it's going to take to keep the Ozarks from turning into the next Moab.

This is the most hon...


Ep. 225 - Katherine Andrews & Becky Flynn - Is the Outdoor Recreation Boom Good for the Ozarks?
07/15/2026

Arkansas just set a goal to double its outdoor economy to $7 billion — and the people making it happen just sat down with us.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Katherine Andrews and Becky Flynn, Director and Deputy Director of Arkansas' Office of Outdoor Recreation, break down what it actually looks like to build an outdoor economy from scratch.

From a $6.5 million grant program funding trails, boat ramps, and shooting ranges, to a first-of-its-kind guide verification program, to the largest lift-served mountain bike park in the country coming to Mena — this episode is a masterclass in why Arkansas is quietly becoming one of t...


Ep. 224 - Christy Graham - The Trout Disaster: Flooding, Failed Hatcheries, & Emergency Regulations
07/08/2026

Trout fisheries are in crisis, and for the first time ever emergency regulations are the new normal.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Arkansas Game & Fish trout coordinator Christy Graham returns to break down one of the wildest 14 months in the history of Ozark trout fishing.

A historic Spring River flood wiped out 50% of the state hatchery's fish. Then the Norfork National Fish Hatchery — which stocks 40% of all trout in Arkansas — lost millions of fish to catastrophic water quality failures inside their own tanks.

The result: permanent reduced limits, catch-and-release-only sections, and a two-year road to recovery.<...


Ep. 223 - Christy Graham - How the Ozarks Became a World-Class Trout Fishery
07/01/2026

Trout weren't always in the Ozarks...and the story of how they got here is wilder than you'd expect.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Arkansas Game & Fish trout program coordinator Christy Graham joins Kyle to trace the full arc of Ozark trout fishing: from rail cars delivering the first rainbows in the 1890s, to the Corps of Engineers dams that replaced legendary smallmouth fisheries with cold water tailwaters, to the $230 million-a-year economy now built around a non-native fish.

Along the way you'll learn why the Little Red River is the most magical (and most self-sustaining) trout fishery in the state, and why catch...


Ep. 222 - Clint Johnson & Dylan Jacobs - Is It Even Possible to Bring Quail Back to the Ozarks?
06/24/2026

We're back with part 2. Part 1 was history, now let's dive into the burning question...


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→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER⁠⁠⁠⁠


Quail biologists from both Arkansas Game & Fish (Clint Johnson) and Quail Forever Missouri (Dylan Jacobs), join us to unpack one of the most fascinating and heartbreaking conservation stories in the region.

This is the kind of episode that makes you wonder if we're too far gone to make a difference for quail. The easy answer? No way.


Together with...

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vortex Optics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...


Ep. 221 - Clint Johnson & Dylan Jacobs - The History of Our Dwindling Quail Population in the Ozarks
06/17/2026

Quail used to be EVERYWHERE. Now they're almost nowhere...what happened?


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠⁠Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER⁠⁠⁠


Quail biologists from both Arkansas Game & Fish (Clint Johnson) and Quail Forever Missouri (Dylan Jacobs), join us to unpack one of the most fascinating and heartbreaking conservation stories in the region.

We discuss what the Ozarks actually looked like 200 years ago — open savannas so vast that early explorers couldn't find firewood — and exactly how fire suppression, post-war farming, and even Bambi systematically erased quail from a landscape they once dominated.

This is the kind of episode that makes you look a...


Ep. 220 - Ben Levin - 3 Keys for Shallow Water Fly Fishing on the White River
06/10/2026

The fish are still out there. You just have to think differently to find them.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER⁠⁠


Expert White River guide Ben Levin breaks down his 3 keys for catching trout during the toughest conditions of the summer: low water, clear water, and fishing pressure that pushes fish out of their usual spots.

Whether you've never set foot on the White River or you've been fishing it for years, this episode hands you a practical, no-fluff playbook you can apply the next time you hit the water.


Together with...

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...


Ep. 219 - Ben Levin - 4 Ozark Species to Catch Before This Summer Ends
06/03/2026

The fish you've been walking right past might be the most fun you'll have all summer.

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Expert Ozark fly fishing guide Ben Levin joins the guys at Diamond State Fly Co. to break down a 4-species bucket list that skips the glamour fish entirely.

This one's for every angler who's been chasing the same two species on repeat. Ben makes a convincing case that the Ozarks' most overlooked fish are secretly its most fun — and he tells you exactly how, where, and what to throw to catch all four.


Together with...

⁠⁠⁠...


Ep. 218 - Dan Roberts - From Crappie to Walleye: A Full Species Breakdown on Fly Fishing a Lake
05/27/2026

We're back with the man who just quit his career in the fly fishing industry to become Beaver Lake's only full-time fly fishing guide.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER


Part two with Dan Roberts gets tactical — and it doesn't disappoint. Dan walks through exactly how to fly fish for crappie using a game-changing indicator setup, breaks down the pre-spawn and post-spawn bass bite, and reveals why spotted bass might be the most underrated fly fishing target in the Ozarks.

Whether you're a beginner wanting a confidence-building species or a seasoned angler ready to chase t...


Ep. 217 - Dan Roberts - How to Fly Fish a Lake without a Boat
05/20/2026

He just quit his career in the fly fishing industry to become Beaver Lake's only full-time fly fishing guide.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download this episode's synopsis to take into the woods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


On this episode, Dan breaks down the art and obsession of fly fishing on a massive body of water: how fish relate to seasonal water temps, why clear water is your best friend, and what it really takes mentally to "go hunting" instead of just fishing.

Whether you're an experienced fly angler curious about flat water or a complete beginner wondering where to even start, Dan's honest, practical perspective will change how...


Ep. 216 - A.J. Hendershott - The Ozark Chinquapin: Functionally Extinct But Coming Back
05/13/2026

The Ozark Chinquapin is functionally extinct, and you might be the one to bring it back.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Download this episode's synopsis to take into the woods⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠Get your seeds today from The Ozark Chinquapin Foundation⁠


In Part 2, A.J. Hendershott of the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation gets into the nitty-gritty of how you can actually get involved in one of the most meaningful conservation efforts happening in the Ozarks right now.

From grow tubes and welding gloves to blue jays planting seeds five miles from their source, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and genuine heart.

You'll also hear f...


Ep. 215 - A.J. Hendershott - The Ozark Chinquapin: Restoring An American Treasure
05/06/2026

There's a tree native to the Ozarks that's being restored, and you've maybe never even heard of it.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠⁠⁠Download this episode's synopsis to take into the woods⁠⁠⁠

→ Get your seeds today from The Ozark Chinquapin Foundation


We're joined by A.J. Hendershott of the Missouri Department of Conservation to discuss the loss of the Ozark Chinquapin and WHY hunters, anglers, and conservationists should be the first people to help bring it back.


Together with...

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vortex Optics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Industry leader in s...


Ep. 214 - First Turkeys, Close Encounters, & Gobbler Dreams: Turkey Camp 2026
04/29/2026

Was 2026 turkey camp as successful as last year?? Only one way to find out.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ ⁠Download this episode's synopsis to take into the woods⁠


Join us up in the Missouri Ozarks to discuss a fun week of camaraderie, chasing birds, and running into family?


Together with...

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vortex Optics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Industry leader in scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maverik⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Adventure's first stop in the Ozarks


00:00 Last year's camp 8:30 Turkey stories 1:03:00 Roy Pilgrim gets his first bird


What is The Ozark Podcast?

In the Ozarks, people have always lived in rhythm with the natural world. Hunting, fishing, and living off the land, aren't just things we do, it's who we are. And though our lives are inextricably linked to the land we...


Ep. 213 - Moe Shepherd - 50 Years of Turkey Hunting Stories ("6 Turkeys in 6 Days")
04/22/2026

What does 50 years of turkey hunting actually teach you?


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

→ Download this episode's synopsis to take into the woods


In this episode, Moe Shepherd sits down and opens up the playbook—sharing hard-earned lessons from decades in the Ozarks, over 200 birds, and countless miles on public land.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right but still not getting results, this conversation will reframe how you think about turkey hunting. It’s less about fancy tactics and more about patience, persistence, and learning how to read a bird in real time.

From early mistake...


Ep. 212 - Moe Shepherd - This One Mistake is Costing You Turkeys on Public Land
04/15/2026

If you’ve ever chased a gobbler on public land and walked away empty-handed, this episode will hit home.


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Moe Shepherd brings 50 years of Ozark turkey hunting experience (and over 200 birds) to the table, breaking down what actually works when birds get pressured, quiet, and unpredictable.

From reading subtle sign to knowing when to stay put or make a move, this conversation is packed with the kind of hard-earned insight you only get from decades in the woods.

Moe walks through how he finds birds without even hearing a gobble, why terrain matters more than most hun...


Ep. 211 - Roy Pilgrim - The Future Health of Ozark Forests Depends on This ONE Shift
04/08/2026

Now we know (from part 1) what's wrong with Ozark woods and forest... what's the solution?


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


In this episode, logger Roy Pilgrim returns to move beyond the problem and into real solutions. If you’ve ever wondered how to improve your land, support wildlife, or simply understand what “good stewardship” looks like, this conversation is as practical as it gets.

Roy brings a rare, boots-on-the-ground perspective, connecting logging, conservation, and everyday landowners into one bigger story about the future of the Ozarks. 

Roy breaks down how healthy forests are built through a combination of prescribed fire, t...


Ep. 210 - Roy Pilgrim - Why Forests in the Ozarks are Declining...According to a Logger
04/01/2026

What’s really happening in the Ozark woods right now, and why aren’t more people talking about it?


→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


In this episode, we sit down with first-generation logger Roy Pilgrim, a guy who spends more time in the forest than just about anyone.

From horse logging with mules to running a modern timber operation, Roy brings a rare, ground-level perspective on the health of our woods. If you hunt, hike, or care about the future of the Ozarks, this conversation will challenge what you think a “healthy forest” actually looks like.

Roy breaks...