KEOTA OUTDOORS
Keota Outdoors is a podcast for the everyday outdoorsman — the guy who works hard, hunts harder, and finds peace in the wild. Hosted by Luke Long, this show explores everything from whitetail strategy and waterfowl tactics, to trail camera setups, shed hunting, turkey seasons, bow tuning, and bass fishing backwaters.Each biweekly episode dives into real conversations with fellow hunters, anglers, and land stewards — focused on honest experiences, lessons learned, and the pursuit of getting better in the field.In addition to structured episodes, Outdoor Drops brings you raw, in-the-field recordings — bonus episodes straight from the duck blind, deer stand, or roa...
Ep. 18: A Deeper Connection | Turkey Hunting with MoGobbles
On this episode of Keota Outdoors, Luke sits down in the mancave with new friend Truman Kinsley — better known to many as “MoGobbles.” Truman is an extremely passionate turkey hunter who carries a deep appreciation and connection for the wild turkey and the adventures that come with chasing them across the country.
Luke and Truman swap stories from this spring’s turkey season, including a couple successful hunts for big longbeards and the unforgettable moments that came with them. One hunt, in particular, took an unexpected turn when Truman found himself calling 911 just minutes after tagging his bird.
Outdoor Drop 5: Against the Oak Tree | Stories from the Spring Turkey Woods
On this episode of Keota Outdoors, Luke brings you another “Outdoor Drop” edition — podcasts recorded right in the middle of the action. Settled against the base of a big hickory tree during an evening turkey hunt in north Missouri, Luke reflects on an unforgettable day chasing hard-gobbling eastern longbeards.
An action-packed morning brought two different gobblers inside 25 yards, creating the kind of close encounters turkey hunters dream about. Unfortunately, the hunt didn’t end the way he had hoped — but as every passionate turkey hunter knows, sometimes the hunts that don’t end with a punched tag are the ones...
Ep. 17: Triple Bearded Gobblers and the Louisiana Boys’ Missouri Hunt
On this episode of Keota Outdoors, Luke and his buddy Walker kick back in the man cave to share recent turkey hunting adventures from an unforgettable spring season. Walker and his hunting partner made the trip from central Louisiana to chase North Missouri longbeards, and the trip delivered with exciting hunts and successful tags punched. They wrapped it all up the right way—with a famous spring turkey and mushroom fry at camp.
Luke also dives into his own Missouri opener, where a morning full of gobbles led to an action-packed hunt and a big tr...
Ep. 16: Missouri Nonresident Deer Hunting: Proposed Regulation Changes by MDC
On this episode of the Keota Outdoors Podcast, Luke sits down in the mancave with Patrick Thompson, a whitetail land specialist, to break down the newly proposed changes to Missouri’s nonresident deer hunting regulations. Together, they thoroughly examine the Missouri Department of Conservation’s recently published survey and discuss each potential regulation change in detail.
Luke and Patrick cover the possible positives and negatives these updates could have on Missouri deer hunting, including impacts on hunting pressure, opportunity, overall experience, and the age structure of Missouri whitetails. Their goal is simple: finding what’s best for the future...
Ep. 15: Midwest Turkey Harvest Trends: A 5-Year Breakdown
In this episode, Luke is back in the saddle alongside his trusty homemade full strut decoy, kicking things off with an important update to Missouri’s 2026 turkey season regulations, specifically impacting youth hunters.
From there, Luke dives deep into historical turkey harvest data across the Midwest, breaking down trends in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois. While searching for patterns in population health and harvest success, one thing becomes clear—each state tells a very different story. Variations in bag limits, nonresident regulations, and season structures may all play a role in shaping these trends over time.
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Ep. 14: Turkey Season is HERE: Missouri Regulation Changes, Reaping Tactics & Hunting Stories
In this episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down in his mancave to talk all things turkey hunting as the season quickly approaches.
He breaks down the latest Missouri regulation changes, including new rules affecting non-resident hunters, updated bag limits, and increased tag prices. Luke also dives into the recent changes to shooting hours—highlighting the shift to all-day hunting on private land and the continued 1 PM cutoff on most public land.
The conversation expands into broader wildlife management topics, including recent predator hunting regulation changes involving coyotes and raccoons, and how these de...
Ep. 13: Years in the Making: How Shed History Led to a 7-Year-Old Bow Buck
On this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down in the mancave with his buddy Kiley Harpster to talk everything deer.
Kiley shares the full story behind his 7-year-old, 147” 10 pointer he arrowed in December of 2025. This buck was never a “superstar” on trail camera and stayed low on his radar for years — until the end of the 2025 season when Kiley shifted his focus to age and maturity. Once he committed to hunting this deer, it didn’t take long to capitalize.
The craziest part? Kiley has sheds from this buck dating all the way back t...
Ep. 12: Realistic Shed Hunting Strategies & a Giant Missouri Whitetail
On this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down with friend Tyler Cooper of Missouri — a consistently successful whitetail hunter with a passion for chasing mature bucks.
The guys kick things off by diving into the upcoming shed season. They break down how to set realistic goals and expectations when it comes to shed hunting. While “miles for piles” often holds true, the number of sheds you find can depend on several factors — from property layout and deer density to timing and pressure. This conversation keeps it honest and relatable for the everyday outdoorsma...
Ep. 11: Timber Stand Improvement and Invasive Control – What You Can Do to Improve Your Property
On this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down with his friend Andrew Helton, a professional forester from Missouri, to break down Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) and invasive species control—and why nearly every property can benefit from it.
They dive into why proper TSI is so important for overall land health and how it can dramatically improve wildlife habitat for species like whitetail deer, turkeys, and quail, while also increasing the long-term financial value of your timber.
Luke and Andrew also discuss common invasive species in Missouri, including multiflora rose, autumn olive, and...
Ep. 10: Duck Hunting and Hog Hunting in Louisiana
On this episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke is riding solo on the drive home from a hunting trip in Louisiana, recapping four days of duck hunting with his good friend Walker. The hunts were tough and the ducks were scarce, but chasing birds in new areas with good friends made the trip more than worth it.
Luke also talks about taking a big boar hog using a thermal scope, Walker’s impressive black lab and the solid work she does retrieving, and the excellent Cajun-style meals cooked back at the river camp. From wild game to...
Ep. 9: The Good Ol’ Days of Quail Hunting and the Next Generation of Bird Dogs
In this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down in the Mancave with family friend Brent Bernhardt to talk all things upland bird hunting, bird dogs, and getting back into waterfowl hunting.
Brent grew up hunting during the good ol’ days of quail hunting here in Missouri and spent much of his life chasing quail and pheasants behind bird dogs. He shares stories from decades in the uplands and explains how his hunting has evolved over time — including a recent transition to hunting with a new dog, a female black lab.
This season, Bren...
Ep. 8: Waterfowl Hunting and Dog Training with Small Kennels
On this episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down in the mancave with his longtime waterfowl hunting buddy Bailey Small. The two dive into the 2025 waterfowl season so far — the highs, the lows, and the unforgettable hunts, including a Canadian goose band that highlighted the recent part of the season.
Luke and Bailey talk through the challenges and rewards of chasing migrating birds on Missouri’s public land conservation areas, sharing real-world experiences that every public-land hunter can relate to.
Bailey also opens up about his dog Rip and the journey behind Small Kenn...
Ep. 7: Colorado Spot and Stalk Bow Hunt - A Warrior Whitetail on the Ground
On this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Max and Luke sit down to break down the second attempt at filling Luke’s Colorado deer tag—an impromptu trip that turned into an unforgettable adventure.
After heading back to Colorado for one more shot, Luke found himself in the middle of three action-packed days of spot-and-stalk hunting, filled with close encounters on big mule deer and impressive whitetails. The terrain, the stalks, and the unpredictable moments kept the energy high and the pressure on.
But persistence paid off. Luke ultimately connected on a ...
Ep. 6: A Double Beam Giant - 180" Missouri Whitetail Archery Buck with Kale McCubbins
Luke sits down in the mancave with Kale McCubbins to tell the story of his incredible Missouri whitetail — a main frame 10-point with a 15-inch double beam, nearly 18 inches of antler broken off, and a final score pushing 180 inches. Kale only had a couple trail camera pictures and a hunch the buck was still in the area, so he trusted his instincts and used some creative tactics to stay in the game.
On November 13, a little confusion in the stand led Kale to draw on what he thought was a different buck — but the mistake turned into the...
Outdoor Drop 4: Rut Hunting Stories from the Deer Stand
In this Outdoor Drop episode, Luke checks in live from the deer stand on Missouri’s rifle opener. He kicks things off by finishing the story of the buck he shot with his bow and gives an honest update on how that hunt ended. Then he recaps a wild week of bowhunting with Max—full of close calls, missed chances, and lessons learned. To top it off, Luke shares the story of his dad’s biggest whitetail ever—a giant 168” 14-pointer taken on their small family farm. The rut’s been exciting, unpredictable, and humbling… just the way deer season goes.<...
Ep. 5: Colorado Muleys & Missouri Rut Encounters
Luke sits down with Max in the mancave to swap stories from an action-packed stretch of hunts. Max kicks things off with a recap of his Colorado rifle mule deer trip, where he and his family got a close encounter with a great public-land buck—but the hunt takes a tough turn when the shot doesn’t connect as hoped. Then the guys shift gears to whitetail season in Missouri, where the rut is heating up. Luke shares the story of multiple close calls with his target buck, and just hours before recording, he finally got an arrow in him...
Ep. 4: From Strategy to Success — Kiley's 147" September 8 Point
Kiley’s back — and he did exactly what he said he would in Episode 1. After breaking down early-season whitetail strategies on the very first Outdoor Aligned episode, Kiley put that plan into action and tagged a 147-inch 8-pointer on September 18th.
In this episode, Kiley walks through the full story — from scouting and patterning the buck, to his second sit with a thunderstorm rolling in, and the long, rain-soaked recovery that followed. Luke and Kiley also look ahead to the rut, swapping plans and stories about target bucks and close encounters that keep the fire burning.
It’s...
Ep. 3: “Ghost": The 187" Mule Deer | Colorado Spot-and-Stalk Success
In this episode of The Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke and Max tell the full story of “Ghost,” the 187-inch mule deer that closed out their annual Colorado spot-and-stalk hunt. After a long, careful stalk, a less-than-ideal shot led to a restless night and a big decision — calling in a big game tracking hound to help recover the deer the next morning. The story comes full circle when the guys finally lay hands on a buck they’d known from the year before, with trail cam photos and close encounters adding to the history behind this giant.
From there, L...
Outdoor Drop 3: Mule Deer Hunt Day 3-6 Recap
In this episode of Outdoor Drop, Luke and Max sit down in the camper to recap days 3 through 6 of their annual Colorado spot-and-stalk mule deer hunt. The trip hasn’t been easy — a shed antler punctured a tire, a few arrows disappeared into the corn, the heat has been brutal, and for a while, the deer just weren’t cooperating.
But persistence pays off. Late in the trip, the guys turn up the big buck they spotted on day one and make a careful stalk throug...
Outdoor Drop 2: Mule Deer Hunt Day 1-2 Recap
In this episode of the Outdoor Drop, Luke and Max sit down by the camper to recap the first two days of their annual spot-and-stalk mule deer hunt.
Day one kicked off with a big buck sighting that set the tone for the trip. What followed was a long, intense day of heat, sweat, and stealth as we tried to close the distance on that deer in a thick cornfield. It was an adrenaline-filled stalk that came close — but not close enough.
Grab a chair by the fire and join us as we relive the st...
Ep. 2: Antelope Struggles, Elk Adventures, and Our Upcoming Mule Deer Hunt
In this episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down with longtime friend and hunting partner Max Grogan to swap stories from a busy early season and look ahead to their favorite trip of the year.
We start with Max’s archery antelope season, where long days on the prairie brought plenty of challenges but no punched tag. From there, we head to the mountains to hear about his recent archery elk hunts — early season bulls that were tight-lipped, run-ins with other hunters deep in the timber, and the ups and downs of hunting during the muzz...
Ep. 1: Early Season Bow Hunting, Target Bucks, and the Quest Hunt Competition
In this very first episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast, Luke sits down with longtime friend and dedicated bowhunter Kiley Harpster to talk all things early season whitetail.
We dive into strategies for hunting whitetails in September, how Kiley uses trail cameras to understand deer movement, and the specific bucks he’s targeting this fall. Kiley shares the details of his game plan — which deer he has in mind, the properties they’re living on, and how he’s going to go after them when the conditions line up.
From there, we shift...
Outdoor Drop 1: Dove Hunting with Timber
In this first Outdoor Drop episode, Luke heads out for a solo morning dove hunt with his dog, Timber. It turned out to be an incredible morning — we dropped 15 doves, even if only one made it on camera.
Along the way, I break down my dove hunting setup, how Timber is progressing as a hunting companion, and why mornings like this remind me why I love being in the field. Sometimes it’s not just about the birds in the bag, but about the experience, the lessons, and the time spent with your best four-legged friend.
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Intro: Who Are We? Just Your Everyday Outdoorsman
Welcome to the very first episode of the Outdoor Aligned Podcast!
In this kickoff episode, host Luke Long introduces himself and shares the story behind the podcast — a place for everyday outdoorsmen to talk hunting, fishing, and everything in between. From early memories with his dad, to lifelong lessons learned in deer stands, duck blinds, and on the water, Luke explains why now is the time to start documenting these experiences.
You’ll hear about the mission behind Outdoor Aligned, the difference between biweekly episodes and in-the-field bonus drops, and a glimpse into the long list of...
