The two most successful wildlife conservation models in the world are the North American and African models, both of which rely upon hunting. However, hunting North America is increasing in cost and is more and more reliant upon lottery systems with many hunts requiring decades of applications to get the state’s permission to hunt. Cliff Gray is a professional hunter and guide with a lifetime of hunting experience and recently returned from his first trip to Africa. This is the most honest and frank conversation you’ve ever heard about African hunting and we spend time discussing the differences between that and the western hunting experience.

Planing an out of state hunt can be really intimidating. My buddy Brian Trainor from Rucklist is headed to Alaska this fall for a moose hunt and we talk about the planning process and all the logistics that go into a hunt like this. What happens when transportation breaks down? How do you get meat back from Alaska? What are some gear considerations? It’s also just a good conversation. Enjoy and get outside.

My friend Buck worked as a sniper in the National guard and the USMC. He’s now considered by many to be the nation’s foremost expert of rifle optics. From some good stories to advice on optics that any shooter can benefit from, this episode, recorded live on a wilderness hunt, is built just for you. Enjoy the beginning of my 7th year of bringing you a new podcast every week.

You asked the questions, and I answered them. For those who enjoy the diversity of subjects in this podcast, which I assume is most of you— this is the rapid fire version of that. Don’t forget to get outside and enjoy yourselves.

Rawley Bigsby legally killed a wolf who was attacking his cattle in eastern Oregon. He’s a rancher and family man who is running for county commissioner to serve his community. We get into the politics of wolves, grizzlies, timber and the natural resource issues that rural Oregonians care about. This is your chance to get to know Rawley. Enjoy the episode.

Spring turkey hunting in the West is a completely different game than the hardwoods and farm country most hunters are used to. Big country, low bird density, steep terrain, wind, and pressure all change how you locate, call, and kill gobblers.

In this episode of the 6 Ranch Podcast, we break down real-world tactics for hunting Merriam’s and Rio Grande turkeys in mountainous terrain—from first light locating to closing the deal on wary birds that have seen it all.

We cover:

• How to find turkeys in vast Western landscapes (and avoid wasting days in dead country)
• The truth about roosting birds in steep terrain
• When to cover ground vs. sit and call
• Wind, elevation, and thermals—how they impact gobbling and movement
• The most effective calling strategies for pressured mountain gobblers
• How to set up for success in broken terrain (and why most setups fail)
• Midday tactics that consistently produce birds in the West
• Gear considerations for run-and-gun hunting in steep country

This isn’t theory—it’s built from years of guiding, hunting, and learning the hard way in the mountains of the American West.

If you’re used to Eastern-style turkey hunting, this episode will completely change how you approach birds out West.

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How does a bill navigate the state senate and house in Oregon? Does the Governor veto bills out of spite? What issues are facing wildlife and agriculture in Oregon? These are some of the questions we answer in this week’s episode with my dad as he just got home from his second legislative session as an Oregon State Senator.

The head guide at Avon Valley Safaris is none other than the legendary Kate Bryant. Kate guides stone sheep and moose in Canada during fall in the northern hemisphere and heads back to New Zealand to guide red deer, fallow, and sheep during their fall as well. I had such a good time hunting with her that I couldn’t help but sit down with her and Darren to talk about the unique challenges of guiding in New Zealand and internationally. This episode is really a behind the scenes look at what it takes to make a hunting operation world class.