#73 In this episode of the Gundog Nation podcast, host Ken Witt interviews Austin Koile, the founder of ReKoile Outdoors, a company specializing in innovative dog vests. Austin shares the inspiration behind creating the vest, which stemmed from his need for a better-fitting product for his Boykin Spaniel. The conversation delves into the features of the vest, including its adjustability, materials used, and the importance of customer feedback in the design process. Austin emphasizes the significance of caring for dogs as family members and discusses future aspirations for the company, including the development of upland vests. The episode highlights the commitment to quality and the community built around dog care and hunting.

#072 In this episode of the Gun Dog Nation podcast, host Ken Witt welcomes former NFL player Ryan Tucker, a Super Bowl champion, to discuss his journey from high school football in Texas to the professional league. The conversation begins with a light-hearted introduction, where Ken expresses his admiration for Ryan's athleticism and recounts their first meeting at a CrossFit gym. Ryan shares his experiences growing up in a football-centric culture, particularly in Midland, Texas, where high school football is a community event. He reflects on the intense rivalries and the passion surrounding the sport, especially against teams like Permian High School.

As the discussion progresses, Ryan delves into his college football career at TCU, where he transitioned from tight end to offensive tackle due to injuries on the team. He recounts the challenges he faced, including a torn ACL that impacted his draft prospects. Despite these setbacks, Ryan was drafted in the fourth round by the St. Louis Rams, where he played alongside notable players like Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk. The episode also touches on Ryan's coaching experience and his current life, balancing family and retirement from professional sports, while maintaining a passion for football. In this engaging conversation, Ryan Tucker and Ken Witt delve into their experiences with family, military life, and the joys of hunting. Ryan shares insights about his son in the military, emphasizing the dedication and readiness that comes with military service. The discussion shifts to their own childhoods, where both men reflect on their upbringing and the contrasting paths their children have taken. They bond over their love for dogs, particularly discussing the Presa Canario breed and their personalities, highlighting how dogs often mirror their owners' temperaments. As the conversation progresses, they explore their shared passion for hunting, recounting memorable experiences and the challenges they face in the field, including encounters with wildlife and the intricacies of training hunting dogs.

The dialogue also touches on personal health journeys, with Ryan discussing his knee surgery and the impact it has had on his activity levels. Both men express a desire to return to hunting and outdoor activities, sharing tips and experiences that resonate with their love for nature. The episode concludes with a heartfelt exchange about humility and the values instilled in them from their respective upbringings, showcasing the camaraderie and respect they have for each other as they navigate their lives post-military and post-retirement.

#071 Want proof that access changes everything? Laurel and Jaycey, the duo behind Sisterhood of the Hunt, join Ken to share how a women-led community is rewriting the on-ramp into the outdoors. We talk about clear safety standards, trusted outfitters, and the confidence that comes from traveling with a vetted group—whether you’re chasing your first doves or flying to a remote island for sea ducks. It’s practical and personal: deposits that protect the group, realistic expectations about weather and birds, and smart coaching like “pick one bird and stay with it” when a tornado of cranes swirls your way.

The stories stick with you. A terminally ill hunter who dreamed of a crane hunt found joy, strength, and peace in West Texas, reminding everyone why this heritage matters. We get into dog work too—labs like Rio that light up in the field—and the tradeoffs of training, traveling, and keeping standards high without gatekeeping. You’ll hear how late-start hunters thrive with mentorship, why turkey season still steals their hearts, and how Sisterhood balances small, remote trips in Alaska with larger dove weekends where first-timers often leave with near-limits and new friends.

We also widen the lens: defending hunting rights, supporting wetlands conservation, and showing up at NWTF, Delta Waterfowl, and other industry touchpoints to grow a welcoming network. If you’ve wondered how to start hunting as a woman, how to find safe, beginner-friendly trips, or where to aim for a turkey slam, this conversation maps the path—clear, honest, and full of momentum.

Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of dogs, birds, and community. Share this with someone who needs an invite to the blind, and leave a rating to help others discover the show.

#070 We head to Heartland Lodge in Pike County, Illinois, where waterfowl and whitetails share a map, guides wear many hats, and the camp runs on safety, skill, and serious hospitality. From coffee at 4 a.m. to breakfast in a floating blind, we break down how the Mississippi dictates tactics—changing water levels, ice, and barge traffic—and why a smart setup matters. Duck call maker insights, mixed-bag mornings, and a young lab’s first boat retrieve capture the thrill of river hunting that never repeats the same way twice.

Then it’s into the deer woods where bluffs, hollows, and river country create natural funnels and stand diversity. We dig into ladder stands, hang-ons, ground and tower blinds, and the move to single-shot straight-wall rifles alongside tried-and-true slug guns. The result is ethical range with smart control, guided by locals who grew up reading this ground. We also talk lodge rhythm—clear itineraries, hot meals, and a staff that hunts—plus the new owner’s plans for a pro shop, taxidermy centerpiece, and shared space that keeps stories rolling after last light.

Dogs tie it all together. Trainers walk through practical steps from obedience and e-collar conditioning to boat ramps, blinds, and delivery to hand. Upland days bring pointing breeds into the spotlight, while conservation partners and Orvis endorsement keep standards high. With ATVs for the off-season and flexible combo hunts that pivot with weather, Heartland becomes a year-round home base for hunters who want more out of a trip than a tag. Subscribe, share this episode with your hunting crew, and leave a review to help more folks find the campfire.

#69 In this episode of the Gundog Nation podcast, host Ken Witt interviews Leah Spivey and her young friend Jack, discussing their experiences in dog training, hunting, and the importance of community in the sport. Leah shares her journey with her dog Kane, her achievements in the SRS, and her aspirations for the future. The conversation highlights the significance of youth involvement and the role of women in dog sports, as well as the challenges and joys of training and competing. Leah emphasizes the importance of pre-run routines and the mental aspects of handling dogs in competitions, while Jack shares his enthusiasm for the sport and his goals for the future.

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What happens when a Geek Squad technician with an obsessive personality meets a college-educated bird hunter? For Ethan and Kat of Standing Stone Kennels, this unlikely combination sparked a remarkable journey from amateur dog owners to renowned German Shorthair Pointer breeders and trainers.

Their story begins with pure passion. After acquiring their first GSP in 2009, Ethan's meticulous nature took over—watching videos, reading books, working with dogs at every opportunity, even staying unpaid hours at a training facility just to absorb more knowledge. What started as curiosity evolved into opportunity when they moved to Kansas, intending for Ethan to manage grocery stores while training dogs as a hobby. Within months, demand for their training skills transformed their side gig into a thriving full-time business.

What truly sets Standing Stone Kennels apart is their crystal-clear vision: producing "family-oriented versatile hunting companions." Unlike traditional approaches where hunting dogs might be viewed primarily as tools kept in outdoor kennels, Standing Stone prioritizes dogs that excel in both field performance and home life. This philosophy shapes everything from their breeding selections to training methods, creating GSPs that can seamlessly transition from pointing birds to relaxing with family.

The conversation dives deep into the technical aspects of versatile gun dog training, exploring the significant differences between American-bred GSPs and German imports (DKs), socialization practices that create mentally stable dogs, and the critical balance needed between consistency and variety in training. Their insights reveal how thoughtful breeding and proper training create dogs with ideal temperament—high drive in the field with an "off switch" at home.

Ready to apply Standing Stone's methods with your own dog? Visit their YouTube channel for free training videos, check out their comprehensive online courses, or browse their curated selection of training equipment at standingstonesupply.com. Better yet, consider attending one of their in-person seminars to experience their balanced training approach firsthand. Your bird dog—and your family—will thank you.

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#56 A life built around dogs doesn’t happen by accident—it’s earned in pre‑dawn loadouts, long tracks through brush, and quiet choices at the tree. We sit down with guide Roe Reynolds, who turned a youth of coonhounds into seasons guiding black bears in Idaho and brown bears and moose in Alaska, all while building spec homes back in Arkansas. Roe explains how he rigs from the box, why spring baits and fall fruit orchards require different strategies, and what makes a balanced bear pack: cold nose to start, speed to push, heart to stay, and just enough standoff to come home in one piece.

We explore how hounds create fair chase clarity. When a bear trees, the team can confirm sex, check for cubs, and coach new hunters—often kids—into steady, ethical shots. Roe shares practical insights on lion and bobcat tracks, why some gritty lines don’t belong on a 400‑pound boar, and the real risks of wolves cutting into a race. Then we move north, where Alaska’s salmon-fueled brown bear hunts and slow-burn moose days test mental toughness in fly‑in camps powered by hot wire and determination.

Back home, deer dogs and named crossings keep community alive, and we get candid about public land pressure, boat-ramp chaos, and staying safe during turkey season. Roe also pulls back the curtain on his world-level Olympic trap background—reading angles and wind at 80 mph—and how that discipline informs the way he reads tracks, terrain, and time. Throughout, the theme stays rooted: preserve heritage, mentor youth, and use dogs to make hunting more ethical and more human.

If you care about hounds, fair chase, and keeping our hunting culture strong, hit play, share this with a friend who loves dogs, and leave a review so more folks can find the show. Subscribe for weekly tips on training, health, nutrition, and real-world tactics from Gundog Nation.

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Gundog Nation is Proudly Sponsored by:

Purina Pro Plan

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A deadly parasite spread by kissing bugs is silently attacking hunting dogs across America, and most owners have no idea their dogs are at risk until it's too late. In this eye-opening conversation, Kenneth Witt welcomes Rachel Busselman, a fourth-year veterinary student who earned her PhD researching Chagas disease at Texas A&M University.

Rachel reveals alarming statistics from her years studying hunting kennels across Texas, where she discovered over 25% of previously healthy dogs became infected within a single year. The parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, primarily attacks the heart and can cause sudden death without warning signs or symptoms. Most troubling is that infected dogs often appear completely healthy until they suffer cardiac failure.

"We took our dog out to run, ran great, brought him back, was grabbing the food, came back to find he had had a heart attack," Rachel shares as one kennel owner's heartbreaking experience. Unlike common parasitic infections, Chagas disease doesn't respond to standard medications, and detection requires specialized blood tests that aren't part of routine veterinary examinations.

The geographic reach of this disease extends throughout the southern United States, with highest concentrations in Texas and Louisiana, though cases have been documented as far north as Nebraska. Approximately 50% of the kissing bugs that transmit the disease carry the parasite, creating a significant threat for dogs spending time outdoors.

For dog owners, Rachel provides crucial prevention advice, including using insecticides around kennels, changing outdoor lighting to red wavelengths that don't attract the bugs, and turning off unnecessary lights at night. While researchers work toward better treatments, awareness remains the best defense. If you find kissing bugs on your property, collect them safely and submit them for testing through Texas A&M's community science program at kissingbug.tamu.edu.

Don't wait until your hunting companion becomes another statistic. Listen now to learn how to identify, prevent, and respond to this hidden threat that's endangering our gundogs.

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