In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Dr. Mike Vickers, a South Texas veterinarian and rancher from the Falfurrias area, to talk about life on the front lines of private ranch country near the border.

Dr. Vickers shares what landowners, ranchers, and law enforcement have dealt with for decades across Brooks County and the South Texas brush country, from damaged fences and broken water systems to cartel smuggling routes, abandoned people, private land security, and the humanitarian tragedies that happen far from the headlines.

Mark and Dr. Vickers also discuss the Texas Border Volunteers, how the organization was formed, how they work alongside Border Patrol, DPS, Texas Rangers, sheriffs, and private landowners, and why local knowledge matters so much in this part of Texas.

Later in the conversation, the episode shifts to another major threat facing Texas ranchers and wildlife: New World Screwworm.

As a veterinarian who treated screwworm cases firsthand in the 1970s, Dr. Vickers explains why this parasite is such a serious concern for cattle, deer, horses, exotic wildlife, pets, and even people. He shares what ranchers need to know, why reporting suspected cases matters, and why Texas needs every available tool to protect livestock and wildlife if screwworms return.

This is a conversation about border reality, ranch life, public-private cooperation, veterinary experience, and the people working to protect South Texas.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In Episode 4 of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with longtime friend Jerry Johnson, the founder of Texas Trophy Hunters and one of the original pioneers who helped shape modern hunting culture in Texas.

Jerry’s story is more than just the story of an organization. It is the story of how Texas deer hunting changed from a simple meat hunt into a culture built around land stewardship, trophy whitetails, hunting shows, deer contests, ranch management, and the people who made it all happen.

In this conversation, Jerry shares stories from the early days of Texas Trophy Hunters, old South Texas hunting contests, Mexico hunting adventures, road trips, hunting shows, friendships with legendary outdoorsmen, and the wild characters who helped build the Texas hunting world we know today.

Mark and Jerry also talk about the rise of trophy hunting, the importance of privately owned land in Texas, the early hunting media scene, the old deer contest culture, and why preserving these stories matters before they are lost to time.

This episode is full of laughs, history, and real Texas campfire storytelling.

Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with one of the men who helped create the Texas hunting culture we know today.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

In Episode 3 of the Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Dr. Mickey Hellickson for a timely conversation about one of the biggest concerns facing Texas ranchers and wildlife managers today: the return of the New World screwworm.

Dr. Hellickson shares insight into the history of screwworm eradication in Texas, including the role Governor Dolph Briscoe played in pushing the state to take action. From sterile fly drops to the hard work of ranchers checking and doctoring livestock in the pasture, this episode looks back at what it took to fight screwworms before and what Texas may need to do now.

The conversation also dives into wildlife management, ranching, field trials, captive deer herds, and why fast action matters when the land, livestock, and wildlife are at risk.

If you care about Texas ranching, wildlife, land stewardship, or the future of rural Texas, this is an episode you do not want to miss.

Subscribe to the Texas Campfire Podcast for more conversations with the ranchers, landowners, wildlife experts, and boots-on-the-ground people who help tell the story of Texas.

Life is always better when you have dirt under your feet.

In Episode 2 of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down in Berclair, Texas with Mr. Al Brothers, a true legend in Texas wildlife and deer management.

When people say someone “wrote the book” on a subject, most of the time it’s just a figure of speech. But in this case, Al Brothers quite literally wrote the book on deer management. As one of the original voices who helped shape modern wildlife management in South Texas, Mr. Brothers brings decades of firsthand experience, stories, and hard-earned wisdom to the table.

This episode takes you back to the early days of Texas deer management, from aerial surveys in fixed-wing planes and helicopters, to the first high fences, old game warden stories, poaching problems, screw worm eradication, predator control, cattle, range management, land fragmentation, and the future of hunting in Texas.

But more than anything, this conversation is about preserving knowledge before it’s lost to time.

Mr. Brothers shares stories from Texas A&M, the old Game, Fish and Oyster Commission, the Zachry Ranches, South Texas brush country, early wildlife research, deer population studies, and the changes he has seen across Texas ranching over a lifetime spent on the land.

If you care about Texas, hunting, wildlife, ranching, conservation, or the stories of the people who helped build the foundation for modern land stewardship, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Pull up a chair and join us around the fire.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

Welcome to the very first episode of the Texas Campfire Podcast.

Host Mark Hubbard sits down with longtime friend Ben Schmidke of Silver Horn Ranch near Freer, Texas, for a conversation rooted in South Texas ranching, wildlife management, and the lessons that come from a life spent on the land.

Ben shares how growing up on a pecan farm and ranch in Pearsall shaped his passion for wildlife, hunting, land stewardship, and ranch life. From whitetail deer management and DMP pens to exotic species conservation, water systems, predator control, habitat work, cattle, quail, and raising kids on a ranch, this episode gives listeners a true look into what it takes to manage a modern Texas ranch the right way.

This conversation is about more than hunting or ranching. It’s about legacy, responsibility, conservation, and preserving the knowledge and stories that make Texas so special.

So pull up a chair, gather around the fire, and join us for the first episode of the Texas Campfire Podcast.

Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

Hosted by Mark Hubbard, a South Texas ranch broker with deep roots in the ranching world, this podcast is all about the land, the people, the stories, and the lifestyle that make Texas unlike anywhere else.

Mark grew up with red dirt under his feet in Deep South Texas, surrounded by ranching, wildlife, and the values that come from life on the land. After years of building a career in ranch real estate and traveling across private ranches from the Red River to the Rio Grande, from the Piney Woods to El Paso, he has seen firsthand the beauty, history, and hard work behind Texas ranch life.

On this podcast, Mark will sit down with landowners, ranchers, cowboys, ranch foremen, wildlife managers, hunters, outdoorsmen, and everyday people who carry the stories of Texas on their backs. You’ll hear about family histories, failures, success stories, wild hunting memories, ranching traditions, and the boots-on-the-ground work that keeps this way of life alive.

Some stories will be inspiring. Some will be hilarious. Some might be hard to believe. But every one of them will be rooted in a love for Texas, ranching, wildlife, and the people who make it all possible.

So pull up a chair, gather around, and join us at the Texas Campfire Podcast.

Life is always better when you have dirt under your feet.

Subscribe for new episodes and stories from across the great state of Texas.