Send us a text As is tradition, we're starting season 4 of the 6 Ranch Podcast on a spring bear hunting trip along the river. In this episode, we're talking ballistics as I'm joined by Joshua Manke and Weston Rogers of G9 Defense, an incredibly innovative ammunition company that is designing bullets with more accuracy and lethality. With a team of just 17 folks, G9 is not a big company, but they're doing big things. Joshua, G9's visionary and founder, and Weston, Director of Business Development...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 160
Send us a text Robin Pace has spent literal years of her life on rivers. She’s been a rafting guide for the past 11 years, rowing some of the biggest whitewater out there. As a former guide myself with the same company, Robin and I had a good talk about all thing’s whitewater. We covered some basics like cooler hacks, gear preferences, and camp cooking, while also getting into it with stories of big water, injuries, and flipped boats. The adrenaline filled sensation of rowing class V rapids is s...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 159
Send us a text Hells Canyon is a special place to me. The rugged terrain and powerful Snake River is beautiful, but harsh. My guest today, Mike Baird, has been guiding folks down the Snake for years and feels the same about it. I consider Mike's knowledge of Hells Canyon to be as encyclopedic as anyone out there. It was Mike who first taught me the history of the canyon on a guide training trip years ago, and I couldn't get enough. In this episode, I had Mike sit down and walk me through the nat...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 158
Send us a text It's tough to take life too seriously when you're drinking scotch with good friends. In this episode, I'm joined by my buddies Paul Pagano and Lyle Witherrite, to catch up on life and tell some war stories, while sneaking a few dad jokes into the mix. We also discuss leadership principles and share some of the greatest leaders we've had the privilege to work with in the Marines, Navy, and law enforcement. Leaders who shaped us into the men we are today and inspire us to be better ...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 157
Send us a text The timber industry has always been a part of western life, especially where I grew up in Wallowa County. As a kid, there were 5 sawmills here, running 24/7. But due to harvest regulation changes, there were zero by the time I graduated high school. A lot of hard-working folks lost their jobs overnight and our local economy was in crisis. David Schmidt was the first to open a new mill in the county, but with a very different business model. David found the timber industry at an ea...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 156
Send us a text Jeremiah Stent and his partner Aimee produce the best pork I've ever had in my life. As the owners of Square Mile Ranch here in Northeast Oregon, they operate a direct market meat business. On the hoof meat is a bit different than most folks are used to. When you buy pork or beef from them, you're buying that animal live, and you know it will be well cared for and killed humanly right on the ranch. Jeremiah runs Square Mile in a way that balances the health of the land, soil, and ...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 155
Send us a text It's tough being a salmon. Very few fish survive to spawn, as they face seemingly insurmountable obstacles on their journey to the ocean and back. Obstacles that are naturally occurring, like predation, but many more that are human caused. From my home on the 6 Ranch, a juvenile salmon has to make it through 8 major dams before reaching the ocean, losing many siblings along the way. These fish are unbelievably tough, but their natural resiliency won't be enough to save them from e...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 154
Send us a text When he was just seventeen, José Correa left his home in Mexico, and everything he'd ever known to come to the United States. He walked for ten straight days through the desert, with no food or water for the last three. I have to wonder, what situation could be so bad to make someone risk death just to come to America? In this episode, José shares the story of why he had to leave home, his love for this country, and how he learned to hunt just 10 years ago. Now a green card holder...
Mar 06, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 153
Send us a text This week's episode is a bit different than what you're used to. Instead of me asking all the questions, I'm going to be the one on the spot. My good friend and frequent guest on the show, Greg Jones, interviewed me in his stone house, armed with listener questions. This episode is less about giving advice, and more about just getting to know me. We discuss my love for my home, the 6 Ranch, my service as a Marine, my experiences guiding and hunting, and my current hunting obsessio...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 152
Send us a text I spent my summers during college fighting forest fires on a rappel crew. It was some of the toughest, most physically demanding work I've ever experienced, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for my fellow wildland firefighters. And as a rappeller, I also have a healthy rivalry with smokejumpers. My guest today, Ken Poole, was a smokejumper from 1977 to 1983. Over the course of his career, he made at least 117 fire jumps out of some of the best bases in the country. Fightin...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 151
Send us a text When it comes to archery lethality and shot placement, there are tons of common misconceptions out there. Here to bust some of those myths is the incredibly knowledgeable Dr. Randy Greenshields. Randy has been a practicing veterinarian for the past 29 years and has been bow hunting for just as long. With his extensive knowledge of animal anatomy and personal archery experience, Randy is the perfect person to explain just what an arrow is doing when it hits an animal, and where exa...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 150
Send us a text Spearfishing is my favorite thing that I'm bad at. I'm absolutely fascinated by it, and how similar it is to bow hunting. Today, we've got a double header for you, two interviews with two different spearfishing experts, Steph Schuldt and Kiley Umeda. Steph gave up the corporate life, sold all her belongings, bought a sailing catamaran, and now lives in the Bahamas where she's in the water at least 5 days a week. Steph is a freediving and spearfishing instructor, and happens to hol...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 58 min•Season 3Ep. 149
Send us a text It's a new year, which means states are rolling out new hunting regulations. Keeping up to date in your own state is enough of a challenge without also trying for nonresident tags. Luckily, you don't have to navigate the system alone. My guest today, Jared Brown of The Draw, consults with hunters to maximize their opportunities nationwide. Jared himself is an avid hunter and outdoorsman with a passion for long range rifle hunting, archery, and waterfowl. In this episode, we discus...
Jan 30, 2023•51 min•Season 3Ep. 148
Send us a text Most hunting stories you hear pick up just when things are going well. Even if there was struggle along the way, it always seems to work out in the end. But as hunters, we know that's often not the case, and things don't always go according to plan. In this episode, Casey Richmond, and I swap some of our unsuccessful hunting stories. Casey hunts, traps, and works for Eberlestock, a company that makes some of my favorite frame packs. Casey also shares some tips that will save your ...
Jan 23, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 147
Send us a text If you want to be a more effective hunter, you need to up your glassing game. My guest today, Cliff Gray, is just the person to aid in any hunter's goals for improvement. Cliff has founded and operated some of largest and most remote wilderness outfitting businesses in North America and has personally guided for years. Recently, Cliff sold all his operating outfitting businesses and is now focused on sharing his knowledge with others through his YouTube channel and newsletter. I l...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 146
Send us a text Britt Marshall was a SoCal girl from Orange County. She had nothing against hunting growing up, but it wasn’t something her family ever did. Never in a million years did she think she would live a life filled with hunting trips and family meat processing nights. But then she met my good buddy Bam at a stoplight and the rest is history. Britt is married to a hunter, is now a hunter herself, and is raising two daughters to hunt with respect and mindfulness. Her tips to the wives out...
Jan 09, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 145
Send us a text I travel to many different states each year to hunt, but one of my favorite places to go is Texas. In fact, I just got back from an awesome Texas hunt where a buddy of mine harvested a beautiful scimitar oryx. Texas' rich species and terrain diversity offers some incredible opportunities, but if you've never traveled out of state to hunt, the planning process can be daunting. I'm here to tell you that it's not as complicated as it seems. In this episode I'll walk you through how t...
Jan 02, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 144
Send us a text Nothing, and I mean nothing, is worse than losing an injured animal. I would go so far as to argue that when it comes to finding that animal and ending its suffering, it’s unethical not to use every available tool in your toolbox. One tool that we can potentially add to our arsenal is the use of drones. Mike Yoder is on the leading technological edge of hunting with his company, Drone Deer Recovery. If you lose a deer in the state of Ohio, Mike can meet you with his $20,000 therma...
Dec 26, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 143
Send us a text As one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, and certainly one of the most difficult to hunt, there's a good reason that cape buffalo are referred to as "black death." Mike Fell, a professional hunter guiding in east Africa, knows not to underestimate these animals. But even the most experienced hunters can be caught in a dangerous situation. About 6 months ago, Mike found himself face to face with an angry, wounded charging bull. Though Mike managed to kill the buffalo, he was...
Dec 19, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 142
Send us a text The 6 Ranch Podcast is coming to you from Kansas this week, as I'm joined by Shane Smith and Cody Tutak of Six Star Outfitters. Shane and Cody have spent their whole lives in Kansas and guide for white-tail and turkey. And with 25 collective years of coyote hunting experience, they also make a lethal team in coyote hunting competitions. In this episode, Shane and Cody walk me through how to hunt in Kansas for turkey, coyotes, and white-tailed deer, from gear selection and running ...
Dec 12, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 141
Send us a text The lower 48's grizzly bear population is expanding, something that Jaden Bales of Wyoming is well aware of. As an avid hunter, Jaden knows the risks and is here to share some tips to keep you safe in bear county. He's also the Communications Director for Wyoming Wildlife Federation, where his job is to bridge the knowledge gap between scientists and the public so that Wyoming residents can be informed wildlife advocates. In this episode, we discuss issues that are negatively impa...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 140
Send us a text A life in rural Alaska is a totally foreign concept to most people. Unless you’ve experienced it, you have no clue what it takes. Patrick Lumba is one of the few who’s lived in the Alaskan bush. Though he currently lives in Wassila, Alaska, Patrick spent 9 years in the little town of Galena. With no roads in or out, and a population of 470, Galena is truly remote. In this episode, Patrick describes the seasonality and subsistence hunting rural Alaskans experience in a year. We als...
Nov 28, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 139
Send us a text I've gotten a lot of questions lately from folks who want to hunt spring bear, but don't know where to start. Something that catches new bear hunters off guard, is the fact that, in some states, you need to be applying for spring hunts right now. So, I decided to sit down and give you a step-by-step guide to western spring bear hunting. I’ll walk you through why to hunt, how to apply, and where to go. Then we’ll cover the hunt itself with tips on targeting boars vs sows, what gear...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 138
Send us a text In my home county, at the head of Wallowa Lake, sits a local heirloom, the Wallowa Lake Lodge. Built in 1923 from trees cut and milled on site, the lodge has seen nearly 100 years of visitors and locals alike enjoying the property, as the world changed around it. In this episode, the lodge's General Manager, Madeline Lau, sat down with me to share some fascinating history, from reintroducing elk via trains and skis, to the story of Taft and Tarzan, two of the largest elk the state...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 137
Send us a text Kevin Plew has been fascinated with hunting his entire life, working as a hunting guide since the age of 14. Elk is his passion, but he also guides for mule deer, white-tail, and buffalo. On a very recent hunt, Kevin found himself alone, face to face with an aggressive 225-pound black bear. His story is incredible, and further illustrates the need to carry a pistol while in the woods. And to kick off this episode, we've got a special deer hunting story from 9-year-old Capen, the 6...
Nov 07, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 136
Send us a text Cougars are one of the most divisive animals in the state. Hunting cougar with dogs has been illegal in Oregon since 1994, which creates strong opinions on both sides of the issue. And with incredibly low success rates, cougar hunting in Oregon is one of the toughest hunts in the nation. In today's episode, I'm joined by cougar expert, Derek Broman, for a deep dive on Oregon cougars. Derek is the Carnivore Fur Bearer Coordinator for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, where he...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 135
Send us a text Nils Christoffersen comes from a long line of connection to land and natural resources. His family has operated the same farm in Norway for 22 generations. That's 600 years, folks, and it's still going strong. Nils' passion for working landscapes and the role of rural communities in their stewardship, has taken him around the globe. He's worked in ranching in Australia, farming in Israel, fishing and forestry in Norway, and forestry and wildlife in southern Africa. Nils is current...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 134
Send us a text On February 5th, 2021, Greg Jones was tagging wolves from a helicopter when the worst happened. The helicopter crashed, injuring those inside, but miraculously, both Greg and the pilot survived. Even more incredibly, another pilot saw what happened and was able to call 911 just 30 seconds after they hit the ground. But according to Greg, the aftermath was far worse than the crash itself. This near-death experience, and the knowledge that your story can end in an instant encouraged...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 133
Send us a text It's that time of year again. The weather is getting cooler, and folks are heading out into the backcountry, sometimes solo, to hunt. With colder weather comes far deadlier consequences if you're caught unprepared. That's why I wanted to take an episode to share my solo, backcountry gear list, from my weapon and ammo choices to my clothes and camp setup. I've been hunting my entire life and have spent years figuring out what gear works best for me. I'll tell you exactly what I use...
Oct 10, 2022•52 min•Season 3Ep. 132
Send us a text My cousin, Mona Mathews, is a canyon kid. She grew up in cow camps and weigh stations, navigating crazy steep country and checking for rattlesnakes on the playground of her school of less than 20 kids. Growing up in a rugged, sparsely populated community shaped Mona, teaching her self-reliance. And it's that self-reliance and curiosity that has led her to travel the world, learning jiu-jitsu along the way. Mona now lives in Portland, Oregon, working as a holistic life coach, a min...
Oct 03, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 131
