Zander Ault of Patagonia, AZ joins Reid to discuss what it’s like to live and build a business in one of bird hunting’s most iconic destinations. Not a hunter himself, Zander (and his partner Heidi) landed in Patagonia for the extraordinary gravel cycling, but soon found that the region was ground zero for desert quail hunters. Having opened and owned several businesses in town, Zander explores the tension of being a newcomer in a small, rural town, the challenge of keeping natural resources und...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 6 min
In this episode, we visit Orvis Hill Country Shooting Grounds in Blue Ridge Summit, PA, where General Manager Jeremy Mays is joined by new property owner and tech entrepreneur Ben Wallace. While Orvis continues to manage day-to-day operations, Ben brings fresh investment and bold ideas to elevate the facility. Together, they share their vision, recent upgrades, and what's next for this impressive shooting destination. Learn more: orvis.com/orvis-hill-country.html...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Bringing back a favorite episode from 2019, Reid digs deep into shot-shell development with two members of the Winchester Ammunition Team-- Mike Stock and Ben Frank. This episode explores all facets of shotgun shells including performance, construction, and the different materials that impact both. It's a great chance to "nerd out" on the nuances of shotgun ammunition with two industry pros.
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 14 min
2025 Orvis Endorsed Wingshooting Guide of the Year Tyson Tabler chats with Reid about wingshooting in Saskatchewan, building an outfitting business in western Canada, and what keeps him coming back to guiding year after year. Tyson, a Colorado native, built his business Feathered Fowl Outfitters to deliver exceptional waterfowl and upland hunts on the Canadian prairie. In 2025, a tally of Orvis customer reviews singled out Tyson as the Guide of the Year, an accolade for which he deserves a big c...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Reid has a chat with Connor Carson, Orvis in-house Gunsmith. Orvis has employed a full-time gunsmith (or 3) for nearly half a century, and Connor continues that tradition of repairing, maintaining, evaluating, and customizing fine guns for Orvis customers. Calling in from his bench at Orvis Sandanona, Connor discusses some favorite guns, some interesting repairs, and the path he took to wind up in this unique role at the company. Learn more about Orvis Gunsmithing Services at https://www.orvis.c...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 17 min
Vermont Game Warden Kyle Isherwood joins the podcast to revisit the topic of the Vermont Warden Service. For any interested in learning more about what goes into becoming a Game Warden, and what our Warden Service does day-to-day, this is a great conversation with a great guy. Kyle discusses his personal path into the service, and also explores some thoughts around how to have positive interactions with Game Wardens, even when a game law has been violated.
May 12, 2025•1 hr 22 min
In another solo installment, Reid shares a story first published in Shooting Sportsman Magazine. He explores old friendships, memory, and the threats to both while telling a story of a long-ago waterfowl hunt in Northern Vermont.
May 05, 2025•28 min
Del Whitman of DC Whitman Custom Gunsmithing returns to the podcast to explore the challenge of finding the right gunsmith for your needs. Del and Reid dig into the question, and provide some thoughts on how to best assess the issues that need attention, the level of execution desired, the time and money a customer is willing to dedicate to a gunsmithing project, etc. From there, they give a few tips on how to locate the gunsmith that will be best prepared to serve you.
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Reid is joined by @birddogvet Seth Bynum to discuss the common field injuries that impact gundogs, and how t deal with them. Seth goes on to detail what he takes in the field with him for a first-aid kit, what protective gear he recommends, and how to complete a through tailgate check of your dog post-hunt. He also describes his journey as a hunter and a veterinarian, and highlights his new platform https://hunt.vet/ which helps connect hunters with gundog-savvy veterinarians in their region...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 38 min
This show was originally posted on Januaryt 21, 2022. Wade Truong of Elevated Wild joins Reid for an hour discussing food. Wade and his partner Rachel Owen built Elevated Wild as a platform to discuss hunting, fishing, foraging, mentorship, and game cooking. Wade, a Virginia native, describes his career in commercial kitchens and his journey into the outdoors, using the natural landscape as a means of sourcing food. He also provides unique insights into food culture, why Americans eat the way th...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Mark McConnell, Asst. Professor of Upland Birds at MS State, joins Reid to discuss Gentleman Bob, his distribution, habitat needs, and history in North America. Mark is a biologist and hunter who has been drawn to bobwhite quail research for his entire career, and he speaks to the different habitat types that sustain bobwhites, and the ways in which land use practice has impacted their range.
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 14 min
Orvis product developer Jesse Haller returns to the podcast to chat about hunting, bird dogs, and gear. He and Reid swap questions in back and forth that explores favorite pieces of gear, most dreamt-about places to visit, and grail guns,
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 30 min
Reid chats with Grant Ritchie of Minam, Oregon, about hunting the Hells Canyon area by raft. Grant has a long family history in the region and has been guiding cast-and-blast trips on the Snake and Salmon Rivers out of his Oregon-based Minam Store. Grant discusses his family history, his personal return to the area to become an outfitter and guide, and the remarkable bird hunting experience available there. Grant’s float trips regularly produce a mixed bag that includes chukar, valley quail, hun...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Reid welcomes Friis Arne Petersen and Andreas Peter Wilhelmsen of Denmark to the podcast to discuss their innovative new shooting device, the TrapMaster. In short, the TrapMaster is an electronic device that presents clays that are spun much like ZZ Birds, but that can be launched from a handheld device. The podcast explores the evolution of his unique shooting tool/game, the culture of shooting in Denmark, and the story of this father/son duo that created what may be the greatest innovation in ...
Feb 18, 2025•57 min
Dave Perkins joins Reid to talk a bit about the Orvis Endorsed partnership of Wingshooting Lodges, Hunting Grounds, Guides, and Outfitters. As an Owner, Board Member, and former Executive of the Company, Dave has long been committed to the idea of providing customers opportunities to have their own experiences in the field. He talks about how facilitating experiences in the outdoors remains a core part of his family's ethos, and how he was able to make it part of Orvis' offering
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Terry Wieland, longtime Gun Editor at Gray's Sporting Journal, joins Reid to discuss 40 years as a freelance gun writer, the roots of his love for journalism, and the Golden Age of Spanish gunmaking. Terry is the author of numerous books, Spanish Best among them, and this study of the Spanish trade remains the definitive work on the topic.
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 35 min
Reid welcomes Trent Leichleiter, Managing Partner of Nebraska's Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club back to the podcast. On this visit, Trent discusses some tactics for late-season midwest roosters while also giving an update on KAMO Inc., the organization he started some years ago to mentor new outdoors people and also find forever homes for gundogs in need. More at www.kamoinc.org
Jan 03, 2025•45 min
In another chat with the great Del Whitman of D.C. Whitman Custom Gunsmithing, Reid and Del explore the proper methods for preparing guns for long-term storage. Guns left for any length of time can fall victim to moisture, oil seepage, corrosion, and a host of other ills. Del explains how to prep guns for storage in a manner that ensures their safety long-term.
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Reid welcomes Mike Neiduski of Ugly Dog Hunting back to the podcast, this time to chat about his journey toward ownership of this online retail company. Mike talks about his path, his dogs, and his commitment to a lifestyle that revolves around upland pursuits.
Dec 18, 2024•57 min
Bob St. Pierre and Andrew Vavra of Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever join Reid to recap the 2024 Rooster Road Trip. This adventure took Bob, Andrew, and several other friends and partners of PF/QF on a journey across North Dakota hunting public lands for wild birds, with the goal of sharing thoughts on access, habitat, and the great conservation work of the Org. With Orvis as a product sponsor, Andrew and Bob discuss gear, what works, what doesn't, and what a hunter might consider when packing up ...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr
Reid is joined by Tom Roster for an in-depth look at shotshell performance and lethality based on shot type, load, shot size, and overall ballistics. In a career that has spanned 50 years, Roster has become THE definitive resource on reloading and shotshell ballistics. His studies of non-toxic shot lethality in waterfowl have become the definitive resource on the matter, and have informed generations of waterfowl and upland hunters. Roster describes his career and his findings and also weighs in...
Nov 21, 2024•1 hr 16 min
Greg Carpiniello joins the podcast again to dive into the contents of the Orvis gun racks, identifying 5 interesting guns currently for sale. Unsurprisingly, 5 guns became 7. Reid and Greg look at a few great Spanish offerings, contemporary and classic British guns, and a workhorse German O/U.
Nov 10, 2024•58 min
Montana native Trent Kleppen joins the podcast for a wonderful and far-ranging discussion of the bird hunter's journey, love of place, and a fascination with bird dogs. In search of wild bird and untamed country, Trent has bounced from northeast Montana to Oklahoma to South Texas. His story is reflective of his innate curiosity, consideration, and striking ability to articulate what captures the bird hunter's heart.
Nov 02, 2024•2 hr 29 min
Reid welcomes World Sporting Clays Champion Anthony Matarese, Jr. and hunting icon Will Primos to the podcast to discuss the duo's new book Straight Shooting for Hunters. The trio discusses how clay target shooting can inform game shooting and help the upland and waterfowl hunter become more successful. Will and Anthony also discuss their unique accolades and backgrounds in the shooting space, Anthony as one of the most decorated Sporting Clays Shooters of all time, and Will as the founder of th...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Reid joins Doug Duren of Meateater fame and Dave Simonett, frontman of Trampled by Turtles, to discuss hunting, touring, and the creative process of writing prose and music. Dave and Doug both hail from the upper midwest, and reflect on the mystery behind all that goes into bird hunting over dogs. Moreover, they dig deep into how creative acts of storytelling inform music and writing, and perhaps how those days afield both fuel the process and provide a welcome break.
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 21 min
Reid welcomes Ryan Doughty, host of the Podcast "A Break in the Action". Ryan discusses his journey into podcasting, his love of double guns, and the unique opportunity he has taken to dive deep into his passions.
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 19 min
Reid digs into the often misunderstood process of traveling by air with Guns. He describes some best practices and protocols to consider to make the process less intimidating. Additionally, Reid shares some updates on the Orvis Guide to Upland Hunting which will be re-released in paperback this Fall!
Jul 16, 2024•33 min
Vermont's own Pat Berry returns to the Podcast, this time to discuss his role as new CEO of the non-profit Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. As a comparatively young non-profit, BHA has garnered great support from sportspeople in its efforts to fight for access, conservation, and sound land management. Pat describes the org and what it does structurally while highlighting some key initiatives. He and Reid also explore the future of hunting, angling, and public lands in the US.
Jun 30, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Reid joins Levi Day, a conservation leadership program manager, to discuss career pathways for folks with an interest in conservation. Levi is an avid upland hunter and bird dog owner, as well as a lifelong educator. Levi manages Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever's Journey to Conservation Careers (J2CC) program, a national, online initiative aimed at introducing high school students to careers in conservation. He and Reid discuss their individual career paths, and how young people can be best ...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Reid is joined by Chad Hoover, owner of Hoover Outfitting. With deep family roots in Montana, Chad has built a career offering hunts for Sharptails and Huns in the remote prairie regions. The two discuss grassland habitat, Montana·s bird-hunting heritage, the recent increase in out-of-state hunting traffic, and a host of other topics. More about Chad and his business at https://hooveroutfitting.com/
Apr 29, 2024•46 min
