Oklahoma Outdoors - Sportsmen's Empire

There are several important and pressing issues concerning hunting and wildlife in Oklahoma right now, and on this episode of the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast, we try to lay out exactly what those concerns are. Michael Arnette is one of many who has reached out to John in the last few weeks, and he does a great job of laying out some of the proposed legislation and how it might affect the sportsmen and women of Oklahoma and beyond. If you have been on social media at all recently, you have probably seen articles about airbows, velvet seasons, trail camera bans, and much much more.

Michael and John do their best to weed through some of the proposed bills, and what it could mean for both hunters and wildlife. The guys talk about how other states have handled some of these topics, and how it has affected them. Some of what is said in this episode is certainly opinion, but much of it is factual and taken directly from bills that are currently in circulation in the state legislature. It is growing more important every day for people to get involved with what happens in politics, no matter what side of the isle you fall on. If the people who love to hunt and fish don't stand up for their rights, there are not many others to do it for them!

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Come along with the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast as John travels back in time and educates his younger self. This episode is the lone ranger version of the what did you learn series John has been doing the last few weeks, but instead of just looking at the 2022 season, John goes back even further. John highlights some of his "ah ha" moments from his 18 years of chasing whitetails, where he started from ground zero and learned most of the knowledge he has now from the school of hard knocks.

John tells the story of when he first learned how important wind and scent control were when chasing a creature who literally lives and dies by its nose. Many of these topics have been covered at one point or another, but this episode compiles them into a single list, and deep dives into each area. Some of these topics are great for young or newer hunters, while others are more directed at the advanced listeners. No matter your skill level, the topics in this episode are great to keep in mind, and all of them are things John wishes he would have learned 18 years ago.

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This week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast John finally gets to talk about a topic he has been trying to cover since he started the show, Oklahoma Antelope hunting! Antelope are one of the hidden species in Oklahoma that many don't realize are here, much less that there is a hunting season for them. Josh Barnthouse started applying for one of the coveted controlled hunt rifle tags several years ago, and it was then that he learned Oklahoma offered an over the counter archery option. He and a buddy set out with a goal of harvesting a speed goat with a bow, which is no easy task in any state or circumstance.

Josh walks us through his three years of chasing antelope in the pancake flat Oklahoma panhandle. He started on one of the few public areas that offered hunting opportunities, but after putting in some time and miles, was eventually able to gain some private land permission. Josh talks about the different strategies he and his buddy and most recently his wife have implemented over the last few years. They have done it all, from sitting over water holes to spot and stalk, and even decoys. Josh talks about what he has learned, what worked and what didn't, and how anyone could take advantage of this unique opportunity.

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John is back from his early season Nebraka whitetail hunt, and he is ready to break down what he learned this week on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast. It was a quick trip over a long weekend full of car trouble, getting stopped by land owners, learning a heck of a lot about whitetails, and having a blast doing it all. Everyone has heard that whitetail deer are "creatures of edge" and over Labor Day weekend John really got to learn what that meant. The mixture of crop fields, CRP, and timbered creeks gave ample opportunity to see how deer use different terrain features and vegetation types to their advantage. John also learned that not all soybeans are created equal, or have the same appeal to deer.

One of the best surprises of the trip though, was how easy it ended up being to gain access to private land. It definitely helped having a local inside man to speak on John's behalf, but over all most of the people John interacted with were happy to help or at least give some knowledge. John left his house with 110 acres to hunt, and driving home he now has access to over 1,300 acres for future trips! So even though he came home with a giant pot of tag soup, the trip was far from a waste, and the knowledge he gained on this out of state trip will absolutely help him bag more bucks back on his home turf.

Tony Peterson of MeatEater joins John on the Oklahoma Outdoors Podcast this week. John recently found out that he has an opportunity to hunt velvet whitetails in Nebraska in just a few short weeks, and he couldn't think of anyone better to get advice from than Tony. Tony is a long time outdoor writer, host of the Foundations episodes of the Wired To Hunt podcast, MeatEater content contributor, and all out deer hunting nut. Tony has a knack for getting it done on quick out of state bow hunts, just like the one John is about to embark on.

John and Tony dive right into what it takes to kill an early season whitetail. John has a lot of cards stacked against him on this quick hunt, but Tony helps him shuffle the deck to try and sort a few things out. John will have only two or three days to locate and kill a buck in a mix of corn, CRP, and timber. Tony and John talk about where bucks might be bedding, what types of food sources they might be hitting, and how John might be able to get in between the two. Tony also talks about how much he enjoys hunting Oklahoma, and the guys spend some time talking about the current state of the deer herd and how it might improve. If you have ever wanted to tag an opening day whitetail, this is the episode to help you do it!