The Orvis Hunting and Shooting Podcast

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 they do, and how wild food informs both a dietary regime and a way of life. Learn more about Wade and Rachel·s work at https://elevatedwild.com/

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.

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,

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, huns, ruffed grouse, mountain quail, and even turkeys. More on Grant’s business at https://www.orvis.com/product/minam-store-outfitters/3LAT.html

Reid welcomes Friis Arne Petersen and 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 shotgun target shooting of the last 50 years. Learn more at https://nordicclays.com/

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 to hit the prairies for roosters and sharptails.

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 on the future of shotgunning in the US. He offers his contact for questions and communications at tomroster@charter.net

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.

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.

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 the storied hunting brand Primos.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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 served in pursuing their passions in the workplace.