Wind and weather will get you every time, but a dedicated hunter never gives up. Steve Raudenbush with Mnt2Coast Outdoors is one such hunter. His YouTube videos have attracted thousands of views, and as a filmmaker and hunting enthusiast, he’s particularly attune to the sport’s challenges and victories. Fall 2022 was a particularly eventful season for Raudenbush, who was keen to chase down Roosevelt elk in Washington and Idaho. Modern outdoorsman that he is, Raudenbush is a savvy e-scou...

RMEF World Elk Calling Content finalist Joe McCarthy knows a thing or two about bugling for bulls. He's been hunting elk along the ridgetops and drainages of Idaho's mountains for decades. McCarthy shares his expertise on reading the language and emotion of bulls, cows and calves, from mews and chirps to barks and bugles. For new hunters, McCarthy explains the classic rules of archery elk hunting: choosing your location, calling, and staying downwind. But those rules? They're all meant ...

The duck hunters at Slayer Calls are the ones you might see out hunting every day of duck season. During a recent morning hunt, they limited out long before a nearby group of hunters. The difference? How they read the ducks. The type of land, weather, time of year and even specific flock of ducks impacts the way serious duck hunters build blinds, set up their decoy spread and call in ducks. These longtime duck hunters discuss the ways they read ducks and make adjustments, including what calls...

Her first-ever elk hunt. On public land. On opening day of rifle season. And she lands a 6x8 bull. The Wild Race star Jessica Ann grew up whitetail, turkey, small game and predator hunting in Wisconsin. She added waterfowling to her list of passions a decade ago. When she got bariatric weight loss surgery in 2020, she set a goal for herself: Go on an elk hunt and, in Jessica's words, "don't die." Traversing the steep Idaho terrain and taking down a massive bull checks that goal off Jessica's ...

Matt Carey is the guy calling in the blind who makes you decide to quietly tuck your lanyard back under your jacket. His duck calling is good. It's make-you-feel-embarrassed-about-your-quack good. But Matt Carey is also the guy who wants every kid, man and woman to be as self-assured about their own calling as he is when they're working ducks. And so he teaches them. "I just want people to feel confident," Matt says on this episode of The Slayer Hunting Podcast. "And then I want people ...

If you haven't filled your elk tag yet this season, Steve Raudenbush can teach you a thing or two. Steve and his brother, Jake, are the guys behind Mtn2Coast Outdoors. You've probably seen some of their hunting videos on YouTube. The duo are obsessed with hunting the backcountry of the West for elk, black bear and deer. Even when it's a pain in the rump, Steve films their hunts — which means he catches all the wild moments and amazing shots on camera. Steve and Jake spend the autu...

Joe McCarthy knows elk hunting. Raised in a family of hunters, McCarthy has been calling the wild since he was a kid. He started with ducks but thrives on the thrill of calling in big game. He's dedicated enough — and good enough — that he once bugled a grunting bull in so close that he was getting splashed with pee. McCarthy put his bugling skills to the test in 2022 at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's world elk calling championships, where he made it to the final round of competiti...

When this pair of blue-collar Michigan hunters hits the road for their first archery elk hunt, their destination is a unit in mountainous northern Idaho. Their plan? Pick up over-the-counter tags and see what happens. After 33 hours of driving, countless attempts to perfect their elk calling, and an awkward urinal conversation, these first-timers are traversing peaks and gullies on their do-it-yourself hunt. Swarms of angry bees, a handy fanny pack, and an 800 lb. monster bull await them on t...

When we recorded this podcast in fall 2021, we didn't know we were talking about Jesse Hill's last hunting season. Richard Tilton is one of the many hunters who Jesse charmed with his outgoing personality, his jokes and stories, and his huge heart. Jesse let others know how much they mattered — and hunting with Richard during elk season in 2021 was no different. Jesse, wielding the Swagger Bugle Tube, made history by calling in the first bull ever killed with a Slayer handle. Richard took dow...

If you’ve ever watched a flock of ducks flying in right before shooting light, you know it’s a riveting and spellbinding experience. It’s a tough moment to capture on film, yet Darren Meharg, a duck and turkey hunter out of Judsonia, Arkansas, has done just that many times. Arkansas duck season lasts about 60 days. You can find Darren out in the field for at least 40 of those, hunting the woods and wetlands for everything from mallards to teal. But it’s not just the thrill of the hunt t...

Ron Boehme has been a judge for the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association for 25 years and is the creator of The Hunting Dog Podcast. He’s an expert when it comes to knowing which breeds work best in the field and what qualities hunters should look for in a canine hunting companion. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Ron wasn’t introduced to hunting and gun culture until he was a teenager. However, his passion for the sport quickly blossomed, and it wasn’t long bef...

Victoria Hannah has hunted all her life, so she’s well aware that when it comes to waterfowling, women are in the minority. Now she’s sharing her enthusiasm with others in the hopes of not only keeping the sport alive, but altering its current demographics — making room for more women in the field. Victoria’s passion for hunting is evident. In the past, she’s pursued anything from deer and doves to black bears and pintails. In her own words, “If you can hunt it, I want to come with you.” But ...

Hunting buddies Matt Carey and Hayden Martin didn’t grow up in hunting families — but they’ve spent the past few years living for duck season as adult onset hunters. Matt and Hayden bring creativity and problem-solving to their hunts. Matt’s not just a hunter but a photographer who shoots birds — and his hunting adventures — with a camera. Hayden’s a disabled outdoorsman with a birdy hunting dog he’s trained to be a duck-retrieving machine. The pair work together to get out in the field, docu...

Eating the wild game you harvest doesn’t have to mean tearing into a yearlong supply of jerky. Allie Doran, the wild game chef behind Miss Allie’s Kitchen, has been perfecting wild game and venison recipes to make the most of the meat that fills her freezer after each hunting season. Allie experiments with flavors and preparations that turn even the most reluctant meateaters into fans of her wild game recipes. Her speciality is easy-to-make weeknight meals for busy families. In this episode o...

Your first hunt can make or break your impression of hunting — either turning you off the sport or turning you into a fanatic. New hunter Jason Matheson chats with Bill “Duck Slayer” Ayer about his first duck hunting experience in his 20s — the one that convinced Jason waterfowling wasn’t for him — and the duck hunt in his 40s that completely changed his mind. Creating a positive experience on a first hunt is crucial to preserving the sport of hunting. Bill shares the ways he sets first...

He’s obsessed with superior craftsmanship. He’s passionate about preservation and hunting heritage. And he’s got a lucky DR-115 duck call that he just can’t manage to lose. Meet the man, the legend, the mastermind behind Slayer Duck Calls: Bill Ayer. For Bill “Duck Slayer” Ayer, creating the perfect duck call quickly moved from a hobby to a full-blown obsession. After spinning up more than 50 prototypes over the span of a decade, Bill handcrafted the duck call that could do it all. Folk...