This week is gonna be great! First we visit with Anitra Hendricks of The Texas Association of Community Action Agencies (TAACA). Anitra oversees the hugely successful Hunters For The Hungry program. Hunters for the Hungry feeds those less fortunate who might be a little down on their luck… And they do this with your harvested deer! Hundreds of participating game processors throughout the state that will process deer for a discounted rate (which the hunter can then use as a tax write off), and then donate the meat to the Hunters for the Hungry program.

Then we’ll visit with Gordon Melton. Gordon founded an organization that I am a big fan of- Hunting With Soldiers. Gordon’s vision was to take returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq on hunts at his place in Paducah, TX. A veteran himself, Gordon realized that these soldiers needed a sanctuary that no amount of prescription medication could provide, and that is why Hunting With Soldiers was formed. It’s a small token of appreciation for those who have been willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice. I am pumped to visit with Gordon about every aspect of Hunting With Soldiers.

Here is Gordon with the first Veteran that went hunting last year. The soldier was even presented with a handcrafted knife made by Godley, TX native Tony Prater Sr.

Lastly, we will talk with Will Scott of the Star-S-Ranch. Will has been managing his Hill Country whitetail herd for 15 years now and has a lot of experience and information to share with those of us who own land or have a lease. While the Star-S-Ranch is a big time hunting ranch, philosophies on growing big deer and maintaining a healthy herd are very similiar to what can do on your own place. Will is an expert on whitetails and is also a big time hunter and conservationist. I have been to the ranch and seen the deer firsthand. Pretty impressive!

Education and Conservation are key this week. We start things off with Mark Cunningham Foundation President and CEO Dyron Bynum. The Mark Cunningham Foundation was founded in honor of Mark who passed after a long battle with cancer. The foundation formed in his honor now focuses on taking kids suffering from cancer into the outdoors. MCF has some great hunts planned for some special young people this fall, but they need your help locating more kids that deserve to go on these outdoor adventures. Dyron tells us how we can get involved and hopefully make a difference in a youngster’s life.

Then we sit down and talk whitetails with Ceasar Kleberg Wildlife Research Insititute Biologist Dave Hewitt. Dave is an expert in wildlife nutrition and was a source for the recent Lone Star Outdoor News article “What’s on the Inside Counts”. We dive into the stomach contents of whitetails and reasons why many hunters could benefit from examing the stomach of harvested deer. You might be suprised at what you’ll find, and it may even make you a more effective hunter.

Lastly, we visit with Lake Texoma striper guide John Brett. With over 40 years experience chasing striped bass, John has seen it all. Even landing a 67 lb salt water striper years ago. Why is Lake Texoma the nation’s premiere striper fishery? What does it have that other reservoirs don’t? When is the best time of the year for striper and tips on how to land ‘em.

A happy angler with a nice haul of Texoma Stripers after fishing with Captain John Brett:

Well, if you love the sport of Bass fishing as much as I do then you are probably pretty excited about ESPN’s sale of B.A.S.S. to Jerry McKinnis and company. Having hosted the iconic show The Fishin’ Hole for over 40 years, Jerry knows how to present our sport on TV. He has traveled the world fishing for all manners of fish, but his passion and his true love is bass fishing. He has fished for fun as well as competatively in tournaments. Quite simply Jerry has done it all and still remains as genuine and down to earth as he always has.

With Jerry at the forefront, how can we expect B.A.S.S. to change the way it markets itself to the public? What about the controversy surrounding the AOY Postseason? Any changes in that format for next season? What about expanding the Elite Series? All that and much more with one of our sport’s biggest ambassadors.

Then one of Texas’ all-time great singer/songwriters joins us to talk a little music and a lot of outdoors. Robert Earl Keen talks about growing up hunting and fishing his beloved Texas. What about the inspiration for classics such as : The Front Porch Song, 5 LB Bass and Corpus Christi Bay? What is Robert’s personal best largemouth? How does he manage his deer herd on his Medina ranch? You don’t want to miss this interiview with one of the all time greats!

With the Texas Dove Season right around the corner ( we are less than a month away from the North Zone opener ya’ll !), I thought it would be beneficial to visit with TPWD’s Dove Program Leader Corey Mason. How many dove hunters are there in the Lone Star State? How many dove are harvested annually and what percentage of those are resident vs migratory birds. How many whitewings do we harvest each season? What about the invasive Eurasian Collared Dove? We even dive into the state’s dove banding program. You don’t want to miss this interview!

Then we sit down with one of the most diverse musicians on the planet. His country roots are undeniable but he fronts a hard core rock band and dabbles in rockabilly as well. You may know him as the grandson of Hank, son of Hank Jr- but we affectionately just refer to him as Hank 3. He also has a new record out- Rebel Within - and is about to go on an extensive tour.

In addition to all that, Hank 3 is also an avid outdoorsman. He talks about growing up hunting with his dad and Waylon Jennings. His most memorable experience in the Outdoors, and what it’s like to have his own hunting buddy in his 17 year old son Coleman. Hunting in the Williams family is surely a family tradition.

We start out the show by visiting with Dallas Cowboy TE John Phillips. John grew up in the Appalachain Mountains of Virginia. He could literally walk out his back door and be on a mountain trail. Hunting was a means of survival for the Phillips family and John talks in depth about his appreciation for the outdoors. With training camp well under way, we will talk a little football as well.

Then we sit down with ESPN Outdoors lead photographer James Overstreet. James has photographed every Elite Series event since it’s inception and just returned from covering the AOY Postseason in Alabama. We talk about the possible shake-up with the current points system and of course….we go into depth on ESPN’s recent sale of BASS to Jerry McKinnis and company. What does this mean for the future of the sport?

Then we cut up and have a little fun at PETA’s expense, you’ll have to tune in to find out for yourself.

This week we have another great show planned for ya. We will visit with TPWD’s Mule Deer and Pronghorn Antelope Program Leader Shawn Gray. He answers all our questions regarding both species populations, regulations, harvest goals and much more. Think Antler Restrictions for mulies have been discussed by TPWD? We are gonna find out!

Then we visit with Predator University’s Tony Tebbe. Tony’s forte is hunting coyotes- but he has upped the anti by adding another element to the equation. His dog Gunner goes out and picks fights with yotes and then turns tail and lures them into rifle range for Tony and his clients. Coyote Decoy Dogs??? Yep, they are pretty cool and Gunner is the best of the best. We talk training, dangers associated with sending your best bud out to pick a fight with a deadly predator, and other advantages associated with hunting predators with a good dog.

Then we also visit with Team Catfish’s Cody Mullennix. Cody is the former World Record Holder and current Texas record holder for Blue Catfish on rod and reel. His 2004 Texoma blue cat tipped the scales and 121 lbs 8 oz !!! Now that is a monster! We talk about that day as well as catching big blues in the summertime heat. Here is Cody with the former world record blue cat after it was successfully transplanted to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens:

This is a very special week as bow hunting legend Fred Eichler joins the program. Fred is the only man to have harvested all 29 North American big game animals with a recurve. Which animal was the hardest hunt? What’s up with the pink arrows? With a wife who likes to hunt as much as him, who watches their three sons? (Michelle is the CEO of Muzzy Broadheads). Did he ever think he was going to die while on one of his hunting adventures? All that and a whole lot more.

Also, President and Founder of Army Bass Anglers Major Cody Roberson, talks about the history of Army Bass Anglers, it’s mission statement and his love for fishing. Founded in Texas, ABA now has chapters in 29 states! We appreciate all of the ABA’s service to our great country.