This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to the Season 6 winner of the History Channel’s popular TV reality series, “Alone”. You must hear Jordan Jonas’s story of how he not only survived but won the incredible challenge. You will hear how Jordan fought off starvation, loneliness, wild animals, and the brutal weather conditions of Canada’s Northwest Territories to claim his spot in outdoor survival history. How did he do it? Well, the amazing life he lived prior to being selected to compete against 9 other incredible individuals on the History Channel’s extremely popular reality series, for sure had something to do with it. Spoiler alert! He left home as a teenager and jumped from railcar to railcar to travel the country! Thus, Jordan likely became one of the only known teenage hobos in America. So yeah, that might have helped prepare him for that unbelievable challenge. Oh, but he was just getting warmed up! After spending his teen years as a hobo riding the rails all alone, he went to Russia to help build an orphanage! That led him to take things to an extreme again and head deep into the Siberian wilderness and believe it or not, it just gets crazier from there!! One of the stories Jordan tells Rigger is about the fact that while competing in the Alone series he was able to kill a rabbit to eat on his first day out in the arctic wilderness. He talks about how rabbits were all over the place. Rigger replied, “Oh so you had a pretty reliable food source then.” Jordan explains that you must have fat to survive in those conditions and arctic rabbits barely have any. So, though he could eat lots of rabbits they in no way could stop him from starving to death. There is even a term for it, rabbit starvation! So, where did Jordan find that all important source of fat? You will have to listen to this week’s Montana Outdoor podcast to find out and hopefully you won’t have a weak stomach when you do listen. What does Jordan do now? He lives in Darby Montana, but you will have to listen to find out the rest. The answer to that question is really cool and when you listen you can even learn how you can go hunt with and learn survival techniques from Jordan!After you listen, if you want to find out more about Jordan Jonas click here. If you want to learn more about the History Channel’s Alone TV Series click here. Want to take one of Jordan’s Wilderness Courses? Click here to find out more and book it!  If you would like to ask Jordan any questions you can click here to send him an email. As always Downrigger Dale would love to hear what you thought of this week’s podcast and if you have any suggestions for future podcasts. Click here to email Downrigger.Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast it is all about Montana’s Upland Game Birds. Your podcast host Downrigger Dale talks to Upland Gamebird Specialist Ken Plourde. Ken is based in FWP Region 6 and there is, for sure, a reason the word, “Specialist”, is in his job title. Ken is one of THE most knowledgeable people in the State of Montana when it comes to Upland Gamebirds. When you click here to listen to this week’s podcast you will learn all kinds of things that will for sure come in handy when hunting in these later months of Montana’s Upland Gamebird season. For example, Rigger asks Ken what the Upland Gamebird populations were looking like, and Ken not only answered, but he also talked a bit about how, specifically, most of each species were doing. Another topic that Downrigger and Ken Plourde got into was what he thinks is the most popular gamebird with most hunters in Montana. You may recall from last week’s podcast with Hunter VanDonsel from Pheasants Forever that he answered it was for sure the Pheasant. So, what is Montana’s FWP Game Specialist’s answer to that question? Well, you will have to listen to this week’s podcast to find out! You will also get some great advice from Ken about how to use the FWP’s online hunt planning tools, especially with his tips on using the Hunt Planner Map. We are confident that after you hear that you will find the that map to be more useful than you ever have. Another great topic that Rigger brought up was about what Ken thought might be one of the more misunderstood gamebird species and why many gamebird hunters are missing out because of it. Spoiler Alert…it is about an untrue rumor regarding the taste of the bird. Ken went on to even share one of his favorite dishes for this bird. Rigger got very hungry after hearing about that! That bird is also Ken’s favorite bird to hunt and no we are not talking about the pheasant.  Those are just a few of the many topics you will learn about on this fascinating podcast, so click here now and give it a listen. Once you are done listening, you will likely want to learn even more so feel free to discover the tons of info on this link to the Upland Game Bird Species Guide on the FWP site. That page contains links to everything from regulations, to season dates, hunter access and all kinds of other helpful information, so just click here. If you just want the shortcut to info on hunter access, click here. If you want to go the Hunt Planner Map that Rigger and Ken talked about, click here. Questions for Ken Plourde? Click here to send Ken an email. Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host, Downrigger Dale talks with the Montana Pheasants Forever, State Coordinator, Hunter VanDonsel about Montana’s Pheasants. Besides being the State Coordinator for Pheasants Forever, Hunter is also a biologist and knows a great deal about these amazing birds. When you click here to listen to this week’s podcast you will learn about how well the Pheasant population numbers are doing and what Montana Pheasants Forever is doing to stop their habitat from shrinking and get it back growing again. Why is their habitat shrinking? You might be surprised by the answer! You will also learn about some of the other programs that Pheasants Forever is working on in the State and how those might benefit more than just Pheasants. In addition to that you will hear Hunter give some interesting hunting tips for hunters that are just starting out and for those that have been hunting Pheasants for a long time. In fact, Hunter even talks about a course you can take online that will teach you how to hunt, not just Pheasants but all Upland Game Birds! Click here if you would like to take this course now, it’s free! Yeah, these birds have a lot more to them than just good looks and tasty meat. So be sure and give this podcast a listen especially if you are a parent and would like to get your kids outside and learning about conservation and how to hunt. You are going to be surprised with all your local and statewide Pheasants Forever is up to these days! And best of all just how much money they are putting back into Montana!If you want to learn more about Pheasants Forever in Montana, just click here. If you would like to learn about what they are doing nationally, click here. If you have any questions for Hunter VanDonsel, click here to send him an email. And again, if you would like to take that course on how to hunt Upland Game Birds, click here. As always your old buddy Downrigger Dale would love to know what you thought of this podcast and what topics you want him to cover in future podcasts, so click here to send Rigger and email.Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to Nancy Schlepp, VP of Communications & Government Relations and Jerry Zieg, Senior Vice President of Black Butte Copper. Rigger had heard all kinds of rumors about this proposed copper mining project near White Sulphur Springs for years, some good and some bad, and then he got emails from listeners asking that he investigate it by going straight to the source with his podcast microphone. So that is just what he did, and boy was he surprised, so much so that he already has plans to do a part 2 to this podcast, right at the mine site!When you click here to listen to this week’s podcast you will learn a TON about the Black Butte Copper project. Things like; how far along is this project? Is there a pending decision coming from the Montana Supreme Court? Are the nearby waterways of Sheep Creek and the all-important Smith River going to be at risk? What kind of effect, if any, will it have on the wildlife in the area? How many people does Black Butte Copper currently employ? When it is up and running how many people will it employ and how much will the average miner make? What about infrastructure for the town of White Sulphur Springs, who will help pay to increase the size of things like schools, hospitals, etc.? And those are just some of the questions that Downrigger asked Nancy and Jerry. This just might be one of the most important podcasts you will listen to this year so DO NOT PASS THIS ONE UP and for sure, SHARE THIS PODCAST WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!How about you, do you have questions about all this? Well, first listen to the podcast and then click here to get a snapshot of the Black Butte Copper project. To learn more about this week’s guests on the podcast, click here to learn more about Senior VP Jerry Zieg. If you have questions for Jerry, click here to send him an email. To learn more about Nancy Schlepp click here. If you have questions for Nancy just click here to email her. If you would like to browse through the Black Butte Copper website, which is very informative, click here. As always, your old buddy Downrigger would love to know what you think of this podcast and he is always looking for suggestions for topics for future podcasts, so click here and send him an email! Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week the host of The Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger Dale talks to Ed Beall Owner of Capital Sports and Western and member of the Montana Private Land and Public Wildlife Advisory Committee (PLPW). Rigger and Ed cover a TON of topics about hunter and landowner relations. Ed has been working hard for years now to help get outdoor sportsmen and women more access to private lands across Montana and when you click here to listen to this week’s podcast you will learn that all the work Ed and  the other folks on the PLPW has done as well as of course the incredible work the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has done, is starting to pay off. In fact, at this point it now is up to all of us to take the next step to make it happen. This is the most asked about topic in Downriggers listener emails. Ed and so many others have been dedicated to building relationships between landowners and those that love hunt, fish, and just get out in Montana’s great outdoors for a long time now and finally you will learn some of the most important things you can do to gain access to private lands by building your own personal relationships with landowners. BUT there is a right way and yes, a wrong way to do that. Listen to the podcast and learn what the steps are to get the access you have always wanted. There is an interesting side effect to doing this. That is, you will likely make some lifelong friendships and learn things you likely never thought you would learn. To learn about the right way to approach landowners click here to take the Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Test! You will learn a ton of valuable info when you take this test which is part of the Hunter-Landowner Stewardship Program!Another topic that Rigger covered with Ed is VERY cool. They uncovered a source of hunting and fishing information for every region in Montana. It is all about, that often sought after and rarely found, local knowledge of where the fish and big game is and what you need to know to harvest what you are hunting and fishing for. You may have heard a little about this when you have heard The Captain talk about “Montana Approved” stores. Listen to the podcast to learn more and click here to get a list of links to get you started on finding what you are hunting and fishing for! If you have questions for Ed or other members of the PLPW, click here to email Downrigger your questions and he will get them answered for you. You can also click here to learn all about the It’s Up to Us campaign. There is lots and lots of great info on that web page!Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, your host, Downrigger Dale talks to FWP Wildlife Manger from Region 6, Scott Thompson. Scott knows a great deal about the wily Speed Goat and Rigger squeezed every bit of that knowledge out of him during this podcast, just for you hunters! So why do you suppose the Antelope populations are down across most of the state? Did you know that there is a bird that regularly hunts Antelope? What is the Antelope’s closest relative? Spoiler alert: It does not even live in North America and no it is not even close to what you are thinking! Why won’t Antelope jump over fences? When you listen to this week’s podcast you will learn the answers to those and many other questions about Montana’s Antelope! In fact, you will even learn a few hunting tips and lots more! So, what are you waiting for, click here and listen now.After you listen if you have more questions about the Antelope be sure and click here to send Scott Thompson an email. If you want to get an idea of which areas of Montana should be good for Antelope hunting or for hunting any of the other Big Game Montana has to offer, just click here to see the 2023 Montana Big Game Hunting Forecast. How about some information about the FWP’s Block Management Program or other tools to help you plan your hunt, click here for all that! If you want to completely OD on info about the Antelope (or more appropriately known as the Pronghorn), Rigger found tons of publications and research articles from the top Pronghorn researcher in world, Dr John A. Byers just click here for a list of links to his research articles and publications. As always be sure and click here to email Downrigger Dale if you have any questions or suggestions for future topics for The Montana Outdoor Podcast! Lastly, a big THANK YOU to Feed Spot for naming the Montana Outdoor Podcast as one of the top podcasts! Check it out! https://blog.feedspot.com/montana_podcasts/Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast Host Downrigger Dale talks with Sarah Tilt, Executive Director of One Montana. One Montana is the nonprofit organization that created probably one of the most unique hunter education courses in the world. When you listen to this podcast you will see what we meant by that last statement in just the first few minutes of listening. Downrigger has talked a lot on about hunting access on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, but he has never really found a guest that has cracked the code that unlocks the ultimate secret to better and ongoing hunter and landowner relations, that is, until now. That is why this may be one of the most important podcasts for the hunter who truly desires to become a better hunter AND who wants to give back to the incredible sport of hunting and all those who do their part every day to provide access to the game they love to hunt.There is a TON of great “take aways” in this podcast but one of the most important is how you can apply to get into the Master Hunter Program, so listen carefully for that as there is a deadline approaching to apply. You will also hear Rigger’s guest, Sarah Tilt explain how the Master Hunter Program was launched to help the State of Montana and private landowners improve wildlife management efforts by restoring the cooperation between hunters, private landowners, and game managers. The program provides advanced hunter education that hones the participant’s overall aptitude and includes training in conservation and stewardship, natural history, ethics, and specialized ballistics and marksmanship skills, among other topics. Ok no more spoilers gang, just click here and listen to the podcast. This one is going to blow you away and it is going to give hunters that follow through and apply to get in the Master Hunter Program a HUGE opportunity. If you would like to learn more about the Master Hunter Program, click here. Also click here to watch a video about the program. If you would like to look at the application and get started on that click here. If you would like to see who the instructors are click here. You can look at an example curriculum by clicking here. You can see who the past graduates of the Master Hunter Program are by clicking here. If you would like to ask Downrigger’s guest Sarah Tilt a question about the program or about One Montana, click here to send her an email. Last but certainly not least, if you would like to help One Montana to be able to provide more opportunities to Montanans click here to learn how you can donate to them. Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast Downrigger Dale talks to Audiologist Dr Nora Martin and Hearing Instrument Specialist Alyssa Keith, from Vibrant Hearing, about hearing protection for hunters! This is an important podcast that EVERY hunter should listen to…while you still can that is!If you want to be an effective hunter, you need to keep all your senses sharp, and one of the most important of those is your hearing. Good hearing allows you to locate game and is often one of the first senses that alerts us to where that game is and what direction it is traveling. In fact, one of the things you will learn when you listen to this week’s podcast is there are now several different types of hearing protection available now days. One of them is the Hunter Passive, these very cool ear plugs that allows for awareness of game and tracking dog sounds, however when you fire a shot, they will instantly block the sound that is harmful to your ears! If you want to see those and learn more just click here.  Another VERY important topic they covered is how to protect your kids hearing. Dr Martin and Alyssa Keith talked about some great hearing protection options for young hunters. They also talked about how pick a hearing specialist. Rigger also talked about how Vibrant Hearing changed the Captain’s life by taking him from not being able to hear most conversations to now being able to hear better than he ever could before! You may have heard the Captain talk about how great he feels about that, well, except for the fact that he can now hear every word of Downriggers BS! You will also learn how you can improve your hearing if you are currently suffering from hearing loss and or tinnitus. In fact, Downrigger got so excited about it, since he suffers from tinnitus, that he scheduled an appointment with Nora and Alyssa right during the podcast! You are going to learn a ton when you click here and listen to this week’s podcast and if you do have problems with your hearing, no doubt you will end up, knowing that you still have a whole lot left to hear out there and you will realize that you can get back that all-important sense that makes you a better hunter and an all-around happier person!If you have questions after you listen to this podcast you can click here to send the folks at Vibrant Hearing an email. You can also click here to go their website which is loaded with great information. Want to see where all their locations are and/or give them a call? Just click here to do that. Click here to learn more about Dr Martin and click here to learn more about Hearing Instrument Specialist Alyssa Keith.Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger Dale has a fascinating discussion with Montana Game Warden Sargent Aaron Berg. It is hard to believe but there are only about 80 game wardens out patrolling the mountains, meadows, waterways, and prairies of Montana and they have over 147,000 square miles to cover! That is A LOT of ground to cover for those few officers in the field. And they do it with no backup and often very limited communication. All the while knowing that almost everyone they encounter is armed. So, you can imagine there is a lot that goes on out there and this week’s podcast will give you a peek behind the scenes so you can learn what that is like and why being a game warden is one of the most dangerous and challenging of all law enforcement jobs. Just click here to listen now! Aaron also talks about what is required to become a game warden and why you might want to join him out there as a warden yourself. Afterall there is a bit of a shortage of game wardens in Montana right now. You will also hear the story of the first citation Aaron ever wrote, and you will likely be as shocked as Downrigger was when you find out what he had to write the citation for! Yeah, some folks do some REALLY STRANGE stuff out there. You will also learn what the most common mistakes hunters and fishermen make while out in the wilds of Montana. Including one that Downrigger has made several times. Oh, and did you know that game wardens use animal and human DNA to solve crimes? Yup in fact Aaron tells how Montana game wardens were able to use DNA to figure out who started a wildfire!! You have got to hear that story! Downrigger covers a whole lot with Sargent Berg, and we are positive you will have a great time listening to all of it!After you listen to this podcast you may have some questions for Aaron. To ask Aaron any questions about rules and regulations or anything else just click here to send Downrigger an email. He will pass your questions on to Aaron and get his answers right back to you. If you want to learn more about Montana game wardens and what they do just click here. If you or someone you know would like to learn about becoming a game warden, click here to find out all about that! In fact, Downrigger had a lot of questions he still wants to cover with Aaron and that’s why he will have him back soon for another visit so be sure and stay tuned for that!Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

Oh, the Montana Outdoor Podcast does not disappoint! This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, your host, Downrigger Dale talks to Mike Benson and Scott Bombard about Falls Mack Days going on now through November 12h on Flathead Lake. Mike and Scott shared an unbelievable amount of information with Rigger all about how to fish Fall Mack Days to get the maximum benefit. They covered it all from trolling to jigging to casting and even fly fishing for these Flathead Monsters! And they did not stop there! They even shared what types of line, lures and baits to use. Why is this all important? Well, Scott and Mike have hauled a lot of money over the years fishing Mack Days! How much? You need to click here to listen and find out. Spoiler alert! When Rigger press Mike on how much he makes, let’s just say it added up to HALF OF HIS ANNUAL INCOME!! Yes, you heard me right, HALF OF HIS ANNUAL INCOME!! There is so much information on this podcast that will help you to catch LOTS of Lake Trout on Flathead Lake that you will likely start heading for Flathead Lake while you are listening to it. No, you don’t have to wait for the next Mack Days Tournament. The beauty of this tournament is you fish the tournament when you want. You don’t have to sign up and start fishing the tournament on day one. Another thing you will learn from listening to the podcast is that you will realize that this tournament is a lot of fun.If you have questions for Scott or Mike after you listen to the Podcast, just click here to email Downrigger. Mike and Scott are out on the water fishing, but old Rigger knows how to get your questions to them right away. Scott also has a YouTube channel that you can go to by clicking here. There you can learn even more from Scott Bombard, just like tens of thousands of other people have! Also, click here to go to the Mack Days Website. There you can get lots more info about the tournament and about the other drawings and prize giveaways this, the most unique fishing tournament in world does. Lots of folks that fish the tournament like to camp at some of the State Campgrounds all around Flathead Lake. Fall is an awesome time of the year to camp there so click here to find a campground just right for you! We can’t wait for you to listen to this podcast and then see you up on Flathead Lake for the Fall Mack Days Tournament going on now through November 12th! Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger Dale talks with hunting expert and guide Tayler Michels. Rigger covered a TON of great topics with Tayler that will, without a doubt get you a whole lot closer to sticking the Bull of your dreams. Tayler gives some awesome advice on planning every aspect of your next hunt, from what to pack in with you, to hunt mapping apps, to research tools, to…well you name it! Tayler has helped a lot of hunters find the right spot for that perfect animal they have been always wanting to find. In fact, when listen, you will hear what Tayler says is the number one thing you MUST have to be successful, and no, it is not something you can buy, put in you pack or even beg, borrow, or steal, yet it is the number one thing that will make or break your hunt. Listen now to find out what it is!If you have any questions for Tayler after you listen to this week’s Montana Outdoor Podcast, click here to send Downrigger Dale an email. Tayler is out guiding right now but he will be checking in with Rigger to see what all he can help you with. If you would like to learn more about elk hunting in the Missouri Breaks, where Tayler guides for Burke Ranch Outfitters, just click here to find out all about it. After all, if Tayler and Burke Ranch Outfitters can help the Captain of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show get a bull like this (click here to see that picture!), you know they are pros for sure!If you would like to see this year’s Big Game Hunting Forecast for this year from the Montana FWP, click here. You can also click here to review more planning tools from the FWP or click here to go straight to the FWP’s Hunt Planner Map, just one of the tools that Rigger and Tayler talked about. Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

Are You Bear Aware? Bears are Getting Ready for Hibernation Right Now! Be Ready!! What Should You do if You Surprise a Bear? What Should You do if You Are in a Physical Confrontation with a Bear?This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks with Danielle Oyler, Wildlife Stewardship Outreach Specialist from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. One of Danielle’s many specialties is teaching the public all about living with wildlife, and particularly with bears. She knows a TON about bears and how they behave. Grizzly Bear populations have grown A LOT across Montana. In fact, Grizzly Bears can now be found from across Western Montana to as far east as Billings.It is perfect timing having Danielle on the Montana Outdoor Podcast as Governor Gianforte recently announced that September is Bear Aware Month in Montana. To Celebrate the FWP is holding events across Montana. Be sure and attend an event near you and bring the whole family. You will have a great time and you will learn a lot of things that could just save your life if you have an encounter with a bear.Listen now and you will learn about where the events are being held, prizes you can win, like free bear spray, as well as all kinds of life saving information. You will also learn how to make your home and property less attractive to bears, plus a whole lot more. You can click here to learn all about Bear Aware Month and when and where the events are happening around Montana! That link also has a link to lots of videos about bears in Montana. You can also click here to watch a video of this week’s podcast guest, Danielle Oyler talking about how to identify signs of bear activity.  If you have any questions for Danielle about bears and Bear Aware Month, just click here to send her an email. Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Host Downrigger Dale interviews archery hunting guide and elk hunting expert Shawn Plakke. Shawn explains how hunting the elk rut can be incredibly similar to guys and gals trying to pick each other up at the popular local nightclub. Yeah, it sounds a bit far fetched until you hear what Shawn has to say and then the similarities will jump out at ya and ask you to dance! Listen to this one and you will for sure see what we mean!Seriously though, Shawn’s theory makes incredible sense, and you will learn some amazing techniques that will get you calling in the BIG BULLS on a regular basis. He will explain how it is all in how and what you answer back to what the Bulls you hear out there are saying. Yes, there is a language they are speaking out there and you will learn how to speak it after you listen to this week’s Podcast. Shawn also gives many other great hunting tips for all of you that want to score big with your bow! For example, you will learn what many of the most common mistakes are that bowhunters make and how to avoid them. You will also learn about a device that you can get at most any place that carries archery equipment and only costs you a few dollars but can prevent you from making a very common mistake that can ruin your hunting trip. Plus, a whole bunch of other great information. Bottomline is you will flat learn a ton when you listen to this one!If you would like to ask Shawn Plakke any questions just click here to email him, and he will get back to you. Also, if you would like to have Downrigger look up any info for you or if you have comments about this week’s podcast or even suggestions for topics for future podcasts just click here to email him! Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast Downrigger Dale and Deadeye Denny, aka, the Director of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, headed to Flathead Lake in Northwest Montana! They met up with the new owner of Howe’s Fishing and Mo Fisch Charters, and current owner of Big Sky Fishing Charters, Chris Mischke as well as an old friend of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, Matt McComb of Mo, Mo, Mo Fisch Charters. Chris and Matt took Rigger and The Director out on Chris’s 34-foot fishing boat for a day on the lake that they won’t soon forget! The podcast was recorded LIVE right there on the boat and both Matt and Chris really spilled the beans about how to find and catch Lake Trout (on Flathead they are also known as Mackinaw or Macks) and the Lake Whitefish (also known as Lake Superior Whitefish).You are going to love this podcast! You will learn the secrets to catching Lake Trout and Lake Whitefish, from where to find them, to what to use to catch them, and a whole bunch more that will for sure surprise you. Like, did you know there is a way to target just the big Lake Trout? How about the secret to jigging the right way to catch more Lake Whitefish? And Chris and Matt didn’t stop there! Chriss and Matt will give you so many great pointers and advice you will want to listen with a pen and thick pad of paper! Here are just a few of the questions you will learn the answers to; Do you know what the 5 biggest mistakes are that many fishermen make when targeting these popular fish? How hard do Lake Whitefish really fight? What fishing gear, bait and other tackle will you need to give you the most success in catching these wonderful fish? Fish on! Did the Director land that Mackinaw? Hear the answers to those and many other questions that will unlock the secret to making you a better fisherman and women! DON’T MISS THIS PODCAST!!If you would like to email Chris or Matt with any questions just click here and they will get back you. Of course, you can always click here and Downrigger can also track down answers to any questions you may have. If you would like to book a trip with either Chris or Matt or any of the other guides that work with them. You can click here and do it online or call (406) 257-5214. Want to get lots more info? Want to see some more awesome fish and the incredible boats they use to go after them? You can click here for Howe’s fishing or Click here for Big Sky Fishing Charters or Click here for the Mo Fisch Facebook Page. Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger Dale talked to Jeff “The Dog Man” Smith and got some great tips for you and your hunting dog. Jeff has 40 VERY successful years of training hunting dogs under his belt and in this podcast, and he let it all come out! If you hunt with a dog, have ever thought about it or just plain love dogs, you really need to listen to this podcast! In this Podcast the Dog Man tells us how to get your “best friend” ready for hunting season. He also tells how to recognize serious health complications your dog might have while out hunting, or just training, that could save his or her life! He gives some great advice on how to even train your dog to let you save their life should that happen, instead of panicking. He even gave some great tips on how to find the right dog trainer if you need one, and a whole lot more! All and all you and your dog will hunt better and have more fun together if you listen to this podcast and follow the advice that Jeff “The Dog Man” Smith delivers in this podcast.If you would like to ask Jeff any questions you can call him at (406) 360-3311 or click here to email him. Oh, and be sure and share this article and the podcast link with all your friends that love to hunt with their dog! Suggestions for future podcast topics? Just click here to email Downrigger Dale with those.Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger and The Captain recorded the podcast live on Bill the Salmon Slayer Zahradka’s boat! Finally, the boys were able to not only have Bill tell all of his secrets to catching King Salmon on Fort Peck Reservoir, but he also showed them by catching some Kings while they were recording the podcast! You must listen to this podcast! It will reveal lots of great advice that will put those big kings in your boat. It doesn’t matter if you have never caught a king salmon or if you have lots of experience, you will FOR SURE love this podcast. We guarantee it will get your heart pumping when you hear that line zinging out of The Slayer’s reel!If you have questions for Bill, the Salmon Slayer Zahradka just click here to email Downrigger and he will get your questions answered by him right away. If you would like to ask The Captain any questions just click here to email him. Another way to learn about catching King Salmon is to hire a guide to take you out fishing for them on Fort Peck Reservoir. Click here to email Downrigger Dale and ask him to send you a list of guides and their contact info. Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger Dale sits down for a frank discussion with Brian Lipscomb the CEO of Energy Keepers, the company that owns the dam on Flathead Lake. This was a VERY enlightening discussion that provided a whole lot of answers to many of our listeners questions. This is one of those Podcasts that you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!The podcast will also give you a VERY interesting history of the dam on Flathead Lake and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, who are the owners of Energy Keepers Inc. For example, did you know that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes were the first tribes in the nation to own and operate a major hydropower facility? There are many other fascinating facts that you will find out about when you listen to this podcast!To learn more about the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes click here. If you would like to find out more about Energy Keepers, Inc. click here to view their website or click here to view their Facebook page. For another interesting article about the Dam and Brian Lipscomb, click here. For more interesting information about the tribes click here. If you would like to ask Brian Lipscomb a question you can either click here or you can click here to email Downrigger and he will contact Brian for you!Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

Those and many more questions about the hardest fighting fish in Montana get answered in this week’s Montana Outdoor Podcast! Be sure and listen to Downrigger Dale and the Captain ask Fisheries Biologist, Heath Headley and Fish Hatchery Manager, Wade Geraets, all kinds of questions! There is a TON of information that is revealed about these mysterious monsters of the deep in Fort Peck Reservoir. If you have been looking through MontanaOutdoor.com recently no doubt you have been seeing some great pictures of Kings that have been caught recently on Fort Peck. So, is that just the beginning of a great year for King Salmon there? How many of these big fish might be swimming around down there? Here is a hint; 249,000 King Salmon were stocked in Fort Peck this year! Here is how that breaks down as far as where in the reservoir they were stocked, 61,000 at Duck Creek, 97,000 at Fort Peck Marina and 91,000 at the Flat Lake/Spillway Boat Ramp. How the heck does the small staff of 4 at the Fort Peck Hatchery get hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs to the hatchery and later take ALL THOSE that are now fish back to the Reservoir? Like we mentioned above there so many fascinating questions that you will get the answers to while listening to this podcast, and it is very likely all that knowledge you gained from listening to the podcast will result in you becoming a much more successful salmon fisherman!If you would like to learn more about the Fort Peck Hatchery and even learn how you can take a tour of the facility just click here! If you would like to ask Fisheries Biologist Heath Headley a question, click here to send him an email. If you would like to ask Fish Hatchery Manager Wade Geraets a question, click here to send an email to him.Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger and The Captain have FWP Fisheries Biologist for Region 4, Adam Strainer back to talk all about the fish in Holter Reservoir located not far from Helena, MT. As usual Adam did not disappoint. He delivered all kinds of great information. The fellas started their discussion about a picture that Adam had recently sent to The Captain and Downrigger. It was a picture of Adam and his son holding a great looking Kokanee Salmon that they had just caught in Holter Reservoir. The Captain and Downrigger were surprised since normally you just don’t see many Kokanees being caught out of Holter anymore. Oh, but that has changed, and Adam tells all about it, including where and when you can find them and even gives some info on what you might want to use to catch them! So did the FWP just stock a bunch of Kokanee in there? Nope! So why the increase in great looking Kokanee in Holter? Give the podcast a listen now to  hear all about it. Be sure and keep listening all the way through this fascinating podcast cause Adam also talks all about the health of the trout, perch, and walleye in Holter. In addition to Holter, Adam and the boys talk a bit about the fish in near by Hauser Reservoir as well! Adam also explains a whole lot about the Land of the Giants at Holter. What makes the fish so big there? How do ya find those big ones? Like we just said, listen and find out all about it!Just like the last time he was on the Montana Outdoor Podcast; Fisheries Biologist Adam Strainer shared a ton of fascinating and very useful information. He not only talked about the health and possible future of Holter Reservoir’s fishery, but he also gave a little update on the fishing regulations for Holter. If you would like to look through those in more detail, or just learn more about the reservoir just click here. Bottomline, if you love to fish Holter Reservoir or even if you never have but think you might want to fish there, this week’s Montana Outdoor Podcast is yet again a MUST LISTEN!! If you have questions for Adam, you can email him by clicking here. You can also give him a call at (406) 495-3263.Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast, Downrigger and The Captain interview five VERY interesting people involved in Montana’s legendary fishing tournament, the 2023 Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament. Be sure to listen and you will get five very unique perspectives on one of the richest Walleye tournaments in the United States. Lisa Koski Co-Director of the tournament and Executive Director of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, who co-sponsors and puts on the event, talks about what it takes to put on this major tournament. From coordinating the main event and all the other events surrounding it, to getting over 400 fishermen out fishing and back on time! Learn about how the National Guard helps get all those boats in and out of the water THAT FAST! Co-Director Todd Young who has been the co-MC and this year will be handling the MC duties solo, talks about some of his favorite memories as well as talking about what sets this Tournament apart from the many other tournaments around the Country.  Joe Herbold who is retiring as MC after many, many years of doing it, will share some great memories and he also talks about how this incredible event has influenced many young folks and inspired them to dream big.  Jason Eggebrecht has won this tournament more times than anyone who has ever competed, shares some of his strategies and memories of how he and his past partners were able to bring home the top prize of TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! And of course, what would the Gov Cup be without the Gov himself? Montana Governor Greg Gianforte made a surprise visit to the Podcast and talked about what this huge event means to him and the Great State of Montana! It is truly a behind the scenes look that you will not get anywhere else! Make sure you listen to this one gang!!You can also click here to go to the Official Gov Cup website for lots more info and great pictures from past Gov Cup tournaments and see a list of the 200 teams that are competing in this year’s event or click here to go to the Gov Cup Facebook Page to see what’s happening there. And make sure you click here to check out the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce website you will learn lots about the incredible community of Glasgow, MT and lots of other things you can do and get involved in! There are also many other things you can see and do all around Northeast Montana. Click here to visit the Missouri River Country website, it is a GREAT resource with links to info about so many things to do and see! In fact, here is one of those links, click here to learn about Fort Peck, MT, the home of Fort Peck Reservoir!  But before you do ANYTHING listen to this incredible Podcast, you will learn things about this legendary event that YOU WILL NEVER FORGET!Remember to tune in to our live radio show, The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, every Saturday morning from 6:00AM to 8:00AM. The show airs on 30 radio stations all across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.