Venison is arguably the perfect protein. It's lean, it's clean, readily available, and versatile. On this episode we talk about the standard ways to cook it, the fancy ways, and give you an inside look into a deer processor operation. Families today are more particular than ever about where their food comes from, this alone has led some people to take up hunting. We feel like you should not overlook the value and quality of a good venison meal.

On this episode Chris and I take a look at cutover. This is the last thing that most people want when shopping for hunting land, especially if they have visions of a legacy farm that their family will enjoy for years. We are going to examine why that thinking is flawed, and how you could be missing a great value as well as the opportunity to design a property layout economically. Not only that, but cutovers are absolute deer factories.

We hope you enjoy this one, thanks for listening.

These days everyone has a seed blend with a fancy bag and marketing tagline. Do you really know what is in there, and should those things be in same bag to be planted with the same methods? With cereal grains requiring up to a 1" seed depth, and clover no more than 1/4", how to you plant them both from the same bag and get a successful stand? Often times seed blends serve as an insurance policy for seed companies. The more varieties that are in the bag, the more likely that something will turn green and grow. But for the price, could you do much better putting your own blend together and planting separately? This is the second in a series of two podcasts that we recorded with MDWFP Assistant Coordinator of the Private Lands program, Pierce Young. We think you will enjoy it

Pierce Young has been around deer his whole life. Early on in his career he was instrumental in the success of the deer tagging program that was conducted in NE MS across 27,000 acres of private land. He has worked along side many of the best deer researchers in the world, including Drs Steve Demarais and Bronson Strickland. Now Pierce is a biologist and assistant coordinator of the MDWFP Private Lands program. They work as consultants for private landowners across the state of Mississippi. On this episode we discuss the theory of management bucks. You'll hear a few things that might surprise you, but depending on what your goals are and a few other factors, you might need to be shooting a few young bucks each year.

A well trained retriever can add enjoyment and efficiency to your hunting. A great family pet and companion adds a whole lot of smiles and love in your home. You can have both, and our friend Tyler Cofield of @MarlenGundogs has made it his mission to develop his line of British labs into just that. We discuss this and more on this episode. Also with dove season approaching we get into some of the dos and don'ts when it comes to working your dog on a hot dove field. You can follow Tyler on his social media outlets @MarlenGundogs on IG and Facebook

In this episode of Storytime with Uncle Chris we hear about the time they discovered someone had "borrowed" a skidder from a logging job. Chris and the logger followed the tracks back to a nearby house and confronted the suspect. Sometimes you just have to reevaluate the situation, and pick your battle. This encounter could have gone south, but in the end it was a positive for everyone.

Dave Owens, creator of The Pinhoti Project, sat down with me and talked about social media, calling championships, and conservation. Dave recently won his second Grand National Title at the NWTF in Nashville this year, and is an active participant and supporter of the various state calling contests. Social media figures, or influencers, often get blamed for the increase numbers and reduced opportunities on public hunting land. While some of this has been warranted, there are also cases where these figures have leveraged their large following and influenced national politics. Earlier this year when Mike Lee authored legislation that would have forced the sale of millions of acres of public land, Dave and others used their platforms to push back successfully against this legislation. While we are quick to criticize those who are in the public eye and have large followings, we should also give them credit when this considerable influence is used for good. My audio is really bad through the webcam, apologies in advance.

The term Co-op has become synonymous with farm supply, feed, and seed. But do you know why it's called "the co-op"? These organizations came to existence out of necessity and from local farmers and landowners coming together to leverage their collective buying power. It is more than just a name, and odds are there is one in your community. We sat down with Jeff Hays, the manager of Lowndes Farm Supply to discuss the Co-op difference and the evolution of the farm supply business over the years. Including the challenge of keeping it local while competing with large franchises and internet business.

We encourage you to go visit your local Co-op, it is more than just a name.