The Field And Stream Podcast

From king eiders to campfire stories, this episode captures the full spectrum of hunting culture.

The Field & Stream editorial team brings together the kind of range that defines modern hunting culture, moving from extreme waterfowl pursuits to campfire debates and classic upland storytelling. The conversation opens with a firsthand account of sea duck hunting in Alaska, where chasing king eiders on the edge of the Bering Sea tests judgment, preparation, and respect for conditions that dictate every decision. It’s a reminder that some waterfowl hunts demand the mindset of a big game expedition.

From there, the focus shifts indoors as the Field & Stream editorial crew squares off in a wild game draft, breaking down their favorite big game, waterfowl, upland birds, small game, and even fish. The debate reveals how taste, tradition, regional access, and cooking methods shape what hunters value most on the table, offering listeners plenty of ideas for wild game meals and future hunts.

The episode closes around the campfire with a modern classic upland hunting story by Phil Bourjaile titled “Lucky Break”, following a pheasant season nearly derailed by injury. It’s a grounded reminder that hunting isn’t just about limits or trophies, but about savoring time afield, trusting good dogs, and appreciating seasons that almost slip away.

Taken together, these segments paint a complete picture of the hunting life, equal parts adventure, camaraderie, food, and storytelling, rooted in hard-earned experience and deep respect for the outdoors.

Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/

Get to know your host, Colin Kearns: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/colin-kearns 

           

Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ 
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We’re revisiting “Lost Soul” this week, one of the most powerful hunting essays ever published in the magazine’s archives. Written by Scott Bestial and read by his longtime editor and friend Dave Hurteau, the story unfolds during a brutal late-season whitetail hunt marked by deep snow, bitter wind, and the quiet weight of personal upheaval.

What begins as a familiar deer hunting scenario—spooked does, a cold tree stand, and low odds, quickly becomes something deeper. Through bowhunting whitetails in December, Scott explores how time spent outdoors can intersect with grief, divorce, and emotional numbness. The hunt itself becomes less about antlers and more about awareness: watching matriarch does, reading winter deer behavior, and confronting what draws us back to the woods when motivation is thin.

Listeners will hear insider reflections on late-season bowhunting tactics, whitetail herd dynamics, and the mental grind of winter hunting. More importantly, they’ll come away with a reminder of why hunting matters beyond tags filled the way wild places can ground us, challenge us, and, at times, give something back when we least expect it.

This is a conversation, and a story, for hunters who understand that the outdoors often teaches its hardest lessons quietly, from a stand overlooking a frozen field.

Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/

Get to know the author, Richard Mann: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/richard-mann 

           

Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ 

Sound effects and sound design for Campfire provided by:

Christmas Bells 1 by Cloud-10 -- https://freesound.org/s/536251/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Jingle bells.wav by juskiddink -- https://freesound.org/s/110158/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Deck The Halls - Christmas jingle played with bells by Ihaksi -- https://freesound.org/s/411420/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

DeerWalking.WAV by Damsteegt -- https://freesound.org/s/553116/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

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One rifle, one deer, and generations of memory reveal what really matters in deer season.

Writer and lifelong hunter Richard Mann reads and reflects on his modern classic, The Gun and the Ghost. What begins as a simple deer hunting story unfolds into something deeper; an exploration of memory, family, and the emotional weight we carry into the woods each fall.

Mann uses the guns of his past as touchstones, objects that connect him to family, memory, and the moments that made him a hunter. The story isn’t about performance or preference, but about the emotional weight certain tools carry long after the season ends.

Listeners will walk away with a renewed perspective on deer hunting, one rooted in connection rather than caliber. This episode touches on classic rifles, heirloom firearms, ethical hunting, and the quiet moments that define life in the outdoors. It’s a reminder that hunting isn’t just about filling a tag; it’s about honoring where we came from, who taught us, and why we keep returning to the mountains, timber, and old camps year after year.

Whether you’re passionate about whitetail hunting, fascinated by classic firearms, or simply drawn to powerful outdoor storytelling, this episode delivers the kind of reflection that lingers long after the fire burns down.

Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/

Get to know the author, Richard Mann: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/richard-mann 

           

Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ 

Sound effects and sound design for Campfire provided by:

Editing and sound design by Trout Stream Studios

AMBForst-Summer_early morning woods, birds, crickets, snapping twigs, 630AM_QCF_Mammoth Cave KY_Zoom H2n Surround Binaural Mixdown by treytatum3 -- https://freesound.org/s/819335/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Apple_Crunch_13.wav by Koops -- https://freesound.org/s/20276/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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Apple Cut and bite by sonictimm -- https://freesound.org/s/712209/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

A rifle gun shot by 1234Thekrebwgus -- https://freesound.org/s/686074/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Sniper Rifle Shot Sound Effect by qubodup -- https://freesound.org/s/182051/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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Flooded timber duck hunts, hard-won conservation victories, and one trout river that carried a man through grief.

Flooded timber duck hunting has long been considered one of waterfowling’s most spiritual traditions and comes fully alive as Host Colin Kearns sits down with legendary outdoor writer T. Edward Nickens to talk about green tree reservoirs, the culture and history behind timber duck hunts, and why standing waist-deep among ancient oaks feels more like a rite of winter than a morning hunt.

From Arkansas bottomlands to Mississippi backwaters, Nickens explains what makes a great timber day, how ducks work the woods, and why proper management is critical to preserving these places for future generations.

Next, Field & Stream News Editor Travis Hall joins the show to break down the best conservation good news stories of 2025. From major public land sell-offs being stopped, to landmark corner-crossing victories, to salmon returning to long-blocked waters, this segment is a reminder that hunters and anglers still have real power when they speak up.

The episode closes with a deeply personal Campfire reading. Colin shares his essay My Home Waters, a year-long trout fishing journey that becomes a story of grief, healing, and why certain rivers stay with us forever.

This is Field & Stream storytelling at its finest; grounded in wild places, conservation wins, and the quiet power of water.

Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/

Get to know your host, Colin Kearns: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/colin-kearns 

           

Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ 

Sound effects and sound design for Campfire provided by:

WATRMvmt_Outdoor, Small River, Wading Through water Though a Tunnel, Tascam DR-05X, Mono, 48Khs, 24 bit_JW Audio by JW_Audio -- https://freesound.org/s/803664/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Wading in Shallow Water.wav by ryansitz -- https://freesound.org/s/342932/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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Askeleet vedessä / Footsteps, wading, walking in the water, puddle, slush by YleArkisto -- https://freesound.org/s/368673/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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Fish Release.mp3 by caitlynbananas -- https://freesound.org/s/563592/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Trout splashing after being caught by TheFlyFishingFilmmaker -- https://freesound.org/s/592784/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Fly fishing Stripping line out by TheFlyFishingFilmmaker -- https://freesound.org/s/641702/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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Join us for another Campfire short this week, where we crack open a modern Field and Stream classic as senior editor Ryan Chelius revisits his unforgettable season patrolling the famed Salmon River in Pulaski, New York. What begins as a broke college kid’s workaround to access the best steelhead fishing water quickly spirals into confrontations with trespassers, counterfeit pass-holders, and the kind of hardened characters you only meet during a full-blown salmon run.

Ryan shares what it’s really like to enforce regulations on two miles of private river during peak season, navigating angry anglers, heated riverbank standoffs, and the creative “walkie-talkie bluff” that saved him more than once. Along the way, you’ll hear insider stories about the daily grind of river patrol, the chaos of the fall steelhead migration, and the camaraderie that forms among young anglers chasing fresh chrome before and after their shifts.

Beyond the drama, this story offers a rare look at pressured water, angler behavior, and how hard-earned lessons from the river translate into better steelhead tactics, smarter reading of crowded water, and a deeper appreciation for the fish that drive us nuts, and keep us coming back.

If you love stories from the riverbank, gritty seasonal work, or hard-earned wisdom from public and private water alike, this one’s for you.

Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations.

Read the original story: https://www.fieldandstream.com/stories/fishing/freshwater-fishing/chasing-steelhead-and-fish-poachers 

Get more from Field & Stream: https://www.fieldandstream.com/

Get to know the author, Ryan Chelius: https://www.fieldandstream.com/authors/ryan-chelius 

           

Join the F&S 1871 Club and experience a membership dedicated to the outdoor culture of sporting traditions, storytelling, and the conservation of our lands: https://www.fieldandstream.com/1871-club/ 

Sound effects and sound design for Campfire provided by:

Editing and sound design by ⁠Trout Stream Studios⁠

Truck Door Open and Close by Jofae -- https://freesound.org/s/361823/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

A000051_5.flac by WaveAdventurer -- https://freesound.org/s/254555/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

OPEN TRUCK DOOR & START.mp3 by tubbers -- https://freesound.org/s/184326/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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River Walk by silentseason -- https://freesound.org/s/407528/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Fly Fishing Reel Running_1.wav by paulprit -- https://freesound.org/s/507098/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

4 guys having a laugh.wav by tlabrant1 -- https://freesound.org/s/670243/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Kayaking in calm weather by AugustSandberg -- https://freesound.org/s/509323/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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