In Pursuit

Today on the show, Jason is joined by his buddy Brock for part two of their elk biology conversation. This time, they get deep into every elk hunter's favorite topic -- the rut. They talk on everything from elk estrus cycles to the reasons some elk are call shy and others aren't. Connect with Jason and Phelps Game Calls Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason comes to you from the field with biologist Paul Wik to talk elk mortality and recruitment. They discuss the effects of predation and environmental factors in relation to elk recruitment, and what that means for hunting opportunity. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, Jason is joined by his buddy Brock to talk all things elk biology in part one of this two part series. In this episode they cover everything from moon phase to who really controls the herd -- the herd bull or the lead cow? Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once you have found a spot to hunt, what is next? In this episode Jason covers the technical how to of: breaking down an area quickly to determine if elk are present, how to go about locating them, how to move in, what you should be looking for as you setup, and then how to go about calling. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason's mixed it up and gone solo as he answers your listener questions and discusses planning your elk hunt. From e-scouting and calling to mountain readiness and boot considerations, if you're considering an elk hunt this year, you won't want to miss this! Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason is joined in the field by guest John Weik as they discuss their recent turkey hunt. They discuss separating themselves from other hunters in the area, both in terms of distance and strategy. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, I'm joined by MeatEater's own Tony Peterson to talk turkey. On this episode, we answer a couple listener questions, talk pressured birds, and dive into turkey calling strategy. Tony is a certified turkey killer, and if you're a turkey hunter, you're not going to want to miss this. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Lampers has spring bear dialed!!! Year after year he finds success in multiple states and these aren’t just run of the mill bears, Ryan targets mature boars. In this episode Jason wanted to dig into all of Ryan’s spot and stalk bear hunting experience in hopes you can find something that may help you spring bear hunting this year. They discuss finding bears, how the weather will affect them, time of day to find them and how long to hang out in an area before moving on, amongst a bunch of other topics. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan Budd grew up as a ranch kid taking advantage of all the great outdoors had to offer. Now, she has her own guiding service and a podcast you might have heard of -- MeatEater's Gear Talk. Today, we're talking turkeys and Jordan's turkey killing gear picks. We cover everything from ground blinds and comfortable seating options to broadheads and red dots. If you're a turkey hunter, you're not going to want to miss this! Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Braaten is a great turkey caller, great turkey hunter, and has done a lot for turkeys here in Washington. On today’s episode Jason and Eric take a deep dive into turkey calls. They discuss the materials used and how they affect the tone and pitch of diaphragms, pot calls and box calls. Their discussion then turns to strategy where they talk about hunting small sections of public land, how to utilize private agriculture to your advantage and using a “progressive” calling strategy. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is part human and part owl. James Harrison has been designing and building calls for 14 years and winning calling contests for just as long. His skills don’t end there though, he is as good as they get out in the woods when it comes to killing turkeys. On this episode Jason and James talk about: why you would locate a turkey without turkey calls and which calls to use, what different strategies to use throughout the day and how important good calling is to their success. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samong Yang cut his teeth chasing turkeys in the NE corner of Washington. These high pressured merriams that call the mountains home, provide turkey hunters with all kinds of additional challenges. On this episode Jason and Samong touch on how much to call to pressured birds, what to do when they hang up, whether to use a decoy or not in the open country and what calls do they each carry. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, guest host Dirk Durham chats with champion elk caller Jermaine Hodge about Colorado elk hunting and calling tactics for pressured bulls. They discuss realistic vocalizations, finding a hunting partner, and hunting in and around pressure. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason continues his conversation with Dr. Bronson Strickland as they discuss the ins and outs of hunting big whitetails, no matter where you're getting after them. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason's joined by Dr. Bronson Strickland to discuss the ins and outs of hunting big whitetails, no matter where you're getting after them. This two part podcast series is tailor made for the whitetail geek. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason sits down with whitetail legend Don Higgins, as they discuss the major do's and don'ts for success in the whitetail woods. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, Jason Phelps is joined by Alex Yerges of Pacific Calls. They dive deep into duck calls, duck call history, and duck hunting strategies. Big game season is all but over, but there's still plenty of time to get after ducks this season. Join Jason and Alex as they discuss the nuances of hunting and calling waterfowl. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, I'm joined by master whitetail hunter Chris Parish. Currently, we're sharing a camp in Kansas trying to make the most of November. On this episode, Chris walks me through some of his most important experiences as a whitetail hunter and the strategies he employs to find success time and time again. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the show, guest host Dirk Durham talks with Tom Schneider about everything wolf hunting. Wolf hunting -- even to experienced backcountry hunters -- is often a mystery. An encounter with a wolf seems to be more chance than the product of a dedicated pursuit. Tom Schneider, however, finds success targeting wolves year after year. In this episode of Cutting The Distance, Schneider lets the cat out of the bag when it comes to bagging dogs. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we're looking back at the 2022 elk rut. I hunted elk all over the US this season with good friends, had a bunch of highs, and a bunch of lows. That's elk hunting. But, as always, I learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. So this week on Cutting the Distance, I'm doing a post-mortem of my archery elk season, and highlighting the greatest lessons I've learned this year. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this solo edition of the Phelps Field Report, Jason Phelps details his September Idaho trip with Garrett Bowen of Top Priority Hunting, as well as offers his thoughts on recent trends in rutting activity. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When people think about hunting rutting whitetails, they typically think of ag land in the midwest. In this episode of Cutting the Distance, Jon Gabrio talks about hunting mountain whitetails in the state of Washington. Jon dives into scouting year round to figure these bucks out, setting stands once he has found a target buck, how he plays the wind with stand locations, and how he goes about getting a buck to walk by his stand. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode of Cutting The Distance, Jason Phelps talks with Charlie Smith, as they recount some tough hunting and a deviation from the plan in Idaho. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year we get to hear hundreds, maybe thousands of stories that go like this: I was calling in a bull, he was all fired up and got to 80 yards, I could see him, he bugled a few times, and then left. In today’s episode, Jason and Dirk talk about how to prevent the “hang up” and what's important when setting up. They talk about using the wind, finding shooting lanes, when to be silent on the way in, and the calling strategy once setup. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode of Cutting The Distance, Jason Phelps talks with MeatEater's very own Ryan Callaghan. They discuss the highs and lows of their recent archery elk hunt in New Mexico. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Jason is joined by Dirk Durham. Dirk Durham is a world champion elk caller but more importantly has a ton of experience out in the woods where the elk are the judges. Rather than sounding perfect the elk care more about timing, delivery and intensity of the calls. They center today’s discussion around a lot of the decisions that are involved when calling an elk. How do they determine whether to be aggressive or not, what specific calls they make and use while hunting, incorporating cow calls in the setups, and a bunch more. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trent Williams is one of those guys that finds consistent success and he’s able to do it on general units. In this episode Jason picks his brain on the decisions he makes throughout the day leading to notched tags. We talk about figuring out where to start your day, what to do if you can’t locate elk, getting up at 3 am, glassing in the moonlight, locating non bugling elk and what some of his calling strategies are. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unfortunately, the best way to learn is by making mistakes. In today’s episode Jason talks with a RMEF Elk Calling world champion Tony Gilbertson. They share some of the mistakes they have made along the way and what they have found to be the correct way. They discuss mistakes regarding; scouting, showing up to an area and quickly finding elk, cheating the wind, confidence in calling, calling too small, setting up, and time spent in the woods. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After getting a chance to chase turkeys and ducks with my Weatherby Element over the last year, I decided to sit down with Luke Thorkildsen from Weatherby to go over their shotgun line. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some things I wish I knew about elk hunting 20 years ago? One of the best ways to learn is through failure, but what if you had the opportunity to give your past self some valuable information you have learned along the way. In today's episode I sit down with Cody Rich to discuss what we would tell our past selves and what really matters when it comes to elk hunting. We talk about luck versus consistency, when to be aggressive versus patient, what we truly remember about the hunts and a lot more. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nate Simmons is one of those guys that gets it done year in and year out on backcountry bulls. Nate is one of those guys I’ve always had a ton of respect for. He’s humble, quiet and knows a ton about hunting elk and I’ve always wanted to pick his brain on the subject. We sat down to discuss topics such as; how long to force a hunt in a marginal area, his approach to calling an elk, hunting in Grizzly country and how he prepares for success and much more in this episode. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Lampers is one of those guys -- when he heads out on a hunt, you know he is going to be successful. The only question is: how epic was the adventure and how big was the animal? Jason sits down with Ryan to discuss his mental and physical toughness on a long and grueling hunt, and his approach to always making sure he will find success. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems easy enough, but in order to kill an elk you must first find elk. With today’s technology it is easier to find elk than ever before. Jason sits down with Mark Livesay to discuss the current technology available and locating elk through features that elk tend to prefer. They then discuss how we can identify combinations of these features to exponentially increase our chances of elk being there when we show up to hunt.  Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest may be best known for being the first to take all 29 North American big game animals with a recurve bow and complete the Super Slam, but today we are interested in his knowledge of and experience with calling black bears. We discuss the short attention spans of bears and how long to give a setup, Fred’s go to calls and sequences, some precautions to use while calling in grizzly country, and much more. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is the author of “The ultimate guide to black bear hunting”, “No Bait, Just Bears” and the creator of the ultimate predator calls app, Douglas Boze.  Jason and Doug discuss what it takes to call in black bears.  They start the conversation talking about the most important factor, finding where the bears are to begin with.  They then dive into the calls used, how to setup and when to leave a setup and move to a new location.  With spring bear hunting heating up across the west there is information shared here you don’t want to leave for the woods without. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Out west it's a contentious topic: turkey hunting. Some love it and feel it’s the same as hunting elk during the rut, while others seem to be insulted by the idea. In this episode Dirk Durham and I dive into all of the similarities and a few of the differences. Some of the topics we dive into for our comparison: how to locate them, prescriptive approach, where we can typically find them, how the setups are similar, wallows vs. dusting areas, and cold calling. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once the trigger is pulled on a turkey shotgun the result should be as quick and humane of a kill  as possible.  In this episode  Jason discusses shotgun shells with Daniel Compton of Federal Ammunition.  There are a tons of options and combinations of guns, chokes and ammo out there. They talk about all types of shot including TSS, Bismuth, lead and mixed loads.  They dive into the wad and why it is a big contributor to the pattern. They get into patterning and what is acceptable as well as the new shot materials re-vitalizing .410 and 28 gauge as legitimate turkey guns. Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Chamberlain has forgotten more about wild turkeys than many will ever know.  Chamberlain leads the University of Georgia’s Wild Turkey Lab. Since writing his dissertation on turkeys and predation, Chamberlain has studied the birds for almost 30 years. What he has learned about turkeys has made him a better hunter, and we are hoping it can help you, too. In this episode Mike and I discuss; toms eventually coming back to where they heard a call, how to use the characteristics of different subspecies to your advantage, the process of nesting and how the flock changes throughout the spring.     Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I’m chatting about turkey habitat with my good buddy, Randy Milligan. Randy owns a little over 800 acres in Eastern Kansas. He spends most of his free time working on the property figuring out how to maximize the amount of turkeys and the size of bucks there.  We talk about what turkeys need to thrive, what they prefer, and how we can use that to our advantage while hunting.  We then turn the conversation to some of the issues currently facing wild turkey populations, and what matters in maintaining healthy populations.   Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I’m talking about turkeys with not only one of the best turkey callers of all time, but one of the best turkey hunters of all time: Chris Parrish.  We talk about what hunters should look for in picking a spot to setup, all while quickly reading the turkey’s behavior and the situation to determine what your next move should be. Once we figure out where and how to setup, we move into calling.  We touch on what Chris’ calling strategy is, whether it is necessary to be a great caller, and if he could only take three turkey sounds to the woods, which ones they would be.   Connect with Jason and Phelps Phelps on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube Shop Phelps MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Phelps sits down with Janis Putelis to go over his turkey hunting philosophy. They talk about the run-n-gun approach, as well as being patient and using decoys. Jason asks Janis to describe the perfect turkey hunt and the best dates to be in the field.Connect with Jason and PhelpsPhelps on Instagram, Facebook, and YoutubeShop Phelps Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Phelps kicks off as the new host of Cutting the Distance alongside Steven Rinella to discuss the future of the podcast, as well as Steve’s best tips for turkey hunting. They’ll also talk about the brand-new Line 1 Turkey Pot Calls, what inspired Steve and Jason to make a pot call from scratch, and the process of hand-selecting a tree all the way through to scratching those calls in the turkey woods.Connect with Jason and PhelpsPhelps on Instagram, Facebook, and YoutubeShop Phelps Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the end of an era. This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi looks back on his tenure as host of Cutting The Distance as he shares 21 essential tips and bids a fond farewell to his listeners. Stick around after the podcast for an exciting update from future Cutting the Distance host, Jason Phelps.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi shares his favorite wild game holiday recipes.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi gives his insight into the best path to becoming a guide.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi offers his best late season tips as well on his thoughts on what to get the outdoors enthusiast in your life.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi answers your questions, including: how to avoid cold feet, how often he shoots his bow, best ways to courteously deal with pressure, and more.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi explains exactly why turkey hunting and elk hunting aren't as similar as some folks like to make them out to be.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi gives his thoughts on how -- and when -- to make a play on an animal.Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Cutting the Distance, Remi teaches us his strategies for calling in whitetails. Connect with Remi and MeatEaterRemi on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeShop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.