Advertise on podcast: Call of the Outdoors

Growing up with Yellowstone as your backyard gives you a unique appreciation for the great outdoors — just ask Senator James Malone.   The minority chair of the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee joins host Matt Morrett and Executive Director Steve Smith to discuss his journey from subsistence hunting in Wyoming to serving Pennsylvania’s top county for hunting licenses sold. He also shares details on a new bill that could boost hunter recruitment and how outdoorsmen can get involved with the legislative process.   Episode Highlights: Senator Malone’s background in the outdoors and how he got into politics Why he believes hunting is critical to conservation How the legislative process works with input from the public Details on his new initiative to promote hunting for future generations When and how to contact senators to make your voice heard   Resources: Learn more about Senator Malone’s first-time hunter deer tag initiative. Donate to Hunters Sharing the Harvest.  

Proposed Change to Firearms Deer Season At its meeting next week, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners will consider a proposal that could change opening day for hundreds of thousands of deer hunters. Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to explain details of the potential change, how it could affect other hunting seasons, and ways to share feedback with the board.   Episode Highlights: How seasons and bag limits are set Details on the proposals related to firearms deer season Why the board is considering a change The other seasons this proposed change would impact How hunters can make their voices heard and tune in to the meeting   Resources: Contact the Board of Game Commissioners with your questions, comments, or concerns. 

Hall of Fame trapper and award-winning bowhunter Tom Miranda joins host Matt Morrett to share insights from over 40 years in outdoor television and a lifetime in the woods. Learn what it takes to be a wilderness trapper, how he achieved the highest honor in conservation, and who he credits with influencing his hunting success.   Episode Highlights: What trapping taught Tom about the woods How he got his start in outdoor media Why trappers make the best bowhunters How he completed the archery Super Slam Tom’s tips for trapping and bowhunting   Resources: Get started trapping. Visit Tom Miranda’s website. Learn more about the Pennsylvania Trappers Association Rendezvous.

Drone recovery, shortened bear seasons, tree stand snacks — we’re tackling the tough topics! Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to answer YOUR questions, straight from social media. From what to do if you find a roadkill deer to why Sundays weren’t included for spring gobbler, they explain current regulations and the latest updates.    Episode Highlights: How changes to regulations, seasons, and bag limits are made What Sunday hunting opportunities will be available in the future Tips for legally packing a deer out of the woods How to get started with a career in conservation Details on junior and mentored hunting programs   Resources: Check current seasons and bag limits. Review regulations in the Hunting & Trapping Digest. Follow us on social media for updates. Contact the Game Commission.

Pennsylvania state game wardens don’t just check hunting licenses in the field — they wear many hats to protect people, wildlife, and habitats.   Col. Rod Danley, the new director of the Bureau of Wildlife Protection, joins host Matt Morrett to share the history of game wardens in Pennsylvania, the passion they share for wildlife, and how hunters can have a great interaction with a warden in the woods.   Episode Highlights: The role of Pennsylvania state game wardens  Tips for trapping coyotes and hunting the rut What to do if a game warden approaches you Why game laws are in place and common regulation questions Col. Danley’s vision leading law enforcement for the agency    Resources: Review the Hunting & Trapping Digest. Find tips for safe hunting. Learn more about Operation Game Thief.

Deer Camp Kinship: A Hunting Legacy of Giving Back We hit the road for every hunter's favorite place — deer camp! Host Matt Morrett is joined by Dan Smoker of United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania (UBP) and Game Commissioner Bob Schwalm to discuss the powerful sense of community behind our Pennsylvania hunting heritage. From mentoring new hunters to partnering with farmers to helping feed families in need, we dive into all the ways hunting unites Pennsylvanians for a greater purpose.   Episode Highlights: Details on the UBP annual hunt event and how bowhunters can participate The importance of building mutually beneficial relationships between hunters and farmers Why mentoring children and adults is critical to the future of hunting How to give back via Hunters Sharing the Harvest The value of deer camp comradery   Resources: Get involved with United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania. Consider donating to Hunters Sharing the Harvest. Purchase a mentored hunting permit. Review deer hunting regulations.   

Conservation funding is going off with a bang! Shooting Sports Division Chief Todd Holmes and Range Management Coordinator Luke Johnson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the value of the Pittman-Robertson Act to conservation, successful shooting range improvement projects, the new features drawing people to shooting sports, and the goals the Game Commission is aiming for in the near future.   Episode Highlights: · How the Pittman-Robertson Act plays a crucial role in conservation · The Game Commission’s public shooting range diversity, design, safety, and accessibility · Updates from the Shooting Range Improvement Program’s successful pilot year · Partnerships with sportsmen clubs and municipalities · Future plans for public shooting ranges · Tips when using the range and improving your shot   Resources: Find a shooting range near you Learn more about the Shooting Range Improvement Program Learn how the Pittman-Robertson Act benefits wildlife conservation Buy a shooting range permit

Pennsylvania is making momentous strides in shaping the future of conservation with Act 36 of 2025, which fully repeals Pennsylvania’s prohibition on Sunday hunting and authorizes the Game Commission to regulate opportunities.        Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Executive Director Steve Smith joins host Matt Morrett to commemorate the event that is going down in conservation history. They go on to discuss the behind‑the‑scenes legislative process that made this possible, provide a detailed recap of the thoughtful science-based decisions made during the Board of Game Commissioners meeting, and highlight exciting new opportunities for the 2025–26 seasons as a result of the executive order. A cumulative team effort dedicated to doing what's best for wildlife, Pennsylvania, and future generations!       Episode Highlights:     Where we started vs what we have accomplished in Pennsylvania.    Explanation behind the legislative process that led to Act 36.    Why the Game Commission used an executive order.    New opportunities available for 2025-26.    A glimpse into what hunting seasons may look like in the future.          Resources:     Watch recorded Board of Game Commissioner Meeting     Review the approved Sunday hunting dates for the 2025-26 seasons     For more details reference PGC Newsroom    Follow us on social media for timely updates   

Tree Trailblazers: Forest Stewardship & Wildlife Strategy   Managing over 1.5 million acres of land may seem daunting — but not for Pennsylvania Game Commission’s habitat management staff.     Northwest Regional Forester Scott Wolbert, Northcentral Regional Forester Dan Heggenstaller, and Forestry Division Chief Paul Weiss join host Matt Morrett to discuss how the agency uses sustainable forestry to create diverse ecosystems for better wildlife habitat.     Episode Highlights:   What is habitat?   The Game Commission’s role in forestry   The relationship between deer management goals and forest health   The role of deer exclosures and why the agency uses deer fencing   Tips for hunting inside deer fences   What hunters should look for to improve their season      Resources:   Learn more about the balance of healthy forests and healthy deer.   Find state game lands near you.  Learn more about habitat management in Pennsylvania.    

Episode 58: PA Residents Guaranteed an Antlerless License for Any WMU   You get an antlerless license! You get an antlerless license! Everybody gets an antlerless license!   Well, all residents for 21 days, anyway.   Executive Director Steve Smith and Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson join host Matt Morrett to discuss the biggest changes for the 2025-26 license year, including guaranteed antlerless licenses for residents, a shortened bear archery season, expanded DMAP opportunities, and a 10% cap on nonresident elk tags.     Episode Highlights How seasons and bag limits are set Whether guaranteed resident antlerless licenses will cause WMUs to oversell Why the bear archery season was shortened to one week The impact an extended DMAP season will have on overall harvest Tips for hunting state game lands Why hunters in some WMUs will have a higher personal limit for antlerless licenses Changes coming to the elk application process     Resources Log in to HuntFishPA to update your account. Find state game lands near you. Learn more about changes for the 2025-26 license year.      

If you can outsmart a longbeard here, you can probably outsmart one anywhere. Pennsylvania birds can be challenging to hunt. Grand National Champion and PA native Hunter Wallis joins host Matt Morrett to yelp about the Keystone State’s rich turkey hunting heritage, tips for calling in birds all season long, and woodsmanship skills for spring gobbler success. Episode Highlights: Tips for taking your turkey calling to the next level How to avoid overcalling and when to be patient after a tom’s gone quiet The skills to pair with solid calling to fill tags on pressured birds Ways to switch up tactics as the season progresses The importance of boots-on-the-ground scouting Resources: Explore more turkey hunting tips Review spring gobbler seasons and bag limits  Find state game lands near you Learn more about Nancy’s Vision Youth Turkey Hunt   #wildlife #conservation #nature #PennsylvaniaGameCommission #PAgameCommission #GameCommission #PGC #habitat #turkeyhunting #turkeys

It’s turkey time!   Wildlife Technicians Rachel Pennell, Tony Musselman, and Andrew Cushman join host Matt Morrett to discuss Pennsylvania’s largest-ever wild turkey study and their boots-on-the-ground experience with birds that will shape the future of turkey management in the state.   Episode Highlights:   How the turkey team uses thermal imaging and radio transmitter technologies to collect data Why temporary trapping and biological sampling provide valuable population info Anecdotal findings as the turkey team awaits final results of the study The truth behind common turkey myths The unlikely places turkeys nest The important role private landowners play in turkey studies Gobbler chronography as the future of turkey research   Resources:   Learn more about wild turkey research. Review seasons and bag limits for spring gobbler. Try these turkey hunting tips.  Find shooting ranges and places to hunt.  

Question: what kind of bear is best? Black bear! The Game Commission’s new Black Bear Biologist Brandon Snavely joins host Matt Morrett to provide insight into the latest black bear science, a look at a year in the life of a Pennsylvania bear, and tips for coexisting with these opportunistic omnivores. Episode Highlights: The state of the black bear population in Pennsylvania Current studies and research projects that will help shape bear management What biologists learn from visiting bear dens The diet and lifecycle of black bears How to prevent human-bear conflicts Resources: Learn more about black bears in Pennsylvania. Explore ways to be BearWise.

It’s about that time when white gold starts dropping in Penn’s Woods!  Forester Chris Sabol and Recruiting Outreach Specialist Tyler Strohecker join host Matt Morrett to share their tips for finding dozens of antlers across Pennsylvania public land and how shed hunting helps them harvest bucks each fall. Episode Highlights: The best time of year and conditions for shed hunting Where to look for deer and elk sheds  Tactics, technology, and gear to up your odds How shed hunting can help your fall hunting strategy Regulations on shed hunting in Pennsylvania  Resources: Find state game lands near you.   Learn more about deer and elk in Pennsylvania. Get familiar with forest habitat for wildlife.

Piling up corn for deer might seem helpful during harsh winters, but feeding wildlife is actually dangerous to animals and humans. Deputy Executive Director Dave Gustafson and Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Di Salvo join host Matt Morrett to explain how supplemental feeding negatively impacts wildlife, why food plots and birdfeeders are different, and how Pennsylvanians can create complex habitat in their own backyards. Episode Highlights: The ways supplemental feeding can harm wildlife How feeding deer can disrupt habitat for other species Why food plots can be beneficial for several species Best practices for birdfeeders Tips for helping wildlife long-term no matter where you live  Resources: Learn more about the dangers of feeding wildlife. Find six things you can do for wildlife. Explore ways to improve habitat for wildlife.