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Introduction to Adirondack Deer Hunting – East to West Podcast Episode 22

  Learn how to get started with Adirondack Deer Hunting on this week’s East to West Hunting Podcast Show Notes: Adirondack guide Jamie Frasier joins us this week to introduce you to Adirondack deer hunting. Want to learn how to hunt big woods deer? This conversation is a general introduction to getting you started. Topics include: Mentally preparing for Adirondack hunting Setting realistic expectations How much area to hunt and what to generally look for Read more…

By Todd Waldron, ago

Backcountry Meal Trials – Freeze Dried Taste Test (Part 1)

Any set of backcountry meal trials for wilderness hunting would not be complete without taste-testing some of the most popular, widely available freeze dried packaged meal options.  Most of the backcountry meal packages used in this test were purchased from my local outdoor shops.  Several of the meals were gifted from friends stashes, and some were purchased from Amazon. The previous edition of the series examined the question of how much food a person should Read more…

By Jeff Jones, ago
developing your land ethic

Podcast Episode 21 – How to Develop Your Land Ethic

East to West Hunting Podcast Episode 21 is now available Developing Your Conservation Land Ethic. Listen to Professor Emeritus Jim Coufal of the State University of NY College of Environmental Science and Forestry explain how to understand and approach Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic. Jim is a past National President of the Society of American Foresters and was instrumental in placing land ethic language in their charter in the 1990s. Background Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic was Read more…

By Todd Waldron, ago

Backpack Meal Testing – How much food should you pack?

I would like take a short break from our meal testing series (see part 1, part 2, and part 3) to ask the question: How much food should you pack for a backcountry trip, exactly? That is an exceedingly difficult question to answer as there are many variables. Seasons matter, so it is warm or cold? Activity defiantly counts, so is this rough terrain or flat? Hunt style definitely plays a part, so it is Read more…

By Jeff Jones, ago

East to West Hunting Podcast Episode 20 – The Frogcast: Frog Gigging with Carla & Dan Denn and Tom Hammond

Do you ever feel like trying something new? This week, Carla & Dan Denn from Denn Handmade Knives and Tom Hammond join us for our first ever frog gigging adventure on Minerva Lake in the Adirondacks. This episode was one of our funnest yet and includes actual footage from the boat as we were frog hunting, then in the kitchen as we tasted what turned out to be an incredible frog leg meal, and then Read more…

By Todd Waldron, ago

Backpack Meal Trials – Snacks and Add-ons

We have examined breakfast options and meal bars in this series so far, but what about snacks?  Pretty much everyone takes a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break with a quick fuel up snack, right? I wanted to look a few readily available options that I had hanging around the pantry to see how they compare.  I have most of these items on a subscription delivery from Amazon as they end up in my daughter’s lunch box Read more…

By Jeff Jones, ago

East to West Hunting Podcast Episode 19 – Public Lands Advocacy with Andy Kerr

This week, we have the pleasure of speaking with long-time Oregon-based conservationist and public lands strategist Andy Kerr, Czar of the Larch Company, who has been at the forefront of the public lands debate for over four decades. Andy is a public lands strategist who has been involved with creating over 47 wilderness areas during his career, and he shares his perspective on current public lands issues and how to get things done as a Read more…

By Todd Waldron, ago

Backpack Meal Trials – No Cook Breakfast

UPDATE 05 AUG 18:  Added Good To-Go package weight. I made a terrible error on our elk hunt in 2016. That error was the assumption that my 25 years of Army service, and 25 years of eating terrible tasting meals-ready-to-eat, meant that any backpacking meal would be good. I did research: internet reading, listened to podcasts, and talked to some folks. I focused on calories alone in the planning. I did not do any empirical Read more…

By Jeff Jones, ago

East to West Hunting Podcast Episode 18 – Private Forests, Public Benefits with Brian Dangler of The Conservation Fund

America’s 400 million acres of working forests provide immeasurable benefits to our society – ecosystem services, fresh air, clean water, habitat, open space, and sustainable forest products. Working forests protected by conservation easements are privately-owned forests that offer great public benefit. Since its inception in 1985, The Conservation Fund has protected 7.8 million acres of habitat in all 50 states. Brian Dangler is VP and Director of TCF’s Working Forest Fund, and he joins us Read more…

By Todd Waldron, ago