In this special Mother’s Day episode of the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast, Mike, Karen, Caitlin, and Poppy share stories and memories about Mike’s grandmother, Elizabeth “Nutt” Hartlieb, a complicated woman whose difficult upbringing shaped much of her life and relationships. Funny, uncomfortable, and heartfelt moments lead to a deeper conversation about family, resilience, gratitude, and the importance of choosing love and positivity even after hard experiences.

Mike sits down with Uncle Sim and Poppy to explore the history of the Cornwall iron mines, from their role in early American industry to their impact on the local community. Uncle Sim shares firsthand stories of mining life and explains how iron ore was mined and processed in Lebanon County. The episode wraps with the mine’s closure after Hurricane Agnes and reflections on how it shaped both the region and the Ruhl family.

A springtime catch-up episode where the crew reflects on recent family time, podcast recordings, and the busy transition out of winter. From turkey season “Valentine’s Day” hunts in New Mexico to gardening plans, bass fishing updates, and upcoming family trips, the conversation covers a little bit of everything. It’s a relaxed, story-driven episode about balancing life, family, and the outdoors.

Episode 78 dives into the remarkable story of Milton S. Hershey, tracing his journey from repeated failures to building a chocolate empire that transformed milk chocolate into an everyday staple. Through Uncle Sim’s firsthand experiences on a Pennsylvania dairy farm, the episode connects Hershey’s success to the hardworking families who supplied the milk that fueled it. It’s a powerful blend of American history, family storytelling, and the lasting impact of Hershey’s philanthropy and community vision.

In this episode, the Ruhls continue their family farm series by diving into springtime work, from hauling manure and preparing fields to planting crops with horse teams and coordinating large-scale threshing with neighbors. Uncle Sim shares vivid stories of hard labor, community cooperation, and Depression-era resourcefulness. The episode also captures the lighter side of rural life, with memories of softball, quoits, roller skating, and the mischievous traditions that brought the community together.

Dale and Denise Snyder share the story of how a farm upbringing and unexpected opportunities led to a lifelong career in zookeeping, filled with hands-on conservation work and unforgettable animal encounters. The episode highlights the vital role zoos play in education, wildlife rehabilitation, and connecting people—especially kids—to the natural world. At its heart, it’s a story about family, stewardship, and finding purpose in caring for animals and the environment.

In Episode 75, Mike sits down with Karl Malcolm for a wide-ranging conversation on conservation, forest health, and the critical role of disturbance in maintaining wildlife habitat. From black bear research to eastern forest ecology, Karl explains why habitat—not predators or disease—is the key driver of species success and how thoughtful management can benefit both wildlife and people.

Join the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society at ruffed.org

Episode 74: A Picture’s Worth...

In this episode, Mike and Caitlin are joined by GT for a conversation about old photographs, the memories they preserve, and the way a single image can instantly carry you back to a different time. What starts with digging through family photos for an Outdoor Ruhls social media project turns into a deeper reflection on family history, outdoor traditions, and the emotions tied to the pictures we keep.

Mike shares a photo of himself as a teenager with his friend Dan after what he believes was each of their first Canada geese, a picture that prompted him to reconnect with Dan and relive the story behind it. GT brings a family photo from a California vacation at Convict Lake in the mid-1990s, using it to reflect on family trips, how different people show up in the same photograph, and how pictures can preserve not just faces but the feeling of being together. Caitlin shares a childhood photo from a canoe trip in Sylvania, remembering both the fun of the adventure and the frustration of being badly outfished by another kid in the boat.

Mike then shares one of his most meaningful hunting photos: a candid shot of him, his dad, and Pop Grant after he killed his first doe as a 12-year-old in Pennsylvania. The picture captures more than the deer—it preserves a moment of pride, instruction, and connection between generations of family in deer camp. Later, Mike and Caitlin call Memaw and Poppy, and Memaw shares a remarkable old photograph of Aunt Lena’s store in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where Pop Bud learned the baking skills that became part of his legacy. That conversation opens into memories of Pop Bud’s extraordinary baking, the family traditions that came from it, and the way recipes, like photographs, can carry family stories forward.

This episode is about much more than photography. It’s about memory, legacy, family, and the small moments that become priceless with time. Some pictures are beautifully composed, some are candid, and some are technically nothing special at all—but the right one can still hold an entire world.

Website: https://outdoorruhls.com

Email: outdoorruhls@gmail.com

Instagram: @Outdoorruhls

Episode 73: Camping with Kate

Mike and Caitlin kick off the episode by looking back at last week’s conversation with Mountain Hollow Game Calls and celebrating the new “official turkey call” status for the Outdoor Ruhls podcast. From there, they welcome one of their longtime Yellowstone friends, Kate Olsen, for a conversation that feels equal parts reunion, storytelling session, and tribute to the wild, formative years they all spent working in the backcountry.

Kate shares how she grew up in central Pennsylvania, rowed in college at St. Lawrence, and drove west to Yellowstone almost immediately after graduation. What followed was a crash course in the realities of fieldwork in the American West: learning how to wear waders, carrying impossibly heavy packs, working with horses and mules, and diving headfirst into remote backcountry fisheries projects with almost no prior camping experience. The conversation revisits those early Yellowstone summers, especially the grueling work on Specimen Creek and Grayling Creek, where long hitches, huge loads, fire-scarred landscapes, and unpredictable conditions turned into some of the most unforgettable experiences of their lives.

The episode then shifts into a fun “best, worst, and weirdest” camping conversation. Kate, Mike, and Caitlin swap stories about freezing nights, forgotten sleeping bags, violent storms, collapsing tents, sketchy backcountry moments, and the strange but unforgettable realities of life lived outside for weeks at a time. Along the way, they talk about the little pieces of gear they now consider essential, how their camping styles have changed over the years, and why those hard, messy, hilarious trips remain some of the most meaningful memories they share.

At its heart, this episode is about friendship, resilience, and the kind of outdoor experiences that shape who you become. Mike, Caitlin, and Kate reflect on just how deeply those Yellowstone years still connect them—and why even after all the miles, jobs, and years that have passed, it still feels easy to pick up right where they left off.

Website: www.outdoorruhls.com
Email: outdoorruhls@gmail.com
Instagram: @outdoorruhls

Episode 72: The Legend of Mountain Hollow

Spring is creeping in, gobbles are echoing across ridges, and turkey season is officially on our minds. In this episode, Mike sits down with Jeremy Cressley and Adam Brewer of Mountain Hollow Game Calls, a small, family-run company with a 44-year legacy rooted in the hardwood ridges of Pennsylvania and New York. From booth days at the Harrisburg Great American Outdoor Show to the recent transition of ownership from longtime steward Ken Hamill to Jeremy, this is a conversation about tradition, craftsmanship, and keeping a hunting heritage alive.

Jeremy and Adam share how Mountain Hollow grew from a regional Northeast following into a nationally recognized brand, fueled by loyal customers, NWTF partnerships, pro staff and field staff teams, and a whole lot of time spent talking turkeys at outdoor shows. Adam’s story comes full circle—from being a 13-year-old kid idolizing the guys behind the booth to becoming one of the faces of the company himself. It’s a reminder that sometimes the hunting community is built one conversation at a time.

The guys break down the nuts and bolts of turkey calling—mouth calls (latex vs. prophylactic), box calls, double-sided friction calls, push buttons, locator calls—and how confidence and practice matter just as much as the call itself. They dive into public-land pressure, East vs. West turkey behavior, morning roost gobbles versus late-morning “lonely tom” action, and why sticking it out past 9:00 a.m. can change your season.

Beyond the gear, this episode is about passion: the obsession that gets you up at 4:00 a.m., the heartbreak of slow seasons, the magic of a 10:30 a.m. shock gobble, and the bonds formed over shared hunts. We also touch on Mountain Hollow’s growing YouTube presence with their Hollow Ground series and their involvement with the One Wish Foundation, helping create unforgettable hunts for kids facing serious illness.

If you love spring mornings, public land puzzles, and the sound of a gobble breaking the silence, this one’s for you.

Links & Resources

Mountain Hollow Game Calls
Website: https://mountainhollowgamecalls.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MountainHollowGameCalls

Outdoor Ruhls Podcast
Website: https://outdoorruhls.com
Email: outdoorruhls@gmail.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/outdoorruhls

Episode 71: A River Runs Through Us

Mike, Caitlin, Poppy, and Robert recap a family weekend trout trip to the world-famous San Juan River in New Mexico—one of the best trout fisheries anywhere, and only a few hours from home. Robert proudly reports on the highlights: cold mornings, frozen rod guides, lots of action early, and “pretty big” trout, while the adults compare notes on what they caught (mostly beautiful wild brown trout), how they fished (worms under bobbers, plus a jerkbait-style minnow lure), and why Robert is now lobbying hard for a pair of waders.

The conversation dives into what makes the San Juan special: a cold, consistent tailwater below Navajo Dam that creates year-round trout habitat, an upper section with special regulations (single barbless hook), and the mix of stocked rainbows and wild browns—including the very real possibility of hooking a monster fish. Poppy shares some of his favorite moments from the trip: fishing by headlamp in 14-degree air, ducks and geese overhead, turkeys gobbling nearby, and that unbeatable feeling of being outside while the day wakes up.

From there, Mike and Poppy take a nostalgic detour back to Pennsylvania trout culture—opening day traditions, 5:00 a.m. starts, claiming “your hole,” Dinty Moore beef stew on a camp stove, the Yellow Breeches pilgrimage near the hatchery, and the old deer camp weekends where a whole crew of dads and kids turned trout season into a family reunion. Along the way, they talk about the underestimated skill of bait fishing, reading the seam, dialing in weight and drift, and why trout fishing—no matter the method—has a way of anchoring you in the moment while still connecting you to family, memory, and time.

The episode closes with a reflection on why trout fishing shows up so often in literature, capped by Mike reading the iconic A River Runs Through It passage about “the Arctic half-light” and how, eventually, “all things merge into one.” It’s equal parts trip report, family story, and love letter to rivers.

Website: outdoorruhls.com
Instagram: @outdoorruhls

Episode 70: Love Ruhls

Throwback Episode: “Romancing the Spam” (Originally Episode 5)

It’s been a busy week around Outdoor Ruhls. We’ve upgraded the Outdoor Ruhls West Podcast Studio, and Mark and Rachel have been hard at work on a special cooking project we can’t wait to share more details about soon. We’ve also scheduled a family reunion for the end of March, and Mike and Emmit are heading back to Pennsylvania to spend time with family—including Uncle Sim and Uncle Dick—with plans (hopefully) to record more stories about family history, the Hershey chocolate story, and the Cornwall Iron Mine / Cornwall Iron Furnace chapters. And with Valentine’s Day just behind us, Mike is excited to replay this throwback episode featuring his favorite person: Caitlin.

In this special re-release, Mike and Caitlin revisit the early days of their story—how Caitlin grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, spending summers outside, playing sports, and building an early connection to fishing and the outdoors through family trips and time on the water. Caitlin reflects on her student-athlete path, including her late start in track that turned into becoming a Wisconsin state champion in the 400 meters, and how her love for wildlife, with a big assist from Steve Irwin, helped steer her toward conservation.

That conservation road leads straight to Yellowstone National Park, where Caitlin lands a Student Conservation Association internship and meets Mike. They talk about those intense early backcountry field days, learning the rhythms of wilderness work, and the now-legendary moment that inspired the original title: Caitlin’s first backcountry meal plan… featuring an unforgettable week of Spam.

From there, the episode follows the path from coworkers to partners: Caitlin’s return to Yellowstone for the wolf program winter study, her work in wildlife health, the early days of building a life together in Montana, and Caitlin’s first big-game success—a Fort Peck mule deer stalk that ended with one of Mike’s all-time coaching moments: reload. The conversation eventually brings things home to New Mexico, where they’ve continued hunting, fishing, working in conservation, and raising two boys—Robert and Emmit—who are quickly becoming part of the Outdoor Ruhls story themselves.

Website: outdoorrhuls.com
Instagram: @outdoorrhuls

Episode 69 Show Notes: A Homestead Castle

In this episode, Mike sits down with his neighbor John Brown—one of the most industrious (and endlessly interesting) people in New Mexico—to unpack the wild, winding story behind their little corner of Santa Fe. What starts as a conversation about neighbors and an RV park quickly turns into a deep dive into homesteading, New Mexico history, family legacy, and the kind of DIY grit that built a life on a windy ridge south of town.

Mike and John reminisce about the first time Mike and Caitlin drove out to look at a house—through an RV park, down a rough road, past a “junkyard,” and right into a welding-helmet introduction that somehow felt like home immediately. From there, John shares what life looks like today: helping run the 100-unit Santa Fe Skies RV Park, working as Safety Director for Bradbury Stamm Construction, supporting the family’s vacuum excavation business, and constantly building metal art sculptures out of salvaged scrap—from giant hearts to bottle trees and moving “pampas grass” sculptures that dance in the wind.

Then the story goes way back. John explains how the property became Brown Castle Ranch, including his family’s connection to the Homestead Act, a deed signed in the era of FDR, and a “landlocked” parcel that most people didn’t want—until it became one of the most scenic spots in the region. Along the way, John tells stories about the ranch’s history, including his late brother Willie’s collection of antique machinery (hit-and-miss engines and WWII-era equipment), and the remarkable legacy of John’s grandmother—whose behind-the-scenes work in Forest Service public relations helped shape the early Smokey Bear era.

The conversation also drifts into the bigger picture: Santa Fe’s growth, changing development pressures, and the never-ending puzzle of New Mexico water law—paper water vs. wet water—and how politics can shape everything from RV parks to suburban sprawl. And just when you think you’ve heard it all, John casually drops stories about being sent to Egypt at age 24 to rescue a million dollars’ worth of farm machinery from a port, and later traveling the world for motorcycle trials—from New Zealand to Namibia to scooters in Sardinia.

It’s a classic Outdoor Ruhls-style conversation: local, personal, hilarious at times, and packed with the kind of stories you only get by sitting down with a neighbor who’s lived ten lifetimes—and still has time to weld art outside the window while you’re recording.

Links & Mentions

• Outdoor Ruhls website: www.outdoorruhls.com

• Instagram: @outdoorruhls

• Santa Fe Skies RV Park: SantaFeSkiesRVPark.com

• Email: OutdoorRuhls@gmail.com

As always, thanks for listening—leave a review, share the episode with a friend, and send us your ideas for future guests and stories.

Show Notes — Episode 68: Expectation, Meet Reality…

After a full year of anticipation, Mike and Caitlin finally get the crew up at 3:30 a.m. and hit the ice—only to get completely skunked. Not a bite, not a fish in sight… just one lone pike visible down the hole, like it was there purely to taunt them. Which sparks the episode’s theme: all those times the outdoors (and life) humbles your plans and hands you a totally different version than what you pictured.

The Setup: Big Hype, Zero Fish

Ice fishing season in New Mexico can be short and unpredictable, so when the lake opens you go. Mike, Caitlin, the boys, and Necie make the early push and fish hard for six hours—moving, changing tactics, running tip-ups, checking electronics… and still come up empty. The day becomes the perfect launch point for a classic Outdoor Ruhls tradition: turning disappointment into stories.

Matt’s Classic: Getting “Marty’d”

Matt joins the call and brings up the infamous Canada guided fishing trip—supposed to be muskie glory, but instead became the birth of a family phrase: getting Marty’d. Their guide Marty catches fish while the guys struggle, then drops the all-time unhelpful explanation: fish like the way some people smell better than others. The trip ends with Poppy requesting “no more Marty,” and Marty gets reassigned to wheelbarrow duty.

Lake Erie Dreams… and Glass Water Reality

Matt and Mike relive the trip where they chased Lake Erie smallmouth fame only to get pinned down by wind for days. When it finally lays down? The lake goes dead calm and crystal clear—so clear they can see their tubes on the bottom… and, conveniently, the total absence of fish. All the hype, none of the payoff.

Mark’s Hunting Curveball: The E-Bike Letdown

Mark shares the story of buying e-bikes for deer camp—money spent, gear hauled, plans made—only to learn the trail they wanted to ride is off-limits. Instead of cruising in like futuristic backwoods commandos, it’s back to walking. It’s a perfect “expectation vs. reality” moment… with a side of Pennsylvania public land side-eye.

Poppy & Meemaw: Snow, Stubbornness, and 52 Years of Evidence

Mike calls Poppy and Meemaw, and the weekend’s “quick ice check” turns into a full-on snowbound adventure. Unplowed roads, blocked turnarounds, and a near-miss that has Meemaw flashing back to Cape Hatteras 1974—when a confident newlywed assured her the truck would be fine in the sand. The theme of the day becomes clear: no guts, no glory… but also, sometimes no guts, just stuck.

Mike & Caitlin: Barbary Sheep and Corner-Crossing Confusion

Caitlin’s Barbary sheep hunt gets the full reality treatment: flat tire, brutal road, sheep spotted… and then two hunters magically appear ahead of them by crossing a questionable public/private corner. The sheep bed right on the boundary, forcing a tough decision and showing how unclear rules can change the entire outcome.

Honeymoon Horseback Ride: The Worst Brochure Ever Printed

Mike and Caitlin swap one of their best “we thought this would be romantic” stories: a Nicaragua horseback ride that looks dreamy in the pamphlet—but turns into a two-hour trotting marathon on skinny horses, on roads, through town, in heat and humidity, with maximum chafing and minimal joy. Three beach pictures later, it’s back to trotting like their lives depend on it.

GT’s Houseboat Fiasco: Rainy Lake vs. Reality

GT tells the legendary Rainy Lake houseboat trip: the brochure promised a Northwoods yacht experience, but the reality was a floating 1960s camper, mechanical issues, storms, brotherly shouting in rocky channels, and a DEET sprayer that blasted mosquito repellent over dinner like seasoning. The cherry on top: months later a “gift” arrives postmarked from Canada—a DEET sprayer—thanks to a perfectly executed prank.

The Takeaway

Sometimes the outdoors doesn’t deliver the trophy—or even a bite—but it delivers stories you’ll tell for decades. Episode 68 is a reminder that “bad” trips often become the best memories… once you’re warm, dry, and far enough away from the moment to laugh about it.

As always, you can find all of the Outdoor Ruhls content on the website www.outdoorruhls.com, and on Instagram @outdoorruhlspodcast. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube—and you can always reach out via email at outdoorruhls@gmail.com.

Episode 67 Show Notes

A Ruhl’s Best Friend…

In this episode, Mike and Caitlin check in with Mark and Rachel from the Outdoor Ruhls East studio for a heartfelt (and funny) conversation about dogs—the ones we’ve lost, the ones who shaped our lives, and the ridiculous trouble they sometimes get into. The episode centers on saying goodbye to Hatch, Mark and Rachel’s beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and spirals into classic dog stories: skunks, stolen treats, fishhooks, and the kind of loyalty you only get from a four-legged best friend.

In This Episode

• Two studios, two households, one theme: dogs as family

• Mark and Rachel’s goodbye to Hatch (and what made him so special)

• Why Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are built different: water-loving, tough, and emotionally tuned-in

• Mike’s legendary dog Gus/Atticus stories—including the smoked trout “crime scene”

• Caitlin’s childhood cocker spaniel Murphy: Thanksgiving chaos, counter-surfing, and stolen treats

• The skunk incident that turned a pheasant hunt into a hazmat situation

• The accidental lesson everyone learns eventually: you can’t go “just look” at puppies

• The truth about dog sunscreen (yes… including that part)

• Bonus: a St. Bernard + black lab “mystery litter,” groundhog wars, and a terrifying possum chase

Featured Dogs (and Legends)

• Hatch (Chessie) – Loyal, gentle, empathetic, and the ultimate companion

• Gus / Atticus – The obedient gentleman… except for that one smoked trout

• Newt (Lab x Chessie) – Sweet, sensitive, semi-feral, and occasionally on the wrong side of the law

• Murphy (Cocker Spaniel) – Food-obsessed escape artist and treat thief

• Barkley (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) – Learned to swim… then fought a muskrat and ate a hook

• Trigger (St. Bernard x Black Lab) – Gentle giant, groundhog terminator, possum-fearing sprinter

Memorable Moments

• Hatch “ruing” one last time on his final day

• Murphy eating an entire apple pie… and smelling like apples afterward

• The skunk mix-up: “That’s a cat… wait… that’s NOT a cat.”

• Barkley’s pond era: from “learning to swim” to “defending the koi pond”

• The dog sunscreen debate—settled once and for all

Quotes Worth Remembering

• “We don’t deserve dogs… especially not the really good ones.”

• “You don’t go and look at puppies.”

• “If not friend, why friend-shaped?”

Where to Find Us

• Website: www.outdoorrhuls.com

• Instagram: @outdoorrhuls

• Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

A missed connection at O’Hare derails a long-planned flintlock hunting trip, sparking a conversation about knowing when to push forward—and when to bail. Mike reflects on the power of last week’s episode with Uncle Sim, the importance of community and perspective across generations, and how even bad luck can lead to better stories, new plans, and gratitude for the people (and dogs) who matter most.

Episode 65 — Winter Ruhls

In this mid-January “slow season” check-in, Mike, Mark, and Poppy look ahead to a quick Pennsylvania trip for the last week of flintlock/muzzleloader season—and hope for ice fishing that’s been spotty in PA and nearly nonexistent in New Mexico. To lean into the winter vibe, they call up Uncle Sim (born 1932, turning 94) to hear what winter meant on the Rexmont farm before TVs, freezers, and modern conveniences.

Sim walks the crew through old-school farm life month-by-month: holiday traditions, New Year’s butchering, and the realities of preserving food without modern refrigeration—smoked meats, canned meat (including his legendary canned tenderloin), dried produce on the woodstove, and hauling water by hand. The conversation is packed with details about how much work went into keeping a farm running through winter: manure piling and spring spreading, milking routines, and making do with limited electricity and heat from a single stove.

The stories really come alive when Sim describes the community that revolved around the farm—neighbors coming down for butchering weekends (and lively debates over pig weights), kids playing “boom sock” in the barn lofts, and entire mining towns forming hockey teams to play on the farm pond. He also dives into winter fun like sled riding from Rexmont down to the farm, and the grit-and-humor of growing up with a party-line telephone, Saturday-night baths, and a no-nonsense “wood chest” behind the stove for discipline.

Sim’s memories spill into food and market life too—potatoes and apples stored in the barn and basement, cider and apple butter days, and his mom’s Saturday market routine in Lebanon selling cakes, cookies, eggs, and chickens (plus a classic hot-dog theft-and-getting-caught story). Before signing off, Sim touches on small-game hunting traditions—how the boys couldn’t hunt until the corn was husked—and how different the hunting felt back then compared to today.

In this episode:

• Mid-winter hunting plans: flintlock/muzzleloader wrap-up + hoping for ice

• New Mexico vs. Pennsylvania winter realities

• Rexmont farm winters: butchering, preserving, and staying busy

• Canned tenderloin, smoked meats, dried produce, and life without freezers

• Community weekends: butchering gatherings, homemade wine, and farm “events”

• Barn games like “boom sock” and town-vs-town pond hockey

• Sled riding routes, party-line phones, and Saturday night bath routines

• Lebanon market trips: baking, selling farm goods, and Sim’s hot dog story

• Small game hunting and corn husking as the gatekeeper for fall hunting

Follow along:
Instagram: @OutdoorRuhls • Website: www.outdoorrules.com • Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube

Episode 64 Show Notes

Title: To Be Precise…

Hosts/Guests: Mark Ruhl with guest Dan (Rachel’s brother)

Main Topics: Precision/custom rifles, modern cartridges, optics, reloading, ethical range, and why Western hunts shouldn’t be put off.

Overview

Mark sits down with his brother-in-law Dan—an unapologetic precision-rifle nerd—to talk about how “custom rifles” have evolved from the old days of blueprinted Remington 700s to today’s world of high-end clone actions, carbon barrels, and purpose-built setups. They bounce between hunting and competition shooting, covering what matters most (and what doesn’t) if you’re trying to build a rifle that performs in the real world.

Key Conversations & Takeaways

Custom rifles: then vs. now

Dan explains how “custom” used to mean tweaking a factory action, but now includes a massive aftermarket of 700-footprint actions (Defiance, Terminus, Lone Peak, Impact, etc.) with features like DLC coating and shorter bolt throws. The takeaway: modern custom actions are generally excellent—it often comes down to preference.

Hunting reality check: don’t wait to hunt out West

Dan emphasizes that Western tags are getting more expensive and harder to draw, pressure is increasing, and conditions can change fast (winter kill, disease, predators). His advice is simple: if you want to hunt the West, do it sooner rather than later.

Tree stand grind vs. mountain grind

A fun comparison: Dan admits he’s wired for movement, so long, cold tree-stand sits are mentally harder than pounding miles in the mountains—even if the mountain is physically tougher. Still, they agree there’s value in the quiet headspace you get in a stand.

Factory ammo is better than ever (for most hunters)

Reloading used to be about saving money; now it’s often about precision. Dan says factory ammo can be “one-hole good” at 100 yards, but handloads shine when you care about SD/ES consistency for long-range steel. For hunting at normal distances, many shooters don’t need to reload if they find a factory load their rifle loves.

Cartridges: don’t get paralyzed by the debate

They dig into why modern cartridges like 7 PRC are popular: they’re designed around long, high-BC bullets, good external ballistics, and manageable recoil. But they also stress that within ethical hunting ranges, many cartridges are plenty lethal—what matters most is practice, good bullets, and knowing your limits.

Optics matter more than people think

Dan and Mark agree: if you’re spending big money, don’t blow it all on the rifle and cheap out on the glass. Quality scope + proper mounting (rings, torque, leveling) prevents a lot of “scope problems” that are really mounting problems.

Suppressors and kids

A strong point: kids often fear the noise more than recoil. Suppressors reduce blast, make coaching easier, and can improve shooting comfort—even if brakes reduce recoil more.

Competition shooting as hunter training

Dan says matches (especially NRL Hunter) expose what you don’t know—positional shooting, recoil management, building fast shooting platforms, and understanding wind/ballistics. His warning is blunt: a rifle marketed as “1000 yards out of the box” doesn’t mean the shooter is capable of ethical long shots on game.

Memorable Quotes / Moments

“Don’t wait” (about hunting out West)

“The rifle may be capable… chances are you are not.” (about long-range marketing)

Precision is fun, but the goal stays the same: shoot within your limitations—and actually know what they are.

Links & Mentions

Dan on Instagram: Transient Outdoorsman

Discussion of training resources and instruction (including Dan’s shoutout to precision-rifle coaching content)

Outro / Where to Follow

Find more Outdoor Ruhls content at outdoorruhls.com and on Instagram/Facebook at Outdoor Ruhls.

Episode 63 — “Pulpo Bob Goes Spearfishing”

Setting: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico — last full day of the trip, sunrise coffee over the Sea of Cortez, private beach cove + pool life with the kids.

Summary

The crew recaps a week in Cabo built around family and fishing: striped marlin “combat” fishing close to shore, a slow tuna day, and then a smaller-boat trip that produced tuna, wahoo, and the main event—Robert’s spearfishing mission. Along the way: sashimi and ceviche on the boat, the arch + Lover’s Beach, Wild Canyon animals (lovebirds, macaws, guinea pigs), and a reminder that the best part was being together.

Key Beats

Cabo basecamp

• Airbnb in the hills ~5 km from downtown; private pool + a private Sea of Cortez beach with a view of Cabo and the arch.

Customs surprise

• Mike gets hit with a 19% tax on “professional” podcast gear after choosing the X-ray line.

Fishing recap (4 different vibes)

• Striped marlin: not classic trolling—boats pile onto bait balls and free-line live mackerel; 4 hooked / 3 landed (~100–120 lbs).

• Dorado hunt: no dorado; bonito/skipjack; still ends up marlin fishing.

• Tuna day: eight-hour grind; a couple tuna lost; GT lands a marlin on a cedar plug.

• Small-boat troll (Diablo Loco): faster, deeper-running hard baits; captain “guns it” to set hooks—two yellowfin + one wahoo landed, plus a bigger fish lost mid-fight.

Main event: Pulpo Bob Spearfishing

• Robert drives the whole plan. Snorkel + fins + speargun over a rocky reef ~25 ft deep.

• Robert wears a wetsuit top + life jacket for warmth/comfort and stays in the water a long time—guide calls him “a beast.”

• Fish spotted: parrotfish, triggerfish, butterflyfish, puffers, and eel-looking guys (morae vibes). No speared fish yet—Robert is determined for next time.

Boat lunch + family fun

• Tuna sashimi + wahoo ceviche on the boat.

• Glass-bottom boat tour to the arch + Lover’s Beach (not Divorce Beach).

• Wild Canyon animals + surprise camel ride; kids’ favorites: pool, beach, guinea pigs, lovebirds.

Wrap + CTA

“No bad days” (except the tax-room hour).
More at www.OutdoorRuhls.com and Instagram @outdoorruhls.
Stormy Kromer orders / episode ideas: outdoorruhls@gmail.com.

Episode 63 – “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Flintlocks Revisited)” – Show Notes (Medium)

It’s Christmas week, and the Outdoor Ruhls crew is down in Cabo San Lucas with family—so instead of a brand-new episode, Mike replays a fan-favorite from last year: “Beautifully Imperfect,” the episode that captures why Pennsylvania flintlock muzzleloader season is the real “most wonderful time of the year” (and not Christmas). Mike opens with holiday wishes from the family to yours: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus, Happy New Year, and Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo.

Recorded live from deer camp (“the shanty”), Mike, Mark, and Matt revisit what makes flintlock season so special: it starts the day after Christmas, it’s uniquely Pennsylvanian, and it’s equal parts tradition, teamwork, and chaos. The guys break down how a flintlock works—flint strikes the frizzen, sparks ignite pan powder, fire runs through the touch hole—and why it’s so unreliable. Moisture, bad flints, powder leaking out, hangfires, misfires, and the infamous long lock time make follow-through essential. Even when everything works, flintlocks are harder to shoot accurately than modern rifles, and for most real woods hunting, 50 yards is a solid flintlock distance.

They share how the Ruhls got into flintlocks thanks to a high school biology teacher, Mr. Jerry Stover, and why this season became their favorite way to hunt together between Christmas and New Year. Much of the magic comes from deer drives—less sitting all day, more moving, more teamwork, and (in the good years) snow on the ground for tracking and unmistakable blood trails. They also touch on the appeal of the season’s tag structure in PA, where flintlock can turn into a rare chance at a statewide antlerless opportunity with the right permit.

Gear talk includes their evolution from patch-and-round-ball to conicals and eventually their go-to PowerBelts (around 295 gr), plus the hard truth that flintlocks generally need real black powder—substitutes and pellets can mean misfires or painfully slow ignition. And of course, they admit the obvious: they’ve missed plenty. Flintlocks have a way of failing at the worst moment… then firing perfectly five minutes later at a stump.

The episode closes with classic deer camp humor and family lore—like Davey’s early flintlock success, the crew’s running jokes about muzzleloader terms, and the legendary moment when young Mark sat down as a “stander” and Poppy furiously tried to signal “STAND UP” as a buck slipped through. It’s frustrating, it’s hilarious, it’s tradition—and it’s exactly why the season is, in their words, beautifully imperfect.

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