Arizona Afield

In the upland world,  Chukar are known as a brutal bird to hunt. It's not their brutish size that earns them the name "Devil Birds", most are roughly the size of a forest grouse. It's their tenacity & wiles in the rugged and rocky terrains they inhabit that have earned them their many nicknames and reputation. Within Arizona, there are very select and remote locations where to find these birds and hunt them. I had a chance to sit down with Michael Cravens, a small game fiend on his way to completing all 4 of the Small Game Challenges in Arizona, with the goal of being the first person to do so. Mike recounts the hunts as well as some tangental topics of living in his new home near Flagstaff, his passion for cooking wild game and more! We hope you enjoy this episode!

In Arizona, the biggest state holiday following the Fourth of July is the Dove Opener on September First. While it's not an official holiday, it should be, as thousands of Arizonians & out of state hunters flock to the deserts to pursue Mourning, White-winged & Eurasian Collared Doves. With all this excitement, one place stands apart from Arizona for the sheer amount of Doves, and coincidingly, Dove Hunters. Yuma. Just saying it evokes thoughts of dove hunting to hunters across the southwest. Join me as I talk dove hunting in this Dove Mecca with staff from Quail Forever & AZGFD!

After a dismal display of archery recently, I sat down with Travis Browning of Archery Headquarters to talk about conquering Target Panic or "The Gitch" as it's known around the shop. Travis breaks down drills and tips on how you can figure out this issue before the season gets here and as always, we talk a little deer hunting around State 48

Last week I met up on a frigid and damp December morning to talk about January OTC deer hunting. Like all good conversations, we followed many rabbit holes and general tangents were taken. As always, it was a great convo with tons of great info for anyone interested in learning more about hunting the winter & spring seasons in Arizona

After dinner, the hunters and mentors of the 1st annual Women's Gambel's Quail Weekend joined me to record a podcast. The conversations and laughs of this episode made for what is easily the most enjoyable and informational episode I have had the pleasure to be a part of. Ranging in experience levels from brand new shooter to multiple seasons behind pointers, our guests share the lessons learned and dispense their own advice to those who are interested in hunting. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Thank you to the Valley of the Sun chapter of Quail Forever and the Horseshoe Ranch for facilitating this awesome hunt. 

Who out there wants to take better outdoor photos? That's the focus of this episode, where we dive into some of the tips and guides of outdoor photography,  running down a few rabbit holes along the way

Hey Folks!

It's Jess with AZ Afield, You bet!

If that intro sounded a bit familiar, it's because you've watched some of the content generated by Phoenix's new fly shop owner, Chris Rich. An AZ native, Chris has a passion for the sport that has led him and a team of fish minded and dedicated staff to creating "The World's Friendlist Fly Shop" 

Be sure to check out this episode, and the Shop this summer in preperation for your next Fly Fishing Foray!

I was able to track down and hang out with Brad Brooks for a few minutes between meetings at Argali. Brad is a wealth of outdoor knowledge and a fun conversationalist. We talk about Argali, their products both digital and material, as well as his passions for wild places

For our 14th episode, we sat with Matt Davis. Owner, Founder an head honcho at Final Rise vests in Utah. Matt is a great dude with a real passion for hunting and the gear that goes into it. 

On this episode, I was able to sit down and talk hunting and glassing with Mark Boardman from Vortex Optics. Mark is a wealth of Info and a great dude. I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you will too!

Recently we were able to sit down with the Dialed In Hunter Josh Kirchner and go over his tips and tactics on how to approach the spring bear seasons in Arizona

Brent Perkins and I headed out to meet up with Chris "Critter' Despain who showed us the ins and outs of how to catch Flathead Catfish in Arizona's Lakes and Rivers

Hunter Membership, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the AZ Wildlife Federation. We cover all this and more on this episode with Michael Cravens. 

Hey Everybody and welcome to the new re-branded Arizona Afield! This is the niche-less outdoorsman's podcast where we are here to showcase all that Arizona has to offer the opportunistic outdoorsman! 

On today's episode, we talk about the re-branding, gearing up for spring flathead season, some tips to help your spring turkey scouting and a bit more! check out this 50 minute package of info to help y'all in 2021!

The Proposed trail cam ban , the upcoming elk and pronghorn draw as well as Javelina Hunting in Arizona are discussed 

Stay Informed 11/23/2020: Updated Hunt Tag List & a Masked Bobwhite Volunteer Opportunity!

Tonight we sit down and discuss the recent Hunting for Sustainability event hosted by the NAU chapter of BHA near Sedona Arizona. We talk about the lessons and seminars, good food and great people who attended this event and a bit of everything else that envelopes this wild world we call upland hunting! 

On this short news week, Arizona has posted over 2600 Leftover tags for the 2021 Spring Season, as well as their November Fishing Report!

On today's Episode - It's all about keeping you informed of the goings on in the outdoor realm all around Arizona!

Links and Emails mentioned in the episode:

mightswellmedia@gmail.com - to contact us

terry@azmuledeer.org  - for AMDO events & Youth Hunts

azgfd.com/hunting/mentoredcamps - For all mentored Hunts

george.gumerman@nau.edu - For the BHA sustainability workshop

votsqf.com - For the Burro Creek Hunt

dffm.az.gov - For Fire restriction and stage definitions 

On this Episode, we talk with Pat Moore of Blacktree Kennels. Pat is a Trainer, Guide and Wildland Hot Shot based in Flagstaff. We talk about our recent dog training trip to Nebraska's Panhandle Region, including a dog getting struck by a Prairie Rattlesnake. Plus we talk about some tips as well as some Do's and Don't for your pup this season. 

Pat can be found at @blacktreekennels on IG or Blacktree Kennels on Facebook

*There is some minor cussing that has not been edited 

In this brief episode, I talk about the ups and downs of the 2020 Hunting Season Opener, as well as discuss what the future holds! 2020 is shaping up to be a really cool season! Can't Wait!

Today, we spend a brief second talking about some simple resources available to hunters looking for a place to hunt, from the government webpages to third party vendors it's all given a going over

Hello and Welcome to Episode 001! On this numero uno episode, we dive right in with skimming the surface of dove hunting in Arizona, good old State 48! We quickly go over some basics including shotguns, licensing, clothing and ammo choices, as well we a glance over at the tactics section with pass shooting versus gunning over decoys. If you like the episode, or even if you didn't make sure to leave us a review and let us know how we can better become a resource to help bring more folks into the outdoor fold!