We start off by talking spawning bluegills with author Ryan McCaw. As water temperatures start to warm into the 70s, big bull headed panfish start showing up on beds. We discuss baits that are more likely to catch a true trophy sized blue gill (perfect for the frying pan). Ryan has a ton of great info in his book ‘Secrets to Catching More and Bigger Bluegill’ and we discuss his expertise and passion for North America’s most accessible and catchable type of fish.

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Next we visit with historian and author Dan Flores on the history and expansion of the Coyote throughout North America. It’s fascinating when you consider the coyote has basically mirrored humans step for step as they have colonized the entire continent, although coyotes did it from West to East. His book ‘Coyote America- A Natural and Supernatural History‘ comes out June 7th and we discuss how coyotes have been able to thrive under persecution from the government, hunters, ranchers, trappers etc for over 200 years. Dan argues that the more pressure put on coyotes, the more they proliferate. He also points out how Fission/Fusion societal differences between coyotes and grey wolves made wolves so easy to exterminate while coyotes thrived under the same pressure.

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We wrap things up by discussing Texas’ exploding alligator population and the subsequent hunting opportunities that are available. Longtime Houston Chronicle outdoor reporter Shannon Tompkins drops in to expand on a recent column he wrote concerning Texas alligators which have now been documented in 127 Texas counties- So whether you want to hunt gators in the fall or spring, the opportunity is certainly there!

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