In this episode of the Spotted Dog Podcast, we sit down with Cody Sedotal of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the state’s Small Game and Wild Turkey Program Manager, for a deep dive into Louisiana turkey hunting and turkey management. We talk turkey numbers, habitat, nesting success, gobbling activity, why some parts of the state are thriving more than others, and what the data actually says about recent season changes.

Cody breaks down Louisiana’s 2025 reported harvest, the impact of the new Jake rule, why dry spring weather matters so much for reproduction, and why hearing a gobbler doing it right may be what turkey hunters love most. We also get into common misconceptions from hunters, how turkeys shift from winter to spring patterns, and what it really takes to grow more birds on the landscape.

If you care about turkey hunting in Louisiana, this is one you need to hear.

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On this episode of The Spotted Dog Podcast, we sit down with the two brothers behind Tone 29 Custom Turkey Calls. These Arkansas boys may be young, but their passion, knowledge, and stories say otherwise. From chasing longbeards to building custom calls with purpose, they carry the kind of wisdom, grit, and campfire storytelling you usually only hear from the old-timers.

We talk turkey hunting, the craft behind great calls, lessons learned in the woods, and why these two are on track to become serious names in the hunting industry. This one feels like sitting around camp with guys who were born for it.

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In this episode of The Spotted Dog Podcast, we sit down with John Hanks, Large Carnivore Biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, to unpack the historic 2025 Louisiana black bear hunting season.

Not long ago, the Louisiana black bear was on the brink of disappearing. Today, thanks to decades of research, habitat work, and careful management, the population has rebounded enough to support a tightly regulated harvest. John walks us through how that recovery actually happened, what biologists are seeing across the state right now, and why this season marked such an important milestone for conservation.

We talk population numbers, habitat expansion, how bears are being monitored, what surprised biologists during the 2025 season, and what the future holds for both hunters and the species itself. This is a behind-the-scenes look at modern wildlife management and a reminder that conservation success stories don’t happen overnight.

Whether you’re a hunter, landowner, or someone who simply wants to understand how Louisiana’s wildlife is managed, this conversation gives real insight into one of the state’s greatest conservation comebacks.

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