Rack Junkies

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Aaron Futrell interview New Studio, New Podcast, and Big Things Coming for Rack Junkies Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

New Studio, New Podcast, and Big Things Coming for Rack Junkies

In our first interview from the brand-new Rack Junkies podcast studio, I'm joined by my cousin and business partner, Aaron Futrell, to talk about everything we've been working on and where we're headed next.

We're launching a new show hosted by Aaron called The Sportsmen's Party Podcast, which will focus on hunting news, wildlife issues, and the stories that matter to hunters across the country.

We also dive into the controversy surrounding Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), share some behind-the-scenes details from my interview with Vivek Ramaswamy, and discuss what Rack Junkies, The Hunting News, and Sportsmen's Party are turning into.

We've got some major guests coming up, some big plans in the works, and plenty of conversations that aren't going to make everyone happy. We're bringing in people we agree with, people we disagree with, and people who need to answer some tough questions.

This is just the beginning of what's coming out of the new studio.

Subscribe to Rack Junkies and stay tuned.

#RackJunkies #SportsmensParty #HuntingNews #CWD #HuntingPodcast #VivekRamaswamy

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

What nobody saw in the Vivek interview and another candidate for governor is coming Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

What really happened behind the scenes of my interview with Vivek Ramaswamy? In this episode, I break down how the interview came together, what happened before and after the cameras were rolling, why I pushed Vivek on hunting, conservation, the Fourth Amendment, and political accountability—and some of the things I would do differently next time.

I also talk about what’s coming next. Ohio Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Don Kissick is coming on the podcast, giving hunters and voters another opportunity to hear directly from someone running for governor. My goal is simple: get candidates on the record, ask the questions hunters actually care about, and give you the information to decide for yourself who deserves your vote.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

Vivek Ramaswamy for governor interview Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

I sat down with Vivek Ramaswamy for a wide-ranging conversation about hunting, fishing, wildlife management, and what his policies would mean for Ohio sportsmen.

We talked about a constitutional right to hunt and fish, Ohio’s open fields doctrine and warrantless searches on private property, DEI policies inside wildlife agencies, conservation funding, and his personal moral beliefs surrounding hunting and fishing. I also asked the question that ties all of it together: Why should hunters trust him to follow through?

Some of his answers were exactly what I expected. Others took the conversation in a direction I didn’t expect at all.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

I caught West Virginia covering up poaching cases inside the DNR Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I talk about a huge interview I have coming up next week with Vivek Ramaswamy, what I plan to ask him, and why having direct conversations with political leaders about hunting and wildlife issues matters.

I also break down President Trump’s new “Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage” executive order. The order directs federal agencies to look at expanding hunting access on federal lands, improving access to difficult-to-reach public land, supporting hunter and archery education in schools, addressing predator management, expanding wild-game donation programs, and several other issues that directly affect hunters.

Finally, I get into the West Virginia controversy I recently uncovered and what I’ve learned since I started digging into it. This episode is really about what happens when you start asking questions, getting access, filing records requests, and putting a microphone in front of the people making decisions that affect hunters.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

I just got back from the RNC in Dallas, and this was unlike anything I’ve ever done. Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

I just got back from the RNC in Dallas, and this was unlike anything I’ve ever done.

Hunter Nation invited me to join them, helped get me press credentials, and gave me an opportunity to put a microphone in front of some of the most influential people in government. Over two days, I interviewed members of Congress, senators, lieutenant governors, political leaders, celebrities, and others—and I got to ask them directly about the issues hunters actually care about: hunting, public land, wildlife management, wolves, and the future of the outdoors.

What really stood out to me was the amount of access Hunter Nation has built. It seemed like everyone was stopping by their suite to talk. They opened doors and helped me land interviews I never would have imagined getting just a few years ago.

And there’s a bigger lesson here: political engagement matters. Hunter Nation has spent years organizing hunters and pushing them to participate in elections, and now they have relationships and access at some of the highest levels of government. When hunters organize, vote, and make their voices impossible to ignore, politicians start listening.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of my trip to Dallas, talk about the interviews I landed, what I learned, and why I believe hunters having a seat at the table matters more than ever.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

I’m Going to the RNC with Hunter Nation — And Wolves Are Finally Being Delisted Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

I’m headed to the RNC with Hunter Nation, and in this episode I talk about why this trip could be a big opportunity for hunting and wildlife issues at the national level.

I also break down the fight to delist wolves and return wolf management back to the states. This has never been about wiping wolves out—it’s about managing them like every other wildlife species. The delisting process is a major step, but we know the lawsuits and political battles are coming. This fight is far from over.

We also talk about what Hunter Nation has been doing behind the scenes, why hunters need to be in the rooms where these decisions are being made, and why I’m going to the RNC looking for conversations, interviews, and ultimately real wins for hunters.

This is bigger than views and followers. It’s about getting things done.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

We are getting laws changed for hunters! Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

This episode is about something I think hunters have ignored for far too long: how laws actually get changed. Complaining online isn’t enough. If we want to protect hunting, private property rights, and our freedom to make our own decisions, we have to know which state legislators control the process, which committee chairs decide whether bills ever get a hearing, and where public pressure actually matters. I’ve now had state legislators from around the country reaching out to me, and West Virginia has already added new restrictions to the Open Fields Doctrine while lawmakers there are looking at going even further. We’re learning how to put pressure in the right places—and every person who shares a post, makes a call, sends an email, or speaks up becomes part of that pressure.

I also talk about why I don’t believe our hunting organizations and NGOs are doing enough of this work. Millions of dollars get spent every year, but too often the people with the power to actually change bad laws aren’t being held accountable. Hunters need to become more involved in the political process instead of allowing other people to decide how we hunt and what rights we have. And part of that means being willing to debate each other. We are not going to agree on everything, but open debate, disagreement, and honest conversation are how we sharpen our arguments, expose bad ideas, and eventually come together around better ones. If we stay silent, somebody else will make these decisions for us.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

DEI in the game agency and its dumber than you think Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Ohio’s wildlife agency is supposed to manage deer, turkey, fish, habitat and hunting opportunities. But behind the scenes, the Ohio Division of Wildlife has been working with the Wildlife Management Institute and a team of consultants on something called the “Relevancy Roadmap”—a plan designed to change how the agency operates, who it tries to reach and even its internal agency culture.

In this episode, I break down their own presentation, including the abandoned-lot pollinator project in Cleveland, outreach aimed at African Americans and young adults, and the larger effort to make traditional wildlife agencies “relevant” to people who may not hunt or fish. I also follow the money into Ohio State University projects, including $131,548 to study acceptance of white-tailed deer management, $88,118 for a deer stakeholder-engagement process, $181,998 to study recreational access and habitat conservation on private land, and $58,800 for “human dimensions” survey support.

Some of these projects may contain useful information. But hunters have every right to ask whether wildlife agencies funded heavily by licenses and firearm, ammunition, archery and fishing-tackle excise taxes are spending too much money studying messaging, public values, demographics and agency transformation—and not enough money directly serving hunters, managing wildlife and improving access.

Ohio Division of Wildlife Relevancy Project presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMjvnBWiC4s

Wildlife Management Institute’s explanation of the Ohio Relevancy Plan:
https://wildlifemanagement.institute/node/1124

Ohio State grant amounts and project descriptions:
https://senr.osu.edu/sites/senr/files/imce/files/CVs/2023/Bruskotter_2023.pdf

Wildlife Management Institute’s grant-funded new-hunter research:
https://fishwildlife.org/mscgp/grant_detail/F22AP01126

Search the Multistate Conservation Grant database:
https://fishwildlife.org/mscgp/grant_search

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

Government grant used to add anti hunters into game agencies Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

Hunters paid for a study that argues state wildlife agencies need fewer traditional hunting-minded employees and more people with non-hunting beliefs about wildlife management—including an emphasis on hiring nonbinary employees and other underrepresented groups.

In this episode, I break down the $142,974 Pittman-Robertson-funded project, what researcher Michael Manfredo and others mean by “traditionalists” and “mutualists,” and why the study discusses changing agency culture and overcoming resistance from current employees. The bigger question is simple: Are hunters’ dollars being used to improve wildlife management—or to reshape the very agencies that regulate hunters?

Grant amount: $142,974
Federal award number: F22AP00748
Funding source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Multistate Conservation Grant Program

Stephen Ziegler | Outdoor Writer
Mobile Hunting Expo Ohio • Friday & Saturday

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

Why can Game Wardens Sneak onto your property? Open Fields Doctrine Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

The Open Fields Doctrine allows game wardens and other law-enforcement officers to enter private land without a warrant, probable cause, or the landowner’s permission—and in this episode, I explain why the Supreme Court got it wrong. I break down the major court decisions that created and expanded the doctrine, examine the constitutional arguments behind them, and explain why private land should not lose Fourth Amendment protection simply because it sits outside the immediate area surrounding a home. At the end, I discuss what hunters, landowners, and state lawmakers can do to challenge these warrantless searches and restore meaningful property rights.

Rack Junkies and the hunting news

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