Ep. 233 - The Old Ozarks - On the Lookout for Ary New Deal Relics (S2:E3)
Welcome to the Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins... This week, we head out looking for "ary" trace of the Great Depression left on the Ozark landscape — and it turns out, once you know what to look for, you can hardly go "nary" a mile without finding one. We'll start in Grandpa's hayfield with the hillside ribs known as Mangum terraces, tracing their spread from a North Carolina farm in the 1880s to the terracing craze that swept the Ozarks under FDR's New Deal. Along the way, our short sweetenin' digs up the backwoods twins "ary" and "nary," archaic descendants of "ever a" and "never a" that once peppered everyday Ozark speech. Then it's on to the long sweetenin': a whirlwind tour of just how much New Deal alphabet-soup labor — the CCC, WPA, PWA, CWA, and NYA — physically remade this region, from state park lodges and courthouses to WPA schoolhouses, Razorback Stadium's earliest bones, and post office murals still hanging in Berryville and Fredericktown ninety years later. Let's dive into this episode of The Old Ozarks... What is The Old Ozarks? The Old Ozarks is your gateway to the forgotten history of the Ozarks. Hosted by renowned historian Dr. Brooks Blevins (the leading authority on the region’s history), this podcast explores the lives, legends, and landscapes that have shaped this unique region. Whether you’re a native Ozarker, a new resident, or a curious listener, join us as we share the stories that make the Ozarks special and connect us to our past.
Ep. 232 - Ralph Meeker - Small Property Deer Hunting: The Summer Checklist for Success This Fall
The deer you harvest this fall are being won right now. → Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler → Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER Arkansas Game & Fish State Deer Coordinator Ralph Meeker breaks down the summer checklist every small property hunter needs before season opens. From designating a sanctuary and hinge cutting the right trees, to understanding why deer remember your stand location down to 55 extra yards by season's end, Ralph gives you the science-backed playbook for holding more deer on limited ground. You'll also learn why summer is actually the most nutritionally stressful time for deer — and how that changes what you should be doing on your property today. This is the episode that turns a 22-acre hobby into a deer hunting system. Together with... Vortex Optics - Industry leader in scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars Poncho Outdoors - Outfitting the modern outdoorsman (claim $10 off) Ember Shoals Outdoor Resort - Just steps from World-Class Trout Waters 0:00 – Why You Should Be Thinking About Deer Right Now 3:00 – The Four Biological Needs That Keep Deer on a Small Property 7:00 – Urban vs. Rural Deer 13:00 – What to Look for When Walking Your Property 18:00 – Why Ozark Deer Don't Get as Big as Kansas & Texas Deer 24:00 – Hinge Cutting: Which Trees to Remove & Which to Keep for Deer 32:00 – Sanctuaries: How Much of Your Property to Lock Down & Why 36:00 – How Hunting Pressure Changes Deer Behavior (The 55-Yard Study) 40:00 – What to Do If You Find a Fawn This Summer What is The Ozark Podcast? In the Ozarks, people have always lived in rhythm with the natural world. Hunting, fishing, and living off the land, aren't just things we do, it's who we are. And though our lives are inextricably linked to the land we live on, we've never been more disconnected from it. So join us, as we travel across the region to bring you the voices of the Ozarks to deepen your connection with the land, sharpen your skills in the outdoors, and help you learn what it means to be an Ozarker. Our hosts are Kyle Veit and Kyle Plunkett, and our producer is Daniel Matthews Theme music: 'American Millionaire' by JD Clayton Catch up with us on Instagram and Facebook @theozarkpodcast PLEASE reach out to us with any recommendations or inquiries: theozarkpodcast@gmail.com
Ep. 231 - Chad Johnson - The Hatch Gap: A Guide's Playbook for "Slow Times" on the White River
You're fishing the White River, but there's no hatch...Now what? → Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler → Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER Top White River guide Chad Johnson is back for part two — and this time it's all about bugs. He breaks down the three major hatches on the White River, what's actually changing about them year over year, and the simple seasonal framework that tells you exactly what to tie on from January through fall. More importantly, he reveals what to do on those in-between days when there's no obvious hatch — and why adjusting your depth six inches might be the only fix you need. If you've ever stood on the White River wondering why the fish won't eat your fly when you can literally watch them rising, this episode has your answer. Together with... Vortex Optics - Industry leader in scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars Poncho Outdoors - Outfitting the modern outdoorsman (claim $10 off) Ember Shoals Outdoor Resort - Just steps from World-Class Trout Waters 0:00 – The Three Major Hatches on the White River 5:00 – The Caddis Hatch 9:00 – The Sulfur Hatch 14:00 – The Dorito Rule: Why Fishing a Hatch Is a Completely Different Game 17:00 – Summer Fishing: Why You Flip from Fishing Bottom-Up to Top-Down 19:00 – What to Throw When There's No Hatch On (Browns vs. Rainbows) 26:00 – How to Read Fish Behavior When They Won't Eat Your Fly 30:00 – The Five Flies You Need to Fish the White River All Year 33:00 – Dave Whitlock's Lesson What is The Ozark Podcast? In the Ozarks, people have always lived in rhythm with the natural world. Hunting, fishing, and living off the land, aren't just things we do, it's who we are. And though our lives are inextricably linked to the land we live on, we've never been more disconnected from it. So join us, as we travel across the region to bring you the voices of the Ozarks to deepen your connection with the land, sharpen your skills in the outdoors, and help you learn what it means to be an Ozarker. Our hosts are Kyle Veit and Kyle Plunkett, and our producer is Daniel Matthews Theme music: 'American Millionaire' by JD Clayton Catch up with us on Instagram and Facebook @theozarkpodcast PLEASE reach out to us with any recommendations or inquiries: theozarkpodcast@gmail.com
Ep. 230 - The Old Ozarks - These Sticks are Made for Walkin' (S2:E2)
Welcome to The Old Ozarks with Dr. Brooks Blevins... This week, we start with a word that'll make any bush-hogger wince — "stob" — before hobbling our way into the true tale of a tiny Arkansas crossroads with a mighty title: the Walking Stick Capital of the World. We'll trace the Scots-Irish roots of "stob," pay tribute to Karl Childers and Sling Blade along the way, and then head to Fryatt, Arkansas — a wide spot in the road barely big enough to see both its highway signs at once — to meet Newt Blagg, the handle-maker turned cane man who founded a walking-stick dynasty out of a borrowed barn in 1931. We'll cover his unlikely brush with a stray bullet on a Kansas train, the steam barrels and drawknives that bent hickory into "Little Bo Peep" crooks, and how his craft passed down through generations of Berrys, Albrights, Flynns, and Marlers until Fryatt earned its unofficial crown as the cane-making capital of the world. It's a story of stobs, sticks, and the quiet Ozark ingenuity that turned scrap hickory into a national industry. Let's dive into this episode of The Old Ozarks... What is The Old Ozarks? The Old Ozarks is your gateway to the forgotten history of the Ozarks. Hosted by renowned historian Dr. Brooks Blevins, the leading authority on the region’s history, this podcast explores the lives, legends, and landscapes that have shaped this unique region. Whether you’re a native Ozarker, a new resident, or a curious listener, join us as we share the stories that make the Ozarks special and connect us to our past.
Ep. 229 - Chad Johnson - What is 'The Push' on the White River? The Guide Secret Most Anglers Don't Know About
Most anglers sit and wait on the White River. The best guides are always moving. → Join other Ozarkers in our Patreon - The Holler → Get weekly updates, show notes, and stories in our NEWSLETTER Top White River guide Chad Johnson reveals one of the most overlooked tactics in Ozark fly fishing: chasing "the push." When rising water triggers a feeding frenzy, most anglers enjoy it for a few minutes and stay put. Chad explains why the smartest move is to run downstream and get ahead of it again, and again, and again. He also breaks down the full picture: how to read the generation schedule, what CFS numbers mean for your day, and the single rule that tells you exactly where brown trout are holding at any flow level. Whether you've never fished the White or you've been coming for years without cracking the code, this is the episode that changes how you think about tailwater fishing forever. Together with... Vortex Optics - Industry leader in scopes, rangefinders, and binoculars Poncho Outdoors - Outfitting the modern outdoorsman (claim $10 off) Ember Shoals Outdoor Resort - Just steps from World-Class Trout Waters 0:00 – Welcome to Diamond State Fly Co. 8:30 – Why You'll Never Fully Understand White River Flows 9:00 – How the Dam Actually Works 11:30 – How to Read the Generation Schedule (swpa.gov Walkthrough) 17:00 – Low Water vs. High Water 21:00 – Why Big Browns Are So Hard to Catch 29:00 – What Is "The Push" — And How to Chase It Down the River 34:00 – Ideal CFS Numbers for Every Type of Angler 37:00 – The #1 Rule for Finding Brown Trout at Any Flow Level What is The Ozark Podcast? In the Ozarks, people have always lived in rhythm with the natural world. Hunting, fishing, and living off the land, aren't just things we do, it's who we are. And though our lives are inextricably linked to the land we live on, we've never been more disconnected from it. So join us, as we travel across the region to bring you the voices of the Ozarks to deepen your connection with the land, sharpen your skills in the outdoors, and help you learn what it means to be an Ozarker. Our hosts are Kyle Veit and Kyle Plunkett, and our producer is Daniel Matthews Theme music: 'American Millionaire' by JD Clayton Catch up with us on Instagram and Facebook @theozarkpodcast PLEASE reach out to us with any recommendations or inquiries: theozarkpodcast@gmail.com