Missouri Woods & Water - Hunting and Fishing Podcast

Dan Johnson - Ep 334

Episode Summary

In this weeks episode of the Missouri Woods & Water Podcast, Nate Thomas sits down with Dan Johnson, host of the Nine Finger Chronicles Podcast and owner of the Sportsman's Empire Podcast Network, for a wide-ranging conversation about where hunting access is headed. The episode centers on the growing pay-to-play model in deer hunting, why permission is disappearing, and what that means for the next generation. They also talk through Dan’s knee replacement recovery, getting older, and how life changes when hunting, family, and health all start colliding. Thanks for listening!

Episode Notes

In this weeks episode of the Missouri Woods & Water Podcast, Nate Thomas sits down with Dan Johnson, host of the Nine Finger Chronicles Podcast and owner of the Sportsman's Empire Podcast Network, for a wide-ranging conversation about where hunting access is headed. The episode centers on the growing pay-to-play model in deer hunting, why permission is disappearing, and what that means for the next generation. They also talk through Dan’s knee replacement recovery, getting older, and how life changes when hunting, family, and health all start colliding.  Thanks for listening!

Key Topics

• Dan talks candidly about his knee replacement surgery, the pain, the recovery timeline, physical therapy, and how it has affected his mobility and hunting plans
• They compare how aging changes hunting, recovery, and family responsibilities, especially when kids are in sports and life gets busier
• Nate brings up Dan’s comments from a recent roundtable discussion about hunting legacy and the pay-to-play model
• Dan explains how land access has shifted from simple permission to leases, land purchases, and short-term paid access
• They discuss how out-of-state hunters, lease companies, and high demand for big deer can make access harder for local hunters
• Nate shares his own experience losing permission farms, getting priced out of leases, and realizing his sons may have fewer opportunities than he did
• The conversation turns to whether hunters, landowners, and states are prioritizing big antlers over broad access and opportunity
• Dan argues that future hunting access may depend on landowners choosing to share, hunters accepting smaller bucks, and families valuing opportunity over antler size
• They close by stressing that the future of deer hunting depends on people being less selfish and more willing to pass access on to the next generation

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