Mississippi Outdoors Podcast

In this episode, host Matt Wyatt sits down with Camille Richards to explore the story behind the Mississippi Paddle Mafia—a grassroots paddling group that’s become a driving force for community, conservation, and outdoor adventure across the state. Camille shares how the group started, the unique name origin, and how they're introducing more Mississippians to the rivers, bayous, and backwaters of their own backyard. From overnight camping floats to adaptive paddling outreach, this episode charts a course through both fun and purpose on the water.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Florence native and professional baseball player Davis Bradshaw. They talk about his journey through the ranks of baseball and what it’s like now playing for the Mississippi Mud Monsters. But just as important to Davis is his life off the field. From deer hunting in his backyard to duck hunting in the Mississippi Delta, Davis shares how the outdoors keeps him grounded, no matter where baseball takes him.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, host Matt Wyatt sits down with the officers of the Law Enforcement K-9 Division at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Officers share their stories about how they became conservation officers, what led them into the world of working dogs, and how these K-9s help track missing persons, assist in investigations, and support search and rescue operations across Mississippi. You’ll hear how these elite dogs are trained, what makes them special, and why this unit is such a critical part of protecting both people and wildlife in Mississippi.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Dr. Holley Muraco, a marine mammal researcher with Mississippi State University’s Coastal Research and Extension Center. From growing up in Potts Camp to training dolphins at Disney and researching walruses in Alaska, Dr. Muraco shares her fascinating path back to Mississippi. She dives into the state’s surprising marine mammal diversity, including urban dolphins in the Mississippi Sound, manatees most people never see, and even resident sperm whales and giant squid battles off our coast.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Trent Ellis, a Mississippi hunter turned viral storyteller, to talk about his path from a quiet finance office to social media stardom. Trent shares how he went from sitting in a school break room with zero clients to making millions of people laugh online. They talk about overcoming rejection, working with what you’ve got, and why the best content comes from real life and the rural South.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, Matt Wyatt sits down with Dr. Richard Buchholz, biology professor at the University of Mississippi, to explore the strange and fascinating world of wild turkeys. Dr. Buchholz shares his journey from the Bronx Zoo to studying wild turkeys in the Florida wilderness, eventually becoming a leading researcher on turkey behavior, mating displays, and yes—the science of the snood. They also discuss his work with oscillated turkeys in Central America, his surprising methods for catching them, and the growing success of the Gulf Sea Life citizen science app.

Host Matt Wyatt welcomes back Kennie Prince, retired conservation officer and author of Poacher’s Nightmare, for more outrageous and unforgettable stories from his undercover career. Kennie shares new tales—from a fake duck hunt gone sideways, to a turtle trafficking ring tied to international exports, to a gun buy that accidentally knocked out fiber optic service to 800 homes. He explains how going undercover was as much acting as it was law enforcement, and how even his wife got in on the role. With humor, danger, and the kind of stories only real field experience can deliver, this episode dives even deeper into Mississippi’s wild side.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, host Matt Wyatt welcomes back Anthony Ballard, Black Bear Program Coordinator for MDWFP, for a deep dive into one of Mississippi’s greatest wildlife comeback stories. Anthony shares updates from this year’s den checks, which revealed a record number of litters across the Delta. He explains how female bears raise cubs in cypress trees, what threatens their survival, and how the population is expanding across the state. The conversation covers bear behavior, cub development, and the challenges of darting a live bear at five yards—all while highlighting the importance of public education in reducing human-wildlife conflict.

In this episode of the Mississippi Outdoors Podcast, host Matt Wyatt talks with Chris McDonald from the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce about the state’s expanding efforts to control the wild hog crisis. Chris shares how Mississippi became the first state ag agency in the nation to lead a hog trapping program and how that program has grown from a simple contest to a full-scale, multi-county operation. The conversation covers funding, trap loans, landowner support, and the innovative Youth Trapping Corps, which partners with FFA chapters to teach kids how to trap, weld, and launch their own local businesses. If you’re dealing with wild hogs—or just want to know how the state is fighting back—this one’s for you.