The Outdoor Gibbon – Details, episodes & analysis

The frost finally arrived, and with it a frank look at what winter really means for working countryside life. We open with frozen offices, hungry pheasants, and a social media landscape that keeps shifting under the boots of anyone who mentions fieldsports. Then we settle in at a Perthshire kitchen table with farmer and comedian Jim Smith to talk roots, resilience, and why a good laugh sometimes saves the day.

Jim’s story starts with bales, tatties, and Young Farmers’ stage nights, then leaps to five nerve-shredding minutes at The Stand and the improvisational chaos of Scott Squad. He explains how sketches turned into tours, how he retooled the farm to handle gigs, and why diversified work only sticks if it respects the seasons. We compare the soggy springs and scorched summers that define modern arable, the quiet power of long northern daylight, and the culture shift as estates consolidate, tenancies shrink, and small farms fight to keep a foothold.

We also go where Instagram rarely does: the money and the mind. Sheep margins, beef prices, supermarket strategies, and the hard math behind expensive kit get stripped back to the basics. Jim shares a plain-spoken take on mental health, spotlighting RSABI, Farm Strong, and the slow-burn stress of a job you can’t switch off. Along the way, we dig into provenance and food miles, the role of venison and game in everyday kitchens, and why teaching simple butchery skills can stop pheasants becoming landfill.

By the end, you’ll hear why farm humor travels—across borders and accents—because the truths are universal: weather swings, stubborn yows, and bills that don’t wait. If you care about real farming, rural culture, and stories that stick, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs a warm, honest laugh, and leave a review to help more folks find the show.

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A sweltering rut, empty glens, and stalks that end at dusk set the scene for a conversation that goes far beyond weather woes. After a season where deer hid high and hill walkers crowded car parks at first light, we pivot to what really drives outcomes: honest numbers, smart tools, and hunters willing to share what they see. That’s where Nick comes in—a German hunter from a family nearly a century deep—bringing a grounded view on management, tradition, and why public trust depends on what we do when we’re not pulling the trigger.

We travel from Scotland’s hills to southern Germany’s crop edges and up to Austria’s 2,500-meter ridgelines, where tree stands are built by hand and 100-kilo stags take a team to get home. Nick explains how foxes, farming intensity, and hedgerows reshape small game; how fawn rescue won press and public support; and why roe in the Alps behave like restless sentries, not field grazers. In Africa, he breaks down the economics too few headlines cover: trophy fees funding anti-poaching, mandated meat for local communities, and quotas that turn wildlife from a poaching target into a renewable asset with real value.

Technology plays the quiet hero. From legal gray zones in Germany to full adoption in Austria, thermal optics reinvent night hunting. One-handed focus and improved rangefinding cut through fog and guesswork, letting us identify sounders cleanly and avoid orphaning piglets. The result isn’t just cleaner shots—it’s measurable change. Boar numbers fell so sharply after thermal adoption that Nick’s group scaled back pressure in forests to keep the population healthy, focusing only on field raiders. Along the way, venison demand rises among young buyers who want traceable food without industrial baggage, and a new wave of hunters enters—some seasoned by mentors, some needing them more than they realize.

The throughline is simple and urgent: better data, better choices. Whether it’s challenging “a million deer” narratives with hill counts and lowland reports, protesting policies that erase wildlife in the name of trees, or training dogs to recover what we start, this is hunting as stewardship—lived, measured, and shared. If that resonates, tap follow, share this with a friend who debates conservation, and leave a review with the one insight that changed your mind. Your feedback keeps thoughtful hunting stories in the spotlight.

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In this episode I talk to Dean who is a sporting agent and hunter in Croatia we look at the types of hunting he offer and the things you will need to get yourself out there to hunt.

His website can be found here https://www.dean-outdoors.hr/

It's certainly worth a look if you are looking for a diffrent kind of hunting experiance

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 Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV 

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland  

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

In this episode I engages in a comprehensive discussion with Ben from Deer Central. We delve into Ben's latest product launch, exploring its features, development process, and anticipated impact on the deerstalking community. Additionally, Ben shares his experiences and key takeaways for the Stalking Show, offering listeners valuable insights into current trends and advancements in the field. This episode provides an in-depth look at innovations in deerstalking equipment and the evolving landscape of outdoor pursuits.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV  

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland 

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

Who are Fortis? I chat with Oliver Massey Birch the owner of the company and we look back at how it started and where it is today. Requirements for shooting clothing have become more demanding and people want for more for the money these days. Oliver tells us what sort of service you will expect if you step on to a stand at a show.

Is Fortis the new front runner in outdoor and shooting clothing?

Thats up to you to decided but have a listen and then visit them at one of the many shows around the UK this year. 

https://fortisclothing.co.uk/

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV  

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland 

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

A quick chat with David about the Upcoming 2025 stalking show the count down is on 12/13th April @ The Staffordshire County Showground 

Lets find out what's new for this year show 

Remember to come along and say hello 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV  

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland 

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

I talk to Tilly, but who is Tilly she is part of a new generation trying to make a go of living in highland glens of Scotland. 

Join myself and Tilly looking at all the things a young mother get done from dog training to sheep and chicken herding.

Tilly has stated a new podcast called Tilly Talks worth a listen.

Just an insight to the adventure of this young couple and the struggles of living in the Highlands of Scotland.

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

Join me on this chat with Kate about her journey with Lyme Disease 

It's spread by a small blood sucking insect called a tick and can have life changing effects on the body.

Kate has worked through many different ways to prove she had Lyme as the NHS said she didn't.

Here are a few interesting links Kate asked me to add

https://www.facebook.com/share/18KCygAhjb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://time.com/6974403/chronic-lyme-disease-research/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3eq58Y3BRJiFCmPsP7TSe02INS2kVnG_7GhNrEOHt6zwp8ZvKS14lnssc_aem_bxIKu2f25AcJ-xGxBqhOmQ

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EG2bGiAi3/?mibextid=wwXIfr

__________________________________________________________________________________

Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV   

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

Join Myself and Katherine between Christmas and New year on a number of  stalks around aberdeenshire.

The journey starts at the target settling Katherine into the rifle. I think the nerves of the microphone didn't help. We stalk 4 different areas in each case they present different challenges.  The weather on this weekend was incredible difficult, no wind and incredibly mild for the time of year. 

Who is this podcast aimed at new stalkers or people interested in getting into stalking.  Why do I say that because I am sure some experienced stalkers will have different ways of doing things.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV   

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/

In this episode we meet Claus and Freya a Danish couple who hunt together but have moved to the warmer climate of Italy where they enjoy their new passion of long-range target shooting 

We explore the different laws in owning firearms in both countries as well as the hunting laws

Claus and Freya are one of the first couples to be Pulsar Prostaff.

 __________________________________________________________________________________

Thinking about doing the PDS1 or PDS2 use the link below.

https://www.shootingandhuntingacademy.co.uk/link/6f1QuV   

Using this link above you will get a Free PDS1 Shooting assessment with myself in scotland.

Support the show

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/the_outdoor_gibbon/