Drills Gone Wild Podcast

Robert Steiskal and Gentry Ward
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Wilderness

You’ve never seen Drill Sergeants like this before! They’re breaking ranks, cracking jokes, and taking shots — the kind that don’t come from the range. Join R.J. Steiskal and Gentry Ward, two Army veterans gone rogue, as they take you from the barracks to the backwoods, talking all things outdoors, the military, and life after the uniform. Unscripted, unfiltered, and unhinged — DRILLS GONE WILD: the hats are off… so tune in and listen up!

  1. 6d ago

    October Lull to Pre-Rut: Finding Whitetails When Patterns Change

    Where did all the deer go? One week your trail cameras are lighting up, you're finding fresh sign, and deer seem to be everywhere. The next? Nothing. Welcome to the October lull. Or is it? On this episode of Drills Gone Wild, host Gentry Ward sits down with fellow Army veteran and hunter Zachary Angle to break down what's happening in the whitetail woods as October gives way to November. From changing food sources and shifting bedding areas to hunting pressure and the approaching rut, we're talking about why deer patterns change and how hunters can adapt. We dig into hunting northern New York's public land, identifying terrain funnels, choosing access routes, interpreting scrapes and rubs, and deciding when to hunt food sources versus travel corridors. We also discuss saddle hunting, what happens when you bump a mature buck, and how scouting strategies should evolve throughout the season. Whether you're chasing a particular buck or just trying to put venison in the freezer, this episode is about reading the woods, understanding deer behavior, and making smarter decisions in the field. The deer didn't disappear. Their patterns changed. Subscribe to Drills Gone Wild for more hunting, fishing, outdoor adventures, and conversations from the woods and beyond. #DrillsGoneWild #WhitetailHunting #OctoberLull #DeerHunting #PreRut 00:00 October Lull, Funnels & Hunting Sign 02:11 From Army Life to New York Public Land 05:09 Fall Food Sources & Whitetail Patterns 07:53 Is the October Lull Actually Real? 11:01 Bedding Areas, Swamps & Microterrain 13:29 Pre-Rut Strategies: October 25–31 16:15 Early Rut: Funnels & Deer Movement 19:21 Access Routes & Hunting Without Pressure 23:34 Overrated Deer Sign: Scrapes & Rubs 31:31 Bedding Cover & Saddle Hunting 35:42 Bumping Deer: Before vs. During the Rut 43:06 Low-Impact Scouting & Reading Snow Sign 45:39 Closing Thoughts & What's Next Drills Gone Wild, October lull, whitetail deer hunting, pre-rut hunting, early rut hunting, New York deer hunting, public land deer hunting, deer hunting tips, whitetail behavior, deer scouting, buck bedding, deer funnels, saddle hunting, scrape hunting, deer movement, hunting pressure, Zachary Angle, Gentry Ward

  2. Oct 15

    Three Veterans Try to Fix America. It Goes About as Expected. | Cast & Blast x DGW

    Apparently, putting three veterans in front of microphones wasn't enough. We also decided to solve America's problems. Ben from Cast & Blast Podcast is back with Gentry and RJ for Part 2 of our completely unscripted crossover. We get into military training disasters, negligent discharges, broken equipment, government spending, congressional pay, political corruption, microplastics, questionable history, and some ideas for fixing the country that probably won't make it through Congress. Somewhere along the way, we also get into hunting, camping, dangerous wildlife, cold-weather misery, deployments, COVID quarantine, and the usual military stories that make absolutely no sense to civilians. Three veterans. Two podcasts. No script. Still no adult supervision. Cast & Blast Podcast × Drills Gone Wild #MilitaryHumor #VeteranPodcast #DrillsGoneWild 00:00 — Back for Round Two 03:00 — Military Drills & Negligent Discharges 06:02 — Army Equipment & Everyday Problems 09:10 — Government Spending & Corruption 12:03 — Microplastics & Forever Chemicals 15:00 — Congressional Pay & Wasted Money 17:59 — History, Culture & Offending Everybody 21:02 — Hunting, Camping & Outdoor Stories 24:04 — Cold Weather & Military Gear 26:59 — Dangerous Wildlife on Training Grounds 29:52 — Deployments & Military Logistics 32:52 — COVID Quarantine After Deployment 35:59 — Politics, Satire & General B******t 38:57 — Rewriting History 41:59 — How We'd Fix the Government 45:05 — Where Does America Go From Here? 47:57 — Closing Thoughts military humor, veteran podcast, military stories, Army stories, drill sergeant stories, military training, government spending, political satire, congressional spending, veteran experiences, deployment stories, military equipment, military life, Cast and Blast Podcast, Drills Gone Wild, hunting and fishing, military comedy

  3. Oct 8

    Three Veterans. Two Podcasts. Zero Adult Supervision. | Cast & Blast x Drills Gone Wild

    We had a plan for this episode. That plan lasted approximately zero minutes. Ben from Cast & Blast Podcast sat down with Gentry and RJ from Drills Gone Wild for an unscripted conversation between three veterans that went exactly where you'd expect it to go. Basic training, Drill Sergeants, ridiculous punishment, Army leadership, deployments, freezing your ass off, dealing with civilians, questionable decisions, military culture, and the kind of stories that only get funnier after enough time has passed. No script. No expert panel. No attempt whatsoever to stay on topic. Just three veterans talking shit and telling stories. Cast & Blast Podcast × Drills Gone Wild CHAPTERS00:00 — Three Veterans, One Terrible Idea 01:59 — Civilians & Military Protocol 05:03 — Basic Training & Drill Sergeant Stories 10:06 — Creative Punishment & Wall Locker Shenanigans 14:57 — Leadership in the Field 19:55 — When Training Gets Weird 24:59 — Competition, Camaraderie & Talking Shit 30:05 — Being Cold Sucks 35:00 — Laughing Through the B******t 39:58 — What the Military Leaves With You #MilitaryStories #VeteranPodcast #DrillsGoneWild #outdoorsman #podcast #cast&blastpodcast Merch!

  4. Sep 24

    A TV Show’s Lawyers Made Him Rename His Bait Company | Stormborn Baits

    oe from Stormborn Baits is back for Part 2, and this time we get into the company itself, the baits they're building, and the freshwater predators they're building them for. Joe tells us how Stormborn came to be—including the ridiculous story of attorneys connected to a famous TV show “gently suggesting” that he change the company's original name. From there we get into snakeheads, giant bass, gar, invasive-species management, and Joe's thoughts on how snakeheads may actually be affecting the fisheries they now inhabit. We also talk federal invasive-species funding, fish behavior, lure design, retrieve speeds, inline spinners, subtle presentations, and what goes into making a bait that'll survive fish that aren't particularly interested in being gentle with it. Joe also breaks down some of Stormborn's newer products and the results they've seen while testing them—including some pretty ridiculous days on the water. Then, naturally, we wander into hunting, military b******t, local bait shops, small businesses, and whatever else crosses our minds. Joe — Co-Owner, Stormborn Baits Predators on the menu. 00:00 — Stormborn Baits & How It All Started 01:59 — The Story Behind Stormborn 04:01 — Giant Bass, Snakeheads & Changing Fisheries 07:58 — Invasive Species & Federal Funding 11:59 — New Baits & Lure Design 15:59 — Putting the Prototypes to the Test 20:05 — Building Baits for Freshwater Predators 22:37 — Retrieve Speed, Spinners & Getting More Bites 25:01 — Somehow We’re Back to Military B******t 27:08 — Why Local Bait Shops Matter 28:01 — Gar Are Weird as Hell 32:01 — What’s Happening to the Fishery? 36:03 — What Stormborn Is Working on Next 40:02 — Closing It Out Stormborn Baits, snakehead fishing, snakehead lures, bass fishing, gar fishing, freshwater predators, fishing lures, lure design, topwater fishing, inline spinners, fishing techniques, fishing gear, invasive species, snakehead invasive species, bass fishery, freshwater fishing, bait and tackle, local bait shops, fishing small business, veteran podcast, outdoor podcast, Drills Gone Wild

  5. Sep 10

    “I Live by the Frog, I Die by the Frog” | Fishing with Stormborn Baits

    Joe, co-owner of Stormborn Baits, joins Drills Gone Wild for Part 1 of a conversation that somehow covers frog fishing, snakeheads, water pollution, winter fishing, military and police culture, and more than a few questionable side conversations. Joe breaks down how he works different topwater baits, why water temperature and weather matter, and why once you start catching fish on a frog, it’s hard to want to fish anything else. From there, the conversation drifts into environmental issues affecting fisheries, guys dragging kayaks across ice to reach open water, cold-weather fishing gear, police uniforms, tattoos, discipline, and how much military culture carries over into law-enforcement training. Joe also tells the story of a police-academy instructor and former Marine who treated recruits like they were at Paris Island—complete with sand, yelling, and the kind of training story that fits DGW a little too well. Guest: Joe — Co-Owner, Stormborn Baits Part 2: Stormborn Baits itself, lure design, product testing, snakehead, business, and the story behind the company’s name. Coming soon! 00:00 — Fishing With Grandpa 02:52 — When Should You Start Throwing a Frog? 04:00 — Why Snakehead Are Worth Catching 07:00 — Frogger, Cryptwalker & Picking the Right Lure 09:06 — Weather Changes Everything 11:58 — Police Training & Mental Toughness 15:05 — What’s Happening to Our Waterways? 16:01 — Changing Your Fishing With the Conditions 20:01 — Conservation & Protecting the Water 20:02 — The Mental Side of the Job 24:01 — Fishing in the Cold & Gators Stealing Fish 25:00 — Fish, Techniques & More Rabbit Holes 28:08 — Learning How to Actually Work the Baits 30:01 — Weather, Climate & Fish Behavior 32:00 — Water Temperature & Seasonal Bass 35:00 — Protecting Local Waterways 36:02 — Fishing Gear & Customization 40:01 — Discipline, Training & Police Culture 43:59 — Police Uniforms & the Dog-and-Pony Show 48:05 — Why the Training Is Supposed to Suck

  6. Aug 27

    He Survived Iraq. Now He’s Building a Business & Chasing 100 Miles | QRF Archery Solutions

    Army combat veteran QRF Archery Solutions joins Drills Gone Wild to talk Iraq, bowhunting, launching a mobile archery business, and why he's now training toward a 100-mile race with a much bigger purpose behind it. QRF shares how he built his mobile archery business in roughly 60 days, why keeping overhead low gives him an edge, and how he plans to bring bow service directly to hunters across Arkansas. The conversation also gets into military deployments, Army culture, veteran friendships, hunting, Total Archery Challenge, custom arrows, and life after service. One of the strongest parts of the episode is QRF’s goal to eventually run the Leadville 100. He explains that August has carried a painful meaning since losing members of his scout platoon in a helicopter crash in 2007, and that running Leadville is part of turning that month into something positive and honoring the guys he lost. As usual, the serious parts are mixed with Army stories, MREs, questionable barracks decisions, dark humor, and the kind of veteran conversations that go completely off the rails. Chapters00:00 — Season 2 Begins / Meet QRF Archery Solutions 01:32 — Hunting & Scouting Arkansas 05:06 — Joining the Army at 17 12:21 — Two 15-Month Deployments to Iraq 15:55 — NTC, Army Food Trucks & Military Chaos 18:01 — MREs & the Parts of the Army Nobody Misses 21:35 — Rank, Leadership & Army Culture 27:37 — Wild Barracks Stories 30:27 — Launching QRF Archery Solutions 33:06 — Total Archery Challenge & Outdoor Events 42:50 — Deployment Stories & Military Camaraderie 49:46 — The Mobile Bow Shop Business Model 53:11 — Veterans Supporting Veterans 01:03:44 — Where the QRF Idea Came From 01:06:12 — Building the Business in 60 Days 01:07:39 — Why He Started Running 01:09:46 — The Leadville 100 Goal 01:16:57 — Perspective After the Military 01:21:44 — Finding a Healthy Outlet 01:25:43 — Breaking Down Gentry’s Custom Hunting Arrows

  7. Aug 21

    From Combat to Compound Bows | QRF Archery Solutions | DGW Season 2 Ep. 1 Part 1.

    Season 2 of Drills Gone Wild kicks off with QRF Archery Solutions out of Arkansas. This one goes way beyond bows. We get into Army deployments, the realities and ridiculous moments of military life, MREs, hunting, archery, business, Vegas stories, COVID-era experiences, and the kind of conversations that happen when veterans start swapping stories and nobody knows where the conversation is going next. We also dig into QRF Archery Solutions, the archery world, equipment, hunting experiences, and what it takes to build a business without burying yourself in unnecessary overhead. Things get more serious along the way as we talk about personal struggles, coping after difficult experiences, and why some veterans continue seeking out physically demanding challenges long after leaving the military. It's exactly what we wanted Drills Gone Wild to be: veterans, outdoorsmen, stories, laughs, some serious shit when it comes up, and absolutely no guarantee we'll stay on topic. In this episode: Army deployments and military lifeThe good, bad, and questionable world of MREsVeteran camaraderie and storiesQRF Archery SolutionsCompound bows, archery equipment, and huntingBuilding a business while keeping overhead downVegas stories and other questionable decisionsPersonal struggles and finding productive ways to push yourselfCOVID-era Army and travel experiencesFood, seasoning, and several completely necessary detoursChapters 00:00 — Hunting & Scouting 03:04 — Military Deployments & Experiences 14:59 — MREs & Military Life 20:22 — Military Experiences & Challenges 29:50 — Archery, Recreation & Events 41:08 — Deployments & Army Stories 42:27 — MREs & Culinary Stories 43:30 — Building a Business & Keeping Overhead Low 44:56 — Food, Seasonings & More Detours 47:23 — Military Bonds & Camaraderie 59:56 — Vegas Stories 01:00:45 — Personal Struggles & Finding an Outlet 01:24:03 — Archery Equipment & Hunting 01:27:56 — More Military Stories 01:39:30 — COVID, Travel & Army Life

  8. Mar 12

    We Didn't Crappie Fish.. We Just Fished Crappy

    What started as a simple crappie fishing trip in Virginia, for the season one finale, quickly turned into one of the most chaotic outdoor trips we’ve had yet. Three veterans, Co-Hosts of Drills Gone Wild, and Guest Speaker, long-time Veteran friend of RJ, James Baughn, head out on the water expecting to fill a cooler. Instead, we spent the weekend battling wind, cold weather, bad fishing, and our own questionable decisions. From failed fishing tactics and homemade lures to Army stories, combat training memories, and the strange situations you only experience in the military, this episode turns into the kind of conversation that happens when veterans sit around after a long day outdoors. No script. No filters. Just real stories, real laughs, and a fishing trip that didn’t go as planned. Topics in this episode include: • Crappie fishing in Virginia • Why early-season fishing can be brutal • Homemade fishing lures and tackle finds • Army basic training and Drill Sergeant stories • Combat training chaos and combatives • Veteran life after the military • Hunting, bowhunting, and wild game • Why sometimes the best trips are the ones where nothing goes right Even though we didn’t catch a single fish, we still managed to come back with some good stories. And that’s what Drills Gone Wild is really about. 🎣 Follow Drills Gone Wild YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts Instagram TikTok New episodes weekly. Veteran mindset meets the outdoors. 0:00 The Fishing Trip That Went Completely Wrong 2:30 Learning to Fish on a Boat 5:40 Shooting Bows and Bad Aim 7:30 Drill Sergeant Stories from the Army 10:00 Living Off Wild Game and Venison 14:30 Homemade Fishing Lures 18:00 Why Fishing Was So Tough 21:30 Getting Hooked by a Crankbait 23:30 Combat Training & Army Combatives 27:00 Fishing Strategy and Reading Water 31:00 Cooking and Eating Bass 34:00 Basic Training Shower Chaos 39:00 Army Deployment & Overseas Stories 46:00 Combatives and Barracks Brawls 52:00 Military Stories That Probably Shouldn't Be Told 56:00 The Gas Station Incident 1:01:00 Bowhunting and Beginner’s Luck 1:05:00 Field Dressing Deer 1:11:00 The Best and Worst Parts of Fishing Trips 1:17:00 Random Internet Culture & Harambe 1:22:00 Japan Deployment Story 1:28:00 Learning Japanese & Culture Shock 1:30:00 Final Thoughts on the Trip

    We Didn't Crappie Fish.. We Just Fished Crappy
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

You’ve never seen Drill Sergeants like this before! They’re breaking ranks, cracking jokes, and taking shots — the kind that don’t come from the range. Join R.J. Steiskal and Gentry Ward, two Army veterans gone rogue, as they take you from the barracks to the backwoods, talking all things outdoors, the military, and life after the uniform. Unscripted, unfiltered, and unhinged — DRILLS GONE WILD: the hats are off… so tune in and listen up!

Information

  • Creator
    Robert Steiskal and Gentry Ward
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Robert Steiskal and Gentry Ward
  • Show Website
    Drills Gone Wild Podcast

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