The Texas Campfire

Mark Hubbard

This podcast shares the stories of Texas ranchers, landowners, cowboys, hunters, wildlife managers, and the people who live and work on the land. From ranching traditions and family history to wild hunting stories and life lessons from the dirt, every episode is rooted in a love for Texas and the ranching lifestyle. Pull up a chair, subscribe, and join us around the campfire. Life is always better when you have dirt under your feet.

  1. 1d ago

    Faith, Family, and Building Redstone Ranch | K.W. Pritchett

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with K.W. Pritchett for a conversation about faith, family, hunting, overcoming adversity, and the story behind Redstone Ranch in South Texas. K.W.’s journey to the ranch did not happen overnight. After years working in the oilfield, he eventually reached a point where one chapter of life was ending and another was beginning. K.W. shares how his family started looking for the right piece of property, the frustration of waiting when nothing seemed to work out, and why he now believes that delay ultimately led them exactly where they were supposed to be. That property became Redstone Ranch near Dilley, Texas, a hunting lodge and retreat that grew out of the family’s love for dove hunting and the outdoors. Today, Redstone Ranch hosts hunters, families, and groups from across the region and has become much more than the place K.W. originally envisioned. Mark and K.W. talk about how the ranch grew, including the transition from retirement into hosting hundreds of dove hunters and learning what it takes to create an experience people want to return to year after year. But K.W.’s story goes well beyond running a hunting ranch. He talks about Chad Waligura, who became a quadriplegic at 17 and went on to help others with disabilities return to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors through his work with TIRR Memorial Hermann. Chad’s story is a powerful example of refusing to let a life-changing injury take away the things that give life meaning. They also get into the equipment and creativity that make adaptive shooting possible, and why helping someone get back outdoors can mean far more than simply giving them another opportunity to hunt. This episode is about more than Redstone Ranch. It is about trusting the timing of life, finding purpose after one career ends, building something your family can share, and making sure the outdoors remains a place where more people have the opportunity to belong. If you enjoy South Texas ranching, dove hunting, family stories, faith, adaptive hunting, or hearing how a simple idea can grow into something much bigger, you’re going to enjoy this one. Pull up a chair and join Mark and K.W. Pritchett around The Texas Campfire. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  2. Nov 2

    Hunting Hounds, Wounded Deer Recovery and Lessons Learned | Travis Land

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Travis Land for a conversation about hunting dogs, blood tracking, hog hunting, and a lifetime spent outdoors in South Texas. Travis has built a reputation around working dogs and recovering wounded game, and he shares what really separates a good tracking dog from the rest. Mark and Travis get into the dogs he has worked with over the years, what makes certain dogs better suited for tracking, and how technology like GPS collars has changed the way handlers work in the field. They also talk about the hunts that helped shape Travis’s passion for dogs, including his early experiences hunting hogs at night and the moment he realized he had found something he wanted to keep doing. From there, the conversation moves into deer recovery and the patience it takes to follow a trail after the blood disappears. Travis shares stories about trusting the dog, reading the situation, and recovering animals that might otherwise have been lost. The episode also reaches back into Texas hunting history with stories about the South Texas Wolf Hunters Association and the kind of multi-day hunts that came from a very different era of hunting culture. This episode is about more than dogs and tracking. It is about experience, instinct, tradition, and the connection between hunters and the dogs they depend on. If you enjoy hunting dogs, deer tracking, hog hunting, Texas hunting history, or hearing stories from someone who has spent years following dogs through South Texas, you’re going to enjoy this one. Pull up a chair and join Mark and Travis Land around The Texas Campfire. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  3. Oct 26

    A Life of Service, Dogs, and Second Chances | Richard Jankovsky

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Richard Jankovsky for a conversation about a life shaped by service, working dogs, determination, and more than a few unexpected turns along the way. Richard’s story starts long before tracking dogs and law enforcement. He talks about getting into trouble as a young man, including the time he was caught stealing watermelons, and how one judge helped steer his life in a completely different direction. From there, Richard shares stories from boot camp and his time in the Coast Guard, including some of the lessons he learned the hard way and the moments that taught him how to keep moving forward even when he did not always understand what was coming next. Mark and Richard also get into his experience working with dogs. Richard talks about becoming one of the first handlers in the Coast Guard K9 program and what it was like helping build something new when there was not much of a roadmap to follow. That experience with dogs eventually carried into another part of his life: tracking wounded deer with hog dogs. Richard shares stories about working blood trails after hunters had lost the track, trusting the dog when the sign disappeared, and the satisfaction that comes with recovering an animal that might otherwise have been lost. The conversation also turns to Richard’s time in law enforcement and the mindset that helped him make it through the Highway Patrol Academy. There were opportunities to quit, but Richard refused to walk away. That same determination shows up throughout his story. But like most conversations around the campfire, this episode is about more than careers, uniforms, and working dogs. It is about second chances, the people who change the direction of your life, refusing to quit when things get difficult, and finding purpose in places you may never have expected. If you enjoy military stories, law enforcement, working dogs, hunting, tracking, or simply hearing from someone who has lived a life full of experiences worth telling, you’re going to enjoy this one. Pull up a chair and join Mark and Richard Jankovsky around The Texas Campfire. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  4. Oct 19

    Cowboys, Welding, and the Work That Built a Business | Garret Rossi

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Garret Rossi of Hebbronville Machine Shop for a conversation about cowboying, welding, machining, work ethic, and building a business in South Texas. For Garret, working with his hands started early. He talks about learning to weld when he was young, the people who taught him along the way, and why those early lessons became about a lot more than just learning a trade. They became lessons in work ethic, problem solving, and figuring out how to get a job done. Mark and Garret also get into the cowboy side of his story. They talk about what really makes somebody a good cowboy, why skill can look different depending on who is watching, and the differences Garret has seen between cowboys and true horsemen. From there, the conversation moves into Hebbronville Machine Shop and the kind of work that comes through the door. Garret shares stories about solving problems other people could not, including jobs where customers had searched across South Texas for somebody capable of building exactly what they needed. He also talks about investing in CNC equipment, why making that jump was such a big decision, and how one machine ended up paying for itself in just eight months. It is a good look at what happens when old-school knowledge meets modern equipment. But this episode is about more than welding and machining. It is about learning a trade, taking pride in your work, knowing when experience matters more than appearances, and building a reputation by being the person people call when they need something done right. Garret’s story is rooted in the kind of South Texas work ethic where you learn early, figure things out as you go, and keep improving at your craft. If you like cowboy culture, horses, welding, fabrication, machining, South Texas businesses, or hearing from people who know how to build and fix things with their own hands, you’re going to enjoy this one. Pull up a chair and join Mark and Garret Rossi of Hebbronville Machine Shop around The Texas Campfire. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  5. Oct 12

    A Lifetime in the Cattle Business | Riley Rhodes

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Riley Rhodes for a conversation about a lifetime spent in the cattle business and the people, relationships, and experiences that have shaped it. For Riley, cattle were part of life from the very beginning. He shares the story of getting his first cow as a kid, growing up around livestock, and developing a passion for the business long before it became his career. From there, Mark and Riley get into the world of cattle buyers, auction barns, and the relationships that keep the industry moving. Riley talks about buyers he has worked with for decades, the importance of trust, and why strong relationships still matter in a business where reputation can mean everything. They also talk about the Texas cattle market and some of the challenges producers are watching today. That includes the growing concern around screwworm, what it could mean for cattle producers, and why Riley believes it is important to understand the situation without immediately hitting the panic button. The conversation also gets into herd numbers, the cattle supply, and how changes across the industry can affect everyone from the rancher raising calves to the people buying and selling them down the line. But like most conversations around the campfire, it is not all business. Riley shares stories from growing up around cattle, life at the auction barn, and even the story of a first date that somehow took him from Texas all the way to Atlanta. This episode is about more than cattle prices and market reports. It is about growing up in the business, earning trust over decades, learning from the people who came before you, and staying connected to an industry that has shaped families and communities across Texas for generations. If you like cattle, ranching, sale barns, Texas agriculture, or just hearing good stories from someone who has spent a lifetime around the business, you’re going to enjoy this one. Pull up a chair and join Mark and Riley Rhodes around The Texas Campfire. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  6. Sep 28

    The Big Boy Toys of South Texas | Performance Top Drives

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard heads to Three Rivers, Texas to visit Rodney and Jarrett Geisler at Performance Top Drives and step inside the wild world of custom hunting and ranch trucks. What started decades ago with homemade racks, ropes, levers, and questionable engineering has turned into something completely different. Today, these rigs can have hydraulic steering, luxury seating, massive stereo systems, Starlink internet, thermal cameras, televisions, refrigerators, liquor cabinets, margarita machines, shooting benches, elevators, custom paint, and just about anything else a ranch owner can dream up. Rodney shares how he went from working as a mechanic to building his first top drive almost by accident, and how one customer led to another until Performance Top Drives became a business building custom rigs for ranchers, hunters, celebrities, international clients, and people all over the world. Mark, Rodney, and Jarrett also get into some of the craziest builds they have ever done, including rigs built for famous athletes, international royalty, massive party trucks, quail rigs, luxury touring vehicles, and custom builds costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. And then there are the stories. Burned-up trucks, low bridges, blown tires, late-night deliveries, hunting rigs catching fire, six-hour delivery parties, Marfa lights, ranch roads, and plenty of moments where things almost went completely sideways. This episode is about more than hunting trucks. It is about South Texas ingenuity, ranch culture, custom craftsmanship, family business, and building something that lets people enjoy the outdoors with their friends and family in a completely different way. If you like ranches, hunting, trucks, fabrication, big boy toys, or just hearing stories about crazy ideas that somehow became reality, you’re going to enjoy this one. Pull up a chair and join us at Performance Top Drives in Three Rivers, Texas. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  7. Sep 21

    Lightning Strikes Twice

    This week on The Texas Campfire Podcast, we’re doing something a little different. Instead of a traditional sit-down podcast, Mark Hubbard takes you on the road for a more visual, show-style episode as he heads to Animal Artistry of Texas to visit his longtime friend and taxidermist, Gerald Lieck. Mark is picking up two deer mounts from last season, and both come with a story. One is a South Texas whitetail that ended a 38-year stretch without him pulling the trigger on a trophy whitetail. The other is a massive Sonora mule deer he almost passed on because he thought the buck was too thin-horned. What starts as a taxidermy pickup turns into a deeper conversation about hunting, patience, memories, and the emotion behind the animals we choose to harvest. Mark talks about why he went so long without shooting a trophy whitetail, the moment this deer finally changed his mind, and what it felt like to walk up on an animal that meant that much after all those years. Gerald also shares the heart behind his work as a taxidermist, the responsibility of preserving someone’s memory, and why every mount is more than just antlers on a wall. You’ll also meet Emily, the young taxidermist Gerald is mentoring as he prepares to pass the business and craft on to the next generation. This episode is part road trip, part hunting story, part taxidermy shop visit, and part reflection on why certain animals stay with us forever. Because this episode is very visual, you’ll get the full experience by watching it on YouTube. Watch the full episode here: youtube.com/@thetexascampfire Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

  8. Sep 14

    The Secret Behind One of Texas’ Most Famous Cattle Brands | Jim Williams

    In this episode of The Texas Campfire Podcast, Mark Hubbard sits down with Jim Williams of V8 Ranch for a conversation about Brahman cattle, South Texas ranching, family legacy, cattle judging, hunting stories, and what it really means to ride for the brand. Jim may call himself “just a sharecropper from South Texas,” but in the cattle world, V8 Brahman cattle are known far beyond Texas. From Hungerford and Wharton County to Houston, Mexico, Latin America, Pakistan, and beyond, the V8 brand has become part of the worldwide Brahman cattle story. Mark and Jim talk about the history of V8 Ranch, the origin of the V8 name, the cattlemen who shaped the breed, the importance of good females, why Brahman influence matters in hot country, and how generations of ranchers have built their lives around cattle, family, and hard-earned reputation. They also get into old South Texas hunting stories, George Light, Joe Finley, the Callahan Ranch, old deer camps, cattle show memories, judging with integrity, 4-H and FFA, raising kids around livestock, and why agriculture is not just a job, but a lifestyle you never really clock out of. This episode is about more than cattle. It is about family, legacy, character, South Texas brush country, and the people who still understand what it means to take care of the land, the livestock, the customer, and the name on the brand. Pull up a chair and join us for a conversation with Jim Williams of V8 Ranch. Life is always better when there’s dirt under your feet.

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14 Ratings

About

This podcast shares the stories of Texas ranchers, landowners, cowboys, hunters, wildlife managers, and the people who live and work on the land. From ranching traditions and family history to wild hunting stories and life lessons from the dirt, every episode is rooted in a love for Texas and the ranching lifestyle. Pull up a chair, subscribe, and join us around the campfire. Life is always better when you have dirt under your feet.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Hubbard
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Texas Campfire
  • Show Website
    The Texas Campfire

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