How A Midlife Crisis Led Me To Hunting Dogs, Camper Vans, And The Mississippi Delta

What happens when a midlife crisis leads a man to the Mississippi Delta, a kennel filled with hunting dogs, and a Sportsmobile camper van built for adventure? Mike Reed parks his van to chat with Harry Duran of Podcast Junkies and explain how a difficult period in his life sparked an unexpected passion for hunting dogs, outdoor adventure, and traveling across North America in a custom van.

Mike recalls his first experiences duck and raccoon hunting in the Mississippi Delta, the remarkable Treeing Walker Coonhound named Molly who changed his perspective on dogs, and the hard lessons he learned from his first versatile hunting dog, a Vizsla named Dixie Belle The Naughty Rebel.

The conversation also explores vanlife, upland bird dogs, retrievers, dog training, competition coonhounds, and the development of Mike's camper van into a rolling hunting camp. Along the way, Mike explains why he's launching a podcast for new hunters, dog enthusiasts, outdoor travelers, and vanlifers who want to share in the lifestyle without feeling intimidated, judged or pressured.

In this pilot episode:

• A midlife crisis led to the Mississippi Delta

• The coonhound that sparked an obsession with hunting dogs and the Vizsla, Labradors, Walkers, English Pointers, Beagles, Deutsch Drahthaars, English Setter, Bluetick, and rescue mutts that followed

• Talking about genetics, breeding, and selecting your first puppy

• Competition coonhunting and campaigning coonhounds, retrievers, and pointing dogs in field trials, hunt tests, and "money hunts"

• Traveling North America with hunting dogs and a camper van--the realities of vanlife in a Sportsmobile, Sprinter, Ram, or Transit conversion

• What listeners can expect from The Hunting Dog Roadshow