Kyle Hanson and Cory Glauner of Outdoors International sit down for episode 50 of Live Like You Mean It to run through every significant hunt their team has been a part of so far this season. It’s an honest, on-the-ground report — what worked, what didn’t, and what’s still ahead.
In this episode
DIY Caribou in Alaska
The Alaska DIY caribou program was the first hunt of the season, and by most measures it delivered. The operation posted 65% or better success on an unguided hunt — a number worth pausing on, because that’s not easy to replicate anywhere, let alone in bush Alaska without a guide in camp.
The animals shifted their pattern a bit this year compared to last. Nobody knows exactly why — weather, habit, the usual caribou unpredictability. The operation can’t push into no-fly zones to follow them, so when the herd moves, you adjust what you can and accept what you can’t. That’s the caribou game in Alaska.
Last season was exceptional — close to 90% on kills, with clients calling Kyle afterward to say it was a trip of a lifetime. This year was a step down from that, but a step down from exceptional still leaves you in good shape. What didn’t slip was the logistics: zero issues on the ground, and every client came back praising the pilots and the way the program is run. That’s the part the operation can control, and they keep tightening it year after year.
DIY Moose in Alaska
This is the part of the episode Kyle says he’s most excited to talk about. The same operation behind the caribou program ran a new DIY moose hunt in a new area this season — their first real test of it. They sent out ten tags. They went ten for ten.
Kyle and Cory both flag this program as one that deserves its own full episode — they’re holding back details here because there’s simply too much to cover in a midseason overview. If Alaska DIY moose is on your radar, this is a program worth watching closely.
Red Stag in Hungary
The Hungary red stag program came in at 98% success on kill. Average stag sizes ran from seven to eight and a half kilos depending on location, which is a meaningful range across the different areas the program covers.
Kyle hosted two individual weeks there himself this season. He’s planning to host five individual weeks across all of the locations they offer trophy-range tags at — that’s in September 2027, not this year. If you want Kyle on the ground with you for stag in Hungary, now is the time to get on his calendar.
Out of every hunter — Outdoors International clients and the outfitter’s own personal client base combined — only one hunter did not have an opportunity at a mature trophy stag all season. Everyone else took big stags. For a free range stag hunt, that’s a remarkable number.
Red Stag in Scotland
Scotland gets a mention alongside Hungary in the stag conversation. Kyle and Cory keep the Scotland details brief here, flagging it as another hunt that earns its own dedicated episode with Charlie. What comes through clearly is that both the Hungary and Scotland stag programs are among the ones Outdoors International feels genuinely good about right now.
Elk in Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness
The early-season Idaho elk hunts have gone well. One of Kyle’s clients killed a bull in the Frank Church that scored in the 310 to 320 inch range — by Kyle’s own account, probably the biggest bull any of his clients has taken out of that country to date.
For context, a good mature six-by-six in the Frank Church typically scores somewhere around 270 to 280 inches. Bulls pushing 340 or 360 show up in photos, but Kyle says he hasn’t seen anyone actually punch a tag on one like that in recent memory. A 310 bull out of that terrain, in that kind of unforgiving wilderness country, is a real accomplishment.
That same client also killed a mule deer in September, which Kyle notes almost as an aside. He’s candid that the deer tag isn’t one he usually recommends spending money on during those earlier hunts — but every so often someone puts it all together.
What’s Still Ahead
Both Kyle and Cory flag the Sitka blacktail hunts as something they’re genuinely looking forward to. Both are hosting groups, and the enthusiasm comes through clearly — they don’t oversell it, they just say they’re extra stoked, and leave it at that.
Rifle elk season is still to come, and there’s a hosted South Africa trip in the planning stages that they preview briefly before wrapping. The overall picture they paint of the season so far is one of strong results across the board, with honest acknowledgment of the one program they’ve decided to drop — which they don’t detail here but don’t hide either.
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Episode 50 of Live Like You Mean It is worth a full listen if any of these hunts are on your list — Kyle and Cory cover more ground in conversation than any summary can capture. If something here sparked an idea for your own season, reach out to the team at Outdoors International and start the conversation.
Listen to the full episode — or wherever you get your podcasts.
I didn't think an experience like this was possible.
This trip, was, for me at least not just a trip, for me it was a real adventure, a real experience. I love the wilderness and this trip afforded me the opportunity to connect with the Alaskan wilderness in ways very few people do. It was an experience I will never forgot in a place I can’t wait to get back to.Oliver Fischer
The outfitter handled everything perfectly.
We were thankful that Outdoors International hooked us up with a great outfitter because they were able to find us an acceptable alternate on short notice. Overall the two year process to get this float in was seamless and worry free. Just like it should be.Thank you, Stan Masneri
What an amazing experience!
The lodge was out of this world! Our rooms, the delicious food, the incredible wildlife and the scenery were amazing. Our photo safari guide was truly exceptional and had us on animals almost constantly. We saw over 30 different species and had some incredible up close experiences. Africa is amazing!Scott Navares
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