FAN Outdoors · Billy Hildebrand (KFXN)

Fan Outdoors: Stan Tekiela, Jason Durham, Tackle Terry

·1 hr 36 min·5 clips

Orioles spend more time in the tropics but only reproduce in Minnesota—making your backyard vital for their survival.

This episode of FAN Outdoors features hosts Billy Hildebrand and Brett Blakemore, joined in-studio by Bob St. Pierre, with a focus on wildlife and fishing insights. Their first guest is naturalist and photographer Stan Tekiela, who shares observations and answers listener questions about local fauna. The conversation covers a range of specific wildlife topics, including a large brood of baby turkeys seen at a cabin, the nesting and feeding habits of orioles attracted to grape jelly, and the ground-nesting prairie bird called the bobolink, noted for its R2-D2-like call. Stan also discusses his recent Loon Tours, reporting an unusually high count of 20 pairs of loons this year and explaining their vocal habits and population distribution across the United States. Further discussions include the mysterious selective eating of garden plants like green beans and jalapenos, potentially by raccoons, and an unusual number of dead squirrels and other animals found in yards this spring. Stan details the life cycle of hummingbirds, explaining their unique status as a bird family found only in the Americas and their ability to detect sugar concentrations in feeders. He provides practical advice for feeding hummingbirds a proper 4:1 sugar-water solution and methods to deter ants using oil moats or a product called Nectar Defender. The episode's second guest is professional fishing guide and kindergarten teacher Jason Durham, who analyzes how recent unstable weather has led to inconsistent fishing patterns in the area. A surprising claim is that orioles use grape jelly to coat insects before feeding them to their young, leveraging the high sugar content similar to their tropical winter diet. Stan reveals that hummingbirds can visually detect different sugar concentrations in clear liquids, a capability linked to their UV vision. The hosts and guests find humor in the idea that Minnesota has the highest population of loons, with listeners joking about the double meaning. The tone is casual and conversational, blending personal anecdotes with educational explanations from an expert naturalist. Listeners who enjoy backyard birdwatching, gardening, fishing reports, and Minnesota wildlife stories will appreciate this episode. Those seeking highly structured, debate-driven content or topics unrelated to outdoor recreation might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A loose outdoor conversation that favors familiar banter and practical talk over polish.

Rainy cabin banter gives this Fan Outdoors hour a loose, familiar shape. It sounds like a room full of regulars who know how to keep things moving, even when the signal wobbles a bit.

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Why you'd press play

For a rainy, cabin-side listen that settles into real outdoor talk fast.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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