The Hunting Collective

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 29: Jeff Crane & Andy Treharne Sep 25, 2018

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For this episode I traveled to our Nation's Capitol to catch up with Jeff Crane and Andy Treharne from the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF). Why did I travel all that way to find Jeff and Andy? I wanted to shed light on an organization that does important work on important issues and really never gets much publicity, or at the very least isn't as forward-facing as some other conservation groups we know and love. The CSF has been around since 1989 and they have a mission is to work with Congress, governors, and state legislatures to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. Their main work is done with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), which is a collection of 300 members of Congress that share a common objective with CSF. Jeff and Andy explain it much better than I can, but the bottom line is that CSF is the very crucial middle man in the conversation between the hunting and angling community and the CSC. So, I hope you learn as much from this conversation as I did, and I hope it drives you to continue to get educated about the legislative policies that protect and foster what we do. Enjoy.

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Ep. 28: Adam Foss Sep 18, 2018

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Adam Foss is officially our third Canadian ever on the podcast. Quite the honor, indeed. Foss is not just a Northerner, though, he happens to be one of the top sheep hunters in North America and beyond. At the ripe young age of 24, he became the youngest hunter to earn the wild sheep grand slam with a bow. Since then he’s travelled the world seeking out bowhunting’s toughest challenges, all the while developing his skills as a filmmaker, photographer and story-teller.

I caught up with Foss in Bozeman over a growler of 406 beer to talk all things mountain hunting, his upbringing, philosophies on adventure, a brief but important description of cookbook night, and how to make the perfect “Caesar.” Enjoy.

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Ep. 27: Roy & Ryan Seiders Sep 11, 2018

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Roy & Ryan Seiders were born and raised in Driftwood, Texas, a small town outside of Austin. Their parents cultivated a family-first environment and dad, Roger, brought his boys up in an entrepreneurial environment. They also went hunting and fishing...a lot. What seems like a pretty typical childhood turned into the fuel that would power the brothers as they hit the real world. They both started businesses after college in the fishing space until Roy discovered something that would change it all: the need for a better cooler. Next thing they knew, these two regular guys were at the helm of one of the fastest growing companies in the country. The company was called YETI. It's an amazing story. One that I was very privileged to be a part of for almost four years. YETI was the reason I went to Texas and I wouldn't change it for anything. So, there's no better way to end our Texas series of podcasts and for me to say goodbye to the state than with a conversation with the founders of YETI. Enjoy.

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Ep. 26: Omar “Crispy” Avila Sep 04, 2018

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On episode No. 26 I’m joined by Sgt. Omar “Crispy” Avila. Omar is an amazing Texas character. He’s had a life of service dedicated to his country and his fellow veterans.

Sgt. Avila joined the U.S. Army in 2004 as an Infantryman, deploying to Iraq in 2007. On May 14, 2007, his vehicle was struck with a 200 lb IED, resulting in burns to 75% of his body and amputation below the knee of his right leg.

Upon retiring from the U.S. Army in 2010, Sgt. Avila never allowed his injuries to slow his success. Powering through his injuries, he became the current world record holder for the World Association of Bench and Deadlift in the Paralympics category.

Sgt. Avila now serves as a liaison for Sons Of The Flag, helping other wounded warriors through their recovery process. A lifelong avid hunter, Omar also spreads his passion for the outdoors by assisting wounded veterans.

Enjoy this conversation and what is truly an amazing story. One that changed me and I hope will do the same for you.

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Ep. 25: Russell Cunningham Aug 28, 2018

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Russell Cunningham is an oral surgeon by day and an archeologist by night. He’s a trained professional at the former and an amateur at the latter. That said, I didn’t need any dental work when we sat down at his home near Dripping Springs, Texas, a few weeks back. I wanted to learn all about what this amateur archeologist is digging in his backyard. Russell is a lover of human history, hunting and the intersections of the two. He’s found an outlet for that passion in digging up ancient artifacts, namely arrowheads, on his family ranch. His passion is amazing and it’s matched only by his knowledge on the subject, plus he has amassed one of the Nation’s largest private arrowhead collections.

I hope you enjoy this conversation. I believe it’s one that displays how the simple act of digging up an arrowhead can connect you to the land, the people and the place where you live. Our ancestors have a story to tell all we have to do is listen.

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Ep. 24: Wyman Meinzer Aug 21, 2018

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It was late July in the Texas Badlands, a time of year Wyman Meinzer says turns his home into a "hell hole of a place." We sat in his living room drinking whiskey and talking politics. We were both sweating a bit despite the best efforts of the air conditioning, but managing to get a few laughs in between fits of intense conversation meant to solve the world's problems. Wyman and his wife Sylinda had spent the day with three of their grandchildren, leaving the house cluttered with dolls, juice boxes and the like. Just another sign of changing times for my friend Wyman. He's 67 now and gone are the days when he lived in the old dugout, trapping coyotes and bobcats. Gone are the wild days when he crashed planes and crawled into rattlesnake dens. Things are slower now in Benjamin, Texas, and Wyman is enjoying telling his story rather than furiously writing more chapters. He doesn't mind petting the cat, drinking some whiskey and just talking. He's got enough stories to tell that he and I could fill a lifetime of evenings like this, and I'd be happy to do just that. Sadly, I don't get all that much time with Wyman, so I'm happy to have recorded this podcast. I'll listen back to it quite often I'm sure, when I'm in need of a reminder of what hard work means and how much I can still achieve in this life. In this episode we cover just about all of Wyman's life and times, and gathered some perspective on how he made it. Enjoy.

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Ep. 23: Public Lands Roundtable Aug 14, 2018

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I, for one, am thrilled to be a part of a community that understand the importance of America's public land and is willing to fight to keep this shared resource intact. Hunters and anglers have historically been very willing stewards of the overall well-being of our lands and wildlife.

That's why when Senator Mike Lee of Utah announced on Twitter his plan to introduce a trio of bills into Congress that would redefine how we use public lands, our group stood up and took notice. Specifically the following statement on June 29, "...our long-term goal must be the transfer of federal lands to the states."

Brian McElrea of Get Hushin almost immediately sent me a text suggesting a roundtable discussion of like-minded hunters to talk through our concerns and general outrage. A few weeks later I was joined by Brian, Casey Butler of Get Hushin, Sam Soholt and Ben "Shed Crazy" Dettamatni for episode No. 23, which is a great expression of how we all feel about these lands. Take a listen to our discussion and let us know what you think. Hopefully we can all keep having this most important conversation. Enjoy.

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Ep. 22: David Wise, Janis Putelis and Sam Soholt Aug 07, 2018

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Episode No. 22 is a doozy. Three awesome guests packed into one conversation straight from Big Sky, Montana at the Total Archery Challenge.

I was joined by Sam Soholt, bus guy and frequent contributor, Janis Putelis, MeatEater producer and Latvian Eagle, and David Wise 2-time Olympic gold medal skier and avid hunter. We discussed Janis’s proper job title, Sam’s public Land bus maintenance record, David’s hunting history and recent success in the Olympic arena, how much turkey meat a man needs, and how 3D archery can help or hurt your real world hunting practice. And much more. Enjoy.

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Ep. 21: Jason Matzinger & Sam Soholt Jul 31, 2018

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This week on Episode No. 21 I'm joined by Jason Matzinger and Sam Soholt for a killer conversation and lots of laughs. Matzinger is a Montana-dwelling film and television producer and host of the TV show Into High Country on the Sportsman Channel. What really makes Matzinger stand out to me though is his true, unabashed commitment to conservation. He's a lifetime member of RMEF and Mule Deer Foundation and works on content projects with Wild Sheep and many other groups. Sure, he's featured in most of his own films, but that's not the purpose. Most of the time the purpose is to promote real efforts to do good work outside. He's traveled the West for decades, most recently with Sam at his side, filming, hunting and developing some pretty damn unique perspectives on our world. Not to mention a pile of great stories.

I caught up with Jason and Sam in Big Sky, Mont., for a late night pizza and beer fueled chat on wild sheep, the community of sheep hunters, Jason's latest film and so much more. Also, our buddy Greg was hanging out providing color commentary. It was past midnight before we wrapped up, so excuse any colorful exchanges. Enjoy.

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Ep. 20: Charles Post Jul 24, 2018

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The great and all-knowing Charles Post returns for another podcast in episode No. 20. Charles was born and raised in northern California, earning a B.S. and M.S. in ecology from U.C. Berkeley, but nowadays he resides (and hunts) in Bozeman, Montana with his lovely fiancé Rachel Pohl. Charles and I sat down in his home to continue our conversations on bringing outdoor user groups together, caring for ecosystems, celebrating the connection between science and hunting, Hunting’s perception problem, his upcoming nuptials, and the interesting issue of the ecological impacts of wild horses on public lands...and more. Enjoy.

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