The Western Hunter Podcast

Electric assisted (e-bikes) are exploding in popularity worldwide. When it comes to western hunting e-bikes, Bakcou is leading the way. In this episode, I sit down with Bakcou founders Bryan and Dave to discuss their company, their bikes, the current status, and the future of hunting with e-bikes. These guys are hunters first and bike enthusiasts second. With years of experience, their perspective and expertise are unparalleled. Besides that, they are a lot of fun to hang out with. Check out their bikes as you listen to this episode https://www.bakcou.com/

Not long after the turn of the 19^th century the Glenn family settled in Southeast Arizona. Warner and Wendy Glenn raised a son Cody and daughter Kelly in the same country.    Cody and I became friends the first day of junior high. His friendship and the Glenn family changed the course of my life. I shot my first deer with Cody and Wendy. I built fences and corrals, branded calves and learned how to work 16 hours a day on the ranch they have owned for more than 100 years.  Wendy has passed away but Warner, Kelly and her daughter Mackenzie still saddle up almost daily.

In this episode I sit down with  Kelly to discuss the realities of modern ranching, their family history and “the wall” along the Mexican border.  

A family friend Ed Ashurst, authored a book titled “The Life and Times of Warner Glenn” telling the story of the Glenn family along with some amazing adventure stories that had me riveted.  You can purchase this book and “Eyes of Fire, Encounters with a Boderland Jaguar” right here. https://colablancaproductions.com/collections/books

Not long after the turn of the 19^th century, the Glenn family settled in Southeast Arizona. Warner and Wendy Glenn raised a son Cody and daughter Kelly in the same country. Cody and I became friends on the first day of junior high. His friendship and the Glenn family changed the course of my life. I shot my first deer with Cody and Wendy. I built fences and corrals, branded calves, and learned how to work 16 hours a day on the ranch they have owned for more than 100 years.  Wendy has passed away but Warner, Kelly, and her daughter Mackenzie still saddle up almost daily.

In this first of two episodes, I sit down with Warner first, to discuss the realities of modern ranching, their family history, and “the wall” along the Mexican border.  Warner had a farrier coming the next morning so he had to head out and catch his horses and mules so they could be shod.

Warner Glenn is a special man, his story is better than Hollywood could ever dream up. Not only is he a rancher, but he has been hunting mountain lions since he was 5 years old, documented the first jaguar in the US, and worked on multiple films.  A family friend Ed Ashurst, authored a book titled “The Life and Times of Warner Glenn” telling the story of the Glenn family along with some amazing adventure stories that had me riveted.  You can purchase this book and “Eyes of Fire, Encounters with a Boderland Jaguar” right here. https://colablancaproductions.com/collections/books

Connor Gabbott is a professionally trained chef, photographer, videographer and hunter.  In this episodes he shares his secrets for preparing and sharing wild game. But we also dig into his evolution as a hunter, his entry into the camera world, and career changes. 

Connor wrote the introduction and shared some of his favorite wild game recipes in The Wild Kitchen Volume 3 from Wilderness Athlete. I have read and re-read his advice in this cookbook multiple times. It is currently on sale for only $18.71 (May 2021).  You can buy it HERE

We discuss the importance of a tool called a jicard tenderizer. This is not the exact model that I use but I really like the ability to disassemble this one for easier cleaning.

Boots are one of the most important pieces of hunting gear in our kit. I sit down with Kendall Card from Crispi and cover some important topics we all need to consider when purchasing footwear. Kendall is also the co-founder of Camofire and Black Ovis, so I couldn’t resist digging into how they launched both of these industry leading companies.

Remi Warren has been a field editor for Western Hunter Magazine for so long that neither of us can remember! In this episode we dive into his hunting career, how he got started, and what he's really doing right now. Remi is one of the most adventurous hunters I know. Long before New Zealand was a hunting destination, he bought a one-way ticket there just to check it out….who does that? Take a look behind the scenes of his life.

In this episode I sit down with Steve Opat from Fairbanks, Alaska.  Steve is an avid hunter and is also a medical helicopter flight nurse. He is in a unique position to learn from people's mistakes. We talk about the what brought him to Alaska, his experiences, and the survival mindset. Steve always has a unique perspective and this conversation could have gone on for hours! I have no doubt he will be a frequent guest on this podcast.

You can follow Steve on Instagram @alaskanodysseys

Ralph and Vicki have been producing some of the best video hunting content since before outdoor TV even existed! Not only are they absolute pioneers in the business they are two of the most sincere and authentic ambassadors in the hunting industry.

No offense to any of my previous guest but this was the most enjoyable podcast I have recorded in our short history.  Though I had been dying to know how they met, I waited until I turned on the recorder to ask…and it was as entertaining has I had hoped. We also talk about Ralph’s Russian brown bear hunt only months after the fall of the Soviet Union and Vicki’s experiences being one of the first women ever on outdoor TV.  We spent some quality time discussing the past, present and future of the hunting lifestyle and each of our roles in its preservation.

You can catch “America’s favorite hunting couple” and mine on the Outdoor Channel and MOTV. The have two shows, “Archers Choice” and “The Choice”.

@ralphandvicki on Instagram

www.archerschoicemedia.com

Bob Lacher was born and raised in Alaska. As a child he hunted with his dad to feed the family, not for trophies. The adventure bug bit him hard! He started flying a bush plane at an early age and has been exploring and hunting the far reaches of Alaska ever since.

I first got to know Bob through his book “Alaska Raw”, which is available at shop.westernhunter.net. This book is filled with some of those adventures.  His engaging and honest reflection of these hunt is absolutely captivating. So on a recent trip to Alaska Bob and I found the time to sit down and record a conversation. 

I am always amazed by the fortitude and self-reliance of Alaskan bush pilots and hunters. It is the stuff that most of us dream about! I can assure you that this will not be the only podcast I do with Bob, there are just too many insights and stories to call this the end. 

Native Alaskan Heather Kelly was tired of the limited food options available to backcountry travelers. So she did what nobody thought was possible and created her own foods, which lead to the creation of Heather’s Choice. Her dehydrated (not freeze dried) meals were the first pre-packaged options with real meat that were not overly processed.  She literally started the trend and now has the biggest companies in the business paying attention.

I sat down with Heather and her boyfriend/business partner/operations manager/personal comedian Brad Hurd at the kitchen in Anchorage to talk about their history. They lead a fascinating life and have tremendous insights regarding backcountry nutrition.

After you listen to this podcast, do yourself a favor and buy some of their foods as fast as possible. We also have a limited inventory but growing inventory of Heather’s Choice available at shop.westernhunter.net

www.heatherschoice.com

In 2016 Steve killed the largest bull elk ever taken with a bow.  At almost 430” it is my opinion this record may never be broken. I met Steve while on business in Montana. Fortunately I had the recording equipment with me and he had to time to sit down. We talked about the hunt and how his thoughts have changed in the years since that crazy day in Montana. 

If they were looking for a new “Most Interesting Man in the World” I would nominate George Bettas.  He has worked with the Boone & Crockett Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and was one of the founders of the Mule Deer Foundation, most of which was after he retired from a career at Washington State! He is the author of the regular column “The Hunting Horseman” in Western Hunter Magazine and has packed thousands of miles in the wilderness areas of the Northern Rockies.

In this episode we talk about his passion for conservation and hunting from horseback. We also get into a new Master Hunter initiative that he has worked on for several years now, which I think will revolutionize the relationship between hunters and private landowners.

http://mtmasterhunter.com/