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After a grueling Dall sheep hunt in 2002 Jim Winjum harvested what he came for - but on the way down the Mackenzie Mountains in the NWT things almost came to halt as Jim’s boots gave out. That trip sparked this engineering graduate from Montana State University’s mission to design the world’s best boot for mountain hunting. Now, 20 years later, Kenetrek is one of the world’s premiere manufacturers of quality hunting boots. In this episode, Brian, Brad and Bryan Martin re-live the story of Kenetrek as well as talking about what goes into the design and manufacture of a great boot (and socks). They also swap stories of favorite sheep hunts.  

On today’s episode of Hunt the World Brian and Brad welcome in Brandon Neil, RBO Partner, for a session on shooting for success. As springtime is here it’s time to plan on making off-season trips to the shooting range to improve your skills. Brian and Brad have just returned from Utah where Brandon hosted an RBO Mountain Precision Shooting Academy. The trio covers the three areas that most long-range or precision shooters need to work on: target acquisition, breathing and shooting from a stable platform with proper point of aim. A review of the shooting academy is provided including the most common benefits the students receive. 

A fair share of our listeners are skilled DIY (Do-It-Yourself) hunters and you may be one of them. But DIY hunting in Kentucky and DIY hunting in Alaska are two different animals - so to speak. On today’s Hunt the World podcast Brian Mehmen, Brad Dana and Bryan Martin discuss those who like to DIY hunt in Alaska that may never have done that before. Don’t make the same mistakes we did. You gotta have a strategy going in. It helps if you know how to operate a boat and are in reasonably good physical condition (depending on the type of hunt). Alaska has unforgiving conditions at time and you must be prepared. We’ll give you the best advice (and first-hand stories) we have if this type of adventure interests you. 

It is a bear market as we release this episode in the Spring of 2022. Right now is perhaps the best time you will ever see when it comes to booking a bear hunt. The deals are red hot. And coming off two years of pandemic depressed hunting pressure, big blacks and browns abound. In today’s Hunt the World Brian and Brad present a couple of half-off bear hunts including an incredible deal in Canada. They also present a budget for what you could expect to spend on a bear hunt in the current market and share a few bear hunting stories as only they can. https://rads.rollingbonesoutfitters.com/hunts/1628 (Book a bear!)

Since the reintroduction of the gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in 1995 their presence in the American West has been a constant tug of war between the political activists, conservationists, biologists and outdoorsmen. Now that their numbers are on the rise wolves are causing a depredation of deer and elk herds - severely limiting opportunities for sportsmen in many areas of the west. In addition, cattlemen are just beginning to see wolf kills among their herds in places like Colorado. Today on Hunt the World, Brian, Brad and Bryan Martin tackle this controversial topic with their own personal opinions. RBO advises hunters to stay informed and engaged in the democratic process as this issue continues to raise concerns. Oh... and if you stick around until the end you'll get a rare example of one of our host's best impersonations of a famous movie star. (That is, "if you can handle the truth!")

Our very special in-studio guest this week is Rolling Bones member Jim Bonanno. In this episode Jim tells the story of how Rolling Bones helped get him back into big game hunting. After spending a career hunting waterfowl and game birds Jim wanted to expand his horizons into hunting bigger game. He recounts the experience of his first sheep hunt in British Columbia where RBO helped him book the hunt, and guided him through the experience with one of our trusted and vetted outfitters (see episode 94). If you’ve been on the fence about upping your game as a hunter you’ll want to hear Jim’s experience as he goes from beginner to badass in pursuit of big game. 

Perhaps the most important aspect of successful hunting in the western states and internationally is becoming proficient with your rifle. That means knowing safety, how your firearm operates and how to use it well at long range. In this Hunt the World episode Brian and Brad take you inside what goes into an RBO Precision Mountain Shooting School. They just returned from Utah after completing their first shooting school of 2022 and fill you in on what to expect if you decide to attend, the curriculum, why you should consider going and what students learn after going through the course. 

Russia has been a prime destination for international hunters. There is an abundance of game, outfitters welcome hunters from the west, and you can find good value for your money. But with recent world events, Russia is now off limits. In this Hunt the World episode Bryan Martin joins Brian and Brad to talk about the current situation in Russia from a sportsman’s standpoint. They talk about what they are hearing from the hunters and outfitters they’ve booked with and communicated with in Russia, and what the future may hold. Truth is, nobody really knows at this point but join us for this lively discussion. 

Wyoming opportunities for non-resident hunters seeking the Wyoming Big Five- moose, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, bison and grizzly bear - have taken a huge hit. The governor has signed into law a bill that allocates tags between residents and non-residents on a 90/10 basis. The law does not affect elk and deer… yet. Brian Mehmen and Brad Dana talk about what these changes mean to the non-resident who has built up points (lots of points - like Brad) or would like to put together a strategy to hunt the big five in Wyoming. The guys then talk about how it will change their personal strategy and what they expect the future to look like. 

In this Hunt the World episode we are so happy to have as our guest 22-year old Dylan Heide, one of our newest RBO Adventure Advisors from central Wyoming and a social media influencer with nearly 70,000 fans on Instagram. Dylan is a rare find. He did not grow up in a hunting family yet found himself drawn to the sport and now can't get enough of it. Trends today suggest the number of young people getting into hunting has declined but listening to Dylan gives us great insight about what draws young people to the sport. Dylan talks about how he makes social media work for him, his approach to building his own Rolling Bones adventure agency and the Instagram story line that gets him (by far) the most likes. Thank you Dylan for taking the time and giving us hope for the next generation.

During this break in hunting seasons you may be considering upgrading your shooting platform or even buying a new rifle. In this episode of Hunt the World Brian and Brad break down what you should consider when putting together the perfect shooting platform. Some would argue that there is no single perfect rifle for every type hunting situation and the guys get into that as well. Topics for exploration include Caliber, ammunition, terminal velocity, shootability, barrel length, scopes and the difference between a North American platform and an international platform. 

First of all - thank you for listening and making it possible for us to celebrate our 100th episode of “Hunt the World!” In this episode - buckle up and settle in for a wild ride. Brian Mehman and Brad Dana are joined by fellow RBO initiators Noel Erickson and Brandon Neil. In their usual humorous style they share their favorite Rolling Bones hunting stories and relive some adventures from the “No Boundaries” TV show and each share their vision for the future of RBO. 

In this age of social media and hundreds of hunting TV shows and YouTube channels it’s easy to get caught up in wanting to harvest that 350” elk or that 200” deer. There’s a mindset that seems to say if I don’t do that, I’ve failed - because it seems everyone else on IG is posting pictures of B&C class animals. Screw that. In this episode we hope to encourage you that there’s more to hunting than one-upping someone on social media. Brian, Brad and Bryan discuss how to stay out of that trap by managing expectations in a way that leads to happy hunting, no matter the outcome. It’s good to set goals, but don’t let false expectations rob you of the true hunting experience. 

Brian, Brad and Bryan have been on the road lately attending the various outdoor shows and expos. In this episode of Hunt the World they review some of the things they saw and what’s new in the world of hunting. They give a review of the Sheep Show in Reno, the big Shot Show in Las Vegas and SCI. Since we are still in the middle of show season you may run into one of our advisors or team members at one of the several shows throughout the country. Outdoor expos and shows are a great way to network and connect with fellow hunting and fishing enthusiasts and get a sense of what is new in this fascinating billion-dollar industry.

In this episode of Hunt the World, Brian, Brad, and Bryan revisit a popular topic - which kind of hunt serves you best? Do-it-Yourself (DIY) or guided? DIY plays an important role in nearly every outdoorsman’s hunting career. But there are times when a guided hunt is a must. And in between the guys talk about how semi-guided and dropped hunts figure into your strategy. Each RBO team member gives you their take on DIY and guided hunts. Brian also dispels a false perception that RBO does not serve DIY hunters, in fact he talks about how Rolling Bones Outdoors helps DIY members. And in the end, the team talks about a strategy that will help you afford a guided or semi-guided hunt when you're ready to take that step.  

At the Bone Cave we get a lot of questions about BDC turrets. BDC stands for Bullet Drop Compensation, and BDC turrets offer the easiest way to dial number of clicks to compensate for bullet drop when shooting at longer distances. These turrets are usually found on hunting scopes for long-range hunting. We call RBO's system a range, dial-and-dump system (shout out to Jeff Sipe). You range your animal (say 600 yards) and use your dope card (RBO has done the homework for you on knowing your bullet, and it's velocity) and then you apply the number of clicks needed to compensate for the bullet's drop over that distance. If you're hunting out west, long range shots are the norm and having a good BDC turret will add greatly to your hunting success. Rolling Bones does have a package where we take your favorite rifle and turn it into a precision, long-range firearm with a scope and BDC turret (26:12). At 28:55 Brian and Brad give the top three things they like about a BDC turret.

We’re talking tripods in this episode of Hunt the World. When hunting in the west or in any long-range shooting environment worldwide, a tripod is an indispensable piece of equipment. Getting the right one for your specific application is vital, most of the time to mount a spotting score - sometimes a camera. Today Brian and Brad review six tripods that they have used over their decades of hunting experience and rate them according to stability, durability, functionality, size, weight and price. Spoiler alert: it was a close score, but there was a winner.  

This week on Hunt the World Brian, Brad and Bryan are back with our favorite veteran Canadian guide Aaron from British Columbia. And in this episode we talk about the unique aspects of hunting British Columbia. Why hunt B.C.? Why is this adventure so unique? How could I possibly afford to hunt in British Columbia? The guys tackle that question with a strategy that you can put in place to make that happen. Kick back and listen as the crew talks about what a B.C. adventure is like, the species you will encounter, tags and licenses, the terrain and the overall hunting experience. The entire Rolling Bones staff highly recommends that if you haven’t had a B.C. adventure - add it to your bucket list. 

In this episode of Hunt the World the Rolling Bones team of Brian Mehmen, Brad Dana and Bryan Martin welcome into the Bone Cave a very special guest - Aaron, who is a veteran guide from British Columbia and a long-time friend of RBO. He is in the states for a few outdoor shows and stopped by the RBO HQ in Spearfish, SD, to talk about everything you need to know about hunting in Canada in 2022. Last year was a weird season in Canada by any measure and Aaron tells the guys what we can expect in 2022. From COVID protocols, to itineraries, to getting back to the states (or your home country) -- that and more is covered in this episode. 

As we wrap up 2021 we’re sending out a previously unreleased podcast that was recorded last summer about our inaugural elite shooting school. This event is for our top member- hunters and shooters who are invited based on skill levels and we call it “The Argali Club.” Brian, Brad and Bryan describe the experience which takes place on Rolling Bone’s exclusive private shooting range. Brad says it is like a “golf course for long-range shooting.” At 11:05 Brian Mehmen begins to describe the itinerary of the event. Brad describes the shooting course at the 15:40 mark. The goal is to present the shooters with real-world hunting scenarios and testing their accuracy against the clock. The guys also discuss the most successful cartridges that were used on the course. At 30:37 Brian talks about the three things that contributed to the top scores. 34:32 Brian sums up the weekend. 40:22 Future of the Argali Club and how you might be able to attend. At 46:39 Brian talks about the biggest value attendees received from their attendance at the first-ever Argali Club event.