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Josh Smith of Montana Knife Company joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about the results of surrounding yourself with high-performing individuals. In this episode, they talk about a shift in focus from university education to trades, the importance of learning by hands-on experience and understanding the difference between someone looking for feedback versus simply sharing their work. Josh and Sam move on to discuss the difficulties of a life without fingerprints, the reality behind the scenes of Forged in Fire and the incredible things that can happen when you surround yourself with “deep water, thin air” people.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/191. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Chappell of Chappell’s Guide Service and host of ElkCampTV joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about their obsession with Elk. In this episode, Steve talks about his strategies for locating elk in new units. He also gives his take on calling techniques, being adaptable in the woods and the ethics of and controversy over using trail cameras and other hunting tech.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/190. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Barklow, ex-Navy Seal and Big Game Product Manager for Sitka Gear, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to reinforce the importance of continual learning and growth. In this episode, John shares his extensive outdoor knowledge and discusses finding balance in what you’re doing even with a “no off-season” attitude. They also cover the romanticized nature of Western Hunting, the power of learning from your mistakes on every hunt and how to leverage your personal skills.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/189. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donnie Vincent, biologist, filmmaker, and all-around adventurer, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about his unbelievable experiences. Donnie discusses the dichotomy of being a hunter but passionate about animals and conservation, how we are not designed for comfort, and his extraordinary first trip to Alaska. They also detail the mindset hunters should have, experiencing every moment of life and finding hunting ventures opportunities.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/188. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cody Rich, host of The Rich Outdoors Podcast, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss the basics of getting into Western hunting. In this episode, they discuss what things finally “clicked” to bring about a successful hunt, “graduating” to new levels based on experience and how to build the foundation of your hunting knowledge. They also dig into situation-dependent stalking tips, how weather affects herd populations and more.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/187. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Carr, author, hunter and former Navy SEAL joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss life experiences and how hunting became a family tradition. In this episode, Jack recounts stories of his Marine grandfather and explains how he integrates his real-life experiences into his work as an author. They go on to discuss big-game hunting abroad and in Hawaii and the latest installment in Jack’s Terminal List series, The Devil’s Hand.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/186. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Lile and Robert Hanneman of Huntin’ Fool join Sam on The Wild Initiative to break down how to build your plan for drawing elk tags and how to integrate these species into your overall big game hunting plan and strategy.Promo code functionality is currently not working on the website. Please call Huntin’ Fool at (435) 865-1020 and mention code TWI60 to get 60 days of the Huntin’ Fool digital membership for FREE!See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/185 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Lile and Robert Hanneman of Huntin’ Fool join Sam on The Wild Initiative to break down how to build your plan for drawing mule deer tags and how to integrate this species into your overall big game hunting plan and strategy.Visit huntinfool.com and use code TWI60 to get a 60-day free trial of the Huntin’ Fool digital membership.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/184. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Lile and Robert Hanneman of Huntin’ Fool join Sam on The Wild Initiative to break down how to build your plan for drawing pronghorn tags and how to integrate this species into your overall big game hunting plan and strategy.Visit huntinfool.com and use code TWI60 to get a 60-day free trial of the Huntin’ Fool digital membership.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/183. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Lile and Robert Hanneman of Huntin’ Fool join Sam on The Wild Initiative to break down how to build your plan for drawing moose tags and how to integrate this species into your overall big game hunting plan and strategy.Visit huntinfool.com and use code TWI60 to get a 60-day free trial of the Huntin’ Fool digital membership.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/182. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Lile and Robert Hanneman of Huntin’ Fool join Sam on The Wild Initiative to break down how to build your plan for drawing sheep and goat tags and how to integrate these species into your overall big game hunting plan and strategy.Visit huntinfool.com and use code TWI60 to get a 60-day free trial of the Huntin’ Fool digital membership.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/181. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerrod Lile, CEO of Huntin’ Fool, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to give the ultimate breakdown of the North American big game hunting draw. This episode talks about different types, point creep, bonus points, application costs, and resident versus nonresident tags. They also discuss how to build an application plan and why the phrase “I’m going to draw too many tags” is a myth. Keep an eye out for species-specific draw episodes coming soon.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/180. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macy Watkins joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to chat about her experience in the hunting industry. In this episode, they discuss the difference between wanting to hunt versus working in the industry, how she has become viral on multiple platforms, especially in Wisconsin. Macy and Sam also talk about some of their favorite fishing memories and braving the cold while duck hunting with Mr. Heater and many layers.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/179. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Ahtila joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about their observations of the pandemic within the hunting world. In this episode, they discuss the resurgence of interest in hunting this year, if this ‘fad’ will have staying power, Randy Newberg, Jason Matzinger and Remi Warren’s dance moves and the management of predators and unregulated wildlife populations.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/178. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Dorsey, of Sporting Classics Television, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about the importance of hunting conservation in the eyes of the public. In this episode, they discuss the changes in hunting media from then to now, elephant hunting Kenya vs. Botswana and how we, as a hunting community, have failed to tell our story. Chris goes on to explain the North American model versus the rest of the world and the value of hunting to conservation.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/177. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Sittig, the Huge Fly Fisherman, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about becoming a fly fisherman. In this episode, Ben talks about the essentials needed to start rippin’ lips with a fly, how he started out with the sport and the expectations vs reality of guiding. Later in the episode, they reconvene the difficulties of casting into the wind and why some people just hate fun and lightheadedness in the boat.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/176. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Zumbo, editor for Outdoor Life Magazine and host of Jim Zumbo Outdoors, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about becoming a more knowledgeable hunter. In this episode, they talk about the behind-the-scenes complexities of hunting television, obsession with elk and why it’s critical for hunters to know and thoroughly understand the regs. Jim goes on to talk about his passion for backcountry hunting and his advice for aspiring outdoor writers.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/175. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Simons, founder of Wildlife Systems, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about the importance of wildlife conservation. In this episode, they discuss how to choose and reach out to mentors, the origination and definition of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and our biophilic nature as humans.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/174. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Fallon of FTW Ranch and SAAM Hunter Training joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss investing in yourself to become an effective and ethical hunter. In this episode, Tim goes in-depth on deciding your maximum effective range while hunting, the pressure you get from having “hair in the scope” and why investing in yourself is crucial for hunts.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/173. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On his drive back “home” from Montana after an eventful road trip, Sam recaps the past two months hunting and fishing through Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Montana. In this episode, he reminisces about the many firsts he’s achieved this year… from his first elk, to his first fish on the fly as well as waterfowling, upland game and much more. He also shares a life-changing announcement in this quick episode.See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/172. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices