To those that think it’s impossible to ramp up the intensity without ever lifting a weight or turning on the elliptical machine, think again. Joe and Brian meet up with Land Tawney at quite a telling location to discuss the sweat equity they put into their passions. It’s time to turn up the heat!

Topics discussed:

- The most visited and successful wilderness in America

- It’s our job to use our voice

- The “Oh my god!” moment

- Losing a father at a young age

- The Land Legacy Effect: Teller Wildlife Refuge

- Raiding Retirement Homes

- A quick way to raise $60k and lose 20lbs

- Hiking in moon boots and platform shoes

- Hunting benefits and drawbacks after a scorched earth

- The ridiculousness of coming home to mow the lawn

- Solace of the wild

- When to embrace the grit and when to throw in the towel 

- Long distance equestrian riders

- Sometimes it’s learning the story of being a Public Land Owner

- Democracy is driven by those that show up 

- 5 ways to turn up the heat as a Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) member

Join BHA: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/join

Follow BHA: @backcountryhunters

Follow Land Tawney: @landtawney

Mr. Western DIY, Ross Niebur, returns to the show with a Governor’s Tag story to tell. To all that may think it’s impossible, this one's for you. To all that want it to be their possible, grab a notepad and pen, this one is for the record books.

- The importance of marrying a woman that understands your passion

- A Governor’s tag’s blessing: open to all units

- A Governor’s tag’s curse: narrowing down the units, then the mountain

- Graduate Level Logistics

- Going about a DIY Governor’s Tag: 20 day scout, broken up in 3 trips

— Trip 1: (June) Feel out a mountain range - getting goat shape - climbing into the clouds

— Trip 2: (July) Participated in the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance survey

— Trip 3: (August) +30 mile solo through hike

- Growth an inch a week

- Watching goats pee

- Hockey puck sized glands

- Amidst a 6k foot ceiling in 9-10k country

- The product of having a Plan B

- Bombing avalanche shoots in crampons

- Shooting a 2x2 alpine opening

- Connecting 3 months of glass to the real thing

Follow along with Ross on Instagram at @rniebur

Joe and Chad sit down with Jamie Carlson from Modern Carnivore to chat about cooking wild game right. The old fashioneds were flowing and Jamie’s smoked whitefish were whetting the appetite. Grab a chair and pour a stiff one with us – you’re bound to get heaping scoops of Jamie’s insight and dashes of humor along the way.

Topics discussed:

— Affinities for white suckers

— Becoming a market fisherman at 6 years old

— Why Grandma’s clothesline is perfect for hanging -squirrels 

— Is duck the ultimate gateway game?

— Wet aging

— Garage geese

— Aging shark for 6 months

— Why the gun range is the number 1 reason for better tasting wild game

— Sean Brock’s ideal deer heart preparation

— Scouting for your kids success

— Suffering with age

Joe and Chad sit at the MN BHA table with their Chairman, Aaron Hebeisen (pronounced “hey-bison”). Despite the Minnesota focus, one can still glean insight to understanding how much their corresponding state chapters are bringing to the table.

- 6 pack and refreshing for an hour and a half

- Warning: Don’t ever buy duck decoys

- BHA’s 2020 Focus: Engaging and empower Current Membership

- Your Voice is more important than your money and time (but we appreciate them all!)

- Public Grouse Film Tour

- Pheasant Fest

- The BHA Angle on angling

- Pint Night 2-4-1s: Beer and activity in one event

Tickets for Public Grouse Film Tour (chances are, it’s in your state)

Tickets for Pheasant Fest 2020 in Minneapolis

Join BHA

Follow BHA at @backcountryhunters

Follow the BHA Minnesota Chapter at @bha_mn

Follow Aaron at @aaron_hebeisen

Grab your coffee and join Jeff, Joe and groggy Chad as they sit down over morning brew reminiscing of this past waterfowl season’s successes, learning moments, and head scratchers. Topics discussed:

- Uncovering shipwrecks

- Recruitment going full swing

- Do geese jump ahead of the field spread?

- The 3 generation hunt

- Folly of guided hunts

- Jacked up by a trailer jack

- Sea duck hunting in the land-locked Midwest

- Learning curve hunting out of a layout boat

- An 8 month old pup in the field

- Blaze orange in the duck blind??

- A 12 Month hunting dog vs a 2 month hunting dog

- The idiotic epiphany with a duck dog in their prime

- Reactivation after 15 years

- The power of giving back to the disabled

_____________________________________________

Do you have any success stories, learning moments, or head scratchers? We want to share it! Please submit to contactoutdoors.com

What could an economics graduate do to change the entire knife industry? Give them a doctor’s scalpel and a dream. Hear how Luke Johnson, the owner and developer of Tyto Knives, is living the dream.

- Why recording at a coffee shop isn’t always the best option

- How to successfully miss 7 antelope and kill 7 deer in one season

- No fear with a fixed blade

- The name behind Tyto

- Taking client feedback with open arms

- Why philanthropy in conservation organizations pays more than just dividends

- The economics behind a doctor’s scalpel

- The greatest caping tool

- Precision - let the blade do the work

- Benefits of quartering vs dragging out a whole animal from the woods/backcountry

- The effectiveness behind the Tyto knife system

- The 75 yard challenge

- Mule deer in velvet

- Distance dichotomy between mule deer and whitetail

- Preseason and pre-hunt scouting

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Website: https://tytoknives.com/shop/

Instagram: @tytoknives

Subjects discussed:

- The 90% success state

- No need to debate various archery methods

- In 100 years a herd of 2,000 to 4MM

- Impacts of Record Precipitation and Record Drought in the same year

- Hunting as a family

- Attaining Hipster status with a Vortex and 6.5mm Creedmoor

- Pros of challenging oneself

- Irony of close proximity

- Squirrel gymnastics

- Self-preservation of wise deer and fate of the foolish ones

- When the wind is almost bad

- Reverse patterning tactics

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We want to hear your story and tactics. Submit it via contactoutdoors.com

They say the best couples travel well, great teams never have “I”s, and lasting marriages remove self. There isn’t a better example of these that we’ve seen in the outdoors than our friends Alli and Andrew who have put on some serious miles together. Listen and laugh along with this engaging conversation that covers the following:

The silver lining of getting cut from the playbook

Husband/wife mentoring dynamics

“Yeah, but I’m strong”

70 arguments become 70 lessons

Death March Doom

Why “the why” is always the answer

Couple dynamics in backcountry groups

Healthy redundancy versus over-packing

The unquestionable, untouchable ukulele

Follow this dynamic duo on Instagram: @allirunswild & @ajvavra

| State of Our Union | No, were not getting political here; rather we’re excited to share some updates with some additions to the Contact Outdoors team, film projects, and podcasts that’ll highlight subjects near and dear to our hearts: conservation and apprenticeship.

Bonus content: Brian is a ”leaker”, volunteering with Capable Partners, hunting safety, bushcraft and field dressing knives from Uinta Knives & Tyto Knives, and guiding/hunting updates from Jeff and Brian.

Plugs:

Capable Partners: capablepartners.org

Uinta Knife Co: @uinta_knife_co

Tyto Knives: @tytoknives

Topics Discussed:

- Outcomes of being a pier bum

- John’s first contact with the outdoors

- The heart and beauty of duck hunting

- 80 pine blinds

- Southern Flyway Outfitters origin story

- What is a Decoy Raft and how is it used?

- America’s bird and tactic diversity

Mentions:

southernflywayoutfitters.com/decoyraft

Instagram: @southernflywayoutfitters

Facebook: facebook.com/southernflywayoutfitters/

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCw0IbqFdFLTaXyhzcr_K73g

Do you have a story about how you connected with the outdoors? We would love to hear it! Contact us via Facebook, Instagram or email.

contactoutdoorsmedia.com

facebook.com/contactoutdoors

instagram.com/contactoutdoors

[email protected]

When you know someone that manages the string building crew at Vapor Trail Archery and has extensive archery success in the whitetail woods and muley hills of the Dakotas, it's only a matter of time for a friend to knock on your door with an invitation to chase elk further west. This is the story of how Joe came knocking on Ricky Brule's door and how they tackle their elk trip.

- Planning a western hunt

- Choosing a hunting partner

- Choosing a state

- Picking a unit

- Who shoots when?

- E-scouting

- Prep work (shooting, exercise and mental preparation)

Guest Bio:

Ricky Brule lives in Ham Lake, MN and manages Vapor Trail Archery where he uses his astute archery acumen to help grow the business and raise the success bar for bow hunters.

Do you have a story about how you connected with the outdoors? We would love to hear it! Contact us via Facebook, Instagram or email.

contactoutdoorsmedia.com

facebook.com/contactoutdoors

instagram.com/contactoutdoors

[email protected]