Country Outdoors Podcast

Yellowstone Family Outfitter

Since 2002, Heidi Saile has been packing clients into Yellowstone's backcountry on horseback. Now her family's park permit is up for renewal, big corporations are applying for permits too, and Heidi is wondering whether family outfitters like hers will still have a place in the park.

Heidi came to Montana as a ski bum, got into horses, married Kipp, and together they built Rockin' HK Outfitters, an authorized Yellowstone outfitter based at Chico Hot Springs Resort in Paradise Valley. They run about 65 head of horses, keep plenty of "old geezers" they can't part with, and raised their three kids, Scarlett, Wyatt, and Wilson, on the trail.

On this episode of Country Outdoors Podcast, Mary O'Neill sits down with Heidi in the pasture at her place to talk about the 10-year permit renewal, why she doesn't believe corporations should hold park permits, and the rules that ding small outfitters while bigger problems go ignored.

They also get into the morning Caleb the mule got gored by a bison, wolves howling outside their tents at 2 a.m., a mule that stood guard for three hours before running off a bear, ice for cocktails on day nine of a pack trip, why it takes about three days for people to truly unplug, and Heidi's worries about AI data centers and Montana's water.

Family run. Hands-on. Still fighting for their place in the park.

Raised unschooled and wild, 13-year-old Duke Tansey is giving us hope for the next generation. Known as the Country Boy Skater, he’s chasing skateboarding dreams, getting into hunting, and inspiring his peers to put down their screens and use their imaginations.

The son of Eric Tansey, author of “Pig Latin: A Seriously Funny Story,” Duke is the oldest of five kids. When he’s not skating, he’s building forts and exploring the woods with his siblings. His dream? A farm with room to roam—and a skate park on the property.

Mary O’Neill sits down with Duke at bear camp in North Carolina to talk about the $5 garage-sale skateboard that started it all, his first black bear hunt with a crossbow, and growing up with the freedom to follow his curiosity. They also get into skateboarding competitions, recovering from injury, interviewing his hero Ryan Sheckler, and why having fun matters more to him than winning.

It’s a conversation about childhood—scraped knees, big imaginations, and finding adventures worth putting the phone down for.

“I don’t want to be remembered. I want to outlive everybody.”

Montana cowboy, horse trainer, and film wrangler Duncan joins Mary O’Neill Phillips at Yellowstone Film Ranch for a Country Outdoors conversation about rodeo, recovery, and a life that sounds like a Western movie.

From riding a bull with a broken arm to surviving devastating injuries and learning to speak again, Duncan shares his extraordinary experiences with honesty and humor. He opens up about alcohol addiction, rehab, relapse, and sobriety—and the family, freedom, and work that give his life meaning.

The conversation follows his unexpected path from horseshoeing and custom saddle making to stagecoach driving, backcountry horse packing, and wrangling horses for Western films. Along the way, he talks about traveling to Australia, building a Montana property with horsepower, and turning handmade fur coats into another business.

It’s a candid look at cowboy life, Western craftsmanship, second chances, and finding joy in the everyday.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of a self-inflicted gunshot injury, alcohol addiction, serious injuries, and death.

Jason Matzinger and Tara Banks join Mary O’Neill Phillips on the Country Outdoors Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation from Bozeman, Montana about grizzly bears, hunting, conservation, wildlife art, outdoor storytelling, and the changing American West.

Jason—creator of Into the High Country and the filmmaker behind the upcoming Walking With Grizzlies documentary—shares why the grizzly bear comeback in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone region has become one of the biggest conservation conversations in the West. They discuss bear recovery, increasing human-bear encounters, attack survivors, delisting, management, and the reality of living alongside grizzlies.

Wildlife artist and self-taught bowhunter Tara Banks shares how she built a career through art and social media, learned to hunt independently, bowhunted her first whitetail, and turned a shared passion for the outdoors into adventures with Jason—from bear hunting in Montana to hunting ibex, mouflon, and fallow deer in Spain.

They also explore the changing character of Bozeman and Jackson Hole, public-land pressure, western hunting, wolf reintroduction, elk herds, AI-generated content, authentic storytelling, documentary filmmaking, and why real experiences still matter.

Topics covered: Jason Matzinger, Tara Banks, Country Outdoors Podcast, Mary O’Neill Phillips, grizzly bears, grizzly bear conservation, grizzly bear delisting, Walking With Grizzlies, Into the High Country, Montana hunting, bear attacks, bear management, Yellowstone, Bozeman Montana, Jackson Hole Wyoming, wolf reintroduction, public-land hunting, bowhunting, wildlife art, Spain hunting, outdoor filmmaking, conservation, hunting podcast, outdoor podcast.

Johnathon Schaech joins Country Outdoors to talk about Blue Ridge, Hollywood, faith, sobriety, fatherhood, and the move that changed his life.

Known for Blue Ridge, That Thing You Do!, How to Make an American Quilt, and Houdini, Johnathon shares the unlikely road that took him from blue-collar Maryland to Hollywood—and ultimately to a new life in Nashville.

He talks about playing Sheriff Justin Wise in Blue Ridge, why family-friendly storytelling matters to him, and his hopes for the future of the series. Johnathon also shares stories from the set of How to Make an American Quilt, including working with Maya Angelou and unexpectedly realizing he had been talking with Steven Spielberg. He reflects on That Thing You Do!, working with Tom Hanks, meeting Brad Pitt early in his career, and the unlikely series of events that redirected him from a Chippendales audition toward acting.

Jonathan Schaech shares the deeply personal story of the sexual abuse he says he experienced early in his Hollywood career at the hands of director Franco Zeffirelli. He explains how hearing Rose McGowan speak publicly about Harvey Weinstein helped him understand the power dynamics, shame, and trauma surrounding his own experience.Jonathan reflects on finding his voice amid the broader #MeToo-era conversations around abuse, power, and accountability. In a moving exchange, host Mary O’Neill Phillips also shares her own experience as a survivor and the lasting impact it had on her relationship with faith and healing. Together, they have an honest conversation about trauma, sobriety, recovery, faith, and finding the strength to speak the truth and move forward with hope, healing, and family.

Beyond the movies and television, this is a conversation about dyslexia, family, recovery, fatherhood, faith, and choosing to leave Los Angeles for Nashville. Johnathon opens up about finding purpose outside of Hollywood, helping others through 12-step recovery, and building a life rooted in presence and community.

Content advisory: This episode includes candid discussion of trauma, sexual assault, addiction, recovery, and mental health.

In this episode:

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, support is available through local recovery resources and 12-step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics

Blue Ridge star Johnathon Schaech joins Mary O'Neill on Country Outdoors Podcast for an honest conversation about 12 years of sobriety, leaving Hollywood, faith, fatherhood, and building a new life in Nashville Tennessee.

Known for playing Sheriff Justin Wise in Blue Ridge, as well as roles in That Thing You Do!, How to Make an American Quilt, and Houdini and many more! Johnathon shares the unlikely road from blue-collar Maryland to Hollywood—and the personal transformation that led him to choose family, recovery, and purpose over the life he once knew.

Jonathan Schaech shares the deeply personal story of the sexual abuse he says he experienced early in his Hollywood career at the hands of director Franco Zeffirelli. He explains how hearing Rose McGowan speak publicly about Harvey Weinstein helped him understand the power dynamics, shame, and trauma surrounding his own experience.Jonathan reflects on finding his voice amid the broader #MeToo-era conversations around abuse, power, and accountability. In a moving exchange, host Mary O’Neill Phillips also shares her own experience as a survivor and the lasting impact it had on her relationship with faith and healing. Together, they have an honest conversation about trauma, sobriety, recovery, faith, and finding the strength to speak the truth and move forward with hope, healing, and family.

Johnathon talks about Blue Ridge, what makes the series different, why family-friendly storytelling matters, and why he hopes the show continues. He also shares incredible stories about working with Maya Angelou, realizing he had been talking with Steven Spielberg on the set of How to Make an American Quilt, meeting Brad Pitt early in his career, and working with Tom Hanks.

Beyond the screen, this is a conversation about dyslexia, faith, recovery, fatherhood, and becoming more present for the people who matter most. Johnathon reflects on sobriety, helping others through 12-step recovery, and why his move from Los Angeles to Nashville changed the direction of his life.

In this episode:

12 years of sobriety and the road to recovery

Johnathon Schaech on Blue Ridge and Sheriff Justin Wise

Why he hopes Blue Ridge continues

Why he left Los Angeles and moved his family to Nashville

That Thing You Do!, Tom Hanks, Maya Angelou, Christina Applegate and Steven Spielberg

The unexpected Chippendales audition that redirected his life

Working on cult-classic Australian comedy movie "Welcome to Woop Woop "

Dyslexia, acting, and learning to find your lane, or Vegetable...

Fatherhood, faith, purpose, and building a better life

Helping others through 12-step recovery and community

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Content Advisory: This episode includes candid discussion of trauma, sexual assault, addiction, recovery, and mental health. Viewer discretion is advised.

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drug use, support is available:

Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.aa.org
Narcotics Anonymous: https://na.org
Treatment and support: https://FindTreatment.gov
U.S. & Canada crisis support: Call or text 988

Subscribe to Country Outdoors for real conversations with actors, musicians, athletes, outdoorsmen, and people living with purpose.

• 00:00:00 Johnathon Schaech on sobriety, faith & leaving Hollywood
• 00:02:24 Welcome Johnathon Schaech to Country Outdoors
• 00:03:09 How to Make an American Quilt & That Thing You Do!
• 00:04:36 Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg & Hollywood stories
• 00:07:19 Growing up in Maryland & discovering acting
• 00:09:05 Dyslexia, acting school & finding his path
• 00:11:23 The Chippendales audition that changed everything
• 00:13:25 Roy London, Brad Pitt & Hollywood acting class
• 00:18:00 Fatherhood, family & getting older in Hollywood
• 00:19:03 Faith, sobriety & leaving Los Angeles for Nashville
• 00:21:16 Blue Ridge, Sheriff Justin Wise & a new chapter
• 00:21:43 Finding faith and community in Nashville
• 00:23:04 Content warning: trauma, faith & survivor support
• 00:28:06 12 years sober: addiction, healing & recovery
• 00:32:03 Faith, freedom & seeing life differently
• 00:35:51 Fatherhood, trauma & breaking generational cycles
• 00:40:38 Blue Ridge: family-friendly storytelling & Season 2
• 00:42:45 Blue Ridge fitness, action scenes & Sheriff Justin Wise
• 00:47:55 Marriage, faith & 12 years of sobriety
• 00:50:35 Helping others through 12-step recovery
• 00:54:45 Hollywood, Nashville & family life
• 00:58:23 Tom Hanks, Australia & career reflections
• 01:00:32 What Johnathon Schaech wants to be remembered for
• 01:02:02 Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous & recovery resources
• 01:02:57 Blue Ridge Season 1 & Season 2

#JohnathonSchaech #BlueRidge #BlueRidgeSeries #SheriffJustinWise #ThatThingYouDo #Sobriety #Recovery #Faith #Hollywood #Nashville #CountryOutdoors #metoo

Jacob Hackworth joins Country Outdoors host, Mary O'Neill to share the story behind writing Bailey Zimmerman’s No. 1 hit, “Rock and A Hard Place,” and his road from southern Missouri to Nashville.

Jacob is a country artist and songwriter whose first major-label cut became a No. 1 song with Bailey Zimmerman. In this conversation, he takes us inside the songwriting journey that led to “Rock and A Hard Place,” what it was like hearing the record take off, and why he is now pursuing his own career as a country artist.

Before Nashville, publishing deals, and writing hit songs, Jacob was a small-town Missouri kid raised around deer camp. He shares unforgettable stories from his early days deer hunting—his first rifle hunt with his mom, the buck that got away, buying his first Mathews bow after working construction and hauling hay, and the unexpected story behind his first bow kill. We also talk bowhunting, turkey hunting, public-land deer camp traditions, hunting with family, and the outdoor experiences that shaped who he is.

Jacob also opens up about singing in church and school choir, posting early music videos, working long shifts building railroad track, learning guitar in hotel rooms, making the move to Nashville with his bandmates, working whatever jobs he could, and falling in love with the craft of songwriting before earning his first major breakthrough.

In this episode:

Jacob Hackworth on writing Bailey Zimmerman’s “Rock and A Hard Place”

How a first major-label cut became his first No. 1 hit

The reality of chasing country music and songwriting in Nashville

From railroad work to country songwriting

Jacob’s artist career and his next chapter in country music

Southern Missouri deer camp and growing up in the outdoors

His first deer hunt, a rifle malfunction, and the buck that got away

Buying his first Mathews bow after hauling hay and working construction

The hilarious truth behind his first bow kill

Turkey hunting, public-land hunting, family hunting traditions, and conservation

If you enjoy country music, Nashville songwriting stories, behind-the-scenes artist conversations, deer hunting, bowhunting, turkey hunting, and outdoor culture, subscribe to Country Outdoors for more conversations with the people shaping country music and the outdoors.

Follow Jacob Hackworth: https://www.jacobhackworth.com

Subscribe to Country Outdoors for conversations about hunting, fishing, farming, country life, western culture, outdoor adventure, and the people living it.

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OUR Partners :
BOG https://www.boghunt.com
OnX Hunt https://bit.ly/3UyuOKN
Mossy Oak https://store.mossyoak.com

• 00:00:00 Jacob Hackworth’s first No. 1 hit
• 00:00:41 Jacob Hackworth joins Country Outdoors
• 00:01:56 Growing up in southern Missouri
• 00:03:52 First deer hunt with his mom
• 00:07:17 A lesson from the buck that got away
• 00:09:30 Getting into bowhunting
• 00:10:34 First bow kill story
• 00:14:34 Deer hunting ethics and hunter recruitment
• 00:15:35 Turkey hunting in Nashville
• 00:16:58 When Jacob Hackworth started songwriting
• 00:18:29 Singing “God Bless the Broken Road” as a kid
• 00:21:54 Posting country music covers on Instagram
• 00:23:19 Working on the railroad and learning guitar
• 00:24:56 Writing his first country songs
• 00:27:53 First songwriting advice in Nashville
• 00:28:30 Moving to Nashville to chase country music
• 00:30:21 Life as a struggling songwriter in Nashville
• 00:31:28 Writing “Rock and A Hard Place” for Bailey Zimmerman
• 00:33:12 The story behind Jacob’s first major-label cut
• 00:36:00 How “Rock and A Hard Place” became a No. 1 hit

#JacobHackworth #BaileyZimmerman #RockAndAHardPlace #CountryMusic #CountrySongwriter #DeerHunting #Bowhunting #Nashville

Jacob Hackworth joins Country Outdoors host, Mary O'Neill to share the story behind writing Bailey Zimmerman’s No. 1 hit, “Rock and A Hard Place,” and his road from southern Missouri to Nashville.

Brett Maverick and Brayden Pridemore from Farmer Wants a Wife join Mary O'Neill on Country Outdoors to talk life after the show—relationships, farming, hunting, bull riding, concussions, CTE, and neurofeedback.

Brett and Brayden share what Farmer Wants a Wife was really like, from intense filming days and life around the cameras to long-distance relationships, family farms, cattle, horses, and what it takes to stay rooted in rural life.

They also get into Illinois big bucks, turkey hunting, duck hunting, fishing, bull riding, rodeo injuries, brain health, and Brett’s personal experience with neurofeedback after years of concussions. Plus: music, songwriting, business ventures, and what both guys are building after the show.

Eva Shockey joins Mary O'Neill on Country Outdoors for an honest conversation about becoming the second woman featured on the cover of Field & Stream, women in hunting, bowhunting, motherhood, and building a legacy of her own.

Eva reflects on growing up in the Shockey family, finding her path in the outdoor world, learning to hunt on camera, and navigating the pressure of being one of hunting’s most recognizable women. She also shares thoughts on family, faith, travel, marriage, authenticity, and making outdoor life work alongside motherhood.

In this episode:

• Eva’s Field & Stream milestone

• Growing up with Jim and Louise Shockey

• Starting to hunt after college

• Her first hunt in Africa

• Being “the only girl” in hunting

• Bowhunting, motherhood, and career

• Building an independent path and legacy

Follow Eva Shockey:

https://evashockey.com

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https://linktr.ee/countryoutdoorsoffi

CHAPTERS

00:00 Eva Shockey: Women in Hunting

00:57 Welcome Eva Shockey

01:43 Moving to Franklin, Tennessee

05:11 Growing Up in the Shockey Family

12:47 Wild Game and Outdoor Upbringing

13:45 Starting to Hunt After College

16:54 First Hunt in Africa

18:22 Learning to Hunt on Camera

19:08 Being the Only Girl in Hunting

22:14 Lessons From Jim Shockey

23:10 Creating Her Own Path

27:22 Bowhunting, Motherhood, and Career