EatWild Podcast

Setting your sights on your first rifle - tips for buying the right firearm

In this episode, I’m hanging out with Travis Bader from Silvercore. We’re breaking down the things to consider when buying your first firearm for big game. We get into some common misconceptions about firearms. We talk recoil and how to reduce the shock to the body. We discuss pros and cons of calibers for the new hunter who wants a rifle that can do it all.

Travis is an expert in all things firearms. He is a gunsmith and a leader in the firearms training industry. Silvercore provides a range of training opportunities from firearms safety to bear safety and much more. Check them out.

You can find the Silvercore podcast here.

Find Travis and Silvercore on Instagram here.

In this episode, I’m catching up with Kelly Molnar from the Rookie Hunter Podcast. The Rookie Hunter Podcast has grown to be one of the most popular hunting podcasts, not just in BC, but across Canada and North America. Mike and Kelly have built a following of loyal listeners by openly sharing their rookie hunter experiences and being relatable to new hunters. The podcast has evolved to bring on some of the most notable hunters and conservationists in the broader hunting community.

What does guided hunting look like when the border is closed to 98% of commercial hunting clients? I am catching up on the 2020 hunting season with Nolan Osborne.  Nolan is a hunting guide and the managing editor of the Journal of Mountain Hunting.  We’re talking about the impacts of COVID-19 on the guide outfitting community.  

As we get caught up on our respective hunting seasons, we get into sheep hunting and the challenges of ageing legal rams, and we talk about the pressure on a guide to ensure success on a once-in-a-lifetime hunt. It’s always a good time when I get to hang out with Nolan. He’s a super modest and knowledgeable mountain hunter. I hope you enjoy this one.

You can find Nolan at the Journal of Mountain Hunting or on Instagram @nmo.  

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I set out on an elk hunting trip with good pals Will, Ben, Tome and Tom.  Our plan was to float down the river, camp on the riverbank, and hunt elk for the week. Elk hunting was pretty slow and I was getting discouraged when things took a big turn.  I was set up calling for Elk, I heard a crunch, and an unexpected critter showed up. 

In some parts of BC, we have an open moose season, but you can only harvest immature bulls that have 2 points or less, or mature bulls that have 3 points on their brow palm or a total of 10 points on one antler. Confusing? Absolutely! Then try and count those points while a moose popping in and out of view in the willows and thick timber.  In this episode, I talk about counting points in the field and building the confidence to pull the trigger. 

This is the wrap-up episode of our adventure hunt podcast planning series.  Celina, Jenny and I are on the road on our way back from our packrafting hunting adventure.  Sadly we are not coming home with an animal from the trip.  We worked hard, we learned a ton, built new skills, and had so much fun.  So does all that make up for not coming home with an animal? We discuss our evolving expectations and reflect on our experience from the trip. We recorded this in the truck while on the road so the audio quality kinda sucks, but the conversation is great. Thanks for listening.  

We are joined by Christy Long to debrief our packrafting adventures on the river.  Christy is a whitewater paddling guide. She supported Jenny, Celina, and me with paddling training ahead of our trip.  On our trip, as we looked over some tricky water ahead, we would ask our selves: "What would Christy say?" Now we get to ask.  So enjoy! 

We used Alpacka Forager rafts on this trip. 

Jenny, Celina and I are waiting out a rainstorm in sheep country.  We are 5 days into our adventure hunt.  We have left the rafts on the river and fought our way up the mountains into sheep habitat.  In this podcast, we talk about the challenges and some tricks for getting from the river or the road up into the alpine country. Good terrain and forest cover assessment can make or break a successful ascent up the mountain.  Hope you enjoy it!

Join for episode 4 of our expedition hunting planning series. In this episode, we are talking backpacking food for a 12-day backpack-packrafting hunting expedition. We have invited Penny from West Coast Kitchen to hang out with us and talk about how to keep food light and gourmet.