The Range

Live from the Total Archery Challenge at Terry Peak South Dakota, Ricky has a chat with his good buddy Rick Hanson.

If you’ve ever attended a Total Archery Challenge event, you have most likely rubbed elbows with the likes of Rick Hanson. His contagious laugh can be heard across the mountain as a sure sign that Rick is having a good time. Whether it’s with old time friends, or someone he just met, Rick is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. 

Rick is an inspiration to many as he set out to hike what he coined the Crow Peak 100 in 2020. Rick, among many of his supporters, was determined to summit Crow Peak, nestled into the Black Hills of South Dakota, 100 times in a single season. Without a doubt, he pulled it off. That’s nearly 700 total miles with a combined elevation gain of 156,800 feet of elevation! In 2023, Rick also completed 6 major Black Hills summits, approx 35 miles, in a single day. 

Ricky and Rick (Rick 2.0) discuss how they first got to know each other through a business that Ricky was a part of in 2010, called Pimp My Bow. They first met at a 3D archery shoot, Bowcast at the Bird, at Snowbird Ski Resort in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. After a day of shooting, it was clear that they would long be friends. Rick 2.0 dive into how simply amazing it is, that a bow can bring so many people together, to share in laughter and joy. 

Rick Hanson is the curator of a social media following known as @projectrick. He discusses the purpose of this movement, along with its clever tagline,“Don’t Die Rusty”. Project Rick provides a daily dose of positivity through his eyes, which rarely miss a sunrise, and his words of encouragement have transformed many lives. 

Enter Promo Code trp15 during checkout at www.vaportrailarchery.com to receive 15% off VTX Bowstrings and Branded Apparel.

The Range Podcast is brought to you by Vapor Trail Archery and Stokerized Stabilizers.

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Shiny Objects is all about our current obsession. The Shiny Object could be a piece of gear, an upcoming adventure, or simply finding better ways to get through everyday life. The sky is the limit when it comes to an individuals current Shiny Object, and we never know where the conversation will take us. 

The Range Podcast can be found on all major platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Google. Video versions of the podcast can also be found on the Vapor Trail YouTube Channel. 

Enter Promo Code trp15 during checkout at www.vaportrailarchery.com to receive 15% off VTX Bowstrings and Branded Apparel.

The Range Podcast is brought to you by Vapor Trail Archery and Stokerized Stabilizers.

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant outdoor content!

In this episode, Ricky and Hollywood have a chat with Josh Wells of the Wells Outdoor Journal

Josh is an all-around outdoor maniac. In the Spring you’ll find him spending most of his time in the Turkey woods and guiding for bears on the western landscape. Whether it be with a gun, compound bow, longbow or muzzleloader, in the Fall he’ll be filling the freezer with multiple species in anyway possible. There is no season where Josh doesn’t have a fishing rod in his hands and he is also an accomplished taxidermist. 

Josh tells the story about what led him to where he is today. Discussions about what fulfillment means for him, the dangers of expectation, and the importance of embracing the moments we have in the valleys are among the main topics. 

*NEW* Because of the popularity of our Shiny Objects segment, we’ve decided to give it a dedicated episode. You heard that right, episodes of The Range will be out every Monday starting now. 

Enter Promo Code trp15 during checkout at www.vaportrailarchery.com to receive 15% off VTX Bowstrings and Branded Apparel.

The Range Podcast is brought to you by Vapor Trail Archery and Stokerized Stabilizers.

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant, outdoor content!

In this episode, Ricky and Hollywood have a chat with Jason Matzinger of Into High Country on the Sportsman Channel.

Jason is an award winning film producer and the host of Into High Country on the Sportsman Channel. He is a champion for conservation and has dedicated his life to sharing his backcountry experiences in a way never before seen. 

Jason tells the story about what led him to his current successes. Ricky enquires about his already accomplished 2023 hunting season, and the discussion segues into what it’s like to be a hunting dad. 

Jason is a busy man with 2 new films and Season 14 of Into High Country on the horizon. Chasing a Ghost is a film about a 400” Bull Elk Jason chased for nearly 5 years. His upcoming conservation piece in conjunction with the Wild Sheep Foundation, explores the idea of Selective Hunting and why the practice is so important to wildlife conservation. 

In this segment of Shiny Things, Jason is mindful of juggling work and time with his boys. Ricky is taking his crack at being a farmer and is also really excited about the podcast. Hollywood is under contract to buy a home and is looking forward to his South Dakota hunting trip. 

The Range Podcast is brought to you by Vapor Trail Archery and Stokerized Stabilizers.

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant outdoor content!

In this episode, Ricky and Hollywood have a chat with Damon Wolfe and Griffin Laaveg of All41 Creative. 

The entire crew tells stories from the struggles and successes of the 2023 Minnesota Turkey hunting season. 

Ricky didn’t draw any tags this year but the rest of the crew had some luck. Hollywood, Damon and Griffin discuss their plans for the fall hunting season, and the preparation that leads up to it. Also, hear the hair raising story of Griffin’s Nebraska Mule Deer hunt with Damon in tow, capturing all the emotion surrounding the success. 

In this segment of Shiny Things, Hollywood is honing his golf swing. Damon secures content work on the heels of Chris Bee and his entourage at the Total Archery Challenge in PA. Griffin is excited for Summer, to shoot his bow long range and play with his new camera equipment. Ricky is obsessed with his new bow that he’s been waiting for since Dec 2022. 

The Range Podcast is brought to you by Vapor Trail Archery and Stokerized Stabilizers.

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant outdoor content!

In this episode, Ricky and Hollywood have a chat with Vapor Trail’s own Director of Operations, John Betker. Because previous episodes were heavily scripted the plan in this episode, is no plan. The conversation is started with a prompt regarding Turkey Hunting, and conversation ensues from there. 

John was part of the team that pioneered many of the techniques we all use today, to effectively kill Wild Turkey’s with a bow. John tells the story that led him to his current role at Vapor Trail & Stokerized, and goes into the details of his 2023 success in the Minnesota Turkey woods. BONUS CONTENT: John gets into a granny fight at a Nashville Predators Hockey Game!

Hollywood and Ricky tell tales of how to be successful bird watchers, as well as how to properly flip a coin in order to calculate your next Turkey hunting move. Strange Turkey encounters and public land woes are all part of the conversation. 

The guys introduce a new segment of the show called Shiny Things, where they will each discuss thier latest obsession. Whether it be some sort of archery technique, buzz in the archery industry or new product release, be sure to tune in, and comment your current Shiny Thing, below. 

The Range Podcast is brought to you by Vapor Trail Archery and Stokerized Stabilizers.

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant outdoor content!

In this episode, Ricky and Hollywood have a chat with current CEO and President of Vapor Trail, Inc., Rory O’loughlin. Ricky gives a quick recap on the history of Vapor Trail and clarifies a few missed details from episode 1. Rory begins by discussing the details surrounding the acquisition of Vapor Trail and how quickly things began to take shape. The guys dive into the effects that the Covid 19 Pandemic had on production and the rapid growth that included and new inventory management system, the acquisition of Stokerized Stabilizers, securing a bigger and better manufacturing facility as well as the opening of the Vapor Trail Pro Shop. 

Rory throws out an industry disrupting easter egg regarding a new product for the Stokerized Stabilizer lineup, and be sure to listen all the way through as there is an exclusive offer for The Range Podcast listeners.

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In this episode, Ricky and Hollywood have a chat with former Co-founder and President of Vapor Trail, Inc., Steve Fondie. Get the inside scoop one how Vapor Trail was formed as well as the key players responsible for the success and continuation of the company. Find out how they survived what could have been a crippling situation for the company, and how they persevered. 

Ricky and Hollywood recall all of the shenanigans that kept the mood light and created a fun environment to work in, and Steve provides some details regarding his decision to sell the company in 2020. Be sure to tune in! You’re not going to want to miss this one.

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On this introductory episode, Ricky and Hollywood discuss the plan for The Range Podcast. 

Being of different generations, Ricky and Hollywood have unique perspectives in the Hunting and Target Archery worlds. They are both veterans of Vapor Trail and grew up hunting and shooting bows alike. 

The plan is to tell of the many archery related stories they have collected over the years as well as debunk some the myths and misconceptions when it come to equipment, tuning and tactics. They’ll talk about conservation, adult onset hunting and dive into the complicated world of out-of-state hunting applications as well.

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant, outdoor content!