Wilderness Attitude

Kirstie Ennis joined the Marine Corps at 17 years old and served over six years as a helicopter door gunner and airframes mechanic, until June 23rd, 2012. This is the day that her life changed forever. On a routine flight to Now Zad & Musa Qala, Afghanistan, Kirstie's helicopter went down. As a result of the crash, Kirstie suffered extensive trauma to her brain and spinal cord, as well as extreme damage to her face, shoulder and left leg. After over 40 surgeries, an above the knee amputation, years of grueling physical & mental therapy and depression, Kirstie pulled through and is now an avid snowboarder, cyclist, mountaineer, rock climber, runner, swimmer & hunter.

Kirstie talks about the crash, the mental & physical battle she went through after, and the pivotal moment where she decided to take control of her life again. We discuss some of the incredible adventures she has gone on with one leg, her involvement with many projects including Wounded Warrior Outdoors and her new digital series, Adventures Enabled. Kirstie also talks about being on the cover of ESPN's The Body Issue, how she has made it her mission to inspire others with adversities to push through & overcome any situation, and some of the amazing adventures she still wants to achieve. 

If you need a little inspiration in your life, then give this one a listen. It will make you think, give you hope and push you to power through whatever obstacles come your way.

Whether you are bird watching, navigating, or hunting, having good glass is an essential tool in the outdoors. So for all you optic-gearheads out there, we have the "Optics Guru", JD Ponciano with Sport Optics Northwest here to talk about everything from a basic set of binos to range finders, spotting scopes and tripods. JD has been around the block when it comes to testing optics and has tried just about every brand out there. He sets the record straight on some misconceptions that many people have when selecting the right optic and why he personally carries multiple optics for different types of adventures. We cover everything from how he got into the industry, which optics are best for low light situations, and some new products he is excited about for 2018.

We have another stacked show for you with an amazing guest who has been nominated & is now running for 2018 NRA Board of Directors. Kristy Titus grew up with a conservational mindset and a strong belief that with dedication, integrity, and the backbone of friends, family and faith, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. She truly believes this has shaped her into who she is today. Kristy talks about her life-long commitment to conversation, being a positive role model in an ever changing industry, and how we take a small step each day towards our goals. We talk about entitlement and the difference between a hand out & a hand up in today's society, and how to empower yourself and others through the choices that you make everyday. Kristy also talks about her new digital series, Pursue The Wild that took her a decade to create, overcoming knee reconstruction after wrecking her snowmobile, and the launch of her new line of elk calls.

If you didn't make it to the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City or haven't attended any hunt expos, we give you the inside look into what they are all about. Matt Howell & Brandon go on a walkabout exploring some of their favorite booths including Phone Skope, AccuBow, Total Archery Challenge and more. We hear about the products at each booth, exciting new things for 2018 & Brandon even gets his face painted. We also sit down with the one and only Tim Wells of Relentless Pursuit. Tim talks about what the wilderness does for him & his family, his brush with death in Africa and why he has the nickname "Slock Master". Tim also talks about his pinnacle moment as a hunter, what's going on with his kids & his upcoming hunts for bear, hippo & crocodile with a SPEAR! This is a podcast you will have to check out on YouTube to experience the walkabout for yourself!

Continuing our Fitness week, we have Personal Trainer & man of many hats, Ty Hoelzen. Not only is he a Personal Trainer but he is also a Firefighter, Baseball Coach, Miss Nevada Coach, Business Owner and much more. Ty talks about juggling all of his passions, what it takes to be a personal trainer and how to get healthy through diet & exercise the correct way. Brandon & Ty also talk about what Train to Hunt & Wilderness Athlete have done to improve their lives and how the hunting community has become their family. We cover so much about health, fitness & getting outside in this podcast, it is a fun one!

We all know once January is over, our drive to stick to New Year's goals starts dwindling. So we decided this week will be fitness week and we are starting it off with Personal Trainer & Owner of Illete Fitness, Drew Malhmood and his wife Stephanie who is a Gymnastics Coach.  We cover nutrition as a whole and how easy it is to eat well without neglecting food, how different foods work well together to create a synergistic effect and how you should always be changing your nutrition & fitness routines. We also talk about how bad the microwave can be over a long period of time, Drew's new cookbook and ways you can stick to your fitness goals.

We have another fun podcast for you from ATA with Todd Vaaler from Gateway Feathers & Austin Manelick with Mission Alaska. We talk about how Todd got involved in his family-owned business and the passion he has for creating quality hand-crafted feathers for every archery enthusiast. Todd & Austin share some stories from their Alaska float trip and talk about the bond the two created over a campfire & karaoke. We also discuss the new feathers for 2018, debunk the myth that feathers won't work in rain and talk about Elk, Coues Deer & Moose hunting.

The team has been busy! Jason DeWeese & Matt Howell join Brandon to catch up since the New Year. They share their recent hunting adventures with their kids and what it was like teaching them all aspects of field to plate, Brandon & Jason talk about their hunts in NM & AZ and what they learned about themselves instead of filling the freezer, and Matt talks about what a solo hunt can do to test you as a person, but what hunting with other people does on a deeper level, to create friendships & long lasting memories. The team also discusses making a dream DIY hunt a reality, how Brandon's show season is going & Jason's upcoming surgery.

From Sheep Show in Reno, Nevada, we are joined by Kenton & Ryan Clairmont with Train to Hunt. This podcast has been a year in the making and it is the perfect time for it's release, to give people the information they need, to conquer their 2018 goals. Train to Hunt has made a huge impact on Brandon's life and he shares with the brothers how much they have influenced not only him, but his family as well. They talk about fitness as a whole and what elements are needed to gain the confidence you need to effect every area of your life. Kenton talks about why he came up with Train to Hunt and how he has watched it develop into what it is today. The brothers also explain how part of their mission statement is to bring families back together and how cool it is to see this happen before their eyes. They also talk about the future of TTH and how they see it growing to impact more lives.

Straight from ATA in Indianapolis we welcome Vortex Optics Consumer Sales Rep & avid outdoorsman, Riley Arnold. Riley caught the hunting bug at the age of 8 & got his first 8-point buck at 14. Since then, he has been involved in competitive archery & found a home with the Vortex family, where he continues his passion for the outdoors. He talks about growing up in WI, staying close to his roots through college and now working for Vortex close to his hometown. We discuss the new 2018 Vortex products, what sets Vortex apart from the rest and which optics Riley recommends for all types of outdoor experiences. Riley also talks about the new integration with HHA for crossbows, how Vortex began and which products they offer to step up your game in the hunting world.