Wilderness Attitude

Gunsmithing is a trade that has been part of our culture & history for centuries and some may think it is a dying craft but, as you will find out, that is not the case. Michael Tulowitzki is the owner of MJ Tulo Gunmakers & has been gunsmithing and building custom guns for over 40 years. He also shot competitively for decades, taught clay shooting at the Olympic Shooting Grounds in Atlanta, Georgia & is now heading up a new gunsmithing program at the MT Training Center in Grand Prairie, Texas. Michael talks about his passion for guns starting as a boy in Long Island, NY and what drove him to chase the dream of gunmaking. He also talks about why he started shooting competitively, the high & lows of teaching shooting & the gunmaking process from the wood to the engraving. Aside from gunmaking Michael has also owned & trained Brittany Spaniels for over 40 years and shares a few stories of training these beautiful dogs. This is a podcast full of all kinds of great information that will leave you with some awesome stories & a better idea of what is takes to be a connoisseur of this amazing art.

For all you archery gear heads out there, we are joined by the Chief Commercial Officer of FaraDyne Outdoors, Jon Syverson. Jon has been in the hunting & outdoor industry for decades and is one of the most knowledgable people in the archery industry. Jon talks about how he got involved with FeraDyne Outdoors, how the company has become what it is today and some of the awesome products they are making to create better ethical bowhunters. He talks about the advancements in the broadheads they are making, his involvement in educating people & commissions about mechanical broadheads and how the industry has evolved over the last 30 years. We also talk about his involvement in the Pope & Young club, why it is so near & dear to his heart and why he believes every archer & bowhunter should be a member of this amazing organization.

We come to you from 12,157 feet of elevation on top of the South Western Colorado Mountains. Brandon is joined by Team WA member Matt Howell & host of Living Country in The City Podcast, Sam Ayers. The group talks about their upcoming hunting seasons, what they are doing to keep the archery rust off & what tags they are putting in for this year. Sam talks about his epic road trip over the last 3 weeks that brought him to the Rocky Mountains, what this trip has taught him & his favorite places he has seen along the way. We also talk about dry firing your bow, when & where to see bucks in velvet in Colorado & what hosting a podcast has taught Brandon & Sam.

Some of you may have heard of Ryan Michler or Order of Man but you may not know what it's all about or haven't heard Ryan on the other side of the microphone instead of hosting his podcast. Order of Man is a blog, podcast & mission to give men a community and resource to become better but, this podcast is for everyone. Ryan's outlook on life, his thoughts on the world as a whole and the men & women who live in it, can inspire anyone to be better and do better in all aspects of their lives. We talk about what it means to Ryan to be a better father and husband, some experiences in his life that inspired him to start his Order of Man mission and we talk about the disconnect today with society and the resources we have. Ryan also gives his 3 tips for people who are looking for self-improvement, what finding hunting has done for him & why the phrase "I will find a way or make one" should be a part of everybody's vocabulary.

Ever heard of the Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon? Well if you have or haven't, this group is here to tell you all about it. We are joined by Kevin Guillen & Courtney, Mark & Chris Denham of Wilderness Athlete, Outdoorsman & The Western Hunter to tell us about their adventure of conquering the 2018 R2R2R. They talk about what exactly this journey entails, the preparation that needs to be done, and what the body goes through during the 47.5 mile quest. They also talk about nutrition, gear & the mental battle some of them faced along the way. If you have thought about challenging yourself to take on the R2R2R or are looking for ways to push yourself, possibly in the biggest physical test of your life, give this one a listen. It will give you all the tools you need be prepared for a hike of a lifetime.

We have talked a lot about Wildlife Conservation & wildlife preservation but, there is still a major disconnect today with understanding the fundamentals of it all. So, we are pleased to finally welcome the President of the Pope & Young Club, Jim Willems, to clear it all up. We discuss what exactly the North America Wildlife Conservation Model is, the importance of organizations like Pope & Young & Boone and Crockett and why he thinks there continues to be misconceptions out there with predator control. We also discuss the grizzly bear ban that has affected the species, the delisting that is finally taking place & why this is all so important for the future of every majestic animal.

Motivate, Inspire, Overcome is our message for this podcast. We've hit our first big milestone with 100 episodes and have picked some of our favorite stories of inspiration, adventure & survival. These men, women & their journey's remind us all, what it means to have a Wilderness Attitude. It was hard to choose, but these stories are full of twists & turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy!

This week we have a special podcast for you all about bears! This is just one of many podcasts we have in store for you with the awesome folks at Colorado Parks & Wildlife. The CPW Area Wildlife Manager Matt Thorpe & CPW District Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta join us to talk about the bear study that was conducted in Colorado over the last 5 years. Black bear-human encounters and conflicts are increasing in Colorado and across the country. Bear-human conflicts commonly result in property damage, threats to public safety, rising wildlife management costs, and high bear mortality. A statewide increase in bear-human encounters and conflicts is a high priority management issue for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). As a result, CPW initiated a comprehensive, five-year research project to identify factors responsible for rising conflicts and to test management strategies to reduce those conflicts in the future. Matt & Adrian tell us all about the study and what you can do if you encounter a bear.

Peter Barela is an Alaska hunting & fishing guide & owner of Barela's Alaskan Outfitters. Peter is an avid bowhunter who grew up in Colorado and was seeking more adventure which led him to Alaska in 1990. He started Barela's Alaskan Outfitters in 2008 and has since been able to help hundreds harvest unique animals over vast unforgiving terrain of the Alaskan wilderness. On top of that he is also a pilot, father to 9 children and has lived an amazing life full of adventure. Peter brings us on his wild ride of leaving CO for California and then making a visit to jail the day before he was set to leave for Alaska. Once in Alaska he shares his experience of being a co-pilot with hundreds of boats & planes looking for herring, some of his amazing hunting stories and where he is today with his business and personal life. This podcast is full laughs and lots of wild rides.

We welcome Lance Hallum, co-owner of Ultimate Predator Gear from The Western Hunting & Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City. If you have not heard of Ultimate Predator Gear, they make some of the best decoys in the business but they also make much more. Lance talks about the different decoys that they sell, how they work & why he thinks they help hunters be successful when harvesting an animal. He also talks about the adventure cameras and the battery pack that they sell to provide high quality filming ability in the outdoors. We also share some awesome stories and using the decoys, the background behind them and some future products Lance & his team are creating. If you want to learn more about some awesome hunting gear then this is the podcast for you.