The Wild Initiative

Caleb Stillians, Alaska hunting guide, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative at SHOT Show to discuss hunting and guiding in Alaska. Caleb breaks down some of the regulations of hunting in Alaska and what makes up his duties as a guide. He discusses some of his favorite animals to guide for including the majestic Dall Sheep and the perilous brown bear. Caleb goes on to tell his hair-raising brown bear encounter story and provides some of his best tips for hunters planning a trip to Alaska. When it...

John Stallone of Days in the Wild joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to alert listeners to a critical issue affecting predator hunting in Arizona and the whole of the United States. John and Sam discuss how, while hunting is often an individual sport, each person having their own niche, it’s critical that we lock arms to stand up against attacks from anti-hunting groups. They introduce the conservation group he’s been spearheading, HOWL for Wildlife which has been instrumental in stopping...

Ryan Gill of Hunt Primitive joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about the ins and outs of primitive hunting as well as spilling some of his expert advice. After years of rifle hunting, shooting big deer, and just the same old deal every time, Ryan got into primitive hunting to challenge himself and consistently raise the bar. Through his passion for primitive hunting, he started “Hunt Primitive” to involve others and spread the same passion and knowledge. Although there are many...

Raymond Rowe aka Erik of the Viking Raiders, WWE Superstar, hunter and homesteader joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about some of the highs and lows of being self-sustaining. Raymond and his wife Sarah live a raw and rugged life, hunting and producing their own food. While industries force animals into an unnatural pace of life, this family moves at the speed of the animal for a better end result. If you take care of the animal, they’ll take care of you. Raymond and Sam, discuss how...

Clint Walker, firearms aficionado and fellow Montanan, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss selecting your ideal hunting rifle. Clint goes over the importance of getting a “smart choice” rifle, which means choosing one that will get the job done, but also has ammo available, especially during times of scarcity. Clint talks about his time shooting in precision long-distance tournaments with the rifles he built. He then goes into his first hunting experience and how, even though he’s...

Ryan Michler, host of the Order of Man podcast and author of Sovereignty, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to dive into difficult life decisions that result in making us better people. Ryan says life is a series of trade-offs. While circumstances may differ for everyone, we can always challenge ourselves and work hard to get to where we want to be in life. They talk about how past all the excuses, investing your time, investing in yourself, and making sacrifices will help you grow as an...

Lt. John Nores, retired CDFW game warden, recipient of the California Governor’s Medal of Valor and author of Hidden War and War in the Woods, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss the largely unknown battle for our public lands against the drug cartels. John and Sam discuss the issues that hunters and conservationists face coming up against anti-hunting activist groups, such as mountain lion management and get into some of what differentiates a game warden from a park ranger. John...

Kevin Laslie, a long-time supporter of the podcast, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about his Utah moose hunt and filling his first tag after years of struggle. With no luck in meeting other hunters through working at Cabela’s, He finally connects with other hunters through the GoWild hunting app. Kevin ends up drawing a once-in-a-lifetime moose tag in Utah and planning with his guide. Although the pressure was on to harvest a giant bull, he drowned out the voices and chose his own...

Christian Schauf, founder of Uncharted Supply Co., joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss the importance of being prepared while hunting, adventuring. Christian tells Sam a little about some of his emergency encounters and about the event that inspired him to start his survival and emergency product company, Uncharted Supply Co. He emphasizes that life skills are diminishing among the newer generations, which can lead to chaos, panic, disaster, or worse. Even though time in the...

Christian Schauf, founder of Uncharted Supply Co., joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss the importance of being prepared while hunting, adventuring. Christian tells Sam a little about some of his emergency encounters and about the event that inspired him to start his survival and emergency product company, Uncharted Supply Co. He emphasizes that life skills are diminishing among the newer generations, which can lead to chaos, panic, disaster, or worse. Even though time in the...

The Honorable Steve Daines, US Senator for Montana joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to highlight and discuss some of the major issues faced by outdoorsmen in Montana and across the US. With the influx of people to the state, Senator Daines reminds new residents about the importance of preserving the wildlife and the land that play a key role in making Montana such a beautiful place to call home or simply visit. The senator stresses the major issue of extreme environmental groups and...

Hank Shaw, wild game chef and author of Hunt, Gather, Cook, Buck, Buck, Moose and more, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk wild game cooking. Hank and Sam find some common ground when they talk about living in California and growing up fishing. They discuss different ways they cook wild game, misconceptions about older animals vs younger animals and even game that most wouldn’t consider eating. A good point Hank points out is most people are “cooking the tender parts too much and the...

Dark Waters, the master of YouTube horror, joins Sam again on The Wild Initiative for this special Halloween bonus episode. Dark Waters and Sam have a discussion of American paranormal creatures and monsters and give each a Dark Waters Creature Threat Rating. They discuss the Chupacabra, Blue Dogs, The Jersey/Leeds Devil, Mothman, the Wendigo, La Llorona, Slenderman, The Rake and many more. They also discuss the differences between Bigfoots, Yetis and Skunk Apes as well as talk through some...

Robbie Kroger with Blood Origins joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to discuss the loaded term “trophy hunting”, high fence hunting, and some problematic issues within the hunting community/industry. Robbie and Sam talk about what it means to be a trophy hunter and the hunting community being its own enemy when it comes to tearing each other down and judging each other's hunts/kills. Robbie elaborates on how Blood Origins isn’t afraid to go up against anti-hunters and educate them, explaining...

Kara Schuett of Yellow Sally Fishing and Montana Bucks & Ducks joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to throw back a few beers and talk about hunting and fly fishing in the great state of Montana. Kara and Sam catch up on life and discuss Kara’s projects, Yellow Sally Fishing, a fishing-themed clothing line for women and girls, and Montana Bucks & Ducks, her and her husband’s outfitting and guide service. Kara also discusses her involvement with Warriors & Quiet Waters, a non-profit organization...

Charles Beaty, the Prince of Poachers, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about his outlaw days in the woods. From poaching 116 trophy-class whitetail deer, eating raw deer meat for 27 days straight, running from the law, and then becoming a Christian and hanging up his old ways, Charles has been through a thing or two; He makes sure to let new and old hunters know the consequences of being an outlaw and how it can negatively affect your life. Later, they dive into a little bit of his...

Tana Grenda of Bristol Bay Fitness joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about her experience huntin’ Alaska. In this episode, Tana tells Sam about her bull moose bowhunt and what could only be described as hunting and being chased by a zombie bear. Later they discuss how long you should look for an animal after wounding it and what it means to be a hunter that doesn't give up and betters themselves in the outdoors by constantly getting out of comfort zones. See more on the show notes...

Jesse Phillips, entrepreneur, and filmmaker joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about the aspects of finding purpose in life. In this episode, they discuss the difference between harvesting vs killing animals, what it feels like having a full freezer and the importance of truly helping veterans. Later, they go into finding purpose through doing what you love and why being a minimalist may just work for you. See more on the show notes page at thewildintiaitive.com/211. Learn more about...

Vaughn NeVille of TheManSpot joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to bullsh*t just a bit about the outdoors and hunting. In this episode, they discuss how social media can bring out the worst in people while also bringing a lot of value to others. They later go on to talk about Vaughn's greatest hunting story, bear encounters and the status of our 2nd Amendment. See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/210. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Newberg, the host of Fresh Tracks and Hunt Talk Radio, joins Sam on The Wild Initiative to talk about stories and lessons throughout his hunting career. In this episode, they discuss spending time in the field, filling tags, how much effort goes into their hunts, and more. See more on the show notes page at thewildinitiative.com/209. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices