Live Wild with Remi Warren
Episode 228 | A Buck for the Boys
Release Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode, Remi Warren brings listeners along on a memorable fallow deer hunt in New Zealand—one he shared with his three-year-old son. Using this adventure as a narrative backdrop, Remi explores the unique challenges and deep rewards of hunting with children, and reflects on parenting, patience, strategy, and making lasting memories in the outdoors. He wraps up with hands-on advice for adapting hunting tactics to any “handicapped” scenario, whether it’s the physical limitations of young companions, or simply tough conditions afield.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Family Adventure in New Zealand

• Remi recounts a recent family trip to New Zealand for hunting and visiting friends, making a stopover in Hawaii.
• The focus of his story: a day hunting fallow deer with just his son, Kit, while his wife and daughter stayed behind for some rest.

"In my opinion, honestly, hunting with a toddler might be one of the most challenging but definitely extremely rewarding forms of hunting." [03:32]

2. The Hunt: Challenges, Sticks, and Small Victories

• Remi describes the extra challenges of hunting with a young child: keeping the experience fun, lots of snack breaks, and constant searches for engaging sticks ("stick guns").
• He humorously details how field conditions—like pokey grass and gear not designed for toddlers—can complicate even a simple stalk.

"Kids’ hunting gear—there’s no real good gear for three-year-olds. So it’s just what they've got." [17:00]

• Despite spooking deer early, Remi adapts, recognizing both his own desires and his son's limits, determined to keep the day fun and pressure-free.
• Kit proudly collects sticks, naming them and incorporating them into the hunt as make-believe rifles and tripods.

3. Close Encounters and Ultimate Success

• After multiple attempts, they finally spot two bucks in an ideal position.
• Remi chooses a cautious, wind-favorable path—doubling the hike’s length, but providing a better chance for success given Kit’s impatience and noisiness.

"If you learn anything from me ever, go the best way, not the easy way." [55:06]

• Using Kit as a “camera man” distraction, Remi gets into position and takes a clean shot at the buck Kit most admired, leaving both elated.
• Notably, when Remi starts field dressing the deer, Kit briefly becomes upset, not understanding why the deer has to be cut up before showing mom—an authentic parenting moment amid the hunt.

4. Core Memories: Reflection on Fatherhood in the Outdoors

• Remi reflects on how hunting has changed since becoming a father, and the joy and meaning of creating life-long memories with his children.

"For me, in this chapter in my life, getting to hunt with my family and raising them in this lifestyle means as much or more to me than all those other hunts." [01:07:52]

• The day ends with the boys taking the deer home to proudly show the rest of the family, followed by a trip into town for snacks and play at the park.

5. Tactical Tips: Adapting to Handicaps in the Field

• Remi provides a deep-dive into strategy:
  • Go the best way, not the easy way: Prioritize the safest, stealthiest, and most strategic approach, even if it’s longer or harder.
  • Factor in your specific “handicaps”—whether that means hunting with kids, less experienced partners, poor terrain, or fatigue.
  • Use patience: Sometimes the long way around (or waiting for better conditions) is far more successful.
  • Pre-plan the stalk for wind, concealment, ideal shooting positions, and clear routes—not just proximity to the animal.
  • Apply the same thinking whether you’re bow hunting, rifle hunting, or guiding others of varying skill and physical ability.

"Too many hunts are blown by just trying to go in on the animal and not having a really good execution plan…" [57:31]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the meaning of antlers:

  "There’s just something about antlers. Horned animals are really cool, but antlers are just special. And I love chasing deer." [04:35]

• On keeping it fun for kids:

  "I also am very cognizant of keeping it fun, keeping it enjoyable, not pushing them too hard, just making it about what they want to do and having a good time." [09:44]

• On the mounting excitement:

  “Because it’s just the boys today. If we get the big buck, you can put it in your room, okay buddy?” [29:10]

• On taking the hard—but right—route:

  "Go the best way, not the easy way. That’s the motto that I tell myself on every stalk, on every day, on every hunt." [55:06]

• On handicaps and planning:

  "How do we plan our approach and our stalk for the best way, including those potential handicaps?" [01:00:10]

• On core memories:

  "He gets to put the antlers on his wall and look at those and keep that memory alive…one of those core memories, maybe his first real memory of hunting." [01:08:20]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:32] — The special challenge and reward of hunting with toddlers.
• [17:00] — Field realities: ill-fitting gear and pokey grass.
• [29:10] — Motivating Kit with a promise: "You get the buck in your room."
• [39:42] — Success: The moment of the shot and Kit’s infectious pride.
• [44:10] — Kit’s emotional reaction to field dressing, and Remi’s reassurance.
• [01:07:52] — Reflections on family, memories, and shifting priorities.
• [55:06] onward — Tactical deep-dive: “go the best way, not the easy way.”

Episode Tone and Takeaways

Remi’s storytelling is warm, honest, and laced with humor about the realities of parenting in the wild. He holds nothing back about the frustrations (prickly grass, tired feet, missing camera footage), the joys (a proud child, a well-earned buck, shared excitement), or the adaptability required to nurture a lifelong love for hunting and nature in his kids.

Strategically, Remi offers universally applicable advice: adapt your stalks to your (and your companions’) realities, be patient, and always plan for the highest odds of success, even at the price of comfort. Above all, remember the deeper purpose—sharing adventure, growth, and joy with those you love.

This summary captures all the significant stories, lessons, and strategies shared by Remi Warren in this episode, for listeners and parents, hunters old and new, and anyone interested in the wild heart of family adventure.