Ep. 716: F'd Up Old Trucks, Father's Day, and a Gobbling Guide | MeatEater Radio Live!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The MeatEater Podcast – Ep. 716: F'd Up Old Trucks, Father's Day, and a Gobbling Guide | MeatEater Radio Live!

Release Date: June 13, 2025
Host: Steven Rinella (Brody Henderson)
Co-Hosts: Seth Morris, Corey Calkins
Guest: Danny Bolton, Josh Miller, Ryder (Turkey Companion)

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1. Introduction

In Episode 716 of The MeatEater Podcast, titled "F'd Up Old Trucks, Father's Day, and a Gobbling Guide," host Brody Henderson, along with co-hosts Seth Morris and Corey Calkins, delve into a blend of humorous and insightful discussions centered around hunting mishaps, tributes to fathers, and unique fishing adventures. The episode, recorded live from Bozeman at 11 am Mountain Time, sets the stage for an engaging conversation filled with personal anecdotes, expert advice, and interactive segments.

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2. Sharing Hunting Truck Chronicles

As Father's Day approaches, the hosts open the episode by sharing memorable and often chaotic experiences involving their hunting trucks. These stories not only provide entertainment but also underscore the unpredictable nature of hunting outings.

Randall’s Mexico Mishap [23:54]:
Randall recounts a harrowing experience from a hunting trip in Mexico where heavy rains transformed a rental truck into a stuck nightmare. "We're in a spot where there's like no way you could turn around or off to our left... Our first thing we did was we need to get some weight off the trailer," he explains ([24:00]). The situation escalates when a side-by-side vehicle unexpectedly rolls over, compounding their predicament. The group eventually manages to extricate themselves after a grueling four-day ordeal.

Josh Miller’s Tacoma Tango [27:11]:
Josh shares his own tale involving a 2001 Toyota Tacoma that succumbed to treacherous terrain. "The transmission go out or not completely," he mentions, highlighting the importance of vehicle maintenance and preparedness ([34:32]). Despite the setback, Josh emphasizes resilience, explaining how he promptly addressed the damage and continued his hunting pursuits.

Brody Henderson’s Skid Plate Snafu [33:43]:
Brody discusses the perils of relying solely on stock vehicle components. "What’s not good about stock F150s is they have what they call a skid," he points out ([34:32]). A mishap involving the truck's skid plate leads to transmission fluid leakage, prompting Brody to advocate for aftermarket upgrades to enhance vehicle durability and performance in the wild.

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3. Expert Insights with Danny Bolton

The episode features an in-depth interview with Danny Bolton, a seasoned four-wheel-drive (4WD) expert and friend of MeatEater. Danny brings a wealth of knowledge from his storm-chasing adventures and off-road racing background.

Storm Chasing Adventures [07:17]:
Danny shares his first-hand experiences of storm chasing in Kansas, describing the quintessential "Mad Max" style rigs he encounters. "All kinds of antennas coming off of it... It's pretty funny," he remarks about the eclectic mix of trucks ([07:36]).

Off-Road Driving Instructions [08:50]:
Transitioning into his professional role, Danny outlines his journey from growing up off-roading to training military personnel. "We train mainly military to basically how to drive off-road and then if the thing breaks, how to fix it," he explains ([09:00]).

Common Off-Road Mistakes [10:39]:
Danny identifies critical errors often made by off-road drivers, such as neglecting to turn around when conditions worsen and underestimating the frequency of flat tires. "Flat tires and getting stuck are probably the two most common things," he advises ([11:48]).

Essential Off-Road Gear [12:07]:
Highlighting necessities for safe off-roading, Danny emphasizes the importance of having a functional jack, spare tire, lug nut wrench, and a shovel. "Out of those things you can get yourself out of a lot of trouble," he states ([12:57]).

Towing Tips [14:27]:
Discussing towing heavy equipment, Danny warns about the added stress on vehicle components and the risks of improper trailer hitching. "You don’t want to get that thing twisted up or stuck," he cautions ([14:27]).

Danny’s expertise provides listeners with actionable advice to enhance their off-road adventures and avoid common pitfalls.

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4. Throwback Segment: Hunting Truck Failures

In a nod to nostalgic storytelling, the hosts reminisce about past hunting truck disasters, sharing laughs and lessons learned.

Randall's Side-by-Side Roll [24:01]:
Randall vividly describes the moment their side-by-side vehicle flipped unexpectedly on a steep bank in Mexico. "The transmitter just flipped... we ended up getting back out," he narrates ([26:17]).

Josh’s Rolling Truck Incident [27:11]:
Josh recounts his experience with a truck that began rolling down a secluded ridge. "I jumped out of the way, actually, like, dove," he recalls, emphasizing the perils of inadequate vehicle restraint ([29:33]).

Brody’s Transmission Trouble [33:04]:
Brody shares his ordeal with a Ford F150’s weak skid plate leading to transmission issues. "The transmission went out... I put an aftermarket metal skid plate on that sucker," he explains, advocating for necessary vehicle modifications ([34:32]).

These stories serve both as entertainment and cautionary tales, highlighting the importance of proper vehicle maintenance and situational awareness during hunts.

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5. Honoring Fathers: Personal Hunting and Fishing Stories

With Father's Day imminent, the hosts take time to honor their fathers by sharing heartfelt and impactful stories about hunting and fishing together.

Seth Morris’s Alaska Adventures [41:18]:
Seth fondly recalls fishing trips with his father at an Alaskan cabin. "He's been coming up the last three years now... It's super cool," he shares ([42:45]). He highlights the joy of teaching his father new fishing techniques and witnessing his father’s enthusiasm for the outdoors.

Josh Miller’s Archery Triumph [48:05]:
Josh narrates a pivotal moment from his youth when he and his father successfully hunted elk with bows. "We killed two bulls... It was a pretty epic memory," he reflects ([48:05]). This story underscores the profound bond and mutual respect developed through shared outdoor experiences.

Brody Henderson’s Hunting Legacy [52:18]:
Brody discusses how his father inspired him to become a fishing guide. "He's the reason why I'm sitting in this seat right now," he states, emphasizing the legacy of outdoor passion handed down through generations ([52:18]).

These tributes not only celebrate paternal relationships but also emphasize the importance of mentorship and shared experiences in fostering a deep connection with nature.

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6. Interview with Josh Miller and Ryder the Turkey

In a unique twist, the episode features Josh Miller and his unexpected companion, Ryder—a turkey who acts as his “first mate.”

Ryder’s Story [54:18]:
Josh introduces Ryder, the turkey who became an indispensable part of his fishing voyages. "There was only one left... he had to go out on the boat as a little baby," Josh explains ([55:39]). Seven years later, Ryder accompanies Josh on various trips, exhibiting surprising intelligence and adaptability.

Fishing with a Turkey [56:11]:
Ryder’s antics add humor and curiosity to the fishing experience. "When he hears drag pulling out of a reel, he starts ripping goggles," Josh shares, illustrating Ryder’s keen response to fishing activities ([56:56]).

Clients’ Reactions [57:39]:
Josh notes that some clients specifically request Ryder’s presence, highlighting the unique appeal of having a turkey companion. "As long as you tip the bird, I'll bring him," he humorously states ([57:44]).

Ryder’s Training and Behavior [59:02]:
Despite being a turkey, Ryder is well-trained both on land and on the boat. Josh mentions, "He's a pretty smart bird," showcasing Ryder’s ability to perform tasks and navigate the fishing environment ([59:26]).

This segment offers a lighthearted and unconventional perspective on outdoor companionship, blending humor with the unpredictability of wildlife interactions.

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7. Trivia and Listener Feedback

The episode incorporates interactive segments where listeners submit questions and comments, fostering a sense of community and engagement.

Listener Questions [35:41 & 61:00]:
Questions range from technical hunting strategies to personal anecdotes. For instance, a listener from Michigan inquires about hunting turkeys on a 10-acre property. Randall advises, "You can get her down on 10 acres for sure," emphasizing the feasibility of turkey hunting even on smaller tracts of land ([61:00]).

Trivia Quips [62:22]:
A playful exchange about implementing time limits on trivia questions highlights the hosts' camaraderie and the show’s dynamic energy. "The time limit would ruin the energy of the show," Brody opines, balancing structure with spontaneity ([62:35]).

These interactions enhance the episode’s relatability and underscore the hosts’ commitment to addressing listener interests and concerns.

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8. Special Announcements and Promotions

Throughout the episode, the hosts promote relevant products and services, aligning with the show's outdoor and hunting-centric themes.

Father’s Day Sales [53:34]:
Brody reminds listeners of ongoing Father's Day sales on the Meat Eater and First Light websites, encouraging thoughtful gift-giving options beyond traditional items like ties and socks.

Montana Knife Company Promotion [20:40]:
Corey Calkins highlights the Montana Knife Company, praising their durable and sharp hunting knives. "MKC products usually sell out in minutes... Use Code MeatEater and you get 10% off your first order," he advertises ([22:50]).

These segments provide practical recommendations and exclusive deals tailored to the listeners' outdoor lifestyles.

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9. Closing Remarks

As the episode winds down, the hosts extend well-wishes for Father's Day, encourage listeners to engage with the show's content, and tease future episodes. The blend of personal stories, expert insights, and interactive elements ensures a well-rounded and captivating listening experience.

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Notable Quotes:

• Danny Bolton [07:36]: "Talk about messed up old trucks... it's pretty funny."
• Randall [24:00]: "We couldn't get a vehicle past it to try and pull it. It was a disaster."
• Josh Miller [27:11]: "Jumped out of the way, actually, like, dove."
• Brody Henderson [34:32]: "What’s not good about stock F150s is they have what they call a skid."
• Seth Morris [41:18]: "He’s completely fell in love with, like, doing all this stuff up there."
• Josh Miller [48:05]: "We killed two bulls. It was a pretty epic memory."
• Brody Henderson [52:18]: "He's the reason why I'm sitting in this seat right now."
• Josh Miller [55:39]: "Ryder had to go out on the boat as a little baby."

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This episode of The MeatEater Podcast skillfully balances humor, expertise, and heartfelt tributes, making it a memorable listen for outdoor enthusiasts and hunters alike. Whether sharing truck tales, honoring fathers, or featuring an unconventional fishing companion, the hosts deliver an engaging narrative that resonates with their audience.

Transcript

[Brody Henderson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Seth Morris]

If your days start with a fishing rod and end with a tree stand, you know life out here isn't easy and your gear needs to hold up through it all. That's why tractor supply is the destination for everything you need for life out here. Work boots that last feed that keeps your animals strong, and fencing supplies to protect what matters most. Best part? They treat you like a neighbor. Because out here you probably are. Visit tractorsupply.com or swing by your local store.

[Corey Calkins]

You ever drive past a piece of land and wonder who owns that? Or maybe you need to know where exactly a property line runs? Well, that is where ONX Hunt comes in. And it's not just for hunters. There are folks using ONX for their jobs every day throughout the country. If you need the best land ownership maps, aerial imagery and property boundaries in your pocket, ONX Hunt is the tool for the job. Try it free for 7 days. Download onx hunt in the app or Google Play store or visit on xmaps.com hunt to get started. Steve Rinella Here the American west with Dan Flores is a new podcast production on the Meat Eater Podcast Network. It's hosted by author and historian Dan Flores, who happens to be mine and our own Dr. Randall's former professor. By focusing on deep time wild animals, native peoples in the west, unique environments, Flores will challenge your understanding of the American west and he will help to explain why it is the way it is today. I count Dan Flores as a friend. We do not agree on everything, but he has had a massive impact on my understanding of American history and I invite you to get challenged by him in the same way that I have. Catch the premiere of the American west with Dan flores on Tuesday, May 6th on the meat Eater Podcast Network. Subscribe to the American west with Dan Flores On Apple, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to Dan and it will stretch your brain all out. And I mean that in a very good way.

[Danny Bolton]

Smell us now, lady.

[Seth Morris]

Welcome to Meat Eater Trivia Meat Eater.

[Josh Miller]

Podcast.

[Brody Henderson]

Welcome to the June 12th episode of Meat Eater Radio Live. It's 11am Mountain Time here in Bozeman. That's 1pm on the outer Banks of North Carolina, where my family is currently enjoying vacation without me. Yep, they're having fun on the beach. I'm your host, Brody Henderson. I'm joined today by Seth Morris and Corey Calkins. Today it's almost Father's Day, man, so we're going to share some hunting stories about our dads. That'll be Fun. We're going to talk to fishing guy Josh Miller, who we tried to get on the show a couple weeks ago. I think about his first mate, Ryder Rydier, the turkey. I don't know what that turkey's name is. We'll figure that part out.

[Josh Miller]

Find out.

[Brody Henderson]

And since we're running the voting right now for our 2026 up old hunting trucks can calendar, we're going to talk about some bad situations we've gotten into in our hunting trucks. And on top of that, we're going to interview an actual four wheel drive truck driving expert. Someone who teaches people how to drive four wheel drive trucks. I'm not sure what his credentials are, but he's a good guy, so we'll figure that part out too. Yeah, that's what we've got for you. It should be a good show. What's up? How's it going, fellers?

[Josh Miller]

Oh, going good.

[Randall]

Yeah, Going good.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

What have you been up to?

[Randall]

I just got back from Interior Alaska on bear hunt.

[Brody Henderson]

With a lot of bear hunting this year, man.

[Randall]

A lot of bear hunting. Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Geez.

[Randall]

That's my second Alaska bear hunt of the year.

[Brody Henderson]

Oh, that's right. You did a personal funsy hunt.

[Randall]

Yeah. One in Southeast and one in Interior.

[Brody Henderson]

Much different style of hunting for those like could.

[Randall]

Yeah, two different planets basically.

[Brody Henderson]

Yep.

[Randall]

But yeah, it was good. Yeah. Watch some bears die and it's awesome. Beautiful country.

[Brody Henderson]

Sweet.

[Josh Miller]

See any other critters up there?

[Randall]

Yeah, so. So wolves, grizzly bears, caribou, moose doll sheep.

[Brody Henderson]

Wow.

[Randall]

A porcupine, a marmot and I think that's it, man. Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice. Corey, what have you been doing?

[Josh Miller]

Working, man? Yeah, lots of work. And I've been fly fishing a lot more this year. I was a fly rod. Well, I was a guide for 15 years and when I retired from guiding and started this job, I didn't really want to do it anymore. I kind of lost the drive.

[Brody Henderson]

Same thing happened to me after whatever, 18, 20 years of guiding. I just, I just lost the drive to go fish on my own.

[Randall]

That's what everyone says. I think Same thing happened with Giannis too.

[Josh Miller]

Oh yeah, maybe. But it's, but it's back, man. This year I've been fishing quite a bit.

[Brody Henderson]

Cool.

[Josh Miller]

Fishing's good right now at the moment it seems like it's going to dry up come late summer, but fish it now. And going out, meeting up with my old man this weekend. Go fish the Missouri.

[Brody Henderson]

So nice with everyone else in the state of Montana.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Josh Miller]

Hopefully they're going somewhere else. It'll be what?

[Brody Henderson]

I don't know, dude, that river is always busy. But there's so many trout, it doesn't matter.

[Josh Miller]

Exactly. And you just kind of. If everybody's fishing the right bank, fish.

[Brody Henderson]

The left bank or the middle.

[Josh Miller]

Well, wherever the fish are biting. Yeah, there's a lot of fish per mile in there. So how about you?

[Brody Henderson]

Oh, man. Gardening. My family's out of town. You know like when your family goes out of town, you're like, oh God, it's gonna be great. I'm gonna have this house to myself. It's gonna be quiet, I'll get stuff done. But then they leave and you're like, God, I miss them.

[Randall]

I'm bored.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, I'm getting some stuff done, but I do miss them. We'll start hitting the fishing hard after the boys get back here this weekend.

[Josh Miller]

Nice.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, Phil, we got, we got old Danny Bolton on the line.

[Phil]

Danny's on standby. Yes.

[Brody Henderson]

Well, let's jump right in to our first guest, Danny Bolton. You guys probably seen him on the Meat Eater television show. He's done some stuff with Cal to. He's been a friend of Meat Eater for several years. If you don't know him. Danny Hale's from Hawaii. He spends a lot of time, his time shooting arrows into feral pigs and sheep and he spends a lot of time hauling tuna and wahoo into the boat. But we've got him on the show today to talk about his job training folks how to drive four wheel drive rigs. And we're going to pick his brain about what not to do when you're off roading your truck around, especially during hunting season. So we got him up here. There he is. Danny. How's it going, man?

[Danny Bolton]

That's good. How are you guys?

[Brody Henderson]

Great, great. What have you been up to lately?

[Danny Bolton]

Hey, did a little storm chasing. Just recently flew out to Kansas. Drove all over the country. Well, not all over the country, but all over, like through storm zones and actually got to see my first tornado.

[Brody Henderson]

Oh, nice.

[Randall]

Dude, that's awesome.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, you don't get too many of those in Hawaii, huh?

[Danny Bolton]

No, definitely don't get too many. I've seen like one little baby water spout one time, but not a full tornado.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice. Did you have a special truck, like one of those big storm chasing trucks you were using for that or.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, dude, you wouldn't believe it. My, my friend Ricky is like that, that they live for it and he's got this big old orange truck. All the lights underglow, all the, you know, like pretty much Typical storm chasing thing, all kinds of antennas coming off of it. So gotta do that with him, which is super fun. And then it's. Dude, it's just like the movies, like pull up to a gas station, there's like 30 other storm chasers all amping for this storm coming in and some crazy rigs like. Talk about, talk about messed up old trucks, dude. Yeah, there was some crazy stuff there with like all kinds of like metal welded to it and you know, just like Mad Max stuff. Yeah, it's pretty funny.

[Randall]

That's cool.

[Brody Henderson]

Okay, Danny, like we've, we've done some four wheel drive stuff with you in the past. A little bit anyway. But give us a quick rundown of like your driving instruction job and how you got into it.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, I'll just give you the quick rundown. I guess I just grew up just off road all the time. Started probably on quads and dirt bikes and then just always had kind of beat up old trucks that we could ramble around in and even before I had my driver's license. And then I have two older cousins that I rode dirt bikes with and they had enough money and had jobs so they were like building trucks. So then started building trucks and that got us into off road racing. When I moved out of Hawaii after high school, started racing desert stuff. And that's kind of what got me into like the major side of off road and off road racing. And then my friend does all the training, so I've actually partnered with him now and we're in business together to train a bunch of people, mainly military. So train mainly military to basically how to drive off road and then if the thing breaks, how to fix it if you get stuck, how to get unstuck, all the little things that, you know, you find out there in the, in the desert or wherever you are, what's going to break. It's similar to what would break when you're hunting.

[Brody Henderson]

Yep.

[Danny Bolton]

And just how to fix it. Just all those little, little secrets, you know?

[Brody Henderson]

Right. I, I would imagine based on my own experience getting stuck and whatnot, that one of the biggest mistakes people make when they're driving around a rough country is, is just like not turning around when they should, like not recognizing, like stopping is the best thing to do. And then you'll just avoid getting yourself in a real bad situation. But what are like some of the main, most common mistakes people make when they're driving in bad conditions like washed out road, snow, mud, whatever it might be?

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, I think, I think you kind of hit the Nail on the head is just like your brain, right? Like, be real self aware of where you're at. And, you know, I've gone down stuff that I couldn't get back up, and it ended up being a dead end and it was a mission. We did get back up. But like, just knowing your situation, knowing your gear, and I would say the most common things and most people can probably relate to this is most likely flat tires and then just getting stuck. I would say, you know, out of all the crazy fixes that I've done out in the field, broken axles, changed transmission, all these crazy things getting stuck and just flat tires are probably the two most common things. And you need to be able to fix your vehicle or get it unstuck. So, you know, just having a shovel and then checking your equipment. Before you go checking your spare tire, make sure it has air in it. Make sure it's the correct spare. I've. I've had a truck where I got a flat and we pull out the spare and it was the wrong lug nut pattern. So make sure your jack is working.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, we're gonna talk about that picture in a minute. Yeah, Yeah. I was gonna ask you, like, what, like what are the things you, you like, have to have in your truck when you're like, anytime you're going to be leaving the pavement? Like, what thing? What's on your list of stuff everyone should have in their. In their truck?

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah. To keep it real simple without sending people way down the rabbit hole. But I would have. Make sure your jack is working. Most cars and trucks come with a jack stock, so that, that's fine. Just make sure you have your jacket and all the little pieces you need to use your jack and then also your spare tire. Make sure you have a spare tire and a lug nut wrench and then all the little pieces you need to get your spare down too. Usually it's the same thing that you use for your jack. And then I would say a shovel. If you're going off road, like to go camp or go hunt or something, just. Just bring a shovel. And then a little toe rope, like a toe strap would be amazing. But to keep it very simple, I would say out of those things you can get yourself out of a lot of trouble.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. What about those, you know those plastic things you lay down on the ground? Attraction board. Do you use those at all?

[Danny Bolton]

Very rarely. They come in handy. And if you're planning on getting stuck a lot, they're cool to have. But honestly, like, if you're Trying to keep it simple. You don't really need it. Like. So.

[Phil]

Get a little hiccup here. Oh, I think we actually lost connection here.

[Danny Bolton]

No, roll up on it.

[Brody Henderson]

Oh, there he is. He's back. We lost you there for like a little bit. A little less than a minute, so I don't know.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, so. So I would say they just, just you don't, you don't need them. You can find other stuff that throw down in that whole rocks, sage brush, whatever.

[Brody Henderson]

Yep.

[Danny Bolton]

I don't really carry them.

[Brody Henderson]

So what you're telling me is I wasting my money on mine?

[Danny Bolton]

No, definitely. If you have them. If you have them and when it comes time to use them, you're gonna love them.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, for sure. I've used them a couple times.

[Josh Miller]

You're supposed to have them like on top of your truck?

[Brody Henderson]

Well, yeah, yeah. Bright orange ones so everyone can see them.

[Josh Miller]

That's the thing.

[Brody Henderson]

How about, how about like towing campers or four wheeler trailers? Anything like, any tips there or just like anything people should know? Yeah.

[Danny Bolton]

I'd say the two things about towing stuff in is just know what you're towing and like where it is because you don't want to get that thing twisted up or stuck. And then you're also pulling a lot more weight. So if you're going up super technical stuff, you're, you're putting more stress on all your equipment on your truck because you're pulling this extra weight. And I have seen axle snap and drive shafts and U joints and stuff go out. So just know since you're pulling that extra weight, you just kind of got to account for it. And then obviously backing it up like you want to get it. You know, you don't want to get in a spot where you're having a backup for a mile. And especially if it's a small trailer, the thing's like twisting around on you.

[Brody Henderson]

Earlier we showed a picture of you hauling, hauling those moose out from a couple years ago.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Is that like the, the kind of the hairiest four wheel driving experience you've, you've ever been in?

[Danny Bolton]

Definitely not. Oh geez.

[Josh Miller]

Looks pretty gnarly.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, I mean we never even flipped it over on that one. Like it never, it never even ended up upside down. But that was a long one. And it just the, the weight of the situation with having, you know, all that meat and trying to get out. Like we, we went in the first part of the season and then when we shot those moose was the last day of the season. So I remember when we were Broken down. And this, this ship was crazy. We ended up shooting two mooses. Moose mises, bulls and bulls. We shot two bulls. And so we had to get all this meat out and we ended up breaking the belts on those are kind of known to go. And we had already gone through our spare. We brought a spare and I had already gone through it. And then we had a stick go through the radiator and we had to totally fix that whole situation. So crimp that all down and get that all fixed. But while we're fixing that, we. There was a river nearby and I remember watching the last jet boat basically go down the river because there's, there's no reason to be back there unless you're moose hunting. And it was the last day of the season. And I remember watching that last boat go by and like knowing that that was probably our last person that was going to be out there. And if we couldn't get that thing fixed, we were nine miles at that point from the road. So hiking like all that meat to the road was gonna be almost impossible. So we had to get that thing fixed. And yeah, it was, it was a. It was amazing trip. We ended up getting the thing fixed and getting out and took. Took a while though. It took us four days. Missed my flight, so.

[Brody Henderson]

That's all right. You got a couple of giant bulls. It's okay. All right, one last question, Danny. What would your like kind of ideal four wheel drive hunting rig? Like what would it be and how would you have it set up? Like would you have a topper on there, a camper? Like just kind of give us a rundown of what your rig would look like.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, no problem. Basically I probably have a mid size truck, full size gets a little big to where, you know, you're having trouble making tight corners and stuff. Maneuvering ended up like bottoming. So like a Tacoma, Ford Ranger, something more in the mid size range. And then I can just tell you what I have like in the mainland, like I have a Toyota Tacoma and then I have a deck system in the back, stores everything, lock it up. And then I have a go fast camper on top which is like a. Just a camper that has a tent on top of it. You don't necessarily need the tent on top of it. You could just tent camp which is fine. But having some way to enclose the back so that you don't have to worry about rain and mud and all that stuff would be amazing. And then honestly a stock rig nowadays is pretty awesome. Like if you can fit like 32, 33 inch tires in most. Some of the new stock trucks. You can fit 33s on just having bigger tires because everybody, all these lifts and all this stuff. Well, you're putting all that stuff on so that you can put bigger tires on so that your fenders don't rub and your suspension kind of move. But the bigger tires is what's giving you more ground clearance. And that's kind of what you're shooting for. And you can't really beat stock suspension. Like the amount of money that manufacturers put into their geometry is huge compared to aftermarket stuff. So just a stock mid sized truck with a little bit bigger tires. Probably some like, I have B.F. goodrich all terrains. And if you know you're just gonna be in a muddy stuff, so like mud terrain's a little bit better for that. But I have all terrains and then yeah, that's, that's basically it. And I'd have a. I got a shovel in there, I got a jack, I got all my tools, bring tools, make sure you have all the right tools that you need. I got tow straps and I got a winch on it. So it's got rear bumper, front bumper. The rear bumper is cool because you can pull harder on it. And if you drag something it's not as big, you're not tearing up your stock bumper. But the front bumper holds the winch, which I can get myself out of a lot of situations and I don't need another rig there. And yeah, that's, that's basically it. It's, I mean, fairly simple. But I definitely have everything I need to get myself out.

[Randall]

Cool.

[Brody Henderson]

Well, it was great talking to Danny. Hopefully we'll see you here in a couple weeks and in Montana.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah, definitely. I miss you guys.

[Brody Henderson]

All right.

[Danny Bolton]

It is good to see you.

[Brody Henderson]

Yep, good to see you too. Thanks a lot, man.

[Josh Miller]

Thanks, Danny.

[Danny Bolton]

Okay, boys.

[Randall]

Later.

[Seth Morris]

If your day start with a fishing rod and end with a tree stand, you know life out here isn't easy. And your gear needs to hold up through it all. That's why tractor supply is the destination for everything you need for life out here. Work boots, that last feed that keeps your animals strong. And fencing supplies to protect what matters most. Best part, they treat you like a neighbor. Because out here you probably are. Visit tractorsupply.com or swing by your local store.

[Corey Calkins]

You ever drive past a piece of land and wonder who owns that? Or maybe you need to know where exactly a property line runs. Well, that is where Onx Hunt comes In. And it's not just for hunters. There are folks using Onx for their jobs every day throughout the country. If you need the best land ownership maps, aerial imagery and property boundaries in your pocket, Onx Hunt is the tool for the job. Try it free for 7 days. Download onx Hunt in the app or Google Play store or visit onxmaps.com hunt or to get started. Hey everybody, I'm talking here about Montana Knife Company from our very own state of Montana. This company was founded by one of the most experienced master blade smiths in the world, Josh Smith, who over recent months I've become friends with and my God, have I learned a lot about knives from this guy. Just a phenomenal hometown company that makes world renowned knives. Josh has been making knives for 30 years. You get one of these knives up and open it, it is sharp like something that came from outer space. And here's the deal. They make knives that can be sharpened. You can work on these knives. If you don't want to work on them, you send it to them and they'll work on it. They'll get it sharp. Phenomenal hunting knives. If you want to see them in action, we just did. Me and John Hayes, the taxidermist just did a video about how to properly skin a black bear. Watch that video and in that video you'll see Montana knife company Knives in action. MKC products usually sell out in minutes of being released, which is true. But now for the first time, they're dabbling with having knives in stock on their site. So right now you can grab yourself a Blackfoot 2.0 or the ultralight speedgoat. Use Code Me Eater and you get 10% off your first order. Montana Knife Company working knives for working people. 10% off with code Meat eater. That's a good deal.

[Brody Henderson]

Are we doing more truck stuff here in this next segment? Yeah, yeah. Keep the trucks. Throwback Thursday. Phil, Throw back on a Thursday morning. Stephen Brody, take me back to 1974. Throw back. I can't believe it. Did I mention Steven Brody are old as.

[Phil]

I like when I can play that.

[Brody Henderson]

That's my favorite one. Phil, who broke this mic, man, it just, it's never right.

[Phil]

Spencer. Spencer and Randall love to fidget with it when they're in the seat. So I mean it was probably one of them.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Phil]

If I had to throw anyone under the bus here.

[Brody Henderson]

Great.

[Josh Miller]

Good call.

[Phil]

I apologize.

[Brody Henderson]

All right. Throwback Thursday, fellas. We're looking back today at some, some. Close your ears, kids. We're going to look, look back Today at some up situations we've been in in our hunting trucks. So, Seth, you're up first.

[Randall]

Cool.

[Phil]

Bringing it up here, Seth, One sec.

[Randall]

Take your time, Phil. Ah, here we go.

[Josh Miller]

Oh, boy.

[Randall]

This was south of the border in Mexico two, three years ago. Haunted. All week long, no rain. And then the day before we leave, it just lets loose and pours, which it doesn't oftentimes. It doesn't rain like that down there. We had, like, a crappy rental vehicle. And then one of the guys we were with, Matt cook, He drove a truck down, hauling a couple side by sides. And this ranch we were on had a pretty crappy road going into it. And of course, it rains. And we had to get up early that next morning to. To get back across the border to catch a flight to fly back to Montana. Well, on our way out, still dark out, as you can see, we get everything stuck. And the truck gets stuck, the rental vehicle gets stuck. So Matt's truck has two side by sides. He's as stuck as he could be. And we're in a spot where there's, like, no way you could turn around or, like, off to our left, it was a steep drop off. So if he was to roll, go off that he would just roll. To our right was a steep bank. They're just like. And we're on a turn, too. So there's, like, not a whole lot you could do. We couldn't get a vehicle past it to try and pull it. It was a disaster. So our first thing we did was we need to get some weight off the trailer. So we pulled the side by sides off. And in the process of doing that, Jason Phelps was with us. He hops in one, and as he's driving it off the trailer, I don't know what the hell happened. But he ends up on. On the side. He rolls the thing.

[Brody Henderson]

So, like, down off the bank.

[Randall]

No, in the. So he was like.

[Brody Henderson]

He's in the road.

[Josh Miller]

He was.

[Randall]

Yeah, he was backing it off the trailer. And, like, I don't know if he hit the throttle a little too hard, but, like, hit the. The bank on the right side. That's super steep.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Randall]

And just kind of went right, like, backed up it and just flipped it right over.

[Josh Miller]

Geez louise.

[Randall]

So now we got two truck, two stuck vehicles. And rolled over side by side in the middle of the road.

[Josh Miller]

That's when you want to just go to bed.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Josh Miller]

Call it a day.

[Randall]

Yeah. Like, let's try this again tomorrow.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah.

[Randall]

But. Yeah, I think there's another photo There, Phil. Yeah, there's. There's the. You can see Jason in the cab of the side by side.

[Danny Bolton]

Oh, no.

[Randall]

Standing up. But yeah, it was just a kind of a shit show of a morning. We finally got everything, you know, we rolled that back over and then I think we might have. I don't remember. We might have somehow gotten a side by side around the truck and pulled it out with that. I don't remember exactly. We ended up getting out of the situation and made it back.

[Josh Miller]

Sure.

[Randall]

To America.

[Josh Miller]

You're here.

[Brody Henderson]

We're here.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah. Look at the grease on those tires.

[Randall]

Oh, it was so. It was like. It was almost like gumbo mud. Really, up here in Montana.

[Josh Miller]

Sticky.

[Randall]

Yeah, Sticky, slimy mud.

[Josh Miller]

Oh, wow.

[Randall]

But, yeah, that's my story of getting a truck stuck flipping the side by side.

[Josh Miller]

Wow.

[Phil]

Who wants to go next?

[Brody Henderson]

Top that.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah, no problem. No, that's. That sounds really scary. Let's see. I used to own a 2001 Toyota Tacoma. It's by far my favorite truck I'll ever own probably. But when I started guiding fly fisherman, it wasn't quite big enough. So I upgraded to a tundra, which I'll one day go back to, the Tacoma. But there's a photo of it right there. 2001 Tacoma, they don't make them like that anymore. And then I. When I was. When I upgraded to the tundra, I sold that truck to my hunting outfitter, elk hunting outfitter, with the agreement that I. That was going to be my guide rig. So for a couple years, I got to guide out of the. My old truck, which was great. And one day, second week of rifle season here in Montana, my client and I went up onto these two mounds. I drove up onto one of these mounds. We called them the Boobs. Just these two mountains that stick up out of the middle of nowhere. They're very obvious. You can see them from miles away. We called them the Boobs. I parked the truck up on one of them at like 3pm Sunsets, like 7pm we're just gonna wait there and commit to that spot, hoping some elk come out of the timber. And the truck being forest green, hopefully they wouldn't see us there. I swear I put it in first gear. Naturally, the parking brake was all messed up. I think there was mud stuck in the. The emergency brake. So that was just out of order. But I've had it in first gear. Stepped out of the truck, did some glass and look over, and my client was sleeping in the passenger seat and saw three bowls come out of the Timber. So I run over to the truck, and as I turn and look, the truck is just all of a sudden rolling down one of the boobs. With my client Billy, just sitting in the passenger seat. And I see him duck over to the side. And he was able to reach over and hit the brake. But without the key in it, the hydraulics locked up. So I'm not sure how it shifted out of gear, but it did, and it started rolling. I was able to run up, and for some reason, I thought I could be superman for a hot minute. And I tried stopping the truck. Instantly knew that wasn't going to work. Jumped out of the way, actually, like, dove. And did a little roll out of the way. It was real theatrical. And I just watched the truck ghost roll with my client in the passenger seat, down into a pile of trees. Luckily, like, 10 degrees to the left. It would have went over a cliff.

[Randall]

Jeez, man.

[Josh Miller]

Luckily, it went into some smaller evergreen trees. It was kind of like it wasn't one big tree, which would have really messed everything up, Including Billy.

[Randall]

Billy.

[Josh Miller]

But it actually just messed up the radiator. Bent the whole front end in. And we had to walk out that night because I couldn't get the truck out. There's a photo of it. It went into the trees, like, just completely sandwiched. Dominoed a bunch of small timber down. We went back the next day, and I was able to actually drive it out the next day After a little chainsaw work. But, yeah, that was scary. I still don't know exactly what happened. My client, who had reached over to try and hit the brakes, stayed down, and he bruised some ribs because he was right on the shifter. Gear shifter was right on his stomach. And when he impacted the trees, it bruised his ribs. That's all that happened, really. Obviously, the truck didn't matter at that point. But my outfitter actually fixed it up. Put a new grill, new radiator, everything that it needed, which was a lot. Put a new front bumper on it. And we used it again for a couple more years. I think he sold it just a few years ago. Sadly, I couldn't afford to buy it back. But, yeah, miss that truck. That was greatest truck I'll ever own.

[Brody Henderson]

Corey out there trying to kill his hunting clients.

[Josh Miller]

Well, shouldn't be sleeping on the job.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, I think you guys probably got me beat. Mine's kind of a standard getting stuck overnight. Getting stuck overnight story. But it was because of this buck right here, that whitetail buck. I was hunting up in northern Montana a couple years ago. And the road, like there's, there's like the main highway. But then all the roads up there, this is like big ag country. There's very few trees, not a whole lot of topography, like kind of rolling. But you guys know the roads up there, like they're public roads, most of them. But they're like these little two tracks.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Like unmaintained. They're not roads. Right? Yeah, but so I was back in their ways. And I killed this buck in late afternoon. And like I had slept in the truck the night before and it, it had. I'd hunted the day before. It rained all day. Then overnight it snowed on top of that rain. And like on the way to like walk out and hunt in the morning, I'm like, this is bad. Like, like I need to like keep. Kill an animal and get out of here before this stuff starts thawing out. Because it was like a few inches of heavy wet snow. Then a thin layer of ice and then a layer of mud. Like it wouldn't matter what kind of tires you had on. And I didn't have change, which was probably a mistake anyway. I did what I shouldn't have done and stayed out there all day and shot this buck. Like late afternoon, everything had started melting. I get the buck back to the truck. It's dark and I'm like, I'm gonna go for it. And it's like a slight downhill incline right off the bat to get out of there. And I go like 50ft. And the truck just does that slow turn and I'm going sideways down the road.

[Randall]

That's not a good feeling.

[Brody Henderson]

No. And slid like 100ft down the road. Now I'm like kind of cockeye sideways pointing back the other way. And there's just like no getting off the road to down. I tried, believe me, and ended up. I just had to sleep in the truck again that night because I had to wait for stuff to freeze.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

So let that be a lesson to you. Sometimes it's like, it was great. I got that buck. But if I'd have been in a more remote or tougher location, like, you know, who knows what would have happened. Just like I knew walking out that morning to go hunting. I'm like, I gotta get out of here by like mid morning.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Before stuff starts to melt. And I didn't. So it's just like what we talked about earlier, you know, knowing. Knowing your situation and not getting. Getting stuck somewhere because you made a poor decision. But I will say this. I have a Ford F150 and I like that truck. You've got one, Seth.

[Randall]

Yep.

[Brody Henderson]

I learned a big lesson on that hunt. About like Danny said, stock stuff is good. Well, I'll tell you what's not good about stock F150s is they have what they call a skid. Maybe they've changed this since mine's a 2020. They have what they call a skid plate under there. But it's. It's like, it's not metal. It's this, like, weird almost like fabric, paper mache material. And it's like it'll keep a pebble out of there, like, you know, a little bit of dirt, but it's not going to protect your important stuff up underneath or on top of that skid plate. And ripped right through that thing and poked a hole in the. The transmission fluid reservoir, which ended up like DRO got a little ways, and then the truck just shit the bed.

[Josh Miller]

Wow.

[Randall]

The transmission go out or not completely.

[Brody Henderson]

Like, I didn't lose the transmission, but there was some cost involved in getting it fixed. It wasn't just plugging the. The hole and calling it good, but the first thing I did was put an aftermarket metal skid plate on that sucker.

[Randall]

Dang. Yeah, I got to check mine now.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, yours might already rot and fallen off. Steve's fell right off.

[Randall]

It may be.

[Josh Miller]

God.

[Randall]

Just another thing add to the list.

[Brody Henderson]

So now all the Ford haters going to be like, yeah, I knew that you shouldn't have bought that truck. Let's see if we got any of that. And we got any of that in the listener feedback. Phil, we've got any Ford haters?

[Phil]

No, we've got no Ford discourse happening right now. We do have Randy saying that this is his favorite episode so far because he loves the shit show experiences.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice.

[Phil]

It's from Randy from Georgetown, Texas. Thanks, Randy.

[Randall]

Thanks, Randy.

[Brody Henderson]

Thanks, Randy.

[Phil]

But, yeah, we can get some questions in here, whether they're about trucks or Father's Day or just comments. Let's move on to some listener feedback. Cody would like to know what the zoom is on those glasses.

[Brody Henderson]

On my glasses. Oh, it's. It's light. It's like 1.5.

[Phil]

Okay.

[Brody Henderson]

I don't. I don't. I don't need a bunch yet.

[Randall]

Cool.

[Phil]

Lance asks Seth, have you ever gone walleye fishing in Canada? If so, where is the spot?

[Josh Miller]

Oh, yeah.

[Randall]

I have not gone walleye fishing in Canada. It's. That's a bucket list trip. I want to do that eventually, but I feel like there's lots of spots.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, a lot of water. Like, where I grew up, everyone used to go to Ontario.

[Randall]

Yep.

[Brody Henderson]

But, like, Giannis was just bear hunting and. What?

[Randall]

Mantoba?

[Brody Henderson]

They clobbered him there.

[Randall]

They clobbered him there. I mean, Lake of the woods is always.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Randall]

Notoriously good. Yeah. I think there's lots of options up there. Love to check it out. Someday.

[Phil]

Caleb, he asks, what is the best gift for a hunting dad? We've got two dads at the table. What. What would be a thing that you guys have received or would love to rece. Receive from your family?

[Brody Henderson]

Man, my wife hates buying me. It's like a standard thing, like, because I. I just buy the I want for myself. Right. So it's always like, well, what do you want? I'm like, I don't need anything. And then I. What. What I need, I just go buy.

[Phil]

So.

[Brody Henderson]

Man, it's a tough one. Yeah. And. And it's like, there's all kinds of different hunting dads. There might be, like, a duck hunting dad and a elk hunting dad. That's a tough question to answer. Ask them what they want and then say, I'm getting this for you. Don't buy it for yourself. That'd be my advice.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah. Yeah, that's a good call.

[Randall]

Or don't buy them anything. Just do something that's, like, real thoughtful.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. You know, Exactly. I'd rather, like, hang out with my kids and my wife camping for a weekend than, oh, totally get some piece of gear.

[Randall]

You're just say, like, we're going camping this weekend, dad. I'm gonna get all the. Ready.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. Yeah. There you go.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah, that'd be so. Greatest gift I ever got, though, was from my wife for Father's Day. We were able to drop the kid off with the grandparents, which was fun for Father's Day of all days, but we went fishing on the Missouri with a guide. Oh, it was really fun. Guided fishing trip. Wherever you are. I'm sure that's an option.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. I mean, if you can. If you can afford it. Like.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Find out what their bucket list trip is and get that for them.

[Josh Miller]

Yep.

[Phil]

Favorite trolling lure. And what are you targeting with it? It's from Matthias. I think he corrected me. I said Matthias last time because I know a French guy named Matthias, but it is Matthias.

[Brody Henderson]

Man, you're down on trolling.

[Randall]

I'm down on trolling.

[Josh Miller]

But what's your favorite?

[Randall]

I don't troll much. When I do, it's like crankbaits and stuff.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, I mean, we. We'll pull crankbaits like, there's. There's an old Lake Erie. I think it's a Lake Erie lure called the Wally Diver.

[Randall]

Oh, yeah. Yep.

[Brody Henderson]

That's a good walleye. I want. I mean, anything elite them we pull. What are those? Berkeley Flicker Minnow. That's a good one that we do.

[Randall]

Well, Chester likes that one a bunch.

[Brody Henderson]

Yep. So we do a little. We'll definitely, like, take a break and do some trolling for.

[Randall]

Yeah, you can do some if you want to switch it up. Some bottom bouncers with, like, spinner rigs and stuff.

[Brody Henderson]

You know what I've always wanted to do? You know, when them big schools of coho get circling outside the creek, so.

[Danny Bolton]

Oh, yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

I've always wanted to try trolling through those things, see what happens. I. I bet you I'm all about.

[Randall]

Trying new things up there.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, why not?

[Randall]

Yeah, it'd be cool.

[Phil]

Let's see. Jesse says he just got a 2006 Tacoma. It has no bells or whistles. What would be a couple of the first upgrades or attachments you'd put on for hunting?

[Brody Henderson]

Chains, tires, like, depending on what it's got on there for tires. For sure.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah. Get you some good, good tires. Good ply.

[Randall]

I'm a fan of toppers, too. So am I. I like having a topper. Keep my stuff dry. I can sleep in there. You can lock it up. Yep.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Josh Miller]

Get you a topper.

[Phil]

Right on. And I thought, this is a fun, fun comment. We're not doing throwback Thursday anymore. But Cody J. When we were talking to Danny, said that he drives and is a. Is a medic for tornado hunters and that it's a blast. And he said he also knew one of the guys that. That Danny was hanging out with.

[Randall]

Oh, nice.

[Phil]

When he was doing that. So anyway, small, small world, man.

[Randall]

In a different life, I'd be a freaking storm chaser.

[Josh Miller]

Have at it, man.

[Randall]

I think it's cool.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. Not interested, man.

[Josh Miller]

Like, yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

I think when I was in, like, eighth grade. I think it was eighth grade, we used to get tornado. I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania, so it's not like the most tornado spot in the nation, but we would get tornado warnings. And in eighth grade, the next town over from us just got walloped by it, by a tornado, and like 30 people died. So, like, geez, I don't have any. I don't need that.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah. As a Montana kid, tornadoes freak me out. I'm going the other way.

[Randall]

Yeah, I think they're cool, but I've never really had a bad experience with one, so.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah, chase them up, see what happens.

[Corey Calkins]

Cool.

[Phil]

We can call it right there. But we're doing this again at the end of the show, so please submit more questions and we will field them in a few minutes.

[Brody Henderson]

Alrighty. So Father's Day and. What is it, three days? Something like that?

[Randall]

Yep.

[Josh Miller]

Sunday.

[Brody Henderson]

Sunday.

[Randall]

Sunday.

[Brody Henderson]

So in honor of that, we're each gonna share a picture and a story about hunting. You guys didn't do any fishing, just hunting, right?

[Randall]

I did fishing.

[Brody Henderson]

You did fishing. So hunting and fishing with our dads. And we're just gonna. We're just gonna honor our. Our. Our dads for. For getting us into hunting and fishing. So. You up first, Seth?

[Randall]

Sure, I'll go. I got a bunch of photos of me and my old man up at the cabin in Alaska.

[Brody Henderson]

That was just last. Was that last year?

[Randall]

He's been coming up the last three years now, so I have a bunch of photos. But this is, like, it's cool bringing my old man up to the cabin because, like, this is the first thing, like, one of the first things in my life where instead of him teaching me something, I'm teaching him something new, which is pretty cool. And he's just like, completely fell in love with, like, doing all this stuff up there, all the fishing and whatnot. So. Yeah, he comes up every summer now, and I put him to work. He's. He's cheap labor. He does a lot of firewood splitting, and he could swing a hammer. But here's some salmon that we caught up there. But, yeah, he comes up every summer now and. And helps out with the cabin. And. Yeah, it's just like, he's. You know, he grew up on the east coast, and that whole world is, like, so new to him, and he's. He's just getting, like. See him new? Just getting to watch him see new things that he's never seen before and, like, catch fish that he's never caught before, before. And it's just super cool. And one. One funny thing. And, bro, do you know how it is up there? Like, when people first start fishing up there, it's like they just kind of don't remember how to fish almost.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Randall]

So here's him fighting a small halibut, which he thinks is a giant halibut, which is common. And. Yeah, just. Just like, trying to teach, like, the hook sets or if you're running, like, circle hooks, not to set the hook it. Yeah, it's just been a blast the last, you know, three years. Getting to show my old man that part of the country and that type of fishing.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, I've hung out with him a bit up there and he. He seems really love it, man.

[Randall]

Oh, he loves it. It's all he talks about.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah.

[Seth Morris]

If your day start with a fishing rod and end with a tree stand, you know, life out here isn't easy. And your gear needs to hold up through it all. That's why tractor supply is the destination for everything you need for life out here. Work boots that last feed that keeps your animals strong. And fencing supplies to protect what matters most. Best part, they treat you like a neighbor. Because out here you probably are. Visit tractorsupply.com or swing by your local store.

[Corey Calkins]

You ever drive past a piece of land and wonder who owns that? Or maybe you need to know where exactly a property line runs. Well, that is where ONX Hunt comes in. And it's not just for hunters. There are folks using Onx for their jobs every day throughout the country. If you need the best land ownership maps, aerial imagery and property boundaries in your pocket, ONX Hunt is the tool for the job. Try it free for 7 days. Download onx Hunt in the app or Google Play store or visit onxmaps.comhunt to get started. Hey everybody, I'm talking here about Montana Knife Company from our very own state of Montana, this company was founded by one of the most experienced master blade smiths in the world, Josh Smith, who over recent months I've become friends with. And my God, have I learned a lot about knives from this guy. Just a phenomenal hometown company that makes world renowned knives. Josh has been making knives for 30 years. You get one of these knives up and open it, it is sharp like something that came from outer space. And here's the deal. They make knives that can be sharpened. You can work on these knives. If you don't want to work on them, you send it to them and they'll work on it. They'll get it sharp. Phenomenal hunting knives. If you want to see them in action, we just did. Me and John Hayes, the taxidermist just did a video about how to properly skin a black bear. Watch that video and in that video you'll see Montana Knife Company Knives in action. MKC products usually sell out in minutes of being released, which is true. But now for the first time, they're dabbling with having knives in stock on their site. So right now you can grab yourself a Blackfoot 2.0 or the ultralight speedgoat use code Meat Eater and you get 10% off your first order. Montana Knife Company working knives for working people. 10% off with the code meat eater. That's a good deal.

[Brody Henderson]

Corey, what are you doing down there?

[Josh Miller]

Making sure our next guest is ready to roll. It looks like he just showed up, so we're pumped.

[Brody Henderson]

Doing some producing work at the same time he's. He's hosting.

[Josh Miller]

Oh, dude.

[Phil]

Yeah, he can do it all.

[Josh Miller]

Got a man of many hands.

[Brody Henderson]

All right, Corey.

[Josh Miller]

Oh, my turn.

[Randall]

You're up.

[Josh Miller]

Let's see, man. I got a lot of great stories. Hunting and fishing with my dad growing up. I. He moved up to Montana back in the 70s to get away from the hustle and bustle of Nevada. Bought some horses and started hunting in the. In the Bob Marshall. And that's kind of what. What helped drive my desire to want to do the same thing. Was able to guide back in there, kind of chase his dreams a little bit, which was super cool. But I owe a lot to him for getting me into outdoor recreation for sure. But this particular story was in, I believe in 2005. I was a junior in high school. My dad and I were in Northwest Montana archery. Elk hunting. I think it was September 21st. We had a bit of a snowstorm the day before and we hunted together in the morning. Didn't hear any bugles, which I feel like is pretty typical after a snowstorm like that. And we decided to split up and spread out a couple hundred yards. Just work this basin that we saw some tracks in the day before. And I don't know what time it was. Probably 10, 11 in the morning. Not, not early, but it wasn't later in the day. And two bulls come up just naturally up right in front of me. They never saw me. I was just timber sneaking through the woods. And I was able to arrow one of the two bulls. Young raghorn dropped him. Beautiful shot. Got really lucky, I would say, being that. That young and not much of a hunter yet. And I was pumped. We had two way radios, so I radioed my dad as soon as I went up and touched the thing and knew that it was dead and had a lot of work to do and radioed my dad telling him I got my first bowl with my bow and he's like, no way. I just shot a bull too. So we killed two bulls. It might have been within the same moment. We have no idea, obviously, because we. We weren't with each other and didn't have onx or anything at the time. So yeah, we killed two bulls. Not luckily, not too far from the truck.

[Brody Henderson]

I was going to ask. That's a one's enough work. You get two down at the same time.

[Josh Miller]

It's probably four miles from the truck. Had to go up a hill and down that same trip, actually leapfrog and quarters. Had a black bear grab one of my hind quarters and tried dragging it off. Almost killed a bear that day too, but knew how much work we still had to do. But that was pretty epic. Epic memory. He had killed an elk before with his bow, but that was my first archery bull. And yeah, pretty special moment to have that happen. That was really cool.

[Brody Henderson]

For sure. And he's. You said he's coming out here soon, right?

[Josh Miller]

Well, he lives in Kalispell, up northwest Montana. We're going to meet up this weekend and fish the Missouri together.

[Brody Henderson]

That's right.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

That's what you're getting at. All right. I guess it's my turn. My old man, there he is like my dad, like, look at that. He's definitely like the reason why I'm sitting in this seat right now. He's the reason why I became a fishing guide. Like it was just like hunting and fishing with him as a kid. Like learned a lot from him. Loved being out in the woods with him. And then like kind of got away from doing that kind of stuff together for a long time. And then after I moved out to Colorado and got into hunting, I kind of talked him in to start coming out to do some mule deer hunts and. And it was super cool. And he got bucks pretty much every year he came out. I think he was 71 in this picture. So he probably started coming out like his mid-60s and shot some bucks. Nothing huge, but you know, some decent bucks. This was, I think in 2011. And he drew a third season rifle tag in Colorado. And since I knew he had drawn that tag, I wasn't going to hunt that season for a buck. I was just like focused on getting him a big one because like I said, He's 71 and he got around pretty good. But you know, he's 71, so you just don't know how much more time he's got to do that kind of hunting. So I went into this area like a week before the season started and like right off the bat I. I glass up a bull, A bull elk. I'm like, man, like, we're supposed to be deer hunting next week, but I'm gonna pick up an over the counter bull tag too. And we go in there we go in opening morning, we're glassing around, there's deer around, small bucks, nothing to shoot at. And I look up the ridge and there's three bulls working down the ridge. And I was like, peace out, dad. I'm going after these bulls and run up there and got in tight and shot, shot a bull. So the next like day and a half was dealing with that bull, you know. And you know, my dad was kind of doing some hunting on the side, but it was warm and nothing, nothing happened. Then on like day, it would have been like day four, maybe in the evening we found this buck and just could not get it done that evening. He was too far away. There's a lot of does around. It's going to get dark. So we went right back in there the next morning and found him right away and made a move on him. And we ended up like, we almost screwed it up. Like we ended up real tight, like 70 yards. So my dad's just like offhand shot real quick and spined him. I was like, you gotta shoot that deer again. But he's like on the ground, you know, and you can't really get at his vitals. I've never seen a 71 year old man run like 70 yards that fast like in my life. And he ran up to it, finished it off and I was like, man, like you don't know, like you don't know what you just shot. Yeah, like you have no. He had shot some mule deer bucks, but nothing like that. I was like, this thing's like, I think this thing's over 200. And he still was like not convinced. And we, we pack it out and I, I, we get home and I take like a 170 buck that I'd shot earlier in the year and set those antlers inside those antlers. I'm like, like, you get it now, like how big this thing is. And it ended up scoring. Like I can't remember what it was, like 206 or 209 or something like that.

[Randall]

That's cool.

[Brody Henderson]

You can't really. This picture's not great. It's from back in the day when like digital cameras weren't that great. But he's got a couple stickers coming off his right side and there's one off the back of his left side that you can't see. Yeah, just a really cool old buck and yeah, man, like every time I go back to Pennsylvania, I just stare at that thing. It's just an awesome deer.

[Randall]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Brody Henderson]

So it was kind of like you, Seth, where felt like I was like doing what he had done for me.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

You know, later in Life. So, yeah, he's. He still does a little hunting at home, but not. Not as much as he used to. He's getting up there.

[Josh Miller]

That's cool.

[Randall]

That is cool. Nice buck.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, big buck.

[Randall]

Big buck.

[Josh Miller]

I'm ready for the fall. Let's go.

[Brody Henderson]

Okay. Speaking of Father's Day, we got to remind you that our, our Meat Eater and First Light Father's Day sales are going on right now. So like we talked about gifts earlier. Forget the ties, socks, golf clubs, like get on the meat eater website, the First Light website, and get your. Get the dads in your life something they'll like. And if you don't know what to get them, then get them a gift card and they'll get what they want. And that's going on now through. All the way through the weekend, right?

[Josh Miller]

I believe so, yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. So check it out on the Mediator website or the First Light website. There's some good deals going on right now.

[Josh Miller]

Cool.

[Brody Henderson]

All right, now it's time to do the interview we were trying to get done a couple weeks ago. We're going to interview Josh Miller. He's a fishing guide from Western, Western Washington. And I think he guides like salmon and steelhead in the rivers and also like coastal fisheries too, out in the ocean.

[Josh Miller]

That's my understanding. Yeah. Let's find out.

[Brody Henderson]

But he's got. Some of you may have seen him on, on Instagram. He's got a co captain, which is rider, rider of the turkey. So we got Josh on the line.

[Phil]

Here we are.

[Ryder]

How's it going?

[Brody Henderson]

There he is.

[Josh Miller]

Hey, Josh.

[Randall]

Hey, Josh.

[Ryder]

How we doing, gentlemen?

[Brody Henderson]

Good.

[Josh Miller]

Not as good as you, though. Where are you at?

[Ryder]

Yeah, I'm out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca fishing for halibut right now.

[Josh Miller]

Oh, bud.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice, nice, nice. First of all, tell us about your. Your early bird guidance service. Like, what do you fish for? Where do you guys fish? What time of year? All that stuff gives quick rundown.

[Ryder]

So right now I'm doing wrath trips. We do coastal tributaries and Columbia river tributaries, a lot of steelhead fishing, lot of king fishing and coho fishing. I do spend the summers in Alaska fishing sakai on the Kei. So if you're interested in that, I can get you out in Kenai, Alaska for Sakai. And then the winter time after, anytime after New Year's is an awesome steelhead season. But yeah, year round we're catching big chrome fish.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice. Nice. Well, we, we gotta, we gotta ask, like, you're pretty well known on the Instagram for your, your unusual first Mate, that happens to be a turkey. So, like, how did the whole thing with. With bringing along the turkey and the boat gets started?

[Ryder]

Well, I got a bunch of them, these heritage birds to raise. And a weasel got into the coupe. And long story short, there was only one left. And it was literally ride or die for the little guy. I was fishing the next day, so he had no choice. He had to go out on the boat as a little baby. And here we are seven years later. He's got the program pretty well figured out. He's been out on hunting trips, all sorts of fishing trips. I've had them with me on a mule deer hunt and we harvested.

[Randall]

Yeah, that's awesome.

[Ryder]

Elk hunting. I shot a cow elk with him following me through the woods.

[Brody Henderson]

Dude, you gotta watch out. Someone might take a crack at that turkey while you're hunting, right?

[Ryder]

I don't know.

[Brody Henderson]

He's.

[Ryder]

The way I look at it, he's lived such a good life, I don't think he could get any better for a turkey.

[Brody Henderson]

Right.

[Josh Miller]

It's true.

[Ryder]

So then so be it.

[Brody Henderson]

There we go. There we go. So like, people. People like to bring their dogs on boats. Like, I do it. Some. Some dogs are like really annoying when you're fishing in a boat, and some are super chill. Where does. Where does Ryder fall on that. On that scale? And like, does he react to fish being caught?

[Ryder]

Oh, yeah. When he hears drag pulling out of a reel, he starts ripping goggles.

[Josh Miller]

So cool.

[Randall]

That is awesome.

[Ryder]

Definitely knows what's going on and everything. And he's fun. He's got. He's got a lot of character play, having a dog and a cat at the same time. He's got a little bit of attitude, but most of the time.

[Randall]

What do you think of that rider?

[Brody Henderson]

That is awesome. That is excellent.

[Ryder]

A ton of fun. Even when I'm pulling out of the driveway with the boat, he'll chase the truck down just because I'm towing the boat.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, yeah. Do you got any clients that specifically request for that turkey to be in the boat with them all the time? Yeah, I bet.

[Ryder]

I just say, as long as you tip the bird, I'll bring him.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice.

[Randall]

That's awesome.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice. You guys getting them today? Got any action? I know. Unfortunately, he couldn't join today because you had some good. Pretty. Pretty rough seas out there.

[Ryder]

Yeah, we got some rough water and we got four people in the boat, so we decided to leave him at home today. We got out here about an hour and a half ago and we've caught three dog fish so little sharks, no halibut yet.

[Brody Henderson]

Well, keep at it. Now I don't, I don't want to upset you with this next question. I hope, I hope Ryder has a bunch more years of fishing ahead of him. But since, since we're here at Meat Eater, we, we all love eating wild turkeys. So is there any chance that bird is going to end up on the table at Thanksgiving or are you going to give him a proper burial at sea once his time is up?

[Ryder]

Oh, I, I think he deserves a proper burial. I don't know about eating him. He's seven years old.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice. Nice.

[Randall]

It'd be tough.

[Brody Henderson]

Well, hopefully got you got several more years with him in the boat with you.

[Ryder]

It's always a fun time around Thanksgiving.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, I bet, I bet. Yeah.

[Ryder]

I've had him sit down at the table with us and gave him a plate of green beans.

[Brody Henderson]

Is he house trained or boat trained?

[Ryder]

When he was younger, I used to have him where he would peck the door or the window to turn around, tell me to let him out, but I don't get to spend a, a ton of time with him anymore. Yeah, but for the most part, yeah, he's pretty well trained. Like he'll wait a two hour car ride to the river and then when I let him out, he'll do his business.

[Brody Henderson]

Nice. Nice.

[Ryder]

He's a pretty smart bird.

[Randall]

That's cool.

[Ryder]

Cool.

[Brody Henderson]

Well, Josh, thanks for talking to us today. I hope you guys find some halibut out there and hope you continue to have fun with, with your turkey fishing companion.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah. All the best to Ryder.

[Ryder]

Yeah, yeah, anytime. Happy to be on the show, guys.

[Brody Henderson]

All right, thanks a lot, man.

[Ryder]

All right, you guys take care.

[Brody Henderson]

You too.

[Randall]

Thanks, Josh. That is awesome.

[Phil]

That was cool.

[Brody Henderson]

Phil, we got time for, for some more feedback.

[Phil]

Yeah, we don't have a whole lot of feedback right now, but Robert asks Seth, if you remember, Seth, what kind of rifle did you use on the Texas deer hunt in Rough Cuts? Do you remember?

[Randall]

That rifle was so kind of funny backstory. I wasn't actually supposed to be hunting on that shoot. One thing led to another and I ended up being on camera. So I actually didn't bring a rifle down there. I just went and grabbed. It was an old Remington.308. I don't even know exactly what it was, but I just grabbed it out of the gun safe at the ranch and went and shot to make sure it was shooting good. And that's what I took out. It was like an old Woodstock thumb hole, like old schooly wood gun. Which was kind of cool because I. I don't usually hunt with stuff like that.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah. And you guys weren't taking particular long?

[Randall]

No, no, it was all close stuff, so. Yeah, it was. I remember it was a Remington, but I don't remember exactly what it was.

[Phil]

Oscar asks, what is the smallest area of private land that you'd hunt Turkeys. He says he has 10 acres in Michigan.

[Brody Henderson]

Sure, why not?

[Randall]

Yeah, 10. You can get her down on 10 acres for sure.

[Brody Henderson]

Especially if they're roosted nearby. Like on your land or nearby.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

Call them in there. Yeah, sure, why not?

[Phil]

Remington asks, how old were you when you started hunting without your dad?

[Brody Henderson]

Man, I broke the law.

[Randall]

Same.

[Brody Henderson]

I think it was 14 in Pennsylvania. You had to be, I think, so hunt alone. And, and I. And the minimum hunting age back then was 12. And I was hunting alone when I was 12. A lot.

[Randall]

Same.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah, Yeah, I think, man, I probably would have been like 17 by the time I finally went out with a buddy. My dad was my hunting buddy growing.

[Brody Henderson]

Up, so it was pretty late.

[Josh Miller]

17 probably.

[Brody Henderson]

It's weird to me to think about it now that I have my own kids, like a 13 year old and a 10 year old and they can hunt at 10 in Montana. But like, like, I don't know about you, Seth, but like I'd. I would just go walk on the Nate like all the neighboring farms all day. Let's just be gone all day.

[Randall]

Yeah, same.

[Brody Henderson]

And for me to think about letting my 13 year old or my, you know, when my 10 year old is 12 do it at that age, it's like kind of weird. But I, I feel like that's a problem with me, not a problem with them being able to go do it. If you, like, give them the confidence to go do it.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah.

[Phil]

John asks Brody, don't you think there should be a time limit on trivia questions?

[Brody Henderson]

Yes, it depends if I'm having trouble with the question or it's.

[Phil]

If you. If whoever's sure of an answer, they want a time limit.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Danny Bolton]

Yeah.

[Brody Henderson]

But honestly, like often the, the, the conversations, the banter that happens while we're extending the time on those, it's. It's pretty fun. Mm. I mean, it, it could get taken too far, obviously, like if. Because the more talk that goes on, the more, the better the chance that something is given away and someone comes up with an answer, you hope they would win.

[Phil]

The time limit would. Would ruin the, the energy of the show because if it were too long and it was an easy question, then we're just sitting there. I guess if people, if, if we all agreed we wanted to be done, we could move on. But, but yeah, like, like Brody said, just the, the flexibility.

[Brody Henderson]

I think maybe we could screw around with like a special edition of Meat Eater where it's like a speed round or maybe like. Yeah, like it's like you get 30 seconds and that's that. Like maybe we can screw around.

[Phil]

Randall is all caps in the chat saying yes on the time limit.

[Brody Henderson]

There's too many Spencer lurking. Randall just happened to lose a couple of times and now he's all bent out of shape.

[Phil]

No foul play. Randall says, let's see Oscar, we've got two p or no, we already did. Oscar. Did I. Did I star this? There was a comment, boys, two PA boys about tactics for hunting deep woods in Pennsylvania for deer. It was a pretty general question.

[Brody Henderson]

Seth would know more about that than me. Like deer hunt in the big woods.

[Randall]

Yeah, it's all about.

[Phil]

Here we go. It's from Ethan.

[Randall]

It's kind of a lot. You got to work the land features in that big stuff because it's just, you know, woods forever.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, like up where, where I hunted northwest pa. Like you're hunting small like 100 acre chunks of private and it's not like that big woods is like got some topography, man. Like.

[Randall]

Yeah, like saddles and like if you can find pinch points, bottom, stuff like that and then find different cover types. White oak flats and stuff like that where they're feeding.

[Brody Henderson]

I. I do think you like knowing what I know now about western hunting. I think there's some stuff you could apply to those big chunks of like mountainous public land in Pennsylvania and hunt like a western hunter and like get in there a long ways and. And be willing to pack about a buck out on your back. Like there's something to be said for like hunting where other people aren't in Pennsylvania because a lot of it gets pretty crowded.

[Randall]

Yeah. I think topo map's your best friend and that kind of stuff.

[Phil]

Carrie asks, would you hunt a burn from last fall for mule deer or hunt away from the burn?

[Brody Henderson]

I think it depends on the burn.

[Randall]

I've hunted burns where it burnt in the summer and I was hunting it in October. Yeah, there was plenty of deer and elk in it.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah, you better check it out.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, I mean some like it was real hot one where everything just gets just like the topsoil gets burnt. Probably pretty tough, but it's a quick one that and you get a bunch of new growth. Definitely.

[Randall]

I was working on a fire back in my firefighting days. One time we're cutting a line in to try to hold, hold this one fire from spreading and out of nowhere a whole herd of elk come out of the non burn stuff and go right up into the fire. I was like, that's not gonna work out great for him. Now we never saw him again.

[Josh Miller]

Yeah, they got to deal with that stuff every year.

[Randall]

Yeah.

[Phil]

I think that's it.

[Randall]

Cool.

[Phil]

It's a good round of questions.

[Josh Miller]

Thanks everybody.

[Phil]

Go and wrap it up there.

[Brody Henderson]

Yeah, sure. All right, folks, that's, that's the end of today's show. Happy Father's Day to everyone. Have a great weekend. Get outside and do something fun. Thanks a lot.

[Randall]

Thanks, guys.

[Brody Henderson]

Tune in next week.

[Corey Calkins]

Steve Rella here. The American west with Dan Flores is a new podcast production on the Meat Eater Podcast Network. It's hosted by author and historian Dan Flores, who happens to be mine and our own Dr. Randall's former professor. By focusing on deep time wild animals, native peoples in the West's unique environments, Flores will challenge your understanding of the American west and he will help to explain why it is the way it is today. I count Dan Flores as a friend. We do not agree on everything, but he has had a massive impact on my understanding of American history and I invite you to get challenged by him in the same way that I have. Catch the premiere of the American west with Dan flores on Tuesday, May 6th on the meat Eater Podcast Network. Subscribe to the American west with Dan Flores On Apple, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to Dan and it will stretch your brain all out. And I mean that in a very good way.

[Brody Henderson]

This is an I heart podcast.