We'll take a break between the Yukon Grayling episodes this week. I've been trying to get James Alofs on the show for over a year. We've been friends for several years and chat on a regular basis. He is hilarious and we always get each other going when we speak. This episode is a fairly radical departure from the serious tone that I usually follow, which is weird because I've always loved making folks laugh and was continually in trouble in school for trying to be the class clown. Here is a raunchy, raw, and colourful conversation with James. Just two guys, full of crap, having fun chatting about wild food and outdoor wild food endeavours. This episode has some language, so not one for the car with the kids. James and I chat about his youtube channel, the cabin he is building along with his random Chinese life, and being the host for the Backstreet Boys Reunion live stream that had tens of millions of viewers! James is an interesting guy, to say the least. This isn't a new direction for the show. It's just a fun episode with a friend that made me laugh out loud. I hope it makes you laugh too. Cheers!Mentioned in this episode:We're on YouTube and InstagramThe Instagram account needs a boost! Help us out by checking it out and giving us a follow. And we're now over on YouTube as well. @foodafieldpodcast on both of those platforms. Thanks!

Check out the Food Afield Podcast on Instagram! Follow along for all of our wild food adventures.Beka Garris is a busy person. Her two young children, outdoor activities, and writing career mean her time is precious. I was grateful then that she set aside a little of her time to chat with us about her tradbow journey here on the podcast. Beka faces a lot of barriers when it comes to being out in the woods with her bow. However, she was determined to keep that part of her life intact and to share it with her kids. Relocating the family, not having access to private land, and naysayers trying to knock her down, it didn't matter to Beka. She is just out doing her thing with a traditional bow in one hand and her daughters in the other. The entire focus of traditional bowhunting for Beka is food, but perhaps even more important, at least right now, is showing her two daughters this sustainable lifestyle. Having young children is not forever, one day she will have all of the time in the world to be out hunting on her own. Right now, that is not the case. The decision is simple, take the kids hunting, or don't go hunting. I admire her focus and determination in this regard. Most of us don't have these limitations. As she says, "If I can do this, so can anyone." Welcome to this traditional bowhunter's journey. Don't forget to visit the Food Afield Podcast website and help keep the show sustainable with the purchase of a $5 membership. Mentioned in this episode:Support the show, become a member!Membership dollars are the only source of income for us. Your membership helps keep the show going and be a part of the improvements you hear! Dollars are reinvested into audio gear and various internet-related hosting fees.Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout.

Come and listen to the Food Afield Podcast episode about fly fishing the wonderful Arctic Grayling in Canada's far north with Alex and Erin. The days were already getting noticeably longer that far north, but it still took us a few days to find spring, let alone the fish. Here is the first part of our trip, an introduction to the Yukon and some of the beautiful scenes that we experienced on our journey. We started off in great anticipation of big Grayling jumping from crystal clear waters. Those visions were quickly dashed as our boat confronted a mass of ice, still frozen across the lake. Intrepidly, we carried on. We fished hard. We had a blast.Hey...we are currently trying to grow our Instagram account! Will you go have a look and see if it's worthy of your follow? Here's the link. Food Afield Podcast. Let us know what you think...and don't forget about our website which has a whole lot more content that is unavailable anywhere else. Thank you!Mentioned in this episode:Support the show, become a member!Membership dollars are the only source of income for us. Your membership helps keep the show going and be a part of the improvements you hear! Dollars are reinvested into audio gear and various internet-related hosting fees.CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again!

Monty Browning is an author and traditional bowhunting legend. He is one of the old guard within our traditional bowhunting heritage. His inexhaustible ability to tell fascinating hunting stories is just plain fun. This conversation could've gone on for hours. If you're lucky enough to have met Monty in person, you know exactly what I'm talking about here. Monty's longevity in bowhunting is a definite theme in his life. At 73 years old, he is still climbing one hundred-foot trees with a chainsaw for his arborist business. He is also still chasing big game with his recurve bow in faraway places, something that he has done almost his entire life. He holds, or has held multiple world records for Cape Buffalo, Water Buffalo, and Alaskan Brown Bear despite the fact that "he has never packed a duffle bag with the idea of killing a world record animal". You can purchase Monty's first book, "Bowhunting: A Passion For Life" right here.

Around the 14-minute mark of this recording, an exciting moment occurred. Initially, this was just a segment from one of the turkey hunting episodes, recorded during an evening with Mark Hall in the wall tent. If you're ever unsure how to explain your passion for hunting to those who don't understand it, this could be the ideal resource for you.This was the second night of my recent turkey hunt, and the conversation that took place was too special to be overlooked. We continued a discussion from earlier that day, and it quickly became apparent that this conversation deserved to be its own episode.Catching the perfect moment on tape is always thrilling, and in this case, we were able to capture it with an H4N Pro recorder and some stereo microphones.The darkness outside was filled with the calls of geese and loons from the nearby lake, and the wood stove crackled in the background as we sipped whiskey. Whenever I find myself in these types of situations, it always leads to engaging conversations.As we release this regular episode on Wednesday, John and Erin are busy packing their bags for their upcoming trip to the Yukon. They'll be fly fishing for huge Arctic Grayling above the 60th parallel, and we can't wait to share their experience with you. We hope you find this recording helpful and entertaining enough to share!

Part two of our great Merriam's Turkey hunt in the East Kootenays of British Columbia with Mark Hall.We could see them in the darkness in their roost trees on multiple days...but could we get close enough to get set up for a shot? Is there a proper way to hunt these birds? We chat about some hunting ethics when it comes to turkey hunting and we also arrive at some realizations about the timing of this particular hunt. We had a long power outage here at the farm today which delayed the release of this episode. Here is the episode on a Wednesday...late, but Wednesday nonetheless. I hope you'll join Mark and me in the wall tent at 4 am and follow us up onto the fir and pine ridges of the Rocky Mountains as we get set up to call. We're hunting mountain turkeys! Mentioned in this episode:Listen and Share on Goodpods! A great tool for finding the podcasts that your friends listen to. A true social media app for podcast listeners. Cool!CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again!

How To Be A Better BowhunterEthan Rodrigue is part of the Stickboys Podcast crew and was kind enough to join us on the latest episode of the Traditional Bowhunter's Journey, brought to you by the Traditional Bowhunter Magazine. Ethan is all about the trad bow and bowhunting. He is extremely knowledgeable about the issues surrounding the current state of hunting and the "industry". He is also very much involved in the PBS and we chatted about that great organization and how they are helping folks get involved in the traditional bowhunting lifestyle.The Traditional Bowhunting LifestyleIn this episode, Ethan made several points that surprised me with their clarity. His insights made me rethink my approach to hunting and have definitely inspired me to try to become a "better bowhunter".What I appreciated most about Ethan's message was his focus on the basics. In today's age of social media and instant gratification, it's easy to get lost in the noise and forget the fundamentals. But as Ethan pointed out, the pioneers of traditional bowhunting did important work in the 40s, 50s, and 60s to make this sport what it is today. We owe it to them to keep their woodsmanship, devotion, and ethics alive in order to honor their legacy.So what does it mean to be a better bowhunter? According to Ethan, it's about having respect for the animal and the laws, being observant, and being willing to spend a lifetime of learning from the natural world around you. It's about taking responsibility for your actions and understanding that hunting is not just about the kill, but about the experience as a whole.I found Ethan's message to be a refreshing change from the sensationalism and bravado that sometimes dominates hunting culture. He reminded me that at its core, hunting is a pursuit that requires discipline, humility, and a deep connection to nature. I hope that more hunters will embrace this approach and carry on the traditions of our forefathers.Mentioned in this episode:Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout. CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again!

The first Food Afield Podcast expedition episode of '23! I've just gotten back from a week of turkey hunting with Mark Hall. Mark is the creator of the Hunter Conservationist Podcast and has been hunting the birds around his home for 20 years or more. I had never been hunting turkeys before so this was a learning experience to be sure. The country that these birds inhabit is so beautiful, and breathtaking, especially for these flatlander lungs. We interacted with birds every single day of the hunt. I tried my best to capture the audio of the hunt, the birds, the camp, and the wildlife that surrounded us constantly. I had an amazing time in these mountains, hunting these mountain birds and I simply cannot wait for next year already. Mentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again! Support the show, become a member!Membership dollars are the only source of income for us. Your membership helps keep the show going and be a part of the improvements you hear! Dollars are reinvested into audio gear and various internet-related hosting fees.

Inspired by an Instagram message from Jillian, I got on the phone with Kevin and we recorded some thoughts on our decade-long tradition of spotting and stalking bears. We go over the how-to's and when-to's of bear hunting as we have grown to know them over the years. What to look for as far as sign and feed are concerned. This will cover bear hunting in the northern boreal forests and similar areas. There is a lot of information here. I hope that we've given folks a few things to ponder if they're interested in bears and bear hunting. We also go over a few ideas on bear meat as a wild food ingredient. Bear meat is definitely a favourite in our kitchens! For those of you who aren't familiar with Kevin Kossowan, he is the creator of the award-winning wild food web series, From The Wild. Episodes are available for purchase on his website for $3.35 each CAD! You can also purchase the entire season(s), there are nine of them.

We are on a roll as far as episodes go with this new traditional bowhunting series. This is a tremendous learning opportunity, and an entertaining conversation with Cody Greenwood. Cody's profession is investigative analytics and he loves applying his science to help people find their way in selecting the proper traditional archery gear for them. You will find so many useful tips in the discussion with Cody. He is an absolute wealth of knowledge. You can find him on Instagram at @thetradlabWe all have our opinions on things that we're passionate about...this episode may challenge some of those viewpoints. But it's all good...we're all about the science and the data here with this second episode in the new series with the Traditional Bowhunter Magazine Welcome to the Traditional Bowhunter's Journey!

Getting to know Shawn James, the quiet man behind the hit YouTube series, My Self Reliance. We chat about hunting, fishing, and some of the environmental changes we've witnessed in our lifetime that we find interesting. Shawn is an accomplished traditional bowhunter who has a passion for getting as close as he can to the animals...including touching them! Welcome to part two of the story of Shawn James on the Food Afield Podcast. Mentioned in this episode:Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout. CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again!

Shawn James and I have recently connected on Instagram and I messaged him about being on the show. I'm honoured that he agreed to join us here on the Food Afield Podcast! A special episode, actually two episodes, as we sit and talk about Shawn's hit YouTube channel, My Self Reliance. For the most part throughout the conversation, we chat about the things that we both love doing in the outdoors, but a big part of Shawn's life is that channel so it enters the conversation often.Shawn's love and devotion to his family and the outdoors became very clear the longer we spoke. The stories he has from decades of intense wilderness experiences are phenomenal and it was fun to hear of his hunting, fishing, and wild food beginnings as well as how the YouTube channel got its start. Please go ahead and share this episode with friends and family who know Shawn's channel, or anyone who loves the world of wild food ingredients, and how to collect them. John SchneiderMentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again! Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout.

For those who don't know, Randy Cooling is a hyper-accomplished bowhunter who has traveled the world with his traditional bow in hand. It is difficult to imagine someone who is more dedicated to barebow shooting techniques. This episode is full of tips and tricks to break down your archery form and function. From there, with some advice from Randy, I suspect that anyone could improve their accuracy with the recurve or longbow. Randy is careful to communicate that there are many ways to accomplish a high level of competency with traditional archery gear and never comes close to saying that his way is the best way. But, I can admit that I will be approaching my practice sessions with a lot more diligence and care from now on with his advice.That is the beauty of this pastime. After all of the decades that I've carried a bow, I can easily learn new ways that add to the challenge and enjoyment of archery.Welcome to the first episode of the Traditional Bowhunter's Journey. Brought to you by The Traditional Bowhunter Magazine and Food Afield Podcast. The world of traditional and primitive archery and bowhunting. How to get started. How to get better. A series filled with the tips, techniques, and strategies from long-established traditional bowhunting experts. Mentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again! Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout.

Wade Out There Fly FishingIn this episode, we get to meet Jason Shemchuk who is an interesting guy. Jason is a watercolor artist, fly fisher, and former military pilot. He is also a great guy to get to know and I am so happy I reached out to him. Wade Out There is the place to go to see his artwork and read his beautiful stories about time spent in the riffles of western mountain streams. Aside from being entertained on his website, you can also visit the Wade Out There podcast. That show is available in the usual places and is a terrific source of fly fishing knowledge. Jason has guests on his show with some serious intel on fly fishing in various situations. I hope you enjoy this episode. We are getting so close to being back into the wilderness with our adventure-style shows. April 15th is coming fast and I'll be on a ridge top somewhere in BC looking for turkeys with Mark Hall. You be along for that journey with us! Please remember to share the show with friends and family. Word of mouth is still the most effective way that the Food Afield Podcast grows...despite the attempts by various algorithms. Mentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again! Listen and Share on Goodpods! A great tool for finding the podcasts that your friends listen to. A true social media app for podcast listeners. Cool!

Don Thomas is a legend in the outdoor hunting and fishing community. He is widely considered to be amongst the best outdoor authors in the world and his traditional bowhunting, fly fishing, and wingshooting adventures span the globe. Don has written more than 20 best-selling books and countless articles; and, he always tells a great story. This episode is one of the "lost episodes" of my show. It was recorded when I was on another hosting platform and contained those watermarks. Because of that, when I switched to Captivate, it was not circulated properly. I've re-edited this version today and am re-releasing it! I finally get a chance to catch up with Don after a long spell of losing touch. We chat about cooking wild game, and old times, dogs and cats; and, then the stories really get rolling about bow-hunting bears, including several intense encounters Don has had over the years (yes, the Russian Brown Bear story is in here).We have plans to have Don back on the show sometime soon and I'm trying to talk Lori into joining us too. Enjoy!Mentioned in this episode:Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout.

Kevin and I are having fun watching the old From The Wild shows and recording our reactions to watching ourselves almost 10 years ago! This is our Pike ice fishing adventure from season 2 of Kevin's show. Mostly a bunch of lessons on what not to do when ice fishing for Pike, but you get to learn from our early mistakes. The episode ends in spectacular fashion in Blair's restaurant Rge Rd. Have fun!Mentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again! Folding Mountain Brewery, Kitchen and TaproomThe next time you visit the world-famous Jasper National Park, be sure to stop in at Folding Mountain for a meal and an award-winning brew. Folding Mountain is located near the gates of the park. Be sure to order my favourite, and the beer I exclusively buy, the Lager. This beer recently won a gold medal at the Alberta Beer Awards!

This episode is an exploration of some of the barriers to entry for new fly fishers today. I speak with a friend, Eric Leslie, who owns Driftstone Fly Fishing and runs his YouTube channel @EricLeslie. We get a little salty with the haters and point out that obvious barrier, along with some of the things that ordinary beginner fly fishers go through, including ourselves. Everything from gear to fish handling in this episode. Join us as we share some of the struggles, past and present, that we face when doing our thing on the trout streams. This is a candid conversation meant to reduce some of the anxiety that might go along with your beginnings in the Fly Fishing Lifestyle. Mentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again!

David Tetzlaff is my guest on this episode of the Food Afield Podcast. David is the co-editor of Traditional Bowhunting Magazine and a heck of a nice guy! His work background and adult-onset hunting career are fascinating. We have a great conversation about getting started with the trad-life and the magazine. You know it's going to be a good episode when Beka Garris, Ted Nugent, TJ Conrads, E. Donnall Thomas, and Tarzan's stunt double all come up in casual conversation! How to get started in traditional bowhunting and so much more on this episode. Mentioned in this episode:Traditional Bowhunter MagazineHeritage. Lifestyle. Community. We at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine strive to provide the best traditional experience for you. Our goal is to encourage a welcoming community focused on a lifestyle that honors the heritage of the traditional bow. In the bi-monthly magazine issues, you can read about hunts in faraway places and close to home, wild game cooking, How-to’s, technique advice, beginner-friendly articles, and wisdom from our beloved experts. You will also find businesses that have the tools you need to get out into the woods. Want to start reading now? Download the app and enjoy the digital magazine for $10 per year. Just search Traditional Bowhunter Magazine in your favorite app store. Want a print subscription? Subscribe online at Tradbow.com and don’t forget to place the code “foodafield” at the checkout. CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again!

This week I am playing a little catch-up with all of you wonderful listeners. Just letting you know what we are up to with the show, where I feel like we're falling down, and the plan to not do that anymore. There are projects around the farm here right now that need attending in preparation for the upcoming "podcast recording season"! Here, I let you in on some of the plans we have, and invite you to share your input on where you want the show to go! Have a great week everyone. JohnAnd in the interest of SEO. Wild Food. Hunting podcast. Fly fishing podcast. IYKYK

It is always a good day when I get to visit with Blayne Prowse. Blayne has become a good friend and we have plans to spend some time together this year at his home on the island of Haida Gwaii off of the BC coast. We'll be fly fishing for Coho Salmon and sea-run cutthroat, and I heard him mention deep-sea fishing for Tuna. I sure hope that can happen. I've never caught Tuna before. In the first eight minutes of the episode I get to indulge my fascination with riding on ferries and listeners will get re-acquainted with Blayne and what he is all about over at Stumpstalker Archery. Then we get into the plans for my visit in September. The last half of the show is focused on getting started in primitive archery and sharpening broadheads for bowhunting success. There is quite a bit of information in this episode if you've ever been curious about how to get started with primitive archery and bowhunting. Blayne is a treasure trove of information on bowhunting with selfbows and wood arrows! A fun episode of fly fishing, archery, and getting your broadheads hunting sharp. Give Blayne a shout for your arrow and broadhead needs. His website is stumpstalker.caMentioned in this episode:CreditsThank you to our listeners, especially. We love to see that the Food Afield Podcast is resonating with folks who wish us success and want to contribute to our growth. Sharing the show by word-of-mouth and leaving reviews are crucial to the show's sustainability. Thanks again! Listen and Share on Goodpods! A great tool for finding the podcasts that your friends listen to. A true social media app for podcast listeners. Cool!