EP 239: Wapiti Wednesday with Shawn Melland

June 13, 2018 by Cody Rich

Wapiti Wednesday is here! This week I am joined by fellow Bozemanite and elk fanatic Shawn Melland. Shawn is a beast and takes his elk hunting to a whole new level. As a former pro athlete, Shawn knows what it takes to operate at the next level and knows what kind of work goes into being successful. If his first 6 years of elk hunting he is averaging a 377″ bull killing 5 bulls all well over the 350″ mark, and all DIY public land. Shawn doesn’t even own a bugle and has never actually called in a bull at all, this fact alone intrigues me and want to dive into elk tactics that are completely outside of my wheelhouse. Shawn is amazing at thinking outside of the box, and even when I think that I am thinking outside the box Shawn will push me to think even farther and challenges most assumptions in elk hunting. If you like big bulls than you need to listen to this podcast!

This episode brought to you by Phelps Game Calls. Phelps game calls are consistent which is one thing I drive me nuts about other calls. Jason Phelps the owner is an amazing elk caller for one, but more importantly he a brilliant engineer, and obsessive about quality, which makes his calls consistent and super high quality. If you haven’t been able to use a diaphragm call before, first off you need to learn, and second buy yourself a few amp frames to learn on these are far and away the easiest calls to learn on. I don’t care what anyone says being able to call will make you a better hunter. doesn’t mean you gotta call all the time, but having the ability can mean the difference in a week-long hiking trip and eating elk steaks all winter. I prefer the ladder. Phelps Game Calls are finally in stock again, but you better order fast because last year they sold out of a lot of reeds before the season. Get free shipping on your order with the code TRO. Go get you a pile of reeds and start practicing now!

This episode brought to you by Backcountry Fuel Box. I know what a lot of you are thinking. I’m not really a subscription box kind of person, but hear me out. This is the one subscription box you need. Backcountry Fuel Box is a monthly box of backcountry meals, snacks, bars, and all kinds of food for your next adventure. This box will introduce you to so many cool brands that you may have never heard of before, brands like FishSki Provisions who make some killer chile mac, or Big Sur Bars, Or Skout Backcountry, but it is also a great way to stock up on your favorites like Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover Packets or those tasty Off Grid Predator Fuel. Each month is different, new products for you to test out and try. You can also just stock up and save each months box of goodies for your upcoming hunting season. Either way, the Backcountry Fuel Box is the best way to test out, Stock up, and save money on the products you need anyway without having to order each one or even pay to ship. Head over to backcountryfuelbox.com and get signed up today. Use the TRO code to save 10% of your subscription every month.

Show Notes:

Meet Shawn Melland – Start

Shawn’s Background – 5:13

How Shawn Developed his Hunting Techniques – 12:02

Scouting & Pursuing a Specific Bull – 20:02

Mega Bull Behavior – 29:13

Scouting & Pattern Changes as the Months Pass- 35:40

Shawn’s Bow Setup – 45:25

Shawn’s Giant Bull from Last Year – 44:13

Difficulties Hunting Solo for Weeks – 50:28

There’s Just Something About Big Bulls – 55:00

Lack of Effort – 1:01:40

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EP 236: Wapiti Wednesday with Verlyn Savage

June 6, 2018 by Cody Rich

Welcome to Wapiti Wednesday. Today’s episode is a gold mine. Verlyn Savage is one of those guys that just absolutely gets it done every year. He has harvest 6 points in both Idaho and Oregon for nearly 20 years straight now. That’s right not only does he get a bull every year but he gets two bulls every year. We dive into everything from elk behavior, to calling, to how to hunt as a team. Verlyn is one hell of a guy that is not afraid to get after it even in his 50’s. Verlyn and his hunting partner have quite the system and operate very well together. A couple years back they even managed to find and kill an all elusive 400” public land bull. The kind of bull that every DIY elk hunters dreams are made of. Just listening to the story will get you fired up and ready to hit the mountain to scout. I could talk elk hunting and listen to him tell elk hunting stories for hours. Hope you guys enjoy. Happy Wapiti Wednesday!

This episode brought to you by Phelps Game Calls. Phelps game calls are consistent which is one thing I drive me nuts about other calls. Jason Phelps the owner is an amazing elk caller for one, but more importantly he a brilliant engineer, and obsessive about quality, which makes his calls consistent and super high quality. If you haven’t been able to use a diaphragm call before, first off you need to learn, and second buy yourself a few amp frames to learn on these are far and away the easiest calls to learn on. I don’t care what anyone says being able to call will make you a better hunter. doesn’t mean you gotta call all the time, but having the ability can mean the difference in a week-long hiking trip and eating elk steaks all winter. I prefer the ladder. Phelps Game Calls are finally in stock again, but you better order fast because last year they sold out of a lot of reeds before the season. Get free shipping on your order with the code TRO. Go get you a pile of reeds and start practicing now!

This episode brought to you by Backcountry Fuel Box. I know what a lot of you are thinking. I’m not really a subscription box kind of person, but hear me out. This is the one subscription box you need. Backcountry Fuel Box is a monthly box of backcountry meals, snacks, bars, and all kinds of food for your next adventure. This box will introduce you to so many cool brands that you may have never heard of before, brands like FishSki Provisions who make some killer chile mac, or Big Sur Bars, Or Skout Backcountry, but it is also a great way to stock up on your favorites like Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover Packets, or those tasty Off Grid Predator Fuel. Each month is different, new products for you to test out and try. You can also just stock up and save each months box of goodies for your upcoming hunting season. Either way, the Backcountry Fuel Box is the best way to test out, Stock up, and save money on the products you need anyway without having to order each one or even pay to ship. Head over to backcountryfuelbox.com and get signed up today. Use the TRO code to save 10% of your subscription every month.

Show Notes:

Verlyn Savage a Straight Killer – Start

How Long he’s been Hunting Elk – 5:57

Hunting with a Partner Vs. Solo – 9:04

Just for the Meat to Big Bulls – 15:04

Verlyn’s 400 Class “Wilcox Bull” – 23:30

Tactics when Persuing a Bull – 41:48

Advice to Give Your Past Self ? – 55:44

His Hunting Partner, Tim – 1:00:21

Adapting While Calling – 1:03:31

Verlyn’s Instagram – 1:19:00

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EP 235: Muley Monday with Hjalmar Hedman

June 4, 2018 by Cody Rich

Muley Monday is back! For all of you Muley Freaks who love hearing stories of big muley bucks The Rich Muley Monday segment is right up your alley. To kick off Muley Monday this year I am joined by my buddy Hjalmar Hedman who is originally from Sweden. Hjalmar didn’t really grow up hunting but was a board sports fanatic. When he finally picked up archery and then hunting he became a fanatic and emerged himself if everything he could get his hands on. With zero guidance when getting into hunting, Hjalmar has a pretty epic first hunt story. Following the exact guidance of a book published in 1883, Theodore VanDyke The Still Hunter. Hjalmar was still hunting the hills outside of L.A. and managed to harvest a buck. With early success, Hjalmar continued to learn and expand his knowledge. In this episode, we dive into his early success but we also talk about his learning curve and not having any hunting mentor to learn from. We also cover advice to new hunters and tactics he’s developed over the years. I am excited to start talking about big bucks again and glad Hjalmar could be the first episode. Hope you guys enjoy this episode with Hjalmar Hedman.

This episode brought to you by iSocialboost. iSocialboost is an Instagram growth tool that can help you grow your tribe in an organic way. This means which means you are getting real followers, followers that actually fit with your brand. Instagram such a great way to get your small business or your personal brand out to the world and I highly recommend anyone looking to do either get serious about growing their reach. If you are interested in growing your small business or just want to become an influencer in the Outdoor industry head over to iSocialboost.com Use the Code TRO and get 80% off your first week. They are so sure you will love it that they are basically giving it to you for free.

Today’s podcast brought to you by Solo Targets. Solo Targets are life-sized 2D targets that look ultra-realistic. I found these guys because I was looking for a standard 2D elk target for my range and these Solo Skins were exactly what I wanted only way cooler. The Elk Target that I got is huge, it is full size and they use an actual high res image of a bull. One thing I love about this target overshooting a dot is that it is very realistic as far as having to choose a spot on an animal to shoot. After getting the elk skin and loving it the guys from Solo Target sent me their full target system which is a stand for your own standard block target which will work with pretty much any block, couple that with one of the skins and you an awesome life-like target. Not only is a Solo Target cheaper than a full 3D target but I love the added pressure of knowing you have to hit the vitals. For pictures of the targets check out my Instagram or theirs @solotargets.Use The Rich Outdoors code TRO and save 20%

Books: The Still Hunter by Theodore S. Van Dyke

Show Notes:

Meet Hjalmar Hedman – Start

Hjalmar’s Backstory & Hunting in Sweden – 5:10

Discovering Archery – 11:14

From Archery to Hunting – 13:38

Hjalmar’s First Muley – 17:30

Early Success & Lessons Learned – 25:30

How his Hunting has Evolved – 29:41

Solo Hunting High Country Muleys – 36:00

Time Managment Choosing an Area – 43:23

His Fear of SNakes – 50:34

Hjalmars “Elk Calling” Episode – 53:44

Where to Follow Hjalmar Hedman – 59:21

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EP 232: The Best OTC Elk Tags State by State Breakdown

May 29, 2018 by Cody Rich

Whats up everybody, welcome to the last episode of Tag Tuesday for 2018. Which is good because that just means it is closer to season. Don’t worry though we still have plenty to cover between now and fall. Next week we are starting Muley Monday, Wapiti Wednesday is still going strong and I have some killer Thursday shows coming down the pipeline. So if you get pumped hearing good hunting stories be sure to tune in to Muley Monday and Wapiti Wednesday from now through fall. Like I said it is basically the end of application season with a few stragglers still out there and now we are just waiting for results. If you didn’t get selected for the elk hunt you wanted, it is time to find a tag the OTC way or over the counter. An over the counter tag is just that, one that you can just buy without having to draw. Many states have great OTC opportunities and in this episode, Dave Barnett and I are going to break down each state based on the OTC opportunity.

Dave has some great articles on goHUNT.com and we will link to those in the show notes. where you will be able to see what we are talking about in the podcast with a ton of detail. If you are looking for a great OTC elk hunt this fall goHUNT.com is a must-have tool. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips in an extremely easy to use system. If you want to get serious about chasing big bulls this is the best $100 dollars you will spend. I say $100 dollars because when you sign up with the TRO code you get $50 credit in your account to use in the gear shop. Doing your homework on a hunt can be the difference between spending a week in the mountains chasing nothing or having one of the most memorable experiences of your life. Big thanks to goHUNT.com for making Tag Tuesday happen and if your not a member yet go sign up. It is a must-have. Use The Code TRO and You will get $50 credit.

Also, big thanks to the GoWild App, Brad and the guys are doing such an awesome job over there. In fact the goWild podcast Restless Native I was just on and we ended up doing a 3-hour podcast that might be one of my favorites I’ve ever done. You can check out that episode on the restless native podcast. The GoWild App is the hottest new app for hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors. Log time doing your favorite outdoor activities, shooting fishing, running, or log your trophies and earn points. GoWild has a proprietary new scoring system that allows you to enter your trophies and be scored on much more than just the inches of antler. The app is available for Droid and iPhone and is 100% free. They are also constantly doing giveaways so go sign up, create an account and get entered to win some really cool prizes.

Links to Daves Content:

Link to Dave’s OTC Article on GoHunt

Link to All of Dave’s GoHunt Articles

Show Notes:

Say Hello to Dave Barnett of GoHunt.com – Start

We Dive into OTC Opportunities – 7:47

Using Maps & Planning – 14:24

Overview of How to Choose a State – 16:28

Arizona – 22:27

Colorado – 29:33

Idaho – 39:26

Oregon – 51:17

Utah – 1:04:20

Daves Top Choices – 1:12:20

Where to Follow & Find Dav’s Content – 1:16:14

The Rich Outdoors Podcast available on iTunes

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EP 231: Spring Bears with Brian Barney

May 24, 2018 by Cody Rich

Today I am joined by the very accomplished Brian Barney of Eastman Elevated. Brian takes his hunting skills and preparation to a whole new level and has found success in every animal he chases because of it. When it comes to bears Brian not only gets it done year in and year out but does it on mature boars with archery tackle spot and stalk. In this episode Brian and I talk Spot and stock tactics for spring bear hunting. Last year Brian and I did a podcast on spring bear hunting and tactics we have both found over the years. Brian spends the bulk of his time hunting mountains in Montana and myself looking for bears in steep canyons of Eastern Oregon. There are a lot of similarities but also many differences.

Moving to Montana this year it was like starting from scratch and having no prior knowledge of units, areas, or even habits in a lot of ways. This has been both fun and frustrating having to start from ground zero. In doing so it has opened my eyes to a lot of questions that I think I have probably taken for granted in previous podcasts. In this episode, Brian and I discuss the struggles and process of even finding an area to begin with. and then breaking down things to look for. We also discuss timelines, best season dates, and how to maximize the efficiency of time. Oregon and Montana seem to have different best hunting dates with vastly different winters and springs. We also Talk tactics for spot and stalk bears for both rifle and bow hunting. Brain Barney is a wealth of information on spring bear hunting and I think we could talk for hours on the subject. I Always learn more than a few things when I chat with Brain.

This episode is brought to you by MTNTOUGH Fitness. For over a year, behind the scenes MTNTOUGH has been building an online training program specifically designed for Backcountry Hunters They have assembled an impressive team for this task, including a former Navy Seal, a former Army Colonel who instructed physical education at Westpoint, and couple trainers with decades of experience.

I tested the program here in Bozeman, with Dustin Diefenderfer, the founder of MTNTOUGH and let me tell you this program will kick your butt. Over the years I have done a ton of various work out programs. with the last couple years spending most of my time running and using kettlebells. I was in pretty good shape when I started this workout and quickly realized this program is going to crush muscles I forgot I had.

The online program is 90-days, all video based, and is delivered through the private MTNTOUGH site that is accessible on any device. Think of a social platform specifically built for Backcountry Hunters, the MTNTOUGH program has all the social features so you can share, collaborate, encourage, and go through this challenging program together with the community.

Make sure to go www.mtntough.com to get on the waiting list to be one of the first to get access to the program in June. Oh, and MTNTOUGH is giving away 3 LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS to 3 winners who have their name on the waiting list.

This episode is brought to you by Backcountry Fuel Box. Backcountry Fuel Box started as a way for me to scratch my own itch. One day I saw something from Off Grid Food and I thought O I wanna try that, but honestly, I just don’t have time to order every little product that comes out to try it. That and I am always burning through the snack box which is empty when I wanna bomb up the mountain. Enter the Idea to have a subscription box that sends out cool new products every month, saving both time and money on things I want or didn’t even know existed. Take our May Box Most people have probably never heard of brands like FishSki Provisions who make some killer chile Mac, or Big Sur Bars, Or Skout Backcountry, but it is also a great way to stock up on your favorites like Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover Packets, or those tasty Off Grid Predator Fuel. Backcountry Fuel Box is the Subscription box you will actually use, its the best way to test out, stock up, and save money on true Adventure Fuel. For just $30 a month you are going to get up to $50 dollar value and 8-10 products. Boxes ship on the 20th of each month with new products every month. Go sign up at backcountryfuelbox.com and get 10% with code TRO. If you are already a member do me a favor and unbox it on social to help give people an idea what it is all about.

Show Notes:

Welcome Back Brian Barney – Start

Weather & Bear Behavior – 8:42

Ideal Time of Day & Conditions – 18:47

Scouting Tips & what to Look For – 26:46

A Couple Fun Bear Stories – 40:31

Wind, Thermals, & Bow Hunting – 43:26

Bear Eyesight & Detecting Movement – 52:56

Late Season Tactics – 58:45

Advice for Judging a Bears Size – 1:03:07

A Boar Over a Sow, Or…? – 1:12:55

Info: Brian’s Podcast & Online Presence – 1:19:25

Book Suggestion on Thermals, Wind, Predators & Prey – Mentioned @ 50:23

Predator-Prey Dynamics: The Role of Olfaction – by Michael J. Conover

This book examines the physics of airflow, environmental & behavioral elements of predators and prey, survival dynamics, and how predators use olfaction detect, locate, and track their prey using odor.

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The Rich Outdoors

Hunting Podcast

EP 239: Wapiti Wednesday with Shawn Melland

EP 236: Wapiti Wednesday with Verlyn Savage

EP 235: Muley Monday with Hjalmar Hedman

EP 232: The Best OTC Elk Tags State by State Breakdown

EP 231: Spring Bears with Brian Barney

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