The Reverend Hunter Podcast (Ron Schara Productions)

Tony's guest is Rev. Dr. Todd Littleton, a Baptist pastor in Oklahoma. Todd joined Tony on a canoe trip to the BWCA recently, and they talk about their shared experiences, paddling for the first time in 50 years, the importance of pilgrimage, lakes and trees and stillness and quiet, how hard it is to describe the BWCA, uncontrollability, finding subversive things, a long obedience in the same direction, and more.

Find Todd at https://www.toddlittleton.net/, and find Rosa's book on uncontrollability here: https://amzn.to/3X7RQbf

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Tony's guest is Bracy Hill, a hunter and conservationist, an historian and theologian, a rancher and a professor at Baylor University, and the primary author and editor of God, Nimrod, and the World: Exploring Christian Perspectives on Sport Hunting. Tony and Bracy discuss Roman Catholics who drink whiskey while speaking in tongues, Texas ranchettes, growing up dirt poor, Pentecostal ministers, high fence hunting, speaking at Baylor chapel, shooting a feral elk, hating on Texas hunters, and who the hell is Nimrod? Find Bracy at BracyHill.com.

Tony's guest this week is Meadow Kouffeld, wildlife biologist, taxidermist, college professor, accomplished hunter, and single mom. They talk about growing up off-grid, pointers vs. flushers, getting claustrophobic in Europe vs. living in a FEMA trailer, not letting your dog's tongue near your face, battling intestinal parasites, taxidermy as an act of art, and letting people into your soul when you take them hunting. 

 

You can see Meadow's work at https://www.facebook.com/WoodsandMeadowTaxidermy/ and follow her on Instagram at @MeadowKouffeld.

 

Special Thanks to Realtor Heather Womack (https://heatherwomackrealty.com/)

Tony's guest this time is Murphy Robinson, a trans-masculine, pagan huntress. They discuss identities, being an animist, talking to trees and deer when they're alive, taking spirit journeys to deer when they're dead, living in a tiny house, the prayer before a hunt, trance work, the Norse goddess Skaði, and more. Find Murphy at http://mountainsongexpeditions.com. This episode is brought to you by Walton's and their Meatgistics podcast.

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Tony talks with long-time wildfire fighter and smokejumper, Timo Rova, about Finns and Swedes, the mystical Lutherans called Laestadians, the difference between smoke chasing and smoke jumping, parachuting into a wildfire, grizzly bears in camp, why it's a mistake to see fire as the enemy, how North America is a fire-dependent ecosystem, and Timo's ministry of working with fire.

Find Timo on Instagram at @rovatimo.

 

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Tony and Brandon respond to listeners' demands for them to return with a very special Fifth Monday episode that's not even on a Monday. They talk about superhero movies, Lethal Weapon, hunting stories, gratitude for the past year of guests, what's coming up on the podcast, how Tony finally shot some Iowa pheasants, and what they're cooking for Thanksgiving. Thanks for listening!!!

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Jessica Carew Kraft is the author of "Why We Need to be Wild: One Woman's Quest for Ancient Answers to 21st Century Problems." Tony talks with her about watching her mother die of MS, the epiphany of a beehive, what it means for a species to be successful, the rewilding movement, living like the Pleistocene, being called by ancestral wisdom, converting to Judaism then away from it, the importance of social ties, when kids discover the wonder, how the whole idea of the world is a little absurd, Rod Carew, and more.

Find Jessica at https://www.jessicacarewkraft.com/ and buy her book here: https://amzn.to/44YH35I

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Tony talks with Jill Carroll, scholar of world religions and avid bird hunter. They discuss mosquitoes as big as teal, Texas hunting leases, losing faith at ORU, when your mom is the best hunter in the family, women who can do everything, reclaiming violent images of God, hubris and magical thinking, how the natural world does not conform to our moral categories, and more. You can find Jill at jillcarroll.com.

Tony sits down with two novice hunters whom he's mentoring, Brandon Morton and Chris Knutson, and they discuss loading chapstick into a shotgun, getting asked to hunt by a 7-year-old, coming back to shore with an empty boat, the responsibilities of a carnivore, enjoying the slow progression of hunting, challenging hunting stereotypes, becoming a better shot, and more. 

Courtney is not only Tony's spouse, she's also a photographer, yoga instructor, and an Enneagram teacher. Tony and Courtney discuss eating wild game yogically, reading a book while goose hunting, the joy of watching dogs hunt pheasants, how to best photograph a hunt, how the enneagram can help hunters work together and solo, and more. Find Courtney at yenneagram.com and on all the social medias by searching Yenneagram (that's yoga + enneagram).

Sigrid Nielsen is a hunter, hiker, and firearms instructor — and she is also trans*, lesbian, and queer. In 2021, after 48 years of living as a male, Sigrid transitioned to living as a female. Sigrid and Tony talk about her transition, sobriety, parenting, hunting, truth, honesty, trauma, God, and much more.

Jason Micheli is a Methodist pastor, podcast host, Substacker, and author of Cancer Is Funny. He talks with Tony about living with cancer, not being able to hear animals scream, the end that will summarize the story of you, our modern cathedrals, when the science ends and the dying begins, discovering that the Bible is interesting, becoming more Christian, the war in Israel, the astonishing pristineness the BWCA, the difference between exercise and labor, and much more.

Find Jason at https://jasonmicheli.substack.com/

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As they do whenever there's a fifth Monday in the month, Tony and Brandon chat. This time it's about the Minnesota State Fair, an extended political rant by Tony about the BWCA and Chronic Wasting Disease, and a look forward to what's coming this fall.

Wes Telyea is the founder of the Snoqualmie Rod Company, which specializes in two-handed spey casting rods. He's also a former senior pastor and a current part-time pastor. Wes and Tony discuss building handmade fly rods, the small of a woman's back, churches that need to change or die, having a bamboo dealer, kids who make noise in church, being an accidental evangelical, the rush of catching a steelhead, and much more.

You can find Wes and his rods at snoqualmierodco.com.

Tony and Brandon discuss whether hunters should support commonsense gun control, and Tony also weighs in on the MeatEater controversy about ending hunter recruitment. They also banter about life, spring, Lake Mille Lacs, opening the cabin, and more.

 

Special Thanks to Realtor Heather Womack (https://heatherwomackrealty.com/)

In our first-ever Fifth Monday episode, Tony and Brandon talk about their love of dogs, the sadness of saying goodbye, how long it takes a radio DJ to record a five-hour show, and start the journey toward Brandon's first hunt. They also look back at the last couple episodes and tease some future shows.

Tony talks with theologian and philosopher Tom Oord about God slamming doors shut, what the heck is a Nazarene, Campus Crusade stories, the shifting definition of holiness, church trials, hiking every week, the agency of all created beings, having more empathy for more complex creatures, which animals have consciousness, and having a model of God that works for the 21st century. 

Find out more about Tom and his work here: https://thomasjayoord.com/

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Tony sits down with social psychologist Jeff Green to talk about our attachment to dogs. Discussed topics include Jeff's longstanding love of chinchillas, the co-evolution of dogs and humans, our tendency to underestimate animals, consciousness and cognition, whether dogs feel happy or sad, why we grieve when dogs die, and more.

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Tony chats with London-based Italian chef and avid hunter, James Chiavarini. They discuss the 30% rule, shooting for the pot, pairing wild game with its natural environment, being biologically omnivorous, duck hunting in Wales, stalking red stags, the blueprint of our inner workings, and some wild game cooking tips for Thanksgiving. You can find James's restaurant at https://www.famigliaportico.co.uk/ and read his blog post about hunting at https://www.famigliaportico.co.uk/field-notes-james/healing-effects-of-nature. Follow James on Twitter @ilporticolondon and on Instagram @james_chiavarini.

Tony talks with Sean "Shug" Emery, comic-juggler and YouTube star, about hammock camping, growing up in the South, moments of regard, singing gospel tunes over moonshine, getting sober on a cruise ship, happiness vs. joy, and more. You can watch Shug at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC27nqmEhKzD9YHK1IFwG7qA and read Tony's profile of him here: http://www.startribune.com/a-staple-of-the-state-fair-shug-emery-has-an-outdoors-following-too/503858602/

Jason Mitchell is a champion duck caller, the heir apparent to Iverson Duck Calls, a former pastor and church planter, and a long-time friend. Tony and Jason talk about carrying a shotgun on a paper route, poaching on Mr. Hoover's ponds, ducky-sounding duck calls, the contemplative nature of a lathe, the process of the hunt running counter to your life -- and Jason gives a duck calling lesson. 

 

Find Jason on social media @jasonmitchell, and Iverson at https://www.iversonduckcalls.com/.

Sanjay Rawal is the filmmaker behind "Gather," a new documentary about a growing movement amongst Indigenous Americans to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities through obtaining sovereignty over their ancestral food systems. Tony and Sanjay discuss how Christopher Columbus was like Mark Zuckerberg, how killing one buffalo killed two Lakota warriors, earning trust in Indian Country, hunting and boiling packrats, how genocide has taken a different form, how we're screwed if we don't develop food sovereignty, our wobbly supply chain, and how to have hope for the future.

 

Find out more about "Gather" at https://gather.film/, and see it on Netflix in November.

Tony talks with outdoorsman, writer, and marine, Russell Worth Parker, about marine vs. Marine, "might could," pulling items out of dogs' anuses, writing without a pitch letter, doing this thing that thing and the other thing, becoming a writer, the military-civilian gap, the lack of battle epiphanies, how military and clergy are similar, not understanding the misery of war, and much, much more. Find Worth at https://russellworthparker.com/, read his essays from Garden & Gun at https://gardenandgun.com/author/russell-worth-parker/, and find him on Instagram at @worth.parker and @b00kwar

This episode we have a special talk given by Tony at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Iowa. Tony talks about his own entry into hunting, our search for the numinous, and where we can find God outside of the walls of the church.

https://reverendhunter.com/

David LaMere, the host of the Wild Huntsman Podcast, sits down with Tony to discuss a career in conservation law enforcement, growing up Catholic, the difference between a thurible and a chasuble, reading Russian literature, kids who cook, launching a podcast, going down ballistics rabbit holes, talking about the important stuff, and how hunting benefits community and relationships. 

 

Find David and his podcast at https://www.wildhuntsman.com.

Brian McLaren is a best-selling author, pastor, activist, and avid outdoorsman. He talks with Tony about kayak fishing, taking his kids to a mucky swamp, how the wisdom of God is woven into the natural world, foolish politicians and the environmental crisis, how we can actually love the earth, how he sees the face of the divine in every living thing, having permission to doubt, and more.

Find Brian and his work at brianmclaren.net.

Tony sits down with Randy "Miyanovich" Miyan, the executive director of the group Liberal Gun Owners. Among the topics discussed: the church of Czech weaponry, "gun culture" and "gun reality," rubbing the rhubarb the wrong way, almost becoming a Buddhist monk, patriot cons vs. purity tests, idiots vs. decent people, a dopaminergic rush, moderates in liberal clothing, what liberalism really is, having a jiujitsu mindset, and much, much more. 

Learn more about LGO at liberalgunowners.org

Tony chats with sociologist, professor, and gun convert David Yamane. They talk about the difference between mores and folkways, parking the wrong way on the street, studying religion while being openly religious, the secularization thesis, the sunk cost fallacy in academia, shooting a gun for the first time, Gun Culture 1.0 vs. 2.0, the uneven distribution of guns in America, being Gun Curious, and more. 

Find out more about David, watch his videos, and read his writings here: https://davidyamane.com/

Tony talks with Catholic theologian and historian Douglas E. Christie about his book, The Blue Sapphire of the Mind." They discuss contemplative ecology, Thoreau's laundry, our unconscious desire for healing, asceticism, learning how to love our fellow human beings, grieving for the world, becoming less fidgety, and more. 

 

Find Douglas's book here: https://amzn.to/3fkj1tN

Tony talks with Nate Pyle, pastor and author of Man Enough: How Jesus Redefines Manhood, about being a chemistry major, reasons for getting fired from a youth ministry job, when your daughter outfishes your son, the ritual of bowhunting, why hunting shouldn't be so masculine, wooden clogs, how hunting is related to the cross and communion, and more. Find Nate at natepyle.com and see his books at https://amzn.to/2xxl7Vp.

Tony chats with hunter, angler, and essayist Johnny Carrol Sain about Mississippi pot roast, flying with elk meat, the danger of removing ourselves from the processes of the world, the inevitability of being eaten when we die, feeling things deeply, weeping over dead deer, hunting as core to who we are, becoming intimate with the animals we kill, and more.

Read Johnny's writings at https://jcarrolsain.substack.com/, read his essay "To the Bone" here: https://jcarrolsain.substack.com/p/to-the-bone, read "Death by any other name" here: https://jcarrolsain.substack.com/p/death-by-any-other-name, and watch his short film here: https://www.pbs.org/video/to-the-bone-z49ecu/

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On May 7, 2020, Darrin Patrick died. Two weeks earlier, Darrin and Tony recorded this interview. Darrin talks about his implosion and restoration, his love of hunting and the woods, why he returned to ministry, baseball, his difficult relationship with his father, and how much he loved hunting and fishing with his own kids. Tony also talks with Greg Surratt, Darrin's pastor, mentor, and friend. You can listen to Darrin talk about his fall and restoration here: https://pastorscollective.libsyn.com/darrin-patrick. You can financially support Darrin's family here: https://www.givesendgo.com/DarrinPatrick

Tony is joined in his backyard by Michael Chan, Old Testament professor, big game hunter, and founder of the God and Guns Project. Tony and Michael discuss hunting antelope out West, living in Isanti, joining the Navy at age 35, gutless quartering, honesty-local-conservation, stockipiling ducks, and more. You can find Michael on Instagram at @seizedbylight and listen to his podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/680528

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Tony and Brandon welcome 2024 with some thoughts about what's coming up on the podcast and in their lives.

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Tyler Webster is an avid upland hunter and the host of the Birds Buds and Booze Podcast. Tyler tells Tony about growing up in Minot, how to get out of Illinois tolls, why there's a town every seven miles in North Dakota, moving the mailboxes to the other side of the road, getting cited for cutting fillets, not going to a wedding on pheasant opener, learning to hunt from his grandfather, dumb ptarmigan in Alaska, and more. 

Find Tyler's podcast here: https://westernwingshooter.libsyn.com/

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Meredith Leigh is the author of the award-winning Ethical Meat Handbook. Tony and Meredith discuss eating water buffalo in Vietnam, whether it is possible for seven billion people to eat meat ethically, what is the food Gestalt, how to "eat meat right," the power of the sun, staying calm during slaughter, the spirituality of butchery, and getting Tony over his fear of curing meat. 

 

Find Meredith and her book at http://www.mereleighfood.com/.

Furman University philosophy professor Aaron Simmons returns to the podcast to discuss his newfound love of mountain biking, taking his students to "dirt church," Kant's awareness of the sublime, grasping our own finitude, faith as risk with direction, liturgical practices on the trail, the vestments of protective gear, being charitably gnarly, whether it would be fun to go camping with Kierkegaard, and much more.

Find Aaron's writings, books, and contact info here: https://jaaronsimmons.wordpress.com/

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Captain Rick Hilliard is a fishing charter guide on the east coast of Florida, with a masters degree in theology. He and Tony discuss coming home with 51 chickens, swamp donkeys, growing up passionate about the Bible, being to the left of Fuller Seminary, being a surfing missionary, the crushing tooth at the back of a redfish's throat, gin clear water, fish waving, the last Millennial to join social media, and more. 

You can find Rick at https://www.darkwaterfishingcharters.com/

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Tony chats with Father Ted Vitali, a Passionist priest, hunter, philosophy professor at St. Louis University, and ethicist for Boone & Crockett. They discuss Labrador retrievers, process theology, whether animals have rights, why it's harder to kill a deer at 10 yards than at 100 yards, and having a "sufficient reason" for killing an animal. 

Victoria Loorz is the author of "Church of the Wild." After leaving the traditional (aka, "indoor") church, she started a church of the wild and went on to co-found Seminary of the Wild and the Wild Church Network. Victoria and Tony talk about being classmates at seminary, how to be a Christian and love the planet, re-wilding our spirituality, just letting the Earth be glad, the goodness of discomfort, conversation with non-human others, learning to listen, how children get it, and following a wild Christ.

 

Learn more about Victoria and find her book at https://www.victorialoorz.com/

Tony talks with Hmong-Minnesotan hunter Keng Yang about getting on The Flush television show, going from anti-hunting to pro-hunting with the help of a dog, shooting a snipe and missing a goose, favorite hunting gear, loving TikTok, shamanism and ancestors, the secret war, and the secret hunters, and more.

Find Keng on all the social medias, and at https://www.minnesota-hunter.com/.

Tony sits down with Bob Timmons, editor of the StarTribune Outdoors Weekend section, and they talk about faith healing, Christian Science reading rooms, the uniquely spiritual architecture of a canoe, middle-aged men, whether bird watchers and bird shooters can work together, and more.

 

Read Bob's writing here: http://www.startribune.com/bob-timmons/10646126/

 

Special Thanks to Realtor Heather Womack (https://heatherwomackrealty.com/)

Tony talks with Travis Frank, host of several TV shows, including The Flush and Due North Outdoors, to discuss growing up Catholic, becoming the best muskie guide in the world, living through your parents' divorce, when dads get custody, hitting rock bottom, getting prayed for, growing to hate fishing, reading the Bible for the first time, telling stories with compassion on TV, and more. Learn more about Travis here: http://trophyencounters.com/about-travis-frank, and subscribe to his podcast, The Flush.

Billy Vaughn served in the marine corps for 21 years, then he attended seminary, voluntarily lived in a van on Skid Row, and started a recovery farm in Arkansas, where he now lives. Billy and Tony talk about getting shunned from church, going from poor to really poor, seven deployments and three combat tours, reading the Bible in Fallujah, asking a game warden for grace, hunting a buck named Big Nasty, and more. You can support Billy and his wife, April, at sanctuaryfarm.org. This episode is sponsored by the Meatgistics Podcast from Walton's. https://waltonsinc.com/ | https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/

Tony talks with Randy Newberg, host of Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg television show, the Hunt Talk Radio podcast, and an avid advocate for public land. Randy discusses growing up in Big Falls, Minnesota, grouse hunting on county roads, a childhood of freedom, being the only kid with divorced parents, the charity of time, Grandma Ethel, thanking the creatures who die so that we can live, the spirituality of the outdoors, being religious but not so observant, and much, much more. 

Find Randy at randynewberg.com.

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Tony sits down with butcher Cecka Parks, owner of the Minneapolis Meat Collective. They talk about the smoking pit at YoungLife camp, studying in Cairo, works backwards from the dinner plate, biking through George Floyd Square, gun clubs, hunting deer with a muzzleloader, dreaming about butchering a dog, and more. 

Find Checka at https://www.mplsmeatcollective.com/

Payton Hoegh is the founder of All Wanderers, a spiritual community in Southern California, and the Spiritual Communities Director at the Center for Spirituality in Nature. Payton and Tony discuss going from the Southern Baptist Convention to the Episcopal Church, the surprising nature in Southern California, connecting with God most profoundly on a trail in the woods, hope and freedom, guarding against spiritual abuse, appreciating John Cobb, being rooted in relational thinking, and having a sense of responsibility for creation. 

You can connect with Payton here: http://allwanderers.org/ and here: https://www.centerforspiritualityinnature.org/.

https://reverendhunter.com/

Hal Herring is an award-winning and legendary outdoors journalist and the host of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers' Podcast & Blast. In this joint podcast with Mark Norquist of Modern Carnivore, Tony, Hal, and Mark discuss the transcendent allure of hunting, climbing trees to cage pinecones, Thomas Aquinas, being on the same team as cats, carnivorism, the apocalypse, and much more. 

You can find Hal at https://www.halherring.com or by searching BHA Podcast and Blast. You can find Mark at https://modcarn.com and on the Modern Carnivore Podcast.

Tony chats with longtime StarTribune Outdoors columnist Dennis Anderson, and they talk about loose-meat sandwiches, hitchhiking to Ecuador, St. Sigurd Olson, small town cafes, Bud Grant, that feeling when the ducks drop in, and more.

Read Dennis's columns at http://www.startribune.com/dennis-anderson/10644341/

John N. Maclean is the author of Home Waters, a book about growing up as the son of Norman Maclean, author of A River Runs Through It. John and Tony talk about Norman's mixed feelings about Dartmouth College, refraining from writing personal stories until later in life, not retiring, not living in the place that is home, reading the first draft of A River Runs Through It, advice from Robert Redford, singing in the church choir, the crowded Blackfoot, and the legacy of Paul Maclean. 

 

You can read more about John, find all his books, and order Home Waters here: https://johnmacleanbooks.com/ 

Today on the Reverend Hunter Podcast, we air a recording of Tony's recent sermon, "Saying Yes to Peace," in which he reflects on the Christmas truce of 1914, along with some beautiful singing from his friend, Ben Johnson.

Tony sits down with outfitter, guide, TV host, museum curator, and novelist Jim Shockey, and they discuss the cathedral of the outdoors, travel being the death of bigotry, the true meaning of tolerance, urbanization as a false prophet, the ethics of hunting, how every day is a beautiful day, risk vs. challenge, the allure of the Yukon, the possibility of failure, mortality, death, and aging, founding a museum, writing a novel, and much more. 

Find Jim at jimshockey.com, and pre-order his novel here: https://amzn.to/3LzGSH3

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Tony chats with his dear friend, Seth O'Donovan, about the goats she loves, her favorite herbs, having a contract with the animals she butchers, knowing your place in the process, finding brains in the freezer, loving queerness, being a housewife, submitting to the cycles, and the freedom that comes with submission.

Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein are evolutionary biologists and co-authors of the provocative new book, "A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century." They talk with Tony about adaptation, getting ourselves into the future, what we've lost, seeing meat as something than more than a substance, how all microscopic things are not out to get us, cryptic preservation techniques, the need for self-regulation, and how we're going to bootstrap something that fulfills the same human needs as organized religion. 

 

Find their book here: https://amzn.to/3F6r35e. Find their podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5N_uAqApEUIlg32QzkPlg. Find Heather here: https://heatherheying.com/. Find Bret here: https://bretweinstein.net/

Tony sits down with his hunting mentor, Douglas Whitney, and they talk about Tony's first duck hunt, being impetuous, arguing theology, the expressive heads of Labs, a dog's peak existence, deacons and seminarians, the water being a delightful medium, and how there's no place closer to God than hunting.

Tony sits down with philosopher and trout fisherman J. Aaron Simmons, and they discuss Kierkegaard's leap of faith, doing the best you can with what you've got, how we know things, the phenomenology of fly fishing, living poetically, dancing with a river, and coming out of the pandemic.

 

Find Aaron and his work at https://jaaronsimmons.wordpress.com/

 

Special Thanks to Realtor Heather Womack (https://heatherwomackrealty.com/)

Tony sits down with Mark Norquist, founder of Modern Carnivore, and they discuss growing up in small town Brainerd, a lake cabin built in 1919, moon boots at deer camp, being welcomed at church, the death of a father, knowing where your meat comes from, and more. Find Mark at modcarn.com.

Tony talks with conservationist and newly-minted hunter, Ashley J. Peters, about growing up Assemblies of God, saving birds during the week and shooting them on the weekend, a dad with cancer, St. Sigurd, Larry Norman vs. DC Talk, focusing on the things we can control and letting go of those we can't, and more. Find Ashley on social media at @ashjpeters.

Tony sits down with Tripp Fuller, author of several books and founder and host of the world's most popular theology podcast, Homebrewed Christianity. They talk about growing up as a rural Baptist preacher's kid, seeing crooked, offering a Whopper to a Jain and making her cry, the ethics of eating pork, epiphenomenology, life being more complex than we think, our complicity in suffering and death, having permission to be screwed up and working on it, polyamorous elements in the periodic table, Advent asking us to pause, the moral universe of The Lord of the Rings, and much more.

Find all of Tripp's work at https://trippfuller.com/. Learn more about the Emerged project with Tripp and Tony here: https://homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/emerged-an-oral-history-of-the-emerging-church-movement/

Tony sits down with Scott Fransen and Aaron Achtenberg, the host and cameraman for the episode of The Flush television show that they all filmed together in South Dakota in January. They discuss how longevity comes with authenticity, weather, soup to nuts, deciding a storyline on the fly, headlines, cussing, talking to the cameraman, the layers of a story, writing vs. editing, cranking out a lot of television, and more. 

Catch past episodes of The Flush here: https://www.youtube.com/TheFlush

https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony's guest is Chris Estus, aka "Bone Spur," aka "The Chappalachian." Chris is the 2021 United Methodist Chaplain on the Appalachian Trail, and he checks in from a zero day in Pennsylvania. He and Tony discuss extricating from daily life to hike the trail, going outdoors to connect with others, recovery ministry, what's in Chris's pack, some of the people he's met, and more. 

 

Watch Chris's videos from the trail here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjIaYvcrQO8aMnMXggODXqQ

Tony sits down with Joel Pontius, director of the graduate program at Teton Science Schools and editor of the book, Place-Based Learning for the Plate. They talk about stringers of fish on the handles of a bike, shooting does and young bucks, spending time with your first kill, stopping to pay attention to the silence, getting to know elk, learning humility from elk hunting, gathering road kill for college students, and the connections that make God happy. 

Find Joel's book here: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783030428136, and read an essay of his here: https://christandcascadia.com/2022/07/28/hearts-like-this/

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Tony's guest is his dear friend, Rabbi Joseph Edelheit. They discuss whether Jews hunt, why Nimrod is a biblical villain, whether you should follow Jacob or Esau, kashruth, Jews who ice fish, the ethics of kosher butchering, why Noah brought animals to the Big Do-Over, and leaving some crops out for the animals.

Find Joseph and order his book at his website: https://www.whatamimissing.org/ 

 

Special Thanks to Realtor Heather Womack (https://heatherwomackrealty.com/)

Tony sits down with Aaron Hebeisen, Chapter Coordinator of IA, IL, MN, MO, and WI for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. They discuss growing up in Mora, Minnesota, the awesomeness of Irish Setter boots, deer camp traditions, canoe hunting, elk hunting, finding God inside and outside of church, assortments of ball caps, vegetarians vs. veterinarians, hitting the pipe, and a big announcement about BHA Rendezvous coming to Minnesota!

Learn more about Aaron and BHA at https://www.backcountryhunters.org/chapter_coordinator_il_ia_mn_mo_and_wi and find him on Instagram at @hey_bison

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Tony talks with conservationist, hunter, angler, and author John Motoviloff about St. Seraphim, studying Heidegger, truth as disclosive, how forgetting lunch led to a life of hunting, watching ducks pitch in, recruiting new hunters, the butterfly effect, putting sturgeon before rabbit, the order of the natural world, the woods as an icon, and more. 

Find John's book here: https://amzn.to/41mLAN6

https://reverendhunter.com/

Justin Juntunen is the founder and owner of Cedar & Stone Sauna, a company that both builds custom saunas and leads sauna experiences in Duluth and around the country. Tony and Justin discuss growing up in Esko, Minnesota, sauna as a way of life, how there are more saunas than cars in Finland, why Lake Superior is a fickle mistress, keeping your head above the rocks, the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of sauna, and more. 

 

Find out more about Justin at https://cedarandstonesauna.com/

Tony's guest this week is Bob St. Pierre, the chief marketing and communications officer for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Tony and Bob talk about being a Yooper, blaze orange sport coats, the St. Paul Saints, Disco Demolition Night, hanging out with Bill Murray, the origins of PF, the magic sauce, keeping life in perspective, hunting with a passion, and more. Find Bob on Twitter at @BobStPierre and Instagram at @pheasantbob.

Tony and Brandon catch up after being separated during Covid. Brandon tells about his recent hike at Whitewater State Park, and Tony discusses his return to the BWCA to tackle the 9-mile Grand Portage. They also discuss future guests and start to plan Brandon's first-ever hunt -- for squirrels!

Tony sits down with bestselling author and renowned speaker, Rob Bell, author of the new book, Everything Is Spiritual. Tony and Rob talk about whether they met in seminary, the awesomeness of dogs, why endings are painful but also good, getting criticized, leaving church ministry, how you know when it's time for a change, the spirituality of surfing, the spirituality of hunting, and more. Get Rob's new book here: https://amzn.to/3jDmDYN.

Tony talks with fly fisherman and essayist, David N. McIlvaney, about growing up in a Canadian steel town, a grandfather who was conscripted into the Russian army, the strike of a salmon and death, picking up a flyrod at age 50, a cabin the Catskills, being peers with nature, Andy Griffith experiences, a thousand ways not to shoot a deer, how standing in a river is redemptive, and more. 

Read David's essay, "A More Perfect Day of Fishing" here: https://www.hatchmag.com/blog/more-perfect-day-fishing/ and find him on Instagram at @the_real_dnm.

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In a joint podcast with Joey Svendsen of Pastor With No Answers, Tony talks this month with Neil Dudley, host of The Cowboy Perspective Podcast and vice president of Pederson's Natural Farms. Topics discussed include slaughtering 1,500 hogs per week, eating musk ox stomach, strangling a deer, stress toxins in dying animals, the definition of "humane," the groaning of creation, how to expect sacrifice, and more. 

You can find Neil at The Cowboy Perspective and Pederson’s Natural Farms. And find Joey at Pastor With No Answers.

Sean "Shug" Emery returns to the podcast! Shug and Tony talk about being a YouTube star, retiring from show business, poking fun at Minnesotans, what's special about the Minnesota State Fair, moments of regard, Shug's newfound love of canoeing, eating a DQ ice cream cake, paddling solo, praying in the wilderness, and much, much more. 

You can see all of Shug's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/shugemery.

Thanks to Grain Belt Premium (https://www.grainbelt.com/)

In 2018, Jessie Diggins won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the US in cross-country skiing, and now she is the author of Brave Enough. Tony and Jessie discuss portaging canoes in the BWCA, the challenge of overcoming bulimia, how hard it is to write a book, why dogs are the absolute best, going deep into the "pain cave," why cross-country skiing is the best sport, and much more. Find Jessie on Twitter at @jessdiggs, on Insta at @jessiediggins, and find her book here: https://amzn.to/2Q76hLc. Also check out her online booklaunch and Olympic workout on April 7 at https://loft.org/olympic-training-jessie-diggins.

Tony welcomes Rob Drieslein, managing editor of the Outdoor News. They talk about staying true to a religious heritage, convincing a Methodist to become a Lutheran, growing up in wildlife refuges, whether the Trump administration is the worst ever for conservation, the 30 Years War, hunting caribou in Alaska, losing faith, whether outdoors journalism has perks, and how to have hope in the face of bad news. Read Rob's columns at https://www.outdoornews.com/category/blogs/minblogs/rob-drieslein/ and find him on Twitter at @ODN_Editor.

This episode is sponsored by Meatgistics from Walton's. https://waltonsinc.com/ | https://meatgistics.waltonsinc.com/

Adam Tobey is the executive director of Tall Timber Camp in Central Washington and the founder of Arcadia Guided Outdoor Education. Adam and Tony discuss Adam's strong beard game, bring a surfboard to seminary, being happy having no cell service, no such thing as a "safe place," deep learning in the wilderness, becoming more generous and hospitable, and more.

Read about Arcadia here: goago.org and Tall Timber here: talltimber.org.

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Tony talks with Bob Herbst, who had a legendary career in conservation, culminating as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Tony talks with Bob about keeping Minnesota green, denying an airport in Ham Lake, protecting Lake Superior from taconite tailings, taking a sauna with Sigurd Olson, conservation as a never-ending process, Sigurd's writing shack, Jimmy Carter tying his own flies, protecting 115 million acres in Alaska, growing up in a family of Lutheran pastors, great fishing trips, and more.

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Tony and producer extraordinaire Brandon catch up on their summer vacation plans, including Brandon's big trip out west and Tony's two trips to the BWCA. They also discuss Tony's 10th year of hunting and not bagging a turkey.

https://www.startribune.com/bwca

Scott Fransen is the co-host of the television show, The Flush, and the owner of Ron Schara Productions and Talk North. Scott and Tony discuss turning a three-day hunt into a 22-minute TV show, their shared passion for dogs, learning on the fly, the difference between male and female dogs, the risks of acquiring a business, researching hunting land, staying in your lane, the changing landscape of media, and more.

 

Watch Scott's episodes at https://www.theflush.tv/

 

Thanks to Grain Belt Premium Beer! (https://www.grainbelt.com/) 

Tony talks with theologian and hunter Don Payne of Denver Seminary. They how hunting antelope keeps Don hunting elk, mountain muleys, academics who don't understand hunting, animal-on-animal predation, overdetermining the Garden of Eden, and how Christians can respond to objections to hunting.

 

Find Don at https://denverseminary.edu/about/departments/member/78715/ 

 

Special Thanks to Realtor Heather Womack (https://heatherwomackrealty.com/)

Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn sits in the Minnesota House of Representatives and is Anishinaabe. She and Tony talk about her childhood on the Leech Lake Reservation, growing up as a Rez Catholic, walleye vs. perch, how white people can learn from native cultures without coopting them, working as an indigenous person in a colonial system, the spread of CWD, the spirituality of deer hunting, and more. 

 

Find Jamie on all the social medias and on her website: https://becker-finn.org/

Tony talks with best-selling author Barbara Brown Taylor about the Holy Spirit as a bird, why living on a farm means you can't be romantic about death, the redemptive sound of the loon call, experiencing the sacred on the land, how place is a spiritual director, being hopelessly pagan, and more. Find Barbara's books at https://amzn.to/3ex4bNS.

Tovar Cerulli is the author of "The Mindful Carnivore: A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance." Tovar and Tony discuss the journey from veganism to hunting, how life and death are constants, the two camps of hunters, the dietary benefits of meat, the spirituality of mortality, the ritual of butchering, and more. Find Tovar at tovarcerulli.com and buy his book here: https://amzn.to/38YiZEF

Supported by Manscaped (https://www.manscaped.com/) – Use Promo Code “REVHUNT” for 20% off and FREE shipping!

Chris Estus, aka Bonespur the Chappalachian, returns to the podcast. Having recently completed his year as the Chaplain on the Appalachian Trail, and hiking the entire trail, he tells Tony about flip, flop, and flying, slack packing, platinum blazing, having a trail family vs hiking alone, ignoring emails, ignoring bone spurs, falling down, getting up, impromptu anonymous 12-Step meetings, putting aside ego, embracing the lovefest, and concentrating on A+ relationships.

Tony and Brandon discuss how death is endemic to hunting, how we stay attuned to the animals we kill, what it feels like to be a first-time hunter, why Aristotle was better than Plato, and more. Please rate, review, subscribe, and share!

Thanks to SCHEELS (https://www.scheels.com/)

Tony welcomes Steve Chapman, the author of "A Look at Life from a Deer Stand" and many other books about hunting and faith. They discuss Steve's first squirrel hunt, his grandpa getting his arm amputated on the kitchen table, self-publishing his first book, storing ten thousand copies in the garage, an antelope hunt in Wyoming, finding the first drop of blood when trailing an animal, and more.

Find Steve at steveandanniechapman.com and find his books here: https://amzn.to/37p0qbY. Thanks to Scheels for sponsoring this episode. 

Tony talks with Sam Shephard, associate professor of biology at Ave Maria University and lead author of "Recreational killing of wild animals can foster environmental stewardship," recently published in Nature Sustainability. Tony and Sam discuss being from the Isle of Skye, wandering barefoot around India, fishing with indigenous people in Guyana, why the person who's catching the most fish is probably the person most embedded in the environment, how humans are deeply related to all of creation, why it's bad that we sanitize hunting, how conducting difficult outdoors tasks makes you a better steward of creation, rabbit hunting with ferrets, the practice of fly fishing, and more. Read Sam's article here: https://rdcu.be/dMB0g

Tony sits down at PheasantFest in Sioux Falls to talk with Tim Brown, the "Bearded Uplander." Topics include having an angry gall bladder, hunting in a blizzard, released pheasants, shooting a turkey on the wing, the ethics of hunting, scoring a deer, not having a bird dog, thanking farmers with a 30-pack of Busch Light, hunting on Sundays, taking kids turkey hunting, snakes, and more.   Find Tim at https://beardeduplander.com/   And find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony sits down with upland hunting zealot and writer Mike Neiduski, and they discuss growing up in Worchester, Mass., writing poetry, stopping writing poetry, getting a German Wirehair Pointer, training dogs so that you can hunt year-round, letting it rip, divorce and dead dogs, growing up Catholic, writing about grief, becoming an entrepreneur, and more.   Find Mike's writing here: https://www.instagram.com/mneiduski/, and find the company he just acquired here: www.uglydoghunting.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony chats with Oregon wildlife biologist Ben Padilla about what drives wildlife populations, failing as a high school teacher, growing up on a seminary campus, the practice and attention that comes from hunting, the power of disturbance, bugs killing caribou, climate change, the beauty of evolution, the damage of dualism, the indigenous ways of embodying nature, maintaining hope, and more.   Find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony talks with Julia Schrenkler, subject of the Franchi film, "Old Dog / New Dog," about how her dog recruited her into hunting, post-Wegman confusion, how you can't just look at puppies, watching your dog bring you a pigeon for the first time, the eyelash rule, the tailgate of death, cultivating reverence, making your own mistakes, hunting out of a VW Vanagon, the partnership of dogs, and more.   See the film here: https://youtu.be/mnwTzt4pHgQ?si=F5YHoEhDKyX7XXAN

 

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Tony sits down with Jake Hanson, former church camp director and now Director of Development at Pheasants Forever. They discuss being called to ministry and philanthropy, ministry burnout, deer hunting with grandpa, putting your heart and soul into your career, pheasants as a gateway drug to upland hunting, times of discernment, three dimensions of spiritual connections to the outdoors, never having regrets for being generous, and much more. 

Read more about Jake here: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/BlogLanding/Blogs/Pheasants-Forever/Jake-Hanson-promoted-to-Director-of-Development.aspx 

Tony sits down with Evan Moffic, the "Carnivore Rabbi." They discuss Evan's journey into the carnivore lifestyle, plus antisemitism in America, political divisions, stomach issues, becoming keto, hunter-gatherers, a life full of extremes, the lion diet, cows' stomachs as filters, feeding our kids crap, eating more fat, poop, the Jewish aversion to hunting, and much more.   Find Evan on all the socials under @CarnivoreRabbi, and follow his videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@meatprayluv   Find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Fisher Neal is the "Hunting Actor," and the founder of Learn to Hunt New York. Fisher talks with Tony about hunting being foundational to his identity, growing up in a church that frowned upon clapping, moving to New Jersey, the use of crossbows, how it's morally superior to use the most effective weapon available, being the most prolific hunting mentor in the U.S., the Austrian last meal, appearing on Law & Order, and much more.   Find Fisher at https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony sits down to share some news about the Reverend Hunter Podcast, give some shout-outs, and talk about the future of the podcast. He also talks about a tough summer, full of both joys and sorrows, and updates listeners on his book, GodOfWildPlaces.com. Be sure to tune in for this very special episode.

  Find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

 

 

Tony talks with Jerusalem Greer, author of "At Home in this Life," and executive director of Procter Camp and Conference Center. Topics include living on the Darby Plains, rewilding projects, something not clicking in the city, Phyllis Tickle, needing to get to the land, a theology of place, being an early mommy blogger, staring at our spiritual bellybuttons, the growth of wild churches, the hunger to be connected, zhuzhing, and more.    Find Jerusalem at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

John Dailey is a retired Marine and the author of the forthcoming book, Tough, Rugged Bastards. He talks with Tony about his parents’ conversion, having a holy roller pastor dad, being scared of God, how the Marine Corps is somewhat cult-like, boot camp indoctrination, 9/11 in Darwin Australia, waiting for bad guys outside of Kandahar, a big truck full of Taliban coming across the road, the correlation between sex and killing, the crisis of masculinity, when fiction is truer than the truth.   Find out more about John, his book, and his Substack newsletters at https://www.jadailey.com/

 

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Tony talks with Jake Lindemann, founder of Chief Upland, a hunting gear and apparel company. They talk about being an entrepreneur at 16, Wisco bow bros, being born without a left hand, wearing jeans to thread a fishing hook, Chief and Buzz, fighting anxiety and imposter syndrome, spending less time in church and more time in the woods, an epiphany moment on the roof of a houseboat, watching a coyote chase a turkey, and more.   Find out more about Jake and his gear at chiefupland.com   Find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

Tony sits down with Jan Dizard, retired professor of sociology at Amherst College and author of several books on hunting, including "Hunting: A Cultural History" (MIT Press, 2022). They discuss hunters at Amherst, non-utilitarian views of nature and animals, struggling R3 efforts, growing up in Duluth, hunting by two rivers, the spiritual attachment that human beings have to food, the mortal stakes of hunting, growing uneasy with killing as you age, the Rinella/Hanes/Rogan effect on hunting, de-fetishizing technology, the moral compact that the hunter has with the animal s/he is pursuing, and more.   Find Jan's latest book here: https://amzn.to/3W0SgkP   Find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/

In this special episode, Tony reads from his new book, "The God of Wild Places," at the book launch event on April 2. He tells a harrowing story of getting caught in a storm with his kids in the boat.   Find Tony's new book at GodOfWildPlaces.com   https://reverendhunter.com/