Wilderness Athlete Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

The goal of a wilderness athlete, put simply, is to run up a mountain, shoot an animal, and carry the animal back down. Well, that’s exactly what Train to Hunt is about. Understandably, over the past few years, there was some struggle involved in making TTH happen.

Today, the great news is that Train to Hunt is back. Kevin and Chris Denham sat down and spoke with Kenton Clairmont, one of the founders of the event, about its return and the principles behind it.

Kenton lives out in the wild, so you may hear some of the ambiance of that lifestyle in the background, but you're probably used to it. We hope you enjoy the conversation and start planning your trip to compete.

https://traintohunt.com/

This episode of the podcast features one of our favorite people in the world. Pedro Ampuero is among the most extreme hunters alive today and has both the rap sheet and occupation to prove it as the manager of the European division of KUIU ultralight hunting.

He’s often referred to in our office as the “most interesting man in the world.” So crack open a cold Dos XX, lace up your running shoes, or set the cruise control, because this is gonna be a good one.

Most never dare to dream what a 1,000-mile race in arctic conditions with a team of dogs is like; others live for it. Ryne Olson, a 7-time competitor of the Iditarod and Yukon Quest runs us through the ins and outs of preparing her team, body, and mind for these monumental treks between man and dog.

Tony Peterson knows dogs. He is an outdoor writer, hunter, and canine enthusiast who regularly shares related articles on Themeateater.com. He is enthusiastic about training and takes a strategic approach to both dog selection and lifestyle implementation. In this episode, he and Kevin discuss these topics, along with canine nutrition, breeding trends, and the types of dogs that fit into the lifestyle of hunters and outdoorsmen.

Legends like Chris Denham don’t get that title just by being great at one thing. Producer and host of the best hunting show on TV, wordsmith, a straight-up killer, iron-jawed hiker, CrossFit athlete, elite father and husband, and a true salt-of-the-earth role model for how to be effective and have fun in this industry. In this episode, Chris talks to us about how WA came to be, Western Hunter TV, his feelings about gluten, how diet changed his life, and much more.

Mark Denham - avid golfer, former US Marine, Western Hunter, and L1 CrossFit coach, is perhaps the youngest manager of any company in the hunting industry at Outdoorsmans. Youth in this line of work has its advantages and certainly its obstacles. We talk about what it was like growing up with the legendary Chris Denham as a father, what the culture and energy are like in our HQ of Outdoorsmans, Wilderness Athlete, and Western Hunter, and of course some fitness tips for anyone with a hunt right around the corner.

Ever wonder how it feels to have a protection dog with the training of a Navy Seal attempt to remove your arm? Well, I do, but there’s more to the story.

Kim Greene, a true alpha female, is the owner and one of the founders of Svalinn - an elite company in Montana that breeds and trains protection dogs based not on pedigrees, but a specific mix of the most desirable and unique characteristics from very old bloodlines. Beyond the thousands of man-hours and methodology that makes Svalinn dogs unparalleled, we discuss the innate connection between man, family, and K9 that each of us connects with.

Spend enough time in the hunting industry and you begin to realize there is no curriculum or typical path that lands someone in the profession. Todd Harney and Ben Britton are two dudes who followed their passion and guts working for Kuiu, learned invaluable lessons about building things the right way, and have some fun stories about their adventures along the way. 

None of us are immune to the realities of aging, but some of us are too hard-nosed to let it slow down the pace of our life. Mark Paulsen and Chris Denham are impressive examples of men who have taken ownership of their health, knowing full well that age is not synonymous with slowing down. We cover the major shifts in their diet, mentality, and approach to keeping their axe sharp.

Josh Kirchner is as hard-nosed and blue-collar as they come. If there are two paths to take, he chooses the harder one if there’s more to be gained from it. In this episode, we discuss his evolution as a hunter in Arizona, how he discovered backpack hunting, and what his new book Becoming a Backpack Hunter offers anyone willing to lace up their boots and live out of their backpack.