The Wild Dispatch

James Eastman is more than just a shark story. A family man, a teacher, and passionate lover of outdoor spaces both on land and ocean... the hefty label of 'shark attack survivor' is not one he'd choose. But, It's definitely the most unexpected challenge he's faced since a quick afternoon surf took a horrifying turn. In this episode James shares the whole story, and we're so grateful he didn't hold back, both in the detail of that moment, and his brutal honesty about the mental and physical toll an event like this takes.

There is...

Some say Brendan Becker grew his enormous beard to soften the dangerously sharp wit that lurks beneath... Having worked as an international fly-fishing guide for many years. Brendan has taken clients and chased monsters in some incredibly wild places. Having hung up his guiding waders, he now passes on his knowledge and incredible stories to customers visiting the Johannesburg brand of Mavungana fly fishing - South Africa. Now we get to hear some too. Hang on folks, we've hooked a big one here.

A huge thanks again to Brendan and Mavungana for allowing us to...

Originally a journalist from the city, twenty years ago Holly stopped chasing copy deadlines, and started chasing wild game. Now an obsessed hunter of waterfowl, she's making up for lost time, by helping other latecomers to the hunting world. Simply sharing best ways to prepare for a hunt, AND how to make the most of the protein you harvest.

A huge thank you to Holly for sharing her stories and knowledge with us today!

Follow her on Instagram, YouTube and check out her linktree with a bunch of tips you never...

In this Episode Robin visits Doug Cockroft –founder of Splitting Image Taxidermy– in his incredible factory and studio space.

The conversation delves into the journey of taxidermy, It's origins, the unknown passion involved, and the future of the industry. It explores the impact of importation rules and its evolving solutions to new challenges. Amongst Doug's own fascinating stories we also cover the evolution of 3D printing technology, the art of taxidermy and anatomy, tanning techniques, ethics and principles in taxidermy, and the discussion of hunting, conservation, and responsibility. We also couldn't tip our hat to the future of t...

Congrats to three lucky guests from our EP100 Giveaway Competition! It's been an amazing few years and 100 episodes, here's a few favourites from other participants of Alone, and a wild African spear hunters tale from the Eastern Cape. Thanks again everyone, here's to another 100 episodes!

Give Robin and The Wild Dispatch a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Get ready for a diverse episode blending exciting contest announcements, gripping outdoor adventures, survival stories, and ethical hunting insights. Robin shares behind-the-scenes moments of a podcast competition, followed by...

The first Woman to win Alone, and holder of the highest number of days spent out in the wildernes – Woniya Thibeault is an incredibly skilled, exceptionally strong willed, and a wonderful story teller all at the same time. Despite life changing experiences both times on the Alone show, her deep relationship with the wild began long before Alone even existed. Join us for this special episode as Woniya shares the fascinating journey that brought her to this moment: Author, Mother, Wilderness Expert and highly respected surthrivalist within the community.

A huge thankyou again to Woniya fo...

In this Episode, Rich Gardner - Local legend from the traditional 3D Archery circuit - shares a quiver-full of stories from his past. Known for his highly addictive archery footage landing across millions of people's Facebook feeds. Episode 99 gives us an insight to the jolly man behind the camera. This one's got some great tales from the wilds of California, competitive 3D tournaments, and plenty of other adventures from afar too.

Be sure to give Rich a follow on his Facebook page, where he regularly posts footage of archery that's guaranteed get you itching to...

Howdy Folks Episode 100 is right around the corner. To celebrate this milestone, we're doing a giveaway:

Lancaster Archery, Easton, Tarp Tent, VPA, Western Obsession, The Mission Fly Mag, Mavungana Fly Fishing, Ethics Archery, Wilderness Athlete and Strand Coffee Roasters have all thrown their hats (and prizes) into the ring... more brands in the pipeline too!

Learn how to sign up to the comp here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZxz7A6OsmF/

Both a prolific hunter, and relentless entrepreneur... For Kurt Belding, it was inevitable that his two passions would collide. Western Obsessions TV is both a hunting channel that inspires people with their content, and an outfitter that gives fans the chance to experience some adventures of their own. This one's got it all: incredible stories from the wild, (including a very close call with a grizzly bear), and some gritty, but inspiring insights from the world of business too.

A huge thank you to Kurt for his time and stories today!

...

They say a cat has nine lives, but we think Piet Goosen must have 90. He's been head-butted by a rhino, he's been knee-capitated by a giraffe, he's even survived wrestling a 15ft python while driving down a highway! Every single one of these mind blowing moments has conservation at it's core, because Piet plays a huge part in animal rescue and rehabilitation. Snakes, tortoises, birds, antelope... Piet has has helped them all. He even works against poachers too. Through his many years spent in the bush, he has grown to understand that nature is interconnected in the most complex...

They say a cat has nine lives, but Piet Goosen must have 90. This guy has been head-butted by a rhino, he's been knee-capitated by a giraffe, he's even survived wrestling a 15ft python... while driving down a highway! Every single one of these mind boggling moments has conservation at it's core, because Piet plays a huge part in animal rescue and rehabilitation. Snakes, tortoises, birds, antelope, Piet has has helped them all. Through his many years spent in the bush, he has grown to understand that nature is interconnected in the most complex of ways. Hang on to your...

Like many things in the wild, it’s small details that make the difference. Trained by the late Gordon Macpherson as part of an elite fly tying team in Zimbabwe, Ray Mutemeri has known this fact to be true for almost 40 years. It was this same attention to detail that brought him up through the ranks, and eventually gave him the opportunity to move to South Africa. He is now the lead tyer at the Johburg office of South africa’s biggest fly fishing shop and outfitter -Mavungana Fly Fishing. Perhaps the wildest part of this story: it was almo...

Like many things in the wild, it’s small details that make the difference. Trained by the late Gordon Macpherson as part of an elite fly tying team in Zimbabwe, Ray Mutemeri has known this fact to be true for almost 40 years. It was this same attention to detail that brought him up through the ranks, and eventually gave him the opportunity to move to South Africa. He is now the lead tyer at the Johburg office of South africa’s biggest fly fishing shop and outfitter -Mavungana Fly Fishing. Perhaps the wildest part of this story: it was almost twen...

Sometimes when we hunt, it can feel like there's nothing out there... we loose focus for just a moment and suddenly that target animal bolts, alerting everything in the area. This visualization helps keep your focus, and maintain your belief in finding success. We bring many of the skills from this TFWM series together and apply them to a specific outdoor scenario. If you haven't had a chance to listen to the full series, it's a good idea to go back and build your toolbox!

Having grown up bowhunting the mountains of Nevada, it's clear Tim Bray has never been interested in doing things the easy way. The same can be said for the incredible fermented foods and drinks he creates. In this episode, Tim shares his own fascinating story, along with a bunch of tips and wisdoms he's learned over the past few decades.

A huge thank you again to Tim for his time, stories, and skillset today.

Give Tim a follow on Facebook –and check out his Ecology Hour show on local radio station KZ...

Exercise begins at 11.30

In this episode, Robin dives deeper into the practices that help him focus when they matter the most. He recounts his recent successful tradbow hunt in the mountains with a red hartebeest while it's fresh in his mind, and explains some of the techniques that helped him succeed when the percentages said he should have failed.

In this episode, Robin reunites with Ross Cameron and Dr. Adrian de Villers for a few days at the Cameron Property. Amongst great chats with the Cameron clan, and delicious meals cooked over an open fire, Ross and The Doc venture up onto the mountain in search of wild game. While the heavy rains scuppered fishing on the Vaal river, some mind-blowing animal encounters kept their spirits high and bellies full.

A huge thank you again to the Camerons for another incredible adventure!

Interested in fly fishing, specimen carp fishing, or...

Many feel driven to make their hunting equipment more primitive... Often that involves swapping a rifle for a compound, or even traditional bow. But Aubrey Tidbury is a man hungry for something more difficult. Heading out into the African bush with nothing but a home-made spear, he often faces two of the lesser-known but more aggressive animals you can find in the Eastern Cape of South Africa: The bush pig and the bush buck.

A huge thank you to Aubrey for sharing his time with us!

Give Aubrey a follow on Instagram

Many feel driven to make their hunting equipment more primitive... Often that involves swapping a rifle for a compound, or even traditional bow. But Aubrey Tidbury is a man hungry for something more difficult. Heading out into the African bush with nothing but a home-made spear, he often faces two of the lesser-known but more aggressive animals you can find in the Eastern Cape of South Africa: The bush pig and the bush buck.

A huge thank you to Aubrey for sharing his time with us!

Give Aubrey a follow on Instagram<...

Robin is currently juggling adventures and interviews like a circus on steroids. Many obscenely good episodes featuring a bunch of new guests will be landing in your podcast feed... any bloody... second... soon. But in the meantime, here's some musings from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, as well a story or two from a recent adventure in the Ngwathe municipality

Exercise begins from 6:51 - In this episode Robin shares another useful technique for staying focused. This is one of the mindful basics series that helps build your meditation toolkit. This one's useful whether you're out on an adventure in the wild, or just living your day-to-day life.

In this episode, Robin and Tudor Caradoc-Davies, the editor of South Africa's Mission Fly Fishing magazine record a special roaming podcast: Loading up the truck with this month's edition and rigging up the cockpit with flashy lights and microphones. In between deliveries they chat about the origins of the magazine, its rapid success, big adventures, close calls, a few top fishing tips. And of course categorizing the nerdiest of nerds within the fly fishing community.

A huge thank you again to Tudor for the great chat (and for allowing me to provide him some free...

EXERCISE BEGINS AT 7 MINS

In this episode Robin shares his own experiences using the body scan technique, then goes through the technique in a demo.

A subsistance hunter almost since the moment he learned to walk -Ean Anderson has spent more time close to animals than most. from over 1000 yards with a rifle, to just a handful of yards with a traditional bow - Ean's proved he’s a skilled hunter time and time again. But his stories don’t stop there, he’s also a wilderness skills expert, wildfire fighter, and been first on the scene many times as an EMT too. Buckle up, this one’s a treat.

Follow Ean on his Insta

Check out the many wil...

Robin and Dan take to Lake Sonoma in search of pigs, but discover far more edible treats than either of them anticipated.

Thank you again to Dan Romo for putting up with my dumb jokes.

What better place to hear Dan Romo's story than in Lake Sonoma, where he and Robin first met. Through their unfaltering pursuit of pigs together, good times soon followed. This is a prime example of one of those good times: Successes, failures, and near misses, this one has them all.

Thanks again to Dan for being such a high-caliber hunting buddy.

Before we get knee-deep into training our minds with mindfulness techniques, there are a few essential ingredients that are handy to know. Over the next few episodes of TFWM, Robin will cover the basic steps. Unlocking these specific tools will help you calm and focus your mind. Helping you make better choices both in the wild and other difficult moments in life.

In this Episode Ejler serves up a delicious helping of 'fish tale' while he and Robin process their last catch of the season. While slinging guts and beautifying fillets , Robin manages to extract the biggest, most surprising catch stories Ejler can think of.

As always a huge thank-you to Ejler for sharing his mysterious and fascinating life with us today.

Now you can give Ejler a follow in Instagram!

For most, bow-building comes from a desire to feel closer to the hunting experience. Eric Clem took a different path: Part of an underground archery competition, held after-hours in New York offices, Eric felt driven to create better performing equipment. Soon after the Brooklyn Bowyer was born. But it was only after a life changing accident, that a move to LA and a new world of hunting opportunities appeared. As strange as it sounds, it's actually possible to hunt deer at first light while the busy world of Los Angeles twinkles below.

A huge thank...

In this Episode Robin and William head off into the mushroom woods to celebrate what has been arguably the GOAT of all seasons. Not only do they fill their packs, but as usual William drops a metric ton of wisdom about finding our quarry, black trumpets and giant hedgehogs. Not only do they manage to make a few observations about life and the natural world, they also discover a strange shroom variant that neither have ever seen before.

A huge thankyou again to William for his time and friendship!

Check out his lone...

Just like our bodies, our brains can be trained to interact with the world in different and better ways. In this episode Robin lays out a simple exercise that has helped him to stay in a positive headspace when times get tough - Ultimately it's far more to do with our own perception, and the way we respond to situations that determines how we feel. A little positivity can make a massive difference, whether its the last day of a tough hunt in the mountains, or that moment your boss hands you another ridiculous deadline.

<...

Despite her title, The Python Huntress is a snake lover through-and-through. It's only when Amy learned that invasive Burmese pythons were slithering riot around the Florida Everglades, that she decided to pack her bags and commit to the issue full gas. This involves hunting pythons day and night, and working as professional guide, helping regular folks to experience what it's like to locate and remove a 17ft snake.

A huge thank you to Amy for sharing her stories and knowledge with us today!

Visit her site and book a hunt at...

A fantastic full-length-interview episode is currently sitting in the torpedo tube, ready to go, unfortunately a small technological whoopsy, courtesy of the hosting platform is keeping the hatch firmly shut. The bookies have high odds on EP 88 with Amy Siewe will be out before Monday's end, so keep an eye out!

Apologies for the disruption - here's some quality waffling as consolation.

For some, the Urushiol oil found in Poison Oak, Poison Ivy and Sumac can be completely debilitating. Given that it doesn't exist in England at all, Robin quickly built up a pretty decent sensitivity to this irritating member of the wilderness family. In this episode he shares some of the most effective techniques for mitigating Poison Oak while out in the field.

Here is the mentioned youtube video that changed everything

If you have any suggestions we'd love to hear them! Send a voice message to The Wild dispatch on Instagram and it...

In this Field Notes Episode, Robin follows Jason through day 1 of bowhunting elk in the Colorado mountains. Amongst the many miles and close encounters, they find time to share stories over a few snacks. Warning: some snacks may come with a very unsavory nickname. All food in this episode came prepared by podcasting legend and well-loved ‘Camp Mom’ Michael Scrogan of The Hunting Stories Podcast. There’s even a surprise appearance from another hunter who goes by the name Jeremy.

Thanks again to Jason, Michael and Jeremy for a fantastic adventure!