Eastmans' Journal Podcast Edition

Hosted by Ike Eastman

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Episodes

111

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Come along for the brand new Eastmans' Journal Podcast edition hosted by Ike Eastman! Listen and watch some of the most unique and exciting stories, business tips, and life inspiration we have found in our travels around Wyoming, the West, and the rest of the world!

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60 recent

August 14, 2026Episode 1071 hr 2 min

#107 | Long-Range Hunting Ethics: How Far Is Too Far? | Patrick Ginder

Ike Eastman and co-host Brandon Mason sit down with Patrick Ginder, a central Wyoming outfitter out of Casper and a competitive long-range shooter, for a genuine conversation on the elephant in the room: how far is too far. Patrick shoots NRL Hunter Series matches and Nightforce ELR out to 2,000 yards, but personally caps his shots on animals at around 500 — and he unpacks why. The three get into where technology has taken hunting (rangefinding binos, custom loads, dialable turrets), what these shooting competitions actually teach you, why the bench is the worst place to prepare for a real hunt, whether states should even try to regulate technology, and the older question underneath it all: why are we out there in the first place — to match wits with an animal, or to prove what a rifle can do. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans Safari Club International: https://bit.ly/SCI-Eastmans

August 13, 20260 min

A Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Ike Eastman takes a moment to thank the sponsors who help make the Eastmans Journal Podcast possible. From gear and optics to cameras and hunting equipment, we’re proud to partner with companies that share our passion for the outdoors and the Western hunting lifestyle. Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

July 30, 2026Episode 1061 hr 4 min

#106 | Inside the American Bear Foundation: Bear Hunting, Conservation & the Grizzly Fight | Joe Kondelis

Brandon Mason sits down in person with Joe Kondelis, founder of the American Bear Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation on everything bear. Joe walks through how the foundation started back in 2007 out of his own move to Cody and a frustration that black bears had no advocacy group of their own, and how it's grown from a three-state effort into chapters across the country. The two dig into the July 2026 grizzly 4(d) rule and what it actually means (spoiler: it's not delisting), the political tug-of-war keeping grizzlies on the endangered species list, ballot-box biology, and why hunters are the missing piece in grizzly conservation. Along the way they trade stories on Alaska bear country, sizing bears in the field, color phases, and why the pursuit of bears gets in your blood and doesn't let go. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

July 17, 2026Episode 1051 hr 1 min

#105 | Chasing the Grand Slam: A Guide's Love for Sheep Hunting | Johnny Hamilton

Ike Eastman sits down with longtime friend and elite western guide Johnny Hamilton for a genuine conversation about a pursuit that gets in your blood and doesn't let go: sheep hunting. Johnny walks through his stone sheep hunt in the same northern country Ike's grandfather once hunted, reflects on his dall ram and Rocky, and talks about what's next — a desert sheep hunt with Clay Lancaster down in Mexico that would complete his Grand Slam. Along the way the two get into 25 years of guiding elk in southern Colorado, Johnny's recent New Zealand tahr and chamois trip, and why, for the guys who catch the sheep bug, it becomes the pinnacle of a hunting life. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

July 10, 2026Episode 10433 min

#104 | Walking With Grizzlies: The Real Story Behind America's Most Controversial Conservation Debate | Jason Matzinger

The grizzly bear recovery is one of the greatest conservation success stories in American history — so why won't anyone celebrate it? Ike sits down with filmmaker and Sportsman Channel host Jason Matzinger to talk about his upcoming documentary Walking With Grizzlies , a film that sets out to tell the full, honest story of where grizzly bears actually stand today. Jason traces the idea back to a 2017 event in Bozeman where he watched bear biologists — people who had dedicated their careers to recovering the grizzly — sit in a room looking defeated, their life's work accomplished but unacknowledged. From there, the conversation covers what the science actually says about grizzly populations (hint: the recovery zones don't tell the whole story), why keeping them on the Endangered Species List may be the worst thing for the bears themselves, the 71 bears already killed this year in Wyoming alone, and why politicizing the process is demoralizing an entire generation of wildlife biologists. Jason also previews the film's July 17th premiere at the Wilma Theater in Missoula — the same night as Eastmans' elk documentary — as part of the RMEF Big Game Days event. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastman s Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans . Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

June 26, 2026Episode 10348 min

#103 | The Wyoming Lifestyle: Family, Hunting & a Life Lived in the Hills | Sam Davis

Some guys learn to hunt. Sam Davis was born into it. In this episode of the Eastmans' Journal Podcast, Ike sits down with Sheridan, Wyoming native and newly minted Eastmans' staff writer Sam Davis — a lifelong guide, ranch hand, and western big game obsessive who's spent 100+ days a year in the field for the better part of two decades. From packing kids on horseback at age five and sneaking up on mule deer with a 35mm film camera as a kid, to a wild mountain lion encounter in eighth grade on the edge of town, Sam's hunting roots run deep. The conversation covers what 20 years of living on a working ranch does for your understanding of animal behavior, how he built a loyal social media following by just being himself, his relationship with Stone Glacier and the product development world, and what it means to finally be writing for the magazine he's been reading since childhood. Sam also talks about the balance of guiding life versus fatherhood, raising a daughter who's a serious athlete, and what it looks like to chase elk and mule deer in Wyoming's best general country year after year without having to go anywhere else. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

June 18, 2026Episode 10254 min

#102 | American Elk: The Greatest Conservation Comeback Story Ever Told

What nearly wiped out the American elk — and how did we bring them back? In this episode of the Eastmans' Journal Podcast, Ike Eastman sits down with Eastmans' own Brandon Mason to pull back the curtain on their new documentary, American Elk: A Comeback Story. From 10 million elk across nearly every state, to just 42,000 at the turn of the 20th century — including only 500 in all of Colorado — the near-extinction of the American elk is one of the most dramatic wildlife stories on the continent. Ike and Brandon walk through what the film uncovered: the science-based relocation efforts, the role of Yellowstone as the last stronghold, how Kentucky became a seed population for the entire eastern U.S., and the unsung pioneers who made it all possible. They also get into the bigger picture — predator management, the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, Pittman-Robertson funding, and why hunters foot the bill for far more than just the species they pursue. The film premieres July 17th at the Wilma Theater in Missoula at the RMEF Big Game Days event, and drops on YouTube that Saturday morning. Learn more about our new film here - https://eastmans.com/thecomeback/ 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

June 5, 2026Episode 10148 min

#101 | Inside the RMEF: Conservation, Public Land & the Future of Elk Hunting | Steve Decker

Ike sits down with Steve Decker, Chief Revenue Officer of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation about conservation, hunting heritage, and the future of one of America's most impactful wildlife organizations. Steve grew up in Libby, Montana — son of RMEF founding member Charlie Decker — and has spent his life woven into the fabric of elk conservation, from working in the visitor center as a college student to leading the organization's outward-facing operations today. They cover the RMEF's evolving mission to serve all of America's big game, the fight to protect public land access (including a 26-point ballot swing in Colorado), the launch of Outdoor Class as a next-level online hunting education platform, and what's ahead with Big Game Days in Missoula. If you care about keeping wild places wild and elk in the hills, this one's for you. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

May 28, 2026Episode 10053 min

#100 | Mule Deer Hunt of a Lifetime: A Last-Minute Buck | Randy Bianchi

What does it mean to win a hunt of a lifetime — and walk away with a friendship you didn't expect? In this special episode of the Eastman's Journals Podcast, guest host Brandon Mason sits down with 2025 Eastman's Mule Deer Hunt winner Randy Bianchi, a retired Air Force veteran and 15-year Eastman's member from Utah, along with his son-in-law Zach Vigil — a former NFL linebacker who played for the Dolphins and Redskins — to relive their Montana mule deer adventure. From the suspense of Ike's voicemail to the chaos of getting to camp, battling wind and tough conditions for five days straight, to the last-minute, bonus-morning shot that brought it all together — this one has it all. But what really shines through is the brotherhood that formed between hunters who were strangers just days before. The conversation goes deep on reading deer country, the mental parallels between football and hunting, the power of time spent with good people in wild places, and why some of the most meaningful conversations men will ever have happen tailgate-side in the middle of nowhere. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

May 26, 2026Episode 9943 min

#99 | Debanked: How Precision Pay Is Protecting Your Money & Your 2A Rights | Ronnie Brown

Your money, your rights, your data — are they really safe? In this episode of the Eastman's Journals Podcast, Ike Eastman sits down with Ronnie Brown, CFO and lead investor at Precision Pay, a payment platform built specifically for the firearms, hunting, and outdoor industry. Ronnie shares the origin story of Precision Pay — sparked when a veteran-owned tripod company had a six-figure balance seized by PayPal simply for having a firearm mounted in a product photo — and explains why the 2A community needs its own financial ecosystem. The conversation covers the real dangers of debanking, how your purchase data is being harvested and sold by major platforms, and how Precision Pay is building a secure, values-aligned alternative for hunters, manufacturers, and guides alike. Ronnie also shares his passion project, the Alabama Veterans Resource Center, a first-of-its-kind public-private initiative connecting veterans with the services they've earned. This one hits on freedom, finances, and what it really means to protect your rights from every angle. 👉 Watch all of the EHJ Podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3oV1kEbu74HrR_GEK5VL9pCc6dME5py_ 👉 Eastmans Journal Podcast Sponsors: Browning: https://bit.ly/Browning-Eastmans Eberlestock: https://bit.ly/Eberlestock-Eastmans Stealth Cam: https://bit.ly/StealthCam-Eastmans Hornady: https://bit.ly/Hornady-Eastmans Leupold: https://bit.ly/Leupold-Eastmans Precision Pay: https://bit.ly/PrecisionPay-Eastmans

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