Join Host Michael Waddell as he sits down with fellow Bone Collector team members Nick Mundt and Travis "T-Bone" Turner to make music, tell stories, laugh until their sides hurt, and share some indelible memories of the good stuff and good times they've shared in deer camp and life – and give listeners yet another reason to tune in to this fun-loving and hard-hunting crew. Waddell, Mundt and "T-Bone" have known each other for several decades, having first met during Waddell's Realtree days in the early 1990s. Waddell had been an HVAC tech and regional turkey calling champion before beginning his career in the outdoors industry. Nick Mundt was a barber and western hunting guide before becoming a cameraman and field producer. T-Bone was a trusted bow tech who ran an archery shop and shot competitively, eventually winning the ASA 3-D World Championship in '91. The three famously had formed strong bonds both behind and in front of the camera at Realtree when Waddell launched his own company – Bone Collector – in 2008 and tapped Mundt and T-Bone to join him on his new endeavor with Outdoor Channel. Building on their shared love for hunting and the outdoors, along with their common work ethic and natural compatibility at the shop or in the field, the three friends set out to change Outdoor TV with an unapologetic hunting show focused as much on camaraderie, real hunting culture, and having fun at camp as on taking trophy class big game – although the brotherhood would account for plenty of critters with a lot of bone on their heads. The resulting program quickly became a fan-favorite and soared to the top of Outdoor TV, winning numerous Golden Moose and Outdoor Sportsman Awards and being recognized as a perennial ratings leader whenever and wherever it was made available.
Now some 18 years later, the brotherhood of the Bone Collector once more gathers around the table to share memories, laughs and thoughts about the future of Hunting on this very special episode of The Michael Waddell Podcast, presented by REMAX OUTDOORS.
"Well, we've just had a bunch of great times," Mundt responded to Waddell's icebreaker question about favorite hunts that they've shared. "One of the ones I really liked that all three of us were together, and Mason was even with us, was when we went to Charles Coker's place at TC [Outfitters] in Texas and we all shot really nice bucks, and Mason shot a nice buck [it was Christmas time]. We had cowboy hats and we had a 'gunfight,' and that was just a blast. Everyone had a good time. Charles was a great host. We all ate good. Spent time in the blinds, and everybody shot a buck. It's hard to find places that will accommodate all three of us, plus three camera guys. So, we didn't always get to do that because it is a lot for an outfitter to take us on. But, for me, when all three of us [were] together, those are my favorite times. The times we had in Kansas at Hooray Ranch. Shot some great deer there. You shot some big ones [motioning toward Waddell], and you shot some nice bucks [motioning toward T-Bone]. 'Mongo,' you know the big 'Mongo' buck [again motioning to T-Bone]. I mean, we all three shot great deer. I like those times the best, because all three of us were there, and there was so much excitement, and we were happy for each other. Plus, when you've got three guys hunting in camp you have better odds of somebody getting one, and then you celebrate. Celebration is a big part of it," Mundt finished.
"Waddell and I talk about this a lot," T-Bone added. "You think back on a hunt and try to reminisce and remember everything about it, but it's always the times or the jokes or the things that happen that mean as much if not more than any critter I killed. Like, just talking about us going to Texas. Remember, well, we went there a couple times, but one time we met in Dallas. We had an event we had to do for Chevrolet. They were unveiling the new 1500 Chevrolet truck. So, rather than flying from Dallas to South Texas we decided to rent a car and drive all that way, and it was our first experience at a Buc-ee's – this was years ago – and then we all bought those hats, and we got pictures of that… Another time that we went, we couldn't get a rental car, so we got a cargo van [a 15-passenger van, Waddell interjects] and we went through the Sonic drive-thru [Mundt mimics T-Bone feeding a foot-long hot dog into his mouth]. They call it a 'Coney,'" T-Bone said with a grin.
"We'd all decided – we told them before we got there – that we were going to do 'Ugly Sweater Christmas' [at TC Outfitters in Texas] and we all had to dress up in ugly sweaters, and then we had gifts and stuff that we gave to each other and then, like you all had mentioned earlier, we did the 'gunfight'. Gawd, that was funny! I mean, I liked that as much as any time I've watched Tombstone."
"We've been to a lot of great outfitters," T-Bone continued, when prompted by Mundt to talk about his 'redneck bucket list elk hunt' at R&K Outfitters in Utah. "Something that stands out to me, we've been to a lot of great outfitters, and they all do a really good job but, I don't know, Dave and Dobie [veteran guides] and Daniel [R&K Founder Daniel Richins], they all just stood out to me as definitely top of the heap. And they were so accommodating. You know, I ain't made for no 11,000 feet and hiking 8 miles a day. That ain't me, but we got up there, and the air was light – I kept a headache the whole time I was there it seemed like. Me and Daniel, going in and going out, we had the best time. I still keep in touch with those guys all the time. [Mundt talks about how T-Bone accidentally broke the window on their truck with the winch cable.] I remember that. When I killed the elk, I told Dave and them, 'You're looking at like 45 years of thinking about that and dreaming about that and like not ever thinking I'd be able to do that – one, because of my size and then two, because of my financial structure. When you're younger, you know, you're like, 'I'm never going to be able to afford to do that.' And then, for me to be on the side of that mountain. I told them, I said, 'Boys,' because there's always a rush, you know what I mean, it seems like when you kill, it's like, 'Okay, we got to hurry up and take a picture, we got to hurry up to get it gutted, we got to hurry up…' So, I was like, 'Boys, can we just stop right here, not take no pictures, just chill right here and just kind of talk and reminisce about this for about 20 minutes.'"
"I was so proud of myself for doing that," T-Bone continued, "because there are so many times… I've seen you smoke a cigar around it [motioning to Waddell] and I wish I'd had a cigar. I mean, just to soak that in rather than rush, rush, rush, rush, rush. I'm like, 'Ain't nothing going to change if we take 20 minutes, 30 minutes, to just sit on a log and just reminisce about the hunt and just absorb everything, the smells, the sounds, replay the shot in your head, him calling, Dave running over the hill, all that, and just really let it sink in so that it's pounded into your hard drive. And I'm so glad that I did that, and because of my age, I would do that more now than what we did in the early days because you feel like it's such a job, us filming and hunting and stuff. It's like, there's more to think of than just, 'Let's throw it in the truck and we'll get it in the freezer.' There's a lot of responsibilities of B-roll and things like that, and you sometimes lose sight of how important that hunt is, and it is to everybody in the group, because I've never killed a critter that I didn't think that everybody that was with me was a part of it. Whether it's the outfitters, Waddell, Bone Collector taking us there, camera guys, I want to be appreciative, and I want to absorb that. No kill I've ever done – I may be the hitman, but no kill has ever been a me – it was a we."
The Michael Waddell Podcast is produced by Outdoor Sportsman Group and is available widely on Outdoor Channel YouTube, MyOutdoorTV, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and OutdoorChannel.com, to name a few.
While Waddell, Mundt, and T-Bone are each accomplished DIY hunters in their own right and have done plenty of public-land hunting, they often hunt with outfitters, and during this podcast they take a deep dive on aspects of ego and pride that often play a role in hunting and can either negatively or positively affect a hunt's outcome, whether hunting with a guide or alone.
"What you said in the beginning, I think, is a good lesson in team building," said Mundt. "So, you know, take the Chicago Bulls [the NBA championship team of the '90s], for instance. Not everybody's a super-star. Not everybody is scoring 40 points a game like Michael Jordan. Scottie [Pippen] would pitch in his 20 points. [Dennis] Rodman was known for playing defense and getting boards. Luc Longley would clear people out of the lane so that Rodman could get the boards. But, knowing your role, and having role players, and building a team, and everybody working towards the same goal. I think that's a good lesson in team building, and that's what I learned at Realtree – you've got all these people doing different things, from the guys in the back editing, even in our organization, you've got the guys running the camera, Cohen [Stone] and Jason Hunstman are editing the stuff, out in the front side we've got Ryan[Wakenigg] running the social media and Jackson [Bishop] doing the behind the scenes, selling ads and running the company, and it just works as a cohesive unit, and everybody kind of knows their role and knows what it takes to get the job done, and I think that's a big part of a successful outfit."
"Well, I can tell you another thing," T-Bone added. "As we're getting older, how that comes to what you get out of a hunt, so to speak. Each hunt is different. Where, if you're doing it on your own, there's a pride factor in there for doing it on your own. If you're going to an outfitter, or you're going to some other places to hunt, your like, 'Hey, this isn't going to be 100 percent on me, but that's okay,' you know what I mean? 'I'm immersed in this guy's land; he has invited me here. Or, I'm with an outfitter; I'm going to let him do what he does best. I'm going to show him that I've got some skills here, and then we, we are going to do it together, and we're going to have a good time doing it.' And it has gotten to the point now, and I'm sure you all feel the same way [when you're] taking your kids hunting…the last couple years since I've been doing most of my hunting here, usually once or twice a year we'll invite somebody with special needs or something wrong with them and bring them in and let them hunt for three or four days; or someone who is not as fortunate to hunt nice private land and bring them in and share camp with them. I get just as much excitement out of them, like we would when we were in our 20s, watching their excitement and appreciation for getting to share camp. So, that's another facet of how you can have pride. I didn't pull the trigger, but I had as much pride and as much fun sharing what we've been so fortunate to build, and [the] deer that we have, and it makes you feel so good to introduce somebody to the sport and to have them have the same feels that we had when we were younger."
"I'm so happy that the Bone Collector crew was able to gather once more at T-Bone's place," said Waddell, "and I hope that listeners enjoyed reminiscing with us, getting a peek into how we think about what we do, and watching us cut up and have fun. We were just kids when we first met, and we still act like kids and enjoy each other's company all these years later. Nick and T-Bone and their families are family to me, and I know they feel the same way. I'm so proud of what we built together, and while admittedly we've all gone through some difficult seasons in life, we know that we've got each other and the best days of this hunting season are ahead of us."
The Michael Waddell Podcast releases new episodes every other week.
Waddell's story began in the backwoods of Booger Bottom, Georgia, where he grew up surrounded by nature, family, and a love for the outdoors. A self-proclaimed "rowdy redneck," his passion for hunting and storytelling led him to win a Realtree turkey-calling contest, which launched his career in the outdoor industry. From guiding and filming hunts to creating hit shows like Realtree Road Trips and Bone Collector, Waddell has become a beloved figure in the outdoor world.
About Outdoor Sportsman Group: Outdoor Sportsman Group is comprised of the world's foremost media and entertainment brands for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It includes four leading multichannel networks: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and GAME & FISH TV, a dynamic new Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channel dedicated to sports enthusiasts and outdoor lovers. Additionally, Outdoor Sportsman Group operates Sportsman Channel (Canada) and MOTV, the world's leading subscription streaming platform created for outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts. The Group also consists of numerous established publishing assets, including 14 outdoor magazines such as Guns & Ammo, Game & Fish, Petersen's HUNTING, and In-Fisherman, along with 20 top websites. Outdoor Sportsman Group also includes television production operations through Winnercomm. For more information, visit www.outdoorsg.com.