Bowyer Podcast

In this special episode of  The Bowyer Podcast, Matthew t and his family and friends embark on what's dubbed 'The Gentleman's Hunt' in Southeastern Montana. Unlike their typical bow hunting topics, this episode focuses on their rifle hunt adventure aimed at fellowship and lowering barriers to outdoor activities. The group shares stories of their first successful elk hunts, the beauty of Montana's...

In this episode of The Bowers Podcast, host Matthew Morris sits down with repeat guest Gene Hopkins for a deep dive on Will “Chief” Compton. They discuss the somewhat, by-chance meetings of four Icons Pope, Young, Ishi, and Compton and how their friendship shaped the sport that we enjoy so much today. Gene and Matthew chat about the importance of mentors, and the bright future of our younger tradi...

In this episode of The Bowers Podcast, host Matthew Morris introduces Sarah Ward, a young and passionate traditional bow hunter from Oklahoma. Sarah shares her adventures and experiences, ranging from her first bow, a toy from her childhood, to her journey struggling and succeeding in hunting with a traditional bow. She recounts the thrill and emotional rollercoaster of hunting a massive buck she...

In this episode of The Bower Podcast, host Matthew Morris interviews Joe Kondelis, president of the American Bear Foundation. They discuss Joe's early fascination with bears, driven by their complexity and the challenge of hunting, which led to his involvement in bear conservation and hunting advocacy. Joe explains the history and mission of the American Bear Foundation, focusing on their efforts...

In the latest podcast episode, Matthew engages in a conversation with Weylin Olive from SwiftWood Bows. They discuss Weylin’s bow making techniques, personal hunting experiences, and share insights on how seasonal changes affect hunting. They also talk about bow-making courses, the importance of mentoring, and the value of investing time in traditional crafts. Find Weylin at: Instagram:@swiftwoodb...

Josh Smith is a family man, outdoorsman, and the big chief behind Montana Knife Company (MKC). MKC takes pride in a lifelong relationship with their customers to ensure their knives will be passed down for generations. They are committed to giving back to our veterans, communities & the conservation of wild game, its habitat & hunting access. Josh and Matthew dive into Josh’s origin story, and how...

Matt Zirnsak is a family man, outdoorsman, avid traditional archer, and perhaps the original gangster of traditional bowhunting podcasts. Matt is an outstanding steward of our sport and has expanded The Push Archery from a small radio show to providing comprehensive online courses, content, and merchandise which you can use on the range and in the field.  Find Matt at: Instagram:@thepusharchery Yo...

In Episode 70 of The Bowyer Podcast, host Matthew Morris interviews historian Gene Hopkins—recognized historian for Compton Traditional Bowhunters and the National Archery Museum. This third volume of our Icons of Traditional Bowhunting series explores Ishi, his remarkable craftsmanship, his cultural legacy, and his enduring influence on traditional archery and bowhunting history. A must-listen fo...

On this episode, host Matthew Morris sits down once again with his friend and bowmaking mentor, Correy Hawk of the Organic Archery School of Bowmaking. This is the second time Matthew has interviewed Correy — and also the second time he’s attended one of Correy’s bowmaking courses. This time, Matthew took the Advanced Course, crafting a stunning Seneca-inspired longbow. Correy, a traditional bow h...

In part two of our Arizona Bear Hunt recap, Matthew and Cody break down the final few days of their adventure. Over the course of five days, they treed ten bears and had an incredible experience exploring the rugged landscapes of southern Arizona. Do we hunt bears as part of a well-managed predator control plan? Absolutely — responsible predator management is essential for maintaining a balanced a...

In this episode, host Matthew Morris sits down for a fireside chat at bear camp, joined by guides Paul Nagengast, Cody Anderson, and Ira Hook, along with fellow hunters Ryan and Donovan. The conversation captures the first few days of their bear camp adventure in southern Arizona — a hunt full of firsts. It’s Matthew’s first time hunting bears with hounds, and it’s also the first time the talented...

Host Matthew Morris sits down with Mark Hoeksema, the voice behind the Stickbow Country Podcast. Mark’s show dives deep into the world of traditional archery, featuring insightful conversations and an impressive line-up of guests from across the archery community. Beyond the mic, Mark is a dedicated family man, an arrow fletcher, and avid bowhunter, pursuing all kinds of big game — from black bear...

Jeff Hairston is a family man, strength coach, and traditional bowhunter. While he was raised in a hunting family, grown-up obligations such as career and raising a family of his own took him out of the field for some time. Jeff picked up the traditional bow only a few years ago, and really dove deep! He just returned from a hunting trip among friends and mentors in South Africa. Listen in as Jeff...

Todd Howard is a traditional archery instructor, acupuncturist, and martial artist. After spending 15 years serving as the president and founder of one of the world's most recognized holistic medicine colleges in Victoria, Canada, he now spends much of his time in Costa Rica surfing, skating, practicing Brazilian jiujitsu, and travelling with his children.  He and his 15-year-old daughter, Ela, ar...

On this episode, Matthew sits down with his friend Greg Krause. The two first connected through social media over their shared passions for building self bows, chasing whitetails and bears, and raising wholesome families. After years of being pen pals, they finally had the chance to shoot together at this year’s ETAR, where they enjoyed good fellowship and plenty of laughs. In this conversation, G...

This week Matthew sits down with Lee Hinton, president of the Barefoot Traditional Archers in Burlington, North Carolina. Lee is a prolific whitetail hunter, former IBO World Champion, and a dedicated steward of traditional archery. Gathered around the campfire after a 3D archery shoot, the two dive into fellowship, hunting, and Lee’s personal journey through the world of traditional archery. Find...

In this episode, we sit down once again with bowhunting historian Gene Hopkins for the second installment of Icons of Traditional Bowhunting. Gene and Matthew explore the importance of preserving bowhunting heritage by documenting the stories of legendary figures like Saxton Pope, Ishi, Art Young, and Will Compton. Many of our traditional bowhunting forefathers left little written record of their...

Korey Meadows is a husband, father, man of faith, and entrepreneur. Korey is the man behind NC-based EL&B Outdoors, maker of the wedgehead broadhead, a precision machined, high carbon steel, two blade broadhead. Korey and Matthew discuss their journeys into traditional archery, a recent shoot with Barefoot Traditional Archery, and plans for the 2025 whitetail season. Korey is a great dude, and we...

On this episode Matthew sits down with long-time traditional bowhunter Jim Eeckhout. Jim is a Michigan native and grew up in Fred Bear country. Jim has successfully hunted all sorts of North American big game to include whitetail deer, black bear, mountain goat, caribou, and a whole bunch of other big game critters. Jim has also served as President of Michigan Traditional Bowhunters, and still pla...

Matthew Morris and  Neil Byce III discussed Bear Archery's legacy of making archery accessible and affordable, highlighting its manufacturing history and Neil’s family's deep involvement, including his father's contributions to research and development and his own early career and mentorship by Fred Bear. Neil details Bear Archery's product development, successful reintroductions like the '59 Kodi...

I've been following our guest, Cody D’Aquisto, and his father on YouTube and Instagram for several years, and I’m continually impressed by their relentless innovation in the hunting space. What stands out even more is Cody’s ability to juggle it all—running a successful business, hosting whitetail clinics, and raising a family. For that, I have a deep respect and admiration for the man. Cody is a...

Today’s guest is Jim Neaves — a master bowyer with more than three decades of experience under his belt, despite being just shy of 50. Jim began his journey crafting selfbows, but eventually found his true calling in building beautifully designed, lightning-fast laminated recurves and longbows. From his shop in Montana, he runs Centaur Archery — a small, self-owned company built on his lifelong pa...

In this episode Matthew is joined by  Bill Vanderheyden — accomplished bowhunter, engineer, innovator, and the driving force behind Iron Will Outfitters. If you've spent any time in the mountains with a stick and string, you've likely heard the name Iron Will — synonymous with rugged, high-performance hunting gear. From their precision broadheads to purpose-built knives, Iron Will is known for gea...

This is a special episode of the Bowyer Podcast — one that goes beyond bows, broadheads, and backstraps. Charles Whitwam and I hope to shed light on a variety of pressing conservation issues… and dare I say it — the growing oppression of hunter rights. Charles Whitwam, Founder and President of Howl for Wildlife — an organization that’s fighting to protect science-based wildlife management across N...

Mark Sasser is a California-based traditional bowhunter, co-owner of Bwana Bows, and an all-around good dude. In this episode, Matthew and Mark dive into the often-overlooked world of bowhunting in California, exploring the state’s diverse terrain and abundant game. They also recap Mark’s recent black bear hunt in Manitoba, sharing stories from the field and insights into gear, preparation, and th...