Whitetail expert Troy Pottenger join me with his two sons, Jess and Ty.
For longer than I can remember, I’ve had this growing concern over the future of hunting. Numbers in hunting participation is slowly dwindling, the anti-hunting movement is growing stronger, and most of America’s youth seems to be more interested in video games and participation trophies over timeless memories in the wild mountains of the West.
On top of that, the old-fashioned grit of the American male has been over taken by these hyper-feminine pansies, rooted in the Hollywood elite who wouldn’t survive ten minutes in the grizzly infested backcountry that surrounds my home. I can picture a man from our Greatest Generation observing from heaven, pondering the males of today that can’t change a tire or gut a trout. They squeak about their soured feelings and tout the benefits of government hand-outs.
How disappointing it must be for them.
American men should be stoic, self-reliant, and steady in the face of hard times or evil. The hardier breed of past men is seemingly a blurry glow in the rear view mirror, and my concerns have been growing louder over the years. The strength and fortitude required to build and maintain a great nation is getting lost in the latest Bachelor episode and identity politics. I thought we were doomed.
Until I met Troy Pottenger and his two sons, that is.
Troy and his wife are educators and parents who have raised their family outside of town in rural North Idaho. Troy is perhaps one of the top five whitetail hunters in the world. This is my assessment, not his. His hunting stats, knowledge, and prolific success hunting in some of the nastiest backcountry on God’s green earth will loudly speak in support of my wild claim. I’m a lifelong hunter and student of the outdoors, and feel confident that I can make such an assessment.
In this, they have raised two excellent sons who have single handedly restored my level of faith in our youth. I was fortunate enough to have them join me in the studio for the last two podcast episodes.
Jess Pottenger, 18, is a world class bass fisherman complete with sponsorships and hard earned tournament trophies.
Ty Pottenger, 16, is currently awaiting verification for two record whitetails for the State of Washington. Of which, he put the smack down on with a bow on public land.
These young men impressed me, and I’m not easily impressed. Not only can they both out-fish AND out-hunt yours truly, they are extremely well-mannered, polite, articulate, and goal oriented. We discuss many different adventures from backcountry hunting to hitting the lake in their own boat before they were teenagers.
A key take-away in my interview with Troy, Jess, and Ty was that our youth have so much to offer the hunting community. Troy talks about the importance of spending time with our kids, and teaching them the value of hard work and determination. It certainly stuck with Jess and Ty.
We recorded for two and half hours. Thus, I broke the episodes into two. Obviously, listening to them in order will surely be the only way to go. You’ll not be disappointed.
If you have a passion for hunting whitetail bucks on public land and in the mountains, you’re going to love these podcast episodes. We dive into learning to use the wind, deer vocalizations, strategies, locating mature bucks, and many more details.
Troy Pottenger has several sponsors that can be found here:
https://www.nimrodpacksystems.com/
Hoffman Boots (one of my favorite!)
Check out the episodes here, or find them in your favorite podcast app!
Jim Huntsman
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