Silvercore Podcast 189 Casey Braam

[00:00:00] Travis Bader: Over 100 episodes later. In episode 88, today's guest showed us how an artist sees the wilderness differently than the rest of us. Now, in episode 189, he's inviting you to do the same. He's hiking into wild places and he's painting what he finds, and he's posting clues online and on social media, and the first person to figure out where he is and hike out to him gets that painting for free.

The reason he's doing it might surprise you. Welcome back to the Silvercore Podcast, my friend Casey Brom 

[00:00:45] Casey Braam: Yeah, great to be here. 

[00:00:47] Travis Bader: KC, it's, uh, it's been a bit, 100, 101 episodes later. You were number 88, now it's 189. Lot's happened since then. 

[00:00:56] Casey Braam: Yeah, I think that that's a little bit crazy. You know, I'm just kinda like in the studio.

[00:01:00] We recorded right here last time, um, I had the table behind me. 

[00:01:03] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[00:01:03] Casey Braam: And I, you know, thinking about that as I walked in here this morning, I'm like, you know, it feels like everything with time, I guess. It feels like yesterday and 100 years ago at the same time. Um- 

[00:01:11] Travis Bader: Yeah ... but, 

[00:01:12] Casey Braam: uh, yeah, that's just kinda how it goes I guess.

[00:01:14] Travis Bader: Yeah, you find it gets faster and faster as you get older, that time just doesn't have the same, uh... Like, when I was younger my summers would drag on forever, and now you blink and they're gone. 

[00:01:24] Casey Braam: Yeah, I think it's, it's both at the same time. Like, I think, like, moments can last longer 'cause you're better at being patient, but then, like, the overall arc of time goes faster.

That's, that's it for me anyway. Yeah. I feel like, yeah, a summer or a fall or whatever zips by and you hardly even notice that it happened, but like, you know, I find I'm more patient to enjoy actual moments. Mm-hmm. Um, so for, so those moments are longer, but overall it's just, you know, fast-forward keeps getting faster and faster.

[00:01:53] Travis Bader: Well, when we were in your studio at the table there recording, you had a couple of Boone and Crockett bear [00:02:00] skulls sitting on the table there. 

[00:02:01] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:02:02] Travis Bader: Pretty large. Yeah, one- They're, they're up there anyways ... 

[00:02:04] Casey Braam: right here now. 

[00:02:05] Travis Bader: Yeah? Yeah. 

[00:02:06] Casey Braam: Yeah, one's hanging up right here, right. It's staring at me. 

[00:02:08] Travis Bader: And you said, "Trav, if you wanna come out bear hunting, we should do it."

So last year headed up to your neck of the woods and, uh, went out on a little bear hunt together. Holy crow, did I ever have a great time with you. It was a hell of an adventure. 

[00:02:23] Casey Braam: Oh, awesome. Yeah. No, I'm happy you enjoyed it. You know, it's, it's... Yeah, I think, uh, it's a different experience every time. 

[00:02:31] Travis Bader: Yeah.

[00:02:31] Casey Braam: That's just hunting, I guess, um, or just getting outdoors and doing things. It's just so variable. But yeah, it was really fun, and it was cool to kinda... You know, 'cause we haven't hunted together, you've hunted in, you know, different situations than I have, it was... One of the things that I talk to people about, like, if I'm talking about that experience, I just talk about how, like, you know, your approach is a little bit different than mine, and we kinda had conversations as we went, like, you know, th- you know, "I would've done this," or, "I would've done that," or...

Um, and I find that really interesting, [00:03:00] 'cause it's like, yeah, you learn so much from someone if you're, if you're just kinda stepping outside of what your, you know, your normal routine of hunting or whatever it is. If there is a normal routine of hunting. Um- Yeah, good point ... but, uh, yeah, I, I found that really interesting to just kinda share that time with you and just kind of be experiencing it a little bit differently.

And also just showing you around. You know, like, it's an area I've spent lots of time in and, you know, you probably notice I'm pretty comfortable in those spaces, 'cause they're ones I've been to many times. 

[00:03:26] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:03:28] Casey Braam: Um, and yeah, so I think it was just a kind of cool experience for those reasons. 

[00:03:32] Travis Bader: Yeah, it was really neat.

I'd never been in that area before. It was a beautiful area. And yeah, there- I think there is more similarities between how we hunt than there were differences, but the little differences, obviously our eyes are tuned to pick up differences quickly. Yeah. And all, all the little differ- like for example, you'll step in every pile of bear scat you see, whereas I'll use a stick to scrape Mm-hmm

each one of these things. Yeah. Little differences, that's okay. 

[00:03:59] Casey Braam: [00:04:00] Right. Yeah. 

[00:04:00] Travis Bader: Um, but, uh, we started incorporating each other's differences, and we both ended up being successful, incorporating both of the differences, which I thought, I thought was pretty neat. And not only successful, but successful within, what was it, like 20 minutes of each other?

[00:04:16] Casey Braam: Yeah. Actually, I was hunting again this spring in that same area, and I was kinda reliving like, you know, as we were like heading down that area, I was like, "You know what, like this is where I ended up taking my bear." And like, yeah, two corners later in that little draw there, there's where Travis got his bear, you know?

And so it's just kinda like so close together, really close together time. I look at my like, you know, my, my iHunter app, and it's like, okay, one pin's here, and if you're too zoomed out they overlap each other, you know? It's like, okay, yeah, that was, uh, pretty close quarters. And we, you know, you saw other bears while we sat and waited for bears to come out.

Yeah. We were hearing other bears even, it was later in the, you know, the spring season, so we heard bears fighting off in the bush. And yeah, I just kinda was [00:05:00] reliving that a bit this year, 'cause we hunted the same area. And my brother actually ended up taking a bear- Not 500 yards from where you took yours, 

[00:05:07] Travis Bader: uh Seriously Yeah.

[00:05:08] Casey Braam: I 

[00:05:09] Travis Bader: mean, that- that's a prime spot. When we came around that area, you spotted one right away, and- Hm ... next thing you know, you're in the bush going after this thing. I'd be like, "What are you doing," right? Like, there's a difference, right? There's a little, little difference between the way we play. Like, you say, "Well, normally I wouldn't do it, but it was, it was so close, and it was so...

Uh, it was... I could taste it. It was right there." 

[00:05:30] Casey Braam: Yeah, and I think part of it for me is, and we talked about this on the trip, is like I used to hunt to hunt and get something. Hm. And, and like I still get stuff, but I, I hunt in a very different way. It was very much like goal, like we're going out, we're gonna get a bear, and now it's like I wanna like, you know, have some experiences.

So I love doing things that like, you know, if you read the rule book on how you should hunt most successfully- ... it's like this is not what you should be doing. But it's like it's really fun. So the bear, the bear, what had happened is the bear kind of bumped off of the road we [00:06:00] were on, and, you know, I was just like, "Okay, I'm gonna go into the thick jungle and just like see how close I can get to him," 'cause I know that he just went in and stopped, 'cause that's what they always do.

Mm-hmm. I was like, "I'm gonna go see if I can walk right up on him," and that would be a cool way to get a bear. And it's like that's more about it than like I need to get a bear, so I need to do it right. It was more like let's... this will be more fun. Yeah. So I'm gonna do that. And so I don't know, and that's more how I operate these days than when I started.

[00:06:26] Travis Bader: Well, that, that introduced something different to me as well, and, you know, my comfort level of being around bears, I always figured was, you know, I'm pretty decent. I'm pretty comfortable around them. I've never hunted in the area where you've hunted, and you've got a very high comfort level just given the large amount of bears and large amount of exposure that you have there.

I'm like, "You know, I pro- I probably wouldn't have done that, but maybe, maybe I'll give it a shot. Maybe, maybe I'm being a little too cautious in, in my approach." And so we've... I've switched a few things up in how I [00:07:00] approach it. Got a, uh, heck of a nice bear this year and incorporated some of the same stuff that, uh, that you were doing.

So I've learned from you, incorporated some of this, and man, I, I got some stories we, we can share as well. And maybe we'll do it right here too about this year's hunt. That was, 

[00:07:17] Casey Braam: uh-

Yeah, no, 

[00:07:32] Travis Bader: I'd, I'd love to hear it. I mean, hunting stories, I mean- ... that's a, that's a tradition as old as time, I guess. And, uh, yeah. So any... Yeah, if you want to share anything about... And I got lots of spring bear stories. We had a heck of a year here in Terrace with kind of my hunting crew, and yeah. But yeah, there we go.

How, how did it work out for you up there? You... So you went to the same area? 

[00:07:35] Casey Braam: Oh, yeah. We went to the same area a couple of different... well, three different times I went up there this year. Yeah. Um, I hunt a lot with my dad and my brother and my, uh, and my nephew, so we went up there. It's kinda funny. We'd been up there before.

Um, my dad had been up by himself, um, and taken a nice boar, I don't know, two weeks before, and then my dad and I went up again, uh, with just me and [00:08:00] him, and then I managed to get my first bear of the year. Um, a nice mature boar. Not my biggest bear or anything, but like a nice mature boar still. You know, anywhere else in the world people would be over the moon with it, but it's kind of here it's like, "Yeah, typical adult male bear," you know?

You know? But it's like, "Yeah, he's probably around, just around 300 pounds, so he's probably... He's not that big," you know? And kind of like, you know, for us we're so spoiled and... But anyway, so it was like a, a r- a nice boar. Anywhere else in the world, yeah, they would've been... You know, I watch these shows where talking- It's a 

[00:08:31] Travis Bader: monster

[00:08:33] Casey Braam: in the lower, in the lower 48 and they're like, "Oh, I'm- I've shot one six-foot bear before." And it's like, here it's like, "Well, if it's not a six-footer, like maybe don't take it. Like you'll find a better one this afternoon or whatever." So kind of a different story, right? 

[00:08:45] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[00:08:46] Casey Braam: Um, and so anyways, I took my first bear of the year, uh, in that same area again.

And then it's like, okay, well, we knew, and we saw lots of other bears that day. I think we saw 11 bears that day. Um- [00:09:00] 11. Holy crow. At least five of which would've been shooters, but we had, you know, bumped some out and that sort of thing and just, you know, bears are so sensitive to smell. 

[00:09:07] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:09:09] Casey Braam: And so we're like, "Well, we gotta go back up there 'cause we know where this bear is, this bear is, this bear is."

And then I went up with my, yeah, my dad and my brother and my nephew, and we all went, and we took, yeah, a couple of really big boars, um, in the matter of an afternoon. And my brother's and mine were both funny. Like, we knew where these bears were. You know, like they're in this area, they're feeding on this area.

So we're like, we like went out with a mission, and it never seems to work that way, right? You know where one is, you go there, and they're usually like not exactly where you expected them to be. But these two bears were literally within like 100 yards of where we expected them to be, and we went in there and got both of them and like were home, you know, for dinner sort of thing, you know?

It was like, it was really bizarre. Like f- for my bear, which was probably my second-biggest bear ever that I got this year, the second bear of this year, um, it was like, okay, we're gonna walk up [00:10:00] this hill. We're gonna get to that logging block. We're gonna look down this area, and we're gonna ... The bear's gonna be standing there.

We're gonna see him. We're gonna walk down. There's this like kinda plowed-up berm in the logging scar down there. We're gonna stand behind that, creep down, and shoot him, and it's, that's how it's gonna work out. And I like planned this for like two weeks in my brain. It's like, "That's how it's gonna go." And the wind's gonna be this way because it's gonna be that time of day.

And literally, like it was step by step exactly. Like, I walked to where I was hoping to be, peaked around the tree. He's there. Let's turn around, go back down. My brother and I stopped there. I'm like, "Let's get behind that berm." Hike behind the berm. Stand up. Put my rifle on shooting sticks and it's like 110 yards and you stand right there and it's just like everything went almost too perfect.

'Cause it's kinda like you planned it all out and then it's like literally to the step exactly how it went. And- 

[00:10:47] Travis Bader: Whenever those things happen, I always wonder, are we in the matrix? Are we making our own like- Yeah. How do I- Like, they talk about manifest destiny, but- 

[00:10:56] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[00:10:56] Travis Bader: how much of this is us actually creating the situation?[00:11:00] 

[00:11:00] Casey Braam: I think a lot of it is just experience in the field, right? Like, I've been doing this a while and I get a lot of time in the field, 'cause I love to go bear hunting with friends and, and I hunt a lot myself. And it's kinda like you understand, you know, like, like that exact story. I knew my vantages 'cause I've been there lots of times.

I'm like, from here I can see this spot and that bear feeds there this time of day, right? So it's kind of like I already know that, so I've built that picture in my mind. And I know, okay, if the sun is shining and I check the weather, yeah, it's supposed to be shining. The wind's gonna be going this way at that time of day.

Mm. So you kinda like already have so much of the information in place. One, big time, is knowledge of the area, and then two is gonna be like, yeah, knowledge of thermals and all, you know, what bears are sensitive to and how to judge a bear and all that. And it's kinda like it feels like manifesting it, but it's also like just the science of it too.

It's like you did all the calculations, right? It's like sun's gonna be shining here that time of day. Thermals are gonna be going this way. If I'm here, he's not gonna see me, so I've covered that too and then I'm, you know... [00:12:00] And so it's kinda like... But the fact that the bear was standing exactly where we expected it to be standing was a little bit bizarre, but, um- 

[00:12:06] Travis Bader: Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Do you... That's really cool. Do you- Yeah ... will you go out to your usual spots which you know and then, 'cause you're allowed two bears in BC for a season, unless you're a trapper, then you can take two more, and you have to trap with a shotgun or a rifle, which is kinda counterintuitive. It just sounds like- Yeah

hunt- hunting again. Yeah. But, but, um, will you go out to a completely brand-new spot for your second bear just so you can have a new experience or a new learning environment? 

[00:12:35] Casey Braam: Um, I have in the past, and I kinda mix it up every year. But if, if there's like, you know, this bear we approached this year is like a bear we knew was there, um, and it was like a really good feed area, so it's like he's gonna be...

He's not going anywhere all spring. 

[00:12:51] Travis Bader: Mm. 

[00:12:51] Casey Braam: So, you know, if you see a bear of that quality there, you know, it's kinda like- Yeah, why would I go, you know, do something else? [00:13:00] 'Cause the experience there is gonna be taking a really big bear- 

[00:13:03] Travis Bader: Hmm ... 

[00:13:03] Casey Braam: and a big old bear, which is, you know, good for the population and stuff too.

So it's kinda like, yeah, that's the experience in that case rather than- Hmm ... like, yeah, go big adventure. But it, I do typically kinda play it that way. Like, I take my first bear 'cause my freezer needs meat, you know? And the second bear is like, okay, either it's gotta be a giant- ... or it's gotta be some kinda cool, really ex- really cool experience, or I'll just hang on to that fall, you know, for a fall bear, onto that tag for a fall bear.

So that's kinda how I play it, but yeah. 

[00:13:32] Travis Bader: So would you say that bear would be sort of the animal that you know the best when you're out hunting, or- 

[00:13:38] Casey Braam: Oh, 100%. 

[00:13:39] Travis Bader: Yeah? 

[00:13:39] Casey Braam: Yeah. Like, you know, uh, you know, I've taken a lotta bears in the last bunch of years, and, and we consistently get to see a lotta bears. Um, like one year I was started counting.

I'm like, "How many bears do I pass on before I shoot one?" And it was a year where I just got out a lot. And I think I passed on, like, 16 bears before I shot one. [00:14:00] Wow. Yeah, it's just like you see a lot of bears, and y- you, uh, start getting better, and th- that changes the experience too, right? 

[00:14:08] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:14:08] Casey Braam: But yeah. 

[00:14:09] Travis Bader: I, I've, I've got an idea, and, uh, you, you let me know.

I've, I've got this idea. With the podcast, I've been trying something out, and I've got these downloadable assets that people can download at the end of the podcast. And last one I did was with the National Firearms Association, and we were talking about authorizations to carry. And people all over Canada look at an authorization to carry as something that you just can't obtain, that they don't give out, which is entirely untrue.

If you've got a lawful purpose to get a, to carry a handgun out in the bush, and I outline what a lawful purpose is in, in this guide I put together, you'll probably be issued an authorization to carry if you go through the proper steps. So I made a downloadable guide for people to get an authorization to carry a handgun.

Mm-hmm. People can check it out. I'm wondering if, uh, after we're done here, you and I sit down, and we put together [00:15:00] the, uh, the Casey Brom tips to seeing bears, which people can use for if they're into hunting, if they're into photography, or if they wanna stay away from bears altogether. Yeah. They can use that as a, uh, as a guide to, uh, staying safe in the backcountry.

You game for something like that? 

[00:15:16] Casey Braam: Yeah, and I'd say, I mean, that sounds great. And I think to add to it, we could talk about how to, um, judge bears. Oh, yeah. And that's kinda something for hunters, but also something... You know, it's so funny. You'll see, like in a community post, you know, on Facebook or whatever, everyone's like, "Oh, there's a 400-pound bear in my backyard."

[00:15:34] Travis Bader: Mm. 

[00:15:34] Casey Braam: And sh- it's like, "Nah, it's 150-pound bear," you know? It's kinda like, just general- And I think it's so funny that people get, like every bear's a giant, and black bears are s- notoriously hard to judge.  

[00:15:45] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[00:15:45] Casey Braam: Um, but I think a little, a little chat about that in there too, just kinda like, you know, what, what it actually is a big bear, um, and what do they look like.

And that can be, yeah, totally, s- how to see bears and h- how to see bears. Two different ways of looking at it, I guess. Yeah. 

[00:15:59] Travis Bader: [00:16:00] Yeah. And that's- 

[00:16:01] Casey Braam: Yeah ... and, 

[00:16:02] Travis Bader: you know, a lot of bears will exper- a lot of people experience ground shrinkage with their bears. It was a 400-pounder for sure. Uh, maybe not when you get closer.

Mm-hmm. And they're hard. It can be hard to judge. 

[00:16:13] Casey Braam: Very much, yeah. Yeah. 

[00:16:14] Travis Bader: Okay. Yeah. We'll, we'll do that as a, uh, a separate downloadable guide afterwards. Let's, uh- Yeah ... uh, go through that one. 

[00:16:20] Casey Braam: I, I like that. 

[00:16:22] Travis Bader: I, um, so I think, uh, Tiffany might be getting a little, uh, bear shy based on the, uh, um, situations that, uh, I've been putting her in.

Yeah. And, uh, you know, we had that, uh, mama and, uh, its cub come up pretty close to us when we were with you there that last year- Yeah ... and hopping and popping and then- And, uh, of course Tiff and I are there. We both have rifles and I was like, "Look, we're not moving. Let's just stand our ground. We've got the rifles up.

We're slowly talking to mama. Okay, Mama, we're no threat." She had no clue that her [00:17:00] cub had already kinda walked through there and then walked away, and she kind of bumbled in afterwards and was trying to figure things out. And so we're like, "Well, hope you, hope your nose is good enough that you can figure out the bear's not, your little cub's not here."

So that was a little bit of a, um, hair-raising experience for her. 

[00:17:15] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:17:16] Travis Bader: And, um, we had a, uh, a hunt and, you know, that was, that was pretty close. That was, you know- Right ... 15 yards or so away when its head pops out. Yeah. And, um- We had a, uh, an interesting hunt this year. So I went out to a spot where I've been before, and I've had success before.

But, you know, every year you go, you're like, "Am I too late? I don't know. Should I have, like, gone earlier?" So, uh, this year I'm like, "I'm gonna just go stupid early, and I'm gonna see what it looks like, and, uh, start plotting the land out." So went with a friend and went up really early. I think it was six bears in one day we ended up seeing, uh, which is decent.

And two of 'em- Yeah ... two of 'em were, uh, were shooters, [00:18:00] and, um, but they skedaddled pretty quick and didn't stick around for the show. Um, so w- we had a great trip, great time covering a lot of country, both on, uh, side by side and on foot. And, um, then, uh ... But went home without any meat. Went back a few weeks later with, uh, with Tiffany, and we just weren't seeing anything in all of our regular spots.

It's like, this is, this is really odd, right? 

[00:18:28] Casey Braam: Mm. 

[00:18:29] Travis Bader: And, uh, after about day three, we thought, "Okay, let's just try a different area altogether." And in our different area that we went to, I ended up seeing... I forget. I... People, if they really want the full story, they should listen to the Wild Kitchen podcast- Okay

'cause that's Tiffany's podcast, and it was fresh in my memory. We told the, told the whole story of that hunt, and, uh, it was, was pretty interesting. But we ended up seeing a, uh, um, a sow and a cub. And then, okay, well, that's good. We're seeing stuff [00:19:00] around here. But obviously can't take a, uh, a bear in the company of others.

And we're driving around another section, it's like, we should really get out and walk. Like, this is an area, feels good. We didn't, and we ended up bumping a, a decent boar, and saw a nice color phase boar in this one area. Sat up on it for a while, nothing. Had a nap. Uh, drove up to an area, had a bit of a nap in the truck, and just drifting off, and we hear this unmistakable sound of something large walking through the, uh, through the woods.

And okay, I guess we're up. Here we go. How do we get out of the truck nice and quiet? 'Cause it's not like in the States where they can have loaded firearms in- Right ... in vehicles. And, and, uh, Tiff sets up a ways off, and she's overwatch, and I'm doing the Casey Braum, and I'm waiting for the thing to, uh, come up within about 15, 20 yards of me.

[00:19:54] Casey Braam: Yeah. Get close. 

[00:19:54] Travis Bader: There you go. Get, get close. I'm like, whatever, you know, a Casey could do it. And really most of the time these things [00:20:00] scare off. But as I'm standing there and there's this slash pile and I

can hear it moving around, it's the hillside that goes down, so it's in behind the slash pile and I'm thinking, well, it's, it's close, but it's probably not smelling me yet. It's moving around. And so I start walking closer after about 20 minutes to- Right ... peek over the side, and just as I'm doing it, it's coming up on the, on the hillside.

Right. So I start walking back again, 'cause I don't know is, if this is a grizzly. I don't know- Yeah ... if this is a mama with cubs. I, I, I got no clue, right? It sounds like one. 

[00:20:33] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:20:34] Travis Bader: Anyways, end up coming up about 15, 20 yards away from me and, uh We look at each other for a while. It was, it was a taker, but like you, you know, I'm, I'm gonna wait.

Even though I hadn't seen anything, it's not the one. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's right. And we just sat and we watched each other for a while, and then I gave it a little bit of a, "Okay, you can go now," and off it went. Yeah. 

[00:20:57] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:20:58] Travis Bader: But, uh, we [00:21:00] had a, um, back where we saw the, the color phase bear, when we set up, we're waiting for it, we, uh, we hiked up to the same spot on the clear cut.

We had parked back about two kilometers away because we wanted to be nice and stealthy and leave all the, all the smell as much as we can away. 

[00:21:17] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:21:17] Travis Bader: Hiking on the hillside, waiting for the thing to come in, and I got this, um, SAI Optics scope on it, and it's a low-power scope. And Tiffany was set up as the shooter, and I figured I'd just, you know, if it's in and it's close and it's fast, I'm there with a 308.

Right. 

[00:21:35] Casey Braam: Yeah, 

[00:21:35] Travis Bader: yeah. Got the, uh, 180 grain Bondstrakes from Norma in there, and I figured th- that'll be my job. Anyways, I'm like, "You know, I haven't, uh, used this scope too much. I'll take a little look through it." And Tiff's like, "Oh, is, do you see a bear?" And I'm like, I take the rifle down. I'm like, "Oh, yeah, actually I do," right?

Like I'd- I- i- in this smaller bear was walking our entire line, and this was, like, after we sat down, a couple minutes after we sat down, and I'm [00:22:00] just kinda playing around with my rifle- Yeah ... and making sure my sight lanes look good, right? And- 

[00:22:04] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[00:22:04] Travis Bader: and, uh, this smaller bear's come walking right up. It was gonna come right up to us.

And I was like, "Ah, I don't want this," right? And don't wanna ... anyways, it makes it halfway up the hill and then turns around and leaves. And then, um, and we're waiting there and waiting. And we figure we know where this color phase bear, and it was a good size boar, and, uh, where it would be coming up. And you know when you hear a noise but it just doesn't register?

[00:22:33] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:22:33] Travis Bader: Yeah, yeah. And, and I was, we were hearing this noise for a while, and then I'm just ... I look over at Tiff. I'm like, "Do you hear that?" She's like, "What?" I said, "It sounds kinda like a propeller." And you hear this... Yeah, yeah. Kind of a

sound. 

[00:22:48] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:22:48] Travis Bader: And, uh, she's like, "Yeah, actually I've been hearing that for a while." And it was a, it was a bear making this kind of a sound, which I don't know, I [00:23:00] haven't experienced something where you're sitting there for a while and there's a low sound, and it's just slowly getting louder and louder without hearing the cracks and the cricks of the, um- Yeah

so, uh, anyways, then we started hearing the cricks and the cracks. And she's not in a position that's, uh, good for, uh, uh, shooting. I stand up. I've got the rifle up. And I'm pointing at the shaking bushes, but I don't see anything. And then it's circling around us, trying to get our scent and- Yeah, yeah ... it was doing this for a while, and then it makes a boom, boom step forward into us.

Still don't see it, and then you hear this vroom, like as it's- Yeah, yeah ... as it's breathing out. 

[00:23:38] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:23:39] Travis Bader: And, uh, anyways, I look at Tiff and I'm like, um... Like we'd been doing this for some time, I don't know, 10 minutes or so of me just having the rifle up on bushes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And close bushes, but, but it was, uh, overgrown alders and, um, or just a clear cut where things are, everything's growing up.

And so I look [00:24:00] at her and at the, the expression on her face and I said, "Um, do you wanna move our position?" She's like, "Yes." Yeah, yeah. I'm like, "Okay, tell you what, you work your way down. There's so much dead fall. I'll, I'll stay cover here. You work your way down." 

[00:24:14] Casey Braam: Yeah. "

[00:24:14] Travis Bader: Get over this log. You cover. I'll do this thing."

And we did this little hopscotch sort of tactical retreat from this bear. 

[00:24:21] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, 

[00:24:21] Travis Bader: yeah. And I said, you know, "Just keep your eyes peeled because we've seen a few now in the area. There could be something in front of us." But we're making noise now and by our moving and crackling and- And I never heard this bear move from where it was.

It was up there, I know it was just doing its thing. No clue size- Yeah, yeah ... grizzly, black bear. Yeah. But we get back down from the clear cut onto this road section, and I look at Tiff and I s- look down the road and I'm like, "There's your boar," right? Yeah. And about 80 meters away there is a good size black, not the color [00:25:00] phase one we're looking for, uh, boar.

And, um, so, and I'm, I'm still standing up on a bit uneven ground. She's down. I, I said, "Well, just take a knee and make it a good shot." And- That's 

[00:25:12] Casey Braam: right, yeah ... 

[00:25:12] Travis Bader: anyways, she does, and I've never seen a bear go, just flatten the way that this thing did. Oh. Hit one round- Yeah ... and, and just completely over on its side.

And she was using, uh, 280 Ackley Improved, and that was with a, a rifle that, uh, IBI, International Barrels, had, uh, put together. 

[00:25:37] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:25:37] Travis Bader: Or I guess they're Internat- IBI Precision Systems now. They've renamed. 

[00:25:41] Casey Braam: Okay, yeah. 

[00:25:41] Travis Bader: And she quickly rechambered. She's gonna, uh, put another one with a follow-up. 

[00:25:45] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:25:46] Travis Bader: I'm like, "Holy crow, you, you got him."

I'm looking at her and so she kinda hesitated and didn't put a follow-up in, and then all of a sudden the thing kinda gets up and goes- Fuck ... over the side. I'm like, "Ah, damn it. Sorry Tiff, you were ready. I gave you false [00:26:00] confidence that the thing was down." And- 

[00:26:01] Casey Braam: Mm ... 

[00:26:02] Travis Bader: and, um, I said, "Okay, do you feel comfortable walking the 2K back to the truck?"

Like, at this point the sun had already set, or just had set. Oh, okay. And so we've got... You still got an hour of shooting time from, from sunset, but I said, "I'm gonna walk over and I'm just gonna listen. I don't wanna spook it further." It was a really steep, uh, embankment that goes down. Right, yeah. "I'm just gonna listen."

Yeah. So she's like, "Okay." So she walks the 2K back to the truck. I go over to where this thing went over and down the steep embankment. 'Cause in a situation like that, usually you just, you sit down and you wait half hour, 45 minutes or so, and then you go down and you're dealing with a dead animal that's not been full of adrenaline and- 

[00:26:44] Casey Braam: Right.

Yeah ... 

[00:26:44] Travis Bader: and as I'm listening for it, I can hear something large walking back up, and I think that was the original one that was- Oh ... kinda growling at us. I'm like- 

[00:26:52] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah ... "

[00:26:53] Travis Bader: Oh, man." The decision branching tree is now just like changing at every second. Sun's going down. It's [00:27:00] going down the hill. Anyway, she comes up in the truck.

I said, "Look a- be aware there's another one up there, and I'm gonna go down with my 308 and I'm gonna finish it off." 

[00:27:11] Casey Braam: Right. 

[00:27:12] Travis Bader: How do I get in here without spooking it further and trying to be so quiet, but it was dry and everything trickling and crackling. Of course, it spooks in further and its gravity's helping, and it's rolling down a hill and- 

[00:27:24] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah

[00:27:25] Travis Bader: anyways, I ended up catching up with it. Got a round through with the, um, with that Bondstrike, which is pretty neat round, and, uh, it, uh, double lung. You could hear a vroom as it goes out and- Uh, but still had enough juice to continue down further and further through down the hill. Yeah. And I think it was about 30 degrees or so that day during the day, but it cooling off during the night.

So, uh, by now it's getting dark. Get... I was like, "Man, I gotta go after this thing. I don't know if I'm gonna find the thing if once it gets dark [00:28:00] with a head torch on, and another bear up here, and a brown color phase that we saw earlier- Yeah ... right in this area." And, and, uh, anyways, ended up being able to catch up with it.

Sliced my knuckle off when I was at, uh she had a, uh, she had one of these Montana Knife Company, little knives, and um- 

[00:28:17] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[00:28:17] Travis Bader: she was on a women's retreat, and I'm opening it up, and one of the first things I do, and slice up, there it goes. I could see my bone and my tendon in there, but I could see that the tendon was intact and- 

[00:28:28] Casey Braam: Yeah

[00:28:29] Travis Bader: yeah, pulled a Casey there. And, um, and um, I think you did something similar when, uh, on our hunt too. 

[00:28:36] Casey Braam: I whacked open my thumb, I think, when we were out. But I was just, yeah, it was our second bear of the day, and it was getting dark. 

[00:28:43] Travis Bader: It was getting tired. 

[00:28:44] Casey Braam: That's right. That's right. Well, you know, that's, you know, whenever I see a bear and it gets hit and it falls just like flat, I'm more worried than if I see one, like, doing the spin or- 

[00:28:55] Travis Bader: Mm

or 莞. 

[00:28:56] Casey Braam: I like, you know, of bears that I've seen lost, [00:29:00] like never found, both of them dropped to the ground like that. Interesting. So I get really worried when I see bears do that. Um, it quite often'll mean, I don't know where your, the hit was on this one, but quite often it'll mean a hit too far forward and you've broken a leg, broken some ribs, but not lungs, you know.

And that's what I've seen in the past, is like they're going for the high shoulder and shoot too low, or they're trying for lung, but the bear's stepping forward and then they're hitting kind of in that void up front. 'Cause bears, you know, the lung, as you know, the lungs are typically further back than a deer.

[00:29:32] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:29:34] Casey Braam: And so you can kind of hit a void. If they're reaching and stretching their front leg way forward and you sh- you can just, like, brisket shoot it, and it's just a flesh wound, and you lose bears that way. 

[00:29:45] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:29:46] Casey Braam: Um, and so yeah, I've... You know, I had one of my own bears when I first was, you know, early on hunting.

Um, shot it, it dropped, like, just flat as, you know, flat as could be, right on its face, and I was just like, "Done. Stand up." [00:30:00] You know? Turned around, nothing, right? Total amateur move, right? Yep, done. I'll pick that one up. And literally I stood up, it stood up, and it went over this giant bank, never to be found again.

You know? Mm-hmm. Um, and we spent, you know, hours and hours looking for that thing. Um, a few signs of blood, it went back up the hill and, and was gone, you know? And it's just kind of like it felt so good, you know? That bear just like- Mm-hmm ... dropped right down. Okay, yeah, exactly. Hands washed, done with this, now I can go deal with it.

But that wasn't the end, and kind of that was the lesson for me, is like I shoot bears till they're dead. I mean, with you, I shot that bear three times. Yeah. It was dead on the first one, you know? Same thing with my big bear that I shot this year First shot was 100% perfect, you know? Double lungs, about eight inches behind the shoulder, just perfect shot on a bear.

Um, but it was moving around doing the spin. Bears often try to attack the wound area. Right. Just start spinning and spinning. Um, and [00:31:00] yeah, I just, I shoot bears till they're laying there and they stop breathing. Um- 

[00:31:04] Travis Bader: It makes a- 

[00:31:05] Casey Braam: And because the bears are hard to track, if they got lots of fat and long hair, they don't bleed at all.

[00:31:09] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:31:11] Casey Braam: You know, I've shot a g- a big bear that had a nice layer of fat and big long hide on it, and perfect double lung, actually out through the far shoulder. Uh, I tracked it like 20 yards just by the pushed down grass, not a single drop of blood- 

[00:31:28] Travis Bader: Yeah ... 

[00:31:28] Casey Braam: to be found. I think- You know, and you get to them and it's just like a bit wet on one side.

So it's kinda like I don't like tracking bears, I don't like tracking bears in the dark. And so if I'm with somebody new or anything, it's like if that bear's on its feet and in front of you and moving and breathing, you're shooting it. 

[00:31:45] Travis Bader: I think that's- You know? ... wise, uh, i- if anyone takes anything from this podcast and they're into hunting bears- Mm-hmm

I think that's, uh, very wise advice. Yeah. 'Cause previously I'd be like, "I don't wanna waste meat. I don't wanna do a shoulder [00:32:00] shot." Like, some people do a shoulder shot 'cause they wanna drop it right where it is. Oh, for yeah. Yeah. Um, okay, yeah, you waste some meat, but you find the bear. Like, there's a difference between wasting a little bit of meat or never finding the thing again.

Never finding that bear. Right. 

[00:32:15] Casey Braam: Yeah. And practice kind of like the offhand, you know, offhand shul- you know, shooting at something, right? And try to do it like heart rate up and practice, you know, trigger squeezes offhand and that kind of thing, 'cause that's what it often ends up being, that follow-up shot, right?

Especially if they... 'Cause they're often trying to get downhill, so you're gonna ha- if you're prone or even a kneeling and you shoot, they're gonna try to get somewhere else if they're, you know, running. Um, and so be ready to stand up quick and start firing rounds. 'Cause it sounds like the Wild West, but you know, I'd rather exactly find bears and, yeah, your hits aren't always 100% perfect when they're spinning around like a, you know, like a merry-go-round.

But, uh, yeah, just practicing offhand [00:33:00] shots I think if you're gonna be serious about bear hunting. Um, yeah, I think for safety reasons if for nothing else. Yeah. To really get quick offhand shots. I, I think that's- And don't run the six times to 50 times scopes when you're bear hunting either. You know what I mean?

I, I... That stuff drives me crazy. Guys will come out hunting and, like, their minimum, you know, magnification is six times. It's like, well, what if a bear is at 15 yards? 

[00:33:26] Travis Bader: That's it. 

[00:33:27] Casey Braam: You're not, you're not gonna be able to... You're gonna have to just be looking down the barrel to aim at that thing. 

[00:33:30] Travis Bader: That's it. 

[00:33:31] Casey Braam: You know?

I say three, you know, you want four max, you know, as your minimum. Um- 

[00:33:37] Travis Bader: Honestly, I was considering s- I, I threw the LPVO on, uh, on my rifle, the low powered variable optic on, on mine. Uh, I was considering, uh, putting the red dot, just a simple red dot, uh, 'cause- Yeah ... fast, quick, close range. Um, and I th- I, I hummed and hawed back and forth, 'cause I've, I've used that before and it's been very effective for, uh, [00:34:00] stuff.

And actually, I'll be giving one away in, uh, in this episode here. So, um- Cool ... yeah, it's a SAI Optics red dot's gonna get given away. 

[00:34:09] Casey Braam: Yeah, very cool. 

[00:34:10] Travis Bader: So if people look in the details for, uh, for that one. But, uh, and then I realized, well, this, this low powerable, low power variable optic gives me the, uh, the crosshairs, gives me the ability to reach out a bit.

Mm. And I can also turn the light on the thing, 'cause it's got its illuminated reticle and it's- Oh, yeah. Yeah. Cool ... it's basically like using a red dot. So- Yeah ... I, I ended up going for that 

[00:34:31] Casey Braam: Yeah, I think, yeah, sometimes you're reaching out for bears 'cause they're across a canyon or, or whatever, but you need that, you know, especially you're tracking a maybe wounded, maybe dead bear, and, you know, yeah, I just...

You wanna be able to use your optics still if you have a chance. And yeah, I, yeah, anyway, that's something I just, I just try to impress on people too, is like- 

[00:34:51] Travis Bader: Yeah ... 

[00:34:51] Casey Braam: it could get, it could get real close quarters, and you never really know. Yeah. He- 

[00:34:55] Travis Bader: we had... So I went hunting with a, uh, a friend of mine, and he hasn't been [00:35:00] on a successful bear hunt before, and he still wasn't because we didn't get anything, but we were successful in seeing bears, which was good.

And, um, the first ones we saw, we were, we were walking right up beside them, and, uh, we knew there'd be some in the area just based on the very little bit of sign that was there, but it, it felt beary. And we come around the corner, and sure enough, there's mama and a, uh, a cub. And, um, uh, the day earlier we'd saw a small...

And I guess she must've had a couple of cubs because w- we only saw one with her there. Right. We saw a smallish cub that looked different than th- than this one. Um, so I'm, I'm guessing it was a couple- Yeah ... or maybe I just didn't identify it proper. But, um, he sees this young, probably two-year-old type bear, and, you know, not having the experience of being around it, the first thing he was saying, "Oh, there's a bear.

Okay, let's go." And, you know, it, if it's not in the company of other bears, [00:36:00] perfectly legal, all the rest, but I said, "No, no, that's not the bear for you." 

[00:36:03] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:36:04] Travis Bader: We're, we'll, we'll find something better, right? And- 

[00:36:06] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:36:07] Travis Bader: but, um, anyways, it's, it's one of these things that with experience you start, uh, kinda calming down a little bit and tracking things a bit differently.

Um- 

[00:36:16] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah ... 

[00:36:18] Travis Bader: but- 

[00:36:18] Casey Braam: Yeah, and even just learning how to tell a big bear from a small bear, it's tricky. It can be really hard. 

[00:36:23] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[00:36:23] Casey Braam: Um, you know, sometimes small bears are really fluffy or, you know, have a round head even though they're young, you know? And so- Yeah ... yeah, it can, it can be kinda tricked sometimes, but- 

[00:36:34] Travis Bader: But in, in those instances we're close, and having a low power would be, would be preferable.

I had did a podcast with a guy by the name of Torkel Norling, and, um, he's a Swedish fellow and he does- I forget how many it was, several hundred, uh, uh, culls a year, 'cause he's called out by the Swedish government or their traffic authority or the police or if- Right ... an animal gets [00:37:00] hit, then he's gotta go in and find it.

But he's had instances, he says, "You know, I've got my..." I th- what did he say it was? I think it was a 40 meter security bubble around him, 'cause that's what he does. He practices and he comes in close, and bang, he, he can shoot things quickly and accurately within about 40 meters. And he had a, uh, a brown bear, what they have over there- Yeah

uh, coming in, and he, um, it, uh, attacked his dog, and, uh, then came s- charging in for him, and he was able to get a, uh, a brain shot on the thing at- Oh, yeah ... really close range. But that wouldn't happen if you got your, your magnification cranked to the max. 

[00:37:34] Casey Braam: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Even with guy- like, yeah, just keeping an eye on your hunting partner's scope, 'cause sometimes it's easy to forget, you know?

You line up on one bear- Totally ... that you might shoot. You zoom it all the way into 12 or 15 or whatever, and you're laying on some hillside and then decide to pass on that bear, and then you go hiking again and it's like, "Oh yeah, hang on." 

[00:37:52] Travis Bader: Yeah, totally. But- I think we've all done it. We've all been- Yep

guilty of 

[00:37:55] Casey Braam: that. Oh, yeah. I have done it. I've pulled up on a bear and it's like, "Oh, I'm at nine." [00:38:00] And 

[00:38:00] Travis Bader: you're like, "Damn." And that bear is 

[00:38:00] Casey Braam: 20 yards away. Yeah. 

[00:38:02] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[00:38:03] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:38:04] Travis Bader: And, uh, yeah, so that's good. So you've got meat in the, uh, in the freezer now. 

[00:38:10] Casey Braam: Freezer is very full, yeah. I think... I always weigh out my yields, 'cause in the end, like, that's a big part of why I'm hunting.

So the bigger bear I got, like, just under 140 pounds of meat off that bear. Um, so that's a really good yield. I mean- Yes ... usually you kinda triple the yield to get the overall, like, ground weight of the bear. 

[00:38:30] Travis Bader: Yep. 

[00:38:30] Casey Braam: Kind of general thing. So that's a well over 400 pound bear, uh, the second one. 

[00:38:35] Travis Bader: Good. Uh, my 

[00:38:36] Casey Braam: first one I got right around 100 pounds off, so- Okay

[00:38:39] Travis Bader: yeah,  

[00:38:39] Casey Braam: it was a heck of a spring for knocking down big bears, but. 

[00:38:41] Travis Bader: No kidding. No kidding. 

[00:38:44] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[00:38:45] Travis Bader: Well, you've got a, um, a little thing you're doing where you get people to find you out in the woods. 

[00:38:52] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:38:53] Travis Bader: Can you tell me about this? What, what- Yeah ... inspired it? 

[00:38:56] Casey Braam: What inspired it? Well, um, there w- you know, two things [00:39:00] I love doing, getting outside, um, and getting into wild places, and, and my art.

I mean, it's my, you know, it's my work, it's my job, but it's also just, you know, everything's kinda integrated in the way that I live and so it's a big part of just my life. And so, you know, it's like, okay, these are two really important things to me, and I think, you know, um, as far as getting people outside, it's an important thing to see people doing for, like, 100 different reasons.

And so that was kinda like a, you know, you go for hikes and you just think about this thing, and I was like, you know what? I should just record an idea, you know? Mm-hmm. So I made a video one day and it was just like, you know, I have two goals for this summer, you know? Get people outside and make more art on location, right, plein air painting.

I'm like, these are my two goals for the summer. Yeah. You could set goals for yourself, sure. Um, and then I was like, well, how am I gonna make that, how, how do I make those two things happen at the same time? And it's like, well, maybe there's a obvious answer here. I just do both at the same time. You know, like so, you know, just go out and make art [00:40:00] and, uh, invite people to come and find me and, and, uh, enjoy the art-making process, but also just enjoy the space and get out there and there's kind of a draw, right?

Mm-hmm. And even in the first... You know, I've kind of initiated this project a little bit already, hoping for it to grow. Um, but you know, even in the first one, I had people come and literally they were like, "Oh, I was on my phone on the couch and I was talking with my son about what we should do today, but we weren't really committing to anything, and we saw your post."

And I'm like, "Oh, there you go." So then they came and, you know, found me in a local park and went for a walk and a hike and took their dog out, and it's like, that's a win, right? Like, I think that that's really cool. So that's kind of the biggest motivation is it's very simple. It's just like get people outside.

I feel like I need to grow and get better at doing kind of on location plein air painting. And so, like these two things can go together. That's all, that, that was all the idea really was. 

[00:40:50] Travis Bader: Why was that a goal of yours, to get people outside? 

[00:40:54] Casey Braam: Because I think it changes your life. Um, it makes you healthier, it makes you appreciate what's [00:41:00] around you more, right?

Like in Terrace, we live in one of the most beautiful places, you know, you could ever go. You know, y- you travel around and I always come home and I'm like, "Did we see anything better, you know, than home?" Right? Like, um, so I just think it's so awesome here, and so it's just like, yeah, get people outside exploring.

It's gonna make them respect what they see more or at least care about it more, right? Like- Hmm ... how do you have a heart for like, um, stewardship and the world around you unless you're actually seeing it, right? 

[00:41:30] Travis Bader: Hmm. 

[00:41:31] Casey Braam: And watching someone else go for a hike on your phone is not is not it. Right? You're missing 99.9% of the experience.

Um, so like actually getting outside, actually interacting and being a part of the wild world around us, rather than just like being a consumer in every way you could imagine that word being used. And instead, like get out there and see it, experience it. And art allows you to do that exact thing, experiencing it, [00:42:00] um, in a really different way.

[00:42:01] Travis Bader: Hmm. 

[00:42:02] Casey Braam: And so I think that's part of it as well. It's all evolving as I go, right? Yeah. It's kinda like, you know, I just launch this thing and see where it takes me. Um- 

[00:42:10] Travis Bader: Yeah, you gave me a text, and you're like, "I got this idea." 

[00:42:13] Casey Braam: I got this idea. Yeah, I'm like, "I got this idea," and I kinda, you know, try to connect with a few different people.

You know, you have a platform here, and I'm like, hey, I know Travis. He has a platform. Let's try to... Here's an idea. You know? Yeah. And so, and so... And, and f- first of all, thanks so much for just like being immediately like, "Let's do it." Like, let's, let's, you know, somehow we'll figure out a way to help you on this.

And I was, I'm, you know, super thankful for that. Um, and every- Well, 

[00:42:35] Travis Bader: it 100% aligns with my values, and- 

[00:42:37] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[00:42:38] Travis Bader: I love it. I love the idea. 

[00:42:39] Casey Braam: Well, thanks so much. I just, I think it's fun. And yeah, just literally get people out the door, get them outside, and I think it will change everything about them, you know? S- like there's people that just don't go out and, you know, like for example, um, I'm not gonna use names, but I have this- 

[00:42:57] Travis Bader: Use names.

Use names ... fa- 

[00:42:58] Casey Braam: friend, this family friend- 

[00:42:59] Travis Bader: Okay ... [00:43:00] 

[00:43:00] Casey Braam: who, you know, like- it, it, they've, they've lived here their whole lives, you know, and they're, you know, or most of their lives. And like they've never been to Terrace Mountain, which like is a local little park, takes an hour to hike to the top, and you can see the whole beautiful Skeena Valley.

And it's like- 

[00:43:15] Travis Bader: Mm ... 

[00:43:16] Casey Braam: like people do this every day. But like you've lived here your whole life and you've never even like stepped out there. Or like, you know, we have these amazing waterfalls and rivers and all these places to explore, lakes, and it's just never-ending around here. Like I've lived here my whole life, my dad's lived here his whole life, and we still feel like we've hardly scratched the surface of what you can do outside around here.

And so it's just people that are missing all of it- Mm ... you know, just like... Sometimes I'm just like, "Why do you even live here?" You know? But like which is maybe a little rude to say, but it's like this is the most amazing place, you know, that I've ever been. And so it's like let's, uh, let's enjoy it a little bit.

Let's get outside and appreciate it. And I think though, once you [00:44:00] start to appreciate and really love something or find it beautiful or whatever, your heart's gonna go to it and you're gonna start caring about it. And- 

[00:44:07] Travis Bader: Mm ... 

[00:44:07] Casey Braam: I think that's a big part of it, too. Um, caring about even just like keeping parks clean or just little things.

You start to care about it more when you really engage with it and get out there. Yeah. 

[00:44:19] Travis Bader: I like that. I, you know, having a shared culture or a shared commonality in a society brings them together, and what easier way to have that shared thing than your natural world that you all live in that's right around you?

Yeah. I, I think, I think not only is it helping people in a way that they can connect with nature and feel more fulfilled in the same way that you do, but I think it also gives people that, the pride that you so clearly have for the place that you live in- 

[00:44:49] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:44:50] Travis Bader: to share that. And the more people who are proud of who they are and where they live, it's, it's not a divisive thing where people are pitted against each [00:45:00] other because one's on the left or one's on the right, or one grew up here and the other one immigrated here.

Whatever it might be, what, that if you get onto social media or these different platforms, the divisiveness is massive. But your shared world that you choose to live in- 

[00:45:17] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:45:17] Travis Bader: is something that can really bring people together. And that was- Yeah ... one of the things that really struck a chord with me. 

[00:45:24] Casey Braam: Oh, I, I, you know, that's not maybe a perspec- I mean, I definitely see the community thing, for sure.

For sure. Like people gathering and seeing the same things and... But that's not really something, you know- That was like a goal. But I totally get it. It's like no one stands on the shore of a beautiful lake in the mountains and be like, you know, "Let's have an argument about how beautiful this is." You know?

Like, we're just gonna stand here we're just gonna stand here and appreciate it, right? Right. And, uh, and cr- build community that way. And, um, the special thing about adding the art piece, right? We could just be inviting people to come outside and we give them a prize for coming outside. Um, and that's cool, [00:46:00] right?

Sure. Um, but like I think the art piece is special. Art, art allows you to really engage in something, right? One of the biggest things when I'm teaching art, I run a lot of courses and stuff, and do classroom education and stuff, and one of the biggest things you realize right away is you're not teaching people how to make a mark on the page.

You're not teaching people how to, you know, mix two colors together. As much as maybe that's a little bit of it, right? You're teaching people how to see. Mm-hmm. That's 90% of teaching art, is teaching people how to turn that brain off, right? And actually let what you're seeing soak in, right? 'Cause your brain is lazy, right?

It wants to create shortcuts, and that's just how, you know, human beings are made. Like we just need to be efficient at doing things, otherwise we'd be bogged down constantly, right? Mm. We can't be looking out the window and like try to take in every leaf and every, you know, every time we see. No, we go, "Oh, tree," you know?

grass, [00:47:00] flower, and then we move on, right? That's right. But with art, you're like, "I'm gonna stare at that tree for two hours now." Mm-hmm. "And I'm gonna see the way the bark forms on the tree. I'm gonna look at that tree and understand its life, 'cause oh, look at that kind of scar coming down the tree, or, or the way that that bird has created a nest there, or the way that the leaves form on the branch, the way the water collects on that leaf, the way the light comes and shines through the leaf, but if there's stacks of leaves, the light doesn't come all the way through, through."

You know? You see the way the branches form. Then you see the tree next door and next door to that tree, and it's like, okay, well, that tree has had a different life, you know? It's the same species of tree, but 'cause it's closer to that water or closer to that rock, it's growing a different shape. And like, that's what art gives you.

Mm-hmm. It gives you that, you see everything and you start to understand it more. Um, so art's not only like a pretty picture. And for the artist, it's so much more than it will ever be for someone else- 

[00:47:54] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:47:56] Casey Braam: I think. You know? 'Cause they're out there and they're, everything they see is an education. [00:48:00] Um, right?

Like, uh, I can look out my window here and I can see like, you know, a house, and I can see, okay, well, look at the way that that light is dappled there because of the tree that grows over it, or look at the way that they've decided to put that fascia on and the way that that reflects light. And now take that into nature, right, and just kind of look at everything that way.

Right? My sketchbooks are full of like, here's 10 pages of me drawing bears. It's not like I, not that I forgot what a bear looks like. I wanna see the way, you know, the muscles form around the shoulder blade, and I wanna see the way the hair folds on different parts of their body based on the muscles underneath.

Okay, and when they step forward, oh, that all changes. You know? Or all these different things. And so you start to really kind of understand your world in a way that like there's no other way to do it. 

[00:48:47] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:48:48] Casey Braam: Like, what else is gonna make you sit and look at a small thing, right? Like, I'm gonna draw that intricate flower head, and I'm just gonna sketch it in my sketchbook.

Doesn't matter what it looks like in the sketchbook, right? It doesn't have to be good, it doesn't have to be [00:49:00] anything, but the time I've taken to understand how that flower's put together- That's amazing, right? And so, and so for me that's a big part of it too. It's like let's get people out, and whether they're making the art or not, they can at least see me going and struggling through all that.

And I'm often talking through it if there's people watching me. 

[00:49:17] Travis Bader: Hmm. 

[00:49:18] Casey Braam: They're like, "Hey, look at that." Like, my daughter was with me the other day, and she's like, "Why are you using purple? Like, those are green trees and brown water, and you know, a bluish rock maybe." Mm-hmm. And I'm like, "Well, look at the way that that shadow forms, and the green and the brown and the reflection off the water.

That, that's purple. Look at that." And she's like, "Oh yeah." You know? And that sort of thing. And just like little stuff like that can make you fall in love with all of the things you already know, 'cause ... Well, think you know- 

[00:49:45] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm ... 

[00:49:45] Casey Braam: uh, so much more, 'cause you're like there and you're really, you're truly seeing it, 'cause you have to, otherwise what's gonna go on your page, you know?

Yeah. Yeah. So I, I think for that reason, I think art is, is, [00:50:00] uh, just as an important piece of that project, um, as the outside part. I called it the Art Outside Project, and maybe that's because art, you know, comes first, the outside comes after. 

[00:50:11] Travis Bader: Hmm. 

[00:50:11] Casey Braam: And, and, and the two things obviously play off each other.

But, um, yeah. That's what I see art doing for people. 

[00:50:18] Travis Bader: Uh, you know- So I like taking pictures. Mm-hmm. And I got some cameras, I'll take pictures, and I, I enjoy that. 

[00:50:27] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:50:27] Travis Bader: I'm not an artist. I take a bunch of pictures, and then I can find one- Mm ... okay, I think I know what I did there. It looks a bit better, and bin the rest of them.

Yeah. And, and I'll maybe get into Lightroom afterwards and work on it, or I'll take pictures on the phone and, and then I- Right ... oh, it was straight. I can crop it. There's a little bit of work I can do afterwards. But sometimes, like, I'll go out, I'm like, "I'm gonna take some pictures," and I get out and I don't take any pictures.

Mm-hmm. And, and I find myself in a situation where it feels like it's a bit of a chore to have to go out there and [00:51:00] create something. Right. And maybe I'm just not feeling inspired, but... Or maybe the environment is inspiring me so much I don't wanna pick up the camera. 

[00:51:10] Casey Braam: Yeah, you just wanna enjoy it. 

[00:51:11] Travis Bader: Yeah. Do you ever find yourself like that?

Like, you get out there and you're like, "I brought my paint and brought my paper," and you're like, "You know what? I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy it"? 

[00:51:19] Casey Braam: I, I, I think so. But at the same time... And, and, and I just wanna touch on photography for a minute, and then I'll get back to your question- Sure ... a little more directly.

But, um, I can tell immediately i- when I'm painting a course if someone does photography, for two reasons. One, they understand composition a little bit more. But number two, they already have a lot more of that seeing skill. Mm. So I'm sure you, um, had... You, you experience this too. You're kind of, like, looking at a landscape or something, and then all of a sudden, even as you're starting trying to frame that picture, right, you're like, "Okay, here's the edge," even in that moment, you're starting to notice more than someone that would go, "Look at that view.

That's nice," and then they would keep going. Mm. Right? Even just taking a photo, you go, [00:52:00] "Look at the way that that water creates a perfectly straight line here. But wouldn't that look neat with a kind of, uh, you know, an angled tree?" Mm. "Oh, look at that angled tree. That's kinda neat. Look at the way the light plays through that.

That would make a good picture." Even that stage of photography is, like, a step in the door towards, like, kind of this seeing your world differently. 

[00:52:19] Travis Bader: Mm. 

[00:52:19] Casey Braam: And so that gets me, you know, even photography can be a really good kinda gateway into this, which is cool. Um, and then yeah, kinda get to your other question about, like, you know, wanting to do it or enjoying the moment.

Um, I don't think I've ever sat down and made a painting and be like, "I wish I'd just sat here and enjoyed 

[00:52:38] Travis Bader: it," you know? Mm. 

[00:52:41] Casey Braam: It's never, it's not as rich. You're not being forced to like break it down, you know? And your memory, like, you know, when we're hunting or, or just getting outside, you're, you're often there like, "We're gonna go make some memories," or whatever, right?

Even the sign, like, take only pictures, you know, whatever, pictures and memories or whatever, you know, the [00:53:00] kind of, you know, sign at the park. But, um, uh, to go and like paint something, like I'm just thinking about I was out yesterday, you know, making a little painting at a local lake here, and it was like, you know, I've been there 100 times, easily 100 times, from fishing there, hiking around, catching frogs when we were kids, you know, like just doing that sort of thing.

But yesterday I went and sat in one spot for two hours, share, s- staring at the same shoreline, you know, for two hours. And man, the amount of stuff that like I never knew was there- 

[00:53:33] Travis Bader: Mm ... 

[00:53:33] Casey Braam: for, it's like, oh man, look at the way like that grass, even as the sun's come out, the grass has moved, you know? And the leaves, you know, the, you know, the leaves have shifted as they kind of make sure that they have good surface area, you know, to soak up- Mm

the sunlight. And just like, oh, you know, when I started painting, look at the way the, the breeze was coming from that direction and riffling across the water, but now, you know, I'm looking at my painting and looking, okay, we've, it's [00:54:00] changed. Now, now the water is still there and moving here. Oh, and look at the...

You know, just things like that. Mm. So I've never like been like, "Oh, if only I hadn't sat there and painted for two hours," you know? It's like, no, it's like, okay, well, that's a whole new place for me, and will never leave my memory now, you know? I have a really good understanding of what that place is. My experience there has been enriched, and, um, the place for me has more m- more value now.

Do 

[00:54:26] Travis Bader: you think your art's made you a better hunter? 

[00:54:28] Casey Braam: 100%. Way better at noticing stuff. 

[00:54:31] Travis Bader: Mm. 

[00:54:32] Casey Braam: Yeah. I think that's one of the first things if people haven't hunted with me before, is I'm like, "Hey, look at that moose rub that's like, you know, 100 meters in the bush between those five other trees." You know? You know?

It's like, "Look at that." And they're like, "I never would've seen that." It's like, well, when you spend all day seeing stuff, literally, like that's what you're doing all day at work, you know? You're just literally trying to observe things all day long. 

[00:54:56] Travis Bader: Mm. 

[00:54:56] Casey Braam: It's like anything. You get better at it, right? If you, if I spent eight hours [00:55:00] running every day, I would get really good at running.

[00:55:02] Travis Bader: Probably. I would hope so. I'd hope so. 

[00:55:05] Casey Braam: Yeah. And so it's like- Uh, for me it's like, yeah, observing and seeing has become such a big part of what you're doing as an artist. And so I think it totally applies to hunting and getting outside. 'Cause it's like, yeah, you notice stuff, you know, you kind of are breaking things down a little bit more maybe than someone else.

Not that it makes you better than anyone else, but it's better than I was before, you know. Right. Right. 

[00:55:28] Travis Bader: Um. Yeah. 

[00:55:28] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. 

[00:55:29] Travis Bader: So one of the things, so there's a couple things in here that really struck me. When I, when you gave me the text, you said, "Would you be in at any capacity? You interested?" And I'm like, "Yeah, 100% on board, let's figure out...

Don't know what it looks like, let's figure it and do this." 

[00:55:42] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[00:55:42] Travis Bader: Um, because I, I share the same sentiment. I'd like to get people outside. That's why I've got Silvercore Outdoors. I- Oh, yeah. Yeah ... I wanna share what I, what I enjoy, and I see value there. Yeah. The other thing that I saw, which I thought was kinda neat, and I'll use an analogy here.

So [00:56:00] you go to a fine restaurant, and you eat food that is technically cooked perfectly, and it's displayed great. But the lights are too bright, and the music is too loud, and the couple at the table next to you are arguing, and you're gonna leave and probably rate that meal lower than you would in a situation where you go to some hole in the wall, and you've got zero expectation, and you eat this food, and the, the, everything's lining up nicely.

And, and for whatever reason, uh, that food is like, you're gonna rate at a higher level than this fine dining experience that you just had. And I think art, food's art. Art, art, art's, uh, a lot like that. Why do some people spend millions of dollars on a picture, and we'll just take the whole tax evasion, we'll take all, all that stuff out of it, but why, why, why do they spend so much money?

What makes one picture more valuable than another? Like I'm in my studio right now, and [00:57:00] I've got some pictures that are extremely valuable to me. And I'm looking at a, uh, a couple of goats, and I've got a, a fish scene over here, and you painted them. And they're valuable to me because of you and our relationship and the experience surrounding all of this.

The pictures that you're making and giving away for free to these individuals- Mm ... I think are gonna hold way more value to them than they would if they went to a, a garage sale and saw the picture there and picked it up. Because they've now worked for it, and they're in a beautiful place, and it's part of an experience that they had to, uh, experience.

[00:57:40] Casey Braam: Yeah. It's like, you know, w- why do we buy, you know, cheap, bad photography postcards, right? It's like you go to a place, and all of a sudden that place or that experience, you know... Um, I used to do whale tours, and people would be f- snapping photos the whole time. And, and it's like, you know- [00:58:00] All of it, it's like a token of a, of a experience and a feeling, right?

Mm-hmm. And the, yeah, the painting maybe is more interesting than that, but it's just like, you know, you have this thing and you've assigned extra value to it because it's associated, like you said, with an experience. 

[00:58:12] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[00:58:13] Casey Braam: It gives it all this bigger meaning. They've come, they've met me, which is, you know, I'm not like, you know, somebody really important, but it's like that's part of the experience.

Sure. And I'm the one making it, and they've sat there. I'm chatty. I probably was talking to them while I was making it. You know? And, you know, so they've had that conversation. They've talked through what I've talked through already. I've probably been there like, "Hey, look at that. You know, look at the way that's coming there."

Like the other day I was at a local little creek, um, doing a painting, and the person that took it home, I was standing there talking to them, and there were these robins kind of like bathing and playing in the water. And so I'm like chatting to them about that while I'm drawing the, you know, just adding the little robins into the painting for them, and it's, it's like there's the little experience.

They'll remember that little piece now- 

[00:58:56] Travis Bader: Mm ... 

[00:58:56] Casey Braam: you know, more, and we had the chat about that. And, [00:59:00] and so I think, yeah, not only their effort of finding me or getting there or whatever it is, just the whole thing, right? It adds value and, and not necessarily monetary value, but it adds value to them of what that thing means to them, right?

It's like, remember that time, you know, we went out and we did that thing and we went to that place and- 

[00:59:19] Travis Bader: Right ... 

[00:59:20] Casey Braam: and then, uh, yeah. Really cool. So that's just kind of fun to kind of add an experience at the same time, right? Even if to, you went to a gallery and you walked around and you saw 100 paintings, if you see one that somehow relates to your life you know, and somehow it's gonna touch you more than something else.

[00:59:39] Travis Bader: Sure. 

[00:59:40] Casey Braam: You know? And, and it's gonna be like, okay, yeah, that is really, really interesting, or that really, you know, touches my heart or whatever. It's just something deep inside you that's like, wow, that's cool. And it doesn't have to be realism or anything, just something about it, the colors, the composition, the way things are put together reminds you of something or, [01:00:00] you know, whatever, and it just enriches the experience of that and then c- adds value to it for you.

[01:00:07] Travis Bader: Well, 

[01:00:07] Casey Braam: I think- Whether it's for anyone else doesn't matter. 

[01:00:09] Travis Bader: I, I think other people who are entrepreneurs or looking to, like, like you said, your, your goals are twofold. You wanna get people outside and you want to expose them to your art. 

[01:00:21] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[01:00:22] Travis Bader: Well, what a brilliant way to do that than to follow an example like this.

And I know there's, you know, there's people on YouTube, what's the guy? I Love Your Journey, I think is, uh- Yeah. Sure ... he gives away a watch. He sets up these- Right ... th- cameras and stuff- Yeah ... and people have to figure out where he's at. Like, I, I like the gamification of that. I think that's really cool. Mm-hmm.

Um, y- when we had the Silvercore website, uh, redone a couple of years ago, if it wasn't so damn expensive already, I wanted to embed, uh, secrets in the website that only somebody really observant who wanted to go in. [01:01:00] Like, it's like, um, what was that, uh, Cicadia 3301 where they try and find, uh, uh, clues in pictures, and you look at the- Right

the size ratio and you put it into an algorithm and you're able to find, uh... Anyways, that's, that was all part of the build-out when I did the website. Right. And the, uh, the team was like, "Travis, like, I guess we could do this, but we're already so far behind and it's costing so much money, and w- we're at, like, do you really wanna do that?"

[01:01:30] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah, 

[01:01:31] Travis Bader: yeah. But, but I think, uh, there's a guy, Josh Yeo, he's got a, uh, Make Art Now. Have you heard of this guy? 

[01:01:37] Casey Braam: No, no. 

[01:01:39] Travis Bader: Okay, he's, like, more into photography and videography, but, um, he's done a couple of things like that where he's got games and puzzles and codes and stuff on- Mm-hmm ... on, on the website. But, uh, I think this is an easier way for people to, um, expose others to an experience- Mm-hmm

and to themselves, and to [01:02:00] their- Right ... business of what- whatever they do. And in the- Right ... process they have fun, they have an experience, and they're gonna- Well- ... associate those two. I think that's a, uh, a takeaway that listeners can look at applying in their own- business and lives. Yeah. And I, and I know it's something we're gonna be doing over here, and I'll be doing shout-outs to you and your artwork and the rest.

And, hmm, give away free courses, travel to a location, find the, um, find the, uh, the little code and, uh- Yeah ... report it back to us. Give away free, I don't know, what have we got? I got some optics kicking around. Um- 

[01:02:34] Casey Braam: Oh, cool. Yeah. 

[01:02:35] Travis Bader: Yeah. Yeah. And that's based off of what you're doing. That motivated me into this.

[01:02:40] Casey Braam: Well, I'm, I'm happy to hear it. And you know, I've had a couple other artists be like, "Hey, I think I'd like to start something like this where I'm at." You know? Mm-hmm. And I think the biggest thing is, you know, and you've seen this through Silvercore and your progress there, is like if you have an idea that seems like it will work and you're excited about it, someone else is gonna be excited about it too and just go for it.[01:03:00] 

You know? Like I, I, I was at, initially I'm like, okay, if I'm gonna do this, I need to get like all my ducks in a row first. I need to get like, you know, backers and people to help me promote it, and I need to get all these sort of things figured out as I go, uh, before I get going on it. And then a- at the same time, I was like, why?

Like- Well, that's it ... why get all that stuff first? Why not make this project happen, try to like make my own proof of concept by just doing it, and then try to get all that other stuff, you know, kind of rolling and... And so that's kind of more, that's more me anyway, less planning, more- Mm-hmm ... just going. But, uh, um, yeah, I kinda, that's kinda my motivation to get it going.

But again, it's so much about just kind of that enriched outdoor experience and seeing what that, you know, can do for people. 

[01:03:51] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. I, I think there's a lot of value to that. You know, typical ADHD style, it doesn't have to be done, it just has to be perfect, right? Yeah. But, [01:04:00] you know- Yeah ... done is better than perfect.

Get it out, get it rolling, and build it- Yeah ... out from there. 

[01:04:07] Casey Braam: Yeah. I think, I think that that's great. And I just, you know- And maybe I'll ask you a little bit about this too, 'cause like everybody's outdoor experiences I think are enriched in different ways. Mm. And so I got, you know, and, and I wanna make sure that I'm being kind of conscious of that as I do this.

Um, but also just as I take people out and do stuff or, you know, whatever, join on adventures, I think, um, yeah, I kinda wanna t- talk to you about what on your, you know, adventures or just outdoor experiences, what are some of the things that make that... Like, if you could write down some ingredients, you know.

Like, your, your wife's a chef, so it's like what are some of the ingredients that would really make an adventure more meaningful, a more rich experience, you know, more flavorful, if we're sticking with the, uh, uh- ... analogy here. Um, what are some of those [01:05:00] things that really impact you when you're doing, like, a, any kind of outdoor adventure, you know, going fishing, going for a walk, going for a hike.

You know, what are some of, like, the key pieces, what do you think? 

[01:05:10] Travis Bader: I, I think for me it's being able to say yes to things. If someone comes up with a stupid idea and you're like- 

[01:05:17] Casey Braam: Mm ... 

[01:05:17] Travis Bader: I don't know, is it stupid because it's stupid, or is it stupid because we've never tried it before? 

[01:05:22] Casey Braam: Mm. 

[01:05:22] Travis Bader: And if it's stupid 'cause you've never tried it before, then we'll say yes, let's give it a shot- Yeah

because you don't know what's gonna happen. If it's truly a stupid thing, maybe I still say yes. Who knows? I've, I've known, been known to do that in the past, but, um- Yeah ... I- Yeah, 

[01:05:35] Casey Braam: it's hard to sometimes draw the line between bravery and stupidity, but- 

[01:05:39] Travis Bader: Yeah, it's pretty fine. It's pretty fine. Um, but those experiences tend to break the norm, and they tend- Right

to get the brain firing in different ways than if you're, if you're stuck in the office mindset, you're stuck in the city mindset, you're stuck in the whatever rut of, oh, this is a place we go [01:06:00] fishing, you put the rod in, you come back, right? It's, um, finding ways to, uh, make that new and fresh I think is, uh, is a key ingredient to having it memorable.

If a- Yeah ... you're fishing with your kid and they wanna put bubblegum on the end, okay, let's give bubblegum a shot on the- Yeah. ... on the end of the rod, and sure enough it starts hitting, right? It's, um- Yeah ... and you'll always remember that, and it's an enjoyable story to tell. And it's, I, I think for me it's that's a part of it.

[01:06:31] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[01:06:33] Travis Bader: Uh, being in the, uh, the right mindset or mind frame is always a big part of it, and how I can get there is by being open to these, to what happens. It's neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so, right? So I just won't, I won't think it's bad. It's just this is what's happening, and this is interesting.

It's the, it's an experience I get to feel now. Yeah. Whoop, I broke my ankle. Okay, this is interesting, right? It could be the end of the world and totally suck, or it could be like, all right, now I've got an adventure [01:07:00] ahead of me. How do I get myself out of here, right? 

[01:07:02] Casey Braam: Yeah. I was even thinking about that point when you were talking about Tiffany and her bear situations.

[01:07:07] Travis Bader: Hmm. 

[01:07:07] Casey Braam: Uh, it's kinda like if you come out on the other side, right, like what do you, what's your mindset not only in the moment but after, you know? 'Cause like, yeah, I've been in some hairy bear situations and stuff before too, but it's like you come out the other side, right? It's like- Right ... I'm here. I'm standing here.

I've never been injured by a wild animal. It's been close, but it's kinda like, okay, well, now I start to understand the boundaries a little more, and it makes my future experiences, you know, kind of richer 'cause it's like, okay, well, I know those, you know, I don't wanna be, uh, purposefully pushing the boundaries, but I know I can be in situations like this and come out the other side.

And that, yeah, so I kinda, I, I was kinda thinking about that as you said that too, and, and it kinda turns, it kinda cranks up the dial on adventure each time, right? 'Cause it's like, you know what, we did that, you know? And I'm, I, I always think back to my first goat hunt. Um, [01:08:00] hadn't been hunting long. It was pretty, I was pretty new to it, and it's like, oh yeah, let's go goat hunting like.

And then, you know, now you know that it's like one of the most dangerous hunts in the world 'cause of the locations you're in and that sort of thing. But you know, I ended up having a big fall on that first goat hunt. I'd shot my goat, um, and it slid down the hill as they do, and I was gonna go get it, and I lost my footing on wet rocks, you know, probably a little too excited to go see the goat and not thinking clearly about my route, um, and took a ve- pretty big fall and wasn't terribly injured, but it was like, you know, it could've gone a lot worse.

Hmm. You know, 100 yards to the right and I would, you know, wouldn't be sitting here talking to you. But it's like- Yeah, those kind of situations. But we got home that night, you know? Mm. And it's like, and so now it's like, yeah, that was a terrible but magnificent day at the same time. And so it's like, yeah, that kind of pushing the boundaries, um, and being like, "Okay, I survived that," [01:09:00] you know?

We left way too early in the morning, and we did this whole... First of all, we're like, "We're never goat hunting a one-day goat hunt again." We're only... You know, we left, we started hiking from the highway at, like, 5:00 in the morning or even a bit earlier, in the dark. And we got up a bunch of the trail in the dark.

Sun came up. We got up top. There was fog. It cleared. Shot a goat by, like, before noon. But, like, we're on the middle- We're, like, what? 4,000 feet of elevation we climbed that day. 

[01:09:30] Travis Bader: Mm. 

[01:09:31] Casey Braam: Um, goat fell. You know, cleaned the goat, pack it all. We were back at the truck, like, after midnight doing sketchy trails in the dark by headlamps, you know, with super heavy packs coming out after getting a big billy.

And it's like, yeah. And having a big fall in the middle of the day. That could have been a lot worse than it was. Mm-hmm. That kind of teaches you, like, first of all, we should be more careful. But also, at the same time, we're capable of so much more than we think we are. Mm-hmm. You know? And, uh, yeah. [01:10:00] So that's just kind of my thoughts on that enriching experience and pushing the boundaries.

But, yeah, what else? Other recipes, uh, items for you. What do you think? 

[01:10:06] Travis Bader: You know, speaking on that, I've always had the, um- At a young age, I learned that you never feel as alive as when you come close to death. Yeah. The closer you get to that knife edge of, of disaster, the, uh, more alive you, you, people tend to feel, and I don't know if...

I think that's for everybody. I think some people are scared of that and they're afraid- Mm ... of being on that line. And I think some- Yeah ... people unreasonably seek that line out. Yeah. And, and I likened it to, um, a cliff jumping into the water. Mm-hmm. And you go up, and you're up there, and you're looking down, and it's okay, five meters up and I jump in.

Okay, it was good. I'm nowhere close to going to the bottom. 12 meters up and I'm jumping in, okay. Like, at what point do you stop? There's always- Okay ... a higher. There's always- Yeah ... a f- a further. 

[01:10:56] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[01:10:56] Travis Bader: And it's like something's gonna stop [01:11:00] me at a certain point as I get higher and higher and higher. Yeah. And, and I apply that to my life.

Is this a cliff jumping situation that I'm in? Right. Am I seeking out things for, for the wrong reasons that might not be, uh, safe? And of course- Mm-hmm ... like you, you're a father as well, and husband, and you start- you got a family that relies on you, and your decision-making matrix tends to change and- Right

become perhaps more inclined towards safety as your reckless youth would have inclined you towards. 

[01:11:31] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[01:11:31] Travis Bader: Um, but in that same breath, I think a lot of people get stuck in the easy excuse of, "Well, I got a family. You know, I got people depending on me. Well, I can't go out and do stuff." And you need that friction.

You need that- Yeah ... pressure of pushing yourself into the unknown- 

[01:11:49] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[01:11:50] Travis Bader: to feel alive. And I- Yeah ... and, and that's, that's what I think, um, I, I think that's a key ingredient is having that question mark. [01:12:00] And, uh, like we did a, um, me and a couple friends, we- I got a whitewater raft that I picked up from a company that went out of business a number of years ago after I'd almost drowned several times whitewater rafting in, like, cheap Canadian Tire Sevylor rafts with- Yeah

without a life jacket, and without wetsuits, and without anything to offer in flotation. And so anyways, worked my way up. Ended up rafting most of the rivers around here. Uh, Elahona, Hatlatch, the, uh, Chilliwack Rivers, the, the, uh, Thompsons, uh, the, some, some decent bigger ones. 

[01:12:36] Casey Braam: Yeah. Yeah. 

[01:12:37] Travis Bader: And, uh, anyways, we, uh, said, "Well, let's, let's do a sheep hunt, and let's take the raft and we'll do 100 kilometers down the Fraser River."

Mm-hmm. I'd never rafted the Fraser- Yeah ... and I couldn't bring a drone with me. You could... I mean, when I first started rafting, there's no such thing as drones, but- Yeah ... to scout areas, 'cause we're hunting, and if you have a drone while hunting, that's an- Yeah ... immediate nope, can't do [01:13:00] that in BC. Yeah. 

[01:13:01] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[01:13:01] Travis Bader: So all we had was, we look at the maps and it says whirlpools and it says rapids on the maps, and we have no idea what that means at this time of the year.

[01:13:10] Casey Braam: Yeah. 

[01:13:11] Travis Bader: Yeah. But, but that question mark makes for a memorable hunt. You don't know where you're sleeping the night. Right. You don't know when you're gonna be back. You don't know what whirlpool and rapids means on the map to what you're used to. 

[01:13:22] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[01:13:22] Travis Bader: I, I think that's an important piece that people need to incorporate into their lives is that question mark.

Um, and they have to determine what their level of preparedness is to be able to deal with these question marks. 

[01:13:38] Casey Braam: 100%. I was ta- like, and, and like the building up to that kind of shows both, like for your rafting trip, kind of shows both sides of it. It's like here we were doing it, you know, fairly stupidly at the beginning.

[01:13:52] Travis Bader: Oh, 

[01:13:52] Casey Braam: very stupidly. But that adventure draws me back every single time, right? Mm-hmm. Even if it was kinda stupid at the beginning. And it's like, so [01:14:00] you're building the adventure, the adventure gets bigger, but you're also getting smarter, which is a good sign, you know? It's kinda like- 

[01:14:06] Travis Bader: That's arguable. Wiser maybe, but 

[01:14:09] Casey Braam: Yeah.

I think that's a good sign. It's like we're gonna keep doing this adventure, but we're gonna get better at, you know, having some safety standards and stuff. Mm-hmm. But I was actually talking to someone a little while ago about this and goat hunting. I remember coming back to that goat, from that goat hunt I was just talking about, and like by the end I was completely dehydrated.

Um, my muscles were all starting to lock up 'cause I, you know, 'cause I'm walking down, um, and I'm injured and I'm just having a hard time. I got a heavy pack on. Um, I think we weighed our packs when we got home. We were like in the 80, 90 pound range. Phew. 

[01:14:41] Travis Bader: That's 

[01:14:41] Casey Braam: enough. And it's like we're in rough shape, right?

We're coming down this hill, um, and all, everything was starting to pile up, and I was like sitting on the trail and I was to my brother, I'm like, "I don't know. I don't know if I can get to the highway," like, so he's like, "Okay. I'll go ahead. I'll get the truck, at least get that closer, but you have to get to the highway.

Like there's, I'm not carry- you're a [01:15:00] 250 pound guy and a 90 pound backpack." Yeah. "Like there's no physical- ... there's no human that's carrying-" I ain't 

[01:15:05] Travis Bader: doing it for you. 

[01:15:06] Casey Braam: Yeah. Sorry. Um, he's like, "I'll just, I'm gonna go get the truck and get it closer." Um, and I remember sitting there being like, "I'm never doing this again."

Mm-hmm. "I'm never coming up this trail, and I'm probably never going goat hunting again." Like this is... And then by, by, by the time my, you know, my butt sat in the seat of that truck, I turned to my brother, I'm like, "First, I would, I'm so happy we did this, and that I did it with you, and let's do it again."

[01:15:32] Travis Bader: Awesome. 

[01:15:32] Casey Braam: You know? And just like, I was just like, and that was my attitude towards it, but I was talking to a guy the other day, and he's, you know, and he's a lo- lots of moose hunting and big adventures and stuff, and he went on a ghost, goat hunt, and they had some sketchy things happen, as they do on goat hunts, and he came home and he was still like- I don't know if I'll ever do that again.

Mm-hmm. And he built up his, he built up his, you know, um, his, uh, courage again for a couple years, went out again, and then came home and was like, "I don't know if I'm [01:16:00] ever doing that again." You know, same attitude. And so it's just kinda, I think a bit, a bit of it's mindset and personality and that sort of thing too, but yeah, there is kind of a beauty to walking that line a little bit and being like, "No, that was what I needed.

That is what I wanted to do. It was hard. It was the hardest thing I ever did." Mm-hmm. 

[01:16:17] Travis Bader: And it's 

[01:16:17] Casey Braam: like, yeah. But I look back on it being like, "Man, am I ever happy I did that," you know? Yeah. 

[01:16:23] Travis Bader: In, in youth, some of these things that look scary really aren't. Right. And some of these things that don't look scary really can be, right?

Like slipping on a rock could be the thing that ends it, and that's not the thing you're thinking about or being probably fearful of, or being dehydrated at the end of the day is- Yeah ... it could be a game stopper. 

[01:16:42] Casey Braam: Mm-hmm. 

[01:16:42] Travis Bader: Depending on where things are at. I know if I look at the rafting situation, I look at these big gnarly rapids and think, "Holy crow, that looks crazy."

Well- Yeah ... no, you just swim through those. You just go up and down. If you've got a life jacket on, you bob through 'em. Yeah, yeah. It's these, it's these dark things that kinda recirculate or Yeah ... will [01:17:00] bring you back that, or have strainers involved that don't look like- Yeah ... anything at all, but you get a little bit more experience and you're like, you can spot what actually is danger- Mm-hmm

and what just looks dangerous. 

[01:17:12] Casey Braam: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think for me, part of that, like, experience recipe too, and maybe even more as like, you know, you get older, have kids, kids start growing up, um, you know, also parents aging, that sort of stuff. Hmm. It's like the people that are standing next to you when it happens.

You know, like I got a great picture from this spring of like, you know, I'm standing there at the head of the big bear I shot, and right next to me is my brother, and next to him is his son, and next to him is my dad, and we're all standing there, you know, ne- and it's just like, how many times are we gonna get to do this, you know?

[01:17:47] Travis Bader: Well, that's 

[01:17:47] Casey Braam: it. And so that is part, a big part of it for me now, uh, maybe more than ever. But at the same time, I love kind of that question mark that you're talking about of hunting by myself. 

[01:17:58] Travis Bader: Hmm. 

[01:17:59] Casey Braam: One, you [01:18:00] get to make all the choices and you're not compromising for anyone, right? Right. When you hunt in a group, especially if you have, like, varying ages and abilities- 

[01:18:07] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm

[01:18:07] Casey Braam: you have the kind of like, "I can't hike this far. I can't carry that," or you're just, like, constantly making compromises. Should we do this or that, or that? But, like, with yourself, it's like you're making all the choices and you live with the consequences and that's it. 

[01:18:19] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. You 

[01:18:20] Casey Braam: know? And I really like that about hunting by yourself.

So there's kinda these two things that I really, you know, so they're, they seem completely at odds with each other, but, you know, I think that both of those things are important ingredients for me. 

[01:18:33] Travis Bader: What about, um, you know, you're, you're getting older, your kids are starting to get older. Are there, uh, uh, any things that you're doing that feels like it's just route, you're doing it again and again?

Or is that, um, is that part of the, the enjoyment? 

[01:18:51] Casey Braam: I think, um, I don't know. Uh, being with kids is just being with kids. It's awesome, you know? Yeah. It's kinda like it's terrible and awesome at the same [01:19:00] time, as I think parenting is. Right. It's so much work it's exhausting- Yeah ... but it's the best thing you could ever do, right?

Yeah. So it's like it's, it's both of those things at once, and it doesn't change when you take kids outside. It just, maybe it gets a little harder in some ways, but, um, you know, I have a almost five-year-old and a 10-year-old, and you get them outside and, like, you, they're there. They're just doing their thing.

They're, you know, you gotta kinda... I find it takes a couple times. Like, it's summer now, right, and kids are off school, and it's like you gotta kinda re-route their brains again, being like, "No, there's nothing after this. There's no next class. There's no-" Mm ... "lunch break. It's just, like, we're here, and this is what we're doing."

Like, and it's, that's a bit of an adjustment after a busy school schedule, right? It's like, during the school year, it's like, you know, you got this class, you got this class. You got a short break, this class, little short break, you know, and that's just how their day goes, and they're so wired to be kind of in that [01:20:00] extreme routine.

And then you, like, go trout fishing at the lake, and they'll be like, you know, after their 40 minutes they're used to, it's like, "Okay, what's next?" And it's like- Mm ... "Nothing. We'll do this till suppertime." You know? And it's just like that, and that adjustment is hard, but once you make it, it's like, oh yeah, this is how...

This is easier. You know? Like, they can just be free and make their own choices about what happens when, and, and outside you can do that, and it's hard to do that in any other environment, right? Like, sports are awesome and I love sports, but again, it's a lot like school. You know, we do this, we do this, we do this, we go home, right?

But outside it's like- But we're at the lake, you know. I got fishing rods, I got, you know, a paddleboard, I got whatever. I got all this... And I got some food, and the rest is whatever. We'll be here till supper and do, you know, as long as it's safe, do whatever you want, you know? 

[01:20:52] Travis Bader: I, I think our, our kids nowadays, they, they're growing up in a panopticon.

They got... Everyone's got a camera. [01:21:00] Everyone... There's cameras on the Ring doorbells. They can't go around doing the whatever- Yeah ... Nicky Nicky Nine Doors or putting- Yeah ... burning poop on people's, uh, porches or- 

[01:21:10] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[01:21:10] Travis Bader: b- any stupid thing that they do is gonna be recorded, and consequently I think the... you're finding our youth is a lot more reserved to do things that maybe we did in our youth.

However- Mm ... if you can bring them into the outdoors in a place where they don't have cameras and stuff all the time, they can act like, they can act like idiots again, and they can learn things and do things without the worry of h- everyone having eyes on them. I think there's a real value there- 

[01:21:41] Casey Braam: Yeah ... 

[01:21:41] Travis Bader: to, to that, and to being bored because the batteries are dead on the devices, or you didn't bring them- Yeah

or don't have them. Uh, there's a lot to be learned in boredom that we are depriving ourselves of. 

[01:21:54] Casey Braam: I think so. And just like- A sense of adventure, right? Like- 

[01:21:59] Travis Bader: Hmm ... 

[01:21:59] Casey Braam: [01:22:00] everything's so safe and sanitized, and it's just like outside, it's like, you know, get dirty, you know? Walk out on that slippery log. See how that goes.

[01:22:08] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[01:22:08] Casey Braam: You know? 

[01:22:09] Travis Bader: Maybe you make it. Maybe you don't. 

[01:22:11] Casey Braam: You might- you might fall in. But if you do fall in, you'll be fine too. That's 

[01:22:14] Travis Bader: right. Like 

[01:22:15] Casey Braam: I remember, it was a few years ago now, our, you know, our youngest was a toddler and my older daughter, you know, would've been four or three or something, and we were out on the paddleboard.

And I got a bigger board so we were all on there, you know, little one. And it was like spring. It wasn't like you're jumping off the paddleboard and going swimming, like the water's proper cold and- ... and you're not going swimming on purpose. And, uh, we're just like paddling around, checking out. There was a bunch of, uh, pike minnows spawning in the shallows and stuff as there is in the early spring, so we were like watching that.

And the eagles were hunting them. It was really cool. Um, they were pulling big pike minnows onto the beach and eating them right there, and it was all really neat. It was cool. We're paddling around the paddleboard. I'm talking about... I'm trying to show them the, you know, damselfly nymphs that are starting to climb the reeds as, you [01:23:00] know, the sun, you know, day warms up.

And it's like, "Yeah, this is really cool. This is really neat." And then my youngest daughter just, who's like a brave little soul but is always getting hurt, but anyway, um, just crawls off the end of the paddleboard, just no reserve. Sees something and is just like, "Yeah, I'm going off the end." Just like crawls right off the end straight into the lake.

And immediately my older daughter's just like, you know, and she's very much safety-minded. She's just like super worried about what's gonna happen. I'm like, "She has a life jacket on." 

[01:23:29] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. "

[01:23:29] Casey Braam: Like nothing to worry about." So, and the youngster like there's the shock of the cold water, but she was like immediately fine.

But you know how if you've been on paddleboards a lot, they drift quite easily. So just the, just the force of, uh, my younger daughter falling separated us immediately. Sure. And I'm like, "Tilly," my, my older daughter, "It's gonna be fine." She's floating there. Nothing's gonna go wrong, right? And I was just kinda talking through that, like, risks, you know, the...

And I, and I always think back on it like, yeah, it's a funny little story. [01:24:00] Mm-hmm. But also it's like showing kids that, like, you know, risks happen, but, like, everybody came out okay, and it was just a bit cold, whatever. Like, we had to change clothes, 'cause, like, take kids paddleboarding, something's- Mm-hmm

gonna get, right? Like, um, but it's just kinda that lesson of, like, nope, just take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be fine. This is a low-risk situation, right? Like, we got it under control. We've been smart. We've put the life jackets on. But, you know, we're still having adventures and doing cool stuff- Sure

you know? And, and, yeah, I feel like so often that's avoided, you know? It's like, oh, there's a m- tiny risk here. Something could go wrong. We could be uncomfortable. 

[01:24:37] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[01:24:38] Casey Braam: Like, so we're not gonna do that. And it's like, no, that kinda stuff's awesome. Yeah. And you kinda hope it happens, right? I remember my dad would purposely flip our canoe when we were kids all the time.

[01:24:46] Travis Bader: Yeah. Then you learn- We- ... how to right it and get back in ... 

[01:24:49] Casey Braam: we started to figure it out when he started tying all the stuff down in the canoe. 

[01:24:54] Travis Bader: You knew what was gonna 

[01:24:54] Casey Braam: happen. We knew something was coming. But yeah, if he's tying his fishing rod to the seat in front of him, you [01:25:00] know something's going down. But, um-

yeah, it's kind of that, like, you know, there's this edge, and you gotta figure out where, where we, you know, w- walk, you know, on that, so. 

[01:25:10] Travis Bader: I love it. Well, is there anything else that we should be talking about that we haven't talked about? 

[01:25:18] Casey Braam: Um I think maybe a little bit about how people can get involved in the Art Outside project.

Um- How 

[01:25:25] Travis Bader: can people get involved in the Art Outside project? 

[01:25:28] Casey Braam: Well, um, number one is just, like, be involved in social media, of course. Like, help get the word out. That's probably the biggest thing, right? So much of it is just reach and getting everyone to know what's going on. Um, the other thing is I would love to see people, um, starting it up in their own areas or just, like, taking that momentum of what it is, right?

Just get outside, you know, make some art. And it doesn't have to be art, right? Y- like, people try to define art as like, oh, it's not art, it's just a doodle or whatever. [01:26:00] It's like- Mm ... it all serves that same purpose I talked about, you know? Like, sitting down and looking at something. Who cares what it looks like in the sketchbook, right?

Like, not me. That's what my sketchbooks are for. They're just for, like, making a mess, and that's how you learn. So any, any way you can engage with it, and then just, like, you know, um, share that. Like, be part of getting the word out on it and how, how... And, and share, too, how it, like, you know, if you find, "Hey, I've been getting outside and doing art," or, you know, "I came and found you," or whatever, just share and be like, "Hey, this is the experience I had."

'Cause the more people that get exposed to it, I think, you know, the better. And it's not just, like, for me, yeah, of course, I wanna promote my art and people to see what I'm doing, but it's way bigger than that. It's like- Mm ... let's try to get people, you know, invested in the outdoors in every way you could imagine that word being used, right?

Like, you know, invested emotionally, like really caring, thinking that it's interesting, falling in love, and s- s- realizing how beautiful it is, but also investing. Like, you know, [01:27:00] there's all these, you know, conservation groups, and there's so much work that can be done, um, by investing financially or whatever, right?

Like, just get invested in the outdoors. Make it an important part of your life, um, just like everything else. You know, like, we love our kids. We look after our kids. Let's, let's do that, too, right? Like, let's invest in that, um, in every way we can as well. It's a big, important thing, and, and, and part of, maybe part of the lesson of it is, like, it's not nature here and us over here.

[01:27:27] Travis Bader: Mm-hmm. 

[01:27:28] Casey Braam: Like, you know, those are the same thing, you know? And- 

[01:27:30] Travis Bader: 100%. 

[01:27:31] Casey Braam: Yeah, and I see so much. It's like, "Oh, just leave nature alone." It's like, well, you know, that just, that whole kind of mind frame is like, w- what? Yeah. Like, what do you mean leave nature alone? 

[01:27:44] Travis Bader: Oh, you're in their territory. 

[01:27:46] Casey Braam: Yeah, I know. It's like, no, we both live here.

That's it. 

[01:27:50] Travis Bader: That's it. 

[01:27:51] Casey Braam: You know? It's not like we're- We're an animal ... encroaching on them or they're encroaching on us. It's like this is nature. 

[01:27:56] Travis Bader: Yeah. 

[01:27:57] Casey Braam: This is all nature. This is all the world we live in, right? [01:28:00] Um, and, and what your beliefs are outside of that, it's kind of just like, no, like, this is, you know, this i- this is where we are.

This is where we live. This is home, you know? And, and that whole like, yeah, nature's here, we're here, these two things are either at odds with each other or what- Right No, like You know, so everything you do affects the other, and everything they do affects you, too. Like, whether it's animals or plants or, you know.

If... I, I always think of trees. Like, people, you know, I d- I burn wood for a living, but I, you know, uh, cut down trees, and it's not like I'm abusing trees. I realize that it's a l- a life in a way. But also kinda just the fact that, you know, we make each other's air, you know? Mm-hmm. A tree needs carbon dioxide.

We need oxygen. Like, how can you say that we're two separate places, you know? It's just like- Yeah ... no, this is nature all together, you know? We literally exchange our breath back and forth with the trees, you know? And so it's, yeah, you can't say that, like, we're over [01:29:00] here, nature's over here. Let's, you know...

And, a- and maybe that's more obvious living rural like we do. 

[01:29:06] Travis Bader: Hmm. But 

[01:29:08] Casey Braam: in the city, that tends to get lost a bit. 

[01:29:09] Travis Bader: I think it does. 

[01:29:10] Casey Braam: Um, and unfortunately, not unfortunately, but it just happens to be that most people live in big cities. Um, and I don't think that it's harder to kind of realize that there is no separation down the middle.

That's right. It, it's not like these two separate things. And, and getting outside and experiencing that and studying it, like I said, through art or watching someone make art or talk to them about making art, um, can help you realize that there's no, there's no line. There's no fence, you know? Yeah. Like, it's all one piece.

Yeah. 

[01:29:41] Travis Bader: Well, we've, uh, covered a lot of ground here. Uh, we've got a SAI red dot that's gonna be given away, and I think that'll help bring some attention to this episode and to what you're doing. It's a- Well- ... uh, it's a pretty sweet, uh, red dot sight made by Armament Technologies through SAI. And [01:30:00] if you're a Silvercore Club member, you're entered in for free, as it is.

For anybody else who isn't a Silvercore Club member, uh, and if you are a club member and you wanna get another entry, uh, maybe what you and I do, KC, is once this wraps up, we'll record a, uh, a quick guide on bears. People can download it, and for every download, that gets them an entry into the, uh, uh, into winning this, this red dot sight.

[01:30:28] Casey Braam: Yeah. That sounds cool. 

[01:30:29] Travis Bader: Yeah. Uh, other news. So, uh, IBI, the, uh, the rifle that, uh, uh, Tiffany took the bear with, and 280 Ackley Improved, a nice carbon fiber barrel on the thing. It's, it's a, uh, really accurate, beautiful gun, but Silvercore Club members get 10% off. So if you're a club member, check your club member portal, and you can get 10% off of IBI barrels, off their actions, off their whatever they have there.

So that's a, uh, another cool [01:31:00] thing that we can bring up. Um, I think those are my major talking points. Do you wanna get in and record the, uh, the bear thing? 

[01:31:09] Casey Braam: Let's get after it. 

[01:31:10] Travis Bader: Okay. Yeah, sounds 

[01:31:10] Casey Braam: good. 

[01:31:11] Travis Bader: Well, thank you very much for being on this podcast, and we'll end the podcast here. And, uh, for anyone else interested on the, uh The Bear Chat and getting in on winning a, uh, SAI Optics red dot sight, then, uh, there'll be instructions that you can see in the description.

Casey, thanks so much for being on the podcast again. 

Thanks so much.