Son of a Blitch

George Blitch
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  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
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George Bowe Blitch has been a Wildlife Manager, 5th generation Texas Rancher, Professional Writer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Speaker, Brand Developer & Designer, Cartographer, Touring Musician, Teacher, Coach, Serial Entrepreneur, Finance Manager, and the owner of numerous businesses. George has met some wildly interesting people in his lifetime, and this "Son of a Blitch” is sure to share some impactful stories, interviews, and messages that will be informative, educational, and highly entertaining!  Guests often include: #1 New York Times Best Selling Authors, Television Show Hosts, Leaders in the Outdoor Industry, International Touring Musicians, James Beard Award-Winning Chefs, Photographers, Filmmakers, Navy SEALS, Green Berets, Veterans and related Veteran Organizations, a Master BladeSmith, a Federal Judge, Professional Athletes, Business Leaders, Inventors, Survival & Wilderness Experts, Gunsmiths, Long Range Shooting Instructors, Actors, Publishers, Inventors, Cartel Fighting Game Wardens, other podcasters, and more! "I've met some incredible people in my life, and I want to share their stories!" ~GB

  1. 11H AGO

    Ep. 133 w/ TYLER SHARP - Building MODERN HUNTSMAN: Stories, Stewardship, Photography, Films & Wild Food

    Send a text The conversation with Tyler Sharp of Modern Huntsman, begins with a childhood in Texas and an unexpected path through USC film school that led to an unfiltered apprenticeship in Tanzania. Six months in the bush without phones or modern buffers delivered a crash course in risk, awe, and humility. Lions in the camp and black mambas in the bathroom have a way of recalibrating priorities. The real transformation, though, came from the experiences of tracking, reading invisible signs, and calculating time by the sun. Returning home sparked culture shock and a nagging frustration: friends equated “safari” with rich tourists and endangered species, while many hunters he met seemed to ignore the culture and ecology around the hunt. That tension became a lifelong thread—find the bigger story and learn to tell it well.   Years of filming and photographing in 40-plus countries deepened that thread. He saw outfitters, guides, and local trackers whose lifeways held the keys to understanding land stewardship. He stayed behind after shoots, bargaining for extra days to document people, food, and places. Instead of “I film hunts in Africa,” he led with craft, landscapes, the rich cultures and people, and sustainable take. The same truth delivered with context opened doors and minds. When you frame them right, the stories became a bridge, not a roadblock.   Modern Huntsman grew from that bridge. In 2017, Tyler raised $120,000 through Kickstarter, proving an appetite for better storytelling about hunting, conservation, and culture. Volume One arrived by grit and sleep debt, shaped by a perfectionist editor’s eye and a contributor-first model. Credits were visible, contracts were fair, and ideas stretched beyond the kill shot to heritage, ecology, ethics, and eccentric dishes. Print became the cornerstone: heavy paper, careful color, and art direction that could live on a coffee table without expiring in a news cycle.  Underneath it all runs a diplomatic mission: lower voices, widen the room, and find common ground on public lands, access, and ethical take. Modern Huntsman now hosts panels, trips, and sold-out dinners where non-hunters feel welcome and seasoned hunters feel challenged to lead with respect. The platform stays independent—reader-supported, investor-light, and allergic to corporate shortcuts—so it can critique what needs reform while celebrating what deserves to endure.   Membership now unlocks the full archive, early films, recipes, and behind-the-scenes process. Pricing stays approachable, but the work respects the reader: no clickbait, no shouty ad pages, and a cadence that invites slow reading. The goal is not just distribution; it’s translation—taking the feel of ink, linen, and field grit into a screen experience that still breathes, and finding one’s community in the process.   Food became the next on-ramp. After years of chef features, a cookbook pitched with 10 trusted voices sparked a bidding war and a deal with Ten Speed Press. Three years of recipe testing and remote coordination turned into a wild-food book anchored by place, ethics, and personal philosophy. Chefs wrote their why, not just their how, and contributors added literary weight. Launch dinners turned narrative into taste: bison harvested with care from North Bridger Bison, served as a full-circle meal.  Volume 16 is out now, and "explores our connection to the wild, both personal and public, from intimate, emotionally defining moments with nature to the strategic solutions needed to preserve shared spaces for generations to come." Learn more: ModernHuntsman.com SonofaBlitch.com

    54 min

  2. MAR 2

    Ep. 132 w/ Joe Betar - Executive Director of the Houston Safari Club Foundation (2026 Worldwide Hunting Expo & Convention Recap)

    Send a text This episodes features an interview with Houston Safari Club Foundation's Executive Director, Joe Betar, where we discuss the many successes of the recent Worldwide Hunting Expo & Convention, which took place in The Woodlands (just outside of Houston) at the end of January 2026. This recap features conversations around the severe ice-storm threat that loomed over the convention, a packed expo, and a near-record breaking auction for the coveted Texas desert bighorn sheep tag, and so much more.  Learn how conservation won, why a “smaller” convention delivers bigger connections, and the core tenants of this membership led organization: Scholarships, Youth Education, Grants, and Advocacy. As Joe reported, the scholarship initiative has crossed 700 awards and around 4 million in support for students in wildlife and range management fields. Some recipients now lead programs they once studied, like the current head of the sheep project, who traced his path back to HSCF help.  Youth education offers hands-on experiences, classroom learning, and guided hunts that remove barriers for teens and families.  Grants extend the mission across Texas and beyond, targeting habitat work, research, and practical conservation that yields measurable outcomes. Each program feeds the others, seeding a pipeline from beginner to professional, from curiosity to career. Join us at WeHuntWeGive.org to apply for scholarships, become a member, and to connect to the HSCF social channels! There are always events and gatherings happening! Hope to see you at the next one! PS - Make sure to also set aside the dates for the next Annual HSCF Worldwide Hunting Expo & Convention, January 15-17, 2027 at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center.  Learn more about the host, George Blitch: SonofaBlitch.com IG: "thesonofablitch" YouTube.com/@SonofaBlitch

    26 min

  3. FEB 19

    Ep. 131 w/ Ryan Cleckner on his new book, "Advanced Long Range Shooting"

    Send a text Long-range shooting has never been more accessible, yet it’s never been easier to get lost in noise. In my conversation with former sniper and instructor Ryan Cleckner, we cut through mystique and marketing to focus on what truly moves rounds onto steel and animals humanely. Ryan’s new book, "Advanced Long Range Shooting", extends his beginner-friendly approach into “advanced” territory without drowning readers in jargon. He shares why he delayed the sequel for nearly a decade, how fatherhood shaped his writing choices, and why he leads with safety, clarity, and a short test that tells readers whether they’re ready to proceed. Instead of rehashing basics, he sets expectations: if you skipped the fundamentals, go learn them (with the prequel book, "Long Range Shooting Handbook"), then come back for the “next step.” We dig into ammunition first because ammo multiplies or nullifies everything else. Ryan discusses load development and explains standard deviation, extreme spread, and what those numbers actually mean. He argues many shooters obsess over powder kernels while ignoring the reality that a one-minute rifle and solid fundamentals outperform paper-perfect handloads in shaky field positions. From there we step into external ballistics and the software era. Ryan favors tools that model what bullets actually do, not what a glossy BC claims. Hornady 4DOF and Applied Ballistics use Doppler-derived libraries, so their predictions track reality with minimal truing. That shift makes old-school BC-based apps feel like guesswork. He also opens the “funky bullet behavior” drawer: aerodynamic jump, spindrift, density altitude, and gravity’s role in trajectory. These factors sound intimidating, but his method is to define terms, show practical impact, and give you just enough math to trust the correction and move on. It’s not about becoming a ballistician; it’s about getting first-round hits sooner. Application is where theory turns into decisions under time and wind. Ryan teaches quick wind methods, “gun numbers,” and moving target holds that simplify your process. He revisits a mantra he once preached—“focus on the reticle”—and shows when to do the opposite, crediting peers who changed his mind. The goal is flexible thinking: most of the time a crisp reticle focus is king; sometimes softening that focus helps you break a better shot on unstable props. He also spotlights a practical threshold: if your time of flight stays under a second, 100-yard group size rules outcomes more than SD. Past that, velocity spreads matter more, but only once your fundamentals and wind calls are honest. We close on data and discipline. Affordable chronographs like the Garmin Xero make velocity recording painless, so there’s no excuse to fly blind on temperature swings, ammo lots, or barrel heat. But the range is for shooting, not gaming menus; collect data passively and review it later. Ryan’s broader message echoes across his other ventures—Gun University, FFL Safe, Rocket FFL: be honest, keep incentives clean, and help shooters avoid traps. Gear evolves—he moved from .308 loyalty to 6.5 Creedmoor and 300 PRC as realities changed—but principles endure. Choose cartridges for availability and purpose, trust Doppler-backed tools, and train in the wind until your hits tell the story. Simplicity isn’t cutting corners; it’s the shortest path to better shots. He is also the author of "There is Only One You," This illustrated children's book about firearm safety. Check out RyanCleckner.com to learn more about Ryan, order his books, and follow his incredible journeys! SonofaBlitch.com

    45 min

  4. FEB 9

    Ep. 130 w/ Steve Hall - Discussing Hunter Education, Ethics & The Future Of Hunting

    Send a text The conversation with Steve Hall opens a wide door into the living history of hunter education, public outreach, and the ethics that keep our outdoor heritage strong. A childhood BB gun accident where he shot his tongue became a turning point, driving a lifelong commitment to safety and responsibility. After earning a wildlife biology degree, Steve found his way to Texas Parks and Wildlife, where he spent decades expanding programs that welcome new hunters and anglers. That combination—personal story, policy insight, and community impact—shows how education, access, and mentorship make safer hunters and better stewards.   Hunter education sits at the heart of modern conservation. Steve emphasizes that while ethics are often “caught, not taught,” intentional instruction plants seeds that guide choices in the field. The numbers speak loudly: an 80 percent drop in hunting incidents over 50 years signals a cultural shift. But the value goes beyond incident data. Hunter education shapes a social contract among hunters, landowners, and wildlife managers—creating role models who model restraint, respect, and fair chase.   Access remains a practical barrier, especially in states dominated by private land like Texas. Steve explains how Texas built a “suite of products” that bridges this gap: Wildlife Expo, Youth Hunting Program, angler education, archery classes, Hunting 101, and mentored hunts through partners like Texas Wildlife Association. These programs create on-ramps for youth and adult-onset hunters, pairing classroom knowledge with field experience, wild game cooking, and community. Media like MeatEater has opened curiosity, but programs make action possible. The result is a new generation entering with clarity on regulations, habitat, and humane harvest while finding mentors who demystify scouting, access, and field care.   Ethics training gets special attention. Steve credits attorney and educator Michael Sabbath for translating moral reasoning into practical tools for instructors and students. With technology’s rapid growth—optics, apps, and gadgets—ethical decision-making needs context and conversation more than ever. Sabbath’s work helps instructors facilitate, not preach: posing scenarios that reveal where fair chase begins and ends, when to pass a shot, and how to balance opportunity with respect for wildlife and other hunters. This is the culture that sustains hunting’s social license—clear, thoughtful standards that newcomers can understand and veterans can model in the field and online.   Steve’s current role with NRA’s free online hunter education course adds another step to the ladder. Adults in Texas can complete certification online, while youth can pair it with a field day. He handles customer support because he still wants to engage with hunters. Online learning sets the baseline for safety, legal knowledge, and ethics, but in-person mentorship remains the catalyst that turns information into confidence. The path is clear: learn, practice, join a mentored hunt, and keep refining skills across seasons. That continuous loop sustains personal growth and community health.   Where Steve lands, finally, is legacy. Texas has certified 1.7 million hunters, more than a million during his tenure, and built programs that touch millions more through aquatic education, youth camps, and mobile ranges. He credits the volunteers and professionals who took him under their wings and commits to doing the same. The throughline is simple yet powerful: safety makes hunting durable, ethics make it honorable, and mentorship makes it possible for anyone willing to learn. When communities sit around a campfire to share a meal and a story after a good hunt, they pass on more than skills—they pass on identity, gratitude, and care for the land.

    25 min

  5. JAN 27

    Ep. 129 w/ Kenny Feinstein - Founder of the Band, Water Tower - Currently Touring w/ Nick Hexum

    Send a text We trace Kenny’ Feinstein’s path from punk rock fueled kid to a bluegrass lifer, the rise, collapse, and rebirth of Water Tower, and how LA off-ramps became a writing room, rehearsal space, and lifeline. We als discuss how a fateful encounter with 311’s Nick Hexum and a shared love for Americans roots music and sober living led to Water Tower touring and performing with Nick on his solo, “Nothing But the Truth” Tour    • tour dates with Nick Hexum across 19 cities  • origin story from Mexico City to Portland square dances  • busking as craft, income, and audience testing  • jazz study, juries, and on-the-road practice  • writing songs at freeway off-ramps  • sobriety, meetings, and community support  • two banjos, shifting instrumentation with Nick  • collaborations with MXPX, Germs, Tim Armstrong  • teaching, producing, and artist coaching  • new marketing book with Nick’s foreword  • where to find Water Tower and new single release   Make sure you guys are going and checking out the tour dates. It starts January 30th, goes to April 5th, 19 different cities that it's going to be going at, a lot of intimate shows as well as a chance to meet Kenny, Nick and the fellas with Water Tower.  Get some merch and just be a part of that. Make sure when you're there, put your phone down, just be in the moment,  enjoy the camaraderie of great people, great times and great music. WaterTowerBand.com Kenny Feinstein on IG WorkSmarterMusicMarketing.com SonofaBlitch.com George Blitch on IG

    33 min

  6. JAN 14

    Ep. 128 w/ NICK HEXUM - Discussing His New Solo Music & Tour (& some 311 news)

    Send a text The heart of this conversation is creative courage. Nick Hexum traces a path from chasing hyper-modern sounds to falling in love with instruments that predate rock, and the shift isn’t a gimmick; it’s a return to vulnerability. He talks about mandolin, pedal steel, and the one-mic stagecraft that forces projection and blend, like old halls before PA systems. That choice changes everything about performance and writing. Singing higher, belting lines once whispered, and working dynamics against freeway noise while busking sharpened his voice and his band’s cohesion. When the palette narrows, the stakes rise: lyrics must carry truth, melody must pull weight, and the room must feel the breath between words. This is where his Americana, bluegrass, and folk lean reveal a deeper theme—follow the muse or be left behind.   Hexum’s lunar-themed solo work—Waxing Nostalgic, Full Memories, and Waning Time—threads personal history through present resolve and future intent. He and his wife shaped the phases to reflect an inner tide: looking back with "1978", standing in the moment with intimate portraits, and peering ahead with hard-earned hope. The themes are not rigid boxes; they’re anchors for songs that orbit memory. Family appears everywhere: his daughter Echo on piano, his sister co-writing a song, a song honoring his late brother, and a lineage of musical collaborators join him along the way.  The more he explored the past, the freer he felt to dig deep into the roots of American Music and his own soul.    Honesty is a craft as much as a choice. Hexum talks about grief for his brother and the reflex to hide pain, then choosing to name it in song to heal and connect ("I Am Open"). He speaks about fatherhood with "Please Explain", born from a family phrase and expanded through a co-write with Ben Kweller after sharing losses and fears. The writing process became a safe space blueprint: coaxing truth, reading faces, building trust, and letting the music hold what words can’t. Sobriety threads through it all, as a discipline of clarity and gratitude. Audience response confirmed the bet—when artists risk the dark caves, listeners bring their lanterns. These songs prove that creative vulnerability is not a brand; it’s a bridge that carries both ways.   Creativity also needs a system. Hexum shares how Rick Rubin’s ideas unlocked momentum: audience comes last, perfectionism is ego, and quantity begets quality. That mindset powers frequent releases and dislodges the logjam that stalls new work behind the “perfect” unfinished piece. He treats songwriting as a spiritual practice: show up with pen and guitar, let another power handle quality, and keep moving. That ethos inspired SKP, the platform he co-founded with his wife to help artists become major label escapees. With distribution barriers gone, the goal is streamlined tools, direct fan connection, and releasing work at the artist’s pace. It’s not anti-label; it’s pro-agency, rooted in the belief that the shortest path from song to soul is the one you build yourself.   Finally, there’s awe—the original meaning of awful as full of awe—which Hexum wants to cultivate like a daily habit. From foraging mushrooms to standing outside with dogs, small doses of awe recalibrate a busy mind more reliably than another notification. That focus shapes his tour: one-mic intimacy, storytelling between songs, and a reminder to put the phone down. He’s grateful, animated by community, and curious about what’s next: more crossings between jazz and Americana, more covers reimagined, and maybe a book when the courage clicks. The takeaway is simple and rare: follow the muse, honor the roots, release often, and let awe do its quiet work. Learn more at: NickHexum.com 311.com

    36 min

  7. JAN 6

    Ep. 127 w/ Matt Skoglund of North Bridger Bison

    Send a text A law degree is an unlikely trailhead to bison ranching, yet the path makes sense when conservation is the compass. Matt left Chicago for Bozeman with a plan to protect wild places and ended up building a land-based business that treats the animal and the prairie as one living system. The ranch sits in Montana’s Shields Valley, chosen for its ranching culture and distance from sprawl. After months of “sponge mode” learning and a holistic management course, he found adjacent parcels, replaced old barbed wire with wildlife-friendly fencing, and started a herd sourced from the Rocky Mountain Front. Every choice aims at two goals: biodiversity on the land and the best-tasting red meat his customers will ever put on a plate. Regeneration is the operating system, not a slogan. The ranch rejects pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, choosing soil health over short-term control. Predators like coyotes and badgers keep their roles in the web; the aim is a functioning grassland, not a simplified factory floor. Biodiversity isn’t just a moral stance—it supports resilience, nutrition, and flavor. Where invasives like cheatgrass, leafy spurge, or spotted knapweed appear, the team experiments with bale grazing to shift nutrient profiles and an organic soil amendment to favor natives. Progress takes seasons, not days, but the payoff is a living prairie where birds, bugs, and grazers co-evolve with management instead of fighting it. Stress management carries through to harvest. Instead of feedlots and trucks, Matt field harvests year-round with a close-range, single headshot. There is no dry-lot fasting, no transport panic, and no chaos in chutes. The carcass heads to a craft butcher for careful skinning, trimming, and a two-week dry age that concentrates flavor without over-dehydrating lean bison. Customers order quarters, halves, or wholes, and receive only meat from their animal—no added fat, no mixing. Steaks and roasts arrive vacuum-packed; ground comes in one-pound chubs. Even the trim can shine: rendered bison fat blends beautifully into wild game burgers, adding clean richness and structure. Growth came with intention. Land values soared, so the ranch partnered with a regenerative finance group to lease 917 adjacent acres with a buyout path. That expansion supports a larger herd and a better headquarters while keeping operations compact and attentive. The original ranch house now welcomes guests as an Airbnb basecamp for ski days, gravel rides, and sunrise bison watching—another way to connect people to a working landscape. Commitment to permanence runs deeper than a lease: a conservation easement with the local land trust protects the property from development forever, guaranteeing that a century from now, the view will match the one seen today. Connection matters. When someone orders from across the country, they receive more than a shipping notice. Matt sends harvest-day photos and a note about the weather, the herd, and the process. Boxes include cooking tips, stickers, and a sprig of sagebrush bound with bison hair, a small anchor to place and story. Partnerships with storytellers and chefs—like MeatEater’s stone-tool butchery experiment—spread those stories further, showing that ethical field harvests, wildlife-safe fencing, and chemical-free soils can coexist with exquisite flavor. The result is a simple promise: animals live as they evolved to live, prairies gain life, and your freezer fills with meat that tastes like place. NorthBridgerBison.com IG: "northbridgerbison" SonofaBlitch.com IG: "thesonofablitch"

    37 min

  8. 12/23/2025

    Ep. 126 - From Seventh‑Generation Texan To Trusted Ag Lender: Kent Savage Explains How Capital Farm Credit Fuels Rural Dreams

    Send a text Kent Savage explores his work and history of Capital Farm Credit, one of the key partners with the Houston Safari Club Foundation Convention (Jan 23-25, 2026 in the Woodlands). Kent, a 7th generation Texan grew up on a ranch and spent nearly his entire career in the agricultural and land business in one way or another. As he mentions, lending for land is a craft that blends appraisal, local knowledge, and honest guidance. It’s less about rate sheets and more about reading the land, the market, and the family’s goals.   Capital Farm Credit sits inside a century‑old Farm Credit System built in 1916 to give farmers and ranchers stable access to credit. Over time, land banks and production lenders merged, and in Texas that consolidation produced a cooperative built for scale and specialization. With roughly 65 locations and 25k+ member‑owners, the co‑op model means borrowers are also shareholders, and service is structured around long horizons. That matters when rural cycles swing. During COVID, demand exploded as city dwellers chased space, wildlife habitat, and water. Marketing teams became lenders overnight, and volume surged across Texas. The lesson: rural finance isn’t niche anymore, but it still demands niche expertise.   For first‑time buyers, the biggest mistake is treating acreage like a suburban mortgage. Tracts over ten acres bring layers—minerals, water, access, ag exemptions, wind and solar easements, floodplain, and wildlife management plans. The right licensed land broker is non‑negotiable, and a lender who understands county‑level nuance can flag issues early. An experienced relationship manager partners with appraisers who know soils, comps, and commodity dynamics from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast. That collaboration protects buyers from late‑stage surprises that can derail closings and budgets. A clear process upfront saves heartache and dollars later.   Trust sits at the heart of good rural lending. Kent frames the role as a trusted advisor: say what you know, admit what you don’t, and go find the answer. That approach builds loyalty across generations because land decisions are legacy decisions. Families want unvarnished truth about feasibility, cash flow, and risk exposure. They also want pointers to USDA and NRCS tools, EQIP grants, and county resources that improve soil, water, and habitat. When financing is paired with stewardship planning, owners move from buying a place to running a resilient operation that can weather markets and droughts.   Another priority is cultivating the next generation. With fewer producers feeding more people, the pipeline matters. Programs that support young, beginning, and small farmers help new operators launch niche enterprises—from direct‑to‑consumer beef and eggs to specialty produce and sheep. These ventures can thrive on smaller acreages with smart infrastructure and marketing. Yet inputs are high and margins thin, so tailored financing and mentorship are essential. The goal isn’t just closed loans; it’s viable businesses that anchor local food systems and rural communities.    Partnerships with groups like the Houston Safari Club strengthen the conservation side of ownership. Many members are hunters and land stewards who invest in habitat, water, and wildlife. Aligning finance with conservation values helps buyers implement management plans that keep country places productive and wild. It also creates a network of peers who share vendor lists, contractor tips, and seasonal lessons you won’t find in a brochure. Community shortens the learning curve Whether you’re escaping the metro sprawl or expanding an existing ranch, the right team—broker, lender, appraiser, and neighbors—turns a dream tract into a lasting legacy. CapitalFarmCredit.com

    29 min
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5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

George Bowe Blitch has been a Wildlife Manager, 5th generation Texas Rancher, Professional Writer, Videographer, Photographer, Editor, Speaker, Brand Developer & Designer, Cartographer, Touring Musician, Teacher, Coach, Serial Entrepreneur, Finance Manager, and the owner of numerous businesses. George has met some wildly interesting people in his lifetime, and this "Son of a Blitch” is sure to share some impactful stories, interviews, and messages that will be informative, educational, and highly entertaining!  Guests often include: #1 New York Times Best Selling Authors, Television Show Hosts, Leaders in the Outdoor Industry, International Touring Musicians, James Beard Award-Winning Chefs, Photographers, Filmmakers, Navy SEALS, Green Berets, Veterans and related Veteran Organizations, a Master BladeSmith, a Federal Judge, Professional Athletes, Business Leaders, Inventors, Survival & Wilderness Experts, Gunsmiths, Long Range Shooting Instructors, Actors, Publishers, Inventors, Cartel Fighting Game Wardens, other podcasters, and more! "I've met some incredible people in my life, and I want to share their stories!" ~GB

Information

  • Creator
    George Blitch
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    133
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Son of a Blitch
  • Show Website
    Son of a Blitch

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