The Silvercore Podcast with Travis Bader

Torkel Norling does 200 to 300 wounded game recoveries a year. He gets called by Swedish police in the middle of the night to track traffic-hit wildlife, hunts brown bears and lynx with dogs he's bred himself, and just wrote the book on modern blood tracking. Literally.
In this episode, we cover the massive differences between Swedish and North American hunting culture, what happens during a real police tracking callout at 2 AM, a brown bear charge that stopped two meters from his face, the mental framework that separates good trackers from great ones, and why the "never quit" attitude matters more than breed, gear or method. Whether you track with dogs or alone with flagging tape and a headlamp, this one's for you.
Guest referral by Erik Rohdin of Nordic Tales and American Trails. - https://open.spotify.com/show/0S6FLXVhVbXXD802ws5j1w
Instragram - https://www.instagram.com/torkelnorling/
Modern Blood Tracking Book - https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/modern-blood-tracking/
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Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4
Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U
Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU
Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9
Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W 
Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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Time Stamps

[00:00:00] Intro and welcome
[00:02:12] Swedish government-hunter relationship vs. North American friction
[00:04:53] 12,000 wildlife accidents a year: Torkel's tracking operation
[00:06:00] Moose population decline, wolves and Allemansrätten (right to roam)
[00:07:44] BC vs. Sweden moose numbers and management philosophy
[00:10:02] Why Sweden shoots cows and calves first, the science behind it
[00:13:52] Wolf politics, the rural-urban divide
[00:16:00] Two hunting traditions: independent forest dogs vs. continental driven hunts
[00:18:48] Travis's Swedish hunting experiences, from Sollerön to the Norma estate
[00:25:18] Advice for hunters without dogs, and why Torkel says there's no substitute
[00:28:18] Police callout walkthrough: what happens when the phone rings at 2 AM
[00:33:33] Hulda the scent hound, trained to only track on asphalt
[00:36:22] The two-dog system, switching from tracker to bay dog
[00:38:25] Close calls with wounded game, the mentality that separates good from great
[00:40:52] The brown bear stories, dog sacrifice and a charge in the dark
[00:46:36] Why Torkel felt zero stress with a bear two meters away
[00:48:33] Travis on tunnel vision: skiing, motorcycles and a grizzly survivor
[00:51:24] The stair model for stress, starting low and staying below the red line
[00:53:14] Inoculation training: visualization, close-range drills and the safety bubble
[01:01:02] Physical fitness as the foundation for mental toughness
[01:02:16] The never-quit attitude, what elite trackers all have in common
[01:06:21] Breaking tracking into single missions: find the start, follow the track
[01:08:00] When you lose the trail, go back to the beginning and find your mistake
[01:13:53] Practical tips for tracking without a dog
[01:18:11] Drones, night vision, thermal: what Sweden allows after the shot
[01:20:55] How Swedish hunt teams self-regulate without conservation officers
[01:24:00] Bear hunting regulations, the two-dog limit and Plott Hounds from North America
[01:29:44] Dog injuries and the reality of close-quarters predator work
[01:35:05] Old methods vs. new, why emotion and tradition block progress
[01:40:22] Top performers share knowledge freely, ego kills development
[01:44:27] Where to find Modern Blood Tracking and how to connect with Torkel

Nathan James, known online as Sir Drifto, holds the world altitude record for the highest electric paramotor flight and has flown hundreds of miles in a vintage open cockpit biplane with his dad. He's also the kind of guy who once tried to fly a paramotor under a bridge and lost his sponsorship in the process.
In this conversation, we talk about what happens when the risk-to-reward ratio flips, why real adventure can't be bought through a booking agent, the Camel Trophy / Defender Trophy comeback, growing up on dirt bikes and two-strokes, what every young person should experience at least once, AI and predictive surveillance, and why the simplest eras might have produced the most capable people.
Nathan is heading to British Columbia for the Defender Trophy, the successor to the legendary Camel Trophy, and this conversation captures exactly the kind of person they'd want behind the wheel.
Silvercore Podcast 182 Nathan James - Sir Drifto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sirdrifto/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SirDrifto
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Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4
Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U
Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU
Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9
Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W 
Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro and the Sir Drifto origin
01:34 Life is short and the risk-to-reward ratio
03:03 When risk stops falling only on you
05:20 Dirt bikes at eight and the berm that changed everything
08:33 Counting birthdays you didn't expect to reach
10:13 Regret as the real balancing act
11:50 Contrived hardship vs. real challenge
14:23 What every young person should experience once
17:36 The Wall-E problem and the softening of capability
22:01 Technology, instant gratification, and lost patience
24:06 Face-to-face connection as the future commodity
27:21 Photoshopping a report card and the sinking jet boat
30:29 The world record electric paramotor flight
40:42 The altitude and would he do it again
42:12 Why winter was the only option
43:22 Flying a Piper Cub cross-country with his dad
47:15 The broken fuel gauge and cornfield contingencies
52:11 The Defender Trophy (Camel Trophy successor) in BC
57:56 Whether it'll be televised
01:00:23 Safety third
01:01:17 Flying a paramotor under a bridge
01:04:12 The helicopter laser incident and federal consequences
01:12:28 AI, facial recognition, and pre-crime prediction
01:16:54 Favorite movies and books
01:22:06 Write down your bucket list and challenge every excuse

Josh Botha showed up to his first precision rifle match with a blind-magazine .204 Ruger and no idea what he was doing. A decade later, he's a four-time Team Canada World Championship competitor, senior designer at MDT (Modular Driven Technologies), founder of the BC Precision Rifle League, and the man behind North Star Precision Training.
In this episode, Josh shares his journey from South Africa to England to BC, how archery led him into the precision rifle world, what it's really like inside MDT's culture, and the massive news about MDT acquiring Lone Peak Arms. We dig into the mental game of competitive shooting, the NRL Hunter format, wind reading, barriers to entry for new PRS shooters, the role of faith in business and life, and why one person stepping up can change everything.
🎁 This month we're giving away a SAI Mini Red Dot to an active Outpost listener - Silvercore Club members, activate the Outpost in your member portal to enter!
🔗 Connect with Josh:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbotha_/  
North Star Precision Training: [email protected] and https://www.instagram.com/northstarprecision/ 
BC Precision Rifle League: https://www.instagram.com/bcprecisionrifle/
MDT Sporting Goods: https://www.instagram.com/mdttac21/
Optics - https://armament.com/
Ammo - https://www.norma-ammunition.com/
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Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4
Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U
Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU
Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9
Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W 
Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro & SAI Mini Red Dot Giveaway
1:30 Meet Josh Botha: Competitive Shooter & MDT Designer
2:16 Knocking Over Josh's Rifle at a PRS Match
4:24 Growing Up in South Africa & Moving to England
7:00 Family Moves to Canada: Landing on Canada Day 2006
8:33 BC as the Best of South Africa and England Combined
10:00 From BCIT Mechanical Engineering to "Pretensioneer"
11:55 MDT's People-First Culture and Hiring Philosophy
13:16 MDT's Origin Story: From Rooster33 to Martin's Vision
14:28 MDT Acquires Lone Peak Arms: What It Means
16:50 Passion vs. Career: Drawing the Line
18:48 How Archery Led Josh Into Precision Rifle
21:00 First PRS Match: A .204 Ruger and No Idea
22:00 The BC Sniper Match & Why the PRS Community Is Different
27:00 PRS Attracts "Weird Gear Math Nerds" — And That's Great
28:00 The Mental Game: Almost All of It Is Mental Now
29:13 Conscious Competence to Subconscious Mastery
30:06 Wind Reading: The Great Equalizer
30:50 Barriers to Entry: Cost, Fear & PRS .22 Matches
33:50 Launching North Star Precision Training
37:00 Training Venues & The BC Long Range Problem
38:00 Biggest Mistakes New Precision Rifle Shooters Make
39:27 Dealing with Match Pressure & First-Stage Jitters
41:00 NRL Hunter: The Most Fun Match Format Explained
46:00 Gear vs. Skill: LRF Binos, Tripods & Weight Limits
48:03 MDT's Content & Media Strategy: Becoming a Media Company
52:00 Education as Marketing: Magpul, Glock & MDT
54:50 AI in the Firearms Industry: Spanish & French YouTube Channels
57:37 Suppressors: Will MDT Get In the Game?
59:00 Fighting for Suppressor Legalization in Canada
1:02:49 The Power of One Person to Create Change
1:07:55 Leveraging Mentors & Asking for Help
1:08:46 Faith at MDT: A Quiet But Real Foundation
1:11:05 Josh's Faith Journey & Losing His Mom
1:13:29 A Transformative Six Months: Growth Through Trials
1:16:27 What's Next: 4th World Championship & Rimfire in Lithuania
1:19:00 Building a World Championship Rimfire Rig
1:20:14 Product Design: When "Done" Meets "Perfect"
1:23:21 MDT's Most Popular Products (Magazines & Chamber Flags)
1:24:38 CAPRA: The Canadian Precision Rifle Association Board
1:26:39 Addressing Conflict of Interest Criticism
1:30:28 Growth of PRS in Canada: From 75 Members to National Teams
1:32:12 Where to Find Josh & Final Thoughts

This episode introduces something new inside the Silvercore Club.

It’s called The Outpost.

A private weekly podcast for members where I share reflections from the field, lessons that stay with me, and thoughts that don’t always fit the format of the public show.

In this episode, I explain what The Outpost is and why I created it, and then share one of those private recordings titled Bear With Me.
Some experiences change how you see preparedness, responsibility, and awareness.

This is one of them.

https://www.silvercore.ca/club
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Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4
Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U
Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU
Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9
Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W 
Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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This was supposed to be a hot wing challenge.
It turned into something else.
We sat down to take on a melt your face off hot wing challenge and ended up in a real conversation about food, marriage, work, ambition, comfort, and the choices that shape a life over time.
The heat ramps up fast. Talking becomes harder. Filters disappear.
We talk about building something from scratch, walking away from paths that look good on paper, raising kids with intention, food as memory, food as connection, and why comfort has a way of slowly pulling people off course.
This episode also introduces The Wild Kitchen Podcast, a show about food, authors, hunters, foragers, and people who still know how to make things with their hands and feed the people they love.
Nothing here was planned. Nothing was cleaned up to make it tidy.
If you’re into honest conversations, good food, and doing things the hard way on purpose, this one will land.

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-wild-kitchen/id1871562316

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IVrTjpZePPuoKprNkgZx6?si=afb700ee09994cf4

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewildkitchenpodcast/

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Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4
Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U
Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU
Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9
Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W 
Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors
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Timestamps
00:00 We commit to the hot wing challenge
01:45 Why the first attempt failed
04:10 What The Wild Kitchen is really about
07:30 Starting something and sticking with it
10:50 Food, memory, and why meals matter
14:40 The meals that never leave you
18:20 Heat kicks in and thinking gets harder
21:45 Comfort food and emotional attachment
24:50 Death row meals and what they reveal
30:15 What we wanted to be as kids
35:05 Leaving the path you were expected to follow
39:40 Work that feels honest
45:30 Food, family, and presence
50:00 Heat level check and regret
53:10 Old skills in a modern world
58:20 Belief, curiosity, and asking better questions
01:03:45 Pushing through discomfort
01:07:40 Failure, momentum, and self trust
01:12:20 Dealing with criticism
01:16:10 Grandparents, food, and inherited habits
01:20:40 Preservation, fermentation, and patience
01:24:10 Processing animals and community
01:28:10 What the future actually looks like
01:32:30 Final wing and closing thoughts