Big Sky Boneheads: Recent Episodes
Michael Grey
Michael Grey and Scott Hirschi bring you a a slice of life in Montana with authentic conversations featuring the most unique voices under The Big Sky.
This week we sat down with Deliver Fund President and Co-Founder Sean Fennema along with Director of Technology Ian Caltabiano for a wide ranging conversation about the tragedy of human trafficking and the technology being deployed to combat it. Learn about Deliver Fund's mission and the ways in which they are working with law enforcement to put an end to human trafficking here in Montana and around the world.
Deliver Fund homepage
Human Trafficking Safeguard app
Donate to Deliver Fund
This week Scott was on vacation but Mike sat down with Perdomo Cigars CEO Nick Perdomo and Capital Club Cigar Lounge owner Ken Weinheimer. Nick has been all over the world as he's built one of the biggest cigar brands in the world and stopped in Montana for the first time to talk about the cigar industry, travel, Nick's family roots and a whole lot more.
This week we got to sit down with Montana Governor Greg Gianforte in the State Capitol Building in Helena. This was a wide ranging conversation about Gianforte's beliefs about how to run the state and his hopes for the future. He also shed some light on the details of his policies, the expectations he holds for his staff and a lot more.
This week we were joined by Montana Trappers Association V.P. West Chris Morgan for a wide ranging conversation about the challenges and threats facing Montana sportsman, particularly within the trapping community. From out-of-state funding interests to the power of political affiliations this was an informative talk that effects everyone that enjoys the outdoors here in Montana.
Montana Trappers Association homepage
Montana Trappers Association on Facebook
Montana Trappers Association on YouTube
For this episode Mike and Scott welcomed Special Unit Member (MSG RET) and Hooten-Young founder Norm Hooten to the show. To make things even better the guys were able to take the show on the road courtesy of Ken Weinheimer and Capital Club Cigar Lounge.
Norm told us all about his time in the Army, what the reality of the events that inspired the film Blackhawk Down were like and how all of his time serving the country formed the basis for the Hooten-Young cigar and whiskey lines. This was a great conversation about service, family and the importance of connection.
Hooten-Young on Facebook
Hooten-Young on Instagram
Hooten-Young on YouTube
Hooten-Young on Twitter
Capital Club Cigar Lounge on Facebook
Capital Club Cigar Lounge on Instagram
This week we were joined by Helena native and Hollywood star Forrie J. Smith! Forrie told us all about his Montana upbringing and how a career in rodeo sent him on his way to stardom. We talked about his time on Yellowstone, how Montana has changed over the years, some of his upcoming projects and a ton more.
This week we sat down with the Mayor of Helena, Wilmot Collins. From his story of fleeing the civil war in his home country of Liberia to raising his family far from his homeland here in Montana to becoming the first African American Mayor in Helena's history this was a fascinating conversation about taking chances and embracing change.
This week we were joined by Montana musical legends John McLellan and Josh Keehr of El Wencho! We got hear all about their musical beginnings and their original band The Clinton's, how they've kept their love for music alive over the last 25 years, what they've defined as their style and a lot more! This was a fun talk with two Montana originals that we know you'll enjoy.
Learn all about El Wencho, their upcoming dates and more here!
This week we were joined the host and producer of Into High Country Jason Matzinger to talk about how he's made his life presenting Montana's outdoors. From his early stress about hunting success to staying authentic to the audience to balancing his love for the outdoors with his family life and much more.
Into High Country
This week we were joined by Will Summers and Matty Clark from Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey. Will was travelling through Montana for a series of Whiskey and War Stories events and shared the origin story of the brand, his military history as one of the Horse Soldier Green Berets featured in the film 12 Strong along with his plans for the future and what he's taken from his time in the service to life as a civilian businessman.
Horse Soldier Bourbon Whiskey
This week we got to spend some time with Comedian Rodney Norman and his lovely wife Theresa as they were making their way across Montana on Rodney's comedy tour. We talked about Rodney's start in comedy, his emergence as a social media super star, the responsibility that goes with having an audience of over a million people and some of special moments he's had along the way.
Check out Rodney's homepage here.
On this episode Mike and Scott went on a road trip to the Kenetrek Boots headquarters in Bozeman to talk with President Jim Winjum and Social Media Coordinator Chas Arthur. Many may not know that Kenetrek was born and raised in Montana and remains so to this day. Jim tells the story of the company and how his passion for the outdoors and a pair of bad feet guided him in created the company and what it's like to have seen it grow into the worldwide brand that it is today.
This week we were honored to be joined by Derek VanLuchene who has turned the unspeakable into a life dedicated to finding missing children. Derek shared the tragic story of the abduction and murder of his 8 year old brother and his subsequent promise to help those facing the same unspeakable circumstance. A long time law enforcement officer, Derek has also started Ryan United and works tirelessly as an advocate for missing children and their families. This was an incredibly special episode of the show and we thank Derek for taking the time.
Learn more about Derek here.
Visit Ryan United here.
This week were lucky enough to be joined by Kit and Trevor Johnson - the father and son duo behind Kit's Tackle. The two of them shared their stories about growing up in Montana, learning to love all of the outdoors, turning their passion into a growing business and a whole lot more. This was an inspiring conversation with a couple of guys that are getting the absolute most out of life here in Montana and are sharing it with the world.
Kit's Tackle Homepage
This week with Mike out Scott spent some time with Montana rodeo legend Jonnie Jonckowski. From her ground breaking bull riding to the film chronicling her journey this was a fascinating conversation with a true Montana original.
This week we had an opportunity to sit down with the truly inspiring duo behind the Chasers of the Light. From Tyler's Typewriter Poet book series to the pair's work in photography to their Autism advocacy and all of the crazy world travels they've been on along the way this was a one of a kind conversation with a couple of true originals. This conversation hit close to home and we're sure it'll be worth your time.
Find Tyler and Sarah at Chasers of the Light.
This week we were joined by Max Pigman, the owner of Lewis and Clark Brewing and the host of the 2024 Montana State Brewing Awards! Max took us behind the scenes on building one of Montana's biggest breweries and what goes into all of the different businesses he now operates out of L&C. We also talked about the growth of the brewing scene throughout Montana and the inaugural Montana State Beer Awards!
This week Mike and Scott are joined by MLB Umpire and Montana native Brian Knight. As the snow piles up here at home Brian gets us all ready for Spring as he talks about his journey to the Majors and what fuels his love for the game of baseball. From his hometown beginnings in Helena to his very first game in the Big Leagues to how he deals with mouthy managers and much more - this was a really fun talk and a great way for us all to get our minds off of the winter weather outside!
This week the guys talked Montana spirits and cigars with Ken Weinheimer and JC Sampson of Rocky Mountain Liquor, Capital Club Cigar Lounge and Tatanka Cigars! From what goes into starting your own cigar brand to Montana liquor laws to the opening of a brand new business in Helena and beyond this was a really fun conversation about turning passions into big business.
Check out everything from Ken and JC at the links below:
RML on Facebook
RML on Instagram
Montana Alcohol Free
This week Mike and Scott were joined by Montana Historian, teacher and Interpretive Ranger Austin Haney. Austin is a self described nerd who has been fascinated by Montana's history since his childhood and pursues it with passion to this day. This was a really fun conversation about the biggest moments - and misconceptions - about Montana's history along with a number of off the path adventures and a couple of cautionary tales about making a road trip with a history buff.
Humanities Montana
Email Austin: Ahaney78@outlook.com
This week the guys were joined by Mark Ward, the creator of a Montana institution that is the Montana Outdoor Radio Show. Mark talked about the beginnings of his statewide syndication effort, the cast of characters that have become a part of his radio family, his favorite Montana adventures and a ton more!
Check out The Montana Outdoor Radio Show homepage.
This week Jim Kalafat/Starr joined Mike and Scott to talk about his life growing up in Montana, his college football days and his eventual starring role in American Gladiators! This was a great conversation about stardom, bar fights, what it is about hailing from The Last Best Place that makes Jim so proud and a lot more. We also touched on the struggles his brother - and fellow Montana football legend - has been dealing with since an accident in 2023 and what it means to truly be humble. Hope you enjoy this week's episode and please get more from Jim at the link below.
See Jim Kalafat/Starr in Instagram
See Jim Kalafat/Starr on Facebook
This week Mike and Scott were joined by social media superstar and native Montanan Trinity Vandenacre! Trinity walked us through how he built his unique Life in the West brand and what goes into the balance of entertaining and educating his audience on what it means to live an authentic Montana ranch life. From the basics of agriculture to the politics of land management to light-up pink hats and much, much more this was a really fun and enlightening conversation touching on so much of what it means to live here in Big Sky Country.
You can find out more about Trinity on the Life In The West homepage at all of the links below!
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Tik Tok
Twitter
Pinterest
The University of Montana Grizzlies are playing for the FCS National Championship on Sunday, Jan 7th and Griz legends Bill Cockhill and Ryan Fetherston joined BSB to talk about the game, the Griz program and share some of their memories from their time with the team.
Check out Good Ol' Grizzlies for ways to help the Montana Griz program!
The Big Sky Boneheads make their 2023 debut just in time for 2023 to be over! Mike and Scott take a look back at some of the biggest stories from 2023 here in Montana from spy balloons to UFC champions to the ever present fake Montanans. Big Sky Boneheads is back with a slate of new guests and shows planned for 2024 but first a look at the year we missed.
Mike and Scott are back from the Thanksgiving holiday with a recap of Scott's trip to Bozeman for the Brawl of the Wild and a truly unique conversation with Montana artist Bob McEachern. Bob is the creative force behind Squirrel Warriors and he tells us all about how he got started, what it's been like working in this unique part of the art world and what might be next!
Check out the Squirrel Warriors homepage.
The biggest football game of the year is here as the Montana Grizzlies head to Bozeman to face in-state rival the Montana State Bobcats and everyone is getting in on the action! ESPN College Gameday will be live from Bozeman, Scott Hirschi will be attending the game and a very cold, snowy Montana sky will take center stage for kickoff. This week the guys talk about the game and Scott gets some Griz perspective from former Montana Grizzly player and broadcaster Scott Gurnsey as we get closer to kickoff!
Mike and Scott dig out from the snow of Montana's First Winter which arrived early this year with an update on the ongoing hunting season, an aversion to the election talk and a chance to pass on some time honored traditions.
This week Ed Beall of Capital Sports in Helena joined the show to talk about Montana's Youth Hunt. Mike is in the midst of preparing his son for his very first apprentice program hunt and the guys talked about everything from hunting ethics to land access to their earliest hunting memories and a lot more. This was a fun conversation about the importance of involving the younger generation in Montana's hunting culture and how you can make sure your kids are ready to go when the time comes.
Check out Capital Sports here.
Mike and Scott take a look around all of the headlines from Montana this week and find not one but two terrible hunting season tales, a beauty pageant battle between Montana and Texas along with a new report that shows that Montana is number 1 in new, rich people moving into the state.
Bryan Mussard joined the show this week to share the story of how he developed his love for cattle ranching here in Montana and how that lead to creating his own cigar brand, crafting a vodka and moving into a pasture-to-plate beef business. This is a great conversation about taking risks, doing the real hard work that it takes to succeed and how that drive can take you anywhere that you want to go!
Learn about Reminisce Angus here.
Learn about Cattle Baron Cigars here.
Learn about Gorgeous Vodka here.
Montana native and All Good Things lead singer Dan Murphy joins the show this week to talk about AGT's recent Montana tour dates, transitioning from life in Helena, MT to LA, his love for hockey, how a night in St. Louis got out of hand and a ton more!
Keep up with All Good Things.
Our favorite resident beer guys Mike More from Headwaters Crafthouse and Jeff Brewer of The Man Store joined Mike this week to talk about everyone's favorite time of year in Montana - Fall! From family traditions to exploring the outdoors to sports to - of course - beer the guys break down just why this time of year is like none other in Big Sky Country!
After about 6 months and a number of questions Mike and Scott tell their origin stories - both for the podcast and how it is that they came to live in Montana. If you've wondered why the heck they're going on about life here download this episode of the show and find out.
This week Mike and Scott talk about whether or not Montana is getting meaner? From real estate markets to social media to the in-state football rivalries it seems like there's more heat on everything here in Big Sky Country. Is it just the evils of social media or is Montana - and Montanans - destined to be a less friendly part of the country?
This week we were joined by award winning artist and Montana native Tim Joyner. Hear from Tim about all of the different pieces he's made famous over the years and where his creativity comes from!
Learn more about Tim's work.
No guests this week, just Mike and Scott and the anticipation for the 2022 hunting season here in Montana! It's our favorite time of year and we talked about our own preparations for the coming season, what's gone right in years past, some of our favorite Big Sky hunting traditions and a lot more.
This week Montana State Bobcats Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach Bobby Daly joined the show to talk about the 2021 Bobcats season, expectations for 2022, the state of the rivalry with the Montana Grizzlies and a lot more!
Professional Rodeo Announcer Wayne Brooks joined the show this week to talk about what the post-Covid rodeo circuit looks like, how he developed his signature style on the mic, what his annual visit to Montana means to him and a lot more!
Learn more about Wayne here.
This week chef and BBQ expert Erik Sundquist joins the show to talk about his adventures around the country, cooking cheeseburgers for thousands of NASCAR fans and why he finally settled in Montana to bring some southern BBQ to the people with Helen's Barbecue!
Check out the Helen's Barbecue homepage.
Helen's Barbecue on Facebook.
Helen's Barbecue on Instagram.
This week Sam Riddle joined the show to talk about taking life from the basketball courts of Montana and moving into a life in music on the biggest stages in Las Vegas. Sam tells us all about his days growing up in Hellgate, his dad's time in the Mission Mountain Wood Band, the lessons that he picked up in New York and a ton more!
Check out Sam's music, videos and more.
This week we were joined by actor, musician, wind surfer, author and the owner of the one of the most beautiful AirBNB's in all of Montana - Nick Wilder. Nick told us about growing up in the Baltic Sea, petty crimes in Denmark, how a kid from Germany chased down and lived his Montana dream and a ton more.
Check out the Montana TING
Learn more about Nick
This week legendary yodeler and musician Wylie Gustafson joined us to talk about his worldwide adventures as one of the world's foremost yodelers. We also talked about doing business with Yahoo!, the future of Montana's ranch heritage, what working with Merle Haggard was like and a ton more.
Keep up with all of Wylie's music and tour dates.
Check out the latest Yellowstone Bison adventure here.
This week we were joined by West Point grad, black belt Jiu-Jitsu instructor, author, CEO, husband and father Tony Butler who wants to help people be better at whatever they're doing. From trick shooting to raising kids in the digital age we covered a lot in this one and really enjoyed the talk
Check out Bear Hug Jiu Jitsu
Follow Tony on Instagram
Former Major League Baseball pitcher and Billings native Jeff Ballard joined the show to talk about his time with the Baltimore Orioles, college baseball, the growth of high school baseball in Montana and a bunch more.
We also want to make everyone aware of the relief efforts for the victims of the historic flooding happening in Montana this week. Please follow the links below for any donation you can make as each dollar helps families that have lost homes and more to the rising waters around the state.
Montana Community Foundation
American Red Cross of Montana
Montana born artist Brian Ashmore joined us this week to talk about the challenges of taking on iconic characters like Batman and The Incredible Hulk, what it means to maintain a healthy balance with your artistic endeavors, why he still calls Montana home and much more!
Visit Brian's web site.
Check out more on Brian's art on his Instagram page.
This week we spoke with Seattle Times columnist and Havre native Ryan Divish about his path from the Hi-Line to the Pacific Northwest, his favorite baseball adventures, whether there's a cure for the "It" that Havre has and a bunch more!
Keep up with Ryan's latest columns here.
Follow Ryan on Twitter here.
4 time National Championship quarterback Tyler Emmert joined the show this week to talk about his historic run at Carroll College and the state of the program today. We also talked about youth sports, being the best parent and coach that you can, living life in a small Montana town and a bunch more!
International Ultrarunner and Endurance Coach John Fitzgerald calls Montana home and he joined us this week to talk about what it takes to take on some of the biggest physical challenges possible. Hear his thoughts on being kind to yourself and different ways to map a path to take you to your biggest goals. This was a really fun conversation with a very impressive human.
Read more about John's accomplishments and professional background.
Read his recommended Training Essentials for Ultrarunning.
Country Music star and Montana's own Stephanie Quayle joined the show to talk about how she kept creative through the pandemic, how her music has changed over the years, how she plans to continue to grow her One Woman Industry and a ton more.
Keep up with Stephanie on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Spring is here in Montana and this week we are joined by expert fishing guide Russ Dobrzynski of Montana Dream Outfitters to talk about the fly fishing in Montana. Everyone from celebrities to tourists to locals can take something different from their time on the river and Russ has some great stories to tell, insights into fishing Montana's waters and some tips for rookies thinking about trying it for the first time.
You can hear even more from Russ on his own podcast called The Montana Dream Cast.
Montana State University Film Professor and producer Dennis Aig joined us this week to discuss the seminal film A River Runs Through It. We talk about a number of the behind the scenes stories about his documentary work on Shadow Casting, what it means to be a part of something that still impacts life in Montana nearly 30 years later and the work he's most excited about today.
Former Washington Huskies and NFL QB Brock Huard joined the show to talk about life as a Girl Dad and how his daughter Haley's first year playing basketball for the Montana Grizzlies. We also touched on some of the goings on in the NFL and college football as well as adjusting to being the father of teenagers.
Montana FWP Director Hank Worsech and Licensee and Bureau Chief Emily Cooper joined the show to talk about the challenges of maintaining Montana's outdoor resources. We also talked about FWP's plans for the years ahead, the new tech for Montana outdoorsman and a ton more!
This week Mike More of Headwaters Crafthouse and Jeff Brewer of The Man Store stopped by the show to talk about the Montana craft brewing scene. Beer is big business here in The 406 and these guys are experts on keeping up with the ever-changing brewing culture and the needs of beer drinkers like us. Cheers!
Race car driver and team owner Trevor Kirkland stopped by to talk about the racing in Montana, what it means to be in a racing family, trying not to end up in YouTube highlights and a ton more.
See the Kirkland Racing homepage here.
Get all the information on the upcoming Frontier Sprint race schedule here.
Former Detroit Lion and Carroll College tight end Casey Fitzsimmons joins the show to talk about his time in the NFL, his post-career struggles and how life on his Montana ranch helped show him the way forward.
Read Casey's feature story in USA Today by clicking here.
Montana rodeo legend Dan Mortensen joins BSB to talk about his childhood in the sport, what he learned along the way and why he still calls Montana home. That plus the Governors much discussed mountain lion hunt and Troy Andersen turning heads at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Montana musician, author and apple enthusiast John McLellan joined the show for our very first episode to talk about his career as a musician, the things that bring him back to Montana and some stuff about starting a cult.
You can find John's music at by clicking here!
Michael Grey and Scott Hirschi from The Montana Radio Company are getting set to launch a brand new podcast all about life in the State of Montana! Starting Friday, March 4th you can hear from people all over Montana and a look at life in Big Sky Country.