Episode Overview
Some of the best outdoor stories are not told from a script. They unfold naturally among old friends who have accumulated decades of hunts, road trips, close calls and unforgettable characters.
In this episode of DSC’s Campfires with Larry Weishuhn, Larry visits with legendary outdoor writer and hunter Jim Zumbo, while longtime friend and outdoorsman Rick Lambert remains an important part of the stories and adventures surrounding their close-knit group.
Jim and Larry look back on the early days of the outdoor industry, when writers, hunters and emerging personalities gathered in rustic camps to exchange ideas, test equipment and create the relationships that helped shape modern outdoor media.
The conversation moves from a once-in-a-lifetime Colorado moose hunt to the unpredictable realities of traveling across America on the NRA Great American Hunters Tour. Jim also shares the unlikely story of how a legendary Adirondack whitetail helped launch a writing career that would eventually include decades with Outdoor Life, numerous television appearances and more than 20 books. (Apple Podcasts)
Jim Zumbo’s early years growing up and hunting in New York
The whitetail buck known as “Old Joe” that inspired one of Jim’s first outdoor stories
How a professor encouraged Jim to submit his writing to a national publication
The ice-fishing article that helped open the door to Outdoor Life
Jim’s transition from forestry and wildlife work into outdoor journalism
Drawing a rare Colorado moose license
Why Jim passed on an enormous bull standing near another hunting camp
The difficult decision to harvest a smaller bull on the final day
Discovering who eventually took the giant bull Jim allowed to walk
Traveling with Larry on the NRA Great American Hunters Tour
Speaking in unusual venues—including a bitterly cold ice-skating rink
The exhausting and entertaining realities of a nationwide promotional tour
The California parking-garage mystery involving a seemingly missing van
Historic outdoor-writer camps and the personalities who attended them
Early encounters with Bill Jordan, Jim Shockey and other future outdoor-industry leaders
How outdoor communication and media have changed over the decades
The friendships that remain after the hunts, assignments and miles traveled
Jim, Larry and Rick Lambert’s upcoming participation in Wyoming’s One Shot Antelope Hunt
Drawing a moose tag is a dream opportunity for many hunters, but the presence of a rare license does not guarantee a simple hunt.
Jim recalls encountering an enormous bull—estimated at approximately 50 inches—early in his Colorado hunt. The bull was close to an active elk camp, and Jim chose not to shoot because of the people and activity nearby.
As the hunt entered its final day, Jim faced a familiar conflict. He wanted to make the most of the license and bring home valuable wild meat, but the giant bull had not reappeared. Jim ultimately harvested a considerably smaller moose.
The story gained one final twist when he learned that a chiropractor from Boulder later harvested the massive bull Jim had passed.
The memory illustrates an important truth about hunting: every decision is made within a specific moment, using the circumstances and information available at the time. (Apple Podcasts)
Larry and Jim also revisit their years traveling together as part of the NRA Great American Hunters Tour.
The tour required long hours on the road, repeated public appearances and presentations in locations that were not always designed with outdoor speakers—or basic comfort—in mind.
One memorable stop placed the speakers inside a freezing ice-skating rink in West Virginia. Another adventure unfolded in a California parking garage when Larry and Jim became convinced that their blue van had disappeared.
After an increasingly frantic search, they realized the garage’s yellow lighting had created an optical illusion. The blue van appeared white beneath the lights.
It was exactly the kind of stressful moment that becomes increasingly funny with each retelling—and the kind of story that could only come from years spent traveling with close friends. (Apple Podcasts)
The episode provides a glimpse into a formative period in outdoor-media history.
Larry and Jim remember a large writers’ gathering at Tony Knight’s Illinois farmhouse, where approximately 30 people crowded together for an event filled with hunting personalities, emerging companies and future industry leaders.
Among those discussed are Bill Jordan, who would become one of the most recognizable names in camouflage and outdoor television, and Jim Shockey, who made a memorable appearance dressed in an all-white hunting outfit.
Today, many of the people from those camps are recognized as outdoor-industry icons. At the time, however, they were hunters, inventors, writers and entrepreneurs attempting to establish themselves and introduce new ideas.
The stories serve as a reminder that major careers and companies frequently begin with small gatherings, shared opportunities and genuine relationships. (Apple Podcasts)
Jim’s writing career began with a legendary Adirondack whitetail known locally as Old Joe.
While attending forestry school, Jim harvested the buck and wrote about the experience for the student newspaper. A professor saw potential in his work and encouraged him to pursue a larger audience.
Jim eventually submitted an ice-fishing story to Outdoor Life. That early opportunity helped launch a career that would make him one of the most recognizable outdoor writers of his generation.
Jim went on to work in forestry and wildlife biology before becoming a major voice in outdoor journalism. His career has included decades of articles, books, speaking appearances and outdoor television. (My Site)
The episode also reflects the longtime friendship shared by Larry, Jim and Rick Lambert.
Rick is an accomplished outdoorsman, guitarist and songwriter whose friendship with Larry and Jim has led to numerous hunting trips, fishing adventures and evenings spent swapping stories around camp.
The three friends are looking ahead to another memorable experience together as part of a team participating in the One Shot Antelope Hunt in Lander, Wyoming. (Apple Podcasts)
Their friendship represents one of the episode’s strongest underlying messages: animals, destinations and accomplishments may bring people together, but the relationships created through the outdoor lifestyle are often what matter most.
A great outdoor career is not built from one trophy, article, television appearance or successful hunt.
It is built through curiosity, perseverance, friendships and a willingness to keep saying yes to the next adventure.
Jim Zumbo’s journey—from writing about a legendary Adirondack buck to becoming one of America’s best-known outdoor communicators—shows what can happen when natural talent is combined with encouragement, opportunity and decades of hard work.
The episode is also a celebration of outdoor friendships that have survived missed opportunities, exhausting road trips, changing technology and countless miles across hunting country.
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