A wild believer in Christ who's passionate about connecting to the outdoors and other outdoorspeople, Dan Mathews is on to something.
Mathews is behind the podcast The Nomadic Outdoorsman, which features average folks with above-average enthusiasm for hunting. The show has gained a large following since its inception in 2018, in large part due to Mathews' smooth ease as a host plus the charming relatability of his guests.
He welcomes guests from all corners of the country that participate in lots of different forms of hunting to chat, and through those conversations come some of the best, most interesting outdoor info you can find on the internet.
"I have always connected really well with other people that love the outdoors," Mathews told Wide Open Spaces. "The Nomadic Outdoorsman covers everything from fishing and frog gigging up to mountain goat hunting and moose hunting. The idea is just to share my experiences and the experiences that other people have with listeners."
Some of his favorite episodes have been recorded with people who have no social media following but are enthusiastic about the outdoors. Two of his most memorable conversations were with Will Worthington from Florida and Jim Mattot from New York.
"There are dozens of these stories," Mathews said. "Whether it is talking about bass fishing local ponds and canals or talking about bear hunting or selling hunting property. There are so many people that I keep in touch with from the podcast."
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Mathews originally hails from an outdoorsy family in Wisconsin. His whole family hunted, including both of his parents, all three sisters, and his brother. The outdoors is a foundational part of who he is. The other significant factor is his faith.
"Above everything in our life is our faith is the most important thing to us," Mathews said. "We put God first in everything we do and all of the decisions we make. If we feel a peace about something, we move forward, and if we don't, then we hold off. With the outdoors, I feel like there is no better church than being in creation, seeing the mountains, or being on the lake. For me, being out there is how I feel closest to God and how we as a family find peace."
The nomadic part of the title is not just for the show; it is a life he aspires to live. Currently based in Missouri with his wife and two kids, Mathews and his family will be hitting the open road within a month or two. First, he plans to visit family in Wisconsin, and has hunting adventures on deck that will take him all over the country.
"Since we got married, we adopted the motto 'Always choose adventure," Mathews said. "No matter what life throws at us, if we have multiple options or multiple open doors, we always choose the most adventurous route we can. We love traveling. Our kids have been to multiple states. If we decide to not travel full time, who knows if it will ever happen, so we might as well do it now while we can."
He is also going to record podcast episodes in person versus remotely, which he is really looking forward to.
"That is one of the things I am most excited about hitting the road full time," Mathews said. "Getting to connect with these people in real life and getting to experience their passion with them."
The Nomadic Outdoorsman is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms, and a new episode is released every week. Mathews recently launched a new, separate podcast focusing solely on Western-style hunting. The Western Rookie podcast is available on all major platforms as well.
