Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 62 is a special one — I had the honor of recording it in Bozeman, Montana with my son Turner Rowland and his roommate Brendan Smith. Both of them moved to Bozeman right after high school in pursuit of their love for hunting and fishing, and Turner just finished his first season as an elk hunting guide. The title comes from Theodore Roosevelt's idea of the man in the arena, and this conversation is about two young men who chose to actually get in it — to bet on a hard, uncertain life in the mountains instead of the safe path.
▶ Watch on YouTube · 🎧 Listen now
Turner Rowland is Tom Rowland's son, and Brendan Smith is his roommate. Both moved to Bozeman, Montana after graduating high school to pursue their love of hunting and fishing. Turner recently completed his first season working as an elk hunting guide.
They moved to Bozeman straight out of high school to chase the hunting and fishing life out West. Rather than take a conventional path, they bet on building a life around the outdoors in one of the best regions in the country for it, which is the heart of this conversation.
The title references Theodore Roosevelt's famous Man in the Arena passage about the person who actually steps into the fight rather than criticizing from the sidelines. In this episode it describes Turner and Brendan choosing to take real risk — moving across the country and committing to a demanding outdoor career — instead of playing it safe.
Turner just finished his first season as an elk hunting guide, and in the episode he talks about what that experience demanded of him. Guiding is hard, physical, high-responsibility work, and his first season was a steep learning curve that he walks through in the conversation.
The conversation covers moving to Montana young, building a life around hunting and fishing, the reality of guiding elk hunters, and the mindset it takes to step into the arena and take a real risk on the life you want. As a father interviewing his son and his son's roommate, it is also a personal, honest talk.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 62 with Turner Rowland and Brendan Smith is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
This one is personal. Turner is my son. He and his roommate Brendan both moved to Bozeman right out of high school to build a life around hunting and fishing, and watching them bet on that — instead of the safer, more expected path — has been one of the things I am proudest of as a father.
Turner had just finished his first season guiding elk hunters when we recorded this, and I wanted to capture these two young men at the exact moment they were stepping into the arena. Press play in the YouTube player at the top of this page to hear it.
Turner and Brendan did not ease into this. They moved to Bozeman straight out of high school to chase hunting and fishing full time. In the episode they talk honestly about that decision — the appeal, the uncertainty, and what their friends back home thought. If you have ever wanted to bet on a hard life doing what you love, listen to how they describe making the jump.
Guiding is demanding, physical, high-responsibility work, and Turner had just come off his first full season of it. He gets into what the season taught him, where the learning curve was steepest, and what it feels like to be responsible for someone else's hunt. Press play to hear it from a first-year guide.
Roosevelt's man in the arena is the one who actually steps in and risks failure rather than criticizing from the cheap seats. That is exactly what Turner and Brendan did. We talk about why that framing fits two young men who chose risk over comfort. Listen to how they think about it.
Recording this with Turner across the table was different from any other episode I have done. The conversation moves between the formal questions and the honest, personal stuff that only comes out between a father and a son who both love the same things. Hear that dynamic in the episode.
Listen to the full conversation: ▶ Watch on YouTube · 🎧 Listen now
The day after recording this, what stayed with me was not anything either of them said about hunting. It was the choice underneath it — two kids deciding to point their whole lives at something hard and uncertain because they love it, instead of taking the road everyone expected.
As a dad, that is the thing you hope for. Not that your kids play it safe, but that they have the nerve to get in the arena. Turner and Brendan did. Press play and meet them.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Turner Rowland is Tom Rowland's son, and Brendan Smith is his roommate. Both moved to Bozeman, Montana after graduating high school to build their lives around hunting and fishing. Turner recently completed his first season as an elk hunting guide. Together they represent a young generation choosing to step into the arena — betting on a demanding outdoor life out West rather than a more conventional path.
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