Press release from Sportsman Channel, June 24, 2015:
Passion, education — and monster whitetails — dominate Sportsman Channel’s all-new Q3 programming lineup beginning June 29. Thirteen new series and nearly 800 new episodes are available this summer to accommodate the vast passions and interests of sportsmen and women who are red-blooded, Second Amendment-loving, God-fearing Americans.
“Sportsman Channel has always been about programming that elicits outdoor enthusiasts’ unbridled passion for hunting, fishing and shooting,” exclaimed Jim Liberatore, President and CEO of Outdoor Sportsman Group — Networks. “With a collection of new shows and nearly 800 new episodes on tap in Q3, viewers undoubtedly will continue to get their fill of all the outdoor action.”
As the summer heats up, the much anticipated return of MeatEater with Steven Rinella begins with a programming appetizer consisting of episodes from Season 6 on August 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Highlights of the entrée in Season 7 include: Rinella heading to the Bering Sea for muskox, plus an entire episode dedicated to showcasing recipes from his new book The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game, Vol. 1: Big Game. Plus, don’t forget the shenanigans of the McMillan clan on MCMILLAN, returning September 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT and Outdoor Channel transplant Razor Dobbs Alive will entertain Sportsman Channel viewers with his unique brand of outdoor programming beginning Sunday, July 5 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Don’t let the summer go by without the annual fix of fall stunts from Sportsman Channel. Back by popular demand is Aporkalypse on August 22 when host Brian “Pigman” Quaca takes to the skies during an encore presentation of Aporkalypse One, Two and Three in a pork-filled marathon event beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Don’t miss two specially-produced episodes focused on a single species that promises to dive deeper on current issues. Whitetail Properties brings their State of the Nation back to the small screen with a fresh look at current whitetail trends on September 12 at 7 p.m. ET and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation offers a unique documentary called Project Elk on August 15 at 7 p.m. ET, which follows the trail of Jason Matzinger (Into High Country) as he investigates hunting with an eye towards conservation and the growing importance of dialogue that surrounds it. Lastly, the ever-popular Bownanza returns September 15 with a marathon of shows dedicated to bowhunting big game from the most remote and scenic places on earth.
The Q3 lineup is part of the network’s “Red, Wild & Blue America” initiative – where the American Spirit and the Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Highlights include:
Sheep Shape (Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT): Sheep Shape is a documentary-reality style program that will follow hunters Chad Hall, Rick Carone, Kelsie Burford and Patrick Scrogin on one of the most extreme and challenging mountain hunting quests in North America – hunting North American wild sheep. The program will test the mind, body and soul of each hunter by first putting them through a grueling training program to prepare for the difficult high country hunts. Each hunter’s story will unfold from their personal life challenges, through the training program and hunt preparations, then to the actual hunts.
MeatEater (New Season Begins August 13 at 8 p.m. ET/PT): The award-winning show and host Steven Rinella are back with all new episodes from across the United States and Mexico. As an appetizer for the new season of MeatEater, tune into past episodes of last season beginning July 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Razor Dobbs Alive (Sundays 10:30 p.m. ET): Born and raised in a Texas ranching family, Razor got his first rifle and first whitetail at eight years old and has never looked back. After graduating from college, Razor worked for Ted Nugent, then Robert Earl Keen before starting his own production company – Blade Vision Films. Razor still lives his Texas ranching heritage and hunting lifestyle – only now, in addition to hunting whitetails and hogs at the ranch, he hunts across the globe pursuing lions, leopards, Cape buffalo and elephants. A survivor of a wild boar attack, and a near fatal elephant charge, Razor knows what it really means to be “alive.”
MCMILLAN (Tuesdays 8:30 p.m. ET/PT): You’ve all “Met the McMillans”…well now it’s time for the all-new “MCMILLAN.” Catch up with Tom McMillan at the ranch to see what has been going on since Season 2. What does an outfitter, guide, rancher and farmer do in the off season? When you wear this many hats – there is no “off season.”
The Outfitters Built by Ford F-Series (Sundays 11:00 a.m. ET): Exclusive to Sportsman Channel, the custom-branded adventure series takes viewers up-close-and-personal to the wild, often dangerous, and always thrilling lives of the toughest and best guides, captains and outfitters in the hunting and fishing worlds. The third season of this unique series features outdoor experts Fred Eichler and Conway Bowman.
Big Deer TV (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET): Everything that is good, genuine and honest in the deer-hunting world – is what Big Deer TV is all about. Veteran hunter Mike Hanback travels to all corners of North America in search of big, mature bucks. Viewers can expect heart-pounding action on every fair-chase hunt. The show focuses primarily on hunting whitetail deer, with several hunts for giant mule deer each season.
Hunt-Presented Hardcore (Sundays at 6 p.m. ET): A new series from Bone Collector Productions – stripped of all the commercialization and graphics including epic slow motion shots – is solely focused on the hunt. Bone Collector Productions teamed up with Kevin Meachum, Chris Ashley, Keith Burgess and Cody Kelley to bring it back to the roots of the culture of the hunter in a cinematic, fly-on-the wall style.
Winchester Deadly Passion (Sundays at 11:30 a.m. ET): Featuring huntress Melissa Bachman, Deadly Passion is a show that will keep you on the edge of your seat with hardcore hunting mixed with Bachman’s genuine and engaging personality. She is not someone who sits back and waits for things to happen.
Rival Wild (Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT): From the award-winning production studio – Rusted Rooster – comes a new era in whitetail television. Hosted by brothers and perennial favorites, Chris and Casey Keefer, Rival Wild paints a story from opening day to the season’s end. Throughout the fall of 2014, the highs are high, and the lows are low as the brothers battle the land, animals and each other in order to be successful in the end.
Destination Whitetail (Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET): Host Lauren Rich and Brittney Glaze showcase the people, places and ways to hunt whitetail throughout North America…confirming no two whitetail hunters are the same. Destination Whitetail is a unique format that will entertain, as well as inform all deer hunters on how these ladies pursue whitetail across the country.
Major League Bowhunter (Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT): Hosts Jeff Danker, Matt Duff and future Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Chipper Jones will take viewers through an entire season of deer hunting successes and failures. It’s through their eyes that viewers will be entertained and, more importantly, educated about what it takes to become – and how they became – successful bowhunters.
Most Wanted List (Sundays at 12 p.m. ET): Featuring Kristy Lee Cook of American Idol fame, Most Wanted showcases three best friends who head out on a cross-country road trip of epic proportions to make their dream hunts come true. Every episode is full of adventure, laughter, friendship, challenges, curve balls, and the satisfaction of achieving their lifelong goals.
Bringing the pages of outdoor magazines to reality TV are all new episodes of Guns & Ammo featuring Craig Boddington and Sgt. Major Kyle Lamb; Bowhunter TV with Mike Carney and Curt Wells; North American Whitetail with Stan Potts and Gordon Whittington and Petersen’s HUNTING Adventures with hosts Craig Boddington, Kevin Steele and Mike Schoby.
Other highlights include the continuation of new episodes from PigMan: The Series with Brian “Pig Man” Quaca, the return of popular whitetail series Mathews Dominant Bucks, Realtree’s Monster Bucks and the return of Name the Game with Levi Morgan as he chases after the North American Super Slam.