Ep 7: Mark Cassman, The Tennessee Pirate

Welcome to the Rewild Gear Podcast. Modern life, society, and responsibilities have domesticated us, but now it's time to rediscover your adventurous side. Whether that's camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, or just spending time in the great outdoors, this is the podcast for you. Join us as we get back to the wilderness and rewild. Mark Casman, Tennessee Pirate, Cornflake, Dirty Pirate Hooker, all the above. Welcome to the ReWild Gear Podcast.

Hey, Seth, great. Thank you so much for having me. This is a pleasure.

Is it though? Is it really a pleasure?

Well, we'll see in about 30 minutes.

Indeed. Mark, so we've been friends a long time and we've gotten into a lot of trouble together, had a lot of adventures together, and, uh, you know, I had the pleasure of, um, introducing you to hunting a little bit and helped you, uh, get your first deer last year. I want to— and yeah, I want to—

That's awesome.

I want to hear about your experience there and, you know, kind of what went through your mind. Um, and, you know, the whole point of this podcast is to help people to get back into nature and rediscover their inner wild side, whether that's hunting, camping, bushcrafting, survival, uh, backpacking, you know, whatever the case may be. But just getting back into nature, into the great outdoors, and really rediscovering, you know, You know, that lost part of us that we've lost, that we've all— that we all have inside of us, but we've kind of lost just because of life happening.

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah.

I mean, I work in a cubicle most of the time, and getting out into the woods was a great experience. Thank you for the invitation. It was my first time hunting, and it was my first time to actually get a deer. So that was certainly a new experience. Eye-opening. I loved it.

So let's dig into that a little bit. Tell me, um, what were your expectations going into hunting? Like, because that was kind of your first hunt, right?

Yeah, so basically it was my first hunt, and I don't know, I just— I thought everybody like got all geared up in camo and they went out at 2 o'clock in the morning and they sat there for hours. Um, it was boring, it was worthless, but It was actually quite different from that. I was surprised. I loved it. Um, it was early in the morning and it was a little chilly, but, uh, we all had the proper equipment. It was great.

Got it. So when, when you're sitting there and you were, you were in a blind or you were in a stand, where, where were you at?

Yeah, I was in a ground blind. Um, I'm a bigger guy, so I'm not too comfortable getting on the, uh, the tree stands. So I was down on the ground and, um, you know, it's a pretty big property and we had a couple hunters on it, so we were all dispersed at a safe distance. And I was just listening for that telltale sign of dried leaves crackling under the weight of a deer walking through the forest.

And so when you're listening to that, you know, in, in the fall, in late fall during the rut, because, you know, we were hunting— this is early November of last year— and so Part of the beauty of it, and but also the difficult part, is when you're sitting there and your senses are so attuned to animals and hoping to hear a deer walking through. And I'm pretty sure you experienced this as well. A lot of times you'll hear a noise and you think, oh my gosh, that's a deer. But in actuality, it's not a deer, is it?

No, not at all. Buck fever has a certain way of convincing you that A half-pound squirrel is a 120-pound, 50-point buck. And so I went from a state of calm to nervous excitement, uh, you know, heart pounding. And I look over and it's a gray squirrel hopping through the forest.

And it's never sounded so big, has it?

It's never sounded so big. Um, but you know what, it just built the excitement because eventually that deer will come around, and in my case it did.

So what was it like when you actually did see a deer coming through? What was going through your mind? What emotions were you experiencing?

And so the— this trip was actually interesting because I Uh, I saw 2 deer in my scope. The first one, um, somebody had fired somewhere else on the property, and that deer ran all the way over through the forest over to my side. And I saw it, and I thought I would be able to take a shot at it. So I got eyes on it. Um, I looked at it. It was a little smaller than what I wanted, uh, to bring home. Um, But I still, you know, was gunning to get my first one. So I, I sighted in. The darn thing was looking at me eye to eye, and I was like, oh my gosh.

You locked eyes?

Am I man enough to do this? Can I take, uh, a deer that's looking right at me? Um, well, it turns out I was man enough to pull the trigger, but I wasn't skilled enough to be on target. So It was about 120 yards out, and, um, I wasn't too confident with the rifle that I had, and it was my first time taking out the rifle, you know. So, uh—

But you had sighted the gun in before?

I did sight it in, um, but needless to say, I missed. And, uh, Bambi's older brother took off running and, um, got away from me. But, um, after a few more squirrels later, Uh, the big buck came through, and this one, it was so close to me. You, you didn't need a scope, you didn't need binoculars. Um, again, eye to eye, and my heart was pounding. After the first one, I thought— I felt discouraged, like I wasn't going to get it. And then here stood a beautiful buck. Uh, Antlered, I think it was 6 points. Um, and, uh, so I sighted in, I had, uh, my crosshairs in place, and I took the shot. And, uh, it didn't go down immediately, um, but it was a good hit. And, uh, it probably went maybe 100 yards, and I was able to track the blood, which was an interesting first experience. So I, uh, tracked it through the, uh, the trail of its blood and, um, came up on it and had the next experience of field dressing it.

Super. And so field dressing, you know, if you're doing that for the first time, and knowing you, you probably watched about 3,200 videos on YouTube about how to do— how to dress the deer out. And so how, uh, how was that experience for you?

Yeah, I did actually. It was, um, You know, a lot of YouTube University on field dressing a deer. And gosh, 3,200 videos later, and I still feel like I could have used a bit more practice. But doing it, uh, watching it, watching somebody else do it, uh, on YouTube is a heck of a lot different, uh, when you're the guy making the cut in real life. So that was a great experience. It took me from, you know, my house behind the computer screen out into it in the real wild, hands bloody, heart pounding. It was great.

Got it. Yeah, no, that's, that's a great story just as far as your first time. And after, after harvesting your first deer, what is— what was your connection like with nature, with animals themselves? Because I feel like a lot of people that They're not hunters, and the idea of killing an animal is, you know, foreign to them because we've become so disconnected with our food, where it comes from, and realizing no matter the meat we eat, whether that's venison or beef or pork or chicken or what have you, we're not really seeing that process because obviously an animal has to die in order to eat the meat. And so that's happened forever since humans have walked the earth, right? But how did that Having that experience, how did that change you or your thought process when it comes to the food supply and the food that you're consuming, whether that's at home or a restaurant or wherever?

You know, I don't know if other people feel this way, but for me, I felt oddly gratitude. You know, I was just thankful for the deer that was going to provide me a lot of meat for the next year. And a greater appreciation, I guess, for the overall, uh, ecosystem, the environment, how I treat the environment, um, and not taking for granted, uh, that not only does an animal have to die in order for somebody to eat, but The inverse, which was made very concrete, is that somebody has to make that animal die. So there's always somebody behind the trigger, whether it's done in a commercial farm or whether it's done out in the wild. There's a human being that has to make the decision to take the life of an animal. for the purpose of food. So I always knew kind of abstractly, you know, as a concept where food came from, but I was never, uh, I never encountered the feeling of personally being the one to take the life of the animal. So that was made very, you know, personal through that experience. It was great.

Got it. And would you consider yourself an outdoorsman?

You know, yeah, I would. Um, I loved, uh, being outside as a child. I would go outside and I'd make forts and build traps and dig holes as, you know, booby traps. Of course, I often played by myself, so nobody ever came out there, but I really enjoyed it. I had a BB gun, I had a slingshot. Um, you know, I would try to get a squirrel or a rabbit every now and then, but, um, You know, then I grew up, I got responsibilities, I had a job, and it really put a lot of distance between me and the woods. So lately, uh, you know, reconnecting, going out there, and, you know, I really can resonate with your idea of rewilding and reconnecting to the wild. And, uh, in a unique way. And, you know, because of you and your, uh, great property out there, uh, I was able to do it that weekend. Yeah, I appreciate that.

Yeah. So when it comes to the, to the great outdoors and, you know, spending more time out there, some people, some like us, we enjoy hunting, right? Also enjoy camping. And I know you're also really interested in bushcrafting and the survival side of things. So when it comes to those, um, Which, which is your favorite part? Do you like, do you like the hunting side the best? Do you like, uh, trying to create your own things, whether that's, you know, you're carving out a spoon or something for the bushcraft side, or just kind of the preparedness survival mentality? Because, you know, it's different strokes for different folks.

Yeah, I think my enjoyment mirrors the level of experience that I have with it. I've done a lot of bushcrafting, a lot of survival stuff. And I absolutely love that, and that's where the bulk of my experience is in. But only going hunting once in my life, I haven't really built up that same level of love for it. But it is a completely different experience. You are having to leave your base camp. You are having to go out and track it and You're genuinely seeing signs of life and you're following those, you know, game trails, small game trails, big game trails. And, um, you're then, you know, trying to position yourself based on the surrounding terrain and the geography that where would I be in the best spot to take a shot or to see the most, um, terrain around me for, uh, an incoming deer. So, um, you know, I've got a great love for hunting now, and I, I hope to do more of it soon.

So if there's any trip that you could take when it comes to hunting or just camping or backpacking or what have you, what would be your dream trip? Location, time spent, activities, etc.?

You know, um, I've spent most of my life, uh, east of the Mississippi River, and so I feel like I'm pretty familiar with that landscape. But, uh, there's still a part of the United States that's wild, and that's out west.

Mm-hmm.

You know, kind of the, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming. Um, and then I certainly love, uh, The desert. So Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico. I don't know what the hunting is like out there, but, um, in the Northwest, the plains, the Badlands, you know, you always see big elk or, you know, something else, huge game coming out of those hunts, uh, at least on the videos that I watch. So I I think that would be a dream trip.

Got it. Yeah, that would be a lot of fun. So earlier this year, we took a trip out to Wyoming near Yellowstone and did some camping. We weren't hunting, but basically just kind of living in the woods for about a week and just kind of did some dispersed camping and hiking and saw a lot of wildlife. What was that experience like for you and how did that change your idea of the wilderness and getting back to nature? Uh, and just either your appreciation or enjoyment of it or your whole experience there.

You know, Wyoming was amazing. I, uh, I live in the city. I'm from Tennessee. And so there's a lot of noise. There's a lot of, uh, air pollution, not as bad as, you know, real big cities. But, um, when you get out into the wild out in Wyoming, Everything is clear and clean. The sky is a proper shade of blue as opposed to this milky white haze kind of blue.

Smog.

Yeah, that we're familiar with. The rain felt cleaner. The rivers, you know, you didn't need a filtered shower with a nice showerhead. No, you can just get right into the river and rinse off, and it was great. The other thing that was cool, you know, about that trip was we were in an environment where not only could we hunt, but we could also be hunted, which was an eye-opening experience. You have to walk around always prepared with something.

If I remember correctly, you were a little scared of the possibility of coming across a bear.

Yeah, I may have been, I may have been, uh, more keenly aware of— hey bear! I may have been more keenly aware of, um, the sharpness of their claws and their teeth than you were, but, um—

I ain't never scared.

Luckily for me, we never saw anything, and, uh, or at least we never saw anything that was coming to attack us.

We did see some tracks.

There's a bunch of wildlife out there. Yeah, I loved Wyoming. I would go again. Um, I think everybody should go out west. It's great.

If you could name a favorite book or movie, uh, about the outdoors, um, or nature or hunting or any— anything surrounding, you know, the topics we've been talking about, what would it be?

Um, you know, what was the name of that? What was the name of that story? Was it Call of the Wild or Into the Wild?

Into the Wild. Yeah.

Uh, Alexander Supertramp or something like that.

Christopher McCandless.

Yeah, McCandless. Uh, great story. Um, I can kind of relate to some of the reason why he wanted to leave. Um, And get out there. And, uh, I like that, at least in the movie that I saw, it really documented not just his experience out in the wild, but really his journey to at least get out there. And I think that's where a lot of us are now. We are kind of stuck where we are in a sense, and we're longing to be out into the wild. And so we all have to make our own journey out there. Now it could be simple as, um, as simple as, you know, taking a weekend trip or going out for the night into the nearby state forest. Um, but still, we all have to journey while we're out there. And then once we're there, it really puts to test the skills that, you know, we've all developed.

Yeah, so I think that's a good point. Um, And, you know, that's a great book, a great movie. I mean, just the name even, Into the Wild. And I think that really hits on a tenet of what we're trying to do with ReWild Gear as far as to help people get back into nature and explore the great outdoors. And in that book, in that story, um, which it's based on a true story, um, where Christopher McCandless decided to throw off the shackles of modern life and get rid of everything and, um, his— I mean, if you want to call it a privileged upbringing, he came from a little bit of money and stuff— and basically just go into the great wilderness in Alaska and kind of live off the land or off of nature. And I mean, it's somewhat tragic because he did die, but just seeing how unprepared he was for that. But do you feel like there is a little bit— there's something in all of us that still wants to get back into the great outdoors and test our mettle and see if we can survive, if we We have those skills and abilities that most people don't utilize every day because we're either stuck in a cubicle or we're in an urban environment. All of those things that modern life— I mean, the conveniences are fantastic. We can all agree with that. I mean, indoor plumbing, running water, grocery stores, Uber, delivery for Amazon Prime, etc. But I feel like there's this little something inside all of us that is still begging to be freed and get out there in the great outdoors. And to just see if we still have those skills, if we can make it, if without those modern conveniences, can we survive? What do you think?

Yeah, I think not only do the men that I know want to kind of get out there and test their abilities and reconnect, but I also think that we need to. Yeah, I also think that we need to get out there and reconnect and test, uh, our capabilities. Can we reach back into our ancestral memories and, uh, you know, start a fire or build a shelter or collect water? Um, yeah, I absolutely believe that.

Yeah, exactly. So for someone who they feel that call themselves internally. You know, they, they have this hunger to get into nature, to spend more time there. What advice can you give someone who, um, you know, they're, they're a desk jockey stuck in a cubicle, you know, working for the man, or maybe they own a business or what have you, but they, they want to experience that? What, what advice can you give someone as far as to just be able to get started or expand their horizons when it comes to what they're made of and getting back into nature?

Yeah, I would say, um, I would say start small but start immediately. Get yourself a good, sharp, high-quality knife, well made, and go out for a couple of hours out into the nature and just walk around or Uh, just reconnect with the sounds, the sights, get familiar with the changing of the seasons. And then maybe the next step would be, uh, to do an overnight camp. Get a tent, um, or even car camp if you don't have a tent, or, um, if you're in an environment where, uh, Tent camping is, is not permitted, just camp out in your car. And then the next step would be like a weekend-long trip. And then once you realize that you can camp and have a good time out for a weekend, then you could do it for a week, or after that, you know, a 2-week trip. So you don't need a lot to begin. I would just say a basic starter kit would be a quality knife and a fire starter of some kind. And then over time, one day at a time or 2 days or a 3-day weekend, you know, practice those skills. You'll find it's a lot of fun and, um, it's easier to get to than you previously thought.

Thanks for that. Yeah, that's, uh, that's great information. And is there any other equipment or gear that you think is essential, at least for you? Uh, like, what is your favorite gear that, that you always bring with you when you're going into the great outdoors?

So I will always have a knife or 2. I will always have a fire starter or 2. Um, and, and I say 2 because, uh, the concept of redundancy is important, uh, when it comes to a survival situation. Um, and any camping trip could quickly become a survival situation. So you could be out hiking and you are a mile away from your camp now, and you fall down a rocky ravine. And it may only have been, you know, a 12-foot drop, but you've now twisted your ankle, you've broken your leg or something. And there's nobody out there to come get you. Your cell phone doesn't work anymore, so you've got to make a fire. Well, at least you've got a lighter and then maybe, um, flint and steel, some, you know, quality, reliable fire starter, and you can keep yourself warm throughout the night. You can make a fire, you can cut wood with your, you know, a good sharp knife. Um, So I would— I wouldn't go out into the woods without that for any length of time. Um, but then of course you got to have a clean, um, canteen of some sort for water. Uh, you'll need to keep hydrated out there. And then the next level would be to bring out your own shelter. Um, bushcrafting will teach you how to build a shelter. out of the materials around you. But for a beginner and just for convenience for anybody, even if you're an expert, going out there with your own shelter is advisable.

Yeah, no, that's great advice, I think. So Mark, you run a couple businesses as well as have a full-time job. Tell us a little bit about some of the, the nature side as we get some background noise here. We're recording this outside. So in nature.

Yeah, you might hear a dog or a bird.

In an urban, urban nature environment. You know, we record when we can, right?

Yeah.

But let's hear about— so the Tennessee Pirate, kind of what you do with that and how that plays into what we've been talking about as well.

So Tennessee Pirate is Boating and camping. So it's sort of outdoor adventures, um, with a little bit of humor thrown in there because—

Just a little?

Uh, I am a larger man. I am— well, let's just say I'm fat and I'm in a small little boat. So—

You're a fat guy in a little boat?

Uh, so that in itself provides a lot of humor, but I also try to show, um, not intentionally, it's just that the camera's rolling when it happens, but I tried to show realism in that sometimes the boat will deflate if you're an inflatable boat, which I am often in Tennessee Pirate, or the motor that you have will die and now you're stranded out in the middle of the lake in Tennessee and you've got to now paddle your way back in. So yeah, tennesseypirate.com and the YouTube is Tennessee Pirate, and I'm basically just documenting my adventures out there, and maybe I'll even get to putting some hunting videos on there.

Hey, there you go. Sounds like a great idea. Okay, well, Mark, I think we've, we've about come to the end of our time today. This has been fun. Any, any closing thoughts you have as far as all the stuff we talked about— hunting, survival, bushcraft, camping?

Well, uh, first, thank you for having me. This has been a pleasure. Um, it's been a lot of fun. But, uh, I think, I think every man, um, a lot of women as well— this is not just for men— but I think everybody wants to, at least subconsciously, they want to reconnect. And so I would say there's no reason to delay that. Just do it now. Get a couple of good pieces of equipment. Again, just a quality knife and a fire starter, and you could go out and have a great time. Um, I've enjoyed it. I hope, uh, I hope to do a lot more of it soon. Um, and, uh, hope to see you guys out there as well.

Super. And where can people find you online if they want to look into what you're doing?

The easiest way to contact me would be through tennesseypirate.com. Send me an email out there.

Super. Thanks, Mark.

Thank you. Thanks for listening to the Rewild Gear Podcast. You can check out the show notes for today's episode at rewildgearpodcast.com. If you're ready to spend more time in the wild, our line of high-quality, minimalistic outdoor gear can help you do just that. Check us out at rewildgear.com.