In this special episode of the Ike Eastman Podcast, host Ike Eastman sits down with the living legend Jackie Bushman — founder of Buckmasters, pioneer of modern hunting television, and the man who brought whitetail deer hunting to millions of living rooms. Recorded live from the Buckmasters studio in Montgomery, Alabama, during the scorching August heat of the 2025 Buckmasters Expo, Ike and Jackie pull no punches as they dive deep into the incredible origin story of one of hunting's most iconic brands.
From Jackie's days as a professional tennis player ranked as high as No. 125 in the world, to sitting in an Alabama soybean field with Ray Scott (founder of BASS Masters) and getting the spark to create something similar for deer hunters, to launching the very first major cable hunting show on TNN in 1988 — this conversation is packed with never-before-heard details about how Buckmasters exploded onto the scene with celebrity-packed events, Bo Jackson, Dale Earnhardt, groundbreaking gross scoring, trail-camera revolutions, and a relentless focus on fun, family, and conservation. Jackie reflects on nearly 40 years of television, the evolution of the hunting industry, why he still loves saltwater fishing as much as chasing monster whitetails, his upcoming bowhunt for a coastal brown bear, and the one piece of deer-hunting advice he'll never forget: "If I ever teach you anything… it's the wind."
Whether you grew up watching Buckmasters, Shotgun Red, and rattlesnake pranks, or you're part of the new generation discovering the outdoors on social media, this episode is pure hunting history gold. Grab a cold drink, kick back, and join two multi-generational hunting icons as they celebrate the past, present, and future of America's greatest lifestyle.
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