5 Day Catch & Cook | Last Footage Before the Fire | Beartrap River BWCA & Curtain Falls (New video Sunday 8am CST!)
What you are looking at in these photos no longer exists...
Just two weeks after we filmed this, the massive wildfires burning in the BWCA completely consumed the Beartrap River route and Curtain Falls. First and foremost, a massive thank you to the fire crews currently putting their lives on the line to protect this wilderness. It’s heavy knowing this is some of the last documented footage of this landscape, but it makes me incredibly grateful we got to experience it exactly as it was.
After surviving the brutal 37-mile bushwhack and 15 portages in Part 1, Part 2 delivered exactly what we came for. Crystal clear skies, the roar of the falls, limiting out on fish and cooking amazing backcountry meals.
But a chance encounter with a fellow paddler changed the entire trajectory of our trip.
Instead of facing two more days of torture on the Beartrap to get home, we audibled. We took a completely alternate route out—20 miles of pure paddling with minimal portages. The only catch? It meant we had to hitchhike 10 miles down a gravel road back to our cars at the end of the trip. It was the perfect end to a completely wild 5 days.
Massive thanks again to @mnpovangler for grinding this out with me, and to the legendary family of five who picked us up on the side of the road!
What is the craziest detour or last-minute audible you’ve ever had to call on a backcountry trip? Let me know below! 👇
5 Days Bushwhacking the Hardest Route in the BWCA (New video Sunday 8am CST!)
They call them Primitive Management Areas for a reason...
On this trip I set out to conquer one of the most rugged and unmaintained zones in the Boundary Waters. PMA 3 Sundial Lake (zone 5). The wilderness threw absolutely everything at me on this trip! The route to Sunday Lake turned into an impassable bushwhack on spring creek in an attempt to reach the Beartrap River, forcing brutal backtracks and dragging my gear over 15 massive portages. One of which being 2.25miles long. By the time I reached camp that second night I’d logged 37 miles of travel, not nearly what I’d hoped for. 18 of those miles being from double carrying portages just to make a fraction of that progress on the map. But the days that followed were absolutely perfect. Seeing Curtain Falls for the first time, limiting out on fish and cooking some phenomenal meals made it all worth it.
This trek was the most challenging, brutal and rewarding boundary waters route I’ve ever done. Would I do it again? .… ask me in a month or two 🤣
What is the most grueling portage you’ve ever had to tackle?
72 Hours in a BWCA Fire Ban 🛶🚫 (New Video out Tomorrow 8am CST!)
They said a fire ban would ruin the trip... Think again. 🏕️🚫🔥
I spent 72 hours deep in the Boundary Waters proving you don't need a campfire to have an epic backcountry adventure. The route from Snowbank to Ima Lake threw absolutely everything at me—15 brutal portages, plunging hip-deep into a bog, torrential downpours, and swarming bugs.
But the grind was completely worth it. The trip delivered an incredible sunset, fresh honey butter bread baked on a single-burner stove, and my very first Minnesota Lake Trout! 🐟
3 Days Canoe Camping a Wild Minnesota River (Float Hunt) 🛶🏕️
New Video out Tomorrow 8am CST! Paddling through the mist at 5 AM while Toms were gobbling their heads off from the shoreline was an absolute adrenaline rush. I slipped ashore, army-crawled up the bank, and called hens to within 15 yards while the gobblers were ripping it up just out of range over the ridge. You literally cannot get any closer to a turkey without actually taking one home!
Beyond the hunt, this trip was a pure wilderness grind. I had to earn every single mile—especially when low water forced me to jump out and drag the canoe upriver into a blazing sunrise.
Even though my catfish lines and crawfish pots came up empty (thankfully those campfire calzones hit the spot 🍕🔥), the wildlife encounters were unreal. From stumbling across a hidden fawn in the tall grass to filming a black bear swimming right past camp, the river was full of surprises.
No punched tags this time, but an absolutely phenomenal river expedition.
New Video out Tomorrow 8am CST. I Just spent 3 days trekking from the shores of Minnesota to the Canadian border and back. The water was freezing, the Fishing was Fantastic, and the portages were a good reminder to bring less gear 😅 but being one of the first people on the water in the BWCA right after the ice melts makes it all worth it.
Between cooking up some killer camp meals, spotting a moose swimming across the lake, and landing an absolute giant of a walleye for the opener, this trip had everything. Oh, and wait until you see what happens when the canoe tips in the dark...
Full video out Sunday 8am CST. Let’s get into it! 🌲
“The Truth about Turkey Hunting” (Disclaimer: no Turkey were hurt in the making of this video….Unfortunately) 😅🦃
If you’ve ever chased highly pressured birds on public land, you already know the struggle.
I just dropped a new video covering my 8-day grind scouting and hunting Easterns here in Minnesota. We dealt with everything from tracking birds in a foot and a half of spring snow to navigating packed WMA parking lots on opening morning.
I also experienced a classic public land curveball. I put a dead-silent, textbook stalk on what sounded like a hot gobbler, only to realize I had crept up right behind another hunter. The upside? My stealth was dialed in. He never had a clue I was there, and I was able to use that same expertise to back out completely undetected, ensuring I didn’t bump him or the incoming birds so he could still get a shot.
We might be eating tag soup this season, but having a hen at 40 yards on the very last sit proved the scouting paid off. It’s not always about punching a tag—sometimes it’s just about the reality of the grind.
Digging through 2.5 feet of snow just to set up camp! 🏕️❄️ New Video Out Now!
On this adventure, I trekked deep into the Minnesota wilderness along a frozen river system to find the perfect spot to hunker down. After shoveling out a massive snow dugout for my hot tent, I got the wood stove roaring just in time to hear a pack of coyotes yapping in the distance. 🐺🔥
The best part? Cooking up scratch-made campfire pupusas for dinner and waking up to fresh cinnamon rolls baked right on the stove. 🤤
Want to see the full dugout build and hear those coyotes? Check out the new video 📺👇
New Video out NEXT SUNDAY!!! Broke my hand a few weeks back and been down for the count hence the delay in last weeks video. I do however get to rock this James Bond style hand/finger brace tho so that’s cool 😂 figured I would showcase that here lol. Original photo I was out doing some pre season turkey scouting last weekend. You can tell by the popsicles on my mustache that it was a bit chilly. Anyway, thanks for understanding and we’ll be back to the regularly schedule programming next Sunday at 8am CST.
On this adventure, my cousin Jesse, and I trek deep into Wisconsin’s Black River State Forest. All in search of the perfect spot to set up our hot tent and hunker down for the night. In this video, we’ll battle the elements to do some ice fishing, cook some great meals, and have ourselves a good time!
New Adventure Video out now! No tent. Deep snow. Just a tarp and the freezing Minnesota wilderness. 🌲❄️
I trekked out alone to test my bushcraft skills with a minimal winter survival camp. To block the biting wind, I built a lean-to shelter using nothing but a tarp, paracord, and a solid snow wall. 🥶
The hunting was tough—spotted some fresh lynx tracks and a porcupine, but no luck! Instead, I relied on my camp cooking. Dinner turned out amazing: homemade grilled cheese fry bread with sautéed onions and mushrooms, cooked right over the coals, paired with hot tomato soup. 🧀🔥 There is truly nothing like hot comfort food in sub-zero temps.
It was a freezing night, but sleeping in a shelter you built yourself brings a totally different kind of satisfaction.
Brandon Farr
5 Day Catch & Cook | Last Footage Before the Fire | Beartrap River BWCA & Curtain Falls (New video Sunday 8am CST!)
What you are looking at in these photos no longer exists...
Just two weeks after we filmed this, the massive wildfires burning in the BWCA completely consumed the Beartrap River route and Curtain Falls. First and foremost, a massive thank you to the fire crews currently putting their lives on the line to protect this wilderness. It’s heavy knowing this is some of the last documented footage of this landscape, but it makes me incredibly grateful we got to experience it exactly as it was.
After surviving the brutal 37-mile bushwhack and 15 portages in Part 1, Part 2 delivered exactly what we came for. Crystal clear skies, the roar of the falls, limiting out on fish and cooking amazing backcountry meals.
But a chance encounter with a fellow paddler changed the entire trajectory of our trip.
Instead of facing two more days of torture on the Beartrap to get home, we audibled. We took a completely alternate route out—20 miles of pure paddling with minimal portages. The only catch? It meant we had to hitchhike 10 miles down a gravel road back to our cars at the end of the trip. It was the perfect end to a completely wild 5 days.
Massive thanks again to @mnpovangler for grinding this out with me, and to the legendary family of five who picked us up on the side of the road!
What is the craziest detour or last-minute audible you’ve ever had to call on a backcountry trip? Let me know below! 👇
#bwca #boundarywaters #canoecamping #minnesotaoutdoors #wildernessculture
1 week ago | [YT] | 33
View 0 replies
Brandon Farr
5 Days Bushwhacking the Hardest Route in the BWCA (New video Sunday 8am CST!)
They call them Primitive Management Areas for a reason...
On this trip I set out to conquer one of the most rugged and unmaintained zones in the Boundary Waters. PMA 3 Sundial Lake (zone 5). The wilderness threw absolutely everything at me on this trip! The route to Sunday Lake turned into an impassable bushwhack on spring creek in an attempt to reach the Beartrap River, forcing brutal backtracks and dragging my gear over 15 massive portages. One of which being 2.25miles long. By the time I reached camp that second night I’d logged 37 miles of travel, not nearly what I’d hoped for. 18 of those miles being from double carrying portages just to make a fraction of that progress on the map. But the days that followed were absolutely perfect. Seeing Curtain Falls for the first time, limiting out on fish and cooking some phenomenal meals made it all worth it.
This trek was the most challenging, brutal and rewarding boundary waters route I’ve ever done. Would I do it again? .… ask me in a month or two 🤣
What is the most grueling portage you’ve ever had to tackle?
#bwca #boundarywaters #canoecamping #minnesotaoutdoors #wildernessculture
3 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 21
View 8 replies
Brandon Farr
72 Hours in a BWCA Fire Ban 🛶🚫
(New Video out Tomorrow 8am CST!)
They said a fire ban would ruin the trip... Think again. 🏕️🚫🔥
I spent 72 hours deep in the Boundary Waters proving you don't need a campfire to have an epic backcountry adventure. The route from Snowbank to Ima Lake threw absolutely everything at me—15 brutal portages, plunging hip-deep into a bog, torrential downpours, and swarming bugs.
But the grind was completely worth it. The trip delivered an incredible sunset, fresh honey butter bread baked on a single-burner stove, and my very first Minnesota Lake Trout! 🐟
#bwcafireban #boundarywaters #canoecamping #laketrout #bwca #portaging
1 month ago | [YT] | 20
View 9 replies
Brandon Farr
3 Days Canoe Camping a Wild Minnesota River (Float Hunt) 🛶🏕️
New Video out Tomorrow 8am CST! Paddling through the mist at 5 AM while Toms were gobbling their heads off from the shoreline was an absolute adrenaline rush. I slipped ashore, army-crawled up the bank, and called hens to within 15 yards while the gobblers were ripping it up just out of range over the ridge. You literally cannot get any closer to a turkey without actually taking one home!
Beyond the hunt, this trip was a pure wilderness grind. I had to earn every single mile—especially when low water forced me to jump out and drag the canoe upriver into a blazing sunrise.
Even though my catfish lines and crawfish pots came up empty (thankfully those campfire calzones hit the spot 🍕🔥), the wildlife encounters were unreal. From stumbling across a hidden fawn in the tall grass to filming a black bear swimming right past camp, the river was full of surprises.
No punched tags this time, but an absolutely phenomenal river expedition.
#CanoeCamping #RiverCamping #MinnesotaOutdoors #WildernessCulture #FloatHunt #SpringGobbler
1 month ago | [YT] | 16
View 0 replies
Brandon Farr
New Video out Tomorrow 8am CST. I Just spent 3 days trekking from the shores of Minnesota to the Canadian border and back. The water was freezing, the Fishing was Fantastic, and the portages were a good reminder to bring less gear 😅 but being one of the first people on the water in the BWCA right after the ice melts makes it all worth it.
Between cooking up some killer camp meals, spotting a moose swimming across the lake, and landing an absolute giant of a walleye for the opener, this trip had everything. Oh, and wait until you see what happens when the canoe tips in the dark...
Full video out Sunday 8am CST. Let’s get into it! 🌲
#BWCA #IceOut #WalleyeFishing
#CampfireCooking #WildernessCulture
2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 17
View 2 replies
Brandon Farr
“The Truth about Turkey Hunting” (Disclaimer: no Turkey were hurt in the making of this video….Unfortunately) 😅🦃
If you’ve ever chased highly pressured birds on public land, you already know the struggle.
I just dropped a new video covering my 8-day grind scouting and hunting Easterns here in Minnesota. We dealt with everything from tracking birds in a foot and a half of spring snow to navigating packed WMA parking lots on opening morning.
I also experienced a classic public land curveball. I put a dead-silent, textbook stalk on what sounded like a hot gobbler, only to realize I had crept up right behind another hunter. The upside? My stealth was dialed in. He never had a clue I was there, and I was able to use that same expertise to back out completely undetected, ensuring I didn’t bump him or the incoming birds so he could still get a shot.
We might be eating tag soup this season, but having a hen at 40 yards on the very last sit proved the scouting paid off. It’s not always about punching a tag—sometimes it’s just about the reality of the grind.
3 months ago | [YT] | 8
View 0 replies
Brandon Farr
Digging through 2.5 feet of snow just to set up camp! 🏕️❄️ New Video Out Now!
On this adventure, I trekked deep into the Minnesota wilderness along a frozen river system to find the perfect spot to hunker down. After shoveling out a massive snow dugout for my hot tent, I got the wood stove roaring just in time to hear a pack of coyotes yapping in the distance. 🐺🔥
The best part? Cooking up scratch-made campfire pupusas for dinner and waking up to fresh cinnamon rolls baked right on the stove. 🤤
Want to see the full dugout build and hear those coyotes? Check out the new video 📺👇
4 months ago | [YT] | 9
View 0 replies
Brandon Farr
New Video out NEXT SUNDAY!!! Broke my hand a few weeks back and been down for the count hence the delay in last weeks video. I do however get to rock this James Bond style hand/finger brace tho so that’s cool 😂 figured I would showcase that here lol. Original photo I was out doing some pre season turkey scouting last weekend. You can tell by the popsicles on my mustache that it was a bit chilly. Anyway, thanks for understanding and we’ll be back to the regularly schedule programming next Sunday at 8am CST.
4 months ago | [YT] | 12
View 2 replies
Brandon Farr
New video out tomorrow morning 8AM CST!
On this adventure, my cousin Jesse, and I trek deep into Wisconsin’s Black River State Forest. All in search of the perfect spot to set up our hot tent and hunker down for the night. In this video, we’ll battle the elements to do some ice fishing, cook some great meals, and have ourselves a good time!
5 months ago | [YT] | 14
View 0 replies
Brandon Farr
New Adventure Video out now! No tent. Deep snow. Just a tarp and the freezing Minnesota wilderness. 🌲❄️
I trekked out alone to test my bushcraft skills with a minimal winter survival camp. To block the biting wind, I built a lean-to shelter using nothing but a tarp, paracord, and a solid snow wall. 🥶
The hunting was tough—spotted some fresh lynx tracks and a porcupine, but no luck! Instead, I relied on my camp cooking. Dinner turned out amazing: homemade grilled cheese fry bread with sautéed onions and mushrooms, cooked right over the coals, paired with hot tomato soup. 🧀🔥 There is truly nothing like hot comfort food in sub-zero temps.
It was a freezing night, but sleeping in a shelter you built yourself brings a totally different kind of satisfaction.
#WinterCamping #Bushcraft #SoloSurvival #CampfireCooking #Minnesota
5 months ago | [YT] | 12
View 0 replies
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