Episode list

Come along with Erick and the crew as he learns how to be the ultimate wing man in the skies over Tennessee. We start out on the plane with TWRA pilot Barbara Shaffer, whose storied flight career is as diverse as the unique, regional beauty of Tennessee. From counting waterfowl in flight to transporting wildlife across state lines, Shaffer has done it all. Erick is inspired to try out a smaller pair of wings in Coffee County on National Model Aviation Day. After learning more about the multi-generational appeal of model aviation from father and son Charlie and Ben Jenkins, Erick gets one-on-one instruction in piloting a small-scale aircraft from Paul Green of the Tullahoma Coffee Airfoilers. From here, it's on to Sewanee to find out from Catherine Cavagnaro, instructor for Ace Aerobatics, what it's like to be part of the air show. After making sure his stomach is settled, it's on to Pigeon Forge, where James Henry, an instructor at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, gives Erick and the crew a taste of real flight in the state's first indoor wind tunnel. The show's not done yet; Erick and the crew take flying to the extreme with instructors Taylor Smith and Trey Holladay, owner of Music City Skydiving. Tennessee Uncharted is all about knocking down barriers, and this is one episode sure to get you closer to the extreme sports overhead in our great state.

It's season three for Tennessee Uncharted, and host Erick Baker is still struggling with one of the most celebrated outdoors pursuits in our great state: fishing. He starts out today's show speaking with Kris Maurer, Orvis store manager in Sevierville, hoping for a little insight into turning a pastime that seems really complicated into something much more simple and fun. After Fly Fishing 101, Erick and the crew take their newfound knowledge out on the water. We don't want to give you a spoiler, so you'll have to watch to find out whether Erick finally hooks more than the back of his jacket. The crew heads to Elliot's in Farragut for a conversation with John Elliot about what has set his company apart for three decades. Erick then hitches a ride with Roy Nash, mobile store manager for Elliot's, to see what traveling shoe sales looks like in the new millennium. With Robert Kellerman, CEO of Lodge Manufacturing, the Tennessee Uncharted Crew experiences a totally different kind of casting: turning iron into sustainable, heritage cookware. It's easy to see why Michael Reynolds, quality assurance technician, is proud of this Tennessee product. Finally, it's off to Polk County to float and fish the Hiwassee River with Southeastern Anglers Guide Tic Smith and Mark Thurman, TWRA Region 3 Fisheries Manager. Erick and the crew learn about what it takes to manage and preserve the river, including the work of Will Collier, TWRA Region 3 Fisheries Biologist. In exploring Tennessee recreation and livelihoods, Erick reflects on the true meaning of success.

Come along with Erick and the crew as he learns how to be the ultimate wing man in the skies over Tennessee. We start out on the plane with TWRA pilot Barbara Shaffer, whose storied flight career is as diverse as the unique, regional beauty of Tennessee. From counting waterfowl in flight to transporting wildlife across state lines, Shaffer has done it all. Erick is inspired to try out a smaller pair of wings in Coffee County on National Model Aviation Day. After learning more about the multi generational appeal of model aviation from father and son Charlie and Ben Jenkins, Erick gets one-on-one instruction in piloting a small-scale aircraft from Paul Green of the Tullahoma Coffee Airfoilers. From here, it's on to Sewanee to find out from Catherine Cavagnaro, instructor for Ace Aerobatics, what it's like to be part of the air show. After making sure his stomach is settled, it's on to Pigeon Forge, where James Henry, an instructor at Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, gives Erick and the crew a taste of real flight in the state's first indoor wind tunnel. The show's not done yet; Erick and the crew take flying to the extreme with instructors Taylor Smith and Trey Holladay, owner of Music City Skydiving. Tennessee Uncharted is all about knocking down barriers, and this is one episode sure to get you closer to the extreme sports overhead in our great state.

Synopsis: Riding horses is about a lot more than catching a quick thrill. It's about building a bond with another living creature, about rediscovering inner truths. It's even about helping other people. Come along with Erick and the crew as we hit the trails of Tennessee's ranches and wilderness areas with our new four-legged companions. At Tennessee Dude Ranch and Guest Ranch, co-owner Tammy Young takes us through a little cowboy philosophy before wrangler Bryce Young leads us on a unique experience. Trail riding here offers an understanding of how people lived before technology, and even how our nation was built. The Volunteer State earns its reputation once again at Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR), where Lynn Petr, Director of STAR, explains that rehabilitation of veterans or persons with disabilities is not about sympathy, but about rolling up your sleeves and working. Pretty soon it's time to head out on the trail again, this time for a two-day ride at Big South Fork with Southeast Pack Trips. Owner Larry McMillan shows us how to get lost in the wilderness east of the Mississippi-an experience most of us associate with vast lands out West. Horses enrich our lives, and having trails to enjoy them is both important and expensive, as TWRA Wildlife Manager 1 Rusty Dunn tells us. He is tasked with fixing multi-use trails as hikers, bikers and trail-riders wear them down, using revenue from "high impact" permits. Join us as we show you how to use old-fashioned horse power to travel undiscovered wilderness in Tennessee and in yourself.

From peering through a set of binoculars to getting up close and personal, join host Erick Baker and the trusty Tennessee Uncharted crew as we change our perspective on birds of prey. We start out this week's episode scanning the sky from atop Soddy Mountain with hawk watching volunteer Bill Haley. He gives Erick a lesson in patience as he explains the finer points of observing hawk migration in this very unique location. From here, Erick is inspired to learn more about these amazing birds at the Clinch River Raptor Center, where Director Katie Cottrell arms him with a bird pooper-scooper and valuable knowledge that has benefited thousands of lives, both avian and human, since 1985. Vincent Pontello, Region III Wildlife Biologist with the TWRA, takes Erick and the crew into the woods to experience falconry (hunting with birds of prey) first-hand. Finally, Chef Tim Love gives Erick a personal lesson in cooking Texas cuisine in the heart of Old Knoxville, at Lonesome Dove Western Bistro. Hawk migration, raptor rehabilitation, falconry and rattlesnake and rabbit sausage: this episode is a testament to how often we can find something wild and exotic in our very own backyards.

Unsure of what to expect, host Erick Baker and the rest of the Tennessee Uncharted crew head to Lynnville, where their hearts are warmed by special needs families and volunteers, their bellies are warmed by Tennessee whiskey and they get a new perspective on what some might consider flaws, but a small leather company calls character. The last two weekends in October find us at two hunting events. The first is TWRF's Annual Long-Range Shootout, where custom rifles, shotguns and muzzle loaders hit targets from 400 to 1200 yards away. There is a sense of fun and camaraderie, but the real purpose of this event is to raise money for what happens next weekend: the Young Guns Special Needs Youth Hunt. Emma Lucus and Tyler Jones are both Youth Hunt participants, experiencing deer hunting for the first time. Julie Schuster, TWRF Executive Director, explains that this event opens up a world of outdoor sportsmanship that may have otherwise remained closed for these kids. Everyone gets into the event; even the Tennessee Uncharted crew volunteers to help out in the blinds. With hearts full, Erick and the crew head to Colonel Littleton, owned and operated by the man of the same name, to learn about quality craftsmanship and Americana. Finally, it's time for a visit to Tenn South Distillery for a lesson from Head Distiller Clayton Cutler and Assistant Distiller Colin McLaughlin in making Tennessee Whiskey. The spirit of Lynnville proves that, sometimes, the most remarkable things are found in the smallest corners of our fair state.

We start at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, to speak with aquatic conservation biologist Bernie Kuhajada about the prehistoric lake sturgeon. Erick learns about this amazing fish, and their threatened status, before heading to Sturgeon Fest. Here, he meets Renée V. Hoyos, Executive Director of the Tennessee Clean Water Network, who explains how her organization helps keep our waterways vibrant and safe. Sturgeon Fest, where families participate in celebrating and releasing over 2,000 young lake sturgeon into our lakes and rivers, is an important part of that work. Jason Henegar, Assistant Chief of Fisheries for TWRA, takes Erick and the crew out on the water to see the results of the work started by events like Sturgeon Fest. They catch mature sturgeon to take tissue samples and insert a PIT tag before releasing them back to the water. Erick and the crew take a step back from looking to the future and go to Shiloh, where Superintendent Dale Wilkerson explains the importance of remembering the devastating toll of the Civil War battle that took place here. Erick learns why men like Lee Miller of the 51st Tennessee Infantry Regiment take the time to follow in the footsteps of men who died 150 years ago. This reminds us of how our actions today can affect the future. We can pollute our environment to decimate populations of natural species, or we can work to care for our beautiful state and its native inhabitants. We can also choose to honor the past in the hopes that we won't repeat its devastating mistakes.

If you don't know what a riparian zone is, you're not alone. Come along with the crew of Tennessee Uncharted and host Erick Baker as we learn about this vital buffer and filter for our natural waterways, and how TWRA and other state agencies work with private landowners to improve the health of their riparian zones. Erick does a little shovel work while we learn about measures to protect saplings while refurbishing bare riparian zones, which can allow sediment, fertilizers and animal waste to run directly into our streams with rain runoff. TWRA, TVA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and The Nature Conservancy come together to help incentives the repair of riparian zones for private landowners with grant programs and management plans. Then, it's off to class for Erick and the crew as they visit students of The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture in their watery, outdoor classroom, where we learn more about the reliance of stream ecology on robust riparian zones. We make one more stop to view the devastation left behind by arson's in a series of wildfires. TWRA helps maintain the health and growth of our national forests with revenue from hunting licenses. They plan to use this spring as a time to start fresh, regenerate and replant. It's the first step to regaining the beauty and lush ecology of our area's vast forests.

When most people think about trapping wildlife, they think of burly settlers, decked out in thick pelts, lugging steel bear-traps the size of hubcaps - or they think of the snap of a tiny mouse trap. Erick Baker and the rest of the crew brave the cold weather that's typical of the trapping season to learn what they can about this almost-forgotten art. First stop: walking the trapping line with Casey Mullen, TWRA Wildlife Manager Region III, and his sons. Mullen gives us the insight into how the fading tradition of trapping helps keep animal populations under control, while keeping predators in check on farms. Kyle Walling, TWRA Wildlife Officer in Dekalb County, proves that if there's an art to setting effective traps, there's definitely an art to finding traps, both legal and not. He explains the regulations in place to protect domesticated animals from harm, too. Then it's off to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge for some hands-on instruction at the Trapper Training Camp, put on by the Tennessee Fur Harvesters Association. John Daniels, President of the association, explains that a big part of trapping is respect for the animal. Chris Ogle, Region 4 Wildlife Diversity Survey Manager, gives some tips for dealing with nuisance wildlife around your home. Finally, Erick heads to the Annual Wildlife Game Dinner at the University of Tennessee, where Ethan Newman and Dakota Bird, President and Vice President of the Wildlife and Fisheries Society, give their take on conservation, lifestyle and cooking up wild game. You don't have to set a trap to catch great episodes of Tennessee Uncharted. We hope you enjoy this one.

Host Erick Baker and the Tennessee Uncharted crew have spent many episodes trying to improve Erick's fishing skills. This time, he's stepping up his game, going to the basics with locally made gear and consulting experts in hopes that he can turn his luck around. Our first stop is Uncle Lem's Outfitters, where we get the conversation about kayak fishing started with owner Kevin Hill. Fishing Department Manager Sawyer Adams gives us some good advice and gets us set up with a quality kayak before we head out to meet John Champion, founder of ETKA (East Tennessee Kayakers Anglers). Now that Erick has a vessel and a community, it's time for a custom rod. For that, he reaches out to Dewayne Wilson, owner of Dixie Custom Rods, who gives Erick instruction in the personal connection with one's fishing rod. Then, it's off to Soddy-Daisy, where Eric Burger, owner of Tennessee Trailers, Inc., offers the opportunity to put the finishing touches on a custom kayak trailer. Now that he's set up with the gear he needs, Erick brings us along to his first-weekend fishing tournament. His strategy? Try not to tip over - that about sums it up. Now, it's just a matter of luck. TWRA helps him stay in his tournament frame of mind with their new mobile app that makes it easier for anglers and sportsmen to access outdoor recreation information and even buy the necessary licenses through a mobile phone. You'll have to watch to find out if Erick finally lets out the call: "Fish On!"

On the surface, this week's episode is all about pollinators, and those who are doing the work to help them thrive again. Host Erick Baker and the rest of the crew show us that there's another layer to the story: unseen and overlooked ecosystems, and quiet champions who prove there's always something a little deeper going on in Tennessee. Jennifer Taylor, the entomologist at the Tennessee Aquarium, starts us off with a glimpse into the world of butterfly farms. Christine Bock Hunt, the lead horticulturist at the Tennessee Aquarium, takes Erick and the crew on down the road to the Tennessee River Gardens, where special pollinator plants help butterflies with places to lay their eggs and ensure the caterpillars that emerge will have plenty of food. Then, it's on to 10,000 acres of wildlife and wildflower sanctuary at the Bridgestone Firestone Wildlife Management Area, where Erick and the crew speak to Clarence Coffee of the Shortleaf Pine Initiative, Bridgestone Firestone WMA, and James Douglas, TWRA Manager Bridgestone Firestone Centennial Wildlife WMA, who explains the importance of the project and the ecosystems that thrive there. Michael Shew, Maintenance Supervisor and Horticulturist of the Music City Center in Nashville shows us the multi-acre green roof they've planted there, complete with pollinating, thriving bee colonies. Charles Starks, President/CEO of the Music City Center, explains how the roof helps to prevent flooding, too. Finally, Erick gets suited up for his visit to Jay Williams of Williams Honey Farm, to see behind the scenes of managing bees and harvesting honey. Caring for our state's pollinators is about more than just the bees and butterflies; it's about being a good steward of the land.

We ride along with some of the TWRA's seasoned veterans in preventing poaching. Mark Patterson, TWRA Wildlife Officer Region III, takes Erick out to the site of a spotlighting offender in hopes of catching someone in the act of this illegal activity. Loaded guns are present and our hearts race as Patterson gives chase to suspects, along with other officers on the ground and in the air. So what happens to evidence when it's seized during an illegal activity, such as spotlighting or road hunting? Joey Wray, TWRA Law Enforcement Coor'd Region III, shows us the TWRA evidence locker, with everything from guns to frozen poached deer on site. Then it's off to the field, where Andy Barlow and Johnny Poston, TWRA Wildlife Officers Region III, show Erick how to set up a deer decoy in hopes of catching an illegal roadside or motor vehicle hunter in action. These TWRA officers and all the officers who have graced us with their perspectives on our show prove that the TWRA's role in preventing illegal activity is much more about being active in the community, about education and providing helpful services than it is about arresting offenders.