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Join us in this engaging episode as we explore the International Sportsman’s Expo, where host Scott Watley discovers the delicious flavors of Ray’s Jerky. From their humble beginnings in Ohio to their flavorsome presence in Colorado, Ray’s Jerky offers a taste adventure that blends perfectly with the spirit of the Expo. Dive deep into the art of crafting the perfect jerky as Ray Valentine shares insights into creating the best spicy and savory snacks.
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado, Colorado’s premier outdoor radio show heard every Saturday afternoon on KLZ 560 with insights on hunting, fishing, archery, guns, and ammo from Colorado’s top outfitters featuring the industry’s leading experts on how to enhance your experience in the great outdoors. Now, here’s your host, Scott Watley.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome to Sportsman of Colorado. Thank you so much for joining us today. Hey, we are at the International Sportsman’s Expo, the 2026 edition, downtown Denver at the convention center. Now, we recorded some spots here for the show today, and we just couldn’t get a good enough Wi-Fi signal to do a live show. So we have gone around here on the opening day, which is Thursday, and met some folks and checking out some people that we did not have already relationships with. One of them actually found me first. I came down to set up my booth on Tuesday and then came back on Wednesday. And there was this delicious, delicious treat sitting in my chair from Ray’s Jerky. And beef stick spicy. And I hadn’t eaten anything. I was like, well, I don’t know what this is going to taste like. Don’t know anything about the company. And, wow, I almost went around to all the other booths stealing the ones he had put in there. Yeah. It was so good. And I actually went around the day to find out where Ray’s jerky was, gave the people my card. And Ray himself, Ray Valentine, just came over the booth. And I said, man, I want to start off the show with you. You helped me out when I was hungry. So, Ray Valentine, welcome to Sportsman of Colorado. Appreciate it, Scott. Thank you. You betcha. Thanks. How do you get into this kind of business? Tell us a little bit of your background and just how this evolved.
SPEAKER 10 :
I’m a foodie. I like to cook. I’m from Ohio originally. I’ve been out in the western slope in the Ridgeway, Montrose area for over 25 years now. But at Duck Camp… deer camp in ohio i was always like delegated to be the cook the chef and then we i got into smoking a lot of different meats and stuff um using all kinds of different spices also not that our stuff’s hot i like things that taste right on because i love spicy dude i mean i love spicy but there is a line you cross where then it’s not correct yeah steals the flavor we did come out with a pure pain though to for those people that were telling me i didn’t have anything hot enough oh gosh so that’s a different level and still you know it’s not a science experiment i think people like has a very unique flavor right and i’d say it’s like a hot hot and that’s why i always wonder how you come up you know to get to that final of ingredient list you know i mean is it a lot of trial and error yes it is yeah multiple batches I mean, usually they all taste good. They just need to be tweaked a little bit.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. Yeah, exactly. Hey, if you’re in the Montrose area, it is Montrose. The location there is 19385 Highway 550 in Montrose. A lot of people pronounce the next location in a lot.
SPEAKER 10 :
It’s called, it’s after Chief. You’re a, you’re a Colorado. Very beautiful. One of the 10 most beautiful cities in the United States. We have a store right downtown by the post office. I did just want to tell you some of the flavors because there’s got to be.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, we’re going to get to that. Yeah. I just want to tell them about your store here. Oh, okay. Yeah. So 630 Main Street in Euray. Yeah. So 630 Main Street in Euray and 19385 Highway 550 in Montrose. Hey, you can get your own rave jerky right there. All right. So, yeah, because you’ve got to figure out, okay, you don’t want a million skews of different type deals. So how do you decide on that final lineup? And let’s kind of walk through your lineup a little bit.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, we have the teriyaki, mild. We have black pepper, jalapeno, desert hot, which is a cayenne or a red chili. Same level of spice as the jalapeno. And then we have the pure pain, which is a hot, hot one. It has ghost and habanero in it. And then we also do elk, buffalo, and turkey jerky. And we also have prime rib and peppercorn. And we pride ourselves on our flavors. They’re like stuff’s dialed in.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. And I’m not lying to you. I mean, when I opened that package and took the first bite, it was really good. And, you know, I mean, I hunt. I get a lot of different meats and made into different, you know, sticks and jerky, different things like that. But I don’t know. This was just different and just had a wonderful, wonderful flavor. Appreciate the compliment. Thank you, Scott. Yeah, absolutely. So do you sell it? What’s the best deal for clients? Do you sell these like a dozen, a packet? I mean, what’s the best way? Are they just individual or what?
SPEAKER 10 :
We have a normal special that we do with the jerkies. It’s like buy five, get the sixth one free. You can mix and match your flavors. And then with the B-sticks, we have a canister. They’re individually wrapped. They’re 24 individually wrapped sticks. They run around $31, $32. And then we’ve got a two-and-a-half-pound bag, which is a bulk bag for like $35. Okay. Our sticks are not greasy. They’re premium. They’re beef. And three different flavors, honey, mild, and spicy. Honey, mild, and spicy. Yeah. And… I want to say thank you, though. There’s a lot of people, though, from Denver that do stop and shop, and they make a regular stop when they’re there. And I do want to say thank you. We appreciate people taking the time to stop at our store. Also, they stop at the Palisade Peach Festival and the Apple Festival, too. Those are pretty big events, too. Right. I just want to say thank you. We’re grateful. You know, without them, you know, we wouldn’t be in business as long as we’ve been in business.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. Once again, it’s Ray’s Jerky. And, hey, you can follow them on social media and their website, of course, RayJerky.com. And if you’ve got questions and, hey, may want to place an order, 970-626-3700. And you can also follow them on Instagram and, you know, Twitter or whatever it’s called now. What’s it called? All that stuff, you know. I don’t know. I’m too old to deal with all that. Well, you’re a caveman like me. That’s good. But get by and see them at Ray’s Jerky. And in Montrose now, 19385 Highway 550. And then in your race, 630 Main Street. And, hey, you know, we’ve got to support our local companies and family-owned companies. So… Hey, if you’re coming to the Expo, come by our booth, 428. I’ll personally walk you over and introduce you to the fine folks there at Ray’s Jerky’s Booth, and I promise you, you will not be disappointed. It is absolutely delicious. And here’s the great thing, guys and gals, if you’re out, you know, hunting and you’re hiking and packing, these are great to have in your backpack, all right? There’s nothing that… Worse than being out and just saying, man, I’m so hungry. And you’ll be surprised just what a good, nice beef stick spicy will do for you from Ray’s Jerky. And this is one ounce, it says. Yes. In this package. Yes. That’s pretty light to put in a pack. it is it’s good good for packing in yeah i mean absolutely good and so uh yeah get by and see them check out all the flavors and uh once again they’ll take great care of you it is raised jerky and uh Ray, anything we’re missing? Man, I want to tell them all about you.
SPEAKER 10 :
I’m just telling you, it helps us out when you order online. Yeah, raysjerky.com. Okay. And we appreciate positive feedback from our customers.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, give good reviews.
SPEAKER 10 :
It’s a good vibe.
SPEAKER 06 :
Sure.
SPEAKER 10 :
People compliment us if you read our reviews on the store. and how they’re treated. It’s not like a convenience store transaction. We really do care about our customers, and we sample, too, at our store. So you can try it before you buy it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay, good deal. That’s what makes it a little different. You can’t see the handshake on radio, but, Ray, thank you, sir. It’s a pleasure. You’re taking care of me, and we’ll look forward to doing this maybe more in the future here. Hey, here’s what you need from the ISC, Rays Jerky. All right. Montrose, 19385 Highway 550, your Rays, 630 Main Street, or simply at RaysJerky.com. We’ve got to take a quick break. We’ll be back with more right after this.
SPEAKER 16 :
Are you in the market for a new firearm? Or maybe looking to purchase your very first firearm? Well, wouldn’t it be great to have an experience worth telling your friends and family about while making such an important purchase? At Big Horn Firearms, we know how important that is, and it’s our mission to provide this experience to every customer that walks through our front door. Hi, I’m Ryan, owner of Bighorn Firearms, located in southeast Denver, and my team and I are customers too. We know what it’s like to experience the typical specialty store attitude, and we believe everyone deserves a first-class experience when purchasing a firearm. If you’re searching for friendly service, a knowledgeable and passionate staff, and a great selection of firearms, we’d like to invite you to Denver’s best independent gun store, Bighorn Firearms, one mile east of Evans and I-25. Whether it’s your first gun or you’ve been collecting for years, our friendly and knowledgeable staff are passionate about answering all of your questions. Service and selection is our commitment to you. That’s Bighorn Firearms, located at 2175 South Jasmine Street, Suite 105, Denver. Call us now, 303-758-9423, or shop online, bighornusa.com.
SPEAKER 09 :
If you’ve already made your list of New Year’s resolutions, why not make one for your pet? At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, furry friend resolutions are called pausolutions, and their caring staff will help you check off every item. Whether your pet’s list includes an exam appointment, a diagnostic test, a dental cleaning, a medical treatment or surgery, a nail trim, a bath and brush, a boarding reservation, or behavior training, Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center can help with all of your pet’s needs. And if food or pet care products are on your pet’s list, you can shop in their lobby retail store or at their online store and have your items delivered directly to your home. Can’t do a weekday visit? Your pet can visit them on Saturday at no additional cost. At Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center, helping pets be healthy and happy companions is their number one goal. Why not get started on your pet’s New Year’s Pawsolutions list today? Just call 303-708-8050. That’s 303-708-8050. Or visit Lone Tree Vet online at LoneTreeVet.com. Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center. It’s the place where my pets go.
SPEAKER 19 :
If you’re in the market for a new rifle for the big game season or a new shotgun for some doves or upland game birds, head on over to The Gun Room. Kevin Flesch here from Sportsman of Colorado, inviting you to visit Denver’s oldest gun dealer. And that’s The Gun Room at 1595 Carr Street in Lakewood. They offer buy, trade, consignment, transfers, and appraisals. And if you purchase a gun, we’ll cover your background check fee. It’s The Gun Room, 1595 Carr Street. Tell them Sportsman of Colorado sent you.
SPEAKER 09 :
Looking for top quality hunting, fishing, and camping gear without the high prices? Head to the Outdoorsman’s Attic, Colorado’s premier outdoor consignment store at 2650 West Hampton in Sheridan. You’ll find wall-to-wall gear for upland bird hunting, waterfowl, ice fishing, and big game adventures, all at prices up to 50% off retail. Whether you’re gearing up for your next hunt or cleaning out your closet, buy, sell, save at the Outdoorsman’s Attic, where every trip feels like opening day. Come see Colorado’s largest consignment store for hunting, fishing, and camping gear. It’s the Outdoorsman’s Attic, 2650 West Hampton in Sheridan, and tell them Scott sent you.
SPEAKER 04 :
You’re listening to 560 KLZ, your home station.
SPEAKER 09 :
Once again, we are coming to you from the International Sportsman’s Expo, the 2026 edition downtown Denver here at the International Sportsman’s Expo. And hey, great crowd today for the first day Thursday and in all transparency, we’re recording some shows here to play on Saturday. You’re going to hear this the first time on Saturday. You’ll hear a couple of replays on Sunday. And then, of course, the replay on Thursday at 9 in the morning. But, hey, for Saturday and Sunday, you’ll still have time to get down here to the International Sportsman’s Expo. Our booth is 428. So come by and see us. We would love to meet you. When we come to the shows, we have a lot of our own advertisers here and sponsors. And we’re always looking for some new folks that we don’t know. And luckily this year, to the left of us, we had a new booth move in. And so some nice young ladies came over and said, hey, we’d like to get on this show. And I said, well, we’d love to have you on this show. So we’re going to be talking about the Grass River Lodge. and uh today i have lena i’m gonna mess up your name popularski my name is lily fault oh lily i’m seeing i even drew the name what i tell you see when you get old you forget who’s on what side of you lily all right let’s see your name’s way easier too so i’m glad nina we got busy so lily all right lily so great to have you on the show how are you
SPEAKER 11 :
Good, good. How are you?
SPEAKER 09 :
We’re great. All right. Then also we got Juanita Enns.
SPEAKER 11 :
Juanita Enns.
SPEAKER 09 :
Juanita Enns. All right. So, Lily, since I butchered your name the first, tell us a little bit about yourself and like where you’re from. This is your first show here, right?
SPEAKER 11 :
Correct.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. And then tell us kind of what you do here for this life.
SPEAKER 11 :
Alright, yeah, so I work in the booking office in Manitoba’s Steinbeck area. So I started there last year in March, and then I help out booking Grass River Lodge guests. So I’m a trip coordinator in the booking office. I love speaking with the guests over the phone. When they reach out, it’s always great to talk to them over the phone, connect with them, and help them out to book their trip and give out information about the fish. I always get to learn new things too, so it’s really great. It’s been a great year.
SPEAKER 09 :
And I assume you get people from all over the world.
SPEAKER 11 :
All over the world, yeah. Mainly in the States and Canada. So yeah, it’s been great.
SPEAKER 09 :
Wow, that’s so cool.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yep.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay, Juanita. Yeah, nice to meet you. Again, thanks for being with us. Yeah. Tell us a little bit about you.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I’m the daughter-in-law of my parents in the Denver area.
SPEAKER 09 :
I’m going to pull that mic up to your mouth. Oh, for sure. It’s so loud in here. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, there you go. So a lot of the guests from the Denver area will probably remember Ike and Liz Entz. They used to own Grass River Lodge for the last 40 years, and that’s my parents-in-law. So I married their son, actually, Matt. and married their son at Grass River Lodge. So it means a lot to us. And Ike and Liz, so for those guests out there in Colorado that remember them, they’re so close by. They live right beside us in Flint Lawn, so they’re not far away. And their son and granddaughters are now running Grass River Lodge. So you’ll probably remember Casey, Laura, and Alana. If you came to the lodge, Casey worked in the kitchen and the girls were serving. So they’re still around too. So for those of you coming, come say hi because we’re all here still.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. Okay. So tell us a little bit about the lodge, where you’re located, and then we’ll talk about travel, getting there, and how to advise people like that as well. So tell us a little bit about the lodge.
SPEAKER 15 :
The lodge, yeah. We have about 24 guests that come stay with us at the lodge, so you know you can drive up there. It’s about an eight-hour drive north of the U.S. border, and you’ll have your own cabin. We take care of you. We spoil you. All you have to do is eat, sleep, and fish, so that’s always good.
SPEAKER 06 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 15 :
And yeah, the staff are phenomenal. The guides are great. And fishing is incredible. Like it’s a drive-in lodge, but I think it’s got the most exceptional fishing in Manitoba for a drive-in. I think our largest northern was over 52 inches. We get hundreds of trophies every summer. So yeah, you definitely do not miss out when you come here.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
So do you get a pretty good mixture of like… Several guys coming together, a husband and a wife, or, you know, several women come together as friends. I mean, do you kind of get it all, families, the whole thing?
SPEAKER 15 :
You do. Like, you’ll probably see a lot of the grandfather, father, sons, you know, come up, the three generations. That’s really popular, husbands and wives. I can name so many. Like, I was 18. I’m 55. I was 18 when I first started there. And so I’ll remember lots of the guests that have been coming up. Yeah, and then you’ll have corporate groups, less corporate groups that I know occur. Like my husband, I know no matter how big the lodge and how busy we got, he just said the party of two, he always wanted to make sure that they felt seen, right? So we just want, no matter how big or small the group is, that it’s very personalized. We really want you to have a great time. And the guys are phenomenal. They’ve been here forever. They are wonderful.
SPEAKER 09 :
And again, their booth is right beside us here at booth 428, of course, from Colorado, of course. So, hey, come over. We’ll personally introduce you to these ladies, and we’ll get you all hooked up to catch some great fish here. All right, now, let’s talk about a package. I don’t know who’s best to tell me about what your normal kind of package is since you do all the bookings. Tell us a little bit, Lily, about that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, for sure. So we start off at 3D packages and go up to the 7D packages. So, yeah, it starts off at $2,400 for the 3D package. That’s a great deal. Yeah, and then, like Juanita mentioned, it’s a drive-in lodge. And then we do also have one day fly outs that really hopefully will go great next year as well. So what we do is have float planes come in and then you’ll fly out to another lake during the time you’re at Grass River Lodge and then you can go fishing at a different lake while you’re up there. So yeah, that’s something that the guests love to do as well. So yeah, we’ll definitely hope to do that next year again.
SPEAKER 09 :
So you fly from Denver, where do you fly to?
SPEAKER 11 :
You would actually drive to Grass River Lodge.
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER 11 :
So drive to Grass River Lodge and then the fly out would be from Flin Flon to the other lake that you’re going to.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay, great. And all the meals are taken care of?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, very good. Very good food, yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
And do you guys process the fish and things like that?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, yeah, everything’s done for you. Honestly, you just come, you come full, people come up with their vehicles and they’ve got all the stuff. You have your own cabin so you can bring anything that makes it home for you, your cabin home for you, any special blankets, snacks that you like and then we take care of everything in the lodge for you. The guys take care of everything for you out in the lake.
SPEAKER 09 :
As you said, you’ve been there a number of years, seeing guests over and over, and then maybe them bringing new family members, whether it be kids or whatever.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s got to be pretty cool. It is amazing. I think we’re probably on great grandkids now, honestly. I think it’s been a family-owned business. We’re keeping it family-owned. It’s grown from the lodge to an air service as well. So we serve a lot of other lodges with air services. But my husband and our kids and now our staff, it honestly becomes family. And you just kind of get absorbed into that. It’s awesome.
SPEAKER 09 :
Once again, we are pre-recording some interviews to play today from the 2026 International Sportsman’s Expo down here at the Convention Center. Now, Saturday, when you’re hearing this, the hours are 10 to 7. Of course, you’re hearing this at 1 o’clock in the afternoon, so you’ve still got time to get down here today. And then Sunday, the hours are 10 to 4. So come on down. Bring the family. Talk about a family event. This is it as well. And, hey, it’s been fantastic. Something on your bucket list to go catch some great fish. Get away with the family. This is it, the Grass River Lodge. And just a note here in the brochure, listen to how this sounds. Get away, the cozy cabins and the big northern. Grass River Lodge is a hidden gem for anglers chasing huge northern pike up to 51 inches along with excellent walleye and lake trout. This cozy drive-in lodge offers guided fishing, home-cooked fields, and comfortable cabins overlooking the lake. Grass River blends outstanding fish with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where stories are shared after the lines are reeled in. You can’t beat that. And folks, I’m telling you, hey, quit taking the kids to Disneyland, Disney World. This is something they will remember forever. Hey, a great fishing trip with mom and dad or uncle and grandparents, whatever the case may be. Now, they’ve got some great deals. I’m not going to say the $2,400 for the three-day. I’m telling you, that’s a smoking deal right there. But whatever package you pick here at the show, what are you doing?
SPEAKER 11 :
We are actually offering a 10% discount if you’re booking at the show, at the sports show in Denver on Saturday or Sunday. So come by quick.
SPEAKER 09 :
So 10% off. Yeah. And now, is the lodge, is it like, so… I’ll bring my wife, let’s say. So do you have a private room? Is it a cab? I mean, kind of tell us about whoever’s best wants to do that.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, no, if you came with your wife, you guys would have your own cabin.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 15 :
And then you just walk just a couple of feet to the lodge. In the lodge, you have the main lodge dining area, game room, where there’s a pool table and a shuffleboard. And then there’s a nice big fireplace, and you’re overlooking the lake the whole time. It’s right on the shore, so it’s so beautiful. And, yeah, you can just lounge in the gate. And there’s appetizers provided before dinner, so you can come have some snacks beforehand.
SPEAKER 09 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 15 :
You will not go hungry, I promise you.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right.
SPEAKER 15 :
Not at all.
SPEAKER 09 :
And then if you got, like, you know, four buddies that come, would they all be in one cabin in different bedrooms and stick on a thing? That’s right. Is that the way it works?
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s right, yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
all right come on down and see us hey and save some money 10 off and uh just mention you heard them here on sportsman colorado and uh they’ll take great care of you again they’re right beside us here our booth is 428 so come in and see us and uh we’ll take you over and introduce you to these nice young ladies and it’s the grass river lodge and what would be a website that we could give out
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, you could actually just type in grassriverlodge.com.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay, grassriverlodge.com. And you can check it out there. Come on in and see them. Save 10% on your trip. And I’m telling you, I haven’t been there yet. Yet, if you notice the word, but. looking at all their pictures and some of the things they have here. This looks like an excellent, excellent place to get away, catch some fish, and have some relaxation. So, ladies, we thank you for your time.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, thank you. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER 09 :
We’re going to continue to have a good show here, so come on down. I know you’re hearing this Saturday at 1 o’clock, between 1 and 2. You’ve still got a few hours. We’re here until 7, and then on Sunday from 10 to 4. So come on in down and see us here at the International Sportsman’s Expo. We’ve got to hit a quick break, and we’ll be back with more right after this.
SPEAKER 04 :
Here’s why you need personal injury attorney Kevin Flesch on your side. He understands the way the jury thinks. In the context of a personal injury case, you’ve been hurt by someone else’s negligence. The idea is that you’re going to try to recover so that you can get back to where you were just prior to that incident occurring. What that really means from a jurist’s perspective is that you’re going to be asking them to award you money. So when we talk about fairness, we’re talking about six people that you don’t know. Those six people view the evidence and make a unanimous decision that will decide what the fair value is. When you’re the one who’s hurt, you have a good idea of what you think it’s worth. The question is, can you persuade those other individuals whom you don’t know and were witnesses to believe that’s what the case is worth? Kevin Flesch understands the way the jury thinks. Call now for a free consultation. 303-806-8886
SPEAKER 09 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
Hey, Dan. You know, our jobs are pretty different. I’m a baseball announcer. You’re an attorney and a talk show host. Yeah, but we do have something in common.
SPEAKER 07 :
Really? What’s that? Our favorite car dealer, Len Lyle’s Chevrolet. Yeah, definitely not your typical dealership. That’s so true, Jack. No high-pressure sales tactics. They respect your time. And when you have two jobs, that’s important.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, I’d recommend Len Lyle’s Chevrolet to anyone. And with their low overhead, that means… Lower prices.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, we really do have something in common.
SPEAKER 08 :
Len Lyle Chevrolet, go east and pay the least. Chevy, find new roads.
SPEAKER 09 :
Here’s your Water Talk Minute with Paul the Waterman, brought to you by Water Pros.
SPEAKER 02 :
Folks, everybody needs to go to the EPA website and check out the contaminated candidate list. There’s unregulated contaminants that have been in our drinking water forever. And what that means is that municipalities don’t have to test for them. So we have 1,4-dioxin. It’s an unregulated contaminant that’s been in the water supply since the early 1900s. We have synthetic estrogen that’s in our water supply. We have pesticides, herbicides in our water supply. So this is something that educate yourself. This is why we need a point of use reverse osmosis system for our drinking water, because of all the contaminants that the EPA is not allowing our municipalities to tell us about.
SPEAKER 13 :
You’re listening to KLZ 560 AM, your home station.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Sportsman of Colorado. Again, we are at the 2026 International Sportsman’s Expo downtown Denver at the Convention Center and doing some interviews here to bring to you today. And hey, I know we’re airing here on the weekend. We’re pre-recording some segments to play here from Thursday and Friday at the Expo. But hey, you still got time to get down here this evening and also Sunday. The hours are 10 to 4, so we’re open from the 10 to 7 here on Saturday, and once again, 10 to 4 on Sunday. So it’s always great when we come to show, and we’ve been here every year for many years now, but right as I walked in the door, there’s some beautiful boats there, and met the owner there actually just the other day moving in, and so I want to get Adam on the show and his wife Christine. It’s Militia Marine. They’re over in Fountain, Colorado at 901 South Santa Fe. So, Adam, thanks for being with us.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. Thanks for having us on. We’re excited to be at the Sportsman’s Expo. They’re putting on a great show this year. We’re real happy about that. You know, John’s been working with us. Great on getting moved in and a lot of participation. Yesterday, Thursday, we had a lot of folks walk into the booth. Today, we’ve been busy all day since they’ve opened up the doors. A lot of interest in these boats. And rightfully so. They’re beautiful boats. They’re great. some catcher pontoons, G3 fishing boats, G3 hunting boats. We’ve got some hunting boats on display as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
Wow, I mean you got a great lineup over there and I don’t know a lot about boats, but man all of them look like specific different purposes. You know what you want to do and I want to get into that in a minute. But we also got Adams wife Christine with us as well. So Christine, thanks for being with us.
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely thank you.
SPEAKER 09 :
So what’s it like, first of all, being a husband and wife owning something together and probably working together? So you share the highs and lows and the pressures of business and all. What’s that like from a wife’s perspective?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, you know what? Adam and I handle it quite well, I’d say. It’s a lot of fun watching how much work he has put into this business and watching it grow. I am blessed to be a part of that with him. and now especially bringing in our son, Colton. So it’s been an absolute blessing.
SPEAKER 09 :
It really has. Well, that’s cool. That’s great. All right, so you guys can chip in. This is kind of a roundtable discussion here, but… Buying a boat’s a big deal. They’re not cheap. OK, you want to buy something that’s going to fit your needs. So what is it? What is the conversation like when someone comes in to buy a boat? They never bought a boat before and they, you know, what’s that? I guess interview or questions that you ask them to make sure you lead them toward the right kind of purchase. How does that start?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, first and foremost, if you don’t like the boat, the price really doesn’t matter. So the first thing to do is figure out what boat is going to be suitable for you and your family. If I put you in a boat that costs $10,000 and that’s it, but it’s absolutely wrong for you, well, you’re not going to buy it. So we don’t really worry about price too much up front. We want to make sure that we have a product. that’s gonna fit you and your family or however you plan on using it. If you’re gonna be a hardcore angler and you wanna go after lake trout and you wanna be able to troll, well, okay, we’re gonna find a boat, the boats that are gonna fit you, and then we’re gonna get into budget, right? Are we gonna finance the boat? Are we gonna pay cash for the boat? You know, what kind of payment are you looking at? What kind of terms do you want? What can I do to show you a boat that’s going to be suitable for you, right? The only boat that’s right is a boat that’s right for you. So there’s really no point in just showing you boats. We want to talk to you. And most importantly, we want to talk fishing. We want to talk hunting. My wife, huge hunter. turned into a huge fisherman lately right this year she got her bull elk this year she got her she got her mule deer this year got her bull elk with her bow this year so man now i’m really impressed yeah so you know we’re we’re outdoors men we’re out you know she’s an outdoors woman we’re outdoors people sure we’re raising our son to be outdoorsy as well um you know that that is our mindset that’s our mentality so we really just want to talk hunting and fishing with you yeah We want to talk family time. Because you know what? If we’ve got something that fits the bill, then great, let’s talk about it. If all we’re going to do is talk about catching largemouth and smallmouth bass on Pueblo, lake trout up in Blue Mesa, and rainbows on Spinney, well, we’re good with that, too. We want to make friends before we try selling you a boat. We want you to be part of our family. If you buy that boat, you make a decision to join the Militia Marine family.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
So that’s really what we’re doing is just meeting people and making new friends.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, that’s so cool. Once again, if you’re hearing a lot in the background, you just got in the car and turned on the radio. We are coming to you from the 2026 International Sportsman’s Expo. Now you’re going to hear replays, okay? So this is Saturday 1 to 2, our main show. Sunday morning at 8, Sunday night at 8, you’ll hear a replay the following Thursday at 9 a.m. in the morning. So if you’re listening Sunday night or Thursday, the show is done. But you know what? The discounts are still available at Militia Marine, which we’ll get to here in just a few moments with Adam and Christine. So do you, does it get into like what bodies of water they tend to fish a lot to figure out what type of boat might fit best too? Does that play into anything?
SPEAKER 05 :
A little bit. I wouldn’t say too much, right? We have folks that are using pontoon boats on Dillon, on Spinney, on Ontario, on 11 Mile, down in Pueblo, Trinidad. And then we’ve got folks that are using bass boats on all those same lakes and folks using deep beasts. It’s really a matter of how you want to fish. If you want to troll and you want to set up downriggers, well, a bass boat and a pontoon is probably not going to be the best bet. You really want a deep V. If you want to back troll and you want all your kids on the front of the boat with Zepcos hanging up, you probably want a pontoon boat. That way you have a groom. It’s really not body of water specific. Every one of our boats can handle any body of water in Colorado. right it’s we’ve got a boat all these boats are built for whatever winds may kick up we’ve got the quality product to put up with that with the winds with the high winds with the heavy weight so i wouldn’t worry about that it’s really about purpose you know if you want to hunt you want to open floor plan tiller boat for duck hunting we’ve got we’ve got two on the showroom they’re on the floor right now uh if if you want to troll right we’ve got We’re planning on bringing in more deep fees this year. We’re just waiting on the factory to finish building them. If you want family fun, we’ve got those pontoons. If you want to fish local bass tournaments, right, you don’t want that 21-foot 250 with a $100,000 price tag. You want something that, hey, I can afford this boat because we’ve got boats that are going to cost 200 bucks a month, 300 bucks a month. You know, if we can keep you in that very budget-friendly mindset, it’s really about building, you know, getting you a boat that fits your bill, right? These boats, any boat you take out here, they’ll handle the water.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. And, you know, this is something great for the family, isn’t it, Christine, a boat? I mean, there’s nothing like it. getting out on the water like that with a family. And I was talking the other day about some of the other excursions that are here. We were talking to our friends next door to us from Manitoba, Canada, Fish and Trip. Just saying, take kids and do things like this. Disney World, Disneyland is fun. They’re going to remember that for a few weeks and then whatever. These are lifetime, really family memories that you can have on a boat in a
SPEAKER 14 :
Absolutely. Absolutely. That’s one thing that I love when the families will come in and we can customize the boat to fit their needs. And that’s something, well, make family memories. That’s so important. When I first met Adam, we were on his bass boat a lot. That was, that’s where we were at in life. Now, I absolutely love our fishing pontoons because I can put my son somewhere. You can take a nap with the bimini top. It works perfect. Mommy can still fish. We’ve got live wells in the pontoons and everything. It works out great. There’s just so many variations that we can help you get out on the water, make memories for a lifetime.
SPEAKER 09 :
Do boats… Do you sell the trailers, like all different style trailers and different things, or is that a separate?
SPEAKER 05 :
So the boats are all, we order the boats from factory with a trailer. Okay. That way they’re set up from factory just for that boat. A lot of the pontoon boats, if we get 20-footers or bigger, we’re ordering them with brakes. And the idea being, you could tow a pontoon with a Jeep Wrangler, right?
SPEAKER 09 :
That’s what I was going to get you next year. You don’t have to go, you know, buy some big F. 450, 300.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, no, no. So I think one of our techs, Eric, he helped us move boats up to Fort Collins last year for a show and Shields and other places.
SPEAKER 14 :
That boy has been miles and miles with us, yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Toyota Tacoma will pull half the pontoons out there. because that’s what he was towing with. So, you know, our 18 and our 20-foot and our 16-foot pontoons, he can pull them all with his little Toyota Tacoma. You know, we order the bigger ones with brakes just so that you can do that as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, cool. Once again, if you’re… wonder what all the hell that noise is normally quiet in the studio we are not in the studio we are downtown denver at the denver convention center for the 2026 international sportsman’s expo visiting with the owners of volition marine 901 south santa fe and fountain adam and christine and uh what are your hours that you’re open so currently we are open tuesdays through fridays 8 a.m to 5 p.m and then we’re open every saturday from nine to one okay Now, you mentioned payments, financing. A few years ago, rates were… So, what do you… I mean, I’m probably different than most people. If you tell me $200 or $300 a month, that’s what I’m looking at. I’m not really looking at the end. You know, hey, if I can swing it in my budget. Do you find a lot of people are like that? They’re just like, hey, give me a monthly payment I can live with and I’ll buy it.
SPEAKER 05 :
So, and then most of the time, we’re selling the boat first, right? Because we’ve got to find the boat that works for you. And then we’ve got to figure out a way to help you get it paid for. I can’t write a check for boats. I’d have to finance a boat. If we were going to buy a brand new boat, we’d be financing it. And the nice thing is that we have multiple ways to get people financed. We’ve actually got loans available right now as low as 1.49% APR. Wow. So 1.49% APR. With the initial statement, with approved credit. Yeah, with approved credit. We’ve got to get you approved for that. But Yamaha is offering that, and that is direct from Yamaha. They lend their own money out, and because they’re lending their own money out, you can get these incredible rates, right? Because that’s well below prime. What’s prime right now?
SPEAKER 1 :
6%?
SPEAKER 05 :
I don’t know, but it ain’t 1 and a half. So, you know, we do have these incredible rates that we can offer. And we’ve got all sorts of different lending programs that we can run to try and help folks out.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. And so several banks, probably credit unions, different things like that you work with. Yeah. Yeah. That’s so cool. You know, one thing we always stress to people when you get a boat is, man, if you don’t know much about them, do everything you can to learn about safety. Because things can go wrong on a boat and they’re not good, you know. So how do you ever talk about that? Do people ever ask questions?
SPEAKER 05 :
So one of our big, big facts, right, and our selling fact, if you would, Kristen and I take almost every one of our boat buyers out for their first trip. Oh, wow. Right? So, and we always tell them, oh, we’ll spend an hour and a half. It turns out it’s a half a day, right? We’re on the lake with you for three, four hours. And the whole idea is that the safety, loading, launching the boat, getting through ANS. If you never own a boat, you know, we have ANS inspection stations here to make sure we keep our waters clean. And that could be tough to get through if you’ve never done it before. So we’re there to help you out with that. We’re there to help you get it off the trailer, get it back on the trailer, teach you cornering, teach you trim, how to trim the motor up properly, and then how to corner, how to make those turns, how to get the boat on plane, and how to just operate the boat safely, right? what it looks like to actually put a life jacket on and make sure it’s you know you’re wearing it properly what it means to put that safety kill switch lantern on you everything you can think of that you say hey i’ve never owned a boat i don’t know we’re here for you we are here for you like i said you buy a boat from us you’re joining our family you’re joining our family and we care about you so with that we want you to be safe on the water so
SPEAKER 14 :
i’ll be honest i think that’s my favorite part of the whole deal when somebody comes in to buy a boat from us we spend time they really are part of the family by the time they leave it’s taking pictures and just loving the new boat sure sure yeah now again uh you’re hearing this show here on saturday first you’ll hear two replays on sunday the show is open until seven o’clock tonight saturday
SPEAKER 09 :
which is the 10th year of January. And then we’re open Sunday the 11th from 10 to 4. So come on in and see them. You can’t miss them when you walk in the door. Boats, boats, boats, boats from Militia Marine. And once again, they are located at 901 South Santa Fe in Fountain. All right, let’s talk about some of your specials that you’ve got going on, and then I guess can I ask you, can we carry those over a few weeks or something since folks are here at this kind of mid-show?
SPEAKER 05 :
We’ve got some clearance specials going on right now, and those will carry through probably. probably till the end of February, right? But here’s the thing about the show. And if you’re listening to this on Saturday morning, get down here Saturday or Sunday. If you’re in the market for a boat, come on down, check us out, give us a chance to earn your business. And the reason I say that is we have a factory G3 rep with us. And G3 pretty much sent him down with bags full of money, right? Instant rebates up to $3,500 off. So that’s money that I don’t have to sweat whatsoever. I can write that right off the top. We’ve got some incredible rebates going on with him here at the show. Those are show-only rebates, but we do have some clearances, right? I think we’ve got a couple boats discounted in the realm of $6,000. You know, that’s through the show. And if you come down and you talk to me and you get a buyer’s order, we’ll give you a 30-day guarantee on that price.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
We can give you that 30-day guarantee. It’s going to be on that boat, but you got to come talk to us at the show.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. Do either of you know, and you probably, is it easy to get a boat insured? Is that just with like… homeowners insurance or something like that?
SPEAKER 05 :
Way easier. Way easier. So we really like our rep, but just about every insurance company out there can write a quote. Most of the time you’re talking between $200 and $400 a year.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay. That’s what I was wanting to tell people. We’re not talking like, you know, where car insurance has skyrocketed $200, $300, $400 a year. It’s not a month. It’s a year. Yeah. Yeah. Or both. Okay. Cool. Well, hey, I hope you’ll come out, Militia, Marine. Again, they’re in Fountain, 901 South Santa Fe. But you know what? We want you to come today, Saturday, when you’re hearing this, or Sunday on our replay, and come on down 10 to 4 on Sunday. When you come in, mention you heard them here on the show. I’m not going to ask Adam publicly, but he’s going to do something for you. All right, if you mention sportsmen of Colorado, we’ll figure out something for you, all right? And, hey, then you’ll get to go out on the – waters with adam and his wife christina sounds like they’ll take you out and uh maybe christine could show us some fishing there we go tips there you know here’s what i tell all the fishing people that are around us i said i don’t know what it is women are very good at fishing but they’re very good at catching all right yeah as men fish women catch why is that i mean it’s just a gift i don’t know adam does great with the net for me from time to time so i appreciate that yeah well that’s yet full moon open what a year ago the centennial bass clip all five keepers all five fish we weighed she caught really so i i just worked in the net in front of all your buddies too it was perfect yeah that was so fun well hey i know you guys got people down there probably waiting to see you thanks for spending a few minutes hopefully we do some more of these throughout the year but uh hey you know i know you’re in denver a lot of boats around Here’s a family-owned company that wants to take care of your family. Spend the necessary time. Make sure you make the right purchase. Get a nice boat. They’ll take great care of you. It’s Militia Marine, 901 South Santa Fe and Fountain. And let me see here. I know your website is probably militiamarine.com. Would that be right? That’s it. All right. And that is M-I-L-I-C-I-A, marine.com. And the number is 303-579-3008. Again, 303-579-3008. And once again, come by here before you see them out in the fountain. Let them know you’re here on Sportsman of Colorado. Thanks for being with us, and come on down to the Expo and see us. We are booth 428, and appreciate all of our guests, and hope to see you down here. Have a great weekend.
SPEAKER 12 :
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SPEAKER 09 :
Sportsman of Colorado Radio is brought to you by the Colorado Wildlife Council. The council works to educate the public on the importance of scientific wildlife management, conservation, and the benefits of wildlife-related recreational opportunities, specifically hunting and fishing. For the hunter and angler community, this educational mission is vital. It empowers us to become effective advocates for the wildlife and outdoor traditions we value. Their mission is to ensure that Colorado’s wildlife is preserved for future generations through public education. Learn more about their work and how it supports your role as an advocate at cowildlifecouncil.org. We thank the Colorado Wildlife Council for their support of Sportsman of Colorado Radio.
SPEAKER 13 :
This is KLZ 560 AM, your home station.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Sportsman of Colorado. Thank you so much for joining us today. We are now truly live at the 2026 edition of the International Sportsman’s Expo. Now, we’re open until 7 o’clock tonight, which, again, just because of our replays, this is Saturday the 10th. Tomorrow, the hours are 10 to 4, and then it will be done. But it has been a great, great show. I got Kevin Flesch here with me as well. Kevin, these are always so fun.
SPEAKER 03 :
They really are, Scott. It’s so much fun to see a bunch of folks that we see every year, but we don’t spend enough time with throughout the year. But it’s always fun to catch up.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. Made a lot of new friends, some of the guests you heard today. And I tell you, if you’re looking for, you know, some good places to hunt and fish, you know, and it’s always great to have all the different outfitters here, it’s a good place to come and get to visit with them. And, you know, they have some time to spend with you to figure out exactly what you want to do. And they’re all across the world here this weekend at the International Sportsman’s Expo. So, I hope you’ll come down and see us. Our booth is 428, and we’ve had a lot, a lot of listeners come by, and it’s always great to meet listeners. And they say, hey, it’s nice to meet you and Kevin and be able to put a face with a voice, so to speak, and it has been great. But, Kevin, you know, as you look through here and see all the different trips, man, there’s so many fun things to do in this world in the hunting and fishing industry, isn’t there?
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, man, so many opportunities. We were just talking with the folks across from us this morning about, you know, doing a sandhill crane hunt. At some point, I want to do that. And the different opportunities that people have and all the different interests that people have are all represented down here this weekend.
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely. And we’ve got so many of our friends here. We’ve got Davis Tent. We’ve got our friends from Bushman’s Quiver Quality African Safaris just directly across the aisle from us. So Hey, if you’re looking for a safari, if you’re looking for a fishing trip, come by and see us. We will be glad to introduce you to some folks that we personally know here and possibly even some that we’ve been on some trips with. Kevin, you know, this year is going to be interesting, too. We’ve got some new gun laws coming up, and we’re going to get Kevin on. And everyone knows that you’ve been listening to the show very long at all. Kevin’s an attorney with Flesh Law. Kevin also does a show with us during the week on Thursdays. from noon to 1230 called Legal Talk. But, Kevin, we’ve got some interesting battles probably coming up with gun laws and just a lot of changes with gun laws that we’ll be making some people aware of here over the next few weeks.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, absolutely. Really look for the August 1st. Some of the new laws come into play. Everybody needs to know about what the extra restrictions are relating to ammo and what you have to do to purchase and do those things relating to guns in Colorado. So we’ll cover that in other shows, but people got to get down here, Scott. They got to see all that’s going on.
SPEAKER 09 :
I’ll tell you, it’s a lot of fun. And, hey, if you’re needing a camper, an RV, and all that kind of stuff, they’ve got a couple of different representations here. There’s a great boat company, again, which you heard on the show here, Militia Boats. Marine, they’ve got some great selection here of boats. So hope you’ll come down and see them. And if you come in, hey, be sure and let them know, as I mentioned on the segments with these folks, or folks from Canada, with Grass River Lodge as well that you heard them here on the show, and they’re offering some discounts for anybody that comes in. So once again, until 7 tonight, which is Saturday, and then tomorrow morning the replay, of course, is at 8 a.m., and then we’ll be here from 10 to 4 tomorrow. You know, Kevin, this is one thing, too, as you look through here, you know, this isn’t just a bunch of guys walking around. I mean, man, this has been a true family event. You see a lot of folks with their entire families here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I completely agree. A lot of strollers, other types of movement with all the kids. And there’s lots for all of the family to do here, not only just look at all the different trips, but there’s some activities for those kids. So hopefully people will come down.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, exactly. And, you know, Kevin, I don’t know, what are some of your thoughts? You know, you’ve done a whole bunch of trips too, and we’ve done, you know, many together. But as you walk through, and this is what I tell people, I just want to get your thoughts. As you’re talking with some of these companies about doing something, The big thing is just how not to be disappointed, I guess, is just, you know, really asking some good questions. So as you get ready to maybe do something, and you’re talking to maybe someone here fishing, and we’ve already done that here with some new Alaska fishing folks we’re thinking about doing a trip with this year, what are some things that you kind of are important to you guys, whether you’re going, you know, with you and a couple of buddies or you and your wife Janet or whatever, what are some things you look for in some of the questions you ask outfitters?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I think what’s really important when you’re talking to outfitters is figure out the facilities, what those are like, what your expectations are like. You know, everybody has different expectations relating to where they’re staying or what the food is going to be like. And then what’s really important, obviously, with the fishing is what’s the fishing going to be like and is it stuff that you want to do? So you really get a sense of what it is that the people specialize in and what types of fish that they’re fishing for that makes sense for everybody in your group.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, absolutely. You know, and get into accommodations and different things like that. And some of these things may sound like, well, yeah, I’d ask about that. But sometimes you forget with some of these things. But if you need any help and you’re looking for a specific type destination, whether it be hunting, fishing, hey, stop by and see us, booth 428. And we know a lot of folks here, so we can take you over and first introduce you to someone and try to find you the right adventure. And, Kevin, it looks like we’re starting to get some snow here. So hopefully we’re going to get some birds to fly in and get some waterfowl finally going here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. We can get out and maybe shoot some of those birds that we see flying around when we’re driving around to different sponsors.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, exactly. So, once again, we’re at the 2026. International Sportsman’s Expo. As you come in the door, again, Militia Marine, they’re going to be right there at the front. Just come down the center aisle right behind them. Our booth is 428. We’ll be on the right-hand side, Sportsman Colorado. And we would love to meet you, so I hope you can come by and see us. And, again, we want to thank all of our guests today. We’re going to be doing some more interviews here. We’ve already done some today and tomorrow. We’ll be playing in the coming weeks. And all the folks here have – agreed to continue with their show special for us. So even though if you couldn’t make it down here, we’re still going to get you some discounts and some different things like that. So it’ll work out for you, but I hope you’ll come see us. And so once again, we’ll be here till seven tonight, which is Saturday, January 10th, tomorrow, Sunday, we’ll be here from 10 to four. And I hope you’ll come see us in booth for 28. So Kevin, He’s got a bunch of people around him here wanting to know about the show, so you know what we’re going to get out of here for today. And I want to thank you for being with us for Sportsman of Colorado. Well, come on down and see us at the 2026 International Sportsman’s Expo. Hope you have a great rest of your weekend.
SPEAKER 17 :
The views and opinions expressed on KLZ 560 are those of the speaker, commentators, hosts, their guests, and callers. They are not necessarily the views and opinions of Crawford Broadcasting or KLZ management, employees, associates, or advertisers. KLZ 560 is a Crawford Broadcasting God and country station.
