#46: Ron Schara: The Man Behind Minnesota Bound

Ron Schara is an outdoor writer, television producer, and the creator of Minnesota Bound. A former Minneapolis Tribune and Star Tribune outdoors columnist, he launched the show in 1995 with his black Lab, Raven, and later hosted ESPN’s Backroads with Ron and Raven. Before any of that, he was a music student who wanted to be the next Andy Williams.In this conversation, Ron shares how a writing professor changed his direction, why he left a newspaper career for television, and how a red bandana helped turn Raven into the star.Subscribe to Longfire for more stories worth gathering around.Chapters:00:00 Minnesota Favorites and Rapid Fire02:55 Duck Hunting with Bud Grant07:26 Growing Up Outdoors in Iowa09:31 Music School, Journalism, and Andy Williams15:47 Why Minnesota Bound Started With People20:40 Raven’s Red Bandana and the Leap to Television26:08 Leaving the Newspaper and Reaching ESPN29:09 Peacock Bass, Tarpon, and Piranhas34:01 Africa, Hunting, and Habitat36:44 Monarchs and Purple Martins40:47 Finding the Next Story42:54 The Fishing Story He Never ForgotShow linksWatch Longfire on YouTubeListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyFollow Longfire on InstagramGuest linksMinnesota BoundRon Schara ProductionsRon’s BooksMinnesota Bound on InstagramMinnesota Bound on YouTube