Discover the U.P. Podcast

Outdoors stories from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From the fishing boats of the Great Lakes to the hunting camps deep in the woods, host Kristin Ojaniemi brings you interviews and stories from the people she meets while filming the U.P. outdoors television program "Discovering". A behind the scenes look at the adventures of creating this iconic show and in-depth interviews about a wide range of outdoor topics related to the woods and waters of this wild region.

16 Playlist Videos


53:37

PODCAST - Belgiumtown Big Buck Night Preview

Podcast Episode 22 - I chat with Dan and Lindsay, organizers of Belgiumtown Big Buck Night, about how the event has grown in the last 8 years from ...

October 29, 2024


49:29

PODCAST - Joseph Heywood Full Interview

Podcast Episode 21 - I sat down with Joseph Heywood, author of the Woods Cop mystery novels to talk about the series and the latest book released l...

October 14, 2024


01:12:46

PODCAST - U.P. Deer Biology & Management - Full Interview with Jim Hammill

Podcast Episode 20 - FULL INTERVIEW with retired DNR Wildlife Biologist Jim Hammill to talk about whitetail deer management and biology here in the...

September 17, 2024


45:32

PODCAST - Rejected Deer Regulations - Jordan Hoover Full Interview

Episode 19 - On "Discovering" episode 94 I interviewed Jordan Hoover about the Deer Management Initiative and the new deer hunting regulations the ...

July 31, 2024


51:21

PODCAST - Chad Stewart Full Interview about New Deer Hunting Changes and Deer Management Initiative

Episode 18 - The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) recently voted on recommended changes for the upcoming 2024 Michigan Deer Season. The NRC rejec...

July 23, 2024


01:06:33

Podcast - U.P. Deer Management Initiative

Podcast Episode 16 - FULL INTERVIEW with Jordan Hoover of the U.P. Deer Management Initiative (DMI) team to hear about his experience, the process ...

June 10, 2024


01:18:17

PODCAST - Liquid Freedom

Podcast Episode 13 - My full interview with Dean Juntunen, who completed his lifetime goal of kayaking the entire Lake Superior Shoreline, and he i...

May 7, 2024


21:04

PODCAST - 2023 Deer Harvest with Richard P. Smith

Podcast Episode 11 - One more podcast this winter about whitetail deer and deer hunting. When I did the Discovering episode about the 2023 Deer Har...

March 19, 2024


35:50

PODCAST - Take a Hike & Volunteer Too

Episode 10 - Take a Hike and Volunteer While You're At It I took advantage of the beautiful weather last weekend and went for a hike on a portion o...

March 12, 2024


28:59

PODCAST - Endangered Species in the Upper Peninsula

Podcast Episode 9 - December 2023 was the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. The U.P. is an important place for the conservation of sp...

March 5, 2024


42:37

PODCAST - Cooking Wild with 906 Outdoors

I catch up with Brian Whitens of 906 Outdoors and Cooking Wild Seasonings. I started working with Brian back in 2019 when he was the producer/host ...

February 28, 2024


41:38

Declining Deer Herd Part 2: Deer vs. Wolves with Gary Gorniak

I talk to Gary Gorniak, president of the Straits Area Sportsmen's Club, about the 2023 deer harvest, our low deer population, wildlife habitat, and...

February 20, 2024


47:57

2023 Deer Harvest: Full Interview with Chad Stewart of the MI-DNR

For my latest episode of "Discovering" I sat down with Chad Stewart of the Michigan DNR Wildlife Division (via zoom) to talk about the 2023 Deer Ha...

February 12, 2024


59:38

Declining Deer Herd Part 1: Full Interview with George Lindquist

I talk to George Lindquist of U.P. Whitetails of Marquette County about our declining deer herd in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The 2023 deer harves...

February 10, 2024


29:58

Michigan Native Grain: Manoomin - FULL INTERVIEW

The state of Michigan now has an official State Native Grain, one of cultural importance to indigenous people. Manoomin, the Anishnaabe word for Wi...

January 15, 2024


46:05

Pure Michigan Hunt Winner - FULL INTERVIEW

Discover the U.P. Podcast | Episode 1 Bob Beaudry, one of three Pure Michigan Hunt winners for 2023, was the first Yooper ever drawn for the PMH i...

January 8, 2024