Adam Foss is a world-class hunter who has transformed his passion for wildlife and wild places into a rewarding career in filmmaking and photography. Adam has been obsessed with wilderness adventure for practically his entire life. At age 24, he was the youngest person to take all four species of North American sheep with a bow, an amazing achievement for a hunter of any age. But despite this accomplishment and others, Adam is much more focused on the process of the hunt—spending challenging days in the mountains, forming long-lasting friendships, stewarding public lands, and conserving legendary big game species.
Born in the Canadian Rockies, Adam spent much of his youth bow hunting with his father and older brother. As he grew older, his hunting trips expanded in geography and complexity, and he has now hunted many of the world’s wildest places for some of the most renowned big game. Adam initially considered a career in wildlife biology, but decided to go the creative route instead—he and his wife are now the owners of Foss Media, a company that creates films and photography for some of the most iconic outdoor brands today. As you’ll hear, Adam is passionate about wildlife, storytelling, and conservation, but he is equally humble, grounded, and grateful for being able to do what he loves on a daily basis.
We caught up over Skype, as Adam and his wife are currently traveling around Canada and the American West working on creative projects. We had a fun conversation and managed to cover a lot in just over an hour. We discussed Adam’s childhood in Canada and the lessons he learned from hunting with his father and brother. We chatted about how Adam values the process of hunting over the end goal of taking an animal and our shared theory that hunting taps into something primal in our human DNA. We talked in detail about conservation, specifically the role of public lands in both the United States and Canada. Adam also offered some wise advice to people who want to learn to hunt but may not have a long-standing connection to the sport. And as usual, we discussed Adam’s favorite books, films, and his most powerful outdoor experience.
This was such a fun conversation, and it’s clear that Adam has thought long and hard about these issues. I really enjoyed getting to know Adam, and I think you will too.
Photos courtesy of Adam Foss
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Episode Notes
Topics Discussed:
7:15 – Adam’s upbringing in Canada
8:50 – Hunting with his dad in the mountains
10:45 – University in British Columbia and more far reaching hunts
12:30 – Adam’s early career goals
14:30 – Lessons learned from hunting with his father
17:45 – Breaking down hunts into manageable peices
20:45 – The mental game of hunting
23:00 – Process over goals
25:45 – Adam’s love of adventure and challenges
27:35 – Influences and mentors
33:15 – Adam’s current goals for a hunt
38:00 – South America trip
39:30 – Hunting as a part of human’s DNA
43:15 – Advice to new hunters
48:15 – Importance of public lands
52:15 – Thoughts on wolves and ecological balance
59:30 – Favorite books
1:02:55 – Favorite documentaries
1:05:20 – Most powerful outdoor experience
1:15:00 – Connect with Adam online
- Foss Media
- Adam on Instagram
- Wild Sheep Foundation
- Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance
- Andy Russell
- Life at Full Draw: The Chuck Adams Story by Gregg Gutschow
- Backcountry Bow Hunting by Cam Haynes
- Jack Frost
- Tom Hoffman
- Charles Post podcast
- Tyler Sharp podcast
- Modern Huntsman
- The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
- Horns in the High Country by Andy Russell
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Death in the Long Grass by Peter Capstick
- Death in the Silent Places by Peter Capstick
- Tim Ferriss
- Tim Ferriss Podcast