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Alan Probst has been an outdoors media personality for the better part of 15 years now, so longtime fans might be excited to learn he’ll be launching a new version of his show this weekend.
Formerly known as “Wild Pennsylvania,” the show will now be known as “Wild Sportsman,” and the first episode premiers on Fox 56 at 10 a.m. this Sunday.
“The first show, that runs on Sunday, will be Pennsylvania predator trapping,” Probst said.
What’s more, the show can be viewed on channels around the nation — approximately 20 million homes nationwide will be able to view “Wild Sportsman.”
According to Probst, it’s important that shows like his are available, to teach the populace about outdoors life.
“We’re trying to educate about the viability of the outdoor sports,” he said. “The world is ever-changing, and hunting and fishing and trapping is not what it was in the 70s and the 80s, when I was growing up.”
Probst, 49, got his start in the outdoors media business back in 2003, when he began making educational outdoors videos that eventually went on to be sold in national outdoors stores.
Probst says he has about 40 DVDs available for sale, which eventually transitioned into “Wild Pennsylvania.” The show started on Fox 56, before getting syndicated in Pittsburgh and then around the country.
And while that show certainly had its fans, Probst said “Wild Sportsman” is an even better product.
“The show that we’re putting out now is much more professional, high-end,” he said. “I really like the format we’re doing now.”
As the season goes on, viewers will be transported around the nation, seeing Probst fish for trout here in Pennsylvania and track animals in South Dakota.
It’s all part of Probst’s mission to expose more people to nature.
“There are still things that can be learned from nature,” he said. “I think kids need to be brought into it.”
The show’s motto is “Go Outside and Get More,” which is how every show is ended. Probt says that’s the show’s whole focus.
“I learned more in the outdoors in the time spent that just can’t be taught in a classroom or on a DVD,” he said.