Aaron Knowles – Bullet Points Podcast EP17

In this episode, we sit down with Aaron, a seasoned hunter originally from New Zealand, who takes us on a journey from helicopter deer recovery in the 70s and 80s to the cutting edge of thermal optics today. He shares what it was like growing up on a deer farm surrounded by helicopters, the cultural differences between New Zealand’s hunting traditions and Australia’s shooting mentality, and how those experiences shaped his lifelong passion for the outdoors.We dive into his pursuit of tahr in the Southern Alps, unique hunting rituals in Austria, and even the changing landscape of feral deer across Queensland. Aaron also talks about the industry shift from early thermal scopes to the sophisticated software-driven optics hunters rely on today.Packed with personal stories, industry insights, and plenty of laughs. From sausage making and “organic beef” pranks to sharing a good rum after a hun, this episode blends history, technology, and culture into a wide-ranging conversation about what hunting really means.