PODCAST · fiction
Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales
by Will Dawson
Dawson’s Den is a frontier‑flavored radio theater full of Western swing, tall tales, and the kind of wild commercials you won’t hear anywhere else. One moment you’re riding along with Colt Curd, Dairy Detective; the next, you’re swept into campfire stories, prairie‑dog newsflashes, and jingles that stick to your boots. It’s mythic Americana served warm, weird, and full of heart — an old‑time radio revival from the wide‑open West.
Episodes
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Someday | Beyond the Den
Before the funeral begins, Will waits in a small room in the church, tryin’ to hold himself steady. Aunt Ardeth steps in, tiein’ his necktie the way she used to when he was young. She talks to him plain and firm, remindin’ him of the day he got throwed from a horse and how his dad told him to get...
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Apples ’Neath the Autumn Moon | S 6 E 3
Fall settles over the ranch, and Will opens the Den with a warm October greeting — rememberin’ apples, frost, and the quiet promises old‑timers planted in the dirt. Mischief rolls in with the Appleacity Polka, Jake and Chance get to jawin’ about what the word means, and Broadus finds itself…
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Breath of Autumn | S 6 E 2
Wll brings the Den into the first day of Autumn — that hinge‑moment when the air cools just enough to make a man stop mid‑chore. Out at the Snowball, fence lines need walkin’, staples need tappin’, and Will rolls straight into a friendly barbershop tune, Fixin’ Fence on the Snowball, sung like…
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The Bell Rings Soft | Beyond the Den
The schoolhouse day settles into its last breath — chalk dust hangin’ in the air, chairs scrapin’, kids gigglin’ when young Will Dawson says somethin’ sideways, and Mrs. Quiggly callin’ “William R. Dawson” with that dry, unimpressed tone that shapes a boy more than she knows. The bell rings soft,...
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Easy Does it, Buckaroo | S 6 E1
Season Six opens with a Visit that wanders in gentle and sideways. Colt Curd stops by with one of his dairy‑detective moments, Will shares a bit of frontier bear lore, and a sponsor offers strong opinions about stayin’ calm. A phone call drifts off course, the Buckaroos sing a waltz to settle...
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Wish I Were a Cowboy| Beyond the Den
Will and Jake spend Labor Day the cowboy way — checkin’ allotments, lookin’ over cows, and takin’ a short break to fish Coney Lake. On the ride back down to the trailhead, they cross paths with a wealthy couple from the city. The wife talks of boutiques and country clubs, but her husband can’t…
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Prairie Dog Air and the Stew of Destiny | S 5 E 18
This week’s Visit to Dawson’s Den wanders straight into prairie chaos. Will starts off with a tale about two well‑meaning missionaries roamin’ the high country in search of the Supreme Prairie Dog. Their quest goes crooked when they stop at Mrs. Biddle’s house and get served her notorious Prairie...
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Kazoos & Colors | Beyond The Den
Will hears a whisper about a small parade the kids are plannin’ out at Snowball Ranch — just a pony, a box float, and a brave little kazoo band. But once word starts travelin’, things don’t stay small for long. Folks show up who weren’t invited, floats appear nobody remembers buildin’, and...
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Wrong Word Rodeo | S 5 E 17
Will kicks off this August Visit with some good‑natured word wranglin’, tryin’ to keep his cowboy dialect from buckin’ off the rails. A quick commercial from Adam’s Apple Alliteration Academy trots through before Nigel bursts in and the boys tumble into a full‑tilt melodrama featuring one very...
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La Dolce Vita | S 5 E 16
This week’s Visit opens with a grin and a shuffle as STS barges in with a commercial only they could dream up. From there, Will eases us into Critter Corner, talkin’ about the way animals play when no one’s lookin’—the kind of small truths that make a person feel less alone in the world. The...
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Cookies and Colt | Beyond the Den
A quiet summer afternoon turns sideways when Colt Curd answers a knock at his door and finds a mother and daughter sellin’ cookies. What starts as a simple doorstep moment drifts into one of those small, honest encounters that shows a man more about himself than he expected. The girl’s blunt…
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The Breath Beneath the Work | S5 E 15
This Visit moseys in gentle, startin’ with Will takin’ a sponsor nod from Prairie Soft Toilet Tissue — the kind that never lets a cowboy down. Before he can settle back in, the phone rings with a feller wantin’ to know how a safety pin works, and Will does his level best to explain a simple thing...
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The Long Ride Home | Beyond The Den
Sometimes freedom looks like a man ridin’ toward the place that raised him — dust, fences, and all. The Fourth of July finds Will Dawson ridin’ west toward the home place — a long trail under a sky that still remembers the promise of rain. Back at the Snowball Ranch, fences wait, coffee cools…
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Dreams, Submarines, and Backdrop Scenes | S 5 E 14
This week’s Visit drifts in on a strange little dream that leaves Will standin’ someplace he can’t rightly explain. Aunt Ardeth shows up with her usual mix of starch and mercy, Colt Curd wanders through with a tale only Colt could bring home, and Will crosses paths with a feller in a spot no man...
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The Night the Den Held Its Breath. |S 5 E 13
Something’s off at the Snowball Ranch. The Buckaroos are arguin', the music’s crooked, and the Den sounds like it’s been left in the hands of folks who mean well… but maybe shouldn’t be in charge of anything with buttons. Will’s late gettin’ home — nobody’s sayin’ why — and the boys are doin’…
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Sweetcorn Shakes & Rainmaker Mistakes | S5 E 12
June’s been flirtin’ with rain, and we’ve been tryin’ right along with her. In this Visit, we cool off with a Sweetcorn Milkshake, read a letter from Lance that carries more weight than the envelope suggests, check in on a badger who refuses to quit, and watch Buck Rawlins test out a homemade...
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Carry the Light | Beyond The Den
A quiet Memorial Day moment from the Snowball Ranch. Wind in the grass, a flag on the hill, and a few plainspoken words offered among the stones. A Western Swing waltz rises gentle as hope, then fades as horse and rider turn for home. Memorial Day, cowboy storytelling, Western Swing waltz, ranch...
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Talkin’ Without Talkin’ (The Sideways Way) | S 5 E 11
This week on the Den, we take a good hard look at all the folks who’ve decided talkin’ is optional. Colt Curd brings in a feller who refuses to use his mouth for anything but breathin’, tappin’ out his alibis like he’s billin’ by the emoji. Will tackles a handful of modern terms that sound like...
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Roadtrip Roulette (Bonus Visit)
Summer wandered in early, so we took a little detour. This Bonus Visit brings you a frontier‑musical roadtrip, a goat with opinions, and a federal jingle for places you probably shouldn’t visit. Light, lively, and just a touch sideways — a little May mischief to tide you over till next Tuesday.
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When the Prairie Got to Whisperin' | S 5 E 10
Howdy from Sheridan to our Vietnam neighbors and every friend tuning in from across the prairie… and across the world! This week’s Dawson’s Den is a full‑tilt variety‑show ramble: Aunt Ardeth storms in with her usual frontier flair, the game warden shares a true‑to‑life tale about bears behaving...
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Misperceptions, Buckaroo Teasing, and a Warden’s Tale |S 5 E9
Sometimes a simple story goes sideways — especially when you’re an earnest, slightly confused young cowboy just tryin’ to do a radio show. This week in the Den, misperceptions run wild, the Buckaroos get bold, and Will ends up blushin’ brighter than a Montana sunrise. We kick things off with a...
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Colt Curd’s Easter Caper & Buck Rawlins’ Gravy‑Boat Redemption | S 5 E 8
Dawson’s Den returns for a bright Easter Tuesday with a full basket of frontier mischief, warmhearted redemption, and springtime swing. We open with a tongue‑twisting visit to Adam’s Apple Alliteration Academy, where the sponsor copy gets more slippery than a greased goose. Then it’s Part Two of...
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Colt Curd and the Case of the Chocolate Easter Bunny Bandits | S 5 E7
A chocolate heist, a few bent walls, and a Rocky Mountain Swing to close the night… Part I of Colt Curd: Dairy Detective kicks off “The Case of the Chocolate Easter Bunny Bandits.” Cocoa crumbs, hoofprints, and holiday mischief lead our dairy sleuth into a mystery only the West could cook up.…
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Biscotti in a Blizzard: Flint Mallory, Ground Squirrels, and the Snowball Spring Swing | S5 E6|
Step inside the hearth‑warm world of Dawson’s Den, a cozy, frontier‑flavored storytelling podcast blending mythic Americana, old‑time radio charm, and wholesome humor from the heart of Montana. This week’s episode brings together everything listeners love about the Den: quirky sponsor spots,...
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Burro Bonanza! | S5 E5
Proudly sponsored by Kathy’s Burro‑itos — the only burrito bold enough to yodel back. This week’s show kicks up a cloud of desert dust and long‑ear magic as the Bighorn Buckaroos open the gates with a snappy little tune celebrating the humble burro — that sure‑footed, big‑hearted companion of the...
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Presidents, Pluperfects & the Persistence of Jasper McGraw | S5 E4
Dawson’s Den tips its hat to Presidents Day with a full saddlebag of frontier fun, linguistic hijinks, and heartfelt hometown tribute. The Bighorn Buckaroos open the show with an all‑new western‑swing number tailor‑made for the holiday, fiddles shining like fresh‑minted quarters. Then it’s time…
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Speed Dates, Sour Milk, and the Buckaroo Bounce | S5 E3
Saddle up for another delightfully unpredictable ride through the foothills of frontier foolishness as Dawson’s Den rolls into its third episode of Season Five. This week’s shindig is proudly sponsored by Dusty’s Dating Service — the only matchmaking outfit where love comes with a waiver, a…
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Buckaroo Tuesday & the Forty‑Ton Mystery | S5 E2
Sponsored by Yodel O’s — America’s Only Yodeling Cereal This week in the Den, things get quirky even by our standards. We kick off with a fresh installment of Prairie Dog Air, the only airline where turbulence is optional but weirdness is mandatory. Then our roving reporter Dave checks in from…
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Season Five Kickoff: The 12th Night Shenanigans Special | S5 E1
Welcome back to Dawson’s Den, where the coffee’s strong, the tales are taller than a windmill in a chinook, and Season Five kicks off with a holiday hootenanny. This 12th Night episode is proudly sponsored by German for Cowboys, the frontier’s leading provider of accidental bilingualism — helping...
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New Year’s Eve Special: Ringin’, Swingin’, and Prairie‑Chicken Flingin' | S4 E11
This New Year’s Eve, Dawson’s Den throws open the doors for a celebration packed tighter than a Miles City dance hall. Will kicks things off with an original frontier‑folk ballad honoring the Dawson family tradition of ringing his grandfather’s iron bell at midnight—a tune steeped in memory…
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Christmas Showdown in the Saddle | S 4 E 10
Saddle up for a holiday ride like no other! Dawson’s Den jingles all the way into Christmas with a brand-new opening that swings harder than a saloon door in a Wyoming windstorm. Expect the Den’s signature zany commercials—equal parts cowboy grit and frontier wit—plus toe-tapping western jingles...
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Moose Encounters & Eggnog Mysteries | S 4 E 9
Saddle up, partner, because Dawson’s Den is ridin’ into December with a heap of holiday hijinks and critter curiosities. • 🦌 Moose Mayhem: Will and Terry Denton find themselves face-to-face with a colossal moose in a tale taller than a pine tree and twice as wild. • 🐇 Critter Corner: We mosey…
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Midnight Mocha & the Half‑Baked Feast | S4 E8
Saddle up for a holiday special that’s equal parts gravy and grit. This month on Dawson’s Den, we kick things off with a smoky noir commercial for the Will Dairy—where the milk’s cold, the shadows long, and the cows don’t talk about what happened in the barn last Tuesday. Then it’s off to the...
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Spiritual Plumbing & Other Halloween Problems | S 4 E 7
Saddle up for a rootin’-tootin’ ride through the absurd and the aromatic in a Halloween episode of Dawson’s Den, where Western grit meets small-town wit. 🕳️ First up: a tale of holy confusion in Miles City. Let’s just say Sister Mary Clarence wasn’t expecting to be asked about water pressure. 🌾...
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Sprinklers, Sweetbreads & Sock Shenanigans | S4 E6
Saddle up for another rip-roarin’ ride through the wild and whimsical West of words and wonders! This month in the Den: 🌾 “Buck's Bath" When Buck tries to outsmart a ditch, things get wetter than a frog in a thunderstorm. It’s a tale of tangled tails, misplaced pride, and one very confused calf....
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Tractors, Tools & the Things We Carry | S4 E 5
Howdy! Welcome to the Snowball Ranch and Dawson's Den! In this episode, after pushing Dusty's Dating Service, Will talks Tractors, Trucks and Tools. ..sort of. The sentimental cowboy ends the show with a heartwarming story... revealing that an everyday object can hold significance beyond the...
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The Long Hop to Sunrise | S4 E 4
Our shy, quiet cowboy pitches an egg‑cellent new invention before diving into a mailbag full of seasonal mischief, then spins a frontier folktale about the Easter Bunny’s desperate dash across the High Plains — a long, perilous hop toward sunrise with baskets, bad luck, and a ticking clock…
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The Long Thaw & the Egg‑cellent Crime | S 4 E 3
As the long winter finally loosens its grip, our sharp‑eyed storyteller who still gets tangled in the easy parts, celebrates the first signs of spring before unraveling the egg‑cellent details of a nefarious seasonal crime — a tale of thawing trails, suspicious shells, and mischief lurking just...
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The High Plains Guide to Presidential Wisdom | S 4 E 2
Always on the lookout for new sponsors, our sharp‑eyed storyteller who can outsmart a coyote but still overcomplicates the simple things, kicks things off with a self‑help outfit before moseying through local doings and finally settling into the matter at hand — sharing a handful of telling…
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Twelfth Night in the Den: Bells, Weather, and Wanderers | S 4 E 1
Will opens the Den with a grin and a brand‑new offering from Bighorn Flouring Mills, giving it the kind of honest cowboy endorsement only he can muster. From there he ambles into the week’s weather and the small doings around the ranch—frozen gates, stubborn calves, and the quiet rhythm of winter...
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A Cowboy Christmas: Truth, Trouble, and a Tale | S 3 E 9
The Den lights up for Christmas with a commercial that might be more plausible than Will wants to admit. Then comes the “Answer is No!” segment, where a certain cowboy must face the music about a product he bragged up a little too boldly. The show rounds the bend with this year’s Christmas story…
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Will Rogers, Will Dawson, One Birthday Between Them| S3 E 8
Celebrate a Den‑style birthday as Will tips his hat to the original Will — Will Rogers, born November 4, 1879 — whose wit still rings true on the High Plains. Expect an unlikely commercial, a little cowboy philosophy, and a fireside conversation about one of America’s great humorists and the long...
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The Ghost Ship on the Platte | S 3 E 7
Will dims the lamps in the Den and settles in for one of Wyoming’s oldest, coldest legends — the phantom ship said to drift along the Platte River when the fog hangs low and the world goes quiet. Some swear they’ve seen it: a deck rimmed in frost, a crew made of shadows, a lantern glow that…
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The Snowball Misadventures | S 3 E 6
Will ambles into the Den with a simple question about Montana license plates — and somehow manages to turn it into a full‑blown trail‑ride tangle. Terry gets himself good and confused on the way to the Snowball, Will tries to set him straight without losing his own footing, and the whole thing...
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Thinking Room in the Saddle | S 4 E 5
Will does his best thinking when there’s leather under him and a horse moving steady beneath. A chance ride out to the Canyon Creek Pasture gives the cowboy something worth chewing on — the kind of slow‑burn pondering that only shows up when the wind’s right and the world’s quiet. Back in the…
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When Knuckles Rode In | S 3 E 4
A stranger rides into the ranch with a guitar on his back and a grin that says he’s got stories he ain’t told yet. His name’s Knuckles, and before long he’s singin’ one of his dandy, original tunes right there in the Den — the kind of song that makes a cowboy wish he’d taken up the guitar a…
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The Things We Should’ve Seen Coming | S 3 E 3
In this chapter of the Den’s library, Will — master of the obvious and proud of it — rolled out a brand‑new segment called “That’s Obvious.” Turns out it was funnier than he remembered. These were stories where the ending was plain as a boot print in fresh snow… yet somehow folks still managed to...
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Hats, Presidents, and Other Troubles | S 3 E 2
In this visit to the Den, Will digs into the “Answer is No!” mailbag and finds himself fielding a batch of questions about hats — Easter hats, cowboy hats, church hats, and the eternal question of whether a man can wear one indoors without gettin’ sideways looks. Will answers each with his usual...
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Cold Questions and Warm Coffee | S 3 E 1
Season 3 opened with a blast of Wyoming cold — the kind that makes a man think strange thoughts and ask stranger questions. Roving Reporter Dave posed a frigid physics puzzle: at thirty‑five below zero, does a feller’s truck‑watering freeze before it hits the ground? Will, drawing on his…
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The Perfect Gift
In the lone Dawson’s Den episode of 2023, Will stepped into the role of storyteller with a quiet gravity that only shows up when a tale has been carried a long way. He told, in third person, of a dream that arrived after Thanksgiving — a dream where a man’s late wife returned, dressed in her...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Dawson’s Den is a frontier‑flavored radio theater full of Western swing, tall tales, and the kind of wild commercials you won’t hear anywhere else. One moment you’re riding along with Colt Curd, Dairy Detective; the next, you’re swept into campfire stories, prairie‑dog newsflashes, and jingles that stick to your boots. It’s mythic Americana served warm, weird, and full of heart — an old‑time radio revival from the wide‑open West.
HOSTED BY
Will Dawson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales have?
Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales currently has 62 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales about?
Dawson’s Den is a frontier‑flavored radio theater full of Western swing, tall tales, and the kind of wild commercials you won’t hear anywhere else. One moment you’re riding along with Colt Curd, Dairy Detective; the next, you’re swept into campfire stories, prairie‑dog newsflashes, and jingles that...
How often does Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales release new episodes?
Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales has 62 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales?
You can listen to Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales?
Dawson's Den | Radio Theater, Western Swing & Tall Tales is created and hosted by Will Dawson.
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