— With the weather in the triple digits this week and no end in sight, there is a new option for Oklahomans to get fired up in their living rooms about the outdoors.

Six OKC area firefighters and one Oklahoma highway patrolman, ranging in age from 26-38, have turned a passion into a part-time profession.

They have created an outdoor television show, Fired Up Outdoors, that airs on the internet as well as on some television stations.

The owners are Brian Magee, an OKC firefighter, and Chris Walls, who serves in the Yukon Fire Department. Other firefighters involved are Trent Wood, Justin Howard and Bo Cocannouer. Caleb Swickey, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, is located in the Enid area.  

The team also includes Daniel Peak and Nate Cina, two Wyoming men who reside in the town of Gillette and are the pro staffers.

It started out with the fellows filming each other’s hunting and fishing adventures. They put them on YouTube and later on an internet television show. It’s a tough market. Television stations are reluctant and, for the most part, not willing to take a chance.

Now, they’ve been picked up by some stations and this Saturday and Sunday will be available on KSBI-52, Cox channel 7, Suddenlink channel 3, 3HD 707, Dish 52 and DirecTV 52, and AT&T U-verse Channel 52, just to name a few. You can also view them on tufftv.com and fired-upoutdoors.com.

None of these sportsmen have quit their day jobs. Currently, they have a couple of sponsors but it’s still a bare-bones operation. They hunt public land or private property having knocked on doors to gain permission and, in some cases, pay an access fee.

While picking Magee’s brain, I couldn’t help but share in his enthusiasm. As a matter of fact, it got me fired up as well.

“While hanging out at the fire station a few of the guys were always saying ‘I’m fired up and can’t wait – it’s almost deer season or turkey season,’” Magee said when asked how the name of the show originated. “And so the name just stuck.”

My hat’s off to this law enforcement member and firefighters who put their lives on the line daily for the public. I admire their entrepreneurial spirit and resolve to share their outdoor adventures with all of us.

John Kilgore’s outdoor column runs Fridays in the Phoenix. To reach him with news or comments, call (918) 348-9431 or email him at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com.