Superman’s Desert Eagle & Epic Florida Fishing Await You! 🔫

Dinner with the Cain Family: Last month, I headed out to Las Vegas to shoot guns in the desert with Dean Cain. After our cover shoot, Dean invited me and photographer Cody Boor to have dinner with his family at their favorite Italian restaurant in Henderson. It could have been a story in and of itself. Dean’s mom, who he describes as a “force of nature,” is on a first name basis with the staff, and between telling embarrassing stories about her son—and trying to hook me up with some of her friends—told stories of partying with Hunter S. Thompson, posing for Playboy, and Don Johnson’s legendary Fourth of July parties. Dean’s uncle also casually told us about the year Dean brought Pam Anderson to Thanksgiving—no big deal.

Dinner didn’t make it into the final version of my story, but if you want to see what he’s been up to since his days as Superman, it’s all in our May-June issue. ~Matt Meltzer

In today’s edition:

• From the Issue

• From the Wild 

• Zooming In

• Warrior Mindset

• NEW ISSUE

DID YOU KNOW? 💡

African buffaloes vote! When a herd of African buffaloes is figuring out which direction to go, the females will stand up and point in the direction they feel the herd should head. The direction with the most votes wins. No word on when male African buffaloes will get the right to vote.

FROM THE ISSUE 📖

An Exclusive Interview with Superman Dean Cain
9-min read
Maybe you remember Dean Cain as your first TV Superman, but did you know he’s also a board member of the NRA? That’s one of many fun facts we learned as we spent the day in the desert with Dean, shooting his custom Desert Eagle, among other fun toys. He’s still making movies, too, currently working on what he calls “The Mighty Ducks of girls’ soccer.” Oh yeah, he’s also a cop in Idaho. MORE HERE.

Bucket List Saltwater Fishing In Florida
12-min read
Perhaps you, like outdoor writer Frank Melloni, have spent your life fishing the lakes and bays up north, often wondering what real Florida saltwater fishing was like. With the help of a high-tech trolling motor from Minn Kota, he made his way around the Treasure Coast, catching jack crevalle, barracuda, and even some tarpon. Turns out, Florida isn’t just crazy headlines. MORE HERE.

Safari Sundowner Cocktails
7-min read
The Sundowner cocktail is an African after-work tradition, once used to stave off malaria during colonial times. The flavor has improved a little since then, and now the Sundowner marks the end of every day on safari, often with popup bars set up in the middle of the savanna. Of course, you don’t need to be tracking elephants and hippos to enjoy one; just follow one of these recipes. MORE HERE.

Bahamian Grouper: The Ultimate Fish Boil Hangover Cure 
9-min read
Let’s say you wake up in Freeport after a particularly rough night, and there’s nary a Waffle House around to help your hangover. If you’ve got some grouper laying around, try cooking up a pot of The Bahamas’ official hangover cure, Bahamian Grouper Boil. Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to make this spicy, salty stew. Plus, some history behind everything in it. MORE HERE.

FROM THE WILD 🏕️

ZOOMING IN 🔎

ROOSEVELT’S TEDDY BEAR

What teddy-toting children may not realize is that their beloved, drool and yogurt-covered furry friends owe their conception and existence to Teddy Roosevelt's 1902 Mississippi black bear hunt. The President was in Mississippi to mediate a boundary dispute, and while visiting the state, he had been invited by Governor Andrew Longino to hunt black bears.

On day three of the hunt, his guide and hunting dogs had cornered a large black bear at a watering hole. While surrounded by the baying hounds, the bear had crushed one of the dogs with its jaws, forcing his guide to club the bear with his rifle, both in an attempt to save his dogs and preserve the kill for Roosevelt. He then tied the discombobulated bear to a tree and waited for the president's arrival to finish the task.

Despite the mounting pressure to live up to his reputation as an outdoorsman, President Roosevelt protested the tactic, saying, "I've hunted game all over America, and I'm proud to be a hunter. But I couldn't be proud of myself if I shot an old, tired, worn-out bear that was tied to a tree." So how’d this hunt turn into a toy? It started with a comic…

WARRIOR MINDSET 🏋️

While we’re all on different journeys, we share a common goal—to better ourselves, maintain our health, and stay functional throughout our lives. Life is full of highs and lows, but one constant we should always hold onto is who we are and where we came from. Our upbringings, life experiences, and current phases may differ, but they’ve shaped us into strong, resilient, disciplined, and kind individuals. Every challenge we’ve faced—good and bad—has built the character we carry today.

In a world that often measures success by material things, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters: your journey and character. I’ve struggled with that in the past, but I’ve learned to remind myself of how far I’ve come and the value I bring. When life feels overwhelming, take a moment to reflect on your path and all you’ve overcome. You’ll find strength in that. ~Talon Smith, Chief Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman, Owner L3 HYROX. MORE HERE.

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