Sam Soholt’s Public Land Bus Tour

Follow Sam Soholt as he traverses the West in the Public Land Bus.

Over the past few years, Sam Soholt’s Public Land Bus has become immediately recognizable as a symbol of the movement to protect and conserve our public lands. Along with the work done by many other groups, these efforts have sparked a renewed energy and interest in ensuring the immense progress that has been made over the last century is not lost in pursuit of short-term gain.

In support of these efforts, we partnered with Sam to produce a series of videos that tell this story—that our public lands matter and are worth protecting. Follow Sam as he puts some miles on the Public Land Bus during five antelope, elk and deer hunts across the West, sharing experiences with friends and spreading the message. We hope you enjoy these videos, and we hope they inspire you to work in support of public land in your area.

Montana Antelope

“Antelope have become kind of my unicorn. I’ve been chasing them for three years and never had a successful hunt. We’re pretty much going to be running around spot and stalk hunting—not always the most successful way, but we’re gonna try the fun way the next few days.”

In the first episode, Sam pursues Montana antelope with a bow—can he get it done?

Montana Elk

“Going in to elk season this year knowing full well that I had not shot an elk since 2014, so I gave myself ten days to try to get it done this year. Any legal bull was going in my truck.”

Sam almost passes on the opportunity to chase elk in the timber with his buddies and a bow. In the end, though, how much does the harvest matter in comparison to the experience itself?

Montana Mule Deer

“What holds just a lot of mystique with mule deer in my mind is the fact that they just can’t be grown. Their biology and bacteria in their guts is so specific to the area they live in, you can’t put up a bunch of high fence somewhere in Nebraska and grow giant mule deer—it doesn’t work. They just suffer and dwindle and just really do not grow to their full potential in captivity. They’re just kind of the West’s true wild animal.”

Sam stalks open country Montana mule deer and reinforces one of Teddy Roosevelt’s most valuable lessons.

Explore Your Public Lands
There are 985 million acres of public land in the United States—get out there with onX Hunt.

North Dakota Mule Deer

“I did the whole bus build in the summer of 2017. Nolan had free weekends and was able to come down and help me build it. It was over a year from the time when he last put hands on it to when he actually got to spend a night in it. Going into this hunt it was more about just getting Nolan out on the bus and going after a deer for him.”

Sam reconnects with a friend who helped make the Public Land Bus a reality to chase mule deer in western North Dakota.

South Dakota Whitetail

“This hunt is special to me because it’s like playing a home game. Being able to be that close to my dad and have him be able to get out here and spend time together, it’s a special hunt.”

In the concluding episode of Sam Soholt’s Public Land Bus Tour, Sam goes home to catch up with his father, hunt South Dakota whitetails, and explore the meaning and impact of America’s public lands.

About Sam

Sam Soholt with an archery deer harvested in the snow.

Sam Soholt grew up in Sioux Falls, SD, but now calls Montana home—when he’s home, that is. As a photographer and videographer in the outdoor industry, he spends the majority of his year on the road. His work has taken him as far afield as New Zealand, Patagonia and British Columbia, but his passion lies with advocating on behalf of America’s public lands.

You can follow Sam’s journey on Instagram (@samsoholt) and support his efforts with the purchase of Public Land Tees. $5 from each sale goes directly to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and their fight to support public land.

Christian Fichtel

Raised in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, Christian Fichtel now resides in rural Montana. He is a father, writer, hunter, and fly fisherman.