What happens when a kid from a Minnesota farming community, raised without a hunting tradition, grows up to become one of the recognizable voices in the outdoor world?
In this episode of Kicked Out, host Maddie Richards sits down with Nick Hoffman to explore the unexpected path that took him from playing fiddle as a kid to building careers in country music and outdoor television—and ultimately finding a deep connection to hunting, adventure, and conservation.
Nick grew up in rural Minnesota with the outdoors all around him. His family fished, winters meant ice fishing and snowmobiling, and he had the freedom to explore the country around him. But one thing wasn’t part of the Hoffman family tradition: hunting.
That makes Nick’s eventual introduction to hunting—and the role it would come to play in his life—all the more interesting.
Nick shares how curiosity, opportunity, and a willingness to try something unfamiliar opened the door to hunting. What began as a new outdoor experience grew into a passion and another way to connect with wild places, wildlife, food, people, and the landscapes he had always loved.
Running alongside that journey was another passion that began early: music. Nick picked up the fiddle as a kid and eventually turned that talent into a successful career in country music. His path took him far beyond Minnesota, performing with major artists and experiencing the music industry from the stage. But music and hunting didn’t remain separate chapters of his life. Over time, the two began to intersect through something they both depend on—storytelling.
That connection became especially clear through Nick’s Wild Ride, where Nick has combined hunting, travel, food, culture, adventure, and storytelling. The show gave him a platform not simply to document hunts, but to explore the people and places behind them and share a broader picture of what the outdoor lifestyle means.
Nick and Maddie talk about why those stories matter. Whether a story is told through a song, around a campfire, or from the field, authentic storytelling can help people understand experiences they may never have encountered themselves. For hunting and conservation, that ability to connect with people beyond the traditional hunting community is increasingly important.
The conversation also explores Nick’s commitment to conservation and responsible participation in the outdoors. As someone who found hunting rather than inheriting it as a family tradition, Nick brings a perspective that speaks directly to the importance of welcoming new people, creating opportunities, and helping others understand the relationship between hunters, wildlife, and conservation.
Throughout the episode, you’ll hear about Nick’s rural Minnesota upbringing, his family’s fishing traditions, how he discovered hunting, his progression from young fiddle player to professional musician, the evolution of his outdoor career, and the experiences that brought music, hunting, travel, and conservation together.
Nick’s story demonstrates that there isn’t one prescribed path into hunting. You don’t have to come from generations of hunters to find a meaningful place in the hunting community, and the interests that seem unrelated early in life can eventually become pieces of the same story.
For Nick Hoffman, those pieces are music, hunting, adventure, storytelling, and conservation.
Join Maddie and Nick for a conversation about finding your own way into the outdoors, sharing authentic hunting stories, welcoming new people into the community, and following the passions that can take a life in directions you never expected.
Tags: Kicked Out <1 Club