HAHIRA —
The outdoors was where Michael Lee grew up.
Spending nearly all of his free time outside, Lee found a passion in outdoor sports, like hunting and fishing. He caught his first bass when he was just two years old.
Now Lee is living a dream, as he serves as the host of “Backwoods Life,” a weekly, nationally-aired, outdoors hunting show based near Valdosta.
Lee serves as a host alongside Kevin Knighton and Woody Sullivan. The show’s eighth season debuts tonight at 6 p.m. on the Sportsman Channel, and for the first time, the show will reach an international audience.
“This has been a very, very good ride for us over the last years,” Lee said. “Something I really want to get across to our viewers is that hopefully they can relate to what we do. For 30 minutes each episode, they can escape whatever is going on in their lives and relate to what we are doing on the show.”
Prior to the start of the show, Knighton had been involved with other video projects that turned out unsuccessful. But after Knighton and Lee met while shopping at a popular sporting goods store in Florida in 2003, the duo’s relationship took off and they started producing a hunting show, which turned into today’s version of “Backwoods Life.”
“(Kevin) and I just crossed paths on faith,” Lee recalled. “He was there to meet with another guy, and I guess they didn’t hit it off as well, and I saw some samples that Kevin brought that day. So we took that whole aspect of what we brought to the table, love for the outdoors and his video, and made a show.”
Today, “Backwoods Life” airs to an estimated 31 million households, as the Sportsman Channel airs on DIRECTV, Dish Network and various cable providers. Locally, the Sportsman Channel airs on Mediacom channel 177.
This season, the show will also be carried in Canada, thanks to a relationship with Wild TV.
“You never knew what it was going to be when we first started. It was a great unknown,” Lee said. “When we first started, we reached a few hundred households, but when you start saying we reach millions of households, it really is humbling.”
This season, “Backwoods Life” will feature 13 episodes. The award-winning show — it was named the 2011 Hunting Channel Online Award winner for Favorite Hunting Show — is described as “three down-to-earth guys in pursuit of large game throughout North America.”
“We try to show the good, bad and ugly, just the reality of what goes right, what goes wrong and what the average person goes through,” Lee said. “It is the reality of being out in the woods. Hopefully people can relate to their personal experiences.”
Lee and his co-hosts hunt various game, including Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, elk, Black Bear, Pronghorn Antelope, Wild Turkeys and even alligator.
A native of Cordele, Lee spent his youth outdoors with his father. But his career didn’t take off until he became connected with Knighton.
Now, Lee says he is truly blessed for how his career has taken off.
“It is one of those things that any time you can make an income off something you love doing, it is a perfect scenario,” Lee said. “It isn’t even really a day’s work. I mean there is work, behind the scenes and stuff, but when you put it all together, it really is cool.”
When Lee is not hunting, he spends the majority of his time on his family farm in Hahira and supporting the Blazers at Valdosta State University.
“I get to go to a lot of cool places,” Lee said. “I have great friends, locally, and we go on trips together. And I did graduate from Valdosta State, so I am a Blazer supporter, but free time is something in the air. Usually when we get some, we already have something else planned.”
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Michael Lee, who lives in Hahira, is the co-host of “Backwoods Life,” a hunting show on the Sportsman Channel. submitted photo
-
Michael Lee poses with one of his kills in this photo. Lee’s television show, “Backwoods Life,” begins its eighth season tonight. The show is on the Sportsman Channel. submitted photo
Discussion
The nation is watching
‘Backwoods Life’ begins its 8th season tonight
- Local Sports
-
-
Sending the Blazers off
The Valdosta State softball team made the long journey to Salem, Va. Tuesday, leaving Valdosta at 10:30 a.m. with devoted fans cheering them out of the parking lot.
-
All-Region teams announced
Lowndes was one win away from a trip to the Class AAAAAA state semifinals, and the success by the Vikings this season showed when the All-Region 1 baseball teams were announced Monday.
-
Lowndes tennis dominates
Lowndes’ tennis team dominated the All-Region 1 teams, with coach Heath Phelps garnering Coach of the Year honors on both the girls’ and boys’ side.
-
Banks Lake Youth Fishing Derby a success
The 13th annual Banks Lake Youth Fishing Derby held May 11 drew 150 children from ages 3 to 15 who competed for trophies while learning how to fish.
-
Valdosta's Alakulppi ties for 2nd at state
Valdosta freshman golfer Luukas Alakulppi fired a 71 to finish in a tie for second at the Class AAAAAAA state golf tournament in Tifton.
-
Brooks County's Parrish in Rivals Top 100
Brooks County rising senior Malkolm Parrish is ranked the 73rd best high school football prospect in the nation, according to the release of the Rivals.com Top 100.
-
Summer camp information
VSU baseball camp coming soon
-
Prince Automotive donates new baseball equipment
Prince Automotive of Valdosta is supporting the Valdosta community through its partnership with the Valdosta/Lowndes County Recreation Department. The dealership has joined forces with the national Chevrolet Youth Baseball program to provide new equipment, instructional clinics, and a monetary donation.
-
Needmore holds final races before big Memorial Day weekend
Saturday night racing at Needmore Speedway saw some new faces in victory lane.
That wasn’t the case in the Late Model division, as Valdosta's Gene Ross drove to victory once again, but not without some close competition from Steven Roberts who came in second.
In the Limited Late Model class, it was another win for Cole Exum, with Gene Maine finishing second in the NAPA Auto Parts special. -
VSU softball wins South Region, headed to nationals
For the third time in four years, and second in a row, Valdosta State’s softball team will play in the national championship tournament.
The Blazers won their third South Region championship Saturday, beating Alabama-Huntsville 8-3 in game three of the best-of-three series at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
