Retired Army chief warrant officer and Spartan Forge founder Bill Thompson is back with Joe Rogan for a long talk about pressure: target panic, reading thermals on elk and whitetail hunts, hallucinating on the Appalachian Trail, Carl Jung and dreams, an addictive personality, a Gaethje bet, old pool hustlers and what AI will do to hunting and work.
Chapters
- 1:00 Cars that engage you: the Cybertruck, Bill’s Model S and stripped-down 1960s Porsches.
- 10:00 Golf, a father-in-law who called him “a large blunt instrument,” and an evasive-driving course.
- 14:00 Target panic in archery and why people who know pressure can perform anywhere.
- 24:00 The tribal wiring behind hunting, and an adrenaline crash after a big kill.
- 36:00 Fasted hunts, then how thermals move scent and why most hunters get them wrong.
- 52:00 Sleep-deprived hallucinations on the Appalachian Trail and whether “entities” are interdimensional.
- 1:02:40 Chaos theory leads Bill to Carl Jung, dreams, Shawshank as a Christ story, and Stephen King writing Cujo.
- 1:26:00 Bill on his addictive personality, and losing his sister Heather to addiction, which shapes his view of safe-supply programs.
- 1:35:40 Golf handicaps and why bow hunting never gets boring.
- 1:50:00 Rickson Gracie, then Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett and the bet Bill placed on the underdog.
- 2:02:00 Three-cushion billiards, a pool hustler called Water Dog, and the old Hard Times pool hall.
- 2:32:00 Bots on social media, what AI will do to work and movies, and Spartan Forge’s new hunting films.
Show more
Want this section to go deeper? Share this page with the creators and have them sign up so we can get permission to dig deeper into this episode.
People
On this episode
Joe Rogan
The Comedian List · Wikipedia · The Celeb List · Best Movies & TV Shows
Host. Trades golf and pool-hall stories, and talks bow hunting with Cam Hanes. 2:04:00
Bill Thompson
Retired U.S. Army chief warrant officer and founder of Spartan Forge, an AI mapping and prediction app for hunters. Plugs the Hunt Plus updates and a veterans film series. 2:44:40
People mentioned
Cam Hanes
The bow hunter whose shot they break down; Bill says hunting with him shows how much he doesn’t know. 20:00
Carl Jung
Discussed for: The Red Book — Amazon
Bill read every Jung book he could find, starting with the collective unconscious. 1:03:20
Stephen King
Discussed for: Cujo — Amazon
Wrote Shawshank’s source story and doesn’t remember writing Cujo. 1:05:40
Rickson Gracie
Became the family champion at 18 against much bigger men. 1:50:00
Justin Gaethje
The underdog Bill and a friend bet on against Paddy Pimblett. 1:53:40
Paddy Pimblett
The betting favorite in that fight. 1:58:20
Ari Shaffir
Named among the people who doubted Gaethje’s chances. 1:56:20
Grant Fuhr
The Oilers goalie who said the puck looked like a beach ball when he was in the zone. 2:08:00
Show more
Want this section to go deeper? Share this page with the creators and have them sign up so we can get permission to dig deeper into this episode.
Products
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) — Bill’s “perfect movie,” which he reads as a retelling of the Christ story. Amazon 1:05:40
Cujo (Stephen King) — “Great book” that King says he doesn’t remember writing. Amazon 1:07:00
Maximum Overdrive (1986) — The Stephen King-directed movie Joe brings up. Amazon 1:07:40
The Red Book (Carl Jung) — One of the Jung books Bill credits for his view of dreams. Amazon 1:12:00
Man and His Symbols (Carl Jung) — The other Jung title he names. Amazon 1:12:00
Spartan Forge — Bill’s hunting app, with new Hunt Plus updates. Official site 2:44:40
Show more
Want this section to go deeper? Share this page with the creators and have them sign up so we can get permission to dig deeper into this episode.
Discussed on the show
Target panic — Why archers and shooters freeze or flinch under pressure. Wikipedia 14:00
Three-cushion billiards — Joe explains the game’s rules. Wikipedia 2:02:00
Show more
Want this section to go deeper? Share this page with the creators and have them sign up so we can get permission to dig deeper into this episode.
Places
Disneyland — The Cars-themed ride Bill’s kids loved. Wikipedia 7:20
Appalachian Trail — Where exhaustion had Bill seeing things in an open-faced shelter. Wikipedia 52:00
Hard Times, Bellflower, California — The legendary pool hall Joe calls the mecca. Wikipedia 2:06:00
Show more
Want this section to go deeper? Share this page with the creators and have them sign up so we can get permission to dig deeper into this episode.
Ads
- Ketone-IQ (57:00) — ketone.com/rogan · 30% off your subscription order; first shot free at CVS and Target.
Show more
Want this section to go deeper? Share this page with the creators and have them sign up so we can get permission to dig deeper into this episode.
Show notes are a summary, not a full transcript. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links on this page may be affiliate links through Amazon and other partner programs we participate in now or in the future. If you buy through those links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.