Bill McConnell Dual Survival
Bill McConnell, pictured in his cast photo for "Dual Survival," has taught primitive wilderness skills for more than 20 years. Discovery Channel

A new season of “Dual Survival” means new co-hosts. The Discovery Channel likes to juxtapose survivalists with different approaches on the show, and Bill McConnell was chosen in place of Matt Graham, a longbow hunter and a world-class spear thrower.

Like Graham, McConnell is what's called a primitive survivalist, according to his bio on the "Dual Survival" website. He started wilderness training when he was 4 years old under the supervision of his grandfather. He grew up near Clevelandand regularly visited mountains in western Pennsylvania.

As an adult, McConnell studied with Tom Brown Jr., survivalist and author, for nearly 10 years. He learned hunting techniques used by ancient and indigenous societies and how to create tools and weapons. His skills will be important for the team since he is efficient at fire-making and hunting, which were the tasks Graham was normally responsible for.

What makes McConnell, 40, different from any other host who has been featured on “Dual Survival” is that he likes to “talk” to animals and plants in the wild, Discovery.com wrote in a press release Dec. 10.

Overall, McConnell has a quite different approach from Grady Powell, a former U.S. Army Green Beret. But the point of the show is that together they will be able to overcome almost any situation. They have 72 hours to do so, since the first three days are the most important.

“These experts exhibit how the right skills, knowledge and mental attitude can keep people alive under even the most extreme circumstances,” Discovery.com wrote about the Season 7 pair. “Each episode takes place in a different remote wilderness location, where Grady and Bill must put aside their philosophical differences and work together to secure the four key elements of wilderness survival: water, food, fire and shelter.”

Primitive survival, nature awareness and tracking are the three skills will keep a person alive “if your backpack blows off the edge,” McConnell said in the Season 7 trailer. He has taught those skills to his students for more than 20 years. McConnell thinks people are "getting dumber by the day" and should return to primitive skills.

Don’t miss “Dual Survival” when it returns on the Discovery Channel Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST.

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