EP79 Pheasant Hunting Firearms & Gear

Show Notes:

Pheasant hunting takes much less specialized gear than many other types of hunting. On this episode I talk about the basic guns and gear you need to get started hunting pheasants.

Take Aways:

  • The most important thing to keep in mind is staying light on your feet. You will be covering a lot of ground and the more you carry and wear the harder it will be.
  • When it comes to shotguns, the best gun to start with is usually the one you already own.
  • Before you start shelling out cash for guns and gear, get into the woods and get some experience to find out what features you value.
  • Its easy to wrap up deer season and want to overdress for late season pheasant, but because you are moving so much it is very easy to stay warm. Take extra layers you can add if you get cold.
  • Wear orange even if you don’t have to, people are crazy, staying safe is paramount.

EP78 How To Hunt Pheasants | 3 Strategies

Show Notes:

Pheasant hunting is a great active style of hunting, it is unique, fast paced, and high energy. On this episode I talk about three strategies to get you started hunting pheasants.

Take Aways:

  • Hunting with Dogs. This is the easiest and most common way to hunt pheasants. A good bird dog can make all the difference in the world.
  • Hunting as a Team Without Dogs. No dog? No problem. A small group of hunters can do a great job flushing birds.
  • Solo Hunting. Most new hunters are likely to be on their own and this is the more difficult way to hunt, but it can be done and it can be fun. I spend some extra time going into solo hunting techniques on this episode.

 

 

EP77 3 Ways To Hunt Coyotes During Deer Season

There can be excellent opportunities to turn a deer hunt into a coyote hunt if you think outside of the box and take some basic principles into consideration. On this episode I talk about 3 ways to maximize your time and effort in the woods.

If coyotes are in the area or menacing an area you can convert any deer hunt to a coyote hunt. Simple awareness of the situation is all you need to make some small adjustments to your plan. You do not need to bring much extra gear to hunt predators while out deer hunting.

A simple call, be it a hand call, mouth call, or electric call can be all you need to lure a coyote into rifle range, whether you are in a tree or a hunting blind, or just sitting on the ground. You can easily keep one in your pocket for slow days or times where you spot a predator at a distance. 

People often get sidetracked thinking you need a special varmint rifle to hunting predators, and that could not be further from the truth. Any weapon that will take down a deer will also take down a coyote. You may do some damage to the pelt with a big bore rifle, but chances are you are not going to be overly concerned about selling it, else you would more likely be trapping them. 

Be mindful of your hunting plans, converting a deer hunt to a coyote hunt is best done if you do not plan to hunt deer in that area again in the near future.  Shooting a predator or calling too much for one can sour a spot for deer hunting. So if you are nearing the end of a hunt or an area is proving unprofitable, converting to a predator does not have many potential cons. But if it is your best deer spot you may want to hold off or at least wait until a time where you won’t be in the woods for a while afterwards. 

There is one tactic you can use to literally draw in deer and coyotes at the same time, and take whoever shows up first.

Always be mindful of your blaze orange regulations, many places require you to wear orange to hunt coyotes if it is during a particular deer season. Even if wearing orange is not required, it is a very good idea if you are on the ground and it is a firearms season. If you are in a tree the risk is a little lower but always mind your local hunting laws for you particular hunting jurisdiction. 

Listen to the whole podcast episode to hear it all. 

EP76 Why People Don’t Like The Taste Of Venison & Other Game

If you hunt long enough you will find or may be a person who does not like the taste of some or all game. On this episode I talk about the top four reasons people do not like the taste of game and what you can do to change that.

Venison may be the most common game meat available so more people will have tried it and formed an opinion, but these principles apply to all types of game.  Keep in mind nothing says people need to like game, but I’ve found it can be something that enriches the lives of those who appreciate it.  Enjoying game is also not necessarily something that just happens, you have to develop your pallet, explore different flavor profiles, cooking methods, spices, etc. to learn how to get the most and the best from this new cuisine. 

  • There are good reasons why someone may not like the taste of game, some are very valid, and all but one can be changed.
  • Many people had a bad first impression and have never had a second impression. Or they have formed an opinion with no experience. In both cases there is hope.
  • Most of the time people’s opinion is based on poor quality meat or poor cooking. The big issue here is that people try to cook game like store bought meat and it is not the same thing. Venison is not beef, it does not taste like beef, it does not cook like beef. It is unique and distinct and requires different cooking strategies. Here are two previous episodes that can make all the difference in these departments.
  • You must remember that most children left to themselves will grow up unwilling to eat anything other than pizza, chicken nuggets, and mac & cheese. So it shouldn’t be surprising when adults become so used to a small rotation of food options that they find something different undesirable. But even that does not mean they actually do not like game. They may just have some growing to do before they can appreciate it.

Eating game for the first time, even if prepared well can be a little bit like having eaten chicken regularly and then having beef for the first time. It is very different and if you are expecting it to be the same, you will be disappointed. But in time, many people would come to appreciate beef. The same process and principle are true for deer meat, turkey, duck, goose, pheasant, etc. Many hunters end up preferring venison to beef in time. This is because they have developed a taste for it, have learned how to cook it, and know what to do with the meat throughout processing to assure the highest quality and flavor.

Here is a video I did on 10 reasons why your deer meat tastes bad and how you can improve it. These are principles that can both help you understand why you may have had a bad experience with game, and that can help you have better ones in the future. 

Subscribe Today!