EP211 The #1 Thing I learned About Duck Hunting Last Season

Learning is the most valuable thing we take away from each hunting season. And learning from someone else’s mistakes can be a great way to keep from making your own. On this episode I talk about the number 1 thing I learned during duck season last year.

Most people want to believe that every shot they take instantly kills the bird they are shooting at. Ammo companies make it their business to get people to believe that. But the truth is that this just does not always happen.

Never assume a bird is dead until you have it in hand and can confirm its condition. Always make it a point to immediately collect birds that you down. Do not wait, do not delay, do not take your eyes off of the bird. Get it and get it now. Make sure it’s dead and not suffering, and make sure the bird is not lost.

Listen to the episode for all the insights, stories, and more.

EP210 Top 10 Deer Hunting Bad Habits

If you want to be a better deer hunter, fixing a few bad habits may be the fastest way to improve your level of success in the woods. On this episode I talk about 10 bad habits deer hunters develop and how to fix them.

Deer hunters, like anyone, can easily fall into a pattern that becomes a rut. If you keep doing the same things and do not get the results you want, there is an obvious issue. But because you only do it a few times a year, there may not be enough awareness or drive to really evaluate things and make a change.

Realizing you have a bad habit is sometimes all you need to do to fix it the next time around. You may become a better hunter just by listening to this episode. You may also learn some things that require proactive effort to put into practice. In either event, you should be equipped to do even better!

Listen to the episode to hear about the 10 bad habits! 

EP209 CHECKLIST To Get Your Spots Ready For Deer Season

Getting your spots ready for the next deer hunting season should be fun and enjoyable instead of rushed and stressful. On this podcast episode I talk about strategies and timing to help you get everything checked off your list and ready for the next deer season.

Whether you hunt public land or private land, there are things you can and should be doing far in advance of the hunting season to give you the highest chances of success. Get your check list ready.

  1. Pick a spot – This is maybe the hardest to do and requires scouting, planning, strategy, factoring in future winds and much more. Listen to previous episodes to learn more.
  2. Food maintenance – Whether you are planting food, maintaining food, or finding food sources, the work needs done months in advance of the hunting season.
  3. Select your tree or spot – Once you have determined the right areas and how deer will relate to food, you need to pick the right tree or blind location that you will hunt from. DO NOT expect to just walk into the woods in the dark and find a good tree.
  4. Setup your stand or blind – Think safety first, second, and third. Use extra rachet straps, double the safety measures, and get it done well in advance.
  5. Mock scrape – Every good hunting spot should be paired with mock scrape to give you the best possible chance at focusing deer movement.
  6. Trail camera – Every stand and mock scrape should have a trail camera if financially feasible. This is how you learn where, when, and how to hunt each spot and if it is a dud without wasting your whole season sitting there.
  7. Removing or relocating debris – Cleaning up your area can be a good idea, but do not just get rid of every downed tree and branch, use them to your advantage!
  8. Creating cover – Deer need cover, and you may want to add some when you are able. Consider all available options such as downing trees to open up canopy, hinge cuts, switch grass, and more.
  9. Trail maintenance for deer – You want to keep certain trails clear to encourage and focus movement. Likewise, you may want to add obstacles in key places to limit movement options in order to try and get them closer or at better angles. 
  10. Access maintenance for people – Getting to your hunting spot quietly and while leaving minimal scent is crucial. Decide long in advance the best way to access your hunting spot and make sure you find or create a clear approach. 

Listen to the episode to for the details! 

EP207 How To Create A Deer Sanctuary On Your Land For Free

If you want to have more deer and more mature bucks on your property, then creating a deer sanctuary is key. And while the sky is the limit on what this can cost, if you understand the principles, you can get much of the benefit for free. On this episode I talk about what a deer sanctuary is and the strategy that goes into developing one.

Take Aways

  • A deer sanctuary is as a much a strategy as it is a physical place. You, the hunter, make an area a sanctuary by virtue of what you do or do not do. Sure, modifying the habitat can help, but it cannot serve as a substitute for how you manage and hunt the land.
  • It is amazing how cheaply you can create a sanctuary when you understand the concept and what makes an area ideal habitat.
  • Remember that mature bucks need to almost be treated like a different animal from does and young bucks. They are much more wary, strategic, and mindful. This is why they are prized to hunt, because they are the hardest member of the heard to take.
  • Even if you spend a fortune on habitat improvements, you undo it all if you are not mindful of your access points, walking areas, and stand locations. Hunting smart will always yield more results than spending money.
  • Listen to the episode to learn about what a deer sanctuary is and how to build one.

EP205 Elk Hunting Guns & Gear

Elk hunting requires a specialized approach, but the guns and gear used are not uncommon. You may need to buy a little gear, but chances are you already own a capable rifle for the job. On this episode I talk about the equipment you need to hunt elk.

Take Aways

  • A magnum rifle is certainly fine for the job, but many hunters shoot worse with a bigger gun.
  • Do not just go out and buy a heavy caliber for elk hunting, you need to train with big calibers for years, mastering how to use them effectively. Else you are better off with less gun.
  • The most common range for taking a shot at an elk for most hunters is 100-200 yards. You should train for that.
  • Practice shooting off hand, after hiking or climbing, and in various positions and circumstances.
  • A 308, 30-06, and 270 are very common calibers that are all ideal choices for elk with the right bullets.
  • Use high quality bullets rated for game of this size, a Nosler Partition is a great place to start.
  • When it comes to gear, boots make all the difference. YOU MUST have good boots, and two pairs of them. You must break the boots in well in advance, hiking miles and tens of miles in them regularly.
  • Base layers are the next very important piece, you need something that doesn’t itch, that will keep you warm when wet, doesn’t stink and wicks moisture and evaporates it quickly. Merino wool is the best option. I recommend the First Lite 150 wick or 250 kiln base layers.
  • Good socks also make a world of difference, again merino wool is the best. I recommend Darn Tough socks because of their lifetime guarantee.
  • You should bring 4 pairs of hunting socks. One to wear into the field, one to change into at mid-day, and two for the next day. So you can rotate and your socks will always have a day to dry, just like your boots.
  • Beyond that, you need some pants, nothing fancy, just something ripstop that can take walking through brush.
  • Coat wise, you will want something windproof, because it will be windy, but it doesn’t have to be too fancy.
  • Then it is just a matter of layers, adding them and taking them off throughout the day. Keep extra room in your pack for when you take layers off.
  • Depending on the weather, a good pair of gators can help keep your feet and pants try and free of debris, snow, and wear.
  • Have multiple hat options so you can adjust over the course of the day. And of course you’ll need some gloves, binoculars, a knife, food, water, etc.
  • The biggest thing you should do is ask your guide, outfitter, or local friends what to expect weather wise and what gear you should bring.
  • Do not go based on the forecast of the closest major city, in the country and at higher elevations, the conditions can be very different.
  • Listen to the episode for more info!

EP204 Three Beginner Elk Hunting Strategies

There are different ways to hunt elk based on the terrain, habitat, and what your opportunities are. In this episode I talk about how to hunt less than ideal areas, unconventional tactics, and the most common way elk are pursued. 

Elk are most often hunted on foot, hiking, covering ground, glassing big areas, and pushing through rough terrain. But that is not the only way to hunt them, it is just usually the best way.

Elk are sometimes ambush hunted. If you have limited property or access points, you can scout for the freshest sign in pinch points, travel corridors or near food, study the wind, and settle in to an ambush point.

Believe it or not, elk are sometimes hunted from fixed position tree stands or hunting blinds. This typically works best in more wooded or rural areas where there is less migration and big heard movement and the elk have become more accustomed to living around people. I would say this is less than 5% of all elk hunts though. In big spaces, this doesn’t work.

There are many more strategies but they are often tailored to your specific area. Search those out, study them, and get ready.

Listen to the episode to learn more.

EP203 Elk Hunting 101 – How To Get Started

Elk hunting is a slippery slope because it can become all-consuming for those who develop a passion for it. On this episode I talk about the basics of elk hunting and how to get started planning and preparing for your first hunt.

Beginners Checklist:

  • Determine where you want to or are able to hunt and what the seasons are in that area.
  • Figure out how much it costs to get a tag to hunt there and if you can readily purchase one or have to enter a drawing.
  • Create a strategy for scouting that area, be it through a guide, preliminary trip, or coming in early for the hunt.
  • Study the tactics that are most effective to hunt in that area, I share some in the episode.
  • Have an exit strategy to get you and the meat out of the woods. Elk are big animals; they can be upwards of 700 pounds.
  • Start a regimented and growing fitness routine to get you ready for the rigors of all day hikes, carrying gear, and hunting in high elevation as needed.
  • Prepare yourself physically, health wise, and mentally for the challenges you may face. I cannot overstate how hard it can be to hunt elk in high elevations no matter how good of shape you think you are in.
  • Decide if you will hunt DIY, with a guide, or using an outfitter. There are benefits to each. But it is very hard to hunt elk in an unfamiliar state without someone who knows the land and the heard.
  • Begin to assemble your gear based on the season you plan to hunt in.
  • Elk are masters of the wind, far beyond whitetail deer. They can smell you a mile away, literally, and disappear before you knew they were there. You must plan for the wind.
  • Do not waste your time, money, or energy on elk calls if you are new to the sport. You will likely cause yourself more problems than anything else. Leave calls to those who are experienced.
  • The average first or second elk hunt is usually planned a year or two in advance. That much time is needed to nail down everything on this list.
  • Do not expect to just show up with a gun and expect to take home a great elk. It doesn’t work like that unless you are hunting a farm.
  • The best guide and outfitter does not do the work for you, they simply make it possible for you to put in the hard work and have a chance at finding an elk.
  • Listen to the episode for all the information. 

EP202 The Iconic Hunting Guns of John Moses Browning

Perhaps no other single person in history has done more to advance firearms technology than John Moses Browning. His innovations laid the groundwork for almost all hunting firearms in use today, and many military firearms as well. On this episode I talk about his patriotic contribution to the world of hunting.

Before there were semi-auto rifles and shotguns, before there were pump actions, lever actions, and so on, John Moses Browning invented the comprehensive mechanism breech loading single shot rifle. No one had seen anything like it, it earned him a visit from the top brass at Winchester who came to buy the patent rights for an astronomical sum of money in those days and started a long and fruitful relationship.

Not only did John invent a masterful way to operate a single shot rifle, but he also pioneered the repeating rifle, invented the pump action shotgun, went on to invent the automatic shotgun, created the automatic pistol from thin air, and would go on to invent the machine gun.

Almost every hunter does or has carried a gun into the field that John Moses Browning invented or influenced, even though almost none of his firearms were sold under his name. He invented guns like Winchester Model 94 in 30-30, the Browning Auto-5, the Colt 1911, the BAR, the M1 and M2 Machine guns, so much more. Some 120 patents were credited to his name, many of which were built into innovative firearms that changed the course of hunting, and the world.

Listen to the episode to hear more.

To learn more, this book is an excellent read:

EP201 Wild Turkey Cooking Secrets

Every time I hear someone laboring to try and make wild turkey meat palatable, it blows a fuse in mind. While turkey is delicious! On this episode I share secrets, that shouldn’t be secrets, for how to make wild turkey taste great.

Take Always

  • Here is the meat thermometer I mentioned in the episode.
  • Unfortunately, most hunters are not great cooks and most people’s approach to cooking game lacks some basic principles for preparing it well. 
  • Just because someone else says they like it and it tastes good does not mean they have any idea how to cook well. But that also doesn’t mean the meat cannot be cooked well.
  • Wild turkey is not chicken, don’t try to cook it like chicken!
  • Wild turkey is not store-bought turkey, don’t try to cook them the same!
  • Most people have no experience whatsoever cooking any turkey outside of thanksgiving style. There is a big knowledge gap!
  • Wild turkeys are lean well exercised birds. They MUST NOT be overcooked and dry out quickly.
  • Listen to the episode to hear the wild turkey cooking secrets. 

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