EP109 How You Can Hunt Deer On Small Properties

Show Notes:

You do not need to have hundreds of acres to have a great hunt. In fact you can hunt whitetail deer very successfully on small properties, even those with as few as just a couple acres. On this episode I talk about how to amplify your deer hunting success when you have limited amounts of land available.

Take Aways

  • An acre is about 208′ x 208′ that is all the space you need to hunt with a bow or a rifle, IF you can get the deer into that space.
  • Contrary to popular belief, anything under about 1,500 acres is a “small” property because it does not encompass the 24 hours a day, 365 days a year life of a deer. So if you have less land than that, you need some to have some small parcel strategies in play.
  • A property does not need to contain everything deer need to survive and thrive, in fact, you only need one thing, a reason for them to walk across your land.
  • Do not focus on what you lack, focus on what you have or can affect.
  • Do not worry about what your neighbors have, in fact use what your neighbors have to your advantage.
  • Only about 5% of whitetail deer properties are managed well enough to be a day time buck herd influencer.
  • You can be smarter than most of the people around you, even if they have better land and more resources.

 

EP108 The Best Broadheads for Deer Hunting

Show Notes:

With modern day broadheads it is hard to go wrong in what you select, but certain types of broadheads may be better for certain kinds of whitetail deer hunting and for new hunters. On this episode I talk about the different types of broadheads and the factors that go into making the best decision of what you should get started with.

Take Aways

  • Field Tips. These are rounded or pointed practice arrow heads, not usable for hunting but they work great on a target.
  • Fixed Position Broadheads. These are your standard firm configuration, the modern titanium equivalent to the stone arrow heads used in ancient times.
  • Mechanical Broadheads. These look like a field tip but the blades expand out on impact with the target.
  • Hybrid Broadheads. These have moderate fixed blades with expanded blades that pop out on impact.
  • Each type of broadhead has pros and cons. Listen to the episode to sort through those factors to pick the one that is best for you.

EP107 Getting A Deer Mounted 101 | 4 Things To Plan For

Show Notes:

Few things are more exciting than taking a buck after a lot of hard work and weeks of expectation. What you do next with that trophy should be something you have already considered and planned out, not something you jump into with while overcome with emotion. On this episode I dig into what you need to think about and plan for so that when you do take a great deer your next steps can be informed, thoughtful, and hopefully not a huge waste of money.

Take Aways

  • Mounting the head and neck of a deer is expensive, takes up a lot of space, and is a process. It is not a decision to make spur of the moment.
  • If you wait until you have a deer on the ground before considering these things you will very likely do something you regret later. Adrenaline, excitement, and fatigue can prompt you to do all kinds of things.
  • There are many easier and simpler ways to turn your buck into a trophy that you can be thrilled with for decades to come.
  • Most new hunters would be served best with a whitetail or turkey mount that is easy and inexpensive like these:

EP106 Cheapest, Fastest, Easiest Food To Plant For Deer & Turkey

Show Notes:

A lot of people think food plots are beyond what they can achieve or afford. But there are great options out there you can start with, such as white clover that can be planted with no equipment, needs minimal space, and grows back every year. On this episode I dig into the details of getting started on cheap, fast, and easy clover plots.

Take Aways

  • The best times of the year to plant clover are early spring and late summer, either of which can help impact your whitetail deer or turkey hunting success.
  • You do not need to till the ground to plant clover, in fact there are good reasons not to till.
  • You can plant a half acre or less plot with the best white clover seed on planet earth for less than $30.
  • Clover is roughly 30% protein and is loved by deer and turkey. Bonus fact, it can double as a survival food for humans if you boil it before eating.
  • Clover grows back every year, which means once you get the plot established, all you need to do is maintain it and it can last for years and years.
  • Planting can be fun, it can even become its own off season side hobby like hunting for antler sheds.
  • Listen to the episode to hear the full story! 

 

EP105 When To Setup Mock Scrapes & Trail Cams For Deer Season

Show Notes:

The mock scrape and trail camera combination may be the single most powerful reconnaissance strategy for hunting whitetails that there is, at least for new hunters. On this episode I talk about the best time of year to get out there and setup mock scrapes and trail cameras, both for archery and rifle season.

Take Aways

  • Mock scrapes are great because they focus deer movement for a variety of reasons and they are essentially free.
    • For the cost of some string you can increase your chances of seeing whitetails on camera and in front of your hunting setup.
  • The best way to make good use of a trail camera is to assume it is terrible and will only get photos of what is directly in front of it.
    • If you have a better detection cone then great, but don’t count on it.
  • Setting up scrapes and cameras and checking them, going through the photos, and being outside in the summer can be almost as much fun as hunting. Enjoy every aspect of the hunt.
  • Remember deer often change their habits and locations between summer and late fall.
    • As the cover and food sources change, so do their travel and bedding areas.
    • Do not rely on scouting or camera data that is months old to determine where you hunt.
    • Regularly check trail cameras between August 1 and when you plan to hunt. I recommend every 2 weeks.
  • Stay out of the woods a couple weeks before hunting season starts, let the woods rest from human scent and interference.
  • Listen to this episode to find the best time of year to setup mock scrapes and trail cameras for whitetail deer hunting.

 

EP104 The 7 Basics of Deer Habitat Planning

Show Notes:

There are seven things every hunter needs to know about how to locate, assess, and improve deer habitat to have consistent success in the woods. On this episode I talk about what you can do right now to understand whitetail habitat, find it in the woods, and make adjustments to it to better your chances of success.

Take Aways

  • When deer move they move for a purpose, the more you understand those purposes the better you can hunt.
  • Every deer needs certain things, you need to find or provide them to have good deer movement.
  • People’s intuition is often different from a deer’s intuition. You need to learn how they think.
  • It does not take alot of time or money to improve deer habitat, there is alot you can do at little to no cost.
  • Listen to this episode to hear the 7 basics.

 

EP103 5 Best Areas For Crow Hunting

Show Notes:

Where you setup to hunt crows makes all the difference and determines not only if crows will come to you but if they will come close enough to shoot. On this episode I talk about the best types of places to setup in order to boost your odds of a successful crow hunt.

Take Aways

  • The two biggest factors for picking a good hunting location are acoustics and flight plane.
  • Crows will not come to your calls if they do not hear you, it is a 100% guarantee. Sure call volume is a factor but the sound needs to be able to travel to where the crows are.
  • Crows tend to fly above the tree tops along their approach, you need to consider if the trees are low enough to put you in range, or how you can modify your elevation to be within range when they come.
  • Concealment is also a big part of the hunt. Crows have great eyesight and you need to be well concealed. 
  • Wind can make it hard to call crows because the noise can drown out your calls.
  • Listen to the episode to hear about the 5 best areas for crow hunting.

EP102 What Hunters Need To Know About Recoil

Show Notes:

Recoil is one of the most vivid parts of shooting and hunting for many who are beginners. It permeates people’s thinking and memory and is often little understood and not properly managed. On this episode I talk about the effect recoil has on hunting, the science behind it, and what you can do to better manage it and be a more effective hunter.

  • Recoil effects accuracy, fun, shooter confidence, and health. The better you understand it the more effective of a hunter and shooter you can be.
  • Recoil is a measure of action and re-action, felt recoil on the other hand accounts for the real life factors that determine how it effect us.
  • Felt recoil is a function of bullet weight, powder charge, gun weight, shooter mass, and mitigating factors. Adjust any of those and you can change the felt recoil.
  • There is a macho factor that goes along with heavy recoil, nothing has perhaps done more to damage our sport and dissuade children and newcomers alike than this nonsense.
  • People often use more gun than they need for a hunt, which comes with more recoil than they need, which makes them a less effective marksman and a less effective hunter in many cases.
  • Whether you are hunting coyotes, varmints, turkeys, whitetail deer, elk, moose, or anything in between, do the best that you can to pick a firearm and ammunition combo that is the right balance of power and recoil to do the job well and be as manageable as possible.
  • There are three big things you can do to improve your accuracy and effectiveness with higher recoil firearms, they are covered in the episode.
  • Some people just should not shoot certain guns, the physics of their body size and composition hinder their ability to safely and effectively use high recoil firearms.
    • There comes a point where no amount of practice or pride will improve the situation, it’s science.

 

EP101 Sectional Density & Ballistic Coefficient 101

Show Notes:

Both sectional density and ballistic coefficient are bullet specifications that matter for hunters but one matters a lot more for new hunters. On this episode I break down the need to know fundamentals of each so you can make better ammunition decisions.

Sectional Density:

  • Is one of the most obscure pieces of information printed on a box of ammo.
  • Is a complicated math calculation that you will likely never need to preform.
  • Is something you can understand quickly and easily and can help you from today onward.
  • Is a very important number for telling the ideal use of a bullet if you want to make decisions based on more than marketing.
  • To best understand the meaning of sectional density you need to understand what makes bullets effective on whitetail deer, elk, moose, and other big game.
  • All of this and more is covered in the episode.

Ballistic Coefficient:

  • Is one of the more popular peieces of bullet marketing.
  • Involves more math than is even worth mentioning.
  • Matters a lot for a small number of hunters.
  • Is easy to understand but less easy to apply.
  • Can make the difference between a terrible bullet and a great bullet at certain ranges.
  • All of this and more is covered in the episode.

 

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