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:

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.

 

EP99 How To Break In A New Gun – For Real

Show Notes:

How to break in a new gun or a new barrel is one of the most hotly debated topics on the internet. Fortunately, for those willing to venture off the internet, there are real answers to this question. On this episode I give practical, rational, evidence based advice for how to break in a new gun.

Take Aways:

  • Whether it is a new rifle, shotgun, or pistol, there is a wide range of break in protocols that people debate and implement. But which is the best and what is right for you?
  • New hunters do have different needs than some firearms users, but science is science and a proper break in procedure should be universal for all guns.
  • I gathered feedback on this question from multiple gunsmiths who each have 40-50 years of experience making and repairing guns. Hear their insights in the episode.
  • I contacted two of the largest and most reputable firearms manufactures in the country and asked them about this question, to see the break in procedures they recommend for their guns. I share their answers in the episode.
  • Download and listen to the whole episode to hear how to break in a new gun.

 

EP98 The 3 Times You Need To Clean Your Guns

Show Notes:

Every gun needs cleaned, but how do you know when you should clean them? On this episode I give practical, realistic tips for when you should clean your firearms.

Take Aways:

  • Guns are tools that server the hunter. The hunter does not serve the tools.
  • Taking care of your tools and treating your tools better than people are very different things.
  • Guns are not magical or unpredictable, they do not need random unprovoked cleanings from time to time.
  • You should not need to clean a gun every time you use it, unless certain things happen.
  • Listen to the episode to hear the 3 times you should clean your guns.

EP97 Wild Turkey Cooking Basics

Show Notes:

Wild turkey is a culinary treat, but many have had poor experiences cooking it because they try to cook it like something else. On this episode I talk about the unique aspects of wild turkey meat and how you need adjust your cooking methods to bring out the best. 

Take Aways:

  • Most people try to cook wild turkey like store bought chicken without realizing it. That doesn’t work.
  • Lots of people try to roast a gobbler just like they would a store bought turkey and that doesn’t usually work well either.
  • Wild turkey needs different cooking methods for the breasts and the legs. To get the most out of these birds you have to cook them differently than anything else you know how to cook.
  • You cannot just nonchalantly grill turkey breasts and expect great results. You need to know what to do.
  • You absolutely cannot grill turkey legs and expect good results. But there are GREAT ways to cook them.
  • Learn the basics by listening to this episode.

Again and again, I am blown away by how well you can cook wild turkey, particularly the legs. I have known long time turkey hunters to just leave the legs on the carcass and discard them. They claim the legs are not good to eat, but they are trying to cook them like chicken and not getting the same results.

You are not going to get great results if you pluck a whole turkey and try to roast it like a chicken or store-bought turkey. The bird is going to try out. The legs will become jerky before the breasts are cooked through. These are not farm raised birds that spend their lives being groomed for the dinner table. 

The truth is, wild turkey is its own meat and cannot be cooked like any other bird. Turkey legs can be amazing, but they need a low, slow, and moist cooking method to be at their best. I have found great success making BBQ pulled turkey legs into sandwiches and tacos, or just eating it with a fork. You can also cook the legs until tender and pull them apart to make an excellent turkey soup from them.

The bottom line is that wild turkeys need to be treated for what they are, a completely unique game animal with excellent potential just waiting to be unlocked by the right cooking method.

Listen to the podcast episode to hear the rest!

EP87 Is Hunting Biblical?

Show Notes:

People tend to assert their opinions or feelings as the reason why hunting is ok or not ok. But what does the Bible have to say about it? On this episode I answer that question and touch on a number of related subjects.

On this episode I talk about what the Bible has to say about:

  • Eating meat in the beginning, historically, and today
  • Hunting in general
  • Hunting for food
  • Hunting for self defense
  • Hunting to protect property
  • Hunting for sport
  • Hunting ethics
  • Hunting tips and instructions
  • The game commission

Here are some of the scriptures that I mentioned on the episode:

Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 2:15
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Genesis 9:3-6
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.”

Genesis 25:27
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

Leviticus 17:13
“Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;

Proverbs 12:27
The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.

Deuteronomy 7:22
And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.

EP86 If There Is One Thing I’ve Learned About Hunting… Be Ready!

Show Notes:

Is there a most important hunting tip that translates to all types and styles of hunting? Yes, absolutely.  On this episode I talk about the single most important lesson I’ve learned about hunting and that is developing mental and positional readiness.

Take Aways:

  • Mental readiness is having decided ahead of time what game you are going to take a shot at, what range you are comfortable shooting to, and the angles and scenarios you will pull the trigger in. 
  • Mental readiness enables you to operate within the critical two second rule.
  • Positional readiness is having your bow or firearm in a ready position with both hands always in their places so that you can bring the weapon to bare with just one pivot point. 
  • Positional readiness also enables you to operate within the two second rule.
  • Material readiness is having the right tools and gear to operate within the two second rule without making too much noise or having too much movement. Such as having a quiet and tight enough coat, etc. 
  • Material readiness also involves keeping you comfortable enough to maintain positional readiness.  Such as having warm enough gloves, etc.
  • The two second rule is a philosophy of hunting where you cannot count on having more than two seconds to make a decision to shoot, shoulder your weapon, and take the shoot. More time is a luxury that you must not depend on.
  • The two second rule is not about practicing fast target acquisition and trigger pulling, it is about maintaining mental and positional readiness.
  • You do not need to do speed drills at the shooting range, you need to be strategic in how you hunt.
  • Sometimes you should move very slowly and maybe take 10 seconds to shoulder your weapon, it is not just about fast movement but deliberate, efficient, and undetected movement. 

EP85 What Should You Eat Before Hunting?

Show Notes:

What you eat and drink matters a lot for hunting, and so does when you eat and drink it. On this episode I talk about what I have learned to be the best eating and drinking habits prior to hunting and even while you are in the woods.

Take Aways:

  • Nothing is more important than knowing how different foods effect your body.
  • If dairy causes you problems, don’t eat it before going hunting.
  • If bacon or sausage will put you in the bathroom before the end of the morning, don’t eat it before hunting!
  • The type of hunting matters a lot. Sitting requires less food and drinking, and the downside of eating and drinking is larger.
  • Moving and hunting requires more of both, and there is much less if any downside to eating and drinking if you are moving a lot.
  • Few things are as disruptive when hunting than getting up to go to the bathroom or unwrapping a few granola bars.
  • Everything about your eating and drinking strategy should be focused on making you a more effective hunter.
  • You want to maximize comfort and stealth in the field. 
  • If you are hunting in a hard walled blind from 200 yards then you can get away with a lot more than someone hunting game within 50 yards of a tree strand.

EP84 Should You Hunt With An AR-15?

Show Notes:

Are AR style rifles good for hunting? Should you hunt with one? Should new hunters use one? This is a hotly debated topic where opinions tend to overshadow facts. On this episode I talk about the pros and the cons without ranting or raving about either position.

Take Aways:

  • I cover both AR-15 rifles and AR-10 rifles because they are the most common.
  • I am familiar with the term “modern sporting rifle” but I’ve opted not to use it in this episode. It is not because I dislike the term but only a percentage of listeners would be familiar with it, so I’ve gone with the more familiar terms. No hate mail please.
  • Are there good reasons to hunt with an AR? Yes.
  • Are there good reason not to hunt with an AR? Yes.
  • Should you hunt with one? Maybe. You need to examine the pros and cons and YOUR situation to answer that question for yourself.
  • The answer an experienced hunter comes to and the answer a beginner comes to may be different however.
  • This episode is not politically motivated or charged. It is motivated by a hunter who wants to help other hunters navigate these questions logically and responsibly.
  • An AR-15 can be used effectively for coyotes, foxes, raccoons, woodchucks, and other small to mid size game, even turkeys with the right load.
  • AR-15s can be used to hunt deer under certain conditions I discuss in this episode but an AR-10 would be a better choice for hunting deer, elk, moose, and other large game.
  • I did not cover recoil in this episode. Mostly because I forgot, but also because it is not that big of a variable for most people. I have a bolt action 223 WIN that has less recoil than most AR-15 rifles that I’ve shot. It is really a non issue until you get to AR-10 platform.
    • In this case, the AR-10 would typically have a little less recoil than a manual action 308 WIN rifle of the same weight. But since most AR-10’s tend to weigh more than a conventional bolt action rife, the felt recoil is even more significantly reduced.
    • This is a benefit to those who are small framed, injured, or physically disabled in a way that they could not comfortably fire a traditional rifle due to recoil but could use an AR-10.
    • Reduced recoil could be a reason someone opts to use an AR-15 for deer hunting.

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