EP166 How To Pick Your First Crossbow For Deer Hunting

The crossbow market can be a crowded place, but if new hunters focus on a few core factors they can navigate things more easily and cheaply. On this episode I talk about how to streamline the consideration process so new users can make simpler and faster purchase decisions.

Take Aways.

  • A more expensive crossbow does not always mean a more effective crossbow.
  • Often you are paying more to make the bow lighter, smaller, more balanced, more ergonomic, simpler to use, etc. These things all have value but they do not necessarily make the bow more effective at taking game.
  • Three factors to focus on are price, speed, and weight.
  • If the velocity is high enough to effectively take deer and the bow is light enough to effectively wield, it will do the job.
  • Bows do not retain their resale value as well as firearms do, so spending alot of money on one you ultimately do not appreciate can be an expensive mistake.
  • It is better to start with something cheap and effective to get you into the woods.
  • Then let your own experiences teach you what features best suite your preferences, hunting style, and real world opportunities. 
  • Then you can confidently upgrade to something that is a better fit for you down the road.

 

EP165.5 Black Bear Hunting 101 – Why, Where, When, Strategy & More

Black bears are one of the most impressive predators you can hunt in North America. They have a large and diverse home range which affords many opportunities to newer hunters. On this episode I interview Alaska native and long time black bear enthusiast Jeff Lund about how to get started hunting these amazing creatures.

Part 2: Black Bear Hunting Tactics, Gear, Shot Placement, Field Care & More

Take Aways

  • Jeff Lund is the host of The Mediocre Alaskan podcast
  • Jeff also recently released the book A Miserable Paradise – Life In Southeast Alaska
  • Black bears can grow to up to 350lbs in some areas
  • The best place to find black bears is around food sources, often by streams full of fish or in the higher elevations with good forage
  • These bears are not typically a threat to humans under normal field conditions, but always put your safety first
  • Seasons differ across the country but the closer the bears get to hibernating the more temperamental they may become
  • Listen to the episode to hear about how beginners can get into black bear hunting.

EP163.5 The #1 Thing I learned About Deer Hunting Last Season

We should always be learning from our hunting experiences, and the experiences of others. This past season I learned a very important lesson about opportunities in the deer woods and how to manage them. On this episode I talk about how you can make decisions that enable you to enjoy your deer hunt to the fullest.

Listen to the episode to hear about the #1 thing I learned about deer hunting last year and how you can avoid making the same mistake I did.

 

EP153.5 BIG News! Special Announcement

There are big changes happening at The New Hunters Guide, and I am excited about them!  This is a special announcement episode that goes into the details of what is happening with the podcast currently and the future plans. Listen to get all of the details.

The short short version is our reach is expanding and our ability to better serve YOU is increasing!

EP145.5 My Picture Perfect Spring Turkey Hunt

Show Notes:

Today was a dream come true in the turkey woods! Gobbler down within 5 minutes of legal shooting time! But it didn’t happen by accident, this turkey hunt took strategy, preseason work, and a carefully thought out plan including tactics that are out of the ordinary for me.  On this episode I share the story and the strategy.

  • I am so excited and so thankful to God, Josh for letting me hunt here, my family supporting my hunting season absences, and everyone who has helped me learn, grow, and acquire effective equipment over the years.
  • This was an awesome hunt, even though it was short. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of, taking a long beard at daybreak on opening day! Especially since I got skunked last season. It felt like a redemption moment.

Check out the video for the full story and the five strategies that helped me take this beautiful bird. 

 

EP145 How Hunting Helped Me Thrive In The Year Of COVID

Show Notes:

You cannot always control what comes at you in life, but you can decide how you will react. On this episode I share about how hunting not only helped me to survive a year of pandemic, but it helped me to thrive, to come out better.

  • Often in life we find ourselves in a mess because of our own mistakes or choices. Sometimes we are in difficult places because of someone else’s mistakes and choices. And then there are times where our lives are impacted by factors beyond the control or negligence of ourselves or those around us. Those can be exceptionally hard times because we do not understand the reason or the solution. We feel powerless in the face of factors beyond our control. But we are NOT powerless.
  • We have complete control over how we respond, how we bounce back, how we focus our thoughts and our lives. We can be driven to internalize our frustrations and fears, we can let those emotions lash out at people or groups, or we can let those forces propel us on to something good. Maybe even something better.
  • COVID pushed me deeper into the woods, more into my family, and more into God’s beautiful creation. I didn’t like everything about the past year by any means, but I focused myself on things that were good. And that didn’t just help me to get through, I came through better in many ways. This has been a year of thriving for me. The good outweighed the bad, the fun outweighed the loss, the beauty outweighed the ugly, and the peace outweighed the turmoil.

No matter what comes next, you don’t have to defer your thriving. You can thrive in spite of what happens. You can have your best  year yet.

 

EP144 Late Morning Turkey Hunting Tactics

Show Notes:

Turkeys behave differently as the day wears on, so to boost your odds of success you need to adjust your strategies right along with them. On this episode I talk about a variety of late morning turkey hunting tactics.

Take Aways

  • Prime turkey hunting is usually the first hour or two of daylight, but it is only prime because birds make the most noise and are the easiest to locate.
  • Turkeys can be called and taken just as well as the morning goes on. But the game changes as the sun rises.
  • Late morning you need to hunt sign, travel areas, and where you heard the birds and called to them early on.
  • Tom will at times come back after the hens have left them, if you were close to them early, you have a chance in that same general area later.
  • Covering ground becomes a different game as the day wears on. But patience and persistence are both rewarded.
  • Listen to the episode to hear a variety of late morning tactics.

 

EP143 How To Find A Great Turkey Hunting Spot

Show Notes:

Hunting where turkeys are supersedes all gear and every skill, nothing can help you unless you hunt near birds. On this episode I explain how to find a great spot to hunt gobblers be it on public or private land.

Take Aways

  • Turkeys need food, and occasionally take a drink as well.
  • Turkeys love three main habitat features; open hardwoods, cover, and grassy fields. 
  • If you hunt where turkey’s want to be and spend their time you will have drastically more success than if you just hunt random areas.
  • Turkey’s are upland birds, so focus your search on places that are dry and support good tree growth.
  • Whenever you are hunting you should also be scouting, trying to determine where your next hunt should be.
  • Turkeys are perhaps most visible when flying up to a high tree to sleep, if you can catch a glimpse in the evening you have found a spot.
  • Birds can move quite a bit of distance in a day, but they often roost in the same areas, look for roosting evidence.
  • Every time of day has its advantages for scouting. Try scout early in the morning to listen for gobbles, or mid day to look for ground sign, and late in the day to see them going to roost.
  • Listen to the episode to learn how to find a great turkey hunting spot.

EP142 How To Hunt Silent Turkeys

Show Notes:

Different tactics are needed to be successful hunting silent turkeys. Lots of gobbling sure helps, but you can still take a turkey even on a quite morning. On this episode I talk about the strategies needed to be successful when birds give you the silent treatment.

Take Aways

  • Quiet turkeys is not the same as no turkeys. There must be birds around for you to have a chance.
  • Before making a decision on what to do on a silent morning, review the evidence in your mind about why you believe gobblers are in the area.
  • If turkeys are quiet you need to be quiet. Call sparingly and do not make any identifiable human noises at all.
  • Patience is the biggest skill on quiet mornings.
  • The two kinds of birds you are mostly likely to call in are the ones that heard you early and joined up with real hens off the roost or birds that are traveling through the area.
  • There is no such thing as a bad day in the turkey woods!
  • Listen to the episode to learn how to hunt silent turkeys

EP141 Should You Take Jakes Or Wait For Bigger Turkeys?

It is an age-old turkey hunting question, should you take a shot on the jake that comes by, or hold out for a mature tom? On this episode I examine the ins and outs of this question and heartedly answer it from the perspective of the new hunter.

A jake is a juvenile male turkey that is 1 year old, they have a shorter beard, staggered tail fan feathers, no spurs, and weigh a couple pounds less. Jakes are still large birds and are bigger than the largest hens most of the time. They gobble and can be very excited, although their gobble is not as a full sounding as a mature turkey.

A tom is a mature male turkey that is 2+ years old, they have a longer beard, uniform tail feathers, developed spurs, and are a bit larger. Toms are the kings of the turkey world. They fight for breeding rights; they can defend themselves with their spurs and they strut majestically in full plumage to show off their stuff for prospective mates.  So many of the turkeys taken every year are the full grown but less experienced 2-year-old toms. They are eagle to breed and strut their stuff but are not as crafty or cautious as older toms tend to be. 

Turkeys do get a little heavier the older they get, but diet matters much more than age. A five-year-old Tom is not necessarily going to be bigger than a three-year-old tom. Access to food and lesser winter severity will do more to add weight to a gobbler than age alone. Well-fed birds can keep getting larger every year to a point, but it has more to do with food than age.

Younger birds are usually more tender and tasty than older birds. Everyone wants to hunt old boss toms, but jakes and two-year old toms tend to make better table fare. The older they get the more slowcooking you need to get the same results.

Jakes tend to be a little less cautious than mature birds but may also not react as strongly to calls. These birds do not want to cross a boss tom and get beat up on. So while they may be more likely to make rash decisions they can also be strangely weary. Their behavior will often depend on the number of other older birds around and their place in the pecking order.  

Jakes often travel in pairs and groups, even during the season. They can breed but it is unlikely they will unless there are no toms in the area. If you see one jake, there is a good chance there is another close by. Sometimes they will move with older gobblers, but it is very common to see jakes in pairs. Don’t hesitate to take one of a pair, it should not impact the survivability of the jake left behind. 

Listen to the episode to hear the answer to the question of whether you should shoot jakes, and the reasons behind it.

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