Days In The Wild - Big game Hunting podcast

Live Elk Q&A with Jermaine Hodge

This week we go live on instagram with Jermaine Hodge and do a Q& A on elk hunting.  
Here are some of the questions we answered on this elk hunting podcast 
lets talk about hunting public land elk in CO. lets talk about logistics a bit: The tag situation how does draw system work what about OTC tags vs limited entry. Explain the point system.
what is your favorite terrain to hunt and why
3) what do you look for in a hunting area what is your starting point to locating bulls
4) During the rut what are the 3 tricks elk hunter should learn and how and when to use them
 
5)Calling to bedded elk what is your approach
6) Calling uphill, downhill, same level what do you prefer and why ?
When you have a bull that consistently answers you back but every time you get close he takes his cows away and moves 500-600 yards away what do you do? What if he doesn’t have cows?
What are some of the things you are listing for when a bull is bugling and what are you doing with that information?

Prepping for Elk Season with Michael Batease

Prepping for Elk Season with Michael Batease
Show Notes:
 
My buddy Michael Batease is here, and I’m picking his brain on elk hunting. He’s counting down the days until the season, which is right around the corner. I feel like this is the first hunting season that has snuck up on me. Michael got married just a few weeks ago, and now that his focus is off the wedding, he’s prepping for opening day. For the rest of July and August, he’ll be getting his trail cameras out and scouting new areas. Michael lives within a couple of hours from his hunting area, and he often does a quick trip up after work for a glassing session.
 
Each year, Michael picks a new area to explore, and he’s always looking for backup plans in case one place has too many people or experiences damage. Here, he shares his game plan when he goes into a new area, which starts from home using tools like Fat Map and OnX. He’s also strategic about where he sets up his trailer and base camp. Michael loves night bugling so that’s a big factor in how he chooses a spot, along with a place that has good access for vehicles.
 
Michael says if there’s a funky horn bull out there, he’ll find it. He loves calling for other people, and everyone he’s called for has at least one bull that’s scored well in the books. I talked to Michael about some of the things he does to tip the odds in his favor early in the year. He also shares why he loves cow and calf calls and some good stories about using calls on the hunt. I ask Michael how to track down a bull who’s far away and what to do if he has cows with him or if he’s alone. He provides tips on how to move in and shares some of the mistakes people make.
 
Michael has an elk calling academy, and he’s partnered up with Howl for Wildlife. When you become a member of Howl, you’ll get free access to the course included in your membership. 
What’s Inside:
 
Michael’s game plan for going into a new area.
Why Michael loves cow and calf calls.
How to track down a bull that’s far away, with and without cows.
 
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Short Description:My buddy Michael Batease is here, and I’m picking his brain on elk hunting. I talked to Michael about some of the things he does to tip the odds in his favor early in the year. He also shares why he loves cow and calf calls and some good stories about using calls on the hunt. I ask Michael how to track down a bull who’s far away and what to do if he has cows with him or if he’s alone. He provides tips on how to move in and shares some of the mistakes people make.
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, elk hunting, elk season, prepping, cows, calves, bugling, bugle, calls

No topic is safe! Joe and Anthony Drop by the studio

No topic is safe! Joe and Anthony Drop by the studio and as usual when we get together shots are fired, stories are told, and opinions are expressed. 

Mule Deer Hunting with Braxton Hamilton

Mule Deer Hunting Stories with Braxton Hamilton
Show Notes:
 
Braxton Hamilton joins me to talk about mule deer hunting and share some stories. He’s fresh off a bear hunt, and we spend some time talking about bear hunts from the past. Braxton lives in northwestern Wyoming, where I used to go every year for the opener of mule deer. He’s been hunting for as long as he can remember. Braxton’s dad hunted just about everything when it was open, and as a kid, it was really fun. They spent a lot of time in the mountains, and he grew up seeing a lot of huge deer. Back in the 90s and 00s, there were a ton of deer out there. 
 
When he was younger, Braxton had his heart set on killing a giant one and nothing else, and he went a whole 9 years before grabbing one! There are so many lessons in deer hunting, especially when using a bow. We chat about everything that goes into it and how important those moments are when you pull back and draw. Sometimes, it’s as simple as having that killer instinct to go after your target and getting rid of any doubts. 
 
Braxton shares a story about how he shot a 5 x 4 deer back in 2021. He says it was the biggest learning experience he’s ever had in his hunting career. He was out with a partner, and they had been tracking the deer since 2019. We talk about how the majority of mule deer hunting is mental, and sitting in one spot for hours is a whole other grind. They played a bit of a waiting game and wound up losing track of him after shooting him with an arrow. They took a few days off and wound up finding him dead in another camp! It wasn’t a pretty scene, and they think it must have died the night he got him. 
 
What’s Inside:
 
How Braxton got into hunting and got his first deer.
A mule deer hunting story from Braxton where he played the waiting game.
The mental challenges of deer hunting.
 
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Braxton on Instagram
Short Description:
Braxton Hamilton is a Wyoming boy who’s been hunting for as long as he can remember. Here, we talk about the lessons we learn through deer hunting and why so much of it is a mental game. When he was younger, Braxton had his heart set on killing a giant one and nothing else and he went a whole 9 years before grabbing one! Braxton also shares all about how he shot a 5 x 4 deer back in 2021. He says it was the biggest learning experience he’s ever had in his hunting career and it’s an amazing story. 
 
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, elk hunting, deer hunting, mule deer, bow hunting, archery

Cliff Gray learning from other’s experiences

Cliff Gray Hunting learning from other's experiences.
Cliff and I discuss: being on Joe Rogan, we talk about learning from the experiences and stories of others, we talk about blood trailing, and determining when is the best time to seize an opportunity. 
 
Follow Cliff Gray here Cliff Gray (@cliffgry) • Instagram photos and videos
youtube Cliff Gray - YouTube
 
 

Hunting and Mental Toughness with Weston Paul

Hunting and Mental Toughness with Weston Paul
Show Notes:
 
Weston Paul is the Director of Business Development at MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab out of Bozeman, Montana. MTNTOUGH is a state-of-the-art fitness app that helps hunters get into tip top shape for the hunting season. Their programs have been tested and proven for conditions like high elevation, steep terrain, and multiple days under load. Your mental toughness will most certainly be challenged. Founder Dustin Diefenderfer designed the app with the backcountry athlete in mind, and the training programs feature a good mix of both strength and cardio. 
 
In hunting, we know things don’t always go the way we want them to. MTNTOUGH also has a 10-day mental toughness course that trains you how to handle adversity and achieve your goals, so you can persevere through challenges. There are also yoga, physical therapy, and spirituality aspects woven into the various programs. This well-rounded approach is a great way for hunters to prepare for just about anything. 
 
Weston and I talk about failures and how we learn from them. He also shares a story about an elk hunt where his brother-in-law wound up catching COVID and he wound up leaving. Later, a big snowstorm hit and dumped about two feet of snow. He followed some grizzly tracks to a few bulls and was able to sneak in and get one. We also chat about carrying loads on elk hunts and how to pack what your body can handle, toughing through injuries and ailments, and how Weston’s partnering with Howl for Wildlife.
What’s Inside:
 
How MTNTOUGH helps hunters get into physical and mental shape.
An epic elk hunting story from Weston.
Carrying loads and tough pack outs.
 
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
MTNTOUGH
Short Description:
Weston Paul is the Director of Business Development at MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab out of Bozeman, Montana. MTNTOUGH is a state-of-the-art fitness app that helps hunters get into tip top shape for the hunting season. Weston shares an epic elk hunt story that involves a snowstorm and grizzly tracks. We also chat about carrying loads on elk hunts and how to pack what your body can handle, toughing through injuries and ailments, and how Weston’s partnering with Howl for Wildlife.
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, fitness, training, hunting season, MTNTOUGH, mental toughness, workouts, perseverance, elk hunting, grizzly bear 

120 Days of Hunting with Clint Casper

How to Hunt 120 Days of the Year with Clint Casper
Show Notes:
 
Clint Casper hunts 120 days out of the year and here he shares his stories and how he’s achieved his success. Clint runs the Working Class Bowhunter podcast and we met back in 2015 through Outdoor Insiders. He’s in his second year running the show on the CC Hunt Files platform. We start our conversation by talking about what it takes to run a podcast and the challenges that come along with it. The industry creates a lot of snake oil salesmen with their products and sponsors, and we share a few stories and laughs about it. 
 
Clint is very vocal about what he uses and why he uses it on his podcast. He only promotes what he uses, which means he truly endorses what he shares on his shows. Clint also doesn’t get paid to hunt for a living and he talks about all the different jobs he does. We talk about the right way to get into the hunting industry and why you should find a job that gives you a lot of time while generating a steady income. 
 
Hunting isn’t always fun, and Clint shares a story about when he quit a mule deer trip after 8 days. He threw in the towel mentally, and for the next year, it was all he thought about. It was the worst and best thing to happen to him and since then, Clint’s been adding more days to his hunts. He shares how he defines success and why some of his best hunts were ones where he didn’t even release an arrow. Clint also talks about some of the toughest trips he’s had, how they tested him, and what he learned. 
What’s Inside:
 
How Clint defines a successful hunt.
The right way to get into the hunting industry.
Why podcasting has created snake oil salesmen.
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Working Class Bowhunter Podcast
Short Description:Clint Casper hunts 120 days out of the year and here, he shares his stories and how he’s achieved his success. We talk about the snake oil salesmen in podcasting, the right way to get into the hunting industry, and why some of Clint’s most successful hunts were ones where he didn’t even release an arrow. Clint also shares stories of some of his toughest hunts and the lessons he learned. 
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, bow hunting, working class bowhunter, hunting industry, podcasting, success

Tiny Boat Nation DIY Boat Building

DIY Boat Building with Mike Lopez
Show Notes:
 
Mike Lopez is an artist and a YouTuber who’s made his business out of building and modifying small bass boats. His channel is called Tiny Boat Nation and definitely check it out if you’re a DIY guy or gal. He’s currently working on a welding cart and gearing up to work on a pontoon boat next. He says it’s going to be business in the front and party in the back, and he wants to call it the mullet! Mike’s been working on boats and running his YouTube channel since 2015. He eventually took his online success full time and left his day job behind after the pandemic took his channel to a new level.
 
Mike and I start our conversation with a chat about airboats and their pros and cons. Mike also built me a boat, and we talk about how he made it and all the great features.  A lot of guys out there want to take on a project or improve their boats, but they have some reservations since a project like this can be costly and time consuming. Mike offers some suggestions on how you can get started and insights into how he plans out his builds. Unlike an engineer who does a ton of upfront planning, Mike likes to work as he goes and tries to solve as many problems as possible.
 
We chat about different motors and rigs and how to incorporate them into a build. We also talk about the best kinds of boats for bow fishing and how to choose one based on your needs and budget. If you’re thinking about your own build, it helps to start with what you want the boat to accomplish and back into it. Mike also suggests going with a custom layout over a standard manufactured model to really make it your own. If you’re interested in buying a kit, check out Mike’s Tiny Boat Nation store through the link below.
What’s Inside:
 
How Mike left his day job to run Tiny Boat Nation full time.
Tips for planning out your own boat build.
How to customize your boat based on your needs.
 
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Tiny Boat Nation on YouTube
Tiny Boat Nation – Website & Store
Short Description:Mike Lopez is an artist and a YouTuber who’s made his business out of building and modifying small bass boats. Here, we talk about how he builds his boats (including one he did for me) and what to do if you want to build or improve your own boat. We also chat about motors, features, and how to customize your own boat based on your needs and budget.
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, bass boats, tiny boat nation, bow fishing, custom boats

Robby Denning Mule deer Q&A

Mule Deer Hunting Live Q&A with Robby Denning
Show Notes:
 
I brought Robby Denning of Rokslide on for a live Q&A where we talked all things mule deer. Robby is the author of two mule deer hunting books: Hunting Big Mule Deer: How to Take the Best Buck of Your Life and Hunting Big Mule Deer: The Stories. We kick off things with an audience question about whether or not Robby prefers to bed deer before he stalks them or if he prefers them on the hoof, and if that changes between rifle hunting and archery hunting. Robby says bedded is always the best, but it’s easier said than done, and he walks through his process.
 
Next, we talk about hunting in the early season vs. the late season and the pros and cons. Another question asks Robby to share his idea of the perfect scenario and paint the picture so hunters can recognize that out in the field. He says he doesn’t usually know until he puts his finger on the trigger because so many things happen between finding bucks and actually getting them. Being careful and not letting the buck know you’re there are, as Robby says, the most important. The distance and the topography have to be in your favor, and Robby talks about some of his experiences.
 
Robby and I discuss which mule deer behavioral attributes to pay attention to that ultimately help you harvest the animal. We talk about sightings and tracks and which times of day are the best. Mule deer also tend to return to the same area around the same dates each year, so mark your calendar. Other questions we ask Robby include how many years he follows a deer before he gets them, moon cycle patterns and summer bucks, how to decide if a unit has too much hunting pressure, and more.
What’s Inside:
 
Hunting bedded mule deer vs. on the hoof
What the perfect hunting scenario looks like and all the factors that come into play
Key mule deer behaviors to pay attention to
Moon cycle patterns and deer hunting
Best places and terrain to hunt bucks
 
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Rokslide
Book – Hunting Big Mule Deer: How to Take the Best Buck of Your Life
Book - Hunting Big Mule Deer: The Stories
Short Description:I recently brought Robby Denning of Rokslide on for a live Q&A where we talked all things mule deer. We talk about hunting in the early season vs. the late season and which mule deer behavioral attributes to pay attention to the most. Other questions we ask Robby include how many years he follows a deer before he gets them, moon cycle patterns and summer bucks, how to decide if a unit has too much hunting pressure, and more.
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, mule deer hunting, Q&A, rifle hunting, archery hunting, bow hunting, moon cycles, terrain, mule deer behavior, hunting advocacy

Coyote Hunting with Heath Baker

 Coyote Hunting with Heath Baker
Show Notes:
 
Heath Baker is a full-time coyote hunter. He’s been hunting coyotes since he was 13, and the more he got into it, the more obsessed he became. Heath grew up watching Randy Anderson videos and says he was his idol. Heath is also a licensed clinical therapist, which you might not guess by looking at him. He’s currently on a break from that work to focus on hunting, and we talk about how to make a living as a hunter. It’s way more than just going out on the hunt. You have to take a unique approach, do something no one else does, and pursue it relentlessly.
 
Today, Heath is the marketing director at Predator Tactics, a company that designs and manufactures high-quality hunting lights and gear. He goes live on Facebook while he’s out hunting coyotes, and he has an 85% kill ratio when he’s streaming. Heath also shows people how to work through the whole process and the entire dynamic in the moment. We take some questions from the audience about coyote calls and talk about best practices.
 
Another audience question came through about Heath’s go-to starting volume when using a Revolt caller. Heath shares his recommendations, what he’s using today, and how to use the volume level to get coyotes’ attention. We talk about what to do with coyotes that hang up a couple hundred yards out and how to adjust your call’s pitch and volume to lure them in. I also ask Heath what he looks for when he chooses a place to go hunting and how he sets up a sequence.
What’s Inside:
 
How Heath teaches coyote hunting through livestreams.
Coyote calling tips around volume and pitch.
How Heath chooses an ideal hunting spot.
 
Mentioned in this episode
Days In The Wild Podcast
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Predator Tactics
Predator Tactics on Instagram
Heath Baker on Instagram
Short Description:Heath Baker is a full-time coyote hunter and heads up marketing at Predator Tactics. He hunts coyotes live on Facebook, where he shows people how to work through the whole process and the entire dynamic in the moment. We take some questions from the audience about coyote calls and what to do with coyotes that hang up a couple hundred yards away. I also ask Heath what he looks for when he chooses a place to go hunting and how he sets up a sequence.
Tags
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, buck hunting, hunting stories, coyote hunting, livestreaming, coyote calling, predator tactics, predator hunting