Days In The Wild - Big game Hunting podcast

Throwback Thursday with Brandt Smith and Steve Ficco

Throwback Thursday with Brandt Smith and Steve Ficco
 
Show Notes: 
 
If you want tactics for success, this TBT episode is for you. Brandt Smith and Steve Ficco both are police officers in Colorado who use their tactical training in big game hunting. During this interview, Steve was running with 27 years of hunting experience and Brandt just shot his biggest buck so far, the year before. One thing quite unique to this duo is they didn’t use guides or outfitters when they hunted. They were all about DIY hunts and became experts at it. These two know whitetails and elks like the back of their hand and they spilled the beans on how their tactical and stealthy approach in hunting became their bread and butter. 

Hunting, Kids, and Conservation with Jeff Barlow

 Hunting, Kids, and Conservation with Jeff Barlow
Show Notes:
I sat down with Jeff Barlow, owner of SneekTec, at the Hunt Expo to talk about some things we deal with as hunters today. Jeff is a lifelong hunter, so he had plenty of great information and insight to share. 
 
We kicked off by talking about hunting with our kids. It can be a struggle to keep kids entertained, but Jeff and I agree that people generally underestimate young ones. If we push our kids to perform, it’s amazing what they can do. We both love hunting with our kids – it was great to swap some stories about those experiences. 
 
From there, we talked about how to teach the kids how to shoot. This got us on the subject of hunting and shooting practice, and what kind of drills can help improve accuracy. Shooting targets is one thing, but hunting in the field is another skill entirely. 
 
I also talked with Jeff about Howl for Wildlife. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever that hunters stand up for our sport. We went through how we got started, and some of the organization’s earliest victories. During my work with Howl for Wildlife, we’ve learned a lot, so it was great to talk about hunting activism with Jeff. 
 
Before we wrapped up, Jeff talked a bit about SneekTec, and what they’re working on these days. 
 
What's’ Inside:
-How to hunt with kids.
-It’s important to push your children to be their best.
-Shooting drills for fitness and accuracy.
-How we started Howl for Wildlife, and what the organization does today.
-What SneekTec is, and how it’s useful for hunters. 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/
SneekTec Boots: https://sneektec.com/
 
Short Description:
Jeff Barrow and I sat down to talk about a few things we deal with as hunters and parents. We discussed how to take kids hunting – and how to make sure they actually enjoy it. From there, we went on to discuss Howl for Wildlife, how the organization started, and the importance of hunting activism today. 
Tags:Family hunting, activism, conservation, hunting with kids, big game hunting, howl for wildlife, days in the wild, jeff barlow, hunter parents, hunting activism, hunting organization, hunting stories, hunting experiences

Throwback Thursday with Paul Medel

Throwback Thursday with Paul Medel 
 
Show Notes: 
 
Welcome to my new series, Throwback Thursday. I’ve gone through my episode archives and picked out some of the best and my favorite episodes from my entire podcasting journey. 
 
Today, we have Paul Medel, owner of Elk Nut Outdoors and a good friend of mine. In this throwback episode, Paul and I talked about elk vocalization and what they’re talking about. We also touched on how to decipher these calls as well as which ones to use and when to use them.

Bowhunting and Archery with James Yates

Bowhunting and Archery with James Yates
Show Notes:
James Yates, an experienced archer and bowhunter, joined me in this episode, where we covered everything we could possibly talk about.  He has a whole lot of knowledge on bowhunting, from techniques to setups and a whole lot more. It was great to hear what James had to say about bowhunting, archery, and hunting in general. 
 
He started off by letting us peek into how he got into the sport, and he told some stories about his early days of bowhunting. He talked a bit about how he sees bowhunting and why he loves it so much. 
 
We swapped a couple of stories about bowhunting, before we discussed how bowhunting changes throughout the year. Bucks don’t show with the same intensity throughout the year, after all. James has done some bowhunting here in Arizona, so it was great to hear about his experiences. We traded a couple more stories about hunting around the country, and we talked a little about how we plan bowhunting trips versus rifle trips. We also touched on a bit more about his strategy for picking bowhunts, too.
 
We capped off the podcast talking technique. James has so much bowhunting knowledge, we could have done a whole podcast on technique and setup alone. But hearing some in-depth info from him about getting the most out of your equipment is definitely a major plus.
 
What's’ Inside:
- Bowhunting tips, tricks, and techniques from James Yates.
- Stories about bowhunting all over the nation.
- Information about bowhunting setup and equipment.
- How we plan bowhunts versus rifle hunts.
- How to get the most out of your bow. 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/
James Yates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yates_in_the_backcountry/?hl=en
Western Hunter Magazine: https://westernhunter.net/
 
Short Description:
James Yates and I talked about all things bowhunting this week on the podcast. We covered the whole gamut, from James’ favorite bowhunts, to technique, setup, and more. James has years of experience, so, it was great to hear all that he had to say about the sport. This one’s a must-listen for bowhunters.
 
Tags:
Bowhunting, hunting for beginners, archery, big game hunting, buck hunting, technique, bow setup, days in the wild, hunting podcast, bowhunters, james yates, rifle hunting

Throwback Thursday with Robby Denning

Throwback Thursday with Robby Denning 
 
Show Notes: 
 
I've got another great episode from the vault. I got together with Robby Denning a couple of years ago and we talked mule deer. Robby told us all about his love for mule deer hunting, and how this passion led him to being the field expert and published author that he is. We learned a ton that day. He shared some of the secrets to his success. There's a lot of good information that's still valid for us today.

BC Moose and Caribou Ban Tanner Dannish

Tanner Dannish of Frontiersmen Gear sits down and talks with me about the proposed closures in BC for moose and caribou hunting. 
 
Frontiersmen Gear (@frontiersmengear) • Instagram photos and videos
 Take action here 
The Wild Sheep Society of BC and many others are disheartened to learn that wildlife is once again being used as a bargaining chip. It has come to our attention, along with many concerned stake and title holders across the province that the BC government is making secret deals, with the end goal of putting the entire Region of 7B Peace under moose limited entry, and a complete closure of caribou hunting.
These proposed decisions have been made in blatant contradiction to the Vision, Principles & Goals of Together for Wildlife, the Provincial Wildlife Management Strategy. It is unacceptable that in the adolescence of the Strategy’s implementation its Vision, Principles and Goals are being disregarded in decision making. Instead of upholding these, the proposed decisions are being made under social values, instead of science and evidence-based management and dealing with the cumulative effects of resource extraction.
The WSSBC maintains that it is our intent to recognize and support the rights and title of First Nations in the province and has and will continue to work alongside them on projects.  The province needs to put an immediate stop to using wildlife as a pawn in social management decisions that only fuel divisiveness. The division created when we only manage access to wildlife, rather than manage wildlife is unacceptable when the province is committed to implementing Together for Wildlife.
This agreement goes farther than hunting.  This affects everyone that uses the outdoors, including hikers, anglers, campers and all who love to embrace the beautiful backcountry. It is imperative to the sustainability of wildlife and habitat, and outdoor recreation that land use decisions, and their associated management plans do not occur in the shadows.
It is critical to sound, successful stewardship that the province supports organizations like ours in building bridges between Stakeholder, Non-Governmental Conservation Organizations and First Nations in pursuit of bettering shared values, rather than place us at ends with one another.
Impact of 7b Closure & Science-based Wildlife Management Stats:
Current moose population estimate 60,637
 Sustainable harvest for moose 5-10% of the population
 Sustainable harvest for moose in wolf control zones 15-20%
Conducting wolf control for caribou recovery in 12 management units
 Sustainable moose harvest 4,801-7,455 in Peace Region – government is proposing a harvest of ~635 animals
 There is no scientific support to close caribou hunting or reduce model hunter harvest by 50%
Net loss
50% hunter harvest, 70-80% reduction in hunters, 75-85% reduction in hunter days
Economic loss $14-16 million in resident hunter expenditures

Jermaine Hodge Elk Hunting

Elk Hunting with Jermaine Hodge
Show Notes:
Jermaine Hodge is an experienced, Colorado-based elk hunter with an impressive resume. He was the 2019 Men's Division Elk Calling World Champ, and is the current co-owner of Colorado High Altitude Hunters. We caught up at the Utah Hunt Expo to talk all things elk hunting and elk calling. 
 
It’s been a while since I’ve hunted elk in Colorado, so it was great to hear a boots-on-the-ground report from Jermaine. We both agreed that elk is one of the most fun hunts out there. Jermaine’s full of great elk stories, and he shared a few of his favorites.
 
He told a story about calling for an elk with his wife. Elk make all kinds of noises out there in the field, so it can be tricky to tell what means what. On top of that, not every elk responds the same way to your call. After that, we got into the nuts-and-bolts of elk calling. As a world champion elk caller, Jermaine had plenty of knowledge to share on the subject. Elk calling is a tough thing to get right – Jermaine shared some great tips on how to make it happen. We traded tips and tricks for successfully calling elk. 
 
Jermaine’s also got some great stories about elk hunting – including one about the biggest bull he’s ever seen. He shared a couple of those, and it was great to hear in-the-field experience from him. Calling’s tough, so there’s a lot to take away from Jermaine’s stories. 
 
What's’ Inside:
-Elk hunting stories from Jermaine Hodge.
-Elk calling tips and tricks.
-What it’s like to hunt elk in Colorado.
-Hunting doesn’t always go the way you want. Jermaine’s got a great story about that.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/
 
Short Description:
I sat down with Jermaine Hodge, an expert elk hunter and world champion elk caller based in Colorado. We swapped stories about elk hunting in Colorado and Arizona, and Jermaine shared some tips and tricks for calling elk. Every elk responds differently, and Jermaine’s got plenty of knowledge on how to handle that. 
Tags:Elk, elk hunting, calling, big game hunting, hunting for beginners, colorado hunting, days in the wild, jermaine hodge, elk calling, world champion elk caller, elk stories

Randy Ulmer TBT

Throwback Thursday with Randy Ulmer 
 
Show Notes:  
 
I took a trip down memory lane with my hunting idol, Randy Ulmer. Randy's a veterinarian by trade with 30 years of bowhunting experience. He’s one of the best shots I know and he got into competitive archery where he won both world and national titles. We went deep into how he applies his shooting skills and vet knowledge to become a record-holding hunter. Lots of gold nuggets here, so listen in.

Bear Hunting Tactics with Seth Watts

Bear Hunting with Seth Watts
 
Show Notes:
Seth Watts joined me on the podcast to talk all things bear hunting. He’s been hunting his whole life, but about a decade ago, Seth started bear hunting in California. It was great to hear his thoughts on bear hunting, scouting, and conservation. 
 
“The first thing I always do is call a biologist for that area.” 
Seth and I talked about the first steps to a good bear hunt. We can’t all spend weeks scouting an area, so calling a biologist is a great way to learn about the land. Biologists will share all kinds of great information for hunters, including feeding areas and elevation distribution. Bears can be tough to find. But at the end of the day, they’re food-driven. Wherever the food is, you’ll probably find some bears.
Seth’s in Northern California, where he says the bear populations are getting bigger and bigger. They’re not afraid of people, and are often seen in town. We’ve got the same situation here in Arizona. Seth and I agreed that hunting is an important tool to deal with bear populations.
 
It was great to hear Seth’s ‘boots on the grounds’ thoughts, too. Scouting is important, but it’s critical to take some strategy into the field. We talked about ambush hunting vs. spot-and-stalk. There are pros and cons to each approach, so Seth provided some insight on his personal approach. 
 
We touched on the recent fires in California, before ending with some discussion about calling. Seth provided a few tips for beginner bear hunters as well.  
 
What's’ Inside:
- Ask a biologist for hunting tips. They’re usually happy to help.
- Bears can be tough to find, but Seth gives some tips on what to look for.
- Bears are getting braver – hunting is an important tool for population control.
- There’s nothing more consistent than change – what that means for hunting.
- Insight on how to call for bears.
- Beginner tips for bear hunting. 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/
Seth Watts: ​​https://www.instagram.com/black_bear_pursuit/?hl=en
Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/
 
Short Description:I sat down with Seth Watts to discuss bear hunting. Seth is an experienced bear hunter in Northern California, and he’s got plenty of great knowledge about the sport. We talked about all things bear hunting, including calling, field action, scouting, and more. It can be a tough hunt to get into, so it was great to get Seth’s perspective on getting started. 
 
Tags:Bear hunting, big game hunting, bear calling, ambush hunting, beginner hunting, california hunting, bears, days in the wild, spot and stalk, bear hunter, calling, scouting
 

Talking Mule Deer Hunting Tactics with Billy Babiash Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday with Billy Babish
 
Show Notes: 
 
I’ve got my good friend and long-time hunting colleague, Billy Babish, on the TBT today. Being Arizona natives, Billy and I both know what it’s like to be archery hunting late in the season in this state. But Billy has a special skill…he only gets to hunt by himself for about 5-6 days in a year but he always manages to bag himself a buck. He’s got great know-hows about late season archery hunting in AZ and he gave us the low-down on Coues and mules, animal patterns, strategies he’s tried and what has worked for him over the years.  Talking Mule Deer Hunting Tactics with Billy Babiash 
 
 
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