Days In The Wild - Big game Hunting podcast

Archery Blacktail Hunt recap

Title:  Blacktail Hunt Recap
 
Show Notes:
My two nemesis, the Blacktail Deer and the Roosevelt Elk. I've had 4 tries at the Roosevelt, the only one I shot we never found. But after all these years of chasing blacktail, I finally decided to just shoot the first buck that made me happy. I have had plenty of opportunities to kill a Blacktail. I probably could have killed a buck of the  same caliber I got this year, 3 times already. This year I said no more holding out; I'm taking the shot. I am talking with Mr. Phoenix Shooting Bags himself, Anthony Stallone. I am giving him my recap of our hunt in a California A-Zone. 
 
So last year, I kept going after these big bucks, so different from what everyone else at camp was seeing. I'd get to 100 yards, but I couldn't get that 20 yards to get the ADR pin. I've been way closer, too, and missed the shot. Blacktail Deer do not have that Mule Deer behavior. They don't really ever run out in front of you and look back. 
 
We were hunting in July, which is odd in and of itself. You're not expecting them to be that big. It's hot. It's dry. The terrain is a steep hillside covered in oak variants. Those big oak trees drop leaves and it's so loud. You're walking and it's crunch-crunch-crunch. You make too much noise and they're gone.
 
The mornings seemed to be the most stalks. The Blacktail were out under the trees feeding. About 20 minutes after first light, they start making their way to their first bed and lay down for about an hour. As soon as the sun is gonna be hitting them, they're gone to their permanent bed for the day. That bed is impenetrable. They go in this crazy thick brush in a clump of trees. It is impossible to get in at them. When I would use that first tree line, they'd hear me 500 yards away and bolt. It's like, how the heck am I gonna get them? So I started treating them more like antelope, using the terrain as my cover, but I couldn't get any closer than 100 yards. 
 
Alright, fast forward to this year. It's the same thing, I am seeing big bucks, 110 to 130 range, 3 by 3's and 4 by 4's. The first morning, I found these bucks basically bedded out in the open, just under the shade. I knew that as long as I could get close enough, I could get an open shot on them, but as soon as the sun hit they'd be gone. Sure enough, that's what happens. 
 
The third or fourth morning, I spot this beautiful 5 by 4, sporting 140 inches. I know in my head I'm not gonna get there in time. I get over there and I am almost on this bench and then a steep grassy cliff. Well, I get over there like 50 yards away, and this doe comes over and just stares at me like 15 yards away and I run out of time. It was the same thing over and over, just running out of time every time. The next day after all day of the same story. We have like an hour of light left. We decided to head back for an early night and start fresh the next morning. 
 
Well, we're in the Jeep and I see this buck. I'm like woah, woah, stop. I get down in the trees and he spooks back; a doe in the trees busts me and they go. So whatever, we just drive down again and there are three bucks in the road. I decided I wanted to shoot this cactus buck. I did actually shoot at him, but by the time my arrow got to him, he was gone. So I go back and we're in the Jeep. AGAIN, another buck, this time up on a ridge eating a berry patch. 
 
That's it, I hop out again and I am stalking my way up under the cover of these blackberry vines. I'm thinking this is it, it's so quiet because I am using the trail the deer have been taking. I get up there in the bush and I am 30 yards away. Draw back, shoot. He runs about 40 yards and drops. 
 
BOOM! I got my deer.
 
What’s Inside:
Getting my first Blacktail.
Stories of our hunt in a California A Zone.
The 30,000-Foot view of our trip.
 
Mentioned In This Episode:
 
Phoenix Shooting Bags, save 20% with code johnstallone
Days in the Wild Podcast & Guide Service 
John Stallone Days in The Wild - Days in The Wild 
 
Short Description:
 
After years of holding out for the perfect Blacktail Buck, I took my shot and finally got one under my belt. I am talking with Anthony Stallone about my hunting trip in a California A-Zone. I am giving you the 30,000-foot view of our trip, our shortcomings throughout and the scores at the end.
 
Tags:
Big Game Hunting, Blacktail Deer Hunting, Hunting Stories, Hunting Recap, Big Buck Hunting, Hunting Guide, Bow Hunting, Archery, Pig Hunting, 
 

Early Season Whitetail with Art Helin

Early Season Whitetail with Art Helin
 
Show Notes:
The early season can be a critical time when it comes to deer hunting. Art Helin has been hunting whitetail for most of his life, and he’s learned a lot about how the deer behave throughout the season.
 
You have to remember, these deer are smart animals. They’re really good at noticing small changes in their environment. Art talks about how to use tree cameras to stay out of the deer’s area, so that you don’t put pressure on them too early in the season and make them move to a new safe zone. He’s even got stories about deer spotting his trail cameras, and he brings up an important point: you’ve got to deal with the scent of your cameras before you take them out into the woods.
 
There is a second approach, though. Art and I have noticed that deer will get so used to humans that they will even bed down in people’s yards! So if you’re lucky enough to own the land that you hunt on, spend a lot of time in the field so that the animals will get used to you and not immediately respond to you as a threat.
 
And just like timing is important in the season, it’s also important on the hunt itself. Art shares a story about a time when he rushed his calls and spooked a deer, which he never ended up being able to take down. The trick is to really know your calls, so that you know when to use which one. The animals are expecting to hear certain noises at certain times, so do your homework and learn those timings and patterns.
 
What’s Inside:
How to approach the early season.
Two ways to prep: stay away, or let the animals get used to you.
How to de-scent your trail cameras before putting them out.
Which deer calls to use and when.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Days In The Wild
JohnStallone.me
 
Short Description:You have to approach whitetail hunting differently in the early season than you do later on in the year. Our guest Art Helin is here today to share stories and tips about big buck hunting, especially in the early season.
 
Tags:
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big buck hunting, hunting stories,  trail cameras, deer calls, whitetail hunting

Lessons Learned – Confidence and Optimism Equal Patience with Jeremy Houston

Lessons Learned – Confidence and Optimism Equal Patience with Jeremy Houston
 
Show Notes:
Ever since I started this series on Lessons Learned, one topic has come up again and again: patience. My guest today, though, connects some dots in a new way. 
 
Jeremy says that you have to have confidence in order to be patient. He and I have both learned the hard way that when you lose faith in your abilities as a hunter, you give up early. And when you give up early, you miss out on great opportunities. I like to call these “mental give-ups,” and it’s important to ignore that little voice in your head that tells you to just call it quits.
 
That, Jeremy believes, is where optimism comes in. If you know the area and the animals in it, and you have a little optimism that something good will come your way, you’re much more likely to ignore the mental give-ups and stick it out. 
 
Jeremy and I also talk about ways to keep on hunting and improving our skills, even outside of the season. For me, that means bowhunting coyotes. For Jeremy, that means wildlife photography. He explains how “hunting with a camera” allows him to be out in the field year-round. Plus, since you have to get in close to the animals to get a good picture, Jeremy gets to practice his stalking skills while also studying the animals in the wild.
 
What’s Inside:
You have to have confidence in order to be patient.
Ignore the “mental give-up”.
How to build confidence in your equipment.
Be in “hunting mode” from the moment you leave the truck.
How to “hunt with a camera” year round.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Days In The Wild
Muley photos on Instagram
 
Short Description:You’ve heard me talk with my guests before about how important patience is when it comes to big game hunting. My guest today, Jeremy Houston, explains how patience is tied directly to confidence, both in yourself and your equipment. Combine that with a little optimism, and you’ll be set up for success.
 
Tags:
mule deer hunting, big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big buck hunting, hunting stories, archery, bow hunting, wildlife photography

Master Your Setup with Dorran Larner

Master Your Setup with Dorran Larner
 
Show Notes:
Bow hunter Dorran Larner has learned a lot over his years of hunting elk. Today, he’s here to talk about something really important: mastering your setup.
 
I call it “building the room,” but basically, you need to have a mastery of the small area that you are setting up to be your kill zone. You need to identify the hangup spots that these animals will stop at, and use them to your advantage.
 
Dorran learned this the hard way one time when he got in a hurry and didn’t pay enough attention to his immediate surroundings. He was calling in a big bull, thinking the animal was going to cross in front of him where he was waiting at full draw. What he failed to spot was the game trail two yards behind him. The bull sped up the game trail, blew right by Doran, and vanished.
 
If he’d taken his time, Dorran would’ve spotted that game trail and worked it into his plans. That’s why you’ve really got to keep your cool and not get swept up in the moment. When you get all fired up and excited, that’s when you’re going to make a mistake or miss a crucial detail and ruin things for yourself.
 
This applies to things like decoys too. I had a decoy set up one time and was calling a bull towards it, intending to take my shot when he stopped to look at the decoy. But I wasn’t paying attention to the wind, and it gusted up and flipped my decoy over, spooking the bull. Again, if I’d slowed down and thought about the wind, I probably wouldn’t have made that mistake.
 
What’s Inside:
“Build the room:” establish and master your kill zone.
Pay attention to your surroundings.
Don’t neglect the wind.
The importance of staying calm in the moment.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Days In The Wild
JohnStallone.me
 
Short Description:Longtime elk hunter and fellow bow man Dorran Larner is with me today to talk all about mastering your setup. When you take the time to properly “build the room” and establish a good kill zone, you’re going to set yourself up for success.
 
Tags:
decoy hunting, big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big bull hunting, hunting stories, bow hunting, elk calls, elk hunting
 

Steve Chappell Give Them What They Want!

Lessons Learned – Want To Call An Animal In? Give Them What They Want with Steve Chappell
 
Show Notes:
My friend Steve Chappell spent years elk hunting using only cow calls. And, it worked... sometimes. But one day, he decided he had nothing to lose and tried bugling in a big buck: and to his surprise, the buck walked right up for a nice 30-yard shot.
 
That was when Steve learned an important lesson: sometimes, you have to change up what you’re doing to bring the animal in. As a hunter, it’s easy to think, “Well, that animal just didn’t like my cow sounds,” when in reality, that bull wants to hear a bugle. You have to approach every animal as a unique individual that is going to want to hear different things before it comes in to take a look. The best way to learn these sounds and combinations is to listen to live elk, either in the field or on YouTube.
 
I learned this lesson hunting both whitetail and coyotes. You have to incorporate non-vocal sounds too, because you’re trying to create as full of an illusion as you can for the animal. There are certain things that they are expecting to hear, and if you only provide one or two of those things, you’re going to create what I call a “skeptical buck.”
 
Another important lesson from Steve is to always get a handle on your wind before you start calling. “If you give that buck a chance to get wind of you, he’s going to do it every time.” Your best bet is to position yourself directly downwind of the animal before you start trying to draw him in.
 
What’s Inside:
Be prepared to change your approach.
Study live elk sounds on YouTube
Use non-vocal sounds to paint a fuller picture.
How to control your wind.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Days In The Wild
JohnStallone.meElk Camp
 
Short Description:As a hunter, it’s easy to get in the mindset of “that bull just didn’t like the way I called,” when in reality, you just need to try a different call altogether. Steve Chappell shares stories about how he learned to change his approach to calling in animals, and how that change increased his rate of success.
 
Tags:
whitetail, big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big buck hunting, hunting stories, bow hunting, non-vocal sounds, elk calls

Elk Lessons with Elk Bros Joe Giglia

Elk Lessons with Elk-Bro Joe Giglia
 
Show Notes:
Joe Giglia knows elk. He practically eats, sleeps, and breathes elk. In fact, he had so many people telling him he needed to preserve and share his wisdom that he helped start the ElkBros podcast. That’s why I’ve brought him on the show today to tell us some stories about his days hunting big bulls.
 
You know how they say, “a watched pot never boils?” Well, a watched animal will look up right at you. We’ve both got stories about times when whitetail and elk seem to have a sixth sense about being looked at. In our experience, it’s best to watch the area, not the animal.
 
Joe has a ton of stories that cover a ton of topics. He’s got great advice about bugling in bulls and how to read and interpret their responses. You’ve got to really put on a show for the animal that you’re trying to attract. He’s also got tips about how to read the land and the signs that elk leave when they pass.
 
Joe has a real passion for hunting, and you can hear it in his stories. To learn more about elk hunting, check out the ElkBros podcast.
 
What’s Inside:
Put on a show to draw the animal in.
Deer and elk have a sixth sense that you have to overcome.
Advice about what calls to use when.
There are no participation trophies in hunting!
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Days In The Wild
JohnStallone.me
ElkBros.com
 
Short Description:Joe Giglia knows so much about elk that he had to start a podcast about it, ElkBros. Today, he’s hanging out with us for a good old-fashioned story swap, chock-full of tips and tricks for taking big bulls: including the “fatal flaw” that he believes all elk share.
 
Tags:
big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big bull hunting, hunting stories, bow hunting, elk calls, elk hunting
 

Personal Experience Beats All with Shannon Mobbs

Lessons Learned – Personal Experience Beats All with Shannon Mobbs
 
Show Notes:
There’s a lot of information out there when it comes to hunting. Between YouTube, podcasts, books, and social media, there are a lot of so-called experts pushing their “conventional wisdom” and hunting tips. But here’s the thing: a lot of those people only get success every once in a while. In other words, they don’t always know what they’re talking about.
 
That’s why elk hunter Shannon Mobbs and I are talking about the importance of personal experience today. We’ve both learned that sometimes, you’ll experience things in the field that go against everything you’ve heard before, and we swap some stories to back it up. That’s why it’s so important to spend time out there on the lots, even in the off season.
 
For example, Shannon was always taught that you can’t bugle Roosevelt elk. But he knew from observing them that they do communicate with each other. Once he was able to teach himself how to communicate like the animals did, his success rate went way up.
 
We also spend some time talking about our equipment setups, and the time it took for us to dial them in. Shannon agrees with me that “the middle of the road is the way to go” when it comes to things like arrow weight and speed, but he also agrees that it takes a lot of time, practice, and tweaking to “find your middle.”
 
What’s Inside:
Why personal experience is the most important teacher.
Bowhunting in thick terrain.
How to tweak your archery setup to find perfection.
Small changes make a huge difference.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
JohnStallone.me
Days In The WildAngry Spike Productions
 
Short Description:Shannon Mobbs always heard that you can’t bugle elk: but his own experience told him otherwise. He’s here today to tell us about how he learned to reject the “common wisdom” of the masses and trust his own experience when it comes to big game hunting. 
 
Tags:
mule deer hunting, big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big buck hunting, hunting stories, bow hunting, archery, roosevelt elk, elk bugles

Arizona Early Season Deer and OTC bear hunts Eddie Willey

Arizona Early Season Deer and OTC bear hunts Eddie Willey
We talk about:
Some tips and tactics for hunting the Early OTC hunt here in AZ.
Tips for hunting water with ground blind
Being proficient with your rifle 
 
Check out Eddie and the Crew here

AZ Elk Hunting With Travis McClendon Bonus episode

Bonus Episode: Travis McCledon and I discuss Arizona elk hunting. Unfortunately we lost the first 15mins of the podcast I apologize but there is still some good info if you pay attention.
 
check out Travis at Professional Elk Hunting Guides. Hunt Whitetail Deer & Mule Deer In AZ. (arizonaelkoutfitters.com) 

Trust Your Instincts with Cody Dyce

Lessons Learned – Trust Your Instincts with Cody Dyce
 
Show Notes:
There are a lot of tools and toys available to help the modern hunter in his quest for the perfect trophy. And sometimes, those gadgets can do you wrong.
 
Mule deer hunter and guide Cody Dyce learned this the hard way when he destroyed a good trophy by messing up the angle of his shot. He trusted his equipment to get the range when setting up the shot, and he ended up hitting high. What was supposed to be a centerline chest shot tore straight through the animal’s nose and cracked the skull all the way through.
 
I’ve had this happen to me too when bow hunting. One time, I had two separate rangefinders with me, and they both did me wrong. My arrow flew a good four feet over the deer and spooked it; I never saw that buck again.
 
The thing is, no matter how fancy or precise your equipment is, it can’t account for every situation. That’s when you have to listen to your gut as a hunter, and trust your instincts. That’s also why it’s important to learn everything you can about the area you’re hunting in.
 
Cody also shares some stories about how pressure in the unit from other hunters worked to his benefit. If you know the land and how the animals on it are going to react to being kicked up, you can set yourself up along their backdoor. Then, when they get spooked by other hunters, they’ll run right to you.
 
Cody and I share a passion for conservation and wildlife management. We’re all sportsman and outdoorsman: let’s make sure we have an outdoors to enjoy in the future, and not just right now.
 
What’s Inside:
When hunting gadgets go wrong.
It takes time on the land to hone your instincts.
Use pressure from other hunters to your advantage.
The importance of conservation and how you can make your voice heard.
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags save 20% with code johnstallone
Days In The Wild
Short Description:No matter how fancy or expensive your equipment is, it can still fail you at the worst times. That’s why Cody Dyce says it’s important to trust your instincts as a hunter. He shares tips and stories about honing his instincts as a hunter, using pressure from other hunters to his advantage, and how you can get involved in the fight to conserve the great outdoors.
 
Tags:
mule deer hunting, big game hunting, hunting tips, hunting guide, big buck hunting, hunting stories, hunting technology, conservation