Days In The Wild - Big game Hunting podcast

Solo Elk Hunting with Rockie Jacobsen

Solo Elk Hunting with Rockie Jacobsen
 
Show Notes:
The founder of Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls, Rocky Jacobsen sold his business about a year and half ago. He stayed on the board and the research part of the business, but he stepped out of the day-to-day running of the business so that he could spend more time hunting elk and being with his family. Rockie loves to solo elk hunt, and most of the elk that he’s killed was done on his solo hunts. It’s a tough game to play, but he’s got some strategies that he’s figured out over the years that have helped him.
 
Learning elk behavior is more important than anything because you can get by with being a mediocre caller. But you’re best served by learning their behavior because you can play on that more than their calls. You should think of the calling as just another tool to aid you in your hunting. Don’t think of the elk calling as the beginning of your elk hunting; it’s what you turn to when you’ve got the rest figured out. 
 
It’s a challenge to get the elk to come the last 50-70 yards and present a good shot to you. Rockie talks about some of his favorite bow hunts, and he shares some of his preferred calls, including the differences between grunt tubes and diaphragms. He’s been talking about making latex-free callers for people with a latex allergy, and now that he’s retired, he finally had time to work on that project. He’s really excited about some of the sounds he can call from this new material. Check out his website for his newest elk callers. 
What’s Inside:
Every 3-5 years, Rockie comes up with a different sound so the elk don’t get used to a call.
How to pack a big elk out by yourself.
Rocky demonstrates the sounds of his new latex-free diaphragms.
How the strategy of Smell first, See second, and Hear third plays out in the field.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
 
Short Description:
Hunting alone requires a different approach than hunting with a partner, and Rockie Jacobsen, who’s been doing it for years, shares some of his favorite tips for calling an elk, putting it down, and hauling it out of the field. For over 30 years, Rockie’s been designing and manufacturing elk calls, and he has a wealth of information to share about elk calls.
Tags:
Solo elk hunting, elk hunting in AZ, elk calling, calling a bull, calling a cow, latex-free elk callers, non-latex elk callers, hunting alone

High FOC? Fast and Furious? Arrow building

Best Arrow set up: It is very easy to go down a rabbit hole when it comes to building an arrow for your bow, I know I’ve been down a few of them myself… So Before you get to crazy there is no perfect.. in physics/mechanics you always have to give up something to gain something else so there is only best for what I need.       
 What I’ve learned in my 30 + years of archery is the most important thing next to consistency is your starting point. What do I mean by starting point ? Keep in mind. Your bow, your arrow and its components is a system in which everything is connected and not independent of each other. Meaning when you adjust one parameter or change one component it has an effect on a different part of the system. Example you want high FOC so you load up the front of an arrow now your spine gets weakened.. So it is important to enter the system at a level that will yield the best results and since you can enter it at any point like buying a broadhead first and building around that. You need to pick a starting point. For most of us we are not going to have multiple bows for different situations nor do we all have the means to retune our bow for different set ups. 
Continue Reading article here https://johnstallone.me/best-arrow-set-up/
Keywords: Arrow building, best arrow set up, High FOC, What the FOC? , Heavy arrows, fixed blade broadheads, best arrow 

E-Scouting for Elk with Mark Livesay, Part 3

E-Scouting for Elk with Mark Livesay, Part 3
 
Show Notes:
In this third podcast with e-scouting expert Mark Livesay, Mark shares strategies for when and where you should plan a hunt. For ten years, Mark gave little to no thought about pre-planning his hunts. Then he realized that there are simply too many details to just remember, and that he was wasting valuable time out in the wild. Some hunters get overly ambitious about a hunt and forget about their physical and mental capabilities. Tying everything together to plan a hunt that’s prepared for any eventuality is Mark’s specialty, so pull up a chair and listen close. 
 
Mark loves to hunt timberline elk in Colorado, but there’s a couple of factors that you might not think about. During the hunting season and at that elevation, the grasses are incredibly dry, which underscores the point that you can’t only think about the weather, but also the food source for the herd. So as you plan a hunt in this area, like many places in the west, you’ll need to think about the bands of elevation on a map. 
 
Even though you might love the idea of packing everything in and hunting in some remote spot, Mark always tries to guarantee that he has a basecamp. He looks for ways to prevent a hunt from getting ruined, and he’s found that establishing a basecamp is a good place to send a hunter struggling with altitude sickness or down with an injury. 
 
Mark likes stacking as many positive features as possible, and for him this means taking into account: 
Elk finding features
The breeding cycle
The callability of the herd
The schedule of a hunt
 
Mark’s course is a great investment, but even if you’re not ready for that kind of commitment, you can check out his Treeline Pursuits podcast for more e-scouting tips. Use Promo code johnstallone to save 20%
 
What’s Inside:
If you only had ten days to hunt in the entire year, when would you do that? Mark weighs in.
Why understanding where the bands of elevation are plays a part in your hunt planning, and how that can differ from state to state. 
Choosing optimal hunting dates using the moon phases, the weather and temperature.
How elk estrus is affected by the equinox, and how you can take that into account when you’re planning a hunt. 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
OnXMaps.com
GoHunt.com
HuntinFool.com
TreelinePursuits.com
@treeline_pursuits
Elk 101 with Corey Jacobsen
TreelineAcademy.net
 
Short Description:
Rolling into a new state to hunt for 10 days might be the highlight of your year. But if you’re laid low with altitude sickness because you didn’t think about how the mountains might affect you, then you may end up wasting precious hunting time. Plan for every possibility with master e-scouting guide Mark Livesay.
Tags:
Cyber scouting, digital scouting, e-scouting, best hunting tools, elk hunting, planning a hunt, digital hunting tools, best states to elk hunt, preseason hunting

E-Scouting for Elk with Mark Livesay, Part 2

E-Scouting for Elk with Mark Livesay, Part 2
 
Show Notes:
The ultimate goal of e-scouting is creating a master plan with multiple hunt areas. Mark Livesay from Treeline Pursuits returns for an incredibly in depth look on how to plan a hunt using all of the modern tools available. He outlines different parts of his course, including what tools to use, how to understand the data you see, and why you should stack different features to guarantee that you’ll find the elk you’re looking for. 
 
When you only have 10-14 days to hunt elk out of a year, why would you want to leave any stone unturned or walk into a hunt unprepared? Pouring over data and maps beforehand leaves Mark with few surprises when he’s out in the field, and planning for contingencies like too much snow, too many hunters or not enough elk will relieve stress and pressure when you finally get the chance to get out into the field.
 
Mark covers the 9 elk finding features that he looks for as he plans his hunts. He’s created a system that includes carefully designing a custom map that tells you a story. For example, on OnX, if everything is red, it’s not going to put a picture in your head of the area that you’re looking at. Mark adopts different colors and symbols to tell a better story of the terrain. And he warns that anytime you export data, a program will use default icons. So you’ll need to be careful where you create your custom maps.
 
In great detail, Mark covers what you can expect to find in different areas, including how to match up what’s on the map and what the local data tells you. You’ll want to look for:
Meadows and feeding zones,
Canyons, creeks and drainages
Fire zone
Beetle kills in the trees
Benches and slopes
 
Mark’s knowledge of e-scouting is huge. If you’re ready to do a better job planning your next hunt, check out Mark’s e-scouting course to help walk you step-by-step through the process. Use Promo code johnstallone to save 20%
 
 
What’s Inside:
Mark stresses just how valuable Google Earth is as a planning tool, especially when paired with other planning tools.
How to figure out if a trail is mostly used for recreation, and how that impacts elk behavior.
Mark explains why stacking features makes it more likely that you’ll find a herd of elk, rather than just relying on a single feature like looking on the north slopes of an area. 
I’m a huge fan of edge habitats; we talk about the identifying characteristics of an edge habitat, and why they help you find more animals.
How to judge a fire zone correctly so that you’ve accurately anticipated the benefits and challenges of hunting in that area.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
CalTopo.com
GaiaGPS.com
OnXMaps.com
GoHunt.com
HuntinFool.com
TreelinePursuits.com
@treeline_pursuits
 
Short Description:
Back for round 2, Mark Livesay moves beyond the tools he uses to talk about how to understand the maps that he uses to help plan his yearly elk hunts. The wealth of data out there for hunters to sift through can be overwhelming, which is why an e-scouting guide like Mark can help you make sense of what you’re looking at when you pull up Google Earth.
 
Tags:
Cyber scouting, digital scouting, e-scouting, best hunting tools, elk hunting, planning a hunt, digital hunting tools, best states to elk hunt, preseason hunting

E-Scouting for Elk with Mark Livesay Part 1

E-Scouting for Elk with Mark Livesay
 
Show Notes:
When Mark Livesay started hunting elk, Google Earth wasn’t even a thing. But when it showed up on the scene,Google Earth totally changed the game for him. If you’re going to spend all kinds of money on a tag, your gear, and your hunting trip, you’d better include some preseason e-scouting as a further investment in your hunting strategy. More and more people are applying for tags, and the competition is fierce. People want to try new areas and new states, and e-scouting or cyber-scouting has gotten really intense. 
 
Mark’s hunting isn’t based around killing the biggest elk. He aims for three elk tags a year in three different states because his passion is hunting new areas all of the time. In the last 30 years, he’s only gone back to the same area three times. And even though you’re going to have more success if you hunt through an area more than once, that’s just not Mark’s way.
 
In this episode, Mark’s going to give you a rundown on his favorite e-scouting tools, including which ones he prefers to use together because layering them gives a hunter even more data:
 
Basemap
OnX
Gaia GPS
Google Earth Pro
CalTopo
 
Additionally, Mark uses data that the states themselves put out, which you might see listed as elk management reports, hunt planners, hunt atlases, or motor vehicle use. We talk about how to analyze this sometimes incomplete data to get a better idea of the herd health in an area. 
 
Check out Mark’s course Treeline Academy for even more details on how e-scout an area before you even pull your tag. Mark is like the Tony Robbins of hunting, and his course is well worth the investment. Use Promo code johnstallone to save 20%
 
What’s Inside:
Why he pays attention to the comments section on hunting websites. 
What are you looking for when you look at the statistics on animals, especially since states may collect incomplete or mediocre data?
How we analyze the hunting data to figure out the best place to go hunting, and why some states are harder to analyze than others.
With all of the maps you can layer in Google Earth Pro, Mark says that there is nothing like it for the amount of information and detail you can get.
Does your state have a hunt planner? Is it even worth it?
 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
CalTopo.com
GaiaGPS.com
OnXMaps.com
GoHunt.com
HuntinFool.com
TreelinePursuits.com
@treeline_pursuits
 
Short Description:
Careful planning is going to improve your chances of bagging the elk you’re after, and Mark Livesay is an absolute powerhouse of planning information. You are not going to believe the value he brings to the hunting world, including all of the tools, websites and resources that he recommends, that will help you show up on the first day of a hunt absolutely prepared to use that tag that you put in for.
Tags:
Cyber scouting, digital scouting, e-scouting, best hunting tools, elk hunting, planning a hunt, digital hunting tools, best states to elk hunt, preseason hunting

Hunting in Arizona

Title: Hunting in Arizona
 
Show Notes:
Flipping around my normal podcast format, David Hartlin from The Guide Shack interviews me for his fishing audience about some of the best hunting in Arizona. As a Canadian, David was most interested in some of the unique desert hunts my guiding service provides, including the increasingly popular javelina hunts.
 
Sometimes when I get folks from the Midwest booking a hunt with me, they don’t want to hunt  what they think is just a smaller white-tailed deer. But Coues deer are some of my most popular hunts, and for good reason. It’s not until people experience it that they see how amazing it is to see a 110-inch rack on a 90-pound animal. It looks like a 160-inch rack, and it’ll blow your mind.
 
I’ve had a lot more clients want to go javelina hunting, and that side of my business has really grown in the last 2-3 years. It’s a high success rate hunt, meaning you can almost guarantee that you’ll go home with some good meat. Plus, there are three seasons: Archery season in January, ham season in the first two weeks of February, and rifle season is one week near the end of February. 
 
Predator hunts in Arizona are open almost year-round. There is a season for the fur-bearers, but coyote hunts are open year-round. We talk about the tag situation here and how that affects planning a hunt. There’s no getting around that it’s just harder to get a rifle mule deer tag than it used to be. So naturally, that’s going to shift people onto another species or another kind of hunt.
 
If you’ve been dreaming about salmon fishing up in Canada, David offers guided tours all over Newfoundland, so check out his website. 
 
What’s Inside:
A cool part about Arizona, unlike other states that run a point system, is that you always have a mathematical chance of getting a tag.
We compare the public perception of hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen in Canada and the U.S.
David advises “Don’t pass on Monday morning that which you’d shoot on Friday evening”. 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
David Hartlin Guiding
@davidhartlinguiding
 
Short Description:
Canadian fly fishing guide David Hartlin interviews me about some of my favorite and most popular hunts in Arizona. I get a chance to open up about how my guide business is going, and we compare notes on how politics sometimes gets tied up into hunting. 
 
Tags:
AZ guided hunt, hunting javelina, elk hunt, Coues deer hunt, guided salmon trip, Canadian hunting, drawing hunting tags in AZ, best javelina hunt

Congressman David Schweikert Smart Conservation- Science Based Hunting Laws

Smart Conservation-Based Hunting Laws
  
‌Show‌ ‌Notes:‌ ‌
Congressman David Schweikert represents the northern suburbs of Phoenix, in the 6th District, and he is a lifelong Arizonan and outdoorsman. He takes a science-based approach to conservation laws, and he joins me today to talk about how hunters can work with their representatives to create common sense laws that support our way of life. Hunters are an important part of keeping things in balance in the outdoors, and we need to make sure that our perspective is considered when laws about hunting, guns, or wildlife management are made.
 
As a whole, the North American conservation model works. I have a degree in this field, so it’s something that I think about a lot. So while there are definitely things we can tinker with to improve our outdoors, across the world our conservation laws are considered the gold standard.   
 
You’ve got to look at everything in the outdoors with a holistic eye. If you ban bear hunting in California, then you’re going to see the black-tailed deer population explode. There’s a balance that you have to strike as you make laws regarding the land and the animals on it. Plus, as Congressman Schweikert points out, there are problems with invasive species that we have to keep an eye on. If you have lawmakers that are hellbent on banning a certain kind of hunting, if they don’t understand that that kind of hunting is keeping another animal population in check, then you might end up with the Staten Island deer problem.
 
Don’t wait until a bill is passed to contact your representative. Congressman Schweitzer gives his advice on:
Why you should get to know your rep now
How you can open up a conversation with them
The power of hunters lobbying together
 
Tell your story to your congressperson before a crappy piece of legislation is introduced. If this episode has you fired up about how hunters can work together for smart and sensible legislation that approach problems holistically, I’d love to talk to you. 
 
 
What’s‌ ‌Inside:‌ ‌
How can we increase the education component of conservation?
Congressman Schweikert talks about what he calls the “Bambi Effect” that’s distorting for millions of Americans what responsible conservation should look like. 
Getting laws made based on science and facts, and not emotion, means that hunters are going to need to educate the public.
According to Congressman Schweikert, this is the absolute best way to talk to a congressman about hunting, even if you’re in a suburban district.
 
 
Mentioned‌ ‌in‌ ‌this‌ ‌Episode:‌ ‌
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
Rep. David Schweikert
 
 Short‌ ‌Description:‌ ‌
The best time to object to a law that’s going to curb when, where, and how you can hunt is not when legislators are voting on it. Congressman David Schweikert from Arizona’s 6th District is an avid outdoorsman, and we talk about strategies that hunters can engage in to guarantee that laws are made with conservation in mind. 
 
 
Tags:‌ ‌
Hunting legislation, hunter friendly legislation, hunting and conservation, AZ hunting, gun legislation, conservation laws

2021 Javelina Hunting Season

Title: Javelina Hunting with Kids
 
Show Notes:
You cannot beat the javelina hunt for an easy and accessible way to introduce kids to hunting. My cousin Anthony Stallone and I recently took our kids out together for a javelina junior hunt to give them some experience and a little boost of confidence.
 
If you’ve never had javelina, or you’ve had it and hated it, you’re missing out. It took me a few tries to figure out how to get the meat cooked just right, but now Anthony and I both love it. That makes javelina both a great hunt and a delicious game to eat. 
 
I’m very adamant about not taking too many javelina out of the same herd because their chances of survival drop when they go below 5 in a herd. One of the cool things about finding a herd is you can guarantee that they’ll be in the same area year after year, so you can be selective about harvesting just the right ones. And since they reliably produce, hunting them is so much easier year after year. 
 
There are some unique challenges to getting kids to listen while also teaching them about hunting safely. What you learn in school you might walk away and forget, but what you learn while you’re hunting will stick with you forever. That’s one of the reasons we make the effort to pass on our love for hunting with the next generation.
 
What’s Inside:
How I cut up javelina efficiently to maximize the meat and minimize the risk of cutting that gland.
If you’ve only taught a kid to hunt from a certain position, that could come back to bite you in the field; how Anthony had to work around that problem.
Anthony’s son tells his version of shooting a javelina.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
 
Short Description:
Anthony Stallone and I talk about how we teach kids to hunt, which sounds amazing if you love the mix of kids who don’t listen and guns. But Anthony and I both want our kids to learn, and the javelina hunt is the perfect beginner hunt for kids. 
Tags:
Hunting with kids, AZ hunting, AZ hunting guide, pig hunts, javelina hunts, junior hunts, hunting safety with kids, cooking javelina, best wild meat

Talking Turkey w/ Parrey Cremeans

Title: Turkey Talk
 
Show Notes:
Parrey Cremeans guides for mule deer, elk, turkey, and more at Just For Hunting in California and beyond. He’s embarking on the Super Slam which is harvesting a turkey in all 49 states. Yes, that’s 48 states, plus Hawaii. Alaska proved to be too cold for them. Parrey calls it “Chasing 49”, and he discusses some of his favorite turkey hunting stories today. 
 
In parts of the country that are heavily populated, you might have to get creative about how you hunt. But when you hear people sharing their stories about how they’ve got a flock of turkeys in their backyards, then you know they’re all over the country. In certain states in the east, you can’t even pull a tag until you can prove that you have permission to hunt on someone’s land.
 
Okay, you’ve located a roost. What do you do next? Parrey walks me through the next step once you find turkeys. Everything in the woods is a community species, and they all want to be together until they don’t have to. So of course, the time of year, or the breeding season, is going to play a big role in your stalking or calling strategy.
 
A lot of turkey hunters will say, “Turkeys were made to be shot with a shotgun”. Well, that depends on whether you’re shooting in the east or the west. Back east, you might see one or two toms and three hens, but out west, Parrey’s seen groups of 60-200 at a time. If you’re chasing turkeys in 49 different states, you’re going to need to change your strategy dozens of times to adjust for their different habits. 
 
If you need a guide in Northern California, or you’re interested in a turkey hunt, check out Parrey’s website for more information.
 
 
What’s Inside:
As an avid bowhunter, Parrey has had to adjust his strategy when stalking eastern flocks of birds. 
Coyote calling or crow calling: What’s the best method to call at a turkey?
Hunting turkey is going to inevitably put you on private property, especially in more populated states like New Jersey.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
JustForHunting.com
 
Short Description:
Did you know that you can hunt turkey in 49 out of 50 American states? Yes, even Hawaii has wild turkeys. Parrey Cremeans from Just For Hunting and Mossy Oak talks turkey strategy when hunting all across the country as he pursues his goal of “Chasing 49”.
 
Tags:
Turkey hunting, turkey hunting in the east, chasing 49, best turkey hunt, calling turkeys, turkey decoys, guided CA hunts, guided AZ hunts

Barbary Sheep, Elk, and Buffalo Hunting with Paul Bias

Barbary Sheep, Elk, and Buffalo Hunting with Paul Bias
 
Show Notes:
Paul Bias is an Arizona native, and has been hunting since he was a young kid. He does some guiding on the side right now, but he’s anticipating moving to guiding full-time in the next few years as he gets ready to retire from his day job. 
 
Paul lucked out this year and drew some really awesome tags. COVID may have scared off some hunters, but it gave him an opportunity to really get out there and hunt some new species. Drawing a tag as a non-resident is like betting against the house. So when Paul got one for New Mexico, he was thrilled. 
 
He started scoping out his elk hunt online beforehand, but with barbary sheep, he’d never hunted them before so he didn’t know quite what he was doing at first. He started out on the desert floor, and glassed them up on the mountains. Then he’d stalk them up the mountain, heading straight up and over piles of shale. He’d find the sheep consistently through the binoculars, but going up the mountains really added an element of surprise into the hunt. 
 
In June, Paul’s going up for a buffalo hunt. He’s taking every opportunity to get out there and see some amazing scenery and go stalk some new animals. Don’t put off your next hunting trip because you want everything to line up perfectly. Get out into the wild and enjoy the hunt.
 
What’s Inside:
Paul’s approach to pulling tags, and why now’s a great time to just go for it.
People always have an opinion about their first shot being perfect, so Paul shares his strategy around getting that first attempt just right.
After processing the meat from his last elk hunt, Paul talks about some of his favorite game meat. 
Mentioned in this Episode:
Days in the Wild on itunes
Days in the Wild on Podbean
Phoenix Shooting Bags Save 20% with code: johnstallone
Days in the Wild
Bushnell.com Save 15% on everything at Bushnell with code: STL02
 
Short Description:
Paul Bias has been hunting since he was a kid, and this year he pulled some amazing tags. With the attitude of just getting out there, he’s been able to see some new scenery, hunt some new animals, and cross some items off of his hunting bucket list. 
 
Tags:
AZ hunting, guided AZ hunt, bison hunt, buffalo hunt, barbary sheep hunt, elk hunting, AZ hunting guide, NM hunting