Every now and then it's worth looking back at the gear you've bought and asking yourself... was it actually worth it? That's what this episode is. No sponsorship fluff. Just my honest thoughts after putting this gear through its paces over the last 12 months. 

Some of it has been worth every cent. Other bits I'm still on the fence about. From cameras and boots through to wet weather gear, rangefinders, camping gear and vacuum sealers, I break down what I paid, why I bought it, and whether I'd spend the money again.

I also run through my brand new bow setup after finally pulling the trigger on the Darton TriTech. We talk through why I chose it, how it tuned, what it cost, and the first couple of hunts where it really surprised me.

One moment that still sticks with me was watching a group of hinds barely react after I missed a shot through a lantana bush. They moved, stopped about 60 metres away and just stood there. It was the first real indication of just how incredibly quiet this new bow actually is.

🔍 What We Cover:

• Why I chose the DJI Action 5 Pro over a GoPro and Insta360, and how it's handled hunting, spearfishing and low-light filming.
• My thoughts on the Stoney Creek Nitz rain jacket after using it in Queensland conditions, including where it excels and where it falls short.
• Testing Reebok Tactical boots in steep, muddy country and how they compared to Volleys and Salomons for long days in the hills.
• The camping mattress setup that completely changed how I sleep in my swag, including the North Peak inflatable system and pillow combination.
• A new rechargeable head torch with adjustable beam patterns, red light mode and gesture controls that has replaced my old setup.
• Upgrading from a budget Aldi rangefinder to the Leupold RX-1400i and why quality glass and angle compensation make such a difference in the field.
• Why I invested in a chamber vacuum sealer, how it improves meat storage, and the biggest advantage over traditional vacuum sealers.
• The process behind choosing the Darton TriTech after the Truth bow production issues and why feedback from bow technicians convinced me.
• Setting up the new bow, tuning broadheads with the limb adjustment system, and how quickly it paper tuned.
• Two real hunting encounters where the Darton TriTech's incredibly quiet shot helped deer stay calm after the arrow was released.
• An update on preparing the camel euro mount, using acetone to remove oils from the skull, and plans for the new podcast backdrop.

🧠 Key Takeaway

The best gear isn't always the most expensive, it's the gear that genuinely solves a problem once you've used it in the real world. Putting equipment through hunts, bad weather and long days in the bush quickly shows what's worth keeping and what isn't.

🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

Public land hunting in Australia gives hunters access to millions of acres of huntable country, but getting started can be confusing. Alex Proft from Aussie Bush Harvest breaks down the NSW public land hunting system, how the R Licence works, where you can hunt, and why public land remains one of the best ways to build hunting skills and experience.

The conversation also covers bowhunting, Sambar deer, public access, hunting culture, conservation, and the future of hunting opportunities in Australia. Alex shares stories from years of hunting public land and explains why learning a piece of country can be more valuable than constantly chasing new locations. 

What You'll Learn

• How the NSW R Licence system works for rifle hunters, bowhunters, and pig doggers

• Where public land hunting is available in New South Wales

• Why public land hunting helped develop Alex's bowhunting skills

• The differences between public land and private property hunting

• How hunting pressure changes deer behaviour on public land

• Why Sambar deer thrive in remote public land country

• The challenges facing hunting access in Australia

• Why hunters, fishers, campers, and outdoor users need a stronger collective voice

About the Guest

Alex Proft is the creator of Aussie Bush Harvest and has spent years documenting hunting, fishing, bushcraft, and outdoor adventures across Australia. He's well known for his public land hunting content, thoughtful approach to hunting, and his passion for helping new hunters get started. 

Find Our Guest

Alex Proft

Aussie Bush Harvest

Instagram: @aussiebushharvest

YouTube: Aussie Bush Harvest

Follow Becoming A Bowhunter:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingabowhunter.podcast/

Hosted by Matty Turner: https://www.instagram.com/mattyafter/

Episode Sponsors:

Dog and Gun Coffee – Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off | @dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Use code BAB10 for 10% off | @kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors | @venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Use code BAB10 for $10 off | @jabstickoutdoors

In this episode of Becoming a Bowhunter, Matty is joined by Amon Woulfe to discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of hunting, sport, business and life... the mind.

After a missed opportunity on a mature stag during the red deer rut, Matty shares the story that led him to Amon's new book, Missing In Action: Master Your Mind in Moments That Matter.

Amon has spent years working with elite athletes, sporting teams, military personnel and business leaders, helping them understand what happens when pressure rises and performance falls away.

Together, Matty and Amon discuss target panic, pressure, fear, confidence, anxiety, resilience and the mental tools hunters can use when everything is on the line.

This episode isn't just about bowhunting. It's about understanding what happens when your mind leaves the moment and learning how to bring it back when it matters most.

🔍 What We Cover:

• Why the modern mind is under more pressure than ever before

• The connection between target panic and mental performance

• Why pressure is the gap between your mind and the moment

• How elite athletes train their minds for high-pressure situations

• The difference between physical resilience and mental resilience

• Why focusing on outcomes can sabotage performance

• The four low-performance mind states: agitated, anxious, critical and foggy

• Practical reset tools to regain control when pressure builds

• How breathwork affects performance and decision-making

• Why anxiety often comes from avoiding fear

• The role of self-belief and limiting beliefs in performance

• How these mental skills apply to hunting, business, parenting and everyday life

And a heck of a lot more.

🧠 Key Takeaway

The goal isn't to eliminate pressure. The goal is to stay present when pressure arrives. The moment your mind drifts into the future, the past, fear, outcomes or self-doubt, performance starts to suffer. Learning how to reset and return to the moment may be one of the most valuable skills you'll ever develop.

🔗 Find Our Guest

Amon Woulfe

Website: amonwoulfe.com

Human Performance Group: humanperformancegroup.co

Instagram: @amonwoulfe

🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

In this episode, Matty sits down with New Zealand ecologist and Sika Foundation member Cam Speedy for a deep dive into Sika deer, deer ecology, habitat management, and the role hunters play in conservation.

Cam shares decades of experience working in wildlife management throughout New Zealand, including predator control, deer tracking studies, biodiversity work, and research around Sika deer populations in the Central North Island.

The conversation explores how deer density directly impacts habitat quality, breeding success, antler growth, and overall herd health. Cam explains why healthy hunting systems rely on balanced harvests, particularly around female deer, and how hunters themselves often act as the primary predator within modern deer systems.

There’s also a fascinating breakdown of Sika deer behaviour, including rut timing, scrape systems, home ranges, dispersal patterns, and why Sika have become such a sought-after species for bowhunters.

This is a grounded conversation that blends science, practical hunting knowledge, and conservation into one of the most detailed discussions we’ve had on deer ecology and management.

🔍 What We Cover:

• Cam’s background in ecology and wildlife management
• Predator control in New Zealand and the impact of stoats, rats, cats, and possums
• Why healthy habitat is the true foundation of sustainable hunting
• Sika deer history in New Zealand and how they became established
• Why Sika outcompete red deer in certain environments
• The relationship between nutrition, breeding success, and antler growth
• Why hunters should focus more on harvesting females
• How overabundant deer populations damage habitat and herd quality
• Jaw studies, herd analysis, and measuring deer condition
• GPS collar tracking and what it revealed about Sika movement patterns
• Sika rut behaviour, scrapes, and vocalisations
• How to call Sika stags during the rut
• Why Sika are such an exciting species for bowhunters
• Public land vs helicopter-access hunting in New Zealand
• The role hunting organisations play in protecting hunting’s future
• Retaining hunting’s social license through education and responsibility

👤 Find Our Guest:

Cam Speedy

Instagram: @SikaFoundation

🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors:

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

In this episode, Matty sits down with long-time mate and experienced red deer hunter Mick Cullen.

Mick is someone who’s been in Matty’s ear for years, helping break down mistakes and sharpen decision-making in the field.

This is a practical conversation about what actually works when you’re chasing red deer in the rut.

Mick shares the systems he’s developed over more than a decade of consistent hunting. From calling setups and reading terrain, to understanding how stags behave across different phases of the rut.

There’s a big focus on execution under pressure, why most hunters get busted at the last moment, and the small decisions that separate blown opportunities from clean kills.

Podcast topics:

• Early vs late rut behaviour and when calling works best
• Why wind and setup matter more than the call itself
• Using terrain (benches, folds, cover) to force movement
• Drawing early vs getting busted at full draw
• Hind & fawn calls vs stag roars
• Spot-and-stalk vs calling, and when to use each
• Why most hunts fall apart inside 50m
• The importance of repetition and experience

Find Our Guest:

Mick Cullen

Instagram: @bows_dogs_n_rods

Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

This one’s a full recap of the 2026 rut and for once, it’s not just close calls.

Across three separate hunts, Matty breaks down what actually played out in the field… the wins, the stuff-ups, and the moments that could’ve gone either way.

The episode moves through three key hunts:

• A March trip focused on getting the drop on a red deer, gone a little differently.
• Easter weekend on family ground, including a camel hunt and pig encounters
• A return to the family red deer block during peak rut, putting everything together

There’s a bit of everything in this one…  calling sequences that worked (and didn’t), pressure getting the better of moments, wild dog encounters, and what happens when things don’t go to plan but still come together over time.

It’s not polished. It’s just how it happened.

Podcast topics:

• Breaking the rut into three separate hunts and what changed across each
• Early mistakes under pressure: rushing shots and missing opportunities
• Lessons from hunting with experienced hunters and adjusting setup decisions
• Drawing early vs drawing late, and why it matters more than you think
• Calling strategies: when to use hind calls vs roars
• How stags actually respond when pressured by other deer in the area
• A close-range wild dog encounter and the mental side of making the shot count
• The reality of pressure in the moment, even when you’ve done the work
• Camel hunting… stalking, shot placement, and dealing with sheer size
• What happens when a hunt turns into a logistical challenge (heat, meat, time)
• Managing meat recovery and processing when things don’t go to plan
• Returning to the red deer block during peak rut
• Reading wind, terrain, and access differently after previous experience
• How small decisions (where you park, where you listen) change everything
• The importance of patience and positioning during the roar
• Why some hunts finally come together after years of near misses

You can do all the right prep. Shoot well, train hard, understand animals — and still mess it up in the moment.

But over enough time in the bush, those lessons stack.

And eventually… things start to go your way.

🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

In this episode, Matty sits down with Glen Thurston, the founder of MentalHunts, for a conversation that goes well beyond hunting.

Glen shares his journey through mental health struggles that started early in life, including an attempted suicide at 18, years of self-medicating through alcohol, and eventually hitting rock bottom while running a growing business. From the outside, things looked like they were working, but behind the scenes, it was a different story.

What followed was a complete shift.

Glen opens up about getting sober, starting medication, and rebuilding his life from the ground up… Including time spent working on a high country farm, reconnecting with purpose, and finding stability again.

But the turning point that led to Mental Hunts came later… when Glen made the decision to be proactive about his mental health and was punished for it.

After seeking help, he had his firearms license revoked. That experience exposed a much bigger issue, one that affects hunters across Australia and New Zealand, where people are now hesitant to seek help out of fear of losing their livelihood, identity, and connection to the outdoors.

From there, Glen set out to create change.

This conversation covers the realities of mental health within the farming and hunting communities, the importance of being proactive, and why time in the bush can act as a powerful reset — not just physically, but mentally.

It’s an honest, raw conversation about what’s really going on beneath the surface — and why more people need to speak up.

 What We Cover:

• Glen’s early struggles with mental health and suicide attempt at 18
• The culture of alcohol as a coping mechanism in trade environments
• Building a successful business… and burning out in the process
• Getting sober and the role medication played in stabilising his life
• Moving rural and finding purpose through physical work and hunting
• The moment everything changed. Firearms license revocation after seeking help
• Why fear is stopping people from going to the doctor
• The lack of consistency in legislation around mental health and firearms
• The real difference between “mental health” and violent intent
• Why being proactive about your mental health matters
• The role of hunting as a form of meditation and mental reset
• Building Mental Hunts and advocating for change at a legislative level
• Why storytelling is more powerful than telling people what to do
• How to actually have conversations around mental health with mates
• The importance of listening and not trying to “fix” someone
• Physical tools: exercise, cold exposure, nutrition, time in the bush
• Why what you put into your body (food, alcohol, media) matters

Key Takeaway

Hunting isn’t just about the outcome… It’s one of the few places where everything else switches off.

For a lot of people, it’s where clarity comes back, where conversations happen, and where you can actually process what’s going on in your life.

But if people are scared to seek help… that becomes a bigger problem than anything else.

Find Our Guest

Glen Thurston

Instagram: @glen_thurston

Mental Hunts: @mentalhunts

Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

In this episode, Matty sits down with Rob Herbert from R&N Blades for a conversation that goes well beyond knives.

Rob shares his background growing up on a farm where hunting and using tools was simply part of everyday life — from trapping rabbits to learning how to keep a knife sharp from his grandfather. That early exposure eventually led him into knife making, but also into careers in the military, Victoria Police, and later the Game Management Authority.

As the conversation unfolds, Rob opens up about the impact of trauma from his time in policing, and how making knives, along with time spent hunting, became a way to manage that mental load. There’s a strong theme throughout the episode around hunting as more than just a pursuit… For many people it becomes a form of reset, a place to think clearly, and a way to reconnect with something real.

The discussion also moves into the current state of hunting in Australia, including challenges around legislation, representation, and the need for a more unified voice across the broader outdoor community. 

Rob shares a grounded perspective on how hunters are perceived, the importance of presenting the right image, and why education matters more than emotion when it comes to protecting the future of hunting.

There’s also plenty of practical insight from Rob’s own hunting journey, from traditional bows through to compound and rifle, and how changing tools can expose weaknesses and ultimately make you a better hunter.

This is a wide-ranging, honest conversation about hunting, mental health, community, and the role it all plays in people’s lives.

🔍 What We Cover:

• Growing up with hunting as part of everyday life
• Learning knife skills and craftsmanship from a young age
• Transition from military and policing into knife making
• The impact of trauma and finding balance through making and hunting
• Hunting as a form of mental reset and “medicine”
• Why time in the bush changes perspective and reduces stress
• The importance of community within hunting
• Challenges facing hunting in Australia and lack of unified representation
• How hunters are perceived and why image matters
• Social media, communication, and presenting hunting responsibly
• Fitness, discipline, and preparation for hunting
• Traditional bow vs compound vs rifle — and what each teaches you
• How pushing yourself in the bush builds better decision-making

For a lot of people, hunting isn’t just about the outcome — it’s about what happens while you’re out there. Time in the bush, working with your hands, and focusing on something real has a way of cutting through everything else.

Find Our Guest

Rob Herbert

Instagram: @robert_herbert

Follow Becoming a BowhunterInstagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

In this episode, Matty sits down with taxidermist and lifelong hunter Brian Anderson for a practical conversation about preserving memories from the field and the deeper meaning behind taxidermy.

We do a full deep dive into caping any animal out for a shoulder mount… Covering every major cut needed, and even the finer details on flipping ears and splitting lips. Although it seems complex, the way that Brian explains and shares how to cape an animal makes it feel much easier and less overwhelming.

Brian’s biggest bit of advice is to practice before game day. If you get the opportunity to shoot a nanny goat or hind/doe, then take the time to practice on these animals so that when it comes to doing an animal of a lifetime… You’re prepared.

Brian’s hunted all over the world and taken some pretty incredible animals with both guns and bows. He shares some pretty epic stories at the end of the episode from some of his most memorable hunts. 

🔍What We Cover:

• Brian’s journey into hunting and professional taxidermy
• 
  
• What happens inside a taxidermy workshop and the process behind the scenes
• 
  
• How to properly prepare capes and hides immediately after harvest
• 
  
• Common mistakes hunters make that affect final mount quality
• 
  
• Balancing taxidermy collecting with home life and space limitations
• 
  
• Why taxidermy is about memories, not just trophies
• 
  
• Brian’s personal hunting experiences and collection over the years
• 
  
• Practical advice for hunters considering their first mount
• 
  

🧠 Key Takeaway

Good taxidermy starts in the field. Care taken during skinning, caping, and handling directly affects the final result and ultimately how well the memory of that hunt is preserved.

🔗 Find Our Guest

Brian Anderson

Instagram: @brianandersontaxidermy

🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors

In this episode, Matty sits down with Shane and Doug Dupille to talk about there many experiences bowhunting in Australia. We kick off the interview hearing some incredible stories from Doug (father), where he explains what bowhunting was like when he was younger. What the game numbers were like back in the 60’s & 70’s. And how they used to import arrow shafts by the thousands and make their own broadheads from steel shelving.

The second half of the interview is centred around Shane Dupille. Shanes had a great life, with lots of passion and dedication to bowhunting. Shane tells many funny tales and also gives some incredible tips and insights into hunting and being successful with a traditional bow. 

If you enjoy honest hunting stories, practical lessons, and conversations that reflect the culture and reality of Australian bowhunting, this episode will resonate.

🔎 What We Cover

• Dougie Drops by the hundreds. 
• Why you should never walk around the Macquarie Marshes barefoot. 
• Hunting the camp with young kids in toe
• A 10-week of hunting with Dave Whiting
• The Blurry Fox & The Boots
• Hunting Hares
• Catching brumbies in the Snowy’s
• Instinctive hunting with a trad bow
• The Alamo Boar

Find Our Guests:

Shane & Doug Dupille

Instagram: @shanedupille

🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter:

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

🎧 Episode Sponsors:

Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off

@dogandguncoffee

Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off

@kayuga_broadheads

Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt

@venturehunting

Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off

@jabstickoutdoors