Deer Hunt by Big Buck Registry

What does President Trump's hunting executive order actually mean for deer hunters—and what still needs to happen before anything changes in the woods?

Jay Scott Ammann, Dusty Phillips, and Jim Keller lead this September edition of Deer News with a detailed examination of "Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage," signed September 17, 2026.

Featuring excerpts from the president's Rose Garden dinner remarks, we explore public-land access, Sunday hunting, lead ammunition, habitat management, hunter education, and venison donation. We also examine the history behind these policies, reactions from hunting and conservation organizations, and the deadlines that will shape implementation.

The central distinction: an executive order directing agencies to act is not the same as every federal property immediately opening to hunting.

Also in this episode:

• Michigan EHD: Confirmed detections in four southern counties, potential local herd impacts, and comments from Michigan DNR's Brent Rudolph about how the virus spreads.

• Massachusetts hunting changes: Expanded hunting opportunities, updated deer-lure rules, and an earlier interview with MassWildlife biologist Martin Feehan explaining deer densities and habitat pressures on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

• Pennsylvania antlerless opportunities: Additional DMAP permits on participating state forests and parks, with forest regeneration helping guide deer management.

• Catalina Island: The legal dispute over mule deer removal, the Conservancy's habitat-restoration rationale, and criticism from former BBR guest Robbie Kroger, heard in the documentary Killing Catalina.

Throughout the episode, we distinguish announcements from rules in effect, population management from eradication, and stakeholder arguments from established findings.

HOSTS Jay Scott Ammann • Dusty Phillips • Jim Keller

FEATURED SOURCE AUDIO • President Donald Trump — White House Rose Garden dinner, September 17, 2026 • Brent Rudolph — Michigan Department of Natural Resources • Martin Feehan — CAI's The Point • Robbie Kroger — Killing Catalina documentary

Outside audio comes from the original source recordings. These excerpts are not new interviews conducted by Big Buck Registry for this episode.

READ MORE AND EXPLORE BBR BBR Blog: https://bigbuckregistry.com/the-bbr-blog/ Deer News: https://bigbuckregistry.com/deernews/ Big Buck Registry: https://bigbuckregistry.com/

PRIMARY SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Executive order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/reinvigorating-americas-hunting-heritage/

White House dinner video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUV87DEi1yA

Michigan DNR — EHD information: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/wildlife/wildlife-disease/wdm/ehd

MassWildlife — Fall hunting announcements: https://www.mass.gov/news/2026-fall-hunting-announcements

CAI — The effort to expand hunting in Massachusetts: https://www.capeandislands.org/show/the-point/2026-02-03/the-effort-to-expand-hunting-in-massachusetts

Catalina Island Conservancy — Restoration plan: https://catalinaconservancy.org/stories/how-were-protecting-catalina-island/

Killing Catalina documentary: https://www.savethecatalinaislanddeer.com/documentary-killing-catalina

Before hunting, check current state regulations and the rules for the specific property, including permits, species, equipment, dates, and Sunday restrictions.

Have a deer story we should investigate? Send Big Buck Registry the location and a source link.

Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.

Hear President Donald Trump's remarks at the September 17, 2026 Rose Garden dinner with members of the hunting, fishing, and outdoor community.

During the dinner, Trump discussed two executive orders addressing hunting and saltwater recreational fishing, along with public-land access, lead ammunition, habitat conservation, and other administration priorities.

This bonus accompanies our September 2026 Deer News episode, where Jay Scott Ammann, Dusty Phillips, and Jim Keller examine the hunting order's provisions, practical limits, implementation deadlines, and reactions from the hunting and conservation community.

The speech is presented without the event's opening and closing music. BBR introductions and closing remarks have been added.

The president's statements are presented as part of the public record. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement by Big Buck Registry. For context and analysis, listen to: "Deer News September 2026: Trump's Hunting Order, Public Access & Catalina's Deer Debate."

Original recording: The White House Event date: September 17, 2026 Watch the source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUV87DEi1yA

Read the hunting executive order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/reinvigorating-americas-hunting-heritage/

More Deer News: https://bigbuckregistry.com/deernews/

Big Buck Registry: https://bigbuckregistry.com/

NO EASY GROUND — A BBR BONUS TRACK

Mature bucks don't live on easy ground—and consistently hunting them requires more than luck.

Inspired by our recent conversation with legendary bowhunter John Eberhart, "No Easy Ground" captures the relentless scouting, careful access, scent control, patience and hard-earned lessons behind pursuing pressured mature whitetails.

The song serves as a musical companion to John's third appearance on the BBR Deer Hunt Podcast and our discussion of the three-volume Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks series, written by John Eberhart and Greg Godfrey.

Listen to the complete John Eberhart interview in the BBR Deer Hunt Podcast feed.

Learn more about Big Buck Registry: https://bigbuckregistry.com

"NO EASY GROUND" Concept and lyrics created for Big Buck Registry.

This song was inspired by the interview and John Eberhart's hunting philosophy. John Eberhart is not the performer.

Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.

John Eberhart returns to the Big Buck Registry Deer Hunt Podcast for the BBR three-peat.

John first joined us on Episode 209 in 2017 to discuss hunting heavily pressured bucks and his pioneering use of the tree saddle. He returned on Episode 287 in 2019, when we took a much deeper look at saddle hunting, postseason preparation, bedding areas, entry routes and hunting mature bucks on public land.

Now, at 75 years old, John is back to discuss the most comprehensive work of his career: the three-volume "Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks," coauthored with Tethrd cofounder Greg Godfrey.

John began writing the day after retiring in January 2023. Eighteen months later, the manuscript had become so large that it needed to be divided into three books. John then spent another three months narrating and editing the audiobook editions himself.

This series brings together more than 60 seasons of John's experience pursuing mature whitetails exclusively on public and free-permission properties. The lessons are supported by dozens of condensed kill stories showing how the strategies worked in actual hunting situations.

This conversation goes well beyond the books.

John explains why hunting pressure should determine nearly every decision a hunter makes, why he has conducted his serious scouting after the season since 1976 and why repeatedly hunting a productive early-season location can destroy its value during the rut.

We discuss security cover, seasonal timing, standing corn, sparring sequences, cellular cameras, saddle hunting, scent control, overlooked river crossings—and why John believes a minivan may be the ultimate DIY hunting vehicle.

John also shares some unfiltered opinions about hunting television, modern crossbows, the commercial hunting industry and whether hunting success can truly be measured without competition.

Whether you agree with every part of John's system or not, this episode will challenge you to examine how you scout, how you hunt and how much unnecessary pressure you may be placing on your best locations.

HERE'S WHAT WE DISCUSS:

• Completing the John Eberhart BBR three-peat • Writing the "Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks" • Why one enormous manuscript became three books • John narrating and editing his own audiobooks • Writing so new hunters can understand hunting terminology • Using real kill stories to demonstrate hunting strategies • Greg Godfrey's role in the books • How John became the "Godfather of Saddle Hunting" • The original Anderson Tree Sling • Trophyline, Tethrd and the evolution of modern saddles • Why John still hunts from his modified 1981 tree sling • The advantages of traveling light • Why climbers can stop hunters from reaching security cover • John's career inside the hunting and outdoor industry • Separating useful products from hunting-industry marketing • Becoming a self-taught bowhunter • Complicated lessons from John's first hunting mentor • Miles Keller and searching for every possible advantage • Discovering postseason scouting in 1976 • Seeing the woods as they appear during the rut • Why preseason scouting can educate mature bucks • Hunting-pressure differences between managed and public land • Thinking like a buck that believes everyone is trying to kill him • How repeated intrusion changes mature-buck behavior • Protecting doe movement ahead of the rut • The four segments of the deer season • Daily timing versus seasonal timing • Early-season food-source strategies • Preseason speed tours • The reality of the October lull • Why falling foliage changes daylight movement • Hunting standing corn without damaging rut locations • Sparring sequences versus aggressive rattling • John's 2022 six-yard sparring-sequence buck • Perimeter and transition security cover • Hunting the destination instead of guessing at one travel route • Shallow river crossings as overlooked deer funnels • A first-evening 171-inch Iowa public-land buck • The abandoned Kansas farmhouse pinch point • Five mature bucks taken near one corner of the old house • Social camouflage and the hunting minivan • Why John prefers a minivan over a pickup truck • Organizing clothing, recovery equipment and hunting gear • John's complete scent-control system • Why covering the head and hair is critical • Contaminated backpacks, aiders and overlooked equipment • John's record-book results before and after adopting scent control • Why John says he no longer selects locations according to wind • Hunting television versus ordinary pressured properties • Why competition matters when evaluating hunting ability • Security cover in the mountains, marshes and agricultural country • Cellular cameras as both an advantage and a trap • Why some camera-avoiding bucks never appear in photographs • Mounting cameras above a mature buck's normal sightline • Hunting fresh camera information during travel hunts • John's opinion of modern crossbows • Archery practice, bow fitting and disappearing pro shops • One-stick climbing and rappelling • Saddle selection for larger hunters • Staying connected to the tree from the ground up • Health and conditioning as hunting tools • Why John still works out and prepares trees at 75 • Hunting access as today's greatest challenge • The difficulty facing new public-land hunters • Preserving John's story in a future BBR book • Where to purchase signed books and audiobook editions • The original BBR closing song, "No Easy Ground"

JOHN EBERHART LINKS:

John's Official Website and Autographed Books: https://deer-john.net/

Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks at Tethrd: https://tethrd.com/products/ultimate-guide-to-diy-bucks

Eberhart Outdoors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eberhartoutdoors4219

PREVIOUS BBR APPEARANCES:

Episode 209 – John Eberhart: Saddle Hunting High Pressured Bucks

Episode 287 – John Eberhart: Saddle Hunting Novice to Expert https://bigbuckregistry.libsyn.com/287-john-eberhart-saddle-hunting-novice-to-expert

BIG BUCK REGISTRY:

Website: https://bigbuckregistry.com/

Listen to the Podcast: https://bigbuckregistry.com/

Follow, subscribe and share this episode with another deer hunter. Your support helps BBR continue preserving the knowledge, personalities and stories that make deer hunting an enduring piece of American outdoor culture.

CREDITS:

Hosted, Written, Edited and Produced by Jason "Jay" Scott Ammann

Original Closing Song: "No Easy Ground"

Big Buck Registry® is a registered brand of BOSPN Media LLC.

Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.

What makes great venison?

Is it the shot? The equipment? The grinder? The seasoning?

Or does it start long before any of those things?

In this Big Buck Registry Revival Episode, we're revisiting one of our most practical and enduring conversations from the archives. Originally recorded in 2013, this episode features deer processor Al Gambardella, who spent years behind the cutting table helping hunters turn harvested whitetails into high-quality table fare.

A lot has changed in the hunting world since this conversation first aired.

Hunters today have access to better equipment, more information, and countless resources focused on field-to-table hunting. We also face new challenges, including Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), evolving regulations, testing programs, and changing recommendations surrounding deer handling and processing.

Yet as we listened back through this episode, one thing became clear:

The fundamentals haven't changed.

Proper field care, rapid cooling, cleanliness, attention to detail, and respect for the animal remain the foundation of quality venison.

In this conversation, Al shares practical advice on:

• Field dressing and initial meat care • Cooling and aging venison properly • Common mistakes hunters make after the harvest • Skinning and butchering techniques • Selecting a deer processor • Packaging and freezing venison • Maintaining meat quality from field to freezer • Why the little details matter

Whether you're processing your first deer, handling every deer yourself, or simply looking to get more value from your harvest, this episode offers timeless lessons that remain as relevant today as they were more than a decade ago.

Since this episode was originally recorded, Chronic Wasting Disease has expanded into many areas across North America. Hunters should always consult their state wildlife agency for the latest recommendations regarding testing, carcass transportation, disposal, and meat handling in their area.

Website: https://www.bigbuckregistry.com

Join thousands of deer hunters who listen each week for conversations with hunters, biologists, conservationists, outdoor personalities, and experts from across the deer hunting world.

Ben Martin, founder of the Hunt Regs app, joins the show to talk about how he went from a first-generation hunter to building one of the most useful tools in modern hunting.

We get into the real problem hunters face with confusing regulations, how his app simplifies everything based on your exact location, and how it's now being used by state agencies to improve poaching reporting and enforcement.

• How Ben got into hunting with no background or mentors
• The frustration of navigating hunting laws across different states
• Building the Hunt Regs app with no tech experience
• The massive challenge of organizing hunting regulations
• How the app tells you what's legal based on your exact location
• The poaching reporting system and how it works
• Why anonymous reporting is critical
• How state agencies are using the app
• Real-world success from better reporting
• The future of the app, including fishing and conservation tools
• Using journaling and data to improve hunting success
• Some of the strangest hunting regulations out there

Hunt Regs is designed to make hunting regulations simple by showing hunters exactly what's legal based on where they are and what they're hunting.

It also includes a built-in poaching reporting system that allows users to quickly and anonymously report violations with location data, photos, and detailed descriptions.

• Hunting laws are often confusing and hard to access
• Many violations happen simply due to lack of clarity
• Better reporting helps game wardens do their jobs more effectively
• Technology is becoming a bigger part of conservation

• Hunt Regs App (search in App Store or Google Play)

• Website: https://www.bigbuckregistry.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigbuckregistry
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigbuckregistry

If you like the show, be sure to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more hunters find the podcast.

Evergreen Revival of Episode 27 (Originally released December 28, 2013)

READ OUR FULL BLOG POST HERE

In 2013, Big Buck Registry recorded Episode 27 — a conversation that quietly became one of the most important episodes in the show's history. In it, we interviewed certified wildlife biologist Jeff Makemson of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, exploring a topic most hunters never think about:

Where does conservation funding actually come from?

The answer leads directly to the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 — the law that rebuilt America's wildlife, restored whitetail deer from near extinction, and created the modern system of game management we rely on today.

In this revived evergreen episode, we:

• Revisit the original 2013 interview

• Clarify a few points that time and research have refined

• Update what has changed since then

• And deliver a deep-dive monologue explaining the full story behind the Act

If you hunt deer today, this law is part of your story — whether you knew it or not.

• How close deer and other game species came to disappearing in the early 1900s • Why unregulated market hunting devastated wildlife populations • How sportsmen themselves pushed for federal conservation funding • What the Pittman–Robertson Act actually does • How the firearms and ammunition excise tax funds wildlife restoration • How states receive and use Pittman–Robertson funds • How deer populations rebounded from a few thousand to tens of millions • Why hunters are America's largest conservationists • What has changed in conservation funding since 2013 • Why this system still matters for the future of hunting

Jeff Makemson Certified Wildlife Biologist Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

Jeff shares firsthand insight into:

• Managing public wildlife lands

• Restoring deer populations

• Funding realities inside state agencies

• Why most hunters don't realize they fund conservation

• How habitat, research, and enforcement are supported

Without the Pittman–Robertson Act:

• Whitetail deer would be rare or nonexistent in many states

• Public hunting lands would be minimal

• Wildlife agencies would lack scientific staff

• Modern hunting culture would not exist

Every rifle, box of ammunition, and bow sold today continues to fund the system that keeps wildlife thriving.

• New opening introduction and historical context • Summary and clarification of the original 2013 interview • Updated facts and modern funding perspective • Full deep-dive monologue on the Pittman–Robertson Act • Playback of the original 30-minute Episode 27 interview • Closing summary and reflections on hunters as conservationists

If you value hunting, share this episode. Every hunter who understands this story becomes a stronger advocate for conservation.

In this special year-end Deer News episode, the Big Buck Registry team takes a comprehensive look at the deer hunting stories that shaped 2025 across the United States.

This episode moves state by state through the most consequential changes in deer hunting policy, access, and management—connecting regulation, science, enforcement, and biology into one clear picture of where deer hunting stands today.

The episode begins in the Northeast, where long-running debates finally gave way to major access changes. New York legalized crossbows for deer hunting, New Hampshire expanded legal hunting equipment, and Connecticut widened Sunday hunting opportunities. In Massachusetts, efforts to address deer overpopulation on Martha's Vineyard highlighted conflicts between wildlife management goals and the state's firearm and crossbow laws.

From there, the focus shifts west, where pressure on opportunity continued to build. Montana reaffirmed limits on nonresident deer licenses, reinforcing resident-priority access as demand for Western tags continued to rise.

Chronic Wasting Disease remained one of the most influential forces shaping deer management in 2025. At the federal level, increased funding supported research and state response efforts. Minnesota expanded late-season CWD management hunts, Iowa broadened mandatory testing and reporting requirements, and Missouri reassessed its approach—ultimately rolling back part of its CWD firearms season after evaluating impacts on effectiveness and hunter participation.

The episode also examines how changing rules affected hunters on the ground. Pennsylvania tightened in-season trail camera restrictions, Wisconsin continued to experience hunter fatigue tied to long-term CWD policies, New Jersey reaffirmed Earn-A-Buck as a population control strategy, and Michigan expanded depredation authority allowing deer removal outside traditional seasons.

Beyond policy and regulation, this episode highlights important research and technological developments shaping the future of deer management. New scientific findings raised questions about how early Chronic Wasting Disease infection may occur, including the possibility of transmission from doe to fawn before birth. Emerging technologies also showed promise—from thermal detection systems designed to reduce deer-vehicle collisions, to drone-based surveys improving accuracy in deer population estimates.

Enforcement remained a critical part of the story in 2025. The episode reviews major poaching cases in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, including multi-county investigations, organized poaching rings, and one of the stiffest trophy buck restitution penalties on record.

The year closes in Maine, where consecutive harsh winters and the loss of critical deer wintering habitat served as a reminder that biology still sets the ultimate limits—regardless of policy decisions or technological advances.

The episode also includes an update on Big Buck Registry itself. The team discusses the launch of the new website, a return to in-depth interview-style episodes, and the tools built to help hunters better understand conditions and context—including BBR Weather, Deer Move by Weather, and Deer Move by Moon. Listeners will also hear about new ways to engage with BBR, including suggesting guests, submitting deer for social features, and using long-term reference pages designed to keep information accessible beyond a single season.

This episode is a complete snapshot of deer hunting in 2025—where rules changed, science advanced, enforcement drew clear lines, and biology reminded everyone who ultimately sets the boundaries.

• Major deer hunting law and access changes across the U.S.

• Chronic Wasting Disease management strategies and policy reversals

• New research on CWD transmission and persistence

• Emerging technology in deer safety and population monitoring

• High-profile poaching cases and enforcement outcomes

• Habitat loss, winter severity, and biological limits on deer populations

• Big Buck Registry platform updates, tools, and community features

Original Air Date 2013

RE-release Date 2025

In this Evergreen Edition, host Jay Scott Ammann revisits one of the Big Buck Registry's most informative and enduring conversations — a deep dive with wildlife biologist Dr. Grant Woods, recorded in 2013. This remastered episode brings the original clarity of Grant's insights back to the front, exploring how science, observation, and respect for deer behavior shape ethical, effective hunting.

From deer vision and scent control to rut timing, habitat work, and trail camera use, Dr. Woods explains what decades of study have revealed about how whitetails perceive their world — and how hunters can use that knowledge responsibly.

• Grant's early research on deer scrape behavior and communication

• How those studies led to modern trail-camera strategies

• The truth about deer vision: what colors they actually see

• The science behind moon phases and rut timing

• Why fear, not food, drives most deer movement

• Dr. Woods' scent-control discipline and low-impact hunting access

• Building better food plots and habitat on The Proving Grounds

• Managing deer congregation and disease risk

• The logic behind hunting "the 5 percent" — targeting high-odds corridors

• Late-season patterns and fawn-driven rut activity

• Why venison is among the healthiest meats available

• A reminder that hunting should always be fun, ethical, and rooted in respect

Dr. Woods is a professional wildlife biologist and the founder of GrowingDeer.tv — a long-running educational series focused on habitat improvement, deer behavior, and management. His decades of research continue to influence hunters, landowners, and conservationists across the country.

In this refreshed edition, Jay adds new reflections on how Dr. Woods' original insights still stand the test of time. The episode remains a foundational listen for anyone who wants to understand deer biology and behavior from a scientist's point of view — in language every hunter can relate to.

• Dr. Grant Woods / GrowingDeer.tv → https://www.growingdeer.tv

• DeerMove™ – Deer Movement Predictor → https://deermove.com

• Speak Your Deer Story → https://www.speakpipe.com/BigBuckRegistry or call 724-613-2825

• Support the Show (Value-for-Value) → https://bigbuckregistry.com/value

• Big Buck Registry Official Site → https://bigbuckregistry.com

• Guest: Dr. Grant Woods – Wildlife Biologist, GrowingDeer.tv

• Host & Producer: Jay Scott Ammann

• Music & Production: BBR Studios. BOSPN Media LLC

• Special Segment: The Evergreen Wrap-Up Commentary (2025)

If you enjoyed this Evergreen re-release, share it with a friend and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow the conversation:

• Instagram → @BigBuckRegistry

• Facebook → facebook.com/BigBuckRegistry

For more stories, visit BigBuckRegistry.com — where every deer has a story.

Original Air Date 2013

Re-release Date 2025

In this Evergreen edition of the Big Buck Registry's Deer Hunt Podcast, we're reaching back to one of our most impactful early episodes — a 2013 conversation with Dean Vanier, founder of Northwoods Common Scents.

Dean has spent over 30 years perfecting his approach to whitetail communication using 100% pure scent — and in this masterclass, he shares how hunters can use scent not as a gimmick, but as a tool for understanding and influencing deer behavior.

We cover:

• Mock scrapes, drag rags, and the concept of the "virtual deer"

• Why buck urine is underrated early in the season

• Dean's scent layering strategy through all phases of the rut

• How scent helps you "talk" to deer using their own instincts

• And how the industry has changed since this episode first aired — including CWD laws, synthetic scents, and ATA/RHA certification

Dean's methods are still converting skeptical hunters to this day — and his passion for woodsmanship through scent makes this one of the most timeless episodes in our archive.

🎧 Listen now to revisit a true craftsman in the deer woods.

🔗 Learn more about Dean and his products at: https://www.teamnorthwoods.com

✅ Subscribe & Follow for more Evergreen episodes from the BBR vault.