Deer IQ

** Assess Your Hunter Skills - Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE

In this episode host Adam Lewis talks about 4 smart decisions you can make, and mentalities you should adopt, to make your pre-rut hunting deliver results. He covers:
• Overview of the rut - what really causes it, the timing, and rut myths.
• If you should hunt dates, or another method for higher odds outcomes.
• If you should hunt where he's been, or will be.
• If you should hunt rut locations, and how to decide exactly where to hunt.
• How to decide your aggression level for calling, rattling, and using decoys.
• Example morning and evening pre-rut setups that work.
• Breakdown of a pre-rut hunt and why it worked - Adam's 16 point Ohio buck.

And much more! (AND there was an audio issue with some clicks and pops - apologies for this glitch)

• Join The First Sit Program - Our Advanced Whitetail Course HERE
 
• Get a Deer IQ Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

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Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 154
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis
IQ ranking - 10

** Assess Your Hunter Skills - Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE

In this episode we are joined by Jared Scheffler of Whitetail Adrenaline to look at various ways he reads bucks and makes strategic moves on public land ground hunting. We cover:
• What reading a buck is, how to do it, how to know when to move.
• The big enemy of doing this effectively that sidelines many hunters. 
• Being adaptable for more success - how and why.
• How Jared scouts in an odd way and why this works.
• How to hunt the ground in various stages of season - which are different. 

And much more! 

• Join The First Sit Program - Our Advanced Whitetail Course HERE
 
• Get a Deer IQ Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 153
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis, Jared Scheffler
IQ ranking - 5

** Assess Your Hunter Skills - Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE

In this episode we are joined by Jared Scheffler of Whitetail Adrenaline to look at various ways he approaches public land hunting that give him an edge, especially on other hunters. We cover:
• Why Jared has abandoned apps, maps, and aerials.
• Why he says the hard to access or "going deep" strategy is dead.
• The variables hunters have to be skilled at dealing with to have good success.
• How Jared scouts in an odd way and why this works.
• A hybrid scouting method he feels is superior to all others & why.
• His #1 indicator for when to go in for the hunt he needs to get.
• And his ideas of what the future of public land hunting will look like (and it will be very different)

And much more! 

• Join The First Sit Program - Our Advanced Whitetail Course HERE
 
• Get a Deer IQ Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 152
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis, Jared Scheffler
IQ ranking - 5

** Assess Your Hunter Skills - Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE

In this episode we look at 5 early season and lull success factors as Adam tell's how he was able to put it all together on his first sit in Ohio, and how you can possible use the same as a script for your success.

• Join The First Sit Program - Our Advanced Whitetail Course HERE
 
• Get a Deer IQ Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 151
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis 
IQ ranking - 5

** Assess Your Hunter Skills - Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE

Why can some hunters consistently kill mature bucks, while others spend an entire season chasing them and never get one?

Is it luck? Is it the property? Is it the state you hunt? Or is it other things these hunters are doing that keep mature bucks from figuring them out?

In this episode of the Deer IQ podcast I'm with Doug Roberts for part 2. We discuss how mature bucks respond differently to pressure, why some states seem to produce deer that are harder to kill - and exactly which ones and why that matters, when you should let a great buck walk and why, essential practices for preparing for a hunt on a mature buck, And we boil it down to the ONE goal you need to have to be consistent on big smart deer.

*Check out Doug's Scents HERE

• Join The First Sit Program - Our Advanced Whitetail Course HERE
 
• Get a Deer IQ Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 150
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis / Doug Roberts
IQ ranking - 1

** Assess Your Hunter Skills - Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE

In this episode I'm joined by Deer Professor Doug Roberts of Conquest Scents— a 35-year deer farmer, pioneer in the scent industry, and someone with an uncommon wealth of knowledge about how mature bucks actually think and behave.
And we're covering a LOT in this episode.

We're going to talk about what actually keeps mature bucks on a property, how many hunters measure hunting pressure incorrectly, a specific location you can get away with things you normally can't when hunting an older buck, the truth about how deer scents actually work that you don’t hear in the commercials, and just how much they really can and cannot influence deer behavior.

We'll also get into scents you should absolutely avoid, how most hunters use estrus scents incorrectly, and Doug's latest thoughts on potential solutions for CWD.

With the 2026 season right around the corner, this may be the conversation that completely changes the way you hunt mature bucks this fall. It’s all in this episode of the Deer IQ Podcast.

*Check out Doug's Scents HERE

• Join The First Sit Program - Our Advanced Whitetail Course HERE

• Get a Deer IQ Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 149
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis / Doug Roberts
IQ ranking - 5

** Complete Deer IQ Test 360 HERE 

What if you could make your very first sit of the 2026 season your highest-odds opportunity at killing your target buck?

In this episode, I’m giving you a winning blueprint for that first sit—what you should be doing before you ever climb into a tree, and how to make that opening hunt one of your best opportunities of the entire season. I’ll break it down for private land, public land, a long-game approach, and even those quick out-of-state hunts where you may only get a few days to make it happen.With the 2026 season right around the corner, this might be THE thing you need to know to build a smarter first sit—and put the odds in your favor, day one. It’s all in this episode of the Deer IQ Podcast.

• Join The First Sit Program - 10 Week Advanced Course HERE
• Get a Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

GENERAL INFO about ALL Deer IQ Resources HERE
Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 148
Guest: Host - Adam Lewis
IQ ranking - 5

I asked 11 deer hunters the same question: What’s one thing you’d tell a hunter who wants to have their best season yet?
And I also pried out of them their best preparation method — the thing they do to make sure they're completely ready when it’s time to hunt. And one of those answers might be the thing you need to hear before this season.
I got some answers I expected, some I didn’t, and one that I don’t see eye to eye with our guest — and I’ll tell you why when we get to it.
There’s also a recurring theme that I think is worth paying attention to, an overlooked stand setup that may help you seal the deal, a key mindset shift for eliminating tag soup, and a preparation revelation from Jared Scheffler that is, well… a little outside the lines.
Eleven deer hunters, their best advice, their best preparation methods, and hopefully a few things that help you have your best season yet.All in this episode of the Deer IQ Podcast.

* * 2A Display Pistol Mount (10% OFF Code "IQ") HERE
** Complete Deer IQ Test 360 HERE 

• Join The First Sit Coaching Program - 10 Week Advanced Course HERE
• Get a Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

GENERAL INFO about ALL Deer IQ Resources HERE
Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 147
Guest: Host Adam Lewis, various guests
IQ ranking - 5

** Complete Hunter Skills Assessment HERE 

In this episode of the Deer IQ podcast I discuss 10 decisions that deer hunters on public land can make to have higher odds of success. Some of these are against the grain, but based on years of my experience in pressured terrain and also skilled hunters I've interviewed, can make all the difference. What did I miss? Put it in the comments below!

• Join The First Sit Coaching Program - 10 Week Advanced Course HERE
• Get a Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
______________________________________________

GENERAL INFO about ALL Deer IQ Resources HERE
Not sure where to start? Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE

Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 146
Guest: Host Adam Lewis
IQ ranking - 10

Episodes Mentioned:• Pressure Threshold - Dr. Andy Little HERE • Ground Hunting - Dr. Jimmy Sites HERE 

In this episode of the Deer IQ podcast we discuss how timing it right on public land is essential, and just how to do that consistently for great whitetail encounters. From smart scouting, data-driven decisions, and leveraging the first sit principle, we assess the mental and practical approaches to success with guest Jared Shaffer. If you want to make sure you have the edge to success on public land,  this podcast is for you.

Take the Deer IQ Diagnostic HERE 
• Join The First Sit Program - 10 Week Advanced Course HERE
• Get a Smart Land & Hunting Plan HERE
• Take the Deer IQ Test 360 HERE 
______________________________________________

GENERAL INFO about ALL Deer IQ Resources HERE
Website HERE  
Facebook Private Group HERE  
Newsletter Signup HERE  
Patreon - Contribute to Deer IQ HERE 
Episode # 145
Guest: Host Adam Lewis, Jared Shaffer
IQ ranking - 5