Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Episode 60: Seven for Seven
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Episode 60: Seven for Seven
Episode 60: Seven for Seven
Show Notes – Outdoor Ruhls Podcast
Seven years old. Seven-point buck. First day of rifle season in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Mike sits down with brothers Mark, Matt, and Davey—and the kids—to relive a wild opening day that ends with Robert tagging his very first deer.
It’s a full-family, full-circle kind of story: archery season recaps, arguments about Saturday vs. Monday openers, a half-tame deer literally licking the rifle barrel…and then an evening hunt in the “Squid Shootin’ Shack” where everything comes together for a perfect 160-yard shot.
In This Episode
Stormy Kromer x Outdoor Ruhls Hats Are Coming
Mike kicks things off with an update on a special collab with Stormy Kromer.
Two colors: Blaze Orange (perfect for rifle season) and Forest Floor (plaid).
Custom Outdoor Ruhls logo on the ear flap.
These are fitted, sized hats, not one-size-fits-all.
Need at least 36 hats ordered to make it happen.
👉 If you’re interested, email [email protected]
(that’s R-U-H-L-S) with your color choice and size. Mike and the crew can help you figure out sizing using Stormy Kromer’s head-measuring guide and online calculator.
Saturday vs. Monday Opener – The Great PA Debate
The Ruhl brothers and Davey wade into one of the hottest topics in Pennsylvania deer hunting:
Did moving rifle opener from Monday to Saturday kill deer camp culture or make hunting more accessible?
The old rhythm of heading to camp on Friday, hanging stands, telling stories, and then hunting Monday.
How archery season, Sunday hunting, and changing deer numbers have shifted when and how deer get killed.
Nostalgia, tradition, economics, and what they’d like to see the Game Commission do next.
Archery Season Recap
Before rifles come out, the crew looks back on fall:
Mark’s big-bodied 8-pointer with his compound bow and those wild flashing lighted nocks (“disco party in the woods”).
Davey’s quick November 3rd bow buck on his parents’ small Lancaster property.
How antler restrictions have quietly changed Pennsylvania buck quality and hunter expectations over the last 20+ years.
Getting Robert Ready – BB Gun to 6.5 Creedmoor
Mike and Uncle Matt walk through how Robert went from:
Red Ryder BB gun → air rifle → .22 → 6.5 Creedmoor
Practicing at 100 yards with reduced-recoil 6.5 Creedmoor loads.
Using Pennsylvania’s mentored youth hunting program so a 7-year-old can hunt with his own tag while an adult carries the rifle to and from the stand.
The kids’ pre-season excitement, talking about dreams, not sleeping, and “going to sleep is like fast traveling” to opening morning.
Deer Named “Pet” & The Weirdest Hunt Ever
On the morning hunt, Robert and CJ sit in a ground blind with Mike, Poppy, and Uncle Mark…and things get bizarre:
A doe walks in with “PET” spray-painted in bright orange on both sides.
The deer walks right up, sniffs the muzzle, and licks the rifle barrel.
Everyone realizes somebody raised this deer like a pet—and that it’s probably not equipped for real wild life.
No legal bucks show up, but it’s a story none of them will ever forget.
Seven for Seven – Robert’s First Buck
The evening hunt is where the magic happens:
Mike, Uncle Matt, and Robert head to the elevated hard-sided blind that CJ used last year—the “Squid Shootin’ Shack.”
Does feed out at about 160 yards. A good buck follows them into the cornfield.
Uncle Matt and Mike quietly coach Robert: Can you hit him? Are you sure? Do you know where to aim?
Robert settles the crosshairs behind the shoulder, squeezes…
The buck runs 30–40 yards and tips over in sight.
Chaos, hugging, shaking, and a very proud dad and uncle.
It’s a big 7-point—perfect for a seven-year-old. Last year CJ shot an 8-point at eight years old, so now it’s officially “Eight for Eight” and “Seven for Seven.”
Naming the Stand & Saving the Stories
The kids brainstorm new names for the blind now that it holds two first bucks—maybe “Cousins’ Cracking Shack” or some mash-up of Squid and Bob. Mike reflects on:
How special it is that almost the whole family was there—Rachel, Kaylee, Caitlin, Meemaw and Poppy—either watching from other blinds or helping with recovery and butchering.
Why recording these stories on the podcast matters, so CJ, Robert, and Emmit (and their kids someday) can hear their own voices and family memories years down the road.
How to Support Outdoor Ruhls
Preorder a Stormy Kromer x Outdoor Ruhls hat
Email: [email protected]
with your size and choice of Blaze Orange or Forest Floor.
Listen & Follow
Website: outdoorruls.com
Instagram & Facebook: @outdoorruls
Subscribe & Review
If you enjoyed this first-buck episode, please follow the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen, and leave a rating or review—it helps other hunters and families find the show.
More deer season stories—and more from the kids—coming soon. 🦌🧡
View all episodes
By Outdoor RuhlsEpisode 60: Seven for Seven
Show Notes – Outdoor Ruhls Podcast
Seven years old. Seven-point buck. First day of rifle season in Pennsylvania. In this episode, Mike sits down with brothers Mark, Matt, and Davey—and the kids—to relive a wild opening day that ends with Robert tagging his very first deer.
It’s a full-family, full-circle kind of story: archery season recaps, arguments about Saturday vs. Monday openers, a half-tame deer literally licking the rifle barrel…and then an evening hunt in the “Squid Shootin’ Shack” where everything comes together for a perfect 160-yard shot.
In This Episode
Stormy Kromer x Outdoor Ruhls Hats Are Coming
Mike kicks things off with an update on a special collab with Stormy Kromer.
Two colors: Blaze Orange (perfect for rifle season) and Forest Floor (plaid).
Custom Outdoor Ruhls logo on the ear flap.
These are fitted, sized hats, not one-size-fits-all.
Need at least 36 hats ordered to make it happen.
👉 If you’re interested, email [email protected]
(that’s R-U-H-L-S) with your color choice and size. Mike and the crew can help you figure out sizing using Stormy Kromer’s head-measuring guide and online calculator.
Saturday vs. Monday Opener – The Great PA Debate
The Ruhl brothers and Davey wade into one of the hottest topics in Pennsylvania deer hunting:
Did moving rifle opener from Monday to Saturday kill deer camp culture or make hunting more accessible?
The old rhythm of heading to camp on Friday, hanging stands, telling stories, and then hunting Monday.
How archery season, Sunday hunting, and changing deer numbers have shifted when and how deer get killed.
Nostalgia, tradition, economics, and what they’d like to see the Game Commission do next.
Archery Season Recap
Before rifles come out, the crew looks back on fall:
Mark’s big-bodied 8-pointer with his compound bow and those wild flashing lighted nocks (“disco party in the woods”).
Davey’s quick November 3rd bow buck on his parents’ small Lancaster property.
How antler restrictions have quietly changed Pennsylvania buck quality and hunter expectations over the last 20+ years.
Getting Robert Ready – BB Gun to 6.5 Creedmoor
Mike and Uncle Matt walk through how Robert went from:
Red Ryder BB gun → air rifle → .22 → 6.5 Creedmoor
Practicing at 100 yards with reduced-recoil 6.5 Creedmoor loads.
Using Pennsylvania’s mentored youth hunting program so a 7-year-old can hunt with his own tag while an adult carries the rifle to and from the stand.
The kids’ pre-season excitement, talking about dreams, not sleeping, and “going to sleep is like fast traveling” to opening morning.
Deer Named “Pet” & The Weirdest Hunt Ever
On the morning hunt, Robert and CJ sit in a ground blind with Mike, Poppy, and Uncle Mark…and things get bizarre:
A doe walks in with “PET” spray-painted in bright orange on both sides.
The deer walks right up, sniffs the muzzle, and licks the rifle barrel.
Everyone realizes somebody raised this deer like a pet—and that it’s probably not equipped for real wild life.
No legal bucks show up, but it’s a story none of them will ever forget.
Seven for Seven – Robert’s First Buck
The evening hunt is where the magic happens:
Mike, Uncle Matt, and Robert head to the elevated hard-sided blind that CJ used last year—the “Squid Shootin’ Shack.”
Does feed out at about 160 yards. A good buck follows them into the cornfield.
Uncle Matt and Mike quietly coach Robert: Can you hit him? Are you sure? Do you know where to aim?
Robert settles the crosshairs behind the shoulder, squeezes…
The buck runs 30–40 yards and tips over in sight.
Chaos, hugging, shaking, and a very proud dad and uncle.
It’s a big 7-point—perfect for a seven-year-old. Last year CJ shot an 8-point at eight years old, so now it’s officially “Eight for Eight” and “Seven for Seven.”
Naming the Stand & Saving the Stories
The kids brainstorm new names for the blind now that it holds two first bucks—maybe “Cousins’ Cracking Shack” or some mash-up of Squid and Bob. Mike reflects on:
How special it is that almost the whole family was there—Rachel, Kaylee, Caitlin, Meemaw and Poppy—either watching from other blinds or helping with recovery and butchering.
Why recording these stories on the podcast matters, so CJ, Robert, and Emmit (and their kids someday) can hear their own voices and family memories years down the road.
How to Support Outdoor Ruhls
Preorder a Stormy Kromer x Outdoor Ruhls hat
Email: [email protected]
with your size and choice of Blaze Orange or Forest Floor.
Listen & Follow
Website: outdoorruls.com
Instagram & Facebook: @outdoorruls
Subscribe & Review
If you enjoyed this first-buck episode, please follow the Outdoor Ruhls Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen, and leave a rating or review—it helps other hunters and families find the show.
More deer season stories—and more from the kids—coming soon. 🦌🧡