Okayest Hunter ®

Colton Koza joins the show to share how he made his way from Missouri to Wisconsin, his background as a competitive trap shooter (including a national championship), and how he’s transitioning into chasing whitetails and turkeys on Wisconsin public land.

We dive into the realities of hunting pressure, trail cameras, climbing gear, and the quirks of Midwest terrain compared to the Ozarks. From stories about shooting sports and college life to swapping strategies for deer season prep, this one’s equal parts camaraderie and practical insight. If you’ve ever debated saddles vs. climbers, wondered how Missouri hardwoods stack up against Wisconsin swamps, or just love hunting camp banter, you’ll feel right at home.

Presented by Nosler—use code OHP for 20%

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Scouting new ground means making your best guess and seeing if the deer prove you right... or wrong.

This week, we’re talking trail cam strategy, mock scrapes, reading food sources like white oaks, and why ugly spots often hold the biggest bucks.

From setting “traps” with cameras to second-guessing every move until the first shooter buck hits the dirt, it’s all part of figuring out new ground the Okayest way.

Presented by Nosler. Use code OHP at checkout and save 20%.

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In this episode of dropping pins, Derek sits down with fellow podcast host Anthony Heller of the Deer Vane podcast. Anthony is a seasoned podcast who has logged more than 200 episodes on the Deer Vane podcast title. He’s also one hell of a deer hunter and in the past, few years has connected on some gorgeous books, both on private and public ground

In this episode, we talk about multiple factors that have led to both his and Derek success over the years. Anthony breaks down a couple different ideas and tactics that have helped him learn, sometimes the hard way, to predict big buck travel, and when he can intercept them. 

We talk about how time in the woods is such a contributing factor to success and how to optimize your time through the use of trail cameras, cell cameras, and monitoring the weather for things like weather changes, cold fronts and wind switches. We also discussed the placement of trail cams over scrapes and Nir hunting locations to maximize the time that you do get in the woods as a busy adult.

Anthony then walks us through both of his  big buck kills  from the previous season and the factors that led to him being in that spot and also how we made it happen from the ground on a beautiful public land buck.  Plenty of big buck ideas and nuances have been discussed in this podcast, and I’m sure you’ll have lots to learn.

Enjoy.

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Foam Fest brought hunters from across the country, literally.

Eric and Matt recap this year’s event, from youth shed hunts and trick shots to prize bows and gear giveaways from Nosler, Gerber, Bear Archery, and more. They share stories from first-time shooters, long-distance attendees, and the chaos that makes Foam Fest special.

Then the conversation shifts to archery fundamentals—tuning your bow, anchor points, muscle memory, and the fixed vs. mechanical broadhead debate, plus the hard-earned lessons that come from missed shots, recovered deer, and gear that works when it counts.

Presented by: Nosler — CODE OPH for 20% OFF

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We announce the winners of our biggest giveaway yet, talk through the gear that made it happen, and share what’s ahead for Foam Fest. Between stories about getting blown at while taking out the trash and lessons learned the hard way in the deer woods, we dig into real-time scouting, preseason prep, and why sometimes the best stand is the one you've never sat in before. This one’s laid-back, gear-packed, and full of laughs and insights from the Okayest crew.

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In this episode, Derek sits down to chat with good buddy Beau Below from Ghostbusters video productions. Derek and Beau have been friends for many years and I’ve talked deer hunting nearly every day to help each other scheme formulate a plan and attack on big deer.

In this episode, we recap those amazing year last season where he tagged three mature bucks two of which scored over 160 inches. We highlight the importance of making aggressive moves when the time is right, taking advantage of both weather and wind, pattern changes, Noting when box seem to be living in unable or very challenging areas.

Beau and his family have a wealth of knowledge in chasing mature books and have been doing so for many decades. There are so many tidbits of knowledge and experience and information in this podcast that both shares this is a guess we will surely be talking to again.

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The Okayest Hunter Podcast is back after a brief hiatus with some exciting updates, including a new studio and a giveaway! Tune in LIVE next week, Tuesday, August 5th, to hear the winners!

In this episode, Eric talks about the chaos of moving, technical difficulties (because what would the show be without them?), and the lead-up to Foam Fest and hunting season.

The conversation takes a deep dive into deer hunting strategies, crop rotations, and the value of historical data for scouting.

Guest Jon Landwehr, a seasoned hunter in Kansas, shares his journey from a casual hunter to targeting mature bucks, the ups and downs of hunting with a bow, and how hunting big deer is a lot like backtracking and analyzing patterns.

Tune in for practical insights, relatable stories, and a reminder that hunting is as much about the journey as it is about the kill.

Presented by Nosler: https://www.nosler.com/ CODE OHP for 20% OFF

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In this episode Derek talks with public land mad man, Cody Huhn. Cody was a successful buck hunter in lower Michigan before diving into his whitetail career with an internship with Midwest Whitetail in the land of the giants, Iowa. 

Cody has since transitioned to learning everything he possibly could about the public hunting grounds of south central Iowa and documenting his journey on his YouTube channel “Public Land Whitetails”.  

We talk about a good variety of whitetail stories and anecdotes from observations over the years, but the main takeaway from each story, the link between most of Cody’s biggest bucks, is that each buck was using the wind to absolute greatest advantage. Cody found how and where he would be able to successfully give the Buck the wind advantage but still be able to kill. In most cases this required Cody to do something DIFFERENT. Something strange, weird, onorthodoxy, even a bit crazy. 

Cody tells a number of stories, all of which relate to how the wind is the #1 factor that keeps big bucks alive. This is a great episode and Cody’s knowledge pours out as he explains much of the things he has been blessed to experience in spending nearly everyday of season in the field over the past 5 seasons.

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Tune in as Anthony Heller co-hosts while Greg and Derek are on vacation.

Eric and Anthony chat about their upcoming archery events and share stories from past hunts, touching on everything from gear choices to the frustrating realities of hunting big bucks.

They dive into the excitement of moving to a new studio, building confidence by shooting 3D archery, and how their gear's evolved (or not) over several deer hunting seasons.

Presented by Nosler: CODE OHP FOR 20% OFF

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In this episode, Derek sits down with our fearless leader, Eric Clark’s cousin, Jeremy Clark. Jeremy is someone Eric has looked up to and admired as a deer hunter for several years. Eric has long talked about Jeremy’s effectiveness in the deer woods and was thrilled to get this conversation lined up. 

Jeremy starts off discussing his first bow kill on a beautiful P&Y buck, which came together all too easily. This fast and successful start to Jeremy’s hunting career led him to quickly focus on holding out for trophy bucks. As a result, he lost many opportunities to hone and practice the finer skills of pulling off successful shots and kills with archery equipment. 

Then Jeremy dives into some tactics he uses on private ground, where he has permission to hunt, vs. the public marshes he hunts. He discusses how and why he uses trail cameras on both public and private and the type of set ups he uses to put himself in the chips. 

Jeremy shares a story of a giant 10-point he took this past season with his longbow. His story illustrates not only how to effectively set up to intercept cruising bucks searching for does, but also the importance of being confident in your set up. In Jeremy’s story, he had originally chosen a tree to hunt out of during off season scouting, but after setting up for his hunt, he quickly realized that there was a better option just 30-40 yards away, so without hesitation, he pulled his stand and made the move. This move shortly led to a close encounter and an even closer shot on a mature buck. 

Jeremy also talks about tactics for getting into deer on public ground and not wasting your time hunting spots that aren’t “in it”. He lays down some great ideas and thoughts on scouting your way into the woods and knowing when to hang and spend time.

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