On this week's Deer Season Special Bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by PA native Aaron Pasquarette.  Aaron films his hunts and has the Legendary Pursuits YouTube channel.  We discuss the journey of filming your own hunts, then dive into the topic at hand: late season deer hunting.  Aaron has been taking out-of-state trips with family and friends each season; last year and this year he was able to wrap a tag around bucks in New York.  Aaron shares the stories of those hunts and the dynamic of a group hunt.  We also discuss tracking deer, flintlock muzzleloader hunting, and how Aaron hopes to connect with a late season PA buck this year.  

Thank you for tuning into these bonus episodes during 2023.  We appreciate your support and look forward to bringing more great content in 2024.  Happy New Year!

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Diehard trappers have already been hitting the field hard, however, those that think about deer hunting commonly start thinking about trapping now.  Bobcat and Fisher season began earlier this month and is over halfway through, Beaver season is underway, and Otter will open in February.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch chats with Tom Keller all about trapping, specifically Beaver and Otter.  Tom is the state furbearer biologist who has a wealth of knowledge for trappers and outdoorsmen.

We begin our conversation by updating everyone on the PA Marten Restoration Project, which Tom reviewed with us last year around this time (ep 12-9-22; Should Pennsylvania Reintroduce the American Marten?).  From here we dive into trapping.  We start with general trapping information, and then work towards some specifics of Beaver and Otter trapping.  This includes understanding food sources, scouting, homeranges, trapping sets, and many tips and tactics.  While this episode won't have enough time and information to have you ready to gear up and hit the woods for these critters, it will give new trappers information and old trappers a recap.  

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In this week's Deer Season Special Bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by Nathan Killen.  Nathan is well known for being an avid mountain hunter in the state of Virginia while focusing on mature bucks and also hunting with traditional archery equipment.  If you are trying to learn more about becoming a better mountain whitetail hunter, there are few people whose knowledge surpasses Nathan's - listen to as many podcasts with him as you can!  However, of any podcast he has been on, this episode speaks more wisdom than knowledge.

We touch on the giant 170" buck he recently harvested and the journey leading to the day he pulled the trigger.  But Nathan's message is more about the blessing of this harvest.  Nathan shares with us his faith in Jesus Christ, and how through his faith he has been blessed with more opportunity in life than he could ever imagine.  Nathan shares how he does not feel any deer he harvests is done by him, rather, the glory be to the Father in Heaven who has blessed him with this passion he has become pretty good at!  This episode is an awesome appreciation for the season and the real meaning behind Christmas!  Merry Christmas!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we are joined by Brad Hruska from Driven Purpose Outdoors.  Brad is a hard working school teacher with a desire to hunt like the rest of us.  Brad is particularly fond of pursuing big whitetails in PA, OH, and anywhere else he can grab a tag.  He is also kind enough to take us with him by filming and sharing his hunts.  But his reason for sharing his hunts are slightly different than you may be used to.

Filming your hunts is work, and hard work like this can be a way to provide income.  With something as ego driven as hunting, it can also be a way of promotion and status in the hunting media.  Brad's focus is promoting the glory of his hunts to God.  Brad's faith in Jesus Christ has led him to using hunting and filming as a ministry tool.  Brad and Mitch discuss the journey of this ministry, and the battles we face as hunters who are also husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons.  Being relationship driven amidst a self seeking interest like bowhunting is difficult, but through the grace of the Lord, Brad has been able to experience and share some cool stuff!  What better way to celebrate this time of year? Merry Christmas!

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On this week's Deer Season Special Bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch chats with Isaac Fisher from Chasin Dreams Outdoorz YouTube channel.  In 2022, Isaac harvested a truly magnificent buck on public land and captured the story on film.  We breakdown this hunt from the start, when Isaac first laid eyes on the deer in a private ag field in summer of 2021.  Many scouting trips were made for this deer, as the drive required him traveling across the state.  We discuss the scouting, cameras, and thought process that led to Isaac closing the chapter one November morning.  It's the kind of story that any deer hunter can dream about!

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Everyone was a beginner at some point in their bowhunting career. Some of us had an advantage with experienced mentors, others learned from the school of hard knocks. This week's episode we are joined by listener Tyler Murray. Tyler grew up hunting with his family, but took on the journey of bowhunting whitetails by himself at 16 years old. He navigated television and the internet like many of us do trying to learn and consume deer hunting knowledge and entertainment. Each year has led to Tyler being more and more successful.

We navigate Tyler's rollercoaster bowhunting journey, from starting out bowhunting his rifle stands, to being relentless scouting and mobile hunting. This season Tyler connected on a dandy buck in archery season with minimal hunting time available. We discuss how Tyler chose his set-ups wisely to allow for quality sits on limited time. Tyler shares the emotions experienced after all the pieces fell into place for this great buck. It's an episode which both novice and experienced bowhunters can appreciate! Tyler has worked hard to accomplish his goals - many of us can relate!

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On this week's Deer Season Special Bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with Lane Housner from In The Presence YouTube channel. Lane is a hard working guy who tries to devote as much time as possible to hunting in the fall. There are fewer places he won't hunt then will - it's all about the experiences and the chase. Lane and Mitch discuss making drives with groups of hunters - both with archery and firearms. Lane also tells the story of his girlfriend's first buck from last season. And of course, there is plenty of talk about grinding through the rut!  

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch chats with John Royer from Leatherwood Outdoors.  This YouTube channel is one of the original channel's you could find Pennsylvania hunting content before many people were doing it.  We dive into John's evolution of flintlock hunting and how he took on the challenge gaining proficiency with this weapon.  Many call this gun the "flinch-lock" due to people's reaction to the pan powder flash.  Overcoming this obstacle was a huge gain in John's accuracy.

We discuss how filming these late season hunts requires a great deal of energy.  John will often do reenactment hunts where he dresses in 1700s attire and sneaks through the frontier in search of whitetails.  We discuss projectile efficiency on game down-range and also how to properly maintain a flintlock for consistent firing.  Practice, practice, practice, and you can be ready for the last chance of whitetail hunting the day after Christmas!

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On this week's Deer Season Special Bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we are joined by Steve Sherk Jr. from Sherk's guide service.  Many of you know Steve as the public land grinder who spends 300+ days a year in the woods scouting and hunting.  Steve has shared insight throughout the years via podcasts and social media for many hunters providing strategy and advice.  But what goes on in a Pennsylvania public land guide service?  

Steve shares stories of different clientele that have traveled from all over the country to hunt with him.  He recalls big deer that hit the ground after years of pursuit.  He also recalls the ones that got away, for some pretty crazy reasons too!  We discuss the higher odds success of Pennsylvania rifle season and some of Steve's strategies to connect amidst the orange army.  This episode meshes well with the time of year - hopefully you can learn from some of these stories if you still have a tag in your pocket!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by friend Phil Holcombe.  Phil is a familiar voice on the show as well as a variety of others and for good reason - he is a well rounded deer hunter and outdoorsman.  From managing micro parcels of private land, to hunting big woods public, he loves deer hunting from the beginning to the end.  This show revolves all around rifle season deer hunting.  Phil discusses his strategies to get around pressure the first few days of season after some close calls in archery.  From here, he and Mitch discuss safe and successful deer drives.  This involves effective communication, leadership roles, set up strategies, and more!  Use some of these tips this year, you won't be disappointed! 

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