Pennsylvania Woodsman

On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman Mitch chats with Jared Van Hees.  Jared is the host of the Habitat Podcast, and he and Mitch discuss the journey of the show as well as Jared's land purchasing and managing.  Jared has acquired more knowledge in this time than most will in a lifetime through hard work and networking from a diverse group of habitat managers.  As we reflect back on this process, we discuss a few obstacles that folks newer to the world of habitat management may face.

Goal orientation is of utmost importance. In fact, being oddly specific with goals will help guide the land purchasing and managing journey the best.  Oftentimes, having someone to help you along the way without the emotion of a large land purchase is well worth the investment.  They can also steer you away from bad decisions that can change the course of a property for a lifetime, such as timber cutting.  Managing timber harvests with professionals is extremely important for your habitat and hunting goals, as well as financial income for a property.  We navigate this discussion through Jared's current view of his two newest properties in Michigan - one of the most relatable deer hunting states to Pennsylvania!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by turkey hunting guru Paul Campbell.  Paul is the host of multiple podcasts including the O2 podcast and Turkey Season podcast.  He is also employed by the National Wild Turkey Federation.  To say turkeys are a part of Paul's life is an understatement!

This week is a good old fashioned BS session to kick off spring.  Paul has had the pleasure to interview many well-known turkey hunters and also hunt with a few.  With this in mind, Paul shares his perspective on many hot topics from calling to patience.  Everyone is looking for that hot gobbler that comes running to the call, but what things separate the best turkey hunters?  What makes the spring turkey season so enjoyable?  It's time to shift gears, spring is here!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch continues his food plot planning conversation from the previous week.  Mitch's career as a full time agronomist has him assisting in row crop management across eastern Pennsylvania.  This includes making soil fertility decisions to maximize crop yield and farm profitability.  The planning that occurs on farm operations translates to our food plotting - plan ahead for success and use the correct tools for the job at hand.

One of the most frustrating things Mitch comes across in the world of food plotting is the array of recommendations produced by food plot companies to consumers.  Often, the products and practices recommended may not be appropriate for your specific food plot scenario.  What's worse is the lack of context behind a recommendation that leads to overspending, and never properly addressing soil needs for quality food plots.  Mitch addresses a basic soil test, and provides information behind lime and fertilizer.  The motto behind this episode, "Just because the product bag has a big buck on it, doesn't mean it's the right product for your soil!" 

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Happy Easter everyone!  We hope you are able to enjoy time with family this week, and  slow down to celebrate the gift we've received through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's death.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodman, Mitch is gearing up for spring food plots, specifically clover.  Clover is one of the most popular food plots in the world of whitetails, and now is the time to get them started on a positive note.

We begin with discussing frost seeding methods and timing - you may still have an opportunity to frost seed in the next few days!  We discuss the proper timing for spring planting, weed management, herbicides and use rates, to mow or not to mow, seed blends, established clover maintenance and top dressing fertilizer.  The first 30 days of establishment are crucial for longevity of clover stands.  Get the basics right to enjoy a quality food plot this year!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch catches up with bowhunter Matt Beisswanger.  Mitch and Matt were able to connect at a local event recently leading to Matt coming on and sharing his 2023 hunting season  Matt was able to harvest 7 deer with his recurve bow, including two bucks - one in Pennsylvania and one in Illinois. In order to tell this story, we have to go back a few years... almost 20!

Matt progressed as a bowhunter throughout his life until he picked up traditional archery in 2006.  He enjoyed shooting and did some hunting with the Bear bow, but never dove fully into traditional archery.  Over nearly the next two decades Matt bounced back and forth between compound and recurve, and within the last 5 seasons has now been keeping the compound at home.  This journey leads us to the season build up, where Matt had four years of history with a 180"+ Illinois buck that fell on October 30th to Matt's recurve at twelve yards!  Regardless of size or weapon, Matt's message is the same - keep the hunt fun and chase the thrill!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by PA native Jason Goe.  Jason had an absolutely fantastic hunting season this year, and we dive into the multiple days of success chasing after the miniature elk that roam the marshes of Maryland - sika deer.  We begin the conversation by Jason sharing his introduction to sika deer hunting as well as all out-of-state hunting experiences.  From here, we navigate getting outside of our comfort zone and hunting new types of habitat. Jason shares a few experiences that showcase the importance of having good woodsmanship skills in unfamiliar areas.

The main course of this episode dives into scouting and hunting sika deer.  The challenge has amplified recently due to the increased popularity of a sport that has a small playing field.  Jason shares his success stories of harvesting a great stag with a bow and two hinds with the rifle.  One big take away - mobile hunting is just as important for sika deer as it is for whitetail deer.  Be sure to tune into the Final Stand Hunt YouTube channel for Jason's success stories as well as all the other hunts posted from this season!  @finalstandhunt

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by PA's very own Average Jack Archery - Nate Sellers.  A lot has transpired since Nate's last appearance on the show.  Nate has transitioned into the outdoor industry full time between his pro shop and also working for Huntworth gear.  We discuss this new journey and what his next goals are; one of which is being more competitive in target archery.

We discuss the growth and lack thereof in the sport of archery.  There was a time many local clubs had high levels of competitive archers.  Today many are barely holding on; what happened?  Those people who have stuck around have found themselves with the greatest archery technology to ever exist.  This has shortened the gap to proficiency and increased the level of competition that's still present.  We discuss what separates a good shooter from a great shooter.  Last, we discuss involving new shooters and getting folks started on a good note with a bow in hand.  This is an all around dynamite archery episode - get your bow and shoot in this nice weather!

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Harvesting a bear within a lifetime in Pennsylvania is an accomplishment by most hunter's standards.  However, doing so in regularity degrades the theory many say to a person's success - luck.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with Ryan Hausman.  Ryan has harvested a bear the last five years in a row with rifle, muzzleloader, and archery equipment.  One of his bears topped out at 615 lbs field dressed!

This episode revolves all around Ryan's stories and experiences.  There is nothing lacking from the entertainment department in this episode.  Some of the situations Ryan has found himself have turned into a rodeo.  But there is also a lot to take away and use within your own bear hunting schemes.  Patience, thoroughly scan thick cover, and place yourself where there is abundant food to name a few.  Hopefully Ryan's experience harvesting five bears helps you harvest one for yourself!  Check out the article that was written after Ryan harvested bear number five.

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This week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman is quite a bit different from normal.  Mitch rides solo and just talks about life during the winter months.  To cut it truthfully, February sucks.  Not a lot is happening if you're a deer hunter, and the reality is most of us do not have the ability to devote a lot of time to hunting, considering the months of neglect other things in life get while hunting season goes throughout fall.  

Most shows are doing a great job of keeping the fire lit for the upcoming season.  Mitch envies them, because for many it's everything we have to keep scraping by sanely this time of year!   Mitch reflects on how the Pennsylvania Woodsman began, and discusses the difficulty and frustration experienced along the way.  That begs the question, why is it here and where is it going?  Don't worry, this episode isn't all doom and gloom.  Just the reality that sometimes things get hard!  So if February has been tough on you, you're not alone.  

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by PA hunter Howie Miller.  Howie works his tail off in and out of the field to make the most of his time in the woods.  Howie reflects on the 2023 grind of a season where he played cat and mouse with a dandy buck throughout the fall.  Howie lives in the southern half of the state, but chooses to hunt as much as possible around his camp in the northern portion of PA.  This creates challenges when hunting deer that are not resident to your living quarters.

Howie wrapped his tag around a stud buck during the first week of the Pennsylvania rifle season.  Thrilled to no end, we reflect on the story, successes, and lessons learned throughout a satisfying fall.  Lastly, we discuss a new journey which began late last summer; managing a newly purchased property.  Howie has as much enjoyment working in his own dirt as he does scouting public land.  We discuss the new challenges and goals he has moving forward into the next season.  Thanks for tuning in!

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