Pennsylvania Woodsman

On this week's Deer Season Special bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by long time friend Travis Bailey.  Mitch and Travis grew up hunting deer and small game together.  We take a trip down memory lane and revisit the story of a buck Travis harvested in 2013 after following along for 3 seasons.  Travis shares that the first two years of trail camera inventory felt like he was hunting a ghost.  He had one late season encounter with the buck in year 1, but chose to pass as the deer had shed one of his antlers.

The story ramps up when in year 3 the camera inventory drastically picks up, as the amount of daylight images increased providing hope.  After harvesting the buck, Mitch and Travis discuss what it was like for each of them to achieve a high level hunting goal of killing a big mature buck of this caliber.  While another deer this size may happen again in the future, the areas we hunt in Pennsylvania don't have this class animal behind every tree each season.  The guys discuss recalibrating their hunting goals and expectations.  This includes a change in hunting scenery, as Travis shares a new passion of hunting bucks on the public land mountains near his home.  This story is one for the record books, enjoy! 

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by Dan Collins from Hardway Outdoors.  Dan is an all around avid outdoorsman, enjoying the moment while he is in it.  We begin our conversation recapping Dan's recent experience guiding fishing trips in Alaska.  Then we dive into the wonderful world of bowhunting whitetails.

Dan has a passion for hunting with a stickbow and we discuss what the process of preparation looks like for him leading to opening day.  Dan hunted opening week, but left for a trip to hunt Mule Deer out west shortly after.  This leads us to discuss preparation for the time of year we all love - the rut.  Dan shares how he used summertime trail cameras, historical hunting experiences, and knowledge of terrain and pinch points to put himself in the best odds locations for a whitetail buck this fall.  The moral of this episode is to enjoy what you're doing, while you're doing it - it's about the adventure!

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On this week's Deer Season Special bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch was joined by New Jersey bowhunter, Greg Litzinger.  Greg is a well-known public land bowhunter who loves hunting the mountains targeting mature bucks.  Throughout the many episodes Greg has recorded on other shows, he has discussed various tactics including buck beds and bed hunting.  While you may pick up on a few tactics and tricks, this conversation goes down a different path.

Greg and Mitch converse over numerous deer hunting stories and experiences.  Greg shares with us a hunt for a buck that took him into firearm season, and when faced with the opportunity to harvest the buck with a gun, chose to let him walk.  This was when he realized that bowhunting was truly at his core.  Greg talks about the various habitat and terrain types he has hunted.  While his heart is hunting in the mountains, Greg shares that one of his more recent challenges is hunting big bucks in the Pine Barrens.  When you spend as much time on public land as Greg, you also can have some unique encounters with people.  Greg has some bizarre interactions with the non-hunting community he shares.  

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by good friend and experienced deer hunter Tim Himmelberger.  Tim was a self taught bowhunter fueled by the same passion as many of us - chasing big bucks.  Tim started out from humble beginnings, and worked his tail off to purchase some properties with a good friend.  This began a new journey - how do you hold the best bucks in the neighborhood?

At the time of Tim's journey, Quality Deer Management and the plethora of land management advice we have today was nearly non-existent.  Everything was learned via trial and error and the school of hard knocks.  Many lessons were learned the hard way, but ultimately they were able to put down some of the best bucks in the neighborhood at a time no one else was doing with regularity.  This conversation is merely a snapshot of a lifetime whitetail phanatic.  You'll pick up some excellent tricks and tactics for hunting bucks during the rut, near bedding, and using things like spot lighting for inventory in the neighborhood. 

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman Mitch is joined by fellow podcaster Clint Campbell.  Clint is a Pennsylvania native and diehard bowhunter who is no stranger to the challenges of hunting high pressure states.  Clint discusses some encounters over the past few years and the learning experiences that resulted.  We also touch on how stepping away from bowhunting whitetails throughout the year and having a healthy outlet can actually aid with your focus each fall.  We close the episode discussing some of the guests with the biggest influence on Clint's bowhunting through his years as a podcast host. 

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This week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman Mitch is joined by friends and hunting partners Mark Lesher, Mike Lesher, and Jason Miller.  The four have a round table BS session revolving around their New Jersey hunting trip that took place Oct 9-14.  The area was new to everyone so we first discussed the scouting trips from late summer into fall.  The terrain and habitat type was much different than other areas the group has bear hunted in the past, so it was a unique learning experience.  From here we dove into the events of the week of hunting, totalling over 30 bear sightings, two bears and one buck killed.  A lot was learned on this trip - and we can't wait for next year!

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This week's guest of the Deer Season Special bonus episodes for the Pennsylvania Woodsman is Bill Thompson from Spartan Forge.  Bill recaps his recent elk hunt this fall and the highs and lows which transpired.  We go into detail about the recent update from Spartan Forge which includes lidar mapping.  Bill shares why he has chosen the Spartan Forge team he works with - work ethic.  Out working those around you and surrounding yourself with hard working individuals provides a greater opportunity for success.  We wrap up discussing some of the greatest "ah-ha" moments over the years observing whitetail deer collar data and developing deer movement prediction models.

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch sits down with the Ruffed Grouse Society's resident group of experts in Southeast PA.  Joining the show is Ben Larson, Jan Christen, and Dave Henry.  Combined these minds understand the need for forest and habitat manipulation, as well as how to get it done.  We address forest stands including health and age, appropriate forestry practices, the use of fire, invasive species management, and more.  We also discuss the importance for fundraising and networking with organizations like RGS to provide resources for project implementation.  This includes funding for public land restoration that we all benefit from!  This episode is jam packed full of interesting science based information!

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On this week's Deer Season Special bonus episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we chat with the leader of the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network, Dan Johnson.  Dan may work in the outdoor industry, but he is just like the rest of us; family comes first.  Mitch and Dan converse over what it's been like to reach milestones in podcasting, such as launching 100 to 1000 episodes, or building a network like the Empire.  Then we dive into bowhunting amidst being a husband and father.  How do we prioritize our time, and how do we stack the odds in our favor?  Lastly, Dan talks about 2 deer that stick in his mind over the years - one that hangs on his wall, another that is a picture within his mind.  Great whitetail deer hunting episode for perspective in the busy world we live in!

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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch sits down with Aaron Hepler for a whitetail hunting B.S. session.  Aaron is a diehard bowhunter and family man.  He spends countless hours in the offseason scouting and running cameras on public land in the big woods.  Camera data is excellent, but it becomes easy to rely on obtaining a picture first before having the confidence to hunt a spot.  Instead of reacting to a camera after a picture is taken, Aaron talks about being proactive using annual trail camera data.  This means taking historical information from cameras and hunter observation and hunting that specific window of time when things are heating up.  All that and much more.  Be ahead of the deer and don't be chasing!

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