Pennsylvania Woodsman

The first time Mitch heard Paul Campbell from the Ohio Outdoors (O2) podcast say the words, "the month of October belongs to turkeys," he thought Paul needed to be checked into a mental hospital!  However, after chatting with Paul and Brett Barry on this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, there may be some merit to those words after all!  Both Brett and Paul think about turkeys the way many guys think about whitetails and have a fall turkey hunting tour planned out each season.  If you've never hunted turkeys in the fall, it's a whole different story compared to spring!

Both guys begin by sharing their infatuation for turkeys, and Brett leads into his introduction to using dogs during the fall season.  He touches briefly on developing a dog for turkey hunting and the gear needed, then immediately dives into the strategy behind scouting, busting up flocks, and calling in turkeys during the fall hunting season.  Most turkey hunters think about hunting in spring when gobblers are fired up during breeding season.  But during the fall, finding food and security cover is key, just like hunting whitetails.  Brett and Paul are loaded with tips and tricks to being a more successful turkey hunter, especially during the fall when birds' behavior is a little more difficult to manipulate!

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more awesome content!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are tons of fantastic deer hunters across the entire country.  Each and every one of them has a unique set of tactics they bring to the table.  Usually they are developed specific to the regions they hunt most.  Deer density, hunting pressure, food sources and more all affect the strategy of targeting mature whitetails.  While there are many great hunters who can relate these components well in agricultural settings, finding people that consistently find success in big woods public land can be difficult.  The few that do are definitely grinders!

On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch has a conversation with none other than Johnny Stewart.  Johnny is from western PA and has hunted whitetails across the country, but still finds himself fascinated with northeastern big woods.  Many of you have probably listened to Johnny on other shows and know his intricate level of detail when scouting and hunting mature deer.  This episode is not much different, but we break down the hunting season from archery through late season flintlock and how Johnny works through some of the basics.  Enjoy!

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more awesome content!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pennsylvania is one of the few states that does not allow baiting or the use of hounds for hunting black bears.  With the extreme diversity in habitat across this state, harvesting one with a bow can be a difficult task.  However, with the season expansion and increase in bear population, archers taking the field in pursuit of these bruins have slightly better odds then they may have historically.  Regardless, scouting and developing a hunting strategy is still not a walk in the park!

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we chat with Todd Bromley.  Todd is the editor of Crossbow Magazine and lifelong Pennsylvania hunter.  For the past 11 seasons, Todd has transitioned from compound to using solely his crossbow each fall.  We begin by diving into a bowhunting philosophy and ethics conversation, regardless of the weapon being vertical or horizontal.  Next we chat about Todd's recent fascination - black bears.  In 2015, Todd killed the 15th largest bear in the state at the time, and has since found himself scouting and hunting hard each fall.  He shares some tips for finding food in the types of habitat he typically hunts, and also finding sign in some out of the ordinary ways.  We also discuss a little bit of whitetail deer hunting strategy, specifically how he uses trail cameras to be successful.  We close by discussing some of the testing he has done with heavy crossbow bolts weighing in over 600 grains with 200 grain fixed blade broadheads.  Bear season begins October 15th, and this episode should fire you up!

Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more awesome outdoor content!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with the boss man himself, the man behind Sportsmen's Empire, Mr. Dan Johnson.  We converse over our current life routine including family life with children and slowly lead into hunting season.  Dan discusses the recent changes in hunting properties he is experiencing from losing one of his main properties and having to pull his gear off the land without getting shot at!  Dan talks about his pursuit in finding a shooter around his home in Iowa, but also shares his philosophy when it comes to out of state hunts.

In recent years there has been an excellent push to get people outdoors and enjoy deer hunting on public land.  However, there is still an overwhelming amount of "deer shaming", pressuring people that they have to shoot the absolute biggest buck, as if they are inferior if they do not.  Dan compares his philosophy of targeting mature bucks close to home versus shooting something on an out of state trip that just makes him happy.  How does a guy from Iowa relate to people in Pennsylvania and the Northeast?  Dan is an individual that does what he wants without the influence of what other people think.  Most importantly, he flat out loves bowhunting.  There is a ton of philosophy and a touch of strategy in this week's episode!

For more awesome outdoor content, check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Pennsylvania began allowing hunters to recover wounded big game with dogs during the 2018 season.  While we always aspire to place shots that require short track jobs, it's only part of hunting to make a bad shot.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we sit down with bowhunter and blood tracker Otto Shick.  Otto is a humble farmer from Southeast Pennsylvania that has been bowhunting his entire life and helping people find their deer with his dog Otis since it has been legal.  With all this comes a substantial amount of knowledge regarding tracking and what to do after the shot.

Patience is an attribute that seldom goes unrewarded.  So why is it so difficult for many people to be patient after they release an arrow?  Frankly, it's easier said than done when you're dealing with adrenaline and excitement.  Without discipline, it can quickly ruin your recovery experience.  Slow down and ask yourself things such as, where do I think I hit?  How did the deer react? Where was the last place I saw it run?  What time did I shoot?  Otto shares with us what to do on specific shot situations, the amount of time to wait before tracking, how to mark the trail as you go, and what to do when you lose blood and decide to call someone with a dog.  When in doubt, back out, they say.  Not only is this true for allowing enough time for the animal to expire, it's also true for dog tracking.  Grid searching can hinder a dog's ability to follow up efficiently by molesting the track's scent profile.  If you need help with a track this fall or would like more information about blood tracking with dogs, go to www.unitedbloodtrackers.org. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's that time of year when all the stars begin to align, the weather is cooling down, and it's finally go-time.  You've waited all year long for this, and you're going to do everything in your power to spend the maximum amount of time in the field.  How many times do you tell yourself that this task or event can wait until after hunting season?  It's so easy to get caught up in the mindset that hunting season is priority because there is only a fixed amount of time you're able to hunt each calendar year.  

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch dives into some personal dilemmas he is having balancing his everyday life and the desire to hunt hunt hunt!  The conversation is more open ended and philosophical then direct.  He shares with us his learning curve being a father and husband while also trying to chase his passion in the whitetail woods.  Mitch is open with everyone about how he really struggles keeping his priorities focused during the hunting season and not allowing himself to put his family and loved ones behind hunting.  Time management can be difficult in life, especially when you have other responsibilities that force you from doing the things you want to do.  Even though hunting has so many positive attributes, the harsh reality is it can become a selfish endeavor with ugly consequences if you're not careful.  If this is something you battle, hopefully this episode lets you know that you're not alone!  Good luck to everyone this fall! 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman Mitch and Robby catch up with Matt Zirnsak from The Push Archery.  Matt is from western Pennsylvania and is a diehard bowhunter who is partial to taking a recurve to the field. We begin our conversation with Matt's introduction to bowhunting and traditional archery, then navigate from flinging arrows to competitive status.  We discuss a ton of things including general bowhunting discussion, shot execution and target panic, aiming, and all things equipment.  The Push all began when Matt and some buddies created a YouTube video for introductory traditional archery.  Since then, The Push has been pumping out a ton of educational content, as well as archery hunting and entertaining videos.  Be sure to tune into their Youtube channel and follow them on social media! 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with Donovan Remp and Austin Schlenker.  These guys are completely ate up with bowfishing, and we have a fantastic B.S. session all about shooting fish.  If you've never tried bowfishing, these guys will peak your interest.  Not only is it extremely stimulating, as the title states, some of the species they are targeting make for incredible table fare!  We start off with the boy's introduction to bowfishing, their evolution of gear accumulation, thoughts and recommendations on how to get started, and of course we lead into strategy and fun stories.  The guys go anywhere from walking creeks for carp to running the Potomac River for Snakehead - or as we now reference it, poor man's Walleye!  What better way to lead into archery season than shooting your bow?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September is here, which means deer season has arrived!  That includes the special regulations season in Pennsylvania including units 5C, 5D, and 2B.  It's a fantastic opportunity to get in the deer woods slightly before the rest of the state.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we chatted with someone who has found repeated success on opening day during this early season.  

Our guest Adam Pastrnak discusses his continued stewardship of the whitetail woods.  More of a self taught bow hunter, he is constantly consuming as much information as possible to help formulate a game plan during fall.  Through the school of hard knocks and trial and error, Adam has managed to come up with a system where he can connect on deer in the morning during early season.  We indulge into his learning curve and how he has evolved from stomping through brush to a more methodical approach in the whitetail woods.  It's a bow hunting conversation for anyone who is ready for opening day, wherever that may be!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with Garrett Regalski who is the owner of Fowl Intentions and co-owner of PA Boyz Outdoors.  Garrett eats, sleeps and breathes goose hunting and adjusts life around chasing the flyways.  For six months out of the year he is putting his shotgun through constant use and abuse in any weather you'd imagine.  Needless to say, opening day cannot come fast enough!.

Garrett shares a ton of his experiences and details how his scouting leads to success.  A ton of miles get put on the vehicles to locate and pattern birds during preseason.  He also discusses calling techniques, decoying, equipment, and much much more.  It's an episode that will aggravate an itchy trigger finger and make your shoulder hurt just thinking about slinging some steel!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.