Pennsylvania Woodsman

How many of you can relate to hunting small tracts of property?  What about a micro-parcel of 10 acres of less?  The vast majority of deer hunters with access to private land can relate to this type of parcel, especially those that are chopped up in the Northeast.  While a Whitetail deer’s home range is significantly larger than the confinement of a micro-parcel, there is more that can be done in the off-season to improve the quality of hunting then most would think.  However, in addition to hard work, it takes a more methodical approach, and sometimes outside-of-the-box creativity to achieve these goals.  

This week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we have Phil Holcombe share his experiences from the school of hard knocks.  Phil is a Pennsylvania native that is no stranger to hunting vast chunks of big woods public land as well as his own property of less than 10 acres.  We begin by understanding a little bit about his property and how he evaluates the qualities and setbacks of a micro-tract.  Phil explains how it’s important to “work with the grain” rather than against it – meaning take the qualities of the property and use them to your advantage.  The core of his principles mirror strategy on public land, but reducing the scale accordingly.  He also shares the importance of strategic stand location and access to allow the perception of zero hunting pressure.  There must be a balance of attraction and “huntability” – all the attraction in the world will not yield the results desired if the local herd is spooked every time you step foot on the property.  Whether you have a small property, or you’re pounding public ground, anyone can take away strategy from this episode!

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This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast we introduce our new co-host, Robby Henne.  We start by catching up with Robby and discussing his 2021 deer season where he harvested his first buck with a bow and a coyote!  Following the introduction, Mitch has a conversation with Bill Thompson of Spartan Forge.  Bill was a military intel officer for 21 years, and now is using this military artificial intelligence knowledge to help people track down mature bucks.

If you have never heard of the Spartan Forge app, you’ll enjoy the background information Bill shares leading to how this product is utilized in field.  It is difficult to go into the deer woods during this day in age without some type of technology guiding us.  Utilizing GPS for direction and point marking, journaling, etc. are all pieces of the puzzle towards success.  Spartan Forge aims to help with those things while also providing a Whitetail movement prediction model with tons of GPS collar data that support this algorithm.  

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With spring approaching we have new ways of shaking cabin fever out!  This week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with John Kolb.  John is the founder of the Suffering Outdoors YouTube channel which showcases outdoor adventures in the Northeast, especially around his home in northern Pennsylvania.  Even though John is a diehard whitetail hunter and can often be found wandering in large tracts of public land, he still enjoys spending this time of year fly fishing.  

Opening day of trout season in Pennsylvania is nearly a state holiday itself with thousands of anglers lining the recently stocked creek edges.  However, the length of streams stocked is a fraction to the 80,000+ miles of streams throughout the Keystone State.  There is more opportunity to catch native trout then most would think.  John enjoys the challenge of tying his own flies and casting his fly rod into pools that are sometimes smaller than a half ton pickup truck.  Everything about this type of fishing is a challenge – sometimes hiking long distances, wary fish, narrow windows to maneuver a fly rod, and John adds an additional element with a camera!  Make sure you tune into some of John’s fly-fishing videos that you will find informational and entertaining.  While you are at it, you just might find yourself scrolling through the reels of deer hunting videos.

Social Media Links:

www.sufferingoutdoors.com

https://www.facebook.com/Suffering-Outdoors-107358578191710/?ref=page_internal

https://www.instagram.com/suffering_outdoors/

https://www.youtube.com/c/SufferingOutdoors

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On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we conclude the second half of our interview with Land and Timber Consultant, Steve Chilcote.  In part one, Steve shares his background of forestry and land consulting which leads into topics of browse, cover, and invasive species management.  In part two, Steve concludes his thoughts on a few more invasive species he typically finds on properties and the necessary measures to correct them.  As plant communities transition with removal of invasives, Steve stresses that there needs to be quality plants that fill in the newly created space – otherwise invasives will reinhabit.  Typically, the native seed bank has stored seeds for decades that only needed sunlight and reduced competition to flourish.

In some cases, adding conifer trees for improved cover or screening is possible for landscapes that lack this habitat feature.  Steve breaks down the how, what, and where of conifer adding and management on some client properties.  Lastly, Steve concludes with hunting tips and strategy for private landowners looking to shoot for the stars and harvest the most mature deer in the neighborhood.  All the practices and techniques discussed throughout part one and two of this interview are conservation oriented at the core – it’s an added bonus when they allow better hunting opportunity!

Be sure to check out Steve at 

(chilcoteforester.com)

 and Facebook @chilcoteforester, as well as all his YouTube playlists at Chilcote Forestry.

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On last week’s episode, we began to prep everyone about the reality of food plotting challenges in 2022.  The herbicides we typically use may be in short supply and expensive, and fertilizer won’t be much different.  Mitch mentioned that planting a summer cover crop as a “green manure,” which will release nutrients mined by plant roots to the soil’s surface when terminated, as being a viable option.  This is not a new concept to agriculture, but it’s begun to gain more traction in the food plot community.  With that, this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman is going to branch off into a bit more detail about green manure in food plots with Tad Dalgewicz.

Tad is a spokesman for the Whitetail Institute and does seminars throughout the east coast.  He has an intensive background in agriculture, and between his part time farming and food plotting history has nearly 30 years of experience. He discusses a new product released by the Whitetail Institute called “Revive” and how this product along with a green manure planting system can be utilized.  Tad is one of those guys that when you chat with him, it’s plain to see he has intense passion for food plots and managing soils in a sustainable way.  Tad is no stranger to relating his food plotting to quality hunting, and has taken numerous wall-hangers in Pennsylvania.  With that passion, be prepared for Tad to go on some tangents about food plotting, property management, hunting strategy and more!  You may find some of the information in this episode to be a little over your head if you are new to food plots.  But rest assured that the information from Tad’s mind is quality mixed with quantity!

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With warmer temperatures approaching, cabin fever is beginning to wear off.  Spring will be here before we know it, and too often food plot planters stall to prepare for planting and maintaining their fields.  On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch shares detailed information for clover plot management, as well as weed control and fertility concerns everyone may face in 2022.  To start, proper clover plot establishment and management is not always well addressed.  Due to this, many spring planted clover plots fail due to the lack of context.  Soils need to be properly prepared with no established weeds, and most importantly, need to be planted earlier than most would think.  In addition, knowing what herbicide you can use on clover and the appropriate times is equally as important for maintaining longevity in established plots.  Prepare for note taking!

The forecast of glyphosate herbicide availability in spring is uncertain, and the supply that is available may be significantly more expensive than normal.  These challenges may lead to alternative measures.  Mitch dives into his plans for how he will address last year’s fall planted plots with significantly less, or no glyphosate applied, and also without using tillage.  This will require biological controls that choke out weed competition.  Finally, Mitch scratches the surface on how fertility can be built overtime with little to no commercial fertilizer, as 2022 will prove to have abnormally high fertilizer prices.  Plan now, and success will come in fall!

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​On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch has a conversation with Kip Adams.  Kip is a biologist and the Chief Conservation Officer for the National Deer Association (NDA).  Prior to Kip’s engagement with the Quality Deer Management Association and NDA, he was the deer project leader for New Hampshire Fish & Game Department.  New Hampshire, as well as many other states in the northern portion of the whitetail deer’s home range, is not immune to severe winter weather having an impact on the local herd.  Kip was involved in numerous surveys in New Hampshire monitoring winter areas as well as mortality.

In addition to the wealth of knowledge regarding whitetail biology, Kip is a Pennsylvania native who finds himself hunting property he manages in northern Pennsylvania.  He can relate to the weather patterns in the Keystone state and how they may impact winter survival.  Kip explains that providing winter food for deer is not a reactionary process – it takes planning ahead to manage plant communities accessible to the deer herd this time of year.  However, as many landowners begin to hit the panic button during these harsh conditions, they will find themselves making the mistake of piling food.  Commonly, corn piles and hay bales get places near wintering yards, and while this is intended to be a positive deed, it can result in disease, predation, and higher rates of mortality.  Take notes, as this episode will have us back in the biology classroom!

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This week is an episode jam packed with coyote and predator hunting knowledge.  We sit down and have a conversation with Bryan Mealy and Dane Kitner of Keystone Predator Management.  This group was founded out of the necessity to reduce coyote populations in their local area, as well as their diehard passion for hunting predators.  While many guys do not think about hunting predators until this time of year when deer seasons are closed across the state and many other outdoor activities have stalled, these boys are grinding on a yearly basis for coyotes!

For the novice and beginner, this episode will provide you with information that will put you light years ahead compared to trial and error on your own.  But even experienced coyote hunters can take away tips from Bryan and Dane, as their constant pursuit and dedication has led them to continued success.  From scouting and gaining permission, to calling sequences and quality gear including thermo-optics, you’ll find yourself submerged in information during this hour-long B.S. session!

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On this week’s episode we interview the Sherk that more people are familiar with; Steve Sherk that is!  As we progress into winter and put boots to the ground this post season, it is never too late to be considering trail camera strategies for 2022.  More often than not, I’ve personally found myself overwhelmed by vast big-woods landscapes and trying to place myself within archery range of a mature deer.  Steve discusses the method behind his madness when scouting for trail camera locations, as well as how he positions multiple cameras for in-season monitoring versus data collection for future seasons.  

The northern half of Pennsylvania is not typically known for high deer densities.  But if you have followed Steve on social media for any length of time, you know that there are plenty of mature deer with racks respectable anywhere in the lower 48 states.  Clustering cameras in and around known bedding and transition areas may allow you to capture more images in these big woods settings, especially when funnels and attractions are less pronounced.  Pay close attention, as this could be your step closer to connecting with a shooter on a large public land tract!

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This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman we shake things up with ice fishing fanatic, Don Kelly.  Don is the owner of the Tackle Shack in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania and the recent weather conditions have his business in full swing.  Don shared that ice fishing is growing in popularity, but it takes the right gear to be successful.  Fortunately, the Tackle Shack is a one-stop-shop to get out on the ice this winter.

One thing that can easily get over looked by outdoorsmen is the fact that ice fishing requires some safety gear and precautions.  While breaking through ice may occur infrequently, accidents can happen and a lack of preparation could be costly.  Don shares his thoughts on the tools of the trade to keep you safe, comfortable, and successful.  We also talk a little about successful tactics as well as hot selling equipment for 2022.  If you are a beginner, check out the upcoming ice fishing program that Don tag-teams with the PA Fish & Boat Commission!

Social Media Links:

Ice Fishing Program: Intro to Ice Fishing Program | Visit Potter-Tioga Pennsylvania (visitpottertioga.com)

Program Registration: Event - VIRTUAL - Intro to Ice Fishing Program - February 7, 2022 in Beech Creek, PA (register-ed.com)

The Tackle Shack:  Wellsboro Tackle Shack- A Great Day of Fishing Starts Here - Tackle Shack (shoptackleshack.com)

Facebook Page: Tackle Shack | Facebook  @wellsborotackleshack
 

Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast | Facebook  @PennsylvaniaWoodsmanPodcast

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