Pennsylvania Woodsman

On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we interview Land and Timber Consultant, Steve Chilcote.  Steve is located near State College and has been working with land owners to manage their timber to provide income as well as habitat and hunting opportunity.  Browse and cover management on a hunting property can be complex.  Although this phase of property manipulation is third in our series, its importance is not outranked in any way.  It’s crucial to know what native species are present, and how to effectively promote them while suppressing invasive and other non-desirable plant species.  Increasing diversity can lead to fantastic wildlife habitat – not just for game species, but all wildlife!

This interview will be split into two episodes.  First, after an introduction, Steve begins with proper timber harvest that provides income as well as regeneration.  Why not have the best of both worlds?  Next, we tap into proper timing and use of hinge cutting and hack-n-squirt techniques.  Last, we begin to discuss ramifications of invasive plants to your property.  Increasing the network of plant communities on your property will definitely aid in more whitetail encounters this fall!

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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Sticking with the private land property design series, this week’s episode Mitch talks about the importance of food; specifically, food plots.  Food plots are one of the most talked about topics in the hunting industry which can become repetitive and boring.  But the fact is, if you have private hunting land, they are EXTREMELY important.  Picking up where we left off with the foundation of property access, the next most important piece is implementing food plot programs that work all season long.

Too often, landowners believe food plot programs cannot have a major impact to the local herd and their hunting encounters.  This could not be further from the truth – even on micro sized parcels of 10 acres or less!  The key is proper placement, species, coupled with excellent access and hunting strategy.  As the season comes to an end, now is the best time for planning new plots or changing old plot programs.  That is because your experiences of last hunting season are fresh in your mind, and in-depth post-season scouting can guide your plot lay out and design.  Start scouting and planning now!

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What better way to kick off the New Year then with new beginnings?  This week, Mitch does a quick evaluation of the previous year’s deer season.  It’s important to think about what went well versus what needs improvement regarding hunting strategy and hunting area, assuming you’re serious about taking your whitetail hunting to the next level.  If you’ve been struggling to meet your own expectations, then maybe it is time for a change!

 Mitch will begin a series catering more towards private land that is set up for whitetail deer hunting.  We start by re-evaluating hunting goals and expectations for a piece of land, and branch off from here.  There is a never-ending flood of information about property management and habitat improvements – some good, some bad, and some taken completely out of context.  This week’s episode we lay the ground work for changing the access of your hunting land, as well as making your property more efficient for wildlife.  That means reducing the amount of area on your land where deer have interaction with humans during hunting season!  This is the foundation for the rest of the property improvements you make, and is crucial especially in a high hunting pressure state like Pennsylvania.  Be prepared to challenge yourself, and don’t be surprised if this series will ruffle some feathers!

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Thank you for following the Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast throughout 2021!  We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Following our Christmas intro, we talk about our last chance to fill a deer tag beginning Monday, December 27th.  There is no sugar coating here… Late season can be tough!  Whitetails have been harassed by hunters for nearly three months and any deer that has made it through to this point is on high alert.  If you haven’t connected with a buck by now, it is arguably the most difficult time in Pennsylvania to find one.

With that said, there are still missed opportunities for hunters during late season.  Simply put, trying a flintlock muzzleloader or taking your bow into the woods is a fun during the holidays!  If you dedicate the time and prepare, finding (or creating) unpressured food sources can produce excellent hunting opportunity.  We go through our late season game plan of camera monitoring, scouting for food, and stand hunting strategies similar to those discussed in early archery season.  The main difference, is the deer are now on edge!  Last, we discuss how snow and cold temperatures may create hunting opportunities near bedding cover during mid-day.  Keep your powder dry, and stay warm!

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This week we interview Muzzle Blasts Magazine editor, Dave Ehrig.  Dave has a strong passion for muzzleloading, and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the traditional smoke poles.  Pennsylvania has a rich heritage of flintlock muzzleloaders and it is kept alive by Dave and folks like him.  As rifle season approaches a close, those with tags remaining begin to think about the deer hunting gift that comes every year the day after Christmas; flintlock muzzleloader season.

If you have struggled to be as proficient as you would like with your flintlock muzzleloader, or you would like to get started but do not know where to begin, this podcast is LOADED with information!   The bad reputation of hang fires, inaccuracy, or just won’t fire can be laid to rest when the proper steps are taken before going afield.  We start with preseason preparation on the cleaning bench and at the range, and progress to in-season care to ensure a quality shooting experience this season.  Don’t kid yourself, these guns are deadly accurate.  Do you really think our ancestors would have survived if they weren’t?

For more detailed information about Dave and his muzzleloading knowledge, check out his book “Muzzleloading for Deer & Turkey” as well as Muzzle Blasts Magazine (www.muzzleblasts.com) which is published by the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association.

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Few states can compete with the hunting heritage of Pennsylvania’s opening day of rifle season.  Everyone seems to take time off from work and venture out.  As fun as this season can be, it can also be a challenge.  With more hunting pressure than any other time throughout the season, deer quickly “hole up” in security zones.  If you haven’t filled a buck tag in archery season, this new added pressure may make it more difficult to harvest the buck you’ve set out for.  Instead of getting frustrated with the change in pressure, use it to your advantage!

Food is still king; however, pressure may cause food sources to be used just after dark.  We discuss how and where to position yourself throughout opening week with your greatest odds, including stand hunting, still hunting, and a lot of people’s favorite: group hunting.  Remember, as carried away as die-hard whitetail hunters can get, this is a time of year to cherish.  We are privileged to be hunting in Penn’s Woods!  This is an opportunity to be thankful and share memories with family and friends.  We can still be strategic along the way!

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There are over 200,000 bear licenses sold in Pennsylvania annually, and 3,500-4,000 bears are killed every fall.  With odds like this, how can there be people who have killed multiple Pennsylvania bears in their lifetime and others who never kill one?  The answer is the same as the guys who consistently kill big bucks.  Preseason homework needs to be done if you expect success!  Finding food is key, and to do that you may need to put some miles on via vehicle and boots to find it.

This week we chat with Mark Lesher who has killed half a dozen Pennsylvania bears, and passed nearly as many.  He shares a camp with his brothers and family in the northern portion of the state that has harvested dozens of bears since the 1960s when the season first opened back up.  Growing up in a camp comes with many traditions.  Some traditions include hunting the same areas and the same ways as previous generations.  Mark and his crew have learned to do way more than make bear drives and holler, they’ve learned how to be methodical and kill multiple bears annually in their camp.  If you’re and avid bear hunter, grab a pen and paper because class is in session; you do not want to miss out on this information!

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How many times have you heard someone say that the rut was, or will be, early or later than normal this year?  If the rut truly is different every year, then why are fawns born the same time every spring?  The truth is, whitetail does are bred relatively the same time each and every year, regardless of moon phase, weather pattern, or how much hunting pressure is in your area.  So, when you hear someone say the rut timing was off, what that person is really referring to is observing a chasing, or rutting behavior during daylight hours.  In this episode, we will discuss the context behind some common sayings during the rut, which hopefully will help you determine the best time to be in the stand.

Did you request your time off for a “rut-cation”?  Or what may even be a better question, SHOULD you request time off of work for the rut?  In short, the answer is more then likely “yes”.  But how many times have you taken a week off of work in November that turned into a dud?  Usually, the lack of activity is caused by inclement weather that may reduce overall deer sightings.  Just because some phase of the rut is occurring, doesn’t mean it’s the correct day to be on stand.  We will discuss stand strategy, and how to slant time off towards favorable hunting conditions one day at a time, instead of putting all your eggs into one basket during a favored historical timeframe.

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If you read this title and think you’re going to find out the exact date, time, and location to harvest a buck opening week this year – you may be crazy!  Hunting strategy content has flooded social media, and while there is a lot of fantastic advice, it can become overwhelming to utilize in your hunting area.  It is also extremely easy to over-think your hunting strategy and let emotion overcome reason.  Should you hunt in the morning during early season?  Should you get close to bedding areas immediately?  When should I dive into my best stand?  There really is no one size fits all method.

Think in your mind who the two best whitetail hunters are in the country – while they may have some similarities, often their background in whitetails can lead to contradictory advice.  It does not mean that one is right and one is wrong – but it can surely be confusing!  This week, Mitch provides his mindset on when to be aggressive, and when to be patient.  You’ll find that first keeping it simple and assessing food, bedding, and surrounding hunting pressure, can put you in the ball game quickly before steam shoots out of your ears from overthinking.  But one major piece of missing context – how large is private or public parcel you are hunting?  Ponder this as we scratch the surface for hunting early season.

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On this week’s episode we interview John Wakefield with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.  John is the Fire Program Manager for the state and leads the agency in planning as well as being a “Burn Boss”.  We begin the episode with tips and techniques to break down a tract of public land with a recent burn history or a plan to.  Burn units are an extremely attractive area – both for game and for people!  Use this to your advantage when concentrating your stand locations.

From here, we dive into all things fire.  From the program start, why units are burned, and the goal of each burn unit.  The benefits of burning 12 months out of the year greatly outweigh the drawbacks of vegetation loss during hunting season.  Burns will be attractive soon after burns, and typically within 1 growing season will be lush with different browse and forbs.  We discuss different habitat types and how each are managed – decide for yourself how to adapt your hunting strategy this fall!

Want to know more about prescribed fire in PA?

Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council (paprescribedfire.org)

PrescribedFire (pa.gov)

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