Ten years changes the hunter, but maybe not in the way you think. Ryan Mead sits down with Dan Johnson to compare notes on a decade of bowhunting, deer behavior, and the hard truth that experience eventually changes how much you care about doing everything “perfect.”

Ryan opens up about what has shifted most since his last appearance on Nine Finger Chronicles - from being overly cautious with trail cameras and stand access to prioritizing time, family, and high-percentage hunts over obsessive preseason perfection. Dan and Ryan break down how that mindset affects when to move cameras, when to hunt mornings, why some properties fire in late October, and why pressure from neighbors can push bucks exactly where you want them.

You’ll discover:

• Why Ryan stopped overthinking every trail camera move and now focuses on efficiency
• How his Michigan properties behave differently from his Northeast Missouri lease
• Why late October can outproduce the “popular” November dates on certain farms
• How deer movement shifts when crops come out, cover changes, and pressure ramps up
• What years of hunting multiple states have taught him about buck quality, timing, and patience

Ryan also shares the reality of balancing deer hunting with work, family, and a side passion for three-on-three basketball at 44, plus the lessons he learned from out-of-state trips in Kansas and Missouri, including the classic “Michigan mistake” - shooting too soon when you finally see the kind of bucks you never get at home.

This episode is perfect for hunters who are trying to decide whether to keep grinding preseason or simplify, and for anyone who has ever wondered if the “right” hunting dates are really the same everywhere. If you like practical deer hunting talk with real-world pressure, access, and timing insights, this one will have you rethinking your own season plan.

Head to www.mybookie.ag, use promo code [SE], and get in on the action today. Bet on Anything. Anytime. Anywhere."*

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In this episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitchell is joined by Ryan Burnett of Pattern Pros to talk about one of the most overlooked pieces of hunting preparation—actually knowing how your gun and ammunition perform together. Ryan explains how Pattern Pros grew from a frustrating day of shotgun patterning into a way for hunters to test multiple loads without buying full boxes of ammunition that may not work well in their gun. The guys walk through the process of properly patterning a shotgun at different distances, understanding point of aim versus point of impact, evaluating pattern density, and determining which gun, choke, and shell combination gives you the best opportunity when it's finally time to pull the trigger.

The conversation expands beyond waterfowl into turkey hunting, choke tubes, modern steel shot, and even choosing factory ammunition for a deer rifle. Mitchell and Ryan discuss how hunters can spend thousands of dollars on guns, optics, decoys, clothing, and other equipment while overlooking the relatively simple step of testing what their firearm actually shoots best. More importantly, they discuss the ethical responsibility hunters have to eliminate as many controllable variables as possible before taking a shot at an animal. You don't have to be a ballistics expert or gun fanatic—you just need to put in enough time before the season to know what happens when you pull the trigger.

Head to www.mybookie.ag, use promo code [SE], and get in on the action today. Bet on Anything. Anytime. Anywhere."*

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On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Kent Boucher & Nicolas Lirio from Hoksey Native Seeds to discuss the benefits of prairie, and steps to take towards healthier land! In this conversation, the guys discuss Kent's unfortunate lifestyle choice of being a Chicago Bears fan, Nicolas' journey at Hoksey, drastic changes in Midwest ecology, small steps we can all take to make more conservation-minded decisions, how Hoksey's team can help you implement prairie successfully on your property, and tons more! 

Visit www.hokseynativeseeds.com to learn more and get in touch with the Hoksey team!

Huge thanks to Kent & Nicolas for taking time to come on the show! Be sure to check out The Prairie Farm Podcast wherever you do your listening, and follow @hokseynativeseeds on all social media platforms to stay up to date with what's happening on the prairie farm! 

Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

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In this episode, we sit down with Joe Miles of ASIO Gear to break down proven strategies for targeting mature bucks. From understanding pressure and movement patterns to dialing in your setup, Joe shares insights that can make the difference when it counts. We also dive into some of the newest ASIO Gear products and how they’re designed to give hunters an edge in the field. If you’re serious about chasing mature whitetails, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Podcast brought to you by:

Sportsmen’s empire 

LWCG https://www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

Asio : SEBH for 15% off https://asiogear.com/

Bowtique: SEBHP https://thebowtiquellc.com/

G5 Outdoors https://www.g5outdoors.com/

Prime Archery https://www.g5prime.com/ 

Dialed Archery https://dialedarchery.com/ 

Moultrie https://www.moultrie.com/

BHL https://bowhuntingleague.com

Scrape doctor SEBH15 for 15%  https://scrapedoctor.com/

Victory Archery  https://www.victoryarchery.com/

Catalyst archery https://catalystarchery.com SEBH10

Unbound Archery SEBH10 for 10% off https://www.unboundarchery.com 

Head to www.mybookie.ag, use promo code [SE], and get in on the action today. Bet on Anything. Anytime. Anywhere."*

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Vitalize Seed, Grandpa Ray Outdoors, Northwoods Whitetail, Real World Wildlife Products

In this episode, experts discuss the intricacies of land management, habitat design, and hunting strategies to optimize deer hunting success. They share insights on food plot design, deer behavior, and habitat enhancement to help hunters and land managers make informed decisions. The guests detail the perfect food plot acre, and all the factors that have gone into their perfect design.

Takeaways

• Food plot design and layout
• Deer behavior and risk perception
• Habitat enhancement and edge feathering
• Deer movement and sanctuary creation
• Rotation and diversity in food plots
• Impact of landscape features on deer movement
• Strategies for attracting and holding deer
• Use of cover crops and overseeding
• Importance of access and concealment

Tags hunting, land management, food plots, soil testing, seed selection, deer hunting, habitat improvement, agricultural practices, wildlife management, planting techniques

Social Links

https://vitalizeseed.com

https://grandparayoutdoors.com/

https://www.realworldwildlifeproducts.com/

https://www.northwoodswhitetails.com/

https://whitetaillandscapes.com/

https://www.facebook.com/whitetaillandscapes/

https://www.instagram.com/whitetail_landscapes/?hl=en

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September deer hunting is changing fast, and the hunters who keep using August tactics are about to get left behind. Dan Johnson and Jason Thibodeau break down the second half of September, when drying beans, dropping acorns, shifting deer movement, and early crop harvests start rewriting the map right under your feet.

If you need to figure out where deer are moving now - and how to stay ahead of them before the October opener - this conversation gives you the playbook. Dan and Jason get into what the landscape is telling you, why trail cameras are already revealing key clues, and how to adjust when bucks go from patternable to unpredictable.

You’ll discover:

• Why green food sources, water edges, and fresh acorns matter more as crops dry down
• How to read trail camera photos differently when a buck only shows up at night
• When an observation sit is more valuable than a “normal” hunt
• How harvested fields can suddenly make deer feel exposed
• What small-property hunters should do with the early season vs. the rut
• Why access, wind, and scent control matter even more as cover thins out

Dan also shares a real-world strategy for hunting his best spots earlier than usual this year, while Jason pushes the conversation toward practical judgment - when to pressure a property, when to let it cool off, and how to keep from burning out your best ground. They also touch on a critical mistake many hunters make: obsessing over strategy while neglecting shooting practice, effective range, and gear prep before season hits.

This is essential listening if you hunt whitetails in the Midwest, manage small parcels, or want to tighten up your September-to-October strategy before the woods change again. If you want to be ready when the deer shift, this episode will help you make smarter decisions the next time you step into the timber.

Y’all are always asking me and Trey how we got started in podcasting, what the early days looked like, what we struggled with, and how we went from just having an idea to actually building something people listen to.

Well… we already had that conversation. 

So instead of making another episode telling the same story, I’m bringing THIS one back.

In this episode, Trey Reed and I sit down and get real about our journeys as podcasters—from the early days of recording with limited gear, figuring out what the hell we were doing, finding our voices, building an audience, dealing with doubt, and learning what it really takes to keep showing up.

There were plenty of moments where we wondered if it was even worth it.

Looking back now, it’s crazy to see how far both platforms have come.

This episode is a reminder that you don't have to have it all figured out when you start. You just have to start—and keep going.

If you’ve ever asked, “How did y’all get into podcasting?”

A child murder case, a psychotic break, and a question nobody wants to answer: when does a broken mind become a crime that can never be forgiven?

Dan and Kyle get into the Lindsay Clancy trial and the uncomfortable line between mental illness, accountability, and public outrage. What starts as a conversation about a headline-grabbing case quickly turns into something bigger - postpartum depression, psychosis, medication, the limits of the justice system, and how far a person can fall before anyone notices.

You'll hear Dan and Kyle unpack the details of the case, the role of postpartum mental health, and why so many people are reacting so strongly. They break down how psychotic episodes can distort reality, why suicidal and homicidal crises are so hard to assess, and what makes one person’s breaking point different from another’s. Kyle shares firsthand experience as a psychotherapist, including what it looks like when someone is truly detached from reality and why getting help is often more complicated than it sounds.

We also get into the hardest questions in the episode: how the system handles people in crisis, why some warning signs are missed, and what happens when a story like this becomes a public rallying point. Dan pushes on the moral side of the case, while Kyle explains the clinical side, including risk assessment, psychosis, and the reality of involuntary commitment.If you’re drawn to true-crime cases, psychology, or the messy space where law, medicine, and human behavior collide, this is a sharp, unsettling conversation that will stay with you long after it ends.

Head to www.mybookie.ag, use promo code [SE], and get in on the action today. Bet on Anything. Anytime. Anywhere."*

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Western Kansas Deer Hunting: Decoys, Glassing, and Mature Buck StrategyWestern Kansas hunting gets brutally honest here: when deer numbers fall, CWD spreads, and the wind never quits, how do you still find mature bucks? Travis Glassman breaks down the exact strategies he uses to stay on deer in one of the toughest crossover zones in the Midwest, where whitetails and mule deer live in the same country but behave like completely different animals.

Dan Johnson catches up with Travis after years away from the show, and what unfolds is a practical, boots-on-the-ground conversation about hunting pressure, changing deer numbers, and how fatherhood has reshaped the way he approaches the season. Travis shares how he is now hunting not just for himself, but for his kids too—and why that has changed everything from trail camera strategy to the shots he is willing to take.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why whitetail numbers in western Kansas have dropped so hard, and why mule deer are slowly rebounding
• How chronic wasting disease, drought, and shrinking water sources are changing deer movement
• The difference between patterning whitetails and patterning mule deer in flat, open country
• Why Travis starts with cameras, then narrows down with glassing before choosing an ambush
• How decoys can work for both species—and why the wrong decoy can ruin an entire setup

Travis also explains how he hunts terrain when there is almost no terrain, from CRP edges and drainage bottoms to fence lines, milo fields, and tiny patches of cover most hunters would drive past. He gets specific about how whitetail bucks and mule deer bucks respond differently to pressure, why mule deer often avoid confrontation, and how he uses that knowledge to get inside their comfort zone without tipping them off.

This episode is packed with real-world tactics for hunters who deal with low deer density, open country, or long-range setups. But it is just as much about patience, perspective, and knowing when to pass on a deer that is technically shootable but not worth the tag.If you hunt the plains, chase mature bucks, or want a smarter way to think about western deer, this conversation belongs on your playlist.

Episode DescriptionThe best mobile hunting systems do one thing - they disappear into the hunt. Nested Tree Stand Systems is built around that idea, and Gabe Denzine explains why this brand was designed from the ground up for hunters who pack in, climb once, and want every piece of gear to work together.

Gabe and Dan unpack how Nested grew out of a real problem: the clunky, cobbled-together setup so many hunters have been forced to live with. Instead of making another generic add-on to an existing line, the team built a true system - rails, stand, and pack engineered to nest together, carry weight better, and speed up setup in the field.

You'll discover why Nested uses rails instead of traditional climbing sticks, how the dual-rail design helps prevent kick-out and improves foot placement, and why the pack-and-stand combo is modeled after a Western frame pack to move weight to your hips instead of your shoulders. Gabe also breaks down the 8.6-pound cast aluminum hang-on, the patented Z-shaped profile, the one-strap cam-over design, and the difference between the 15-liter and 35-liter packs.

We also get into the practical details that matter when you're in the dark and under pressure - from rope attachments versus cam straps, to how many rails most hunters really need, to why the system is especially appealing for guys hunting big hill country or anyone trying to cut down on trips up and down the tree. If you've ever wished your mobile setup felt lighter, safer, and more intuitive, this conversation hits all the right notes.

Gabe Denzine is the brand manager behind Nested Tree Stand Systems at Artisam, and he brings a hunter's perspective to product design, with firsthand experience using and refining the system in the field. Dan Johnson keeps the conversation focused on the real-world problems mobile hunters face and whether Nested actually solves them.

Essential listening if you run a mobile tree stand setup, hunt public land, or want a more streamlined way to carry and hang your gear without the usual frustration. Learn more at nestedtreestands.com.

Head to www.mybookie.ag, use promo code [SE], and get in on the action today. Bet on Anything. Anytime. Anywhere."*

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