A popular topic today is the coronavirus. But enough on that! Another popular topic today in hunting circles is “the 3 R’s.” Here’s my discussion on it as it relates to crossbows.

The PA Game Commission is considering allowing electric bicycles, or "e-bikes," on state gamelands. Not just for handicapped hunters, but for anyone. My thoughts? Listen away, this is a fun one, I think.

FOB Eric Barnes gives me a ton of tips on scouting and hunting state gamelands! I really appreciate his time and input on this topic as Bunjie and I spend 2020 trying to figure out how to kill a deer on public ground.

Here we discuss his hunting background, the topography of his hunting area in Williamsport, his recent successes on public ground, preconceived notions about public land, and areas he likes to hunt during different times of year. We discuss the rut and its effect on deer activity. Scouting strategies is a welcome topic for me. We discuss scent control briefly, but I expect we'll be back on this topic with another podcast before the season starts. Finally, we discuss Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania.

You can check out Eric's channel on YouTube, Dual Threat Outdoors, at http://bit.ly/399Narh .

You can check out his Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dualthreatoutdoorman/

I was fortunate enough recently to sit down with Presidential Candidate and US Senator Bernie Sanders and talk about…crossbows! Who would have expected this?

Support the New York Crossbow Coalition here: nycrossbowcoalition.com

Support our crossbow brethren in Wisconsin here: www.facebook.com/WisconsinCrossbow

This interview is satire—please don’t get too excited about this. The interview originally appeared on a podcast called The Chapo Trap House (I found it by Googling it but you can find it here: http://bit.ly/31nHsPE ) (on Soundcloud). I have no permission to reproduce it here other than from the U.S. Congress and the Fair Use Copyright exception (this is parody and commentary). The commentary is crossbow related, but in the end the point is that it’s just about another kind of freedom—crossbow freedom!

P.S. No, I do not support Bernie Sanders for President. You don’t need to ask. He’s simply a unique personality and sounded good for this project.

A not-so-recent article from Whitetail News (a magazine published by Whitetail Institute) argues that foodplots are superior to bait. I take issue with this and not only defend the ancient practice of baiting, but argue it's got its pluses, too! In fact, it might be superior to foodplottery in some ways. (Foodplottery is the Bunjie term for the practice of making and maintaining foodplots, fyi.) I absolutely support anyone practicing foodplottery. I also absolutely support anyone who, like me, enjoys hunting over bait. I absolutely hope you enjoy this podcast.

In this podcast I spend some time outlining trespassing concerns I've had over the years and the importance of fighting trespassing to protect private property rights. Does PA's new legislation help or hurt? Is it good or bad for hunting?

This is part two of a two part series on declining hunter numbers. Here I examine what game commissions can do, and what WE can do as hunters, to encourage hunting long term.

I posted a recent Washington Post Article on the Death by Bunjie Facebook page. You can read that article here: https://wapo.st/2SfEnyd

How can we as hunters, who have a stake in this game, protect hunting long term? Encourage crossbow equality.

I posted a recent Washington Post Article on the Death by Bunjie Facebook page. You can read that article here: https://wapo.st/2SfEnyd How can we as hunters, who have a stake in this game, protect hunting long term? Encourage crossbow equality.

Here I interview FOB Mark Borchert about apple and pear trees for deer and people. Great tips here, I think—if you’re into apples, this is the podcast episode for you!

(FOB stands for Friend of Bunjie, of course.)

And remember, DEER LOVE APPLES! Apple trees are a great addition to your foodplots or other wildlife management plans!

I wrote a blog post about this previously but here I go into more detail about my favorite hunting podcasts.

Here are my top picks in no particular order.

MeatEater

This is the high end of podcasts. Top notch research, guests, hosts, production value, etc. In fact, the MeatEater brand of podcasts seems to be absorbing other podcasts and podcast personalities! There are now several different podcasts floating around under the MeatEater umbrella—so much so it’s difficult to find time to listen to them all.

Wired to Hunt

Example of how MeatEater absorbs other podcasts. I listed to Mark Kenyon as he built this podcast over the years. It’s great to see him achieve “next level” success by joining MeatEater, although I hope he can maintain his independent personality in the process. So far, he has. And this podcast is one of my favorites.

The Huntavore

Sportsman’s Nation is another podcast “network” that seems to be absorbing other podcasts. The Huntavore is now part of the that podcast network. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve appeared on an episode of this podcast and found Nick and Dustin to be top shelf hosts! It now has a regular spot on my trip to and from work.

Drury Outdoors 100% Wild Podcast

Okay, right now, if I had to pick, this would be my favorite podcast. Matt Drury has a knack for hosting a podcast, and adding author Tim Kjellesvik is a great match (this is another personality taken from a previous podcast, FYI—I was listening to Kjellesvik on his podcast The Thinking Woodsman before he joined the Drury crew, from what I can tell. Overall, this podcast has a tone and feel that suits me the most—just a personal preference. Plus, it’s the Drurys. If you’re hunting deer, I mean… come on. It’s the Drurys. (Yes, Mark and Terry make an appearance now and then.)

Deer University

Thank you to Friend of Bunjie Alex Kurashev for sharing this one with me way back. Created by the Mississippi State University Deer Labs, Drs. Bronson Strickland and Steve Demarais share their wealth of knowledge about deer and deer habitat with listeners in this podcast. Even if you are not managing property of your own, you’ll love this podcast and you’ll learn a lot about deer. If that’s your thing, listen. If not, well…why are you reading this again?

The Australian Hunting Podcast

Some episodes of this podcast have some good hunting stories. The accents and the species discussed will peak your interest. It’s different from my Northeastern PA world, that’s for sure. Their appreciation for the United States’ Second Amendment should give American listeners a reminder of how good we have it.