Episoder
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In this episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitchell is joined by Jeremy Dinsmore of the Antler Up Podcast to discuss preparations for the upcoming hunting season. They talk about technical difficulties with recording podcasts, practicing shooting their bows, and managing their schedules. They also touch on the use of trail cameras and the importance of trusting their instincts while hunting. In this conversation, Jeremy and Mitchell discuss their scouting and hunting strategies for deer. They talk about the importance of scouting and gathering information through trail cameras, as well as the challenges of piecing together the puzzle of deer movement. They also discuss the timing of the hunting season and the importance of being patient and selective in choosing locations to sit and deer to pursue. Jeremy expresses his desire to improve his woodsmanship skills and become more proficient in different hunting scenarios. They emphasize the importance of enjoying the hunt and making memories, regardless of the size or caliber of the deer harvested.
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This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman we are back with part 2 of our conversation with Cole Seitzinger in what we are calling a "Dream Season". If you missed last week, Cole shares his 2023 PA P&Y buck story and the obstacles experienced along the way. It was 8 days later Cole was able to lay hands on his target 150 class buck in the Prairie State. However, the theme of overcoming obstacles remains in place!
Despite initial setbacks and doubts, Cole's wife encouraged him to go on his Illinois hunt after a 12-year hiatus, arriving a day late due to family obligations. Cole bounced around the farm until landing in a tree that proved to be successful. Initially, the wind kept him from hunting his primary target location. The tree he picked was a good distance away but allowed him to observe from a distance. The power of November had his target buck on his feet, which just happened to cruise by his tree in bow range mid-morning. Lots of lessons learned from stand selection and shot placement, to tracking, trusting your instincts, and sharing memories made in the field.
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Mangler du episoder?
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In this episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by his buddy Cole Seitzinger, who talks about balancing family life with hunting and his transition to hunting with a saddle. The balancing act requires Cole to be specific with his time to allow success; the saddle helps with his time efficiency. The conversation begins with the pros and cons of saddle hunting and the impact of content creation on the hunting experience. From here, Cole breaks down the hunt for his 2023 PA buck.
Cole was able to harvest this buck on the first sit of the year at this property. He had not hunted it for 3 seasons, in fact the previous sit he also arrowed his largest PA buck to date. Cole shares the ins and outs of learning the timing of the properties he hunts, and how he had to make an adjustment after missing the best time at another property. This is part one of two, tune in next week when Cole breaks down his trip to Illinois where he arrowed a bruiser!
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In this episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch discusses his experience with bear scouting and hunting leading into the 2024 season. After a successful 2023 season, he is back in New Jersey for bigger and better things. There were many takeaways from last season, forcing Mitch to modify his preparation for an even better outcome this year. This includes the importance of scouting and finding food sources, as well as the need for fallback options and scouting for people pressure.
Finding food in summer is a start, but it's also crucial to continue to monitor as the season start to close in. Mitch shares the scale of land he is scouting both with cameras and boots-on-ground, and how he plans to choose stand locations for wind direction and lay of the land. The goals and outlook for this season are slightly different from normal: be patient, learn from your experiences, and set realistic expectations for the hunting season with the time that's available to prepare.
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This week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman is bound to ruffle someone's feathers. Take it with a grain of salt; it's two average Joe's having a conversation about their opinions of hunting in PA. Our guest is John Kolb from Suffering Outdoors, and he and Mitch discuss five items that they believe if changed would improve the hunting opportunity in Pennsylvania. Both John and Mitch are avid bowhunters, so the majority of this discussion revolves around improvements for our own self-interest.
Before we start, let's make it known that we both believe the Pennsylvania state agency does an excellent job of collecting data and making well informed decisions for our hunting seasons. This is not an episode of critique, rather expanding on what's already worked well in the Keystone state, with a dash of selfish-interest. We start the episode by listing a few things the state has already implemented that have made hunting regulations easier or created better hunting opportunities. From here we break down our five points of interest, leading up to our grand finale. Let's just say, the final point argues the use of a trigger during archery season... What do you think would make hunting PA better?
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch introduces Shaun Trump from Northern Duck Calls to the show. Shaun is as passionate about duck hunting as Mitch is about deer. So much so, that he's turned a hobby of building ducks calls into a business. After our introduction, Shaun discusses how he first got into building calls and the complexities of using a lathe and combining it with reeds and cutouts. He also discusses his experiences of hunting ducks in Arkansas, and how the culture of waterfowl hunting is much different when compared to the northeast. You are able to sense a "homesick" feeling from Shaun when he talks about Arkansas, but he quickly changes the subject to building a network and culture here in the northeast around duck hunting. If you're looking to upgrade some duck calls for this season, shop local and check out Northern Duck Calls!
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we dive deep into the Radix Hunting Monarch blind line up. Our guest is none other than Clifford Martin, owner and operator of Radix hunting gear. One thing to note about Radix is the attention to quality in their products. That's because Clifford is a diehard successful deer and turkey hunter, and strives to provide the best possible equipment in the field for himself and also consumers. If it doesn't pass his extensive testing, it gets modified before you can ever get your hands on it!
We begin by breaking down the Monarch G1 ground blind, and work our way up the ladder towards hard shell blinds. Along the way we discuss the differences in these blinds when compared to competitors you might find out on the market. With each series of blind, we discuss the structural integrity behind each product, and how each has been modified over time for improvements. Two main factors come into play with Monarch blinds: structural integrity to hold up to mother nature, and silent use when in close proximity to game. We also break down each blind and how Clifford view's their purpose in his world of deer and turkey hunting. Make sure to check them all out at Radixhunting.com!
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Troy Dietterich is back on this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman for part two of his property conversion. In addition to experimenting with different food plot practices, he is creating more usable cover and native browse on his property. This includes converting a 3-acre crop field back into wildlife habitat. In this episode we discuss: field layout, goals and objectives, vision of balance between cover and food plots, screening and plant establishment, maintenance and upkeep, and most of all - patience. Enjoy the process and keep some of Troy's learning experiences in mind for your next habitat project!
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Sometimes good things just take time. This week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman is no exception, as this is a slightly longer conversation. Our guest is Cory Gulvas and we dive into the world of traditional archery. Cory's passion has driven him to competition level shooting, solely hunting with a recurve, and even bow building. In that time, Cory has faced nearly any obstacle that a new stickbow shooter could possibly experience. Take notes if you're a noob!
Cory is often approached for advice, and typically finds people struggling with the same things repeatedly. We discuss getting into traditional archery for the correct reasons, choosing the best equipment to start, aiming methods, shot execution, target panic, and much more. If you've been struggling to figure out how to overcome many of these common issues when shooting a trad bow, your questions may be answered in this episode.
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Branching off from last week's episode, we discuss weed management and some key in-the-field observations. Mitch mentioned that there are three common "modes of action" to control weeds including mechanical (tillage, hand pulling), chemical (herbicide), and biological (plant competition). Is it possible to manage weeds with only one? This week's guest on the Pennsylvania Woodsman is Troy Dietterich who shares some interesting observations from his personal hunting property.
Troy and his wife prefer to limit the use of pesticides on their property. This is something anyone can do successfully if they stay dedicated and work hard towards. That's not to say it doesn't come a little more difficult and with a greater learning curve. Troy has used a multitude of seed blends and management styles on his food plots; some successful and some not. We dive into what worked, what didn't, and what key observations were made in order to make better decisions moving forward. This episode is a great example of just because someone says you should do something a certain way (this includes recommendations from Mitch!), doesn't mean you can't modify tactics to better serve your property and personal goals!
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No-till and soil health have almost become buzz words in the food plot world. The practices themselves are sound and have a good purpose when it comes to wildlife use. But does that mean you need to keep up with the Jones' just because someone else told you so? This week Mitch shares his exposure to no-till food plotting, a few of the reasons why he adopted it, and shares a few hurdles you may face when making the transition. This is all from the hip first hand experiences in Agriculture as well as food plots. He discusses weed management, moisture management, and low budget planting equipment with practices to ensure you don't encounter the same challenges as he and many others.
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by Nate Sellers of Average Jack archery. The episode dives into opening the case and dusting off your bow from last season. We discuss how to get back into shooting shape - this includes, reps, routine, gear checks, tuning, and more. Practice makes perfect, but what about when you don't have a lot of time to practice? Being intentional about what you are practicing, and practicing it the correct way goes a long way if reps are frequent but short. Small steps build confidence for shooting at game this fall - start now!
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we are kicking things off in a different style. While we are cruising through summer, we still have a ways off before the fall. Work, honey-do list, and summer time activities are still the bulk focus of our time. Therefore, if success in fall is to happen, it needs to be done by maximizing the little time we have to prepare and staying focused. Mitch and the guest will set a timer for 30 minutes and dive into a topic. When the timer runs out, it's back to the real world. Take the same logic with your summer preparation and be deliberate!
This week's guest is Dan Johnson, host of the Nine Finger Chronicles and leader of Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network. Just because Dan works "in the industry," does not mean he is blessed with unlimited time to prepare each fall and kill tons of game. He has a family and a business that requires his undivided attention all year. Therefore, in order to stay sane in the hunting world, he has to be specific when setting goals and expectations. This means being realistic and achievable, and yet also finding satisfaction. Around this framework, we will discuss specifics of preparation for hunting at home and out-of-state trips with what little free time he has available.
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by good friend Ronnie Folk. Ronnie is retired and has enjoyed many wonderful hunting trips across North America and even abroad into Africa and New Zealand. However, annual hunting trips were not always the norm. Ronnie worked hard his whole life building a successful paving business as well as raising a family, so the time off which we discuss was earned through hard work.
We begin by catching up on a recent Brown Bear hunting trip Ronnie had this spring in Alaska. While the trip did not result in any shots fired, we still strolled down memory lane as we sat amidst his trophy room of memories. We talk about Ronnie's favorite animal to hunt - elk, and how he transitioned in his early 40s to an avid archery hunter. Ronnie also tells stories of his trips to a camp he used to hunt at in northern PA for bear and deer. It's a fun conversation with a man who worked hard to live out the American dream!
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by Al Tomechko of Vitalize Seed Company. For much of the PA latitude, we are nearing the end of the desired planting window for vitalize's summer plot Nitroboost. Whether you're late to the spring planting party or on the fence of adopting the 1-2 planting system, this episode revolves around potential hurdles or mistakes people commonly make this time of year. After Al and Mitch decompress via soil biology and farming nerd talk, Al breaks down some common challenges people face adopting "soil health principles." This episode covers things like when to terminate current vegetation for the next planting, how to wean off chemical use, best equipment for food plot planting on a budget, effective seed to soil contact for broadcasting, and more. Check out vitalizeseed.com to learn more about the 1-2 planting system and order your seed soon!
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is riding solo discussing what the month of June looks like amidst hunting season. June is a tough month; it's not that he doesn't want to be immersed with preparation for next year, but at the moment it's difficult to devote the time. It's a month to be caught between reflecting on a successful season and how to prepare for the next. Fortunately, 2023 was very successful from the standpoint of filling tags, so how can it get much better?
With life strings pulling in multiple directions, Mitch takes the time to list out some personal hunting goals he has, chooses which ones he plans to attack this year, and how he plans to stay focused on them while also being present at home. Bear hunting has become a priority in fall, and he discusses the areas he has room for improving his scouting and successful bear hunting. He reads through some of his notes he took from last season and discusses the changes he plans to make E-Scouting, road-scouting, trail cameras, and pure boot leather covering ground. This gradual build-up during the summer months will hopefully lay a foundation for a successful fall. Lastly, he touches on his weapon of choice - flintlock muzzleloader. He discusses a concept to institute in a summer practice scheme which includes load development and off-hand shooting to bring to the field this fall.
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by good friend Jason Miller from JMiller Custom Calls. Between Mitch, Jason, and their hunting buddies, a lot of successful turkey hunts unfolded in multiple states. This season was one that just seemed to always work out in favor of the hunter. We discuss the hunts that transpired in April during New Jersey and Maryland's opening week of season, and lead into the Pennsylvania season.
Both Mitch and Jason harvested a turkey in PA on the first two days of the season. From there, each of them were able to travel all throughout the state of PA and find more turkeys. We discuss how the location, hunting pressures, and time of season all influenced the decisions made during the hunt. The guys refer to some of the different turkey calls that Jason makes used in these hunts. Jason's calls have played a major role in the success in these hunts. Make sure you are on the lookout for the new website JMillerCustomCalls.com and get your calls for next season!
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch is joined by returning guest Bryan Hale of Elk County Outfitters. One notable trait of Bryan - the man is a grinder. He works tirelessly to maintain success at Elk County Outfitters for clients and his team. So how does Bryan stay sane throughout this process? That's the beauty of hunting - it's a much greater endeavor than killing. Comradery and fellowship bring greater reward in the end.
As hunters, it can be very easy to stress ourselves out to fill a tag and meet a certain expectation. This added stress only takes away from our experience and removes us from the present. We dive into this topic as it relates to PA elk hunting, then shift to discussing the tag lottery system, and of course some awesome 2023 hunting stories. Hopefully if you're not applying for PA elk, this episode sways you in the right direction! Even if it doesn't, it definitely makes you think about slowing down and enjoying the process of hunting!
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On this week's episode Mitch is joined by good friend and hunting partner Earl Thomas. Earl is one of the most passionate turkey hunters Mitch knows, and annually sets out to hunt in multiple states on what has been dubbed the "Redneck Turkey Tour." Earl has been fortunate to tag a handful of gobblers already this spring and still has a few hunts left.
Every hunter's experiences lead them to hypothesize and act a certain way while pursuing game. This has led to many coffee shop conversations such as, does weather impact turkey gobbling? What about the barometer? Are we hunting spring gobblers in Pennsylvania too late? While we don't directly answer those questions, Earl's experience is food for thought. Turkeys are wild animals, and their brains are much different from humans - they are "finicky" birds! We may never figure out what makes them do what they do, but persistence and determination go a long way. This is one of the many reasons why Earl is sending pictures of him with turkeys at any given point throughout March, April, or May. Enjoy the perspective and experience from this wise ol' bird!
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On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we are joined by none other than Mary Jo Casalena; Pennsylvania's State turkey biologist. In conjunction with University research, Mary Jo is working to lead our state in the right direction for long term healthy wild turkey populations. Ongoing research is monitoring population trends in different portions of the state, and observing surrounding influences that may produce higher, lower, or stable populations. We discuss habitat types and balances, differences between WMUs, population trends, and more. This podcast answers many questions about PA turkeys, and also helps us formulate more questions - hopefully to be better stewards of this valuable resource.
- Se mer
