Episodes
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Every April the Wisconsin DNR releases a questionnaire to the public to ask for public input regarding conservation-related issues that are on the radar looking towards the future. The in-person Spring Hearings are then held by each district's Conservation Congress, where citizens can ask questions, and make their opinions known about issues that matter to them. It's an incredible opportunity for regular people like you and I to provide input, and an even better opportunity for outdoorsmen and conservationists to help further initiatives towards positive change. Some of the questions also make you think pretty hard.
This week, Pierce sits down with Wisconsin BHA Board member, Alec Bekkers, to discuss a few of the Hearing questions that stuck out to them the most, and more importantly, what some of them mean for conservation, public land access, and hunter/angler rights and opportunities. The guys cover a little bit of everything including: trout regulations, wake boats, panfish limits, technology in the outdoors, houndsmen advocacy, and most importantly, that outdoorsmen need to do a better job of showing up, making their voices heard, and fighting for hunter rights. It's a thought-provoking conversation that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can go find the spring hearing questionnaire on the DNR website, and join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers at https://www.backcountryhunters.org/join
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Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Hunting Forums, Netflix, you name it! Across all platforms somebody's got something to say, a bone to pick, or a cool picture to remind you why their gear is better than whatever you've got, and your way of doing things isn't great. It wears on a person after a while and sometimes can make it tough to figure out which way is up.
That's the core focus of this week's episode as Pierce sits down with his good buddy, Gus Merwin, to take a step back and do a little analysis of hunting culture and the messages we're sent by outdoor brands, and more importantly, that we're sending to each other. Gus is a Wisconsin native and avid outdoorsman, now working in the marketing space. The guys discuss allegiances to brands, the messages various marketing campaigns send to us, impacts of social media on outdoor trends and schools of thought, and how those can be a really good thing, or maybe a bad thing. The core message of their chat is that we're all in this together, not everything is better or worse than the next thing, and we should all do our part to be conscious of who, how, and what we represent as members of the outdoor community. Enjoy!
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Missing episodes?
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Only one week to go! At long last, turkey season is nearly here and that means early mornings, the sweet smell of spring air, gobbling turkeys, and for many of us, a good bit of confusion to go along with it. Turkeys do weird things every year and many of us will find ourselves scratching our heads and texting a buddy for advice when the birds don't cooperate.
This week, we're hoping to save you a few of those texts as Pierce hops on the line with Matt Streim from Weathered Oaks Game Calls, to answer the age old question: "What would you do?" The guys kick things off by going over the various sounds that turkeys make, how they interpret them, and then run through a whole mess of scenarios that many of us will find ourselves in throughout the coming weeks, and break down how they'd set up, call, and think about each one. It's a fun episode with a lot of great tips that we're sure you'll be able to put to use this Spring.
Follow along with Matt's spring @weatheredoaksgamecalls on Facebook & Instagram, and visit www.weatheredoaksgamecalls.com to get one of his calls for yourself!
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Ahh... April at last! That can only mean one thing: turkeys!! This week, Dylan Hazen joins the show once again to kick off this year's turkey season talk and folks, you might want to grab a note pad for this one! For those of you who don't know, Dylan is a former THP intern, and now freelance video producer for Woodhaven Custom Calls and owner of In-Season Media. In his time in the outdoor industry, Dylan has had the opportunity to hunt alongside some of the best to ever do it in the turkey woods, which in turn, has turned Dylan into a wealth of knowledge and turkey killing machine himself
In this episode, Pierce & Dylan break down some of the lessons Dylan has learned from working with the Woodhaven crew, and several other big names he's crossed paths with, and unpacks some of the constants for success are among all of these legends. The guys break down how Dylan's own hunting style has been shaped through time spent in the woods and some keys to developing your own hunting style and building off of it. After that, they cover roosting birds, calling, making noise that's not with a turkey call, setups in various environments, and even break down some tips for easy self filming. Like we said, you might want to grab a note pad!
Follow along with Dylan and his work @dylanhazen_inseason and by checking out The Woodhaven Custom Calls YouTube channel
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Spring is right around the corner, and for lots of anglers that means some of the best fishing of the year is nearly here! That's especially true if you like to target trout in Wisconsin's Driftless region and daydream about a cloud of Blue Winged Olives hovering over a bend pool with hungry trout rising beneath them. If that's the case, then this episode is for you!
As we come off a year of extreme drought in most of the state, our trout streams have taken a hit with water levels lower, and significantly clearer than usual. This week, Pierce flies solo and breaks down the tactics he uses when guiding in the Driftess region, specifically when the trout are even spookier than usual! He talks through a trout's senses and what causes them to be so spooky under these conditions, what ideal conditions are, how to approach fish, how to build a stealthy leader, tips for casting success, what bugs are hatching and the flies you need in your box, and lots more in this week's episode! If you want to learn more, or even book a day on the water with him this spring, visit www.goodchanceflyfishing.com or follow and shoot him a message @goodchancflyfishing Enjoy!
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It's the return of Kent Boucher this week and boy, is it a fun one because we're talking shed hunting! Pierce & Kent break down how Kent developed his passion for shed hunting before real hunting, how he determines if someone's actually a good shed hunter, how he scouts to find more sheds, what kinds of terrain he has the best luck in, the litmus test to see if you've got "the eye" for sheds, and even shares a couple grisly tales from his college days in the cadaver lab. This is one you definitely don't want to miss!
Huge thanks to Kent for coming on the show again! If you like what you heard, go check out his fantastic shows: The First Gen Hunter Podcast and The Prairie Farm Podcast wherever you do your listening!
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Late winter, crappy weather, and no hunting season in sight. What better time to take a minute to reflect on last deer season, establish a game plan for next year, and work on dialing in your gear for next season!
Folks, the gloves were off this week as Pierce hopped on the line with Matt Lehr from The Mobile Hunters Dojo Podcast! Matt has been a mobile hunter for his entire hunting career and has learned more than a thing or two in his time afield. in this episode, Matt spits some truth about what really matters in hunting, how mindset is more important than any new piece of gear, lessons he's learned from years spent in a saddle, how he plans for out of state hunts, what gear he loves and wny, and even shares the story of how he arrowed a +200" public land monster!
Be sure to go check out The Mobile Hunters Dojo wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Matt on social media @themobilehuntersdojo and @greatwhitemobilehunter
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Josh is back! Finally, after what seems like forever, Josh tunes back in for this week's episode. This week, the guys get a chance to catch up and chat about what they've been working on, how Josh's consulting season is going down south, and a lot of the realizations each of them have made throughout the season. Pierce & Josh dive into some of the seemingly parallel principles of starting their businesses and hunting, and how an entrepreneurial mindset can not only help you achieve professional success, but also help you kill some big deer. Then they chat about some of the biggest lessons and takeaways Josh has found during this consulting season, how that's shaping his hunting strategy for the upcoming fall, and even some of his plans for turkey season.
It's a little unconventional this week but undoubtedly a great one! Be sure to follow Josh @whitetail_partners_georgia on Instagram and check out the Design. Build. Hunt. Podcast on YouTube! -
28 weeks... yep, that's how far we have to go until we can sneak out in the woods, plant our butts in a tree and hope for the big one to come by. It might feel too soon to let thoughts of booners enter your dreams, or allow your focus to drift from work as you try to picture how you'll slip in to send an arrow at your target buck. For many die-hards though, that couldn't be further from the truth as this is prime time for getting in the woods to do some post-season scouting.
This week, Pierce hops on the line once again with big buck killer Jacob Sklenar to talk about how he approaches post-season scouting, and some of the tips, tricks and hacks he uses to maximize his time in the woods and learn an area right now, to prep for fall. Jacob discusses what he looks for when selecting a property, what he believes are the most over and underrated land features, how he prioritizes sign when in the field, and even discusses thermals, scent control and how good a deer's sense of smell really is. All that and more on this week's episode!
Do yourself a massive favor and grab your notebook, and then head on over to Jacob's YouTube Channel, The Wild Calling to see the phenomenal content he's putting out, and follow along with his adventures on Instagram and Facebook at The Wild Calling Outdoors
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Although the calendar may not reflect Spring being close, the forecast certainly does and for many anglers that means one thing: Walleyes! This week, Pierce sits down with Southeastern Wisconsin native, and avid walleye angler, Bryce Becker to talk about everything you need to know to target these famously finicky fish!
Bryce grew up in Waukesha County and has been targeting walleye with his grandfather for about as long as he can remember. Throughout that time, he honed and perfected his tactics to consistently catch these low-light "gravel snakes" everywhere from his local rivers in the southern part of the state, clear on up to the famous lakes of the Northwoods. In this episode, Bryce breaks down how walleyes see, when they are most active, what they feed on, the best habitat and conditions for targeting these fish, and so much more! Whether you're a lifelong walleye angler like Bryce or a total walleye novice like Pierce, you're going to learn something in this episode to help get you on fish this spring!
Be sure to follow along with Bryce's adventures on Instagram @ wisconsin_weekend_warrior
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You never know how or when you'll cross paths with awesome people but when it happens, you can't help but feel lucky. That happened for Pierce last week as he met Jeff Hintz at the BHA Northern Icebreaker Banquet, after raffling off a guest slot on the show to raise money for BHA.
Jeff is a lifelong outdoorsman, hunting mentor, and current member of Wisconsin's Conservation Congress. In this episode, Pierce & Jeff talk about Jeff's upbringing in the southeastern corner of the state, how he got to be a pretty darn good shot by shooting rats out on the farm, who Jeff's mentors were and how he's transitioned into serving as a mentor himself, BHA, and the inner workings of the Conservation Congress and how folks like you can make your voices heard. All that and more on this week's episode!
Big thanks to all members of the Wisconsin BHA chapter for putting on such a fantastic event to bring outdoorsmen and women together to share stories, build camaraderie and raffle off some awesome prizes for a great cause!
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It's no secret that Wisconsin has a rich history of deer hunting. Images of flannel and orange clad hunters standing around a buck pole with thick northern forest in the background still come to mind when anyone says they're headed to deer camp. Unfortunately, that image is becoming less and less of a reality in recent years as the North woods of Wisconsin simply aren't what they once were for deer hunting. So much, in fact, that the state legislation has recently proposed to prohibit the harvest of does in the Northern Forest Region.
This probably isn't the first time you've heard about this since the bill was proposed, but you probably don't have all the information about it either. If that's the case, you're in the right place as this week, Pierce sits down with outdoor writer and author, Paul Annear to discuss the complexities of deer management in Wisconsin and the context surrounding this recently proposed bill. Paul has been writing for publications like Legendary Whitetails, Midwest Whitetail, Deer & Deer Hunting, and countless others since 2014, and is one of the most well-rounded and knowledgeable voices in the Whitetail space. The guys cover what things led to so much decline in the northern deer herd, the constraints the DNR must operate within due to the state's political landscape, opposite struggles in the Southern half of the state, and much more.
If one thing is certain, it's that Wisconsin is an unbelievably unique and difficult state to manage deer in, and the betterment of deer management rests on the shoulders of outdoorsmen and women making their voices heard to provide input on best practices. Go follow along with Paul's awesome writing @pannear on Instagram or by searching "Paul Annear" to find more of his articles!
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This week we're phoning in from across the big river, as we talk with Iowa native, Kent Boucher! Now I know what you're thinking, isn't this the WISCONSIN Sportsman? Yes, it is, but Kent is too awesome of a guy, and possesses a wealth of knowledge too great to miss, and spoiler alert, this isn't the last you'll be hearing from him!
Kent hosts the First Gen Hunter Podcast, the Prairie Farm Podcast, and is the Production Manager of Hoksey Native Seeds. In this episode, Pierce and Kent have a great conversation on the importance and countless benefits of prairies on our landscapes, and how the work Kent and his team are doing at Hoksey is impacting landscapes across the midwest. They also have a serious talk about land usage and the evolution and (in many cases) disappearance of family farms across much of America's heartland. Throughout this, they cover many of the struggles that farmers face in this current era, and shed some light on many misconceptions people hold about farming as a whole. After that, they dive into Kent's journey as a first-generation hunter, and how he has learned and begun his journey as an outdoorsman while raising and growing a family.
It's an absolutely fantastic conversation, that we think you will all learn a lot from. Be sure to go follow along with Kent's work and adventures @first.gen.hunter and @hokseynativeseeds , and listen to the awesome content he's putting out on The First Gen Hunter Podcast and The Prairie Farm Podcast on whatever platform you listen on!
Recommended Books:
1491 by Charles C. Mann
Tending Iowa's Land by Cornelia Mutel
Farming for the Long Haul by Michael Foley
A Country So Full of Game by James J. Dinsmore
Big thanks to our partners!
TACTACAM
Huntworth
onX
Revo - use the code WISCONSINSPORTSMAN30 for 30% off
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Well folks, the forecast looks clear, all the snow has been shoveled, and it's certainly been cold enough for the last couple weeks most of our lakes and ponds have frozen over. That can only mean one thing... ice fishing!
In this weeks episode, Pierce hops on the line with Kyle Tyree of YouTube's viral fishing channel, Wisconsin Fisherman. Kyle has been ice fishing for nearly his entire life and doing it with a camera by his side for over a decade. And let me tell you now, this dude knows ice fishing! Kyle fills Pierce in on everything you need to know about ice fishing in the badger state as they cover gear, technology, etiquette, scouting, finding fish, why fish are where they are, what they're eating and so much more. Whether you're a seasoned ice fisherman or a total newbie, there's great information for you not only in this episode, but also on Kyle's YouTube channel as well!
Be sure to follow along with Kyle's adventures @wisconsin_fisherman on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and when you plan your trip up north this summer, book a trip with Wisconsin Fisherman Guide Service to spend a day in the boat with Kyle and have an awesome time!
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Deer season is in the rearview and many of us have cabin fever which means it's a great time to try something new! This week we have a first for The Wisconsin Sportsman as we talk all things predator hunting with host of The Predator Podcast, Drew Schliem.
Drew has been hunting for about as long as he can remember, but he really caught the coyote hunting bug in high school and has been piling them up ever since. In this episode, Pierce & Drew talk about the evolution of predator hunting, what song dogs are doing, where to find them, how they use terrain, how to call them in, technological advancements in predator hunting, how Drew filled his bobcat tag this past season and so much more! Be sure to go check out The Predator Podcast, which can be found wherever you get your podcasts, and follow along with Drew's adventures @predatorpodcast_drew on Instagram or Facebook.
Lastly, be sure to sign up and mark your calendars for the 2024 Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Northern Icebreaker which will be held on February 3rd, at Lake Koshkonong! For more info, visit https://www.backcountryhunters.org/north_country_icebreaker_2024
Connect with Pierce and The Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast on Instagram.
Big thanks to our partners!
TACTACAM
Huntworth
onX
Revo - use the code WISCONSINSPORTSMAN30 for 30% off
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It's a new year! Whether you're a new year's resolutioner or not, this is a time that most people are taking inventory and looking ahead at what they hope to accomplish in the next twelve months. For outdoorsmen and women, that often involves making plans to take a hunting/fishing trip or two, which can turn into quite the task if you don't have some practice.
In this episode, Pierce and Josh take a deep dive into their planning processes and unpack what all goes on behind the scenes that might not make it into the episodes you all hear. The guys talk about how they choose what kind of a hunt they want, how they pick locations to avoid crowds, taking care of the people around you, what their goals are for 2024, and so much more!
Special shoutout to listener, Jason, for reaching out to suggest this episode topic! If you've got questions you want answered, shoot us a message or respond to the Polls highlight on our Instagram.
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The holidays are over and it's time to get back to work! For many of us that means the usual work schedule we threw to the wayside sometime back before the rut, but for the Whitetail Partners crew, it means the kickoff of consulting season! In this week's episode Pierce and Josh are joined once again by Sam Bilhorn of Whitetail Partners to discuss where priorities should be immediately post-deer season. For those of you who own hunting properties, just bought a new one, or simply have countless thoughts and questions on how to improve deer habitat, this episode is for you.
Sam dives into assessing how your property performed in 2023, what projects are best to start right off the bat while deer sign is the most fresh, timber stand improvement including the do's and don'ts of hinge cutting, and so much more to help you start 2024 on the right foot wherever you hunt! This episode is just the tip of the iceberg for most of these topics and if you want to learn more, do yourself a favor and go check out the fantastic content that the Whitetail Partners team is putting out on their new podcast, the Design. Build. Hunt. Podcast, as well as their YouTube, Instagram and website: www.whitetailpartners.com
Connect with The Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast on Instagram.
Big thanks to our partners!
TACTACAM
Huntworth
onX
Revo - use the code WISCONSINSPORTSMAN30 for 30% off
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The holiday season is upon us and like everyone this time of year, Pierce & Josh are a little scatter brained... not quite like, "How will it be possible to make it to the in-laws on the same night as a work party?", but more along the lines of should cell cameras actually be legal? What's that one piece of gear the guys couldn't live without this season? Is Josh a hypocrite for telling folks to hunt public land but not telling them where he hunts? (Spoiler Alert: No!) Are we making hunting too easy for kids? How do we walk the line of introducing people to the sport of deer hunting and making them work, while also not sentencing them to a two year suck-fest of cold feet and blown opportunities? Should hunters have to figure it out for themselves or should we be helping one another along? If you like rabbit holes, this episode is for you!
Be sure to go check out the Wisconsin Sportsman on Instagram to participate in some of our listener feedback polls on these topics or shoot us a DM with your thoughts by searching @thewisconsinsportsmanpod.
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No matter what kind of hunter you are, you probably have some pretty strong opinions on a few select topics. Everyone has an opinion on who should be allowed to use what and when, what crosses ethical lines, and what constitutes sportsmanlike conduct. In this episode, the guys dive in to a few of the more controversial topics.
In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh and Pierce have a great discussion about crossbows, cell cams, and where we draw the line. The guys discuss their opinions, where they think the conversation needs to start, and ask the question, Who really gets to decide, anyway? It's a great conversation you're sure to enjoy!
Connect with Josh and The Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast on Instagram.
Big thanks to our partners!
TACTACAM
Huntworth
onX
Revo - use the code WISCONSINSPORTSMAN30 for 30% off
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In this episode, we take a break from thinking about deer as Pierce sits down with Erik Woll of Woll E. Bugger Fly Fishing Guide Service. Erik is a lifelong fly fisherman from central Illinois who found home in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin, where he quickly discovered the giant brown trout that come into the Lake Michigan tributary rivers and streams every fall. In 2019 he founded Woll E. Bugger Fly Fishing Guide Service to guide others onto the world class fishing that can be found in the Southeast corner of the state.
Pierce & Erik cover everything you need to know to target these fish from what gear you need, what the fish are doing, where to find them, and how to get them to eat. They also debate the ethics of targeting spawning fish and various schools of thought surrounding the issue. If you'd like to get in touch with Erik and book your trip, you can get in touch with him on Facebook or Instagram by searching Woll. E. Bugger Fly Fishing Guide Service
Check out the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network for more relevant outdoor content!
Connect with Josh and The Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast on Instagram.
Big thanks to our partners!
TACTACAM
Huntworth
onX
Revo - use the code WISCONSINSPORTSMAN30 for 30% off
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