Wired To Hunt Podcast

Deer hunters often think the rut will make up for a poor strategy, or low-effort sits, but it usually won't. Serious hunters learn to put in the time, and then pivot to new spots when their plans don't pan out. If you want to kill a mature buck right now, don't sleep on this episode. Connect with  Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram...

Are you hunting the sign a mature buck left behind or figuring out where he’s going next? This week on Back 40, Bronson Strickland, Tony LaPratt, Jason Michael, and Skip Sligh break down how they read buck sign and use it to predict a deer’s next move. We dive into scrapes, rubs, bedding, travel corridors, hunting pressure, and the clues that actually matter when deciding where to set...

Don’t let the heat fool you, November is almost here. This week, K.C. Smith checks in from Texas, Dalton Tunis brings us a report from northern Indiana, and Thomas Mlsna joins us from Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. With warmer-than-normal temperatures across much of whitetail country, we break down what each hunter is seeing right now, how bucks are moving despite the heat, and wha...

Bleating, grunting, snort-wheezing, and rattling, all have their place in a deer hunter's arsenal. When and how you use each call matters though, and not all calling situations are created equally. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop...

This week on the show I'm joined by Dan Infalt, one of the most renowned DIY whitetail bowhunters of the modern era, to discuss how his hunting approach shifts on a week by week basis from late October through the end of November. Presented by Moultrie Connect with Mark Kenyon , Jake Hofer , and MeatEater Mark Kenyon on Instagram ,  Twitter , and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Faceboo...

Late October is here and things are about to change fast. This week on Rut Fresh Radio, we’re joined by Phil Tuttle in Illinois, Jordan Budd in Nebraska, and Josh Henson in Texas for fresh, boots-on-the-ground reports from across the country. We’re talking scrape activity, mature buck movement, the impact of warm weather, and why the next cold front could be the trigger hunters have be...

It's almost the rut, but not quite. The pre-rut requires a different mindset and different strategies, but it can be as productive as the actual rut. You just might need to get into the cover and work the bucks where they feel safe. Connect with  Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips...

Every hunter has been there... waiting on a buck that should show up while wondering if you’re wasting valuable time. This week on Back 40, Tony LaPratt, Bronson Strickland, Jason Michael, and Skip Sligh break down how they decide when to stay patient and when it’s time to make a move. We dive into what makes mature bucks predictable, how quickly patterns can change throughout October,...

October is moving fast, and conditions are changing across whitetail country. This week, Kaitlyn Maus checks in from the Midwest as she prepares to head to Wisconsin, Aaron Hepler brings us the latest from Pennsylvania, and Dan Tutor reports from the big woods of Maine. We break down what each hunter is seeing right now - from current deer movement and fresh sign to food sources, weather, and how...

Most hunters love to sit over scrapes, but they often have their timing wrong. Whitetail science tells us that two to three weeks before peak breeding is the time to hunt scrapes, which means for a lot of hunters, they need to be in the woods right now. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and...

This season on Blood Trails, host Jordan Sillars follows eight brand-new cases: hunting trips gone horribly wrong, decades-old disappearances, suspicious deaths, and crimes hidden deep in the woods. Some cases are ice cold. Others have been solved—at least, according to the law. But every case in Season 3 is still haunted by unanswered questions. Through firsthand interviews, archival audio,...

This week on the show, Mark's joined by the one and only Mark Drury to explore nine big ways he’s changed his mind about deer and deer hunting in recent years. Presented by Moultrie Connect with Mark Kenyon , Jake Hofer , and MeatEater Mark Kenyon on Instagram ,  Twitter , and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips Subscribe to The MeatEa...

How close is too close? This week, Jack Huston (Missouri), Scott Peceny (Michigan), and Christian Babcock (Oklahoma) join the show with fresh, boots-on-the-ground reports from across whitetail country. The conversation centers around hunting close to bedding areas: how tight these hunters are willing to get, what they're seeing from bucks right now, and how their approach changes based on conditio...

Most whitetail hunters feel they need to play it safe in mid-October, but that might cost you a buck. This is a great time of the season to e-scout, ground check your work, and kill a good one when most of your competition is waiting on the rut. Connect with  Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Y...

In this episode of Back 40, Jake Hofer sits down with Bill Winke, Jeff Sturgis, Adam Keith, and Aaron Warbritton to tackle four decisions that could be costing hunters more deer than they realize. From knowing when to make a move to recognizing when it’s time to change your approach, each guest shares lessons learned from years of chasing mature whitetails and the mistakes they still see hun...

October is here! Tune in for fresh, boots-on-the-ground reports from hunters across the country. This week, Josh Teulker (Indiana), Alex Comstock (Minnesota), and Josh Profit (Kentucky) join the show to share what they’re seeing, hearing, and experiencing in the woods right now. From shifting food sources and changing deer movement to fresh sign and current conditions, we break down what&rsq...

A lot of hunters skip morning hunts for most of the season, but that's a mistake. This week Tony lays out a better strategy for how to make the most of those early alarms on your quest to kill a mature buck. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips MeatEater Podcast Network on Yo...

This week on the show Mark is joined by Tony Peterson to discuss the Top 10 greatest whitetail hunting lessons we’ve learned from our worst hunting fails - that being, the big bucks we’ve missed. Presented by Moultrie Connect with Mark Kenyon , Jake Hofer , and MeatEater Mark Kenyon on Instagram ,  Twitter , and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube ,...

Rut Fresh Radio is back for 2026! We’re kicking off the season with fresh, boots-on-the-ground reports from hunters across the country. This week, Cameron Derr (North Dakota/Ohio), Kevin Lathe (Maryland), Clay Mervar (North Carolina), and Jake Fleischman (Wisconsin) join the show to break down what they’re seeing, hearing, and experiencing in the woods right now. From changing deer mov...

Humans are evolutionarily hardwired to seek out certain types of environments, which plays out in the whitetails woods all fall - and often costs us big bucks. Learning to seek out precise locations in the cover is a much better bet, but it isn't easy. Connect with  Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube...

In this episode of Back 40, Jake Hofer asks Bill Winke, Jeff Sturgis, Adam Keith, and Aaron Warbritton to each choose the week they would circle on the calendar if they had to make one educated bet. Presented by Moultrie Connect with Jake Hofer and MeatEater MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop MeatEater Merch See omnys...

Most whitetail hunters play the early season game the exact same way, but that can be a mistake. Scouting fresh sign, especially rubs, can put you on mature bucks right now. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop MeatEater Merch See omn...

This week on the show, Mark's joined by Dan Johnson for our annual review of our goals, hopes, and hit lists for the 2026 hunting season. Presented by Moultrie Connect with Mark Kenyon , Jake Hofer , and MeatEater Mark Kenyon on Instagram ,  Twitter , and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTu...

What life teaches us about loss, and what loss teaches us about life. The deer woods should be a place that allows you to replace what the daily grind takes from you, so handle it with care. Connect with Tony Peterson and MeatEater Tony Peterson on Instagram  and Facebook MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop MeatEa...

Every time you scout, are you actually making the property harder to hunt? In this episode, Adam Keith, Aaron Warbritton, Bill Winke, and Jeff Sturgis break down one of the biggest dilemmas in whitetail hunting: how do you learn enough about a property to kill a mature buck without educating him in the process? We talk about when scouting pressure actually matters, how close you should get to bedd...