Bowhunting Soul

Boy, if you think I had a tough season, you should listen to Blain's struggles! Fellow Minnesotan Blain Swanson talks about his long season where he toughed it out through 40+ sits and only saw deer on two or three occasions. We get into his tactics, how he approaches public land hunting and maybe some things he might change up for next year. This is a good one and it was great to catch up wit...

Back on the show is friend Jim Dussias. Jim has had a great fall season since our hog hunt in Georgia. He's shot two deer and a hog, each with different types of weapons. He's in a relatively target-rich environment, so he's been able to be picky and enjoy just being able to watch deer. We talk about his three hunts, what he's working on and what adventures are coming up. It's...

Boy, it's getting tougher and tougher to keep cranking these episodes out during hunting season! Add in job role changes, the holidays, and plain old family time and it really puts the squeeze on your time. But fear not! I have episodes lined up. This episode is just me rambling about my season so far. Nothing earth shattering, but I hope it conveys the struggle of hunting with limited time. M...

This week I welcome Steven Matthews to the show. Steven is a Virginia hunter who runs the YouTube channel "Feel The Spirit". Very cool interview getting to know him and how he hunts. He is mostly a traditional bowhunter but also picks up the rifle, muzzleloader and shotgun from time to time. Be sure to give Steven a follow! Thanks for listening. Please consider supporting the people who...

In this episode I speak with Tony Messina. Tony committed to full-time trad just a few years ago and he's had great success. We talk about his journey, hunting style and dive into an amazing story about a doe he killed this year. He's recently started filming his hunts on his YouTube channel "Mountain State Trad Journal" so be sure to give him a follow. Hope you enjoy the episode...

This week I'm joined by Ohio bow hunter Billy Dryden. Billy and I met this year at ETAR. We ended up hanging out at the same camp site and shooting together pretty much all weekend along with Will Nicholson and Travis Stiles. Billy is a killer and he's probably one of the best purely instinctive shooters I've ever seen. We talk about his hunting history, strategy, equipment and even cr...

Deer season is almost here in Minnesota! When this comes out it'll be just a week and a half away. SO pumped to get back out into the woods! In this episode I talk about my setups going into season. Bows, arrows, broadheads, packs, etc. I also touch on having the right mindset or philosophy to make the most out of your hunting season. Good Luck everyone! Please consider checking out our friend...

Today I'm joined by Heath Knepp of the YouTube channel "Old Man Stickbow Adventures" Heath has been hunting with a traditional bow since the mid 90's. He's a dedicated hunter who not only hunts in his home state of Indiana, but also hunts multiple states for multiple animals. We have a fantastic conversation about his hunting heritage, his hunting style and some adventures he...

This week I'm joined by Missouri bow hunter Ryan Leaman. Ryan's been at the hunting game a while and hunts with a traditional bow in the last several years. He's had some great success. We discuss everything about his hunting and traditional archery journey. Hope you enjoy! Please check out the awesome links below and thanks for listening! Emrah The PUSH Courses: https://thepusharchery...

Well, I did it! Finally, after 5 years, I was able to successfully harvest a big game animal. This episode I speak with my hunting partner on this trip Jim Dussias. We went to Georgia on a last minute hog hunt and had an amazing time despite some horrendous weather conditions. This was truly a memorable hunt! Please remember to support: The Push Archery Center of Knowledge: https://thepusharchery....

This week I'm joined by Paul McHargue. Paul is a die-hard bowhunter from Illinois and his favorite style of bow is the ASL, also known as the American Semi Longbow or Hill Bow. Paul has been hunting with an ASL for almost two decades now. He is also a very successful competitive archer, having earned 3rd in last year's Trad Worlds using an ASL; something almost unheard of. We dig deep into...

This week I'm joined by Melody Haege. Melody is a mother of 5, a traditional bow hunter and survival skills teacher. She tries to balance living in a modern world while embracing the simple ways and skills that got us here. She recently started the "Gone Before" podcast, and I highly recommend you check it out. Very eclectic variety of topics and guests. Thanks Melody for being on! I...

This week I sit down with Ethan Page of Backwards Hat Traditional. Ethan is a traditional bow hunter who has been hunting since he was a child. He appreciates the history and heritage of what our ancestors accomplished with simple tools. He has a minimalist mindset when it comes to hunting (something I wish I had). We cover a wide range of topics about his hunting history, his current approach to...

This week I catch up with Travis Stiles of Broken Compass Knives. Travis is a husband, father, traditional bow hunter and a custom knife maker. Travis has been building custom knives for several years now and he's really developed his craft, offering multiple hunting, hiking, and every day carry knives. We talk about last year's hunting season, the highs, the lows, knife-making and general goings-...

On this episode we continue the trend away from bows and arrows to another recent hobby I've gotten into: bourbon! This week I'm joined by Josh Gull of the Stuff and Whiskey YouTube channel. Josh and his wife Erin have an amazing channel where they review whiskeys. They have a very down-to-earth approach that makes them incredibly entertaining and educational to watch. So glad Josh could j...

It's been a minute, but we once again, have Nick Otto of the Huntavore Podcast on the show! Nick is a foodie like me, so it's only natural we dive right into wild game and trying to use as much of the animal as possible. We all love burgers and backstraps but there's SO much more wild game bits and pieces we as hunters leave in the field. Some of these cuts and preparations may not be for everyone...

Public land hunting in Texas??? Yep. This week I speak with Jesse Johnson, a Louisiana native who moved to Texas and quickly figured out where public land was and how to hunt it successfully. Jesse is a consumate outdoorsman with a love of hunting and fishing whenever he can get out. He has a YouTube channel (under his name) and is a great ambassador for the hunting and fishing world. Thanks for l...

Damon Howatt is considered to be one of the founding pillars of traditional archery. Throughout the years, the company has been bought out several times by investment groups and has not had a chance to break free from under the umbrella of parent corporations. Well, new owner Josh Boram aims to change all that. The company is operating under it's own name and Josh plans to resurrect the brand with...

I felt a little outclassed on this one! I speak to the one and only Robert Carter, or RC to those are fortunate enough to have made his acquaintence. Robert has been hunting in the south (Georgia to be exact) for a very long time and has amassed an incredible amount of hunting and woodsmanship experience. Plus, he harvests multiple deer and hogs every year with his traditional equipment. He's been...

This week I speak with Shane Unruh, owner and bowyer at Great Plains Traditional Bow Company. Shane and his crew not only put out some very beautiful bows but they are also creating some very cool content on their YouTube channel of the same name. We discuss his journey into traditional bows and what made him decide to buy a bow company and become a bowyer. Very cool conversation and some insight...

This week I speak with Tyler Skowronski from New York state. Tyler has been hunting since he can remember and is a super passionate outdoorsman. We get into some of his success stories, his approaches to hunting new properties, tactics he uses and much more. It was great getting to chat with him. Check him out on his YouTube channel "HIITing The Dream" (that's two "I's in Hiiting). Please remember...

This episode I catch up with Blain Swanson. Blain lives in Minnesota like me, but lives and hunts quite a bit farther north than me. He had success on two deer so far this year after a grind of a season. We get into the stories behind those two deer, plus dive into late season tactics and setups for those of us who live in the frozen tundra. It was great catching up with him! As always, this episo...

Friend Jim Dussias recently moved from the Miami area to North Carolina.  We haven't really talked at length since I went hog hunting with him in Florida earlier this year. We catch up on his move, how his season is going and general bowhunting conversation. Always great talking to him. Also, check out Jim on his YouTube channel, "Mangroves to Mountains" and also on his podcast of the same na...

In light of a recent tragedy in the saddle hunting world, I felt it was imperative that I did a detailed podcast on tree stand/saddle safety and self recovery techniques. No better person to discuss this with than Cary Gibson, a 20+ year professional arborist. We talk about everything from how to climb, the best equipment to use, how to set a tree stand safely and what techniques and equipment you...

Deer Season is here in Minnesota! This episode I run through the setup I'm starting the season with. Also get into the importance of pre-season practice, things I've learned and the changes I've made prior to the season starting. It's important to constantly re-evaluate your gear and your methods to eliminate waste and increase safety. And don't forget to check out the amazing PACK courses offered...