Pennsylvania Woodsman

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with two guys that are doing as much as they can to grow the sport of archery at their local club.  Jonathan Henne and Justin Delong took over running archery shoots at the Shartlesville Rod and Gun Club in Berks County Pennsylvania, and have been growing ever since.  We discuss how they went from flinging arrows, to being pro-staff shooters at IBO to...

If you recall a few weeks ago we had a conversation with Jacob Coons who drew a late season bull tag during the 2021-2022 PA elk hunting season.  On this week's episode, we are going into more detail about Pennsylvania Elk Hunting with Bryan Hale of Elk County Outfitters.  Bryan is the lead of this operation and has a ton of experience guiding hunters to success in the Keystone State.  Not only is...

Black bears are one of the most intriguing animals in North America due to their high level of intellect.  Across the nation the most popular way of bear hunting is by baiting or with hounds.  There are a number of states that do not allow these forms of bear hunting, resulting in the ultimate chess match between man and beast.  In Western states, however; the landscape and topography allow for sp...

It is quite an accomplishment for hunters in the Keystone state to harvest a bear, whitetail buck, and spring turkey in one season; otherwise known as the Triple Trophy.  For many it is something that may only happen once in their lifetime, however, there are always a few exceptions.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we have a season breakdown with Dayton Hess, who just finishe...

Hunting elk east of the Mississippi River is arguably one of the greatest conservation success stories in North America.  While the herds seen today in Pennsylvania are actually Rocky Mountain Elk transferred from western states, it's still a thrill to see and hear this species roam the state.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch and Robby chat with Jacob Coons about his rec...

As we reach the halfway point of spring turkey season there are generally two separate conversations that emerge.  Either the success of a textbook turkey hunt, or a tangent about turkey populations being off.  If you find yourself in the latter half, pay attention!  This week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with Mike Dreibelbis about his journey into trapping nest raiders and fawn...

What seems to be the norm under private land is that more acres mean better hunting.  It cannot be ignored that whitetails (and other wildlife) have a home range much larger than the size of the average Northeast parcel.  But often, landowners complain about their inability to hold wildlife on their small property for the wrong reasons - efficiency.  On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Wood...

​During the early season, food is the name of the game.  Whether it is created by man in the form of ag fields and food plots, or in the form of natural browse, bedding to feeding patterns are your ticket to success finding a shooter buck.  On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we chat with Mark Dissinger as he shares his 2021 success story about his largest PA buck to date that was...

Even though snow and cold weather has set planting back in the northeast slightly, planting season is right around the corner.  On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we are discussing all things summer food plots.  First, we touch base on last minute clover establishment and maintenance before diving into the main topic of corn and soybean planting.  Like hunting, food plots are a c...

We open this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman with a quick message from Pastor Phil Thomas as we celebrate Good Friday and this Easter weekend. Afterwards, Mitch and Robby have a conversation with Matt Dale from Dale’s Outdoors. Matt has a YouTube channel dedicated solely to educating people to be better turkey hunters. Matt does not take the same approach as other hunting channels wher...

Without a doubt one of the greatest aspects of hunting is the comradery among fellow hunters.  It’s not uncommon for friendships to immediately form after the first time you meet someone and share hunting knowledge and experience.  Those in the hunting community are almost always quick to help other hunters hone their skill.  On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we catch up with a...

How many of you can relate to hunting small tracts of property?  What about a micro-parcel of 10 acres of less?  The vast majority of deer hunters with access to private land can relate to this type of parcel, especially those that are chopped up in the Northeast.  While a Whitetail deer’s home range is significantly larger than the confinement of a micro-parcel, there is more that can be done in...

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast we introduce our new co-host, Robby Henne.  We start by catching up with Robby and discussing his 2021 deer season where he harvested his first buck with a bow and a coyote!  Following the introduction, Mitch has a conversation with Bill Thompson of Spartan Forge.  Bill was a military intel officer for 21 years, and now is using this military artifici...

With spring approaching we have new ways of shaking cabin fever out!  This week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we chat with John Kolb.  John is the founder of the Suffering Outdoors YouTube channel which showcases outdoor adventures in the Northeast, especially around his home in northern Pennsylvania.  Even though John is a diehard whitetail hunter and can often be found wandering in larg...

On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we conclude the second half of our interview with Land and Timber Consultant, Steve Chilcote.  In part one, Steve shares his background of forestry and land consulting which leads into topics of browse, cover, and invasive species management.  In part two, Steve concludes his thoughts on a few more invasive species he typically finds on properti...

On last week’s episode, we began to prep everyone about the reality of food plotting challenges in 2022.  The herbicides we typically use may be in short supply and expensive, and fertilizer won’t be much different.  Mitch mentioned that planting a summer cover crop as a “green manure,” which will release nutrients mined by plant roots to the soil’s surface when terminated, as being a viable optio...

With warmer temperatures approaching, cabin fever is beginning to wear off.  Spring will be here before we know it, and too often food plot planters stall to prepare for planting and maintaining their fields.  On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch shares detailed information for clover plot management, as well as weed control and fertility concerns everyone may face in 2022. ...

​On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, Mitch has a conversation with Kip Adams.  Kip is a biologist and the Chief Conservation Officer for the National Deer Association (NDA).  Prior to Kip’s engagement with the Quality Deer Management Association and NDA, he was the deer project leader for New Hampshire Fish & Game Department.  New Hampshire, as well as many other states in the nor...

This week is an episode jam packed with coyote and predator hunting knowledge.  We sit down and have a conversation with Bryan Mealy and Dane Kitner of Keystone Predator Management.  This group was founded out of the necessity to reduce coyote populations in their local area, as well as their diehard passion for hunting predators.  While many guys do not think about hunting predators until this ti...

On this week’s episode we interview the Sherk that more people are familiar with; Steve Sherk that is!  As we progress into winter and put boots to the ground this post season, it is never too late to be considering trail camera strategies for 2022.  More often than not, I’ve personally found myself overwhelmed by vast big-woods landscapes and trying to place myself within archery range of a matur...

This week on the Pennsylvania Woodsman we shake things up with ice fishing fanatic, Don Kelly.  Don is the owner of the Tackle Shack in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania and the recent weather conditions have his business in full swing.  Don shared that ice fishing is growing in popularity, but it takes the right gear to be successful.  Fortunately, the Tackle Shack is a one-stop-shop to get out on the ice...

On this week’s episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman, we interview Land and Timber Consultant, Steve Chilcote.  Steve is located near State College and has been working with land owners to manage their timber to provide income as well as habitat and hunting opportunity.  Browse and cover management on a hunting property can be complex.  Although this phase of property manipulation is third in our s...

Sticking with the private land property design series, this week’s episode Mitch talks about the importance of food; specifically, food plots.  Food plots are one of the most talked about topics in the hunting industry which can become repetitive and boring.  But the fact is, if you have private hunting land, they are EXTREMELY important.  Picking up where we left off with the foundation of proper...

What better way to kick off the New Year then with new beginnings?  This week, Mitch does a quick evaluation of the previous year’s deer season.  It’s important to think about what went well versus what needs improvement regarding hunting strategy and hunting area, assuming you’re serious about taking your whitetail hunting to the next level.  If you’ve been struggling to meet your own expectation...

Thank you for following the Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast throughout 2021!  We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Following our Christmas intro, we talk about our last chance to fill a deer tag beginning Monday, December 27th.  There is no sugar coating here… Late season can be tough!  Whitetails have been harassed by hunters for nearly three months and any d...