Pennsylvania Woodsman

This week we interview Muzzle Blasts Magazine editor, Dave Ehrig.  Dave has a strong passion for muzzleloading, and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the traditional smoke poles.  Pennsylvania has a rich heritage of flintlock muzzleloaders and it is kept alive by Dave and folks like him.  As rifle season approaches a close, those with tags remaining begin to think about the deer hunting gi...

Few states can compete with the hunting heritage of Pennsylvania’s opening day of rifle season.  Everyone seems to take time off from work and venture out.  As fun as this season can be, it can also be a challenge.  With more hunting pressure than any other time throughout the season, deer quickly “hole up” in security zones.  If you haven’t filled a buck tag in archery season, this new added pres...

There are over 200,000 bear licenses sold in Pennsylvania annually, and 3,500-4,000 bears are killed every fall.  With odds like this, how can there be people who have killed multiple Pennsylvania bears in their lifetime and others who never kill one?  The answer is the same as the guys who consistently kill big bucks.  Preseason homework needs to be done if you expect success!  Finding food is ke...

How many times have you heard someone say that the rut was, or will be, early or later than normal this year?  If the rut truly is different every year, then why are fawns born the same time every spring?  The truth is, whitetail does are bred relatively the same time each and every year, regardless of moon phase, weather pattern, or how much hunting pressure is in your area.  So, when you hear so...

If you read this title and think you’re going to find out the exact date, time, and location to harvest a buck opening week this year – you may be crazy!  Hunting strategy content has flooded social media, and while there is a lot of fantastic advice, it can become overwhelming to utilize in your hunting area.  It is also extremely easy to over-think your hunting strategy and let emotion overcome...

On this week’s episode we interview John Wakefield with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.  John is the Fire Program Manager for the state and leads the agency in planning as well as being a “Burn Boss”.  We begin the episode with tips and techniques to break down a tract of public land with a recent burn history or a plan to.  Burn units are an extremely attractive area – both for game and for peo...

First, tune in on some follow up to the previous podcast, “Are your food plots a step above the rest?”  Did your planting get missed by much needed rainfall?  If so, then take note for some rescue treatment advice.  The window is far from closed on highly attractive fall food plots!  Fall plots will transition into the story of a giant 170” typical killed in 2020 by your host Mitchell Shirk; tune...

Continuing with the Bruiser Bucks series, this week Cole Seitzinger shares his hunt breakdown in 2020.  Cole is just as busy as the next Woodsman – he is working two jobs and is a father of 3 children.  As time goes by, we all know how difficult it can be to get out in the field.  Cole digs into how he manages his time throughout the fall to key in on mature deer in this pressured state.   Cole is...

Food plots truly have been revolutionary in the world of whitetail hunting.  Information on how, what, where, and when to plant has flooded the internet and magazines to the point where it can be extremely difficult navigating through good vs. bad information.  It is a common misconception that there is a “one size fits all” food plot program.  Food plot species, timing of planting, planting metho...

We are back with another exciting bruiser buck story on this week’s episode.  Tune in as Brendan Fink shares with us a bazar journey of punching a tag on an absolute stud during the 2020 PA archery season.  If you are an archery hunter, you know that practicing with your equipment is vital to being successful.  Even the most prepared hunters can be consumed by the adrenaline rush during the moment...

This week we chat with John Royer – the host of YouTube channel Leatherwood Outdoors.  John and his crew are no strangers to enjoying Creation.  For over a decade they have been documenting their outdoor adventures of deer, bear, turkey, and small game hunting, as well as fishing, trapping, mushroom hunting and more.  You will find their channel informational as well as entertaining! One of John’s...

This week we kick off a new series breaking down stories from Pennsylvania hunters who found success harvesting mature buck this past season.  With just shy of 1 million licensed hunters in PA, many of which are deer hunters, it can be a daunting task setting your sights on bucks that are 4 to 5 years of age or older.  What can be more difficult is taking the step to pass a young buck.  We encoura...

Pennsylvania is home to more than 83,000 miles of streams, many of which hold respectable native trout populations.  In the past decade, many high rain events have devastated creek channels thus affecting food webs and trout populations.  In addition to weather, there are a number of point and non-point pollution sources that continue to impair cold water streams.  This week we interview fisheries...

Catering more toward private landowners this week, we will be discussing spring food plots.  As farmers are advancing with fertilizing, spraying, and planting crops, every year wildlife managers are eager to pull the trigger and begin spring food plots.  While there is nothing wrong with spring and summer food plots, ask yourself are they truly needed for your property?  Hunting and management goa...

After being pummeled by numerous snowstorms this winter, cabin fever has finally dissolved!  Days are lengthening, temperatures are rising, vegetation is blooming, and we are ready to spend time in the woods!  Throughout most of the state it has been nearly 4 months since deer season has closed, and turkey season is a great way to “scratch the itch” until next fall.  For some, this may be the seas...

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast where you will find both educational and entertaining conversations about the great outdoors. We will cover everything from deer hunting in the fall to turkey hunting in the spring, and let's not forget a variety of fishing opportunities that our state has to offer. Our goal is to talk with everyone from the experts in their field to the Average Joe and...