The WhitetailDNA Podcast

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! This week, we sit down and dive into off-season work that builds better hunts long before opening day ever arrives. We break the year down by season and walk through the chores, decisions, and strategies that shape successful whitetail seasons. We cover the winter months of January, February, and March with topics like shed hunting, scouting, and tag appli...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we are joined by Jared Mills . When it comes to consistently killing big bucks, Jared is one of the first names that comes to mind. He breaks down what it really takes to bowhunt and consistently chase mature whitetails. Jared dives into his background in bowhunting from Midwest Whitetail to doing his own solo content. He covers the cam...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we are joined by Todd Bumgardner of Pack Mule Training to break down what we should be doing in and out of the gym to boost our performance in the woods. Todd shares his extensive background and education in strength and conditioning, and what shaped Pack Mule's training approach to building hunters who can perform year-round when it ma...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we sit down with Nathan Nelson of Still Water Outdoors to talk about the art and grind of tracking bucks in the snow on public land. Nathan shares how his passion for tracking first began, how that obsession eventually grew into filming and starting Stillwater Outdoors, and the unique challenges that come with trackin...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we go over some of our favorite hunting gear that would make great gifts for the hunter in your family. We cover everything from clothing systems, trail cameras, stands and sticks, backpacks, and much more. Whether you're shopping for a seasoned bowhunter, a hardcore rifle hunter, or just someone who loves to be outsi...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we cover all things late season—and right now, for most of the Midwest, the conditions are near perfect. Snow-covered ground, frigid temperatures, and food sources are shaping up to be the perfect recipe to kill a late-season buck. We break down how to key in on a variety of food sources, identifying transitional area...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we are back in our favorite bow shop, Custom Archery & Outdoors , catching up with Randy Graber as he recaps his bow season chasing big bucks in Wisconsin and Illinois. We dive into all things bowhunting deer, recapping Randy's seasons in Buffalo County and Illinois. Randy explains his decision to commit fully to a tr...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode of the podcast, Jeremy breaks down the full story of how he managed to tag his target buck in just two sits. The guys uncover the history of this deer, including the tactics used to get an arrow in this buck, and the in-season clues that confirmed the rut was underway. Jeremy showcases a decision he made that ultimately led him to wrap h...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we break down what the first half of November has really looked like in the whitetail woods and why things may not be as "finished" as some hunters think. We dive into why this window can actually be one of the best times of the entire season to kill a mature buck you've never laid eyes on before, and why committing t...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! There's no better time to be in the woods than November, and to top it off, we spent the last week in southern Iowa. On today's episode, we recap the week of rut hunting in Iowa. Garrett walks us through his first trip to Iowa in late October, what lessons he learned when chasing mature bucks, shuffling cameras, and dialing in a game pla...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, the team sits down and shares Luke's story of the buck he killed in October, named "Vanilla." Luke breaks down the hunt from start to finish, dating back to the last two years. He covers door knocking, scouting, setup, and tactics that came together to make it happen. The team dives into lessons learned from Luke's Oc...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we are covering our top 5 "never forgets" every deer hunter needs to keep in mind during the whitetail rut. Physically and mentally, these are the essentials that can make or break November. Some of these topics, many of us have fallen victim to and get caught up in. Never forget what's most important to you. Whether you're after a targ...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we are joined by our friend Jeff Sturgis . Jeff is the owner and operator of Whitetail Habitat Solutions and Pure Wildlife Blends Seed Company . As October heats up, so does buck movement—Jeff breaks down exactly how to capitalize during the critical pre rut phase. We dive deep into strategies that include hunting water sources, food so...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we're joined by Derrick Dixon of Whitetail Research — a whitetail behavior expert who's taking deer scouting to the next level. Using thermal drone technology, Derrick tracks mature bucks in real time and records their every move, creating data-rich YouTube videos that reveal the untold story of how these elusive deer truly behave. We d...

Welcome back to another episode of the WhitetailDNA Podcast! On today's episode, we are joined by Jared Larsen of OnX Hunt. Jared has worked for OnX for over the last 8 years and has been a part of the rapid growth over the years. Jared has grown up chasing whitetails in Wisconsin and currently resides in Montana. Jared talks about the importance of utilizing OnX before your hunt, whether it's e-s...

Welcome back to the show! In today's episode, Alex and Kaleb Comstock sit down to chat through everything that goes into whitetail hunting during the month of October. October is quite an interesting month to hunt whitetails, as there's a lot of change from the beginning of the month to the end of the month. The guys talk through all these changes, how to combat them and how to make game plans to...

Welcome back to the WhitetailDNA podcast! In today's show, Alex Comstock and Kaleb Comstock break down the 3 year journey for the buck Kaleb called Jeezy. Kaleb goes into depth on what went into hunting this buck, the work that went into the property and how he was able to capitalize early in this season. It's a heck of a story and we hope you enjoy!  New episodes drop every Wednesday at 6AM CST L...

Welcome back to the show! In today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, the guys are joined by Jeremy's good friends, Trent Johnson and John Seguin to talk all things elk hunting. Lopy, Trent and John are all headed to Wyoming to chase elk this September, determined to find some good bulls to go after. The guys talk about how they got into elk hunting, trials and tribulations, success stories and previe...

Welcome back! In today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, for the third time we are joined by  Brennen Nading of The Breaking Point TV to talk some early seson deer hunting. We recap the rather uneventful trip for the team, while diving deep into how Brennen was able to fill his North Dakota tag during the first week of the season! Brennen discusses how he made a specific move after hunting this deer...

Welcome back! The 2025 hunting season has begun! On today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, the team runs through the 2025 hunting season. The guys dive into what each hunt is shaping up to be for 2025 and the specific bucks they are after in each state, ranging from Minnesota to Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming, and everything in between. They also discuss the preparation that ha...

Welcome back! On today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, we are joined by Kevin Harlander of Tactacam Reveal . Kevin talks to us about his early days in the hunting industry, guiding elk hunts, working for First Lite, and now with Tactacam Reveal. Kevin has a proven track record of outdoorsmanship. Kevin shares what sets Tactacam apart from its competitors, from innovative features to unmatched custo...

Welcome back to another week! On today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, Alex and Garrett recap their recent scouting trip to Iowa as Garrett gears up for his 2025 Iowa deer season. The guys break down what they found while narrowing down promising public land spots. They also dive into the specific types of terrain and habitat features we're targeting when trying to locate mature bucks during Octobe...

Welcome back! On today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, we're covering early season tactics and nuances when chasing whitetail bucks. From understanding where to set up to letting your glass do the work when gathering intel, we break down two key areas every hunter should hone in on before the season heats up. We talk about when to be aggressive—and when to hold back—as well as the pros and cons of...

Welcome back to another week! On today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, we are covering all things broadheads with Randy Graber , owner of Custom Archery & Outdoors . Instead of forming our own opinions, we've gathered data from bowhunters all over the country to see what they are shooting and whether they were successful or not. We dive into real-world results from hunters who submitted their exper...

Welcome back! On today's episode of the WDNA Podcast, we're joined by Joe Kavanaugh for a deep dive into all things whitetail hunting in the state of Kansas. Joe is a die-hard bowhunter and has an impressive track record when it comes to hunting mature animals. Joe shares his approach to preparation for the upcoming hunting season, including the projects he's tackled on his 160-acre farm in Kansas...