Truth From The Stand Deer Hunting Podcast

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Cody Schleich. I’m always looking to meet guys who embrace the challenge of hunting big woods and hill country. Cody is one of those guys who is a calculated and aggressive grinder hunting mature bucks in rugged terrain. Hunting mature bucks ithese areas can sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack to get an opportunity…and it often ends in hea...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Tony Peterson. In today’s episode we dive into how at times, removing your ego …or adding a little ego can make all the difference in your hunting success. Go overboard and you’ve probably missed something…not enough and you may not take that leap your gut is telling you to that would lead you to killing that mature buck. Truth is, it’s a balancing act....

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Dan Johnson. If you’re anything like Dan and I (and all of you out there juggling family, work and other responsibilities), it seems like our time gets more limited every year. Whether by choice or out of necessity, efficiency is the name of the game. Gone are the days of having all the time in the world to scout or hunt endlessly. Or have all puzzle pie...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Brandon Barlow. Brandon hunts public and small permission parcels in the south. As a native New Yorker he's had to adapt his hunting approach from relying on the historical calendar dates of good whitetail hunting...to now using long-term data to keep him in the game as his season is much longer. And the deer seem to have a much broader breeding window w...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my Jacob Sklenar. At face value you meet Jacob and your first thought is that this guy is a detailed and meticulous killer…who finds consistent success by embracing the grind and suck that chasing mature whitetails is. Once you dig a little deeper, you realize Jacob is on a different journey than just killing mature bucks. He uses hunting as a vehicle of personal...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Michael Varady. Mike is one of those guys I’ve had the good fortune to meet the past few years. The dude just flat out gets it done in the high pressures state of New Jersey. He was one of my inspirations to begin tinkering with a traditional bow. Like with all die-hard outdoorsman there’s always a season…hunting season, scouting season, shed season, tur...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Luke Shimer. Luke is one of the best all around outdoorsman and most authentic people I’ve had the good fortune to know. Watching Luke run the in the mountains of Montana is like watching someone breathe…it looks natural and for him sustenance. Whether he’s chasing critters in the mountains or the streams of Montana…or salt water critters in the Caribbea...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Nathan Killen. Nathan is one of the best hunters I’ve had the privilege to meet while running this podcast. His hunting is only outdone by the quality person he is. Nathan had a great year fulfilling a Long-time goal of killing a true giant public land monarch in the mountains of Virginia. Bucks like this don’t come around often, and if you pay attention...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Tim Bunao. Tim and I are birds of a feather in the sense that when we set a goal…there’s no turning back. We both have adopted a similar approach the past few years…and that’s simplifying things, and trusting our gut to find more success. Tim Moved west to expand his hunting opportunities a few years ago…he’s still a die-hard whitetail bow hunter. Now he...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Todd Freeman. Todd is one of those guys who constantly seeks adventure - whether it’s traveling back to his home state of Michigan to hunt the U.P. or out his back door kayaking into hard to reach place in New Jersey. One thing he’s always looking for are bucks that like wet feet. Aside from that, he’s become my go to resource as I jump in to the world o...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Steve Smallridge. Steve is a die hard outdoorsman , splitting his time mostly between chasing whitetails and duck hunting the big water of Michigan. The traveling whitetail gypsy bug has bitten him and he’s started exploring beyond his home state for the past few seasons …and finding success. He’s also a competitive Jiu Jitsu black belt and sees a lot of...

Today on the podcast I’m joined by my buddy Steve Jewett. Steve is has a been a bowyer for a few decades and is the owner of Bushmen Bows. I’m planning to begin my descent into traditional madness. I wanted to start last year, but a shoulder injury delayed my plans. Now that I’m functional again, I’m ready to make the leap and Steve is helping me get sorted before I take the plunge and have him bu...

Today on the podcast I did something a little different. My buddy Aaron Hepler and I headed south to Virginia to do something I’ve never done before. We went quail hunting with bird dogs with the folks at Cumberland Estate. I’ve hunted rabbits with dogs as a kid, but the only upland bird hunting I’ve ever done was busting brush with the old man chasing pheasants…never with a dog. And, I love anyth...

Today I’m joined by my buddy Chad Sylvester to do our annual “good, bad, and ugly” episode where we cover the season that was…all the good and all the warts. It’s impossible to lay a foundation for improvement without first examining what you’ve done well, and where you’re falling short. This episode acts as an annual reset for me and helps me take a hard look at the man in the mirror. Admittedly,...

Today I’m joined by my buddy Mario Trafficante from the Hunting Beast. Mario is one of my favorite people to chop it up with. We have a lot in common beyond hunting, and those commonalities bleed into our approaches to hunting. Sometimes things don’t play out like we intend, and the path less traveled is what ultimately fills your tag. Being open to those twists of fate and being willing to indulg...

Today I’m joined by my buddy Tyrell Roy. As many big bucks as Tyrell has on his wall, it’s never about the mount or trophy. It’s always about the experience, the chess match, and challenging himself to be a better hunter. This year he wanted to see if his skills and all the success he’s had in Oklahoma would translate when traveling out of state on his first out of state public land whitetail hunt...

Today I’m joined by Brandon Lilly. Brandon knew all too well the pressure to perform from his days as an elite powerlifting athlete. He draws on that experience to keep hunting free of the outside noise or pressure to perform. Doing hard things and reframing success, setting reasonable goals, and humbling yourself is the pathway toward gaining the most fulfillment in hunting. Make mistakes, learn...

Today I’m joined by my good buddy Johnny Stewart. Johnny is grinding through his late season with a few tags still in his pocket - he’s on his way to Iowa as we speak. He filled 3 buck tags this past October through November in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The success didn’t come easy. Some of his key spots were burned early in the season between human pressure and logging that occurred. Today...

Today I’m joined by my good buddy Greg Litzinger. Greg has had one of his best seasons…and one of his worst at the same time. He’s been in the game, having encounters more times than most in a couple seasons combined. A branch here, a deflected arrow there…and being just a step behind a target deer has been the story of his season. He’s still grinding it out…he’s the “Ultimate Warrior” and I have...

Today I’m joined by my buddy Jace Allen. Jace is one of those people who is just born to deer hunt and chase mature bucks. He’s as dedicated to his craft as anyone you’ll meet. That doesn’t mean there aren’t hard lessons to learn…even for the most experienced woodsman. Most guys are thrilled to fill a tag no matter how the hunt ends so long as it end with a buck on the ground. Jace is a little dif...

Today I’m joined by my Jake Hofer from Exodus Outdoor Gear. Jake is one of my good buddies and one of the best deer hunters I know. The running joke in our friend circle for a long time was if a deer was going to be killed by our group of friends…Jake would be the one to do it. Year after year he fills tags on mature bucks. This year He drew a coveted Iowa tag…but made the decision to leave Iowa d...

Today I’m joined by my buddy Erik Barber. Erik has had a killer fall, filling two archery tags. Funny thing about filling tags early, is you sometimes feel like you’re missing out with so much season left. I don’t think anyone would complain about filling tags early…but there is definitely some fear of missing out, or missing those November sunrises. Erik is as passionate an outdoorsman as you’ll...

Today We’re talking about my recent hunt in Kansas. Three seasons ago I set a goal to kill a Kansas whitetail from the ground. I had a lot of opportunities that I screwed up the previous seasons. Each set up got a little better last year and I really felt this was the year to meet my goal. I wasn’t looking for a giant…when I hunt out of state, my mission is to try and take a buck that is the avera...

Today I’m joined by my buddy Jared Scheffler of Whitetail Adrenaline. Beyond Jared being a killer with the stick and string, he’s the passion behind Whitetail Adrenaline that brings us, what I consider, to be the hands down best hunting content ever made. Being great at anything comes with a cost. We talk about the cost of perfection and getting your passion back, traditional archery and of course...

Today we’re doing something a little different… I’m turning over the reins of the show to my buddy Aaron Hepler to talk about the filling my PA tag this October. Pulling this buck out with my kayak was something I set as a goal a few years ago when I found this area scouting. I’ve been beaten by two different bucks in this spot the previous two season…things finally came together on October 16th....