Vulnerable Podcast

The guys are back after a few weeks away, and there's a lot to catch up on. Cory shares how becoming a father has completely changed his life, while the conversation shifts into one of the biggest debates in modern hunting: Has technology made deer hunting better... or has it taken away what made it special? From cellular trail camera bans and hunting pressure to mature buck strategy, food plots,...

In Vulnerable EP 31, Cory and Joel sit down with longtime hunter Mike Barry for one of the most wide-open deer camp conversations yet. Mike has been hunting with Joel Snow and 5 Star Outfitters since around 2007 or 2008, and he brings years of stories from chasing mature Ohio bucks, shed hunting, southern Ohio deer hunting, and some giant buck encounters that almost came together. This episode als...

In Episode 31 of the Vulnerable Podcast, Cory and Joel sit down with longtime hunter and hunting-industry veteran Rob Gerard. Rob shares stories from his time working with major outdoor brands like Horton Archery, Carbon Express, Leupold, SIG Sauer, Benelli, and Beretta, plus his history hunting with Joel Snow and 5 Star Outfitters. The crew talks mature Ohio bucks, outfitter relationships, old-sc...

The Laws boys are back for round two on the Vulnerable Podcast, and this one is packed with real hunting stories, turkey strategy, and the kind of campfire conversation that makes this crew so much fun to have on. In Episode 30, Cory Arbogast and Joel Snow sit down with Trevor, Tracy, and Landon Laws to talk about their Ohio turkey trip, hunting through cold rain, longbeards shutting down, calling...

Happy Father’s Day from the Vulnerable Podcast! This special episode is all about family, legacy, and the men who shaped us. Join hosts Cory Arbogast and Joel Snow as they welcome their dads — Ken Arbogast and Paul Snow — for a deep, hilarious, and heartwarming conversation about: Building businesses and raising kids Life lessons from decades in construction, Honda, and entrepreneurship Whitetail...

In Episode 29 of Vulnerable, Cory, Joel, and Chris break down an unforgettable start to Ohio turkey season. Chris gets his first turkey, and the morning turns into one of those hunts you never forget — gobblers hammering from the roost, birds hitting the ground fast, decoys getting worked, and multiple longbeards putting on a show after the shot. Joel walks through the setup, the calling, why the...

This might be our best episode yet. On this episode of Vulnerable, Cory, Joel, and Chris sit down with JD Piet, the man behind Bustin Fur Audio / BFA and a sound producer and hunter connected with FoxPro. JD records real coyote vocals, pup distress, coyote fights, prey distress, fawn sounds, and other predator sounds used by serious coyote hunters across the country. This episode goes deep into th...

In Episode 27 of Vulnerable, the crew sits down for another unfiltered round of real hunter talk — recorded April 8th while juggling softball/baseball coaching and life. Topics include: Beaver takeover: Massive tree destruction along a creek (entire field edge wiped out), starting 4 dams, and plans for Conibear 330s + drowning sets Mole trapping stories: One guy catching moles in yards like it&#39...

In this raw, late-night podcast episode (recorded March 22), we dive deep into an epic coyote hunting adventure that had the woods lighting up for miles! One hunter shares his first thermal night hunt experiences — howling responses from every direction, watching coyotes wrestle and interact on thermal, triple-team setups in open fields, and the mind-blowing moment a pair winded the crew at over 5...

Welcome back to The Vulnerable Podcast – where real hunters keep it raw, no filters, just straight talk from the woods to the mic. In Episode 25 (Second Take Edition), Cory and Joel kick things off with a hilarious do-over after a quick camera glitch – because perfection isn't the goal, authenticity is. Recorded on March 11th, the guys catch up after a three-week hiatus forced by life: softbal...

In this eye-opening Vulnerable EP 24, ODNR District Wildlife Supervisor Gary Comer (31+ years in wildlife management) joins the crew for a no-holds-barred talk on Ohio's deer, habitat, and the future of hunting. From the glory days of CRP pheasant hunting (75-80 roosters off 75 acres?!) to why baiting bans, overpopulation concerns, and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) aren't just "wester...

Back at it on Vulnerable EP 23! Join Cory, Joel, and Chris as they dive into Joel's new obsession: coyote trapping in Ohio. From four-coil dogless traps (#2s, MB 550s, Bridgers) and dirt-hole sets to catching multiple coyotes in one night (including Garrett's big male!), we break down beginner tips, numbers game strategy (aim for dozens of sets for consistent catches), and why it's tou...

Dive into Vulnerable EP 22 where hosts Cory and Joel spill the beans on the wild 2025-2026 Ohio deer season! From record-breaking snowstorms and family birthday mishaps to jaw-dropping buck hunts (including a 5.5-year-old warrior buck saga), we break down successes, failures, and the controversial rise of drones in hunting – are they a recovery miracle or an unfair edge? Plus, crossbow evolution,...

We’re back in the garage studio after Thanksgiving + shotgun season, and we’re getting back to weekly Thursday episodes. In this episode of Vulnerable, Joel Snow breaks down the real November rut timeline from the outfitter side — what was hot, what locked down, and why it felt like a rollercoaster every ~48 hours. We also talk: How snow impacts movement and why some seasons “feel” different than...

On this episode of Vulnerable, we sit down with Kenny and Tom (Maine) — longtime friends of Joel Snow who’ve been hunting Ohio with him for years. The conversation starts with pure hunting-camp comedy and real friendship… and then Kenny drops a hammer: his Yukon moose that made ALL-TIME Boone & Crockett, scoring 228 1/8”. Kenny breaks down the Yukon grind (spike camps, passing a 60” wide moose...

DescriptionDeer season is OPEN and we’re kicking off Deer Camp at Five Star Outfitters the only way we know how: big stories, bigger numbers, and a pile of hard-earned lessons. Our guest is Rusty Vi of Island 34—a 2,600-acre Mississippi River island operation that turns into a private refuge feeding up to 10,000,000 duck-use days a season, sees 400,000+ waterfowl in a day during cold blasts, and r...

Description:This is the story you dream about in the stand and never actually expect to live through. On this episode, Joel sits down with Deputy Sheriff & whitetail hammer Zach Prickett, the guy behind a straight-up freak of an Ohio buck that tapes 228 7/8". From guiding turkeys with Joel back in the day, to juggling 4 kids, shift work, and a whitetail obsession—Zach walks us through every cr...

We kick off with camp vibes (yes, “Liquor Cleanout Night”) and a quick tribute before diving straight into opening-week tactics: how to set blind windows to avoid the dreaded “black hole,” why mature bucks J-hook the downwind side of bait, and using staging areas between beans and corn to make them killable. Joel relives the legendary Horse-Trailer setup (and a youth-season giant), we talk youth-h...

We’re back with Joel and Chris breaking down the Lake Cumberland poker-run chaos, early velvet shed (testosterone + daylight shift), acorn drops vs beans, why your plots are starving in this drought, quick water-hole hacks, and blind/stand setups that actually kill. We also dig into real Ohio buck-size odds and why most hunters don’t tag out. Pull up—this one’s loaded.

Ron Lance has hunted with Joel Snow for 25 straight years—and dropped a 211-inch and 198-inch buck from the same stand four years apart. We dig into the stories behind those giants, the evolution of Joel’s outfitting, the truth about TV crews vs. real clients, mechanical vs. fixed broadheads, and the Yukon moose hunt that turned camp upside down (shoutout to “Marty the cook”). If you love whitetai...

Rick’s back—and we go deep. Beatty Buck origins, the Brian Stevens freak frame (why “four 14-inch tines” blows minds), how B&C/P&Y/Buckmasters actually measure racks, the “common base” controversy, replicas, panel scoring drama, and field-photo tricks that make covers. Plus trapping roots, Ohio stories, and why the deer matters more than the number. Comment your biggest scoring gripe.

DescriptionRecorded Aug 25, we cover fresh EHD chatter in Logan & Champaign Counties, how to build rub-post + licking-branch sets that actually stop bucks, late-summer plot tweaks (rye/oats/brassicas), camera strategy (scrapes vs edges, 360 options), and Joel’s back-to-back Illinois buck stories (muzzy + bow). Wind, entry/exit, and CWD travel tips included. Subscribe for weekly whitetail intel...

Joel Snow goes deep on how trapping lit the fuse: snagging his first Fur-Fish-Game at 13, catching a red fox on night one, hair-trigger pan mods, rock-solid bedding, dirt-hole sets, double-staking for coyotes, and running a 200-mile trapline while in college. We break down red vs gray fox behavior, fur prices then vs now, Tom Miranda/Russ Carman lures, and coon/muskrat/mink tactics—plus wild stori...

In this episode of the Vulnerable podcast, legendary outfitter Joel Snow tells the unbelievable true story of how he killed a 201" giant Ohio whitetail — with only 6 hours of actual hunting time after years away from the stand. Joel breaks down:How he found the buck with only one photoWhy timing and scouting mattered more than the rutHis thoughts on bedding, scrapes, water access, and camera...

n Episode 10 of the Vulnerable podcast, we dive deep into the future of outfitting with longtime outfitter Joel Snow. From the changing dynamics of land access and bartering for permission to the shift in hunter behavior and late-season tactics, this episode is packed with real-world insights from 25+ years in the whitetail woods. We also talk about the economics of hunting, outfitting longevity,...