Wisconsin Sportsman

While many are consumed with winter sports and ice fishing, it's time we turn our eye toward spring! Every winter, there are a few fishermen who live for the ice paradise and relish every moment on the hard water. On the other hand, some can't wait for ice off. Count Hunter Engelman in the latter group. Hunter is an avid bowfisherman from Wisconsin and the owner of Modified Outdoors Bowfishing Cha...

Cue the slow, sad music. Whitetail season is officially over. With the 2022 season in the rear view, it's time to turn our attention to the fall of 2023 and think about how we can improve our deer hunting in the year ahead. In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Sam Bilhorn of Whitetail Partners to discuss what you can be doing RIGHT NOW to make the fall of '23 your be...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to head west for an entire fall? Chase salmon & caribou, hunt elk & mulies, and even spend some time guiding other hunters on their hunt of a lifetime? That's exactly what this week's guest did during the late summer and fall of 2022.  In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Adam Kaufmann of Free to Prowl Outdoors about his f...

While many Wisconsin anglers are busy pulling fish through the ice, a select few are braving sketchy stream-side hikes and frozen rod guides in pursuit of Winter trout on the fly. For many, fly fishing conjures up images of big dry flies, foam terrestrials, and warm days. Winter fly fishing is a totally different game!  In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Pierce Nel...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh Raley and Pierce Nelles recap their year in the field and a few lessons learned along the way.  The guys kick off the conversation by talking a bit about how Josh kicked off the year with some deer scouting and Pierce with a good bit of fishing. The guys quickly turn to their turkey seasons, and both of them had a great time and were even ab...

For some, deer season is fading into the rearview (cue the weeping and gnashing of teeth). This means it’s time to branch out to a few new topics. Somehow, the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast has yet to cover the topic of ice fishing. Today, we fix that with an entire episode devoted to ice fishing! In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Shawn Strehlow for a little ice fis...

Deer season is winding down for many if not most, and it's time to sit back and reflect on our season. Did you get the buck you were after? Did you see the deer numbers you thought you should be seeing? Did the deer use your property in predictable ways? Were you able to access your hunting locations without bumping deer? All of these questions may reveal that our season could have been better fro...

It's December, and that means the late season is upon us! Late season can be TOUGH, but it can also be one of the best times of the year to tag a mature buck as they strap on the feedbag. While Josh hasn't had much luck in the late season, this week's guest, Alex Comstock of Whitetail DNA is no stranger to late season bucks! Tune in to hear about Alex's late season tactics and how he tagged his 20...

It's hard to believe Wisconsin's gun deer season has come and gone! Whether the gun season brought you antlers for the wall, a freezer full of venison, or a bowl of tag soup, you were likely left wanting more. Well you're in luck! In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with returning guests Ryan Ebert, Francis Sprecher, and Mitchell Patterson to hear how they each punched t...

The long-awaited 2022 Wisconsin gun deer opener has come and gone. Some folks saw a lot of success, while others were left scratching their heads. No matter how your weekend went, there's still time to get it done if you still have a tag in your pocket! This week on the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Matt Streim of Weathered Oaks Game Calls about the 2022 gun deer opener. The guys di...

Josh's 2022 rutcation has come and gone, and it was certainly one for the books. Inclement weather, intense hunting pressure, and several dark-to-dark sits made this hunt an absolute grind. Despite the difficulties, the hunting was great and much was learned on this trip! In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh recaps his 2022 rutcation with all the ups and downs, capped with a 14...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh Raley and Pierce Nelles share an update on their rut hunting so far. It's been a grind in Wisconsin for Josh. The weather has been brutal, the hunting pressure has been high, and the deer movement has been slow. But Josh has kept on grinding and has been able to get on deer pretty consistently. Pierce has also been grinding in southwestern W...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Francis Sprecher of Wisconsin about Fracis' first ever archery buck, and man was it a good one! Francis has gun hunted quite a bit, but he's pretty new to archery hunting. Tune in to hear the story of how he overcame the learning curve, learned from his mistakes, and persevered to tag an absolute brute for his first archery buck. ...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with return guest Max Kulick about his upcoming rutcation plans and strategy. Max is a family man and avid outdoorsman in southern Wisconsin where he chases everything from squirrels to waterfowl to whitetails. Max and Josh are both taking rutcations this year right around the same time and will be hunting not too far apart from one an...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Jake Ohnesorge about Jake’s opening day success in Wisconsin. Jake is a former college and professional football player from Wisconsin. After hanging up the helmet and pads, Jake picked up a bow and has been hooked on bowhunting ever since. He began this season with a goal to take his biggest archery buck yet, and he succeeded rig...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with return guest Sam Bilhorn of Whitetail Partners about October hunting strategy, habitat improvement, and October cold fronts.  Sam owns Whitetail Partners, a whitetail habitat and hunting consulting company focused on helping their client change their property for good. Sam shares his thoughts on changing deer behavior during Octob...

Wisconsin's archery deer season has been in for a couple of weeks now. Hunting is getting tougher as deer begin to shift to different food sources as well shift to thicker, more remote cover due to hunting pressure. In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman podcast, Josh and Pierce recount their hunts so far this season, including their most recent hunt together at Pierce's place. Then the guys g...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with his good buddy Ryan Denu about his father’s recent bear hunt in northern Wisconsin. Ryan is an avid outdoorsman who’s been hunting since he was a kid. While Ryan’s primary targets are deer and pheasants, bear hunting has held a special place in his heart since he first had the opportunity to experience it several years ago. Ryan a...

It is officially DEER SEASON in Wisco! To kick the season off right, Josh had Greg Tubbs of The Okayest Hunter on the show to talk abut Greg's podcast, hunting marsh bucks in southeast Wisconsin, and what hunting is REALLY all about. Greg and the rest of the Okayest Hunter crew have been preaching the okayest hunter gospel of "never pass," and that goes for whatever legal deer your after and, of c...

Wisconsin's archery season opener is less than one week away! The time of year we've all been waiting on is finally here. Hopefully you're heading into the season  feeling confident in your gear, mentally prepared, and with some actionable early season intel. There's a lot of good hunting ahead, so it's time to knock the dust off and make your last minute preparations! In this episode of the the W...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Brian Dombrowski of central Wisconsin about tagging big public land bucks in the early season. While many hunters are at home watching football and waiting for the whitetail action to heat up in late October, Brian is working hard in the timber and marshes to earn his bucks before the crowds hit the woods. Topics covered in this e...

Wisconsin’s archery deer season is a little more than two weeks away! As you wrap up all your last minute prep, be sure to make brushing up on the rules and regulations a normal part of your preseason ritual. Every year, outdoorsmen receive warnings and citations for issues that could have been easily avoided. Toward that end, this week’s guest is Matt Koshollek, Conservation Warden for Dane Count...

The state of Wisconsin offers an absolute plethora of opportunities for the outdoorsman. From hiking to fishing to hunting all sorts of critters, the options are vast! But did you know you can hunt elk in Wisconsin? Every year, a lucky few are fortunate enough to draw tags for Wisconsin’s small but growing elk herd, offering a rare opportunity to hunt these animals east of the Mississippi River fo...

Wisconsin’s archery opener is fast approaching! Are you ready? It’s really easy to get behind on the work that makes for an enjoyable, successful deer season. If you’re behind, don’t fret! There’s still a few more weeks, and this episode is going to help point you in the right direction.  In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman Podcast, Josh talks with Sam Bilhorn of Whitetail Partners about la...

In this episode of the Wisconsin Sportsman, Josh talks with Bruce Ross and Todd Schaller of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association about the 2022 waterfowl season and the Waterfowl Hunters Expo. The Wisconsin Water Fowl Association is a 501(c)(3)membership-based, non-profit organization acting exclusively in Wisconsin. Their mission is to work to further restoration and conservation of Wisconsin’s wa...