Well, this episode was a bit of a wildcard. Eric was flying solo and decided to just wing it on a random Monday night. With the phone lines open and no real game plan, he wasn't sure how things would go—honestly, there was a good chance it would suck. But he made it happen. Eric chatted about everything from mock scrapes and prep work for hunting season to the upcoming Foam Fest, which is shaping up to be a good time with lots of gear, giveaways, and good company. He also touched on a new initia...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 158
Gary has a long history of being a woodsman here in WI. He grew up hunting and spent many years trapping and running a series of huge traplines with at times over 300 traps. Gary’s interest has since turned in the direction of bowhunting mature bucks both here in WI and trips around the Midwest. Gary has filmed for The Hunting Beast, Public Land Whitetails, and Behind the Echo YouTube channels and has been featured on many podcasts. Today we talk about a few of his ah ha moments through his re-i...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 158
In this episode of the Okayest Hunter podcast, Eric Clark is flying solo in the studio but brings on a guest, Kevin Vistisen, to discuss the latest in hunting and gear. Eric starts by acknowledging that his usual co-hosts, Derek and Greg, are busy with other commitments, but he keeps the energy high with plenty of updates on their upcoming events, like Foam Fest and partnerships. Eric dives into the nitty-gritty of hunting life, from dealing with technical mishaps to managing personal life inter...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 51 min•Season 6Ep. 157
Ep. 7- Dave Bechtel We start the conversation with diving into a few things that Dave does to make sure he is dialed with his archery setup with consistent realistic practice. Dave talks about the importance of keeping up with practice through season. Dave tells a story about hunting with his Aunt Karen and how he made a bold opening day decision in 90 degree heat to hang and hunt in an area no one else ever went on a piece of private property. The target buck came by and Dave made short work it...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 157
This week, Scot, from Feathers and Antlers Outdoors, joins the OHP crew for a laid-back chat about his archery shop in Commerce, Georgia. For the past nine years, Scot and his family have been running the shop, offering a wide range of bows, arrows, broadheads, and outdoor gear. The shop’s all about making sure customers feel welcome and have plenty of space to browse without feeling cramped. The conversation is full of laughs as Scot and the hosts dive into what it’s like running an archery bus...
Aug 14, 2024•2 hr 16 min•Season 6Ep. 156
Logan is a Union Lineman who lives in West Virginia. He has hunted since he could walk but has really started to chase mature deer the past three years. He hunts mainly on weekends and has really dived deep into learning and understanding big bucks and their habits. Logan tells a great story about his first and biggest mature buck he killed in 2022 and how that hunt helped him realize how thermals overrule wind direction in the evenings, and how mature deer use the landscape to keep them alive. ...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 156
In this episode of the Okayest Hunter Podcast, the guys are joined by Bill Thompson from Spartan Forge. They chat about hunting ethics, technology, and business values. Bill shares his journey of developing Spartan Forge, emphasizing the importance of creating tools that enhance hunter autonomy while maintaining transparency and integrity in the business. He also touches on the future of Spartan Forge, teasing upcoming features and collaborations that aim to push the boundaries of hunting techno...
Aug 07, 2024•2 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 155
Steve starts off by talking about his massive trail camera studies he has done over the past 5-6 years which now has 120+ cameras collecting data in the big woods of northern Pennsylvania. Steve has found that across multiple different types of locations such as bedding areas, scrapes, feeding areas, and transitions one thing has been consistent- big bucks move in daylight when weather conditions are right. Steve aims to choose his hunting days when the weather is right and tries to do the same ...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 155
On this episode of the Okayest Hunter podcast, the crew welcomes Matt Morris, an amateur boyer and avid traditional bow hunter. They start by introducing Matt and his unique hobby of making traditional bows, known as bowery, and delve into his background. Matt shares his journey from hunting with a compound bow to embracing traditional archery. He describes the appeal of crafting his own bows, saying, "I wanted to simplify some things. If you start at the bare bottom of a very basic stick that s...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 154
Former Marine Sniper Tony Van Asten joins the podcast to talk about setting up a leased property to attack a specific buck and the lessons learned along the way. Overlooked buck bedding, wind swirls, and knowing when to shoot before big bucks get your scent. Tony also talks about tactics in hill country and how to use thermals and entry times to increase your odds. Tony shares a story about jumping a big buck next to a parking lot in July, then coming back during bow season and capitalizing on h...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 154
In this episode, Jonathan McCormick AKA Red Beard Outdoors shares his inspiration and his focus on outdoor activities. He introduces "Red Beard Outdoors," his podcast that began as an Instagram page to document his adventures with his kids in Utah's incredible public lands. Jonathan loves sharing outdoor experiences and gear reviews, and he's all about having great conversations and staying consistent with his content. The chat dives into hunting setups, comparing mechanical and fixed broadheads...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 153
Brian joins Derek with an awesome story that draws multiple learning opportunities and links into 3-4 other stories about the same location but affords new and different insights and experiences that tie together very nicely. Along the way, we discuss subtleties of mature buck movements, bedding areas, how bucks use the wind and thermals to travel through areas, and how Brian has taken advantage of this. Derek interjects with a few correlations to ideas that were brought up in the first two epis...
Jul 22, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 153
This week, Beau Below with Ghost Bucks joins us in the studio as we talk about whitetails, whitetail fever, and random stories. We're getting excited about the upcoming season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 52 min•Season 6Ep. 152
Derek talks to two fellow WI hunters who have been in a group chat about deer hunting together for 5+ years. We start with some initial stories about learning moments in which Cory shares his mock scrape tactics for locating and hunting mature bucks on public land bordering private and a few lessons learned from chasing a true giant. Tim shares a story about cutting his teeth hunting Northwoods deer in Lincoln and Oneida counties. He tells about a legendary buck named “Rome” who Tim chased for a...
Jul 15, 2024•55 min•Season 6Ep. 153
In this episode, Derek introduces Dropping Pins, where the idea was born and what we hope to provide our listeners. Derek dives into his first story which outlines a very special location in the Northwoods of WI. This location was found by Derek’s father but quickly stolen and told was off limits to everyone except the week of WI gun season. This sanctuary technique paid off huge for 5 seasons and harvesting 5 bucks in the spot, including my first two mature bucks during midday hours. We dive de...
Jul 12, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 152
Our good buddy, Brian Douglas with Good Sit Mobile, comes back on the show to shoot the breeze as we all deal with Whitetail Fever rushing over us now that the Fourth of July has come and gone. This week's episode is full of some good laughs and shitty stories, with a few learning moments and solid takeaways if you're willing to tune into the full episode. Presented by: www.nosler.com Check out: https://www.goodsitmobile.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Season 6Ep. 151
Setting trails cams for the "Whitetail Shift" towards the end of August happens now. Tune in this week as we chat trail cam tactics and strategies as the Okayest Hunter crew strategies for the upcoming season. Presented by: https://www.nosler.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 44 min•Season 6Ep. 150
Madi Woodward with Nosler, Inc. joins the show this week to talk about all things ammo and, specifically, Nosler ammo. We cover some basics around ammunition terminology, caller and listener questions, big game hunting, whitetail hunting and some Okayest moments afield. If you're looking to learn more about rifle ammo, this is a great episode for beginners and more seasoned rifle hunters alike. Presented by: www.nosler.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Season 6Ep. 149
John Radzwilla with Hook & Barrel returns to the podcast to chats about building character in the outdoors through adversity. Doing hard things is an important component of building up the outdoor and hunting community. Check out Hook & Barrel Presented by Nosler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 6Ep. 148
Step back in time and take a trip down memory lane this week as we chat with Sam Holcomb about Field & Stream's return to print just in time for Father's Day! Gift the F&S 1871 Club Membership Enter a story about your Dad or Father Figure to F&S by 6.23.24 Presented by Nosler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Season 6Ep. 147
This week's topic revolves around bow tuning, with Greg and Eric discussing the importance of adjusting your bow's rest and sight to fit your shooting style. Greg shares his technical expertise, while Eric adds his Okayest questioning, insights, and personal anecdotes. They also explore the benefits of paper tuning and the challenges of zeroing in a bow. Throughout the episode, the fellas compare brands and price points, highlighting accessible ready-to-hunt packages from Bear Archery. They emph...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 146
To hear what we have in store for the trail cam debate, listen through until the end. On the rest of the episode we chat about turkey hunting season stories and wrap up, hunting with kids, being a dad that hunts, hear from a couple callers about food plots and fawns - then we get into trail cam debates. Presented by Nosler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 29, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 6Ep. 145
This week we delve into our hunting setups, sharing tips on using climbing sticks, saddles, and camera gear for self-filming hunts. Blake Below joins the conversation, offering insights from his public land hunting experiences and emphasizing the importance of scouting and strategic access. The discussion highlights the challenges and strategies of self-filming hunts and the dynamics of hunting with a cameraman. The episode also covers tips for hunting public land, stressing the value of scoutin...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 6Ep. 144
A rambling session with guest Shaun Ridder, host of the newest podcast to join the Okayest Podcast Network, Camp Okayest. We chat about old-school hunting shows, the evolution of hunting shows to modern times, and general hunting content. Then, we shift gears to share a few buck encounters and our mobile hunting setups. Presented by https://www.nosler.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 15, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 6Ep. 143
This week, we chatted with our new friend, Nicholas Delprete, with Harnessed Adrenaline, whom Derek met during his recent Texas hog hunt. Nicholas is a guide in Colorado and shares how he became a guide and what it's all about. He also talks about his stance on the legislative changes potentially coming down the pike in CO. We hear some great stories and talk about the differences between just recreating outdoors and hunting insofar as it relates to the question non-hunters sometimes ask about w...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 142
The discussion on turkey choke setups in the podcast episode highlights Greg's preferences and experiences with various chokes for optimizing turkey hunting gear. We discuss the reliability of these setups, sharing anecdotes about their longevity and effectiveness in the field and personal preferences for different types of chokes depending on hunting conditions and turkey behavior. The conversation extends to specific choke types, such as the Carlson XD choke, which Tubbs praises for its excell...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Season 6Ep. 141
This week, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Warden Erik Anderson and Bradley Wilson talk about what it means to be a DNR Warden. They take time to answer listener questions, share stories from the line of duty, and bust common myths about DNR Conservation Wardens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 140
In this podcast episode, co-founder of Weathered Oaks Game Calls, Matt Streim returns to share insights about their specialized turkey calls. Despite an Okayest start with some chair adjustments, the conversation quickly turns to the craftsmanship behind Weathered Oaks' products. Matt explains that their calls, which are handcrafted and lathe-spun using various types of wood, include features like being double-sided and waterproof. These attributes make them unique in the market, especially as t...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 6Ep. 139
Luke Cox with Hunt Lift Eat joins the show this week to share his mission and ethos of the Hunt Lift Eat brand and how it all started while he was still on active duty in the United States Army. Of course, we have a few laughs and share why hunting and the community of it all is so important to our heritage as hunters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 138
Alec Bekkers with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Wisconsin Chapter, joins us this week to talk about the Learn to Hunt program, R3, adult-onset hunting, land locked public land, and his 2023 archery buck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 6Ep. 137