Advertise on podcast: The Southern Outdoorsmen Hunting Podcast

Dr. Bob Sheppard spent 23 years building a database of more than 3 million data points on what actually gets deer moving in daylight. We get into what the data says about the moon, the wind, cold fronts, and the rut, plus how he was hunting from a saddle back in the late '70s. In this episode: - How 23 years of hunter logs turned into 3 million data points - What the data showed about the moon, and why the first two years fooled him - The three variables that matter most: temperature, wind, and cloud cover - Why deer movement climbs with wind speed instead of dropping off - Where barometric pressure fits, and why it can't be separated from temperature - Why the temperature change matters more than the temperature itself - The day after the front, and why a northwest wind beats a northeast wind - How much the rut really improves your odds - Why he hunts a spot once, and how little it takes to leave scent behind - Finding bottlenecks and setting up for morning hunts - How to hunt thick clear-cuts - Building one of the first saddle setups, and the business card that made him sell every tree stand he owned - Teaching bowhunters with ketchup-bottle blood trails Get Dr. Sheppard's book - https://amzn.to/4jCBww6 Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this listener Q&A, we get into why the most worn-down trail on the hillside might only see one doe a week, and how to figure out which trails are actually worth hunting. Then we run through your questions and hot takes as bow seasons open across the Southeast. In this episode: - Why heavy, carved-in trails can fool you, and why you should follow them until they meet other trails - The great moon debate: phase vs. position, selection bias, and why weather still wins - Inside corners and field-edge pinch points (plus a listener who killed one in a spot we found map scouting) - How to know which direction deer should be coming from, morning vs. evening, in Southern pine woods - Can thermals swirl when there's no wind? - What a thermal hub actually is, and the case for ridgetop hubs - How to pick a tree when trails come from every direction - How high to hang for bow vs. gun, and hunting low in big cedars - Scanning with binos every 10–15 minutes, and the one time you shouldn't - Why track shape tells you more about a deer's age than track size - Reading feed trees: why beds underneath can make it an evening-only spot - Trusting your gut on stand selection Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Phillip Robison (AKA Coyote Rob) is 81 years old and has been chasing whitetails in Alabama's Black Belt since deer first came back to the area in the 1960s. Long before scent control came in a bottle, he was spraying his hunting jacket with deer urine and keeping it in the deep freeze. One morning, an eight-point walked up and blew on the back of his neck. In this episode: - The scent routine he's used for 50 years, and why he believes scent matters more than camo - The piece of string on his gun barrel that keeps him in the wind - How he learned to stalk ridge points, pine thickets, and woodlots without blowing deer out - What to look for when slip hunting: an ear, a hoof, a tail twitch, not the whole deer - Why 10 to 2 on a windy day is his favorite window to ease through the woods - What to do the moment you bump a deer, and why you should sit your butt down - Why rutting bucks cover miles, and why sitting on trail camera intel can waste your time - How he calls deer from the ground with a caller and scent setup at 81 years old - Growing up hunting turkeys and squirrels in Clarke County when there were almost no deer - Why squirrel hunting still builds better deer hunters - A few of his best coyote-calling stories Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this listener Q&A we get into why bumping deer is the fastest way to find them on new or public ground — and then we run through your questions and hot takes as archery seasons open across the Southeast. It's bone dry across most of the South right now and the acorn crop is feast-or-famine, so we start with this week's mast and scouting reports state by state, then dig into how to find deer when the food is everywhere and the sign is scattered. In this episode: – Why "spooking" deer is a scouting tool, not a mistake – Reading feast-or-famine acorn years and finding "the tree" – Hunting steep erosion gullies and drainages – Public land vs. private, and the corn-pile debate – Scouting from scratch with no bait and no cameras – E-scouting flat swamp ground with leaf-off imagery (finding the high ground) – How to hunt a tiny 5-acre permission property – The trad-bow comeback + a hot tip that'll save you a blown shot – Do you really "outsmart" a mature buck? And do deer know it's season? – Why we all need to kill more does Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

David Heatherly has killed mature Alabama bucks for 31 years by doing the opposite of what most deer content preaches: he keeps it simple. In this one, we get into why hunters make deer smarter than they really are, how to read the freshest sign instead of overthinking it, and why grinding the same spot every weekend is the fastest way to educate a buck right out of the county. What we get into: - Why deer are simpler than you're making them - Reading fresh sign and building off every hunt - How hunting the same spot every weekend patterns the buck against you - Thermal hubs, travel corridors, and setting up on the ground - Why cameras lie, and when a daylight picture means go NOW - Giving a spot three days, then moving on to the next one Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week we're back in the mailbag: your questions on early-season food, killing mature bucks without cameras, timing an out-of-state road trip, moon studies — and the noise trick that pulls curious deer right to your tree. Plus a round of hot takes to close it out. In this episode we get into: - This year's mast picture — red oaks dropping while a lot of white oaks aborted in the drought, and where that's pushing deer right now - The opening-day call: scratch the itch on brand-new public ground, or wait for the ground you already know - What "hunting aggressive" actually means — and when aggression costs you more than it gains - A mature buck showing up on a travel-corridor camera: sit the corridor now, or push in before gun pressure hits - Killing mature bucks where trail cameras aren't allowed — leaning on sign and habitat instead of pictures - Passing young bucks on pressured public: worth it, or are you just handing him to the next guy? - A first-ever mountain hunt — a 4-day game plan for terrain that looks nothing like the flatlands - Timing a rut road trip around Halloween: pinch points, scrapes, rub lines, and how to find "the tree" - Moon studies and deer movement — do they measure WHEN deer move, not just how far? - Using natural woods sounds to pull deer in: dropping rocks out of the tree, rubbing two quarters like a squirrel cutting a nut, the acorn crunch, and the grunt call - Andrew's one-stick setup and the cam-cleat system that makes it work - The handkerchief-and-washer scent trick from the Bill Vale episode — how to use it, and how to check whether it's legal where you hunt - Hot takes: is planting a food plot just baiting? Are trad-bow hunters better? And what percent of hunting is pure luck? Watch Jacob's hunt for an Alabama swamp buck here - https://youtu.be/j_25tjxlk60 Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tony Myers is one of the most accomplished public-land bowhunters in the Deep South — and one of the last of a dying breed. Self-taught, with no cameras and no mentor, he's spent a lifetime learning to read the woods and kill mature bucks. In this episode, Tony walks us through how he finds and kills giants on pressured public ground, the old-school way. In this episode: - How Tony taught himself to hunt and learned to never fear getting lost in big woods - The way he breaks down and scouts ground he's never set foot on - Reading sign that actually matters — rubs, rub lines, and why most scrapes are a nighttime story - Using wind and thermals: finding thermal hubs and why he hunts higher - Why a buck becomes a completely different animal once he's past 3½ — and how safety starts running everything - How a mature buck disciplines himself even during the rut - Why big bucks hold at the cover edge like a statue before they ever step out - The truth about trail cameras — why they can't tell you where to hunt, and how mature bucks learn to dodge them - Slipping in and slipping out: how to hunt a buck without ever letting him know he's hunted - Why one mistake turns a mature buck into a survivalist - Hunting break lines and edges instead of the open hardwoods - Tony's closing philosophy: patience, keep it simple, don't overthink it Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The best time of year is here — and this week's Q&A digs into why deer "jump the string" and duck your arrow before they ever hear the shot, plus a full round of hot takes and hot tips from the Circle community. In this episode: - Why deer duck your arrow before the sound reaches them — the deer-vision science behind "jumping the string" - Are big-buck killers just sitting in better spots? Consistency vs. hunting brand-new ground - Time in the woods vs. woodsmanship — which matters more - Why "too much information" is beating more hunters than too little - Learning new property: walk every inch, or scout your way in and hang-and-hunt - The bullet/caliber debate — diameter vs. cartridge, and bullet construction (ELD-X, cup-and-core, polymer tip, monolithic) - Broadheads, shot placement, and what actually puts deer down fastest - Early-season morning hunts from a Southern perspective - A bed-to-food pattern take backed by four years of hard numbers - Doe harvest and herd balance — what the biologists keep telling us - Luck vs. providence, and a few Little Debbie hot takes to close it out - Recap: the Zach Ferenbaugh ground-hunting episode, small-game season kicking off, dove opener, and an offshore trip These questions came from our Circle community — come join the conversation and get your questions in for next week. Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Drop a comment with your take on any of these. And remember — stay southern. Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Want to go deeper? Join our Circle Community here: ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Zach Ferenbaugh of The Hunting Public has killed some of his biggest bucks without ever climbing a tree — slipping through cover on the ground, calling them into bow range, and getting close enough to reach out and touch them. In his first-ever sit-down with us, Zach breaks down the woodsmanship behind ground hunting whitetails: reading conditions and other animals, moving through the woods undetected, why deer can't see nearly as well as you think, and why getting closer actually makes a mature buck easier to kill. If you love turkey hunting, hate sitting still, or just want another tool in the bag, this one's for you. In this episode: - Why Zach walked away from the tree stand — and started killing bigger bucks on the ground - How to move through the woods: when to speed up, when to freeze, and how to use wind, rain, and terrain to time every step - Reading other animals as alarms — including the woodpecker "deer alarm" that tips him off before a buck ever shows - Why the nastiest, thickest cover gives the hunter the advantage, not the deer - How deer really see (and why staying still beats staying hidden) - Calling and rattling on the ground: making it sound real, and "becoming the deer" - Deer drives, bumping deer on purpose, and why spooking them isn't the end of the world - Gear, shot angles, single-bevel broadheads, and shooting through cover Special thanks to the NWTF for providing us with a space to record this episode. Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Chapters: 00:00 The three-yard buck 01:12 Eight years to finally get Zach on 02:24 How ground hunting made deer hunting fun again 06:24 More opportunity, faster learning off the ground 09:08 The mental hurdle of leaving the tree 13:19 Moving through the woods: speed up or freeze 16:15 Using wind and conditions to time every move 19:34 The best teacher in the woods is the deer itself 34:13 Reading conditions to predict where deer bed 46:52 Reading other animals and the woodpecker "deer alarm" 54:05 Why the thicker the cover, the better 58:42 Staying patient with a buck at seven yards 1:03:05 Why deer can't see you as well as you think 1:11:45 The sign that says sit down — and the sign that lies 1:20:24 Deer drives and spooking deer on purpose 1:33:00 Becoming the deer: how Zach moves and calls 1:40:06 Calling on the ground and making rattling sound real 1:54:52 How turkeys and elk made him a better deer hunter 2:02:14 What Zach carries: the M2 pack, water, and gear 2:12:46 Shot angles, single-bevel broadheads, and shooting through cover 2:23:30 Do what makes hunting fun for you Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rusty & Russten Johnson KNOW how to find mature bucks fast, and they've got the receipts. The summer we recorded this, he had close to 100 bucks over 120 inches on trail camera on PUBLIC land alone, including a 170-class deer and a near-200-inch giant, with no bait and no private honey holes. In this throwback from the back catalog (an episode that produced a pile of listener success stories the first time it aired), Russten and his dad Rusty break down the exact trail-camera system they use to locate big bucks before season — the ridge-running, road-hunting, net-casting method that turns a blank map into a hit list. In this episode: - The A/B camera-spot rating system — and why Ruston only hangs cameras on "compounding factor" locations - Why you DON'T have to hike two miles deep — big bucks on cameras 10 feet off the road - The four pillars: organization, technical proficiency, personal psychology, and being in the right spot - Casting the net wide in August, then narrowing cameras onto a target buck as season closes in - Why video mode beats picture mode — and what body language tells you a still photo never will - Building years of history with individual public-land bucks (some 10 years old on the same ground) - Buck personality types — homebodies vs. wanderers — and how to relocate a buck that disappears - Reading a buck's morning direction to predict where he beds - Magnetic Points of Reference (MPRs): the terrain magnets that pull deer in wide-open Kansas country - The psychology of the check — why Ruston goes in LOUD with music blaring instead of sneaking Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Guest: Rusty & Russten Johnson — United Outdoors - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/united.outdoors/?hl=en Check out Russten's line of scents with Branch Boss - https://branchboss.net Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Russ Seale has killed more mature bucks on one specific set of conditions than any other day of the season — and he'll argue the point with any biologist who says otherwise. This is the 3020 Factor: rising barometric pressure behind a cold front, a 10–15° temperature drop, and a steady north/northwest wind. Last year it put two Boone & Crockett bucks on his wall seven days apart — a 190" non-typical and a 184". We get into all of it. In this episode: - The 3020 Factor explained — the exact pressure, wind, and temperature window Russ builds his season around - Why he'll argue the "best day to move" with any deer scientist — and the two booners that back it up - Reading flat river-bottom and Delta ground where "it all looks the same" — water crossings, subtle bluffs, and the transition edges deer travel like a highway - Why he almost never hunts a feed tree unless it's on fire fresh — and what he hunts instead - Doe groups as the one common denominator from the Deep South to the Midwest - Hunting the mental game — why you choke when the giant finally steps out, and how to fix it before the moment comes - How respect on public land opened the private-farm doors that produced both giants - The 190" Kansas hunt, the 184" Missouri hunt, and the "curse" Russ finally broke Guest: Russ Seale — High Pressure Hunting / the 3020 Factor - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@highpressurehunting ----------------------------------- JOIN THE CIRCLE COMMUNITY (free) Go deeper on every topic we cover on the show, get your maps scouted by the group, and find hunting buddies near you. - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn ----------------------------------- GEAR + DISCOUNTS Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear And remember — y'all Stay Southern. Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Clay Harper is a DIY traveling hunter who's turned breaking down brand-new ground into a system. He picks a state, a season, and a "theme" long before he ever sets foot on the property, then kills mature bucks on public land across the country. In this one, we get into his early-season playbook: how he reads unfamiliar woods fast, why he hunts the mid-morning window nobody else does, and the mindset shift that's put more bucks on the ground for him than any single tactic. In this episode: - Why mature bucks get up and move mid-morning in the early season — and the mineral craving behind it - The "theme of the hunt" framework: deciding what you're hunting before you ever open a map - Overcoming the objection — the sales-mindset question Clay asks himself before every hunt - Reading a brand-new property from the food back to the bed using rub lines - How to speed-scout unfamiliar ground and pick spots that set up in your favor - Why big deer often hold close to access — and you don't have to hike miles deep - Using a decoy and rattling to pull cruising bucks off the ridgetops out West - Why he kills more deer on the ground than out of a treestand Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We just rolled in from the Mobile Hunters Expo in Dalton, and the season is coming fast so this Thursday Q&A is a loaded one. Andrew and Jacob work through a stack of listener questions and Circle hot takes: reading a spotty mast year, finding bucks when the ground's too dry to track, velvet-buck decisions, doe harvest, neighbor management, and a run of rapid-fire hot takes that'll get the comments going. Grab a seat. In this episode: Mobile Hunters Expo recap and this year's record crowd The mast crop report — why Virginia's looking spotty and central Alabama's holding solid How to hunt a bad acorn year — beech nuts, browse lines, greenbrier, and other overlooked food Finding buck tracks when it's too dry — track traps, leaf-blower tricks, and when to just run cameras HOT TAKE: if your whole season depends on the rut, you never learned to hunt October Velvet bucks — take him now, or wait for a hard-horned target during the season? How many does to actually harvest, and why you can't kill them out on one property HOT TAKE: encouraging your neighbor to shoot whatever he wants (reverse-psychology management) Velvet hunting West Tennessee public land — where to focus when bucks aren't leaving sign HOT TAKE: most hardcore public land hunters would secretly rather hunt private Is a thermal drone really any different than a livescope? Shooting a bow with no peep sight, brush guns and slug setups, and the high-fence debate How to physically prep for the season without living in the gym What counts as a deer hunting "hat trick" — and a look back at the Ben Davis feed-tree episode Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Archery seasons are opening soon across the country, and early-season success comes down to one thing: acorns. Ben Davis of central Alabama joins us to break down his complete early-season feed tree blueprint — how to find the oaks that are actually hot, the overlooked sign that tells you a tree is about to fire before the deer even pattern it, and how to hunt it without blowing it out. It's a wide-open early-season how-to for every deer hunter, then a deep, technical dive into traditional bow hunting for those who want to take it all the way. In this episode: How deer feeding on green acorns tells you a tree is 1–2 weeks from getting hotThe oak-drop calendar — chestnut/mountain oaks, then white oaks, then red and water oaks late seasonReading feed sign — busted hulls, fresh droppings, and ground disturbance under a hot treeWhy your first sit on a fresh tree is almost always your best oneScouting before rain to erase your intrusion and get a free passLate-morning feed tree kills — and why wind gets deer on their feetCreek crossings, entry and exit, and the water-scent problem that wrecks slam-dunk setupsIsolated oaks vs. stands of oaks, and getting tight to bedding coverGetting into traditional archery without getting over-bowed — form and instinctive shootingBare-shaft tuning, arrow spine, weight-forward setups, and picking a broadheadSharpening fixed-blade heads and getting a true burrThe story of a mature Alabama buck taken with a recurve — and the recovery that almost didn't happenPlus mentors, hard-earned lessons, and why he'd rather hunt sign than stare at a trail camera Check out Ben's latest video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRl90uaCoo0 Looking for land in Alabama's Black Belt region? Contact Ben here - https://www.whitetailproperties.com/agents/ben-davis-1 Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8 Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show? Submit your listener success story here - Share Your Story Here NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts.  Our Sponsors: * Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy