Sportsmen's Nation - For The Die-hard Sportsman

It is Turkey Season Eve here in Missouri and excitement is at an all-time high! This is the three weeks of the year that we live for! There is something so grand and mesmerizing about a red hot spring morning in the turkey woods. The birds are roosted and the plans are set. Now it is time to put your back against a tree and let the mornings come alive around you. The simple approach to turkey hunting matched with the complexity and consistency spring has captured our attention and hearts. Turkey season was built for sharing the outdoors and making memories in the outdoors. We wish you the best turkey season this spring! May you shoot straight and call softly! Enjoy.Learn.Share! #ForLoveoftheland Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone is always looking for the next big thing, especially when it comes the additional edge to pull critters into range. There are so many different strategies to make that happen, but some times using the old tricks in new ways will accomplish the same. In this podcast, we sit down with Heath and Keith of Stratton Seed to discuss the additions to the product line in 2019. One of the coolest additions would have to be the Bonifide Blend! This blend is the perfect ratio of corn and soybeans. The corn is a dwarf wildlife corn variety that is round-up ready and produces an ear that sits just one and a half feet off the ground, making it more widely used for a variety of species. In addition, the soybeans are a forage type bean that is also round-up ready. The 6:1 ratio of soybeans to corn is ideal for growing tons of attractive forage from May through January in the same acreage! To biggie back the original Wild Gamechanger soybean, Stratton has just released the Wild Gamechanger 2.0! This soybean is a gro

Welcome to a new way to own land. We are excited to bring you an opportunity to learn more about The Hogan. This property is a 550-acre recreational property located in Gallipolis, Ohio. This farm is being offered to 5 member-owners for the first time ever! This farm has been developed over the past few years to create a dynamic habitat and wildlife-rich property. All this development comes at a cost. The value of this offering and property stretches out the cost across several member/owners making the dream of owning a 550-acre recreational paradise feasible. The work has been done and the enjoyment is waiting for your family to be a part of this unique opportunity. If you have dreamed of owning incredible hunting and fishing property, but don't have the time or knowledge to develop then The Hogan is for you. Shared Ownership is a new structure, but one that offers premiere land at a fraction of the cost. Show up and Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, we are joined by returning guest Dan Turner to talk about all the different wild mushrooms you can find in the woods this spring. We talk about the ideal weather conditions like temperature and sunlight, as well as specific locations that mushrooms grow. We discuss the difference between a shelf mushroom and a mushroom with a stem. Although morel mushrooms are the most popular in the midwest, Dan says there are several other species that taste just as good and are just as easy to find. If you love collecting your own food, this is the podcast for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Dan talks with Jesse Fadarishan of northeast Pennsylvania about his hunting lifestyle. Jesse starts the conversation by talking with Dan about growing up in a hunting family and explains that his dad was a run-n-gun bowhunter before it was even a thing. Although he was around hunting his whole live, because of state laws he wasn't able to hunt until he turned 12. Since then, he has experienced both failure and success that has molded him in to the hunter that he is today. Jesse is also an experienced 3D Target shooter who feels that the time and energy he puts in to shooting 3D targets translates to success during the moment of truth in the field. Jesse then goes in to detail about why he highly recommends using a back tension release and preaches joining an archery club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this podcast, we share a special moment in the outdoors with a father and son. On a recent youth season turkey hunt in southern Missouri, we struck gold as Trace Harker tagged a beautiful tom in the timber during a mid-morning hunt. As we reminisced about the hunt at the tailgate, we were reminded of the connection we have to this land. Every spring morning spent afield is spectacular! The sights and sounds are truly breathtaking. It is a privilege to be woken up to nature calling and praising the Creators name. This is the true gift of land and hunting in the spring woods. Be sure to introduce a new hunter to the outdoors so they can strengthen their walk and relationship with the Lord. Enjoy.Learn.Share! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well it is that time of the year again when we have turkey hunting on the brain! You can't have good turkey hunts without successful turkey hatches. During this week's podcast, we discuss the many different ways that you can manipulate the land to improve wild turkey numbers. Many of the ways we manage for turkeys is by promoting early successional cover, annual weeds, native browse, and forbs are all necessary components of prime turkey habitat. These weeds not only produce seed but generally produce a canopy of cover to help protect young turkey broods. Some of the ways we choose to promote these weeds are by doing dormant season discing, prescribed fire, old-field management, and leaving crop fields fallow. Be sure to listen and follow along to this week's podcast to learn more about promoting great cover for wild turkeys. We wish everyone a safe and productive turkey season as many seasons are already open across the south. Enjoy.Learn.Share! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

This is the fastest BS session we have ever done. Dan talks with Dominic Scheetz of Virginia about why he decided to start hunting in his early 20's and some of the obstacles he faced along they way. They discuss the deer population in the northern part of the state where he lives and he shares the differences between the small pieces of private ground and the high pressure public land that he splits his time with. In the last seven years he has learned how to turn failure in to success by adapting to deer movement and living the run-n-gun lifestyle. We end the podcast with the story of one of his most memorable days in the woods and the harvest of a great buck after a rattling sequence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cragg Fitz of Trained Assassins spent some time with Dave and JP to talk about turkey hunting tactics that he employs regardless of the time of season, or location he hunts. Most of the episode, however, centered on the impact that season dates can have on individual locations, and even the effect of periodically shifting those dates can have on bird population, and hunter success. Lastly, they close out explaining why every outdoorsman should be a CraggHead! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every good turkey hunter knows that a well built call can make all the difference. That’s why this week Southern Ground is talking to Drew Able of Foot On Da Head Game Calls. Drew understands that a quality call is necessary for the turkey woods. As an Alabama resident, he has been hooked on turkey hunting for over 20 years. At an early age, Drew knew that he wanted to chase these birds for the rest of his life. In this episode the guys talk about the passion behind Drew’s business, and how that passion is the driving force for moving forward. Foot On Da Head is just one of the many companies that Southern Ground is partnering with for the Gobblebutt Giveaway this spring turkey season. Check out the facebook page at @SouthernGroundHunting to learn how to enter to win one of these great pieces of gear. Show links footondahead.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Garrett went on a scouting trip with Sean McVeigh from Sean's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel. The two have been trying to plan a group hunt for the past couple years and should finally be able to make it happen this year. The location chosen was an area of "big woods" habitat in Central Wisconsin that neither person has been to before. The idea is to have a March scouting trip, and August follow-up scouting trip, and finally a weekend hunt in early October, before the rut. Sean and Garrett primarily chose different areas within the forest to focus their time on. So much of the discussion in the podcast goes in depth on why certain terrain features or strategies were focused on. Sean's strategy focused largely on the combination of oak trees and topographical funnels. Garrett's strategy also focused on oak trees, but mainly those located near bedding in swampy areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Dan chats with real estate agent Ben Harshyne of Whitetail Properties about the information you need to know when buying hunting property. Ben takes us through a step by step process that includes: Getting approved for a loan. Figuring out your budget. Contacting a real estate agent. What kind of land do you want to buy. Government funded land programs. Making money off the property once you purchase it. If you are looking to become a land owner some day, all the information you need is in this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I chat with Justin Zarr of Bowhunting.com to discuss recent scouting trips on public land to Kentucky and Iowa to prepare for the upcoming bowhunting seasons. Justin shares with us how he approached locating the places using digital maps as well as boots on the ground scouting tactics. Justin walks us through the specific terrain features he was looking for, where he was finding the deer sign, and how all of that plays in to where he will placing his tree stands come the fall. We also talk about the dates he plans to hunt for his multiple state hunting trips and whether or not he will still be married when it is all said and done. Oh yeah, we BS... a lot! If you are taking an out of state bowhunting trip this fall, this is the podcast for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prescribed fire is a fantastic tool available for most land managers to use on their property. This natural tool is the cheapest and yields the best results for those looking to manage their farm. However, there are many other tools that come to mind depending on the project at hand. It is commonly thought to think of mowing as similar or a possible substitute to using prescribed fire, however, this is far from the truth. There are many things different between the two tools. They are not equal and leave different results in the habitat. Of course, prescribed fire has it's limitations as well. Think of prescribed fire as a maintenance tool and forestry mulching or a chainsaw as the tool used to get the habitat in place to be maintained. Prescribed fire is a beast to understand and study to before using on your property. We encourage you to take classes and volunteer before implementing. This tool will cover the largest area in the shortest amount of time possible and likely make the largest impact your habit

On this episode, Dan chats with returning guest Billy Pryor about the upcoming Iowa turkey hunting season. Billy talks about all the steps he is taking to get ready for the season such as making sure his gear is ready, scouting for rooting and feeding areas, as well as the strategy for hunting them. If you are a turkey hunting freak like the rest of us, this is the perfect podcast for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we talk with Jimmy Hamilton of Vortex Optics about their line of scopes, binoculars, range finders and spotting scopes designed for hardcore hunters. Jimmy gives us the background of how Vortex got its start and his background of working at the company. We start by highlighting the brand itself and dive into what separates Vortex from it’s competitors through offering a superior quality product at an affordable price and always putting the customer first. Jimmy explains their VIP warranty and how they go above and beyond to take care of the customer should anything ever happen to your optics. Vortex offers a diverse line of optics for hunters, law enforcement, shooting enthusiasts, and birding but the main focus around today’s discussion revolves around scopes, binos, range finders and spotters that are geared for the western hunter. Jimmy makes recommendations for the beginner enthusiast as well as the seasoned professional. Jimmy is also the co host of Vortex’s very own podcast called Vortex Nation

On this episode, Dan talks with Indiana native Zach Hunt about the properties he hunts in the southern part of his home state. Zach describes the layout of the farms he hunts and the terrain features that he hunts that the deer use to funnel through the area. Dan and Zach then take a quick detour and discuss how he was introduced in to bowhunting. They end the podcast with the story of his 2018 archery kill. The story starts with a 5.2 mile hike in to public land in an area he located on a map that "looked good". After getting set up and one hour after the sun was up, Zach had a huge buck on the ground. This is an awesome story and a perfect example of what you get when you put in the extra effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's podcast, we sit down with a group of eager whitetail hunters in the state of Ohio. These whitetail hunters devoted a day to come and invest in an educational event hosted by the local QDMA Branch. We had the privilege of speaking at the event along with several other great presenters discussing all things food plots, habitat, forestry, aging deer on the hoof, and state of Ohio deer population. To wrap up the event, we did a live recording of a Q & A session with everyone in attendance. To spice things up, we asked Mike Tonkovich and Clint McCoy of Ohio Deer Management Program to join us on the panel to field these questions. These two employees of the state help determine harvest rates and recommendations for the state of Ohio. In addition, we discuss the importance of wise habitat management on the landscape. There are growing trends that alarm us and sidetrack landowners from accomplishing success and land improvements. We hope you listen and react with enthusiasm and join us in managing th

Often times wetlands get a bad name for wasted space or unusable acres. This cannot be farther from the true. In today's podcast, we are joined by Brian Towe to discuss the role and management of our wetlands. Wetlands are dynamic and support thousands of critters with a home. They are vital to the health of our land and should be respected for that! Wetlands often are put down for their "fowl" smell, yet we forget that they are a filter system producing quality water resources for our streams and underground aquifers. We have wetlands to thank for slowing down the flow of water and removing the bad containments from continuing downstream. In addition, they support a whole host of vital life forms from waterfowl species, neotropical birds, crustaceans, amphibians, shrubs, sedges, and the list goes on! To get the most out of wetlands they should be actively managed to control water levels and vegetation responses to support a wide variety of organisms. We call this type of management "moist soil management".

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles hunting podcast, Dan chats with Dan Course of Texas and Jake Meyers of Michigan about their experience using Ozonics and ozone technology. Dan and Jake both talk about the research they did before making the investment by talking with their hunting buddies, listening to podcasts, and and reading other online reviews. Dan talks about a specific encounter he had while ground blind hunting in the Texas heat and Jake share the story of how the Ozonics unit saved him from getting busted by a doe group, witch ultimately led to him shooting a mature buck the same evening. Then I share my scent control process and end the podcast with how I feel the unit led to me having an encounter and killing my biggest buck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices