Southern Ground - Sportsmen's Nation

This week on the Southern Ground Hunting podcast we're kicking off turkey episodes with an in depth look at some of the biology of the wild turkey from Chris Creed. Chris has spent many years studying the turkey and giving seminars for  hunters across the US. Today he's covering several topics, answering questions like: How well can a turkey see? How's their hearing? Can they actually smell anything? We also get to hear some of his thoughts on woodsmanship, looking at things studying the crop and gizzards from harvested gobblers to find out what food sources they're keying in on the most at that time.  Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.s

This week on Southern Ground Hunting we're talking with David Miller of West Virginia. We don't get the opportunity to talk about land management too often. Public land hunting really doesn't give a hunter the opportunity to do much in terms of land management. However, this week we're changing it up and covering David Miller's strategies for whitetail land management in mountain country. The southeast is scattered with hills and hollers, with parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and North & South Carolina having legitimate mountains. One thing that landowners in these areas continuously talk about is the lack of ability to really cultivate those properties to grow giant whitetails. Whether it's bad soil, lack of sunlight, or just difficult to get planting equipment in there, there's a lot of reasons for this. This results in lack of nutrients and creates very nomadic deer movement. You may get mature bucks passing through, but they're going to be on the move. David tells us about the things he does to en

This week's fireside chat topic is brought to us from Matt Reaves. "What are we doing to make sure we can capitalize in the moment of truth?" This really is a great question. As the guys discuss this topic, they talk through their shot process and how each remains focused. As these chats normally do, this one takes a turn from shot process to eating deer nuts... and other odd things that can be eaten from a game animal. We like having fun and this was definitely a fun conversation!Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 15% on your purchase

This isn't your everyday trail camera conversation. If you're a deer hunter, chances are you own one or several trail cams. If we're being honest most hunters really don't know how to use them effectively. Sure, you may get a picture of a big buck occasionally, but is it really teaching you anything other than the fact that he's in the area? This week we're joined by Jordan Pope who recently killed an 8.5 year old public land stud in Alabama. Jordan talks about how began narrowing down this buck's movements in the big woods and ultimately killed him in the late season. The conversation is still on-going as far as where we personally draw the line on cell cams. It seems as though the art of woodsmanship can be lost when depending so heavily on new technology, however, Jordan explains the thought processes he uses when selecting the location of each camera and woodsmanship and understand deer behavior seems to still be at the top of his priorities. Whatever your thoughts on this, you can not deny how incredible

As deer season comes to a close in most states, Parker, Drew & Adam decide to discuss some of the season highlights... and low points. This is a fireside type convo with no real agenda, but the guys do chase a few rabbit trails. Drew tells us the story of his "urban" hunt that is so Alabama it hurts. Absolutely hilarious! Adam talks about his big archery buck from the season in Tennessee  where he fully utilized trail cameras as a part of strategy. It's sad that the season is over, but we're left with some great memories!Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 15% on your purchase Southern Ground is powered by Simple Cast.

The words "Observation Sits" get thrown around a lot, but for a lot of us patience isn't our greatest virtue. We talk a lot about being aggressive, and there's definitely a time and place for that. However, sometimes it pays off to know where you should be throwing aggressive moves at. Jace Allen joins us this week to discuss how much more efficient you can be by throwing a couple of sits in an area just to observe what the deer are doing before going in guns blazing and potentially blowing out an entire area. Jace had an incredible season and he attributes his success to being mobile and having the ability to play it safe when necessary, and go in for a kill with confidence knowing exactly how big bucks are moving. Now, it's important to note that Jace is from Missouri and much of what he talks about in the conversation revolves around having destination food sources like crops. This chat turns into a brainstorming session in parts where Parker and Adam try to draw parallels that can be taken from Jace's sit

Who doesn't like a good campfire? Parker got together with a few of his hunting buddies this week in Mississippi and for a little late season deer hunting. Clayton Bahn, Greg Godfrey and Caden Starnes all join this week and share some of their most memorable moments from this deer season. Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 15% on your purchase Southern Ground is powered by Simple Cast.

This week on Southern Ground Hunting we're gaining a better understanding of web footed public land bucks. When you think of Florida swamps you probably first think about snakes and gators, but what if we told you that they are a super important feature to help bucks survive hunting pressure? This week we have Chase Prince on the show to talk about hunting swamp bucks in Florida. He helps give us a better grasp on how they use the swamps and how if you can figure it out, you can use them to your advantage in hunting them. We had a great week in camp, Parker gives a short recap of his dreams of killing a Florida buck just almost came true. Unfortunately, a giant swamp buck will get to live another day. Florida has a special place in our heart and we'll be back soon!Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 1

Public land deer hunting is a different ball game especially when talking about being in the southeast. One of our Patreon members, Raun Wiggins, has recently decided to challenge himself as a deer hunter and learn how to do it on public land. This year he finally feels like things have started to come together. What has he done different? According to Raun, the biggest thing he's done is just not given up. He's prioritized his time to dedicate himself to the game and now he's starting to see payoff. This is a great episode for you guys who just feel like you're wasting time when you head to the public woods! Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” a

It's nice to get lucky on a big buck ever once in awhile, but we all have to admit that the memories that are burned into our minds are those bucks that we really had to work for. The fellas from The Whitetail Experience seem to have a good grasp on what it means to finally connect on one of these #hardearnedbucks. This week on the show we have Byron Horton from southern Ohio talking about how he has managed to be consistently successful in the big woods on public land in his home state, as well as his recent Kentucky trip where he was able to take home another really great buck. Byron is truly one of our favorite dudes in the game right now and we believe there is a lot we could all learn from him and his hunting style, which is basically something like "work as hard as you can for as long as it takes and eventually it will come together". Seems simple, right?Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to s

It's easy to get stuck in your head when you've been grinding all season long and have just felt like nothing's going to come together. This was definitely the case for Parker this season. Normally, he's at least had some good encounters with bucks during the Alabama bow season, if not tagged a couple. The 2021 season just wasn't going as planned. One thing that all hunters say is "It just takes one second for your whole season to turn around". Well, that was the case for Parker.This week you'll get to hear him breakdown all of the hunts from the first half of December where he was able to kill 3 solid public land deer in Alabama in a short amount of time. Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucano

Us southerners often wear a chip on our shoulders when it comes to deer hunting. You may have caught yourself saying things like: "Well I'd like to see those northerns try to kill a public land buck down here". Our friend Mark Kenyon asked to join Parker on a hunting trip on public land in Alabama. It just so happened that we were able to work it out where Mark could join us for our annual father/son Rutcation. We showed him the ropes, gave him a quick one day masterclass and sent him out on his own. Luckily for our listeners, you get to be the first to know the outcome! Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 15% on your

Welcome to the Southern Ground Hunting podcast. Matthew Reaves of Southern Pursuit is hopping on to discuss rut hunting tactics for southern public land bucks. The topic of the conversation is thermal hubs and how productive they can be if hunted correctly.Matthew and Parker both share stories of their recent successful hunts on thermal hubs, both describing how they set up and how the bucks presented a shot. Thermal hubs can be one of the most difficult terrain features to hunt effectively. Wind and thermals tend to be tough to understand, especially in these "magic holes" as Matthew calls them. The guys go over, in detail, how the hunts played out, and why they think they were able to put bucks on the ground. Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odG

Matt Powell & Ben Harrison join the show to talk about their stellar seasons chasing bucks during the rut. Ben has killed a couple of great deer. Matt has killed SEVEN!!! These dudes are some of the most consistent whitetail killers we know. In this episode, they're sharing and talking through some of the things they believe add to their continued success in states like Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma & Indiana. Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 15% on your purchase Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

It's kind of a variety show today on the Southern Ground Hunting podcast. We're talking to Lane Housner about mountain hunting, sika deer in Maryland, and how he's set his life up to be a hardcore public land deer hunter. Lane could be described in one word, consistent. Every year he seems to be incredibly successful in his pursuit of whitetails in high pressure hunting situations. In this episode we're talking all about his strategy in the woods to maintain his consistency. You can watch all of Lane's hunts, along with his group of buddies, on the "In The Presence" YouTube channel.Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 1

Thanks for tuning in and welcome to the Southern Ground Hunting Podcast. This week Parker rants on and on about how hard his season has been and how it seemingly changed in one moment. He recaps his second trip to Kentucky this week to hunt the rut and shares the story of heartbreak and redemption.  Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www.skregear.com to save 15% on your purchase Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

Us southern fellers like to wear a chip on our shoulder when it comes to deer hunting. You've probably heard, "If you can kill a buck in ______, you can kill one anywhere". Well sometimes you just need a big ol slice of humble pie, and that's what we got! Scooter Barnwell of South Carolina joins the show this week to recap the recent trip to Kentucky to hunt big woods bucks in the pre-rut. Out of about 15 guys in camp, not one tag was filled. We're talking about a camp that has some of the best public land whitetail hunters we know. It was a huge struggle! However, Scooter was in the top percentage of hunters in camp in his buck encounters. We just wanted to pick his brain on how he was breaking down areas during a time when bucks just aren't as daylight active as they will be the first week of November. We talk about big sign (scrapes and rubs), how deer used the topography, and what food sources they seemed to be keyed in on. Ultimately we came back licking our wounds, but what good would it do us to not tr

This week on SGH we're talking with Land Smathers from Mississippi. Land is a very successful public land hunter and rarely ever leaves the ground to do it. Hunting from the ground has some challenges that we hope Land can help us overcome, however, he also talks about the many benefits that you get from not hunting from an elevated position. We get it. Sometimes being elevated is necessary. We're die hard saddle hunters and will not be changing that aspect in the near future, but when you open up to the possibility of hunting without carrying in all of the gear associated with climbing...well you've walked into the apex of mobile hunting. As Land mentions, ground hunting is a "tale as old as time". From the dawn of creation, hunters have been killing animals without being in a tree. Hopefully this episode will broaden your horizon and open up new realms of possibilities for getting on public land bucks wherever you may be. Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan

On the Southern Ground Hunting podcast we really want to be an example of applying tactics that we have heard from our guests and sharing the outcomes. This season will be no different. We're going to be bi-weekly sharing our experiences in the woods through February, largely based on the things we have talked to our guests about. This week, Parker and Drew share their stories of the arrows that have been tossed over the last couple of weeks. Parker has been able to kill a couple of does, and Drew was robbed by an unforeseen branch. That being said, they put the tactics talked about by Dave Owens and Warren Womack in previous episodes and it worked! Listen up! We believe that podcasts like this one really can help you be more successful in the woods. We seriously think that if you will evaluate and adapt our guest's information & our experiences to your hunting situation, it can make you better and find success yourself. Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan

This week on SGH we're talking with our friend, Mr. Pinhoti himself, Dave Owens. Dave scored on a really nice public land buck in Kentucky recently, and he's going to break down the process of what led him to success. Heads up... it's super basic, and basic is good! Dave shares with us some of the things he's learned about chasing big bucks and it's a lot simpler than you might think. While most people know Dave for his turkey hunting ventures, he's also an extremely consistent and accomplished deer hunter. He's going to go over several things that seem to always be a contributing factor in his success.  Become a SGH Patron:https://www.patreon.com/SouthernGroundHuntingOur Partners:Spartan Forge - Use the code “southernground” at www.spartanforge.ai to save 25% on your membershipGoWIld -  Use the code “southernground” on your gear purchases to save 10%    https://timetogowild.com/profile/RkFymLZ3lAc4odGNudd2LwTethrd - www.tethrdnation.comNucanoe - www.nucanoe.comSkre Gear - Use the code “southernground” at www