Southern Ground - Sportsmen's Nation

This week on the Southern Ground Hunting podcast we're kicking off the Local Legends series with an absolute big buck killing machine, Nathan Killen. Nathan lives and hunts in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, and has a track record for consistently killing mature bucks year after year. From a young age Nathan began learning that hunting deer and hunting mature bucks were two different games. As he began figuring that out, he started changing his tactics on public land and as luck would have it, he started killing bigger, more mature bucks than any of his hunting buddies. If you were to simply take a look at his social media accounts, you would think this is a guy hunting in the midwest states like Iowa, Indiana, Illinois or Kansas, however, that's not the case. Nathan has hunted the Appalachian mountains for his whole life. Mountain bucks are just different. Typical to most mountainous areas, Nathan's stomping grounds struggle with low deer densities and high hunting pressure. Add the fact that he's reg

We're only 2 months away from sitting in a tree and chasing whitetails for the 2020 season. With fall creeping up on us, it's time to start prepping all of our gear. Thanks for tuning in, and on episode 83 Parker and Drew are discussing some of the new products they're going to be using this year. The guys are also going to let you know about a few things that they have been using, that are just really great. Of course for every good product in the hunting industry, there's 3 or 4 really dumb ones. Don't lie, we've all been fooled by really good marketing telling us that this product is all we need to kill that big buck only to find out that we were duped into a scam. Well the guys are going to talk about a few of those things, and some of the worst of the worst products they've ever used.  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

Hunting in the South is a difficult task as it is, especially when you're targeting mature bucks. Add that already challenging scenario to the chance that your hunting grounds could be completely under water in a moments notice, well, that sounds like a nightmare! For a large portion of southern hunters, this scenario is their every day reality when hunting river bottom public or private land. If you listen to Southern Ground Hunting often, you know that we make it a point to never make excuses for lack of success. When you're a grinder, you figure out a way to make it work even when everything is up against you. Our guest this week, Caleb Gammill, is a great representation of those values. Caleb spends most of his time hunting the public land river bottoms of Arkansas with a ton of success. In this episode Caleb gives us great insight into his style of mobile hunting in unfavorable conditions, and shares how he has adapted varying water levels in the areas he hunts, even some cases where he believes the wate

As hunters, it's our responsibility to make sure we have no regrets when it comes to our time spent in the woods. This is a sport that we are all passionate about. We live and breathe whitetails. Where's the fun in having regrets about something you love so much? In fact, the entire Southern Ground Hunting brand is built on the idea that we chase the experience that we desire, which leaves little room for regret. That said, the truth is that we all probably have a little bit of regret if we're being honest. Whether it be the a buck that got away because we weren't practiced and ready, or maybe you made a bad decision to take an unethical shot at last light. Whatever the case, if we all thought about it, we could probably all come up with a list of things that maybe we would do differently if given a second chance. In this episode, Parker and Drew have a candid conversation about some of the regrets they have experienced in their years of experience in the whitetail woods. In typical Southern Ground fashion, w

Begin DEER HUNTING podcasts in 3...2...1. Thanks for tuning into the Southern Ground Hunting podcast! As much as we all love turkey hunting, we're glad to be back talking about southern deer hunting. This week we're joined by Anthony and Luke Parker. You all know Luke, so he needs no introduction. His dad, however, is a one of a kind fella! Anthony is a many of many hats, including his Fred Bear hat which is where the title of this episode is drawn from. He's a traditional bow hunter, a certified archery instructor, "self-bow" builder, and one of the best taxidermists around. Born and raised in Alabama, Anthony's interest in traditional archery and taxidermy began at an early age. He tells us about his childhood, bringing dead animals home and skinning them in his closet. He also talks about his start in the world of traditional bows, as well as traditional bow building. As you can imagine, taxidermists have some pretty funny stories. In this episode, Anthony shares a story about a "dead" fox squirrel that de

We're sad to say that this will be the last episode of the turkey season podcasts. Fear not, deer season is just right around the corner! We're going to get back to the grind of deer season prep next week! To end turkey season, Parker and Drew are recapping the recent trip Parker took to Tennessee to hunt public land gobblers. To say this trip was successful would be the understatement of the year. Not only did Parker punch two turkey tags, he had one of the most memorable turkey hunts that has ever existed... maybe ever! He got the rare opportunity to take a white gobbler, a once in a lifetime bird. In episode 79, Parker tells the story of the hunt for the longboard he calls "White Lightening". The guys discuss the tactics, the hunt, and ultimately the experience that surrounded this amazing day in the woods.  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

Only a few southern states offer opportunities to hunt turkeys until mid-May. This week we're talking all about late season turkey hunting with our friends Andy Melton & David Williams of Longbeard Legends. These Tennessee turkey hunting machines drop some serious knowledge about what it takes to bag a late season gobbler, when it seems like most of them either still have hens or want nothing to do with your calls. Along with guest co-host Adam Crews, we discuss different strategies on how to punch a tag during this last difficult part of the season. Parker brings a scenario to the table about a specific public land gobbler he has been hunting on his trip to Tennessee. The guys break down possible access, how close to get to his roost, what type of calls he should make, and how to predict his possible travel. This is a fun episode with a great group of guys. Make sure to check out Longbeard Legends on all social media platforms, as well as on YouTube. Thanks for listening! Southern Ground Hunting is power

We're coming at you live from the Walmart parking lot somewhere in Tennessee! Thanks for tuning in to episode 77 of the Southern Ground Hunting podcast. As Parker is wrapping his season with a 10 day turkey hunting trip to Tennessee, he decided to share with you the 10 things he's learned about turkey hunting this year, and in seasons passed. Some of these are things many of you already know, but for you beginners this is going to be a great resource for you to learn from Parker's mistakes. Public land turkey hunting in the south can be one of the most difficult things to do, but these birds get under your skin. They are dumb, smart and everything in between. We just can't ever completely figure them out it seems like! That being said, you can consistently be learning every time you walk into the turkey woods. Parker shares some of those lessons. Enjoy!  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

Thank you for listening to episode 76 of the Southern Ground Hunting Podcast. In this week's episode, we're talking with Jordan Pope of North Alabama. Like many turkey hunters, Jordan has had a hard time adapting to the hunting pressure on public land during the coronavirus pandemic. With many people out of work, the turkey woods have become a popular destination for many hunters who might otherwise only hunt the weekends on a normal season. The already paranoid gobblers have become very wary, and after 120+ boot miles this season, Jordan knew he had to change up his tactics for the last week of the season. This was a fun conversation as we discussed Jordan's thought process leading up to the last week. He shares some hunting pressure horror stories, some close calls, and finally the successful hunts. Public land hunting is a game of adaptation. More times than not, your success is going to be determined by how much you are willing to adapt to your surroundings. Enjoy the show! Southern Ground Hunting is powe

In episode 75, we're talking with Ricky Bullard about his 2020 turkey season, tagging out on gobblers in both Florida and Georgia. As an adult-onset turkey hunter, his evolution started with a successful turkey hunt on his first time out. That hunt got him hooked on chasing these birds, and he hasn't let up since. This year was no different, however the outcome was better than he could've imagined. We talk to Ricky about all of the birds he killed this season, and he breaks down each of those hunts. There are a lot of tactics discussed, but at the end of the day PERSISTENCE is what made him so successful this year. Hunting in bad weather, high hunting pressure, about everything you can imagine when dealing with public land while no one is working due to Covid 19. Despite these things, Ricky managed to punch all of his tags in both states. Thanks for listening!  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

This week we're joined by Walter Lee, of the "Chasing Tales Outdoors Podcast", to talk about his rookie season in the turkey woods. Walter has been a "turkey hunter" for awhile, but just never too seriously. This year, due to the current state of the nation, he's been able to hunt gobblers in the public swamps of Florida more than ever. Walter tells us about his season, including a cool success story from his first successful turkey hunt. Parker and Drew tell the story from this same morning about a hen they encountered nicknamed "Carol Baskin". The guys also talk about the differences in turkey and deer hunting. Walter makes a pretty bold claim that he now enjoys turkey hunting more than deer hunting! We breakdown the differences and similarities, and everyone in the conversation shares their take on the age old question, "Which one would you choose"?  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Southern Ground Hunting podcast. Today on episode 73 we're chatting with Si Colley from Alabama. Si is an absolute turkey NUT. When you live and breathe this game, it can be pretty discouraging when you have a tough season. The 2019 season was just that! Si hunted nearly every day and for the first time ever, didn't fill a single tag. However, the 2020 season has been much different. Si currently has 4 Alabama tags filled, and has watched 7 birds die this season. Our conversation revolves around staying persistent, even when things aren't going your way. All it takes is one split second for everything to change. This was especially true for Parker this week! He shares how tough the last 2 weeks have been, having only heard a gobble one day out of the last 6 hunted. Everything changed this week when he got to punch another tag on public land. Persistence is EVERYTHING! Sometimes you just got to go, even when nothing is going your way. Thanks for listening! Sout

This week we are continuing turkey season with some SUCCESS STORIES! We're joined by our friend, Adam Crews and we're just shootin' the bull and swapping some recent gobbler kill stories. Adam lives in Tennessee and had a heck of a hunt with his 13 year old son during the Tennessee juvenile hunt on public land. They were able to get him his first bird! That's what memories are made of. Adam shares the reason for their set up for a mid-day turkey hunt, and obviously it worked. We continue on to talk about Parker's public land bird that was just a little bit... unorthodox. The story is absolutely wild! Not to give it away, but you've probably never heard of a turkey hunt like this one! Episode 72 covers different tactics, but the overall theme is being AGGRESSIVE on these public land birds. We discuss river bottom turkeys, mountain birds, creative access and lessons learned, but we don't hesitate to take advantage of having a good old fashioned hunting conversation with hunting buddies. You can check out the vi

For some folks, Turkey hunting is a fun hobby to do on the weekends. For Joey Bell, it's a lifestyle. Tennessee is regarded as one of the best turkey states in the southeast, maybe even the country. Luckily, our guest this week calls the Volunteer state home, and has found his love for the outdoors through chasing longbeards all over the hills and hollers of Tennessee. Joey is not only an avid turkey hunter, but also the chapter president for the Tennessee Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. In episode 71, we discuss some of the things coming up with BHA, but the focus is on hunting out of state public land for different turkey species. Last year we had Joey on the show, and he told us about an upcoming trip he had to Nebraska after his first Merriam. Today, Joey tells us about the success he had on that trip, which was pretty incredible. This year, he's headed to Oklahoma and Kansas to try to punch a tag on some Rios, and he tells us about the planning and preparation he did before deciding on the final destina

Have you ever looked at the weather forecast and wondered, "How am I supposed to turkey hunt in these conditions"? As we all know, the spring can throw us a ton of curve balls when it comes to weather. Pop up thunderstorms, cold fronts, wind, rain, fog... all of which can take a toll on our days in the field chasing those already difficult birds. This week we're talking with Zach Lucas, of Kingdom Connection, about how he utilizes different strategies depending on what the weather looks like. Most die hard turkey hunters are successful for one reason, that's being in the woods no matter what. Zach is one of those die hard, rare breed turkey hunters. He hunts almost every day of the season, and has had success in all weather conditions. He shares with us some of the things that he has done to make the most of every day he spends in the field, rain or shine. Make sure to check out "Kingdom Connection" on YouTube for some killer turkey hunting content from Zach and his buddies this season.  Southern Ground Hunti

Welcome to the Southern Ground Hunting Podcast. This week we've got an ultra tactical episode with Drew Able, all about how to kill turkeys based on several different variables. Drew is the owner and founder of Foot On DA Head game calls, based in Alabama. Drew talks about his start in the call making industry, and how he really just started because he wanted to make better calls for himself to become a better turkey hunter. IT WORKED! Parker and Drew get very tactical in this episode, as Parker asks questions based on certain scenarios that we all find ourselves in from time to time. Questions like: "They're not gobbling! What do I do now?"  "He's gobbling like crazy on the roost. How close should I get? What calls should I make?""There's a bird gobbling 200 yards away but I'm sitting over really fresh sign. Should I stay put or move in closer?"These are just a few of the scenarios that are discussed in episode 68. From the novice to the veteran turkey hunter, there are sure to be things in this episode that

We're officially kicking off turkey season podcasts this week on episode 68! We're sitting down at the Catman Outdoors headquarters in Tennessee, talking to none other than Jonathan Boehme, aka, CATMAN. If you're unfamiliar with Jonathan and you're a turkey hunter, you NEED to get up right now and search "Catman Outdoors" on YouTube. There you'll find hours and hours of kick butt hunting & fishing content that will keep you entertained for a very long time. The thing that makes Catman stick out is that he is completely self taught in almost everything he does. In this episode, you'll hear him talk about when he first had the desire to go out and hunt. The story is actually pretty hilarious! From that point to now, Jonathan has come a long ways and documented almost everything on film from the very beginning. We talk in depth with Jonathan about his process for killing gobblers on public land in Tennessee. You'll hear him share his tactics that continue to produce lots of birds every season. Thanks for lis

This week on the Southern Ground Hunting Podcast, we're catching up with a couple of fellas who you may know. We're talking with Aaron Warbritton & Zach Ferenbaugh from The Hunting Public. If you follow their videos on YouTube, you already know that these guys are absolutely cranking out quality hunting content from public land across the US. Zach took his first trip to chase whitetails in the hills of Alabama in January of 2019, while Aaron's first southern deer hunt took place recently in the public land swamps of Mississippi. Both in incredibly different terrain types, but also a good representation of whitetail deer hunting across the south. We ask 3 main questions in this episode:What was your expectation and how did you prepare going into the trip?How did you execute during the hunt?What would you do different when hunting the south in the future?Both Zach & Aaron give some great insight on their southern trips that you're sure to enjoy!  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast. 

This week we're talking with Jacob Emery, of "The Huntin' Grounds TV". Jacob is your every day average guy. Like a lot of us, he works hard to balance work & family life with his addiction to chasing big bucks any chance he gets. In episode 66, Jacob talks about his last two seasons where he capitalized on multiple public land bucks, including 3 Tennessee studs. We're breaking down his tactics, but the overall theme of this podcast revolves around taking advantage of the endless hunting opportunities we have across the US on our public lands. If you're like us, you grew up watching hunting shows on tv, where it seemed like if you wanted to be successful you had to have a bunch of money to pay an outfitter. That's simply NOT TRUE! Jacob proves year in and year out that if you have the drive, you can do it on a very small budget.  Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast. 

At the end of every deer season, we hunters would all benefit from examining our season. What worked? What didn't work? What lessons did I take away? Those are all questions we should ask ourselves. Episode 65 is all about that! Parker and Drew are talking about some of the things that they have been able to take away from this season. The sport of hunting is a giant chess match, and if you don't learn to play the game... YOU'LL LOSE! We want to see every listener learn from their mistakes, and punch tags on the regular. While the guys are talking, take your own mental notes of things that you can take away from this season to make 2020 a banner year! Thanks for listening! Southern Ground Hunting is powered by Simple Cast.