The WHTL Podcast - Whitetail Deer Hunting Tactics, Stories & Expert Guests

On today's BONUS episode of The Exodus Podcast, We are back in the studio talking with Chris Creed from Afflictor Broadheads! Chris is a pro when it comes to tracking blood trails from any shot you can imagine on a whitetail! We discuss: -Does "No Man's Land" actually exist? -The full anatomy of a whitetails vitals -The "Vital V" and how it affects blood trails -What the different blood colors mean about your shot -How big is the "deadly" shot zone? -Where to aim for every shot angle possible -Should you take a frontal shot -Is bigger really better when it comes to broadheads? -What blood trails look like from different shot placements -The different types of blood you'll find on your arrow post-shot and what they mean -There are different types of bubbles in blood trails? -Using Hydrogen Peroxide on blood trails -How long should you wait after shooting? -Wait times based on different types of blood -Should you push a one-lung or liver-shot deer? -What to bring in your pack for blood trailing And so much more!   CONNECT:  https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcameras  https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast  https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast

On today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, We are back in the studio talking with Garret Boelkes and Grant Putnam of Last Breath TV. Garrett and Grant are both seasoned veterans when it comes to killing mature bucks. We discuss: -What they have learned from running 40+ trail cameras -Top trail camera locations for breaking down a new area -When do you give up on a trail camera set and move it? -How much of a difference does edge feathering on a farm make -Tactics and strategies for using decoys in farm country -The best fields to use a decoy in -A hunt breakdown of killing a target buck with a decoy -Calling effectively when using a decoy -The optimal conditions for using a decoy -The best areas for using decoys -Dates to key in on when using a decoy -Effective gun season strategies -Taking longer shots with a slug gun -Shooting tighter groups with a shotgun -Ground blind or stand for gun hunting -Slug gun vs Muzzleloader And so much more!   CONNECT:  https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcameras  https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast  https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast

On today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, We are back in the studio talking with Jeff Sturgis of Whitetail Habitat Solutions. Jeff is a previous guest on the Exodus Podcast and always has some great information for us when it comes to chasing whitetail deer.  We discuss: -Jeff's plan for the fall -Prepping for a dream Saskatchewan whitetail hunt -Public land hill country strategies -What food sources to key in on when hunting big woods -Public land gun season strategies -How long it takes a property to heal after spooking a mature buck -How to determine when is the right time to hunt a certain stand -Nailing access to avoid spooking deer off of food -The perfect afternoon set up for Late October/Early November -The 2022 rut prediction -Does early sign mean an early rut? -How important a cold front is to hunting in late October -When is the best time to hunt in October mornings? -Setting up your farm the right way vs hunting it the right way -When is the rut going to happen this fall -2nd rut hunting strategies And so much more!   CONNECT:  https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcameras  https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast  https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast

On today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, We are back in the studio talking with Cody Jenkins of The Whitetail Legacy podcast. Cody has hosted over 250 podcasts about deer hunting with numerous hardcore whitetail hunters and has learned a thing or two from talking to all his podcast guests about chasing big bucks. We discuss: -His favorite podcast guests to listen to about deer hunting -His October trail camera strategy -Lessons learned from previous mistakes running cameras in October -Targeting a specific deer on high-pressure public land -Unconventional sets for trail cameras on public -Public vs Private land strategies -Waiting for corn to get picked to access a certain stand -What conditions does Cody look for when determining when to hunt in October -Killing 2 bucks 2 years in a row on the same day in the same stand -Where to hunt on public for the first October cold front -Should you hunt October mornings? -His strategy for hunting mornings in October -His plans for this fall And so much more!   CONNECT:  https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcameras  https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast  https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast

On today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, We are in Iowa talking about October deer hunting with Steve Hanson! Steve bought his first farm in Iowa in the 1990's and has been fanatically been chasing whitetails almost his entire life. After many years of success and helping over 100 clients tag their best buck, here are some tips he's learned along the way.    We discuss: -Growing up in a non-hunting family in the Chicago suburbs -Exclusively managing and hunting 800 acres in Iowa -Setting up food plots for a successful October hunt -Using cleared brush to create dead zones for scent on certain winds -Patterning bucks in early October -Should you hunt October Mornings? -Hunting an October cold front as it is hitting -What October food to look for if you can't plant food plots -Making beans stay green throughout early October -Where to shift for the second week of October -What scrape should you hunt once bucks shift -Where to shift for the third week of October -Steve's strategy for an October muzzleloader hunt in Iowa -When should you start to rattle? -How and when to rattle when hunting an October morning -Size matters for rattling antlers -Where to shift for the last week of October -The #1 thing first-time Iowa hunters mess up -Overcoming buck fever -Is it easier to kill a buck in October or the rut? -Wind direction vs thermals And so much more!   Want a chance to win a Beast Gear Stand, a set of Beast Gear Sticks, an Exodus Render, and 1 Dozen Exodus MMTs? Click the link here to enter the giveaway: https://bit.ly/BeastGearGiveaway   CONNECT:  https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcameras  https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast  https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast

On today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, We are back in Illinois talking deer hunting with Don Higgins. Don is a previous guest on The Exodus Podcast and never disappoints, and this time is no different! If you want to target and kill a giant buck, get ready to take notes! We discuss: -Do discipline hunters kill more mature bucks?  -How to balance being disciplined and aggressive when chasing a big deer -Let the go, let them grow -How to change tactics to go from killing 3-year-olds to 5-year-olds -The #1 thing people do wrong when it comes to hunting mature bucks -The first step you should take once you find a giant on a farm you can hunt -What he's learned that stuck with him from over 400 property consultations -How long does a plan take to produce results -What habitats do giants typically use for sanctuaries on midwest properties -How Don predicts when a deer is indeed going to daylight -Running trail cameras like a trap line -Do you check trail cameras in the rain -Something that Don has completely changed his mind on after 40 years of hunting -The biggest piece of deer hunting misinformation in the hunting community -Mornings vs evenings, which is better? -How much food Don leaves standing throughout the season -The best property he has ever walked -His favorite terrain features for stand locations And so much more!   Want a chance to win a Beast Gear Stand, a set of Beast Gear Sticks, an Exodus Render, and 1 Dozen Exodus MMTs? Click the link here to enter the giveaway: https://bit.ly/BeastGearGiveaway   CONNECT:  https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcameras  https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast  https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast  

In today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, we had a surprise visit to the office from previous podcast guest Jason Michael. Jason is in full preseason prep mode and wanted to talk about getting your mindset right for the upcoming season. We discuss: -Stick to your plan! -Don't worry about what everyone else is killing on social media -Plan your work, work your plan -Have multiple contingency plans for when something goes wrong -What to do now to get your mind right for an out-of-state DIY rut hunt -Rut strategies for first time non-resident Iowa hunters -Prioritizing public land parcels before you even leave -Glass more than you hunt -Have realistic expectations when going on an out-of-state trip -What to do when everything goes wrong on a trip  -Everything will be fine, don't panic! And so much more!   CONNECT:  -https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcamera -https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast -https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast

In today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, we continue our conversation with the deer hunting legend Andy May. If last week's episode wasn't mind-blowing enough, this week's episode is full of nuggets that we can almost guarantee you would never think about when in the whitetail woods. Be sure to tune in for this one, the attention to detail that Andy breaks down is mind-blowing!   Missed Part 1? Click the link here: https://apple.co/3eqDFLM We discuss: -A complete breakdown of his 2021 Michigan opening day hunt -Why you should always hunt right after a heavy rain -A complete breakdown of his 2021 Michigan October DIY hunt -Should you hunt open woods for mature bucks -How Andy breaks down and qualifies bedding -His approach to hunting public that you have never stepped foot on -Hunt a small opening in the middle of open woods with multiple scrapes around the opening -Using thermals to your advantage -Where bucks bed in clear cuts -Getting in close on a potential buck bed -What type of calls andy is using when hunting close to buck bedding -A complete breakdown of his 2021 Ohio Rut hunt -Bucks using bean fields as bedding in open Ag ground -How bucks scent check small patches of timber from the middle of a field -How Andy uses historical data to help kill mature bucks -Do mature bucks ever move with a tailwind -His go-to days for planning an out-of-state DIY rut hunt -Andy's strategy for hunting the lockdown -Where he is putting his trail cameras in the month of September And so much more!   Connect: -https://bit.ly/BeastGearGiveaway -https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcamera -https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast -https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast

In today's episode of The Exodus Podcast, we are back in the studio with the deer hunting legend Andy May. This podcast with Andy went so in-depth that we had to break it down into two segments, so be on the lookout for part 2 next week! Get your notes ready, there is A LOT that Andy covers that you would never think of when in the whitetail woods. If you want to skip the introduction, Andy's section starts at the 9:18 minute mark. We discuss: -How Andy balances work, family and hunting to kill mature bucks -How he has found better success with less time to hunt -Using previous experience in the woods to make on-the-fly decisions -How growing up hunting in Michigan taught him to think outside of the box when hunting public land -Why he'd rather travel and hunt public than spend money on a high percentage lease -His process of scouting an area that he plans on hunting in the fall -A complete breakdown of his 2020 Iowa rut hunt -Why do bucks travel perpendicular to deer trails in the rut -Killing a mature buck over then only scrape in the area -Do bucks use scrapes in the rut? -Mature bucks use scrapes less than young bucks -There aren’t big deer everywhere in Iowa -A complete breakdown of his 2020 Michigan gun hunt -Using terrain features to your advantage -Letting other hunters do the work for you in gun season -What areas mature bucks run to when gun season starts And so much more!   Connect: -https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcamera -https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast -https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast

In today's episode, we have a familiar face back in the office, Steve Sherk from Sherk's Guide Service. Steve spends more time in the woods in one year than most hunters do in 10 years. Steve just completed a multi-year trail camera study, looking at pictures from over 150 trail cameras to see if he could find a pattern to when and why big bucks daylight. We discuss: - What he learned about deer movement from looking at multiple years of trail camera photos - His trail camera strategy for 100,000 acres of Pennsylvania big woods public land - His most successful trail camera locations for daylight photos of big bucks - Short-term vs. long-term trail camera sets - The one day that he had the most daylight pictures of mature bucks - What factor did he notice in his study that had the most influence on daylight buck activity - Should you look at the weather, moon phase, or barometric pressure when targeting mature bucks - How much Pennsylvania's bear season affects deer movement during gun season - What he looks for in October that spikes daylight buck activity - How droughts can affect where in hill country deer move to - When do mature bucks typically show back up after the lockdown And so much more. This is one you won't want to miss! Connect: -PDF of Steve's Trail Camera Study: https://exodusoutdoorgear.com/blogs/news/best-day-buck-activity -https://linktr.ee/exodustrailcamera -https://linktr.ee/TheLandPodcast -https://bit.ly/TheDeerGearPodcast