Trad Hunters Podcast

In this episode of the Trad Hunters Podcast, Mark Harrison of Omnivore's Quivers breaks down Florida hog hunting with a traditional bow, from why he tells first time visitors to leave the tree stand at home to the walk, listen, and walk some more approach that gets him inside bow range. Mark also covers blood trailing hogs in heat and thick cover, hunting whitetails in a state where the rut has no real peak, and what keeps a traditional bowhunter inspired after years of constant progression.Mark builds most of what he hunts with, including self bows, river cane arrows, stone points, and broadheads, and he explains why "good enough" is never good enough when you make your own gear, how he spine and weight matches cane shafts, and why primitive does not mean less than. He also shares how his family homestead, his honey candy experiments, and bringing his daughter into hunting with a muzzleloader and a crossbow all feed back into the way he hunts.Mark makes traditional archery gear at Omnivore's Quivers, including finger tabs, quivers, and broadheads, and hunts the swamps and palm hammocks of Florida with a handmade longbow. He is also a contributor to the upcoming Trad Hunters Magazine Vol. 4 (Deep South), where his hog hunting story "Old No Knife" captures the same gritty, hands-on approach he shares in this episode.If you're interested in hog hunting with a bow, traditional bowhunting, primitive archery, making your own bows and arrows, or hunting Florida, there's something here for you.Topics Covered:Florida hog hunting with a traditional bow: walking, listening, and shooting inside 20 yardsWhy to leave the tree stand at home when hunting hogs on public landBlood trailing hogs in heat and thick cover, including string trackers and toilet paper markersHunting Florida whitetails where the rut has no predictable peakMaking self bows, river cane arrows, and stone pointsArrow spine, weight matching, and tuning homemade gearStaying inspired and keeping your phone out of the tree standGetting kids into hunting with a muzzleloader and a crossbowCheck out Mark's handmade traditional gear at omnivoresquivers.com.Our mission at Trad Hunters is to grow traditional bow hunting by sharing the stories, legends, tactics, and adventures that keep this way of life alive. Every copy purchase of our Trad Hunters publication goes right back into that mission.Love Traditional Bowhunting & Hunting? Read Out Print Publication:https://tradhunters.com/collections/magazineSupport the show

In this episode of the Trad Hunters Podcast, Cody D'Acquisto, known as the Dying Breed Bowhunter, breaks down his exact mental checklist for picking a tree and setting up a close quarter whitetail ambush, from reading wind and thermals to eliminating movement and stacking cover to hide in plain sight. Cody explains why reading a deer's body language matters more than shooting skill in tight quarters, and why he built his whole hunting philosophy around embracing failure instead of avoiding it.Cody also talks through the hard lessons from switching from compound to fully traditional archery, including the clearance issues that cost him deer his first season and why he eventually moved to a shorter longbow, along with what he wants to teach his own kids about hunting, and why he thinks the industry's obsession with drones, cameras, and technology is pulling hunters further from the experience rather than closer to it.Cody also shares the story behind the Osseo x Lone Wolf wolf grey camo collaboration with his father, Andrae D'Acquisto, founder of Lone Wolf Custom Gear.If you're interested in traditional bowhunting, whitetail tree stand strategy, woodsmanship, or transitioning from compound to traditional archery, there's something here for you.Topics Covered:The mental checklist for picking a tree and setting up a close-quarter ambushReading wind, thermals, and deer body languageWhy failure is the fastest way to become a better hunterLessons learned switching from compound to traditional archeryChoosing bow length for tight-cover hunting setupsTeaching kids to hunt without pressuring them to succeedThe Osseo x Lone Wolf wolf grey camo collaborationWhy technology and gear are pulling hunters away from real woodsmanshipFollow Cody via Instagram: dyingbreed_bowhunterLooking for the perfect Treestand? Visit: Lone Wolf Custom GearOur mission at Trad Hunters is to grow traditional bow hunting by sharing the stories, legends, tactics, and adventures that keep this way of life alive. Every copy purchase of our Trad Hunters publication goes right back into that mission.Support The Trad Hunters Mission Here:https://tradhunters.com/collections/magazineSupport the show

In this episode of the Trad Hunters Podcast, Bear Archery ambassador Fred Eichler, the first traditional bowhunter to complete the North American Super Slam, breaks down the real tradeoff between calling elk in for the thrill of it and setting up over water or a trail for the highest odds of tagging out. After thirty years of guiding elk hunters, Fred backs up the tradeoff with hard numbers pulled straight from his own operation, not a guess.Fred explains why he customizes every hunt to what the client actually wants rather than defaulting to one method, walks through rattling elk antlers to simulate a fight and pull in hesitant bulls, and talks about how a stretch of unseasonably hot weather is compressing elk movement into narrow windows this season. He makes the case that neither method is wrong, but that a hunter has to be honest about whether encounters or odds matter more before picking a tactic for the season.Fred's guiding career spans backcountry wall tent camps at elevation to private ranches on the eastern plains, and his perspective is shaped by decades of tracking exactly how often each method actually converts.If you're interested in elk hunting tactics, traditional bowhunting, calling versus ambush strategies, or what it takes to guide elk hunters at a high level, there's something here for you.Topics Covered:Calling and rattling elk versus ambush hunting over water or trailsReal conversion percentages for each elk hunting methodUsing elk antler rattling to simulate a bull fightWhy Fred customizes every hunt to the client's actual goalHow hot weather compresses elk movement and changes strategyWhy encounters matter as much as kills for hunter satisfactionCompleting the North American Super Slam as a traditional bowhunterDecades of guiding lessons from backcountry camps to private ranchesBook A Hunt With Fred: https: fulldrawoutfitters.comFred Eichlers Signature Series Riser: Bear ArcheryOur mission at Trad Hunters is to grow traditional bow hunting by sharing the stories, legends, tactics, and adventures that keep this way of life alive. Every copy purchase of our Trad Hunters publication goes right back into that mission.Support The Trad Hunters Mission Here:https://tradhunters.com/collections/magazineSupport the show

In this episode of the Trad Hunters Podcast, Matt Zirnsak of The Push Archery breaks down the mental and mechanical side of traditional bowhunting, from controlling shot process under an adrenaline dump to the science behind arrow node alignment and tuning for hunting distances. Matt shares how he went from missing eleven deer in a row to building one of the fastest growing brands in traditional archery, and why competition shooting at events like Lancaster is one of the best ways to bulletproof your form before whitetail season.Matt also walks through his recent bowhunting trip to South Africa, including a high stress impala shot and a chaotic wildebeest hunt interrupted by a territorial giraffe, and explains why he believes more compound archery brands are about to start dipping into traditional tackle. He closes out talking about The Push's gear line, including the accidental discovery that led to the magnetic Delta Pocket Quiver, and where he sees the brand heading next.If you're interested in traditional bowhunting, shot process and mental game, arrow tuning, mobile whitetail tactics, or bowhunting Africa, there's something here for you.Topics Covered:Controlling shot process and the mental game under an adrenaline dumpArrow node alignment and tuning for hunting versus target archeryWhy competition archery makes you a better bowhunterAggressive, mobile whitetail hunting tactics and scouting on the flyTeaching kids traditional archery and hunting fundamentalsBowhunting Africa: impala, wildebeest, and the South African game modelThe story behind The Push's Alpha Pack, Ridge Runner, and Delta Pocket QuiverWhere traditional archery and compound archery are headed nextCheck out The Push's gear and courses at thepusharchery.com.Our mission at Trad Hunters is to grow traditional bow hunting by sharing the stories, legends, tactics, and adventures that keep this way of life alive. Every copy purchase of our Trad Hunters publication goes right back into that mission.Support The Trad Hunters Mission Here:https://tradhunters.com/collections/magazineSupport the show

In this episode of the Trad Hunters Podcast, Bear Archery ambassador Shane Mowery, known as "The Bone Maniac," breaks down what it really means to hunt traditionally, from running hounds on bear and mountain lion to calling in spring and fall turkeys. Shane shares how reading terrain, understanding animal behavior, and pure woodsmanship matter more than gear, and why "traditional" isn't about the weapon in your hand. It's about going out as a minimalist and doing the work. Shane draws from decades in the field, including hunting elk, bear, wolf, pronghorn, and bison, and speaks candidly about the mistakes, humility, and mindset shifts that come with a lifetime spent in the timber. He also opens up about teaching his kids woodsmanship from the ground up, the story behind acquiring Aerotech Archery and launching Bow Maniac Arrows in honor of his late friend and mentor Robert Eccles, and why he's stepping back from filming hunts to focus on what actually matters to him. Shane's story and hunting experiences were featured in Trad Hunters Magazine Vol. 2 (High Country), where his collection of hound hunting stories captures the same woodsmanship first approach he shares in this episode. You can read his full story in: Vol. 2 (High Country)If you're interested in traditional bowhunting, hound hunting, turkey calling, wilderness survival mindset, or raising the next generation of hunters, there's something here for you. Topics Covered: What it means to be a traditional hunter (minimalism over gear)Hound hunting for bear, mountain lion, and wolfSpring vs. fall turkey calling tacticsReading terrain and woodsmanship fundamentals for survivalTeaching kids to hunt: patience, purpose, and hard earned lessonsThe story behind Bow Maniac Arrows and Aerotech ArcheryMistakes learned from decades of elk, bear, and predator huntingInvesting in youth archery and the next generation of huntersCheck out Shane's New Turkey Hunter Masterclass from 360 Sportsmen:Turkey Hunting Masterclass Explode Aerotech Archery products at: AerotechArchery.com. Our mission at Trad Hunters is to grow traditional bow hunting by sharing the stories, legends, tactics, and adventures that keep this way of life alive. Every copy purchase of our Trad Hunters publication goes right back into that mission. Support The Trad Hunters Mission Here:https://tradhunters.com/collections/magazineSupport the show