Early-Season Whitetail Strategies

Depending on where you live, whitetail season is either here, or opening day is just around the corner. This week, noted whitetail guru Bill Winke joins us to discuss tactics for the early weeks of the season. What is the best approach for the season's opening weeks, and how can you put yourself in position to succeed without jeopardizing your chances for success during the rut? 

Consistently taking mature whitetail bucks from highly pressured public lands in the East isn’t easy. From mountain bikers and hikers to small-game hunters and fellow bowhunters, the disruptions are many. On this week’s podcast, avid bowhunter Justin Ahart of Pennsylvania, who regularly hunts heavily pressured public parcels in New Jersey, shares his tips and tactics for scoring when human interference rises and deer sightings dwindle.

Dan Infalt, aka "The Hunting Beast," is one of America's most successful public-land whitetail hunters, consistently taking mature bucks on heavily pressured ground. We dive deep to explore Dan's unconventional methods and why hunting differently than the average deer hunter is the key to success. "If you hunt the same as everyone else," Dan said, "you get the same results."

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Bowtech recently launched the Honor, a limited-edition bow that celebrates the company's high-tech heritage while also supporting Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the families of military members and first responders killed or disabled in the line of duty. Bowtech's Todd Snader and Folds of Honor President Col. Nick Nichols join us to discuss how the bowhunting community is helping support this important mission.

Whitetails communicate in a variety of methods, and bowhunters can up their odds of success by using that to their advantage. This week, the guys from BuckStik join us to talk about how gland secretions play an important role in whitetail communication and how the company’s innovative, all-in-one licking branch, rubbing post and mock scrape system can be a game-changer in the woods.

Last fall, Tethrd invited 12 experienced saddle hunters to its first-ever Huntin' Camp, a weeklong, DIY, deer hunt that forced participants to hit the ground running on a large tract of Indiana forest none had ever visited before. By week's end, an incredible six of the 12 hunters had put a buck on the ground — a testament to the effectiveness of saddle-hunting tactics. Tethrd co-founder Greg Godfrey and Tethrd ambassador Dustin Moll join us to recap the hunt, share key insights learned along the way and preview the upcoming 2024 Huntin' Camp.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has eliminated non-resident, over-the-counter, archery elk tags, starting with the 2025 season. We discuss what this change means for tens of thousands of non-resident elk hunters from across the nation, as well as what it means for Colorado's resident bowhunters and the long-term future of Colorado's elk herd.

Bowhunters are always searching for the next big-game trophy hotspot. Pope and Young Club Executive Director Justin Spring and Director of Records Tim Rozewski join us to discuss the trends in where record-book deer and other game are coming from in recent years, the impact of new technologies on “fair chase” and their organization’s conservation efforts and educational initiatives.

Next to Fred Bear, there may not be another name in bowhunting more iconic than Chuck Adams. With an record-setting 226 Pope and Young animals to his credit and a 40-plus year hunting career that has spanned the globe, Chuck is a living legend who remains as passionate about archery today as he was five decades ago.

When it comes to scent control, former western hunting guide and avid bowhunter Cole Tanner of Ozonics has seen and tried it all. On this week’s podcast, Tanner dishes some great hunting stories, shares tips for best scent-control practices and discusses how ozone technology, including the company's brand-new HR600 unit, can be a game-changer in the woods.