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

#406 - He Paid $1,000,000 For The General Sheds… Then Everything Changed with Josh Duncan

Welcome to the WHTL Podcast, your source for Whitetail Deer Hunting Tactics, Stories & Expert Guests. In this episode, we're back in the studio with Josh Duncan, the new owner of The General. On this episode, we break down how: The General antlers sold for $1 million, making them the most expensive ever. The purchase was structured through installment payments, not cash. Photos surfaced showing two stickers had been shaved off decades ago. The discovery removed the rack from the North American Shed Hunters Club records. Additional sheds from the same deer surfaced over 60 years after discovery. The General's typical frame is still considered historically unmatched. The antlers' story highlights the unregulated and controversial antler collecting world. Josh now sees himself as the caretaker of the deer's legacy, not the owner. A documentary about The General is being produced to tell the full story. The mission now is to restore respect for the deer despite human manipulation. And So Much More!   Want to become a better whitetail hunter? Click the link below and sign up for the Whitetail Master Academy today! https://bit.ly/WhitetailMasterAcademy   Follow along on social! IG - @WHTLDEER TikTok - @WHTLDEER YouTube - @WHTLDEER   Thanks again for all of the support from our partners—none of this would've been possible without them! -Moultrie: https://bit.ly/moultrie_ -Hawke Optics | Use Code WHTL for 15% off: https://bit.ly/hawkeoptics_ -OnX: https://bit.ly/onX_Hunt -Painted Arrow: ⁠⁠bit.ly/PaintedArrow

#405 - Is This the Golden Age of Whitetails… or the Beginning of the End? with Mark Kenyon

Welcome to the WHTL Podcast, your source for Whitetail Deer Hunting Tactics, Stories & Expert Guests. In this episode, we're back in the studio with Mark Kenyon. On this episode, we break down how: Why "success" in deer hunting is defined differently by everyone The real impact of CWD — both biological and social How access is quietly reshaping private and public land hunting The danger of the "scarcity mindset" Why declining hunter numbers could put us "on the menu" The power of individual and collective action Why complaining is useless — and action is everything How he made hunting fun again this season Why introducing kids to hunting might be the most important conservation act of all And So Much More!   Submit a question for Skip and Lee: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUzgftdi_zWoAyrjgE5QFEY4Wz_VfokS5LG7kpzjXjSCvWAw/viewform   Want to become a better whitetail hunter? Click the link below and sign up for the Whitetail Master Academy today! https://bit.ly/WhitetailMasterAcademy   Follow along on social! IG - @WHTLDEER TikTok - @WHTLDEER YouTube - @WHTLDEER   Thanks again for all of the support from our partners—none of this would've been possible without them! -Moultrie: https://bit.ly/moultrie_ -Hawke Optics | Use Code WHTL for 15% off: https://bit.ly/hawkeoptics_ -OnX: https://bit.ly/onX_Hunt -Painted Arrow: ⁠⁠bit.ly/PaintedArrow

#404 - Is Baiting Ruining Mature Buck Hunting? The Deer Hunting Culture Nobody Talks About with Heath Cisco

Welcome to the WHTL Podcast, your source for Whitetail Deer Hunting Tactics, Stories & Expert Guests. In this episode, we're back in the studio with the ice man himself Heath Cisco. On this episode, we break down how: Overhunting small farms will cost you mature bucks. Mature deer often shift seasonal ranges (October ≠ January). Shed location doesn't equal early-season location. Rut funnels require daily commitment—not random sits. Postseason scouting must account for seasonal movement shifts. Baiting + crossbows + cell cams = hyper-effective hunters. The biggest evolution in Heath's career: hunting deer, not spots. February–April adjustments are critical for small farm optimization. And So Much More!   Submit a question for Skip and Lee: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfUzgftdi_zWoAyrjgE5QFEY4Wz_VfokS5LG7kpzjXjSCvWAw/viewform   Want to become a better whitetail hunter? Click the link below and sign up for the Whitetail Master Academy today! https://bit.ly/WhitetailMasterAcademy   Follow along on social! IG - @WHTLDEER TikTok - @WHTLDEER YouTube - @WHTLDEER   Thanks again for all of the support from our partners—none of this would've been possible without them! -Moultrie: https://bit.ly/moultrie_ -Hawke Optics | Use Code WHTL for 15% off: https://bit.ly/hawkeoptics_ -OnX: https://bit.ly/onX_Hunt -Painted Arrow: ⁠⁠bit.ly/PaintedArrow

#403 - 40 acres, 2 Stands, and 30+ Years of Consistently Killing Target Mature Bucks with Jeff Helmers and Cathryn Howland

Welcome to the WHTL Podcast, your source for Whitetail Deer Hunting Tactics, Stories & Expert Guests. In this episode, we're back on the road in Wisconsin with Jeff Helmers and Cathryn Howland. On this episode, we break down how: 30 acres function as sanctuary Two stand locations are built with intentional design Soft mast, water, and food layering create consistent daylight movement Access routes are engineered so deer never see hunters enter They only hunt 1–3 times per season Target bucks are pre-selected months in advance Jeff explains why: Most hunters are their own worst enemy Pressure is misunderstood Mature bucks are smarter than people admit Trail cameras changed the game Drones and crossbows are altering age structure Simplicity beats overthinking   And So Much More!   Want to become a better whitetail hunter? Click the link below and sign up for the Whitetail Master Academy today! https://bit.ly/WhitetailMasterAcademy   Follow along on social! IG - @WHTLDEER TikTok - @WHTLDEER YouTube - @WHTLDEER   Thanks again for all of the support from our partners—none of this would've been possible without them! -Moultrie: https://bit.ly/moultrie_ -Hawke Optics | Use Code WHTL for 15% off: https://bit.ly/hawkeoptics_ -OnX: https://bit.ly/onX_Hunt -Painted Arrow: ⁠⁠bit.ly/PaintedArrow

#402 - Overconfidence Cost Him a Once-in-a-Lifetime Deer: The Biggest Mistakes Steve Hanson Made Chasing One Mature Buck

Welcome to the WHTL Podcast, presented by Moultrie. Your source for Whitetail Deer Hunting Tactics, Stories & Expert Guests. In this episode, we're back in the studio with Steve Hanson. We Discuss: More habitat work doesn't guarantee better odds Old intel can betray you after major changes Mature bucks adapt faster than hunters expect Overconfidence creates blind spots Overhunting shrinks opportunity windows First sits often offer the best chances Bow setups must match bow strategies Pressure compounds quickly in November Health issues can change buck behavior fast Sometimes the lesson is the reward And So Much More!   Want to become a better whitetail hunter? Click the link below and sign up for the Whitetail Master Academy today! https://bit.ly/WhitetailMasterAcademy   Follow along on social! IG - @WHTLDEER TikTok - @WHTLDEER YouTube - @WHTLDEER   Thanks again for all of the support from our partners—none of this would've been possible without them! -Moultrie: https://bit.ly/moultrie_ -Hawke Optics | Use Code WHTL for 15% off: https://bit.ly/hawkeoptics_ -OnX: https://bit.ly/onX_Hunt -Painted Arrow: ⁠⁠bit.ly/PaintedArrow