Okayest Hunter ®

The Hunting Questions Nobody Wants to Ask

There's a ton of deer hunting content telling you how to find mature bucks, hunt bedding areas, understand thermals, perfect your archery setup, and become a better whitetail hunter—but what if you're still trying to figure out where the hell to start? In this episode of the Okayest Hunter Podcast, we're going back to Hunting 101 and answering the deer hunting and bow hunting questions people are sometimes too embarrassed to ask. There's a real gap between advanced whitetail content and the foundational information new hunters actually need. You don't necessarily need a masterclass in killing mature bucks when you're still learning how to hang a stand, what gear you need, how wind affects a hunt, or what you're supposed to do once you're actually in the woods. That's exactly the gap we're digging into this week. We tackle listener questions and break down the basics from the perspective of regular hunters who don't pretend to have everything figured out. That includes deer behavior, wind and thermals, bow hunting, practicing with your bow, scent and some of the weird little questions hunters rarely want to admit they don't know the answer to. And sometimes the answer is simply that there isn't one perfect way to hunt. The guys also recap Foamfest and the incredible response from kids getting behind a bow, talk about the hunting community, deal with a tornado warning in the middle of recording, field another completely unpredictable caller, and eventually touch on the concerning EHD outbreak affecting deer in southeastern Wisconsin. One of the biggest takeaways from the episode is simple: you don't need to know everything before you start hunting. There will always be another rabbit hole to go down. You can learn about advanced whitetail strategy later. Build the foundation, shoot your bow, learn from your mistakes, ask questions—even the ones you think are stupid—and get into the woods. As the guys point out, if you don't keep shooting your bow, you're not going to stay proficient with it. Whether you're preparing for your first deer season, getting started in bow hunting, trying to become a better whitetail hunter, or you've hunted for years but still have questions you don't want to ask out loud, this episode is for you. Topics include: deer hunting for beginners, bow hunting basics, whitetail hunting, wind and thermals, deer behavior, archery practice, hunting myths, beginner hunting questions, Foamfest, getting kids into archery, EHD in Wisconsin, and why sometimes the best hunting advice is simply to go do it. Never Pass on Shooter Bucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dropping Pins: Caleb Frostman

This week, Caleb Frostman makes a trip to the Okayest Hunter podcast studio for an in-person discussion on his journey in hunting. Caleb discusses his vast experience in just about every type of terrain WI has to offer, along with MN. Caleb cut his teeth as a rifle hunter in the Northwoods of the National Forest and later got the opportunity to hunt a large tract of private property in the Driftless Region of SW WI. There he was able to hone his skills at killing deer, and some big bucks, while observing how deer move through the hill country terrain. Around 2019, Caleb got the OnX mapping application, which helped him find some public land to turkey hunt on, and after walking some public land and coming across some buck sign, the light bulb went off, and he decided to explore public land for deer hunting. Caleb discussed a great honey hope spot he found right off the get go and how he killed two bucks from the spot in his first two years. Caleb has killed the majority of his archery deer from the ground, which we discussed heavily. Caleb talks about a few other properties he has scouted and what he looks for when scouting for archery and why a limited hunting schedule shapes his view of scouting for a timeframe as opposed to all season sign. We wrap up the discussion with a dive into how he turned a late start morning in November into an incredible memory of a beautiful 8 point buck. We end with Caleb’s upcoming season goals, and his selfless disposition shines through with his willingness and desire to take 3 different first time hunters into the deer woods this season. That is exactly what our hunting community needs! Thanks for being an excellent exemplar, Caleb! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why So Serious?

Are we taking hunting too seriously? In this episode, we dig into a question that more hunters may need to ask themselves: Have we gotten so good at hunting—or at least so obsessed with becoming better at it—that we've gotten worse at actually enjoying it? Modern whitetail hunting comes with more information, technology, gear, trail cameras, mapping tools, tactics and access to hunting content than ever before. Add social media to the mix, and every time you open your phone it can look like everyone else is killing giant bucks while you're sitting in a tree wondering what you're doing wrong. But is that reality, or are we comparing our entire hunting season to everyone else's highlight reel? We talk about the pressure hunters put on themselves to kill bigger bucks, own the latest gear, run more cameras, scout harder and constantly optimize every part of deer season. We also discuss how social media can magnify the relatively small number of hunters finding immediate success and create the feeling that you're somehow falling behind. The conversation goes beyond whitetails, too. Have our obsession with deer hunting and trophy bucks pushed small-game hunting, trapping, grouse hunting, waterfowl hunting and simply wandering around the woods with our kids to the side? Some of the best opportunities to create new hunters and lifelong memories may have nothing to do with sitting over a giant buck. Callers join the conversation to share their own experiences with hunting pressure, social media, expensive gear, public-land competition and changing expectations of what makes a successful season. At some point, every hunter has to decide what success actually means. Is it killing the biggest buck? Filling the freezer? Becoming a better hunter? Spending time with your kids? Making memories with friends? Or sometimes… is it enough to simply go hunting? This episode is a conversation about modern hunting culture, whitetail hunting, bowhunting, social media, hunting technology, trophy buck expectations, public-land pressure, small-game hunting and remembering why we started hunting in the first place. If hunting has ever started feeling more like a competition or a job than something you genuinely enjoy, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more honest conversations about whitetail hunting, bowhunting, deer hunting, hunting culture, outdoor life and everything that happens along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why We Hunt

Why do we hunt? It's one of the simplest questions a hunter can be asked—and one of the hardest to answer. In this episode of the Okayest Hunter Podcast, the crew starts with summer fishing stories, archery practice, scouting updates, new hunting gear, upcoming seminars, and preparations for another deer season. But the conversation eventually turns into something much deeper. What keeps us coming back year after year? Is it the challenge? The meat? The tradition? The friendships? The pursuit of mature whitetails? Or is there something much more instinctual buried within all of us? The hosts share honest perspectives about why they continue to hunt, discussing everything from mindfulness and personal growth to adrenaline, responsibility, conservation, and the emotional experience that comes with harvesting a deer. It's an authentic conversation that every hunter—new or experienced—can relate to. Along the way, they also discuss: August deer scouting and e-scouting strategies Bow practice and cold-shot preparation Hunting gear updates and mobile hunting setups Trail cameras, OnX tools, and scouting technology Upcoming hunting seminars and community events Building a hunting community through podcasts and shared experiences Whether you're counting down the days until opening morning or reflecting on what hunting truly means to you, this episode offers plenty of laughs, practical insights, and one question every outdoorsman should answer: Why do you hunt? Be sure to leave a comment with your own answer and join the conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dropping Pins: Kyle Hollibush with Avon Legend

In this episode, Derek talks to local WI hunter and videographer Kyle Hollibush of Avon Legend. Kyle was a late-onset hunter starting only 8 seasons ago, but has the drive and thirst for knowledge that has really helped him “figure it out” in the marsh bottoms. Kyle discusses his experience getting into hunting, where he found inspiration and information, and how the COVID pandemic helped accelerate his learning curve. Kyle discusses how he used trail cameras to help monitor ditches and water crossings to help locate traveling bucks. After finding a good buck, Kyle likes to locate nearby doe bedding thickets and leave soaker cameras up on the outside transitions to learn yearly patterns of pre-rut and rut buck movements checking does. Kyle dives into detail of how he found a buck on one such camera and, over the course of a couple of seasons, continued to explore and learn more about the area and timing of the buck's movements. One massive scrape in a thicket near a doe bedding area gave Kyle the intel he needed to set up and kill “Tiny” with his bow during the prerut. Kyle also explains his desire to bowhunt the Ohio rut after having the privilege of gun hunting Ohio and seeing the mature buck sign some of the Republic Ground offered. Kyle ends the episode with 3 major takeaways that are absolute truths for anyone looking to get serious about killing mature bucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices