activate the hunt podcast by Collin Cottrell

Taking someone on their first hunt is not only rewarding for the person you’re taking, but I found out first hand that it’s even more rewarding for the hunting mentor. 

Heading west to hunt the rugged backcountry is what many hunters think of when they hear the word adventure. There’s no doubt, that’s a dream hunt for all of us. But, you really don’t have to head west to find a great hunting adventure. You can do it anywhere!    My guest today, Tim Endsley, talks about his journey as a do-it-yourself adventure bowhunter. From his start, honing his skills hunting on public land in his home state of Arkansas, to heading all over the midwest to live out of his truck and tent, testing his skills against mature whitetail deer. Tim explains that every hunt can be a true adventure if you want it to be. Show notes: http://activatethehunt.com/008

In today’s social media driven world, it’s easy to follow someone online and think they have it all together as a hunter. Unfortunately, our culture today has urged us to only post our successes online, which is very deceiving and can be discouraging for some, especially new hunters. 

One of the first hunts I tried outside of deer hunting was turkey hunting. I was in my first year of college and it had just recently been announced that the zone I hunted in in Minnesota, was going to have a turkey season again after many years of not having one. At this point in my life, I was looking for new ways to spend time hunting, so I quickly started researching how to hunt wild turkeys. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by hunters today is finding a place to hunt. Luckily, our forefathers set aside millions of acres of wild, public land for all of us to hunt on. If you do your research and put in a little effort, you will find some great public land hunting spots all over the country, and have an opportunity to kill wild game this hunting season!

Killing a Pronghorn Antelope is the goal for many first-time western hunters. With an abundance of the animal on western public lands, there’s a lot of hunting opportunity. I’m here to tell you, you’ll quickly be humbled by these magnificent, but elusive creatures. Antelope are very wary and can provide even the most experienced hunter with a formidable challenge, especially when bowhunting. But, that’s what draws many hunters to the western plains in search of this mighty speed goat! 

For the past several years there’s been a movement towards eating locally grown and organic foods. This movement was started by individuals, that not only want to know what is going into their body, but also have a deep respect for the land we live on and our resources. As these individuals research and dig deeper to find the best sources for their food, they are finding out that hunting is much more than killing wild animals for an adrenaline rush — they are finding that it’s one of the best ways to feed their passion for an organic lifestyle.  

Being a new hunter is hard. The learning curve is steep, especially if you don’t know others that hunt. Don’t let this discourage you though. There’s many experienced hunters that are looking to help new hunters. Finding a hunting mentor is the best way to accelerate the learning curve and gain the knowledge and confidence you need to help you advance on your journey as a hunter.

In the last 10-15 years there’s been a major change in how hunters are perceived. It used to be all about the good ol country boy who kills his own food, which is still the truth, but it has also transformed into something hunters train for all year, basically becoming a hunting athlete of sorts. 

This week’s podcast episode is with someone I’ve recently connected with through social media, his name is Aaron Schmuas. Aaron is a passionate hunter and outdoorsman originally from Montana. He reached out to me on Instagram because he wanted to send me a copy of his book “Ten Rules for Finding a Hunting Partner”. I read the book while sitting in a ground blind during turkey season and knew right away after reading the book that I wanted to get him on the show for a conversation. Sit back and relax, you’ll really enjoy this one! 

Hunting isn’t easy. It takes a certain amount of hunting skill to kill a wild game animal. Not every hunting adventure will result in a bounty of delicious organic food. So, don’t get discouraged if you come home without a cooler full of meat to show for. As you advance in your journey as a hunter, you will likely have the inclination to learn the traits and tactics of elite hunters, so that you can use their information to help you bring home more than memories from a hunt. My guest today, Trevon Stoltzfus, talks about the idea that 10 percent of hunters kill 90 percent of the wild game. He explains the common traits he found in his research of this elite group of hunters, and how adopting these traits has helped him to be much more successful in the field. Show notes: http://activatethehunt.com/004

You may have never been taught how to hunt at a young age by your dad, uncles or grandpa, but now you have the desire to learn? This is more common than you think. You’re definitely not alone. Adults of all ages and from all walks of life are looking for information and insight that will help them learn to hunt.

More information available soon.