Petersen's Bowhunting Radio

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.

When it comes to bowhunting, there is perhaps no greater and more challenging feat than completing the Archery Super Slam, taking all 29 North American big-game animals with bow and arrow. It’s so challenging, in fact, that fewer than 50 people have ever done it. The latest is Tom Edgington, who joins us to share the incredible stories of his 20-year quest.

Tactacam's Reveal is arguably the most popular cell camera on the market, and this week the company unveiled its all-new Reveal 3.0 lineup! The Reveal X 3.0 and Reveal Pro 3.0 offer unprecedented features and ease of use, automatically connecting to the strongest network in your hunting area, eliminating the need for SD cards, offering live aiming for hassle-free setup and using built-in GPS so you always know where your cameras are in the field. Tactacam's Greg Farrell joins us to dish all the exciting details.

Animal rights extremists are mounting a political effort to ban Colorado mountain lion hunting via a voter referendum on the November ballot. The measure — strongly opposed by sportsman and state wildlife biologists — could have a serious impact on Colorado's deer and elk populations and set a dangerous precedent for hunting opportunities across the nation. Dan Gates from Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management joins us to discuss this issue and explain how bowhunters from across America can help. 

The 4th of July is nearly upon us, and for most serious bowhunters, that means it's time to deploy scouting cameras in the field. Cuddeback's Dan Schultz joins us to discuss summertime trail-cam strategies as well as the latest high-tech offerings from this iconic trail-camera manufacturer.

Bowhunter Contributor Eddie Claypool has been chasing Coues deer for more than three decades and took his best buck to date last winter in Arizona. Eddie explains his passion for hunting these diminutive desert whitetails and shares bowhunting insights gained over 31 years of pursuing them across the Southwest.

It is difficult to be a consistently successful Western bowhunter without owning quality optics — and knowing how to use them! Swarovski's Dean Capuano explains how to choose the right binocular, rangefinder and spotting scope for your Western adventures and how to use them as strong allies in the field.

Imagine safely scaling trees of all shapes and sizes in just 90 seconds — without ladders, sticks or other conventional climbing aids. Scott Kurtenbach and Joe Delabarrera from newyorksaddlehunter.com join us to discuss the innovative Halfline 2.0 climbing system that can make you lighter, faster and more deadly in the field!

Steven Rinella is the face of Meat Eater, a multimedia brand that promotes the carnivore lifestyle to hunters and non-hunters alike. Rinella joins us to discuss topics that include his current bowhunting setup, Meat Eater's brand new, best-selling wild game cookbook and the upcoming election's political implications for those who value hunting and wildlife conservation.

This week, "Hunting Whitetails" columnist and noted deer biologist CJ Winand joins us to discuss some of the most useful bowhunting insights to come out of deer research, including how to deal with "string jumping," the best time of day to tag trophy bucks and more.

Beth Edwards of Missouri hunted hard for the entire archery season and was down to her last sit, one she’d hired a babysitter for so she could get out. On a frigid, snowy January day — with only hours to go in her season — the buck of a lifetime walked out!