Days In The Wild - Big game Hunting podcast

Elk Hunting with Jermaine Hodge

Show Notes:

Jermaine Hodge is an experienced, Colorado-based elk hunter with an impressive resume. He was the 2019 Men's Division Elk Calling World Champ, and is the current co-owner of Colorado High Altitude Hunters. We caught up at the Utah Hunt Expo to talk all things elk hunting and elk calling.

It’s been a while since I’ve hunted elk in Colorado, so it was great to hear a boots-on-the-ground report from Jermaine. We both agreed that elk is one of the most fun hunts out there. Jermaine’s full of great elk stories, and he shared a few of his favorites.

He told a story about calling for an elk with his wife. Elk make all kinds of noises out there in the field, so it can be tricky to tell what means what. On top of that, not every elk responds the same way to your call. After that, we got into the nuts-and-bolts of elk calling. As a world champion elk caller, Jermaine had plenty of knowledge to share on the subject. Elk calling is a tough thing to get right – Jermaine shared some great tips on how to make it happen. We traded tips and tricks for successfully calling elk.

Jermaine’s also got some great stories about elk hunting – including one about the biggest bull he’s ever seen. He shared a couple of those, and it was great to hear in-the-field experience from him. Calling’s tough, so there’s a lot to take away from Jermaine’s stories.

What's’ Inside:

-Elk hunting stories from Jermaine Hodge.

-Elk calling tips and tricks.

-What it’s like to hunt elk in Colorado.

-Hunting doesn’t always go the way you want. Jermaine’s got a great story about that.

Mentioned in this episode:

Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/

Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/

Short Description:

I sat down with Jermaine Hodge, an expert elk hunter and world champion elk caller based in Colorado. We swapped stories about elk hunting in Colorado and Arizona, and Jermaine shared some tips and tricks for calling elk. Every elk responds differently, and Jermaine’s got plenty of knowledge on how to handle that.

Tags:
Elk, elk hunting, calling, big game hunting, hunting for beginners, colorado hunting, days in the wild, jermaine hodge, elk calling, world champion elk caller, elk stories

Season Recap with Jake Downs

Show Notes:

Jake Downs and I took some time to recap our hunting seasons. As an experienced bowhunter, Jake’s gone after a ton of different species all over the country, so it was great to hear his stories. We spent this episode swapping stories and tips after this past season. It’s tough to balance family and hunting trips – sometimes you just have to pick and choose what hunts you go for.

Jake had a whirlwind of a season. He talked about his trip up to Alaska, where he had a bit of a mixed bag of a hunt. The weather didn’t cooperate, and it was tough to find any decent animals to take. When you book a big trip, you’re always leaving something up to chance. At the end of the day, though, any trip up to Alaska is gonna be a great camping trip, if nothing else.

We talked a bit about hunting during the rut and during lockdowns. That can be a tricky time to hunt, even though the bucks are out there. I’ve seen some trouble during the rut in Illinois, and I’ve seen a few lulls in other places.

Jake shared a few stories about whitetail hunting, too. We told some stories about our seasons, and Jake shared a great one about a trip to Arizona. We went on to talk all things javelina, and we agreed – they’re a whole lot of fun to hunt. Jake and I ended on how to balance hunting and family – it’s a tricky thing, but an important conversation.

Whats’ Inside:

Jake’s hunting season recap.

We discuss whether moose hunting is worth the trouble.

Weather can make (or break) a hunt, and that’s just up to chance.

It’s tough to balance family life and hunting trips.

We swapped stories about javelina hunting.

Mentioned in this episode:

Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/

Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/

Short Description:
Jake Downs is an experienced bowhunter, and he spent this season traveling all over the country. He shared some stories from this season, from his Alaska trip to a hunt in Arizona. Jake had pretty mixed results this season – he hit some bad weather in Alaska, but did pretty well on other hunts.

Tags:
Hunting season, javelina, alaska hunting, moose hunting, whitetail hunting, big game hunting, days in the wild, hunting season, bowhunting

Activism, Elk Hunting, and Calling with Jason Phelps

Show Notes:

Jason Phelps is a man who needs no introduction. But just in case – he’s an experienced elk hunter and an industry leader in game call design and manufacturing. Jason is most known for his credentials as a call designer, but we talked about a whole lot more than just calling. We touched on hunting conditions, elk hunting, and of course – calling strategies.

Before any of that, though, we discussed hunting activism. The movement against hunting rights is only growing. Combine that with all the craziness going on in the world, and it’s more important than ever to stand up for our rights as hunters. Jason lives in NorCal, so he’s right in the thick of the anti-hunting movement.

With that out of the way, we swapped a few stories about elk hunting. Jason’s got plenty of experience hunting elk and the stories he shared makes you wish you were in the hunting field at that very moment. We talked about what Jason looks for in hunting conditions, before getting into the nitty-gritty of elk calling.

There are a lot of ways to call for elk, but there’s also a right (and wrong) way to do it. Given Jason’s experience with just that, he gives very practical and useful tips on elk calling. We ultimately agreed – it’s important to find a way that you enjoy, that also brings success.

What's Inside:

The importance of hunting activism.

How hunting legislation gets passed.

We swap stories about elk hunting.

Different techniques for calling elk.

Mentioned in this episode:

Howl for Wildlife: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/

Phoenix Shooting Bags: https://www.phoenixshootingbags.com/

Short Description:

I sat down with Jason Phelps, a well known hunter and call engineer. We talked about hunting activism, and how important it is to stand up for our rights as hunters. We also jumped into all things elk. We swapped stories about the hunt and got some great insight on elk calling from Jason.

Tags:

Hunting activism, elk calling, hunting rights, elk hunting, big game hunting, calling technique, calling , days in the wild, hunting podcast, jason phelps

Throwback Thursday with Colton Gibbins

Show Notes:

Colton Gibbins is an expert hunting navigator in the Idaho playing field. When this episode was recorded, Colton has had 16 seasons under his belt and has been a guide in Idaho for several years. Idaho offers a great population of elk during hunting season and it’s a great place for bowhunting and rifle hunting. Originally a bowhunter, he shared how he also had to know his way behind rifles because of Idaho’s hunting zones and units system. We sat down and talked about everything and anything you need to know for a great Idaho hunting trip, including Colton’s know-hows, insider knowledge in navigating areas and how hunting zones and units in Idaho works.

Planning a Mule Deer Hunt with Omni Warner

Show Notes:

Some guys like to start planning a hunt by deciding what kind of trophy they’re looking to bag, but Omni Warner prefers to draw a tag first. Although it can be easier for locals to draw a tag, it’s really hard all around, and that’s why he’s not too picky about what state he ends up in.

Some of Omni’s best mule deer hunts have been in Colorado, and we swap stories about some of the mule deer hunts we’ve been on. We’ve both tried to get our kids into hunting, but with varying degrees of success.

I know some of you guys know that I’m an outfitter in Arizona and I run hunts in South Dakota too. I have a couple of slots left in my schedule this fall, so I’m letting you know now before it’s too late that if you want to get in on an excellent hunt, you should get on my schedule. We also have amazing hunts you can do in February, where you can come out and experience a nice hunt in Arizona weather when the rest of the country is miserable and cold.

If you loved today’s episode, please share us or leave us a review. And don’t forget to visit our sponsor Phoenix Shooting Bags who make this podcast possible.

What’s Inside:

• The best state for hunting mule deer.
• Why Omni and I both love hunting the rut.
• How Omni plans a hunt and looks for trails.
• The key to hunting mule deer in the high country.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Days in the Wild on itunes

Days in the Wild on Podbean

Phoenix Shooting Bags

Book a hunt with John Omni Warner on Instagram

Short Description:

Every hunter has a different strategy when he plans a hunt, and Omni Warner’s strategy starts with finding a tag first. We talk mule deer hunts all over the west, and some of Omni’s best tips for finding and stalking your animal.

Tags:

mule deer hunt in NM, mule deer hunt in CO, best way to plan a hunt, book a hunt, hunting in the 4 corners, hunting in Utah, how to plan a hunt