The Stickboys Podcast

To loosely paraphrase Aldo Leopould, "The deer hunter sits where he can see the trail, the duck hunter sits where he can see the sky... the non hunter does not see".... or something similar. This week Maribeth, Dalton, and Alan talk about that "gut feeling" and the subtle cues we pick up on from past experiences as bowhunters. Great episode and some hardy food for thought!

This week Dalton and Ethan sit down with our good buddy Clay Epperson to talk about our favorite topic, woodsmanship and the importance of learning to get closer. No matter how far you can group arrows efficiently, the closer you can get the more you'll improve your overall chances of making it count when the moment arrives!

This week Nathan, Dalton, and Ethan sit down to discuss the differences between tactics and woodsmanship and how they correlate. Lots of great nuggets to help keep things in perspective as we head into season!

Adventure is where you find it! Whether or not you're chasing polar bears on the ice caps or camping out overnight on a local wildlife area, you can find adventure. In fact, a little "lesser" adventure can prepare you and build good experience for future "greater" adventures. This week Ethan sits down with our good friends Jason Redd and Chris Parrino to talk about just that. If you're an experienced adventure bowhunter or would like to experience that, there are some great nuggets of info in this one.

This week Ethan catches up with our buddy Jake Downs. Jake and Lona recently returned from a from a great trip to Africa where they were able to take some absolutely beautiful animals. Jake tells us all about their adventures, exactly how they happened. Bow hunting in all its grandeur including the highs and the struggles. A great conversation if you've ever dreamed of hunting the dark continent, or if you just like good old fashioned bowhunting. And let's be honest, if you didn't... you wouldn't have made it this far in to this weeks episode description! Enjoy!!

This week Ethan and Maribeth catch up with our friend Bryan Broderick of DaySix Gear. We talk about everything from a bit of conservation and history, antelope, axis deer, elk, hunting out of blinds, and keeping the main thing, the main thing in bowhunting. A great conversation with a great guy!

This week Dalton and Maribeth sit down with Robert Carter of Southern Georgia. With decades of bowhunting and woodsmanship in the South Georgia swamps, Robert is a treasure chest of great information, and it doesn't stop with pigs! Great conversation with a great guy!! You can check out his youtube channel at "Robert Carter" for more great stuff!

This week we sit down with Don Thomas and talk about a wide range of topics. With all the talk about the Robertson-Pittman act in political circles these days, we thought it would be a good idea to touch on exactly what that is. But we quickly move on to bowhunting and adventure, and even discuss responsibilities we share as bowhunters to be informed and speak intelligently on our passions. As always, this conversation with Don is as pleasant, thought provoking, and fun as every one we've ever had with him.

Traditional Bowhunters form some of the strongest bonds and best friendships of any outdoor pursuit. This week we dive into one of those bonds with Paul Brunner (Too Short) and Tom Storm (Too Tall). This is a great conversation filled with epic pranks, fond memories, and grand adventures!

This week we sit down with Allen Clark of Indiana. Allen has hunted extensively throughout North America as abroad and remains a humble guy that has a deep passion for the adventure of traditional bowhunting. This was a really fun episode filled with great hunting stories, adventure, and some perspective thrown in for good measure!

On this weeks episode we sit down with our resident stone point expert and none other than our buddy Paul Brunner. Both of these guys have taken truck loads of animals with knapped heads. We get into some of the history of stone heads regarding Native Americans and earlier peoples, the process of making heads and mounting them, and of course some bowhunting stories! If you've ever had any interest in hunting with stone heads, you don't want to miss this one!

On this weeks episode we sit down with our buddy Michael Arnette of Tall Tines Archery to talk bowhunting. Michael is a great guy and one of the "quiet killers" we love talking to so much. Michael talks about growing up in a non hunting family and his interest in becoming a hunter as a kid, becoming a bowhunter and then bowyer, and of course lots of hunting tales! Great conversation with a great guy!

This week we sit down with our old buddy and co-host Nathan Killen, an officially welcome our friend and new co-host Maribeth Kulynycz to discuss an often overlooked aspect of bow hunting. It's ok if the animals win, in fact they should and do win over 90% of the time! That's part of what makes bowhunting so much fun! Accepting that and learning from those "failed encounters" can make us much better bowhunters.

This week we got the chance to speak to Tom Storm of Montana and we loved every second of it! Tom holds the record for the most points scored in a single game at Montana State, as well as the lead season average, was drafted by the Chicago Bulls. He is a long time PBS member, was hunting with Paul Schafer, is a world famous fly fisherman, was one of the first modern bowhunters, and one of the first American bowhunters to hunt Russia along with his buddy Paul Brunner, and was one of the first modern bowhunters in the country to decoy whitetail deer, in fact he literally wrote the book on it. But above all of that, Tom is just a great, down to earth guy that loves to chase critters with a stick and string! You won't want to miss this one!

This week we continue the conversation with our buddy Gene Wensel. If you missed part one, definitely check it out!!

On this episode Alan, Dalton, and Ethan sit down for a chat with the one and only Gene Wensel. We set out to record the story of Woody, the giant Iowa non-typical buck Gene arrowed in 2004. We're sure most, if not all of our listeners are familiar with this story but for the whitetail fanatic, nothing beats listen to a legendary bow hunter talk about a legendary animal! We go down a few rabbit holes with Gene and delve into some bowhunting history and funny stories along the way of course, but this is one you don't want to miss!

This week we catch up with our buddy Curt Cabrera of TradLife FIlms for our annual turkey talk! Curt fills us in on his season so far and we discuss everything from turkey strategy, ghillie suits, strange and hilarious trail cam pictures, and as always, good old fashioned bowhunting stories! If you're into turkey you don't want to miss this one!

Traditional Bowhunting has lost another pioneer. We had the privilege of having Ron LaClair on the podcast back in April of 2021. We felt it would only be fitting to re-release our visit with Ron, in his memory. Hunt well Mr. LaClair.....

Named one of the most 25 influential bowhunters in the last 25 years by Archery Business Magazine in 2001, Dan Quillian was a true pioneer in the sport of bowhunting and one whom we owe a debt of gratitude. Dan was a founding member of the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia, owner of Archery Traditions, a custom bowyer, produced the first commercial tree stand on the market, fought for bowhunting seasons in Georgia, hunted all over North America, and was a great ambassador for bowhunting, as well as a true conservationist well ahead of his time. We had the opportunity to chat with Dan's son Dee Dee Quillian and one time employee and friend of Dan, Buck Ernst. The stories told of Dan's adventures and passion for bowhunting are fascinating, and we really enjoyed hearing them. We're positive you will to!

THis week we catch u p with Maribeth Kulynycz of Maryland. Maribeth is the real deal and is definitely "our kind of people"! Growing up in a hunting family she made the transition to bowhunting in her early 20's, but after discovering the traditional bow she hasn't looked back since. Intelligent, well spoken, dedicated to traditional bowhunting, and most importantly in it for the right reasons. This was a great and fun conversation and topics discussed range from getting new people involved in bowhunting, the perspective of a lady bowhunter, being a positive influence for hunting, getting kids started down the right path, and you guessed it....good old fashioned bowhunting stories!

This week we sit down with Brian Koelzer. Brian grew up in Montana in the hay-day of modern bowhunting history and it was common for guys like Paul Shcafer, Paul Brunner, and Rosie Roseland to drop by to visit and swap bowhunting stories. Coming up like that, it's no wonder he has such an appreciation for bowhunting history. We go down a few rabbit holes on some of that history, as well as some hunting stories. This was a super fun conversation, and we hope you have as much fun listening!

This week we catch up with our buddy Jack Spinks, our brother from the land down under! In typical Jack Spinks fashion, we have a hilarious conversation about basement snakes, feral cats, red stags, staying committed on a tough hunt, and defining your outlook to what you want out of bowhunting. It's a fun conversation with a great guy. Who knew Australia had good ol'boys!

This week we catch up with Jeff Lander of Primitive Outfitting in British Columbia. We talk about a little bit of everything this week from bowhunting pioneers, role models, younger bowhunters coming to the traditional ranks, mule deer, grizzly and black bears. But mostly we talk about chasing big black bears in the spring with a stickbow. Jeff has been a long time supporter of the PBS and has a wealth of experience and some great stories, and is really down to earth, just our kind of guy!!

This week, it's another Woodsmanship! Nathan is a shed hunting animal, and this week we discuss some of his tactics for finding sheds, but more importantly what information can be learned while shed hunting. Woodsmanship is an ongoing, never ending process and any reason to get out in the woods is a good one! There are tons of things to learn this time of year that you can store away for hunting season!

It's never to early to start planning for hunting season, plus it's a lot of fun! This week Dalton and Alan sit down to discuss what to look for this time of year in order to prepare for our favorite time of year. It's all about fitting pieces of the puzzle together, and lots of those little pieces can be gleaned this time of year. Of course, it would just be plumb rude to not include a few hunting stories!

This weeks episode is a compilation of conversations from this past weekends Biannual Professional Bowhunter Society Banquet in Reno, Nv. It's just a sampling of what a PBS banquet is all about. If you ever get a chance to attend you will likely never miss another one! It can be a little overwhelming for someone who attends their first banquet. Walking into a room filled with all the men and women a traditional bowhunter has read about for years. But that soon fades as you start having conversations with everyone and realize that they are just normal folks who are just as down to earth and passionate about chasing critters with a stick and string as you are! If you've ever wondered what it was like to attend one, this is a good sampling of what one might expect!

This week we catch up with our friends at Bent Bow Productions, Rodney York and Ron Crouch. We really love what these guys do and why they do it! We discuss adventure, priorities, preperations and balancing it all. Some great insight from a couple of very accomomplished bowhuters, Godly men, and all around great guys!

This week we sit down for a chat with our buddy Curt Cabrera of TradLife Films. Most of our listeners will be very familiar with Curt and his youtube films, as he has been at it for quite sometime! Curt is a family man and very passionate about hunting with a traditional bow, just our kind of fella! We discuss Curt's whitetail season and annual deer hunt in Kansas, the highs and lows that go along with bowhunting, life lessons, and even a bit about turkeys. But you'll have to stay tuned for the more in depth upcoming turkey episode! We always enjoy having our buddies on, and Curt is definitely in that category!!

This weekend we catch up with our buddy Jim Eeckhout of Michigan. Jim is a great guy, great bowhunter, and great ambassador for traditional bowhunting. We discuss a wide range of topics from retaining new bowhunters, challenge vs reward, good old sweat equity, and of course bowhunting! Jim shares all about his most recent trip to Prince of Wales for coastal bruins, so there is plenty of action in this one!

This week our old buddy Jeff Holchin joins Dalton for a rundown on the recent PBS Membership Pig Hunt in Georgia. This hunt is a blast and the guys talk all about the adventure had by all! The weather, the mud, the great food, the camaraderie and of course the pig hunting all combing to make this a great experience! We also talk a bit about the other membership hunts and give a rundown as to what they're all about!

Our friend Pat Cebuhar recently reached out to us with an audio file containing an interview with the late Jerry Pierce. Pat was a close freind and hunting partner of Jerry's and joins us for a brief look back at who Jerry was, followed by a rare interview with Jerry condcted by Don Owens back in 1994. It's a rare glimpse into somewhat recent bowhunting history. Those that knew or know of Jerry are well aware of the contributions that he made to the sport of not just traditional bowhunting, but bowhunting in general. Jerry loved hunting with a bow and arrow and gave of himself tirelessly in order to promote his passion in order to promote the sport he loved. Join us for this installment of Backtrails as we reflect on those who came before us!

A few episodes ago our buddy Dennis Jackson told us a young mans story from a recent PBS membership hunt, and suggested we have him on the podcast. It took about half a secod to convince us! This week we sit down with Ross Pennebaker and Scott Record for an awesome chat. Ross is a 15 yr old young man who has a passion for all things outdoors, and all on his own deciede he wanted to be a bowhunter. With a littel help from some the PBS membership, Scott was able to procure him a bow set up and Ross took it from there and made it happen pretty much all on his own. This chapter of his story culminates to him taking his first buck on the Land Between the Lakes PBS membership hunt! Alan and I had a fantastic time listenting to the excitement in this young mans stories. Ross is not only a newly dedicated traditional bowhunter, but more importantly he is a fine young man and we're confident he will go on to be a very positive influence in the world of traditonal bowhunting!

This week we were excited to sit down with David and Hannah Hoff of Colorado. The Hoff's are endurance athletes, hardcore stickbow hunters, and great down to earth people. We discuss their unique perspective of hunting with your spouse and the advantages and challenges of spending so much time together in the field. We discuss Hannah getting into hunting with a trad bow and the influence David had on her journey and as always, plenty of bowhunting! Really enjoyed this conversation and we think you will to!

This week Kegan McCabe of Omega Longbows joins us and we get into what is important and what's not important when it comes to getting started down the traditional journey. There are a ton of resources available nowadays. We try to bring a little different approach to light in this episode and cover the "keep it simple" aspect and keeping the journey fun.

This week we visit with Mike Roberts of Sauk Trail Archery. Mike grew up in traditional archery with his father Jerry Roberts, starting the business in 1981. Through the years Mike has seen a lot of changes come and go to traditional bowhunting, but through it all it's still the love of the chase, getting close, and the simplicity of the stick and string that gets him. We discuss topics ranging from an 18 year old young man on his own in ten square miles of Canadian wilderness figuring out running baits for bears on the fly, whitetails and muleys, adventure, spending time with family. Join us for a great conversation with a genuine, down to earth guy!

Alan and Nathan sit down with us this week for our listeners Q&A. We've received some great questions and got to as many as we could. Alan and Nathan drop some serious knowledge in this episode, you'll definitely want to tune in for this one!

This week our buddy Chris Parrino joins us once again for another great discussion. Chris is one of those guys that is wildly successful as a bowhunter, but keeps a low profile. He's been at this for a really long time and has some wonderful insight he shares with us in regards to being a "successful" bow hunter. Like defining what success means to you, what it takes to achieve it, and focusing on your passion.

This week our buddy Dennis Jackson joins us for a fun conversation. Anyone who knows Dennis knows how much he gives back to the sport of traditional bowhunting and how much fun he is to have in camp! We cover topics ranging from kids growing up hunting, woodsmanship, bowhunting stories, and even L.A.R.P.'ing! Join us for a great and funny conversation!

They say it's always good to look back at where you've been to better understand where you're going. On the 101st episode, we're taking a quick look back. We talk about why we started this in the first place and what have been some of our favorite stories told by our incredible guests.

This week we talk to Alan about all the little things it takes to make it happen during bowseason. In many ways bowhunting is like a puzzle, knowing what pieces fit where is what it's all about. Alan dives into the specifics on what some of those pieces are.

This week we sit down for a chat with Georgia Jeffery of Bivouac Bows. Georgia grew up in the outdoors with her father and decided as a young teenager she wanted to be a bowhunter. That path has led her to traditional bowhunting and bow making as part owner of Bivouac Bows. Our conversation is wide ranging and includes her simple outlook on life, being a female bowhunter, advise for new stickbow hunters, and of course some hunting stories!

You asked for it, here it is! This week Alan Altizer dives deep into the rut. How to approach hunting the different aspects of it, how different types of buck behave in it, and how to capitalize on it. We all dream about this time of year, and the more you know about it the better prepared you can be for it.

This week we sit down with our good buddy Jason Redd from Timber Ninja Outdoors and discuss hunting in Iowa, strategies, ups and downs, heartbreak, and reality. Jason is a great woodsman with a track record and a wall to prove it.

This week we get a chance to talk to Georgia Jeffery of Bivouac Bows. Georgia grew up in the outdoors and decided she wanted to be a bowhunter as a young teenager, which turned into her becoming a traditional bowhunter and even becoming part owner of Bivouac Bows with Jim Belcher. We discuss a lot of topics including the traditional bowhunting community, bow building, getting started in shooting a stickbow, and as always, a good hunting story!

This week our buddies Craig Phelps and Ryan Glitsky join Nathan and Ethan for a hunt recap from the cabin. It was a great week full of funny stories, great company, and sharing ideas and learning from each other.... and maybe a bloody arrow as well!

This week we sit down with Scott Peters. Scott grew up hunting and fishing with his father and uncles and is an experienced and successful modern bowhunter. Alan Alitzer gave Scott a recurve bow and he instantly fell in love with the flight of the arrow and decided to hunt with it this year. After his first successful traditional harvest, he's hooked for life! Scott shares some of the challenges and new found excitement he's discovered by hunting with the stick and string. He also shares the difference he feels between the hunting with the stickbow as opposed to a modern compound.

"Chicken one day....Feathers the next....." This week Alan, Nathan, and Ethan talk about facing challenges when things don't go according to plan. Anyone that bow hunts long enough will eventually experience some disappointments along the way. On this episode we discuss the importance of sticking with it learning to deal with those challenges. Sometimes a bow hunter can do everything correctly, and the chips fall the in favor of our quarry. But the hardships and obstacles only make the little victories that much sweeter!

Eirc McKee and Vance Henry joined us back on episode 72 to discuss their upcoming hunt for Alaskan moose. Both experienced bowhunters, were venturing north for their first adventure in the Last Frontier. The discussed the challenges and logistics of planning a hunt like this for the first time. This week, the guys are back to tell us about their adventure and share with us the lessons learned along the way. What they will or will not change for next years adventure, and all the great aspects of their hunt!

On this episode we discuss something that is often overlooked, bow hunting big bucks vs bow hunting deer. We all love to dream about that big trophy buck slipping into bow range, but depending on where you live or hunt or what your perspective is will define what the word "trophy" means. Any deer taken with a bow and arrow under fair chase is more than qualified to be called a trophy. It's easy to forget that in todays constant barrage of social media posts and advertisements. On this episode, Alan touches on some of this as well as the difference in strategies for hunting "trophy" deer.

This week we sit down with Crispin Henry of Atlanta, Georgia. Crispin is a great guy and a great hunter. He's taken some really nice bucks in the suburban Atlanta area from places most people would never think about hunting. Crispin shares some of the insights he's learned along the way and goes into some of his tactics. If you're hunting urban areas or would like to, Crispin is a wealth of knowledge. He was hunting urban bucks before hunting urban bucks was cool!