The Southern Outdoorsmen Hunting Podcast

This week on the Thursday Q&A, we’re tackling some of the biggest debates in deer hunting—from bait, minerals, and food plots to summer scouting, scent, and mature buck behavior. We also answer a listener question about hunting rocky, mountainous terrain in Arkansas and share how we’d approach finding and killing an older buck in big-woods country.

In this episode:

Larry Weishuhn is back on the show, and in this conversation he dives into the timeless hunting skills that can’t be bought, downloaded, or replaced by technology. From the story of his very first buck to decades of lessons chasing mature whitetails across North America, Larry shares the woodsmanship principles that have shaped his hunting career.

In this episode, we discuss:

This week we’re diving into your hottest deer hunting takes and answering some of the biggest questions from The Southern Outdoorsmen community. From crossbows and dog hunting to cell cameras, persimmons, and deer behavior, we tackle some of the most controversial topics we’ve discussed in a while.

In this episode, we discuss:

Most hunters focus on what to plant, but the bigger question is where, why, and how. In this episode, Caleb Huckaba of Whitetail Hill breaks down the biggest food plot mistakes he sees, how to design food plots that actually produce daylight mature buck encounters, and why strategy often matters more than the seed itself. Whether you’re planting a quarter-acre kill plot on a permission property or managing a large hunting tract, this episode is packed with practical habitat and hunting advice you can apply this season.

In this episode, we discuss:

...

In this Q&A edition of the show, we cover a wide array of questions and hot takes from listeners!

and a lot more!

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What actually creates bigger bucks? Is it genetics, nutrition, habitat, or something else entirely?

In this episode, National Deer Association’s Lindsay Thomas Jr. separates decades of deer research from hunting folklore. We dive into the biggest myths surrounding deer management, aging bucks on the hoof, habitat improvement, feral hogs, and the science that has fundamentally changed how we understand whitetails. If you’re serious about becoming a better deer hunter or land manager, this episode is packed with practical, research-backed information you can apply immediately.

Topics discussed:

Today we are throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes of all time with whitetail legend Bobby Worthington! In this episode, Bobby talks about perfecting archery setups to get mature bucks in bow range and make the shot count.

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Dillon Harper has spent over a decade hunting North Georgia’s mountains, breaking down the terrain features that consistently produce deer, bears, and hogs. In this conversation, he explains why hidden springheads have become the most important feature he hunts—and how they can concentrate animal movement in vast mountain terrain.

In this episode:

In this episode we hit some listener Q&A submissions, along with some questions that our circle members have been posting over the last week!

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For nearly five decades, Mike Rex has pursued mature whitetails across Ohio and helped score some of the biggest bucks ever harvested in the state. In this conversation, he shares the lessons, mistakes, and observations that changed the way he hunts mature deer.

In this episode:

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Larry Weishuhn has spent over 50 years studying, managing, and hunting whitetail deer across North America. In this episode, Larry shares lessons learned from decades as a wildlife biologist, including why mature bucks seem to disappear, what hunters misunderstand about deer movement, and how habitat, nutrition, and age shape deer populations.

In this episode:

• Why hunters think mature bucks are gone when they’re still on the property

• The truth about “nocturnal” bucks and midday deer movement

• Larry’s experience managing whitetail populations across Texas and the Southeast<...

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Use the...

This episode discusses legal hunting, outdoor heritage, and historical hunting practices. Always follow current game laws, seasons, limits, licensing requirements, firearm safety rules, and youth-supervision laws. We do not encourage illegal harvest or unsafe firearm handling. Dale Bordelon has spent more than 50 years hunting the Louisiana swamps the old way. In this episode, Dale shares incredible stories of giant swamp bucks, handmade dugout boats, cane duck calls, market hunting history, and the hunting lessons passed down from generations of Louisiana woodsmen. From outsmarting a 235-pound swamp buck to preserving traditions that are quickly disappearing, this conversation is packed with...

On this episode we cover some listener Q&A submissions:

1. What's some good advice for bowhunting from the ground?

2. What is the best way to network in your area to find properties to hunt, gain hunting mentors or find hunting buddies?

3. Do's and Dont's of interacting with other hunters on public ground

4. Is hunting getting more popular?

5. What are some tips for someone who wants to start making hunting related content?

6. What are our throughts on spot burning?

7. What are the bare minimum products you...

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James White is as old-school as it gets! In this interview we sit down with him to discuss his lifetime of deer hunting experinece starting in the 1960's. James recounts some of his wildest stories from almost being drowned by a buck, to falling out of tree stands. He also...

In this episode, we are doing some listener Q&A submissions focused on hunting annual patterns for deer, finding deer on leases with other members, and more!

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Our buddy Pablo Esquivel is back! If you haven't heard our first interview with Pablo, go watch it now!

Watch it here - https://youtu.be/AoKzXWmhGaQ

Pablo had a deer season most guys can only dream of, tagging 6 different bucks in 4 states, one of which was his personal best which he tagged on some Alabama public land! This season had a little bit of everything for Pablo, including a major leg injury, finding a giant pile of cash, causing a resturant evacuation and a lot more!

Got a question...

Last season, mature bucks across the Southeast behaved DIFFERENTLY. Deer disappeared from traditional patterns, harvest numbers dropped, and hunters struggled to make sense of it. In this episode, we break down how last year’s massive acorn crop may have changed deer movement, buck survival, rut activity, and what it could mean for the upcoming season. We also break down why this coming season has the potential to be one of the best deer seasons of the last decade...if the conditions line up correctly!

Got a question for the show? Submit a listener Q...

This episode is pure old-school Alabama outdoors history. Ray Kilgore spent 26 years hunting poachers across the Alabama River with no backup, no cell phones, and sometimes no idea if he was walking into danger.

At 85 years old, Ray shares some of the wildest game warden stories we’ve ever heard, from chasing night hunters through soybean fields to uncovering illegal fishing operations using old crank telephones.

If you enjoy real hunting history, outlaw stories, and hearing how things USED to be in the Deep South… this one is hard to b...

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In this episode, 85-year-old lifelong turkey hunter Ray Kilgore breaks down what actually works in the woods—after more than 60 years of chasing gobblers. From killing his first turkey on his first hunt… to learning the hard truth about patience, overcalling, and how turkeys really behave, this conversation is packed with lessons most hunters never figure out. If you’ve ever felt like birds just won’t commit… this might be why. In this episode: - Why most hunters overcall (and how it hurts you) - The biggest mistake new turkey hunters make - How turkey hunting has changed over the l...

In this episode we are joined by our friend Kyle Sides, who has been tagging along with us on some hunts after he tagged out in Alabama earlier this season! Kyle is younger than a lot of guys we interview on turkey hunting, but he is a true woodsman and is skilled at turkey hunting well beyond his years. We talk about Kyle's fast and aggressive hunting style, how to get in a bird's bubble to make him callable, and how these tactics paid off for Jacob with his 2nd public land longbeard of the season here in Alabama! <...

In this episode, we break down the idea that every gobbler has a short window—sometimes just 3 days—where he can be called, worked, and tagged. If you don’t recognize it, you’ll hunt right through it and never know he was beatable.

We cover how to identify that window, what changes in a gobbler’s behavior, and the mistakes that keep hunters from capitalizing on it. From henned-up birds to late-season shifts, this episode is about understanding when the odds finally swing in your favor—and being ready when they do.

Topics discussed:

We have had a wild week of hunting in Alabama! In this episode we are joined by Kaiden Grey of Primal Frame Photography, who has been filming our hunts this week. In this episode we talk about where we have been finding gobblers this time of the season, what we have found works best for moving on midday gobblers, how to pinpoint gobbles in hill country where it echos, and more!

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84 years old. 68 years chasing turkeys. Crawford Bush grew up in a different era of hunting—before leases, before technology, before modern tactics. In this conversation, he shares what he’s learned from a lifetime in the woods, the mistakes that taught him the most, and why many hunters today are making things harder than they need to. In this episode: - How Crawford got started turkey hunting nearly 70 years ago - What hunting was like before modern gear, decoys, and mapping apps - The biggest mistakes he made early (and what they taught him) - Why patience matters more than...

This week we are throwing it back to an episode from 2021 with Tim Knight, one of the most well known turkey bowhunters. Tim is a wealth of knowledge on turkey hunting, where you choose to hunt with a bow or a gun! In this episode we do a deep dive on how Tim scouts to KNOW where a gobbler will end up at some point in the day, how he conceals himself differently than 90% of turkey hunters, his calling style, when to move on a gobbler and a lot more.

Head to https://maev...

In this episode, William Lyon breaks down the subtle details that make the difference, including one overlooked sound that can completely change the outcome of a hunt.

This is not surface-level advice. It’s decades of experience, hard lessons, and real stories from the woods.

If you’ve ever had a gobbler stall just out of range… this one matters.

In this episode, we cover:

Why gobblers hang up—and what they’re actually doing

The role of drumming and why it can pull birds i...

We have had one heck of a week! We connected on 4 gobblers this week between Jacob, Andrew and Thomas. In this episode we relive the hunts, talked about what worked and what didn't, and answer some listener Q&A submissions!

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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Patrick Wightman, National Director of Research for the NWTF, to break down what the latest research is revealing about wild turkeys—and what it means for hunters.

From large-scale population trends to on-the-ground behavior, this conversation covers some of the most important (and often misunderstood) findings shaping the future of turkey hunting.

In this episode, we cover:

What $20M+ in turkey research is uncovering across the country

Why turkey populations are declining—and the biggest factor driving it<...

On this Q&A edition of the show we are talking about how our turkey hunt in Florida ended, as well as our hunts here in Alabama (and how one of us missed!). Questions covered:

Henry Ott is a third-generation turkey hunter from South Alabama with over 60 years of experience in the woods. He learned from his father and grandfather—long before modern gear, when success depended on woodsmanship, patience, and understanding turkeys at a deeper level. Over decades of hunting the same country, Henry noticed something most hunters overlook: Gobblers aren’t random. They run a route. And if you’re not set up on it… you’re already too late. In this episode, Henry breaks down how turkeys actually move, how hens dictate everything a gobbler does, and why positioning—not calling—is what consis...

Florida turkey camp has been amazing! We have been able to stay in the action with two birds down in camp so far. In this episode we are joined by Pete Muller and Patrick Whiteman of the NWTF, along with Kaiden Grey of Primal Frame Photography. In this episode we discuss what has been working on the hunt so far, and we hit some listner Q&A submissions.

If you can make a gobbler sound off… you’ve got a small window to kill him.

In this episode, turkey hunting legend Eddie Salter breaks down what happens after that first gobble — and why most hunters mess it up.

We dive deep into:

How to strike turkeys and actually get them coming

The “15 Minute Rule” that changes everything

The biggest mistakes hunters make after a gobble

When to call… and when to shut up

How to set up so you don’t get busted

The ex...

Turkey season is here, and we're pulling one out of the vault for this week's throwback Thursday episode. Scott Ellis joins us for one of the most tactical turkey hunting conversations we've ever had on the show.

Scott breaks down his signature "hide the hen" setup strategy — the idea that where you sit when you call matters just as much as how you call. If a gobbler can look over and confirm no hen is standing there, he's gone. Scott walks through exactly how to use terrain features like elevation changes, bends in roads, field edges, and th...

For decades, Lamar Williams has been quietly shaping the world of custom turkey calls. But outside of tight circles of call makers and serious turkey hunters, most people have never heard his story.

Lamar started chasing turkeys in the 1960s — long before turkey hunting exploded in popularity. Over the years he became a respected custom call maker, building calls that serious hunters seek out across the country.

But if you expect this conversation to be about gear… you’re going to be surprised.

According to Lamar...

In this Q&A episode we tackle a few frustrating turkey hunting situations most hunters eventually face.

• Turkeys that stay just across a creek and won’t cross

• Fresh turkey sign but no gobbling

• What to do when birds won’t come to your calls

We break down how we’d approach each scenario, when to dial back the calling, and what these situations might actually be telling you about the birds you’re hunting.

Topics Covered

• Why some gobblers won’t cross terrain barriers

• What sign means when...

Stanley Wymbs has spent a lifetime chasing gobblers and building turkey calls. In this episode we sit down with Stanley to talk about the lessons he’s learned from decades in the turkey woods, from mastering woodsmanship to understanding how turkeys actually communicate.

Stanley shares the mindset, tactics, and calling strategies that separate consistently successful turkey hunters from everyone else.

In this episode we cover:

• Why woodsmanship matters more than calling in turkey hunting

• The biggest mistakes turkey hunters make in the woods

Turkey season is right around the corner, and in this episode we dive into some of the most common questions hunters have heading into the woods.

We cover when locator calls actually work (and when they don’t), how often you should check on a gobbling turkey before the season opens, and what to expect when hunting pressured public land in the South. We also talk through shotgun setups, choke and ammo combinations, and how long it realistically takes most hunters to kill their first turkey.

Topics in this ep...

Today we are joined by our buddy Aaron Warbritton of The Hunting Public!

Aaron is a rare blend of old-school woodsmanship and modern tactical thinking. He understands the fundamentals, but he also adapts to how turkeys behave under heavy pressure. That combination is what makes him one of the most effective public land hunters that we know.

In this conversation, we cover:

How to find “the X” on unfamiliar public land

Why habitat + pressure dictate everything

How to break down new ground fast

Early vs late season turk...