The First Gen Hunter Podcast

Rick and Brad are some of the most hardcore hunters I know. Both of them are Big Woods Bucks team members and both are expert buck trackers from New England. We jump all over the place on this episode as we discuss flying with guns, hunting all over the country, and things that make it difficult to hunt.
 
 
Follow Rick: @rick_labbe_hunter
Follow Brad: @nh_neverquitbucktracker
 
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
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Nate Dodson joins me to discuss this issue from a new angle. He makes some great points I wouldn't have thought of, and my perspective on the matter has shifted somewhat after our conversation. Yours might as well.
 
Follow Nate on GoWild: @natedodson
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel

Heath Rayfield is without question the best turkey hunter I know. As a long time guide, and as an always tagged out hunter he sets the bar for what it means to be a turkey hunter. In this episode Heath talks about tactics for hunting different times of the day, different times of the season, the best weather conditions for tagging turkeys, and he even offers up advice on how to hunt Merriams and Rios as well. If you still have a turkey tag to fill this season, you will definitely want to tune in!
 
Follow Heath: @heathrayfield
 
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel
 

Over the weekend there was a ton of buzz about two hunters who some sources claimed died of CJD, the human equivalent to CWD after eating meat from infected deer. This was very alarming of course, except that isn't what the original study actually said happened. This was a case of mass hysteria coming from a very limited amount of data that showed no known causation. Here's my take on the situation. Don't be alarmed.
 
The study from the Neurology Journal
 
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel

Turkeys are great, but they ain't the only thing to hunt this spring- bears are also on the menu. Most folks view bear hunting as a secondary hunting option, but I'm here to tell you that after you lend your hand to hunting bruins you will be hooked for life. Travis Adair has done just that, and in fact bear hunting is main hunting pursuit. But filling a bear tag is much easier said than done. They require a lot miles, a lot of glassing time, and favorable hunting conditions. Travis is joined me and Alex to discuss how he gets it done.
 
Follow Travis: @precision_bear_hunter
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel

Partners of Scott County Watersheds worked with Ducks Unlimited to successfully acquire $8 million in a grant to help landowners in Scott County Iowa incorporate water quality improvement projects on their land. This is a huge win for the local residents, as well as hunters who will benefit from healthier game, and more habitat. This interview features a handful of folks who have participated in making this grant happen (Carter Amundsen, Mike Paustian, Jena Herrick)
 
Join Partners of Scott County Watersheds
Join Ducks Unlimited
 
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel

Caleb and I just spent an awesome few days in the Sandhills region of Nebraska looking for sheds with our good friend Nate Dodson. Nate is a cattle rancher who lives his life very close to the land. He is an avid deer, turkey and (when he draws a tag) elk hunter. He hunts turkeys all around the country, but most of his hunting takes place on the ranch where he grew up. The three of us recorded this episode live and late into the night after a full day of picking up sheds. The conversation jumps all over the place from shed hunting to Nebraska's wealth of hunting opportunities to wildlife management practices and collaring mountain lions. It's an excellent conversation that I can't wait to have again in the future. 
 
Follow Nate on GoWild: @Nate Dodson
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel
 

A conversation that is gaining some buzz lately is hunter land access availability. Some hunters think this is a major problem in hunting and even go as far as saying new hunters should not be recruited into the hunting community. Alex and I weighed in on this hot button issue.
 
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel
 

Kaleb is one of those people who lives outdoors. From his land management business and hunting whiteails to putting miles in shed hunting and scouting, Kaleb logs more hours outside than the vast majority of people I know. Kaleb's connection to the land has helped him become an expert whitetail hunter and the buck he killed in the 2023 archery season serves as the best evidence for this. Tune in as we talk about gaining hunting permission, EHD, locating target bucks, and hunting small pieces of habitat. 
 
Video of Kaleb's 2023 Giant Buck Harvest
 
Follow Kaleb: @kaleb.greiner
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel
 

This is part 2 of my conversation with Jace Elliott regarding the health of the Iowa Deer Herd following the difficult 2023 hunting season. 
 
Follow Jace: @jace.elliott
Check out the First Gen Hunter Website
Follow First Gen Hunter
Instagram: @first.gen.hunter
GoWild: @Kent Boucher
Facebook: @first.gen.hunter
Follow The Hunt Fish Life: @hntfsh_life
Follow Alex: @east2westhunts_alex (also on GoWild)
Follow East2West Hunts: @east2westhunts
Follow Caleb: @calebleedrake (also on GoWild)
 
Support First Gen Hunter by shopping at the following partners:
Spartan Forge
East2West Hunts Use promo code: firstgen10 = 10% off any purchase
Old Barn Taxidermy Tell Them The First Gen Hunter Podcast Sent You!
Camofire
Black Ovis
My Medic use promo code firstgen15 at checkout to save 15%
AlienGear Holsters
FORLOH
Fox River Socks
Gunskins
Tipton Gun Cleaning Accessories
Outdoor Edge
Kuiu Tactical Hunting Apparel