EatWild Podcast

EatWild 74 - Can your phone make you a better hunter? - Best apps for hunting

I rely on my phone more every year to be precise and advance my hunting process. The smartphone has become an essential tool for navigation, communication, research, documentation, and much more. 

In this episode, I am on a late-season Mule Deer hunting with my friend Adam Pospischil. Adam is one of those hunters that is consistently successful in his hunts. He is a self-thought hunter and his success is built on his pre-hunt research, reliance on data interpretation, use of technology, and lots of committed hard work. Adam shares what tools he uses to make him a better hunter, and some of the lessons learned on his hunting journey. 

We are hunting the grasslands and looking for a mature Mule Deer buck and using the apps and tips discussed on on this episode on the hunt. 

Stick around to the end to find out how the hunt worked out. 

Link to BC 1:20,000 maps link.

IHunter App link 

Gaia Map Link

As always this podcast is brought to you by our friends at West Coast Kitchen Canada. They offer a 10% discount code on all of their nourishing backcountry food. Use the discount code EATWILD.

And our friends at Seek Outside sponsor this podcast. We’ve been using their tents all season to stay warm and dry on our adventures. Use EATWILD on your order for a deal. 

EatWild 73 - Lessons in Blacktail Deer Hunting

This episode is all about blacktail deer and blacktail hunting. Since moving back to the sunshine coast, I’ve had time to focus on the elusive Blacktail deer. After 10 seasons of poking around these woods, I finally learned enough blacktail hunting lessons that a hunt came together for me. 

In this episode, I got a chance to catch up with my friend Travis Kayes. Travis is a relatively new hunter that came through the EatWild program.  He is dedicated and passionate about chasing Blacktail deer near his home. He has been the most consistently successful blacktail hunter in my community.

 
I know how hard blacktail hunting is, so I was curious to talk with Travis about his journey to becoming a successful Blacktail hunter. This is podcast is a ton of fun as Travis and I trade notes on what we learned about Blacktail hunting.

I would argue that the Blacktail deer is the most challenging of the deer species to harvest here in BC. They typically maintain low-density populations throughout their habitat, they don't leave a lot of sign, so they are hard to find.  They live in thick, noisy habitats so it's almost impossible to keep from bumping them.  

I hope you enjoy this podcast. And good luck finding your Blacktail secret spot!

As always this podcast is brought to you by our friends at West Coast Kitchen Canada. They offer a 10% discount code on all of their nourishing backcountry food. Use the discount code EATWILD.
 
And our friends at Seek Outside sponsor this podcast. We’ve been using their tents all season to stay warm and dry on our adventures. Use EATWILD on your order for a deal. 

 

72 - Hunting with Horses - What I learned with Steve Hodgson

If you’re a hunter, you probably dream of a horse-hunting adventure. I know I do!  Horse hunting brings the promise of accessing remote wilderness areas with the comfort of horses doing the work to pack the harvest back to the trailhead. 

Before you saddle up on adventures like this, there’s lots to learn. Horses are a lot of work and it’s a huge commitment. But what a special way to travel and hunt! So it’s worth a listen to find out what horse hunting is all about. 

I’ve been invited by my friend and colleague, Steve Hodgson, on a horse-hunting adventure into a remote wilderness area in British Columbia. Steve is a keen hunter and an experienced horseman with a ton of knowledge. I’m stoked to get the invite and have the opportunity to learn about what it takes to hang out with these amazing animals on the trail and in the mountains. 

Horses are a commitment! In this podcast, we talk about what it takes to own and care for horses throughout the year, logistics of planning and executing a hunt with horses in the field.

All along, we’re looking for mule deer and enjoying some spectacular October weather in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever had the chance to hang out in. Also, with some great company from the horses and my old pal Steve.

As always this podcast is brought to you by our friends at West Coast Kitchen Canada. They offer a 10% discount code on all of their nourishing backcountry food. Use the discount code EATWILD.

 

And our friends at Seek Outside sponsor this podcast. We’ve been using their tents all season to stay warm and dry on our adventures. Use EATWILD on your order for a deal. 

71 - Packraft Elk Hunting Adventure -With Adam Foss and Spencer Greening

I love elk hunting. I also love exploring.  I managed to talk my friends Spencer Greening and Adam Foss into joining me on the quest to find Elk Heaven. I had an idea about a river that might be bountiful with elk without any hunting pressure. The packrafts were the ideal mode of transportation to set out on an expedition to find Elk Heaven. 

 

Spencer Greening is an academic studying indigenous approaches to wildlife management, and Adam Foss is a professional photographer that works in the hunting and conservation world. This was Spencer's first Elk hunt and Adams's first packraft expedition so we share their learnings throughout the podcast. 

 

Throughout our days on the river, we have some insightful conversations and reflect on our motivations and passion for hunting.

 

We struggled to put a successful hunt together as we explored this new area. Hot weather and a full moon made it difficult to find Elk out and about during the day. By far the best way to be a successful hunter is to go back to an area where you’ve had success before. However, if you have a passion for exploring new places, then it’s hard to go back to the same place to hunt. We struggle with this question and talk about it in depth in this podcast. Exploration versus going with what you know.

 

I opted to roll this podcast out in one longer story, so I hope you enjoy it. 

 

As always this podcast is brought to you by our friends at West Coast Kitchen Canada. They offer a 10% discount code on all of their nourishing backcountry food. Use the discount code EATWILD.

 

And our friends at Seek Outside sponsor this podcast. We’ve been using their tents all season to stay warm and dry on our adventures. Use EATWILD on your order for a deal. 

EatWild 70 - Meat Care and Game Bags with Huto’s Mike Defeo

In this episode, I am joined by Mike Defeo of Huto Lifestyle. He started making game bags a few years ago with the goal of creating a lightweight quality product for backcountry hunters like me. I found Mike because I was on a quest to find an alternative to packing around bulky heavy cotton game bags. So I have a bunch of questions for Mike about moving to synthetic game bags. 

 

We get into a great discussion on meat care techniques while on the hunt and in the backcountry. We provide some suggestions on the realistic number of pack loads for each of the big game species and reasonable pack weights over distances. 

 

We talk about making ethical decisions about when hot temperatures can limit when and where you can harvest an animal.  

 

This is a great episode to be listening to as we get into the peak of the deer season.

 

In the introduction, I included some info about chronic wasting disease (CWD). The BC Chronic Wasting Disease Program is asking hunters to submit samples of harvested deer to reduce the potential spread of the disease here in BC. To find out more about CWD go here.

 

Also, Mike has generously offered a 10% discount on Huto Lifestyle Game Bags. I have a couple of sets and I sure appreciate how compact and light they are. Use the discount code EATWILD10 at the Huto Store. Valid until the end of October. 

 

As always this podcast is brought to you by our friends at West Coast Kitchen Canada. They offer a 10% discount code on all of their nourishing backcountry food. Use the discount code EATWILD.

 

And our friends at Seek Outside sponsor this podcast. We’ve been using their tents all season to stay warm and dry on our adventures. Use EATWILD on your order for a deal. 

EatWild 69 - The Best Way to Cook a Deer Leg - With Andy Moeckel the Flip Flop Guy

Save your deer legs! In this episode we're joined by Andy Moeckel - he’s The Flip Flop Guy. He’s pioneered the flip flop cooking method for deer legs over coal.

 

I am co-hosting this conversation with my good friend and wild chef Jody Peck. Jody is the head chef for our all-wild food wedding and we have 6 deer legs on the menu.  Andy shares his technique for cooking whole deer legs over the charcoal barbecue, and Jody is taking notes! 

 

The flip flop method is truly magic for serving deer legs and hosting an interactive food-focused party.

 

In addition to being a wild chef, Andy is a passionate hunter and conservationist.  We get to know Andy throughout this episode and hear about some of his adventures, his podcast and film projects.

 

Andy has built a truly unique business by bringing communities together around the fire and cooking deer legs. 

 

You can find Andy @TheFlipFlopGuy

 

You need to try this so be sure to keep one of your deer legs whole this fall and order some of The Flip Flop Sauce for your party! www.flipflopguy.co

 

This podcast was brought to you with the support of Seek Outside. @Seekoutside specializes in building ultralight reliable gear for adventures. Use the discount code to EATWILD at seekoutside.com

 

For nourishing food on your next adventure be sure to check out West Coast Kitchen. Use the EATWILD discount code on your next order. 

EatWild 68 - First Aid for Hunters with Cam Fenton

You will need to take notes for this one! Tons of good info, just in time for the hunting season. 

Hunting is a high-risk activity that takes place in remote wilderness settings.  How can we reduce the risk and be prepared to respond in a first aid emergency? 

In this episode, I am talking to Cam Fenton about the most common injuries and life-threatening medical emergencies that hunters can encounter. He provides detailed information on how to treat them, what you should add to your kit to ensure you’re prepared, and what you may already carry in your pack that could be used in these situations.

We talk about diagnosing and treating hypothermia, breaks and sprains, and cuts and bleeds. 

We discuss the importance of having a satellite emergency communication device  (like an inReach device) and being prepared to activate it and seek help if the situation requires it. We break down the question of "when should I call for help?"

Based in Squamish, BC, Cam Fenton is a guide, BC paramedic, first aid instructor and educator. Whether by ski, foot, bike or boat, he loves to explore deep into wild places all across BC and beyond. What he likes most is connecting with his guests and students while sharing his passion for safety and emergency preparedness.

This podcast was brought to you with the support of Seek Outside. @Seekoutside specializes in building ultralight reliable gear for adventures. Use the discount code to EATWILD at seekoutside.com

For nourishing food on your next adventure be sure to check out West Coast Kitchen.

Use the EATWILD discount code on your next order. 

EatWild 66 - First Buck Stories with Miki and Ashley

Some fun storytelling in this episode.  Both Miki and Ashley have set out to become hunters over the past few years. They share their respective journey's to their first buck harvest. I hope you enjoy it!

 

This podcast was brought to you with the support of Seek Outside. @Seekoutside specializes in building ultralight reliable gear for adventures. Use the discount code to EATWILD at seekoutside.com

 

For nourishing food on your next adventure be sure to check out West Coast Kitchen.

Use the EATWILD discount code on your next order. 

EatWild 65 - The Ethics of Killing Your Food - With Jeff Senger of From the Wild

In this episode, I’m hanging out with Jeff Senger, co-host of the web series From The Wild. He’s a lifelong hunter, and self-proclaimed "slaughterer" - he owns and operates an abattoir in Alberta. This guy knows a lot about harvesting and processing animals!

We talk about perspectives on taking the life of an animal and focusing on doing it humanely and ethically. Our thoughts meander to the topic of wild cocktails and our passion for all things wild. 

This is a great chat with a really engaging conversationalist. Hope you enjoy it! 

Be sure to catch Jeff and his partner-in-wilderness Kevin Kossovan in Season 8 of From the Wild here.

EatWild 64 - Treaty Rights, Reconciliation, and Wildlife Allocation - Implications of the Yahey vs. BC ruling

Today I am sitting with Spencer Greening La’goot, Indigenous scholar and Jesse Zeman, executive director of the BCWF to discuss a tough topic.

The news of restrictions for resident hunters as a result of the BC Government losing the Yahey vs. British Columbia court case has the potential to cause polarizing views. Pitting resident hunters against Indigenous Nations in a perceived competition for “the right to hunt and conducting one’s way of life” is not only dangerous in its potential for hindering reconciliation efforts, but it effectively takes the focus off the main issue: habitat loss.

My guests provide the context of this court decision, share important insight into how it was interpreted by the BC Government when implementing the measures that were just announced, and together we explore alternative strategies to support reconciliation.

The proposal from the BC Government is open for feedback until March 23 at midnight.

Find out more:

BC Government’s plan to address the Yahey vs. British Columbia court ruling

BC Government proposal

The Inconvenient Indian – if you needed ONE book to help you understand the context and the need for reconciliation

For more context on Indigenous wildlife stewardship with La'goot, check out Episodes 27 and 28 of the EatWild Podcast.

This podcast was brought to you with the support of Seek Outside. @Seekoutside specializes in building ultralight reliable gear for adventures. Use the discount code to EATWILD at seekoutside.com