Petersen's Bowhunting Radio

Former All-American college wrestler and UFC fighting champion Chad Mendes has beaten some of the toughest opponents in the world. Off the mat and outside the octagon, however, Mendes is a passionate bowhunter who enjoys the challenge of pursuing world-class bucks and bulls. Mendes joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to talk hunting and his Finz & Featherz Guide Service that gives fellow sportsmen the opportunity to experience awesome outdoor adventures alongside professional athletes and celebrities.

Sure, Indiana is renowned for its high-quality hoops, but the state has also become well-known for its world-class whitetail hunting. On this week’s Bowhunting Podcast, Tony Wright of the Hoosier State Record Buck Program joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to talk about the growing number of trophy-caliber bucks taken in Indiana each year, where these deer are coming from and why the state is producing so many mature whitetails.

Long Island might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of great bowhunting destinations, but this densely populated suburban area in the shadows of New York City is home to a burgeoning whitetail population. Jacqueline Molina from Babes & Bucks of Long Island joins Editor Christian Berg to talk about a passionate group of female bowhunters who are helping control deer numbers in their neighborhood.

The whitetail rut is finally here, and that means magic could literally happen at any moment! On Nov. 3, 2021, Oklahoma bowhunter Zach Meadows took the buck of a lifetime, a 17-pointer that scored 196 6/8 inches net, making it one of the largest non-typicals ever taken in the Sooner State. Meadows joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to share his top tips and tactics for taking mature bucks during the rut.

It's Halloween Week, and that means frightfully good action in the deer woods. Laden Force and Haynes Shelton from North American Whitetail magazine and TV join Editor Christian Berg to discuss the deer-hunting tactics you can use RIGHT NOW to put a big buck on the ground as October comes to a close.

What if you could predict the best days and times to hunt whitetails? Thanks to the all-new Whitetail Activity Forecast from Hunt Stand, you can! The Forecast combines peak breeding dates from more than 4,000 counties nationwide with real-time, localized weather data and predicts peak movement periods for each day and also ranks each day's movement potential from 1 to 100. Hunt Stand's Brian Murphy joins Editor Christian Berg to discuss the new forecasting tool and how it can help you be a more efficient deer hunter. 

Bryan Burhans, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, joins Editor Christian Berg to discuss how he lost an incredible 110 pounds in the past nine months and how it has dramatically increased his enjoyment of the outdoors. Burhans also discusses the challenges of managing Pennsylvania's whitetail herd and the growing role crossbows are playing in the state's archery season.

From a daylong sit in a whitetail stand to a backcountry elk hunt, a backpack is an essential piece of bowhunting equipment. Mystery Ranch’s Chris Nolan and Alex Rich join Associate Editor Mark Demko to discuss what goes into selecting the perfect pack for your hunting needs, as well as take a closer look at the company’s new Treehouse Series, designed especially for serious whitetail treestand hunters.

Not many hunts are harder than pursuing big-woods whitetails on public ground. In this episode, Steve Sherk of Sherk's Guide Service in Pennsylvania discusses his lifelong passion for pursuing mature bucks on the public, offers tips for locating bucks in areas of vast timber and explains how he used his know-how to build a business that offers a unique opportunity for hardcore bowhunters willing to embrace the ultimate whitetail challenge!

Many bowhunters develop eye problems as they age, impacting their effectiveness in the field. Optometrist and competitive archer Joe Vincent and Adjustable Red Dot co-owner Tim Zelenka join Associate Editor Mark Demko to discuss why our eyesight changes over time, how it erodes our ability to see clearly and focus on the pin and target and how we can cope with the challenge of aging eyes.

Nolan Johnson of California kicked off his 2022 hunting season in a big way, taking a spectacular 4x4 mule deer on the second day of the archery season. Johnson joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to share the story on the hunt, which ended with him taking the longest bow shot of his life at the biggest buck he’s ever seen.

Deer season is finally here, and we get you ready with our annual season preview. Field Editors Eddie Claypool and Bill Winke join Editor Christian Berg and Associate Editor Mark Demko to discuss the best days to hunt this fall and the strategies and tactics that will help you punch your tag, from opening day all the way through the late season!

No other county in the United States produces as many Boone and Crockett bucks as Buffalo County, Wisc. Legendary whitetail guru Tom Indrebo from Bluff Country Outfitters joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to talk about the county’s world-class hunting and share some of the some of the insights he’s gained from 40 years of studying mature bucks.

Few bowhunts offer better odds of success than blind hunting for pronghorns over waterholes. Shantane Strohschein of Crazy Horn Outfitters in Gillette, Wy., joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to talk about the world-class pronghorn hunting in her corner of the state, the excitement of bowhunting for speed goats and the things you need to keep in mind when antelope hunting.

Whitetail season is almost here for bowhunters lucky enough to hunt states with early-September openers. Zachary Estridge and Wess Brown from Palisades Bowhunting in Kentucky join Editor Christian Berg to discuss late-summer strategies for velvet bucks and why tree saddles have become an increasingly important part of Palisades' low-pressure bowhunting philosophy.

With bowhunting seasons right around the corner, now’s the time many hunters begin their trail-cam scouting in earnest. Tom Rainey from Browning Trail Cameras joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to talk about how you can get the most out of your trail cameras this year, as well as what’s new from Browning Trail Cameras in 2022.

When you think of bowhunting whitetails from the ground, the first thing that usually comes to mind is sitting in a ground blind. Years ago, Michigan’s Tracy Breen chose to forego manufactured blinds for a more natural approach. On this week’s podcast, the longtime bowhunter talks about the benefits of simply tucking yourself into the vegetation, as well as the many things you need to consider when trying to ambush wary whitetails at eye level.

Pronghorn antelope are almost certainly the most accessible western big-game species to bowhunters. From geographic distribution and abundance to license costs and the amount of public land available to pursue them, pronghorns truly are an incredible resource for those seeking affordable adventures!

Covert Optics recently rolled out an all-new lineup of thermal optics designed especially for bowhunters. Whether you hunt predators, hogs and gators or just need help searching for a wounded big-game animal in the dark, thermal optics can help! Covert's Lucas Johnson joins Associate Editor Mark Demko to talk about the company's innovative, new products.

The saddle-hunting boom continues among bowhunters, and Trophy Line continues to be at the forefront of the tree saddle movement. In this episode, Trophy Line's Shawn Ferguson and Nick Betts go over all in the innovations built into the company's all-new Venatic saddle and explain why a saddle needs to be part of every serious deer hunter's arsenal.