DIY Sportsman - Sportsmen's Empire artwork

DIY Sportsman - Sportsmen's Empire

143 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 54 ratings

The DIY Sportsman Podcast focuses on covering hunting and gear-specific topics for the do-it-yourselfer. Hosts Garrett Prahl and Bobby (Boudreaux) Boswell draw from their backgrounds in engineering and wildlife biology, respectively, to provide a unique perspective which compliments their real-world experience hunting whitetails, turkeys, hogs, and western big game with everything from homemade bows to firearms. This podcast is brought to you by the Sportsmen's Nation - Outdoor Podcast Network.

Wilderness Sports Technology hunting bowhunting whitetails outdoors big game mobile hunting public land
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Episodes

Aero Hunter Kestrel Flex

May 16, 2019 02:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MB

Aero Hunter is releasing a new saddle to their lineup. The Kestrel Flex offers minor, but significant changes to the popular Kestrel saddle that really put them on the map in the bow hunting community. After tweaking multiple designs since the release of the Kestrel, tested and modified by people like Bobby and others, Aero Hunter finally got to a design they were happy to release. This podcast goes over the key attributes of the Kestrel Flex and answers some of the main questions a consume...

Bobby's Utah Turkey

May 02, 2019 02:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MB

In this episode Bobby talks about his recent Utah turkey hunt. Yes, Utah has turkeys - and yes, they do live up in the mountains. This is the third straight year that Bobby drew an early season tag to hunt turkeys in Utah. Typically it's the type of tag you'd only draw about every other year. Most of the birds he was able to locate were not too far under the snowline on the mountains. In the past he'd attempted to hunt these birds by roosting them and then sneaking close to the roost trees b...

Bayou Bowhunter with Harmon Carson

April 18, 2019 02:00 - 1 hour - 85.1 MB

This week's guest is Harmon Carson, located in the state of Louisiana, a state not known for good deer hunting. Hunting pressure is high, the firearms season is extremely long, the woods are dense, and hunters are able to use dogs. Despite all of this, Harmon has had consistent success, and he gets it done with a traditional bow. Much of this podcast focuses on Harmon's strategy for hunting deer in these dense Louisiana landscapes. He heavily relies on trail cameras due to the lack of agric...

Whitetail Scouting Trip with Sean McVeigh

April 04, 2019 02:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MB

Garrett went on a scouting trip with Sean McVeigh from Sean's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel. The two have been trying to plan a group hunt for the past couple years and should finally be able to make it happen this year. The location chosen was an area of "big woods" habitat in Central Wisconsin that neither person has been to before. The idea is to have a March scouting trip, and August follow-up scouting trip, and finally a weekend hunt in early October, before the rut. Sean and Garr...

Spring B.S. Session

March 21, 2019 02:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MB

In this episode Garrett and Bobby cover a wide range of topics. Rapid thawing is happening in many areas, which affects spring scouting plans and has caused localized flooding in areas. The absolute best time of year to cover a lot of ground in marshes or wooded swamps is the narrow strip of time when the water is still frozen yet most of the snow is melted. Food sources can become really obvious if there is some remaining snow. Garrett noticed a large volume of tracks moving through and aro...

Whitetail Hunting Boot Review

March 07, 2019 01:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MB

In this podcast Garrett does a quick review of all of the boots he has used for whitetail hunting over the past several years. Some boots have served as great all around options for scouting, turkey hunting, and western hunting in addition to whitetails, while others are very specific use. The boots reviewed in this podcast share a similarity. None of them are rubber. That isn't to say that rubber boots are inferior - certainly they have their place. That being said, there are lace up optio...

Kyle Null and New Breed Archery

February 21, 2019 02:10 - 1 hour - 89.6 MB

In this episode, Garrett and Bobby talk with Kyle Null, president of New Breed Archery. Kyle basically started building bows in his garage for himself and his friends. That eventually grew into a full time business. Now New Breed specializes in one-of-a-kind bows direct to consumer. Kyle explains the logic and reasoning behind how he designs his bows: axle-to-axle length, titanium limb bolts, the cam system, limb stops, etc. Kyle isn't just a bow designer, he's also an avid bow hunter and t...

Sika Hunt and Ice Fishing Cutthroats

February 07, 2019 02:21 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MB

Bobby went on two big trips near the end of 2018. First he hunted the isolated population of Sika deer on the Delmarva peninsula with a good group of hunting buddies. Shortly after, he went ice fishing in Utah for the first time in his life, catching a good bag of cutthroat trout. We discuss that first-time ice fishing trip first, then dive into the Sika hunt in greater depth. Sika deer are not native to the United States. A very small group of them was brought from overseas, where they slo...

DIY Sportsman | Sean McVeigh of Sean's Outdoor Adventures

January 24, 2019 02:56 - 1 hour - 77.5 MB

On this episode we chat with Sean McVeigh from the Sean's Outdoor Adventures YouTube channel. Sean has produced hundreds of videos over the years with a focus on helping people hunt whitetail deer. Most of what he's known for is hunting in the Northeast, on public land in states like Pennsylvania and New York. Over the last couple of years however, Sean has made a move to the big buck state of Iowa. In our discussion, Sean talked about some of his perceptions about Iowa, and his initial exp...

DIY Sportsman | Pre-ATA and Broadhead/Arrow Recap

January 09, 2019 03:50 - 1 hour - 73.8 MB

The ATA show is right around the corner, so Garrett and Bobby discussed all the things that they really hope to see come out of the event. The industry tends to cover two very separate styles of hunting. One caters to the private land crowd, with box blinds, food products, and land management resources, while the other (growing) side caters to the run and gun hunter. Of course, there are plenty of brands and products that are a potential fit for all archers as well. Technology improvements w...

DIY Sportsman | Climbing Methods Update - Thoughts after the Season

December 19, 2018 22:38 - 40 minutes - 37 MB

Bobby and Garrett have certainly spent time discussing various climbing methods in past podcasts; however, this time Garrett goes more in depth, reflecting on various methods used now that the bulk of this year's season is now over. While many mobile hunters are totally satisfied with 4 climbing sticks as their end-all-be-all method for climbing trees, there are plenty of guys who push the envelope. Some climb with a single stick. Some climb with nothing but rope and arborist techniques. Oth...

DIY Sportsman | Cold Weather Clothing and Layering

November 29, 2018 03:12 - 1 hour - 82.1 MB

Garrett and Bobby discuss cold weather clothing. While there are certainly similarities between what garments a western hunter might choose to wear versus an eastern tree stand hunter, there are even more differences. Part of the contrast between regions is where the discussion starts off. Puffy jackets, down, synthetic, and face material noise properties are main areas of discussion. Apart from base layers and insulating garments, there are other major areas of interest for whitetail hunte...

DIY Sportsman | Missouri Hunt Recap

November 15, 2018 03:24 - 1 hour - 59.1 MB

Garrett and Bobby met up to hunt the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, in an area close to where Bobby grew up. From the start, this was going to be a very limited time hunt, since archery season essentially shuts down during firearms season, and the two each only had archery tags. That area of the forest is like many areas that are known as "big woods" in that the habitat is mostly a monoculture. Apart from varied topography and creek bottoms, there isn't much in terms of habitat vari...

DIY Sportsman | More Harvests and Rut Strategy

November 01, 2018 12:49 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

Bobby and Garrett discuss their recent hunts and harvests as well as plans for the coming weeks. Bobby flew back to his Missouri home down and was able to shoot a doe within an hour of being in the tree. One of the interesting things for that particular hunt was that Bobby used an EZ V flipped around backwards only hours out of pulling it out of the package. That's a pretty bold move, and he explained his process and also thoughts around using the sight for the first time. Missouri has a ton...

DIY Sportsman | Bow Hunting In October

October 18, 2018 02:30 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MB

The subject of this podcast is bow hunting through the transitions of October. Deer aren't on their summer patterns, and they aren't moving like they will during the rut. That doesn't mean that they aren't huntable or even killable this time of year. Just take a look at social media. While there aren't as many success photos as you'll see during the rut, there are still an awful lot of deer dropping... even nice bucks. There are plenty of hunters who even prefer early season over the rut whe...

DIY Sportsman | Charged by a Mountain Lion

September 20, 2018 01:09 - 1 hour - 72.1 MB

On this episode DIY Sportsman podcast, Aaron Lasco shares the graphic details of being charged by a mountain lion while archery elk hunting in Montana. Without a handgun or any type of bear spray or other protection, he picked up his bow out of instinct and shot the quickly approaching cat in the face. The story didn't end there. Aaron called the Fish and Game department to report the incident, and they quickly arrived on the scene to do a thorough investigation of the self defense claim. W...

DIY Sportsman | Self Filming Tips and Equipment

September 06, 2018 02:30 - 1 hour - 56.8 MB

Garrett has been self filming his hunts for over 12 years. In this episode, he covers many of the details for those looking to either get started or refine their game. One of the biggest questions initially surrounds equipment. What type of camera? How many cameras? What type of camera arm? But equipment is really just one initial piece of the puzzle. There are various options for different needs; however, self filming has a specific set of equipment that tends to best blend quality and ease...

DIY Sportsman | EZ V Bow Sight with Aaron Lasco

August 23, 2018 02:40 - 1 hour - 70.5 MB

On this episode of the DIY Sportsman podcast, Garrett and Bobby announce the winner of the Aero Hunter saddle giveaway, but also have a discussion with the inventor of the EZ V sight, Aaron Lasco. The sight concept was born out of necessity for Aaron, but it looks radically different than any other pin sight on the market. The shape of the V inserts allow the hunter to frame up an animal to judge its range. Ranging devices such as this one have been used in the military for over 100 years, b...

DIY Sportsman | Season Plans and Preparation

August 09, 2018 01:52 - 1 hour - 61.1 MB

In this episode of the DIY Sportsman, we are giving the listeners instructions on how to win an Aero Hunter saddle. But much more than that, Garrett and Bobby dive into their season plans, and what work they've specifically done over summer to help make the season a success. Bobby will start off chasing mule deer with his recurve, and transition to elk and then Missouri whitetails. Garrett will start off September bow hunting both Minnesota and Wisconsin for whitetails with both longbow and ...

DIY Sportsman | Blood Trailing with Dogs with Shane Simpson

July 26, 2018 01:49 - 1 hour - 79.5 MB

This week we have Shane Simpson back on the podcast. Many people know Shane as a turkey hunter, but he also recently bought a dog and trained it to track specific scent trails. In just the first fall, his dog Callie tracked over 30 deer with a very good success rate. Shane and Bobby were able to connect very well since they both have experience in using dogs to track deer. They compared notes and talked about the advantages of certain breeds over others depending on the terrain. In addition...

DIY Sportsman | Listener Q&A: Part 2

July 12, 2018 03:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MB

In the second part of the Q&A podcast, Garrett and Bobby go over the remainder of the questions sent in by listeners through Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Part one answered quite a few questions relating to saddle hunting and set ups. Part two contains more questions about saddles, but also mobile hunting logistics in general. Cold weather clothing, packing gear efficiently, archery set ups, and more are all covered.

DIY Sportsman | Listener Q&A: Part 1

June 28, 2018 01:44 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MB

In this week's episode we're answering listener questions. There were actually enough that we needed to split the podcast up into two separate parts, so we really do appreciate you guys being so involved. The topics are all across the board but generally geared towards mobile whitetail hunting. In both segments, there are lots of questions pertaining to tree stands, saddles, and climbing methods. In the first part, we also answer questions about what specific locations we hunt, choosing a c...

DIY Sportsman | Terminal Arrow Performance with Troy Fowler

June 14, 2018 03:00 - 1 hour - 71.1 MB

In bow hunting, we care not only about getting the arrow to the animal, but also getting the arrow through the animal. Troy Fowler, also known as "The Ranch Fairy" does a ton of experimenting with various arrow and broadhead setups to investigate their performance on game. With an unlimited access to hogs, Troy is not only able to fling lots of arrows at live animals, but also wait for the specific shot opportunities to test how a setup performs in ideal or non-ideal situations. With his ba...

DIY Sportsman | Saddle Hunting - Aero Hunter Kestrel

May 31, 2018 02:10 - 1 hour - 60.2 MB

In today's episode we're featuring the Aero Hunter Kestrel, a hunting saddle that is the result of years of development and prototyping. You'll learn about Bobby's involvement with Aero Hunter and the design history of the kestrel. For those of you who are still on the fence or really don't understand the reasons behind the whole saddle hunting thing, we will be going into detail on some of the advantages and common questions that we see. In addition, we'll be discussing features that are m...

DIY Sportsman | In-Depth Broadhead Discussion with John Lusk

May 17, 2018 02:14 - 1 hour - 74.2 MB

On today's episode, we have special guest John Lusk, the man behind the Lusk Archery Adventures YouTube channel. John has hunted a variety of game in the US and Africa and is a total broadhead junkie. He's shot and tested most of the broadheads on the market, both in controlled tests and through animals. He's also not afraid to talk about what he likes and doesn't like. We discuss cheap knock-off heads, premium machined broadheads, 2 vs 3 vs 4 blade, single vs. double bevel, mechanical vs. ...

DIY Sportsman | Snow Gobblers and Sturgeon

May 03, 2018 01:27 - 1 hour - 57.7 MB

This episode takes a dive into two great spring past times, turkey hunting and sturgeon fishing. The Rainy River sturgeon run is unique. There aren't a ton of opportunities for anglers across the country to intentionally fish for lake sturgeon (and even harvest them). Given that it also takes place during a time when most other area fishing opportunities for game fish are closed, it tends to draw a pretty massive crowd. A fight with a sturgeon can take dozens of minutes, even on heavy tackle...

DIY Sportsman | Ultralight Mindset for Whitetail Hunting

April 18, 2018 00:53 - 1 hour - 64.5 MB

For western hunters, ounce counting is fairly common, and it has been for a while. The drive to become ultralight has typically lagged behind for whitetail hunters as a whole. However, for the mobile, run-and-gun hunter, weight is a bigger concern. Accessories that used to be made from steel are now offered in aluminum or composite. People buy smaller tree stands or switch to saddles. Manufactures are now used to listing weights for their products. Some modern whitetail hunters go to the oun...

DIY Sportsman | Turkey Hunting Tips with Shane Simpson

April 05, 2018 01:44 - 1 hour - 68.6 MB

In this week's episode, Shane Simpson is interviewed about turkey hunting tips and calling strategy. Shane is lives in Minnesota but produces an annual video series titled, "Calling All Turkeys" each spring. He travels across the country, filming himself and others hunting turkeys on both public and private land. Garrett and Shane hunted turkeys together in 2015, and Shane's run-and-gun tactics influenced how he turkey hunts public land to this day. Shane doesn't just hunt turkeys; he's als...

DIY Sportsman | All Things Archery

March 22, 2018 01:27 - 1 hour - 81.6 MB

This podcast is sort of a campfire style discussion about archery setups between Garrett and Bobby. It starts with equipment and styles that they're using, especially with the upcoming turkey season. They discuss shooting with opposite handed bows, using Quivalizer style setups, peep eliminator systems, vanes and feathers, broadheads, limbs, tabs, targets, and other miscellaneous items that are either new or noteworthy. The discussion also turns into a debate of archery theory. Is is better...

DIY Sportsman | Spring Scouting

March 08, 2018 02:35 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MB

On today's Episode, Garrett and Bobby talk spring scouting, or post season scouting depending on your climate. Historically they've each placed a very different level of reliance on this strategy of gaining intel on hunting land and sometimes look for very different things. Garrett uses spring scouting as a primary method for learning bedding areas and piecing together big picture research. Bobby on the other hand places little stock on spring scouting with a much larger reliance on real-tim...

DIY Sportsman | Saddle Hunting - Saddlepalooza 2018 Recap

February 23, 2018 12:05 - 49 minutes - 44.9 MB

Garrett and Bobby team up with two special guests, Scott Hamilton and Greg Godfrey, to bring a recap of the Saddlepalooza event hosted on the Ft. Stewart military base in Georgia. The event brought people from all over the country who share a similar passion for hunting out of saddles. While one of the main attractions was hog hunting on the base, there was a tremendous amount of knowledge being shared right at camp. Nearly constant demos on tree climbing methods and platform options were be...

DIY Sportsman | Hunting Gear on a Budget

February 08, 2018 02:35 - 1 hour - 60.4 MB

In this episode of the DIY Sportsman podcast, Garrett and Bobby discuss money and hunting gear. The fact is, not everybody has a ton of disposable income. The hunting industry and social media at times makes it seem as if you need the latest and greatest to be successful. In fact, many of the big name guys started out from much more humble beginnings. Often, it's the hunter, more-so than the gear, which makes the difference. That being said, there are plenty of opportunities for people to g...

DIY Sportsman | Ice Fishing Equipment Basics

January 25, 2018 02:54 - 1 hour - 55.4 MB

In this Episode, we discuss ice fishing gear from the perspective of someone with a lot of experience fishing the upper MidWest (Garrett) talking to a total newbie (Boudreaux). Topics covered include electronics, rod styles, augers, safety gear, and shelters. Through plenty of trips with various anglers, Garrett has not only tried plenty of gear himself, but has also had the opportunity to observe other equipment in actual use on the hard water. It should come as no surprise that which equi...

DIY Sportsman | The Truth About Ozone

January 11, 2018 02:39 - 1 hour - 67.9 MB

Today's episode is a special one. We've brought on our first guest, Shawn Chadwick, to discuss ozone with. He has a PhD and works as a chemical engineer, so if anyone understands what's actually going on with ozone scent elimination, it's him. In addition, he's also a hardcore whitetail hunter and understands how we need to address these things in a real world sense. None of us have any affiliation with any scent control products, so what you'll hear is truly our unbiased thoughts. Just a f...

DIY Sportsman | Ultimate Gear Review 2017

December 28, 2017 00:35 - 1 hour - 80.1 MB

In their final podcast of 2017, Garrett and Bobby dive into a full on review of all the new products they tried over the course of the year. Archery equipment is tackled first, from compound and trad bows to arrows, insert systems, and broadheads. Next, the two cover new camping gear for spending days at a time in the backcountry. With Garrett's transition to hammock camping, he explains some of the major differences in a high end hammock vs. a cheaper entry level hammock, and the difference...

DIY Sportsman | Late Season Hunting Strategy and Plans

December 14, 2017 01:20 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MB

With December upon us, most hunters have either filled their tags or hung up the towel. However, late season can still be a great time to have success for those willing to brave the elements. Late season hunting extremes and tactics vary quite a bit based on location, but food and bedding are still the biggest keys. In this episode, Garrett and Boudreaux discuss in detail how their gear and clothing system changes once the temperatures drop, as well as additions such as chemical, electrical...

DIY Sportsman | The Science of Rut Timing

November 30, 2017 02:05 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB

Every time mid-October rolls around, hunters frantically search for guidance on rut timing. Will it be earlier or later than last year? How will the weather or moon phase affect the rut? How accurate are the predictions in popular magazines? When should I take my rut-cation? With the increasing popularity of social media, many have turned to Facebook groups to get real time rut reports. But are they just handicapping themselves? There has been plenty of scientific research of the topic of r...

DIY Sportsman | Firearm Hunting Strategy

November 16, 2017 02:12 - 1 hour - 56.2 MB

In this episode of the DIY Sportsman Podcast, Garrett and Boswell talk about firearms deer hunting. Garrett grew up hunting the annual 9 day season in Wisconsin which occurs after the rut, and recently started participating in the Minnesota gun season, which is timed during the heat of the rut. Boswell doesn't do as much gun hunting on his own time anymore, but his job requires him to be a avid marksman as he takes numerous animals for both population reduction and wildlife research, often i...

DIY Sportsman | Scent Control

November 02, 2017 01:03 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MB

In this episode of the DIY Sportsman Podcast, Garrett and Boswell discuss scent control... their philosophies, routines, and experiences. Both use a scientific approach to analyzing scent, and understand the challenges with trying to apply laboratory success and marketing claims to real world scenarios with new variables. They discuss the published studies using tracking dogs as well as weather conditions in which tracking dogs have been observed to follow scent more easily. Spoiler Alert! R...

DIY Sportsman | In Season Scouting Tips

October 19, 2017 15:24 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MB

In this Episode, Garrett and Boudreaux discuss in-season scouting. Many hunters do a fine job of preseason scouting - glassing fields, sitting in observation stands, and checking trail cameras. But once the season rolls around, their focus shifts almost entirely to hunting. Often, it's easy to get caught up on what the deer were doing before the season, which can make it hard to adapt once patterns change. Maybe you've secured access to a new piece of property mid-season. How do you go about...

DIY Sportsman | Colorado Hunt Recap and Gear Review

October 05, 2017 02:29 - 1 hour - 59.2 MB

In this week’s episode, Garrett and Boudreax discuss Garrett’s recent successful DIY public land mule deer hunt in Colorado. After briefly discussing the climax of the hunt, they dig into the gear used, cost of the trip, and lessons learned. This was Garrett’s first time camping in a hammock, and he used a homemade 9×9 tarp to provide protection against the elements. The two hosts discuss other opportunities for DIY gear and whether they provide value over cheap camping gear you may already...

DIY Sportsman | Climbing Stick Discussion

September 21, 2017 01:44 - 1 hour - 28.2 MB

In Episode 2, Garrett and Boudreaux dive into their vast experience using and testing climbing sticks. They discuss the pros and cons of various models on the market, as well as their own personal favorite features, and what they’d like to see from manufacturers in the future. The discussion also includes the value and safety considerations of aftermarket modifications such as webbing aiders.

DIY Sportsman | Introduction

September 07, 2017 01:49 - 43 minutes - 20.2 MB

In the first episode of the DIY Sportsman podcast we meet the hosts Garrett Prahl and Bobby Boswell and learn more about what topics will be covered in this podcast.