Nine Finger Chronicles - Deer Hunting Podcast

Dan Johnson, Sportsmen's Empire

About

The Nine Finger Chronicles podcast covers a variety of topics including hunting gear reviews and information, individual hunter profiles, hunting success stories, and hunting strategy tips and tactics. Host Dan Johnson is a passionate sportsman whose year revolves around bowhunting, his crazy family, and his overall love for Mother Nature. This podcast is brought to you by the Sportsmen's Nation Outdoor Podcast Network.

Available on

Community

775 episodes

Cancellation Week

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan goes solo as he he talks about planning for next seasons out of state hunting trips. Dan dives in to a couple issues he may be facing with conflicting hunts, whether or not he will draw specific tags, and putting together his hunt schedule for the year. Dan also talks about deciding to get a new bow and whether or not he feels the proper time to get it sighted in before the season starts. Lastly, Dan talks up the upcoming task of digging through the last couple years of trail camera pictures to see if he can see any patters from some of the local buck who are now shooter caliber. Just a bunch of random topics that pop up when several guest have to cancel, enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

39m
Mar 31
Mobile Hunting Meets 3D Printing

Usually these conversations are saved for the Hunting Gear Podcast, but we felt like there was enough crossover to launch the episode on both podcasts. On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Austin Kantola of Genesis 3D Printing about mobile hunting and product design. Austin is an engineer by trade but loves to tinker with his hunting equipment, this led to him starting up a 3D printing company where he designs and manufactures accessories for the mobile hunter. Austin share his mobile hunting experiences and how they directly affect the products he designs. Fun episode you will be sure to enjoy if you are a serious mobile hunter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57m
Mar 29
Meat vs. Antlers

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan is joined by the host of the Huntavore podcast, Nick Otto, to talk about hunting to fill the freezer verses hunting to put something on the wall. The guys discuss if there is any overlap, if both types of hunters can get what they want, and if specific rules and regulations are preventing one group from achieving a goal. Nick is a self proclaimed "Meat Hunter" and Dan's goal every year is to put down the oldest and biggest antlered buck as possible. Given the two different approaches to hunting, the guys have an intelligent conversation and how both types of hunters can live under the same roof. This is a fun episode, be sure to share! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 14m
Mar 24
Hunting Rules & Regulations B.S. Session

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan and the host of the Oklahoma Outdoors podcast, John Hudspeth, have a good old fashioned BS session about hunting rules and regulations. Both guys talk about the rules and regulation in their states and if they feel that they measure up to the best interest of the natural resource. As you listen to this keep in mind that these are the opinions of just two hunters. Dan gets in to a great conversation about how rules and regulations can be influenced by non-resident interest groups who are more interested in making money than conserving the natural resource. This is where hunters need to step with a united voice and let outside interest groups know that they have no business interfering with another states natural resource, especially if they are not communicating with that states Department Of Natural Resources. This is an interesting conversation that is meant to spark thought and conversation about how hunting rules and regulations are managed in your home state. Be sure to share this video with you hunting friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 10m
Mar 17
Anything But Deer Hunting with Nate Thomas - COYOTE HUNTING

The "Anything But Deer Hunting" series is an attempt for us to continue our love for the outdoors by learning about other outdoor activities in the hunting and fishing space. On this episode, we talk with Nate Thomas, one of the hosts of the Missouri Woods & Water podcast, about predator hunting. Specifically coyote hunting. Nate shares when he was introduced to coyote hunting, the strategy involved in this style of hunting, and the gear you might need before your first hunt. Nate also discusses the coyotes nose and how it is undefeated in the field, specific firearms and optics needs, and why hunting coyotes ranks up towards top of his favorite things to do. Be sure to check all of the podcasts on the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast network. https://sportsmensempire.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57m
Mar 15
Anything But Deer Hunting with Tony Peterson - Upland Bird Hunting

The "Anything But Deer Hunting" series on the Nine Finger Chronicles podcast is an attempt for us to continue our love for the outdoors by learning about other outdoor activities in the hunting and fishing space. On this episode, Dan talks with Tony Peterson about one of his favorite activities outside of deer hunting, upland bird hunting. Tony talks about why he loves pheasant hunting, why he enjoys training dogs, and why he thinks this would be an excellent opportunity to add to your yearly outdoor activities. Tony also touches on the barriers to entry and even goes in to detail about specific strategies. With a fairly low learning curve and low financial startup cost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

56m
Mar 10
Anything But Deer Hunting with Chris Powell - Hunting With Hounds

The Houndsman XP podcast was the first and is definitely the most popular podcast dedicated to hunting with hounds. On this "Anything But Deer Hunting" series episode, Dan talks with the host of the show, Chris Powell. Chris talks about how he got started coon hunting with dogs, the barrier of entry if you want to get started, spending expectations to get started, and the learning curve you should expect when training dogs. This is a fun episode with another passionate outdoorsman who loves his dogs and the relationships that he has made with others in the hound hunting community. Enjoy and share! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

53m
Mar 08
Hunting B.S. Session with Brian Krebs

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan is joined by the newest member of the Sportsmen's Empire, Brian Krebs of the Western Rookie podcast. This is a mix between a hunter profile podcast and a good old fashioned BS session. Brian talks about his love for western hunting, specifically dark timber elk. Brian talks about growing up in a hunting family and tagging around with his older brothers and dad in central Minnesota. Then when he moved to North Dakota for college, he fell in love with all of the hunting opportunities that state had to offer. Once the deer hunting season is over Brian puts on his hiking boots and hits the landscape looking for shed antlers. This is a fun episode I'm sure you all will enjoy! Be sure to check all of the podcasts on the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast network. https://sportsmensempire.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

59m
Mar 03
Anything But Deer Hunting with Mark Kenyon - FLY FISHING

The "Anything But Deer Hunting" series is an attempt for us to continue our love for the outdoors by learning about other outdoor activities in the hunting and fishing space. On this episode, Dan interviews Mark Kenyon of Wired To Hunt and Meateater about his second love, fly fishing. Mark talks about how he got started fly fishing, what the learning curve, looks like, and how fly fishing is the perfect "ying" to his whitetail "yang". The guys have fun conversation about the similarities between deer hunting and fly fishing, Mark even expresses which one of these activities is easier. This is a fun interview that will give you something to think about out outside of the deer hunting season. Enjoy! Be sure to check all of the podcasts on the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast network. https://sportsmensempire.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

39m
Mar 01
Habitat Improvement Series: Tom Peplinski

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan kicks off his Whitetail Habitat Improvement Series with hunting property consultant Tom Peplinski. Tom breaks down his "Thick and Thin" approach to improving his hunting properties. Tom talks about first setting short and long term goals. This will help you get a plan laid out so you can implement said goals for your farm. Tom gets in to the details about falling trees, hinge cutting, edge feathering, and how to identify different types of browse deer like to eat. Listen closely as Tom talks about how the only time he cares where deer are is during the hunting seasons, outside of that his approach to land management revolves around hold deer on his farms during the hunting seasons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 14m
Feb 24
American Rebel Andy Ross

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan interviews hunter and businessman Andy Ross. Andy is probably most know for starting Ross Archery, his music, and a 10 year run hosting one of the most popular hunting shows on the Outdoor Channel. On top of that, and owns several companies outside of the hunting industry including a patriotic brand American Rebel. We discuss growing up in Eastern Kansas, his first time shooting a bow, moving to Nashville to work on his music, and the timeline that is Andy Ross. This is one part hunter profile podcast and one part American success story. Stay tuned for a follow up episode coming very soon. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 12m
Feb 22
Post-Season Scouting to The Max

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, we chat with public land machine Josh Profitt about taking your scouting missions to the next level. This episode gets as detailed as possible on the topic of post-season scouting. Josh walks us through his start to finish scouting strategy. Josh breaks down what he looks for in food sources, staging areas, travel corridors, and deer bedding areas. As complex as this may sound, scouting for deer is very similar to hunting itself. It's not rocket science, the more time you spend in the woods during the off-season, the more prepared you will be in season. It's that time of year, so get outside and find where next seasons shooter bucks are living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57m
Feb 17
Beau Martonik B.S. Session

Fellow outdoor podcaster and whitetail hunting nut, Beau Martonik joins Dan this week for a fun B.S. Session. Like Dan, Beau has been podcasting for several year and has been able to talk with some of the best deer hunters from across the entire country. On top of that, Beau himself is an experienced big woods bowhunter who throws a ton of time and energy into scouting each year. Beau feels that the more time you put into understanding your hunting properties during the off-season, the closer you will get to achieving your deer hunting goals. In this episode, we discuss scouting the when, where, and why of the land that you hunt. Beau talks about how long it takes for him to get comfortable on a new piece of hunting property, in order to truly understand deer behavior and deer movement on any given landscape. Off-season scouting content at its finest, enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 14m
Feb 15
A Deer Hunters "Ah Ha" Moment

In 2019 Dane Whitsett made the decision to go mobile in his approach to bowhunting whitetails. In his very first hunt of that season he saw more in a single sit than he ever had hunting from the field edges. During that hunt he had an encounter with a beautiful 8 point buck he named Ohio, and from that point on it was Ohio or bust. Unfortunately, a neighboring hunter was able to get a lethal shot on Ohio and was gracious enough to share the news with Dane. Did Dane give up, nope! Later on that season sticking with his mobile hunting strategy he was able to sneak in to a pocket of timber that was holding a lot of deer. From the ground Dane had an encounter with an absolutely huge buck that was chasing a doe. Does Dane capitalize? Listen to this episode to see if he he has a long drag or sad walk back to his truck. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 23m
Feb 10
Fair Chase & Technology Continued

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan continues his fair chase and technology conversation with good friend Bob Polanic. The last time we covered this topic the conversation had more of an anti cell camera, anti technology feel to it. Coming from a more pro technology point of view, Bob feels that the introduction of products like cellular trail cameras don't necessarily lead to higher harvest rates. This is another interesting episode that is a different point of view from someone in our hunting community. A lot to think about. It's also important that we as members of this hunting community open our ears and listen to each other even if we may disagree. Because at the end of the day, being divisive is the worst thing that can happen to this fragile way of life. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 28m
Feb 03
Two Strutting Toms B.S. Session

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Paul Campbell joins Dan in an all out wild turkey BS session. The guys kick off the show by sharing their "introduction to turkey hunting" stories and how Paul specifically fell in love with the activity back in 2008. Paul is currently employed by the National Wild Turkey Federation where he is able to mix his turkey hunting passion with communicating to other the importances of conservation through the NWTF. After that is all BS, the guys talk about their favorite turkey hunting scenarios, the observed turkey population decline, and much more turkey hunting conversation. If you are wild turkey nut, this is the episode for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 4m
Feb 01
Tony Peterson Doesn't Play Nintendo Anymore

Trust me when I say that I am not blackmailing Tony Peterson to get him repeatedly on this podcast. On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Tony Peterson is back on the show and opens up about his inner life lessons. Topics on todays episode include: Shit our dads taught us. Things I wish I knew before I was 30. Music from high school. Chicks from our past. Nintendo games we loved. This is a fun episode where the guys let their hair down and get real for a second. But not really. It's a pretty dumb episode that has no educational value but if you relax a little you may just laugh out loud. We all need chill and get away from the serious side of deer hunting for a little bit, that is why these episodes are so important. Please comment on what you learned from this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 41m
Jan 27
Cell Cameras, Fair Chase & Heated Rants

Right now in the hunting community there is a hot topic of discussion surrounding cellular trail cameras and how they align with fair chase hunting ethics. On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with fellow podcaster Byron Horton about their opinions on this matter and how they feel it will affect hunting in the future. Ethics, tradition, the definition of fair chase are all up for discussion on this weeks episode. It get pretty emotional! Please visit the Nine Finger Chronicles and Sportsmen's Empire social media pages and voice your opinion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 18m
Jan 25
Hunting Gear Podcast - ATA Product Highlights & Recap

Once a year a majority of the brands in the hunting and archery industries gather under one roof to showcase their products. This is an opportunity for bow shops and other outdoor focused stores to check out the new products and place orders for the upcoming year. The outdoor press and media are also in attendance to cover the show. On this episode of the Hunting Gear Podcast, Dan and Josh Raley recap the recent ATA Show and discuss some of the products and companies that they felt stood out. The guys talks about new technology in trail cameras, new climbing sticks, saddles, and tree stands. While at the show Dan had the opportunity to shoot all of the flagship bows from the brands that attended the show. If you are a gear junkie, this is the perfect episode for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 32m
Jan 19
Marriage Counseling For The Serious Outdoorsman

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan has a very interesting conversation with a fellow Iowan and Marriage Counselor, Jason Haglund. Jason and Dan break down buzzwords like resentment, love, communication, and empathy as it pertains to being married. As most of us know being married is not easy, so Jason give his insight in to how to be better at not only being married but being better at all of your relationships. We have to remember that hunting can be a very selfish hobby, and if we let get out of control, it can have a huge negative impact on the rest of our life. But, through proper communication with your friends and family everyone can get want they want... within reason. This is a straight "shoot from the hip" episode that will bring awesome insight for those who may be struggling with balancing hunting and being married. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 14m
Jan 18
Finding The Big Buck Honey Hole On Public

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Matt Sherman about locating a honey hole on public land then shooting a big buck the following season. Matt talks about locating a ton of old sign from the rut while hunting and scouting later on in the season. He saved that information in his memory bank for the next year. This specific piece of public property had pressure from other hunters, so Matt knew that having a good strategy leading up to the best time of the year was important. Matt waited for the perfect conditions and used a well thought out access route to put himself in the perfect potion setting up in a triple trunk tree with great cover. The rest, as they say, is history. First time in, best time in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 3m
Jan 13
Crop Rotation, Sanctuaries, and the Big Buck Power Vacuum

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Garrett Johnson of Minnesota about his 2022 season hunting his small farm. Garrett kicks off the episode by sharing his excitement about hunting with his his kids and how both his boys found success this season. The conversation then turns to topics like the impact of crop rotation, the importance of finding the habitat sanctuary during the gun seasons, and the power vacuum hat happens when the dominate buck it taken off any given property. Garret also talks about hunting his 20 acre home property where he was able to connect on a really good Minnesota buck with his bow during the gun season. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 5m
Jan 11
New Year, New B.S. Session

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan catches up with Jeremy Dinsmore for the first hunting B.S. Session of 2023. Jeremy is the host of the Antler Up podcast right here on the Sportsmen's Empire Podcast Network. Dan and Jeremy kick off the episode by discussing if the reality of their 2022 hunting season matched their expectations at the beginning of the year. The guys talk about their out of state hunting failures and break down what they feel they could do better to find success for next season. In true B.S. fashion, the two talk about how they haven't necessarily lost their passion for hunting but it seems to be changing the older they get. Dan expresses how he doesn't like the direction mainstream social media and content creators seem to be taking deer hunting in regards to hunter recruitment and retention. This is a really great episode to kick off the new year, enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 16m
Jan 04
Do You Even Hunt The Late Season Bro?

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Josh Raley about their late season season hunting plan. Josh kicks off the episode by explaining how he scouted 6 miles of Georgia public land just to find absolutely nothing interesting. Josh also talks about his upcoming Alabama rut hunt with his family. Meanwhile in Iowa, Dan has two more tags to fill. Dan tells us about how many deer are on the farm he hunts and a slight dilemma he has to overcome if a broken mature buck shows up. Lastly, all Dan really wants to do is fill his freezer. This is a fun late season episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

46m
Dec 28, 2022
Two 200" Bucks In Three Years, Here's How

The number 200 is usually just a dream when it comes serious deer hunters. But in this case, todays guest Tom Peplinski, shares how he was able to knock down not one, but two huge bucks over 200". Tom talks about all of the habitat improvement work that he has done over the years to get the deer comfortable with the properties he hunts. Tom also talks about how he has focused on deer movement, not only during the hunting season, but following deer behavior throughout the entire year. Overall, Tom credits having patience, gathering information, and knowing when to put his strategy in to action that leads to his yearly success. This is an excellent episode that shows what can happen when you put in a lot of time and energy towards achieving your goals! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 24m
Dec 20, 2022
Discipline & Information Kill Big Bucks

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Jarrod Carter of Illinois about two successful deer hunting seasons. Jarrod breaks down his last two archery season where he had the opportunity to chase a couple large whitetail bucks. The guys discuss the terrain these deer lived in and how they traveled across the landscape. The key to Jarrods success over the past tow years is from being able to understand trail camera pictures and the ability to pull useable information from them. This led to Jarrod identifying patterns in target buck movement, that led to him staying out of the property until he started to get daylight pictures, that led to him being in the right place at the right time with a big mature buck within shooting range. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 20m
Dec 16, 2022
Passing Young Bucks Leads To Older Bucks

David Lange of Minnesota hunts in a very high pressure area of the state that lives by the "if it's brown it's down" motto. With that said, David wanted to hunt an older age class of bucks, this means that he had to be willing to pass deer that he would normally shoot. And that, is the premise of this episode. David breaks down the neighborhood surrounding his 160 acre farm, the impact of adding row crops to the property, how the deer moved through their property, and ultimately having the guts to pass a good 2 year old buck. Check out the rest of the story to see if David had a 3 yer old to hunt the following year. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 4m
Dec 14, 2022
3 Year Quest For A Big Buck Falls Short

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Josh Profitt about a 3 year search for a big public land buck. Josh talks about an unassuming piece of public land that had very low deer numbers and that held not one, but two, big antlered bucks. One of these bucks, given the name "Bones", caught the attention of Josh and one of his hunting buddies. At this point the game was on and the two of them started to scout, learn, and dissect the 500 acres this buck called home. There was a reason this buck felt comfortable on this piece of public, the cover was thick and almost impossible to access, so trail cameras played a huge role in learning this bucks annual pattern. Over the three quest for "Bones", Josh had to overcome several obstacles like increased pressure when the word got out about this buck, even resulting in the loss of a couple friendships. This is an amazing episode that doesn't turn out the way you think it would. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 30m
Dec 12, 2022
Property Loss Leads To A Big Buck

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with Brett Konan of Kansas of about losing his main hunting property but still shooting a big buck. Brett talks about how out of the blue, the land owner on one of the property he had been hunting for several years told him that someone from a different state made an offer to lease the property and that they accepted. The caught Brett off guard and left him with only one small property to hunt that he usually saved for his kids. Luckily, one of Brett's good friends came through in a major way and let him his family farm. Instantly, Brett hung a couple trail cameras to see what was moving around on the property, little did he know a giant was already living there. The rest, they say, is history. Excellent episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 5m
Dec 09, 2022
The Same, But Different with Garrett Prahl

On this episode of the Nine Finger Chronicles, Dan talks with the Garrett Prahl about his big buck success in two different states. Garrett talks about both the similarities and the differences in his deer hunts in Wisconsin and North Dakota. Garrett talks about the differences in the terrain and how the deer made their way through it, the lack of cover in North Dakota, and the deer behavior in those two states during the rut. Being able to compare multiple hunts against each other will allow you to find principles and hunting strategies that you can take implement on all your hunts. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

38m
Dec 07, 2022