Episodes

  • Public Land Culture with Aaron Hebeisen
    Aug 12 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by BHA Chapter Coordinator, Aaron Hebeisen to do a deep dive on public land hunting culture, and how hunting traditions vary throughout the country! Aaron is a Minnesota-native who grew up attending old school northwoods deer camps with family before getting a job in the hunting industry, joining BHA, and becoming one of BHA's Chapter Coordinators. The guys talk about the importance of hunting culture, and the loss of traditions in modern deer hunting. Aaron shares what his role looks like as a BHA Chapter Coordinator, and how he adapts to the vastly different hunting cultures across the states he works with. After that, the guys discuss how unique hunting with hounds can be, and what folks should be aware of regarding public lands right now. All that and more in this week's episode!

    Huge thanks to Aaron for coming on the show! Be sure to follow along with his adventures and stay in the loop with all things BHA on social media @hey_bison and if you're not already a BHA member, head on over to backcountryhunters.org/join to get signed up!

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Fishin' & Filmin' with Cole Cronkright
    Aug 5 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Cole Cronkright, owner of Cronkright Creative, to learn all about filming and photography in the outdoors! Cole is a Michigan-native turned Driftless region resident who has spent the past several years working in some of the coolest places in North America with a camera in hand. The guys dive into the journey of a self-taught hunter/angler, and the hurdles they both had to clear to get to where they are as outdoorsmen today. Cole shares how he got into filming fishing adventures with a GoPro, ways to find unique jobs in the outdoor industry, how he wound up in Alaska working for a fishing lodge, advice for younger folks trying to get started in the creative space, and much more!


    Be sure to check out Cole's awesome work at www.cronkrightcreative.com and follow him on social media @cronkright_creative to follow along with his adventures and get in touch with him!

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Episode #200! - Return of the Rutcation with Josh Raley
    Jul 29 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce sits down with Josh Raley to celebrate episode #200 and discuss plans for this year's rutcation! The guys dive into what their late-summer scouting plans look like in terms of getting trail cameras hung, doing some scouting, exploring new properties, and some sneaky tips and tricks for funneling deer movement on public lands. The guys also share some thoughts on e-scouting tips/tricks, as well as ways to make sure that everything is completely taken care of at home before hitting the road for a hunting trip. All that and more in this week's episode!

    Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting the show for 200 episodes. It couldn't have happened without all of you tuning in, reaching out with ideas, asking questions, and being part of this awesome outdoor community we have in the badger state. You all are the reason these episodes come out week after week. Here's to 200 more! - Pierce

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • New State Strategy with Justin Synan
    Jul 22 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Justin Synan to talk about Justin's move to a new state, and his game plan for hunting a totally new area! Justin is the host of the Run'n & Gun'n Podcast, and has been chasing whitetails on public and private land all around the eastern US. The guys dive into Justin's strategy for getting his bearing and assessing properties in a new state, what his trail camera strategies are in different environments, how he implements a hybrid style of mobile hunting, and tips he has for filming your own hunts. All that and more in this week's episode!

    Be sure to go check out Justin and The Run'n & Gun'n Podcast wherever you do your listening as well as The Run'n & Gun'n YouTube channel to see the awesome work Justin is doing, and follow along with his season @runandgunpodcast

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 23 mins
  • Advocating for Knowles-Nelson with Ducks Unlimited
    Jul 15 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by George Ermert, Kyle Rorah, and Brian Glenzinski from Ducks Unlimited to talk about Ducks Unlimited's role in advocating for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund, and everything that DU does for conservation! The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund is a fund unique to Wisconsin that has been used to purchase public land, create easements, and build bike trails, boat ramps, and campsites. Recently, the state of Wisconsin underwent their annual budget approval process, of which Knowles-Nelson did not make the cut. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as you'll hear explained by George, Kyle, and Brian, but it is something that should be on your radar going forward. Outside of Knowles-Nelson, the guys share how DU works to purchase land through the Knowles-Nelson fund, how they build relationships with politicians in the state, ways they work to collaborate with non-hunters to work towards conservation initiatives, the importance of R3, and what the future of DU and Knowles-Nelson hold. It's a fantastic conversation you won't want to miss!


    If you'd like to get connected with Ducks Unlimited and learn more about Knowles-Nelson, you can do so using the links below:


    https://www.ducks.org/wisconsin - One-stop show for all things Wisconsin DU related (i.e. conservation projects updates, WI policy updates, upcoming events, ways to get involved, in-state contacts, etc.)

    https://ducks.quorum.us/campaign/107428/ - Ducks Unlimited Call to Action page where people can easily send messages to their elected officials about the importance of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program.

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative's office


    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Summer Deer Thoughts with Dan Johnson
    Jul 8 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce hops on the line with Dan Johnson to flesh out a few deer thoughts that have been rattling around! The guys cover everything from Dan's small-town coffee shop clout, to the moving target that is fitness, summer deer chores that actually have a high ROI, trail cam locations, seasonal deer transitions, hunting around livestock on working farms, hunting terrain features vs beds, and all the great new podcasts coming out of The Sportsmen's Empire!

    Follow along with Dan on social media @ninefingerchronicles and find all the great shows the guys talked about at www.sportsmensempire.com

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    Lone Wolf Custom Gear: www.lonewolfcustomgear.com

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    TAKE ACTION THROUGH BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS & ANGLERS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative's office
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • The Art of Deer Hunting with Derek Malcore
    Jul 1 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce sits down with Derek Malcore, host of the Dropping Pins Podcast and co-host of The Okayest Hunter Podcast, to kick off this year's deer talks! The guys dive into aquatic food sources for deer, Derek's art background and how that translates to the woods, Derek's success last season, how hard it is to find your shot site, trail camera locations, early-season rubs, in-season scouting, getting kids into hunting, hunting on your toes, and much more! If you like deer, this episode is for you!

    Be sure to follow along with Derek @thegreatartdoors, and go check out his awesome podcasts: Dropping Pins & The Okayest Hunter wherever you do your listening or at https://www.okayesthunter.com/pages/okayest-podcast-network

    OPPOSE THE SALE OF PUBLIC LANDS

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative's office

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Summertime Brain Dump
    Jun 24 2025

    On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is flying solo with tons of updates and announcements regarding upcoming events, public land battles you might not have heard about yet, and what his e-scouting process has looked like so far this year. We've all heard about the ongoing fight to oppose the sale of public lands in the budget reconciliation bill, but a few conservation battles are being fought without as much attention: blocking the deconstruction of the lower four dams on the Columbia River Basin, and a push to maintain the Rodman Dam in Florida to protect a trophy bass fishery. On top of that, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund is on the chopping block here in Wisconsin, which will be covered much more in-depth in the coming weeks. Lastly, as everyone's minds shift towards deer season, it's time to find that next honey hole for November, and Pierce shares some of his thoughts and ideas for finding big bucks using the onX Hunt app. We've got a little bit of everything this week, so buckle up, and enjoy!

    OPPOSE THE SALE OF PUBLIC LANDS - BHA LINKS & CONTACT INFO:

    1. www.backcountryhunters.com/take_action
    2. Call the US Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak with your representative's office

    PROTECT THE RODMAN DAM

    https://www.bassmaster.com/conservation-news/news/urgent-call-to-action-save-rodman-reservoir-write-the-governor-today/

    Big thanks to our fantastic partners:

    onX Hunt: www.onxmaps.com

    Huntworth: www.huntworthgear.com

    Wisconsin Backcountry Hunters & Anglers: www.backcountryhunters.org/wisconsin

    Good Chance Fly Fishing: www.goodchanceflyfishing.com

    Show More Show Less
    58 mins