On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Nick Otto, to dive into how we can all make the most of the various wild game we have the opportunity to harvest in the spring! Nick is a Michigan-native and host of The Huntavore Podcast here on the Sportsmen's Empire Network. The guys discuss the elimination of physical hunting licenses, the revival of old tools and firearms that have been passed down, the labor of love that is butchering your own meat, the best way to level up your fish fry, getting the most (and best tasting meals) out of your wild turkey, why wild hog might be the best protein that you're missing out on, revisiting the "Veni" debate, and much more!

Be sure to tune into The Huntavore Podcast wherever you do your listening for some FANTASTIC wild game cooking content, and follow along with Nick and his adventures @huntavore on social media

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Dan Johnson for a little bit of a mental reset as we all gear up for the spring ahead! They guys discuss a wide range of topics from mental toughness and rolling with the punches, to rut timing, pet peeves in the hunting space, the psychology of poachers, and plans for the upcoming spring. All that and more in this week's episode!

Be sure to follow along with Dan @ninefingerchronicles on social media and check out the Nine Finger Chronicles podcast wherever you do your listening.

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Kirk Olson, to dive into the intricacies of our Driftless trout streams! Kirk is a Wisconsin DNR Inland Waters Fisheries Biologist covering Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe, & Vernon counties. The guys discuss what makes the water quality so good in these streams, why types of data Kirk and his team try to gather and how, how streams are chosen to have restoration work done on them, the importance of conservation groups like Trout Unlimited, biggest fish found while electrofishing and the types of habitat they're found, future trout research projects, and lots more! If you want to learn more about the inner workings of our trout streams, this episode is for you!

Huge thanks to Kirk for coming on the show! If you have questions or want to get in contact with him, send him an email at Kirk.Olson@wisconsin.gov

Want to learn more about the past research they've conducted? Check out some fishery's data here: dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/trout/TroutSurveys

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Zach Haas of Creek Bottom Land Management to talk all about how whitetails use water! Zach is a former aquatic biologist and lifelong deer hunter who combined his knowledge and passion into Creek Bottom Land Management over a decade ago. Zach shares the types of water that deer prefer and explains why not all water is created equal in the eyes of a whitetail. Then the guys discuss how to implement water on your property, or leverage an existing water hole if you're a public land hunter. All that and more in this week's episode!

Get in touch with Zach about your whitetail property needs at www.creekbottomlandmgmt.com and follow along @creekbottomlandmgmt on social media

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Matthew Mendini from the onX Fish team to learn more about the latest member of the onX family, and how to use it to catch more fish! Matthew is a Wisconsin-native who found himself as one of the OGs of the TroutRoutes team, and is now shifting his focus towards onX Fish. Matthew shares how he reached his current position through being an avid angler and outdoorsman, and then the guys dive into the key features of onX Fish, what sets it apart from other fishing apps, why technology seems to be more easily accepted in the lake-fishing community, Matthew's approach to e-scouting lakes for different species, where the app's data comes from, and how you can use onX Fish to explore more water this year! All that and more in this week's episode!

Huge thanks to Matthew for coming on the show! To learn more about onX Fish, head on over to onxmaps.com/fish to set up a 7-day free trial, and follow along with Matthew's adventures @matthewkmendini on social media

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Ben O'Brien to talk about the constant evolution of being an outdoorsman!

Ben is a husband and father of three, an excellent outdoorsman, the founder of Woodside Media, and the Co-Host of The ROOST Show. In this episode, Ben shares what his early days working in the outdoor industry were like, how he navigated life and career changes with the help of some great mentors, and some of the realizations and subsequent changes he faced as he became a husband and father while working in the outdoor space. The guys dive into the importance of asking ourselves and others difficult questions and having tough conversations. And Ben shares the story of his son's first turkey harvest last spring, and the emotions, conversations, and questions that surrounded that experience for the two of them. Last but not least, Ben touches on his love of Wisconsin hunting culture, and shares his turkey hunting plans for 2026 which include a trip back to the Duren Farm to settle the score with a nemesis turkey named Limpy. All that and more in this week's episode!

A massive thank you to Ben for coming on the show! Be sure to go check out Ben and Sam on the best dang turkey hunting podcast out there @roostshow to get fired up for this spring, and follow along with Ben's adventures @bennyob301 and @woodsidemedia and woodsidemedia.co

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by George Ermert and Alec Bekkers to share an update on the push for a Sandhill Crane Hunt and the continuation of the Knowles-Nelson stewardship program. The guys recap last month's Camo at the Capitol event, and share how conversations went with Wisconsin's lawmakers regarding the introduction of a responsible sandhill crane hunt, and the Knowles-Nelson stewardship fund. George shares his thoughts on the fantastic turnout from the event, and then updates us on the status of both bills sharing how close we really are to advancing them!

It's important to note that the hearing of these bills ends on February 19th, and hunters & anglers must contact their state representatives before then if we want to continue pushing these bills forward.

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

Let's make this happen!

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Wisconsin Sportsman, Pierce is joined by Erik Johnsen to talk about using TroutRoutes in the Driftless Region, and tying flies to catch more fish! Erik is the Community Marketing Manager at TroutRoutes, and an avid fly angler who has spent time chasing countless species all over the country. In this episode, the guys discuss the pain of a long winter for trout anglers, how to use TroutRoutes in the Driftless and beyond, favorite tools within the app, how to e-scout for trout, Erik's fly business: Weights & Measures Co., and Driftless streamer tactics to help you catch more fish. All that and more in this week's episode!

Be sure to give TroutRoutes a try by visiting troutroutes.com, and be sure to check out the awesome patterns Erik is whipping up over at Weights & Measures Co at weightsandmeasures.co Follow along with Erik @erikjohnsen

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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.