The Garden State Outdoorsmen Podcast

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A rough month turns into a reset as we unpack a public land clash, hard lessons on courtesy, and a season saved by smart moves and better wind. We trade stories from urban edges, river funnels, and thickets while laying out a clear rule set for when to sit and when to go.

• unwritten public land etiquette and conflict deescalation
• switching properties based on daylight data not bias
• private versus pu...

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We sprint through a 48-hour run that starts with a long-range doe in brutal wind, adds a dawn 10-pointer, then rolls to Texas for fallow, aoudad, and a red stag. Along the way, we talk wind calls, safety checks, minimalist waterfowl tactics, reliable gear, and why the right outfitter changes everything.

• long-range whitetail shot selection and wind calls
• safety discipline under adrenaline at first light

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We sit down with Sean Johnson, Get Sauce NJ, to show how simple techniques and smart seasoning turn wild game into meals anyone can cook at home. Along the way we talk ethics, public land reality, social media noise, and why shank and heart beat backstrap.

• New Jersey’s overlooked outdoor culture and public land grit
• Sean’s path from COVID livestreams to viral short-form cooking
• Turning “gamey” fear...

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We close out the year with a father-son hunt that turns a windy near-miss into a perfect recovery—and a moment that defines the season. From hard lessons and smart gear choices to team wins, big events, and what’s next, this one’s about what worked, what didn’t, and why the brotherhood always comes first.

• building a ground blind and bait site with a five-year-old in mind
• swirling wind, blown deer, predator screams...

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We celebrate Squatch’s first New Jersey harvest, break down iron-sight shot execution, and talk about why camp trust beats antler size. Then we pivot to urgent New Jersey legislation, predator management, and the next generation learning the right way to hunt.

• first NJ hunt with a Browning A5 and iron sights 
• ladder stand setup, moonlit movement, and a clean follow-up 
• camp vibes, gratitude, and sh...

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A veteran EMT turned researcher shares the night that changed his life: tree knocks, rock throws, and a boulder at the fire, then digs into Sussex County’s startling sighting density, field evidence from High Point, and how AI and bias shape what we accept as real. We question proof, examine timing and behavior, and map a clear path between open-minded curiosity and careful skepticism.

• origin story of Mike’s r...

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A gritty urban whitetail story moves from a painful miss to a clean seven-yard heart shot less than 24 hours later. We share what it takes to ignore social pressure, read suburban habitat, and stay steady when the season tests your patience.

• passing deer on purpose and trusting the plan
• hunting amid construction noise and retention ponds
• adapting to wind in urban edges and funnels
• camera inte...

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November keeps giving as we chase whitetails across Oklahoma plains and New Jersey thickets, turn misses into clean kills, and rebuild confidence one fix at a time. We share how small tweaks, smarter setups, and steady minds led to an 11-point buck, a buddy’s perfect shot, and a father-son recovery.

• Lone Wolf hunt in Oklahoma with high wind and blinds
• Missed shots, target panic, and the shot process rese...

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A brutal Halloween storm gave way to a November surge, and our team caught fire with a string of kills anchored by a tight, suburban-style buck recovery and a five-yard heart shot. We trade trail cam dogma for aggressive rut moves, ethics in meat salvage, and practical filming tips that actually help.

• crew hot streak after storm
• small parcel strategy around orchards and marsh bedding
• target bucks M...

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A cold front flipped the rut switch, and we ride the highs and lows: Peyton’s 650-yard recovery, Zach’s near-misses, a field-edge long shot with a dog track, and Connor’s October 28 magic. We dig into weather, wind, calling, ethics at low light, and why access wins.

• reading the wind and barometric pressure for rut movement
• edge sits with standing corn and late-morning cruising
• when to get aggressiv...

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The rain hammered down, the wind never settled, and a 20-year mystery finally walked into view. We’re fresh off New Jersey’s bear week with stories that run from legendary to hard-earned: Eddie closes the book on “Diamond Bear,” a boar first photographed in 2004 with a hollow diamond blaze on his chest, and we unpack the meticulous bait logs, peanut-fueled strategy, and storm gamble that made the difference. It’s a maste...

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We trade the “October lull” myth for real field notes on wind, drought, and timing rain, while gearing up for New Jersey’s bear week and a patient whitetail plan built on funnels, scrapes, and clean access. Midwest drought, East Coast color, and tag policies collide as we map the best sits ahead.

• warm, dry, and calm evenings changing wind strategy
• why high winds don’t shut deer down
• drought impacts...

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We chase the early-season swings from hot starts to quiet weeks, then ride along as Kyle breaks a ten-year out-of-state streak with a messy, memorable, and deeply instructive liver-hit recovery. Strategy shifts, habitat puzzles, and why patience under pressure still wins.

• early-season highs and lulls across states
• e-bike access, quiet entry, and setup choices
• New York opener timing and time-off pla...

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Eddie Mackin, known as Mountain Savage on Instagram, shares his journey from childhood fishing trips to becoming an avid bear hunter across multiple states. His passion for the outdoors began early through his father's influence, creating a foundation for a lifetime of hunting adventures and outdoor experiences.

• Eddie has been hunting bears in Maine since 2017 with Northern New England Outfitters
• Re...

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Archery season has officially opened in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Virginia, with the Boondocks Hunting team celebrating six does and one buck harvested in the first week of action.

• Ryan shares his thrilling success story of taking a mature buck with his recurve bow at 15 yards
• Brief discussion about the tragic loss of two hunters during an elk hunt in Colorado
• Story about a black bear entering a d...

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The Garden State Outdoors Podcast crew kicks off the 2025-2026 hunting season with stories from their Delaware trip and preparations for opening day in New Jersey and Wisconsin. They discuss early-season hunting strategies centered around identifying food sources and navigating challenges like earn-a-buck requirements and unpredictable weather.

• Delaware hunting trip focused on targeting bean fields and oak dro...

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The moment Christina Rafalco describes will resonate with any hunter—that magical time when the sun begins to set, the woods are bathed in golden light, and an extraordinary stillness descends. "Unless you're in that moment experiencing the quiet and how everything just settles down," she explains, "you can't understand it. I could do that every single day of my life."

Christina bri...

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Alysha Azzariti shares her journey of training Huck, her black Labrador retriever, into a skilled hunting companion, highlighting the incredible bond that forms between hunter and dog through this process.

• Growing up with an outdoorsy father who sparked her interest in fishing and hunting
• Finding a local breeder who became a mentor in training Huck for hunting
• Building basic obedience as the founda...

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The countdown to hunting season is officially underway, and the excitement is building among the Boondocks Hunting team. As summer heat bears down, the crew gathers to welcome newest team member Zach and share their pre-season preparations, challenges, and expectations.

The conversation kicks off with a deep dive into the annual Boondocks Hunting competition—a months-long friendly tournament running from Septemb...