Art of The Hunt
I’m your Host Talon Neal I’m your average guy with an obsession for chasing Mature Bucks in the Mountains of North Alabama. Like you I strive to bring back the Art of Woodsman-ship. Together we can learn how to Harvest that Buck of a lifetime and Hone our skills as an outdoorsman. Let’s bring back the deer camp atmosphere and enjoy the outdoors the way it was intended!
Episodes
103 episodes
Ep.102 The Long Game: How Shane Parker Finally Killed His Three-Year Target Buck”
In this episode, Talon sits down with Shane Parker to break down the complete story of a mature buck that took him three years to finally wrap a tag around.
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Season 1
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Episode 102
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1:15:19
Ep. 101 — Clay Harper: Finding Out-of-State Bucks That Set Up Easy to Kill + Rut Hunting with His Son
In this episode, Talon sits down with Clay Harper to break down how he consistently finds the right kind of bucks when he travels out of state — the ones that set up easy, make mistakes, and can be patterned fast on limited time...
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Season 1
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Episode 101
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1:26:44
Ep.100 Mountain Hunts & Public Land Stories with Derrick Bebout
In Episode 100, Talon and Derrick Bebout sit down for a laid-back conversation full of hunting stories and mountain memories. The two talk about long days on public land, the adventures that come with exploring big country, and the momen...
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Season 1
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Episode 100
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58:31
Ep.99 Heart for the Hunt: Mindset, Joy & Rut Grind with Parker McDonald
In Episode 99, Talon Neal sits down with Parker McDonald for a deep talk about what really keeps a hunter going. This one’s about more than just tactics — it’s about why we hunt, the grind that makes it worth it, and how Parke...
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Season 1
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Episode 99
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1:02:48
Ep.98 Dialing In: Finding Core Areas and Reading the Sign with Curtis Merriman
In this episode, Talon Neal sits down with Curtis Merriman to break down how he locates mature bucks by zeroing in on their core areas. Curtis explains his step-by-step approach to using trail cameras, reading fresh sign, and recognizing when t...
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Season 1
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Episode 98
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1:08:43
Ep.97 In the Thick of It: Aggressive Rut Tactics with Ryan Glitsky
In this episode, Talon sits down with Ryan Glitsky to break down how getting in the thick of it can be the difference between seeing bucks and killing them during the rut. They dive into how mature bucks use dense cover to trave...
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Season 1
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Episode 97
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1:02:23
Ep.96 Rut Funnels and Family Traditions with Dylan Hazen
In this episode, Talon Neal sits down with Dylan Hazen to talk about the deep roots of his hunting tradition — from deer drives with his dad and grandpa to the camp atmosphere that shaped his love for the outdoors. Dylan sh...
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Season 1
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Episode 96
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1:11:32
Ep.95 Connecting the Woods: Pinch Points, Scrapes, and Buck Movement Patterns — with Zach Adams
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, Talon Neal sits down with Zach Adams to break down two of the most powerful pieces of deer sign you can find — pinch points and community scrapes. We dive deep into how these features connect movement across ...
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Season 1
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Episode 95
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1:05:09
Ep.94 Broadheads That Kill: What the Trakr App Reveals with Shane Simpson
The broadhead debate isn’t going away anytime soon—but now, for the first time, we’ve got hard numbers to go with the opinions. In this episode of Art of the Hunt, I sit down with Shane Simpson, We go over the Trakr App&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 94
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1:02:01
Ep.93 How Not to Ruin Your Cape with Justin Martindale of Southern Tines Taxidermy
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, I sit down with Justin Martindale of Southern Tines Taxidermy to tackle one of the most overlooked parts of deer hunting: properly caring for your cape in the field. From common mistakes that ruin a mount ...
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Season 1
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Episode 93
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40:51
Ep.92 Early Season Whitetails: Bedding, Feeding, and Reading the Sign with Brian ‘Boxcar’ Marquis
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, Talon Neal is joined by Brian “Boxcar” Marquis to break down the challenges and opportunities of hunting whitetails in the early season. When bucks are shifting from summer to fall patt...
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Season 1
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Episode 92
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1:10:00
Ep.91 Scrapes, Sign, and September Bucks with Clint Foster
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, Talon Neal sits down with seasoned hunter Clint Foster to break down the role of scrapes in the early season. While most hunters think of scrapes as October and November hotspots, Clint shares why paying atte...
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Season 1
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Episode 91
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1:06:55
Ep.90 Right Spot, Wrong Tree: Stewart Keen on Timing Big Woods Bucks
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, Talon sits down with Stewart Keen to dive deep into one of the trickiest parts of bowhunting mature bucks: being in the right area but the wrong tree. Stewart explains how often hunters are within a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 90
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1:13:08
Ep.89 Hunting on Limited Time: Aggressive Ground Strategies with Justin Wright
In Episode 89 of Art of the Hunt, Talon Neal is joined by Justin Wright to break down what it really takes to kill deer when time is short. Instead of waiting on the perfect conditions, Justin explains how being decisive and aggress...
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Season 1
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Episode 89
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1:20:20
Ep.88 Every Track Tells a Story: Todd Havel on Rut Loops and Whitetail Wisdom
Todd shares gripping stories of tracking mature whitetails through big woods where every print in the snow reveals another piece of the puzzle. His experiences following bucks on the ground show just how much a deer’s track can teach us about t...
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Season 1
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Episode 88
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1:42:53
Ep.87 Terrain-Driven Deer Hunting with Rusty Johnson
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, I’m joined by seasoned deer hunter Rusty Johnson for a full-spectrum breakdown of how terrain and sign come together throughout the season. From the first days of bow season to the chaos of the rut, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 87
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1:10:17
Ep.86 Dialed In: Johnny Stewart on Cracking Core Areas of Mature Bucks
In this episode of Art of the Hunt, I sit down with Johnny Stewart to dive deep into one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of mature buck behavior: their core area. With decades of real-world experience tracking...
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Season 1
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Episode 86
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1:19:27
Ep.85 Deadly Close: Finding and Hunting Buck Core Areas with Paul Putera
Paul Putera joins Art of the Hunt to break down one of the most critical pieces of mature buck hunting: locating and effectively hunting a buck’s core area. From using terrain and cover to his stealthy in-season adjustments,...
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Season 1
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Episode 85
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1:07:41
Ep.84 Into the Thickets: Big Mountain Buck Tactics with Ryan Elders
In this episode, Talon sits down with seasoned mountain hunter Ryan Elders to dive deep into the rugged world of big woods whitetail hunting. From dissecting thick edge cover to identifying overlooked thickets, Ryan shares the methods that cons...
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Season 1
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Episode 84
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58:07
Ep.83 The Silent Lessons with Bobby Worthington
The woods speak—if you’re quiet enough to listen. Bobby Worthington shares the silent lessons that shaped him as a hunter and man. We talk about how solitude sharpens instincts, the value of suffering, and the lifelong education that comes from...
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Season 1
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Episode 83
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1:30:01
Ep.82 Reading Terrain to Kill Mature Bucks with Jake Booth
How Jake identifies terrain-based buck bedding areasThe specific features that funnel mature bucks in daylightWhy some terrain looks good but doesn’t produceHow pressure affects terrain-based movement
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Season 1
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Episode 82
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1:02:17
Ep.81 The Anatomy of a Deadly Arrow with Kaylan Pope
Kaylan’s background and how he got into arrow buildingUnderstanding arrow spine and weight Choosing the right components: shafts, inserts, vanes, and nocksFixed vs. mechanical broadheads: what Kaylan prefers and why
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Season 1
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Episode 81
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1:12:15
Ep.80 Seal the Deal Early with Tim Smoke
Tim Smoke joins me to break down his approach to early season success on public land by leaning on historical knowledge and habitat analysis. We talk about how he uses past encounters, old sign, and high stem count areas to locate mature bucks ...
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Season 1
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Episode 80
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1:14:32
Ep.79 Reading Scrapes and Shooting Stickbows with Chris Weist
In this episode, Talon sits down with traditional bowhunter Chris Weist to break down scrape sign, buck behavior, and reading deer personality through sign. Chris shares how hunting with a trad bow sharpens woodsmanship, how to identify primary...
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Season 1
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Episode 79
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1:06:20
Ep.78 The Power of Simplicity in the Whitetail Woods with Jacob Lishen
Jacob Lishen shares how keeping it simple leads to consistent success. We talk about how he breaks down ground quickly, focuses mostly on fresh sign, and uses backtracking to understand where a buck is spending time. No fluff, just woodsmanship...
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Season 1
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Episode 78
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1:12:57