$100K Whitetail Challenge with Kenny Zuspan

Alex Rutledge and Redbone sit down with Kenny Zuspan of First Class Whitetails to break down soil testing, food plot placement, and pH strategy ahead of deer season. Kenny details his $100,000 Whitetail Challenge, shares stories from professional poker tournaments, and closes with a bonus segment of his favorite deer meat recipes.

Chapters (24 added):

0:00 Soil Sample Collection 101 · 

0:29 Eagle Seed Smorgasbord Food Plot · 

1:12 Show Intro & Theme Song · 

1:47 Meet Kenny Zuspan of First Class Whitetails · 

3:35 Sports Talk: Reds, Cardinals & Red Sox · 

6:23 Kenny's Background & $100K Challenge Teaser · 

6:46 Ripley County Fair & King of the River · 

8:45 Break: Theme Song & Sponsor · 

9:48 Kenny's Roots, Coon Hunting & Poker · 

11:48 First Class Whitetails Operation Explained · 

12:19 Inside the $100,000 Whitetail Challenge · 

17:12 Youth & Ladies Teams · 

18:13 Break: Theme Song & Sponsors · 

19:23 Season Prep & Guiding Experience · 

20:09 Soil Testing Deep Dive · 

23:00 Army Worm Warning · 

26:05 Break: Theme Song · 

27:01 Food Plot Placement Strategy · 

30:26 Soil pH & Food Plot Diversity ·

 33:43 12-Point Blinds & Wise Eye Success · 

35:44 Closing Thoughts & Theme Song · 

36:21 Outro & Sponsor · 

37:20 Bonus Segment: Kenny's Deer Recipes · 

45:16 Closing Theme Song

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Transcript

Talk about soil test. What's the correct way to collect soil in a food plot? So if we have a acre plot that we're wanting to test, we'll go around about like throwing a Frisbee. We'll throw a Frisbee, and we will, we'll have the tool that you, uh, drill down about three inches or four inches into the soil and put it in a bucket, and we'll get about 10 collections throughout that plot and mix it together, dump it in a bag, and send it off, and they'll tell you exactly what we need to get our soil right. Eagle Seed Smorgasbord Food Plot Well, Alex, I know it's about food plot planting time. What are you gonna plant this year? Okay, in the spring I like to plant different things, and also in the fall, but my go-to all the time is the Eagle Seed Smorgasbord because it has a variety of blends. You know, when I was a kid, and even as an adult, I loved to go to a smorgasbord. I bet it's the same for deer. It is. They l- they have a variety to choose from. Instead of eating one thing all the time, they got a variety, just like you walking into a restaurant. Get Smorgasbord today and you'll hold more deer and turkey. How can I go about getting that Smorgasbord? T- go to a dealer near you or go to www.eagleseed.com Show Intro & Theme Song 🎵 Camo boots on my feet, bow in my Walking in the early dawn to climb up in my stand 🎵 Wise Eye Technologies presents Welcome to American Roots Outdoors. I am calling via phone today and Redbone is on the boards at K Country 95 and as always we say we got a great show lined up for you and we do. And we all know that archery season's around the corner and deer season's around the corner and our special guest today is going to be Mr. Meet Kenny Zuspan of First Class Whitetails Kenny Zuspan of First Class Whitetails. He'll be joining us and we're going to be talking about the preparations for the upcoming seasons. What he does and to his properties to get ready to plant food plots, mineral sites, which mineral sites are legal in Ohio where he's from, and how he's drawing these big deer. Talking about camera placement, et cetera, Redbone. We're going to have a great show. Okay, sounds like a lot of good information coming up Yes, it is. What about those Kansas City Royals, Redbone? Well, what about them? Uh, they're lingering near last place. They won, they won last night and they beat, what, San Diego the other day. Then you got Cardinals, they lost last night. Yeah. Well, we're recording on Wednesday, so yeah, yeah, the Cardinals- Yep ... you know, and what have been, what have I been saying all season? The bullpen is iffy and they don't have enough starting pitching. Uh, the other day the Cardinals had a seven-run lead and the bullpen gave it up and they got beat 8-7. The next night they have a two-nothing lead- I know ... and the bullpen gave it up, they got beat 3-2. Uh, the bullpen is just not getting the job done, period. Matter of fact, it was the closer that hit a batter with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to give the other team a win. That's stupid. Well, it's the third batter he's hit this year. That's stupid. And you can't be a team's closer if in key situations- No ... you can't throw a strike. Yeah, exactly. Kenny, Kenny Sussman, welcome to the show, buddy. Thank you, Sports Talk: Reds, Cardinals & Red Sox Alex. Now, who's your favorite Major League Baseball team? I, Cincinnati Reds is our local. Cincinnati Reds, Redbone. What are you gonna say about the Reds? Yeah, well, I gotta say about the Reds, uh, well, they're pretty good because they play in a cracker box stadium. Uh, Oh, the Great American Ball Park, I mean, it's got the, the proper name, but, uh, it is kind of a hitter's paradise. I mean, you gotta admit that, Kenny. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Yeah. So yeah, they're hard to beat at home. They're hard to beat in their, in their yard, I'll just say that. But right now the best team in baseball looks to be the Boston Red Sox. And as of this recording on Wednesday- Yeah ... the Red Sox have won 14 games in a row Wow. And they're winning all fashion- You know, the Cardinals, though, you watch the Cardinals, Redbone, they always bloom at the end of the season, seems like. That's what I've, I've, that I've, I've caught onto- Yeah ... as a whole a lot of times. They, as a young team- Well, we hope so, and- ... they, they get to playing better ball. And I can put this, if the playoffs were to start today, and again, we're recording on Wednesday, the Cardinals would be in the playoffs. They'd be in the number three wildcard spot. So, you know, there is that. Sometimes we're a little hard on them, being fans, because we think they ought to be in first place- Yeah and just beating everybody every day, but that's not how baseball works. And, and again, they, you know, here we are a little over halfway through the year, still 70 games to play, but they are in position to make the playoffs, and that's really all we can ask. Exactly. Exactly. Switching gears, we got the football jamborees coming up, and I see that Thayer's going to Mountain Grove. Mm-hmm. And, uh, Liberty's going to Sarcoxie. Yeah, they've been going over there for the last few years, and of course Thayer and, uh, Mountain Grove and Willow Springs, they've all been playing at Mountain Grove the last few years, just because it's a great location, lots of seating for all the fans. Yeah, as of, uh, yesterday, if you're hearing this on Saturday, as of yesterday, four weeks till the football jamborees. Four weeks. That ain't long, buddy. No. Now, are you into football, Kenny? You like, like high school football? You played football. Yeah, football's my favorite. Yeah, and w- talk about your position. What'd you play in high school? I was the smallest lineman that we had, because I was the quickest lineman, so I was, uh, I played a lot of defensive end and nose garden Okay. Did you play the quick tackle or a quick guard? I said, "Which was that?" I said, "Did you play a quick tackle position or were you a guard?" I played guard and I played defensive end Okay. Yeah, that pulling guard- It's pretty severe ... man, that guy's got to be athletic. He's got to be able to get out in front of that play, so yeah, way to go, Kenny. Yeah. Yeah. Kenny's Background & $100K Challenge Teaser You know, for those of you just joining us, before we go to a break here, Kenny Luspin is the owner of First Class Whitetails, and, uh, the big news in the outdoor industry is somebody paying $100,000 to win a deer hunt, and it's a two-man team, and we're gonna talk about that. But we're gonna talk about preparations for upcoming seasons, which is coming up soon in a lot of states. Ripley County Fair & King of the River And, uh, Kenny has definitely got it going on with First Class Whitetails, and we'll be talking about that. That's gonna be a good show, Redbone. I think so, and before we take a break, Alex, I'd like to mention one thing. Uh, coming up this next week, and everybody that's hearing this show is within the sound or within the range that you might want to attend, the Ripley County Fair at Doniphan is next week. Starts on Tuesday and runs through Saturday. Uh, they've got truck pulling. They've got a loggers relay. They're gonna have a coon dog training competition. Uh, they're gonna have, uh, lawnmower and go-kart races. It's just gonna be a big week, and I encourage people, if you want to get the full schedule and see what night what event is, uh, go, just go to Google and do a Google search for their website, at Ripley County Fair is what you'll need to put in. And then plan on going to Doniphan, enjoying what really is, you know, one of the few fairs around, Alex, that is still like an old-fashioned county fair. Yes, sir. I've attended it before- I have too ... and I, I plan on going there if I can get away to it. Yeah, and they have a car show Saturday. Some great people down there. We're- Go ahead. Yeah, they're gonna have a car show Saturday from 10:00 till 2:00, and after the car show they're having a burnout competition . Oh, my. That'll be great. Yeah. Yeah, I've got to go to that. And I want to make mention real quick before we go to a break, the King of the River is this weekend, if you'll be listening to this on most stations on Sat- Saturday, at Van Buren, Missouri. This is where you try to win the title, the King of the River, and, uh, there's gonna be a lot of guys entering it. Uh, the weigh-in's at 5:00 at the Watercrest Landing. We're gonna go to a break. When we come back, we're gonna talk about preparations for the upcoming deer seasons. Don't go away. We'll be back with more after this. Hey, guys. Bradley Roy, major league fishing angler, and you're listening to American Roots Outdoors right here, right now. Break: Theme Song & Sponsor 🎵 Cutting off the farm. Wishing on some love. I've been on a big boy for a while. I could load him in the back of my crew cab. 🎵 Redbone. WaZa has just gotten better with these new cameras that they come out with. How could it get better? Well, they got the new Mini and they've got the new DC2. DC2? They have a- Yeah. DC2, you can actually go live any time you want and film your own hunts- With the WisEye data account. Now wait a minute. You mean I could be getting ready to shoot a deer and I could go on my phone and activate my camera and boom, film- Your own hunt ... my own hunt? Well, that's amazing. That's amazing. Okay, Alex, you've convinced me. How do I get one of these cameras? Go to a dealer near you or go to Wiseyetech.com. Order yours today. Take it to a friend. Creek with my big old head 12 Point Hunting Blinds presents. Welcome back to American Roots Outdoor, second segment of our show, and our special guest is Mr. Kenny Zusman, the owner of First Class Whitetails. Kenny's Roots, Coon Hunting & Poker Now Kenny, we talked a little bit about your high school football, this and that, and most people that listen to the show have heard your, your roots story, where you was born and you raised, and how you was raised and, and, uh, your love of coon hunting. You love to coon hunt too. Oh, yeah. We travel the country. Yeah. And, and you, you, you've done that professionally and made a lot of money doing that, but also, Kenny, I wanna talk about this. You are a professional gambler. Correct. Uh, I don't make a living at it. I'm a recreational player, but I like to play in some of the big tournaments. Yeah, and you've been to Vegas. Did you know that, Redbone? He played in Vegas. No, I did not. And, uh, yeah. How many people was entered in that one, Kenny? Uh, I mean, the main event had around 9,000, but we was in a, that Mystery Millions that had over 22,000 entrants. Wow. And you ended up in the top 60, didn't you? 68th is what I finished. 68th out of 22,000 people. Well, that's not bad. Was it a Texas Hold 'Em tournament? Is that what you're playing? Yes, sir. Okay. What an interesting game, and a game that really has taken the, uh, gambling world by storm over the last 10 years or so. It's been amazing the way that's caught on. Yeah, it is. It is good. Go ahead, Kenny You don't have to have, you don't have to have any athletic skills. Anyone can play it. I mean, I play with women, older guys, uh, handicapped people. Uh, everyone has a fair chance, and it's, uh, you know, a game of skill that anyone doesn't need athleticism to do. Yep. Yeah, I would agree. One of the, one of the... I think one of the few gambling games that is actually a game of skill, because it does take skill to be able to read cards and read faces and all that stuff that you gotta do And there's a lot behind the numbers, knowing your percentages. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep, exactly. So it's statistics. First Class Whitetails Operation Explained You study statis- statistics. Yes, sir. Yeah. So let's talk about whitetail hunting. Talk about First Class Whitetails. Explain your operation. So with what we're doing, I was trying to think of a creative way as we guide hunters and bring people in, and I want to keep my numbers low. And with the amount of properties that I continue to pick up, I, I don't want to have to run more and more hunters to, to pay for those properties. Inside the $100,000 Whitetail Challenge So I was trying to figure out how can I still keep these properties and keep my numbers low and be productive and grow giant whitetails? So I took our turkey competition that was very successful and said, "Well, let's, let's put this into a deer hunt." So that's when we came up with Wise Eyes $100,000 Whitetail Challenge. So we are working on our farms like we are hunting them ourselves. We've got all the food plots planted. We planted a bun- bunch of buckwheat this spring in a bunch of our bad soil plots. Uh, we've been running our mineral sites. Uh, we're getting our Wise Eyes back out on all of our, uh, bait areas where we can bait in Ohio, and getting our 12-points out right now. And we've got all our Millennium and Novix stands set up that we're using. So when the teams come in, we don't have to hunt these farms until October 30th when we'll have 15 teams come in, and when they do a blind draw, they get access to everything on this farm, all the history, all the trail camera access, all the onX pins. They know everything detailed about the farm. They have October 31st to November 8th for them two people to hunt their way using our stands, hang their own, saddle hunt, um, however they wanna do it. And 125-inch minimum, uh, to get on the scoreboard. They have, uh, have to have a, the deer on film getting shot. Whether... We, we recommend having a GoPro behind you at an angle from your bow, unless you have a cameraman or you're self-filming. But we wanna see that deer getting shot, uh, one, because we're making a show out of it, we want the content, and two, it proves legitimacy that that person killed that deer where they're supposed to. Um, and then when they shoot, they don't go recover. Uh, our local game warden's gonna go with us. Uh, we have our thermal drone recovery that's on there that'll go with us, and my media team. We wanna go in, recover the deer, uh, film that recovery, and at the end of the camp, total gross score, we'll pay out $100,000 for the winning team. That's crazy, Redbone. Wow, that is fantastic. So let me, let me ask this. Uh, uh, is it total gross score for both hunters kill or just one or the other? Yeah. So it's- A cumulative score of the team ... a cumulative score. Gotcha. All right, so if you're gonna go- So I tried to put a value- Go ahead I tried to put a value on this thinking if someone does not get in the money, w- we know, what is it worth to get in? So if they do not cash, they just got an unhunted farm that is set up with the best of the best, that is planted, that has got the best stands, that they've got the best time to hunt for 10 days in Southern Ohio with lodging and meals included, hanging out with NASCAR drivers and TV personnel, and that's a hunting camp and alone that if they don't cash, that's something that is very well worth the value. Yeah, like I said earlier- It's pretty neat, man- I think we're gonna- ... being able to me- me- meet, uh, some of the NASCAR drivers and some of the TV personalities. That's gonna be really cool. How, now how many entrants will you take, Kenny, for this, this competition? 15 teams. We've, uh, got 11 spots secured right now. I'm in Georgia working an expo this coming weekend, and we've got four more slots to fill to have it filled up. So if somebody wants to enter this from, uh, from our listeners, how can they contact you? I would go to our website, 1cwohio.com, and look at all the details, all the rules, uh, pictures of our bucks, trail camera pictures is all on there. So that would be the easiest way, 1cwohio.com. It's pretty neat, Redbone. It- To be able to obtain all the video footage from the Wise Eyes and hunt out of the ProPoint blinds over these food plots, and it gives you all the data- Yeah ... f- all summer long and up to date for their property that they draw. It's pretty neat. Yeah, it is pretty neat and- And they get shared, the, the cameras get shared with them. Yeah. Yeah. That's just amazing. And, you know, I would assume that you'd wanna make sure that the guy you're going to hunt with is also a really good deer hunter. Yeah, I've got a guy that's looking for a partner now, can't find one. And I've talked to several people and they, where they don't know him, they would rather have someone they know. So I've got a lot of people interest, but just trying to find their partners. Gotcha. Hey, before we go to a break real quick, what is the youngest team that you have entered? So we've got Team Wicked Peter Solution, put his two 12-year-old boys in there. Youth & Ladies Teams So we got two 12-year-old boys that'll be a team that'll have a cameraman with them hunting in the competition. Wow. Wow. Now imagine if those boys- What do you think of that, Redbone? Now imagine if those boys win that thing. That would be absolutely awesome Yeah, just casting will be great for them and a great experience. But yes, t- we're, we're excited to have them, and now we're hoping that we can land an all ladies team to add with the youth team. Oh. Yeah, so if any ladies are listening and you think you're good enough and you can shoot straight, uh, and are they hunting with bows or are they hunting with rifles? This is a bow. You can use a, a compound or crossbow, any legal bow for Ohio at that time. Wow. This is impressive. All right, well, we're gonna go to a break everybody. When we come back, we're gonna get into the nuts and bolts of what Kenny does to prepare for the upcoming seasons. Don't go away. We'll be back with more American Roots Outdoors right after this. Break: Theme Song & Sponsors Hey everybody, this is Cody Huff, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro. You're listening to American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and friends. 🎵 Year after year, got my hunting gear 🎵 Remember when a hunter was measured by how well he shot, not how much he spent? When memories were measured in rooster tails, not dollar bills. We do. We're Spandow, reliable, easy-to-operate, extremely balanced premium firearms offered at a price that proves you still know the true measure of a hunter. Spandow, making the American hunting tradition available to all ... 🎵 foods passed on down, planted deep in the ground around your heart, so you never gotta worry. 🎵 Eagle Seed presents Welcome Back to American Roots Outdoors. Kenny Zusman, our special guest, the owner of First Class Whitetails. How many hunters do you usually guide a year, Kenny, and you've been doing this how many years? Season Prep & Guiding Experience This'll be our fifth year. Uh, the first two years we did a very limited schedule. The last two years we pretty well had a full schedule, running between 50 to 60 people throughout the whole season. There you go. You know how to entertain people and cook for them. Uh, I mean, your lodging is phenomenal, first class. The food is excellent, and the hunting is excellent. We do a turkey camp with him every year, Redbone, as you know. Mm-hmm. And we have hunters come in and hunt with me. And, uh, Kenny has got some giant deer. Kenny, what, right now, to all of our listeners, here it is July, uh, third week of July, and here in the Midwest, you're up in the Northeast a little bit, what do you do right now? Soil Testing Deep Dive What are the things you're doing to get ready for the upcoming season? Are you doing anything right now to your properties? Soil prep. Um, we went and did all our soil samples early spring. The ones that were really bad soil, we planted buckwheat in, and, uh, we're getting our fertilizers and lime to spread into it. And we've run in our mineral sites, and we will be planting all our fall plots over the next few weeks. So, um, we're really just preparing to get seed in the ground, and still putting our WiZi cameras, moving them around, trying to find where these bachelor pads, bachelor bucks are hanging out in the summer. Yeah. And also doing- So do you bush hog everything right now, or are you waiting until August to do all this? I usually wait till the third week of August, second week of August to bu- bush hogging in my fields and my food plot areas, uh, do my soil tests. And, uh, talk about soil tests. What's the correct way to collect soil in a food plot? So if we have a acre plot that we're wanting to test, we'll go around about like throwing a Frisbee. We'll throw a Frisbee and we will, we'll have the tool that you, uh, drill down about three inches or four inches into the soil and put it in a bucket, and we'll get about 10 collections throughout that plot and mix it together, dump it in a bag and send it off, and they'll tell you exactly what we need to get our soil right. And you, you take a marker I'm sure, and label every Ziploc bag to what- Yep ... food plot it was, that it tells you how much lime and how much you need to get your, to get your pH right. So- Yep, and- If somebody's listening, this is the correct way to do it right here. And, uh, the secret to a good food plot is having the right pH, Redbone. Well, yeah, exactly. The soil's gotta be right or, you know, you're not gonna get a good crop, and if you want a good food plot, you gotta get a good crop, 'cause that's what's gonna attract those deer. Yeah. So, so Kenny, we- I, I think I interrupted you and I apologize, but do you start bush hogging in July or do you wait until August? Well, I can't wait until too late, 'cause I'm running 41 farms and- Yeah ... it takes a long time to do it. So we start, we strategically do different roads and stuff, different plots, uh, earlier, and then we've got others we put off until that we know the soil's good at and we do later. So we start about July 1st, 'cause we want the baby deer and the turkeys to, um, be big enough to not bother. And once July 1st we start mowing off different plots and different roads and, uh, but we'll be mowing all the way up into September. Wow. That's pretty wild, Redbone. Now, do you guys ever have trouble with armyworms? Army Worm Warning Um, the army worms is on the trees? No, the army worms attacking your food plots. See, here in the Midwest, we have... If we plant too early, army worms usually come in and wipe out our food plots. I've had them to wipe me completely out and have to go back and replant in September. So that's why we don't plant early. You guys must not have problems with that. No, I, I haven't had no problem with the, the worms. I haven't even heard of it up here. I'll be dang. It's pretty bad down there, isn't it, Redbone? Yeah, it can get really bad and, and like Alex said, uh, if you get the army worms on your farm, yeah, they're just gonna, they're gonna eat everything, uh, eat it right down to the ground and, you know, there are pesticides to get to, to kill them and get rid of them, but you're pretty much gonna have to plant everything all over again. And, and Kenny, they, they swarm. A matter of fact, if you are driving between two fields and there are army worms, you could actually have a wreck sliding on them when they're crossing the road. It's just, it's, it really is kind of an ama- That's no joke ... an amazing phenomenon. Seriously, millions of them. Yeah. And they're crawling across the ground. Yeah. It, it's crazy. And if anybody, you know, I, I... To all my listeners here in the Midwest, northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, uh, southern Illinois, plum into Oklahoma, uh, Arkansas, Kentucky, I'm telling you, wait to plant the third week of August. You'll have less problem with army worms if you wait. Yeah, and one thing I'd like to add right there, Alex, is if you do see army worms on your farm, you need to immediately contact your extension office and you need to contact your neighbors and let them know. I mean, that, that's one of those things that- Exactly ... it takes, it takes everybody to fight and you need to let somebody know if you've got an infestation of army worms. Just keep that in mind for when that time comes. And as hot as it's been this summer, and that seems to be what kind of triggers this, is the heat, especially late in the summer. Uh, you know, this fall- Exactly Yeah, when you're doing a lot of food plots, it's expensive, you know? Absolutely. And you want to take care of what y- where you're spending your money and, uh, you know, there's several people you can rent equipment to spray your food plots from USDA or Young's at Alton. Also, Ethan Nicholson in Birch Tree, Missouri sprays people's food plots and their pastures and stuff. He even sprays people's yards for ticks and stuff. Yep. So keep that in mind. But, you know, we've covered what we do right now, mowing a- and the soil test. When we g- go into our next segment, we're gonna talk about, uh, after the soil samples and talk about different sizes of food plots and the purpose of these food plots and the locations of food plots when we get back from the break. Break: Theme Song All right, you're listening to American Roots Outdoors with Alex Rutledge and friends. We're back in a minute. Hey, y'all, it's Tyler Flor and you're hanging with me and my good buddy, Alex Rutledge, on American Roots Outdoors. 🎵 🎵 What the wind- 🎵 🎵 Everybody, Alex Rutledge. I'm excited to tell you about 12 Point Hunting Blinds. Seven-foot walls, perfectly camouflaged, snowproof, waterproof, tinted windows. They will not reveal you in the 12 Point blinds. We're proud to work with this Amish-made blind, made in America, made in USA. 12 Point Hunting Blinds. For more information, go to 12pointhuntingblinds.com. Food Plot Placement Strategy Hornady Ammunition presents. Welcome back to American Roots Outdoors. Our special guest, one the smartest and successful outfitters in the country, Mr. Kenny Zespin, First Class Whitetails. He's putting on $100,000 to win two-person deer camp this year, and we talked about it in segment one. You go to his website, www.firstclasswhitetailsofohio.com. Is that correct? 1cwohio.com. Okay, 1cwohio.com. Okay. This guy has guided 50 to 60 deer hunters a year, and his success rate's over 50%- Hmm ... of successful harvest, probably 75 to 90% on shot opportunities. And this guy knows about food plotting, he knows about strategically placing, uh, 12-point hunting blinds, any type of blinds, et cetera. Kenny, my question to you, when you plan a food plot, what do you look for, and what determines the locations for you? Uh, here I'm looking always for access. Where, where the deer bed, where our access is gonna be that we can get in and out undisturbed So that's more important than you, to you, the access than it is to like putting it close to water or creeks, et cetera. You think that's crucial? Correct. Because I can put our own water source where I need to. Okay, I see. So do you use a skid steer a lot with a lot of your stuff? Yep, yep. I, I bought a property that I was just two weeks ago, put a new plot in. Um, beautiful access. We're actually putting a water source right in it. We did another one just across the road where we put our own water source, which I think is just as important as, as a, as a feed spot, a- as a water hole, especially during the rut. Yeah. Do you like that answer, Redbone? I do like that answer. I think that's something sometimes people, uh, you know, they ignore, is the fact that you can put in, uh, some water a- a- and, and, you know, it can be done relatively easily. Uh, and I, I think Kenny's right. I think access to the food plot is just as important as anything else, 'cause I, you know, you could have the best food plot in the best area in the world, but if you spook all the deer when you're going into it, it doesn't do you much good. Yeah. I li- I like your approach there, Kenny, and I like the idea that you can put a, a, a watering hole at every food plot. I like that. How crucial is water? I mean, we've touched on it a little bit here, but you, you just touched on it, but really get in depth with it. Why is it so important to have water where there's food plots? It's just as important as the food, and if they're gonna come there, they're gonna drink, just like they're coming to eat. And if it's right here readily available and they don't have to walk clear down to the bottom to get it, they're gonna hit it. So, um, it puts, puts the deer right where you want them. Yeah. The next question here is, what is the most crucial thing about planting food plots, and what is the, in your opinion, what is the most attractive food plot that you can plant? Soil pH & Food Plot Diversity Well, a-again, it all starts with the soil. No matter what seeds you put in, they get all their nutrients from that soil. If, if you don't have the nutrients in the soil, then whatever you plant is not gonna taste as good. Uh, it's like putting sugar in tea. If you put your tea out there, yeah, you drink it, it don't taste very good, but once you put the sugar in it, y- it tastes a lot better, so- Yeah, so- I like to have- the pH, having a p- having the pH right, if I may interrupt, having the pH right also enhances the flavoring of the food plots. Yep, it makes the sugar, so it makes it taste better for them. And I like to have a variety. Uh, deer are, you know, diversity. Um, they are browsers, so I try to have stuff for early season, late season, stu- I mix clover in so it'll stay clear into the spring. So there's a few mixes that we use that will have different radishes and different turnips, and it'll also have different clovers, and, um, we've got oats and w- uh, wheat that's mixed into it. So, uh, I'll mix a plot up differently just to have diversity for them. That's awesome. That's awesome. You know what, Eagle Seed, they created a blend called Smorgasbord, I helped with it, and it's got, uh, 10 different blends in it, annuals and perennials, and it's got five different clovers, kale, trophy wheat, and buck oats. Uh, it's unbelievable, and the deer seem to come to it from everywhere. But again, if you're not getting your pH right when you plant a food plot, and you don't have enough watering holes or water on your property, you're not gonna hold the deer. Would you conclude with that? Absolutely. They have to have food, they have to have water, and they have to be left alone. They, they can't feel pressure. Mm-hmm. Last thing, you can put minerals out there. Why do you put minerals out? And explain that to our listeners. For several reasons, I know, but explain it. Deer know what they need, and they will come to find what they need. Us putting that out on our property will keep the deer there, and they'll only eat what they need of it, so, and they'll only hit it certain times of year. So the minerals that we put out, you'll run the cameras, and they know what their body needs, and it, it helps bridge what they need to reach their maximum antler growth. Yeah, that was a good, a great answer, man. It makes, uh, a complete logic, Redbone. Yeah, I think so, and I, I think the convenience is, is really important, uh, because, you know, deer will travel for what they need, but if what they need is just, just over the next hill, or, you know, from the bedding area, it's just a short walk to what they need, that's where they're gonna stay. Uh, so I think, yeah, I think the convenience of having the water, the feed, mineral, and, you know, any other, uh, types of, uh, uh, things like that that you can do, I think that's gonna hold your deer. Yeah, it's, it's a great design. And, and, and last, last question here before we wrap up the radio show is how much has the 12-point blinds and the Wise Eye cameras helped you in your success rate guiding hunters? 12-Point Blinds & Wise Eye Success Both are our two biggest tools. Uh, the Wise Eyes are telling us what's there and helps us pattern what we're seeing, knowing what we want to keep alive, knowing what, what and when we need to hunt, and the 12-point takes a lot of the thermals and wind direction out of it. Uh, it helps conceal the hunters. It helps keeps our wi- wind and thermals under, uh, under control. So, um, I try to put a 12-point out on every place that I can, uh, just because there's so many... In these hills in southern Ohio, that wind will shift in a heartbeat, and them thermals are always going different directions. So it's a lot tougher hunting here than if you're hunting a flat with a steady wind. Exactly, and it gets cold there in early November and end of October. A lot of buddy heaters going to the stands. That's right. What a great show, Redbone. We've had a great guest again with a lot of great knowledge that he shared with our listeners. And if anybody's got any questions, again, uh, what's your website, Kenny? 1cwohio.com. There you have it, folks. Kenny Zusman. Stay tuned if you're a podcast listener. We got a bonus segment coming up with Kenny. He's gonna share some of his deer meat recipes that he cooks for his guests, 50 to 60 hunters a year. And remember, he's doing this, uh, $100,000-to-win camp. If you and a team member want to get in it, they've got four more openings and, uh, I'm sure they're gonna book up fast if you don't book them this weekend. You better contact him this weekend if you're interested. Uh, anything you want to say in closing, Kenny, to all the deer hunters that listen, uh, to American Roots Outdoors and follow you? Uh, put God first. Uh, without him, you know, give him all the glory. Yes, sir. And shoot, shoot straight and respect other landowners, and remember, your property's only as good as you take care of it. Closing Thoughts & Theme Song You know? And respect your game just as mu- well, just the same. There you go, everybody. Thank you for tuning in to American Roots Outdoors. Kenny, we always say this, this whole world needs more love and not hate. Teach your boys to become men. Teach your girls to become ladies. And when your roots run deep and strong, Kenny- There is no- No reason to fear the wind. So you never gotta worry What the wind- 🎵 Outro & Sponsor Thank you for joining us for today's American Roots Outdoors Radio with Alex Rutledge. You can find us on Facebook. Look us up on the World Wide Web at americanrootsoutdoors.com. We'll be back again next week on this great radio station Accurate, deadly, dependable, Hornady ammunition. From a two-man operation in 1949 to a world-leading innovator of bullet, ammunition, reloading tool, and accessories design and manufacturer today. Hornady, each piece is hand inspected to ensure consistency and quality. Ammunition engineered to perform flawlessly. Simply put, the best. Hornady ammunition. Find Hornady ammunition at a retailer near you and at hornady.com Bonus Segment: Kenny's Deer Recipes Bandal Arms presents. Welcome back to American Roots Outdoors. This is our bonus segment. Again, our special guest, Mr. Kenny Zusman, first-class whitetails. He's really give us an education, Redbone, on preparation for upcoming deer season with our food plots. Yeah, I think so, and, and I think it's important to, you know, to do that. And, and, you know, the, the deer hunters out there, you know, they've been waiting to start getting their hands dirty and start building toward, you know, the fall when they can actually get out and start hunting. So there you go, guys. There's some things to do to start getting ready. I want to say this before we get into the, the recipes here Kenny's gonna give us, and I can't emphasize this enough. If you're one of those listeners on here, and I say this respectfully and I thank you for listening, if you wonder how people like Kenny and myself are successful year after year putting people on big deer, it's because of hard work, because our dedication to taking care of our properties, the way we maintain things, the way we, we take soil tests, the way we plant great food plots, the, the, the making of watering holes, uh, strategically placing the stands in the locations that we know that will create activity to the food plots. That's why we're successful. If you too want to be successful year after year, implement some of the ideas that we're sharing with you that we have obtained from our knowledge that we've gathered while doing this. So to be successful, you gotta work, implement, contribute. You agree, Redbone, Kenny? Yeah, absolutely, I do. Yes, sir. Yep. So that being said, Kenny, you've given us a lot of recipes in the past, and here it is upcoming deer season, and we got a lot of deer hunters that listen to our show. Give us a recipe that you think deer hunters, one of the most popular recipes of deer meat recipes when you cook it for your hunters I was always pretty simple. I'd butterfly my tenderloin and just fry it in sweet cream butter with garlic salt. And then this past year, Stephanie got a smoker, and we have never smoked any deer meat, so we took a whole tenderloin and we marinated it in Worcestershire sauce and put some, um, garlic cloves in there, and we put some garlic salt on it, and then we set it on the smoker. And she's ... I don't know the temperature or times that she did it for, but it was amazing and it was juicy. Mm. Anything smoked is good, Redbone, isn't it? Absolutely it is. Matter of fact, I'm gonna be smoking some pork steaks this afternoon. Beautiful. Linda is fixing sliders on Hawaiian buns tonight. Oh. Uh, ham sl- ham and cheese sliders and, man, they're probably one of my favorite things that she fixes for summer meals. And last night we had chicken and rice- Yeah ... with mashed potatoes and, and chicken gravy, and croissant rolls. It was delicious. And green beans. And let me tell you a little secret on green beans to all the listeners. Uh, if you're, you're taking them out of the can, drain them of course. She likes to put onion bits in there, a little, uh- Mm-hmm onion seasoning. Mm-hmm. And she'll take beef bouillon cubes- Yep ... and put in there. We got the recipe from Mr. Fred G. Williams. He's no longer with us. Coffey Williams, developer's out of Maryland. He shared it with us in camp one time. You talk about flavoring your green beans. Yeah. So- We always put a little bacon grease in ours. Yep. Yep. Bacon grease gives it a great flavor, but I'm telling you, if you'll take you a couple bouillon cubes and put in there with your little pieces of onion in there- Mm ... oh, my gosh. Hey, Alex, let me give you one more. I guarantee somebody that doesn't like green beans, they'll eat them from then on. Let me give you one more. I was at an event this past weekend. Okay. The Old Soldiers Reunion at Mammoth Spring. And one of the food trucks there, and I'm gonna mention them, this 417 Food Company, they gave me some nachos. Now, I gotta tell you, they used, instead of putting chips in the bottom and then putting the pulled pork and the cheese and everything on top, they put baked or baked tater tots in the bottom and built the nachos over the top of the tater tots. And I gotta tell you, it was- Wow ... unbelievable That's amazing. It was. That's amazing. Yeah, it had, you know, it had the- How- ... it had pulled pork and chopped, uh, uh, brisket, and then it had the cheese and a little barbecue sauce on top and, uh, some sour cream on there. It was wonderful. Matter of fact, it was so good I went back and got another container of them the next night for dinner again. Oh my gosh, that sounds delicious. I'm gonna share a recipe now that you guys have. I've shared a, a recipe with green beans. Take a tenderloin, and most of you, my, one of my favorite ways is to butterfly it and stuff it, but take a tenderloin and of course clean it, uh, get all the white film off of- all the fat off of it, and soak it in a ice cooler with white vinegar and salt overnight. Okay. When you get it out, slice it into about half an inch slices. Okay? Take you a jalapeno and cream cheese and put it in the middle of it, roll it up and wrap it in bacon and toothpick it. Then get you some Dale's Liquid Seasoning and marinate them for about an hour in your refrigerator. Then pull them out and take your Oklahoma Joe's smoker if you got a smoker, whatever kind you got, and set it at about 250. Then you pull them out of the Dale's Liquid Seasoning and season them up with your favorite seasoning. One of my favorites is strawberries, and I also love Cavender's, and sprinkle it on top of it as it's cooking. Mm-hmm. You talk about lip-smacking good. It'll make you want to shoot every doe you see, Kenny. Eric. Yes, sir? And you can also take and put a piece, slice of apple in with your cream cheese and your jalapeno to give it a little fruity taste. That is something that will make a puppy pull a freight train. And again, we're gonna wrap up the show. What a great show. Kenny Zusman, first class whitetail sharing his knowledge, sharing the recipes. Thank you for being- Thanks for having me ... a great guest, Kenny. You always- Thanks for having me ... have been. You're down in Georgia right now. Yes, sir. Getting ready to do the show. Anybody that's listening to this, go to the show and tell Kenny you heard it, and, uh, support Kenny. If you think you're good enough and you can get a sponsorship or whatever, I challenge you to go hunt his competition. Thank you for being a wonderful guest. And remember, everybody, this whole world needs more love and not hate. We may not agree on politics or on our beliefs, but there's one God, there's one Jesus Christ. Love, not hate. Teach your boys to become men and teach your girls to become ladies. And when your roots run deep and strong, Kenny, there's no reason to fear the wind Closing Theme Song 🎵 Hit the ground. Big time coming, it's what we do. From a whippoorwill to an ole owl too. Sitting still 'til it's time to shoot. American roots. Take it to a holler. Take it to a field A creek of a big So you never gotta worry So deep and strong Learn to fear the wind. American roots will rise again Got family and friends and living the truth Yeah. Got family, friends, and living the truth 🎵