819 - MAST REPORT & Early Season Q&A

The Southern Outdoorsmen Hunting Podcast

We just rolled in from the Mobile Hunters Expo in Dalton, and the season is coming fast so this Thursday Q&A is a loaded one. Andrew and Jacob work through a stack of listener questions and Circle hot takes: reading a spotty mast year, finding bucks when the ground's too dry to track, velvet-buck decisions, doe harvest, neighbor management, and a run of rapid-fire hot takes that'll get the comments going. Grab a seat.


In this episode:


  • Mobile Hunters Expo recap and this year's record crowd
  • The mast crop report — why Virginia's looking spotty and central Alabama's holding solid
  • How to hunt a bad acorn year — beech nuts, browse lines, greenbrier, and other overlooked food
  • Finding buck tracks when it's too dry — track traps, leaf-blower tricks, and when to just run cameras
  • HOT TAKE: if your whole season depends on the rut, you never learned to hunt October
  • Velvet bucks — take him now, or wait for a hard-horned target during the season?
  • How many does to actually harvest, and why you can't kill them out on one property
  • HOT TAKE: encouraging your neighbor to shoot whatever he wants (reverse-psychology management)
  • Velvet hunting West Tennessee public land — where to focus when bucks aren't leaving sign
  • HOT TAKE: most hardcore public land hunters would secretly rather hunt private
  • Is a thermal drone really any different than a livescope?
  • Shooting a bow with no peep sight, brush guns and slug setups, and the high-fence debate
  • How to physically prep for the season without living in the gym
  • What counts as a deer hunting "hat trick" — and a look back at the Ben Davis feed-tree episode


Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn


Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK


Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR


Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP


Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm


Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI


Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8


Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear


Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show?


Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 



Our Sponsors:
* Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag
* Check out Omaha Steaks and use our code BEEF for a great deal: https://www.omahasteaks.com
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use our code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
More description

We just rolled in from the Mobile Hunters Expo in Dalton, and the season is coming fast so this Thursday Q&A is a loaded one. Andrew and Jacob work through a stack of listener questions and Circle hot takes: reading a spotty mast year, finding bucks when the ground's too dry to track, velvet-buck decisions, doe harvest, neighbor management, and a run of rapid-fire hot takes that'll get the comments going. Grab a seat.


In this episode:


  • Mobile Hunters Expo recap and this year's record crowd
  • The mast crop report — why Virginia's looking spotty and central Alabama's holding solid
  • How to hunt a bad acorn year — beech nuts, browse lines, greenbrier, and other overlooked food
  • Finding buck tracks when it's too dry — track traps, leaf-blower tricks, and when to just run cameras
  • HOT TAKE: if your whole season depends on the rut, you never learned to hunt October
  • Velvet bucks — take him now, or wait for a hard-horned target during the season?
  • How many does to actually harvest, and why you can't kill them out on one property
  • HOT TAKE: encouraging your neighbor to shoot whatever he wants (reverse-psychology management)
  • Velvet hunting West Tennessee public land — where to focus when bucks aren't leaving sign
  • HOT TAKE: most hardcore public land hunters would secretly rather hunt private
  • Is a thermal drone really any different than a livescope?
  • Shooting a bow with no peep sight, brush guns and slug setups, and the high-fence debate
  • How to physically prep for the season without living in the gym
  • What counts as a deer hunting "hat trick" — and a look back at the Ben Davis feed-tree episode


Join our Circle Community here - https://linkly.link/2o0Sn


Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK


Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR


Use code "SOUTHERN" for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP


Use the promo code "southern" for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm


Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI


Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8


Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear


Have you tagged a deer using something you heard on the show?


Join our Circle Community here - ⁠https://linkly.link/2o0Sn

Grab some Southern Outdoorsmen merch here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aK

Join Woodsman Wire - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1u4aR

Use code “SOUTHERN” for a discount on Whitetail Hill food plot seed & trees - https://linkly.link/2myBP

Use the promo code “southern” for a discount on your OnX Hunt membership here - https://l.linklyhq.com/l/1tyfm

Check out Latitude Outdoors for your mobile hunting gear - https://2ly.link/1zVDI

Use code TSOP15 for a discount on Mossy Oak - https://linkly.link/2ERb8

Use code SOUTHERN20 for a discount on all Vortex apparel, including eyewear

NOTE: Not all advertisements run on this show are endorsed by The Southern Outdoorsmen Podcast unless an ad is read by one of the hosts. 



Our Sponsors:
* Check out MyBookie and use my code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag
* Check out Omaha Steaks and use our code BEEF for a great deal: https://www.omahasteaks.com
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use our code SOUTHERNOUTDOORSMEN for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
2026-08-20 88 min Transcript
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