Deer Hunt by Big Buck Registry

Originally released January 25, 2014 | Big Buck Registry Episode 031 You've spent countless hours scouting, hunting, and finally putting a deer on the ground. But what happens after the harvest? Are you getting everything you can out of that venison? In this Big Buck Registry Evergreen Redux episode, we're heading back to 2014 for one of our favorite conversations about wild-game cooking, featuring New Hampshire executive chef, culinary instructor, and fellow deer hunter Corey Fletcher. At the time of the original recording, Corey was the executive chef at Granite Restaurant and Bar in Concord, New Hampshire, and a culinary instructor at Southern New Hampshire University. Unlike chefs who simply prepare wild game, Corey understood venison from both sides of the equation—as a professional cook and as a hunter. Alongside Jay Scott Ammann and Dusty Phillips, Corey takes us through the deer, cut by cut, sharing professional kitchen techniques that hunters can put to work at home. In this episode: Why great venison begins in the field, long before it reaches the kitchen. The three fundamentals of excellent venison: meat quality, cooking technique, and seasoning. How to prepare tenderloins, backstraps, steaks, and roasts. Why different cuts demand different cooking techniques. What actually makes venison taste "gamey"—and how handling and preparation influence flavor. Dry rubs, marinades, spices, and the secret to properly seasoning venison. Making better venison burgers, chili, stews, and country-fried steaks. Turning overlooked neck meat into a stuffed roulade. Why you should save those shanks for braising. Making rich venison stock from bones that might otherwise be discarded. Cooking heart, liver, marrow, and other underutilized parts of the deer. Jay's adventures in homemade venison jerky and Dusty's Kentucky-style country-fried venison. This isn't just a cooking lesson. It's a conversation about respecting the animal, preserving hunting traditions, and making the most of every harvest. Where Is Corey Fletcher Today? A lot has happened since we recorded this conversation. Corey went on to establish Revival Kitchen and Bar in downtown Concord, New Hampshire, opening in 2017. The restaurant focuses on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and creative interpretations of traditional New England cuisine. Revival has weathered the challenges of restaurant ownership, including the pandemic and major building damage, while developing a strong reputation in New Hampshire's dining community. In 2025, Revival received Concord's Top Cap award for Best Dining, and Corey was recognized as the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association's Restaurateur of the Year. More than a decade after this interview, Corey remains connected to the outdoors through deer hunting, bird hunting, fishing, and foraging. Revival Kitchen and Bar 11 Depot Street, Concord, NH https://www.revivalkitchennh.com Original Companion Music: From Field to Flame We're continuing to bring original companion music to the Big Buck Registry, creating songs inspired by the people, stories, and traditions featured on the podcast. This episode closes with "From Field to Flame," a Big Buck Registry original song inspired by our conversation with Chef Corey Fletcher. It's a tribute to the hunt, the harvest, and the journey from the deer woods to the dinner table. Be sure to listen through the end of the episode to hear the song. A Note About This Archival Episode This interview was originally recorded in 2014. Some of the cooking temperatures and food-handling practices discussed reflect the recommendations or culinary preferences of that time. For current guidance on preparing venison safely, consult university-extension food-safety recommendations. Hunters should also follow their state's chronic wasting disease testing and handling recommendations. Never consume meat from a CWD-positive animal. Venison preparation and food safety: https://extension.psu.edu/proper-care-and-handling-of-venison-from-field-to-table CDC chronic wasting disease information: https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/about/index.html Connect with Big Buck Registry Website: https://www.bigbuckregistry.com Original 2014 episode: https://bigbuckregistry.libsyn.com/031-how-to-cook-venison-like-an-executive-chef-special-guest-cory-fletcher If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a hunting buddy, and help us keep the stories and traditions of deer hunting alive. Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.

What does President Trump's hunting executive order actually mean for deer hunters—and what still needs to happen before anything changes in the woods? Jay Scott Ammann, Dusty Phillips, and Jim Keller lead this September edition of Deer News with a detailed examination of "Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage," signed September 17, 2026. Featuring excerpts from the president's Rose Garden dinner remarks, we explore public-land access, Sunday hunting, lead ammunition, habitat management, hunter education, and venison donation. We also examine the history behind these policies, reactions from hunting and conservation organizations, and the deadlines that will shape implementation. The central distinction: an executive order directing agencies to act is not the same as every federal property immediately opening to hunting. Also in this episode: • Michigan EHD: Confirmed detections in four southern counties, potential local herd impacts, and comments from Michigan DNR's Brent Rudolph about how the virus spreads. • Massachusetts hunting changes: Expanded hunting opportunities, updated deer-lure rules, and an earlier interview with MassWildlife biologist Martin Feehan explaining deer densities and habitat pressures on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. • Pennsylvania antlerless opportunities: Additional DMAP permits on participating state forests and parks, with forest regeneration helping guide deer management. • Catalina Island: The legal dispute over mule deer removal, the Conservancy's habitat-restoration rationale, and criticism from former BBR guest Robbie Kroger, heard in the documentary Killing Catalina. Throughout the episode, we distinguish announcements from rules in effect, population management from eradication, and stakeholder arguments from established findings. HOSTS Jay Scott Ammann • Dusty Phillips • Jim Keller FEATURED SOURCE AUDIO • President Donald Trump — White House Rose Garden dinner, September 17, 2026 • Brent Rudolph — Michigan Department of Natural Resources • Martin Feehan — CAI's The Point • Robbie Kroger — Killing Catalina documentary Outside audio comes from the original source recordings. These excerpts are not new interviews conducted by Big Buck Registry for this episode. READ MORE AND EXPLORE BBR BBR Blog: https://bigbuckregistry.com/the-bbr-blog/ Deer News: https://bigbuckregistry.com/deernews/ Big Buck Registry: https://bigbuckregistry.com/ PRIMARY SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Executive order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/reinvigorating-americas-hunting-heritage/ White House dinner video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUV87DEi1yA Michigan DNR — EHD information: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/wildlife/wildlife-disease/wdm/ehd MassWildlife — Fall hunting announcements: https://www.mass.gov/news/2026-fall-hunting-announcements CAI — The effort to expand hunting in Massachusetts: https://www.capeandislands.org/show/the-point/2026-02-03/the-effort-to-expand-hunting-in-massachusetts Catalina Island Conservancy — Restoration plan: https://catalinaconservancy.org/stories/how-were-protecting-catalina-island/ Killing Catalina documentary: https://www.savethecatalinaislanddeer.com/documentary-killing-catalina Before hunting, check current state regulations and the rules for the specific property, including permits, species, equipment, dates, and Sunday restrictions. Have a deer story we should investigate? Send Big Buck Registry the location and a source link. Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.

Hear President Donald Trump's remarks at the September 17, 2026 Rose Garden dinner with members of the hunting, fishing, and outdoor community. During the dinner, Trump discussed two executive orders addressing hunting and saltwater recreational fishing, along with public-land access, lead ammunition, habitat conservation, and other administration priorities. This bonus accompanies our September 2026 Deer News episode, where Jay Scott Ammann, Dusty Phillips, and Jim Keller examine the hunting order's provisions, practical limits, implementation deadlines, and reactions from the hunting and conservation community. The speech is presented without the event's opening and closing music. BBR introductions and closing remarks have been added. The president's statements are presented as part of the public record. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement by Big Buck Registry. For context and analysis, listen to: "Deer News September 2026: Trump's Hunting Order, Public Access & Catalina's Deer Debate." Original recording: The White House Event date: September 17, 2026 Watch the source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUV87DEi1yA Read the hunting executive order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/reinvigorating-americas-hunting-heritage/ More Deer News: https://bigbuckregistry.com/deernews/ Big Buck Registry: https://bigbuckregistry.com/

NO EASY GROUND — A BBR BONUS TRACK Mature bucks don't live on easy ground—and consistently hunting them requires more than luck. Inspired by our recent conversation with legendary bowhunter John Eberhart, "No Easy Ground" captures the relentless scouting, careful access, scent control, patience and hard-earned lessons behind pursuing pressured mature whitetails. The song serves as a musical companion to John's third appearance on the BBR Deer Hunt Podcast and our discussion of the three-volume Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks series, written by John Eberhart and Greg Godfrey. Listen to the complete John Eberhart interview in the BBR Deer Hunt Podcast feed. Learn more about Big Buck Registry: https://bigbuckregistry.com "NO EASY GROUND" Concept and lyrics created for Big Buck Registry. This song was inspired by the interview and John Eberhart's hunting philosophy. John Eberhart is not the performer. Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.

John Eberhart returns to the Big Buck Registry Deer Hunt Podcast for the BBR three-peat. John first joined us on Episode 209 in 2017 to discuss hunting heavily pressured bucks and his pioneering use of the tree saddle. He returned on Episode 287 in 2019, when we took a much deeper look at saddle hunting, postseason preparation, bedding areas, entry routes and hunting mature bucks on public land. Now, at 75 years old, John is back to discuss the most comprehensive work of his career: the three-volume "Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks," coauthored with Tethrd cofounder Greg Godfrey. John began writing the day after retiring in January 2023. Eighteen months later, the manuscript had become so large that it needed to be divided into three books. John then spent another three months narrating and editing the audiobook editions himself. This series brings together more than 60 seasons of John's experience pursuing mature whitetails exclusively on public and free-permission properties. The lessons are supported by dozens of condensed kill stories showing how the strategies worked in actual hunting situations. This conversation goes well beyond the books. John explains why hunting pressure should determine nearly every decision a hunter makes, why he has conducted his serious scouting after the season since 1976 and why repeatedly hunting a productive early-season location can destroy its value during the rut. We discuss security cover, seasonal timing, standing corn, sparring sequences, cellular cameras, saddle hunting, scent control, overlooked river crossings—and why John believes a minivan may be the ultimate DIY hunting vehicle. John also shares some unfiltered opinions about hunting television, modern crossbows, the commercial hunting industry and whether hunting success can truly be measured without competition. Whether you agree with every part of John's system or not, this episode will challenge you to examine how you scout, how you hunt and how much unnecessary pressure you may be placing on your best locations. HERE'S WHAT WE DISCUSS: • Completing the John Eberhart BBR three-peat • Writing the "Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks" • Why one enormous manuscript became three books • John narrating and editing his own audiobooks • Writing so new hunters can understand hunting terminology • Using real kill stories to demonstrate hunting strategies • Greg Godfrey's role in the books • How John became the "Godfather of Saddle Hunting" • The original Anderson Tree Sling • Trophyline, Tethrd and the evolution of modern saddles • Why John still hunts from his modified 1981 tree sling • The advantages of traveling light • Why climbers can stop hunters from reaching security cover • John's career inside the hunting and outdoor industry • Separating useful products from hunting-industry marketing • Becoming a self-taught bowhunter • Complicated lessons from John's first hunting mentor • Miles Keller and searching for every possible advantage • Discovering postseason scouting in 1976 • Seeing the woods as they appear during the rut • Why preseason scouting can educate mature bucks • Hunting-pressure differences between managed and public land • Thinking like a buck that believes everyone is trying to kill him • How repeated intrusion changes mature-buck behavior • Protecting doe movement ahead of the rut • The four segments of the deer season • Daily timing versus seasonal timing • Early-season food-source strategies • Preseason speed tours • The reality of the October lull • Why falling foliage changes daylight movement • Hunting standing corn without damaging rut locations • Sparring sequences versus aggressive rattling • John's 2022 six-yard sparring-sequence buck • Perimeter and transition security cover • Hunting the destination instead of guessing at one travel route • Shallow river crossings as overlooked deer funnels • A first-evening 171-inch Iowa public-land buck • The abandoned Kansas farmhouse pinch point • Five mature bucks taken near one corner of the old house • Social camouflage and the hunting minivan • Why John prefers a minivan over a pickup truck • Organizing clothing, recovery equipment and hunting gear • John's complete scent-control system • Why covering the head and hair is critical • Contaminated backpacks, aiders and overlooked equipment • John's record-book results before and after adopting scent control • Why John says he no longer selects locations according to wind • Hunting television versus ordinary pressured properties • Why competition matters when evaluating hunting ability • Security cover in the mountains, marshes and agricultural country • Cellular cameras as both an advantage and a trap • Why some camera-avoiding bucks never appear in photographs • Mounting cameras above a mature buck's normal sightline • Hunting fresh camera information during travel hunts • John's opinion of modern crossbows • Archery practice, bow fitting and disappearing pro shops • One-stick climbing and rappelling • Saddle selection for larger hunters • Staying connected to the tree from the ground up • Health and conditioning as hunting tools • Why John still works out and prepares trees at 75 • Hunting access as today's greatest challenge • The difficulty facing new public-land hunters • Preserving John's story in a future BBR book • Where to purchase signed books and audiobook editions • The original BBR closing song, "No Easy Ground" JOHN EBERHART LINKS: John's Official Website and Autographed Books: https://deer-john.net/ Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks at Tethrd: https://tethrd.com/products/ultimate-guide-to-diy-bucks Eberhart Outdoors on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eberhartoutdoors4219 PREVIOUS BBR APPEARANCES: Episode 209 – John Eberhart: Saddle Hunting High Pressured Bucks Episode 287 – John Eberhart: Saddle Hunting Novice to Expert https://bigbuckregistry.libsyn.com/287-john-eberhart-saddle-hunting-novice-to-expert BIG BUCK REGISTRY: Website: https://bigbuckregistry.com/ Listen to the Podcast: https://bigbuckregistry.com/ Follow, subscribe and share this episode with another deer hunter. Your support helps BBR continue preserving the knowledge, personalities and stories that make deer hunting an enduring piece of American outdoor culture. CREDITS: Hosted, Written, Edited and Produced by Jason "Jay" Scott Ammann Original Closing Song: "No Easy Ground" Big Buck Registry® is a registered brand of BOSPN Media LLC. Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer woods.