Dropping Pins: Rodney Elmer of Mountain Deer

The Okayest Hunter Podcast

Carbon Score: 5

In this episode, Derek sits down to talk with another big buck killer from the North East. Rodney Elmer of Mountain Deer Taxidermy is a generational hunter from Vermont who chases big buck tracks through New England when the snow flies. He has been a hunter safety educator, taxidermist, and seminar speaker and most recently created a successful YouTube channel focused on having fun with family and friends in the deer woods. Rodney and Derek start by chatting about the terrain and territory that Rodney hunts in the NE. This big woods terrain is not only challenging on hunters but also the deer population. They discuss deer habits and behaviors and how that relates to time of year and the landscape they live in. Rodney gets into an awesome tracking story from his younger years in which tracking a small buck led him to a much larger buck, which decided to teach Rodney a few lessons that day. Rodney does a masterful job explaining and laying out his thought process on what he did and why, as well as how the buck used a variety of evasive maneuvers to distance himself from danger. Rodney’s story led to a conversation about the overall mentality and immense challenge that is hunting mature bucks. Rodney gives the listener plenty to think about as he deviates from tactics and talks about mindset, positivity, karma, and doing what we do for the right reasons. This was such an honest and refreshing discussion about hunting, and hopefully, it helps us all keep our minds in the right headspace this season.

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