Becoming a Bowhunter

About Becoming a Bowhunter

Join host Matty Tuner as he becomes a bowhunter. Discovering tips, tricks and insights to help fast-track YOUR journey as a bowhunter.

Publisher

Becoming a Bowhunter

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

7 Mar 2019

Latest episode

25 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

204 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Sept 2026

   How to Become a Better Bowhunter with Every Stalk with Willie Waldrip

   This week Matty sits down with Willie Waldrip, a 21-year-old bowhunter from Texas who's already packed an unbelievable amount of hunting into his life. Willie grew up in a hunting family, killed his first deer with a bow at seven and was hunting by himself at 10. Today he's balancing full-time college with guiding, filming and spending pretty much every spare day he can hunting. We get into axis/chital, bison, sheep, a Kodiak brown bear at six or seven yards, and a wild Utah public land mule deer hunt that eventually ended with Willie taking a buck just shy of 197 inches. But what really stood out was Willie's approach. Slow down when you get close. Learn something from every stalk. Stay present when the pressure builds. At only 21, he's already got a heap of experience… and a really interesting perspective on what it takes to keep getting better with a bow. 🔍 What We Cover: Growing up in a family where holidays meant hunting trips Killing his first bowhunted deer at seven and hunting solo by 10 Why networking and simply being a good person has opened hunting opportunities Learning something from every stalk, failure and successful hunt Why axis/chital are one of the toughest animals Willie has ever spot-and-stalked Staying calm when a hunter starts losing their shot process in the final moments Why the closer you get to an animal, the slower everything should become Bowhunting a bison and why Willie kept sending arrows when given the opportunity The chaotic Utah public land mule deer hunt that ended with a near-197-inch buck Shooting a Kodiak brown bear from six or seven yards and the brutal pack-out afterwards How sheep hunting taught Willie to take things one step at a time Turning hunting, filming and YouTube into the life he wants to build after college Why a five-pin slider has simplified Willie's shot process in fast hunting situations How Willie changes broadheads and arrow setups depending on the animal he's hunting 🧠 Key Takeaway Every hunt gives you something to learn if you're willing to look for it. Slow things down, control what you can control, and keep stacking those lessons… because that's how hunting starts becoming instinct rather than something you're constantly trying to figure out. 🔗 Find Our Guest Willie Waldrip Instagram: @williewaldrip_ (https://www.instagram.com/#) Youtube: @WillieWaldrip 🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast Hosted by: @mattyafter 🎧 Episode Sponsors Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off @dogandguncoffee Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off @kayuga_broadheads Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt @venturehunting Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off @jabstickoutdoors

2. 

   11 Sept 2026

   The Secret to Successfully Bowhunting Elk with Jeff Helm

   This week Matty sits down with Jeff Helm, bowhunter, guide and owner of Arrowhead Bow Shop in McGregor, Texas. Jeff's been bowhunting for around 40 years and chasing elk for more than 20 of those… and last season he managed to go four for four on elk across four different states. We work through those hunts and how much the game changes as the season progresses. Calling bulls on public land, switching to spot and stalk when they shut up, reading terrain, predicting where an elk is heading instead of simply chasing it and learning to recognise those little signs that tell you you're suddenly right in the red zone. But what I really liked about this conversation is Jeff's approach to hunting after doing it for so long. He'll be the first to tell you there's an exception to just about every rule. You can have a plan, but you've still got to listen to what the animals, wind and terrain are telling you and be willing to change it. And sometimes you've just got to stay out there long enough to give yourself a chance. Jeff doesn't sleep in, doesn't head back to camp for lunch and doesn't quit when nothing's happening. After 20 or 30 days chasing elk, he reckons you might only get four to seven days where everything really fires… but those are the days you're out there waiting for. 🔍 What We Cover: How Jeff went four for four on elk across four different states and adapted as the rut changed through the season Why Jeff isn't overly aggressive with bugling on pressured public land and how other hunters can change his calling strategy The Idaho hunt where calling wasn't working, forcing Jeff and his mates to abandon the plan and switch to spot and stalk Why 20 or 30 days of elk hunting might only give you four to seven days where the bulls are really fired up and vocal Reading terrain and predicting where an elk is going rather than simply chasing it... including a move that put an arrow in a bull about 10 minutes later Developing those "Spidey senses" where smell, a hoof, an ear flick or a feeling tells you you're suddenly right in the red zone Why Jeff refuses to sleep in, head back to camp midday or give up when he's committed to an elk hunt The ridiculous moment Jeff and Donnie Drake simultaneously shot the same bull... and the lesson Donnie learned about checking his bubble Jeff's experience guiding axis, whitetail, aoudad, scimitar oryx, blackbuck and pigs across Texas Why Jeff opened Arrowhead Bow Shop in McGregor, Texas, and wanted to build an archery shop where beginners don't feel judged The importance of keeping a beginner's mindset, even after decades of bowhunting, and giving keen new hunters a hand up 🧠 Key Takeaway You can learn the rules, but elk haven't read the rulebook. The more time you spend hunting, the better you get at reading the little things... terrain, wind, behaviour and those tiny clues that tell you when it's time to stop following and start predicting. 🔗 Find Our Guest Jeff Helm @helm.yeah (https://www.instagram.com/#) Arrowhead Bow Shop – McGregor, Texas 🎙 Follow Becoming a Bowhunter Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast Hosted by: @mattyafter 🎧 Episode Sponsors Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off @dogandguncoffee Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off @kayuga_broadheads Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt @venturehunting Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off @jabstickoutdoors

3. 

   28 Aug 2026

   Stalking & Shot Placement | Live at Hunt Fest with Matty Turner

   This one's a little different. I was invited to speak at Hunt Fest, and my talk was all about two things that can make or break a hunt... stalking and shot placement. I broke stalking down into a framework I've built from eight years of bowhunting, plenty of mistakes, and hundreds of conversations with hunters through the podcast. It's called STALK: Spot the animal, Test the wind, Assess the approach, Let the animal dictate your pace, and Know your shot. From there, I get into wind and thermals, reading animal behaviour, using terrain and shadows to close distance, and knowing when to move versus when to stay completely still. For me, the goal with a bow is always to get close. Ideally, I'm looking for 20 metres or under rather than stretching the shot just because I can. Then we get into the other half of the Hunt Fest talk... shot placement. I use models of the heart and lungs to show where the vitals actually sit, why shot angle matters, and why I prefer aiming around the vital triangle rather than simply thinking "middle of the lungs." The whole idea is pretty simple: get closer, understand exactly where you're aiming, and give yourself the best chance of making a clean, ethical shot. 🔍 What We Cover: The STALK framework: Spot, Test, Assess, Let and Know Why my goal is to get within 20 metres before taking a bow shot Using a grid system and close-range glassing to find animals Why watching an animal for five minutes can completely change your stalk Reading herd behaviour and identifying the animals keeping watch Testing wind, understanding thermals and recognising how terrain moves your scent Using dead ground, trees, bushes and shadows to hide your approach Movement can give you away even when an animal hasn't smelt you Reading tails, ears, feeding behaviour and tension to know when it's safe to move Using a red light, yellow light and green light system during the final approach Knowing your effective shooting distance instead of relying on what you can hit at the range Heart, lung and vital-triangle shot placement across different shot angles 🧠 Key Takeaway A good stalk isn't about getting to an animal as quickly as possible. Watch first, understand the wind, build your approach and then let the animal tell you when you can move. The closer you can get while staying in control, the better opportunity you give yourself to make an ethical shot. Follow Becoming a Bowhunter Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast Hosted by: @mattyafter Episode Sponsors Dog and Gun Coffee – Fuel your hunt with premium coffee. Use code BOWHUNTER for $10 off @dogandguncoffee Kayuga Broadheads – Precision and reliability for every shot. Use code BAB10 for 10% off @kayuga_broadheads Venture Hunting & Outdoors – Gear up for your next hunt @venturehunting Jab Stick Outdoors – Precision-engineered carbon shafts. Use code BAB10 for $10 off @jabstickoutdoors

Who has been a guest on Becoming a Bowhunter

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Logan Hawker
• Josh Forster
• Roy Sloan
• Grant Muir

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

127 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 61 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

Contact Becoming a Bowhunter

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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