We all lead busy lives and money doesn’t grow on trees, but we discuss how we are able to make it work from a budgeting and planning perspective and how we dive into scouting and preparation leading up to a hunt. We also talk about countless lessons learned, memorable stories, and how we tackle a week hunt by breaking down our day-by-day strategy.

Topics Covered In This Episode Include:

• Our background of growing up in Michigan and hunting whitetail deer
• The first out of state hunting trip Joe and I took together to Ohio
• Choosing a hunting partner and how our friendship evolved because of hunting
• What hunting trips mean to us as far as an adventure, scratching the itch, suffering, and getting back to the roots of our ancestors
• The pro’s and cons of a one week trip versus two weeks
• The initial stages of planning as far as taking time off of work, budgeting, and taking care of the family at home
• How to determine which state to hunt for whitetail deer or other big game species based on budget, terrain, and the experience you are after
• Staying in a hotel versus renting a cabin or camping and how to find lodging
• The famous “Sha-Pom-Bo” story on our first Ohio whitetail trip
• Coming home empty-handed and why your really not coming home empty-handed
• Utilizing technology and mapping software to digital scout when determining a hunting location
• Calling local wildlife managers and talking with them on the phone to get local intelligence
• Books and online forums to utilize to help better understand terrain and deer movements
• Walk-in hunting access and finding overlooked areas of private land that is available for public hunting
• Overlooked hunting spots and finding barriers that will keep other hunters from accessing that particular area
• Spring scouting trips and why we feel like they are not worth the time and money
• Examples of what we do on our first day of a hunting trip in big woods and open terrain scenarios
• Getting aggressive and adapting in order to have success on limited time
• Hunting public land areas for multiple years and how that plays into zoning in and eliminating certain spots
• Transporting meat back home and caping an animal to save money
• Preparing physically and extending your shooting range for out of state hunts
• Knocking on doors for private land access and getting permission to hunt for free
• Talking to locals and other hunters in the area in order to gain further intel on deer activity
• Looking back on hunts and why everyone should go on an out of state hunting trip

To view the articles that were written by Joe Wilson that we mentioned during the show, click the links below:

The Clueless Midwestern Hunters Guide To Out Of State Deer Hunting – Part 1

The Clueless Midwestern Hunters Guide To Out Of State Deer Hunting – Part 2

Here are the problems I have experienced with other well-known classified outlets:

Craigslist – They have a great local reach but it is not targeted and is difficult to sell something to a demographic outside of your local area.

eBay – They have an extensive national and global reach but they charge fees and you are at the mercy of the customer when it comes to product returns.

Local Newspaper – They have a good local reach but you have to pay for it. Often times lower priced hunting products do not fit this bill.

I found Zach’s company, Hunterz List via Instagram and I immediately loved the idea of having a network of like minded individuals who have the knowledge and appreciation for products in the hunting and outdoor industry. With roughly 4% of the U.S population comprising of hunters, we are a minority!

TRUE STORY: I had been trying to to sell a camera arm on Craigslist for over a year but to no avail. Ebay had left me with a bad taste in my mouth from an awful customer experience and there was no way in hell I was going to pay for an ad in a newspaper! My options were limited to say the least. Within a month of having my camera arm listed on Hunterz List, I was able to connect with someone who truly understood the product and sold it for my asking price.

This was my posting of the Tree Arm.

In addition to wide array of classifieds, they also created a platform for businesses to market products and services to the outdoor community. Hunterz List is continually delivering new content through “Outdoor Entrepreneurs”, a section of the site dedicated to hunting articles, videos, and a recently launched podcast as a way to attract targeted consumers to the site.

Its often funny in life how you end up meeting certain people in this day and age and ever since our first conversation, we have clicked at multiple levels. Zach and I stay in touch on a weekly basis and offer each other advice in regards to our goals, businesses and ideas. It was a pleasure sitting down with Zach and learning more about the past, the present and the future of Hunterz List. Below is my interview with Zach Wolfe, Founder of www.hunterzlist.com.

Business

Where did you come up with idea for Hunterz List? When was that first “Aha” moment?

My “Aha” moment came about a year ago while I was sitting in my NYC apartment exploring start-up ideas that aligned with my passion for hunting & the outdoors. My idea was to create a platform where  a hunting & outdoor consumer and businesses could advertise similar to craigslist. I wanted a strong focus on Business to Consumer sales by entrepreneurs in the hunting & outdoors industry.

What Products and Services do you offer on www.hunterzlist.com?

Since our inception the site has really evolved to offer a wide range of content. I want to break our site down into three categories:

Hunting & Outdoors Classifieds: For both consumer to consumer & business to consumer sales.

E-commerce Store: We partnered with Amazon to create an online hunting store where our visitors can purchase archery products, rangefinders, trail cameras, scent eliminators, game calls, tree stands and hunting clothing directly from out site. 1$ from each sale will be donated to our Hunterz List Veteran Fund.

Outdoor Entrepreneurs Blog & Podcast: This section of our site features hunting articles, videos and our outdoor entrepreneurs podcast. The articles feature both educational and informative articles about hunting. The videos are informative, and we now accept video submissions from business owners in the hunting & outdoors industry that highlight their product or service. The approved videos are then uploaded to our blog and youtube channel for the entire outdoor community to see. Our podcast features interviews with entrepreneurs in the outdoors community.

Outdoor Entrepreneurs section of HunterzList.com

How are you currently marketing and promoting the site? Social Media, Email, Ads?

Currently I’m using various methods to market my site. I use Facebook, Instagram, twitter and youtube. I run sponsored ads via Facebook and have received great results. I try to produce as much high quality content as possible. My goal is to post at least two new blogs a week and one new podcast every two weeks. I currently use a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) software along with Mail Chimp to produce email campaigns to my subscribers. I’ve just started focusing heavily on SEO and optimizing my onsite content with Yoast SEO via WordPress.

Tell me about the new “Outdoor Entrepreneurs” section of the website? What does this entail?

This section was created to empower hunting & outdoor entrepreneurs with educational information on both hunting & business. This section of our site features hunting articles, videos and our outdoor entrepreneurs podcast. The articles feature both educational and informative articles about hunting. The videos are informative, and we now except video submissions from business owners in the hunting & outdoors industry that highlight their product or service. The approved videos are then uploaded to our blog and youtube channel for the entire outdoor community to see. Our podcast features interviews with entrepreneurs in the outdoors community.

I hear you are in the works of an E-Book! Give us some insight on that and when/where will it be available for purchase?

I’m very excited about this! I’ve been working on the E-Book for about two months now. The title is “Three Secrets To Killing Bigger Bucks”. In about 30 pages it will cover three tactics that WILL help you harvest your dream buck. I’m working hard to finish the book by late October or Early November. It will be available to purchase on Kindle Amazon.

What does the future look like for Hunterz List? Any new ventures in the works?

I’m extremely optimistic and excited about the future of Hunterz List! I’ll have new products launching from the site over the next year and will continue to build my content. I have a business background and have a blessing for creative strategy so new ventures will certainly come. I welcome collaboration!

We all face struggles in starting a new endeavor or business. What has been the most challenging thing since starting Hunterz List?

The most challenging thing was taking action upon my idea and staying consistent. In the beginning no one was paying attention, no one was watching. Being patient and staying consistent was the key.

What has been your greatest success to date?

Pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Putting myself and my business out there for the world to see.

Personal Life / Interests / Background

When were you first brought into hunting? Did your father teach you the ropes and introduce you to the sport?

I was introduced to hunting at a very early age. I believe I was about 5-6 when I first visited our hunting trailer on Marylands Eastern Shore, Pokomoke City to be exact. My father was indeed my teacher.

What is your favorite animal to hunt? Do you prefer gun or bow?

I’m a Whitetail Fanatic and extremely addicted to bow hunting. I do pick up a rifle once a year for opening day. I prefer to sling arrows.

Where do you currently reside? Tell me about your family life – Are you married?

I currently reside in New York City with my wife & miniature dachshund. I am happily married to my beautiful wife Ana Maria. Together we’re a great team!

I know you have a military background – Thank you for your service, Zach. Tell me a little about that?

Thank you! I served in the United States Marine Corps for 6 1/2 years. Parris Island South Carolina made me! I served in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom OEF in 2013. Enjoy my time but it was time to move on. Semper Fi.

What other hobbies or interests do you have outside of hunting and hunting related activities?

Spending time with my wife and our dog. I love to run. Weight lifting. Reading about online marketing strategy and business.

Hunterz List Overview

Take me through the steps of getting registered on your site – Is it pretty simple to sign up?

Very simple:

1: Vist the top right header on our site and click register.

2: Enter your username, email address and password and press submit.

3: Press the confirmation link in your email to activate your account.

4: You’re ready to post your free ad.

Hunterz List makes registration simple by letting you connect with Facebook!

Does it cost money to join Hunterz List?

Hunterz List is Free.

What kind of products and services can I offer as a user? Can I list my vehicle on your site or is it specifically hunting related products?

You can either list your old or unwanted personal gear, or, you can create an ad to sell your business’ product or service. The categories cover pretty much everything archery, rifles, real estate, fishing, services etc. We do have a section where you can list your pickup truck or trailer. We also welcome and encourage category suggestions.

If I subscribe to the newsletter, what kind of content can I expect to get in my inbox?

We’re working on creating a content-rich, weekly newsletter. Right now if you subscribe you’ll receive constant updates on new content and releases.

Why should I join Hunterz List and list my products there instead of a classified site like Craigslist?

Craigslist doesn’t know the first thing about hunting or the outdoors. Our subscribers and visitors have a hunting & outdoors background. Therefore, your product has the best chance of being sold.

www.hunterzlist.com