Talking with Bunjie, the Death by Bunjie Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rich Wilson, Death by Bunjie
Talking with Bunjie is the podcast associated with Death by Bunjie, a crossbow hunting show on YouTube. In this podcast, the host Rich Wilson discusses topics beyond those covered in the YouTube show, including wildlife conservation, regulations and policy, hunting strategies, foodplots, and the like.
A Friend of Bunjie asks some questions and I do my best to fumble through some answers LOL.
Genevieve and I discuss the trip to Manitoba and how it went, what we liked and didn’t like, etc.
Genevieve and I head to Manitoba to hunt spring black bears and we discuss our thoughts and expectations on the way.
Old Grumpy Hunter and I discuss arrow building, especially appropriate weights for an upcoming bear hunt.
Genevieve and I talk on the way to the annual conference for the United Taxidermists of New York in Auburn, NY.
An interesting discussion about Artificial Intelligence and crossbow arrows. Can a computer pick the perfect arrow?
Our family went to the Pennsylvania Taxidermist Association Annual Conference and taxidermy competition. Genevieve competed! Hear how she did. It was a great weekend and a total disaster at the same time!
I’m big on the “one gun” philosophy, as you might be aware. I wrote about that in my book, The Death by Bunjie Crossbow Method. This podcast discusses that concept in 2025 and how it applies when times change and crossbows change, too.
Here’s a followup on a recent video. I am pro crossbow. I also like all the compound archers, but I am anti-anti crossbow. Here’s more on that subject.
I recorded this podcast the morning before the Ravin R29X was delivered. Here’s what I expect. A lot has happened since then, but we’ll revisit this in a month or so to see how these predictions stood the test of time.
This is a common question I get. I did a video years ago on that, and my thoughts have changed a lot over the years. Here’s my current assessment in 2024.
FOB Eric of Dual Threat Outdoors and I get together and talk about crossbows and hunting. He's an accomplished bowhunter, btw.
While we were on vacation in Ocean City, MD, I recorded this podcast full of thoughts from Friends of Bunjie. Mistakes rookie hunters make was the topic.
Friends of Bunjie leave me messages about new crossbows, arrow speeds, field points, JB Weld, hunting experience and more…and I respond. This is a fun one!
Genevieve and I pick up dinner and talk about fall hunting plans, bear hunting, tree stands, foodplottery, and more (in like ten minutes!).
Every year new crossbows come out and people complain. It’s probably the same people. But, every year, these crossbows sell. So much so, that new ones are made the following year. Some people are buying them! That means the market is telling us one thing: enough people are satisfied with it that they come back for more. Here I talk about some comments I received from folks who complained about these new crossbows.
Here are some new thoughts on penetration. I bet you’ve never thought about these before. Well, maybe you have, but it’ll challenge some of your thinking, for sure. :)
Genevieve and I discuss our Maryland ups and downs. You can get 10% off many of your favorite Swhacker products at swhacker.com with coupon code BUNJIE2324. You can get 15% your Lumenoks at lumenok.com with coupon code BUNJIE. We're not sponsored by anyone but when we like a product, we share what we can!
On our way to Maryland we discuss our plans and goals and equipment. Did the Burris Oracle X make the cut?
Crossbow hunting has changed since I started in 2010. Here’s a discussion of some of those changes, good and bad.
The Burris, Sponsors, The Internet, and the Future! These are the topics covered with questions from Friends of Bunjie in this episode.
I’m finishing my iced coffee before heading into Walmart, so why not answer some questions and make a podcast?
Different strokes for different folks! Genevieve and I discuss the definition of “long shots” in this podcast as we head to Maryland to take 20 yard shots, LOL. That trip is in the books, and all three of the videos are uploaded now on the YouTube channel, but it’s neat to listen back at our thoughts on the way to Maryland as we recorded this.
At long last, part two of my interview with Dave Wilkins from Wyvern Creations. It’s a good one, as only Dave can make it.
You might recognize Wyvern Creations for their “Dragon Claw” arrows and their crossbow retailer website www.wyverncreations.com. Based in Lee, NH, USA, David Wilkins runs a great business. You can buy cool crossbow packages there, customized to your liking! He took the time to talk to me about breaking limbs. This is part one—and it’s a fun one.
Darren Cummings joins me with an engineer’s perspective on breaking crossbow limbs. We have a great conversation with a whole new perspective on the root causes of why limbs fail.
There’s more coming from Darren on this new topic of breaking limbs so be sure to check back.
The handy calculator I speak of in this podcast can be accessed right here on Death by Bunjie.
You may recall that Darren joined me once before on the YouTube channel, sharing his insights that helped Dr. Grant Woods do some research on deer jumping the string. Darren and I applied that research to crossbows in our video you can watch here: https://youtu.be/-ZzzKYiO9LU
Mark is a crossbow design engineer with tons of experience in the archery industry, including crossbows! It was my honor to speak with him about the industry. We talk about arrows, crossbow designs, broken limbs, and cranks…we even discuss the possibility of crossbows reaching 600 feet per second!
It’s that time of year: the crossbow manufacturers are announcing their new offerings. In this podcast we take a look at the new offerings from Excalibur—the good, the bad, and the lightweight LOL. We look at the TAC2 (Tactical version of the Twinstrike), the Mag AIR (a light crossbow) and the new Micro 380. SPOILER ALERT: the all new “380” is pretty cool.
Here’s a fun rant as I prepare for the Late Crossbow Season in Pennsylvania. I am trying to decide whether to hunt public ground or return to the Kingdom of Bunjie to look for a buck. Decisions, decisions. I check some trail cameras during this podcast, and you can see the results below! Perhaps this will help me decide.
A recent poll on the YouTube channel suggests many Friends of Bunjie are seeing reduced deer numbers just like Genevieve and I saw in Pennsylvania this year. Why would deer numbers be down? What can we do about it? That’s this episode of Talking with Bunjie!
Didn’t get a deer yet? There’s still time! Here's some tips to get you on a deer this year. UPDATE: I did manage to kill a nice doe with Bunjie III on December 3, 2021—the latest in the season I’ve ever killed a deer with a crossbow. Pretty cool! So—there is hope!!
Bunjie III and I are off to a bit of a rough start to our new hunting adventures. We’ve had some success, that’s for sure, but there’s been a few bumps in the road so far. This one particular day had a big bump and I talk about it here.
“Beware the man who shoots one gun.” That is a saying of unknown origin, but, man—to me, it says a lot!
Specialization makes you good at something. My favorite guitar players not only stick to one kind of music, but frequently play one guitar! Yngwie Malmsteen and Jimi Hendrix loved the Stratocasters. Both played a Flying V now and again, but the Strat was really their “one gun.”
For me, it’s similar with crossbows. I need to get more familiar with Bunjie 3.0 and make it my “one gun.”
Genevieve and I chat in the car about our Maryland hunting trip, and our take-a-ways from that great hunting experience!
In my book, The Death by Bunjie Crossbow Story: Confessions of a Crossbow Hunter, I wrote about how it was suggested to me a couple of years ago that Bunjie would come back to haunt me if I upgraded to a new crossbow. Is the Curse of Bunjie wrecking my season with Bunjie 3.0? This is a fun conversation Genevieve and I had on the way to Maryland.
I had a chance to hear first hand from Robert Bashaw of the Crossbow Hunting Podcast all about his successful bear hunt! Here is that phone conversation!
As Ravin struggles to get their groundbreaking R500 to market, let’s look at some good things Ravin has given us over the years.
YouTube took down my livestream about sighting in a crossbow. But it’s not the end of the world. Some good news here, too.
Well, well, well. Bunjie III isn’t just a funny looking crossbow after all. It’s also a killer instrument.
Speed Week! Crossbow Appreciation Month! These are the things that make August great!
At least that’s my biased opinion.
I had the great privilege of talking to Darren Cummings, an engineer who worked with Dr. Grant Woods on Growing Deer TV, about crossbows, maximum effective range, and deer jumping the string. He explains the research project he participated in, and the results.
Welcome to Crossbow Appreciation Month! August is Crossbow Appreciation Month—get your crossbow out and start celebrating it, will ya? Oh, and listen to this podcast. And while you’re at it, watch Death by Bunjie because we put out 31 videos in 31 days during this month, in preparation for the upcoming Crossbow Seasons!
In this episode, Genevieve talk about our goals as we get ready to put in some mock scrapes and licking branches to prepare for our upcoming seasons. I have a nice rant in here about anti-hunting legislation, too. It’s a fun one.
Is the Ravin R500 a mythical beast like Bigfoot? Or is it a real crossbow, set to be shipped in August 2021? Ravin’s original date of June was pushed back to July then early August. Latest reports from the company suggest early/mid August, but Wyvern Creations’ website currently says available in LATE AUGUST! Does that give you enough time to familiarize yourself with this crossbow and hunt with it this fall? Or is this a bust? In this podcast I discuss this whole deal as well as some recent comments from Friends of Bunjie.
You may recall that I called Scorpyd crossbows “Weird But Good” in the thumbnail on you YouTube review. This is the podcast episode recorded after Genevieve and I had a chance to play around with the new Scorpyd.
For those of you who don’t know, I chose the Scorpyd Deathstalker 420 as the Successor to Bunjie, 2021. I am very excited to see what this crossbow can do to further the Death by Bunjie Crossbow Method. This podcast is a good start in that direction.
That’s Mission Crossbows…plural!
We tried out the Mission Sub1-XR and the Sub-1 Lite during our Great Death by Bunjie Crossbow Try-Out-A-Thon. This podcast discusses our experience and our thoughts about that line of crossbows.
The Great Death by Bunjie Crossbow Try-Out-a-Thon continues, with part two of my podcast with Genevieve. We had a blast driving around and visiting different local shops. Here’s a look at the second shop we visited.
NOTE: the Lancehead was not on my list of five finalists to try out, but it was a neat crossbow to see in person. There are pics of that and more on the podcast page associated with this episode on www.deathbybunjie.com.
In April I took a day off from work, and Genevieve and I drove to three different shops in our home county to try out crossbows! And we recorded a podcast episode after each stop, recording our impressions immediately so we didn’t forget anything. In this episode, we looked at…Ravin Crossbows, specifically the R29X.
When it comes time to upgrade, do you automatically go to the same crossbow brand? Or should we look at other options? It’s a timely topic as we look to upgrade Old Bunjie!
Rainy Sunday afternoon, here. Genevieve and I take this opportunity to discuss some recent polls we ran on the YouTube channel and see how that sheds some light on the upgrade talk.
Genevieve and I continue our discussion as we wait for our “junk guy” to arrive. (You might remember that from last week’s discussion on last week’s podcast.) In this segment, we discuss a YouTube comment about accuracy, and what that means when we’re choosing a crossbow.
I’ve been impressed with Ravin and called them an innovator in crossbow technology. That was challenged by a long-time Friend of Bunjie in a recent YouTube comment, and a lengthy, well-thought out one at that! Genevieve and I review that comment and offer some “analysis” in this episode of Talking with Bunjie. It’s a great starting point for some good discussion while we’re out checking trail cameras.
This question came up recently in response to my video on BearX Crossbows and also when I talked about Ravin’s new 500fps crossbow: What would Fred Bear say about modern crossbows, or even modern archery? Remember, he started hunting with a traditional bow before compound bows were even invented! And although crossbows existed at the time, he was a traditional archer only throughout his life. What would he have chosen if he had a full plate of options like we do today? We can’t know for sure, but we can talk about it on this episode of Talking with Bunjie as we explore Fred Bear’s life and times, and help keep his legacy alive.
Another poll on the YouTube channel this past week asked what crossbow you’d buy if money was no object. There were some surprises in the poll and in the comments! As the Quest for Bunjie’s Successor continues, this is a good topic.
I ran a poll on the YouTube channel about trail cameras. I really appreciate the feedback from Friends of Bunjie and the suggestions. I discuss the results here. It kinda leads in to the topic of choosing a new crossbow…
Pretty poor online reception (from what I’ve seen) for Excalibur’s new flagship model, the Twinstrike. Is social media a good indicator of whether this model will be “successful”?
Are aluminum arrows the key to helping Bunjie “moose” and remain relevant in 2021 and beyond? I ran some tests and discuss the findings in this podcast.
In a lot of ways, I’m happy to leave 2020 behind! But in some ways, it’s been a banner year that will shape the future of Death by Bunjie in a very positive way. Will Genevieve be part of the 2021 Death by Bunjie experience? Will there be a new Bunjie in the picture? What events in 2020 will affect those things? Listen and find out.
Happy Thanksgiving! Crossbow hunters around the world are wrapping up their 2020 Crossbow Seasons. Maybe you’re preparing for your Late Crossbow Seasons, or maybe your motivation is dwindling. How can you stay motivated to get out there again? What will make next year more attractive? Listen and find out, perhaps.
Decisions, decisions! This is a fun decision to make. I solicited input from Friends of Bunjie and I talk about that in this episode.
Trying to kill a whitetail deer requires patience and persistence, but timing is key, also. There’s a time and a place for us to effectively be in the woods. Different tactics work at different times. There’s a time in your life for climbing treestands and that sort of mobility, and there’s a time to “retire” to blinds and two-man ladder stands. All that and more in this episode of “Talking with Bunjie.”
Just some observations about why that is—why my home state is the best and worst place to hunt black bears at the same time.
I buy a bear license every year. I have yet to use it. I don’t FOCUS on black bears. Here’s why. Some neat statistics in this one. Some good food for thought.
Oh, yeah, Genevieve got it done on OPENING DAY of the Pennsylvania Crossbow Season! I recount the story while she does the work of getting the hide off that deer.
I am delighted to have a special guest on this episode of Talking with Bunjie: my daughter, Genevieve! She and I prepare and strategize for her FIRST crossbow hunt with Bunjie, Jr. Listen in, it’s a fun one!
Recording thoughts while fresh in my mind on a return from the bear hunt! Maine and New Hampshire were welcoming to me and to Bunjie, but it was not in the cards for us to bring back a bear. Will there be another trip? What did we learn in the meantime? Listen to find out.
A Friend of Bunjie sent me notice of a pending lawsuit and I share my thoughts with you on that topic, and generally on crossbow safety, in this podcast.
The Second Ever Death by Bunjie “Meat & Greet” is in the books! Will there be a third? There is only one way to find out, and that is to listen to this podcast, LOL. But seriously, this has some audio from Genevieve First Ever Hunt, and it’s awesome! And I don’t use the word “awesome” lightly. Well, okay, I do, but here it is 100% appropriate. :)
In this podcast I talk about my new book, moving to a new house, and the 100 Year Old Apple Tree which is surprisingly showing signs of life and making me look like a liar. Here’s why!
To what extent will the Coronavirus affect hunting this fall? It’s already affecting my plans—here’s some updates from the Kingdom of Bunjie on how the virus is affecting our plans.
I reminisce about my own father and what he might think about Bunjie on this episode. A quick trip down memory lane and offering words of encouragement for the world of crossbow hunting—that’s this episode of Talking with Bunjie!
In this episode I’m lucky to have Friend of Bunjie Eric Barnes return to the podcast to offer more insight on hunting public ground! Eric has his own social media presence, Dual Threat Outdoors. I appreciate him taking some time off from fishing to share these tips with us!
Friend of Bunjie Jason LeMay and I discuss…falconry! Yes, you read that right—falconry. Outside the crossbow discussion, that’s for sure, but I found this one very interesting…and I sure hope you will, too.
I was recently a guest on The Crossbow Hunting Podcast, and Robert Bashaw has returned the favor and joins me for an episode of Talking with Bunjie! I am happy to share that conversation with him. We talk about his hunting background, some Massachusetts and New Hampshire hunting, and even some fun “philosophical” stuff. I hope you enjoy this episode!
You can check out his podcast and his Facebook page for more crossbow hunting fun!
Okay, I’m not a scientist, but I am a lawyer and I can help you interpret recent class actions against Monsanto (the makers of Roundup) and a jury verdict or two. I’ve done a ton of foodplot work, also, so when you combine the two, here’s a neat topic for a podcast.
I’m a lawyer and I get asked from time to time about firearms laws. Can YOU carry a firearm? This is not legal advice, other than to discuss YOUR situation with a lawyer in YOUR neck of the woods. But this podcast does discuss some details you might want to discuss with that lawyer. Here, I discuss concealed carry, common state and federal laws.
Here are my thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic through Easter, 2020. Is it just another flu? Is it the real deal? Should YOU worry? Should YOU wear a mask? Do I wear one? All that is discussed here. I hope you are staying healthy, and I hope you enjoy this podcast.
Friend of Bunjie (FOB) Dan Renirie joins me for a chat about spring gobbler strategies. This talk took place in early April, 2020, so take that into account. :) Whether you are new to spring gobbler or an old hat, there will be some good stuff in here for you.
I play some “live” Yankee Militia music in this podcast. It’s an edited livestream off the Death by Bunjie YouTube channel. “Self-quarantine” and “social distancing” are new words, and this livestream gives them both new meaning, lol. I hope you enjoy it. There’s a short discussion of FOC and sighting in the crossbow, too, in this podcast. Bunjie and I hope you enjoy it and hope you are staying healthy!
This podcast was recorded on an undisclosed section of public ground. I hope the birds in the background lift your spirits! I know they did mine! Topics include CWD, coronavirus, scouting, and the upcoming Second Ever Death by Bunjie “Meat & Greet.”
Tired of the Coronavirus yet? Me, too! But what can the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) teach us about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)? Here I discuss frequency dependence and density dependence, and some statistics. I’m trying to talk us down from all the hysteria, so give it a listen.
A popular topic today is the coronavirus. But enough on that! Another popular topic today in hunting circles is “the 3 R’s.” Here’s my discussion on it as it relates to crossbows.
The PA Game Commission is considering allowing electric bicycles, or "e-bikes," on state gamelands. Not just for handicapped hunters, but for anyone. My thoughts? Listen away, this is a fun one, I think.
FOB Eric Barnes gives me a ton of tips on scouting and hunting state gamelands! I really appreciate his time and input on this topic as Bunjie and I spend 2020 trying to figure out how to kill a deer on public ground.
Here we discuss his hunting background, the topography of his hunting area in Williamsport, his recent successes on public ground, preconceived notions about public land, and areas he likes to hunt during different times of year. We discuss the rut and its effect on deer activity. Scouting strategies is a welcome topic for me. We discuss scent control briefly, but I expect we'll be back on this topic with another podcast before the season starts. Finally, we discuss Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania.
You can check out Eric's channel on YouTube, Dual Threat Outdoors, at http://bit.ly/399Narh .
You can check out his Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dualthreatoutdoorman/
I was fortunate enough recently to sit down with Presidential Candidate and US Senator Bernie Sanders and talk about…crossbows! Who would have expected this?
Support the New York Crossbow Coalition here: nycrossbowcoalition.com
Support our crossbow brethren in Wisconsin here: www.facebook.com/WisconsinCrossbow
This interview is satire—please don’t get too excited about this. The interview originally appeared on a podcast called The Chapo Trap House (I found it by Googling it but you can find it here: http://bit.ly/31nHsPE ) (on Soundcloud). I have no permission to reproduce it here other than from the U.S. Congress and the Fair Use Copyright exception (this is parody and commentary). The commentary is crossbow related, but in the end the point is that it’s just about another kind of freedom—crossbow freedom!
P.S. No, I do not support Bernie Sanders for President. You don’t need to ask. He’s simply a unique personality and sounded good for this project.
A not-so-recent article from Whitetail News (a magazine published by Whitetail Institute) argues that foodplots are superior to bait. I take issue with this and not only defend the ancient practice of baiting, but argue it's got its pluses, too! In fact, it might be superior to foodplottery in some ways. (Foodplottery is the Bunjie term for the practice of making and maintaining foodplots, fyi.) I absolutely support anyone practicing foodplottery. I also absolutely support anyone who, like me, enjoys hunting over bait. I absolutely hope you enjoy this podcast.
In this podcast I spend some time outlining trespassing concerns I've had over the years and the importance of fighting trespassing to protect private property rights. Does PA's new legislation help or hurt? Is it good or bad for hunting?
This is part two of a two part series on declining hunter numbers. Here I examine what game commissions can do, and what WE can do as hunters, to encourage hunting long term.
I posted a recent Washington Post Article on the Death by Bunjie Facebook page. You can read that article here: https://wapo.st/2SfEnyd
How can we as hunters, who have a stake in this game, protect hunting long term? Encourage crossbow equality.
I posted a recent Washington Post Article on the Death by Bunjie Facebook page. You can read that article here: https://wapo.st/2SfEnyd How can we as hunters, who have a stake in this game, protect hunting long term? Encourage crossbow equality.
Here I interview FOB Mark Borchert about apple and pear trees for deer and people. Great tips here, I think—if you’re into apples, this is the podcast episode for you!
(FOB stands for Friend of Bunjie, of course.)
And remember, DEER LOVE APPLES! Apple trees are a great addition to your foodplots or other wildlife management plans!
I wrote a blog post about this previously but here I go into more detail about my favorite hunting podcasts.
Here are my top picks in no particular order.
MeatEater
This is the high end of podcasts. Top notch research, guests, hosts, production value, etc. In fact, the MeatEater brand of podcasts seems to be absorbing other podcasts and podcast personalities! There are now several different podcasts floating around under the MeatEater umbrella—so much so it’s difficult to find time to listen to them all.
Wired to Hunt
Example of how MeatEater absorbs other podcasts. I listed to Mark Kenyon as he built this podcast over the years. It’s great to see him achieve “next level” success by joining MeatEater, although I hope he can maintain his independent personality in the process. So far, he has. And this podcast is one of my favorites.
The Huntavore
Sportsman’s Nation is another podcast “network” that seems to be absorbing other podcasts. The Huntavore is now part of the that podcast network. Not to toot my own horn, but I’ve appeared on an episode of this podcast and found Nick and Dustin to be top shelf hosts! It now has a regular spot on my trip to and from work.
Drury Outdoors 100% Wild Podcast
Okay, right now, if I had to pick, this would be my favorite podcast. Matt Drury has a knack for hosting a podcast, and adding author Tim Kjellesvik is a great match (this is another personality taken from a previous podcast, FYI—I was listening to Kjellesvik on his podcast The Thinking Woodsman before he joined the Drury crew, from what I can tell. Overall, this podcast has a tone and feel that suits me the most—just a personal preference. Plus, it’s the Drurys. If you’re hunting deer, I mean… come on. It’s the Drurys. (Yes, Mark and Terry make an appearance now and then.)
Deer University
Thank you to Friend of Bunjie Alex Kurashev for sharing this one with me way back. Created by the Mississippi State University Deer Labs, Drs. Bronson Strickland and Steve Demarais share their wealth of knowledge about deer and deer habitat with listeners in this podcast. Even if you are not managing property of your own, you’ll love this podcast and you’ll learn a lot about deer. If that’s your thing, listen. If not, well…why are you reading this again?
The Australian Hunting Podcast
Some episodes of this podcast have some good hunting stories. The accents and the species discussed will peak your interest. It’s different from my Northeastern PA world, that’s for sure. Their appreciation for the United States’ Second Amendment should give American listeners a reminder of how good we have it.
The comment period is upon us and here are the comments I set forth on the PA Game Commission's Proposed 2020 CWD Management Plan.
YOU can comment here: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Wildlife-RelatedDiseases/Pages/CWD-Response-Plan.aspx
PA residents share a long debate about whether there are mountain lions here. Seems everyone knows someone who saw one. Here I give the official Death by Bunjie analysis of that topic.
Ravin makes some great crossbows and leads in crossbow innovation. But their ads leave something to be desired. Here I examine their ads and some others' ads, too.
I have access to great spots to hunt here in PA. Why leave the state and hunt elsewhere?
There's often discussion about how social media is ruining hunting. I've noticed that talk usually starts with folks in the old media--television and print--who have an interest in protecting their old media. The problem is that old style of media fails to accurately project what hunting is really like.
Just a brief overview of what I hope to accomplish with Talking with Bunjie and why I am starting a podcast.