We’re not all habitat work all the time here at NDA. We know the importance of enjoying the fruits of your labor and that’s the primary focus of the Coffee and Deer podcast. The show is hosted by NDA President and CEO Nick Pinizzotto and his long-time hunting buddy and friend Mike Groman and focuses on hunting heritage and conservation policy. Nick and Mike are typically joined by expert guests — from NDA staff to outdoor writers to policymakers — to share hunting stories and discuss important conservation issues impacting deer and deer hunting. We hope you’ll join us for a fun and informative discussion over coffee about all things deer.
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Any seasoned deer hunter will tell you that there’s nothing more exhilarating than hunting a particular buck over more than one season. It’s a rarity for most to get more than a second season to match wits with the same deer let alone three, but that’s the challenge Heartland Bowhunter Co-host Michael Hunsucker faced while engaged in a chess match with a giant buck he named Floppy. Oddly, the Missouri monster was quite visible over the years, which made it even more frustrating for Hunsucker when he couldn’t get into bow range. At one point the deer ghosted him and he thought maybe it had fallen to a nearby rifle hunter, but eventually the two reconnected. In this episode you’ll hear the story of the final hunt for Floppy directly from Hunsucker, and it’s one that will have you on the edge of your seat!
This is also an Ask NDA Anything episode and Nick and The Doctor answer listener questions about taking bow shots at walking deer and how to have a successful winter season. As always, the B-Team report doesn’t disappoint as the guys share their latest follies including one where one of the guys benefits by forgetting his field dressing gear, “conveniently.” Let’s just say it’s not the first time this particular host of the show has gotten the benefit of shooting a deer without doing much work during the recovery. If you’d like to submit an Ask NDA Anything questions or tell us about your own B-Team story, email nick@deerassociation.com.
Important Links
Show sponsor: onX Hunt
Heartland Bowhunter YouTube Page
Michael Hunsucker on Instagram
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
It doesn’t matter if you have the best bow or gun or have the luxury of hunting great land crawling with big whitetail bucks if you’re not able to put adequate time in the deer woods. Being comfortable in any weather condition is key to successful hunting and our friends at First Lite have all day comfort nailed. During a recent hunt in Kentucky, Nick sat down with First Lite’s Senior Whitetail Category Manager, Gregg Farrell, to talk about what goes into the making of their gear before it hits the market and also get into some whitetail hunting strategy. Gregg talks about the importance of wearing the right layers and shares what his favorite First Lite product is. He also shares the story of his journey that eventually led him to the company and how being home and hunting with his friends and family tops any of his other hunts each season.
Just when you thought the guys couldn’t outdo themselves for the B-Team Report, Nick tells the tale of how he now has a few hundred dollar’s worth of damage to his Polaris Ranger, and also ended up down a hat and pair of glasses. To add insult to injury, he also describes why his target buck is still safely roaming the hills of Pennsylvania. The duo provides a full update on their seasons so far, while discussing their hopes for the next couple weeks.
Important Links
Show sponsor: First Lite
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
Wednesday Nov 02, 2022
There’s a reason this time of year is often referred to as the Super Bowl of whitetail hunting. It’s the rut and NDA’s Chief Conservation Officer, Kip Adams, joins Nick and The Doctor to talk about their favorite rut-hunting strategies while also debunking the many myths surrounding the rut. While much of the whitetail world still remains a mystery, there’s some great research available to deer hunting enthusiasts that can help increase your odds of punching a tag this fall. This episode is hitting at the perfect time to prep you for an exciting couple of weeks ahead.
This is also an Ask NDA Anything episode and the guys answer questions about using decoys and what their favorite snack while deer hunting is. In this week’s B-Team report, Nick almost does a faceplant and The Doctor reminds us why home improvement projects are often better left to professionals. Remember to please send us your hunting photos as well as your B-Team stories and Ask NDA Anything questions. You can send them to nick@deerassociation.com.
Important Links
Show sponsor: Moultrie Mobile
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Regardless of whether or not you have the best gear on the market and are hunting the best properties and the best spots, none of that will matter if you’re not adequately controlling human odors. In fact, most hunters who consistently tag mature bucks will tell you that their number one tactic is hunting with the wind in their face while taking care to hide their presence by limiting human scent.
Sam Burgeson is the president of Wildlife Research Center, the most well-known hunting scent and human scent control products company in the country and he joins Nick and The Doctor to discuss the importance of scent control in the deer woods. The guys also talk about their favorite techniques for fooling a deer’s sense of smell. In addition, Sam shares stories from the origin of Wildlife Research Center, a company that truly started in his father’s garage with nothing but a few ideas from his dad and uncle.
In this week’s B-Team report, The Doctor shares the story of how he “lost” his trail camera and Nick explains why his brand-new Redneck Ghillie Blind has a hole in it already. This might be the best B-Team story yet! Remember to please send us your hunting photos as well as your B-Team stories and Ask NDA Anything questions. The next show will be an Ask NDA Anything episode so your questions are due now. You can send them to nick@deerassociation.com.
Important Links
Show sponsor: Wildlife Research Center
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
The Armed Forces Initiative of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers is an effort designed to help serve the Veteran and active-duty military community by treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury(TBI) through direct engagement in the outdoors and involvement in the organization’s robust public lands advocacy and conservation work. The program aims to provide veterans with the three things they need most: time outdoors, a community, and a mission.
Nick and The Doctor are joined by the program’s coordinator, Trevor Hubbs, who talks about the value of the program and its evolution from just an idea in 2020 to a program that has more than 30 camps planned through October. The initiative has 378 veterans registered for events in 20 states and on 17 active military installations including moose hunts in Alaska, salmon fishing in the Great Lakes, mountain whitetail hunting in North Carolina, and desert quail in Southern California.
In this week’s B-Team report, one of our hosts describes how he defaced a brand-new FirstLite jacket before ever wearing it into the woods! This is also an Ask NDA Anything episode and questions that came in from listeners in California and Alberta, Canada are answered. Remember to please send us your hunting photos as well as your B-Team stories and Ask NDA Anything questions. You can send them to nick@deerassociation.com.
Important Links
Show sponsor: Vortex Optics
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Deer season is finally here and it’s our annual preseason preview show where Nick and the Doctor talk about their plans for the 2022-23 hunting season while sharing a few of their favorite tips and tactics. Joining them on the show is Jason Redd from Timber Ninja Outdoors. A lifelong hunter, Jason chases whitetails in his home state of North Carolina and a few Midwestern states. The guys cover everything from their expectations for the season to whether they prefer an aggressive or more passive approach to hunting. They also share their number one tip for getting to within shooting range of mature bucks, and you won’t want to miss it as you prepare for your season.
This week’s B-Team report is highlighted by one of the guys who apparently thought a three-foot deep hole and trench could be dug without the benefit of a shovel or tape measure. Remember, next week is an Ask NDA Anything episode so be sure to get your questions to nick@deerassociation.com in time for the next show. We’d also like to see your hunting photos or hear your B-Team stories, which just might make it on the show. Good luck to everyone hitting the deer woods!
Important Links
Show sponsor: Ani-Logics
Timber Ninja Outdoors Website
Timber Ninja Outdoors on Instagram
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Sep 07, 2022
Wednesday Sep 07, 2022
We have a treat for Coffee and Deer listeners in this episode! The highest scoring typical whitetail buck ever shot in the United States was taken last year in Decatur County, Indiana by Dustin Huff, and he joins Nick and NDA’s Chief Communications Officer, Lindsay Thomas, Jr.
The 211 4/8 inch net typical Hoosier State giant fell just 2 1/8 inches short of the world record whitetail shot by Milo Hanson in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1993. Here’s the best part. Dustin had no idea the buck was using the property he had been hunting since he was a kid. The same property where he shot his first deer. After hearing the interview we think you’ll agree that Dustin was the right guy to take this magnificent whitetail. On top of his success as a deer hunter, Dustin is also an accomplished country music singer and songwriter splitting his time between Nashville and his home state of Indiana. We talk about his music career as well as the exciting hunt that has changed his life.
It's also an “Ask NDA Anything” episode and Nick and the Doctor answer two hunting related questions that we think you’ll find helpful as you head into the seas. Continuing to grow in popularity, you’ll also hear the B-Team Report. The Doctor describes how a little too much pride ended up hitting him in the wallet, and Nick tells of the hard lesson he learned about making sure you look at your bow sight before taking your first shots at the range. All that and more in one of our best episodes yet, and just in time for deer season!
Important Links
Show sponsor: Lacrosse Footwear
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
If you want to start a good debate among deer hunters, start talking about your list of the best hunters in the country, and let the fun begin. The reality is there are a lot of outstanding hunters who consistently take mature bucks who you’ve never heard of. Nick Skinner of Iowa Land Company is one of those hunters. Nick’s humble personality doesn’t allow him to brag, so Nick and The Doctor do that for him in this episode.
While he has many great bucks on his resume, the focus of the conversation is the 191-inch buck he arrowed in 2019, which he and his wife refer to as the Honeymoon Buck. This is yet another story of redemption as the first encounter Nick had with the buck didn’t go as planned, but thanks to a little help from his wife, as well as luck and persistence, this story comes to an exciting conclusion. This episode continues our series of exciting deer stories, which we’re featuring as deer seasons are opening or are about to open around the country.
We also get some tips from our guest about what to do if you’re considering buying hunting land. It’s more attainable than you might think. This episode’s B Team report is highlighted by the sad tale of a guy that just can’t help but spend money on things he already owns! You’ll have to listen to get the sad details.
Important Links
Show sponsor: First Lite
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Aug 10, 2022
Wednesday Aug 10, 2022
For most of us having the privilege of seeing, let alone getting close to, a buck carrying almost 200 inches of antler is more of a dream than reality. Knowing the deer exists and getting more than one chance to hang a tag on him seems like something out of a fairy tale, but that’s the position Georgia hunter Cory Croft found himself in last fall. Some deer stories are short and start and end the first day a hunter lays eyes on the animal. Others play out more like novels and the game of cat and mouse goes on for several years. The story of Croft’s 196-inch South Georgia monster is just that, and it includes a series of twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. This story is the first in a series of hunting stories Nick and The Doctor will be sharing on the show over the next few episodes as hunting seasons approach.
This is also an Ask NDA Anything episode and this time we’re answering questions about antler growth and shedding and whether or not it’s necessary to enter the deer woods at dark for morning hunts. This episode’s B Team report details a series of blunders that our hosts made since the last show, and we’re guessing you’ll be able to relate.
Important Links
Show sponsor: The Firminator
NDA’s Tracker UTV Membership Drive
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Wednesday Jul 27, 2022
Wednesday Jul 27, 2022
When you have years of experience hunting deer in different states and in a lot of different ways, it stands to reason you’ve learned a few things along the way. From public land hunting, to using a saddle, to understanding the best cover to find big bucks, to habitat enhancement, Nick and The Doctor cover it all with today’s guest, Brian Grossman. Brian is not only a lifelong avid whitetail hunter, he’s also NDA’s Communications Manager and is the man behind the scenes of our digital media presence. Known to the NDA team as “G,” he effectively takes his knowledge and hunting experience and uses it to get the word out about our work in creative and often entertaining ways. You’ll learn about G’s unique career path that led him to NDA and also get his number one tip for getting close to mature deer.
Also in this episode, the guys talk about early season scouting and tower blind construction and share the latest B Team Report, which is one you don’t want to miss. Remember, the next episode is an Ask NDA Anything episode. Be sure to get your questions in and you just might find yourself with a new NDA hat or another prize!
Important Links
Show sponsor: Mathews Archery and Mission Crossbows
Brian Grossman on Instagram: @brianlgrossman
Brian Grossman on Facebook: www.facebook.com/brianlgrossman
Follow Nick Pinizzotto on Instagram
Follow Mike Groman on Instagram
Music by Bensound
Subscribe to the Podcast on:
About the National Deer Association
The National Deer Association (NDA) is a non-profit deer conservation group that works to ensure the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. Thank you for subscribing to our podcast!
Support NDA’s mission by becoming a member today.
NDA has the highest ranking from Charity Navigator, an independent group that monitors non-profits for financial efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about deer and deer hunting in our weekly, free e-newsletter.
Follow us on our other channels: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube