The Rookie Season: Taking First-Time Hunters from Zero to Tagged Out

What's up everyone! This week I've got Dillon Deitz back on the podcast—probably for the ninth time, which makes him the most requested guest in the history of Elk Hunt. And by "requested," I mean Dillon requests to be on the podcast. But honestly, I love having this guy on because he's genuinely one of the most passionate people I know about getting new hunters into the game.

Dillon just dropped a new film series called "The Rookie Season," and it's honestly one of the coolest projects I've seen in the hunting space in a long time. The premise is simple but powerful: take grown adults with zero hunting background—I'm talking computer geeks, software engineers, people who've never even thought about hunting—and show them that hunting isn't some secret club reserved for people who grew up doing it. The tagline says it all: "Hunting is not for everybody, but it could be for you."

Over the course of the series, Dillon takes three complete rookies—people who didn't even know why you have to check the wind—and teaches them everything from hunter safety to field dressing to making ethical long-range shots. And here's the wild part: all three of them filled deer tags within a couple days. We're talking a one-handed Asian kid named Brandon who almost died on a mile packout, a guy named Solomon who made a 600-yard shot on his first hunt and then packed a deer seven miles in five-degree weather (oh, and he forgot his inhaler because he has bad asthma), and a hundred percent disabled veteran named Steven who Dillon rattled in a buck for after scrambling to get him a tag at the last minute.

This conversation is part tactics, part philosophy, and part Dillon being sick as a dog but refusing to quit (which is very on-brand). We dive into why deer hunting is the perfect gateway for new hunters, why Dillon is obsessed with mountain whitetails instead of the yard deer everyone else shoots, and his absolute deadly system for rattling in bucks during pre-rut. Spoiler: he's rattled in five or six bucks this year alone, and his method is shockingly simple.

We also get into why Dillon believes taking new hunters into the field reminded him of the magic he'd been taking for granted—like watching a moose for the first time through someone else's eyes and realizing how cool this whole thing actually is. It's the same feeling you get when you invite someone to your house for the first time and suddenly notice everything differently.

If you're someone who's ever thought about getting into hunting but felt intimidated, or if you've been hunting for years and want to remember why you fell in love with it in the first place, go watch The Rookie Season on Dillon's YouTube channel. And if you're already a hunter, share this episode with someone who's been on the fence about trying it. Dillon's proving that hunting is accessible to anyone willing to put in the work—and that's something we need more of.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Intro: The most requested guest ever (sort of)
03:30 - Dillon's new film series: The Rookie Season
08:45 - Why deer hunting instead of elk for first-timers?
13:20 - Do we put elk on too much of a pedestal?
18:50 - Teaching grown adults the absolute basics
24:15 - Brandon's story: One-handed Asian kid's first hunt
29:40 - Solomon's 600-yard shot and 7-mile packout with asthma
35:10 - Steven the disabled vet and the last-minute tag scramble
40:30 - Rattling in mountain whitetails during pre-rut
46:20 - Dillon's rattling system: Why 11 AM is the witching hour
52:15 - Mountain whitetails vs. yard deer: Why Dillon won't shoot his backyard bucks
56:40 - Calling black bears for 30-40 minutes straight
1:00:15 - Where to watch The Rookie Season and closing thoughts

Three Key Takeaways

1. Hunting Through Fresh Eyes Renews Your Own Passion - Dillon talks about how taking first-time hunters into the field made him hyper-aware of all the things he'd been taking for granted. Watching a grown man see a moose for the first time and say "if I don't see another animal this whole trip, this was worth it" reminded Dillon why he fell in love with hunting in the first place. When you teach someone else, you stop just doing and start seeing again. It's like inviting someone to your house—you notice everything differently.
2. Pre-Rut Rattling is Deadlier Than You Think - Dillon has rattled in five or six mountain whitetail bucks this year using a simple system: hunt pre-rut (late October through early November), blind call for about two minutes, then wait 30 minutes and go harder. Bucks are curious but not committed yet, so they'll come check things out within a couple hundred yards. He's had way more success pre-rut than during the rut when bucks already have does locked down. Think of it like calling a bull that doesn't have cows yet versus one that's already got his harem.
3. Deer Hunting is the Perfect Gateway, Not a Lesser Hunt - Dillon deliberately chose deer over elk for his rookie series because it's more accessible—tags are easier, success rates are higher, and the physical demand can be scaled to the person. But that doesn't mean it's easy. Solomon killed his first buck in some of the nastiest country Dillon hunts, made a 600-yard shot, and packed it seven miles. The lesson: don't gatekeep hunting by making people think they have to start with the "hardest" species. Meet people where they are, give them a win, and build from there.