Breaking Rules with Jared Sheffler
Spring is here and I’m already itching to hit the woods. Recently, I got to talk with Jared Sheffler from Whitetail Adrenaline on The Fair Chase podcast. This guy’s a deer hunting legend.
Eighteen years into making raw, sponsor-free hunting DVDs, Jared’s all about real hunts, screw-ups and all. “It’s accessible,” he says. “The common guy can do public lands. You can knock and ask for permission.” His latest series, Uncuffed, shows him doing just that - door-knocking for spots.
Jared’s hunting style is “pure chaos and instinct”. “Sometimes you’re the turtle, slow and steady. Other times, you’re the rabbit, intense and fast,” he told me. He hunts on the ground, trusting his gut above all else. “Your instincts process everything behind the scenes,” he says. That’s how he gets big bucks without a ton of pre-scouting, just raw, in-the-moment decisions.
Jared’s archery style is unconventional, relying on instinct and power instead of modern precision techniques. He draws an 80+ pound traditional bow, shooting arrows with a speed and versatility that modern archery often overlooks. He trains hard, firing 500-800 arrows in a two-hour garage session, building rock-solid body strength over the years.
Starting Whitetail Adrenaline wasn’t easy. Jared faced financial struggles, working night shifts and living frugally to fund his passion. The early days were tough, but he pushed through. He’s still making late night edits and still loving (most of) it.
Archery, like hunting, is a pursuit that demands dedication. It’s a challenge that tests your patience and resolve, from perfecting your form to enduring the grind of practice.
But as Jared shows, the rewards of mastering this skill is worth every second of effort.