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Speaker 1: You've probably heard that the elk are killed by the

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Speaker 1: same ten hunters year and in year out. Today's guests

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Speaker 1: is one of those elk hunters that converts the majority

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Speaker 1: of his issue tags in the notch tags. What's even better,

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Speaker 1: he's as humble as they get. Nate Simmons is one

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Speaker 1: of those guys I look up to and have a

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Speaker 1: ton of respect for. He resides in Cody, Wyoming, is

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Speaker 1: one of the most extreme back country bow hunters out there,

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Speaker 1: and he prides himself on being a self sufficient d

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Speaker 1: I Y hunter. He is the producer and co host

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Speaker 1: of The Western Hunter TV show and has written numerous

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Speaker 1: hunting articles. His success as an elk hunter is second

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Speaker 1: to none, and today I wanted to sit down and

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Speaker 1: pick Nate's brain on some of his tactics that leads

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Speaker 1: to this consistent success. Welcome to the show, Nate. Well, then,

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Speaker 1: thank you to be here. Decided to talk to elkund

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Speaker 1: about how's everything going over there at the Western Hunter. Good.

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Speaker 1: It's been extremely busy lately. This is always like about

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Speaker 1: our busiest time of the year. We just uh, we

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Speaker 1: just got our first episode of the new season off

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Speaker 1: on Monday, UM and that first one is always way

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Speaker 1: tougher than any of the ones that follow up. So

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Speaker 1: the rest of them, Yeah, for sure. Do you have

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Speaker 1: any big hunts signed up for this fall? Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: nothing out of the out of the ordinary. It doesn't

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Speaker 1: look like it. I mean, I'm still waiting on a

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Speaker 1: couple of states draw results, but I don't really anticipate

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Speaker 1: a whole lot of luck there. But um, I am

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Speaker 1: still pretty excited. I've got I've got my normal elk

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Speaker 1: cunning lineup, you know, kind of my what's been my standard,

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Speaker 1: which is Wyoming, Idaho in Montana, and all those this

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Speaker 1: year are you know, their general season over the counter hunts,

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Speaker 1: which I'm just probably more excited than I ever have

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Speaker 1: been because it does feel to me like, uh, this

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Speaker 1: may not be the last year that I get all

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Speaker 1: three of those, um in one season, but it very

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Speaker 1: likely could be. Like I feel really really lucky that

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Speaker 1: I've got all three of those in my pocket. For sure. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's definitely getting harder, especially Melteer tags are are still

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Speaker 1: somewhat available, but man, the elk tags are getting tough

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Speaker 1: to come by. I got I got great information yesterday.

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Speaker 1: I was able to draw a two percent tag here

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Speaker 1: in Washington. So it's an extra ook tag for me. Yeah, yea,

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Speaker 1: so it was a little pleasant surprise. We have some

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Speaker 1: decent hunting here as long as you can get one

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Speaker 1: of the very few tags they have so added added

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Speaker 1: to my fall Rocky or Roosevelt Rocky down in the

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Speaker 1: Blues down in southeast Washington's got really really lucky. Man.

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Speaker 1: Have you have you ever hunted there before? I did.

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Speaker 1: My wife had the tag in uh fifteen and um

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Speaker 1: saw some some great bowls. Um, so I'm excited to

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Speaker 1: get back and and you know run run loose through

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Speaker 1: the area. You know, definitely rugged, rugged terrain, and you know,

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Speaker 1: sometimes tough hunting there at the end of October. But

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Speaker 1: the nice thing is, you know, going in that there's

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Speaker 1: a big bowl somewhere in that unit. It's just up

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Speaker 1: to me to go find it. So alleviates the first

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Speaker 1: part of you know, going to find a big or

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Speaker 1: be even being in a unit with one. You know,

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Speaker 1: they're they're just finding them and trying to find one

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Speaker 1: that the the wolves haven't turned into toothpicks. Yeah exactly. Yeah, yea.

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Speaker 1: So well we're gonna start this podcast off like all

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Speaker 1: of them. Um, We're gonna take some questions that you

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Speaker 1: know kind of pertain to your experience and your expertise.

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Speaker 1: And if you have any questions out there in the audience,

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Speaker 1: UM that you want to ask our guests, please email

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Speaker 1: us at ct D at Phelps Game Calls dot com.

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Speaker 1: We'll take your questions, pass them on to the experts

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Speaker 1: and and see what their answers are. So, the first

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Speaker 1: question that the listeners had for you, Nate was with

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Speaker 1: some great elk hunting existing in grizzly dense areas and

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Speaker 1: and knowing a little bit of your past, what are

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Speaker 1: the dues and do nots while hunting in grizzly country

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Speaker 1: and how have you kind of adapted and coped with um,

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Speaker 1: you know, not necessarily being the apex predator, but still

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Speaker 1: wanting to get into some of that country and uh

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Speaker 1: hunt it. And then if you can elaborate a little

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Speaker 1: bit on gun versus bear spray, and then you know

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Speaker 1: some of your camping in grizzly country, um, you know,

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Speaker 1: tactics or or advice. Okay, yeah, I would say, I guess.

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Speaker 1: I mean really it's like I've been hunting in grizzly country,

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Speaker 1: Like my first hunt in Grizzly Country is probably like

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Speaker 1: ten years ago, and there's been maybe a year or

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Speaker 1: two that I haven't hunted in Grizzly Country over that time,

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Speaker 1: but you know, definitely the majority of those and even

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Speaker 1: like last year, I did two hunts in Grizzly Country,

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Speaker 1: one in Wyoming and Montana. But so I have experience,

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Speaker 1: but it's definitely still like an evolving, uh you know,

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Speaker 1: like a system that I'm coming up with. I'm still

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Speaker 1: making tweaks and and uh, you know, stuff to my

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Speaker 1: you know, just to my system. But I would say

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Speaker 1: probably like the number one thing that I think is

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Speaker 1: really important where it's not I mean, it's always important,

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Speaker 1: it's not as important outside of Grizzly Country, and that

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Speaker 1: is to try to always hunt with another person if possible, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, which you know, like I rarely ever are

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Speaker 1: going at elk hunt alone anymore, like especially in Grizzly Country.

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Speaker 1: I mean I've self filmed a couple of elk hunts

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Speaker 1: um over the years, but never in Grizzly Country. And

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Speaker 1: that's something I highly doubt that I would ever even attempt. Um.

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Speaker 1: There's just so you know, it's just much more likely

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Speaker 1: in my opinion that you're gonna have trouble if you're

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Speaker 1: completely alone. Um. You know, and pretty much any time

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Speaker 1: I feel like it's a detriment to be alone, but

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Speaker 1: particularly when you get one down, um you know, Like

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Speaker 1: I mean last year, for example, I the bull I

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Speaker 1: killed was down in a like a just a little

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Speaker 1: crick bottom where it was kind of a deep little

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Speaker 1: cut there. And when I was down working on the elk,

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Speaker 1: like I couldn't see anything, and we knew there was

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Speaker 1: at least two bears in the area. Um, So it

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Speaker 1: was really nice to have Randy it was with me

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Speaker 1: stay up like out of the wash a little bit

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Speaker 1: to where he could kind of uh you know, keep

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Speaker 1: his his eyes and ears going where I was right

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Speaker 1: next to the creek couldn't hear. Um. So I feel like,

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Speaker 1: you know, that would be the number one thing just

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Speaker 1: from a safety standpoint, is to always you know, at

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Speaker 1: least be in pairs. Um. And then also to have

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Speaker 1: GPS communication device. UM. I feel like that's really kind

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Speaker 1: of you know, a good idea no matter where you are.

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Speaker 1: But I think in in grizzly country, even if you

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Speaker 1: think you're gonna have sell service, I think it's just

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Speaker 1: really foolish to go out there without a backup way

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Speaker 1: of communicating. Um, which kind of like would tie in

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Speaker 1: with another piece of advice I would have is that, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, if you don't have your own pack animals,

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Speaker 1: I think having an outfit or lined up to retrieve

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Speaker 1: your elk with you know, horses or mules is a

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Speaker 1: really good idea if you're in grizzly country, even if

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Speaker 1: you're not planning on being that far back. I mean,

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Speaker 1: if you just if you end up being back a

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Speaker 1: little ways, um, you know, just having somebody lined up

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Speaker 1: to help you. I mean that's some of like my

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Speaker 1: most pleasant experiences hunting in grizzly Country is on hunts

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Speaker 1: where I've been able to contact an outfit or and

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Speaker 1: either do a drop camp just having packed me in

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Speaker 1: and dropped me off, which there's a there's a huge

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Speaker 1: benefit in that too. I Mean, normally I just backpack

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Speaker 1: when I'm elk cuttings. I just feel like I'm the

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Speaker 1: most mobile that way. Um, you know, it's just less

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Speaker 1: things to worry about. But uh, doing the drop camp,

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Speaker 1: having an outfit are dropped me allows me to take

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Speaker 1: a nicer camp, which it is a little safer in

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Speaker 1: grizzly country. I mean generally I would take an electric fence, um,

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Speaker 1: you know, and uh, you know, a bigger tent that

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Speaker 1: you know, we could both be inside of. Just I

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Speaker 1: feel like there's just a lot of things that you know, um,

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Speaker 1: safety measures that we can take, uh you know, more

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Speaker 1: rope all that sort of stuff. So I do like

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Speaker 1: that as well. But the but the biggest thing is

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Speaker 1: when you get an elk down. I mean, the second

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Speaker 1: I recover my elk, I'm on the phone, you know,

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Speaker 1: give him a call and said, hete come get me,

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Speaker 1: you know, and it's just so nice. I mean, there's

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Speaker 1: enough things for me to be stressed out about hutting

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Speaker 1: in grizzly country, like not having to go worry about

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Speaker 1: getting my animals or take care of them, just know one.

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Speaker 1: And it's also just peace of mind when you're processing

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Speaker 1: that elk knowing that there's help on the way. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: those are great tips. Nate, and I have to ask

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Speaker 1: gunn or spray. I wouldn't go out without both, um.

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Speaker 1: But like I said, since there's always somebody with me

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Speaker 1: usually what what the system that I have is that

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Speaker 1: I have bear spray on me and I'm usually in front,

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Speaker 1: you know, when I'm hunting, and and then uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: Randy's generally he's with me an awful lot in grizzly country,

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Speaker 1: and then he usually packs a ten millimeter glock with

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Speaker 1: some you know, pretty serious bare loads and uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: like personally, like if if the conditions are right, like

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Speaker 1: I would much rather use spray for a lot of reasons.

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Speaker 1: I just feel like there's more forgiveness there. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: you don't, I mean, like with a pistol, like who

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Speaker 1: knows if you're gonna be able to be accurate enough?

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Speaker 1: And the last thing, you know, I mean like certainly

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Speaker 1: i'd pulled the trigger, you know, if I if I

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Speaker 1: really felt like my life was in danger. But just

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Speaker 1: hearing the stories of people that have had to kill them, um,

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Speaker 1: of what they've had to deal with, it's like I

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Speaker 1: want no part of that, um you know. So that's

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Speaker 1: the system we go with that. That the downside to me,

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Speaker 1: like Randy and I go backpacking and we're both in

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Speaker 1: one man tents, Like I only have a spray in

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Speaker 1: my tent, you know, and that's not gonna do me

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Speaker 1: a whole lot of good inside of my tent if

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Speaker 1: a bear came in at night. But um, but when

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Speaker 1: I'm out in the field, I do feel like just

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Speaker 1: having a combination of the two is a is a

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Speaker 1: pretty good system. Got you. Um, do you recommend as

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Speaker 1: long as that you know, the forest isn't too dry

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Speaker 1: and you're gonna burn the whole place down? Do you

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Speaker 1: recommend building the fire? You know, if it's a nighttime

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Speaker 1: breakdown of that bowl or you know, do you do

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Speaker 1: you build fires or do you tend to just put

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Speaker 1: somebody on watch? Um? Yeah, like I said, it's like

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Speaker 1: you said, it's it's really conditioned. Um, you know, just

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Speaker 1: dictates that. Like I recovered a bowl with Randy Um

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Speaker 1: several years ago and there was snow on the ground,

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Speaker 1: um and so, and I called the packer as soon

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Speaker 1: as I recovered the elk, but I knew he was

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Speaker 1: not going to get there that day. He was going

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Speaker 1: to get there you know late the next morning. We're

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Speaker 1: just too far for him to come, you know, that

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Speaker 1: same day. So we knew, you know, there was no rush.

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Speaker 1: We just took her time and uh process the elk.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, we definitely we started a bonfire on that

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Speaker 1: deal because there was no h you know, there was

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Speaker 1: no fire restrictions, and uh, we were not worried about, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, the fire getting away from us. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: that definitely was a little piece of mind there. And

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Speaker 1: we have done it other times where we've had bears.

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Speaker 1: We had a bear come in um to us when

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Speaker 1: we were eating dinner one night, got super close to us. Um.

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Speaker 1: It was just one of those deals where my head's

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Speaker 1: always on a swivel when I'm in a grizzly country,

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Speaker 1: like constantly, whether it's day or night. But just we're

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Speaker 1: both just sitting there. We had the pistol in between us.

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Speaker 1: We're sitting on the ground eating our mountain house and

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Speaker 1: just every so often it was pitch dark. I just

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Speaker 1: kind of shined my light out through the meadow and

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Speaker 1: just kind of subconsciously without even thinking about it. And

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Speaker 1: I did it once and looked over and there was

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Speaker 1: two eyes like I mean fifteen yards um, and he

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Speaker 1: was down wind, coming straight at us. And fortunately he

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Speaker 1: just took off running when we started hollering and stuff,

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Speaker 1: but we were we were really spooked that he was

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Speaker 1: going to be coming back that night. So you know,

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Speaker 1: we hung our food, went back over to where we

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Speaker 1: had our camp set up, you know, about a hundred

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Speaker 1: fifty yards away, and uh, yeah, we started a little

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Speaker 1: fire that night. Just uh, I don't know if it

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Speaker 1: was really going to keep away or not, but it

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Speaker 1: made us feel little bit better. Another another thing I

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Speaker 1: guess I kind of like to do in uh, in

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Speaker 1: in grizzly country, like I'm gonna be hunting olk and

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Speaker 1: grizzly country is I usually try to stay away from

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Speaker 1: areas that are really thick. Um. I like to try

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Speaker 1: to pick out areas that are more open with lots

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Speaker 1: of topography so that I can use my eyes as

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Speaker 1: much as possible to locate the elk, versus in areas

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Speaker 1: that are really dense where you constantly have to be

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Speaker 1: covering ground to locate them with your ears. Um. And

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Speaker 1: that's really like that strategy is one that one I

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Speaker 1: kind of like to begin with. But it's also just

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Speaker 1: a safety thing, you know, Like I just I don't

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Speaker 1: want to go hunt in like in grizzly country and

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Speaker 1: know that my game plan is is I got to

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Speaker 1: cover lots of ground, you know, constantly and be trying

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Speaker 1: to you know, locate elk with googles um. Just because

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Speaker 1: I feel like the more traveling you're doing in thick cover. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know that's just to me, that just presents more

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Speaker 1: um likelihood that you're gonna end up bumping one because

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Speaker 1: usually you know a lot of times where archery hunters

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Speaker 1: get into trouble is they just bump into one and

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Speaker 1: surprise it. Um. And I've I've had that happen to

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Speaker 1: me where I've bumped bears like very close. But fortunately,

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Speaker 1: um none of them have charged, They've they've ran the

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Speaker 1: other direction. But I just feel like that, you know,

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Speaker 1: getting up on a glass and spot where I can

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Speaker 1: see and also where I can hear really well. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, it just allows me to know like I

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Speaker 1: can be hunting very effectively without constantly being happened to

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Speaker 1: be on the move. And I guess the other part

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Speaker 1: of that too is uh is when I'm in grizzly country,

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Speaker 1: I also tend to push my luck a little bit

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Speaker 1: with how close I camp to the U in proximity

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Speaker 1: to the where I think the oak are. Um, I

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Speaker 1: try to camp a little closer in grizzly country. UM.

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Speaker 1: So it just limits the amount of movement I don't

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Speaker 1: want to have to get up and hike for an

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Speaker 1: hour in the dark to go get to wear the

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Speaker 1: elk car like I'd like to be wake up and

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Speaker 1: feel like they're pretty close, just just to limit my movement,

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Speaker 1: you know, which is really just it's a safety precaution. Really. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: those are those are all great points. And I wanted

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Speaker 1: to add on to your point of hunting with a partner.

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Speaker 1: I was at a Western hunting summit um just this

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Speaker 1: past weekend and one of the speakers was talking about

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Speaker 1: grizzy hunting and I don't remember the stat and I

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Speaker 1: don't I'm not going to claim to know it, but

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Speaker 1: I know it was exponentially better, like the survival rate

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Speaker 1: of one guy versus a group of two guys versus

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Speaker 1: a group of three guys. By the time you got

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Speaker 1: the three guys, I think the survival rate was like

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Speaker 1: down in the you know, more than you know surviving

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Speaker 1: if it was one, you know, one hunter. So it's

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Speaker 1: a little bit of information. I don't know the exact stats,

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Speaker 1: but it was exponentially increased that there wasn't gonna be

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Speaker 1: a fatality or any major issues. Um with three or

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Speaker 1: more people. Yeah, no, yeah, for sure. Um, there was

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Speaker 1: like like self filming is definitely not like something that I,

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Speaker 1: you know, I seek out, like I've just ended up

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Speaker 1: in some situations that I've needed to over the years. Um.

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Speaker 1: But like just to to your point about being with people,

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Speaker 1: there was I don't know, it's probably about three years ago.

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Speaker 1: I was hunting at a general Elk Tag, Wyoming and

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Speaker 1: was hunting with a guy that had taken some vacation

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Speaker 1: off his work to film with me, and we found

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Speaker 1: a huge bowl, biggest bowl that I've ever found on

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Speaker 1: a general tag. It was like a three seventy type bowl,

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Speaker 1: just a monster, and he was in a pretty killable spot.

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Speaker 1: I called him in once, just barely out of range. Um,

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Speaker 1: And I just felt like if I kept hunting him,

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Speaker 1: I could, I could, I could probably have a good

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Speaker 1: chance at him. And we ran out of time. My

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Speaker 1: buddy had to go back to work, and I still

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Speaker 1: had plenty of time. UM, And I knew, I mean,

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Speaker 1: I absolutely could have went back up there and tried

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Speaker 1: to sell film, but I just thought there was no way.

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Speaker 1: Like if I didn't and if it had been like

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Speaker 1: years and years ago, I might have been fool and

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Speaker 1: full itsh enough to attempt it. I've just had enough

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Speaker 1: experiences now in grizzly country. I just thought, huge bowl

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Speaker 1: in a great spot. There's no way I'm going up

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Speaker 1: there by myself. So I just packed my bags and

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Speaker 1: went over to Idaho and self filmed over there because

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Speaker 1: I liked my odds of survival felt like they were

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Speaker 1: just a lot higher. And uh, I'm glad that I

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Speaker 1: made that decision. Yeah, yeah, Um, all right, we'll jump

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Speaker 1: into question number two. Uh, somebody had for you. How

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Speaker 1: long will you typically stay in an area if it

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Speaker 1: seems marginal or you're not finding the elk that you

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Speaker 1: like before you decide to move on and find an

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Speaker 1: area that has more elk and or the elk you're

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Speaker 1: looking for. Um, you know, I would say that really

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Speaker 1: depends on a couple of factors, um, you know. One

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Speaker 1: would be do I have a good draw tag versus

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Speaker 1: a general season tag, you know, like if I if

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Speaker 1: I have a good draw tag, which you know I

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Speaker 1: don't have very often, but what I do, I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: be more picky, like if I end up in a

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Speaker 1: marginal area, like you know, I'm gonna be swinging for

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Speaker 1: the fence. I'm gonna be looking for, um, you know,

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Speaker 1: the pot of gold in the rainbow so I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna like, I'm gonna move very quickly if I

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Speaker 1: if I'm not in a really really good situation that

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Speaker 1: I feel great about and I have a draw tag,

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna be moving. But most of the time I

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Speaker 1: have a general season tag or over the counter type

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Speaker 1: tag in my pocket. And uh, you know, so that

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Speaker 1: that would be the second part of it, And that

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Speaker 1: would have to do with really, um, if I had

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Speaker 1: a marginal area to myself, uh, you know, or if

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Speaker 1: there's other hunters around. So if I'm in an over

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Speaker 1: the counter or general season type unit, if it's a

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Speaker 1: if I feel like it's kind of marginal hunting, but

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Speaker 1: I got it to myself, I'm probably going to stick

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Speaker 1: it out for a while longer because I would just personally,

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Speaker 1: I'd rather have a marginal area with solitude versus an

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Speaker 1: area that has plenty of elk but also lots of people. Um.

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Speaker 1: So I guess those are just a couple of factors.

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Speaker 1: You know that, you know that if it's a draw

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Speaker 1: tag general and then really if I have it to

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Speaker 1: myself or not. Um, But I guess really, I like

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Speaker 1: when it comes down to making that decision, like do

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Speaker 1: I should I move or not? Um, I know I

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Speaker 1: would always rather move too soon and too late. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, I mean if if you're thinking about leaving,

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Speaker 1: then it's it's definitely not a great situation to begin with.

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Speaker 1: And I almost never make a move and wish I

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Speaker 1: was back on the other area, you know, like if anything. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, like a lot of times I end up

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Speaker 1: moving areas and I kind of wished i'd have done

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Speaker 1: it sooner, gotcha. Yeah, you know, we we always go

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Speaker 1: by the mantra don't leave elk to find elk. But

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Speaker 1: I also don't like that saying as well, because I

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna sit and you know, as you mentioned,

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Speaker 1: if there's only a few elk or I feel like

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Speaker 1: my chances of actually you know, making it happen on

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Speaker 1: those few elk, Like I'm willing to leave a few

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Speaker 1: ELK to go find you better elk or better numbers.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, it's definitely on a case by case basis

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Speaker 1: for sure. Yeah, and it's a gamble. I mean, that's

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Speaker 1: I mean, that's the whole thing. I mean, that's uh,

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Speaker 1: Like last year on my Idaho hut um, I was

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Speaker 1: in a spot that had a decent amount of elk,

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Speaker 1: but it also had an insane amount of people, um

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Speaker 1: And it was I stressed out over what should I leave,

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Speaker 1: Because like, I knew I could find ELK there every day,

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Speaker 1: and I knew that if I left, there's a good

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Speaker 1: chance I could find just as many people somewhere else,

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Speaker 1: or you know, not as many ELK. But in that instance,

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Speaker 1: it ended up being a good decision. I you know,

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Speaker 1: I moved areas I found about the same maybe maybe

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Speaker 1: even less ELK, but I had the place to myself,

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Speaker 1: and you know, I wished I had made that move

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Speaker 1: sooner for sure. Yeah. So if you have any questions

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Speaker 1: for our guests UM on cutting the distance, make sure

389
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Speaker 1: to email us ct D at phelps game Calls dot

390
00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,239
Speaker 1: com or hit us up on social anyway to get

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00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:31,880
Speaker 1: ahold of us, and we'll make sure to include those

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Speaker 1: in here. Now we're gonna jump into the discussion some

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Speaker 1: of the questions I had for Nate and some of

394
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Speaker 1: his tactics, and you know the way he likes to

395
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Speaker 1: hunt elk. Sony, It's it's well known that you love

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Speaker 1: to backpack hunt for ELK. I would say you're you're

397
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Speaker 1: pretty dang good at it, but Let's say you were

398
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Speaker 1: just getting into elk hunting and want to undertake you know,

399
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Speaker 1: hunting from your back or spiking out or camping with

400
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Speaker 1: the elk, whatever we wanna call it, you know, all

401
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Speaker 1: the different ways we can do it. You know, we

402
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Speaker 1: go up there hunts where we set up a base

403
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Speaker 1: camp and we hunt from there. There's there's times where

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Speaker 1: you wake up in the morning, we throw our sleeping

405
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Speaker 1: bag in our tent, in our pack and we're moving on. Um,

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Speaker 1: what advice would you have for somebody that's looking to

407
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Speaker 1: maybe get from you know, road hunting or the traditional

408
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Speaker 1: day hunting and get into backpack hunting, Like, what would

409
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Speaker 1: be your advice, um, to maybe give him a shortcut

410
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Speaker 1: versus some of the stuff that you've learned, you know

411
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Speaker 1: over the over the you know many years you've been

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Speaker 1: doing it. Um. I guess for somebody that was just

413
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Speaker 1: starting out, I would say that, uh, you know, just

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Speaker 1: start out with like one, two or even you know,

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Speaker 1: maybe three night outings max. Um. You know, don't try

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Speaker 1: and just rip off a week long uh you know

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Speaker 1: trip cold turkey. Um. You know. And then also you

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Speaker 1: know with that like start out with uh you know,

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Speaker 1: like two to four mile type range trips, you know,

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Speaker 1: and not try to rip off like a you know,

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Speaker 1: a six twelve mile right out of the gate, you know,

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Speaker 1: I mean like monster expeditions aren't usually necessary. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: to me, like the biggest advantage of backpacking is just

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Speaker 1: the efficiency and the time saved hiking back and forth

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Speaker 1: each morning and evening. Um, it's not necessarily like getting

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Speaker 1: ten miles deep. I mean a lot of times, like

427
00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,000
Speaker 1: I've killed a lot of elk where I've only been

428
00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:27,439
Speaker 1: three miles you know from from the truck. But you know,

429
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,320
Speaker 1: like in the mountains with a pack on, if you're

430
00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,880
Speaker 1: having like somewhat rugged terrain with a pack on, like

431
00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,800
Speaker 1: I usually like kind of average going about two miles

432
00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,640
Speaker 1: an hour, especially if I'm off trail. So if I'm

433
00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,919
Speaker 1: three miles back, that means it's gonna take me an

434
00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:43,160
Speaker 1: hour and a half one way to get into the morning,

435
00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,160
Speaker 1: and an hour and a half you know, to get

436
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,520
Speaker 1: out that evening, and then more than likely I'm gonna

437
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:49,560
Speaker 1: get in my truck after I get back to back

438
00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,000
Speaker 1: to the truck drive you know, twenty or thirty minutes

439
00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,240
Speaker 1: back to my base camp and then go make a

440
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:56,280
Speaker 1: meal and everything by time you get to bed, you

441
00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:57,840
Speaker 1: gotta you don't get to sleep very much, and you

442
00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,480
Speaker 1: gotta get up drive back the trailhead like like you

443
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,159
Speaker 1: get I get so much more sleep, and uh, you know,

444
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,000
Speaker 1: I just have a lot more energy. Even if it's

445
00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,520
Speaker 1: only three miles back. It's it's more than worth it

446
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:11,560
Speaker 1: to me, just from the efficiency standpoint, because in September,

447
00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,440
Speaker 1: as you know, it's like the nights are pretty short,

448
00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,600
Speaker 1: the days are long, like you're not getting a ton

449
00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,679
Speaker 1: of sleep to begin with. Um, So you know, I

450
00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:20,840
Speaker 1: just feel like, you know, just because somebody wants to

451
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,200
Speaker 1: go backpack and doesn't mean Okay, we gotta we gotta

452
00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:24,840
Speaker 1: go eight miles to make it worth it. I don't

453
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,040
Speaker 1: think that's the case at all. Um. And I guess

454
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,440
Speaker 1: the other thing would be just be very critical of

455
00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,399
Speaker 1: what you decide to put in your backpack. Um. You know,

456
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:38,560
Speaker 1: like when you're just starting out, it's easy to pack

457
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,199
Speaker 1: way more than you need, which will really start to

458
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,760
Speaker 1: wear on you, especially when the hunting gets tough. I mean,

459
00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,680
Speaker 1: and that's something I still struggle with. You know, I

460
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,680
Speaker 1: always think I probably need that. It's like if you're

461
00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:50,359
Speaker 1: trying to decide if you really need it or not,

462
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:52,720
Speaker 1: Like there's a decent chance you don't. It's something you

463
00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,960
Speaker 1: definitely fine tune with experience, but um, you know, really

464
00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,199
Speaker 1: I mean like look up some experienced hunters gearless go

465
00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,760
Speaker 1: through it, you know, and uh, you know, like don't

466
00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,920
Speaker 1: take too much because I will definitely lead to a shorter,

467
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,439
Speaker 1: you know, more frustrating hunt from my experience, just all

468
00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,600
Speaker 1: that weight on your back. Um. And I guess probably

469
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,240
Speaker 1: like the last thing um that I would say that

470
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,800
Speaker 1: for somebody's not done it before. It's just super critical.

471
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:21,400
Speaker 1: It's just to take good care of your feet. Um.

472
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,560
Speaker 1: I know, it took me a lot of years to

473
00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:28,680
Speaker 1: realize like that quality boots and insoles were more than

474
00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,040
Speaker 1: worth the money. Um. You know, like that that's just

475
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,200
Speaker 1: ruined more hunts for me over the years, or even

476
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,040
Speaker 1: if it hasn't ruined them, it's just really led to

477
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:43,240
Speaker 1: me making decisions that probably ultimately weren't the best decisions,

478
00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,600
Speaker 1: you know, to lead to success. I was making decisions

479
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,159
Speaker 1: off of how I felt, you know, and when I

480
00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,760
Speaker 1: had blistered feet or I mean like I feel like

481
00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,520
Speaker 1: now I've got my my my boot, sock and insul

482
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,000
Speaker 1: system so dialed in that even after a really brutal

483
00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,240
Speaker 1: day of hiking with the heavy pack. You know, I

484
00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,240
Speaker 1: get I bet get back to camp, and the last

485
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,280
Speaker 1: thing I'm thinking about is my feet. Like I used

486
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,160
Speaker 1: to before I started realizing how important it was to

487
00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,320
Speaker 1: invest in quality socks and tools and boots. Like even

488
00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:14,400
Speaker 1: like when I would sit down, like I stopped hiking

489
00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,399
Speaker 1: and I just like stopped to listen for bugles, like instant,

490
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,119
Speaker 1: I just wanted to sit down and take, like untie

491
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,880
Speaker 1: my boots. And now I've got everything dialed in. Um,

492
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:24,440
Speaker 1: you know, I hardly even think about him. And I

493
00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,200
Speaker 1: do think that is a really really big deal. Yeah,

494
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,760
Speaker 1: those are those are all great points. And to reiterate

495
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,919
Speaker 1: what Nate said on you know, miles and then nights, UM,

496
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,960
Speaker 1: use those as building blocks. It's a lot easier to

497
00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,960
Speaker 1: do four nights after you've camped for three nights, you know,

498
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,320
Speaker 1: and then if you want to, you know, extend it

499
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,000
Speaker 1: to seven and once you've already did a four or

500
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,200
Speaker 1: five and just build on it. Don't You don't go,

501
00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,359
Speaker 1: you know, twenty miles deep in the wilderness for ten nights.

502
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,239
Speaker 1: It's just it's not going to be enjoyable right out

503
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,119
Speaker 1: of the gate. And you know, the thing that some

504
00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,320
Speaker 1: times people overlook is what happens if you do kill

505
00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,320
Speaker 1: and elk back there. The work just begins. And so yeah,

506
00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,320
Speaker 1: I use use the distance and the nights is building

507
00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,720
Speaker 1: blocks and then you know, build on that. So absolutely

508
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,440
Speaker 1: we all know backpack hunting UM. You know, steep off

509
00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:14,359
Speaker 1: gride type country. UM, pretty physically demanding. What do you

510
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,600
Speaker 1: do to prepare physically? Do you have a regimen? Do

511
00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:18,800
Speaker 1: you just stay in good enough shape year around? Do

512
00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:20,679
Speaker 1: you show up and get in shape on the mountain?

513
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,680
Speaker 1: How do you prepare physically to do this year in

514
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,520
Speaker 1: and year out? Um in the mountains? UM? I guess

515
00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,160
Speaker 1: that's also um kind of like hunting in grizzly country.

516
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,639
Speaker 1: It's just like an evolving strategy. I mean, uh, you know,

517
00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,280
Speaker 1: like I for for years and years when I was younger,

518
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,840
Speaker 1: I didn't really have to do anything to hunt exactly

519
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:41,480
Speaker 1: the way I wanted to and to be effective. But

520
00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,120
Speaker 1: I'm forty one now, and you know, like every year

521
00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,399
Speaker 1: that goes by, I'm just happen to get, uh, you know,

522
00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,159
Speaker 1: to where I'm I'm committing to doing more in the

523
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,639
Speaker 1: off season and leading up to hunting season to be

524
00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:54,720
Speaker 1: able to to uh you know, to hunt the way

525
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,159
Speaker 1: that I want to. UM. And I still I mean,

526
00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,879
Speaker 1: I don't do as much as a lot of guys.

527
00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,600
Speaker 1: You know. I hear you know, their regiment and uh

528
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,119
Speaker 1: you know that's that's great. Un Fortunately for me, I

529
00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,760
Speaker 1: don't feel like I need to do that, and I

530
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,159
Speaker 1: spend my time doing other things. But what what I

531
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,080
Speaker 1: do do is I have to be a lot smarter

532
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,560
Speaker 1: now with my diet, UM so that I don't go

533
00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,560
Speaker 1: into hunting season with too much extra weight on me um.

534
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,480
Speaker 1: You know, because there was when I was kind of

535
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,880
Speaker 1: making that transition from being able to be young enough

536
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:25,480
Speaker 1: and get away with whatever. You know, I could eat

537
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,240
Speaker 1: whatever I want to do whatever, and I'd still be

538
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,679
Speaker 1: fine too. Now, you know, I was kind of I

539
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,399
Speaker 1: felt like I was coming out of season, out of

540
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,399
Speaker 1: hunting season in at the weight and shape that I

541
00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:37,760
Speaker 1: needed to be in. And now I'm trying to get

542
00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 1: to where I'm going into hunting season there and so

543
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,560
Speaker 1: I'm just having to be a lot smarter with what

544
00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,320
Speaker 1: I'm eating. UM. And uh, you know, it's not like

545
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,400
Speaker 1: I don't really subscribe just strictly to a keto diet,

546
00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,679
Speaker 1: but kind of especially like in the months leading up

547
00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:55,639
Speaker 1: to hunting season really just limit the carbs um and

548
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,000
Speaker 1: uh you know, and and try to uh you know,

549
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,800
Speaker 1: shed those extra pounds that I definitely are going to

550
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:04,000
Speaker 1: help me on the on the mountain. And then as

551
00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,760
Speaker 1: far as like actually training goes, UM, you know, I

552
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:11,320
Speaker 1: keep it pretty simple. UM. You know. I I'm fortunate

553
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,159
Speaker 1: that I live at like I live over five thousand

554
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,800
Speaker 1: feet in elevation, so that that's an asset in uh.

555
00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 1: Uh you know that I don't live down at lower

556
00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:21,520
Speaker 1: elevation because I know that that can make that's a

557
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,479
Speaker 1: tough transition going from lower elevation to higher elevation. But

558
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,680
Speaker 1: I trail run, uh you know, three to five times

559
00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:30,320
Speaker 1: a week, and I kind of usually just you know,

560
00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:32,239
Speaker 1: start out less and I ramped that number up as

561
00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:33,920
Speaker 1: I get closer to hunting season. But I kind of

562
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,239
Speaker 1: start that um in the spring, um and then just

563
00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,640
Speaker 1: ramp it up more. Uh you know, as I get

564
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,119
Speaker 1: closer to hunting season and I'm running like three or

565
00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:45,280
Speaker 1: four or five miles uh you know. And that's also

566
00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,640
Speaker 1: just kind of something that I start out at less

567
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,879
Speaker 1: mileage and work my way up as it gets closer

568
00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,720
Speaker 1: to hunting season. UM. And then I do some very

569
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:57,000
Speaker 1: basic strength training UM that really has you know, is

570
00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:01,720
Speaker 1: mostly just to strengthen my upper body for our treat performance. UM.

571
00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:03,439
Speaker 1: And that's the same thing, like I don't do it

572
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,800
Speaker 1: year round. Like I can see that that's probably coming. Um,

573
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,320
Speaker 1: I'm guessing that I'm probably I mean, there's gonna come

574
00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:11,959
Speaker 1: a time where this is really going to be more

575
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 1: required of a year round just to stay right now,

576
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,159
Speaker 1: I have you know a little bit of you know,

577
00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,639
Speaker 1: peaks and valleys just in my my physical conditioning. But

578
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:22,359
Speaker 1: I'm still at an age where I feel like I

579
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,159
Speaker 1: can get away with it. But really where I invest

580
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,480
Speaker 1: a lot more of my time when it comes to

581
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:32,879
Speaker 1: training is in archery. Um. I spend far more time

582
00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:35,359
Speaker 1: and like just in in in the length of the

583
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,960
Speaker 1: sessions and just the frequency on on on my archery UM,

584
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,200
Speaker 1: just you know, just working on my my my shot,

585
00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,240
Speaker 1: my form you know, also as well as just playing

586
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,879
Speaker 1: with equipment, tinkering with veins and stuff. But I do

587
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:51,639
Speaker 1: feel like, I mean, it's all for nothing if you

588
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,920
Speaker 1: can't make the shot. UM. So I just personally that's

589
00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,240
Speaker 1: that's where I spend a large amount of my time

590
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,800
Speaker 1: is on my on my range and you know three

591
00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,199
Speaker 1: D shoots. Um, you know, I take I got one

592
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,080
Speaker 1: of those little, those little baby like Rhinehart Elk targets.

593
00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:08,359
Speaker 1: It's easy to throw in the back of my truck

594
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:09,960
Speaker 1: and I can take that down to the BLM and

595
00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:12,719
Speaker 1: shoot on angles and with weird footing and stuff, and

596
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,280
Speaker 1: I really try to focus on being able to capitalize

597
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:19,240
Speaker 1: when I get a shot opportunity. Yeah, you're your plan

598
00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:22,880
Speaker 1: at least sounds a lot more more consistent than mine,

599
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,080
Speaker 1: where you eat for whatever you want for nine months

600
00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:26,840
Speaker 1: out of the year and then try to get in

601
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,000
Speaker 1: shape a little bit before season, and then you use

602
00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:31,120
Speaker 1: Elk season to get in shape. So you're planning stuffinitely

603
00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,879
Speaker 1: more dialed than mine. But yeah, today's today is actually

604
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,399
Speaker 1: my thirty ninth birthday, So similar to you, I'm probably

605
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,040
Speaker 1: running out of times where my thank you, my my

606
00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:44,320
Speaker 1: mental toughness and uh, everything's gonna just allow me to

607
00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:46,120
Speaker 1: kind of grand through. I'm enough to probably start putting

608
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,800
Speaker 1: a lot more work into it, and I should anyways.

609
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,280
Speaker 1: But um, yeah, so that's great, great tips on getting

610
00:28:51,280 --> 00:29:09,400
Speaker 1: in stand in shape for for your hunt. So let's

611
00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,360
Speaker 1: let's dive in a little bit here, Nate Um you know,

612
00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:13,960
Speaker 1: either you've been do an area. It's always nice if

613
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:16,360
Speaker 1: you've been to an area, but um, you know, you

614
00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,640
Speaker 1: can usually stroll back in there and where the elk

615
00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:20,880
Speaker 1: are at from year to year, they will typically be there. Now,

616
00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:22,680
Speaker 1: with that said, they're not always going to be in

617
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,520
Speaker 1: the same place. But if you're if you're looking at

618
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,560
Speaker 1: an area, let's dive in a little bit on how

619
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:32,080
Speaker 1: you kind of confirm or through eat scouting or what

620
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,240
Speaker 1: do you do to kind of make sure that you're

621
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:36,080
Speaker 1: gonna show up an elk, whether it's you know, talk

622
00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,720
Speaker 1: to biologists, talk to other hunters, talked to you know,

623
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:40,640
Speaker 1: what are some of those tips and tactics to make

624
00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,440
Speaker 1: sure you're gonna end up being an elk? Because it's

625
00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 1: the most obvious thing we can say, but in order

626
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:47,320
Speaker 1: to kill an elk, you need to be an elk

627
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 1: or around elk. So walk us through you know kind

628
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:54,680
Speaker 1: of your your you know, ea, scouting and proofing an

629
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:58,120
Speaker 1: area before you ever show up to the trailhead. Okay, yeah,

630
00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:03,040
Speaker 1: I mean I still, uh I make this mistake, um,

631
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:04,480
Speaker 1: you know, like every once. So while I did it

632
00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:07,960
Speaker 1: last year and it costs me, but but generally what

633
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,520
Speaker 1: I do and has worked really well for me. Is

634
00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,560
Speaker 1: you know, it definitely starts with the scouting um and

635
00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:16,959
Speaker 1: uh and looking at the aerial imagery, I mean, and

636
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:21,560
Speaker 1: I toggle back and forth between the top o and uh,

637
00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,920
Speaker 1: you know, the satellite imagery quite often, because like I

638
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,440
Speaker 1: was mentioned about Grizzly Country, just from a safety standpoint,

639
00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,240
Speaker 1: it's also kind of what I prefer. I like to

640
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:35,440
Speaker 1: try to pick areas that are open enough and have

641
00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:38,560
Speaker 1: enough topography that so I can get up on glassing

642
00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:43,360
Speaker 1: spots and I'm not at the mercy of the rut um,

643
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:47,080
Speaker 1: you know that. You know, like that just kind of

644
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: drives me crazy. Um, Like if it would be different

645
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,600
Speaker 1: if if I was only gonna just do if I

646
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:54,520
Speaker 1: only if I could only go on one elk hunt,

647
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,880
Speaker 1: I had a week to hunt, Um, I wouldn't worry

648
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:58,680
Speaker 1: about it as much because I would even if I

649
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,160
Speaker 1: was hunting more and like flat are like thick thick

650
00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:03,680
Speaker 1: timber type terrain, I would just really try to plan

651
00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,440
Speaker 1: my hunt around a good moon phase and peak of

652
00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,160
Speaker 1: the rut so I could really try to stack the

653
00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:12,160
Speaker 1: odds of my favor of the bulls being vocal um,

654
00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,560
Speaker 1: which would kind of you know, negate you know that

655
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,760
Speaker 1: that that terrain wouldn't you know, stop me from finding

656
00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,840
Speaker 1: them generally. But because I usually I'm trying to, uh

657
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,120
Speaker 1: you know, go on more than one hunt, I can't

658
00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,000
Speaker 1: just plan every hunt at the at the perfect time.

659
00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:33,560
Speaker 1: So picking more open terrain that has more topography to it,

660
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,120
Speaker 1: which is just allows me to feel like I still

661
00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,200
Speaker 1: have a chance. Even if the bulls are not bugling

662
00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,480
Speaker 1: for whatever reason, or if the ruts not really kicked in,

663
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:46,560
Speaker 1: I still like, I still feel like I have a shot, um,

664
00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,000
Speaker 1: you know. And I also so once That's kind of

665
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:50,800
Speaker 1: how I try to pick an area, and then when

666
00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:53,360
Speaker 1: I get there, you know, I just I show up

667
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 1: with a bunch of pre marked vantage points and I

668
00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,000
Speaker 1: usually just try to stick to uh until I find

669
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,520
Speaker 1: the elk. I definitely try to stick to running the

670
00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:07,200
Speaker 1: ridgeline stand as high as possible, um and uh you know,

671
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:08,880
Speaker 1: and being able to look off one side of a

672
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,120
Speaker 1: ridge and another but not only use my eyes, but

673
00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,880
Speaker 1: you know that also just allows me to hear both

674
00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,440
Speaker 1: sides very efficiently, and then from there I'll be you know,

675
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:19,400
Speaker 1: I'm all right with dropping into the bottom of a canyon,

676
00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:22,640
Speaker 1: but when I'm just trying to find milk um, you know,

677
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:26,320
Speaker 1: like I definitely like to stick to the tops um

678
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,840
Speaker 1: and uh and and also camping, you know, just from

679
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,680
Speaker 1: from an efficiency standpoint, I like to try to camp

680
00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,240
Speaker 1: up high as well, um, just because I feel like

681
00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,240
Speaker 1: that gives me an advantage over a lot of other

682
00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,960
Speaker 1: people because usually you know, there are exceptions, of course,

683
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:47,200
Speaker 1: but usually uh, finding water drinking water is a big

684
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,160
Speaker 1: problem is you know, like when you're camped up on

685
00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,920
Speaker 1: top um, there's usually not water up on top, but

686
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,960
Speaker 1: I usually still try to camp up there, and it's

687
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,600
Speaker 1: just worth it to me to have to go out

688
00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,000
Speaker 1: of my way, make a special trip, you know, drop

689
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,000
Speaker 1: you know, a thousand feet or fift feet in elevation

690
00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,760
Speaker 1: and pack water back up because I just feel like it.

691
00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:09,040
Speaker 1: Also it just prevents me from ever like worrying about

692
00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,920
Speaker 1: being late to you know, a glassing spot, or being

693
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,600
Speaker 1: tempted to leave early because I have a long hike

694
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:17,400
Speaker 1: out in the dark or whatever. You know. Just being

695
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:19,840
Speaker 1: being able to camp close to the elk, I feel

696
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:21,960
Speaker 1: like is a is a big advantage to just because

697
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,360
Speaker 1: a lot of other hunters are generally wanting to camp

698
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,880
Speaker 1: closer to water. What I found is a lot of times,

699
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,160
Speaker 1: if I'm camped up on top, you know, I can

700
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,720
Speaker 1: be already be making a play on the elk before

701
00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:34,840
Speaker 1: the other hunters even show up that day. Um, you know,

702
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,520
Speaker 1: and that's you know, hopefully I'm in an area where

703
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,200
Speaker 1: don't have to deal with hunting pressure, but that's getting

704
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,680
Speaker 1: to be way harder to find than it used to be,

705
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,239
Speaker 1: so I just kind of factor that in. I mean,

706
00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:45,960
Speaker 1: if I don't have to deal with other hunters, great,

707
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,479
Speaker 1: but I just kind of figure that at least at

708
00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,520
Speaker 1: some point, if not every day, I'm that's going to

709
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,120
Speaker 1: be a factor for sure. All Right, Yeah, thanks for

710
00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,720
Speaker 1: those tips, and uh now we're gonna jump into elk

711
00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,400
Speaker 1: calling and your strategy and anybody that's watched you, um,

712
00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:02,920
Speaker 1: you know over the years, you know sometimes you know

713
00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,080
Speaker 1: you're a little more spot in stock. You aren't afraid

714
00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:07,840
Speaker 1: to use calls at times. But let's go in um

715
00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:10,680
Speaker 1: to kind of your strategy and and the older I

716
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:12,680
Speaker 1: get and and people might laugh at me for being

717
00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:15,800
Speaker 1: a you know, owning a running a game call company,

718
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,480
Speaker 1: and you know, sometimes spot and stock might be the best,

719
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,400
Speaker 1: you know method because those bulls don't have any idea

720
00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:24,399
Speaker 1: that you're on the landscape. You know, if you're keeping

721
00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,080
Speaker 1: the wind right, doing everything else right, you know, it's

722
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:29,120
Speaker 1: you got to owe him in a surprise where some

723
00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:31,600
Speaker 1: people feel that when you call, you know, you're you're

724
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:35,920
Speaker 1: giving up your you know, the surprise attack or you know,

725
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,080
Speaker 1: giving up your location. So what's your opinion on calling?

726
00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,359
Speaker 1: How do you kind of use calling to supplement your

727
00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,479
Speaker 1: ELK hunt and give us a little bit on that. Well,

728
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,759
Speaker 1: it's something I'm definitely uh uh you know, working on

729
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,760
Speaker 1: improving because I feel like really like kind of everybody

730
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:57,760
Speaker 1: has like uh like methods that they prefer and generally

731
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,719
Speaker 1: that's probably just gonna fall in line with what they're

732
00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,640
Speaker 1: what they're most skilled at. And uh, you know, I

733
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,440
Speaker 1: don't know, I wouldn't say that I'm like like super

734
00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,000
Speaker 1: super skilled when it comes to spotting stock, but I'm

735
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:12,279
Speaker 1: definitely more skilled at spotting stock than I am as

736
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,480
Speaker 1: a caller. And it's just a confidence thing, you know.

737
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:19,239
Speaker 1: It's been like like over the years, I've definitely used calling, um,

738
00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:21,719
Speaker 1: you know to locate elk, but I just have had

739
00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:23,960
Speaker 1: I've lacked confidence. Like the last thing I wanted to

740
00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:26,360
Speaker 1: do when I actually got close to ELK was blowing

741
00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,480
Speaker 1: a call just because of fear of just messing everything up.

742
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:33,080
Speaker 1: So uh, you know, over the years, I have been

743
00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,200
Speaker 1: uh you know, more silent. But I'm also I'm just

744
00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:40,680
Speaker 1: trying to get better at being opportunistic to where I'm

745
00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:43,759
Speaker 1: just trying to get better at recognizing a situation and

746
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,040
Speaker 1: just adapting in the moment um. I'm trying to I'm

747
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:49,200
Speaker 1: definitely trying to make that a priority because I mean,

748
00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:50,799
Speaker 1: and don't get me wrong, I've called in. I mean

749
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:52,719
Speaker 1: There's been a lot of times over the years where

750
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,960
Speaker 1: I've tried to get close without making a sound and realize, hey,

751
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:59,279
Speaker 1: that's not going to happen, and also recognize, hey, I'm

752
00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:01,560
Speaker 1: in a perfect spot. I'm gonna throw out a cow

753
00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:03,919
Speaker 1: call here or a bugle and I've had it work.

754
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:06,919
Speaker 1: I mean, I mean even no, I I don't really

755
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:11,520
Speaker 1: feel like I've I'm a skilled caller. Probably I don't

756
00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:15,840
Speaker 1: know UHT the elk I've killed I've called in, or

757
00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,799
Speaker 1: at least calling was you know, the reason I ended

758
00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:21,680
Speaker 1: up killing that bowl. Um, But I'd like to see

759
00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,000
Speaker 1: that number improves just because I know that it just

760
00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,600
Speaker 1: has to do with my confidence level, my skill level.

761
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,920
Speaker 1: So it's something that I've really, uh put a big

762
00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,719
Speaker 1: emphasis on over the last couple of years, um, just

763
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,279
Speaker 1: improving the quality of sounds I can make in the consistency,

764
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:38,239
Speaker 1: because it's also just like anything else. I mean, it's

765
00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:40,279
Speaker 1: one thing to do it at home, you know, and

766
00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,400
Speaker 1: then to do it when you know, like the elk

767
00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:44,279
Speaker 1: that are a hundred and fifty yards away are going

768
00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:47,080
Speaker 1: to hear you. Um, you know, just so it's definitely

769
00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:50,120
Speaker 1: something I've been working on and just trying to recognize that.

770
00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,439
Speaker 1: I mean, uh, you know, like just if if there's

771
00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:55,560
Speaker 1: a bunch of other people blowing on calls in the area,

772
00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,799
Speaker 1: I'm probably gonna be less likely. But if I get

773
00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:00,160
Speaker 1: into a canyon where the elker being real volke and

774
00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:02,440
Speaker 1: aggressive and I'm not seeing a bunch of boot tracks,

775
00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:06,439
Speaker 1: like I should probably switch gears from going hey, don't

776
00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:09,160
Speaker 1: be quiet, Like I should probably go calling first, you know,

777
00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:11,640
Speaker 1: because when that works, I mean, they can, as you

778
00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:14,520
Speaker 1: know as well as anyone, like it can be over

779
00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:17,920
Speaker 1: really fast when the conditions are right, Yeah for sure.

780
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:19,920
Speaker 1: And and you kind of touched on a little bit

781
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:23,560
Speaker 1: like reading the situation and I feel, um, you know,

782
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,680
Speaker 1: over the last ten years, that's what's maybe helped me

783
00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:29,000
Speaker 1: become more successful was being able to read the situation

784
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,520
Speaker 1: like this is, We've been in this situation enough. We've

785
00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:34,080
Speaker 1: got the experience that hey this you know, I've seen

786
00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:35,920
Speaker 1: bowls act this way. They've had this many cows, this

787
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,880
Speaker 1: many satellite bowls. You know, I couldn't approach with the

788
00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:41,480
Speaker 1: spot in Stock. The only answer is to call, Like

789
00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:44,880
Speaker 1: being able to look at a situation and know and Sarah,

790
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:48,120
Speaker 1: you know bowl A, I've got a chance to call.

791
00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,360
Speaker 1: You know, I'm being real exact here, but you know,

792
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:52,960
Speaker 1: hey that bowl over there, bull be we wouldn't want

793
00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:54,959
Speaker 1: to call to. We would want to approach with Spot

794
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,480
Speaker 1: and Stock because of where he's set up, and we've

795
00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:59,120
Speaker 1: got really good approach and you know, the terrain lays

796
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,040
Speaker 1: out in a way where he never see me coming,

797
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,080
Speaker 1: you know, and then look at bull see. I think

798
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:07,160
Speaker 1: being able to evaluate user experience, use the bulls location,

799
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,280
Speaker 1: you know his how vocally is all of those things,

800
00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,359
Speaker 1: and make an educated decision on you know, whether there's

801
00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,759
Speaker 1: three bowls or whether there's you know, a single bowl

802
00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:17,920
Speaker 1: that you're gonna go after, Like knowing what gives you

803
00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,320
Speaker 1: the best shot, and then what I've really been working

804
00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,680
Speaker 1: on lately, um is whether to be patient, Like that's

805
00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:25,880
Speaker 1: never been an option. It was always you know, hustle

806
00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:27,440
Speaker 1: over there and called to it, hustle over there in

807
00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,279
Speaker 1: spot and stocket. But now it's hey, maybe waiting a

808
00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:34,040
Speaker 1: night in and attacking that that situation or that set

809
00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:36,120
Speaker 1: up in the morning is going to be best. And

810
00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:40,080
Speaker 1: I feel that's starting to lead to more consistent success

811
00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,960
Speaker 1: with me versus just you know, being young and dumb

812
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:46,120
Speaker 1: and charging in every time, putting some information together, having

813
00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,120
Speaker 1: enough experience to make a good, good decision, and then

814
00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:52,799
Speaker 1: you know, executing it. Yep, No, I totally agree. That's

815
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,239
Speaker 1: I guess that's another reason I like, uh hunting an

816
00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,759
Speaker 1: open terrain because I do feel like, just like what

817
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:01,239
Speaker 1: you're saying, it gives it gives me a ton of

818
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,080
Speaker 1: confidence if I can actually see that bull in his

819
00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,400
Speaker 1: behavior and it's just the way that you know, his mannerisms,

820
00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,600
Speaker 1: how he's interacting with other elk. Like if I can

821
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,520
Speaker 1: see that, it's one thing to hear their bugle and

822
00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:13,560
Speaker 1: it's like, well, he might sound pissed, but that doesn't

823
00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:17,439
Speaker 1: mean like he's an ultra aggressive you know elk that's

824
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,640
Speaker 1: just intolerant of any other bulls around him. But if

825
00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:21,959
Speaker 1: you can watch him, you can usually get a pretty

826
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:23,839
Speaker 1: good idea and it can change. You mean, you might

827
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:26,279
Speaker 1: watch the bull one evening and go, man, he's just

828
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,040
Speaker 1: you know, he's just kind of tending his cows. Doesn't

829
00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:31,960
Speaker 1: seem ultra aggressive, you know, like doesn't seem like a

830
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,440
Speaker 1: great situation for calling. Maybe and then the next morning,

831
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:36,600
Speaker 1: you know, there might be a couple other bulls over there,

832
00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:39,719
Speaker 1: just got him super annoyed, and you can look at

833
00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:41,440
Speaker 1: and go, chee, if we can get down there and

834
00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:43,640
Speaker 1: just squeak off a bugle. Like the way he's acting,

835
00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:47,359
Speaker 1: he's probably gonna come over and check it out. Yeah yeah,

836
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,319
Speaker 1: well yeah, that's great advice on calling and you know,

837
00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:54,200
Speaker 1: using it when it works, and then you know, not

838
00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:56,960
Speaker 1: being afraid to go you know, spot and stock to

839
00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:01,040
Speaker 1: to to finish off the hunt. So one thing I've noticed, Nate,

840
00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,520
Speaker 1: and uh, you know, no fault of your own, but

841
00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,520
Speaker 1: you know it's hunting. A lot of your hunts have

842
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,040
Speaker 1: you know, have over the years have come down to

843
00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:11,120
Speaker 1: you know, final days or even hours. Are there any

844
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:13,960
Speaker 1: tips you can give the listeners to like, stay focused,

845
00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:17,439
Speaker 1: stay committed to the goal. Um, you know, I've I've

846
00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:21,359
Speaker 1: been able to gain confidence just because I've had enough

847
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,000
Speaker 1: experience where UM, I wasn't willing to go home empty handed.

848
00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,400
Speaker 1: But shoot, no matter how good I executed everything, no

849
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:30,359
Speaker 1: matter what happened, you know, the winds still the wind.

850
00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:32,480
Speaker 1: The elk are still the elk. And you know we

851
00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:35,160
Speaker 1: do end up killing something on day eight of of

852
00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:37,200
Speaker 1: attend day hunt or day nine of atten day hunt

853
00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:40,200
Speaker 1: or shoot. Last year, UM, Ryan Lamper's and myself we

854
00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:42,800
Speaker 1: killed on the last ten minutes that we had in

855
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:46,480
Speaker 1: New Mexico. UM, how do you stay positive? How do

856
00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,520
Speaker 1: you stay committed? UM? Are there any tips? Um? You

857
00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:51,400
Speaker 1: know a lot of it comes with mental toughness, But

858
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:52,799
Speaker 1: I want to see if you have any tips out

859
00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:56,160
Speaker 1: there for keeping people? UM. You know, you know, sticking

860
00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:58,239
Speaker 1: to the goal. Uh. And it's something that might not

861
00:40:58,280 --> 00:40:59,759
Speaker 1: be able to be taught, but if if you have

862
00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:03,120
Speaker 1: any advice, UM, I'm sure everybody would would love to

863
00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:07,160
Speaker 1: hear it. Well. I guess one thing for me, UM,

864
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,520
Speaker 1: that just kind of helps me. UM. I don't know

865
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:13,600
Speaker 1: if it's stayed positive. I'm a little bit more. I'm

866
00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:16,759
Speaker 1: more pestimist than an optimist. But I guess one thing

867
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,520
Speaker 1: that just kind of keeps me um, you know, more

868
00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,880
Speaker 1: locked in. Is just I almost feel like that feeling

869
00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,759
Speaker 1: that you get when you're like it's completely hopeless, like

870
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,280
Speaker 1: that we have no chance, like this is not happening.

871
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,800
Speaker 1: Like I almost feel like that is prerequisite like to

872
00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:34,440
Speaker 1: killing and olk like like I just kind of joke

873
00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:37,000
Speaker 1: around sometimes it's Randy. It's like when we we both

874
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:38,920
Speaker 1: get to that point where we're like we completely we

875
00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,120
Speaker 1: just feel like idiots, like we're completely wasting our time,

876
00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,800
Speaker 1: like we've totally forgot how how to hunt. Help I

877
00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:47,800
Speaker 1: just feel like, Okay, well, you know, we got that

878
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:49,120
Speaker 1: out of the way, now we can go kill one

879
00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:51,680
Speaker 1: like that. I just feel like that's that's you know,

880
00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:54,800
Speaker 1: like it's not it's you know, as awful as it feels,

881
00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:56,960
Speaker 1: I just feel like that's how it always feels. And

882
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,120
Speaker 1: it just kind of reassures me that it's like this

883
00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:01,680
Speaker 1: is not even though the moment of that hunt it

884
00:42:01,719 --> 00:42:05,200
Speaker 1: feels extra special, like it's like nope, this is worse

885
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:07,319
Speaker 1: than normal, and it really is, like that's just how

886
00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:10,360
Speaker 1: they all feel. And I guess that probably has to

887
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:13,680
Speaker 1: do with the fact that like the alkhunts that I've

888
00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:16,480
Speaker 1: went on have been over the counter like general season

889
00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:20,120
Speaker 1: type hunts, and they're almost always tough with low odds

890
00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:23,320
Speaker 1: of success. Um, you know, most people go home empty handed,

891
00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:25,719
Speaker 1: like they're they're tough hunts to begin with. Even though

892
00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:27,880
Speaker 1: like I've had some bright spots, like I've had some

893
00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:31,239
Speaker 1: days that were incredible over the years, most the majority

894
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:34,120
Speaker 1: of the days are very difficult. And even on hunts

895
00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:37,120
Speaker 1: where you end up taking a bull, it wasn't because

896
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:40,400
Speaker 1: the hunting was incredible. You know, it usually feels impossible,

897
00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:44,200
Speaker 1: and I guess just because that's what I'm used to doing. Um,

898
00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:46,640
Speaker 1: you know, like I just I don't let it get

899
00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:48,719
Speaker 1: like get me down, and it kind of helps me

900
00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:50,960
Speaker 1: stay focused knowing, hey, I might only have a day

901
00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:54,200
Speaker 1: laft or an evening laft or whatever. Um, you know,

902
00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,759
Speaker 1: it happens when it happens, and you can go from

903
00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:59,319
Speaker 1: I mean it literally can I have a lot of

904
00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:02,440
Speaker 1: the olk I've killed old an hour beforehand. There's no

905
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:04,120
Speaker 1: way you could have convinced me that I was going

906
00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:07,040
Speaker 1: to be standing over a nice bowl like it just

907
00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:11,200
Speaker 1: when it happens, it happens. Yeah, And that's that's what

908
00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:14,600
Speaker 1: I use, is my motivation because and it is drawn

909
00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:17,279
Speaker 1: from experience. But I think by you know, passing on

910
00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:20,319
Speaker 1: our experience to somebody that maybe hasn't been there, is

911
00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:22,920
Speaker 1: very similar to those hunts, like day six or seven,

912
00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:25,640
Speaker 1: we're struggling, We moved areas, you know, the next area

913
00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,800
Speaker 1: is okay, We're we're in elk, but just nothing's coming together,

914
00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:31,080
Speaker 1: you know, the wind swirling, whatever it may be. We're

915
00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,640
Speaker 1: just not gonna you know, we're never gonna kill an

916
00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:37,720
Speaker 1: elk here. And then it only ever takes out one time. Um,

917
00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:40,439
Speaker 1: it's at one bowl where the wind stays right, he's

918
00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:43,200
Speaker 1: committed and it's over just like that. And there have

919
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:46,440
Speaker 1: been a few hunts where nothing ever went right besides

920
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,279
Speaker 1: that one thirty minute window you know, where that bull

921
00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:52,399
Speaker 1: comes in. We're able to execute everything and and kill it.

922
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,799
Speaker 1: But it's knowing that on day six or seven of

923
00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:57,640
Speaker 1: a hard hunt things aren't going your way, that it

924
00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,200
Speaker 1: only takes one it only takes out one bowl in

925
00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:03,440
Speaker 1: the one area, UM to do a few things, you know, wrong,

926
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:05,319
Speaker 1: and for us to do a few things right, and

927
00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:07,239
Speaker 1: you would never know that that was a bad hunt.

928
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,400
Speaker 1: So you're gonna remember success. And uh so, yeah, we

929
00:44:10,400 --> 00:44:13,920
Speaker 1: we feed off of that, you know, past experience that

930
00:44:13,960 --> 00:44:17,560
Speaker 1: it only takes one Yep, absolutely. I mean I love

931
00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:20,080
Speaker 1: it when when the bulls are going crazy and everything,

932
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:21,960
Speaker 1: but you know, most of the all kunts that have

933
00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:24,640
Speaker 1: ended up being successful for me, that's pretty rare when

934
00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:28,279
Speaker 1: that happens. And killed killed bulls on hunts where I've

935
00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,719
Speaker 1: only seen one bull, and I've killed bulls on hunts

936
00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:32,719
Speaker 1: where I've never even heard a bugle. So you know,

937
00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:36,360
Speaker 1: that just reinforces uh, you know the fact that you

938
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:39,279
Speaker 1: just can't let tough unet and get you down. You

939
00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:41,799
Speaker 1: just gotta you know, stay after it because you never

940
00:44:41,880 --> 00:44:44,000
Speaker 1: know that you know, just over the next rise, you

941
00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:47,919
Speaker 1: know that might be where it all comes together. Yep, yep.

942
00:44:48,920 --> 00:44:51,640
Speaker 1: Let's jump into the shop. And and you've talked about

943
00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:53,000
Speaker 1: it just a little bit ago that you're spending a

944
00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:55,799
Speaker 1: lot of time on archery. You know, if if you're

945
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:58,319
Speaker 1: anything like us, we at some point throughout a day

946
00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:01,360
Speaker 1: probably think about elk. You know, three or six or

947
00:45:01,360 --> 00:45:04,600
Speaker 1: five days a year, UM, we were gearing up, we're

948
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:07,319
Speaker 1: looking at gear, you know, whatever it may be. We're

949
00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:10,759
Speaker 1: we're always building success. But everything we do all year long,

950
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:14,239
Speaker 1: UM comes down, in my opinion, to one shot and

951
00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:16,000
Speaker 1: we have to execute that one shot. You know, all

952
00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:18,600
Speaker 1: these practice shots in our driveway, you know, none of

953
00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:21,239
Speaker 1: that counts besides killing foam. When it comes down to it,

954
00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:22,799
Speaker 1: you know, you get one shot. And when you're in

955
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:25,080
Speaker 1: your driveway or in your yard or at your range

956
00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:27,719
Speaker 1: a lot of times, you know, you're pretty comfortable your

957
00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:30,200
Speaker 1: heart rates, you know where it needs to be. You're

958
00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:32,600
Speaker 1: not sweating, you don't have you know, you go out

959
00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,600
Speaker 1: in the mountains, you know you might just put on

960
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:36,360
Speaker 1: a heck of a stock to try to cut, you know,

961
00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:39,360
Speaker 1: off some some elk, you're probably sweating. You've got an

962
00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:43,719
Speaker 1: elevated heart rate. Um, you've gotta you know, seven pound

963
00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:47,800
Speaker 1: live animal in you. You've gotta machieta, missuchito, mosquito maybe

964
00:45:48,160 --> 00:45:50,520
Speaker 1: maybe chewing on your neck, and you've got to execute

965
00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:54,240
Speaker 1: that shot. Can you give um you know the listeners

966
00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:56,799
Speaker 1: some you know your shot process to make sure when

967
00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,000
Speaker 1: it comes down to it, you execute and make a

968
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:02,160
Speaker 1: great shot. And um, there's a component to this that

969
00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:05,520
Speaker 1: and you may be able to to elaborate on it.

970
00:46:05,520 --> 00:46:08,080
Speaker 1: It's tough because when you finally get your chance, if

971
00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,320
Speaker 1: you haven't been in that position a whole lot of times,

972
00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:13,160
Speaker 1: it's tough to control your emotions as well, so kind

973
00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,080
Speaker 1: of wrap up and I still get excited, so I

974
00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:16,920
Speaker 1: still have to kind of walk myself through that. But

975
00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:19,280
Speaker 1: you go through that shot process and how to execute

976
00:46:19,520 --> 00:46:22,520
Speaker 1: a good shot when it matters. Um. Well, I guess

977
00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:25,839
Speaker 1: this might not be the best answer for an elk

978
00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,239
Speaker 1: cutting podcast, but it's uh, honestly for me. One of

979
00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:31,600
Speaker 1: the things that will definitely the thing that's helped me

980
00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:34,719
Speaker 1: the most is just the high country mulder hunting that

981
00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:38,440
Speaker 1: I've done and what that's led me to do because

982
00:46:39,080 --> 00:46:41,480
Speaker 1: on average, uh you know, taking a shot at a

983
00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:44,319
Speaker 1: high country mule deer and steep terrain, they're they're a

984
00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:47,160
Speaker 1: smaller target than an elk. They're usually it's it's a

985
00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:48,759
Speaker 1: lot harder to get close to them. You're not gonna

986
00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:52,000
Speaker 1: be calling them in. Um, so usually a lot more

987
00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:55,799
Speaker 1: challenging shots. And because I usually try to get in

988
00:46:56,520 --> 00:46:59,920
Speaker 1: high country mulder hunt every year, uh, you know, all

989
00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:04,080
Speaker 1: out of my my my bow build and my training

990
00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,600
Speaker 1: has to do with setting myself up to be successful

991
00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:11,680
Speaker 1: um for that, and and you know, like a nice

992
00:47:11,719 --> 00:47:15,359
Speaker 1: byproduct of that has been if I can get my

993
00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:18,680
Speaker 1: setup and my uh you know, dialed in to make

994
00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:22,960
Speaker 1: longer shots at mulder and steep terrain, and I can

995
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:24,800
Speaker 1: you know, get my my equipment dialed into where I

996
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,560
Speaker 1: feel comfortable with those shots, Like shots on elk feel

997
00:47:27,640 --> 00:47:31,160
Speaker 1: really easy, um and you know, And so my training

998
00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:34,040
Speaker 1: has a lot to do with really preparing, Like when

999
00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:35,719
Speaker 1: I'm doing my training instead of my bow, like, I'm

1000
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:38,439
Speaker 1: really I'm not thinking about elk. I'm thinking about that,

1001
00:47:38,920 --> 00:47:41,000
Speaker 1: you know, one shot that I might get at a

1002
00:47:41,080 --> 00:47:43,600
Speaker 1: high country mule deer and knowing that it's going to

1003
00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:46,960
Speaker 1: be potentially a lot longer shot. Um. And you know,

1004
00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:49,239
Speaker 1: they have a tendency to jump the string. So I'm

1005
00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:51,640
Speaker 1: really focused on trying to get my arrow flight as

1006
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:54,920
Speaker 1: quiet as possible, my my my bow as quiet as possible.

1007
00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:57,439
Speaker 1: But I'm just I'm really like when I'm practicing, I'm

1008
00:47:57,480 --> 00:48:01,600
Speaker 1: really challenging myself stretching out the stints, um, you know,

1009
00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:05,759
Speaker 1: and shooting uh you know at long distances at my

1010
00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:08,960
Speaker 1: three D deer target, um, you know, and just really

1011
00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:12,520
Speaker 1: trying to get comfortable, um you know, holding my pen

1012
00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:14,880
Speaker 1: in a in a small area on long shots and

1013
00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:18,680
Speaker 1: all that translate into like when I get to full

1014
00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:23,560
Speaker 1: drawn elk, like it usually feels really super comfortable. Just

1015
00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:25,759
Speaker 1: but but if all I did was ELK and that's

1016
00:48:25,800 --> 00:48:27,879
Speaker 1: all I was gearing up for, you know, I might,

1017
00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:29,759
Speaker 1: I might approach it a little bit differently, and you

1018
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:31,920
Speaker 1: know those shots might feel the more challenging. But I know,

1019
00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:35,200
Speaker 1: like being geared up for those Dear um, you know,

1020
00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:39,520
Speaker 1: definitely like it's a huge uh you know byproduct is

1021
00:48:39,600 --> 00:48:42,239
Speaker 1: just you know, I feel so much more confident on ELK.

1022
00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:45,719
Speaker 1: But one thing I do for ELK very specifically, and

1023
00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:48,399
Speaker 1: I'm sure it helps me on Dear too. But one

1024
00:48:48,400 --> 00:48:52,400
Speaker 1: thing for sure, as you know, on ELK, like you

1025
00:48:52,520 --> 00:48:54,640
Speaker 1: never hardly ever get to shoot in a rhythm. You know,

1026
00:48:54,719 --> 00:48:58,000
Speaker 1: when you're out practicing on the range, like you draw back,

1027
00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:00,759
Speaker 1: you know, you you hold about the same amount of time,

1028
00:49:00,800 --> 00:49:02,799
Speaker 1: like everything's like in rhythm, and you kind of have

1029
00:49:02,840 --> 00:49:06,800
Speaker 1: a shot sequence you go through um and that almost

1030
00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:09,040
Speaker 1: almost always gets blown up on ELK. I mean a

1031
00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:11,239
Speaker 1: lot of times you end up, you know, having to

1032
00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:13,520
Speaker 1: draw and then having to hold for a very long

1033
00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:15,719
Speaker 1: time because you see that bowl coming in and you

1034
00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:18,200
Speaker 1: draw when you have cover, and then you know he

1035
00:49:18,320 --> 00:49:20,359
Speaker 1: might stop and pause when you don't have a shot,

1036
00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:21,799
Speaker 1: and then he comes a little closer, and then you

1037
00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:23,560
Speaker 1: finally do get your shot or the angles wrong and

1038
00:49:23,560 --> 00:49:25,239
Speaker 1: you gotta wait, you might have to step over to

1039
00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:28,320
Speaker 1: the side. UM. So so much of that your your

1040
00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:32,000
Speaker 1: normal sequence goes out the window. And UH. Not only

1041
00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,799
Speaker 1: do I like to practice that, you know, shooting out

1042
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:36,759
Speaker 1: a sequence or maybe getting to full draw and taking

1043
00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:39,759
Speaker 1: a couple of steps you know, one way or the other. Um.

1044
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,960
Speaker 1: One thing I really like to do is end my

1045
00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:46,799
Speaker 1: shooting sessions with uh. And I like to record all

1046
00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:48,920
Speaker 1: this and document it so that I can see that

1047
00:49:49,080 --> 00:49:52,080
Speaker 1: the growth. But I'll I'll after my shooting sessions over

1048
00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:54,680
Speaker 1: with before I hang my bow up. You know, I

1049
00:49:54,719 --> 00:49:56,480
Speaker 1: was going to garage, and I'll get my iPhone out

1050
00:49:56,480 --> 00:49:59,800
Speaker 1: and I get the you know the timer stop watch

1051
00:49:59,800 --> 00:50:02,480
Speaker 1: out my iPhone and I'll just you know, hit start

1052
00:50:02,560 --> 00:50:04,759
Speaker 1: and I'll draw back my bow and I'll hold it

1053
00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:08,120
Speaker 1: as long as I possibly can, and then when I

1054
00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:10,200
Speaker 1: let down, I'll stop it and I just write write

1055
00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:13,279
Speaker 1: that number down on my white board. UM. And then

1056
00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:15,359
Speaker 1: I also usually write down like how many how much

1057
00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:17,279
Speaker 1: with the poundage is on that set up, and what

1058
00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:19,120
Speaker 1: the you know percentage of let off is, just so

1059
00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:21,839
Speaker 1: I have that as a reference point then and then

1060
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:25,960
Speaker 1: after I do that, um, I will Uh. I have

1061
00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:28,799
Speaker 1: this like rubber band that's made specifically for archers. I

1062
00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:31,719
Speaker 1: think a company called like m D fifty gear. I

1063
00:50:31,719 --> 00:50:33,879
Speaker 1: think it's the name of the company that makes them.

1064
00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:35,520
Speaker 1: But they make this rubber band that's got a handle

1065
00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:38,440
Speaker 1: on both ends and uh, I can't remember. They have

1066
00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:40,439
Speaker 1: a couple different poundages, but I have the heaviest one.

1067
00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:43,560
Speaker 1: And then I also used the time around my phone

1068
00:50:43,960 --> 00:50:47,600
Speaker 1: and I'll set it to like seconds, and it'll start time,

1069
00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:49,480
Speaker 1: and I'll draw that back and I'll hold it at

1070
00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:52,680
Speaker 1: full draw for forty five seconds until my phone beeps

1071
00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:55,759
Speaker 1: at me, and then I'll let down and uh. And

1072
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,560
Speaker 1: I'll do that three times, and I kind of build

1073
00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:00,319
Speaker 1: that up, you know. I probably I start out like

1074
00:51:00,360 --> 00:51:02,440
Speaker 1: thirty five seconds, and then I end up as I

1075
00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:06,360
Speaker 1: build my strength seconds hold. I'm constantly just trying to

1076
00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:09,040
Speaker 1: get to where it's like almost seems impossible for me

1077
00:51:09,080 --> 00:51:12,680
Speaker 1: to hold that last one back. Um. And I really

1078
00:51:13,160 --> 00:51:15,040
Speaker 1: like you can see it when you when I'm recording

1079
00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:16,920
Speaker 1: it on my white board, you know, from when I

1080
00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:19,920
Speaker 1: start that, you know, And I don't like start that

1081
00:51:20,080 --> 00:51:21,919
Speaker 1: like right away when you know and I shoot pretty

1082
00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:23,840
Speaker 1: much year round, whether it's you know, in my in

1083
00:51:23,880 --> 00:51:25,920
Speaker 1: my shop in the wintertime at twenty yards, I shoot

1084
00:51:25,920 --> 00:51:28,600
Speaker 1: you around. But I don't do this routine y're around.

1085
00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:31,600
Speaker 1: I usually start this like in June, um and then

1086
00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:33,080
Speaker 1: ramp it up to hunting season. But you can just

1087
00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:35,600
Speaker 1: see that growth. I mean, the the amount of hold

1088
00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:39,160
Speaker 1: time just increases substantially, and I can feel it when

1089
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:40,799
Speaker 1: I'm shooting, you know so, And I feel like that's

1090
00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:44,319
Speaker 1: just a really huge asset when it comes to hunting

1091
00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:46,400
Speaker 1: elk in particular. I mean any hunting that's going to

1092
00:51:46,480 --> 00:51:49,120
Speaker 1: be an asset, but l cunting in particular. Um, just

1093
00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,880
Speaker 1: being able to increase that amount of time that you

1094
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:56,040
Speaker 1: could comfortably hold your bow back and still execute a shot.

1095
00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:58,279
Speaker 1: I just feel like that's invaluable because I don't I know,

1096
00:51:58,360 --> 00:51:59,880
Speaker 1: you've been there over the years as many times I

1097
00:52:00,080 --> 00:52:02,319
Speaker 1: where it's like you've held so long you're not even

1098
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:04,840
Speaker 1: sure how your pen is like wiggling all over the

1099
00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:08,360
Speaker 1: even ten yards um, And that's just it's just you know,

1100
00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:11,520
Speaker 1: it gives me a ton of confidence. Yeah, I'm I'm

1101
00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:13,880
Speaker 1: completely on board with you. There. You used to there

1102
00:52:13,960 --> 00:52:15,440
Speaker 1: was a day back when I thought I needed to

1103
00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:18,279
Speaker 1: shoot an eighty pound bow, and then I realized that

1104
00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:20,719
Speaker 1: the longer I can hold with a seventy pound bow

1105
00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:24,640
Speaker 1: was way more important than you know, getting an extra answer.

1106
00:52:24,640 --> 00:52:28,360
Speaker 1: Penetration and one thing I found especially when calling elk

1107
00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:32,759
Speaker 1: um there, you know, probably seven eight years ago, I

1108
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:36,000
Speaker 1: was getting you know, and before that I was getting

1109
00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:40,560
Speaker 1: caught drawing a lot on on collins as bulls came in,

1110
00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:43,040
Speaker 1: I would wait too long. And so then as of late,

1111
00:52:43,080 --> 00:52:45,080
Speaker 1: I've started drawing a lot earlier, which is giving me

1112
00:52:45,080 --> 00:52:47,800
Speaker 1: a lot better chances. But just like you had mentioned,

1113
00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:52,120
Speaker 1: I'm now um holding my bow for you know, upwards

1114
00:52:52,160 --> 00:52:54,200
Speaker 1: of a minute a minute and a half um. One

1115
00:52:54,360 --> 00:52:58,640
Speaker 1: particular scenario two thousand sixteen in Idaho, we called a

1116
00:52:58,680 --> 00:53:01,719
Speaker 1: bull in and really is timber, and I had seen

1117
00:53:01,760 --> 00:53:03,960
Speaker 1: him come over the rise drew and I think I

1118
00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:07,640
Speaker 1: held to like to sixteen um. He finally had to

1119
00:53:07,719 --> 00:53:09,680
Speaker 1: let and finally had to let down the bulls at

1120
00:53:09,719 --> 00:53:11,320
Speaker 1: twenty five yards. I'm like, I can't even make a

1121
00:53:11,320 --> 00:53:13,240
Speaker 1: shot on this thing, Like I have no more control

1122
00:53:13,280 --> 00:53:15,640
Speaker 1: over holding this where it needs to be. Thankfully he

1123
00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:17,440
Speaker 1: went out the thirty five and I had just that

1124
00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:19,960
Speaker 1: little five second rest had given me enough to get

1125
00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:23,520
Speaker 1: drawn and um killed the bull. But yeah, hold holding

1126
00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:26,560
Speaker 1: your bow um. You know, I don't I haven't subscribed

1127
00:53:26,600 --> 00:53:28,399
Speaker 1: to the tips and tactics of like you know, once

1128
00:53:28,400 --> 00:53:30,799
Speaker 1: your cams rolled over, like holding it against your leg

1129
00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,560
Speaker 1: or any of that. I usually typically just stay focused

1130
00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:36,160
Speaker 1: and on the animal, um because then if you're holding

1131
00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:37,520
Speaker 1: it on your leg, you still have to come up,

1132
00:53:37,640 --> 00:53:40,399
Speaker 1: you know, to your peep and do execute. So I

1133
00:53:40,400 --> 00:53:42,480
Speaker 1: I don't know what that buy some people when they

1134
00:53:42,600 --> 00:53:44,680
Speaker 1: roll the cam over on their their leg. But yeah,

1135
00:53:44,880 --> 00:53:48,160
Speaker 1: drawing early is is way more beneficial. But then, as

1136
00:53:48,160 --> 00:53:51,799
Speaker 1: you had mentioned, everything you're practicing to hold longer is

1137
00:53:51,840 --> 00:53:53,840
Speaker 1: you're gonna have to You're gonna have to be comfortable

1138
00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:56,640
Speaker 1: holding for that long. Yeah. I would. It would freak

1139
00:53:56,680 --> 00:53:59,000
Speaker 1: me out to try to hold my cam back anyway.

1140
00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:01,719
Speaker 1: Just I would be so afraid that I would derail

1141
00:54:01,840 --> 00:54:03,600
Speaker 1: the string off of the cam just because you know

1142
00:54:03,640 --> 00:54:06,879
Speaker 1: how there's really not a lot of torque at full drop,

1143
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:09,160
Speaker 1: just because of the leadoff, Like it would be super

1144
00:54:09,200 --> 00:54:11,920
Speaker 1: easy for something to go wrong and that uh, that

1145
00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:13,719
Speaker 1: that string to come right out of the track. But

1146
00:54:13,760 --> 00:54:16,440
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure some people must have perfected it,

1147
00:54:16,520 --> 00:54:18,480
Speaker 1: but I would be scared to do that. So yeah,

1148
00:54:18,640 --> 00:54:21,400
Speaker 1: just trying to increate my holding straight is a is

1149
00:54:21,440 --> 00:54:24,120
Speaker 1: the route that I go. But another thing I guess

1150
00:54:24,160 --> 00:54:26,880
Speaker 1: I like to do um with that rubber band. And

1151
00:54:26,920 --> 00:54:29,520
Speaker 1: this doesn't have to do with holding strength, but it

1152
00:54:29,560 --> 00:54:32,399
Speaker 1: does have to do with um, you know, just feeling good.

1153
00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:36,080
Speaker 1: Is I was for a long time, I was um

1154
00:54:36,120 --> 00:54:38,160
Speaker 1: you know, and I still I shoot a ton um

1155
00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:42,120
Speaker 1: and I was ended up with a lot of neck

1156
00:54:42,200 --> 00:54:44,360
Speaker 1: pain and like in back pain and stuff. So I

1157
00:54:44,440 --> 00:54:46,759
Speaker 1: kept going to chiropractor and he's like, man, you know,

1158
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:49,240
Speaker 1: he finally figured. He's like, you're you know, you're you're

1159
00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:52,560
Speaker 1: like lopsided, You're you're drawing, You're using all these muscles

1160
00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:54,279
Speaker 1: on one one party, you know, one side of your

1161
00:54:54,320 --> 00:54:55,759
Speaker 1: body and not the other. He's like, you need to

1162
00:54:55,840 --> 00:54:58,040
Speaker 1: draw your bow back backwards. And I'm like, well, you

1163
00:54:58,080 --> 00:55:00,359
Speaker 1: can't draw the cables earned the way to draw your

1164
00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:03,480
Speaker 1: compound you know, back. So for a while I was

1165
00:55:03,520 --> 00:55:05,960
Speaker 1: like stringing up my recurve just so that I could

1166
00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:09,399
Speaker 1: drop back left handed, just to try to balance things out.

1167
00:55:09,760 --> 00:55:11,440
Speaker 1: And that's what that's part of my routine now. And

1168
00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:14,000
Speaker 1: that rubber band makes it really easy to where when

1169
00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:16,479
Speaker 1: I'm doing that, when I'm resting in between my forty

1170
00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:19,799
Speaker 1: second holds that ever band, I draw back, reverse and

1171
00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:23,240
Speaker 1: just try to exercise those muscles balance things out. Um,

1172
00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:26,520
Speaker 1: and that in combination with daily stretching has really helped

1173
00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:28,319
Speaker 1: where you know, it's like I don't have to go

1174
00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:30,719
Speaker 1: to chiropractor, you know, hardly at all anymore. And I

1175
00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:35,440
Speaker 1: do attribute it to uh, to that at least in part. Yeah,

1176
00:55:35,600 --> 00:55:38,880
Speaker 1: that's that's great, great information for everybody. And you know,

1177
00:55:39,000 --> 00:55:42,200
Speaker 1: getting to see you know, good archers like yourself, you know,

1178
00:55:42,200 --> 00:55:44,160
Speaker 1: getting to shoot around and Brian Barney and some of

1179
00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:46,400
Speaker 1: these guys that are just you know amazing. What that

1180
00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:48,239
Speaker 1: you guys make me want to be a better archer,

1181
00:55:48,520 --> 00:55:50,839
Speaker 1: you know, because I've always just been like, ah, six

1182
00:55:50,880 --> 00:55:53,360
Speaker 1: and you know Elk's got a twelve by twelve killzone.

1183
00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:55,880
Speaker 1: I get it within six inches. We're well within the

1184
00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:58,440
Speaker 1: margin of air. But you know, watching watching some of

1185
00:55:58,480 --> 00:56:01,080
Speaker 1: you guys pound tight groups at long distances, you know,

1186
00:56:01,280 --> 00:56:04,600
Speaker 1: preparing for what you had said, the tougher target in

1187
00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:07,120
Speaker 1: a meal deear um has made me want to to

1188
00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:10,680
Speaker 1: get better at at archery. So no great points there

1189
00:56:10,719 --> 00:56:12,840
Speaker 1: on on executing the shot and how you prepare you

1190
00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:27,399
Speaker 1: for the for for when the shot comes around. In closing, here, Nate,

1191
00:56:27,480 --> 00:56:30,680
Speaker 1: if you could leave everybody with one kind of golden nugget,

1192
00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:33,759
Speaker 1: um to become a better l hunter or something, you know,

1193
00:56:33,760 --> 00:56:36,920
Speaker 1: maybe people aren't thinking about what would it be, Um,

1194
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:40,160
Speaker 1: I guess it would really just uh, to be adaptive,

1195
00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:44,080
Speaker 1: you know, It's something that um, you know, I'm really

1196
00:56:44,120 --> 00:56:46,640
Speaker 1: trying to get better at myself, and I do think

1197
00:56:46,640 --> 00:56:49,879
Speaker 1: that it's really helped me. I know for sure, it's

1198
00:56:49,920 --> 00:56:53,000
Speaker 1: hurt me over the years going into hunts with tunnel

1199
00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:55,439
Speaker 1: vision like here, here's what I'm this is my game plan,

1200
00:56:55,600 --> 00:56:57,279
Speaker 1: this is what I'm gonna I'm gonna stick to that.

1201
00:56:57,440 --> 00:57:00,200
Speaker 1: And you know I've eate tags over the years just

1202
00:57:00,239 --> 00:57:03,880
Speaker 1: being hardheaded. Um, and I feel like just being adaptive,

1203
00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:08,440
Speaker 1: you know. And you know, regardless of what method hunting

1204
00:57:08,480 --> 00:57:10,960
Speaker 1: style you're more skilled at or you just prefer, you know,

1205
00:57:11,040 --> 00:57:14,040
Speaker 1: just don't get tunnel vision, you know, don't just just think, hey,

1206
00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:16,760
Speaker 1: I'm only gonna try calling or only spotting stock or

1207
00:57:16,800 --> 00:57:19,840
Speaker 1: only sitting over you know, over water, over wallows like,

1208
00:57:20,320 --> 00:57:24,360
Speaker 1: you know, just to be more opportunistic to try to

1209
00:57:24,560 --> 00:57:28,560
Speaker 1: just read quickly, you know, situations quickly, and adapt um

1210
00:57:28,600 --> 00:57:30,280
Speaker 1: you know, and don't be afraid to try new things

1211
00:57:30,960 --> 00:57:33,960
Speaker 1: and uh you know, and just you know, and that

1212
00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:37,040
Speaker 1: kind of ties in with uh you know, like you

1213
00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:39,280
Speaker 1: were talking about earlier, like how long to stay in

1214
00:57:39,280 --> 00:57:42,440
Speaker 1: an area moved, Like don't be afraid to uh to

1215
00:57:42,520 --> 00:57:44,480
Speaker 1: keep moving, like if you're not finding elk or you're

1216
00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:46,640
Speaker 1: being frustrated, like keep moving and like all that stuff.

1217
00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:50,440
Speaker 1: Just being being adaptive, opportunistic, you know, just rolling with

1218
00:57:50,440 --> 00:57:54,280
Speaker 1: the punches and having you know, really good backup plans

1219
00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:56,480
Speaker 1: ready to go. Like I just never ever go into

1220
00:57:56,520 --> 00:57:58,800
Speaker 1: a hunt with one area, just because even if it

1221
00:57:58,840 --> 00:58:02,160
Speaker 1: looks perfect, like some little hell hole that nobody else

1222
00:58:02,200 --> 00:58:05,120
Speaker 1: is gonna want to go to, like today's day and age,

1223
00:58:05,160 --> 00:58:07,080
Speaker 1: like there's gonna be somebody else there more than likely.

1224
00:58:07,200 --> 00:58:10,720
Speaker 1: Like I always have went into hunts with backup plans.

1225
00:58:10,720 --> 00:58:13,040
Speaker 1: But you know now I feel like in today's day

1226
00:58:13,040 --> 00:58:15,640
Speaker 1: and age, like you know, having planned A B and

1227
00:58:15,680 --> 00:58:17,880
Speaker 1: C is probably not enough. Like I like to have

1228
00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:22,080
Speaker 1: a pretty good plan, you know, for for multiple areas,

1229
00:58:22,160 --> 00:58:24,840
Speaker 1: just so that if things aren't happening, like I'm not

1230
00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:27,840
Speaker 1: gonna try to grind you know, and be frustrated in

1231
00:58:27,840 --> 00:58:31,400
Speaker 1: one area too long for sure. Yeah. We always use

1232
00:58:31,440 --> 00:58:34,520
Speaker 1: the analogy um of you know, have all the tools

1233
00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:37,040
Speaker 1: in your toolbox. You know, you a carpenter would never

1234
00:58:37,040 --> 00:58:39,000
Speaker 1: show up to build your house with a with a

1235
00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:41,080
Speaker 1: crescent ranch and the Philip screw driver. You know, he's

1236
00:58:41,080 --> 00:58:43,560
Speaker 1: got a specific tool for everything that he does. And

1237
00:58:43,680 --> 00:58:46,240
Speaker 1: us as el hunters, you know, be be armed with

1238
00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:48,720
Speaker 1: as many tools, have your toolbox completely loaded up, and

1239
00:58:48,720 --> 00:58:50,800
Speaker 1: then know how to use you know, at least use

1240
00:58:51,080 --> 00:58:53,480
Speaker 1: most of them. UM is going to make your job

1241
00:58:53,480 --> 00:58:55,919
Speaker 1: a lot easier. So we really appreciate having you on here. Nate,

1242
00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:58,440
Speaker 1: can you let anybody know, um, you know you're not

1243
00:58:58,480 --> 00:59:00,760
Speaker 1: all over social media, but you know, can you let

1244
00:59:00,760 --> 00:59:03,840
Speaker 1: people know about Western Hunter, um where they can find you,

1245
00:59:03,840 --> 00:59:07,000
Speaker 1: you know, where you're airing any of that sort of stuff. Um. Yeah,

1246
00:59:07,160 --> 00:59:09,480
Speaker 1: so no, I'm not on social media. I'm one of

1247
00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:13,280
Speaker 1: those weirdos. But uh, and I guess right now, I'm

1248
00:59:13,280 --> 00:59:16,880
Speaker 1: not even totally sure what I think. I heard that

1249
00:59:16,920 --> 00:59:20,640
Speaker 1: the Western Hunter uh Instagram page got shut down by

1250
00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:24,240
Speaker 1: like because they thought it was you know, to uh

1251
00:59:24,280 --> 00:59:27,440
Speaker 1: you know, like anti hunting, anti hunters, you know, didn't

1252
00:59:27,440 --> 00:59:30,920
Speaker 1: like it or something, But I think we've got Western

1253
00:59:30,960 --> 00:59:33,000
Speaker 1: Hunter Magazine still has a page and that's kind of

1254
00:59:33,000 --> 00:59:37,000
Speaker 1: where they're sharing some of their their stuff. So you

1255
00:59:37,040 --> 00:59:41,000
Speaker 1: know Western Hunter Magazine on Instagram, I believe is the place.

1256
00:59:41,000 --> 00:59:44,800
Speaker 1: And then um, yeah, then Western Hunter. Uh, we're getting

1257
00:59:44,800 --> 00:59:48,680
Speaker 1: ready to air our tenth season on the Sportsman's Channel

1258
00:59:49,280 --> 00:59:53,160
Speaker 1: beginning the last week in June. UM, so the season ten,

1259
00:59:53,240 --> 00:59:56,840
Speaker 1: the new episodes will be airing their beginning then, and

1260
00:59:56,880 --> 01:00:00,600
Speaker 1: then all of our past seasons are avail double on

1261
01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:05,760
Speaker 1: the UM the Western Hunter website, UM for people that

1262
01:00:06,480 --> 01:00:08,880
Speaker 1: get a super subscription to the magazine to get access

1263
01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:11,960
Speaker 1: to all of our past seasons. You know, there's like,

1264
01:00:12,200 --> 01:00:14,360
Speaker 1: you know, well over a hundred episodes. They're all all

1265
01:00:14,400 --> 01:00:17,720
Speaker 1: the previous nine seasons. And then those seasons are also

1266
01:00:18,560 --> 01:00:21,680
Speaker 1: on the Sportsman's Channel digital platform as well on the

1267
01:00:21,880 --> 01:00:25,040
Speaker 1: m OTV app. I think it's uh my Outdoor tv

1268
01:00:25,680 --> 01:00:27,240
Speaker 1: UM and they have an app and all of our

1269
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Speaker 1: past seasons are on there as well. Perfect well, I

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Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Nate. You know, one of the few

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Speaker 1: guys I've you know, looked up to as an elk

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Speaker 1: hunter and always you know, like the way you did it.

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Speaker 1: Like like how humble you were and um you consistently

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Speaker 1: get it done year after years. So thanks for joining

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Speaker 1: us and good luck this fall that was honored to

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Speaker 1: be on here a share you ask me, Thank you

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Speaker 1: m hm