1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Backwoods University, a place where we focus on wildlife, 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: wild places and the people who dedicate their lives to 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: conserving both. Big shout out to ONEX Hunt for their 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: support of this podcast. I'm your host, Lake Pickle. On 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: this episode, we're going to learn about one of the 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: most famed hunting pranks that has been getting pulled on 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 1: unsuspecting victims from all the way back to the eighteen 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: hundreds up until this very day, and the actual small 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: hunting culture built around this animal. 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: You take someone out and you put them in the 11 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 2: woods in the dark, and you leave them in the woods, 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 2: and it's a trick. 13 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 3: And when you hear about it, you thought, well, man, 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 3: it sounds like it might be funny. You never but 15 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 3: he's out there. You just kind of like Bigfoot, you. 16 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 4: Know, had no idea that that's an actual migratory gang bird. 17 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 4: It is legal for harvest. 18 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 5: Any of you ever heard of a creature called the snipe. 19 00:00:54,880 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: It's time that we do a little snipe, honey. It's 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: always fascinating and sometimes comical to me when a seemingly 21 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: obscure and small piece of the natural world stumbles its 22 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: way into becoming a cultural phenomenon and the snipe and 23 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: the infamous snipe hunting prank has done exactly that. Today, 24 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: we're gonna learn about the actual bird, because it is 25 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: indeed a real animal. Some folks don't know that. We're 26 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: also gonna learn about how this small critter became the 27 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: centerpiece for one of the largest and longest running jokes 28 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: in the entire realm of hunting. We're gonna learn a 29 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: few other very well known things in mainstream culture that 30 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: most folks don't realize we're also derived from the snipe bird. 31 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: And lastly, we'll all be entertained by hearing a few 32 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: snipe hunting stories from guys that have pulled the snipe 33 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: punting prank on some poor unsuspecting victim and some that 34 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: have been the poor soul that had the joke pulled 35 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: on them. Clay has dear story in Turkey Story episodes. 36 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: Brent Well, he tells the story in every episode. He 37 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: puts out, well, here at Backwoods University, we have snipe 38 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: hunting prank stories, and I think y'all are going to 39 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: get a real kick out of them. This first story 40 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: was told all the way back in nineteen sixty six 41 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: by famous radio personality and storyteller Gene Sheppard. 42 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 6: Not only is this a classic snipe prank. 43 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: Tell, but it gives us a little bit of a 44 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: glimpse of just how long this has been going on. 45 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 5: Well, let me tell you about the time I went 46 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 5: hunting snipes, and I'm sixteen years old. 47 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 3: I shall never ever forget it. In fact, I never. 48 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 5: Forgave the guy who was responsible for this. Saturday night, 49 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 5: we're going hunting and we go out into the swamp 50 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 5: in Delbert's model A Bumpus is monal A. We drive 51 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 5: way out in the swamp, and we had a swamp 52 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 5: that was like five hundred miles long, and we drive 53 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 5: deep into the swamp. We're out in the darkness and 54 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 5: Beg is talking and whispers. 55 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 7: He says, you can't talk out loud. The snipe will 56 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 7: hear you. And if they hear you, they'll forget it. 57 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 8: They're very shy. 58 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 7: Now, look, we're gonna drop you off here and me 59 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 7: and Gorky and Bell are going into the woods, deeper 60 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 7: in the woods, and we will chase the snipe toward you. Now, 61 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 7: you'll get in the water there and you stand in 62 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 7: the water and hold this burlap bag. 63 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 8: You hold the bag between your legs, hold an open 64 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 8: seat like that, and the snipe will see the bag 65 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 8: and think that it's a burrow. 66 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 7: You know when a burrow is tall on the ground. See, 67 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 7: you'll see that, and he'll he'll run into the bag. 68 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 8: Now you got the whistle, and when you have to 69 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 8: keep whistling. Now the snipe here's the whistling. See, and 70 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 8: thinks that there's another snipe. Now for some reason, honor, 71 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 8: and I don't know why it is, but snipe like 72 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 8: to hear you whistle, Dixie. Do you hot to whistle Dixie? 73 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 8: I say yeah. They say, okay, as soon as we go, 74 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 8: you'll start whistling Dixie, and you'll keep the bag between 75 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 8: the knees and the snipe will come running in. Okay, 76 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 8: good luck, here's the bag. 77 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 7: Well, I climb out of the car and I got 78 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 7: the bag. It's a burlap sack. And I go down 79 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 7: into the water, which is like five hundred degrees below zero, 80 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 7: and it. 81 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,239 Speaker 8: Is called oh boyson cold. 82 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 5: The wind is blowing out of the trees. It is 83 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 5: as dark as the inside. 84 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 3: Of your hand. 85 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 5: And I start going. 86 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 7: I am hunting snipe, and I'm excited that they go 87 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 7: off into the darkness and they're gone, and I am 88 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 7: suddenly aware all around me us the swamp. 89 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 8: I'm scared. There's nothing but darkness. 90 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 7: What's that over there by a tree? 91 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 5: Oh? 92 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 7: I was scared out of my skull and I am 93 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 7: really scared, and I am still excited. I'm on snipe, 94 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 7: and I got that bag between my knees. I'm whistling Dixie. 95 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 5: Well, I whistled Dixie for five hours up to my 96 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 5: knees in the swamps, and dawn is coming up like 97 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 5: thunder over the gas works far away. When it suddenly 98 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 5: dawned on me, I have been t a k e N. 99 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 5: I have been taken. 100 00:05:58,360 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 8: And ever since that. 101 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 5: Now I'm gonna this is why I never have told 102 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 5: this story before, because it's so embarrassing. Ever since that day, 103 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 5: whenever I go back home, guys follow out of poolums 104 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 5: hey shop, how. 105 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 3: About going off for some snipe. 106 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 8: There goes that snipe hunter. 107 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 7: I never ever lift that down. 108 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: I enjoyed listening to that story for a whole lot 109 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: of reasons. One, you can hear the different era in 110 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: time coming through the speakers. Everything about it, the audio quality, 111 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: the jargon he used. 112 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 6: It's classic. 113 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: Two, I thought it was important that we share this 114 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: prank first because it's the most classic version of it. 115 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: You tell an unknowing victim. 116 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 6: That the snipe is a bird you can only hunt 117 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 6: at night. 118 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: You equip this person with some sort of bag and 119 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: tell them that they'll be dropped off alone in the woods, 120 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: and that the rest of the guys are gonna circle 121 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: around and make a drive and push the snipe to 122 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: them and then they're supposed to catch it back, when 123 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: in reality, all that's really going on is the person 124 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 1: gets left alone in the dark woods with nothing but 125 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: a wild imagination and an empty bag, while everyone else 126 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: is back of camp laughing about it. However, over the 127 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: many years that this has been going on, there have 128 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: been several spinoff versions, if you will, of this classic 129 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: snipe on it prank, which is what we're gonna hear next. 130 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 6: But first, like I said, we're also. 131 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: Gonna learn some of the other well known parts of 132 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: our culture that were derived from the humble snipe. So 133 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: here's fun Snipe facts that I bet you didn't know. 134 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 3: Part one. 135 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: Like we've already alluded to, a snipe is an actual bird. 136 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: In fact, it's a game bird with an established hunning season, 137 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: and it's also a bird with a very wide range, 138 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: one that's nearly worldwide to be exact, and it's comprised 139 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: of different subspecies. And in the seventeen seventies, when British 140 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: soldiers were occupying India, snipe in those areas were known 141 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: for being a game bird that presented extra dream challenges 142 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: due to its camouflage, feathers, quick and erratic flight, and 143 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: its presumed alertness. All of this made being a successful 144 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: snipe hunter an exceedingly difficult task. A successful snipe hunter 145 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: had to be sneaky as well as being a good 146 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: shot while using flintlock equipment. 147 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 3: Might I add. 148 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: As time went on, the term evolved, and there was 149 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: some recorded letters from these soldiers referring to a day 150 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: of snipe hunting as going sniping, which over time allowed 151 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: the term to evolve again to when referring to someone 152 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: that was a good snipe hunter, or referring to someone 153 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: that was just stealthy and a really good shot as 154 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: a sniper. Yep, this whole time, the word sniper can 155 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: be traced all the way back to a snipe, the 156 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: same bird that gave us a fun prank to play 157 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: and has yielded us countless funny stories. And speaking of 158 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: funny stories, I think it's time we hear another one. 159 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: Our next storyteller is a man that means a whole 160 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: lot to me. Mister Gary Simons was a Sunday school 161 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: teacher of mine when I was going through high school. 162 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: I learned a lot of lessons from this man in 163 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: my younger years. He's also a true veteran outdoorsman with 164 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: some serious credentials. 165 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 6: In hunting and fishing. 166 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: In my time spent with him as my Sunday school teacher, 167 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: I remember a couple times when he would host all 168 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: of us up at his family hunting camp and we 169 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: would spend the weekend fishing, shooting, archery, and all. 170 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 3: Sorts of fun stuff. 171 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: This story that you're about to hear, mister Gary teal, 172 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: took place on one of those very weekends. 173 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 3: Well, you know, I don't know if you ever went, 174 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 3: but we but we built a little camp up near Thomastown. 175 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 6: Oh yeah, Carthage, yep, I's stayed there. 176 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 3: Okay, all right, Well we were up there at one point. 177 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 3: We had a good group of guys, but they I 178 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 3: had taught in life group at church, you know, through twelve, 179 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 3: so I think this was kind of maybe a ninth 180 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,960 Speaker 3: or tenth grade group. But anyway, we were up there 181 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 3: a lot of times. We'd build a bird house, fish hike, 182 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 3: you know, we'd cook, have Bible studies, all this sort 183 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 3: of stuff. But you know, when you get a bunch 184 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 3: of boys together, you start thinking about something you can do, 185 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 3: you know. So anyway, that night we got to talk, 186 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 3: and I had a couple other leaders with him, and uh, 187 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 3: we got to all of a sudden start talking about 188 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 3: snipe hunt. Well, these guys didn't know what snipe hunt was, 189 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: and maybe there were one or two that did, but 190 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 3: they wouldn't reveal it to the others. So anyway, there's 191 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 3: a guy named Lewis, and Lewis is, uh, he's deathly 192 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 3: scared of the dark. This guy is spooky and a 193 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 3: good guy, but I tell I wouldn't mess with him 194 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 3: because his daddy was a karate guy and he he 195 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 3: had taken karate. I mean, this guy, I think they 196 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 3: call it a katta of these things that they do. Anyway, 197 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 3: I say, show me a CD of Lewis man. You 198 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 3: could tell this guy he was a karate dude, but 199 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 3: he was scared of the dark man. So anyway, we 200 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 3: de said, we're going to snipe hunt. So I got 201 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 3: this little dinky flash light like one you put on 202 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 3: a little cap light or something. That's all we had. 203 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 3: And so we take this light. We're talking about snipe 204 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 3: and man, these things attack you. You gotta keep your 205 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 3: eyes open, guys a little clothes. Man, these snipes, you 206 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 3: just don't know where they're gonna come from. And so 207 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 3: we were making our way down the logging road behind 208 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 3: the house, and we're steady talking about Man, keep your 209 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 3: eyes open, guys. Man be looking, and all of a 210 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 3: sudden missed, wait, wait, wait did you hear that? Did 211 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 3: you hear it? And everybody standing there looking and listening 212 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 3: to eyes big you know, all right, let's keep going. 213 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 3: So we kept going. All of a sudden there was 214 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 3: there's a patch of woods there. You go through that 215 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 3: you can go over to the power line. So we're 216 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 3: making a way over to the power line and Lewis's man, 217 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 3: he's he's fidgeting. I mean, he's losing it. It's dark, 218 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 3: he said, Miss scared standing over here with the flash light. 219 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 3: I said, all right, come over here by me. You know, 220 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 3: he wants some light Anyway, we get over to the 221 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 3: power line and all of a sudden, you know, we're 222 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 3: still going through the same scenario. Guys, keep your eyes open, man, 223 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 3: and all of a sudden we started houlling. There it 224 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 3: is there, it is, man, we're going crazy. Well, Lewis 225 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 3: finds a limb and this thing is about ten feet 226 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 3: long and it's probably about three inches at the part 227 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 3: he's holding and he picks that limb up and he 228 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 3: looks like the Tasmanian double. He's swinging this thing and 229 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 3: guys are scattering. Lewis has lost it and man, forget 230 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 3: to night. We're scared of Lewis. 231 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 6: Now. 232 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 3: Man, he's whipping that stick around it. 233 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: Man. 234 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,199 Speaker 3: I said, oh my gosh, Lewis, stop stop STI It's okay, 235 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 3: It's okay. So anyway, I ain't got Lewis subtled down 236 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 3: to a point. Man, I mean, everybody's hearts beating now. 237 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 3: Louis is gone crazy. Anyway, we all got back to 238 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 3: the house that night. That was my last snipe hunt, 239 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 3: and Louis Lewis ended. 240 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 6: It swinging that stick around. 241 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 3: He was swinging that stick. Man, I tell you. We 242 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 3: all got back to the house and of course it 243 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 3: was all. It was all funny then, And I don't 244 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 3: know Lewis ever smiled about it. I really don't. I 245 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 3: think he was got back. He was still he was 246 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 3: still in his arm. 247 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 6: Shook up, he shook come. 248 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 3: But we didn't snipe money anymore. We decided to build 249 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 3: bird houses and fish and something something more calm. 250 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: But man, I cannot help but laugh every time I 251 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: hear that story, just the imagery of it, those boys 252 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: scattering due to that one guy swinging that stick around 253 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: in horror that the snipe was about to get him, 254 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: and everyone realizing that this isn't a joke anymore. 255 00:13:58,600 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 6: It's also a. 256 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: Perfect example of what I was talking about earlier when 257 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: I said that over the years, the snipe prank has 258 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: taken a couple of different forms, seeing as this wasn't 259 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 1: your standard drop a guy out in the woods with 260 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: an empty sack and leave him out routine. We have 261 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: one more snipe prank to hear about, but before we 262 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: do that, it's time for you to hear fun snipe 263 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: fact that I bet you didn't know. Number two. Like 264 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: I said before, a snipe has a nearly worldwide distribution 265 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: among their different subspecies. There's the sub Antarctic snipe endemic 266 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: to some areas of New Zealand. There's the Great snipe 267 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: endemic to northeastern Europe in northwestern Russia. There's also the 268 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: North Island snipe, this wind host snipe, the pent tailed snipe, 269 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: the Latham snipe, the Pantanal snipe, the solitary snipe, the 270 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: African snipe, the snare snipe, the woodsnipe, the Madagascar snipe. Oh, 271 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: there's honestly, there's a whole lot more of them, but 272 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: y'all get the idea. 273 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 6: There's a lot. But for the relevance of today's episode. 274 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: We're gonna be talking about the common snipe and the 275 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: Wilson snipe because both of them find themselves migrating through 276 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: and living in North America. So, in terms of the 277 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: common snipe and the Wilson knipe, these would have been 278 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: the objects of what eventually turned into the snipe prank. 279 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: So how exactly did it evolve into this crazy prank. 280 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 6: That we're somehow all aware of. 281 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: Well, Like we talked about earlier, these snipe don't make 282 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: for an easy hunt. With their ability to hide their 283 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: erratic flight, they're hard to get in hand, even when 284 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: you can find them, throw into the equation that these 285 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: birds are migratory, and you're met with. 286 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 6: An even tougher hunt. 287 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: So, as the story goes that as the years went 288 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: on and actual snipe hunters were prone to go out 289 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: and come back empty handed over and over again, year 290 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: after year, the jokes started being made at their expense 291 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: that they were hunting something that wasn't even there, that 292 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: a snipe didn't even exist. And this, somehow, in a 293 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: crazy way, evolved into the well known snipe hunting prank 294 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: that is still being carried out to this very day. 295 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 6: Wow Hunt. 296 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: And speaking of snipe pranks, we've got one more story 297 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,479 Speaker 1: left to tell, and it's a good. Our final storyteller 298 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: is someone that I am sure. 299 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 6: That you already know. 300 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: His name is Clay Nukele, and he's the reason that 301 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: this whole podcast feat exist and he's also the reason 302 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: that I wound up on it. So if you don't 303 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: like me, blame it on Clay. It's his fault anyway. 304 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: Clay is no stranger to tell in a good story. 305 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: I'll let him take it from here. 306 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 2: So I grew up in Mina, Arkansas, in the Washtaw 307 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 2: Mountains of western Arkansas, just a rural community. And when 308 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 2: we were about sophomores in high school, me and several 309 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 2: other friends started this club. And the club was really 310 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 2: a joke, but we called it the Timber Scouts. And 311 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 2: what we did with the Timber Scouts is that it 312 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 2: was an invitation only club and we went camping. Now 313 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 2: I was a hunter, but some of these other guys 314 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 2: didn't hunt. They just liked to camp, and so it 315 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 2: was it was actually a joke like that we had 316 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 2: a club that we had to go camping. This club, though, 317 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 2: mind you, was like we didn't drink, we didn't smoke, 318 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 2: We just went out and had a good time camping. Well, 319 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 2: the lore of the Timber Scouts grew to some degree 320 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 2: and a lot of people wanted to come camp with us. Well, 321 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 2: when I was a senior, we probably had the biggest 322 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:24,359 Speaker 2: Timber Scout outing of all time. We probably had twelve 323 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 2: to fifteen guys camping with us out at a place 324 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 2: called Wolfpen Gap. And there was a fella that will 325 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 2: remain nameless, who was an incredible guy, like a star 326 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 2: athlete and just a guy that was known to have 327 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 2: a lot of character but wasn't skilled in the outdoors. 328 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 2: Wasn't a hunter, didn't grow up in a family that 329 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 2: hunted a lot, And perhaps the boy was a little 330 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 2: naive at the time. And we knew and it always 331 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 2: heard about snipe punting. And I can honestly tell you 332 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 2: I don't know that we ever tricked anybody, because everybody 333 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 2: knew about snipe hunting. Like snipe hunting is when you 334 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 2: take someone out and you put them in the woods 335 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: in the dark. You tell them that you're hunting this 336 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 2: elusive nocturnal bird and you leave them in the woods, 337 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 2: and it's a trick in the snipe hunter is the 338 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: one who've organized the snipe hunt then go back and 339 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 2: do whatever while this person stays in the woods waiting 340 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 2: for a snipe to be driven past them, almost like 341 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 2: it was a deer drive. 342 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 6: And so this particular. 343 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 2: Night we plotted together, I mean a bunch of us, 344 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 2: all of us except for this guy, knew what was 345 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 2: going on. And I set it up and I'm like, 346 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 2: all right, boys, we're going snipe hunting. And I mean, 347 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 2: we just made this elaborate plan. I mean, I was 348 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,800 Speaker 2: like saying, Billy, Johnny and Joey y'are gonna go south 349 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 2: and right where that finger comes down off the mountain. 350 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 2: You're gonna be right there, and Jimmy, you're gonna go here, 351 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 2: and Billy da da da da dah. I mean, it 352 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 2: was like a real organized hunt and the only person 353 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,160 Speaker 2: that wasn't in on it was this guy. So we 354 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 2: go out and we put this guy out by himself, 355 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 2: and sure enough, you know, after we put him out 356 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 2: and every it appeared as if everybody had gone all 357 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 2: their separate directions to go on their stands. We all 358 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 2: come back to camp, set around the fire, laugh that 359 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 2: our buddy is out in the woods by himself, waiting 360 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 2: on a snipe. Well, we let him stay out there 361 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,679 Speaker 2: for at least forty five minutes, and someone goes and 362 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 2: picks him up, brings him back to camp. Everybody tells 363 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 2: their story of what happened, and it's this this big ruse, 364 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 2: you know, and so this guy just feels like he 365 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 2: was just a player in this huge hunt that had 366 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 2: just taken place that was unsuccessful. Well, the only thing 367 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 2: that's better than one snipe hunt is two. So we 368 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 2: just kind of roll into it and say, well it's 369 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 2: it's time to go back. We got to try another spot, 370 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 2: and so we do the whole again, but this next time, 371 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 2: we leave this guy out in the woods for at 372 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 2: least an hour, and if you've ever sat in the 373 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 2: woods for an hour in the dark by yourself, you're 374 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 2: not a hunters. It was pretty it was abusive, It 375 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 2: was slightly abusive. We drop him off, we come back 376 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 2: to camp, and this time, the only thing better than 377 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 2: the only thing funnier then the first snipe hunt is 378 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 2: the second snipe hunt, and oh man, we just sat 379 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,560 Speaker 2: around and just had the time of our lives while 380 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 2: our buddy was just sitting out in the woods waiting 381 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 2: for us to organize a drive to push an elusive 382 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 2: nocturnal bird passed him that never came. Eventually, I remember 383 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 2: feeling pity for him, and we finally go pick him up, 384 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 2: bring him back, and he's dead serious about wanting to 385 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 2: get a snipe, and we eventually leaked to him that 386 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,399 Speaker 2: the last three hours, you know, since we started, this 387 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 2: was all a ruse and he was the only one 388 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 2: not in on the fun and it was pretty painful. 389 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 2: I felt pretty bad about it. So that's my best 390 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 2: and my worst snipe hunting story. 391 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: That was a good story, Clay, and a perfect way 392 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: to round off this snipe hunting story section of this episode. However, 393 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: I do have to say that leaving that poor boy 394 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: out in the woods for hours like that was pretty 395 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: cold hearted. All right, Well, we've heard three really good 396 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: tales of snipe punting pranks. We've learned some interesting facts 397 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,119 Speaker 1: about the actual snipes, such as their crazy worldwide distribution, 398 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: the long list of subspecies, the fact that they are 399 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,119 Speaker 1: the origin of the word sniper, and the lore around 400 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: how they turned into the subject piece of a running. 401 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 6: Joke that we all know so well today. 402 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 1: But what we don't know a lot about yet is 403 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: their actual biology and the hunting culture around them. That's right, 404 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:00,800 Speaker 1: There is a small group of folks that get out 405 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: there and hunt snite like for real, hunt snipe, and 406 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: I just happen to know someone who does it. 407 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 6: Houston Haven's is the waterfole biologist for the state of Mississippi. 408 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: He's also a genuine snipe clunter, the real counts, not 409 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: the print counting. 410 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 6: Because of Houston's. 411 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 1: Biologist status, he'll be able to cover both snight biology 412 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 1: and snipe hunting for us. 413 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 6: Here's Houston. 414 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 4: So snipe are shore birds migratory? Of course, we typically 415 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 4: in Mississippi start to see snipe. Early November or so 416 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 4: is typically when we start to get first reports and 417 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 4: just fuel start to trickle in. Use really shallow water 418 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 4: or mudflats with a little bit of vegetation in them. 419 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 4: They're extremely camouflaged and so they blend in with pretty 420 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 4: much any vegetation at all, so really hard to see. 421 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 4: They hold really tight compared to most shorebirds, things like 422 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 4: sandpipers and all get up you know, pretty far out, 423 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 4: but snipe because they are so camouflages the whole really 424 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 4: tight in that vegetation that they're in. And what they're 425 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 4: doing is using their their bills, their probe shaped bills, 426 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:11,679 Speaker 4: you know, stick them down the mud finding things like invertebrates, worms, 427 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 4: you know, mostly bugs and vertebrates that they're even for 428 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 4: their diet. Yeah, numbers continue to build throughout the winter. 429 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 4: Let's say most people in Mississippi when they're hunting sniper 430 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 4: getting after them. After the duck season usually ends, you know, 431 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 4: water starting to come off of areas that've been flooded 432 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 4: all winter, so we've got a lot of that showy 433 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 4: mud flat and edges of the water that snipe like 434 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:31,640 Speaker 4: to be in anyway, and so. 435 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: Are they pretty much countrywide? 436 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,880 Speaker 4: They are, you know, looking at the distribution, they kind 437 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 4: of kind of react with the waterfowl as far as 438 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 4: breeding areas, so prairie Poe whole region, way up into 439 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 4: the Arctic birds that are coming to Mississippi. I can't 440 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 4: really say, not a lot of sniper bandits. We don't 441 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 4: have very good band return date on them at all, 442 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 4: none that I know of. Yeah, pretty wide breeding range, 443 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 4: you know, migratory birds going to be you know, pushed 444 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,680 Speaker 4: by time of year and weather, just like most Yeah, 445 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 4: it's it seems like it's kind of building in popularity. 446 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 4: Snipe five hunters. 447 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, really, we. 448 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 4: Hear more people asking about it, at least as the 449 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 4: years have gone on, am I I guess eighteen years 450 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,600 Speaker 4: now working seems like I get more more calls about 451 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 4: it now. Whether or not those people are actually going 452 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,160 Speaker 4: and pursuing them or they're just kind of curious about them. 453 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 4: I don't really know for sure they're. 454 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 6: Do you know anybody that actually goes and does it? 455 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 4: I do it myself, Yeah, and you do. Yeah, have 456 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,480 Speaker 4: some friends here in the department, will you know. It's 457 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 4: kind of one of those things, you know, deer season 458 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 4: is ending, you know, end of January duck seasons in it, 459 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:35,160 Speaker 4: and it's kind of like, okay, what do we do now? 460 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 4: So okay, you know this is something that's still open 461 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 4: and we can get out there and you know, get 462 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 4: some dog work or what have you. And so it's 463 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 4: just kind of feels that gap in between I guess 464 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 4: you know those other hunt seasons in Turkey season in 465 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 4: the spring. But yeah, I mean it's a super fun 466 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 4: you know, kind of not as much like duck dove 467 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 4: hunting because you're kind of walking birds up and it's 468 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 4: not not sitting around, but you can you can kind 469 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 4: of pick good spots well you know, flush some birds 470 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:03,639 Speaker 4: up and kind of wait for them to come back 471 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 4: as well. 472 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: So, huh, if you were going to get a game 473 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:08,920 Speaker 1: plan together, like all right, we're gonna go snipe hunt, 474 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: and I'm not asking you to tell me where you're 475 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: going hunting, but like, is it like a one person 476 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: sport or is it better if you have three or 477 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: four people, like well, like lay out a game plan 478 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: if you're going action on snipe hunt. 479 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 4: So it kind of depends on the area just how 480 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 4: much you know edge kind of and really that is 481 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 4: what I look for is that edge of water that 482 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 4: has some mud flat and maybe a little bit of vegetation. 483 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 4: You're not gonna kind of cruise around and just see 484 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 4: a bunch of snipe. If you do, you know, it's 485 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,920 Speaker 4: relatively rare that there's gonna be out in the out 486 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,959 Speaker 4: in the wide open, so it's kind of just covering 487 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 4: ground and kicking them up a little bit and seeing, Okay, 488 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 4: here's what they're keying inn on. Because if you find one, 489 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 4: it's not that they'll be in really big groups or anything, 490 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 4: but if you find one, you kind of get a 491 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 4: visual image of what that bird was doing and uh 492 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 4: and kind of go from there. But uh, yeah, it 493 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,640 Speaker 4: can be a multiple person type of sport. I guess 494 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 4: maybe a little bit kind of like pheasant hunting. If 495 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 4: you're walking out, you know, kind of spacing out and 496 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 4: so you can cover area and kind of fine with 497 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 4: the birds or because they're really specific about what they're 498 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 4: going to be keying in on, both with water levels 499 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 4: and with vegetation. 500 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 6: Are they're pretty fast? Aren't think because they're small birds. 501 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 4: Yes, they're small birds, very fast, and they don't fly 502 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 4: straight for very long. You know, like I said, you're 503 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 4: not going to see them very often before they flush, 504 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 4: so you're just kind of kind of staying on the 505 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 4: ready and walking them up and trying to get a 506 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:29,880 Speaker 4: shot off when they get up. 507 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: Now you are y'all running pointers or on them, or 508 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 1: y'all just got retrievers and. 509 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,239 Speaker 4: Just retrievers yup, just to you know what I've And 510 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 4: it depends on the dog. But what I've come across 511 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 4: is I just need my dog to heal until i'm 512 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 4: you know, fortunate enough to make to make a shot 513 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 4: on one, and then retrieving the bird for me because 514 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 4: walking mud flats and all, it's a lot of slogging around. 515 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,439 Speaker 4: So the more steps that the dog can save me 516 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 4: just retrieving a bird is good. But yeah, I don't 517 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 4: know how well pointing dogs would do on them, you know, 518 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 4: the whole tight relative for a person. But if dogs 519 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 4: just you know, running around working, maybe bumping birds up. 520 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 4: But there may be people out there who are using. 521 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: Plints, I don't know, man, I have so many questions. Yeah, 522 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: you know, because like I said, the real side, the 523 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: real hunting culture of it. I know, I probably know 524 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: less about the real hunting culture of it than I 525 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: do about the joke side of it. Have you ever 526 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:20,960 Speaker 1: or do you know anyone in the department that has 527 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: ever gotten a call or anything and someone has confused 528 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: the snipe season with the snipe hunting prank we have. 529 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, people will see it in our outdoor digest when 530 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 4: they're flipping through and just seeing what their typical season 531 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 4: dates are for the year, and you know, maybe they'll 532 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,880 Speaker 4: read through the migratory game bird section and come across, 533 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 4: you know, snipe. You know, I thought this was some 534 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 4: mythical creature, you know, And so they'll call us sometimes 535 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:48,640 Speaker 4: and ask about it, you know, and you know, had 536 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 4: no idea that that's an actual migratory game bird that 537 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 4: is legal for harvest. And so we do get those 538 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 4: every once in a while. But if yeah, for the 539 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 4: most part, it's just people that are looking to add 540 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 4: something different that they haven't hunted before. 541 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, a man, because honestly, I mean I was young. 542 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,560 Speaker 1: That's probably like in middle school, early high school. But 543 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: I remember back before, I mean you can still get them, 544 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: but it was for the internet was as prevalent as 545 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 1: it was now, and you'd still just have like the 546 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 1: print outs of the season and stuff. I remember the 547 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: first time I saw I noticed snipes in the migratory 548 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: third hunting season. I was like, wait a minute, because 549 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:24,679 Speaker 1: I'd had I had had the joke pulled on me 550 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 1: when I was like in sixth grade, you know, so 551 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: I remember looking at that and being like that the 552 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:31,440 Speaker 1: I thought sniperunting was a joke. 553 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 4: Yep, it's a It's a real thing. And you know, 554 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 4: when you really find them and find what they're looking for, 555 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 4: we can you know, can they can be plentiful, you 556 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 4: know on public areas that have shallow water, you know, 557 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 4: waterfowl areas that water's coming off of after the duck season. 558 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 4: Probably not gonna have a whole lot of competition for 559 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 4: for sniping out there. It's not something that we have 560 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 4: a ton of people that are you know, pursuing, but 561 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 4: uh yeah, it can be some really good opportunities out there. 562 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: What do you know, Not only is there an actual 563 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: honting culture and game bird and a snipe that's worth pursuing, 564 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 1: but honestly, it sounds pretty fun. I may have to 565 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 1: give it a try later this winter, you know what, 566 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: maybe that's what all. 567 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 7: Of you should do. 568 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: Round up some buddies this fall and give snipe hunting 569 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,560 Speaker 1: a try. You know, the real kind, not the prank kind. 570 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: I want to sincerely thank all of you for listening 571 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 1: to Backwoods University as well as bear Grease in this 572 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: country life. This community is sure fun to be a 573 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 1: part of. If you like this episode, share it with 574 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: someone you know that has been duped by the snipe 575 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: prank before. Maybe they'll get a kick out of it 576 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: and stick around because there's a whole lot more on 577 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: the way. We'll see y'all next time.