1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals better dear hunting, presented by First Light, 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel through the stand saddler blind, 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host, 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: which has brought to you by First Flight. I'm your host, 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about how distractions 8 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: can really help us self, sabotage our gear hunks, and 9 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: we should probably do something about it. Have you ever 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: heard of the term neurotypical. If you're young, I'm sure 11 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: you probably have. If you're my age or older, maybe 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: you haven't. It's meant to describe someone who doesn't suffer 13 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: from a litany of mental health conditions. In that list 14 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: of conditions that would make someone neurodiverse, I guess instead 15 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: of neurotypical, you'll see ADHD at the top of the list. 16 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: ADHD is a topic that garners a lot of interesting opinions, 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: mostly because it didn't exist as a common diagnosis until 18 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: the nineties, even though it was around earlier, from like 19 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties on. But it really didn't become mainstream 20 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: for quite a while. It is now, and it's probably 21 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: not getting any better with our widespread screen addictions and 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: just the general content we consume. In fact, research shows 23 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: that our attention spans are our shrinking at a pretty 24 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: steady rate. That's not good, and while it affects all 25 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: of our lives in a litany ways, it's also affecting 26 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: whether we fill our deer tags or not, which is 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: what this episode is really all about. Back when I 28 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: was an assistant editor at Peterson's Bow Hunting, I worked 29 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: in the end Fisherman office, which is a sweet building 30 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: that overlooks the crow Wing River in north central Minnesota. 31 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: It's surrounded by woods and water, and it didn't take 32 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: me long to figure out that the smalley and muskie 33 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: population within a hundred yards of my cubicle was way 34 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: overlooked and well worth a little fishing effort. We also 35 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: had a full archery range at the office, and since 36 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: I worked as a bow Hunting editor, it was literally 37 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: part of my job to step outside and shoot a 38 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: couple of dozen arrows. I've had a few different office 39 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: jobs in my life, but that one was the best. 40 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: It's also the only one I've ever been fired from, 41 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: which stings a little, even though forty percent of us 42 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: got our pink slips at the same time thanks to 43 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: the subprime mortgage disaster wiping out the markets for a 44 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: few years. Anyway, one of the coolest things about that 45 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: office gig, besides the fact that my boss was rarely there, 46 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: was that we could bring our dogs into work with us. 47 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: I was living alone five days a week in a 48 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 1: shitty little apartment, so having my Golden Retriever coming to 49 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: the office with me was pretty sweet. It was also 50 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: amazingly distracting for just about everyone, and it wasn't just 51 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: my dog that caused people to drop whatever they were 52 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: doing and go love up a four legged office mate. 53 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: Other folks brought their dogs in as well, so you 54 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: never knew who you were going to get to pet 55 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: on any given day. I was a nice perk until 56 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: it became clear that the presence of dogs was just 57 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: a little too much for us to handle. It also 58 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: didn't help that I lost track of Luxe one time 59 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: and she interrupted a studio shoot for one of the 60 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: TV shows there. The overall lesson was that sometimes, despite 61 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: how adorable they might be, distractions aren't so great. We 62 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: give into them all the time. In fact, when I 63 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: write these scripts, I have to shut my phone off 64 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: because there's always something calling my attention, from the weather, 65 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: to my cell cameras to my stupid curiosity to see 66 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: just how many fly fishing selfies Mark has posted on 67 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: Instagram before lunch on any given day. Distractions are real, 68 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: They are everywhere, and they are robbing you of good 69 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: deer hunting. If you don't believe that, think about the 70 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: things you've missed in the woods. I'll give you a 71 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: few examples from my personal life to not only make 72 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: you feel better but also just kind of frame this 73 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: whole thing up. But first, let me say that when 74 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: you think about distractions, we think about an object, or 75 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: a device, or a golden retriever in your office. About 76 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: anything can be a distraction if you're wired to engage 77 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: with whatever crosses your plane of attention. But the truth 78 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: is being easily distracted might be part of our wiring, 79 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: and it might be a part of how you are 80 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: allowing yourself to be wired. We think of it as 81 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: the physical act of paying attention to random stuff, but 82 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: it's mostly mental, just like so many things in life, 83 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: like what I talk about all the time, working out, 84 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, running, swimming, lifting weights, they're all, no doubt, 85 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,679 Speaker 1: physical activities, but really it's the mental side that matters most. 86 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: Almost everyone can do some type of physical activity, and 87 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: if you don't believe that, go spend some time in 88 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: a gym. You'll see people of all ages, all weight classes, 89 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: all abilities. The differentiator for almost everyone is not whether 90 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: they are physically capable of doing something. It's often whether 91 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: they are mentally disciplined enough to keep doing it. People 92 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: who don't work out say things like I just can't 93 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: find the motivation after a day or whatever, But the 94 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: truth is the motivation isn't as important as the discipline. 95 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: Or maybe diet is a better example, going full keto 96 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: or akins or you name. It's a pretty simple proposition 97 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: in today's world, and any one of those, if you 98 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: do it right, will provide you with all the necessary 99 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: calories to not die. Hell. Some of those diets actually 100 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: do make you feel better, but are also largely unsustainable 101 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: for almost everyone because it takes an insane amount of 102 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: discipline and sacrifice to stick to a diet and ignore 103 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: all of the delicious, sugary distractions. That are just about 104 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: everywhere in deer hunting, those distractions are all over two. 105 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: We know we should scout on foot, but it's easier 106 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: to run some cameras. We know we should work on 107 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: developing our skills for deciphering deer movement, but it's also 108 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: easier to plant a little plot of clover and hope 109 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: that it does the work for us. It's easier to 110 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: bitch about non residents ruining our hunting than it is 111 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: to accept the advantages we have over someone who lives 112 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: five hundred miles away and oh, I don't know, working 113 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: a little harder to find decent hunting by simply scouting 114 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: more than the competition. There's so many different things in 115 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: our life where we give into these distractions in hunting, 116 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: and it hurts us. And I've done all of these 117 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: so I know it. I'm not shitting on anyone here. 118 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: These are real, and acknowledging them just kind of frames 119 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: this thing up and makes you say, Okay, I know 120 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: I'm doing this to kind of take a shortcut, or 121 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: I know when I should be doing this, I'm kind 122 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: of looking at doing something else that I like a 123 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: little better. All of those things add up to kind 124 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: of a less than stellar deer hunting plan. We really 125 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: sabotage our hunting in so many different ways. Part of 126 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: it is that it's just damn hard to focus. Think 127 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: about it this way. Most of us use on X 128 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: or some sort of mapping app for our hunting. They're 129 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: amazing tools, but they're also ripe for distraction because you 130 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: can sit down and look at hundreds of thousands of 131 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: acres aground in a matter of minutes, and it takes 132 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: literally seconds to drop a waypoint on some spot and 133 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: just move on. Pretty soon, you've scoured a chunk of 134 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: ground via satellite imagery that covers seven sections of land, 135 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: and you have thirty seven different waypoints on ponds and 136 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: pinch points and other dear friendly looking features, and you 137 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: slap your hands together, old guy style and you proclaim 138 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: a job well done. But is it? Does that translate 139 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: to a deer come fall? Maybe, but it's easy to 140 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: get lost in second guessing and the paralysis by analysis 141 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: when you have that much real ground to work with 142 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: and to scout, it's too much. Which probably need to 143 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: do instead is pick one section or even half a section, 144 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: dig into it on a granular level to focus on 145 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: what that has to offer you. Because here's the secret 146 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: about not focusing on this white tail game. You'll talk 147 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: yourself into false realities that support your inability to focus. Now, 148 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,319 Speaker 1: not to go all Freud on you here, because I'm 149 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: definitely not qualified for that, but look at it this 150 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: Way's just an example of how to frame this thing up. 151 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: What kind of buck would make you happy this fall? 152 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 1: If you have reasonable standards for your hunting situation, then 153 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: you'll have bucks to work with that would make you 154 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: happy on any given half section. Hell, in a lot 155 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: of places, you'll have bucks to work with. It'll make 156 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: you happy on any given forty acre parcels, even if 157 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: the bucks you want to shoot don't live there full time. 158 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: So is it better to focus on three thousand acres 159 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: when three hundred is more than enough for you to 160 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: try to figure out? Probably? Not breaking down properties into 161 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 1: manageable chunks does an awful lot for helping us focus 162 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: on the real task at hand, which is what I 163 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: talked about last week's figuring out where bucks live and 164 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: like to walk. We are also always kind of looking 165 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: for this magic bullet, but it really doesn't exist in 166 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: white till hunting outside of putting up a ten foot 167 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: fence and maybe some automatic feeders. If you want to 168 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: figure out while deer in their chosen environment, a micro 169 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: look instead of a macro look is often the way 170 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: to go. Another way to look at this is something 171 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: I learned in my old tournament fishing days. No matter 172 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: where you fish a bass tournament, there will always be 173 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: some locals in the mix. Now, if it's like a 174 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: small derby on a Sunday, it might be all locals, 175 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: but if it's a bigger tournament, it might only be 176 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: a handful of locals out of a one hundred or 177 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: more competitors. Everyone fears the locals. Well, scratch that, almost 178 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,959 Speaker 1: everyone fears the local advantage. But it's not uncommon for 179 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: the locals to get totally smoked by fishermen who live 180 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: a thousand miles away or more. There are a lot 181 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: of reasons for this, but one of the biggest is 182 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,119 Speaker 1: that you can have too many spots, too many options, 183 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: too many memories of big fish that bid on the 184 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 1: docks one day and others that were suspended under schools 185 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: of shad and thirty feet of water the next. Too 186 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: much information. If you're not great at processing, it is 187 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: a disaster. If you can ignore most of the distractions 188 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: and make a nice plan based around relatively current information 189 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: and up to the minute conditions, you can do pretty 190 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: well in fishing and deer hunting. And now I know 191 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: what you're thinking, so I'll say it. I know. I 192 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: often preach about options as the best hedge against staled 193 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: deer hunting. Having five stands up is better than two 194 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: almost always. Having more than one spot to hunt is 195 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: always better, unless you have one hell of a spot 196 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: to hunt, Even then it might go away. So options 197 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: are good, but they need to be managed. They need 198 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: to exist in a way where they promote the right 199 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: kind of scouting and the right setups, all of which 200 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: will work with your personal style. And this is maybe 201 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: the most important part here, personal style, because if you 202 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,079 Speaker 1: cater to this, you're going to just naturally push away 203 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: some of those distractions and have better focus. Like I'm 204 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: a mobile guy at heart, I do better just trusting 205 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: my gut on any given day and setting up for 206 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: the moment. Then I do setting stands and blinds up 207 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: way earlier and then picking and choosing them based on 208 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: my availability in the seasonal timing. This is because I 209 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: have a long pedigree as a mobile hunter goes way 210 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: back to my team years when I started bow hunting, 211 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: and for whatever reason, I'm just kind of wired to 212 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: see new ground. I don't like sitting the same spots 213 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: over and over, so I know to run a good 214 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: strategy in any given state on any given year, I 215 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: might set up some stands ahead of time if I can, 216 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: you know, I usually do, and they'll be placed around 217 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: some specific timing and conditions that I plan to encounter 218 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: in the season. Maybe that's an opening night sit over 219 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: a soybean field, or maybe it's a November first sit 220 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: in a staging area or on a funnel. Having some 221 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: of those as backups or just built into my plan 222 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: it helps me a lot, helps me focus, take some 223 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: of the guesswork out when those conditions do show up. 224 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: But the mobile option has to be there for me too, 225 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: even on small properties. Yet I know, with my own 226 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: inability to focus sometimes and my propensity for second guessing, 227 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: I also need as much data about specific spots as 228 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: possible to make those decisions about my mobile hunting. This 229 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: is a tricky one because we often talk about in 230 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: season scouting and setting up right on specific sign This 231 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: works and it can work real well, but it's also 232 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: often like an incomplete picture because you have to know 233 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: how to find that sign or what spots to check 234 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: for that sign before you go in. Now, you can 235 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: just stumble across something during the season that is definitely 236 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: worth hunting, but it usually isn't quite as accidental as 237 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: we make it sound. A little focus now on scouting 238 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: to your strengths will lay the groundwork later for you 239 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: to go properly mobile on October seventh when you stumble 240 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: across four fresh scrapes and one small travel hub. So 241 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,960 Speaker 1: what is keeping you from doing this now? Is it 242 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: taking the kids to twelve thousand activities a week, I 243 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: get that, trust me. Or is it just there isn't 244 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: a real pressing concern now since it's almost Turkey season 245 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 1: and the deer hunting is so far off. Are gobblers 246 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: or maybe the spawning croppies distracting you while the deer 247 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: are a distant memory. It's worth taking a look at 248 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 1: things right now and focusing a little on the mission. 249 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: That's what I'm doing. As our snow finally and I 250 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: mean finally starts to melt away, the window for real 251 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: scouting is here. It's going to be a short one, 252 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: but that's the way it goes when you live a 253 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: few hours from Canada. What I plan on doing is 254 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: walking several properties. I'll take the dogs out and try 255 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 1: not to get too distracted by looking for sheds or 256 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: whatever else. I want to focus on a few parcels 257 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: of land, some public, some private, and I want to 258 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: really understand a few areas on all of them. I'm 259 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: not looking to master any one property because that's kind 260 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: of a fool's errand, but there are spots I think 261 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: the bucks will be and I want to learn them better. 262 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 1: I also want to see what's out there for other 263 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: hunters signed too, But mostly I'm just going to try 264 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: to get my bearings on a few pieces of ground, 265 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: or more specifically, a few spots on a few pieces 266 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: of ground. I need this because it's easy for me 267 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: to get distracted. I know if you look at my 268 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 1: way points on on X have them dropped all over 269 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: the country, and they're in places that I'd love to 270 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: visit hunt but I just can't. I can instead pick 271 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: some spots that will fit into my schedule and try 272 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: to learn them really well, because that's going to eliminate 273 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: some of the distractions all face later. Look at it 274 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: this way. If you scout ten new areas this winner, 275 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: but give each one a quick walkthrough, you're going to 276 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: benefit from it. But there's six months or more until 277 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: the season, and when the season opens, how much confidence 278 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: will you have in those ten areas. Maybe two or 279 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: three struck you as good or even better. But that's 280 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: a lot of surface level information to filter through into 281 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: a good plan, and it gets real easy to second guess, 282 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: and second guessing saves a lot of bucks. What if 283 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: you scouted three spots instead and spent way more time 284 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: in each one, Maybe that would be better because you 285 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: know what they contain, how to approach them, what trees 286 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: are best for a setup, and when you should actually 287 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: get in there to hunt. Maybe that approach means you 288 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: can run a camera in each spot all summer long 289 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: and further increase your knowledge. Then come season, the second 290 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: guessing and the distractions will be nullified. You'll make better decisions. 291 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: You have fewer places to think about. That will help 292 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: you drown out the white noise and go man, there 293 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: should be bucks betted by that spot because it's this 294 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: time of the season and the wind is doing this 295 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: and it just feels right with the weather. It's kind 296 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: of a quality over quantity thing, but it also plays 297 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: on the reality that we know. We will see social 298 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: media posts during the season about someone who killed a 299 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: giant by rattling, and someone else who killed a giant 300 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 1: by still hunting an island on some river, and on 301 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: and on. We will talk to our buddies who will 302 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: tell us stuff about deer that don't really matter to 303 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: our situation, and we will absorb a lot of not 304 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: so relevant information that's distracting and it's dangerous, but it's 305 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: also going to happen. How much that affects us is 306 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,920 Speaker 1: up to us. There's a wonderful tune by the band 307 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:21,120 Speaker 1: Bring Me the Horizon called Happy Song, where the lead 308 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: singer sings in the chorus, I really wish that you 309 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 1: could help, but my head is like a carousel and 310 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: I'm going round in circles, going round in circles. The 311 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: general sentiment to that song, which you should not listen 312 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: to if you have little kids around, is that he's 313 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: accepted that things are all messed up and he'll never 314 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: get better because of how he's wired. But maybe he'll 315 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: feel a little better if he listens to a happy song, 316 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: it's tongue in cheek because that's not actually going to 317 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: fix his problems, which would take more work than just 318 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,920 Speaker 1: going to Apple Music and picking a happy, go lucky 319 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: tune to listen to. So, just like rattling on Halloween 320 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: because somebody like Lee Lakowski or someone else killed a toad, 321 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: doing that isn't going to help you fix your own 322 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: deer hunting problems, problems some of which can actually be 323 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: fixed by figuring out how to focus a little more 324 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: on the task at hand at all points of the year, 325 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: and by limiting some of the distractions that weasel their 326 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: way into our minds when we should be thinking simply 327 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: about where bucks live and how we can go there 328 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: to kill them. Avoiding this as much as possible is 329 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 1: avoiding self sabotage, and that's such a good skill to 330 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: learn for so many facets of life. Work on that 331 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: in the whitetail woods right now, and listen in next 332 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:37,479 Speaker 1: week when I plan to talk about how you can 333 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: actively become a better deer hunter when you're out in 334 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: the spring woods looking to rearrange at Gobbler's face with 335 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: a twelve gage. That's it. I'm Tony Peterson. This has 336 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 1: been the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, which has brought 337 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: to you by First Light. As I always, thank you 338 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: so much for listening, and if you need some more 339 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,120 Speaker 1: white tail content, head on over to them editor dot 340 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 1: com slash wired and you'll see a ton of articles 341 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,160 Speaker 1: by myself, Mark, guys like Alex Gilstrom and Andy May 342 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: and Dylan Tramp and a whole bunch of white tail killers. 343 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: So much good information there. Please go check it out.