1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 4 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: This week's episode is all about the little ways we 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: settle with our summertime shooting sessions and how that can 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: cost us big time when the hunting season rolls around. Listen, 8 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: it's the end of July and if you're not shooting 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: somewhat regularly, you should be back in the spring. I 10 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: dropped a couple of episodes on target shooting with some 11 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: wisdom on how to make the most of your sessions, 12 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: and I really kind of hope he started shooting back 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: there in the spring. But if you didn't, you better 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: get to the range now. And you should also pay 15 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: attention into your gear, whether you're a bow hunter or 16 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: a gun hunter both, because there are a million different 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: ways we settle that can cost us when the actual 18 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: season opens up and it's time to go hunting. One 19 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: of the things I love about elk hunting it's just 20 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: the downtime throughout the day. I know that sounds weird, 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: but since I've never done anything but public land over 22 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: the counter elk hunts. I've never gotten into one of 23 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: those dreamy situations where the elk are just bugling all 24 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: day and going absolutely nuts. My hunts and probably yours, 25 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: if you've ever been lucky enough to elk hunt, they 26 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: just contain a lot of dead hours. And even if 27 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: you hunt the last week of the season when temperature 28 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: should be cooler, this is almost a guarantee you're gonna 29 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: hit those dry spells. And if you're hunting with a 30 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: partner like I, usually you tend to shrug off your 31 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: pack somewhere in the shade, pull out your pocket rocket 32 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: to boil some water for coffee, and you just shoot 33 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: the ship while waiting for something to happen. During one 34 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: of these sessions in my elk hunting partner, Tyler started 35 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: telling me stories about his first hunts. He told me 36 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: about bear encounters, his lack of skills, and an elk 37 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: he missed because he was using three different weights of arrows. 38 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: He didn't know any better at the time, so he 39 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: filled his quiver up with whatever arrows he could get 40 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 1: his hands on, and he just went hunting. Now, considering 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: he's one of the most gear obsessed bow hunters. I 42 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: know now it's safe to say he learned from his mistakes, 43 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: but not before it cost him some opportunities. Maybe it's 44 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: different today with all the information available, but I also 45 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: remember those older days pretty well. I hunted for years 46 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: with arrows that were probably not spined correctly. They're probably 47 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: not the right length, and they're probably tipped with broadheads 48 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: of different weights. While any of those things alone might, 49 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: and I do mean might, cost you an animal, certainly 50 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: not a guarantee. Bow Hunting is a game of little details, 51 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: and to an extent, so is gun hunting. If you 52 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: don't show up everything that is within your power, you'll 53 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: have deer slip right through your fingers. And those losses 54 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 1: sting the most, at least in my mind, they do 55 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: because they're preventable, and there is no better time than 56 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: now to address some of those things, long before the 57 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: summer shooting sessions are over and the actual season is 58 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: upon us. So let's take archery ammo our arrows as 59 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: a first example, at least before we get into bullets. 60 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: For all you bow hunters, ask yourself, are you shooting 61 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: a properly spined arrow? I hope so, because if not, 62 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: you're in trouble. An improperly spined arrow is either going 63 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: to be too stiff or not stiff enough for your setup, 64 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: and it's going to wreak havoc on your accuracy. You 65 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: might not notice if you only practice at twenty yards 66 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: with a paper plate tacked to your target, but if 67 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: you try for any level of precision, you might. And 68 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: if you try to shoot broadheads, even mechanicals, you'll probably notice. 69 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: If you shoot fixed blade heads you almost definitely will. 70 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: Now i'd argue, although I could lose this argument, the 71 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: proper spine is more important than your individual arrow brand choice. 72 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: What I mean by that is, if you spend big 73 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: money to buy the new, greatest, I don't know, micro 74 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: diameter arrows, you can, but they aren't spined for your setup, 75 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: You'd be better off with a dozen that costs a 76 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: quarter of the high end AMMO, but is spine correctly. Now, 77 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: what you tip your arrows with matters too. I'm not 78 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: going to dive into front of center and some of 79 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: the more technical stuff here, but I'll say the grain 80 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: scale is a pretty good investment cheap two. Understanding why 81 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: you might need it, it's important I like knowing exactly 82 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: how much my arrows way, and I like knowing that 83 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: my field points way exactly or damn near exactly the 84 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: same as my broadheads. You pull out a handful of 85 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: field points that range from five grains to your arrows 86 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: won't behave all that different, uh probably, but it will 87 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: give you a skewed view of your point of impact, 88 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: especially if you only shoot a hundred grain heads, which 89 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: is by far the most common weight these days. Also, 90 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: as a life pro tip, if you do have an 91 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: archery tackle box with a bunch of broadheads in it, 92 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: always close it up and keep it out of reach. 93 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: I had an open tackle box with a bunch of 94 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: broadheads in my office one time, and I was leaning 95 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: back in my office chair talking on the phone when 96 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: that chair flat out exploded on me. I instinctively put 97 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: my hand out to catch myself, and it went right 98 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: into a box with like seventies three different broadheads in it. 99 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: It was an absolute miracle that I didn't need stitches 100 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: or surgery, but it also made me think about a 101 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: little kid tripping over it and made me realize I 102 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: should probably be a little safer with that stuff anyway. 103 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: Consistency in your gear is a very good thing, because 104 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: we strive to be as consistent as possible with our 105 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: shooting form and shot execution for these reasons. Now, if 106 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: your practice heads weighs three different weights but your broadheads don't, 107 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: you've got some inconsistency there. It might not treat you 108 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: very well. When the buck of ten lifetime stops at 109 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 1: forty two yards and you think I can thread the 110 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: needle and get this one, and your gun hunters, you're 111 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: not off the hook either. I don't know how many 112 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: times a relative or some other acquaintance has told me 113 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: about buying a box of shells right before the deer opener. Sure, 114 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: they'll say they sighted in their rifle at the old 115 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,279 Speaker 1: quarry a few weeks ago, but they used old Ammo 116 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: and wanted to make sure they had some heavy hitting 117 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 1: stuff for those big Northwoods bucks or whatever off those 118 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,280 Speaker 1: bucks happened to cruise by it Like fifty yards, switching 119 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: from a hundred forty grain bullets to hundred eighty grain 120 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: bullets might not matter a whole lot, But what about 121 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: when he's two fifty yards out in a clear cut 122 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: trying to sniff a doze butt and now you drop 123 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: is ten inches instead of six. We might feel the 124 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: need to settle for whatever we can get our hands 125 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: on in the current AMMO market. But if you do 126 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: hunt with what you practice with, please, whether you're gun 127 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,120 Speaker 1: hunter bow hunt, I also think it's imperative to use 128 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: a range finder as religiously as possible. Now. I know 129 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: there are sometimes in the woods where the action happens 130 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,239 Speaker 1: real fast and you don't have time to pop a reading, 131 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: but most of the time you have more time than 132 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: you think. Bow Hunters out west are probably the most 133 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: consistent with this, and white tail bow hunters through at 134 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: the Midwest in the East probably pretty consistent. But if 135 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: that's a crutch you use to know exactly where to aim, 136 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: then you should lean on it a lot. This is 137 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: one of the reasons why I don't like going to 138 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: shooting ranges too often. Many often have targets set up 139 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: in exactly ten yard increments, or if they have a 140 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: walk through course, there will be a sign with specific yardage. Now, 141 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: there's nothing wrong with shooting at these courses, but it's 142 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: also a good idea to shoot where you don't know 143 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: the range and you have to use your range funter 144 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: to tell you every time you knock an arrow. This 145 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: does two things. It gets in the habit of always 146 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: using it, and it helps you estimate range better when 147 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: you don't have the chance to use it. Don't settle 148 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: for guessing when you don't need to. And this goes 149 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: for rifle hunting too, And I honestly think a range 150 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: finder is a hell of a lot more important to shotgun, 151 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: rifle and muzzle or hunters than we give it credit for. Now. 152 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: I know that the margin of error is a little 153 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: smaller when you're working with controlled explosions and lead spinning 154 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: its way through rifle barrels. But think about every rifle 155 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: range you've ever been to. There will be shaded benches 156 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: with targets at a hundred yards, two hundred yards, maybe 157 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,719 Speaker 1: three hundred yards, might be some in the middle distances 158 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: at fifty yard increments as well. Maybe you hold your 159 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: two seventy dead on at a hundred yards and it 160 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: hits I don't know, four inches low at two hundred, 161 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: maybe it hits ten or twelve inches low at three hundred. 162 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: So you shoot half a box of shells and you 163 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: think to yourself, I don't know, if he's within three 164 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: football fields, he's dead. Then you go out to your 165 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: favorite ladder stand on the power line on opening morning. 166 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: At first, ladies ups out nervously and you think to yourself, 167 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, he can't be more than a fifty yards. 168 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: You hold a smidge high and you let her rip, 169 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: But then you see belly hair blow up and he 170 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 1: runs off. When you get down to look for blood, 171 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: you realize he was big, bigger than you've ever seen 172 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: while hunting, and he was a hell of a lot 173 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: farther away than you guessed. This type of thing happens 174 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: all the time because we settle for good enough when 175 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: we could just use some of the tools at our 176 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: disposal to be far more accurate and confident in our 177 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: shooting out in the field. And we do this a 178 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: lot of other ways, too, in ways that transcend bow 179 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: or gun hunting to just the general hunting experience. Take comfort. 180 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: For example, when we are shopping for new camel or 181 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: even a seat cushion, we often think about price. First. 182 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: I get that, I really do, but then we also 183 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,559 Speaker 1: think camel patterns. We think a lot of things about ourselves, 184 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 1: like I don't know, well, this mid layer jacket is 185 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: way cheaper than the heavy duty cold weather one, and 186 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,319 Speaker 1: I'm pretty tough, so I can handle a lot of cold. 187 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: So I think, let's go with it, or you think, hell, 188 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,839 Speaker 1: I'm a super tough guy who doesn't get too miserable anywhere. 189 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: I don't need an extra layer of padding on that 190 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: old ladder stand. I can sit all day on metal 191 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: and not have to worry about it. You know. Then 192 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: November rolls around, and it's with it. The temperatures drop 193 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: and the wind picks up out of the north, and 194 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: it might be perfect rut weather, but it's also not 195 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: great weather for being seventeen feet up in a tree 196 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: for hours on end while the cold wind blows right 197 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: in your face and that mid layer jacket, or not 198 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: having a good seat cushion. You know, that's a different 199 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: kind of thing there. It's not so much fun, not 200 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: so comfortable. Now. I'm not saying you need to drop 201 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: serious coinage for high end camera to kill deer, but 202 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: when it comes to settling for good enough, sometimes mother 203 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: Nature says not on my watch. And when you're moving 204 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: around him miserable and prone to calling a hunt hours 205 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: before you have to, you're gonna kill fewer deer. You're 206 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: gonna have us fun. This is kind of like pain tolerance. 207 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: Ask anyone who works in the medical profession what the 208 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 1: average person rates their pain tolerance on in the one 209 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:16,200 Speaker 1: to tend scale. Most people respond with a really high number, 210 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: quickly followed by the disclaimer that I have a really 211 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 1: high threshold for pain. But they don't understand the assignment 212 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: because they aren't doubled over bawling their eyes out and 213 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: praying to a merciful God to take them from this 214 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: earth and relieve them of their agony. They are sitting 215 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: there calm as a cucumber, overestimating their ability to handle pain. 216 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: They're not out of ten. This is just like what 217 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: we often do when we think about deer hunting conditions, 218 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: and we're not actually out in those deer hunting conditions. 219 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: And I know this might sound a little crazy too, 220 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: but I think if we settle on the little stuff 221 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: like inconsistent weights of our bullets or field points, we'll 222 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: start to settle in other ways, like I don't know 223 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: how many cameras we run, or whether we go glass 224 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: for white tails once a week or once per month, 225 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: or whether we put up three stands in the preseason 226 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: instead of six. In that way, I think all of 227 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 1: this stuff, like most of the things in life, is 228 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: a good, slow, gradual progression towards being better. If you 229 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: make the decision to weigh your field points and screw 230 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: them into arrows that are spine correctly, you're gonna be 231 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: better off and you're gonna have more fun shooting. Then 232 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: you might not settle for a few practice sessions throughout 233 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: the summer, but instead get a little more disciplined on 234 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: the quality and quantity of your sessions. And if you 235 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: do that, you'll be looking forward to that first bucket 236 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: of the season walking right into your shooting lane because 237 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: you're gonna believe that you're gonna kill him instead of 238 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: looking forward to the encounter because it's cool to have 239 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: a buck that close, but also being somewhere in the 240 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: range of a little nervous you'll screw up to being 241 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: totally afraid of having to take the shot, because what 242 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:56,719 Speaker 1: if you do screw up and then you have to 243 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: tell your buddies again that you whift big or worse. 244 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: It's time to talk some fresh batteries into the flashlights 245 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: and go on another wild goose chase, blood trailing adventure 246 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: that it will always end with the predictable platitudes like 247 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, who knows, maybe he'll make it, or 248 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: the coyotes have to eat too, or some other way 249 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: we make ourselves feel better while masking the truth with 250 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: great a bullshite. Maybe if you don't settle at this 251 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 1: time of year when you're at the range, you won't 252 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: settle for a good enough shooting lane or a good 253 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: enough entrance route when you know damn well you're engaged 254 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,319 Speaker 1: in a fun game of self sabotage where you'll make 255 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: way too much noise on the way in opening morning, 256 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,079 Speaker 1: or you'll watch the woods wake up with the rising sun, 257 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: only to realize that you have one so so shooting lane. Now, 258 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: there in times in life where settling is okay. Just 259 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 1: for an example, the other day, we went out to 260 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: eat and I asked for a diet coke and they 261 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: brought me a doctor pepper instead, and I thought, what 262 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: the hell, it's pretty delicious, more delicious than a diet 263 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: coke actually, And even though I settled for a full 264 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: gr soda like a I don't know, real housewife of 265 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,320 Speaker 1: somewhere I guess or something, I'm really not that big 266 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: of a prima donna. I could have said something, but 267 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: I didn't. I don't care that much. You can settle 268 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: in other ways too. Some people settle for a spouse 269 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: because they think the viable mate market is mostly tapped 270 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: out for them. I don't really recommend that because that's 271 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: kind of a big one and reminds me of something 272 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: I read the other day. It was a story about 273 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: dad jokes, I think, but anyway, the author said that 274 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: his father always referred to his mother as his first wife, 275 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: even though they are currently married and have no plans 276 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: to serve her the papers and look for a second one. 277 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: I've been using that on my wife too, and she 278 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: hates it, but I think it's hilarious. You don't want 279 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: to settle for a spouse or a pediatrist when you 280 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: really need an optometrist. And you don't want to settle 281 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: for too many little things in your pursuit to become 282 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: a better hunter. If you can control it, you should 283 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: try to control it. A good way to look at 284 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: this is to think about summer shooting sessions. What are 285 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: the ways to encourage better accuracy? How do they change 286 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: from the range to the field. Is there a way 287 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: to bridge that gap or ensure that they won't change 288 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: when you go from the backyard to the tree tops 289 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: in your new saddle. Is there a way where you 290 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:11,239 Speaker 1: can be a little more disciplined so you know exactly 291 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: what range you're shooting at, no matter whether you're just 292 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: punching paper or trying to deflate lungs. What are the 293 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: little ways you cannot settle for good enough, but instead 294 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: up for exactly what you need or exactly what you 295 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: should be doing. Now, if you start to flush some 296 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: of those things out, they're gonna snowball in a positive direction. 297 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: If you don't believe that, just pay attention to some 298 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: of the best hunters out there, those public land hunters 299 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: who just get it done wherever they go. They're not 300 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: settling a whole lot. They don't settle when they're e scouting, 301 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: hanging stands, shooting in the summer, choosing when to take 302 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: a shot, you name it. They don't settle for good enough, 303 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: Because when you're dealing with a game of infinite variables 304 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: in the most important of tiny details, one little thing 305 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: that isn't up to park and set off cascading failures 306 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: that ultimately ends up with a buck living another day 307 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: and not them taking grip and grin photos. So, my friends, 308 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: be careful what you settle for, because good enough in 309 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: the white tailed woods isn't usually that good. That's it 310 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,200 Speaker 1: for this week, my white tail loving friends. I'm Tony 311 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: Peterson and this has been the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, 312 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: which is brought to you by First Light. If you 313 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: haven't gotten enough white tail goodness your your white tail 314 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: fixed on this podcast and the regular wire to Hunt podcast, 315 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: please head on over to our Wired to Hunt YouTube 316 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: channel and check out our how to videos or visit 317 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: them meat eater dot com slash wired to read all 318 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: the latest and greatest articles that we dropped every week 319 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: from myself market a whole bunch of white tail slayers, 320 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: and as always, thank you, thank you, thank you so 321 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: much for listening for your support. We really appreciate it.