1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about winter scouting, 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 2: specifically to identify the core areas of mature Bucks. It 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: might seem like we all kind of scout to find 11 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: mature Bucks sign because well, I don't know, I guess 12 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 2: we do, even though that's top of mind and we 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: all love finding a monster rub from last season. Truth 14 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: is that we often just scout deer sign and fill 15 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 2: in the blanks on when big Bucks will use those areas. No, 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: there's nothing wrong with that, but there is a way 17 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: to identify, like the smaller areas that big Bucks will 18 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 2: use from season to season, which is what I'm really 19 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 2: going to talk about right now. When I was a kid, 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 2: my family would go up north for one week of 21 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: summer and that was our vacation. It was the best 22 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 2: week of the year for me, because it meant that 23 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 2: I left the part of Minnesota that is dominated by 24 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 2: small trout streams and medium sized mamuth rivers to the 25 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: part of the state where we get our land of 26 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 2: ten thousand Lakes nicknamed from Now. When you have ten 27 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 2: thousand lakes or actually more like fourteen thousand, you could 28 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 2: expect quite a bit of diversity on the water. You 29 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: can also find about any size and shape and water 30 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 2: clarity and depth and species and options and on and 31 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 2: on and on. Got a lot of options. What this 32 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,199 Speaker 2: state lacks for diversity wise and hunting, it really makes 33 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 2: up for in the fishing category. And I like to fish. 34 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: And one of those years, when I was maybe I 35 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: don't know, ten or twelve years old, we were up 36 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 2: at Leech Lake for our summer vacation. Now Leech is 37 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: a massive lake, well over one hundred thousand acres or 38 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 2: one hundred and sixty one square miles. However, you need 39 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: to hear that to picture it now. At that time, 40 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 2: there was a walleye tournament fisherman staying at the same 41 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: resort as my family. I didn't know anything about tournament 42 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 2: fishing then, and I didn't have a whole lot of 43 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 2: interest in walleye fishing. I did have an interest in 44 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 2: talking to someone who seemed as aid up with fishing 45 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: as I was, so we chatted quite a bit. He 46 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 2: told me about what he thought it would take to 47 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: win the tournament and what he was doing to find 48 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 2: the kind of fish that would net him the trophy 49 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: and the biggest check. I don't remember all of the 50 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: details now, but the gist of it was that he 51 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 2: targeted fish hanging on deep weed lines and drop offs. 52 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 2: Really no surprise there. I remember countless times on leech 53 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: going along casting towards sandy spots in the weeds, trying 54 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 2: to catch large mouth when I'd noticed a whole school 55 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: of walleyes ghosting along the bottom. Before they'd spook and 56 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: all bank in unison to the deeper water, where the 57 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: last thing you would see or the white tips of 58 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 2: their fins is they disappeared into the darkness. Now, this 59 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 2: guy said that when he found a concentration of fish, 60 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 2: he'd then turn his efforts toward finding the spot on 61 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: spot where the big walleyes should beat. He said it 62 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 2: was almost always some sort of secondary feature or some 63 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: subtle feature in a mudflat off of the weed lines 64 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 2: and drop offs that would hold the fish that were 65 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 2: worthy of a spot in his live well. And when 66 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: he found those fish, he said, they'd often be solo 67 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 2: or there would only be a couple of them, and 68 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: he could see them on his grafts, so he would 69 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: park right on top of them to get them to bite. 70 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 2: It was fascinating to me then, and it still kind 71 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: of is. He was looking for fish only so long 72 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 2: orfore he started targeting specific fish sound like something that 73 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: might apply to deer hunting, because it does. There are 74 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: some people who are so much better at this than me. 75 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 2: But I want to frame this up so there isn't 76 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: any confusion. You can watch people all day long kill 77 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 2: giant deer, deer bigger than you will ever see, and 78 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 2: most of them will have a long backstory on watching 79 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 2: that buck grow and grow and grow until he was 80 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: big enough to shoot and offul lot of those bucks 81 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: will die in a food plot or on a feeder. 82 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 2: That means that while those folks might have something figured out, 83 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 2: they also have the means to draw a big buck 84 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 2: into a spot. Huge advantage. That's not what I'm going 85 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 2: to talk about here, because we know how that process 86 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: goes and what it entails. What I want to talk 87 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,799 Speaker 2: about is scouting now to locate the area's big bucks 88 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 2: will likely use for years. This, of course, isn't in 89 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: exact science, so let's start with something easy. You go 90 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: out now in march to winter scout. You cruise the 91 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: usual stuff, and then you dive into the cover where 92 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: fifteen yards in you find a monster rub. It's dieh sized, 93 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: shredded for about three or four feet. It makes you 94 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: think maybe a small herd of elk has moved into 95 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 2: your hunting spot. What does that mean? That signpost rub 96 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 2: tucked into the cover. It means that some big deer 97 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 2: have rubbed that tree, Which is great, that's better than 98 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 2: not finding a rub like that. But is it a spot? 99 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 2: Look around? Since you're so close to the field or 100 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: whatever opening. Does it feel like the kind of area 101 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 2: that am mature buck would spend a lot of time 102 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: in or does it seem like the kind of thing 103 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: that you could catch him slipping? You know, maybe a 104 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: couple of times during the pre run, just showing up 105 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: there a little early when he leaves his bed and 106 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 2: it's not quite ready to go bust out in the open. 107 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: To chase some dose or back down some youngsters. Now, 108 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 2: just about anywhere that deer walk on the ground you 109 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 2: hunt will eventually have a big one on it at 110 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 2: some point. But that doesn't do you much good, and 111 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 2: it's one of the ways trail cameras get us into trouble. 112 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 2: A mature buck pick here or there with no discernible 113 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 2: pattern to his movements will probably affect your decision making process, 114 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 2: probably won't help you kill him. Now, let's say you 115 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 2: look at that signpost rub, you take a gainder around 116 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: and see a few trees worth hanging a set in 117 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 2: for late October. Great has easy access, and you know 118 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: that it wasn't a bunch of dinks that made that 119 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 2: rub spot to start. But you got to keep looking, 120 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: walk farther into the cover, and you'll probably eventually find 121 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 2: that concentrate rubs that I like to talk about. You've 122 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 2: heard me say this a whole bunch, so I'm going 123 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 2: to gloss over it. But when you can stand in 124 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 2: one spot and see a bunch of rubs on different 125 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: sized trees or shrubs, figure out how to hunt that spot, 126 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 2: you're now in a zone where they are far more 127 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 2: likely to move during daylight. You just have to get 128 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 2: in there at the right time without bumping them, which 129 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 2: is easier said than done. These staging areas are my favorite, 130 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 2: and I look for them as often as I can. 131 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: But staging areas that bucks use aren't necessarily a lock 132 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: for specifically targeting a mature buck. You gotta keep looking. 133 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 2: Look for areas with that sign, but also big beds. 134 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 2: Big beds may be located someplace that has a geographic 135 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 2: advantage for them. Think about it, like the buck is 136 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 2: going to want to be able to monitor as many 137 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: approach directions as possible with his eyes and his nose. 138 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 2: The nose is obviously the most important one. But there 139 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 2: is something I've learned about big bucks that I believe 140 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: to be true. If you can find a little spot 141 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 2: with some grass tall CRP type of grass or sawgrass, 142 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: or something where there is grass with brush mixed in, 143 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: especially in an area that isn't like Kansas or Nebraska 144 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 2: where that's everywhere, you're probably close to a place mature 145 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 2: bucks like I find this all over in my scouting 146 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: and hunting efforts, to the point that when I'm on 147 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 2: on X in the off season planning out my fall, 148 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 2: I scour spots for this setup, and you might be thinking, well, 149 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 2: in my area doesn't offer that kind of thing, and 150 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 2: maybe you're right, but maybe not. A few years ago 151 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 2: I was following my then very young puppy and her 152 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: older sister through a huge chunk of national forest in 153 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 2: northern Wisconsin. We were looking for some rough grouse when 154 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 2: I got just a tiny bit lost. For a tiny 155 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 2: little bit, as lost idiots often do, I gravitated off 156 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 2: of a ridge and down to the nearest opening, which 157 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 2: was a grassy wetland that was pock marked with dead trees, 158 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: many of which bore the marks of beaver's teeth. I 159 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 2: also stumbled into a giant bed, backed up against one 160 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 2: of those old trees, and in a spot where if 161 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 2: you wanted to kill him with a bow, you might 162 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 2: want to hire Andy May to walk you through it. 163 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 2: I stopped in that bed for a little while, and 164 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 2: I noticed that there were a couple of good sized 165 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: rubs on the edge of the wetland where it met 166 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 2: higher ground. I didn't spend much time looking around, but 167 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 2: it was clear all of the advantages a buck would 168 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: have there. That was like three years ago, and I 169 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 2: bet if you get over there right now, you'd find 170 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 2: new rubs in that spot from last season and maybe 171 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: some beds, and while it could be from the same buck, 172 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: it most likely would not be. Some spots just offer 173 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 2: mature bucks such an advantage that I believe they fill 174 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: in with new deer every time there is a vacancy. 175 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 2: Sometimes you don't have that grassy bedding type of option, though, 176 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: so you have to look for a soft edge that 177 00:08:54,800 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: bumps up against some other type of terrain feature. Thick 178 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 2: is always good when it comes to big bucks, and honestly, 179 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 2: if you learn nothing else from me, remember that the 180 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 2: thickest cover in the spot you hunt is the most 181 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 2: likely place to host mature buck movement during the season 182 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 2: in a way that might allow you to capitalize on it. 183 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 2: The key here is to find that spot on spot 184 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 2: and not just identify a general area big one might like. 185 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: You want to find the exact spot that one of 186 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 2: them is very likely to use in the season. You 187 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: know what, scratch that you want to find as many 188 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 2: spots like that as you can because you're gonna need them. Now, 189 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 2: you might be saying, well, I only hunt forty acres, 190 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 2: so it's not like I can wander forever in a 191 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 2: day to find something like that. Well, that's true, and 192 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 2: you might just be shit out of luck, but you 193 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: should figure that out. Forty acres can hide a lot 194 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 2: of deer, and even on properties that are only a 195 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 2: quarter mile by a quarter mile, we still miss spots. 196 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 2: Maybe you only have one trail or one patch of 197 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 2: betting cover that might interest a mature buck at some 198 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: point during your season, but you better find it and 199 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 2: figure out how to hunt it, and when you do, 200 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,840 Speaker 2: take some of your extra effort and go find another 201 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 2: spot to hunt, even if you think you won't need 202 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 2: it now. I really want to stress this point because 203 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 2: I think it matters. The biggest buck on the block 204 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 2: will likely walk most of the trails on your ground. 205 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 2: At some point during the year. You might spot him 206 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 2: in a field, you know, driving around in the summer. 207 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,960 Speaker 2: You might get trail camera pictures of him randomly and 208 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 2: wonder why he isn't there. More frequently, this is something 209 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 2: that leads us to hunt where just deer go and 210 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 2: hope a big buck comes through. It's the appeal of 211 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,599 Speaker 2: the rut, honestly, but the rut is short and the 212 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 2: rest of the season is long. You want to scout now, 213 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 2: not solely to find the trail that the buck might 214 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 2: walk through on late October, but the places he's going 215 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 2: to feel really comfortable and secure in throughout the year. 216 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 2: Where is the prime real estate on your hunting grounds? 217 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 2: I think about this a lot, partially because of the 218 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 2: trail camera thing. Last fall, I pulled up my Moultrie 219 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 2: apt for the ten thousandth time to see if I 220 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 2: had new pictures, and in a very short time span, 221 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 2: I had a couple of really big deer on camera 222 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 2: in northern Wisconsin. I'm talking like one forties one fifties 223 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 2: type deer, beautiful mature bucks, and I have no idea 224 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 2: where they came from or why they'd both make a 225 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 2: little journey to spots I had cameras in during a 226 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 2: tiny window of time and then just disappear again. That 227 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 2: intel is cool, I guess, But what does that do 228 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 2: for me? It tells me mostly that deer of that 229 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 2: caliber live around the places I hunt, and that's the 230 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 2: lesson I need to be reminded of and why I 231 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 2: wanted to do this episode. They are out there every 232 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:05,199 Speaker 2: single day somewhere. Think about that mature bucks are somewhere 233 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 2: around where you hunt, even if they don't spend a 234 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 2: lot of time on there every single day of the year, 235 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 2: And the spots that you know big bucks occupy, they'll 236 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 2: probably be occupied by other mature bucks in the future, 237 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 2: so the work you do now might pay off for years. 238 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 2: You know, eventually they catch a three h eight bullet, 239 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 2: or you know, a pack of wolves catches up to him, whatever, 240 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 2: and the vacancy sign will light up on that prime 241 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 2: real estate and someone else will move in. Now. I 242 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 2: really want to know where those spots are, because even 243 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 2: when they are small and hard to hunt, because they 244 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 2: usually are, the knowledge that he might be there today 245 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 2: is valuable to me when I'm planning on how to 246 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 2: hunt him. Think about that in the context of winter 247 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 2: scouting right now. You guys know that I'm weirdly obsessed 248 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: with cattails slews lately, and I blame it on my 249 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 2: love of roosters, but I'm also fascinated by how dear 250 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 2: use them. They are also nearly impossible to hunt, at 251 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 2: least once you get inside them, But knowing where a 252 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 2: big buck might bet in there is important because at 253 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 2: the very least I can make a guess on how 254 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 2: he'll leave it in the evening, or how he'll come 255 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 2: back in there in the morning. Knowing that he might 256 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 2: bet on one side during a certain wind and the 257 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 2: other side during a different wind direction is even better. 258 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 2: Scouting wetlands is the easiest thing to do in the 259 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 2: off season for a lot of us, but it's still 260 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 2: not easy up here in Canada South, where things stay 261 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 2: frozen for a long time. This opportunity is so valuable. 262 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 2: You can level up your dear knowledge in a hurry 263 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 2: when you don't have to wade through a swamp. Southern 264 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 2: hunters aren't quite as lucky, although our winners don't really 265 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 2: make me feel super lucky sometimes any huski the goal 266 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 2: for scouting, specifically now for mature buck sign and the 267 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,439 Speaker 2: locations in which they might spend their time in the fall. 268 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 2: Is important to remember that the spot on spot stuff 269 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 2: often leads to a lot of frustration. You often can't 270 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: get into a tight area that the bucks really want 271 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 2: to spend their time in, which is why they're there. 272 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 2: But you can use that knowledge to set up a 273 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 2: layer back and catch them on the leading edge of 274 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 2: a cold front in late September maybe early October. You 275 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 2: can use that knowledge to build an amazing pre rut 276 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 2: plan too. The key is to get out there and 277 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 2: to try to truly identify those spots. This might lead 278 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 2: to some more informed trail camera recon this summer, and 279 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 2: probably should, but I'll say this, be careful with your 280 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 2: intrusion as the year marches on toward hunting season. Use 281 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 2: some long lasting lithium batteries. If you can hang your 282 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 2: cameras out of the obvious site line of deer and 283 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: give them time to soak, to see if you're scouting 284 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 2: and your intuition can be proven true. Then remember that 285 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 2: the spots that are advantageous to bucks in October are 286 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 2: not the same thing in July. You might find a 287 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 2: spot now while walking that is just like a little 288 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 2: patch of overgrown willows and dogwood and is tore up 289 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 2: with rubs from last year, and you know, maybe pock 290 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 2: marked with big beds, and think you have things dialed, 291 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 2: But your trail cameras in that spot might not show 292 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 2: you a single buck for months during the summer. That's 293 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 2: valuable intel too. I got quite a bit of that 294 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 2: last season, and my winter scouting efforts have been helping 295 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 2: me figure out what was really going on in places 296 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: where I ran cameras and in places where I couldn't 297 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 2: run cameras. The latter has been honestly the most interesting 298 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 2: to me, because there's a lot to learn just by 299 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 2: factoring in deer sightings from last fall and all of 300 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 2: the sign that's out there waiting to be found right now, 301 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 2: and the truth of what the woods holds for big 302 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 2: buck hotspots. This is honestly probably the best way for 303 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: a lot of us to level up, and the opportunity 304 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 2: to really get going is happening right now. So I'll 305 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 2: say this, if you only do one thing this month, 306 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 2: deer wise, and you're the kind of hunter who wants 307 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 2: to shoot a mature buck, go out there and look 308 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 2: for the spots he might like the best. Don't just 309 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 2: walk the easy oak flat ridges where you can see 310 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 2: everything and you won't get any thorns stuck in your 311 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 2: hands or legs. Go into the little stuff, the edges, 312 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 2: the patches of cover where the cottontails live. Almost every 313 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 2: time you see an easy way to get somewhere, try 314 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 2: to find a way to walk where it won't be 315 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 2: as easy. I'm not saying big bucks won't take an 316 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 2: easy trail, but where they spend a lot of their 317 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: time in the fall is generally not very easy to 318 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 2: get around, So even if you only hunt twenty or 319 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 2: thirty acres, try this. Pay attention to the sign, of course, 320 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:39,720 Speaker 2: but try to fill in the blanks on what would 321 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 2: make him want to be there? What conditions would you 322 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 2: need to catch him there in daylight during some point 323 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 2: of the hunting season. Do that and come back next 324 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 2: week because I'm going to talk about dealing with hunting pressure, 325 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: because I think a lot of hunters view it as 326 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 2: a lost cause, but it's not. If you hunt where 327 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 2: others can hunt, the best thing you can do is 328 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 2: learn how to work with it instead of trying to 329 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 2: rail against it. That's it for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. 330 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 2: This has been the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which 331 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 2: is brought to you by First Light. As always, thank 332 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 2: you so much for listening, and thank you for all 333 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 2: your support. We really appreciate it. If you're looking for 334 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 2: a little vicarious fix right now and you want to 335 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: watch some cool hunts, maybe you want to read some articles, 336 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 2: find a recipe, maybe listen to another podcast like Clay's 337 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 2: Bear Grease or Brent's This Country Life. The mediater dot 338 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 2: Com as you covered. We drop new content literally every 339 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 2: day of the year, and it's all so good, so 340 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 2: go check it out at the mediat dot com.