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 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about this time 9 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: of the year when white tails go hard antlered and 10 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: everything seems to get a little mixed up out there 11 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 2: in the woods. The thing I like about white tails 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 2: is that it's a year round game that involves a 13 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 2: hell of a lot of inexact science. Now you might 14 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 2: declare that deer always do this thing or never do that, 15 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 2: but you'd be wrong about that, just on the sheer 16 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 2: fact that predicting the behavior of wild animals is at 17 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 2: best and educated guests. This holds true for a lot 18 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: of deer behavior and has some implications for the time 19 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: period we are in right now, where bucks go from 20 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: velvet to hard antlered and the whole shift to fall 21 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 2: kicks in. It's one of the best times of the 22 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 2: year and I'm going to talk about it right freaking now. 23 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 2: Years ago, when I was in college, I had a canoe. 24 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: I know that some people love to fish out of canoes, 25 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: and I have to assume those people are also a 26 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: little off kilter in their brains where canoes are a 27 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 2: necessity and the best option for access right on. But 28 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 2: if you can get a real boat in there and 29 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: use that, it's always a better choice in my opinion. Well, 30 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 2: I had to hand me down canoe from my grandpa 31 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 2: at the time, who had a major chest grabber at 32 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 2: fifty six and left my mom's family without a patriarch. 33 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: It was a fine canoe, but I wanted a real boat, 34 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 2: so I found a fourteen foot lon with a twenty 35 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 2: five horse outboard on it. I went to my bank 36 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: and took out a personal loan. I recently found the 37 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: paperwork for that loan, and the interest rate was almost 38 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: ten percent. I don't know why I felt the need 39 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: to tell you that, any huski. I spent a lot 40 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 2: of time in that boat on Pool six of the 41 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: Mississippi River, and a ton of time I'm on small 42 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: backwater lakes around there. I hauled it to northern Minnesota 43 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 2: more than a few times, and generally caught a pile 44 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 2: of fish out of it. One of the places I 45 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: went to a lot was a small lake outside of Winona, 46 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: Minnesota that was private but opened up to the public wale. 47 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 2: I happened to be in school down there, and also 48 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 2: happened to live not very far away from it. Now. 49 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: The original landing was a sand ramp, and that really sucked. 50 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 2: But that old lawn had a trailer that pivoted in 51 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 2: the center, and I could launch that boat in almost 52 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 2: no water. I fished the living shit out of that lake, 53 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 2: and it was full of fish. Dumbfish too, because they 54 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: hadn't got hardly a pressure. I actually thought I had 55 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 2: a bead on the state record smallmouth in there, and 56 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 2: even had her on twice. That fish was one of 57 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 2: the reasons why it took me five years to get 58 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 2: a four year degree, if I'm being totally honest. One 59 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: thing that I learned about bass and other predatory fish 60 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: on that little lake was that during the summer I 61 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 2: caught them on deep weed lines around timber. No shock 62 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: her there. But as the nights grew longer and the 63 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: water temps started to cool, the big bass in northern shifted. 64 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: They'd moved to one of the few narrow points in 65 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: the lake that led to bays full of weeds and 66 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: just enough depth to host wintering panfish and other baitfish. 67 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 2: Imagine it like this, a mountain lion posting up on 68 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 2: a rocky outcropping while overlooking a hog's back ridge in 69 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 2: the mountains between two basins that just pinches down migratory 70 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: mule deer movement when the bad weather kicks in in 71 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 2: the high Country. It had never occurred to me that 72 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 2: fish would swim from one end of the lake the 73 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 2: other to post up in a killer ambush spot while 74 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: the seasons fed them an unlimited food source, right before 75 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 2: the lake locked up in ice and everyone started to 76 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 2: fin a little slower throughout the winter months. I don't 77 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: remember this happening, although I'm sure it did. But I'm 78 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 2: sure I went out and casted the same stuff that 79 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 2: had produced all summer and didn't catch much. I'm sure 80 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: I figured it was just an off bite due to 81 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 2: weather or something else, while not realizing that a fall 82 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: migration had kicked in underwater and that I was just 83 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 2: not clued into it. That sort of thing kind of 84 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: is happening right now with white tails. I dropped an 85 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 2: episode of this podcast a couple weeks ago about home 86 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: ranges and core ranges and what collared bucks out there 87 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 2: have shown researchers on the topic, So I'm not going 88 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 2: to get into that here. Instead, I want to talk 89 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 2: about personal experiences with a shift from velvet to hard 90 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 2: antlered and what that might mean to you. For starters, 91 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 2: if you've ever haunted a truly early season for white tails, 92 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: like one that starts right on the first of September 93 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: and gives you a chance to shoot a velvet buck, 94 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 2: you know that what a Bucker bachelor group does today, 95 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 2: you know might not be the case tomorrow, but certainly 96 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 2: could be. I want to give you two examples to 97 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 2: try to illustrate this point. Back in twenty twelve, I 98 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 2: had a couple of very young babies at home and 99 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 2: a North Dakota white tail tag in my pocket. I 100 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 2: got a five day leave of absence from the chief 101 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 2: of my household and I drove out there. 102 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: Now. 103 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: While glassing the day before the season opened, I saw 104 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 2: a whole bunch of bucks, including a pair of velvet 105 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 2: racked kind of basket eight pointers. My standards were pretty 106 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: oh given my timeframe, and I hope those bucks would 107 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: stick around because they were in play along with some 108 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 2: other ones were bigger. Now I ended up hunting pretty hard, 109 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 2: coming up short and just going for a hail Mary 110 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,280 Speaker 2: on those bucks the last evening of the hunt. Now, 111 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: the day before I had seen both of them and 112 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 2: they were both in velvet, so I figured I had 113 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: a shot, and with fifteen minutes of shooting light left, 114 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 2: one of the bucks showed up on a direct path 115 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 2: toward my stand. He was alone and hard antlered. At 116 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 2: some point overnight or throughout the day, he'd shed his 117 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 2: velvet and his buddy. It was one of the most 118 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 2: satisfying conclusions to and over the road hunt I've ever had, 119 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,040 Speaker 2: and it's one of my favorite memories. 120 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: Now. 121 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,679 Speaker 2: Two years later, I drove back out there for another 122 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: white tail hunt, and I watched a bachelor group of 123 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 2: four bucks bed in the brakes way up in Meal 124 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 2: Dear country. But when they came out that night, they 125 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 2: followed the script and I ended up shooting a velvet 126 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 2: eight pointer that was much bigger than the one from 127 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 2: two years earlier. But I was targeting a gnarly old 128 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,919 Speaker 2: seven pointer that was in velvet in the morning and 129 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 2: hard antlered in the afternoon. It only took maybe a 130 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: couple hours for him to get rid of that velvet. 131 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 2: Both of them stuck to the travel script, the pattern script, 132 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 2: mostly because out west, where the cover and food is 133 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 2: often pretty limited, those deer might not veer off their 134 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: daily patterns by a whole lot. No matter what. They 135 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 2: really don't have a choice but to do what they 136 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: usually do in places with limited resources. That has not 137 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 2: been my experience here in the Midwest, at least not entirely. Now. 138 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 2: This is where that whole inexact science thing kicks in. 139 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 2: We are fed almost NonStop content from folks who are 140 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 2: in a race to create the perfect deer property. And 141 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 2: when they have food and water, cover, doze and no 142 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 2: pressure to leave, bucks oftentimes just don't. So we see 143 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 2: their summer bucks turn into fall bucks, you know, on 144 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 2: social media. But those deer are literally sort of living 145 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 2: in an artificial world. I don't really know how else 146 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 2: to say it, but I don't want it to sound 147 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 2: as petty as that does. They are just given every 148 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 2: reason to stick around, and nature likes easy, so that's 149 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 2: what they choose. Nature likes security. Two, which might be 150 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 2: a better way to put that. Now, you might think 151 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: that this means that it's highly likely that your summer 152 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 2: Bucks will stick around through September and beyond, and they 153 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 2: certainly might, but they also might not, and that's worth 154 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: trying to understand. But to do that, you have to 155 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 2: acknowledge all of the things that are changing in their 156 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 2: world by the day. For starters, the shift from Velvet 157 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 2: to hart Antler means many things, but one of them 158 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 2: is that it's time to figure out who is the 159 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 2: top dog and really establish their hierarchy. I've watched Bucks 160 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 2: spar while still in Velvet, and it's pretty cool to see. 161 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 2: In fact, I had a buddy send me a series 162 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 2: of trail camera photos in mid August of two Bucks 163 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 2: sparring under an apple tree. So as their summer coats 164 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: start to give away to fall coats and their weapons 165 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 2: on their heads finish up becoming real weapons, and their 166 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 2: hormones start to really kick in, they figure out who 167 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: is who in the hurt. This is a side note 168 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 2: here and maybe won't apply to a lot of you 169 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 2: find listeners, but I found that Bucks are often highly 170 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: callable in the early season, whether that's a contact grunt 171 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 2: or a snort. I've had some pretty good results talking 172 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 2: to bucks in the first couple weeks of the season 173 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 2: here in Minnesota, in Wisconsin and out west in earlier seasons. 174 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 2: I have my theories on that, and maybe none of 175 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 2: them are right. I just know that it has worked 176 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 2: for me, and I think they are susceptible to calling 177 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 2: because they've spent all season bachelored up and they are 178 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 2: in the phase where they are sorting things out. Anyway, 179 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: you kind of have to factor that in. The deer 180 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 2: aren't as likely to hang together as the days progress, 181 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 2: although you can still find plenty of bucks paired up 182 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 2: and sometimes traveling in groups. Then you have a couple 183 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 2: of other things to think about, some of which I 184 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 2: consider more impactful to deer for starters. The food sources 185 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: are likely to change. In the last couple of weeks. 186 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 2: In my world, I've started noticing a hell of a 187 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 2: lot of acorns hitting the dirt. I've also spent some 188 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 2: time scouting, and the apple tree thing is definitely on 189 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 2: or around here. Hard masks and soft mast matter, and 190 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 2: after a summer of eating alfalfa and beans, it seems 191 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 2: like the deer prime to switch food sources right now. 192 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 2: So they do. This might be a more subtle shift 193 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 2: down south, but also might not be when you factor 194 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 2: in per Simmons or some other high value Here today, 195 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 2: gone tomorrow. Food source. Food is a primary driver of 196 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 2: deer behavior, and if you're not in a position to 197 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: create a food plot for them or curate a property 198 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 2: in some other way, this is probably the thing you 199 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 2: should pay attention to the most. If they suddenly aren't 200 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: popping out into the egg like they were a couple 201 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 2: weeks ago, what are they feeding on? Because they are 202 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:40,320 Speaker 2: eating something. Now, that's all pretty elementary stuff, but then 203 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 2: you have to factor in the truth about whitetail hunters 204 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 2: and the impact they have on deer. While hunters like 205 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 2: Kenyon try hard to get their work finished well before 206 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 2: the season to give everything a chance to settle down, 207 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 2: it's not so simple for a lot of hunters. Some 208 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,199 Speaker 2: folks just don't get out there in the midsummer to 209 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 2: sweat and hang stands and cameras and brush in blinds 210 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 2: and scout. Some folks just get the itch to get 211 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 2: into the woods or go glassing more. Now that it 212 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 2: might be cooling off ever so slightly, But most whitetail 213 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 2: hunters just don't put in much effort until the season 214 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 2: draws closer. This is something that it was absolutely driven 215 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 2: home to me in Minnesota while growing up and hunting 216 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 2: a farm that I shared with a lot of bow 217 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 2: hunters and a ton of gun hunters. Since our gun 218 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 2: season opens up on the first full weekend of November, 219 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 2: that means that the weekend before is almost always around Halloween, 220 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:28,959 Speaker 2: which is pretty prime time to be on a stand 221 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 2: if you ask me and just about anyone who has 222 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 2: even a total dullard's understanding of deer hunting. But that 223 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 2: was also the weekend when random dudes would walk through 224 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 2: the woods, often with the dog at their side and 225 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 2: a heart of hearing buddy who needed to shout through 226 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 2: normal conversations. It was maddening but very consistent. So there's 227 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 2: also the weekend one I'd often hear gunshot after gunshot 228 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: after gunshot as guys check their zeros on their slugguns. 229 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 2: In other words, the people impact from that gun opener 230 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 2: on my general bow hunting success was real and didn't 231 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: do many favors. Now, think about being a public land 232 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 2: whitetail bow hunter or someone who shares ground with other people, 233 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 2: the highest likelihood for preseason intrusion in general is now 234 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 2: until you're opener. That's just the reality of most whitetail hunters, 235 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 2: and it has a big impact on deer or it can. 236 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 2: So while we might be looking for a lot of 237 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 2: scientific reasons why our summer pattern on known bucks suddenly 238 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 2: went to shit, it's very likely that's due to the 239 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 2: increased presence of hunters in the woods. This is something 240 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 2: that happens a lot where elk taggs are easy to get, 241 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 2: you know where. Hunters out west show up a week 242 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 2: before the season and hike into every meadow and along 243 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 2: every trail to find the hot sign and generally do 244 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 2: a great job of pushing the elk into the dark 245 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 2: timber hell holes right before the season opens. It's just 246 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 2: part of the game, my friends. What it means for 247 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 2: us whitetail hunters is that the field edge easy pattern 248 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 2: we thought we had might get killed right before we 249 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 2: can actually even hunt the deer. And it might be 250 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 2: our fault or might be the cumulative effect of other hunters, 251 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:05,959 Speaker 2: but either way, the end result is the same. Now 252 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 2: the deer don't necessarily leave, but they might not be 253 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 2: so keen to pop out into the open at five 254 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 2: point thirty in the afternoon to feed with three of 255 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 2: their best friends. So the question is what it always is, 256 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 2: which is what does this mean? You should cross your 257 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 2: fingers and hope the deer you scouted and had on 258 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: trail camera this summer will stick to their patterns throughout 259 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 2: opening week. They certainly might, or they might seem to 260 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 2: shuffle off to parts unknown, leaving you with a couple 261 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 2: of four keys and some does to work with. This 262 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 2: is what I consider the best option for most of us. 263 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 2: If you're running cameras, try to set a few of 264 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 2: them to show you where the deer have gone. I 265 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 2: know that's simple, but a lot of us won't do it. 266 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 2: Where are they most likely to stage or travel when 267 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 2: the human presence increases and the food sources change and 268 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 2: they just get a little less tolerant of antlered company. 269 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 2: That's an easy one, and it can be so valuable. 270 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 2: A lot of the early season deer I kill are 271 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 2: just off of the food in the cover, in a 272 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 2: situation that I just kind of think is like one 273 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 2: layer back. The window for that type of hunt is 274 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,959 Speaker 2: often a short one, but man, it can be good. 275 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 2: The next thing I do is scout. I know we 276 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 2: all want to be super careful this time here because 277 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 2: we don't want to spook deer unnecessarily, But when the 278 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 2: great shuffle happens, I want to know where the bucks go. 279 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 2: I don't know how to put it any other way. 280 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 2: Every rub I can find is huge, Truly. There is 281 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: nothing I like better than finding September rubs because I 282 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,079 Speaker 2: know I'm close to September bucks. A fresh scrape in 283 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 2: September that'll get my attention too. But we also often 284 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 2: have just the conditions that allow for track checking trails, 285 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 2: and that is something I do a lot. A field 286 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 2: edge with tracks is fine, but a trail in the 287 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 2: cover that is all tracked up with fresh sign yes 288 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 2: please two scoops, well, that might not put you on 289 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 2: an individual buck, but it'll put you on deer. And 290 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 2: getting on deer is off in the first step to 291 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 2: getting something going with a target buck or a buck 292 00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 2: that is of the caliber that would make you happy, 293 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 2: because it's not just the giants that will respond to 294 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 2: all of the changes out there in the woods, and 295 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 2: the old doves that are raising the next generation of 296 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 2: boooners don't much like hunters either, but they do like 297 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 2: acorns and security and persimmons and apples and water that's 298 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 2: in the woods where they leave tracks in September, So 299 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 2: two will bucks leave tracks, and if some of those 300 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 2: trails have any actual buck sign, like even very small rubs, 301 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 2: pay attention. I've watched quite a few big bucks make 302 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 2: rubs in the woods throughout quite a few different states, 303 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 2: and honestly can't remember any one of them ever making 304 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 2: a thigh size rub. For some reason, it's always on 305 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 2: a sapling and the size of the rub is never 306 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 2: really correlated to the size of the buck. Now, I 307 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 2: know this sucks because you've heard all about building a 308 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 2: summer pattern and seeing it through, which is totally doable. 309 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 2: But the best white tail hunters out there always have 310 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 2: a backup plan because while they hunt with confidence, they 311 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 2: expect a certain level of failure. That's the nature of 312 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 2: deer hunting because it's just pretty damn hard in general. 313 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 2: But if you start to think think about where they'll 314 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 2: go when the conditions change, you'll start to think about 315 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 2: what you can do to meet them there, just like 316 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 2: the big smallies in Largemouth that somehow realize it's time 317 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 2: to go post up on a channel, leading to a 318 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 2: wintering hole. The summer bucks you counted on to be 319 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 2: there might just have other plans that keep them less 320 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 2: visible and as well fed as they've been all summer long. 321 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 2: So think about that. If you start to see a 322 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 2: change in your trail camera activity, or you just realize 323 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 2: that you're seeing fewer deer and out in the fields 324 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 2: on your way to work, whatever things are changing out there, 325 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 2: and if you work with those changes to get somewhere 326 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 2: the deer want to be, you'll have a good chance 327 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 2: of filling your tag. If you don't, you'll be swimming 328 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 2: upstream during one of the best times of year to 329 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 2: kill a big one. Think about that, my friends, and 330 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 2: think about coming back next week, because I'm going to 331 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 2: talk about the myth of quote unquote plenty of time 332 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 2: and how that has saved more than a few early 333 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 2: season bucks. That's it for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. 334 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 2: This has been the Foundation's podcast, which is brought to 335 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 2: you by First Light. As always, I just want to 336 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 2: thank you for your support, Mark and I here truly 337 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 2: appreciate it. The whole Mediator crew does without you, guys, 338 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 2: we don't have anything, so thank you for that. If 339 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 2: you need some more white tail content you can listen 340 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 2: to this feed. We've got three shows on here now 341 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 2: on the Wire to Hunt feed at least for a 342 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 2: little while with Jake series. We have a whole bunch 343 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 2: more podcasts that can educate you entertain you at the 344 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 2: mediator dot com. Maybe you know you want to listen 345 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 2: to Clay explore some crazy path and through history on 346 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: the Bear Grease podcast. Maybe you just want to hear 347 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 2: Brent Reeves's beautiful voice as he does this Country Life, 348 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 2: which is a great podcast. Or maybe you need a recipe, 349 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 2: maybe you need an article, maybe you just want to 350 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 2: watch some hunting films with the family. Whatever, we have 351 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 2: it at the mediator dot com. Go check it out.