1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wire to Hunt podcast, your home for 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: deer hunting news, stories and strategies, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: Mark Kenyon. Welcome to the Wire to Hunt Podcast. I'm 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: your host Mark Kenyon. In this episode number eighty nine 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: ten the show, we're joined by Kip Adams to discuss 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: the current state of white tales in North America and 7 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: how things have changed over the past year. All right, 8 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: welcome to the Wire to Hunt Podcast, brought to you 9 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: by Sick Gear. Today. As I mentioned, we've got a 10 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: great guest, a repeat guest in fact, and that's Kip Adams, 11 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: the CUTIA May that's the Quality Deer Management Associations to 12 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: rector of Education and Outreach. And last year at right 13 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: about the same time, we had Kip on the show 14 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: to discuss the state of white tails in two thousand 15 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: fifteen and it was a fascinating and the lightning discussion. 16 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: So given the response we had from that episode, it 17 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: made sense that we should do a similar check in 18 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: this year to see where things stand across the nation 19 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: with white tails Today. Unfortunately, Kip was willing to join 20 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: us again, so we're not going to be around the bush. 21 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: As my co host Dan actually couldn't join us for 22 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: this episode, so it's just me and instead of our 23 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: usual BS session, we're going to jump right into the interview. 24 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: And with that, I know there's probably like three people 25 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: cheering in their cars right now, excited that they don't 26 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: need to hear me and Dan talk about stupid stuff. 27 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: So with all that said, we are going to take 28 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: a real quick break for word from our partners at 29 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: Sick of Gear, and then we'll bring on Kip to 30 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: discuss the state of white tails in two thousand and sixteen. So, 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,919 Speaker 1: as you know, every week we take a quick second 32 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: to hear from our partners at Sick of Gear, and 33 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: today at wanted to hear from Sick of Product category 34 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: leader Dennis Zuck about exactly what it takes for a 35 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: new product from SICKA to make the cut and be 36 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: released to the public. So here's Dennis with some interesting insight. Yeah, 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: I mean, and it kind of goes back to some 38 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: of those simple first statements we talked about and talking 39 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: thinking about, you know, what is it this product needs 40 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: to do to be interesting and unique and what what 41 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: need does it need to fulfill? You know, So that's 42 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: part of it, and the other part of it is 43 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: is you know, you know, is it something that people 44 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: are gonna be happy to own and feel like they 45 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: you know, it was worth everything that they spent to 46 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,959 Speaker 1: own it. Um, is it going to be We used 47 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: the term fit for use, which is kind of a 48 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: corny way of saying, you know, fit for the field? 49 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: You know, is it? Is it something that is ready 50 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: for prime time? And you know, for us, we we 51 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: weigh that really heavily. We we play the long term 52 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: bet here. We we believe you wear our stuff long 53 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: enough you'll come to really appreciate the details and the thought, 54 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: you know. And if we have a product that we 55 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: don't think lives up to that, then it just doesn't 56 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: make falls It falls short of the floor, It falls 57 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: onto the floor and never finds its way to a 58 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: retail rack. How much of that, you know, is left 59 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: on the cutting room table and disappears versus how much 60 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: of that is then put into the hopper for in 61 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: the future. Is are a lot of these things still 62 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: and evolving system and process? Oh tons of that? And 63 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: so that you know, you asked that stuff that question, 64 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: has that need gone away? You know? And maybe if 65 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: that first product doesn't hit it the way we wanted 66 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: to hit it didn't mean to mean the need went away. 67 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: And so if we still feel like there's an opportunity 68 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: to address that pain point you might have or create 69 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: that product that's going to make that difference, we're still 70 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: going and we absolutely have several of those and we're 71 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: just we just don't feel where we want them to 72 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: be yet, and but we're excited to bring them out 73 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: in the coming years. They take years of development, some 74 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: of some of the harder things, you know, they say, 75 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: if it's easy to do, everybody would do it. Some 76 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: of those products fall into that that that space. Pretty 77 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: fascinating stuff. So to learn more about SICK and what 78 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: new products they have released to the world, visit sit 79 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: could gear dot com. Now let's bring Kip Adams on 80 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: the line. All right here with this now on the 81 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: line is Kip Adams. Welcome to show. Kip, Hey, thanks 82 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: for having Mark. I'm happy to be here today. Yeah, 83 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: we're we're excited to have you back. It was just 84 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: a little over a year ago I think that you 85 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: made your fear first appearance on the Wired Hunting podcast 86 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: and that was such an interesting discussion that we wanted 87 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: to revisit that topic again here today, and that topic 88 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: last time was essentially the state of white tailed deer 89 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: in the country as of that period early two thousand 90 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: and fifteen. So today I'm hoping we can look at 91 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: that same question the state of white tails in America 92 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 1: or across North America for for that matter. And uh, 93 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: you know where we are today in two thousand and sixteen, 94 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 1: a year later and last year when we first talked, 95 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: as imagine, you remember, things were looking pretty rough. A 96 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: lot of the numbers that were coming in, We're showing 97 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: that harvests were down, record book entries were way down. 98 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: I think there's maybe a sense of a little bit 99 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: of a sense of panic almost that this kind of 100 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: white tail boom had busted. So to kick us off, Kip. 101 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: Now that we're, you know, a year later down the road, 102 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: it's your high level what's your high level impression of 103 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: where we stand today? Are Are things better? Are things worse? 104 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: Is it about the same? What do you think? Him? 105 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: I think overall, things are definitely better. Um, I think 106 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: there's still lots of issues impacting dear and some of 107 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 1: the things we talked about last year, some of the 108 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 1: problems are still there. But at least some of the 109 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: harder starter to turn around a little bit so um, 110 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: thanks to the things that we need to really be 111 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: paying attention to. But overall, definitely not worse and um 112 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: and I think anything a little bit better. Okay, Well, 113 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: that that's good news. And that's kind of what I've 114 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: been picking up as we're we're seeing new estimates coming 115 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: in from this past season, and as I talked to 116 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: people like you and others, definitely seems like maybe we're 117 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: we're back on track. And I guess that kind of 118 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 1: brings me to a question that I think a lot 119 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: of people talked about I've reference just a minute ago 120 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: in kind of in relation to this bust or kind 121 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: of like this bubble has burst um over the past 122 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: five ten years, as you know, lots of things have changed, 123 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: and some people are saying, you know, the white tail 124 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: population has crashed, the bubbles burst, etcetera. On the other hand, 125 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: I've heard some people talk about the fact that maybe 126 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: this was more of a mild correction and or a 127 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: little hiccup in in where things are going. Where you know, 128 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: this kind of change in the white tailed world over 129 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: the last few years, how do you view that? Was 130 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 1: it a crash, is it a correction something in between. 131 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: I don't think it's a crash. I think there are 132 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: some places that have certainly really lost a bunch of deer, 133 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: and uh um, I will come set to mine, particularly 134 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: just from the buck harvest to what's gone on over 135 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: the past decade. But in most places, UM, it's it's 136 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: more aptlete termed the correction because deers just couldn't continue 137 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: to to expand at the rate they were throughout much 138 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: of the range. For the last five to ten years, 139 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 1: most day walace agencies have been purposely trying to reduce 140 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: some dear herds. Obviously, when their herds are brought down, 141 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: then buck harvest actor decline. So today, you know what, 142 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: we're killing fewer deer in many places. UM. Much of that, though, 143 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: is has been prescribed, so it's not a crash if 144 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: you're prescribing it and you know we're trying to accomplish it. 145 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: I think it's a it's a lot more. I guess 146 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: a correction would be a better, better explanation for it. Now. 147 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: I do think there are areas where herds are brought 148 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: lower than there should have been. So you know, some 149 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: hunters were asked to reduce deer herds, and you know, 150 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: locally it could have easily take them too low. And 151 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: I have friends and colleges across the White Tales range 152 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: that leave in some of those areas that you know, 153 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this is this is way lower than 154 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: we had anticipated, and in many cases lower than the 155 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: agencies have prescribed. So I'm not I'm not arguing with 156 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: some of the people that say, man, I heard is 157 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: that's a crash in my backyard. I think with the 158 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: disease outbreak we've had the HD outbreaks over the last 159 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: five years and some other issues, there certainly are hunters 160 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: in local areas where hers are really down, but deer 161 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: managers often you know, talk about populations of deer, so 162 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: they manage it a little higher scale. The state agency 163 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,679 Speaker 1: folks do so for the most part, they're now desers 164 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: are definitely lower, but I'm very confident they had not crashed, 165 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: and even in areas where they are lower than they 166 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: need to be now can be corrected relatively easily. Speaking 167 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: speaking of those corrections, so last year, I think I think, 168 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: at least from my standpoint, in the winter of two 169 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: thousand and fifteen January February March. I think from what 170 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: I saw, the kind of fever pitch of concern about 171 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: deer harvests going down and population struggle, I think it 172 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: kind of reached a pinnacle there, at least as far 173 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: as I have been paying attention to. And from that, 174 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: it seemed like a number of states addressed that very 175 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,479 Speaker 1: issue you mentioned of the fact maybe in some places 176 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: our harvest was too heavy, you know, maybe we were 177 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: killing too many doughs, Maybe we were describing some things 178 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: that went too far, and there seemed to be some changes. 179 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: One example I can think of was in Ohio there 180 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: are a number of counties, um that they pulled back 181 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 1: on dough harvest totally. Or and I think in the 182 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 1: upper pendents of Michigan, same thing, something along those lines. Um, 183 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: do you think you know we're the examples of these 184 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: changes being made this past year that you think we're 185 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: the right changes? We have some positive updates been made 186 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,719 Speaker 1: to regulations to to deal with this slight change in 187 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: population and what kind of harvest our populations can sustain. Yeah. Actually, 188 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: I think there's two parts to that one. Um U 189 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: that there are several agencies or state wilife agencies that 190 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: reduced analyst opportunity for this year are the ones you 191 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: mentioned Western Maryland um same way UM placed in the 192 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania the same way places throughout the US reduced the 193 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,839 Speaker 1: opportunity for hunters to take in on this year. So 194 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: I think that certainly helps and equally is importantly with 195 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 1: that you have a lot of hunters who are just 196 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: doing a better job today recognizing, hey, you know what, 197 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,839 Speaker 1: Jeffer are very low So even if the agency of 198 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: my state willige agency tells me I can still shoot 199 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: three doll or five doll wherever the case may be. 200 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: I think a lot more hunters today are doing a 201 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: better job recognizing I don't need to fill all these tags. 202 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: In fact, if I don't fill all these tags, that's 203 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: probably better locally for me. So I think we were 204 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: also seeing hunters taking responsibility to try to be better 205 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: managers within their own area and help regulate the number 206 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: of dough that removed as well. So so I think 207 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: both of those situations will working together to help us out. Yeah, 208 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: that's that's a pretty big point. I think, especially kind 209 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: of tied back to what you mentioned a second ago, 210 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: where you know, managers or game agencies and whatnot. They're 211 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: making decisions based at a population level, at a high level, 212 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: trying to manage as best as they can, but they'll 213 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: never be able to manage down to the individual property 214 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: as as we as hunters see things. So even though 215 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: on my property maybe I'm seeing that things are awful, 216 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: I don't understand why our agency is saying we need 217 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: to kill more doughs when there's no doughs behind my house. Maybe, um, 218 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: of course it can. It can work the other way, 219 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: and that the agencies might be seeing one thing statewide, 220 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 1: but that doesn't pertain to your situation, and you as 221 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: the individual need to know when to pull back or 222 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: when to push forward at that At that level, I 223 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: think to your point, Kip, that's really where things almost 224 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,439 Speaker 1: have to go if we want to have have a 225 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: well managed deer herd, and may of these cases you 226 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: just can't do it perfectly from the very highest level, right, 227 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,319 Speaker 1: That's absolutely right, And you know, not our state wall 228 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 1: if agencies they manage it either a county level or 229 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: the deer management unit level or wildlife management unit level 230 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,319 Speaker 1: or whatever you know it may be called in your state, 231 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: but obviously you I don't hunt at that level, you know, 232 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 1: we hunt at the property level, so you can get 233 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: within any deer management unit in the country, and I'm 234 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: sure fine pockets of habitats that has more deer than 235 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,079 Speaker 1: it should and others that have fer deer than it 236 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: could support. So you know, hunters are an opposite end 237 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: of that. So I think it's just more important than 238 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: ever for process hunters to collect some you know, some 239 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: information about local deer heard observation data or whatever to 240 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: get a good feal for all right, even with whatever 241 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: my state taliament can be taken here, let me help 242 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: be as responsible as I can and remove the right number, 243 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: which the great numbers neither too few nor too many 244 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 1: to help the local situation. And I firmly feel that 245 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: hunters today are taking a bigger role in that than 246 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: ever before, and I see that as a very good thing. Yeah, absolutely, 247 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: so I kind of want to take a step back 248 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: here before we continue diving deep on a few of 249 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:41,280 Speaker 1: these things as we are. Um, you just finished working 250 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: on the two thousand sixteen White Tail Report, which is 251 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 1: a great resource that you guys have the Quality Deer 252 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: Management Association put out every year. UM, and I know 253 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: that there there's a whole slew of different types of 254 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: information that that would be helpful. But having finished that 255 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: just recently, what what were the biggest takeaways for you 256 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: when you looked at all the friend data and segments 257 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: of white tail related information out there, what stood apart 258 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: for you as the big takeaways from the two thousand 259 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: six edition of this year's white Tail Report. I think 260 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: there's some some really important pieces of information and some 261 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 1: real important trends for hunters to understand or at least 262 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 1: to be aware of. But my personal favorite in it 263 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: is that once again, the percentage of one and a 264 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: half year old bucks and in the national buck harvest dropped, 265 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: and it dropped to the point that for the first 266 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: time in our history across the US now we are 267 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 1: killing more bucks that are three and a half are 268 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: older than bucks that are one and a half years old. 269 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: And that is just absolutely amazing to me. And you know, 270 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: there's certainly are a few states that still do not 271 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: collect harvest data, they don't collect age data on their harvest, 272 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: but the vast majority of the states do so they 273 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 1: report that data to US. And for the first time ever, 274 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: we killed more bucks that were at least three and 275 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: a half than one and a half, and that is 276 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: incredibly special and something that every hunters should be proud of. Yeah. 277 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: So so speaking of that, um, of course, you know, 278 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 1: being a member of the Quality Deer Management Association and 279 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: really being a supporter and in line with many of 280 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: the different things that you guys are promoting and talking about. Um, 281 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,679 Speaker 1: this is something I'm excited about. But for someone who 282 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: maybe doesn't have experience with the ideas of quality deer 283 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: management or the benefits of their being this higher percentage 284 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: of three and a half or older deer, Just for 285 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: those people that maybe don't really see why this is 286 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: so exciting, can you just walk us through why is 287 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: this a good thing? Why is this good for deer 288 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: and deer hunters. Sure, deer are a very complex animal 289 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: with how they communicate with each other and how they 290 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: essentially have evolved, and the more natural age structure that 291 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: as managers we can have today, you know, I mean, 292 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: in the better job we do shooting deer, so that 293 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: the standing proper deer has as natural of an age 294 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: structure as possible. It allows all those mechanisms of the deer, 295 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: how they communicate, react, work the way we're supposed to. 296 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: So it's just a It makes you, at least it 297 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 1: should make you feel really good to think, you know what, 298 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: I'm doing my part to allow this deer herd to 299 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: act the way that it was evolved. So and today 300 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: we're closer to that than ever before. So that's one 301 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: part of the second part of it, from just a 302 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 1: pure hunting perspective, UM, you know, there are more older 303 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: bucks out there than ever before for people to chase around. 304 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: And even if you don't get to kill an older deer, 305 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 1: just the fact that you have those older bucks in 306 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: the population create an entirely different hunting opportunity. Older bucks 307 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: leave a lot more rubs, they leave a lot more scrapes, 308 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: they do a lot more calling, they interact a lot 309 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: more during the breeding season. So it's an entirely different 310 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: opportunity to hunt a population of deer that has some 311 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: older bucks in it. And then obviously at the end, 312 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: hunters love antlers and and uh and big deer, whether 313 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: it's big bodies or big antlers. And the fact that 314 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: you have a higher percentage of bucks out there today 315 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: in those older age classes UM just gives the opportunity 316 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: to both photographs, see and shoot. UM many bigger deer 317 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 1: than we had even five or ten years ago available 318 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: to us. Yeah. Yeah, I can definitely say that I've 319 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: seen a lot of those benefits myself, both the places 320 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: that I've been able to manage properties and other places 321 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: where I've walked into a state maybe that just has 322 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: a has a higher population of older age class. Dear, 323 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: it's it's I mean, as you know, kid, it's just 324 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: a different situation. One of the one of my favorite 325 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: things is just like the dear behavior that you get 326 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: to see is so much different in a population that's 327 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: more natural when there's a you know, more mature deer. 328 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: You get to see things like dear fighting, You get 329 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 1: to see that happen, You get to see intense competition 330 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: during the rut, and all the other things that come 331 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: with that. Um you get like, for example, for the 332 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: longest time I grew up hunting in Michigan, I never 333 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: saw a deer over two years old. And then the 334 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: first time I went and hunted in Iowa, I had 335 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: like a five year old, supermature great big nine point 336 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: within like forty yards of me. I was filming a 337 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: buddy hunting and this buck was snort wheezing over and 338 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: over and over again for like thirty minutes. And that's 339 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:05,120 Speaker 1: something I never heard in my life to that point. 340 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: I never got to see anything like that. And those 341 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: are the types of just awesome experiences I think you 342 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 1: can have when you're in a situation where that population 343 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:19,919 Speaker 1: is more balanced. Um hunters love the challenge of calling 344 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 1: a turkey in, or just the involvement of interacting with 345 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: an animal. Same thing else as why I like turkey, 346 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: and that's why I like uh duck hunton and goose hunting. 347 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,640 Speaker 1: I love the interaction with the animal. And now, more 348 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,400 Speaker 1: than ever before, deer hunters are having that same opportunity. 349 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 1: So that's pretty cool. Yeah. So, so here's the thing 350 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: about the mature buck numbers that that you shared in 351 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: this report. You know, I've posted some articles about it, 352 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: and I think other media publications have been sharing this 353 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 1: great news. Excuse me, But inevitably you hear people say, 354 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,199 Speaker 1: and this is whether you're talking about age, structure of 355 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 1: a deer herd or just the numbers of deer harvested. 356 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 1: People say, well, how could you know that that percentage 357 00:17:58,119 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: of three and a half year old bucks were killed? 358 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: Nobody in my state tells what, how older bucks were anyways? 359 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: Or how can you claim that deer were killed this 360 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: last year? You never saw my dear um. So this 361 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: this raised the question that lots of people have. I 362 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: just recently worked on a little article about it, so 363 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: I've been kind of asking these questions myself too and 364 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: trying to understand it. But for listeners, Kip, can you 365 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: can you walk us through how state deer harvest estimates 366 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: UM are our creative are discovered and shared. I know 367 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 1: you guys have a section in the White Tail Report 368 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: about this that's pretty fascinating. I'd love to hear from 369 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,879 Speaker 1: you on it. Yeah, there's actually two parts to that. 370 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: One is how they estimate the actual harvest or the number, 371 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: and the second is, which is a different question, is 372 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: how they estimate the age structure of it. So we'll 373 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: do the harvest first and then move on to the 374 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,679 Speaker 1: age structure. Perfect and the states do this in different ways, 375 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: but there's really two main techniques that the agencies will 376 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: used to estimate their harvest. And and what we reported 377 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,719 Speaker 1: this year in our What Tail Report is some states 378 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: report the minimum number of deer they got killed, while 379 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: others try to report the total number of deer or 380 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: they you know, they estimate what that is, and I 381 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 1: obviously estimating the total deer kill in my opinion, is 382 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: far better. Um. But what most will do is historically, 383 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,880 Speaker 1: when we had very short seasons, real well defined seasons, 384 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: most deer were killed over you know, a small period 385 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: of time, almost every state agency had a check station 386 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: or hunters will bring their deer in and biologists and 387 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 1: technicians from the agencies could look at them, and that 388 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: provides some confidence to the hunters that the agencies were 389 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,680 Speaker 1: we're getting their hands on deer and and things were good. 390 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: And uh And I'm a big fan of check stations. 391 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 1: I really really like mostly because I like the interaction 392 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: between the agency and the hunters gives them a chance 393 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: to talk and meet each other and not brand check 394 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,679 Speaker 1: stations for for a long time prior test to my 395 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 1: employing with q d n A. But today and actually 396 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,120 Speaker 1: they do get good data from them. But even then, 397 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: some people who kill a deer, they'll take them to 398 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,360 Speaker 1: the check stations even if it's required. So the whole 399 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: idea of that that's the only way to get total 400 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: data is using check station is really false. I mean, 401 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: people people kill deer and sneak them home anyway. Um, 402 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: fast forward to today. Our seasons today are so much longer, 403 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: and we have a lot more seasons available, you know, 404 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: more both seasons, cross both seasons, early muzzle overseasons. And 405 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 1: given the fact that hunters just take advantage of them, 406 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: which they absolutely should and that I personally do. But 407 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,120 Speaker 1: what happens now is suddenly, rather than killing the majority 408 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: of the deer and just a handful of date, they 409 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:32,280 Speaker 1: get spread out over a few months. So to have 410 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: agencies man a check station, it's just financially not possible 411 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: in areas anymore because you just can't get your hands 412 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: on enough deer um in a short period of time. 413 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: So what almost every state has gone to now is 414 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: some other form of collecting data. Nearly every state today 415 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,400 Speaker 1: uses some type of online checking system, or at least 416 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: that as one of the options for you to check 417 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: your deer. Where you kill a deer and you have 418 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: to report it, you can send in a card, you 419 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,719 Speaker 1: can call a telephone number, you can just get down 420 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: and computer, and so they at least have that data. 421 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: So some people say, you don't what, I don't have 422 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,639 Speaker 1: to report my dear, so they don't know, Well, and 423 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: the old days you didn't have to take you deer 424 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: to the check station either if you didn't want to. 425 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: So the accuracy there's not not a big difference. But well, 426 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: most agencies will do is they apply some form of 427 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: a correction factor or they get him an estimate on 428 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: the people who don't actually legally report their deer. So, 429 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: for example, in Pennsylvania, when you kill a deer, but 430 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: I'll use Pennsylvania because that's where I'm from, you have 431 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: to report it. You can send in the report card 432 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: or use online or whatever. And the online is easy 433 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: just such that I always do. So they have a 434 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: measure they know everybody who reported a deer. Well, then 435 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 1: what the game commissioned by Honest do is they will 436 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: go out and visit me lockers, food processors, that kind 437 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: of thing where they have deer and we'll collect information 438 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: from them. So in Pennsylvania, you have to tag a 439 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: deer so they can see every deer that's there, see 440 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,239 Speaker 1: who killed it, and then they can collect data from 441 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: it themselves, go back to their computers and say, hey, 442 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: you know what I see. Mark Kenyon killed the deer 443 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: and I had it. I looked at it today. In 444 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 1: this meat processor. Let me go check our records and 445 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: see if Mark Kennon reported this or not. And from 446 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: that they know that less than half of the people 447 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: that legally kill a deer actually report them. And you 448 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: know what that part is. We should be extremely embarrassed 449 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: by that, you know, given how easy it is to 450 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: report it, and that you know it's in our best 451 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: interest to report them. So is that is that an example? 452 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: Is that an example number? Kip? Or is that actually 453 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: what you guys have? And I don't know what the 454 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: exact number is, but I do know that it's it's 455 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,919 Speaker 1: a less than on the hunters who legally kill a deer? Reporter? 456 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: Is that in Pennsylvania or is that a Pensylvania And 457 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: the Pensilia Game Commission has has published that data. Um, 458 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: I just can't remember what the exact percentage is, but 459 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 1: I know it's less than fifty okay, society, No, no, no, 460 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 1: that's a good point. So with that, you know the process, 461 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 1: our game commission will get their hands literally on forty 462 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: or fifty thousand deer a year. He's the average hunter 463 00:22:56,359 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: has no idea that. So they say the game commission 464 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: can't know how this because you know I didn't report 465 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: my dear or they didn't ask me if I killed 466 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: a deer. Well, the reality of it is they get 467 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: their hands on a lot of deer, they can double 468 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: check it with look, I reported, and then from that 469 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: they're able to estimate what the total harvest likely was. 470 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: So are they exactly right with it? Probably not, but 471 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: I bet you they are within you know, a few 472 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: percentage points of being exactly right. But the more important 473 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: part of that is, since they do that the same 474 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,880 Speaker 1: way every single year, if they are a little bit off, 475 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: at least their estimate from year to year is incredibly consistent. 476 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: And that's the real important part from from the management end. 477 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 1: So so that is a great example of how to 478 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: do it. Now the other way of how states do it. 479 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: In many states in the southeastern US used this second technique, 480 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: and I personally think that this is the best. What 481 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: they do is they actually use a survey company that 482 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: will randomly survey a certain number of hunters to ask them, 483 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: you know, how many deers they shout, and they can 484 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: ask them all kinds of questions from them and using 485 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: a statistically valid sample. What it does that allows them 486 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: to then estimate what the total number of deer hunters 487 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: killed their near and they are incredibly accurate. It's the 488 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: exact same strategy that we use in our political polls, 489 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: because you know, in any election, any big election, you know, 490 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: they run these polls by talking to a certain number 491 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: of voters, so in many cases we know who's gonna 492 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,439 Speaker 1: win those before the vote ever takes place. They are 493 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: incredibly accurate. And deer managers use the same type of 494 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 1: thing to estimate statewide deer harvest, and that is a really, 495 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: really good way to do it in most cases, because 496 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: of so many hunters in the states, these survey companies 497 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: only have to talk to about one percent of the 498 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: deer hunters to get a big enough sample to make 499 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: them accurate. So average hunter doesn't understand that or may 500 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 1: not even believe it in many cases, but it uh, 501 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: it is incredib really accurate one done appropriately, So yeah, 502 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's natural especially if like for for 503 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,719 Speaker 1: in my example, I didn't really pay attention too much 504 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 1: in statistics class in high school, so it kind of 505 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 1: seems crazy. But through like you said, properly conducted surveys 506 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: with a statistically significant sample size and process, you can 507 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: actually see what the results would be within that smaller 508 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: sample size let's say ten thousand people or whatever. And 509 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: because of statistics that actually can be applied to the 510 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 1: total hunters or whatever, it might be amazingly accurately. And 511 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: I was kind of digging into this issue myself, trying 512 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: to see, you know, how accurate is it. And in 513 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: the case of Pennsylvania, there was a resource, the penn 514 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: State uh Dear Force Study. I like it was. I 515 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,719 Speaker 1: was reading an article where they explained that they were 516 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: trying to verify their survey and when they look at 517 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 1: the survey that the random sample survey that they send 518 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: out compared to the the on the ground harvest numbers 519 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: that they get, I'm doing the things you mentioned, the 520 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: checkens plus the correction factor. They found that their accuracy 521 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: of the survey was within I think two to nine 522 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 1: of the actual numbers they got, So surprisingly seems very accurate. Um. 523 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: Is there is there any other way that states that 524 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: do this check to verify or is it just like 525 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 1: the math is going to be right no matter what, 526 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: we don't need to verify it. No. M some most 527 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,479 Speaker 1: states don't. The ones they use the actual hunter survey. UM, 528 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: they don't need to verify because that's already statistically valid. Uh. 529 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: The states that just require the harvest to be reported, um, 530 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 1: most of those do not verify. I believe the Pennsylvania 531 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 1: in New York are the only two that do so. 532 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 1: For the rest of them, um, they are reporting in 533 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: most cases just a minimum do you ever do harvest 534 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: that they know of, and then they just use that 535 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,679 Speaker 1: number from year to year. So I think the majority 536 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,680 Speaker 1: states do not know the exact percentage of hunters that 537 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: did report, you know, the harvest legally, like Pennsylvania knows. 538 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: So so what they based off in and is okay, 539 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: we have the minimum number of deer that we know 540 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,400 Speaker 1: we're killed. We'll use that number moving forward. So it's 541 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: it's a good number. But there are better ways to 542 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:20,119 Speaker 1: do it, um. In some cases more costly ways. But 543 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:23,639 Speaker 1: if you can get the total estimate, and particularly to 544 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: a hunter survey like that or checking those deals like 545 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,959 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania or New York does, those are much preferred methods 546 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: and produce a lot more confidence in that actual number. 547 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: So so did I hear you correctly come mins ago 548 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 1: and you said that you believe the best option is 549 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: the servey. You think that that is the best option 550 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: I do because it is the UH is done often 551 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: by an independent company, often by Responsive Management, which is 552 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: a natural resource survey company based out of Virginia. They 553 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: do work for all state agencies and federal agencies and 554 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 1: from a natural resources and often Responsive Management of the 555 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: ones that conduct a survey, and they are just simply 556 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: the best of the business of what they do. So 557 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:07,359 Speaker 1: um in my opinion, that is the best way to 558 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: go for the agency because you not only get numbers 559 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: to do, then you can have opportunities to ask other 560 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: hunter related questions either on you know, their ideas on things, 561 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 1: of the preferences for things, so you're getting that data 562 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,199 Speaker 1: which is top of the line. Plus you have an 563 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to engage those hunters on other important topics. So 564 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: I really like those hunter surveys. That's interesting being from 565 00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: Michigan where we don't have any kind of mandatory checking. 566 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:36,320 Speaker 1: I've always complained about it, and I said, why, you know, 567 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: we should have a check and we shouldn't have just 568 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: a random survey that you know, just a handful people 569 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: to take. Being uneducated about it. I always thought that 570 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 1: was a worst option, But it's interesting now as I'm 571 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: starting to hear from you and doing my own research 572 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: that that actually, that's a pretty good way of going 573 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: about it, um And I think there's a lot of 574 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: people probably listening that have been confused about this too. 575 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: So I'm glad that we could dive into it a 576 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: little bit because I think it's a Once you hear 577 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: about it, it makes sense and you can understand why 578 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,280 Speaker 1: states do it the way they do it. But when 579 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: you don't have any idea, it kind of seems like 580 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: these states are coming up with numbers and management plans 581 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: kind of willy nilly based on a handful of helpful 582 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: people checking in their deer sharing data and everybody else 583 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: kind of keeping it to themselves. So it's interesting, very interesting. 584 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: So so mark that answers the actual harvest part. In 585 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: the second half of that is the age structure party, like, 586 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: how do how the agencies get that? And there's a 587 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 1: few different ways that they will. Some of them still 588 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: do maintain check stations, or they can collect biological data 589 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:36,640 Speaker 1: from the deer coming in, you know that way they 590 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: can pull a jawbone or look at that job bone 591 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,479 Speaker 1: to get age data. Some of them require the hunters 592 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: or ask honors to send in the incisors, the front 593 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: incisors to their office, which they will then send to 594 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: lab for cementa manually aging, so they can get it 595 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: that way. Um. So there's different ways that they will 596 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: get that age data. Pennsylvania gets it by those meat 597 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 1: locker checks where they can see the job bones of 598 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,760 Speaker 1: those de So there's a few different ways there. Um. 599 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: So there's more ways that they're getting age structure data 600 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: than the not. Actually, Virginia is a perfect example. Through 601 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: their d MAP program, they require all of their d 602 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: MAP cooperators to collect job bones from all the deer 603 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: that are harvested, provide them to the agency so the 604 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: agency can then age those deer. So lots of different 605 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: ways for that. The important thing there is at least 606 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: most states do collect age structure data. Um. It blows 607 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 1: my mind that there's a few that still don't because 608 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: I think man as a deer bothers there, I would 609 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: so want to know what the age structure that harvest 610 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: is and you know how it changes over time. There's 611 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,239 Speaker 1: there is literally a handful that that don't have that data. Um. 612 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: Most do. And with those even if or even given 613 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: that some states collected differently, um, I believe that most 614 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: of the states that do collect it at least continue 615 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: to collect it the same way each year, so they 616 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: do maintain that consistency across the gears, so they can 617 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: monitor changes in the age structure, whether it's going up 618 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 1: or down or staying stable. So you can you can 619 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: at least monitor those trends, which which is the ultimately 620 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: most important thing. That's right, Yeah, and that's what they 621 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: really really need to be able to do so. So 622 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: so taking a step back then to the white Tail report, 623 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: seems like the big piece of good news, the fact 624 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: that we've seen this kind of threshold pass where there's 625 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: more mature bucks being taken. Were there any other items 626 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: of good news that you found as major um takeaways 627 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: from this this most recent year. Yeah, the sure, we're 628 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 1: I think one of the really cool thing is going 629 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: on right now is something called the Wild Harvest Initiative. UM. 630 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: As a hunter, you know, I've preached the benefits of 631 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: hunters for years to to non hunters, and you know, 632 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: in the amount of wild game that we consume but 633 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: then also share with others, will actually some researchers from Canada, 634 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: Shane Mahoney from Conservation Visions and Newfoundland have started this 635 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: and he's actually starting an effort to quantify the amount 636 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: of wild game and wild fish consumed in North America 637 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: because his his contention is that there is so much 638 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: more game that is eaten than most folks realized. That 639 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: if that game was not there and it was not 640 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 1: harvested and consumed by hunters and anglers, the cost that 641 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 1: you can on, the costs to US and Canada from 642 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: the agricultural and would be astronomical. So think about it. 643 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: I know you're a big hunter and outdoors and think 644 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: of all of the deer and elkin turkey in the 645 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: US you lead each year. You think that if you 646 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: didn't have that and you had to buy that much 647 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: more beef and chicken, and I'll multiply that, you know, 648 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: by twelve million deer hunters in the in the country. Uh, 649 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 1: this is this is pretty cool. It's it's going to 650 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: be a monumental effort and that's why there's lots of 651 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: different organizations and people who will be involved helping this um. 652 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: We are so excited about it at qdm A that 653 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: that we have pledged fifty tho dollars to help in 654 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 1: these efforts. And my personal opinion is that this has 655 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: a chance to show how important hunters are to society, 656 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: hunters and anglers, especially hunters to society, and for the 657 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: first time, you know, we have a great opportunity to 658 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: show non hunters and particularly anti hunters just how down 659 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: important we are to what's going on, you know, even 660 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,160 Speaker 1: just from a feeding perspective. So so the wild Irve 661 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: was initiative, I think is super cool and I'm excited 662 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: to see a guest started this year. Yeah, us too. 663 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: I We actually had Shane on as a guest last year, 664 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, as you know, kid, he's a 665 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: very inspiring individual and a lot of things he's working 666 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: on are pretty exciting and this being a perfect example 667 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: of that. So I did think when I saw that, 668 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: when I saw the qtu Ay was was stepping up 669 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 1: to help with that, I was pretty excited to hear it. Um, 670 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: It's it's definitely a worthy cause for sure. Now on 671 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: the other side of the coin, then when we're talking 672 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 1: about some of the different challenges maybe that are facing 673 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: deer and deer hunting, there were a lot that we 674 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: talked about last year. Um, what do you think this 675 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 1: year are the are the greatest channel and just facing 676 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 1: either the animals themselves or our traditionist hunters or opportunitiest hunters. Well, 677 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: I think we certainly had diseases sturnally still a big one, 678 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,360 Speaker 1: and we looked at a couple of different things of 679 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,720 Speaker 1: that this year. And one of the questions we asked 680 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 1: every day whilife agency was, you know, what is the 681 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 1: single biggest management issue that you face on a daily basis? 682 00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 1: I mean, would you spend more time and more resources 683 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: on than anything else? And for more When all the 684 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,800 Speaker 1: results came back, the largest by far and half of 685 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 1: the states reported this the single biggest issues that they 686 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: spend more time and resources on our disease and captive 687 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: deer issues. And uh so what that means is that 688 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: they then robbed the opportunity for spending all of that 689 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,239 Speaker 1: time and resources on other things that would be more 690 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: beneficial the hunters, like hunter access, hunter recruitment, habitat enhancement, 691 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: and that kind of thing. So so I think that's 692 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: still a troubling, troubling one that that is such a 693 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:01,839 Speaker 1: big issue. And I agree that I'm not saying they're 694 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 1: wrong and spending it time where they should, And I 695 00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: think that it absolutely is the biggest because of some 696 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 1: of the impacts of that. So we see that, but 697 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 1: also one of the newer challenges UM has to do 698 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: something from the law enforcement end. And I know we 699 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 1: have some hunters that would said, man, you know, I 700 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 1: can't stand my law enforcement officers, or someone I said, 701 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: they love them. But wherever hunters fall on that, you know, 702 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 1: law enforcement, wildlife enforcement, and it was a big part 703 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: of what we love to do. It's necessary, it's important. 704 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:33,360 Speaker 1: And last year there was a story out of Illinois 705 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 1: that you know, they lost a big chunk of wildlife 706 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: officers all at once. So we start digging in and 707 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 1: seeing exactly what was going on with this. You know, 708 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 1: what were the trains when we found out is you know, 709 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: there's just a handful of states that actually have more 710 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: wildlife officers today than they did a decade ago. Um, 711 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 1: there's a bunch of states that have fewer today, and 712 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: you know, and that's not good. That China is going 713 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 1: absolutely the wrong way, you know, given that particularly we 714 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: have more older deer today. We you know, it's just 715 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: an increased focus on wildlife in general. The fact that 716 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,399 Speaker 1: we have fewer people out there help them to its 717 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:10,400 Speaker 1: enforce those laws is not not positive at all. Right, 718 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: if you're if you're concerned about poaching or people you know, 719 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: not checking in their deer or doing all sorts of 720 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: different things that as individual hunters and manners, we of 721 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 1: course hate to see if we don't have more law 722 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,800 Speaker 1: enforcement officers to actually help manage that and deal with that, 723 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,480 Speaker 1: we're we're gonna be putting ourselves in a worst position 724 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 1: year in and year out. That's right. And to take 725 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: that one step further, we wanted to say, Okay, you know, 726 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: like how what is the density of wildlife officers out 727 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: there across the country, And it is amazing how much 728 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:43,920 Speaker 1: at varianties some states. Uh for instance, Maryland, Maryland has 729 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: more wildlife officers on a per square mile basis than 730 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: any other state, and it averages out that each of 731 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: their officers covers twenty eight square miles. So one officer 732 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,759 Speaker 1: twenty square miles is a lot of ground to cover, 733 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 1: you know, And that's the lowest in the country tree 734 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:02,719 Speaker 1: it goes all the way up to the other end 735 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,800 Speaker 1: of the spectrum is North Dakota. So each officer in 736 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 1: Maryland averages twenty eight square miles to cover each officer 737 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: in North Dakota covers one eight hundred and sixty five 738 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:17,800 Speaker 1: square almost two thousand square miles. So you apply, you know, 739 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 1: figurett the acoes that I mean is this funding and 740 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 1: and graded vranted that you know in North Dakota has 741 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:26,319 Speaker 1: a lot fewer hundreds than Maryland does a lot more 742 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 1: open land. But but still think about that if you 743 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 1: live there. You know, when your officer has to cover 744 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 1: almost two thousand square miles, you know, what are the 745 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: chances that he or she, you know, we'll be able 746 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: to respond quickly to you know, somebody that's poaching near 747 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 1: you or something that's I mean, that's just absolutely off 748 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: the charts and not that's not not a good thing 749 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: at all. And it's not you know, North Dakota game 750 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 1: of Fisher's Fall and not criticizing them by any means. 751 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 1: I mean, all of these states, you know, both the 752 00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: law enforcement and in the biological and you know, it's 753 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: all regulated by their budgets and so man or man. 754 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 1: But that's that's pretty amazing that there's a handful of 755 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: states you know that a thousand square miles and more 756 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:12,759 Speaker 1: that each officer has to cover, so US not not 757 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,880 Speaker 1: very conducive for them, you know, really being able to 758 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:20,320 Speaker 1: help somebody in a very local situation. Well, before we 759 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: move on to my next question for Kip, we do 760 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 1: need to pause briefly for word from our sponsors of 761 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: this episode, Bear Archery. As we've done over the past 762 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:29,719 Speaker 1: few weeks, I wanted to share a quote from the 763 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: legendary founder of bear Chery, Fred Bear and today. Our 764 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:37,720 Speaker 1: quote is short and sweet, so here goes and the quote, 765 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:42,319 Speaker 1: the history of the bone arrow is the history of mankind. 766 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 1: End quote. Isn't that just so true? The history of 767 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 1: the bow and arrow and archery and bow hunting. It's 768 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:54,359 Speaker 1: just fascinating stuff, and so is the future. And bear 769 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 1: Archer is continuing to work to create that future of 770 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,959 Speaker 1: bow hunting this year, having launched their very latent speed 771 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,080 Speaker 1: the new compound bow, the Bear Escape, and their brand 772 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:06,640 Speaker 1: new line of bare X crossbows. So if you're interested 773 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: more in learning about either of those, visit bear Archery 774 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: dot com. And now back to the show. Yeah. So, so, 775 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: speaking of budgets, this is something um that I saw 776 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: you guys wrote about in the report as well, and 777 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:23,399 Speaker 1: it's something I thought about to a degree, to very 778 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,040 Speaker 1: I believe a significant amount of the budget made available 779 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 1: to these state agencies who helped manage our dear herds 780 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:33,239 Speaker 1: and enforce these important laws and everything. A significant portion 781 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:37,520 Speaker 1: of that budget comes from license fees. Correct, And you 782 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,760 Speaker 1: guys did you guys took a look at how license 783 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,840 Speaker 1: fees have or have not changed across many of the 784 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:46,400 Speaker 1: white tail states, um recently. Could you tell us what 785 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 1: you get what you've found there, and that would be 786 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 1: curious on your opinion on a couple of things related 787 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,800 Speaker 1: to that. Sure we are, we put that in in 788 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: your right. Those license fees pay a big portion of 789 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 1: our agencies budgets. And I tell people is you know 790 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 1: what if you want to help wildlife, wile license You know, 791 00:40:01,040 --> 00:40:03,000 Speaker 1: even if you're out a hunter, just buying a hunting 792 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,439 Speaker 1: or fishing license helps tremendously. And you know, and people 793 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:08,319 Speaker 1: off the roll their eyes that you're not a hunt 794 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:10,719 Speaker 1: Do you like do you feed birds? Oh? Yeah, I'd 795 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 1: love to see songbirds. You know, well, sankahuna, you know, 796 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: help out by buying a hut license. That's a great 797 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 1: way for them to be able to help. So, but yes, 798 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:21,560 Speaker 1: with the hunting license sales. Then we took a look 799 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:23,759 Speaker 1: at eye you know, when was the last time that 800 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: you actually increased your license price? And I'll be the 801 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: first to admit that I know that, you know, we 802 00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: don't like to pay more for a hunting license, and 803 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 1: you know, no hunter wants to do that. But the 804 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 1: reality of it is, you know, if that pays most 805 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:37,880 Speaker 1: of the funding for those wildlife and wildlife management that 806 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,840 Speaker 1: we love, we should at least hope that those license 807 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:44,720 Speaker 1: fees can cover the appropriate amount to fund this stuff. 808 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:46,839 Speaker 1: So so we at to every state, you know, when 809 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 1: was the last year that you increase the price of 810 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:53,760 Speaker 1: your resident hunting license? You know, there's lots of different 811 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,920 Speaker 1: varieties of non hunting licenses and other parts of resident 812 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: youth centers. We just made it very clear and the 813 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,280 Speaker 1: isn't that hunting license when was the last year was increased? 814 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:05,520 Speaker 1: And there was only a handful of states that have 815 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 1: increased that price within the last five years. Uh, a 816 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,879 Speaker 1: lot more states that increased it five to ten years ago, 817 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:15,760 Speaker 1: and unfortunately the majority of states that hasn't been increasing 818 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,360 Speaker 1: over ten years. So you take a look at the 819 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 1: cost of living more than ten years ago versus today, 820 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:23,919 Speaker 1: it's very different. You know, think about what we pay 821 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,399 Speaker 1: for gas or you know, or a rifle or even 822 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:29,640 Speaker 1: arrows for our boat today very different than than you know, 823 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:32,200 Speaker 1: fifteen twenty years ago. And and I actually goes all 824 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:34,800 Speaker 1: the way back the state that has maintains are licensed 825 00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:38,239 Speaker 1: the longest. And this just blows my mind. Kansas has 826 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:44,120 Speaker 1: not increased the price of their uh res since you 827 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: think about the opportunities of the hunting opportunities you have 828 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 1: in Kansas. You know, tremendous, tremendous opportunity with deer, tremendous 829 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,160 Speaker 1: bird opportunities there. You know, people go to Kansas all 830 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:57,960 Speaker 1: the time to be able to hunt. And and that 831 00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:02,319 Speaker 1: agency unfortunately is working under you know resident I mean 832 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 1: license price it was based all the way back. Even 833 00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:09,000 Speaker 1: though I know we don't like to pay more for them, 834 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:14,680 Speaker 1: they certainly deserve more hunting license there to help more 835 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:17,399 Speaker 1: adequately fund a lot of the management efforts they're trying 836 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 1: to do, right, I mean, I think at least me personally, 837 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: I would imagine a lot of other serious hunters out there. 838 00:42:24,880 --> 00:42:28,279 Speaker 1: I mean, I would gladly pay more because I think 839 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:30,239 Speaker 1: maybe people have questions like, well, if we pay more, 840 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:32,280 Speaker 1: is it just going to some other you know, patting 841 00:42:32,320 --> 00:42:34,200 Speaker 1: the pockets to somebody else, or is it actually going 842 00:42:34,239 --> 00:42:37,040 Speaker 1: to go to our agency and conservation and all that 843 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:39,560 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. I guess I understand those questions, but 844 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: I think if I'm going to pay extra for something, 845 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:45,040 Speaker 1: I would much rather be paying extra here where I 846 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:48,000 Speaker 1: know that it's going to support a very important cause 847 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 1: and a budget that's already significantly strapped these agencies and biologists, 848 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,840 Speaker 1: and I think they, as we've talked about their serious 849 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:00,200 Speaker 1: needs for additional funding, we the people using it, be 850 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 1: responsible for trying to help that a little bit. I 851 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 1: don't think. Yeah, no, I agree. I agree. One other 852 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:10,200 Speaker 1: thing that was very positive that we saw mark was 853 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:13,400 Speaker 1: hunter access was always a big issue. And uh, you know, 854 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 1: in a lot of plays, people just don't have a 855 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,320 Speaker 1: good place to go to hunt. So we have states, 856 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:20,279 Speaker 1: Uh you know how many acres of state owned land 857 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:22,200 Speaker 1: do you have right now it's open to deer hunting? 858 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 1: You know, this is not national lands, it's not national 859 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,759 Speaker 1: forests or national parks or anything in the States that 860 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: people can get, but just state owned land. You know 861 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,160 Speaker 1: today versus ten years ago, And what we found out 862 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:36,200 Speaker 1: today there's over fifty million acres of state owned land 863 00:43:36,239 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 1: that's open to deer hunting right now, or at least 864 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:41,960 Speaker 1: when the most recent deer season was in and uh 865 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:45,440 Speaker 1: in most states have that trend was up from a 866 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:48,399 Speaker 1: decade ago. So I had more land today state own 867 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:51,840 Speaker 1: land for deer hunters than than ten years ago. Unfortunately, 868 00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 1: there's certainly states to Texas or Kansas, they have very 869 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:58,279 Speaker 1: little private land, you know, I mean public land. It's 870 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 1: almost all private, so doesn't help them a whole lot. 871 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 1: But for much of the United States, um, a lot 872 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:07,000 Speaker 1: of the states today have more land in the past 873 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:09,680 Speaker 1: for hunters. So that's a good thing because they're certainly 874 00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:11,919 Speaker 1: not making any more of it. And as we've become 875 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 1: more urbanized and people lose places to hunt, the state 876 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:17,200 Speaker 1: lands like this just become all that more important. So 877 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,000 Speaker 1: I was glad to see that that trend was increasing. Yeah, 878 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:23,399 Speaker 1: definitely access and public lands across the board, national land, 879 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:27,040 Speaker 1: state it's important thing. As you mentioned, I think I 880 00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 1: think we had maybe talked about this once before, just 881 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:34,320 Speaker 1: about how one of the main reasons why people indicate 882 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:37,560 Speaker 1: them having had to quit hunting or not be able 883 00:44:37,600 --> 00:44:39,279 Speaker 1: to get started hunting is because of a lack of 884 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:42,280 Speaker 1: places to hunt. UM. So this speaks to the larger 885 00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:46,279 Speaker 1: issue of hunter recruitment to and retaining hunters. Um, this 886 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: manas across the board for all those things. That just 887 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: for sure, that's absolutely right. So I want to I 888 00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 1: want to jump back real quick to the topic of 889 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,839 Speaker 1: license views. I'm just curious about your opinion on nonresident 890 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:06,200 Speaker 1: license fees and the dramatic disparity in resident prices versus 891 00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:09,960 Speaker 1: non resident prices. Is this is kind of where maybe 892 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:12,440 Speaker 1: we're seeing the opposite of what's happening on the residents side. 893 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:14,839 Speaker 1: On the resident side, it seems like, you know, these 894 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:17,680 Speaker 1: these fees are very very very low, and maybe we're 895 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:20,319 Speaker 1: not raising them enough to help out. On the other hand, 896 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:23,400 Speaker 1: you've got the nonresident fees, which in some states are 897 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:27,400 Speaker 1: getting very very high and very limiting. Do you have 898 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:29,239 Speaker 1: any opinion on that? I mean, is that the right 899 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:33,000 Speaker 1: way to go to just charge nonresidents a huge increase 900 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:35,800 Speaker 1: in fee for for those people to hunt or I 901 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:37,600 Speaker 1: don't know. I struggle with this myself, and maybe it's 902 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,120 Speaker 1: just because I'm a nonresident hunter in many cases. Um, 903 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:41,480 Speaker 1: but I don't know. Do you have an opinion on that? 904 00:45:41,600 --> 00:45:43,520 Speaker 1: Is that the right way to go? Yeah? Well, I 905 00:45:43,600 --> 00:45:46,720 Speaker 1: think that it's certainly. I do like it that resident 906 00:45:46,840 --> 00:45:49,640 Speaker 1: fees are less than nonresidents. I think it's a benefit 907 00:45:49,719 --> 00:45:51,520 Speaker 1: to the people living, you know, within that state that 908 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:54,280 Speaker 1: they do not have to pay as much as somebody 909 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: coming in from another state. So I completely get that, 910 00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:59,640 Speaker 1: and I'm fine of that. Um. Having said that, there 911 00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:04,960 Speaker 1: are amendous variants in nonresidencies for different states. Some states 912 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:09,200 Speaker 1: almost giveaway a nonresident hunting license, whereas others, you know, 913 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:13,080 Speaker 1: really really reap the benefits of the opportunity that people 914 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,800 Speaker 1: want to come there. And actually Illinois is a perfect example. 915 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:18,440 Speaker 1: You know, Illinois has a really good deer hurt else 916 00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:20,600 Speaker 1: people want to go and hunt deer, and if you're 917 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 1: as a nonresident going in, you're gonna pay through the teeth, 918 00:46:23,239 --> 00:46:26,200 Speaker 1: you know, to get there. Um, I guess I don't 919 00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:30,560 Speaker 1: have as much of a problem with that state charging 920 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,200 Speaker 1: an adequate fee for nonresident as I do some of 921 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:39,160 Speaker 1: the states like Ohio that almost give away the nonresident license. 922 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:42,879 Speaker 1: And I'm so I've been very pleased that it wasn't 923 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: that much. And there's probably some hunters saying, you know, 924 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:47,440 Speaker 1: that's terrible, why you know, we should be cheap, But 925 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:50,759 Speaker 1: I'm looking at it from I guess the funding end 926 00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:53,919 Speaker 1: and think, man, oh man, let's budgets are cut today, 927 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,759 Speaker 1: we as hunters end up getting hurt in the long 928 00:46:56,880 --> 00:47:01,440 Speaker 1: run where you have really inexpensive I guess nonresident licenses 929 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 1: like that. So I think it would be a lot 930 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:05,760 Speaker 1: better off if there was a little more parody across 931 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 1: the board on what nine residents were we're having to pay. 932 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: In some cases it probably would be a lot less. 933 00:47:11,200 --> 00:47:14,040 Speaker 1: You wouldn't have to pay nearly as higher fees, you know, 934 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 1: maybe like in Illinois, if some of the other places, 935 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:18,600 Speaker 1: you know, it was a little higher, a little more 936 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:22,600 Speaker 1: representative of what the opportunity was you were getting. So um, 937 00:47:23,320 --> 00:47:25,480 Speaker 1: you know, I think ultimately, and this has been the 938 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 1: news lately, where you know, should non hunters have to 939 00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:30,480 Speaker 1: pay some of the bill for the wildlife use and 940 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,399 Speaker 1: all that? And and I'm a firm believer in yes, 941 00:47:33,960 --> 00:47:36,400 Speaker 1: because hunters have paid for all of us for so 942 00:47:36,640 --> 00:47:39,399 Speaker 1: long that you know, I think other users should pay 943 00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:41,440 Speaker 1: a little bit. And some will say, well, yeah, but 944 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:43,120 Speaker 1: then they will get to say at the table if 945 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:44,960 Speaker 1: they do, and you know what, they already have a 946 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:47,160 Speaker 1: stake at the table. So as I don't think that 947 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:50,920 Speaker 1: that just because they pay it adds anything to them. Historically, 948 00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:53,680 Speaker 1: you know, hunters were about the only ones sitting at 949 00:47:53,719 --> 00:47:56,040 Speaker 1: the table stakeholder wise, and that's not the case at 950 00:47:56,080 --> 00:47:59,680 Speaker 1: Hall anymore. There's a stakeholder group is much much bigger, 951 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:03,920 Speaker 1: and so these others that are benefiting from our wilefe resources. 952 00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:05,759 Speaker 1: I firmly feel that they should pay a little bit 953 00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 1: of their own fair share to be involved with that 954 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: as well, right right, And I think, um, you know, 955 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:14,720 Speaker 1: I believe that there was some legislation that was was pushed, 956 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:17,320 Speaker 1: maybe a decade or more ago, trying to add some 957 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:20,440 Speaker 1: type of excise tax on other outdoor recreation items, non 958 00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:23,760 Speaker 1: hunting related, hiking, camping, et cetera, that kind of stuff, 959 00:48:23,960 --> 00:48:26,279 Speaker 1: and that was shot down. Is there any chance of 960 00:48:26,360 --> 00:48:28,960 Speaker 1: something that ever ever happening again or have you heard 961 00:48:29,040 --> 00:48:31,640 Speaker 1: winds of something like that being brought back to the table. 962 00:48:32,440 --> 00:48:36,160 Speaker 1: I haven't heard anything recently on that, so it's possible, 963 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:38,040 Speaker 1: I guess as being considered out. I just don't know 964 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:40,520 Speaker 1: about it, but um, I do think that it will 965 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:43,960 Speaker 1: be brought back just because as budgets become more limited 966 00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:45,719 Speaker 1: and they have to find ways to help fund some 967 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:48,239 Speaker 1: of the stuff and given that those other people are 968 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: you know, are using those resources. You know, I think 969 00:48:50,760 --> 00:48:55,000 Speaker 1: that's a very responsible way to coop that back. And 970 00:48:55,239 --> 00:48:56,759 Speaker 1: uh so it's a good way to do it. And 971 00:48:56,840 --> 00:48:59,399 Speaker 1: I have some first hand experience with that. First job, 972 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:01,080 Speaker 1: I had to out of schools for the State of 973 00:49:01,120 --> 00:49:03,440 Speaker 1: Florida or for Flow the Game and Fish and managed 974 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:06,759 Speaker 1: ten thousand acres down there for the state, and any 975 00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:09,680 Speaker 1: hunters who came into our wildlife management units had to 976 00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: buy a management stamp and then that gave them the 977 00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:16,279 Speaker 1: right to hunt on at that point, like four million 978 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:19,239 Speaker 1: acres in the state. Well, anybody who came in and 979 00:49:19,320 --> 00:49:21,200 Speaker 1: use those lines that was not hunting didn't have to 980 00:49:21,239 --> 00:49:24,120 Speaker 1: pay a cent. And that argument was we're not shooting 981 00:49:24,160 --> 00:49:27,239 Speaker 1: anything or killing anything. But my argument was, as the 982 00:49:27,360 --> 00:49:30,080 Speaker 1: biologist in charge of that, a big part of my 983 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:34,600 Speaker 1: budget each year went to maintaining the roads and maintaining 984 00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:37,680 Speaker 1: the creek crossings and doing everything else so that everybody 985 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:40,640 Speaker 1: that wanted to use that property could access it. And 986 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:42,520 Speaker 1: I was glad to do it, but you know what 987 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:45,239 Speaker 1: I would tell the bird watchers, You know, you tear 988 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:46,880 Speaker 1: this road up every bit as much as you know 989 00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:49,839 Speaker 1: somebody driving by hare hunting or you know, you need 990 00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:52,520 Speaker 1: to use that creek crossing as much as somebody else. 991 00:49:52,719 --> 00:49:55,520 Speaker 1: So in my opinion was always even though they're not 992 00:49:56,040 --> 00:49:58,760 Speaker 1: shooting or taking meat home, you know what, most hunters 993 00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:00,759 Speaker 1: who come on here aren't take too much meat home. 994 00:50:01,360 --> 00:50:05,279 Speaker 1: But yeah, still they you know, they are using they 995 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:08,000 Speaker 1: are I guess, seeing the beauty of the place, they're 996 00:50:08,000 --> 00:50:11,719 Speaker 1: seeing the wildlife, of photographing wildlife. They're using the resources 997 00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:13,680 Speaker 1: that we have there to allow them to access it. 998 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:17,759 Speaker 1: So so I always felt that they should pay as well. So, um, 999 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:21,279 Speaker 1: whether that comes back or not, I certainly would would 1000 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:24,040 Speaker 1: vote for it. And when I'm buying binoculars and hiking 1001 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:26,080 Speaker 1: boots and all other stuff, you know, I'd be glad 1002 00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:29,440 Speaker 1: that that part of what I was paying goes to 1003 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:31,839 Speaker 1: make sure that there are places there to be able 1004 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:35,120 Speaker 1: to hike and see wildlife long into the future. Yeah, 1005 00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:38,000 Speaker 1: I agree. It just seems like a common sense thing 1006 00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:42,560 Speaker 1: to me. Um, Now, I know, you know, increasing taxes 1007 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:44,680 Speaker 1: or increases in license fees or any of these things. 1008 00:50:44,719 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 1: You know, it's kind of taboo. Obviously, lots of people 1009 00:50:48,160 --> 00:50:50,799 Speaker 1: want to stay away from saying those words because people 1010 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:52,759 Speaker 1: don't like them. But at the same time, when it 1011 00:50:52,840 --> 00:50:55,960 Speaker 1: comes to a resource that we value so much, I 1012 00:50:56,040 --> 00:50:58,080 Speaker 1: think we need to step up sometimes too and help 1013 00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:01,840 Speaker 1: take responsibility for it. So I want to take a 1014 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:05,240 Speaker 1: step back again now to one of the first challenges 1015 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,680 Speaker 1: you brought up that are facing deer and deer hunting today, 1016 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:12,880 Speaker 1: and that is disease and captive deer related issues. UM. 1017 00:51:13,120 --> 00:51:15,000 Speaker 1: And I know they're kind of tangled in together, so 1018 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:17,440 Speaker 1: we might kind of cross crisscross between the two, but 1019 00:51:18,239 --> 00:51:21,120 Speaker 1: starting with the on the disease standpoint from you know, 1020 00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:23,480 Speaker 1: from what I've heard and seen over the last year, 1021 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:25,960 Speaker 1: so we haven't had a real big year when it 1022 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: comes to h D, e h D or anything like that. 1023 00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:30,680 Speaker 1: I'm compared to what happened in two thousand twelve and 1024 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:33,880 Speaker 1: two thousand thirteen when those diseases had major impacts on 1025 00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:38,040 Speaker 1: populations across a number of states. UM. But I think 1026 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:40,879 Speaker 1: c w D chronic wasting disease is something that has 1027 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:44,000 Speaker 1: definitely still been prevalent and and we've been seeing more 1028 00:51:44,040 --> 00:51:45,520 Speaker 1: and more of that pop up in the news over 1029 00:51:45,520 --> 00:51:48,319 Speaker 1: the last year. UM. For instance in my home state 1030 00:51:48,400 --> 00:51:52,960 Speaker 1: of Michigan. UM, Kip, what is your take on number one? 1031 00:51:53,160 --> 00:51:56,560 Speaker 1: What's what's the status of c w D across America 1032 00:51:56,680 --> 00:52:00,360 Speaker 1: this year and number two where things only on this 1033 00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:04,080 Speaker 1: on handling things, on researching things, on coming up with 1034 00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:09,279 Speaker 1: some type of solution or plans. What's happening here? All right? Well, 1035 00:52:09,440 --> 00:52:11,200 Speaker 1: we now know that the c w D is in 1036 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:16,080 Speaker 1: twenty three states and two provinces and Korea and an 1037 00:52:16,120 --> 00:52:19,080 Speaker 1: elk and Canada. They got shipped to Korea, so CDBs 1038 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:22,920 Speaker 1: in those places. And the real big things that came 1039 00:52:22,920 --> 00:52:25,200 Speaker 1: out of two thousand and fifteen both research on the 1040 00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:27,959 Speaker 1: disease wise, and what we saw was that the first 1041 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:31,160 Speaker 1: time we saw that the plants can definitely uptake the 1042 00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:34,759 Speaker 1: prions or the infectious material that causes CWD and pass 1043 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:37,720 Speaker 1: it to other animals and uh and then that's pretty scary, 1044 00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:40,000 Speaker 1: meaning you know, if you have an animal that has 1045 00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:43,440 Speaker 1: c w D and deer can transfer that disease you 1046 00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:45,719 Speaker 1: know through yearn and feces and that so if a 1047 00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:48,360 Speaker 1: deer who has it defecates in an area, which that 1048 00:52:48,480 --> 00:52:51,440 Speaker 1: means is if if a plant grows there later, it 1049 00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:55,279 Speaker 1: can take up those pres are the infectious material from 1050 00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:57,879 Speaker 1: that up through the root system up through the plant 1051 00:52:57,920 --> 00:53:00,560 Speaker 1: out into the leaves and then when other animals come 1052 00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:03,720 Speaker 1: and eat those leaves, passed that onto the other animal, 1053 00:53:04,480 --> 00:53:07,520 Speaker 1: and that had not been shown before and until now, 1054 00:53:07,640 --> 00:53:12,320 Speaker 1: and that's that has serious implications for the spread of 1055 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:14,560 Speaker 1: the disease, you know, from a deer end, but also 1056 00:53:14,640 --> 00:53:16,760 Speaker 1: just from an agricultural one. And I also think about 1057 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:20,080 Speaker 1: the Midwest or anywhere you know where our road crops 1058 00:53:20,080 --> 00:53:22,360 Speaker 1: are in all the corn and soybeans and other stuff 1059 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:25,760 Speaker 1: that that it takes to feed our country is grown. 1060 00:53:26,280 --> 00:53:29,960 Speaker 1: And now for the possibility of these pres being taken 1061 00:53:30,040 --> 00:53:33,279 Speaker 1: up into those plants and then put into other deer 1062 00:53:33,400 --> 00:53:36,279 Speaker 1: and the American consumer, you know, I think that's just 1063 00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:38,359 Speaker 1: the beginning of what we're going to talk about there. 1064 00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:41,319 Speaker 1: And that was more concerning because the other big piece 1065 00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:43,719 Speaker 1: of research that came out last year was that they 1066 00:53:43,760 --> 00:53:48,600 Speaker 1: had now seen some infection in humanized mice, some CWD infection. 1067 00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:51,239 Speaker 1: And what that means is, you know, the World Health 1068 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:54,640 Speaker 1: Organization has always said that there's general evidence that c 1069 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:57,799 Speaker 1: w D has been passed to a human and that's 1070 00:53:57,800 --> 00:53:59,640 Speaker 1: a very good thing because obviously we couldn't eat that 1071 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:02,560 Speaker 1: and if it did, but they're always doing research just 1072 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:05,600 Speaker 1: to see, you, like, how solid is this species barrier 1073 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:07,880 Speaker 1: that keeps us out. So they take these mice and 1074 00:54:07,920 --> 00:54:10,080 Speaker 1: they put some human genes in them, and they were 1075 00:54:10,280 --> 00:54:14,000 Speaker 1: basically feeding them the CWD material, and uh what they 1076 00:54:14,080 --> 00:54:16,160 Speaker 1: found was gosh done it. They actually got you know, 1077 00:54:16,239 --> 00:54:19,880 Speaker 1: infected with it. And to be very clear, they were 1078 00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:22,000 Speaker 1: doing this in a lab and they were getting this 1079 00:54:22,120 --> 00:54:24,399 Speaker 1: material into them, you know, in ways that it's highly 1080 00:54:24,480 --> 00:54:26,759 Speaker 1: unlikely you or I could ever come in contact with 1081 00:54:26,880 --> 00:54:30,680 Speaker 1: in the real world. But it's still the first time 1082 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:34,440 Speaker 1: that they've showed, you know, it may be possible. So 1083 00:54:35,200 --> 00:54:37,120 Speaker 1: given that now they know it goes to plans and 1084 00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:39,960 Speaker 1: that they can make these mice infected with it, that's 1085 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:43,000 Speaker 1: a big deal. And some people continue to say that 1086 00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:45,840 Speaker 1: cwds are you know, it's overblown, This is not a 1087 00:54:45,920 --> 00:54:49,760 Speaker 1: big deal. They could not be more wrong. The absolutely 1088 00:54:49,920 --> 00:54:53,960 Speaker 1: is a huge deal. The two biggest newspaper articles out 1089 00:54:54,040 --> 00:54:56,680 Speaker 1: last year in CWD. One of them were the headlines 1090 00:54:56,680 --> 00:55:01,239 Speaker 1: said that the experimental CWD vaccine failed initial testing. But 1091 00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:04,200 Speaker 1: it certainly would be good if we could have a vaccine, 1092 00:55:04,719 --> 00:55:08,040 Speaker 1: you know, because the biggest way that the disease currently 1093 00:55:08,120 --> 00:55:11,480 Speaker 1: has spread is do live animals. And when we move animals, 1094 00:55:11,920 --> 00:55:14,880 Speaker 1: you know, to two different game farms and shooting preserves 1095 00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:17,359 Speaker 1: and that kind of thing. So so if we could 1096 00:55:17,400 --> 00:55:19,879 Speaker 1: think it a vaccine that was certainly would be good. 1097 00:55:20,200 --> 00:55:24,080 Speaker 1: At this point we don't. And the second headline that 1098 00:55:24,239 --> 00:55:27,160 Speaker 1: was so big was said, the c w D kills 1099 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:31,880 Speaker 1: of the deer head annually in this one place in Wyoming, 1100 00:55:32,400 --> 00:55:34,040 Speaker 1: you know, and this is one of the first areas 1101 00:55:34,080 --> 00:55:37,040 Speaker 1: that actually got the disease. And what they see now 1102 00:55:37,239 --> 00:55:41,120 Speaker 1: is that of their deer die annually to that disease. 1103 00:55:41,320 --> 00:55:43,320 Speaker 1: That's a big deal. I mean, that's on top of 1104 00:55:43,360 --> 00:55:47,480 Speaker 1: the deer that die to hunters and cars and predators. 1105 00:55:47,560 --> 00:55:50,080 Speaker 1: And so think about that. You know, if if you 1106 00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:52,719 Speaker 1: where you are in Michigan or in Wisconsin where we 1107 00:55:52,840 --> 00:55:55,480 Speaker 1: first had it in the east, you know, one out 1108 00:55:55,520 --> 00:55:59,399 Speaker 1: of five deer gone, that's that puts a lot fewer 1109 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:00,960 Speaker 1: deer in the land escape for you or I to 1110 00:56:01,040 --> 00:56:04,640 Speaker 1: go see and and shoot. That's for sure. And the 1111 00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:06,880 Speaker 1: disease experts take a look at and say, you know what, 1112 00:56:07,120 --> 00:56:09,840 Speaker 1: this is a disease that takes a long time to 1113 00:56:09,960 --> 00:56:14,120 Speaker 1: really start showing population level impacts. And uh, I think 1114 00:56:14,160 --> 00:56:17,200 Speaker 1: we're just starting to see those out west. And sotly 1115 00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:19,120 Speaker 1: means you know that we will follow, we will see 1116 00:56:19,200 --> 00:56:22,640 Speaker 1: him here in the East. But I am I am 1117 00:56:22,719 --> 00:56:26,360 Speaker 1: extremely discouraged at what the future CDPT holds for us. 1118 00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:29,480 Speaker 1: And I'm extremely disappointed at some of our folks in 1119 00:56:29,600 --> 00:56:32,120 Speaker 1: the US who continue to say that this is not 1120 00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:34,040 Speaker 1: a big deal on hunters don't need to worry about it. 1121 00:56:34,640 --> 00:56:37,239 Speaker 1: They absolutely need to be concerned with it. Yeah, it's 1122 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:40,160 Speaker 1: it's it's uh. To your point, it's kind of disheartening 1123 00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:42,720 Speaker 1: to see some people that have a very large platform 1124 00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:45,480 Speaker 1: in the hunting world say some stuff that seems very 1125 00:56:45,680 --> 00:56:49,560 Speaker 1: counter uh, counterproductive, and not in line with with what 1126 00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:54,440 Speaker 1: science is telling us in any way whatsoever. Right, um So, So, 1127 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:57,480 Speaker 1: I think to your point, the issue that I think 1128 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:00,759 Speaker 1: some people have is that a lot these impacts of 1129 00:57:00,840 --> 00:57:03,840 Speaker 1: c w D are slow moving. The population level impacts 1130 00:57:03,880 --> 00:57:06,680 Speaker 1: like we're seeing in Wyoming right now, that's not happening 1131 00:57:06,760 --> 00:57:09,279 Speaker 1: yet in Michigan. The issue is that if we don't 1132 00:57:09,320 --> 00:57:12,239 Speaker 1: do something about it in Michigan, someday we might have 1133 00:57:12,440 --> 00:57:15,880 Speaker 1: that issue where thirty percent of your heard is impacted 1134 00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:18,200 Speaker 1: in dying from something like that, and you know, to 1135 00:57:18,560 --> 00:57:22,280 Speaker 1: pass that, to pass that down to our children or 1136 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:25,400 Speaker 1: grandchildren seems like a pretty awful thing to do, just 1137 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:27,800 Speaker 1: so that we can have it easier now in today's 1138 00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:29,600 Speaker 1: hunting world, or don't need to deal with a couple 1139 00:57:29,640 --> 00:57:32,840 Speaker 1: of extra regulations or whatever it might be. Um. So, 1140 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:35,120 Speaker 1: so that brings me to the next thing I'm curious about. 1141 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:39,120 Speaker 1: When you look at how states handle c w D 1142 00:57:39,400 --> 00:57:42,640 Speaker 1: when they discover c w D and what they then 1143 00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:44,640 Speaker 1: do after that, it seems like there's a number of 1144 00:57:45,280 --> 00:57:47,280 Speaker 1: all sorts of different states are going about in different ways. 1145 00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:50,320 Speaker 1: It doesn't seem that there's any consistent playbook that everyone's following. 1146 00:57:51,160 --> 00:57:53,560 Speaker 1: I think you can see a perfect example that with Wisconsin, 1147 00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:55,920 Speaker 1: who took a very aggressive approach to it when they 1148 00:57:55,960 --> 00:57:59,720 Speaker 1: initially discovered it and then incredib if I'm wrong here, kid, 1149 00:57:59,760 --> 00:58:02,200 Speaker 1: but when I understand right, they had this aggressive approach 1150 00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:04,840 Speaker 1: to begin with, and then after so many years there's 1151 00:58:04,840 --> 00:58:07,960 Speaker 1: been all sorts of public outcry upset with what was done, 1152 00:58:08,160 --> 00:58:11,480 Speaker 1: and now it seems that what's being done when it 1153 00:58:11,520 --> 00:58:15,200 Speaker 1: comes to c w D in Wisconsin is much more lax, 1154 00:58:15,320 --> 00:58:16,960 Speaker 1: and it's much more Okay, We're just going to kind 1155 00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:19,920 Speaker 1: of live with it. Um Can you can you tell 1156 00:58:19,960 --> 00:58:23,360 Speaker 1: me first, is that accurate and then number two, is 1157 00:58:23,440 --> 00:58:26,160 Speaker 1: there any kind of what's the best way to handle it? 1158 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:28,160 Speaker 1: I guess when the state does discover or once the 1159 00:58:28,240 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 1: state has it, is there any type of best practice 1160 00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:35,320 Speaker 1: for for how to move forward in a positive direction. Yeah, 1161 00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:38,200 Speaker 1: and with Garden Wisconsin, uh, you know, in fairness to 1162 00:58:38,240 --> 00:58:40,560 Speaker 1: the DNR there, they were the first state east of 1163 00:58:40,560 --> 00:58:43,120 Speaker 1: the Mississippi River to get it, you know, clear back 1164 00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:45,080 Speaker 1: in two thousand and one and two thousand and two 1165 00:58:45,160 --> 00:58:47,480 Speaker 1: of the big years there, and so little is known 1166 00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:49,880 Speaker 1: then that the best day at the time said, you 1167 00:58:49,920 --> 00:58:52,560 Speaker 1: know what, you just need to eradicate deer and stop 1168 00:58:52,600 --> 00:58:55,000 Speaker 1: it from spread. So that's what the DNR tried to do. 1169 00:58:55,200 --> 00:58:58,640 Speaker 1: And obviously that failed miserably because they you know, they 1170 00:58:58,680 --> 00:59:01,000 Speaker 1: didn't have the support of the hunters and the landowners 1171 00:59:01,040 --> 00:59:04,000 Speaker 1: too to execute that plan. So it turned into a 1172 00:59:04,320 --> 00:59:06,920 Speaker 1: a fiasco there, you know, and and find us to 1173 00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:09,680 Speaker 1: them though, because it just wasn't that much known about it, 1174 00:59:09,880 --> 00:59:11,680 Speaker 1: And it turns out, looking back, you know, that was 1175 00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:17,760 Speaker 1: absolutely the wrong approach to take um. So the loose 1176 00:59:17,880 --> 00:59:21,520 Speaker 1: public support moved forward, it turned into and a political 1177 00:59:22,360 --> 00:59:25,880 Speaker 1: hot potato that has never really allowed them to acquately 1178 00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:31,000 Speaker 1: address the disease, and so now rather than managing the disease, 1179 00:59:31,200 --> 00:59:34,360 Speaker 1: they are simply monitoring it. And that's what the official 1180 00:59:34,520 --> 00:59:36,800 Speaker 1: verbage out of Wisconsin is is that we're no longer 1181 00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:39,840 Speaker 1: managing the disease. We're just monitoring it to see how 1182 00:59:39,880 --> 00:59:42,920 Speaker 1: it spreads. And boys, from a manager standpoint, that is, 1183 00:59:42,960 --> 00:59:44,680 Speaker 1: he's the worst thing in the world to be able 1184 00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:46,160 Speaker 1: to do. And you know, and the DNR does not 1185 00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:48,480 Speaker 1: want it to be that way. They're they're forced to 1186 00:59:48,920 --> 00:59:51,440 Speaker 1: be in that way. So they're just watching it spread 1187 00:59:51,600 --> 00:59:54,000 Speaker 1: and spread and just grow larger in the state by 1188 00:59:54,080 --> 00:59:55,800 Speaker 1: the day. You know, one of the states that has 1189 00:59:56,360 --> 00:59:58,920 Speaker 1: one of the strongest hunting cultures and hunting traditions you know, 1190 00:59:59,000 --> 01:00:01,760 Speaker 1: in North America is losing a piece of it every 1191 01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:05,520 Speaker 1: single day because because of what they're doing. Uh. Fortunately, 1192 01:00:05,640 --> 01:00:08,880 Speaker 1: other states have learned from that experience, have learned from 1193 01:00:08,960 --> 01:00:12,400 Speaker 1: new research, and I think your state is a perfect example. 1194 01:00:12,560 --> 01:00:15,840 Speaker 1: You know, Michigan has a very calculated approach, I think, 1195 01:00:16,160 --> 01:00:19,040 Speaker 1: a very confident approach to to what they need to do, 1196 01:00:19,880 --> 01:00:23,120 Speaker 1: and they have thus far done a great job, you know, 1197 01:00:23,280 --> 01:00:26,760 Speaker 1: not dictating to the public what will happen, but talking 1198 01:00:26,840 --> 01:00:28,960 Speaker 1: to the public about what will happen what they need 1199 01:00:29,040 --> 01:00:31,680 Speaker 1: to do and asking for help and support, you know, 1200 01:00:31,800 --> 01:00:35,160 Speaker 1: and because by doing that, you've gone or under support, 1201 01:00:35,240 --> 01:00:36,800 Speaker 1: because if you want to go in and sharp shoot 1202 01:00:36,840 --> 01:00:39,960 Speaker 1: on some of these lannual you need access. And thus 1203 01:00:40,040 --> 01:00:42,360 Speaker 1: far they have done a really good job being good 1204 01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:45,960 Speaker 1: partners with the public. So I think that they have 1205 01:00:46,040 --> 01:00:50,000 Speaker 1: a much better chance of maintaining the disease in small areas, 1206 01:00:50,400 --> 01:00:52,680 Speaker 1: you know, and keep it from growing like we've like 1207 01:00:52,760 --> 01:00:55,800 Speaker 1: we've seen a growing Wisconsin. Do you do you think 1208 01:00:56,360 --> 01:00:59,560 Speaker 1: that something like a set of best practices or protocol 1209 01:01:00,280 --> 01:01:02,600 Speaker 1: is that something that that's needed or be beneficial for 1210 01:01:02,680 --> 01:01:05,920 Speaker 1: an organization like uh, I don't know, like a cum 1211 01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:07,640 Speaker 1: A or an n d A or anyone or just 1212 01:01:07,720 --> 01:01:11,160 Speaker 1: a state agency to put together Hey, here is our 1213 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:14,560 Speaker 1: recommended approach to handling a CWD situation. So there's something 1214 01:01:14,640 --> 01:01:17,280 Speaker 1: standardized across all the different states. Because it doesn't seem 1215 01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:20,480 Speaker 1: like this whole cw excuse me, c w D thing 1216 01:01:20,560 --> 01:01:23,320 Speaker 1: is going to disappear anytime soon. It's more than likely 1217 01:01:23,400 --> 01:01:26,960 Speaker 1: given things that we've talked about, and given some of 1218 01:01:26,960 --> 01:01:29,600 Speaker 1: these issues with the captive deerheard transfers, it seems like 1219 01:01:29,640 --> 01:01:31,960 Speaker 1: if anything, it's probably gonna start showing up more places. 1220 01:01:32,200 --> 01:01:35,240 Speaker 1: Is there a need for some type of standardized approach 1221 01:01:35,480 --> 01:01:39,360 Speaker 1: and prescription for how to deal with this? There? Yeah, 1222 01:01:39,440 --> 01:01:40,800 Speaker 1: there is, and I agree with you that this is 1223 01:01:40,840 --> 01:01:44,840 Speaker 1: going to continue to spread given the captive industry and 1224 01:01:45,160 --> 01:01:49,800 Speaker 1: some others. So many states do have pretty similar CDVt 1225 01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:52,080 Speaker 1: plans or at least components for those plans. How they're 1226 01:01:52,080 --> 01:01:54,760 Speaker 1: gonna react and what they're gonna do. I'm one of 1227 01:01:54,800 --> 01:01:59,440 Speaker 1: the big differences states. The authority over captive servits and 1228 01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:02,640 Speaker 1: something are different by state, So some states just to 1229 01:02:02,720 --> 01:02:05,440 Speaker 1: state while ife agency has complete authority, others it's the 1230 01:02:05,480 --> 01:02:08,800 Speaker 1: Department of agg Some that shared. So because of that, 1231 01:02:09,440 --> 01:02:14,720 Speaker 1: many states CWD plans. Response plans differ slightly based on 1232 01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:18,400 Speaker 1: how much authority of the DNR has over those different components, 1233 01:02:18,960 --> 01:02:22,880 Speaker 1: but at least there is consistency across much of the board. 1234 01:02:22,960 --> 01:02:26,720 Speaker 1: On all right, let's identify where the diseases first. That's 1235 01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:31,280 Speaker 1: uh monitor around it to see is it very contained 1236 01:02:31,440 --> 01:02:33,320 Speaker 1: or is it already getting away from us to try 1237 01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:36,240 Speaker 1: to assess the situation and then figure out the best 1238 01:02:36,280 --> 01:02:39,520 Speaker 1: way to move forward. But along those lines, actually what 1239 01:02:39,640 --> 01:02:43,480 Speaker 1: we we bean qtum A just developed we now that 1240 01:02:43,560 --> 01:02:46,840 Speaker 1: it's in Michigan and spreading our q DMA members in 1241 01:02:46,920 --> 01:02:49,240 Speaker 1: our state chapters. Man, we could really use some help, 1242 01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:52,520 Speaker 1: some talking points to share with hunters as we talked 1243 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:55,080 Speaker 1: to him about how we as hunters can help with us. 1244 01:02:55,640 --> 01:02:57,919 Speaker 1: So actually we worked with the d n R there, 1245 01:02:58,520 --> 01:03:01,400 Speaker 1: we worked with the c W the project leader from 1246 01:03:01,840 --> 01:03:04,480 Speaker 1: U s g S as a national Wallett Health Council, 1247 01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:07,840 Speaker 1: and UH put some best manage of practices together for 1248 01:03:08,280 --> 01:03:11,680 Speaker 1: hunters from a management side. You know there's information out 1249 01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:14,400 Speaker 1: there right now best management practices. You know, if you 1250 01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:16,640 Speaker 1: hunt in one of those zones, how to process me, 1251 01:03:16,800 --> 01:03:19,440 Speaker 1: what to do, but there's never been anything for somebody 1252 01:03:19,520 --> 01:03:23,240 Speaker 1: who lives or managers habitat in those zones. So we 1253 01:03:23,320 --> 01:03:26,600 Speaker 1: actually just put together a two page best management practices 1254 01:03:27,080 --> 01:03:30,560 Speaker 1: centered around the four cornerstones at QDM with HERD management, 1255 01:03:30,920 --> 01:03:34,840 Speaker 1: habitat management, hunter management, and herd monitoring. What the average 1256 01:03:34,920 --> 01:03:38,800 Speaker 1: hunter in a CDVIT outbreak zone can do UH to 1257 01:03:38,920 --> 01:03:41,400 Speaker 1: do his or her part to help improve the situation. 1258 01:03:41,640 --> 01:03:43,720 Speaker 1: And actually we have that on a website. I get 1259 01:03:43,760 --> 01:03:44,960 Speaker 1: a we can get a copy of that too you 1260 01:03:45,040 --> 01:03:47,760 Speaker 1: so you can see it that that's kind of the answer. 1261 01:03:47,840 --> 01:03:50,000 Speaker 1: The states have their way that you're going to go. 1262 01:03:50,520 --> 01:03:53,240 Speaker 1: But you know clearly that as hunters we have a 1263 01:03:53,400 --> 01:03:57,480 Speaker 1: big opportunity to help the situations like this. So it 1264 01:03:57,600 --> 01:04:00,760 Speaker 1: addresses things like should I stop playing any food plots, 1265 01:04:01,080 --> 01:04:03,480 Speaker 1: should I not plant root crops? You know, should I 1266 01:04:03,600 --> 01:04:06,400 Speaker 1: start killing all of deer when they're young? Kind of 1267 01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:08,840 Speaker 1: the whole thing. How that fits in. We gave them 1268 01:04:09,040 --> 01:04:12,040 Speaker 1: what we feel at the best strategies to help make 1269 01:04:12,080 --> 01:04:15,280 Speaker 1: things the best moving forward as it possibly can be. Well, 1270 01:04:15,480 --> 01:04:17,280 Speaker 1: that that's a great resource, it sounds like, and that's 1271 01:04:17,280 --> 01:04:21,040 Speaker 1: available at I'm assuming at qum A dot com. That's correct. Yeah, 1272 01:04:21,320 --> 01:04:23,160 Speaker 1: so let's there, and I know what folks in Michigan 1273 01:04:23,280 --> 01:04:28,000 Speaker 1: are sharing like crazy with there, uh, fellow hunters there. 1274 01:04:28,040 --> 01:04:30,120 Speaker 1: But yes, anybody who lives in a zone like that 1275 01:04:30,600 --> 01:04:33,200 Speaker 1: can go grab it at QTMA dot com and also 1276 01:04:33,320 --> 01:04:35,120 Speaker 1: encourage people, you know what, if you don't live in 1277 01:04:35,160 --> 01:04:37,200 Speaker 1: the CWG zone, you should take a look at it 1278 01:04:37,240 --> 01:04:38,960 Speaker 1: as well, just to see what these people are going 1279 01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:41,400 Speaker 1: to have to deal with, to give them a little 1280 01:04:41,440 --> 01:04:43,560 Speaker 1: more incentive to keep fighting to make sure that it 1281 01:04:43,640 --> 01:04:47,000 Speaker 1: does not get to their area, because that's certainly just 1282 01:04:47,120 --> 01:04:49,600 Speaker 1: a curse once it is in your area. Yeah, yeah, 1283 01:04:49,840 --> 01:04:52,160 Speaker 1: it's scary to see that creeping down into my neck 1284 01:04:52,200 --> 01:04:54,440 Speaker 1: of the woods here in Michigan, and uh in so 1285 01:04:54,520 --> 01:04:56,480 Speaker 1: many other places too. I know a lot of our listeners, 1286 01:04:56,520 --> 01:04:57,800 Speaker 1: I'm sure you have to deal with that in one 1287 01:04:57,800 --> 01:05:00,160 Speaker 1: way or another. Um so so kind of the final 1288 01:05:00,200 --> 01:05:01,880 Speaker 1: piece of that puzzle then, and we've alluded to it 1289 01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:06,120 Speaker 1: a couple of times, But the captive deer industry, for 1290 01:05:06,760 --> 01:05:09,440 Speaker 1: for a hunter like myself or maybe some of our 1291 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:12,400 Speaker 1: listeners who who who aren't involved in the business of 1292 01:05:12,480 --> 01:05:15,800 Speaker 1: captive deer and who don't hunt in a captive deer facility, 1293 01:05:16,520 --> 01:05:20,520 Speaker 1: why should we care what's going on with this industry 1294 01:05:20,640 --> 01:05:23,600 Speaker 1: and how it's being regulated. Why should we care? The 1295 01:05:23,640 --> 01:05:26,480 Speaker 1: biggest thing today the average hunter today is that the 1296 01:05:26,600 --> 01:05:29,680 Speaker 1: vast majority of disease experts, you know, the people studying 1297 01:05:29,760 --> 01:05:32,720 Speaker 1: this disease across the country, say it is not moving 1298 01:05:33,080 --> 01:05:35,680 Speaker 1: or growing across the country the way that it would 1299 01:05:35,720 --> 01:05:39,000 Speaker 1: if it was just naturally spreading. That it's being moved 1300 01:05:39,400 --> 01:05:42,160 Speaker 1: much much faster and arriving in new areas at a 1301 01:05:42,280 --> 01:05:45,040 Speaker 1: much higher rate. So it all comes back to the 1302 01:05:45,240 --> 01:05:48,520 Speaker 1: you know, the most likely way that it is moving 1303 01:05:48,560 --> 01:05:52,040 Speaker 1: across the landscape right now, is by deer from inside 1304 01:05:52,080 --> 01:05:54,800 Speaker 1: of one fence being moved to to another fence. And 1305 01:05:55,120 --> 01:05:57,640 Speaker 1: so wherever you are on the whole deer an offense issue. 1306 01:05:57,640 --> 01:06:00,520 Speaker 1: Whether some people say that's unethical, some said no, that's fine. 1307 01:06:00,920 --> 01:06:02,800 Speaker 1: You know, it doesn't matter where you are on that 1308 01:06:03,280 --> 01:06:05,040 Speaker 1: and I'm not going to say where I think you 1309 01:06:05,080 --> 01:06:09,200 Speaker 1: should be. But given that we are moving this disease around, 1310 01:06:10,120 --> 01:06:13,200 Speaker 1: more so with live dear that we're moving in any 1311 01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:16,280 Speaker 1: other way, and given that this disease is by far 1312 01:06:16,440 --> 01:06:21,080 Speaker 1: one of the single biggest implications negatively impacting our future 1313 01:06:21,160 --> 01:06:25,040 Speaker 1: herds in our future hunting opportunities, that's why hunters should 1314 01:06:25,080 --> 01:06:27,480 Speaker 1: be most impacted. A buyers are most concerned. I guess 1315 01:06:27,520 --> 01:06:31,040 Speaker 1: whether we really should stop the movement of the live deer, 1316 01:06:31,400 --> 01:06:34,680 Speaker 1: you know, up among facilities like that, given that that's 1317 01:06:34,680 --> 01:06:36,640 Speaker 1: the number one way that we're spreading it. So if 1318 01:06:36,680 --> 01:06:39,560 Speaker 1: we know that the single best way to to help 1319 01:06:39,640 --> 01:06:42,960 Speaker 1: slow the spread is to stop that live transport, so 1320 01:06:43,280 --> 01:06:45,560 Speaker 1: as the hunters, I think that's where you know, we 1321 01:06:45,600 --> 01:06:47,680 Speaker 1: should recognize, Hey, here's something I can do and let 1322 01:06:47,720 --> 01:06:49,960 Speaker 1: folks know that I don't agree with this either or 1323 01:06:50,000 --> 01:06:51,840 Speaker 1: if they don't want to get involved, and they think, man, 1324 01:06:51,920 --> 01:06:55,160 Speaker 1: why should I? That's why, because that is the best 1325 01:06:55,240 --> 01:06:57,080 Speaker 1: way that we can help slow to spread down and 1326 01:06:57,360 --> 01:07:00,560 Speaker 1: keep it from coming to their neighborhood. Yeah, definitely, And 1327 01:07:00,640 --> 01:07:03,880 Speaker 1: I've talked about my own personal ethical views on this. 1328 01:07:04,080 --> 01:07:05,920 Speaker 1: I won't dive into that any further and beat that 1329 01:07:06,000 --> 01:07:08,680 Speaker 1: dead horse anymore. But but it's great to hear too. 1330 01:07:09,480 --> 01:07:13,120 Speaker 1: You know, again, the scientific and the reasons behind the 1331 01:07:13,280 --> 01:07:17,960 Speaker 1: dangers of this continuing as is from a simply dear 1332 01:07:18,040 --> 01:07:22,000 Speaker 1: herd deer management standpoint. Um. And related to that, another 1333 01:07:22,080 --> 01:07:23,919 Speaker 1: thing that popped up in the news this year were 1334 01:07:24,120 --> 01:07:28,120 Speaker 1: concerns with the transfer of CWD in relation to the 1335 01:07:28,280 --> 01:07:32,240 Speaker 1: dear yeurine industry, several states banning the use of dear 1336 01:07:32,320 --> 01:07:35,680 Speaker 1: yurine attractives. Um, what do you think is going on there, Kip? 1337 01:07:35,800 --> 01:07:37,680 Speaker 1: Is that something we're seen more often? And do you 1338 01:07:37,760 --> 01:07:40,440 Speaker 1: think it's a good idea? I think you're gonna see 1339 01:07:40,440 --> 01:07:42,200 Speaker 1: it talks about a lot more often, given now that 1340 01:07:42,320 --> 01:07:46,040 Speaker 1: both Virginia and Vermont have banned the use of of urine, 1341 01:07:46,400 --> 01:07:48,880 Speaker 1: and I know that Pennsylvania considered it, you know, I 1342 01:07:48,960 --> 01:07:52,400 Speaker 1: was actually considering right now. So that's one of those 1343 01:07:52,480 --> 01:07:55,000 Speaker 1: great areas because if you take a look at you know, 1344 01:07:55,440 --> 01:07:59,080 Speaker 1: we know that the pre CWD are spread through urine. 1345 01:07:59,200 --> 01:08:01,360 Speaker 1: Where we know that for sure, but we don't understand 1346 01:08:01,440 --> 01:08:04,840 Speaker 1: is exactly you know, like how much that the prens 1347 01:08:04,880 --> 01:08:08,000 Speaker 1: are needed to tremence further disease or you know it's 1348 01:08:08,000 --> 01:08:10,880 Speaker 1: a little bit okay and more not. That's where some 1349 01:08:10,960 --> 01:08:12,600 Speaker 1: of that gray areas. So that's where a lot of 1350 01:08:12,640 --> 01:08:14,600 Speaker 1: the argument is going on right now. So if you 1351 01:08:14,640 --> 01:08:17,360 Speaker 1: musa say, you know what to be the most conservative, 1352 01:08:18,080 --> 01:08:21,200 Speaker 1: should we not allow any urine at all? There are 1353 01:08:21,240 --> 01:08:23,760 Speaker 1: some people and some states like Virginia Vermont are there. 1354 01:08:24,240 --> 01:08:26,000 Speaker 1: There's others that say, you know what, there's not the 1355 01:08:26,040 --> 01:08:29,760 Speaker 1: evidence that that clearly shows this, So we're not gonna 1356 01:08:30,520 --> 01:08:33,640 Speaker 1: you know, stop while moving up for my take of 1357 01:08:33,720 --> 01:08:35,240 Speaker 1: it is you know what we have, we have other 1358 01:08:35,320 --> 01:08:38,439 Speaker 1: synthetic urns that people can use for attractants. And and 1359 01:08:38,560 --> 01:08:42,000 Speaker 1: I tychnically and very conservative minded, and I always fall 1360 01:08:42,120 --> 01:08:44,400 Speaker 1: to the side of the resource on this one. So 1361 01:08:44,560 --> 01:08:47,439 Speaker 1: I completely understand where the states are coming from. Um 1362 01:08:47,560 --> 01:08:49,519 Speaker 1: I think it's going to be a much bigger issue 1363 01:08:49,560 --> 01:08:51,720 Speaker 1: moving forward. Now that you have two states that have 1364 01:08:51,840 --> 01:08:54,840 Speaker 1: definitely done it, and a third that is trying. I 1365 01:08:54,880 --> 01:08:56,400 Speaker 1: think that you're going to see more states go that 1366 01:08:56,520 --> 01:08:59,200 Speaker 1: route in the very near future. It's definitely be an 1367 01:08:59,200 --> 01:09:03,280 Speaker 1: interesting thing to keep an eye on and the waves 1368 01:09:03,320 --> 01:09:07,519 Speaker 1: that could send through the hunting industry too, people, because 1369 01:09:07,520 --> 01:09:09,719 Speaker 1: I think it's a very slip result because we also 1370 01:09:09,800 --> 01:09:12,280 Speaker 1: know that that dirt has pre so you know, does 1371 01:09:12,360 --> 01:09:14,439 Speaker 1: that mean that you if you go into a state 1372 01:09:14,520 --> 01:09:16,640 Speaker 1: that has CWD, you can't bring your hunting boots back 1373 01:09:16,680 --> 01:09:19,200 Speaker 1: with you because they can't hit mud at them? You know? 1374 01:09:19,280 --> 01:09:21,439 Speaker 1: Does it mean that now that plants can take up 1375 01:09:21,720 --> 01:09:23,639 Speaker 1: the pre ends, that you can't bring in hay from 1376 01:09:23,680 --> 01:09:26,200 Speaker 1: a state to the c w D. I think that 1377 01:09:26,320 --> 01:09:29,400 Speaker 1: there's a huge can of worms that the urine is 1378 01:09:29,800 --> 01:09:33,720 Speaker 1: you know, part of with this, and it's it's a 1379 01:09:33,800 --> 01:09:36,840 Speaker 1: challenging time for the disease end of it for sure. Yeah. Yeah, 1380 01:09:36,880 --> 01:09:40,120 Speaker 1: I think it again comes down to some of these bigger, 1381 01:09:40,320 --> 01:09:43,360 Speaker 1: bigger aspects of that, like the transfer of captive deer. 1382 01:09:43,400 --> 01:09:45,240 Speaker 1: If we can try to nip some of those things 1383 01:09:45,280 --> 01:09:47,599 Speaker 1: in the butt sooner than later, maybe we don't need 1384 01:09:47,680 --> 01:09:51,080 Speaker 1: to go down this warmhole of issues with transfer through 1385 01:09:51,560 --> 01:09:54,840 Speaker 1: whether it be attractans or mud or who knows what. 1386 01:09:55,240 --> 01:10:00,360 Speaker 1: So you're absolutely right. Yeah. Um So, one other thing 1387 01:10:00,439 --> 01:10:02,240 Speaker 1: I noticed in the White Tail report that I want 1388 01:10:02,280 --> 01:10:03,880 Speaker 1: to try to touch on real quickly before we have 1389 01:10:03,960 --> 01:10:06,519 Speaker 1: to wrap things up, was the fact that and tell 1390 01:10:06,560 --> 01:10:08,000 Speaker 1: me if I got this right, Kip, but I think 1391 01:10:08,000 --> 01:10:09,880 Speaker 1: off the top of my head, I remember seeing that 1392 01:10:10,640 --> 01:10:15,240 Speaker 1: the national average faun recruitment rate is the lowest ever 1393 01:10:15,320 --> 01:10:17,439 Speaker 1: has been or lowest in the long period of time. 1394 01:10:17,920 --> 01:10:20,519 Speaker 1: Is that right, Kip? And why is that? And why 1395 01:10:20,640 --> 01:10:22,040 Speaker 1: is that something that we should be aware of and 1396 01:10:22,120 --> 01:10:26,040 Speaker 1: should pay attention to. And we monitor that very closely, 1397 01:10:26,120 --> 01:10:27,840 Speaker 1: and you know, we get the data from the state 1398 01:10:27,920 --> 01:10:31,760 Speaker 1: wilife agencies each year or every other year real quick. 1399 01:10:31,800 --> 01:10:34,320 Speaker 1: Back in two thousands, the average fond recrui rate was 1400 01:10:34,640 --> 01:10:37,080 Speaker 1: was almost one pon per doll. It was just on 1401 01:10:37,320 --> 01:10:39,920 Speaker 1: like point eight nine phons per recruited into the deer. 1402 01:10:40,640 --> 01:10:43,320 Speaker 1: Fast forward the two thousand and fifteen that had dropped 1403 01:10:43,360 --> 01:10:47,200 Speaker 1: to point five eight fons per do, so just over 1404 01:10:47,280 --> 01:10:50,519 Speaker 1: half a faon per do today, so very very different 1405 01:10:50,560 --> 01:10:54,200 Speaker 1: than why the implication those hunters is obviously for recruiting 1406 01:10:54,240 --> 01:10:57,320 Speaker 1: fewer ponds that means deer herds do not grow nearly 1407 01:10:57,400 --> 01:10:59,880 Speaker 1: as quickly as they used to. UM, so you're not 1408 01:11:00,040 --> 01:11:02,479 Speaker 1: bringing nearly as many deer into her now. If you're 1409 01:11:02,479 --> 01:11:05,160 Speaker 1: in a situation where do you have too many deer anyway, 1410 01:11:05,400 --> 01:11:07,840 Speaker 1: this is a very good thing for you because it's 1411 01:11:07,920 --> 01:11:10,320 Speaker 1: helping you out. If you're et the other end of it, 1412 01:11:10,360 --> 01:11:12,479 Speaker 1: where you know what, we're trying to grow a deer herd, 1413 01:11:12,760 --> 01:11:15,519 Speaker 1: then then this is not good at all. Um. The 1414 01:11:15,600 --> 01:11:17,920 Speaker 1: slip side is, you know about every other fon born 1415 01:11:18,120 --> 01:11:20,439 Speaker 1: is a buck fon. So if you're looking to bring 1416 01:11:20,520 --> 01:11:23,040 Speaker 1: the most bucks into a deer herd, the way to 1417 01:11:23,080 --> 01:11:25,200 Speaker 1: do it is to have the most fonds hit the 1418 01:11:25,240 --> 01:11:28,880 Speaker 1: ground in the spring and survived till fall. So there's 1419 01:11:28,880 --> 01:11:31,439 Speaker 1: a really big picture that is just the productivity rate 1420 01:11:31,520 --> 01:11:33,439 Speaker 1: of the deer herd. You know, people want to see deer, 1421 01:11:33,479 --> 01:11:36,000 Speaker 1: they want to shoot deer, and as these fond recruitment 1422 01:11:36,120 --> 01:11:38,280 Speaker 1: rates drop, that just means there's going to be fewer 1423 01:11:38,360 --> 01:11:41,639 Speaker 1: deer there to see and to shoot. And that's being 1424 01:11:41,680 --> 01:11:46,160 Speaker 1: impacted by increasing part of the populations, a loss of habitat. 1425 01:11:46,560 --> 01:11:48,720 Speaker 1: You know, there's lots of things that play into that, 1426 01:11:49,400 --> 01:11:51,640 Speaker 1: but the important part of it is for people to 1427 01:11:51,720 --> 01:11:55,120 Speaker 1: recognize that that's way fewer today than it used to 1428 01:11:55,160 --> 01:11:58,479 Speaker 1: be in the past. So the average hunter for most 1429 01:11:58,520 --> 01:12:00,920 Speaker 1: part just does not need to shoot or tenno shoot 1430 01:12:00,960 --> 01:12:03,320 Speaker 1: as many animals deer today as they could have ten 1431 01:12:03,400 --> 01:12:05,920 Speaker 1: to fifteen years ago. So or at least for everyone 1432 01:12:06,000 --> 01:12:08,800 Speaker 1: you do shoot today, the impact on that deer hurt 1433 01:12:08,960 --> 01:12:11,320 Speaker 1: is much greater than it would have been in the past. 1434 01:12:12,280 --> 01:12:16,080 Speaker 1: Is something is conducting some type of survey on your 1435 01:12:16,120 --> 01:12:19,479 Speaker 1: own individual property to try to understand what the faun 1436 01:12:19,560 --> 01:12:22,400 Speaker 1: recruitment rate on your own in your own area is. 1437 01:12:22,680 --> 01:12:24,680 Speaker 1: Figuring out how to do that a pretty important thing 1438 01:12:24,760 --> 01:12:26,400 Speaker 1: for the average deer hunter because I think you know, 1439 01:12:26,720 --> 01:12:29,240 Speaker 1: it's pretty serious deer managers. There's a lot of guys 1440 01:12:29,320 --> 01:12:31,800 Speaker 1: that do that, um, but I don't know if the 1441 01:12:32,000 --> 01:12:35,080 Speaker 1: random guy that hunts five acres but maybe it doesn't 1442 01:12:35,320 --> 01:12:36,800 Speaker 1: do a ton of food plots and stuff. I don't 1443 01:12:36,800 --> 01:12:38,679 Speaker 1: know if that type of person is actually paying attention 1444 01:12:38,720 --> 01:12:41,000 Speaker 1: to things like fun recruitment rate and how that might 1445 01:12:41,040 --> 01:12:43,360 Speaker 1: impact how many deer they kill. Would you recommend that 1446 01:12:43,960 --> 01:12:46,880 Speaker 1: more people start doing that? Oh, I absolutely would. And 1447 01:12:46,960 --> 01:12:49,479 Speaker 1: a cool thing about it is that it's free. It 1448 01:12:49,520 --> 01:12:51,160 Speaker 1: doesn't count you anything. To do, and it and it 1449 01:12:51,240 --> 01:12:53,519 Speaker 1: doesn't take any more time because you just do it 1450 01:12:53,600 --> 01:12:56,280 Speaker 1: while you're hunting. And I'll tell you that I think 1451 01:12:56,439 --> 01:12:59,439 Speaker 1: everybody should should do an observation right every time they 1452 01:12:59,479 --> 01:13:02,560 Speaker 1: go hunt, regardless if you're hunting on five acres or 1453 01:13:02,760 --> 01:13:05,360 Speaker 1: ten or a thousand or ten thousand. And you know 1454 01:13:05,520 --> 01:13:08,080 Speaker 1: I am in north central Pennsylvania. We share our property 1455 01:13:08,120 --> 01:13:10,439 Speaker 1: with lots of friends and family members. And but where 1456 01:13:10,479 --> 01:13:13,160 Speaker 1: the rules is, every day you go hunting, you keep 1457 01:13:13,200 --> 01:13:15,719 Speaker 1: tracking how many hours you hunted and how many bucks 1458 01:13:15,760 --> 01:13:18,560 Speaker 1: does and fons you saw and uh and that's it. 1459 01:13:18,680 --> 01:13:20,559 Speaker 1: So you know, it's very simple to do. It doesn't 1460 01:13:20,600 --> 01:13:23,080 Speaker 1: cost anything. I get that data from all the guys 1461 01:13:23,120 --> 01:13:25,880 Speaker 1: on our farm throughout the whole year, and that allows 1462 01:13:25,960 --> 01:13:27,880 Speaker 1: me then to just see, like at the end of 1463 01:13:27,920 --> 01:13:31,400 Speaker 1: the year, from an observation standpoint, you know, how many 1464 01:13:31,439 --> 01:13:33,479 Speaker 1: bucks did we see, how many fons, how many doughes, 1465 01:13:33,560 --> 01:13:35,720 Speaker 1: And that allows me to figure out about how many 1466 01:13:36,080 --> 01:13:40,200 Speaker 1: fons per dough we had. And then the important part 1467 01:13:40,280 --> 01:13:42,120 Speaker 1: is that I compare that to what we had last 1468 01:13:42,240 --> 01:13:44,600 Speaker 1: year and the year before and five years ago and 1469 01:13:44,680 --> 01:13:46,960 Speaker 1: ten years ago and now. So that gives me a 1470 01:13:47,120 --> 01:13:50,920 Speaker 1: really good feel for you know, what is the reproductive 1471 01:13:51,280 --> 01:13:53,840 Speaker 1: or the recruitment rate on our place? Is it going 1472 01:13:53,960 --> 01:13:56,280 Speaker 1: up or is it going down? And I use that 1473 01:13:56,479 --> 01:13:59,360 Speaker 1: every year when I set a target dough harvest, I 1474 01:13:59,520 --> 01:14:01,599 Speaker 1: use that for that a lot when we pick out, 1475 01:14:01,640 --> 01:14:03,720 Speaker 1: you know, are we gonna shoot three dolls this year 1476 01:14:03,840 --> 01:14:07,519 Speaker 1: or five or twenty so so yeah, whether you won't land, 1477 01:14:07,560 --> 01:14:10,360 Speaker 1: you have public land or whatever. I stry to encourage 1478 01:14:10,439 --> 01:14:13,479 Speaker 1: hunters to just keep tracking that. It is the perfect 1479 01:14:13,520 --> 01:14:16,080 Speaker 1: way to figure out, you know, are you likely having 1480 01:14:16,240 --> 01:14:18,880 Speaker 1: more ponds are fewer ponds uh than in the past, 1481 01:14:19,240 --> 01:14:21,400 Speaker 1: and then allow you to make good choices as a 1482 01:14:21,479 --> 01:14:24,600 Speaker 1: hunter to to shoot the right number of dolls. I 1483 01:14:24,720 --> 01:14:27,040 Speaker 1: think a big takeaway from me and hopefully for a 1484 01:14:27,120 --> 01:14:29,160 Speaker 1: lot of people listening. You know, just over the last 1485 01:14:29,200 --> 01:14:32,519 Speaker 1: couple of years, as we've seen things changing with you know, 1486 01:14:32,680 --> 01:14:35,160 Speaker 1: our herds being slightly less productive, not being able to 1487 01:14:35,200 --> 01:14:37,920 Speaker 1: reproduce this quickly and recruit those fonds up into the 1488 01:14:37,960 --> 01:14:42,120 Speaker 1: adult population, with habitat loss in live places, with large 1489 01:14:42,200 --> 01:14:44,519 Speaker 1: disease issues in some areas. As all these different things 1490 01:14:44,560 --> 01:14:47,720 Speaker 1: are happening, it's seeming more and more often that the 1491 01:14:48,040 --> 01:14:51,240 Speaker 1: one size fits all strategy for hunters is no longer 1492 01:14:51,360 --> 01:14:54,360 Speaker 1: going to work, and I think the responsibility is going 1493 01:14:54,439 --> 01:14:57,559 Speaker 1: to have to continue falling on the individual hunters and managers. 1494 01:14:57,640 --> 01:14:59,960 Speaker 1: We more and more need to take what our state age. 1495 01:15:00,120 --> 01:15:02,360 Speaker 1: She's tell us, use that as a guideline, of course, 1496 01:15:02,400 --> 01:15:04,160 Speaker 1: but then say, okay, what does that mean on my 1497 01:15:04,240 --> 01:15:08,479 Speaker 1: individual property, and start making more more informed decisions. I guess, 1498 01:15:08,520 --> 01:15:11,800 Speaker 1: based on what we're seeing on the ground, Um, exactly, 1499 01:15:12,240 --> 01:15:15,240 Speaker 1: that is exactly right. And I hope that that's something 1500 01:15:15,400 --> 01:15:17,680 Speaker 1: that that I can do a better job of and 1501 01:15:17,720 --> 01:15:19,439 Speaker 1: that everyone can try to try to learn a little 1502 01:15:19,439 --> 01:15:20,639 Speaker 1: bit more. I think a lot of it comes down 1503 01:15:20,640 --> 01:15:22,720 Speaker 1: to education, right, trying to fair Okay, how do I 1504 01:15:22,920 --> 01:15:24,920 Speaker 1: figure out these things? But I think once you pass 1505 01:15:25,120 --> 01:15:27,240 Speaker 1: that for those first couple of steps, it's in an 1506 01:15:27,320 --> 01:15:29,519 Speaker 1: easy habit to fall into and then um, you know, 1507 01:15:29,560 --> 01:15:31,680 Speaker 1: allows you to make better decisions as a hunter. No one, 1508 01:15:31,720 --> 01:15:33,479 Speaker 1: no one's gonna pull the trigger, but you, your your 1509 01:15:33,520 --> 01:15:36,840 Speaker 1: state agency isn't pulling the trigger. Um, your neighbor isn't 1510 01:15:36,880 --> 01:15:39,320 Speaker 1: pulling the trigger for you. That that's on you, um, 1511 01:15:39,439 --> 01:15:41,880 Speaker 1: and it's on me and all of us. So I think, um, 1512 01:15:42,439 --> 01:15:44,400 Speaker 1: I think maybe that that's a big message I hope 1513 01:15:44,479 --> 01:15:46,280 Speaker 1: we can all take from this is that there's a 1514 01:15:46,320 --> 01:15:48,040 Speaker 1: lot of things going on today and we need to 1515 01:15:48,080 --> 01:15:51,720 Speaker 1: take responsibility for as much as we can. That's right. 1516 01:15:51,760 --> 01:15:54,519 Speaker 1: I've ended the last few seasons with unused do tags 1517 01:15:54,520 --> 01:15:57,160 Speaker 1: in my pocket that from our place, and I certainly 1518 01:15:57,200 --> 01:15:59,040 Speaker 1: couldn't have used and hand the opportunity to use, but 1519 01:15:59,400 --> 01:16:02,000 Speaker 1: just chow with not to because of the situation we 1520 01:16:02,080 --> 01:16:05,400 Speaker 1: were in where five to ten years ago, uh, we 1521 01:16:05,560 --> 01:16:08,360 Speaker 1: fought tooth and nail to the last day to fill 1522 01:16:08,520 --> 01:16:10,800 Speaker 1: every day tag we had from everybody that hunted our 1523 01:16:10,840 --> 01:16:13,240 Speaker 1: place just to make sure that we were doing right 1524 01:16:13,320 --> 01:16:15,880 Speaker 1: by deer. And it's a very different situation for us today. 1525 01:16:15,960 --> 01:16:18,559 Speaker 1: And even though I could still shoot as many those 1526 01:16:18,600 --> 01:16:20,680 Speaker 1: on our farm as I could have five and ten 1527 01:16:20,760 --> 01:16:24,400 Speaker 1: years ago, I shoot far less because of the situation 1528 01:16:24,439 --> 01:16:28,759 Speaker 1: we're in. Yeah, So this is this has been great stuff. 1529 01:16:28,920 --> 01:16:31,720 Speaker 1: And there's about twenty tho other things that like to 1530 01:16:31,760 --> 01:16:34,000 Speaker 1: talk to you about, but I know we don't have time. Um, 1531 01:16:34,160 --> 01:16:36,920 Speaker 1: But for people who want to learn more about some 1532 01:16:36,960 --> 01:16:39,080 Speaker 1: of these different resources we've talked about, or the white 1533 01:16:39,120 --> 01:16:42,160 Speaker 1: Tail report that was recently um, you know put out there, 1534 01:16:42,200 --> 01:16:44,519 Speaker 1: where can they go to get that kind of information, Kip, 1535 01:16:45,240 --> 01:16:47,480 Speaker 1: So they can go right to our website at QDMA 1536 01:16:47,640 --> 01:16:50,599 Speaker 1: dot com. Um, we do these annual wait till reports 1537 01:16:50,840 --> 01:16:53,679 Speaker 1: each year. They're all on there. They're all free downloads 1538 01:16:53,720 --> 01:16:56,080 Speaker 1: for folks, so in addition to all the other cool 1539 01:16:56,120 --> 01:16:58,240 Speaker 1: deer stuff they can grab. But yeah, just go reach 1540 01:16:58,240 --> 01:17:01,320 Speaker 1: to QDMA dot com and get what they need. Definitely, 1541 01:17:01,479 --> 01:17:04,120 Speaker 1: I highly highly recommend anyone listening as well, if if 1542 01:17:04,160 --> 01:17:07,519 Speaker 1: you aren't a member all the Quality Deer Management Association yet, 1543 01:17:08,160 --> 01:17:10,640 Speaker 1: even if you're not interested in targeting mature boxer or 1544 01:17:10,680 --> 01:17:12,439 Speaker 1: doing any of these larger things, if if you want 1545 01:17:12,439 --> 01:17:15,720 Speaker 1: to do nothing but learn more, joining the cut May 1546 01:17:15,800 --> 01:17:17,479 Speaker 1: dot com is a great place to start. They're just 1547 01:17:17,920 --> 01:17:21,880 Speaker 1: full of tremendous resources, their magazine, their website. Uh, people 1548 01:17:21,960 --> 01:17:25,160 Speaker 1: like Kip just there's so many opportunities to learn more 1549 01:17:25,200 --> 01:17:28,040 Speaker 1: about deer and deer hunting and how to be a 1550 01:17:28,120 --> 01:17:30,880 Speaker 1: more responsible deer hunter and manager in a world where 1551 01:17:30,880 --> 01:17:33,840 Speaker 1: I think that's that's more new than ever. So please 1552 01:17:33,880 --> 01:17:36,160 Speaker 1: join the Kuti May if you haven't already. And Kip, 1553 01:17:36,320 --> 01:17:38,559 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you so much for your time here today. 1554 01:17:38,600 --> 01:17:40,920 Speaker 1: This is this has been fascinating and I appreciate you 1555 01:17:40,960 --> 01:17:43,360 Speaker 1: sharing with us. All right, Thank you, Mark, always good 1556 01:17:43,360 --> 01:17:45,320 Speaker 1: to talk with you. You have a good day. Thanks 1557 01:17:45,320 --> 01:17:48,640 Speaker 1: a lot you too. All right, Well, as I expected, 1558 01:17:48,720 --> 01:17:51,240 Speaker 1: that was a great conversation and I certainly learned a 1559 01:17:51,280 --> 01:17:54,240 Speaker 1: lot and hope you did too. Before we wrap things up, though, 1560 01:17:54,479 --> 01:17:56,040 Speaker 1: we do need to give a big thank you to 1561 01:17:56,120 --> 01:17:58,639 Speaker 1: our partners who helped keep this podcast on the air. 1562 01:17:58,880 --> 01:18:02,479 Speaker 1: So thank you to say could Gear, Trophy, Ridge Bear Archery, 1563 01:18:02,600 --> 01:18:07,000 Speaker 1: Redneck Blinds, huntera maps Ozonics, Lacrosse Boots, and the White 1564 01:18:07,040 --> 01:18:11,080 Speaker 1: Tailed Institute of North America. And that said, most importantly, 1565 01:18:11,479 --> 01:18:13,760 Speaker 1: thank you to everyone out there tuning in today. We 1566 01:18:13,960 --> 01:18:16,320 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. I hope you found this chat with 1567 01:18:16,439 --> 01:18:19,960 Speaker 1: kept informative and empowering as we discussed more and more 1568 01:18:20,000 --> 01:18:22,519 Speaker 1: of the future of white tails is on our shoulders, 1569 01:18:22,760 --> 01:18:27,240 Speaker 1: so let's take that responsibility seriously. Until next time, stay 1570 01:18:27,880 --> 01:18:29,120 Speaker 1: Wired to Hunt,