1 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: If this is the me Eater podcast, coming at you. 2 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 2: Shirtless, severely, bug bitten, and in my case, underwear. Listening toast, 3 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: you can't predict anything. 4 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 3: Presented by First Light, creating proven versatile hunting apparel from 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 3: Marino bass layers to technical outerwear. For every hunt, First Light, 6 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 3: go farther, stay longer. Okay, everybody, we're coming at you 7 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 3: from Kansas Union Town. Not well, kind of new Walnut 8 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 3: Union Town. Yep, that's the voice of Jason Phelps. Seth 9 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 3: Morris is here. We're on Phelps that had been to 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 3: this property before and Seth yep. Uh doing a bit 11 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 3: of logging, little timber felling. I had to show Phelps 12 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 3: out of feltree. Yeah. Then we got tacked by chiggers. Yep, 13 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 3: ticks tiggers and then uh and now we're back. Yeah. 14 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 3: So two summers ago, two summers going ye sure. 15 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, July two summers sold them last year, remember falling 16 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: here chiggers man. 17 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 3: So yeah, this Chiggers story is worth telling. So we 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 3: came and we selected a big walnut tree. We're on 19 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 3: the front of your How did you how do you 20 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 3: know Randy. 21 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,839 Speaker 2: So mutual friend Chris Parrish. Oh, he talks about him all, yeah, yeah, great, 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: one of the best turkey colors of all time. Got 23 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: got to know Chris really well, and we were just 24 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 2: trying to plant a turkey hunt together, and He's like, 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 2: you know what, I think I got a one of 26 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 2: my buddies in Kansas, might let us do that hunt here. 27 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: So we came out met Randy three years ago turkey 28 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: hunt and got to be good buds from God. And 29 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 2: then so we had an idea where we wanted to 30 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: make turkey calls but cut the trees down and just 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: kind of go through the whole thing and you'd get 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: all the raw timber a lumber. 33 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 3: Yes, yep. So we came out here to Randy's place 34 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 3: and got a walnut tree not far from what we 35 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 3: later I didn't know at the time, but not far 36 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 3: from Walnut, Kansas. And we had some walnut experts come out. 37 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 3: We picked a walnut tree, sawed it down, picked an 38 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 3: oceage orange. 39 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 2: Barberchared it. 40 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 3: Barbecared another dudes from like the twelfth generation of loggers, 41 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 3: and then and the barber chared. 42 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: We don't cut trees. I'm not making any excuses. I 43 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 2: barbarer schared it. But they with this whole like little 44 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 2: teeny front cut, enter your saw halfway and cut your 45 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: way out the back. 46 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 3: That was special to cut. That's why I still screwed 47 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 3: it up. Yeah, they got away of felling. They got 48 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 3: away of felling walnuts where I never I wasn't really 49 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 3: familiar with that. No, like high end, like high end 50 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 3: veneer logs. They're basically taking that thing down to the 51 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 3: dirt yep and not cutting a wedge, because you could 52 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 3: be cutting hundreds of dollars. You could be cutting like 53 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 3: hundreds of dollars out of that tree yep, cutting the wedge. 54 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 3: So what do you even call that little process? 55 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: So yeah, they cut maybe a three inch face cut, 56 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 2: and then they just dog their saw in burrow hole 57 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 2: through it. You dog the tip of the bar in 58 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 2: behind that hollow it all out, get yourself squared up 59 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: to that that notch, and then you just cut your 60 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 2: way out the back. 61 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 3: And uh yeah, when you're done, dude, it's like it 62 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 3: looks like paving stones. Man. I mean that thing is 63 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 3: you haven't wasted anything. But I like that method. But 64 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 3: I was like the whole time, I was like, so 65 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 3: does the tree come down on me? Where's the tree go? Cut? 66 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 3: The wallet down, cut some osage orne down, and I 67 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 3: remember when we got the walnut I think we had 68 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 3: in our head. We're like, we're calling it a thousand 69 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 3: pot tree, and I want to be pretty close. 70 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, a little slightly over, but yep. 71 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 3: And and made these calls with that, made strikers with 72 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 3: the osage range. I haven't tell you I lost my 73 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 3: striker I got. I might have excell but I also 74 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 3: have a striker with sentimental value. So anyways, and then 75 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 3: we made all the walnut pots and what we wanted 76 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 3: to do. But on this podcast, I'm I was joking 77 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 3: about sweep steaks and raffle law, being like, if I 78 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: could go back in time and take another career path, 79 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 3: I would go into sweep. I'd become a lawyer and 80 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 3: specialize in sweep steaks and raffle law. We wanted to 81 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 3: have them be that they all had a number. It's 82 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 3: called the line one call, and they all have a number. 83 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 3: We wanted to be that we'd sell them and then 84 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 3: get all those ping pong balls with numbers on them 85 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 3: and it blows them in the wind. We're going to 86 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 3: make our own the leaf bloor and then you grab 87 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 3: a ping pong ball out and whoever that number has 88 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 3: that call. We were then going to take them back 89 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 3: to the same property to hunt turkeys. We just thought 90 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 3: it'd be fun, and we went through it the whole 91 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 3: plan until we realized that according to the to the 92 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 3: Vagaries of sweep Steaks and Raffle law, you can't do 93 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 3: that or it's very cumbersome, like free entries and all 94 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 3: of this just every time you go to it's like 95 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 3: a every time you go to give something away and 96 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 3: a lawyer looks out like, you can't do that. So 97 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 3: instead what we did is we just did it. But 98 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 3: and then later after the fact picked someone and called 99 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 3: him and took him turkey Hunt, but he still out 100 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 3: Turkey Hunt. Me and Phelips are tagged out. Guy, This 101 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 3: looks bad, dude that we're tagged out, but our guy 102 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 3: hasn't gotten one yet. He's gonna be like, so I 103 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 3: won this, like Turkey Hunt and the guys that were 104 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 3: supposed to be taking these shots and I didn't. You 105 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:31,160 Speaker 3: had to get on that. 106 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it doesn't, it doesn't. It doesn't sound as bad 107 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 2: if we were to explain. 108 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 3: Well, no, we did because I went so I went 109 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 3: out with him. I went out with the winner opening 110 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 3: morning and the landowner. So you got like the landowner 111 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 3: advantage and. 112 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 2: The spot that hadn't been hunted all year yet. 113 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 3: So like the spot that hadn't been hunted landowner who's 114 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 3: a very good turkey hunter, very serious hunter, owns the place, 115 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 3: it's been hunting here for decades, went to right, stacked 116 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 3: the deck in the winter's favor. Phelps got one, so 117 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 3: then we moved him over. Yeah he got to a 118 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 3: crappy guy and yeah, but then we had like the 119 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 3: landowner's buddy even making sure that everything's like we can 120 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 3: go there, can't go there, just bad luck. Yeah. 121 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: Well, and to be fair, he has had a terrific time. Yeah, 122 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: and some great hunts and he learned a lot. Yeah, 123 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: hopefully he'll close the deal. 124 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 3: I got Jake. 125 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 2: He might not want Jake. I think Jake's are hoping 126 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 2: for him today. I mean, yeah, he's I think he's been, 127 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 2: like he said, he'll remember this morning for like the 128 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 2: most picturesque turkey hunt ever. It was was pretty cool. 129 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 2: But yeah, I just you know, I think we got 130 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: a couple of couple of good birds within sixty yards. 131 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 2: It's not real comfortable taking the which is fine. Like 132 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 2: I have a ton of respect for you know, he 133 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 2: wanted him forty and in. But yeah, Turkey's being turkeys 134 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: and doing what they want to do. 135 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 3: I told you about my kid. I kind of like 136 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 3: bad mentoring. That worked out good, but he I still 137 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 3: he killed her g at seventy yards, you know, poke 138 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 3: and well, I don't know if I told you, but 139 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 3: he's like, he said, I'm gonna he's gonna take He's 140 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 3: like he wants to take the beard and fill that 141 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 3: shell full of hot glue and stick the beard down 142 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 3: in the empty shell. And he said, and I'm going 143 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 3: to write the yardage on that shell. He's like, listen, 144 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 3: tell him, I said, listen, man. Usually people drag bag 145 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 3: about how close the turkey friend about No, he thinks 146 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 3: it's great now. He thinks yeah, he already thinks he's 147 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 3: invincible because he one time, like we're going down a 148 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 3: big hill hunting deer, and I got out ahead of 149 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 3: him and he was just lolly gagging behind me, and 150 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 3: we're kind of like done doing what we're doing, and 151 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 3: we're just kind of in the regroup phase, you know, 152 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 3: headed back down the hill. But we'll figure out what's next. 153 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 3: We blew it, and all of a sudden, we jump 154 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 3: buck and I turn around, I like register the buck's presence, 155 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 3: and I turn around to see that he's up and 156 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 3: his buck is running. And as I'm going no, as 157 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 3: I go yeah, drops it, I'm like, oh my god. 158 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 3: So now he's like, you know, he just thinks he's 159 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 3: He's like John Wayne Now, man, I think it's John 160 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 3: Wayne now, dude. It's like he just thinks that just 161 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 3: this whole everything he's been told about distances and running 162 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 3: is you're to slow him down. 163 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: Man. 164 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 3: It's everybody trying to slow down. 165 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: People without the skill set he has can't do it. 166 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 3: Also joined by Craig Harper, professor of Wildlife Management at 167 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 3: University of Tennessee and Knoxville. I assumed you were from 168 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 3: Tennessee for some stupid reasons, but you're not. 169 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: No, from North Carolina. Tenth generation. Family has been there 170 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: a long time, just west of Winston Salem. A good 171 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: place to be from. 172 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 3: What does that go by? Tenth generation? What's that mean? 173 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 3: When'd your family get. 174 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: There in the mid seventeen hundreds. Dang, really long history, 175 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: been there a long time, used to have a lot 176 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: of land now it's whittled down to a postage stamp. 177 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: With all of the generations so carving everything up, there's 178 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: still a heavenly piece of early successional vegetation right there 179 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: in the middle of all the suburban development and Winston 180 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: Salem expanding, where all kinds of wildlife that enjoy that 181 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: type of vegetation are very happy. They still hang out there. 182 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 3: You were talking about after you fell out of that. 183 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 3: You told us a great story about falling out of 184 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,599 Speaker 3: a tree stand and getting all crippled up. Yes, and 185 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 3: then you went out to hunt your favorite holler. That's correct. 186 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: If it wasn't from my uncle and dad and cousin, 187 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,560 Speaker 1: that wouldn't have happened. I couldn't get around, so they 188 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 1: essentially helped carry me and get me in position. And 189 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,559 Speaker 1: there I sat, and a deer walked up late in 190 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: the evening and I was able to shoot it, and 191 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: of course I couldn't go get it. They had to 192 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 1: do all of the work. But that was a real 193 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: blessing from God right there. Number one to live and 194 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 1: number two to be able to get some of my 195 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: sanity back after laying in the bed for months, not 196 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: knowing if I'd walk again, you. 197 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 3: Know, we have a guy. We have a friend who's 198 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: an emergency room doctor in Michigan, and he's a hunter, 199 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 3: and he's taken a great interest in tree stand accidents. 200 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 3: I was in a point in the direction because he's 201 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 3: actually published tree stand accidents and what happens, why it happens, 202 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 3: the suite of injuries that comes. 203 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: So much of that can be prevented. In my case, 204 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 1: I was not hunting, as we talked about. I was 205 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: actually checking cameras and I came upon this stand that 206 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: I had not hunted in four years and had forgotten 207 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: that it was there. And I knew the straps would 208 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 1: be bad. So you know, I climbed up to take 209 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: the straps off and take a stand down and figured 210 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: i'd come back later, and you know, put the stand. 211 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 3: Back up in new straps. 212 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: But the straps appeared fine, and so you know, it's 213 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: pretty dumb. 214 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 3: Even took them off, even took them off and looked 215 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 3: at them. 216 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I took them off, and everything looked good. They 217 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: weren't afraid, didn't look like squirrels had chewed them, whatever. 218 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: They seemed just to be perfectly fine. I put them 219 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: back on it with the ratchet strap and thing, you know, 220 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: banjo string tight. 221 00:11:58,559 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 3: All was good. 222 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: But and there was a big limb and grabbed hold 223 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: of the limb and you know, felt the stand before 224 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,319 Speaker 1: I got in it, and then got in it and 225 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: kind of, you know, put all my weight on it, 226 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: jumped up and down, et cetera. It was solid as 227 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: a rock, the bottom strap was. But then when my 228 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: butt hit the seat, it's just like a twenty two 229 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: rifle going off and down I went, you know, like 230 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: a trap door straight down. 231 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,599 Speaker 3: Oh man, Yeah, it was that spot was that. 232 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: Don't climb without some type of safety harness and something 233 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 1: keeping you up there. It's a pretty simple thing to do. 234 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: It's easy to climb up without it because we're all 235 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: in a hurry, you know whatever. 236 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,199 Speaker 3: But that's it's risky. Tell people real quick, Craig, what 237 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 3: you do, what kind of research you do, then we'll 238 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 3: get into it. Have you duty in a little bit. 239 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: I've been at the University of Tennessee since nineteen ninety eight. 240 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: As you mentioned, I'm a professor of Wildlife Management and 241 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:03,719 Speaker 1: the Extension Wildlife special List. So my primary responsibility is 242 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: developing wildlife management programs, especially for the extension agents throughout 243 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: the state and helping them with concerns with wildlife that 244 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: come in from clientele in the counties, but I work 245 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,599 Speaker 1: in lots of other states. I work very closely with 246 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: state wildlife agencies. Obviously, I conduct research I have since 247 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: I got there. Although my primary responsibility, of course is extension. 248 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: We also have the freedom to do research or to 249 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: teaching the classroom if you wish, But all of my 250 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: research is directed towards applied land management the vast majority anyway, 251 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: So how can you manage land to better wildlife? Obviously 252 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: create better wildlife habitat for various species. And something else 253 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: concentrate in that I've gotten into over the past several 254 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: years is how to manage land for better hunting? You know, 255 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,319 Speaker 1: how can you set up your property such that the 256 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: hunting is better, you're more successful. So that that's been 257 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: very rewarding to work with landowners all over the place 258 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: and help them with some of that. 259 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 3: God, and you do a bunch of work on turkeys. 260 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: Yes, we have been a part of several turkey studies 261 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: and we have one right now. It's still going on. 262 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: We're in the seventh year. It's been very very interesting. 263 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 3: What's that really just tell me the real quick snapshot version, 264 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 3: and we're going to we'll get back to it. 265 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 1: We have looked at the survival habitat use of wild 266 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 1: turkeys in an area of Tennessee that had experienced a 267 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: population decline, and we involved counties where the decline was 268 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: happening as well as adjacent counties that there was no decline, 269 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: and so we were able to do that for four years, 270 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: looking at all of the reproductive parameters, survival, habitat use, movements, 271 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 1: et cetera for four years. And then the Tennessee Wildlife 272 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: Resources Agency their commission voted in a two week season 273 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: delay and that was implemented in those counties where the 274 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: population had been declining, and so we were able to 275 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: follow that for two years. So we have before and 276 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: after data upon implementing that delay in both treatment counties 277 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: where the delay occurred, as well as control counties for 278 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: the delay did not occur. So that's been very interesting 279 00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: to see if the delay influenced reproductive reproduction in any way. 280 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 3: I want to I want to talk about that a 281 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 3: whole bunch because because folks might not yet appreciate the 282 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 3: significance of what you're saying, so we get into it 283 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 3: a little bit more, but people had to freaked out. 284 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 3: If you tell a bunch of people that they're going 285 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 3: to hunt turkeys, that turkey sees is going to be 286 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 3: delayed by two weeks. So some scientists can do some research. 287 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 3: I can imagine people being pissed. 288 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: Buying larger correct, But you know when it's couched in 289 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: a way that hey, we're doing this to help turkeys. 290 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: You know, turkey hunters and hunters in general, they want 291 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 1: to do what's best for the resource. And so you 292 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: might be surprised at the percentage of people. And we've 293 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: done surveys every year within the treatment and the control counties, 294 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: and about roughly half of them were perfectly fine with 295 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: the delay. Probably a quarter didn't really feel one way 296 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:45,760 Speaker 1: or another towards it, and of course another quarter was 297 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: very much against it. Sure, and that's largely remained constant 298 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: through the period. And now we're in the seventh year 299 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: and we'll have another round of surveys going out this 300 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: spring because last year the Commission voted to implement the 301 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: two week delay statewide, so all of Tennessee this year. 302 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: The turkey season opened April fifteenth, which traditionally it opened 303 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: on the Saturday closest to April the first God. 304 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 3: All right, stay tuned everybody, because we're gonna get way 305 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 3: into why. Like I said, you might be wondering why 306 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 3: that matters, but we're gonna get into why all that matters. 307 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 3: I think you'll find it interesting. But first couple of things, 308 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 3: a couple promo issues. So Casey and Tyler from The 309 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 3: Element have launched on our on the me eater YouTube channel. 310 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 3: The Bock Truck series will drop every Tuesday through June 311 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 3: thirteenth on YouTube and the meat Eater site. So tune 312 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 3: in for those boys and so Element episodes of the 313 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:58,399 Speaker 3: Bock Truck on me Eater's YouTube starting now. And huge 314 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 3: new giveaway. I don't even know about this. I'm gonna 315 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 3: win this. We're launching a huge giveaway, so you get 316 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 3: a chance to win three thousand bucks in hunting gear 317 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 3: from all our brands, along with a personalized outfit and 318 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 3: session with our very own Gianness. He tell us, you know, 319 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 3: I'm doing one of these outfitting sessions. I'm actually going 320 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 3: all the way down to Haley, Idaho, to the First 321 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 3: Light Store because I agree to do one of these 322 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 3: to the First Light Store to meet someone and then 323 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 3: I'm gonna be like their personal stylist and set them 324 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 3: up with all kinds of hunting gear at the First 325 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 3: Light store in Haley, Idahog. We're gonna hang out and 326 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 3: I'm gonna be like, hey might want these and these. 327 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 3: So for your chance to win three thousand bucks and 328 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 3: gear from all of our brands, so FHF Felts, First 329 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 3: Light and a personalized outfitting session with Giannis where Giannis 330 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 3: goes over what you need, why you want it? Okay, 331 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 3: what are your plans this year? You win? 332 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:03,239 Speaker 1: All? 333 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 3: This runs now through May twenty one, so head over 334 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 3: to the meaeater dot com slash giveaway to to enter. 335 00:19:11,119 --> 00:19:15,239 Speaker 3: The winner will be randomly picked and contacted on May 336 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 3: twenty second. Oh the other day I was drawn. I 337 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 3: drew the hat for who wins next year's free Turkey 338 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,159 Speaker 3: Hunt t RCP Turkey Hunt. It's a dude out of Austin, Texas. 339 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:28,479 Speaker 2: Is that all you're giving right now? 340 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 3: It's all I know right now? Oh, they haven't made 341 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,879 Speaker 3: I mean some name that I forgot out of Austin, Texas. 342 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: Are you coming back here? 343 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 3: Nope? We do it every year in Michigan. That's to 344 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 3: raise money for TRSP and we raised a boatload of 345 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 3: money this year. Nice, yeah, we did that. That that 346 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 3: that rat that fundraiser did a lot, and then in 347 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 3: a couple of days we're hunting with last year's winner. 348 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 3: This here's the thing that came across that someone sent 349 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 3: in and I didn't believe it, but we've verified that 350 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 3: it's true. Remember, you know, everybody's all worked up about 351 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 3: chat chat, GPT, end of the world and everything. Okay, 352 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 3: first off, all right, so what everybody likes to do 353 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 3: is is they like to go on these and the 354 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 3: into the chat bots, you know, the chat GPT, and 355 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 3: ask you a question and and then you know, use 356 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 3: artificial intelligence to pull you up a model. What I 357 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 3: always like to point out to people that as a writer, 358 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 3: and everybody will tell me why I should be worried 359 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 3: about this as around, it's not like it doesn't bother 360 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 3: me because it's only harnessing what's already been done by people. 361 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 3: So if you were already doing things that were original 362 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 3: to people, it's not that much of a concern. It's 363 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 3: like looking at what's been done, but it can't look 364 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:50,400 Speaker 3: at what's not been done. 365 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 4: Maybe in the future, though it can take it can 366 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 4: look at everything that's been done and predict things that 367 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 4: could happen in the future. 368 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:04,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, like, well I win that three thousand dollars packaging 369 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 3: sign up. So they've coded in this one has where 370 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 3: they've coded in an anti hunting bias. 371 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: Imagine that, uh so AI. 372 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 3: Artificial intelligence could be our so whole intelligence AI as 373 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 3: an Okay, So this guy goes into this guy goes 374 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 3: into chat chat GPT and says, what is the best 375 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 3: way to hunt deer in Alabama? Got it? And the answer? 376 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,639 Speaker 3: It kicks back. As an AI language model, I do 377 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 3: not encourage or endorse hunting or any activity that involves 378 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 3: harming animals. Here's where Here's where it gets good. However, 379 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 3: I can't provide some general information about hunting deer in Alabama. 380 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:00,400 Speaker 3: He types in what is the best way to hunt 381 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 3: Eastern gobblers in West Tennessee near the Mississippi border. As 382 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 3: an AI language model, I do not encourage or endorse 383 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 3: hunting or any activity that involves hiring the animals. However, 384 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 3: I can't provide some general information about hunting eastern gobblers 385 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 3: in West Tennessee near the Mississippi border. And then it 386 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,639 Speaker 3: goes down to have like a lot of very Manila, 387 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 3: Like a lot of very very Manila. Am I saying 388 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 3: Manila like the place of the Philippines? I think it's Vanilla. 389 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 3: It is, Oh, I'm saying Vanilla. I've been to Manila. 390 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 3: That was a busy town in the Philippines. 391 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 4: Says that the first step to successful turkey hunting is scouting. 392 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 3: That's a great point, though, it is a great point. 393 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 3: Then when you find a good spot, you set up 394 00:22:52,600 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 3: your decoys and calls, and it says that Eastern gallers 395 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 3: can be lured of the variety of calls, yelps, clucks, purrs, 396 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 3: and gobbles. Important to be patient and stealthy, always follow 397 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 3: the rules, wear blaze orange. So it's like, yeah, it's 398 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 3: I know that we're just in the beginning of this, 399 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 3: but but at this like with the amount of hand wringing, 400 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 3: it's just, uh, if someone's gonna be satisfied by that 401 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 3: answered that, that's about the level they're going to be 402 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 3: operating on. Now, why they have to bake in their 403 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 3: disapproval of hunting? You know, has anybody said, like what 404 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 3: is a good way to get like, what's a good 405 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:49,360 Speaker 3: way to get drunk? Does it say, I don't condone 406 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 3: getting drunk, but you might want to try liquor. 407 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: Oh we could, we could see, we can type it in. 408 00:23:58,480 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 3: So I didn't buy it. 409 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: But then. 410 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:06,399 Speaker 3: Krinn had it checked out and someone else used, you know, 411 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 3: another Ai language model, so as an Ai language model. 412 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 3: Blah blah blah, I hate hunting, and then and then 413 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 3: it did a bullet pointed. They found a bullet pointed 414 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 3: list of five things you should try hunt in the morning, 415 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 3: use Decoy's scout call strategically, and stay still impatient. So 416 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 3: there you go. Goy wrote in gouls Turkey not in 417 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 3: the Grand Slam. He's from Egypt. Oh okay. I am 418 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 3: a US Army National Guard member and a peacekeeping mission 419 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 3: in Egypt. Okay. Why are Goulds Turkeys not included in 420 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 3: the Turkey Grand Slam by the National Wild Turkey Federation. 421 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 3: Their exclusion doesn't make sense to me. Objections to their 422 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 3: inclusion in the Grand Slam don't seem to hold up. 423 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 1: Uh. 424 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 3: I deleted this then put it back because I wasn't 425 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 3: gonna talk about but I decided to talk about it. 426 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 3: Since this person's in Egypt and everything they have a 427 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:14,199 Speaker 3: there's a million kind of slams. Right, there's grand super 428 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 3: world in world. I think that what they're getting at 429 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 3: is that gouls are Okay, gouls are mostly found in Mexico. 430 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 3: The goules turkey's mostly found in Mexico, but it is 431 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 3: found in you know, you can get him in Arizona 432 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 3: and New Mexico, right, yeah, those two states. And he's like, well, 433 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 3: if rarity is an issue, why is the Osciola turkey 434 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 3: from South Florida that's only in one state. If it's 435 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 3: a rarity or just a one or two state thing, 436 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 3: then osciola wouldn't be in either. I think, and again, 437 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 3: I'm getting into this because you're a service member and 438 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 3: you're in Egypt, because you can you can hunt. You 439 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 3: can buy an over the counter tag to hunt Ossiola turkeys. Yep. 440 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 3: I think it comes down to the opportunity. But in 441 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 3: Arizona you have to apply. I've been trying to draw 442 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 3: and I've hunted gouls in Old Mexico. I have been 443 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 3: applying for a decade in Arizona. Good look for gules 444 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 3: and you can get two points a year. 445 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: I mean, obviously there's so many more Osceola's in the 446 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 1: United States. Florida than there are gouls in the United States, 447 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:39,399 Speaker 1: and so the opportunities are exceptionally limited for gools in 448 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: the United States. 449 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's like of the of the five, 450 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 3: this is one of my questions. I don't know, maybe 451 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 3: you have an opinion about this. Of the five accepted 452 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 3: subspecies of turkeys, of the five subspecies of the America 453 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 3: in wild turkey, there are East Osceola's, Easterns, Miriams, Rios, 454 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 3: and Goulds, but it's questioned whether they're legit like whether 455 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 3: they should be legitimately regarded as subspecies anyways, do you 456 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 3: have an opinion on that rather than just phenotypes or 457 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 3: you know, variants. 458 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: There are differences between those groups for sure, and that's 459 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,119 Speaker 1: the case with many wildlife space as. It's very common 460 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: to have subspecies or or races, uh, you know, within 461 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 1: a species, and I think it's I think it's very 462 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 1: interesting and it adds more flavor to turkey hunting for 463 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: people to be interested in harvesting one of each subspaces. 464 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, but do you uh seeings how a turkey can 465 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 3: in one day being Eastern or in Asceola depending on 466 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 3: where he stands along an arbitrary line, right, I mean 467 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 3: there's a little bit of make believe here. Oh well, sure, 468 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 3: And obviously there's. 469 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 1: Hybridism if you will, you know where the Easterns and 470 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: Ossiolas come together, and you'll see characteristics of both and 471 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 1: a blend. But once you get on down into Florida, 472 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: you're definitely going to see a darker bird, doesn't weigh 473 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: as on average as much, typically has longer spurs. There're 474 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: certainly physical differences between the subspecies, but there's going to 475 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: be gradation as they come together in those areas. 476 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 3: Yep. Oh, you know. I keep wanting to tell people 477 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 3: Boux We've talked about before. I want to talk about 478 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 3: it again. The Merlin app by the Cornell Ornithology is unbelievable. 479 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 3: Have you been messing with that? 480 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 2: I've just been hearing Chris talk about it on this hunt. 481 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 3: Dude, It's unbelievable. I've been running it in the morning, 482 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 3: you know, like when it's getting daylight out and every 483 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 3: bird in the world's going off. I've been just turning 484 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 3: on Merlin and uh, I had ten species going what'd 485 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 3: you get? Let me see if I still have this 486 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 3: one second, I'm gonna try to pull it up. I 487 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 3: see I've been stupidly. I've been deleting all my recordings. 488 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 3: So oh man, I got rid of it. 489 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 2: I do know that it substantiated you and Randy the 490 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 2: other morning though. 491 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 3: Oh that's why I like to hit yeah, is every 492 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 3: time someone calls, it'll bing on wild turkey, and sitting 493 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 3: there in the dark listening for gobbles, it'll pick them up. 494 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 3: It'll pick them up pretty distant. Now you can hear 495 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 3: it better than your phone can hear it. But it'll 496 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 3: pick it up an idea, and whenever someone when we're 497 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 3: sitting there and someone calls, it'll punch wild turkey. So 498 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 3: I'll sitting there. At one point I had red breasted woodpacker, 499 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 3: northern cardinal American robin, American crow, a toe he red 500 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 3: shouldered hawk, tufted tip mouse. 501 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 5: Did you say goldfinch? 502 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,320 Speaker 3: I had a goldfinch, which surprised me. This is all 503 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 3: one spot, Bartels. I had a flycatcher on there and 504 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 3: as it listens and there's like a sound chart, and 505 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 3: as it pings stuff, it just starts adding them to 506 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 3: a list. And then anytime some particular birds going off, 507 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 3: that bird turns yellow. And so then someone will call 508 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 3: and they'll be like wild turkey, you know, and then 509 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 3: you're a gobble and it'll bing wild turkey. But then 510 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 3: there's a crow going off. It is amazing, man, it 511 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 3: is amazing. Those guys do such good job. 512 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: So it didn't say peacock when somebody was calling. 513 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 3: No, But I keep wanting to make I keep wanting 514 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 3: to make Chris Gill call he don't have, but he's 515 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 3: just been trying to learn how to call turkeys. She's 516 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 3: got him around his yard, you know, and so I 517 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 3: want to see if, if, if, if he's good enough 518 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 3: that Merlin will pick him up. Now, you know another 519 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 3: interesting thing that about it is I didn't check this, 520 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 3: but Chris said, I gotta look at this. 521 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 1: I don't. 522 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 3: I almost don't want to say it's counting off. It's true. 523 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:21,280 Speaker 3: Chris said that when the woodpecker's going, it'll it'll I 524 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 3: d that woodpecker on Cadence, but I don't know if 525 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 3: that's true. That's good because you think like a like 526 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 3: affiliated and then some of those things like yeah yeah, 527 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 3: like they got the machine gun style he said it 528 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 3: was picking up that. And then I had a squirrel 529 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 3: get pissed at something. Well, a hawk flew through I 530 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:41,959 Speaker 3: watched the hawk come through the woods. The squirrel got 531 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 3: all bent out of shape last night, and I turned 532 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:48,320 Speaker 3: Merlin on and you can see that squirrel in there. 533 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 3: But that didn't do nothing. It didn't. It didn't. It 534 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 3: didn't pull that squirrel out or misidentify it or even 535 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 3: identify it. So it's only a bird out pissed off. 536 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 3: A pissed off squirrel did not register on there, even 537 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 3: though you could it was definitely picking it up because 538 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 3: you could see its markings, but it didn't. I think 539 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:10,000 Speaker 3: it's an amazing app man. 540 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: I think it's good that you bring it up, because 541 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: if more people were in better tune with what's going 542 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:21,240 Speaker 1: on around them in nature, whether that be bird sounds 543 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: or frogs, or learning a few of the plants on 544 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: the property where they're hunting and trying to manage that, 545 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: that really increases your enjoyment and appreciation of nature. And 546 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: you know, just hardcore hooking bullet guys, if you know, 547 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 1: and I know several who finally got into not necessarily birding, 548 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: but at least being able to identify different bird species 549 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: by their call or by their song. All of a sudden, wow, 550 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, and they start recognizing how many different species 551 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: are on the property, and it just it edds to 552 00:32:57,560 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: your enjoyment. 553 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 3: The best, without a doubt, far and away, the best 554 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 3: woodsman I ever spent time with, would be like in 555 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 3: Amerindian hunters in South America, like indigenous hunters in South America, 556 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 3: far and away in terms of like tracking ability, just everything, 557 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 3: you can't what you get from. So where you you're 558 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 3: hunting two hundred and fifty days a year in a 559 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 3: let's say a fifty sixty mile radius of your home, 560 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 3: and your dad hunted that me days year within that radius. 561 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 3: Your grandfather hunted that many days year within that radius 562 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 3: back perhaps thousands of years. Any little noise of anything 563 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 3: you hear, I don't care if it's a bug and 564 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 3: it's and in the jungle, it's all noise. It's like 565 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 3: it's it's there's so much noise. It's stressful. Any noise 566 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 3: and you go like make the what was that thing? 567 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 3: They know the answer. Yeah, like they got to think 568 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 3: about you know what I mean. 569 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 1: They're in tune with what's going on. 570 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 3: No dude, any noise, any noise. We've talked about this 571 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:32,439 Speaker 3: bunch where there's a friend of ours, a writer Pat 572 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 3: Dirkin and he used to be the editor at Deer 573 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 3: and Deer Hunting magazine. 574 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: No, Pat is a great guy. 575 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 3: Oh you know Pat. When he was doing that Deer 576 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 3: and deer hunting thing, he had to he would profile 577 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 3: like someone to kill a big buck, you know, and 578 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:48,959 Speaker 3: he'd have to he'd have to report on someone killing 579 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 3: a big buck, and he had to spend a lot 580 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 3: of time with a lot of like very successful big 581 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 3: buck killers. And he's like, man, there's just some guys 582 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:03,279 Speaker 3: that are phenomenal big bock killers. We said. A thing 583 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 3: that would surprise me about them is that many of them, 584 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:09,719 Speaker 3: as good as they were, they couldn't tell you what 585 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,680 Speaker 3: kind of tree their tree standards are poked into. So 586 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 3: there's some things you can do and not need to 587 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:17,600 Speaker 3: know that kind of stuff, but just for the general 588 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 3: enjoyment and like like old school woodsmanship, man, yeah, knowing 589 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 3: the sounds around you. 590 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: I don't get into this, but one of my graduate students, 591 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: Mark Turner, he tries to see how many tree species 592 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: he can kill a deer from. 593 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 3: That's like a different I got one out of a 594 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 3: magnolia one time, did you so? 595 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:47,800 Speaker 1: Was it a southern magnolia in Alabama. 596 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 3: Uh so, I guess that'd be Do you think that 597 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 3: would fit under is the Merlin app? Does that fit under? AI? 598 00:35:56,719 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 3: Of course it does? 599 00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. 600 00:35:58,440 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 601 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 3: Out, I wish so the Cornell Ornithology Lab or Lab 602 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 3: of Ornithology, they're phenomenal, dude, they do so much cool stuff. Yeah, 603 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 3: I keep thinking they're they should send me like a 604 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 3: hat or something promoting talking about the Cornell Ornithology that anyhow, 605 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 3: if if they see that, they were not gonna do 606 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 3: this because it's not birds, but I think that that 607 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:24,400 Speaker 3: should be developed. I would like to see that be 608 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 3: developed into frogs, yes, toads, insects. Yeah, that'd be sweet, 609 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 3: so that you could sit out and be like, oh, 610 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 3: that's that frog. 611 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 4: You know, or even that it'd be cool if there 612 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 4: was like animal ones, because sure I've heard several different 613 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 4: times I've heard like Bobcat mountain lion screaming. Most people 614 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 4: are like, what in the hell, Yeah, someone's getting murdered 615 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 4: up on the hill. 616 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 3: We've had people send in crazy noises, you know, and 617 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 3: you listen to it and you're like, that's something slowly 618 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,560 Speaker 3: killing a cottontail rabbit or whatever, right, Like, yeah, if 619 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 3: it would just like be able to to pick off 620 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 3: all those sounds. Yeah. 621 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 1: I was in the Yucatan, Uh three weeks ago we 622 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: were hunting oscillated turkeys and uh, some howler monkeys started 623 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: going off. Now that's something that will get your attention. 624 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,520 Speaker 1: When those big males are up in the trees, Uh 625 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:26,440 Speaker 1: just growl and hollering at the females and young. And 626 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:30,200 Speaker 1: it was it was rather fascinating to say, Yeah, Phil, 627 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 1: when you're putting this together, it is just a quick 628 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:34,759 Speaker 1: note to Phil. You can leave the note in Phil, 629 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:41,880 Speaker 1: play uh, play howler monkeys real quick going off in 630 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 1: the trees, so that that is an intimidating noise. Oh yeah, 631 00:37:59,040 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 1: and you're in. 632 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:01,759 Speaker 3: The dark, going through the jungle and dark and when 633 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 3: it's just getting light out, those things going off right 634 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 3: over your head. Oh my god. Man. 635 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:10,479 Speaker 1: And obviously I have never been confronted by one or whatever, 636 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: but uh, you know they're said to be rather aggressive. 637 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:19,360 Speaker 3: I was with some guys that shot one and we 638 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:21,320 Speaker 3: ate it a red howler monkey. 639 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: Really, you know, how was it? 640 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:23,719 Speaker 3: I didn't like it. 641 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 1: You didn't eat the brains? 642 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:25,520 Speaker 3: Did you know? 643 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:28,319 Speaker 1: They did? Do you remember those videos from years back? 644 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 3: What was it called eating the live monkey brain. 645 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, what was the faces of death? Yeah, where 646 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 1: the monkey's head would be in the center of the table. 647 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,840 Speaker 1: And then people had these little like ball pin hammers 648 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:43,959 Speaker 1: and pop pop pop, you know, all the way around 649 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: the table until they finally killed the monkey. And then 650 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: they cracked his skull open, and all of them had 651 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:51,800 Speaker 1: spoons and would. 652 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:59,920 Speaker 3: Man, no, they didn't do that, but they uh, they 653 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:05,160 Speaker 3: they had. So they had a monkey. They'd killed it 654 00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:08,640 Speaker 3: with a sixteen gage shotgun. Chaman. These guys were Chamane. 655 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:12,479 Speaker 3: Was there a tribe? They killed it with sixteen gage 656 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 3: shotgun and man, they had like they cleaned the intestines 657 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 3: and everything all to eat. One of them was walking 658 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 3: around he had that it had a little it had 659 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 3: a little baby, and he was just eating that little 660 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 3: head like a little apple cooked. 661 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 1: Man cooked. 662 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:33,920 Speaker 3: I just thought it was too much like eating folks. 663 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:36,839 Speaker 3: I hate it, but I thought it was a lot 664 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 3: like eating folks. I had eaten. I had eaten, and 665 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 3: I had had occasion overseas as well. I'd had occasion 666 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:50,880 Speaker 3: to eat domestic dog a bunch, and that bothered me, 667 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:55,120 Speaker 3: but I didn't bother me like monkeys. You know, well, 668 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:56,720 Speaker 3: both of them made me feel sweaty. 669 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:01,320 Speaker 1: We also saw spider monkeys, but they didn't have nearly 670 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: as exciting of a vocalization. But you mentioned somebody shot one. Now, 671 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:09,600 Speaker 1: our guides when we were down there, they were very 672 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:12,880 Speaker 1: strict about, you know, not being able to shoot the mono. 673 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:17,719 Speaker 3: Yep, no monkeys. Yeah, I've been so. I was with 674 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:24,440 Speaker 3: the other group that it's taboo tabooed eat monkey, like 675 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:28,920 Speaker 3: they don't eat monkeys, tabooty iguana. But you know what, 676 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:31,360 Speaker 3: it's just different. We have all kinds of taboos. Like 677 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:32,759 Speaker 3: you might come with us and be like, well, there's 678 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:35,000 Speaker 3: this good looking animal right there. That's my dog. 679 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:35,359 Speaker 1: Dude. 680 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 3: You know, everybody's got their table. 681 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:40,680 Speaker 1: That's one rule I have no problem in abiding by. 682 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:54,160 Speaker 3: It's easy to here's a good question that came in. 683 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:02,520 Speaker 3: If you're in New Richmond, washsen there's a piece called 684 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 3: the ten Mile Water Foul Production Area. Okay, US Fish 685 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 3: and Wildlife Service Land. There's a Okay, the just gonna 686 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 3: read from what the guy has to say. Recently, a 687 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,160 Speaker 3: group of individuals in my neighborhood want to have the 688 00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 3: easement removed leading to US Fish and Wildlife Land. So 689 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:24,399 Speaker 3: there's a group of individuals in this individual's neighborhood who 690 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 3: want they have an easement into the ten mile waterfowl 691 00:41:28,680 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 3: production area New Richmond, Wisconsin. Their argument is they should 692 00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 3: close that easement because there's other easements anyways. Because what happened. 693 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 3: A new landowner purchased some land knowing damn well that 694 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:45,240 Speaker 3: there was an easement there, and they want to build 695 00:41:45,280 --> 00:41:48,319 Speaker 3: their quote dream home. Whenever you see someone's gonna build 696 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:52,360 Speaker 3: a dream home, it usually proceeds a problem. Do you 697 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 3: know what I mean? They're like, oh, no, no, no, no, 698 00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 3: it wasn't any home. It was my dream home. So 699 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:04,239 Speaker 3: the land that is being accessed is not. So the 700 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:07,400 Speaker 3: people are saying we should close the easement because you 701 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 3: can get there from other ways anyways. You can get 702 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,160 Speaker 3: into this area other routes, and this gentleman is saying, 703 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:16,279 Speaker 3: the other routes suck. You gotta go through a bunch 704 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 3: of swamp and muck and wetland or across the river, 705 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 3: and so it's not comparable. And he said, is my 706 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 3: belief that the individuals fighting this easement and seeking to 707 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 3: have it removed just want this land for their free 708 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 3: use and to prevent hunters from walking through it. They 709 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 3: have said hunters can request access through their property, But 710 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,040 Speaker 3: in my eyes, this defeats the purpose of public land. 711 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:44,840 Speaker 3: Why should I have to request access from a private 712 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:48,840 Speaker 3: party to use the public easement. He says that his 713 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:53,080 Speaker 3: position on this is so controversial in his neighborhood that 714 00:42:53,400 --> 00:43:00,640 Speaker 3: his kids will lose friendships with neighborhood kids. If he 715 00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 3: were to bring this up publicly, what would you do? 716 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 3: Would you stand up to the whole neighborhood. Yeah, well, 717 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:12,800 Speaker 3: I'd make it be like it was in the neighborhood's benefit. 718 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:17,080 Speaker 1: But I wonder why the other neighbors feel so strongly 719 00:43:18,480 --> 00:43:21,040 Speaker 1: that the easement should be kapy. 720 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:24,840 Speaker 3: He'd be like, who's being the good neighbor here? I 721 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:27,359 Speaker 3: feel that all the people in our neighborhood can right 722 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,800 Speaker 3: now walk on over there. But if this guy builds 723 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 3: his dream home, then the neighborhood's boned. Yeah. 724 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:37,120 Speaker 2: It seems like a real slippery slope to allow somebody 725 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:39,400 Speaker 2: the ability to say yes you can go or no 726 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:39,839 Speaker 2: you can't. 727 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:42,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. I don't get. I don't get. It's like he 728 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 3: you know what he's doing, he's getting best. He's getting 729 00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:47,440 Speaker 3: beat by someone who's better at rhetoric than he is, 730 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:51,759 Speaker 3: but someone's out rhetoric in him. The guy that wrote 731 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:54,520 Speaker 3: in he's getting out rhetoric, but he should he should 732 00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:57,480 Speaker 3: have the upper hand here. If his kid's gonna lose 733 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:02,560 Speaker 3: buddies over this, Yeah, they're gonna they're gonna take his 734 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:03,560 Speaker 3: bike or something. 735 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:04,960 Speaker 1: Uh. 736 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:07,879 Speaker 3: We had a we had a podcast a while ago. 737 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,799 Speaker 3: On an episode, we talked about the ways turkeys get 738 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:13,320 Speaker 3: reported in the news, you know, like the idea of 739 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 3: the the rabid, mean downtown turkey. We had a police 740 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:23,719 Speaker 3: officer from Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Mount Pleasant Police apartment. He 741 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:30,719 Speaker 3: rode in where they had a turkey that was viciously 742 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:37,719 Speaker 3: attacking people in the neighborhood. This turkey, he says, this 743 00:44:37,840 --> 00:44:41,719 Speaker 3: turkey actually managed to knock a lady down and broker wrist. 744 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,319 Speaker 3: I don't mean to laugh at the knocked her down 745 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:49,319 Speaker 3: and broker wrist. Okay, they triudn't. They tried to catch 746 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:50,800 Speaker 3: it in the net gun. That couldn't catch it in 747 00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:54,920 Speaker 3: the net gun. They eventually put together a coordinated approach 748 00:44:55,960 --> 00:45:00,359 Speaker 3: to mobilize the turkey. Since they knew that the tom 749 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:04,720 Speaker 3: would routinely charge vehicles, they use an suv as a blocker, 750 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:09,880 Speaker 3: had officers hide behind the suv as it approached the 751 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 3: tom When they executed the plan, they did not consider 752 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:21,480 Speaker 3: that a taser gun. Part of the plan fell apart 753 00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:23,760 Speaker 3: when they forgot that a taser gun has a five 754 00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:30,080 Speaker 3: second sequence that prevents a cop from overtasering people. They 755 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:35,720 Speaker 3: hide behind the vehicle and the turkey approaches the vehicle 756 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:42,680 Speaker 3: to attack, So an officer tases the turkey, at which 757 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:45,120 Speaker 3: point the other officers all run out to get it 758 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:49,880 Speaker 3: into a fishing net. He had to keep tasering it, 759 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:52,240 Speaker 3: but the five second thing made it that the turkey 760 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:58,960 Speaker 3: recovered and actually spurred up and injured an officer with 761 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:04,919 Speaker 3: its spurs. They eventually got it into a box from 762 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:11,399 Speaker 3: a cardboard pool, a large pool cardboard box. They then 763 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:15,839 Speaker 3: drove the turkey five miles out of town and let 764 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:20,600 Speaker 3: it go on a farm. Two weeks later, he was back. 765 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:30,080 Speaker 2: Even even if the turkey never came back, it seems 766 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,080 Speaker 2: like a big giant waste of Oh if people lose 767 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:37,520 Speaker 2: their mind turkeys, I mean, a twelve gage is a 768 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:39,840 Speaker 2: great cheap way to take care of that problem. 769 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:40,040 Speaker 3: You know. 770 00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:42,480 Speaker 1: I'm just sitting here listening to all this and thinking. 771 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:46,560 Speaker 1: Of course, turkeys were not numerous in the nineteen fifties. 772 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:50,600 Speaker 1: But had that problem occurred in the nineteen fifties. 773 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,560 Speaker 3: What you just described would not have happened. No, oh, 774 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 3: in the nineteen fifties of a turkey at tagged the 775 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:57,919 Speaker 3: lady and broke the wrist. Would they be then having 776 00:46:58,040 --> 00:46:59,520 Speaker 3: like an eatings of the girls. 777 00:47:00,440 --> 00:47:02,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, they would have a meeting to eat it. Yeah, 778 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:04,719 Speaker 1: that evening, that's what they'd be doing. 779 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:08,600 Speaker 3: We did our big Chatticot episode, but the Chatticot questions 780 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:11,240 Speaker 3: keep rolling in, So we had a Chatticut episode. Luke Colmbs. 781 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:13,840 Speaker 3: We took care of a million Chatticot questions, but a 782 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:17,759 Speaker 3: couple keep coming in. This is an interesting one. So 783 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:20,919 Speaker 3: you guys gotta do a morality. This is a moral question. 784 00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:26,080 Speaker 3: So this guy a few years back, he buys a house. 785 00:47:27,239 --> 00:47:30,880 Speaker 3: He buys three acres out in the country. As he 786 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:35,440 Speaker 3: puts it and on it is a one quarter acre 787 00:47:35,920 --> 00:47:42,600 Speaker 3: what he describes as a scummy duck pond. The neighboring 788 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:48,400 Speaker 3: property owner has thirty five acres with three other larger ponds. 789 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:53,680 Speaker 3: This guy takes a shine to the pond that he 790 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 3: now owns. There's four ponds, three around the neighbor's place 791 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,440 Speaker 3: ones on his He takes a shine to this pond 792 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:04,960 Speaker 3: and he has it dug out and deepened. He has 793 00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:09,760 Speaker 3: it treated with beneficial bacteria. He adds an air raider 794 00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:17,840 Speaker 3: and he says, this pond turns out awesome. The neighbor 795 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:22,680 Speaker 3: that has thirty five acres with three ponds sells his place. Okay. 796 00:48:23,880 --> 00:48:26,239 Speaker 3: The person that buys this new place now has these 797 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:29,920 Speaker 3: three ponds, and he decides to have it surveyed. And 798 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,120 Speaker 3: when he has it surveyed, it turns out that he 799 00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:34,239 Speaker 3: owned the actually guy that the guy actually send in 800 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 3: a little illustration, he actually owns a little bit of 801 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:43,800 Speaker 3: the shore of the sweet new pond. Now, the people 802 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:47,319 Speaker 3: that bought the three ponds with thirty five acres now 803 00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:51,880 Speaker 3: camp out and hang out on their little sliver of 804 00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:55,640 Speaker 3: the pond that he rehabilitated about one hundred yards from 805 00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:02,440 Speaker 3: his kitchen window. Oh man, and he's wondering, sure, man, 806 00:49:02,800 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 3: it's on their place, But really, what's the etiquette on that. 807 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:14,200 Speaker 3: That's a tough one. A tough one. It's a tough one. 808 00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:17,920 Speaker 1: I would say, there just needs to be give and 809 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:22,399 Speaker 1: take on both sides, you know. I mean, the dude 810 00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:27,040 Speaker 1: fixed up the pond it's unfortunate that it's actually owned 811 00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:30,960 Speaker 1: a portion of by somebody else. But all parties involved 812 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:33,560 Speaker 1: should realize, you know, we have a little issue here 813 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:35,120 Speaker 1: and let's let's be nice to each other. 814 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:39,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, that's a tough one because here's one thing 815 00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:46,440 Speaker 3: I am, like, I empathize with the guy that duged 816 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:48,239 Speaker 3: the pine up. But at the same time, dude, you 817 00:49:48,719 --> 00:49:51,040 Speaker 3: like you like you didn't survey your property line? 818 00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:52,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was. The whole thing could have been fixed 819 00:49:52,680 --> 00:49:55,560 Speaker 2: when you bought your property and not just and then 820 00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:57,160 Speaker 2: you would have known. All right, at this point, do 821 00:49:57,200 --> 00:49:58,680 Speaker 2: you want to put the money and effort into it? 822 00:49:58,960 --> 00:50:00,879 Speaker 2: And so this guy buys the place and he gets 823 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:03,200 Speaker 2: to walk around. There's a sweet pond on his as 824 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:05,200 Speaker 2: far as he knows, just a sweet pond on his place. 825 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:07,400 Speaker 2: He may not know what all happened. 826 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:11,200 Speaker 4: Maybe if he just lets his pond go back to 827 00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 4: the scummy duck pond, the neighbors won't want to hang 828 00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:14,040 Speaker 4: out by it. 829 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:16,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, he needs to call the contractor be like, I 830 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:17,919 Speaker 3: want to put all that fill back in the pod. 831 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,440 Speaker 3: What if he What'm I gonna run my sewage out 832 00:50:22,520 --> 00:50:25,160 Speaker 3: into that get it right back to way I found it. 833 00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:28,840 Speaker 1: What if he paid to have one of the neighbor's 834 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:32,960 Speaker 1: ponds fixed up just like his pond, and in trade, 835 00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:35,640 Speaker 1: we work out an agreement where he can purchase the 836 00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:39,640 Speaker 1: land around his pond. Either way, it's gonna costume something, dude, 837 00:50:40,719 --> 00:50:43,000 Speaker 1: that's the fix. It's costume. 838 00:50:43,120 --> 00:50:45,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, this guy Craigs should be on all the etiquette episodes. 839 00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:48,960 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, he says, you know, I got a proposal. 840 00:50:49,239 --> 00:50:51,399 Speaker 3: I'm gonna do just what I did that my pond, 841 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,680 Speaker 3: your pond. I'll make it better and then you'll see 842 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,879 Speaker 3: to me that little chunk of beach. 843 00:50:57,160 --> 00:50:59,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, just be nice. 844 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:03,200 Speaker 3: Property bound adjustments. Okay, here's another one. This one's this one. 845 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:05,880 Speaker 3: That one was great. This one is not great. This 846 00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:10,600 Speaker 3: is a horrible person. Fourteen year old kid Thanksgiving Eve 847 00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:15,520 Speaker 3: is hunting a property with his uncle, who's his hunting mentor. 848 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:20,200 Speaker 3: Big Buck pops out Big buck for North Carolina. He says, 849 00:51:21,719 --> 00:51:27,000 Speaker 3: big eight pointer. He's a kid, he's fourteen. Bam, hits 850 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:31,359 Speaker 3: it in the leg, says he pretty much takes off 851 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:34,239 Speaker 3: the lower third of the deer's leg. Deer runs over 852 00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:39,640 Speaker 3: towards the uncle. Bam, Uncle gets it. The uncle kept 853 00:51:39,719 --> 00:51:43,920 Speaker 3: the buck. Oh wow, it's hanging in his house. Come on, dude, 854 00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:48,640 Speaker 3: argument being you might not have found that deer. That 855 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:54,400 Speaker 3: doesn't matter. That doesn't matter. I would even if that uncle, 856 00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:56,600 Speaker 3: if it wasn't his nephew, and it wasn't even the 857 00:51:56,640 --> 00:51:57,520 Speaker 3: same property. 858 00:51:58,320 --> 00:52:01,320 Speaker 1: Dude, give the person the deer that they made a 859 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:04,160 Speaker 1: whole movie called First Blood. Obviously I don't know the guy, 860 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:05,200 Speaker 1: but I don't like him. 861 00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:09,239 Speaker 3: No, if he did it to a neighbor, I think 862 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:09,719 Speaker 3: he was right. 863 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:11,520 Speaker 2: So I was gonna change up the question if this 864 00:52:11,719 --> 00:52:13,800 Speaker 2: was an adult that made the bad for a shot. 865 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:16,160 Speaker 3: When a kid got it. 866 00:52:16,400 --> 00:52:18,600 Speaker 2: Oh no, like adult made it bad for a shot 867 00:52:18,640 --> 00:52:20,279 Speaker 2: and then the buck roun you. So I made a shot, 868 00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 2: wounded a buck, bad shott and then you killed it? 869 00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:23,920 Speaker 2: Or you giving me the deer back. 870 00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:25,880 Speaker 3: Absolutely without question? 871 00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:30,359 Speaker 2: Is there any wounding that doesn't count, like a hide 872 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:33,719 Speaker 2: wound or like, oh that's a. 873 00:52:33,719 --> 00:52:36,279 Speaker 3: Good question, Well give it, give it to me. Like 874 00:52:36,360 --> 00:52:40,120 Speaker 3: let's say you shot a tye off it or you 875 00:52:40,360 --> 00:52:42,759 Speaker 3: keep it now, Okay, you shot a tye off it 876 00:52:43,239 --> 00:52:49,400 Speaker 3: or you hit hair? What what if it? 877 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:52,399 Speaker 4: What if you like shot a deer with a ball 878 00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:54,719 Speaker 4: that that would just win through muscle, That dear is 879 00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:57,640 Speaker 4: gonna live, not one hundred percent, but. 880 00:52:57,680 --> 00:52:58,320 Speaker 3: Because you never know. 881 00:52:58,440 --> 00:53:00,440 Speaker 2: But I'd give it to the person you don't know. 882 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 2: I'm gonna can I twist the question one more time 883 00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:08,960 Speaker 2: for you? So it's the new Michigan state record. Okay, 884 00:53:09,840 --> 00:53:13,000 Speaker 2: I ding it in the lower in the knee joint, 885 00:53:13,200 --> 00:53:14,480 Speaker 2: and it runs to you and you kill it. 886 00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:16,200 Speaker 3: It's your buck. 887 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:17,680 Speaker 2: I don't believe you. 888 00:53:19,520 --> 00:53:21,759 Speaker 3: Who else you're gonna ask what I would do besides. 889 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:25,560 Speaker 1: Me, Jason, That dude would be on my wall. 890 00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:28,440 Speaker 2: See the ethics change a little bit. 891 00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:30,160 Speaker 3: No, I think if the kids. 892 00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:36,359 Speaker 2: Involved you, yeah, yeah, you specifically just yeah, it's it's 893 00:53:36,400 --> 00:53:37,640 Speaker 2: going home with the fourteen year old. 894 00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:41,960 Speaker 1: Can I tell another story that's somewhat related? 895 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:42,680 Speaker 3: Oh please? 896 00:53:43,280 --> 00:53:43,400 Speaker 4: Uh? 897 00:53:44,640 --> 00:53:48,680 Speaker 1: Marcus Lashley at the University of Florida. He is on 898 00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:53,400 Speaker 1: the committee of one of my current graduate students, Jake Bones, 899 00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:57,880 Speaker 1: and Marcus was a graduate student mine years ago. So 900 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:01,080 Speaker 1: I have a long relationship with Marcus. Great guy, very smart, 901 00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:03,959 Speaker 1: knows a lot about turkeys and fire and other things. 902 00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:04,640 Speaker 3: Well. 903 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:08,279 Speaker 1: Thinking about the etiquette, he was coming up to hunt 904 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,960 Speaker 1: with us and spend time to meet with Jake on 905 00:54:11,080 --> 00:54:15,080 Speaker 1: his project et cetera, and it happened to be coincidentally 906 00:54:15,680 --> 00:54:19,680 Speaker 1: in April during our turkey season. So of course Marcus 907 00:54:19,760 --> 00:54:23,920 Speaker 1: wants a turkey hunt, and so Jake says, hey, I 908 00:54:24,080 --> 00:54:27,520 Speaker 1: know where there's a couple of birds hanging out. It's 909 00:54:27,600 --> 00:54:31,520 Speaker 1: on some public land. He said, let's take doctor Lashley 910 00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:32,319 Speaker 1: and hunt over. 911 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:33,080 Speaker 3: That's great. 912 00:54:33,760 --> 00:54:35,960 Speaker 1: And so Marcus and I had hunted a couple of 913 00:54:36,000 --> 00:54:38,640 Speaker 1: different spots, and then on this third morning, we went 914 00:54:38,719 --> 00:54:40,680 Speaker 1: to the public land that Jake was going to go 915 00:54:40,760 --> 00:54:45,759 Speaker 1: to and I had not been there. And backstory a 916 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:48,520 Speaker 1: little bit. Jake had only killed one turkey ever in 917 00:54:48,600 --> 00:54:52,960 Speaker 1: his life, okay, and so he's giving up this goblin 918 00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:56,239 Speaker 1: bird to what's going to be his committee member, you know, 919 00:54:56,320 --> 00:54:58,719 Speaker 1: which can be important when it comes voting time. 920 00:55:00,040 --> 00:55:00,479 Speaker 3: So got. 921 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:05,200 Speaker 1: And so we drive to the spot. We get out 922 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:09,279 Speaker 1: and the bird is gobling literally within one hundred yards. 923 00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:12,759 Speaker 1: I said, well, you know, gosh, you know that's we're 924 00:55:12,960 --> 00:55:16,560 Speaker 1: really close. And I did not know Jake that well 925 00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:21,760 Speaker 1: at this time about his turkey hunting ability, savvy whatever, 926 00:55:21,920 --> 00:55:24,480 Speaker 1: I didn't know, and so I just figured, you know, 927 00:55:24,680 --> 00:55:27,719 Speaker 1: Jake's probably long time turkey hunter and he knows what 928 00:55:27,800 --> 00:55:32,080 Speaker 1: he's doing. And so we're walking down the gravel road 929 00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:35,480 Speaker 1: headed to this goblin bird. And you know, I'm I've 930 00:55:35,520 --> 00:55:37,880 Speaker 1: been kind of hanging back the whole time. Let let 931 00:55:38,040 --> 00:55:42,160 Speaker 1: Jake kind of take control of this situation. And but 932 00:55:42,640 --> 00:55:44,920 Speaker 1: it dons on me. I'm going to have to do 933 00:55:45,040 --> 00:55:49,160 Speaker 1: something because we're fixing to mess this up royally. And 934 00:55:49,320 --> 00:55:52,040 Speaker 1: so I speed walk ahead to get up to Jake, 935 00:55:52,080 --> 00:55:56,040 Speaker 1: and I said, hey, what's your plan here? And he said, we. 936 00:55:57,880 --> 00:55:58,280 Speaker 3: Exactly. 937 00:55:58,400 --> 00:56:02,640 Speaker 1: And then and by the way, it's already plenty light 938 00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:06,120 Speaker 1: enough to see. It's not like even gray light. It's 939 00:56:06,200 --> 00:56:09,279 Speaker 1: after that because the places the ways off they had 940 00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:11,160 Speaker 1: to drive to when we were a little late getting there. 941 00:56:11,440 --> 00:56:13,120 Speaker 1: So anyways, you know what you're playing, He said, Well, 942 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:15,000 Speaker 1: I figured we'll just walk up here and sit down. 943 00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:17,200 Speaker 1: I said, well, we need to get off of the 944 00:56:17,320 --> 00:56:20,520 Speaker 1: road and get in the woods now, like right here, come, 945 00:56:20,680 --> 00:56:24,040 Speaker 1: let's go. And so guided them into the woods. And 946 00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:25,919 Speaker 1: so we get a little closer to where the bird 947 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:28,879 Speaker 1: is and it's next to an opening. It's a very 948 00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:29,600 Speaker 1: good situation. 949 00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:30,439 Speaker 3: We sit down. 950 00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:38,280 Speaker 1: We certainly are within seventy yards of the bird's goblin, 951 00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:40,840 Speaker 1: which is good. I was afraid it would spook differently. 952 00:56:41,440 --> 00:56:48,600 Speaker 1: Hens are calling and I'm calling for Marcus and get 953 00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:50,800 Speaker 1: a lot of response. You know, the birds just tearing 954 00:56:50,840 --> 00:56:54,880 Speaker 1: it up. The hens fly down, they fly down near us, 955 00:56:55,400 --> 00:56:58,640 Speaker 1: they ease out in the opening. So oh, this is 956 00:56:58,760 --> 00:57:02,720 Speaker 1: looking really good, right, and so here comes the gobbler. 957 00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:05,839 Speaker 1: But there was a little rise not far from us, 958 00:57:05,960 --> 00:57:09,239 Speaker 1: and the gobbler got behind that, and so now he 959 00:57:09,520 --> 00:57:13,480 Speaker 1: is at eight yards and Marcus does not have his 960 00:57:13,680 --> 00:57:18,960 Speaker 1: gun in just the right position, and so he finally 961 00:57:19,080 --> 00:57:22,040 Speaker 1: eases his gun over. The bird sees it. He's starting 962 00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:24,320 Speaker 1: to walk a little you know, quick walk a little bit. 963 00:57:24,560 --> 00:57:29,160 Speaker 1: Marcus shoots, hits the bird. The bird tumbles and rolls, 964 00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:34,840 Speaker 1: and Marcus shoots again and again, and the bird jumps 965 00:57:34,960 --> 00:57:37,920 Speaker 1: up and flies. And you know, I didn't have a shotgun. 966 00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:42,960 Speaker 1: I'm not hunting, and Jake is sitting behind us, and 967 00:57:43,080 --> 00:57:46,680 Speaker 1: I said, you know, shoot, shoot, and Jake shoots, and 968 00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:48,920 Speaker 1: the bird, you know, kind of does a slow dive 969 00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:52,880 Speaker 1: and so he lands about one hundred and twenty yards 970 00:57:53,680 --> 00:57:56,440 Speaker 1: out in this recent clearcut. 971 00:57:57,200 --> 00:57:57,400 Speaker 3: Jake. 972 00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:00,680 Speaker 1: Now, Jake's a tall boy, He's like h six seven 973 00:58:00,840 --> 00:58:04,640 Speaker 1: or something and long legs. He is just striding out 974 00:58:04,720 --> 00:58:08,000 Speaker 1: there chasing this turkey. And now the turkey's flopping and 975 00:58:08,120 --> 00:58:11,240 Speaker 1: flying and half running and whatever else. And there's Jackie 976 00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:16,680 Speaker 1: flops onto the bird. He was out of shells, uses 977 00:58:16,720 --> 00:58:19,600 Speaker 1: the shotgun as a club to try to get the 978 00:58:19,680 --> 00:58:23,600 Speaker 1: bird down. Finally wrestles with him. Feathers are flying everywhere, 979 00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:26,200 Speaker 1: and he finally comes up with this bird in his hand. 980 00:58:26,280 --> 00:58:28,560 Speaker 1: He's got this huge smile on his face. And we 981 00:58:28,680 --> 00:58:30,880 Speaker 1: all meet and congratulating whatnot. 982 00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:38,000 Speaker 3: So who gets the bird? The guy that shot it first. 983 00:58:38,440 --> 00:58:41,480 Speaker 1: And so there's Marcus. Now Marcus shot it first. But 984 00:58:41,720 --> 00:58:44,800 Speaker 1: here and I'm learning as the morning goes on, Jake 985 00:58:44,840 --> 00:58:47,360 Speaker 1: has only killed one bird. You know, here's a new 986 00:58:47,520 --> 00:58:51,440 Speaker 1: graduate student. And uh and I'm I'm Marcus. You know, 987 00:58:51,480 --> 00:58:53,680 Speaker 1: what are you gonna do here? What are you gonna do? Well? 988 00:58:54,040 --> 00:58:57,120 Speaker 1: You know, I shot him, and uh, I said Marcus. 989 00:58:57,160 --> 00:59:01,040 Speaker 1: I said, Jake's only killed one bird before. Long story short, 990 00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:05,240 Speaker 1: They split the meat. Marcus gets the spurs and Jake 991 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:10,320 Speaker 1: got the bears DVD. I thought that was pretty man. 992 00:59:10,600 --> 00:59:13,280 Speaker 3: It is good. A couple more quick things, but this 993 00:59:13,400 --> 00:59:15,520 Speaker 3: goods has to do with turkeys. I got two more questions, 994 00:59:17,720 --> 00:59:23,120 Speaker 3: a couple more questions for you. Here's when it came 995 00:59:23,160 --> 00:59:25,160 Speaker 3: in from a guy and I just experienced the same things. 996 00:59:25,240 --> 00:59:27,240 Speaker 3: Let me hit you with this. Let me hit with this, craig. 997 00:59:28,440 --> 00:59:31,920 Speaker 3: My name is Luke Birch. I'm from eastern North Carolina. 998 00:59:34,520 --> 00:59:37,120 Speaker 3: I have lived here my whole life. I love hunting 999 00:59:37,120 --> 00:59:40,720 Speaker 3: in this great state. Recently drew a tag to hunt 1000 00:59:40,760 --> 00:59:45,400 Speaker 3: game lands here. I don't claim to be a wildlife biologist, 1001 00:59:45,600 --> 00:59:48,120 Speaker 3: but just have to ask your opinion on controlled burns. 1002 00:59:48,360 --> 00:59:51,280 Speaker 3: I am all four controlled burns, but can't understand why 1003 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:54,160 Speaker 3: it seems the state always does them and nesting season. 1004 00:59:55,600 --> 00:59:57,840 Speaker 3: I just got an ear flip. Before you answer, I 1005 00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:01,080 Speaker 3: want to tell you what happened with me. I have 1006 01:00:01,200 --> 01:00:05,120 Speaker 3: discovered multiple scrambled turkey nests and these pine plantations that 1007 01:00:05,200 --> 01:00:09,400 Speaker 3: are under prescribe burn plants. Our states started planning long 1008 01:00:09,520 --> 01:00:12,320 Speaker 3: leaf pines sometime back and are also trying to bring 1009 01:00:12,440 --> 01:00:15,480 Speaker 3: back a healthier quail population. But I don't see that 1010 01:00:15,600 --> 01:00:19,320 Speaker 3: as being super efficient, considering prescribed burns seem always to 1011 01:00:19,400 --> 01:00:22,360 Speaker 3: take place during nesting season. When I was just down 1012 01:00:22,400 --> 01:00:28,040 Speaker 3: in Florida, out in Big Cypress, I was there. I 1013 01:00:28,120 --> 01:00:30,760 Speaker 3: was there before the turkey season open. We weren't hunting turkeys, 1014 01:00:30,800 --> 01:00:33,600 Speaker 3: but I was with a turkey hunter doing a little tour. 1015 01:00:34,280 --> 01:00:36,600 Speaker 3: They had stuff burning everywhere in there, and he says 1016 01:00:36,600 --> 01:00:38,000 Speaker 3: the same thing, Why do they got to burn it 1017 01:00:38,040 --> 01:00:44,240 Speaker 3: when they like they gotta be cooking turkey nests? True? 1018 01:00:44,400 --> 01:00:45,520 Speaker 1: How much time do we have? 1019 01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:48,400 Speaker 3: As much time as you want? 1020 01:00:49,040 --> 01:00:53,200 Speaker 1: Well, this is uh. I hate to say this a 1021 01:00:53,280 --> 01:00:53,840 Speaker 1: hot topic. 1022 01:00:54,160 --> 01:00:57,120 Speaker 3: I don't know that I'd like to say. 1023 01:00:57,320 --> 01:01:00,120 Speaker 1: I'm not one with pun but it is of a 1024 01:01:00,240 --> 01:01:02,760 Speaker 1: very hot topic, and it's discussed a lot and has 1025 01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:06,080 Speaker 1: been a lot over the past few to several years. 1026 01:01:08,160 --> 01:01:10,960 Speaker 1: Some turkey nests very well may be burned up, but 1027 01:01:12,000 --> 01:01:16,400 Speaker 1: whether that is having a detrimental effect on the population 1028 01:01:16,640 --> 01:01:20,280 Speaker 1: or not is more related to the scale of burning, 1029 01:01:20,560 --> 01:01:23,960 Speaker 1: how often they are burning. So, if you're burning on 1030 01:01:24,040 --> 01:01:27,680 Speaker 1: a relative small scale, and relative can be defined in 1031 01:01:27,760 --> 01:01:31,000 Speaker 1: a little bit, but on a small scale, and you 1032 01:01:31,120 --> 01:01:33,600 Speaker 1: burn up a nest or two, whoop you do. That's 1033 01:01:33,640 --> 01:01:38,440 Speaker 1: not going to affect the population in that area per se. 1034 01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:44,320 Speaker 1: But if you're managing your property for turkeys, unlet's say 1035 01:01:44,360 --> 01:01:47,280 Speaker 1: you have one hundred acres or seven hundred acres or whatever, 1036 01:01:47,320 --> 01:01:52,080 Speaker 1: and you're managing it for turkeys, then I'm in agreement 1037 01:01:52,240 --> 01:01:55,480 Speaker 1: with the guy. I'm not going to be burning during 1038 01:01:55,640 --> 01:02:00,800 Speaker 1: the nesting season when I could destroy some nest and 1039 01:02:00,960 --> 01:02:02,800 Speaker 1: so I want to give the turkeys every bit of 1040 01:02:02,880 --> 01:02:06,880 Speaker 1: advantage I can, because it's very easy to do my 1041 01:02:07,000 --> 01:02:10,800 Speaker 1: burning earlier prior to the nesting season, or do my 1042 01:02:10,880 --> 01:02:16,280 Speaker 1: burning later. You know, one thing that should be considered 1043 01:02:16,480 --> 01:02:20,960 Speaker 1: among fire practitioners is that every day is a potential 1044 01:02:21,040 --> 01:02:25,160 Speaker 1: burn day. You don't just have to burn in March 1045 01:02:25,280 --> 01:02:27,640 Speaker 1: or April. You can burn in August, you can burn 1046 01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:29,640 Speaker 1: in September, you can burn in July, you can burn 1047 01:02:29,720 --> 01:02:33,800 Speaker 1: in December, whenever. Now, your timing of burning can have 1048 01:02:34,080 --> 01:02:38,160 Speaker 1: a differential effect on the vegetation. But if I'm managing 1049 01:02:38,600 --> 01:02:42,160 Speaker 1: specifically for turkeys, I'm not going to be burning during 1050 01:02:42,240 --> 01:02:46,600 Speaker 1: the during the nesting season. Now, I'm sure what he's 1051 01:02:46,640 --> 01:02:49,400 Speaker 1: talking about is probably on the Crouatan National Forest and 1052 01:02:49,560 --> 01:02:53,360 Speaker 1: in eastern North Carolina, and so they're doing their scale 1053 01:02:53,400 --> 01:02:58,760 Speaker 1: of burning is larger. They largely are managing for an 1054 01:02:58,840 --> 01:03:03,520 Speaker 1: ecosystem for which turkeys are a part of, but not 1055 01:03:03,760 --> 01:03:12,000 Speaker 1: managing specifically for turkeys. So fired during all seasons can 1056 01:03:12,360 --> 01:03:15,280 Speaker 1: play a role in that and should be done. But 1057 01:03:15,720 --> 01:03:20,600 Speaker 1: even for them and other federal and state agencies I 1058 01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:23,920 Speaker 1: would strongly encourage to burn at other times of the 1059 01:03:24,040 --> 01:03:29,320 Speaker 1: year also, even for you know, quote ecosystem management in 1060 01:03:29,640 --> 01:03:35,880 Speaker 1: various ecosystems, not just in March April. Chris Mormons a 1061 01:03:35,920 --> 01:03:40,800 Speaker 1: professor at North Carolina State University, and he led projects 1062 01:03:40,800 --> 01:03:46,040 Speaker 1: at Fort Bragg and one of those was was on turkeys, 1063 01:03:46,640 --> 01:03:50,880 Speaker 1: and I was on the committee for the graduate student there. 1064 01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:58,120 Speaker 1: And what we found was the preponderance of nests while 1065 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:03,160 Speaker 1: turkey nests were in the drainages that did not burn, 1066 01:04:04,720 --> 01:04:09,160 Speaker 1: they were burning on a two year fire turn interval 1067 01:04:10,920 --> 01:04:13,440 Speaker 1: in long leaf pine and in the sand hills of 1068 01:04:13,480 --> 01:04:20,680 Speaker 1: North Carolina, and they're promoting endemic plants, especially wiregrass underneath 1069 01:04:20,720 --> 01:04:25,040 Speaker 1: the long leaf in many of those areas. And they 1070 01:04:25,120 --> 01:04:28,920 Speaker 1: conducted most of their fires during the early portion of 1071 01:04:28,960 --> 01:04:31,840 Speaker 1: the growing season, and most of that would be done 1072 01:04:32,120 --> 01:04:37,000 Speaker 1: in April May and some in June, for example, but 1073 01:04:37,120 --> 01:04:41,200 Speaker 1: most in April and May. And we did not document 1074 01:04:41,560 --> 01:04:45,240 Speaker 1: many turkey nests getting burned. I think it was like 1075 01:04:45,840 --> 01:04:48,280 Speaker 1: it was less than ten percent. I think it was 1076 01:04:48,320 --> 01:04:51,760 Speaker 1: like six percent or something like that that were disturbed 1077 01:04:51,840 --> 01:04:54,680 Speaker 1: or destroyed by burning, which would not in and of 1078 01:04:54,760 --> 01:04:59,280 Speaker 1: itself have an effect on the population. And so one 1079 01:04:59,400 --> 01:05:03,000 Speaker 1: message could be, oh, growing season, fire doesn't have an 1080 01:05:03,000 --> 01:05:04,520 Speaker 1: effect on wild turkey nests. 1081 01:05:04,920 --> 01:05:05,720 Speaker 3: But wait a minute. 1082 01:05:06,040 --> 01:05:08,960 Speaker 1: When you looked at the distribution of the nest where 1083 01:05:09,040 --> 01:05:15,600 Speaker 1: they occurred, the turkeys were avoiding that grassy understory which 1084 01:05:15,680 --> 01:05:19,040 Speaker 1: was very sparse with regard to cover, but concentrating their 1085 01:05:19,120 --> 01:05:24,040 Speaker 1: nests in the drainages which would not burn. And so 1086 01:05:24,600 --> 01:05:27,919 Speaker 1: you know, you can twist the results a little differently there. 1087 01:05:28,280 --> 01:05:31,600 Speaker 1: And so there's no doubt that the timing and frequency 1088 01:05:31,680 --> 01:05:37,240 Speaker 1: of their fire strongly influenced while turkey nesting, essentially forcing 1089 01:05:37,320 --> 01:05:41,760 Speaker 1: them to nest in other areas that were relatively small, 1090 01:05:42,480 --> 01:05:46,640 Speaker 1: oftentimes linear. You could make the argument that then you 1091 01:05:46,720 --> 01:05:50,120 Speaker 1: could have increased amount of predation on those nests because 1092 01:05:50,200 --> 01:05:53,800 Speaker 1: of how they were placed in range. So they had 1093 01:05:53,960 --> 01:06:00,400 Speaker 1: effectively removed a lot of what would be much better 1094 01:06:00,520 --> 01:06:03,480 Speaker 1: cover for nesting by their burning regime at that time. 1095 01:06:04,440 --> 01:06:09,520 Speaker 3: Man, here's another one from a listener. Well, no, it's 1096 01:06:09,600 --> 01:06:12,480 Speaker 3: just a thing. We it's just a piece of reporting, 1097 01:06:15,040 --> 01:06:18,840 Speaker 3: and it's apropos because we're in Kansas right now. Kansas, 1098 01:06:19,000 --> 01:06:21,680 Speaker 3: it looks like they're gonna do away fixing the du 1099 01:06:21,760 --> 01:06:26,000 Speaker 3: away of fall turkey hunting season, the number of fall 1100 01:06:26,440 --> 01:06:29,200 Speaker 3: This really surprised me. The number of fall turkey hunters 1101 01:06:29,200 --> 01:06:32,600 Speaker 3: across the state has fallen greatly since twenty fifteen, at 1102 01:06:32,640 --> 01:06:39,440 Speaker 3: a rate of twenty percent per year. In twenty nineteen, 1103 01:06:39,880 --> 01:06:43,480 Speaker 3: they dropped fall turkey season dates, so they reduced a 1104 01:06:43,600 --> 01:06:47,240 Speaker 3: meaning they used to be open October one to January thirty. First, 1105 01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:54,760 Speaker 3: what the hell's out now? Four months of fall turkey season, 1106 01:06:56,000 --> 01:06:58,320 Speaker 3: So then you're figuring that they were at plus they 1107 01:06:58,360 --> 01:07:01,640 Speaker 3: were at it was basically close to six months out 1108 01:07:01,640 --> 01:07:07,200 Speaker 3: of the year's turkey season, like usually turkey season in Kansas. 1109 01:07:07,360 --> 01:07:12,960 Speaker 3: Right then they reduced it October one through November ten, 1110 01:07:13,120 --> 01:07:19,320 Speaker 3: so they asked off a lot. Right now, Fishing Game 1111 01:07:20,040 --> 01:07:24,800 Speaker 3: Agency staff are recommending that fall season be suspended all 1112 01:07:24,880 --> 01:07:28,640 Speaker 3: together in twenty twenty three. What's your take on shooting 1113 01:07:28,640 --> 01:07:29,360 Speaker 3: turkeys in the fall. 1114 01:07:30,960 --> 01:07:35,040 Speaker 1: That's a good question and something that we've thought a 1115 01:07:35,120 --> 01:07:39,400 Speaker 1: lot about in Tennessee here in recent years. You know, 1116 01:07:39,520 --> 01:07:42,760 Speaker 1: in Tennessee there's been a fall season for a long time, 1117 01:07:43,040 --> 01:07:46,240 Speaker 1: and for the longest time, and I don't remember when 1118 01:07:47,400 --> 01:07:52,240 Speaker 1: the fall season began and when either sex could be taken, 1119 01:07:52,440 --> 01:07:57,040 Speaker 1: but for many years you could shoot hens or males, 1120 01:07:57,920 --> 01:08:01,440 Speaker 1: females or males during the fall turkey season. That was 1121 01:08:01,600 --> 01:08:06,720 Speaker 1: changed a couple of years ago to mail only, but 1122 01:08:07,000 --> 01:08:13,640 Speaker 1: still today the regulation is you can kill a male 1123 01:08:14,320 --> 01:08:17,920 Speaker 1: per county in the counties that it's open, and it's 1124 01:08:17,960 --> 01:08:20,880 Speaker 1: opening a bunch of counties, Like there's ninety five counties 1125 01:08:20,920 --> 01:08:23,120 Speaker 1: in Tennessee, and I think it's seventy seven counties where 1126 01:08:23,360 --> 01:08:26,639 Speaker 1: you can fall turkey hunt now, so you were. 1127 01:08:26,600 --> 01:08:29,840 Speaker 3: Like the most cracked command on the planet. You kill 1128 01:08:29,960 --> 01:08:31,439 Speaker 3: seventy five gobblers in the fall. 1129 01:08:31,840 --> 01:08:34,280 Speaker 1: Well, there's not that many days in the fall season, 1130 01:08:34,400 --> 01:08:37,800 Speaker 1: but you theorytically kill one and every day of the man. 1131 01:08:38,439 --> 01:08:42,200 Speaker 1: But while that theoretically could be a problem, it's not 1132 01:08:42,760 --> 01:08:46,880 Speaker 1: because in Tennessee, I think there's only like four to 1133 01:08:47,000 --> 01:08:53,040 Speaker 1: five hundred birds harvested annually during the fall season. But 1134 01:08:54,040 --> 01:09:00,240 Speaker 1: in my opinion, a fall bird should count toward the 1135 01:09:00,400 --> 01:09:05,120 Speaker 1: statewide annual bag limit, and in many cases it does not, 1136 01:09:06,200 --> 01:09:09,599 Speaker 1: and in Tennessee it does not. I think that's something 1137 01:09:09,640 --> 01:09:15,240 Speaker 1: that could be improved. You know, it really matters as 1138 01:09:15,320 --> 01:09:16,960 Speaker 1: to how many are killed. 1139 01:09:17,520 --> 01:09:18,680 Speaker 3: But the. 1140 01:09:20,400 --> 01:09:26,200 Speaker 1: Thought of shooting females in the fall in areas or 1141 01:09:26,280 --> 01:09:30,639 Speaker 1: in a state that is suffering a decline in turkey population. 1142 01:09:31,080 --> 01:09:35,280 Speaker 1: I don't think that's smart. I would not agree to 1143 01:09:35,400 --> 01:09:39,439 Speaker 1: have a female harvest in the fall. If there are 1144 01:09:39,560 --> 01:09:43,080 Speaker 1: concerns about the turkey population and the harvest has been 1145 01:09:43,160 --> 01:09:47,000 Speaker 1: going down as it has in so many states. What 1146 01:09:47,200 --> 01:09:47,479 Speaker 1: do you. 1147 01:09:49,280 --> 01:09:54,320 Speaker 3: What do you to What do you attribute the general 1148 01:09:57,000 --> 01:10:05,480 Speaker 3: decline in turkeys that we're seeing in the southeastern US, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas. 1149 01:10:07,320 --> 01:10:10,360 Speaker 3: I'm not sure other areas how widespread it is in 1150 01:10:10,439 --> 01:10:12,439 Speaker 3: other areas, but like to what I know, it's a 1151 01:10:12,520 --> 01:10:15,920 Speaker 3: very complicated question, But what do you think, like when 1152 01:10:15,960 --> 01:10:17,400 Speaker 3: you had to name the things that are going on? 1153 01:10:17,560 --> 01:10:18,040 Speaker 3: What's going on? 1154 01:10:19,720 --> 01:10:25,000 Speaker 1: It is a very complicated question. And we were discussing 1155 01:10:25,080 --> 01:10:27,640 Speaker 1: some of this over the past couple of days and 1156 01:10:28,360 --> 01:10:31,519 Speaker 1: with one of the guys that was asking me about 1157 01:10:31,520 --> 01:10:34,360 Speaker 1: it while we're walking around to property. You know, I 1158 01:10:34,520 --> 01:10:39,640 Speaker 1: mentioned think about what are the main issues or problems 1159 01:10:39,840 --> 01:10:44,200 Speaker 1: that could lead to a decline in turkey population. One 1160 01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:49,240 Speaker 1: is hunter harvest. You know that kills more males than 1161 01:10:49,320 --> 01:10:58,400 Speaker 1: anything else. Predators. Predators can be an issue. Disease obviously 1162 01:10:58,760 --> 01:11:02,000 Speaker 1: can be an issue, and then other things such as 1163 01:11:02,120 --> 01:11:08,519 Speaker 1: weather and so all of the there's an adage that 1164 01:11:09,320 --> 01:11:14,519 Speaker 1: you'll hear commonly death by a thousand cuts, and I 1165 01:11:15,240 --> 01:11:18,920 Speaker 1: generally agree with that. But some cuts are deeper than others, 1166 01:11:19,720 --> 01:11:23,080 Speaker 1: and some cuts are deeper in some areas than in 1167 01:11:23,240 --> 01:11:27,120 Speaker 1: other areas, and so nothing is the same over all 1168 01:11:27,200 --> 01:11:30,879 Speaker 1: the states or all the places where turkeys have declined. 1169 01:11:31,760 --> 01:11:35,920 Speaker 1: How many properties do you hear of? I know, I've 1170 01:11:36,040 --> 01:11:39,920 Speaker 1: visited many, and they might be seventy acres, or they 1171 01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:43,519 Speaker 1: might be seven hundred, or they might be five thousand acres. 1172 01:11:43,600 --> 01:11:44,080 Speaker 3: What have you? 1173 01:11:44,960 --> 01:11:47,920 Speaker 1: And they'll say, man, we used to have, you know, 1174 01:11:49,080 --> 01:11:52,240 Speaker 1: groups of one hundred birds, or you know, some properties 1175 01:11:52,280 --> 01:11:54,559 Speaker 1: even more than that, or it might be we would 1176 01:11:54,600 --> 01:11:57,920 Speaker 1: regularly see groups of thirty birds, and now we only 1177 01:11:58,000 --> 01:12:00,479 Speaker 1: see eight, or we only see twenty areas, whatever the 1178 01:12:00,560 --> 01:12:06,000 Speaker 1: case may be. And we used to kill ten gobblers 1179 01:12:06,040 --> 01:12:08,880 Speaker 1: a year, or twenty or forty, whatever the case may be, 1180 01:12:09,000 --> 01:12:12,439 Speaker 1: on these properties. Now we only kill eight or three, 1181 01:12:12,720 --> 01:12:15,800 Speaker 1: or whatever the case may be. Well, think about the 1182 01:12:15,920 --> 01:12:21,000 Speaker 1: productivity of turkeys, how it goes up and down. 1183 01:12:21,560 --> 01:12:21,840 Speaker 3: We have. 1184 01:12:23,520 --> 01:12:29,759 Speaker 1: Typically now more relatively poor hatch years than good hatch years. 1185 01:12:30,800 --> 01:12:37,040 Speaker 1: But the hunter harvest, the hunter effort largely remains the same, 1186 01:12:38,040 --> 01:12:41,400 Speaker 1: and so if there's a certain number of gobblers on 1187 01:12:41,520 --> 01:12:43,960 Speaker 1: a property and you've been killing on average, you know, 1188 01:12:44,080 --> 01:12:47,120 Speaker 1: ten or twelve every year or whatever, and then you 1189 01:12:47,280 --> 01:12:49,640 Speaker 1: have a poor hatch year, or a couple of them 1190 01:12:49,680 --> 01:12:52,120 Speaker 1: in a row or whatnot, that's going to show up 1191 01:12:52,880 --> 01:12:55,120 Speaker 1: in a couple of years with regard to the number 1192 01:12:55,320 --> 01:12:59,479 Speaker 1: of goblin birds. And it might be that you, the 1193 01:13:00,080 --> 01:13:03,639 Speaker 1: landowner or one of the people who hunt, you only 1194 01:13:03,760 --> 01:13:05,720 Speaker 1: kill one, or maybe you try to kill your state 1195 01:13:05,760 --> 01:13:08,519 Speaker 1: wide limit on there or whatever, and there's other people 1196 01:13:08,520 --> 01:13:11,280 Speaker 1: who also hunt the property with you. Everybody's gonna try 1197 01:13:11,320 --> 01:13:13,920 Speaker 1: to get one, you know. Usually that's the case. And 1198 01:13:14,080 --> 01:13:19,639 Speaker 1: so the harvest intensity, the pressure remains the same, although 1199 01:13:19,760 --> 01:13:24,880 Speaker 1: the productivity has lowered, and I am confident that on 1200 01:13:25,680 --> 01:13:30,640 Speaker 1: many properties and likely in many regions and larger that 1201 01:13:30,760 --> 01:13:35,320 Speaker 1: has been problematic as the productivity of turkeys has gone down, 1202 01:13:35,880 --> 01:13:38,760 Speaker 1: but the harvest intensity has remained the same. 1203 01:13:39,040 --> 01:13:41,680 Speaker 3: But people have been told, and I've even mentioned this, 1204 01:13:43,320 --> 01:13:51,080 Speaker 3: maybe erroneously, that hens are going to get bred. So 1205 01:13:51,400 --> 01:13:54,600 Speaker 3: whether you have let's see you have, let's come up 1206 01:13:54,640 --> 01:13:57,760 Speaker 3: with some hypothetical population. You fill in the numbers. For me, 1207 01:13:57,880 --> 01:14:03,880 Speaker 3: we have a hypothetical population of one hundred breeding age females. Okay, 1208 01:14:06,120 --> 01:14:07,840 Speaker 3: and I don't know the exact numbers, but maybe you 1209 01:14:07,880 --> 01:14:10,320 Speaker 3: can help me with the exact numbers. There's one hundred 1210 01:14:10,320 --> 01:14:14,080 Speaker 3: breeding age females. Let's say there's sixty breeding age males. 1211 01:14:14,120 --> 01:14:16,920 Speaker 3: You'd be like, Okay, all those females are, they're gonna 1212 01:14:16,960 --> 01:14:19,400 Speaker 3: get bread, They're eggs will be fertilized. But then there's 1213 01:14:19,439 --> 01:14:23,760 Speaker 3: only forty breeding age males, right, all those females will 1214 01:14:23,760 --> 01:14:29,000 Speaker 3: still get fertilized. So, and perhaps I'm wrong, but but 1215 01:14:29,320 --> 01:14:34,799 Speaker 3: since all this hunter harvest is targeting males and not hens, 1216 01:14:37,400 --> 01:14:39,400 Speaker 3: they're still gonna get They're still gonna lay the same 1217 01:14:39,479 --> 01:14:41,240 Speaker 3: number of eggs they would lay. Is that not true? 1218 01:14:41,520 --> 01:14:45,880 Speaker 1: Well, there's still natural mortality other than hunting, which also 1219 01:14:46,160 --> 01:14:47,480 Speaker 1: is placed on the females. 1220 01:14:47,560 --> 01:14:47,880 Speaker 3: And so. 1221 01:14:49,360 --> 01:14:53,680 Speaker 1: The ratio of males to females in the clutch might 1222 01:14:53,800 --> 01:14:57,800 Speaker 1: be biased a little bit towards males, but still then 1223 01:14:57,880 --> 01:15:00,960 Speaker 1: the number of females is gonna go down. Also with 1224 01:15:01,200 --> 01:15:05,840 Speaker 1: you know, perhaps a fifteen to thirty percent natural mortality 1225 01:15:05,960 --> 01:15:09,479 Speaker 1: rate on the females and males typically, you know, we're 1226 01:15:09,520 --> 01:15:13,880 Speaker 1: seeing twenty to thirty percent natural mortality rate on the males, 1227 01:15:13,960 --> 01:15:18,120 Speaker 1: but the hunter harvest is usually greater than that. In Tennessee, 1228 01:15:18,320 --> 01:15:23,160 Speaker 1: we've seen anywhere from twenty to forty five percent male 1229 01:15:23,280 --> 01:15:28,560 Speaker 1: harvest and any given year, yes, and so if that 1230 01:15:28,760 --> 01:15:32,479 Speaker 1: is continued and you have poor productivity over a couple 1231 01:15:32,520 --> 01:15:37,000 Speaker 1: of years or whatever, the number of mature gobblers on 1232 01:15:37,080 --> 01:15:40,439 Speaker 1: a property is going to go down. You're shooting them. Now, 1233 01:15:40,520 --> 01:15:43,639 Speaker 1: I'm not saying that has happened everywhere, but I'm confident 1234 01:15:43,760 --> 01:15:49,200 Speaker 1: that that has happened on many properties. The other issues, 1235 01:15:49,680 --> 01:15:53,839 Speaker 1: for example, with predation, I mean, I don't think anyone 1236 01:15:53,880 --> 01:15:58,640 Speaker 1: would disagree that the meso mammals have exploded over the 1237 01:15:58,720 --> 01:16:07,200 Speaker 1: past twenty thirty years. The coons, possums, skunks, armadillas in 1238 01:16:07,360 --> 01:16:14,000 Speaker 1: many places, and nobody is killing them. And we've identified 1239 01:16:14,080 --> 01:16:19,280 Speaker 1: that as the primary problem with regard to nest success. 1240 01:16:19,760 --> 01:16:22,920 Speaker 1: You know, most of the nests are being depredated, and 1241 01:16:23,400 --> 01:16:26,920 Speaker 1: you know, on average we're seeing about thirty to thirty 1242 01:16:27,000 --> 01:16:31,000 Speaker 1: three percent nest success overall, which is which is decent. 1243 01:16:31,200 --> 01:16:36,320 Speaker 1: But the main problem is the predation. One thing that 1244 01:16:36,479 --> 01:16:40,160 Speaker 1: we have not noted is disease as a problem. Now 1245 01:16:40,360 --> 01:16:44,360 Speaker 1: you know, we've seen blackhead and other diseases but not 1246 01:16:44,560 --> 01:16:52,240 Speaker 1: at any rate that would cause a population decline, and 1247 01:16:52,439 --> 01:16:55,560 Speaker 1: so we have not been able to identify disease. And 1248 01:16:55,600 --> 01:16:58,320 Speaker 1: I'm talking about in the Tennessee study as a reason 1249 01:16:58,520 --> 01:17:04,080 Speaker 1: for the Turkey declares line. In those areas, predation is 1250 01:17:04,400 --> 01:17:08,479 Speaker 1: a problem. We have not been able to identify weather 1251 01:17:08,600 --> 01:17:11,160 Speaker 1: as a problem, and there's been some other projects that 1252 01:17:11,240 --> 01:17:13,920 Speaker 1: looked at that, but weather is one of those that 1253 01:17:14,080 --> 01:17:19,639 Speaker 1: is very difficult to get a handle on because most 1254 01:17:19,720 --> 01:17:22,880 Speaker 1: of the studies will rely on weather data from some 1255 01:17:23,080 --> 01:17:25,960 Speaker 1: nearby weather station that might be a mile, that might 1256 01:17:26,040 --> 01:17:29,439 Speaker 1: be five miles or whatever away. Well, a weather event 1257 01:17:29,640 --> 01:17:34,519 Speaker 1: can be relatively small with regard to intensity, and so 1258 01:17:34,800 --> 01:17:37,160 Speaker 1: a lot of that may not be captured. You know, 1259 01:17:37,240 --> 01:17:40,680 Speaker 1: we could see problems related to weather that we're not 1260 01:17:40,880 --> 01:17:45,560 Speaker 1: capturing in the data. But I would not doubt that 1261 01:17:46,640 --> 01:17:50,200 Speaker 1: weather in some areas in some years can be problematic. 1262 01:17:50,600 --> 01:17:54,120 Speaker 1: But it's difficult to quantify that and get a good 1263 01:17:54,160 --> 01:17:56,640 Speaker 1: handle on it. But we do know that predation is 1264 01:17:56,720 --> 01:17:59,920 Speaker 1: a problem, and we do know that hunter or harbor 1265 01:18:00,600 --> 01:18:06,360 Speaker 1: can be a problem, whether that be usually continuing to 1266 01:18:06,479 --> 01:18:10,680 Speaker 1: shoot as many as you can, and you're continuing to 1267 01:18:10,760 --> 01:18:15,840 Speaker 1: do that when the productivity has gone down at least 1268 01:18:15,920 --> 01:18:19,479 Speaker 1: in certain years. So there's a thing called adaptive resource 1269 01:18:19,600 --> 01:18:24,760 Speaker 1: management where you try to adapt the regulations according to 1270 01:18:24,840 --> 01:18:29,400 Speaker 1: what's going on. But there's no state that changes its 1271 01:18:29,479 --> 01:18:32,720 Speaker 1: bag limits, for example, from year to year based on 1272 01:18:33,360 --> 01:18:36,519 Speaker 1: POLP er hen surveys or anything else. And even on 1273 01:18:36,640 --> 01:18:41,240 Speaker 1: a WMA with quotas, more times than not things have 1274 01:18:41,320 --> 01:18:44,120 Speaker 1: to get pretty bad before they change the number of 1275 01:18:44,240 --> 01:18:48,880 Speaker 1: quotas issued, etc. So I think that can be a 1276 01:18:49,000 --> 01:18:54,519 Speaker 1: real issue with regard to a sustained hunter pressure. But 1277 01:18:54,720 --> 01:18:58,439 Speaker 1: in the face of lower productivity, we're shooting a lot 1278 01:18:58,520 --> 01:19:02,719 Speaker 1: of gobblers and they're not being recruited at the same 1279 01:19:02,840 --> 01:19:04,120 Speaker 1: rate that they're being removed. 1280 01:19:14,120 --> 01:19:16,320 Speaker 3: What are some of the extremes that you're aware of 1281 01:19:17,720 --> 01:19:21,400 Speaker 3: in terms of how many male turkeys out of a 1282 01:19:21,479 --> 01:19:23,479 Speaker 3: population are killed by hunters. I know you said like 1283 01:19:23,600 --> 01:19:24,720 Speaker 3: in Texas, it's really low. 1284 01:19:26,080 --> 01:19:30,519 Speaker 1: Texas is low where you have large properties and not 1285 01:19:30,720 --> 01:19:35,120 Speaker 1: that many people, especially large private properties, it's typical to 1286 01:19:35,280 --> 01:19:38,280 Speaker 1: have lower hunter harvest, as you might imagine, But in 1287 01:19:38,400 --> 01:19:41,280 Speaker 1: areas where the property sizes are smaller and you have 1288 01:19:41,520 --> 01:19:45,800 Speaker 1: a lot of hunters, it's not unusual to hardly ever 1289 01:19:45,920 --> 01:19:48,160 Speaker 1: see what you figure to be a three year old bird. 1290 01:19:49,160 --> 01:19:51,360 Speaker 1: Most of the goblin birds are two year olds. So 1291 01:19:51,600 --> 01:19:53,960 Speaker 1: what does that sound like. It sounds a lot like 1292 01:19:54,160 --> 01:19:55,280 Speaker 1: deer management, doesn't it. 1293 01:19:55,760 --> 01:19:59,840 Speaker 3: You know where? Well, let's back up for a second. 1294 01:20:00,960 --> 01:20:06,280 Speaker 1: Thanks to Joe Hamilton and al brothers, most deer hunters 1295 01:20:06,360 --> 01:20:09,479 Speaker 1: in the country practice what we call quality deer management, 1296 01:20:09,840 --> 01:20:12,760 Speaker 1: and that has lots of facets, but one of the 1297 01:20:13,479 --> 01:20:17,280 Speaker 1: main things is to let young bucks walk and let 1298 01:20:17,360 --> 01:20:20,680 Speaker 1: them gain some level of maturity before you kill them. 1299 01:20:21,720 --> 01:20:26,000 Speaker 1: We don't have that luxury with turkeys. We can look 1300 01:20:26,040 --> 01:20:31,680 Speaker 1: at body confirmation characteristics to be able to estimate the 1301 01:20:31,800 --> 01:20:35,400 Speaker 1: age of a buck. We can't look at a male 1302 01:20:35,520 --> 01:20:39,479 Speaker 1: turkey and estimate the age really beyond a jake versus 1303 01:20:39,840 --> 01:20:42,800 Speaker 1: a two or two plus year old, either a jake 1304 01:20:43,240 --> 01:20:45,360 Speaker 1: or a gobbler. If we can look at a turkey 1305 01:20:45,400 --> 01:20:47,800 Speaker 1: and know that it's a two year old, there's a 1306 01:20:47,840 --> 01:20:49,559 Speaker 1: lot of people on a lot of properties that would 1307 01:20:49,600 --> 01:20:51,519 Speaker 1: let that one go. They'd like to see if they 1308 01:20:51,560 --> 01:20:55,919 Speaker 1: couldn't shoot more gobblers with inch and half spurs, for example, 1309 01:20:56,439 --> 01:21:00,960 Speaker 1: but we can't do that. I have hunted properties that 1310 01:21:01,120 --> 01:21:05,800 Speaker 1: are extremely well managed and calling birds might call in 1311 01:21:06,320 --> 01:21:08,400 Speaker 1: four or five birds in a morning, look at the 1312 01:21:08,439 --> 01:21:11,360 Speaker 1: spurs with a binocular and let them go until because 1313 01:21:11,400 --> 01:21:14,719 Speaker 1: I know there's some out there with really long spurs, 1314 01:21:14,760 --> 01:21:18,200 Speaker 1: and killing a bird on this property is not an issue, 1315 01:21:18,640 --> 01:21:22,559 Speaker 1: and so I can be very selective. But that's exceptionally rare. 1316 01:21:23,000 --> 01:21:25,760 Speaker 1: Few properties are that good. Few hunters are going to 1317 01:21:26,280 --> 01:21:29,519 Speaker 1: go to that extent to look at spurs before they 1318 01:21:29,920 --> 01:21:34,400 Speaker 1: shoot the bird. And that's not necessarily a reliable indicator 1319 01:21:34,479 --> 01:21:38,719 Speaker 1: of exact age anyway. But we don't have that luxury 1320 01:21:38,720 --> 01:21:41,840 Speaker 1: of being able to age turkeys like we can deer 1321 01:21:42,040 --> 01:21:45,360 Speaker 1: before we shoot them. But that only and if I 1322 01:21:45,439 --> 01:21:49,719 Speaker 1: can interrupt. And so what that means is we typically 1323 01:21:49,800 --> 01:21:55,000 Speaker 1: shoot gobblers like we would quail flushing up. You know, 1324 01:21:55,080 --> 01:21:57,320 Speaker 1: you're shooting whichever one you can get. So if a 1325 01:21:57,400 --> 01:22:00,120 Speaker 1: goblin bird comes in, oh yeah, here's a goblin and 1326 01:22:00,240 --> 01:22:04,200 Speaker 1: and you shoot it. And so we're not paying attention 1327 01:22:04,720 --> 01:22:09,960 Speaker 1: to allowing the aide structure to increase. 1328 01:22:09,880 --> 01:22:11,719 Speaker 3: Across a property. 1329 01:22:11,800 --> 01:22:14,200 Speaker 1: For example, with a number of gobblers that are there, 1330 01:22:14,800 --> 01:22:17,080 Speaker 1: you're shooting whatever comes in, and with a lot of 1331 01:22:17,160 --> 01:22:21,400 Speaker 1: heavy hunter pressure, it leads to more younger birds. 1332 01:22:22,560 --> 01:22:25,960 Speaker 3: Okay, here's the thing I've never understood. I get it, 1333 01:22:26,040 --> 01:22:32,519 Speaker 3: but trying how to express this. Let's let's take quality 1334 01:22:32,560 --> 01:22:36,559 Speaker 3: deer management for a minute. Is the objective with quality 1335 01:22:36,600 --> 01:22:42,680 Speaker 3: deer management is the objective to satisfy hunter desires to 1336 01:22:43,360 --> 01:22:47,519 Speaker 3: get bigger deer, or is the objective the health of 1337 01:22:47,600 --> 01:22:48,160 Speaker 3: the deer herd? 1338 01:22:48,880 --> 01:22:51,120 Speaker 1: I would strongly argue that it's the health of the 1339 01:22:51,200 --> 01:22:56,840 Speaker 1: deer herd. However, of course many hunters their objective is 1340 01:22:56,960 --> 01:23:00,639 Speaker 1: to shoot the biggest deer they can. But if you're 1341 01:23:00,680 --> 01:23:04,840 Speaker 1: allowing a balanced age structure, then you can see the 1342 01:23:05,000 --> 01:23:09,920 Speaker 1: behavior of the animals take place such that you have 1343 01:23:10,680 --> 01:23:13,760 Speaker 1: dominant animals that are doing a majority. 1344 01:23:13,320 --> 01:23:15,640 Speaker 3: Of the breeding, and that. 1345 01:23:17,240 --> 01:23:19,880 Speaker 1: Pretty much always for most of us, leads to a 1346 01:23:20,000 --> 01:23:22,080 Speaker 1: more exciting hunting opportunity. 1347 01:23:22,240 --> 01:23:27,519 Speaker 3: So why is there not a deer management strategy by 1348 01:23:27,640 --> 01:23:31,720 Speaker 3: which you only kill year and a half old deer 1349 01:23:33,479 --> 01:23:38,479 Speaker 3: and anything that slips through you don't touch. Mean, you 1350 01:23:38,600 --> 01:23:43,000 Speaker 3: kill spikes and forky's okay, But once something becomes a 1351 01:23:43,040 --> 01:23:45,280 Speaker 3: two and a half year old, never touch it because 1352 01:23:45,360 --> 01:23:50,240 Speaker 3: you are so committed, you're so committed to having these 1353 01:23:50,280 --> 01:23:53,720 Speaker 3: different age groups represented that in your management practice, no 1354 01:23:53,800 --> 01:23:56,680 Speaker 3: one is allowed to kill big, huge box because you 1355 01:23:56,760 --> 01:23:59,599 Speaker 3: just shoot the little ones that way, you got these 1356 01:23:59,640 --> 01:24:02,519 Speaker 3: big ones doing the breeding. That would take a lot 1357 01:24:02,560 --> 01:24:03,040 Speaker 3: of conviction. 1358 01:24:03,760 --> 01:24:07,280 Speaker 1: But this is not a thing that exists, no, because 1359 01:24:07,520 --> 01:24:10,120 Speaker 1: the hunting excitement is where the tire meets the road. 1360 01:24:11,439 --> 01:24:14,000 Speaker 1: I mean, there is a hunting strategy where people will 1361 01:24:14,040 --> 01:24:17,720 Speaker 1: shoot a young deer like that, especially for meat, you know, 1362 01:24:17,920 --> 01:24:21,880 Speaker 1: because the meat in general is more tender with younger 1363 01:24:22,360 --> 01:24:28,800 Speaker 1: aged animals. But usually when that happens, the harvest is high, 1364 01:24:29,560 --> 01:24:33,200 Speaker 1: and you're killing such a high percentage of the bucks, 1365 01:24:33,360 --> 01:24:36,519 Speaker 1: you're not getting many into those older age classes. 1366 01:24:36,560 --> 01:24:39,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, they're not. I was kind of I'm asking 1367 01:24:39,200 --> 01:24:43,360 Speaker 3: a rhetorical question because I you know, at the where 1368 01:24:43,400 --> 01:24:47,479 Speaker 3: I grew up, at the time I grew up, throughout 1369 01:24:47,479 --> 01:24:49,479 Speaker 3: my entire childhood, I could tell you about the two 1370 01:24:49,560 --> 01:24:52,240 Speaker 3: deer that were killed within like an eight mile radius 1371 01:24:52,680 --> 01:24:54,040 Speaker 3: my house. I could tell you about the two deer 1372 01:24:54,080 --> 01:24:55,240 Speaker 3: that weren't one and a half years old. 1373 01:24:55,479 --> 01:24:56,280 Speaker 1: You know, they're both. 1374 01:24:56,160 --> 01:24:58,880 Speaker 3: Hanging on the living so this day, hanging on the 1375 01:24:58,960 --> 01:25:04,200 Speaker 3: living room wall of uh my mom's thoughts. And that's 1376 01:25:04,240 --> 01:25:07,840 Speaker 3: the two that in a lot of hunting, that's the 1377 01:25:07,920 --> 01:25:08,519 Speaker 3: two we saw. 1378 01:25:08,680 --> 01:25:13,160 Speaker 1: And to show how this is so widespread across the country. 1379 01:25:13,840 --> 01:25:16,479 Speaker 1: The National Deer Association, they put out the white Tail 1380 01:25:16,560 --> 01:25:21,120 Speaker 1: Report every year and Kip Adams is the principal author 1381 01:25:21,479 --> 01:25:24,519 Speaker 1: of the white Tail Report. And just here in the 1382 01:25:24,640 --> 01:25:28,560 Speaker 1: last year or two, we are killing few you know, 1383 01:25:29,080 --> 01:25:32,280 Speaker 1: white tail hunters across the country are killing fewer yearlings 1384 01:25:32,439 --> 01:25:35,479 Speaker 1: than ever before, and the number of three and a 1385 01:25:35,520 --> 01:25:38,280 Speaker 1: half plus year old deer that are killed is greater 1386 01:25:38,479 --> 01:25:44,160 Speaker 1: than ever before. So just to show how that practice 1387 01:25:44,760 --> 01:25:49,120 Speaker 1: is being conducted broadly among deer hunters all over the country. 1388 01:25:50,280 --> 01:25:58,519 Speaker 3: Uh, one of your one of your colleagues, I'm sure 1389 01:25:58,560 --> 01:26:04,479 Speaker 3: you know, Mike Chamberlain. We had talked with Mike Chamberlain, 1390 01:26:04,560 --> 01:26:06,920 Speaker 3: who goes We've talked a lot about his Instagram page 1391 01:26:06,920 --> 01:26:13,400 Speaker 3: wild Turkey Dot. He's been on the show. He has 1392 01:26:13,520 --> 01:26:18,040 Speaker 3: expressed concerns about killing turkeys too early in the year. 1393 01:26:19,479 --> 01:26:23,240 Speaker 3: A friend of mine, Robert Abernathy, who was a turkey 1394 01:26:23,280 --> 01:26:30,799 Speaker 3: biologist for a long time, has expressed concerns that about 1395 01:26:31,160 --> 01:26:36,800 Speaker 3: states allowing harvest early in the year. And I don't 1396 01:26:36,800 --> 01:26:39,200 Speaker 3: want to put words in these guys' mouths, but basically 1397 01:26:41,479 --> 01:26:48,280 Speaker 3: there's this management idea that let turkeys get through nesting 1398 01:26:52,120 --> 01:26:54,280 Speaker 3: at which point or initiate whatever the hell it is, 1399 01:26:54,400 --> 01:26:55,280 Speaker 3: at which point. 1400 01:26:56,600 --> 01:26:59,920 Speaker 1: I would allow most of the reproduction to take place 1401 01:27:00,200 --> 01:27:04,640 Speaker 1: before you open the season on the males. 1402 01:27:04,400 --> 01:27:06,920 Speaker 3: And then whatever you that then the idea being whatever 1403 01:27:06,960 --> 01:27:10,120 Speaker 3: you've taken from hunters up front, tack it on to 1404 01:27:10,200 --> 01:27:14,680 Speaker 3: the end, meaning shoot turkeys all through May. Like like, 1405 01:27:14,920 --> 01:27:18,400 Speaker 3: for instance, you go to I was just in Wisconsin 1406 01:27:18,479 --> 01:27:21,280 Speaker 3: for the youth turkey season. Okay, so you have a 1407 01:27:21,320 --> 01:27:25,800 Speaker 3: two day youth season, then you have season A, B C, 1408 01:27:26,479 --> 01:27:32,000 Speaker 3: D and those are all limited one tag, and then 1409 01:27:32,040 --> 01:27:36,000 Speaker 3: you get into the end seasons, have at it. You 1410 01:27:36,160 --> 01:27:40,120 Speaker 3: kill turkey to day. So you can apply for years 1411 01:27:42,040 --> 01:27:45,559 Speaker 3: to try to get an a season tag and you're 1412 01:27:45,600 --> 01:27:48,360 Speaker 3: gonna get one thing, or you go to Wisconsin for 1413 01:27:48,439 --> 01:27:50,720 Speaker 3: those last two and you can just have at it 1414 01:27:51,439 --> 01:27:57,680 Speaker 3: every day. What's your take on what's your take from 1415 01:27:57,800 --> 01:28:00,599 Speaker 3: from the research you've done and whatever anecdotic things you've 1416 01:28:00,600 --> 01:28:04,360 Speaker 3: picked up on. Is it actually detrimental to the resource 1417 01:28:05,479 --> 01:28:08,880 Speaker 3: to be gun in turkeys? And the dates change around 1418 01:28:08,960 --> 01:28:11,920 Speaker 3: the country based on day length and latitude and all that, 1419 01:28:12,000 --> 01:28:14,840 Speaker 3: But like, what's your take on the idea that if 1420 01:28:14,880 --> 01:28:19,160 Speaker 3: you're killing turkeys early, you're doing a greater harm to 1421 01:28:19,280 --> 01:28:21,160 Speaker 3: the resource than if you're killing turkeys later. 1422 01:28:21,320 --> 01:28:25,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, for for decades turkey ball, I just have 1423 01:28:25,920 --> 01:28:32,640 Speaker 1: broadly pushed for opening turkey seasons once a majority of 1424 01:28:32,680 --> 01:28:37,360 Speaker 1: the reproduction has taken place. And certainly theoretically that could 1425 01:28:37,479 --> 01:28:44,920 Speaker 1: be an issue. For example, in Tennessee, nest initiation peaks 1426 01:28:45,439 --> 01:28:49,880 Speaker 1: on April the eleventh. That's what we've determined after six 1427 01:28:50,040 --> 01:28:55,759 Speaker 1: years of following round five hundred hens. 1428 01:28:55,920 --> 01:28:57,840 Speaker 3: And are you when you say initiation, I mean she 1429 01:28:58,040 --> 01:28:58,880 Speaker 3: lays the first egg. 1430 01:28:59,000 --> 01:29:03,920 Speaker 1: That's correct, she's initiating her nest. The peak of that 1431 01:29:04,400 --> 01:29:06,160 Speaker 1: is April eleventh in Tennessee. 1432 01:29:06,360 --> 01:29:08,400 Speaker 3: And then she's gonna just to walk people through this 1433 01:29:08,560 --> 01:29:13,080 Speaker 3: cycle that hen is gonna lay one egg a day, correct, 1434 01:29:13,360 --> 01:29:17,640 Speaker 3: for about twelve days, at which time she will then 1435 01:29:17,760 --> 01:29:20,840 Speaker 3: start incubating them and they'll hatch on the same day, 1436 01:29:21,040 --> 01:29:24,960 Speaker 3: even though they were laid perhaps ten days apart. That's 1437 01:29:25,040 --> 01:29:26,080 Speaker 3: eleven days apart. 1438 01:29:25,960 --> 01:29:29,400 Speaker 1: Now about about twenty eight days later, and there's another 1439 01:29:29,520 --> 01:29:32,280 Speaker 1: couple of days that is included in the lay in season. 1440 01:29:32,400 --> 01:29:36,280 Speaker 1: She might skip a day initially, And you're correct. The 1441 01:29:37,280 --> 01:29:41,240 Speaker 1: clutch sizes vary in some areas. It might only be 1442 01:29:41,360 --> 01:29:44,280 Speaker 1: eight or nine in some areas, you know, twelve or thirteen, 1443 01:29:44,880 --> 01:29:49,120 Speaker 1: and our study sites in Tennessee, we average ten eggs 1444 01:29:49,280 --> 01:29:52,439 Speaker 1: for the clutch size, and it varies a little bit, 1445 01:29:52,479 --> 01:29:53,400 Speaker 1: but that's the area. 1446 01:29:53,520 --> 01:29:58,880 Speaker 5: That clutch is just one. One tom fertilizes all those eggs. 1447 01:30:00,040 --> 01:30:04,439 Speaker 1: Good question. There are some data, and it's not much. 1448 01:30:05,320 --> 01:30:08,960 Speaker 1: There's at least one study with a fairly small sample 1449 01:30:09,040 --> 01:30:13,200 Speaker 1: size that does indicate more than one male can be 1450 01:30:13,320 --> 01:30:18,200 Speaker 1: involved in the clutch. In that study, I think it 1451 01:30:18,439 --> 01:30:25,080 Speaker 1: was about fifty percent of the eggs involved one male, 1452 01:30:25,360 --> 01:30:30,040 Speaker 1: or maybe seventy five percent of the nest involved one male. 1453 01:30:30,439 --> 01:30:33,280 Speaker 1: Roughly a quarter of them involved more than one male, 1454 01:30:33,880 --> 01:30:36,759 Speaker 1: and at least twenty five involved more than one female. 1455 01:30:37,280 --> 01:30:41,840 Speaker 1: And most times we figure what's called a dump nest 1456 01:30:42,439 --> 01:30:46,200 Speaker 1: and we see that, you know, fairly commonly that might 1457 01:30:46,360 --> 01:30:50,120 Speaker 1: have you know, eighteen or twenty some eggs in it, 1458 01:30:50,720 --> 01:30:53,760 Speaker 1: and a lot of times many of them will not 1459 01:30:54,600 --> 01:30:55,840 Speaker 1: hatch because they. 1460 01:30:55,840 --> 01:30:57,200 Speaker 3: Weren't all incubated. 1461 01:30:57,280 --> 01:31:01,720 Speaker 1: Equally, interestingly, we had a nest and Tennessee that had 1462 01:31:01,800 --> 01:31:05,519 Speaker 1: twenty three eggs, obviously a dump nest, and twenty two 1463 01:31:05,640 --> 01:31:06,320 Speaker 1: of them hatched. 1464 01:31:06,439 --> 01:31:09,400 Speaker 3: So a bunch of different females finding that spot and 1465 01:31:09,479 --> 01:31:10,120 Speaker 3: lean and egg. 1466 01:31:09,960 --> 01:31:13,000 Speaker 1: On it, right, and so, but the other thing is 1467 01:31:14,040 --> 01:31:16,320 Speaker 1: this dump nest in occurs and there might only be 1468 01:31:16,560 --> 01:31:22,240 Speaker 1: nine eggs in the clutch. So it's extremely interesting. I 1469 01:31:22,320 --> 01:31:27,840 Speaker 1: don't know just exactly how another hen finds another one's nest, 1470 01:31:28,000 --> 01:31:31,439 Speaker 1: if you know they're they're walking nearby or what have you. 1471 01:31:31,760 --> 01:31:35,120 Speaker 1: But anyway that that happens more frequently than what you 1472 01:31:35,120 --> 01:31:38,799 Speaker 1: would imagine, I find that very interesting. And so obviously 1473 01:31:38,960 --> 01:31:43,480 Speaker 1: that's increasing the genetic diversity when you have multiple females 1474 01:31:43,520 --> 01:31:47,960 Speaker 1: and multiple males that are involved in a single clutch. 1475 01:31:48,720 --> 01:31:50,519 Speaker 5: Like, how do they determine who sits on that nest? 1476 01:31:50,600 --> 01:31:52,759 Speaker 5: Is just the hand that starts? 1477 01:31:52,920 --> 01:31:56,840 Speaker 2: Oh, that initiates it, gotcha, that's not a bad deal 1478 01:31:56,880 --> 01:31:58,720 Speaker 2: for those other hens. I don't really want to raise 1479 01:31:58,800 --> 01:31:59,920 Speaker 2: these things this spring anyway. 1480 01:32:02,560 --> 01:32:05,839 Speaker 1: And so to get back to your question about the timing, 1481 01:32:08,680 --> 01:32:12,760 Speaker 1: certainly the timing of the hunting season can be problematic. 1482 01:32:13,000 --> 01:32:17,320 Speaker 1: That's definitely possible, and a number of states have have 1483 01:32:17,520 --> 01:32:22,760 Speaker 1: set back their season dates because they perceived that that 1484 01:32:22,920 --> 01:32:26,479 Speaker 1: could be a problem. And studies are being done right 1485 01:32:26,560 --> 01:32:29,599 Speaker 1: now to look at that, and hopefully some data will 1486 01:32:29,640 --> 01:32:34,560 Speaker 1: be provided soon that substantiates that this is or is 1487 01:32:34,640 --> 01:32:39,880 Speaker 1: not happening in various states. In Tennessee, though, I can 1488 01:32:40,000 --> 01:32:43,439 Speaker 1: tell you that it is not a problem at least 1489 01:32:43,520 --> 01:32:46,680 Speaker 1: with regard to when the season opens in early May. 1490 01:32:46,840 --> 01:32:49,680 Speaker 1: You know, I mentioned that we had experimental two week 1491 01:32:49,800 --> 01:32:52,280 Speaker 1: delay in three of the counties and in the two 1492 01:32:52,400 --> 01:32:56,080 Speaker 1: control counties there was no delay. Well in those two years, 1493 01:32:56,680 --> 01:33:00,599 Speaker 1: the season opened on April the second and a third, 1494 01:33:01,320 --> 01:33:06,000 Speaker 1: and following the treatment counties both pre and post delay, 1495 01:33:06,479 --> 01:33:10,320 Speaker 1: and the control counties both pre and post delay, we 1496 01:33:10,479 --> 01:33:14,680 Speaker 1: found no effect on any reproductive parameter, whether that be 1497 01:33:14,960 --> 01:33:20,559 Speaker 1: the percentage of hens that nest, the timing of nesting, 1498 01:33:21,360 --> 01:33:26,720 Speaker 1: the clutch size, the hatch ability, or pulse survival. They 1499 01:33:26,800 --> 01:33:30,880 Speaker 1: were exactly the same with regard now they would vary 1500 01:33:31,040 --> 01:33:34,200 Speaker 1: year to year, but they would vary the same way. 1501 01:33:35,200 --> 01:33:41,200 Speaker 1: So if, for example, nest success, that would be the 1502 01:33:41,320 --> 01:33:44,559 Speaker 1: percentage of nest in which at least one egg hatches 1503 01:33:45,080 --> 01:33:47,519 Speaker 1: went up a little bit in the control counties. It 1504 01:33:47,640 --> 01:33:49,840 Speaker 1: also went up a little bit in the treatment county. 1505 01:33:49,960 --> 01:33:54,360 Speaker 1: So everything trended exactly the same way. And the delay 1506 01:33:54,680 --> 01:33:57,840 Speaker 1: at least through two years, and this is a two 1507 01:33:57,920 --> 01:34:00,960 Speaker 1: week delay, This is not a five day delay. It's 1508 01:34:00,960 --> 01:34:03,800 Speaker 1: a two week delay, and there was no change in 1509 01:34:03,920 --> 01:34:08,000 Speaker 1: any reproductive parameter which was which was telling. So I'm 1510 01:34:08,080 --> 01:34:10,680 Speaker 1: not saying that is not occurring in other states. I 1511 01:34:11,000 --> 01:34:15,200 Speaker 1: haven't you know, collected data in spots that in Tennessee. 1512 01:34:15,439 --> 01:34:20,200 Speaker 3: No that that the dudes out hunting, that's not preventing 1513 01:34:21,160 --> 01:34:24,360 Speaker 3: these hens from being successful nesters, or these eggs getting 1514 01:34:24,880 --> 01:34:25,880 Speaker 3: fertilized or whatever. 1515 01:34:26,040 --> 01:34:28,200 Speaker 1: I do not believe that in any way, shape or form, 1516 01:34:29,439 --> 01:34:34,639 Speaker 1: that dudes o hunting are causing a problem. Look look 1517 01:34:34,680 --> 01:34:37,599 Speaker 1: at look at the harvest rate what it did from 1518 01:34:37,680 --> 01:34:41,800 Speaker 1: the nineteen eighties for example through the mid two thousands. 1519 01:34:41,840 --> 01:34:45,960 Speaker 1: I mean, it's going up exponentially in most states. And 1520 01:34:49,400 --> 01:34:54,360 Speaker 1: obviously hunters on the landscape did not cause a problem 1521 01:34:54,439 --> 01:34:57,800 Speaker 1: at that time. The turkey population was going up. There 1522 01:34:57,880 --> 01:35:00,479 Speaker 1: are more turkey hunters in some places now than there 1523 01:35:00,520 --> 01:35:06,280 Speaker 1: were in Tennessee. That number has increased, well, it increased 1524 01:35:06,320 --> 01:35:09,920 Speaker 1: about one thousand per year for a few years, and 1525 01:35:10,040 --> 01:35:13,600 Speaker 1: then of course twenty twenty happened with the problem with 1526 01:35:13,680 --> 01:35:17,719 Speaker 1: the virus and everything, and we went from like having 1527 01:35:17,960 --> 01:35:22,120 Speaker 1: ninety ninety two thousand hunters up to around one hundred 1528 01:35:22,120 --> 01:35:27,200 Speaker 1: and ten thousand hunters so that situation increased the number 1529 01:35:27,240 --> 01:35:28,040 Speaker 1: of hunters. 1530 01:35:28,640 --> 01:35:31,479 Speaker 3: In a lot of places. Has that dropped off now? 1531 01:35:32,360 --> 01:35:35,880 Speaker 1: I have not seen the data for twenty twenty one 1532 01:35:36,000 --> 01:35:39,439 Speaker 1: yet on the number of turkey hunters in the state, 1533 01:35:39,560 --> 01:35:41,880 Speaker 1: or at least the number of hunters who had a 1534 01:35:42,080 --> 01:35:46,200 Speaker 1: license that would enable them to turkey hunt. So to 1535 01:35:46,320 --> 01:35:52,200 Speaker 1: get back to the earlier point, we didn't have in Tennessee, 1536 01:35:52,680 --> 01:35:56,080 Speaker 1: the season opened on the Saturday closest to April first, 1537 01:35:56,560 --> 01:35:59,760 Speaker 1: which means some years the season can open on May 1538 01:36:00,000 --> 01:36:04,080 Speaker 1: twenty eighth. Well, during this experimental delay, we didn't have 1539 01:36:04,640 --> 01:36:08,000 Speaker 1: turkey season opening excuse me, on March twenty eighth, So 1540 01:36:08,120 --> 01:36:11,320 Speaker 1: we didn't have turkey season opening in March during the 1541 01:36:11,439 --> 01:36:16,040 Speaker 1: course of that experimental delay. So I would not propose 1542 01:36:16,560 --> 01:36:20,640 Speaker 1: Tennessee to go back to open the season on the 1543 01:36:20,760 --> 01:36:25,440 Speaker 1: Saturday closest to April first, when our peak nest initiation 1544 01:36:25,840 --> 01:36:30,599 Speaker 1: is April the eleventh. But I would feel comfortable if 1545 01:36:30,640 --> 01:36:34,439 Speaker 1: that season opened sometime during the first week of April, 1546 01:36:35,320 --> 01:36:40,759 Speaker 1: because that's when it happened during our experimental two week delay, 1547 01:36:40,920 --> 01:36:44,479 Speaker 1: and we found no issue surrounding that. And so if 1548 01:36:44,520 --> 01:36:48,120 Speaker 1: the season opened in Tennessee sometime during that first week, 1549 01:36:48,280 --> 01:36:50,679 Speaker 1: whether it's you know, you could say the first Saturday 1550 01:36:50,720 --> 01:36:53,439 Speaker 1: in April. That way, it would vary from April first 1551 01:36:53,520 --> 01:36:57,120 Speaker 1: to April the seventh, and that could be, you know, 1552 01:36:57,680 --> 01:37:01,800 Speaker 1: on average, about four days later than it was traditionally, 1553 01:37:02,320 --> 01:37:06,160 Speaker 1: and from the data that we've collected, opening at that 1554 01:37:06,360 --> 01:37:11,280 Speaker 1: time is not having a detrimental effect on reproductive production. 1555 01:37:11,720 --> 01:37:16,280 Speaker 1: But again that's not to address other states, because you know, 1556 01:37:16,680 --> 01:37:19,320 Speaker 1: of course the timing of nesting is going to vary 1557 01:37:19,439 --> 01:37:23,839 Speaker 1: from from place to place, and states have different opening 1558 01:37:24,000 --> 01:37:24,679 Speaker 1: season dates. 1559 01:37:24,720 --> 01:37:27,400 Speaker 3: Of course, how far apart are the counties that you're 1560 01:37:27,439 --> 01:37:31,840 Speaker 3: separating with the opening dates they're touching. I know you're 1561 01:37:31,880 --> 01:37:35,320 Speaker 3: interested in turkeys more than turkey hunters, but that has 1562 01:37:35,400 --> 01:37:39,240 Speaker 3: you've changed where people are like more intent now and 1563 01:37:39,360 --> 01:37:40,880 Speaker 3: doubling up on the double opener. 1564 01:37:42,120 --> 01:37:45,320 Speaker 1: I would be yes, And we have surveyed some of 1565 01:37:45,400 --> 01:37:50,960 Speaker 1: that and that that is happening some So in those 1566 01:37:51,080 --> 01:37:56,920 Speaker 1: experimental counties they opened two weeks later. Well, some hunters 1567 01:37:57,400 --> 01:38:00,920 Speaker 1: in those counties, of course, they would go to other 1568 01:38:01,080 --> 01:38:04,439 Speaker 1: counties where they could hunt during that initial season, but 1569 01:38:04,520 --> 01:38:07,280 Speaker 1: that only happened during those two years. Now, of course 1570 01:38:07,320 --> 01:38:11,679 Speaker 1: it's a state wide delay. So the statewide. The season 1571 01:38:11,840 --> 01:38:17,880 Speaker 1: as of this season opens on April fifteenth, and so 1572 01:38:18,560 --> 01:38:20,720 Speaker 1: you can't do that in Tennessee now go from one 1573 01:38:20,760 --> 01:38:24,759 Speaker 1: place to another. But it does impact out of state hunters. 1574 01:38:26,760 --> 01:38:29,960 Speaker 1: I spoke with the executive director the other day and 1575 01:38:30,120 --> 01:38:34,080 Speaker 1: he mentioned how revenues from out of state hunters were 1576 01:38:34,200 --> 01:38:38,280 Speaker 1: down as of yet, but I imagine that will pick 1577 01:38:38,400 --> 01:38:41,760 Speaker 1: back up because now the Tennessee season will go through 1578 01:38:42,000 --> 01:38:45,400 Speaker 1: I think it's May the twenty eighth. I mean, goodnight, 1579 01:38:45,520 --> 01:38:48,160 Speaker 1: that's what you said, Jason. The turkey season is in 1580 01:38:48,400 --> 01:38:51,960 Speaker 1: Washington State April fifteenth through the end of May, so 1581 01:38:52,760 --> 01:38:56,760 Speaker 1: you better believe there'll be some hunters from Alabama and Mississippi, 1582 01:38:57,200 --> 01:39:00,760 Speaker 1: Georgia coming to Tennessee during the the last half of 1583 01:39:00,760 --> 01:39:01,280 Speaker 1: them night. 1584 01:39:01,400 --> 01:39:04,320 Speaker 3: But you're almost ready to start shooting off fireworks by then, man, 1585 01:39:05,560 --> 01:39:08,479 Speaker 3: the end of May. One time someone said this to me, 1586 01:39:08,479 --> 01:39:10,519 Speaker 3: and I've quoted it, and I worry that it's not 1587 01:39:10,840 --> 01:39:15,559 Speaker 3: that it's not accurate. They were saying, like, as here's 1588 01:39:15,560 --> 01:39:17,719 Speaker 3: a picture way to picture turkeys. As a rule of thumb, 1589 01:39:18,960 --> 01:39:23,120 Speaker 3: they're saying, seventy five percent of the eggs that hit 1590 01:39:23,200 --> 01:39:30,240 Speaker 3: the ground won't hatch. Of those that hatch, seventy five 1591 01:39:30,280 --> 01:39:34,120 Speaker 3: percent won't see their first birthday. Of those that do 1592 01:39:34,240 --> 01:39:37,400 Speaker 3: see their first birthday, seventy five percent won't see their 1593 01:39:37,439 --> 01:39:43,080 Speaker 3: second birthday. How close to accurate is that according to 1594 01:39:43,120 --> 01:39:45,799 Speaker 3: your understanding, I would say that is accurate. 1595 01:39:45,880 --> 01:39:47,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, but the other night you. 1596 01:39:47,880 --> 01:39:50,679 Speaker 3: Were talking about the other night you were talking about 1597 01:39:51,240 --> 01:39:54,800 Speaker 3: the possibility, even though it's hard to tell, you were 1598 01:39:54,840 --> 01:39:57,760 Speaker 3: saying that there can be turkeys out there that are 1599 01:39:57,880 --> 01:40:03,960 Speaker 3: four or five years old with males. So for a 1600 01:40:04,080 --> 01:40:07,160 Speaker 3: male to get that edge, he's defying, he is defying 1601 01:40:07,400 --> 01:40:07,920 Speaker 3: the odds. 1602 01:40:09,479 --> 01:40:13,960 Speaker 1: Yes, that is absolutely correct anywhere. But you're not going 1603 01:40:14,040 --> 01:40:16,320 Speaker 1: to see turkeys that are four or five years old 1604 01:40:16,720 --> 01:40:21,920 Speaker 1: on these heavily hunted areas. And it can happen, it 1605 01:40:22,040 --> 01:40:25,880 Speaker 1: does happen, but they are going to be exceptionally few. 1606 01:40:26,160 --> 01:40:31,360 Speaker 1: God on areas that are either hunted lightly or the 1607 01:40:31,960 --> 01:40:37,680 Speaker 1: hunting pressure is well managed, or on unhunted properties. Absolutely 1608 01:40:37,760 --> 01:40:41,200 Speaker 1: you'll see turkeys that are four or five, six, even 1609 01:40:41,479 --> 01:40:47,479 Speaker 1: eight years old males males were band recoveries or tag birds. 1610 01:40:47,560 --> 01:40:50,160 Speaker 1: Has indicated, you know, you know the exact age. 1611 01:40:50,000 --> 01:40:52,040 Speaker 3: What the hell kind of spirit they got it? Eight years? 1612 01:40:52,080 --> 01:40:53,280 Speaker 3: How long does that can grow. 1613 01:40:54,280 --> 01:41:00,320 Speaker 1: About the same as a four year old. Again, ever, 1614 01:41:00,439 --> 01:41:04,479 Speaker 1: you're going to see, for example, Eastern turkeys with spurs 1615 01:41:05,040 --> 01:41:07,400 Speaker 1: longer than an inch and a half, usually they're worn 1616 01:41:07,920 --> 01:41:11,439 Speaker 1: before then. And you know, you can take it with 1617 01:41:11,520 --> 01:41:13,760 Speaker 1: a grain of salt the length of the spur and 1618 01:41:13,840 --> 01:41:17,280 Speaker 1: the age. But that's not an accurate way to age 1619 01:41:17,360 --> 01:41:19,439 Speaker 1: the bird. I would not you know, somebody say, oh, 1620 01:41:19,800 --> 01:41:21,560 Speaker 1: that this spur is an inch and and eight so 1621 01:41:21,680 --> 01:41:24,760 Speaker 1: it's three years old. Now you only God knows how 1622 01:41:24,840 --> 01:41:27,320 Speaker 1: old that bird is, but you know it's not a jake. 1623 01:41:28,160 --> 01:41:30,680 Speaker 1: It's very unlikely to be a two year old. But 1624 01:41:31,160 --> 01:41:32,080 Speaker 1: you just you don't know. 1625 01:41:32,360 --> 01:41:33,639 Speaker 3: I wish you, I wish you did. 1626 01:41:34,040 --> 01:41:36,840 Speaker 1: I wish they had some you know, mark on their back, 1627 01:41:36,920 --> 01:41:39,680 Speaker 1: you know, two white feathers if if it's a two 1628 01:41:39,760 --> 01:41:41,680 Speaker 1: year old, and three if it's three or whatever, and 1629 01:41:41,760 --> 01:41:43,960 Speaker 1: you could tell the age very easily. 1630 01:41:44,240 --> 01:41:45,479 Speaker 3: Uh I if so. 1631 01:41:46,080 --> 01:41:50,080 Speaker 1: I think turkey hunters would manage the populations on the 1632 01:41:50,200 --> 01:41:52,160 Speaker 1: lands they hunt very very differently. 1633 01:41:52,360 --> 01:41:55,200 Speaker 3: Oh if they could tell absolutely, just like with deer, 1634 01:41:55,240 --> 01:41:59,360 Speaker 3: what that that it could happen and you could create it. 1635 01:42:00,680 --> 01:42:04,320 Speaker 1: On this property that we're on right now with a 1636 01:42:04,479 --> 01:42:08,000 Speaker 1: landowner that we have Randy, who's a tremendous guy and 1637 01:42:08,080 --> 01:42:11,800 Speaker 1: tremendous to allow us to come out here and enjoy 1638 01:42:11,920 --> 01:42:15,000 Speaker 1: the property with him. If there was a way to 1639 01:42:15,200 --> 01:42:19,160 Speaker 1: age turkeys, you know in Randy and you see in 1640 01:42:19,240 --> 01:42:21,760 Speaker 1: the deer that are around on these walls, I don't 1641 01:42:21,760 --> 01:42:24,280 Speaker 1: see any FOURK horns on the wall round there. I 1642 01:42:24,320 --> 01:42:26,680 Speaker 1: mean we're looking at one hundred and sixty to two 1643 01:42:26,800 --> 01:42:31,479 Speaker 1: hundred inch white tails. They don't grow that large at 1644 01:42:31,520 --> 01:42:32,719 Speaker 1: two or three years old. 1645 01:42:32,880 --> 01:42:33,040 Speaker 3: Now. 1646 01:42:33,080 --> 01:42:35,439 Speaker 1: I know there have been some six three year olds 1647 01:42:35,479 --> 01:42:37,640 Speaker 1: that have been one hundred and sixty inches. But the 1648 01:42:37,720 --> 01:42:41,840 Speaker 1: point is he's allowing young bucks to walk so he 1649 01:42:41,960 --> 01:42:45,280 Speaker 1: can shoot them at five to seven years old because 1650 01:42:45,439 --> 01:42:48,680 Speaker 1: of their size. If you could age turkeys in the 1651 01:42:48,800 --> 01:42:52,280 Speaker 1: same way, they would be managed very differently. And I 1652 01:42:52,439 --> 01:42:55,760 Speaker 1: think a lot of that gets to the bag limit. 1653 01:42:56,320 --> 01:43:00,960 Speaker 1: I think the bag limit is a very important regulation. 1654 01:43:01,720 --> 01:43:06,479 Speaker 1: You know, for years in Tennessee there was a four 1655 01:43:06,640 --> 01:43:10,040 Speaker 1: bird statewide bag limit, but actually you could kill a 1656 01:43:10,080 --> 01:43:13,400 Speaker 1: lot more than that if you killed a bird on 1657 01:43:13,560 --> 01:43:17,200 Speaker 1: some federal lands land between the Lakes or Fort Campbell 1658 01:43:17,240 --> 01:43:19,640 Speaker 1: for examples of freebie b I didn't count towards your 1659 01:43:19,720 --> 01:43:24,240 Speaker 1: state bag limit, and then and this this drives me nuts. 1660 01:43:24,760 --> 01:43:30,080 Speaker 1: There were like fifteen plus WMA's across the state for 1661 01:43:30,200 --> 01:43:32,320 Speaker 1: which if you killed a turkey on it, it was free, 1662 01:43:32,680 --> 01:43:38,280 Speaker 1: a bonus gobbler. That's ridiculous. Any bird killed should go 1663 01:43:38,439 --> 01:43:40,960 Speaker 1: into the bag limit. And so in Tennessee for years 1664 01:43:41,240 --> 01:43:44,000 Speaker 1: you could and that didn't even count you fall birds. 1665 01:43:44,600 --> 01:43:48,080 Speaker 1: So you could easily kill well not easily, but you 1666 01:43:48,240 --> 01:43:51,600 Speaker 1: could kill eight, ten or more birds a year. But 1667 01:43:52,200 --> 01:43:54,840 Speaker 1: it really wasn't that big of a problem because very 1668 01:43:55,040 --> 01:44:00,320 Speaker 1: very few people did that. But these large bagline it's 1669 01:44:00,400 --> 01:44:04,320 Speaker 1: now you're seeing them back off dramatically on the bag limits, 1670 01:44:04,360 --> 01:44:08,280 Speaker 1: and in Tennessee it's it's down to two now. And 1671 01:44:08,640 --> 01:44:12,439 Speaker 1: I have been one of those who all into turkey 1672 01:44:12,520 --> 01:44:15,880 Speaker 1: hunting and I killed as many as I could because 1673 01:44:15,920 --> 01:44:19,200 Speaker 1: I absolutely love it going to you know, five, six, 1674 01:44:19,360 --> 01:44:24,840 Speaker 1: seven states every year to hunt. But you know, a 1675 01:44:24,960 --> 01:44:29,240 Speaker 1: bag limit of four that's too many in my opinion 1676 01:44:29,760 --> 01:44:34,320 Speaker 1: that that's that's too many. There was some interesting data 1677 01:44:34,360 --> 01:44:34,879 Speaker 1: in Tennessee. 1678 01:44:36,280 --> 01:44:37,920 Speaker 3: I want to live. I want to interrupt you for 1679 01:44:37,920 --> 01:44:41,080 Speaker 3: one second. Early on I was tide about hous gonna 1680 01:44:41,080 --> 01:44:44,080 Speaker 3: explain why this matters, and I want to back up 1681 01:44:44,080 --> 01:44:46,280 Speaker 3: for a minute, because I've failed to really do that 1682 01:44:46,360 --> 01:44:51,439 Speaker 3: effectively in talking to listeners about why why we're debating 1683 01:44:51,479 --> 01:44:54,479 Speaker 3: some of these issues, and I want to do like 1684 01:44:54,560 --> 01:44:59,280 Speaker 3: a quick American history through the wild Turkey. Okay, uh, 1685 01:45:00,680 --> 01:45:04,840 Speaker 3: I'm gonna start with my favorite pieces. The Pilgrims. Almost 1686 01:45:04,880 --> 01:45:08,599 Speaker 3: certainly we're not eating turkey at the first Thanksgiving. They 1687 01:45:08,640 --> 01:45:12,559 Speaker 3: had to catch all word turkey, which meant big edible bird, 1688 01:45:14,400 --> 01:45:18,920 Speaker 3: probably a goose. They're probably eating geese. There's similar things 1689 01:45:19,439 --> 01:45:22,720 Speaker 3: we use. The term. You'll hear people use the term 1690 01:45:22,760 --> 01:45:26,479 Speaker 3: it's a game bird, and that's a catch all I've 1691 01:45:26,560 --> 01:45:30,200 Speaker 3: heard people use in Spanish. I think it was in 1692 01:45:30,200 --> 01:45:32,080 Speaker 3: the Spanish speaking areas. I've heard people use a word 1693 01:45:32,200 --> 01:45:36,040 Speaker 3: like Poe's in South America. It's like a big bird, 1694 01:45:36,080 --> 01:45:38,720 Speaker 3: it's good to eat. So you see when running along 1695 01:45:39,680 --> 01:45:43,280 Speaker 3: poies what one oh curs ow, but meaning a big 1696 01:45:43,320 --> 01:45:46,880 Speaker 3: bird good to eat. They threw that word around. They 1697 01:45:46,960 --> 01:45:52,240 Speaker 3: probably ate geese. However, if they also late dear yep, 1698 01:45:52,680 --> 01:45:55,400 Speaker 3: they definitely there's no doubt that the first thanks even 1699 01:45:55,600 --> 01:45:57,799 Speaker 3: ate deer. And so when I when we have Thanksgiving 1700 01:45:57,800 --> 01:45:59,479 Speaker 3: at the Bronella household, we always have deer mee I 1701 01:45:59,479 --> 01:46:05,400 Speaker 3: don't care about. So there are accounts from the long 1702 01:46:05,479 --> 01:46:12,559 Speaker 3: Hunters and the first Western Frontier of them describing areas 1703 01:46:12,600 --> 01:46:16,839 Speaker 3: where it seemed like this. It seemed that the forest 1704 01:46:16,960 --> 01:46:22,000 Speaker 3: floor was literally moving with turkeys. So at times and 1705 01:46:22,080 --> 01:46:26,240 Speaker 3: places there were like outstanding numbers of turkeys. By the 1706 01:46:26,320 --> 01:46:34,639 Speaker 3: early nineteen hundreds, we had really really depleted turkeys everywhere 1707 01:46:35,160 --> 01:46:38,000 Speaker 3: of the states. I can't remember what it is. I 1708 01:46:38,040 --> 01:46:43,320 Speaker 3: think that maybe I don't know what it was. At 1709 01:46:43,360 --> 01:46:48,599 Speaker 3: the time of European contact, we probably had wild turkeys 1710 01:46:48,640 --> 01:46:56,680 Speaker 3: in thirty four states. Maybe we had we had. By 1711 01:46:56,720 --> 01:46:59,200 Speaker 3: the early nineteen hundreds, they had been removed from over 1712 01:46:59,240 --> 01:47:03,200 Speaker 3: a dozen of those states all together. There were only 1713 01:47:03,280 --> 01:47:06,679 Speaker 3: a few little pockets. I think South Carolina maybe always 1714 01:47:06,760 --> 01:47:10,600 Speaker 3: hung out to some form of a turkey season, but 1715 01:47:10,720 --> 01:47:15,800 Speaker 3: most places turkey hunting ended. And then they started into 1716 01:47:16,880 --> 01:47:19,519 Speaker 3: through a lot of failed efforts and trying to get 1717 01:47:19,560 --> 01:47:23,800 Speaker 3: it right, they started to reintroduce turkeys. They initially tried 1718 01:47:23,840 --> 01:47:27,920 Speaker 3: to reintroduce turkeys by turning out pen raised birds, and 1719 01:47:28,000 --> 01:47:31,920 Speaker 3: it was a disaster. It didn't work. Then someone hit 1720 01:47:32,080 --> 01:47:38,640 Speaker 3: on the idea of capturing wild bread birds, and so 1721 01:47:38,800 --> 01:47:42,360 Speaker 3: they went to those little pockets like the deepest swamps, 1722 01:47:42,479 --> 01:47:46,719 Speaker 3: the worst mountains in the southeast, and they started catching 1723 01:47:46,760 --> 01:47:52,439 Speaker 3: turkeys and turning them out, and that those efforts really 1724 01:47:54,479 --> 01:47:58,360 Speaker 3: started to gain ground in the seventies and they pushed 1725 01:47:58,439 --> 01:48:01,200 Speaker 3: all the way up into the nine. So where I 1726 01:48:01,320 --> 01:48:04,439 Speaker 3: grew up, there weren't turkeys when I was a little kid. 1727 01:48:04,800 --> 01:48:07,400 Speaker 3: By the mid nineties there were turkeys because they had 1728 01:48:07,439 --> 01:48:11,320 Speaker 3: been reintroduced by and National Will Turkey Federation in conjunction 1729 01:48:11,439 --> 01:48:19,200 Speaker 3: with state agencies. And then they exploded and sore where 1730 01:48:19,360 --> 01:48:23,560 Speaker 3: you live. If you're a listener, where you live, you 1731 01:48:24,240 --> 01:48:28,320 Speaker 3: are probably sitting at some part of this like crazy, 1732 01:48:28,640 --> 01:48:30,840 Speaker 3: is it fair to call the bell curve? You're sitting 1733 01:48:30,880 --> 01:48:35,600 Speaker 3: at some part of this curve. You're probably at a 1734 01:48:35,760 --> 01:48:38,880 Speaker 3: part of the curve where you're you're not at the 1735 01:48:38,960 --> 01:48:43,120 Speaker 3: climb anymore. You probably are at the crest or you're 1736 01:48:43,240 --> 01:48:48,120 Speaker 3: on the falling edge of the crest of the saturation. Chris, Yeah, 1737 01:48:48,280 --> 01:48:50,519 Speaker 3: because they came in and it was like, like, admit, 1738 01:48:50,560 --> 01:48:52,360 Speaker 3: where I grew up, it happened kind of right when 1739 01:48:52,360 --> 01:48:54,160 Speaker 3: I moved out west, but all of a sudden it 1740 01:48:54,240 --> 01:48:56,800 Speaker 3: was like you could draw a turkey tag here and there, 1741 01:48:57,400 --> 01:49:01,200 Speaker 3: and then it was everybody was killing turkeys every year. 1742 01:49:01,240 --> 01:49:05,280 Speaker 3: My dad was just killing turkey every year, and it exploded, 1743 01:49:05,320 --> 01:49:07,000 Speaker 3: and I think people thought that it would always be 1744 01:49:07,160 --> 01:49:10,200 Speaker 3: that way, and it was like the turkey heyday, right, 1745 01:49:10,760 --> 01:49:13,880 Speaker 3: And then now you're having these these areas where we're 1746 01:49:13,920 --> 01:49:17,599 Speaker 3: coming out of it and it's dropping off, and people 1747 01:49:17,680 --> 01:49:23,040 Speaker 3: are people who love turkeys are wondering where's the where's 1748 01:49:23,120 --> 01:49:27,960 Speaker 3: the bottom, Like, where's the actual line gonna sit? So 1749 01:49:28,160 --> 01:49:31,759 Speaker 3: when I've on the show raised questions about fall turkey seasons, 1750 01:49:31,800 --> 01:49:34,920 Speaker 3: about being able to kill a turkey every day, being 1751 01:49:34,960 --> 01:49:39,240 Speaker 3: able to kill hens, it's not that it's like, it's 1752 01:49:39,320 --> 01:49:42,000 Speaker 3: not that I'm against I'm not against shooting hen turkeys. 1753 01:49:42,040 --> 01:49:44,840 Speaker 3: People like, well, you killed Doe dear, why it's okay 1754 01:49:44,920 --> 01:49:48,320 Speaker 3: to shoot hen turkeys. I'm not talking like a morality thing. 1755 01:49:49,040 --> 01:49:51,680 Speaker 3: It's not a morality thing in my view. It's like, 1756 01:49:53,920 --> 01:49:57,080 Speaker 3: as we go through this big experiment of turkey reintroduction 1757 01:49:57,479 --> 01:50:00,200 Speaker 3: and in certain areas in the northwestern US and introduce auction, 1758 01:50:00,280 --> 01:50:04,160 Speaker 3: they weren't there before, but they're there now, what is 1759 01:50:04,360 --> 01:50:07,439 Speaker 3: gonna be or is there gonna be a are we 1760 01:50:07,520 --> 01:50:11,640 Speaker 3: going to achieve a normal where turkey hunting is a 1761 01:50:11,880 --> 01:50:16,120 Speaker 3: normal part of our lives for decades to come, or 1762 01:50:16,520 --> 01:50:18,840 Speaker 3: will we look back fifty years from now at this 1763 01:50:19,000 --> 01:50:24,000 Speaker 3: kind of weird thing that happened where we had all 1764 01:50:24,040 --> 01:50:26,679 Speaker 3: these turkeys and then we're right back where we started 1765 01:50:26,800 --> 01:50:30,679 Speaker 3: because of various concerns. So when I say, like, why 1766 01:50:30,800 --> 01:50:33,880 Speaker 3: this matters, is there's no normal. 1767 01:50:43,400 --> 01:50:46,000 Speaker 1: To answer your question, No, I don't believe that will happen. 1768 01:50:46,160 --> 01:50:50,800 Speaker 1: I think states are making adjustments right now, especially with 1769 01:50:50,920 --> 01:50:54,559 Speaker 1: all the turkey studies that are going on, and we're 1770 01:50:54,680 --> 01:51:00,400 Speaker 1: learning tremendous amounts about all kinds of things that be 1771 01:51:01,479 --> 01:51:07,439 Speaker 1: seasons or bag limits or predators, disease, et cetera. You know, 1772 01:51:07,520 --> 01:51:11,960 Speaker 1: you mentioned the turkey population is going up, and I 1773 01:51:12,120 --> 01:51:14,800 Speaker 1: mentioned that about the harvest from the eighties to the 1774 01:51:14,880 --> 01:51:17,880 Speaker 1: mid two thousands or whatever. And so when you look 1775 01:51:17,920 --> 01:51:20,880 Speaker 1: at harvest rates or as a proxy, you know, the 1776 01:51:21,320 --> 01:51:24,519 Speaker 1: population increase. How long can it do this? You know, 1777 01:51:24,720 --> 01:51:27,720 Speaker 1: at essentially a forty five degree angle? How long? 1778 01:51:28,120 --> 01:51:28,320 Speaker 3: Yeah? 1779 01:51:28,600 --> 01:51:33,000 Speaker 1: Not infinitely, No, And so we have reached infinity right now. 1780 01:51:33,760 --> 01:51:39,200 Speaker 1: And I believe that in many areas it reached the 1781 01:51:39,320 --> 01:51:43,959 Speaker 1: point where the area could not support any more turkeys 1782 01:51:44,600 --> 01:51:48,840 Speaker 1: than what it has because of various factors, and so 1783 01:51:49,000 --> 01:51:51,679 Speaker 1: then it begins to drop off, and then it begins 1784 01:51:51,880 --> 01:51:56,000 Speaker 1: to fluctuate. Now, if the harvest pressure remains the same 1785 01:51:56,120 --> 01:51:59,200 Speaker 1: as it's going down and the amount of habitat is 1786 01:52:00,120 --> 01:52:04,519 Speaker 1: deteriorated or reduced, then you're not going to get back 1787 01:52:04,600 --> 01:52:09,360 Speaker 1: up to some historic high. And I've brought this out 1788 01:52:09,920 --> 01:52:15,360 Speaker 1: with different folks. Think about what the landscape was twenty 1789 01:52:15,479 --> 01:52:19,680 Speaker 1: years ago. And I keep going back to Tennessee, in 1790 01:52:19,760 --> 01:52:22,880 Speaker 1: that area south of Nashville and south Middle Tennessee that 1791 01:52:23,040 --> 01:52:25,439 Speaker 1: had some of the highest turkey populations, if not the 1792 01:52:25,520 --> 01:52:30,439 Speaker 1: highest turkey population of anywhere in the country. In the 1793 01:52:30,560 --> 01:52:33,639 Speaker 1: late nineties early two thousands, you could see a winter 1794 01:52:33,720 --> 01:52:38,320 Speaker 1: flock of one thousand birds. That's like unbelievable. So how 1795 01:52:38,400 --> 01:52:40,720 Speaker 1: long is that sustainable. It's not going to be that 1796 01:52:40,800 --> 01:52:44,400 Speaker 1: sustainable for that long. We have more roads, we have 1797 01:52:44,560 --> 01:52:49,679 Speaker 1: more buildings, we have more infrastructure from humans. So many 1798 01:52:49,800 --> 01:52:53,799 Speaker 1: properties are quote lost with regard to it being turkey 1799 01:52:53,840 --> 01:52:57,800 Speaker 1: habitat because they're subdivisions. And so the amount of land 1800 01:52:58,040 --> 01:53:02,120 Speaker 1: that turkeys have to live on today in many areas 1801 01:53:02,560 --> 01:53:06,720 Speaker 1: is considerably less than it was twenty or thirty years ago. 1802 01:53:07,240 --> 01:53:11,760 Speaker 1: And so we had this steep incline of the population. 1803 01:53:12,720 --> 01:53:15,559 Speaker 1: It reaches the point where that cannot be sustained anymore, 1804 01:53:15,880 --> 01:53:18,880 Speaker 1: then it drops, and then it's going to fluctuate. And 1805 01:53:19,320 --> 01:53:24,120 Speaker 1: I think our change in regulations can have a strong impact, 1806 01:53:24,240 --> 01:53:28,680 Speaker 1: of course on leveling that out into what you know, 1807 01:53:28,840 --> 01:53:33,959 Speaker 1: you call the new norm. But over time, the human population, 1808 01:53:34,080 --> 01:53:36,879 Speaker 1: at least in the foreseeable future, is going to continue 1809 01:53:36,880 --> 01:53:40,800 Speaker 1: to do this, go up and up, and so conserving 1810 01:53:41,000 --> 01:53:45,080 Speaker 1: our lands is hugely important, as it always has been. 1811 01:53:45,720 --> 01:53:50,599 Speaker 1: But that can't be discounted when you think about how 1812 01:53:50,640 --> 01:53:55,040 Speaker 1: many turkeys were and are or will be killed in 1813 01:53:55,160 --> 01:53:59,439 Speaker 1: a particular county, for example, we can't expect to go 1814 01:53:59,640 --> 01:54:02,559 Speaker 1: back to historic highs in all areas. 1815 01:54:03,880 --> 01:54:07,599 Speaker 3: When you when you are talking to someone to get 1816 01:54:07,640 --> 01:54:12,880 Speaker 3: into your extension work, let's say a landowner, you know, 1817 01:54:13,680 --> 01:54:18,120 Speaker 3: let's say someone's got forty acres of glenn and they're like, 1818 01:54:18,200 --> 01:54:21,040 Speaker 3: I want to make it better for wildlife, just in 1819 01:54:21,080 --> 01:54:24,880 Speaker 3: a very general sense, wildlife being like, whatever the hell 1820 01:54:25,120 --> 01:54:25,760 Speaker 3: is available? 1821 01:54:26,720 --> 01:54:27,439 Speaker 5: What what are the. 1822 01:54:31,120 --> 01:54:32,640 Speaker 3: What are the top suggestions you have? 1823 01:54:33,440 --> 01:54:36,360 Speaker 1: Well, the the number one thing is you've got to 1824 01:54:36,480 --> 01:54:42,440 Speaker 1: define wildlife, you know, are you talking about chickadease? Horned owls, 1825 01:54:42,680 --> 01:54:45,240 Speaker 1: copperhead snakes, deer and what what what is it that 1826 01:54:45,280 --> 01:54:48,200 Speaker 1: you're talking about? So the landowner has to identify and 1827 01:54:48,480 --> 01:54:51,240 Speaker 1: that's very common. I want to make it better for wildlife. 1828 01:54:51,280 --> 01:54:56,640 Speaker 1: What okay, I'll say this, all okay, and all native identify. 1829 01:54:56,720 --> 01:54:58,680 Speaker 1: So I get here's my here's my thing. I got 1830 01:54:58,760 --> 01:54:59,440 Speaker 1: forty acres. 1831 01:55:00,280 --> 01:55:02,560 Speaker 3: I'm like, I just want to make as good as 1832 01:55:02,600 --> 01:55:05,840 Speaker 3: I can for all native wildlife, whatever assemblage of native 1833 01:55:05,880 --> 01:55:08,600 Speaker 3: wildlife I could hope to attract. 1834 01:55:10,040 --> 01:55:15,560 Speaker 1: Well, you're going to help a diversity of wildlife by 1835 01:55:15,720 --> 01:55:19,840 Speaker 1: having diverse conditions on the property, But that's not going 1836 01:55:19,920 --> 01:55:22,600 Speaker 1: to help all species. You know, if you're an Eastern 1837 01:55:22,680 --> 01:55:25,480 Speaker 1: metal arc, you will never hang out in the woods. 1838 01:55:25,760 --> 01:55:29,120 Speaker 1: You see what I'm saying. And so there's no such 1839 01:55:29,200 --> 01:55:33,040 Speaker 1: thing as managing appropriately for everything. You've got to choose 1840 01:55:33,200 --> 01:55:38,200 Speaker 1: something because each species have certain requirements that have to 1841 01:55:38,280 --> 01:55:41,480 Speaker 1: be met, and they are very different among some species. 1842 01:55:41,840 --> 01:55:44,320 Speaker 1: And so that's why you know, and you know, like 1843 01:55:44,520 --> 01:55:47,839 Speaker 1: on two ends of the spectrum, think of an Eastern 1844 01:55:47,960 --> 01:55:52,880 Speaker 1: gray squirrel or an affiliated woodpecker versus a grasshopper sparra. 1845 01:55:53,000 --> 01:55:55,120 Speaker 1: You know that they will never be found in the 1846 01:55:55,200 --> 01:55:59,520 Speaker 1: same place. One requires forest at least wooded areas woodlands 1847 01:55:59,560 --> 01:56:04,080 Speaker 1: and as well, and the other one requires not just grassland, 1848 01:56:04,360 --> 01:56:07,640 Speaker 1: but vast amounts of grassland. And so there are different 1849 01:56:07,800 --> 01:56:11,880 Speaker 1: area requirements by different species. You know, some species, if 1850 01:56:11,920 --> 01:56:16,240 Speaker 1: you have the perfect conditions on ten acres, will never 1851 01:56:16,360 --> 01:56:21,040 Speaker 1: be found there because they require a much larger footprint 1852 01:56:21,160 --> 01:56:24,480 Speaker 1: than that. And northern bob White is a great example. 1853 01:56:25,440 --> 01:56:28,800 Speaker 1: So frustrating because so many landowners would like to manage 1854 01:56:28,840 --> 01:56:32,560 Speaker 1: for quail, but they only have seventy acres, and around 1855 01:56:32,600 --> 01:56:37,920 Speaker 1: the seventy acres is non habitat for bob white, and 1856 01:56:38,800 --> 01:56:40,320 Speaker 1: you know, you just got to tell them, Look, you 1857 01:56:40,400 --> 01:56:44,480 Speaker 1: can make your place absolutely perfect for quail, but you're 1858 01:56:44,600 --> 01:56:47,360 Speaker 1: never going to see a population response because of what's 1859 01:56:47,400 --> 01:56:50,320 Speaker 1: going on around you. And so with regard to your 1860 01:56:50,400 --> 01:56:54,000 Speaker 1: question about improving it, if they then identify the species 1861 01:56:54,320 --> 01:56:58,320 Speaker 1: and we kind of stick to turkeys, then you've got 1862 01:56:58,400 --> 01:57:01,440 Speaker 1: to meet their habitat requirements, and so you have to 1863 01:57:01,560 --> 01:57:07,839 Speaker 1: have or ideally you would have good cover for nesting, 1864 01:57:08,040 --> 01:57:10,840 Speaker 1: you would have good cover for brooding. Obviously, you would 1865 01:57:10,880 --> 01:57:14,560 Speaker 1: have roosting areas, You would have areas that provide good 1866 01:57:14,680 --> 01:57:18,600 Speaker 1: foraging during the summertime as well as during the fall 1867 01:57:18,720 --> 01:57:22,000 Speaker 1: and winter, and so you've got to meet their food 1868 01:57:22,240 --> 01:57:28,040 Speaker 1: and cover and water requirements as their requirements change throughout 1869 01:57:28,080 --> 01:57:28,440 Speaker 1: the year. 1870 01:57:28,640 --> 01:57:31,280 Speaker 3: What's the difference in nesting and brooding territory. 1871 01:57:32,440 --> 01:57:38,720 Speaker 1: Well, the cover that generally is selected by turkeys for 1872 01:57:38,920 --> 01:57:45,640 Speaker 1: nesting is going to be relatively dense. The visibility is 1873 01:57:45,720 --> 01:57:50,840 Speaker 1: not going to be that far. For example, one interesting 1874 01:57:50,960 --> 01:57:53,680 Speaker 1: thing that we found in the Tennessee study is that 1875 01:57:54,680 --> 01:57:58,360 Speaker 1: just less than fifty percent of the nest I think 1876 01:57:58,400 --> 01:58:03,040 Speaker 1: it's forty six percent of the nest occur in either 1877 01:58:03,720 --> 01:58:06,959 Speaker 1: what we call early succession, you know, like overgrown fields 1878 01:58:07,800 --> 01:58:11,400 Speaker 1: or shrubbling, you know, where there's a preponderance of small 1879 01:58:13,240 --> 01:58:16,880 Speaker 1: tree stems, you know, ten fifteen feet tall something like that, 1880 01:58:17,040 --> 01:58:19,800 Speaker 1: or shrubs or what have you. Forty six percent of 1881 01:58:19,880 --> 01:58:23,720 Speaker 1: the nest are in those vegetation types, but only seven 1882 01:58:23,800 --> 01:58:28,360 Speaker 1: percent of the landscape is represented by those vegetation types. 1883 01:58:28,680 --> 01:58:33,320 Speaker 1: So certainly you can see selectivity by the birds when 1884 01:58:33,560 --> 01:58:38,120 Speaker 1: there are different vegetation types available for them to select from. 1885 01:58:38,720 --> 01:58:42,800 Speaker 1: And so think of an overgrown field that can provide 1886 01:58:42,920 --> 01:58:49,520 Speaker 1: excellent nesting cover, but it probably won't provide good brooding cover. 1887 01:58:49,880 --> 01:58:52,520 Speaker 1: Because you know, if you imagine you're a poult, it's 1888 01:58:52,720 --> 01:58:55,720 Speaker 1: you know, three or four inches tall. You literally can't 1889 01:58:55,800 --> 01:59:00,920 Speaker 1: physically navigate through that dense vegetation at ground level. And 1890 01:59:01,120 --> 01:59:04,160 Speaker 1: even for the hens when they're nesting, they don't like 1891 01:59:04,240 --> 01:59:07,920 Speaker 1: to navigate through that either. And so with a number 1892 01:59:07,960 --> 01:59:12,760 Speaker 1: of studies, including ours, something that we find commonly is 1893 01:59:12,880 --> 01:59:16,760 Speaker 1: that the nest will be within twenty to forty yards 1894 01:59:17,000 --> 01:59:20,360 Speaker 1: of the edge of this dnse cover or you know, 1895 01:59:20,520 --> 01:59:24,520 Speaker 1: forty yards from some trail or what have you. So 1896 01:59:24,880 --> 01:59:28,040 Speaker 1: she doesn't want to walk through that dense, thick stuff 1897 01:59:28,480 --> 01:59:30,720 Speaker 1: to get to her nest, as she has to come 1898 01:59:30,800 --> 01:59:33,400 Speaker 1: off of the nest each day for at least, you know, 1899 01:59:33,560 --> 01:59:37,720 Speaker 1: usually at least one recess to go feed and defecate, 1900 01:59:38,360 --> 01:59:42,080 Speaker 1: what have you. And so that then gives rise to 1901 01:59:42,200 --> 01:59:45,720 Speaker 1: the notion of, hmm, what's the scale that I should 1902 01:59:45,760 --> 01:59:48,680 Speaker 1: be managing for with regard to nesting cover. And so 1903 01:59:50,160 --> 01:59:54,640 Speaker 1: if I'm managing a property specifically for turkeys, I don't 1904 01:59:54,680 --> 01:59:57,840 Speaker 1: want that nesting cover to be any more than about 1905 01:59:57,960 --> 02:00:00,640 Speaker 1: eighty yards wide, you know what I'm saying, Because in 1906 02:00:00,760 --> 02:00:04,440 Speaker 1: the interior of that she's likely right to not go 1907 02:00:04,560 --> 02:00:08,840 Speaker 1: in there. But for the for the broods, they may 1908 02:00:08,920 --> 02:00:12,280 Speaker 1: be around the edges of those fields because they can 1909 02:00:12,360 --> 02:00:15,360 Speaker 1: walk and get around, and that's caused lots of people 1910 02:00:15,440 --> 02:00:19,320 Speaker 1: to consider, you know, whether it be turkeys or deer 1911 02:00:19,560 --> 02:00:24,839 Speaker 1: or bob white or rabbits or whatever to be edge species. Personally, 1912 02:00:25,040 --> 02:00:29,200 Speaker 1: I don't agree with that. If you find a species 1913 02:00:29,360 --> 02:00:32,560 Speaker 1: that is only using the edge, and the edge is 1914 02:00:32,640 --> 02:00:35,840 Speaker 1: defined as where two or more vegetation types or two 1915 02:00:35,920 --> 02:00:39,880 Speaker 1: or more successional stages join each other, if you find 1916 02:00:39,920 --> 02:00:43,080 Speaker 1: a species tied to that edge, then what that should 1917 02:00:43,120 --> 02:00:45,520 Speaker 1: tell you is not that the species likes the edge, 1918 02:00:45,920 --> 02:00:49,560 Speaker 1: but the species doesn't like the interior of one or 1919 02:00:49,640 --> 02:00:52,920 Speaker 1: both of the adjoining vegetation types. And what that means 1920 02:00:53,080 --> 02:00:57,240 Speaker 1: is you need to manage that vegetation type differently such 1921 02:00:57,320 --> 02:00:59,120 Speaker 1: that you can see use in the middle of it 1922 02:00:59,360 --> 02:01:01,920 Speaker 1: instead of just along the edge. And so when you 1923 02:01:02,000 --> 02:01:04,920 Speaker 1: see broods around the edge of the field, that immediately 1924 02:01:05,040 --> 02:01:08,520 Speaker 1: tells you the structure in that field is probably not 1925 02:01:08,760 --> 02:01:11,520 Speaker 1: adequate for the bruds to be using in there. And 1926 02:01:11,680 --> 02:01:14,800 Speaker 1: so that's when your management comes in to make these 1927 02:01:14,920 --> 02:01:19,000 Speaker 1: fields and your your woods better with regard to cover, 1928 02:01:19,120 --> 02:01:23,040 Speaker 1: whether it be for nesting or brooding. Or or even 1929 02:01:23,240 --> 02:01:26,760 Speaker 1: even roosting. So there's different things that we do to 1930 02:01:27,120 --> 02:01:29,760 Speaker 1: enhance an area to make it more attractive to turkey. 1931 02:01:29,960 --> 02:01:32,640 Speaker 1: Why they like that you can fix up all of these. 1932 02:01:32,760 --> 02:01:35,120 Speaker 3: They like to roost in certain spots and you can't 1933 02:01:35,240 --> 02:01:37,720 Speaker 3: always tell what it is about the spot, but like 1934 02:01:38,000 --> 02:01:39,680 Speaker 3: it's like you feel like if you took every turkey 1935 02:01:39,800 --> 02:01:42,520 Speaker 3: off and put new turkeys there, they're probably gonna go 1936 02:01:42,600 --> 02:01:46,280 Speaker 3: roos in that spot. Yes, absolutely, have you guys ever 1937 02:01:46,320 --> 02:01:47,360 Speaker 3: looked at like what is it? 1938 02:01:47,840 --> 02:01:51,960 Speaker 1: Well, one thing that is important is the visibility. And 1939 02:01:52,160 --> 02:01:57,440 Speaker 1: so when I'm managing specifically for a roosting area, I 1940 02:01:57,600 --> 02:02:01,200 Speaker 1: might choose and number one, you start where that you 1941 02:02:01,360 --> 02:02:06,640 Speaker 1: know birds are roosting, or if you don't know, or 1942 02:02:06,720 --> 02:02:10,960 Speaker 1: you want to make a roosting area somewhere, it's usually 1943 02:02:11,280 --> 02:02:15,800 Speaker 1: a place where it's up a little higher than the surroundings, 1944 02:02:16,600 --> 02:02:18,960 Speaker 1: or at least on the upper portion of a slope 1945 02:02:19,160 --> 02:02:22,480 Speaker 1: where you know, at least for a gobbler they can call. 1946 02:02:22,640 --> 02:02:26,800 Speaker 1: And I'm referring specifically to springtime and surrounding hunting and 1947 02:02:26,960 --> 02:02:30,080 Speaker 1: trying to make set up a property for better hunting, 1948 02:02:30,920 --> 02:02:34,080 Speaker 1: And so we manage that with fire, and we use 1949 02:02:34,360 --> 02:02:38,560 Speaker 1: low intensity fire, and we're preventing a dense mid story 1950 02:02:38,720 --> 02:02:42,240 Speaker 1: from coming up. We're keeping the understory. You know, mid 1951 02:02:42,320 --> 02:02:44,960 Speaker 1: story is those trees that are above four and a 1952 02:02:45,000 --> 02:02:48,000 Speaker 1: half feet and before they get into the overstory condition. 1953 02:02:48,440 --> 02:02:51,760 Speaker 1: And then the understory is that vegetation as defined as 1954 02:02:51,840 --> 02:02:55,600 Speaker 1: being under four and a half feet. We're keeping that low. 1955 02:02:55,880 --> 02:02:59,720 Speaker 1: We're keeping it open. We're killing trees that we don't 1956 02:02:59,800 --> 02:03:02,640 Speaker 1: want want and leaving the trees that we do want, 1957 02:03:02,880 --> 02:03:09,040 Speaker 1: primarily according to species or form for roosting, allowing a 1958 02:03:09,080 --> 02:03:11,160 Speaker 1: little bit of sunlight to come into the area, but 1959 02:03:11,280 --> 02:03:14,280 Speaker 1: not too much, because if you do, the understory is 1960 02:03:14,320 --> 02:03:15,840 Speaker 1: going to blow up and it's going to be more 1961 02:03:15,880 --> 02:03:19,760 Speaker 1: difficult to keep it open. So these roosting areas probably 1962 02:03:19,880 --> 02:03:24,880 Speaker 1: have anywhere from seventy to one hundred percent shade, no 1963 02:03:25,080 --> 02:03:30,320 Speaker 1: more than about thirty percent sunlight coming in. Now, before 1964 02:03:30,480 --> 02:03:35,760 Speaker 1: somebody screams, I fully understand that turkeys roost in more 1965 02:03:35,880 --> 02:03:39,360 Speaker 1: open areas. And you know, ever been to Kansas. I mean, 1966 02:03:39,440 --> 02:03:42,680 Speaker 1: you know, individual cotton trees along a drainage, there's going 1967 02:03:42,760 --> 02:03:46,440 Speaker 1: to be turkeys there. But I'm talking about in forested conditions. 1968 02:03:46,560 --> 02:03:50,760 Speaker 1: If you want to enhance an area such that you're 1969 02:03:50,960 --> 02:03:55,040 Speaker 1: increasing the preponderance of birds to be roosting in a 1970 02:03:55,080 --> 02:03:59,200 Speaker 1: given area. Manage that where it's open, and what we do, 1971 02:03:59,520 --> 02:04:04,880 Speaker 1: what I prefer to do is leave it alone. I 1972 02:04:05,040 --> 02:04:07,160 Speaker 1: know people are going to think this is crazy, but 1973 02:04:07,560 --> 02:04:11,880 Speaker 1: on lands managed specifically for turkeys and turkey hunting, think 1974 02:04:11,960 --> 02:04:14,880 Speaker 1: of the roost area like you would a bedding area 1975 02:04:15,000 --> 02:04:17,400 Speaker 1: for deer. Do you go into the bedding area to 1976 02:04:17,480 --> 02:04:19,920 Speaker 1: hunt deer. No, that's kind of dumb. You're going to 1977 02:04:20,000 --> 02:04:22,240 Speaker 1: run that buck off and you know it might not 1978 02:04:22,360 --> 02:04:25,360 Speaker 1: return to the property for the rest of the hunting season. 1979 02:04:25,640 --> 02:04:28,760 Speaker 1: And so your roost areas to me, and this is 1980 02:04:28,840 --> 02:04:31,480 Speaker 1: just a personal view, it's kind of like your anchor. 1981 02:04:31,960 --> 02:04:35,560 Speaker 1: And you know, a gobbler is going to usually have 1982 02:04:36,160 --> 02:04:39,600 Speaker 1: three or four areas that they typically use for roosting. 1983 02:04:39,720 --> 02:04:41,600 Speaker 1: Is not going to go back to the same area 1984 02:04:41,720 --> 02:04:45,400 Speaker 1: every night. But if you know, okay, I'm managing these 1985 02:04:45,520 --> 02:04:49,160 Speaker 1: roots spots and I'm not disturbing the birds immediately when 1986 02:04:49,200 --> 02:04:51,880 Speaker 1: they come off of the roost. And how many people, 1987 02:04:51,960 --> 02:04:54,680 Speaker 1: you know, they call and they mess up the bird, 1988 02:04:55,400 --> 02:04:58,280 Speaker 1: they move they you know, when the birds are spooked 1989 02:04:58,840 --> 02:05:02,880 Speaker 1: at their roost site, that just damages your chances of 1990 02:05:03,000 --> 02:05:06,800 Speaker 1: them returning there and them going somewhere else instead. If 1991 02:05:06,840 --> 02:05:10,360 Speaker 1: you know where the birds are going to go, hunt 1992 02:05:10,960 --> 02:05:13,640 Speaker 1: on the birds on the way there, or you can 1993 02:05:13,720 --> 02:05:16,240 Speaker 1: even go there and wait on the birds. And for 1994 02:05:16,320 --> 02:05:17,680 Speaker 1: a lot of people, that means you don't have to 1995 02:05:17,720 --> 02:05:19,960 Speaker 1: get up, you know, two hours four daylight. You can 1996 02:05:20,160 --> 02:05:22,040 Speaker 1: go into the Turkey woods at nine o'clock in the 1997 02:05:22,120 --> 02:05:25,360 Speaker 1: morning and have excellent hunting. One of my favorite times 1998 02:05:25,480 --> 02:05:29,520 Speaker 1: is like from nine o'clock to two pm. And so 1999 02:05:30,040 --> 02:05:33,720 Speaker 1: you're allowing the birds to do their thing early in 2000 02:05:33,760 --> 02:05:35,880 Speaker 1: the morning when they come off the roost, and then 2001 02:05:35,960 --> 02:05:38,680 Speaker 1: when they start to move out, that's when you know 2002 02:05:38,800 --> 02:05:41,360 Speaker 1: where they're going to go. And when you do that, 2003 02:05:41,760 --> 02:05:45,560 Speaker 1: at least in my humble opinion, your success rate goes up. 2004 02:05:46,040 --> 02:05:47,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, but man, you might as well be asking people 2005 02:05:47,960 --> 02:05:53,760 Speaker 3: to quit. I really coffee and stuff, dude. Yeah, it's 2006 02:05:53,800 --> 02:05:58,560 Speaker 3: like the world's most powerful magnet. Like as Star Wars 2007 02:05:58,600 --> 02:06:02,040 Speaker 3: they called a tractor beam, you know, pulls you into 2008 02:06:02,080 --> 02:06:02,760 Speaker 3: that roost tree. 2009 02:06:02,800 --> 02:06:06,680 Speaker 1: You still can hunt near the roost where you're hearing 2010 02:06:07,240 --> 02:06:10,280 Speaker 1: the bird, you know, gobble off the roost, but you know, 2011 02:06:11,160 --> 02:06:13,400 Speaker 1: trying to crawl right there under the bird. You're you're 2012 02:06:13,840 --> 02:06:17,680 Speaker 1: you're risking messing things up if you don't kill him. 2013 02:06:17,720 --> 02:06:19,840 Speaker 3: One of my favorite things about turkey hunt know is 2014 02:06:20,160 --> 02:06:23,880 Speaker 3: is the when you get real close. I say, you're 2015 02:06:24,000 --> 02:06:30,200 Speaker 3: seventy yards from that roof tree, where you're like, it 2016 02:06:30,280 --> 02:06:32,960 Speaker 3: seems like there's no way we're not going to kill 2017 02:06:33,000 --> 02:06:35,440 Speaker 3: this turkey, but the other part of your brain knows 2018 02:06:35,520 --> 02:06:35,840 Speaker 3: you won't. 2019 02:06:38,440 --> 02:06:41,040 Speaker 1: I think this morning, I think I heard that very 2020 02:06:41,120 --> 02:06:42,040 Speaker 1: recently this morning. 2021 02:06:42,120 --> 02:06:45,000 Speaker 3: I was like, how would it like? Of course we're 2022 02:06:45,000 --> 02:06:47,440 Speaker 3: going to kill these turkeys, And then they hit the 2023 02:06:47,480 --> 02:06:53,880 Speaker 3: ground and they stop gobling, and in a while later ebody, God, 2024 02:06:53,960 --> 02:06:55,720 Speaker 3: want it's like something inch and a half. You're like, 2025 02:06:55,840 --> 02:06:56,480 Speaker 3: what happened? 2026 02:06:57,200 --> 02:07:01,280 Speaker 1: It is amazing how they can avoid death by us. Anyway, 2027 02:07:02,720 --> 02:07:03,320 Speaker 1: we have. 2028 02:07:03,560 --> 02:07:10,760 Speaker 3: These in our studio. We have various formulas up. We 2029 02:07:10,960 --> 02:07:12,760 Speaker 3: had an original one and people cracked at it. We've 2030 02:07:12,800 --> 02:07:14,920 Speaker 3: made it into a T shirt. Would be that if 2031 02:07:14,960 --> 02:07:21,680 Speaker 3: you get within seventy yards of a roose tree and 2032 02:07:21,800 --> 02:07:25,680 Speaker 3: don't do anything, creep in and don't do anything, don't 2033 02:07:25,680 --> 02:07:27,360 Speaker 3: put out a decoy, don't touch a call. 2034 02:07:27,600 --> 02:07:32,000 Speaker 1: Can I interrupt yep, you immediately have a twenty five 2035 02:07:32,080 --> 02:07:33,440 Speaker 1: percent chance of killing that. 2036 02:07:33,480 --> 02:07:39,080 Speaker 3: Bird thirteen, you have a thirteen percent chance killing that, 2037 02:07:39,120 --> 02:07:41,200 Speaker 3: according to which choked to you, we have right, Yeah, 2038 02:07:41,720 --> 02:07:44,400 Speaker 3: well we varied those, like it's hard to pin down 2039 02:07:44,480 --> 02:07:46,440 Speaker 3: because you get into certain brush types and stuff. I 2040 02:07:46,520 --> 02:07:49,920 Speaker 3: think we figured right. We tried to figure your seventy 2041 02:07:50,040 --> 02:07:55,400 Speaker 3: yards out and you got thirty yards. Okay, you know, 2042 02:07:56,000 --> 02:07:59,240 Speaker 3: and it's not a given, no, And I know it's 2043 02:07:59,280 --> 02:08:02,680 Speaker 3: and it's like, but I sometimes wonder if setting up 2044 02:08:02,720 --> 02:08:05,880 Speaker 3: on them is that much better than thirteen percent. And 2045 02:08:05,960 --> 02:08:07,160 Speaker 3: it's a little better, but it's not. 2046 02:08:08,040 --> 02:08:12,800 Speaker 1: It's very similar to duck hunting. I love to listen 2047 02:08:12,880 --> 02:08:17,320 Speaker 1: to Phil Robertson and one of the things that he said, 2048 02:08:17,360 --> 02:08:21,120 Speaker 1: and I'm sure I'm not stating this verbatim, but you know, 2049 02:08:21,240 --> 02:08:25,680 Speaker 1: if the ducks are coming, don't call. If you know 2050 02:08:26,280 --> 02:08:28,960 Speaker 1: where the ducks are going to go, there's your best 2051 02:08:29,120 --> 02:08:32,680 Speaker 1: bet for being a successful duck hunter, not trying to 2052 02:08:32,880 --> 02:08:35,120 Speaker 1: call them into a place they don't want to go. 2053 02:08:35,720 --> 02:08:38,920 Speaker 1: Just be where they want to go. And the same 2054 02:08:39,040 --> 02:08:42,160 Speaker 1: thing is true for turkey hutting, which I found myself 2055 02:08:42,240 --> 02:08:46,080 Speaker 1: in that position yesterday. You know, it's how did I 2056 02:08:46,160 --> 02:08:49,640 Speaker 1: get in this position? I would never choose this position 2057 02:08:50,040 --> 02:08:54,400 Speaker 1: to try to call a turkey, but situations happen. Here's 2058 02:08:54,440 --> 02:08:57,600 Speaker 1: where I am, and I can't move. This is it's 2059 02:08:57,840 --> 02:09:01,200 Speaker 1: I can either just not call or I can try, 2060 02:09:01,320 --> 02:09:04,360 Speaker 1: and more time than not, I'm gonna try. 2061 02:09:04,680 --> 02:09:08,280 Speaker 3: We got this, this this t RCP fundraiser hunt. We 2062 02:09:08,320 --> 02:09:13,280 Speaker 3: got coming up. Me and Johannis. We have a spot 2063 02:09:14,320 --> 02:09:20,280 Speaker 3: where we agree. If you went there and didn't just 2064 02:09:20,480 --> 02:09:23,960 Speaker 3: crept in and didn't do anything, we have a few 2065 02:09:24,040 --> 02:09:27,160 Speaker 3: days to hunt. If you went there and didn't do 2066 02:09:27,240 --> 02:09:30,560 Speaker 3: anything and just sat there, you are absolutely you're gonna 2067 02:09:30,600 --> 02:09:33,920 Speaker 3: kill a turkey every day. Stay that. But he's like, yeah, 2068 02:09:33,960 --> 02:09:35,680 Speaker 3: what I was mentioning, But he's like, no one wants 2069 02:09:35,720 --> 02:09:36,040 Speaker 3: to do that. 2070 02:09:37,680 --> 02:09:41,200 Speaker 1: If you set up the property correctly, you can take 2071 02:09:41,280 --> 02:09:43,960 Speaker 1: someone who is never turkey hunted and just say sit 2072 02:09:44,120 --> 02:09:46,880 Speaker 1: right here, sit right here, and be patient. Yeah, and 2073 02:09:47,080 --> 02:09:50,480 Speaker 1: whatever you do, don't put out a decoy. No, don't call, 2074 02:09:51,000 --> 02:09:54,520 Speaker 1: just sit They're going to come right through here. 2075 02:09:54,760 --> 02:09:54,920 Speaker 3: Now. 2076 02:09:55,240 --> 02:09:57,600 Speaker 1: If you can't stand it and you want to scratch 2077 02:09:57,720 --> 02:09:59,360 Speaker 1: on a call a little bit, you know, give them 2078 02:09:59,400 --> 02:10:03,280 Speaker 1: a sleigh or a box call and just don't hit 2079 02:10:03,360 --> 02:10:06,040 Speaker 1: it more than three times and they'll feel like they're 2080 02:10:06,080 --> 02:10:09,440 Speaker 1: doing something and Okay, you're you're being active, but just 2081 02:10:09,520 --> 02:10:13,760 Speaker 1: sit here, you're eighty percent you're going to shoot a bird. 2082 02:10:13,840 --> 02:10:16,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, there are spots on this place. If you go 2083 02:10:16,160 --> 02:10:19,320 Speaker 3: where I think of a couple of them in particular, 2084 02:10:19,440 --> 02:10:24,600 Speaker 3: It's like, yeah, there's just no if you had that time, 2085 02:10:24,680 --> 02:10:28,160 Speaker 3: there's no way if you just sat and ambushed and 2086 02:10:28,280 --> 02:10:30,520 Speaker 3: had a little shoot and hole out into an intersection 2087 02:10:31,360 --> 02:10:35,360 Speaker 3: every day, if every day. But no one wants to 2088 02:10:35,400 --> 02:10:36,800 Speaker 3: do that. Man, they want to get out, they want 2089 02:10:36,840 --> 02:10:37,400 Speaker 3: to make noise. 2090 02:10:38,600 --> 02:10:41,080 Speaker 1: But like I was saying, if you set the property 2091 02:10:41,160 --> 02:10:46,680 Speaker 1: up correctly, and if you have the luxury of having 2092 02:10:46,760 --> 02:10:50,240 Speaker 1: a property, private property where you can manage, and you 2093 02:10:50,440 --> 02:10:54,120 Speaker 1: just observe turkeys, just just observe them. And the same 2094 02:10:54,240 --> 02:10:57,200 Speaker 1: is true with with deer and other species. But you know, 2095 02:10:57,880 --> 02:11:00,840 Speaker 1: you're not necessarily hunting, but you're going out and you're 2096 02:11:00,840 --> 02:11:04,440 Speaker 1: observing and watching what they're doing, or when you are hunting, 2097 02:11:05,000 --> 02:11:09,080 Speaker 1: take you know, exercise some patience and just watch them 2098 02:11:09,240 --> 02:11:12,360 Speaker 1: instead of just trying to get in close or call 2099 02:11:12,400 --> 02:11:14,440 Speaker 1: them to you watch what they do, watch where they go. 2100 02:11:14,960 --> 02:11:19,040 Speaker 1: And then you can set up areas where there are 2101 02:11:19,920 --> 02:11:23,360 Speaker 1: some type of objects or funnels where the birds are 2102 02:11:23,400 --> 02:11:25,280 Speaker 1: going to walk through here, they're going to use this area, 2103 02:11:25,520 --> 02:11:28,960 Speaker 1: and then we will set up these specific spots to sit. 2104 02:11:29,680 --> 02:11:32,920 Speaker 1: And even if you're not a good caller, you're going 2105 02:11:32,960 --> 02:11:35,800 Speaker 1: to have excellent success because you know the property and 2106 02:11:35,920 --> 02:11:39,120 Speaker 1: you know the birds on your property, and you're not 2107 02:11:39,800 --> 02:11:42,360 Speaker 1: just setting up under the roofs tree trying to get 2108 02:11:42,400 --> 02:11:45,920 Speaker 1: them to come to you at first light, but you're 2109 02:11:45,920 --> 02:11:49,120 Speaker 1: allowing them to do their thing. You're not shooting too 2110 02:11:49,240 --> 02:11:52,760 Speaker 1: many of them, you know, instead of like there's five 2111 02:11:52,880 --> 02:11:56,960 Speaker 1: guys a hundred acres and the other properties around are 2112 02:11:56,960 --> 02:12:00,160 Speaker 1: also small, and everybody's trying to kill the birds. You know, 2113 02:12:01,080 --> 02:12:03,920 Speaker 1: back off of that where you know this property can 2114 02:12:04,040 --> 02:12:09,560 Speaker 1: only sustain so much hunting, so much harvest, and still 2115 02:12:09,720 --> 02:12:12,640 Speaker 1: have some of those older age turkeys out there. So 2116 02:12:13,280 --> 02:12:17,040 Speaker 1: I think paying attention to that is very important. And 2117 02:12:17,160 --> 02:12:20,880 Speaker 1: in those years where you're not seeing or hearing as 2118 02:12:20,960 --> 02:12:24,120 Speaker 1: many I realize private landowners, you know, they don't have 2119 02:12:25,640 --> 02:12:29,040 Speaker 1: polch for hand surveys or whatever necessarily, but at least 2120 02:12:29,120 --> 02:12:34,680 Speaker 1: your visual and auditory senses what you see and what 2121 02:12:34,800 --> 02:12:37,280 Speaker 1: you hear. If you're not seeing or hearing as many, 2122 02:12:37,760 --> 02:12:41,160 Speaker 1: back off of the kill some you know, stop trying 2123 02:12:41,200 --> 02:12:44,600 Speaker 1: to kill every goblin bird on the property and leave 2124 02:12:44,720 --> 02:12:48,640 Speaker 1: some so they can get into that older age group. 2125 02:12:48,760 --> 02:12:52,280 Speaker 1: And you're helping ensure that there's mature birds out there. 2126 02:12:53,160 --> 02:12:56,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, you've mentioned that a couple of times. That's sticking 2127 02:12:56,040 --> 02:12:58,240 Speaker 3: with me that it seems like a thing you hear 2128 02:12:58,320 --> 02:13:00,560 Speaker 3: people say, like, are you saw always get my turkey 2129 02:13:00,600 --> 02:13:03,120 Speaker 3: the first day? Yes, now it takes me six days, 2130 02:13:03,560 --> 02:13:04,320 Speaker 3: I still get them. 2131 02:13:04,880 --> 02:13:08,680 Speaker 1: Or or we you know the group of hunters we 2132 02:13:09,160 --> 02:13:12,040 Speaker 1: used to kill twelve, Now you know we're lucky if 2133 02:13:12,040 --> 02:13:14,480 Speaker 1: we'll kill three. Well, look at how many of there 2134 02:13:14,560 --> 02:13:18,640 Speaker 1: are out there, and during those years of low productivity, 2135 02:13:18,880 --> 02:13:21,040 Speaker 1: that's gonna be that's going to show up in a 2136 02:13:21,120 --> 02:13:23,800 Speaker 1: couple of years once those birds would get to be two. 2137 02:13:24,280 --> 02:13:29,800 Speaker 1: And if you have really poor hatch years or really 2138 02:13:29,960 --> 02:13:34,720 Speaker 1: poor polt survival, you've got to meter your harvest along 2139 02:13:34,800 --> 02:13:35,080 Speaker 1: with that. 2140 02:13:36,520 --> 02:13:41,600 Speaker 3: How do people you have your services available? You do 2141 02:13:41,720 --> 02:13:45,440 Speaker 3: work for people and people can contact you. Well, is 2142 02:13:45,480 --> 02:13:47,360 Speaker 3: that not true? I have a day job. 2143 02:13:48,640 --> 02:13:52,880 Speaker 1: I work for the University of Tennessee and that keeps 2144 02:13:52,960 --> 02:13:56,960 Speaker 1: me extremely busy. I am on the road all the time. 2145 02:13:57,160 --> 02:13:59,120 Speaker 3: I didn't know if for some aspect, if you had 2146 02:13:59,240 --> 02:14:00,520 Speaker 3: clients that you went and worked with. 2147 02:14:01,760 --> 02:14:04,920 Speaker 1: I do, and I do a few of those each year. 2148 02:14:05,240 --> 02:14:08,560 Speaker 1: You know, we're allowed to do uh some consulting out 2149 02:14:08,600 --> 02:14:13,080 Speaker 1: of state, but I don't do much of that, and 2150 02:14:13,480 --> 02:14:16,600 Speaker 1: I don't advertise that also, although I just I guess 2151 02:14:16,640 --> 02:14:18,040 Speaker 1: I just said that to a whole lot of people. 2152 02:14:18,040 --> 02:14:20,880 Speaker 3: But yeah, so you don't want people emailing you their 2153 02:14:20,920 --> 02:14:21,760 Speaker 3: turkey questions. 2154 02:14:23,680 --> 02:14:27,720 Speaker 1: You know, email is like the bane of my existence. 2155 02:14:28,280 --> 02:14:30,040 Speaker 3: You just want to call, you want to call. 2156 02:14:30,520 --> 02:14:33,920 Speaker 1: It's like rules my life, man. I mean, that's my job. 2157 02:14:34,000 --> 02:14:37,520 Speaker 1: I've got to answer emails and there's just so much 2158 02:14:38,240 --> 02:14:41,320 Speaker 1: email pressure and we'll hit people with your cell phone. 2159 02:14:42,680 --> 02:14:48,800 Speaker 3: Would so, But if people want to look into if 2160 02:14:48,840 --> 02:14:51,360 Speaker 3: people want to see about let's say someone wants is 2161 02:14:51,400 --> 02:14:56,200 Speaker 3: so interested in wild turkeys, they want to start instead 2162 02:14:56,240 --> 02:14:59,360 Speaker 3: of listening to the guys at the bar, right, they 2163 02:14:59,480 --> 02:15:03,320 Speaker 3: want to are educating themselves about all aspects of turkey Okay, 2164 02:15:03,680 --> 02:15:09,120 Speaker 3: turkey behavior, turkey management, turkey biology. What do they do? 2165 02:15:09,680 --> 02:15:12,240 Speaker 3: What would you recommend someone does who wants to be 2166 02:15:12,400 --> 02:15:14,840 Speaker 3: on like cutting edge of turkey understanding. 2167 02:15:15,720 --> 02:15:19,840 Speaker 1: I think a great starting place is to look at 2168 02:15:19,880 --> 02:15:26,240 Speaker 1: your universities that are conducting turkey research, look at the 2169 02:15:26,360 --> 02:15:31,560 Speaker 1: products that they have available, whether that be written or podcast, 2170 02:15:31,800 --> 02:15:35,240 Speaker 1: there's a lot of those out there. At no time 2171 02:15:35,360 --> 02:15:41,560 Speaker 1: in the past have people been able to access scientific 2172 02:15:41,680 --> 02:15:47,960 Speaker 1: information and scientific information that has been written or delivered 2173 02:15:48,080 --> 02:15:51,080 Speaker 1: in a way that the layperson can understand than now. 2174 02:15:51,560 --> 02:15:55,840 Speaker 1: And so I would look specifically to those universities that 2175 02:15:55,920 --> 02:15:59,800 Speaker 1: are doing the research. Everything is online now and they're 2176 02:16:00,400 --> 02:16:05,800 Speaker 1: gobs of sources of not just information, but accurate information 2177 02:16:06,000 --> 02:16:10,320 Speaker 1: that isn't just someone's opinion, but this is science based 2178 02:16:10,600 --> 02:16:11,520 Speaker 1: and data driven. 2179 02:16:13,400 --> 02:16:16,640 Speaker 3: And when you crystal ball, when you look in your 2180 02:16:16,720 --> 02:16:20,080 Speaker 3: little your crystal ball, we're still hunting turkeys, and so 2181 02:16:20,280 --> 02:16:26,120 Speaker 3: my kids, my kids twelve, is he hunting turkeys when 2182 02:16:26,160 --> 02:16:26,840 Speaker 3: he's sixty two? 2183 02:16:30,600 --> 02:16:31,720 Speaker 1: Yes, I do think so. 2184 02:16:32,040 --> 02:16:32,680 Speaker 3: I do think so. 2185 02:16:33,000 --> 02:16:37,360 Speaker 1: I do not believe turkeys are going to crash everywhere. 2186 02:16:38,160 --> 02:16:43,600 Speaker 1: They're resilient birds. And we are taking giant steps ahead 2187 02:16:43,680 --> 02:16:46,200 Speaker 1: with all of the research that's being done to help 2188 02:16:46,280 --> 02:16:51,160 Speaker 1: find teune the the regulations and learn more about their 2189 02:16:51,320 --> 02:16:55,800 Speaker 1: needs and how management can make positive adjustments for all 2190 02:16:55,840 --> 02:16:56,000 Speaker 1: of that. 2191 02:16:56,640 --> 02:16:58,400 Speaker 3: You know what question I wish you could answer for me, 2192 02:16:59,680 --> 02:17:02,520 Speaker 3: is my kids twelve when he's thirty two? Is he 2193 02:17:02,600 --> 02:17:07,000 Speaker 3: hunting grizzlies in the lower forty eight. That's a political place. 2194 02:17:07,040 --> 02:17:09,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was about to say, considering the political climate, 2195 02:17:10,320 --> 02:17:11,520 Speaker 1: that I would not guarantee. 2196 02:17:11,560 --> 02:17:15,840 Speaker 3: That's purely a political question. That question is completely divorced 2197 02:17:16,400 --> 02:17:17,920 Speaker 3: from anything I have to do with bio. 2198 02:17:18,200 --> 02:17:20,400 Speaker 1: I've heard, I've heard you have some opinions on that. 2199 02:17:22,040 --> 02:17:26,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I do, And like I said, I don't. I 2200 02:17:26,800 --> 02:17:30,640 Speaker 3: don't personally need to be I'm not personally asking or 2201 02:17:30,720 --> 02:17:35,440 Speaker 3: needing to be the one. In fact, if I could, 2202 02:17:35,720 --> 02:17:37,560 Speaker 3: I would. If someone said to me, I'm going to 2203 02:17:37,600 --> 02:17:41,640 Speaker 3: give you a choice, there's a choice here. We will 2204 02:17:43,240 --> 02:17:45,640 Speaker 3: follow the US Fish and Wildlife Services. 2205 02:17:49,040 --> 02:17:49,560 Speaker 1: We will. 2206 02:17:50,920 --> 02:17:54,040 Speaker 3: Follow their direction and follow what they've tried to do 2207 02:17:54,160 --> 02:17:59,120 Speaker 3: repeatedly and delist grizzly bears in some of the distinct 2208 02:17:59,200 --> 02:18:04,279 Speaker 3: population sect the Greater Yellowstone, the Northern Continental Divide populations 2209 02:18:04,760 --> 02:18:08,520 Speaker 3: that the US Fishing Wildlife Service has asked for the 2210 02:18:08,600 --> 02:18:13,160 Speaker 3: bears to be delisted. If people said to me, we 2211 02:18:13,320 --> 02:18:18,959 Speaker 3: will allow the Fishing Wildlife Services wishes to be carried out, 2212 02:18:19,800 --> 02:18:22,400 Speaker 3: and you have to agree that you'll never even try 2213 02:18:22,480 --> 02:18:27,640 Speaker 3: to draw a tag, I would say, no problem. Right, 2214 02:18:28,240 --> 02:18:32,080 Speaker 3: It's not like a personal thing it's not a personal thing, 2215 02:18:33,640 --> 02:18:36,760 Speaker 3: all right, tell people where you're at again, you don't 2216 02:18:36,760 --> 02:18:37,959 Speaker 3: want them to come find you though. 2217 02:18:38,400 --> 02:18:39,560 Speaker 1: The University of Tennessee. 2218 02:18:40,480 --> 02:18:43,920 Speaker 3: You can take gradual students. Oh, we've talked about that. 2219 02:18:44,000 --> 02:18:45,160 Speaker 3: You want people to come apply. 2220 02:18:45,080 --> 02:18:51,480 Speaker 1: For always look for good students. I have several really 2221 02:18:52,040 --> 02:18:56,200 Speaker 1: good graduate students right now. That that has been That 2222 02:18:56,360 --> 02:19:00,360 Speaker 1: has been my biggest blessing of this job, as having 2223 02:19:01,480 --> 02:19:05,000 Speaker 1: the graduate students that I have had. They have everyone, 2224 02:19:05,240 --> 02:19:15,680 Speaker 1: literally without exception, have been fantastic, fantastic people, fantastic workers, 2225 02:19:16,680 --> 02:19:21,680 Speaker 1: developed into find scientists. They're all over the country and 2226 02:19:22,240 --> 02:19:23,000 Speaker 1: every one. 2227 02:19:22,959 --> 02:19:25,440 Speaker 3: Of them has a wildlife job. 2228 02:19:25,720 --> 02:19:31,680 Speaker 1: I am very, very proud of them. It's the biggest 2229 02:19:31,720 --> 02:19:33,520 Speaker 1: blessing that I've gotten out of this job is my 2230 02:19:33,640 --> 02:19:35,160 Speaker 1: relationship with the graduate student. 2231 02:19:35,200 --> 02:19:37,080 Speaker 3: I got one. I do have one last question. What 2232 02:19:37,240 --> 02:19:41,039 Speaker 3: percentage of your graduate students are hunters or anglers? One? 2233 02:19:41,640 --> 02:19:42,200 Speaker 3: Is that right? Oh? 2234 02:19:42,280 --> 02:19:47,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, every one of them. Now there's a couple of 2235 02:19:47,360 --> 02:19:53,040 Speaker 1: them that don't hunt much, but every one of them hunt. 2236 02:19:54,360 --> 02:20:01,600 Speaker 1: You know, there's a screening process, Steve. You know when 2237 02:20:02,040 --> 02:20:05,360 Speaker 1: when we're riding around during interviews and I asked them, 2238 02:20:05,440 --> 02:20:08,320 Speaker 1: where do y'all want to go eat. Uh, that's a 2239 02:20:08,400 --> 02:20:11,560 Speaker 1: tailing question right there. Oh you want to eat that? Well, 2240 02:20:12,920 --> 02:20:15,400 Speaker 1: I wish so bad. If I don't like fried fish 2241 02:20:15,520 --> 02:20:18,320 Speaker 1: and barbecue and whatnot, you know that we could have 2242 02:20:18,440 --> 02:20:21,720 Speaker 1: some issues. And number one, if you don't eat deer, mate, 2243 02:20:22,280 --> 02:20:23,360 Speaker 1: we got a big issue. 2244 02:20:24,040 --> 02:20:25,800 Speaker 3: I wish I could tell you who said this, man, 2245 02:20:25,879 --> 02:20:27,640 Speaker 3: But I know someone that gets a lot of grad 2246 02:20:27,680 --> 02:20:31,560 Speaker 3: students and technicians and stuff, you know, and they're saying 2247 02:20:31,640 --> 02:20:35,000 Speaker 3: they're walking me through. They're walking me through when they're 2248 02:20:35,000 --> 02:20:40,280 Speaker 3: looking at the applications and they're looking for you know, 2249 02:20:40,840 --> 02:20:43,920 Speaker 3: they're looking for the kid out of Minnesota that just 2250 02:20:44,000 --> 02:20:48,480 Speaker 3: did the crudiest jobs on the planet, you know, creole surveys, 2251 02:20:49,520 --> 02:20:52,760 Speaker 3: net surveys, you know what I mean. And he says, Man, 2252 02:20:53,080 --> 02:20:55,800 Speaker 3: the minute I see Costa Rica, that one's the tra 2253 02:20:59,120 --> 02:21:01,400 Speaker 3: you asked me. It's like people that can work. 2254 02:21:01,600 --> 02:21:04,440 Speaker 1: You asked me when I started about what I do. 2255 02:21:05,959 --> 02:21:10,280 Speaker 1: And I'll bring this back to the graduate student question. 2256 02:21:11,080 --> 02:21:14,359 Speaker 1: You know, when I finished my master's degree, there literally 2257 02:21:15,440 --> 02:21:19,720 Speaker 1: was no job even to apply for in wildlife in 2258 02:21:19,879 --> 02:21:26,600 Speaker 1: the region. There was nothing, And so I then looked 2259 02:21:26,600 --> 02:21:30,600 Speaker 1: at PhD positions. I had a couple of offers. I 2260 02:21:30,720 --> 02:21:35,120 Speaker 1: got into a PhD program, not because I necessarily wanted to, 2261 02:21:35,560 --> 02:21:39,320 Speaker 1: but I was married to the love of my life 2262 02:21:39,400 --> 02:21:43,240 Speaker 1: and had one daughter at that time, and I had 2263 02:21:43,280 --> 02:21:46,600 Speaker 1: to have a job, and so I was intrigued with 2264 02:21:46,760 --> 02:21:48,640 Speaker 1: the PhD possibility. 2265 02:21:48,840 --> 02:21:49,880 Speaker 3: So fast forward. 2266 02:21:50,760 --> 02:21:55,039 Speaker 1: I finished my PhD at Clemson, had a wonderful, wonderful 2267 02:21:55,160 --> 02:21:58,760 Speaker 1: experience at Clemson. But then I thought, now what am 2268 02:21:58,800 --> 02:22:02,000 Speaker 1: I going to do. You know, I'm not quote a professor, 2269 02:22:02,560 --> 02:22:05,320 Speaker 1: that's not me. I'm a manager. And I have just 2270 02:22:05,600 --> 02:22:09,320 Speaker 1: educated myself out of every job that I ever wanted. 2271 02:22:10,240 --> 02:22:13,119 Speaker 1: And it was at that time this position came open 2272 02:22:13,360 --> 02:22:17,760 Speaker 1: with the University of Tennessee in extension, and that extension 2273 02:22:18,360 --> 02:22:23,800 Speaker 1: responsibility fit me perfectly. And because I could have graduate 2274 02:22:23,879 --> 02:22:28,600 Speaker 1: student graduate students, I then decided, this is my goal 2275 02:22:28,800 --> 02:22:32,640 Speaker 1: for my professional life, and that is to produce Although 2276 02:22:32,760 --> 02:22:35,640 Speaker 1: I can't be an on the ground manager anymore. You know, 2277 02:22:35,720 --> 02:22:39,240 Speaker 1: I've just educated myself out of those jobs. But my 2278 02:22:39,440 --> 02:22:43,720 Speaker 1: goal is to produce the best managers that any state 2279 02:22:43,840 --> 02:22:48,160 Speaker 1: agency could possibly ask for. And that's what my graduate students, 2280 02:22:49,480 --> 02:22:53,680 Speaker 1: that's what they are. They are outstanding. They are managers. 2281 02:22:54,160 --> 02:22:57,080 Speaker 1: They become scientists while they're there and they've done a 2282 02:22:57,120 --> 02:22:57,959 Speaker 1: fantastic job. 2283 02:22:58,640 --> 02:23:01,920 Speaker 3: Good graduations. Keep pumping those hunters through the system. 2284 02:23:01,959 --> 02:23:05,240 Speaker 1: We are trying, all right, every bit. 2285 02:23:05,959 --> 02:23:11,840 Speaker 3: Professor, you can't call you professor, no, Doctor Craighart, Doctor Craighart, 2286 02:23:12,879 --> 02:23:14,640 Speaker 3: thank you for joining my pleasure. 2287 02:23:20,680 --> 02:23:22,039 Speaker 1: Ride on. 2288 02:23:26,360 --> 02:23:33,119 Speaker 5: On the seal, br shine like silver in the sun. 2289 02:23:37,000 --> 02:23:44,560 Speaker 1: Ride ride on alone, a sweetheart. 2290 02:23:45,440 --> 02:23:52,120 Speaker 3: Were done beat this damn horse today, taking a new drive. 2291 02:23:55,640 --> 02:24:01,240 Speaker 3: We're done beat this damn horse today, so take a 2292 02:24:01,360 --> 02:24:03,440 Speaker 3: new one and ride on.