1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson. In today's episode is all about reframing your 9 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 2: thought process around whitetail hunting failures, looking at this whole 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: thing in a different light. A couple of weeks back, 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: when I was making the long drive from Nebraska to 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 2: my part of Minnesota, I listened to a Theovon podcast 13 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: where each added with a retired Las Vegas police officer. 14 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 2: At one point, that police officer stated that he was 15 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: trying hard to course correct his language in real time, 16 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: and one example he gave was that he doesn't consider 17 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 2: issues in his life to be problems, but instead challenges. 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: Now that might seem dumb or some wou shit that 19 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: my would post on Instagram, but it's not dumb. The 20 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: way we view ourselves in our world at large matters, 21 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: and it certainly can alter our courses deer hunters, which 22 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 2: is what I'm going to talk about right now. It's 23 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: almost as if whatever is running this simulation we are 24 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 2: in really wants to mess with me. While I was 25 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 2: in Nebraska a couple of weeks ago, I checked my 26 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: Moultrie app to see what would likely be no deer pictures. 27 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 2: But there was a deer picture, and it was a 28 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: picture of a good one. The buck. You know, he 29 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 2: looked like he'll go about in the mid one thirties. 30 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: He walked right past the stand of mine in northern Wisconsin, 31 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 2: and two days later he walked by another camera I 32 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 2: have on the same property. Those cameras are mostly out 33 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 2: there to show me what spikes and four key's my 34 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,559 Speaker 2: daughters will target this fall. But every summer, without fail, 35 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 2: a deer that really gets my attention walks by them, 36 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 2: and then that deer disappears, because that's what they always do. 37 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 2: But I'm not going to forget about it, and I'll 38 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: think about him a lot and how I can be 39 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: there on that thirty acres if he manages to walk 40 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 2: through during the season. Now, is that a problem or 41 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: is it a challenge? Well, let's think about this what 42 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: is the difference between a problem and a challenge. For starters, 43 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: a challenge refers to some task or situation where determination, 44 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 2: skill and effort can help you overcome it, Like I 45 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: don't know, if you enter a hot dog eating contest 46 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: and you really really want to win, I don't know 47 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: why they use that as an example. Problems, on the 48 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 2: other hand, are generally viewed as negative or undesirable issues 49 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: that require a solution, like if you were in a 50 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: hot dog eating contest and you eate twenty nine hot 51 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: dogs and now your stomach is about to explode, and 52 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: maybe you're in danger of an embarrassing bathroom related situation 53 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: that is growing more urgent by the second. The nature 54 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: of problems and challenges differs, as does our perception of them. 55 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 2: Let me give you an example here. My dad, who 56 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 2: introduced me to hunting and fishing, and who put up 57 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: with a lot from me for a long time, has 58 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 2: all almost always viewed deer hunting through the problem lens. 59 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 2: It was almost always something negative that flavored his whole 60 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: deer hunting meal. And while he killed plenty of deer, 61 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 2: including a few good ones, he wouldn't really even give 62 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 2: himself credit for those moments because there was always something 63 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 2: he could have done better. Now, as you can imagine, 64 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: I adopted a similar mindset when I was first starting out. 65 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 2: I couldn't kill anything, and that was a problem in 66 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 2: my mind. But the problem of not killing deer isn't 67 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: all that easy to resolve for many of us, which 68 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: is why some of us get paid to produce podcasts 69 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: on this very topic. Now, this is a home game 70 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 2: issue a lot of times. But what I mean by 71 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 2: that is is easy to believe certain things about our 72 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: hunting when we are used to them going a certain way. 73 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 2: If you mostly don't kill the size of bucks you'd 74 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 2: like to kill, you will generally expect that outcome. Now. 75 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 2: I certainly did for a long long time, and it 76 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: wasn't until I started to travel a little to hunt 77 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: that hunting became sort of a default challenge. Showing up 78 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: somewhere for a few days to try to fill a 79 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: tag in foreign country just feels like a challenge, an opportunity, 80 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 2: and not just a problem that needs to be solved. 81 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: And what was bonkers was that it became easier for 82 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: me to fill my tags on the road than at home. 83 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 2: And it wasn't solely because I was hunting better properties 84 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 2: or chasing after dumber deer I wasn't, and they weren't. 85 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 2: In fact, most of them were on public land, which 86 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 2: by default should have been more difficult, you know, to 87 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 2: kill than at home on private But it didn't work 88 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: out that way. Most of the difference, at least, this 89 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 2: is what I believe to be true, came from an 90 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 2: unintentional mindset shift on those over the road hunts, and 91 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: the lessons I learned there in my early years followed 92 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: me home. But I'm not a fully changed man, as 93 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: you can probably guess by how I talked about that 94 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 2: random big woods buck that walked by my camera a 95 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,119 Speaker 2: few weeks ago, and who I expect to not walk 96 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 2: by again throughout the whole season, because you see, I'm 97 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 2: looking at that like it's a problem, the old you know, 98 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 2: where did you come from? Where did you go? Cotton 99 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 2: eyed buck? Thing? That always seems to that trick that 100 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: deer lives out there somewhere, he uses my land some, 101 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 2: although it doesn't seem to be too frequently. That deer 102 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,799 Speaker 2: is killable by someone, and it won't be me, most 103 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 2: likely if I look at it solely like it's a problem. 104 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 2: If I look at it like a challenge, I might 105 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 2: try to find better ways to get him into range, 106 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 2: like trying to get permission to hunt more land around me. 107 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 2: I did this last year, and while it was only 108 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 2: ten acres, that's a good addition when you're only hunting 109 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: thirty to begin with. But that deer has a bigger 110 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: home range than that, and the starting point might just be, 111 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: you know, to make some phone calls and knock on 112 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 2: some doors to see if I can expand my hunting 113 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 2: territory to include some more stomping grounds. That challenge of 114 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 2: getting more dirt to work with would solve a few 115 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 2: of my problems in general. If that's a no go, 116 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: which it very well might be since most of the 117 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 2: neighbors hunt, then the next challenge is to try to 118 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 2: get more information on that buck. More cameras will help, 119 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 2: and so will more glassing in the neighborhood. Maybe, since 120 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: he's the big kahuna on the block, I should start 121 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: a mock scrape and leave a camera on it, just 122 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 2: to see if he'll show up at some point right there. 123 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 2: If I look at killing that specific buck as my 124 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: challenge for the season, it can prompt me to find 125 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 2: more ground, scout more, and try a few tactics that 126 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 2: I normally wouldn't use. Will it work, I don't know. 127 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 2: But if I look at it like that, deer will 128 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 2: always do what I expect. That's a problem. I'm very 129 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 2: likely to accept my fate on that particular book. He's 130 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 2: going to beat me again because he always does. But 131 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: if I hunt him like I always do, then I'm 132 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 2: basically just handing him a win. This reminds me of 133 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 2: a hell of a lot of conversations I've had with 134 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: people who don't live in Elk Country, but who have 135 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 2: either haunted Elk a few times or would really like to. 136 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 2: They look at the success rates, which here, at least 137 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 2: I'm referring to public land over the countertags. Even though 138 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: over the countertags are like a bunch of dinosaurs staring 139 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: up at the sky as a giant flaming space rock 140 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 2: speeds its way toward what is now Mexico, if you 141 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 2: look at the archery success rates on Elk in that situation, 142 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: it's easy to realize there's a big problem there. You know, 143 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 2: like three out of every hundred hunters will fill a tag, 144 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 2: and that's not too encouraging. It leads to a lot 145 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 2: of defeated wandering in the mountains and half assed efforts 146 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 2: after the initial excitement wears off. But what about looking 147 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 2: at it differently. The challenge isn't just to kill an elk, 148 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 2: but to actually be in that small percentage of hunters 149 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 2: who do fill their tags. And there is a difference there. 150 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: The hunters who do kill, especially the ones who do 151 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 2: it consistently, they're not getting lucky. The one off tag 152 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 2: fillers might. But there are common traits to the folks 153 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 2: who can just kind of get it done. They don't 154 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 2: have something you don't, or at least don't have access to. 155 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: If it feels like they do, they're just doing things differently, 156 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 2: and their mindset is almost certainly different. They might challenge 157 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 2: themselves to get up super early and be on the 158 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: mountain in play all day long. That might be all 159 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 2: it takes. They don't let themselves go back to camp 160 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 2: it ten in the morning, when the thermal shift and 161 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 2: any chance to hear a random bugle has pretty much 162 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: been squashed for like seven hours. That might just be enough. 163 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 2: They might challenge themselves to sit next to a water 164 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 2: hole all day instead of roaming randomly on the off 165 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 2: chance they'll bump into a workable situation, which they most 166 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 2: likely won't. Let me bring this back to white tails 167 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 2: that Ranchi scattered in Nebraska a couple weeks ago for 168 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 2: a rut hunter's fall. There's a spot there that looks 169 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 2: like it could be a big buck highway. There's a 170 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 2: fence line through a slough that allows for easy ish 171 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 2: parallel travel and also a chance for the deer to 172 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 2: get a drink of water. It's also a point A 173 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 2: to B type of thing that at least on one side, 174 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 2: allows them to enter an interesting track of timber that 175 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 2: is covered in pounded trails. The spot is awesome, and 176 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: one of the bucks I've gotten pictures of in there 177 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 2: is an extremely wide deer that looks like he might 178 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 2: go one fifty or more. And all of that is great, 179 00:08:56,440 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 2: but the spot sucks for access. It just does, and 180 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 2: it sucks for stand trees. So I have two problems, 181 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 2: how to get in and where to set up at first, 182 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 2: when I walked it, I thought those problems were enough 183 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 2: to get me to abandon the location. But that's dumb. 184 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 2: It's a good spot and it deserves some effort. So 185 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 2: instead I'll consider it a challenge to both get into 186 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 2: it and set up there. The setup situation is solvable 187 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 2: by sitting on the ground. That's not as ideal as 188 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 2: getting into a tree there, because if they come through, 189 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,079 Speaker 2: you're probably not going to know it until they're right 190 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 2: on top of you. That's okay. I'd rather be there 191 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 2: and haunt than not, you know. The access challenge is 192 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 2: different everywhere that we could approach from. Is it also 193 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 2: a route deer could take? The best route and by 194 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 2: that I mean the one that will require the least 195 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 2: amount of effort involves a lot of exposure to a 196 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 2: nearby pivot agfield for a morning entry, but it would 197 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 2: get you there. There's the possibility of being a little 198 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 2: sneakier and crossing an old beaver dam, but that one 199 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 2: comes with the possibility that you might go for a 200 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 2: little pre hunt swim. Not ideal either. Access is a 201 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: challenge there, but however I get in there, I can 202 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 2: mitigate some of the negative effects by having a really 203 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 2: good blind setup and the willingness to sit all day 204 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,079 Speaker 2: to let the ripples of the early morning intrusion fade 205 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 2: away over time. Now that problematic spot is starting to 206 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 2: feel like something I'm far more optimistic about. In fact, 207 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 2: I'll be a little surprised if one of us doesn't 208 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 2: have an encounter with a big deer in there. Think 209 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 2: about this another way, are you a really good bowshot? 210 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 2: If not, that's a problem. And that problem can rear 211 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 2: its ugly head when you really don't want it to, 212 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 2: and boy will it. If you look at midsummer practice 213 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 2: sessions as a way to fix your shooting problems, it'll 214 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 2: affect your individual sessions and come into play on a 215 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 2: lot of your individual shot Like if you believe you 216 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 2: aren't a great shot and that shooting will make you better, 217 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 2: but you shank a few during a session, the problem 218 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:09,839 Speaker 2: is still there and you know it, and you feel 219 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 2: like the problem is not being remedied. But what about this? 220 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 2: What if you challenge yourself to shoot two hundred arrows 221 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 2: a week every week before the season opens. Instead of 222 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 2: viewing things in the micro where every shot is a 223 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 2: test of your ability and failure is just a high probability, 224 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 2: the challenge is to be the kind of archer who 225 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 2: can shoot eight hundred to one thousand arrows a month. 226 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 2: There is no doubt that that would likely make you 227 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 2: a much better shot, and it'll shift the focus from 228 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 2: any one individual shot around to a cumulative effort that 229 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 2: will increase your skill over time. Let me give you 230 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 2: another example here from my life. You guys know I'm 231 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 2: into bird dogs in a major way, and I play 232 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 2: in the sporting dog side of things a lot. This fall, 233 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 2: well probably early this winter, I'm going to challenge myself 234 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 2: to do something that a lot of bird hunters think 235 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 2: you can't do, which is find some quail to hunt. Seriously, 236 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 2: I know that might seem stupid, but if you talk 237 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 2: to a lot of folks, especially Southern folks who live 238 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 2: in traditional Bob White country, you'll hear plenty of them 239 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 2: say flat out that there are no huntable quail populations left. 240 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 2: They'll say it as if that's a problem, because to 241 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 2: them it is, and understandably so, because quail aren't doing 242 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 2: super well in a lot of places. But that doesn't 243 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 2: mean there are no quail to be found. That's silly. 244 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 2: I killed a turkey in public land in Kansas this 245 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 2: spring and spent the whole time there listening to Bob 246 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 2: White's call. I also bumped into a couple of them 247 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: on my recent Nebraska trip too, So the challenge is 248 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 2: to go find some quail on public land, put my 249 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 2: dog in their vicinity, and hopefully shoot straight. And I 250 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 2: think we can do it. They'll just require a lot 251 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 2: of e scouting and a lot of driving and a 252 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 2: hell of a lot of walking with the dog. But 253 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 2: there are worse ways to spend my time, and why 254 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:58,679 Speaker 2: I don't really care if I kill a bunch of 255 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 2: quail this year or not. I do like the thought 256 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 2: of where that challenge will take Sadie and I. I 257 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:05,719 Speaker 2: think we'll find some quail, and I bet when we're 258 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 2: looking for them, we'll find some prairie chickens or sharp tails, 259 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 2: or maybe some roosters. I bet we also find a 260 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 2: few places that convince me to drop some way points 261 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 2: for deer. Two. If the problem is that there are 262 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 2: no quail and we believe that, then we're not going 263 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,440 Speaker 2: to do anything about it. But bitch, if the challenge 264 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 2: is to find quail, then our entire approach changes and 265 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 2: the effort will definitely yield positive results and make the 266 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 2: whole thing worth it. It's easy to be dismissive of 267 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 2: things that are difficult, but the goal isn't just to 268 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 2: kill something here, It's to take the ride my friends, 269 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 2: and try to level up, because in that effort we 270 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 2: generally find the things we are looking for in this 271 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: whole lifestyle we have based around chasing rabbits with antlers 272 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 2: or whatever quarry has gotten under your skin. So what 273 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 2: are the problems you're faced with this off season or 274 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,439 Speaker 2: you're facing this upcoming deer season? How can you turn 275 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: them into challenges? Is it something like not being comfortable 276 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 2: with mobile hunt When you know you need to get 277 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 2: out there and leave your favorite ladder stand behind and 278 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 2: start poking around in areas of the farm usually don't hunt. 279 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 2: It's not a problem. It's a challenge to get really 280 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,680 Speaker 2: comfortable with your gear. You can do that in the 281 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 2: backyard well before the season opens. Is the problem that 282 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 2: you never kill big bucks? Okay, challenge yourself to kill 283 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: one that's bigger than usual, but maybe not a one seventy. 284 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 2: How will you go about that? My guess is that 285 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: it'll involve scouting more, hanging more stands in the off season, 286 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 2: and just generally putting in some effort to ring the 287 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 2: most out of your time in the woods when you 288 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 2: do get out there. Sometimes just reframing what it would 289 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 2: mean to be successful matters and instead of focusing on 290 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 2: that one stupid big Woods buck that you got on 291 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 2: camera a few months ago as your only hit lister, 292 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 2: maybe the challenges is just encounter one this season that 293 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 2: is probably a year older than your average kill or whatever. 294 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: Challenge yourself to have a few more good setups this 295 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 2: season might be that simple. That alone will get you 296 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 2: out there a little bit more to think through your 297 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 2: seat and prepare for it. But it'll also put you 298 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: where the deer live and you might find a trail 299 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 2: you didn't realize needed a trail camera on, or you 300 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 2: might jump a bachelor group somewhere that gets you thinking 301 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 2: about filling that tag on opening day. When we see problems, 302 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 2: we often don't see solutions. We just see obstacles that 303 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 2: we aren't motivated to overcome. When we see something as 304 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 2: a challenge, we naturally start to wonder how to get 305 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 2: to a positive outcome, and we can break things down 306 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 2: into manageable winds. That matters so much in the way 307 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 2: to game, and it's something to think about right now 308 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 2: as we tip the balance of summer towards the back 309 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 2: half and start to think hard about what this deer 310 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 2: season might hold for us. So do that and come 311 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 2: back next week because I'm going to talk about how 312 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 2: to read trees for the best tree stand setups and 313 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,200 Speaker 2: why this topic is way underappreciated when it comes to 314 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 2: killing all deer, but especially mature bucks. That's it for 315 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 2: this episode. I'm Tony Peterson and this has been the 316 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 2: Wirre to Hunt Foundations podcast. As always, thank you so 317 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 2: much for listening. Head over to the mediater dot com 318 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 2: tons of articles. Maybe you need to train your dog 319 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 2: get them in shape for the season. Maybe you just 320 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 2: want to watch some good hunting films or listen to 321 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 2: some other podcasts on our network. It's all there. We 322 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 2: drop new content every single day. Go check it out 323 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 2: at the mediator dot com.