1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better dear hunting. Present it by 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: First Light, creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: saddle or blind. First Light Go farther, stay Longer, and 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: now your host Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. Today, I'm 8 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: going to talk about a whole bunch of random stuff 9 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 2: that's related to white tails and hunting them, mostly because 10 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 2: I want to. And this just happens to be the 11 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 2: one hundredth episode of Foundations. You heard me right, Even 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 2: though these episodes get lumped in with the regular Wire 13 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: to Hunt episodes and the Fall Fresh episodes, so you 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: can't easily see how many of these I've done just 15 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: by looking at the number. Trust me, this is the 16 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 2: old century mark on here. Did you know what that means? Means? 17 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: That means I've written approximately three hundred thousand words for 18 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: this thing. That's a higher word count than most of 19 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 2: the books out there, even the ones centered on pollinators 20 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 2: that Kenyon loves to read. In fact, three hundred thousand 21 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 2: words is like four or five times as much as 22 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 2: an entire bull hunting public land White Tails book that 23 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 2: I wrote. That's how much you put into this thing. 24 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 2: And what I plan to do today was just tell 25 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: you some deer hunting stories. But lately I've been turkey hunting, 26 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: which means I've had a lot of time to think, 27 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 2: and I just want to go a different route with 28 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: this one, because I think there's a better opportunity with 29 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 2: this podcast than just me sitting here recounting some of 30 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 2: my past dear successes and failures. But before I get 31 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 2: into that, I have to let you know about the 32 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: meat Eater giveaway that is going on right now until 33 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: May twenty. First, if you want the chance to win 34 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: three thousand dollars worth of sweet hunting gear along with 35 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 2: a personalized outfitting session with a Latvian eagle himself, you 36 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: just have to head over to the meadeater dot com 37 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: slash giveaway to enter again the meat eater dot com 38 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: slash giveaway. It's free, takes about thirty seconds, and you 39 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 2: could end up with a boatload of kick ass gear. Recently, 40 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: I got the old invite to be on the meat 41 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: Eater podcast. Now I suspect I probably won't get invited 42 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: back again, but that's okay. In the show, Steve and 43 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: I debated a few topics, one of which was the 44 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 2: recent trail camera ban on public land in Kansas. I 45 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: bet most of you you probably have an opinion on 46 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: this one way or the other. Either you think they 47 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: should be allowed or you don't. The reasoning behind the van, 48 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 2: at least partially, was to reduce hunter conflicts, which I 49 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 2: personally think is kind of stupid. In the white tail world. 50 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 2: This isn't a super limited water hole in Arizona where 51 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: you could wait twenty years to draw the elk tag 52 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: of a lifetime only to scout a few tanks and 53 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 2: walk into see seventy three cameras on every available source 54 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 2: at h two. Oh. This is a different thing. It's 55 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: white tails. And while I'm actually pretty agnostic on cameras 56 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 2: on public land or even private land for that matter, 57 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: I am pretty sincere in my belief that we should 58 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 2: be very careful about allowing or advocating for any type 59 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 2: of outdoor opportunity to just go away. Listen, I've bitched 60 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: about this a lot, so I apologize in advance, but 61 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,839 Speaker 2: I think we need to be honest with ourselves as hunters. 62 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: When we go after non residents for shooting all of 63 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: our deer, or we just continually gripe about our hunting 64 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: opportunities and how there's just nothing left but crowds everywhere 65 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: and only terrible deer hunting. We are signaling that we 66 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 2: need and want change. I mean, we really want it. 67 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: As hunters, we are hard wired genetically to look for 68 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 2: short cuts in some of these changes or shortcuts, I 69 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 2: mean why work harder? Have to? Am I right, On 70 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,839 Speaker 2: every piece of ground out there that is public, there's 71 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: an opportunity to succeed or fail. Most will fail because 72 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 2: that's the nature of our pursuit. But some people always 73 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: find a way to get it done. They just do, 74 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 2: and we all could, honestly, but it's easier to advocate 75 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: for opportunities to go away. In the near term, you'll 76 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: have easier hunting. And that's good, right. I mean, it's 77 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 2: not good for people who enjoy hunting new areas and 78 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: finding a little adventure in their pursuits, just as it's 79 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 2: not good if you, oh, I don't know, enjoy running 80 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 2: a few trail cameras on public land and happen to 81 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 2: live or hunt in Kansas. Here's the thing. When things 82 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 2: in our world go, they are gone. Remember that. I 83 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: remember at least ten years ago when in my home 84 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 2: state of Minnesota the moose numbers started to become a 85 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 2: real concern. Wildlife biologists speculated on global warming being the 86 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 2: cause brain worms from white tails mixing with moose tick 87 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: born diseases. Hunters speculated quite vocally that it was our 88 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 2: wolf population. You know, we have a population that was 89 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 2: and probably still is second only to Alaska in quantity. 90 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: When they shut down the season over population concerns. I 91 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 2: didn't know any more than they did about why the 92 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 2: moose were going downhill, But I knew something else. I'd 93 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 2: never hunt moose in my home state. I should have 94 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 2: applied earlier, and I didn't. And now we are well 95 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 2: passed a decade into this seasonal closure, and you know what, 96 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 2: hunters don't even really talk about it much anymore. We 97 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 2: have just become conditioned to not having moose hunts. And 98 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 2: you know what else, I don't hear about the moose 99 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 2: population anymore. I don't honestly know how well our bullwinkles 100 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 2: are doing. That kind of sucks. Things change. Interview folks 101 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 2: out there that have a pensiont for pheasants like I do. 102 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,359 Speaker 2: And you're old enough probably remember the late nineties rooster 103 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 2: numbers in some states. It was stupid fun and we 104 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 2: didn't know what we had until the CRP come tracks 105 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 2: started drying up and the crop prices decided to head 106 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,119 Speaker 2: north for a while. Grassland became far less profitable than eggland, 107 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 2: and without grass your pheasants aren't going to be around. 108 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 2: I remember brook trout fishing a lot in my youth. 109 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 2: I love brookies, and I think probably the most beautiful 110 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 2: fish out there has to be the native brookie. They 111 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 2: are the drake wood ducks of the fish world, if 112 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: that makes any sense. Those spring fed streams of my 113 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 2: youth don't hold much in the way of brook trout 114 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 2: these days. Brown trout, yep stocked rainbows, sure, but brookies 115 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 2: not so much. Things change, change is inevitable. You're probably like, Okay, 116 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 2: are you depressed or what? Well, let me tell you 117 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 2: all through March I listened to a stupid amount of radiohead, 118 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 2: So what do you think? But I'm not listing this 119 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 2: stuff to just be doom and gloom. I'm setting up 120 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 2: a larger point, which is this, we are going to 121 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 2: lose hunting opportunities. As it is, land use practices change, 122 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 2: urban swell isn't slowing down. We aren't beating the more 123 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 2: public land drum enough because it's not an easy path 124 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 2: and it's not a quick solution for most of us. 125 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 2: It's not like signing a new lease. It takes time. 126 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 2: Things are not really changing for the better out there, 127 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 2: in my opinion, And you know, it is an unforgivable 128 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 2: sin to me, at least an unforgivable deer hunting sin 129 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: that we so quickly advocate to take away our opportunities 130 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: from fellow hunters. When Steve and I were going back 131 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: and forth on the Kansas ban, I mentioned that I 132 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 2: would stand up for the opportunities to trap, because I 133 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 2: would even though I don't trap, and I have zero 134 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 2: interest in trapping any kind of fur bear. It doesn't 135 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 2: appeal to me at all. And I don't even really 136 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 2: like trapping the four mice a year that come into 137 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 2: my house. I mean, if it wasn't for my wife's 138 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 2: constant complaining about it, i'd probably just live with them. 139 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: But I don't anyway. Even though I don't want to trap, 140 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 2: I don't want it to go away. I know it's 141 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 2: a good thing for nest predators. I know it's more 142 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 2: effective at controlling predators than any other method. And more importantly, 143 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: I know there are a lot of people out there 144 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 2: who love doing it. They're passionate about it, and this 145 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 2: shows because they do it even when the fur prices 146 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: are in the crapper. And if those trappers feel even 147 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 2: remotely connected to their pursuits, as you and I do 148 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 2: to our pursuit of white tails, why would we not 149 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 2: fight for that? Who better to understand why we do 150 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 2: this stuff than ourselves. But the thing is, it's so 151 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 2: easy to be selfish when it comes to hunting. If 152 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: you're a private land hunter in Kansas, why should you 153 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 2: care what they do with public You have your lease 154 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 2: or your grandpa's land, and probably a couple of feeders, 155 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: complete with trail cameras monitoring every deer that happens to 156 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 2: come in for a little breakfast or dinner. Does it 157 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 2: sound like I'm being condescending here because I'm trying not 158 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 2: to be, I really am. But if you think that 159 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: those public land hunters will be on your side, if 160 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 2: at some point the powers that be deemed baiting or 161 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 2: the use of sell cameras or live feed cans on 162 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 2: private land just a little too unethical, and they come 163 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 2: after it. I don't know if they're going to stick 164 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 2: up for you, after all, what's good for the goose? 165 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 2: So on. I look at this like cancel culture. It's 166 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 2: intoxicating for some people until the mob comes after them. 167 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,719 Speaker 2: The appetite in that beast is never satisfied, never satiated, 168 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 2: and it's always going to look for more people to 169 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,719 Speaker 2: chew up and spit out. There's always going to be 170 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: a type of hunter who you think doesn't deserve the 171 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,559 Speaker 2: same opportunities as you. And let me tell you that's dangerous, 172 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: dangerous ground, because when those opportunities go away, they don't 173 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 2: come back. Now, I'm going to take this a step 174 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 2: further because I'm on a roll. The tightening of tags 175 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 2: for non residents in any given state is a precedent 176 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 2: set in stone. It's going to keep happening, and game 177 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 2: and fish agencies are addicted to those non resident dollars. 178 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 2: They aren't going to take a budget cut without a fight, 179 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,320 Speaker 2: and right now they don't have to fight because the 180 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 2: demand is super high. So even if they change the 181 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 2: rules of the game, when you've bought points for years 182 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: and have been promised an opportunity people keep buying in. 183 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 2: I do think that tie it's going to turn a 184 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 2: little bit, largely thanks to some spotlight shining on you know, 185 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 2: tag systems and places like Wyoming and Iowa. But so 186 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 2: far that demand is plenty high, and it doesn't appear 187 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 2: to slow down at all right now, like the cash 188 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 2: cow will just keep giving up the good stuff. But 189 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 2: what if it eventually doesn't. What if people realize that 190 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 2: this whole thing is set up in such a way 191 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 2: that it's inevitable it becomes a rich man's game. That's 192 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 2: where we are headed, my friends. And the problem with 193 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 2: it is, so many of us haven't been forced to 194 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: pay a high price to hunt. Yet what are we 195 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 2: going to do when that happens to more and more folks. 196 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 2: What if the residents of I don't know, South Dakota 197 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 2: eventually have to pay double or triple their price for 198 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 2: their resident tags because some of the non resident demand 199 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 2: dies down those people, I think, oh, good, right, I'm 200 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 2: happy I'll pay that. I mean, it's honestly a small 201 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 2: price to pay. I mean, sure, it'll kick some weakended 202 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 2: warriors out of the game, but who cares they're not 203 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 2: serious hunters like you. It also might increase the likelihood 204 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 2: that some people find a lease. Maybe they lease up 205 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 2: a farm that I don't know. Grandma used to let 206 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 2: you hunt on, but now she needs the money. At 207 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 2: some point, this thing will go from an US versus 208 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 2: them thing, meaning resident versus non resident, to an US 209 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 2: versus us thing. And if you don't have the money, 210 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 2: you're gonna lose to somebody who does. And if you 211 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 2: don't your kids will you know where else we're gonna lose. 212 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 2: When the funding starts to dry up, the non hunting 213 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 2: public might be asked to pony up for wildlife management. 214 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 2: Imagine this scenario in Colorado, which is the best and 215 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 2: kind of the last holdout for getting an over the 216 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 2: counter ELK tag. I'm not going to get into the 217 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 2: weeds too much here. Colorado is a referendum state meeting. 218 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 2: Citizens have a route to get initiatives placed on a 219 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 2: ballot in any given year. Back in nineteen ninety two, 220 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 2: Colorado Amendment ten was placed on the ballot which allowed 221 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 2: the voters, and by voters, I mean hunters and non 222 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: hunters to decide whether they should allow baiting and hound 223 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 2: hunting for black bears and whether there should even be 224 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 2: a spring season for black bears, and those citizens said nope, 225 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 2: to the tune of over half a million votes, more 226 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 2: knows than yeses. And guess what but bye. I've had 227 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 2: a few bear tags in Colorado over the years while 228 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 2: ol hunting, and you know what I couldn't do to 229 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 2: fill my tag some thirty years after that referendum, bait 230 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 2: or hire an outfitter to run them with hounds. Now 231 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 2: I don't really care about that, because bears are not 232 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 2: my priority when I head to Colorado. But the lesson stands, 233 00:12:54,920 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 2: when something goes, it's gonzo and we have enough problems 234 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 2: without so quickly advocating away our fellow hunter opportunities. Now, 235 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 2: maybe it's because I'm getting old. My little girls are 236 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: eleven now, but I find myself thinking more about phishing 237 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 2: for my future because I know the hunting opportunities are 238 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 2: going to get harder to come by, but phishing seems 239 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 2: pretty safe and that comforts me. I like that. I 240 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 2: don't like thinking about the world that the next generation 241 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 2: of hunters is going to inherit from us. I know 242 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 2: they're going to end up with fewer chances to hunt, 243 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,679 Speaker 2: but I don't think we should be so quick to 244 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 2: increase the volume of those disappearing opportunities simply because it'll 245 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 2: either make our hunting easier or it really doesn't affect 246 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 2: our personal situations, so we don't care if it goes. 247 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 2: I think we have an obligation to at the very 248 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 2: least consider what we are leaving in our wake. I 249 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 2: think we need to consider that right now. A hunter's 250 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 2: fund wildlife mostly, and that has allowed us to do 251 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 2: what we do and has created this weird, NonStop in 252 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 2: fight we have going on. If someone else starts paying 253 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 2: the bills even a little bit, or hell, if you 254 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 2: live in a state like Colorado, you could potentially look 255 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 2: at a ban on bow hunting, or hunting out during 256 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 2: the run, or some other seemingly insane proposition, because it 257 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 2: might not be hunters deciding the whole thing. If you 258 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 2: live in a state where you think that will never happen, 259 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 2: ask some of the folks who live in states that 260 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 2: they thought that would never happen. It can happen, and 261 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 2: it will. But we as hunters don't need to dump 262 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: a bunch of gasoline on that fire just because it 263 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: might not directly affect us. Right now. Now, I know 264 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 2: there are a lot of valid arguments against just about 265 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 2: everything I've ranted about on this podcast. I understand that 266 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 2: I understand why you disagree with me, But I think 267 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 2: at the very least, we should ask ourselves why we 268 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 2: love hunting, and yet why we might be quick to 269 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 2: take away opportunities from our fellow hunters. Maybe it's a 270 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 2: resource concern, then great. If the folks who know, say 271 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 2: the herd numbers are diving through the effectiveness of a 272 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 2: certain weapon or technology or season structure or whatever, then 273 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 2: it's time to listen up and accept those changes. But 274 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 2: even then, I think we have to take small steps. 275 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 2: Take the ban on trail cameras on public land in 276 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 2: Kansas as an example. Again, why start with a wholesale 277 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 2: year round ban is the first choice. Why not a 278 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 2: ban on in season use only at first, or why 279 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 2: not a three year band to see if hunter conflicts 280 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 2: actually decrease as a result. How did they even measure 281 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 2: that in the first place. Maybe you agree with me, 282 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 2: maybe you disagree. Maybe we are on an inevitable path 283 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 2: to the end of hunting and it doesn't matter, or 284 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 2: maybe I have this whole thing wrong and people will 285 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 2: be bow hunting white tails for a few more centuries. 286 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 2: Who knows, I don't. I do know that right now 287 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 2: we are in a place where we could think beyond 288 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 2: ourselves a little to decide on our own individual effects 289 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 2: of the future. I think about this during this one 290 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 2: hundredth episode because most of these and honestly most of 291 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 2: the hunting content out there, is built to sell one 292 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 2: of two things, education or entertainment, although nearly all of 293 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: it falls into some hybrid category of both. We want 294 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: to know how to scout. We want to know how 295 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 2: to kill big bucks. We want to know when to call, 296 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 2: when to sit on the ground versus climbing up into 297 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 2: a tree. We want to know what moon phase is best, 298 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 2: and on down the line. And I love that shit, 299 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 2: I really do. I think the most beautiful thing about 300 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 2: white tail hunting is not only that it's still available 301 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 2: to so many people, but it's still so mysterious. Sure 302 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 2: we talk a big game about this betting area and 303 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 2: that travel route in certain food sources, but for the 304 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 2: most part, most of us, on any given year don't 305 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: kill a big buck. Most of us don't kill a 306 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 2: big one on any given five or ten year period. 307 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 2: That's testament to how hard this is, but also that 308 00:16:58,080 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 2: it must speak to us on a level that is 309 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 2: worth fighting for. It must at least shine a bit 310 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:05,880 Speaker 2: of spotlight on the reality that these opportunities to hunt 311 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 2: are pretty damn special, and we shouldn't want them just 312 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 2: for ourselves. We should want others to be able to partake. 313 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 2: I mean, can you think of another thing in your 314 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,919 Speaker 2: life that you'd willingly pay a lot of money to 315 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 2: do and where you put in a ton of time 316 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 2: into it, and where you identify at least partially with 317 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 2: the pursuit itself the way we do with deer hunting. 318 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 2: That speaks to something powerful, especially when you consider all 319 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 2: of that and the fact that you're destined to lose 320 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 2: almost every single time you hunt, at least if the 321 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 2: score is kill or no kill. But that's not why 322 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 2: we hunt, and we all know it. We don't act 323 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 2: like it very often, but we hunt to hunt, and 324 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,159 Speaker 2: killing deers a real sweet bonus to the whole thing 325 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 2: when it does happen. So all I'm saying is, let's 326 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 2: be careful with this stuff. Let's think about the direction 327 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 2: we are heading and take a long look at lost 328 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 2: opportunities in the hunting space because they mostly pour tend 329 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 2: law opportunities somewhere down the road, some of which might 330 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 2: affect you personally, and probably not in a positive way. Lastly, 331 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 2: now that I've gotten that out of my system, I 332 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 2: just want to say things. I know you have so 333 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 2: many hunting podcasts to listen to. You have a lot 334 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 2: going on in life, you know, stuff that's begging for 335 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 2: your attention and your support. So it means a lot 336 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 2: to me and the Mark and the rest of the 337 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 2: crew here at meat Eater that you stick with us 338 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 2: even when we and by we I mean me say 339 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 2: offensive stuff or stuff you disagree with or whatever. I 340 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 2: can't tell you how much it means to me that 341 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 2: you guys and gals keep coming back and you keep listening. 342 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 2: I honestly truly appreciate it. That's it for this week. 343 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 2: I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the Wire to Hunt 344 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,959 Speaker 2: Foundation's podcast. As I always, thank you so much for listening. 345 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 2: If you want some more whitetail advice, you can head 346 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 2: on over to the meat eater dot com slash wired 347 00:18:56,280 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 2: and see articles by myself, Mark fellas like Alex Gilstrom 348 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 2: and Beau Martonic and Antie May and whoever white Tail 349 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 2: Killers go check him out. 350 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:11,199 Speaker 1: M HM.