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 --> 00:00:18,680 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 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:25,959 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about putting in 9 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 2: the work right now to kill a giant, mega, huge, 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 2: pretty good buck during the rut. As much as I 11 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 2: like to talk about hunting the early season or spending 12 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 2: my time in a saddle during the middle of October 13 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: when everyone else is running out the clock to get 14 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 2: to the rut, I know something about us as hunters, 15 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 2: well not all of us, but a hell of a 16 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 2: lot of us. Anyway, we are going to put in 17 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 2: most of our effort, most of our time during the rut. 18 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: We can't help it. And that's okay. If that sounds 19 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 2: like you or you just don't have as much faith 20 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 2: in the earlier part of the boast season as I do. 21 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: Consider this, you can do an awful out of work 22 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: now to prepare yourself for rut hunting success, which is 23 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: something I'm going to talk about right now. Sometime last December, 24 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: I found myself standing in a cattail slew with the 25 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: wind just whipping across the prairie, and I was thinking 26 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 2: that my limit bird was laying out there somewhere, and 27 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: not only could I not see it, obviously, but I 28 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 2: couldn't see my dog and I couldn't hear her. I 29 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 2: knew that Sadie was in the ballpark because the rooster 30 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 2: had gotten up while cackling his displeasure at being forced 31 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,199 Speaker 2: to fly, which is almost always something that happens after 32 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 2: the dog gives them a really good chase and they 33 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: finally decide to use their wings instead of their legs, 34 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: and they honestly just kind of sound like they're pissed 35 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: off at the whole situation, which is understandable. That bird 36 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 2: had crumpled well enough, but anyone who hunts wild roosters 37 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: knows that it isn't always a sign that the game 38 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: bag is about to get a little heavier just because 39 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: you knocked one down. But Sadie did find that bird, 40 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: which meant it was time to unload the shotgun and 41 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 2: do the long hike back to the truck. Sometime during 42 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: that whole episode, I missed a phone call, which I 43 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: didn't care about because it was a Sunday afternoon and 44 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: I figured it was probably a scammer. It wasn't. It 45 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: was Steve Vanella, which might sound super exciting to you guys. 46 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: To me, I figured I was about to do some 47 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 2: extra work somewhere. When I called him back, he asked 48 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 2: me if I wanted to do a rut hunt with him, which, 49 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 2: in the interest of keeping my job and making Mark 50 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: Kenyon a little jealous that he didn't get the call, 51 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 2: I said yes. In typical Steve fashion. He'd lucked into 52 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 2: a ranch in Nebraska that has been real light on 53 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 2: hunting pressure for over a decade and should be real 54 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: heavy on deer yours truly was brought in to scout 55 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 2: it set it up, which is a process that began 56 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: in the end of June when I put four hundred 57 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: and some miles behind me to head down there and 58 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 2: take a look around. As you can imagine, I had 59 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: spent quite a bit of time on on X scouting 60 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 2: out the ranch as best I could, but I knew 61 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: a couple of things. You know. The first is that 62 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 2: east scouting for deer in the sand Hills cattle pastures 63 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 2: of that region is a far different thing than on 64 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: my home ground. And the other thing was that I 65 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 2: would have to constantly remind myself when I was down 66 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 2: there that all of the work that I was doing 67 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: should be designed for a payoff during the rut. This 68 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 2: is harder to do than a lot of us like 69 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 2: to admit, or maybe even really consider. With boots on 70 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 2: the ground, you can make some of those connections that 71 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: you might miss through east scouting alone. So when I 72 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 2: met up with a landowner to take a look around 73 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 2: and start dropping some moultries on the place, I expected 74 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,399 Speaker 2: to be surprised by what I had gotten wrong through 75 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: looking at satellite imagery from seven hours away while sitting 76 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 2: at home. And that's the first disconnect. It's a big 77 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 2: one because as valuable as eastcouting is, there is still 78 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 2: a disconnect there. You got a ground truth, but then 79 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 2: you have to factor in the timing of the year 80 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: and the disconnect that exists there as well. This last 81 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: one is a big one, and it keeps a lot 82 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 2: of us from doing some of the work now we 83 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: should do so that when we get to the rut, 84 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: we aren't scrambling or left with too few options. This 85 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 2: was front and center on my brain as we hopped 86 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: into the side by sides and started cruising around. The 87 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: temperature felt like it was about one hundred and ten 88 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 2: degrees in the shade, but at least the mosquitoes were 89 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 2: pretty terrible. We started on an obvious location in the 90 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: ranch where a good sized but shallow river winds its 91 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 2: way through bands of giant cottonwoods and then some kind 92 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 2: of weirdly swampy patches of willows and pockets of brush 93 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: and cedars. In other words, it was the kind of 94 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: cover that hosts deer activity all year round but can 95 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: really hum with sign as October gives way to November. Now, 96 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 2: if you know anything else about rivers, you also know 97 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: that they are not surprisingly, or at least I hope 98 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 2: this isn't a surprise where river crossings happen, which is 99 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 2: a favorite setup of mine. They get even better when 100 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 2: you factor in the general pattern of cruising that happens 101 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 2: in parallel to flowing water and the pinch points that 102 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: come with the whole thing. Now, we stepped into a 103 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 2: pretty interesting patch of timber along that river, and I 104 00:04:57,760 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: instantly felt how much cooler it was than the surround. 105 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 2: I also watched a dome in a fond get up 106 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 2: out of their beds, and on each side of that 107 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 2: patch of timber, I found areas where the topography of 108 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 2: the river bank and the timber that framed it up 109 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: formed perfect funnels. While I figured i'd get some pictures 110 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 2: from the cameras, I dropped on both spots. I didn't 111 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: really care too much, because even if they didn't produce then, 112 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 2: I figured they would produce later. But when we loaded 113 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:24,559 Speaker 2: up to add to a different part of the ranch, 114 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: I happened to catch a glimpse of a bucket out 115 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: of his bed and run away, And he was really, 116 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 2: really big, and he showed up on both cameras that 117 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: first night. That was as exciting as you can imagine, 118 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 2: but also the high point of the whole scouting trip. 119 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: The rest of the time we looked at field edges 120 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: and random water holes and areas of the ranch with 121 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 2: mostly pastured sand hills, but also some scattered patches of 122 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 2: light timber. You know, the kind of places that are 123 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 2: nearly devoid of here now but should host some activity. 124 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 2: In about three or four months. This is where some 125 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 2: are scouting for rut hunts. Gets really frustrating. We want 126 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 2: to see deer now, whether we are glassing or running cameras. 127 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: While glassing this time of year is a different thing, 128 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 2: because you know you're not glassing areas that you expect 129 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 2: to be hopping during the rut. You're looking at places 130 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 2: where deer should be now, which often doesn't translate very well. 131 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 2: Cameras are a different story. You can use cameras now 132 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 2: to figure out your rut plans, but you have to 133 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 2: accept something about these setups. They might not be very 134 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 2: productive for a couple of months. I'll give you an 135 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: example here on this ranch in Nebraska, there are a 136 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 2: couple of pivots in eggfields. If you know how those work, 137 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 2: you know that the field will be a perfect circle 138 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 2: that exists inside a square of land, and on each 139 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: corner of that square there will usually be some kind 140 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 2: of brush or trees are covered that isn't grown to 141 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: feed cows or people. I'm one of those corners on 142 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 2: that ranch. We walked up to a small water hole 143 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 2: that was absolutely teeming with life. I mean it was 144 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 2: covered in frogs and nakes, turtles and generally what you'd 145 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 2: expect on a water hole where water is generally pretty limited. 146 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 2: There were a handful of deer tracks on the edge, too, 147 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: but they were old and not all that promising. The 148 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 2: water hole looked deep enough to always hold something, and 149 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 2: it was about forty yards from a small patch of 150 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 2: cottonwoods on the edge of a hayfield. It doesn't look 151 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 2: like much and wouldn't draw a second glance if you 152 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 2: were hunting in most of the Midwest or East. But 153 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: on one gnarl pine sized willow tree, I cleared out 154 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: a section of the trunk to hang a camera, knowing 155 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 2: that I might not get a picture of a deer 156 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 2: there for quite a while. But I firmly believe that 157 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 2: some buck will claim that little corner as part of 158 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: his fall range. He'll drink from that frog pond, he'll 159 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 2: walk by those cottonwoods to head out to eat. If 160 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 2: you looked up the definition of a dead unproductive trail 161 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: camera in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of that 162 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 2: exact setup. It's just not right yet, but I believe 163 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 2: it's going to get there, and I honestly think that 164 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 2: one of us will kill a good buck right in 165 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 2: that spot sometime during the rut, although we might have 166 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 2: to throw a dough decoy out there to make it happen. 167 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 2: Now Here is where this scouting trip in your situation 168 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 2: probably varies quite a bit. Since that ranch is seven 169 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 2: hours from me, and I only plan to head down 170 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 2: there one time in August to hang stands and set blinds. 171 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 2: I'm not in a position to adjust my strategy on 172 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 2: anything other than an infrequent cadence, or really pretty much 173 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 2: not at all. I need cameras in those spots so 174 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 2: I can watch the progression of deer visitors as they 175 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: go hard antlered and start to spread out in the fall. 176 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: I want to see who shows up and where, and 177 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 2: if I can tie in any real patterns to the 178 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 2: overall intel. If you're gonna run cameras now for the rut, 179 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 2: you're working on your home ground. Probably you can go 180 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 2: in and move things around when you feel you need to. 181 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 2: But the catch with that is that we often write 182 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: off spots too early, or don't understand that the buck 183 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 2: that walks through once every three weeks now is telling 184 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 2: you something really important for your rut setups. Think about 185 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 2: it this way. Say you're a hit man and you 186 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 2: have an assignment to whack someone. Would you think that 187 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 2: monitoring that person's daily routine for a week would put 188 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 2: you in a good enough position to pull it off 189 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 2: without getting caught. Wouldn't two weeks be better? Or a 190 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 2: month or more? Could you have too much information on 191 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 2: where they buy their coffee when they go to the gym, 192 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 2: and what their favorite restaurants are, and what roads they 193 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 2: drive to and from work. Probably not. When it comes 194 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 2: to where a buck might travel in his home range, 195 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 2: can you have too much information? Probably not, even if 196 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: you believe that the rut is full of randomness. I'm 197 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 2: not one of those people. And the reason I say 198 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: that is because even the bonkers days, when they are 199 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 2: chasing and all hell is finally broken loose, it breaks 200 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 2: loose in a controlled manner, they still cruise the routes 201 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,199 Speaker 2: that keep them safe while increasing the odds of running 202 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 2: into a hot dough. They still chase and corral doos 203 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 2: and the patches of cover that offer them some type 204 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 2: of advantage. When they move, they move through areas that 205 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 2: force their travel. When the dose they are running totally 206 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 2: ragged give into their thirst, they visit the water that's available. 207 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 2: If that's some random frog pond on the edge of 208 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 2: a pivot field, so be it. I want to know 209 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 2: when they are there, where they approach from, and how 210 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 2: often they might get there. While I think trail cameras 211 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: are really valuable for this type of intel gathering, I 212 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 2: also think that getting out and just looking at the 213 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 2: land is probably the best way to prep for your 214 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 2: rut hunts right now. But before I get into that, 215 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 2: I'll say this, I know a lot of hunters don't 216 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 2: think they need to do this. When you hunt a 217 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 2: property for years, this mindset is easy to adopt, and 218 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 2: you might be right too. You might have some kind 219 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: of pinch point or funnel or dough betting area where 220 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 2: they always just go and you know it, so there 221 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:48,959 Speaker 2: isn't much of a need to go out and sweat 222 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 2: your apple bag off to figure out what you already know. 223 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 2: But I also know that things change in the deer 224 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 2: woods all of the time, and they happen on a 225 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 2: fast scale and so slowly that we often don't realize it. 226 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 2: On the fast scale, that might be a tree falling 227 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,840 Speaker 2: across a fence and a certain spot that affects movement 228 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 2: right now, or it might be the difference between the 229 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 2: neighboring farmer planting corn this year versus beans last year. 230 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 2: On a slow scale. This is stuff we really want 231 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,719 Speaker 2: to understand. A good example of this is some of 232 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 2: the big woods hunting some of us too. If you 233 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: hunt where there is timber production still, you might focus 234 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 2: on this year's clear cut and the fresh growth that follows. 235 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 2: But that clear cut in three years is a vastly 236 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 2: different thing to hunt in five years. It's different still 237 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 2: after ten it might be a deer desert in there. 238 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 2: The bang and hunts you had on it in the 239 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 2: first few years will create memories that are hard to escape, 240 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 2: and that will draw you back to that spot, but 241 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 2: the hunt might be forever changed there. Another way to 242 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 2: look at this is the pressure on public land. I 243 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 2: honestly think other than during peak times when people are 244 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 2: just going to hit the woods like the rut, we're 245 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 2: seeing a decline in hunting pressure overall. Now. I know 246 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 2: that's highly variable and highly situational, but the fever that 247 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 2: burned around being a public land hunter seems to have 248 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 2: broken a little bit. You know, when a lot of 249 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 2: optimistic folks realize how hard it really is. Now, whether 250 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 2: that's true or not, the amount of people in the 251 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 2: woods over time fluctuates a lot. We don't really have 252 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: a way to understand this in the moment, but only 253 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:25,959 Speaker 2: upon reflection and through a lot of scouting and hunting. 254 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 2: We just gather general experience out there. Now. I'm sure 255 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 2: it seems like I've veered way off course here and 256 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 2: should probably throw back some adderall but my point stands 257 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 2: about boots on the ground scouting for the rut right now, 258 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 2: in that if you do it, you'll learn something that 259 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 2: will factor into your hunts. It's not just about the 260 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 2: bucks and what they like to do, but the land 261 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: and how it changes and how it has changed, and 262 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 2: the amount of people crossing that land for whatever reason 263 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 2: on any given day or in any given season. So 264 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 2: what is the key to all of this? I'd say 265 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 2: that it's all about learning what you can now while 266 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 2: constantly considering what that means to your rut hunts. You 267 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 2: got to look into the crystal ball, my friends, which 268 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 2: is hard to do but important. The bachelor group on 269 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 2: camera in the woods once every three weeks now is 270 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 2: bound to break up long before the rut, and some 271 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 2: of those deer will stay and some will vanish into 272 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 2: the neighbor's property. So why monitor them? Now? Well, don't 273 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 2: you want to know where they cross the old fence 274 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 2: in the woods, or whether you're more likely to get 275 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: picks of them in the morning versus the evening. What 276 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: about the dos? Dough groups can be highly patternable over 277 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 2: a long enough time window. And while you might not 278 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 2: care at all about some ladies in their fawns hanging 279 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: out in some patch of timber, now what if your 280 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 2: camera shows them almost daily passing through a certain spot. 281 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 2: Will that hold up during the rut? Maybe? And if 282 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 2: it does, you know those doughs are going to draw 283 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 2: some attention, and you know where they are likely to 284 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 2: be and where they are likely to travel. And here's 285 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 2: another thing about this stuff. The total answer to your 286 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 2: rut hunting problems doesn't exist out there right now. But 287 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 2: the information that is necessary to putting the whole thing 288 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 2: together is allow me to explain that that spot where 289 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 2: I saw that big buck in Nebraska, where I got 290 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 2: him on two cameras, is bound to be covered in 291 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 2: buck signed by mid October when we show up to hunt. 292 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 2: Hopefully I'll have a hell of a lot more pictures 293 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 2: of him to work off of. But also what if 294 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 2: we had down there to hunt and we stumble across 295 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 2: the dished out scrape two hundred yards away from the 296 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 2: best pinch point. And what if the wind is out 297 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 2: of the south or east, and those pinch points I 298 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 2: had scouted so well or just out of play. That 299 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 2: scrape might not mean anything, or it might mean I 300 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 2: have an amazing plan B to hunt the same deer 301 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 2: when the conditions conspire to keep him alive and keep 302 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 2: me frustrated. I could walk into the woods and find 303 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 2: that scrape without the summertime intel to back it up, 304 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 2: but I'll have a better idea of whether I should 305 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 2: hunt it and when if I have five months of 306 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 2: recon to drop up on. This is the thing that 307 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 2: we often miss when it comes to deer hunting advice. 308 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 2: The whole thing hinges on a lit of information gathered 309 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: through as many means as possible, and put into practice 310 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: only after factoring in about a million variables on any 311 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 2: given day. It's an inexact science that gets a little 312 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 2: more precise with each data point we can plug in. 313 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 2: It's great to know that deer like to drink water, 314 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 2: and that you've found a small water hole somewhere, but 315 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 2: it's better to get in there and look at the 316 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: land and the cover and the potential ambush options for 317 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 2: different winds, and then to run a camera on it 318 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 2: for a few months to see who comes in and 319 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 2: from where and when. That way, if you get the 320 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 2: perfect conditions to hunt it during the first week of November, 321 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 2: it's a pretty simple equation. But if the wind isn't right, 322 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 2: or it isn't hot enough to make them too thirsty, 323 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 2: or there are three trucks parked there where you didn't 324 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 2: expect them, you will have a better backup plan than 325 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 2: you could have. And that's probably the biggest reason to 326 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 2: scout right now. For the rut, things will change and 327 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 2: go wrong, and the dear world we envision will be 328 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 2: nothing more than a nice thought when reality actually settles in. 329 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 2: And when it does, drying upon months of scouting will 330 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 2: be a difference maker, even if it's hard to make 331 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 2: that connection right now. So think about that and do 332 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 2: that and come back next week because I'm gonna talk 333 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 2: about the difference between challenges and problems and how understanding 334 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 2: them can help you kill more big bucks. That's it 335 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 2: for this episode. I'm Tony Peterson, and this has been 336 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 2: the wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which is brought to 337 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 2: you by First Light. Thank you so much for your support. 338 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 2: I know I say this every week, but I truly 339 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 2: mean it. If you need more hunting content, if you 340 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 2: need some more podcasts to listen to, maybe you're going 341 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 2: on a road trip with a family, whatever, the medeater 342 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 2: dot com has you covered. You can go check out 343 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 2: Clay Speed which just keeps growing. You know. They added 344 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 2: Brent Reeves in This Country Life first, which is an 345 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 2: incredible podcast. But now Lake Pickles got one on there 346 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 2: back was university. He's doing a great job. Lake's a 347 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 2: cool dude. Check it out, or just check out the 348 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 2: media dot com for some recipes for some articles, new 349 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 2: films drop and whatever. There's new content every single day.