1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 1: brought to you by First Light. Today's show is all 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: about moving water and how it can and should play 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: in dear white tail hunts throughout the season. Last week 7 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: on this podcast, we switched gears from NonStop scouting to 8 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: talk about hunting strategies built around standing water. I mentioned 9 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: many times how I love hunting deer on water patterns, 10 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 1: and that's true. I'm not lying to you, but there's 11 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: nothing I love more than when I've got a chunk 12 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: of deer ground to work with that has a stream 13 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: or a river flowing through it. That's dreamy stuff for 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: so many reasons, and many of which you'll hear about 15 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: on this show. Pull on your knee highs or your 16 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: hip waiters and get ready to hear a strong case 17 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: for hunting flowing h two. Oh if it's not dear 18 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: season in your state yet, it's coming. This is like 19 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 1: the adult version of Christmas Eve, and it is freaking awesome. Now, 20 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: last week I covered mosquito factories are also known as 21 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: standing water. There is nothing I love more than water 22 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: when it comes to consistent white tail hunting. And while 23 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: I've got a soft spot in my heart for a 24 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: nice pond that is situated deep in the best cover, 25 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: I think moving water is where I really belong as 26 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: a deer hunter. This is because a good streamer river 27 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: offers up so many things to the white tail and 28 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: the white tail hunter. It often combines several reasons for 29 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: a white tail to be an exact, very specific spot, 30 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: and that is the secret sauce to not only killing 31 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: more dear, but hunting the most enjoyable locations possible. Now, 32 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: it's easy to look at moving water like it's just 33 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: another water source, and in some ways it is, but 34 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: it's also likely to feature some of the best security 35 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: cover around. That's two checks in the wind column, my friends. 36 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: Moving water also almost always is framed in quality food 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: as well. That's three solid reasons for white tails to 38 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: be there, and often be there in good numbers for 39 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: the white tail hunter. Moving water that isn't so big 40 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: it requires a boat or water wings to get across. 41 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: You've got all of those deer coming there for various reasons, 42 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: but you've also got incredible access opportunities, and a lot 43 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: of times my favorite reason of all concentrated travel. If 44 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: this sounds too good to be true, it's not. Quit 45 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: being such a pessimist. Well, actually, sometimes it is too 46 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: good to be true, and I apologize for that unwarranted 47 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: outburst right there. We will get to reality later after 48 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: I win you over with my argument for why there 49 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: is no better situation upon which to arrow a monster 50 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: whitetail than moving water of the right size and shape. 51 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: The absolute best rivers to hunt are those that are 52 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 1: big enough to concentrate deer on certain crossings, but not 53 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: so big that you can't walk them in knee high boots, 54 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: or do most of your ninja work on the banks 55 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: too small, like dealing with little, tiny streams is a 56 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: different story. If a deer can hop across anywhere, they 57 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: probably will. They might have a few crossings they favored 58 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: due to the terrain, but most of the time a 59 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: really tiny trickle isn't all that great. I have seen 60 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: if creeks are just big enough where deer will get 61 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: in the water and use them as travel corridors, just 62 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: like we use them to get into and out of 63 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: our stand sites that can be an asset and with 64 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: something I ran into in Nebraska a few years ago 65 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: while trying to arrow a velvet buck. The stream running 66 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: right through a chunk of public land I was camped on, 67 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,839 Speaker 1: was maybe ankle deep at its deepest point. At its 68 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: widest between the banks, we were talking maybe twenty ft. 69 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: Since it was about a million degrees out during that 70 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,799 Speaker 1: September hunt, I figured that if I spent enough time 71 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: on some of the crossings, I'd get a shot. What 72 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: I didn't expect was that the deer would get in 73 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: and randomly walk upstream and downstream, tucked in below six 74 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: ft tall banks where I couldn't shoot him. There wasn't 75 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: really any pattern to their movement as far as I 76 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: could tell. They just got in after walking down off 77 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: of this great big bluff, entered the water, and messed around. 78 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: They were there for the water, of course they were 79 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: going to go in there and drink, but they were 80 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: also in there kind of staging before they headed to 81 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: the neighbor's property to hit some groceries. There wasn't a 82 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: whole lot of concentrated movement, kind of just went everywhere. 83 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 1: That stream was just a little bit too small, and 84 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: even though on my on X. It looked like it 85 00:04:57,880 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: should set up right, and even when I looked at 86 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: it in person, I thought it was pretty good. It 87 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: just didn't work out that well for that hunting trip. 88 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 1: Maybe if I'd have stayed longer, I had have figured 89 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: it out, but I ran out of time. Not. The 90 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: other end of the spectrum is a good sized river. 91 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: I hate this scenario the most out of all moving 92 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: water hunting conditions. Now. I know deer swim across big 93 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: rivers from time to time. I've seen it, but I 94 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: don't think they make a habit out of it. It's 95 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 1: kind of like nature's version of a busy interstate. It 96 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: functions pretty well as a wall to those deer, even 97 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: though once in a while they will get across it. 98 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: This size of river, it kind of takes the crossing 99 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: situation right out of the equation. And while they might 100 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: dip down to drink, bigger rivers often have steep banks. 101 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: I don't think dear much prefer the feeling of being 102 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: trapped by water on one side and a fifteen foot 103 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: bank on the other. They don't seem too happy about that. Now. 104 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: On the other hand, I have seen flats along big 105 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: rivers that were full of deer, usually out west, where 106 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 1: quality white tail habitat isn't overly abundant. Some of those 107 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: spots can be amazing, but you're really not hunting a 108 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: water pattern there. You're hunting a concentration of deer nearer 109 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: where the water helped produce some brushing, gnarly habitat that 110 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: drew white tail's in. There are a few silver linings 111 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: with this scenario, which is that if you can find it, 112 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: it's usually highly observable. You can post up and glass 113 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: the bottom to see who's filtering in and out of 114 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 1: the willows and cotton woods, and see if the landscape 115 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: offers you up any good pinch points or ambush spots there. 116 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: The other thing is that while a tight valley with 117 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: a river in it is usually challenging windwise, a truly 118 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: big river with a sandy acre flat along it tends 119 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: to exist in a place where the ground has been 120 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: ironed out, so to speak. Playing the wind along a 121 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: spot of a river like that can be pretty easy 122 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: and very effective. Now, even with tiny streams or giant 123 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: rivers that aren't ideal are often easy to hunt. You 124 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: at least know that water equals white tails. That's a 125 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: good start, gives you something to work with. Now, when 126 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: it comes to the best moving water, this can be tricky. 127 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: I like a river that is big enough where I 128 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: have to be a little careful about waiting it in 129 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: the dark, because even though I can swim just fine, 130 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: I don't like to surprise myself with a few laps 131 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: in the dark while clutching my bow and having a 132 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: daypack strapped to my back. In my life of fishing 133 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: and hunting, I've fallen in a few rivers, and I've 134 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,239 Speaker 1: been swept away a few times, and it's like car 135 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: accident level as far as narrowing down your focus to 136 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: the here and now. Trust me, it might sound kind 137 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: of funny, but once you've been through it, I promise 138 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: you don't want to go through it again. Also understand 139 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: that a river that has maybe I don't know, twenty 140 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: yards to a hundred yards across will likely feature enough 141 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: deep water and steep banks to concentrate crossings. In fact, 142 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: with satellite imagery you can damn near see them sometimes. 143 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: If you know how rivers function with long straight stretches, 144 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: bends and rapids, you can zoom in and often see 145 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: white water or at least a bit royaled up surface 146 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: where the river is shallow and rocky. That is often 147 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: where the crossings will be, especially if there are deep 148 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: stretches upstream or downstream, or for preferably both. If you're 149 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: researching huge chunks of federal land or walk in ranches, 150 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: you'll be able to see crossings very easily because the 151 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: cattle will use them. Trails deeply gouged in the bank 152 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: trails that often splay out on the flats are highly 153 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: visible via satellite imagery and can provide one hell of 154 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: a starting point if you're trying to figure out new 155 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: deer ground. The key to hunting these types of crossings, however, 156 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 1: is to suss out whether you're dealing with one major 157 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: crossing or a stretch of river with multiple crossings. A 158 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: major crossing that's easy enough, just set up down wind 159 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: and wait. A stretch with multiple crossings requires a different strategy, 160 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,079 Speaker 1: and this is very very common on smaller to mid 161 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: sized rivers. If you can glass this kind of river 162 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: for a couple of nights, you can usually pin down 163 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: which trails bucks are using and then go mobile to 164 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: get on top of them. If you can glass it. 165 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: I like to sneak in and set the farthest down 166 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: wind crossing. What I'm hoping is that something comes down 167 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: and I can shoot it, But if not, I can 168 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: see some of the other crossings upstream or downstream from 169 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: my stand. If the deer don't cross at my spot, 170 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: I might see them use one farther up or farther down. 171 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: If the wind stays consistent, which it often does, it's 172 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: an easy move to the next crossing as soon as 173 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 1: I can hunt it. This is my absolute favorite hunting 174 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: scenario because even on public land, you rarely blank. If 175 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: you can see enough river, you'll see deer. I see 176 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: this even in low density areas. You also get actionable 177 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: sightings and clues from the deer on a daily basis, 178 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: which gives you the confidence that you're in the game 179 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: every day. That between the year's happiness is important when 180 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: you're engaged in days of mobile hunting, particular laterally on 181 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: pressure deer. I also love this scenario because it gives 182 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: me a good chance to hunt mornings, no matter what 183 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: time of the season it is. This isn't something you 184 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:14,719 Speaker 1: can find everywhere, and morning sits in September can be 185 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 1: absolutely deadly if you can get in and actually hunt effectively. 186 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: The access that rivers often provide allows for that. Rivers 187 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: are corridors where you can get low out of the wind, 188 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: cover up some of your noise just by blending into 189 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 1: the sounds of rushing water, and you can stay out 190 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: of site if you're below the banks. With specific crossings. 191 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: This means you can get in in the dark before 192 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: first light and be where the deer will come to 193 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: as they head back to bed. Oftentimes they'll use the 194 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,119 Speaker 1: same crossings at night and in the morning, which simplifies 195 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: the whole thing, but that's not always the case. I 196 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: got on a buck one time in North Dakota that 197 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: I saw crossing the river one evening, and then the 198 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: next morning I watched him half a mile upstream crossing 199 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: back to my side. I sat one crossing and my 200 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: buddy sat the other. The first night of the season, 201 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: that buck came down to the water, crossed and posed 202 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: up at twenty yards, which would have been ideal for 203 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: someone not falling apart from buck fever on a hundred 204 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: and fifty inch velvet buck. I missed that dude clean, 205 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: but the wind was howling and he didn't catch onto 206 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: the situation. My second shot was much better and proved 207 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: to be my biggest velvet buck ever and one of 208 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: the biggest deer I've ever shot. My buddy then narrowed 209 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: a great deer on the downstream crossing, which meant we 210 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,199 Speaker 1: went to for two on public land on deer that 211 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:39,599 Speaker 1: went straight to the taxidermists, thanks in large part to 212 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: just being able to glass and hunt river crossings. So 213 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 1: I hope you're getting fired up to sit some river 214 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: crossings this season if you have the chance. But you 215 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: should also think about dear travel, not only as they 216 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 1: go from bank to bank, but how they travel the 217 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: length of the river. It's a rare day when I 218 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: go into scout or haunt a new stream or river 219 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: where I don't find trails that run parallel to the water. 220 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: As well, in the right setup, where your wind can 221 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: blow out over deep water that the dey aren't likely 222 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: to enter, this provides another option for potential antlered visitors 223 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: to show up. It's also a reliable scenario for rut 224 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: hunting when bucks are cruising, because they sure seem to 225 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: like to follow waterways when their loins are burning and 226 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,839 Speaker 1: their mental faculties are dimmist. This is reason enough to 227 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: get along a river, but can be unreal when the 228 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: temperatures are unseasonably warm during November. Do you remember back 229 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: in two thousand and sixteen when much of the early 230 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: November rut was just stupid hot? I do, because I 231 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: was in a tent of Nebraska trying to arrow a 232 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: public land buck. My usual strategies were proving unbelievably turd like, 233 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: so I figured I'd head down to the trout stream 234 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: that bisects the property and play the water game. What 235 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 1: I didn't expect was that I did encounter a micro 236 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: climate at the bottom of that valley that was just 237 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: a bit cooler and everywhere else. I also didn't expect 238 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: to set a stand up in a T shirt and 239 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: spot a cruising buck within a few minutes. Settling in 240 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: that gnarly six by four was the most miserable looking 241 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: buck I've ever seen, But he had cruise because it 242 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: was early November, and he did it in seventy five 243 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: degree heat. His mouth was literally hanging open and his 244 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: lips were covered in froth. But he was out there 245 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,680 Speaker 1: looking to pass on his jeans, and I was lucky 246 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: enough to put an end to his reproductive dreams, and 247 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: it was again because of a river, but not necessarily 248 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: due to a crossing. Now I'm telling you about my 249 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 1: winds in the white Tail Woods when it comes to 250 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,599 Speaker 1: honey moving water. But really there are no perfect scenarios 251 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: out there. The downside to playing this parallel travel is 252 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: that due to the nature of valleys where rivers tend 253 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: to exist, so two doesn't often unpredictable wind pattern. Whether 254 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,319 Speaker 1: it's blowing up or down the valley. You'll often find 255 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: the wind regardless of forecasted direction. We'll get into the 256 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: valley with the river and take your set up stream 257 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 1: or down swirl around. That means that anything coming from 258 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: the wrong way on that parallel trail has a chance 259 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: to get a snoot full of danger. Think about this 260 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: when your eyeballing your setups. I often find myself in 261 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: stands right over the water in trees that are rooted 262 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: in the banks. This puts me inside the parallel trail 263 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: and hopefully within shooting distance of the best crossing. Sometimes 264 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: it puts you in shooting distance of the parallel trail 265 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: on the opposite bank as well, which is another check 266 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: in the wind calm and with the right wind. I've 267 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: beat the deer coming straight down to the water in 268 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: these scenarios, but also traveling right along it on both sides. 269 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: Of course, you might not have a perfect tree for this, 270 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: so you have to make some concessions. Sometimes. Oftentimes it's 271 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: best to just sit on the ground and tuck into 272 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: a dead fall or deep below a steep bank. And 273 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: this might sound stupid, but I've hidden right below where 274 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: the deer are likely to walk in spots where the 275 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: bank has fallen away and created a little Heidi holes. 276 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: You feel stupid in these spots, but the deer don't 277 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: have much of a chance to smell you, and they're 278 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: not gonna see you, or if they do, it's too 279 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: late for them because they're already down on the crossing. 280 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: Another rough situation while hunting moving water happens when you're 281 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: looking at satellite imagery and you're seeing everything you need 282 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: to see to know you've got a good hunt coming up. 283 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: The water is there, the potential crossings are there, and 284 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: the trees are there for you to set up him. 285 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: But when you walk into hunt for the first time, 286 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: you realize the trees are forty seven times the size 287 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: that would fit your standard your saddle strap and you've 288 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: grossly underestimated your ability to read cotton woods via satellite imagery. 289 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: This happens on away from home trips, and it's just 290 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: one of those situations you have to adapt to. For 291 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: anything closer to home or anything you've got the chance 292 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: to scout in person, this shouldn't happen. You should already 293 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: know where your best stand trees are in the best crossing, 294 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: so you don't run into any surprises like this on 295 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: those away game hunts. It's also important to note that 296 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: regulations surrounding water very greatly from state to state. You 297 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: might live in a state where legal access exists between 298 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: the banks or the high water mark, or you might 299 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: have to get into the water at a legal access 300 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: point and not get out until you're on land you 301 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: can hunt. You might realize that the state you're heading 302 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: to has very strict water access rules and that the 303 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: landowners own the surface water and anything beneath the surface, 304 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: meaning if you wage in you're in trouble. Some states 305 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: treat navigable water as a resource to anyone can use. 306 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: Others don't. In some cases, you might need to use 307 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: a kayak to get to your hunting grounds. This has 308 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: become more and more popular lately and can be an 309 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: excellent means of navigation. It's stealthy, fairly quick, and while 310 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: somewhat of a pain in the acid in general, also 311 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: one hell of an option if you have the right situation. 312 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: If you don't have a kayak, you might just consider 313 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: a hip or chess waiters as well, if the knee 314 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: highs won't cut it. I've done both, and here's a 315 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: note of caution. I'm not sure which, and I hate more. 316 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: If I can't just use knee high boots, it's almost 317 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: not worth it for me to hunt unless I just 318 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: need to cross maybe one time. Maybe it's just me, 319 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: but I can't put on a pair of waiters without 320 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: immediately filling them with water. I also can't pour myself 321 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 1: a cup of coffee in the morning without spilling some 322 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: of it, or point out when I think my wife 323 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: is wrong, despite the fact that I've had twenty years 324 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: to learn that there will be consequences for it. You're 325 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: probably better at life than me, so maybe you can 326 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: make waiters work if you need to in order to 327 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: get to a river crossing. I just know I personally 328 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: don't like it. I don't like filling out my waiters 329 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: in the dark and having wet clothes all day long 330 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 1: when I try to sit on my stand. So with 331 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: all that out of the way, I'll say this, I've 332 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: hunted just about every white tail situation out there, from 333 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: Texas on up to nearly Canada and east and West. 334 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: And while hunting styles and strategies differ by region in 335 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 1: the time of year, one of the most consistent things 336 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: I've noticed out there, no matter where I am hunting, 337 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: is the connection of white tails to water, specifically moving water. 338 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: If you're planning a hunt or hunting near home and 339 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: you've got some flowing water, figure out how to hunt it. 340 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,879 Speaker 1: It might be the best white tailed draw from the 341 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: early season to the late season. That's it for this week, 342 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: my friends, be sure to tune in next week for 343 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,360 Speaker 1: more deer hunting strategies so that you can keep filling 344 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 1: tags and making your hunting buddies jealous. I'm Tony Peterson 345 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: and this has been the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast. 346 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: As always, thank you so much for the support. We 347 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: really appreciate it, and we will see you here next week.