1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,879 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 --> 00:00:18,640 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 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,319 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about the two 9 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: dominant types of hunting strategies and how we often get 10 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 2: both wrong and how we can actually use both of 11 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: them in almost all of our different situations. In the 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 2: last twenty years or so, we've really watched whitetail hunting 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 2: split into two factions. On one side, you have folks 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 2: working the land of the best of their abilities to 15 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: create places that bucks really like. And on the other side, 16 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: you have people who say they are going to meet 17 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 2: the deer wherever they are and get the best of 18 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: them pretty. 19 00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 3: Much on their own terms. 20 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: But most of the hunters I talk to kind of 21 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: land right in the middle of these two ideologies, but 22 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 2: don't often seem to understand what that really means. Well, 23 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: it kind of means everything to success, which is what 24 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 2: I'm going to talk about right now. I know a 25 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 2: lot of you find folks know that I am a 26 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 2: pretty big fan of bird dogs. I love training them, 27 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 2: I love hunting with them, and with one dog at 28 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 2: thirteen years old and another coming into her prime at five, 29 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 2: I'm really thinking hard about getting a puppy in twenty 30 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 2: twenty seven, and I honestly love training puppies. If I 31 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: could put it into perspective that deer hunters might understand, 32 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 2: I'll say this treat training a little pupster at eight 33 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 2: weeks old to sit and stay and come when called 34 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: is kind of like winter scouting for white tails. Both 35 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: seem pretty far removed from the end goal, but without 36 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: them doesn't really get you where you need to go 37 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 2: to achieve what you want. It's the necessary steps now 38 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 2: with a puppy, or I guess I should say a 39 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: young dog, like anything under two years old, you can't 40 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: get results from a couple different training styles. Not too 41 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 2: long ago, you know, I'll say a handful of decades 42 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: that puppy would have likely been trained with a lot 43 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 2: more fear than you might see today. What I mean 44 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: by that is punishment was a tool that was used judiciously, 45 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 2: and a lot of working dogs understood that the behaviors 46 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: they were expected to deliver were way down with the 47 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: prospect of getting smacked, whacked, hit, whatever. Eventually, that punishment 48 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: took the form of some electricity delivered right to their 49 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: next via the first e callers, which, as you can imagine, 50 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 2: didn't have you know, tone or vibrate functions like modern 51 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 2: e callers do. This doesn't mean that all dogs were 52 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: trained in a medieval fashion, but that it was definitely 53 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 2: accepted as a route you could go down to get 54 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: results out of your dog. But along the way, other 55 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 2: folks figured out that getting a dog to work for 56 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 2: a positive reward actually produced consistent results and seemed to 57 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: improve the working relationship between man and beast. Today you 58 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: won't see the old school style shown much on Instagram reels, 59 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: but it hasn't gone away completely. The positive reinforcement style 60 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 2: has definitely taken over, though, and I'm guessing that a 61 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: lot of dogs feel that's been a move in the 62 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 2: right direction. Another thing about this is you can look 63 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 2: at each style and say, matter of factory, that both 64 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 2: can deliver the exact same results in the end. 65 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 3: Because that's kind of how it looks. 66 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 2: But what that doesn't take into account is a lot, 67 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: and it matters to us and it matters to the dogs. 68 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 2: There are different ways to skin the old kiddie, and 69 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 2: this is something that I've been thinking about a lot. 70 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 2: With deer, we have really split into two different factions, 71 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 2: and either is something to aspire to. 72 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 3: But I think that a lot of folks don't quite. 73 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: Understand the messaging and the reality of going down one 74 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: deer hunting road versus the other. I'll just start with 75 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: an easy one here and one that is really attractive 76 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 2: to a lot of hunters, which is the land management style. 77 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 2: Now we call this land management partially because that's exactly 78 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 2: what it is. You're trying to make some ground as 79 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 2: appealing to deer as possible, so you change it. You know, 80 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 2: you have food blots, hinge cutting, plant some fruit trees 81 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: in a waterhole, whatever. You're fixing up the place and 82 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: looking for the best renters. This style looks so appealing 83 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: because it will looks easy once the work's kind of done. 84 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: And we see it all the time in the hunting media. 85 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: It's a method that is designed to lull bucks into 86 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 2: a false sense of security until they are big enough 87 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 2: to get killed. You kind of actually are dumbing down 88 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: the deer now. The other faction is the DIY crowd 89 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: that hunts public land exclusively. Is a total gear junkie, 90 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: you know, who wants to learn every aspect of a 91 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 2: wild buck's life and figure him out right where he 92 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 2: lives all year in places where everybody is trying to 93 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 2: kill him. That requires the hunter to level up through scouting, 94 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,119 Speaker 2: shooting strategies, and every other thing that doesn't involve changing 95 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 2: the deer's behavior, which is what the first strategy kind 96 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 2: of does. What we are drawn to in each style 97 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 2: is probably a direct reflection of a couple of personal things. 98 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 3: You know. 99 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 2: One is money, and if you have enough of it, 100 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: the land management style probably really speaks to you for 101 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: obvious reasons. If not, you're probably still paying off your 102 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 2: layoway saddle from three months ago. You're on the other 103 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: side of the equation. Another is just probably an intangible 104 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: that lives in all of us, which is how much 105 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: we value the trophy aspect. Some folks like big antlers 106 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 2: above everything else, and that's great. Others place a higher 107 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 2: value in the process by which the whole thing happens, 108 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 2: and that crowd loves big antlers too, but not if 109 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: there is an asterisk attached to them in their view. 110 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 3: So who's right? 111 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 2: Well, you know how I feel about it, but my 112 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 2: stance has softened a lot in recent years. This debate 113 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: reminds me of growing up in a little dairy farming 114 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: community in Minnesota and the music that we were exposed 115 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 2: to then. Now, as you can imagine, country music was 116 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 2: big for that crowd, but most country has never really 117 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 2: landed well with me. Now, at a time when bands 118 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: like Tool and Pearl Jam and Alison Chains and Nirvana 119 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 2: were hitting the scene with some real anger, Garth Brooks 120 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 2: and Alan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn and I don't 121 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 2: know who else, we're doing their thing as well, the 122 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: choice was so easy it was stupid, and it bothered 123 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 2: me that more of my peers didn't see things my way. Now, 124 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: I don't give a shit. Listen to what you like 125 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 2: because it's all subjective, like almost everything in life, and 126 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 2: when we draw a hard line on it for some 127 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 2: dumb reason, it doesn't make sense. Very often, I've had 128 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 2: plenty of folks, you know, shit in my choice. Elaborador 129 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 2: Retrievers but that's just not the dog for them, just 130 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 2: like a Brocco Italiano just wouldn't fit into my life. 131 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 3: Who cares? 132 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 2: Get the dogs you love, listen to the music that 133 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: brings joy to your heart, and live and let live, 134 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: I guess. But does that work with deer. It would 135 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 2: if we understood how to make it work with the 136 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,119 Speaker 2: two competing factions. But we seem to misunderstand this a lot. 137 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 2: Let me start with an easy to digest example here. 138 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 2: When I first bought a little property in twenty eleven, 139 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 2: I had huge, and I mean huge dreams about food 140 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: plots and just working on the land. So that's what 141 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 2: I did, and I'll tell you what, Bobby, I had 142 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 2: a lot of fun. I still I'll have a lot 143 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 2: of fun with it when it's March and there's nothing 144 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 2: to do, but you know, put on some work gloves 145 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 2: and mix some oil and gas that start cutting down 146 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 2: some trees. I am at peace with the world, and 147 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 2: I'm not even joking. I love it. And I think 148 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: the most understated part of owning any land you know 149 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 2: that is primarily four deer hunting, is that it's just 150 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: so damn much fun to work on. But you know what, 151 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: didn't happen. I didn't kill any big bucks on those 152 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 2: food plots or those trails I cut. In fact, I 153 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 2: didn't hardly kill anything because of it, but a couple 154 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: of my buddies did and later my kids did. You know, 155 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: no big bucks, mind you, But we weren't trophy hunting 156 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 2: too hard, so it has been just buying for all involved. 157 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 2: And the reason that we kill sports instead of one 158 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 2: forties is because that area that I own the land 159 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: in sucks for hunting. 160 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 3: Mostly. 161 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 2: The big deer are around, but they're extremely rare and 162 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 2: the hunting pressure is pretty intense. The properties are also 163 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: just way too small for any sort of meaningful management. 164 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 3: You see. 165 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: I leaned pretty hard into the land management style because 166 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 2: I had land, but it didn't really change the arc 167 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 2: of my hunting success a whole lot, because the overall 168 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 2: situation didn't lend itself to that style being the best choice. 169 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 2: The deer was still few and far between and not 170 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: strangers to hunting pressure. It wasn't enough to have a 171 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: quarter acre of clover, and we still had to hunt 172 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: them and learn them and figure them out and fail 173 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 2: a whole bunch. And we are still doing exactly that now. 174 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: At the same time I was learning this lesson, I 175 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 2: was spending most of my personal hunting time over there, 176 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 2: running and gunning on public land, mostly unsuccessfully. I might add, 177 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 2: I drive over there, have a weekend to hunt, get 178 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: something going sometimes, then drive home and figure out when 179 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 2: I could get back. Now, I'm no stranger to public 180 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: land hunting, as you know, because I'll tell anyone. 181 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 3: Who will listen. I also have the best gear. 182 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 2: I have a lot of experience in that realm, and 183 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 2: I still mostly got my ass kicked over there. Because 184 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 2: that style, when you really go deep on it, requires 185 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 2: a lot of time and commitment, one that if you 186 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 2: can't make it, you won't see. Mostly, you see, we 187 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 2: are drawn to one style or another based on a 188 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 2: lot of personal stuff. But the best hunters try to 189 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 2: learn from whatever source they can and then imply that 190 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 2: to their unique situations, and they go out to learn, 191 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 2: not to just emulate someone else's tactics. Let me break 192 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 2: this down as simply as possible. Without enough land and 193 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 2: enough money and time, you just won't have results like 194 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 2: Leelakowski does, no matter how much you try to emulate 195 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 2: his style of land management. Just like if you don't 196 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 2: have enough time and enough discipline to scout your ass 197 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 2: off and hunt whenever possible, like Andy May does on 198 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 2: Public You won't go broke paying for shoulder mounts. The 199 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 2: key is to try to draw as much as you 200 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 2: can from as many relevant sources as possible, and then 201 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 2: look at what you're willing to bring to the table. 202 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 2: I look at this kind of like financial advice. In 203 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: the last decade, we've seen people going full port with 204 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 2: bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies while shouting from the rooftops that 205 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 2: this will dislodge and replace fiat currency. We've seen financial 206 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 2: gurus explain how to get your hands on a dozen 207 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 2: short term rental houses and really see your monthly cash 208 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,959 Speaker 2: flow go through the roof, even if the average person 209 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 2: can't even really get out of renting, or if they do, 210 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 2: their own personal mortgage is about all they can handle. 211 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 2: And then in the middle of all that stuff, there's 212 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 2: a set it and forget it bogel Head movement, where 213 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 2: folks quietly put away what they can in broad market 214 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 2: index funds over time, and they accumulate enough to exit 215 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 2: the cubicle at a reasonable age and not have to 216 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 2: stress too hard overtaking the grandkids to Disney World every year. 217 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 2: But what would be right for you? Well, what's your 218 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 2: financial education, Like, what's your risk tolerance, your partner's risk tolerance, 219 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 2: your job security, and on and on. The best answers 220 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 2: for most of us often involve borrowing a piece from 221 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 2: this strategy and that one until we have a full 222 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 2: plan that allows us to sleep pretty well at night. 223 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 2: I don't think deer hunting is all that much different. 224 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 2: Maybe you can't put in a food plot because you 225 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 2: only hunt public land, well that kind of sucks, But 226 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 2: you can still learn about deer food, and when you do, 227 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 2: you usually learn how to kill deer pretty consistently. Browse 228 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 2: patterns and mass patterns are often a hell of a 229 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 2: lot more subtle and harder to read than figuring out 230 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 2: when the deer are eating in a kill plot with 231 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 2: lush brassicas in it. But the results might not look 232 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 2: all that different when you're notching your tag. Just like 233 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 2: the box blind center might have a real case of 234 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,839 Speaker 2: deer burnout going on in his spot when he could 235 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: carry a lightweight hang on into the woods and surprise 236 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 2: the bucks by showing up where. 237 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 3: They least expect him. 238 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 2: That style is the cornerstone of most public land, deer 239 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 2: hunters foundations, and it works. Human nature is geared toward 240 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 2: finding easy. Our whole society, hell, most of our economy 241 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 2: is built on easier, easier, easier. It's gene deep in us, because, 242 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 2: after all, why would we work harder than we need to. 243 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 2: But with deer, the appeal of easy often leads us 244 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 2: into a more difficult path, because what is easy for 245 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 2: one person to accomplish is close enough to impossible for 246 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 2: someone else that it just counts that way. I saw 247 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 2: a video of a guy juggling bowling pins while skiing recently, 248 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: and to make it more impressive, he hit a jump 249 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 2: and did a backflip, which he landed while still juggling. 250 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 2: When you see someone shoot a one hundred and ninety 251 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 2: three inch deer in a food plot on YouTube, or 252 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 2: someone else killing one hundred and sixty three inch deer 253 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 2: on public land in Indiana or wherever, it's kind of 254 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 2: like the hunting version of juggling while doing a backflip 255 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 2: off a jump on skis. There are a few people 256 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 2: who can do it, but it's mostly unavailable to the 257 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 2: rest of us. Or even when something looks easy, if 258 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 2: it's impressive, it probably isn't. So instead of looking to 259 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 2: certain hunting styles or tactics as a way to make 260 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 2: hunting easier, which is the surface level promise, use that 261 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 2: stuff to try to make yourself better. And this is 262 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 2: maybe the most important part I can think of. Borrow 263 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 2: from whatever tactics and strategies could benefit you specifically. 264 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 3: Then figure out how to develop them for yourself. Think 265 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 3: of it like this. 266 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 2: No one thought about bed hunting, I mean really figuring 267 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 2: out where specific box bed and when they bed in 268 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:24,839 Speaker 2: certain spots and how that can be exploited until dan 269 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 2: Infold really blew up that world. But you might not 270 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 2: be in a position to go find a giant loan 271 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 2: bed tucked into a willow patch on the edge of 272 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 2: a cattail slough and use that to kill a one 273 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 2: p forty on public. But maybe instead the principles of 274 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 2: bed hunting, like wind direction, location advantages and all of 275 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: that jazz play into your deer lease and you can 276 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 2: use that to figure out when to hunt a certain 277 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 2: pinch point stand or maybe where to slip in some 278 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 2: early October morning to catch one munching on acorns before 279 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 2: he heads up to a hillside bench to snooze the 280 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 2: day away. Maybe you think that the box find over 281 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 2: the food plot with name deer Hunter doesn't represent your 282 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 2: style in any way, but you see how they use 283 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 2: sell cameras to pin down daylight movement, or you watch 284 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: how they manage scent, and you realize that you could 285 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 2: borrow from that style for when you take the kids 286 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 2: out in a pop up to try to shoot any 287 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 2: legal deer. We are in a tribal mess as a 288 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 2: society right now where we really want to belong to 289 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 2: certain groups and all of that shit that goes along 290 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: with it, and that has bled right down through into 291 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 2: this world of white tails. But the truth is you're 292 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 2: not really part of any deer group. You're just doing 293 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 2: your thing, and your situation isn't really like a lot 294 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 2: of other folks. It can't be, because even though you 295 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 2: are a public land hunting saddle junkie, you also work 296 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 2: second shift and have limited pto the constraints on our hunting, 297 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 2: you know, or maybe the guardrails, I should say, don't 298 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 2: exist just when we leave the truck behind and we 299 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 2: hit the woods. Our lives outside of hunting influence our 300 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 2: success far more than we care to admit. But so 301 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 2: do our hunting styles and our preferred tactics. We often 302 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 2: hunt exactly how we want and then hope the weather 303 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 2: or the seasonal timing will rescue us from a largely easy, 304 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 2: but mostly doomed to plan, when instead we should be 305 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 2: trying to figure out how to not have to worry 306 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 2: about the weather or the seasonal timing, putting deer in 307 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 2: front of us where we want to hunt. A better 308 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: way to look at is to figure out how to 309 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 2: hunt in spite of what we perceive as something working 310 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 2: against us, no matter what our personal situation allows. What 311 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 2: that ultimately means is that you should take ideas and 312 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 2: thoughts from anyone who might be able to offer you 313 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: up something actionable, and then try to put it into 314 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 2: action in your own world, because what you take away 315 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 2: from someone just won't encompass your whole life and hunting situation. 316 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 2: But it can be a spark that lights a fire 317 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 2: you just didn't expect, or it can just be the 318 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 2: little curiosity see that grows into a good reason to 319 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 2: winter scout real hard for the first time in your life. 320 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 2: Then you just have to remember that nothing is static 321 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 2: and the growth doesn't stop just because you kill a 322 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: good one two years in a row. Eventually something will 323 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 2: change and you'll have to try to figure things out again. 324 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 3: That's what this process really is. 325 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 2: It's not a destination but a long and winding journey 326 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 2: with some really sweet stops along the way. So pay 327 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 2: attention to the food plot guys and the saddle folks 328 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 2: and whoever you need to use their help however you 329 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 2: can while forging your own individual path to get a 330 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 2: little better at this stuff. It's not a choice between 331 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 2: dumb deer and smarter hunters. You can do all of it. 332 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 2: So do it and come back next week because I'm 333 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 2: going to talk about the reality of traveling to hunt 334 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 2: and why if you want to you really need to 335 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 2: actually start planning for it. This is a thing I 336 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,480 Speaker 2: talk about a lot, but it's coming to a head 337 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 2: out there, fellas. Pay attention to the next one. If 338 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 2: you have any desire to travel to hunt for anything 339 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 2: at all. That's it for this episode. I'm Tony Peterson. 340 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 2: This has been the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which 341 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 2: is brought to you by First I know you found me, 342 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 2: so you know where to find us at Meat Eater, 343 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 2: But if you haven't been over there in a while, 344 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 2: take a little trip over to the mediater dot com 345 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 2: and check out all of the content we're dropping. 346 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 3: I mean we literally drop new stuff every week. 347 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 2: Maggie over there is doing a great job of getting 348 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:22,640 Speaker 2: like the latest outdoor news conservation stuff out in front 349 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 2: of you. All these issues covered really well at the site. 350 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 2: New recipes, new films, new podcasts, everything that you need 351 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 2: to level up or just you know, entertain yourself a 352 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 2: little bit. And as always, thank you so much for 353 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 2: listening and for all your support.