1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by First Light, 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt podcast, which 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: is brought to you by First Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about what people 9 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: often get wrong about hunting the pre rut. Now, I 10 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 2: can't say this totally for certain but I can say 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: it with some certainty that this might be my favorite 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 2: week of the deer season. Now. I know November is 13 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: where it's at for a lot of folks, but I 14 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 2: find myself enjoying the last week of October a lot 15 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: as I get older. I think it's because the hunting 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: is really really good if you know what to do. 17 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: That's what I plan to talk about right now, So 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 2: buckle up, my little deer hunting buttercups. When I first 19 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: got into the hunting industry, I didn't really even understand 20 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: how some small town dude from southern Minnesota could suddenly 21 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: get invited to go hunt crazy places while someone else 22 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: paid for the whole thing. My first trip, which was 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: part disaster and part like trying Heroin for the first time, 24 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 2: brought me to the high country in Colorado to chase 25 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: velvet meal deer. I didn't kill one, but it left 26 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 2: a mark on me that made me realize that every 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: chance I get to go into the mountains with a 28 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 2: bow in my hand, I better do it. I got 29 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: to go to Africa, too, which was pretty crazy and 30 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: something I'll put into a book someday, but not today. 31 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: I pretty much said yes to whatever offer came my way, 32 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: but not to whitetail hunts. I just didn't want to 33 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: spend my time going on outfitted whitetail hunts when I 34 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 2: could do it myself at home. And it went pretty 35 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: good for me until I was told that I needed 36 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: to go on a specific white toil hunt with one 37 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: of our advertisers. The trip wasn't a total guided deal, 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 2: but it wasn't DIY either. It was one of those 39 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: situations where they say, hey, we have these stands in 40 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: these farms, do whatever you want with either. So I 41 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: figured I'd head down to Kansas and see what I 42 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 2: could do. It was a rod hunt too, which sounded 43 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 2: pretty sweet since I was about to give up the 44 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: woods in my home state to half a million gun hunters. Now. 45 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 2: I was a very nervous traveler then, because I had 46 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: traveled very little, and I had traveled very very little 47 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 2: for any hunting trips, so I triple check the emails 48 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: about my flights. I packed up my stuff and drove 49 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 2: from my office in north central Minnesota on down to 50 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: the Minneapolis airport. When I went to check in my luggage, 51 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: the woman working there said, Honey, you are way way 52 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: too early to check in for this flight. It turns 53 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: out that the eight am flight I thought I had 54 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: was actually for eight PM, and the woman who had 55 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: booked my trip had emailed me the wrong times. The 56 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 2: worst part about it, or one of the worst parts, 57 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 2: was that I could have spent half the day hunting 58 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 2: for a big nine pointer I'd been after the whole 59 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 2: bow season, but instead I was about to kill a 60 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: day in the cities before flying in super late that night. 61 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: You know, it was the right day, but my timing 62 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: was way wrong. I'm sure she felt a little like 63 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: I did when in a past life I was a 64 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 2: floating manager for a company that owns a bunch of 65 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 2: big liquor stores. That job was as soul sucking as 66 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: they come, and not a great fit for someone who, 67 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: every time he drank, did it in such a way 68 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: that might convince others around him that we were about 69 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: to run out of alcohol for good. About once a 70 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 2: week during that job, some customer would come in and 71 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: throw a small fit about how a case, a CoP's 72 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: light or a bottle of wine was supposed to be 73 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: on sale and it wasn't. This was back when people 74 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: actually cut coupons out of the paper, and so they'd 75 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: present it in a way that I would best describe 76 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: as super cocky, kind of like a what do you 77 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: think about this shit kind of way. Inevitably it would 78 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: be a coupon for a different store owned by a 79 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: different company. Those customers had the right idea. They just 80 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 2: got their wires crossed a bit. It happens when you're flying, 81 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: it happens when you need to restock the liquor cabinet, 82 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: and it happens in hunting. In fact, it happens a 83 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 2: lot in the pre rut. I think this is the 84 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 2: most misunderstood time of the deer season. To be honest, 85 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: maybe it's second to the lull, but if it is, 86 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 2: it's a close second. I think the pre rut, at 87 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 2: least in the North Country, starts to kick in far 88 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 2: earlier than we give it credit for. I feel like 89 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: by the time you were into mid October, you were 90 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: definitely into the pre rut. By this week, there's just 91 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 2: no question. Even though we all kind of know this, 92 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: I think we still tend to approach it wrong. For starters, 93 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 2: we place a lot of weight in what we see 94 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: on our trail cameras and what we hear amongst our 95 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 2: deer hunting circles. The first chase always seems to happen 96 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: this week, and it's rarely anything but a scraper getting 97 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 2: after it. Now. We used to say things like, oh 98 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 2: it's close, now, it's almost here, and on and on. 99 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: But the pre rut isn't just an appetizer for the rut. 100 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 2: It is its own thing, and it's really good if 101 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: you know how to approach it. So for starters, just 102 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: forget about that four ky that chase the dough past 103 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: your trail camera doesn't matter. The rut happens the same 104 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: time every year, and that's not an anomaly. It's just 105 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 2: what young bucks do they start off a little early 106 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 2: before the whole thing gets going. Now, instead of looking 107 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 2: at the pre rut like you can hunt it like 108 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: the rut, but with less action, look at it like 109 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 2: a totally different phase. The easiest way to think about 110 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 2: this is to look at your field edge stands and 111 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: any stands that you've been hunting all season now. During 112 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 2: the first few weeks of the season, these stands are 113 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 2: usually pretty good because the deer are on summer ish 114 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 2: patterns and they haven't really been hunted for nine months. 115 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: Enough sits and those spots I write down along, you know, 116 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: with the reality that the deer tend to back up 117 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: in the cover and pay more attention to their daylight 118 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: movement as the season progresses. The pre rut might put 119 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 2: a big buck in front of your burned out field 120 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 2: edge stand, but it usually takes a cold front and 121 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 2: just gift conditions. Mostly Mother nature is not going to 122 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 2: be that generous. Mostly most hunters won't care. They'll go 123 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 2: hunt those stands anyway, thinking that if the rut is 124 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 2: about to pop off, they might get lucky and catch 125 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: an early mover. They mostly just won't. They will only 126 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 2: get more unlucky if they try to use some rut tactics. 127 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 2: Now again, I'm not saying you can't rattle in a 128 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: buck or grown him in the last ten days of October. 129 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 2: You certainly can. You probably just won't. It's not really 130 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: prime time yet, and if the conditions don't make it 131 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 2: extra prime for a bit, a lot of rattling isn't 132 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 2: going to make up for a poor stand choice. It 133 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 2: just won't. This is the thing about the pre rut. 134 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 2: It is not the rut. It's not the magic time 135 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 2: when just about anything can work, or you can just 136 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 2: ride out the hours on a pinch point. It's a 137 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 2: time where the advantage is real, but you have to 138 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 2: understand how to use it. I think about it this way. 139 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: At this point in the season, especially if you hunt 140 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 2: where there is some pressure, the deer are going to 141 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 2: be located in pockets of advantageous cover. They are going 142 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: to be where you aren't, and usually they won't be alone. 143 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 2: They'll give this away with sign, which means if you 144 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 2: do some scouting you can usually figure some of this 145 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 2: stuff out. This is where a lot of folks get 146 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 2: things wrong too. They reason that it doesn't make any 147 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 2: sense to wade into the best cover to find some 148 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: rubs and scrapes now, while risking bumping all the deer 149 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 2: out when they can just play it safe and wait 150 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 2: another week or a week and a half to hit 151 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: the rut as it starts burning super hot. I go 152 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: the opposite way with this. I know that if I'm 153 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 2: in the cover now and I'm around a lot of 154 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 2: fresh bucks, sign I'm around a lot of bucks. Probably 155 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 2: it's that simple. The wind is right, and even if 156 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 2: the conditions aren't great, I know my best chance of 157 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: running into a good one now is to go where 158 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 2: he is likely to be and then see if he'll 159 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 2: slip up. This is a key tenant here, so pay attention. 160 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 2: The bucks will move in daylight this week, and they'll 161 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,679 Speaker 2: be susceptible to a little grunting or some soft rattling, 162 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: but only if you are where they feel comfortable moving. 163 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 2: I've talked about this a lot, and I believe it. 164 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 2: Blind calling from the field edge three hundred yards away 165 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 2: will do nothing but spook the deer. Most likely during 166 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 2: the pre rut, you want to be in as tight 167 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 2: as you can get to the security cover that they 168 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 2: use to avoid you. This is not the time where 169 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: they're going to run across the landscape all day long 170 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: looking for doze. This is the time when they might 171 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 2: get out of their bed an hour early and go 172 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 2: lay down more sign or maybe spar with a buddy, 173 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,479 Speaker 2: and just give you a limited opportunity to encounter them. 174 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 2: That's better than what they usually give you. Honestly, a 175 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 2: lot of people treat this like a free play where 176 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 2: they can just hunt like they usually do and maybe 177 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 2: the seasonal timing will put one in their lap. I don't, 178 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 2: and if you hunt pressured ground, you shouldn't either. If 179 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 2: you follow the traditional advice of staying out of there 180 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 2: or hunting safe, at least you'll be doing exactly what 181 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 2: everyone else is doing. And then you'll share the rut 182 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 2: woods with the masses when you could have made some 183 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 2: calculated strikes the week before where your odds were higher. 184 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 2: So you know you should use the pre rut to 185 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 2: your advantage. And I've started to explain how, but let's 186 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 2: go deeper. When you're out there on say October twenty fifth, 187 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 2: and the woods feels electric, pay attention. This is a 188 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 2: time when every deer sighting matters a lot to me. 189 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 2: I like seeing the dose because I might need them 190 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 2: real soon if they use a specific stream crossing or 191 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 2: hop a fence in a specific spot. I make note 192 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 2: of that. When I see a buck, anybuck, I pay 193 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 2: more attention. You've heard me say this a lot, but 194 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 2: I believe it so much. Just to frame this up, 195 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 2: about eight years ago, I found an interesting creek bottom 196 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 2: in the Big Woods in northern Wisconsin. I killed a 197 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 2: decent buck in there mid October and figured it would 198 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 2: only be better if I came back during the pre 199 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: rut the following season. So I did, and when I 200 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,959 Speaker 2: walked in the first day, there was just a little 201 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 2: tiny bit of snow on the ground and I jumped 202 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 2: a good buck bedded with a dough. I saw him 203 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 2: sneak back through later and almost killed him except for 204 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 2: the wind. I hunted that spot, moving from one tree 205 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 2: to another over the course of a few days, and 206 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 2: never killed a deer, But mann did I see a 207 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 2: lot of them for that area, and it gave me 208 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 2: a way bigger glimpse into how the bucks used that 209 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,439 Speaker 2: area all through October. I also hunted it during the 210 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: rut several times, and it was just a ghost town. 211 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 2: I think the deer still used it some, but the 212 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 2: amount of people in there just changed the whole thing. 213 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 2: It literally is a pre rut spot, and that's that. 214 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 2: I'm still figuring that property out, but a lot of 215 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 2: what I've learned has come from watching bucks during the 216 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 2: back half October. When you see a buck, even if 217 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 2: it's a dank six pointer, watch him. Don't just glass 218 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 2: him quick write him off as a non shooter and 219 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 2: then go back to doom scrolling. Watch him. He will 220 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 2: give you a crash course in how the deer travel 221 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: and what they do when they want to lay down 222 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 2: sign he might hear another deer and go check it out, 223 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: or he might bed down in a specific spot. What 224 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 2: he's doing, no matter what he's doing, is showing you 225 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: dear behavior and possibly convincing you to go set up 226 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 2: where he is the first chance you can. Because deer 227 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 2: do what other deer do, and this idea that big 228 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 2: bucks are so different from other deer that they are 229 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 2: another species is mostly bullshit. They are rare and often 230 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 2: pretty cautious, but they're not reinventing the wheel out there, 231 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: so to speak. They have the same needs as other 232 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 2: deer and the same tools of a to them to 233 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 2: help them meet those needs. They can't fly, they don't 234 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 2: have a sixth sense. They're just deer. Now, I have 235 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 2: to say this again because I think most folks approach 236 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 2: us wrong. If you're out there and you're not on 237 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 2: the X and a deer you'd like to shoot is 238 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: making a scrape two hundred yards away, think long and 239 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 2: hard before you try to talk him into your setup. 240 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 2: I think calling to bucks that don't look like they 241 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 2: are going to come in is almost a certainty for 242 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:30,240 Speaker 2: most hunters, but you should read the situation closely. If 243 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 2: I'm on and over the road hunting, that situation lands 244 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 2: in my lap, I'm probably gonna call when time is 245 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 2: limited and I'll never see that deer again. Most likely 246 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 2: I'm going to go for it. But if I have 247 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: even a couple more opportunities in the next few days 248 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: to hunt there, I think really long and hard about 249 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 2: my calling. If you see a relax deer doing what 250 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 2: relax deer do? You want to be there soon. That's 251 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 2: the winning lottery ticket right there. That's better than any 252 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 2: trail camera image or anything you can find scouting. You 253 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 2: call to that deer, it's like you have a lighter 254 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 2: in your hand and can't help. But move it closer 255 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 2: to that lottery ticket might just burn the whole thing up. Now, 256 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 2: you might call him in. It might work, but it's 257 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 2: also likely that it'll draw negative attention and sour the 258 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 2: whole encounter. If you can fight the urge, you might 259 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 2: want to do that, especially if you have the chance 260 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: to move a setup closer to where the buck is. 261 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 2: This is why it's so important to pay attention. Seeing 262 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 2: a buck is great. Seeing where he came from to 263 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,640 Speaker 2: get there is even better. Being able to watch how 264 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: he interacts with the landscape, where he kills time, and 265 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 2: what he does when he leaves total gift. You can 266 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 2: glass the trees he walks by to try to pick 267 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 2: out a stand site, or look at the brush on 268 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: the fence road to see if you could tuck in 269 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,679 Speaker 2: for a natural ground blind set. This is the advantage 270 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 2: that the pre reut really gives you. It's a better 271 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 2: opportunity to see decent bucks doing what they do when 272 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 2: most of the season you just don't get to see them. 273 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 2: And better, yeah, yet you can see them doing what 274 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:04,719 Speaker 2: they do in a way that very well might lead 275 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 2: to you being there tomorrow when they do it again. 276 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 2: Not even the rut gives you that chance, because what 277 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: they do today they might not do again for a week, 278 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 2: or if they are chasing a dough, they might never 279 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 2: do it again. But the pre rut is a weird 280 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 2: pattern fest. Even if the patterns only last for a 281 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 2: couple of days, that's still better than what you mostly 282 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 2: have to work with, and it's a powerful motivator to 283 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: get out there. Now. It's also true, and I have 284 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 2: to say this, that this style of hunting puts you 285 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 2: in a position where you might just have a giant 286 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 2: show himself. I never see this in the open. I 287 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 2: never watch him do this in the open, But once 288 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 2: every couple of years I'll see like a one fifty 289 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 2: or a one sixty, often on public land, mind you, 290 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 2: that just decides to move in the cover in late October. 291 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 2: That is not a deer that is taking a lot 292 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 2: of risks, but he's risking more than he usually does. 293 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 2: That aspect makes the whole thing a hell of a 294 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: lot more exciting. Now that property I mentioned with the 295 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 2: Creek Bottom Big Woods Bucks, I've seen two deer that 296 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 2: are all of one point sixty in there in late October. 297 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 2: And it's public land in a not very good region. 298 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 2: Of the state. That's the magic of the pre rut. 299 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 2: But it won't feel like that if you don't get 300 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 2: in there with the deer and hunt the spots that 301 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 2: most folks are either not aware of or are leaving 302 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 2: alone so they can come in there for their rut 303 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 2: caation and hunt the crap out of it. Think about 304 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 2: this this week. Are you playing it safe right now? 305 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 2: Ask yourself? Why? 306 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: Now? 307 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 2: If you have a banging farm to hunt and no 308 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 2: one is going to go in there, I could let 309 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 2: that slide. It's not a bad choice, although you could 310 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 2: probably go out and find some action this week either way. 311 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 2: But what if you're holding out or just phoning it 312 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 2: in with some field edge sits, and you know the 313 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 2: property you're on is destined to be crawling with people 314 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 2: in another week or so. You're playing the deer game, 315 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 2: but not the people game, and that is the one 316 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 2: that crushes most deer hunts. Think about that as we 317 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 2: slide into November here and think about coming back next week, 318 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: because I'm going to talk about why I think doe 319 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 2: decoys are a better choice than buck decoys, especially if 320 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 2: you know how to use them. That's it for this week. 321 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 2: I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the Wired to Hunt 322 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 2: Foundation's podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 323 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 2: As always, thank you so much for listening for all 324 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 2: your support. Honestly, truly straight from the heart, we absolutely 325 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 2: love that you guys come and show your support in 326 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 2: a multitude of different ways. We would be nothing without you, 327 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 2: so thank you for that. If you want some more 328 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 2: deer hunting content, maybe you want to listen to an 329 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 2: episode of Bear Grease, whatever, watch a film, head on 330 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: over to the meadeater dot com. So much hunting content there, 331 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 2: lots of phishing content, lots of recipes. Whatever you need 332 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 2: to get your fixed when you can't actually get out 333 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 2: there in the woods. It's right there at the medeater 334 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 2: dot com.