1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: Welcome to This country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: my experiences and life lessons. This Country Life is presented 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: by Case Knives on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: the best outdoor podcast the airways had off. All right, friends, 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: stories to share. Knowing where north is finding your way 9 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: around the woods can be a challenge, especially when you 10 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: don't know what you're doing. Now, I want to talk 11 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: to you about the importance of using the basics to 12 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: get you where you want to go, and I will, 13 00:00:53,120 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: But first I'm going to tell you a story. It 14 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: was over twenty years ago. It was cold and a 15 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: long walk back to the truck, and I was tired. 16 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: It was the last split of duck season, and Tim 17 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: and I had been guiding every day since thanksgiving up 18 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: at three thirty am and getting to bed sometimes at midnight. 19 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: It takes a toll after a while, and I was beat. 20 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: We were hunting the public shooting grounds and the weather 21 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,639 Speaker 1: was getting cold and slowly locking up all the open 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: water that didn't have any current. We had four or 23 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: five hunters with us, and Tim took his ducks and 24 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,559 Speaker 1: left early to go back to the camp and start 25 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: cooking a big, hot breakfast we'd all be wanting once 26 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: we knocked out the last few remaining ducks to finish 27 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: out our limits. That morning. There was no GPS's then 28 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: I didn't tote the compass, and I also didn't want 29 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: to tote all those decoys over the near mild trip 30 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: we had in front of us back to the parking lot, 31 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: over ice and waiters, and with three dozen decoys and weights, 32 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: I decided I'd just hide them. We were coming right 33 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: back to this spot the next morning, anyway, and it 34 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: wasn't that big of a no. No. The law said 35 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: you couldn't leave them out overnight, But did they really 36 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: mean left overnight in the hole you were hunting, or 37 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: would it be okay to leave them heading the sack 38 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: next to the hole you were hunting. Well, I knew 39 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: the answer, but I was willing to take the risk. 40 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: If I had a sleeping bag with me and could 41 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: have stayed warm, I'd have just laid down in it 42 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: and slept until Tim showed up. The next morning we 43 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: hunted the woods on clear days. That day had a 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: few clouds, but not enough to hide the moon, which 45 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: was how we navigated the last quarter of a mile 46 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: after veering off the trail that headed into the only 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: open water we could find, and we had it all 48 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: to ourselves. It was during the middle of the week. 49 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: The college kids were back at school and most folks 50 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: were back at work, and believe it or not, there 51 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: was four hundred acres of prime flooded Arkansas public timber 52 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: that we might as well have just owned ourselves. We 53 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: were the only folks hunting. Another reason I decided to 54 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: leave the decoys now. I hit them beside a tree 55 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: where I'd been standing, and I gathered up my charges 56 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: and we lit a shuck for the truck as soon 57 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: as the last duck was strapped into our limit. Once 58 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: back at the camp, I told Tim I hit the decoys, 59 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: and he looked at me like I'd seen him look 60 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: at me almost every time I did something stupid. It's 61 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: going to be cloudy in the morning, dummy, and it's 62 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: my turn to go in early. What if I can't 63 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: find them? I wanted to hit him with that iron 64 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: skillet he was using to turn a dead hog's belly 65 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: into savory strips of bypass surgery. Don't worry about it. 66 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: I'll go early again. I know where I'm going, I 67 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: know where I left him. Matter of fact, you ain't 68 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: even got to go sleep in and have the groceries ready. 69 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: We'll be back by ten. And that's how I left it, 70 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: and I didn't think about it again until we got 71 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: out of the truck The next morning. At the parking lot, 72 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: Arkansas was dark as four foot up of bulls behind 73 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: total cloud covered. Standing outside, you couldn't see your hand 74 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: in front of your face. We had a half a 75 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: mile of trail to walk, then we had to go 76 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: overland through the woods and a couple of thickets. I'll 77 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: find where we walked through the ice and trace our 78 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: steps backwards the way we came out. That should work, 79 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: but it didn't. Everything had refrozen during the night, and 80 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,359 Speaker 1: about four inches of water had fallen out, and nothing 81 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: looked the same. Nothing. The small flashlight I had only 82 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: kept me from walking into trees. I had no idea 83 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: where I was or where I was going. After I 84 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: left that trail, headed to where I thought my decoys 85 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: and the whole we'd hunted the day before would be. 86 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: The hunters behind me didn't have a clue. I was lost, 87 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,559 Speaker 1: mainly because I acted like I wasn't. They were paying 88 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: me money to know what I was doing, so even 89 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 1: if I didn't, I was going to act like we 90 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: should be there. But now I thought that the waterfall 91 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: out had changed everything so much, I wasn't sure what 92 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: planet I was on, much less what unmarked location I 93 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 1: was trying to find on a wildlife management area that 94 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: I was currently wandering around then with a group of 95 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: men who were following behind me like they were sold 96 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: to my breeches. Finally one of them spoke up, how 97 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: much further? Oh, it's right up here, We're not far. 98 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: I shared the light up in front of me, trying 99 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: to locate a gap in the timber big enough to 100 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: look similar to a hole that we could maybe coke 101 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: some ducks down into once it got light enough to 102 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: see there, right there, about forty yards away, was the 103 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: narrowest of holes in the timber. There was nothing closer. 104 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: Daylight was only a few minutes away. As we finally 105 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: begun to be able to see without the aid of 106 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: the only light we had. None of them had brought one, 107 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: but there was still one other hurdle to jump. All 108 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: the water in the hole I had lucked up on 109 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: was frozen almost solid. I placed my hunters around in 110 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: a semicircle where they were going to be standing once 111 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: the shooting started, if there was going to be any 112 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: and I began to monkey stomp that ice until oblivia 113 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: I broke through the to find the water below was 114 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: only deep enough to cover the toe of my boot. 115 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: With all the fallen leaves taking up the space and 116 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: the water between the bottom of the ice and the 117 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: top of the earth, I wanted to be someplace else. 118 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: If I hadn't hid them decoys and brought them out 119 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: like I was supposed to, I would be someplace else, 120 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: and Tim would be dealing with this fiasco right now 121 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: instead of laying in his warm bed sleeping the sleep 122 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: of the guiltless. I quickly prayed he'd went the bed. 123 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: Then I had the idea to kill all the wet 124 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: leaves of mud up on the ice, making it resemble open, dark, 125 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 1: muddy water in a sea of light colored iesed up 126 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: muddy water. I was feeling good about what I'd managed 127 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: to conjure up out of literally nothing, when one of 128 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: those cats asked, are we not going to use the decoys? Now? 129 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: With all the confidence I could muster, I told them, now, 130 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: we don't need them. I'm gonna put them right in 131 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: through that small hole in the trees, and by the 132 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: time they figure out that that ain't water, they'll be 133 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: close enough for us to shoot them in the lips. 134 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: They seemed excited and couldn't wait to see what was 135 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: about to happen. I couldn't either, but I knew one 136 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: thing for sure. What I told them was fixing to 137 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: happen was probably the furthest thing that was actually gonna happen. 138 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: As it grew lighter, I glanced around for the decoy 139 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: as I stood by my clients, I looked around for 140 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: anything that might actually tell me where we were. The 141 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: only thing I saw was my hunters. Though as inexperienced 142 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: as they were, I could tell they weren't exactly smelling 143 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: what I was stepping in. I heard a few whispers 144 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,239 Speaker 1: back and forth as I stomped and kicked more muddy 145 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: leaves up on top of that thick ice. I couldn't 146 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: tell what they were saying, but I knew they wasn't 147 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: buying it. At least not yet. Ducks started flying and 148 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: I started calling, and I was more surprised. The ducks 149 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: looked like they were trying to find a spot to 150 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: light in the woods that they knew better than I 151 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: did was all frozen up, and yet there they were. 152 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: I told them to be stealing and get ready, and 153 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: I started calling at a group of ducks, and my 154 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: glimpsed passing overhead, and three mallards pitched in through the 155 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: top of the trees and hovered over the hole I'd 156 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: stomped out in the ice covered with wet, muddy leaves. 157 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: We got them all. Twenty minutes later we were high 158 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: fiving and picking up our last green head for a 159 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: full limit of big ducks over zero decoys with zero 160 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: open water. I celebrated with him, but was trying to 161 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: be like the great Chicago Bear Walter Payton. When he 162 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: scored a touchdown, he just hand the ball back to 163 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: the referee and trot off the field. He said, YOA, 164 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: act like you've been there before. Well, in my mind 165 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: I was moon walking back to the truck and doing backflips. 166 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: Those cats thought I was the greatest duck guy in 167 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: the world. Walking out from that whole about thirty yards 168 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: was the sack of decoys I'd hit the day before. 169 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 1: I didn't even break stride. I scooped him up and 170 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: kept walking like I knew right where they was, straight 171 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: back to the parking lot. My hunter's walking behind and 172 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: reliving the hunt shot by shot and talking about how 173 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: we did it without decoys and water. I wasn't the 174 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: greatest duck guy in the world, not by a long shot. 175 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't even the greatest duck guy in our business. 176 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 1: But I was no doubt the luckiest. And that's just 177 00:09:55,440 --> 00:10:08,599 Speaker 1: how that happened. Getting lost, turned around, or temporarily disoriented 178 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: is something we all take a chance on each time 179 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: we leave the house and venture into parts of the unknown, 180 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: and knowing how to navigate around and through our surroundings. 181 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: It's something we've been doing since the first folks decided 182 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: to see what was on the other side of the hill. 183 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: Curiosity has done more than kill the cat, as the 184 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: old saying goes, on the positive side, it's fuelled uncountable discoveries, 185 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: territorial expansion beyond what was thought possible, And on the negative, 186 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,319 Speaker 1: unscheduled sight seeing tours of the back forty I figured 187 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: there was a lot of that taking place back in 188 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: the days of exploring the West. How can you know 189 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: where you're going if there's no one there to tell 190 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: you where to go, if no one you know's ever 191 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: been there before. You can always mark a trail to 192 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: where you've been. It's where you're intending to go that 193 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: can cause the problems. And I've always been fascinated with 194 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: reading maps and using them with a compass to get 195 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: around in the woods. Knowing where I am in the 196 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: wilderness and being able to point it out on the 197 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: map has always been something that I take a lot 198 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,599 Speaker 1: of satisfaction in. Being able to read a map is important. 199 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: In the days before GPS, it was the two Most 200 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: folks that were from where I grew up had their toolbox, 201 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: and it was learned in my case from a very 202 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: early age. When I was a little boy, my dad 203 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: and I would lay on the dog box in the 204 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: back of his truck, staring at a cloudless sky while 205 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,480 Speaker 1: parked on a Timber company road, waiting on the dogs 206 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 1: to strike. Total darkness surrounded us, and the stars were 207 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: clear and bright. He pointed out the Big Dipper and 208 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: the Little Dipper and then the north star, which is 209 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: the last star in the little Dipper's handle. If you're 210 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 1: looking at that star, you're looking north. East is to 211 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: your right, West is to your left, and south is 212 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: one about face away. Years later, when my dad got sick, 213 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: he was admitted to the hospital and spending what would 214 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: be his final forty two days on earth. The value 215 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: and the importance to him of the lessons he taught 216 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: me way back then became apparent. Night and day kind 217 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: of blend into one when you're in and out of 218 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,560 Speaker 1: consciousness in a windowless room or one with the shades 219 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: constantly closed. The nurses were always good about writing the 220 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: day and the day and whether it was am or 221 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 1: pm on a big board with colored markers next to 222 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: a clock that faced his bed, and he could see 223 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: it whenever he woke up and looked around. During one 224 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,959 Speaker 1: of his lucid moments, he looked around the room at 225 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: me and my brother Tim, who were standing on each 226 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: side of his bed. I saw him look at that 227 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: board and then back at us, and he waved his 228 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 1: right index finger back and forth as his hand rested 229 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: on top of the covers, his eyes going back and 230 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: forth from Tim to me and We could tell he 231 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: wanted to know something, but he couldn't speak. We made suggestions, 232 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: asking him what it was. He wanted, both of us 233 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: trying to decipher what he was trying to say through. 234 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: So finally Tim said North is that way and pointed 235 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: out the window with his left hand. Dad nodded ever 236 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: so slightly, closed his eyes and went back to sleep. 237 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: And from then on, regardless of where he was in 238 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 1: that hospital, the nurses or one of us always included 239 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: the word north in an arrow pointed in that direction. 240 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: Besides the date and the time, I would take those 241 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 1: lessons he taught me as a kid, and expand on 242 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: him throughout my life even today. There was one time 243 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: in January of nineteen eighty eight when it was most important. 244 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: I was in a land navigation course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. 245 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:57,839 Speaker 1: At that time of my life, I'd never been as 246 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: cold or seen the cold Oklahoma was beating me around 247 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: the head and shoulders with There were ten of us 248 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: in my group that started from the back of a 249 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: deuce and a half truck that we'd been freshly thrown 250 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 1: out of, with a compass and a map and a 251 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: list of individual points that we all had to find 252 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: on our own. There may have been ten of us 253 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: in the group, but we all had different points to 254 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: find and an unknown time in whish to complete the evolution. 255 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: The map had them pre marked as a dot in 256 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: a distance from where we stood. Here's how it worked. 257 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: We all had that you are here mark on a map. 258 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: This would be in the first of the field exercises. 259 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: They at least gave us that as a starting point. 260 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: Then from the maps they had us, we had to 261 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: find markers scattered over acres of woods in the order 262 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: that they were listed on the map. We all had 263 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: a different number of points to find that zigzagged across 264 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: the course that had followed correctly would have you end 265 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: at the corresponding endpoint marked on your map. At each 266 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: such reference point was a metal stob that had been 267 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: drove in the ground with a brass tag on it 268 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: that had an alpha numeric code stamped on it. You 269 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: had to write those down before shooting an asthma to 270 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: try and locate the next point. They were easy to 271 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: miss if you deviated the slightest on your path from 272 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: the previous point or miscalculated the distance, because they only 273 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: poked up about six inches out of the ground. The 274 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: terrain we were in went from open fields that were 275 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: grown up with waist high grass and briars to dense woods, 276 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: and compounding the problem was there wasn't only just the 277 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: markers you were looking for out there, but other markers 278 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: in close proximity that were marked differently. If you didn't 279 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,280 Speaker 1: walk exactly along the proper asthmas counting the paces from 280 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: the previous spot to the next, you could write down 281 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: the wrong code when you reached that next point in 282 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: the series. You'd wind up back with everyone else eventually. 283 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: But if you mark down the incorrect code, you failed course. 284 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: If you failed the course, you had to recycle and 285 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: do that phase of training all over again. If you 286 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: failed the second time, I think that took you out 287 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: back and shot you, or worse, made you join the Navy. 288 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I love the Navy. I'm kidding now. 289 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: I loved every minute of it, and it was a 290 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: great example of the difference between being close and being 291 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: right on the money. And it's good to know where 292 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: you are in relation to what you're asking other folks 293 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: to shoot at, if you know what I mean. There's 294 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: all kinds of GPS devices, apps and trackers that are 295 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: as common today as that computer camera, television telephone A 296 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: bunch of you are listening to me talk on right now, 297 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: But that hasn't always been the case. I love the 298 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: on X app on my phone. I use it literally 299 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: every day for something. I depend on it to help 300 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: me navigate. But there was a time, as my daughter 301 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: Bailey calls it back then, when those things didn't exist. 302 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: Those simple skills are not as common as they used 303 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 1: to be because of the great convenience of technology. But 304 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: we owe it to ourselves and our kids and the 305 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: new outdoor folks that we should be entering to pass 306 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: along the basic skills that will help you get around 307 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: in the woods when your computer, camera, television telephone battery dies. 308 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,359 Speaker 1: Keep a compass in your pocket and no how it 309 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: works and how to use it. In its most simplistic form, 310 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: if you walk into an area you're unfamiliar with in 311 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: a northerly direction to get back in the vicinity of 312 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 1: where you left from, you know you're gonna have to 313 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: walk in a southerly direction. You don't even need a 314 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: compass to do that. If the sun is on your 315 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: right when you leave, it needs to be on your 316 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: left when you return if you're only gone for half 317 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: the day. Now, don't be jamming up my email with 318 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: what if you left at ten am and came back 319 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: at two pm, Galileo, I know the sun would have 320 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: to be on the right side. Again, I'm talking in 321 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:06,880 Speaker 1: very general terms here, so take it easy. Look at 322 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 1: a map of the area you're in before you leave 323 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: the truck, and orient it with a complaice to where 324 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: you are and what direction you want to go. Better, yet, 325 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: look at it at home and familiarize yourself with it 326 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: before you ever leave the house. The degree of accuracy 327 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: of maps online is extremely detailed and manipula to the 328 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 1: point that you can just about see what you'll be 329 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: seeing before you load up and go. A physical map 330 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:34,719 Speaker 1: of the area is good to tote in your pocket 331 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: as well. It's not that you're gonna need it. It's 332 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: all about if you suddenly find out you do you 333 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: vetteran backcountry folks know what I'm talking about. Sometimes a 334 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 1: day of hunting in the wilderness can turn into an 335 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: overnight stay because of weather or packing out an animal, 336 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: or maybe an injury, or, for heaven's sake, battery dies 337 00:18:55,560 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: on your computer, camera, television, telephone. Being prepared, it is 338 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: essential an extra pair of socks, a packable sleeping bag 339 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 1: and warm clothes jamming until a day pack doesn't take 340 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: up much room, and a compass hanging around your neck. 341 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:14,679 Speaker 1: For sure. Dog, I go overboard when packing for a 342 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: trip and take way more than I'll ever need. But 343 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: regardless of where I'm going to what I'm doing that 344 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: requires me to take things into the field. I have 345 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 1: a minimum a compass in every day pack, backpack and 346 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 1: chest rig I on if I'm talking all three on 347 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: a trip, I have them all Three is two, two 348 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: is one, and one is none. I googled how to 349 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: read a map and added me to either in the 350 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: search bar. There were half a dozen great articles on 351 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: the media to the website explaining in detail how to do it. 352 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,199 Speaker 1: The Bureau of Land Management has an entire free course 353 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: on map reading on their website that goes into the 354 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,719 Speaker 1: weeds so deep you could plan a mission to Mars 355 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 1: with it. And of course there's always the universe. Thank 356 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: give you Tube for video instruction. The main thing is 357 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 1: it's a great tool to have in your toolbox should 358 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 1: you need it. It's also a skill that's being lost 359 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: to the convenience of modern technology. And maybe best of all, 360 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: it's an activity you can share with you young as 361 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: it gets you both outside doing things that doesn't require electricity, batteries, bait, 362 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: or even bullets, just a little time and a willingness 363 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: to learn. Knowing where north is it's the first step, 364 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: and knowing where to take your second. Thank y'all so 365 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: much for listening to all of us here on the 366 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,640 Speaker 1: Bear Grease channel, as really is something for everyone here 367 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: at Mediator, from how to and trivia and music documentary, 368 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: kids and this calamity that drops every Friday morning until 369 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,720 Speaker 1: next week. This is Brent Reeves. Sign it off, y'all, 370 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: be careful to be done. R.