1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: Today's episode is all about hunting with kids and hunting 6 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: with newbies and what you have to think about to 7 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 1: make it a success. It's crazy how fast a decade 8 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: goes when you have kids. When my wife convinced me 9 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: that we should pull a goalie and add to the 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: world's population, I was mostly just a selfish outdoor writer 11 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: who was pretty used to having tons of time to hunt. 12 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: In fact, I was on an access hunt when she 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: called me to say she was pregnant, and I was 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: on a muleteer hunt when she called me to say 15 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: we were having two girls. Maybe that makes me sound 16 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: like a bad husband, but this will be worse, and 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I was terrified 18 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: of missing out on hunting opportunities once those of the 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: girls were born. I thought about that a lot. Man. 20 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: I was so wrong on so many things then, and 21 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: that's what I want to talk about today, because those 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: babies are now preteen sass monsters who love to hunt. 23 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: And I gotta tell you something this episode and the 24 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: next one, because this is gonna be a two partter. 25 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: Here it applies to everybody who might take a new 26 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: hunter out. It's not just if you're gonna take kids out, 27 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: it's also you take your cowork or your buddy, your 28 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: brother in law, whoever. And there's a lot of good 29 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: information in these next two that are going to make 30 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: you a better hunter if you find yourself in any 31 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: of those situations. The first ah ha moment I had 32 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: with kids and the outdoors happened while I was going 33 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: a little insane with a pair of three year olds 34 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: at home. We needed an excuse to go outside and 35 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: to do something besides playing at the neighborhood parks, so 36 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: we took a trip to Cabella's. I bought a cheap 37 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: pink fishing rod with an equally cheap and pink spinning reel, 38 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: and I started talking about fishing. Where I live in Minnesota, 39 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: finding water really isn't a problem. My buddies who live 40 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: out West always talk about wet years and dry years 41 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: and what the elker meal deer feed looks like and 42 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: how that should translate to bigger bowls and bucks or not. 43 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: Here in the Upper Midwest, we don't really have that problem. 44 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: Our dry years are still pretty wet and we've got 45 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: water to spare. How the downside is, at least where 46 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: I live, finding water that isn't covered in people doing 47 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: summertime water things. That's tough. Bear with me here. But 48 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: it was a bathroom break at a local tar j 49 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: that brought me to the perfect water for my girls. 50 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: The pond kind of one of those ornamental drainage ponds, 51 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: located smack dab in a strip mall parking lot. It's 52 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: not really the ideal setting for fishing. The old saying 53 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: about beggars and choosers comes to mind, And I'll tell 54 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: you something. When I walked my non bathroom emergency daughter 55 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: down to that pond while killing time and waiting for 56 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: my wife to wrap things up in Target, I spotted 57 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: about a million dinky sunfish. I also saw a school 58 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: of feral goldfish, which cost my attention. I've never caught 59 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: a goldfish and these were pretty good sized. The problem was, 60 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: I don't know if you could legally fish the pond. 61 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: I didn't really know who to call. I'm also, I 62 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: don't know, at least on paper kind of a journalist. 63 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: And I say that in the roughest, loosest sense of 64 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: the word. But that led me to some research, which 65 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: culminated with a phone call to a very nice lady 66 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: from the city department who told me, yeah, you can 67 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: fish there with your daughters, but no, you're not gonna 68 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: catch anything. She said that pond is empty. Well I 69 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: thanked her, and I loaded up a small tackle box 70 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 1: with some jigs and random plastics, and then loaded up 71 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: the girls. We caught fish there, tiny sunfish, tiny crop ease, 72 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: but unfortunately no goldfish. But it did make me realize 73 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: two things. I might be able to get the fishing 74 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: bug to stick with the girl and the rod I 75 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: bought was marketed toward little girls who want to fish 76 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: with their dads but not up to the task of 77 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: anything big. It was a forehead slapping moment for me. 78 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: I'm a quality fishing gear addict. I just them comes 79 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: from my tournament days. I love good stuff. I appreciate 80 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: high end rods, high end reels, and the experience that 81 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: comes with him. Now I know people who will say 82 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: you can fish just as well with a twenty dollar 83 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: combo from Wally World. But they are wrong. They're free 84 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: to fish with whatever they want. Go ahead, go nuts, 85 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: you do you, but they're wrong about that one. The 86 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: backbone of a rod, the sensitivity of it, the grip, design, 87 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: everything plays into the experience, and people who fish for 88 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: a living truly understand that. But it's not just that 89 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: small group of folks who can benefit from a good rod. 90 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: Kids can too. If they want to cast well, they 91 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: want to be able to set the hook with some 92 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: level of gir and fight fish. Cheapy rods are a 93 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: liability and not really an asset. That lesson stuck with me, 94 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: and it hit home when I was thinking about getting 95 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: the girls into hunting now. In my home state of Minnesota, 96 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: getting them into hunting meant taking them gun hunting when 97 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: they turned ten, or waiting for them to be twelve 98 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: and then they can bow hunt. But I didn't want 99 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: to wait, and neither did they. That meant Wisconsin, with 100 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: its no minimum age rules and cross bowl legalization. It's 101 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 1: pretty obvious choice, but also kind of a weird choice 102 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: for me. I don't really know much about crossbows. They 103 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: don't interest me. I'm not totally adamantly opposed to them. 104 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: Like some bow hunters, I'm just not really interested in them, 105 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: kind of like I'm not as interested in as gun 106 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: hunting for deer as I am bow hunting for them. 107 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 1: Just my thing. I don't enjoy shooting crossbows, and I 108 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: don't have much of a desire to hunt with one, 109 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: unless for some reason I couldn't draw a vertical boat. Anyway, 110 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: a cross boat was the obvious choice for the girls, 111 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 1: and so I bought kind of this youth woman's model 112 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: and set them up with a good tripod. We started 113 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: practicing on a three D target. And let me tell 114 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: you something. If anyone tells you that crossbows and vertical 115 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: bows are the same thing, they either have the mental 116 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: horsepower of an ice cube or they are intentionally being deceitful. 117 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: Those little girls could hit the vitals and a deer 118 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: target at twenty yards right out of the gate, and 119 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: they could do it over and over and over again. 120 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: It was impressive, it was fun, and it also made 121 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: me feel better about taking my then nine year olds hunting. 122 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: My biggest fear was that they'd spine one or have 123 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: just a really terrible shot that would go south and 124 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: taint the whole experience. I wanted to make sure that 125 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: if they got a shot, it would go really well 126 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: and result in short blood trail. But of course you 127 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: can't guarantee anything like that when you're dealing with wild 128 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: animals and kids. To be fair, I couldn't guarantee anything 129 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 1: like that. You know, with adults either or myself. We 130 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: practice a lot. I set the crossbow up with heavier 131 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: bolts and solid one piece fixed blade heads as the 132 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: season drew closer. After shooting it myself several times when 133 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: they're actually hunting AMMO, I was pretty confident that if 134 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: I got a deer within that magic sixty ft range, 135 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: it was gonna go pretty well and I would During 136 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: all of this, we also drove over to Wisconsin a 137 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: few separate times to hang cameras and set up blinds, 138 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: glass dear, eat candy, trout, fish, eat more candy, and 139 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: really get the preseason work finished. It was fun and 140 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: a huge part of the process. Still, I was nervous. 141 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: Not only did I have my girls shooting a weapon 142 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,679 Speaker 1: that is undoubtedly a big advantage over a vertical bowl, 143 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: I had put in a lot of work to ensure 144 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: that we had set ups that would put a few 145 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: deer right in our laps, and I wondered, did did 146 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: the advantage I provided there was that like a too great? 147 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: Was it too much? Was it going to be too 148 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: easy for them? Now? I think I'm just getting old, 149 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: but I really worried about making it too easy for 150 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: my daughters, and I worry about their generation having it 151 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: too easy now. I've coached them in t ball and 152 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: softball and basketball for a few years now, and I've 153 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: seen that everyone gets a trophy thing play out, it 154 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: doesn't do much for them, sets them back. I think 155 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: it's crazy, crazy, how a little competitiveness in a sport 156 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: can spark real enthusiasm, Whereas when they couldn't win because 157 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: there were no winners, it was boring and they didn't care. 158 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: So even at six, they responded so well to a 159 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: challenge in the prospect of winning. I think it's innate 160 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: in us. I believe it. I think we need challenges, 161 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: and I think it's more important now than it ever 162 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: has been in our history as humans. It wasn't that 163 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: long ago when we were hunter gatherers and the challenge 164 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: of finding enough protein to fill our stomachs was a 165 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: big one, you know, but a lot changes in ten 166 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: or twenty thou years, and today we've got it pretty 167 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: damn good, so good that we even invent drama so 168 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: we have something to fight about. That's a weird spot 169 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: to be in. Too easy, it's not so great, and 170 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 1: it's one of the main reasons why you and I 171 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: are probably so drawn to white tail hunting. We need 172 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: a challenge, and hunting deer is a pretty good way 173 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: to get that fixed. That's part of the reason the 174 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 1: public land thing is so appealing to so many people. 175 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: No one goes into that process thinking it's going to 176 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: be easy, but the idea of the reward that come 177 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: from public land hunting there's a lot of gravity to it. 178 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 1: And to be fair, a lot of people seem to 179 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: go into public land white till hunting, you know, thinking 180 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: that it will be easier than it is. That's a 181 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: different topic anyway. I wrestled with this as a parent. 182 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 1: I think we're all struggling to find that balance between 183 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: giving our children as good of a head start as possible, 184 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: but without making things so easy that they become ship 185 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: head adults who can't handle life. In this case, I 186 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: wanted to give my daughters a great head start on 187 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: deer hunting, but not make it so easy that they 188 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't appreciate it. Part of that stems from the exposure 189 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:37,839 Speaker 1: to hunting that I've seen on so many hunting shows. 190 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: I can get pretty judge when I'm somewhere that has 191 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: I don't know the Sports was channel of the Outdoor Channel, 192 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: and I catch an episode with a twelve year old 193 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: sitting over a food plot passing to shoot a one 194 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 1: seventy that I know the kid didn't work for and 195 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: probably won't fully understand the gravity of. But why should 196 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: I care? I honestly shouldn't. It's just an easy thing 197 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: to be a prick about. It's my own kids and 198 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: their experience that I should focus on. And I can 199 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: tell you the thing I wrestled with the most was 200 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: that balance between easy and fun and challenging and rewarding 201 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: and all the things we'd also like to get out 202 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: of all of our hunts that in the spine shot, 203 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: the ugly death thing was dominated my thoughts. I knew 204 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: we had a hedge in one way because where we 205 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: put our blinds in north central Wisconsin, it wasn't like 206 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: we were going to be covered in deer. The visibility 207 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: would be limited due to the blinds and their locations, 208 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: but we'd also be hunting around a pretty sparse deer population. 209 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: I thought that would produce some dead hours and dead 210 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: sits and make it really special when any deer walked in. 211 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: That's weird how we justify our actions in hunting and life, 212 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: isn't it. I have no doubt there was a time 213 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: in my life before I had kids where if someone 214 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: said they were going to have their nine year old 215 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 1: shoot across but out of a blind, where I would 216 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: have been like, m I don't think those kids are 217 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: ever gonna understand why I do this. But how things change. 218 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: My friends, perhaps you're dealing with this yourself as your 219 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: kids come of age to hunt, or maybe you're taking 220 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: somebody else out who's a newbie. It's a weird situation 221 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: now because it wasn't that long ago when you couldn't 222 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: find a youth season in any state. It wasn't that 223 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: long ago where most states required kids to be twelve 224 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: to hunt and have earned their firearm safety certification to 225 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: do it. Now there are quite a few states where 226 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: under twelve year old kids can hunt, and quite a 227 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: few of them you know, they offer unique youth only 228 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: seasons for deer and ducks and turkeys and whatever else. 229 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: And they'll also sell you a ridiculously cheap tag for that. 230 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: I'm talking like one dollar tags and in some cases 231 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: six or seven dollar tags for nonresident hunting. Isn't that wild? 232 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 1: I think it is, But I'm also not complaining. I 233 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: feel like the window in which I can get my 234 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: daughters somewhat hooked on hunting it's pretty short one. They 235 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: already have sports all year round, they have jim naw sticks, 236 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: They have unlimited opportunities to do things that aren't in 237 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: the woods or on the water, and the gravity for 238 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: those activities is huge, and it gets even stronger if 239 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: you're happy to live where I live, and hunting isn't 240 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: quite as important to the average person as the you know, 241 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: I don't keep up with the Jones lifestyle that ropes 242 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: all family members in and keeps them doing what the 243 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 1: neighbors are doing. I knew this as my daughters were 244 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: growing up, but I didn't really know it, if that 245 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 1: makes sense. It's kind of like when you first get 246 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: married and people with a little gray in their sideburns 247 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 1: and their beard they warn you that the honeymoon will 248 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: end and things will get We'll call it less fun. 249 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: You might think, not me, man, I'm different, My marriage 250 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: is going to be different. Well, I got news for you. 251 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: You probably aren't different. They are like eight billion of us. 252 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: We aren't that special and we aren't that different. We 253 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: just think we are. And that led me to believe 254 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: that I'd be able to take my daughter's hunting and 255 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,359 Speaker 1: fishing all the time, and that they shun the activities 256 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 1: my wife wants them to be in. I can almost 257 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: hear the middle aged and upcrowd laughing at that, and 258 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: I fully admit it. I got it way wrong. But 259 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: there is a good fight to be fought, and I 260 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: think it starts with getting your kids hunting, or getting 261 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: newbies and hunting. I figured I might have a few 262 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: more seasons to really get this to stick with my daughters, 263 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: and that's what I'm trying to do. I know not 264 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: everyone has that fight, because there are some youngsters out 265 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,439 Speaker 1: there who are fully wired for the outdoors. A lot 266 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: of them aren't, though at least totally and needed a 267 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: little bump in the right direction. That's the spot I'm 268 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: at with the girls. The clock to teenage dumb it's ticking. 269 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: I've been worn plenty on that, but it's inevitable and 270 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: I don't care. What I care about is their experience 271 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,959 Speaker 1: now and how I can plant some seeds that might 272 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: take root. That's what deer hunting offers, and my job 273 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: is to try to get them into it as best 274 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: I can. That's your job too, if you've got some 275 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: young ones at home and they're thinking about the days 276 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: when you'll be able to go afield with them, or 277 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: you've got that co worker who you like who keeps 278 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: hinting that he'd like to try deer hunting, or like 279 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: I said earlier, maybe you marry into a family and 280 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: the brother in law or the sister in law or 281 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: the father in law or somebody it's like, you know what, 282 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: I like venison and I've never tried hunting. We're all there, 283 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: we all have someone like that, and so I guess, 284 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: I guess what I'll say to tie a bow on 285 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: all of this is what I've learned the last two 286 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: seasons with my daughters. The process is more important than 287 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: a dead deer. We often think about taking new hunters 288 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: out and focus so much on getting them a filled 289 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: tag that we gloss over what is really important about 290 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: this stuff that we do. I catch myself in this 291 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: trap a lot, and I have to remind myself that 292 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: a few dear will probably show up if we do 293 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: everything right. But it's the doing everything right part that 294 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: matters the most. The time walking field edges and through 295 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: the woods for sign and answering a million questions, that's 296 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: real important. The trail camera card polls, they're fun and 297 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: they're important too. The time spent glassing with a kid 298 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: or a nubie so important because they get to see 299 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: deer and other critters doing what other critters do. The 300 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: gear prep as much as they'll be involved, that's really 301 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: important too. Talking about it, asking them what they are 302 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: excited for. All of that stuff feeds into a love 303 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: of the game. I think, No, no, I believe making 304 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: them a real part of it instead of a I 305 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: don't know, like a pampered guest who is divorced from 306 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: what it takes to actually be a hunter. That's kind 307 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: of what I'm getting at, I guess, And I don't know. 308 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: Maybe that sounds too preachy. I don't really care. I 309 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: think it's worth acknowledging, and it actually extends way beyond 310 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: the typical take a kid out for the first season 311 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: type of thing. It's actually a pretty solid blueprint for 312 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: getting anyone out to hunt and to develop a real 313 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: appreciation for the whole thing. It just also happens to 314 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: work for kids really well too. At least that's the 315 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: route I've taken. And if I've made it too easy 316 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: for them, I have plans to make it harder. While 317 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: they've hunted out of ground blinds only so far, with 318 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: a nice tripod to set their crossbow in and as 319 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: good at locations as I can get them too, this 320 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: coming season, they'll start to hunt from ladder stands. They'll 321 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: start to shoot a vertical bow I bought for them too, 322 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: even though they're not gonna hunt with it yet now 323 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: they know I won't force it. But by the time 324 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: they're like twelve, they might be expected to hunt with 325 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: a bow that does not have a scope on it. 326 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: They will have to learn how to time their draw 327 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: and how to hunt like I hunt, and if I'm 328 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: being honest, and I am, but they won't be forced 329 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: to do it. I hope, just like with training dogs, 330 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: that I can develop a positive message around this stuff 331 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: that translates directly into embracing the challenges and a love 332 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: of the game. I'll ask my rant on the topic 333 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: of getting kids started or newby started any away your 334 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: path will look different. But I do plan on keeping 335 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,120 Speaker 1: this train of thought going for next week's episode because 336 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: I really want to talk about what I actually learned 337 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: about while hunting with the girls and how that really 338 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: feeds into the planning and the process. It's also a 339 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 1: good lesson, as I just mentioned, for anyone who is 340 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,160 Speaker 1: looking to take out a newcomer, so the next one 341 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: has a lot of information about how you can make 342 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: it a better experience for them and how you're going 343 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: to grow as a hunter for doing just that. That's 344 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: it for this week, my dear obsessed amigoes. I'm Tony 345 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: Peterson and this has been the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, 346 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: which has brought to you by First Light. As I 347 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: always thank you so much for listening, all of us 348 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: here at Meteators truly appreciate it. If you need a 349 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 1: little bit more white tail wisdom, feel free to head 350 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: on over to our Wired to Hunt YouTube channel or 351 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,199 Speaker 1: to visit the metator dot com slash Wired. At both places, 352 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,119 Speaker 1: you're gonna see videos or articles on all kinds of 353 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: deer hunting strategies, tactics, whatever you name it, so check 354 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: them out.