1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to this country Life. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: I'm your host, Brent Reeves from coon hunting to trot 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 2: lining and just general country living. 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: I want you to stay. 5 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 2: Awhile as I share my experiences in life lessons. This 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 2: Country Life is presented by Case Knives on Meat Eaters 7 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 2: Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast. 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: The airwaves have to offer. 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate. 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 2: I've got some stories to share. The Kansas count project. 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: Now here's a little insight on how my first solo 12 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 2: video project went that we just finished filming. Now it'll 13 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 2: head to the editors who will take the pile of 14 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 2: footage we assembled over three days and try to tell 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 2: the story visually that we set out to tell during 16 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 2: the planning of the project. Months from now, after a 17 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,839 Speaker 2: whole bunch of work from the folks you never see 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 2: or hear about, we'll post it for all to see 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 2: and hopefully learn a little something and enjoy it. Only time, Hotel, 20 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 2: I got a lot to say, so let's get to it. 21 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 2: My first solo video project for me Eater took place 22 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: a little less than a month ago. Now that project 23 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 2: immediately followed the South Louisiana Fishing trip and a hog 24 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 2: hunt in Texas I talked about a few episodes ago. 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: I've been a busy boy over the last few weeks, 26 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: and now, after a couple of nights at home from 27 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: the Texas trip, I was making tracks toward Kansas to 28 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 2: leak up with my friend Jeff Ryder. Jeff's a fellow 29 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: ar Kansas and a longtime friend now. I talked about 30 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: him in episode two twenty nine, dedicated to hunting with 31 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: decoy dogs back in July twenty twenty four. If you're 32 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: not familiar with what a decoy dog is, I highly 33 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: encourage you to give that one a listen. But I'll 34 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: go over briefly here for those that are new, or 35 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: for you folks with bad memories or the select few 36 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: who are too lazy to move your finger about three 37 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: times and listen to it for yourself. But decoy dogs 38 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 2: have been an effective tool and predator control for a 39 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 2: long time. As a matter of fact, there are still 40 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 2: folks who've historically been called government trappers and hunters that 41 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 2: are still working on predator numbers. Folks who are state 42 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: or federal employees or contractors tasked with reducing the number 43 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: of predators on the landscape with kyotes being one of 44 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 2: their main targets. Now, you're probably gonna hear me say 45 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 2: kyote and kyotey interchangeably, and it's just the way I 46 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: was raised. But that's what I'm talking about. Forever, I 47 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: thought the role of coyote number production was to benefit 48 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: cattle ranchers and deer populations. So with that info simmering 49 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 2: in my back pocket, I set out many moons ago 50 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 2: to fill my friend Jeff doing the work of the 51 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: people in saving Kansas burghers and booners one code at 52 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 2: a time. Now, in a way, we were, but just 53 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 2: not to the extent I was led to believe by 54 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: word of mouth and my very unscientific research and observations. 55 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: All that info would come out with a meeting schedule 56 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 2: for the final day of shooting with the wildlife biologists 57 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 2: from Kansas State University. Now, more on that enlightening meeting 58 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: and conversation a little later on. 59 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: Right. 60 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: Now, here's how decoyed dogs work. We set up in 61 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 2: a territory that offers cover and terrain suitable for coouts 62 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: to operate in, which is just about anywhere, and start 63 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 2: blaring cody sounds over a predator call the coute hears 64 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: the sounds, comes to investigate, and while approaching, the dog 65 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: sees the coyoute and gives chase. Now, if the cootie 66 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: is aggressive enough, it will engage the dog by chasing it, 67 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: and the dog will come back to where we're sitting 68 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: and someone will take the shot, reducing the predator population 69 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: by one. It is quite the spectacle, and to those 70 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 2: who are interested in seeing how two canines and one 71 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: domesticated and one not interact with one another, it's pretty amazing. 72 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 2: But before we get into that, we've got to get 73 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: to Kansas and link up with the production team and 74 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: our host, the ever clean shaven Jeff Ryder. I've known 75 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 2: Jeff for quite a while, and he's as good a 76 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 2: fella as they make. His disdain for anything related to 77 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 2: onions and a poor choice in music leaves a whole 78 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 2: lot of room for improvement, but we can't all be perfect. 79 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 2: I saw him contemplate a felony once in a cafe 80 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 2: where a waitress brought him a cheeseburger with onions. He 81 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 2: didn't say anything to her. He's a gentleman above all else. 82 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: But the the rest of us heard his sad tale 83 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 2: of woe endlessly over that whole trip onions nearly started 84 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 2: civil unrest on the plains of the Sunflower State. I 85 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: also remember driving home with him late one night, after 86 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 2: nearly a week of little sleep and lots and lots 87 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 2: of driving over the vast Kansas Prairie. 88 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: Chasing old wily coyote. 89 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 2: I was sound asleep in the passenger seat when all 90 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 2: of a sudden, the Beastie Boys were blaring No Sleep 91 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 2: Till Brooklyn at full voluble within the confines of the 92 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 2: cab of that truck, a song and genre of music 93 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: that would have me choosing a dentist apartment. 94 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: Over listening to a complete track. 95 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 2: I bolted up right in the seat, glared at him 96 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 2: in his big, dumb, smiling face, and told him, won't 97 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 2: you ever play that again? And I tried to go 98 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 2: back to sleep. For those that are wondering, he did 99 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 2: not listen. But a couple of weeks ago, when I 100 00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: pulled into the place where we were all staying, Eyes 101 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 2: and Dave Gardner, two veteran cameramen who I've worked on 102 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 2: several projects with during my time at Meat Eater, were 103 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: already there, putting equipment and cameras together. That we'd be 104 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: using for the next three days. Isaac had made the 105 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,119 Speaker 2: drive over from his home in Missouri, and David flown 106 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 2: down from Montana, rented a car brought the majority of 107 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 2: the equipment that we'd be using. The amount of stuff 108 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 2: needed for a professional production may have gotten smaller in 109 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 2: size as far as cameras and sound gear goes over 110 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: the years, but the number of hard cases and redundancy 111 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: has more or less remained the same. 112 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: It's it's a lot of the stuff. 113 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 2: Some don't realize the depth of planning of a production 114 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 2: crew goes to a preparation for a film and a 115 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 2: hunt like this. I know because I was one of 116 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 2: them that didn't. Back when I was doing it. I 117 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,119 Speaker 2: bought the best camera in tripod I could afford, couple 118 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 2: with the best shotgun Mike I could attach to the camera, 119 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 2: and we headed to the woods and what ever happened happened, 120 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 2: And whatever happened, I was hopefully paying enough attention to 121 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 2: have the camera pointing in the right direction to document 122 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 2: the event. Now that's still basically what we do, except 123 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 2: everything is planned ahead of time for what we're going 124 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 2: to try to film to fit a story agreed upon 125 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 2: that hopefully the cameras will capture and support our narrative. 126 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 2: Several online meetings of me pitching the idea to the 127 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 2: office last year had this project ending up being about 128 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: a hunter's relationship with his dog. A lot of my 129 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 2: content is about hundred dogs, and that relationship is a 130 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 2: solid narrative throughout them, all different environments being the stage 131 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 2: on which the same story is told again and again. 132 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: Nuances of the relationship being described on how the human 133 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: dog interaction plays out in the hunt is what I 134 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 2: find entertaining in education. I never grow tired of seeing 135 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 2: a working dog work in conjunction with the goal, whether 136 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 2: it's fighting a squirrel or a coon and a tree 137 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 2: and the dog is telling you I promise he's right 138 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 2: up there, just keep looking, or a shepherd moving cows 139 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: from one place to another at the direction of a handler. 140 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 2: I dig it, and I love witnessing the correlation between 141 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 2: the man and the dog as much as the interaction 142 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 2: of the dog and whatevery game is being pursued. 143 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,239 Speaker 1: In this case is colotes and I just gave. 144 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: You a brief on how it works, with a more 145 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 2: detailed version of that to be depicted in the footage 146 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 2: we were fixing. 147 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: To try and capture. 148 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 2: I couldn't think of a better hunter to be with 149 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: than Jeff and his dogs to showcase in this project. 150 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 2: Countless hunts from him years ago still played vividly in 151 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 2: my brain as I drove toward where we'd all meet, 152 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 2: and I couldn't think of a better place to do 153 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:56,079 Speaker 2: it than Kansas, even though Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri have 154 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: been great locations as well from back in the day. 155 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 2: Just something about the Kansas Prairie that speaks to me 156 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 2: on a level like no other when it comes to 157 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 2: this kind of honeing. 158 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: Now, maybe it's. 159 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 2: Because it was the first place that I witnessed the 160 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: decoy dog work for jail. If I had to bet, though, 161 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 2: I'd say it's because the sunsets in Kansas they're as 162 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 2: good as they get anywhere. And when I think about them, 163 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 2: I always see the horizon and in the frame of 164 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 2: windmills and missing a couple of blades, and it sets 165 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 2: motionless as the sky fades from blue to orange, and 166 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 2: you can seemingly see forever. I was in the right place, 167 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 2: with the right people. There was only one problem. It 168 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 2: was raining like a Cowpeean on a flat rock. It 169 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 2: had been raining off and on all spring, deluges of 170 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 2: rain and storms. It seemed to be on a tighter 171 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 2: schedule than we were. Almost a year of planning had 172 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 2: come down to go time, and it was raining buckets. 173 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 2: Day one was an absolute wash, literally and figuratively. We'd 174 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 2: be in Kansas for five days. Day one and day 175 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: five would be travel days getting there and then getting 176 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,599 Speaker 2: back home. That left us the middle three days for 177 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 2: hunting and for getting the required shots outside of the 178 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 2: hunting location, like sunsets and sunrises, birds and creeks, landscapes, 179 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 2: drone shots, interviews, and the multitude of other film and 180 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 2: photographs required to complete such a project. It's a lot 181 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 2: of stuff, but we were ready. We were well prepared. 182 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 2: We all knew what our individual rolls were, and the 183 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 2: shooting schedule was our playbook. Everything that we could control 184 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 2: was accounted for. The only two things we had no 185 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 2: control over was the weather and the kyotes. 186 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 1: On this trip, they were going to be hard to 187 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: work with. 188 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 2: Three hours before dark, the rain tapered off and we 189 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 2: hit the ground running guns, cameras and dogs. My old 190 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 2: high school agrid teacher always said, boys, you got to 191 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 2: make hay while the sun shines. It sounded cool, and 192 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 2: I was probably a lot older when I figured out 193 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: what he meant by that. You have to take advantage 194 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 2: of an opportunity when it presents itself well. The break 195 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 2: in the weather was our first opportunity, and we were 196 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 2: chomping at the bit to get started. Coats like tickets 197 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 2: to den in and hang out during the day, and 198 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 2: during this time of year, the mating pair will have 199 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 2: a litter of pupps in a den. Naturally they'll be 200 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,319 Speaker 2: more protective and aggressive than other times because. 201 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: Of that fact alone. 202 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 2: Before we go any farther and I get accused of 203 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 2: separating mommies and daddies from babies. 204 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: That's not how nature works. They ain't people. 205 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,719 Speaker 2: Their will to survive is what makes them protective, as 206 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 2: any parents should be. That same wheell is also what 207 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 2: makes them slip into your farm and snatch a calf, 208 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 2: a lamb of gold, a piglet, or your pet out 209 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: of the backyard. The ones that do that, I would 210 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,839 Speaker 2: come to find out two days later, are the very 211 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 2: ones we normally encounter on such a hunt. I'm not 212 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,839 Speaker 2: purposely bearing the hook to keep it from you. I 213 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 2: just want you to learn about it like I did 214 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 2: from a more trusted source than me. So back to 215 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 2: that first setup. We walked north through an old barn 216 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,599 Speaker 2: lot and stopped at the edge of uncut pasture that 217 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 2: was more prairie grass than hey. 218 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: I can't imagine it looking much different from when. 219 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 2: The first European settlers started making wagon tracks in that 220 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 2: part of the country. Jeff walked out about thirty yards 221 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 2: to set that pradator call out. There was a fence 222 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,360 Speaker 2: line to our left, also about thirty yards that ran 223 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 2: north the direction we were facing straight up that fence. 224 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: On the west side of it was a thicket you could. 225 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 2: See on all necks that was pretty substantial, about five 226 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 2: acres worth of boat arc trees and briars and thick 227 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 2: fever that looked like a coat had designed it himself. 228 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 2: We sat there facing the north, and there was a 229 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 2: gap in the fence at about ten o'clock on. 230 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: Our left, about fifty yards away. 231 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 2: The wind was blown from the front right to the 232 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 2: back left. According to Jeff, the colts had more than 233 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 2: likely come from the north out in front of us, 234 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 2: or from the left, which was west, and entered that 235 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 2: gap where they could see the prairie and see what 236 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 2: was making all the racket called Jeff at echoing across 237 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 2: Kansas was a cody hal and a challenge to the 238 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 2: local inhabitants, and then a simulated fight between two adult couts, 239 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 2: and rounded it out with the artificial sounds that mimicked 240 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,599 Speaker 2: cody puppies in distress, all of which would make the 241 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 2: hair stand up on the back of your neck and 242 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 2: give you the creeps, but were a hundred times more 243 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 2: pleasing to my ears than anything beastly boys ever released. Normally, 244 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 2: we'd sit in a spot no more than fifteen or 245 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,319 Speaker 2: twenty minutes trying various calls, with Jeff working a pattern 246 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 2: of gradual intensity, hoping to ramp up the predatory and 247 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 2: territorial instincts of the couts, drawed them out of the open, 248 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 2: building layers of curiosity and anger upon layer until they 249 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 2: finally broke out and they opened. I'd watched him do 250 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 2: it a million times, and I'd safely bet that more 251 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 2: times than not it worked. This was the first time 252 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 2: in over a decade that I would be sitting side 253 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: by side with my friend Jeff on the plains of Kansas, 254 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 2: waiting on a cow toy to show up. 255 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: And this time it would be no different. 256 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 2: I was getting itchy to leave to make another stand 257 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 2: before dark when Jeff said, I think I saw something 258 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 2: across from the prairie over into that thicket by two hundred. 259 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: And fifty yards up the fence. I didn't see nothing. 260 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 2: I kept a watchful eye of that fence row for 261 00:14:56,760 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 2: what seemed like forever, and I remembered what he he 262 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 2: said about the gap, and as I shifted my gaze 263 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 2: to the left, Jeff said, there he is three o'clock. 264 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 2: A joker had done just what Jeff said he was 265 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: going to do. He crossed in front of us where 266 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 2: he saw him. Then he followed that fence line south 267 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 2: and walked into our set up, exactly where he figured 268 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 2: he would. He was right on top of us, and 269 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 2: had we been there just to whack and stack coats, 270 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 2: that hunt would have ended right there. I swung to 271 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 2: the left and had him in my sights. Dave and 272 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 2: Isaac started rolling their cameras and Jeff seek the dogs 273 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 2: to engage the coat who was staring at us from 274 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 2: an easy fly cast away, But the dogs didn't see 275 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 2: him immediately. They were looking straight forward. He was on 276 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 2: the left, and the coat faded further to our south, 277 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 2: trying to figure out which one of us was making 278 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 2: the sounds that had. 279 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: Brought him out in the first place. 280 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 2: Now this is all happening at the same time, a 281 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 2: mirror matter of seconds, and he got down wind enough, 282 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 2: just enough to catch a bit of human sit And 283 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 2: when he got a snow full of that, he little 284 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 2: shuck and bamoosed back into that thicket, with Jeff's dog 285 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:14,080 Speaker 2: right behind him. 286 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: Finally he saw it. 287 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 2: Now, you think that that would be the end of it, 288 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 2: with the coyote beating feet out of the country, But 289 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 2: like most things in nature, it's not always what it 290 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 2: appears to be. Spook deer don't run near as far 291 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 2: as you think, and needed the coyotes less than one 292 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 2: hundred yards away. We heard some fisticuffs break out between 293 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 2: Jeff's dog and the coyote. Nothing vicious, mind you, or 294 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 2: that lasted very long, more of a meaningful exchange of 295 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 2: ideas from two folks who are never going to get along. 296 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 2: Sometimes this will lead the coyote back into the game, 297 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 2: but it's only a remote chance if they get awhiff 298 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 2: of human sent before they engage with the dog, and 299 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 2: right along with what the law of averages would say, 300 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 2: he didn't come back out, but we had done what 301 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 2: we had set out to do. We made a stand 302 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 2: we called in a colt that we could have taken 303 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 2: at any point. We just didn't get the dog action 304 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: we were looking for for our project. It wasn't a 305 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,719 Speaker 2: colt shooting show. It was supposed to be a colt 306 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:23,199 Speaker 2: decoy dog show and we were just getting started. We 307 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 2: deal with rain off and on for the next three days, 308 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,719 Speaker 2: so our hunting time got limited by the weather. In 309 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 2: that time, we made about half of the stands that 310 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 2: we wouldn't normally have done. By hunting from daylight until 311 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 2: around noon before it gets too hot, you can feasibly 312 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 2: make three stands an hour, which comes to about fifteen. 313 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 2: Another five hours in the evening will put you at 314 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 2: thirty stands a day. Not that hard to do when 315 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 2: you're not having to drive very far, and we didn't 316 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 2: because Jeff had easily half a million acres of private 317 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 2: land that he had permission to hunt on, access gained 318 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 2: over thirty years of helping farmers with the code issues. 319 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 2: I'm not going to reveal how the filming ended because 320 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 2: i want you to watch it when it comes out 321 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: next year. I will tell you this that we had 322 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 2: some crazy cool hunts, and I missed some shots I 323 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 2: shouldn't have, and I made the shot of my life. 324 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: On the final hunt for the final day. 325 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,200 Speaker 2: But I also want to share with you the name 326 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 2: of a new friend Jeff and I made on this 327 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 2: reunion hunt of ours, Doctor Drew Ricketts, a professor at 328 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 2: Kansas State University. Drew's specialty is wildlife biology, and he 329 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 2: is the extension specialist for wildlife Management and predator Control, 330 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 2: which means, if you have problems with predators on your land, 331 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 2: Drew is the guy you called who can teach you 332 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 2: how to deal with issues like that. 333 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: Now, I like that. 334 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 2: I like the idea of passing the knowledge down for 335 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 2: someone else to do it instead of doing it for him. 336 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 2: It's like that old shampoo commercial of how the good 337 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 2: word gets out. 338 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: You tell two friends, and they'll tell two friends, and. 339 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 2: After a few of those, everybody knows how to deal 340 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 2: with the problem. Before you know it, it ain't a problem. 341 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 2: No more on theory outside of how it works anyway, 342 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 2: Drew was invited to be a part of the production to. 343 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: Bring some learned knowledge into the mix. 344 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 2: The best part about the whole thing, Drew is a 345 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 2: decoy dog hunter himself. Drew added a lot of great 346 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 2: information to the project, and we're already planning a more 347 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 2: in depth interview podcast about what I'm fixing the lightly 348 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:34,200 Speaker 2: touch on here. 349 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: I found it fascinating, and I hope you do too. 350 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: Give me a. 351 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 2: Show of hands out there as to how many of 352 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 2: you have seen the meme on social media that shows 353 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 2: a coute on top of a pyramid of deer fons 354 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 2: that says during dinning season, studies show the female codes 355 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 2: average killing nineteen phones each to feed their offspring. And 356 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 2: then it ends with keep doing the workfellas, which is 357 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 2: an encouragement to keep the coltes and check. Now that's 358 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 2: an activity I fully support, but not for those reasons now, 359 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:17,400 Speaker 2: because those aren't facts, not even close, and I always 360 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 2: thought they were. Doctor Ricketts, Jeff and I talked at 361 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 2: length about how he came to the conclusion that that 362 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 2: meme was bogus. Guess what he showed his math, He 363 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 2: showed the work he did, how he got there, And 364 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: I'm going to sneak peek it here for the folks 365 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,360 Speaker 2: that are curious and make the non believers mad with facts. 366 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: It's one of my favorite things to do. 367 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 2: Simply put, there there aren't enough deer in Kansas to 368 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 2: make that math work. The actual figure of farm loss 369 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 2: to colts isn't nineteen falls per year. It's zero zero 370 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 2: point six y five falls deaths per could. That's like 371 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 2: a half a deer a ratio. If anyone out there 372 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 2: is old enough to remember that Andy Griffith show. Now 373 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 2: is when you say poor ratio any anyway, zero point 374 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 2: six y five is a long way from nineteen as 375 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: a matter of fact, which is what I like to 376 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 2: deal in when I can. It's eighteen point three to 377 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 2: five deer away from facts. The deal is that couches 378 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 2: do cause a problem, and the couts that respond to 379 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 2: cause during dinners season are the ones most likely to 380 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 2: cause their problems on farms, ranches, backyards. 381 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: And deer leases. 382 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,679 Speaker 2: I'm going to wait neck deep into that subject and 383 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 2: a lot of others pertaining too, these interesting creatures and 384 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 2: how they affect the landscape. When doctor Ricketts and I 385 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 2: sat down and discuss it in detail very soon, I 386 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 2: think you'll be surprised at how the numbers really shake 387 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 2: out on these curious animals. 388 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: I know I was. 389 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 2: They're very interesting and I learned a lot and I 390 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 2: think you will too. 391 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: But that's a wrap for this one. 392 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,399 Speaker 2: I appreciate y'all so much for listening to all of 393 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 2: us on the Bear Grease Channel until next week. 394 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: This is Brent Reed signing off. Y'all be careful.