1 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Welcome back to another episode of Cutting the Distance podcast. 2 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: I'm Dirk Durham and I'm in the beautiful state of 3 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Oregon with my good friend Ron Hewitt. Now. Ron is 4 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: a man who I admire and look up to. He's 5 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: like almost like a grandfather type figure to me, or 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: a fatherly figure. You know, my dad, my grandfathers have 7 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: all long passed away, and I feel like that's something 8 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: that's important in a person's life, is to have someone 9 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: like that to talk to and to talk about life 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: and hunting and and just you know, we've been bouncing 11 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: ideas off each other all weekend here, you know, talking 12 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: about just life, life decisions and and things we did 13 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: in life. And it's awesome to have that kind of 14 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: a person to talk to. And I think I think 15 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: society today kind of misses out on some of that. 16 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: You know, there's such a big push with some political 17 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: folks to take down the patriarchy and all this stuff. 18 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: But I think that's that's it's an important thing we 19 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: all need in our life because we can learn a 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: lot from the people who've done things a lot longer 21 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: than we have and have kind of learned went through life, 22 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: done some things, made mistakes, made the right choices, and 23 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: here we are talking about turkey hunting and elk hunting. 24 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: What am I doing in Oregon? Well, I'm over here 25 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: at Ron's every year for the last four years he's 26 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: hosted me. He's like, you know, you got to come 27 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: over and go turkey hunting. It seems like we're kind 28 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: of hit and miss. You know what, one year I'll 29 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: get one and one year I won't. One year I 30 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: get two, and one year I don't, you know, and 31 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: kind of back and forth. But it wasn't for a 32 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: lack of opportunity. Sometimes I'm just not the straightest of 33 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: shooters with a shotgun, Like how do you miss a 34 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: turkey with a shotgun? But anyway, welcome to the show. Ron. 35 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: I've talked a lot about you on I've talked to 36 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: you about you on my podcast. I've talked to you 37 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: about you on Jim Huntsman's podcast because Jim knows you, 38 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: and I finally I've got you on the podcast to 39 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: talk to you. So welcome. 40 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: Thanks Derek. I really appreciate it, and I love talking 41 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 2: with young people like you that are excited about I 42 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 2: call you young because I'm twenty two years older. But 43 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 2: I appreciate that and the fact that you want to 44 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: mentor people and help them, and that you're love for 45 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: hunting in life and your love for happiness and family. 46 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,799 Speaker 2: It really means a lot to me. Your friendship means 47 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 2: a lot. Yeah. 48 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's crazy where people people's lives intersect and we've 49 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: been talking about your life, We've been talking about my life, 50 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: you know, and non hunting life, and you know where 51 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: we've lived, what we've done for work, all these different 52 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: things places we've been, and it's funny we have these 53 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: little places in our lives that have intersected. And we 54 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: didn't know each other. We still had never known each 55 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: other or ever knew of each other, ever existed until 56 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: I think it was a few several years ago. On 57 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: both side, there's a there's a forum online forum called 58 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: bo site, and I would always get on there and 59 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: read people's comments on topics and questions, and I'd try 60 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: to put in my two cents, and one day Ron 61 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: messages me direct messages me on there and said, so, 62 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: I think you talked to something about you know, this 63 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: area in North Idaho that I hunted and wondered if 64 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: I hunted there is near the town I grew up 65 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: and wondered, you know, wanted to kind of compare a 66 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: little bit of notes, and we kind of start talking 67 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: there a little bit. And then fast forward a few 68 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: years and you start seeing me on YouTube hunting, and 69 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: you came by the booth in Portland at the Portland 70 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: Show and introduced yourself, and we sat there and that 71 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: booth and I we talked a long time, and we 72 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: were like a couple of little schoolgirls, you know, and 73 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: we look nothing like schoolgirls, but we sat there and 74 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: talked and got excited and talked about those old places 75 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: we'd like we'd love to go and their experiences those 76 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: places elk hunting, and we became fast friends. Yep. And 77 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: then you started inviting me over, so ye must. 78 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 2: Need to come over and try turkey hunting the way 79 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 2: I hunt turkeys in Oregon, not just sitting waiting for 80 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 2: them to come to you, right, but finding them right. 81 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. And and let's face it, you know there's people. 82 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: There's the camp that loves turkey hunting, and then there's 83 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: the camps that say turkey hunting stupid. And I feel 84 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: like people that say turkey hunting stupid or whatever, and 85 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: then they hear the comparison of elk hunting versus turkey hunting, 86 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: and people say, you know, there's a lot of similarities. 87 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: You know, they they're kind of like hunting elk in 88 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: the spring, and then that that will inflame some people 89 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: they're like, it has it, there's nothing that they're nothing 90 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: the similar But depending on how you hunt the turkeys 91 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: and haunt elk, there are some similarities for sure. 92 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 2: A lot of similarities. Is the way we hunt, the 93 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 2: way you and I hunt both of them. Yeah, very 94 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 2: similar yes, yes, And why I like turkey hunting. What 95 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 2: I like about turkey hunting, Let's say, let's say this. 96 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 2: What I like about turkey hunting is it's one of 97 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 2: the best times of the. 98 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: Year to be in the woods and the fall. I 99 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: love elk hunting and deer hunting. The food the fall, 100 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: like in September is amazing. You know, you're getting those 101 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: last few days of summer, but you're starting to get 102 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: those crisp mornings of fall. You still hear birds, you 103 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: still hear bees, and then then the woods transition into 104 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: October November, and it gets colder. Now the bugs are 105 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: going dormant, the birds have left, and it's quiet. It's 106 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: like the most quiet time you can he have in 107 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: the woods is in like November, when there's a little 108 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: bit of snow to like absorb any sound. There's not 109 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of birds flying around, there's no bugs, and 110 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: the only sound you hear is your breath. And you 111 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 1: also may hear a wolf, you may hear a deer grunt, 112 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: you may hear some of these little little wildlife sounds. 113 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: You might hear a squirrel in a tree. But the 114 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: woods get very quiet in November, and then that kind 115 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: of sets the stage for me. Things get quiet. Life 116 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: kind of gets quiet for me. After hunting season, I 117 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: kind of go dormant too. I kind of hibernate once 118 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: I'm hunting season's over. I've been go, go go, and 119 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: I've always been like this, you know, lots of driving 120 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: to get to and from my hunting spots, spend tons 121 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: of time in the woods, and then a lot of 122 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: time away from family. And it's now time I'm going 123 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: to hibernate. Now I'm gonna dedicate all this time to 124 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: my family and staying home and in all winter long. 125 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: Now I'm cooped up all winter, and by the time 126 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 1: spring comes, I am ready to get the hell out 127 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,119 Speaker 1: of the house. I'm just sick of looking at four walls. 128 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: I've got cabin feed, I've done all my stuff, whatever, 129 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: my winter stuff, and it's like, I got to get 130 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: to the woods now. Now contrast, you go to the 131 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: woods in the springtime, the woods are starting to wake up, 132 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: and year to years a little different on timing. You know, 133 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: sometimes in April, you know, it's a little slower to 134 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: wake up because it's been a little colder. You still 135 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: have a little snow on the ground. This year, there's 136 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: not any snow on the ground up where we were 137 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: at to speak of. And it seems like we're a 138 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,239 Speaker 1: little further along in the in the seasonal aspect, it seemed, 139 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: you know, the date aspect is the same, but the 140 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: seasonal aspect is a little a little different. You know, 141 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: we got bugs buzzing around, we got birds tweeting, and 142 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: you know, and you got a little bit of warm sunshine. 143 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: But today, today, but the last two days, was this frigid, 144 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: ice cold wind that was blowing off the mountains and 145 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: it's like, man, it's so pretty out, but dang, I'm 146 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: freaking cold. 147 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 2: You either thought it was the middle of November. 148 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, right right? Is that cold? But that's what I 149 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: like about turkey, honey. It just gets get It gets 150 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: me out there. I get to enjoy the woods, waking 151 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: up in the spring, reconnect with nature, Yeah, reconnect. And 152 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: also I love spending time with good friends in the 153 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: woods and turkey season it allows me to do that. 154 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: I spend time with my friends and people I love 155 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: and enjoy their companionship. And guess what, we're chasing this 156 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: crazy thing called the turkey. And they do some stuff 157 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: that pissed me off, and they also do some stuff 158 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: that make me giggle and be happy. So they can 159 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: be frustrating, but yet they could be pretty dang fun 160 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: to hunt too. So what is what do you feel? 161 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: Is that kind of how you see turkey hunting or 162 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: what do you like about turkey hunting? 163 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 2: Yeah? I think I started turkey hunting back in about 164 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety one or ninety two, and it was the 165 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 2: fact that I'd been hunting elk, beagling for elk, and 166 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 2: I knew turkey's gobbled and you can make them gobble. Yeah, 167 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 2: this was I'm going, Okay, I want I want to 168 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 2: hear this, I want to experience this, and when I 169 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 2: was a kid. I lived in Redmond and up deer 170 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 2: hunting a turkey full out of a tree one day 171 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 2: and just scared the daylights out of me. And I thought, man, 172 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 2: I want to find one of those things and get 173 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 2: it and eat it, because I liked the fordage and 174 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 2: take home things to eat. And when we lived and 175 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 2: we're moved to now, it's like there's turkeys all around, 176 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 2: and I started hunting them, and the gobble on the 177 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 2: roost just excites you. But then when they start coming in, 178 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 2: it's really exciting. And that was what really drew me 179 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 2: to it, is that the similar is between calling elkin 180 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 2: calling a turkey in the excitement of it and like 181 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 2: you say, the springtime, I love getting out here in 182 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 2: the weather and enjoying the sunshine and not so much 183 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: the wind. I don't like that because it makes it 184 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 2: really hard hunting. You can't hear anything, and it's kind 185 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 2: of windy here. Oh it's kind of windy here. But yeah, 186 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 2: that's the draw for me, is to I just love 187 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,240 Speaker 2: being outside in the woods and I can get out 188 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 2: there more. 189 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I will say, while I'm turkey hunting, then I'll 190 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: be going along. And we got these turkeys coming in 191 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: or we're calling to these turkeys. And the funny part, 192 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: the elk hunter brain in me immediately says, the wind 193 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: is wrong. They're gonna smell me. I like, the turkeys 194 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: are coming from this way, They're gonna smell me, like 195 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: like immediately, that's the first thing that enters my head, 196 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: like the wind's wrong. We got to move, and I'm like, 197 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: oh yeah, we're hunting turkeys. It's it's that funny little 198 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: hunter instinct. Like I've been hunting elk for thirty five years. 199 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 1: I've been hunting. I've been hunting turkeys longer than that. 200 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: If you can believe that, I've been hunting turkeys longer 201 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: than that, really, and I've been more successful successful hunting 202 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,680 Speaker 1: turkeys than elk. I mean, excuse me, elk than turkeys. 203 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: I've killed more elk than I have turkey. I've killed 204 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: lot of turkeys, but I've killed way more elk. But anyway, 205 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: there's the little things that trick in my brain while 206 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: elk hunting trigger as well during turkey hunting. The turkey's 207 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: coming in down when we got to move, Oh you don't, 208 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 1: it's a turkey. Oh yeah, oh yeah, I have to 209 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: remind myself that. And then as they're coming in, they're 210 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: getting closer and getting gobbling, and I start feeling that 211 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: my heart start beating a little bit heavier and faster, 212 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: and I start feeling my breathing change, and I'm like, 213 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: I'm starting to feel that same same feeling when I'm 214 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 1: hunting elk. Now, when I'm hunting elk, I feel like 215 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: it's a little more drastic. It's a it's a bigger 216 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: heart beat, it's a bigger labor breathing. Right, I'm going 217 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: making that funny breathing while I'm this bull's coming in. 218 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: But I'm starting to feel some of those same things 219 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: arise of same emotions with it was the turkey comes in. 220 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: So you know, people pay good money for all sorts 221 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 1: of like ways to to get an adrenaline rush. You know, 222 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: they jump out of airplanes, they bungee jump, they do 223 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: crazy reckless driving, they do all kinds of weird things 224 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 1: to get an adrenaline rush. And those turkey hunting and 225 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: elk huntings kind of scratch those itches. Now. Of course, 226 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: elk hunting is a complete way, bigger adrenalage and rush. 227 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: I got a eight hundred pound animal with swords on 228 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: his head, coming coming to kill me, whereas a turkey 229 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 1: he might he might peck you and flog you, he 230 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: might spur me. That's not gonna happen, but you know, 231 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: or the Elk's not gonna kill me once they find 232 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 1: out I'm gonna I'm another animal, but they think like 233 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: the turkey actually is coming in to breed rather than 234 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: to fight, but the elk, he's coming to fight a 235 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,679 Speaker 1: lot of times. But anyway, it still triggers those same emotions. 236 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: And I yeah that I like that. I like those feelings. 237 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: You know, you just everyday life, normal life, you just 238 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: don't get them. You know, there's there's not anything that 239 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: really duplicates that unless you're doing daredevil stupid stuff. And 240 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: I'm too old at our age, we just don't do that, 241 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: you know. 242 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 243 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 2: But part of it too is like in the morning 244 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 2: when you when you find them on the roost and 245 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,599 Speaker 2: you're moving in the dark. Okay, where am I going to? 246 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 2: Just like elk, am I gonna set up? I need 247 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 2: a path I can get a shot in here. And 248 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 2: then you get all set up and give them a 249 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 2: few little calls and they're gobbling away at you and 250 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: then they go quiet for five to ten minutes before 251 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,679 Speaker 2: they fly down and they're looking for their spot. You know, 252 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 2: they're going to fly down, make sure there's no predators 253 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 2: down there, and they go quiet, and you go, Okay, 254 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 2: what's going to happen today? Easy? Got hands? Are they 255 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 2: gonna take them away? They're gonna come to me? And 256 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 2: then you wait for the drama to unfold once they 257 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 2: hit the ground. Yeah, you never know. 258 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: There's a lot of anticipation there. There is, Like I 259 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 1: find myself same with Elk. I'll be like, oh man, 260 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: please let this happen, Please let this happen. I have 261 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: this little thin in the back of my little voice 262 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: in the back of my head, please please let this happen, 263 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: because I'm super hopeful they'll come in able to shoot them, 264 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: but knowing that it doesn't work that way all the time. 265 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 1: And it's just like most of the time most especially yeah, 266 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 1: most of the time, even Elk, it doesn't work that way. 267 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: But but there's always a chance, and you think, is 268 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: this the one? You know, I'm like, I don't want 269 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: to screw this up. So yeah, all those same emotions, 270 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: do you think So do you think hunting turkeys is 271 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: like cutting elk. 272 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 2: Oh I think it is. I mean, obviously there's a 273 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: size of difference you can see coming in once the 274 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 2: brush and grass start growing up. A turkey, all you 275 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: can see is the head sometimes and it's harder to 276 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 2: get a lock on turkeys that way that it is 277 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 2: an elk. But the turkeys, like you say, they can't smell, 278 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 2: you don't worry about the wind. And yeah, I've I 279 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 2: think there's a lot of similarities there and I just 280 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 2: love it for the thrill of calling them in, you know, 281 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 2: to try to beat them at their game. 282 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: Now, when turkeys hang up, elk hang up, they I 283 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: think this might be crazy opinion. I think it's easier 284 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: to move in on a bull elk that's hung up 285 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 1: than it is a turkey that's hung up. Because elk 286 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: are so big. They make a lot of noise. You 287 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: can they're standing, their their their face, their head gear, 288 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: their bodies are at a level that sometimes above the 289 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: brush line, and you can kind of spot them a 290 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: little easier than you can a turkey. Like a turkey, 291 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: they blend in so good unless they're and if they're 292 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: not moving and where they're at, they're like their bodies 293 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: are a lot of times are hidden by brush if 294 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: it's a little bit you know, brushy country, But they 295 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: got that damn periscope head. They'll pick up over the 296 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: over the bushes, and a lot of times you just 297 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: can't see it until it's too late and you hear 298 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: and then go the way they go. So I think, 299 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: I think it's easier to like move in on a 300 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: hung up bull elk than it is a turkey. 301 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 2: I agree, because the turkey's head is always moving. They're 302 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 2: they're bob their head all around when their heads up 303 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 2: and they're down feeding and they pick it up and 304 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 2: jerk it around again, looking and yeah, like yesterday we 305 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 2: saw him in the sun. He's out there fanning for 306 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 2: his hands. He wouldn't come into us because he had 307 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 2: his little ladies already, and we started moving in on him. Well, 308 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 2: we get up close where we put the stock up 309 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 2: to this one train. I thought we could get to 310 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 2: get him there. He had moved, so now we have 311 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 2: to move up again. So we sneak on up and 312 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 2: I'm kind of looking over the edge where it goes 313 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 2: into the shadows and the shade and I'm going looking 314 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 2: through this little fir tree. I go oh, I think 315 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 2: I see him down there. I thought, oh, there's his head. 316 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 2: It's red, you know. I get my gun up on 317 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: my shooting stick and go, dang it. I can't tell 318 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 2: for sure if it's a tom or what. I'm sure 319 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 2: it's the tom, but I can't tell for sure. And 320 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 2: then he starts fanning. Okay, so he's fanning, and then 321 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 2: he goes out of strut and I go, well, I 322 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 2: can't see his head now, you know what did we 323 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 2: do that for five minutes at least? 324 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was very intense. 325 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 2: Yeah it was. And then I'm trying to side step 326 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 2: real slow so I can get a really good look 327 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 2: at him. And by the time I get over there 328 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 2: where I can see, he's not there. So it's like, gol, 329 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 2: dang it. We head down the hill really slow, and 330 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 2: I'm looking in front of me to the right because 331 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 2: that's kind of where he was, had that, I think, 332 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: And all of a sudden I catch him off on 333 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 2: the left, the hand of the tom, and they start moving. 334 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 2: And that was the end of the story on that one. 335 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, but well that was so close, and that 336 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: turkey you could have shot. 337 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 2: I could have shot him through the tree if I 338 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:28,920 Speaker 2: knew what it. 339 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: Was right right, and that as responsible sportsman hunters, we 340 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 1: identify our target. Yeah, you know what if that would 341 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: have been a guy down there moving his hat brim 342 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,160 Speaker 1: and you thought, oh, yeah, I see something moving and 343 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: there have been turkeys there. The turkeys had bypassed him, 344 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: but there was a guy sitting there and you're like, oh, yeah, 345 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,359 Speaker 1: I think I see something, I see something red. Maybe bang, 346 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: you shoot that guy right in the nose or you know, 347 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: it can happen. People get shot every year to hunting, 348 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,399 Speaker 1: So there's that aspect. It's not safe around other hunters. 349 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: You could shoot another hunter then all also just catching 350 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 1: the right movement, you think you see red, you shoot 351 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 1: this turkey you get down there, it could be a hen. 352 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 1: You know, we and it's it's easy to make that 353 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: mistake and in a split second and you're sometimes your 354 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: eyes will play a trick on you and like you 355 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 1: and I don't know if it's because we wanted to 356 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: like happen so bad. It's like, oh, yeah, that's the 357 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 1: that's the tom. And then you shoot and then oh 358 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 1: my gosh, that's not the tom. So that would be 359 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: an unfortunate situation too. So we have to be super 360 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: mindful of of what we're shooting at. And and that 361 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: goes for for elk too, ye, elk deer, you name it. 362 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: I mean that's you know, you know, have to make 363 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 1: sure it's the right the right animal and not a person, 364 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: and you know, get a good, good ethical shot. 365 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 2: So and like yesterday, I you know, if I did 366 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 2: shoot it and the hen was in and then I 367 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 2: get two of them and so I could not tell 368 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 2: for sure where the hen was and I needed to 369 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,199 Speaker 2: know that. So yeah, it was just a it was 370 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 2: frustrating to say the least. 371 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, with a scatter gun or a shotgun, I mean, yeah, 372 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: there's blowback. I mean you can take out two or 373 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: three turkeys. It was at one like those jakes that 374 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 1: come in, I could there was one. We had six 375 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: jakes come in the morning. I shot my my turkey, 376 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: and if I had to line them up just right, 377 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,880 Speaker 1: I probably could have mowed the whole works down. Yeah, 378 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: they figure was Yeah, that was awesome. 379 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, and the two big toms strut in the 380 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 2: background behind them. 381 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 382 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 1: Some of the mistakes I don't talk about mistakes made 383 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: the last couple of days and what we did right, 384 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 1: we didn't make a lot of mistakes, but I will 385 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 1: say one mistake that I made as people don't and 386 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: I didn't, and I know I knew better, but I 387 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: didn't bring a range finder with me. You know, we're 388 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 1: shooting with a shotgun, and I didn't bring my range finder. 389 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 1: And I'm like, oh, yeah, I can judge yards pretty 390 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: get out to fifty yards or whatever. I'll shoot a 391 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: turkey at fifty yards with my with my shotgun. And 392 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: we had this these birds they come off the roost 393 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: and they came up, took a line a little higher 394 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: than us, and and we had to get up and 395 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: sneak up, sneak up, sneak up to try to intersect them. 396 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: As they come strutting by. They weren't coming to us. 397 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: They were gonna kind of go over and they were 398 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: kind of feeding along, but they would strut everything, going 399 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: to strut every now and then and then but as 400 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: as they start, as we see what's happening, we got 401 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: to climb up this little hill just a little bit 402 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: real slow and maybe try to intersect intercept them. And 403 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: I get up there, get up there and get a position. 404 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh yeah, I'm pretty sure that turkey's close, 405 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: and he's he's fifty yards, you know, and I put 406 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: my my red dot on him and and I shoot, 407 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: and I watched my pellets from my shotgun fall about 408 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: twenty yards short, and I and he just kind of 409 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 1: like kind of jumps up and flops his feathers a 410 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 1: little bit, like what the heck was that, and then 411 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: just kind of walks off. Him and the other turkey 412 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: just kind of walk off. They might even gobbled. I 413 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: think when they shot. 414 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 2: They did they had another one down below. 415 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: A step too, and then they just kind of walked off, 416 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 1: and I'm like, dang it. So after they got out 417 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: of sight, I walk up there and I stepped it 418 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 1: off and it's seventy five yards and I'm like, how 419 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: did I How did I misjudge seventy five yards for 420 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: fifty yards? 421 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: Well, in all fairness on that one, it wasn't It 422 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:24,159 Speaker 2: wasn't a bright morning because there were some clouds in 423 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 2: the sky and it was only like twenty minutes after 424 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 2: fly down you on into shooting light. Yeah, and when 425 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 2: you did shoot, I saw the flame come out of 426 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 2: your gun. So it was not a bright you know, 427 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,240 Speaker 2: it wasn't really good light for judging, and It was 428 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 2: really hard to tell on that one. 429 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: And I'm used to judging elk yard bigger than judge. Yeah, 430 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: and I'm like, you know, you're gonna try to look 431 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 1: at this little bird compared to an elk, and you're like, 432 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: I think that's close enough. 433 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 2: No, when you shot, you thought it was a robbin 434 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 2: out there. 435 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, shoot, but you know that is one mistake 436 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: I made for sure. So fast fast forward. That was 437 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: opening morning, yep. And we had all this hope and 438 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: all this We felt pretty good about it, and then 439 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: just our opportunity slipped us by, and then those turkeys 440 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: they kept gobbling. But man, those things will cover country 441 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 1: like they took off. They took off. They didn't ever run, 442 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: but they were at Turkey just walking a normal pace. 443 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 2: Once. 444 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: If they're not feeding, they just kind of start walking. 445 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: They will outdistance you, kind of like an help easily. 446 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 2: Yep. Yeah, we kind of followen over to they dropped 447 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 2: into the next canyon and we could hear them over 448 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 2: there at times, and they kind of disappeared. Here's something 449 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 2: across the canyon, and then they shut up and it's 450 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 2: like then the wind started picking up, which makes it 451 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 2: just about impossible to hear across the canyons. So what 452 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 2: we decided to bail out of there and head to 453 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:52,199 Speaker 2: another area. I knew that was more sheltered, and I 454 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 2: have cameras set up there and I can I kind 455 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 2: of watch what time they come through these areas, you know, 456 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 2: just to have an idea of when to be around 457 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 2: to call him. And went up to another area and 458 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 2: set there, and what we called for our hour and 459 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 2: twenty minutes. Yeah, you know, Dirk's setting under the tree, 460 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 2: all cameled with a shot and up ready and wait, 461 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 2: and Ron's leaning against a different tree, kind of gazing around. 462 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 2: Pretty soon he gets cold, so he slips out in 463 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 2: the sunshine and takes his pack out there and lays 464 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 2: it down. He falls asleep, and I look over. Here's 465 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 2: Dirk still diligent over there. 466 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: So yep, yep, I says, I had the shotgun. Like 467 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: I as much as I want to crawl out in 468 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: the sun and warm up, I was freezing it out. 469 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: There was cold wind, I was not dressed right. I 470 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: had my lightweight warm weather turkey gear on and it 471 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: was it was frigid. 472 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and we, like I say, we called for an 473 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 2: hour and twenty minutes and I said, you know, normally 474 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,080 Speaker 2: they if they're going to come in or hear us, 475 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 2: they'll be here by now. So yeah, let's go. We'll 476 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 2: go up another little draw and hit hit another hollow 477 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 2: that's sheltered again. And what we get down there and 478 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: walking along and turkles and were looking. It was really 479 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:05,919 Speaker 2: hard to see they were betting. All of a sudden, 480 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 2: six of them stand up. Holy smokes, only saw one 481 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 2: of them. Yeah, and they look at us and they decided, okay, 482 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 2: let's go up the hill, slow feeding and they're all 483 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,160 Speaker 2: doing their duty. After they stand up, and we'll start 484 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 2: walking off. And I says, well, Dirk, when I find deer, 485 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,199 Speaker 2: I always find turkeys. I said, Their turkeys and the 486 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 2: deer like to hang out together here. Okay, we take 487 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 2: about what five steps and Dirk goes turkeys and they 488 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 2: were right in front of us. They would come into 489 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 2: our calls. 490 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 1: Right behind the deer. They were walking. They walked like 491 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:38,720 Speaker 1: within five yards. 492 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 2: Of the deer. Yeah, like they were just. 493 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 1: Hanging out like chumps. And what's funny is like I 494 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: was telling him about hunting in Kansas around deer and turkeys, 495 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: a lot of white tails and a lot of turkeys, 496 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: and the turkeys will get over and get on the 497 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 1: corner or whatever. And the deer they don't like it 498 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 1: when the turkeys are there because I think they can 499 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,280 Speaker 1: make a lot of the noise. And I don't know, 500 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: maybe they maybe the turkeys are mean to the deer. 501 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, but they it seemed to like each 502 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:05,400 Speaker 1: other too much. Yeah, and I kind of I'll make 503 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 1: some noise and make clear to my throat or make 504 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 1: some noise or wave my hand outside the blind or 505 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: the tree and try to get those turkeys to see 506 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:14,400 Speaker 1: me and like spook off, so the deer will bill 507 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 1: to come in, you know, on with no reservations, you know. 508 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: And Ron was telling me, he's like, oh, that's weird 509 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,119 Speaker 1: because my deer and turkeys they love each other. I 510 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: got pictures on my trail cams with these deer and 511 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: turkeys hanging out together all the time. I'm like, well, 512 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: that's weird. So we see deer take five steps. Oh 513 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: well there's the turkeys. They're best friends. The turkey's coming. 514 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 1: And Ron had just made some some yelps with his 515 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:43,440 Speaker 1: with his box call, and and these these jakes were 516 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: like on a bee line to us and We're kind 517 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: of standing right out in the middle of like on 518 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 1: the sunshine, like we're we're frozen. We're not moving a bit, 519 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: like we're not moving a muscle, and these turkeys are 520 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: like coming right to us, got to like ten yards, 521 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: and then they didn't. They weren't paying attention that you 522 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: could see, like looking around. 523 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 2: Hey, where's that hen? 524 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: Where's that hen? 525 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:02,479 Speaker 3: Out? 526 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 2: I heard? 527 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: And they're looking around and they're all it's funny to 528 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,120 Speaker 1: watch jakes. They're all kind of grouped together and kind 529 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: of you call them like a gang of thugs or 530 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: a gang of teenagers, like you know, you know, they 531 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: kind of act kind of geeky, you know, kind of nerdy, 532 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 1: and and pretty soon they don't see the hen. They 533 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: go back well, and then off in the distance about 534 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: sixty yards, there's a couple of toms strutting, you know, 535 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: they're fanning around back there. I'm like, oh, yeah, those 536 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: things need to come. So the Jakes kind of go 537 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: back over there, and then they kind of run around. 538 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 1: Jakes will do this funny thing where they run around 539 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: in circles. If you haven't been around it too much, 540 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: but if you have, you know what I'm talking about. 541 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,479 Speaker 1: They run around circles chasing each other. It's it's kind 542 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 1: of funny. It's like animated, you know. They're running around 543 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: a circles, chasing each other into like a in a 544 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:45,479 Speaker 1: six foot circle. 545 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 2: Then they stop them go the other way, and they stop. 546 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:49,719 Speaker 1: The go the other way, and then pretty soon one 547 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: of the big toms had come over and chase them off, like, hey, 548 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: get out of here with your nonsense, you know, kind 549 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 1: of like an adult wood smack. The kids like, quit 550 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: screwing around here, and Ron start squawking again with these 551 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,639 Speaker 1: with the box, and here they come again. There they 552 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: come right back over to us that the Jakes and 553 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: the Toms keep on strutting. They're not really making any ground. 554 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 2: I think they're just I think they're back there strutting 555 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 2: and staying okay, lady, here, I am. 556 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:14,919 Speaker 1: See come to me. 557 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 2: They were probably spitting and drumming both and we just 558 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 2: couldn't hear it. 559 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: It was pretty windy, yeah, And then I would yelp 560 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: with my with my diaphragm, and I think it was 561 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: a little too low pitched or something. I think when 562 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: I heard them yelping too, and it's more like a 563 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: gobbler yelp, and they would they would cut loose and 564 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: gobble that. The the jakes would gobble their heads off 565 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: every now and then when I I'd yelp with my reed, 566 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: my diaphragm, and but they didn't. It didn't really make 567 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: them come. But when you hit that box that real 568 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,440 Speaker 1: high pitch, then they're like, oh, we better go back 569 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 1: over there and check things out. And then finally they 570 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 1: kind of they come over, looked around and see the 571 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: hand went back, and then those toms started like kind 572 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: of pushing them off and then started working their way 573 00:27:57,840 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: to us a little bit. And there was kind of 574 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: a fall there and some brush and stuff that we 575 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: couldn't quite see him or have a shot. And then 576 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 1: finally the one they the one tom got out and 577 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: there was a gap. I was thinking, Man, if he 578 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 1: puts his head in that that opening, you know is 579 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,119 Speaker 1: a pretty good, you know, two or three foot opening, 580 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 1: and holds it still for a second, I might just 581 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: shoot him. And and he did. Okay, I put my bead, 582 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: I put a little high because I think I think 583 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: that thing's about I think he's about fifty yards and 584 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 1: I heard Ron say shoot Bayam, I shoot him, and 585 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: down he goes flop, flop flop. Then what happened? 586 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, So then Dirk runs up there to get him, 587 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 2: and I'm sitting there just watching the whole scene unfold. 588 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 2: The deer up to my left and all these jakes 589 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,719 Speaker 2: are standing there going what the heck is going on? 590 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 2: And the other big Tom was looking back at his buddy, 591 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 2: going what's happening here? What are you doing down there? 592 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 2: And Dirk gets up there and his bird's flopping it 593 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 2: off on the hill. It starts flopping down the hill 594 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 2: and he steps on the wing to hold it still 595 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 2: pulls out half the wing feathers and it's flopping on 596 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 2: down on the hill, and find the sides. Well, I 597 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 2: guess he's not coming with us anymore or less. Mosy 598 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 2: up there. 599 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: Had I have my wits about me. What I should 600 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: have done is I should have just handed you the shotgun. 601 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: But the big bird, the big Tom, he wasn't really 602 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: exposed real good at that point. No, so like we 603 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: could have played out. But as I didn't know fifty 604 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: yards it's a poke, I was like, you know, did 605 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: I just stun him? I gotta get over there and 606 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: get there, get my my make sure he's just down. Yeah, 607 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: I gotta put my foot on his neck and make 608 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: sure he's down, because I don't want him to like 609 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: get his wits about itim run off and then lose 610 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: the darn thing. 611 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 2: Shoot yeah, have him die somewhere you can't find him. 612 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, So then we giggle and we have a good 613 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: time and and uh yeah, and those turkeys are so pretty, 614 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: like you know, at face value, at a distance, you're like, oh, yeah, 615 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 1: it's a big black bird. But up close, like the 616 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: feathers fluoresce all these different colors, hues of green and 617 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: blues and reds and. 618 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 2: Oranges and oranges, and yeah, they's beautiful. 619 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: They're so beautiful. So in the sun was out, so 620 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 1: we sat there admired these beautiful feathers for a while 621 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: and took pictures and did all that and giggled a 622 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: little bit and talked about what happened, and and uh, 623 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: you know. Then then the hard pack came out. We 624 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,400 Speaker 1: loaded all the you know, the big turkey. Turkeys are heavy, 625 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: not like an elk. Though I'd rather pack a turkey 626 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: out than definitely, But anyway, we packed the turkey out 627 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: and then we had had a cold beer and some 628 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: some lunch, and and uh, that was a that was 629 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: a pretty good day. And then the next day it's 630 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: Ron's turning. He's got a shotgun and we go out 631 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: and just like elk cutting, you know, the day before 632 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: we we had them gobbling, Yeah, we had them bugling. 633 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: The next day we go up. We cannot buy a 634 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: gobble on the roost. We're there well before light and 635 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: we're check all the spots that Ron's got this play style. Well, 636 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: if they're here, if they're not there, they're over here, 637 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: if they're out there, over here, and then all these 638 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: different places have a lot of turkeys. We checked all 639 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 1: the spots. They would not gobble on the roost. Just 640 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: like elk cutting. You have one fantastic day. The next 641 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: day it's like, what is going on? I can't get 642 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: a bold a bugle? 643 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, went down and called across the canon to see 644 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 2: if those birds are gobbled at us at least nothing. Yeah, nothing, 645 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 2: And we're going, what the Heck's okay, let's head up 646 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 2: further up the road and get up there about a 647 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 2: mile right before we had stopped and called from in 648 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 2: the morning, what's that in the road, that's a turkey. 649 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 2: We get up there and it was like, I don't 650 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 2: even know five or six Hens and Jake at least 651 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 2: they went right back up where they were the day 652 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 2: before and would not talk at all. 653 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: No gobbles. Yeah, yeah, there had to have been a 654 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: mature Tom and or so we saw some I mean 655 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: the day before. But still even that Jake, you'd think 656 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 1: he he'd you know, bark a little bit, but he 657 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: didn't say squat say. 658 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 2: And that was before we before they crossed the road, 659 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,239 Speaker 2: even they were still on our side. And yeah, so 660 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 2: then what we go up the road another we go 661 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 2: check it out and see the man encounters are up there, 662 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 2: going up the road another couple of miles and head 663 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 2: into spot and driving down the road, there's there. Says oh, 664 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 2: there's a hand and so we oh, yeah, yeah, there 665 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 2: should be a Tom around here somewhere. So we get 666 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 2: out and call ho and he somewhere off in the 667 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 2: distance Tom gobbles. Okay, let's go. So we down park 668 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 2: in the bottom and get up on the ridge top 669 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 2: and head down the ridge. And that was the one 670 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,240 Speaker 2: that we talked about earlier that I tried sneaking in on. 671 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 2: We wouldn't wouldn't leave. And then after they flew off 672 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 2: there said, oh, I heard one gobble across the next canyon, 673 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 2: so we decided to go there and check it out. 674 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 2: And we went down there when that thing was and 675 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 2: by the time we got up there, the wind was 676 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 2: that howl and bitter cold, and our faces last night, 677 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 2: like we were sunburned from the wind. We were both 678 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 2: red faced, and our fingers were frozen. And that was 679 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 2: with the gloves on everything. 680 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 681 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:51,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we said, okay, that's enough for today. 682 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: Yep. Yeah. It's funny. The feelings at turkey hunting give 683 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: you the motions, right, So one day you think I 684 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: am the worst turkey hunter in the world, like you 685 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: like turkeys will humble you. And I know other people 686 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: are like, oh, turkeys are so stupid. You can shoot 687 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: them so easy. And I've had days like that too. 688 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: You're like, turkeys are the I'm like the best turkey 689 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: hunter in the world. This is easy. Like I don't 690 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: know why this is not hard, Like I could go 691 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 1: out any day of the week and shoot a turkey, 692 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: and then the next day you go out and you can't, 693 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 1: you can't even come close to like I don't think 694 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 1: I'll ever shoot a turkey. You get those same feelings 695 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: you don't exist, yep, and elk will do that to 696 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: you too, Like you'll be like, man, I am the 697 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: master of the universe and calling in elk and the 698 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: next day it's like, I must like the worst suckiest 699 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: elk hunter on planet Earth. I cannot I can't get 700 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: one to answer me. Yeah, I'll hike around. I can't 701 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: even jump one, you know, I can't even find them, 702 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: you know, But that's I guess that's the that's why 703 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: they call it hunting, you know. It's yeah. Yeah, So 704 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: back to we'll talk a little bit about elk cutting, 705 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: because I know people like I don't know people like 706 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: I'll hear about elk cutting, maybe more than Turkey's maybe not. 707 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 1: It depends on who you are, where you live. People 708 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 1: in the Midwest and and in the East, they really 709 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: love turkey hanging, but they probably really love elk cutting too. 710 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 1: So I think we will talk about some elk cutting too, 711 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 1: about the good old days, you know, the love of 712 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: the land that brought you and I together and that 713 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 1: part of the that part of Idaho back in the day. 714 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: If you guys listen to an earlier podcast that I 715 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 1: did with George beat Us, Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm getting old. 716 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 1: Sometimes I just go blank on people's names. That's it. 717 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 1: Is that a precursor for for dementia? I don't know. 718 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,320 Speaker 1: I hope not, because sometimes I'm just like, gee, was 719 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: what's my own name? But anyway, I'm sorry. So earlier 720 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 1: on an earlier podcast, UH talk with George beat Us 721 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,920 Speaker 1: and he hunted the famed Clearwater region, North Idaho back 722 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: in its heyday. You know, at that time in the 723 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 1: elk world, I don't have the largest elk herd in 724 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: the nation. Fast forward forty years, however long it has been. 725 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: It's probably been forty fifth well yeah, over forty almost 726 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:20,400 Speaker 1: fit fifty years, and it's probably one, arguably one of 727 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: the worst places to help hunt elk in the nation. 728 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:26,360 Speaker 1: And you and I sit around and talk about the 729 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 1: good old days and the fun experiences we had in 730 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: that country and then what it looks like now. But 731 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,440 Speaker 1: what was it like back when you went up there, 732 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: back when you were a younger man, and the hills 733 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: weren't quite as big and steep. 734 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 2: That's for darms. 735 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,479 Speaker 1: Sure, Why did the mountains grow taller as we get older? 736 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 2: Erosion? 737 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 1: It's got to be erosion. 738 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 2: No, we started, we started hunting in nineteen eighty nine, 739 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 2: my good hunting buddy and my brother and I and 740 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,360 Speaker 2: it was like hunter to Oregon a lot. I mean 741 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 2: that's where I hunt. It only was Oregon, Eastern Oregon. 742 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 2: So I'm hunting a lodge poles and the thickets over there, 743 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:08,480 Speaker 2: and there's really no brush, not much brush anyway, and 744 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 2: we could call bulls in over there, but they just 745 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 2: there was enough. People kind of put me off. So 746 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:19,279 Speaker 2: I said, let's go try Idaho. So I did some 747 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 2: research and picked this spot in Idaho, went there and 748 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 2: I circled spots on my maps. I had a topple 749 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 2: of maps in the day where I think, okay, there 750 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 2: might be elk here and here and here. So we 751 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 2: get there the first night, set up camp and head 752 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 2: down the road a couple of miles and just I 753 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:36,760 Speaker 2: don't think it was one of the spots side the circle. 754 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 2: Let's squat here and look. So we just park head 755 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 2: out there, and we probably made it a quarter to 756 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,000 Speaker 2: a half a mile and said, this is ridiculous. We're 757 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 2: beating ourselves through brush the whole way. Let's go back 758 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,279 Speaker 2: the road and go somewhere else. So we did and 759 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 2: went up on this other point and before dark throughout 760 00:36:56,480 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 2: some beagles and got an answer, Oh, okay, well come 761 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 2: back here in the morning, and this is cool. Went 762 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 2: down there in the morning and you know, chased him 763 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,839 Speaker 2: around to the vail and we kind of to think 764 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:10,480 Speaker 2: for nine days and we were in the elk every day, 765 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 2: had a beegling every day and got some real good 766 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 2: close encounters. And I don't remember how far into it, 767 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 2: probably about day six we caught up with some and 768 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 2: I shot one and he died right in a crik bottom. 769 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:28,320 Speaker 2: And that was our first day in there ever, and okay, 770 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 2: let's took care of him, packed some stuff out that time, 771 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:34,680 Speaker 2: and went back down with three of us to pack 772 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 2: him out. In Oregon. In eastern Oregon, the brush you know, 773 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 2: the bottoms of the creeks aren't brushy at all. So 774 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 2: we loaded him up and said, let's just head up 775 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:49,360 Speaker 2: a creek. You know, big mistake. We're fighting through tag alder, 776 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:52,440 Speaker 2: We're slipping on the rocks in the creek and it 777 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 2: was a mess. But we finally packed him out and 778 00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:58,479 Speaker 2: got done with our hunt that year and came home 779 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 2: and on the way home said, ma'am, it was fun, 780 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 2: but we're never going to Idaho a gain. I can't 781 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 2: stand that brush, yeah, you know, and the tag alder thickets. 782 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:08,400 Speaker 2: You know, you'd hear the bowl there and you just 783 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,160 Speaker 2: go plowing right through the middle of it, and or 784 00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,759 Speaker 2: the I don't remember what the other one is down 785 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:17,839 Speaker 2: in there, the vine maples and stuff. And little did 786 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,400 Speaker 2: you realize that we're trails through there, you know, the 787 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 2: Olkus trail. They just don't go plowing through like we did. 788 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:25,800 Speaker 2: We're dumb boys. Took us a while to learn. And 789 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 2: so we're set on our way home. Now, we're not 790 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,400 Speaker 2: going back there. That was just too much work and 791 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:34,279 Speaker 2: too brushy, you know, so forget it. Two or three 792 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 2: months later, well, what are we going to do next year? 793 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 2: Are we going to hunt? I said, you know, we 794 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 2: had a lot of bulls bugling in Idaho and had 795 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 2: a lot of clothes. Let's go back there. So we 796 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:46,720 Speaker 2: went back for two weeks, and that year we learned 797 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 2: that there's trails that go through all this brush, and 798 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 2: we learned a lot more area that year. And you know, 799 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 2: we hunted that from eighty nine through two thousand and 800 00:38:56,760 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 2: three and just had a ball over there. He got 801 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:04,440 Speaker 2: to know the area well, and we had multiple balls 802 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,360 Speaker 2: in all the time and got a lot of bulls 803 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,800 Speaker 2: taken home with us and it was fun. It was 804 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 2: just a blast. And during some of those studies, I'm 805 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 2: sure that I'm on this hill side and you're on 806 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:17,480 Speaker 2: that hill side, and I'm beagling to you, and you're 807 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,360 Speaker 2: beagling to me, and we're going, there's hunters there, what 808 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 2: the heck? 809 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: Guy over there? 810 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,279 Speaker 2: Over there going, what the heck's that guy over there for? Yeah? 811 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we probably crossed paths in the mountains, 812 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:31,759 Speaker 1: but not close enough to know to meet each other. 813 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 2: Right, And we'd go by where you were camped and 814 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 2: we oh, we'd wave with the camp on the way 815 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:37,320 Speaker 2: by you. 816 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Things things were different back then, 817 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:57,400 Speaker 1: Definitely they were a lot more elk Ron does it 818 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 1: did a thing that's really cool. It's not you. I mean, 819 00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:03,560 Speaker 1: there's other people that do it. And I know, as 820 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: far as regrets in my hunting life, I wish I 821 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: would have done this because I love interesting data in facts. 822 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: But Rawn has kept a journal log of encounters and 823 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: call ins and how many elk they heard seen moon 824 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: phases from nineteen eighty nine till last. 825 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:27,000 Speaker 2: Till last year. Last through this year. I just don't 826 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 2: have the last I don't have the last five years 827 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,919 Speaker 2: on my data sheet. You have an updated to data 828 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 2: sheet right the year or the total data sheet you're 829 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:39,840 Speaker 2: printed up one. Yeah, but yeah, So what kind of 830 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 2: a trend have you seen from nineteen eighty nine to 831 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 2: modern times? So from nineteen eighty nine through nineteen ninety 832 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 2: four we were seeing on the average of twenty bulls 833 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 2: a year and had twenty five close encounters a year, 834 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 2: And to me, a close encounter is when the was 835 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,800 Speaker 2: within sixty yards, I can see them and there's a 836 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 2: good shot possibility. So for those, however, many years we 837 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:12,279 Speaker 2: had that kind of stats, and then ninety five it 838 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,360 Speaker 2: went down. In ninety six we had the hard winters 839 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:19,360 Speaker 2: there in ninety five ninety six, So yeah, in ninety 840 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 2: six and ninety seven it dropped down to eight per 841 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:26,080 Speaker 2: year on bulls seen and twelve p R on close encounters, 842 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 2: and then it started trending back up through about two 843 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:32,960 Speaker 2: thousand and three, went back up to fourteen bulls a 844 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:37,440 Speaker 2: year and six encounters or fifteen encounters a year, and 845 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 2: then the wolves showed up and they were they were 846 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:43,359 Speaker 2: starting to get there. In two thousand and three even. Yeah, 847 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:45,719 Speaker 2: and one night we're in bed sleep and you hear 848 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:48,000 Speaker 2: them coming down the road howling, And you know, get 849 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:49,760 Speaker 2: up the next day and there's all these huge wolf 850 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:53,000 Speaker 2: tracks out in the road. Yeah, oh my gosh. Well 851 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:57,440 Speaker 2: after that happened for the next what do I have? 852 00:41:57,640 --> 00:41:59,760 Speaker 2: Two thousand and three was the last year we hunted 853 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:03,279 Speaker 2: that particular area. We saw six bowls and had six 854 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 2: close encounters. Said, okay, that's it, We're moving somewhere else 855 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 2: in the unit. 856 00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:10,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, you've moved from You've went from twenty to twenty 857 00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 1: five a year down to six six. 858 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:16,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's it's discouraging when you stark difference. Yeah, and 859 00:42:16,719 --> 00:42:20,800 Speaker 2: the the vegetation hadn't changed that much. The feed, you know, 860 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,200 Speaker 2: the habitat hadn't changed. I mean it changed a little bit, 861 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:27,399 Speaker 2: but not enough to do that to the numbers. And yeah, 862 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 2: the only common no nominator was wolves. 863 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know. 864 00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,799 Speaker 2: And so we moved over east further in the unit. 865 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:37,879 Speaker 2: We were seeing fourteen bowls a year and fifteen close 866 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 2: encounters for the next four years, and then it went 867 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:44,040 Speaker 2: down to six bowls and six close encounters again. We said, 868 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 2: and there were wolf tracks all over the roads and 869 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 2: they're howling at night again. Yeah, okay, you know, let's 870 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:53,080 Speaker 2: get out of here. So we went to another area 871 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:55,880 Speaker 2: and we were seeing up there. You know, it was 872 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 2: our first few years up there. We were seeing nine 873 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:06,120 Speaker 2: bowls a year, nine close and counters, and so we said, okay, 874 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,319 Speaker 2: forget that one, let's go somewhere else. And we got 875 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,800 Speaker 2: another one that we were seeing ten and eight a 876 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:18,800 Speaker 2: year close encounters. Which the difference there is that it 877 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 2: was thicker. It was actually thicker than where we had 878 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 2: been hunting. Yeah, and to see a ball and get 879 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:26,759 Speaker 2: a close encounter was a lot harder. We've got a 880 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 2: lot of bugles going up there. We got a number 881 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 2: of bugles going up there. 882 00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:32,200 Speaker 1: We heard a lot of different bulls. But then the 883 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:35,520 Speaker 1: close encounters and then visual eyes on bulls went way 884 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:36,480 Speaker 1: down because it's just such thick. 885 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:38,919 Speaker 2: It's only twenty yards, you know, we were shooting twenty 886 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:43,320 Speaker 2: yards up there as all maximum. So yeah, it definitely 887 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 2: changed well, And and we kind of migrated down to 888 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 2: this souther area and I ran into somebody down there 889 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 2: named Dirk. 890 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:54,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, and yeah, it's funny because I think the year 891 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:56,440 Speaker 1: that I seen you up there in the woods. Finally 892 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,440 Speaker 1: we crossed paths. It we'd been hunting some of the 893 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,399 Speaker 1: same areas for the last thirty years and never run 894 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:02,960 Speaker 1: across each other in the woods that we knew of. 895 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 1: We we might even passed each other by a way. 896 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:08,839 Speaker 1: We've never talked, you know, but at the Sportsman Shore 897 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:12,279 Speaker 1: in Portland and what was it to uh, let's see 898 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:13,839 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. 899 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 2: Maybe probably something like that. 900 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:17,960 Speaker 1: Then you introduced yourself. What kind of talked about? We 901 00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:19,960 Speaker 1: sit there and talk like school girls and stuff, and 902 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:23,480 Speaker 1: we we knew the places we used to hunt, but 903 00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:25,480 Speaker 1: now we kind of we didn't really talk a lot 904 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:28,680 Speaker 1: about where we hunt currently, Like we kind of left 905 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:31,239 Speaker 1: little tidbits like I kind of hind around where you hunt. 906 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:33,560 Speaker 1: But we didn't really say names or anything. 907 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:36,239 Speaker 2: You don't never say names to somebody else, No, you don't. 908 00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:41,320 Speaker 1: That's we laugh about. Hey, Hey, you guys see anything hunting? No? No, no, 909 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:43,200 Speaker 1: I haven't seen a thing. Okay, this man, I haven't 910 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 1: heard it out of course. You know. It's the elk hunters, 911 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: you know, talking to each one camp to another. You know, 912 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 1: you never share or divulge your information because you know 913 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:52,400 Speaker 1: you don't want the other guys sneaking in there. On 914 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:54,719 Speaker 1: your spot that they see your puck up and they're 915 00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:57,239 Speaker 1: going to be looking for a for a for that 916 00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:01,160 Speaker 1: bowl you've been bugling. So anyhow, fast forward, So that 917 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:04,239 Speaker 1: was twenty eighteen, the winter of twenty eighteen, we talked yeah, 918 00:45:04,360 --> 00:45:08,000 Speaker 1: and then and Mett finally face to face. And then 919 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:12,399 Speaker 1: that fall during mouth tab Madness that if you guys 920 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:14,840 Speaker 1: haven't watched my YouTube channel, it's called The Bugler and 921 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: I do a series of videos called mouth tab Madness. 922 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:20,160 Speaker 1: I'd injured my shoulder that fall elk hunting, and I 923 00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:22,799 Speaker 1: had to relearn how to shoot a bow with using 924 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,160 Speaker 1: a mouth tab. Had to bite on this little the 925 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,040 Speaker 1: tab attached to the string with my teeth and then 926 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:31,319 Speaker 1: push the bow forward with my left arm, line up 927 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:34,320 Speaker 1: my eyeball to my peep side, and then shoot. And 928 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:36,440 Speaker 1: that's how I went hunting that fall. The rest of 929 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:41,080 Speaker 1: that fall was with this mouth tab bow. Anyway, we're 930 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:43,440 Speaker 1: up there, Me and cameraman Dusty had just hiked up, 931 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:47,320 Speaker 1: had a wet day of bugle fest. We'd been chasing 932 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:49,520 Speaker 1: these bugles around and we got just got back to 933 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:52,600 Speaker 1: the pickup and I heard a vehicle coming. I'm like quick, Dusty, 934 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:55,440 Speaker 1: hide because I don't like talk to people in the woods. 935 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:57,360 Speaker 1: And I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but I just 936 00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:00,319 Speaker 1: I don't want to answer asking me questions. I don't 937 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:02,040 Speaker 1: want to I don't want to have to lie to him. 938 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:03,840 Speaker 1: They're like, oh, I haven't heard a thing, you know. 939 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,080 Speaker 1: I'd just rather not talk to I don't want to 940 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:08,360 Speaker 1: pump people from information, and I don't want them to 941 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:10,600 Speaker 1: pump me for information. So I'm like, come here, Dsky, 942 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:12,359 Speaker 1: hide behind the pickup. So we kind of hid behind 943 00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:14,560 Speaker 1: the pickup and this guy pulls up and I hear 944 00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:17,239 Speaker 1: and he just stops. I'm like, oh, dang it. And 945 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:21,360 Speaker 1: then his I can hear his window go. He's like, 946 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:23,760 Speaker 1: come on, come on out, guys. I see you hiding 947 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:26,520 Speaker 1: back there. I hear this voice. I'm like, oh, dang it, 948 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:28,960 Speaker 1: we're hit. We're had. And I walk around and then 949 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:32,040 Speaker 1: to my dismay, it's Ron and and he I could 950 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 1: see the same, the same surprise in his ice. He's like, oh, Dirk, 951 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:40,960 Speaker 1: this is where you hunt, Like dang it. So we 952 00:46:41,080 --> 00:46:43,879 Speaker 1: had a good, good, good visit there. We probably talked 953 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:45,760 Speaker 1: way too long middle of the road there and instead 954 00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:48,040 Speaker 1: of going hunting, but it was good to reconnect, and 955 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 1: you told us where you were camped, and we end 956 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:52,480 Speaker 1: up coming out to your camp later on. But uh, 957 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:56,879 Speaker 1: anyhow that that that's when we finally ran into each 958 00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:59,840 Speaker 1: other the woods in the woods and and I. 959 00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:02,400 Speaker 2: Well, we'd actually seen each other just a little bit 960 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:05,840 Speaker 2: before that because we were looking. We were road beagling 961 00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 2: one night and we're standing beside the road beagling down 962 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:13,440 Speaker 2: This drawn ron had nature calls, so he's standing there 963 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:15,959 Speaker 2: and here comes a rig around the corner a little 964 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:18,560 Speaker 2: and they're coming by and they're just laughing. And I'm 965 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:21,719 Speaker 2: laughing because I know what I'm doing. They're laughing because 966 00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:24,719 Speaker 2: they know what I'm doing. Well, we talked to Dirk 967 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,320 Speaker 2: later and he said, yeah, I was laughing because we 968 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:29,360 Speaker 2: were buggling to each other ago. I was laughing for 969 00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 2: a different reason. 970 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:33,799 Speaker 1: Dirk got caught with your pants down. Yeah. 971 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:36,520 Speaker 2: And then then when we ran into him, if they 972 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:39,600 Speaker 2: were done hunting, we'd we'd heard the bulls beagling up 973 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:41,640 Speaker 2: there that morning, but we had in mind we wanted 974 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:43,520 Speaker 2: to go somewhere else in hunt, so we did and 975 00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:46,120 Speaker 2: the artist made there was nothing there, So we said, 976 00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:47,800 Speaker 2: let's go back and go to that area where the 977 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:49,640 Speaker 2: bulls were this morning. So we went to the backside 978 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:51,600 Speaker 2: of it and there's a rig park there. It's like, 979 00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:54,000 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, let's go to the other side and 980 00:47:54,040 --> 00:47:56,440 Speaker 2: climb the steep face. And that's when we found Durkle 981 00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:59,400 Speaker 2: there had been up there chasing my bulls that morning. 982 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:06,120 Speaker 1: Well that's awesome, and it's funny. Like my experience is 983 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 1: like I wish I'd wrote them all down that way, 984 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:10,360 Speaker 1: I'd have that hard data. I just have to go 985 00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:12,920 Speaker 1: on memory. But I remember, you know, the same kind 986 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,320 Speaker 1: of trends, you know, you know, you would hear lots 987 00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:17,919 Speaker 1: of bugles, lots of every year, different bulls, and you'd 988 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:20,360 Speaker 1: have you know, you would get eyes on bulls, and 989 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:23,439 Speaker 1: then he can't close encounters and a lot of people 990 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:25,359 Speaker 1: will throw around, oh yeah, I called in forty seven 991 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,319 Speaker 1: bowls last year, but did you really call in forty 992 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:30,920 Speaker 1: seven bulls. In my mind, calling in a bull is 993 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:34,760 Speaker 1: having a bull either come in to within archery range 994 00:48:35,800 --> 00:48:37,920 Speaker 1: or very close to it, so he's traveled a long 995 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:39,960 Speaker 1: ways from where he was at originally and he came 996 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,479 Speaker 1: to your calls and you almost get him. Or let's 997 00:48:43,480 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 1: say a bull comes from half a mile away, and 998 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:48,839 Speaker 1: stands on a hillside one hundred or two hundred yards 999 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 1: away and looks back and paces back and forth and 1000 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:52,719 Speaker 1: bugles at you. But then you don't. He don't come 1001 00:48:52,719 --> 00:48:55,520 Speaker 1: any further because he's like he wants to see elk 1002 00:48:55,640 --> 00:48:57,160 Speaker 1: or he wants you to make a move, but then 1003 00:48:57,200 --> 00:48:58,680 Speaker 1: he kind of goes back. That's a call in too. 1004 00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:03,000 Speaker 1: But I know people that will will hunt some of 1005 00:49:03,040 --> 00:49:05,000 Speaker 1: the same areas I hunt, and they'll be like, oh, yeah, 1006 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:08,120 Speaker 1: we called in forty nine bowls last year. I'm like, 1007 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 1: but did you. I mean, I don't think you're counting. 1008 00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:12,920 Speaker 1: I don't think you're calling counting call ins like me. 1009 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:16,879 Speaker 1: I think maybe maybe the amount of bugles. 1010 00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:18,320 Speaker 2: You heard they got forty. 1011 00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:21,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, but you know what g is. I guess if 1012 00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:23,320 Speaker 1: that's what makes you float your boat and keeps you 1013 00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:26,359 Speaker 1: going going every day, I mean, you know, bless your heart. 1014 00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:30,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess you can count them however you want, right, yeah, Well, 1015 00:49:30,920 --> 00:49:35,520 Speaker 1: same as turkeys, right, oh he called in these, except 1016 00:49:35,560 --> 00:49:37,080 Speaker 1: they when they got off the roost, they went the 1017 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:42,239 Speaker 1: other way and the half we're hs. But that you 1018 00:49:42,320 --> 00:49:44,840 Speaker 1: know that we're where we met you, We ran into you. 1019 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:47,479 Speaker 1: If you if the first year I hunted that spot 1020 00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:49,920 Speaker 1: there was in two thousand and seven, and that year 1021 00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:53,680 Speaker 1: my buddy Brent and I we'd heard thirty five different 1022 00:49:53,719 --> 00:49:56,160 Speaker 1: bulls bugle in a week, and I was like, wow, 1023 00:49:56,239 --> 00:49:58,040 Speaker 1: this is great because my old spot I used to 1024 00:49:58,120 --> 00:50:00,800 Speaker 1: go had been really good. And then on way downhill, 1025 00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:03,080 Speaker 1: just like what you said, you know, you know, I 1026 00:50:03,120 --> 00:50:04,719 Speaker 1: think the last year I hunted there, I think I 1027 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:09,320 Speaker 1: had two close encounters and I heard like three balls 1028 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:12,040 Speaker 1: the whole time. Yeah, and it just hurt them and 1029 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:15,000 Speaker 1: I got on on almost all of them. I got 1030 00:50:15,080 --> 00:50:17,839 Speaker 1: on all of them, but you know, I guess out 1031 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:19,080 Speaker 1: of the three balls I got on, two of them 1032 00:50:19,160 --> 00:50:23,279 Speaker 1: had close encounter. But anyhow, fast forward, you know to 1033 00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:25,600 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven, you know, thirty five balls we 1034 00:50:25,719 --> 00:50:27,200 Speaker 1: heard in a week and had lots of close and 1035 00:50:27,239 --> 00:50:29,000 Speaker 1: client counters. I didn't really count those if I'd have 1036 00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:30,880 Speaker 1: to kind of go back to the old memory banks 1037 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:32,879 Speaker 1: and write them down and kind of figure it out, 1038 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,200 Speaker 1: but lots of close encounters, very you know, tension on 1039 00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:37,920 Speaker 1: the string drawn back a few times and almost got 1040 00:50:38,000 --> 00:50:43,800 Speaker 1: them to when we met you in twenty nineteen, we 1041 00:50:44,000 --> 00:50:46,279 Speaker 1: had I don't know, we probably heard like maybe ten 1042 00:50:46,360 --> 00:50:49,200 Speaker 1: bules that year and had three or four close encounters 1043 00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:53,239 Speaker 1: in nineteen. In twenty nineteen, Yeah, and he's gonna he's 1044 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,040 Speaker 1: gonna look at his bible. Here, his LK Cunting Bible. 1045 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:59,240 Speaker 2: Twenty nineteen, we heard a total of thirty three bules 1046 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:03,360 Speaker 2: and saw five bulls. Well, I have four clothes encounters. 1047 00:51:04,080 --> 00:51:08,360 Speaker 1: You, you Sandbagger. You when I talked to you in 1048 00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:10,480 Speaker 1: the woods, you said, oh, yeah, we've heard a couple 1049 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:13,960 Speaker 1: of bulls here and there. But well, you weren't being truthful. 1050 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:17,080 Speaker 2: Well you probably weren't either. 1051 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:17,480 Speaker 3: I was. 1052 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:20,480 Speaker 1: I wasn't at all. Yeah, you guys said, oh, did 1053 00:51:20,560 --> 00:51:22,239 Speaker 1: you get into them up there? I'm like, oh, we 1054 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:24,920 Speaker 1: heard a couple of bugles up there out of the brush, 1055 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:28,080 Speaker 1: and we weren't real truthful either. 1056 00:51:28,360 --> 00:51:30,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, a little geno. I sit down there and listen 1057 00:51:30,480 --> 00:51:32,439 Speaker 2: to them all morning before we left. Yeah. 1058 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:34,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, but. 1059 00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:36,839 Speaker 2: It was a good year. 1060 00:51:37,239 --> 00:51:40,279 Speaker 1: But but just the start contrast, you know. And then 1061 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:44,200 Speaker 1: fast forward to like twenty twenty two, that that was 1062 00:51:44,200 --> 00:51:46,360 Speaker 1: the last time I hunted up in that country. That 1063 00:51:46,520 --> 00:51:49,560 Speaker 1: was the ghost Bul video you guys watched if you 1064 00:51:49,680 --> 00:51:52,439 Speaker 1: haven't watched it on YouTube, the ghost Bul. 1065 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:55,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was Nor was a good one. 1066 00:51:55,480 --> 00:51:57,000 Speaker 1: Ghost Bowls of the North or something like that. 1067 00:51:57,440 --> 00:51:58,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, Ghost Bulls of the North. 1068 00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:00,959 Speaker 1: That was the video on YouTube, the Phelips Game Calls 1069 00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:06,200 Speaker 1: YouTube channel. And I think I heard five bulls that 1070 00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:11,719 Speaker 1: year and had three close encounters as in I was, 1071 00:52:12,360 --> 00:52:15,360 Speaker 1: you know, I was in within shooting range of bulls. 1072 00:52:17,719 --> 00:52:21,280 Speaker 1: So even it had even gone downhill from twenty nineteen 1073 00:52:21,280 --> 00:52:23,959 Speaker 1: to twenty twenty two, in my mind, a lot less 1074 00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:26,200 Speaker 1: sign and you know a lot of hunter activity, but 1075 00:52:26,280 --> 00:52:27,600 Speaker 1: you know, I'm kind of going to some places you 1076 00:52:27,640 --> 00:52:30,040 Speaker 1: don't see a lot of people. But still it's just 1077 00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:33,560 Speaker 1: it's just that the elk numbers are not there right 1078 00:52:33,719 --> 00:52:36,400 Speaker 1: there used to be a lot more than there. And 1079 00:52:37,360 --> 00:52:41,040 Speaker 1: in my mind just from I feel like, I feel 1080 00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:43,719 Speaker 1: like I'm about as educated as any biologist, probably more 1081 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:45,719 Speaker 1: so than any biologists are out there and now there. 1082 00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 1: Most biologists they read things, they look at spreadsheets, they 1083 00:52:50,719 --> 00:52:53,839 Speaker 1: look at that kind of data. Ron and I are 1084 00:52:54,000 --> 00:53:00,400 Speaker 1: out there surveying the landscape, the countryside, firsthand experience covering 1085 00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:04,200 Speaker 1: the country. We're digging in, I would dare say way 1086 00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:06,600 Speaker 1: more than anybody that's like doing any kind of biology 1087 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:10,239 Speaker 1: assessment of an area. You know, we're boots on the ground. 1088 00:53:10,239 --> 00:53:12,719 Speaker 1: We're walking in places people don't normally walk unless you 1089 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:15,920 Speaker 1: have like an elk calling to you. Like, you're not 1090 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:18,480 Speaker 1: going to walk down to these crap holes if there's 1091 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:21,040 Speaker 1: not a bull bugle and like they're just you're not 1092 00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:22,680 Speaker 1: gonna walk down there to to write something on a 1093 00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:25,480 Speaker 1: sheet of paper just to see what's down there. You're 1094 00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:27,399 Speaker 1: just not going to do it. So anyway, I feel 1095 00:53:27,440 --> 00:53:29,640 Speaker 1: like we have a pretty good gauge on what has 1096 00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:33,279 Speaker 1: happened to Idaho's elk nor North idahos elk. Certain parts 1097 00:53:33,320 --> 00:53:39,839 Speaker 1: of Idaho elk are flourishing. Other parts of Idaho they're diminishing. 1098 00:53:40,080 --> 00:53:42,400 Speaker 2: But where they're flourishing, do they have many wolves? 1099 00:53:42,800 --> 00:53:46,160 Speaker 1: Not as many, no, or any, you know, not as 1100 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:49,239 Speaker 1: many or any, but wolves are starting to find some 1101 00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:51,400 Speaker 1: of those places. Now. I have friends and you know, 1102 00:53:51,560 --> 00:53:53,520 Speaker 1: in this southern part of the state. You know, if 1103 00:53:53,520 --> 00:53:55,520 Speaker 1: you cut the skinny part of Idaho off and make 1104 00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:57,959 Speaker 1: a box out of the southern part of the state, 1105 00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:02,239 Speaker 1: you know, make a rectangular box the areas in that 1106 00:54:02,440 --> 00:54:04,439 Speaker 1: those places, you know, I feel like they have better 1107 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:07,320 Speaker 1: elk herds. I probably shouldn't say that, but I know 1108 00:54:07,480 --> 00:54:11,160 Speaker 1: on the fringes of the northern part of the Box. 1109 00:54:11,840 --> 00:54:14,000 Speaker 1: I know people are starting to say, you know, man, 1110 00:54:14,080 --> 00:54:16,160 Speaker 1: we're starting to see more wolves and starting to see 1111 00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:19,239 Speaker 1: more wolves. And they'd seen wolves before and they kind 1112 00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:21,640 Speaker 1: of came and went, But now they're back and they 1113 00:54:21,840 --> 00:54:25,840 Speaker 1: they're they're finding dead heads, lots of deadhead elk. They're 1114 00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:27,839 Speaker 1: starting to make an impact in a lot of areas, 1115 00:54:27,880 --> 00:54:30,319 Speaker 1: especially with the kind of winters we've been having. Last year, 1116 00:54:30,680 --> 00:54:33,880 Speaker 1: this winter wasn't too bad, but the winter of twenty 1117 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:38,040 Speaker 1: twenty two twenty twenty three was devastating to South Idaho. 1118 00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:41,160 Speaker 1: And I don't know if that's you know, what got 1119 00:54:41,239 --> 00:54:43,960 Speaker 1: those wolves. You know, they just followed the herds down 1120 00:54:44,040 --> 00:54:47,120 Speaker 1: into the lower country as the time went by. But anyhow, 1121 00:54:49,880 --> 00:54:52,600 Speaker 1: some might say, like if we go back to northern Idaho, 1122 00:54:53,040 --> 00:54:55,680 Speaker 1: some will say, you know, it's all about habitat, you know, 1123 00:54:55,719 --> 00:55:00,120 Speaker 1: the habitat loss, because in too in nineteen ten, there 1124 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:04,160 Speaker 1: was a giant wildfire that went from north central Idaho 1125 00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:07,640 Speaker 1: clear way up into the Panhandle and burned millions of 1126 00:55:07,640 --> 00:55:13,320 Speaker 1: acres of the national forest, which after thirty years forty years, 1127 00:55:14,200 --> 00:55:17,000 Speaker 1: when it grew back, it was amazing. Elk cabitat you know, 1128 00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:21,000 Speaker 1: the burnt had opened up the canopy, you know, grasses 1129 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:25,320 Speaker 1: and small shrubs growing everywhere, and it was a perfect 1130 00:55:25,360 --> 00:55:28,320 Speaker 1: storm because you know, back in them days, not a 1131 00:55:28,360 --> 00:55:30,799 Speaker 1: lot of people in Idaho. And then around World War two, 1132 00:55:32,080 --> 00:55:34,440 Speaker 1: they'd even pre World War two, they'd even shut down 1133 00:55:34,520 --> 00:55:37,600 Speaker 1: hunting seasons in a lot of those units because they'd 1134 00:55:37,600 --> 00:55:39,640 Speaker 1: had some bad winners and they wanted the elk to 1135 00:55:39,719 --> 00:55:41,359 Speaker 1: come back and flourish, and they did, and they opened 1136 00:55:41,400 --> 00:55:46,200 Speaker 1: up seasons again. Anyhow, the elk hunting was fantastic, and 1137 00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:49,759 Speaker 1: George beat Us got to hunt onto the tail end 1138 00:55:49,800 --> 00:55:52,439 Speaker 1: of some of that there in the seventies and early 1139 00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:56,919 Speaker 1: eighties of that fantastic yel hunting and if you listen 1140 00:55:56,920 --> 00:55:59,920 Speaker 1: to that podcast, his stories were incredible. But to understand 1141 00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:03,279 Speaker 1: and in the forties and fifties it was twice as 1142 00:56:03,360 --> 00:56:07,040 Speaker 1: good it was, if you can even wrap your head 1143 00:56:07,080 --> 00:56:09,000 Speaker 1: around how good that was, it was twice as good. 1144 00:56:09,040 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 1: It had the nation's best elk elk heard in this 1145 00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:15,719 Speaker 1: relatively small area compared to like the whole state of 1146 00:56:15,760 --> 00:56:19,480 Speaker 1: Colorado now that has the largest delkurd in America. So 1147 00:56:20,560 --> 00:56:25,839 Speaker 1: but anyway, now you know, now we're in twenty twenty four. 1148 00:56:26,719 --> 00:56:31,279 Speaker 1: Those forests have grown up, they've aged, they've matured, they've 1149 00:56:32,200 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 1: choked out, you know, grasses they've choked out. You know, 1150 00:56:35,239 --> 00:56:38,320 Speaker 1: the underbrush has matured and gotten really tall, so you 1151 00:56:38,360 --> 00:56:41,080 Speaker 1: don't have all the tender things to eat at more 1152 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:44,320 Speaker 1: of a more just little above ground level. So the 1153 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:49,560 Speaker 1: feet has changed. So people will say the experts will say, well, 1154 00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:53,840 Speaker 1: it's more of a habitat issue than a wolf issue, 1155 00:56:54,800 --> 00:57:00,120 Speaker 1: and I think both sides are right to a certain degree. So, well, 1156 00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:04,719 Speaker 1: if you have elk that should have really great feed, 1157 00:57:04,760 --> 00:57:07,320 Speaker 1: If they have really great feed everywhere and they're pressured 1158 00:57:07,320 --> 00:57:10,640 Speaker 1: by wolves, they just keep moving until you know, okay, 1159 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:12,560 Speaker 1: it's okay, we'll just go live over here. There's good 1160 00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:14,279 Speaker 1: food here. And they just keep following the food and 1161 00:57:14,320 --> 00:57:17,800 Speaker 1: the wolves follow them. They're probably gonna stay more nourished 1162 00:57:18,080 --> 00:57:21,840 Speaker 1: and probably have less mortality. But as it is now, 1163 00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:25,000 Speaker 1: you know, we have a lot of mature forests and stuff. 1164 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:28,880 Speaker 1: There's less quality habitat. The wolves pursue, they distress elk. 1165 00:57:29,600 --> 00:57:31,520 Speaker 1: They're not as in good as shape because they don't 1166 00:57:31,520 --> 00:57:33,560 Speaker 1: have a good as feed, and then they're easy. They're 1167 00:57:33,600 --> 00:57:35,720 Speaker 1: easier prey because there may be find some good food, 1168 00:57:35,720 --> 00:57:37,320 Speaker 1: if a good food source, and don't want to leave it, 1169 00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:39,440 Speaker 1: and then the wolves go in and wipe them out. 1170 00:57:39,720 --> 00:57:41,600 Speaker 1: And this is all just my theory. 1171 00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:44,800 Speaker 2: What do you think? Yeah, I mean I agree with 1172 00:57:44,920 --> 00:57:47,520 Speaker 2: someone that that has grown up into old forest, old growth. 1173 00:57:48,240 --> 00:57:50,760 Speaker 2: But then you start out where you go back to 1174 00:57:50,800 --> 00:57:52,919 Speaker 2: where you and I first turn it over there, Yeah, 1175 00:57:53,320 --> 00:57:55,960 Speaker 2: and that is all burnt, that's all. There's been fires 1176 00:57:56,000 --> 00:58:00,240 Speaker 2: go through all that country, and so it's reforesting. It's 1177 00:58:00,240 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 2: got the open grasses, it's got the habitat for them. 1178 00:58:03,320 --> 00:58:06,240 Speaker 2: And you were back there last year rifle hunting and 1179 00:58:06,320 --> 00:58:10,000 Speaker 2: you found zero in there. Yeah, so you know, there 1180 00:58:10,120 --> 00:58:12,760 Speaker 2: used to be tons of elk in there, and now 1181 00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:15,320 Speaker 2: there is good food. If it was habitat, there's great 1182 00:58:15,360 --> 00:58:17,800 Speaker 2: food for him in there. But they're still in the elk. 1183 00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:21,320 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, for the about a decade ago that country 1184 00:58:21,360 --> 00:58:24,280 Speaker 1: started burning again. Between burning and then there's a lot 1185 00:58:24,280 --> 00:58:27,200 Speaker 1: of beetlekill timber that's falling, you know, and opening up 1186 00:58:27,240 --> 00:58:30,360 Speaker 1: the canopy as well, but you're still not seeing elk. 1187 00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:32,920 Speaker 1: And then you know what George talked about. You know, 1188 00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:36,600 Speaker 1: a good friend of his who was a biologist for 1189 00:58:36,680 --> 00:58:40,480 Speaker 1: the fishing the forest service in that area. A forestry guy. 1190 00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:43,800 Speaker 1: He said, you know, they need to prescribe burns in 1191 00:58:43,840 --> 00:58:46,320 Speaker 1: the winter habitat, you know, to get those you know, 1192 00:58:47,000 --> 00:58:49,080 Speaker 1: you know, those those burns we're talking about, a lot 1193 00:58:49,080 --> 00:58:50,800 Speaker 1: of them are up on top top. They're not in 1194 00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:55,720 Speaker 1: the they're not in the winter range. But conversely, you know, 1195 00:58:55,800 --> 00:58:58,920 Speaker 1: at the time, I wanted to hear George's opinion, and 1196 00:58:58,960 --> 00:59:00,960 Speaker 1: I didn't want to, you know, take counterpoint on it. 1197 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:03,800 Speaker 1: But I got to thinking and thinking about, like, well, okay, 1198 00:59:03,920 --> 00:59:07,040 Speaker 1: that that does make sense. That's a fair, fair assumption. 1199 00:59:07,520 --> 00:59:10,960 Speaker 1: But then I look at the frank Church Wilderness. All 1200 00:59:11,240 --> 00:59:12,919 Speaker 1: all you got to do is go to Google Earth 1201 00:59:13,120 --> 00:59:15,840 Speaker 1: and look at the frank Church Wilderness. It's all burnt 1202 00:59:16,520 --> 00:59:19,680 Speaker 1: from the river to the highest peaks, most of it. 1203 00:59:19,960 --> 00:59:26,320 Speaker 1: It's it's a huge vast wasteland of burn, wasteland as 1204 00:59:26,360 --> 00:59:30,440 Speaker 1: far as like timber. But now there's grasses, small trees, 1205 00:59:30,560 --> 00:59:36,280 Speaker 1: you know, like jackfurs and brush, lush brush growing. Where 1206 00:59:36,280 --> 00:59:38,960 Speaker 1: are the elk? They haven't made a return there. There's 1207 00:59:39,240 --> 00:59:42,600 Speaker 1: nobody's saying good lord. You know, the outfitters aren't getting 1208 00:59:42,800 --> 00:59:45,680 Speaker 1: rich in the frank Church Wilderness because there's so many elk, 1209 00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:47,480 Speaker 1: and they have so many clients coming in. There's a 1210 00:59:47,520 --> 00:59:49,440 Speaker 1: lot of outfitters that have gone out of business. 1211 00:59:49,800 --> 00:59:50,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, and. 1212 00:59:51,880 --> 00:59:54,280 Speaker 1: I haven't talked to too many people lately that said, oh, 1213 00:59:54,400 --> 00:59:56,120 Speaker 1: the Frank Church is on fire with elk right now. 1214 00:59:56,280 --> 00:59:58,760 Speaker 1: He actually asks people and they're like, yeah, there's elk, 1215 00:59:58,800 --> 01:00:01,720 Speaker 1: but a few between. They kind of tell the same 1216 01:00:01,760 --> 01:00:04,280 Speaker 1: kind of stories we tell about the places we've been hunting. 1217 01:00:04,600 --> 01:00:06,560 Speaker 1: You know, if you know the pockets where they live, 1218 01:00:06,720 --> 01:00:08,440 Speaker 1: you'll get into them. But if you don't, you're gonna 1219 01:00:08,800 --> 01:00:10,640 Speaker 1: you could spend a whole week there or a ten 1220 01:00:10,720 --> 01:00:12,480 Speaker 1: day hunt and not see a dang elk or here. 1221 01:00:12,520 --> 01:00:14,360 Speaker 2: I know, if if you walk forever through the brush 1222 01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:15,920 Speaker 2: piles and just beat yourself togeath. 1223 01:00:18,960 --> 01:00:23,439 Speaker 1: But anyway, yeah, I I don't know what the easy 1224 01:00:23,480 --> 01:00:26,160 Speaker 1: answer is because they have, you know, with trapping and stuff, 1225 01:00:26,680 --> 01:00:29,120 Speaker 1: and then I know the idole fishing game of flown 1226 01:00:29,200 --> 01:00:32,720 Speaker 1: missions with their their helicopters, and you know, to reduce 1227 01:00:32,840 --> 01:00:34,760 Speaker 1: numbers of wolves, you know, they shoot a bunch and 1228 01:00:35,400 --> 01:00:38,080 Speaker 1: to help certain areas where the elk are suffering or 1229 01:00:38,160 --> 01:00:41,640 Speaker 1: maybe cattle, and then the trappers are getting a fair 1230 01:00:41,840 --> 01:00:43,920 Speaker 1: share of them. And I think I think they're just 1231 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:45,600 Speaker 1: kind of keeping them at bay. They've reduced some of 1232 01:00:45,920 --> 01:00:47,560 Speaker 1: the numbers, but they've kind of keep them at bay. 1233 01:00:48,360 --> 01:00:52,840 Speaker 1: And I don't know. Something has to happen drastically to 1234 01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:55,000 Speaker 1: get those elk to come back in those places. 1235 01:00:55,240 --> 01:00:57,560 Speaker 2: So that takes you to the next thing is where 1236 01:00:57,600 --> 01:01:00,960 Speaker 2: the elk drop their cows. Yes, guess what's down there? 1237 01:01:01,560 --> 01:01:05,600 Speaker 2: Bears bears. So has the bear population increased enough to 1238 01:01:05,600 --> 01:01:09,080 Speaker 2: where they're hurting the herds by killing enough cows? I 1239 01:01:09,120 --> 01:01:09,400 Speaker 2: don't know. 1240 01:01:10,120 --> 01:01:12,400 Speaker 1: I think they put it in on them, definitely. I 1241 01:01:12,480 --> 01:01:14,440 Speaker 1: think there's a lot of bears. I don't think it's 1242 01:01:14,480 --> 01:01:16,360 Speaker 1: like the bound bears we had in the eighties. But 1243 01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:17,880 Speaker 1: we don't have the amount of elk because we had 1244 01:01:17,920 --> 01:01:18,400 Speaker 1: in the eighties. 1245 01:01:18,760 --> 01:01:21,160 Speaker 2: But there's more cougars now too than there were ye 1246 01:01:21,680 --> 01:01:24,800 Speaker 2: So you know, everything's trying to like a turkey. We 1247 01:01:24,880 --> 01:01:27,600 Speaker 2: were talking, Yeah, a turkey doesn't have a friend one 1248 01:01:27,640 --> 01:01:30,439 Speaker 2: in the woods except for a deer. Everything else wants 1249 01:01:30,480 --> 01:01:30,800 Speaker 2: to eat it. 1250 01:01:31,760 --> 01:01:34,080 Speaker 1: It's on everyone's menu, I mean. 1251 01:01:34,560 --> 01:01:39,960 Speaker 2: Says oh young bobcat, Oh yeah, cougar, yeah, but an 1252 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:42,439 Speaker 2: elk because you know, there's a lot of things trying 1253 01:01:42,480 --> 01:01:44,840 Speaker 2: to eat the elk too. Between the bear, the cougar 1254 01:01:45,320 --> 01:01:50,400 Speaker 2: and the wolves, you know, they're yeah, now, prime fair. 1255 01:01:50,640 --> 01:01:53,520 Speaker 1: Now. Am I calling for the eradication of wolves or 1256 01:01:53,600 --> 01:01:55,920 Speaker 1: bears or cougars. No, no, But it has to be 1257 01:01:56,000 --> 01:01:59,240 Speaker 1: a good balance, right, It's got to be a balance. 1258 01:01:59,320 --> 01:02:03,480 Speaker 1: And and being I'm an animal lover, I love all 1259 01:02:03,520 --> 01:02:06,080 Speaker 1: animals and I want to see them all do well, 1260 01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:08,360 Speaker 1: but not at the expense of the other one. You know, 1261 01:02:08,440 --> 01:02:10,120 Speaker 1: I don't want all the elk to be gone, and 1262 01:02:10,160 --> 01:02:11,800 Speaker 1: I don't want all the wolves to be gone, and 1263 01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:15,600 Speaker 1: all the cougars in the mountain lions are the bears, 1264 01:02:15,640 --> 01:02:18,320 Speaker 1: and I don't want to see something disappear completely off 1265 01:02:18,320 --> 01:02:20,600 Speaker 1: the landscape at all, but we have to manage them. 1266 01:02:20,760 --> 01:02:22,680 Speaker 2: It is cool to hear a wolf howl. That is 1267 01:02:22,840 --> 01:02:24,800 Speaker 2: just a neat. I mean, it's an air you sound, 1268 01:02:24,880 --> 01:02:25,600 Speaker 2: but it's cool to hear. 1269 01:02:26,320 --> 01:02:29,240 Speaker 1: And I love dogs. I am. People may not know 1270 01:02:29,360 --> 01:02:31,520 Speaker 1: this about me, but I love dogs. I have a 1271 01:02:31,680 --> 01:02:34,080 Speaker 1: black Lab, I've had black labs. I've had dogs my 1272 01:02:34,200 --> 01:02:37,400 Speaker 1: whole entire adult life. And I love dogs. And I 1273 01:02:37,480 --> 01:02:41,160 Speaker 1: feel like wolves are interesting. Dogs are intelligent, Dogs are 1274 01:02:41,240 --> 01:02:45,640 Speaker 1: way smarter than people will usually give them credit for. 1275 01:02:45,880 --> 01:02:48,760 Speaker 1: And especially they're very in touch with their emotions. I 1276 01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:52,360 Speaker 1: think dogs are more self aware than a lot of 1277 01:02:52,400 --> 01:02:58,440 Speaker 1: people will acknowledge or understand. So you think wolves are 1278 01:02:58,640 --> 01:03:02,480 Speaker 1: very self aware, very intelligent. They've they've they learned very 1279 01:03:02,560 --> 01:03:07,320 Speaker 1: quickly about danger, about food, they learn very quickly about everything. 1280 01:03:07,720 --> 01:03:11,480 Speaker 1: And so I can appreciate that. That's an inter it's 1281 01:03:11,640 --> 01:03:15,040 Speaker 1: very They're an interesting animal. They have an interesting family dynamic. 1282 01:03:15,840 --> 01:03:18,600 Speaker 1: They have just a different kind of way of life, 1283 01:03:18,680 --> 01:03:22,280 Speaker 1: you know, which is interesting, which should should be appreciated. 1284 01:03:22,520 --> 01:03:26,720 Speaker 1: But also I can appreciate when they're overpopulated, then other 1285 01:03:26,920 --> 01:03:32,560 Speaker 1: animal species suffer, and I don't appreciate that, right. I 1286 01:03:32,640 --> 01:03:33,560 Speaker 1: don't want that to happen. 1287 01:03:33,600 --> 01:03:35,400 Speaker 2: I want there to be a balance, to go from 1288 01:03:35,440 --> 01:03:38,439 Speaker 2: fifteen thousand elk curd down to fifteen hundred elk curd. 1289 01:03:39,240 --> 01:03:42,280 Speaker 1: Something's wrong, something's wrong, and it hoped it happened within 1290 01:03:42,360 --> 01:03:43,280 Speaker 1: a two three year period. 1291 01:03:43,800 --> 01:03:44,840 Speaker 2: Is this boom? 1292 01:03:45,040 --> 01:03:50,760 Speaker 1: Is what happened? And the habitat didn't just fail as 1293 01:03:50,760 --> 01:03:53,480 Speaker 1: there's less elk on the landscape. Think of this, you know, 1294 01:03:53,600 --> 01:03:56,360 Speaker 1: you say a habitat as there's less elk on the landscape, 1295 01:03:56,560 --> 01:03:59,360 Speaker 1: there's more food on the landscape because there's it's not 1296 01:03:59,520 --> 01:04:02,120 Speaker 1: like all the the grass and brush died in North Ido. 1297 01:04:02,720 --> 01:04:05,600 Speaker 1: If anything, there's it's brushier than it's ever been everywhere 1298 01:04:05,640 --> 01:04:06,200 Speaker 1: he looks. 1299 01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:10,320 Speaker 2: Food, Yeah, it is. It's it's a it's a jungle. 1300 01:04:10,560 --> 01:04:12,080 Speaker 2: That's the best way to describe it. 1301 01:04:12,360 --> 01:04:14,640 Speaker 1: Like an elk doesn't have to walk far for food, 1302 01:04:14,760 --> 01:04:16,720 Speaker 1: Like they can like walk three feet. Oh there's something 1303 01:04:16,760 --> 01:04:20,600 Speaker 1: else to eat. Yeah, theysh they walk fifty yards. Oh 1304 01:04:20,640 --> 01:04:23,720 Speaker 1: there's water. They have, they have, they have everything they 1305 01:04:23,800 --> 01:04:26,840 Speaker 1: need except I think they the the wolves have done 1306 01:04:27,200 --> 01:04:29,440 Speaker 1: quite a number on them, and I think they do 1307 01:04:29,760 --> 01:04:32,400 Speaker 1: definitely need to restore a lot of the the winter 1308 01:04:32,920 --> 01:04:37,000 Speaker 1: habitat by doing prescribed burns. But as my friend George said, 1309 01:04:37,360 --> 01:04:39,800 Speaker 1: you know, there's that's a politically charged thing. You know, 1310 01:04:40,680 --> 01:04:42,479 Speaker 1: we start burning, you know, there's a lot of folks 1311 01:04:42,480 --> 01:04:44,840 Speaker 1: who suffer from asthma and stuff, and it makes it 1312 01:04:44,920 --> 01:04:47,240 Speaker 1: hard for them to breathe. Well, they get they get 1313 01:04:47,280 --> 01:04:49,840 Speaker 1: pushed back, the four Service gets pushed back on on 1314 01:04:50,080 --> 01:04:54,000 Speaker 1: air quality. Yeah, and you know it's hard to make 1315 01:04:54,120 --> 01:04:57,080 Speaker 1: everyone happy, you know, unfortunately. 1316 01:04:58,320 --> 01:05:00,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, But but you have to look at the money 1317 01:05:00,800 --> 01:05:05,640 Speaker 2: that hunters put into the economy. Yep, And I think 1318 01:05:05,720 --> 01:05:08,200 Speaker 2: as hunters, you know, buying license and tags and all 1319 01:05:08,240 --> 01:05:11,920 Speaker 2: this stuff. You've promoted the game and built up the 1320 01:05:12,000 --> 01:05:14,640 Speaker 2: herds to where they were, you know, so that was 1321 01:05:15,480 --> 01:05:19,120 Speaker 2: and then to be managed responsibly at that level, you know, 1322 01:05:19,280 --> 01:05:22,480 Speaker 2: keep the herds up. And then something else comes into 1323 01:05:22,520 --> 01:05:25,880 Speaker 2: the equation, doesn't that wasn't there before and changes all everything. 1324 01:05:25,960 --> 01:05:28,040 Speaker 2: So you have to stop and re examine how you're 1325 01:05:28,760 --> 01:05:33,200 Speaker 2: doing things. And I don't know, I I don't have 1326 01:05:33,360 --> 01:05:34,360 Speaker 2: the answers. I wish it did. 1327 01:05:34,920 --> 01:05:38,920 Speaker 1: Well, here's I mean, here's a here's a here's a topic. 1328 01:05:39,040 --> 01:05:40,720 Speaker 1: We could spin off of this and go down another 1329 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:45,480 Speaker 1: rabbit hole. Logging. You know, they've they've ceased logging for 1330 01:05:45,600 --> 01:05:50,280 Speaker 1: the most part. On buying large on national forest. Yes, okay, 1331 01:05:50,440 --> 01:05:53,280 Speaker 1: we can't burn that. We can't burn these these winter grounds. 1332 01:05:53,560 --> 01:05:54,360 Speaker 1: Can we log them? 1333 01:05:54,840 --> 01:05:54,880 Speaker 3: No? 1334 01:05:55,040 --> 01:05:58,800 Speaker 1: And I'm not saying put in new roads into these places, 1335 01:05:59,040 --> 01:06:01,880 Speaker 1: but people can help licopter log right, That's that's a 1336 01:06:02,120 --> 01:06:04,280 Speaker 1: very effective tool. You're not you're not you're not scarring 1337 01:06:04,320 --> 01:06:08,560 Speaker 1: the landscape with roads. You you make the roads that 1338 01:06:08,760 --> 01:06:12,600 Speaker 1: are existing roads. Better cut the timber, fly it to 1339 01:06:12,720 --> 01:06:16,680 Speaker 1: the fly it to the nearest road. Landing and truck 1340 01:06:16,760 --> 01:06:20,080 Speaker 1: it out. You know that now now again, we're stimulating 1341 01:06:20,120 --> 01:06:23,080 Speaker 1: the economy, We're creating dollars, we're getting people putting back 1342 01:06:23,080 --> 01:06:25,520 Speaker 1: to where work. We're getting tax money that will help 1343 01:06:26,120 --> 01:06:31,160 Speaker 1: maintain the forest. Yet the same people who don't want 1344 01:06:31,200 --> 01:06:33,440 Speaker 1: you to log, they don't want you to burn, well, 1345 01:06:33,480 --> 01:06:35,800 Speaker 1: some of them, but it seems like, you know, we 1346 01:06:35,880 --> 01:06:38,880 Speaker 1: don't want you to to log the forest. But and 1347 01:06:39,720 --> 01:06:42,760 Speaker 1: but what happens in the end is well, wildfire and 1348 01:06:42,880 --> 01:06:43,960 Speaker 1: it isn't burning anyway. 1349 01:06:44,560 --> 01:06:47,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's worse because nothing is restored yet. Yeah. 1350 01:06:47,560 --> 01:06:49,640 Speaker 1: And it's the middle of summer, it's July and August, 1351 01:06:49,680 --> 01:06:53,600 Speaker 1: and now air quality all over the northern northwestern part 1352 01:06:53,600 --> 01:06:56,120 Speaker 1: of the United States, the sky's are brown for the 1353 01:06:56,160 --> 01:06:57,040 Speaker 1: whole month of August. 1354 01:06:57,120 --> 01:06:59,400 Speaker 2: You're spending money to fight the fighters instead of making 1355 01:06:59,480 --> 01:07:03,000 Speaker 2: money by log in it, Yes, which just doesn't compute 1356 01:07:03,080 --> 01:07:03,880 Speaker 2: for me. Yeah. 1357 01:07:04,880 --> 01:07:08,760 Speaker 1: In areas where there's a lot of different ownerships of land, 1358 01:07:08,800 --> 01:07:11,240 Speaker 1: you know, you have state, you have private timber companies, 1359 01:07:11,280 --> 01:07:14,880 Speaker 1: you have National forest in those areas, you definitely see 1360 01:07:14,880 --> 01:07:17,520 Speaker 1: a difference in ELK numbers just because they've opened up 1361 01:07:17,560 --> 01:07:21,360 Speaker 1: the forest in those places. So I do believe habitat 1362 01:07:21,480 --> 01:07:24,040 Speaker 1: does have something to do with it, Yes, because even 1363 01:07:24,080 --> 01:07:27,120 Speaker 1: with the presence of predators, the elk do better. 1364 01:07:27,800 --> 01:07:29,880 Speaker 2: And the fires don't do as well because they hit 1365 01:07:29,960 --> 01:07:32,680 Speaker 2: these blocks that have been logged and they can distinguish them, you. 1366 01:07:32,680 --> 01:07:37,800 Speaker 1: Know, extinguish. We don't have those multimillion acre burns like 1367 01:07:37,880 --> 01:07:43,880 Speaker 1: we had in nineteen ten. So anyway, I wish we 1368 01:07:43,960 --> 01:07:45,640 Speaker 1: could just you know, I think we've just solved the 1369 01:07:45,680 --> 01:07:47,360 Speaker 1: world's problems here, Ron. 1370 01:07:48,960 --> 01:07:49,800 Speaker 2: I'm too old for that. 1371 01:07:51,800 --> 01:07:54,560 Speaker 1: Man. It's been really fun. As always, I appreciate you 1372 01:07:54,640 --> 01:07:57,080 Speaker 1: hosting me and bringing me over here. I cherish the 1373 01:07:57,160 --> 01:07:59,400 Speaker 1: time we get to spend together and go over and 1374 01:07:59,520 --> 01:08:04,080 Speaker 1: it's fun. We talk about life and giggle and laugh 1375 01:08:04,240 --> 01:08:06,680 Speaker 1: and and you cook good food for me. You love 1376 01:08:06,760 --> 01:08:09,480 Speaker 1: to cook and I love to eat. I mean, anybody 1377 01:08:09,520 --> 01:08:13,160 Speaker 1: that's seen you know that's a great that's a great duo. 1378 01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:16,000 Speaker 2: We gave first razor clams the other night, the. 1379 01:08:16,000 --> 01:08:19,120 Speaker 1: First razor clams. I've never had those before. Jason Phelps 1380 01:08:19,200 --> 01:08:22,599 Speaker 1: thanks a lot for no invite. He lives very close 1381 01:08:22,640 --> 01:08:26,280 Speaker 1: to the coast. And yeah I did, Yeah, yeah, I 1382 01:08:26,400 --> 01:08:28,240 Speaker 1: had to had to come to my good friend Ron's 1383 01:08:28,240 --> 01:08:30,759 Speaker 1: house to get razor clams. I hope you're listening, Jason. 1384 01:08:31,880 --> 01:08:34,599 Speaker 1: You know, if if you guys have questions or comments, 1385 01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:38,680 Speaker 1: you can always email them into CETD at Phelps Game 1386 01:08:38,800 --> 01:08:43,680 Speaker 1: Calls dot com. Yeah in the distance, Yeah CTD at 1387 01:08:43,720 --> 01:08:46,160 Speaker 1: Phelps Game Calls. Got to com and send send an 1388 01:08:46,160 --> 01:08:48,479 Speaker 1: email to Jason Phelips and say, hey, why didn't you 1389 01:08:48,720 --> 01:08:50,960 Speaker 1: have Dirk over for razor clams? I thought you guys 1390 01:08:51,000 --> 01:08:53,639 Speaker 1: were friends. I'm starting to question our friendship. 1391 01:08:55,640 --> 01:08:58,080 Speaker 2: Make sure you use clams and not mud clams. 1392 01:08:58,160 --> 01:09:00,080 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, well yeah, he'll probably eat the ray the 1393 01:09:00,160 --> 01:09:01,519 Speaker 1: clams and I'm not there. He's like, oh, we got 1394 01:09:01,560 --> 01:09:04,080 Speaker 1: to some of these others. We call them m clams 1395 01:09:04,479 --> 01:09:08,360 Speaker 1: for mud. But anyway, anything to wrap this up, any 1396 01:09:08,479 --> 01:09:10,960 Speaker 1: last thoughts. Do you have any regrets or looking back 1397 01:09:11,000 --> 01:09:14,000 Speaker 1: at your your long hunting life, Like, man, I wish 1398 01:09:14,040 --> 01:09:18,120 Speaker 1: I'd done something that you just didn't do, and looking back, 1399 01:09:18,160 --> 01:09:19,519 Speaker 1: you wish you could have done something different. 1400 01:09:20,040 --> 01:09:23,360 Speaker 2: So, so when I was learning the hunting starting out 1401 01:09:23,360 --> 01:09:25,679 Speaker 2: in Oregon and I got I don't even know where, 1402 01:09:26,040 --> 01:09:28,680 Speaker 2: I heard about bugling. I was excited. I thought I 1403 01:09:28,800 --> 01:09:30,960 Speaker 2: want to call it. I want to hear bugle. So 1404 01:09:31,040 --> 01:09:33,560 Speaker 2: I don't even know, I don't know if it was 1405 01:09:33,640 --> 01:09:35,560 Speaker 2: herders or what. Back in the day, I heard some 1406 01:09:35,760 --> 01:09:38,439 Speaker 2: turkey diaphragm calls you can make yourself, and I made 1407 01:09:38,560 --> 01:09:42,240 Speaker 2: my own diaphragms and I used them for bugling. Or 1408 01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:45,519 Speaker 2: I was younger and my voice worked better and I 1409 01:09:45,600 --> 01:09:48,240 Speaker 2: could do a throat bugle with my own voice. 1410 01:09:48,360 --> 01:09:50,120 Speaker 1: Did you suck in? Or did you scream? 1411 01:09:51,600 --> 01:09:51,640 Speaker 3: So? 1412 01:09:51,760 --> 01:09:53,560 Speaker 1: Can I try to do that? I sell like a 1413 01:09:53,960 --> 01:09:56,240 Speaker 1: credit might sell like a stuck pig or something. It's 1414 01:09:56,240 --> 01:09:56,840 Speaker 1: so terrible. 1415 01:09:57,000 --> 01:10:00,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. I called nice point in one day and here 1416 01:10:00,400 --> 01:10:03,519 Speaker 2: came a hunter down up win from him, and gone. 1417 01:10:03,479 --> 01:10:05,519 Speaker 1: Got them both. He's got you fool them both. 1418 01:10:05,560 --> 01:10:07,840 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. It was like, oh my gosh, you must 1419 01:10:07,880 --> 01:10:10,760 Speaker 2: have been pretty good. But I made my own diaphrams 1420 01:10:10,800 --> 01:10:12,519 Speaker 2: and tried those, and then they had, you know, so 1421 01:10:12,520 --> 01:10:14,920 Speaker 2: I don't remember what called. Larry Jones came out with them. 1422 01:10:15,000 --> 01:10:18,519 Speaker 2: I got the squealer thing and got my first bull 1423 01:10:18,600 --> 01:10:21,280 Speaker 2: to really answer and come in later on, and he 1424 01:10:21,400 --> 01:10:23,960 Speaker 2: was ripping up a tree and I thought, I'm sitting 1425 01:10:24,000 --> 01:10:25,599 Speaker 2: here waiting for him to come walking out in front 1426 01:10:25,600 --> 01:10:28,000 Speaker 2: of me, and he left, you know, so it's like, oh, well, 1427 01:10:28,080 --> 01:10:31,120 Speaker 2: that's not how it goes. And then I taught myself. 1428 01:10:31,240 --> 01:10:33,519 Speaker 2: I had to. I learned it myself just by doing it. 1429 01:10:33,760 --> 01:10:35,840 Speaker 2: And like we were talking back in the day, there 1430 01:10:35,880 --> 01:10:38,240 Speaker 2: were enough elk and Idaho, if we blew this one, 1431 01:10:38,320 --> 01:10:40,600 Speaker 2: let's go to the next one mile away. Yeah, you 1432 01:10:40,640 --> 01:10:43,120 Speaker 2: don't do it again. And that was how we learned. 1433 01:10:43,160 --> 01:10:45,680 Speaker 2: It was just trial and error. And it ends up 1434 01:10:45,760 --> 01:10:48,240 Speaker 2: that you and I pop a lot alike. 1435 01:10:48,320 --> 01:10:48,479 Speaker 3: Now. 1436 01:10:48,760 --> 01:10:51,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's like we're sitting here talking like yeah, yeah, yeah. 1437 01:10:51,880 --> 01:10:57,000 Speaker 2: Aggressive aggressive aggressive means this, not this. And if the 1438 01:10:57,040 --> 01:11:00,559 Speaker 2: bull gets aggressive sounding, we get aggressive sounding. But if 1439 01:11:00,560 --> 01:11:03,920 Speaker 2: he's not, we're aggressive pushing them, getting closer and making 1440 01:11:04,000 --> 01:11:08,639 Speaker 2: them mad. So yeah, yeah, I mean I the only 1441 01:11:08,760 --> 01:11:15,960 Speaker 2: regrets I have yeah, okay, not a whole lot, just 1442 01:11:16,280 --> 01:11:16,599 Speaker 2: a few. 1443 01:11:17,160 --> 01:11:17,280 Speaker 1: You know. 1444 01:11:17,320 --> 01:11:21,080 Speaker 2: I wish I had more patience at times. That is 1445 01:11:21,360 --> 01:11:25,000 Speaker 2: one of the key things for somebody learning patients. Just 1446 01:11:25,080 --> 01:11:28,840 Speaker 2: because he hasn't showed up within two minutes doesn't mean 1447 01:11:28,880 --> 01:11:31,519 Speaker 2: he's not gonna be within ten minutes. Just like turkey hunting, Yep, 1448 01:11:32,040 --> 01:11:34,439 Speaker 2: if a turkey doesn't show up and he's quiet, he 1449 01:11:34,600 --> 01:11:36,680 Speaker 2: might be coming in quiet. It's the same thing with 1450 01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:37,120 Speaker 2: an elk. 1451 01:11:37,479 --> 01:11:37,559 Speaker 1: Ye. 1452 01:11:37,960 --> 01:11:41,360 Speaker 2: So I've learned a lot of patience. Especially now that 1453 01:11:41,439 --> 01:11:43,920 Speaker 2: I'm older, I don't like to move as much and 1454 01:11:44,200 --> 01:11:46,360 Speaker 2: it hurts to go, and so I learned to stop 1455 01:11:46,400 --> 01:11:47,120 Speaker 2: a lot. Yeah. 1456 01:11:47,840 --> 01:11:50,640 Speaker 1: Well, I think Kenny Rogers said it best. You got 1457 01:11:50,680 --> 01:11:51,840 Speaker 1: to know when to hold him and know when to 1458 01:11:51,840 --> 01:11:52,799 Speaker 1: fold them exactly. 1459 01:11:55,479 --> 01:11:59,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, no, that's about it. I just thoroughly enjoyed 1460 01:12:00,120 --> 01:12:02,760 Speaker 2: my time in the woods and learning about like you know, 1461 01:12:02,800 --> 01:12:04,439 Speaker 2: I was telling you stories the other day what I've 1462 01:12:04,479 --> 01:12:06,560 Speaker 2: seen with hell kin of the cow falling in the 1463 01:12:06,640 --> 01:12:10,000 Speaker 2: bog ahead over heels, Yeah, calf getting beat on by 1464 01:12:10,080 --> 01:12:12,880 Speaker 2: a cow, and you know, it's just there's so many 1465 01:12:12,960 --> 01:12:16,679 Speaker 2: things just see watching nelk get spooked, you know, spike 1466 01:12:17,040 --> 01:12:18,960 Speaker 2: grouse flop at its feet and the spike just did 1467 01:12:19,080 --> 01:12:22,040 Speaker 2: some results trying to get out of there. So you 1468 01:12:22,160 --> 01:12:24,479 Speaker 2: see so many cool things when you were out in 1469 01:12:24,479 --> 01:12:26,560 Speaker 2: the woods getting to watch that stuff, and that's what 1470 01:12:26,680 --> 01:12:27,360 Speaker 2: I enjoy. 1471 01:12:27,600 --> 01:12:31,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's so Yeah. All the times I've been 1472 01:12:31,720 --> 01:12:33,720 Speaker 1: by myself hunting and I didn't have anybody with me, 1473 01:12:33,880 --> 01:12:37,040 Speaker 1: and I've seen some amazing things, like nobody's gonna ever 1474 01:12:37,080 --> 01:12:40,439 Speaker 1: believe this story, and it's long before you videotaped anything, 1475 01:12:40,479 --> 01:12:43,120 Speaker 1: and it's by myself and it's like, man, that was 1476 01:12:43,160 --> 01:12:45,880 Speaker 1: so cool. And it's one regret. I've hunted it by 1477 01:12:45,960 --> 01:12:48,880 Speaker 1: myself a lot in my life and I enjoy it, 1478 01:12:49,000 --> 01:12:54,439 Speaker 1: I love it, I prefer it, but when something remarkable happens, 1479 01:12:54,600 --> 01:12:56,680 Speaker 1: I regret that I didn't have someone there with me 1480 01:12:56,840 --> 01:12:58,200 Speaker 1: to share that moment with, Like. 1481 01:12:58,520 --> 01:12:59,960 Speaker 2: Can you believe that just happened? 1482 01:13:00,240 --> 01:13:02,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the coolest thing I've ever seen. 1483 01:13:02,479 --> 01:13:05,400 Speaker 2: No, so my Yeah. Another regret is that we didn't 1484 01:13:05,439 --> 01:13:08,720 Speaker 2: run into each other back in the nineteen nineties and 1485 01:13:08,720 --> 01:13:11,760 Speaker 2: then start hunting together with our group. You know, it 1486 01:13:11,800 --> 01:13:13,240 Speaker 2: would have been it would have been. 1487 01:13:14,880 --> 01:13:16,640 Speaker 1: I would have seen your license plate thought I'd been 1488 01:13:16,720 --> 01:13:19,360 Speaker 1: like them damn or Guardian hunters. But out of standers 1489 01:13:19,400 --> 01:13:19,800 Speaker 1: get out of it. 1490 01:13:19,880 --> 01:13:20,040 Speaker 3: I know. 1491 01:13:20,320 --> 01:13:24,280 Speaker 1: No, I'm just kidding, but I wish we'd have found 1492 01:13:24,320 --> 01:13:26,519 Speaker 1: each other back then and could have chased them same 1493 01:13:26,960 --> 01:13:29,320 Speaker 1: the same mountains that we love so much together. It 1494 01:13:29,360 --> 01:13:31,000 Speaker 1: would have been such so much fun. 1495 01:13:31,080 --> 01:13:33,559 Speaker 2: Would have been. And now you're not hunting where I'm 1496 01:13:33,640 --> 01:13:34,280 Speaker 2: hunting anymore. 1497 01:13:34,400 --> 01:13:34,599 Speaker 1: Yeap. 1498 01:13:35,080 --> 01:13:37,960 Speaker 2: So we'll have to give you a report card this year. 1499 01:13:37,960 --> 01:13:41,040 Speaker 1: Wrappers over, yeah, yeap, And we'll just have to you know, 1500 01:13:41,200 --> 01:13:43,960 Speaker 1: we have turkey hunting Ron, that's right, We'll always have turkey. 1501 01:13:45,800 --> 01:13:47,040 Speaker 2: Yep, that's for Darner. 1502 01:13:47,120 --> 01:13:51,479 Speaker 1: Sure, well, thanks again. How can people find you? You 1503 01:13:51,560 --> 01:13:53,320 Speaker 1: wanted to have let people know where they can find 1504 01:13:53,360 --> 01:13:55,160 Speaker 1: you on social if they want to follow you. 1505 01:13:55,320 --> 01:13:58,559 Speaker 2: I don't have any idea, Okay you do, I don't, Yeah, 1506 01:13:58,640 --> 01:14:02,200 Speaker 2: I don't. I don't know. If it's just Ron Hewett 1507 01:14:02,280 --> 01:14:06,320 Speaker 2: on Facebook and something wrong hew it on Instagram, I 1508 01:14:06,360 --> 01:14:08,360 Speaker 2: don't know. I don't post much on their normally his 1509 01:14:08,439 --> 01:14:11,840 Speaker 2: family stuff, family stuff. And I probably posted a picture 1510 01:14:11,880 --> 01:14:14,680 Speaker 2: of you the other day because I had eleven year 1511 01:14:14,760 --> 01:14:17,439 Speaker 2: memory or something on April fifteenth with me with a 1512 01:14:17,479 --> 01:14:19,679 Speaker 2: bird and it said ad So I put your picture 1513 01:14:19,760 --> 01:14:21,559 Speaker 2: on there, it shows up. I don't. I don't even 1514 01:14:21,560 --> 01:14:22,320 Speaker 2: know how to find. 1515 01:14:22,160 --> 01:14:26,200 Speaker 1: That, so right on, Well again, I thank you for 1516 01:14:26,560 --> 01:14:29,240 Speaker 1: having me over, Thanks for thanks for getting on the podcast. 1517 01:14:29,320 --> 01:14:31,320 Speaker 2: You know, I know that was the first I said 1518 01:14:31,360 --> 01:14:32,160 Speaker 2: I was never going. 1519 01:14:32,160 --> 01:14:34,439 Speaker 1: To do this. I know you told me I'll never 1520 01:14:34,479 --> 01:14:37,160 Speaker 1: get on a podcast, and I'm like, Ron, you gotta 1521 01:14:37,200 --> 01:14:37,400 Speaker 1: do it. 1522 01:14:37,640 --> 01:14:40,120 Speaker 2: Like I'm sweating and trembling and shaking. 1523 01:14:40,400 --> 01:14:43,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's you know. One of my regret life regrets 1524 01:14:43,880 --> 01:14:47,200 Speaker 1: is not no knowing or my before when my dad 1525 01:14:47,280 --> 01:14:49,800 Speaker 1: passed away. Before he passed in two thousand and nine, 1526 01:14:49,840 --> 01:14:51,639 Speaker 1: and back then, I hadn't even heard of a podcast. 1527 01:14:51,640 --> 01:14:55,040 Speaker 1: I don't even know what a podcast was, and there was, 1528 01:14:55,080 --> 01:14:59,519 Speaker 1: it wasn't mainstream media by no means, and I regret 1529 01:14:59,680 --> 01:15:03,080 Speaker 1: that I hadn't recorded. My mom always wanted my dad 1530 01:15:03,120 --> 01:15:07,200 Speaker 1: because my dad, Yeah, he's a very colorful person, crazy 1531 01:15:07,320 --> 01:15:09,400 Speaker 1: stories like he lived a hell of a life from 1532 01:15:09,840 --> 01:15:12,240 Speaker 1: you know, storm on the beaches of Ewajima to living 1533 01:15:12,320 --> 01:15:16,400 Speaker 1: and working in Liberia, Africa back in the sixties, and 1534 01:15:16,880 --> 01:15:19,960 Speaker 1: you know, all the hunted the Idaho's backcountry when it 1535 01:15:20,040 --> 01:15:21,720 Speaker 1: was the very best right out of World War Two 1536 01:15:21,800 --> 01:15:25,720 Speaker 1: in the forties and fifties, and and just he'd experienced 1537 01:15:26,040 --> 01:15:30,800 Speaker 1: such a wide range of experiences in life. My mom 1538 01:15:30,840 --> 01:15:32,600 Speaker 1: always tried to get him to like record something like 1539 01:15:32,640 --> 01:15:34,720 Speaker 1: a little tape recorder, and he I think he kin'd 1540 01:15:34,720 --> 01:15:36,840 Speaker 1: felt worried about it, and he's likesh, I'm not doing that, 1541 01:15:37,000 --> 01:15:39,040 Speaker 1: you know. But if we'd have been able to sneak 1542 01:15:39,160 --> 01:15:42,439 Speaker 1: or or something or sit down, and I wish I 1543 01:15:42,479 --> 01:15:45,519 Speaker 1: could have had an opportunity to podcast and record all 1544 01:15:45,600 --> 01:15:48,680 Speaker 1: these wild stories he had and life experiences. 1545 01:15:48,760 --> 01:15:49,920 Speaker 2: I do regret that. 1546 01:15:50,160 --> 01:15:53,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was, it was awesome. And but and that's 1547 01:15:53,040 --> 01:15:55,400 Speaker 1: why I really wanted you to get on here, because 1548 01:15:55,439 --> 01:15:57,400 Speaker 1: I wanted to I want to pick your brain and 1549 01:15:57,840 --> 01:16:00,800 Speaker 1: record you and here and hear your your You're spent 1550 01:16:00,880 --> 01:16:02,920 Speaker 1: on life and and and elk cunning. 1551 01:16:03,000 --> 01:16:05,880 Speaker 2: So I appreciate life is enjoy all it's here. We 1552 01:16:06,000 --> 01:16:09,880 Speaker 2: never know about tomorrow. It's all in God's hands. So absolutely, 1553 01:16:10,160 --> 01:16:13,760 Speaker 2: that's that's the Just enjoy every day, make the most 1554 01:16:13,840 --> 01:16:17,040 Speaker 2: of it, make make the friends and enjoy your friendships. 1555 01:16:18,000 --> 01:16:21,639 Speaker 1: So I love that. Yeah, all right. And family, family 1556 01:16:21,680 --> 01:16:26,040 Speaker 1: and family. Yeah, absolutely definitely family, family first. Yeah, well, 1557 01:16:26,080 --> 01:16:29,120 Speaker 1: thanks Ron, and we'll catch everybody on the next one. 1558 01:16:32,000 --> 01:16:52,559 Speaker 3: H h h h h m hmmm