1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better dearer hunting, and now your 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: host Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: Hunt Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: about the ladies and why it's a mistake to look 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 1: right past them and focus totally on the bus. They 8 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: don't get any credit and it's a shame. You know, 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: does make up a big part of the deer herd 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: and they are directly responsible for raising future generations of 11 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: white tails. And they're delicious and often just as challenging 12 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: to kill as their male counterparts. But they don't have antlers. Well, 13 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: I guess like one and eight thousand of them do. 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: But for the most part, of dough is a dough 15 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: is a dough is a dope, But that's not really true, 16 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: and it varies quite a bit from hunter to hunter, 17 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: and how easy it is to not only get around 18 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: them but kill them. I personally loved him. I love 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: them so much. I'm going to talk about them for 20 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: the next two weeks. And even if you're the biggest 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: antler fetish hunter out there who cares only about big 22 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 1: racks on the wall, you should give a listen, because 23 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: learning about how to hunt does and help you hunt 24 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: the bucks better. A couple of weeks ago, we took 25 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: my daughters to a local high school. By the time 26 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: we got there, the parking lot was full of cars. 27 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: Kids of all ages could be seen walking through the 28 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: cold Minnesota morning to the front doors. Most of them 29 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: were wearing jerseys. Inside, the activity increased. There were players 30 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: and coaches and parents and parents all over in the hallways, 31 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: and the distant sound of cheering and ref whistles filled 32 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: the air. Our girls had three games on the schedule 33 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: in a matter of just four hours. To top it off, 34 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: this nasty flu that is going around, or COVID two 35 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: or whatever the hell it is had knocked their team 36 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,239 Speaker 1: back from nine players to seven, and one of those 37 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: remaining girls she was fading pretty fast, so we could 38 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: safely call it about six and a half players. The 39 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: first game was a decent one, with my girls team 40 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: taking an early lead and keeping it throughout both periods. 41 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: Day one with twenty four points, which is about average 42 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: for fifth grade girls. Now, of those twenty four, one 43 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 1: of my daughters scored twenty. She was pretty proud of herself, 44 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 1: and so were we. Now. The second game looked to 45 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: be a little bit more of a challenge, but our 46 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: girls started out strong and they pulled out to a 47 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: ten to zero lead, over coming a five bucket deficit. 48 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: In that age group, it's not very easy, but the 49 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: opposing team managed to do it now. They even got 50 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: a little help from my non twenty point scoring daughter, who, 51 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: in a moment of not so great basketball awareness, shot 52 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: into the wrong hoop. It was the first basket she 53 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: made all day, and it ended up counting for the 54 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: opposing team. It also tied the whole game up and 55 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: sent us into overtime, so not ideal. We won thanks 56 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: to a free throw from my daughter, who did not 57 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: graciously provide opponents with an extra two points, so that 58 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: was good. The third game, I was a train wreck, 59 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: but they came in second place. For the tournament, it 60 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: was full of ups and downs, and while it was 61 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: embarrassing when my daughter made a basket in the wrong hoop, 62 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: it also helped that I was sitting by a woman 63 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: whose daughter went zero for ten on free throws, and 64 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: of those she airballed nine. Of them. Anyway, Even though 65 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: my twin daughters were both playing on the same team 66 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: in the same games, it was clear that one of 67 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: them is really, really good. I'm not ashamed to say 68 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: the best on the team. The other she needs some work. 69 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: I don't know, or maybe some golf clubs are volleyball 70 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: or something. What does this have to do with deer hunting. Well, 71 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: we are all deer hunters, right, We are all chasing 72 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: the same species, yet we don't have the same skill sets. Sure, 73 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: we wear the same jerseys, maybe looked up to the 74 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: same coaches. But some of us are starters and some 75 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: of us are bench warmers. For now, some of us 76 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,239 Speaker 1: should focus on mature bucks, and some of us should 77 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: be really happy to make a good shot on any deer, 78 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: even if that deer doesn't have antlers and never would. 79 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: That's right. Some of us should just be deer hunters 80 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: with an emphasis on Does that might seem crazy or 81 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: that I'm shooting on newbies or low experience hunters. That's 82 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: not my intention at all. I'm a firm believer in 83 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: working your way up the ladder in life, and I 84 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: think there is a progression to whitetail hunting that can 85 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: be circumvented, but shouldn't be. How do you circumvent it? 86 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,799 Speaker 1: That's pretty easy. You just have to have a parent 87 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: who I don't know, invested in an apple and kept 88 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: all their shares until recently, and now that they've gifted you, 89 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: I don't know, tens of millions of dollars. Just go 90 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: out and buy a section or two of land in 91 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: Iowa or Kansas. Done and done. See it's pretty easy 92 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: right now. There are other ways to circumvent the process too, 93 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: but if you had those, you wouldn't be listening to me. 94 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: So let's assume you don't, and let's ask another question, 95 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: how easy is it for you to kill those? If 96 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: you answer it's pretty dang easy, bro, i'd counter with, okay, 97 00:05:54,680 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: when and where? Now? If you answered, well, it's kind 98 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,920 Speaker 1: of easy for me to kill dose, I'll just fill 99 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: in the blanks here and assume that that's actually kind 100 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: of a nun. I learned that trick from a doctor 101 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: one time, who asked me how much I drank. When 102 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: I told him, he said, well, that's a lot, and 103 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: I said, I don't know, man, I think that seems 104 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: pretty reasonable, and he said, well, we double the amount 105 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: you tell us because everyone lies to us, And I 106 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: was like, how dare you call out the exact behavior 107 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: I literally just did and make me sound like your 108 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: run of the mill, lying idiot, which I just was. 109 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: The audacity of some folks. Killing dose seems easy because 110 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: you know what, but what I said earlier, they don't 111 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 1: have antlers. So a dough is a dough is a dough. 112 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: The year and a half old dough. She gets lumped 113 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: in with the old horsehead dough that is gray in 114 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: the face, snorts at you when you even think about hunting, 115 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: and has put two fawns on the ground and guided 116 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: them to young adulthood every spring for a decade. Would 117 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: we do the same thing with bucks? I mean, would 118 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: you say a forky is the same as a hundred 119 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: and fifty in no, because that would be dumb as 120 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: dumb as lying to your doctor, but a really unhealthy 121 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: addiction that you have. We would say, well, oh no, 122 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: those two deer have nothing in common. That forky. He's 123 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: just young and dumb, and he has maybe his whole 124 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: life ahead of him if somebody doesn't shoot him. He's 125 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: no real challenge for a quote unquote real hunter. But 126 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: the one fifty. Let me tell you something. That dear 127 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: isn't even really a dear. He's a wizard of the 128 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: animal world that can wave his little magic wand and 129 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: disappear in a whisper smoke. He can sense your presence 130 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: through his sixth sense and feel the vibration of your 131 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,679 Speaker 1: heart beating through your first light vest from a half 132 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: a mile away. He's so nocturnal he doesn't even remember 133 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: what it's like to move in the daylight hours. If 134 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: you spook him, well son, you best target another buck, 135 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: because that deer has done unpacked his bags and moved 136 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: to a whole old new property, and now he's so 137 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: cagy he actually digs a hole and hides in it 138 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: after covering himself up with leaves another debris. All you'll 139 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: see is an antler tip poking on the leaf litter 140 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: if you see him at all, which you won't because 141 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: he's practically invisible. Of course, this is all great a 142 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: level horseshit. A five and a half year old dough 143 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: is probably pretty damn similar to a five and a 144 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: half year old buck, at least when it comes to survival. 145 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: The downside she has is that she's usually got little 146 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: miles to feed, and that might put her in a 147 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 1: position to take more risks the buck he can and 148 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,839 Speaker 1: does just look after himself. So where am I going 149 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: with this? If you want to be a better deer hunter, 150 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: you have to get better at hunting deer, all of them. 151 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,079 Speaker 1: You will never be a great big buck hunter if 152 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: you can't kill does on the same properties you're hunting 153 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: those bucks. You will never be a really successful over 154 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: the road buck hunter if you can't travel and shoot 155 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: some adult does. Now, I know a lot of people 156 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: might not believe this because we focus so hard on bucks, 157 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: But let me share a couple of stories of my 158 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: life about does to kind of frame this up for you. Now, 159 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: I mentioned this one particular old gal a few times, 160 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: so I'll just keep it short. But I once co 161 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: owned a little property in the suburbs here. We put 162 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: in a kill plot on that place, and an old 163 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: long nose dough claimed it. She would rear up and 164 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: swat at the other deer that came in, both bucks 165 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 1: and does, and was generally a great, a dear version 166 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: of a biz natcho. So I said, well, I think 167 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: it's time to put her in the freezer. But she 168 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: was on to that stand that we had over the plot. 169 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: So out smarter, I put a ground blind in there 170 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: as well. I figured she would never see me in 171 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: the blind and never know for sure if I was 172 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: in there until it was too late. Except when I 173 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: did sit that blind and I did try to draw 174 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: on her, she busted me instantly. I tried to kill 175 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 1: that dough quite a few times, and I failed every 176 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: single time. For all I know, she's still out there 177 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: knocking the lesser dear senseless with her ancient hoofs Or 178 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: how about this I think it was. I had quite 179 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: a bit of time to hunt in northern Wisconsin. I 180 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: had a buck and a dough tag, and I thought, 181 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: I just want to shoot both on public land dairy 182 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: I hunt over. There has no shortage of big woods 183 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: that's opened anyone, so I figured killing a dough wouldn't 184 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: be much of a challenge. But I figured wrong. I 185 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: got two cocky. It took me three weeks, and while 186 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: I didn't hunt every day, I did hunt a lot. 187 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: I got busted by every single dough that came into 188 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: range until we finally got some snow and I changed 189 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:56,839 Speaker 1: up my program to set a spot. I've been curious about. 190 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: I set my stand facing away from the trail I 191 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: expected them to use, and I waited in the frigid cold. 192 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: In about fifteen minutes before shooting light was up, I 193 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: heard the crunch, crunch, crunch of a deer coming up 194 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: the trail. Since I had a buck tag and a 195 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: dough tag and very low standards, and also quite a 196 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: bit of PTSD from getting busted so much, I drew early, 197 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: way early. And as soon as that dough stepped out 198 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: to where she could see me aiming around the trunk 199 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,319 Speaker 1: of that tree, she had me pegged. I mean instantly. 200 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 1: It reminded me of one of the only bobcats I've 201 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: ever seen while hunting that walked out across the field, 202 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: looked up at me, sat down, and then spooted. That 203 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 1: kitty was two hundred yards away and saw me instantly 204 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: without even trying, And so did this dough. And the 205 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: only mistake that she made was that enough of her 206 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 1: chest was visible that I had a shot, and I 207 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: got it off, and I hit her well, but I'm 208 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: pretty confident she would have been gone in a few 209 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: seconds if I hadn't. It was a humbling three weeks 210 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: of hunting my friends. I've had other experiences with doze 211 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: that made me realize we should give them more credit 212 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: to A recent example is when I was sitting in 213 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: Wisconsin on a property I own with one of my 214 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: daughters back in October. Our blind, which I had said 215 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: on a little kill plot before the season even opened, 216 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,959 Speaker 1: had been really kind of the hot spot, so we 217 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: had hunted it a few times already. I still felt 218 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: confident in a deer would come in, and as the 219 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: sun set, we saw a doe looking at us from 220 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: the edge of the woods. She was laser focused on 221 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: the blind, so we sat like statues. She took two 222 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: steps out, stopped, and then she took two steps back. 223 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: The wind was perfect. We hadn't moved, she hadn't seen us, 224 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: she hadn't smelled us, and we hadn't made a sound. 225 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: She just didn't like the vibes, I guess, and I 226 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: thought she was leaving. So I slowly eased my binos 227 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: up to my eyes and I realized that she was 228 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: standing in a patch of gray wooden aspens. She was 229 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: still staring. She just made sure to do it from 230 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,079 Speaker 1: the cover. That's also when I saw two more doughs 231 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: doing the same thing. It took five minutes, but the 232 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: Leado finally walked into the plot, and when she did, 233 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: she sidestepped. She tried to get our wind, and she stopped, 234 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: and she looked, and she stared some more. She didn't 235 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:26,199 Speaker 1: have any funds with her, Anita did the other two dos, 236 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: but that didn't seem to matter at all. Now the 237 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: Leado finally decided to feed in, which sent the all 238 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 1: clear to the other two. But I am confident we 239 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 1: wouldn't have gotten away with that in a tree stand 240 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: she had just seen us. I'm also confident that any 241 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: slight mistake on our part and the whole thing would 242 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: have been over. Now. I rarely see bucks, even public 243 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,959 Speaker 1: land bucks act that way, but I see old does 244 00:13:55,240 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: act of that KG quite a bit. It's unfortunate, really, 245 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: that we focus so heavily on bucks when the doughs 246 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: can help us improve our games so much by teaching 247 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: us about dear. Now, this might seem like a weird 248 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: way to justify shooting more does, but it's not. I 249 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,679 Speaker 1: really think the lessons you can learn from trying to 250 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 1: kill does are just as valuable as the lessons you 251 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: can learn from trying to kill bucks. Now, the big 252 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: difference here, and this is important, my friends, is you'll 253 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: just get more opportunities with does. This is something I've 254 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: harped on a lot, but most hunters just aren't closers. 255 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: It's not really their fault, and I'll explain why. But 256 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: let me give you something to chew on here. Think 257 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: about the biggest buck you have ever gotten a shot at. 258 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: Think about your hunting buddies, or your dad, or your uncles, 259 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: or whoever is in your like tight hunting circle. Think 260 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: about the biggest buck they've ever got a shot at. 261 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: Because I'm sure they've told you the story. How did 262 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: it go? Was it an easy double lung shot that 263 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: ended with a short blood trail and a trip to 264 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: the taxidermist? Maybe? Probably not. I hear a lot of 265 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: the biggest buck of my life stories, and almost all 266 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: of them involved the buck not riding in the back 267 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 1: of the hunter's truck. They almost always involve a miss 268 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: or a shot so poor that recovery never happened. Why. Well, 269 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: there's a lot of reasons. Buck fever is the biggest one. 270 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: Because we lose our minds on big bucks. We just do, 271 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: whether we admit it or not. And a lot of 272 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: us don't. Another factor, though, is that most of us 273 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: just haven't developed into closers. We might have developed into 274 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: pretty decent deer hunters over time, but that's just like 275 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: phase one or two. We still need years to get 276 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: good at sealing the deal. This is not something you 277 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: can shortcut. It takes close encounters that allow you the 278 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: opportunity to stand exactly when you have to or draw 279 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: at the perfect time. Then you have to pick a spy, 280 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: aim and execute. I know this sounds so simple in practice, 281 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: but it's so hard in real life. It gets much 282 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: much harder when you only get the chance to flex 283 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: your closer muscles once or twice a season, or maybe 284 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: once or twice every couple of seasons. This happens to 285 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: the most dedicated trophy hunters out there. If they don't 286 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: have easy places to hunt, they get into this space 287 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: where it's big bucks or nothing. But they aren't even 288 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: good at the things it takes to make a great 289 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: shot on a deer, and they won't get there at 290 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:36,239 Speaker 1: least not for a long, long long time without more experience. 291 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: I'll think about it this way. If you make it 292 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: a goal to fill your freezer with mature doughs, and 293 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: you can get a buck tag or three dough tags 294 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: in your state. Now this is hypothetical, but bear with me. 295 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: You should have a lot more opportunities to fill those 296 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: dough tags. You still have a mature deer to fool 297 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: that is in your red zone and fully committed to 298 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: seeing another sunrise. You have to do everything right before 299 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: the shot and after. Not only do you level up 300 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 1: your preshot game, but your recovery game as well, and 301 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: those are not small things in the development of a 302 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: deer hunter. It's also a game changer to go out 303 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: with more than one type of animal on the hit list. Now, 304 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: I get that bucks and does are the same species, 305 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 1: but you'll put yourself in predator mode a hell of 306 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: a lot more if you're open to the possibility of 307 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: shooting whatever comes down the trail and not just something 308 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 1: that's worthy of the Graham. I think this is one 309 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: of the most important things about traveling to hunt, even 310 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: though it probably sounds dumb. I always buy a dough 311 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: teg if some state will sell me one, because sometimes 312 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: I just need to go find deer before I can 313 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: hunt bucks. I have way more fun knowing that I 314 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: can shoot a dough and it changes how I approach 315 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: my scouting and my hanging hunt strategy. I actually think 316 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,879 Speaker 1: it makes me way better at home and way way 317 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: better when I'm on the road. And that's what I'm 318 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: gonna get into next week. Not why I think those 319 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: are worthy adversaries to us as hunters, but how to 320 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: kill them. I know that sounds crazy, but I promise 321 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: you at least twelve percent of it will make sense. 322 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: So tune in, keep after it, and look at that 323 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: empty space in your freezer as a personal challenge and 324 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: not a failure. That's it for this week. Thank you 325 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. I'm your host, Tony Peterson 326 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 1: and this has been the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 327 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: which is brought to you by First Light. If you 328 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 1: want more white tail hunting no how, head on over 329 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: to them eat eater dot com slash wired to read 330 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: our latest articles, or visit the Wired to Hunt YouTube 331 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,360 Speaker 1: channel to view our weekly how to videos.