1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,319 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about the early 9 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: stages of planning a white tail road trip and just 10 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 2: how beneficial it is to give yourself some time for 11 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 2: the process. It might seem a little bit crazy since 12 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 2: it's January, but this is actually a good month to 13 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 2: start thinking about your deer plans. Now. I've personally come 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 2: to the realization that when it comes to white tails, 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,639 Speaker 2: I'm just wired to be a pioneer and not much 16 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: of a settler, and I really want to hunt a 17 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: new state this year. That process, you know, just planning 18 00:00:58,080 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: it out, it's fun to me, and it gives me 19 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 2: something to think about in research and study and honestly 20 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 2: kind of just daydream about. It's not all academic. Sometimes 21 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: it's just fun. There is a process to it and 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 2: that process is important. It's also what I'm going to 23 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: talk about right now. A couple of weeks ago, I 24 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,040 Speaker 2: was laying on the floor praying for a merciful death. 25 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 2: The previous day, I had woken up at three am 26 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 2: in a little hotel room in western Minnesota with what 27 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 2: I would describe as a not very good feeling in 28 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: my body. Now, I know that Alien franchise is fictional, 29 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 2: or at least I sure hope it is. But if 30 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: you ever take the time to watch the original movie, 31 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: where Sigourney Weaver and a bunch of space miners find 32 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 2: an abandoned ship on a random planet that is full 33 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: of creatures best left in deep space, you probably at 34 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: least know about the chest burster scene. Now, it's pretty 35 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 2: tame by today's standards, as my daughter's pointed out when 36 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: we watched it recently, but at the time it was 37 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 2: so gory that it really shocked moviegoers. The way that 38 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 2: little baby alien took a creative route out of the 39 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: guy's body before running off to grow very quickly and 40 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: not get any friendlier was about what I was experiencing 41 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 2: a few hours before the last day of Pheasant season 42 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 2: was about to kick off, Except the aliens in my 43 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 2: body had a pretty good idea which routes they were 44 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 2: going to take to freedom, and neither was a whole 45 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: lot of fun for me. Now, I highly doubt I 46 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: need to go into any more detail here. Let me 47 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 2: tell you I've had some long drives home from haunts, 48 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,639 Speaker 2: but that two hundred miles was an exercise in pure torture. 49 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: And when I did get home, it didn't get any better. 50 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: And while I'm not good at a lot of things, 51 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: laying around doing nothing is definitely not my strong suit. 52 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 2: So I spent some time doing what I was going 53 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 2: to do anyway, which is pick a few states with 54 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 2: deer in them and that might sell me a license, 55 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: and it might have some public land where a guy 56 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 2: could camp and hunt for a week or so. And 57 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: I dove in, and you know what, it was a 58 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 2: pretty nice distraction from what I had going on, which 59 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: for about forty eight hours made me question whether it 60 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 2: would be a good idea to hit the old eject 61 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 2: button on life and just end my suffering. But I didn't, obviously, 62 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 2: and in addition to feeling pretty dang good again, I 63 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 2: also have the loosest of plans laid out for a 64 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 2: fall white tail hunt this year. Now, before I get 65 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: into that process, I want to talk about something that 66 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: is a huge, often overlooked benefit to traveling to hunt. 67 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: You see, we have a way of distilling the whole 68 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: thing down to the likelihood of killing a big buck, 69 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: and that's the focal point of trip planning. Something like, well, 70 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: if I draw Iowa, I can go down there and 71 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: shoot one of their many, many dumb and uneducated booners 72 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: that just can't help, but Chase does all day long. 73 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: That kind of thing. It's sort of like deciding you're 74 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 2: going to run a marathon for the first time and 75 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: spending most of your time figuring out exactly what where 76 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: you will hang your finisher's medal. There's a whole lot 77 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: that has to happen in between the decision and the 78 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: finality of a long term, difficult goal. But then, like 79 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 2: prepping your body for a twenty six point two mile run, 80 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 2: planning a hunt is fun, or it should be. It's 81 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 2: like a ticket to daydream for about eleven months or so, 82 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 2: and it's the kind of thing that opens the door 83 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 2: to a little more shooting throughout the summer, a little 84 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 2: more gear prep and planning and just some good old 85 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 2: fashioned scouting and logistics planning. The more time you have 86 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: to plan, the more of that stuff you get to do, 87 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 2: and the better off you'll be for it. It's fun 88 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 2: to be prepared, and being prepared for an over the 89 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 2: road hunt is really kind of the best way to 90 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: actually achieve that goal of shooting that Hawkeye State booner 91 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: when he comes grunting in now. Just as a side 92 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 2: note here, this also applies to hunting somewhere different in 93 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: your home state as well, which is something I think 94 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: a lot of us could benefit from, if for no 95 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 2: other reason than to get us out of our comfort 96 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 2: zone and in a fresh territory. Now, your process will 97 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 2: look different from mine, and that's okay, because there are 98 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 2: things we can still share. But for starters, I always 99 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: plan to go solo now. I love heading out on 100 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 2: my own to be responsible only for myself. It's just 101 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 2: such a relaxing, relieving feeling of not having to think 102 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 2: about anyone for a few days. And I know most 103 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 2: people won't do that, and I get why, but I 104 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: also often don't actually end up going solo. I have 105 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 2: some buddies who are almost always willing to travel if 106 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 2: they can carve out the time, and it's great. But 107 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: when I plan a trip, I plan it for myself first. 108 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 2: I don't want someone else's schedule or life to get 109 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: in the way before the whole thing even has any 110 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 2: legs to stand on. When the locations and dates are 111 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,239 Speaker 2: kind of loosely in place and there are some waypoints dropped, 112 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 2: and you know you can get a license, that it's 113 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 2: a good time to loop in your buddies if that's 114 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 2: your thing. Before that, there can just be a little 115 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 2: bit too much static in the process, and it's easy 116 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 2: to lose the thread. So to start it off, figure 117 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 2: out your goal, and when you do, please think beyond 118 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 2: just the size of the buck that you want to kill. 119 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: You're planning a hunting trip, literally, a modern day adventure, 120 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 2: and not a trip to a high fence ranch to 121 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,359 Speaker 2: order up a certain sized deer because you have a 122 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 2: little room left on the wall of your vacation house 123 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: for one more amount. Is there an environment that speaks 124 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 2: to you or just seems cool as hell and you 125 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 2: want to spend some time in it. Maybe it's something 126 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 2: totally foreign, like endless sections of big woods or grassland, 127 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: or maybe you want a carbon copy of this stuff 128 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 2: you really love to hunt, like the bluffs along a 129 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 2: big river that look exactly the same as the bluffs 130 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 2: along that same river, but just on the other side 131 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 2: in a different state. Of course, you can't think about 132 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 2: this stuff without thinking about what states offer the habitat 133 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,679 Speaker 2: that gets you going, and then you have to imagine 134 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 2: which of those states will actually sell you a license. 135 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: This year, I'm looking at a few different states. I 136 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 2: haven't decided on one yet. Missouri is one of them. 137 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 2: I love Missouri, although I've only ever turkey hunted there 138 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: and have only just scouted it for deer. For some reason, 139 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: even though I can get to the top third of 140 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: the state in about seven hours, I just haven't hunted 141 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 2: deer there yet. I'm looking at Kansas too, if I 142 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: can draw tag. Technically, I have hunted there once, but 143 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 2: it wasn't the kind of hunt I'm looking for out 144 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 2: of this, so I'm going to ignore that previous work 145 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: trip down there and treat this as a fresh state 146 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 2: for me now. The reason I'm looking at Kansas mostly 147 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 2: is that I don't want to do a rut hunt 148 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 2: down there. I think I can find some deer to 149 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 2: hunt during October when I suspect the pressure on public 150 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 2: will be very low. I like the idea of heading 151 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 2: down there with a whole bunch of pins dropped on 152 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 2: anything that might contain a little water, and then hunting 153 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 2: when it's hot and everyone else is just waiting on 154 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: November to suit up and head out. I'm also looking 155 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 2: that Kentucky and Tennessee. I think both states are just beautiful, 156 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 2: and I've never hunted either one. I did fish a 157 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 2: tournament down in Kentucky a long time ago, and I 158 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 2: did notice that we were around a hell of a 159 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 2: lot of public land, and I also noticed that the 160 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 2: public land kind of looked like the ground I like 161 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 2: to hunt Minnesota, and it kind of looked like it 162 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: was covered in big oak trees. And well, it's bothered 163 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 2: me for a long time that I just never made 164 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 2: the drive down there to chase a few deer. I 165 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 2: threw Tennessee into the equation too, mostly because it's by 166 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 2: Kentucky and it's always nice to just try to figure 167 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 2: out if there's a compelling reason to just call an 168 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 2: audible and hit up something that's a big question mark. 169 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 2: I also just want to start heading down south to 170 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: hunt more because I think there's a lot to learn 171 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: from the big woods dwellers who don't have to worry 172 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 2: about surviving winners. All of those options me within about 173 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 2: I don't know, half a day's drive of my house, 174 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 2: which is about as far as I want to ever 175 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 2: drive anywhere anymore. They all also have at least some 176 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 2: level of over the countertags or some areas I might 177 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,959 Speaker 2: be able to draw without having to buy preference points 178 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 2: for too many years. As I mentioned with my potential 179 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 2: Kansas timing if I could get a tag there, all 180 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 2: of those states offer me something else, an opportunity to 181 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 2: hunt when I want to without missing some part of 182 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 2: the season at home that I'd really hate to miss. 183 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 2: For you, that might be opening week, it might be 184 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: the rut, it might be the youth rifle season. For me, 185 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 2: the thing that I just will not miss is the 186 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 2: time when my daughters can hunt here in Minnesota or 187 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 2: across the river in Wisconsin. Their schedules are just stupid, 188 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 2: busy and short of getting a divorce and somehow winning 189 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 2: full custody, which let's be honest here, no judge in 190 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 2: his or her right mind would grant me over my wife. 191 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 2: I'm stuck working with whatever or time they can get 192 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 2: away with for a few days. I don't really care 193 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 2: if I miss the opener or the rut or whatever. 194 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 2: For myself, I just don't want to squander the time 195 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 2: I can get with the girls. Your mileage will vary 196 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 2: depending on the circumstances of your life, but that's a 197 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: big part of the fun of planning this stuff. You 198 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 2: can look at the times of the season when you 199 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 2: just know you aren't keyed up to get out into 200 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 2: the woods and try to plug one of those holes 201 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 2: with a deer hunting adventure somewhere else, And it pays 202 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 2: to think of it as an adventure. And I truly 203 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 2: mean that. I often hear folks say, well, why would 204 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 2: I go there for the same kind of buck that 205 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: I can hunt here? And I always think, why wouldn't you? 206 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 2: Why does it always have to be about the odds 207 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 2: of killing something bigger? What if it's something a hell 208 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 2: of a lot more challenging and it gets you out 209 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 2: of the house and doing something different. Now, maybe you 210 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 2: live off your trail cameras at the home farm and 211 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 2: have a good plan to never go out until they 212 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 2: show you know your target buck's daylighting. That's a great 213 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 2: way to kill a deer, But it's one hundred and 214 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 2: eighty degrees different from the kind of hunt you might 215 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 2: find just across state lines, where you need to show up, 216 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 2: read sign, hang and bang for a week and see 217 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 2: what the deer gods will grant you for the opportunities. Sure, 218 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 2: maybe you could kill a good buck with a hell 219 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,080 Speaker 2: of a lot less effort at home, and in the 220 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 2: name of efficiency, that's better. But in the name of 221 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 2: enjoying the hell out of this stuff and feeling a 222 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 2: sense of accomplishment, that deer across the river, even if 223 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 2: he's smaller, is going to stick with you in a 224 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 2: more meaningful way. The reason I pushed this stuff is 225 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 2: that I know what it has done for me as 226 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 2: a hunter, and I can see what it does for 227 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 2: my daughters already. It's kind of like why I talk 228 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 2: about quitting drinking a lot or starting to work out 229 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 2: a lot. I know it's not for everyone, but I 230 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 2: can almost bet anyone who does either they're going to 231 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 2: be really happy they did. And I look at traveling 232 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 2: hunting just like that. And the earlier in the year 233 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 2: you start to play anna hunt, the better it will 234 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 2: be because you have the time to develop a really 235 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 2: good plan, and the mental benefit from that is real, 236 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 2: not to mention the tangible benefit when you do finally 237 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 2: load up the truck and head out this fall. But 238 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 2: before that you have the opportunity to settle on a 239 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 2: state and then whittle it down to a part of 240 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 2: a state, and then maybe down to some individual properties. 241 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 2: And with most of the opportunities, your buy in is 242 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: some time spent staring at your phone in the dead 243 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 2: of winter. If you have to apply for a tag, 244 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 2: that'll come usually in the spring, but there's even a 245 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 2: few months before that's a real concern. The timing thing 246 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 2: works on the financial front too. A lot of folks 247 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 2: think spending seven hundred dollars to shoot a deer in Iowa, 248 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 2: or not quite that much but still not nothing in 249 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 2: another state is crazy. The more time you have to plan, 250 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 2: the more time you have to save up for a trip. 251 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: If you need to look I get it. Life is 252 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 2: expensive as hell lately, But a non resident and deer 253 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 2: tag can be had by skipping some nights out with 254 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 2: the family throughout the first nine months of the year, 255 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 2: and again, you're buying a ticket to an experience you're 256 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: not paying for the same buck you could shoot at home. 257 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 2: It's a different thing. What I'm saying with this is 258 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 2: that the sooner you start thinking about it, the more 259 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 2: likely you are to make it happen, because you can 260 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 2: get in front of the usual roadblocks that keep most 261 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 2: folks from going. Now, maybe seven hundred dollars at one 262 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,560 Speaker 2: time is too much for a tag, but how about 263 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 2: twenty bucks a week until your piggy bank is full 264 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 2: enough to buy it. As I get older, I just 265 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:39,080 Speaker 2: believe in the long game approach to stuff more and more. 266 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 2: It takes a little discipline, but it's almost always worth it. 267 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: And when it comes to taking an advantage of the 268 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 2: dwindling opportunities in the hunting space, I think it's way 269 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 2: way worth it. The process of planning a road trip 270 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 2: for ten or eleven months down the road gives you 271 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 2: the chance to think happy thoughts about it and look 272 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 2: forward to it and feel like you're putting in the 273 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 2: reps to make a successful hunt happen. But it also 274 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 2: gives you time to get over the negative thoughts. You know. 275 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 2: I mentioned the money aspect, which is a concern for 276 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 2: almost everyone, but it goes deeper than that. If an 277 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 2: impromptu out of state trip came up in your life, 278 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 2: and say October, you might suddenly realize that you don't 279 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 2: have the camping gear necessary to make it happen, or 280 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 2: you don't really have a good mobile setup that you're 281 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 2: comfortable hunting with, or you don't really have a clue 282 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 2: how to show up and find a deer in a 283 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 2: place and then kill him in a short amount of time. 284 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 2: That second guessing in those self doubts save a lot 285 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: of deer every year, and they're totally understandable, but they 286 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 2: can also be silenced by the right level of planning, 287 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 2: which just takes time. Hell on that note, the sooner 288 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 2: you look at maybe doing something cool somewhere that isn't 289 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 2: your home ground, you now have an excuse to actually 290 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 2: go look at it in person. If that's at all feasible, 291 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 2: maybe that will fall under, you know, the guise of 292 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 2: a turkey hunting trip in April, or maybe it can 293 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 2: just be a day trip in February to see if 294 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 2: the waypoints you dropped actually landed where the bucks like 295 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 2: to live. I can tell you that personally, one of 296 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 2: my favorite things about planning and out of state hunt 297 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 2: is trying to figure out a weekend to get to 298 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 2: wherever and start to see it for myself and learn it. 299 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 2: Almost every time I've done that, it has fueled my 300 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 2: fire to see the trip through. Now once in a 301 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 2: while I just don't find anything. But when you have 302 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 2: enough time to pivot out of one plan and into another, 303 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 2: that's not such a big deal to go walk a 304 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 2: bunch of ground and just cross it off the list 305 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 2: because it just doesn't do it for you. Now, that 306 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 2: might seem like a failure, but it's not. That's how 307 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 2: you get better at hunting, and it's a thousand times 308 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 2: more beneficial than hunting a comfortable situation where you don't 309 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 2: have to solve any big mysteries. Now, if you do 310 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 2: loosely plan a trip somewhere and a little scouting weekend 311 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 2: shows you the good stuff, you'll have the mental benefit 312 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 2: of months of optimism that will saturate your dear brain. 313 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 2: That's also crazy beneficial. The upsides to something like this 314 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 2: are so many, and the downsize can be mitigated pretty 315 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 2: heavily toward the minimal. Also, and I can't stress this enough, 316 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 2: it's just fun. 317 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: Now. 318 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 2: It's not for everyone, but it is probably for more 319 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 2: of us than we'd like to believe I'm going to 320 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 2: dive into it as a hell of a lot deeper 321 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 2: throughout the next few months as I go through the 322 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 2: process as well. But for now, maybe just kick it around. 323 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 2: Maybe you're an over the road hunter just waiting to happen, 324 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 2: and maybe you should come back next week because I'm 325 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 2: going to talk about how your mind is often not 326 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 2: your friend when it comes to deer hunting. That's it 327 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 2: for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the 328 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 2: Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which is brought to you 329 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 2: by First Light. I just want to say thank you. 330 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 2: I say it every week, and I mean it every week. 331 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 2: You guys are awesome. Your support is amazing. We wouldn't 332 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 2: be here without you, and we truly appreciate showing up 333 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 2: every week and for reading the articles and watching the 334 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 2: films and just kind of going along with us on 335 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 2: our adventures and sharing your stuff with us as well. 336 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 2: So thank you for that. Now, if you want to 337 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 2: get some more white tail content or you just bored 338 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:13,479 Speaker 2: out of your mind because it's the debt of Winner, 339 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 2: the mediater dot com has so much entertaining stuff there. 340 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 2: You know, you can find recipes and articles whatever, and 341 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 2: you can make yourself a better hunter, or you can 342 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 2: just check out some of the films that we drop 343 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 2: just for a little bit of entertainment and watch people 344 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 2: you know doing stuff throughout the fall, throughout the year. Really, 345 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 2: that just fun to watch. And of course we got 346 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 2: a whole bunch of podcasts worth listening to there as well, 347 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 2: so go check them out at the mediater dot com.