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 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host, 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. I'm your 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: house Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about the 9 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 2: scouting and how you should approach it during the off 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 2: season to have your best chance of killing a big 11 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: deer this fall about I kind of believe that there 12 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: are like two tactics in the way tail hunting space 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 2: that sort of exist in a weird vacuum where they're 14 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: pretty well known and talked about quite a bit and 15 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:44,959 Speaker 2: then sort of not put into practice in. 16 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 3: The real world by very many people. 17 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 2: The first is dark to dark sits, which everyone knows 18 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 2: is a great rut strategy, but most folks just can't 19 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 2: seem to quite pull them off. 20 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 3: And the other is E scouting. 21 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: Now I'm not talking about just like pulling up on 22 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: X to look at it every once in a while, 23 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: but intentionally East scouting and then putting that work to 24 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: use in the field in order to actually make the 25 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 2: most of it. 26 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 3: Now, that might be the most overlooked. 27 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: And underappreciated big buck strategy out there, and it's something 28 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 2: I'm going to break down right now. 29 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:17,199 Speaker 3: Here at meat Eater. 30 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 2: We have a lot of folks who couldn't make a 31 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: piece of compelling and interesting content at gunpoint, but who 32 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 2: also happen to be in charge of decisions around content. 33 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 2: I've encountered this my whole career in the outdoors, and 34 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 2: it's one of the more frustrating aspects of doing what 35 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 2: folks like me do. But it's also true that the 36 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: people who make interesting and compelling content that the audience 37 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 2: wants to consume are also the kind of people who 38 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 2: generally don't understand how businesses work and what it takes 39 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 2: to keep the lights on or in many cases, usher 40 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 2: forth that unrelenting growth that's now the standard of success 41 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 2: in so many different companies. As much as it pains 42 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 2: my creative heart to say this, without those folks, I'd 43 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: be under a bridge giving white tail seminars to stray cats. 44 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 2: Those two types of roles, you know, those two types 45 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 2: of personalities, seemed like they'd clash, but they mostly live 46 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: in a roughly harmonious world where both sides believe the 47 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: other sucks and wouldn't exist without their amazing contributions, and 48 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 2: they are both right and in that vein, we recently 49 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: got some insight into what you find folks think about us, 50 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 2: and it didn't surprise me at all. 51 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 3: It was valuable because sometimes. 52 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 2: The audience straight tells you what they want, which makes 53 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 2: my job easier, even if it kills my hopes and 54 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 2: dreams that I, too, someday will get sent to Hawaii 55 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: to do one of those really challenging access deer hunts 56 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: that are so common amongst hunting influencers now all vacation 57 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: hunt jokes aside. One piece of intel we got was 58 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: that a lot of old the whitetail hunters who follow 59 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: our stuff want more tactical content, and one of the 60 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 2: topics that came up pretty frequently was e scouting. And 61 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 2: when I heard that, I wasn't really surprised, but I 62 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: also didn't give it much thought, at least not until 63 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 2: I was toting my little over under twenty gage around 64 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: and looking for a cottontail while covering some miles on 65 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 2: public land in Western and it occurred to me that 66 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 2: e scouting is just one of those topics that doesn't 67 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: get a lot of love from the big names and 68 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: white tails, and well, duh, why would it. E scouting 69 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 2: or any scouting really is not only an attempt to 70 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: find deer and often big bucks, but also figure out 71 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 2: what those big bucks like to do so that we 72 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: can use that information to our advantage and kill them. 73 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: It's simple stuff, really, but a lot of the platforms 74 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 2: that cover deer hunting come from situations where it is 75 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: already a given that not only will the big bucks 76 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: already be there in a predictable location, but they'll also 77 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: do predictable stuff. That kind of negates most of the 78 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: need to scout too hard, especially with the availability of 79 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 2: cheap cell cameras these days. Now, you don't need to 80 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 2: find a rub line deep in the cover if on 81 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 2: the edge of that cover is a series of perfectly 82 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: groomed food blots, and the ground in which both that 83 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: thick cover and that curated food source exists is a 84 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: world where very few people have a legal option to 85 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 2: set foot on the place. Now, if that place happens 86 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 2: to be pretty good size, say at least I don't 87 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: know one hundred acres or so. Now, the variables that 88 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 2: scouting tends to solve for are already sort of solved for. 89 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,559 Speaker 2: This isn't meant to say that ES scouting isn't something 90 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 2: worth considering if you have private ground, or you dabble 91 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 2: in the food plat game, or you just generally have 92 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 2: a pretty sweet deer setup. But the real question is 93 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 2: do you struggle to find big bucks? Now, if you 94 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: listen to me talk a fair amount, you probably do. 95 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: And in that case, understanding EAT scouting is a huge 96 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 2: component to getting better at deer hunting, not only for 97 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: your home ground but anywhere you might roam in search 98 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 2: of a little white tail hunting adventure. So aside from 99 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 2: the big mistake of not ES scouting at all, the 100 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 2: real problem is looking at ES scouting as if it's 101 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 2: a means to understand deer behavior. First, it's not. It's 102 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: a means to understand the ground. Think about it this way. 103 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 2: Think about it this way. Picture a nice bluff over 104 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 2: the Mississippi River or maybe the Missouri or some other 105 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: great big river winding its way through a deep valley 106 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 2: somewhere with any elevation change like that your primary travel 107 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 2: routes should be on top where the walking is easy, 108 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 2: or way on the bottom where things level out and 109 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 2: the walking is easy. Now, if you've hunted bluffs at all, 110 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 2: you know that both types of travel happen often. But 111 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 2: side hilling isn't something that bucks avoid. They go where 112 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: they go for reasons that we can sort of learn. Now, 113 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 2: imagine that same bluffy hillside, but there's an old logging 114 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: road carved into it, or maybe a series of benches 115 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: where the hill just sort of flattens out in smaller areas, 116 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 2: but all kind of in rough succession. The options for 117 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 2: deer travel in one single spot like that are many, 118 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: and what you need to do is understand not where 119 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 2: all of the deer like to walk, but where a 120 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: buck is likely to walk and when he's most likely 121 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 2: to do that. In daylight, you know the easiest access 122 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 2: is on the top or the bottom, and instinctively want 123 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 2: to check those routes for trails and for sign for 124 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: everything else. 125 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 3: But you also know that if you know the. 126 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 2: Access is easiest in those two locations, the hunting pressure 127 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,480 Speaker 2: is likely to be higher on those routes, So maybe 128 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 2: the bucks don't take those easy trails, and they tend 129 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 2: to traverse the middle of the bluff somewhere. You have 130 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: no choice but to get out there and look for rubs, 131 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: you know, look for that great, big lone bed tucked 132 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,919 Speaker 2: up on a deadfall on one of those benches, and 133 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 2: just try to see for yourself what clues last year's 134 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 2: bucks left for you. Now you might be also wondering 135 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 2: what the hell this has to do with EA scouting. Well, 136 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 2: think about how many locations just like that are on 137 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 2: the properties that you like to hunt. The variables are 138 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 2: kind of endless, and the ways in which deer versus 139 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: big bucks used the ground are almost endless. It's not 140 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 2: enough to just e scout generally, you know, decide that 141 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: a certain bluff is the ticket for air a cruiser 142 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 2: during the pre rut, because even on that one hillside 143 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: in the Midwest somewhere, you might have five or six 144 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: good trails to choose from, but only one that allows 145 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 2: for you to get in and set up without getting 146 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 2: winded if he does come through when you're there. Understanding 147 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: the nuance of individual spots is probably the thing that 148 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 2: separates the big buck killers from the hunters just sitting 149 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: out there crossing their fingers and their toes eat. Scouting 150 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 2: doesn't explain the nuance in a way that allows you 151 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 2: to walk in and set up right on the X, mostly, 152 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 2: but it does help you understand where the X might 153 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: be and how you should approach it. Now, maybe that's 154 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 2: a little muddy, So let me give you an example 155 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: of something that happened to me recently. While chasing those 156 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: bunnies and Scout and some deer, I found a property 157 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 2: I'd never set foot on that has far more timber 158 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 2: than most of the properties in that region of western Minnesota. 159 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 2: Timber where timber is scarce, is a deer magnet, but 160 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 2: it's also a people magnet because even the dull of 161 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 2: us kind of understan stands that when a resource is 162 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 2: limited generally, but found in abundance in one small location, 163 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 2: it draws the critters who prefer that resource. Now, this spot, 164 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 2: you know, it has a pretty good sized hill on it, 165 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 2: which is another rarity in that region. I figured when 166 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 2: I walked the biggest section of woods which contain that hill, 167 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: I'd find plenty of hunter sign and deer sign. 168 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 3: And I was right. 169 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 2: But that's not like a pat yourself on the back 170 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 2: moment it's just predictable deer stuff. That property also has 171 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: a smallish lake in it which is ringed by cattails 172 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 2: and smaller woodlots that are home to rabbits, pheasants, and 173 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 2: a hell of a lot of tight deer travel and 174 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,959 Speaker 2: last season's bucks sign At one point I waded through 175 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: some of the thickest cover I found in three days 176 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 2: to pop out in the open on an inside corner 177 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 2: of a private eggfield. It was classic food to bed 178 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 2: stuff standing there on the inside of the fence, looking 179 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 2: out on a picked beanfield, and the kind of place 180 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 2: where you almost always find a community scrape, which I 181 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 2: did right inside the woods off of that field corner. 182 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 2: Walking it out in both directions showed morning and evening 183 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 2: buck travel according to the rubs. When I dropped a 184 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: pin on that big scrape, I saw that on one 185 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,559 Speaker 2: side of the cover I could walk maybe two hundred 186 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 2: and fifty yards to grass to a parking area though, 187 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 2: which is an ideal, But the other way led me 188 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 2: deeper into the cover and deeper into that property and 189 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: into a spot where there was an island of high 190 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 2: ground that was absolutely littered with rubs. It was also 191 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 2: the kind of spot where when that slew isn't frozen, 192 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 2: anyone wanting to get from one side to the other 193 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 2: had a chance to get only a little wet and muddy, 194 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 2: versus getting a lot wet and muddy if they traveled 195 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 2: anywhere else. The elevation lines on that big hill by 196 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 2: where I parked got real tight on the far side 197 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 2: of that slough spot, And when I walked over there, 198 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 2: I realized that probably a quarter of a mile of 199 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 2: the rough, gnarly rabbit cover, which was absolutely covered in 200 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: cockle burrs, connected the most likely spot for a big 201 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 2: one to bed and the most likely spot for a 202 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 2: big one defeat. It kept them on the opposite side 203 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 2: of the lake, far from where most hunters would approach, 204 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 2: and allows them to bail out the backside onto private 205 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 2: if they need to. Now I could see a rough 206 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 2: outline of what that might look like from my truck 207 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 2: before I had ever set foot on the property, But 208 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 2: then by walking it out, I could see what I 209 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 2: thought was going to be versus what actually exists out there. 210 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 3: Now. 211 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 2: This may be the biggest mistake I see hunters make 212 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 2: with east scouting. They view it as a standalone process 213 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 2: for finding big bucks, But you got to go in 214 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: there at some point in ground truth your work, and 215 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 2: when you do, that's when you get better at east 216 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 2: scouting and real scouting. This is because east scouting is 217 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: a macro affair where you can look at thousands of 218 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 2: acres from the comfort of your couch, but in just 219 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: one of those acres might be five potential setups and 220 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 2: only one that is worth a shit. I've started to 221 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 2: think about this more and more in my life as 222 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 2: a white tail hunter and have realized that I'm always 223 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 2: looking for a line of travel first, and then for 224 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 2: multiple ambush sites on that line of travel. It feels 225 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 2: like enough to just find a banging crete crossing and 226 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 2: call it good. But every spot I've ever found like 227 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 2: that is only huntable in certain conditions, and might be 228 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 2: the kind of spot where they come through so late 229 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 2: or so early that it's just too tight of a 230 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 2: risk to get in there and hope they don't do 231 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 2: what they usually do. I'd rather know as much as 232 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 2: I can about that crossing, and then as much as 233 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 2: I can about how they get there and where they 234 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 2: go once they go through. You know, both during mornings 235 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,199 Speaker 2: and evenings. E scouting helps you circumvent a lot of 236 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: the headaches of scouting because when you're looking down on 237 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 2: that crossing and scrolling along, you can see patches of 238 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 2: high ground and patches of low ground. You can see 239 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 2: where the fields are in the distance, maybe on properties 240 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 2: that you can't go on, but you can still start 241 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 2: to connect those dots. You can see where most folks 242 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 2: would likely get in there, how they'd approach it, and 243 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 2: you can see how you might get in there. Then 244 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 2: you can drop pins on anything relevant and then go 245 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 2: take a walk. When you hit a pin where you 246 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,319 Speaker 2: expected bedding or maybe evidence of staging, check your work. 247 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 2: If the rubs are there, keep that waypoint. If not, 248 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 2: get rid of it. You don't need to muddy up 249 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 2: your view of the whole thing. Just take the l 250 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 2: and move on. Eventually you start to piece together travel 251 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 2: routes and the spots along those travel routes that allow 252 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 2: for a good setup. Et scouting provides base knowledge of 253 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 2: a spot in a way that you cannot get from 254 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 2: the ground, and the ground work fine tunes the whole 255 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 2: thing in a way that you cannot get from eat scouting. 256 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 2: One of the properties I scouted on that bunny hunt 257 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 2: is one that i've deer hunted before. In fact, I 258 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,719 Speaker 2: sat it during our second season of one week in 259 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 2: November for a couple of days. Now, on that property, 260 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 2: there's one creek bottom in there that I walked out 261 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 2: when I scouted, but I just couldn't find what I 262 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 2: was looking for, so I almost wrote it off. But 263 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 2: before I went out this time, I pulled up on 264 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:19,959 Speaker 2: X and just looked at it, and I saw a 265 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 2: small offshoot of cover that I hadn't walked a few 266 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 2: years ago when I first got interested in that part 267 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 2: sol of public. Now, the spot I was most interested 268 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 2: in had a small creek arm eights heine cattail slew, 269 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 2: and a couple of trees that looked like they were 270 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 2: about five times too big to get a saddle or 271 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 2: a stand in. 272 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 3: And I was right on all of that. 273 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 2: But I also found an amazing little island of trees 274 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: and brush twenty yards from an absolutely pounded creek crossing 275 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 2: that would allow for any wind set up except east, 276 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 2: which is an absolute gift. 277 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 3: Now. I found that. 278 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 2: Spot while east scouting, but I couldn't understand it until 279 00:13:57,679 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 2: I walked in and looked around. 280 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 3: I know what's there and can make a plan to 281 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 3: get in there. 282 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 2: And haunt if I choose, and if I do, I 283 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,680 Speaker 2: think there's a good chance a buck we'll walk through there. 284 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 2: If the seasonal timing is on my side, that's a 285 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 2: huge win. But brings me to another mistake we often 286 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 2: make with east scouting, which is not really using it 287 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 2: to raise the kinds of questions we need answers to. 288 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 2: This might be more of a private land thing, but 289 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 2: some folks view east scouting like they view trail camera usage. 290 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 2: It's just a means to prove what they already believe 291 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 2: to be true. If you put a cell camera on 292 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: the edge of the beans and are like I knew 293 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 2: it deer eat soybeans, you know you still might learn something, 294 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 2: but not a ton. 295 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 3: Now. 296 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 2: If you get bored and EA scout your lease but 297 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 2: look at it like you already know how the deer 298 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 2: use it, it probably won't learn anything and you probably 299 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 2: won't care. But just for the hell of it, pull 300 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 2: up your on X and toggle on something like the 301 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 2: slope layer. Look at your ground with that layer on 302 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 2: and try to see the shading you know, the and 303 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 2: see if it gives you any reason to question where 304 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 2: bucks might travel during the rut or when they bail 305 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: off the neighbor's egg feels that first light and head 306 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 2: back to bed, and if you see anything interesting, go 307 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: check it out in person and go in with an 308 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 2: open mind. This allows for sort of a positive feedback 309 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 2: loop to develop, and it's the best way I know 310 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 2: to learn how to scout better all around. The more 311 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 2: you look at old ground with fresh eyes or new 312 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 2: ground with I guess fresh eyes, the more you learn 313 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 2: to look past the big obvious stuff while e scouting, 314 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 2: and you'll start to be able to see where those 315 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 2: little pinch points are and those funnels and those little 316 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 2: things that really matter to a deer hunter. You know, 317 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 2: or where they're most likely to cross a river here 318 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 2: but not there, And why there are always a ton 319 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 2: of rubs in the sumac on top of the hill, 320 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: but you never actually see them go there and make rubs. 321 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 2: The thing that holds a lot of us back is 322 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 2: what we think we know about deer, But the truth 323 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 2: is we have the tools to figure out what they 324 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 2: actually do. One of the best tools for that job 325 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 2: is just e scouting. And the best way to really 326 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 2: figure this stuff out is to scout ground you know 327 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 2: and you don't know, and then slip in and check 328 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: your work in both types of places. This is also 329 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 2: a great way to address the last big mistake folks 330 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: make with eaest scouting, which is they do it, they 331 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: learn some stuff, and then they kind of forget everything 332 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 2: as turkey season kicks in and then summer takes over. 333 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 2: But e scouting and then ground truthing that work is 334 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 2: a way to stay connected to the process. I'd say 335 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 2: that my primary method for finding spots to hang trail 336 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 2: cameras comes from winter scouting, and my best finds during 337 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 2: winter scouting are almost always tied to eat scouting. There 338 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 2: isn't some world where you have one part without the other, 339 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 2: and it works as good as having all of these 340 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 2: parts working together. Even if the trail camera work comes 341 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 2: in months after the east scouting and winter scouting, they 342 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 2: all work together. It's all part of the same thing. 343 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 2: And the hunters who understand that and foster that type 344 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 2: of scouting are the hunter who often can show up 345 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 2: just about anywhere and fill of tag, even on ground 346 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,119 Speaker 2: that a lot of locals believe is a total lost cause. 347 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 2: So use this time, my friends, Maybe go hunt some rabbits. 348 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 2: If you need a reason to go way through the 349 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 2: sick stuff, or maybe just keep an eye out for 350 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 2: an antler who cares do something, but go and hike 351 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: to those waypoints. They're just you know, question marks in 352 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 2: your mind without real answers yet. But we'll have real 353 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 2: answers for you out there in the real world, and 354 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 2: then come back next week for more talk about America's 355 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,920 Speaker 2: favorite big game animal. That's it for this episode. I'm 356 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson and this has been the Wired to Hunt 357 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:38,360 Speaker 2: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 358 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for all of your support. I 359 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:42,399 Speaker 2: can't tell you how much it means to us. Just 360 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 2: trust me on that. Without you, guys, we are nothing. 361 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 2: We have nothing, So thank you for showing up for us. 362 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 2: If you're bored out of your minds fighting a little 363 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 2: cabin fever right now, you need to be entertained. You 364 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 2: want to learn a little bit in this offseason, go 365 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 2: to the mediater dot com. 366 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 3: Check it out. So much good stuff there. 367 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 2: We drop new articles, lot of news coverage on the 368 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 2: issues facing the outdoors right now, a lot of new podcasts, 369 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 2: a lot of new films, things like Jordan Siller's Blood 370 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 2: Trails podcast, which is a newer podcast. We dropped not 371 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 2: too long ago, crime series like really, really well done 372 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 2: and fascinating Ties to the Outdoors. Jordan's crushing it on 373 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 2: that podcast. If you don't check anything else out, check 374 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 2: that out because you will love it. Your wife probably 375 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 2: will too, if she's anything like mine and she watches 376 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 2: CSI and all these murder mysteries all the time. Go 377 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 2: check it out, check out the mediater dot com, and 378 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 2: thank you once again.