WEBVTT - Ep. 568: Foundations - Develop A Whitetail System 0:00:01.000 --> 0:00:05.720 Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 0:00:05.760 --> 0:00:10.360 to the fundamentals of better dear hunting, and now your 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:14.480 host Tony Peterson. Hey everyone, welcome to the Wire to 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:17.239 Hunt Foundations podcast, which has brought to you by First Light. 0:00:17.520 --> 0:00:20.200 I am your host, Tony Peterson, and today's topic is 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:23.479 all about being organized as white to hunter, which will 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:38.080 help you kill more dear. This one is going to 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:40.280 be narrowing to the point it's going to help you 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:43.080 be a better white tail hunter and have less frustration 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:45.879 in the field all fall. It's basically the culmination of 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:48.680 three decades of being a dedicated deer hunter and having 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:52.040 gone through every mistake and stupid decision you can make 0:00:52.040 --> 0:00:55.040 while hunting. It's all about having a system for your 0:00:55.120 --> 0:01:11.800 gear and really following through with it. Yeah, back about May, 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:13.920 right at the beginning of the summer. At some point 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:18.039 in late spring sometime, one of my twin daughters she 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:20.080 said to my wife and I that she was just 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:25.039 about done having a roommate, and her sister not surprisingly agreed. 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:29.160 Now that set in motion what is I don't know, 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:32.640 basically my nightmare because it meant not only did I 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:34.640 have to give up my office, which is the third 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:37.760 bedroom of our house, but that my wife then decided 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:41.160 it was time to upgrade the whole damn basement. Here's 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:44.200 the thing. I have buddies who are really good at 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:48.400 building stuff, fixing things, and just you know, generally doing 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:53.120 manly type stuff. Somehow those skills evaded me almost entirely, 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:56.760 probably because I've spent so much time sitting about seventeen 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.480 feet up in trees or looking into all kinds of 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:01.760 water for fish that might bite something I might throw 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:05.040 their way. Or maybe I just don't have those skills. 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.400 It wasn't born with them, And it has come to 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.560 my attention recently that I may have adult a d 0:02:10.720 --> 0:02:13.399 h D. And that's actually not a joke. Maybe that's 0:02:13.400 --> 0:02:15.800 why I can't put up trim correctly or build a 0:02:15.840 --> 0:02:18.680 simple shelving unit from target that probably most twelve year 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:22.600 olds could assemble without swearing and bleeding. But in the 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:26.080 immortal words of Bob Dylan, it ain't me, babe. I 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:28.200 suck at most manly stuff and it doesn't look like 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:31.880 that's about to change anytime soon. So not only did 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.720 this basement redo job test my skills and show all 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:37.120 of us what we already knew, about me, but it 0:02:37.240 --> 0:02:40.600 tested my marriage, our collective sanity, and allowed my bride 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:42.600 to decide where to put most of my hunting gear. 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:49.600 That is so so so bad. You see, I'm somewhat 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:53.320 messy but also somewhat organized. If you need a limb saw, 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:55.440 I know where it is, even if it wouldn't be 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:58.320 apparent to the casual observer. You want a head lamp, 0:02:58.760 --> 0:03:02.280 I got you on head safety harness traps, you name it, 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:07.320 I know where it is. Well scratch that I knew 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:11.480 where it was until the Tasmanian devil who will get 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:13.519 half of my land and a divorce, decided it was 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:17.639 time to move everything to new spots. This is frustrating 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:20.240 on a level that I can barely describe, and I'm 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.240 a word smith sort of. When you have a full 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:26.000 fall lined up with a first trip being like a 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:29.440 ten day backcountry hunt for meal, dear Elkin bear, you 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.400 don't want to spend August deconstructing random piles of r 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:35.680 hunting gear to find out where your stuff is, where 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:39.600 the things you need are. It was a good reminder 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:42.600 of how important my white tail system is and how 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.760 you should have one too. This, honestly was something I 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:50.040 thought everyone did until Dave Hurto, who was one of 0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:52.560 the editors over at Field and Stream, hit me up 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:54.800 like six years ago to collaborate on a feature about 0:03:54.840 --> 0:03:58.840 public land white tail hunting. Now, we not only hunted 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:00.720 public land in South Dakota of that year for the 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:03.520 main narrative of the peace, but we also broke down 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:06.320 my public land bow hunting strategy. And what I didn't 0:04:06.320 --> 0:04:07.920 realize until I had to lay it all out for 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:11.640 someone else was how much I relied on systems. It's 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:14.800 ingrained in me from years and years of making mistakes. 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:17.560 Now let me give you example of this while trying 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:22.160 not to make myself sound um too obsessive compulsive. On 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:24.719 any given day that I'll be going white tail hunting, 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:26.919 whether I'm saddling up on public land or going to 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:29.719 sit somewhere in a sweet box blind on private food plots, 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:34.160 I know what is in my right pocket. My release 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:36.640 will be in there, along with a thin glove that 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.680 I may or may not wear. In the side pocket 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:42.160 of my pants will be a tow rope for my bow. 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:45.479 In my left pocket, you'll find a lightweight glove that 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:48.440 features nothing grippy on it. That glove will get worn 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:51.160 while I'm hunting, but won't interfere with my grip if 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:54.400 I have to draw and shoot in any way. You'll 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:57.720 also find a folding pocket knife, likely something from Bench 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.440 Made because I love their stuff so much. This one 0:05:00.480 --> 0:05:03.320 is important for two reasons. You just always need a 0:05:03.320 --> 0:05:07.760 good sharp knife for something. It's also necessary if you 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:09.880 have a weird tree stand situation happen you need to 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:12.159 cut yourself out of your harness. I know this is 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:14.479 a long long shot, and I hope it never happens 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:16.240 to any of us, but if you are in a 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:19.359 weird situation like that, having an accessible knife it's going 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:22.479 to be real important. On the left side pocket of 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:26.320 my pants you'll find anywhere from nothing to three items, 0:05:26.360 --> 0:05:29.279 depending on the hunt. Those three items are a limb, saw, 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:32.440 a pruner, and a headlamp. That's also where I carry 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:36.479 my beanie on the way into hunt. My backpack, and 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:39.520 this is important, my friends, is bigger than most white 0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:42.000 tail hunters would carry. This is due to a couple 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:45.280 of reasons. I tend to have a lug around camera gear, 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:47.760 which takes up a lot of space and can get heavy. 0:05:47.880 --> 0:05:50.600 But I also like having backups of certain things. Along 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:52.560 with the gear necessary to break down a deer and 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:55.440 pack it out. I know not everyone has those concerns, 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:58.840 so you gotta bear with me here. Things that are 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.040 always with me and accessible in a top or front 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:06.360 pocket are face paint. First. I use carbon mass face 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:09.279 paint all season long because it's not oily, and it 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:12.680 dries kind of light, so it's not shiny. I also 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.640 have at least one tube of black with me at 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:19.400 all times in that pocket, and a backup somewhere in 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:23.960 my backpack that serves me on stand and in blinds. 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:27.080 I use it on my hands and my face religiously. 0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:30.560 I also have at least one screwing step for hanging 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:33.200 my backpack now, even if I'm on public land that 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:36.200 I can't use it on, It's in my pack all 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:39.119 season long. I always have a grunt tube as well, 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:42.440 even though I rarely use one depending on the length 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:45.080 of my sit. Those pockets will also contain my food 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.279 and drinks for the day, and I often carry at 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:49.440 least one or two extra water bottles in the bottom 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.560 of my pack, two just in case. I've had times 0:06:52.600 --> 0:06:55.360 where I killed an unexpected deer or sat all day 0:06:55.400 --> 0:06:58.440 when I didn't intend to where some extra hydration went 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:01.320 a long way. I tend to keep a stash of 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:03.760 granola bars and candy in my interior pocket of my 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:06.919 pack two for the same reason. You don't need a 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:08.640 ton of calories through the day, but if you end 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:10.120 up staying out there a lot longer than you think, 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:12.560 you're gonna those granola bars or a couple of Snickers 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:17.440 bars or something really appreciated. Now, the outside pocket will 0:07:17.480 --> 0:07:20.960 also contain a roll of biodegradable flagging tape. This is 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:24.520 always with me all season long. This is for obvious 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:27.000 things like marking trails in and out of the woods, 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:29.280 but also comes in mighty handy for blood trailing at 0:07:29.320 --> 0:07:31.880 different times. Now, because I put your a fair amount 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:34.400 of critters in the field, I also keep some wet wipes, 0:07:35.120 --> 0:07:38.080 a good knife, and a dozen or so gallon ziploc 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:40.760 bags in my pack. I know this sounds like a 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.640 lot of stuff already, but most of it's small and 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:47.480 really light weight. Inside my pack in its own little 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:50.200 pouch that can be moved from pack to pack are 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:54.440 my various licenses, a pen, spare, batteries for headlamps and 0:07:54.600 --> 0:07:58.680 my range finder, and a little fire starter kit. Now 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:00.960 I've never needed the fire starter kit. But I suppose 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:03.160 there is a situation where a rogue forky spears me 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:04.520 and the guts and I have to spend the night 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.760 out there where the comfort of the flames would be 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:09.960 most welcome. I also keep some band aids, gauze, and 0:08:10.000 --> 0:08:12.400 medical tape in there as well. I'm prone to cutting 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.440 myself because I'm impatient, so having a few necessities to 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:17.800 remedy a slip up with the blade is a good idea. 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:20.800 You might even want to turniquet in there. Now. These 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:22.680 are just a few of the things that are pretty 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:25.400 much with me no matter what. Not only do I 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:27.520 make sure I have them, I make sure they are 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:30.840 always in the same spots. This is an important part 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:34.120 of the system that is worth acknowledging. The more time 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.920 you spend looking for stuff or make do without the 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:39.400 things you really need, the more likely you are to 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:43.520 not to kill deer, or you know, you get set 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:45.840 up later than expected, or you have to move around 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:51.439 more and move men equals noise. All this stuff costs you. Now, 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:54.080 that might sound like overkill, and maybe it is just 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:56.040 for an afternoon. Is sitting in a tree stand waiting 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:58.880 on an October buck to walk by. But in my world, 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:01.920 it's not hate needing something in the field that is 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:03.559 back at my truck, or in the mud room in 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:06.040 my house, or god knows where my freaking wife put it. 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:10.320 Most of us have probably had to strap our bows 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:12.120 to our pack to climb up into our stand, or 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:14.280 got a deer with a tiny pocket knife, or just 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:16.440 use some kind of tool that isn't meant for the job, 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.520 and that stuff sucks, just like it sucks to slip 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:22.760 into a staging area and find banging sign, set up 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:25.720 a portable lightweight stand, and then sneak out, thinking it'll 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:29.000 be easy to find in a pre dawn darkness, only 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.000 to realize when you're in the pre dawn darkness that 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:33.080 nothing that isn't glowing in the night sky is easy 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:36.520 to find in the dark, let alone a specific tree 0:09:36.520 --> 0:09:38.079 and a patch of timber that looks nothing like it 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:40.000 did when you were so confident in your route in 0:09:40.000 --> 0:09:43.280 the day before. That roll of flagging tape could have 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:46.880 helped you out immensely there, huh, And there are other 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:50.040 things you might want to carry. Two. I almost always 0:09:50.040 --> 0:09:52.680 have an extra midlayer tucked into the bottom of my pack. 0:09:53.320 --> 0:09:56.160 I've fallen in love with puffy vests and jackets, mostly 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.719 from my days in the mountains chasing elk. I don't 0:09:58.760 --> 0:10:01.000 know if there's a better wait to warmth garment out 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:04.000 there than some of these puffies, and they fold down 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:07.520 to almost nothing. No, not every hunt is going to 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:09.520 demand that type of warmth, but when you need it, 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:13.080 sure it's nice to have. If you plan to hunt 0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:15.920 a long day and you'll need your phone to function 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:18.559 all day, a spare battery charger might be the ticket too. 0:10:19.360 --> 0:10:22.400 This is a life saver on spring turkey hunts, well 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:24.800 spring turkey bow hunts. I should say where he's spen. 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.120 Dark to dark in a blind can also be a 0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:28.679 life saver on a deer stand. If you spend a 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:30.560 lot of time killing the boardom by surfing the web, 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:32.920 or for some reason like you've got little kids at home, 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:36.440 you just always need to be connected. It doesn't matter. 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:38.720 This might be something you require and you should have. 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:43.720 If that's the case. Impacts that are compatible with hydration bladders, 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:46.480 which is an awful lot of packs these days. You'll 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:47.959 have a pouch in the back where the bladder is 0:10:47.960 --> 0:10:50.880 supposed to go. I put about a dozen handwarmers in there. 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:52.920 At the start of the season. I probably won't need 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:56.240 them in September, probably, but they are there for me 0:10:56.760 --> 0:10:59.200 or for when I take my girls hunting, because even 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:01.480 some of those early seas and mornings can get awful cold. 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.280 I'm telling you this to give you an idea what 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.040 I think about my hunts and what I anticipate I 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:12.160 might need. Even though this might seem like too much stuff, 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:14.640 it's not. Carrying in the right white tail gear is 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.959 a million times easier than carrying in the necessary elk 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:19.480 hunting stuff while climbing a couple of thousand vertical feet. 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:22.960 There are nearly the same physical limitations as white tails, 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.960 and you know where they lives. Pretty easy to walk 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:29.040 most of the time, even if you hunt mountain white tails. 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:31.000 I mean, it's not as hard as elk, I should say, 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:33.800 So it's not a bad idea to plan for what 0:11:33.920 --> 0:11:37.880 you might need and just resign yourself to having carry it, 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:42.880 and just resign yourself to having to carry it, so 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:45.719 you think through your hunts. Maybe you're like Mark and 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:49.280 you need to write everything down on a nice list, 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:51.560 maybe have a memory like a steel trap, And that's 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:55.360 not necessary. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:57.480 that you start to break down your gear choices and 0:11:57.520 --> 0:12:01.199 decide what you have to have with you. Then it's 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:03.360 a matter of gathering that gear up and putting it 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:06.880 in its appropriate spots. This last port is way more 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:09.199 crucial than it sounds, and I know I alluded it 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:10.839 to it earlier, but let me really break it down 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:13.520 for you and give you an example. A couple of 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:15.800 years ago I found some bucks on public land in Nebraska. 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:18.120 I've talked about this hunt a lot, but not about 0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:19.920 how I set up a stand to kill a buck 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:21.880 and how my buddy went in there and killed a 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:24.839 buck out of that same stand too. The tricky part 0:12:24.920 --> 0:12:27.160 of the whole hunt was that the deer were betting 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:30.120 in some soybeans on a patch of walking ground, the 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:33.040 limited trees along the edgement that the options for stands 0:12:33.080 --> 0:12:36.360 were pretty rough. But what was worse was that it 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:40.000 was really really hot and I'd be setting up within 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.880 earshot of several bucks. That was a guarantee, but there 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:45.760 was no way around it. And while I had a 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:48.200 decent south wind to help cover my noise, I knew 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:49.719 it was going to be a test to get set 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:53.079 up without getting busted. So after swinging down wind of 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:55.839 the field and slowly walking along until I found a 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:58.959 suitable tree. I started the process of setting my climbing 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:01.959 sticks on the tree. At first, due to the way 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:04.600 the woods fell away from the field, this wasn't too bad. 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:06.600 I knew I wasn't going to get spotted by a 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.240 buck bedded slightly above me and three foot tall beans. 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:11.319 But by the time I was on my third stick, 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.440 I was really exposed. Even climbing up the back side 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.000 of the tree felt like I could get busted at 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.839 any moment. Any little click of metal or a creak 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:20.360 of the strap, and I knew I'd be in trouble. 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:24.200 In other words, there wasn't much room for a mistake. 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:26.760 When I got to stand height, I looked into the 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:28.920 field and there was a velvet ten pointer feeding like 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:33.120 fifty yards away. That buck was slowly browsing in my direction, 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:35.040 and I had a loose stand in my hands and 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:38.480 a bow on the ground. It was an ideal. I 0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:40.680 managed to get that stand set while he was feeding, 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:42.880 and then watched as he answered my prayers and bedded 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:46.160 down at thirty seven yards. This let me finish the setup, 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:48.640 toll my bow up and settle in to stare at 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:51.040 his antler tips in the sunlight that pounded down on 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:53.880 the bean field. I killed that buck the next time 0:13:53.880 --> 0:13:56.600 he stood up to feed, which was vindicating and a 0:13:56.679 --> 0:14:00.679 testament at least in small part to having a system. Now, 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:03.319 another example from the hunt I mentioned earlier that I 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:06.560 did for Field and Stream involved hanging an opening night 0:14:06.640 --> 0:14:09.520 stand over a pond. As I climbed onto the platform, 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:11.480 I heard something behind me, and I looked as a 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:14.679 decent buck trotted over the hill. Again, I looked at 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:16.880 my tow rope tied to the bottom of my stand platform, 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:19.840 which was tethered to my bowl in the ground. That 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:22.480 buck had to shake flies off his ears, which meant 0:14:22.560 --> 0:14:25.240 he'd give me like a few seconds of time to 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:29.960 move every you know, thirty seconds or so. I managed 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:32.320 to get my bowl lifted up without him knowing, and 0:14:32.360 --> 0:14:34.240 I killed him in that pond. And I have to 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:37.280 imagine if, for example, I would have had a dig 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.360 into my pack to find my release instead of just 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.800 reaching into my pocket where it always is, that buck 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:44.880 would have caught me. Now, these examples might not mean 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.680 much to you. You might think that ship never happens 0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:48.840 to me, So why do I have to be so 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.560 ready because it might. My friends, you might have a 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:55.880 November cruiser run in thirty seconds after you get set 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.280 up in your stand, or you just might have a 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:00.400 late October buck goes through at the are end of 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:02.840 a staging area, in a buck you did not expect 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:05.160 to see and would love to shoot, But your grunt 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.120 tube is in your pack. When you try to pull 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:09.200 it out, the flexible end part falls off and you 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.480 make a bunch of noise in that buck you could 0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:13.800 have grunted in is now on red alert, and you 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:16.240 have an unfilled tag and a whole bunch of sadness 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:21.200 in your heart. Take stock of your gear, what you need, 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:24.120 what you might need. Think about your various hunting styles 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.920 and how they demand different gear. What you always need 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.280 to have with you, regardless of when you'll be hunting 0:15:29.360 --> 0:15:32.000 or what style you'll be hunting. Where does that stuff 0:15:32.040 --> 0:15:35.560 go on your person? Think about how you need to 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.320 cater your gear selection to the task. What you need 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:41.320 in December that you didn't need in October. What do 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:43.640 you need when you saddle up for a sit versus 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.200 when you carve on a natural ground blind? How does 0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.920 that change your system? And are you ready to do 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:51.800 just that so you never have a stupid scramble moment 0:15:51.800 --> 0:15:53.840 out there when you could have been a little more prepared. 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:58.560 I know this is kind of boring stuff, but it's important. 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:02.040 This attention to little d tales while anticipating what can 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:05.040 go wrong can have a big impact on your enjoyment level. 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:07.760 And when the stars aligned, can help you kill a 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:11.360 buck that a less organized person simply would not kill. 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:15.000 That should be motivation enough to develop a system, So 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:19.080 I think you should try. That's it for this week, 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:20.840 my friends, be sure to tune in next week for 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.440 more white tail goodness. I'm your host, Tony Peterson, and 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:25.720 this has been the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, which 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.040 has brought to you by First Light. As I always 0:16:28.080 --> 0:16:30.720 thank you so much for your support, every one of 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:33.800 us here at Meat Eaters sincerely appreciates it. If you 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:35.920 want more white tail content, head on over to our 0:16:35.960 --> 0:16:38.680 wire dhunt YouTube channel, check out the how to videos 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:41.040 at Mark and I produce every week, and visit the 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.040 meat eater dot com slash Wired to read articles by myself, 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.640 Mark and a host of other absolute white tail killers.