1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better dear hunting. Present it by 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: First Light, creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: saddle or blind. First Light, Go farther, stay longer, and 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 1: now your host Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 7 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. Today's episode 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 2: is kind of a continuation of last week's episode, but 9 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 2: now we're going to cover just how to glasp most 10 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 2: efficiently no matter what type of environment you plan to 11 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 2: scout or hunt. Glassing is an art, but art exists 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: on a spectrum. Your kid's finger paintings might end up 13 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 2: on a fridge, you know, in an overzealous display of 14 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 2: their burgeoning abilities, but they aren't likely to fetch a 15 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: couple hundred thousand gees at a fancy New York auction 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: house just like that. Glassing can be a simil as 17 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 2: looking out your picture window with binos to check out 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 2: the deer in the neighbor's field, or it can involve 19 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 2: a real strategy for getting into an advantageous spot and 20 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: trying to watch as much game friendly terrain as possible. 21 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 2: The latter is a better bet mostly, and that's what 22 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: I plan to talk about right freaking now. We're lucky 23 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: to have a destination trailer on a little plot of 24 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 2: land in northern Minnesota that allows us to live the 25 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 2: lake cabin kind of lifestyle without the price tag of 26 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 2: actually having a real cabin on a lake. It's pretty sweet. 27 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 2: But one of the downsides is that I have all 28 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 2: of my in laws right there with me as well. 29 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: I mean, and by that I honestly mean at any 30 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 2: given point there might be ten to fifty of them 31 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: swarming around and living the vacation life too. Now, I'm 32 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: actually pretty lucky with my in laws, so I'm not 33 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: going plain about them too much, but I'll just say 34 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: this that sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. Anyway, 35 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 2: back in early May, while I was off trying to 36 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: shoot a turkey somewhere, my wife brought the girls up 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 2: to the lake. At that time, the water was really high, 38 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 2: like flood stage high, and it was minutes out of 39 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: ice out, which put our water temperatures at hypothermia level. 40 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 2: It's the worst time of the year to be there, 41 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: in my opinion, because the lake looks somewhat fishable and 42 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: the water is open. But the truth is you can't 43 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: even use the landing to get your boat in, and 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 2: if you did, the only thing you'd catch as a 45 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 2: cold or maybe you'd catch a few pale crappies in 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: one of the wintering holes, but overall it would mostly 47 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: just be a lost cause. That was during that kind 48 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: of weather, on that kind of weekend when my wife 49 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 2: happened to talk to a few of her relatives, and 50 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: apparently one of them, who has a young toddler aged child, 51 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 2: had one of her young toddler aged children playing along 52 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 2: the edge the lake. He was out of her site 53 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 2: and in the spot where if he fell in you 54 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: might not know it for a while. So really not 55 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: a great situation. And when my wife mentioned this to 56 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 2: the mom, she was pretty dismissive of the whole thing, 57 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: which fired my bride right up. Now, just like art, 58 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 2: parenting exists on a spectrum. You have fairal free range 59 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 2: types like my wife's in laws, who have far more 60 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: faith in the general survivability of their kids than most folks. 61 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 2: Then you have the helicopter parents who breastfeed their kids 62 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: until they are preteens and don't require them to move 63 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: out of the house and grow up until they're in 64 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: their thirties. My wife is pretty centered between those two extremes, 65 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: and in defense of calling out a relative, she said, 66 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 2: I think when you're around a cold lake with a 67 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 2: three year old, you should have line of sight on 68 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: them at all times. I hate to admit it, but 69 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 2: that's pretty reasonable for the mom to get line of 70 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 2: sight on her kid in that situation. Anyway, she would 71 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 2: have had to leave the patio furniture I'm through a 72 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: small ditch, and watch your kid from a less comfortable spot. 73 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 2: She opted to stay put, and now her and my 74 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: wife have to mean mug each other when they are together, 75 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: and I have to pretend like I don't want to 76 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 2: put rocks in my pockets and jump over her toddler 77 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 2: into the lake, so I don't have to hear about 78 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 2: this kind of dumb shit anymore. Anyway, I'll get to 79 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 2: my point. When we glass, we often take the easy 80 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 2: way out. We don't think of our line a site 81 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 2: a whole lot. We don't think about what will spook. 82 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: We just kind of do the easy thing, and we 83 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: figure if we get eyes on something that's good enough, 84 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: there's a net positive. Now, There is an obvious difference 85 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,600 Speaker 2: between trying to glass up a meal deer to stalk 86 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 2: versus trying to lay eyes on a couple of potential 87 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 2: hitlisters in the summer as they munch on some alfalf 88 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 2: our soybeans. The purpose of the glassing session might be different, 89 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: but the strategy for glassing correctly probably shouldn't be kind 90 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 2: of want to treat it like you're a sniper. Get in, 91 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,599 Speaker 2: get the job done, and get out, all while not 92 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 2: getting detected. This requires planning and the idea that you 93 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 2: shouldn't be glassing like most people. Take something that drives 94 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 2: me a little nuts but also works in my favor, 95 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 2: which is glassing from a vehicle. Now, listen, there are 96 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: some situations where this just makes sense. If you hunt 97 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 2: where there's a fair amount of traffic near where the 98 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 2: animals are visible, you're probably not going to disturb anything 99 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 2: by using a window mounted spotting scope. But this can 100 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 2: go south in a hurry if the animals aren't real 101 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 2: accustomed to close proximity vehicles. They're an awful lot of 102 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 2: places where you can see deer from your truck, but 103 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: the deer do not trust a vehicle that is stopped 104 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 2: or slowed down on a nearby road, and they're going 105 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 2: to bolt. This is true a Western game too, even 106 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: though this seems like the primary method of a lot 107 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 2: of Western hunters to scout. I also believe, through about 108 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 2: seven thousand different hunting experiences in my life, that most 109 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 2: of the bigger animals you might want to take a 110 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 2: look at and eventually shoot aren't all that comfortable being 111 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 2: visible from the road. Pressured critters tend to find comfort 112 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: and seclusion, and that might be as simple as feeding 113 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: one ridge beyond the road. It might be as simple 114 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 2: as feeding in a low spot or a tucked away 115 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 2: corner of a field. Whatever the case, unless your quary 116 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 2: has proven to you that they are just fine with 117 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 2: close vehicle traffic, assume they aren't, and then make a 118 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 2: plan to glass from a better spot. Let me give 119 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: you an example of this that kind of changed my 120 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 2: entire thinking around using optics in the field. When I 121 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 2: first started hunting in western North Dakota, I picked an 122 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 2: area of river bottom I thought might hold some white 123 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 2: tails to prove that my spidy senses were solid. I 124 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 2: also looked at on X until I found the highest 125 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: point possible that looked like it would give me a 126 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 2: good view of an awful lot of that river bottom. 127 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: It was maybe a one mile hike in with a 128 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 2: pretty decent North Dakota level climb to the glassing spot, 129 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 2: so all in all about as much effort as it 130 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 2: takes to make oatmeal and coffee and elk camp on 131 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 2: an average DIY hunt. When I first climbed up to 132 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 2: the point I had marked, I realized the view was 133 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: better than I expected. I could see most of like 134 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 2: two miles of river bottom. I could see a private 135 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 2: field that was teeming with critters, and I could see 136 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: a big brushy flat that had mixed in sage and 137 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 2: small patches of timber. It was probably the most fun 138 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: I've ever had behind a spotter. There were white tails everywhere, 139 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 2: but there were also elk, meal, deer, and antelope. It 140 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 2: was also nearly impossible to get busted where I set up. 141 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 2: In other words, it was the ideal glassing location. It 142 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 2: let me watch deer cross the river and marked specific 143 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 2: trees for stands, and it allowed me to see deer 144 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 2: head back in the morning, all while staying undetected and 145 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 2: gleaning so much actionable information that one spot and the 146 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 2: things I've learned from glassing there over multiple seasons, has 147 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 2: helped me fill probably like eight white tail taggs and 148 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 2: at least one meal deer tag. It's also just one 149 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: of my favorite places to be in the world. Now 150 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 2: that example involves a couple of things that make glassing easier. 151 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: The terrain is ideal for hauling a spot her up 152 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 2: to a point. Open country is like that. It was also, 153 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 2: at least before EHD burned through in every single hunter 154 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 2: in the country figured out that program full of animals, 155 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 2: which certainly helps your glassing efforts. But what do you 156 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 2: do if your glassing situation isn't like that? Well, figure 157 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 2: it out. Let's say, for example, you only want to 158 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 2: watch white tails, but you hunt an area that is 159 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 2: a mix of big woods with a few random hayfields 160 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: or other egg fields mixed in. Where are the openings 161 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 2: where you can watch? It's first step, just find them 162 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: if you can hunt one of the fields. The job 163 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 2: of figuring out how to glass it involves just planning 164 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 2: to get in and out and not getting winded or spotted. 165 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 2: It's usually not that hard, but it might take a 166 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 2: little trial and error. But what if you hunt a 167 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 2: wooded patch that has no openings, but maybe border some fields. 168 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 2: We'll talk into the woods and glass the openings. The 169 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 2: deer you're hunting, at least some of them will come 170 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 2: from your woods. And if they aren't visible on yours, 171 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 2: but you can stay on the right side of the 172 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 2: fence and watch them, then you need to plan for that. Again, though, 173 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 2: this involves access and involves playing the wind, which might 174 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 2: mean you can only glass in certain types of weather. 175 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: The reason that you want to be so careful about 176 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 2: your glassing, whether we're talking summertime white tails or game 177 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 2: time Western critters, is because you actually want to observe 178 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 2: what they do. This is not a game where the 179 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: sole goal is to just lay eyes on some critter. 180 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 2: That's great, but it doesn't mean that much. You want 181 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: to lay eyes on critters, but then watch what they do. 182 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 2: I talked about this last week, and I believe it. 183 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 2: Your goal isn't just to verify they exist, but to 184 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: find them and learn what they like to do. I 185 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 2: know I've said this a lot, but when a deer, elk, 186 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 2: or whatever shows you what they like to do, they're 187 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: not lying. If they are acting naturally, they're not spooked. 188 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 2: You're witnessing their truth. You're looking at so many things 189 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 2: that could help you close the distance and get into 190 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 2: their guard. So much value there, but it involves being 191 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: smart and often more effort than we want to give. 192 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 2: I've seen this a lot with people who go out 193 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 2: west for the first time. Often they just bring binoculars 194 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: and that's it. They scan over several thousand acres aground 195 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 2: and declare after a few minutes that all the meal 196 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 2: there are better not a sight, or they aren't there 197 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 2: at all. A good glasser will be there for hours, 198 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 2: picking apart the cover. They'll divide the deeper shadows into 199 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 2: quadrants and slowly pick them apart. They'll look at all 200 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 2: the shadows for a bit of antler or a throat patch. 201 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 2: They'll find something where most folks won't. And this is 202 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 2: a skill that feeds itself. It's a self perpetuating machine. 203 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 2: Think of it this way. If you hunt pheasants with 204 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 2: someone who is pretty good with dogs and happens to 205 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 2: have some pretty good dogs, they'll kill more birds than 206 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 2: the average non dog owner, even if that non dog 207 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 2: owner is a world class wingshooter. And you might be thinking, well, yeah, 208 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 2: this is because the dogs will kick up more birds 209 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 2: for the owner, which is one hundred percent true. But 210 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 2: it's also a reality that someone who can easily and 211 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 2: readily read dogs is going to know when the birds 212 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 2: are close. There's more to it than seeing an excited 213 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 2: bird dog and saying, old Hank is birdy? Better get 214 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 2: ready to take that safety off. They know the young 215 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: dog will give false positives but show off a lot 216 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 2: while doing it, just as they know the old dog, 217 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 2: who isn't flashy anymore, will only tell the truth with 218 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 2: its body language. Even in cover where the dogs are 219 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,839 Speaker 2: barely visible, a glimpse of them tells you so much, 220 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 2: just as the sound of a tail whacking the cattails 221 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 2: can tell you the right person all he needs to 222 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 2: know about the prospect of a rooster getting up that 223 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 2: lead time. That awareness, even if it's only a second, 224 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 2: is a huge advantage. That person is just at a 225 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 2: different level, just like someone who is patient at glassing 226 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 2: will almost always be more successful than someone who views 227 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,200 Speaker 2: it as a way to pass time and not a 228 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 2: way to find an animal worth hunting. The discipline person 229 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 2: learns to look for pieces of game, pieces of a 230 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 2: game animal anyway, and not a whole critter, and they 231 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,400 Speaker 2: learn to go back and forth between binoculars and spotting 232 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 2: scope so they don't miss anything and they learn as 233 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 2: much as possible. This is because even when they have 234 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 2: a good buck or bull to watch, they know there 235 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 2: is going to be other actors on the stage somewhere. 236 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 2: A velvet meal that you're browsing in the stage should 237 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 2: demand some of your attention. But if you want to 238 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 2: stalk him, you might want to do a real thorough 239 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 2: sweep with your binos to see who else is around 240 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,719 Speaker 2: who might blow up the whole thing if you try 241 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 2: to stalk. Or maybe you're watching a bachelor group of 242 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 2: white tails and they are all feeding contentedly in the beans, 243 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: so you ignore the lone buck who is a scraper anyway, 244 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,199 Speaker 2: and you miss the time he drops in and do 245 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 2: a draw and comes back out with wet feet. Sure 246 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: he's not the buck you want to kill. You're watching 247 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 2: the other deer. They're bigger, But did he just give 248 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: you something actionable to think about? With the rest of 249 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 2: the deer? Those other bucks, the bigger ones, they're going 250 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 2: to get thirsty too. Do you even know where he was? 251 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 2: Do you know where he went? Do you know why 252 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 2: there was water in there? There's so many actionable things 253 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 2: out there if you're watching and paying attention. And the 254 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 2: thing about it is, the more you do this, the 255 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 2: better you get. It's just like hunting from a tree 256 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 2: saddle or setting up ground blinds for turkeys, calling ducks. Hell, 257 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 2: it's just like every outdoor skill, but this one is 258 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,559 Speaker 2: real important and it doesn't get that much love anymore. 259 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 2: We kind of take it for granted that everyone knows 260 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 2: how to use optics to look at stuff, but it's 261 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 2: just not true. I mean, maybe the easiest way to 262 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 2: frame this up is to think about someone who is 263 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 2: not very comfortable with the spotting scope. Now ask that 264 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 2: person to find a small object that is seven hundred 265 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 2: yards away by pointing out terrain features. This happens in 266 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 2: hunting a lot, and it usually goes something like this 267 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 2: found one where look at that dip on the second ridge. 268 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 2: See it? Yep. Now follow the left side down until 269 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 2: you see that light colored bush or tree. From there, 270 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 2: he's like one hundred yards downhill by that seater that 271 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 2: looks like it's half burnt, but it's actually just brown 272 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 2: or something. You got him? Uh nope, Okay, do you 273 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 2: see the seater? Yep? Follow that little blaze of sunlight 274 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 2: straight up into the right. He's off behind that slight rise, 275 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 2: so you can only see the tips of his antlers. 276 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 2: Now I still don't have him, Holy frog, smackers man, 277 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 2: Just look at the freaking spot of sunlight and then 278 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 2: you know, and it just keeps going. That kind of 279 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 2: conversation whispered screaming fighting conversation happens between hunting partners a 280 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 2: lot when there's a lot of glassing. It always devolves 281 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: into this frustrating whisper fight that might make the casual 282 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 2: passerby if there was one out there, think they are 283 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 2: listening to a marital spat. The last thing isn't actually 284 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: as easy as it looks, And what's worse is that 285 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 2: it's a skill you have to work to develop. The 286 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 2: best way to do this is to find reasons to glass, 287 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 2: and then to do it around an actual strategy where 288 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 2: you solve for ahead of time at least a few 289 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 2: of the problems you're likely to run into. This results 290 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 2: in better, more productive glassing sessions, of course, but it 291 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 2: also helps you in the grand scheme of things, because 292 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 2: you know what your problem solving. In an effort to 293 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 2: be more efficient in the field. The more you work 294 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 2: that muscle, my friends, the stronger it gets. You can 295 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 2: do this if you're outfitted with the best optics money 296 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 2: can buy, and of course all the sweet accessories that 297 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 2: go along with that, or you're running a basement pair 298 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 2: of hand me down binoculars that probably saw a little 299 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 2: combat time in the Last Great War. While the right 300 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 2: optics are important for a lot of what we do, 301 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 2: they aren't totally necessary. What is is using whatever optics 302 00:15:56,960 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 2: you can get your hands on, and hopefully they're decent, 303 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 2: to figure out as much as possible from a good 304 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 2: safe distance while not spooking anything, and just vacuuming up 305 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: as much intel as the critters will throw your way. 306 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 2: Think about that. Think about the last two weeks I've 307 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 2: talked about glassing and how you could increase your optics 308 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: game and figure out how to scout better. Think about that. 309 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 2: As we get deeper this summer and the white tail 310 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 2: scouting starts to ramp up and itch to head west, 311 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 2: this season hits a fever pitch, think about tuning in 312 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 2: next week because I'm going to talk about how much 313 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 2: I love antelope and why I think every single person 314 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 2: should hunt them at least once just to see what 315 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 2: it's like. And I urge you to listen to it 316 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 2: even if you have no interest in antelope hunting, because 317 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 2: I'm going to make my best country lawyer case for 318 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 2: why you should at least think about antelope as a 319 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 2: potential reason to point your truck west. That's it for 320 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 2: this week, my friends. I'm Tony Peterson. This has been 321 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 2: the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which is brought to 322 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 2: you by First Light. As always, thank you so much 323 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 2: for listening and for all your support. I really appreciate it. 324 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 2: Mark really appreciates it. Everybody at Mediator really appreciates your support. 325 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 2: And if you want a little bit more white tail 326 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 2: content or hunting content in general, you can head on 327 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 2: over to the meediater dot com and you can find 328 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 2: all kinds of video series. You can find all kinds 329 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 2: of articles by myself and Mark and Alex Gilstrom and 330 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 2: Beaumartonic and a whole bunch of really good writers.