1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals better dear hunting, presented by First Light, 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel through the stand saddler Blind, 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host, 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: Today I'm talking about turkey hunting and how often something 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: happens during turkey season that can increase your dear knowledge. 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: You don't really have to listen to too many of 10 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: these podcast episodes before you learn that I'm I don't know, 11 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: sort of like an equal opportunity woodsman. I love small 12 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: game hunting, Western hunting, upland hunting, duck hunting, and of 13 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: course turkey hunting. In addition to the dear thing. Being 14 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: in the fields and in the woods and hell, even 15 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: on the water is always worth it and every activity 16 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: seems to feed the other activities. Now I've talked about 17 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: this a few times over the course of this podcast, 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: but today I really want to break down turkey hunting 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: and the deer sightings that go with us. And like 20 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: I know, I've touched on this before, but I'm gonna 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: take a deep dive here because I think the deer 22 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 1: that you watch and even spoot when you're turkey hunting 23 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: can tell you a lot about what the deer will 24 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: do in the fall and give you an advantage when 25 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: you go from April or May out to September, October, 26 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: and November. Two years ago, my buddy Adam and I 27 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: sat next to a giant oak tree, overlooking a clover 28 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: plot on a property he had just bought in southwestern Wisconsin. 29 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: He faced one way, I faced another, and together we 30 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: listened to some distant gobbles. It really wasn't an ideal 31 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: May morning for but it wasn't bad. We took turns 32 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: calling and scratching away in the leaf litter until I 33 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: looked up and not twenty yards away stood a deer. 34 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: Through the budding foliage. I could see a doe staring 35 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: straight at me. This happens a lot during turkey season, 36 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: and it almost always sucks. I don't know what deer 37 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: have against decoys or leafy suited hunters sitting statues still 38 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: next to a tree, but they don't like it. In fact, 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: they hate it so much so that they almost always 40 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: give you a couple of two steps stomps before snorting 41 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: their stupid faces off and running away. Other deer key 42 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: in on this, but so do the turkeys. And nothing 43 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: will pull a gobbler out of strut faster than a 44 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: deer that is turning inside out over a perceived threat. 45 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: It's kind of just game over when that happens, at 46 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: least for an hour or two. And that's what I 47 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: was thinking about as this dough stared holes in me, 48 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: and then I noticed the deer behind her. They rarely 49 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: travel alone in the spring, so this didn't surprise me 50 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: at all. My dominant thought then was please just go 51 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: away quietly, Please just go away quietly. I was like 52 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: the person hiding in a closet in a horror movie 53 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: while the killer roam the hallway. Well, you know, not 54 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: that dramatic, but you get my drift. She didn't go 55 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: away quietly, though. She took off down the trail, ran 56 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: straight across the food plot, and entered the woods on 57 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: the far side with five other doughs and falls on 58 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: her tail. I didn't think a thing of that encounter 59 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: other than it probably messed up our turkey hunting, which 60 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: wasn't actually true. We found up pretty soon after because 61 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: it wasn't long, and we called in a trio of 62 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: Jake's two of which made a huge mistake by stopping 63 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: in front of me at like twenty yards. But fast 64 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: forward six months and I was sitting in that same 65 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: food plot, but in a ground blind on a different 66 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: wood edge. I had a cameraman next to me, and 67 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: it was the fifth day of a seven day shoot 68 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: for our first season of one week in November. Not 69 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: only did I have a solid eight pointer come out 70 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,119 Speaker 1: right next to the blind and play a perfect game 71 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: of stopping twice where we couldn't get him on camera, 72 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: and when he finally did give me a shot, my 73 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: brain had melted into a puddle of primordial ooze, which 74 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: was totally incapable of complex calculations and tasks like oh, 75 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, holding a little green sight pin on 76 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: the body of a nice eight pointer and then hitting 77 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: the release like I've done four million times in my life. Anyway, 78 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: after that whiff, we settled in to watch the only 79 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,559 Speaker 1: deer that didn't leave the plot, a little button buck 80 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: who was too dumb for his own good. As camera 81 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: light faded and I was told we were no longer 82 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: able to film. Several dos charged out of the woods 83 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: on the exact trail. I had watched the doz walk 84 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: during Turkey season, and do you know who followed them 85 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: out one of the biggest bucks I've ever seen while 86 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: hunting on the exact same trail. He even got to 87 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: thirty eight yards imposed broadside. And let me tell you what. 88 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: If I didn't have a job to do that required 89 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: footage of deer, there would have been arrows flying out 90 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: of that blind in his general direction because there was 91 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: still legal shooting light and it was wide open between 92 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,679 Speaker 1: me and him. But instead I watched him chase dose 93 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: right out of my life. Now, last season, my buddy 94 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: was set up on that food plot and he watched 95 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: even more deer walk that trail across the plot from 96 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: both directions. Now I know you're thinking, okay, so if 97 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: you guys had scouted that trail, you would have known 98 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: it was a deer highway. But the thing is, in 99 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: that area southwest Wisconsin, there are deer highways everywhere. That 100 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: specific trail doesn't look any more worn down than the 101 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: hundreds of other trails on his property. They all look good. 102 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: And when they all look good, they all kind of 103 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: carry equal weight as far as scouting is concerned, at 104 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: least till you get some cameras on them. Now, I've 105 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: had several experiences in multiple states. Take the goat of 106 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: deer hunting opportunities. Iowa. I'm slightly obsessed with some public 107 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 1: land and a part of the state I'm not going 108 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: to talk about on this podcast, but suffice it to 109 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: say it's just good deer in Turkey Ground, and even 110 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: though there is a decent amount of hunting pressure there, 111 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: I just love it. The first time I hunted it, 112 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: I was in high school and it was a random 113 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: trip down there. I was a one off Turkey hunt 114 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: with a buddy of mine and I didn't return until 115 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: like twenty nineteen again to Turkey hunt. What I saw 116 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: brought back a lot of memories and it made my 117 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: decision up that I was going to apply for a 118 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: deer tag there as soon as I thought I could draw. 119 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: But before that, I turkey hunted, and during those Turkey 120 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: hunts a couple of sits in particular, I saw deer, 121 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: I saw spring deer cross a meadow to go bed, 122 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: and when I drew a deer tag, I hunted that 123 00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: meadow and shot and unfortunately lost the biggest of my 124 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: life on public land. Where I ended up actually killing 125 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: a deer was several miles down the road on a 126 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: different chunk, but not on an unfamiliar parcel. I had 127 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: turkey hunted that too, and had watched deer walk along 128 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: a very specific part of a river bottom. Spring deer 129 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: movement often equals fall deer movement, my friends, hell probably 130 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: equal summer and winter movement as well, at least in 131 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: many places. When you're sitting out there at first light 132 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: and listening for some gobbles, don't just passively take note 133 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 1: of deer that you see. Watch them, watch them through 134 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: your binos. Watch exactly what trails they take, Watch exactly 135 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: where they go over, through or under barbed wire fences, 136 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: Watch how they leave the neighbor's field. This goes for 137 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: land that you actually deer hunt and land that you don't. 138 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: Now it's obviously more valuable if you're watching a chef 139 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: bucket his buddies walk across the corn stubble to enter 140 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: a wood lot that you absolutely can a deer hunt, 141 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: but seeing deer in general is worthwhile. Accumulated hours of 142 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: watching wild deer interact with their environment is one of 143 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: the best ways to level up your skills in general. Specifically, 144 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: it's even better to watch a deer do something on 145 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: a property that you'll be summer scouting and eventually hunting 146 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: during the fall. This goes for private ground as well 147 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: as public and even public ground, you might not want 148 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: a deer hunt because you have access to something better 149 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: or you think is better. This is one of the 150 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: things that has really surprised me over the years, and 151 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: was honestly one of the things that convinced me to 152 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: start hunting deer on public land pretty hard. I have 153 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: no hang ups at all about hunting public land turkeys, 154 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: just like hunting upland birds on public land. I've been 155 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: to enough states, walked enough properties to believe that there 156 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: are so many good opportunities out there for gobblers or 157 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: pheasants or grouse and hell even quail. And even when 158 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: I was younger and thought that public land was always 159 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: second to private, no questions about it, thank you very much. 160 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: I still hunted other critters on public land, and I 161 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: found shed antlers, and I found rubs and scrapes, and 162 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: I watched deer from Missouri to Minnesota to Wisconsin to 163 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: the Dakotas, to Nebraska, down to Oklahoma and quite a 164 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: few other states. Over and over, I'd chased turkeys and 165 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: I'd find more deer than I expected. That was a 166 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 1: benefit personally, because those experiences rewired my brain at least 167 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: a little bit to think about deer hunting differently, especially 168 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: deer hunting on pressured ground, of which it could be 169 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: public or it could be private. I had a lot 170 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: of hang ups, but they didn't come from action will 171 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: experience of being out there. They came from hearing and 172 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: believing a lot of the bullshit I still hear to 173 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: this day about hunting opportunities and how so many of 174 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 1: them aren't worth it for whatever reason. The thing is, 175 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: this is stuff you can go verify for yourself, and 176 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: it's pretty easy to do that on a low pressure 177 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: run and gun turkey hunt. You have to look for 178 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: the deer sign and the deer, of course, but the 179 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: bigger thing is just to pay attention to what the 180 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: white tails are showing you. Seeing a lot of them 181 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: it's just a good confidence booster, but so as seeing 182 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: only a handful, but a handful of them doing something valuable. 183 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: This goes for anywhere you hunt and isn't limited to 184 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: watching white tails that are totally unaware of your presence 185 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,479 Speaker 1: and are making their way across the landscape totally unbothered. 186 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: Spring also offers an advantage that we rarely get during 187 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: other parts of this season, the opportunity to see deer 188 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: actually lay down in bed or jump from their beds 189 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: at super close range and take off. Both of these 190 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: things have happened to me during the last few years 191 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: of turkey hunting, and both have provided some pretty valuable intel. 192 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: I've watched more open country dear bed farther west while 193 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: working Miriam's turkeys, and it's always fascinating, you know. And 194 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: while there are bed hunting specialists out there and plenty 195 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: of disciples following their teachings, the truth is it's pretty 196 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 1: uncommon to actually observe a deer in its bed. Now 197 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: we find beds. We make a lot of assumptions about 198 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: betting areas and the behavior connected to betting, but rarely 199 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: do we actually get to witness them while they are betted. 200 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: I look at this kind of like listening to deer 201 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 1: actually makes some kind of vocalization or I don't know, 202 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:58,080 Speaker 1: watching two bucks spar or fight. We know these behaviors 203 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: happen all the time, but how often do you actually 204 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: get to see them in person? For most of us, 205 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,559 Speaker 1: it's not very often. But I'll tell you what. If 206 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 1: you're into calling deer with a grunt tube or a 207 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: set of rattling antlers, watching deer actually grunt, or witnessing 208 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: two bucks really go at, it is an absolute learning experience. 209 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: It's a game changer for becoming a better hunter watching 210 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,199 Speaker 1: their behavior when they bed and then I don't get 211 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: up to reposition and bet again, and then get up 212 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 1: to munch and brows and then bet again, and then 213 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: get up to stare down in the drainage for fifteen 214 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: minutes without moving. It's a game changer. Two Or sneaking 215 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: up a bluff side while trying not to scare any 216 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: turkeys and then looking up ahead to see a buck 217 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: stand up out of his bed that is situated oh 218 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: so perfectly on a knob halfway down a ridge. That's 219 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: another game changer. When that happens, you need to ask yourself, 220 00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: what's the wind doing right here? What was his advance 221 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: nage in this spot at this moment? Because you know what, 222 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,439 Speaker 1: he'll do that again and again all year long. If 223 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: the conditions favor his survival, he'll do it in the 224 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: fall when you can hunt him. And if you know 225 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: a specific knob that is covered in prickly ash and 226 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: perfect for betting during a south or west wind, then 227 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: you know an awful lot about what a buck could 228 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: do during certain conditions that you might face when you're 229 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: hunting in the fall. All of that can be gleaned 230 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: from a twenty second throwaway encounter during a turkey hunt. 231 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: You might also answer questions you've always asked yourself about. Dear, 232 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: take a private land situation where you have five stands. 233 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: Every season, you know roughly where and when to hunt. 234 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: You say that's good enough. You kind of follow the 235 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: same strategy from season to season, and some years it works, 236 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: some years it doesn't. But you have questions like why 237 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: isn't a certain stand any good after mid October? Or 238 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: why do you always catch a glimpse of deer at 239 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: last light coming out of the swamp at a certain spot, 240 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: or crossing the river on a deeper crossing when there 241 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: are several shallow water crossings that would be easier. Time 242 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: on stand leads to questions, just like trail camera usage, 243 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: leads to questions and sometimes answers. But we are creatures 244 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: of habit and we don't often go out of our 245 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: way to address what we think our anomalies in dear behavior, 246 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: because then we'd have to question what we think we know, 247 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: and that's scary country there, So it's easier just to 248 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: be dismissive about observations that don't fit into our expectations. 249 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: When you turkey hunt far far away from the actual 250 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: deer season, you might put your back to a tree 251 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: in the heart of your best deer bedding area, a 252 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: place you wouldn't dream of setting foot in until November fifth, 253 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: during the actual deer season. What do you see, dear 254 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: do then when you're in there? Or maybe you'll work 255 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: your way along a sparse tree line, hoping to call 256 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: in a long beard who decided to go roaming for 257 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: the lunch shift, or who decided to show his stuff 258 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: in its drunting zone in a high visibility spot. What 259 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: if while you're sitting there staring at your decoys, you 260 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: see some dear ghosts their way through forty yards behind you. 261 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: You might never deer hunt the spot because there aren't 262 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: any stand trees there and the cover is thin, and 263 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: because you know that, you're not going to really scout it, 264 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: either you don't go in there and look for sheds 265 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: or look for a concentration of rubs. It might signal 266 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: you're missing something. Yet in April you see deer doing 267 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: what you don't think they should do. What's the best 268 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: reaction here? If you think it's to write that off 269 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: as inconsequential randomness, I have bad news for you. That's 270 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:44,239 Speaker 1: what we like to do with information that doesn't reinforce 271 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: our biases. But the truth is it's not a random 272 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: They're there for a reason. And if you think that 273 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: reason is tied to something important in the spring that 274 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: won't be important in the fall, you may be right. 275 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: Maybe some food source popped up and it means nothing 276 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: to a fall hunt. Or maybe you just had your 277 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,800 Speaker 1: blinders on during deer season and now they've shown you 278 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: something that you should probably believe instead of doubt. This 279 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: kind of thing happens to me a lot when I'm 280 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: turkey hunting, and not all of my encounters lead to 281 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: filling deer tags in the fall, But have really started 282 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: to believe what the deer in April and may tell 283 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: me their moments are truthful if that makes sense. If 284 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: they cross a field a certain way or travel a 285 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 1: soft edge in the big woods in a specific direction, 286 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: there aren't any lies there, and there probably is no 287 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: randomness to it. It's most likely an answer to a 288 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: question you haven't even thought to ask. That's the beauty 289 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: of being in the woods and taking a long look around. 290 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: Whether you're the running gun type who has to chase 291 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: every gobble and can't sit still for more than ten minutes, 292 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: or you'd rather open a good book with your bow 293 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: leaned up against the wall you're blind and ride out 294 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: a monotonous twelve hours sit in a pre scouted spot. 295 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: The deer during turkey season they just might give you 296 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: something real to work with, no matter how your turkey hunt. 297 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: So again, while you're out there yelping your happy ass 298 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,639 Speaker 1: off in the hopes of earning another set of spurs 299 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: to hang from your rearview mirror or a whole plate 300 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: full of turkey nuggets, keep your eyes open for the deer, 301 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 1: and when you do see them, watch them. Get those 302 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: binos up to your eyes and pay attention to what 303 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: they do, whether they spook or walk casually through the 304 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: woods to bed down. And view or twenty of them 305 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 1: all leave a cut cornfield single file that head down 306 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: to the river bottom for the morning. Take note, and 307 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 1: really really take note if those deer happen to be bucks, 308 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,200 Speaker 1: which will be pretty obvious through your optics, and should 309 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: be traveling in a little bachelor group, because what bucks 310 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: do during the spring indicates travel and behavior that they 311 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,400 Speaker 1: feel safe engaging in. They'll do some of that behavior 312 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 1: again in the fall if they feel those safety advantages 313 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: are still there. This is sort of the opposite of 314 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: deer scouting with a mission kind of thing that I 315 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: just talked about, but it can be even almost more valuable. 316 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,400 Speaker 1: Kind of like when you're fishing for bass at noon 317 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: on a sunny day and you happen to catch a 318 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: twenty seven inch walleye and five feet of water on 319 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: a swimming jig. Could be a total fluke, but probably isn't. 320 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: There's probably a here today, gone to moral food source 321 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: there that is drawing in all kinds of big toothy predators, 322 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 1: and it'll probably happen again tomorrow or next year. It's 323 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: just like that with deer. Right now, That's all I 324 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: have for you this week. Good luck with the gobblers. 325 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: Be sure to tune in next week when I plan 326 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: to talk about the most underrated aspect of deer knowledge, 327 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: which is brows. I know it sounds boring, but I'm 328 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: gonna try to make it not boring. This has been 329 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, which has brought to 330 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: you by First Light. I'm your host, Tony Peterson, and 331 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: as I always, thank you so much for listening, we 332 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Here at meat Eater, if you want 333 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: more deer hunting advice, head on over to the meat 334 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: eater dot com slash wired and you can check out 335 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: a ton of hunting articles by Mark Kenyon, Alex Skills, 336 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: Strom Beomartonic, Andy May Myself, Dylan Tramp, whole bunch of 337 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 1: white tail killers. Head on over there check it out.