1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to. 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 3: The Wire to Hunt Foundations broadcast, which is brought to 8 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 3: you by First Light. I'm your host, Tony Peterson, and 9 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 3: today's episode is all about reflecting on the past season 10 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 3: and trying to learn from it. 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 2: Look, I know it's not over everywhere. 12 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 3: A lot of Southern hunters definitely have some season left, 13 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 3: and there are a few late season opportunities still going 14 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 3: on up here in the arc there. But for a 15 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 3: lot of us, the season is either actually over or 16 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 3: over enough to be considered pretty much as wrapped up. 17 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 3: This is a good time to relax a bit, but 18 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 3: to also think about the past season and what happened 19 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 3: to you, what went well, what didn't, what you learn. 20 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 2: This is not just. 21 00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 3: About how to kill deer, but how to enjoy the 22 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 3: whole more, which is what I'm going to talk about 23 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 3: right now. This particular week is just a weird one 24 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: for me. Every single year. Not only does it signify 25 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 3: that I can stop making the three hour drive to 26 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 3: the part of our state that has some wild roosters 27 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 3: to hunt every single chance I get, but the deer 28 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: season is just about pretty much over. I am going 29 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 3: to take my daughters on a dome mission sometime this 30 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 3: month in southwestern Wisconsin, but I'm not gonna hunt, and 31 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,319 Speaker 3: that's a candy Land deal, so it sort of doesn't 32 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 3: feel like the kind of hunting where you get a 33 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 3: real fix, if that makes any sense. Although my daughters 34 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 3: don't care, and I guess I really shouldn't care either. 35 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 3: It's a good opportunity, but it is bittersweet to see 36 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,759 Speaker 3: another season end, and not just because having the option 37 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 3: to hunt deer is generally always better than not being 38 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 3: able to hunt deer. But I also don't know anyone 39 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 3: who gets after it pretty hard who also isn't just 40 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 3: ready for a little off season. 41 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: I am. I just feel conflicted on it. 42 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 3: I'm also inflicted on the fact that it just seems 43 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 3: like life is screaming by so fast lately. I've had 44 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 3: a lot of conversation with folks who feel the same 45 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 3: way as if the whole thing got put on double 46 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 3: speed when we weren't looking, and now the years are 47 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 3: disappearing in the rearview mirror at a rate that just 48 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 3: doesn't seem right. It's in that spirit that I want 49 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 3: to talk about my first lesson from this season, which 50 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 3: I think is an important one. I didn't hunt with 51 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 3: my girls as much as I'd like to be fair. 52 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 3: That happens every season. It always makes me feel guilty, 53 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 3: and by all accounts, they had a great season from 54 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: the perspective of shooting bucks. They teamed up to kill 55 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 3: three between Minnesota and Wisconsin, which is a lot for 56 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 3: a pair of thirteen year olds, I guess, but we 57 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 3: all know it's not just the killing that makes the season, 58 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 3: especially when the killing happens barely quickly without a lot 59 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 3: of effort, which is what happened with both of their 60 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 3: Minnesota bucks. Now, we did have some really cool sits 61 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 3: where we saw lots of critters, and both of my 62 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 3: daughters got to see legitimately nice bucks for the areas 63 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 3: we hunt, which is always fun as a dad. When 64 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 3: I look back on last season, I'm reminded of the 65 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 3: low grade fighting between my wife and I over getting 66 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 3: my daughters into the woods. More She's on the path 67 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 3: that most of the suburb dwellers here are leaning into, 68 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 3: so I don't blame her for it. But for me, 69 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 3: I think we are just way overdoing the activities with 70 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 3: our kids. I can't help but think that my daughters 71 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 3: would have had, you know, better memories from more time 72 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 3: in the woods than they will from another basketball tournament 73 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: out of a dozen or so per season. But I 74 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 3: know I'm shouting into the void on that one. At least, 75 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 3: it seems like it still doesn't make me feel great 76 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: to know that every season I find myself wishing I'd 77 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 3: figured out just a little bit better how to hunt 78 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 3: with them more. Just pull them out of school more, 79 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 3: just make it happen. Now, if there was a way 80 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: to bottle up that feeling and save it for nine 81 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 3: months so I could get a fresh dose, you know, 82 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: on the onset of the twenty sixth season, I would 83 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: because otherwise I'll forget it to some extent and things 84 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 3: will probably play out in a similar fashion. I do 85 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 3: feel better about how my daughters handled themselves on the 86 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 3: season's hunt this year, though I made them take a 87 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 3: step up in responsibility with their gear so that I 88 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 3: didn't have to think of everything, and they would have 89 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 3: to keep a little bit of, you know, more ownership 90 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 3: over their enjoyment and success in the field. 91 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: That's a good thing. 92 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 3: But I also know that for sure when it comes 93 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 3: to the upcoming season, I'm going to get those girls 94 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 3: in tree stands more. They will be old enough to 95 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 3: hunt solo, and I want them to get the experience 96 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 3: of being in stands more often and blinds less often. 97 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 3: I'm actually really excited to work on some of that 98 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 3: stuff in the off season on the properties where I 99 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 3: can hunting two states kind of hard, I guess with 100 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 3: them also makes me want to keep going to other places. 101 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 2: The writing is basically. 102 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 3: On the wall for most traveling hunts, especially for the 103 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 3: folks who aren't wealthy, and I'd really like my daughters 104 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 3: to hunt for a few new critters in some really 105 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 3: cool places before that's kind of, you know, completely off 106 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 3: the table. I don't know yet if that'll just be 107 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 3: a turkey trip to Nebraska or maybe some type of 108 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 3: trip out west for something. But this year they're going 109 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 3: to a new state to hunt for something. Now this season, 110 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 3: I also learned, or I probably should say relearned a 111 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 3: few things about myself as a white tail hunter. That 112 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 3: Nebraska rut hunt I did reminded me of just how 113 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: nice it is to get my hands on a property 114 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 3: and get to really work just that property with cameras 115 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 3: and then a whole bunch of well scouted out setups. 116 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: It wasn't the hardest hunt of the season, but that's 117 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 3: just fine. Sometimes. I really enjoyed the process of looking 118 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 3: at a new piece of ground where I could trim 119 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 3: shooting lanes and run a whole bunch of cameras and 120 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 3: just work it and learn it and then see how 121 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 3: everything came to fruition. It was a good reminder of 122 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 3: a lot of things, but also how important it is 123 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 3: to have a plan if you're going to hunt a 124 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,599 Speaker 3: place for a limited amount of time and that time 125 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 3: happens to be the rut. I really don't feel like 126 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 3: that hunt taught me too much other than sort of 127 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 3: reinforcing a load deer density strategy and maybe helping me 128 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 3: be more patient that way. But a few other hunts 129 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 3: have my wheels just turning. One was the early season 130 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 3: hunt in Minnesota here with my daughter, when we drove 131 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 3: to southern Minnesota and it was hotter than hell, sat 132 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: on a pond, or at least as close as I 133 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 3: dared for the first night and had encounters with four bucks, 134 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 3: but they all did what I secretly hoped they wouldn't. 135 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 3: And the next night, when when we returned to sit closer, 136 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 3: the farmer who owns the place decided to chop all 137 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 3: the corn for silage, the corn that the deer were 138 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 3: using to get to that pond. Now I had played 139 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 3: it safe, got close, and then got shut out. I 140 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 3: only had two days to hunt with her, so I 141 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 3: should have just gone in and sat right on top 142 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 3: of the water as best I could, But I didn't, 143 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 3: and it cost us. The next time I'm convinced a 144 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 3: buck or multiple bucks are going to use a spot 145 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 3: like that, whether I'm with the girls or not, I 146 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 3: am going to go for broke, but also just make 147 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 3: sure I have a backup spot in case I blow 148 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 3: the whole thing up. There is a dance between being 149 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 3: too cavalier and being too cautious that is so easy 150 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 3: to screw up, and most of the time I think 151 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 3: we are just too cautious, And even though I rarely 152 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 3: am when it comes to a lot of my public 153 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 3: land stuff, I keep finding myself playing it a little 154 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: with the girls that I probably need to. I think 155 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 3: that lesson is one that we can all learn from, 156 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 3: and it's important to remember how much recency bias or 157 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 3: I guess you know, the successful hunts bias our memories 158 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 3: and our future plans. Think about how often you didn't 159 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 3: hunt because you wouldn't think it would be good, and 160 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 3: then think about when you did hunt because it should 161 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 3: be good, but you sat somewhere that you knew was 162 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 3: a little dicey. Those decisions, like all of our decisions, 163 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 3: have repercussions, and they can help us make better plans 164 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 3: in the future. I think all of us be wise 165 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 3: to pay attention to when we feel the need to 166 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 3: go for broke versus the timing or conditions that talk 167 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 3: us into being super cautious. When it comes to the latter, 168 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: there are a few follow up questions we should probably 169 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 3: ask ourselves, like was I overly cautious because I had, 170 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 3: you know, only a few stands in blinds to choose from? 171 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 3: Or I just don't I don't have a reliable mobile setup. 172 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 3: Even if you remotely believe either to be true, it 173 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 3: would be a good idea to learn from that and 174 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 3: alter your course for next season. Another lesson that I 175 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 3: learned from this season is how easy it is for 176 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 3: me to miss something crucial. I found a spot this 177 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 3: past summer on some public land in Wisconsin that got 178 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 3: me really interested, so I scouted it and then I 179 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 3: hunted it a few times in the early season. I 180 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 3: had encounters with doughs every sit, which is no small 181 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 3: victory over there, but I never saw a buck, and 182 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 3: I mostly didn't want to shoot a dough there, even 183 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 3: though I had a tag. There just aren't that many 184 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 3: deer over there right now where we hunt, so I 185 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 3: just didn't feel like I needed to shoot a dough 186 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 3: just because, so I limited myself to bucks. I also 187 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 3: hung one camera above a creek crossing as I left 188 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 3: one morning after hunting, just to see what I was missing, 189 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 3: and man, I was missing a lot. I had a 190 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 3: couple of dough groups that got pretty consistent, and then 191 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 3: some bucks as the rut ramped up. Now, I never 192 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 3: got a really big deer on camera there, but I 193 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 3: had a couple of year typical two year old type 194 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 3: of deer that I would have loved scene coming in. 195 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 3: They would have been just fine for me. Now, when 196 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 3: I killed my buck on a different property. I went 197 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 3: over to pull that camera, and I realized a couple 198 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 3: of things. The first is that there are some apple 199 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 3: trees along the trout stream in that property that deserves 200 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 3: some attention in the early season. I don't know why 201 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 3: it never occurred to me that they could even be there, 202 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 3: but they are, and I'm not going to forget them 203 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 3: this year. I also realized that the trail camera that 204 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 3: I had hung was on a trail that split about 205 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 3: ten yards below the spot I actually chose, so I 206 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 3: had monitored one trail instead of both. And if you're 207 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 3: wondering why, the only thing I can say is because 208 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 3: I'm stupid. 209 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 2: I guess. 210 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 3: I don't know how I missed that when I hung 211 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 3: the camera, but I did, and it actually explained some 212 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,559 Speaker 3: of the travel that the images showed, which I didn't 213 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 3: understand at the time. I think it was like a 214 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 3: low faith do it because you can set a camera 215 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 3: kind of thing that I just didn't care. 216 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 2: That much about. 217 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 3: That was stupid because the travel on both trails looked 218 00:09:57,960 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 3: to be about the same, so I might have actually 219 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 3: down by half the amount of recon I could do 220 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 3: instead of just simply pointing my camera downhill. Instead of uphill. 221 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 3: I could have captured both of those trails. If there's 222 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 3: a lesson there is to try to get your cameras 223 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 3: in the best spots possible instead of just getting so 224 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 3: much tunnel vision that you don't even look around a 225 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 3: little bit. I also found a few trees on that 226 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 3: trail which were way better for a quick hang and 227 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 3: bang with my saddle than the ones I had actually 228 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 3: set up. And when I went in there to hunt, 229 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 3: I hate when I do stuff like that to myself, 230 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 3: But I also checked my work a lot, so maybe 231 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 3: I'm not more of a mistake machine than most of us. 232 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 3: I don't know, but I know that that spot had 233 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 3: a lot of promise and it delivered on some fun sits, 234 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 3: and it left me with a lot of questions and 235 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 3: the feeling that I had done about I don't know 236 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 3: ten percent of what I needed to in order to 237 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 3: kill a buck there. And speaking of killing bucks, I'd 238 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 3: say maybe the most pertinent lesson I got from last 239 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 3: season was this, you can kill bucks incredibly easy with 240 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 3: the right setups, or you can get your ass absolutely 241 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 3: kicked for years while doing almost everything right. I killed 242 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 3: a super easy buck in Minnesota on water in September 243 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 3: when it was hot and they were just coming to 244 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 3: get a drink. 245 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 2: They were just gonna get there. 246 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 3: Then I killed a super easy buck in Nebraska that 247 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 3: was cruising through a very obvious pinch point. 248 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 2: Simple stuff. 249 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 3: But the last buck, the one in Wisconsin, that was 250 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 3: a totally different thing. I had literally talked myself into 251 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 3: believing that I'd never get a big one over there. 252 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 3: It's like I could never get all that close no 253 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 3: matter what I did. And what I mean by that 254 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 3: is that year after year it felt largely like I 255 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 3: reset to zero and had to start over. That's a 256 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 3: hard mode to operate in because if you feel like 257 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 3: you're not making progress, it's really hard to give it 258 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 3: a real effort. But that's the only way to do it. 259 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 3: And even though I felt like I wasn't really phoning 260 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:53,959 Speaker 3: it in, there was always just like this nagging sense 261 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 3: that it wasn't meant to be. I had that same 262 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 3: feeling for a long time when I just started bowhunting, 263 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 3: you know, about killing any deer. Then I had it 264 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 3: about killing anything bigger than a year and a half old. 265 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 3: Then I had it about killing a big buck. I 266 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 3: guess in some ways, a lot of us live with 267 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 3: that throughout much, if not all, of our hunting careers. 268 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:17,719 Speaker 2: It's a tough pill to swallow. 269 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 3: When the old ego says it shouldn't be this hard, 270 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 3: but the deer decided that it will be. That buck 271 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 3: I killed over there was just such a good reminder 272 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 3: that even in places where it's just difficult to hunt 273 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 3: for a variety of reasons, it's still possible. You just 274 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 3: need the time to scout and to hunt, and you 275 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,200 Speaker 3: need to listen to the deer. What the deer this 276 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 3: year told me was that they weren't going to hang 277 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 3: out in the big old swamps where the wolves liked 278 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 3: to howl, but they were going to leave. But they 279 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 3: also weren't going to leave the country. They along with 280 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 3: the coyotes, just shifted their core areas for a while, 281 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 3: which did a couple of things that I hope I 282 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,839 Speaker 3: never forget. The first was that they moved closer to 283 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 3: human habitation, even the big bucks, which tells you how 284 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 3: much you know they respect the wolf's ability to eat them. 285 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 3: The second was that when they opted to mostly move 286 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,679 Speaker 3: out of the big cover, they got concentrated in smaller, 287 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 3: easier to hunt cover. The third was that if it's 288 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 3: the rut, you just have to get your ass out 289 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,559 Speaker 3: there and keep trying. I know that's kind of anti climactic, 290 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 3: but that Wisconsin buck and his buddies were absolutely doing 291 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 3: their thing, and they were not nocturnal. 292 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 2: They were just not where I wanted them to be. 293 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 3: I kept pushing hunts to happen in places where I 294 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 3: thought they might show up because of the magic of November. 295 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 3: But they didn't show up, and they almost never do, 296 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 3: so I had to go looking for them. In a way, 297 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 3: I guess this brings me all the way back to 298 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 3: that lesson on being too cavalier versus too cautious. For 299 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 3: my Wisconsin Rut hunt, I was being pretty cautious because 300 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 3: I thought I had to preserve a couple of spots 301 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 3: where I figured eventually I just catch one cruising. 302 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 2: But those spots were dead. 303 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 3: And if I'm being honest, which I don't really want 304 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 3: to be, at least one of them is just a 305 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 3: dud for reasons I can't name. I don't know why 306 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 3: they won't cruise through there when I'm there, but they won't, 307 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 3: and I need to do something different about it. I 308 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 3: don't know what that is yet, but I know that 309 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 3: it was a high confident spot for me last year 310 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 3: and this year, and it has delivered me a total 311 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 3: of one button buck sighting and enough hours to tell 312 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 3: me that it's just wrong. So it's back to the 313 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 3: drawing board with that spot or that property. But that's okay. 314 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 3: That's what this time of year is good for. We 315 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 3: can get our heads right and give our past season 316 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 3: some real thought. That's what you should do, and you 317 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 3: should be as honest as you can about it, because 318 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 3: the more we take stock in our successes and our failures, 319 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 3: and the more we kind of mentally inventory the plans 320 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 3: that worked and the ones we were sure would work 321 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 3: but didn't, the more likely we are to try something 322 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 3: different next season that will work. I think this is 323 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 3: good for all of us, whether we only hunt one 324 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 3: spot and we think we have it pretty much dialed, 325 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 3: or you kind of free spirit type of person who 326 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 3: saddles up in a new tree for every sit of 327 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 3: the season. Give yourself some time to reflect, see if 328 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 3: you can pull a few lessons out of the last 329 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 3: season to learn from, and come back next week because 330 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 3: I'm going to dive into a white tails biology to 331 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 3: break down how they survive. Winner and further highlight how 332 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 3: freaking awesome these critters really are. 333 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 2: That's it for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. 334 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 3: This has been the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, which 335 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 3: is brought to you by First Light. As I always, 336 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 3: thank you so much for all of your support. We 337 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 3: couldn't do it without you, and I mean that from 338 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 3: the bottom of my heart. All of us here at 339 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 3: meat Eater are so grateful to have such a loyal 340 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 3: and awesome audience, So thank you for that. If you're 341 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 3: bored out of your mind and you need some more content, 342 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 3: I'm talking podcasts, films, articles, how too stuff, news stories. 343 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 3: The mediater dot com has you covered. Go check it out. 344 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 3: We drop new content literally every single day. You're not 345 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 3: going to run out of stuff. Go check it out 346 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 3: of the mediator dot com and thank you once again.