1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about adding a 9 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 2: real ground game to your white tail hunts this fall. 10 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: I could probably blame this topic on doing so much 11 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 2: work with my daughters to get them on some deer, 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: or the fact that I have a new bee hunting 13 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 2: buddy with me this fall who is far more comfortable 14 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: in ground blind than tree stands. The truth is, a 15 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: ground game just matters to whitetail hunters like a lot. 16 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 2: I know, all the advice seems to come from saddle 17 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 2: hunters or just mobile hunters in general these days, or well, 18 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 2: I guess tower blind hunters too. But if you don't 19 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: have a good ground game, you're just missing out. I'd 20 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 2: say probably like thirty percent of the deer I kill 21 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 2: end up falling for this trick, which in my humble opinion, 22 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: makes it pretty valuable, so valuable in fact, that I'm 23 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 2: going to talk about it right now. As a young 24 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 2: little fella, there was one week a year that I 25 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: could not wait for. It was the week that my 26 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 2: family would pack up my dad's truck and haul our 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: boat to northern Minnesota, where my mom grew up way 28 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 2: up there in Canada South and what they used to 29 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: call the Iron Range due to all the mining, although 30 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 2: you don't hear it called that much anymore, and that 31 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: region sits a pile of lakes. The glaciers really did 32 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: us modern humans as solid in that region, and all 33 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 2: those Canadian Shield lakes are chalk full of fish. While 34 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: most of the residents up there seem laser focused on 35 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: croppies and walleyes, I was far more focused on throwing 36 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: spoons for northerns than anything else. It was the best 37 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: week of the year, and not in no small reason 38 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: due to the fact that we fished so dang much 39 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 2: up there. We also stayed with my uncle Billy, who, 40 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 2: besides my dad, was the guy who I looked up 41 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: to the most when I was in grade school. Billy 42 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: was a cop at a black belt in Karate a 43 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 2: generally lovable lunatic and a dog fanatic, and he always 44 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 2: had a male black lab. At that time, his lab 45 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 2: was named Rebel, and while I've fallen pretty hard for 46 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: some dog since then, Rebel was the first dog that 47 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 2: I really got to know, and he was your typical 48 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 2: bird dog who hunted everything from ducks to geese, to 49 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 2: grouse to pheasants. He was also typical of that time 50 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: because he lived in a kennel in Billy's backyard even 51 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 2: in the winter, which in that area is no joke. 52 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: Rebel just lived outside. No one even thought about it 53 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: like we do now. I mean, if you lived in town, 54 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: even a small town and a rural part of a 55 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 2: not very populous state, and you left a lab outside 56 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: all winter long, you'd probably get your house burned down now. 57 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: But things were different then, and they were different with 58 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: dogs in general. Dog training involved a lot of well 59 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: pretty heavy handed lessons. Not everyone did this, and I 60 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: never saw Billy lay a hand on a dog, although 61 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: he did punch a guy so hard in the face 62 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: during a grouse hunt that the guy flopped around on 63 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 2: the forest floor for a while, but to be fair, 64 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 2: that was the result of him kicking Billy's dog during 65 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 2: a retrieve. A lot of dog trainers and dog owners 66 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: did go pretty heavy handed with their dogs at that time, though. 67 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: It was one way to get what they wanted out 68 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 2: of the dogs. Now, whether that was like a heavy 69 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 2: bolt on a string which they could swing around and 70 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 2: whack a dog on the ass with, or a stick, 71 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: or the earliest versions of e callers, which were then 72 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 2: called just shock callers for a good reason. You know, 73 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: they only had one set and that was fry them 74 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: until they're nut sizzled. Now, if that seems barbaric or 75 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 2: even short sighted, given what we know now about how 76 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 2: to train dogs, that's not an unreasonable take. But things 77 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: were different then and people didn't know then what we 78 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 2: know now. Along the way, training techniques evolved to more positive, 79 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 2: reward based styles, and the dogs moved from the backyard 80 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: to the house. Some folks still argue that this was 81 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 2: a bad move, but those folks are either stuck in 82 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 2: the past, don't really like dogs to begin with, or 83 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: probably are just pining for the good old days that 84 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 2: we only remember as being really good. The greater lesson 85 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: here on how we treat Fido is that there's always 86 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: options there are always different ways to do things. That 87 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 2: applies to dogs, but also to this thing we know 88 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 2: and love called you guessed it deer hunting. He thought 89 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: I was going to say gulf, didn't you? Maybe next time. 90 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: When it comes to how we ambush deer, the most 91 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 2: common methods all involved of us getting above them and 92 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 2: crossing our fingers that they'll focus mostly on the threats 93 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: at ground level. This works great if you have a 94 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 2: way to get elevated and stay hidden and the deer 95 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 2: aren't super conditioned to looking up for threats. The problem 96 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 2: is there are so many spots where a good tree 97 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 2: just doesn't exist. Now, while some folks, you know, they 98 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: solve this problem with an elevated blind, a lot of 99 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 2: people just don't have or don't want that option. This 100 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 2: is where a ground game comes into play. 101 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:32,359 Speaker 1: Now. 102 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 2: I've touched on this subject a few times, but I 103 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 2: really want to dive into it, you know, into what 104 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: I look for and why it matters. And this goes 105 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 2: way beyond hubstyle blinds. But I'm going to start there. 106 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 2: But first I want to say that I mostly kind 107 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 2: of hate hunting deer out of ground blinds. About ninety 108 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: percent of my disdain for this method comes from two 109 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 2: feelings I get when I'm in one. The first is 110 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 2: that it's just like, weirdly one step removed from being 111 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 2: in the woods, and I don't really know how to 112 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: describe it any other way. I feel the same way 113 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 2: when I sit in a box blind, and they both 114 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 2: work great and more power to you if that's your jam. 115 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 2: But for me, I always just feel this little nagging 116 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 2: feeling like I'm missing something. But the other thing that 117 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 2: drives me a little crazy, you know, especially sitting in 118 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 2: a hub style blind, is that I just can't see 119 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 2: very much in most setups. Sure, field edge blinds can 120 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 2: give you a chance to see some deer in other critters, 121 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 2: but a lot of blinds keep you, you know, kind 122 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 2: of in the dark. U pun intended. Now, The plus 123 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 2: side of the whole thing is that blinds allow you 124 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 2: to hunt all kinds of places effectively, which is huge. 125 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 2: I really can't overstate that if you set them up right, 126 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 2: they also produce the kinds of shots that I personally 127 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: love to take on deer. Shooting a deer from ground 128 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 2: level is just so nice. And while it doesn't seem 129 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 2: like much to have to not think about your downward 130 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: angle like you would from a tree stand. It is 131 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 2: a big deal. It has been my experience that's growing up. 132 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 2: An easy shot is way easier from a tree stand 133 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: than a ground blind. And believe me when I say this, 134 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 2: I'm the kind of fellow who can screw up an 135 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 2: easy shot with the best of them. Now I like 136 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 2: to use small ish ground blinds for myself, you know, 137 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 2: with the girls, I need a little more space. But 138 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: if I'm heading out on a public land deer hunt somewhere, 139 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 2: I always have at least one small blind. Usually this 140 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 2: is sold as a two man option, which means it's 141 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 2: really a one man option. I like small but functional. 142 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 2: They're easier to brush in and hide, and they allow 143 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 2: me to set up for just one shot where I 144 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 2: expect it the most. They're also lightweight and often don't 145 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 2: really even need to bring a chair with me. I 146 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: can use a little turkey hunting stool, or sometimes just 147 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 2: a pad to sit on a kneelon. The goal is 148 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 2: to treat this like my mobile setups for elevated hunts. Small, lightweight, 149 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 2: easy to move, and quiet ish to set up. Of course, 150 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 2: a lot of you find folks can get away with 151 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 2: a bigger option because you can set them up ahead 152 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 2: of time, you know, and let them season. It's up 153 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 2: to you. But the truth is, I think every white 154 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 2: tail hunter should at least entertain this option. Now. If 155 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 2: you think you don't need to ask yourself if you 156 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 2: have setups everywhere you want them on the properties you hunt, 157 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: do you have every fence row or waterway or water 158 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: taker grassy slew fully covered? What about if you're on 159 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 2: stand during opening week and you see that all of 160 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: your bucks walk straight through the beans to feed in 161 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: the middle of the field where there's just some small 162 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 2: patches of cover. You could try to call them in, 163 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 2: or you could go and set up right where they 164 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 2: want to be, and you know, not a coincidentally, I 165 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 2: guess where they don't expect you to be. The key 166 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 2: to ground blinds is making them seem like they are 167 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: truly a part of the terrain. Shadows are your friend 168 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 2: brush them in really good? Then you think, take your 169 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: time and do this part right and make sure that 170 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 2: you have a way to get into them that is 171 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 2: quiet and doesn't require you to touch a bunch of 172 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 2: brush or walk where the deer will also walk. My 173 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 2: favorite situation is where I can put a blind in 174 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 2: an edge of something, a feel to kill plot, a meadow, something, 175 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 2: and then I brush it in really really well on 176 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 2: the front. Then I leave myself some access to get 177 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 2: in the door from the cover, which means I never 178 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 2: have to show my face in the opening or leave 179 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 2: a single molecule of scent out there, or expect a 180 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: deer to be The next biggest consideration, aside from just 181 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: setting yourself up to shoot from inside the blind, is 182 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 2: how you handle the rest of your stuff inside the blind. 183 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 2: If you can kick out or rake out all of 184 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 2: the leaves and debris and whatever else and leave yourself 185 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,680 Speaker 2: a dirt floor, do that. There's no shortcuts here. Clean 186 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 2: it out so you can move around and stay quiet. 187 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 2: You want to be able to set your buind down 188 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,839 Speaker 2: or pick your bow up or whatever without making a 189 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 2: single sound. This is where a lot of people screw up. 190 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 2: They think a blind is sort of like a force 191 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 2: field that keeps deer from detecting them, But the truth 192 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 2: is deer are real sensitive to unnatural noises that occur 193 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 2: on the ground in close proximity to them. They don't 194 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 2: like them from the tree either, but from a ground 195 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 2: blind they often swing down wind if they hear something funky, 196 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 2: and if they do, you're most likely in trouble. It's 197 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 2: not enough to use a blind in a good spot. 198 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: You really want to prep the area. This is why 199 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: I like putting blinds out ahead of time. If it's 200 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 2: at all possible, they can season out there, But that 201 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 2: also allows you to really cut shooting lanes and access 202 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 2: routes if you have the opportunity. Treat them just like 203 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 2: you would a tree stand and they'll treat you pretty well. 204 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 2: Keep as many of the windows closed as possible and 205 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 2: keep it dark in there. Wear you're black, cover your face, 206 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 2: or use black face paint, and remember that any movement 207 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 2: you do that's close to the window is an invitation 208 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 2: to get spotted, so make those movements slowly and deliberately. 209 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 2: Remember also that blinds work best when the sun is 210 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 2: blazing away, because that keeps you tucked deep into shadowland. 211 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 2: The lower the light, or the more even the light 212 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 2: is like on cloudy days, the more they are likely 213 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 2: to see you. Of course, you also have the option 214 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:29,839 Speaker 2: for a natural blind. This is something I love to 215 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 2: hunt from because I feel like I'm really hunting. I 216 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: also kill deer almost every season this way. It just works, 217 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,719 Speaker 2: and I think it works because it's pretty easy to 218 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 2: hide yourself in a spot that just allows for the 219 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 2: element of surprise. There are a few mistakes people make 220 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: on this front, and a big one that I often 221 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 2: see on public land is bringing a share out look. 222 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 2: If you're going to sit on the ground, you have 223 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 2: to accept the fact that you're going to be somewhat uncomfortable. 224 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 2: If you sit on a chair, especially like a full 225 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 2: camp chair, you're going to put yourself at eye level 226 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 2: of the deer. That's going to be trouble. Almost every time, 227 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 2: sit on the ground and use the cover if you 228 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 2: can find it. I like to sit behind a big 229 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 2: tree and brush myself in really well. The goal is 230 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 2: to have the tree on my front and kind of 231 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: left side. Since I'm a right handed shooter, I can 232 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 2: lean into it to hide, I can draw behind it, 233 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 2: and then I can lean out slightly to shoot around it. 234 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 2: Not every spot works this way, but this is a 235 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 2: simple strategy that has put a lot of venison in 236 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 2: my freezer. Plus you can find this in so many 237 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 2: different places. But you can also tuck into dead falls 238 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 2: or sometimes just hide behind a barbed ware fence. This 239 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 2: is how I killed a public land buck last year 240 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 2: in North Dakota. And if I showed you that setup 241 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 2: where I killed that ten pointer, you probably wouldn't believe it. 242 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 2: The whole area was super sparse, just full of little saplings, 243 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 2: but the fence a bunch of grass and weeds growing 244 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 2: up along it that gave me and my camera guy 245 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 2: just enough coverage. It was also the only way I 246 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 2: could shoot to an oak tree that was dropping so 247 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 2: much of the good stuff on the ground that I 248 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 2: knew that's where the deer were going to be. The 249 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 2: key here is to think about what is in front 250 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 2: of you, to the sides of you, and behind you. 251 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 2: You want three hundred and sixty degrees of cover, and 252 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 2: you want to stay low. Most of the time, when 253 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 2: I sit a natural ground blind and a deer comes in, 254 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 2: I'm practically laying on the ground. If it's a non 255 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,559 Speaker 2: target deer, I might stay that way through the whole encounter. 256 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 2: If it's a deer I want to shoot, I stay 257 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 2: that way until I can draw an aim, which is 258 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,719 Speaker 2: a part you kind of just have to anticipate. Now, 259 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,080 Speaker 2: while it's fun to brush yourself in, really well, it's 260 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 2: not fun to try to pick your bow up and 261 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 2: draw it when your broadhead is caught on some brush 262 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 2: and your bottom came is scraping on some dead leaves. 263 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 2: Give yourself the space to draw, and then practice exactly that. 264 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,439 Speaker 2: Practice how you'll pick your bow up, how you'll draw. 265 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 2: If you encounter any snags during your rehearsal, you can 266 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 2: remedy them long before any deer wanders in. Now. I 267 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 2: don't know if I saved the best for last year, 268 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 2: but this point is one that I can't stress enough. 269 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 2: When you're scouting or when you're hunting, always always look 270 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 2: for ground blind options. If the deer always seem to 271 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: leave the neighbor's CRP field and walk the fence line 272 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 2: on your side as they had to wherever, don't write 273 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 2: that off glass it with intention, study their route. Is 274 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 2: there some old farm machinery or a patch of sumac 275 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 2: or something you can bury yourself in to catch those 276 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 2: deer way off guard? What about when you go into 277 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 2: a spot that is just on fire with deer activity, 278 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 2: but there's only one tree and it will only be 279 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 2: good with say an east wind, Maybe you should set 280 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 2: that up. But what if you don't get a true 281 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 2: east wind for three weeks. That program might die in 282 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 2: a few days, which means you're out of luck. Look 283 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 2: for another way to hunt, which, when it comes to 284 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 2: options for playing the wind, usually means sitting on the ground. 285 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 2: I don't know how many times I've gone out to 286 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 2: sit a stand only to realize the wind was just 287 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 2: wrong and had to scramble to figure something out. The 288 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 2: times that this has happened and I have a backup 289 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 2: plan that involves a ground game, I've often killed deer. 290 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 2: I think this is the biggest reason to always have 291 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 2: ground blinds, at least in your mind, because they allow 292 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 2: you to be a hell of a lot more versatile 293 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 2: in your approach. One of my favorite spots to hunt 294 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 2: in North Dakota involves a river that the deer like 295 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 2: a lot. The downside of the river is that it's 296 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 2: shallow and the deer can cross in multiple spots on 297 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 2: most falls. Sometimes they cross right by the perfect stantree, 298 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 2: but often they cross where the cottonwoods are enormous or nonexistent. 299 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 2: This means that if they are really hitting a crossing 300 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 2: that you just doesn't have the right trees. I either 301 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 2: have to go to a secondary spot or try to 302 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 2: make a ground play now I've made the ground play 303 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 2: a lot, and it has worked enough to convince me 304 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 2: that I need to think about this everywhere I hunt, 305 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 2: even on the properties where I can set stands all 306 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 2: summer and really take care of the preseason work. Sometimes 307 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 2: a good area just requires you to hunt the way 308 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 2: it will allow it, not the way that you want. 309 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 2: So we are down to weeks now. Everyone is getting 310 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 2: the itch to get out there and hunt, and I 311 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 2: know you are too. Think about your ground game and 312 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 2: the tree stands setups you have, think about your strategy 313 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 2: for the fall. Think about the times last season or 314 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 2: the last ten seasons, where you've watched deer do something 315 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: that made you think you didn't have a good way 316 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 2: to get them there. Maybe you do, And if you do, 317 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 2: it might just be because you're willing to leave the 318 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 2: saddle or the stand at home and get on the 319 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 2: level with them. If you do this the right way, 320 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 2: you won't feel like you're disadvantaged at all. And when 321 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 2: you hunt with that feeling, you fill to do that 322 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 2: and come back next week because I'm going to talk 323 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 2: about what I think might be the most important week 324 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 2: to scout in the entire season. That's it for this episode. 325 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 2: I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the Wired to Hunt 326 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 2: Foundation's podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 327 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 2: As always, thank you so much for listening and for 328 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 2: all your support here at med Eater. We truly appreciate it. 329 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 2: If you're just so geeked up that you need more content, 330 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 2: or you're maybe taking a road trip or driving out 331 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 2: west to hunt Elk or whatever and you need a 332 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 2: podcast or twenty seven podcast to listen to, or you 333 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:36,360 Speaker 2: want to read some more articles, whatever, watch some videos 334 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 2: the meeteater dot com. 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