1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, your guide to 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: the whitetail Woods, presented by first Light, creating proven versatile 3 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. First Light 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host, Mark Kenyon. 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast. This week on 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 2: the show, I'm joined by Dan Johnson to discuss the 7 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 2: particularly challenging whitetail rut that we both just experienced and 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: our ideas and strategies for the weeks to come. All right, 9 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: welcome back to the Wired to Hunt podcast, brought to 10 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 2: you by First Life and their Camel for Conservation initiative. 11 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: And today I am joined by my good buddy, mister 12 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: Dan Johnson, and we are going to be discussing and 13 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: breaking down kind of oh, I guess, like a Monday 14 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: morning quarterback kind of session on the rut, what we 15 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: just experienced here in November of twenty twenty four, the 16 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 2: hunts that we had, the experiences that we had, some 17 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: thoughts on why we and so many other people thought 18 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: this was such a weird, slow, bizarre. 19 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 3: Challenging rut for so many of us. 20 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: So we're going to discuss that, kind of discuss some 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 2: of the different thoughts that we had on what we 22 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 2: personally saw as well as some higher level maybe impacts 23 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 2: that are kind of hitting folks across the board. And 24 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 2: then we're also going to talk through some of the 25 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 2: things that worked, some of the things that led to 26 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: Dan having success, so we get a success story for 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 2: Daniel Johnson here in November. And then finally we're going 28 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 2: to walk through some of our thoughts on what all 29 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: this means for the future, how we can take some 30 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: of these lessons learned and apply them to the weeks 31 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 2: to come. And this kind of second maybe it's more 32 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: like the third, the last third of the season, maybe 33 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: second half, maybe last third of the season, whatever it is, 34 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: We're we're on the downward slope. We are past mid November. 35 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: We are entering a different phase of the year, and 36 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: it's been a weird one for me, as Dan and 37 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 2: I will talk about, it's been a doozy. 38 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 3: I've had some just. 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 2: Funky, strange things going on, both hunting and outside of hunting. 40 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 2: So I'm personally ready to move on. I'm ready to 41 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: move into a new part of the year. Trying to 42 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: feel good, trying to have fun, trying to be healthy, 43 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: and make the best of the rest of the twenty 44 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 2: twenty four season. So that's what we've got in store. 45 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 2: I will just give you one very quick heads up, 46 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 2: which is we do have this big old, crazy Black 47 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: Friday sale going on for Meet Eatter and first Light 48 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: and all of our brands up to fifty percent off 49 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 2: stuff like logo areas. I know it's fifty percent off, 50 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: great deals on things like the Furnace hoodie which I'm 51 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: wearing here today. This hat's one of those pieces that's 52 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 2: fifty percent off, so check it all over Themediator dot 53 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 2: com or first Light dot com. There's plenty of other 54 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 2: sale adds, all that kind of stuff everywhere else you look. 55 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 2: I don't want to belabor the point anymore. So thanks 56 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: for being here. I hope you all have an incredible Thanksgiving. 57 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: I hope today is a day if you are listening 58 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 2: on the day this launches, where you are spending time 59 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: with friends and family and appreciating the many blessings that 60 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: we all have and the incredible opportunity that we have 61 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 2: here as hunters. 62 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 3: So I'll also just note that I. 63 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: Appreciate you, appreciate you all tuning in being a part 64 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 2: of this community and being good stewards of our traditions, 65 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: our resources, and all those wild critters out there. So, 66 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 2: without any further ado, let's get to my chat with 67 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: Dan Johnson as we recap the twenty twenty four rut 68 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 2: and our thoughts were moving forward. All right here with 69 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: me on the line for a much needed therapy session, 70 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: is my good buddy, mister Dan Johnson. 71 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 3: How the hell are you? 72 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 4: Man? 73 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 5: Oh? 74 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 4: Your therapy is and understatement, my friend, Uh, have you 75 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 4: ever woke up? Or maybe it's when you wake up? 76 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 4: Maybe it's when you Usually it's when I go to 77 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 4: bed where I feel And this is a sick joke, 78 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 4: but I feel like an Alzheimer's patient where I'm just 79 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 4: like lost and confused and I don't know where I'm at. 80 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, dude, you have no idea how much I can 81 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 3: relate to that I have. 82 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 2: I'm going through a weird thing right now where I'm 83 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: having insomnia. I have not been able to sleep like 84 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 2: three out of the last four days. Really, I've been 85 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 2: up till like three or four in the morning. Can't 86 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 2: get my head to turn off. 87 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. 88 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 4: So, is there a major decision you're about to make 89 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 4: or dabbling in in life. 90 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 3: No, it's it. 91 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 2: There's actually I think there's a reason I'm taking some 92 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 2: medicine for some weird health issues I've been going through 93 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: the last month, and suppose me that can cause insomnia, okay, 94 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 2: and so that and then stress, I think. So I'm 95 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: getting stressed out about what's going on and not sleeping, 96 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 2: and then I think those two things combined have led 97 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 2: to me not being able to. Like I just lay 98 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 2: there and the switch never happens, It never turns off, 99 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: it just stays there. 100 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 3: It's like the wheels keep spinning and spinning and spinning, 101 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 3: but about nothing. 102 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 2: It's not like I'm worrying about any specific thing other 103 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 2: than just why can't I sleep? 104 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 3: Why can't I sleep? What's wrong with me? 105 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 4: Yep? I have two solutions that your doctor will probably 106 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 4: argue against. But though, yeah, one is bourbon AH and 107 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 4: the other one is THHC. So so I'm telling you, dude, 108 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 4: you put a little bit of gummy in your mouth 109 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 4: and you slide it down the hatch, and in about 110 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 4: thirty minutes you will be going to sleep. I gain 111 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 4: almost guarantee it. 112 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 3: You know, you're not the first person to recommend that 113 00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 3: to me. 114 00:05:58,080 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 4: I think I know who the other person is. 115 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 2: So I very well might consider that it's twenty twenty four. 116 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: It's a brand new world that's totally in the wheelhouse exactly. Yeah, man, 117 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 2: So I don't know, it's all sorts of the last 118 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 2: month for me has been six weeks. 119 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: Five weeks. 120 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 2: Last five weeks have been one of the weirdest five 121 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: weeks of my life, let alone hunting life. So yeah, 122 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 2: we've got a lot to cover as far as hunting 123 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: and what's been going on, because I think other than 124 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 2: just my general weird stuff that's going on, there's also 125 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 2: the hunting stuff, and this has been my. 126 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: It's hard to say. 127 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 2: Sometimes we're biased to always thinking like what's happening right 128 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 2: now is the best of the worst or the most. 129 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 2: You know, there's a freak like a recency bias, I 130 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 2: think is what they call it. But still it seems 131 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 2: like this has been the weirdest, most frustrating white tail 132 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: rut I've personally ever experienced. 133 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 4: Yep. And this isn't just something that you and I 134 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 4: have experienced. I am very active on my Instagram messages 135 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 4: and I communicate with people all over the nation. Right, 136 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 4: so when people when people reach out to me. I 137 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 4: tend to like respond back to whatever, like whether it's 138 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 4: a question or hey, dude, how's your rut been? Things 139 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 4: like that. If I have a little bit of time 140 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 4: and I'm waiting at a practice or I'm waiting in 141 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 4: between hunts or in my truck waiting for something, I'm responding, 142 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 4: and the traditional Midwestern rut from about Nebraska to the 143 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 4: East coast. I am getting hundreds of people responding to 144 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 4: me that are having the exact same outcome in their rut, 145 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 4: and so it's not just us. 146 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: It makes you feel a little better, yes, right, yeah, yeah, 147 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 2: I have not seen I've not seen a single buck 148 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:09,679 Speaker 2: chasing a doe. No, I've not heard any grunting snort wheez, 149 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 2: And I haven't seen a fight. I haven't seen. I've 150 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: seen bucks cruising. That's the only running activity I've seen. 151 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 2: It just like bucks kind of doing the march. Yep, 152 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 2: that's all I've seen. And I have not seen a 153 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: single mature buck in Michigan since October fourteenth, and I 154 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 2: have one. 155 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 3: No, that takes back. I have three mature buck pictures 156 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 3: since November one. 157 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 4: I was trying to find it email someone sent me 158 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 4: about this and it has to do with what's that 159 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 4: guy's Charles. 160 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 3: El Sheimer and moon. You think the moon theory. 161 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 4: Not necessarily moon, but he it was something about a 162 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 4: synchronized rut versus a traditional rut. Yeah, and so this 163 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 4: year was definitely the trickle rut. I mean I had 164 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 4: I had guys telling me that they saw breeding in 165 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 4: mid October and then recent like then nothing. So it's 166 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 4: it basically has told me that there dose were not 167 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 4: coming into heat in a group, right. I saw, dude, 168 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 4: when I was leaving Iowa to come back home for 169 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 4: a couple of days before I left to go to Kansas, 170 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 4: I was watching doe groups and I was watching three 171 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,479 Speaker 4: year old bucks and four year old bucks come downwind 172 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 4: of dough groups sent check them and not even bump them, 173 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 4: just leave. And that was going all the way up 174 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 4: until I believe November fourteenth, when you would think that 175 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 4: there would be Now, did I see a little bit 176 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 4: of chasing, Yes, I saw the bare minimum of chasing. 177 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 4: But when you have three year olds ignoring, does dude 178 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 4: something like they did their due diligence, they came down 179 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 4: wind of them. And when a three year old is 180 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 4: telling you this dough isn't even close to coming in, 181 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 4: and they're they're basically just cruising. Now, that's one thing 182 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 4: that I did see this year, and that was a 183 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 4: ton of deer on their feet for longer periods of time, 184 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 4: almost like it was, you know, the post rut cruise 185 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 4: that we talk about. I saw a ton of that, 186 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 4: but just not buy mature bucks. 187 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, so let's do this. 188 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 2: Let's let's recap real quick, yep, kind of what our 189 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 2: last month or so has been like, and then maybe 190 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 2: try to break down a couple takeaways and then what 191 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 2: that means for us going forward. We're going to try 192 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 2: to put this into an abbreviated time slot since we've 193 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 2: got stuff after this. But you have at least a 194 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 2: happy ending to some of your story. Yeah, so I'll 195 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 2: lead because I don't have any happy endings. So, as 196 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 2: I mentioned, I haven't seen a mature buck since October fourteenth, 197 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 2: I think it was or fifteenth or whenever it was. 198 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: I killed that buck in mid October in southern Michigan. 199 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 2: Since then, I have hunted my normal southern Michigan properties 200 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 2: that I've hunted for years, the ones that I talked 201 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: about with you this summer where I had two bucks 202 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,959 Speaker 2: I was after, and then I've hunted Kentucky public land, 203 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 2: and then I've hunted up north at our deer camp, 204 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 2: and then a really quick trip to Illinois. That was 205 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 2: a quick kind of turnaround bust. But the big things 206 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 2: for me, if I were to summarize everything done, I 207 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 2: spent the most time hunting my southern Michigan local stuff 208 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 2: where I've been after those two deer, and it turned 209 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 2: into three deer. Actually, the headline of the story there 210 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 2: is that the bucks are just gone, like I'm hunting 211 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 2: a ghost. 212 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 3: Or a non existent deer. 213 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 2: It seems like I've never had something quite I've never 214 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 2: had it happen quite to this degree. Those deer disappeared 215 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 2: on October third and has not showed up ever since, 216 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 2: So I feel like, probably a good chance that deer 217 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 2: is dead. That was that really big, like one hundred 218 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: and fifty maybe type class buck that I thought was 219 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 2: a four year old probably this year that passed on 220 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 2: a ton last year. 221 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 3: My kid called him bear deer. He's he's a wall. 222 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 2: Then the other deer that was the five year old 223 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 2: I found his match set this spring. 224 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:27,000 Speaker 3: We were super. 225 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: Excited about this big old bodied buck Bulldozer and he 226 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 2: disappeared September third, and didn't see him for six weeks, 227 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 2: and then late October he did show back up. But 228 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 2: this is a deer that has been a homebody for 229 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: the last two years. I mean I passed him a bunch. 230 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 2: I have countless pictures. 231 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 3: I went and. 232 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 2: I should have have got these things on a piece 233 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 2: of paper. I went and mapped out every single picture 234 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 2: I have of him last year during the hunting season, 235 00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: and it was almost every single day he was so 236 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 2: on these properties. 237 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 3: I've permission on. 238 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 2: Tons of daylight everywhere, same thing the year before, and 239 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: then this year, like a light switch gone. So he 240 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 2: showed back up like October twenty something, and then one 241 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 2: more time at the end of October, and then twice 242 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 2: in early November. So I think I have three or 243 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: four appearances of him now from late October until November ninth, 244 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 2: and that's it since September, So from September to almost 245 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 2: the end of November. So in the three month period, 246 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 2: he's been here three or four times that I can tell. 247 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 2: And that's from you know, fifty times last year, fifty 248 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 2: times the year before. I don't know what else to 249 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:40,559 Speaker 2: do about him. I don't know where he is. I 250 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 2: don't know what happened. I don't know why he would 251 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 2: change his behavior as a five year old like that. 252 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 2: I've never seen a five year old totally change. Usually 253 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 2: they get more and more tight to a core area. 254 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 2: I usually get to learn them more, and I know, Okay, 255 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 2: this deer really likes this zone. 256 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 3: This dear really likes this zone. 257 00:13:58,120 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 2: The only thing I can think is maybe that his 258 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 2: zone that he is gravitating towards now is just not 259 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: on somewhere I permission. So that's one possible theory. But 260 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: to make a long story short, with this area, I've 261 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 2: hunted a pretty good amount. I've hunted all the best 262 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 2: like rot places that I would usually find these deer 263 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 2: and just seeing nothing but dozing young bucks, dozen young bucks, 264 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 2: dozen young bucks. I've not had a single mature buck encounter. 265 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: I have searched into new places. I've moved cameras into 266 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 2: areas I usually don't have cameras. I've been trying to 267 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 2: hunt and observe some places that I usually don't, just 268 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 2: trying to seek it out and figure out like where 269 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 2: have these deer moved to? 270 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 3: Nothing? 271 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 2: So I'm running out of I'm running out of ideas 272 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 2: with this. I'm kind of down to three thoughts with 273 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: my local situation. One is to just keep searching, keep 274 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 2: moving around, keep you know, glassing from afar, and the 275 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 2: idea to hope that something will show up eventually. Like 276 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 2: I am hunting tonight and I'm gonna hunt a part 277 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 2: of the farm I've not hunted since the very beginning 278 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 2: of October that I don't I don't think they'd be 279 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 2: there because it's not where the best food is right now, 280 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 2: and there's there's kind of like a really really strong 281 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 2: late season food source on a neighboring property that I 282 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 2: think is pulling mostly activity, and so this is not there. 283 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 2: But it's a place that I've ignored because of that, 284 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 2: And so I've got to think, well, maybe I just 285 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 2: need to go to the place where I haven't been 286 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 2: at all, And even though I have a couple of 287 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 2: cameras there that have not picked them up or picked 288 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: up anything, maybe maybe it's worth a shot. Just you know, 289 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 2: can't trust the cameras entirely, So I'm going to explore 290 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 2: a new area tonight and just see. So one, I 291 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 2: just keep searching, keep moving cameras, keep scouting, YadA. 292 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 3: YadA. The second thought. 293 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 2: Is to just wait and basically hope that something's going 294 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 2: to move into the area. Hope that the late season 295 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 2: you know, move to food will make them return. Hope 296 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 2: that once we finally get a really good cold front 297 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 2: and snow, that'll get something moving. 298 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 3: And again one of the one, the one. 299 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 2: Big thing there was I guess two possible big things 300 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 2: that I think could be going on here. Three I 301 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 2: guess one these deer could have gotten killed, and it 302 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 2: just might be that there just isn't mature bucks now. 303 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 2: One of them, I feel pretty confidence is probably the case. 304 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 2: The other one I haven't seen since November ninth. It's 305 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 2: now like November twenty sixth or twenty seventh or something now, 306 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 2: so it's been three plus weeks, so maybe he's dead too. 307 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 2: So they just there just might not be a mature 308 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 2: buck in this area anymore. So I might be chasing 309 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 2: the complete ghost. But the other thing that could be 310 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 2: is that there might be a hunting pressure change that 311 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 2: has pushed these deer out of the areas that they 312 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 2: usually feel comfortable. I do share some of these properties 313 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 2: with other people. I was scouting earlier this month and 314 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 2: found a pop up blind right on the edge of 315 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 2: a betting area that has historically been a sanctuary that 316 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 2: I never go into. That I've always viewed as like 317 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: that core place, and now there's you know, a blind there, 318 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 2: So maybe these other people are walking right through that 319 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 2: and hunting more than I realized. 320 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 3: That could be a thing. 321 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 2: And then the other thing is that, like I mentioned, 322 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 2: on a neighboring farm, there is a sixty acre farm 323 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 2: field that this year has been planted in the cover crop, 324 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: so it is basically a sixty acre food plot of 325 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 2: you know, brassicas and turnips and wheat and oats and 326 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,040 Speaker 2: clover and all sorts of stuff. So it's a huge 327 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,120 Speaker 2: food plot in a place where there usually isn't. That's 328 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 2: probably pulling a lot of deer activity in an area 329 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 2: that's a little bit different than usual. Now I can 330 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 2: intercept some of that, and I've hunted trying to intercept 331 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 2: some of that and haven't seen what I'm looking for lately. 332 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 2: But that maybe has changed some behavior, and maybe deer 333 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 2: are betting in different places and accessing that food and 334 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 2: just not hitting the areas that I hunt because there 335 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 2: does not seem me much they're feeding on on my permission. 336 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:52,479 Speaker 3: Pieces. 337 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 2: So one thought though, is that if I continue waiting, 338 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 2: eventually the cold, snowy snap will happen and maybe bulldoze 339 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:03,360 Speaker 2: are still alive, or maybe some other bucks gonna move in. 340 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 2: Maybe because I have left most of my property pretty untouched, 341 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 2: maybe that gun season sanctuary that I've talked about in. 342 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 3: The past will work. 343 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 2: You know, we leave it kind of untouched and everybody 344 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 2: else hunting all around me. Hopefully they would feel comfortable 345 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 2: in my areas, and you know, one of these deer 346 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 2: that's still alive starts moving. I've not hunted my pieces 347 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 2: since gun season opened, which has been more than a 348 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:31,920 Speaker 2: week ago. So that's a hope. And so that's that's 349 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,199 Speaker 2: kind of where I'm at right now as far as 350 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 2: trying to kill a buck in this zone. 351 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 3: That's what's happening. 352 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 4: I got a question, mark, I got questions, all right. 353 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 4: Question is this is a long question. Iowa dry all 354 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 4: August dry the first part of September. They did get 355 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 4: lots of beans out in Iowa. But as they because 356 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 4: usually beans get combined first in your area, is there 357 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 4: a lot of standing corn because during harvest there was 358 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 4: a lot of rain. 359 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,880 Speaker 2: We do not have that problem Okay, everything came out 360 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 2: early here. Okay, So yeah, standing corn isn't the problem, 361 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 2: all the corns down. We have the opposite, and that 362 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 2: a lot of fields are have been chisel plowed, so 363 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 2: there's a lot. 364 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 3: Of dirt around if anything. 365 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:36,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, Iowa, my farms, the counties that I hunt, I 366 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:40,880 Speaker 4: mean we're talking beans got out, okay, but right when 367 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 4: they started transitioning to corn, we're talking lots of rain, 368 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 4: and then it dried out. And then right when I 369 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 4: didn't even hear a combine running this year, wow, okay, 370 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 4: And so we had a scenario where right has it 371 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 4: started to dry out? It rained again? Right has it 372 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 4: started to dry out? And it was substantial rain to 373 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 4: where on the farms that I hunt surrounding these farms. 374 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 4: Most of my main farm was in beans this year, 375 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 4: and so something happened too in my farm where they 376 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 4: combined the middle and then they left the edges of 377 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,679 Speaker 4: the beanfields. So I don't know if there was some 378 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 4: kind of rot or mold or something on these beans 379 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,479 Speaker 4: and they just didn't pick them. But the deer are 380 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 4: eating them. So this isn't this is a late season 381 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 4: opportunity for me, per se. But we'll see what the 382 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 4: shotgun season does. Outside of that, we have I mean, 383 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 4: we're talking hundreds of acres of standing corn, and throughout 384 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 4: my travels in Iowa down through Missouri into Kansas, I've 385 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 4: seen more standing corn this year than I've ever seen driving. 386 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 4: And so I think that that played potentially has a 387 00:20:55,760 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 4: huge role in some of the spread out numbers. Maybe 388 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 4: I know northern Missouri, southeast southern Iowa has been impacted 389 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:09,160 Speaker 4: by EHD. I typically don't see a lot of dead 390 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,360 Speaker 4: deer or find a lot of dead deer, but I 391 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 4: know that on certain properties, especially all the way even 392 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 4: up to where my dad lives in north central Iowa, 393 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 4: massive amounts of deer found by pheasant hunters this year 394 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 4: that were found dead. So that has and this is 395 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 4: one of those scenarios that we talked about, like the 396 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,199 Speaker 4: death by a thousand cuts type thing. Where we have drought, 397 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 4: we have standing crop, we have potential illness, and then 398 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 4: just a variety of hunting pressures as well. I'll mirror 399 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 4: the sentiment that you shared with October thirty first one 400 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 4: on one of my farms, I had three shooters all 401 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 4: show up on camera that day. I was down there, Honey, 402 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 4: I think I started my rut vacation on November first 403 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 4: with high anticipation. There had not been another four or 404 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 4: five year old or older on trail camera on that 405 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 4: farm until I got back from Kansas on November twentieth. 406 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 4: Who yeah, so they all showed back up. So essentially 407 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 4: I was hunting ghosts right Like, I didn't have trail camera, 408 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 4: I didn't see him on the hoof. And this is 409 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 4: a property where I can get a very good idea 410 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 4: of travel of age class of what deer on the property. 411 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 4: And and I don't know, man, it just it was 412 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 4: a wonky year. Like I'll say this again. I rattled 413 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,400 Speaker 4: in one buck and it was a seven year old 414 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 4: that I have Last year, it was a one seventy 415 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 4: six this year, or he was like a one to 416 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,359 Speaker 4: seventy class six year old, like a beautiful ten with 417 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 4: some junk. This year he dropped down to like a 418 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 4: mainframe seven, same time link on tie lengthened mass on 419 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,959 Speaker 4: his G two's. But I rattled him in the last 420 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 4: morning before I left to go to hunt Kansas, and 421 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 4: he showed up. But guess what else? I rattled in 422 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 4: a frickin horse on one of the horses that are 423 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 4: on the property came to investigate all the noise, and 424 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 4: so that buck was coming straight to me, but so 425 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,399 Speaker 4: was the horse, and so then that buck flanked me. 426 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,920 Speaker 4: I want to say sixty yards. I had no shot 427 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 4: and I wasn't going to take that uphill through thickness. 428 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 3: And did you have a shot at the horse? 429 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 4: Yeah? Oh yeah, thought trust me, I thought about it. 430 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 4: I thought about it. And so this horse has been 431 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 4: a kind of a thorn in my side since I 432 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 4: started hunting this property. Long story short, that was the 433 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 4: only time I saw a deer, and I mean deer 434 00:23:53,800 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 4: period respond to grunting, calling, snort, wheezing, anything, man, not 435 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 4: even a dumb two year old came in to investigate 436 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 4: rattling this year. 437 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 2: And I swear to God, it's it's so funny you 438 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 2: say that because I have I didn't have a chance 439 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 2: to grunt to any deer in Michigan because I haven't 440 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 2: seen a single deer I'm interested in shooting. But when 441 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 2: I went to Kentucky, I was there and I was 442 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 2: hunting public land, all brand new stuff. Had never set 443 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 2: foot on any of this stuff. So it was basically 444 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 2: like if any buck I would shoot, and I did 445 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 2: see some deer, and I called to a bunch of 446 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 2: them in zero interest from anything. I mean, I couldn't 447 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 2: grunt in a one and a half year old, couldn't 448 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 2: grunt in the possible three or four year olds I saw. 449 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 2: So again, I mean, this is all anecdotal, it's probably random, 450 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 2: but it just has been such a strange year, and 451 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 2: I don't know how to hand I don't know how 452 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 2: to handle that other than just try to like press 453 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 2: on and try not to get frustrated by Yeah. 454 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 4: So, so two things I'll add to this right. Number one, 455 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 4: there is a recession proof type of conversation that I 456 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 4: definitely think that needs to be had, and that is 457 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 4: the people who hunt on managed properties with food plots 458 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 4: have the ability to do habitat improvement, hingecutting things like that. 459 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 4: They did not. And this is the people that I've 460 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 4: talked to. They did not see the disparity that many 461 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 4: of us saw. Okay, so, if you have the ability 462 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 4: to plant food plots, plant, and I mean substantial food plots, 463 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 4: I'm not talking about like the quarter acre clover vidield stuff, Yeah, 464 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 4: that's on ten acres. I'm talking about the ability to 465 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 4: manage a property they didn't see that. They didn't see that, 466 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 4: and so maybe that has something to do with it, right, 467 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:07,879 Speaker 4: And then just from I don't know, like there was 468 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 4: something else I was going to mention about the I 469 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 4: got a brain fart here, but it had it had 470 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 4: to do with like basically no three year olds. Right. 471 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,159 Speaker 4: There was people claiming that they saw the four year 472 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 4: olds and older, and then the two year olds and younger. 473 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 4: But there was a gap this year that and I 474 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 4: saw one or maybe two three year olds this year. 475 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 4: And usually I'm seeing a real, real good like next 476 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 4: year's bucks pop up, and so this year I saw 477 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 4: some you know, I saw good two year olds. I 478 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 4: actually passed probably a low one fifties, high one forties. 479 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 4: I was at full draw with him and I was like, 480 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 4: he's three, definitely a young body. And I down and 481 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 4: let them walk, knowing or and that was like day three, 482 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 4: knowing that I potentially had other deer in the area. 483 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 4: And so I don't know, man, I am okay, and 484 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 4: a lot of it. Usually I have a sliding scale 485 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 4: definitely when I go on my out of state trips. 486 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 4: But this year I set at bar really high in Iowa, 487 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 4: and I held that this year, my goal was to 488 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 4: shoot fill four tags, two tags in Iowa, my South 489 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 4: Dakota tag and I did it, and my Kansas tag 490 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,880 Speaker 4: and I did it. This year. I had high standards 491 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 4: for Iowa. Could I have filled my tags, yes, but 492 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 4: I want something that is baseline or higher than that, 493 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 4: basically what's in my basement. And so I had high 494 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 4: standards and I held to them. 495 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 3: So we've been doing this a long time. 496 00:27:58,160 --> 00:27:58,440 Speaker 4: Yep. 497 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 2: We've been doing the Rout Marathon and talking about it 498 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 2: here together for I don't know, ten to fifteen years 499 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:05,120 Speaker 2: something like that. 500 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 3: We've been through a bunch of these How these days? 501 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:15,880 Speaker 2: How are you dealing these days with that Rout grind 502 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 2: when it turns sour the way it has for so 503 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 2: many of us this year, when it's been slow, when 504 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 2: it's tough. I mean again, you know, I've been wrestling 505 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 2: with this this year. It's like, jeez, it's just been brutal. Yeah, 506 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 2: But I feel like I'm older and wiser now I 507 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:30,879 Speaker 2: should be able to deal with that better and recover 508 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,240 Speaker 2: from that better and not take it so hard. Some 509 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 2: days I do, some days I don't. I'm curious where 510 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 2: you're at with that now and now that we're approaching the. 511 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 3: End of November. Where your head's at right. 512 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 4: Now, That's a great question, because I was less frustrated 513 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 4: and more curious and confused and wanting to know the 514 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 4: answer of why the deer movement and deer behavior was 515 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 4: so strange and less like, oh my god, because Mark, 516 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 4: there were days that went by where I did not 517 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 4: have a deer within shooting range yep, and I was, 518 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 4: you know, and that's the thing, Like, you know, we talked, 519 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 4: we talk about the strategy standpoint where I'm not hunting 520 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 4: field edges anymore. So I'm not seeing like ten, fifteen, 521 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 4: twenty deer in a single set. But I'm not having 522 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 4: button bucks, young fawns, spike antler deer. I'm not having 523 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 4: them in front of me. And when I'm not, when 524 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 4: I have consistency over the course of a decade and 525 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 4: then all of a sudden we have a massive change 526 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 4: that happens, I am my frustration turns to curiosity and 527 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 4: I'm like, Okay, something has to something has changed. I 528 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 4: want to know what it is. And then you get 529 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 4: in your car and you drive around the sections and 530 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 4: you're like, okay, well they're standing corn here, and you 531 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 4: start to look at precipitation levels, you start to look 532 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 4: at drought. You start to hear rumors because hunters they 533 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 4: bitch the most out of anybody that I know, right, 534 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 4: and I'm one of them, where I just I'm like, Jesus, 535 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 4: what is wrong here? What is wrong here? But most 536 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 4: of the time it's just shitty hunters complaining. Some of 537 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 4: the best hunters. And what I mean shitty hunters, I 538 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 4: mean the guys who the weekend warriors, right, and maybe 539 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 4: they're not shitty, but the guys who have less time 540 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 4: in the field than we do, right. And so you 541 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 4: start to hear guys like that who become frustrated. But 542 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 4: then something happens when you have guys who are spending 543 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 4: multiple weeks in the field and they are they're starting 544 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:42,480 Speaker 4: to be curious and confused, and they're starting to get 545 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 4: frustrated because when you say to guys like us, it's 546 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 4: just a matter of time, right, it's just a matter 547 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 4: of time till something shows up, nothing shows up, and 548 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 4: nothing shows up, and then you're not seeing you're not 549 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 4: having the encounters with three year olds and two year 550 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 4: olds that you typically have. The only person who's not 551 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 4: affected by this somehow is Andy May that son of 552 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 4: a bitch, Like I love that guy, but I hate 553 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 4: him at the same time because he gets it done 554 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 4: no matter what, and so I wish I had a 555 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 4: little bit of his mojo, that dude can find him 556 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 4: and kill him. But I also think that you know, 557 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 4: when the honey holes dry up, and maybe it's maybe 558 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 4: there is something to what we've already discussed, or maybe 559 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 4: it's just you know, the timber, it starts to grow 560 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 4: up and get thicker in certain areas and deer patterns shift, 561 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 4: and I don't know, maybe it's one of those things 562 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 4: as well, and then I need to shift as well. 563 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 4: But when you have ten to fifteen to twenty years 564 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 4: of experience on a farm, it'll usually allows you to 565 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 4: have a good indication of deer behavior and movement and 566 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 4: to features and things like that. And as again, I'm 567 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 4: just beating a dead horse, but it was off. 568 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 3: So how are you handling that? Mentally? 569 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 6: Though? 570 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 2: I guess it's like, what's your advice? Now you've shifted 571 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 2: a little bit from being less frustrated more just curious, 572 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 2: But how are you handling that in the moment when 573 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 2: you've hunted Iowa day after day after day after day 574 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 2: after day in incredible places and not seeing anything at 575 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 2: all like you're supposed to. Yeah, what's the Dan Johnson 576 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 2: mental game in twenty twenty four. 577 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 4: Well, the mental game is to accept that there is 578 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:35,200 Speaker 4: a change and to accept the fact that I'll be 579 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 4: honest man, unless it's close to home. I've spent a 580 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 4: week at in South Dakota. I spent basically fourteen days 581 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 4: hunting Iowa off and on right. I had a couple 582 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 4: where I had to come home for some meetings and 583 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,480 Speaker 4: some conferences or something like that, and then come back 584 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 4: and then I went back to I hunted like three 585 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 4: extra days at four extra days in Iowa. Then I 586 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 4: left for Kansas for a week. So for me, I've 587 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 4: used my time right, So I don't necessarily think that 588 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 4: I am going to be able to get out and 589 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 4: hit it again just from a time like I'm back 590 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 4: into dad mode. Now I'm back into work mode. Now 591 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 4: here's what I will say. I got home and two 592 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 4: of my bucks showed up November twentieth on my farm 593 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 4: and now they are basically parading in front of my 594 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 4: cell cams on a daily basis. That farm is four 595 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 4: hours away from where I live, so I just I'm 596 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 4: not going to be able to go do it. Like 597 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 4: if I told my wife today, hey listen, she would 598 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 4: probably go, oh, okay, she'd accept it. She wouldn't divorce 599 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 4: me because we're too far into the marriage, but she 600 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 4: would be extremely unhappy with that decision to go do it. 601 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 4: And so well, it's just something. The rut was in 602 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 4: Gravy this year, right, it just felt like it was slow, 603 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 4: and it happened the trust me deer getting bred somewhere. 604 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 4: The bucks have started to show back up on some 605 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 4: of my farms, and I really do think if I 606 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,360 Speaker 4: did have more time to get out there and hunt, 607 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 4: I would start going into staging areas. I would go 608 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 4: into terrain features because I do think they're still cruising 609 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 4: right now, and I would not be afraid to hit 610 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 4: a rattle. Probably maybe not right away in the morning. 611 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 4: I would wait for the doze to come through and 612 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 4: get settled, and then I would crack the horns sometime 613 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 4: late morning or even early in an afternoon set, and 614 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 4: that's what I would do. I would be monitoring trail 615 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 4: cameras more often now to try to get something pegged 616 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 4: down before the shotgun seasons. Or any time a firearm season, 617 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 4: and then I would basically let the firearm season happen. 618 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,720 Speaker 4: I would go like, if for everybody here, they're probably 619 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 4: going to participate in some kind of firearm season, go 620 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 4: do that. But if not, like me, I'm not going 621 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 4: to participate in the shotgun seasons. I would wait and 622 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 4: not put any pressure on any of the properties that 623 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 4: I have access to hunt, and then I would wait 624 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,200 Speaker 4: for the late season at that point to see if 625 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 4: there is a shift in you know, the shotgun set. 626 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 4: The shotgun and firearm seasons usually leave a heavy footprint 627 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 4: on the landscape. There's going to be some shifting that 628 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 4: goes on, some patterns that go on and over that 629 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 4: period of time, you have the the crops. Like now, 630 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 4: I always say this, I want the crops to come out, 631 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 4: come out, come out, come out. But right now I 632 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:57,360 Speaker 4: don't want any more crops to come out until the 633 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,800 Speaker 4: season's over because what that does is that's just the 634 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:01,920 Speaker 4: giant beacon for deer at that point. 635 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 3: So, yeah, I hope I answered your question. It did 636 00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:06,840 Speaker 3: to to a degree. 637 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 2: I'll tag onto that and just you know, when it 638 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 2: comes to where my head has been at as this 639 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 2: month has progressed, you know, went from you know, super 640 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,600 Speaker 2: high hopes, and you know, I was there was a 641 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:22,960 Speaker 2: really nice buck running around down here that I thought 642 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:24,359 Speaker 2: might be a three year old, might be a four 643 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:25,960 Speaker 2: year old, so I was on the fence about him, 644 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 2: but I kept thinking, man, my big guys are going 645 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 2: to show back up. 646 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:30,360 Speaker 3: My big guys are gonna show back up. 647 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,239 Speaker 2: So I didn't even get after that bucket all didn't 648 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 2: even try to hunt that deer. In retrospect, I wish 649 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 2: I had, because I ended up being the best deer 650 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 2: that's been around here all year. But but I went 651 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 2: from high hopes early to that slowly disappearing and towards 652 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 2: the end, and where I'm at now, I've started kind 653 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:52,719 Speaker 2: of falling back onto something you said, which is acceptance 654 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:57,879 Speaker 2: to a degree and just accepting like, hey, this might 655 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 2: just be one of those years that it isn't everything 656 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 2: you hoped it would be. 657 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 3: And you can do one of two things. 658 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 2: You can either be miserable about it and bitch about 659 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:09,880 Speaker 2: it and complain about it and feel bad about it, 660 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:13,200 Speaker 2: or you can accept, hey, this wasn't what you wanted. 661 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,360 Speaker 3: How do you make the most of it? Moving forward? 662 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 2: And so and so I'm trying to lean in that direction. 663 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 2: So I'm accepting, Yeah, this wasn't what I wanted. 664 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 3: What would it? What would this look like though? To 665 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:24,680 Speaker 3: have a really fun rest of the season. 666 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 4: Oh yeah. 667 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:28,160 Speaker 2: So so part of that is doing the things I mentioned, Like, 668 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 2: I'm still searching for these bucks. I'm still waiting and 669 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 2: hoping that, you know, come late season, there's gonna be 670 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:35,160 Speaker 2: these changes and that they show back up. So I'm 671 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:37,799 Speaker 2: not going to explode my spots and ruin them now, 672 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:41,919 Speaker 2: you know. So I'm gonna keep observing, scouting, watching, doing 673 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 2: a you know, a couple little hunts like I'm doing 674 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,440 Speaker 2: here today. But then also I'm getting pretty close to 675 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:52,040 Speaker 2: switching gears and getting to taking the kids hunting and 676 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 2: shooting does and just doing like the simple fun stuff 677 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 2: like inviting a bunch of friends out to go have 678 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:01,400 Speaker 2: a dough night and have a good time and do 679 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 2: that kind of stuff that's less pressure filled that I 680 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 2: can do no matter what. It doesn't matter that there's 681 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:08,880 Speaker 2: not a mature buck around, because hey, we can go 682 00:38:08,920 --> 00:38:11,360 Speaker 2: out there and do something really important, which is manage 683 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 2: the dos, have a ton of fun doing it, spend 684 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 2: time with your buddies or your kids. Like, I'm very 685 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 2: close to flipping the switch and shifting that way all 686 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:21,759 Speaker 2: the way, or at least starting doing that on like 687 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:26,240 Speaker 2: my outside exterior areas and leave a couple core places 688 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 2: alone with hopes that something shows. But but yeah, I'm 689 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:33,839 Speaker 2: leaning more and more towards you know, I've been asking 690 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 2: myself this question throughout recent years, especially this year, whenever 691 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:41,040 Speaker 2: I find myself stressed or frustrated with how the hunt's 692 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,879 Speaker 2: going and stuff, I'll ask myself, you know, what would 693 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 2: this look like if it were fun? So, like, what's 694 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 2: the fun version of this? Yeah, and so the fun 695 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:51,399 Speaker 2: version might be, you know what, I'm not gonna hunt 696 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 2: all day to day. I'm miserable, I'm frustrated, this sucks. 697 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:56,839 Speaker 2: I'm gonna take the I'm taking an hour and I'm 698 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:58,760 Speaker 2: gonna go get lunch and I'm gonna feel good again 699 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:00,480 Speaker 2: and then I'll be happy and we'll the rest of 700 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 2: the day. Or maybe it's Hey, you know what, I'm 701 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 2: not going to do a running gun set at three 702 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 2: in the morning into a brand new place. I'm actually 703 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,319 Speaker 2: gonna I'm actually gonna slip in at gray light and 704 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:12,239 Speaker 2: glass and scout my way in and that'll be kind 705 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 2: of fun and different and it'll be a change of pace. 706 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 2: And you know, I'm just allowing myself a little bit 707 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:22,880 Speaker 2: more flexibility in what I'm doing and how I'm doing. 708 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:23,600 Speaker 3: It to try to. 709 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 4: You know. 710 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 2: You know, we've talked about this endlessly over the years, 711 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 2: like keep this from being like a military mission and 712 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:33,359 Speaker 2: instead of being like, hey, this is supposed to be fun, 713 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 2: do the thing that makes it fun. Yeah, work hard, yeah, 714 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 2: do the right stuff. But you can take it too far. 715 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 2: And so that's constantly walking that line. And so this 716 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 2: year my question that I've been like, the little phrase 717 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:46,360 Speaker 2: has been like what would this look like if it 718 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,120 Speaker 2: were fun? And then I'll be, oh, yeah, it would 719 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:50,879 Speaker 2: be chilling the f out and you know, doing this 720 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:53,720 Speaker 2: or doing this, or you know what, taking this afternoon 721 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 2: off and picking up the kids from school because you've 722 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 2: missed the kids and that would make you feel better 723 00:39:57,640 --> 00:39:58,359 Speaker 2: or whatever it is. 724 00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 3: And those things have helped. 725 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,040 Speaker 2: And I think this, you know, looking forward into the 726 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 2: next month of hunting, that's really going to be where 727 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:10,800 Speaker 2: I spend a lot of my mental time and my energy. 728 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:21,360 Speaker 4: So one thing that we didn't talk about was and 729 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 4: I just want to briefly mention it because I do 730 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:26,800 Speaker 4: think it's important. And that was over the state of Iowa, 731 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 4: we had this stagnant low pressure where throughout the course 732 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:35,440 Speaker 4: of the first two weeks in November, usually what happens 733 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 4: is I pray for an east wind, and I'm like, 734 00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:42,399 Speaker 4: give me one east wind every or a front comes through, 735 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 4: and that's going to give me an east wind. I 736 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:49,760 Speaker 4: had six days in a row of east winds. 737 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 3: Wasn't that weird? 738 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 4: We did too, and so we had this crazy thing 739 00:40:53,960 --> 00:41:00,319 Speaker 4: happen where my farm is a vertical rectangle and on 740 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 4: the west side of it is where all the cover is. 741 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:06,000 Speaker 4: So in order for me to hunt that farm on 742 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 4: an east wind, I have to go through cover morning 743 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 4: and afternoon to get to the stand locations so that 744 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,040 Speaker 4: that wind blows out into a pasture. And that's pretty 745 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:20,839 Speaker 4: intrusive when you're walking through, you know, timber, two times 746 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 4: a day in order to hunt that property. Could I 747 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 4: done it a little different, probably, but that would have 748 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,879 Speaker 4: meant I was also extremely aggressive on my wind, and 749 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:32,880 Speaker 4: I just wasn't. I didn't want to do it right. 750 00:41:33,640 --> 00:41:36,000 Speaker 4: And so the other thing I want to mention real 751 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,840 Speaker 4: quick is a lot of this has to do with 752 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,320 Speaker 4: like filling a tag. And so I have my Iowa 753 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 4: buck Archery buck tag, and I think that having it 754 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 4: is making me want to fill it, Okay, And so 755 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 4: something cool has happened over the course of the last 756 00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:58,279 Speaker 4: couple months, and I got connected with a group of 757 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:05,200 Speaker 4: people who own a vineyard near where I live, and 758 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:09,960 Speaker 4: they have suffered a ton of a vine damage because 759 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,440 Speaker 4: of deer and the deer eat the grapes throughout the summer. 760 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,759 Speaker 4: They chew on the vines and they're they're basically it's 761 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 4: a what it's that called a depredation tag. It's depredatd 762 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:22,839 Speaker 4: you know, it's depredation to their crop. And so they 763 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:29,680 Speaker 4: have started allowing people, basically employees to hunt that area. Well, 764 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:33,920 Speaker 4: they invited me to come out and hunt, because basically 765 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 4: they're like, well, you're not some Joe Schmo, you actually 766 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:39,719 Speaker 4: have accuracy. We don't want you know, dead deer or 767 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:44,759 Speaker 4: some Well. This year, this year, I did. This year, 768 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:48,319 Speaker 4: I did. Uh, But it's gonna be cool because I 769 00:42:48,440 --> 00:42:52,000 Speaker 4: have no problem putting my tag on some spike buck. 770 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:57,440 Speaker 4: It's five miles from my house, uh it is. It 771 00:42:57,440 --> 00:42:59,680 Speaker 4: would just that and then I could fill my tag. 772 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 4: I could get the meat, and then my tag's fill 773 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,520 Speaker 4: and then the only thing I have to worry about 774 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:08,120 Speaker 4: is a potential late season tag. And so it would 775 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:10,880 Speaker 4: be it would be cool to just get rid of 776 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:12,840 Speaker 4: that tag and then I don't even have to worry 777 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 4: about my archery buck anymore, you know what I mean? 778 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:22,399 Speaker 2: Man, There's something to be said about how refreshing it 779 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:26,840 Speaker 2: is to change your standards for a hunt sometimes, Like 780 00:43:26,920 --> 00:43:28,920 Speaker 2: some people are very militant about that and like you 781 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:34,840 Speaker 2: should never do that, but again, like who cares about 782 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:36,600 Speaker 2: how big a dear you shoot, how old a deer 783 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 2: you shoot, whatever. If you're not enjoying yourself, if this 784 00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:42,439 Speaker 2: is not bringing you joy, then you got to change 785 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,239 Speaker 2: it up. And the like for me, like when I 786 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,480 Speaker 2: switch to dough season and you go out there hunting 787 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 2: and you know, like, man, any dough that comes in range, 788 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:49,279 Speaker 2: it's game on. 789 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:51,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, so fun. 790 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:55,560 Speaker 2: Or even when I was in Kentucky it was really 791 00:43:55,560 --> 00:43:57,520 Speaker 2: hard and frustrating and all those things, but it was 792 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:00,880 Speaker 2: still exciting in moments because I was like, hey, you 793 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:02,799 Speaker 2: know what, I'm gonna shoot. 794 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 3: Any buck that's like half decent. 795 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:06,759 Speaker 2: And so I was almost doing a full draw on 796 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:08,719 Speaker 2: a couple of deer that I would never even blink at, 797 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 2: you know, here at home. But there, it made it 798 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:13,080 Speaker 2: a whole heck of a lot more fun than it 799 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 2: could have been because I realized, Hey, this is a 800 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,759 Speaker 2: new situation, tough terrain, tough stuff. Let's go have some 801 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:22,319 Speaker 2: fun with it. And that definitely helped. So if you're 802 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:25,520 Speaker 2: in a funk, you should not at all feel like 803 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 2: you are beholden to some standard that is set by 804 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 2: the Internet, or set by a TV, or set by 805 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 2: your hunting buddies. Just do the thing that's exciting and 806 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,759 Speaker 2: fun in the moment that can cure a whole lot 807 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:38,120 Speaker 2: of ills. 808 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:42,759 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, and I think, to be honest, Mark, what 809 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 4: you're gonna start seeing more out of me is a 810 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 4: dude who's filling tags because I like the grind to 811 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:54,360 Speaker 4: a certain extent, but I also like, you know, I 812 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 4: hope this doesn't sound bad, but I like killing deer, dude, 813 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:00,719 Speaker 4: and I like putting that meat in my freezer. And 814 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:05,800 Speaker 4: I got what's fun about my non resident trips Kansas 815 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:08,759 Speaker 4: and South Dakota. They were so much fun because I 816 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:12,080 Speaker 4: wasn't I didn't care one bit about Okay, this buck's 817 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:14,799 Speaker 4: a three year old, I think, actually, the buck that 818 00:45:14,840 --> 00:45:18,520 Speaker 4: I shot this year, would I have passed him in Iowa? Probably, 819 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:22,839 Speaker 4: But he was a three. He's a big three year old. 820 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:24,399 Speaker 4: If he's a three year old, he's a four year old. 821 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:27,040 Speaker 4: Whatever the case is. My uncle thinks he's four. The 822 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:30,479 Speaker 4: other guy he hunts with thinks he's three. I don't 823 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:33,840 Speaker 4: give a shit. I turned around, I saw his G 824 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 4: two and I said, he's toast. And he came in 825 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:40,800 Speaker 4: in ten yards and I smoked him and it was fun. 826 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,799 Speaker 4: Like that whole thing was fun. There was no standards, 827 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 4: like I passed small deer because I felt I needed 828 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:51,680 Speaker 4: to because my uncle hunts in a place where they 829 00:45:51,719 --> 00:45:54,080 Speaker 4: have good quality deer, and so I felt like it 830 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:57,239 Speaker 4: was my responsibility to hold to that standard somewhat. But 831 00:45:57,320 --> 00:45:59,759 Speaker 4: I told him like, hey, man, I'm probably gonna shoot 832 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:02,200 Speaker 4: a three rolled off your farm if if I have 833 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:05,120 Speaker 4: the opportunities, Like, dude, go for it, right. And so 834 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:08,080 Speaker 4: this year was a ton of fun because I did 835 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:11,440 Speaker 4: have the non resident trips and then I was able 836 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:15,799 Speaker 4: to hold to a certain standard in Iowa. But that's 837 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 4: because but what I think, what you're going to start 838 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 4: seeing out of me is there's certain deer that can 839 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:23,839 Speaker 4: get big. And then there's deer that probably you know, 840 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:25,200 Speaker 4: if you got a if you got one hundred and 841 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,399 Speaker 4: twenty inch three year old, there's gonna be years where 842 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:31,160 Speaker 4: I'm gonna be shooting. I don't want to say management 843 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:35,320 Speaker 4: bucks because I think that's goofy. I will say lower 844 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,719 Speaker 4: genetic bucks to fill the tag, to get the meat, 845 00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:42,280 Speaker 4: and to put that euro on my wall because knowing 846 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:44,279 Speaker 4: you know, like it's going to take that buck off 847 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:47,880 Speaker 4: the landscape, there's gonna be less pressure for the genetically 848 00:46:47,960 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 4: superior deer. Uh. And so on top of that, dude 849 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:52,319 Speaker 4: shooting deer's fun. 850 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:53,880 Speaker 3: Man shooting ear's fun. 851 00:46:54,040 --> 00:46:58,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, tell me about that Kansas hunt real quick before 852 00:46:58,320 --> 00:46:59,680 Speaker 2: we get to go, because we haven't covered that. 853 00:46:59,880 --> 00:47:02,560 Speaker 3: You had the rough Iowa, but Kansas, you turn it around. 854 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:06,680 Speaker 4: Yeah. So it's a six hour drive or excuse me, 855 00:47:06,719 --> 00:47:08,759 Speaker 4: seven hour drive from where I live to get to 856 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:13,520 Speaker 4: where I hunted in Kansas. And so my stepdad was 857 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:16,400 Speaker 4: talking to me about it. My uncle in the past, 858 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:20,319 Speaker 4: he's been talking to me about it, and he's like, 859 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,560 Speaker 4: you're not going to see the number of deer that 860 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:27,360 Speaker 4: you saw that you typically see in Iowa. Iowa. And 861 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:31,439 Speaker 4: I'm like Okay, week before I go, my uncle sends 862 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:33,960 Speaker 4: me a picture. He dropped one hundred and eighty inch 863 00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:38,279 Speaker 4: nine pointer with two flyers off his g Two's an 864 00:47:38,360 --> 00:47:42,799 Speaker 4: absolute slammer, five or six year old. And so it's 865 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:46,920 Speaker 4: a buck that they passed the previous year and the 866 00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:49,920 Speaker 4: other hunter missed it. And so long story short, like 867 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:53,480 Speaker 4: they hunt in an area. I'm telling you Mark that 868 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:56,080 Speaker 4: it's not a ton of deer, and it surprises me 869 00:47:56,160 --> 00:48:00,720 Speaker 4: because they hunt on like thousands and thousands of acres 870 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:07,960 Speaker 4: that are that have maybe seventy total acres of huntable 871 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:12,200 Speaker 4: space unless you have a rifle. There are zero deer 872 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:16,200 Speaker 4: on this farm until they take the cattle out in 873 00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:20,120 Speaker 4: late October. Once they get the cattle out, the rancher 874 00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:24,520 Speaker 4: locks the gates, and then the deer come into it 875 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 4: from the surrounding areas. Okay, they're somewhere, but they're not 876 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:30,239 Speaker 4: on this farm. And so you have seventy to one 877 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,680 Speaker 4: hundred acres of huntable space and it's just little fingers 878 00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:40,240 Speaker 4: of cedars, black locusts, and osage orne trees, scrub trees. 879 00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:43,120 Speaker 4: I was in a tree stand at one point that 880 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:46,640 Speaker 4: was eight feet off the ground right and I was 881 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:48,719 Speaker 4: probably ten feet off the ground when I shot my buck, 882 00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:53,720 Speaker 4: So you're not getting high at all. Saddle Like, saddle 883 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:56,960 Speaker 4: hunting is great, but I went back to like this 884 00:48:57,840 --> 00:49:02,320 Speaker 4: pure basic fun like I was climbing up ladder stands. Dude, 885 00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,759 Speaker 4: you know how long it's been. It's been twelve too, 886 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:08,240 Speaker 4: I bet you. The last time I hunted a ladder 887 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:13,040 Speaker 4: stand would have been the late two thousand's, early twenty tens. 888 00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:15,200 Speaker 3: Like, oh easy. 889 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:17,520 Speaker 4: Oh. There was one point where I they had that 890 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 4: little thing that you could fold out, and I was real, 891 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,040 Speaker 4: I was straight, I was leaning all the way back. 892 00:49:23,080 --> 00:49:25,120 Speaker 4: I could take naps in that thing. Oh dude, it 893 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:25,560 Speaker 4: was awesome. 894 00:49:25,719 --> 00:49:25,959 Speaker 3: Huh. 895 00:49:27,520 --> 00:49:32,000 Speaker 4: And the baiting thing, right, So I did hunt over 896 00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:35,240 Speaker 4: bait a couple hunts, and so that was something different 897 00:49:35,280 --> 00:49:38,799 Speaker 4: and unique to experience. And that's a whole nother conversation, uh, 898 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:43,279 Speaker 4: as far as that type of strategy. But it was 899 00:49:43,600 --> 00:49:45,839 Speaker 4: so I that's a long way of saying, I got 900 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:49,320 Speaker 4: down there fully expecting to not see any deer, fully 901 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 4: expecting to and really what it was is just a 902 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:56,800 Speaker 4: continuation of what had I had seen the last handful 903 00:49:57,160 --> 00:50:01,120 Speaker 4: of weeks, very slow like, so it wasn't like this 904 00:50:01,239 --> 00:50:03,640 Speaker 4: huge drop off of movement or a huge drop off 905 00:50:03,640 --> 00:50:07,200 Speaker 4: of deer movement. I was seeing young bucks, I was 906 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:12,040 Speaker 4: seeing doze. I was seeing you know, some even some two, 907 00:50:12,239 --> 00:50:15,000 Speaker 4: maybe some three year old deer past some you know, 908 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:18,320 Speaker 4: one hundred and thirty inch eight pointer or excuse me, 909 00:50:18,360 --> 00:50:21,000 Speaker 4: one hundred and thirty inch would have been a nine pointer. 910 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:25,720 Speaker 4: I think he was. You can tell he's young. Plenty 911 00:50:25,760 --> 00:50:28,200 Speaker 4: of deer. And my uncle is just telling me, like, dude, 912 00:50:28,600 --> 00:50:33,040 Speaker 4: out here, deer just show up, So you put time 913 00:50:33,080 --> 00:50:36,319 Speaker 4: in the stand and you're gonna see deer. And we 914 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:39,040 Speaker 4: bounced around to a river bottom ground that had egg 915 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:42,640 Speaker 4: in it, flat as a pancake, and then most of 916 00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:45,120 Speaker 4: the time we had to wait again. We had to 917 00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:47,160 Speaker 4: wait for a wind shift. We were getting tons of 918 00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:51,320 Speaker 4: east and southern type hunts. We had a big front 919 00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:54,480 Speaker 4: come through wind and rain and things like that. And 920 00:50:54,520 --> 00:50:58,160 Speaker 4: then all of a sudden, here comes a day with 921 00:50:58,280 --> 00:51:02,040 Speaker 4: a bright sunshine any northwest winds, and that's the day 922 00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:03,520 Speaker 4: that I killed my butt. 923 00:51:03,680 --> 00:51:07,000 Speaker 3: So in the setup was like one of these little fingers. 924 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:09,200 Speaker 4: Yep, it was. It was a crick bottom that was 925 00:51:09,360 --> 00:51:13,360 Speaker 4: probably fifty yards wide, and there was cedars and thickets 926 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:16,239 Speaker 4: and the cattle had been in there all year, so 927 00:51:16,280 --> 00:51:21,120 Speaker 4: it was stomped flat and you could see forever this 928 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:25,239 Speaker 4: under this canopy where it was like, I want to say, 929 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:29,800 Speaker 4: six to six to ten feet tall, and then nothing 930 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:33,720 Speaker 4: below it because that cattle had stomped stomped it down 931 00:51:33,760 --> 00:51:36,200 Speaker 4: and rubbed against all the trees, and there wasn't a 932 00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:40,279 Speaker 4: ton of vegetation under there, but it's still cover and 933 00:51:40,320 --> 00:51:42,880 Speaker 4: that's where they were hanging out. And so I was 934 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:46,360 Speaker 4: along this creek bed and it was just the perfect 935 00:51:46,360 --> 00:51:49,799 Speaker 4: funnel where all of these hills kind of came all 936 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:53,040 Speaker 4: these this pasture came down to this crick bottom, and 937 00:51:53,120 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 4: then the crick curved on like a half circle to 938 00:51:56,560 --> 00:52:00,680 Speaker 4: the north and came back to the south. And all 939 00:52:00,680 --> 00:52:04,160 Speaker 4: it did was just create this perfect pinch point. So 940 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:06,800 Speaker 4: I got into the stand, I got to the bottom 941 00:52:06,840 --> 00:52:10,560 Speaker 4: of the So two days previous we set it up 942 00:52:11,040 --> 00:52:14,000 Speaker 4: no bait. We basically were just hunting a pinch point, 943 00:52:14,280 --> 00:52:17,279 Speaker 4: and so we had to wait for that front to 944 00:52:17,320 --> 00:52:20,680 Speaker 4: come through. And then the front came through an afternoon hunt. 945 00:52:20,719 --> 00:52:23,440 Speaker 4: We finally got our northwest wind. I climbed up in 946 00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:27,480 Speaker 4: it and I dropped my ozonics out of the tree 947 00:52:28,320 --> 00:52:30,880 Speaker 4: at two o'clock. I climbed up, dropped my ozonics down 948 00:52:30,920 --> 00:52:34,359 Speaker 4: out of the tree, climbed down, climbed back up, and 949 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:38,560 Speaker 4: I slipped off of my PSA where your safety harness 950 00:52:38,640 --> 00:52:41,480 Speaker 4: or your lineman's belt, because it saved I don't know 951 00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:43,600 Speaker 4: what would have happened to me. I wasn't very high 952 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:46,920 Speaker 4: off the ground, but still I have a huge scratch 953 00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:49,080 Speaker 4: on my knee, and I had a puncture wound on 954 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:52,480 Speaker 4: my inside of my leg from the other stand. If 955 00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:55,480 Speaker 4: it wasn't for a pair of pants getting snagged on it, 956 00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:57,279 Speaker 4: I don't know what would have happened. I had my 957 00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:00,800 Speaker 4: lineman's belt on, but I would have went straight down anyway. 958 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:05,160 Speaker 4: I climbed back up, sit, you know, like I got 959 00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:08,560 Speaker 4: my saddle on. I'm sitting back, put my hat on, 960 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:12,040 Speaker 4: and I'm getting ready to record something on my phone 961 00:53:12,760 --> 00:53:17,439 Speaker 4: and I hear a single snap. I look back. He's 962 00:53:17,480 --> 00:53:21,719 Speaker 4: at twenty five thirty yards, stood up, drew back, and 963 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:24,719 Speaker 4: I had put an arrow in him at two fifteen. 964 00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:27,200 Speaker 4: So I was in the stand fifteen minutes when he 965 00:53:27,320 --> 00:53:30,759 Speaker 4: showed up and was cruising that bottom and shot him 966 00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:34,640 Speaker 4: right in the heart and watched him disappear into some 967 00:53:34,800 --> 00:53:37,919 Speaker 4: around a cedar tree that I couldn't after that, called 968 00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:41,680 Speaker 4: my uncle, found him, drug him out, had Coors lights 969 00:53:41,760 --> 00:53:42,360 Speaker 4: and bourbon. 970 00:53:43,360 --> 00:53:46,160 Speaker 2: A great reminder that it can all just change in 971 00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:49,799 Speaker 2: a minute. Yeah, after everything's going wrong too. 972 00:53:50,160 --> 00:53:53,520 Speaker 4: Yep. Man, Now that's the abbreviated version of all what 973 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:56,640 Speaker 4: would happen? But I will say this mark Iowa was 974 00:53:56,680 --> 00:54:00,440 Speaker 4: a struggle. Iowa was fun. But I enjoyed this season 975 00:54:00,760 --> 00:54:03,799 Speaker 4: so much, not only because I got to hunt with 976 00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:05,920 Speaker 4: a new guy in South Dakota who's a great dude. 977 00:54:06,719 --> 00:54:10,239 Speaker 4: I also got to do my thing in Iowa, which 978 00:54:10,280 --> 00:54:14,720 Speaker 4: is always a blast, regardless of how shitty I've said 979 00:54:14,719 --> 00:54:17,040 Speaker 4: things are. And then I got to hunt with my uncle, 980 00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:20,759 Speaker 4: who I shot my first turkey with him, I shot 981 00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:23,440 Speaker 4: my first pheasant with him when I was like thirteen, twelve, 982 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:26,239 Speaker 4: thirteen years old, and it was just awesome to hang 983 00:54:26,280 --> 00:54:30,800 Speaker 4: out with him again. And an absolute blast, man, absolute 984 00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:32,919 Speaker 4: blast of a season thus far. And it's not over yet, 985 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:34,480 Speaker 4: so who knows what's going to happen. 986 00:54:34,800 --> 00:54:37,360 Speaker 2: Well, that's another really important thing to remember when it 987 00:54:37,400 --> 00:54:41,000 Speaker 2: comes to what makes this stuff so good oftentimes is 988 00:54:41,040 --> 00:54:43,319 Speaker 2: the people that you spend time with. 989 00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:45,920 Speaker 3: And it's easy these days there, at least it has 990 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 3: been for me. 991 00:54:46,920 --> 00:54:49,040 Speaker 2: When you're so obsessed with trying to kill mature buck, 992 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:51,200 Speaker 2: it can become like a solo endeavor. They can become 993 00:54:51,200 --> 00:54:53,399 Speaker 2: a lone wolf thing, which just like you against the world, 994 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:55,360 Speaker 2: and you're out there on your own, traveling around or 995 00:54:55,400 --> 00:54:58,279 Speaker 2: doing whatever in the tree all the time, and you 996 00:54:58,360 --> 00:55:01,440 Speaker 2: end up sacrificing in the fun hunts with family or 997 00:55:01,480 --> 00:55:04,680 Speaker 2: going to the family deer camp, or getting breakfast or 998 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:08,240 Speaker 2: lunch with the buddies, And man, that's always been a mistake. 999 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:10,239 Speaker 2: Like that's one of the biggest changes I'm trying to 1000 00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:12,840 Speaker 2: make is, Yeah, prioritize the trips with friends, do the 1001 00:55:12,880 --> 00:55:15,479 Speaker 2: things with family. Take a little time to be part 1002 00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:18,000 Speaker 2: of the social element of it, even if that means 1003 00:55:18,080 --> 00:55:19,920 Speaker 2: less time in the tree, or maybe you do a 1004 00:55:19,960 --> 00:55:22,879 Speaker 2: trip that has slightly less chances of killing a big 1005 00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:25,480 Speaker 2: giant buck. But if you're there with people you enjoy 1006 00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:29,840 Speaker 2: and care about, that's the stuff that makes this so special. 1007 00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:34,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, this deer camp thing, dude, it was so much fun. Iowa. 1008 00:55:34,600 --> 00:55:37,000 Speaker 4: This year, my dad pulled a trailer down to a 1009 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:39,160 Speaker 4: local state park that was ten miles away from where 1010 00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:41,439 Speaker 4: I hunt, and I stayed in a camper with my dad. 1011 00:55:41,480 --> 00:55:45,000 Speaker 4: He didn't hunt, he doesn't hunt, but he cooked some 1012 00:55:45,200 --> 00:55:49,240 Speaker 4: great meals. I celebrated my Usually my birthday is November fifth, 1013 00:55:49,560 --> 00:55:53,560 Speaker 4: and usually I'm celebrating that by myself most years. This 1014 00:55:53,680 --> 00:55:55,239 Speaker 4: year I was able to celebrate it with my dad. 1015 00:55:55,239 --> 00:55:57,560 Speaker 4: He cooked me a steak on the cool out on 1016 00:55:57,600 --> 00:56:01,080 Speaker 4: the camp site. I stayed in his camper, electricity TV. 1017 00:56:01,320 --> 00:56:02,000 Speaker 3: Like it was. 1018 00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:07,440 Speaker 4: It was not this grind, grind. The time in the 1019 00:56:07,440 --> 00:56:10,080 Speaker 4: tree stand was the grind. But outside of that, man, 1020 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:13,880 Speaker 4: it was absolutely and it's just one hundred percent success 1021 00:56:15,080 --> 00:56:17,200 Speaker 4: this year period. Yeah, I don't care how it turns out. 1022 00:56:17,640 --> 00:56:20,560 Speaker 2: That's the good stuff right there, and a great thing 1023 00:56:20,560 --> 00:56:22,200 Speaker 2: to leave us with here today. As we go into 1024 00:56:22,239 --> 00:56:24,400 Speaker 2: the rest of the season, I think thinking about that 1025 00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:28,040 Speaker 2: kind of stuff, prioritizing those types of memories and moments 1026 00:56:28,160 --> 00:56:30,359 Speaker 2: for the rest of the season. We'll do us all 1027 00:56:30,400 --> 00:56:33,799 Speaker 2: really good. So thanks buddy for making time to do this. 1028 00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:36,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely, good luck the rest of the season. 1029 00:56:36,120 --> 00:56:39,879 Speaker 3: Mark, thanks man, you too. 1030 00:56:42,200 --> 00:56:44,880 Speaker 2: All right, and that is a wrap for us today. 1031 00:56:45,160 --> 00:56:47,680 Speaker 2: Appreciate you joining us, thanks for being here. As I 1032 00:56:47,719 --> 00:56:50,840 Speaker 2: mentioned at the top, Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully you are having 1033 00:56:50,880 --> 00:56:53,920 Speaker 2: a wonderful holiday, eating lots of good food, getting out 1034 00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:56,480 Speaker 2: there in the woods for some hunts. Please be safe, 1035 00:56:56,800 --> 00:57:00,880 Speaker 2: please have fun out there, and enjoy these most wonderful 1036 00:57:01,080 --> 00:57:07,360 Speaker 2: final days of November. And until next time, stay wired ton. 1037 00:57:14,360 --> 00:57:18,280 Speaker 6: It's that time of the year again. I'm back, Marcus Kenyon. 1038 00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:20,840 Speaker 6: How are you your son of a gadwall? You look terrible. 1039 00:57:21,920 --> 00:57:24,280 Speaker 6: I'm just kidding her, Rema, I'm sorry, I'm late. I 1040 00:57:24,280 --> 00:57:26,919 Speaker 6: crashed my recumbent bicycle into the side of a quiz nose, 1041 00:57:26,960 --> 00:57:29,360 Speaker 6: and I know what you're thinking. I am as sober 1042 00:57:29,400 --> 00:57:32,600 Speaker 6: as a newborn blue crab. I swear to you this 1043 00:57:32,760 --> 00:57:35,720 Speaker 6: is just kombucha. I'm watching the gut health. You gotta 1044 00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:38,360 Speaker 6: do it as you get older. And also, I'm wearing 1045 00:57:38,440 --> 00:57:40,920 Speaker 6: this ankle bracelet that makes a beep beep sound if 1046 00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:44,560 Speaker 6: I have a drop of the stuff. Also alerts the authorities, 1047 00:57:44,560 --> 00:57:48,080 Speaker 6: who in turn alert my parole officer. So there'll be 1048 00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:50,280 Speaker 6: none of that in the studio today, I promise you. 1049 00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:51,560 Speaker 3: Let's get go. 1050 00:57:51,760 --> 00:57:55,640 Speaker 6: Oh, you're queuing it up already. Okay. I thought we'd 1051 00:57:55,720 --> 00:57:57,600 Speaker 6: learned a lesson this year, but I guess not. 1052 00:57:57,800 --> 00:57:58,440 Speaker 4: Here we go. 1053 00:58:00,080 --> 00:58:07,040 Speaker 5: Of those beagy, big white tails those eaky run beagy 1054 00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:14,040 Speaker 5: big big white tails. I love those beagy big yet 1055 00:58:14,520 --> 00:58:22,760 Speaker 5: eight chats eat tails. I love those beachy, big wide tails, 1056 00:58:22,760 --> 00:58:27,800 Speaker 5: big white tails, big white tails, big white tails are great? 1057 00:58:28,320 --> 00:58:28,640 Speaker 3: Hold? 1058 00:58:28,640 --> 00:58:31,640 Speaker 6: What fun it is to sit in the freezing cold 1059 00:58:31,640 --> 00:58:36,760 Speaker 6: tree all day? Big white tails, big white tails, big 1060 00:58:36,800 --> 00:58:38,760 Speaker 6: white tails are great? 1061 00:58:39,240 --> 00:58:39,560 Speaker 5: Hold? 1062 00:58:39,560 --> 00:58:42,560 Speaker 6: What fun it is to sit in the freezing cold 1063 00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:48,280 Speaker 6: tree all day? Dashing through the woods for the morning light, 1064 00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:53,840 Speaker 6: turns grave across the fields and draws, creep in all 1065 00:58:53,920 --> 00:58:59,240 Speaker 6: the way, climb into the tree. Big bucks are on 1066 00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:03,480 Speaker 6: the way. What fun he is to sit and wait 1067 00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:09,520 Speaker 6: for my gosh don deer all day? Oh big, I'm sorry? 1068 00:59:09,520 --> 00:59:10,000 Speaker 3: What is this? 1069 00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:13,680 Speaker 6: Piscato strings? Who do you think I am? And you 1070 00:59:14,480 --> 00:59:16,000 Speaker 6: get this out here? I don't want to hear it? 1071 00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:17,120 Speaker 3: Thank you? 1072 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:22,480 Speaker 6: Big white tails, big white tails, big white tails are great. 1073 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:26,240 Speaker 6: Hold fun it is to sit in the freezing cold 1074 00:59:26,240 --> 00:59:31,360 Speaker 6: tree all day? I hope sund dreams are high the rut. 1075 00:59:31,440 --> 00:59:36,000 Speaker 6: He's finally here, Mark said, it's the most wonderful time 1076 00:59:36,080 --> 00:59:40,880 Speaker 6: to kill o whitetail deer bingch points and pettings where 1077 00:59:40,920 --> 00:59:41,600 Speaker 6: you'll find me? 1078 00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:42,960 Speaker 3: Hang, it's want to feet. 1079 00:59:42,800 --> 00:59:48,000 Speaker 6: In a tree, grunt tubes my bowl inspector Camos really 1080 00:59:48,280 --> 00:59:53,840 Speaker 6: campy be he or two ago. I thought that this 1081 00:59:54,160 --> 00:59:58,280 Speaker 6: was fun, but now I'm frozen to my seat and 1082 00:59:58,400 --> 01:00:02,120 Speaker 6: the good times they are God. I've ate up all 1083 01:00:02,240 --> 01:00:06,800 Speaker 6: my snacks, my hands and toes unnumb and we're gonna 1084 01:00:06,800 --> 01:00:09,560 Speaker 6: climb down from my stand. That son of a bud 1085 01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:11,560 Speaker 6: decided to come. 1086 01:00:11,360 --> 01:00:19,080 Speaker 5: On those bagy b Wat tapes, those sky bagy big 1087 01:00:19,400 --> 01:00:25,200 Speaker 5: big Wait tapes. I love those be agy big dupe 1088 01:00:25,280 --> 01:00:29,000 Speaker 5: y'all eight shot gie eat tails. I love those big 1089 01:00:29,040 --> 01:00:31,680 Speaker 5: white tails all Dad. 1090 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:39,919 Speaker 6: I don't know why this is happening, I swear to God, 1091 01:00:39,920 --> 01:00:43,800 Speaker 6: Oh officer, what seems to be the problem here? Oh this? 1092 01:00:44,080 --> 01:00:45,600 Speaker 6: I don't know why this is happening. It must be 1093 01:00:45,600 --> 01:00:47,920 Speaker 6: a malfunction, you know. Sometimes it happens when the batteries 1094 01:00:47,960 --> 01:00:48,360 Speaker 6: run low. 1095 01:00:48,400 --> 01:00:48,760 Speaker 3: You don't know. 1096 01:00:48,920 --> 01:00:53,760 Speaker 6: You don't need to smell that. That's just kambuocha. I okay, yes, 1097 01:00:53,800 --> 01:00:56,200 Speaker 6: you've got me. It's ever clear and pacific cooler, Caprice Son. 1098 01:00:56,280 --> 01:01:00,520 Speaker 6: I am so so sorry. I don't know why my 1099 01:01:00,600 --> 01:01:03,880 Speaker 6: life has brought me here. Mark Marcus, I'm so sorry. 1100 01:01:04,960 --> 01:01:11,800 Speaker 6: Enjoy the rut or whatever. Good luck boys, Good to 1101 01:01:11,800 --> 01:01:15,120 Speaker 6: see you, Hayden it's been a while. Hey, sorry, I'm late. 1102 01:01:15,160 --> 01:01:16,760 Speaker 6: I crashed my pontiac cast I could do a light 1103 01:01:16,760 --> 01:01:18,000 Speaker 6: pole and had to walk the rest of the way. 1104 01:01:18,040 --> 01:01:18,680 Speaker 6: But I'm here now. 1105 01:01:18,840 --> 01:01:19,560 Speaker 3: That's what matters. 1106 01:01:19,880 --> 01:01:21,920 Speaker 6: Give you a glass of scotch, please, Hayden, just two 1107 01:01:22,040 --> 01:01:25,120 Speaker 6: rocks in there. I don't my guys, we're starting already. 1108 01:01:25,360 --> 01:01:27,280 Speaker 6: This is happening. Okay, just give me the give me 1109 01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:29,920 Speaker 6: the glass, thank you. Okay, here we go. It's the 1110 01:01:30,080 --> 01:01:37,640 Speaker 6: most wonderful time to kill deer. With the run now 1111 01:01:37,800 --> 01:01:41,800 Speaker 6: just starting and dashing and dotting and veins cutting clean, 1112 01:01:43,600 --> 01:01:49,080 Speaker 6: It's the most wonderful time to kill deer. There's far 1113 01:01:49,120 --> 01:01:52,560 Speaker 6: too much ice in this glass. It's the half happy 1114 01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:57,520 Speaker 6: season of all. There's gotta be at least twelve cues 1115 01:01:58,040 --> 01:02:01,720 Speaker 6: with grunting and bleeding and call fronts and sleeting the 1116 01:02:01,920 --> 01:02:09,480 Speaker 6: last weeks of fun. It's the happiest seedsson of home. 1117 01:02:11,960 --> 01:02:16,000 Speaker 6: There'll be pictures for posting and bragging and boasting and 1118 01:02:16,080 --> 01:02:20,120 Speaker 6: truck beds with big bucks in toe. There'll be narrow 1119 01:02:20,280 --> 01:02:24,080 Speaker 6: miss stories and tales of your glories of booner bucks 1120 01:02:24,080 --> 01:02:31,160 Speaker 6: missed with our bulls. It's the most wonderful time to 1121 01:02:31,640 --> 01:02:35,680 Speaker 6: kill deer, not just one baby two. There'll be no 1122 01:02:35,880 --> 01:02:39,840 Speaker 6: dose of blowing and looming knocks glowing and blood trails 1123 01:02:39,880 --> 01:02:47,000 Speaker 6: so clean. It's the most wonderful time to kill dea. 1124 01:02:49,640 --> 01:02:51,360 Speaker 6: Excuse me? Can I have a napkin? Please? I just 1125 01:02:51,400 --> 01:02:54,280 Speaker 6: spilled some scotch on my loafers. I can't have dirty 1126 01:02:54,320 --> 01:02:58,520 Speaker 6: loafers in the studio. Thank you Tailgate beers for drinking, 1127 01:02:58,680 --> 01:03:02,360 Speaker 6: and big Bucks is sleeping and chasing and san jacking 1128 01:03:02,520 --> 01:03:06,720 Speaker 6: does They will be fighting and scraping and no more 1129 01:03:06,880 --> 01:03:14,840 Speaker 6: escaping and arrowshot true hitting, Oh key change. But no 1130 01:03:14,880 --> 01:03:19,600 Speaker 6: one told me that it's the most wonderful time to 1131 01:03:20,120 --> 01:03:23,800 Speaker 6: kill deer. I was very unprepared for this. There will 1132 01:03:23,840 --> 01:03:27,480 Speaker 6: be much morning sitting in cold fronts, are hitting the 1133 01:03:27,640 --> 01:03:33,280 Speaker 6: dawn crispin clean. It's the most wonderful time. 1134 01:03:34,040 --> 01:03:36,800 Speaker 3: Oh, the most wonderful time. 1135 01:03:37,560 --> 01:03:40,680 Speaker 6: Yes, the most wonderful time. 1136 01:03:42,640 --> 01:03:43,760 Speaker 3: To kill. 1137 01:03:51,040 --> 01:03:53,120 Speaker 6: There's too much ice in the glass 1138 01:03:54,720 --> 01:03:55,200 Speaker 5: Rocks.