1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: As a guide and hunter, I've spent thousands of days 2 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: in the field. This show is about translating my hard 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: won experiences into tips and tactics they'll get you closer 4 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: to your ultimate goal success in the field. I'm Remy Warren. 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: This is cutting the distance before we get started. What 6 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: I want you to do is picture yourself at the 7 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: top of a mountain after two weeks of hunting. You 8 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: are on the biggest deer of your life. You do 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: an epic stock I'm talking top shelf epic. You get 10 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: in within range, you draw back. As you draw back, 11 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: the buck turns and looks at you. Okay, what do 12 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: you do? Think about it for a second? Do you shoot? 13 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: Do you wait? The buck standing broadside? You've ranged this 14 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: right now? I think the right answer is I need 15 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: more information, and that is a correct answer. But what 16 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: I hope is from what I consider probably the best 17 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: hunt I've had in my life, I learned a lot 18 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: of hard lessons. Now I had some a great end 19 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: story with some great success, but there were some pretty 20 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: hard lessons learned along the way. And I will think 21 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: about this hunt for probably the rest of my life. 22 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: It's my encounter with one of the greatest deer I 23 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: have ever seen, and still to this day, and I've 24 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: seen some pretty good deer. Now, I think the lessons 25 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: learned at that moment I have carried through throughout hunts 26 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: from two thousand five until now that have made me 27 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: overall a more successful hunter. And it is because of 28 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: the encounters with this buck. So I want to tell 29 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: you the story of what I consider the greatest dear 30 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: of my life. Now, let me set the stage for 31 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: you a little bit. The year is two thousand five 32 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: now in the state of Nevada. In two thousand five, 33 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: if mule deer hunting was a fine wine, this would 34 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: be the best wine you could get. This year, it 35 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: was just a perfect storm of good antler growth, I 36 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: would say, high deer populations, everything, just the stars just 37 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: lined up. Now, I had drawn a deer tag in 38 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: an area that I had hunted. I'd never actually personally 39 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: had a tag in this unit. However, I've spent a 40 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: lot of time in there with my buddy, who had 41 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: had tags over the years. We scouted it. We found 42 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: some good areas and I thought, man, I want to 43 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: come back and hunt this tag next year with my 44 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: bow in this same County. I would say that year 45 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: some of the biggest deer ever taken with the bow 46 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: were taken. I think the new archery world record was 47 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: shot that year by guy named Greg Crow, and he 48 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: took that buck with his bow not too far from 49 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 1: actually where I was hunting. So you just gotta I'm 50 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: just setting your mind right to know that this year 51 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: everything was lined up for one of the best hunts 52 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: you could probably ever have. And I would say that 53 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: I'm telling a story about the biggest deer I've ever seen. 54 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: Now you're probably wondering, well, have I seen pictures of 55 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: this big deer? You have to listen to this story 56 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: and hear what happens. I scouted this unit. I don't 57 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,839 Speaker 1: even know how many days, to be honest, quite a few. 58 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: I think I made two or three scouting trips during 59 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: the summer. I'd hindpoint in the area where I wanted 60 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: to be, and there was a high concentration of bucks 61 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: in there. I'd seen multiple bachelor groups of ten bucks 62 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: or more all years wide four by four's I had 63 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: seen some just tremendous deer, and I thought to myself, 64 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: all right, I've never seen so many good deer in 65 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: my life. I'm gonna really hold out and try to 66 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: find the best year I can. I've got. The entire 67 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: season is shortly after high school. I took my college 68 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: during the spring and summer semesters, so I didn't have 69 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: to go back to school yet. I had the entire 70 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: month of August to hunt meal deer, and that was 71 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: my plan. I arrived in the area quite a few 72 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: days before opening day, glass and spotting bucks, just watching. 73 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: What I was trying to do is watch their habits, 74 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: watch their movements, try to figure them out. So if 75 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: I if the buck that I decided I wanted to 76 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: chase appeared on opening day, I would know how to 77 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: get there. I would know potentially what that deer was 78 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: gonna do. Now muled year, you might think you have 79 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: a pattern, but they do some erratic stuff. It's not 80 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: necessarily like patterning a white tail. Early in the season, 81 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: when they're in their velvet, they tend to feed in 82 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: an area and be out in the open more. However, 83 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: they don't always bed in the same place. You might 84 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: think they're gonna go left because they've gone left the 85 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: last two days, and the next day they just go 86 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: a completely different way and go bed on another mountain, 87 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: so they can be fairly erratic, but I just wanted 88 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: to understand what the general movements of these deer were 89 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: before I even started hunting. On Opening day, I spotted 90 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 1: what I considered a pretty good buck. If you know 91 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: deer scores or whatever, it's probably plus buck. I thought 92 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: that that would be the biggest deer I've ever taken 93 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: in my life. I'm gonna stalk this deer. As I'm 94 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: stalking that dear, I end up midday finding another deer, 95 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 1: and the other deer I found was by far the 96 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: largest deer I've ever seen, and what would have been 97 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: a potential world record mule deer. Now, for me, hunting 98 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: is about a lot of things, primarily food, meet the adventure, 99 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: the challenge of it. But when I had seen that 100 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: big buck, I thought, there is probably no greater challenge 101 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: than to try to take that one deer one because 102 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: it's so big. You know, there may not ever be 103 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: another point in my life where I find a deer 104 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: that rivals that deer, and the challenge of just hunting 105 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: that one deer, I was welcoming it. I thought, this 106 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:35,239 Speaker 1: is going to be hard, but I'm up for this. Challenge. Well, 107 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: I've got that. I watched the dear bed he betted 108 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: in what I considered a spot that would be a 109 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: good spot for a stock of that first day, that 110 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: opening morning, I stalk in the wind is okay. I'm 111 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 1: not gonna say it was great, but it's okay. The 112 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: deer is betted out on a point. There's this this 113 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: small hill that came up in between these two mountains, 114 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: and he had betted just below in the tall sage. 115 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: There was a mahogany tree that was casting a little 116 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: bit of shade. However, as the day moved on, I 117 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: kind of expected this buck to move. Yet he never 118 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: moved when the shade got out, and I think it 119 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: was because of the stage was tall enough where it 120 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: provided enough shade, and then there was a pretty good 121 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: breeze blowing toward that buck. Now, the best approach would 122 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:24,119 Speaker 1: have been for me to pop up a little further 123 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: up the ridge. However, I think he would have winded 124 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: me from there. So I decided to make an approach 125 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: where I went essentially paralleled the ridge behind him and 126 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: then would pop up over and he should be bedded 127 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: right below me. And I was gonna plan to stock 128 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: to that mahogany tree where the shade it was actually 129 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: putting shade on him earlier in the day. I get 130 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:53,920 Speaker 1: over there, I take my shoes off, I make my 131 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: long stock. I get you know where I could start 132 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: to see. I started glassing the brush and I see 133 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: his antler tips. This buck is huge. I range it 134 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: and it's about sixty yards. I arrange the tree. The 135 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: tree's thirty yards in front of me or so, so 136 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: I get low. I pretty much put my bow in 137 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: my back army crawl in. At this point the wind 138 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: the days getting later, and the winds are starting to 139 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: get a little shifty. I crawled to that tree. I 140 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: range his antler's thirty three yards. I think perfect. I 141 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: am going to wait here until this buck stands up. 142 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: I'm waiting. I'm waiting. I'm waiting nothing. The wind's getting 143 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: a little shifty. I'm getting a little nervous. I'm shooting 144 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: downhill at this point, or will be when he stands up, 145 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 1: And I think to myself, I've got I think it 146 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: was probably it was a seven pin sight, and I 147 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: thought I might as well make this a slam dunk. 148 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,439 Speaker 1: I've been sitting here for an hour. Probably I might 149 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: as well get to an even thirty yards. Thinking back, 150 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: that scene stupid, but you have to remember that time 151 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: my bow wasn't as fast as they are now. The 152 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: difference in three yards could be a hit or a miss. 153 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: So I decided to crawl up three more yards, which 154 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: I've been sitting here for hours. As I start my crawl, 155 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: I'm about one yard into this crawl, I feel the 156 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: wind hit the back of my neck. A quick swirl. 157 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: The buck's head whips up. The bucks stands there broadside, 158 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: and I'm caught off guard. He's standing looking around because 159 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: the wind just swirled. He had no clue which way 160 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: that scent. He just picked up a little bit of scent. 161 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: But I draw back. The buck must have heard me. 162 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: I was not set up very well. He takes off, 163 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: bouncing away, and there goes the buck of my dreams. Now, 164 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: at this point, I've been thirty yards or close around 165 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: thirty yards to this giant deer. He disappeared, he ran off. 166 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: I was unable to relocate him. Now for the rest 167 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 1: of the hunt, all I can think about is this 168 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: big buck, and probably pretty much, truthfully, for the rest 169 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: of my life. But I'm thinking about this dear, I'm 170 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: seeing other great bucks, but in my mind, I know 171 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: nothing else will do. Is this, dear or no, dear. 172 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: I will go home empty if I don't get another 173 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: chance at this buck, is what I'm thinking. I think 174 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: it was about two weeks later of hard hunting. When 175 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: I started out hunting. I had my dad was with 176 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: me and one of my good buddies, Art, and they 177 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: all had to go back to work. I said, now 178 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: I'm staying out here. I'm going to just continue hunting 179 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: for this big buck. So a few weeks goes by. 180 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 1: I think I was hunting a little over a week 181 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: by myself, maybe more. Those guys come back. It's a weekend. 182 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: We all. I'm showing them all the good deer that 183 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,720 Speaker 1: I'm saying. I'm like, yeah, I think my dad had 184 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: a tag with me as well, so I'm like, oh, yeah, 185 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 1: you know, you should try stalk in one of those bucks. 186 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: And I'd have these deer just named in patterned and 187 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: never seen that big buck again. So we're glassing up 188 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: in this giant basin at the top of the mountain, 189 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: and lo and behold there is that big buck with 190 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: about ten other bucks that are bigger than most of 191 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: the deer i'd seen the previous week. It's just it's 192 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: just a group of older age class animals in the 193 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: highest basin in the unit. Altogether, it's like there used 194 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: to be this picture. They called it a Magnificent seven, 195 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: and I think it was just photoshop. There was the 196 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: seven giant bucks on this skyline, and it just it 197 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: looked unreal because I think it was unreal. It's just 198 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: a product of photoshop. But this was a similar scenario. 199 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: I decide, Okay, I'm gonna go up there. It's about 200 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: a three mile hike into where these deer are, maybe 201 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: four a lot of elevation gain. Now I watched the 202 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: bucks bed. I load up my packet. I stuffed my 203 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: sleeping bag in a harp, a little bit of food. 204 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: I've got a Fannie pack just so when I dropped 205 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: my main pack, I have some water and some other 206 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: things with me. So I started up the trail. Hike 207 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: up the trails pretty high elevation. We're talking around ten 208 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: thousand plus feet and I started the hike at so 209 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: that's a major climb. It's a four thousand foot vertical gain. 210 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: I started this spot in the mid morning. I'm just 211 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: hoping that they're still there by the time I get there. 212 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: I get into position up, I dropped my pack. I 213 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: load up my little Fannie pack with a flashlight and 214 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: some water, maybe a snack just in case. Start glassing 215 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: and I spot the deer bedded the big buck and 216 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: his friends. So I start my crawl, crawling, crawling. It's 217 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: about a two hour crawl across this big plateau flat 218 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: because I can kind of I'm kind of in the open, 219 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: so I'm putting this big rock between me and the deer, 220 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: crawling to that rock, moving from rock to rock, bush 221 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: to bush. It starts to get on dark. I'm now 222 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: at this point, probably eighty yards from this big buck 223 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: and the other year. So he gets up and starts feeding. 224 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,479 Speaker 1: I'm just thinking myself, come my way, please, come my way. 225 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: He starts feeding, starts feeding my way. The way this 226 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 1: is this country's bill is it's a big open basin, 227 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,679 Speaker 1: but there's a few little cliffs in there, and he's 228 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: feeding right to the cliff just off to my right. 229 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,079 Speaker 1: I start crawling. As soon as he gets out of sight. 230 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: I run up to the cliff edge, moving as fast 231 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: and as quiet as I can. I get to the 232 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: edge and I spot him. I pop up. He's directly 233 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 1: below me. It is steep downhill. I'm on the edge 234 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: of the cliff shooting down. I'll be shooting down at 235 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: this book. I ranged the buck. I think it's fifty 236 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: five yards perfect. I've been shooting all summer. I could 237 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: shoot a bottle cap at fifty five yards, no problem. 238 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: I draw back, and as I draw back, that buck 239 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: turns his head and looks at me, and I just 240 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 1: see this giant rack moving. He looks at me. I 241 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: set all my pin square on his body, take the shot, 242 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: and the buck doesn't Neo Matrix dodging the bullet, drops 243 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: his back, ducks the string and the arrow flies right 244 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: over his back. He jumps out and starts running down 245 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: the hill and stops about a hundred and eighty yards out. 246 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: My heart sank. Now you gotta remember this is a 247 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: group with a bunch of other good bucks. I think 248 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: to myself, I have hunted hard. I'm all the way 249 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: up here. And as I do that, one of the 250 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: other bucks in the group, which is probably not the 251 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: smallest buck, but definitely not. He's in the lower half 252 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: end of the buck. He's probably the third from the 253 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: bottom as far as size. Walks out and stops and 254 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 1: stares downhill at the buck that just ran off, and 255 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: he these thirty something yards, probably thirty I think it 256 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: was thirty three yards. He's looking away, and I think 257 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: to myself, I'm not coming off this mountain without a deer. 258 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: I draw back, I said on my pen, I take 259 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: the shot. I hit him right behind the shoulder. The 260 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: buck runs maybe ten yards, falls over stone dead and 261 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: tumbles down the mountain a little ways. Now as I 262 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: walked down there, of course all the other deer just 263 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,080 Speaker 1: watching this one buck, and I can nearly walk up 264 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: to these other deer, which in any other circumstances would 265 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: have run away immediately. And I'm pretty excited because this dear, 266 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: even though it wasn't the biggest deer in the group, 267 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: is the best year I had ever taken with any weapon, 268 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: gun or bow, and definitely the best buck I had 269 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: taken with the bow. He was passed these years. Giant 270 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: four by four hundred and seventy two inch type buck. 271 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: Just a great deer, and I was pretty excited. Now 272 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: it's starting to get evening, I get to the deer, 273 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: I decided to, you know, take care of him, get 274 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: the deer out, and I figure, well, I'm up here. 275 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: It was a long ways in there, so I go back, 276 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: get my pack and all my stuff, pull my sleeping 277 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: bag out, set my tarp up. It's a little I 278 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: didn't want anything to eat the meat, and there's nowhere 279 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: to hang the deer. So I ended up just thinking, okay, 280 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: I'll just sleep essentially with this deer. That way, if 281 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: any coyotes or whatever around, they aren't going to get 282 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: the meat. So I set my tarp on the ground, 283 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: throw my sleeping bag down. It was so steep though, 284 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: I kept slipping off, so I ended up taking my 285 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: para cord and it was actually just that almost like 286 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: clothesline type chord, tying myself to a rock, making a 287 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: little anchor, sleeping on the mountain right there with the buck. 288 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: Then in the morning, getting up, finishing quartering out, and 289 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: getting the meat all taken care of, and then packing 290 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: the buck down. Now I had never been more excited. 291 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: I had just taken the best year of my life. 292 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: I had a great hunt, an incredible stock, and a 293 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 1: shot at that giant deer. Now at the time that 294 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: I got on that buck, I honestly didn't fully understand 295 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: that line of sight was not the same as horizontal distance. 296 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: So my range finder at that time was just line 297 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: of sight. It didn't angle compensate. Now, luckily, if you 298 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: buy a range finder, now all the calculations are done 299 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,439 Speaker 1: for you, it's a lot easier. But at that time, 300 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: you know, my range finder only gave me line of 301 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: sight distance. And what that is is the horizontal distance 302 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: is the only distance that truly affects the arrow because 303 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: it's based on the poll of gravity down. So if 304 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: you imagine I'm shooting off of a perfectly vertical cliff, 305 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: and I use my line of sight range finder and 306 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: I ranged that deer at say seventy yards, Well, if 307 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: that deer is only thirty yards from the base of 308 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: the cliff, directly below where I'm standing, then I would 309 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,199 Speaker 1: use my thirty yard pin on that deer that the 310 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: line of sight says seventy yards. Modern range finders now 311 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 1: do that calculation for you. It's fairly difficult to figure 312 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: that out in the field. And if you want to 313 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: know more about that, I mean, you just get a 314 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: vortex range finder and it explains the whole horizontal distance 315 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: as well as the line of sight distance, But at 316 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: that time I didn't know the difference, so when I 317 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: was aiming for the line of sight, that was one thing. 318 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: There was a major mistake shooting at that buck. Now, 319 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: another little mistake was that I think I probably shot 320 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: it the inopportune time. The buck just happened to be 321 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: turning his head looking up. I got a little impatient 322 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: and a little more excited than normal, because, knowing what 323 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: I know now, that deer wasn't really looking at me. 324 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 1: He was more just looking in my direction. I should 325 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 1: have waited for him to move his head back to 326 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: feeding or in a position where he's looking away. So 327 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: I think that that played into it a little bit 328 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: as well. But the main thing was not understanding shooting downhill. Now, 329 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: from that point forward, I added downhill practice, because the 330 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: majority of your shots out west on spotting stock big 331 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: game animals are gonna be downhill. You're in a mountain, 332 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: generally the best approaches from above. So by practicing these 333 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 1: downhill shots, I became a lot more lethal and a 334 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: lot more proficient. But I'm going to go into a 335 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,880 Speaker 1: few tips on the ways that I make those downhill 336 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 1: shots count. Now, these lessons for shooting downhill are not 337 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:55,199 Speaker 1: just for archery hunting. Honestly, a lot of these techniques 338 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: can be applied to rifle hunting, and it's not just 339 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: for Western hunting. If you are a tree stand enter, 340 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: all of your shots are gonna be at a down angle. 341 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of things that you might glean 342 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 1: from this. Even though you might not be shooting as 343 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: far as is say spot and stock hunt may need 344 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: to or you don't have to deal with the slope 345 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 1: of a hill. The real at the basics, the mechanics 346 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: of shooting downhill and uphill for that matter, are the same, 347 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: no matter your weapon choice or where you prefer to hunt. 348 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: I'll never forget my first cus deer hunt in Arizona 349 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: archery hunt. I snuck in on a buck. It was 350 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: below this band of cliffs feeding in the cactus. So 351 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: I sneak out get to the cliff. It's pretty much 352 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: a straight down shot. I crawl out to the edge 353 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 1: and my plan was I'm gonna draw kneeling, which is 354 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: normally what I do out of sight so he couldn't 355 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: see me, and then I'm gonna stand up and shoot. 356 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: I go to draw my bow back and as I 357 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 1: draw my bow back, my arrow falls off the string. 358 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, what the heck? I never had that happen before. 359 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: So I put the arrow back on drawback again. As 360 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 1: I draw back, I notice that it pops off again. 361 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: The broadhead was clipping my riser and pulling the arrow 362 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: off the string. Like what the heck. I kind of 363 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: look at it real quick, thinking, okay, maybe something's move 364 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 1: something's wrong. Like everything looks good. So I'm like, well, 365 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: let me just see. I put the arrow on, and 366 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: I thought I was drawing back level, because when you 367 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: shoot on flat ground, you just naturally balanced the bow 368 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: to the horizon. You just kind of go perpendicular to 369 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: the horizon. You see. Well, I look at my level 370 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: on my site and it is just way off to 371 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: the left side. I was canting my bow so hard, 372 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,199 Speaker 1: yet I thought I was drawing at level. So I 373 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: go to what feels like in a natural position, balance 374 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: it out, drawback. Fine, I stand up, I bend down, 375 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: I shoot, and I killed the buck that right there. 376 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: It never entered my mind how much the slope of 377 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: the hill affects I would say, not only the pull 378 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: of gravity on your bow, but just where you think 379 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: your bow is level. When you're shooting downhill in the mountains, 380 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: you aren't just shooting straight down from a flat spot 381 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: most times, like you would say from a tree stand 382 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 1: or if you were practicing, you're up on your roof 383 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: shooting straight down. You also have to encount for the 384 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: pitch of the hill because you're gonna be on a mountain. 385 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: Sometimes the buck might be right below you, but there 386 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: might be some slope where you are. Now, one thing 387 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: that I've learned is the slope affects the pole on 388 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: your bow. What it wants to do is it wants 389 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: to pull your bow downhill. And your mind sees the 390 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,640 Speaker 1: horizon out there, and you think that put my bow 391 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 1: perpendicular to that should be level. What you don't realize 392 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: is the way that your bow is canting. It might 393 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: look level to you, yet because you're standing on a 394 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,239 Speaker 1: pitch of a hill, it's actually not level. So what 395 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,119 Speaker 1: I do. The first thing I do when I go 396 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: to draw my bow back on a mountain is I 397 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 1: lean the top of my bow uphill. Now it feels 398 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: unnatural at first, but what happens is when I draw 399 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 1: back with the top of my bow uphill. As I 400 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: draw back and settle. Gravity starts to pull the top down, 401 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 1: and what that should do is allow me to level 402 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,360 Speaker 1: and stop it where I need to level, but not 403 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: fight against it in an unnatural way. Because if I 404 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: have the top of my limb downhill already, I draw back, 405 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 1: which might feel better when I draw back. Now I 406 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: realized my bow isn't level and I'm forcing it against 407 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 1: gravity the other way. What that's doing is putting in 408 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: some weird hand torque. It's not natural, and when I 409 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: take that shot, it's not going to be as good 410 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: as a shot because I'm putting undue stress in my 411 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: grip and the way that I'm trying to force that 412 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: bow the wrong way. Now, when you shoot on flat ground, 413 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: you're just drawing back. You're getting to your anchor point 414 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: and you're shooting. I think a mistake that I have 415 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: made in the past, and I think a lot of 416 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: people make, is what you'll do is you'll see the 417 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: animal below you. You draw towards the animal. Well, when 418 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 1: you do that at an angle, your anchor point might 419 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: not be the same as you've been practicing on flat 420 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: ground all the time. So as you draw back, what 421 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: I like to do is I'll draw back level and 422 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: then I'll bend it my hips, keeping my same anchor 423 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,439 Speaker 1: point as I go to shoot that animal. Now, I 424 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: think some people overexaggerate this. They go straight and then 425 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: they really really bend down. I just think you need 426 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: to do it in a way that keeps your anchor point. Now, 427 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: if you draw, if you practice all the time drawing 428 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: back and anchoring, that's okay because you'll get that same 429 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: anchor point. But you got to remember you want everything 430 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: to be the way that you practiced. So if you're 431 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: practicing a lot on level ground drawback like you're on 432 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 1: level ground, then don't just move your arm down because 433 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: that's not keeping your same anchor point in the way 434 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: that you're looking through your peep You now just bend 435 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,479 Speaker 1: the hips and let your front arm follow as you 436 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: aim towards that animal. Now, another thing that I've learned 437 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: when shooting downhill is I've made this mistake a lot 438 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: of times the animals below me. I draw back, I level, 439 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,479 Speaker 1: everything's good, I bend at the hips, I go down 440 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 1: past the deer, and then I try to aim up 441 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 1: at the deer. So what I'm saying is my pin. 442 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: Let's say my pin now, goes below where I want 443 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: to hit, and I'm trying to push the boat up 444 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 1: into the kill zone that pin. The trouble with this 445 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: is and it's it's hard to fight because gravity is 446 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,479 Speaker 1: pulling your bow down and you're trying to force your 447 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: bow up. Well, what that does is as you release, 448 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: you're putting so much pressure that it pushes your hand 449 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 1: up when you shoot. And I have had a few 450 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: instances where I've done this and just shot right over 451 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 1: the deer's back. Now I can think of the times 452 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: that I've missed downhill. I don't think that I've ever 453 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: missed shooting below an animal. It always goes over the back, 454 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 1: over the back, And that's because these little things that 455 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: are if you just think about it, if you're trying 456 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: to aim up on an animal that's below you, you're 457 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: really fighting it to get that pin settled where you want. 458 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,679 Speaker 1: And when you let go, all your energy now that 459 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 1: you only have one hand on that boat is going 460 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: up and as soon as you release the string, you're 461 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 1: just gonna shoot high. So what I'll do is I'll 462 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: drawback level, start aiming down. I'll get close to the 463 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: back of the deer, and then I just keep bending 464 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,199 Speaker 1: my hips down and settle from the top down. I 465 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: try not to go below. Now if I get low, 466 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 1: I'll just kind of move back up higher and then 467 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: try to settle down on the animal. As opposed to 468 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 1: being low and pushing my pin up to where I 469 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: want to shoot. I'll get my pin above exactly where 470 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: I want to hit and let it slightly lower to 471 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: the spot that I'm aiming at. I think the most 472 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 1: important thing with downhill shooting is just practice. Now I'm 473 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: fortunate I can just go to the mountain and shoot 474 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,920 Speaker 1: downhill pretty much daily if I want not. Everybody has 475 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: that luxury. Now, if you have somewhere you can practice, 476 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: if you practice it in your backyard, if that's allowed. 477 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:28,719 Speaker 1: There's been times where I have shot off my balcony 478 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: to get some downhill shots in. I've literally shot off 479 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: my roof. I've shot off of a ladder. I mean, 480 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: as long as it's legal to shoot wherever you're shooting, 481 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: and you can shoot off your roof, you can shoot off. 482 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: Just be careful, don't fall. Don't call me and say, hey, 483 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: I fell off my roof. Your tips sucks. But get 484 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: that practice in. I know, guys that tree stand hunt 485 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 1: all the time, and they practice shooting out of a 486 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: tree stand they put up in their backyard or a 487 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: ladder stand. Like that's a great idea. Just have some 488 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 1: incline when you're shooting at a target to get that practice, 489 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: to get the draw cycle down, to get that aiming down, 490 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: to practice moving down onto the targets opposed to pushing up, 491 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: even though you probably should aim down all the time. 492 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 1: I think the practice, you might surprise yourself at the 493 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: type of shots where your arrow hits, even though you 494 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: have a range finder that gives you not your line 495 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: of sight but your true ballistic range. You say you're I. 496 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: I shoot a double pin, which acts like pretty much 497 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: a single pin, so I can set my pin exactly 498 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: for the yardage that my range finder reads. Now, in practice, 499 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: I find that the steeper the angle, the more exaggerated 500 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: and lower I have to aim. And the reason is 501 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: isn't because okay, maybe the true range is correct and 502 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 1: that arrow will hit where I want it to for 503 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: that site. But what's different is my perception of the target. 504 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,800 Speaker 1: If I'm at a forty five degree angle looking off 505 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: of a cliff at a deer, its vitals are not 506 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: looking the same as a broadside target. What I see 507 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: through my eyes is completely different than a deer that 508 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 1: is just flat standing there. I can pick that spot 509 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: on its vitals where I want. When I'm shooting down, 510 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,800 Speaker 1: I really see the top of its back and some 511 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: of its side. So I have to consciously tell myself 512 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: aim a little lower. That way my arrow will actually 513 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: impact slightly higher than where I'm aiming. And this you 514 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: just have to figure out through practice practice at different 515 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: angles and different distances, because it changes and is more 516 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: exaggerated the further out you go and the steeper you go. 517 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: You know, one thing that people always talk about is, okay, 518 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: now that we've got these range finders that give us 519 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 1: our true ballistic range. There's been times where I've been 520 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: in the mountains and I've ranged something and it goes, Man, 521 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: that looks so far away and you range it yards, Well, 522 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: it's the line of sight might be eighty year, a 523 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: hundred yards depending on the angle you go. Well, that's 524 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: only a forty five yards shot. Yes, gravity is affecting 525 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 1: your arrow as a forty five yard shot, but you 526 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 1: still have to execute a shot as good as you 527 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: would at the actual line of sight. Even though gravity 528 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: only pulls your arrow a certain distance. You're just compensating 529 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: for the drop. But what you see is a hundred 530 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: yard shot. If it's a hundred yards line of sight, 531 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: that's the type of shot you need to execute. If 532 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,240 Speaker 1: you can't make a hundred yards shot, even though your 533 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: arrow only drops for forty five yards, there's less margin 534 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: of air as far as the drop in the arrow. 535 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: But you have to be as steady as you would 536 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 1: for a hundred yard shot because you still have other 537 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: factors like wind resistance, cross winds, as well as the 538 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: target looks a long ways away because it is a 539 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,240 Speaker 1: long ways away. Now, gravity might not affect your arrow 540 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 1: the same as your line of sight, but you still 541 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 1: have to execute that shot like it's a further shot. 542 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: And I think a lot of people forget that. So 543 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: they go to a they go to shoot off a cliff, 544 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: They range it like forty yards, that's within my range, 545 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: and then they miss and like, how did I miss that? Well? 546 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,239 Speaker 1: You missed because you're treating it like you're shooting at 547 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: something that's forty yards, not something that's a hundred yards, 548 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: like your line of SIGHTE. Yeah, you might only use 549 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: your forty yard pin but you really have to focus 550 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: in and execute a shot that might be further than 551 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: your ability. So that's something you have to factor in 552 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: when you're in the mountains. How far can I actually 553 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: shoot downhill? And that only comes with practice, you know. 554 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: I just really wanted to talk about this because I 555 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: think that once you grasp shooting downhill, you're going to 556 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: be more successful. The reason is because most of the 557 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 1: opportunity I have mountain hunting is downhill shots. Stocks are 558 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: more successful coming in from the top. A lot of 559 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: animals bed in a way where they're facing downhill. So 560 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: if you get the right can issues and you can 561 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: pop over ridge shoot down a cliff, you're gonna be 562 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: overall more successful hunting big game. Hopefully you enjoyed our 563 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,800 Speaker 1: first podcast. I really just want to thank everybody for 564 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: listening through it. I really appreciate you. Feel free to 565 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 1: reach out via social media, send me some feedback, give 566 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,280 Speaker 1: me some ideas on questions you'd like answered, as well 567 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: as maybe some stories you'd like to hear. I'm open 568 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: to any kind of suggestions. Give us a good rating 569 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: wherever you're listening. That will that always helps. I think 570 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: next week I want to tackle the topic that I 571 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: get asked quite often, and it's regarding bear country. What 572 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: do I do in bear country? How do I stay 573 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: safe in bear country? What do I do with a 574 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: bear attacks? I think I can answer a lot of 575 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 1: those questions as well as I love to share a 576 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 1: few stories of close encounters I've had with both black bears, 577 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: brown bears, grizzly bears. So next week we'll talk all 578 00:32:56,800 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 1: things bears. I think you'll really enjoy it, and as always, 579 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,800 Speaker 1: thank you very much. I really appreciate you, and stay 580 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: frosty all right, talk to you later. M