1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is a little thought experiment 9 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 2: on what the future of deer hunting could look like 10 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: and what we can do as individuals to usher it 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 2: in a direction we believe is best. I'm gonna be 12 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 2: honest with you. I'm pretty stressed out at life, at 13 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 2: this job, at a lot of stuff. And one of 14 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 2: the things that has always helped me level myself off 15 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 2: is hunting. But hunting has me worried too, and I 16 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 2: hate that part. It's not good when our escape suddenly 17 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: become a source of major stress for us. I'm guessing 18 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 2: you can relate, and I'm guessing you might feel like 19 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: you don't have any agency over the future of hunting. 20 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 2: Maybe you don't, maybe we all really don't, and maybe 21 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 2: that's not true. Either way, It's what I'm going to 22 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 2: talk about right now, what is going on with people. 23 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 2: I know it's a joke sort of to talk about 24 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 2: how COVID kind of broke us as a society, but 25 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 2: it seems like things have been pretty rough since then. 26 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: I'm sure if we could go back in time to 27 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 2: the pre COVID days, there was plenty of stuff to 28 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: bitch about then too. Who knows, But what I do 29 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: know is that I have more conversations now than I 30 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 2: ever have with people who just seemed to be stressed 31 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 2: to the gills and who are wondering what to do 32 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 2: with their lives to find a better baseline. This is 33 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: something we just kind of accept in our jobs and 34 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 2: often in our relationships, because neither are all that easy 35 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: just to give up or change. Although that brings up 36 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 2: the point of hard stuff being worth it. Maybe I'll 37 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 2: dive into that shit some other times. But we used 38 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: to have coping mechanisms for the stuff. We'd walk into 39 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: the woods and we'd haunt deer or pull the old 40 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 2: lab out of crate and go try to find some 41 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 2: roosters to flush something in the outdoors. Something that narrowed 42 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 2: down our aperture down to us, you know, like a 43 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: single pursuit and allowed us to give ourselves to something 44 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 2: immersive for a few hours, where we could eventually surface 45 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 2: on the other side, tired and content recharged, so we 46 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: could go wade through the shit of everyday life. Now 47 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: a lot of us are finding that hunting isn't really 48 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 2: the escape it once was, and that is messing with us. 49 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 2: It's like a trusted dog that suddenly snaps at you. 50 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: Your brain knows what once was, you know what was 51 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 2: comfortable and predictable, and then suddenly it becomes something that 52 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 2: will never be the same. There's always going to be 53 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 2: a little doubt there, a little hesitancy. Even if it 54 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 2: truly was a one off event, you won't know that 55 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 2: and your brain won't let you forget it. With deer hunting, 56 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 2: it should just be fun, you know what. Scratch that. 57 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: Deer hunting should be something that is worth doing always. 58 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 2: It should be something that when you do it, you 59 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 2: are unsuccessful a lot, and you're okay with that. But 60 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: it can easily not be that. And when we slip 61 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: into that territory, it's like that family dog growling and 62 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 2: lashing out at us. There are a lot of telltale 63 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 2: signs of someone who has been bit by the deer 64 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 2: hunting dog. So to speak, all of us have either 65 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: talked to someone who shot a buck they regret because 66 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,239 Speaker 2: it's too small, or we've been that person. I've done both, 67 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 2: and now I just don't care. If I see a 68 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: deer and I want to shoot it, I just shoot it. 69 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 2: And if people want to judge me for that, great, 70 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 2: I truly believe that says more about them than me. 71 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 2: The mental gymnastics we play on that front are often gross, 72 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 2: and this happens a lot. What is there that says 73 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: you are supposed to only shoot mature bucks? Who cares? 74 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: And by the way, that mature buck thing is kind 75 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 2: of bullshit because we can't age deer the way we 76 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 2: think we can. And if we truly cared about shooting 77 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: mature bucks so they can pass on their jeans, we'd 78 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 2: let them go until they were ten and not shoot 79 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: them when they are five and coincidentally have their big 80 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: set of antlers. That's just trophy hunting in a slightly 81 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: more palatable package, which was the point all along. The 82 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: people pushing that message recognized how ugly trophy hunting is 83 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 2: in a peer form to the masses, so they rebranded 84 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 2: it very successfully. Now that's how an awful lot of 85 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: people talk about their hunting and how they set their goals. 86 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 2: But there are a hell of a lot of people 87 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: out there who probably should find a different path because 88 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 2: that type of trophy hunting is largely unavailable to them 89 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: or secretly unappealing. And listen again, I don't care what 90 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: you do if you want to grow and name bucks 91 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: and farm deer and emulate the biggest names in the 92 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: deer game donuts for donuts, but understand that a lot 93 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: of people will never get there, and a hell of 94 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: a lot of other people don't want to turn their 95 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 2: deer hunting into that type of game. And honestly, a 96 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 2: lot of those people will kill smaller bucks than the 97 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: name the buck crowd, but they will become better deer 98 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 2: hunters for it. What I worry about with this is 99 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 2: that the messaging around a lot of deer hunting and 100 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 2: a hell of a lot of trophy hunting is shaping 101 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 2: the future generations of hunters. I've been thinking about that 102 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 2: a lot lately with my daughters. In a recent conversation 103 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 2: with the dude at the gym sort of buried the 104 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: blade right up to the handle. For me, I hadn't 105 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 2: seen him all fall, but when I did, he strolled 106 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 2: right up to me to talk about deer hunting. We've 107 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 2: chatted in the past about hunting quite a bit, and 108 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 2: I truly believe he's just a hardcore outdoorsman who's raising 109 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: a few daughters himself and just loves the outdoors. So 110 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 2: when I asked him how his season went, he said 111 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,480 Speaker 2: it was almost non existent. He had a lot of 112 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: work this fall, and he did a lot of work 113 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 2: on a cabin they bought, and his daughters are at 114 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 2: the age where, at least if you live in the suburbs, 115 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 2: they'll be in endless activities. He then said he did 116 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 2: get to hunt a friend's place in Wisconsin, where he 117 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 2: was told that he couldn't shoot any bucks unless they 118 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: were one fifty plus. He said the landowner invested huge 119 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 2: money into having someone create and plant food plots and 120 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 2: put out tower blinds and essentially said there were too 121 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: deer on the property that could be shot this year. 122 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 2: So this guy said it sucked, But that's that's the 123 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 2: deal when you hunt someone else's property. And I'm not 124 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 2: blaming the landowner for setting his own rules. You make 125 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 2: the money, you buy the land, you call the shots. 126 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 2: I have no problem with that, But what bothered me 127 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 2: was my gym buddy said that he took the landowner's 128 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 2: thirteen year old son out two Now. I said, was 129 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 2: he restricted to one fifties as well? And he said 130 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 2: not by his dad? But the kid was even more 131 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: into trophy hunting than his dad. And I said, well, 132 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 2: how the hell can that be? And he said, he 133 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 2: watches a couple of guys on YouTube who kill multiple 134 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: giants every year, like one eighty to two hundred inch 135 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 2: types of giants, big money deer, if you get my drift. 136 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 2: And I thought, that kid is never going to learn 137 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 2: how to hunt, and he's probably never going to learn 138 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 2: how to enjoy hunting, because the minute a giant isn't 139 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 2: available to hunt, then the hunt is off. And what 140 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 2: does that mean? I don't know, but I'm worried about 141 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 2: the deer hunting landscape that my generation is leaving for 142 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: the next. I'm filling in the blanks right now because 143 00:06:57,880 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 2: I don't know that kid at all, but I think 144 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 2: I can make a few predictions. He's going to always 145 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: have an amazing spot to hunt because his family has money. 146 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 2: He's going to focus on, you know, trophies pretty tightly 147 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 2: above everything else, which probably means he might not be 148 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 2: overly generous with his opportunities. If he sticks with it. 149 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 2: He might not, though I don't know, because even on 150 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: super good ground, the neighbors can kill your buck, and 151 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 2: a whole year of trail camera work and planning can 152 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 2: go up and smoke the minute someone else sends an 153 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 2: arrow or a bullet or across bow bolt flying not. 154 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 2: If there aren't any deer that someone views as worthy 155 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 2: to hunt, then there isn't a reason to hunt, which, 156 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: if you look at it that way, seems insane to 157 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 2: someone like me, but is very very common. If that 158 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: happens enough, then it's not crazy to think that kid 159 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 2: could eventually just decide hunting isn't worth it anymore. And 160 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 2: I don't want to sound like I'm picking on that kid. 161 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: I kind of view that like I view you know, 162 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 2: the dog that bit me on the ass a couple 163 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 2: of weeks ago in the hotel. It wasn't the dog's fault, 164 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 2: if you get my drift, And that's where a lot 165 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 2: of the responsibility lie. I think we are the ones 166 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: who are creating the deer hunting culture and the broader 167 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 2: hunting culture which we are handing off to the next generation. 168 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 2: What are we doing with that responsibility. I recently had 169 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 2: a conversation with one of our other forward facing personalities 170 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 2: who is having trouble with the sales east side of 171 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 2: our business. I said I didn't have an answer for them, 172 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 2: but for me, I figured out a long time ago 173 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 2: that I have to hunt and portray hunting in a 174 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 2: way that feels right and real to me. I don't 175 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 2: know how to put that any other way, but I 176 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 2: know when I do a hard public land hunt, it 177 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 2: makes me feel less gross to do the other parts 178 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 2: of this job. But that's not just the job. I 179 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 2: don't know why this is, but there are certain parts 180 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 2: of hunting that I think are just important. I think 181 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 2: you should burn some calories to kill an animal, because 182 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 2: even though it doesn't make a difference to that animal, 183 00:08:58,480 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 2: for some reason, I think it should make a difference 184 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 2: to us. I think that if you have the means 185 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 2: in the time, which most of us do, then butchering 186 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 2: our own animals just kind of closes the loop in 187 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: an important way. Here's the thing, though, what I think 188 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 2: doesn't really matter. I can pass on those things to 189 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 2: my daughters and the folks I hunt with and their 190 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 2: kids and my audience, and I hope that's the right thing. 191 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 2: But I also have to recognize that everyone draws their 192 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 2: own lines in the sand. If you don't want to 193 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 2: butcher your own deer, who am I to say that 194 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 2: you should? Just like? It would be crazy for me 195 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,439 Speaker 2: to force someone to listen to the kind of music 196 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 2: I like or eat the kind of food that I like. Whatever, 197 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 2: it's none of my business, and that's a good thing 198 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: to recognize. What I think is a better approach is 199 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 2: to ask all of us to consider what we have 200 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 2: influence on and what that means for our interactions, and 201 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 2: what could stick that either should or shouldn't. There are 202 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 2: hunting methods we can pass along, strategies, tactics, ethics, standards, 203 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 2: and a lot of esoteric things we just kind of 204 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 2: pull from the cosmos and decide to deserve a thumbs 205 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 2: up or a thumbs down. There are things we are 206 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 2: largely mobilized together that we all generally accept as good 207 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 2: or bad, but those aren't so simple either. The non 208 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 2: resident hate thing is the one thing that I harp 209 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 2: on all the time, and it fits nicely right here. 210 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,719 Speaker 2: We can justify lobbying to shut down non resident opportunities 211 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: and are well within our legal rights to do so. 212 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 2: We can cloak those arguments in many things and convince 213 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: ourselves that we are for the resource and that's that. 214 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,719 Speaker 2: But you're also actively removing hunting on opportunities from your 215 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 2: fellow hunters. Sugar coated all you want, but if you 216 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 2: advocate for that, you're pretty much doing the same thing 217 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 2: that the anti hunters want to do. We just happen 218 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 2: to be way more successful at it, to be honest, 219 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 2: and while you might get easier hunting when the rat 220 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 2: bastard hunters who live in a different state get booted out, 221 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 2: there will come a time when you will need them 222 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 2: and they won't be there for you. That will create 223 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 2: a net loss of opportunities for future generations. Should we 224 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 2: never consider tightening things up or changing our management structure 225 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 2: while standing on the throats of other hunters. I'm not 226 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 2: saying that, but I'm also not comfortable knowing that when 227 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 2: we take away opportunities from each other, they don't come back, 228 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 2: and that thing we lobby to take away will never 229 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: be there for some kid just learning to hunt now 230 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 2: in a different state. If you don't want hunting to 231 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 2: truly become a rich man's sport, then don't remove affordable opportunities, 232 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 2: because the well healed will always find a way to 233 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 2: do what they want. They'll just lease the land you 234 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 2: used to hunt, buy outfitter tags, whatever. I've bitched about 235 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 2: this stuff enough and I think it's time to go 236 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 2: a different route for the rest of the show. How 237 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 2: can we try to hand off this thing we love 238 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 2: to new generations of people who might just love it 239 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 2: and nurture it the way we would want them to. Well, 240 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 2: let's start with ourselves. If we handle ourselves the right 241 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,719 Speaker 2: way and accept some personal responsibility, that goes pretty far. 242 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 2: I saw a comment recently on an article at the 243 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 2: Mediat's site about taking an out of state trip, and 244 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 2: the comment are essentially spent a paragraph bitching about how 245 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 2: South Dakota has been mismanaged so poorly that there are 246 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 2: no mature bucks there anymore. First off, if you can't 247 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:07,559 Speaker 2: find a mature buck in South Dakota, look inward first. Secondly, 248 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 2: instead of bitching, what are your options? How many buck 249 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 2: taggs do you get per year or use in that state, 250 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 2: in particular, the residents aren't shy about going after non residents, 251 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 2: and I get it, But guess who is next when 252 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,679 Speaker 2: you boot the non residence out and the hunting still 253 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 2: is an Iowa quality, Say goodbye to your opportunities because 254 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,599 Speaker 2: there will be enough residents who have some money and 255 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 2: power who can lobby to keep you from their critters. 256 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 2: And that shit is coming. Where are the solutions? I 257 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 2: get the desire for a good bitch session, hell I 258 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 2: get paid to bitch, But we have to look for 259 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 2: solutions to this stuff. Does it involve a season structure 260 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 2: change we can advocate for, or maybe a license price 261 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 2: increase that goes directly to opening up more private land 262 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 2: to the public. How about a better system to monitor 263 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 2: that land so we aren't giving landowners a big tax 264 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 2: break or a payment for land that is essentially unreachable 265 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 2: or unusable to the hunting public. There's plenty of shit 266 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,120 Speaker 2: like that out there, and it sucks to see. But 267 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,719 Speaker 2: maybe it's simpler than all of this though. Maybe it's 268 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 2: about us learning to do more for ourselves, like but 269 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 2: you our own deer, and then passing along that knowledge 270 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 2: to other hunters who might learn to appreciate that process. 271 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 2: Maybe it's about looking hard for all the deer we hit, 272 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 2: not just the big bucks, and then spending some time 273 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 2: pondering why we made a bad shot and how we 274 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 2: can do better next time. I'm in that stage right 275 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 2: now with shooting on film, and it pisses me off 276 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 2: because I feel like I'm going through something I went 277 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 2: through a long time ago and was hoping wouldn't rear 278 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 2: its ugly head again. But life doesn't work that way. 279 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 2: I'm trying to get my daughters to understand why and 280 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 2: when bad shots happen, and how to follow through the 281 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 2: best way possible. Sometimes it's as simple as thinking about 282 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 2: how we talk about this stuff. I remember hunting in 283 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:51,959 Speaker 2: Texas one time, and a guide there referred to every 284 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 2: buck that wasn't a shooter for the ranch as a 285 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 2: shit buck. Not If that dude has kids, do you 286 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: think they'll be the kinds of hunters we want representing 287 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 2: us in rear the next generation. I don't know, man, 288 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 2: but you might think, well, we are surrounded by assholes, 289 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,679 Speaker 2: and sometimes we are the assholes and that will never change, 290 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 2: and you'd be right. But that's kind of like deciding 291 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 2: that a whole state doesn't have the kind of dear 292 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 2: you deem worthy to hunt and then throwing your hands 293 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 2: in the air and saying, well, it's beyond my control. 294 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 2: I don't know how about lowering your standards or raising 295 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 2: your game to the point where those bucks become in 296 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: play because they do live out there. How we do 297 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 2: this stuff, how we speak about it, the messaging we 298 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 2: send out in the world is shaping the future of hunting. 299 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 2: Whether we take responsibility for that or not. It's happening 300 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 2: regardless of our consent. That doesn't mean we have to 301 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 2: accept the responsibility. But I'm willing to bet most of 302 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 2: the folks who listen to this podcast and who consume 303 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 2: quite a bit of what Mediator puts out, feel something 304 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 2: in the direction of trying to do better when we 305 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 2: can look. I hate that this sounds so preachy, Probably 306 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 2: not as much as you do. I just keep bumping 307 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 2: into this world that we've created and realizing once again 308 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 2: that we are real freaking lucky to have deer to 309 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 2: hunt it all, and the chance to slip into the 310 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 2: woods and experience something that most of the population will 311 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 2: never get to experience. That's their loss. Let's not make 312 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 2: it everyone else's loss if we can help it. Let's 313 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 2: think about the white tail world, the hunting world that 314 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 2: we are passing along to the next generation, and try 315 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 2: to shape it into something that will mean to them 316 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 2: what it either used to mean to us or still does, 317 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 2: or what we wish it meant to us. Okay, that's 318 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 2: my ted talk. I'll get off my soadbox now. I'll 319 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: get back into something lighter and more strategy friendly next week. 320 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 2: Maybe something on late season hunting and trying to wring 321 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 2: the last hunts out of the year, get something done, 322 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 2: makes something happen, something like that. It'll be lighter than 323 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: this one. I promise you that that's it for this week. 324 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 2: I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the Wire to Hunt 325 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 2: Foundation's podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 326 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for all 327 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 2: of your support. It's truly incredible. I've worked in the 328 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 2: outdoor industry a long time and I've never been anywhere 329 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 2: that had an audience like we do here at Meat Eater. 330 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 2: It's truly special. We have nothing without you, guys, so 331 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 2: thank you for that. If you want more content, you 332 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 2: know where to find it. Go to the medeater dot com. 333 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 2: Tons of podcasts, new hunting films all the time, articles 334 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 2: you know how to stuff, newsy stuff recipes, all kinds 335 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 2: of new content going up every day at the mediator 336 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 2: dot com. Check it out and have good holidays.