1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, your home for 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: deer hunting news, stories and strategies, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: Mark Kenyon. Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast. I'm 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: your host, Mark Kenyan. This is episode number one eighteen, 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: and today we're talking about my Montana public Land white 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: tail adventure. But I gotta warn you this is not 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: our best sounding audio episode. I'm in Montana. Dan was 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 1: having technical difficulties, so please bear with us on this 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: one and enjoy. All Right, Welcome to the Wired to 10 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: Hunt Podcast, brought to you by Sick Gear. Today is 11 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: going to be a little bit different podcast than usual 12 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: because we don't have a guest. I'm not at home. 13 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: I'm in Montana, and as I just told Dan, I've 14 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: been driving around town trying to find a building that 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: I can pull up next to and poach some WiFi from. 16 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: So so I'm recording from my truck behind a coffee shop. 17 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: So well, like I said, I'm in Montana, and uh, 18 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: as you know, Dan, I've got some interesting stories this year. Today. 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 1: Hey man, I'm, like I said, I'm extremely jealous of you. 20 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: Um it's to the point now where I I think 21 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: I hate you, but I really I really don't hate you. Thanks, 22 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: thanks for that. I'm sorry that I inspired those feelings, 23 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: but it's purely jealousy. Oh man, I it's been pretty 24 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: cool out here. I've been out here in Montana the 25 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: last like five or six or five days or something 26 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: like that now and have had a pretty epic adventure. 27 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: Um man, it's been fun and I've got a lot 28 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: of story as I want to tell. I want to 29 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: tell everyone about how this hunt has gone. You know 30 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: that we've been talking about for a few months now, 31 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: kind of building up to this trip. Um. Before we 32 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: get to that, I guess really quickly, I want to 33 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: take our little break here that we typically have to 34 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: thank our partners at Sick of Gear who have been 35 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: a long time support of this podcast, and taking a 36 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: break from our usual Sickest Story segment, want to mention 37 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: the Diverge photo contest that sick had just launched a 38 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: little bit ago, which is their annual photo contests. Whether 39 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: they're looking for the most epic, raw, emotional, compelling, super 40 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: unique hunting photos that you can put together, and they are, 41 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: you know, then compiling all these pictures and then allowing 42 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: us the tribe members to vote on which ones we think, 43 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: you know, are the absolute best later this year. So 44 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: that contest just launched. If you want to submit your photos, 45 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 1: you can do that at sick gear dot com slash diverge, 46 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: and they're giving away some pretty sweet prizes to the 47 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: winners of those contests and really to even participants. They're 48 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: giving away sick of gear hats, a bunch of different 49 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: types of sick of gear go pros, the opportunity of 50 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: your pictures published in print and even in all expenses 51 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: paid trip to come here to Bozeman, Montana. So sick 52 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: of gear dot com slash diverge to get more details 53 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: or to submit your own photos. And uh and with 54 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: that now back to what's new in our white tail world? 55 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: Stand Um, Like I said, I want to talk about 56 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: my Montana trip before that. Is there anything new in 57 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: your white tail world? We haven't got to catch up 58 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: in a while. Well, I'm still married, so that that 59 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: means that it's probably not. My white tail world is 60 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: not going as good as I wanted. But you know, 61 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: we really need to get her on the podcast one 62 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: of these days, right right where she can ship talk 63 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: on me for about an hour. Be really entertaining for 64 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: all of us. No, no, I love her to death. 65 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: She puts up with my bs and uh uh that's 66 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: a that's a good thing. But as far as on 67 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: on my end here in Iowa, um, I got four 68 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: four out of my seven tree stands. Hung took me 69 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: eight hours to put up four tree stands. I my 70 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: food plot that I planted. It's coming up. My Braskas 71 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: are coming up nice. Uh. I got my uh my 72 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: scrape tree. It's an old fence post that was part 73 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: of the fence that I tore down. I left it up, 74 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: drilled some holes in it, stuffed some branches in. I 75 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: got a scrape tree. And uh now I'm to that 76 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: period where I just leave my properties alone until October. 77 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: It's exciting knowing it's done and just need the final 78 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: countdown now, right right right. So one of those where 79 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: I want to go out, I want to check my 80 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: trail cameras, but it's it's best just to let them 81 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: soak until that the next time that I'm out there. 82 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: So I'm in a similar situation as you know. You know, 83 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: I've got all my stuff done on my different properties. Um. 84 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: But the one thing different for me is that I 85 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 1: can't remember if I told you this or not. But 86 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: I got a wireless Carl camera for the first time. 87 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: Did we talk about this already? Um, I think you 88 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: mentioned the last time that you were going to get one, 89 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: but you since then, I haven't heard anything about it. Okay. Yeah. 90 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: So So I got one one of the Bushnell wireless 91 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: cams and I set that up on my main Michigan 92 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: property on one of my food plots. And where I 93 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: put up one, I put it consimilar to do. I 94 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: put up a fake scrape tree in the middle of 95 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: that food plot to give me, you know, and maybe 96 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: a little bit better chance at a shot in that plot, 97 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: and then also to have my camera pointed out so 98 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: I guess some pictures of deer in there. Um right. 99 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: So I put the wireless camera there because, like you, 100 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: I don't want to go into my property at all 101 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: in September, and really I don't want to go to 102 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: that area to hunt at all until either the rut 103 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: or want to get daylight pictures of a mature buck 104 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: out there. In the past, I was never able to 105 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: tell that, you know, unless I actually went in there 106 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 1: and checked the camera. But now that I've got this 107 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: wireless camera, I can tell, you know, from home, so 108 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: I'm pretty pumped. I'm really pumped about that. Um it's 109 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: a good news bad news situation though, because I've been 110 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: getting all these pictures now on my phone and I'm 111 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: addicted to it. But I got some bad news today. 112 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: Um my scrape tree that I installed, I didn't do 113 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: a good enough job of getting it secure to there, 114 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: because over the past few days, I've noticed it's spinning 115 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 1: in circles, so stuff is either the wind is blowing 116 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: it or deer pushing it or different things, because I 117 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: can tell that the branches are pointing in a different 118 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 1: direction in every photo. And then and then today I 119 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: saw it has now been pushed over at like a 120 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: forty five degree angle, so it's at a really really 121 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: weird tilt. Now it's not maybe not quite a forty five, 122 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: so it's it's still usable if it doesn't move anymore. 123 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: But I worry, you know, one bad storm or one 124 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: angry buck and that thing is gonna be on the ground. 125 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: So knowing that, I kind of want to go in 126 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: there and fix it, But at the same time, I 127 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: don't want to go in there because the whole point 128 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: has been not to go in there, so I don't know. Man, 129 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: I'm kind of bummed that I and I knew it, 130 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: you know. I actually when I did it, I knew 131 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 1: that I didn't dig the hole deep enough, and I 132 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: just I got struck some really hard ground and I 133 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: was like, this is good enough, But I probably should 134 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: just kept going. Um, because now I'm now I'm dealing 135 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: with this stuff. If something rips my scrape tree out 136 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: of the ground, I'd be very very impressed. Well, this 137 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: is Iowa. That's right, it is. It is Iowa. You 138 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: could have a big buck do some crazy things. Um. 139 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: So that's about it on your set. Huh. Yeah. I mean, 140 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: like I said, I've just been kind of you know, 141 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: I wanted to. I want to go back to the 142 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: property and set up maybe a couple more tree stands, 143 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: but I just think, you know, I'm that I don't 144 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: know about you. But I set up two three four 145 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: tree stands that I know I'm gonna hunt during the 146 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: rut because they are historically good spots. But then I've 147 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: had a tree stands in the past where I thought 148 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: i'd set up for maybe early season spots, and then 149 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 1: I've never hunted them. So I'm doing a running gun 150 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:53,239 Speaker 1: right off the bat anyway, So I figured, you know, what, 151 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: what the hell I like doing it, I'll just do it. 152 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: I'll just you know, jump in and start doing running 153 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: guns first week of October. There you go. Well, it's 154 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: it's uh, it's a tax with the works if you're 155 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: if you're good at getting in there quietly and setting 156 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: your stand up quickly without making a commotion, it really works. Um. 157 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: And that's kind of a good segue into my hunt 158 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: here in Montana because I've been running gunn on it 159 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: every day of the hunt so far. So should we 160 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: talk about this right? Yes? Yes, let's talk about your 161 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: trip to Montana that I'm extremely jealous about. Yeah. So 162 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: I want to kind of do a little role reversal here, Dan, 163 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: and I want to let you take the host rains 164 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna you play the host. I play the 165 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: guest on the show because you always do a nice 166 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: job of of profiling hunters on your podcast. Um. So, 167 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: you know, we've talked a little bit about how I 168 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: was planning for this Montana hunt, you know, in some 169 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 1: past episodes. Um So I guess, knowing that context, you 170 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: know how I planned it a little bit. Now you're 171 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: the host, take it away. What do you want to 172 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: know about this past hunt and what's happened here so far. Well, 173 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: let's do a little let's take a step back, and 174 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: you know you did a lot of research into where 175 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: you were going to hunt, and you were out there 176 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: this you know, this summer. Did you visit the spot 177 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: that you were hunting this summer to scout? Yeah? So, 178 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: so as you know, you know, I chose to hunt 179 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 1: Montana this year in part because right I was already 180 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: gonna be spending a month out here on kind of 181 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: my workcation. Um, so I thought I had an opportunity 182 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: to scout. So yes, I showed up here in Montana 183 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: with a game plan um of a few places I 184 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: wanted to try to scout. I didn't get to do 185 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 1: as much scouting as I thought I was going to 186 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: be able to do, um because of some issues that 187 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,000 Speaker 1: we've talked about a little bit past. But i'll quickly 188 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,079 Speaker 1: review what I did. You know. Step one, I looked 189 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: at kind of like a one to one and a 190 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: half hour radius around where I was staying here in 191 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: kind of west central Montana and was looking for river 192 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: bottom ground. So I was looking for these valleys where 193 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: there's a river running through the middle of it, and 194 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: there's good cover because that's where these white tail seem 195 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: to live the most in states like this, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, 196 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: et cetera. So I was looking for areas like that, 197 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: and then I was looking for public land within those valleys. 198 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: So I found a couple of different valleys where that 199 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: was the case, and I started driving out there. So 200 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: first weekend July, I headed out to one of these 201 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: valleys and just started doing some evening drives. I think 202 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: I did three evening drives in one valley UM to 203 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: check out this river bottom ground and there's two pieces 204 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: excuse me, hiccups, there was two pieces of land that's 205 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: in Montana's block management program, which makes private land available 206 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: to hunters. So I was scoping out in those areas 207 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: in the surrounding region UM, and that's kind of where 208 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 1: I was gonna focus until I don't know, late July, 209 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: I found out that some of these properties might not 210 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,559 Speaker 1: actually be open to public anymore. So at that point 211 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: I was like, well, crap, all the scouting could be 212 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: for nothing, and I'm down to like my final week 213 00:10:58,040 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: out here. I need to have some other kind of game. 214 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: LAMB Um. So I started doing more research, looking at 215 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: different maps, looking at different areas, and I gotta be honest, 216 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: um and give a big thank you to our friend 217 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: Randy Newburgh, because I wouldn hit coffee with him and 218 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: told him, Hey, you know, I'm kind of up in 219 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 1: the air again about some of these different regions. Um, 220 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: is there any specific areas you might you know, general 221 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: areas you might think I should do some new scouting 222 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: him and he pointed out a couple of different new 223 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: river areas that I had not looked at before. They 224 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: were farther away, um, but he said, hey, these might 225 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: be worth scoping out. So I took him up on that, 226 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: and I decided that last week I was here to 227 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: go check out one of these other areas. This was 228 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: like an hour and forty five minutes, almost two hours 229 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: away from where I was staying. But I was like, 230 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: I gotta, I gotta find new area. Last week I'm 231 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: out there. I drive out to this new region, and 232 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: right away when I get to this river bottom area 233 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: way out there, I start seeing a lot of deer 234 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: and a lot of good deer um better than I've 235 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: seen in the in the other areas I've been scouting. 236 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,120 Speaker 1: So after night number one and I think we talked 237 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: about this this summer, like I was pretty stoked. I 238 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 1: found I found my region the spot. The next night 239 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,079 Speaker 1: I went back out because there was a piece of 240 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: public land that I wanted to watch specifically, So I 241 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: drove out the second night, watched it, and then I 242 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: hopped out of the truck and just did like a 243 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: hundred yard walk along the edge of this cover just 244 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: to like see it a little bit, and then that 245 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: was it. Then I had to go home like two 246 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: days later. So that was the extent of scouting I 247 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: got to do out here in Montana. One night drive 248 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,800 Speaker 1: by and then one night drive by and then a 249 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: quick hundred yard walk along the edge of it. That 250 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: is all I had. Um that takes me to August. 251 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: I then, you know, okay, based on the fact that 252 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: this one little piece, I really liked this little piece, 253 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: and I had a neighboring piece of black management land 254 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: that I thought was gonna be open to public. Now, 255 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: as we talked about a couple of weeks ago, at 256 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: the end of August, I found out that was no 257 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: longer public. So now I just had a small piece 258 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: of public next to this private which had all the food, 259 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: but I can hunt the cover next to it still. 260 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: So that was my game plan coming into this. I thought, Okay, 261 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna show up and I'm gonna try to hunt 262 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: this little piece of public next to the food, and 263 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: if you know, we're going to see how that goes. 264 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: And my game plan was and maybe I'm getting ahead 265 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: of myself here, but um, well, well I guess what 266 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: do you want to know next? That's that's the scouting 267 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: I did leading up to this. So you did, you 268 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: got your scouting done? And then when did you realize 269 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: that when you came back here? Because you you you 270 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: came back for the hunt, and but then you realized 271 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: some things have changed, right, yeah? So and and for 272 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 1: the listeners, just you know, Dan sounds a little different 273 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 1: now because we had to just switch things up. We 274 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 1: had some bad service issues. So Dan's on his phone now, 275 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: I'm on my computer now. So to your question, Dan, um, 276 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: you know, like I just said, the piece, but part 277 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:47,599 Speaker 1: of the public lan that thought I was gonna be 278 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: a hunt now it cannot hunt anymore. So I now 279 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: was showing up to hunt a smaller piece. And because 280 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: of that, I did have a backup plan kind of. 281 00:13:56,559 --> 00:13:59,719 Speaker 1: I was just gonna say, so, you know that that 282 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: property kind of fell through for you. You kind of 283 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: had a little bit of a backup plan. Um by 284 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: losing that piece of property, did it miss things up 285 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: big time for you? Or were were you pretty comfortable 286 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: with going into that smaller piece of that of that 287 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: public ground and uh making it go at it. I 288 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 1: was a little more nervous, just because the original piece 289 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: had all the food on him. So I knew, like 290 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: I had thought, Okay, I'm gonna go in there and 291 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be able to hunt this food easy. And 292 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: these bucks and all these deer were coming out to 293 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: feed into this. I assumed they'd be doing it pretty consistently. Um. 294 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: My worry was that now that all I could hunt 295 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: was the cover. My question to myself was can I 296 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: get into that without spooking deer in the afternoon. That's 297 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: what I didn't know. Um. So because of that, I 298 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: did a little more research. I found a couple of 299 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: other properties within about a twenty minute drive, um, some 300 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: block management some other that I could hunt if I 301 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: had to. So I said, okay, I'm going to go 302 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: in there. The first night or two hunt this original property, 303 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna play it safe and observe, see what 304 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: I see and if I can hunt it, and if 305 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: I see some quality bucks or if I see dear enough, 306 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: then I'll keep hunting here. But if not, after the 307 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: first two nights and then I'm going to go explore 308 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: these other two areas. You know, I didn't given the 309 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: fact I only had seven days to hunt, I couldn't 310 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: devote too much time to anyone's spot unless I knew 311 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: it could produce. So the plan for night number one 312 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: was to just get to the edge of this cover 313 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: between the food and the cover and that little transition area, 314 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: try not to go in too far because I didn't 315 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: know where they're betted, and just observe. So that that 316 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: was my game plan when I showed up on showed 317 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: up Saturday afternoon with that plan. So night number one, 318 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: I mean, you got well be for that. You get 319 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: to this this public ground that you had scouted out, 320 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: did you run into any other hunters out there? So 321 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: if first no, um, I pulled up to the parking 322 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: lot area kind of thing and there was no one 323 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: else there. There was a little campground there where I 324 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: was planning on staying, and there were a bunch of 325 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: other hunters at the campground, but I talked to them 326 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: and they were elk hunters, so I was feeling pretty good. 327 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: I parked my truck, got all situated and started hiking 328 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: in and I just took my sweet time getting in there. 329 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: And I had already, you know, studied my maps, and 330 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: I kind of located this first section of trees I 331 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: thought I could get to with minimal intrusion, but that 332 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: would give me a good view of both this kind 333 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: of covery area. It's kind of a mix of like 334 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: willows and brush and grass that's where these deer bedded, 335 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: and some cottonwood trees. And then I could also see 336 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: this alfalfa field to my east. So I snuck in 337 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: there and I brought a stand and sticks with me, 338 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: and I got that tree stand hung up. I cut 339 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: a few shooting lanes. Is quiet, not not really shooting lanes. 340 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: There was just the tree I was sitting in UM, 341 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: so I just kind of opened up a couple of 342 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: holes in the tree I was hunting so I could 343 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: get some shots. But as I was doing that, another 344 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: vehicle pulled in UM next to mine, and a couple 345 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: of bow hunters stepped out of there. Um. So I 346 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: kind of just walk you through how the rest of 347 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: that first night went. So, so I got up there 348 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: in the tree, saw these other guys. I'm like, God, crap, 349 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: you know, I really hope they're not going to come 350 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: over here by me. But as I'm you know, kind 351 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: of moaning and groaning in my head about this, here 352 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 1: comes some deer out of the cover, heading towards the field. Um. 353 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: And then it just kept going and going. Over the 354 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: next hour and a half. Dough dough, little buck, little buck, 355 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 1: dough dough, little buck. Lots of deer started piling out, 356 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: and I was feeling pretty good because my little observations 357 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,120 Speaker 1: stand that I thought would be a good observation stand 358 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: and also might have the chance of seeing some bucks 359 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: because there's a number of trails that did come within 360 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: range there. Um. Well, I had picked a pretty decent 361 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: spot because I was seeing a lot of deer and 362 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,159 Speaker 1: some of them were close. Um, maybe thirty percent of 363 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 1: the deer were within shooting range. Um, and a larger 364 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: portion maybe we're a little bit farther south of me. Um. 365 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: But I was feeling good about, you know, the fact 366 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: that it had only been like an hour and a 367 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: half of hunting, and I was seeing all these deer 368 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: um just as we started getting to the point where 369 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,479 Speaker 1: maybe I thought, you know, a buck, bigger buck might 370 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: be coming through, because there's maybe an hour and a 371 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 1: half before dark. Now one of these hunters, one of 372 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,760 Speaker 1: these hunters comes walking through and he was hunting on 373 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: the round, just kind of walking around with his bone arrow, 374 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: and he spoke a bunch of deer and walked with 375 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: him like fifty yards of me maybe, and then he 376 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: saw me up in the trio. It's kind of waved 377 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: at him, and then I don't know if he saw 378 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 1: a deer or something, because he saw me, and then 379 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: he knelt down and faced the opposite direction of me 380 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: and just sat there looking for like fifteen minutes, right 381 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: in front of me, and I'm like, all right, I 382 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: don't know what you're doing. I just kind of assumed 383 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: that there must be a deer on the other side 384 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: of this brush that I can't see, and he's like 385 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: he's gonna wait it out and try to shoot this 386 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: deer in front of me. And finally that didn't work out, 387 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: I guess, because like fifteen minutes later he got up 388 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: and walked out. Um, so it was kind of bummed 389 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: about that. You know, I was hoping. One of the 390 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: things I was really hoping, given this whole Montana idea, 391 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: was that being so far away from most city centers 392 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: and being in an area where white tail hunting is 393 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: not nearly as popular, I was thinking I could have 394 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: maybe a relatively pressure free public land hunt, which is rare. UM. 395 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: But but you know, it didn't didn't quite workout. So 396 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,400 Speaker 1: those guys kind of screwed up my night number one hunt. 397 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: But still about an hour after they disappeared, if those 398 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: guys left, UM, a couple of young two year olds 399 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: ten pointers or maybe one was an eight. One of 400 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: those ten they came walking right by me and saw 401 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 1: a few more deer, and then just towards last light, 402 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: I spun around and I could look in these fields 403 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: behind me, and a little farther south me, just through 404 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: some little holes and leaves, I was able to spot 405 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 1: a couple of shooter bucks, maybe a hundred fifty yards 406 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: out in the field south and east of me. So 407 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,879 Speaker 1: I felt really good just to describe describe a second 408 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: what a shooter buck in Montana is for those listeners, well, 409 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 1: you know, for me, it was a minimum of a 410 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: three year old hopefully older, but a minimum of a 411 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: three year old buck. Um and just just a nice 412 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: representative buck. I didn't go into this trying to shoot 413 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: a giant or setting some kind of like super high standards. UM. 414 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: I was going to this thinking, hey, this is gonna 415 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: be a pretty big challenge, you know, going into a 416 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: totally new state, super far from the public land, camping 417 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: on my truck. UM. So I just wanted to kill 418 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: a buck that was gonna make me happy and it 419 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 1: was relatively mature. Um, So that was what I was 420 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 1: shooting for. UM. So what I saw out there in 421 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 1: that field where a couple of bucks that had nice, big, 422 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: solid bodies. So it told me, yeah, these are mature 423 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: gear and you know, decent enough headgear. Um that caught 424 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: your attention. Um probably one twenties, one thirties somewhere around that, right. 425 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: So I was like, oh, that's a nice buck, big bodies, 426 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: sweet that that that'll make me happy on this hunt. 427 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: So perfect. So yeah, so that's what I saw, and 428 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 1: that let me know, Okay, there's at least a couple 429 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: of quality bucks in the area that are worth hunting. 430 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: And you know they're within, you know, somewhere within this area. 431 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: They had to have come off the public lands somewhere 432 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: because of the direction they were walking and where I 433 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: saw them, so I knew, you know it, Maybe it 434 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: wasn't right where I was hunting today, but I knew 435 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: that there were bucks that I could possibly hunt. So 436 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: that night hunt ended, I snuck out and I said, Okay, 437 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: I've got to I've got to make an adjustment tomorrow. 438 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: But that was what night number one looked like. Um, 439 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: so do you want me to move on to night 440 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 1: number two or do you have any questions about that hunt? Well, 441 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: my my question is did you hunt the next morning 442 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: or were you strictly hunting afternoons. Yeah, so my plan 443 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: was to not hunt the first couple of mornings because 444 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,479 Speaker 1: I had a really good situation for evening hunts. Mornings 445 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: I felt less confident, So I thought, Okay, hunt the 446 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: first few days, just the evening's played a little bit safe. 447 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: Figure out how the deer using this area where they're bedded, 448 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,959 Speaker 1: when they're coming back to bed, all that stuff, and 449 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 1: then if you figure it out and you think you 450 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: can hunt mornings, then I would do that. The last 451 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: like four or five days, but the first couple of 452 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: days I was going to play a little bit safe 453 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: and just try to learn. So also, the other thing 454 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,119 Speaker 1: to keep in mind is that right towards the end 455 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,959 Speaker 1: of my first night's hunt, it started to rain, and 456 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: it was on pace to just keep raining for the 457 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:58,959 Speaker 1: next two days almost So it started raining that night 458 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: and the next morning I woke up and it was 459 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: raining like crazy, And so my plan was to just 460 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: hop in my truck, well, hop out of the back 461 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 1: of my truck into the front of my truck and 462 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: just scout from the road again. And so I got 463 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: up really early and it just drove around some of 464 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: these hills. I could see down into the crop fields 465 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: around the public land, and I was just trying to see, Okay, 466 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,679 Speaker 1: how long do these deer stay out feeding in the morning, 467 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: When are they going back to bed Where specifically are 468 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: they going back to bed um? And you know, are 469 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: there some other areas of this public that maybe I'm 470 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: I didn't realize it could be good that are good. 471 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: So that's why I kind of tried to figure out. 472 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 1: And I found another field on the other side of 473 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,360 Speaker 1: the property um that hadn't had deer in it when 474 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: I showed up in July and did have some box 475 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: in it this morning that this was like a Sunday morning, 476 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: I think. So I was like, okay, hey, there's an 477 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,479 Speaker 1: option to option B on this piece um. But then 478 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: I also saw a bunch of deer on my main 479 00:22:53,640 --> 00:23:00,159 Speaker 1: section going back into bed on the public So what 480 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: were these food sources that these deer were heading out into. Yeah, 481 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: it was just a great, big, giant elf alfa field 482 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: um with handful of trees in the middle and some 483 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: little grassy breaks and stuff in and around there, but 484 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: mostly just big open elf alfa field um that they 485 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: were that is there a lot was the numbers? I 486 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: mean from you know, just from a number standpoint, where 487 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 1: are there a lot of deer? Did you see a 488 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: lot of deer while you're hunting out there? Yeah? So 489 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: that was a big difference between a lot of other 490 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: places I've hunted. Just a lot of deer, like, way 491 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: more deer than I'm used to seeing most other places. 492 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: So that they've got the cool thing about at least 493 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: this area, and I think it's relatively consistent and a 494 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 1: lot of good parts of Montana is that there are 495 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 1: very high deer numbers, and there's really a really great 496 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: buck to door ratio because it's just not very many hunters. 497 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: So it's not like here in Michigan where all the bucks, 498 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: you know, year and a half old or anything are 499 00:23:57,760 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 1: getting shot. So in Michigan, you know, there's like one 500 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,360 Speaker 1: buck to every five does or something crazy like that. 501 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,239 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's horrible, but out here it's like 502 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: one to one. I saw just as many, if not 503 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:11,360 Speaker 1: more bucks than I saw does, and a very evenly 504 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: distributed age structure. So I saw a year and a 505 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: half holds. I saw lots of two and a half 506 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: year olds. I saw lots of three four Um, so 507 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: you're seeing, you know, lots of nice bucks. So just 508 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: from like an enjoyment standpoint, it was a blast just 509 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: seeing a lot of deer and seeing a lot of 510 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: like nice looking bucks that would like at least get 511 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 1: your heart pumping enough to like pull up your binoculars 512 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: and say, oh, is that a shooter? Um? So that's 513 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:39,439 Speaker 1: what I was seeing. So it rained. They two started 514 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: off raining in your truck. So you went on a 515 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: little drive. Did that? Did that rain let up towards 516 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,119 Speaker 1: the evening of night? To no, it just kept on pouring, 517 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: so I scout in the morning. Then I came back 518 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: to camp, I took a nap in the truck, tried 519 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:56,120 Speaker 1: to I did a little writing UM, and then around 520 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: I think one thirty year or maybe two, I decided 521 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: to go try to find this new spot. And so 522 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,639 Speaker 1: based on what I've seen the first night, UM, I 523 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: was thinking these deer were coming out south of me, 524 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: and there was a change in wind direction that kind 525 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: of compelled me to have to go even farther south 526 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,639 Speaker 1: to to be able to hunt without having my wind 527 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: blow back to where I thought these deer might be betted. 528 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: So I drove to the other side of the section, 529 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,360 Speaker 1: parked my truck, put another standing sticks on my backpack 530 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 1: through my rain gear, and hiked out to this new 531 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: area across the river. Found another stand again that I 532 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: thought I could get into and see this area better. 533 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: And this spot this time I could see the fields 534 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: much better than I could night number one, because now 535 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: my goal was, Okay, I know they're not way far 536 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,880 Speaker 1: north where I was. How far south are they? That's 537 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 1: why I wanted to figure out. So now I'm on 538 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: the far south part of the property, trying to confirm 539 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: where in the middle is this action happening? And it 540 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,400 Speaker 1: didn't take long for me to figure that out. Um. Literally, 541 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: I'm hanging the stand still and it's maybe three o'clock, 542 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: maybe three thirty, I don't know, pouring rain, and Um, 543 00:25:58,240 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: I'm hanging the stand and I look out across the 544 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: field over by where I was hunting on the first night, 545 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 1: and here's like six bucks coming out in the field. 546 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,919 Speaker 1: I'm like a son of a gun. Um. And that 547 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,879 Speaker 1: was kind of the big lesson from that night. I 548 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: didn't see hardly anything down by where I was hunting, 549 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 1: like two doughs. All the deer, like like forty deer 550 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: or more, including I don't know, fifteen bucks maybe more. 551 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: All of them were coming out into the northern section 552 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: of the field, um, near where I was hunting the 553 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 1: first night, although maybe not ultimately right by there. Um. 554 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: And what I kind of found is that the reason 555 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,199 Speaker 1: why that was happening is that that section of the 556 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:41,159 Speaker 1: field was lush grain alfalfa. Still the section down the 557 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 1: south had been cut and was like all dried up 558 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: and and the deer weren't feeding down there. So so 559 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 1: that was what I took away from that. Oh and 560 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: I saw two bucks that like for sure. I was like, okay, 561 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: those are for sure shooters. There are a bunch of 562 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: like twinter Bucks, and there was two that I saw, 563 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: like okay, those definitely nice big body you know, representative 564 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,760 Speaker 1: nice for spectable buck. Um. So I again felt good, 565 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: and I knew that those bucks were coming out somewhere 566 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: in this region. And I'd say it's like a like 567 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: a hundred two hundred maybe like a hundred fifty yard 568 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: tall like north to south section of field that is 569 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: that comes out of this adjacent public land. Um. So 570 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 1: then that that that left. I snuck out that night 571 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 1: and I had a game plan of the fact that Okay, 572 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: I need to move back north, but I think I 573 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: need to make one final tweak. Okay. So the next 574 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: question I have for you is in regards to where 575 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,359 Speaker 1: these geer coming out the betting area, the you know, 576 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:40,160 Speaker 1: the ending food source, where they were going. How big 577 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: of an area were you playing with here in terms 578 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: of acres? You know, the whole large section was probably 579 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 1: a couple of hundred acres um maybe um, but the 580 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: actual small area that I was focused on couldn't been Well, 581 00:27:57,720 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's less than that maybe maybe 582 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,760 Speaker 1: we're talking like a hundred acre area total, but the 583 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: microregion that I was focusing on was really like probably, 584 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: oh gosh, maybe like twenty acres um because really I 585 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: was focused. I was hunting right on the edge of 586 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: the private land in the public land, so right in 587 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: the edge of the cover and the food um. And 588 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: then it was just like a maybe like four hundred 589 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,719 Speaker 1: yards wide from north or four hundred yards long from 590 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,199 Speaker 1: north to south maybe, and then you know, covers on 591 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,439 Speaker 1: the west side, foods on the east side, and I 592 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 1: was just working my way up and down that line 593 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,240 Speaker 1: from north to south, trying to figure out where is 594 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: the transition point where they coming through the most um. 595 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: And then you know, there was I don't know how 596 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: deep the deer were into the cover that they were bedded, 597 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,239 Speaker 1: but one of the main things I found on night 598 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: number one is that they were not bedded right in 599 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: the edge, so I could move up and down that 600 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: transition line safely early in the day without needing, without 601 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: worrying about spooking deer. So that gave me confidence for 602 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 1: the next day that I could sneak in there and 603 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: and hang a new stand and just make that small 604 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: adjustment because I didn't need to worry about spooking deer 605 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: as long as I was in there early. UM. I 606 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: will point out that every night the deer were moving 607 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: super early. I mean by like three o'clock probably every 608 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: day three three thirty somewhere around there. UM, they were 609 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: deer heading out to feed, which was pretty surprising to 610 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 1: be compared to most other places I hunt. UM. But 611 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: you know, these deer aren't pressured too much. And another 612 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: interesting thing that I noticed was the moontime. You know, 613 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: we've talked to a lot of different people about the moontime. UM. 614 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: I picked up the two thousand sixteen version of the 615 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: Moon Guide, you know that Adam Hayes and Joe Miles 616 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 1: and guys like that talk about, and that just shows 617 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: you the overhead and underfoot times for the moon. And 618 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,120 Speaker 1: as as we've talked about, you know what a lot 619 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: of people believe is that when the overhead or underfoot 620 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: time for the moon coincides with that last couple hours 621 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: of daylight or first couple of hours daylight in the morning, 622 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: that can lead to increased day movement. Well that was 623 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 1: happening during this week I was hunting. So I think 624 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: those first couple of days. The red moontime was like 625 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: three thirty and then day three or four twenty something. Um, 626 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: So so you know, it just could be circumstances. You know, 627 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: it could have been coincidence maybe, but at least in 628 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: this case, the deer movement times coincided very closely with 629 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: that moon time. So that was kind of interesting thing 630 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: I saw. All Right, So it's it's night three, Like 631 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: you're getting ready to go set up on night three, right, Um, 632 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: you didn't bump any deer going in. Um, you're set up? 633 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: How long? How long was it taken you to set up? 634 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: And how long between from the time that you started, 635 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: you know, you got rested in the stand until you 636 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: were seeing deer. Yeah, so I want to I want 637 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: to rewind us a little bit and and describe how 638 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: I got to that point, um, because because so, like 639 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: I said on it, and two, I saw these deer 640 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: were farther up north. But you know, that night I 641 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: sat there thinking, Okay, I've got a tree stand up 642 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: there already that I could just walk in and hunt. 643 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: But I wasn't seeing the mature but I wasn't seeing 644 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: the big box come by that location. Now I knew 645 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 1: that part of that could be because those guys came 646 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 1: walking through and spoot some of those deer, so that 647 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 1: could be the reason why I didn't see the shooter box. 648 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: Or I also knew that I could not see very 649 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: far south of me from that stand because of these 650 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: different trees in the way that I couldn't trim out 651 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: at all. So I knew that they were deer moving 652 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: through that I couldn't see between me and the river. 653 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: I was probably about a hundred yards from the river. 654 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:39,719 Speaker 1: I was hundred yards north of the river, and I 655 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: heard a lot of deer splashing through the river. And 656 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: I had seen, you know, these other deer pop out 657 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: into the field that I never knew where they came from, 658 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: but I knew that they must have come out somewhere 659 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: around there. So I sat there thinking, well, I could 660 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: hunt the easy stand that's already there, or I could 661 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: bring in another stand and set up a new stand, 662 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: like sixty yards or fifty yards south of where hunt 663 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,239 Speaker 1: that first night. So I ended up deciding to do 664 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 1: that because you know, you know, with a short amount 665 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: of time, you just gotta be a little more aggressive 666 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 1: and make things happen. Um And I thought, given the 667 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 1: wind direction I had, which was west northwest. Um, given 668 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:17,239 Speaker 1: the wind direction and given what I'd seen on night 669 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: number one, number two, my hypothesis was that there were 670 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: deer filtering all throughout this little section, but the bigger 671 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: bucks were probably bedded in what looked like the very 672 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: best cover, which was right along the edge of that river. 673 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: So if that was the case, that means they are 674 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: probably the deer that were where they were traveling these 675 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: trails parallel to the river. That was my hypothesis, And 676 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 1: with the wind direction I had, it was gonna blow 677 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: me blow my wind out to the west and a 678 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: little bit, you know, down to the south, and that 679 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: would allow any deer that came out that way, it 680 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: would allow that wind to be hopefully just cutting south 681 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: of them. That was my hope and my thoughts. So 682 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: I grabbed another stand sticks and the rain just finally 683 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: stopped around noon, so it's nice and wet, so I 684 00:32:57,960 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 1: could go in there quietly. But because of this west 685 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: northwest wind, I had to be careful about how I 686 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: accessed it, because I didn't want my wind to blow 687 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,040 Speaker 1: down into the cover to the south, and because I'm 688 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: accessing from the north, and so that wind wanted to 689 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: be pushed down into the cover where they're beded. So 690 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: I've got my trees to I've got my sticks, so 691 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 1: I got my camera gear, I've got a pulse, I've 692 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: got all sorts of crap, my bow, my all that crap, 693 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: and I'm loaded down. So I have to walk way 694 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: out around. I walk up to the road basically, and 695 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: I walked the edge of the road way way way 696 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: far north, away from the property and the cover to 697 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,960 Speaker 1: make sure I don't blow my wind into their circle 698 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: around get into the bottomed river bottom area, and I 699 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: just took my sweet time, and I was just really 700 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: careful and really quiet, and it was like one thirty 701 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: in the afternoon, so I thought I wasn't there early enough, 702 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 1: and got down to the edge of the close to 703 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 1: the edge of the river. And when I got to 704 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: this area I wanted to be, I was torn between 705 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:53,479 Speaker 1: two different trees. Um kind of just there weren't great trees. 706 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: All the trees are um interestingly, have just got clusters 707 00:33:58,120 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: of like I don't know if they're willows or some 708 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 1: kind a shrubby brushy thing. It's just thick as heck 709 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,239 Speaker 1: coming out from all the bases of these trees. So 710 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 1: every tree I wanted to get into required like an 711 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,759 Speaker 1: enormous amount of trimming to even get a set of 712 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 1: sticks on the tree. It was like just so thick um, 713 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,880 Speaker 1: and a lot of it was dead brush, like dead limbs, 714 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: so it made a lot of noise when you're trying 715 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:24,880 Speaker 1: to like push your way into there. So I just 716 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 1: had to painstakingly try to trim out a little section 717 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: of this brush so that I could get my sticks 718 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 1: up on that tree. Um. But the one thing I 719 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: did have going for me was, like I said, it 720 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: had rained, so the grass was quiet, and then it 721 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:39,760 Speaker 1: was still kind of windy. It was pretty windy actually, 722 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 1: so I had some stuff disguising my sound. So long 723 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: story short, I tried to be as quiet as I 724 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: could and got the sticks up, got up in the stand, 725 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 1: and i'll tell you what DAN Like, as soon as 726 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,720 Speaker 1: I got in that tree and like looked to see, okay, 727 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 1: exactly at what I could see from this tree stand, 728 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: I like I literally got shakes, like I was shaking, 729 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 1: and I got nervous in my stomach, like it was 730 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: the spot. And I just had this very very very 731 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: physical feeling that this was the spot. I've had that 732 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,959 Speaker 1: happened twice before the night before I killed job shot 733 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,760 Speaker 1: job breaker and eventually killed me, you know the story. Um. 734 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:17,000 Speaker 1: And then the night that I went in last year 735 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: on October one and killed my buck in Michigan. Those 736 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: two times I felt like dead on, this is the 737 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: killing tree, this is the killing night, and it actually 738 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: panned out. And now this third time, UM, and so 739 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:29,879 Speaker 1: I was like, whoa, this is the spot because here's 740 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,880 Speaker 1: what this spot was. Damn. I was in this cluster 741 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:35,399 Speaker 1: of trees, a small tree, but a cluster of trees 742 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:37,439 Speaker 1: around me with lots of cover. And then like I said, 743 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: there was this like shrubby, nasty growth all underneath me. 744 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:42,240 Speaker 1: And what I did, I didn't put my tree stand 745 00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: too high. I just situated enough that like my lower 746 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:49,280 Speaker 1: body was still covered by those shrubs, just my upper 747 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: half was above it. So you couldn't see me basically 748 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,800 Speaker 1: at all if I was sitting down. Just if I 749 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: stood up, I could shoot over it to most anything 750 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,359 Speaker 1: around me, so i'd awesome cover. And then to the 751 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: north of me, I could see this grassy field, this 752 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: kind of tall grassy field that I had been able 753 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 1: to watch the first night. But I could see more 754 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 1: of it now, And I had a number of trails 755 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,719 Speaker 1: converging within about fifteen yards of me, all converging down 756 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 1: to a low spot in the fence between the private 757 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: and the public, so there's deer funneling that way to 758 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: cross there. And then to the south of me, I 759 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: had the river about forty yards away. Forty five yards 760 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,760 Speaker 1: away the river was, and then I had several trails 761 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,839 Speaker 1: running parallel between me and the river. So any deer 762 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: that wanted to travel through this area, basically we're pinched 763 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: down around me on either side, and my wind was 764 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: blowing parallel to those trails, so they would either be 765 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:39,479 Speaker 1: north of me or south of me, but hopefully would 766 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:41,120 Speaker 1: be you know not, it wouldn't be any kind of 767 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: like direct wind type situation. So I felt really good 768 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: about it. And now to answer your question you asked, 769 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: like ten minutes ago, as I'm hanging my camera up 770 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: like my camera arm, I catch a glimpse of movement, 771 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 1: like almost right underneath me. And here's it, like a 772 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 1: two year old eight pointer yards away while I'm still 773 00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: getting set up, and so I'm like, crap, he must 774 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: have seen me. So I'm just frozen. But he's just 775 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: kind of looking around and then he he beds, he 776 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:11,720 Speaker 1: beds down yards away from me, and I'm like, crap, 777 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:16,719 Speaker 1: now I can't move some stuck there hoping. Yeah, it was. 778 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 1: It was awful because I still don't have my stuff right. 779 00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: I think my bow is in the tree, but my 780 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: camera gear is not set up. I've got my extra 781 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: warm layer still hanging on limbs because I hadn't put 782 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,239 Speaker 1: those on yet. Um. But finally another buck comes through. 783 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 1: The first buck stands up, they'll slowly walk off, they 784 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,839 Speaker 1: walk down, cross into the field, and they do get 785 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: into my wind So I'm like, okay, this is the 786 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 1: moment of truth. Are they going to win me? Or 787 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 1: will my scent control program work again? And you know, luckily, 788 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:47,360 Speaker 1: the whole you know, the whole system that I that 789 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 1: I apply, which you know about you know, I spread 790 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: down a sent away, I put nose jam around my 791 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: boots in my tree, and I use those ox machine. 792 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 1: Um that all worked because they got to my windstream. 793 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,319 Speaker 1: They stood there for a second, sniffed around, and then 794 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: just kept on going. So that was a huge sigh 795 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:04,319 Speaker 1: of relief. And um, I finally was able to get 796 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 1: my camera gear set up. Got my bow in the hangar, 797 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,320 Speaker 1: and I got kind of situated and said, Okay, now 798 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:11,680 Speaker 1: now things are going to happen. So so that's where 799 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,759 Speaker 1: I'll leave things off. Was there any terrain features, I know, 800 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 1: you're you were talking about a river bottom. Uh, it's 801 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: fairly flat and river bottoms. But was there any like 802 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:27,759 Speaker 1: little drainages in that area that you were hunting, or 803 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: any terrain features that you know, kind of you know, 804 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 1: brought the deer to your location that may have funneled 805 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 1: um or or made it as a pinch point of 806 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 1: some sort. So to your point, there was not a 807 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 1: whole lot of major terrain variation at all down in 808 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: the area was hunting. I guess it was. It was 809 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 1: high on either side, so it was kind of like 810 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: a big bowl. Um, You've got hills on either side. 811 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:55,799 Speaker 1: And then down in the bottom is this this river 812 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: And then you know, like I said, like a four 813 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,880 Speaker 1: yard wide swath of this flat land down on this 814 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: bottom where the river runs through, and then all this 815 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:06,960 Speaker 1: cover was and then on the east side was the food. 816 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 1: So where I was actually hunting was pretty flat. Um, 817 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:16,360 Speaker 1: So the only really funneling features was the cover itself. Um. 818 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,120 Speaker 1: And so within that cover, like I said, there was 819 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:24,640 Speaker 1: patchy mixes of tall grass, cottonwood trees and then this brushy, willowy, bushy, 820 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:27,920 Speaker 1: shrubby crap um. So what seemed to happen is that 821 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 1: they were they were bedded in that very thickest stuff, 822 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:33,319 Speaker 1: but they would travel into the openings. But typically we're 823 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:36,440 Speaker 1: kind of along some of those edges. But what I 824 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: really saw was actually from the maps and then confirmed 825 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:42,440 Speaker 1: when I was on the ground. But even on the maps, um, 826 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,279 Speaker 1: you know, I got a hunt terror map from from 827 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:47,279 Speaker 1: Ben and those guys made up for this piece of 828 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,359 Speaker 1: publics and say is my number one option from that map, 829 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,960 Speaker 1: and then from looking at some different online options too. 830 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:54,720 Speaker 1: Even before I had that map, you could actually see 831 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: trails from the aerial view where these deer were using 832 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:00,719 Speaker 1: a lot. So I knew a couple of these areas, 833 00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 1: and I so based on I knew that there seemed 834 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:04,840 Speaker 1: to be a lot of trails paralleling the river. And 835 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:06,560 Speaker 1: then there was a couple more just north of that 836 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:10,959 Speaker 1: um And now I was situated right between those two spots, um, 837 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:13,840 Speaker 1: and it seems like those were the main main features 838 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:16,320 Speaker 1: and why exactly they you know, use a couple of 839 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:18,600 Speaker 1: those trails in the middle of the grassy area. I'm 840 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 1: not quite sure, um, but that's kind of what I 841 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: was seeing, all right, So two bucks right away before 842 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:33,040 Speaker 1: your gear ever, you know, you finished shutting up. Did 843 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,720 Speaker 1: you get it? I mean, as those two bucks worked 844 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: their way away from you out into that field, did 845 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 1: more dear automatically start coming out or did you have 846 00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:47,200 Speaker 1: time to get situated? So I have time to get situated, 847 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:50,719 Speaker 1: but not very much. Um. I had just gotten things situated, 848 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: and then the kind the kind of parade started. Little 849 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 1: bucks does a little buck, A couple more does um? 850 00:40:59,719 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 1: But I'm situated. I'm watching, you know, I'm just a 851 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 1: few of them go south of me enough that they 852 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: get back into my wind again. I get nervous, but 853 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,080 Speaker 1: I passed the test again, so I'm like, okay, like, 854 00:41:10,239 --> 00:41:12,720 Speaker 1: so far, so good, this this plan is working out. 855 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 1: And I'm sitting there. I can't remember, Ersecca, what I 856 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,359 Speaker 1: was doing. I think I was watching this doe faun 857 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 1: that had gone out into the field, and I happened 858 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:24,120 Speaker 1: to just catch a little glimpse of something underneath me, 859 00:41:24,239 --> 00:41:26,879 Speaker 1: like a little flash movement, and I looked down there 860 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:31,160 Speaker 1: and there's a big buck literally right underneath me. But 861 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: like I told you, there's this brush and so like 862 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:38,359 Speaker 1: you can see him, but there's no way I could 863 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 1: shoot him. And you know, all his deer had been 864 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:44,080 Speaker 1: going from west to east heading out to feed. He 865 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:46,719 Speaker 1: was going from east to west back into the cover, 866 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: and I'm like, crap, So he'd already walked past me. 867 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:53,520 Speaker 1: I never heard him. I never saw him. And then 868 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 1: something happened. They didn't like maybe he caught me moving, 869 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:58,960 Speaker 1: maybe he winded me, and now he's jogging back into 870 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:01,759 Speaker 1: the cover. And it happened in a flash, you know, 871 00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 1: I saw him. I spun around to try to grab 872 00:42:04,719 --> 00:42:06,600 Speaker 1: my bow and he was running away by then and 873 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:10,400 Speaker 1: he disappeared. And so I just I was I was 874 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:13,239 Speaker 1: pretty piste because like I had made the move, it 875 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 1: had worked out. I had put myself in this position. 876 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 1: On day three, I had a shooter at five yards 877 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,360 Speaker 1: and I didn't even know it and I blew it, 878 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:28,439 Speaker 1: and that was like, I was like, you know, what 879 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:32,640 Speaker 1: was this? I so that night before night number two, 880 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:34,319 Speaker 1: one of the big deer I had seen out there 881 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:37,359 Speaker 1: in the field was a really tall dark horned eight pointer, 882 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 1: tight and tall, dark horned eight point with a really 883 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: big body, and he was like the best buck I 884 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 1: had seen that night, so he was the one I wanted. Well, 885 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 1: what I remember when I looked down at this buck 886 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,400 Speaker 1: grind uneath me is that he had tall brow times 887 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,879 Speaker 1: in a tight, tall frame. So I was like, it's 888 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:56,320 Speaker 1: that buck. So I thought this was that nice tall 889 00:42:56,560 --> 00:43:00,120 Speaker 1: eight point maybe like one thirty, big bodied, you know, 890 00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:01,600 Speaker 1: it could have been a four year old or five 891 00:43:01,680 --> 00:43:04,960 Speaker 1: year old, just a cool looking buck. Um, that's what 892 00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:07,719 Speaker 1: I thought he was. So I was pretty bummed out 893 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,600 Speaker 1: that potentially that the top buck that I've seen so 894 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 1: far had been right there, and uh, I did not 895 00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 1: do what I was supposed to do with it. All right, 896 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:19,239 Speaker 1: So that you said that was roughly so you had 897 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:23,560 Speaker 1: what three hours of hunting light left? Yeah? Yeah, and 898 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:28,840 Speaker 1: um and and I'll just continue actually because you know, 899 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,439 Speaker 1: I'm piste off about that. And then like a minute later, 900 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:33,600 Speaker 1: maybe two minutes later, as I'm sitting there like, oh 901 00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:35,879 Speaker 1: my gosh, how did I miss that? Like how could 902 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:37,440 Speaker 1: I not hear him? And well, the reason I couldn't 903 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:38,799 Speaker 1: hear him because it was just so windy, like you 904 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:41,120 Speaker 1: just couldn't hear any deer movement. So I decided, okay, 905 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:44,839 Speaker 1: I just cannot I can't stay still, like I need 906 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:47,239 Speaker 1: my head swiveling at all times because there's so many 907 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:49,319 Speaker 1: deer moving through here. I need to make sure I 908 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:52,360 Speaker 1: spot one of these bucks come through, especially on that 909 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,200 Speaker 1: one section where that where that buck had been, I 910 00:43:55,239 --> 00:43:57,759 Speaker 1: had a very very small window that maybe I'm not sure, 911 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:00,560 Speaker 1: but he might have walked through the small window. Um, 912 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:02,239 Speaker 1: So I needed to make sure that if another buck 913 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 1: came through, I spotted him before he got into the 914 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,760 Speaker 1: cover right underneath me. So I'm just head on the swivel, 915 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:09,640 Speaker 1: back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and 916 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:12,359 Speaker 1: like two minutes later, bam, here comes a little buck, 917 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:17,160 Speaker 1: a doll, a doll, big buck, big bodied, heavy horned 918 00:44:17,200 --> 00:44:19,200 Speaker 1: eight porn, not like a huge frame, but just like 919 00:44:19,239 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: a nice, heavy, big bodied eight pointer. All right, there 920 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:26,560 Speaker 1: we go. So I grabbed my bow, turn on my camera, 921 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,239 Speaker 1: start filming him, and he's at like sixty yards and 922 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:34,160 Speaker 1: then he comes in fifty three and I'm like, okay, 923 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:36,239 Speaker 1: he's gonna keep angling in towards me. But then he 924 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 1: stopped at fifty two and he just stood there, kind 925 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:42,040 Speaker 1: of looked around, and the other deer were filtering out 926 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 1: and and then they all started crossing the fence right 927 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:46,799 Speaker 1: there fifty two yards, so they weren't coming to the 928 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 1: closer trails. So I wait, hoping maybe he'll come my way. 929 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 1: He turns, starts going towards the fence. I do one 930 00:44:54,440 --> 00:44:57,520 Speaker 1: light contact runt. He doesn't hear it. I try again 931 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 1: a little louder. He hears it. He looks up, takes 932 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:04,440 Speaker 1: like two steps in my direction, keeps looking around, and 933 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: then he turns halfs the fence and keeps going. And 934 00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:12,160 Speaker 1: I wasn't gonna do any kind of crazy aggressive calling 935 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:14,040 Speaker 1: because it's so early. I just thought maybe I could 936 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 1: get him to check it out based on curiosity if 937 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:18,560 Speaker 1: I did a couple of like contact grunts, But that 938 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna work. I didn't want to spook all the deer, 939 00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:23,400 Speaker 1: so I watched him feed out into the field away 940 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:28,480 Speaker 1: from me, and off he goes, and a few more 941 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:31,799 Speaker 1: dear filtered through the same story. And for the next 942 00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:35,120 Speaker 1: forty five minutes, I'm like on edge, like I said, 943 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:38,480 Speaker 1: constantly looking. Didn't want to miss a deer. But at 944 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:40,440 Speaker 1: about that, like I don't know, it's like four o'clock 945 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:43,319 Speaker 1: or four tens somewhere around there, I don't know give 946 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:45,799 Speaker 1: or takes somewhere on this general region. I need to 947 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:48,720 Speaker 1: like commiserate. So I texted a couple of my buddies 948 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:51,520 Speaker 1: in Michigan and it was like I just blew it, 949 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:53,839 Speaker 1: Like I just gave him the updately. I just totally 950 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 1: screwed up. And as I'm texting that, the first time, 951 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 1: I take my at tension off of the area around 952 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:02,719 Speaker 1: on me. As I'm texting, I happen to catch a 953 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,000 Speaker 1: glimpse of movement off the left of my eye again 954 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:08,920 Speaker 1: and bam, here's a nice eight pointer again something like crap, 955 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:13,600 Speaker 1: Spin around, look at him, looks like a shooter, Grab 956 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:16,480 Speaker 1: my bow, turn on the camera, zoom in grammar range finder. 957 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:21,600 Speaker 1: And then I'm like, uh, maybe not. I don't think 958 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:23,600 Speaker 1: he's I don't think he's mature. He might have been 959 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: a three year old, maybe a two year old, kind 960 00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:27,719 Speaker 1: of iffy and in between. And I was like, you 961 00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 1: know what, if I don't immediately want to shoot him, 962 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:31,920 Speaker 1: then I'm not going to pass him. Like if he's 963 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:35,360 Speaker 1: not a for sure shooter, I'm not gonna shoot. So 964 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:38,160 Speaker 1: I just sat there watching him and filling them a 965 00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:41,200 Speaker 1: little bit. And then he keeps looking over his shoulder, 966 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 1: and I keep looking back there trying to see was 967 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:47,000 Speaker 1: looking at and he's now he's he's doing two things. 968 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:49,040 Speaker 1: He's looking over his shoulder and then he's sniffing the 969 00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:51,279 Speaker 1: ground around him, and that's because he's standing right in 970 00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:54,800 Speaker 1: the trail. I walked to my tree stand. But luckily, 971 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:57,680 Speaker 1: you know what we've said a thousand times, that knows 972 00:46:57,760 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: JamMan really seems to do the trick because he kept 973 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:02,560 Speaker 1: sniffing around, sniffing around. He smelled it, but didn't know 974 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:04,680 Speaker 1: what the heck it was. Never smelled me, and he 975 00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:08,160 Speaker 1: just continued on his way. So he looks over shoulder again. 976 00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:14,000 Speaker 1: I look again, and then I see the dark, big bodied, tight, tall, 977 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:17,680 Speaker 1: chocolate horned a barner and I say, that's the one. 978 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 1: At that point I see him, I'm like, that's the 979 00:47:23,120 --> 00:47:26,040 Speaker 1: big eight from last night. Maybe it's the same one 980 00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:28,280 Speaker 1: I saw earlier that you know, ran past me underneath 981 00:47:28,320 --> 00:47:31,560 Speaker 1: my stand. Turn the camera back on, spin, grabbed the 982 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:33,839 Speaker 1: bow spin background so I can get to the other 983 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:35,840 Speaker 1: side of the tree, and now I'm in shoot mode 984 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:38,319 Speaker 1: and I'm just waiting for the smaller eight porn to 985 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:40,520 Speaker 1: move off so that the big one will follow him, 986 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:42,959 Speaker 1: and long story short, I'll cut right to the chase 987 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:46,479 Speaker 1: here and keep this simple. The smaller a porn moved off, 988 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,960 Speaker 1: the big eight pointer walked past, came just out from 989 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:54,360 Speaker 1: behind this tree. I drew back. He walked through it 990 00:47:54,480 --> 00:47:57,920 Speaker 1: like yards, and I just waited till he naturally stopped. 991 00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:02,160 Speaker 1: He was slightly courting away. I settled the pen released 992 00:48:02,719 --> 00:48:05,600 Speaker 1: Aaron went right through his heart and he took off running, 993 00:48:05,719 --> 00:48:07,439 Speaker 1: and then I had a mini melt down on the tree. 994 00:48:11,400 --> 00:48:14,839 Speaker 1: Oh my god, so many emotions just went through my 995 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:19,160 Speaker 1: like through my head, like I'm I just I'm jacked 996 00:48:19,200 --> 00:48:21,600 Speaker 1: for you. I'm I'm pumped for you, but now I'm 997 00:48:21,719 --> 00:48:25,120 Speaker 1: jack for the rest of the hunters and myself, you know, 998 00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:27,759 Speaker 1: because you know, the majority of the Midwest has to 999 00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:32,000 Speaker 1: wait until you know, later in September or October. But uh, 1000 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:36,680 Speaker 1: I'm dude, that's awesome, Thank you man. It was crazy. 1001 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:40,520 Speaker 1: It was like in that you watch him drop. Well 1002 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:42,760 Speaker 1: that was the funny thing is that no, I didn't 1003 00:48:42,760 --> 00:48:46,560 Speaker 1: see him drop because so I shoot, he goes running off, 1004 00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:48,879 Speaker 1: and like I mentioned, there's this tree in between me 1005 00:48:49,480 --> 00:48:52,520 Speaker 1: and this larger grassy area, and they all the dear 1006 00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:54,640 Speaker 1: him that smaller buck, and a couple of days that 1007 00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:56,279 Speaker 1: ended up walking up that I never knew were there. 1008 00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:00,040 Speaker 1: They all go running behind this tree. So I I 1009 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:03,000 Speaker 1: follow them up to the tree, and then they disappeared 1010 00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:04,960 Speaker 1: behind the tree, and then I see a deer run 1011 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:06,680 Speaker 1: out the other side of it, and so I just 1012 00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:09,319 Speaker 1: locked onto them, and I saw one that seemed to 1013 00:49:09,360 --> 00:49:11,440 Speaker 1: have like a shaky butt, you know, as he was running, 1014 00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:13,480 Speaker 1: he just kind of be like kind of drunkenly swerving. 1015 00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:16,239 Speaker 1: It's like that's him. And then he hits. He gets 1016 00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:18,440 Speaker 1: to this ditch line. Looks like he kind of tumbled 1017 00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:20,920 Speaker 1: into the ditch, like it took a weird jump. But 1018 00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:22,520 Speaker 1: then I saw a deer jump out the other side, 1019 00:49:22,560 --> 00:49:24,960 Speaker 1: and like, crap, like how did he? I thought it 1020 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:27,719 Speaker 1: was a perfect shot. He should have been down. So 1021 00:49:28,040 --> 00:49:32,200 Speaker 1: I wait, awhile, you know, I post social media or whatever, 1022 00:49:32,239 --> 00:49:35,080 Speaker 1: and then I get down check the arrow. Arrow looks great, 1023 00:49:35,239 --> 00:49:38,800 Speaker 1: Everything looks good, and you know, this is stupid, you 1024 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:41,120 Speaker 1: shouldn't do this, But I was so excited and so 1025 00:49:41,239 --> 00:49:42,960 Speaker 1: confident about the shot. I was like, you know what, 1026 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:45,360 Speaker 1: I know he got to that ditch and there's this 1027 00:49:45,400 --> 00:49:47,239 Speaker 1: little opening in the brush along the ditch. I was like, 1028 00:49:47,239 --> 00:49:49,320 Speaker 1: I know he got to there. I think he couldn't 1029 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:50,759 Speaker 1: have gone very much further than that. So I'm just 1030 00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:53,920 Speaker 1: gonna skip ahead to the ditch. Fine blood at the 1031 00:49:53,920 --> 00:49:55,960 Speaker 1: ditch right where I know he crossed, and then he's 1032 00:49:56,000 --> 00:49:58,040 Speaker 1: got to be just on the other side. So I 1033 00:49:58,120 --> 00:49:59,960 Speaker 1: go walking over there and I start looking at day 1034 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:01,640 Speaker 1: it and I look past the ditch and I don't 1035 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:05,080 Speaker 1: see anything. I start looking for blood. I don't see anything, 1036 00:50:05,719 --> 00:50:08,160 Speaker 1: and I'm like, man, this is weird. Now we've talked, 1037 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:17,000 Speaker 1: I've got that's pretty bad, right, I was so day excited. Um, 1038 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:19,560 Speaker 1: But you know, I I don't see blood as well 1039 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:21,160 Speaker 1: as some people because I've got a little bit of 1040 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:23,799 Speaker 1: red green color blindness. So I can see red and 1041 00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:26,520 Speaker 1: green just fine, but sometimes in like certain lighting or 1042 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:28,880 Speaker 1: when they're contrasted against each other, they don't pop out 1043 00:50:28,920 --> 00:50:33,520 Speaker 1: as much. So like red blood on green grass or brush, 1044 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:36,000 Speaker 1: it doesn't pop for me like it does for other people. 1045 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:37,759 Speaker 1: Like I'll be with friends and they see blood from 1046 00:50:37,760 --> 00:50:40,480 Speaker 1: a longer distance than me, and it just it shows 1047 00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:42,120 Speaker 1: up a lot easier for them. For me. I've got 1048 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:43,799 Speaker 1: to like focus in on the spot and then oh, 1049 00:50:43,800 --> 00:50:46,800 Speaker 1: there it is, so I'm like thinking of my head, gosh, 1050 00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:49,080 Speaker 1: like there should be an easy blood trail, but I'm 1051 00:50:49,120 --> 00:50:51,879 Speaker 1: an idiot, and my genetics have forced me to suck 1052 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:55,480 Speaker 1: at blood trailing, and I'm not, like, what's going on here? 1053 00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:57,920 Speaker 1: How come I can't find this? Dear? So, after like 1054 00:50:57,960 --> 00:50:59,880 Speaker 1: looking back and forth along this ditch, just trying to 1055 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,359 Speaker 1: find a speck of blood so I can start. After 1056 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:04,319 Speaker 1: I don't know, fifteen minutes or something, I find, like, 1057 00:51:04,360 --> 00:51:07,280 Speaker 1: you know, stopping an idiot, go back to the beginning. 1058 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:10,520 Speaker 1: So I decided to walk back to where the arrow 1059 00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:12,719 Speaker 1: was and start from the beginning. And I'm as I'm 1060 00:51:12,760 --> 00:51:15,080 Speaker 1: walking back, though, I've got my eyes on the ground, 1061 00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:17,319 Speaker 1: you know, just kind of hoping maybe I'll randomly come 1062 00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:21,160 Speaker 1: across some blood. As I walked back, and I'm walking, walking, walking, 1063 00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:22,759 Speaker 1: and then like ten yards in front of me, I 1064 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:28,560 Speaker 1: see this big brown blob and I look up and 1065 00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:31,759 Speaker 1: there he is. He had died like sixty seventy yards 1066 00:51:31,800 --> 00:51:34,920 Speaker 1: away from the tree stand, just behind that tree right away, 1067 00:51:35,239 --> 00:51:37,520 Speaker 1: and he just dropped and I couldn't see it, and 1068 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:39,160 Speaker 1: I had no idea who was right there the whole time. 1069 00:51:40,560 --> 00:51:43,439 Speaker 1: That was that and that was that he was right there. 1070 00:51:45,680 --> 00:51:50,800 Speaker 1: But this isn't where the story ends, is it. Uh well, 1071 00:51:51,440 --> 00:51:53,840 Speaker 1: I guess what do you specifically mean? Because not completely, 1072 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:58,279 Speaker 1: but well, you found the deer, right, and uh you 1073 00:51:58,320 --> 00:52:00,040 Speaker 1: had to drag him back to your truck. But it 1074 00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:06,799 Speaker 1: did you forget something? Oh yeah, So so in my excitement, 1075 00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:10,239 Speaker 1: you know, of of surprisingly coming across the buck there, 1076 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:12,800 Speaker 1: you know, I immediately you know. And this is in 1077 00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:14,680 Speaker 1: the aftermath I realized what I did. But when I 1078 00:52:14,719 --> 00:52:17,279 Speaker 1: spotted the buck, I set my bow down and then 1079 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:19,000 Speaker 1: I ran over the buck and I got my camera 1080 00:52:19,160 --> 00:52:21,680 Speaker 1: and I filmed the recovery and was all happy, happy, 1081 00:52:21,719 --> 00:52:24,760 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. And at that point and then I realized, 1082 00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:27,919 Speaker 1: holy smokes, I have so much work to do tonight still, 1083 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:30,680 Speaker 1: because on all my own I've got to I've got 1084 00:52:30,680 --> 00:52:33,320 Speaker 1: to get back to my camp, get my other camera, 1085 00:52:33,760 --> 00:52:36,200 Speaker 1: drop off all this other crap, and then come back 1086 00:52:36,239 --> 00:52:38,040 Speaker 1: and try to take some photos and try to do 1087 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:40,680 Speaker 1: some stuff like that while it's still daylight. And then 1088 00:52:40,719 --> 00:52:42,239 Speaker 1: of course I got to clean them out and then 1089 00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:45,880 Speaker 1: drag him back all by myself through this like nasty stuff. 1090 00:52:46,360 --> 00:52:48,239 Speaker 1: And um, I was like, man, this is gonna be 1091 00:52:48,239 --> 00:52:50,320 Speaker 1: a lot of work. So I'm like rushing around just 1092 00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:51,920 Speaker 1: trying to do all this stuff. So I get the 1093 00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:55,800 Speaker 1: buck clip, well not get the camera, come back, take photos, video, 1094 00:52:56,600 --> 00:52:59,719 Speaker 1: got him. I bought this little thing called a deer 1095 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:03,080 Speaker 1: layer or something. It's basically just like a roll up 1096 00:53:03,080 --> 00:53:06,040 Speaker 1: piece of plastic that you can use this kind of 1097 00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:08,160 Speaker 1: like a sled to kind of get him out a 1098 00:53:08,200 --> 00:53:10,400 Speaker 1: little bit easier. And I'm glad I had that. Um 1099 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:13,120 Speaker 1: it's not perfect, but it definitely made a little easier 1100 00:53:13,120 --> 00:53:14,520 Speaker 1: to drag him out on my own because it was 1101 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:17,120 Speaker 1: a long drag and like I said, it was flat. 1102 00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:20,360 Speaker 1: It was relatively flat in the bottom ground. But to 1103 00:53:20,440 --> 00:53:22,839 Speaker 1: get out and back to camp, I had to come 1104 00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:25,479 Speaker 1: out of the bowl and then go up this big 1105 00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:27,160 Speaker 1: hill and then just up and down, up and down, 1106 00:53:27,239 --> 00:53:29,680 Speaker 1: up and down hills all the way out to the 1107 00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:32,720 Speaker 1: top where my camp was. So it was a rugged 1108 00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:36,319 Speaker 1: drag out and it was it was exhausting. Um. So 1109 00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:38,160 Speaker 1: I get back to camp finally with the buck it's 1110 00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:40,160 Speaker 1: after dark. It's like, I don't know, I shot that 1111 00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 1: bucket like for something, and I got him back to camp, 1112 00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:46,560 Speaker 1: but like, I don't know, ten thirty eleven thirties somewhere 1113 00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:50,560 Speaker 1: around there, some zonked and I'm like getting stuff around 1114 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:52,279 Speaker 1: in camp and thinking about what am I gonna make 1115 00:53:52,320 --> 00:53:55,719 Speaker 1: for dinner? And then I think to myself, where's my bow? 1116 00:53:57,520 --> 00:53:59,880 Speaker 1: I look around camp. I set it down the table, 1117 00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:03,040 Speaker 1: I said it on the ground. I cannot find my bow. 1118 00:54:03,760 --> 00:54:08,239 Speaker 1: I lost my freaking bow. So I was kind of 1119 00:54:08,239 --> 00:54:09,960 Speaker 1: panicky that night, and I'm like, oh my gosh, did 1120 00:54:10,000 --> 00:54:12,640 Speaker 1: I like set it down where I parked my truck, 1121 00:54:13,120 --> 00:54:15,719 Speaker 1: Like did I run over my bow somewhere? Did I 1122 00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:17,360 Speaker 1: leave it out in the middle of the woods somewhere. 1123 00:54:17,440 --> 00:54:19,000 Speaker 1: So I thought about just going out right then at 1124 00:54:19,120 --> 00:54:21,520 Speaker 1: night and trying to find it, but it was dark 1125 00:54:21,600 --> 00:54:23,160 Speaker 1: and I was whooped. So I thought, okay, I'll go 1126 00:54:23,160 --> 00:54:24,719 Speaker 1: out first in the morning because I had to go 1127 00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:27,920 Speaker 1: out and pulled down my tree stands anyways. So so 1128 00:54:27,960 --> 00:54:30,200 Speaker 1: that's what I did. I waited till first light the 1129 00:54:30,239 --> 00:54:34,080 Speaker 1: next day, snack back out there, and I the first 1130 00:54:34,080 --> 00:54:35,919 Speaker 1: place I decided to go was back where I saw 1131 00:54:35,960 --> 00:54:38,640 Speaker 1: the deer where I found the buck, because I started thinking, well, 1132 00:54:38,680 --> 00:54:41,000 Speaker 1: maybe I had it and dropped it there, And that's 1133 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:42,640 Speaker 1: what I did. I'd set it down right next to 1134 00:54:42,680 --> 00:54:44,640 Speaker 1: the buck, or not right next to about fifteen yards 1135 00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:48,040 Speaker 1: away from it, and there was covered in frost, and 1136 00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:50,840 Speaker 1: I got my bow and pulled down my tree stands 1137 00:54:50,920 --> 00:54:53,759 Speaker 1: and hurried back up to the truck and drove back 1138 00:54:53,760 --> 00:54:56,960 Speaker 1: to town and dropped off the deer at the taxidermist. 1139 00:54:57,120 --> 00:55:01,560 Speaker 1: And that was that because because you're not you're not 1140 00:55:01,600 --> 00:55:06,000 Speaker 1: coming back, right, so you do that that bow kind 1141 00:55:06,040 --> 00:55:08,560 Speaker 1: of finding it was probably a big relief because you 1142 00:55:08,560 --> 00:55:10,799 Speaker 1: weren't coming back or you didn't have a backup bow 1143 00:55:11,640 --> 00:55:14,319 Speaker 1: because you're going right to the mountains for elk right now, 1144 00:55:14,480 --> 00:55:16,719 Speaker 1: right right. Yeah, I was like, I really need to 1145 00:55:16,760 --> 00:55:18,959 Speaker 1: find this stupid thing because I don't have a really 1146 00:55:18,960 --> 00:55:21,320 Speaker 1: boring week. I don't have boring week in the mountains 1147 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:24,200 Speaker 1: if I don't have a bow out there. So so yeah, 1148 00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:26,560 Speaker 1: I I found that and got back in the town 1149 00:55:26,680 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 1: and I dropped off the bucket the processor to get 1150 00:55:29,560 --> 00:55:31,719 Speaker 1: the meat taken care of, and took the took the 1151 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:34,280 Speaker 1: skull to a taxidermist here to get a euro mountain 1152 00:55:34,320 --> 00:55:37,080 Speaker 1: done because he can't bring back a full skull with 1153 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:39,160 Speaker 1: brain matter and all that kind of good stuff into 1154 00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:43,840 Speaker 1: it into Michigan. Um so, so I had had that 1155 00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:47,680 Speaker 1: taken care about here, and then I'm now I'm here 1156 00:55:47,719 --> 00:55:52,600 Speaker 1: in Bozeman, and I'm all I'm all ready to rock now. 1157 00:55:52,640 --> 00:55:56,040 Speaker 1: Funny story, I had so much fun out there that 1158 00:55:56,200 --> 00:55:58,360 Speaker 1: originally my plan was to hang out here in town, 1159 00:55:59,160 --> 00:56:01,000 Speaker 1: um until you go, I'll hunting and just like fly 1160 00:56:01,040 --> 00:56:02,640 Speaker 1: fish for a couple of days and do some work. 1161 00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:04,560 Speaker 1: But I got to thinking today, you know, it just 1162 00:56:04,600 --> 00:56:06,279 Speaker 1: be fun to go back to my spot and just 1163 00:56:06,480 --> 00:56:09,160 Speaker 1: hang a stand and watch these deer and film these deer. 1164 00:56:09,640 --> 00:56:11,359 Speaker 1: So I actually think after we get off the air 1165 00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:13,520 Speaker 1: here tonight, I'm going to drive back to my original 1166 00:56:13,560 --> 00:56:15,400 Speaker 1: spot and just sit out there for a couple of 1167 00:56:15,440 --> 00:56:18,000 Speaker 1: days and watch and take some pictures and video and 1168 00:56:18,520 --> 00:56:23,640 Speaker 1: just kind of enjoy deer as a spectator. Yeah, I 1169 00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:26,680 Speaker 1: think that's an awesome thing to do, because, you know, 1170 00:56:27,160 --> 00:56:30,560 Speaker 1: if you ever want to come back to Montana uh 1171 00:56:30,640 --> 00:56:33,799 Speaker 1: and do some you know, do some hunting in that air, 1172 00:56:33,880 --> 00:56:38,080 Speaker 1: in that particular area, you're gonna know, you're gonna have 1173 00:56:38,160 --> 00:56:40,279 Speaker 1: a great idea. You're gonna be able to even even 1174 00:56:40,360 --> 00:56:42,839 Speaker 1: just a night or two as a spectator. You're gonna learn, 1175 00:56:43,080 --> 00:56:46,120 Speaker 1: you know, so much more about that property. Yeah. Yeah, 1176 00:56:46,239 --> 00:56:48,960 Speaker 1: just keep keep learning and maybe I can take a 1177 00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:51,400 Speaker 1: thing or two away from that and apply it to 1178 00:56:51,440 --> 00:56:53,040 Speaker 1: a future year, because this is definitely the kind of 1179 00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:54,640 Speaker 1: spot I would be interested in coming again. I mean, 1180 00:56:54,640 --> 00:56:56,239 Speaker 1: it was just it was a lot of fun. I 1181 00:56:56,280 --> 00:56:59,800 Speaker 1: saw alid of deer, there were nice bucks and beautiful 1182 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:02,520 Speaker 1: of hill area, and um, you know, not a lot 1183 00:57:02,560 --> 00:57:04,480 Speaker 1: of other people. There are those two guys that one night, 1184 00:57:04,480 --> 00:57:07,640 Speaker 1: but that was it. Um So, man, it was just 1185 00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:11,319 Speaker 1: a super cool experience. And you know, coming into it, 1186 00:57:11,320 --> 00:57:12,719 Speaker 1: I knew it was gonna be it was gonna be 1187 00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:15,239 Speaker 1: a big challenge. I to be honest with like a 1188 00:57:15,239 --> 00:57:17,160 Speaker 1: little intimidated. I was like, Wow, this is like a 1189 00:57:17,160 --> 00:57:20,000 Speaker 1: lot of new stuff, like new state, new time of year. 1190 00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:21,800 Speaker 1: I've never hunted this time of year. I've I've never 1191 00:57:21,840 --> 00:57:25,400 Speaker 1: done a big state trip that was dependent on public land. 1192 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:28,680 Speaker 1: Um So, a lot of new things and that you know, 1193 00:57:29,000 --> 00:57:30,880 Speaker 1: I did not know if for sure I'd be able 1194 00:57:30,880 --> 00:57:35,040 Speaker 1: to pull it off. Um So, having actually been able 1195 00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:37,080 Speaker 1: to do it, you know, in three days and make 1196 00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:40,080 Speaker 1: the right adjustments and moves and stuff, was it was 1197 00:57:40,160 --> 00:57:43,400 Speaker 1: really um I don't know, it was just it was 1198 00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:50,160 Speaker 1: really fulfilling and fun. And I'm very proud of having 1199 00:57:50,160 --> 00:57:52,040 Speaker 1: been able to do that and have this trip and 1200 00:57:52,360 --> 00:57:56,480 Speaker 1: it was just a cool experience too. Now my question 1201 00:57:56,600 --> 00:58:00,360 Speaker 1: is you know you've haunted other states, right, Um, but 1202 00:58:00,720 --> 00:58:03,880 Speaker 1: the trip is just I mean from Michigan where you live, 1203 00:58:03,920 --> 00:58:06,960 Speaker 1: to Iowa, what's that six hours? Uh? Yeah, to the 1204 00:58:07,040 --> 00:58:11,720 Speaker 1: edge of Iowa's bout six hours? So now from where 1205 00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:15,440 Speaker 1: you live to where where you hunt? Was that what 1206 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:21,320 Speaker 1: was that a twenty hour drive? Hour drive? So what 1207 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:27,600 Speaker 1: is there? Is there a difference going even further than that? 1208 00:58:27,680 --> 00:58:31,640 Speaker 1: I mean, what did you have any expectations going into this? 1209 00:58:31,920 --> 00:58:36,120 Speaker 1: Going into this hunt? Uh? I mean were you okay 1210 00:58:36,160 --> 00:58:39,880 Speaker 1: with failing? I mean, as the hunt would have gotten 1211 00:58:40,080 --> 00:58:41,720 Speaker 1: closer to an end where you're going to go for 1212 00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:43,919 Speaker 1: a lower caliber buck where you gonna shoot a dough 1213 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:47,920 Speaker 1: what was your what was your goal? Yeah? So like 1214 00:58:47,960 --> 00:58:49,760 Speaker 1: I you know, like I just said, going into it, 1215 00:58:49,760 --> 00:58:51,760 Speaker 1: I knew it was gonna be a big challenge. So 1216 00:58:51,840 --> 00:58:54,240 Speaker 1: because of that, I was I was pretty focused on 1217 00:58:54,280 --> 00:58:56,720 Speaker 1: like just trying to have a great experience and like 1218 00:58:56,800 --> 00:59:02,600 Speaker 1: look at it as like an adventure and a learning opportunity. Um. So, 1219 00:59:02,600 --> 00:59:06,840 Speaker 1: so I had relatively low expectations. Um, but I also 1220 00:59:06,880 --> 00:59:09,400 Speaker 1: thought I was definitely I definitely thought I'd put myself 1221 00:59:09,400 --> 00:59:11,680 Speaker 1: in a position that I could succeed. I just wasn't 1222 00:59:11,720 --> 00:59:14,080 Speaker 1: gonna be bummed if I didn't. UM. So I went 1223 00:59:14,080 --> 00:59:19,560 Speaker 1: into it saying I wanted to shoot a mature representative buck. 1224 00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:21,439 Speaker 1: So you know, like I talked to earlier, a nice 1225 00:59:21,440 --> 00:59:24,600 Speaker 1: buck that was at least three to four years old. UM. 1226 00:59:24,640 --> 00:59:26,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't going to hold out for something crazy, big, 1227 00:59:26,760 --> 00:59:29,360 Speaker 1: crazy old. UM. I just want to get a nice buck. 1228 00:59:29,360 --> 00:59:30,919 Speaker 1: If I could pull that off. With all these things, 1229 00:59:30,960 --> 00:59:33,240 Speaker 1: I was gonna really happy. Um. And then I just 1230 00:59:33,280 --> 00:59:35,880 Speaker 1: wanted to like enjoy the whole trip. You know, it 1231 00:59:35,920 --> 00:59:38,360 Speaker 1: wasn't just about killing a buck. It was also about 1232 00:59:38,360 --> 00:59:41,479 Speaker 1: being in Montana and camping for a week and being 1233 00:59:41,520 --> 00:59:44,240 Speaker 1: in a new beautiful place and you know, just like 1234 00:59:44,320 --> 00:59:47,400 Speaker 1: kind of some like so low time, you know, being 1235 00:59:47,400 --> 00:59:49,760 Speaker 1: on a trip on by myself, lots of time to 1236 00:59:49,840 --> 00:59:52,880 Speaker 1: just kind of think and figure it out on my own. UM. 1237 00:59:52,920 --> 00:59:54,400 Speaker 1: So that was kind of my goal is to just 1238 00:59:54,520 --> 00:59:57,600 Speaker 1: enjoy it, learn it, learn the area, to try something new, 1239 00:59:57,640 --> 00:59:59,560 Speaker 1: and just see if I could like put myself into 1240 00:59:59,560 --> 01:00:02,640 Speaker 1: this new st situation and figure it out. Um. That 1241 01:00:02,800 --> 01:00:05,280 Speaker 1: was what the goal was. That's what my thoughts were. UM. 1242 01:00:05,320 --> 01:00:09,600 Speaker 1: As far as like you know, the type of deer 1243 01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:11,440 Speaker 1: or deer herd. I'd say it kind of lived up 1244 01:00:11,480 --> 01:00:13,640 Speaker 1: to expectations in that way. Like my thought was that 1245 01:00:14,440 --> 01:00:16,640 Speaker 1: you know, in Montana or some of these western states, 1246 01:00:16,640 --> 01:00:20,680 Speaker 1: there's lots of deer, there's lots of nice bucks, um, 1247 01:00:20,800 --> 01:00:23,160 Speaker 1: and you know, early season you can get on them 1248 01:00:23,200 --> 01:00:25,320 Speaker 1: with their you know, bed feed pattern, and that's kind 1249 01:00:25,360 --> 01:00:27,760 Speaker 1: of what happened. Um, that's why I saw, that's what happened. 1250 01:00:27,800 --> 01:00:30,480 Speaker 1: So it was a lot of fun from that standpoint, 1251 01:00:30,520 --> 01:00:33,040 Speaker 1: just because it was a there's a lot of action. 1252 01:00:33,080 --> 01:00:35,760 Speaker 1: You're you're always seeing deer and that's a lot of fun, 1253 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:37,400 Speaker 1: especially at the beginning of the year, when you're just 1254 01:00:37,440 --> 01:00:39,160 Speaker 1: stoked to be out there, to be able to be 1255 01:00:39,200 --> 01:00:40,600 Speaker 1: out there and to see a lot of deer and 1256 01:00:40,640 --> 01:00:43,360 Speaker 1: a lot of bucks that like get you excited. That 1257 01:00:43,480 --> 01:00:49,240 Speaker 1: was that was awesome. Well yeah, that whole Western hunt, 1258 01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:52,680 Speaker 1: you know, has all has always sparked my interest, but 1259 01:00:52,760 --> 01:00:55,360 Speaker 1: now going west for white tails, it just seems to 1260 01:00:55,360 --> 01:00:57,760 Speaker 1: me like it's another reason just to go out less. 1261 01:00:57,800 --> 01:01:00,440 Speaker 1: So it's you got you sparked my interest us with this. 1262 01:01:00,880 --> 01:01:03,800 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, man, it's uh, I think the only the 1263 01:01:03,800 --> 01:01:05,600 Speaker 1: only issue with me going on all these. You know, 1264 01:01:05,720 --> 01:01:07,920 Speaker 1: I've try to go to new places as often as 1265 01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:10,080 Speaker 1: they can. The only issue with that is that I 1266 01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:11,960 Speaker 1: find the spots and I like them so much. I'm like, oh, 1267 01:01:12,000 --> 01:01:14,440 Speaker 1: I'm going back there every year. So I don't know 1268 01:01:14,480 --> 01:01:16,680 Speaker 1: what I'm gonna do because now I'm like, well, I 1269 01:01:16,720 --> 01:01:18,360 Speaker 1: want to elk hunt somewhere every year, and now I 1270 01:01:18,360 --> 01:01:20,919 Speaker 1: want to go whitetail hunt in the Western State every year, 1271 01:01:20,960 --> 01:01:23,240 Speaker 1: and all I want to do this Midwestern state and 1272 01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:25,240 Speaker 1: that miss what Midwestern state? And oh, I really want 1273 01:01:25,240 --> 01:01:28,160 Speaker 1: to go Alaska someday, and man, I can't do it all. 1274 01:01:28,320 --> 01:01:31,640 Speaker 1: But man, there's there's a lot of cool opportunities out 1275 01:01:31,680 --> 01:01:34,480 Speaker 1: there for hunters if you're willing to try new things 1276 01:01:35,160 --> 01:01:37,920 Speaker 1: and um, you know, put some time and work into it. 1277 01:01:38,040 --> 01:01:41,040 Speaker 1: That's That's something I've definitely learned that you you do 1278 01:01:41,080 --> 01:01:44,600 Speaker 1: not need a lot of money and an outfitter or 1279 01:01:44,720 --> 01:01:47,480 Speaker 1: lease or something like that to go have a quality 1280 01:01:47,960 --> 01:01:50,360 Speaker 1: out of state hunting trip. I mean, over the last 1281 01:01:50,440 --> 01:01:52,680 Speaker 1: like ten years or whatever it's been, I've gone to 1282 01:01:52,800 --> 01:01:55,800 Speaker 1: so many different states all over the country. Now, I've 1283 01:01:55,840 --> 01:01:59,840 Speaker 1: gone east, I've gone Midwest, I've gone far west, and 1284 01:02:00,280 --> 01:02:03,000 Speaker 1: I've done it all on my own, and I'm you know, 1285 01:02:03,320 --> 01:02:06,080 Speaker 1: between the age of like twenty two and now twenty nine, 1286 01:02:06,640 --> 01:02:08,000 Speaker 1: I don't have a lot of money. It's not like 1287 01:02:08,040 --> 01:02:09,920 Speaker 1: I've got some big paying job. I've been able to 1288 01:02:09,920 --> 01:02:12,480 Speaker 1: pull it off by sleeping in my truck or sleeping 1289 01:02:12,520 --> 01:02:16,840 Speaker 1: afforded our hotel room and just figuring things out. And 1290 01:02:16,880 --> 01:02:19,400 Speaker 1: you know, some schuckle with me has been able to 1291 01:02:19,440 --> 01:02:21,720 Speaker 1: go to these places and not always kill deer and 1292 01:02:21,720 --> 01:02:23,320 Speaker 1: not always killed giant deer or whatever, but I've been 1293 01:02:23,360 --> 01:02:25,400 Speaker 1: able to go out there and have fun and see 1294 01:02:25,520 --> 01:02:27,680 Speaker 1: nice deer and have great white tail experiences. And I 1295 01:02:27,760 --> 01:02:30,720 Speaker 1: think that's another big confirming thing for me out of 1296 01:02:30,720 --> 01:02:33,160 Speaker 1: this trip is just that anyone can do it, you know, 1297 01:02:33,280 --> 01:02:36,080 Speaker 1: if you're willing to put some time and energy and 1298 01:02:36,120 --> 01:02:38,600 Speaker 1: maybe sacrifice some of some fancy things at home so 1299 01:02:38,640 --> 01:02:40,320 Speaker 1: you can have a little extra money to buy a 1300 01:02:40,360 --> 01:02:43,680 Speaker 1: nonresident tag and pay for gas. Um, you can do 1301 01:02:43,720 --> 01:02:45,600 Speaker 1: this kind of stuff. Anyone can do this kind of stuff, 1302 01:02:47,160 --> 01:02:53,360 Speaker 1: right right. Well, congrats Mark, thank you sir. I appreciate it, 1303 01:02:53,520 --> 01:02:56,600 Speaker 1: and I appreciate you dealing with our technical difficulties here 1304 01:02:56,640 --> 01:02:59,240 Speaker 1: today to to try to talk through this. It's been 1305 01:02:59,520 --> 01:03:01,640 Speaker 1: a little bit challenge and it's not our our best 1306 01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:05,760 Speaker 1: sounding podcast ever, but um, but hey, you're in Iowa 1307 01:03:06,040 --> 01:03:09,640 Speaker 1: with a crappy computer issue and I'm in Montana in 1308 01:03:09,680 --> 01:03:13,800 Speaker 1: a parking lot and we're making it work right. Well, 1309 01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:15,960 Speaker 1: I think I think the listeners always have kind of 1310 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:21,920 Speaker 1: low expectations for this podcast anyway, so uh, you know 1311 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:24,920 Speaker 1: they're they're okay with it. And what's perfect is that 1312 01:03:24,960 --> 01:03:27,280 Speaker 1: when you said low expectations, you cut out right at 1313 01:03:27,280 --> 01:03:35,480 Speaker 1: that moment. So yeah, I think it's a I think 1314 01:03:35,480 --> 01:03:38,360 Speaker 1: that's a perfect sign. So we'll wrap this episode up. 1315 01:03:38,400 --> 01:03:41,960 Speaker 1: We'll be back here soon with regular higher quality audio 1316 01:03:42,000 --> 01:03:45,560 Speaker 1: episodes soon. Um. Before we close it out though really quickly, 1317 01:03:46,000 --> 01:03:48,520 Speaker 1: of course, need to thank our partners who helped make 1318 01:03:48,560 --> 01:03:52,560 Speaker 1: this podcast possible. So thank you to Sick Gear, Redneck Blinds, 1319 01:03:52,640 --> 01:03:57,200 Speaker 1: Hunter a Maps, Yettie Cooler's Osonics, Carbon Express, may Haven 1320 01:03:57,240 --> 01:04:00,880 Speaker 1: Optics in the White Tailed Institute of North Erica. Big 1321 01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:03,560 Speaker 1: things for those guys. And finally, thank you all for 1322 01:04:03,760 --> 01:04:08,560 Speaker 1: listening to this interesting, interesting podcasts and one way or another, 1323 01:04:08,920 --> 01:04:12,240 Speaker 1: and for following along with my hunt, you know, on 1324 01:04:12,320 --> 01:04:14,360 Speaker 1: the blog and social media and all that kind of stuff. 1325 01:04:14,400 --> 01:04:18,120 Speaker 1: I've gotten so many messages and tweets and emails and 1326 01:04:18,160 --> 01:04:19,920 Speaker 1: stuff of all of you guys supporting me on this 1327 01:04:20,000 --> 01:04:22,760 Speaker 1: trip and rooting me on, so thank you for that, 1328 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:28,120 Speaker 1: thanks for listening, and of course, as always, stay wired 1329 01:04:28,480 --> 01:04:28,919 Speaker 1: to hunt