1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, your home for 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: deer hunting news, stories and strategies, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: Mark Kenyon. Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Podcast. I'm 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: your host, Mark Kenyan, and this is episode number four 5 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: oh eight. Today the show, I am joined by Nick 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: Penzelto and Hank Forrester of the National Dear Association to 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: discuss the future of the Back forty property. All right, 8 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,279 Speaker 1: welcome to the Wired to Hunt Podcast, brought to you 9 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: by on x tay the show. Like I mentioned, we 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: are talking back forty. We're talking the future of the 11 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: Back forty and I'm excited to dive into this in 12 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: a real substantial way because, oh, this past fall we 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: gave you some light details. I told you a little 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: bit about what's going on, But today we get to 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: really flesh sh out and tell that story. And I 16 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: want to start from the very beginning quickly here and 17 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: and then bring you all the way to present day. 18 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: But before we get into that, I have got to 19 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: I've got to lead with the punch line, I guess, 20 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: which is that because we're so excited about this story 21 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: of of what's been going on with the Back forty project, 22 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: that's the property that we bought a Mediator that we've 23 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: been managing and documenting and sharing that story of the 24 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: last two years, and and now we're passing it on. 25 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,559 Speaker 1: That story we're so excited about, especially this next chapter, 26 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: that we wanted to kind of throw a celebration. And 27 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: this celebration we're calling the back forty two Fork Giveaway, 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: And what we mean by that is that we are 29 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: doing a whole, big old giveaway over on the Mediator 30 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: website in which we are going to be making all 31 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: of you folks that want to sign up for that 32 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: that can sign up for this available to get your 33 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: hands on a first like kit, a weather be rifle, 34 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: UH Federal Premium ammal, I think up to five worth 35 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: of Federal Premium ammal, a bench made meet crafter knife, 36 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: a lifetime membership to on x F h F by 37 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: No Harness, Vortex Optics, and a whole bunch of other 38 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: cool stuff. Plus the three winners of this little sweepstakes deal, 39 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: each of them will get to nominate a new hunter 40 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: to get a special new hunter gear package too. So 41 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: if nothing else today, go on over to the meat 42 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: eater dot com slash fork to sign up for that 43 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: giveaway and to learn more about all the stuff we're 44 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: gonna be talking about today. You'll be able to watch 45 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: a video about this stuff that documents the story you're 46 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: gonna get to hear. You'll be able to get more details. 47 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: Sign up see all the rules and the specifics all 48 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: that stuff at the meat eater dot com, slash fork 49 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 1: and f y I on this contest. Uh I believe 50 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: the dates are. It opens February two and it ends 51 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: March fourth, two thousand one. So just f y on 52 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: that one. Now, let's get back to that story. Let's 53 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: get back to why I'm why we really why we 54 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: are also excited about this. The story begins with us, 55 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: you know, deciding to do this back forty project. We 56 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: decided to buy a farm and we're going to try 57 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: to steward this place. We're going to try to improve it, 58 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: manage it, nurture it, learn about it, fix this property 59 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: up to be a great representation of what you can 60 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: have when you manage for deer and other wildlife and hunting. 61 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: Can you get all those things together in the same place, 62 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: and then can you share that with people? Can you 63 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: bring other folks out to learn from this place? That's 64 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: the experiment we are trying to run with the Back forty, 65 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: and and really this the whole experience for me, really 66 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: bloomed into this, this idea of sharing, because as as 67 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: the years progressed from the first year to the second, 68 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: we progressively invited more and more people out there. First 69 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: it was consultants, and then it was friends and family members, 70 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: and then it was new hunt turs and getting their 71 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: feet on the ground and getting them to to see 72 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: the place and learn from the place and teach us 73 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: things on this landscape and showcasing what can be done 74 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: out here, and inviting new hunters. We got two new 75 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: hunters out there who who never killed the deer before, 76 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: and we had a couple other people that are relatively 77 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: new out there, and it was just it was just 78 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: a really really cool experience. So coming out of all that, 79 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: um we wanted to find more ways to continue this 80 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: journey and to continue being able to share the Back 81 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: forty with other people. And back when gosh, I can't 82 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: remember the exact date, but when we were originally trying 83 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: to figure out like how do we decide the future 84 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: for the Back forty, how do we figure out how 85 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: to pass this thing along because from the get go, 86 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: we weren't going to keep this property to ourselves forever. 87 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: It was always going to be a temporary thing. And 88 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: then we're gonna give it away. We're gonna pass it 89 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: on to someone or something in a way that could 90 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: continue our mission, hopefully in a way they would protect 91 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: this landscape, been the animals, and and keep good things 92 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: happening on this ground. And after a lot of brainstorming 93 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: and spit balling, we ended up realizing that there was 94 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: an organization out there who was doing many of the 95 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: exact same things we are trying to do on the 96 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: back forty, but they were doing it in a much 97 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 1: wider scale, and they had found ways to build systems 98 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: around how you teach people about this stuff and how 99 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: you can bring new hunters into the fold. And that 100 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: organization was the National Deer Association formerly known as the 101 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: Quality Deer Management Association. And you know, in addition to 102 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: all the great hunting and management and deer related advocacy 103 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 1: work that they do, they also spawned this new hunter 104 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: recruitment program called Field to Fork, which has gotten a 105 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: lot of great um momentum around what it's doing. This 106 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: this program they have which is helping bring adult onset 107 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: hunters out into these wild landscapes, impairing them with mentors 108 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: and developing educational experience, says, where these relationships build and 109 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: you actually get people to stick with this hunting thing. 110 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: That's what they've done really, really well. And we got 111 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: to think in what could the back forty do if 112 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: we brought it along for the National Deer Association to 113 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: use as a resource, And there was a lot of 114 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: cool things that came out of that idea. So long 115 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: story short, as most of you know, we've already announced 116 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: it in the past, but most of you know that 117 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: we have decided to donate the back forty property to 118 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: the NDA, and we've done that so they can use 119 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: it as a resource as a hub for new hunter 120 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: education and new hunter mentorship programs. That's what's happening. We're 121 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: very excited about it. Good things are gonna be happening 122 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: on the sixty four acres for years to come and 123 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: and I'm personally thrilled about that. And it's a story 124 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: that we're excited to continue telling. We're going to continue 125 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: documenting what's going on out there in partnership with the NDA, 126 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: and that's what today's conversation is all about we're gonna 127 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: get into you the nitty gritty of what the n 128 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: d A sees on this properties, as far as what 129 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: the future could look like, how they plan to use it, 130 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: how they plan to share it with other people, what 131 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: kind of programs they were going to put on there, um, 132 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: how they are going to document it, how we are 133 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: going to do things with them, um. All of that 134 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: is discussed in detail. We actually had an opportunity to 135 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: get Nick and Hank out on the property at the 136 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: very end of last year to see it. I gave 137 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: him a tour, we hunted one evening, and we're gonna 138 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: share the story of that too. So it's a great chat. 139 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: These are great guys. The National Deer Association is doing 140 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: some really good things, and we're just very excited that 141 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: we can be a part of that now and that 142 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: the back forward he can continue in a really positive way. 143 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: So that's what we've got in store. I will stop rambling. 144 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: I will just kick it over now to our conversation 145 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: with Nick Penzotto, who's the CEO and president of the 146 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: n d A, and Hank Forrester, the director of Hunting Heritage. 147 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: All right with me, now on the line, I've got 148 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: Nick Penzelto and Hank Forrester from the National Deer Association. Gentlemen, 149 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: thank you for taking the time to be here. Thanks 150 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: for having us. Yeah, I'm glad that we can reunite 151 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: here after what was a really fun get together I 152 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: don't know, a month and a half ago now on 153 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: the Back forty. Um, that's definitely something I want to 154 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: talk about here today. Is is that time we shared 155 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 1: together on the farm. But as I mentioned in the 156 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: introduction that you guys didn't get to hear yet, but 157 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: everybody else did. Um, you know, I personally and the 158 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: Mediator team as a whole, it's just really really excited 159 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,359 Speaker 1: about this next chapter for the Back forty because we 160 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: we had so many ideas and dreams and hopes for 161 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,719 Speaker 1: what this property could be, what this project could be, 162 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: and we had two years to to leave as much 163 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: of a mark as we personally could in our time. 164 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: But there's so much more that I've always imagined that 165 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: could be done with this place and that this place 166 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: could be used for. And so when it came down 167 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: to thinking about, Okay, what's the right future, what's the 168 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: right what's the right opportunity to to guide and steward 169 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: this place in the coming years. You guys from the 170 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: get go. I can even remember where I was. I 171 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: was sitting on the second story floor of the Mediator 172 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: headquarters in Bosman, Montana, and we're talking about this, and 173 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: I remember when the idea popped my in my head 174 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: and I said, Oh, this, this is it. We have 175 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: to give it to the Quality Deer Management Association, which 176 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: is now the National Deer Association. I remember having this 177 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: little epiphany and that just it just seemed like this pine, 178 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: this guy, amazing thing that if it could happen, it 179 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: would be great. But right away people are saying, well 180 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: what about this? What about this? And and the fact 181 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: that it actually has happened and that we're here talking 182 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: about this now is personally satisfying for me. But I'm 183 00:09:55,920 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: curious to hear what it's like on your end, Nick, 184 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: where's your head on this? How what do you guys 185 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: think about what this project looks like, what this opportunity 186 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: looks like, And what do you think when you first 187 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: heard about it? Was this something? Uh? I guess I 188 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: won't put words in your mouth. What do you think 189 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:19,559 Speaker 1: about all this? Yeah? Well, first I'm glad you had 190 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: that epiphany, so thank you for that. Um, you know, 191 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: it's it's really interesting because my first conversation about the 192 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: potential for this was about the time that we were 193 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: talking about merger q D M A and n D A, 194 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: and I was having some pretty deep discussions with the 195 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: team about where we're headed in our in our future 196 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: and a huge, huge part of those discussions is the 197 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: importance of keeping up our momentum that we have going 198 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: on on our three initiatives. We talked a ton about 199 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: Field the Fork, and we talked even more specifically about 200 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: the back forty and in a partnership with Meat Eater, 201 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: And you know, at that time, it was still I 202 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: think it was it was still pretty much just a vision. 203 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: It was an idea and it hadn't happened yet. It 204 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: wasn't real. But even at that point, it's just it's 205 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: something that just made an awful lot of sense. And 206 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: so but you know, we've all seen many things that 207 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: make a lot of sense that for whatever reason never 208 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: never make it the fruition. But then in our conversations, 209 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: as things kind of rolled along, um, it just looked 210 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: more and more positive in terms of where I'm at um. 211 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: You know, the back for e is a it is 212 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: a real place. We've set foot on it, and you know, 213 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: for many of us, it is a it is a 214 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: physical place that we touched. But I think bigger than 215 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: that is I think the back forty is it's an idea. 216 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: I think it's a way forward, and I think that's 217 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: our challenge now, is to let's take this place that 218 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: only a small percentage of us will whoever touch, and 219 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: make that the place that it people can, you know, 220 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,599 Speaker 1: make it their place. And maybe this you know, this 221 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 1: is a property somewhere on the other side of the country. 222 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: So I think I think it's that the backboard is 223 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: an idea and we're looking forward to really making people 224 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 1: feel like it's in their own backyard. Yeah, I want 225 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,079 Speaker 1: to unpackage a bunch of stuff you said there, but 226 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: but I want to take a winding path to get 227 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 1: to that point. Uh, real quick, Hank, would you add 228 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: anything as far as your perspective on how you're how 229 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: you're feeling about this. We'll get into all the details 230 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: of what it's gonna look like, but I'm just kind 231 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: of curious where your heads at. Hey, after one, it's 232 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: unfair that I have to follow that. You know, Nick, 233 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: Nick summed it up right there very beautifully. And and now, 234 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, from our earliest conversations about this, 235 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: it was a dream, um, and as now as as 236 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: a reality, UM, it's it's an absolute honor and and 237 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 1: we are super appreciative of the gift and the opportunity 238 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: that comes along with it. Um. You know, when we 239 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: started down the path of filled the fok and athens 240 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: in and started to get a little traction you know, uh, 241 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: meat eater, you know, food focused kind of recruitment. I 242 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: mean it was it was our pie in the sky, 243 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: um partner. And so so really from both sides, it's uh, 244 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: it's it's something that seemed like a dream and now 245 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: it's a reality, and and we're really appreciative of the opportunity. 246 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: Well right back at you guys, I know. Um, it's 247 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: it's a two way thing. So while we're gifting you 248 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: guys the property, uh, you guys are gifting us a 249 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 1: sense of, um comfort in knowing that this it's kind 250 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: of like I'm giving you my baby in a certain sense. 251 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: And just the sense of trust and comfort I have 252 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: knowing that my baby is in the right hands and 253 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: that the future is is bright. Um that's a huge 254 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: gift to me and to meet either. So for that, 255 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: I thank you guys as well. Um so, so what 256 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: I want to get into here soon is is talking 257 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: about some of your specific you know, plans for the property, 258 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: plans for events, plans for how you know, we together 259 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: and you guys can can use this back forward it 260 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: to be more than just a physical place, but also 261 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: this idea of a place and this inspiration to others. 262 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: But but first things first, we actually got to see 263 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: the farm. You got to see the farm in December. 264 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: I invited to both of you to come join me 265 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: at the very end of the year to to see 266 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: the farm, to tour the farm, to hunt a couple 267 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: of days if if we needed them, try to fill 268 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: a couple of dough tags. Uh So, first impressions of 269 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: the property first and foremost you you you've seen the videos. 270 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: But then you actually got to get your feet on 271 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: the ground. Uh, Nick, first take on the property. What 272 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: do you think after having set foot there? Yeah? I 273 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: mean that was introducing us to the baby. Um so, 274 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: uh and just be sure you have you have full 275 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: visitation rates whenever you want to it's. Uh. It was 276 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: interesting because, as you said, we've seen the videos. We 277 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: obviously had seen every episode of the Back forty and 278 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: so there was a sense that when we first pulled 279 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: up and stepped out there, it felt like you've been 280 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: there before. And that just speaks to how well you 281 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: all did with with producing the show. But you know, 282 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: I'd say the one thing that kind of struck me 283 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: um for the size of the property, uh, sixty three 284 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: sixty four acres. Uh, it felt bigger than that. And 285 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: so when we went on the initial tour. That's sometimes 286 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: you have properties that are really big, but maybe they 287 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: don't feel like there is bigger. They sort of hunt small, 288 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: so to speak. I thought that it was I thought 289 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: that it hunted big, that there was plenty of area 290 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: we could have We could have fit two or three 291 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: more people out there hunting that evening, and so I 292 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: think that was my first impression. And I think another 293 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: another thing that stood out quickly is that it's it's 294 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: It reminded me that this is a piece of property 295 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: that sits in the landscape with other pieces of property, 296 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: and what people doing around you matters, and what influence 297 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: the backboard he has had on some of the neighbors there, 298 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: So I thought that was another thing that, uh that 299 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: I came home with. Yeah, yeah, that's that's a that's 300 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: a good point. It's an interesting point, and I and 301 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:37,080 Speaker 1: a hundred percent agree with you and that it does 302 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: feel bigger than what you might imagine. And and that 303 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: was even without you know, we didn't even touch half 304 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: the farm with the swamp and all the cover there, 305 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: we didn't we didn't see half the farm at all, 306 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: and so you know, imagine what's going on in all that. 307 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: So that that's what I've always loved about it is 308 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: it is it. It's kind of compartmentalized in different regions. 309 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: And I feel like with with further management those old fields, 310 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 1: as they continue to be improved and changed, I just 311 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:10,400 Speaker 1: feel it expanding. It's gonna feel even bigger and bigger 312 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: as those open spaces become more diverse and filled out 313 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 1: in different ways. Um, I'm really intrigued to see what 314 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: this place is going to look like, you know, a 315 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: handful of years down the road. So I'm right there 316 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: with you, Hank. What what did you think any any 317 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: hot takes? Yeah, I mean, my my initial reaction showing 318 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,159 Speaker 1: up on the property um, you know was the terrain. 319 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: And I don't think the you know, the drop down 320 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: to the swamp or the rise backup really came across 321 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: in in the back forty web series. UM, So that 322 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: was most shocking to me. Um. It's a beautiful piece 323 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: of property. And it honestly, just driving up there, um 324 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:58,679 Speaker 1: and staying locally and and and seeing the property, it 325 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: was kind of confirmation and of that hunting culture that 326 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: I've heard so much about and witnessed, um, you know 327 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 1: through your content over the years. But um, you know, 328 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: it kind of reaffirmed those beliefs. And then honestly, by 329 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: the time we uh we stepped off the property, I 330 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: think my biggest takeaway was that you were a proud 331 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 1: papa and and rightfully so. And the property that I 332 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: experienced was not the property that I've seen documented over 333 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: the last couple of years. And I think that's a 334 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: testament to the improvements and and and you know, um 335 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: sweat equity and everything that you've put in to the property, 336 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 1: along with all your guests and and everything like that. 337 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: But um, I saw a real transformation, um, from what 338 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: I've seen from day one two when we left the property. Yeah, 339 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 1: I I felt I felt the same way after after 340 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 1: the end of our trip, and and I guess let 341 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: me give the cliff notes version of our hunt and 342 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: then you guys can add some color. But you know, 343 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: our our hope was we would spend two days, you know, 344 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: touring the farm together and then hunting it, and that 345 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 1: would give you guys an opportunity to get to know 346 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 1: the place, understand you know what this landscape was that 347 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: now you guys will be working with. And then also, 348 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: you know, there's no better way to get to know 349 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 1: something like this than actually sitting out there and observing 350 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,719 Speaker 1: it and hunting it. So we thought, hey, we know 351 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: that there could be some more dough management out here, 352 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: so let's utilize this time we're gonna spend as a 353 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: way to also achieve a management task. So my dream was, man, 354 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: if we could fill three dough tags, that would be 355 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: a great way to end the season. And so that's 356 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: what that's what we did. We went out there that 357 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: first night, and uh, at first, I gotta, I gotta 358 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: before I give any more detail, I gotta ask. We 359 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: we determined who was going to hunt where that night 360 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: by a very competitive game of rock paper scissors between 361 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: Hank and Nick and Hank ultimately you. One My question 362 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: for you, Nick is have you spent any time kind 363 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: of armchair quarterback in your decisions? How you determined what 364 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: to throw? And do you do you think you could 365 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 1: have rethought your strategy as far as rock paper sayss 366 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: to have won that or or did you just slide 367 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 1: that anything carpet and forget about it? Um? You know, 368 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: maybe I should have put more strategy into it. Um 369 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: you know I didn't. Um the psychologist and me, I 370 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: guess should have got into Hank's mind a little bit 371 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: and thought about what you might want to throw, And 372 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: so I will and nearly threw one out there, and uh, 373 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: and I lost. I think I think it took us 374 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: a couple of rounds, but um, it was a thorough 375 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: beating and I took it, took it like a man. 376 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: And uh, you know, I knew. I knew that just 377 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 1: about anywhere on that property was going to be good. 378 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 1: And I especially new Mark, when you said I'm gonna 379 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: sit with you on the first hunt, Nick, I thought, well, 380 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: wherever they're sending me doesn't suck, Because Mark, I'm ye 381 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 1: know it all worked out. Um, you and I Nick, 382 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: we went and sat in the I guess would be 383 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 1: the northeast corner of the property, which was the same 384 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: tower blind where my dad killed his buck earlier in 385 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: the year, and a place that you know, I had 386 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: always thought, you know, had potential. It's it's our corner 387 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: tucks into a lot of really good habitat on the neighbors, 388 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: and so I always envisioned if we could just improve 389 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: on our side a little bit more, we would get 390 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: some spillover effects from the already good stuff on all 391 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: the neighbors there. And so that's what we've tried to 392 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: start doing, um and only only just scratched the surface there, 393 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 1: but by adding some of these Egyptian wheat screens, that 394 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:45,679 Speaker 1: started to break it up a little bit more. And 395 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: by the switch grass plantings and pollinator plantings and some 396 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: treatments we we did to get rid of some of 397 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: the other weeds. We thickened up that whole corner of 398 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 1: that field in a decent way and then added that 399 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,320 Speaker 1: expanded food plus, so we had more cover out there 400 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: and a pretty are in good food plot, and uh, 401 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: you know, that was certainly the ticket for us this season. 402 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 1: In that corner we killed my Dad's buck, of course, 403 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,360 Speaker 1: and then you and I, uh, gosh, I mean when 404 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: we're climbing into the blind, there were deer already moving 405 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 1: in the timber adjacent to us as we were getting 406 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 1: set up, right, I mean, it was instantly, Oh there's deer. 407 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: And uh there was a brief break I guess for 408 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe an hour or so after those 409 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: deer disappeared, and then all of a sudden, here comes more. Um, 410 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,360 Speaker 1: how many dear do you think we saw, Nick, I mean, 411 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: it was quite a few over over the course of 412 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: the evening. Yeah, I gotta say it was one of 413 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: those hunts where I never had time to think about that. 414 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: It was. I think it was in the twenties. That night. 415 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: It was cold, as you said. As we were into 416 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: the into the stand, Um, we saw a deer moving. 417 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: And really what it came down to, I was really 418 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,399 Speaker 1: confident we would see a lot of activity with that 419 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: cold friend. It just came down to whether or not 420 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: they would come into the field with food plot was 421 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: or whether they go stay on the neighbors and go 422 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: to a cut cornfield. And so um, I think the 423 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 1: fact that they made the choice become our direction just 424 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: speaks to what you just described in terms of the layout. Um, 425 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: you don't. You have to be thoughtful about these things, 426 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,679 Speaker 1: and you clearly were. You don't. You can't just go 427 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: out and throw us a food plot in the middle 428 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 1: of somewhere and expected to play out. You have to 429 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: think about how a scenario might play out like that. 430 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: So I thought it was really cool to actually see 431 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: it in action. Yeah, it was nice to see between 432 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: that hunt and my dad's hunt, that this one specific 433 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,199 Speaker 1: location that I gave a little bit more thought than 434 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,640 Speaker 1: other places, you know, specifically thinking about where I've seen 435 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: these deer coming in and out of the timber, and 436 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: how I would hope they use the terrain, and then 437 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: placing the tower blind on the most likely downwind side 438 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 1: of this long, skinny food plot that I hoped would 439 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 1: bring deer in but then move them along it. Um, 440 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: it actually worked out that way both times that we, 441 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 1: you know, spend time hunting it. And in our case, 442 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: you know, Nick, what was it, I don't know, an 443 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: hour and a half maybe after sitting down, this second 444 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: group of deer came working our way. It came all 445 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: the way out of the timber, and maybe there was 446 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:18,000 Speaker 1: five six seven does maybe that worked their way out 447 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: into our brushy field and then straight to the food plot. Um, 448 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: and you were able to line up on one. I 449 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: don't know if she maybe do you remember how far 450 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:32,400 Speaker 1: she was? Sixty yards, seventy yards something like that. Yeah, 451 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,199 Speaker 1: I think it was something in that neighborhood. We had 452 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: had the discussion in the blind just prior to that. 453 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:38,919 Speaker 1: We we wanted the deer to get out into the 454 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: plot if we could presented a good shot opportunity. And 455 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: you know, one one thing that I remember, and you'd 456 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,959 Speaker 1: asked me how many deer we thought we saw, I'm 457 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 1: gonna say we thought we saw like at least ten deer. 458 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: My memory a little fuzzy now because it's been a 459 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: little while, but it was. It was no shortage of deer, 460 00:24:55,800 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: and they were they were very edgy, obviously, these being 461 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: in Michigan where we were with hunting pressure and whatnot. Uh. 462 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: The lead though, actually the one I ended up taking, 463 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: she was very aware of of that blind and um, 464 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 1: you know, just she was not gonna just really nearly 465 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: got walking out there and start feeding and the same 466 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: thing with your deer, so um, you know, it's just 467 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:25,640 Speaker 1: it was it was. It was a lot of deer, 468 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: and I thought too, uh, you know, we'll then we'll 469 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: get into Hank's story too. But walking out, I remember 470 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: the number of tracks that we saw a deer that 471 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 1: none of us would have seen from where we were. 472 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 1: That we're fresh tracks from that evening. So there were 473 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,120 Speaker 1: there were deer all over that place that night. Yeah, yeah, 474 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: that's that's true. We even even I remember going to 475 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 1: recover your deer, we saw more deer off in the 476 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: distance in the other field running off. So yeah, they were. 477 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: They were out and about that night, that's for sure. 478 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: And you got a great shot on your dough that 479 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: came out with that first group of five or six 480 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 1: or whatever they went running back in. And then maybe 481 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: over the course of the next half hour or so, 482 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,399 Speaker 1: we spotted these deer come back out of the timber. 483 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:06,600 Speaker 1: Either the same ones are different, I'm not sure which, 484 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:12,160 Speaker 1: but two deer eventually filtered out and came our direction, 485 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: one of them being I think it was too one 486 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,720 Speaker 1: of them being a nice, big, mature dough And she 487 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:20,919 Speaker 1: finally stepped out and we were waiting for her to 488 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 1: turn broadside. And as we're waiting for her to turn broadside, 489 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: we hear a big gaboom from the next field over 490 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 1: and Hay shot one, and then moments later our doll 491 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: finally turned it. I got a crack and she went 492 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: running off and toppled over. So that was two for 493 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: two for us in our blind. Uh, Hank, what was 494 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 1: what was the quick rundown of your night? Well, I 495 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: guess we were in the honey hole. Um and uh, 496 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 1: I think we ended up seeing five deer that evening. 497 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 1: It was it's kind of slow for the you know, 498 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: maybe first hour. And uh, actually we kind of missed 499 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: took an earlier shot I guess from a neighboring property, 500 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: thinking it might have been y'all, but um, you know, 501 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,639 Speaker 1: not being used to the straight wall cartridges and facing 502 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 1: away from us and everything. When Nick later shot, we 503 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: realized that that was not in fact y'all originally. And 504 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: um and then a little bit later a dough and 505 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:24,959 Speaker 1: two fonds came from your direction, kind of surprised us, 506 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,880 Speaker 1: and um eventually presented a nice broadside shot just down 507 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 1: in the food plot. Um, kind of where the honey 508 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 1: hoole and uh and your woodline right there kind of 509 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 1: bottleneck um and uh, and we ended up seeing two 510 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,959 Speaker 1: other deer other than those three. But um, you know, 511 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: just a beautiful evening um in Michigan, and I'm lucky 512 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: to harvest and nice stove. It was a great it 513 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: was a great night. And uh, I'm gonna have to 514 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 1: apologize in advance for this, but I'd be remiss if 515 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: I didn't throw you under the bus real quick, Hank, 516 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: and talk about the most the most explosive gutting incident 517 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 1: I personally have ever witnessed. We're watching you gut your 518 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,919 Speaker 1: dear or watching you gut your deer, and you're doing 519 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: a really great job, and you're being careful. And I 520 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: think in the midst of you discussing this, we are 521 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: talking about how you've had to teach so many new hunters, 522 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 1: or you know, showcase to many new hunters, you know, 523 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: through field of fork, how to do this process. And 524 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,560 Speaker 1: something along that line of conversation was going on. And 525 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: as we're talking about like teaching people to gut, you 526 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: slip the knife a little bit. It popped the stomach 527 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: and it just exploded all up your arms mark in 528 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: your jacket. I mean, I've never seen anything that bad. 529 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 1: I mean, would you describe it differently? Hank, I think 530 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: that's pretty close to reality. But I have replayed that 531 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: moment in my mind, you know, the nine hour drive 532 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: home or whatever. Um, try and you know, washing the 533 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: jacket to try to figure out what happened. Um, that 534 00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: jacket will never go hunting ever again. It got de 535 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: scented laundry detergent, and I don't think it will ever 536 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: come out. But but no, you're absolutely right. You made 537 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: some comment of all, you know, great clean gutting job, 538 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: and next thing I know, there's just a I mean 539 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 1: a quarter of an inch slit in that stomach. And 540 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: I guess because of that small hole. I don't know 541 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: if the top of the gut hook kind of punctured 542 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: the stomach or what. Um, but yes, the small hole 543 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: uh created a pressure behind it. And I have not 544 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: experienced anything like that myself either. But if there's any 545 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 1: ever a teaching moment, I want all these potential new 546 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,719 Speaker 1: hunters and aspiring hunters out there to know that you 547 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: know you can even you know all of us will 548 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: make mistakes, but you know you can get through it 549 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,400 Speaker 1: and the meat is still fine and you and still 550 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 1: take it home and serve it. Yeah, maybe it's a 551 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: teaching moment. But yes, it wasn't an adventure. And we 552 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: we joked during we joked after that that I had 553 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: plans of making the video that was going to come 554 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: from this hunt. It was gonna be seven minutes of 555 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: the hunt and then seven minutes of you dealing with 556 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: that mess. I can I can now tell you, Hank, 557 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 1: that we didn't do that to you. The video, the 558 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: video is done and you're gutting incident is nowhere to 559 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: be seen. So yeah, it's podcast exclusive exactly. So it was, 560 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: it was right now, I want to rescue I want 561 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: to rescue Hanker tad here because in full disclosure, we 562 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: mark you and I. We got to arguere while there 563 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: was still daylight, so we got to uh to do 564 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 1: our work while we could still see. And in the meantime, 565 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 1: Hanks was sitting there and gaining a little bit of 566 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: I guess some some stomach ex ans and while we 567 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,560 Speaker 1: were waiting, and then we asked him to do it dark, so, um, 568 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: you know, well, we'll give him to throw him a 569 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: little bit of a life line there and say that 570 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,479 Speaker 1: his his conditions for having to deal with it were 571 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: a little bit tougher there. You go. That's a man, Hank. 572 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: That's that's true leadership right there. From Nick, You've got 573 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: a good one. You've got a good one. Uh Man. 574 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: It was it was a great It was a great 575 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: hunt and a great visit. Um. I was really glad 576 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: that you guys were able to make it down and 577 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 1: have that kind of introduction to the place. Okay, you've 578 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: you've seen the farm, and we are now passing this 579 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: place onto you guys. And there's there's two different sides 580 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 1: of what I'm envisioning happening there in the property. The 581 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: first thing I'd like to hear about is how you 582 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: guys are thinking about I don't know if you I 583 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: don't think you guys know the specifics yet, but I'd 584 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: love to learn more about how you plan to think 585 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: about the management on the farm, Like how are what 586 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: are you guys thinking about doing? How are you thinking 587 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: about continuing any of the work that we started when 588 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: it came to habitat management or deer management or anything 589 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 1: like that. You know, are you guys going to practice 590 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: quality deer management practices on the place or is it 591 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:17,120 Speaker 1: different because this is going to be um used for 592 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: new hunter engagements. I've got a lot of questions just 593 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: around all of that. UM, what either one of you 594 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 1: guys want to share perspective on on what the farm 595 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: looks like from that perspective, Sure, I'll take that. UM. 596 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: You know your listeners aren't aware, but I know we've 597 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 1: engaged you in some of this. But UM, you know, 598 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: we want to obviously continue a lot of what you've 599 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: done on the property. UM. You know, as a as 600 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: a national you know, deer focused conservation organization, we teach 601 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 1: people you know, how to hunt all the way to 602 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: habitat management and herd management and all that kind of 603 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: good stuff. So of course we want to continue, um, 604 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: the improvement of the property, the management of the property 605 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: that you have done, and and to do that, we're 606 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: going to rely on a group of both kind of 607 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:14,800 Speaker 1: local and statewide volunteers um you know, national Deer Association members, um, 608 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: who who have experience or interest um in kind of 609 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: managing the property. UM. So we've kind of convened a 610 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 1: small habitat committee as we're calling them, and plan to 611 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: expand that, and of course they're looking for for new 612 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: volunteers and anybody who has interest in helping both from 613 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: the habitat and management side to uh, you know, mentoring 614 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: new hunters and community engagement and all that. But UM, 615 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 1: you know, we want a seamless transition of the management 616 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: and just oversight of the property UM, and want to 617 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: continue your legacy. And so we plan to be UM 618 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: on the ground soon with an in person tour UM 619 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: for those kind of hands on individuals UM and kind 620 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: of bring them up to speed on where we stand. UM. 621 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: You know, dreams that weren't realized. I mean, just as 622 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: we've dealt with and you know it's the things that happened. UM. 623 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: I know that some of your plans had to change 624 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:19,439 Speaker 1: because of certain situations, and and we want to get 625 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: to projects that you might have not had time to do. 626 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:26,840 Speaker 1: But to maintain a property that's its beneficial for engaging 627 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:31,239 Speaker 1: the community and mentory new hunters, but also providing quality 628 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:36,360 Speaker 1: wildlife habitat UM even you know, a showcase for locals 629 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: on what they can do with their properties. But all 630 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,799 Speaker 1: in all, we just want to carry on the ideals 631 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,359 Speaker 1: and and and things that you incorporated in the back 632 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: forty in that project and make sure that we utilize 633 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: the property the best we can UM for the future 634 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: of wildlife and management and area but also for for 635 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: new hunters and and deer hunting. Would you would you 636 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 1: add anything to that, Nick, Yeah, I think Hank Hank 637 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,360 Speaker 1: did a great job there. I'll just say that it's 638 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:13,600 Speaker 1: interesting too because as an organization we are we've always 639 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: been about conservation, no question. But I think what people 640 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: have seen about us is that we are UM. They 641 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 1: saw us as being a quality deer organization, meeting big deer, 642 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:28,319 Speaker 1: that type of thing, and so UM, I think that 643 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: this property is a conservation property. It's one of the 644 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: things that impressed me when I was first watching the show. 645 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: You have bee hives there, you know, you're you're thinking 646 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:41,439 Speaker 1: about those types of things, pollinators, pre planning, and so 647 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 1: we want to take this is this is also an 648 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:48,239 Speaker 1: opportunity for us to have people be acquainted with who 649 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 1: we are as an organization. And because of the the 650 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 1: type of following that you all get, UM and you know, 651 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: not that we don't have a following either, but we 652 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:58,400 Speaker 1: think ears is different. We think it gets to the 653 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:01,160 Speaker 1: people that really need to see what we're all about. 654 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:04,240 Speaker 1: So we're also excited about it from that aspect um 655 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:10,839 Speaker 1: as well. On that front, you know what would um 656 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:14,359 Speaker 1: when you say that Nick, what what specifically is that 657 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: you want these people to see about the National Deer Association, 658 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: Is it? I mean, I can make some assumptions, some inferences, 659 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:24,279 Speaker 1: but if if I were to say, okay, Nick, well 660 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 1: what is that exactly? Tell us right now? You know 661 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:33,759 Speaker 1: what is the message this? What is this message? Yeah? 662 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: And I'm glad you asked that I have this kind 663 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,360 Speaker 1: of crazy vision and I may have told you about 664 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: it in the past, but um, I have a vision 665 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 1: that someday people will join our organization while having no 666 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 1: intention to even shoot a deer. And so they'll join 667 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:58,320 Speaker 1: because they recognize the conservation value the deer bring, not 668 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: not just as a hundred species, but that's a big 669 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: part of it. So for example, when seven out of 670 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 1: ten people that hunt hunt deep and and the next 671 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: animals not not even close, not even half that. Um, 672 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,759 Speaker 1: that's a huge, huge piece of the pie. When it 673 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,239 Speaker 1: comes to conservation of all wildlife species. The amount of 674 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:22,920 Speaker 1: money that goes to state wildlife agencies from sale of 675 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 1: hunting licenses, from purchasing equipment to go hunt deer, um, 676 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: that's a that's a huge piece and deer critical to 677 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: that and so we need healthy deer. We need a 678 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: healthy deer hunting heritage, and we need conservation, and that's 679 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:45,480 Speaker 1: what we're about. We want to achieve broad conservation conservation 680 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 1: of all species through the management of deer. And it's 681 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: not this is this is not like maybe it was 682 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,719 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, where you could just kind 683 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: of take deer for granted. They were everywhere. Not to 684 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,160 Speaker 1: say that deer still aren't everywhere, but that's threatened by 685 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:02,759 Speaker 1: other things. Now. They're threatened by loss of habitats. They're 686 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: threatened by things like chronic wasting disease, they're threatened by 687 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: threatened by changing weather patterns. Frankly um, So there's just 688 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,719 Speaker 1: a lot out there, and deer need a steward, they 689 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:18,840 Speaker 1: need a spokesperson. So this is an opportunity to tell people, 690 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: to tell everybody hun or not, de are pretty guarding 691 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: important and they're not just something that you maybe you know, 692 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:28,799 Speaker 1: hit with your buick, uh you know that are seed 693 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: eating your flower gardens. They're important and I think we 694 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: have a responsibility to tell people that and get them 695 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,720 Speaker 1: behind Dear. Yeah, yeah, I love it. I couldn't agree 696 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:42,839 Speaker 1: more so. So I'm excited to hear Hank and and 697 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: we've already talked about some of these things, and I've 698 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:48,440 Speaker 1: had some conversations with the committee, But I'm excited about 699 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 1: the ideas you guys have around trying to kind of 700 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: take our initial set of plans and kind of give 701 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 1: them jet fuel and get out there and do the 702 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,359 Speaker 1: things that I wish we could have but never could have. 703 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 1: Um And and I'm sure you guys are gonna have 704 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 1: some other ideas to bringing on the experts that you 705 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 1: have within your teams and within your volunteer base. So well, 706 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:09,359 Speaker 1: that gets me really excited. I mean, I know that 707 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 1: what you're telling us, Nick is something that ever one 708 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 1: at media was really excited about, which is the fact 709 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:17,239 Speaker 1: that you guys would be looking at this, you know, 710 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: as a larger conservation initiative. This This isn't gonna be 711 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 1: like an exclusive property for a couple of people, shoot 712 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,439 Speaker 1: big Bucks. That's not what's happening in the back Ford. 713 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: It this is going to be a place that is 714 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: representative and it is illustrative of what you can do 715 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:40,120 Speaker 1: on a property to conserve wildlife and plant life, and 716 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:44,439 Speaker 1: and then also using as an educational resource to teach 717 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: other people how to think about those things in their 718 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:49,320 Speaker 1: own place, or how to hunt or how to improve 719 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:51,000 Speaker 1: a piece of property. Are all those different things the 720 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,240 Speaker 1: things that we wanted to do um and and started 721 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 1: to do. It's it's exciting to hear that you're going 722 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:02,399 Speaker 1: to continue with those same um ideas and missions going 723 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:07,279 Speaker 1: forward and then putting your own spin and expertise behind it. Um. Hey, 724 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,120 Speaker 1: is there anything you can share as far as I 725 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,839 Speaker 1: don't know any of the conversations you've had with volunteers 726 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:16,759 Speaker 1: or the committees around some of the specific projects that 727 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: folks are excited about taking on or thinking about taking on. 728 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 1: I just I gotta believe that people are curious, like, hey, 729 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 1: are they gonna plant more trees? Are they gonna do 730 00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 1: more food? Plus has there been any I know decisions 731 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,399 Speaker 1: haven't been made, probably, but I'm just curious if there's 732 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:33,799 Speaker 1: any kind of teaser you can provide us all as 733 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:36,319 Speaker 1: far as what might year three in the back forward 734 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,919 Speaker 1: it look like when it comes to sending Josh further 735 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 1: Hilliard out there to get to work. Oh man, uh, 736 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 1: as you know, our guys are hungry and and they're 737 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 1: chomping at the bit. Um. I think expanding the trees 738 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:54,760 Speaker 1: plantings on the property as a given. UM. Of course 739 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,760 Speaker 1: we're we're working on the other things like a conservation 740 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:03,239 Speaker 1: ease meant on the property, UM, expanding food plots, UM, 741 00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:07,080 Speaker 1: doing a little bit more UM to turn the fields 742 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 1: over to a more native plant life. UM. You know, 743 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:14,520 Speaker 1: this guy's the limit and and they're really excited. UM. 744 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,000 Speaker 1: Our next step is really getting them on the property 745 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,960 Speaker 1: and giving them the real view. We've done a zoom 746 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,720 Speaker 1: tour UM, but nothing will you know, take the place 747 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:27,280 Speaker 1: of them seeing the property as we got to. UM. 748 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,239 Speaker 1: But you know, we we hope to continue and and 749 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:33,120 Speaker 1: do more. And I think it will turn into three 750 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 1: and then four and year five and UM, gosh only knows. 751 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 1: But we've got some real talent on the committee and 752 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,280 Speaker 1: some and some people with a lot of energy and 753 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:49,440 Speaker 1: an expertise. So UM, I have no doubt in my 754 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,759 Speaker 1: mind that the management of both habitat and wildlife on 755 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: the property is is looking good. UM. And of course, 756 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:00,120 Speaker 1: as Nick said earlier, we we look forward to you 757 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 1: continuing to check up on us. You've got that that 758 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:06,920 Speaker 1: free pass anytime you won't and we look forward to 759 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 1: keeping you posted on you know, the continued work on 760 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: the property. Yeah, I'm excited about that too. And here's 761 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:19,839 Speaker 1: a question, you know, old school qut um kind of 762 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 1: ideas around making harvest decisions on deer. There was always 763 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:27,839 Speaker 1: some people that would say, well, you've got to stick 764 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:31,040 Speaker 1: to your management goals. If we're if we're targeting you know, 765 00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:33,160 Speaker 1: three or four year old bucks, that's what everyone has 766 00:42:33,200 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 1: to do. Um. And so there's some people that talk 767 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 1: like that, and then there's other people that say, you know, 768 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: everyone has, you know, have your own goal, but when 769 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 1: it comes to new hunters or kids, you should really 770 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:44,759 Speaker 1: think about, you know, giving them a different entry point, 771 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,279 Speaker 1: you know, to have more opportunity. UM. I'm sure there's 772 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: people who heard about us giving the property to the 773 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:55,399 Speaker 1: formerly known as the Quality Deer Management Association and thought, ma'am, 774 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:58,800 Speaker 1: what does that mean for all these new hunters that 775 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 1: suppose we're going out there to have to wait you 776 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 1: have to wait for a big buck to come out 777 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:06,440 Speaker 1: to shoot? Or alternatively, are they going to shoot every 778 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 1: year they see and fifty are gonna get killed out 779 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 1: there next year? I've already heard that people asking like, 780 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:15,680 Speaker 1: what does this mean for the deer herd? Um? Could 781 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:18,239 Speaker 1: other one of you guys, you know, clear the air 782 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:21,799 Speaker 1: on that or maybe provide some color as to any 783 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 1: thoughts you've had around that. I'll take a quick stab 784 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,280 Speaker 1: and then Hank may want to fill in. So Um, 785 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 1: just kind of smiling as I hear you talk, because 786 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:32,920 Speaker 1: I can I can see these are here are these 787 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:37,360 Speaker 1: questions coming in and so um, you know, every every 788 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:43,160 Speaker 1: property has its own unique opportunity and also should have 789 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: its own very unique management goals. I think our goal 790 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: there is again it's it's it is. This is a 791 00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:55,760 Speaker 1: it's a vision. Okay, it's a it's a it's a vision, 792 00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:59,920 Speaker 1: and we want to educate in terms of hunters on 793 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:02,760 Speaker 1: the property. I think that we want to educate people 794 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:06,720 Speaker 1: about things like age structure and the importance of having 795 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: a balanced age and sex structure in your herd. But 796 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:13,840 Speaker 1: we also have to recognize that we're working on a 797 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:18,280 Speaker 1: pretty small property in the grand scheme of things, and 798 00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 1: so that means we have limitations. You shot two bucks there, 799 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:26,719 Speaker 1: mark that I think are pretty indicative of what is 800 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:32,319 Speaker 1: possible there um, just with patients. And so I think 801 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:34,759 Speaker 1: that if if we can give our participants that hunt 802 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:38,680 Speaker 1: their opportunities at they can they can shoot a yearling 803 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,880 Speaker 1: buck if that satisfies them. But also to potentially have 804 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 1: an opportunity at something a little older. It would be 805 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 1: nice to tell them, hey, just so you know, here's 806 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,960 Speaker 1: what we know about the property based on observance and 807 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,279 Speaker 1: trail camera pictures and whatnot. But it's your decision. And 808 00:44:56,360 --> 00:45:01,680 Speaker 1: so to me, the real goal there is the conservation 809 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:05,600 Speaker 1: message and to improve a property and have happy, healthy deer. 810 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:08,360 Speaker 1: And if we can do that and also do things 811 00:45:08,440 --> 00:45:11,719 Speaker 1: like keep a good age structure and be able to 812 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:14,960 Speaker 1: have two or three deer running around like the ones 813 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:18,160 Speaker 1: you've taught the last couple of years, I look at 814 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:20,760 Speaker 1: that as winning. I think that's a great experience for people, 815 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 1: and I think that should be our goal. That's awesome, Hank, 816 00:45:25,040 --> 00:45:30,880 Speaker 1: Would you add anything? Sure? Um? Yes, I mean a 817 00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:34,920 Speaker 1: lot of people have opinions of what we've we've you know, 818 00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:38,919 Speaker 1: what we've taught or what we've championed over the years, 819 00:45:38,960 --> 00:45:40,759 Speaker 1: and I think a lot of it is is a 820 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:45,279 Speaker 1: misrepresentation or just um a little off you know. Uh, 821 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:48,480 Speaker 1: you know, cut you may always said that if you 822 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:52,040 Speaker 1: protect most of your yearly and bucks, you know you're 823 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,960 Speaker 1: doing a good thing. And and for first time hunters, 824 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:01,279 Speaker 1: we have never set any guidelines ourselves we have obviously, 825 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:05,160 Speaker 1: you know, hosted events on properties where we went with 826 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:09,239 Speaker 1: guidelines of that property. But as as for us, I mean, 827 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:14,520 Speaker 1: um any legal dear. You know, I've set with plenty 828 00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 1: of these filled to four hunters over the years. And 829 00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:19,640 Speaker 1: and it's if if you'd like to put that deer 830 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:24,520 Speaker 1: in your freezer, it's that's you. That's your decision, you know, um, 831 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:28,600 Speaker 1: and all power to them. You know. Um, I'm a 832 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:33,560 Speaker 1: meat hunter. UM, I love to shoot those and you know, um, 833 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:35,799 Speaker 1: you know that's that's kind of my motivation as a 834 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:40,080 Speaker 1: hunter per se. But um, you know, this kind of 835 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:43,799 Speaker 1: brings me back to you know, our point where you know, 836 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:46,240 Speaker 1: how many people can you hunt on the Back forty 837 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,359 Speaker 1: And and correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot 838 00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:52,840 Speaker 1: of your intentions with the Back forty project were to 839 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:56,520 Speaker 1: show what someone could do with a you know, a 840 00:46:56,600 --> 00:47:00,280 Speaker 1: fairly average or or a property that is excess sable, 841 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:03,839 Speaker 1: too many and available in many parts of this country. 842 00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:09,239 Speaker 1: And so for for our success using the property for 843 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:14,080 Speaker 1: Filled the Fork per se, it will be all utilizing 844 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:18,239 Speaker 1: the property to the best of its potential, but inspiring 845 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:21,839 Speaker 1: the network of back forties both locally around the Back 846 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:26,280 Speaker 1: forty and and a patchwork throughout the country because we need, 847 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:30,440 Speaker 1: you know, hunters and and managers of the back forties 848 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:33,600 Speaker 1: across the country to understand that they can have an 849 00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:36,200 Speaker 1: impact on the future of honey. Not only can they 850 00:47:36,239 --> 00:47:40,320 Speaker 1: manage their property and the animals that you know you 851 00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:45,120 Speaker 1: were there, but they can they can be very influential 852 00:47:45,239 --> 00:47:49,000 Speaker 1: locally to create community around people who are interested in 853 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:53,080 Speaker 1: learning to hunt or you know, to mentor new hunters. 854 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,440 Speaker 1: And so it's really from our point of view, we 855 00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:58,239 Speaker 1: want to take this property and take kind of your 856 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,759 Speaker 1: same intention, but o others that you can do this too, 857 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:05,000 Speaker 1: and and so even at a local level, the success 858 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:08,960 Speaker 1: around the Back forty in Michigan will be the community 859 00:48:09,080 --> 00:48:12,719 Speaker 1: and the patchwork even locally that we can create around it, 860 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:17,359 Speaker 1: inspire others to join us, to create more hunters and 861 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:21,680 Speaker 1: create a community of of food focused adult hunters, you know, 862 00:48:21,719 --> 00:48:24,840 Speaker 1: a diverse group of people who who share a passion 863 00:48:24,920 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 1: for for hunting and wild foods and and that kind 864 00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:32,279 Speaker 1: of stuff, and and also are known kind of as 865 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:34,640 Speaker 1: if you want to learn to hunt, you need to 866 00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:38,160 Speaker 1: get in touch with these people. And really that's that's 867 00:48:38,239 --> 00:48:41,800 Speaker 1: our intention, and that's the dream now is to create 868 00:48:41,920 --> 00:48:48,680 Speaker 1: that around this opportunity. Yeah, I think that's I think 869 00:48:48,719 --> 00:48:51,600 Speaker 1: that's spot on, and it makes it makes a lot 870 00:48:51,640 --> 00:48:55,600 Speaker 1: of sense now for people who maybe aren't as familiar 871 00:48:55,640 --> 00:48:59,319 Speaker 1: with Field to Fork. Um. It's something that we've talked 872 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:02,799 Speaker 1: about previously on this podcast. We've talked about it in 873 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:05,560 Speaker 1: detail on the Mediator podcast. But I want to just 874 00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:08,239 Speaker 1: be sure, just in case people are new they're not 875 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 1: aware of what this program is. Can you give me 876 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:13,840 Speaker 1: the cliff notes on what the Field to Fork program 877 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:18,000 Speaker 1: is that you guys run. Um, just a quick overview 878 00:49:18,040 --> 00:49:20,360 Speaker 1: of of what this thing is we're talking about, and 879 00:49:20,520 --> 00:49:22,560 Speaker 1: then we can kind of we can then dive into 880 00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:24,319 Speaker 1: how that is going to play out on the back 881 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:28,200 Speaker 1: for you. Awesome, Yeah, Phil, The fork is is a 882 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 1: modern food focused adult learn to hunt program that um 883 00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:36,080 Speaker 1: we kind of created. The name started as a workshop 884 00:49:36,280 --> 00:49:39,719 Speaker 1: in Kentucky in the you know, mid two thousands, and 885 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:43,640 Speaker 1: with permission and everything, we took their name and went 886 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:47,359 Speaker 1: to the Farmers Market in Athens, Georgia, just to kind 887 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:50,520 Speaker 1: of take the data and and kind of the cultural 888 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:53,520 Speaker 1: changes we're seeing in the United States with the advent 889 00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:57,560 Speaker 1: of farmers markets and organic grocery stores and all that 890 00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:01,759 Speaker 1: you know, the metrics and and the changing you know 891 00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:05,320 Speaker 1: values in this country bode very well for the future 892 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:09,080 Speaker 1: of hunting. People care about where their food comes from. Um, 893 00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:14,080 Speaker 1: you know, local sustainable people seem to be um, you know, 894 00:50:14,160 --> 00:50:18,760 Speaker 1: yearning for a deeper connection with nature and especially after 895 00:50:18,920 --> 00:50:22,600 Speaker 1: the last year self reliance. But we wanted to create 896 00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:27,239 Speaker 1: a program that took adults, you know, your most efficient audience, 897 00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:31,400 Speaker 1: and tried to create a sustainable program that created lasting hunters. 898 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:34,919 Speaker 1: And you know, we we made our own mistakes over 899 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:39,600 Speaker 1: the early years, but after and seventeen, we kind of 900 00:50:40,080 --> 00:50:44,200 Speaker 1: created a program that we thought worked, pairing uh, local 901 00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:47,680 Speaker 1: first time hunters with local hunters who were sharing their 902 00:50:47,800 --> 00:50:53,359 Speaker 1: stands and access UM and really creating community around it, 903 00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:57,920 Speaker 1: you know, having organized education and shared meals and and 904 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:00,560 Speaker 1: and range time and and really it was it was 905 00:51:00,600 --> 00:51:04,840 Speaker 1: simply about building a local community of hunters and and 906 00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:07,920 Speaker 1: and new hunters who who kind of shared all this 907 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:12,120 Speaker 1: infectious passion and and you know, memory of what it 908 00:51:12,160 --> 00:51:15,960 Speaker 1: was like for them to get their first year. But um, 909 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:20,160 Speaker 1: you know, we started with replications. We had eight programs. 910 00:51:20,200 --> 00:51:25,160 Speaker 1: By we had twenty six programs in seventeen states. We've 911 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:30,239 Speaker 1: you know, I truly believe that the most sustainable and 912 00:51:30,239 --> 00:51:34,040 Speaker 1: the most lasting programs will be these community based programs 913 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:39,000 Speaker 1: that I mentioned, where it's an extended period of you know, 914 00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:42,360 Speaker 1: learning to hunt with local new hunters and local mentors 915 00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:47,640 Speaker 1: and and Sherry Mills and camaraderie. It's about creating social 916 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:50,800 Speaker 1: support and and building that confidence of these new hunters 917 00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:53,720 Speaker 1: and giving them the avenues and resources that they need 918 00:51:54,120 --> 00:51:57,200 Speaker 1: to to you know, find their own path to becoming 919 00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:00,520 Speaker 1: and self identifying as a hunter. And so you know, 920 00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:03,600 Speaker 1: we've we've focused on these community kind of programs in 921 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:08,080 Speaker 1: many states, but we've also tried destination programs where we 922 00:52:08,160 --> 00:52:11,560 Speaker 1: had an opportunity at a private property or or something 923 00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:15,080 Speaker 1: else a public land where we could rent cabins, where 924 00:52:15,120 --> 00:52:17,560 Speaker 1: we just brought people in for four day events and 925 00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:22,480 Speaker 1: kind of condensed everything into one. We've gotten into industry 926 00:52:22,560 --> 00:52:25,440 Speaker 1: filled to forks where we've hosted programs for Ruger and 927 00:52:25,520 --> 00:52:29,480 Speaker 1: six Hour, most recently Daniel Defense and and hoping to 928 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:34,520 Speaker 1: host one for Vortex this year. UM. But we realized 929 00:52:34,600 --> 00:52:37,719 Speaker 1: quickly when you know, even my staff was seeing what 930 00:52:37,760 --> 00:52:41,480 Speaker 1: we were doing in Athens, they were interested in signing up. 931 00:52:41,600 --> 00:52:44,839 Speaker 1: And so we've we hosted one for our staff and 932 00:52:44,840 --> 00:52:48,640 Speaker 1: and so that's kind of what we're inspiring industry to do. UM. 933 00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:51,560 Speaker 1: We've partnered with the FEDS and unfilled the forks on 934 00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:55,759 Speaker 1: national Wildlife refugees, most recently in Virginia at the Aqua 935 00:52:55,880 --> 00:52:59,920 Speaker 1: Columbay National Wildlife Refuge But UM, you know, we're just 936 00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:03,000 Speaker 1: trying to prove that that this can happen anywhere, that 937 00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:06,399 Speaker 1: you can get a group of people together that are 938 00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:09,680 Speaker 1: fairly knowledgeable about hunting and willing to share their knowledge, 939 00:53:10,239 --> 00:53:13,000 Speaker 1: UM hopefully share some of their resources and their access. 940 00:53:13,200 --> 00:53:17,360 Speaker 1: But UM, you know, we need a lot more people 941 00:53:17,560 --> 00:53:21,000 Speaker 1: mentoring new hunters UM, and we need to diversify hunting 942 00:53:21,560 --> 00:53:25,400 Speaker 1: and it's a fun way to do it. UM. You 943 00:53:25,440 --> 00:53:28,399 Speaker 1: know you mentioned they can go to Deer Association dot 944 00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:32,080 Speaker 1: com slash FtF filled the Fork UM, and you can 945 00:53:32,120 --> 00:53:35,720 Speaker 1: see a video we did in or even a PBS 946 00:53:35,800 --> 00:53:39,400 Speaker 1: episode of Reconnecting Roots from last year with Steve and 947 00:53:39,480 --> 00:53:43,080 Speaker 1: right Callahan and us UM, as well as the previous 948 00:53:43,080 --> 00:53:47,040 Speaker 1: podcast that myself and Charles were with you. But UM, 949 00:53:47,080 --> 00:53:50,480 Speaker 1: of course kind of changed things a little bit. We 950 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:55,040 Speaker 1: had to cancel programs that we couldn't you know, safely 951 00:53:55,200 --> 00:53:59,520 Speaker 1: socially distanced or adapt but it created its own opportunities 952 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:02,840 Speaker 1: and were really fleshed out kind of the remote learning 953 00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:06,520 Speaker 1: and realizing that we can we can teach people about 954 00:54:06,600 --> 00:54:10,560 Speaker 1: deer hunting UM Hunter Education. We have an online deer 955 00:54:10,640 --> 00:54:14,120 Speaker 1: hunting one on one course that UM with Today's Hunter 956 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:17,400 Speaker 1: or Calcumy that's online UM. And we were able to 957 00:54:17,480 --> 00:54:20,360 Speaker 1: utilize these online resources to kind of train our hunters 958 00:54:20,360 --> 00:54:23,839 Speaker 1: at home and impair them with hunters and get them 959 00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:27,840 Speaker 1: out UM. So it kind of proved even more avenues 960 00:54:27,840 --> 00:54:30,759 Speaker 1: and opportunities to where we we of course want to 961 00:54:30,800 --> 00:54:35,200 Speaker 1: focus on organized events, but we can also you know, 962 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:39,839 Speaker 1: really fulfill a need for individuals, you know, anywhere where 963 00:54:39,840 --> 00:54:42,759 Speaker 1: we might not have organized programs to to help them 964 00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:46,640 Speaker 1: build the confidence and find the avenues too, to find 965 00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:51,360 Speaker 1: their way of field and hopefully become lasting hunters. I 966 00:54:51,400 --> 00:54:54,720 Speaker 1: love the program and excited to see it continue to grow. 967 00:54:55,160 --> 00:54:59,919 Speaker 1: And I've always thought that the trick has been doing 968 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:01,800 Speaker 1: what you guys are talking about doing, which is figuring 969 00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:04,640 Speaker 1: out how to scale this thing and how to how 970 00:55:04,680 --> 00:55:06,400 Speaker 1: to get it so that there's more and more and 971 00:55:06,440 --> 00:55:10,359 Speaker 1: more people inspired to to help volunteer and launch their 972 00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:13,680 Speaker 1: own field of fork events all across the country. That 973 00:55:13,760 --> 00:55:17,000 Speaker 1: seems to be the that's the there's the rub is 974 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:19,000 Speaker 1: how do you get enough people and then get them 975 00:55:19,040 --> 00:55:22,719 Speaker 1: the right tools to do these things themselves in partnership 976 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:25,239 Speaker 1: with you guys or whatever. Um. So I'm just kind 977 00:55:25,239 --> 00:55:27,120 Speaker 1: of curious. And I don't know if this is a 978 00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:29,160 Speaker 1: question for you, Hank, or if it's Nick or both 979 00:55:29,160 --> 00:55:33,400 Speaker 1: of you. I'm just curious, Um, what's the future look like? 980 00:55:33,560 --> 00:55:36,920 Speaker 1: Where do you see this in the next year or two? 981 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,160 Speaker 1: What's what's the next step for the field of fork program? 982 00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:42,960 Speaker 1: Because I know what you've established, We've we've covered this 983 00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:45,800 Speaker 1: in detail and why it seems to be such a 984 00:55:45,960 --> 00:55:48,799 Speaker 1: h an idea with so much potential that you guys 985 00:55:48,840 --> 00:55:52,839 Speaker 1: have already seen such potential. But what's what is next? Where? 986 00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:57,560 Speaker 1: How do you take that next step? Like I'll take 987 00:55:57,680 --> 00:56:00,359 Speaker 1: less wing and intern go ahead about I was gonna 988 00:56:00,400 --> 00:56:02,040 Speaker 1: turn it over to you real quick here. I just 989 00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:07,160 Speaker 1: I was gonna say that, um, scale is important, and 990 00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:10,880 Speaker 1: that's why I said that the back forty is is 991 00:56:10,920 --> 00:56:12,839 Speaker 1: an idea and it's an idea we need to share. 992 00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:15,120 Speaker 1: And part of taking it to scale is being able 993 00:56:15,120 --> 00:56:18,080 Speaker 1: to show a lot of people what it is, but 994 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:21,120 Speaker 1: then being able to help them do it on their own. 995 00:56:21,160 --> 00:56:25,920 Speaker 1: There's no there's no future of the National Beer Association. 996 00:56:26,320 --> 00:56:29,640 Speaker 1: We're gonna hold five hundred field before events across the country. 997 00:56:29,640 --> 00:56:33,239 Speaker 1: It's just not realistic. And we've talked about that internally. 998 00:56:33,239 --> 00:56:36,640 Speaker 1: But I'll go ahead and let Hank take it from here. Now. 999 00:56:36,800 --> 00:56:41,399 Speaker 1: Nick's absolutely right. I mean, um, I hope gets back 1000 00:56:41,400 --> 00:56:44,359 Speaker 1: to you know, replication mode, and and you know, any 1001 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:48,479 Speaker 1: of our branches, other groups, Um, you know, we were 1002 00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:52,640 Speaker 1: happy to help people learn from what we've done, share 1003 00:56:52,680 --> 00:56:55,960 Speaker 1: our successes, share our failures, and hope that they can 1004 00:56:56,040 --> 00:57:01,600 Speaker 1: build similar programs and opportunities. Um, you know, and every 1005 00:57:01,640 --> 00:57:04,680 Speaker 1: every opportunity is unique. So that's that's the you know, 1006 00:57:04,719 --> 00:57:06,760 Speaker 1: the biggest thing I can kind of convey to people. 1007 00:57:06,840 --> 00:57:11,200 Speaker 1: But UM, you know, we all have to understand as organizations, 1008 00:57:11,239 --> 00:57:14,560 Speaker 1: as groups of people are even as individuals. You know, 1009 00:57:14,760 --> 00:57:16,959 Speaker 1: if if we take the time to do this, which 1010 00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:19,400 Speaker 1: you know, I feel like it's our duty, we can 1011 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:22,720 Speaker 1: we can make strides and we have you know, you know, 1012 00:57:22,840 --> 00:57:25,280 Speaker 1: as bad as the pandemic is, we saw an increase 1013 00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:28,760 Speaker 1: in hunting participation last year. People had more time to 1014 00:57:28,800 --> 00:57:33,000 Speaker 1: get outside and UM. You know, we want to make 1015 00:57:33,000 --> 00:57:35,960 Speaker 1: sure that you know they can continue that retention is 1016 00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:39,760 Speaker 1: a big thing. But UM poll and all we want 1017 00:57:39,760 --> 00:57:43,120 Speaker 1: to we we've built resources. There's also resources that we 1018 00:57:43,160 --> 00:57:46,320 Speaker 1: created with a t A that are like checklists, full 1019 00:57:46,640 --> 00:57:52,040 Speaker 1: full curriculum and guides to replicating field to fork. We 1020 00:57:52,120 --> 00:57:56,040 Speaker 1: hope to create new content and and update and continue 1021 00:57:56,040 --> 00:57:59,760 Speaker 1: to build new resources. You know, if people are interested 1022 00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:01,960 Speaker 1: and signing up for a field to fork. We have 1023 00:58:02,080 --> 00:58:06,560 Speaker 1: been overwhelmed by people wanting to to sign up for 1024 00:58:06,560 --> 00:58:09,880 Speaker 1: a field to fork. Many things to meet either and 1025 00:58:09,960 --> 00:58:13,600 Speaker 1: you but also some some press and and we're building 1026 00:58:13,680 --> 00:58:17,880 Speaker 1: ways to connect them with local mentors. But you know, 1027 00:58:17,960 --> 00:58:21,360 Speaker 1: for a new hunter who's interested, UM, we're building out 1028 00:58:21,720 --> 00:58:24,800 Speaker 1: Dear Association dot com slash new Hunter in a way 1029 00:58:24,840 --> 00:58:26,960 Speaker 1: that they can they can let us know where they 1030 00:58:26,960 --> 00:58:29,280 Speaker 1: are and what they're interested in. But at the same 1031 00:58:29,320 --> 00:58:33,760 Speaker 1: time we will provide you know, our free resources as 1032 00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:37,920 Speaker 1: well as paid resources and and other avenues that we 1033 00:58:38,040 --> 00:58:41,919 Speaker 1: think they can UM hopefully find opportunity of field whether 1034 00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:44,920 Speaker 1: with us or without UM. But we want to just 1035 00:58:44,960 --> 00:58:50,080 Speaker 1: continue to grow filled the fork, grow the content UM 1036 00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:52,960 Speaker 1: and and and make it more applicable and approachable to 1037 00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:55,840 Speaker 1: war people. And and the biggest thing is bringing on 1038 00:58:56,120 --> 00:59:00,720 Speaker 1: a massive partners. We're working with a diver you know, 1039 00:59:01,200 --> 00:59:05,360 Speaker 1: canvas of partners in different states. We've never shied away 1040 00:59:05,400 --> 00:59:08,360 Speaker 1: from helping even states where we traditionally didn't operate in. 1041 00:59:08,480 --> 00:59:11,919 Speaker 1: We've we've held filled the forks in Alaska. We've we've 1042 00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:17,880 Speaker 1: helped you know, California are three create programs, many estate agencies. 1043 00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:21,880 Speaker 1: But we're not trying to um, you know, keep this internal. 1044 00:59:21,960 --> 00:59:25,000 Speaker 1: We just hope that we can share what we've learned 1045 00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:30,680 Speaker 1: um you know, inspire others, empower others. And obviously, I 1046 00:59:30,720 --> 00:59:34,640 Speaker 1: think if anything, we we've showed that there's an there's 1047 00:59:34,680 --> 00:59:38,480 Speaker 1: an opportunity here that there are millions of new hunters 1048 00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:42,640 Speaker 1: and diverse new hunters that might not be focused on 1049 00:59:42,680 --> 00:59:45,600 Speaker 1: the same things that that we grew up learning to 1050 00:59:45,680 --> 00:59:49,720 Speaker 1: be focused on or whatever. But through that diversification of 1051 00:59:49,800 --> 00:59:54,840 Speaker 1: hunters and and UM and just that changing culture, there's 1052 00:59:54,840 --> 00:59:58,360 Speaker 1: an opportunity here to have one heck of an awesome community. 1053 00:59:58,400 --> 01:00:01,880 Speaker 1: And we're seeing it and and honestly, it's it's much 1054 01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:04,600 Speaker 1: too um to what you guys are doing a meat 1055 01:00:04,640 --> 01:00:08,120 Speaker 1: eat and at Wired to Hunt, I mean you've helped 1056 01:00:08,160 --> 01:00:13,240 Speaker 1: to create this entire new contingent of hunters and and 1057 01:00:13,280 --> 01:00:17,480 Speaker 1: spark interests in these new groups. And and I guess 1058 01:00:17,560 --> 01:00:20,479 Speaker 1: that's the biggest takeaway and why we want to help 1059 01:00:20,520 --> 01:00:24,360 Speaker 1: all these other groups do this is you know, there's 1060 01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:28,640 Speaker 1: there's such a diverse opportunity here and and like we 1061 01:00:28,720 --> 01:00:31,760 Speaker 1: mentioned with you know, I've spoken with Ford at First 1062 01:00:31,840 --> 01:00:34,640 Speaker 1: Light for years about the opportunities of Filled to Fork 1063 01:00:34,680 --> 01:00:39,320 Speaker 1: and even the opportunity within First Light to mentor their 1064 01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:41,800 Speaker 1: own hunters, and they're doing that, and Steve and the 1065 01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:44,680 Speaker 1: honest and you guys, I mean even you this year 1066 01:00:44,680 --> 01:00:47,840 Speaker 1: on the back four to you have champion mentoring new hunters, 1067 01:00:48,320 --> 01:00:51,120 Speaker 1: and you have found that that those new hunters exist 1068 01:00:51,720 --> 01:00:56,680 Speaker 1: in your own you know, businesses or or companies. And 1069 01:00:56,680 --> 01:00:59,320 Speaker 1: and so that's the thing is why would we hold 1070 01:00:59,600 --> 01:01:02,880 Speaker 1: hold keys to this when we really need we need 1071 01:01:02,920 --> 01:01:05,480 Speaker 1: First Light and we need meet either and we need 1072 01:01:05,600 --> 01:01:09,320 Speaker 1: every one of these groups to continue to to both 1073 01:01:09,360 --> 01:01:13,200 Speaker 1: look internally and look externally on ways that they can 1074 01:01:13,200 --> 01:01:16,800 Speaker 1: get new hunters a field and create new hunters um 1075 01:01:17,040 --> 01:01:20,840 Speaker 1: And that's really the opportunity. I love it if if 1076 01:01:20,880 --> 01:01:22,680 Speaker 1: someone's here in this right now, and I don't ask 1077 01:01:22,720 --> 01:01:24,880 Speaker 1: you to repeat this at the end of our conversation too, 1078 01:01:24,920 --> 01:01:27,480 Speaker 1: But while we're on the specific topic, if someone's here 1079 01:01:27,520 --> 01:01:31,200 Speaker 1: in this right now and thinks to themselves, yeah, I 1080 01:01:31,280 --> 01:01:34,720 Speaker 1: need to try to make something like this happened in 1081 01:01:34,760 --> 01:01:38,320 Speaker 1: my community or at my company or in my branch 1082 01:01:38,640 --> 01:01:42,040 Speaker 1: or whatever it is. UM, can you repeat that resource 1083 01:01:42,200 --> 01:01:44,320 Speaker 1: or that landing page where people can go to get 1084 01:01:44,400 --> 01:01:47,200 Speaker 1: your toolkit and and whatever it is they need to 1085 01:01:47,240 --> 01:01:49,920 Speaker 1: connect with you to either set up one of these 1086 01:01:49,920 --> 01:01:55,040 Speaker 1: events through through you guys, or to set up their own. Sure, UM. 1087 01:01:55,120 --> 01:01:58,480 Speaker 1: You know, for any new hunters, it's Dear Association dot 1088 01:01:58,520 --> 01:02:01,080 Speaker 1: com slash New Hunter, and that's the quickest way to 1089 01:02:01,160 --> 01:02:05,120 Speaker 1: give us your information, UM, where you can be connected 1090 01:02:05,160 --> 01:02:09,560 Speaker 1: with local resources, local events, that kind of stuff. For 1091 01:02:09,560 --> 01:02:14,160 Speaker 1: for groups or mentors, we were building out a mentor 1092 01:02:14,320 --> 01:02:16,640 Speaker 1: landing page much in the same way as the new 1093 01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:20,880 Speaker 1: Hunter page, but as of right now, UM is not up. 1094 01:02:20,960 --> 01:02:23,760 Speaker 1: If they want to email me at Hank at Deer 1095 01:02:23,800 --> 01:02:26,560 Speaker 1: Association dot com or go to the Field to Fork 1096 01:02:26,640 --> 01:02:31,240 Speaker 1: website again, that's Deer Association dot Com slash FtF UM. 1097 01:02:31,280 --> 01:02:34,200 Speaker 1: My email is all over that website. You can find 1098 01:02:34,240 --> 01:02:38,280 Speaker 1: all the information all the summaries of almost everything we've 1099 01:02:38,320 --> 01:02:42,000 Speaker 1: done in Field to Fork, from our own writings to 1100 01:02:42,520 --> 01:02:45,880 Speaker 1: you know, um covering the podcast we've done with you 1101 01:02:45,960 --> 01:02:48,080 Speaker 1: and that kind of stuff in videos so we've produced 1102 01:02:48,160 --> 01:02:50,959 Speaker 1: or been on. So um, there's kind of your three 1103 01:02:51,000 --> 01:02:54,800 Speaker 1: resources right there. Perfect. Okay, So let's let's talk about 1104 01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:58,080 Speaker 1: the next step, which is we kind of alluded to 1105 01:02:58,120 --> 01:03:00,400 Speaker 1: some things here, but let's talk specifics or at least 1106 01:03:00,440 --> 01:03:02,880 Speaker 1: as as much specificity as you guys have been able 1107 01:03:02,920 --> 01:03:07,959 Speaker 1: to nail down yourselves, but specifically, what do you think 1108 01:03:08,200 --> 01:03:10,840 Speaker 1: Field the Fork looks on looks like on the back 1109 01:03:10,880 --> 01:03:13,120 Speaker 1: forty this year? Have you guys talked about this, like 1110 01:03:13,120 --> 01:03:14,720 Speaker 1: how many hunters you think you'll be able to have 1111 01:03:14,760 --> 01:03:16,840 Speaker 1: out there this year or how many different events you 1112 01:03:16,920 --> 01:03:19,480 Speaker 1: might be able to have out there this year? Has 1113 01:03:19,560 --> 01:03:21,560 Speaker 1: that been something you guys have been able to broach 1114 01:03:21,640 --> 01:03:25,680 Speaker 1: yet or still in the planning phases? Sure, Um, it 1115 01:03:25,840 --> 01:03:28,520 Speaker 1: is definitely in the planning phases. But but we're actively 1116 01:03:28,560 --> 01:03:31,160 Speaker 1: working on it. You know, it's our intention to host 1117 01:03:31,280 --> 01:03:33,320 Speaker 1: kind of that community approach. And I don't want to 1118 01:03:33,640 --> 01:03:35,640 Speaker 1: I don't want to rehash it too many times if 1119 01:03:35,640 --> 01:03:38,160 Speaker 1: people got it the first time, but you know, it's 1120 01:03:38,560 --> 01:03:41,760 Speaker 1: the success will come down to us utilizing the four 1121 01:03:41,840 --> 01:03:43,640 Speaker 1: or five hunters we can hunt there, but you know, 1122 01:03:44,040 --> 01:03:47,680 Speaker 1: getting a group of local people with access to property 1123 01:03:47,760 --> 01:03:50,800 Speaker 1: or knowledge of public lands to take it. So really, 1124 01:03:50,840 --> 01:03:53,720 Speaker 1: this guy's the limit. Um. You know, many times when 1125 01:03:53,720 --> 01:03:56,400 Speaker 1: we've started, you know, a first year of filled the fork, 1126 01:03:56,480 --> 01:03:59,360 Speaker 1: you know, tend to twelve people is a nice place 1127 01:03:59,440 --> 01:04:03,800 Speaker 1: to start. I think our opportunity here is larger, um. 1128 01:04:04,120 --> 01:04:07,040 Speaker 1: And we have obviously done it in the past where 1129 01:04:07,400 --> 01:04:10,840 Speaker 1: we have started larger. But my intention and really it 1130 01:04:10,880 --> 01:04:15,280 Speaker 1: will come down to the amount of mentors and properties 1131 01:04:15,280 --> 01:04:18,200 Speaker 1: that we can recruit locally. Um. But I hope to 1132 01:04:18,240 --> 01:04:21,000 Speaker 1: have at least three dozen new hunters that are a 1133 01:04:21,120 --> 01:04:24,720 Speaker 1: part of a local community pasted program around the back 1134 01:04:24,760 --> 01:04:29,120 Speaker 1: forty and and and possibly trainings and classroom opportunities will 1135 01:04:29,160 --> 01:04:32,240 Speaker 1: happen right there on the back forty But um, you 1136 01:04:32,240 --> 01:04:34,200 Speaker 1: know that number could be a lot higher. It just 1137 01:04:34,280 --> 01:04:38,480 Speaker 1: really depends on how many current hunters and you know, 1138 01:04:39,280 --> 01:04:43,320 Speaker 1: a half hour or an hour drive will be willing 1139 01:04:43,400 --> 01:04:46,760 Speaker 1: to dedicate um a couple of CITs of their dear 1140 01:04:46,840 --> 01:04:50,200 Speaker 1: season this year, um, you know, and offer a little 1141 01:04:50,200 --> 01:04:54,360 Speaker 1: bit of their knowledge and and and confidence built into 1142 01:04:54,400 --> 01:05:01,120 Speaker 1: a new hunter. So if you are sing and you 1143 01:05:01,280 --> 01:05:05,840 Speaker 1: live somewhere in southern Michigan or central Michigan, and you 1144 01:05:05,880 --> 01:05:09,280 Speaker 1: would like to volunteer either as a mentor for one 1145 01:05:09,280 --> 01:05:13,760 Speaker 1: of these programs or or you know, offer up your 1146 01:05:13,800 --> 01:05:16,720 Speaker 1: property for someone to hunt as part of one of 1147 01:05:16,760 --> 01:05:20,240 Speaker 1: these groups for a couple of days. Uh. If if 1148 01:05:20,280 --> 01:05:24,200 Speaker 1: that's you listening, listen up to this next thing, because Hank, 1149 01:05:24,320 --> 01:05:28,600 Speaker 1: I'd like you to tell those people if specifically somebody 1150 01:05:28,640 --> 01:05:32,120 Speaker 1: wants to help with this specific back forty events that 1151 01:05:32,360 --> 01:05:34,760 Speaker 1: you're going to be planning out for this year, who 1152 01:05:34,760 --> 01:05:36,919 Speaker 1: should they? Should they reach out to you directly? When 1153 01:05:36,920 --> 01:05:40,000 Speaker 1: should they do that? How should they do that? Absolutely? 1154 01:05:40,120 --> 01:05:44,720 Speaker 1: Please email me. Um, you know we have Josh Hilliard 1155 01:05:44,760 --> 01:05:46,600 Speaker 1: in the state of Michigan. I mean, obviously if they 1156 01:05:46,640 --> 01:05:50,640 Speaker 1: know Josh, contact him. But um, I'm happy to get 1157 01:05:50,680 --> 01:05:55,040 Speaker 1: those emails. We would be so appreciative to anybody, whether 1158 01:05:55,240 --> 01:05:58,720 Speaker 1: you're familiar with the National Deer Association or not, whether 1159 01:05:58,760 --> 01:06:02,400 Speaker 1: you're a you're a member of another group, or or 1160 01:06:02,440 --> 01:06:05,760 Speaker 1: just an individual out there. Um. You know, we're a 1161 01:06:05,800 --> 01:06:09,440 Speaker 1: firm believer in cooperative approach. We can do more with 1162 01:06:09,520 --> 01:06:14,000 Speaker 1: more people and bringing groups together, um, and so absolutely 1163 01:06:14,040 --> 01:06:16,480 Speaker 1: please reach out to us and feel free to email 1164 01:06:16,520 --> 01:06:20,680 Speaker 1: me at Hank and Deer Association dot com. Great now, guys, 1165 01:06:20,880 --> 01:06:23,439 Speaker 1: everyone listening, this this is the part where you really 1166 01:06:23,440 --> 01:06:26,200 Speaker 1: I step up because you know, like like Hank mentioned, 1167 01:06:26,240 --> 01:06:31,680 Speaker 1: the back forty, it's it's it's someone's excited. Uh if 1168 01:06:31,680 --> 01:06:34,880 Speaker 1: we got to sign up already, all right, he's in. Um. 1169 01:06:35,120 --> 01:06:36,560 Speaker 1: What I was gonna say is that the back forty 1170 01:06:36,640 --> 01:06:38,760 Speaker 1: is it's only sixty acres. So, like you said, there's 1171 01:06:38,800 --> 01:06:41,320 Speaker 1: there's only so many people that can be on there 1172 01:06:41,320 --> 01:06:44,880 Speaker 1: at any given moment in time. But if you have 1173 01:06:45,080 --> 01:06:47,960 Speaker 1: a handful of other properties in the general area, you 1174 01:06:48,000 --> 01:06:50,080 Speaker 1: can have a bunch of hunters coming for a weekend 1175 01:06:50,080 --> 01:06:52,680 Speaker 1: event and have five of them or four of them 1176 01:06:52,680 --> 01:06:54,680 Speaker 1: on the back forty and four of them on another 1177 01:06:54,720 --> 01:06:57,240 Speaker 1: property and four of them on another property. And then 1178 01:06:57,240 --> 01:06:59,280 Speaker 1: maybe the next day you cycle out and other people 1179 01:06:59,280 --> 01:07:01,400 Speaker 1: get to see the back forty, or maybe you do 1180 01:07:01,440 --> 01:07:04,439 Speaker 1: a classroom approach like you talked about. But you need 1181 01:07:04,480 --> 01:07:08,080 Speaker 1: this volunteer base. You need the other nearby properties to 1182 01:07:08,120 --> 01:07:10,680 Speaker 1: build something like this out. And so I think that 1183 01:07:10,760 --> 01:07:13,360 Speaker 1: the wire dunt listeners, this is a great opportunity to 1184 01:07:13,360 --> 01:07:15,080 Speaker 1: step up and be a part of this. You you've 1185 01:07:15,080 --> 01:07:18,400 Speaker 1: seen us doing the back forty thing, um, you've heard 1186 01:07:18,440 --> 01:07:22,760 Speaker 1: me talk about it. Now I personally am asking you 1187 01:07:23,040 --> 01:07:25,280 Speaker 1: to be a part of it. This is your opportunity 1188 01:07:25,280 --> 01:07:28,040 Speaker 1: to be a part of this thing, uh, to to 1189 01:07:28,280 --> 01:07:32,880 Speaker 1: do something that's really good and useful and meaningful for 1190 01:07:32,920 --> 01:07:35,880 Speaker 1: the future of deer and deer hunting, helping new people 1191 01:07:36,280 --> 01:07:38,680 Speaker 1: get to know this thing that we all know is 1192 01:07:38,720 --> 01:07:44,320 Speaker 1: so special dear deer hunting wild places. Let's share that. 1193 01:07:44,680 --> 01:07:46,640 Speaker 1: And this is a neat way to do it. And 1194 01:07:46,680 --> 01:07:49,640 Speaker 1: it's something that I'm excited to help continue telling the 1195 01:07:49,680 --> 01:07:54,360 Speaker 1: story around. We are going to be continuing to partner 1196 01:07:54,480 --> 01:07:56,800 Speaker 1: with you guys at the National Deer Association around the 1197 01:07:56,800 --> 01:07:59,960 Speaker 1: Back forty project. We're launching something we're calling the Back 1198 01:08:00,160 --> 01:08:03,920 Speaker 1: forty two FOK Project, which is basically combining Back forty 1199 01:08:03,920 --> 01:08:06,920 Speaker 1: with Field of fork um and a really maybe not 1200 01:08:07,040 --> 01:08:09,520 Speaker 1: terribly creative way. We just smashed the two awards together. 1201 01:08:09,640 --> 01:08:13,040 Speaker 1: But you know what what we want to do is 1202 01:08:13,080 --> 01:08:15,800 Speaker 1: continue to support these educational efforts that you guys are 1203 01:08:15,840 --> 01:08:20,639 Speaker 1: gonna be leading, support these mentorship programs. I personally am 1204 01:08:20,640 --> 01:08:24,120 Speaker 1: going to be out there and participating in some of 1205 01:08:24,160 --> 01:08:27,040 Speaker 1: this mentorship stuff. Um, We're still hashing out some of 1206 01:08:27,080 --> 01:08:29,160 Speaker 1: the details, but I know that Hank, you guys and 1207 01:08:29,160 --> 01:08:32,840 Speaker 1: the team are are working to select a new hunter 1208 01:08:33,160 --> 01:08:36,280 Speaker 1: who I will mentor throughout different parts of the season. 1209 01:08:36,280 --> 01:08:39,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get out there for some mentorship educational events 1210 01:08:39,000 --> 01:08:41,880 Speaker 1: in the summer with this person or person's I'm gonna 1211 01:08:41,920 --> 01:08:45,160 Speaker 1: do another mentored hunt with someone on the property this fall, 1212 01:08:45,760 --> 01:08:49,200 Speaker 1: um in collaboration with you guys. So we immediated and 1213 01:08:49,200 --> 01:08:52,240 Speaker 1: I personally am really excited to keep this momentum going. 1214 01:08:52,760 --> 01:08:56,439 Speaker 1: And uh I'll drop it in here again. I already 1215 01:08:56,439 --> 01:08:58,439 Speaker 1: mentioned it at the top of the episode, but I'll 1216 01:08:58,439 --> 01:09:01,880 Speaker 1: stay at warmer time. Uh out. We're so excited about 1217 01:09:01,920 --> 01:09:04,440 Speaker 1: this that we've round up all sorts of our partners 1218 01:09:04,520 --> 01:09:09,320 Speaker 1: to put together a very uh compelling giveaway to just 1219 01:09:09,439 --> 01:09:12,040 Speaker 1: kind of celebrate, like, Hey, this is a this is 1220 01:09:12,080 --> 01:09:14,320 Speaker 1: a great thing that we're starting here with the National 1221 01:09:14,360 --> 01:09:17,599 Speaker 1: Deer Association. So if you go to the meat eater 1222 01:09:17,760 --> 01:09:21,880 Speaker 1: dot com slash fork, you can enter this giveaway. I 1223 01:09:21,880 --> 01:09:24,120 Speaker 1: gotta thank our friends over can and they did make 1224 01:09:24,240 --> 01:09:27,280 Speaker 1: this possible by giving us the resources to put all 1225 01:09:27,280 --> 01:09:30,000 Speaker 1: those things together, we're gonna be giving away a whole 1226 01:09:30,040 --> 01:09:34,720 Speaker 1: first leg gear kit, a weather be rifle, UH worth 1227 01:09:34,720 --> 01:09:37,360 Speaker 1: of Federal Premium ammal. You can't get AMMO anywhere these days. 1228 01:09:38,280 --> 01:09:41,040 Speaker 1: That's a big thing. UH, a bench made meatcraft or 1229 01:09:41,080 --> 01:09:44,800 Speaker 1: knife and on X Elite lifetime membership f h F 1230 01:09:44,920 --> 01:09:48,439 Speaker 1: by No Harness Vortex buyos UH. And then that's just 1231 01:09:48,640 --> 01:09:51,559 Speaker 1: for the grand prize winner. Then there's two more runner 1232 01:09:51,640 --> 01:09:55,559 Speaker 1: up winners, and each one of those three winners gets 1233 01:09:55,600 --> 01:09:58,400 Speaker 1: to nominate a new hunter that they know of in 1234 01:09:58,439 --> 01:10:01,120 Speaker 1: their life or someone who's in trusted in getting involved 1235 01:10:01,120 --> 01:10:03,960 Speaker 1: in hunting. You nominate someone and we are going to 1236 01:10:04,080 --> 01:10:06,960 Speaker 1: gift to that person a new hunter gift package that 1237 01:10:07,000 --> 01:10:11,160 Speaker 1: includes UH an Onyx membership, a new bench made knife, 1238 01:10:11,360 --> 01:10:15,519 Speaker 1: knife sharpener, some some other educational resources, some cool stuff 1239 01:10:15,520 --> 01:10:18,280 Speaker 1: like that. So so we're doing that because we're we're 1240 01:10:18,320 --> 01:10:21,000 Speaker 1: excited about this. This makes a lot of sense. It's 1241 01:10:21,000 --> 01:10:24,200 Speaker 1: a great way to keep this thing moving forward in 1242 01:10:24,200 --> 01:10:26,599 Speaker 1: a positive direction, and you guys are the right partners 1243 01:10:26,600 --> 01:10:29,680 Speaker 1: to help us do that. So I'm just excited to 1244 01:10:29,720 --> 01:10:32,479 Speaker 1: see where this goes. I'm excited this year to keep 1245 01:10:32,520 --> 01:10:35,679 Speaker 1: working on the farm and keep bringing new people out 1246 01:10:35,680 --> 01:10:41,320 Speaker 1: in showcasing what's possible and introducing people into this community, 1247 01:10:41,360 --> 01:10:44,280 Speaker 1: in this family we have around hunting, because it's it's 1248 01:10:44,320 --> 01:10:47,519 Speaker 1: the best thing that's happened in my life is getting 1249 01:10:47,920 --> 01:10:52,000 Speaker 1: to know other hunters and becoming a hunter myself and 1250 01:10:52,240 --> 01:10:55,960 Speaker 1: being immersed in the wild and wild places and learn 1251 01:10:56,000 --> 01:10:58,800 Speaker 1: about deer and chasing deer and being outside like that 1252 01:10:58,960 --> 01:11:01,840 Speaker 1: stuff made me who I am. And I'm so so 1253 01:11:02,040 --> 01:11:04,280 Speaker 1: fortunate that I had a family that introduced me to that. 1254 01:11:04,720 --> 01:11:06,240 Speaker 1: There's a lot of people out there that didn't have 1255 01:11:06,320 --> 01:11:10,840 Speaker 1: that luxury. So I just personally feel so strongly that 1256 01:11:12,520 --> 01:11:14,759 Speaker 1: I was gifted that I gotta I've got a gifted 1257 01:11:14,760 --> 01:11:18,160 Speaker 1: onto somebody else. And so this is, uh, this is 1258 01:11:18,160 --> 01:11:19,760 Speaker 1: a way that we can all kind of do that 1259 01:11:19,800 --> 01:11:23,160 Speaker 1: in our own way. And uh, Hank and Nick, I'm 1260 01:11:23,200 --> 01:11:25,760 Speaker 1: just I'm excited that that you're helping us do that. 1261 01:11:26,080 --> 01:11:30,560 Speaker 1: Thank you. It's exciting, man, you know, I guess I 1262 01:11:30,680 --> 01:11:32,640 Speaker 1: guess the other bottom line is it's a heck of 1263 01:11:32,680 --> 01:11:35,320 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. So you know, join us. It's fun. 1264 01:11:35,520 --> 01:11:38,599 Speaker 1: It may be the most rewarding thing you do as 1265 01:11:38,640 --> 01:11:41,400 Speaker 1: a deer hunter, but I guarantee you it's a lot 1266 01:11:41,439 --> 01:11:46,880 Speaker 1: of fun. Yeah, very true, Very true. So we've covered 1267 01:11:47,000 --> 01:11:51,479 Speaker 1: our hunt on the Back forty. We've covered ah the 1268 01:11:51,560 --> 01:11:55,759 Speaker 1: property management kind of vision moving forward. We've talked about 1269 01:11:56,120 --> 01:11:58,439 Speaker 1: some of the specific ideas you guys are going to 1270 01:11:58,479 --> 01:12:00,920 Speaker 1: be working towards on improving the play. We've talked about 1271 01:12:01,479 --> 01:12:03,720 Speaker 1: you know, what field the fork is gonna look like 1272 01:12:03,880 --> 01:12:07,920 Speaker 1: on the farm in these coming years. Is there any 1273 01:12:08,200 --> 01:12:11,599 Speaker 1: anything else Nike or Hank that you guys want to 1274 01:12:11,600 --> 01:12:14,960 Speaker 1: touch on to leave folks with to reiterate, Um, what 1275 01:12:15,040 --> 01:12:17,519 Speaker 1: do we miss when it comes to the Back forty 1276 01:12:17,560 --> 01:12:21,559 Speaker 1: in its future? Yeah? I don't. I don't know that 1277 01:12:21,600 --> 01:12:25,360 Speaker 1: we've missed anything. We've covered a lot here. Um. I 1278 01:12:25,439 --> 01:12:28,320 Speaker 1: just want to say from our perspective, we certainly appreciated 1279 01:12:28,360 --> 01:12:31,680 Speaker 1: the partnership, and that's really what this is. I mean, 1280 01:12:31,680 --> 01:12:34,240 Speaker 1: there's the initial partnership that that we have with the 1281 01:12:34,280 --> 01:12:38,320 Speaker 1: Deer Association and Meat Eater and Back forty, but the 1282 01:12:38,320 --> 01:12:41,160 Speaker 1: partnership certainly extends beyond that. You mentioned the number of 1283 01:12:41,160 --> 01:12:43,320 Speaker 1: sponsors that are going to help put off what is 1284 01:12:43,640 --> 01:12:47,280 Speaker 1: sounds like an outstanding giveaway. I wish I was eligible, 1285 01:12:49,760 --> 01:12:52,000 Speaker 1: you know, And and it takes those people too. Let's 1286 01:12:52,000 --> 01:12:54,200 Speaker 1: not forget those sponsors that are behind us, and in 1287 01:12:54,280 --> 01:12:57,720 Speaker 1: the volunteers that Hank mentioned earlier UM that are going 1288 01:12:57,760 --> 01:13:01,040 Speaker 1: to help bring the back forty continue to bring the 1289 01:13:01,040 --> 01:13:03,920 Speaker 1: back toward you along. Uh. And then there are these 1290 01:13:03,920 --> 01:13:07,320 Speaker 1: people in these companies locally all across the country that 1291 01:13:07,400 --> 01:13:09,920 Speaker 1: do that. So I think it's it's incumbent upon all 1292 01:13:09,920 --> 01:13:12,439 Speaker 1: of us to keep the fire burning. I think I 1293 01:13:12,600 --> 01:13:14,600 Speaker 1: heard in one of your recent shows, Mark where you 1294 01:13:14,640 --> 01:13:18,160 Speaker 1: talked about that the responsibility of of doing more. We 1295 01:13:18,240 --> 01:13:20,680 Speaker 1: have that responsibility now, and I think that's what this 1296 01:13:20,760 --> 01:13:22,759 Speaker 1: is all about. So it's just sort of a rallying 1297 01:13:22,840 --> 01:13:25,479 Speaker 1: call to say, let's all do more, even if it's 1298 01:13:25,520 --> 01:13:27,960 Speaker 1: just one more thing, and we'll all be better off 1299 01:13:27,960 --> 01:13:32,800 Speaker 1: for it. Yeah, absolutely true. All right, guys, Well, I 1300 01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:35,439 Speaker 1: guess I want to give you one more chance. I 1301 01:13:35,479 --> 01:13:37,280 Speaker 1: know you just did it, but I just want to 1302 01:13:37,320 --> 01:13:40,799 Speaker 1: make sure everyone hears any final action item or final 1303 01:13:40,960 --> 01:13:42,479 Speaker 1: u r L as. We want to make sure everyone 1304 01:13:42,520 --> 01:13:45,680 Speaker 1: has got written down top of mind, Hanked, you want 1305 01:13:45,680 --> 01:13:47,920 Speaker 1: to recite those just one last time before we sign off. 1306 01:13:48,880 --> 01:13:52,920 Speaker 1: Absolutely again, anybody willing to take a new hunter of 1307 01:13:53,040 --> 01:13:57,360 Speaker 1: field UM, whether they have property or need access or 1308 01:13:57,400 --> 01:14:01,280 Speaker 1: any new hunter who's interested in signing up UM for 1309 01:14:01,320 --> 01:14:04,759 Speaker 1: the new Hunters, It's Dear Association dot com slash New Hunter. 1310 01:14:05,200 --> 01:14:09,320 Speaker 1: For information on field before um, it's Dear Association dot 1311 01:14:09,320 --> 01:14:12,960 Speaker 1: com slash f t F. And to contact me for 1312 01:14:13,000 --> 01:14:16,680 Speaker 1: any of it, it's Hank at Dear Association dot com. 1313 01:14:16,720 --> 01:14:19,639 Speaker 1: Perfect all right, Well, thank you for that, Hank, Thank 1314 01:14:19,680 --> 01:14:22,240 Speaker 1: you Nick for everything for your leadership on this, and 1315 01:14:22,240 --> 01:14:25,480 Speaker 1: and thank you both for for taking on this project 1316 01:14:25,560 --> 01:14:30,000 Speaker 1: and and taking it to it's it's next chapter. We're we, 1317 01:14:30,160 --> 01:14:32,439 Speaker 1: like I mentioned the top, all of us here made it. 1318 01:14:32,479 --> 01:14:36,040 Speaker 1: Are are thrilled uh to have such a great set 1319 01:14:36,080 --> 01:14:38,599 Speaker 1: of new parents for our baby. And uh I'm looking 1320 01:14:38,640 --> 01:14:41,920 Speaker 1: forward to watching from both afar and from right up 1321 01:14:41,960 --> 01:14:44,680 Speaker 1: close on the ground again over the coming year and 1322 01:14:45,120 --> 01:14:47,200 Speaker 1: years as we uh we see where we can take 1323 01:14:47,200 --> 01:14:51,240 Speaker 1: this thing. So thanks a lot, thank you to you. 1324 01:14:53,240 --> 01:14:55,400 Speaker 1: All right, and that's a wrap. I don't want to 1325 01:14:55,439 --> 01:14:56,880 Speaker 1: talk too much right now, because I want you to 1326 01:14:56,960 --> 01:15:00,080 Speaker 1: remember those links that Hank just told you, So go 1327 01:15:00,160 --> 01:15:04,040 Speaker 1: on over get the information you need, please volunteer if 1328 01:15:04,040 --> 01:15:06,599 Speaker 1: you can. And finally, one more link, if you want 1329 01:15:06,600 --> 01:15:09,000 Speaker 1: to sign up for that giveaway I mentioned at the top, 1330 01:15:09,320 --> 01:15:13,040 Speaker 1: go to the meat Eater dot com, slash Fork, and 1331 01:15:13,120 --> 01:15:16,760 Speaker 1: with that thanks all for listening. I appreciate you, and 1332 01:15:16,840 --> 01:15:20,360 Speaker 1: until next time, stay wired to hunt.