1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by First Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wired Hunt Foundations podcast, which 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: is brought to you by First Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about early September 9 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 2: and why you should scout hard right now. There are 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: different ways to look at scouting deer. Winter scouting is 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: all about pinning down a rut spot for the following season. 12 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 2: Summer scouting is all about finding a target buck and 13 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 2: then watching him like some kind of camo clad creep 14 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 2: until you know his whole routine, or at least his 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: evening feeding routine. In season scouting is all about finding 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: the hot sign right now. But this week, right now, 17 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: this week, whether your season is open or not, is 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 2: the week that matters a lot. This is when deer 19 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: shuffle the deck, so to speak, and those summertime patterns 20 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 2: can blow up. The food sources often change, and the 21 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 2: white tailed world is just in sort of a state 22 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 2: of flux. It might not seem like a big deal 23 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 2: to get out and figure things out, but it is, 24 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: which is what I'm going to talk about right now. 25 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 2: I know you fine listeners are well aware that I 26 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: have twin daughters, since I talk about them all the time. 27 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 2: They are my little girls and they always will be. 28 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 2: But they are also twelve and will be teenagers in 29 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 2: a few months now. I always figured I was meant 30 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 2: to raise boys, since I'm a pretty manly fella and 31 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: quite honestly, mostly like a little boy myself. In fact, 32 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 2: I recently filmed some fishing content that required me to 33 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 2: go catch some frogs, some crayfish, some minnows, and as 34 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 2: a bonus, a painted turtle and a garter snake. Like 35 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: all of us, there are a lot of times where 36 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: I'm not super excited to do my job, especially if 37 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 2: he involves spending a lot of time with Mark Kenyan. 38 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: But sometimes, like when I'm tasked with catching some frogs 39 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: so we can film them hopping across lily pads, I 40 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: realize how lucky I am. As an added bonus, one 41 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 2: of my daughters tagged along to supervise the critter catching 42 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: mission and pitch in where she could. It was the 43 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: best three hours of my working career, and about a 44 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: thousand times better than just a few hours earlier when 45 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: I watched my camera man butterfinger a go pro so 46 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 2: that it fell from his grasp and sunk to the 47 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 2: bottom of a lake, and it had a whole bunch 48 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: of hours of much needed footage on it. Anyway, my 49 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: little girls aren't so little anymore. And the thing that 50 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: sucks about raising girls is how everyone tells you stuff like, oh, 51 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 2: just wait till they are teenagers, you'll really be in 52 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 2: for it. That's kind of like if someone has a 53 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 2: puppy and you're like, man, that's a cute little dog. 54 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 2: Just wait until you love it for twelve years and 55 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: then you have to put it down. That will absolutely 56 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 2: destroy you as a person, and you'll cry like a 57 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 2: little baby. Ha ha. Sometimes some things just don't need 58 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: to be said, because we all know what's coming. With 59 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 2: my daughters. I knew the preteen and soon to be 60 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 2: teen behavior was coming. I didn't need to be told 61 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 2: over and over again. It still surprised me when suddenly 62 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: one day they went from wearing pink puppy love shirts 63 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 2: to suddenly being obsessed with fashion and wearing shirts that, 64 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 2: in my opinion, are way way too short for the 65 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 2: average twelve year old. What's worse is when I bring 66 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 2: up the clothing choices to my wife, she thinks it's 67 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 2: hilarious that I'm in full on old dad mode. Now, 68 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,119 Speaker 2: the old blonde buzzkill isn't exactly known for her risk 69 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: gay clothing choices, so it surprised me that she was 70 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 2: okay with our little, tiny baby girls wearing shirts that 71 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 2: show off their belly buttons. Now. To her credit, she 72 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 2: told me, we can clamp down on it now and 73 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: fight a much bigger battle later, or we can give 74 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 2: them some autonomy with their fashion and do our best 75 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: to guide them to be smart about life. You fellas 76 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: out there raising young dog might think that's bananas. But 77 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 2: I was raised in a household where my parents, mostly 78 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: my mom, talked about alcohol like it was about one 79 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 2: hundred times worse than pure heroin. We never had an 80 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: ounce of it in the house, and I was rarely 81 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: around anyone who drank it all, so naturally, by the 82 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 2: time I had my learners permit, I was well on 83 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: my way to being a functioning alcoholic, which only got 84 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: worse and worse for about twenty years or so. Such 85 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: is the way with kids and parents and navigating the 86 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 2: differences between the two. I don't think any of us 87 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: really knows what we're doing. The girls are just in 88 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: a big transition in their life, and that's going to 89 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 2: lead to a new reality. Do you know what else 90 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: is in a big transition right now? That's right, the 91 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: game of golf. I'm so sorry, guys, imagine what it's 92 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,799 Speaker 2: like to be married to me. The deer in transition, 93 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: and I think doing your best to keep tabs on 94 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 2: them right now is a huge benefit to early season hunting, 95 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: and quite frankly, you're hunting over the whole season, or 96 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 2: at least up until about the rut or pre rut time. Anyway. 97 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 2: The thing is, there are multiple reasons why the deer 98 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: are going to start doing things differently now. You know, 99 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 2: in the next ten days, the biggie that we all 100 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 2: know about is all the bucks are going to go 101 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 2: from velvet antler to heart antlered. This is the week 102 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 2: where that happens for I don't know most of them, 103 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 2: maybe like eighty five percent of the deer out there. Now. 104 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 2: If you get the chance to watch a bachelor group, 105 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 2: not just get trail camera picks of them, but really 106 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 2: glass them. You can usually over a few days see 107 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,559 Speaker 2: the dynamics change when they start going hard antlered. There's 108 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 2: nothing saying their patterns will totally die or shift to 109 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 2: something that might seem more familiar in October, but they 110 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 2: definitely are prone to changing. This is due to several reasons. 111 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 2: Most likely, for one, it's time to fight or at 112 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 2: least spar. You do, you know, sometimes see late August 113 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 2: or early September, deer square up and kind of spar 114 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 2: even when they're in velvet, but it's not super common. 115 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: But once they shed their velvet it does become super common. 116 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 2: They can also now all of a sudden make rubs, 117 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: and let me tell you something, pay attention to those 118 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 2: September rubs. They are the ticket to killing bucks in 119 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 2: my experience. Think about it this way. Deer sign like rubs, 120 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 2: starts out at zero for the season. Now, while you 121 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 2: might find scrapes getting used all year long, you won't 122 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 2: find that with rubs. They are not there in the summer, 123 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 2: and they start to show in just kind of a 124 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: trickle in the early fall. Now, as the season progresses, 125 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 2: more bucks of all sizes just make more rubs. This 126 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,239 Speaker 2: means that any individual rub, or even a cluster of rubs, 127 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 2: becomes less important on its own as September gives way 128 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 2: to October and then November comes roaring in. The first 129 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 2: rubs of the season matter, and they matter even more 130 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 2: where you have low deer densities. But even if you 131 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 2: have tons of deer around, pay attention to them. Where 132 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 2: bucks make early season rubs, especially rubs in the cover, 133 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 2: is where you want to hunt right now, and beyond rubs, 134 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 2: you just have a reshuffling of the deer herd. Young 135 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 2: bucks head out to go stake their claims somewhere, and 136 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 2: if you're in the market for young bucks, that's good 137 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: news for you. Not all of us are in a 138 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: situation where we can name bucks and pass them up 139 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 2: at four and a half years old every season so 140 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 2: that we have a fresh crop of five year olds 141 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 2: to hunt. So sometimes you got to go for what 142 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 2: you can get, and if that's a young buck, you're 143 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 2: in luck. I'm convinced this is one of the reasons 144 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 2: why some deer seems so stupid in September. Now, sure 145 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 2: they haven't been hunted for nine months or so, but 146 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 2: Some of them have just left their homes that they've 147 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 2: known their whole lives and struck out to find a 148 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 2: new place to live. They settle where the living is good, 149 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 2: which is often some food plot tucked into the woods 150 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 2: where they think they haven't made I killed a buck 151 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: like this a long long time ago. He's an eight 152 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: pointer that might score about eight eighty inches, but at 153 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 2: the time he was a really good one to me. 154 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: This year ended up setting up shop right next to 155 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: a stand that my dad and I hunted a lot, 156 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 2: and the first time I saw him was during a 157 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 2: morning on September where after I walked in in the dark, 158 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 2: I heard a deer approaching in the moonlight. I could 159 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 2: see him walk right up to my stand, and I 160 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: could hear him sniffing my screw in steps. He was 161 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: gone before first light, but I remember thinking that he 162 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 2: might be the kind of deer a guy with my 163 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 2: skill set could actually kill. And I had never killed 164 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 2: anything with more than six points, so an eight pointer 165 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 2: was a real dream come true. I did what any 166 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 2: not very smart why tail hunter would do, and I 167 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: went in there the next morning with a set of 168 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 2: rattling antlers. I don't even really remember what my justification 169 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 2: for that move was, but I do remember the feeling 170 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 2: of seeing that buck walking right toward my tree after 171 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: I had done my best to convince him a couple 172 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: of buddies were having a shoving match in his new 173 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 2: living room. He walked in close enough that even I 174 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 2: didn't miss him, which wasn't always the case. When I 175 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 2: started out deer running, another deer a little bigger than 176 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 2: that one, but equally as dumb and seemingly lost, walked 177 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 2: out during extremely windy and somewhat wet evening in northern Wisconsin. 178 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,160 Speaker 2: A few years after I killed that other eight pointer. 179 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 2: My buddy had had an encounter with the deer and 180 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 2: it didn't break his way. But when I saw him 181 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,439 Speaker 2: walk out, I not only knew it was the same deer, 182 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 2: but that he wasn't on his a game survival wise. 183 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 2: I'll tell you what, when I walked up on that 184 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 2: buck dead in the swamp, it didn't bother me in 185 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 2: the least that Mother Nature had reshuffled the deer deck 186 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 2: and put that buck in my lap. While most of 187 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: the white tail talk involves mature bucks and figuring out 188 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 2: their home ranges, if the bar isn't set quite so 189 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 2: high for you. Scouting right now can put you on 190 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 2: an interloper deer that is just trying to figure out 191 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 2: his new way of life in a new neighborhood, and 192 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 2: those deer can be an absolute gift, which is not 193 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 2: something that the deer gods deliver on a regular basis 194 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 2: for most of us. Now you also have the food 195 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 2: aspect out there. The thing about scouting deer is that 196 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: you're not only scouting the deer, but the environment in 197 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 2: which those deer live. This is what trail cameras won't 198 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 2: do for you, and that matters. While you might suddenly 199 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 2: stop getting picks of deer here or there, or suddenly 200 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 2: start getting picks on a somewhat dead camera, you're going 201 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 2: to have to fill in the blanks for why those 202 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 2: changes occurred. But when you go into the woods to 203 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 2: look around, or you sit back on a spotting scope 204 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: and you try to keep tabs on your favorite beanfield buffet, 205 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: you're also exposing yourself to the world of the deer 206 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 2: in a way that often delivers answers instead of just 207 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 2: more questions. I dealt with this last week. I took 208 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 2: the girls over to Wisconsin to bate some bears and 209 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 2: set some deer blinds, and just generally get a little 210 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 2: more ready for the upcoming season. What I was particularly 211 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 2: curious about was why my cameras had gone so dead 212 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: in the last week or so. I went from at 213 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 2: least some buck activity to literally no buck activity and 214 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 2: just had a few doze and some random natural movement bears. 215 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 2: I knew from some of the local scouting that the 216 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 2: acorns were hitting the ground, but at least in my 217 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,079 Speaker 2: world this year, it seems like the hard mass crop 218 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 2: is way down from last year. Now that might be 219 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 2: solely a regional thing, but that's all it really matters 220 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 2: to me. It doesn't do me any good to focus 221 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 2: hard on how many white oaks are dropping, and, say 222 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 2: central Missouri, for example, now here the acorn situation feels light, 223 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 2: which is generally good for my hunting because I don't 224 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 2: have enough situations where I can get out an acorn 225 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 2: pattern quickly and ride it out to a short blood trail. 226 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 2: So that made me happy, but it didn't answer why 227 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 2: the bucks had all disappeared off of my cameras. My 228 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 2: suspicion is that there are some bait piles out there 229 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 2: on the names. Even though that option was made illegal 230 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 2: in our area last year when a game farm deer 231 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 2: pop positive for CWD. Now I don't know what the 232 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 2: compliance rate is when baiting has been legal for a 233 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 2: couple of decades and then suddenly it's not, but I'm 234 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 2: guessing it's not one hundred percent. Hell, just perusing the 235 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 2: land listings on a dream of picking up another hunting 236 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: property has shown me that there's a lot of illegal 237 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: baiting going on in such a way that it's like, 238 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:31,199 Speaker 2: literally so prevalent that the photo evidence is often used 239 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 2: to try to sell hunting land any husky. When the 240 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 2: girls and I got into the woods, we realized that 241 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 2: the apple trees in our neighborhood were absolutely weighed down 242 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 2: with the good stuff. We also saw some deer munching 243 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: on Granny Smith's in the middle of the day while 244 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 2: we were driving to a brook trout stream to see 245 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 2: if we could find a few fish to mess with. 246 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 2: When there is a heat advisory, because the air feels 247 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 2: like Florida in August and not northern Wisconsin, and yet 248 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 2: there are deer on their feet munching away at one 249 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,719 Speaker 2: o'clock in the afternoon, you know there is a powerful 250 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 2: food draw there. That's what we saw. And while I 251 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: don't know if apples are the sole reason for the 252 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 2: sudden lack of bucks of my cameras, I know that 253 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 2: it's certainly a possibility. I also know that being in 254 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 2: the woods right now and actually scouting put us on 255 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: a couple of trees that look like they might draw 256 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: a deer in for a couple more weeks, especially if 257 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 2: we can hunt around them right after pounding rain or 258 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 2: some frontal wind, both of which tend to take soft 259 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 2: masts from the trees and put it on the ground, 260 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 2: and the deer that eat it know that is for 261 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 2: sure the case. Scouting right now can help you dial 262 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: into another reality that is unavoidable as well, the fact 263 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 2: that there are more people in the woods than there 264 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 2: were a month or two ago. The weeks leading up 265 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 2: to the boat opener witness a steady increase in people 266 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 2: poking around in the woods and checking cameras and messing 267 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,920 Speaker 2: with stands and generally just tipping off the deer that 268 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 2: a mass invasion of their worst predator is building up. 269 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 2: If you're a public land hunter, this is a big deal. 270 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 2: If you're not, it might be a big deal, depending 271 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 2: on the size of the property you hunt and the 272 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 2: density of hunters in your area. The idea is to 273 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 2: start to figure out where the deer could be when 274 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 2: the season actually opens. Now, this goes against the traditional 275 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 2: summer scouting advice of finding a bachelor group and then 276 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 2: dialing in their patterns so you can kill them on 277 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 2: opening week. That works, but sometimes well so you know 278 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 2: a lot of times actually it doesn't because the deer 279 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 2: changed their patterns. So what do you do? Well, This 280 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 2: is why you have one mobile setup, or at least 281 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 2: keep your options open to that natural ground blind thing 282 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 2: I talked about last week. The deer might come in 283 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 2: and march right by the stand you have on the 284 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 2: alfalfa field or food plot where you've been monitoring their 285 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 2: activity since turkey season. Or they might pull some move 286 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 2: where they decide the apples are a better bet, especially 287 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 2: since they are falling in the overgrown homestead that no 288 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 2: one goes into until late in the small game season 289 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 2: when the cottontails are in real danger. It's not enough 290 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 2: just to scout heavy right now, to keep tabs on 291 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 2: what is changing on the woods, because if you don't 292 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 2: have the means to react to it, you're just giving 293 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 2: yourself depressing information about how your typical setups might not 294 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 2: cut it. You need to be able to act on 295 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 2: what you find. I think this is maybe the best 296 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 2: reason to try to keep scouting right now, instead of 297 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 2: just admitting that things have changed and probably not for 298 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 2: the better in relation to your early season plan, you know, 299 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 2: and just hoping that things will level off later in 300 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 2: the season and the deer will start doing what you 301 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 2: want them to. You need to meet the deer where 302 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 2: they are now. Like a couple of twelve year old 303 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: girls who decide puppy power shirts aren't cool anymore. You 304 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 2: can try to get the world to bend to your 305 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 2: whims and wants, but it doesn't really work that way 306 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 2: with the deer. They go where they can, you know, 307 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 2: where they can get what they need and avoid danger 308 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 2: as much as possible. It is that simple, and it's 309 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 2: something they do all season long. It's also something they 310 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: are doing right now, along with the fact that their 311 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,680 Speaker 2: world is changing in a variety of ways, many of 312 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 2: which will take them right out of the path you 313 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 2: have set for the season. Don't let that happen if 314 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 2: you can help it. Now. Keep those cameras running, but 315 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 2: get out there too, find those rubs, pay attention to 316 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 2: the random new bucks that seem to show up. Ask yourself, 317 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 2: what food is here today that might be more important 318 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: than the food that has been there all summer than 319 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 2: prepare to react to whatever you figure out. Do that 320 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 2: and come back next week, because I'm going to talk 321 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 2: about how you just can't live vicariously through others when 322 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 2: it comes to making deer hunting decisions. That's it. I'm 323 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson. This has been the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 324 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. As always, 325 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 2: thank you so much for listening, for checking in, for 326 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 2: supporting us. We truly appreciate it. If you want to 327 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 2: get a little bit more of a white tail fix, 328 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 2: you know, maybe check out the new white Tail Edu 329 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: series that Mark and I put together. Uh, you know, 330 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 2: how to strategies, styles, hunting tactics in video form. Go 331 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 2: check that out at the medieater dot com. While you're there, 332 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 2: you might find a whole bunch of articles or maybe 333 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 2: some other podcasts to kill the time, some video series, 334 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 2: tons of hunting content there. Go check it out at 335 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 2: the medeater dot com.