1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: This week's episode is all about parsing through your trail 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: camera data to start building a viable hunting plan. There 7 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: have been different points in my hunting life where I've 8 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: used cameras mostly just to get pictures a deer without 9 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: really thinking about what that meant. I just wanted velvet 10 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: buck images and I didn't really think to use them 11 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: to inform my hunting strategies. That was obviously a mistake. 12 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: It's much better to analyze the imagery and videos to 13 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: try to develop a clear picture of deer usage on 14 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: your ground and then figure out what that means to 15 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: your season, or what the hell you should do. If 16 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: you're just not getting any decent pictures, how do you 17 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: reset your strategy? These issues, which we all deal with 18 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: at some point, are the thread that winds through this 19 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: entire episode. Today's episode is all about what to do 20 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: with all of those images, or the lack of images 21 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: you're getting throughout the summer. What's the inventory look like, 22 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: and what does this mean for your late summer scouting. 23 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: What does it mean for your potential ambush sites. How 24 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: do the images you're capturing now influence your stand hanging 25 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: missions later. I'm going to answer all of these questions, 26 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: I hope, But first, let's consider that at this point 27 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: of the year, your trail cameras have been soaking for 28 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: at least a few weeks, if not more. Now, if 29 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: you're running cell cameras, you're probably getting some images of 30 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: big velvet box, or at least hopefully you're getting some 31 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: images of big velvet box, and hopefully they're stuck to 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: a sweet summer pattern that will carry right on through 33 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: until the bow opener. But if you're running traditional cameras, 34 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: you don't know what's going on out there, and you're 35 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: probably getting the itch to get out there and check them, 36 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: but you might be wondering if they've been out there 37 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: long enough. Trail camera soak times are just up to 38 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: the individual. Personally. I base how long I leave mine 39 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: out on how easy they are to get to and 40 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: how likely it is that I'll spook a bunch of 41 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: deer by going in. Sometimes, like on properties that aren't 42 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: very close to home. You just have to check cameras 43 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: whenever you can actually like these the best, because then 44 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: I can I can stay disciplined on this just by 45 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: sheer geographic logistics. There's other times where your cameras are 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: closer to home, where it's best to make a calculated 47 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: approach and wait for the conditions that might favor you 48 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 1: a little better. Now this might seem like overkill, but 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: if I have a chance to try to get in 50 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,399 Speaker 1: and check my cameras right before a rainstorms forecast, That's 51 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: when I'll go. This is one of those things that 52 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: has probably never helped me actually kill a buck, but 53 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 1: it makes me feel better. It also makes me feel 54 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: better when I've gone in to hang a few stands. 55 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: As I'm walking out of the woods, I see a 56 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: cloud bank building in the west that looks ominous. It 57 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: can't hurt to wash away a little human scent after 58 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: an intrusion, can it. Now. Some folks will only check 59 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: their trail cameras by driving in on an a t 60 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: V or when the wind isn't blowing the likely betting areas. 61 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: Others will wipe or spray down their cameras after checking 62 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: them to try to eliminate their human scent. Listen, As 63 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: someone who has messed around with good bird dogs a lot, 64 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: I'd have to say that if you're trying to wipe 65 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: down your cameras or spray them down after touching them, 66 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: and then you believe that they're pulling a fast one 67 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: on the deer, you're probably not. I wouldn't, I wouldn't 68 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: bother with this unless it just makes you feel good. Then, 69 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: if it does go nuts, no matter how careful you 70 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: are with your camera checks or totally care free, if 71 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: that's your jam, you're going to have to do something 72 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: with the images and the videos you captured. Now this 73 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: may seem straight change, but the easiest results to deal 74 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: with are the duds. If your camera has been out 75 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: for three weeks and it's just not showing much, you 76 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: know you've got it wrong. As I've stated in previous episodes, 77 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: that's okay, you're eliminating dead spots. It's probably time to 78 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: just move your camera and reset. But before you do, 79 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,239 Speaker 1: ask yourself what you got wrong? Why did that fence 80 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: crossing that is pounded with tracks and little puffs of 81 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,239 Speaker 1: white belly hair stuck on the barbs just not produce. 82 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: Is your timing is wrong as far as maybe summer 83 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: range or nearby food sources, or is the sign old 84 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: and not as great as you really believed. Is there 85 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: a new break in the fence a hundred yards away 86 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: that they're likely using because they can walk through instead 87 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: of jumping over. Maybe something as simple as the landowner 88 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: coming in and cutting an alfalfa field for his cattle. 89 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: It's changed things around where they've got multiple food sources. 90 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: Something like this can reduce deer traffic on a specific 91 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: field by quite a bit, but it's often something that 92 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: lasts only for a few weeks and then they return 93 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: to normal or better than normal. Now, good card pool 94 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: is fun, but sometimes the worst card pools are the 95 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: ones that teach us the most. If you've absolutely flamed 96 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: out trying to figure out why, and I mean really 97 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: really try to figure out why, is the sign you 98 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: set up on older deceptive. This might seem weird, but 99 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: there are spots, like river crossings with certain kinds of 100 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: mud or sand that will look like absolute deer highways 101 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: because the accumulation of weeks of tracks, But they really 102 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: aren't that great. It's more likely just a couple of 103 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: deer walking through there a lot over a long period 104 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: of time. The same goes for wetlands. If you hunt 105 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: swamps or boggy territory, the trails will often look like 106 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: cattle paths. The problem with this is that you might 107 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: be looking at a trail that just maintains the beat 108 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: down look due to the soft, sponging nature of the ground. 109 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: I see this in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin a lot, 110 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: and while the trails all look amazing, they really aren't. 111 00:05:57,600 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: They just formed forty years ago and have been walked 112 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 1: on randomly since while being further carved into the ground. 113 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: You know, you just might be off Seasonally. A hillside 114 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: bench that was covered in rubs and March might seem 115 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: like a no brain or camera spot, but unless you 116 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: plan to set it in July and leave it until Halloween, 117 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: you're probably in for a few months of disappointment. Bucks 118 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: have summer ranges and clear summer patterns. Depending on your 119 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: hunt region, they might closely mirror fall ranges and patterns, 120 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: or they might not be barely on the same planet. 121 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: You might have a great spot for the camera, just 122 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: really bad timing with it, or you might go the 123 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: opposite road and have a camera up over a mineral, liquor, 124 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,919 Speaker 1: a bait site, or maybe even a mock scrape. The 125 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: pictures you get on these attractions might cloud the reality 126 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: of your deer movement or the numbers. By showing multiple 127 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: visits each day by all the deer in your neighborhood. 128 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 1: For inventory, this is incredible because you get to see 129 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: everybody who's living there right now. For actionable hunting intel, 130 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: it's not so great unless you can keep the mineral 131 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 1: or the bait out. And as for the minerals, they 132 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: often become much less of a draw come fall, so 133 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: you might see that anyway. For bait sites where they 134 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: are legal, you probably don't really need to think too 135 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: hard about your trail camera recon to be honest, because 136 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: you know you're gonna hunt over that bait and you 137 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: know how it's going to play into your hunting strategies. 138 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: What if your trailcameras show I don't know, a decent 139 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: amount of traffic, but it's mostly nighttime movement. This is 140 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: a tricky one. Nocturnal movement in the summer doesn't portend 141 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: great daylight movement in the season usually, so think about it. 142 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: This way, my friends, when you train a bird dog, 143 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: whether you've got a German short hair who specializes in 144 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: roosters or roughs, or you've got a black Lab that 145 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: you're molding into a duck hunting machine, a dog that 146 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: is like at nine percent in training will seem like 147 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: a dog that is going to be near perfect in 148 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: the field or in the blind. But there is an 149 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: attrition rate with performance when the big show opens, and 150 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: that super steady lab will suddenly start breaking the moment 151 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: the first Lotus steel head skyward, that GSP that locks 152 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: so beautifully in a tripod point for your planted wings 153 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: and planet birds, he's now creeping in on the roosters 154 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: and blowing them out as you hoof it over to him. 155 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: What does this have to do with trail cameras well? 156 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: Those bucks aren't going to get less nocturnal when the 157 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: season opens and they start feeling the pressure. What does 158 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: this have to do with trail cameras well? Those bucks 159 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: aren't likely to get less nocturnal when the season opens 160 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: and they start feeling the pressure. It's going to go 161 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: the other way, and you can count on there being 162 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: some attrition and daylight movement from what you saw in 163 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: your summer scouting efforts to what you'll see when you're 164 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: actually hunting. This means that if your spot you're monitoring 165 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: in midsummer shows mostly nighttime bucks, it's time to reverse 166 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: engineer those images and find the spots where they might 167 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: get their picture taken when the sun is still up. 168 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,319 Speaker 1: Now it's easy to look at a bunch of nighttime 169 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: photos and think that the bucks must be totally nocturnal. 170 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: So what good does it do to move a camera 171 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: to capture more nighttime image? Is of them in a 172 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: different spot. That might be the case where you're hunting, 173 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: although it's probably not. They're moving somewhere in daylight, and 174 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: if you don't find that spot now, you'll have a 175 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: hell of a time finding it during the season. I've 176 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: only encountered one book that I really got obsessed with. 177 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: It convinced me he was nearly always nocturnal in the summer. 178 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: He wasn't, although he was damned close in the season. 179 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: He had a routine that was so predictable and totally 180 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: reliant on the cover of darkness. Every other deer I've 181 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: ever taken a fancy too, which is a lot of 182 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: deer at this point has offered up some level of 183 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,839 Speaker 1: daylight movement in the summer and throughout the season. That 184 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 1: movement is what matters. So pay attention to the ratio 185 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: of daylight to nighttime photos on your card checks and 186 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: react accordingly. Those bucks are probably out there walking around 187 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: in daylight somewhere, and your job is to find it, 188 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: find those spots. And you might think if I go 189 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: in there and mess around, now, won't I make them 190 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: more nocturnal? Maybe? But what other choice do you have 191 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: and how nocturnal do you think one midsummer visit or 192 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,839 Speaker 1: a couple of midsummer visits is really going to make 193 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:10,079 Speaker 1: the bucks? Nighttime photos in the summer are probably way 194 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: more likely a result of your camera just being in 195 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: a spot where they move at night, versus them being 196 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: nocturnal due to pressure. Now, what if your camera poll 197 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: shows day after day of monster bucks walking past. This 198 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:26,839 Speaker 1: is the other end of the spectrum. What if when 199 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: you're scrolling through images it's just big velvet rack after 200 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: big velvet rack. The first thing you'll be tempted to 201 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: do is look at the real frequency and the consistency. 202 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: Did a bachelor group cruise through the first thing in 203 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: the morning five out of the last seven days, or 204 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: did a solo stud show up randomly multiple times on 205 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: multiple days without a seeming care in the world. To 206 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: better recognize these patterns and see them fully, you need 207 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: to organize your photos. I tend to go through the 208 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: full card pool. First, I look at everything, and then 209 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: after I've looked at every single image, I start hauling 210 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: out all the non deer images. From there, you can 211 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: decide how far you want to take it Personally. Some 212 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: folks keep all of their dear images, Others pair them 213 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: down to just mature bucks. If you run a pile 214 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: of cameras, this is a good way to go so 215 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: that you don't lose sight of the actionable intel in 216 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,839 Speaker 1: the midst of tons of images and videos. If your 217 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: date and time is set correctly on your camera, whittling 218 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: down the imagery to the bucks you're most interested in 219 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: will really clarify their patterns and simply declutter this aspect 220 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: of scouting. This also gives you a real honest look 221 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: at what's going on buck wise, and often shows you 222 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: that good things are happening where your cameras are placed. 223 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: When this happens, it's fun and it's easy to think, 224 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: as long as you've got promising images, most of the 225 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: work is done. But there's a common sentiment in investing 226 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: where you should ask not what could go right with 227 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: a company you're planning to make a bet on, but 228 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: what could go wrong? How can they screw up their business? 229 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: When it comes to white tails, don't get blinded just 230 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: by the good stuff like tons of sweet trail camera 231 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: images and videos. They've definitely answered some questions for you, 232 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: like who is living there and what they like to 233 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: do at certain points of the day. But this is 234 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: a starting spot. Where are they coming from and where 235 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: are they going? Are they likely to stay on that 236 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 1: pattern throughout the fall? When they shed their velvet and 237 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,559 Speaker 1: they start getting hunted hard, My experience with that is 238 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: almost always a hard no. It happens, but not that often. 239 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: The reality was summertime trail camera images is that you 240 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: are getting a good look into a small part of 241 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: the deer's life outside of the hunting season. This just 242 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: helps you make more accurate predictions on what might happen 243 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: when you can actually hunt them. It also informs your 244 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: scouting strategies from here on out. When I set a 245 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,079 Speaker 1: camera that is just a winner. Buck wise, I get 246 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:56,959 Speaker 1: in with a few more cameras and try to piece 247 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: together a bigger part of their travels. Sometimes it's as possible, 248 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: other times, like on small properties, it's not really feasible. 249 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: You'll have to gauge that for yourself. But remember knowledge 250 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: is key here. Even if you can see what those 251 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: bucks are doing a hundred and fifty yards down the 252 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: trail or where they tend to filter through in the 253 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: morning after they leave your food plot, you're narrowing down 254 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: so much of the important stuff, like, for example, instead 255 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: of just pinning your hopes in the back corner of 256 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: a field where you're getting tons of images during the evenings, 257 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: now figure out where those bucks are coming from. Try 258 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: to figure out where they stage now, so you'll know 259 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: where they stage when the season opens up and they 260 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: shed their velvet. You might kill a buck in a 261 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: field on opening night, but if you don't, you've got 262 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: to know where he's most likely to be killable after 263 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: he figures out where the danger zone is, which is 264 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,839 Speaker 1: on the edge of that field. In my experience, this 265 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: tends to take no more than a week on pressure 266 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: ground before you have to adapt to it, and on 267 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: some properties it feels like they have the whole thing 268 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: dialed in even before the season opens up because of 269 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: the increased amount of scouting and stand hanging going on. 270 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:04,959 Speaker 1: It's kind of like hunting elk in an O. T. 271 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: C unit these days, and over the counter unit. By 272 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 1: the time the actual season opens, half of the tag 273 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: holders out there have hiked into every meadow and wallow 274 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: and push the elk to their secondary spots, into their 275 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: security cover. If you don't believe that's possible, drive out 276 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: there a west sometime and sit on a beautiful meadow 277 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: on public land within five miles of a trailhead on 278 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: opening night. It is not a guarantee that the bulls 279 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: will be wise to the pressure, but it's damn close 280 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: these days. Do you react the same way elk do, 281 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: even if they might not go as far. They back 282 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: off the open food sources and they travel routes in 283 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 1: response to the pressure. And knowing where those spots are 284 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: is huge for staying in the game past opening week, 285 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: and you can figure those spots out now by running 286 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: trail cameras with a plan. If you absolutely have to 287 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: run your cameras on those food sources, that's fun, but 288 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: run a second set farther in the woods, along trails, 289 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: or along season long pinch points, try to figure out 290 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: where the bucks are coming from. Even if you don't 291 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: dial in specific betting sites, you just want to know 292 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: those travel routes right now so that if opening week 293 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: doesn't pan out, you've got a set of images and 294 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: videos that can inform your decision on where to go next. 295 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: And this might sound crazy, but I'm actually convinced that 296 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 1: the least dangerous trail camera check is the one with 297 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: the least exciting amount of deer pictures. I mentioned this before. 298 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: Those duds are okay because resetting is often a simple process. 299 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: The card polls that actually get us into trouble are 300 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: the good enough and the freaking unbelievable. In either case, 301 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:43,479 Speaker 1: it's like license to stop looking, with the freaking unbelievable 302 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: poll being the most dangerous because not only of the 303 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: attrition rate and movement as the season opens, but it's 304 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: also a safe bet no matter when you're opener is, 305 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 1: but especially if it's a little later that those bang 306 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: in summer spots might not be so great by the 307 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: time you can hunt. It's also dangerous because when you've 308 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: got a trail camera that is just filling up with 309 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: images of toads all summer long, and you can convince 310 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: yourself you don't need to do a bunch of other work. 311 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: You know where the bucks are, you've seen them, You've 312 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: seen a ton of pictures of them. You've got this. 313 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: This is a false sense of security issue, and you 314 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: don't want to fall for it. Enjoy those card pools 315 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: and the anticipation of great hunts in that location, but 316 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: don't take it for granted that it's a done deal, 317 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: that it's a done deal in a few months when 318 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: you can actually hunt. If you're not creating deer draws 319 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: like food plots or ponds or bait sites, then you 320 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: have to work under the assumption that a great spot 321 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: is a moving target. It might be where your camera 322 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: showed tons of evening movement throughout August, but only for 323 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: a few weeks of September. Or it might be the 324 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: acorn flat the bucks filter through in the morning on 325 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: their way back to bed that actually turns into the winter. 326 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 1: Even that will last for a week and then die off, 327 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: leaving you looking for a third location. To paraphrase a 328 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: quote that has been adopted by Corporate America to the 329 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: point of nausea. You've got to skate where the puck 330 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: is going, not where it has been. That Gretzky guy 331 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: was onto something there hockey wise, and it applies to 332 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: white tail hunters as well. Only we have the chance 333 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: to hang some technology in the woods that just might 334 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: prove to be the crystal ball that tells us where 335 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: the tall time pucks are going to be at certain 336 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 1: points of the season. Now, if you're running cell cameras, 337 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: you've got a blockchain style amount of data coming your 338 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 1: way every day. Use it to decide what's next camera wise, 339 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: if you need to go in and check your cameras 340 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: like you're running traditional cameras, look at the forecast and 341 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: then head in when a major frog choker is set 342 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: to hit and wash away all your scent. Pay close 343 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: attention to your digital clues and use them not to 344 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: reinforce what you know, like dear, sure eat a lot 345 00:17:47,119 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 1: of soybeans in the summer, but what you don't know, 346 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: like exactly how do the bucks get to the soybeans 347 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: in the summer, and how often do they stop at 348 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,640 Speaker 1: a small pond on their way there or maybe hop 349 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: across an old barbed wire fence that bi sets the 350 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: biggest chunk of woods on the property three yards away 351 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: from the groceries. Check those cameras when you can, when 352 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: you're confident you won't blow the woods out, and then 353 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: filter the imagery through your personal system. Keep the keepers 354 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: ditched the rest, pay attention to win deer showed up 355 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: and why? What does those images mean to your future 356 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: scouting efforts, and eventually you're staying hanging missions. Be realistic 357 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: about them and what they show, and try to anticipate 358 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: what images this week mean to you in two months. 359 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: Organize this knowledge and you use it to flavor your 360 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: back half a summer scouting plans to complete a fuller 361 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 1: picture of how you can put yourself on quality dear 362 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: movement as soon as the starting pistol goes off, especially 363 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: if you pair this trail camera strategy with some old 364 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: school scouting that involves sitting back on the glass and 365 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: going full voyor on the deer, which is the topic 366 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 1: of next week's episode. That's it for this show, my friends, 367 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: be sure to tune in next week for more white 368 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 1: tail hunting advice, strategies, tips and stories. I'm Tony Peterson 369 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: and this has been the wire to Hunt Foundations Podcast. 370 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: As always, thank you so much for listening, and we 371 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: will catch you right here next week.