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 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson. Today's episode is all about finding the right 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: tools for deer hunting and learning how to actually use 10 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 2: them correctly. One of the best things about being in 11 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 2: the hunting industry is getting to use new products. While 12 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 2: a lot of the best of the best stuff really 13 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: isn't much different from the rest of the best stuff, 14 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: every once in a while something hits the market that 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: just makes the process of scouting or hunting so much 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 2: easier more enjoyable. That's sort of what this podcast is 17 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 2: all about. But I'm also going to touch on how 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 2: to learn to really utilize the tools at your disposal 19 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 2: and how to decide what products you really need versus 20 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 2: the stuff we all think we need but we really don't. 21 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: Loyal listeners to this podcast might recall that several months back, 22 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 2: my wife volunteered me to install a new sink in 23 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: our kitchen. It was a fun half year marital spat 24 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: that culminated in a new sink that actually works, which 25 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 2: is incredible. As a home improvement challenged type of fella, 26 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: I hate stuff like that. I don't have the skills 27 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 2: for it, and I'm probably not ever going to have 28 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 2: them when I do attempt something that just isn't in 29 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: my wheelhouse. I also find that I tend to have 30 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: a real hole in my game when it comes to 31 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 2: owning and understand how to use the right tools. I 32 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 2: look at tools like something that I begrudgingly buy sometimes 33 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: and that mostly gets lost in the void of my 34 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 2: house or my truck after a little usage. Once in 35 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 2: a while, I buy something that actually works for a 36 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 2: specific task I have, and I put it somewhere like 37 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: a responsible adult, so that I can find it every year. 38 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: There are a few specific tools I use on my 39 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: boat that are like this, and after about twenty seven 40 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 2: years of losing them and buying new ones, I started 41 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: keeping them in a very obvious spot. You guessed it, 42 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: my golf cart. Just kidding. I keep them in my 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 2: boat now when I need them. I root around under 44 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: dozens of tackle boxes and loose bags of jig trailers 45 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 2: and swim baits until I find what I'm looking for, 46 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 2: which is usually rusted to hell and barely functional. Then 47 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 2: I head to YouTube to find myself a video of 48 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 2: a real man who effortlessly just fixes things and replaces 49 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 2: stuff and explains it in a way you might teach 50 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 2: a toddler to tie his shoelaces. You know, first the 51 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 2: rabbit goes around the tree and then down the hole. 52 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. I used to be terrible 53 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 2: about cobbling together a toolbox full of randomness that might 54 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: come in handy when life throws you some stupid task 55 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 2: that takes up the time you'd use for something fun. 56 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: I am getting better at it. I'm getting more responsible. 57 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: This is bled into my hunting world too. While I 58 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: used to buy a new pruner every year about the 59 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: beginning of April, when I was scramming to get my 60 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 2: turkey hunting stuff together, I now have a big plastic 61 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 2: tote dedicated to spring turkey stuff. Call shotgun shells, broadheads, 62 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: black shirts for the blind, gilly suits for putting my 63 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: back to a tree, cushions, you name it. If I 64 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: might need it to chase spring gobblers, it mostly has 65 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 2: a spot in that tote. Of course, keeping track of 66 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: the right tools for the job is the bare minimum. 67 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 2: You need to know what tools you need and really 68 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: how to use them in a variety of situations. This 69 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: hit home to me recently when I was talking to 70 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: a guy at the gym about elk hunting. We got 71 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 2: on the topic of east scouting, and I realized we 72 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: have different ideas about the best way to use apps 73 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: like on X. While a base level benefit of a 74 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: scouting app is to see the ground the way a 75 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 2: bird might see it, that's selling the whole thing pretty short, naturally. 76 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: The other obvious benefits are seeing who owns what land, 77 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: where access points might be, where food is located, hills, rivers, meadows, 78 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 2: the obvious stuff. That's all great, but that might be 79 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: like utilizing I don't know twenty percent of the features, 80 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 2: many of which can benefit you greatly. Take the tracker 81 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 2: feature on on X. This is one that has become 82 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 2: kind of a staple in my life. I've used it 83 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 2: for white tails a lot, to get to stands and 84 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 2: to get out of them. I make notes on how 85 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 2: long the tracks take me to walk in daylight, so 86 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 2: I have a good idea how long they'll take me 87 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: to walk in the dark. In the Elk Mountains, I 88 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 2: use the tracker feature to find my way to secluded 89 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 2: water holes that thirsty bowls might slip into. I've used 90 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: it to mark the best route to dead deer and 91 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 2: other critters once I recover them and realize I need 92 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 2: to head to my truck to get my killed, or 93 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 2: just to take a more direct route that saves me 94 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 2: time when I'm packing something out. It's also awesome for 95 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 2: sharing with hunting buddies so they can get stands or 96 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 2: dead bowls or whatever. That's just one feature of a 97 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 2: multifaceted tool that offers real world benefits. In that instance, 98 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 2: I'm also probably being a huge hypocrite too, because there's 99 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 2: probably a lot of stuff packed into most mapping apps 100 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 2: that I have yet to discover or truly learn how 101 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: to use. Some people just kind of naturally dig pretty 102 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 2: deep into how to use correctly, but a lot of 103 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 2: people just don't. And I kind of fall into that 104 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 2: ladder category. So here's another thing to think about. Trail cameras. 105 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: Great example here, modern cameras can shoot still images video 106 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 2: time labs, you name it, each has its place in 107 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 2: the woods for certain setups. Simply setting a camera to 108 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: send you one picture per triggering event is about like 109 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 2: using on X to look at property boundaries and nothing else. 110 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 2: Sure there's benefit there, but you're missing a whole lot 111 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: of other options. The thing here is not that you 112 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 2: need to go all out with anything. It's just that 113 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 2: if you use these kinds of tools or are interested 114 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 2: in them, not using them to their potential is costing you. Dear, 115 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 2: I don't know how to put it more simply than 116 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 2: that it might not matter to a lot of folks, 117 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 2: but to some that probably does. To look at it 118 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: another way is to forget that it's costing you deer 119 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,239 Speaker 2: and instead might just be degrading the quality of your hunt. 120 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 2: You might simply not be enjoying scouting or hunting as 121 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 2: much because you're not fully utilizing the right tools for 122 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 2: the right job. Let me give you another example. I 123 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 2: live off my binoculars if I'm scouting or hunting, or 124 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 2: hell even shed hunting. I always have binoculars on my chest, 125 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: and I've always kind of thought that when it comes 126 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 2: to white tails, a pair of eight by thirty twos 127 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: or ten by forties were pretty much similar to other 128 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: pairs at eight by thirty twos or ten by forties. 129 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 2: Even in a past job when I tested optics quite 130 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:04,119 Speaker 2: a bit, the differences between two pairs might barely be noticeable. Now, 131 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 2: if you took a one hundred dollars pair of binos 132 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 2: from wally World and stack them up against something premiere 133 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: with a premiere price tag, you'd notice obvious differences. Lens quality, 134 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: image sharpness, particularly in low light, how much they fog up, 135 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 2: and build quality all become pretty obvious in this case. 136 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 2: But I don't know a five hundred dollars pair against 137 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 2: a three hundred or a seven hundred dollars pair. There 138 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 2: just wasn't a ton of benefit either way when it 139 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: came to glassing white tails. So in other words, I've 140 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: been pretty brand agnostic when it comes to whitetail binos, 141 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: although I'll admit that I'm a little more devout when 142 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: it comes to my Western kit. That's pretty much how 143 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 2: I've lived for a long time until I got my 144 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 2: hands on a pair of image stabilizing binos from SIG's 145 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 2: Hour this spring. Listen. They look like a prop out 146 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: of a Star Wars film, which is a little hard 147 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: to get used to. They also use a battery, which 148 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 2: is a weird concept. But let me tell you something, 149 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 2: I've never experienced quite the way I did with those 150 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 2: image stabilizers. It's just hard to describe. And I know 151 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 2: that people will think I'm saying this because SIG pays 152 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 2: me huge checks under the table, which if anyone from 153 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 2: the company is listening, I'm definitely all four. The truth 154 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 2: is it was just a revelatory experience. The tool that 155 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 2: I took for granted, is good enough for the job, 156 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 2: has just gotten a hell of a lot better. It's 157 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 2: honestly wild how clear of an image you can see 158 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 2: with them. And I'm being totally honest when I say 159 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 2: I cannot wait to carry them into the tree stands fall. 160 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 2: My kids love them too, because they aren't very good 161 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 2: at glassing, but the image stabilization tech and the SIGs 162 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 2: makes it easy for them. Now, there are other tools 163 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 2: that I don't ever want to live without. I know 164 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 2: myself well enough to make some rules for myself that 165 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 2: I follow in a hard line way. You all know 166 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 2: I don't allow myself to drink for many many reasons. 167 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 2: I also don't allow myself to own a chainsaw, but 168 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 2: I lay at night thinking about it. I desperately want 169 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 2: to be a chainsaw owner, and someday I might allow 170 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 2: myself the chance to try it. But I'm also kind 171 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 2: of careless, and for some reason, probably because I'm kind 172 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 2: of careless, relatively prone to cuts that require stitches. There 173 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 2: is something in me that wants to cut down trees 174 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: and exmell the exhaust of a chainsaw, but also something 175 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 2: in me that believes I'll hurt myself badly with one. 176 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 2: This might come from childhood stories about a few of 177 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 2: my uncles who spent time logging in northern Minnesota and 178 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: who also nearly killed themselves several times with chain saws. 179 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 2: One of them missed his femoral artery with a wayward 180 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 2: blade by a margin small enough to get him to 181 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 2: briefly find God, while another nearly cut his foot off. 182 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 2: I feel like I have bad bloodlines when it comes 183 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 2: to chainsaws, so I avoid them instead. I bought this 184 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,079 Speaker 2: steel brushcutter super weed wack tool thing to make up 185 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 2: for it. When I first bought it, I used it 186 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,719 Speaker 2: only as a saw to cut down brush. And let 187 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 2: me tell you if you're interested in clearing out small 188 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 2: entrance paths and kill plots and shooting lanes of whatever else, 189 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 2: it's the right tool for the job. After a few years, 190 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 2: I started to buy accessories to mount on it, and 191 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 2: soon realized that it serves real well for weed whipping 192 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: my plots and doing a hell of a lot of 193 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: yard work that I'm reminded of by my better half 194 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 2: on a frequent basis that one tool and the ways 195 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 2: that it can be used have changed how I work 196 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 2: on my land and has without doubt helped me have 197 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 2: way better hunts with my daughters. It makes me think 198 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 2: of how much work we did with machetes when I 199 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 2: was growing up, and also makes me realize, at least partially, 200 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:44,959 Speaker 2: why my dad and I didn't exactly set any deer 201 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 2: killing records when I was younger. Of course, how we 202 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 2: think about tools often travels in lockstep with what we 203 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 2: can afford to spend on hunting equipment. This is probably 204 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 2: more of a concern these days than it has been 205 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 2: for a while for a lot of us, considering that 206 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 2: if you want to take a family afford to Applebee's 207 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 2: these days, your bill is going to end up in 208 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 2: the neighborhood of about what it would take to tip 209 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 2: all of your arrows in your quiver with new rage broadheads. Choices, choices, choices. 210 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 2: Some tools are worth the money, some aren't. Some don't 211 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 2: cost much, but we'll cover your ass in a variety 212 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 2: of ways. Take flagging tape, for example, for a couple 213 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 2: of bucks, you have something to mark trails with. You 214 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,679 Speaker 2: can use it to keep track of blood trails. You 215 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 2: can hang a strip of it on a tree in 216 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,719 Speaker 2: front of your trail camera so you know which way 217 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 2: the wind was blowing when a buck walked by. You 218 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: can flag some small apple trees so that when you're 219 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,319 Speaker 2: running your sweet brushcutter like a real man, you don't 220 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 2: accidentally cut down those apple trees like a total idiot 221 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 2: might do twice before he figured out to flag them. 222 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 2: The thing is, we use a pile of different tools 223 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 2: throughout our journey as hunters. Some of them are actually 224 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 2: tools like limbsaws, while some of them don't feel like 225 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 2: tools but function as very useful products. A good example 226 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 2: there is the right pack for your kind of hunting. 227 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 2: This category, which Western hunters obsess over, is almost an 228 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 2: afterthought for a lot of white tail hunters. That to 229 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 2: me is a mistake, because a pack holds the tools 230 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 2: I need to scout correctly and hunt the way I 231 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 2: want to, and often trail wounded deer the way I 232 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 2: really need to, and then piece them out if I'm 233 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 2: lucky enough to find them. Maybe I go overboard on 234 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 2: this stuff, but I don't think so. I do recognize 235 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 2: that not everyone gets obsessed over gear, or has the 236 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,839 Speaker 2: means to buy a bunch of stuff, or even really 237 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 2: cares a whole lot to try and improve in this way, 238 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 2: that's great. But if you do, and honestly, almost all 239 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 2: of us do to at least some degree, since we 240 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 2: use products in the outdoors all the time, it's a 241 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 2: good idea to analyze the situations you find yourself in 242 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: and ask yourself if there is a feasible way to 243 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 2: buy something to help or use something you already own 244 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: in a different way. Maybe it's as simple as you 245 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 2: using the same set of steel climbing sticks for all 246 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 2: of your mobile hunts, but every single time you strap 247 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 2: them to your pack or try to strap them to 248 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 2: a tree, you make a lot of noise that makes 249 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,679 Speaker 2: you cringe. What are your options there? Well, if you 250 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 2: like the sticks and don't mind the weight, A roll 251 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 2: of hockey tape to dead them down might be the 252 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 2: right tool for the job. If you do mind the 253 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: weight and you don't want to wrap them with seven 254 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 2: hundred and ninety feet of hockey tape, maybe it's time 255 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 2: to pony up for a lightweight set of carbon sticks. Now, 256 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 2: aside from the resurgence of good tree saddles in recent years, 257 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 2: I don't think there is a better improvement in a 258 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 2: product category than the change in materials used to build 259 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 2: carbon climbing sticks. Now they are far from cheap, trust 260 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 2: me on that. But when your whole setup is whisper quiet, 261 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: and four or five sticks weighs the same as one 262 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 2: set of metal sticks, the game changes again. You'll pay 263 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:53,599 Speaker 2: like you would if you were getting billed by a 264 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 2: high end attorney, but in the end you'll have a 265 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 2: product that will improve your hunting and your enjoyment of hunting, 266 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 2: and it would last long enough that you might be 267 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,839 Speaker 2: able to pass them on to the kids. Just in 268 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 2: that category alone, you have so many options that range 269 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: so much in price and weight and ease of use 270 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 2: that finding the right tool is a matter of deciding 271 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 2: what you want to spend and how important it is 272 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 2: to get a specific type of this tool for the job. 273 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 2: I guess the gist of this podcast is a thinly 274 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 2: veiled attempt to argue against settling for something when you 275 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 2: don't have to. I'm honestly a huge hypocrite there, because 276 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 2: I will struggle with some aspect of gear for years 277 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 2: before I finally just get fed up enough to make 278 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 2: some kind of change. And it's often something that I 279 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 2: could afford or I could easily do, and still the 280 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 2: old procrastination bug digs in under my skin and convinces 281 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 2: me to suffer for years and years. Maybe we are 282 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 2: all gluttons for punishment. Maybe not, It doesn't matter. What 283 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 2: does matter is that this is the perfect time of 284 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 2: year to take stock in your gear. You don't organize 285 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 2: your trail cameras. You go through the stands you have 286 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 2: piled up in the garage and the climbing sticks you've 287 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 2: been using since you've found them for sale at wally 288 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 2: World seventeen years ago. And maybe it's time to make 289 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 2: a change. Or maybe not. Maybe you're happy with where 290 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 2: you're at and you have the stuff you think you need. 291 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 2: In that case, ask yourself, are you using your tools 292 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 2: to the full potential. Think back to the on X 293 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 2: example at the beginning of this show. If you're dead 294 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 2: certain you have the whole thing dialed, it's likely you don't, 295 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 2: and a little time spent researching the tools you already 296 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 2: use and the creative ways other hunters have used them 297 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 2: to level up might be just what you need to 298 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 2: find a new spark and scouting and a few new 299 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 2: reasons to get out in the woods and try some 300 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 2: stuff out. That's what I've been doing all Turkey season 301 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 2: and it's been an eye opener. It's also my plan 302 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 2: for this summer as I get heavy into the white 303 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 2: tailed scouting season, consider this route yourself before you get 304 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 2: into the season and figure out that you're still sabotaging 305 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 2: yourself somehow when you don't really have to do that. 306 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 2: Come back next week because I'm going to just kind 307 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 2: of talk randomly about salt blocks and mineral licks and 308 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 2: food plots and baiting and all the stuff we do 309 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 2: that we think helps the deer, at least food wise. 310 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 2: That's it for this episode. I'm Tony Peterson. This has 311 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 2: been the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast. As always, thank 312 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 2: you so much for your support. I can't tell you 313 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: how much it means to all of us at meat Eater. 314 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 2: Just trust us on this. We really appreciate that you 315 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 2: guys all show up and listen to the podcast and 316 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 2: watch the videos, read the articles, and if you want 317 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 2: more of that stuff, you can head over to the 318 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 2: medeater dot com and you will find more content based 319 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 2: around hunting, fishing, foraging, you name it. Then you could 320 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 2: get through in a lot of boring days at work, 321 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 2: So go check that out at the medeater dot com.