1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals better dear hunting, presented by First Light, 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel through the stand saddler blind, 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: about what you won't learn from consuming hunting content and 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: why that matters. We are right here in the middle 10 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: of the worst month of the year, at least in 11 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: my opinion. You might want to debate me on that, 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: but honestly, that would be embarrassing for you, because March 13 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: is obviously the suckiest, stupidest month there is to be 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: a white tail hunter in a lot of places. That 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: probably holds true even if you are a white tail hunter. 16 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: But if you aren't, you're in the wrong neighborhood with 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: this podcast. Anyway. This is the month when seasonal depression 18 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: really opens up some dark doors between the old ears 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: and can cause us to try to live vicariously through 20 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: hunting content, to feel that old spark of real hunting. 21 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: It's a poor substitute, I know, but it's worth a try. 22 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: It's also worth understanding that all of the things you're 23 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: missing if you do spend some time reading articles or 24 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: watching YouTube videos and yes, even listening to hunting podcasts. 25 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: My wife is always trying to get me to work 26 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: more jobs. It's annoying, especially considering I already have a 27 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: full time job. Chowie's tells me to find something fun 28 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: and maybe pick up some evening shifts or something, which 29 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: feels a lot like she's trying to get rid of me. 30 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: And one job that she encourages me to pick up 31 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: is as a personal trainer at the gym. Now, I 32 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: know what you're thinking. That makes total sense. You think, well, 33 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: Tony is insanely fit, he has muscles for days, he 34 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: can outrun a cheetah even if he pulls a hammy, 35 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: and he's one of the most helpful guys in the 36 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: hunting industry. And I get it, and I do appreciate 37 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: all those compliments I just made up about myself. The 38 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: truth is, I wouldn't hate doing it. I love seeing 39 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: people who decide they want to own their future by 40 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: starting to exercise. It's honestly one of my favorite things 41 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,119 Speaker 1: about going and working out, besides the far more selfish 42 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: reason that it helps keep the old demons locked up 43 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: in the basement when it has been winner for four 44 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 1: months and the deer season is still half a year away. 45 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: But the truth is, I happen to know quite a 46 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: few of the personal trainers at my gym, mostly because 47 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: they are the people I see nearly every day. They 48 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: are all fit as you can imagine, and they handle 49 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: people really well. They are brought into someone's life when 50 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: that person is at a vulnerable point. But that makes 51 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: it a little bit of a tricky situation though. So 52 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: when someone says I need to get my ass moving 53 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: for whatever reason, that's kind of like admitting they haven't 54 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: taken care of themselves, usually for years. It's not really 55 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: something to be proud of, but taking some initiative over 56 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: it is. So these personal trainers, they work like this. 57 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: People set up a free consultation, usually for like an hour, 58 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: and the goal is to decide if signing up for 59 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: more sessions and really committing to something is in the cards. 60 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: And one of the trainers who I lived with occasionally 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: told me this year that in January he had twenty 62 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: four of these consultations. I asked him how many of 63 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: them turned into repeat clients and he said, none, zero, 64 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: not even one. Now, he's a really nice guy who 65 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: knows his stuff, so I doubt he scared them all off. 66 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: I asked him what the deal was, and he said, 67 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: it's just like that a lot of the times. And 68 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: then he said, and I quote, it really burns me 69 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: out because he cares if people get healthy. He hears 70 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: the stories of work injuries and depression and all kinds 71 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: of issues that can lead to people not taking care 72 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: of themselves. And he knows that while getting into shape 73 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: isn't a total magic bullet, it's usually a really solid 74 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: start if you want to feel better mentally and of 75 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: course physically. He ended our little chat by saying he 76 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: just keeps smiling and meeting with people, and a few 77 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: of them end up hiring him long term. Some even 78 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: end up as Jim regulars after he's done with them, 79 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: and knows, he said, make him real happy. The thing 80 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 1: about this is that, even without my wife pushing me 81 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: to get certified and be a personal trainer, I always 82 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: look at those folks like they have a pretty sweet gig. 83 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: They get a free gym membership, they get to help 84 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: people out. What I saw and what I think I 85 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: knew about their job was about three percent of what 86 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: it actually is. Though. Now, I bet you could take 87 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: about any profession out there and make the same claim 88 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: and be right. You can do the same thing with 89 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: hunting content. And that's what the show is about. Now. 90 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: I know I've talked about this topic in the past, 91 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: but I want to share some of my personal experience 92 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: about it to frame this whole thing up and tie 93 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: into this stupid, dumbass month of March when you might 94 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: be sitting on your couch in the evening watching an 95 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 1: edited version of someone else's hunt. The first time I 96 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: ever filmed was a turkey hunt when I was fifteen. 97 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: My buddy Jared. He didn't draw a tag, but I did, 98 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: so he offered to use my parents video camera to 99 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: document the whole thing, and we figured it would probably 100 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: be a pretty epic turkey hunt. I'd already killed one 101 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: tom the year before, so it was pretty much a lock. 102 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: I figured well. Jared and I set up in the 103 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: dark in the corner of a cut cornfield, and not 104 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: long after we cozied up to a couple of oak trees, 105 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: a tom gobbled in the dark. Several did. Actually, I 106 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: can't remember for sure, but I think I was using 107 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: one of those springloaded pushbutton calls that a not very 108 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: smart monkey could probably operate. This was a long time ago, 109 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: and the birds weren't nearly as pressured then as they 110 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: are now. This became evident when out of the woodline 111 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: a monster Tommy emerged in half strut. He saw my home. 112 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: Jake pushed into the dirt over a foam hen and said, 113 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: not on my watch, Junior. Unbeknownst to me, during the 114 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: whole encounter, which was maybe thirty seconds, Jared was whispering 115 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: shoot him, shoot him, shoot him, shoot him. I don't 116 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: think he knew he was saying it, kind of like 117 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: a duck dog that can't help it whine a little 118 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: when the sky's lighten up and the birds start circling. Anyway, 119 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: I dumped that time when he got to my decoys, 120 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: and Jared nearly dropped the camera wall, shouting, holy shit, 121 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: we got him. Apparently he didn't know that being a 122 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 1: videographer usually means you're not also the real time narrator. 123 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: That was all for fun, of course, and It wasn't 124 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: until I got the job of equipment editor at bow 125 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: Hunter that I actually filmed my first industry hunt, my 126 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: first professional hunt. I guess this was a South Dakota 127 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: hunt where you hide behind horses and sneak into a 128 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: prong horns guard and shoot him. Now you know my 129 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: stance on trophy hunting western game, but if not, I'll 130 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: explain it. I don't trophy hunt out West. I'm an 131 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: equal opportunity hunter when it comes to elk, mule, deer, 132 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: and antelope. But back then, if you were on TV, 133 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: you didn't shoot little stuff, so I knew i'd have 134 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: to hold off. Still, it didn't take us very long 135 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: before we had closed the distance on a pretty good 136 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: buck that was chasing dose around and running off some youngsters. 137 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: When we got to sixty yards on that buck, which 138 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: was as far as I wanted to shoot, the guide 139 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: turned the horses sideways and told me to draw. I 140 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: did as I told, and there sixty yards away was 141 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: the antelope walking. I held my pin and waited for 142 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: him to stop, but the guide started whispering in my ear. 143 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: You have to shoot him, now, you have to shoot him. Now, 144 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: he's going to get away. In my head, I was like, yeah, 145 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: I don't take walking shots at sixty yards ever. But 146 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: you know what I did. I shot because I wanted 147 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: the whole thing over with. I was aiming in front 148 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: of that antelope by a hair and I missed him 149 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: by about a foot in the other end. It was 150 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: not pretty and it was not something I was proud of. Now. 151 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: After that speed goat ran off, I knew I was 152 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: going to look like a total d bag on the show, 153 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: and I sure did. I also had a conversation with 154 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: the guide off camera about how I'll choose my own 155 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: shot opportunities from there on out. Later that day, we 156 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: walked right through a herd of beedded antelope while leaning 157 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: into the sides of the horses, and a little buck, 158 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: you know, not twenty yards away never even got up, 159 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: never ran away. I told the guide I wanted to 160 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: shoot that goat because I was pretty sure i'd hit 161 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: him in the lungs, and the guide made it clear 162 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: that while it was my call, it kind of wasn't, 163 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: so we kept going. Eventually we found a good enough 164 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: loaner feeding in the pasture to let me get to 165 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: fifty one yards and I actually hit him right in 166 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: the heart, which I cannot stress enough was extremely relieving 167 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: after my poor showing earlier. After that was all the 168 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 1: post shot footage, and of course the butchering and all 169 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: the other things you do when you kill an animal. 170 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: But when I saw the show, I realized something. Well, 171 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: I did look like a total dbate when I took 172 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: that shot, probably a few other times. But the reality 173 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: was most of that hunt didn't make it. Given that 174 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,439 Speaker 1: my entire hunt was a half of a one show. 175 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: It was reduced to less than eleven minutes of actual 176 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: hunting for a four day hunt with multiple stocks and 177 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: all that stuff that happens after you shoot one. I 178 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: filmed quite a few shows for them, and it filmed 179 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: quite a few for other companies. Every one of them 180 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: has always left me thinking that we never really have 181 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: the chance to show a real hunt. We show highlights 182 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 1: which are up to an editor, we might not even know. 183 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: And that's kind of that. It's weird, and it's not 184 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: limited to video. Back before a big old internet asteroid 185 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: hit Earth and caused most print titles to go the 186 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: way of the dinosaur, we used to get to write 187 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: hunting features. These were two thousand, maybe three thousand or 188 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: thirty five hundred word articles that told the story of 189 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: a hunt or a particular animal. They were my favorite 190 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: thing to write, and still would be if I could 191 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: find someone to publish them and pay me for the time. 192 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: It's not going to happen anyway. The biggest challenge was 193 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: always what do you not tell? What parts of the 194 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: story were necessary to the whole arc all along, and 195 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: what could be left out because it didn't go you know, 196 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: well enough along with the narrative to warrant inclusion. As 197 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: you can imagine, a lot of those stories just get 198 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: left out. There's a lot of stuff that you're just 199 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: not going to see your read or hear about. And 200 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: this is a side note here, but I've also noticed 201 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 1: that the random hunters who tell me they're hunting stories 202 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: at deer classics and weddings and bar mitzvahs and recently 203 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: a memorial service, they don't have the editing gene. They 204 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: give the long version ahis and it's usually a lead 205 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 1: up to a longer version. I'm kind of joking there, 206 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: but mostly not. The truth with content is, most of 207 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 1: the time most of the stuff is just left out. Now, 208 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: this isn't necessarily a nefarious move. It's just the nature 209 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: of attention spans and the reality of competing for eyeballs 210 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: and ear bawls. Even though it's largely benign and honestly 211 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: mostly dictated by the audience, it's also worth understanding what 212 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 1: isn't there. There's a false promise with hunting content. Scratch that. 213 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: There's actually two false promises. The first is that most 214 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 1: of it will make you a better hunter somehow. Maybe 215 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: it does in small ways, but I think a lot 216 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: of it is pure entertainment and that's it, and that's okay. 217 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: Entertainment is good. We need it, and there's nothing wrong 218 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,360 Speaker 1: with it. There's nothing wrong with watching another two hundred 219 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 1: in buck die in a food plot after getting shot 220 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: by some country singer who probably couldn't kill a button 221 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: buck on public land if he gave him the whole 222 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: season and let him hunt at night with a high 223 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: powered rifle talped with a thermoscope. I know that was 224 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: a cheap shot, and I'm not proud of it. The 225 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: other false promise is that what you see or read 226 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: or hear about is what happened. It's not. It's a 227 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: super abbreviated version with the best medium in my opinion, 228 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: being podcasts, it's a hell of a lot easier to 229 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: tell a whole story or as much of a story 230 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: as possible, when you have unlimited time and you're just 231 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: having a conversation. It's much harder to tell the whole 232 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: story of a hunt when you have forty or fifty 233 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: hours of footage during which about ninety percent of it 234 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:11,720 Speaker 1: nothing really interesting happened, except stuff does happen. The hours 235 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: spent in stand watching squirrels that might get turned into 236 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: a few seconds of footage in the actual episode. That 237 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: stuff matters. If there are days like that, the host 238 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: will probably mention it several times, but you won't really 239 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: get the full picture went on. It's just too hard. 240 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: When you watch a sizzle reel, you might see a 241 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: hunter shoot a great buck, maybe even on public land, 242 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: and never be told or shown that there were four 243 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,959 Speaker 1: other good hunters glassing and scouting for that shooter, or 244 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: in a lot of it shows, there might be someone 245 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: managing dear just for a specific personality to come in 246 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: and shoot it, and of course, you know, writing a 247 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: pretty big check and promising lots of thrilling social media 248 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: content around it. The thing is hunting content can be 249 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: great entertainment, and it can be highly educational. It can 250 00:12:57,880 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: be a lot of things, but it will never be 251 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: a full picture. It'll be a slice of something, and 252 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: it's up to you to recognize that in your personal 253 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: hunting life. If you're wondering why you don't see big 254 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: bucks on public land, and a total stud like myself 255 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: always seems to it's because I'm not telling you how 256 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,640 Speaker 1: often I blank. I'm not putting up Instagram posts on 257 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: the days when I can't get the old engine turned 258 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: over and I just can't find a deer to save 259 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: my life. When you watch me on something like one 260 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: week in November, you see at most four or five 261 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 1: minutes of my entire day, a day that starts way 262 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: before first light and usually ends with a mind grinding 263 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: session on where to hunt the following day, well after 264 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: the sun is set in the nocturnal bucks have started chasing. 265 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,080 Speaker 1: The thing about that is you might see four minutes 266 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: of some rando like me explaining my daily hunting situation, 267 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: mixed with those shots of squirrels and maybe a few 268 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 1: deer and not much else, and not really think a 269 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: whole lot about it. But what's happening there is an 270 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: all day sit where very little happened, which is a 271 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: real common Then you know, randomly, on day seven, a 272 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: clueless eight pointer runs in, stops in some brush with 273 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: one shooting window, and suddenly my week, which didn't mean 274 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: anything to the viewers, looks pretty sweet. So you say, 275 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: damn man, I'm going to do some all day sits 276 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: this year. But you're all day sits don't seem like mine. 277 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: Yet they are. You have the hours and hours of 278 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: no movement and all the second guessing that comes with it. 279 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: You scroll social media and you see grip and grin 280 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: after gripp and grin, and the whole thing kind of sucks. 281 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 1: But you don't see what one into those grip and grins. 282 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: You don't see the money spent, the time invested, the 283 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: skill that a lot of those folks have. And I 284 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: don't know. You see Andy may post another picture of 285 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: a monster he killed on public land somewhere. You don't 286 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: see his struggle years or the year long scouting obsession 287 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: he has, you know, the one that leads him to 288 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: have seasons that almost no one on earth could match once, 289 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: let alone him multiple years. The truth of it all 290 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: is out. They're in the woods, my friends, it's waiting 291 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: for you, and it's not as fun as it looks 292 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: in the hunting content. It's not as easy as it 293 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: looks or as enjoyable. Generally, it's kind of a bitch, honestly, 294 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: but it's also worth it, and it gets to be 295 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: a hell of a lot more fun when you realize 296 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: that you have your own white tailed journey to take, 297 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: and it's not about a product or the right lighting 298 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: of for your trophy photos. It's about doing what makes 299 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: you happy out there and recognizing that the best anyone 300 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: like me or Andy May or Mark or anyone can 301 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: do for you is offer up a few suggestions, maybe 302 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: some encouragement. Then you're on your own. But that's the 303 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: way it's supposed to be. You can't learn to really 304 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: hunt by just listening to someone talk about it any 305 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: more than you could learn any other skill by just 306 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: listening or observing. Now it doesn't hurt, of course, but 307 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: it's like two percent of what you need. That's better 308 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: than nothing. But it's your scouting sessions and your trail 309 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: camera work, your understanding of your equipment, and your time 310 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: on stand that kills your ear. You know, your big 311 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: bucks or your little bucks or doze or whatever you're 312 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: willing to shoot. It's on you, which is why this 313 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: whole thing is so frustrating yet so rewarding at the 314 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: same time. It's up to you to go beyond that consultation, 315 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: to book those sessions and start picking up some weights 316 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: and pounding away in the treadmill. It's up to you 317 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: to change for the better. Remember that this month, when 318 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: you're begging for your brain to release just a little 319 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: dopemine and for the sun to come out for a 320 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: few days, remember it when you think it's not worth 321 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: it in this stupid month, to go out and look 322 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: for a few antlers, or maybe walk the cattail slow 323 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: before the ice gets too rotten, scout around a little bit. 324 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: Remember that it's on you to figure out something to 325 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: do to get better, even if that's just standing in 326 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: the slushy snow to fling a few arrows now instead 327 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: of waiting until the summer to start shooting. That's it 328 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. This has been the 329 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, which has brought to you 330 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: by First Light. As always, thank you so much for listening, 331 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: and if you just need some more whitetail content to 332 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: entertain you or hell, educate you. Head on over to 333 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: our YouTube channel you can see a whole bunch of 334 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 1: how to videos that Mark and I have produced. Or 335 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: you can head over to the dumbyater dot com slash 336 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: wired and read all kinds of articles on hunting strategies 337 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: and tips and scouting and all that good stuff.