1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,760 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 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, brought to you by First Light. Today's show 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: is all about muzzleloaders and how to kill a buck. 6 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: As the late season officially kicks in, and I realized 7 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: that there are early muzzleloader seasons in a few states. 8 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: I think I always got one in Kansas, and plenty 9 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: of folks down cells are also kind of just getting 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: started hunting with their bows or their center fire rifles. 11 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: Whether your muzzleloader season is going on right now, or 12 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 1: it's about to start, or maybe it's a few weeks 13 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: or a month away. I hope you get something out 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: of this episode. Not actually scratch that, I hope you 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: get something out of the next two episode. My introduction 16 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: to muzzleoader hunting, as it was the case with almost 17 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: all of my hunting, came from my father. He's one 18 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: of those guys who loves bow honey, but also really 19 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: really loves shooting guns. He's into the precision game. I 20 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: don't know how much paper he punches every year at 21 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: the range, but it's a lot, or at least it 22 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: was until ammo became as scarce as two bucks on 23 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: public land in Florida. So about I don't know, fifteen 24 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: sixteen years ago, he mentioned that we should probably try 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: muzzleoader hunting, so he bought a cheap kit muzzle order, 26 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: one of those I don't know, two D muzzleloaders that 27 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: you buy and they come in the big plastic thing 28 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: like you would uh, I don't know, a a pair of 29 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: scissors or something. And since you could only use open 30 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: sites in Minnesota, then he figured he wouldn't be out 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: too much buying one of those kit guns. But it 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: was a gun, and since it was a gun, he 33 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: liked it. I did too. It wasn't long before there 34 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: were a few more muzzloaders laying around and we were 35 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: out hunting with them. It also wasn't long before I 36 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: figured out the hunting with a smoke pole wasn't as 37 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: easy as I expected it to be. I'm sure it 38 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: was pure cockiness on my part to think that I 39 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: could just go out and kill one with a gun. 40 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: Because I kind of frequently killed deer with a bow 41 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: back then, I thought i'd be able to clean out 42 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: the woods just because I had a gun, and even 43 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: though it had you know, somewhat limited range and iron sights, 44 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: I was still probably too cocky and I was wrong. 45 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: This might come as a surprise to some of you listeners, 46 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 1: but some of the best moves I've made as a 47 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: hunter have come from getting shipped so wrong it's embarrassing. 48 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: This was one of those things. With my early four 49 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: rays into muzzleloader land. I just went out and sat 50 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 1: on the food. I figured with a hundred yard ish 51 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 1: weapon and low standards, I only needed to get on 52 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: a cut corn field and wait for the sun to set. 53 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: The problem with my plan was that I tried it 54 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: first on a farm that gets absolutely pounded during bow 55 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: and the regular gun season. While I'll get into this 56 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: later in far more depth on some future episodes, let 57 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: me just say this about late season advice. If someone 58 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: tells you that all you have to do is sit 59 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: on a food source and wait for the rut starved 60 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: bucks to show up, punch them right in the throat. 61 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: You don't need those kind of lies in your life. 62 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: I'm just kidding. No physical violence. Please, Instead, kindly remind 63 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,399 Speaker 1: them that you're hunting in the real world, and it's 64 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 1: not so simple because pressure deer don't follow the same 65 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: rules as unpressured deer. This is the problem with any 66 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: deer hunting advice, and that it tends to kind of 67 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: gloss over our individual realities because it really has no 68 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: other choice. In my individual reality, when I started muzzled 69 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: or hunting was that I bought into the tall tale 70 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: that food was king and it would override the dear 71 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: sense of survival as the hangover from the gun season 72 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: faded and the real Minnesota cold set in. What actually 73 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: happened was that the deer that were left had been 74 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: scared into patterns that didn't make them want to show 75 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: themselves during daylight hours. This doesn't take too long to 76 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: figure out. If you have snow and then you sit 77 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: on the edge of a field and you don't see deer, 78 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: the snow will show you the tracks, the field won't 79 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: show you the deer, and a whole lot of nocturnal 80 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: feeding becomes pretty obvious. But those deer have to get 81 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: there somehow, and they have to leave from there somehow, 82 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: and that's where you kill them, or at least that's 83 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 1: where I started killing them. Does any of this sound familiar. 84 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: It probably should. In past episodes, when I've talked about 85 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: bow hunting pressure deer, it's been all about figuring out 86 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: where they like to walk and then getting in there 87 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,799 Speaker 1: to kill them. With gun hunting, the same rules apply. 88 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: As a hunter, figuring out where deer are going to 89 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: walk during daylight hours is like nineties three percent of 90 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: your job. It's your number one priority, and it doesn't 91 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: matter what advice you've been given from some random hunting celebrities. 92 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: What matters is what you see in your own world, 93 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: in your own chosen woods. If the deer run to 94 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: the alfalfa field to mow down two hours before dark 95 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: and they show you that, then you know what to do. 96 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: If they don't, or a few of them show up 97 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: within the last few minutes of legal shooting light, then 98 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: you know you've got to figure out where they are 99 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: coming from and how you can get in there to 100 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: get on them. How I figured out how to do 101 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: this for myself was by reverting right back to my 102 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: favorite thing, staging areas. This was largely a happy accident, 103 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 1: by simply just defaultings of some of my bow stands 104 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: after flaming out on the field. Edge hunts with my muzzleloader. 105 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: You guys know that I love staging areas, and when 106 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: it comes to early muzzleloader failures, I realized I need 107 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: to get into the cover and start watching. This was 108 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: easiest to accomplish by going to stands I already had 109 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: up that took advantage of the cover. What I saw 110 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: eventually was at the bucks and does that were left 111 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: after gun season. They would move, and they do it 112 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 1: in daylight some, but it would always be in the cover. 113 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: This didn't mean I had to get right in on 114 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: a sanctuary with them, like during the heart of guns season, 115 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: but it meant that I had to be somewhere between 116 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: that and the food in the morning. The same strategy worked. 117 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: I just had to reverse the likely deer travel and 118 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: pay real close attention to my entrance roads and the 119 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: impression I made on the deer while getting in there. 120 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: This sounds simple, right, and it can be. If you've 121 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: got conditions like powdery snow that lets you sneak in quietly, 122 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: then it can be easy. But if you've got a 123 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: sheet of icy snow covering that powder, that sounds kind 124 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: of like you're stomping on a bag of potato chips 125 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: With every step, your results may vary. If you can't 126 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: get to your stand without learning the nearby deer, it's 127 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: freaking over. The survivors don't tolerate mistakes, and it's really 128 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: easy to make a mistake during many of the conditions 129 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: in which we find ourselves muzzle or hunting. Ditto for 130 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,559 Speaker 1: late season bow hunts. Earlier, when I said your number 131 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: one priority was finding where do you like to walk? 132 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:00,080 Speaker 1: I kind of lied. This is part of it. It 133 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: because you sure as hell don't want to hunt where 134 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: dear don't like to walk. But just as importantly, you've 135 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: got to read the situation and decide if you can 136 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: get in without blowing everything up. There's two steps to this. 137 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: Find where the deer like to walk, figure out if 138 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:20,679 Speaker 1: you can get in there. If you can't, you're in trouble. 139 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: This is tricky. I found that sometimes when the conditions 140 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: are loud, I mean really really loud, it's impossible to 141 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: hunt very well. This goes for late season white tails, 142 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: as well as pheasants, grouse, bunnies, and probably every prey 143 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: animal we hunt. This also means that if you plan 144 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: a muzzle oader hunt, you better obsessively check the weather. 145 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: Cold conditions often create noisy conditions, which means the mornings 146 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: or evenings, when hunting should theoretically be best for those 147 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: hungry deer that should be moving, will actually be worse 148 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: for the hungry two legged predators heading out there with 149 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: what used to be a primitive weapon and is now 150 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: not really so. But conditions vary a lot. You might 151 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: get a nice warm up in the mid day that 152 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: makes sneaking in easy, or you might get a pre 153 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: or post frontal wind blowing through that covers your noise 154 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: and your movement. This is why obsessing over the weather 155 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: and planning your sits around it really matters this time here. 156 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: If you hunt in snowy country, you might see that 157 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: a morning hunt is out because it's just too cold 158 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: and too crunchy. But the weather might break mid day, 159 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: or the sun might have just enough time to soften 160 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: things up for an afternoon sit where you can get 161 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: in quietly, so you have to plan accordingly. If you 162 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: hunt too far south to have to consider much or 163 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: any snow, you might still be dealing with cold weather 164 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: in the morning and warmer weather in the afternoon. This 165 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: might be the difference between crunchy frosty leaves and easier 166 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: to move in without detection wet leaf, litter, groundcover later. 167 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: I know that's a word salad, but what I mean 168 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 1: is when stuff's cold, it's noisy. When it's warm, it's 169 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: often not. That might mean the difference between crazy would 170 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: surface ice on a little stream or other wetland at 171 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: seven am in the morning, but a different quiet or 172 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: open water type of thing at two in the afternoon. 173 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 1: I know I've mentioned on here and other podcasts I've 174 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: been on about a billion times about how hunters love 175 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: excuses to not hunt, but some are legit conditions you 176 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: simply can't overcome, especially on pressure. Deer are some of them. 177 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: Sometimes sleeping in is the right thing to do, even 178 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: if that doesn't fig your m oh throughout the rest 179 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: of the season. Or better yet, you can just set 180 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: yourself up with some backup options. This might sound familiar 181 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: to and if it doesn't, I urge you to go 182 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: back and listen to my earlier scouting episodes of this podcast. 183 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: We dropped all summer long, having backup plans, having backup 184 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: stand sites, and even backup properties. Moolle importante mi amigoes. 185 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 1: When it comes to conditions where you just feel like 186 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: you can't overcome them, then you shouldn't hunt there in 187 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: that spot. Maybe there is another location that allows for 188 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: quieter access. Maybe it's a stand closer to a busy road, 189 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: or maybe you can just go glass some of your 190 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: ground from a safe distance. Do some observation. As common 191 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: as it is for hunters to decide they're being smart 192 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: by not hunting due to the litany of reasons, others 193 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: will hunt no matter what, this is just as bad 194 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: and might be a little worse if you don't have 195 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: too many options. If you hunt public land much, you'll 196 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: see all kinds of folks who are hunting when and 197 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: where they probably shouldn't be. That's the game out there, 198 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: So no matter what, crunch crunch, crunching your way into 199 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: the heart of the best cover on the property, to 200 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: take the smoke poll for a walk because it's a 201 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: Saturday morning and you want to hunt. That can cause 202 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: a lot of damage to your season. Be careful with 203 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: how easy it is to skip hunts or how die 204 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: hard you are when you absolutely have to hunt no 205 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: matter what. While they're on opposite ends of the spectrum, 206 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: the end result is often terrible hunting. Of course, in 207 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: addition to making too much noise on the way in 208 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: and out, there's also the issue of hiding from deer. 209 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: It's easy to be a gun hunter who doesn't value 210 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: this aspect because of the range of the modern rifle 211 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: and the prevalence of box blinds. I'm not knocking either, 212 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,679 Speaker 1: just saying they kind of make it possible to wear 213 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: blue jeans and hockey jersey and go out and kill deer. 214 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:29,959 Speaker 1: You might also muzzleloader hunt from one of those blinds 215 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 1: in that type of situation, and if you do, good 216 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: for you, but remember pay attention to what to the 217 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: deer show you. I've seen quite a few of my 218 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: hunting buddies by big box blinds and put them on 219 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: food plots, thinking that will be the end of any 220 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: work they need to do to kill stuff. Sometimes that works, 221 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: but a lot of times, by the time the muzzleloader 222 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: season rolls around, the deer awful clued into the big 223 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: green tower blind and what may be hiding in it. 224 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: If you don't have that option, or if you just 225 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: don't want to use it, you're going to half to hide. 226 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: A scoped muzzleoader can allow you to reach out and 227 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: touch them, but where you're going to find, Pressure Dear, 228 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: you might not need to dial it up to eleven, 229 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: so to speak. You'll probably be shooting them in close quarters, 230 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: which necessitates a little ninja work, just like bow hunting. 231 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: This is hard for a lot of folks to grasp 232 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: because it seems like any gun, even a front stuffer, 233 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: should allow you to climb into your favorite ladder stand 234 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: and pick them off when they pass through. But Pressure 235 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: Dear look for hunters on the ground and in the trees, 236 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: and they really look for them in the trees that 237 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: have had a ladder stand in them for seven years 238 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: and they've watched five of their buddies get shot out 239 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: of there. Where I'm going with this is the range 240 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: of the weapon can be used to your advantage. But 241 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: don't phone it in on your hides. If you go 242 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 1: to mobile route, which is a great way to fill 243 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: muzzle or tags, hide yourself just like you would on 244 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: a typical bow hunt, set up on the far side 245 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: of the tree from expected movement, or bury yourself in 246 00:12:56,520 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: a deadfall on the ground with situationally specific camouflage. Do 247 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: the work necessary to make the deer, do the work 248 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: necessary to catch you. In fact, that ground game is 249 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: a great way to hunt with a muzzle order because 250 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: you can really dig into the cover and use it 251 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:13,719 Speaker 1: to your advantage, and you can buffer the wind a 252 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 1: little bit. This also makes it more comfortable a lot 253 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: of times, because there's nothing colder than sitting in a 254 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: tree stand when the north wind is blowing hard and 255 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: it's about seven degrees out. Plus you can use a 256 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: decent tripod and take a really steady shot, which isn't 257 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,599 Speaker 1: always easy to do from a mobile tree stand or 258 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: a saddle set up. Also, make sure you've got another 259 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: round ready for the chamber if you catch my drift. 260 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: The very essence of a muzzleloader, not surprisingly, is that 261 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: it loads from the muzzle, or at least it did 262 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: until one adventurous manufacturer created a hybrid version recently that 263 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 1: loads an awful lot like a traditional rifle. If you 264 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: don't have one of those, you gotta dig out a primer, 265 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: some powder, and a slug. Have those handy and know 266 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,080 Speaker 1: where they are. I've had more than a few you 267 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: blown shots of my muzzleloader that allowed for a follow 268 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: up shot, and let me tell you, there are a 269 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: few times in the woods that feel more urgent than that. 270 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe when you've had taco bell the night before 271 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 1: along with about seven bush lights, and then the coffee 272 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: kicks in an hour into your sit things can get 273 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: a little more urgent. But barring poor choices like those, 274 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: the need to get things going. It's very real when 275 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: you've missed with a smoke pool and the deers still 276 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: standing there gotta be fast. Quick loader options are a 277 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: good way to go, but so is a system. What 278 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: pocket is your AMMO in? Can you get your gloves 279 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: off quickly and get the whole thing loaded correctly? Can 280 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: you do that in a ladder stand or on a 281 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: tiny portable stand. Sometimes you don't miss, but your spine 282 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: one and a follow up shot is necessary. Are you 283 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: capable of making that follow up shot as quickly as possible? 284 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: Know that, and for the love of God, please use 285 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: the rest. Part of the absolute beauty of hunting with 286 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: firearms is the ability to use a good, solid rest 287 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: like the tripod I just mentioned. That's a game changer 288 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: to the whole thing. And you'll rarely see someone with 289 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: a decade or two of successful gun hunting under his 290 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: or her belt who doesn't always look for a quality 291 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: rest in every shot situation and I mean every single 292 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: shot situation. Now. Lastly, when it comes to muzzle oder 293 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: hunting or I don't know, any hunting, really, make sure 294 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: to just pay attention. I know you're going to watch 295 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: any deer movement and take in all the deer sign 296 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: carefully so that you can get out of bucker. Done now. 297 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: But also some of that movement clues you into season 298 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: long travel patterns. With the woods open and the pressure 299 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: over the last several weeks so high. Those deer that 300 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: you do see, they're showing you where they want to 301 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: go or where they have to go, the travel routes 302 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: they take, the places they bed. Those clues tell you 303 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: a lot about their habits when they feel threatened. That's 304 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: valuable information. It's gold for anyone who wants to figure 305 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: out pressure deer, even maybe the deer that you don't 306 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 1: really care to shoot, like the solo button buck who 307 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: crosses an old fence in a certain spot in the 308 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: wood lot during December. That little guy, he tells you something. 309 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: The doe group that enters the field from a specific 310 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: point when the wind is out of the northwest, they're 311 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: telling you something too. And if you see a big buck, 312 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: now that's even better make note of everything he does 313 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: and figure out why he doesn't. Ask yourself to why. 314 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: It's not just that he's working towards the distant cornfield 315 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: at last light, but where is he coming from? How 316 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: is he going to get there? How's this body language? 317 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: Is he kg? Is he confident? Did he follow out 318 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: a for key that walked through fifteen minutes earlier? Pay 319 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: attention to what they give you because there is much 320 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: to learn from every deer sighting. And get that muzzle 321 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: are sited in because that's some of the most fun 322 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: you'll have all season. In fact, next week I'll give 323 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: you a part two on this and talk about some 324 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: of the hunting strategies that will allow you to really 325 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: enjoy your time in the field with the front stuffer. 326 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 1: That's it for this week, my friends. I'm Tony Peterson 327 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: and this has been the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast. 328 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: Please check out our wire to Hunt YouTube channel as 329 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: well as the meat Eator dot com slash wired for 330 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: more deer hunting tips, tactics and wisdom. And as always, 331 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening for the support. We 332 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: really appreciate it.