1 00:00:01,240 --> 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 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt Foundation's podcast, 7 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by First Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about sneaky ways 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 2: you can use to build more confidence in the woods 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 2: and why that matters so much. 11 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 3: To big buck success. Okay, okokok. 12 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 2: Before I get into this, I have to say something 13 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 2: that is going to surprise the crap out of you. 14 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,919 Speaker 2: We have another sale going on here at Meat Eater. Now, 15 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 2: if you can't tell, there was a little sarcasm there, 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 2: but the truth is we do have a hell of 17 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 2: a lot of good stuff marked way down right now. 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: And if you haven't been paying attention, we are stuck 19 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: in a weirdy. I mean, we're getting a job is 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: really tough. The value of the dollar hasn't been moving 21 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 2: in our favor for a while, and well there's just 22 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: a lot of uncertainty when it comes to money, but 23 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: you also need some decent gear to get you through 24 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 2: the deer season or the next ten deer seasons. 25 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 3: And that's where we come in. 26 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: If you head on over to the mediater dot com, 27 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,199 Speaker 2: you'll see that some of my favorites from our first 28 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: light line are marked way down. Favorites like the Core System, 29 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 2: which is a perfect mid season through the rut and 30 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 2: after in a lot of places lineup that consists of 31 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 2: a jacket, bibbs, and a vest. The whole line is 32 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: thirty percent off right now until October fifth, and the 33 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 2: white Tail three h eight pants are twenty percent off 34 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: as well, which is pretty sweet too. I've worn those 35 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 2: pants a lot in the last year and they become 36 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: my go to for a lot of outdoor activities besides 37 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: deer hunting. Actually really love them. Go check them out 38 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 2: at the mediater dot com. Now, enough of that, this 39 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 2: episode is all about confidence, but might not go the 40 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: way you expect it to. I've had a few experiences 41 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: this season already that really drove this home for me, 42 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 2: and what I want to talk about is how you 43 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 2: can develop confidence in your deer game in a variety 44 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: of ways, all of which should help you kill bigger 45 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: deer more consistently. Who doesn't want that? I know you do, 46 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: so buckle up because I'm about to get into it. 47 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 2: Picture this if you will. It's pouring rain. I've just 48 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: come off a couple of weeks on the road filming 49 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 2: like a good little employee, and now I need to 50 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: pack up for the first hunt of the year. As 51 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: has been the tradition since my daughter started deer hunting, 52 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 2: I didn't need to worry about a weapon for myself 53 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 2: because I was just going to be a guide for 54 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,119 Speaker 2: one of my girls. And before we made the two 55 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: hour drive to my buddy's house on the eve of 56 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 2: the Minnesota opener, I checked off my list. 57 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 3: One by one. 58 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 2: Camo check, licenses, check, butcher kit, check, food, buy nos 59 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: boots right on down the line, check check, check check. 60 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: We hit the road in the evening and ended up 61 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 2: at my buddy's house at around I don't know, pretty 62 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 2: close to ten o'clock at night, and when I unpacked 63 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: my truck to stage up for the morning hunt, I 64 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 2: realized something. 65 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 3: My hunting pack wasn't in my truck. 66 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 2: It was laying in my garage where instead of packing 67 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 2: it in my truck, I had left it. In it 68 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 2: where my bios I saw pruner, headlamps, range finder, and 69 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: the biggest kicker of all our hunting licenses. 70 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 3: Driving back home. 71 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 2: Wasn't an option, so the best I could figure was 72 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 2: that we'd go in and get her a license reprint 73 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: at a shop, because in Minnesota you can't just print 74 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 2: deer tags at home. I felt really really stupid because 75 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 2: what I had done was really really stupid. We went 76 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: into the weekend with four sits at most to work with, 77 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 2: and I'd cost us one right off the bat. Now 78 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 2: when I told my daughter, she wasn't too upset, because 79 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: getting up at four point thirty isn't super appealing to 80 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 2: thirteen year old girls anyway. I eventually took my idiot 81 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,839 Speaker 2: self to bed, where I spent some time lying there 82 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: thinking about how I'm never on my a game at 83 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: the beginning of the season. When I woke up in 84 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: the morning, I tiptoed passed the pullout couch where my 85 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 2: daughter was sleeping, and I had a couple of cups 86 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 2: of coffee. When it was time to wake her up, 87 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 2: I walked downstairs and realized that my hunting pack was 88 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: leaned up against the couch. I immediately said, are you 89 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: effing kidding me? My daughter had unpacked my pack thinking 90 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 2: it was hers, and the entire night while I was 91 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 2: bemoaning my seriously defunct mental skills, she didn't think once 92 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 2: to check the pack she had carried downstairs, a pack 93 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: that was twice the size of the day pack she 94 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 2: brings along and about thirty pounds heavier. Now we had 95 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 2: a lively conversation, ended up hunting that evening and almost 96 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,239 Speaker 2: killed a great buck, and managed to salvage the weekend. 97 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 2: The whole ordeal was a good reminder of why I 98 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 2: make lists, try to get my gear game as solid 99 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 2: as possible, and generally try to be somewhat ordered in 100 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 2: disciplined when it comes to hunting. Why you might ask, well, 101 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: dear listener, it's because nailing down some of the little 102 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 2: details always gives me more confidence. And Plus, it really 103 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 2: sucks settling into a ground blind in northern Wisconsin, for example, 104 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: and reaching for your range finder to pre arrange some landmarks, 105 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 2: only to realize that your bino harness is in the 106 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 2: passenger seat of your truck right next to your thermocel. 107 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 2: Now I didn't think I needed a paternity test with 108 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,119 Speaker 2: either of my daughters before that, but I was pretty 109 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 2: sure they were mine after. Anyway, I believe confidence is 110 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,239 Speaker 2: maybe your number one acid in the deer woods. 111 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 3: I actually really do. 112 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: It flavors everything about our hunts, and that flavor might 113 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 2: be like chocolate moose Tracks ice cream, or it might 114 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 2: be like a stale clump of kale. You know that dusty, gross, 115 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 2: leafy abomination that Steve Varnella told me recently he likes 116 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 2: and intentionally grows in his garden. 117 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 3: Of course, confidence is. 118 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 2: Best gained from killing big Bucks, but that's really a 119 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 2: chicken or the egg thing, or I don't know, maybe 120 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 2: a cart before the old hay burner thing, as many 121 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: people have pointed out to me over the years in 122 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 2: mostly unfriendly and hurtful ways. I don't lack confidence with deer, 123 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 2: but I did for a long time, and the second 124 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 2: guessing that I could get into was almost enough to 125 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: burn my smooth brain right out. But you kill enough 126 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 2: of them in enough places and in enough different conditions, 127 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 2: and you start to understand when you're on them and 128 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 2: how it will all go down, or it's likely to 129 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 2: go down anyway. Now, if you're not there, then you 130 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 2: have to back up. A couple of steps, though. The 131 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 2: most logical one is scouting. I had a hunter I 132 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 2: know who is on a quest to kill a public 133 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 2: land Bobuck messaged me about a loaded oak tree. 134 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 3: It was just dropping bomber acorns. 135 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 2: And the picture that came along with it was of 136 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 2: the ground that was absolutely. 137 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 3: Littered with tracks and deer poop. 138 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 2: Now, if you scout and find something like that during 139 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: the open season, then your confidence is bound to be 140 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: sky high. That in the moment, scouting is almost a 141 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 2: necessity if you haunt public land, especially outside of the rut. 142 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 2: If the deer aren't showing you where they are right now, 143 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 2: you're not going to be where they are right now. 144 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 2: I don't know how to put that any other way. 145 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,119 Speaker 2: You can step back from that in season scouting thing, though, 146 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 2: and get into the off season scouting thing now. While 147 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 2: you can't really do much about that right now for 148 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 2: obvious reasons, the truth is that the more scouting most 149 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: of us do, the more confidence we will have learning 150 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 2: the ground, like really learning the ground. 151 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 3: That's a huge deal. This isn't because you solve the. 152 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 2: Problem of where the deer are now and how you'll 153 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: kill them, Even though that is definitely you know a 154 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: potential result of off season scouting too, But it's more 155 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 2: than that, because learning the ground as well as you 156 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: can helps you make educated guesses on where the deer 157 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: should be throughout all kinds of different conditions and changing variables. 158 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 2: I think about this a lot, and it is something 159 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 2: that just comes into almost every hunt I have, regardless 160 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 2: of where I'm at. Rarely do I go out and 161 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: have a mirror image haunt of as sit I had 162 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: the year before. Now, that happens in some spots, almost 163 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 2: always private and at least somewhat controlled spots, And it 164 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 2: happens on small spots sometimes because the deer are often 165 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 2: only going to use a small property in a few 166 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 2: different ways. 167 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 3: But even that is in the guarantee. 168 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 2: What in season and especially out of season scouting does 169 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 2: show you the landscape as it is and should be 170 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 2: for a few years. It shows you oak trees and 171 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 2: deer trails and old sign and fence crossing, and the 172 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 2: factors you might have to plug into the algorithm to 173 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 2: make a good haunt happen Right now when it's fifteen 174 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,679 Speaker 2: degrees warmer than this time last year, and the field 175 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 2: is corn and not soybeans, and you know right on 176 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 2: down the line. Confidence in knowing the land helps tamp 177 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 2: down the panic when the land or what's on the 178 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 2: land isn't what you expected from last year or the 179 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: last five years. It's also a huge benefit when you 180 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 2: hunt new ground for so many reasons. But you can 181 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 2: go further back than that, even you see there are 182 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 2: a lot of different ways to build confidence in yourself 183 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 2: as a deer hunter that go beyond killing big bucks 184 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: and scouting like a fiend. That story I told at 185 00:08:57,880 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: the beginning of the show about my daughter in the pack, 186 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 2: the reason that sucked for me is that I was 187 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: so confident I had done what I needed to facilitate 188 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 2: her first hunt of the season. Suddenly realizing that I 189 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 2: hadn't really sucked quite a few years ago. Now, one 190 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 2: of the editors of Field and Stream magazine reached out 191 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 2: to say they wanted to do a story on my 192 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 2: public land process, and he wanted to come out and 193 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: hunt with me somewhere. It was a really cool opportunity, 194 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: but also one of the strangest assignments I've ever gotten, 195 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 2: simply because I was already a writer for them, so 196 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 2: we'd be doing a story on me as a personality, 197 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 2: while also having me write parts of it. Anyway, one 198 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 2: of the things I realized during the build up of 199 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 2: that article and then through the eventual hunt was that 200 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 2: I have a process for a lot of parts of 201 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 2: deer hunting that I often don't really think about. For example, 202 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 2: I try to never ever go out in the feel 203 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 2: without having several pieces of gear in my truck or 204 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 2: in my pack, flagging tape, a good cushion, saw pruner, 205 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 2: just the stuff that I may or may not need 206 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 2: at any given moment in the field, but especially for 207 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 2: the times when my plan a becomes a dumpster fire 208 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 2: and I need to figure something out fast. Having that 209 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 2: stuff always with me gives me confidence when things just 210 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 2: don't go my way from the jump, and they often don't, 211 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 2: but to take it a step further. The second hunt 212 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 2: I had for myself this year involved me taking a slow, 213 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 2: slippery walk through a beautiful brook trout stream that winds 214 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 2: its way through thousands and thousands of acres. 215 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 3: Of big woods. 216 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 2: I had sticks, a saddle, and a low but you know, 217 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 2: growing expectations as I got deeper into the north Woods. 218 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 2: When I picked out my tree, I had one set 219 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 2: of sticks secured to it when two fawns walked into 220 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 2: monch acorns, which on a blind hang and bang sid 221 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 2: is always a confidence booster. I eventually got my platform 222 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 2: up and settled into that tree, but not without going 223 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 2: through a familiar process. I knew where my toe rope 224 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 2: was because I always have it in the same pocket. 225 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 2: I knew where my release was, where my strap on 226 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 2: bowhanger was, and right on down the line to my glove. 227 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 2: The week before, I hadn't put my gloves in the 228 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 2: pants pocket I usually do, and I went to pull 229 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 2: them out of my pack. 230 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 3: My left glove fell like a wet maple leaf to 231 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 3: the ground. 232 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 2: I did go on to kill a buck that night, 233 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 2: which is always pretty rad on your first sitt of 234 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 2: the season. But the whole thing was a reminder of 235 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 2: why I try to stay organized. 236 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 3: Now. 237 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 2: A drop glove isn't likely to cost you a deer, 238 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 2: but I don't know why risk it. I guess, so 239 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 2: let's follow this path for a second. When I got 240 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 2: saddled up in that tree on public dirt and Wisconsin, 241 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 2: I arranged the two trails I could clearly see. 242 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 3: Then you know what I did. 243 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 2: I drew my bow and I aimed at them, and 244 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: then I aimed behind me, and then I drew my 245 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 2: bow and I aimed off to my off side. 246 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 3: This is a good habit to get into. 247 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 2: Generally, but in this case was important because the tree 248 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 2: I had chosen was crooked as hell, so I had 249 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 2: to sort of tiptoe my way onto the corner of 250 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 2: my saddle platform. Just a little, I don't know, eight 251 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 2: or ten degree difference in the slope of your platform 252 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 2: can change everything, just as hanging a new stand will 253 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 2: off and put you in a position where you thought 254 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 2: you'd be shooting a certain way, but you realize you can't, 255 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 2: or we'll need to shoot in sort of uncomfortable situations. 256 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 2: The easiest way to quiet the fear around this is 257 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 2: to pretend the deer is coming down the trail, draw slowly, 258 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 2: and then aim at a leaf or something else along 259 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 2: the trail. Just run through the scenario as best you can. 260 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 2: I do this almost always when I get into a stand, 261 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 2: at least in the evening, since I usually don't want 262 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 2: to move like that at first light in the morning. 263 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 2: So it's just a good way to make sure you 264 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 2: have limb clearance and should be able to quietly get 265 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 2: drawn if a deer comes in where you expect them 266 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: to and definitely where you don't expect them to, which 267 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 2: is just what happened to me. With about fifteen minutes 268 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: of shooting light left there, I heard a lot of 269 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: not squirrel noises coming off the ridge behind me, and 270 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 2: eventually saw an old horse of a doe headed straight 271 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 2: at me. The wind had died almost nothing, so I 272 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 2: wasn't sure if she would get me then or when 273 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 2: she walked up and smelled my sticks and where I 274 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 2: touched all kinds of vegetation at the base of my tree. Well, 275 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 2: she gave everything a real good sniff, gave me the 276 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 2: side eye a few times, and then walked out on 277 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 2: my off side and posed up, quartering away at maybe 278 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 2: ten yards. I wanted to shoot her bad. Killing an 279 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 2: old dough on public land in a place with not 280 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 2: very many deer in a spot I'd never seen before 281 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 2: in my life is a real trophy in my book. Plus, 282 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: the freezers are pretty light this time of year, but 283 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 2: I could hear almost non stop thunder rolling in the 284 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 2: distance and knew that if I didn't make a perfect shot, 285 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 2: i'd be blood trailing in the pouring rain, and even 286 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 2: if I did make a perfect shot, I'd be in 287 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 2: for one hell of a drag in the pouring rain. 288 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 2: I had decided before that hunt that it was good 289 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 2: bucks or nothing, and I stuck to it. But I'm 290 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 2: not going to lie and say I wasn't real tempted 291 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 2: to ignore myself imposed rules when that dough posed up. 292 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 2: Little habits like ranging landmarks and going through the process 293 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 2: of drawing and aiming when you get set up, aren't 294 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 2: going to help you kill a buck. I don't know 295 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 2: ninety nine point seven percent of the time you hunt, 296 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 2: but they will give you a little bit of extra 297 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 2: confidence if he does come in and the adrenaline starts 298 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 2: to course through your veins and the whole thing is 299 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 2: about to go down, And this is what you're after. 300 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 2: The thing about confidence is that it isn't black and white. 301 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 2: It's not a binary thing. It's not either or. It's 302 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 2: a slow progression that seems to move kind of like 303 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 2: the stock market. The more you do to foster your 304 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 2: confidence in yourself, the more it'll slowly ratchet up over time. 305 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 2: But just like the stock market, there will be moments 306 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: where it'll go the other way. 307 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 3: You know, in the hunting. 308 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 2: It's when you make a big mistake or you find 309 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 2: yourself in just like a six sit slump where you 310 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 2: haven't seen so much as a squirrel in almost a week, 311 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 2: and your confidence will take. 312 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 3: A real hit. 313 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 2: Done and when it does, it's easy to make more 314 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 2: decisions that will help the whole thing keep retracing, and 315 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: that means the climb back up is going to take 316 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 2: more time. But that's hunting, especially bow hunting for white tails. 317 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 2: Losing confidence as a pheasant hunter is one thing, and 318 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: it can be not a whole lot of fun, but 319 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 2: it's nothing like believing that you either will never have 320 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 2: a good buck within bow range or you might and 321 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 2: if you do, you are bound to screw it up 322 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 2: in a major way. I guess the last thing I 323 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 2: want to say on this is this developing confidence in 324 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 2: yourself shifts the accountability from the deer to us. Instead 325 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 2: of sitting the same stand we always do in blanking 326 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 2: and then deciding it must be because the moon phase 327 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 2: or something else, we can go figure it out every 328 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: time we want to hunt if we have the confidence 329 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 2: to do so, and when they do show up, if 330 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 2: you have squared away some of the little details sit 331 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 2: after sit, and you know exactly where everything is and 332 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 2: what you need to do to make a shot happen. 333 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: The whole thing changes. It just moves in your direction 334 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 2: better and doesn't always go right, never will, but believing 335 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 2: it will definitely bends the odds a little more in 336 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 2: your favor, which is a pretty huge deal if you 337 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 2: ask me. So, think about that this season, and think 338 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: about coming back next week because I'm going to talk 339 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 2: about some of the recent blood trails I've been on. 340 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 2: And what we should all think about is we set 341 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 2: out to follow the spot to our bucks or maybe 342 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 2: a buddy buck. 343 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 3: That's it for this episode. 344 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 2: I am Tony Peterson and this has been the Wired 345 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: to Hunt Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by 346 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 2: First Light. I mentioned our Whitetail Week sale earlier. I 347 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 2: got to say it again. Tons of great discounts, you know, 348 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 2: ten to forty percent off a bunch of stuff. A 349 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: lot of our best white tail stuff over at first 350 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 2: Light is thirty percent off. Go check it out, and 351 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 2: as always, thank you so much for your support. I 352 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 2: can't tell you how much it means to us. Just 353 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 2: trust me on this. We love you all. Thank you 354 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 2: so much. For it, and if you need more white 355 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 2: tail content or just haunting content, you know where to go. 356 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 2: The meat eater dot com go check it out.