1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, your guide to 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: the White Tail Woods, presented by first Light, creating proven 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:13,120 Speaker 1: versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. First 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: Light Go farther, stay Longer, and now your host, Mark Kenyon, 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wire. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 2: To Hunt podcast. This week on the show, I'm breaking 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 2: down the four year journey that led to me tagging 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 2: my number one target buck in Michigan, the Wide Nine. 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 2: All right, welcome to the Wire two Hunt podcast, brought 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: to you by First Light. And today I've got a 11 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: story that I'm very, very glad to be able to share. Finally, 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 2: this is a story of blind luck, some bad luck, perseverance, 13 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: good fortune in redemption. It's got all the makings, Tony 14 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: of a Hollywood blockbuster. 15 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,479 Speaker 3: Wow, that's that's ambitious, buddy. 16 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, you gotta shoot for the sky when you're 17 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 2: hyping up your your stories, and that's what I'm gonna 18 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 2: do here. But but yes, for anyone who's been listening 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 2: to the podcast this year or even last year, you've 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 2: likely heard about this deer that I've called the Wide nine. 21 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: It's five and a half year old buck that I 22 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 2: have been able to follow for four years actually and 23 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 2: I killed him, believe it or not, got him. So 24 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: I want to tell that full story. You know, we 25 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 2: talked several weeks ago about, you know, when I got 26 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 2: a shot at him with a bow and hit him 27 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: in the shoulder. We talked last week about how I 28 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 2: was still bumming about it and processing it, and we 29 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 2: had a rapid set of events here recently that changed 30 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: that whole story. So here's my thoughts, Tony, And you 31 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 2: tell me if this is a stupid I but I'm 32 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 2: thinking of going all the way to the beginning, like 33 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: go way back in time and walk us through like 34 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 2: the steps from years ago, and then break down a 35 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 2: more detail what happened this year, and then throughout anywhere 36 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: you've got questions or anywhere you want to press me, 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: or anywhere you think there's like a larger less than 38 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 2: that we can jump on, let's stop and let's talk 39 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 2: through that kind of stuff and try to make this 40 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 2: as universally helpful to people as we can. 41 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 3: Sure I think that works, man, All right. 42 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 2: So I'm going to rewind the clock all the way 43 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: back to twenty twenty to start this story, because twenty 44 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 2: twenty was the first year that I noticed this dear, 45 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: and this spot is the same spot, you know, same 46 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 2: general area where I've killed a handful of my Michigan 47 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: bucks over recent years. I've got permission on now it's 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 2: three properties. I've had various permissions around this general zone 49 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: over the years, and I think I've had permission on 50 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: four different spots kind of off and on. Sometimes I 51 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: can hunt him, sometimes I can't. Sometimes there's other people, 52 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: sometimes there's not. But this year I have permission on 53 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: three pieces in this zone, and three seasons ago, well 54 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 2: four four seasons ago, I guess. So twenty twenty, I 55 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: was after that big, tall eight pointer that we called Tran. 56 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 2: I was hunting that deer and everywhere that deer. Everywhere 57 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 2: I was going to hunt that deer, I saw this wide, 58 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 2: short time nine pointer and I just saw him. Everyone 59 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 2: was at He looked like a two year old. He 60 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: was very active. He was in this thick brushy bedding 61 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: area that Tran was in a lot, and I just 62 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: couldn't get away from this deer. So every time I 63 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: go in there for Tran this year would be like 64 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 2: right up at the base of my tree, just hanging 65 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: out like doing dumb two year old stuff. So he 66 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 2: was noticeable because of how wide he was, and I 67 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: don't get many young deer that are that wide. So 68 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: start calling the wide and nine just so I could 69 00:03:58,000 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: have something to refer to this deer when I would die, 70 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: I saw that wide nine again. So that's twenty twenty. 71 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 2: I end up killing that deer Tran. The following year, 72 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, I did not hunt this zone as 73 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 2: much as I historically do because that was a year 74 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 2: I was like just traveling like crazy. But the wide 75 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 2: nine's back. He's a ten pointer. Now he's very similar, 76 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 2: just wider and taller and heavier, but a nice looking deer. 77 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: Like I remember getting pictures of him the summer and 78 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 2: being like, man, he looks like that's a nice deer. 79 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 2: And I was pretty sure, like I'm not going to 80 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 2: shoot that deer. But when you see that big wide 81 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 2: frame running through the woods like I saw him a 82 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 2: couple of times, like running away, I was like whoa 83 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 2: Like is that a shooter? And again he was in 84 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: this North Betting year, same place I saw him last year, 85 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 2: same place that Tran was in that year. And so 86 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 2: you know, at this point he's very noticeable and I'm 87 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: starting to kind of keep tabs on him. And what 88 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 2: I try to do when you're in one of these 89 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 2: properties where I've hunted a long time, I'm just when 90 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 2: a deer stands out and a deer start it's you know, 91 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 2: showing up on my radar again and again. I start 92 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 2: cataloging that, just thinking like, okay, hopefully year or two 93 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 2: down the road, if he's still alive, you know, this 94 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 2: might be helpful. And so now I'm noticing, okay, like 95 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 2: every time I see him, he's in this bedding area, 96 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 2: this like five to eight acre betting zone that I'm 97 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 2: hunting in and around, so he's in there again. But 98 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 2: the deer I was hunting that year ended up not 99 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 2: being in that zone very much. He ended up being 100 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 2: on one of the southern properties in the south of me. 101 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: So I didn't hunt up in the wide Nines cors 102 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: a whole lot that year, but I had some cameras, 103 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 2: had a bunch of encounters, passed him two different times 104 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 2: at the bow, and saw him a few other times too. 105 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 2: Twenty twenty two season. He's going to be a four 106 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 2: year old that year, and so now I'm thinking, man, 107 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 2: he might be a deer. You know, I'd be interested 108 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 2: in shooting. If he survives, I shed out him like 109 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 2: crazy trying to find his antlers, because I did see 110 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: him after the season, so I knew he'd made it 111 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 2: through the year. And then there's one other deer junior 112 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: who had made it through. So I scoured trying to 113 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: find his sheds, and I stually do it time out 114 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 2: and mention that the year prior I did find his shed, 115 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 2: and I think I mentioned this on one of the podcasts, 116 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 2: but I did find one of his antlers from his 117 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 2: two year old set with my dog Boon. So that 118 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,239 Speaker 2: was the last antler that my dog Boone ever found 119 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 2: before he passed away. So that was like a special 120 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: thing that that last antler came from this deer. So 121 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: coming into his four year old year, I started picking 122 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 2: up pictures him again in the summer, and as you 123 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 2: might recall from last year, I killed the deer early 124 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 2: and then wasn't going to shoot another deer on this 125 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 2: property except for maybe my number one buck, which had 126 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 2: been kind of in and around some of his other properties. 127 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 2: And he disappeared for a long time. And I told 128 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 2: that whole story last December. But in late November I 129 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 2: start getting pictures and a couple times when I was 130 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 2: out there glassing, I saw the Y nine show up 131 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 2: towards the west side of that betting year, actually out 132 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 2: of one of my food plots and out on a 133 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 2: cup beanfield, and I saw him, I think, two different 134 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 2: nights when I wasn't hunting, I was just checking it out, 135 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 2: and he was out there in daylight, and I have 136 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: a blind up there, and so I got to thinking, like, man, 137 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 2: this deer's moving in daylight out where I have this blind, 138 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 2: that I could probably have a successful hunt with my son. 139 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 2: And I know I wasn't going to shoot another deer, 140 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 2: and I wasn't going to shoot him necessarily. He was 141 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 2: my number two buck, and I kind of felt like 142 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 2: I'd killed a few other deer I didn't need to. 143 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 2: But then I got to think, like, man, if I 144 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 2: could have ever, that would be amazing, and this is 145 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,679 Speaker 2: a setup that might actually work. So I bundle Everett 146 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 2: up the next day and we have the right wind 147 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 2: and we sneak out there and I've got the mister 148 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: buddy heater, and I've got all sorts of snacks and 149 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 2: books and hot cocoa and the whole thing, and we 150 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 2: get in this elevated box blind that I've guy and 151 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 2: it was just, you know, perfect setup for a four 152 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 2: year old. And we sit there and read a couple 153 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 2: of stories and we have hot cocoa, and we go 154 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: through like four of his snacks already in the first 155 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 2: two hours, and then deer start pouring out into this 156 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 2: cut beanfield and it was one of those like kind 157 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 2: of like dreary, dark cloudy days, like a light misting 158 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 2: of rain, and just a bunch of deer came out. 159 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 2: This would have been like November twenty sixth, I think 160 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 2: last year. And long story short on that is he 161 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 2: ends up coming out, but he comes out at two 162 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 2: hundred yards and I'm looking at him, and I know 163 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 2: my gun can shoot, you know, it's it could be 164 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 2: a two hundred yard gun, but I've always been like 165 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: a one fifty and in with this gun is like 166 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: myself imposed limit. This is a three point fifty is 167 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 2: what is what it is. And so I'm looking at 168 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,560 Speaker 2: him in the scope and Everett's all excited. He's like, Dad, 169 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 2: shoot him, shoot him. And I just did not want. 170 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: I just didn't want that first time he's around me 171 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 2: shooting a deer to be anything but the most guaranteed 172 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 2: slam dunk. Ever, so decide I'm not going to take 173 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 2: this shot. It's not perfect and this needs to be perfect, perfect, perfect, 174 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 2: So we just watched him. It was very fun. Ever 175 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 2: was stoked. The next day. We have a wind shift 176 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 2: a little bit to where I can't hunt that blind again. 177 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 2: But I've got hayball blind about one hundred some yards 178 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 2: away that would give you. I'd be in the same 179 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 2: general zone. I could get away with it. And so 180 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 2: I asked, Everr, Hey, do you want to try one 181 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 2: more time? Because he's been very active. He's out there, 182 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 2: he's like checking dose, he's still doing his late November thing. 183 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 2: He very well might come again. Do you want to 184 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 2: give a shot. He's like, yeah, yeah, we gotta do it, Dad. 185 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 2: We gotta kill the Y nine. We gotta kill the 186 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 2: y nine. So we slip out there and bring the 187 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 2: cocoa and the snacks and the books and the magazines 188 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 2: and all that kind of stuff. We do the whole 189 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 2: thing all over again, and no deer show up, like 190 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 2: zero deer, and so he's bummed out and I'm thinking, like, geez, 191 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 2: did we blow it up this bad last night? Like 192 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,679 Speaker 2: I didn't think anything winded us like we got out 193 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 2: of there good. I thought like we would have another 194 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 2: good hunt. And it was actually colder that day. I 195 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 2: thought it'd be a little bit better conditions. But for 196 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 2: whatever reason, nothing wanted to come out. But at very 197 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 2: last light, I actually think I had stood up in 198 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 2: the blind and poked my head out the top, so 199 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: I had glass over some tall grass to see to 200 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 2: the very back corner of that bean field, and there 201 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 2: he is. He's standing right in that inside corner, just 202 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: right on the edge of the tall grass, just kind 203 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: of looking around, surveying the field, like probably wondering where 204 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 2: the hecker all the rest of the deer. And so 205 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 2: I grabbed my gun and I put the scope out 206 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 2: the top of the blind, and I can see him 207 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 2: in the scope and I'm looking at him, but I'm 208 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 2: like thinking it's dark, and I tell Ever I look 209 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 2: back at Ever. I'm like, hey, cover your ears, Like 210 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 2: sit back and cover your ears. And so I look 211 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 2: in the scope again, and I look at my phone 212 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 2: and it's like, you know, if I remember it's one 213 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 2: minute before legal light's done, or on the minute that 214 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 2: legal light's done, and I remember looking at him and 215 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 2: thinking like you could do this, but I'm standing up 216 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 2: but crouched and rest my gun on the top bar 217 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 2: of the blind, like sticking it out of the roof 218 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 2: of the haybell blind to get this. And again, same thing. 219 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 2: It's one hundred yard shot. Now he's much closer. But 220 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 2: again I'm thinking, this is not this is not a deal. 221 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 2: Right at the end of legal light. It's shaky kind 222 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: of shot, just just this is not I'm not gonna 223 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 2: do this. So again I set that back down and 224 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 2: everetts like his ears cover. He's like, Dad, did you 225 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 2: shoot yet? Did you shoot yet? I'm like, no, but 226 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 2: take your hands after your ears, and no, I didn't shoot. 227 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: Wasn't quite right, So I had to explain to him 228 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 2: why I didn't take the shot and all that kind 229 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 2: of good stuff. But super fun hunts, like you know, 230 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 2: two times getting to see a four and a half 231 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 2: year old buck with a four year old that's nuts. 232 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: So those are two of like my favorite hunts of 233 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 2: all last year, just getting to have those encounters see 234 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 2: this deer. Now, Everett's got like a connection to the deer, 235 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 2: so he's always asking me if I'm gonna shoot him 236 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 2: orf we're gonna go hunting for him again and anything 237 00:11:54,880 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 2: like that. So I end up, you know, after that 238 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 2: kind of fizzle didn't happen. He disappeared again a little bit, 239 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 2: and then a week or two later, Junior, that number 240 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 2: one dear showed up and I got a shot at him. 241 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 2: And so now I was tagged out in Michigan. Wasn't 242 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 2: going to go out for the y nine anymore because 243 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 2: I couldn't. And so then I just kind of stayed 244 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 2: out of there and let him hang out. And he 245 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 2: continued to hang out in the late season, got some 246 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:23,719 Speaker 2: pictures of him, and season wrapped up, scoured all these 247 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: areas that I can shed hunt, no sheds, but I 248 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: did have pictures of him into January, so I knew 249 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 2: he survived. And so coming into this second. 250 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 4: Mark, Yeah, So isn't there when you talk about taking 251 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 4: your kid out and it puts you in this place 252 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 4: where you're like, I I have to have these self 253 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 4: imposed rules. I mean, you'll have them either way, but 254 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:47,959 Speaker 4: where you're like, I can't have this one go ugly. 255 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 4: It has to be like one hundred percent confidence because 256 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 4: you know even then it can go, it can break bad. 257 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 4: But isn't it amazing because I know when you get 258 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 4: into this year with this buck. It's like it's a 259 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 4: different thing when you take a shot where you're like, 260 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 4: I can make this, but I'm kind of hoping I 261 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 4: make this, versus being like so when you have him 262 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 4: out there and you're like, I have this shot I 263 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 4: could make, it's too far, I'm not gonna do it. 264 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 3: Whatever, don't feel bad about it. 265 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 4: Then the next one you're like, I have another shot 266 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 4: I could make closer, but low lights still not great 267 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 4: when you don't rush it that way. Isn't it crazy 268 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 4: how often you get rewarded like sometime soon with the 269 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 4: right shot. 270 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 2: That's such a good point and it's so hard to 271 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 2: remind yourself of though, like in the moment, like I 272 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 2: almost wish. This is a really interesting thing you're bringing up, 273 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 2: because when you're on your own out there, there's like 274 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 2: a certain pressure, like you're like you're putting a pressure 275 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 2: on yourself, like this is your only opportunity. You need 276 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 2: to take this opportunity, right. I don't feel that way 277 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 2: when I'm hunting with my son, Like I've never had that, 278 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 2: Like it's been the opposite. It's like don't shoot, don't shoot, 279 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 2: don't shoot unless it's like so so perfect, but it's 280 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 2: the reverse when you're on there own. And never I've 281 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 2: never actually thought about that, but it would be really 282 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 2: great if I could have the same level of self 283 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 2: control when I'm hunting solo, you know, because how many 284 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 2: times have you and I and so many other hunters 285 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 2: you know, felt that, like you gotta get the shot, 286 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 2: gotta get the shot, and then you maybe you do 287 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 2: the very best you could, or maybe you rush it 288 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 2: a little bit or something, or maybe the situation is 289 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 2: a little bit off and you can't get that arrowback, 290 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 2: can't get that bullet back, and we're left shaking our head, 291 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 2: losing sleep. Whatever. 292 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 4: It's it's almost always a bad thing if you have 293 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 4: to rush it. Yeah, Like if you if you make 294 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 4: that decision to rush a shot somehow, I mean, the 295 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 4: odds are nine out of ten times it's not gonna 296 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 4: go great. Like you might still get them, or you 297 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 4: might get lucky or whatever. And sometimes you know, like 298 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 4: sometimes you just make. 299 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 3: A good shot. 300 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 4: But if you have that pressure and it's just self imposed, 301 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 4: then man, it's he just goes south so fast so often. 302 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 2: But the thing is, it's it's not like you make 303 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 2: a decision to rush a shot, right, it's just. 304 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 4: Like, well, for sure, it's like it's actually the lack 305 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 4: of thought that you usually rush. 306 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's I mean, how many times have you 307 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 2: ever shot a deer when it didn't feel rushed in 308 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 2: some kind of way? Like how many times do you 309 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 2: ever get a shit situation where the deer's just standing 310 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 2: stock still for a minute and you're not worried at 311 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 2: all about him going out of range or something. Right, 312 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 2: there's always that feeling like this is this is a 313 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 2: short moment I have here. He's gonna take a few 314 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 2: steps this way or this way, or or he is 315 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 2: moving in the rud or whatever. Like I've got to 316 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 2: believe that ninety five percent of shooting opportunities or something 317 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 2: feel like this is a brief moment we have here. 318 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 2: You know, I don't know many times, at least I've 319 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 2: never had the time where deer's sitting in a bean 320 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 2: field in front of me for five minutes and I'm 321 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: just sitting there thinking, oh shit, shoot, should not shoot? No, 322 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 2: I've never heard that. 323 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, it always feels rush. But that's I mean, 324 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 4: that's one of the reasons. You know, you and I 325 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 4: were talking before we started recording this on on how 326 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 4: far we're willing to shoot these days and how much 327 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 4: our effective range is kind of shrunk. 328 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 3: And that's sort of an antidote to. 329 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 4: That, because you're fundamentally aware that you are going to 330 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 4: rush it somehow and talk yourself into just get it 331 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 4: over with, take that shot now. But if you work 332 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 4: really hard to set yourself up for super close shots, 333 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 4: you know that, like ideal twenty yard broadside, quartering away, whatever, 334 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 4: it's so much better when you know I'm prone to 335 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 4: buck fever, I'm prone to pushing it, I'm prone to whatever, 336 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 4: you know, not thinking everything through and melting down a 337 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 4: little bit at the very least. If you have that 338 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 4: deer at a stupid awesome range, it helps so much. 339 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that that is something that I'm learning 340 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: more and more every single year, is that I think 341 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 2: that we all get kind of tricked by a few outliers. So, like, 342 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 2: we watch a few freaks of nature who don't get 343 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 2: impacted by these things, and so they consistently kill deer 344 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 2: fifty years six or whatever, and we see that on 345 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 2: TV a few times where we talk to them on 346 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 2: a podcast, or we've got one friend who's like that, 347 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 2: and then you start thinking like, oh, that's just normal, 348 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 2: and you start thinking that forty yard shots aren't that 349 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 2: far that I, oh, yeah, I can shoot. I can 350 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: shoot great at sixty all the times, so I could 351 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 2: kill one at fifty or whatever. But it's so it's so, so, 352 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 2: so so different, And I think that what I'm learning 353 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 2: now is like every year, to your point, I'm shrinking 354 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 2: instead of increasing my maximum range, I'm actually shrinking it 355 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 2: because I'm learning, Like there's I'm just by experience learning 356 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:35,159 Speaker 2: how there's so many different things that go wrong. And 357 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 2: I would much rather just try to avoid failure versus 358 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 2: stretching myself to hope to maybe get lucky. I want 359 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 2: to be one for one versus two for seven. You know, 360 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 2: I would much rather get that one perfect thing then 361 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 2: mess it up a time or two. I'm so sick 362 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 2: of dealing with error in some kind of way like that. 363 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 2: And there's so many opportunities for air yes, like pass them, 364 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 2: pass on those shots, wait for the right opportunity, like 365 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 2: that's I need to write that on my gun, rite 366 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 2: that on my bow, like put that everywhere, because there's 367 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:11,919 Speaker 2: nothing more important these days. 368 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 3: Well, and there is a component of that too. 369 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 4: I So in twenty twenty, I drew my last Iowa tag, 370 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 4: had a blast down there, killed a doe, killed a 371 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 4: good buck, you know, a public land type deal, hanging 372 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 4: a hunt. And one of my really good buddies drew 373 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,160 Speaker 4: the same unit this year, so I kind of gave 374 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,880 Speaker 4: him my waypoints and told him where I'd go and whatever, 375 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 4: and he went down the end of October and had 376 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 4: an unbelievable hunt as far as encounters, like multiple encounters, 377 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:41,720 Speaker 4: was big deer up to like one seventy one eighty 378 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 4: type deer dcoin and. 379 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 3: The whole thing. 380 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 4: And he fell a part and what he You know, 381 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 4: this is a guy that I used to travel with 382 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 4: a lot, and we used to go do a lot 383 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 4: of you know, public land hunts in different places. 384 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 3: So he was kind of like sharpening that edge a lot. 385 00:18:59,119 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 3: You know that. 386 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 4: He hasn't been doing that the last few years. And 387 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 4: he's got a pretty good place to hunt in Minnesota 388 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 4: where he can set. 389 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 3: It up really well. 390 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 4: So he's he's been on a terror as far as 391 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 4: making good shots on good bucks and doze and like 392 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 4: you know, getting it done at home. And then he 393 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 4: went to this new environment where you know, he was 394 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 4: saddling up for the first time, and you know, it 395 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 4: super windy and cold, so he's doing a lot of 396 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,199 Speaker 4: kind of natural groundblind stuff and sort of in the 397 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 4: moment like the deer are going to be here, so 398 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,440 Speaker 4: I'm setting up here. But you can't create this amazing 399 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 4: spot to hunt. You just have to enter into it, 400 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:33,959 Speaker 4: you know. And he was telling me about it, and 401 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 4: he's like, it was just like he just ran smack 402 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 4: dab into a reality he had sort of forgotten about 403 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 4: because he's been hunting a specific kind of pretty good place. 404 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 4: And man, when you when you see people go out 405 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 4: and try this stuff and hunt new environments or do 406 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 4: new things, that's sort of when you figure this stuff 407 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 4: out the most. You know, it's like, yeah, you can 408 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 4: screw up in the box blind that you sit ten 409 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 4: times a year just as easily, or maybe not just 410 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 4: as easily. But when you put yourself in those situations 411 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 4: where it's like a new spot, a new kind of 412 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 4: level of pressure, then you realize how important these rules 413 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 4: are to have for yourself because it's so easy to 414 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:12,679 Speaker 4: screw up. 415 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 2: Then yeah, yeah, that is the absolute truth. And I 416 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 2: think one of the big things that comes out of 417 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 2: this whole story for me is just you know, imposing 418 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 2: more restrictions on myself, so shrinking my maximum range, dumbing 419 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 2: down my setup, you know, basically changing my archery set 420 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,159 Speaker 2: up in a way that accounts for air in more ways. 421 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,880 Speaker 2: So like I want to talk about later, but simplifying 422 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 2: my pins, simplifying and maybe adjusting some things of the 423 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 2: arrow abroad and all those kinds of things, just assuming like, hey, 424 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 2: stuff goes wrong, so remove is much chance for air. 425 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 2: So instead of stretching out, instead of trying to get 426 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:59,120 Speaker 2: more opportunities, I'm now changing my hunting strategy and shooting 427 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 2: or weapons is in ways to instead avoid mistakes versus 428 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 2: trying to get a little more opportunity. Let's let's circle 429 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 2: back to twenty twenty three spring. I know he survived, 430 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 2: and he's the only deer I know of that would 431 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 2: be five and a half and coming into him thinking like, 432 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 2: all right, man, he should be five and a half 433 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,760 Speaker 2: because I've followed him last three years and I believe 434 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 2: he made it, and I had all these encounters over 435 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 2: the previous years. I've seen where he spends a lot 436 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 2: of time, I've found his shed. I think he's probably 437 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 2: gonna be the one that he's going to be the 438 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 2: deer I'm after this year. So this spring I started 439 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 2: preparing to hunt him specifically, I was like, all right, 440 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 2: he's gonna be the one old deer. He's gonna be 441 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 2: the one I'm after. So what are the things I 442 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 2: need to do or what are the things I know? 443 00:21:57,640 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 2: Number one thing I know about this deer is that 444 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 2: he spent a lot of time on the north properties 445 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 2: I've permissioned on and almost no time on the South properties. 446 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 2: So spend some extra time walking around the north just 447 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,199 Speaker 2: like just trying to look at the property of the 448 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 2: New Eyes again, like all right, just just think through 449 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 2: like big picture, what have we seen in the past, 450 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 2: Howard dear you doing this kind of stuff. Just tried 451 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:18,719 Speaker 2: to like make sure I've got the puzzle pieces right 452 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 2: in my head. Did that earlier this year, shed hunting, 453 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 2: and then I was able to make a couple of 454 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 2: habitat improvements on one of the properties I've got access to. 455 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 2: I can make some improvement, So I, you know, try 456 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 2: to do my food plots in a different kind of 457 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 2: way this year to make them like I really really 458 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 2: really want to try to get these food plots to 459 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,719 Speaker 2: work out right. This year, I frost seeded and actually 460 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 2: seated a two track trail that I used to not 461 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: have planted. I planted that did some hinge cutting. Long 462 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 2: story short on all of this is that the two 463 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 2: track came as a nice clover path, which is great. 464 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 2: The food plots were really hard to make work because 465 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 2: of drought this summer. I'm doing trying to do no till, 466 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 2: so I'm trying to not till it all up, trying 467 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 2: to do like a rotation. I was able to get 468 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: something going in both of these two plots I can plant, 469 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 2: but I had to do it multiple seedings and all 470 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 2: sorts of stuff. So it's kind of like a nightmare 471 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 2: this summer trying to make all that work. But I 472 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 2: just knew, like one of the best opportunities I have 473 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 2: for these deer is I've got these two little plots 474 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,640 Speaker 2: right on the west and south side of his main bedroom. 475 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 2: And so anytime any deer is in this big north 476 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 2: bedding area, a lot like if that's like their favorite 477 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 2: place to be, which a couple of these deer I've 478 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 2: hundred over the years. It has been if you've got 479 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 2: a deer like that, you've got a good chance either 480 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 2: on those plots or as they transition to those plots, 481 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 2: if you can get them to actually come in well. 482 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:41,840 Speaker 2: And I've had some years that they have not come 483 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 2: in well, especially as I've been trying to do this 484 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 2: no tail thing. So I've been trying to test no till, 485 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 2: trying to do better stuff for the soil and use 486 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 2: less herbicide and all that, and that's been like hit 487 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 2: or miss. Some of the plots have been okay, some 488 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 2: years not so much. But I just really tried to 489 00:23:57,880 --> 00:23:59,719 Speaker 2: make them work this year, and I would give them 490 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:04,880 Speaker 2: like a B plus maybe be so did all that, 491 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 2: you know checked. I've got a handful of tree stands 492 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 2: that have been up forever that I keep up and 493 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 2: just check every summer. And then I'm also always trying 494 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,120 Speaker 2: to like add a spot or two or prep another 495 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 2: tree or two for my saddle. So there's a couple 496 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:19,239 Speaker 2: places that I've just kind of thought through locations I 497 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 2: have or haven't a hunt in the past, you know, 498 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 2: what might be a good tree to add to the mix, 499 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 2: just to have already ahead of time. So I've added 500 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 2: a couple spots like that. I just tried to this year. 501 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 2: I've been hunting here a long time, so it's easy 502 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 2: to just like fall back into the same old, same old. 503 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 2: What I tried to do leading to this year was 504 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 2: like think about specific situations that it might have with 505 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 2: this deer and try to like tighten things up a 506 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 2: little bit. So, for example, on the back food plot, 507 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 2: there's this is the food plot that is on the 508 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 2: southern edge of that betting zone. I've had a tree 509 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 2: stand out there forever. I've had some success there but 510 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 2: had not killed any well, I did kill one buck 511 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 2: out of the food plot. But what I'm getting at 512 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 2: here is that I thought, like, there's a situation here 513 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 2: where you might be able to get a shot out 514 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 2: of deer here. But there's a couple of situations where 515 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,400 Speaker 2: I found where things don't work out, Like if you've 516 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:14,879 Speaker 2: got any kind of south in the west wind, if 517 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 2: there's any kind of movement with that wind, you can 518 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 2: end up getting winded by deer. So I thought, you 519 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 2: know what, I need to have a second stand location 520 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 2: on this plot for when I've got you know, any 521 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 2: bit of like southwest or south southwest, or just give 522 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 2: me a few more options. I'm going to do another 523 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 2: stand over here and then I'm going to put slay 524 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 2: some tree tops down on one side to make sure 525 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 2: that if deer do come in the food plot, there's 526 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: a better chance that they come out in range of 527 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 2: this side of the plot instead of the other plot. 528 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: So it's like just stuff like that, like and a 529 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 2: bunch of my different stand setups. I was just trying to, 530 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 2: you know, look for what's the little detail thing I 531 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 2: could do better this year. So in this case, was 532 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 2: trying to make sure that if anything came this half 533 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,400 Speaker 2: acre plot, I would have a shot at it. And 534 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 2: you know, in the past, maybe I'd be good sixty 535 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 2: five percent of the time, and now I'm good eighty 536 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 2: five percent of the time. So I was doing those 537 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:08,240 Speaker 2: types of things all around this main core area that 538 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 2: I thought he would spend the most time on, and 539 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 2: then late summer put out my cameras and bailed out 540 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:17,760 Speaker 2: at the end of August and stayed out of there 541 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,920 Speaker 2: in September. I take that back. One other thing to 542 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 2: take note of is I went out a couple times 543 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,479 Speaker 2: in August and glassed a neighboring field that was beans 544 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 2: that was adjacent to all this, and saw him twice. 545 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 2: And so that just confirmed for me like, all right, 546 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:38,479 Speaker 2: you know, he's doing the things he used to do. 547 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 2: He's in this core area. I started to get a 548 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 2: few pictures. So all of this just basically says, all right, 549 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 2: your plan will work. He's here, he's doing his thing. 550 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 2: He's big bodied, he's he's who he was. Then September 551 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 2: rolls around. I stay out. I basically for like my 552 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 2: local properties, try to leave them untouched until opening the day. 553 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 2: The night before opening day, I wanted to try to 554 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 2: get an idea of like, you know, is he coming 555 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 2: out to one of these spots. Can I see where 556 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 2: he's crossing one of these openings? Can I see into 557 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:12,960 Speaker 2: this little bedding zone. There's some thick brushy grass. So 558 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 2: I go and actually get out to this hilltop and 559 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 2: bring a step leader out and put a step leadder 560 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 2: in the standing corn on a hilltop so I can 561 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 2: see over the standing corn. I do that, and I 562 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 2: actually glass him up in this grassy bottom down beneath me, 563 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 2: which is a spot I had never seen him before, 564 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,879 Speaker 2: so not in the core zone where I thought he was. Instead, 565 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 2: he's like way up by the road. So you and 566 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 2: I were talking about this, you know, a month ago 567 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 2: or two months ago whenever this happened, right, And you 568 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 2: said he might be doing that more often, right, I mean, 569 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 2: it's it's a safe spot. I never go in there, 570 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 2: nobody ever goes in there, so it's one hundred percent 571 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 2: pressure free. He's close to the road but also close 572 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 2: to where I access, so you know, he maybe knows 573 00:27:58,200 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 2: some of the time when I'm coming and out because 574 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 2: I go along the south edge of this grassy swale 575 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 2: to get in and out of the property most of 576 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 2: the time. So that was like an eye opening moment 577 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 2: for me where I was like, huh, I wonder if 578 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 2: this is a thing that has happened more often. And 579 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 2: see him that night. Next day, hunt over in that 580 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:21,679 Speaker 2: zone and I don't see him, And if I can 581 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,280 Speaker 2: fast forward here a little bit, over the course of 582 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 2: the next three ish weeks, the next two weeks, I 583 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 2: spot him one night when I couldn't hunt, but I 584 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 2: could it was either a night or morning. But I 585 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 2: saw him another time in that grassy swale, So he's 586 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 2: twice now that I've seen him in that grassy swale, 587 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 2: betted and standing up. And then I got a picture 588 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 2: of him in daylight on the back plot. So the 589 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:49,719 Speaker 2: south of the edge of his betting air on like 590 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 2: the eighth So there was like, you know, I can't 591 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 2: remember with the specifics, but basically once a week I 592 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 2: was getting at some kind of daylight sighting of him, 593 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 2: which continued into the month of October, which was surprising 594 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 2: to me because lots of times like I'll have these 595 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 2: deer you know, around, but then once opening day hits, 596 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 2: then it's pretty much ghost town for a while. But 597 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 2: he kept like kind of showing up and a little 598 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 2: different different spots every time. It wasn't like he was 599 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 2: always going towards the west or always going to the south. 600 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 2: There was no kind of pattern that I could kind 601 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 2: of figure out as far as like how to predict 602 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 2: where he might daylight. I knew it was just around 603 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 2: this core like ten acre ish bedding zone, but how 604 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 2: he left that, you know, I had no idea, And 605 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 2: so as we talked about throughout this fall, that was 606 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 2: like my challenge throughout October. I was trying to figure out, 607 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 2: how do I make sure I'm in the right place 608 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: because I know this deer, this deer still feels comfortable. Fortunately, 609 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 2: I was able to be you know, careful with when 610 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 2: I hunted him where I hunted in a way that 611 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 2: was low impact. So I just try to really careful 612 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 2: about how I access, really careful about how to get 613 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 2: out of there, and enough so that he was still 614 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 2: showing up every once in a while. But I just 615 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 2: couldn't find a rhyme or reason to why he might 616 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 2: go in any one direction. So finally one of the 617 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 2: things we talked about was, hey, maybe we just need 618 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 2: to like volume hunt a spot and sit a location 619 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 2: for two or three evenings in a row or something 620 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 2: like that. And so I did try that maybe like 621 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 2: in the twenties of October or something like that. Still 622 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 2: didn't see him take off for a week, go to 623 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 2: deer camp, do a thing up there. I come back 624 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 2: from deer camp, and now it's late October and we're 625 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 2: moving into the rut, and this is basically my window 626 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 2: that I think, like, this is probably my last best 627 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 2: chance to kill him, because I had like four or 628 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 2: five days I could hunt from late October through like 629 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 2: the first of November, and then I had to leave 630 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 2: for Nebraska. And over past years he disappeared for parts 631 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 2: of November. And it just becomes harder killes deer during 632 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 2: the rut because they're off doing other things. So I thought, man, 633 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 2: like I got a push into the good stuff. So 634 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 2: throughout most of October I was hunting around the exterior 635 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 2: of that betting zone and just trying to catch him 636 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 2: when he moved out, and now I was going to 637 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 2: go into it. So I go in that first morning, 638 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 2: push in like right to the edge of like the 639 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 2: core of the core, and see him locked on a dough, 640 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 2: watch him kind of follow a dough just stand around 641 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 2: with her maybe one hundred some one hundred and fifty 642 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 2: yards away something like that. And this is in this 643 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 2: like thick, tall brushy grassy stuff. I can just kind 644 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 2: of barely see him through this tall grass. Disappears midday, 645 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 2: I pulled on the set, try to relocate to another 646 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,400 Speaker 2: spot that gets me closer to them, but then also 647 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 2: in between the direction they think they're going to transition 648 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 2: out to end up not seeing him again that night, 649 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 2: but saw a bunch of deer and it looked to 650 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 2: me like he was still in this little tiny thicket 651 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 2: where I last saw him all throughout the evening, because 652 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 2: you know when those satellite bucks just kind of like 653 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 2: stand around looking like dummies, staring into a thicket, just 654 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 2: standing there and then another buck comes out and they're 655 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 2: all just kind of standing around staring when there's a 656 00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 2: buck locked on doe in there there's hot dough. It 657 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 2: was that kind of deal. So next morning, I'll go 658 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 2: really fast this part because we did talk about this, 659 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 2: you know, two weeks ago or three weeks ago or 660 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 2: whatever it was when it happened. The next morning is 661 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 2: the morning when I had the wind issue part way 662 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 2: through the morning hunt, and we decided, like, man, this 663 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 2: wind is awful. It's blowing into the bedding area. You know, 664 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 2: it shifted on me. This just isn't gonna work. So 665 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 2: I decided part way through the morning hunt that I 666 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 2: had to bail because I was just ruining the property 667 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 2: with this wind that was doing what was not supposed 668 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 2: to do. So as I'm climbing out of the tree, 669 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 2: were about to climb out of the tree, I'm lower 670 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 2: my bow, I hear something, and of course the wide 671 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 2: nine is right next to me going through this twenty 672 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 2: yard lane and he walks through before me able to 673 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 2: get my bow up in the tow row. Boff, and 674 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 2: he catches this swirl of wind and kind of trots off, 675 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 2: not like fully, like out of there. Like a bat 676 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,280 Speaker 2: out of hell. But no, something's not right, so he 677 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 2: books it back into the thick thick I hang or 678 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 2: pull down the set, and then we do a big 679 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 2: half circle all the way around to the other side 680 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 2: of the property, to the other side of the bedding area. 681 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 2: Have a hell of a time trying to find somewhere 682 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 2: to set up there that night. Eventually find a tree 683 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 2: that'll work. And what I'm setting up now. Previously I 684 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 2: was just off. I was like doing a downwind of 685 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 2: the dough betting air kind of set up that morning, 686 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 2: but the wind shifted. So now to be downwind of 687 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 2: this main dough betting ara, I have to be to 688 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 2: the other side. Gets set up there in the saddle, 689 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 2: and as you know, about an hour before dark or 690 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 2: forty five minutes before dark something like that. Here he 691 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 2: comes cruising out on this side. I snort, reads him in. 692 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 2: He circles into forty yards. I take the shot. He jumps, 693 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 2: the string, hits him in the shoulder, runs off. You 694 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 2: can see a big like what seems like almost the 695 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 2: entire arrow hanging out of him and like flopping. When 696 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 2: he runs off, I'm immediately think shoulder shot. We wait, 697 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 2: I don't know a few hours till my friends get 698 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 2: there and pick up the trail. We have blood for 699 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:09,839 Speaker 2: you know, a long ways, but not good blood. We'll 700 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 2: have like drop here, smear here, drop here, smear here. 701 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 2: We're able to follow that blood. Plus with my buddy's 702 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 2: dog that he always brings, we covered three quarters of 703 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 2: a mile, much of which was like he was just walking, 704 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: like he went down a single corn row for like 705 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 2: half a mile or something like that, like just just 706 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:30,160 Speaker 2: follow that row, just forever, and then he jay hooked 707 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:34,720 Speaker 2: back into his bedroom, lost blood, kept looking, didn't find anything, 708 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:36,759 Speaker 2: and you know, at that point we're all what we 709 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 2: all thought from the beginning, but had to make sure. 710 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,240 Speaker 2: It was like man looking at footage, looking at everything, 711 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 2: it looks like this shot just hit the shoulder, and 712 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:46,720 Speaker 2: you know, either it poked through or was just behind 713 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 2: the shoulder enough that had got into the vitals. And 714 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 2: if that's the case, that'd be a dead deer like 715 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 2: fast and we would have seen a great blood trail 716 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,880 Speaker 2: or hits the shoulder and there's this blood trail that 717 00:34:56,200 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 2: Peter's out and you know he's alive. So you know, 718 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 2: we talked about how devastating that was for me, and 719 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:09,359 Speaker 2: frustrating that was for me, you know, to what we 720 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,359 Speaker 2: were talking about earlier, Tony. This is just another huge 721 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 2: reminder of why I just want to focus more and 722 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 2: more on minimizing any kind of error versus trying to 723 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 2: get more you know, poking out there for more opportunities, 724 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 2: just because I hate, hate, hate that feeling of missing 725 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 2: a deer or wounding a deer. You know, it was 726 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 2: you know, it's the worst, it's the absolute worst. It 727 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:40,359 Speaker 2: changes you, yeah, it does. And this was the I'm 728 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,560 Speaker 2: trying to think of. This is right. This is the 729 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 2: first buck that I have ever hit and not recovered 730 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 2: that I can think of. And so I've missed I've 731 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 2: missed you plenty of deer, but this was the first 732 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 2: one that I hit and wounded it and couldn't recover it. 733 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 2: And I take that back. I did hit like ten 734 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 2: years ago or something. I hit that buck back and 735 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 2: it killed him, but I missed him didn't find him 736 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:11,280 Speaker 2: until later in the year. But so so point being, 737 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 2: this was like the thing that everyone talks about and 738 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 2: this dreaded and it's like always the worst case scenario, 739 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:18,440 Speaker 2: and I had just gotten, you know, been lucky that 740 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 2: it hadn't happened yet to me in this kind of way, 741 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 2: but now it had, and it just so happened to 742 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 2: be a deer. You know, I'd been chasing for four 743 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,959 Speaker 2: years and had put all this time and energy into 744 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 2: and was you know, really really really invested in and 745 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 2: then I go and screw this whole thing up. And 746 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 2: so you know, that just got me thinking about again, 747 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:37,360 Speaker 2: like this, it's a game of inches, and if it 748 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,960 Speaker 2: had been a couple of inches back or you know whatever, 749 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 2: it might be a couple of inches lower, probably less 750 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 2: than that, it would have been smoke city game over, 751 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,359 Speaker 2: high fives, hugs, all the good stuff. And instead I'm 752 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 2: losing sleep at night and just very very disappointed with 753 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 2: the whole thing. So that was you know where our 754 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 2: podcast a couple of weeks ago left off, right. You know, 755 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 2: we talked about me trying to change my archery set, 756 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 2: get to a quieter setup, maybe because you know, I 757 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 2: had a bunch of deer jumping the string with my 758 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 2: current setup. This was the second buck this year that 759 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:17,600 Speaker 2: made a significant move jump in a spin at the shop, 760 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 2: both forty yard shots to our earlier points. So I 761 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 2: started thinking through all that kind of stuff and you know, 762 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 2: we talked about pulling in range, you know, maybe not 763 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 2: taking those forty yard shots anymore, which I've not decided 764 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 2: I'm not doing. I'm a thirty yard pinner now for 765 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 2: a while at least, and proud of it. And someone 766 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 2: texted me or sent me a message or something after that, 767 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 2: hearing that podcast, and they just said, like, you know, 768 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:46,960 Speaker 2: that's something like we've been. We've been like, what's the 769 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:52,759 Speaker 2: way I'm looking for here? Glorifying long shots too much? Right, 770 00:37:52,760 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 2: We're like, oh, man, that guy's so awesome. Look at 771 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 2: this guy can shoot one hundred yards and well that's incredible. 772 00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:59,759 Speaker 2: And so now it's almost like a badge of honors, say, oh, yeah, 773 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 2: killed them at sixty, but we should be glorifying like 774 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:06,640 Speaker 2: I killed them at ten. Yeah, Like, how about let's 775 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 2: let's get like under twenty yards, Like, man, that that's 776 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 2: the most hunting skills. Can you get that close to 777 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 2: a deer and not know you or not know that 778 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:14,239 Speaker 2: you're there? 779 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 4: That this long range stuff with bows and with the 780 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 4: rifles is not doing us any favors. 781 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 2: No, it's not. So so I'm going to start giving 782 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 2: guys extra big high fives for when they kill deer 783 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:30,280 Speaker 2: within thirty or within twenty or you know, teens lower. 784 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:33,279 Speaker 2: Like man, you're that's the real hunter right there. So 785 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 2: that's my new goal is to start killing super close 786 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 2: range deer. Minimize chances for air. It's harder to pull off, 787 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:48,520 Speaker 2: but a better chance of the shot. Good shots. Just 788 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 2: harder to be able to get a deer that close, 789 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,640 Speaker 2: is what I'm trying to say. That's that's what I 790 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:57,160 Speaker 2: want to start, really positioning myself for no more of 791 00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:58,320 Speaker 2: this forty yard stuff. 792 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 3: So you're really making your bed here. 793 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:04,399 Speaker 4: So I hope next year your hit laster doesn't show 794 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 4: up at forty yards mark because. 795 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 2: I really, I really, I really feel invested in this, Tony. 796 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 2: But you're right, all right, all right, but I just 797 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,280 Speaker 2: it's just no fun being in that situation. 798 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, no fun at all. 799 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:25,799 Speaker 4: So your shoulder shoot him and then he disappears for 800 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 4: a long time. 801 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I did not think he would, like I 802 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:31,279 Speaker 2: really thought, like a few days later I was gonna 803 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:32,879 Speaker 2: get pictures of him again. I thought he was gonna 804 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 2: be out there chasing doze like I watched that footage 805 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 2: so many times, and it seems like that arrow was 806 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 2: like bobbling, like I mean there's like thirty inches of 807 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:41,560 Speaker 2: arrow sticking out, it seems like, and you can see 808 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 2: it go up and down, up and down. So I'm 809 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:47,160 Speaker 2: like thinking, there's hardly anything in there that's gonna pop out, 810 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 2: and he's just gonna be off to the races again. 811 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:51,759 Speaker 2: So I take off. I have to go to the 812 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:52,719 Speaker 2: Braska Mark. 813 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, let me run this scenario by you, because you 814 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 4: you had had a close encounter and he had winded 815 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:00,880 Speaker 4: you that morning too to some a little bit, a 816 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:03,560 Speaker 4: little bit bogogery, right, and then you hit him. Imagine 817 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 4: if you went to a bar somewhere yea, and early 818 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,600 Speaker 4: in the night some dude was like you're that ware 819 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:11,760 Speaker 4: to hunt prick, aren't you, and you were like whatever, 820 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:13,840 Speaker 4: and he's like I'm gonna stab you, and you just 821 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:14,359 Speaker 4: walk away. 822 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:15,680 Speaker 3: You're like I don't want to get into this. 823 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 4: And then later bar close, you're walking out the door 824 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 4: and that dude runs up to you and he just 825 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 4: I mean, it's not like a bad stab, but it's like, 826 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 4: you know, you got stabbed. Would you be like, I'm 827 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 4: definitely going back to that bar tomorrow night? 828 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,320 Speaker 2: Okay? Yeah, you make a good point, Tony. 829 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:30,439 Speaker 4: He do make a good I think we'll just find 830 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 4: someplace else to go for a little while. 831 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:34,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I suppose I shouldn't have been that surprised, I guess, 832 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 2: but yeah, maybe I was a little too optimistic he'd 833 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:42,360 Speaker 2: be right back. But I got back from Nebraska and 834 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 2: I kill a buck Nebraska, turn around, come right back 835 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:47,200 Speaker 2: and think, Okay, I'm gonna go back start hunting him 836 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 2: and he'll be there, hopefully. But he wasn't. And what 837 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 2: my plan was is that I would I brought in 838 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 2: cameras and I was hunting in the interior of the 839 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,800 Speaker 2: interior again, because now we're in like November six, November 840 00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 2: sex of November eighth, like your best possible day is 841 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 2: probably in pretty good weather and all that kind of stuff. 842 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,720 Speaker 2: So I've hunted right in there and I wasn't seeing 843 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 2: him and didn't have pictures anywhere. But I thought, you know, 844 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:12,799 Speaker 2: let's since I'm gonna be in this is the one 845 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:14,640 Speaker 2: hunt of the year, I'm gonna be in this stuff, like, 846 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:16,560 Speaker 2: let's hand camera. So I hung a couple of cameras 847 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 2: right in the belly of the beast. And then after three, 848 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:24,879 Speaker 2: three or four days of hunting with no sightings, nothing, 849 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:27,279 Speaker 2: I started thinking I think I gotta just like pull 850 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,839 Speaker 2: out and wait because I'm just like putting a bunch 851 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 2: of pressure on this place, and I'm not feeling like 852 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:35,879 Speaker 2: he's here right now. I don't know what's going on 853 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:38,480 Speaker 2: if he's like I had all the worries going through 854 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:41,320 Speaker 2: my mind, and I don't think I told you this story, 855 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,279 Speaker 2: but the first day back from Nebraska, and if I 856 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:47,719 Speaker 2: told you this, tell me, because I'm We've talked about 857 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,520 Speaker 2: all this stuff, like so many different little bits and 858 00:41:49,520 --> 00:41:51,680 Speaker 2: pieces over the years. I don't know what's what. But 859 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 2: my first hunt back after returning from Nebraska, we go 860 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 2: to hunt and I'm slipping into a tree. I'm and 861 00:41:57,560 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 2: go set up and hanging hunt and I see a 862 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 2: white belly. They tell you about this, And I see 863 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 2: a white belly and I'm like, oh no. And this 864 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:08,799 Speaker 2: isn't that far away from where we stop tracking. I'm 865 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:11,279 Speaker 2: within one hundred yards of where we finally gave up. 866 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:13,319 Speaker 2: And so I see a white belly and I'm like, 867 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:15,160 Speaker 2: oh no. And so I'm like, we got to go 868 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:16,560 Speaker 2: see this. And we get closer and then I can 869 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:19,680 Speaker 2: see antlers. I'm like, holy shit, he's here dead. And 870 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 2: we were one hundred yards away or eighty yards away 871 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:25,239 Speaker 2: from him, and he was right here. So I had, 872 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,360 Speaker 2: like my stomach fell to my knees, and I'm walking 873 00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 2: up and thinking like, oh my gosh, I can't believe it. 874 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:35,359 Speaker 2: And then I get up to a close enough point 875 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:37,040 Speaker 2: I can see it. It's actually just a dead year 876 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:40,319 Speaker 2: and a half old. But for like a minute or two, 877 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 2: there serious panic. So so all that happens, and eventually 878 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 2: I just said, Okay, I just got to get out 879 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 2: of here, and I don't know what's going on, but 880 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 2: I'm not going to blow this place up if he's 881 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 2: gone or if he's you know, so either One thing 882 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:56,240 Speaker 2: I thought was maybe the shot did kill him somehow. 883 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:58,080 Speaker 2: I start having, like, you know, all the worst case 884 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 2: scenarios running through my mind. So is there any way 885 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:01,600 Speaker 2: this could have killed him? So you had, like I 886 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:03,960 Speaker 2: was texting you and we were talking on the podcast, 887 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:06,239 Speaker 2: like is there some way this deer did die and 888 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 2: he's actually laying out there somewhere? Do I need to 889 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:11,319 Speaker 2: go and like search more of this place than I did? 890 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 2: Do I need to like call off the season? And 891 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:16,120 Speaker 2: then the other thing was like is he somewhere else? 892 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:18,400 Speaker 2: Do I need to start? I don't know, try to 893 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:20,719 Speaker 2: get permission on other properties, or do I need to 894 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:23,960 Speaker 2: I don't know. I had all these thoughts he's gone, 895 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:27,400 Speaker 2: he's dead, or maybe he's injured and just like laying 896 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:29,520 Speaker 2: low and not moving very much. He's just like kind 897 00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:32,640 Speaker 2: of hunkered down somewhere recuperating. Those are the three possibilities. 898 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:35,560 Speaker 2: And spent a lot of days thinking about which one 899 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:39,239 Speaker 2: of those it might be. But throughout November I just 900 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:41,480 Speaker 2: stayed out of there the rest of the time, kept 901 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:43,960 Speaker 2: checking cameras, wasn't seeing him, got out a couple times 902 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:46,839 Speaker 2: a glass, didn't see him. Hunted a bunch more on 903 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:50,920 Speaker 2: some other properties I had permission on, had some encounters 904 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:52,520 Speaker 2: with the other deer I'd be willing to shoot on 905 00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:55,200 Speaker 2: that property, went up north to my family deer camp, 906 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 2: did all that kind of stuff, and nothing. Three weeks 907 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:01,239 Speaker 2: go by, no sightings of the wide, no pictures of 908 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:05,239 Speaker 2: the Wide nine, and my hopes have seriously dwindled. Then 909 00:44:05,280 --> 00:44:10,200 Speaker 2: we get to Thanksgiving week, and just before Thanksgiving, I 910 00:44:10,239 --> 00:44:13,080 Speaker 2: wake up one morning and I get my pictures sent 911 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 2: to me overnight, so I wake up, look at the camera, 912 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:22,200 Speaker 2: and then evening prior it's him. He's back. He's in 913 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 2: he's on one of those cameras that I put like 914 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:26,600 Speaker 2: in the belly of the Beast, and he's I got 915 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:29,480 Speaker 2: six pictures of him, so it's two two three shot 916 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:34,399 Speaker 2: bursts of him going across this little grassy area. And uh, 917 00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:37,480 Speaker 2: just that was the best feeling, like just the idea 918 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:40,279 Speaker 2: that he's not dead, he's still around, there's a chance 919 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 2: for redemption. It felt like closure, Like at that point, 920 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:45,920 Speaker 2: like a huge monkey came off my back. Like the 921 00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:49,160 Speaker 2: worst thing would have been that if I had never 922 00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:51,160 Speaker 2: figured out what happened, like if he just disappeared and 923 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 2: I never found him again, And like we were talking 924 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,239 Speaker 2: about last week, who knows, he could have got hit 925 00:44:56,239 --> 00:44:58,400 Speaker 2: by a car, or he might have died somewhere and 926 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:00,680 Speaker 2: buried himself, you know, in a brush and you'll never 927 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:03,120 Speaker 2: find him. You'll never know, or you know, maybe someone 928 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 2: else shot him later and you'll never know. And so 929 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:10,760 Speaker 2: just the not knowing was driving me crazy. So finally 930 00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:14,759 Speaker 2: like just knowing that, Okay, he survived the shot, he's 931 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 2: alive and doing his thing. Maybe you get another chance 932 00:45:17,640 --> 00:45:19,799 Speaker 2: to him, maybe someone else kills him, maybe he gets 933 00:45:20,040 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 2: hits by car. You know, I can't control what happens 934 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:24,920 Speaker 2: next but at least I know that he's not laying 935 00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 2: dead somewhere because of me, and I wasn't able to 936 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:32,040 Speaker 2: recover him. So that was like a big sense of 937 00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:46,319 Speaker 2: relief to just have that. The next day, I was 938 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:48,759 Speaker 2: actually at actually called my camera and was planning on 939 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 2: hunting that day regardless because we'd gotten past the first 940 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:59,440 Speaker 2: week of gunn season in Michigan, and last year, that 941 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:01,640 Speaker 2: whole time period when I took Everett out hunting him 942 00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:04,320 Speaker 2: was that last week of November, right around Thanksgiving week 943 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 2: was when he had gotten daylight active last year. So 944 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:08,920 Speaker 2: my plan was like, I'm going to stay out of 945 00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:10,840 Speaker 2: that property all the way till the end of November, 946 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 2: and then if I don't have pictures of him yet, 947 00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:14,440 Speaker 2: I haven't seen him yet, I'm still going to try 948 00:46:14,440 --> 00:46:16,759 Speaker 2: a few hunts at the end of November to hope 949 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:19,120 Speaker 2: that maybe he shows back up like he did last year. 950 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:21,279 Speaker 2: So it just happened to be that the day I 951 00:46:21,320 --> 00:46:22,960 Speaker 2: was gonna start hunting was also a day I got 952 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 2: his picture. So we go out hunt two nights in 953 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:31,680 Speaker 2: a row, do not see him. Thanksgiving, do the whole 954 00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 2: Thanksgiving thing, and we're getting to the good stuff here, Tony, 955 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:36,200 Speaker 2: So thank you for bearing with me as I recount 956 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:41,520 Speaker 2: all of this, come back from Thanksgiving, head out for 957 00:46:41,719 --> 00:46:46,799 Speaker 2: an evening hunt, and I'm thinking to myself, man, I'm 958 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:50,000 Speaker 2: getting this wrong. At the end of my time with 959 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:52,960 Speaker 2: my family, we were there at my family's house for Thanksgiving, 960 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:55,520 Speaker 2: and the day we were there, I was going to 961 00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:57,920 Speaker 2: leave and head home late in the afternoon, but I 962 00:46:58,000 --> 00:46:59,640 Speaker 2: keep looking at my phone. I'm looking at the weather 963 00:46:59,680 --> 00:47:01,960 Speaker 2: for I'm looking at the barometric pressure, and I'm looking 964 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:04,120 Speaker 2: at all this kind of stuff and like, man, it's 965 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,040 Speaker 2: like super high barmetric pressure, and man, the temperature's cold 966 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:08,680 Speaker 2: and than I thought it was gonna be in Oh gosh, 967 00:47:09,160 --> 00:47:11,399 Speaker 2: this is the only north wind we have and it's 968 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:13,200 Speaker 2: the only time I can hunt one of these spots. 969 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,600 Speaker 2: And I convinced myself, like over the course of forty 970 00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:18,399 Speaker 2: five minutes that all of a sudden, like I have 971 00:47:18,480 --> 00:47:21,400 Speaker 2: to go hunting tonight. So like in a thirty minute whirlwind, 972 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:23,040 Speaker 2: I'm like, guys, we gotta go. Everyone pack, we gotta go, 973 00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 2: we gotta go. Yeah. So I have like a chaos 974 00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 2: fire drill. At the end of our Thanksgiving visit, I 975 00:47:28,680 --> 00:47:32,680 Speaker 2: go back and sell film hunt actually, and then the 976 00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:36,200 Speaker 2: next time Charlie my camera I comes down. We hunt 977 00:47:36,640 --> 00:47:38,600 Speaker 2: up in this front area where he'd been visible the 978 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:43,520 Speaker 2: night before. And the most important thing here is, now 979 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:45,920 Speaker 2: that we're in late November, I have gone back to 980 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,279 Speaker 2: my original plan for him, so I'm not punching into 981 00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:52,240 Speaker 2: the belly of the beast anymore. I'm just hunting edges 982 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:55,000 Speaker 2: of the food on the edge of his core again, 983 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:57,160 Speaker 2: hoping that he's going to move back towards that late 984 00:47:57,239 --> 00:48:00,560 Speaker 2: season type behavior. He's maybe still checking some but he's 985 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:03,200 Speaker 2: mostly gonna be focusing on food, especially if he's wounded 986 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:07,160 Speaker 2: how he was wounded. But I'm guessing, like, hey, he's 987 00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:10,120 Speaker 2: gonna be trying to pack on some energy here. The 988 00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:14,680 Speaker 2: temperatures are falling. They had just picked the cornfield, so 989 00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:17,839 Speaker 2: the food was gonna be the game again for late 990 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:21,359 Speaker 2: November into December. So I'm hunting on the edge. This 991 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:23,839 Speaker 2: is the west edge of his core, on the edge 992 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:27,640 Speaker 2: of the corn and we end up seeing a deer 993 00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:30,600 Speaker 2: out in this grassy swale again, the same area that 994 00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:34,440 Speaker 2: I saw him once in October and the night before 995 00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:37,719 Speaker 2: the opener, and I think one other time maybe, and 996 00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:40,120 Speaker 2: I see a deer and then I see a frame 997 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:42,560 Speaker 2: and I'm thinking, holy crap, I think that's him. And 998 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:45,840 Speaker 2: he disappears, but I'm pretty certain I saw him in 999 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:48,000 Speaker 2: this grassy swale. I keep on like trying to glass 1000 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:49,319 Speaker 2: over there the rest of the night. This is a 1001 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:53,040 Speaker 2: couple hundred yards away, in the opposite direction from his core, 1002 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,080 Speaker 2: So this is like way up by the road and 1003 00:48:56,600 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 2: can't see anything else. It gets dark. I start packing 1004 00:48:59,680 --> 00:49:02,200 Speaker 2: up and then I'm like looking down the creek and 1005 00:49:02,239 --> 00:49:05,640 Speaker 2: I can see a dough step out into the grass again, 1006 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:07,480 Speaker 2: and I see a big body deer behind her, and 1007 00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:10,319 Speaker 2: I'm thinking, ooh, that looks like a big buck. I'm 1008 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:13,279 Speaker 2: thinking that's him with a dough maybe. Then it's just 1009 00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:14,879 Speaker 2: too dark. I can't see. They kind of turn back 1010 00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 2: go back in this timber. So the next morning we 1011 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:20,279 Speaker 2: can't hunt, but I can get out in glass. So 1012 00:49:21,120 --> 00:49:23,120 Speaker 2: it's snowing. Another thing I should point out is it 1013 00:49:23,120 --> 00:49:25,880 Speaker 2: started snowing that night and it snowed all through the 1014 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:27,239 Speaker 2: rest of the night. So this is our first snow 1015 00:49:27,239 --> 00:49:31,160 Speaker 2: of the year, and that next am it is you know, 1016 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:34,800 Speaker 2: fresh blanket of snow everywhere. So I got out to 1017 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,080 Speaker 2: glass from this hill and I can see like an 1018 00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:40,840 Speaker 2: hour half hour before daylight. I can see in my 1019 00:49:40,920 --> 00:49:44,719 Speaker 2: bio was like clearly pretty Darne, clearly across the field. 1020 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:47,640 Speaker 2: And so I'm watching and I see a deer down 1021 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:50,200 Speaker 2: at the edge of the grass and the cornfield all 1022 00:49:50,239 --> 00:49:55,480 Speaker 2: by itself. And then I see it limp, and I thought, oh, 1023 00:49:55,920 --> 00:49:57,880 Speaker 2: so I get my spotting scope set up, and with 1024 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:00,560 Speaker 2: the spotting scope on my phone, I can actually see better. 1025 00:50:00,840 --> 00:50:02,399 Speaker 2: I don't know if you've messed with a new these 1026 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:06,919 Speaker 2: new iPhones, but the low light filming on the new, 1027 00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:10,520 Speaker 2: like I've got an iPhone fourteen Max or whatever it is, 1028 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:13,680 Speaker 2: it's crazy, like I can film like it's like broad 1029 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:17,760 Speaker 2: daylight almost. So I was able to film and see 1030 00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:20,279 Speaker 2: like him. I could see him on my phone better 1031 00:50:20,280 --> 00:50:22,520 Speaker 2: than I could even see him binoculars. And it's a 1032 00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:25,439 Speaker 2: half hour before daylight or something. And so I see 1033 00:50:25,520 --> 00:50:28,320 Speaker 2: him on the edge of this cornfield, in this grassy swale, 1034 00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:33,120 Speaker 2: and I watch him. He's got a bad limp, like bad, 1035 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:35,680 Speaker 2: like he's way worse than I thought it would be, 1036 00:50:35,719 --> 00:50:39,960 Speaker 2: Like he looks rough and he limps his way into 1037 00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:42,280 Speaker 2: the grass. And then I watch him for a half 1038 00:50:42,320 --> 00:50:45,120 Speaker 2: hour as he kind of mills around and then I 1039 00:50:45,200 --> 00:50:48,799 Speaker 2: eventually see him bed about five minutes after daylight, see 1040 00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:53,319 Speaker 2: him bed down in this grassy swale. I then like 1041 00:50:53,680 --> 00:50:56,759 Speaker 2: did everything I could to try to find landmarks like 1042 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,040 Speaker 2: pinpoint like where he was, Like I try to mark 1043 00:50:59,080 --> 00:51:01,440 Speaker 2: him on onyx like I thought it was. And then 1044 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:03,040 Speaker 2: I just spend a lot time like trying to find 1045 00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:05,440 Speaker 2: like there's no good landmarks when it's just a cornfield 1046 00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:07,640 Speaker 2: and a grassy field. You know, it's not like there's 1047 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:10,040 Speaker 2: a tree or something I can do. And then you know, 1048 00:51:10,600 --> 00:51:13,000 Speaker 2: I've got one perspective. I know that my perspective is 1049 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:14,640 Speaker 2: gonna be different when I get to the other side 1050 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:17,480 Speaker 2: of him. So I'm trying to find things in the grass, 1051 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:22,320 Speaker 2: like a black looking bushy thing and like a snowy 1052 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:24,920 Speaker 2: spot in the cornfield or whatever. I tried to like 1053 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:27,279 Speaker 2: zero in exactly. I just spent a bunch of time 1054 00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:30,000 Speaker 2: staring at the spot where he was and trying to 1055 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:33,520 Speaker 2: remember everything I could about everything around him so that 1056 00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:36,200 Speaker 2: I could find him again, because I knew that my 1057 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,279 Speaker 2: plan would be, like I need to try to kill 1058 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:41,080 Speaker 2: him in that bed, like this is my best chance, 1059 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:43,080 Speaker 2: Like I know where he is, this is maybe my 1060 00:51:43,200 --> 00:51:46,520 Speaker 2: last best chance. You know you'll never know. I mean, 1061 00:51:46,520 --> 00:51:49,000 Speaker 2: who knows where he is gonna be tomorrow or what's 1062 00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:51,360 Speaker 2: gonna happen next, Like this is it? This is the chance? 1063 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,840 Speaker 4: So why try to kill him in his bed instead 1064 00:51:54,880 --> 00:51:56,759 Speaker 4: of just posting up and waiting for him to stand up? 1065 00:51:57,239 --> 00:52:00,160 Speaker 2: Well, that's that's that's what I mean. I mean, like 1066 00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:02,759 Speaker 2: like standing up, I just made him like I know 1067 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:04,719 Speaker 2: where he is right now, and so I need to 1068 00:52:04,719 --> 00:52:07,120 Speaker 2: find some way to kill him like there or very 1069 00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:11,320 Speaker 2: close to that, right, yep, right. So I originally thought, Okay, 1070 00:52:11,520 --> 00:52:13,520 Speaker 2: I've got a couple of things going for me. A 1071 00:52:13,560 --> 00:52:16,280 Speaker 2: big thing is that it's windy, so it's like fifteen 1072 00:52:16,320 --> 00:52:19,439 Speaker 2: to seventeen and mile an hour sustained winds, so I'm 1073 00:52:19,480 --> 00:52:21,359 Speaker 2: gonna be able to sneak around out there and he 1074 00:52:21,600 --> 00:52:26,239 Speaker 2: shouldn't be able to hear me. And second things going 1075 00:52:26,280 --> 00:52:28,279 Speaker 2: for me is that it is gun seasons, so I've 1076 00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,719 Speaker 2: got three fifty so I can I don't need to 1077 00:52:30,760 --> 00:52:32,319 Speaker 2: be thirty yards for him to get a shot. I 1078 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:35,680 Speaker 2: can be sixty yards or eighty yards or whatever. So 1079 00:52:35,719 --> 00:52:38,400 Speaker 2: I originally thought I could just do a big wide 1080 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:41,480 Speaker 2: half circle, get downwind of him, and then just work 1081 00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:43,319 Speaker 2: my way up the edge of the corn and the 1082 00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:45,600 Speaker 2: grass and get as close as I can possibly get 1083 00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:47,279 Speaker 2: and then just wait for him to stand up. But 1084 00:52:47,320 --> 00:52:49,480 Speaker 2: then I got to thinking, man, this grass is so tall, 1085 00:52:49,600 --> 00:52:51,600 Speaker 2: like you know, I could just see his head and 1086 00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:53,600 Speaker 2: shoulders when he went in there in some spots, and 1087 00:52:53,600 --> 00:52:55,160 Speaker 2: then some spots you can just see antlers, and then 1088 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:57,400 Speaker 2: some spots you can see more. But I mean, the 1089 00:52:57,440 --> 00:52:59,920 Speaker 2: grass is anywhere from waist to shoulder high, probably am me. 1090 00:53:01,040 --> 00:53:03,880 Speaker 2: So I got to thinking, I'm gonna stand there, and 1091 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:05,560 Speaker 2: even if he stands up, I won't be able to 1092 00:53:05,560 --> 00:53:09,680 Speaker 2: get a clear shot. So my next idea was that 1093 00:53:09,719 --> 00:53:13,040 Speaker 2: the cornfield rises up into a hill to the north 1094 00:53:13,120 --> 00:53:16,040 Speaker 2: of where he was beded, a decently substantial hill, maybe 1095 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:18,960 Speaker 2: like fifty feet of elevation or something like that. I 1096 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:20,799 Speaker 2: don't know, maybe not that much, but something like that. 1097 00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:24,360 Speaker 2: So I got to thinking, if I could somehow get 1098 00:53:24,600 --> 00:53:27,000 Speaker 2: to the backside of that hill without him seeing me, 1099 00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:30,759 Speaker 2: I could belly crawl over the crest and lay in 1100 00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:33,680 Speaker 2: the cut corn and get over top of him and 1101 00:53:33,719 --> 00:53:36,759 Speaker 2: then have a downward angle down into the grass and 1102 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:39,080 Speaker 2: hopefully that would give me, you know, sight lines and 1103 00:53:39,239 --> 00:53:42,440 Speaker 2: a shooting lane into the grass to the vitals if 1104 00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:45,360 Speaker 2: he stands up. So eventually I decided, like that's the 1105 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:48,799 Speaker 2: best option I've got here. So I get to the 1106 00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:51,040 Speaker 2: north propery line. I get my camera guy out there 1107 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:53,160 Speaker 2: as soon as he can. It's like noon by the 1108 00:53:53,200 --> 00:53:57,920 Speaker 2: time he can get there. And we go to the 1109 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:02,319 Speaker 2: north propery line. And I thought that the way the 1110 00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:05,160 Speaker 2: hill was that I would be able to walk or 1111 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:07,719 Speaker 2: you know, crouch and kind of cover a lot of 1112 00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 2: distance to get to where this hill was. But turns out, 1113 00:54:11,560 --> 00:54:13,480 Speaker 2: as soon as I started walking across the field, I 1114 00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:15,960 Speaker 2: very quickly saw it's way more exposed to the spot 1115 00:54:16,040 --> 00:54:18,400 Speaker 2: he was in than I realized, like right by the road. 1116 00:54:19,600 --> 00:54:24,320 Speaker 2: So again like he's bedded I don't know, one hundred 1117 00:54:24,320 --> 00:54:27,239 Speaker 2: and fifty yards from the road maybe something like that, 1118 00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:31,880 Speaker 2: and within sight of a of a pretty busy road. 1119 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:36,840 Speaker 2: So I realized, like, okay, I'm not going to be 1120 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:38,759 Speaker 2: able to just walk to this hill and then crawl 1121 00:54:38,840 --> 00:54:41,040 Speaker 2: to the hill. I have to crawl the entire way 1122 00:54:41,760 --> 00:54:44,200 Speaker 2: right off of a road. So so me and my 1123 00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:48,000 Speaker 2: camera guy start crawling and then eventually belly crawling like 1124 00:54:48,080 --> 00:54:52,439 Speaker 2: snake slithering right and broadside of of a road. Cars 1125 00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:54,319 Speaker 2: driving by. I'm thinking, like, man, these people just think 1126 00:54:54,360 --> 00:54:57,680 Speaker 2: I'm an idiot. There's a guy crawling across a cut 1127 00:54:57,719 --> 00:54:58,880 Speaker 2: cornfield at noon? 1128 00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:01,640 Speaker 3: Was it Charlie with you? 1129 00:55:02,160 --> 00:55:02,920 Speaker 2: Yes, Charlie. 1130 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:04,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was a good choice. 1131 00:55:04,760 --> 00:55:06,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, Charlie did. Charlie did great. 1132 00:55:07,200 --> 00:55:09,080 Speaker 3: For that mission. He's a good guy to have with you. 1133 00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:14,040 Speaker 2: Yes. So so it was like a nightmare just doing that. 1134 00:55:14,080 --> 00:55:16,399 Speaker 2: It took us a very long time just to go 1135 00:55:18,440 --> 00:55:20,360 Speaker 2: to imagine, like the path I had to take is 1136 00:55:20,360 --> 00:55:22,520 Speaker 2: I had to go like two hundred or so yards 1137 00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:27,160 Speaker 2: from west to east along the corn edge and then 1138 00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:29,680 Speaker 2: once that that would get me just past where he was, 1139 00:55:30,080 --> 00:55:32,680 Speaker 2: and then I had to go south to get up 1140 00:55:32,719 --> 00:55:35,400 Speaker 2: the hill and then just over the crest to be 1141 00:55:35,480 --> 00:55:38,520 Speaker 2: able to see down to him. So imagine like an L, 1142 00:55:38,760 --> 00:55:40,960 Speaker 2: you know, with the flat the long part on the top, 1143 00:55:41,040 --> 00:55:42,640 Speaker 2: and then the L the short part of the L 1144 00:55:42,680 --> 00:55:44,600 Speaker 2: sticking straight down. That's the path I had to take. 1145 00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:48,240 Speaker 2: So the two of us belly crawl two hundred yards 1146 00:55:48,239 --> 00:55:50,640 Speaker 2: across the snowy cut cornfield to get down the two 1147 00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:52,520 Speaker 2: hundred yards, and then we have to do the part 1148 00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:55,239 Speaker 2: where we go down. And this was the really hard 1149 00:55:55,280 --> 00:55:58,960 Speaker 2: part because this was perpendicular to the corn rows. So 1150 00:55:59,200 --> 00:56:01,799 Speaker 2: now if if you can imagine having to belly crawl 1151 00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:06,240 Speaker 2: over twelve inch tall cornstalks that are frozen hard because 1152 00:56:06,239 --> 00:56:09,560 Speaker 2: it's like twenty degrees, so it's like little metal rebar 1153 00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:14,319 Speaker 2: rods every twelve inches. And that was a nightmare because 1154 00:56:14,320 --> 00:56:16,240 Speaker 2: We're trying to do it. And then I'm just feeling 1155 00:56:16,239 --> 00:56:18,560 Speaker 2: like we're more and more exposed as we're getting closer 1156 00:56:18,600 --> 00:56:20,239 Speaker 2: and closer, and I'm worried about getting seen. So then 1157 00:56:20,239 --> 00:56:22,120 Speaker 2: I'm like, Charlie, I'm sorry, but we got to take 1158 00:56:22,120 --> 00:56:24,560 Speaker 2: our packs off. Like our packs are sticking up too high. 1159 00:56:25,080 --> 00:56:26,480 Speaker 2: We got to take our packs off. So we now 1160 00:56:26,520 --> 00:56:29,000 Speaker 2: we take our packs off, and now we push our 1161 00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:32,120 Speaker 2: packs over a row, and then we crawl over the row. 1162 00:56:32,160 --> 00:56:33,640 Speaker 2: And then we push our packs over the row, and 1163 00:56:33,640 --> 00:56:35,319 Speaker 2: then we crawl over the row. And I'm holding my 1164 00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:37,200 Speaker 2: rifle in one hand. I'm holding a shooting stick in 1165 00:56:37,239 --> 00:56:39,680 Speaker 2: the other hand because it keeps falling on my backpack, 1166 00:56:40,160 --> 00:56:41,839 Speaker 2: and so I'm doing that and then moving the pack 1167 00:56:41,880 --> 00:56:43,440 Speaker 2: and then crawling, and then we get a little further 1168 00:56:44,239 --> 00:56:46,640 Speaker 2: and then I'm still like worried about getting seen. So 1169 00:56:46,680 --> 00:56:49,560 Speaker 2: then I bust out my secret weapon, which I had 1170 00:56:49,640 --> 00:56:53,960 Speaker 2: brought a old white bed sheet to cover us up 1171 00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:55,520 Speaker 2: when we were laying down there, because I thought like, 1172 00:56:55,560 --> 00:56:57,680 Speaker 2: we need some way to hide up there on this hilltop, 1173 00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:00,279 Speaker 2: so I brought an old sheet. But now I'm worried 1174 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:02,000 Speaker 2: about being seen as we're crawling in there, so I 1175 00:57:02,080 --> 00:57:03,839 Speaker 2: take the bed sheet out of my backpack and tie 1176 00:57:03,840 --> 00:57:06,919 Speaker 2: it around my neck like like you know some people 1177 00:57:07,120 --> 00:57:09,640 Speaker 2: tie like their sweater around their shoulders, you know. So 1178 00:57:09,719 --> 00:57:12,120 Speaker 2: I did that with an old bed sheet so that 1179 00:57:12,160 --> 00:57:14,920 Speaker 2: I could maybe stay a little more hidden. So now 1180 00:57:14,960 --> 00:57:17,120 Speaker 2: I'm berey crawling with a white sheet over me, trying 1181 00:57:17,160 --> 00:57:19,480 Speaker 2: to get down the hill. And then we're getting closer 1182 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:21,080 Speaker 2: and I'm still like, I'm like, God, we're gonna get 1183 00:57:21,080 --> 00:57:23,400 Speaker 2: picked off of here. We're still not hidden enough. So 1184 00:57:23,400 --> 00:57:26,160 Speaker 2: now I go to Charlie and like, buddy, you're gonna 1185 00:57:26,160 --> 00:57:27,920 Speaker 2: hate me. But we can't crawl anywhere. We need to 1186 00:57:28,000 --> 00:57:30,760 Speaker 2: just slide and roll. So what we would do is 1187 00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:32,840 Speaker 2: I would break I would roll. I literally I was 1188 00:57:32,920 --> 00:57:35,600 Speaker 2: laying down. I would push my pack so it'd break 1189 00:57:35,640 --> 00:57:38,280 Speaker 2: down the cornstalks, and then I would just roll. I'd 1190 00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:41,360 Speaker 2: roll over it, slide into that, push the bedding or 1191 00:57:41,440 --> 00:57:45,200 Speaker 2: push the backpack roll. So we did this for like 1192 00:57:45,240 --> 00:57:48,160 Speaker 2: an hour and a half, Like we just took two 1193 00:57:48,200 --> 00:57:51,720 Speaker 2: hours to get across this field covered in a bed sheet, 1194 00:57:52,680 --> 00:57:55,960 Speaker 2: and it was just ridiculous. Like me and Charlie just 1195 00:57:56,000 --> 00:57:57,640 Speaker 2: kept looking at the show like this is absurd, Like 1196 00:57:57,680 --> 00:57:59,840 Speaker 2: nobody does anything this dumb to try to kill a deer. 1197 00:58:00,720 --> 00:58:02,280 Speaker 2: And if anyone was like sitting on the side of 1198 00:58:02,280 --> 00:58:03,840 Speaker 2: the road, they could have watched a lot of this 1199 00:58:04,040 --> 00:58:07,000 Speaker 2: and just watched a couple of knuckleheads, like I don't know, 1200 00:58:07,680 --> 00:58:12,560 Speaker 2: snuggle up in a sheet rolling around. But we eventually, 1201 00:58:13,200 --> 00:58:17,120 Speaker 2: we eventually get over the hill Tony, and I'm like, 1202 00:58:17,120 --> 00:58:19,640 Speaker 2: all right, we're actually here. Oh my gosh, we finally 1203 00:58:19,640 --> 00:58:22,320 Speaker 2: made it. I'm sweating and covered in snow from head 1204 00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:26,520 Speaker 2: to toe, and Charlie wants to quit like never has before. 1205 00:58:26,760 --> 00:58:30,360 Speaker 2: He's never gonna work for me to again and get 1206 00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:32,800 Speaker 2: into position. I put the backpack in front of me 1207 00:58:32,880 --> 00:58:35,080 Speaker 2: and just try to like get everything cleared around and 1208 00:58:35,160 --> 00:58:38,560 Speaker 2: get my gun in positioned and just try to get situated. 1209 00:58:39,120 --> 00:58:41,960 Speaker 2: And then I start losing like control of my body, 1210 00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:43,600 Speaker 2: Like I just had to keep peeing all the time, 1211 00:58:43,640 --> 00:58:45,320 Speaker 2: so I had to peel like two different times because 1212 00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:47,880 Speaker 2: I think I'm nervous now or something, so I can't 1213 00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:49,280 Speaker 2: stand up to peace, so I just have to like 1214 00:58:49,400 --> 00:58:51,640 Speaker 2: roll over to my side and pee from a laying 1215 00:58:51,680 --> 00:59:00,400 Speaker 2: down position. So all this is happening, Okay, finally we 1216 00:59:00,400 --> 00:59:04,120 Speaker 2: we're situated. We're good. We're glassing down in there. I'm 1217 00:59:04,160 --> 00:59:06,400 Speaker 2: trying to like make sure that this is the right spot. 1218 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:08,200 Speaker 2: I'm pretty sure we're looking at the right zone, but 1219 00:59:08,280 --> 00:59:11,280 Speaker 2: you know, it's always different from this position. But we 1220 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:14,280 Speaker 2: sit there for an hour and fifteen minutes watching glassing, 1221 00:59:14,360 --> 00:59:18,360 Speaker 2: watching glassing, and I was having like lower back pain 1222 00:59:18,520 --> 00:59:20,960 Speaker 2: because I'm on my belly up on my elbows though 1223 00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:23,280 Speaker 2: kind of, you know, so I can see. And so 1224 00:59:23,320 --> 00:59:24,680 Speaker 2: I remember one point I had to kind of roll 1225 00:59:24,680 --> 00:59:26,880 Speaker 2: over on my side to just relieve my back for 1226 00:59:26,920 --> 00:59:30,280 Speaker 2: a second. And just as I do that, Charlie's like, oh, oh, 1227 00:59:30,320 --> 00:59:33,440 Speaker 2: he's up and right then, so I'm on my side 1228 00:59:33,920 --> 00:59:36,080 Speaker 2: and he's up, and I like, can I turn? I 1229 00:59:36,120 --> 00:59:37,320 Speaker 2: turned my head just a little bit, and he's like 1230 00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:40,160 Speaker 2: looking right at us. I'm like, oh no, like all 1231 00:59:40,200 --> 00:59:42,560 Speaker 2: of this, and somehow he stands up right as I 1232 00:59:42,640 --> 00:59:44,840 Speaker 2: have to like roll a little bit, and he's staring 1233 00:59:44,880 --> 00:59:50,000 Speaker 2: at us. So we're frozen, frozen, frozen, and I'm not 1234 00:59:50,040 --> 00:59:52,280 Speaker 2: like at first I wanted to start trying moving things 1235 00:59:52,320 --> 00:59:54,600 Speaker 2: in a position, but no, it's just just freaking wait. Mark, 1236 00:59:54,720 --> 00:59:58,400 Speaker 2: just be patient, and so I just freeze. And then 1237 00:59:58,560 --> 01:00:02,000 Speaker 2: you see like he's he's normal, Like he wasn't actually 1238 01:00:02,080 --> 01:00:03,800 Speaker 2: on us, he was just happened to be looking in 1239 01:00:03,840 --> 01:00:06,200 Speaker 2: that direction that he kind of turns his head and 1240 01:00:06,280 --> 01:00:08,400 Speaker 2: kind of looks down, like starts licking himself. And so 1241 01:00:08,440 --> 01:00:09,960 Speaker 2: every time he kind of did a little movement, I've 1242 01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:12,120 Speaker 2: shifted my gun up. I got up on my elbows. 1243 01:00:12,120 --> 01:00:14,320 Speaker 2: I've got up high enough so I could see over 1244 01:00:14,360 --> 01:00:18,400 Speaker 2: the corn stubble. And then he's in position, guns up 1245 01:00:18,400 --> 01:00:21,800 Speaker 2: scopes on him, but he's facing right at us, And 1246 01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:27,800 Speaker 2: I thought about the fact that we're gonna have tough 1247 01:00:27,960 --> 01:00:30,439 Speaker 2: sight lines into there, and I thought to myself, Man, 1248 01:00:30,760 --> 01:00:32,320 Speaker 2: do you need to like, do you need to think 1249 01:00:32,320 --> 01:00:34,240 Speaker 2: about next shot? Like I don't know if I'm gonna 1250 01:00:34,240 --> 01:00:36,240 Speaker 2: be able to see to the vitals. Is a next 1251 01:00:36,240 --> 01:00:38,320 Speaker 2: shot something that I want to do. I remember thinking 1252 01:00:38,320 --> 01:00:41,040 Speaker 2: about that that morning, and I actually I just was 1253 01:00:41,080 --> 01:00:43,560 Speaker 2: thinking about all this that morning before Charlie got there. 1254 01:00:43,600 --> 01:00:45,480 Speaker 2: I remember pulling up the anatomy of a deer and 1255 01:00:45,520 --> 01:00:47,360 Speaker 2: just like looking again, like let me see, Like, I 1256 01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:49,480 Speaker 2: know people take next shots. I've never taken a next 1257 01:00:49,480 --> 01:00:51,080 Speaker 2: shot before and it's never been something I would do, 1258 01:00:51,440 --> 01:00:52,920 Speaker 2: but I'm like, people do it all the time, and 1259 01:00:53,000 --> 01:00:55,000 Speaker 2: they drop deer. So I look at the anatomy again, 1260 01:00:55,040 --> 01:00:57,840 Speaker 2: I'm like, man, that's crazy, Like I'm not gonna take 1261 01:00:57,880 --> 01:01:01,800 Speaker 2: that shot. There's not a lot there that's actually gonna 1262 01:01:01,800 --> 01:01:05,160 Speaker 2: work for you. So I had had that thought leading 1263 01:01:05,200 --> 01:01:08,560 Speaker 2: into it, but but thankfully I didn't do it, because 1264 01:01:08,600 --> 01:01:11,880 Speaker 2: he stood up and gave me a next shot, and no, 1265 01:01:12,440 --> 01:01:15,280 Speaker 2: not taking that shot to our early earlier conversation like 1266 01:01:15,360 --> 01:01:17,920 Speaker 2: this has got to be just right. So I'm just 1267 01:01:18,040 --> 01:01:20,720 Speaker 2: on him and waiting and waiting. He just stands like 1268 01:01:20,760 --> 01:01:23,120 Speaker 2: that forever, and then I'm just waiting and waiting and 1269 01:01:23,120 --> 01:01:26,360 Speaker 2: waiting and thinking. I just remember telling myself like just 1270 01:01:27,480 --> 01:01:29,680 Speaker 2: take your time, like this is it, this is this 1271 01:01:29,720 --> 01:01:32,440 Speaker 2: is your opportunity. Everything has worked out to a tea 1272 01:01:32,520 --> 01:01:34,440 Speaker 2: like this is exactly how you drew it up. I 1273 01:01:34,440 --> 01:01:36,720 Speaker 2: mean I didn't necessarily draw up the whole rolling down 1274 01:01:36,720 --> 01:01:39,000 Speaker 2: a hill in a bed sheet thing, but everything else 1275 01:01:39,040 --> 01:01:40,760 Speaker 2: had lined up just like I thought, Like my hope 1276 01:01:40,800 --> 01:01:42,800 Speaker 2: had been like get out there early, get out there 1277 01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:46,120 Speaker 2: as soon as you possibly can, because my big question mark, 1278 01:01:46,160 --> 01:01:47,800 Speaker 2: like the big warrior, was like will he stand up 1279 01:01:47,840 --> 01:01:49,800 Speaker 2: before dark? Like I know where he is if I 1280 01:01:49,840 --> 01:01:52,160 Speaker 2: can get in there without him seeing me. The only 1281 01:01:52,240 --> 01:01:54,640 Speaker 2: question mark is will he stand up in daylight? And 1282 01:01:54,680 --> 01:01:56,240 Speaker 2: will there be a shot through the grass or not? 1283 01:01:57,160 --> 01:01:58,960 Speaker 2: So I I you know, what I was telling Charlie 1284 01:01:58,960 --> 01:02:00,440 Speaker 2: Headstone was like, we got to get there early, like 1285 01:02:00,480 --> 01:02:02,880 Speaker 2: midday if we can, because a lot of times the 1286 01:02:03,040 --> 01:02:05,080 Speaker 2: deer will stand up a time or two during the 1287 01:02:05,080 --> 01:02:07,680 Speaker 2: middle of day and just reposition, so we might get 1288 01:02:07,680 --> 01:02:10,000 Speaker 2: a chance midday or early where he just stands up, 1289 01:02:10,040 --> 01:02:12,120 Speaker 2: turns around, and then beds back down and if we're 1290 01:02:12,160 --> 01:02:14,600 Speaker 2: not there, there goes your chance. So we got to 1291 01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:19,200 Speaker 2: be there, so thank goodness we were out there early 1292 01:02:19,200 --> 01:02:21,040 Speaker 2: because it took us two hours of crawling just to 1293 01:02:21,080 --> 01:02:22,920 Speaker 2: get in a position. So it's still like late by 1294 01:02:22,920 --> 01:02:27,240 Speaker 2: the time we got there, but or later, but so 1295 01:02:27,320 --> 01:02:30,480 Speaker 2: we he's up. He got up at four ish, I 1296 01:02:30,480 --> 01:02:33,120 Speaker 2: think is when he stood up, so almost two hours 1297 01:02:33,120 --> 01:02:34,760 Speaker 2: were dark. So he stood up to do like his 1298 01:02:34,800 --> 01:02:38,640 Speaker 2: little reposition and stands up. He's facing us forward and 1299 01:02:38,680 --> 01:02:42,640 Speaker 2: then finally starts turning and turns and gives me a 1300 01:02:42,680 --> 01:02:44,520 Speaker 2: broadside and it takes a couple of steps, and there's 1301 01:02:44,520 --> 01:02:46,760 Speaker 2: a hole in the grass and I can see to 1302 01:02:46,840 --> 01:02:48,600 Speaker 2: the top of his shoulder and just off to the 1303 01:02:48,680 --> 01:02:54,040 Speaker 2: side and uh, put it there behind the shoulder, pull 1304 01:02:54,080 --> 01:02:58,640 Speaker 2: a trigger. He bounded off and stopped. He took took 1305 01:02:58,720 --> 01:03:01,040 Speaker 2: two leaps and stopped. And then I immediately am trying 1306 01:03:01,040 --> 01:03:04,080 Speaker 2: to reload. And this is a single shot rifle, so 1307 01:03:04,120 --> 01:03:06,160 Speaker 2: I'm trying to get a break action, so I'm trying 1308 01:03:06,160 --> 01:03:08,560 Speaker 2: to get the spence shell out. My fingers are so 1309 01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:10,320 Speaker 2: numb i can't pull it out. So I'm sitting there 1310 01:03:10,360 --> 01:03:11,800 Speaker 2: like trying to pull out the shell, trying to pull 1311 01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:13,800 Speaker 2: the shell, and I can kind of see out the 1312 01:03:13,840 --> 01:03:16,360 Speaker 2: corner of my eye, like I saw he bounced, bounced 1313 01:03:16,360 --> 01:03:18,880 Speaker 2: and stopped, and I'm like shall shell shell, trying to 1314 01:03:18,880 --> 01:03:20,800 Speaker 2: get reloaded. And then I look back and I can't 1315 01:03:20,800 --> 01:03:23,040 Speaker 2: see him anymore, and then trys like he dropped right 1316 01:03:23,080 --> 01:03:29,240 Speaker 2: there and that was it. He was down and ended 1317 01:03:29,280 --> 01:03:31,160 Speaker 2: up being like an eighty yard shot or something, maybe 1318 01:03:31,600 --> 01:03:35,960 Speaker 2: some seventy yards eighty yards something like that and just 1319 01:03:36,000 --> 01:03:41,560 Speaker 2: an incredible sense of relief to close the close the 1320 01:03:41,600 --> 01:03:45,360 Speaker 2: circle on that whole thing, you know, getting a second 1321 01:03:45,360 --> 01:03:49,760 Speaker 2: shot at him and getting to finish it. And man, 1322 01:03:49,960 --> 01:03:53,280 Speaker 2: I mean it's it's the wildest hunt I think I've 1323 01:03:53,320 --> 01:03:56,000 Speaker 2: ever had for a specific deer like this, Like all 1324 01:03:56,040 --> 01:03:57,840 Speaker 2: the encounters all, I mean, I had a lot over 1325 01:03:57,880 --> 01:04:00,960 Speaker 2: the years, but this one, you know, took it to 1326 01:04:01,000 --> 01:04:01,720 Speaker 2: a different level. 1327 01:04:02,400 --> 01:04:04,920 Speaker 4: I mean when you saw him beddown like that and 1328 01:04:04,920 --> 01:04:06,760 Speaker 4: you knew you would get a chance, Like, how happy 1329 01:04:06,760 --> 01:04:08,160 Speaker 4: were you that it was gun season? 1330 01:04:09,280 --> 01:04:10,480 Speaker 2: Very happy was gun season? 1331 01:04:11,040 --> 01:04:14,800 Speaker 4: Very even having to you know, slither your way across 1332 01:04:14,800 --> 01:04:18,600 Speaker 4: that cornfield the way you guys did. Just the just 1333 01:04:18,680 --> 01:04:22,040 Speaker 4: the ability to you know, or the option to stay 1334 01:04:22,080 --> 01:04:24,240 Speaker 4: back at football field away or eighty yards away or 1335 01:04:24,240 --> 01:04:27,440 Speaker 4: whatever is like just a game changer in that situation. 1336 01:04:27,920 --> 01:04:31,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, big time. And uh yeah, very thankful for that. 1337 01:04:32,200 --> 01:04:34,920 Speaker 2: And I know some people are you know, some people 1338 01:04:35,560 --> 01:04:37,880 Speaker 2: are purest and just want to use the archery tackle. 1339 01:04:37,960 --> 01:04:40,280 Speaker 2: And I love bow hoating and I prefer it most 1340 01:04:40,320 --> 01:04:42,400 Speaker 2: of the time. And like we were talking about before 1341 01:04:42,440 --> 01:04:44,960 Speaker 2: we start recording, like when I do traveling trips and 1342 01:04:44,960 --> 01:04:47,040 Speaker 2: stuff like, I like to use the bow because the 1343 01:04:47,040 --> 01:04:49,640 Speaker 2: gun almost feels too easy in those situations sometimes. But 1344 01:04:51,160 --> 01:04:53,360 Speaker 2: like here, when I've hunted for a deer for years 1345 01:04:53,560 --> 01:04:55,520 Speaker 2: or for months on end, and they had all this stuff, 1346 01:04:55,560 --> 01:04:58,360 Speaker 2: Like by the time gun season comes around, I feel like, Hey, 1347 01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:01,600 Speaker 2: I put in my sweat and and I paid my dues. 1348 01:05:01,760 --> 01:05:03,440 Speaker 2: Now I'll take an eighty R shot and be very 1349 01:05:03,520 --> 01:05:07,160 Speaker 2: very thankful for it. So I don't feel bad at 1350 01:05:07,200 --> 01:05:08,240 Speaker 2: all for taking it with a gun. 1351 01:05:08,560 --> 01:05:09,920 Speaker 4: I know, I know you've been on this kick the 1352 01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:12,600 Speaker 4: last couple of years or maybe the last two whatever 1353 01:05:12,720 --> 01:05:17,320 Speaker 4: to just enjoy yourself more, isn't it? Isn't that situation 1354 01:05:17,320 --> 01:05:19,840 Speaker 4: because you would never do something like that with a bowl, 1355 01:05:19,880 --> 01:05:21,800 Speaker 4: Like you wouldn't even be if you saw em betted there. 1356 01:05:21,840 --> 01:05:24,280 Speaker 4: You would have a completely different plan and strategy to 1357 01:05:24,360 --> 01:05:26,720 Speaker 4: be just totally different. But isn't it when you do 1358 01:05:26,840 --> 01:05:30,280 Speaker 4: something like that? Wasn't that so fun? Like wasn't it 1359 01:05:30,400 --> 01:05:32,560 Speaker 4: so fun to crawl out there knowing like, if you 1360 01:05:32,720 --> 01:05:35,400 Speaker 4: do it right, you're gonna get a good shot. 1361 01:05:36,040 --> 01:05:37,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was like at least there was a very 1362 01:05:37,920 --> 01:05:40,760 Speaker 2: good chance. And yeah, I mean the whole time like 1363 01:05:41,080 --> 01:05:43,640 Speaker 2: it was it was like that. It was type two fun, 1364 01:05:43,720 --> 01:05:46,120 Speaker 2: like the whole time we're crawling out there. It's like miserable, 1365 01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:48,480 Speaker 2: but like fun miserable. Me and Charlie Wuld look at 1366 01:05:48,480 --> 01:05:50,560 Speaker 2: each like this is nuts, Like we're such idiots and 1367 01:05:50,600 --> 01:05:53,320 Speaker 2: we're like sweating and rolling around the corn and like 1368 01:05:53,360 --> 01:05:55,800 Speaker 2: this is so stupid, but also like this is awesome, 1369 01:05:56,400 --> 01:05:58,240 Speaker 2: Like if this works out, like this is one of 1370 01:05:58,280 --> 01:06:02,360 Speaker 2: the wilder things I've ever done for a deer. And 1371 01:06:02,520 --> 01:06:06,760 Speaker 2: to have that all come together, like man, really like 1372 01:06:07,320 --> 01:06:10,560 Speaker 2: a fitting ending to a wild set of experiences. And 1373 01:06:10,920 --> 01:06:13,000 Speaker 2: you know, like that day October for thirtieth when I 1374 01:06:13,040 --> 01:06:16,120 Speaker 2: have the you know, the debacle in the morning and 1375 01:06:16,160 --> 01:06:17,840 Speaker 2: then get another shot him later in the day, like 1376 01:06:17,840 --> 01:06:19,680 Speaker 2: that's a first. I've never had two opportunities at a 1377 01:06:19,720 --> 01:06:23,240 Speaker 2: deer in the same day like that. And then you know, 1378 01:06:23,360 --> 01:06:26,760 Speaker 2: then the horrible situation hitting him bad, and then this 1379 01:06:26,800 --> 01:06:29,160 Speaker 2: whole thing coming back together after like three weeks of 1380 01:06:29,160 --> 01:06:34,120 Speaker 2: thinking it's all done. Just huge set of ups and 1381 01:06:34,160 --> 01:06:37,640 Speaker 2: downs and a wild roller coaster and you know, so 1382 01:06:37,800 --> 01:06:40,520 Speaker 2: cool to have had my son involved in it. You know, 1383 01:06:40,600 --> 01:06:43,080 Speaker 2: last year he so he had like a personal attachment 1384 01:06:43,080 --> 01:06:44,960 Speaker 2: to the deer too, So he was always really excited 1385 01:06:44,960 --> 01:06:46,720 Speaker 2: because he kind of felt like he, you know, had 1386 01:06:46,720 --> 01:06:50,760 Speaker 2: helped hunt for the deer too, So yeah, it was 1387 01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:53,040 Speaker 2: it was something. And and so let me tell you 1388 01:06:53,120 --> 01:06:55,280 Speaker 2: this back to kind of our one of our main 1389 01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:58,280 Speaker 2: themes of this whole conversation. I go and recover that deer, 1390 01:06:59,520 --> 01:07:03,800 Speaker 2: and my arrow shot if it had been like a 1391 01:07:03,960 --> 01:07:08,120 Speaker 2: half an inch different, it would have smoked him, Like 1392 01:07:08,160 --> 01:07:10,400 Speaker 2: I'm half an inch away from the edge of that 1393 01:07:10,440 --> 01:07:12,720 Speaker 2: bone and it would have been right through double lung. 1394 01:07:13,240 --> 01:07:16,440 Speaker 2: Half an inch difference made this last month what it was. 1395 01:07:17,640 --> 01:07:19,560 Speaker 2: So it just goes back to like, this is a 1396 01:07:19,560 --> 01:07:21,680 Speaker 2: game of inches. This is a game of the tiniest 1397 01:07:21,680 --> 01:07:25,120 Speaker 2: little things, and anything you can do to account for 1398 01:07:25,160 --> 01:07:34,200 Speaker 2: those little little margins, you gotta do it. So yeah, 1399 01:07:34,760 --> 01:07:36,600 Speaker 2: it's crazy, it's crazy. 1400 01:07:36,720 --> 01:07:40,240 Speaker 4: So that's a pretty that's a pretty sweet ending though, 1401 01:07:40,480 --> 01:07:43,360 Speaker 4: to actually get to see how close you were the 1402 01:07:43,400 --> 01:07:47,680 Speaker 4: first time, and just to I mean, those kind of 1403 01:07:47,800 --> 01:07:50,520 Speaker 4: seasons or that that kind of long run with that 1404 01:07:50,600 --> 01:07:54,360 Speaker 4: deer changes how you look at all deer going forward. Yeah, 1405 01:07:54,560 --> 01:07:56,600 Speaker 4: like not having the answer to when you hit him 1406 01:07:56,600 --> 01:07:58,720 Speaker 4: and he's gone and whether you're going to see him 1407 01:07:58,720 --> 01:08:00,400 Speaker 4: again or what happened and then all of a sudden 1408 01:08:00,440 --> 01:08:04,400 Speaker 4: he shows back up eventually and you know, puts himself 1409 01:08:04,400 --> 01:08:07,440 Speaker 4: in another position where you got a chance like there's 1410 01:08:07,880 --> 01:08:10,240 Speaker 4: you know that doesn't happen that, Like you don't get 1411 01:08:10,280 --> 01:08:11,800 Speaker 4: to live that very often. 1412 01:08:12,240 --> 01:08:14,520 Speaker 2: No, this felt like a like a once in a 1413 01:08:14,560 --> 01:08:20,040 Speaker 2: lifetime kind of experience. Yeah, it definitely feels like this 1414 01:08:20,200 --> 01:08:25,800 Speaker 2: was this was unique. And yeah, I think again like 1415 01:08:28,040 --> 01:08:33,519 Speaker 2: there's there's I don't just just so much respect and 1416 01:08:33,640 --> 01:08:35,960 Speaker 2: admiration and and like just like ah, I kind of 1417 01:08:36,000 --> 01:08:38,880 Speaker 2: feel for these critters too, like I'm always surprised, I 1418 01:08:38,920 --> 01:08:43,599 Speaker 2: always learned something new. They're always tougher or savvier or 1419 01:08:43,720 --> 01:08:48,080 Speaker 2: or something like. This is like a very very difficult 1420 01:08:48,120 --> 01:08:51,480 Speaker 2: thing to try to pull off that we do, and 1421 01:08:51,479 --> 01:08:57,400 Speaker 2: and the deer always they always have a few hands 1422 01:08:57,479 --> 01:08:59,760 Speaker 2: up on us, you know, like we are operating from 1423 01:08:59,800 --> 01:09:06,800 Speaker 2: a sit and that shot. Interestingly, when we caped it out, 1424 01:09:08,200 --> 01:09:12,479 Speaker 2: my first shot did break his shoulder blade, so it 1425 01:09:12,680 --> 01:09:15,160 Speaker 2: shattered some of that bone so it actually did punch 1426 01:09:15,240 --> 01:09:19,160 Speaker 2: through a little bit and just didn't get through all 1427 01:09:19,200 --> 01:09:27,080 Speaker 2: the way. But massive infection like bad, like I mean 1428 01:09:27,240 --> 01:09:34,120 Speaker 2: like like cups of stuff coming out. So so yeah, bad, 1429 01:09:34,280 --> 01:09:38,040 Speaker 2: bad situation. So it goes back to again like what 1430 01:09:38,080 --> 01:09:41,719 Speaker 2: I can learn from this is continuing to work harder 1431 01:09:41,960 --> 01:09:44,000 Speaker 2: at you know, continue to get better with the archery, 1432 01:09:44,040 --> 01:09:46,719 Speaker 2: but also be even more conservative and careful with my shots. 1433 01:09:46,800 --> 01:09:50,000 Speaker 2: As we talked about, not only am I can move 1434 01:09:50,040 --> 01:09:54,839 Speaker 2: to a thirty pin and only, but I'm also changing 1435 01:09:54,880 --> 01:09:57,439 Speaker 2: my bow set up to a quieter bow. I'm also 1436 01:09:57,800 --> 01:10:00,920 Speaker 2: changing my site set up. I'm gonna go to a 1437 01:10:01,000 --> 01:10:04,240 Speaker 2: single pin set, and I think that's going to simplify 1438 01:10:04,560 --> 01:10:08,040 Speaker 2: my site picture and in what I'm doing, because if I, like, 1439 01:10:08,120 --> 01:10:11,680 Speaker 2: anytime I've made mistakes when I've rushed has been like 1440 01:10:11,760 --> 01:10:15,200 Speaker 2: I will that those pins hit the vitals, and I'm 1441 01:10:15,200 --> 01:10:17,880 Speaker 2: not always like in the past, I've had times when 1442 01:10:17,880 --> 01:10:21,280 Speaker 2: like the pins hit the vitals and then I'm going 1443 01:10:21,320 --> 01:10:23,479 Speaker 2: through and pulling if i only have one pin, Like 1444 01:10:23,520 --> 01:10:25,920 Speaker 2: I'm trying to find ways to dumb it down, knowing 1445 01:10:26,000 --> 01:10:28,840 Speaker 2: that I am, like I'm an imperfect human and trying 1446 01:10:28,880 --> 01:10:30,240 Speaker 2: to find ways to account for that. 1447 01:10:30,800 --> 01:10:32,800 Speaker 3: Honestly, I think you've had somebody in your life who's 1448 01:10:32,840 --> 01:10:34,639 Speaker 3: been preaching that message for a long time. 1449 01:10:37,640 --> 01:10:39,280 Speaker 2: If it's who I think it is, I do my 1450 01:10:39,400 --> 01:10:41,160 Speaker 2: very best not to take advice from him. 1451 01:10:41,360 --> 01:10:44,479 Speaker 4: But uh, you might've been a guy who fourteen years 1452 01:10:44,520 --> 01:10:46,960 Speaker 4: ago made that switch for the very same reason. 1453 01:10:47,000 --> 01:10:47,320 Speaker 3: Buddy. 1454 01:10:47,840 --> 01:10:49,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I guess I'm just following. I mean, that's 1455 01:10:49,920 --> 01:10:51,679 Speaker 2: about right. How old are you? You're like ten years 1456 01:10:51,680 --> 01:10:53,559 Speaker 2: older than me, fourteen years older than me, something like that. 1457 01:10:53,600 --> 01:10:56,000 Speaker 2: So I'm just along the same learning path. 1458 01:10:56,200 --> 01:10:58,000 Speaker 4: Just I'm not that much more older than you. I'm 1459 01:10:58,040 --> 01:10:59,280 Speaker 4: just a lot more experienced. 1460 01:11:01,720 --> 01:11:05,960 Speaker 2: Well it's better late than never, so dude. 1461 01:11:05,960 --> 01:11:09,479 Speaker 4: Honestly, that that switch I've written about that's a ton, 1462 01:11:09,520 --> 01:11:11,160 Speaker 4: and I've talked about it a ton, But that switch 1463 01:11:11,240 --> 01:11:14,400 Speaker 4: from even a three pin site to a one pin site, 1464 01:11:15,080 --> 01:11:19,200 Speaker 4: if you give it the requisite amount of practice and 1465 01:11:19,240 --> 01:11:23,840 Speaker 4: you get used to it, almost nobody goes back. The 1466 01:11:23,880 --> 01:11:26,800 Speaker 4: people who say I tried it and didn't work didn't 1467 01:11:26,840 --> 01:11:29,800 Speaker 4: give it enough time. Mostly like it's it is a 1468 01:11:29,840 --> 01:11:33,679 Speaker 4: big difference maker for an awful lot of people, especially 1469 01:11:33,720 --> 01:11:36,160 Speaker 4: if you don't get a ton of encounters to shoot deer, 1470 01:11:36,760 --> 01:11:38,360 Speaker 4: like you don't have a lot of experience. When you 1471 01:11:38,439 --> 01:11:42,480 Speaker 4: dumb that part down, you are giving yourself a real advantage. 1472 01:11:42,520 --> 01:11:44,640 Speaker 4: And it's it's hard to realize until you put it 1473 01:11:44,640 --> 01:11:46,639 Speaker 4: to like put it to use for a few years, 1474 01:11:47,800 --> 01:11:49,000 Speaker 4: but for a lot of people. 1475 01:11:49,040 --> 01:11:50,559 Speaker 3: It's a huge difference maker. 1476 01:11:50,800 --> 01:11:56,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean, I just I there's nothing worse 1477 01:11:57,439 --> 01:11:59,840 Speaker 2: than what happened, right. I do not want a wound 1478 01:11:59,840 --> 01:12:01,840 Speaker 2: to do. I don't want to have a situation like 1479 01:12:01,880 --> 01:12:03,400 Speaker 2: this where I have to shoot a deer again a 1480 01:12:03,439 --> 01:12:06,479 Speaker 2: month later. I feel awful about that. I hope I've 1481 01:12:06,479 --> 01:12:10,400 Speaker 2: made that clear. So I'm trying to you know, over 1482 01:12:10,439 --> 01:12:12,320 Speaker 2: the years, I've talked about my ups and downs and 1483 01:12:12,320 --> 01:12:14,479 Speaker 2: all these ways I've tried to learn and try to 1484 01:12:14,479 --> 01:12:16,880 Speaker 2: get better. And I think this is a continued, you know, 1485 01:12:16,920 --> 01:12:20,200 Speaker 2: evolution of that. And and so I think, yeah, just 1486 01:12:20,960 --> 01:12:24,920 Speaker 2: that's the thing about hunting is it is a constant process, 1487 01:12:25,040 --> 01:12:28,280 Speaker 2: is a constant evolution. It's constant, like none of us, 1488 01:12:28,320 --> 01:12:31,080 Speaker 2: not even the very best keyboard warrior out there who 1489 01:12:31,160 --> 01:12:33,880 Speaker 2: likes to comment on everything about how everybody else is done, Like, 1490 01:12:33,920 --> 01:12:36,719 Speaker 2: not even that guy gets it right all the time. 1491 01:12:38,439 --> 01:12:42,479 Speaker 2: So I think the trick to all this, Tony, and 1492 01:12:42,680 --> 01:12:44,720 Speaker 2: I think your good example of this too is like 1493 01:12:44,920 --> 01:12:49,080 Speaker 2: just never stop learning, Like, never stop that process. Like 1494 01:12:49,120 --> 01:12:51,120 Speaker 2: we don't ever have it all figured out, So just 1495 01:12:51,200 --> 01:12:55,880 Speaker 2: keep on growing, keep on fine tuning. I think it's 1496 01:12:55,920 --> 01:12:58,439 Speaker 2: long even on like a year where everything goes right, 1497 01:12:58,880 --> 01:13:00,760 Speaker 2: You should not look at that as everything went right. 1498 01:13:01,080 --> 01:13:03,760 Speaker 2: I think we should be looking, Okay, what could have 1499 01:13:03,800 --> 01:13:05,760 Speaker 2: been better? What could I do a little better? What 1500 01:13:05,840 --> 01:13:07,720 Speaker 2: did I kind of get away with this year? What 1501 01:13:07,840 --> 01:13:10,519 Speaker 2: mistake did I actually make that I got away with? 1502 01:13:10,600 --> 01:13:12,600 Speaker 2: But deep down in my heart, I know, like that 1503 01:13:12,640 --> 01:13:16,120 Speaker 2: wasn't quite right. There's always something we can do better, 1504 01:13:17,040 --> 01:13:20,400 Speaker 2: and this deer was a great illustration of that for me, 1505 01:13:20,640 --> 01:13:22,360 Speaker 2: and I am very thankful for that. 1506 01:13:23,280 --> 01:13:27,320 Speaker 4: Well any you know on that point too. I think 1507 01:13:27,400 --> 01:13:30,479 Speaker 4: the natural inclination for people who go out and make mistakes, 1508 01:13:30,479 --> 01:13:33,680 Speaker 4: which is everybody, is to actually sort of be like, 1509 01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:37,080 Speaker 4: play it safer, keep sitting in that box, blind, keep 1510 01:13:37,120 --> 01:13:40,280 Speaker 4: doing like the easy kind of formulaic hunts that you've 1511 01:13:40,280 --> 01:13:42,759 Speaker 4: done a lot. And I think I think the remedy 1512 01:13:42,800 --> 01:13:44,720 Speaker 4: to getting better is to go do stuff outside of 1513 01:13:44,720 --> 01:13:46,680 Speaker 4: your comfort zone a little bit and try stuff like that, 1514 01:13:47,200 --> 01:13:50,240 Speaker 4: like when you see that buck betted there like that, 1515 01:13:50,640 --> 01:13:54,360 Speaker 4: and granted it's gun season, but there there's a move 1516 01:13:54,479 --> 01:13:57,120 Speaker 4: that's going to kill that deer, and a lot of 1517 01:13:57,160 --> 01:14:00,280 Speaker 4: people are going to not try it. And I think 1518 01:14:00,280 --> 01:14:03,080 Speaker 4: that that's you know, I think we've been conditioned so 1519 01:14:03,320 --> 01:14:07,200 Speaker 4: much from people who have really really good hunting, who 1520 01:14:07,320 --> 01:14:09,080 Speaker 4: can play it safe and they can stay out and 1521 01:14:09,120 --> 01:14:10,280 Speaker 4: they don't have to go in, and they have to 1522 01:14:10,280 --> 01:14:12,839 Speaker 4: worry about anybody bumping their deer or change in anything. 1523 01:14:12,840 --> 01:14:15,880 Speaker 4: And it's like very sort of a contrived situation, and 1524 01:14:15,960 --> 01:14:18,400 Speaker 4: we get that message just beat into us over and over. 1525 01:14:18,400 --> 01:14:21,040 Speaker 4: It's like, play it safe, play it smart, play it safe. 1526 01:14:21,200 --> 01:14:24,120 Speaker 4: I think you level up as a hunter by putting 1527 01:14:24,120 --> 01:14:27,920 Speaker 4: yourself in a little bit uncomfortable situations and trying things 1528 01:14:28,000 --> 01:14:30,320 Speaker 4: just sort of out of out of your routine. I 1529 01:14:30,360 --> 01:14:32,519 Speaker 4: think that's where you get you really get better. 1530 01:14:33,760 --> 01:14:36,360 Speaker 2: Well, if you were to look at, like, in this 1531 01:14:36,360 --> 01:14:40,120 Speaker 2: this general area where this all happened, I've hunted this 1532 01:14:40,160 --> 01:14:42,840 Speaker 2: general area now for like twelve or thirteen years I've 1533 01:14:42,840 --> 01:14:45,400 Speaker 2: been in this zone. And if you were to look 1534 01:14:45,400 --> 01:14:47,840 Speaker 2: at the first six years versus the last six years, 1535 01:14:49,560 --> 01:14:52,320 Speaker 2: dramatically different level of success in the last six to 1536 01:14:52,320 --> 01:14:54,880 Speaker 2: seven years out there, And a large part of that 1537 01:14:54,960 --> 01:14:57,719 Speaker 2: I would attribute to the fact that over the course 1538 01:14:57,760 --> 01:14:59,760 Speaker 2: of that first six years and the years after that, 1539 01:15:00,240 --> 01:15:03,680 Speaker 2: I've traveled a lot more. I've hunted so many more locations, 1540 01:15:03,720 --> 01:15:06,640 Speaker 2: so many more states, so many different styles, you know, 1541 01:15:06,680 --> 01:15:08,880 Speaker 2: that year when I filmed deer country and I had to, 1542 01:15:09,400 --> 01:15:11,640 Speaker 2: you know, learn from all these different guys who have 1543 01:15:11,840 --> 01:15:14,080 Speaker 2: very very specific skill sets and they hunt all these 1544 01:15:14,080 --> 01:15:16,880 Speaker 2: different ways. Like after that year, coming back and hunting 1545 01:15:16,920 --> 01:15:19,439 Speaker 2: my own places I used to hunt forever, all of 1546 01:15:19,439 --> 01:15:21,520 Speaker 2: a sudden, I've got all these new tools in my toolbox, 1547 01:15:21,760 --> 01:15:23,640 Speaker 2: all these new ideas, all these different things that all 1548 01:15:23,680 --> 01:15:25,920 Speaker 2: of a sudden I feel more comfortable trying. I would 1549 01:15:25,920 --> 01:15:28,840 Speaker 2: have never tried the you know, hunting without a tree 1550 01:15:28,840 --> 01:15:31,360 Speaker 2: on the ground that led to me killing that buck 1551 01:15:31,360 --> 01:15:35,160 Speaker 2: in Nebraska this year, or this situation where I killed 1552 01:15:35,160 --> 01:15:37,240 Speaker 2: this one sneaking in and belly crawling in on one, 1553 01:15:37,360 --> 01:15:39,800 Speaker 2: or last year when I saw that other buck in 1554 01:15:39,880 --> 01:15:42,080 Speaker 2: Michigan and had to climb on out of my tree 1555 01:15:42,080 --> 01:15:44,559 Speaker 2: stand after I saw him bedded and sneak up on 1556 01:15:44,640 --> 01:15:46,920 Speaker 2: him to get a shot at him. Or I mean, 1557 01:15:46,960 --> 01:15:49,320 Speaker 2: I could point back to so many different things where 1558 01:15:49,720 --> 01:15:52,320 Speaker 2: the only reason why I thought of these ideas or 1559 01:15:52,360 --> 01:15:55,000 Speaker 2: had the confidence to try them was because I'd gone 1560 01:15:55,040 --> 01:15:57,519 Speaker 2: to new places and been forced to do new things, 1561 01:15:57,760 --> 01:16:00,840 Speaker 2: forced to learn new ideas, forced to get outside of 1562 01:16:00,840 --> 01:16:03,680 Speaker 2: that comfort zone. And then all of that comes back 1563 01:16:03,720 --> 01:16:06,599 Speaker 2: and helps me even in the local spots too. So 1564 01:16:06,600 --> 01:16:12,040 Speaker 2: it's it's a very it's it's a process that comes 1565 01:16:12,080 --> 01:16:14,240 Speaker 2: back to what I think you've preached a lot, which is, 1566 01:16:14,720 --> 01:16:16,800 Speaker 2: you know, getting out of your getting outside of your 1567 01:16:16,800 --> 01:16:20,280 Speaker 2: comfort zone. And there's many different ways you can do that. 1568 01:16:20,760 --> 01:16:22,120 Speaker 2: The better, that's all. 1569 01:16:22,160 --> 01:16:26,280 Speaker 3: It's all going to help for sure. So I very 1570 01:16:26,320 --> 01:16:28,200 Speaker 3: recently did that and it was a blast. 1571 01:16:30,040 --> 01:16:33,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do want to hear about that. Do we 1572 01:16:33,320 --> 01:16:36,559 Speaker 2: look before I hear about that. I want to make sure. 1573 01:16:38,240 --> 01:16:40,120 Speaker 2: I want to make sure that I think through if 1574 01:16:40,120 --> 01:16:43,360 Speaker 2: there's any other major point that's worth pulling out of 1575 01:16:43,400 --> 01:16:47,000 Speaker 2: this story really quick. And I think, you know, big 1576 01:16:47,000 --> 01:16:49,240 Speaker 2: picture things that I take away. We talked through the 1577 01:16:49,280 --> 01:16:55,080 Speaker 2: whole shooting. We talked through you know, getting comfortable with 1578 01:16:55,120 --> 01:16:58,880 Speaker 2: discomfort and try new things and the aggressive styles. I think, 1579 01:16:59,040 --> 01:17:01,840 Speaker 2: you know, the thing with this deer didn't necessarily help 1580 01:17:01,880 --> 01:17:03,840 Speaker 2: me kill him in the end, but it did help 1581 01:17:03,920 --> 01:17:08,440 Speaker 2: me have these opportunities over the years is just you know, scouting. 1582 01:17:09,479 --> 01:17:11,360 Speaker 2: Take that back, It did help me kill this deer 1583 01:17:11,520 --> 01:17:15,479 Speaker 2: because I have put a huge emphasis on scouting and 1584 01:17:15,560 --> 01:17:19,160 Speaker 2: glassing and keeping tabs of information, like you know, if 1585 01:17:19,160 --> 01:17:20,960 Speaker 2: you have the luxury and I know, it's a luxury 1586 01:17:21,040 --> 01:17:23,240 Speaker 2: that not everybody has. Not everybody lives close enough to 1587 01:17:23,240 --> 01:17:24,840 Speaker 2: their properties that they can get out and scout, or 1588 01:17:24,840 --> 01:17:26,840 Speaker 2: not everybody has a property where they can see deer 1589 01:17:26,960 --> 01:17:30,000 Speaker 2: year after year. So I recognize that I'm very fortunate 1590 01:17:30,040 --> 01:17:32,400 Speaker 2: to have permission on some pieces like that where I can. 1591 01:17:33,560 --> 01:17:38,439 Speaker 2: But the fact that I have put a premium on 1592 01:17:39,439 --> 01:17:41,280 Speaker 2: getting out to glass as many times as they can, 1593 01:17:41,439 --> 01:17:43,479 Speaker 2: the fact that I have kept track of every siding 1594 01:17:43,520 --> 01:17:45,360 Speaker 2: I have of these deer, all those little things have 1595 01:17:45,400 --> 01:17:47,760 Speaker 2: helped me be in the right zones. And finally, in 1596 01:17:47,800 --> 01:17:50,599 Speaker 2: this case, it helped me spot the deer that morning. 1597 01:17:50,880 --> 01:17:53,280 Speaker 2: I couldn't hunt, but I was gonna be, you know, watching, 1598 01:17:53,840 --> 01:17:59,439 Speaker 2: and I saw him and that huge difference, and so 1599 01:17:59,479 --> 01:18:02,240 Speaker 2: scout sut scout, scout learn, learn, learn. I mean that 1600 01:18:02,320 --> 01:18:06,320 Speaker 2: goes back to our very first episode we did this season, Tony, 1601 01:18:06,360 --> 01:18:09,200 Speaker 2: after you killed that buck in Minnesota and I killed 1602 01:18:09,240 --> 01:18:12,200 Speaker 2: mine in Wisconsin. Both of those we had stories about 1603 01:18:12,200 --> 01:18:15,800 Speaker 2: how taking the extra time to scout, prioritizing scouting more 1604 01:18:16,280 --> 01:18:18,680 Speaker 2: versus hunting more, you know, in a certain way, that's 1605 01:18:18,720 --> 01:18:20,559 Speaker 2: what actually helped me kill this year too, because I 1606 01:18:20,600 --> 01:18:22,439 Speaker 2: had a couple of nights a couple of different times 1607 01:18:22,439 --> 01:18:24,320 Speaker 2: of glassing. I saw him in this grassy swale. Gave 1608 01:18:24,360 --> 01:18:26,280 Speaker 2: me the confidence to watch it again and then sure enough, 1609 01:18:26,320 --> 01:18:31,559 Speaker 2: there he is. So that informed nature of things is critical. 1610 01:18:34,360 --> 01:18:36,840 Speaker 2: So I think that's I think that's probably it on 1611 01:18:36,960 --> 01:18:39,360 Speaker 2: my story. Glad to be able to tie a bow 1612 01:18:39,439 --> 01:18:43,519 Speaker 2: on the wide nine story and excited to share that 1613 01:18:44,080 --> 01:18:47,160 Speaker 2: in technicolor in a film. We filmed this whole thing too, 1614 01:18:47,439 --> 01:18:49,720 Speaker 2: so it should be a wild ride to put on 1615 01:18:49,760 --> 01:18:51,040 Speaker 2: the On the YouTube. 1616 01:18:51,080 --> 01:18:53,080 Speaker 3: You sound like a nineteen thirties drifter. 1617 01:18:52,960 --> 01:18:59,479 Speaker 2: There, technic color. I've been watching I've been watching the 1618 01:18:59,680 --> 01:19:01,800 Speaker 2: Marvel Missus Maisel. Have you ever seen that show? 1619 01:19:02,479 --> 01:19:02,759 Speaker 3: Yep? 1620 01:19:02,800 --> 01:19:06,320 Speaker 2: So it's got me talking like an old timer. Okay, 1621 01:19:06,960 --> 01:19:10,160 Speaker 2: give me five minutes, give me five minutes on your 1622 01:19:10,320 --> 01:19:13,759 Speaker 2: recent hunt, and then I've got to actually run. But 1623 01:19:13,800 --> 01:19:15,519 Speaker 2: you had a fun gun hunt too, right, Tony. 1624 01:19:15,920 --> 01:19:19,240 Speaker 4: I did, Man, You know I got the chance to go. 1625 01:19:20,040 --> 01:19:21,600 Speaker 4: The buck that I killed earlier this year was in 1626 01:19:21,640 --> 01:19:23,599 Speaker 4: the CWD zone, so I killed it with my bow, 1627 01:19:24,080 --> 01:19:27,120 Speaker 4: so that year doesn't count against my statewide total. So 1628 01:19:27,160 --> 01:19:30,160 Speaker 4: I could hunt outside of that zone for a buck 1629 01:19:30,240 --> 01:19:33,120 Speaker 4: somewhere else, and I haven't really had the chance to 1630 01:19:33,160 --> 01:19:35,200 Speaker 4: do that. Ever since, they've really instituted a lot of 1631 01:19:35,200 --> 01:19:37,120 Speaker 4: the CWD rules down there, just because I haven't had 1632 01:19:37,160 --> 01:19:40,639 Speaker 4: much time, but this Western Minnesota stuff has gotten under 1633 01:19:40,680 --> 01:19:43,040 Speaker 4: my skin. I hunted there last year one week in November. 1634 01:19:43,040 --> 01:19:46,840 Speaker 4: I got my ass kicked. I can't handle it, you know, 1635 01:19:46,920 --> 01:19:48,800 Speaker 4: I needed to go back and try it. I just 1636 01:19:48,840 --> 01:19:52,800 Speaker 4: had the chance for muzzleloader opener to go, and dude, 1637 01:19:52,840 --> 01:19:54,720 Speaker 4: I got up at three o'clock. It's a three and 1638 01:19:54,720 --> 01:19:57,519 Speaker 4: a half hour drive down there. Almost I was like, 1639 01:19:57,560 --> 01:19:59,920 Speaker 4: this is so dumb. I'm going into public land that 1640 01:20:00,080 --> 01:20:02,559 Speaker 4: I know. I know there's going to be people in there, 1641 01:20:03,640 --> 01:20:05,040 Speaker 4: and I'm kind of like, where can I go to 1642 01:20:05,120 --> 01:20:07,120 Speaker 4: have the best chance to see something go bed down 1643 01:20:07,200 --> 01:20:08,599 Speaker 4: kind of like you were talking about, and then maybe 1644 01:20:08,600 --> 01:20:10,840 Speaker 4: get in there cause it's pretty wide open stuff. You know, 1645 01:20:10,880 --> 01:20:15,360 Speaker 4: it's CRP and cattails and not much real cover. Drive 1646 01:20:15,400 --> 01:20:17,200 Speaker 4: all the way down there and I call an audible 1647 01:20:17,640 --> 01:20:20,600 Speaker 4: like and two hours into my drive, I'm like, I 1648 01:20:20,640 --> 01:20:22,240 Speaker 4: got to go to this property that I know a 1649 01:20:22,280 --> 01:20:25,000 Speaker 4: lot of deer winter on. And so I went in 1650 01:20:25,000 --> 01:20:27,200 Speaker 4: a totally different direction from my plan when I left 1651 01:20:27,240 --> 01:20:31,080 Speaker 4: my house. I get there, you know, maybe twenty minutes 1652 01:20:31,120 --> 01:20:34,280 Speaker 4: before first light, and there's a truck parked in the 1653 01:20:34,320 --> 01:20:36,240 Speaker 4: parking area that I was thinking about parking at. So 1654 01:20:36,240 --> 01:20:37,720 Speaker 4: I'm like, well, I'll go to where I know I 1655 01:20:37,760 --> 01:20:39,800 Speaker 4: probably should go, which is a lot harder to get 1656 01:20:39,840 --> 01:20:42,479 Speaker 4: into this property. It's a lot longer walk. But I'm like, 1657 01:20:42,520 --> 01:20:44,439 Speaker 4: these guys are probably going to push deer my way. 1658 01:20:45,200 --> 01:20:47,519 Speaker 4: So I go park, get in. There see a guy 1659 01:20:47,560 --> 01:20:50,479 Speaker 4: in a box blind on this private fence line looking 1660 01:20:50,520 --> 01:20:52,280 Speaker 4: into the public. So I'm like, okay, I got guys 1661 01:20:52,360 --> 01:20:55,240 Speaker 4: hunting below me. I got that guy there, and I 1662 01:20:55,360 --> 01:20:58,040 Speaker 4: go just get into this property a little ways and 1663 01:20:58,080 --> 01:21:01,080 Speaker 4: it's just getting light, and I'm like, I better glass 1664 01:21:01,120 --> 01:21:03,479 Speaker 4: this grass before I go because I can see a lot. 1665 01:21:04,479 --> 01:21:06,839 Speaker 4: Look down there's a nice buck walking through this public 1666 01:21:06,840 --> 01:21:09,280 Speaker 4: creek bottom. Like first year, I see, you know, like 1667 01:21:09,320 --> 01:21:13,160 Speaker 4: one twenty type deer, great buck for there. So I'm like, okay, 1668 01:21:13,160 --> 01:21:15,599 Speaker 4: there's That's what I'm focused on. And then I start 1669 01:21:15,600 --> 01:21:17,759 Speaker 4: picking out deer. It was like a Western hunt because 1670 01:21:17,840 --> 01:21:19,679 Speaker 4: I just had some elevation and I'm like, okay, there's 1671 01:21:19,760 --> 01:21:22,160 Speaker 4: dont two fonds that looks like another buck, But I didn't. 1672 01:21:22,200 --> 01:21:24,320 Speaker 4: I only had my binos. I didn't have a spot 1673 01:21:24,400 --> 01:21:26,840 Speaker 4: er with me, so anyway, I have to wait for 1674 01:21:26,960 --> 01:21:30,479 Speaker 4: all these deer to go through to get beyond this 1675 01:21:30,479 --> 01:21:32,519 Speaker 4: little hillside so I can move up to where I 1676 01:21:32,560 --> 01:21:34,280 Speaker 4: really wanted to be to see them go into the 1677 01:21:34,320 --> 01:21:38,760 Speaker 4: bedding stuff. And they filter through and I finally get 1678 01:21:38,800 --> 01:21:40,320 Speaker 4: a chance to go up there, and I pick them 1679 01:21:40,320 --> 01:21:44,280 Speaker 4: all up again. You know, I'm four hundred yards closer 1680 01:21:44,320 --> 01:21:48,040 Speaker 4: this time, and they're all milling through this willows and 1681 01:21:48,160 --> 01:21:51,240 Speaker 4: dogwood to go to this big cat tail slough. So 1682 01:21:51,439 --> 01:21:54,360 Speaker 4: just randomly, I hear a shot and I look over 1683 01:21:54,560 --> 01:21:57,559 Speaker 4: and there's a kid and his dad and a couple 1684 01:21:57,560 --> 01:22:00,719 Speaker 4: other people in this parking area. They shot a buck 1685 01:22:00,720 --> 01:22:04,920 Speaker 4: in the ditch from their truck. You know, he was 1686 01:22:05,120 --> 01:22:08,479 Speaker 4: standing outside. So anyway, I'm kind of like watching my 1687 01:22:08,560 --> 01:22:11,120 Speaker 4: deer and watching this unfold, like come on, guys, whatever, 1688 01:22:11,640 --> 01:22:14,320 Speaker 4: so they you know this is happening. And I watch 1689 01:22:14,360 --> 01:22:16,360 Speaker 4: these deer get into this cover where I lose them, 1690 01:22:17,000 --> 01:22:19,080 Speaker 4: and I'm like, they're gonna go in there and bed down. 1691 01:22:20,080 --> 01:22:21,920 Speaker 4: It's cattails. You're not going to get in on them, right, 1692 01:22:22,320 --> 01:22:24,120 Speaker 4: So I'm like, okay, but I know where they went through. 1693 01:22:24,160 --> 01:22:26,200 Speaker 4: I know where they're going to go back, probably tonight. 1694 01:22:26,640 --> 01:22:28,439 Speaker 4: So as I'm sitting there, the guy who's in the 1695 01:22:28,439 --> 01:22:30,880 Speaker 4: box blind shoots. I'm like Jesus, like everybody's on deer 1696 01:22:30,920 --> 01:22:34,880 Speaker 4: but me, And anyway, I get out watch them bed 1697 01:22:34,920 --> 01:22:38,479 Speaker 4: down or watch them get into that cover and sneak 1698 01:22:38,520 --> 01:22:40,040 Speaker 4: down there to look for a spot to set up 1699 01:22:40,080 --> 01:22:42,240 Speaker 4: to catch them coming out, and it's like, you know, 1700 01:22:42,280 --> 01:22:45,720 Speaker 4: it's brush and grass, there's like nothing. You know, you're 1701 01:22:45,760 --> 01:22:48,240 Speaker 4: not getting into a tree. But I find a spot 1702 01:22:48,280 --> 01:22:50,080 Speaker 4: with the wind, and I'm like, if they pass through here, 1703 01:22:50,360 --> 01:22:51,920 Speaker 4: they're going to be within one hundred and fifty yards 1704 01:22:51,960 --> 01:22:55,200 Speaker 4: of me somewhere and probably close set up that night. 1705 01:22:55,520 --> 01:22:58,799 Speaker 4: Six dos come through at different times, all easy in range, 1706 01:22:58,920 --> 01:23:01,160 Speaker 4: no bucks. Like okay, well, I got a plan for 1707 01:23:01,200 --> 01:23:04,000 Speaker 4: tomorrow morning because I know the cut cornfield they're probably 1708 01:23:04,000 --> 01:23:06,599 Speaker 4: going to and coming back from. So I get up 1709 01:23:07,200 --> 01:23:09,960 Speaker 4: so early because I have to walk across this. Like 1710 01:23:10,000 --> 01:23:11,439 Speaker 4: I thought about you, I'm like this is like a 1711 01:23:11,520 --> 01:23:14,599 Speaker 4: Mark Kenyon approved thing because it's like two hours before 1712 01:23:14,640 --> 01:23:17,640 Speaker 4: first light because I have to cross that opening. And 1713 01:23:17,680 --> 01:23:19,479 Speaker 4: then I pull a spencer New Hearts because I have 1714 01:23:19,520 --> 01:23:22,280 Speaker 4: nowhere to sit, so I'm like hiding behind a fence 1715 01:23:22,320 --> 01:23:24,439 Speaker 4: post that has some like public land signs on it, 1716 01:23:25,200 --> 01:23:28,280 Speaker 4: and like forty five minutes before first light, the first 1717 01:23:28,320 --> 01:23:30,720 Speaker 4: dose starts blowing in the dark and then it's just 1718 01:23:30,760 --> 01:23:33,680 Speaker 4: like on and off they're blowing and it gets light. 1719 01:23:33,760 --> 01:23:35,920 Speaker 4: I'm like, well, maybe because it was super windy. I'm like, 1720 01:23:35,960 --> 01:23:38,880 Speaker 4: maybe something else will come through. Nothing comes through. I 1721 01:23:38,880 --> 01:23:43,400 Speaker 4: don't see a deer, so I'm like, okay, I get up. 1722 01:23:43,439 --> 01:23:45,800 Speaker 4: I'm like, I don't want to hunt here tonight. I'm 1723 01:23:45,800 --> 01:23:47,559 Speaker 4: gonna go somewhere else. So I'm gonna go look at 1724 01:23:47,560 --> 01:23:49,160 Speaker 4: this betting area because I've got a little bit of 1725 01:23:49,160 --> 01:23:51,600 Speaker 4: fresh snow, like an inch of it, maybe maybe not 1726 01:23:51,640 --> 01:23:54,719 Speaker 4: even an inch. And I go get into that betting 1727 01:23:54,760 --> 01:23:56,559 Speaker 4: area because I'm like where did these deer go? Like 1728 01:23:56,600 --> 01:23:59,160 Speaker 4: why didn't any of them come back in here? And 1729 01:23:59,200 --> 01:24:00,600 Speaker 4: I get to the edge of the cattails and I 1730 01:24:00,600 --> 01:24:03,840 Speaker 4: see a dough track going in there fresh and I'm like, 1731 01:24:04,080 --> 01:24:07,240 Speaker 4: I wonder if I could just follow it kick one up, 1732 01:24:07,720 --> 01:24:09,840 Speaker 4: And so I just followed it a little ways and 1733 01:24:09,880 --> 01:24:11,760 Speaker 4: this dough gets out of her bed like ten yards 1734 01:24:11,760 --> 01:24:14,080 Speaker 4: away from me and just bounds off and I was like, well, 1735 01:24:14,080 --> 01:24:15,519 Speaker 4: now I know what I'm gonna do for the next 1736 01:24:15,600 --> 01:24:18,080 Speaker 4: couple hours. And I'm telling you, dude, I walked a 1737 01:24:18,080 --> 01:24:20,720 Speaker 4: little ways and I cut a buck track and I'm 1738 01:24:20,760 --> 01:24:22,320 Speaker 4: just looking at it, like a loan buck track, and 1739 01:24:22,360 --> 01:24:24,800 Speaker 4: I'm like, this is a decent deer. And he I 1740 01:24:24,920 --> 01:24:28,400 Speaker 4: follow him, and he's through every patch of better cover. 1741 01:24:28,479 --> 01:24:31,360 Speaker 4: You can imagine like he took this windy route and 1742 01:24:31,640 --> 01:24:35,280 Speaker 4: never went out anywhere he would expose himself. And I 1743 01:24:35,320 --> 01:24:38,200 Speaker 4: got to this part of the cattails, where as soon 1744 01:24:38,200 --> 01:24:39,679 Speaker 4: as I got in there, I'm like, oh man, there's 1745 01:24:39,680 --> 01:24:41,720 Speaker 4: like not really very much wind here, like it was 1746 01:24:41,760 --> 01:24:44,479 Speaker 4: like this little micro climate. And this like one hundred 1747 01:24:44,479 --> 01:24:46,320 Speaker 4: and twenty hundred and twenty five inch buck gets up 1748 01:24:46,400 --> 01:24:49,080 Speaker 4: right next to me. I mean just and you know, 1749 01:24:49,120 --> 01:24:50,960 Speaker 4: I got the hammer back, but there's like no shot 1750 01:24:51,080 --> 01:24:53,839 Speaker 4: right like he's just running full board through the cattails. 1751 01:24:53,880 --> 01:24:57,040 Speaker 3: I'm like, this is so fun. And so then I 1752 01:24:57,080 --> 01:24:57,920 Speaker 3: tried to follow him. 1753 01:24:57,960 --> 01:25:01,080 Speaker 4: I lost his tracks, got on another buck track, another 1754 01:25:01,120 --> 01:25:02,880 Speaker 4: eight pointer, gets up a smaller deer. 1755 01:25:03,760 --> 01:25:04,639 Speaker 3: He runs off. 1756 01:25:05,040 --> 01:25:08,160 Speaker 4: I got on seven tracks in there and put up 1757 01:25:08,280 --> 01:25:11,280 Speaker 4: seven deer close to me. Wow, And you know three 1758 01:25:11,280 --> 01:25:12,680 Speaker 4: of them were bucks. One of the last one I 1759 01:25:12,720 --> 01:25:15,320 Speaker 4: didn't get a very good look at, but I was like, okay, 1760 01:25:15,560 --> 01:25:17,120 Speaker 4: So then I followed it out because I'm like, how 1761 01:25:17,120 --> 01:25:19,120 Speaker 4: did they get here? And they had come in from 1762 01:25:19,160 --> 01:25:22,599 Speaker 4: a different direction a field on top that was private 1763 01:25:23,240 --> 01:25:25,400 Speaker 4: that I just didn't even kind of factor in because 1764 01:25:25,439 --> 01:25:27,040 Speaker 4: of what I had seen in the morning before. But 1765 01:25:27,080 --> 01:25:30,880 Speaker 4: I'm telling you, dude, I had so much fun because 1766 01:25:30,920 --> 01:25:33,479 Speaker 4: I knew that that snow had only been. 1767 01:25:33,320 --> 01:25:34,759 Speaker 3: There like two hours. 1768 01:25:34,840 --> 01:25:37,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, so when you cut that track, You're like, they're 1769 01:25:37,320 --> 01:25:38,679 Speaker 4: gonna be here, and I knew, you know, the odds 1770 01:25:38,720 --> 01:25:41,000 Speaker 4: of getting a good shot were really low. But I 1771 01:25:41,040 --> 01:25:44,479 Speaker 4: was like I learned so much looking at their beds 1772 01:25:44,479 --> 01:25:46,360 Speaker 4: and seeing those deer run out of them, and then 1773 01:25:46,479 --> 01:25:48,559 Speaker 4: backtracking that and going, Okay, this is how they got 1774 01:25:48,560 --> 01:25:50,880 Speaker 4: here this morning. They didn't go anywhere near me, like 1775 01:25:50,920 --> 01:25:53,639 Speaker 4: I never even considered it, And then you look, okay, 1776 01:25:53,640 --> 01:25:56,000 Speaker 4: they're all positioned this way because of the wind, and 1777 01:25:56,040 --> 01:25:58,720 Speaker 4: this is where they're at. How they traveled. It was, dude, 1778 01:25:58,760 --> 01:26:01,240 Speaker 4: it was like a the whole time. I was like, 1779 01:26:01,360 --> 01:26:04,200 Speaker 4: I feel like I'm learning so much about hunting this 1780 01:26:04,320 --> 01:26:06,080 Speaker 4: environment that I'm just not that familiar with. 1781 01:26:07,040 --> 01:26:08,920 Speaker 2: Goes right back to what we were talking about ten 1782 01:26:08,960 --> 01:26:12,479 Speaker 2: minutes ago going to these new places like you started 1783 01:26:12,479 --> 01:26:14,960 Speaker 2: doing last year on the spot, and it took you 1784 01:26:14,960 --> 01:26:16,799 Speaker 2: a little time to kind of figure it out, explore 1785 01:26:16,840 --> 01:26:19,759 Speaker 2: different spots, and now you're learning new things that won't 1786 01:26:19,800 --> 01:26:20,400 Speaker 2: just help you there. 1787 01:26:20,800 --> 01:26:23,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I know you got to go. Let me 1788 01:26:23,040 --> 01:26:24,160 Speaker 3: wrap this up with one lesson. 1789 01:26:25,280 --> 01:26:30,160 Speaker 4: I saw twenty people hunting that property on Saturday, between pheasants. 1790 01:26:30,200 --> 01:26:33,880 Speaker 4: There was one group of eleven pheasant hunters, other random 1791 01:26:33,880 --> 01:26:36,479 Speaker 4: pheasant hunters, other muscle order hunters. There ended up being 1792 01:26:36,479 --> 01:26:39,519 Speaker 4: like six muzzleloader hunters in there. I never saw a 1793 01:26:39,680 --> 01:26:42,639 Speaker 4: single hunter pheasant or deer hunter get more than two 1794 01:26:42,680 --> 01:26:45,000 Speaker 4: hundred and fifty yards from the road. And this is 1795 01:26:45,040 --> 01:26:49,120 Speaker 4: a place that's probably it's big, it's probably I don't know, 1796 01:26:49,120 --> 01:26:51,800 Speaker 4: pushing a thousand acres between the different parts of it. 1797 01:26:52,760 --> 01:26:55,719 Speaker 4: Everybody who hunted in there stayed close to the parking 1798 01:26:55,760 --> 01:26:58,439 Speaker 4: areas in the roads, and those deer were smack dab 1799 01:26:58,479 --> 01:27:02,200 Speaker 4: in the middle. And not not to mention the billion 1800 01:27:02,280 --> 01:27:04,920 Speaker 4: roosters I kicked up while I was, you know, tracking 1801 01:27:04,960 --> 01:27:06,599 Speaker 4: deer in there. I mean, it was just like such 1802 01:27:06,600 --> 01:27:09,120 Speaker 4: a lesson on, like getting to see, okay, the people 1803 01:27:09,160 --> 01:27:11,080 Speaker 4: stay there, the animals go here. 1804 01:27:11,520 --> 01:27:11,920 Speaker 3: That's it. 1805 01:27:12,880 --> 01:27:17,760 Speaker 2: There you go. Not rocket science sometimes, no, although I 1806 01:27:17,760 --> 01:27:20,120 Speaker 2: know you would like it to be rocket science and 1807 01:27:20,160 --> 01:27:21,760 Speaker 2: all that space stuff you enjoy. 1808 01:27:23,400 --> 01:27:25,120 Speaker 3: I do love rocket science. 1809 01:27:25,520 --> 01:27:28,000 Speaker 2: You do love some rocket science. And on that note, 1810 01:27:28,080 --> 01:27:31,000 Speaker 2: I do need to wrap this sucker up, Tony. So 1811 01:27:31,040 --> 01:27:33,439 Speaker 2: thanks man for coming on here and hear my story 1812 01:27:33,479 --> 01:27:36,719 Speaker 2: and and uh talking through some ideas and some questions 1813 01:27:36,720 --> 01:27:40,680 Speaker 2: and lessons learned from that one. It was. It's a 1814 01:27:40,720 --> 01:27:45,040 Speaker 2: good feeling to close that hunt out and to have 1815 01:27:45,120 --> 01:27:46,680 Speaker 2: that memory that never makes so so. 1816 01:27:46,680 --> 01:27:48,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, buddy, congratulations on that deer dude. 1817 01:27:49,479 --> 01:27:52,840 Speaker 2: Thank you sir. All Right, my friend, let's shut this down. 1818 01:27:53,040 --> 01:27:57,360 Speaker 2: Let's touch base again soon, and thank you to everyone listening. 1819 01:27:57,520 --> 01:28:00,320 Speaker 2: Appreciate you being here with us through the month of November. 1820 01:28:00,800 --> 01:28:02,840 Speaker 2: This episode is coming out, I think on the last 1821 01:28:02,920 --> 01:28:05,840 Speaker 2: day of November. So next episode we will be truly 1822 01:28:05,920 --> 01:28:09,200 Speaker 2: kicking off late season and it can be a great season, 1823 01:28:09,240 --> 01:28:12,240 Speaker 2: they say. And that being said, don't give up, hope, 1824 01:28:12,600 --> 01:28:15,040 Speaker 2: keep on getting out there, have some fun, and until 1825 01:28:15,080 --> 01:28:18,519 Speaker 2: next time, stay wired to Hunt.