1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Foundations podcast. I'm your host 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. We have a special bonus episode for you 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: today where Ben Bredigan from on X and I are 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: going to break down how to find birds on public land. 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: So we are at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo right now 6 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: and I'm about to talk to my buddy Ben, who 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: works for on X, passionate bird hunter, loves to hunt 8 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: roosters just like I do. And we are just going 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit about our strategy for finding 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: birds because a lot of times you hear people say that, 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: you know, there are no public land bird opportunities. And 12 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: we're down here way in the southeast. We're in Charleston, 13 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: South Carolina, so we're kind of in like quail territory, 14 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: and you hear this across the country, and so Ben 15 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: and I are going to break this down right now. 16 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: So Ben, the first question I have for you is 17 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: when you go duck hunting, Let's say you got a 18 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: bunch of mallard scouted out yep. Are you usually the 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: kind of guy who's there before first light or do 20 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: you show up about three hours later. 21 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 2: I like to find I like to find a good 22 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: flight low thing shoot generally where you show up at noon. 23 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm giving Ben a little bit of shit 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,919 Speaker 1: because we had a little scheduling issue this morning. 25 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 2: I was working on Pacific time. In my defense, a 26 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,680 Speaker 2: lot of stuff happens at these shows. Yeah, keep you 27 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: out pretty late, make the mornings a little early. Yeah, 28 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 2: But seriously, man, thanks for thanks for doing this. I 29 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: know you know, you and I have kind of flown 30 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 2: in the same circles. We live in the same state, 31 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 2: and I know you're you're super passionate about the public 32 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: land bird thing. 33 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: Get your dogs out there. And I know you hear this, 34 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: and I hear this a lot, And this is why 35 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: I want to do this. People people always say I 36 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: would love to haunt x, I would love to hunt. 37 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: Why you hear you know, in this part of the world, 38 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: it's quail, right, there's no bob whit quail left and 39 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: there's nothing worth hunting or the grouse population is low. 40 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: But you find birds every year in multiple species. How 41 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: do you start. Yeah, So here's the biggest thing. 42 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: It's it's uh, it's a bit of a kicker, but 43 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: there shouldn't be a secret. 44 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 3: Is I go to where the birds live? 45 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: Okay, again, Like that's the biggest thing, is like, so 46 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: what do you say to somebody who's like, there are 47 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: no birds on the public land where. 48 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 2: I live, Well, go somewhere else or so come out. 49 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 2: There's two ways to two ways to skin the cat. 50 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: First is go to where they live, go to where 51 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: the best populations are if you if you're able, if 52 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 2: you want to travel. But there's also on the flip side, 53 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: if you want to stay local, like there are odds 54 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 2: are there are birds, especially when we talked about pest 55 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: in country, like there will be birds there. It is 56 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 2: just finding the optimal piece of habitat to be able 57 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 2: to hunt. Like it's you know, on bad bird years, 58 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: there are only birds in the best spots. On good 59 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: bird years, then you can go hunt marginal habitat and 60 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 2: still find birds. But it's just depending on where you know, 61 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: where are they going to live. You see this a lot. 62 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: You know, I live in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, 63 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: and so when I moved up to that's part of 64 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: the reason I started duck hunting, because I could find 65 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: migratory birds that would hit some of the ponds and 66 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: the rivers, and I had to you know, I would 67 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: rather pheasant hunt. I just would, but that's not what 68 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: you have. And then you start to realize, Okay, well there, 69 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: I'm not going to kill a grouse here, I'm not 70 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: going to kill a rooster. But the woodcock migration comes through, 71 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: and now you're out there sitting on your tree standing 72 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: in early October and you're like, Okay, there's another opportunity 73 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: happening here. And I think I see this a lot, 74 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: you know, like with people who dream about Western big game, 75 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: like I'd love to hunt elk, but I never will 76 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: because of y or Z. It's like, well there's still 77 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: hunts out there, but you you're gonna have to change 78 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: like your expectations, right, And the bird world, it's easier 79 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: to be like there are no pheasants, there's no wild 80 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: pheasants in Iowa anymore, and I'm not going to do it. 81 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: And it's like that's just that's just not true, right, right, 82 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: Like there are they're there. Well, that's one thing I 83 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: really appreciate, appreciate about you, Tony, is like I followed 84 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: you a lot, like the big game deer hunting, Like 85 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 2: you go out and it's it's all about expectations, right, 86 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: you know, you weren't going out and shooting booters, but 87 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 2: like you were successful in a lot of different states 88 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: chasing deer, and it was that's a that's a great 89 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 2: eye opener. It should be an example for a lot 90 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 2: of people. It's like, yeah, you can go do this. 91 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: Don't expect to light the world on fire just just 92 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 2: because you went to South Dakota. Don't expect that you're 93 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 2: gonna light the world on fire. It's still tough in 94 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 2: a lot of situations on public land, but if you 95 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 2: set those expectations correctly, it's gonna be a successful trip. 96 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 2: And what's I always tell people, if you go and 97 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: do it, go drive and experience it. 98 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:33,799 Speaker 3: What's the worst that's gonna happen? 99 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: Like, you're not gonna find a bunch of birds, right, 100 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: that's fine, right, You're not gonna die generally hopefully not 101 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 2: right right? 102 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 3: Well, And that's I kind of I kind of equate this. 103 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: You know, I grew up in southeastern Minnesota, so I 104 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: fish the Mississippi River a lot. And if you were 105 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: like a Basque guy or a northern guy, walleyes would 106 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: be a little different. But you could look at the 107 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: backwaters of the Mississippi and be like, there are thousands 108 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: and thousands of acres of basque cover bassie looking cove right, right, 109 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: But you start getting in there and there's no current here, 110 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: and it's kind of it's not the right stuff. And 111 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: then you find that sand drop or you find something 112 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: where you're like, oh, they are here because the shatter 113 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: fed to them or whatever. There's like an advantage people 114 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: in the bird world. You take pheasants and you go, 115 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: I want to walk that nhigh crp and I want 116 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: to watch my dog work perfectly and flush those birds 117 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: when it's birdy, or get on that tripod point. And 118 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: it's like, if you're on a private place that's been 119 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: babysat or your early season and you have that high population, 120 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: you might be able to expect that hunt if it's 121 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: at if it's December. 122 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 3: That's not going to be your reality in most situations, right. 123 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: So it's a matter of people think that they're going 124 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,919 Speaker 1: to go out there. Their expectation is that I'm going 125 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: to go out there because you hunt pheasants this way 126 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: in this cover. 127 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, but those pheasants that live. 128 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: That way and that cover are dead, and so you 129 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: have to go, Okay, my hunt is going to be 130 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: different now, But it doesn't mean that they're not there. Yeah, 131 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,119 Speaker 1: just means that they're not gonna be there where it's easy. 132 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 3: Well. 133 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 2: And the other thing too, is like they might be there, 134 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 2: but it's a situation that doesn't yield itself well for 135 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 2: you being able to get on them and shoot them. 136 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 3: Right. 137 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 2: Sure, they're certainly utilizing maybe it's like early successional habitat, 138 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 2: but the problem is is it's thin, it's short, They're 139 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 2: gonna be spooky, they're gonna run, and where are they 140 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 2: gonna run to or fly to? 141 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 3: The cattails? Right? And that's where you got to play 142 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 3: with them in a lot of situations, right. 143 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: And that's you know, I always tell people we were 144 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: talking right before this, you know, like my my, the 145 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: closest thing to dying and going to heaven for me 146 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: right now is walking into a giant cat tail slew 147 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: in the late season because I know there's enough birds 148 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: in there to work. Whether I'm gonna walk out. 149 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 3: With a limit or not. 150 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: I know my dog is gonna be bloody and it's 151 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: gonna be a it's you're gonna feel like you did something. 152 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: But I I always tell people like we pull into 153 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: parking areas and we'll see people leaving and you can 154 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: still look out there, and if it's the right cover 155 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: and you know how to read it, you're like, there's 156 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: multiple limits here. 157 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 3: Still, I just need to solve for that. 158 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: And so instead of going and walking around the edge 159 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: like the last guy did and all the birds got 160 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: pushed in the middle, or you know, you think about 161 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,679 Speaker 1: I use coming from the space that I come from. 162 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: I use on X for white tail hunting and western hunting, 163 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: religiously turkey haunting trips. What I didn't realize was how 164 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: how I had started using it just to find parcels 165 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: right Like, I'm like, okay, well I could peasant hunt 166 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: this three twenty or this section or whatever. But you 167 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: start toggling between layers and seeing low land and then 168 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: looking at it, you know, like on the top of 169 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: a layer, and then looking at it on you know, 170 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: the hybrid layer or whatever and seeing, okay, now it 171 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: looks like this is mostly this, but in the back 172 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: corner there's a huge kattoo slew or something lower where 173 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: those birds are going to be, and you can start 174 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: to be targeted instead of burning yourself out and burning 175 00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: your dog out. And I think a lot of people 176 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: do that where they're like, I'm just gonna accept that 177 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: this is gonna suck and not be good instead of 178 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: going like, okay, well, if you have X amount of 179 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:11,119 Speaker 1: physical capital and you're gonna burn it on the grass 180 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: hunt where they're not gonna be you could go hunt 181 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: that cattail salu that's in the back corner and probably 182 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: have a better chance, or go hit that vein of 183 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: willows or dogwood or whatever and. 184 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 3: Just just make it happen. Yeah. 185 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I applaud you for going and busting cattails. 186 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,119 Speaker 2: My like, my, uh, my technique is a little different 187 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 2: because I absolutely hate just marching through Like that sounds 188 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,719 Speaker 2: like my hell, So that is very fun that you're 189 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 2: like I love this. 190 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 3: That's cool. 191 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 2: But yeah, like the biggest thing is being successful. Whether 192 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 2: it's quail, whether it's pheasants, whether it's X y Z 193 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 2: bird species. The people that I find that are good 194 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 2: at scouting are people that can understand aerial imagery and 195 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 2: translate to what that looks like on the ground, right 196 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 2: that like that period, like if I could you look 197 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 2: at a map and you're like, oh, that's you know, 198 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 2: that looks like some cattails next to some thick grass. Okay, 199 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 2: here's you know, here's some like a little shelter belt 200 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 2: next to it. Okay, the grass gets a little thicker, 201 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 2: grass gets a little thicker, and they can you can 202 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 2: just quickly look at a map and say, oh, yeah, 203 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 2: that'll be a good spot, right. 204 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: That's the that's the biggest thing, And that's that's something 205 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: we preach on the on the white tail side specifically. 206 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: A lot is like, you know, if you're winter scouting 207 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: and you find something, look at what it looks like, 208 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: so you can repeat that pattern. When you draw that, 209 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: I would tag and it one of the one of 210 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: the places that I think that that's most valuable. So 211 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: I talk a lot about pheasants because I love it, 212 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: and I know you do. But when you think about 213 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: the big wood stuff, whether you're in uh, you know, 214 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: northern Michigan, or you're in some of these swamps down 215 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: here somewhere and you have some level of timber activity 216 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 1: and you have some level of true swamp edge, you know, 217 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,079 Speaker 1: maybe where you'll have your woodcock or whatever, when you start, 218 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: when you start to plan your routes around that stuff 219 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: instead of just like, okay, I'm gonna walk the two 220 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,679 Speaker 1: track that literally everybody walks, right, and those dumb grouse 221 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: have been shot out since September twentieth. And you start 222 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: to do that, and you go, okay, well I flushed 223 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,839 Speaker 1: three birds in a row on this walk. Why are 224 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: you on that soft edge? Was there timber? 225 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 3: You know? Did they clear cut this seven years ago? 226 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 3: Like what are you working with? 227 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: Because as soon as you start putting those pieces together, 228 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: You're like, I'm not wasting time anymore. 229 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, Like I'm I have. 230 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: A calculated route and I know the wind, and so 231 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: I'm like, well I can swoop down here find some woodcock, 232 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: or there should be grouse on this route. And man, 233 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: you start putting pieces like patterns like that together, so fun. 234 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, and and and to that point, it's like, you know, 235 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: you talk about whether it's a big marsh or a 236 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 2: big woods. It's those nuances that often make a difference, like, oh, 237 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: this is just a giant patch of woods. It's like no, no, 238 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 2: Like if you move a bird, I mean I do 239 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 2: it a lot with fishing too. It's like why is 240 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 2: that bird here? 241 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 3: Right? 242 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 2: Like, open up its crop, look at why it's here, 243 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 2: Especially in the case with the grouse. I think grouse 244 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 2: are much more multi dimensional than a pheasant. Like pheasant's 245 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 2: like you know where they're gonna be, but gross can 246 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 2: be a bit of a game. But yeah, like figure 247 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 2: out stop look around and say, hey, why is this 248 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 2: bird here right now? And then go replicate that. So 249 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 2: that's why I preach like an onyx to go put 250 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 2: a pin. It's like if you shoot a bird, put 251 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: a pin. So then in the moment it's hard to 252 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 2: you know, it's like you're fired up, you want to 253 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 2: go hunt birds like I'm I'm blowing and going when 254 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 2: I'm hunting, but I'll always drop a pin on the 255 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 2: spot I kill a bird, because then I'll take a 256 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 2: step back, like after the hunt or this time of 257 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 2: the year when it's you know, not a lot going on, 258 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 2: and I'll look back and say like, oh, like start 259 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: to put together patterns and start to hone in and 260 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 2: get better at finding birds versus just like oh that 261 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 2: was fun shot birds here. It's like the why behind 262 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 2: it will help make you a better bird hunter huge, 263 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 2: And that's I think that that. 264 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: I think that a lot of people look at bird 265 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: hunting with their dogs sort of like a lot of 266 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: Western hunters look at like elk hunting like I'm going 267 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: to walk down my opportunity. I'm going to go find it, 268 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: and it's I don't need a bunch of inputs, you know, 269 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: Like on the white sail side, we're obsessed with like 270 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: the setup right right, like is it the conditions? 271 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 3: Is it the spot? 272 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: Like is it what where are they at seasonally? And 273 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: you know, like Western hunting, you're just like I'm gonna 274 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: go out and wait for one to bugle or spot 275 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: one in a meadow. Bird hunters do that a lot 276 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: where they're like, well, I just like walking through this spot, 277 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: So I'm going to just go do this regardless of 278 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: time of day, you know, time of season, right, is 279 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 1: it a Saturday afternoon or is it a Tuesday morning? 280 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: And I'll tell you what I got a lesson last year. 281 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: I do a lot of I do more early season 282 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: grouse hunting than I ever have because I've been over 283 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: in northern Wisconsin a lot the last few years with 284 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: my daughters. Yeah, and that the gray dogwood thing, you know, 285 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: I've been around gray dog woods. They're all over that 286 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: kind of region. But my daughter drew a bear tag 287 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: last year and so we were over there just before 288 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: the deer and the grouse season opened up, baiting bears 289 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: and hunting them, and I had I'm not a good 290 00:12:58,080 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 1: bear hunter, but I had this bear that was really 291 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: and I'm like, God, I hope this one sticks right, 292 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: And I pulled her out of school. I was so 293 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 1: confident that bear was going to come in. We hunted, 294 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: it didn't come in, and I go, so it must 295 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: have known we were there, right, Like, I got to 296 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: fill in the blanks. 297 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 3: Well. 298 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: The next that night, I told my daughter, I said, 299 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: this bear's been coming in randomly all day long. 300 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 3: Let's go do an all day bear sit. See. 301 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, she killed that bear at noon, really, and that 302 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: bear was full, I mean full of gray dogwood berries. 303 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: And so I was like, if this is a valuable 304 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 1: enough food source today to keep a bear from coming 305 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: into a pile of doughnut king and gummy bears and shit, 306 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: then you're like, if you're a grouse, if you're a 307 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: one pound bird out there, that is what you're going 308 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: to do every day until that food source is gone, right, 309 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: And so, like you said, if you're out there and 310 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: you're like I got you know, I'm flushing birds here 311 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: there or whatever, I kill one and you open it 312 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: up and you see those white berries in there because 313 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: they're ripe, Like, there's your pattern. 314 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 3: Where are those Where is that food source? Damn? And 315 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 3: I love that shit. Yeah, that is super interesting. 316 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, because it's like that's a good point, Like I 317 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 2: never thought about that. This year was a we had 318 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 2: a quite a bumper crop for acorns right in a 319 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 2: lot of the state, right right, and this year, more 320 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 2: than ever I have seen. I saw grouse with five 321 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 2: six whole acorns in their crop and early on in 322 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 2: the year, and it was like, at first it was like, oh, 323 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 2: this is interesting, Like whatever I shot this, girls, that's 324 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 2: got a bunch of acorns in it. But like it 325 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: happened consistently, and so we actually spent some time up 326 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 2: up in the northeast part of the state where there 327 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 2: oak trees are not super common. But after seeing this 328 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 2: all year, it was like, this was later in the season, 329 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 2: I'm gonna go and find oak trees. And it was 330 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 2: funny because generally oaks are not gonna be a preferred 331 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 2: species for grouse. Generally, you know it's you're looking for 332 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 2: that stem density. But I turned on I think it 333 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 2: was a oak producing or the acorn producing oaks layer, 334 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 2: and I was like, I'm just gonna try this. I'm 335 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 2: gonna like, I don't care what what the cover looks like, 336 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 2: but I would run my dog in that northeast or 337 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 2: in the northeast region where there's not very many oaks, 338 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 2: I would go and find those oaks, and it seemingly 339 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 2: didn't matter what the cover looked like, right, and there 340 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 2: would be Now whether they would hold or not was 341 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 2: a different story, but there'd be grouse there, right. 342 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 3: So that's I mean. 343 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: One of the things that I've noticed I see this 344 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: a lot with grouse is when you spend a lot 345 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: of time in tree stands, like in the big woods, 346 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: you see them doing things like I think people have 347 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: you kind of alluded to this earlier, Like I think 348 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: people have this idea that rough grouse specifically don't really 349 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: cover a lot of ground, you know, Oh, they don't run, like, 350 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: they don't do a lot of these things that we 351 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: think like people say they don't do, which is they 352 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,200 Speaker 1: do all of those things, and often when there's a 353 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: food source like that, Like I noticed this last year 354 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: when I was hunting in northern Wisconsin. One of the 355 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: spots I set up on this huge chunk of public land, 356 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: just like. 357 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 3: Miles of big woods. 358 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: I had grouse flying into a tree not very far 359 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: away from me, where it was like you would see 360 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: them coming through the woods and they would land in 361 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: their feed and they would. 362 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 3: Fly back out. 363 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: Interesting, and I've seen that in different I've seen that 364 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: sitting because you do like an all day sit. You 365 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: just notice like they're not even walking in a lot 366 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: of times where you'd be like, oh, they're picking along. 367 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: They're like, there's my destination food source going there. I'm 368 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: going there, and then I'm going to leave and go 369 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: back to something that shit's so valuable. 370 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 2: Oh, that's really interesting, especially especially with gross, which are 371 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 2: so multifaceted. That's like another situ or another situation set 372 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 2: up that works well for pheasants, grows x y Z games, 373 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 2: bird species is finding that mosaic of cover where there 374 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 2: are a lot of different parts all together in one area. 375 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 2: Because yeah, with gross, like I mean, I haven't There's 376 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 2: a few people I know that have like figured out 377 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 2: their biologists, like they understand I have not like figured 378 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 2: out the game. So it's like I'm gonna put myself 379 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 2: in an area where there are pines, there's aspens, there's 380 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 2: you know, there's cover if it rains, and I'm gonna 381 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 2: put myself in those areas where there's the most diversity 382 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 2: of cover in one area, because at some point I'm 383 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 2: gonna stumble across something, or my dog isn't gonna go 384 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 2: point something. Same thing for pheasants, cattails, short grass, long grass, crops, 385 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 2: like everything in one area. You increase your odds of 386 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 2: finding something just by happenstance because there's so many types 387 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 2: of cover. 388 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:44,479 Speaker 1: Well, that's so that's a really that's a good point 389 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: because a lot of times we talk about these like 390 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: very specific incidences where you're like, I saw these animals 391 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: do this thing specifically, and so I think people take 392 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: that away and they're like, well, I gotta go out 393 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: and find that lone tree in the big woods that's 394 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: dropping acorns. 395 00:17:57,480 --> 00:17:58,239 Speaker 3: It's not like that. 396 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: No, it's like if you I mean, I think one 397 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: of the most basic rules to follow with this, and 398 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: it's it kind of bleeds into almost all of my 399 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: hunting and fishing is edges matter. 400 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 3: Yes, hard edges, soft edges. 401 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: Hard edges are easiest to see, but soft edges, like 402 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: when you when you wade into or let's say this 403 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 1: that you stand back and look at a cattail slop 404 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: and it's you know, one hundred acres of cattails. It 405 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,399 Speaker 1: looks like mono haabitat from here to the end. And 406 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,479 Speaker 1: then you wade in there and a lot of it 407 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,880 Speaker 1: is just sucks, but one part will be blown down 408 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: this way because of the way the hills are in 409 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: the distance and the winds came through it whatever time. 410 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: And then there's a you know, there's a ditch and 411 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: so there's like that sawgrass mixed in there, and then 412 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: you get inside of it, and then for some reason 413 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: it's wetter or dryer, and there's a soft edge in 414 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:48,960 Speaker 1: there that might have you know, like a little plump 415 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,959 Speaker 1: thicket going through there, and all of a sudden, instead 416 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: of just wading into nothingness and being like I'm just gonna, 417 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 1: you know, gorilla warfare my way through you know, three 418 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: hours of cat tail, you're like, I, I literally can 419 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: see the route I should probably take because I'm either 420 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:08,160 Speaker 1: gonna hit those hard edges or like hardsh edges where 421 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: they're gonna stop and wait for me, yeah, or they're 422 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 1: just going to be there because there's multiple types of cover, 423 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: not just the geothermal cover, not just the overhead cover, 424 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: the brushy berry stuff and you so you don't have 425 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: to have like that knowledge where you're like, I know 426 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,880 Speaker 1: they eat this on this day and this barometric pressure 427 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: right on down the line. You can just be like, 428 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: I know that they are critters who like an edge, 429 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: and I can see that and I can structure my 430 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: route to it. 431 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's exactly right. 432 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,479 Speaker 2: It's like, yeah, tak taking that step back and this 433 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 2: is like, yeah, touching on multiple points we talked about, 434 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,879 Speaker 2: but take a step back, look at like why, like 435 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 2: think of a why are the birds gonna be in 436 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,959 Speaker 2: this area? It's like, well, to your point, if it's 437 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:50,879 Speaker 2: if it's a big hundred acre cattail slew, yeah, like 438 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 2: that's a lot of ground to cover. So I mean 439 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 2: my approach is I am very like I will not 440 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 2: sit and beat areas up in terms of like if 441 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: there's a hundred your cattail slu like, I am not 442 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 2: gonna walk through it. 443 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 3: I'm gonna I'm gonna go and pick apart right the 444 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 3: key areas. 445 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 2: I'm gonna go to the next spot, pick apart the 446 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 2: key areas, go to the next spot versus I don't 447 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 2: walk and cover the entire thing. I'm just it's like 448 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 2: a power fishing, like go to the best areas, But 449 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 2: why are those birds in that area because there a 450 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 2: crop field on this side of the Like if there's 451 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 2: a cropfield, say on the left side of the swamp, 452 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 2: well the oddside of the birds are probably gonna be there, 453 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 2: especially if it's you know, on a backside where there's 454 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 2: less pressure. I'm gonna go walk those key areas and 455 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 2: then then go right. 456 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: Well and that's I mean, we talk about this all 457 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: the time, but like the access issue, you know, like 458 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: where does the pressure originate from? Because you can just 459 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: about look into the future and see what people are 460 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: going to do. So that kind of stuff too, even 461 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: just hunting a different way. But if you think about 462 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 1: you know, like I have this for years in the 463 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: white tail space, like how do you find bucks on 464 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 1: public land? 465 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 3: How do you find bucks on public land? 466 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:08,479 Speaker 1: Most of what I'm doing is just trying to do 467 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 1: something different than other people. 468 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:11,879 Speaker 3: And then if you can. 469 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 1: Figure out like they usually do this, If I try this, 470 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: then you'll bump into the animals that know that they 471 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: usually do this. Yeah, and we think I was thinking 472 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 1: about this at the end of the season this year 473 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: in Minnesota, where I was like, these pheasants have us 474 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: so figured out by now because they get hunted so much. 475 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:33,440 Speaker 1: So unless I do something different and play that win 476 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: right and structure my routes to like just show them 477 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: something different of that knowledge, right, I think about every 478 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: big game animal I've ever hunted. Of course they're going 479 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: to pattern you on public land. If a pheasant can 480 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: do it, you know, if the grouse can sit out 481 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: there and they can hear that four wheel are on 482 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: the two track and they can be in that old 483 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 1: homestead with the crab apples or whatever, they're just going 484 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: to do that and the pressure is going to go 485 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: buy them over and over again. 486 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a super interesting point. I've got a kind 487 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 2: of a fun case study. So there's a there's a 488 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,919 Speaker 2: piece of puppic plan a WMA near my house that 489 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 2: I run run the dogs on every day that's legal. 490 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 2: So from July fifteenth to April first, like, I would 491 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,479 Speaker 2: go if I wasn't hunting, I would go take all 492 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,360 Speaker 2: the dogs out and we'd go run the WMA. Every 493 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 2: single day. We would do this. It was just exercise. 494 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 2: For the dog. So but I would do the same 495 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 2: route every single day. And by doing it every single day, 496 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 2: you see those patterns on what those birds are doing. 497 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 2: Like people would come and it's like I'd be there 498 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 2: and they'd come hunt it. During the season, I wasn't hunting. 499 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 2: I was just running them, and it's like I see 500 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 2: what they would do, and it's like I'd do a 501 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 2: I do this every day so I can tell you 502 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 2: what they're gonna do, where they're gonna be, et cetera. 503 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,360 Speaker 3: But yeah, it's like like clockwork. 504 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 2: I would see somebody pull in and they would walk 505 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 2: down the edge around this shelter belt. It's like, man, 506 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 2: I do this every day in these birds like they 507 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 2: know this game. Like it's there's a lot of birds 508 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 2: on this piece of property, but maybe I don't know 509 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 2: one out of ten days would I maybe move a 510 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 2: pheasant or my dog's like I would get in range 511 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 2: to shoot a pheasant if I was hunting, And so yeah, 512 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 2: it's just just really interesting. 513 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 3: To see how well they learned that. 514 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 2: And on this property, there's an access on the back 515 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 2: side of it as well, but it's overgrown. 516 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 3: You kind of got. 517 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 2: To pick your way to get to it, and the 518 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 2: times that I go and park there and work it 519 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:40,360 Speaker 2: the opposite way. It's like the birds they just don't 520 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 2: understand what's going on there. Right, It's like, oh, and 521 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 2: I get if I go and I'd rarely do that side, 522 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:49,080 Speaker 2: but if I do, it's like almost every time I 523 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 2: am getting within gun range of a bird. 524 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 3: Right. 525 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's just very interesting, not that complicated. No, 526 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: it just takes. It just takes a little different. We 527 00:23:57,880 --> 00:23:59,239 Speaker 1: got to wrap this up here in a second. I 528 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: want to talk about just a couple things. I know, 529 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 1: so people are going to listen to this and they're 530 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: gonna be like, well, there's still no birds on public 531 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,919 Speaker 1: land by my house. And I just want to say, like, 532 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,679 Speaker 1: when I moved to the suburbs of the Twin Cities, 533 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: I was like, I have no birds. Like I'm like, 534 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 1: I have no birds to hunt. But I had to 535 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: find a place to hunt deer. So I started scouting 536 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: white tails because I'm like, I got to I gotta 537 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 1: be in a tree stand. 538 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:21,120 Speaker 3: I just do. 539 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 1: And I started finding wood ducks that were real patternable. 540 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:28,359 Speaker 1: I started finding some teal that were real patternable. I 541 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: had a retriever, so I was like, well, switch gears now, 542 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: and in the process of that, it just hit me 543 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 1: so hard. I was like I had taken woodcock for 544 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: granted because of I have access to big woods, lots 545 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: of woodcock stuff if I want it. It's not my 546 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: I'd rather hunt grouse. I'd rather hunt a lot of 547 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: stuff than a woodcock, just would. 548 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 3: But I was. 549 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: I remember sitting on a tree stand in this spot 550 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: in the Cities, listening to traffic and watching woodcock fly 551 00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 1: into this swamp and just going, Okay, they have no 552 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: idea where they're at. So even though eleven months of 553 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,159 Speaker 1: year you might not have a viable upland bird like 554 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,159 Speaker 1: population at all to hunt there, there's a time in 555 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 1: October where all of a sudden, these worm meters from 556 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,239 Speaker 1: Canada show up and you can go in there and 557 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: have a true upland hunt. And I started all of 558 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: my dogs as puppies on woodcock in the Twin Cities, 559 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:26,880 Speaker 1: in a place where people are like, you can't do it, 560 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: and it's like there's a window. 561 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,720 Speaker 3: Is it your dream hunt? No? I love shooting woodcock, right, it's. 562 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 2: Great, But yeah, no, is it like the end, I'll 563 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 2: be all the best thing in the world. 564 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: Probably not well, but what I mean by that is like, 565 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 1: do people want to sit there and listen to morning 566 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: rush hour traffic? Like love Woodcock? Hate him, I don't care. 567 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: What I'm saying is like, if you look at that scenario, 568 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: you'd be like, that's not necessarily like where I would. 569 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 3: I wouldn't choose it. I would draw up a better plan. 570 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: But it was even there, So I'm like, all I 571 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: want to say is like, there probably are opportunities closer 572 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: than you think for something at some point in the 573 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: season where you can get your dog out, find some 574 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: birds on public land and still have a bad ass hunt. 575 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, And that's you know, It's it's that taking again, 576 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 2: the taking that step back and realizing like, hey, it 577 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 2: might not be Woodcock. 578 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 3: You might live in in Phoenix. 579 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 2: Well, in that case, it's called the Gamble's Quail Right 580 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 2: right there, they're littered, Like you pick a city and 581 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 2: there's there's probably something happening there. 582 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:27,199 Speaker 3: It's just taking that step back and. 583 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 2: Say, hey, maybe I won't talking to a guy here 584 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 2: at Sewee and he's like, yeah, I hunted forty days 585 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 2: and I found one covey at Quail and he's like, 586 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 2: then I then. 587 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 3: I figured then I heard about Woodcock. 588 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 2: And now I'm making ten contacts a day. So he's 589 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 2: like that was a game changer, right, So it's taking 590 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 2: that step back and realized like, Okay, what other opportunities 591 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 2: are here for me if I'm developing a dog, et cetera. 592 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: Right, you brought up the the Arizona thing. I know, 593 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: I said I was gonna wrap this up. We will second. 594 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 3: I it. 595 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: I know a whole bunch of people who have and 596 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: you know you're talking a state that's like fifty percent 597 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: public land, three different species of quail. 598 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 3: Season goes into like February or it did, Yeah, still does. 599 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: So it's a destination place for a lot of people 600 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: who have the means to be like, I want to 601 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: keep my freaking season going. But the people I know 602 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: who are really good at that down there, you would 603 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:26,840 Speaker 1: have thousands of acres of the same kind of mono habitat, 604 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: Like where are these birds? Where do you start? Well, 605 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 1: if you live in the desert, you're gonna get thirsty. 606 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: So you can look at those cattle tanks, the water tanks, 607 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: like the gozzlers and start there and be like, now 608 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: my route is this Instead of lighting out across the 609 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: desert and being like, I hope I find a covey 610 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: of quail in this, and so just even a little 611 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: intention and using some tools there to put you at 612 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: least where like at some point in the day these 613 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: birds are going to drink. Maybe it's this one, maybe 614 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: it's the next one where it spills out and there's 615 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: some nice grass below it or something. They're going to 616 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: show up there and you're already putting yourself your odds 617 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: are just better to get your dog some contacts and 618 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: get you just like have a better hunt. 619 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 3: I love that shit. 620 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, because I remember distinctly first time I hunted 621 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 2: New Mexico, Like we just went out and it was 622 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 2: this area that there were words there. We saw them 623 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 2: from the road they were running around, but it was 624 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 2: a big kreasout flat. So just the same thing for 625 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 2: hundreds of thousands of acres and sure there were words 626 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 2: in there. But the other thing, like we talked about, 627 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 2: is finding where they are and where you can actually 628 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 2: get an opportunity to shoot one there. They would just 629 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,600 Speaker 2: I mean they were they were as fast as my 630 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 2: damn pointer was. Like they were just running. You could 631 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 2: never hold them. Went to a different area, thicker grass, right, 632 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 2: and Okay, now they're going to hold here or this 633 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:48,959 Speaker 2: is an opportunity where we can pin them against something. 634 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 2: So that was that was an eye opening experience. That's 635 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 2: shit's so fun. Yeah, so fun. All Right, we got 636 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: to wrap this up. 637 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: There's tons of people here at the expo and adorable 638 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: puppies walking by us. 639 00:28:58,960 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 3: Ben, thanks so much. 640 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: Uh, if you're listening to this and you want to 641 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 1: figure out where birds are, obviously, I mean Ben works 642 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: for AX, we have a tight relationship with him, but 643 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: it's like a that's one of the tools that put 644 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 1: so many birds in my game bag. I live off 645 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: of it because it just works. 646 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 3: Yep, appreciate it. Tell me thanks buddy. Yeah,