1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about shot selection 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: and what we often get wrong around when we draw 10 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 2: on deer and try to shoot them. It's that time 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 2: of year again when I know that on certain nights 12 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 2: I'll get a text or a phone call about a 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 2: poorly hit deer from someone in my life. This happens 14 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: quite a bit, and it's part of the game. It's 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 2: also true that a lot of folks don't practice enough, 16 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: sometimes take questionable shots, and just don't know how to 17 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: generally address this crucial part of being a bow and 18 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: it is crucial. I believe it, and I believe that 19 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 2: you can kind of get your reps in a couple 20 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: different ways, and you can rehearse how to get through 21 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 2: a shot opportunity even if a buck doesn't really follow 22 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: the script, which is what I'm going to explain right now. 23 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 2: Picture this if you will. You are a bad bear hunter, 24 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 2: but your twelve year old daughter has a bear tag, 25 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: so you head on over to Wisconsin with a truck 26 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: full of expired circus peanuts and fruit snacks and trail 27 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: mix and cookie dough and banana chips and about sixty 28 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 2: pounds of generic Swedish fish. You set up a blind 29 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 2: and a bait site in front of it, but you 30 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 2: have to put it fairly close because of how tight 31 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: the situation is. You bait the site, You bait your 32 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: buddy's site because you're a good guy, and you wait 33 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: for the dopamine dump that comes when your cell camera 34 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 2: shows you that Yogi found your goodies and is well 35 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: on his way to type two diabetes. Maybe you have 36 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 2: some giants come in, like legit three hundred and fifty 37 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: pounds plus types of bears with their bellies nearly hitting 38 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: the ground with every step, but they are nocturnal, as 39 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: big bears often are. But you also have one normal 40 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: size bear, the kind that most people shoot, even though 41 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: everyone says they shoot three hundred pounders, just like everyone 42 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 2: who bass fishes. Seems to catch six pounders or like 43 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: the one guy at my gym just loads up on 44 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: eight pounders, which is quite a feat in a state 45 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: like Minnesota. I mean, you don't bump up on the 46 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 2: state record large mouth with a lot of consistency unless 47 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,839 Speaker 2: you're really, really good or I don't know, totally full 48 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 2: of shit. Anyway, one bear a great bear for anyone, 49 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: let alone a first bear for a seventh grade girl, 50 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 2: starts coming in pretty regularly, so regularly it's like nothing 51 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: you've ever seen before. For nine days, this bear hits 52 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: the bait in daylight, and it's all you can do 53 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 2: to even sleep at night, knowing how good that first 54 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: sit is gonna be. So you pull your daughter out 55 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: of school on Friday of the first week of school year, 56 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 2: by the way, which according to some of the basketball 57 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 2: moms you talk to, is totally Bunyana's especially to kill 58 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 2: a poor, innocent, cute little baby bear. Maybe it's one 59 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: of those rare situations in the outdoors where you believe, 60 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: in your hunting heart of hearts that you're going to 61 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: get an easy one finally, and better yet, your daughter 62 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 2: is going to have an exciting and amazing sit. So 63 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 2: as you slip into the blind. You know it's just 64 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 2: a matter of time, but the slow decay of time 65 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: doesn't stop, and soon you're out of light, You're out 66 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: of ideas, and back to the reality of just being 67 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 2: a terrible bear hunter. Overnight, you check your cell cameras 68 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: about seven thousand times and realize that for some reason, 69 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 2: the bears are just gonezo. So, with nothing to lose, 70 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: you get up early and decide that it's time for 71 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: an all day sit, or at least dang near an 72 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 2: all day sit. By the time you get your daughter 73 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 2: to eat some donuts and get her stuff ready for 74 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: the long haul, And instead of going in and banging 75 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: some bait buckets around and generally announcing to the local 76 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: bears that there are some fresh growls available, you go 77 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 2: in like a pair of ninjas. Three hours pass she 78 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: falls asleep, and just like that, there's a bear at 79 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: twenty yards enclosing real fast inside that blind. It's straight 80 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: up to your nobyl, but she gets on her crossbow 81 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: and you both watch as the bear puts its nose 82 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: in the air, turns around and walks away. The one 83 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 2: bear you had to work with just winded you, and 84 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: it feels like curtains for the hunt. But for some reason, 85 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: while you're sitting there in your despair and frustration, you 86 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 2: want to cry just a little bit. You know. Ten 87 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 2: minutes later that bear is back, and this time, after 88 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: about five hundred careful sniffs of the air, it makes 89 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 2: its way to the logs piled over the bait. You 90 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 2: whisper to her to take the first good shot, because 91 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: it's a situation that could be over in the matter 92 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 2: of one errant breeze, which feels more likely by the 93 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: second you know more than utter that sentence. Then the 94 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,279 Speaker 2: bear climbs up on the logs, sits down like a dog, 95 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 2: and the crossbow goes off, surprising both you and Yogi. 96 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 2: It never occurred to you that the first good shot 97 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 2: would look like that, but it wasn't your call, and 98 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 2: you don't even have a chance to really think about 99 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: it before you hear the death mone All's well, that 100 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: ends well, I guess now you may have guessed, but 101 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 2: that wasn't actually a made up hypothetical, but a very 102 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 2: trimmed down version of a recent bear hunt I had 103 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 2: with my daughter, which I might add was one of 104 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 2: the most badass experiences I've had in the outdoors, even 105 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: if it ended up with me having to butcher a 106 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: bear and find someone to make a rug out of it, 107 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: which might end up costing me more than a year 108 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 2: of tuition at a state school. Although it's been a 109 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 2: few years since I walked the hallowed halls of our 110 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 2: finest institutions, the first good shot. It's a rule that 111 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 2: we all should know, we should probably all follow. We 112 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 2: should all admit that we often don't really understand what 113 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 2: it means at a deeper level, though on the surface 114 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 2: it just means what it says. If that buck walks 115 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 2: in and he's twenty seven yards out and you are 116 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 2: very confident and he's roadside, are quartering away, why wait? 117 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 2: You know, maybe he looks like he's going to walk 118 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 2: into fifteen and that would be better, But that's also 119 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 2: a gamble. Another buck could walk in and mess things up. 120 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 2: He could turn right around and leave. You could feel 121 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 2: a slight breeze on your back, you know, on the 122 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 2: back of your neck, like you do out west all 123 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 2: the time when you're elk hunting. Whatever else could happen. 124 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 2: Close Proximity is why bow hunting is so awesome, but 125 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: also why it's so difficult. It's easy to get busted 126 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 2: when they're right in your lap. What take the first 127 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 2: good shot means on a deeper level is that you 128 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 2: have to let the deer tell you when to shoot. 129 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 2: In hunting, probably a lot of other things in life, 130 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 2: we get an idea in our head of how, you know, 131 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 2: either we want things to go down or how it 132 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 2: will go down. This happens a lot when we are 133 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: redlining from adrenaline and the buck we've been waiting on 134 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 2: all season is right there. We think all he has 135 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 2: to do has walked ten more feet down the row 136 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 2: of beans across the river like they always do, and 137 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 2: just pose up at eighteen yards. But when we wait 138 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 2: for that to happen, deer just tend to do other stuff. 139 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 2: I almost never killed deer exactly how I envision it, 140 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 2: unless I'm on a really really good terrain trap or 141 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 2: sitting on a kill plot where they just kind of 142 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: naturally position themselves. What happens mostly is I expect them 143 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 2: to do something and they just do something else, And 144 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 2: often I think, shit, I should have shot the first 145 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: time he walked in, but I didn't. And now a 146 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 2: higher level of panic is settling in because now it's 147 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 2: going a different way than I expected it to. This 148 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 2: is where bad shots happen and stupid decisions are made. 149 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 2: I'll get to a few of those in a second, 150 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 2: but let me tell you a story from last season 151 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: about a deer I felt like I almost didn't get 152 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 2: because I was waiting for a better shot. It was 153 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 2: the last day of a four day shoot here in Minnesota, 154 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 2: and I hadn't had a good opportunity at anything but 155 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 2: a couple of scrap in a couple of does, but 156 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 2: even they had all young fawns, so I hadn't even 157 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 2: really got close to drawing my bow yet. And for 158 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 2: the last sit, I walked with my cameraman through a 159 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 2: bean field and saw that it was browsed like crazy, 160 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 2: and there were also a lot of acorns in there 161 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 2: on the edges of that field as well, and the 162 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 2: whole corner of the field was just buzzing with deer sign. 163 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 2: I had intended to go much deeper to a different stand, 164 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 2: but walking past that much sign is dumb. So I 165 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 2: got into a backup stand that my buddy and I 166 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: had hung there during the summer, and as the light faded, 167 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 2: two bucks hit the field behind us. One was a 168 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 2: little six pointer, and the other was a really nice 169 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: ten pointer. The ten pointer was feeding in a row 170 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 2: right behind that little buck. When the little buck hit 171 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 2: my best shooting lane, he cut right to the stand 172 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 2: and then took a trail ten yards in front of us, 173 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 2: and it was perfect. Now, I figured that the bigger deer, 174 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 2: which was browsing away at like thirty yards, would do 175 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 2: the exact same thing, so I didn't shoot, but he 176 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 2: didn't do the same thing. He turned around and started 177 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 2: staring back up the field edge, and it looked a 178 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 2: little bit wiggy. I don't know what he was looking at. 179 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 2: I don't know what he heard or smelled, But all 180 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 2: of a sudden, the whole vibe change. My best shot opportunity, 181 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 2: the one I was counting on, even though I could 182 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 2: have already shot him several times, went up in smoke. 183 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 2: And then I had more panic in my heart, in 184 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 2: my head, more bad thoughts telling me to rush things 185 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 2: before he leaves. And he looked like he might leave. 186 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 2: I waited for him to turn and open up to 187 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 2: a broadside shot, but he stopped slightly. According to it 188 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 2: was an ideal, but I was in kill mode. It 189 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 2: was definitely a very doable shot, and I hit him 190 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 2: right where I needed to. But I didn't have to 191 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 2: take that shot. I had a better shot earlier. In fact, 192 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 2: I had multiple opportunities to take a shot on that 193 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 2: deer at absolutely doable effective range, and I opted out. 194 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 2: I let perfect be the enemy of good enough, and 195 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 2: it nearly cost me that deer. That type of thinking 196 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 2: has gotten me before. Maybe I'm just a slow learner, 197 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 2: but you can learn from my stupidity. If you have 198 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,079 Speaker 2: a shot where you are very confident you can make it, 199 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 2: just take it, honestly, take it. Maybe in some situations 200 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 2: where they are coming into water or something where they 201 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 2: are very likely to position themselves better. Maybe. Wait, but 202 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 2: I lost one hundred and fifty inch Wisconsin buck a 203 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 2: few years ago thinking like that, So I don't know. 204 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 2: I'm a little cagy. I had him dead to rights 205 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 2: and then he caught me dead to rights in what 206 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 2: was seven minutes of sheer panic that broke his way. 207 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 2: How do you know what shot is your best first shot? Though? 208 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 2: Well that's up to you. But the best way to 209 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 2: get really confident in that situation is to just shoot more. Dear, 210 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 2: The thing about this is you might have done this 211 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: yourself or you have. I doubtedly heard people say this 212 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 2: that they could have shot this buck or that buck, 213 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 2: or they could have stacked up the doze. Passing up 214 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 2: deer gives us a lot of confidence that we could 215 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 2: have killed deer. But let me tell you something, until 216 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: you pick up that bow, draw aim, and execute a 217 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 2: good shot, there is no such thing as you definitely 218 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 2: would have without a doubt, killed that deer. About twelve 219 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 2: years ago, I snuck in and hung a stand on 220 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 2: a small river bottom in Nebraska to try to arrow 221 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: a public land buck. The trip wasn't going all that great, 222 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 2: but I was still on the fence about what i'd shoot. 223 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 2: When I saw a scrapper seven pointer coming in on 224 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 2: the exact trail I was set up to cover, I 225 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 2: realized that my standards were down to exactly a scraper 226 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,439 Speaker 2: seven pointer. I took it for granted that the tenderloins 227 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 2: of that young, lust filled buck would be sizzling on 228 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 2: my open fire later that day. All I had to 229 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 2: do was let him get into range, turn a bit 230 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 2: in my stand, stop him, and kill him. Simple right, 231 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 2: Except when I turned a little bit in my stand, 232 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 2: one of those bootloop grammet things that Almost all hunting 233 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 2: boots have caught on the cable of my stand that 234 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 2: holds up the seat platform connects the whole thing, and 235 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 2: it causes little ping sound that was enough to take 236 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 2: a sure thing and make it a not going to 237 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 2: happen thing. Little stuff like that happens when deer are 238 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 2: super close, and they rarely make it easier for us 239 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 2: to fill our tag when something goes down like that, 240 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 2: if you have the chance to go out and take 241 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 2: more shots that actual deer, do it. I have to 242 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 2: say this so people don't get pissed now. I'm not 243 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 2: advocating shooting deer just to get better at shooting deer. 244 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 2: They're not good for living target practice. Don't do that. 245 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 2: Shoot them because you want to eat them or someone 246 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 2: else wants to eat them. But try to find a reason, 247 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 2: a good reason to fill more tags. It'll make you 248 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 2: more of a killer. This honestly changes everything about taking 249 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 2: shots on deer, in my opinion. You learn much better 250 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 2: about when exactly to time your draw, when to stop 251 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 2: them with a little mirp or let them go naturally, 252 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 2: and where your point of impact needs to be at 253 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 2: all times when a deer is close and moving and 254 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 2: eating and scratching its nose and doing deer things when 255 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 2: it decides for whatever reason to circle the pond and 256 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: not drink, but instead of standing the brush at twenty 257 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 2: seven yards nibbling away on something tasty. That's the kind 258 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 2: of situations I'm talking about. You learn to take the 259 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 2: gift and open it right away instead of setting it 260 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 2: aside for the perfect moment. Because in this case, not 261 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 2: only do deer often do what we just don't expect, 262 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 2: they are more likely to spook or get wiggy the 263 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 2: more they spend time in close proximity to us. This 264 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: is the worst case scenario when you've already slipped into 265 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 2: killer mode. And this happens a lot. You take a 266 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 2: sure thing encounter and suddenly, before you know it, the 267 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 2: buckets put his nose up in the air and his 268 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 2: eyes are bugging out, and suddenly he walks straight away. 269 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 2: He does that thing where they bound ten yards farther out, 270 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 2: stops and stares. This is a time when a lot 271 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 2: of deer either get shot at, missed, or hit poorly. 272 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 2: Happens a lot. It's sometimes unavoidable and just breaks that way. 273 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 2: But it also sometimes happens because we don't take the 274 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 2: first shot we can. It also happens when we aren't 275 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 2: paying attention, or can be a consequence of us not 276 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 2: quite having the lead time we need to get ourselves 277 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 2: ready for the first good shot. I don't know how 278 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: to address this because I'm as guilty of anyone else, 279 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 2: But if you're in a situation where you might not 280 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 2: hear them coming for a ways, it's best to pay 281 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 2: attention when a deer surprises you. And believe me, I 282 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 2: know this from experience, is suddenly a matter of how 283 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 2: far out they are and what their trajectory is like. 284 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 2: This is a time of panic, and again might not 285 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: work out all that well shot wise during the run. 286 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 2: That's going to happen quickly, and it rarely results in 287 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 2: a dead buck. If you're deep into Instagram and not 288 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 2: paying attention to the world around you, there is nothing 289 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 2: worse than getting caught off guard and missing a prime 290 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 2: shot opportunity. Because we are all addicted to the algorithms, 291 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 2: there is nothing like the panic that settles in when 292 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 2: you realize you already missed your first good shot opportunity 293 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 2: because of pure operator error. In that case, you stack 294 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: the odds against yourself in a way that becomes apparent quickly. 295 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 2: That doesn't mean you won't get another shot opportunity. You 296 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 2: certainly might, but you might not, or you might and 297 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 2: not be as calm and prepared as you could have been. 298 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 2: Both are potential outcomes, and neither are all that great. 299 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 2: This part used to be the most frustrating for beginning 300 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 2: hunters because it wasn't that long ago when it was 301 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 2: just a lot harder to get close to deer. We 302 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 2: didn't have as many deer thirty years ago, we didn't 303 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 2: have the cameras or the blinds are the great clothing 304 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 2: that we have now. It just wasn't as easy to 305 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 2: sit undetected in the woods as it is now, so 306 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 2: when you had one get close, it was go time, 307 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 2: and often go time went wrong. Today, at least for 308 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 2: a lot of hunters, it's easier to deer close, have 309 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 2: more information and way better hunting gear, but that doesn't 310 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 2: make it easier to be closer sometimes, and it doesn't 311 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 2: make it easier to be a closer. People still have 312 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 2: to work through that stage. And while it can be 313 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: easier to keep your stuff together on a year link 314 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: dough than it is on one hundred and sixty five 315 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 2: inch non typical. You want to be able to read 316 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: both encounters and choose the first good shot you get, 317 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 2: no matter what deer it is. And I know which 318 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 2: one of those deer is more likely to give you 319 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 2: an opportunity, and that's an important distinction. But we run 320 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 2: our own races, my friends. You can shoot what you want, 321 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,360 Speaker 2: but you should think about this as you get into 322 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 2: the season and start to have some encounters with real, live, 323 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 2: actual white tail deer. Now I don't advocate drawing on 324 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 2: and aiming at non target deer because that means there 325 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 2: is a small chance you'll actually shoot somehow, But I 326 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 2: do think it's a good idea to go through the 327 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 2: rest of the motions when deer come in. If you 328 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 2: feel like they won't get you busted, think through how 329 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 2: you'll stand up, if you're going to stand up, or 330 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 2: switch sides in your saddle, or pick your bow up 331 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 2: in your blind, do whatever you have to do in 332 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 2: order to take the first high odd shot opportunity. And 333 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 2: this might seem dumb, but it's not. If you get 334 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 2: the reps in of just rehearsing how you're gonna get 335 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 2: close there, and that buck walks in, that's only a 336 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 2: little fork and you know you're not going to shoot him, 337 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 2: it's still valuable to stand up and turn and get 338 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 2: into position to shoot and watch how he reacts and 339 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,719 Speaker 2: watch how he moves through the landscape by your stand 340 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 2: when you're ready to shoot, even if you might not shoot, 341 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 2: because it's different than sitting there kind of watching them 342 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 2: go through. It'll be a great opportunity for you if 343 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 2: a really big buck comes into that stand four weeks 344 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 2: later in the season, or if you're on a different 345 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 2: stand three years down the road, because this is a 346 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 2: skill that can be developed and worked on continually, and 347 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 2: it's a guarantee that at some point, if you keep hunting, 348 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:04,360 Speaker 2: you're gonna need it. So think about that, Do that, 349 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 2: and come back next week because I'm going to drop 350 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 2: a whole bunch of Foundations episodes in honor of our 351 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,959 Speaker 2: white Tail Week. That's it for this episode. I'm Tony Peterson. 352 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 2: This has been the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast, brought 353 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 2: to you by First Light. 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