The Final Draw: Season Wrap Up

Speaker 2: 0:21

Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoors of Podcast presented by Boon Nox Hunting. I'm your host, mike Nitro.

Speaker 3: 0:26

I'm Peyton Smith.

Speaker 1: 0:28

I'm Frank Masika.

Speaker 2: 0:31

It is here. The final draw of the season has ended. We are officially done with deer season. Waterfowl season. The only thing that's open, I think, right now is small game, so squirrels, rabbits and that's slowly going to be closing soon and coyote and foxes. Besides that, we're done. It's bittersweet, it definitely is. I would say a bittersweet feeling because I think this year was really unique, eye-opening for myself. A lot of positives, but also some negatives. But that's hunting. I think it makes you a better hunter to go through what I went through. I know, frank, you were talking the same thing. You got it done in upstate New York, correct, yes, but nothing in Jersey this year.

Speaker 1: 1:36

Nothing in Jersey. I ended up missing one, and that was pretty much for me. It was the classic you chase them, but they know what you're doing. It's kind of like I would go out, wouldn't see them, or if I did see them they were too far and then I didn't go and they were underneath my tree stand. But you know, tower goes.

Speaker 2: 2:06

And then we got Mr Peyton over there who had an incredible season, got his first bear Not only his first bear, a big bear, basically what we believe is a popin young bear and just under Boone and Crockett, beautiful, beautiful buck in Maryland. And then you got some more meat in the freezer down in Maryland. You had a really successful Maryland deer season. But I think our deer season in New Jersey was very similar. Actually, all three of us had very similar deer seasons. It kind of like seems like.

Speaker 3: 2:48

Yeah, I learned a lot, I think in my New Jersey season, especially the early season. I had a lot of opportunities that I think like, for example like the earn a doe right or earn a buck. Rather there was a couple situations where I think I was very close and then if I had set up, I mean I've had in the early sea I had a lot of shots on bucks in the early season, like whether they're little bucks like medium size, you know, a little like one to two year olds. You know some decent ones with like potential. You know like next year would be probably deer I'd shoot but just could never quite get on that that doe. You know I had close calls, you know both on the ground and you kind of set up. You know I remember there's one time I was hunting this big field and I was kind of between two kind of timber points that came out in the field is like almost imagine like the field is like shaped like an H, you know where there is kind of like in the timber line kind of comes out and there's two fields that go back on either side. Then the other side has the same thing and then it's kind of big and open in the middle and I sat on one of those points, 800 yards away I could see the other point and I'm just glassing, I can see a doe, you know, 20 yards from that other point where I was going to set up. So it was just a lot of stuff like that where it was just like I was like one step behind and it was really just continued throughout the season. I had an opportunity on a shooter buck in October, like right when or maybe September, early October, late September, whenever earn a bucket ended. I remember I could have. I was at full draw and range that and it was just too dark to take a shot. I mean it was inside of shooting light, but it was when that tree canopy still up just couldn't squeeze off a shot. Then I had some shots on does but I had already shot my buck. So it's kind of waiting on another buck just make it worthwhile. They're like kind of drag it out in New Jersey and just kind of the situation that I was looking for at the time just never quite aligned.

Speaker 3: 5:19

There's a lot of things I think it would do differently, though I think primarily I think looking for sign and spending more time on the ground. I think I got the saddle and I don't think I spent as much time on the ground this year as I would have liked to. I think just having the saddle made me just like, well, I got to get up in a tree and it's like it's getting late. I need to get up in a tree when I should have spent more time finding better sign and covering more ground and kind of doing some more still hunting. I think that, in combination with changing my setups, I think more.

Speaker 3: 5:58

I didn't sit the same tree many times, but I kind of think that I would sit a spot and then I would sit the same spot a different way a few times, and it seems like every time I sat in on public land I would see less deer and it's just kind of like kind of made me think that's like if you're going to hunt that spot, you better be ready to like get it done then. And it just seems like, especially on public land, it's like they know, they know that you've been there and it seems like every time I go back the second time it's not quite as good as the first, and the third time is just not good at all. So it was a long season. I learned a lot. But you know it's the public land game, so come back and punch some tags next year.

Speaker 2: 6:42

It makes the chase fun. And you know, something that I'm really proud of this year is every time I hunted a new spot, I saw deer, you know, and that was just from all right. You know, I look at the map and Peyton and I did a lot of bouncing ideas off each other, a lot of stuff on on X. We're just like, hey, what do you think about this? Like, what do you think about this axis? Where do you think this? This buck is bedded Like we kept doing that with each other and then you know, I would head in, he would head in things like that. And you know, I'm definitely really proud of myself for not being as stationary.

Speaker 2: 7:20

You know, something I really wanted to focus on, and especially during the rut, was being extremely mobile, not really hunting in the in the same tree and just bouncing all over the place, I mean to find my, my target buck for the rut. I mean I moved all over, I mean I was looking for him, I was moving cameras. I think I had like four or five cameras on him looking exactly where he came, things like that. And I narrowed it down where, all right, this, this guy's daylighting, like he's very consistent, like this is like a everyday thing. It just, you know, it came to the point where it just just didn't match up. It just didn't match up and that's how it goes. That's when you're you're hunting specific deer or specific buck or something like that. You know it does, you know it just matches up that way where it's a chess game for far reason, you know, and whoever makes the first mistake is going to be, you know, going to be the successful one. And you know this deer, he's old for a reason, he's a mature buck for a reason, on public, like you got to give these animals credit. Like it is, it is a tough. It is a tough thing, you know, especially during the rut, especially, I think, something that Peyton and I have definitely talked about in an area where the dough number isn't as high, you know, and we've talked about this on on other episodes, but it I think that definitely does play a an advantage to to the deer.

Speaker 2: 8:59

For for the rut, you know, but I mean that that's my favorite stat of the year was hey, listen, every time I scouted and got into a first hunt, there was always deer, and that's a win in my book. Okay, if I could get that and and get deer moving and everything like that and see deer and have the opportunity to harvest a deer, like that's, that's a win in my book, you know. That's, that's a big part of it right there. You know I didn't close it, close the deal, and you know that happens, not that I couldn't have. I know there was, just like Peyton, there's been a bunch of times where I definitely could have sent an arrow. You know it's just not exactly what I was looking for, just wasn't the right time.

Speaker 2: 9:39

I don't like shooting does during the rut, you know, and that's where I had a lot of does within bow range. You know I'm talking about five, 10, 15 yards. I had some decent bucks in bow range. Just, I wasn't not about the antlers, it was more about the body. On that where I thought you know what that deer needed one more year to get a little bigger and a little more mature, because you could tell, like, just the way that he was moving and just acting, to me it just wasn't a mature enough deer yet. Um, you know, and and that's something that you got to live with and if, if that's what you want to do, listen, you got to understand that you're not always going to be successful and you got to be prepared to eat that tag soup. So you know, I think I I definitely enjoyed this year, did not enjoy the beginning.

Speaker 2: 10:25

I think the beginning of the season was the worst beginning of the season in ages because of how hot, humid and stormy it was, like it feels like it's stormed every day. I was miserable in the beginning of the season but, you know, once the cooler temps came in, it felt like it finally felt like hunting season. It was like all right. This is why I love it Like this, right here, being out almost every day chasing deer, the cold, crisp morning air. You know, can I ask for anything better than that?

Speaker 1: 10:54

Yeah, no, absolutely, and I think that was, um. You know, one of my big things too was now that I got the saddle, I can be more mobile. Um, cause I feel like I did a lot of the things at the same time. Um, I got a few different tree stands so I was trying to switch it up. But you, you guys know you can only do that so many times, you know, like you know at the end of the day, cause they still know what's going on, um, I mean, I can I hunted out of the ground blind a few times, like I've killed deer in the past, but I'm not not too keen on it, you know, like it's not, it's not what I like.

Speaker 2: 11:36

So for me, I'd rather be up in the air.

Speaker 1: 11:38

That's why I was like I rather be up in the air. That's why I decided to switch the saddle, cause it's like this year, I found myself literally moving my sets like four or five times, you know, and like you know, after that, you mean after a while you just get exhausted cause you try, you want to really scout new areas but you're too busy moving your set, cause you know, okay, I saw this deer here, so you're kind of focused on that and it it almost, at times it almost feels counterproductive. You know, um dorm bear season. I mean, I was back and forth with that bear trying to get them on the ground and I think I even might have sent you a message, mike, on Instagram.

Speaker 1: 12:20

I one point, I was all set up and I was used had the um, the rack getter, the glazed donut sent out and where I thought he was going to come from, he didn't. Also, and I heard a stick break behind me and he he's probably, he was probably pushing him out 400 pounds. He was only like five yards behind me. The only thing blocking us was like a little like staffling and like a few buses, that's it. I was like what the hell am I gonna do? You know like how am I gonna pull this off? Cause I didn't want to move too much, you know. So I'm like watch him in the corner of my eye, he walks past me, cause there's like a cornfield. He walked past me so I was like all right, now I can make my move. So I turned around and I see him coming back up the hill, but it was so thick in there Like I wasn't even gonna try with a bow. You know, like I was hoping he was gonna come out to where like I had an open shot of them and he just didn't do that. So I mean, unfortunately that's the way it goes, but that's actually probably the last time I seen him. So I mean that sucks.

Speaker 2: 13:32

Yeah, but you know what that's exactly said, that's how it goes and you know that's why we do it. I mean, I think if we were successful every time that we went out, like it'd be boring. Like, honestly, as much as I love killing animals, like I get so much of a thrill at just seeing an animal just being out there, like it could be the smallest deer, like I think I act the same every time I see whatever creature Fox, coyote, turkey, bear, deer, doesn't, raccoon, doesn't matter like how big, how small, like I love it. It's exciting, like that's what I went and you learn so much, like when they don't know you're there. That is, I think it's the best time, because everything's just so natural. You are studying them, you're learning from them.

Speaker 2: 14:18

That's why I also like filming so much, because you get to go back and, all right, look at their behavior and you get to learn. It's like just like watching tape and any other sport. You get to go back and you watch your tape. You see the mistakes you made, you see how these animals are reacting, the mistakes they made, and it can better help you capitalize on in the long run. So that's why I'm a huge fan of filming. But man, to have a 400 pound bear five yards behind you, I mean, yeah, do.

Speaker 1: 14:47

I talk about my heart was pumping.

Speaker 2: 14:52

Yeah, I know what that's like, but in all and all, I think everyone just had a successful season and it's fun, like we don't need to shoot 10, 15, 20 deer to be successful. You don't have to shoot a deer and you can have a successful season. Their success is measured in different ways. Obviously, like I said, the goal is to harvest meat for the freezer, but if you look at it just as killing, then I don't think that's us, I don't think that's the group that we got, and I definitely appreciate that about everyone here. I think we're all on the same page with that and everything like that, so that's a cool thing, but I will say I think I'm a fan.

Speaker 3: 15:42

That's what the experience. Yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:45

Absolutely, and we had some fun this year Like Frank. You're definitely going to get to experience it next year. Like P and I, we didn't get a chance to hunt too much together, but we would always meet up Like we were always talking, like we went on a gun hunt together and I thought that was a cool change of pace. We did a waterfowl hunt together. That was a lot of fun, like, and I think it's only going to intensify as the seasons go on. We already got a bunch of plans next year. We got one big plan that's in the works and depending on a lot of moving parts, but we're hopeful and once we get a little closer to actually, we'll reveal it to you guys. But it's big. We plan on doing a bear hunt before I get married and mean stuff like that. We want to do stuff South Jersey. We want to look at some PA places. I would like to get in Ohio and, like you know some of these and travel around. I would like to go to Maryland with P and to get on some deer in Maryland, like there's just a lot of things to do, you know. So it's. It definitely is a blast when you're doing it with other people. You know hunting by yourself is fun, but also it's just like lonely, you know, and it's you know.

Speaker 2: 17:03

We talked about it the one time when P and I went out and scouting that one day. It's like whatever. If Peyton missed something, you have the extra two eyes to notice. Hey, peyton, look, there's a scrape right there, there's a rubber like there, and you know. Same thing vice versa. Peyton was able to notice stuff that I was missing. So it helps a lot in the scouting game as well. And you have that extra insurance like.

Speaker 2: 17:24

All right, what do you think about this? We should put a camera here. We should do this, we should. You know, where should we hunt? You know, and it definitely is a. It's a big game changer. And when you're also walking through the woods it sounds more realistic, cause now deer have four, four legs. It sounds like if we can walk in unison, which we were, it sounds more realistic to to an animal that, all right, that's something with four legs. Humans don't have four legs. You know what I mean. So just a remarkable, remarkable season. You know a lot of goals hit Waterfowl season.

Speaker 2: 18:04

I know, peyton, you didn't get a chance to get out nearly as much, but the one hunt that we got on, and you know other hunts, hunts that we had, like we killed the the geese. Like I will say, I killed my first geese this year and I'm in love with goose hunting, love with with, you know, duck hunting, like I've already said that before, but it's something that the last few weeks I have found nothing but but goose and duck spots, like goose flying everywhere. So, like my mind was like, was going off and like, oh my God, like this, this, this, and that I was like you know I would, I would like to get it, like Peyton said in the last episode, which are like a real well-rounded hunter with all aspects, not just a deer hunter, you know, you know we would, we would like to do it all and it's it's fun doing it all. Like this Saturday we're going out squirrel hunting. I'm, I'm, oh no, this Friday we're going out squirrel hunting. I'm jacked up to go squirrel hunting.

Speaker 2: 18:55

You know, I love coyote hunting. I was out coyote hunting the last day of the season which, to tell you guys, of course, my luck right. So it's snowing and usually I hunt all day for the last day of the season. But I went to go see the devil's flyers outdoor game and, like this was very important to me. Um, this is something I've dreamed about first since they started doing the, the outdoor games in the NHL.

Speaker 2: 19:19

Um, so I was not missing this at MetLife at all, like it was well worth the experience, but went out coyote hunting, bounced out over, had a great time, um, no dogs, but you know it's yet again. It's what it is. I got, you know, some time left to still get on that, but I had deer from two o'clock all the way to sundown, all day, lighted, all like in the spot that I would have been at, just moving and grooving, just walking over. And then the next day, same thing, daylighted. Just it's like they know that the season is over and they were just everywhere, mostly all my spots that have been dead during daylight hours.

Speaker 2: 20:03

This is the most active it's been since, probably like since the right you know, since that you know, or since six day firearm season. It's crazy how the woods change so quickly and how they kind of pick up on these things that you know it seasons over. Let me start daylighting, so I can make this person feel bad when he sees the multi-camera going off.

Speaker 3: 20:26

Yeah, yeah, I mean I feel like this season, you know, like we talked about like you got to do 10 things right to be successful. You got to do like 10 things Perfect. And um, I think this year, more than a lot of others, I feel like we were really doing like eight or nine things right, you know, and it is like we hunted hard all year and came up mostly empty handed. You know I, especially between you know I don't know as much as Frank what you were doing this year, but between me and Mike, I mean like between you know seven and nine other things right, you know we were hunting fresh sign. We were in good bedding areas, good transition areas, you know, using terrain to our advantage.

Speaker 3: 21:12

I just think there's a lot of um situations where you know it was just one, the one little thing, and it just makes me optimistic about the next coming years. You know we're going to continue to get better and just kind of like, really kind of put some of these finishing touches here coming soon and just got to ride it out. You know we'll get there. You know, be the. You know you got to walk into an area and get a diagnosis and kill a big buck, you know. You know it's just about, you know it's. It takes 10,000 hours to master something and you know you got to start somewhere. You know you got to start at our zero at some point. So like that's kind of where we're at now.

Speaker 2: 21:53

I love that you said that Cause, like also another thing, like the terrain, like we really keyed on terrain a lot more this year. Um, you know, and something I think Payton and I had both talked about, it's like we want to study these maps more. We want to, you know, really take a look at the maps before we go in and look at the terrain. You know the different terrain features and you know, use that to our advantage and also take a look at like okay, we're going to go in and scout. And now it's like, all right, we, we saw this, this deer is going to be using this fridge or this transition, and you know this bedding area and stuff like that. And we were mapping things out pre and then it kind of like then we were able to see it all there when we scouted and we were just, like Payton said, one or two steps behind it was, you know, you're right there, it's a game. It's a game of inches. You know where. It's a game of inches we are chasing. You know, like, like our slogan, we're chasing the unknown, because you know what at the end of the day, we can go out there and you know what we could set up, but we could see the biggest deer in New Jersey, you know. We could see the smallest deer, you know we could see a bear, we could see a cat, we could see whatever we want. We really don't know what we're going to be encountering. We have an idea, but you really don't know until it steps out in front of you.

Speaker 2: 23:07

You know, and still, then everything still has to go in the favor, cause now you have to be able to draw your bow back. You know you have to make sure everything is correct. You have to make sure your wins are going the right way. You have to make sure which happened to me a few times I would be I and this has happened years in the past like I'm focusing on one deer and I don't see the other eyes on me that are, you know, at that transition, just staring at me dead, and then they start blowing. That happens a lot.

Speaker 2: 23:39

You think. You know you get so memorized, mesmerized on this one deer and you're focusing, you're filming, you're getting ready to shoot your, whatever you're doing, and you don't see everything else that's around you and there's usually when you see one, especially in New Jersey, there's more somewhere, especially if you're with does like there's going to be more. And you know, so many times this year, like I'll see three or four does come in and I'm like, all right, cool, like. And then all of a sudden I make one little movement and 56 yards away, deer starts blowing and starts running in all to see his tail. And you see like four or five more does and it's like Jesus Christ, like you know, so it's. You just never know what's going to happen. And you know, yet again, even more reason to to to fall in love with it and to be obsessed with it.

Speaker 1: 24:30

Yeah, no, absolutely, because it's almost like you said. I think the same thing happened to me this past season, where you know I would get close. I would be, you know, at seven out of 10, eight out of 10. It's like even during the rut I was watching. You know who's like? I think like three or four shooters, all teams in the same.

Speaker 1: 24:51

Though they finally got off her, she came in and literally bedded down five yards behind me. I was like now I'm golden. You know, once they pick up her trail, they're going to come right to me. And I had this beautiful eight pointer coming. I watched him. He probably from like a hundred yards away. I see him coming with nose to the ground what's the pay attention? And I'm sitting, I'm trying to arrange fine, like where I was going to stop them, where I'm going to shoot them.

Speaker 1: 25:22

The next thing, I know he's getting there, I'm already, I'm just like just ready to draw back and all of a sudden he just like stops and just dead stairs right at me and I'm just like what is going on? And he stared at me. I mean it seemed like five minutes. It was probably only a you know 30 seconds or something, but it seemed like five minutes and all of a sudden he knew something was up. But he turned. He was. I think he was at like 55 yards when I last rained find them. And he turned around and and I'm like I'm thinking to myself like can this dough just stand up, please, cause he stands up, he's not going to pay attention to me, no more. And he laid down, he turned around, he went back the same way, he came and then, like five minutes later, she stands up and then I hear him chasing her and they run by me at like 80 yards. He's chasing her back and forth. I was like oh, you know.

Speaker 1: 26:21

So it. It happened to me quite a bit this year. I was like you're almost right there, but just couldn't seal the deal, you know.

Speaker 2: 26:30

Alison, that's the name of the game this year for us, like it's, it's, it's crazy. Like, looking back at it though it's, it's crazy how, how it's over now, cause I kept saying like, oh, we got more time, we got more time. Like, listen, jersey, we have a long season, like, and it's a really long season, a very long season into long grind. So you do get tired, you do get worn down, like especially, I'd say, from where we're grinding kind of nonstop, from the second week of September to Thanksgiving, maybe a little after, and then the waterfowl season kicks in. So, like, I do take that as a break, but we're still getting out there, we're still, you know, hammering birds and it's it's pay, and I, we, we definitely agreed, Like next year, we want to get a lot of our deer hunting out the way, meet in the freezer, so we could really focus on mostly waterfowl season come after, you know that, thanksgiving or whenever, you know, whenever a waterfowl season starts.

Speaker 2: 27:31

I think that's kind of like the game plan, because it's fun, it's unique, it's different to change of pace, you know, and you need that change of pace, you know we talked about variety in your freezer.

Speaker 2: 27:42

Yep, yeah, we talked about it as well. We're going to do, you know, six day gun season. You know I don't know now with Peyton, you know moving and everything like that. I don't know what his plans are going to be, but like I'm definitely going to get out there for six day gun season and everything like that, go up to to the camp with with Mike and them and everything like that and, you know, just enjoy myself like I'm not a big gun hunter, but you know what it's fun.

Speaker 3: 28:07

One way to year. Yeah, you know, especially in New Jersey, you bow hunt all September, all October, all November, all January. You, you're a bow hunter for 12 weeks. You know, just about. You know you can be a gun hunter for one weekend.

Speaker 1: 28:25

Yeah, yeah, it's like yeah.

Speaker 2: 28:29

It's, it's something I was thinking, because I'm like, oh, I'm like a bow hunter, like people ask me, like you're still a bow hunter.

Speaker 1: 28:35

I'm still. I'm still a bow hunter.

Speaker 2: 28:37

I tell people 99, 99% of my hunt, my deer hunting, is with the bow, one percent's with the gun and that that week, right there is, that's my one percent, you know. Or you know, when I go to Maine you know we already discussed we're bringing the 30 odd sixes out, like where you know we're bringing those out. You know those are that's, that's my like, but it's fun, it's different change of pace. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 29:02

I mean, look, you got to get a well balance. You got to be well like we said, be a well balanced hunter.

Speaker 2: 29:07

Yeah, yeah, hopefully next year we're trapping too. That would be cool.

Speaker 3: 29:12

You know, and this is definitely cool to learn and I'm not as interested in it, you know, I guess for meat or anything out like that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 29:22

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 29:23

Yeah, there's just, it's an imbalance and kind of the meso predator population and you know we'll figure out what to do with them, whether that's like crab bait or something, but it's kind of like the Maryland excuse or stuff you don't want to deal with is crab bait. I wonder if catfish, catfish, catfish for probably eat them Could be catfish.

Speaker 2: 29:45

Oh, I'm going to see some pictures.

Speaker 3: 29:46

My dad has been hammering some big blue cats on the bay.

Speaker 2: 29:49

Really.

Speaker 3: 29:50

I called him the other day and he I, you know there was a few times I was on the phone, on speaker phone and you know it got interrupted Call, got cut short by a drag, start screaming in the background. But yeah, I mean, it's just the meso predator populations are killing turkeys right now, like turkey, the turkey population in the U? S is is scaring me and I think it should scare a lot of people because it's it, like you know, the good old days and it has started to take a little bit of a dip, um, and I think it's got a lot of people concerned.

Speaker 1: 30:26

Yeah, no, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 30:27

So I didn't see you. I didn't see you. Riders are not good. Yeah, I didn't see a turkey in New Jersey this year.

Speaker 2: 30:33

Neither did I Not on camera Nothing.

Speaker 3: 30:38

I mean I've spent in the time that I've spent in this one piece of public that me and my Honda this year, between the two of us, I kicked, I saw between the two of us I saw one turkey, Really, and that's how many sits I mean I had over 40, you had over 40 in this one piece, so between 80 sits like walking around the woods covering the whole thing.

Speaker 2: 31:06

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 31:06

And I think that's like thousands of acres of what looks to be good turkey habitat.

Speaker 2: 31:14

It used to be. It used to be, I mean, the turkey number there used to be absolutely phenomenal and I used to see turkeys all the time and it's just slowly gone down. Same with deer, Like it's just slowly gone down. What does that least? Well, bucks, I still think the numbers. Yeah, I think we're on a little bit downward slide, but I think that might have been more just because of how many oaks were dropping.

Speaker 3: 31:36

So I'm not going to judge this year Also a lot of bears and a lot of coyotes in there.

Speaker 2: 31:40

A lot, yeah, a lot of bears, a lot of coyotes. So I'm not going to fully judge the the the buck numbers yet, but it did look like to be, but on a little downward, but definitely the dough numbers are just so down it's. It's absolutely crazy, but not as bad as the turkey population like that really just hit it hard. I would love for them to open up a spring coyote hunt, spring coyote. I would love for it to be all year round. But like it would give me something to do. I mean, obviously you can shoot them when you're you're turkey hunting, but I would like to do it like April, I'd like to do it all before that. Like, hey, there, there's so much time in the day when fawns are dropping, what better time than to go out with your rifle and get it done, yeah, and they're so active.

Speaker 2: 32:39

I see them constantly on the camera from in spring and summer, like constantly. They're always there. That's you know, the pups are there, the you know everything like that. I don't think I would shoot a pup as much as I want to shoot every coyote, like I wouldn't know until I'm in that situation. It just would have to depend really how small, yeah.

Speaker 3: 33:02

I give what you're saying. It's, you know it's like like the only good. You know it's a dead, you know I kill it, you know. But it's easy to take that, take that perspective, because you know, but when you say that, it's usually a full grown.

Speaker 2: 33:17

It's usually a full grown coyote, that actually faced with it.

Speaker 3: 33:20

Yeah, and I also. I understand that's a necessary evil, but I often struggle with killing something I'm not going to eat. I really struggle with it over the last few years and that's why I've let like the one I missed this year has never really committed to shooting it in the first place. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, and it was just like I kind of just put the pins in the area and just like couldn't even decide if I wanted to shoot it when the pin, you know, at full draw and it's just like a struggle with it a lot.

Speaker 3: 33:51

But I think I guess, in a from a trapping sense, for some reason I feel better about it because it's more of like a systematic. I Don't know, it's like totally logical, but I don't know what makes me feel better about it. But you know, maybe it's the more of the historic significance to it versus just going out and shooting at it. But I Don't know. But yeah, it's just that you know I get when my point is, I get what you're coming from, because I personally also have a lot of issues shooting something that I'm not gonna, you know, eat you know, I can't say that because I definitely plan on trying coyote at some point, which you know we've gone over and everything like that.

Speaker 3: 34:30

But Then I'll shoot him and bring him to you, some people that it's.

Speaker 2: 34:44

It's pretty good. So you know, I've gotten.

Speaker 3: 34:48

It's kind of like there let's try it and he eats a lot of stuff and he couldn't eat that.

Speaker 2: 34:54

Who.

Speaker 3: 34:55

Steve Rinella.

Speaker 2: 34:55

I Watched it on a fire with hair, all like he legit roasted it on a fire. Like he's the fur and everything was still.

Speaker 1: 35:09

I don't, I don't.

Speaker 2: 35:10

I Think you'd have to try it, because that that's a lot like me, yeah. I don't know if I'd be able to. First of all, that smell has to be so bad.

Speaker 3: 35:22

That's the worst smell.

Speaker 2: 35:24

So I, that's a tough one to say, so Just believe, when we eat it, when we eat a yoke, it's gonna be very well seasoned and and everything like that. I'm not gonna cook it with the, with the first still on, and everything like that, but, um, yeah, so guys, what? What was you know, frank, we'll start with you. What was your favorite highlight of of this season?

Speaker 1: 35:49

Um, I'll probably have to say I really enjoyed going back to like what we were talking about before, cuz like most of the time I I hump on myself in Jersey. So I Think one of the highlights my season was being able to go upstate New York During the gun season to change it up a little bit. And not only did I kill a nice one that you know, my 72 year old uncle shot, you know, his eight pointer. You know, over 200 yards away it was able to drop them, you know.

Speaker 1: 36:21

So that's great you know we got a double, so that was probably one of my highlights.

Speaker 2: 36:26

Oh yeah, that's amazing yeah that's amazing. How about you, peyton?

Speaker 3: 36:30

I Probably say it's between you know, the bear and the buck that were a couple days apart. Um, but it was cool. It was cool to hunt. I hadn't hunted with my dad, dear hunt with my dad and same like blind or anything in a really long time, so that was cool to do. But then also the policy shooting my first bear and you know, having a being what we I think is a good chance of being like a Pope and young bear. So I think it's got to be the bear.

Speaker 2: 37:00

You just had it on that that week. You were just on fire yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:05

Yeah, that's awesome.

Speaker 2: 37:06

Like you were like back to back different states. Like, yeah, we were like holy hell, peyton Peyton's on fire right now. Like it was incredible to see and like just being there for the bear I mean that, that that's definitely up there. Like I had so much fun doing that. Like we had a blast. Like just going out Doing that when I was editing the video today just brought back all those memories and stuff like that, like From from start to finish and you know we've talked about it for anyone who's no new and didn't catch that episode. Like Peyton almost didn't hunt that day. Like he legit was not feeling well, he was under the weather and he came over to the house I was at and I was like, dude, like you already, you're, you're already not working, you're already up here.

Speaker 2: 37:51

Like you might as well Just just send it in and go out. And you know, he went out. He went out and I was legit putting on my gear like I was inches minutes from stepping out to go into the woods and Peyton called me and I was like we're going to track a deer like he, he killed, he killed the bear, like why else would you call me what you called me at, like three no, we maybe 30.

Speaker 3: 38:21

Yeah, like 3, 30. I got into the truck or I got Into the tree at three, like I hiked in at like 230, scouted out the spot I was gonna go to you know, found, you know, that hot sign Set up over top of it at three o'clock and then by 3 30. Yeah, that was calling you. That was awesome.

Speaker 2: 38:44

Well, I'm not going hunting, let me let me call the boys and then let me you know. We called everyone as many people as we can and we drove over and we had ourselves a blast. I mean it's no better. We had a great experience with the warden to in the parking lot, like we ran into a warden. He was really friendly and everything like that.

Speaker 3: 39:06

I'm talking all the time I've ever been checked.

Speaker 2: 39:09

Wow, I've talked to that warden. I ran to him like three or four times this year, like him and I we were just, we were just talking like every single time, like, yeah, he would look at our tags and he'd like, oh, just like you know, make sure everything's good, and then he would sit there and we'd talk, we can ask him questions, like we're asking questions and everything like that.

Speaker 3: 39:26

So it is absolutely there, or yeah, especially to state like New Jersey where not everything's so easy to understand. You know, you know. Ask him questions Definitely. You know, if you don't know something, ask him. That's like most of their job is education, you know, you know. Most of the time, you know, I think the small percentage of their job is actually writing tickets and stuff.

Speaker 2: 39:50

Yeah, oh yeah, 100%, so that that that was in my top. But I got to say my my favorite moment from this year it's probably our waterfall hunt that we had just an absolute like that wasn't the game plan. Yeah, the goose on day. It wasn't the game plan. We wanted to go get on ducks, since it was the last day of duck season and it got rained out basically day before we went got a whole bunch of Birds. What we we limited out at by 9 am. Could have limited out earlier than that. Yeah, could have, could have limited out earlier. We were chasing from birds all left and right and it was crazy, like it was, like it was remarkable, and then we ended it with getting Two mallards, like something we weren't, yet again, expecting at all.

Speaker 2: 40:44

Like Jump on the pond, jump them and Blasted them like we didn't even know they're there, like we had no idea that the mallards were there and all of a sudden I don't know if it was Pete and her just like, oh, now it's right there and we just turned and just Blasted them. You know, and I think that one's got to be my best moment of this year. You know, we really got it done that day and we had a blast and, like I said, it's a change of pace. You know, you get to talk, you get to do this. Like. You know, these birds were literally landing when we're out in the field, like moving around chasing other birds, and they were still coming down landing. You know.

Speaker 2: 41:21

I'd have to laying down on the ground and everything like that doesn't happen with deer like, or if it does, like that, that deer must be very sick like. You know there has to be something wrong with it, but that doesn't happen with it with the most hunting. You're not, you're not really getting that with most hunting. You know it was just action packed from the minute we got there to the minute we left and you know definitely some, some great memories, but that, that, that for me is definitely it.

Speaker 2: 41:45

What else, what was? What else what was? Let's see. We still have some more hunting to do, but for the most part everything is over, like I said. But what is the first thing you guys are doing, like Frank, have you gotten out, done any scouting? What is the first thing that you're going to be doing to the scouting season?

Speaker 1: 42:06

I haven't been out scouting yet, but I still got to go. So since I'm switching over to Saddle next year, I'm going to go pull some of my feds and once I pull those, I'm planning to check out. There's, like, I think, two or three properties I got in mind I really want to check out. I hunted them in the past but I just haven't been there and probably I don't know probably two years. Is this public? Yeah, it's still federal.

Speaker 1: 42:39

Okay, so I still want to go check those out and you know it's probably. I'm probably going to check for the. You know the normal stuff. Probably. You know track, you know see if I find it. You know any good rubs bedding, you know, because I really want to hone in on some more spots where I think this big buck I was after is coming from. Yeah, so with the Saddle it would be easier for me to get in there and not worrying about having to make too much noise or whatever. So that's what I'm looking at, you know, as far as scouting, so you know, I mean we'll see how it goes. But you know I got I actually got a hunt planned with my uncle. We're going to go up upstate this Saturday on our property. We're going to do a little rabbit grouse hunt and some squirrels. We got listen, we got tons of black squirrels on our property. It's crazy Like I never saw a black squirrel in the wild until like a couple of years ago, yeah.

Speaker 3: 43:42

And it's few, not often.

Speaker 1: 43:43

Yeah, we got a hunt, so it's it's, it's cool. You know, we we've tried to set something up and go for one last. You know, little hurrah for for our season.

Speaker 3: 43:54

It's a good way to close out the season, I think. Yeah, like, like I said before, like how I got into squirrel hunting was just like hunting this piece, this duck property that my dad, you know, used to lease, and it was just like. You know, we're not seeing any ducks. You know a lot of skunk duck cons that quickly turned into good squirrel shoots, you know, just take the waiters off, you know, throw the boots in through the boat boots on my buddy. It always ended up with slippers on. You know, walking anymore, in, you know, and just a pocket full of number twos and, you know, getting some, some squirrels out of some you know old dead oak trees that the farmer always wanted to get rid of because they got into his attic. But yeah it was fun.

Speaker 1: 44:39

No, that's all.

Speaker 2: 44:41

It looking yeah, we're, we're looks like we'll be having some fun this weekend and everything like that. How about you, peyton? What's the game plan? I know, listen, you got turkey and everything like that, but you know what's the game plan for you? What's one of the first things you plan on doing?

Speaker 3: 45:00

So a little small game, honey. And then I want to get into some more trout this year. So I'm going to try to learn, get better at trout fishing and fishing some of those rivers. You know whether it's Wade fishing for for walleyes and perch and more eating fish. I think you know a lot of it, especially in the early season. I'm a big bass fisherman. You know large mouth and small mouth and I'm going to be hitting upstate New York again this year and some of the lakes and you know North Jersey but you know, kind of before it gets warm and it's still kind of too cold for bass. You know those people argue but I feel like it'd be better to spend my time trying to catch, like you know, walleye and perch and cropping some of those good eating fish.

Speaker 3: 45:41

I'm trying to fill my freezer with some of those. So you know, kind of look for some of that stuff like that. You know that's fishing, you know the, you know the water gap and other places and find new spots. So I talked to Mike about doing it. And you know, frank, if you I don't know if you fish much, but you know it'd be cool to get some guys out there and do some river fishing. No, absolutely, but you know I'm moving, so I'm going to try to also find.

Speaker 3: 46:07

Start looking for some new, you know, pieces of property. I don't know if I want to start too early. I guess it now would be a good time to go look, because it would give me good data for, you know, next winter, you know, get a look at the land in the wintertime too, so then I can see it in the summer and know what the foliage on and off. You know. Start looking some some places you know closer to where I'm moving to, so get a better idea of that. You know some places that'll be halfway between, like you know where I'm going and where I'm at now.

Speaker 3: 46:40

So you know we can still kind of do the meetups and find some new spots, and I think I'm ready to not give up on where we hunted last year I think definitely bear hunting. But you know after me and Mike sees, that I think it's definitely time to get some more options on the table. I think that's something that you know. There were some times we got to pick when we were real slow, that we just I didn't have those pivot options like I like I should have had. So that's something I screwed up this year, I think.

Speaker 2: 47:08

Yeah, I'll agree with you on that. I mean I found one. I started hunting it a little bit this year but still there's still a lot to go on that one Moving and grooving, find more spots. Getting back up to the Delaware, trying to get back up to Blairstown, but then heading down south, I know we want to try to pick up a property if we can. But listen, I'll be the first one to admit like I don't hunt all my spots If there's nothing like really there that I'm really after. Like I just like there's one of my favorite spots that I hunt every year, that you know that's where I killed moose last year. You know, when I've killed a whole bunch of deer there in years, years prior, I didn't touch that spot once a year, not once. Just movement wasn't there. That I really I didn't really like it. You know there's some really nice bucks there years past like some giants, and nothing really this year. You know the doe movement is finally getting back where it's like all right, I'm starting to see more does there, but I didn't want to go out there and shoot a doe. And yeah, there's probably other people that are shooting does. But, like you know what, I didn't really have a plan on shooting a doe there anywhere. So why? Why go hunt that stand, I'll just legit give it a whole another year to just settle down and everything like that and get, hopefully get back in there You're not next year if I see something I like, but that that's one of my pivot spots, Like you know. There's another spot that I've had an eye on the ridge, where actually, I think where we're painting a shot at that coyote. I didn't get a chance to go in there this year because, from everything I'm hearing, there are so many hunters like hunting near it, around it, everything like that. So, like I just said, screw it, like I'm not going to, even not going to even bother, because there's just people just all over that spot, you know. So I definitely grew his pain on that, finding more spots, something that were. If things aren't working, we can always make a pivot and quick decision. I think that was something that definitely hurt us this year.

Speaker 2: 49:14

And you know, for me, for my scouting, I'm actually going to kind of do the same thing like Pete, and I'm going to try to take it easy for once and try to get to do more fishing. Last year I did not fish nearly enough, it was the least. I only went out like two or three times for trout and I think once or twice for bass fishing, and that's not everything was tied into prep work to shooting, to do in this, to do in this, to do in that, which of course I'm still going to do. But you know, I don't have to be out there nearly as much I want to. I love being out in the woods and everything like that, but I want to definitely do some fishing more this year.

Speaker 2: 49:51

So my first step is definitely going to be to pull cameras, pull some some sets and minerals, get minerals on the ground. Like I'm a little late on that. I usually like starting minerals at Winter Bow and I did not do that this year, but that is something that's that's on. My next step is to get some, some minerals and everything like that out there. So that's what I'm going to be doing.

Speaker 2: 50:19

I'm actually going to be going out scouting. I'm taking a guy out scouting that I met this year and me and him and I are going to meet up and I'm going to do some scouting with him and everything like that and try to get him on a spot and and something like that, and I think that's something we try to do more often this year Like there's a bunch of new hunters out there that I've been talking to and everything like that, and I told him it was like if you need any help, just feel free to hit me up. Like if I'm free and you want to, you know you want me to come check a property out for you or something like that. Like let's go do it, Like it'll be fun. So that's the big game plan for for this year. I don't, I don't think there's anything else, Any questions? You guys got anything you guys want specifically talk about for our end of the year wrap up.

Speaker 1: 51:14

No, I just wanted to say that, you know, I'll probably try to do some more fixing this year too, like you guys um, cause I usually be honest with you I kind of got away from it for a little bit. I enjoy taking the kids more, you know, and letting them fish, but uh, I kind of want to get back out after, you know I got. I do have a boat I bought a couple of years ago. It's a 12 foot boat, you know. But uh, yeah, but uh, you know, I've only been on it probably like twice since I had it. I didn't even get a motor. So I would just do the whole order thing, you know. But even that was fun, you know. So I would just take the kids for a little bit. But that's what I'm kind of going to try to focus more on trout fishing. I know the wife said she wants to do it. I want to take my younger son's trout fishing, so that's something that, uh, I'll probably be doing more this year also.

Speaker 2: 52:07

Yeah, yeah, listen, we talked about it. I want to get a kayak. They're like that's a big, that's a big goal for this. You know the upcoming. You know whether I'm fishing in it mostly for hunting and scouting and stuff like that. But like getting a kayak going on a boat doing doing some other stuff that that would definitely I want to try to get some shark fishing and, um, things like that. Um, but all in all, looking forward to to what we got going on, I mean, I'm already thinking about next year. Um, I can't wait for it for next year to start. You know we've got some some time now, but one day, two days down and I already miss it, Like I I'm not going to lie Like it's.

Speaker 2: 52:49

It's been weird these last two days where it's like, what am I going to do? You know, no, deer hunting. You know, no, no, this it's, it's going to be soon time and be packing everything away and, you know, doing my final prep work for that and cleaning up and doing more housework and spending more time with the fiance and doing everything I need to do so and working more. So when the season comes down to it, I'm going to be available and everything like that, um, but I don't know, man, it's definitely been crazy, um, definitely been fun and like I'm really excited, really, really excited, for, especially with the guys that we got and and and everything like that, like really looking forward to we got a lot of things planned, you know, and we're still planning a lot of things and, um, we're going to be growing and and everything like that. So we're definitely excited.

Speaker 2: 53:44

Soon, hopefully, we'll be breaking some some more news like that and everything to you guys. Um, but oh, so what else should we talk about? I mean, I don't know if this really I think it's a great season Everyone.

Speaker 3: 53:58

I'm uh glad we got to uh talk about it and um you know good time. Had a great time this year, yeah definitely Um and don't forget.

Speaker 2: 54:09

April 6th, we're holding our game dinner. If you would like to come, please DM me that you're coming, just so I have a take on how much food we need, stuff like that. Um, if you want to bring your own food, any type of special game eat or anything like that, you're more than welcome. Um, so we're, the numbers are building. Um, so we're. We're almost at the goal that I I set my for myself of what I want the game dinner to be. Um, so we're, we're almost at at that goal, which I'm pretty excited for. Um, we're going to be, you know, doing a whole bunch of stuff. I'm going to be releasing some more information personally at the game dinner. Um, I think the plan is still we're going to be doing the turkey calling competition Um, I'm excited to see that, and who's got the best turkey call call and competition? Um, things like that. Um, we're going to be coming up with some some more things for for us to do there. But it's really, you know, I'm really excited to meet everyone kind of in person. You know, that's that's what I'm really excited for to have some last, share some stories, have some drinks, eat some food. Um, and, like I said, this is the only beginning. This is the the first one and it's going to develop more and more every year that we do this.

Speaker 2: 55:23

Um, we are also going to be heading to the empire state show. I'm going to be heading up there, um, urban pursuit and only bows are going to be up there. We were going to do it this year but we ran out of time. It is a pretty decently sized show and I was like listen with with with us doing the game dinner. I was like first year like that, that was my main priority this year was to do the game dinner, but I hopefully next year we will be there. I'm really excited for that.

Speaker 2: 55:54

Um, and then we're going to be at the family sportsman night on Friday March 15th down in South Jersey, um, from 630 to 9, looking forward to that as well. Um, and is there anything else that we're going to be going to? I think, um, steve just put something in, I think, right before this game dinner. It's something like that, like the Jersey buck classic, I believe. Let me just double check that. Yep, the annual let me take a look the annual garden state deer classic will be held on March 1st and 2nd during the 65th annual New Jersey state federation of sportsmen clubs annual convention at the crown plaza Princeton conference center, um in Plainsboro, new Jersey. Um, so I think we're going to go to that as well. I think Steve is going to go Friday. I think that Friday I'll be in upstate New York at the empire show and then Saturday I'm going to try to to go to that. I don't know what the rest of the guys are looking at planning. Um, I know it's a lot we're doing a lot.

Speaker 2: 57:05

We're going to be doing more shows and everything like that, but it's a good chance to meet people, meet new people and everything like that with the great America kind of door show. It was fun and like doing these all these shows and events, it's extremely fun. Booking for our podcast has opened Um. If anyone wants to come on and I could care, like, you don't have to be like this, oh my God, like no, I don't care about Instagram followers, I don't care about any of that. If you want to come on talk hunting, tell your story, everything like that, feel free, dm me, send me your email. I will you know. I'll send you the booking information you get to pick your date and time based off the times available.

Speaker 2: 57:47

March is basically already um. The end of March is already basically filled up. I think we already have. We have some great episodes um scheduled Um, so I'm looking forward to that. We have, I think, like eight or nine episodes already built, uh, booked in less than like about 24 hours Um and there's we're still waiting on a bunch more um that are looking at their schedule and everything like that. Um, we are bringing back the round table segment, so this is not the last time that we'll be recording Um, for the next month we're going to be doing one more episode. We're doing a special one for you guys. We're bringing the round table segment back. The round table segment part two is coming back next week, um, so I'm looking forward to that. We'll have a bunch of the guys on um Peyton, your mid. I think you missed the first one, right? Yeah, I did. I missed the first one, but, uh, I should be able to do this one.

Speaker 2: 58:44

Well, cool, well, so look forward to that, um, and I think I think that's got to be roughly about it. Um, man, it's, there's just so much going on and it's sometimes hard to think because then one, I'll think of something, but then I'm talking and I'm like, all right, like I'll, I'll, we'll talk about it later. Then I just completely forget what I, what I planned on talking about. Um, we're going to be, I think, doing a bunch of reviews too and stuff like that. Like I said, we, I think the plan is to to do a set like a saddle one and everything like that, where we all meet up um, review a bunch of the equipment and everything that we use for for this year Um, looking forward to that as well and doing a bunch of shootings.

Speaker 2: 59:31

So if anyone ever wants to meet up and and hang out with us, go fishing, go shooting, anything like that, we should definitely go. Try to do some, uh, clay pigeon shooting, um, do that, have a, have a nice range day, um, and things like that. So, if anyone's ever interested and you want to do that, listen, more of the merrier. You know we, we enjoy, uh, hanging out with people and and talking to people, um, and if you have any idea of what you want to see our next group event to be. So after the game dinner, I've, I've a couple people already but like hey, can you, you know, can you do another one? Um, just because there's certain people that cannot make our game dinner. So, if there's anything off the top of your head that you want to see us do, if you want us to do the, the meet and greet and bow shoot again, if you want us to do a fishing like tournament or or or something like that, something different, um, yeah, fishing tournament would be pretty cool. Maybe you know, maybe we can?

Speaker 3: 1:00:24

it would be really cool.

Speaker 2: 1:00:25

Yeah, Maybe we can maybe that'll be our next one. Um, something, something fun, just something different. You know we can cook out stuff like that fish all day, have fun, um, and, just, you know, spend time together. But I think that is going to to end it for for this episode. Um, guys, any last words?

Speaker 1: 1:00:49

Peyton anything.

Speaker 3: 1:00:51

No, no, nothing for me. I just appreciate tagging along the season. So thanks again.

Speaker 1: 1:00:55

No, I just want to say you know, I go ahead, nope, go, no, no.

Speaker 2: 1:01:00

All right, I just appreciate.

Speaker 1: 1:01:01

You know I just uh, I really can't wait to see what you know next year brings. And as far as us setting up some hunts together, I look forward to like duck and you know you saw what you guys cause I've never done it before, so like that's always been on my bucket list, so I'm looking forward to that. But you know, even deer bear, you know whatever we do, it's going to be a good time. So like I look forward to that and like I can't wait.

Speaker 2: 1:01:25

Yeah, I'm looking. I'm looking forward to that. See, peyton's a good caller. If Justin, you know, is not available, and stuff like that, peyton's a good caller. I'm going to be working on my calling this this summer and everything like that. I think the only thing we we have to do as well is just get decoys. Um, you know, I don't. I don't know if Peyton has any decoys, but I I'm pretty sure I plan on buying some, some decoys now.

Speaker 3: 1:01:48

Bianca might kill me. I've got yeah, it's so just a matter of uh, getting them there.

Speaker 2: 1:01:56

I mean, they're they're on Maryland, aren't?

Speaker 3: 1:01:57

they Decoys. Yeah, there's about there's a shed full of big feet decoys. There's a bunch of, you know, silhouettes and floaters, and yeah, there's, there's the equipment to go.

Speaker 2: 1:02:10

Then you know and do that, and but it's just a matter of a matter of even if we could always get our own here and like, say we, if you ever, we ever go to Maryland and we do deer hunt and waterfowl hunt, you just, we can just use the Maryland decoys and we could keep, you know, we'll, we'll buy our, like we could all split by our own and keep it in in Jersey, and there you go, we'll have stuff for Jersey If we ever go down south and do any.

Speaker 2: 1:02:38

You know, waterfowl hunting down south we have. You know, you have yours down south, and so we'll have one up north and one down south and we could always do that. And that's the thing. Like you know, a lot of the things that we're going to be doing is going to be shared. Like you know, we plan on getting more cameras and stuff like that, so more of the guys kind of. So Frank and and Peyton can start recording hunts and everything like that. You know, frank, I know you have the, the tactic cam, which that footage will be.

Speaker 2: 1:03:05

I'm working on a bunch of videos right now, so some of that will be released. You know we next thing, we definitely got to get Peyton recording They'll. They'll add a whole new avenue for it. We do plan on having a website. Peyton and I are going to start working on a website too for for boondocks hunting as well. A lot of things that we're going to be working on. So we'll be letting you guys know, but I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. So 2023, 2024 season is dear season is in the books and soon we're going to be on our serious down low with nothing to do at all once coyote is done. So can't, can't wait to talk to you guys next week and to do the round table segment, and we'll see you guys next time.