Speaker 1: 0:00

Ready to elevate your hunting game? Check out Gilly Puck, a US veteran-owned company from New York. The first of its kind patented pending product is built with the same pride and dedication we have for our country. Gilly Puck offers the Basic Puck Package, elite Hunt Package and Tier 1 Package, proudly made by those who served. Gilly Puck is designed for hunters and nature enthusiasts who demand the best. Visit GillyPuckcom today and use code GP10 for 10% off your order. Gilly Puck pride in our product, pride in our country. Hunting just got tactical. Welcome back to the outdoors podcast presented by boondocks hunting. I'm your host, mike nitro I'm frank mastika steve molnar peter warner and the squad welcome everyone.

Speaker 1: 1:15

It is the best time ahead of us. New jersey is officially open to hunting. We are going to be doing a special episode for you guys. Each one of us is going to be going through and telling a story about our favorite opening day moments. This is like a tradition, I think. For almost everybody it's opening day. It like christmas all over again.

Speaker 1: 1:48

We've waited all off season. You know, we've done all the scouting, did all the you know upgrades with the bows or the arrows or the tinkering and getting new gear and everything like that, and now things are really coming together for us on the, the crew. We have all had our pre-season hunts in other states, but now we're, we're finally here. I know the squash has to wait, uh, a couple more weeks. He refuses to come to, uh, to new jersey, um, but we understand that we'll get him here at some point. But, um, before we get started, pete, pete, it's been a while you haven't been on since, I think, the very beginning of our show, back, I think, in the first year, maybe the second year. Welcome back. A lot of things have happened with you. You've killed a lot of great deer and everything like that. It's good to have you back.

Speaker 4: 2:43

Thank you. Thank you for having me. Yeah, it's been a while. It was like one of the first two first few episodes you ever did yeah, and, and that one was a great one.

Speaker 1: 2:53

It's always great to get you back on and the guys and you know you're currently at camp right now, so why don't we, why don't we kick it off with you? And you know, why don't you guys over there talk about your, your favorite tradition or memory of of opening day or opening weekend?

Speaker 4: 3:11

yeah, honestly, it's doing what we're doing right now, but you know, it used to be a lot more of us. There's actually another group of guys that was supposed to be coming over there, but there's usually like, uh, anywhere between six and eight of us and we just, you know, we rent cabins, hang out, you know, eat food, talk and just make memories. You know, and we've been doing it now probably I don't know what 10 years, james, yeah, about 10 years, and it just gets better and better every year. Uh, you know, with the busy life schedule work, kids and you know it comes up a lot faster on you. I wasn't really prepared, like packing wise and stuff like that, but doing work and, um, you know, baiting, scouting, all that stuff, it's just I've been doing it since july and, uh, it's just never ending and you know it's something we love to do, so um it's, it'll never get old, that's for for sure.

Speaker 1: 4:04

Yeah, no, it's. There's something about this time of the year that it just it will never get old. But you know, you guys you got the family in there and everything like that. And you know, last time we talked I don't even know if Hunter I think Hunter was much younger so now Gained so much experience yeah, the kid's a straight killer was much younger.

Speaker 4: 4:26

So now, yeah, gained so much experience. Yeah, the kids, uh, the kids are straight killer and he loves it. You know, I wish he was here with us tonight but, uh, unfortunately until Monday I didn't want to take him out of school this early. Um, my friend's son, my friend James's son's here he's. Uh, they're going back tomorrow night, sunday night, but, um, we're up here till Monday and I would love to be here, but if you know, if I don't take out this weekend, I promise them next weekend, uh, uh, to take at least a chew the dough yeah, definitely, definitely, um, so you know, get, definitely what.

Speaker 1: 4:58

What is something that that sticks out for you? You know when you look at all the years and now you know with the kids and everything like that. You know what are some of your, you know your favorite memories, whether they're from you know early childhood or, or what or. You know now what, what sticks out to you, what is that memory that you could share share for us a general great hunt, or you know something like that that that's gone on during the opening weekend of of your hunts?

Speaker 4: 5:27

I mean, just you know learning from my father in general. Just you know teaching me how to hunt and then teaching my son how to do it and you know teaching him all the rules. Get it down, you know I don't want him anybody uh, you know, doing anything they're not supposed to do. We do everything by the rules and my father taught me that from a young age and I'm gonna bring that on to my kid and um, you know, I got him reading the you know what's the jersey book is like reading the bible and it's it's tough as it is, but I have him reading the book, um, and just learning.

Speaker 4: 6:02

But you know, like the like the memory I mean honestly my biggest memory is him shooting his first deer. And also a big thing to me is having my friends, you know, hunt my spots and you know having them be successful makes me more happy than myself shooting something. It's always been a big thing to me, uh, putting my friends on deer and giving them spots to hunt and just keep and uh, and it's just you know. But, like I also said, like having my son teaching him and having him shoot his first deer and how excited he is.

Speaker 1: 6:48

You know there's nothing better. Yeah, no, I, I agree with you. I think anyone there I know, steve, you're, you're going to be there at some point, you know where, where you're going to be out with the kids and same Frank there with you guys. You know, for, for all you guys, I know it's a, it's a, it's a different feeling. You know, for all you guys, I know it's a different feeling, you know. But I mean, when you got a kid and guys I don't know how much of you guys know his son, you know and have followed along, but I tell you this kid was born to hunt, to hunt.

Speaker 4: 7:26

Yeah, his name is hunter for a reason you know, between the fish and two. I mean, he's literally obsessed with turkey hunt. I'm trying so, so hard to get him a turkey he missed last year. It was my fault, I misjudged the audage and it's very tough to shoot a crossbow inside. I was first time ever hunting inside of a box one and my uncle let me go hunt this property in pa and the echo from inside with the crossbow. I actually just bought him a 410, so this year I'll be fighting with a 410.

Speaker 4: 7:53

But um, the echo from inside the blind and the bird being, which I thought was about 22, 23 yards, it wound up being like 31. I totally misjudged it awfully, and you know I told him to use the. You know the top pin on the on the site and you know, between the echo with the, the blind, the crossbow going off inside the blind, the bird jumped up so high and the arrow went right underneath it was. It killed me inside, but he took it like a champ and you know we went out. The following weekend we had the same group of birds come in but they just hung up too far.

Speaker 4: 8:24

But that's his goal this year he says he'd rather. You know he says he wants to kill another deer. Obviously, but he really wants a bird. So I'm gonna try everything in my power and I'm not a turkey hunter at all but my, my goal this year is to have him kill his first bird, and I hope it happens I think this year we'll try to make a trip up yeah, my friend pat you know he's got a lot of land up state and he's got a ton of birds up there and I've never seen a kid to a turkey call by his mouth.

Speaker 6: 8:49

It's crazy yeah, he's.

Speaker 4: 8:50

He's so obsessed.

Speaker 6: 8:52

Oh, it's incredible I mean I'm not a turkey hunter so I don't go up there, but I'll try to get hunter yeah, he's.

Speaker 1: 8:57

He's got a lot of birds upstate, so uh, well, um so we'll come up there quick, quick question on that, and I know this is supposed to be about deer hunting, but I I got. I gotta ask like so where did? Did you? Just you decided to take him out, or is this something that he's really?

Speaker 4: 9:13

yeah, it's something he requested. Yeah, it's something he requested. I was never into turkey hunting. I've done it a few times. Growing up I shot one bird it was with a bow, um, and he just says, I want, you know, he watches videos on it and he's like, you know, dad, I really want to get a turkey. I said, all right, my, my uncle's got, you know, 45 acres up in pa and he's got birds constantly on camera and he allowed me to go up there and the first morning we're done there. We had, you know, three giant birds come in and unfortunately, like I said, he, you know, he shot low because of me and, um, you know it happens. But that was his request and I'm, you know, I'm going to try to make it, you know, happen for him.

Speaker 1: 9:50

So that's incredible that that's uh, I love to hear that, and you know how, about how? About you over there? You know what? What is a story you can share with us? That know what's your favorite memory or best memory of of opening weekend?

Speaker 6: 10:06

I would say it's it's when, as the season drags out and people start dropping their tag and and you know, obviously tagging out and stuff, and it's nice to have everyone together to retrieve the deer together, like like a couple of years ago James shot a nice one and we were all here to get it and like obviously everyone's busy in their lives the kids pop up now and people's jobs and stuff, so it's hard to be in the same area all at the same time later on in the season. So it's nice to have, you know, pete five feet, like not five feet, but like you know, five minutes away, or james 10 minutes away, and so if you get you kind of share that experience. I think that you know after opening day you kind of lose that experience. I know you call your buddies. You have that list of people you call after the shot goes off, but it's hard to get guys to come there and retrieve the deer with you and I think that's one thing that makes opening day so big People take off for work people.

Speaker 6: 11:03

You know we booked a cabin and it's just. It's just something nice to have everyone in the same area. That you know we all, we all share the same pictures. I mean, at least some of us share our deer pictures and, uh, you know, it's nice to see them actually hit the ground and we're all in the same area for it?

Speaker 4: 11:18

yeah, because after opening weekend we usually don't all hunt together.

Speaker 4: 11:21

Once in a while we'll get together like halloween yeah, like halloween weekend, we'll all get together and go out hunting again, because it's either, you know, you know pat lives out in queen so it's hard for him to get the jersey. It takes him, you know, an hour and a half, two hours to get the jersey, you know, with traffic and stuff like that. So, um, and then we have these hunting trips booked, you know, throughout october and november. So this this weekend really means a lot to us because we're always, we always book at the same time of the year. We're always here together and you know this is the first week when we get to hunt, enjoy it, relax, and then after this it's just like, you know, I'm going hunting this day or I can't go that day. I'll, you know, maybe go next weekend, but having everybody together is just, it's something that I won't ever get sick and we're going to continue to do it as long as we can.

Speaker 6: 12:06

And it's nice seeing the kids come into it.

Speaker 4: 12:08

Yeah, this is their first year at James' sons. James is at the cabin this is his first experience on Open a Weekend with us.

Speaker 6: 12:14

And Hunter. It's cool seeing the transition of when it was just all guys and now it's the kids coming. It's nice to see the progression.

Speaker 1: 12:24

Oh yeah, no, definitely, and that's where you guys want to be and I love hearing it. You know, that's something that every time we do Bear Camp or something like that, like just being all together, just makes it just the memories it's the best.

Speaker 4: 12:38

You know a lot of laughs, you know it's just a good time, you know it's fun. I mean we used to have a huge group. Little by little everybody started fading away, obviously with families and stuff like that. But still, even if it's a couple of guys, we still have a great time.

Speaker 1: 12:57

That's a great tradition. I love to hear it for sure. Who would like to go next? Frank, would you like to go? I'm just going to nominate Frank.

Speaker 3: 13:07

Alright, yeah, that's good. No, so For me it was just like Everybody else said so like Just getting all my uncles together. When my grandfather was alive, we would go up to state. That's what I used to look forward to the most Everybody just going up there and join each other's company, having a lot of laughs If we did get something. We're all going together, everybody's.

Speaker 3: 13:38

You know, at the end everybody's celebrating and taking shots, and you know everybody's just you know having a good time eating shots and you know Everybody's just you know having a good time Eating good. You know, having a couple drinks With everybody. And you know the next thing, you know we'd come down, you know, back to Jersey because we would do it For a while. So it was every opening day, other than because they didn't bow hunt, but they would come down for, you know, buck week. They would come for the doe days and it was like all over again. You know it was just non-stop fun with them and I I used to love and look forward to it because it didn't matter what we got.

Speaker 1: 14:16

Everybody was, everybody was happy, you know so, and that that's all that really mattered yeah, no, it's opening weekend, you know, and just like, I think a lot of the theme is going to be like it's just a lot of camaraderie at this point. Um, you know, and it's if you're a hunter, you know, and you, this is if you're a, you don't even have to you, this is if you're a, you don't even have to be a big time hunter. But this is just a tradition for everyone. I think it's this is the best time of the year, honestly, like everyone talks about. And I always ask the question like what's your favorite time of the year to hunt? Like if you could hunt one year out of the year, you know what would it be? And everyone says, course, like mid-october and you know, early november, during, during the rut, and everything like that, which I 100 agree with.

Speaker 1: 15:10

But it is so hard not to say opening weekend, especially when you're doing stuff with a bunch of guys, a bunch, you know, family and everything, that when it's, when it comes to tradition, opening weekend, like it's hard for me to not look forward to this. And if I can only hunt one year, one week, out of the year, it's like how do I not do this? Because we're all together, you know it's. Everyone's going out to woods tomorrow, everyone's doing this. You know I'm I'm going to be with you, know a bunch of guys and everything like that. You guys are going to be with your people and everything like that. So it's very hard to like not say this for me at least. You know I do love the rut and everything like that, but there's nothing like opening weekend. There's nothing like that opening week.

Speaker 1: 15:58

You know it's also. These deer are not pressured yet too. And that opening week, you know it's also. These deer are not pressured yet too. And it's nice not hunting pressure deer and everything like that too as well. But, um, steve, how about? How? About you? What? What is your? Uh, what is your favorite memory of opening weekend?

Speaker 2: 16:14

oh, man, uh, there's, I guess there's plenty from when I was growing up and now that I've only been back into this for what? Four years, I guess as an adult, um, I've only last year was the first year that I actually hunted opening. Um, is that, is that me, with all that noise?

Speaker 1: 16:37

sorry, um no, I think it's okay. Sorry, I got it uh, okay, um, yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:46

So I mean I uh, so much of my memories are from my childhood. I mean I started hunting when I was 10, with my going, with my dad, my uncle and I think, probably my most. My most favorable opening, most memorable opening day experience was, I think I was like 13 and my dad and I went out and, like we were, we were sitting in this front field, um, actually right off 206, and my uncle was in the backfield and it was getting to last light and had a bunch of does come in and we were further down the hedgerow. They had come into the corner, through the corner of the field and they just wouldn't come any closer. And, uh, my dad I will never forget my dad took this absolutely wild shot. Um, he didn't. I mean this is back in the day when you know you had a three or a five pin sight but you didn't have a 70 pin sight, and he shot this doe at 73 yards and he drilled it on its way out through the hind quarter, all the way through the guts, through the lungs and into the heart and out the front and it died in 30 yards into the, into the woods line. And I just remember, like the elation of making a crazy shot like that and my uncle coming by and I couldn't even tell you exactly what he said, but he even he was pretty amazed and you know that, along with the current feeling of being an adult looking forward to doing this with my kids here and probably another it might be shorter than that we might have to go to Virginia or somewhere else. I don't know that. I can wait to take Declan and Evie till they're 10. I don't think we're going to make it another seven years. But you know, even just for right now, last year was a great year.

Speaker 2: 18:42

I was able to you able to get my opening day doe and then tag out for fall bow with the buck the following Friday. Don't quite have the deer pattern that way this year, but I would agree with you, mike, if there's one week out of the season that I could hunt, it would be most likely would be opening week. Week out of the season that I could hunt, it would be most likely it would be opening week. And just because the pressure's down, because you have more of a chance to pattern deer before they get out of that summer, that that that's those summer habits and um and and before that transition. I mean, it's, it's and it's just exciting. And it's exciting to come back after the seventh month, you know, eight month lull from not hunting all the preparation, all the time.

Speaker 2: 19:27

Some of us who start out there shed hunting in February or maybe start getting boots on the ground in May, or basically as soon as turkey season's over, we transition to putting the time in for deer.

Speaker 2: 19:44

You know we transitioned to, you know, putting the time in with for deer and so it's that culmination, like you said, of all of it coming together, the excitement of what's going to happen that first day. And for me this year I'm I'm trying to decide. I think I'm actually even a little more excited because I don't have a buck pattern and you know, if I'm fortunate enough to take a doe tomorrow and then go out next saturday, uh, I don't. I got no bucks on camera right now, like one or two, and there is no patterning happening. So it's a little liberating of, honestly, the thought of next saturday being able to just go out and hang and, almost like old school hunting, like nothing on camera, don't know what's going to come out, could be really exciting. So I think I'm actually really looking forward to it chasing the unknown baby that's right um, I, man, I, I gotta agree with you.

Speaker 1: 20:35

You know it's I, I have a bunch of deer, but it's last year it was, it was a liberate like I don't know if it, I don't know. I just hate, hate. Earn a buck, right, I just hate it because I knew last year there was a buck that I could kill and I had the opposite. I kind of had the same. I couldn't, I didn't have many does pattern last year, right, for some reason it was a very odd year for me and I don't know if anyone else had this, um, had any of the this happened to them, but you know it was a very odd year and deer just were not moving for me like like they have in the past, and for a couple other people that I know personally as well. And I struggled.

Speaker 1: 21:28

But it was also a nice feeling too of that first part of the season, once I got over the frustration of just going out and hunting and just whatever comes by, whatever you know comes by, until I found that buck and then I got him pattered and I was able to chase him up until I realized he was bedded on private and just could hang right outside that state on the wmma and then the private and just hope that he was gonna cross over um and the times he did. Of course you know I was elsewhere, but I agree, it's um, it is a different feeling, it's a nice feeling, but it's it's more of that natural feeling, um.

Speaker 2: 22:13

I think I'm even more excited for the farmers to cut their damn corn Like.

Speaker 5: 22:20

I'm ready.

Speaker 2: 22:21

I'm ready, guys. It doesn't't. It's not going to get any more than it already is. It's not going to grow anymore. It's not going to dry out any more than it is. Just cut the shell corn already. Let's let those deer run like come on, I'm excited to see what happens today, they say another four weeks geez another three weeks.

Speaker 4: 22:41

Like why I don't know. They said I don't know why. He said something about how soft the ground is and they can't get into certain spots To cut it oh, okay. So it could be up to another three weeks.

Speaker 2: 22:54

Geez man.

Speaker 1: 22:55

Oh Wow, I never thought of that. I never knew that was a thing. But I I mean, I'm not a farmer. So no, brother Squatch, I know we got to wait for you and you got to wait to get out there, but what? I imagine this man can tell some stories. So let's let's hear from the Squatch right now on on his favorite opening weekend moment hear from the Squatch right now on on his favorite opening weekend moment.

Speaker 5: 23:29

Yeah, so you know it's. It's so heart-wrenching when you're, uh, ones you were taught by aren't around anymore. So, to reiterate on stuff that happened when I was a kid, with you know hunting real close with my grandfather and you know he's the one that taught me. So it's a little little little bit of a a choker for me, but I'll try to work through it. So, uh, as an early, early starting out, I didn't even have, uh probably a license yet and I'm incriminating myself, but I don't really don't give a crap.

Speaker 5: 24:05

And you know I was. I was a little boy. I was hunting right next to my grandfather. It was opening day and he said you know, you're 12 years old, why don't you take the 22 410 and you go up, go up the log road. And I said, okay, all right, pops, I'll go up. He says I'll hear you shoot, don't worry, I'm down here in the trailer. We had an old mobile home trailer next to their house originally and that's what I grew up living in when, when I was a little boy. But as time went on we had to move it away from their house because it was too close, it was a fire hazard and we were living somewhere else by then, anyway, just up the road. But the old trailer we saved and we moved over further on the property and if you got to the end bedroom on it, looking down the hill, you could see all the way down into the swamp. And him being 80 plus years old, he liked to stay warm. So he, you know, hung out by the wood stove in there and watched for deer to come down across the road into the swamp and then he would shoot them with the 0-6 and he'd call for me and I'd come down and get them with him.

Speaker 5: 25:14

But I was just up across the street from him up on our own property, I had a .22 410 over under Savage Model 34F and I got a couple bullets. That was it, cci Stinger, and he told me. He said now remember, when you see the herd. He said don't shoot the first deer that comes over to rock wall, where you're sitting. He says you just wait. He says wait for the last deer. All those other deer are where you're sitting. He says you just wait. He says wait for the last year. All those other deer are sentinels. They're going to come out first. They're looking for you. They're looking for whatever's out there that's going to come after them. So be patient and wait for the biggest deer. It's usually the last year in the

Speaker 5: 25:57

herd. So I went up the hill, I put my back against the tree, like he taught me, and wouldn't you know it? Here comes the whole herd and I'm counting them one, two, three, I got up to about 17 deer and I got the gun up iron sights, no scope, nothing, and the last one was a monster doe. And uh, and the last one was a monster doe and no bucks. I was looking for the bucks and there was just no bucks, just big, big, huge doe. We always shoot some big does around here. So I settled the pin, the front sight pin, on uh, you know, on the front sight, on her lungs and I just touched it off and I seen her kind of kick out and she went down over the rock wall and I didn't see her get back up. So he was so

Speaker 5: 26:50

funny. Whenever I shot a deer he'd always yell add, add, you know, because Adam's my real name and I he says did you get him? He's yelling way up the hill to me from the other side of the road and I says yeah, I think so I got him, I got him all right, stay there, stay there, I'm coming. So you know, he's 80 something years old and he's coming up this huge hill that we got with the woods are and gets up to me and he says okay. He says you okay. I said yeah, I'm

Speaker 5: 27:18

fine. He says where did you shoot? I said over there, by that tree, by the rock wall. He says really. I said yeah, he goes, it's kind of far. I said is it? He says it's about 70 yards. I said well, I think I hit her. He says okay. He says you keep your eye where you shot, I'll walk over to where you tell me when I get close. I said okay. So he walks over and he says tell me where. I said a little bit to the right Gramps, a little bit to the right. So he looks down and he says oh, oh, yeah, yeah, you got some blood here. I said okay. He says come to me, come to

Speaker 5: 27:53

me. So I walked down and and, uh, you know my heart's racing, cause it's the first year I shot by myself. Really my heart's racing because it's the first deer I shot by myself. Really it was with a 22, for crying out loud You're thinking, geez, I hope I made it count. We walked about another 40 yards and I caught a glimpse of brown and white next to this log. I says look, look there he is. He says, oh, you got her, you got her, holy cow. He says that's a big doe, son. And I said yeah, yeah, great, all right, I got my first deer. So, uh, he helps me gut it out. You know, I, I

Speaker 5: 28:32

didn't. I helped my dad a couple of times, but it was dark and you know I was using the flashlight usually because he he would hunt right after he got out of work for the last 10 minutes. And you know you try to learn as much as you can when you're a kid. But uh, he showed me how to get everything out of the deer and uh, he started pulling. He says come on, son. He says grab a hold of the leg. I said yo. He says what's the matter? You're a football player. He says you're having a hard time pulling that big old deer. You shot huh. I said yeah, yeah, but I'll get her home, you know. So, uh, we pulled her down a hill and we got her hung up and I was fortunate to learn from him. He was a butcher his whole life, so he was actually a second-generation butcher from Italy. My great-great-grandfather was from Italy and he had his own butcher shop in Whitestone, so I learned by the best. When the beer hits the ground, the lid ends up in the crease.

Speaker 1: 29:28

I do everything from start to finish, and it's nice because he's with me sure yeah it's I, I wish, and I'll say this you know the the one person I wish I could I could hunt with, I my my grandpa. You know, he kind of was my father figure in my life, so he from hockey. We went, traveled everywhere, I mean all over the country, into other countries, and all we did was play hockey, watch hockey, talk about hockey, um, and I knew like they they used to go hunting all the time up in maine and everything like that, but unfortunately, because of what, how, half, how much I played hockey and how good I was at hockey, I didn't get the chance to to ever hunt with him and that, and that was probably like once I got older. That that's definitely. One regret is I haven't been able to hunt with my grandfather, but I wish I could. I wish I wish I could could go and yeah, that's him and I.

Speaker 5: 30:58

that's, that's a buck. I shot with the bow and he every deer I shot. Usually he had to come, always take a picture with me. He was, he was pretty old, right there with me. But yeah, here's a little little history, you know. Know, they had not to cut you off, mike, I'm sorry, I just know, no worries they had that thing on instagram.

Speaker 5: 31:18

Everybody's like, yeah, post the first picture. You're, you know your buck, dude. There wasn't any pictures. I mean, I got some polaroids and stuff, but you're going back 40 plus years with me so I'm like I can show you plenty of deer pictures, but it sure as hell ain't the first buck I killed. You know what I mean. But yeah, man, it's a. You know, that's the nice, don't get me wrong. You know it's, it's.

Speaker 5: 31:41

I get choked up. It's a very hard thing for me still to grasp after all the years that he hasn't been by my side and uh, you know, it just hits home, uh, but it's great memories, it's, it's. You know, every time I cut a deer up, you know, hanging up and, and you know, and I'm going through it, I just feel him right there, I, I, you know, I, I, sometimes, I, I, I forget stuff and it comes right back to me and I'm like, yeah, that's him, he's making sure. You know he's telling me no, that's the cut right there, go through here, you know, follow that line and everything else and it's. You know, I feel so bad for people that just didn't have that quality part of the hunting. Some guys learn how to hunt and they're great hunters and they learn every aspect of how to get the animal. But I got beyond that. I got you know, this is how you take care of what you shot and you know this is how you prepare it and this is how you share it with others. And you know, you know your own quality of the meat. It's not going to some butcher and getting ground up and you don't know what you're getting.

Speaker 5: 32:53

But, like I said, that was you know him always being around. That's one of the best memories I have and every time I go out into the deer woods I connect. You know it's like just it's no different than Ted Nugent singing about Fred Bear. You know him and Fred Bear were really close. Well, my grandfather was my Fred Bear, so you know. So those are the good memories. You know I can't help but get choked up. You know I got a big heart and you know I know I'm a mountain man looking kind of guy, but I still get choked up over stuff like that especially with my family.

Speaker 4: 33:27

We all do squash. I do the same thing. Yeah, growing up my father he doesn't hunt as much as he used to and it's you know he's getting old and it's upsetting, but yeah I feel you're on.

Speaker 4: 33:37

That I think about, like you do. You know, when I was young, going with him teaching me how to? You know, back then, like you know, back in the day, we used to just nail tree stands up in this thing. We never hung on. Everything was built, yep so, and I had a terrible fear of heights. So he made sure he built me one that was eight feet off the ground. I had a hole going through the center of the floor. Yeah, you know, he made it comfortable for me and it's. You know memories like that. You know my son now. You know the age he is, he's. I have a 22-foot ladder stand like that right up there. No problem sits in it. No, fear Me, I couldn't sit still in a 16-foot ladder. Stand, hold on to everything, get up, used to make sure there was a branch for me to hold on. But you know memories like that.

Speaker 6: 34:20

Don't let him fool you. He's still like that. Don't let him.

Speaker 4: 34:23

Fool you, like I said. Like I said, you know my father hunts less and less now and you know I wish we used to go on hunting trips every year but with all the pains and aches and all that stuff he's got surgeries, you know it's, you know it's. It's hard, it's hard, you know. So, yeah, having my son get into it and enjoying it with him like I enjoy it with him, it's it's, you know it's very comforting. So I feel you squash, thank you definitely yeah, you know it's.

Speaker 2: 34:50

It's pretty amazing actually, because things are coming full circle in my family. You know, obviously my father got me into it and now my resurgence back into hunting. My dad actually bought a bear adapt bow last year because I kept pestering him and pestering like he's 78 years old this year and I was like, oh you, you got to get back into it, dad. Like we'll, just, we'll set you up in a tree over, you know, in our woods over here, just pop a doe, like you just got to get it back in, you know. And he's like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so finally he bought a bow.

Speaker 2: 35:24

Didn't get out last year, but now, like he's had like an ailment with his. He's had a wound on his leg that hasn't healed correctly because of a circulation and they're finally starting to make some headway on it. And so he's been. I bought him a target. He's been practicing and he's been going to the gym like three, four days a week, like really trying to get back into it, and so it it's going to be really cool.

Speaker 2: 35:45

It's obviously not going to be opening day, but I'm really I'm hoping to put him in front of some deer over in our woods over here nearby and I am really excited to share that with him again and be able to. You know whether it's a button buck, a doe or actually a nice buck, whatever comes in front of them, like I'm. I'm really looking forward to bookending that with my dad, cause it's been it's been like 27 years since I've been in the woods the woods with my dad hunting and uh, and you talk about getting choked up, but like those are some of the best. Some of the best memories that I have with my dad are the time that I had basically one-on-one with him, or like him and my uncle in the woods and like it's going to be really cool to to get back into that again.

Speaker 5: 36:38

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 36:40

Yeah, definitely, definitely. You know, I think let's say, and that's hard to follow up, I mean, I that was. You know, it's a big part of you know, I talk about playing all these sports and you could talk anywhere from the NFL to soccer, to baseball, hockey, whatever, but with hunting, and what a lot of people don't understand is hunting is only what, killing is only one percent of what we do, and that is the usually the farthest thing honestly from my mind. I know tomorrow, you know, of course, we're all looking to to kill those so we can, so we can get our shot at bucks, but like it's, it's the memories, it's the, the lessons that have been passed down to generation to generation and hope. You know we keep passing it down and everything like that. And you know, you, you guys, talking about all the memories you made with your, your fathers and grandfathers and everything like that, and what you're doing with your kids and and hope to do with your kids. You know that's what it's, that's what it's really about. You know, we look at all these these stories that we've told and they all have basically one thing in common it's, you know, it's family, it's camaraderie, it's it's friendship, it's just these bonds and memories that, listen, once we're we're up there in age, listen, we're still going to remember these things, that that that happened and everything like that. And now, the way the equipment is, now we have it all on on camera and everything like that. So I know I am going to be bothering my great-grandchildren like you guys want to watch me hunting back in the day like and pull up some some old clips and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 38:26

But you know, um, I love to hear it and you know it's. It is definitely a I I feel you guys a hundred percent with a. You know a lot of things and, like I was saying before, like I just wish I had that opportunity to hunt with my grandfather. Um, you know, the closest I get to do is hunting with you know, with other family members, which, which I love to do, but you know, doing that, doing that with my grandfather, that'd be the, that'd be the ultimate goal, um for me. But you know, one of my um favorite hunting memories, um, so me and uh, kurt and I um one one of the guys, he um, we hunt always together, like always around each other, and tomorrow, you know, we're going to be around each other and his girlfriend's going to be there and he might be taking out his basically his stepchild and everything like that. So it's definitely grown our opening day, opening weekend tradition.

Speaker 1: 39:25

But there is this one time Opening weekend tradition. But there was this one time. He's a couple hundred yards away but we shot Two does At the exact same time, like, and I was. So I was, I was dealing with a shoulder injury that year, so I actually was not using my compound bow and I used the. I had to use the crossbow and almost simultaneously we both shot and we both texted each other saying oh my god, you, you heard you like, you just shot something. You just shot something, and you know we were able to. We always would meet up with each other and we would just drag you out every single year.

Speaker 1: 40:09

Mike, welcome to the show. I'm so. I don't know what it is, but certain people do not get the emails or they're not getting the link. So I'm gonna have to figure something else out, because squash has a problem. Every single time he's trying to get on, he doesn't have the link. I've had other people not get the emails and and things like that. So I'm sorry about that, but you came in kind of perfect timing, I'll have you go go next and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 40:35

But, um, like I was saying, like just the fact that we shot two good friends shot deer side, like at the same time, and we were able to go drag deer out all at the same time, like we have for almost the past like six years, have sat in the same stands and had a, we have had at least an 85, 80 to 85 success rate where we both killed deer within probably anywhere between the latest like 30, 30 minutes after each other. You know, and we've always had been able to go drag deer out and you know whether during the day or night, like whatever guys are with us. You know I'm very clumsy so I slip and fall in in the woods a lot and I I get caught up on things, um, and a couple of the other buddies they do too. But I remember we're tracking one of the deer that that night. And you know, all of a sudden our buddy, ish, he's a, he's a big guy, and all of a sudden we just hear somebody just completely just wipe out like right behind us, and we turn around and he's just, he's on his back, just sprawled out and we're like what, what the hell? You guys, yeah, the the log was a little bit slippery and I thought I was making the correct step and I just absolutely ate it.

Speaker 1: 41:52

So you know, I I just love being being with the guys. You know I love hunting with with maybe not necessarily with other people, but, like like Pete said earlier, at least everyone's like around each other. It's like a five minutes away, 10 minutes away, like everyone is out at that moment. So you know it's a big brotherhood and a big bond there. For that.

Speaker 2: 42:17

And even if you're not, even if you're not right there in close proximity, we all have phones and we're all going to be waiting between 4 and 7, 7.30, 8 o'clock tomorrow night for those texts to go off. You know we're going to be. It's going to be awesome. You know we're just waiting for that to happen. Like okay, who's going to be next? Who's going to be on the board next? Like it's going to be fun.

Speaker 1: 42:40

Yeah, no, it's, that's the thing. Like from guys who were not even be close to like you know. Like you said, like I'm I'm looking to see how you know american mike and the boys do. I'm looking out to see all you know, the guys that we talked in south jersey. I'm always on instagram waiting to see who killed the first deer. You know he is usually on instagram live killing the deer you know I'll be on live in the morning, that's for sure.

Speaker 1: 43:03

So so if you want to talk about another tradition, there's been countless times where the minute I see him go on instagram live, I pop on it, I click it and I'm like, all right, it's time to sit back and just watch him uh, kill a doe, so and and that's been. You know I, I mean I think you, the first time you at least I noticed you did that was back in 2015 or 2016.

Speaker 4: 43:31

Yeah, it was a while ago and ever since then I've been doing it every year. A couple of times I just lost reception or something. Last year I cut the video short. The doe ducked my arrow so much I spined her and she dropped. I didn't want to have that on. Yeah, yeah, she died immediately, but she let out a couple of yelps and I just didn't want everybody to have to listen. So I cut the video short after that. So, but yeah, for the last, yeah, 2015-2016, I started going live on. Whenever the live pretty much started on instagram, I started going live and doing my hunts, especially the doe hunt. You know it's hard to do it. You know if you're after a matured, you know buck, I don't. Yeah, I videotape all my hunts. You know if gopro, stuff like that. But you know, um, but every, every opening day, I'll go live on my doe and put the doe down on live. So if anybody's up, I'm hoping to be tagged out by 6 3030 in the morning, 6.30, I'll be live in the morning.

Speaker 1: 44:31

Yeah, so anyone listening, if also you guys want to tune in, make sure you go check it out. I mean I'll be on, I'll be in the comments and everything like that. But, mike, welcome back. You know, let's hear your favorite opening weekend story, that that you got for us well, I heard you guys talking about traditions.

Speaker 7: 44:54

First listen, my opening day tradition is sitting in that stand with that sun coming up and cracking open the first little debbies of the year. You can't be the first snack cake of the year in the tree stand, that's just the og thing to do. But first opening weekend story man, I hunt the same spot every year for the past 11 years. So many people have shot their first deer out of this stand and we normally just double up and the goal is to be at the diner by 8 am eating a taylor ham, making cheese sandwich, just telling stories with all the other hunters that tagged out early.

Speaker 1: 45:31

I'm so happy you said Taylor Ham.

Speaker 7: 45:35

North Jersey. It's not pork roll around here.

Speaker 1: 45:40

But I and that's the thing, like I'm, I have a debacle. I don't know if I sit my stand that I've been sitting for the past like five or six years, because there's really there really hasn't been that many does when it's been a lot of little bucks, or I just say you know what, screw it. I'll go down the road where I do have a bunch of does. But then there's the tradition. It's like this is my opening day stand, like how do I not hunt it? And I will not make a decision probably until I am driving, and wherever I stop at is probably where I'm going to hunt and they're literally right down the road from each other. So it's like I'm going to be in one of those spots tomorrow.

Speaker 7: 46:26

You got to sit your favorite stand, at least for the first two hours. Then go go anywhere else to shoot your doe that's true, that that is true.

Speaker 1: 46:34

Um, you know, for for you, micah, you know it's like you said, the tradition is is sitting your your favorite stand? That you know you and so many other people have you know, shot deer out of and everything like that. Um, you know you and so many other people have you know shot deer out of and everything like that. Um, you know is it is your favorite memory from that stand as well my favorite hunting memory?

Speaker 7: 46:57

not so much, but that's just where opening day normally takes place gotcha what?

Speaker 1: 47:03

what about your favorite hunting memory? What we got for that?

Speaker 7: 47:07

oh man, I would have to dig through a lot of stories for that. There's a lot of time for one there. I could sit here for three hours talking about that. Honestly, my favorite hunting memories, you would think would be like shooting your biggest bug All the people that I've gotten on their first year. I have Tyler here. He's with me. We're going to whack does tomorrow morning. We're going to try and do a one, two, three shoot on double up does. Um, but like watching him shoot his first deer, watching rob shoot his first deer, just seeing their reactions after being like a seasoned hunter for like five, six years, uh, something special to watch other people go through the same emotions you went through yeah, no, it's, I'm still trying to get the fiancee on one and I'm hoping she she gets on on one soon.

Speaker 1: 47:54

Um, you know, but she doesn't have the time like I do and I can just literally sit in the woods all day and and be happy. But you know, for her that's it's, that's not the case. But, um, you know, guys, it's real quick also. You know, guys, it's real quick Also. You know what everyone wants to go through what. What is your? What is your goals for this year? Real quick, for two minutes each. You know, and, mike, we can start with you. You know what is one of your goals for for this upcoming season.

Speaker 7: 48:21

No wounded deer and shooting the biggest deer of my life. I like it Quick and easy, quick and easy Peteete.

Speaker 1: 48:29

how about you?

Speaker 4: 48:31

well, I said it earlier, my goal is to, like I said, my son's gonna want to kill a turkey, so yeah, it's all about my kid.

Speaker 4: 48:38

I can care less if I ever shoot a deer, ever and again, honestly, and I've shot so many deer in my life but seeing his reaction and seeing how much he enjoys it, definitely my goal this year is to put him on a bird and, have you know, kill one. But also, you know I enjoy going out to Kansas. I'm going out again for two weeks. This year I'm leaving a month. So you know, definitely a goal of mine is to get an opportunity at something bigger than anything I've ever killed. My biggest year is a 165. So definitely my goal is to kill one bigger than that this year. I'm hoping so. My favorite time of the year has always been October 21st, 22nd to like November 1st, november 2nd, and I always went out to Kansas the second week of November and it's been tough for the last two, three years I've been out there. So my goal I'm going to go this year you know that second to last week of October into Halloween and hopefully I can top my biggest year this year. It's a big goal.

Speaker 1: 49:44

Definitely Frank. How about you?

Speaker 3: 49:50

I got more than two, mike. So, um, it would be actually um, learning, actually successfully learning how to saddle hunt this year. Since this is my first year, um, building more memories with uh, with my son, I want to get him out there to help track and I've already got him out bait in this year and stuff showing them a little bit more. I know he's still young but I I talked to him like he's 18 and he understands what I'm saying. You know, um, but uh, yeah then, um, the next one would be there's, uh, I picked up a new piece of property, private. So learning, learning that pretty well and learning how to hunt that. So those are like my main goals for this year. You know, of course, shooting a big one would be awesome, but yeah, you know, we'll just see how it goes, yeah steve, how about you?

Speaker 2: 50:49

uh, yeah, I guess I got three. I guess number one is fill the freezer, because that's a big part of what we do. I think that goes for all of us. Uh, number two is, if possible, I'd love to keep the no blow dough streak going for another year of not being blown out by any dough. That would be amazing, just as a personal point of pride. But, uh, and then, and then the third one. Uh, well, I I won't say the name of the deer, but you guys know who and I'd love to connect with him this year if possible. So those are my goals. Love it and the squash man this year, if possible.

Speaker 1: 51:29

So those are my goals Love it and the Squatch man.

Speaker 5: 51:33

Well, first and foremost is to stay humble and you know, just try to set a good example, for you know us as a team and us all together outdoorsmen and basically just I just want to make sure that you know I can walk the walk. You guys all see what I do and stuff online, but you know some pressure this year. I got some eyes watching me and you know I just want to be the best I can be but be humble and and uh, lead by, example, love it, love it, um, you know, I, I guess, for for myself I have a few too.

Speaker 1: 52:22

Um, you know, after a very tough and difficult year last year, I mean, um, anything is better kind of than last year. So for me it's, it's not going to be hard for for personal, for here in jersey, but you know, one is definitely going to be an out-of-state buck. Um, and then my first. You know I've killed my first bear, but I need to kill my first, uh, bow bear, um, you know, and and archery bears, it's definitely in the books. And then you know, just another one is just not only me personally hunting, but you know the filming aspect is get out there and you know, either hunt with as many guys as I can or, you know, film as many of the guys as I can, and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 53:05

And you know, do do different things, like I'm not just saying myself, I would like to get, you know, one of our guys, bobby, on his first year. Hopefully I can get Bianca on her first year, and you know, and things like that. So those are some of my goals going into into this season and also have a remarkable waterfowl season. I can't, I can't deny that I've turned into a waterfowl lunatic and you know I'm very excited for that too. Um, but that will be after the rut and so we got. We got plenty of time for for that. But, um, guys, you know, thank you all jumping on real quick. You know that this is was going to be a short one. You know, mike, thank you for coming on. I'm sorry it didn't get to you on time and everything like that, but, like I said, I really needed you guys for five to ten minutes to tell your quick story. Anyone out there you want to give any last words, anything like that, to all the listeners and things like that.

Speaker 4: 54:06

Well, just one thing Whoever's going out tomorrow, stay safe, wear your harnesses and shoot straight. And if you have to, you know, tag us in your photos. I would love to hear stories, but definitely wear your harness.

Speaker 5: 54:21

If I can say something, I'd like to just say a quick prayer for you guys who are going out tomorrow. Lord God, I just ask, first and foremost, that you keep all my brothers and sisters safe out in the woods. Father God, bless these guys with the dough that they're looking for so they can continue on and shoot a big trophy buck this year, lord God, and I ask that they will be successful in your holy name. Amen, amen, amen. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 54:53

Thank you. Thank you so much. Successful in your holy name. Amen, amen, amen, thank you, thank you. Thank you, um guys, everyone out there listening, best of luck this year. I hope everyone has a very successful year.

Speaker 1: 55:00

You know, I hope you guys have a lot of fun. You know the most important part is listen, go out there and have fun. You know, enjoy yourselves. You know, do everything. You know buy the book. You don't want to get in trouble or anything like that, uh, you know, because it's not worth it at the end.

Speaker 1: 55:15

But you know, go out, enjoy yourself, enjoy the friends, families. You know whoever you're doing it with, whoever you're hunting with, you're feeding your family, anything like that. You know be safe out there. And and you know, if you guys, if anyone in the Jersey area, especially, especially the Northern Jersey area, you know if you guys need any help, anything like that. You need help tracking or dragging out a deer, anything like that, or a bear. You know, give us a DM, give us a text, call whatever it is, and we'll. You know we're gladly. As long as I'm not at work, I will gladly come, come, help you and and everything like that. So, um, you know the season is here we have started. You know, I hope we uh, by the time this is out, I hope I hope a bunch of deer are already hitting the ground this morning. Um, you know. So good luck everyone out there. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode and we'll see you guys next time.