Speaker 1: 0:00

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Speaker 2: 1:05

I'm Frank.

Speaker 3: 1:05

Mastika.

Speaker 4: 1:08

Steve Molnar.

Speaker 1: 1:11

In the Squatch Guys. It is episode six of Field Notes. You know a lot of good news. The guys are in full swing. Almost everyone is on bucks. We have the squash. Is what about a week and two days? Yeah, roughly until until he gets to start up in, uh, upstate new york. But you know, mr steve, it's your time to shine, you know, and, and let's, let's, let's hear this incredible story that you had called us for and this has. This is just one of those things that's like, yeah, that's, that's a, that's a new jersey hunt for you yeah, it's, uh, it's definitely it was.

Speaker 3: 1:53

Um, it was a first for me in a lot of ways and so I guess, just to recap, I don't think I've been on since, uh, opening day, um, since my first hunt. That went really well. Unfortunately, the deer didn't come out, does didn't come. I had fawns underneath me. It seems to be a thing this season so far. I had fawns underneath me all morning, or I should say all early evening into the evening long, and then finally, it wasn't until last light. I finally had some larger does come out at 45 yards and it was last light and they were trucking and there's no way I wanted to start my season off with a bad shot. So I, uh, I just backed out and that was the end of that for me.

Speaker 3: 2:35

Uh, fast forward to Friday. This past Friday, I was able to get out and got a really awesome spot that I had been scouting for a while and with great, amazing cover. I had a holly tree right behind me, holly tree to my left, some amazing cover and a perfect east, northeast or east wind, depending on the time of the day where it wound up, wound up being a full east wind by the end of the night and I had does only in this spot, so it was a safe spot to be able to get in and know that I wasn't going to blow anything else up, I wasn't going to have to worry about any bucks, uh, or any temptations, and so I was able to get in there and I had does on camera this whole past week from three thirty to seven o'clock, in and out, in and out that whole time, and so nothing's ever a short bet, obviously, but I was feeling to get in there about, I guess, three set up, and I had my first fawn come in about four, 30, I would say, and I don't know what it is so far, I don't know if this is going to be a trend or not, but I've had now my second hunt where I've had fawns bed down next to me, within five yards, and they just hang out, and this time it was a little button buck and he was there for about a good half hour eating around and then finally he frolicked off and I'd say probably about maybe quarter to six, I had a doe fawn come in and she was walking around and she was probably all 50 pounds dripping wet and I just, you know, I was just was waiting for something bigger. Obviously, uh, I'm not. I'm I'm not in a place where I have a lot of bucks on camera right now and where I've been able to put in a ton of time for the early season. I'm more hedging my bets on scrape week and even possibly uh, post rut, uh this year, because I have some other plans for rut, and so I just haven't been as concerned.

Speaker 3: 4:46

And so I went into it like I'm going to put me in the freezer, and that was that's what this hunt was about. That's what every hunt is about, first and foremost, and anything that we receive beyond that, or at least for myself personally, is a bonus. So, anyway, I got out there and I'm expecting to see these does at any point, you know, in the next hour or so, and still nothing. So it gets to be probably quarter to seven, 15 minutes before dusk and 35, 40 minutes before last light, and I'm kind of I wouldn't say I was frustrated, but I was. It's been a long week and this isn't happening the way it is. Maybe I can back out before these deer come in and I really blow this.

Speaker 3: 5:32

So with that thought in mind, I started packing all my gear and got all my camera gear to, you know, back in my backpack and lowered my bow down, I've got my lineman's belt on and pull my tether off, I step down onto my top step, got my lineman's belt on and the bow is on the ground and I've got my platform and my trucker daisy undone to the last loop, the very last loop on my on my front catch. And all of a sudden I just hear directly behind me and I just turn around real slow, cause I still had good cover, cause I was about 14 feet up with that Holly tree but I was able to see through. And I just see this doe coming through at this yearling, yearling doe, and I'm like, ah man, you gotta be kidding me. And I'm like, well, either I'm. And I'm like, ah man, you gotta be kidding me. And I'm like, well, either I'm either going to get blown or I can try to make something of this opportunity. And I still have probably a good 15, 20 minutes of light like legal light. And so she came through right under me, directly under me, under my tree, like maybe one yard, three feet off the tree. They both came through. I don't know how they didn't smell me because there was still probably a two or three mile an hour wind that was going directly at them. So they came in downwind of me.

Speaker 3: 6:54

So she goes past, the yearling goes past, they move into the clearing. I'm like, well, let me, let me try to capitalize on this. So I very gently and slowly pull my bow back up and I'm just working it, pulling as slow as possible. I still don't know how I got away with all of this, but I got my bow up, I was able to knock an arrow, and all of a sudden I'm thinking, oh, where's my release? Oh, my gosh, where's my release? Oh, please don't tell me. I put it in my, my backpack top pocket. So I started fiddling around. Normally I would just put it in my, you know, in my saddle harness, you know in one of my pockets, and I'm like, no, it's not there. I reach around the back to my outside pocket of my mystery ranch tree house and I pull out my release. I'm like, oh, thank you, lord, that was a smart one. Okay, I learned something. I learned something right there. If anything, always keep your release handy, right Like that. That should be like a no brainer. So thankfully, that was there.

Speaker 3: 7:57

I'm still tethered. I'm sorry, not tethered. I'm still in my lineman's belt on the top step and I can't shift my weight around to the right for a good strong hand shot. So I'm like, well, it's now or never, it's getting darker, she might not stay here too long. So, on my weak hands offside shot side and draw the bow back, I put on her what I think is a good shot, obviously. Obviously it's getting darker. Haven't practiced that kind of last last light shot in a while and I just sent it and she twirled around, ran about 30 yards and crashed and I'm like yes, I'm like you gotta be kidding me.

Speaker 3: 8:40

Like I can't believe this. Like I put a good shot on her and she's she's down. Man, like wow, like that's incredible, like I couldn't see I've since. I've since have changed my mindset about running lighted knocks this year.

Speaker 3: 8:57

And uh, I, uh, I was like, nah, I don't need, I don't need lighted knocks, that'll be fine. Like, uh, I'll just run regular ones, I don't want the extra weight on the back, the extra 10, you know, grains, whatever, like, I don't want to mess with that. Um, I'm probably going to change that before my next hunt, because I I couldn't find the arrow, so I anyway, I finished getting down out of the tree, lower my bow back down, I get down, I, I walk over and because I figure, well, okay, I can, I can at least walk. It's only 20 yards to where the arrow was, to where I hit her, and she's about 30, 35 yards out and she crashed, she's, she's gotta be down. And so I walk over. I can't find the arrow. I'm like, ah, seriously, this is not good, this is not a good start. So I can't find the arrow. I don't see.

Speaker 3: 10:05

I'm like, okay, what could have happened? What could have happened? So I give it like 15, 20 minutes up at me, like, uh, I don't know what happened, I don't know why she's not running away right now, but obviously I, I got up as close as I could where I felt like I could knock another arrow and put another good shot on her, this time and this time I put it right, you know, through both lungs, and she expired in about 25 seconds. So the backside of that, what I found out when I was field dressing her, is that I did hit her farther back and that the arrow went almost clear through her, into her leg, into her femur, and it lodged that sever hybrid, lodged completely in her back leg and it broke it and that's why she wasn't moving and I kind of.

Speaker 3: 10:50

I kind of got to give some glory to god on that, only because, if, if that hadn't happened and it had been a gut shot, I I may not have recovered her. She probably would have ran. I, considering the uh area where I was hunting, um, there wasn't a lot of yards for her to go um, where I wouldn't have had to get permission, or it had been a longer night. So anyway, long story short, all glory to God, we recovered her and got her home, got her cleaned up and, um, we got the meat in the freezer and we've earned, uh, earned the buck, and if for some reason, I can get out this next week, we'll be ready for any antlers that pop up. But uh, kind of a crazy story, kind of a crazy night and, um, you know we always learn something, especially in the Jersey woods, and you know we are learn something especially in the Jersey woods and you know we are definitely fortunate and yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:50

Yeah, no, I agree One year. So you're the first one in the group to you use Frank, use the two point. Oh, it's for his Joe. So how do you like in the hybrid, the several hybrid? Obviously it went right and right and, you know, did its job and it's a. It's a tough situation but you know, at the end of the day, you know, I mean, it sounds like it held up really well and it got it to the point where, you know, I don't know how many broadheads you could say, especially in the mechanical version, are going to do what it did. And it's not even your, that's not even the perfect shot that you're that you're looking for yeah, no, I mean as far as, as far as the overall.

Speaker 3: 12:41

So I sent you guys photos of of uh, both um mechanicals, both sever 1.5s, obviously the initial shot and the follow-up shot, and they're both in flawless condition, like all I did was clean them up and look at them. I did a paper test, just using paper to still cut through. They cut flawlessly the what I think. What is it? Uh, so they're supposed to be two and a quarter inch overall cutting. So that's one point. So 0.75 across three quarter inch for the bleeders. They were in perfect condition, 100.

Speaker 3: 13:13

The whole thing was the structural integrity of the point, all of that um. You know, I've had other shots, weird shots before with a single bevel that went through a deer um and glanced off the ribs and then wound up coming out the back and, you know, shattered the leg bone. But that's a single bevel, fixed blade. You know, s seven tool, steel broadhead. I expect something like that to happen with the kind of grant I was running, 555 grains to this year I've backed off. I'm at, I think, 512. So I went from a 150 grain to 125 grain and as far as the sever is concerned, I I'm very happy with it, uh it, it destroyed that leg. She obviously didn't move. You never want to see an animal suffer. Thankfully I got on her quick and was able to get the follow-up shot, so she expired quickly. But I mean to be honest, like the jury's somewhat out, like we've seen plenty of other people like tommy who taught what tommy's killed, what four do you now fuck four dough with them?

Speaker 1: 14:17

I'm literally dia, I'm literally talking to him right now. He goes. I, he literally goes. I feel so bad for you. I just tagged you in my fourth dell because he knows the struggles that that I've been having of not seeing a single dell. But, um, yeah, I mean that that kid's on on absolute just oh fire.

Speaker 3: 14:37

Right now he's on fire and the photos that he's, the photos that anyone has posted with a good clean pass through. It looks like someone's out there with a red spray, can I mean like it's? It's? It's amazing that they it's obviously doing its job Like, like I said, the jury. For me the full picture is out, cause I haven't had, unfortunately, I've not had a. Well, that's not true. The followup shot was perfect. It went completely through. Buried in the ground there was, and she was laying on the ground, obviously, but it did its job perfectly. And when they talk about that stretch cut, it's a stretch cut. I didn't measure it, but I'm sure it was close to two and a half, three inches easily. So the wider than advertised, as they say, cutting diameter is a real thing. So, and the fact, again, I hit her and she expired in 30 seconds. You know I didn't time it, but it was under a minute. So I think they're highly effective and I'm looking forward to continuing to use them.

Speaker 1: 15:42

So, yeah, no, uh, look, looking forward to to setting mine up right now the dough, I'm going to use the 2.0, but after that, or if you know for me, everyone, if you, if most people know who's really close to me, I have still seen zero. Does everybody only bucks, only bucks, which is a which is a great, which is a great problem to have if it wasn't for earn, earn your buck. And what makes it just what I think makes it tough is for me, is it's not that, like I love seeing deer and I, you know, I think it's such a just when plans come together and I, I'm on deer, I'm right next to like I had like two or three bucks bedded literally like 50 or 60 yards for me. You know, right in a um, the cattails, right and after squash, gave that amazing information which I'll let him him get into in a little bit. Like you know, now I'm keying on, you know, it's easier to help me locate where these deer are bedding from from the information that he's been giving. So you know, I definitely I'm taking it like damn, this is successful. I'm on deer, I'm on bucks.

Speaker 1: 17:08

All right, I haven't seen does, which sucks, and I got to shoot a doe, of course, but the hardest thing is now what we're at. Four or five bucks have now. Shooters have daylighted all this whole week at all my like, at all my spots and like these are some pretty big deer and you know, I'm just very grateful that, yet again, all the scouting that I've done is has worked off, you know, has paid off. It's just now being on public. How long, how much longer can I go without shooting a doe until these deer patterns really really start to move, because of pressure, you know. So I think, fingers crossed, the new camera and the new area that I just scouted has zero bucks on it so far, which is which is good, and I'm hoping right now it stays like that.

Speaker 1: 17:59

I still think there is a big buck somewhere there, but some big does. I mean these are some of the biggest does I think. Out of all the spots that that I have, there's two where I had to download the video because I literally thought it was a buck. I was like, oh, that's like a, it's a big spike or something like that, but Nope, it was a doe. They are, they're big, they, they have. No, there's no fawns or anything like that too. Yet again. Like you know, if it's still got spots like I'm just, I'm just probably not going to send it on a doe. You know, um, I might as well just wait the you know, until I can find one, because I know there's a couple out there that that don't have any, uh, fawns or anything like that. But you know, fingers crossed boys, tomorrow, tomorrow, tuesday, a doe will be on the ground and I'm hoping, uh, tomorrow, so Tuesday, I can go after, go after a buck. But, um, you know, for me I'm just super grateful, um, I know I get it's.

Speaker 1: 18:53

It's hard to get discouraged, but, um, this is why I always tell people, like, when you come into hunting and, yes, you want to have success, but I'm such a believer in you know, when I start off, like make hunting tough, like make it like you have to work and work and work, and you know you're going to go hunts or or seasons. I mean I remember my first few seasons, my first like year or two of bow hunting. I nothing, big fat, zero. I've missed a few deer, you know what I mean. But that's that's gotten me to where I am now. Where I'm, I am, I haven't seen a doe and it's eating me alive and you know I'll get down on myself. But I'm like you know what. There's always a reason like there's always a reason why you know things don't don't work.

Speaker 1: 19:39

You know, and you know, maybe maybe the plan is, maybe I found this new spot, I'm gonna get an even bigger doe, maybe I don't shoot any does and that means I'm getting you know, hopefully I can capitalize on a big buck. You know what I mean. You kind of got to take the positive out of everything and that's what I tried to do in life. So that's what I'm doing. Uh, right here and listen, I'm enjoying this.

Speaker 1: 19:59

This time of the year. I I'm loving hunting. I'm happy as could be, you know so, and I'm loving that. The boys to like. Listen, I'm not, I'm not killing it right now, but everyone else is killing it. So, like I'm extremely happy for for the guys and everything that I say a prayer every time I get into a stand and you know it's always I always say, hey, I hope the boys get, get one down, like I'd much rather see the boys get one down than uh, than me get one down, but um, you know so. So I'm happy that you guys have gotten down now. We just got to get mr frank, too, on on that buck, and then you know, the squash will be here. No, no, no time soon.

Speaker 3: 20:39

Uh, showing us, showing us, uh, younger guys up that's awesome too, that the fact, if you think about that, not only that your scouting has paid off, but you've scouted these deer in what has to be more of their core area, if the pressure hasn't gotten to them, and you're seeing them consistently, so that's a huge kudos to you as well yeah, yeah, you know, um, and it's a completely new terrain.

Speaker 1: 21:03

It's not that you know, like I said, I'm not up north right now, you know, so I'm more on a lot more flatland. There's like no ridges, like there's a little tiny, like I don't consider it like anything, you know, and it's a lot of ag fields and stuff like that. Like the, the new, one of the new spots I actually found, like, finally, I'm like in some of my own terrain, like I'm used to being in in the woods and thick stuff and everything like that. Um, so, but it's just completely new. Like this is, um, I'm hunting a brand new piece, brand new zone, brand new area.

Speaker 1: 21:42

Everything's new for me this year and, um, you know, just all the information that I've just gained through the years and just talking to people on the podcast and and everything like that, like it's just it's really paying off. So, um, that's something I wanted to improve on getting this um with my hunting is finding these big bucks, daylighting and where their bedroom is. And you know, I think I've gotten there. I just now need to capitalize and have the opportunity to get one, you know, and if I don't kill a big buck this year, if I see one right and yet again I'm in ag fields and stuff like that or I'm in a lot of you know big space, damn, if I can't get one in 40 range range, you know it, it's going to be tough.

Speaker 1: 22:29

Or you know, now I just realized, like one of the spots picking a tree and we were just talking about before the show like this is going to be difficult now because I, from where I think he's bedded, I don't have much wiggle room from their decent trees to get into, and then the field and I don't want to push too far in because you know I I don't want to bump him right now, like I don't think he's pressure right now and I'm trying not to to pressure him, you know. I mean I don't want him to switch up his, his pattern because right now and then the wind is going to be another big thing like I need the perfect wind to go hunt them. You know what I mean. So we'll see how it goes. There's still a lot of work to do, but there's still a lot of season work.

Speaker 3: 23:10

We're a weekend, a week and one day into the season already, um, so this might be an opportunity for you to start, you know, using other tactics too.

Speaker 1: 23:19

Maybe you hang your, maybe barely hang your, stand off the ground, or or ground hunt them, you know so there there is a lot of times where, um, where, yeah, I mean I've only a few hunts, I've actually used three sticks. I mean there's so much cover and everything like that, and you know, using the ghillie puck now and everything like that, that is a, that is the option. It's still a little out of my comfort zone. I will definitely say, like, um, I had a blast doing it in in delaware hunting on the ground and it was very successful, um, but it's still like it's a night and day difference for me just being up in a tree of how much you know. I just see. It's just what I know, um, but you're right, it's.

Speaker 1: 24:03

It's something that if I'm going to kill this deer and it's something I might have to like, why even step foot into that, that thicket, you know, even to get a tree where you know I could, I think I know where he's kind of coming out of and he's, he's constantly there. He will step out, you know. I mean so maybe just set up 20 yards, you know, in on the edge of the field. Maybe just set up 20 yards, you know in on the edge of the field, use the gilly gilly puck in the minute he he steps out. You know, take a shot, because if my wind's going right into the field and not where, he's never going to know that I'm there, he's going to have no idea. So you know that that's definitely, it's definitely in the books and I think it's, it's definitely worth the shot.

Speaker 1: 24:42

So you know, I I have a lot to think about this coming week. I'm hoping that I can get a doe done tomorrow and then that's just gonna be my game plan from there is like I'll probably think from the, after I get that deer in the in the butcher, I'm gonna go home, probably jump on my computer and, like it's studying time, like how am I gonna do this? You know what I mean. So I love this. Like this, is this right here, this game, this cat and mouse, this it's, it's phenomenal. So we'll definitely be keeping you guys, of course, updated, because we do this every week. But, frank, I mean brother, you are, you got Doe Central.

Speaker 2: 25:18

You don't have to worry about Doe's, like you're the opposite yeah, literally every every set I've seen Doe, those today I saw I saw seven does and a bear.

Speaker 1: 25:31

So um and you're on those bears too yeah, literally that place is crazy for bears.

Speaker 2: 25:37

Every single sit, either I see one or the um. The owner sees one every single time. And today he actually walked right underneath me. He had no idea I was living there. So I mean, but you know, I don't know where these bucks went. So I had three shooters that I was after and after I got my doe I thought I was going to get on them and you know just my luck we disappeared. So I've been really um, you know, walking the place, you know, cause it's all new to me, all new, you know, it's a whole new farm. So in trying to figure out what they're doing, where they're going, we got six cameras, cameras. None of us got a buck on camera. So it's like I'm like I don't, I don't know if I keep hotting it and pressuring it, you know, or if I just leave it alone for a little bit. So I don't know, I'm kind of fighting myself right now, but uh have you?

Speaker 1: 26:41

have you thought about getting any? Uh, setting up any mock scrapes?

Speaker 2: 26:45

yeah, actually, actually I did do one, um, I did that. I set up, uh, um, the red apple drip bag from racketer, but uh, still nothing yet. But you know, I know, listen, there's, there's a shit ton of does on there. He's going to be in there sooner or later.

Speaker 1: 27:05

Yeah, the closer we get to go time, yeah, and, and that's the most important, like I don't care what anyone says, my belief is I would much rather be around a lot of does, like my one sign, like my one good thing, like if you're going to find anything, if you're looking for the right, yeah, you know, of course, scrapes are great and rubs and all these things like that, but where are they really going to be? There's going to be a point where they don't give a rat's ass about nothing else, nothing matters except for them mating, and they're going to be right outside those, those doe bedding areas and they're going to be cruising through there looking for does and everything like that. So when people ask me, what do I look for? Listen, does you find yourselves a good amount of, does you know? And you know what?

Speaker 1: 27:54

Yeah, those three may be in there, but what other bucks around the surrounding area? That's what's going to be very interesting, I think, for you this year is you know what, what is going to come in? You know what are going to come in. So it's like it's a lot to for you to look at and it's going to be cool. Listen to the journey on on your first year at this, this new property, um, yeah, you know, so we're we're definitely looking forward to forward to that as well um, yep, you know, so we're.

Speaker 2: 28:26

We're definitely looking forward to forward to that as well. Yeah, no, I'm excited. Like I said, I'm still learning it. Most of my fits are like, mostly like observation sits on top of it, so but uh, I'm gonna figure it out.

Speaker 1: 28:37

How do you like the saddle? Are you moving around? I love it.

Speaker 2: 28:40

You like that oh yeah, yeah, every day I'm in a different tree. You know, one side, I'm on this over here, over there, like I'm loving it. So I'm just like, oh, look at all these options.

Speaker 1: 28:50

It's good practice too. While you're waiting, you know it's good practice Yep, I think saddles are they can be a pain in the butt. Like I will not say they're perfect. Nothing's perfect. I mean, you guys should see me if I, if I had someone filming me just bloopers like of me getting tangled in a, like it's absolutely ridiculous, right, or something doesn't cinch down correctly and I'm like, oh my god, like I'm hanging, I'm like I'm trying to do everything, but once you're in and everything's like hooked up, it's like it's great. You know, and I will say like and I talked about a little bit on on, you know, eventually when these videos are out, you know sometime next year.

Speaker 1: 29:35

Um, the most important two tools that I have is my saw and my clippers. I mean because, yet again, you could put yourself in any tree and you know, right now being the time like I try going in trees that just have so many like everything you don't need I. You know you don't need much. You don't need to bring any extra cover with you because you have cover. You just need to trim some lanes, clip some stuff and everything like that. And the tree that that I picked, guys, I made I had one small. I didn't even have a window and I created like two or three windows for myself, which gave me a full 360 shot opportunity. Basically, from when I had nothing to everything, it's been my most useful tool both of them this year of just how many things I've sawed and clipped down. I mean, I saw the whole damn tree not a big thick one, but it was probably this thick and he was right in the middle of like a shooting lane.

Speaker 1: 30:33

I was prepping for a spot and I was like I was just sawing there and dripping sweat and everything like that. I'm like, oh my god. I was like I need a bigger saw for for this. I was like why the hell did I decide to to do this now? And I'm just sitting there. I'm like, all right, is this a stupid idea? Like should I really be doing this? I'm like, nah, this is a good idea. Like, don't worry, you're good, just keep on going. You know, and I'm just going. It finally comes down and I'm like, whew. I'm like you know, so it's. I don't know, it's fun, everything's fun. I don't know how people don't enjoy this more.

Speaker 3: 31:10

Like it is yeah, I have one of those cutting edge. Uh saws, I think the whole thing's about what like this long maybe yeah yeah, I didn't have. I didn't have it with me in maryland and I think I mentioned that during the last field notes. If I had had that I there's a really strong chance I would have taken a really nice eight point in velvet because but I just couldn't, I didn't have a shooting lane. But now, now I'm like never again. Yeah I've.

Speaker 1: 31:38

I've made that mistake before too as well and and it's for anyone who's saddle any type of hang and hunt, you do need something, because you never know what you're, especially if you know you're going on out of state trip or something that you can't pre-scout or pre pre-pick a tree or whatever the case is. I mean, a lot of these trees sometimes are they're, they're not bare, you know, and you know you. You gotta do what you gotta do, and I do. I love the saw, but sometimes the clippers are even bigger or even better because they're a little more quiet, you know. So those are the two big things right there. That that I'll definitely say um, that's in my pack, that will always be in my pack too, and you know I've I've made that mistake plenty of times. Uh, steve, but yeah, I that. Those two things right there are extreme and and wipes. Wipes are always there. It's always up there on high on that list.

Speaker 3: 32:39

One other thing that I would add to that, not to go on a long tangent on this.

Speaker 1: 32:43

Oh boy, You're going to open up the.

Speaker 3: 32:46

I don't mean to open up the can here. I know it's not, it's it's not hard. One of my number one like one of the best tools that I have is such a cheap small thing. But I bought one of those $25 HHS, one of those gear hauls. It's just a small, it's a self-hand crank for your bow hoist.

Speaker 3: 33:11

And it's got a clip. It clips right to my saddle. It's never not on my saddle, I never have to worry about unfuddling anything and it it has saved me. I don't I know you can go in there and watch lee my morgan do the hand over hand thing, whatever. This is the quick and the easy way for your paracord or whatever. But just being able to grab and go, throw it on, climb up, it auto deploys and when I get to the top it's just got a little crank. You just hand them, crank it back up and it's. I couldn't live without it. It's small $25 China's on purchase that I couldn't live without.

Speaker 1: 33:52

I had something like that. It didn't work out for me. Maybe I need to buy that specific one like that. It didn't work out for me. Maybe I need to buy that specific one, uh, but right now I'm loving my uh, genesis 3d um one that I have and it's been the best. Uh, bow, um, whatever the hell, I can't think right now hoist, um that that I've used and I I go through a lot and I've tried different ones and now this is but the only thing ever since switching to the thumb release and now I actually have the wrist straps because, you know, I'm very forgetful, as, as you guys know, um, and I misplace everything, um, it just sometimes it just gets tangled in that because the I will, I put it in and the thumb release will work its way out if I don't put it in correctly.

Speaker 1: 34:37

The next thing, I know I'm looking and everything's all tangled up and I mean it took me forever to get out the woods the other day because I literally put everything down and it got mixed up in all these dead branches and everything like that and it was. It was a mess I was getting so far. I was like, listen, I don't even care, I was about to just cut it all and just stuff it into my, my pack and be like screw it. But, um, yeah, I use genesis 3d, but I might have to look into, look into that one as well. I like trying different things. I like trying different methods. Um, you know, I I have a whole bunch of these s beaners right here. Oh yeah, yep, yep, very useful. Um, I, actually this is what I. I have one of these on and I put my um my quiver on there, you know. Or if I need a water bottle, whatever you know, I have I carry about like three or four different ones, uh, in my truck or whatever. So these are actually pretty, pretty useful.

Speaker 3: 35:32

I do love these a lot um plastic ones, those now they're even quieter oh, do they really yeah, yep might have to take a.

Speaker 1: 35:40

Take a look at those too, then. Uh, but you know what, before we get into squatch, I'll let you give a, give you a little piece. I know you've been busy with practicing with the saddle and everything like that, so you know, love to hear and, you know, let let the listeners know if they don't know the the great information that you dropped in the chat the other day. Uh, I would love for you to to tell, tell the people out there, because you know it, that opened my eyes and blew my eyes and everything just made sense what, what I was talking about where bucks bed, what the with the racks and stuff, okay, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4: 36:19

So, uh, the guys were talking the other day um, yeah, I think you know you were, you were getting into your patterning, your, your bucks, and um, you know, I've been, I've listened to old timers before the internet and I used to work in a sporting goods store, small town, knew a lot of good guys that were, you know, getting it done, and we were. We were talking one day and they were like, yeah, that buck was a swamp buck, he was bedding in the thick stuff. And I'm like, well, how did you know that? And they're like well, his horns are dark. And I'm like, okay, so what are you saying? And he's like, well, when they don't bed in daylight, a lot in the bright sun, like out in a field, in a thick patch, out in a field, they're under the canopy of the shade of the leaves or evergreens or wherever, or somewhere in a thick, thick area, like a swamp where it doesn't get a lot of sunlight. I said, wow, I never thought of that. They said, well, think about it. When the velvet comes off a buck, as it dries, it'll start to bleach out. The older it gets they're in the shade. That doesn't happen as fast because the uv light doesn't make the horns bleach out.

Speaker 4: 37:43

If you can see that buck up there, the big guy, he's really chocolate horned and he was a. He was a buck of that nature, he. He was in a daylight buck. Gosh, I got a frog in my throat, sorry, I don't feel a lot. Yeah, no, it's all right, you got it out now. So, like I said, the buck there that's on the wall, that buck was. He was obviously bedding somewhere in a very thick cover. He was very elusive and probably not moving a lot during daylight hours. He did slip up and was chasing a doe and that's when he died on opening day in 2001. So also, when you see a bright white, you'll hear guys say, oh, you got to see this bright white horn buck. That's telling you something. That buck is bedding in the broad daylight, which a smart buck, in my opinion, always has a backdoor or a way out. Okay, so if he's, even if he's bedding on a ridge side, he might be in a thicket but it may have a lot of sunlight. Let's say it's mountain laurel, so that's a low cover, so he uses that as a screening. So what he's doing is he's laying in that he can see all around. He can see you coming from a distance, but you can't see him. So they call that a screening spot and, being that the daylight is getting onto his rack, he'll have a bleached out rack. He'll have a bright white rack. So it's just things to consider.

Speaker 4: 39:22

When you're looking at your trail cam pictures and you see a buck and he's bright, bright white. He's got that acorn-y kind of like light oak color to his horns, you know that buck's probably bedding somewhere. Okay, somewhere in the break. If you're getting a picture of a buck that's got dark horns, you know to look, okay, I gotta go into thick, shady areas. Maybe he's, he's bedding up in these pines or he's staying somewhere where there's not a lot of daylight and that will help you pattern a buck and you'll have a general feel for how that animal's moving according to your cameras. You may say, oh, you know what? Yeah, where I got that camera, just up, maybe 200 yards from me, there's a real big, evergreen, thicket up in there, you know, and it's full of cedars and stuff. I think that's where he's, maybe that's where he's bedding. So you know you could get a day where you could slip in, check that bedding area out. You might find some hair, you know, stuck to the ground where he's bedding and that'll give you a good idea. Or you sneak a camera in there and let the camera do the work and you know, like like frank's situation for years here where I live, you'll see bucks in the midsummer because I leave my cameras out all year long. Okay, I like to see when the fawns drop, I like to see the coyote movements and everything on the off season and stuff. But you'll see a couple bucks and then they'll disappear and you go. What happened? Is it pressure? Is it stuff going on? It's not nothing.

Speaker 4: 40:58

If you take a buck and he's in an area, let's say, like a football field, and say he's moving up and down, you know straight patterns up and down. You know he can clear that area quick. But if he meanders and he zigzags back and forth that piece in there, he's still covering the same amount of distance but he's traveling further slower. So when you come into a spot you'll learn sometimes that that animal is just going to take a different approach because, just like you got your cameras out and you're pattering him.

Speaker 4: 41:34

Every time you walk and step foot in that woods they're watching you and it could be from, like I described before, that screening point. It's somewhere where they're filtered in. They know you can't see them, but they can see you and you guys know how many times have you been in your tree? Stand right and you see somebody walking in and you whistle and they don't know where the hell you are. Same thing with a buck. That's really smart, really old. He's not whistling at you, he's watching you and he don't have to move, he can sit there still. You'll go right by him, never even know he was there. He'll get up, He'll make a big half circle, he'll get away from you, he'll get downwind of you and then you know if you've got a buddy maybe hunting with you, maybe a couple hundred yards away the buddy might get a crack at them.

Speaker 4: 42:18

So it's all key things you know, and it's it's another thing too, like I tell everybody when you're walking in, my father always told me to sound like a squirrel make a couple steps and stop. And then make a couple steps and stop. When you stop, even though you don't see a deer, the deer is watching you. That deer, when you stop, thinks that you see it and their natural instinct is to hold still. You know the deer in the headlights, but when you stop and you're there for 30 seconds or so, you may see a deer jump up because now they're worried like you stopped to see them. So remember that too. As you walk in, even if it's in the dark or whatever.

Speaker 4: 42:59

Try to sound like stuff that's in the woods. Don't try to sound like a human. That's a straight. You know cadence. People walk in like that. Don't do that. Try to make yourself sound like a squirrel. Try to make yourself sound, you know, like an animal in the woods Deer. If they're on a run or if they're on a doe, they'll be consistent. But a lot of times you'll hear them walk a couple of feet and stop, and that's key with us too, something to learn about when you do that and you know it's just little tricks of the trade that I've learned over the years that it goes back to what I talked about in the podcast when you guys had me on Slow down, and you know, don't be in such a rush, don't be a gomer, don't try to.

Speaker 4: 43:45

You know, oh, I just got to get out there as long as I'm there, it'll come. No, be calm, take your time, approach your stand, you know, and keep everything in mind what's going on around you and go slow. You're going to get there. You're going to get there maybe a minute or two behind if you went faster, but you're also going to see a lot more stuff. And you know, I've had people even close friends of mine, will be hunting the same piece of property.

Speaker 4: 44:11

I'm in there an hour before light and here they come at the first crack of light. I'm like guys, what are you doing? Well, I want to see what. I jump if I walk in. I said, yeah, but don't do that, you know, come in early, get in early, get in your spot.

Speaker 4: 44:26

You know, I've walked right up on deer. They just thought I was another deer, never blew at me, had no idea what I was, no on, they just think I'm another animal. And deer circled around a tree five or six times and I just held still. I mean, sit down on the seat, be quiet, just don't do stuff. And as long as the wind's not really blowing too hard towards them and you've done your scent control, um, you can get away with it. They just think you're another animal and um, you know that's key. But there's all kinds of little tricks of the trade.

Speaker 4: 45:00

Um, right now I've got at least three solid bucks daylighting and my season doesn't start till Tuesday. So you know, I'm just hoping and praying that they stay in that pattern. Something or some kind of animal or whatever doesn't bump them from that pattern. If I can get them patterned like they are moving, then hopefully everything will come together by the grace of God, because that's all I can hope for. I can put the pieces of the puzzle together, but it's all got to come together under his eye. So I hope and pray that he's going ahead of me preparing the spot that I need to be in and I'm going to be successful. And that's key too, having the faith.

Speaker 4: 45:49

Frank and I were talking and he's like yeah, I haven't seen the buck. I said, bro, just keep the faith, you know they're there. You got those there. Bucks love does I got. The same thing happens here in this property. I've got does every day on the same cameras. Eventually the bucks will be here and all I can hope and pray is that I'm there at the right place in the right time. I can have all the skill in the world.

Speaker 4: 46:17

But you know what it takes, that split second decision for that animal to come your way. And I moved to stand where I shot my big buck, the other big buck. I got mounted downstairs, I moved to stand and you would say, geez, why would you move to stand Squatch. Well, that night I think it was just meant to be. He came in downwind of me but I'm basically almost at eye level with him where I was. They come from the west side of the property a lot, sometimes down the hill. I think the wind was blowing up the hill towards him. I was like you know what? Next year I got to pick this different tree, found the tree. This year you talk about having to cut stuff out of the way. You get a ladder stand wedged in stuff, so you don't need a lot of cover. That was me yesterday and it was a lot of work, but it's going to pay off. It's a good kill spot. Finesse, right, we're going to see all the great plays.

Speaker 1: 47:12

Definitely. Well, guys, I mean, first of all, thank you, scotch. Great, great information. You're welcome, you know, and boys, thank you so much for coming on. We have one thing that we're going to announce we are closing in on episode 200, I believe this one right here is episode 190, because we are dropping this tomorrow morning. One right here is episode 190 because we are dropping this tomorrow morning. Um, so, in 10 episodes, we will be well, in nine episodes, the 10th one will be a special episode, so we'll be doing something big for that and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 47:47

Um, but we are going to be doing a giveaway. I am going to let everyone know now. Um, I have already got one of the. I got a uh stand thumb release that we're going to be giving away. Um, I don't know what, what the guys uh plan on doing for for a giveaway or what, what they're going to donate, if they're going to donate whatever, whatever they want to do, um, you know, but this is going to be a big one. This is going to be a big one. This is going to be a. This is going to be also coinciding with us hitting 4000 on on Instagram as well, so we'll keep a lookout for that.

Speaker 1: 48:27

All the details, when we get it finally done will be will be out, hopefully soon. And also our breast cancer awareness month shirts should be out, hopefully soon. And also our breast cancer awareness month shirts should be arriving, hopefully soon. I just was talking to the guy the other day. Should be sending the invoice over and the shipping details hopefully this upcoming week and they will be here just in time for October and everything like that. So if you did order one, um, I will be DM you guys soon, um, and we may have a few extras if you did not order one. So just uh, give us a DM if. If you're interested, um, uh, steve, you got one more thing to say.

Speaker 3: 49:07

Yeah, just uh, something that happened to a buddy this past week. Um, obviously it's the beginning of the season. Uh, he tagged out his dough on opening day and then two days later was able to take a buck. Well, this is just a quick cautionary tale, because he was approached by New Jersey fish and wildlife on this past Sunday and he was grilled for about two hours. Long story short. When you go online to report your harvest and you have to click through, then submit, you have to essentially submit the document three different times. He only did that twice and it still kicked back some kind of partial confirmation and he thought that he was done with it. So that led Fish and Wildlife.

Speaker 1: 49:56

What do you mean? Real quick, yeah, what is that? I've never heard that.

Speaker 2: 50:01

No me neither.

Speaker 3: 50:02

So when he went online I guess I don't know if it was he told me that when he went online he submitted his harvest report and when he hit submit on it, it kicked back. It kicked back a number, but not his actual confirmation number. And so what happened? Was he re? He thought he reported it. He went on to take his buck, he butchered his dough at his house and then he took the buck to a butcher. Well, the butcher contacted him and said what's your confirmation number? And he said well, here it is. Well, that's not your confirmation number. So the butcher went on going and reporting it. And then, lo and behold, a day later, fish and Wildlife shows up All my buddies you know shows up on his doorstep asking all these questions about where's the dough, this and that they could have cited him for like eight different violations they gave him the lowest.

Speaker 2: 51:06

Fine, they let him kept the meat and they took his antlers from the tax dermis. Um, but just something to be careful.

Speaker 1: 51:10

Yeah, yeah, I'm, yeah, I'm going away, yeah, yeah so okay, so he and you know, I, I, I know it. It's not happened to you, so you're only getting. So is that, is that is, but wouldn't that be a malfunction on the fishing wildlife part? It?

Speaker 3: 51:26

very much could have been. I mean, I can't speak, for I've never used the online system. I have always called in every harvest and I do that for a specific reason, because I'm literally talking to somebody, I'm verbally getting everything confirmed from them and I'm getting the confirmation immediately from them. So that's why I've always used the phone system. But according to him, it according to him, he did not go through and submit it correctly. He, like he, said he got some kind of number, that he confirmation number that he printed out and he had it on file. And he, he was able to prove all of this and say, hey, I went through all the steps, I did all this, I've saved the head of the dough. Here it is, here's all the meat, here's what I printed out, and he had the whole story and everything to present right there. But they still gave him a fine on top of it.

Speaker 1: 52:23

So this was a fine and took his, his antlers and took the antlers.

Speaker 2: 52:28

That's ridiculous.

Speaker 3: 52:30

Yep, sorry, that was his punishment.

Speaker 2: 52:33

That's bullshit. That's bullshit. Sorry, that was his punishment, that's bullshit, that's bullshit.

Speaker 1: 52:38

Sorry, okay, that is that, but everything was basically still yeah.

Speaker 3: 52:46

All the paperwork, everything was, everything was legal, everything was good to go, and they still tried to. I wouldn't say throw the book at them, because apparently they could have done a lot more according to this, uh, this officer. But, um, yeah, just something to just something to be wary of. Make sure you're you're getting, make sure you know what a confirmation number is supposed to look like. First of all, make sure that you're getting an email receipt, because even when, uh, even when you get get a, even when you've reported over the phone, you still get an automated yeah, yeah. So just guys, you know, when you're out there, you want to do everything legally. They didn't stop them from hunting the rest of the season, um, but you know, was the punishment fitting, or just, I can't tell you. I mean, so he, so he got a ticket, right, yeah, he got a full summons.

Speaker 1: 53:36

So he has to be clean for the next four years. I I will say that like I know how like he has to be clean for the next four years. And that is one of my other biggest problems that I have with this whole situation. And you, you know anyone who knows from the earlier episodes with American Mike, you know of just how basically kind of corrupt everything kind of is like. I'm sorry, but simple mistakes should not lead you to losing your license and that's a BS because you're not doing anything but hurting the state because at the end of the day, cool, you want to do that and I'm now not going to hunt for two years. You get no money from me. You get nothing.

Speaker 1: 54:35

Everything that I'm going to buy for the next two years and let's just say if you're a diehard hunter is a lot and a lot of tags and a lot of equipment and food. And you say, if you corn, because here in New Jersey we can bait so you're talking about small businesses and farms and everything like that You're taking money out of so many other people's hands. Right, I get it. If it's five or six times, okay, you know what there. But I'm sorry, small tiny things like that, especially when it was everything was done correctly, there was no ill intent behind it. I'm sorry, I should not be treated like a poacher no, that's right I.

Speaker 1: 55:20

I should not be treated like a poacher.

Speaker 3: 55:21

You're keeping people from managing the deer. That's supposed to be. Your end goal Is managing this wild life population. Like you're keeping people, like honest people that want to do that, like you're keeping them from doing that. I'm actually looking at the summons he sent me right here. It says it's so funny, the wording too. It says it says did fail to register deer as required. That was the. That's such bullshit.

Speaker 1: 55:48

And they wonder why people don't like them. Like they seriously and listen, I've had great experiences with you know wardens out there. So I don't want like any warden listening to this and like with you know wardens out there, so I don't want like any any warden listen to us and like you know especially, you know there, there there is, you know one that we deal with. You know a lot and he's great and he's helped us out and and everything like that and he, he's been really great and you know. So I don't want to say it's, it's everybody, because I know it's not right, but man, like it just, it just hurts because. And also, when you're talking about new hunters, if you're a new hunter, why would you want to like, why, why would you want to to get into this? You know, I mean, if you know that you're gonna get, it only takes two citations and boom you, you're gonna lose your license.

Speaker 1: 56:41

When new jersey is one of the most confusing states I've ever gone to and hunted in, where it's like what the hell is is what you know and it's any little thing at that point could be like gray areas could be either, depends what type of warden you're getting into. Are you walking into the hard ass or are you walking into like a pretty cool guy? You know who's gonna be like, all right, you know I understand like this is a mistake, like you know, not everyone's fortunate, for, for you know, like us, we, where we've actually walked in and and had great encounters with, with wardens, you know what I mean and been like, hey, listen, just a heads up, just a FYI, this, this, this, and that you know I have one, you know a guy's number that I can call or text with any questions. He's like listen, just call and text me any time. And if you have any questions, like, please ask me, right, it's great having that. Most guys don't have that.

Speaker 4: 57:42

I want to add a little something on that too. New York State just decided to up and throw away everything. How it's been for writing up your tags, getting your tags. It's going to be a real shit show this year, and I know why they did it. They did it so they can make revenue, and you know what I'm calling a spade a spade. I don't give a crap. They're not going to tell me they're doing it to save paper paper. My ass. They want to write tickets. You know it's. It's a shame.

Speaker 4: 58:10

I actually called the DC up because I bought my license online. It was the first year you could print it out on regular paper. And I'm thinking to myself OK, so how the hell do I attach this to a wet deer if it's snowing or it's raining out? You know you got to tag the deer. So I pulled the dec up and I said listen. I said what? Why did you guys all of a sudden decide to screw around with this and not leave it like it's been? Oh, we're trying to save the paper stuff and you know I'm printing out the special stuff. I said okay, so let me ask you something when I can. When I shoot the animal, I gotta fill out the tag like usual. Yep, that's correct. I said okay, now what about attaching it to the animal after I get it to the vehicle for transportation? Yeah, that's still the same, but you got to buy these holders that have like a ziploc top on them like an id tag, right, okay, so now I gotta go out and buy that now, when it used to be a waterproof tag that I could just attach to the deer, that was simple, okay, so there's, there's bullcrap number one. Now you get the other thing going with.

Speaker 4: 59:12

I said to him. I said now, this is an electronic license. I have documentation on my cell phone that I purchased this license. What I purchased, everything's there. So I said you're not requiring us to wear back tags anymore. That was always a major thing. Unless you hunted in the Adirondacks, you didn't have to wear a back tag in the Adirondacks. Well, yeah, that's right, you don't have to have a back tag anymore.

Speaker 4: 59:36

I said, okay, so if I'm approached by a DEC officer and I don't have my paperwork on me, is my phone good enough if I'm out fishing or hunting to prove that? Well, that's up to the jurisdiction of the officer. I said what? Well, you know they might say yeah, that's OK, or they may not. So you should have your paperwork with you so you know what. There's too much in the dark. Whatever, I'm going to do things the way I've always done them. I make sure everything's signed and filled out. It goes in my pocket when I get to my truck. The animal goes in there. It's attached by a zip tie. I bought the holders for it that are clear, waterproof, no offense or buts, you know, and when, when you get home, all you do is just call the deer and report it, the decals, and they give you a confirmation number and I usually screenshot it so I don't have that bull crap and they come back and say oh well, you only got a registration.

Speaker 4: 1:00:30

You know, yeah so you know it's, it's, and they do this too with trout fishing here in new york state. It used to be any size five in the streams then. Then they were like, oh, the kid's got to be three over 20 or three under 21, one over 21. Why do you guys make it so freaking damn difficult? Just keep it the same for every creek that you're in or whatever. And they do it to confuse people very badly. And you've got people out there that are 73 years old, like my father. He don't know, he's not even halfway on the internet watching this stuff and then, they got to print their licenses out.

Speaker 1: 1:01:04

It's ridiculous. I did hear last thing before we go. I heard that not this year, but New Jersey will be eventually going all everything on cell phone. That's what I've heard. No more needing all this paper or whatever and tags on your, your bag. Um, so that is, that's, that's in the works. Um, from what I hear, who knows? Uh, but, guys, field notes. Episode six is in the books. It was a pleasure, as always, everyone. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Remember to always chase the unknown and we'll see you guys next time.