Speaker 1: 0:00

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Speaker 2: 1:04

And I'm Frank Basico.

Speaker 1: 1:06

Guys, welcome back to Field Notes 7. I mean big news. A lot has gone down this week. I got my drink here to celebrate it with Frank here, and this week is all about Frank. You know so much has gone down and I know you. It's been a roller coaster of emotions for you yeah why don't we just let's, let's dive right into it.

Speaker 2: 1:38

Let's, let's get to field note seven all right, so I'll start with my jersey hunt. So I've been after I had a few target bucks on this piece of property, um, that I actually just got access to this year, which I was super excited to hunt it um, haven't seen. Or actually I shot my doe there on the second day and haven't seen much for bucks I would see maybe one sporadically. Then all of a sudden, this big 10 pointer shows up. He shows up and I got my doe already I was like, yes, here we go, boom disappears, of course. So now I got my dough. Already I was like, yes, here we go, boom disappears, of course.

Speaker 2: 2:28

So now I'm like sweating bullets, where'd he go? Where'd he go? How do I find them? So I'm constantly scouting the property, couldn't find them. So then the one day I'm sitting there and my phone goes off, I'm at work and he's right in my spot Daylight. And if I figured out this property, I was like, once they daylight, you have to be in there that same night. So I'm like I remember texting the group chat guys, I got my buck daylighted, I got to go in there. Has to happen.

Speaker 1: 3:08

Yeah, yeah. We were like, yeah, you got to be in there. You have to go like, go kill him. Go kill him right now.

Speaker 2: 3:18

Yeah, pretty much. So I was like, all right, let's do it. Left work got dressed and everything Head over there. I go in about one o'clock. I'm in there already, all set up, ready to go. I wasn't in the tree. I wanted to be because I was bouncing around a couple different trees over there, but I was like I had seen him come prior from the right-hand side. So I'm like, all right, let's set up, you know, for him to come from the right, just in case he actually does. So make a long story short I get all set up, I'm ready to go.

Speaker 2: 3:58

All of a sudden, I hear, because there's actually a horse farm and there's actually like a little swamp area. Then there's a horse farm on the other side. I hear all this commotion going on, I hear the dogs bark and I hear the horses go, and I'm like, all right, it's either him or it's a bear. So while I'm staring over there like out to get ready, expecting him to just pop out any second are like about to get ready, expecting him to just pop out any second I hear something jump to my left. I look over 10 yards away. He is standing there perfectly out in the open and, wouldn't you know it, a freaking squirrel scares him. He takes off, which in a way was kind of good for me because I was able to get my camera on, get my bow ready. So I watched him. He did a circle and I knew he was going to come back in. So I'm like all right, like just be patient, he's going to come back in, wouldn't you know? Here he comes, he's like 30 yards and I have a shot at him at 30. But I'm like why should I shoot him now? Like I know he's going to come in, probably at like 18, 18 yards at least.

Speaker 2: 5:18

Sitting there, sitting there, he's coming, he's. He's walking straight to me. He stops at 12 yards, facing me. So I can't draw back, I can't do nothing. So now, at this point, my heart is pumping 100 miles an hour. I'm like trying to make sure the camera's on, I'm trying to make sure I'm doing everything right, but also trying not to move, because I'm right out in the open, I don't have the tree blocking me, no more. So he starts actually coming in. He actually turns and raise, he turns. There's like this little I call it sapling, but it was there's like this little tree and I see his face, get behind it. So I was like, all right, it's either now or never.

Speaker 2: 6:08

I come to full draw. I don't know if he heard it or if he seen something, but he just stops and he looks straight at me For like three minutes. I'm at full draw with him just staring, staring me down, and I'm like, oh man, he knew something was up, he knew he wasn't scared, but he knew, hey, something's there that doesn't belong there. So he starts slowly backing up. I have this one limb in my waist, so I'm like hanging over the side of the saddle and I'm like, come on, like show me your shoulder. And he goes to turn.

Speaker 2: 7:00

And I thought he had. I thought when he turned, I thought he had took a step. But going back to the video, he never, he never stepped His. His leg was still back. He just like pivots his body, which I saw that movement and I took it as okay. He took a step, go and I just I just smack him, boom, he falls over, he does a back flip, rolls over my arrow stuck stuck in him. He gets up, he turns and he runs away and I'm watching my arrow run through the woods, I'm watching the luminoc and I'm like what just happened.

Speaker 2: 7:33

I knew the shot was a little high, but I'm like what happened? So I'm like calling. I'm calling Squatch, I'm calling you Mike, I'm calling everybody I know to tell them what just happened. I think I got them, but I'm not sure and you know you guys are giving me advice. So I'm like, all right, let's just wait, let me get down. So I get down, nice and quiet, go over there. There's no blood, nothing, not even a drop.

Speaker 2: 8:07

My heart sank a little bit but I was like maybe he's bleeding inside, maybe he's gonna bleed later, because I seen him hitting him and I was like I seen him run into the tree. So I was like maybe that sever is just bouncing around in there like it's gotta be. So I make the decision. Actually, all of us kind of made the decision let's back out, we'll come back in the morning. So I talked to my buddy, jay, and you know asked him hey, is it a right for my? You know, a few guys come, you know, come down to help me track. He's like yeah, yeah, of course, like I don't mind. So you, so you know this mike, we all met up.

Speaker 1: 8:47

I was pumped and nervous, but before we we get to that, you know one just what a the shot and everyone, you, you, if you, if you follow us on instagram and everything like that. You saw the shot right, yep and it was I, I it was.

Speaker 1: 9:07

It's such a valuable learning lesson, I think, that whole day that I'm actually really grateful that I went up there. Um, yep, and we tried dissecting the shot. I mean from the minute you sent it to the group yep till even there. Like how many times, even just being on at the site of impact and tracking, were we looking at the video of just gaining any intel?

Speaker 1: 9:40

oh, I know there was no blood right. So, guys, we weren't going, we weren't following, we weren't following any blood. We were just okay, let's look at the video. Okay, this deer ran this way and he cut it looks like he cut through this way and frank's gonna, he's gonna get it into because Frank actually is the one that found first blood, but it's not anywhere where we, frank, let's go back.

Speaker 1: 10:12

So we looked at the video 100 times after, you know, looking for blood and everything. Couldn't find anything. So we went back to the point of contact and we're looking and, guys, it looked like he went left and then you hear it, it sounded like he crashed. So like you could hear this like crashing, sound, like he's going through stuff. So the craziest thing is that that's where, after we saw that new footage and new Intel, that's what we're focusing on. The whole entire time it was just something like absolutely remarkable from Frank shooting to the deer doing a backflip to break, dancing, to getting back up and and running like, uh, like a wild, and then just where this deer ended up was absolutely like one of the craziest, I think, track tracking jobs I've ever done and 100 going to bed that night, every single one of us thought that was.

Speaker 1: 11:18

You know, the deer was bleeding internally, like that's what we kept saying. This deer is bleeding internally, bleeding internally. And you know, as we kept going and we kept watching the video, you know what I mean is how we came to to our conclusion. So I'll I'll let you take it. Take it back over.

Speaker 1: 11:37

I just wanted to give that little yeah yeah, no, no my my perspective because, like this, this was a phenomenal track job and regardless of you know the outcome and everything like that, it was a phenomenal track job yeah, so it was almost just like you said.

Speaker 2: 11:55

We were constantly dissecting everything and I think I I slept like two hours that night. I was so in my head about everything. I watched that shot a thousand times and I swore it was like I had to catch a lung. I caught I caught the opposite shoulder. That's why the arrow was stuck in them. I went in. I was pretty confident that night, but I still couldn't sleep so I was like, oh man, you know, that's why real man, you know, that's why real quick. So that's why it's so important, even if you're not into the whole like filming Instagram and putting yourself out there. That's why this is so important that people should film their hunts, because without like these last two hunts I was on, if I didn't have film, I don't know what I would have done, because going by memory all the time doesn't isn't always 100 effective yeah, and and squash that perfectly.

Speaker 1: 12:57

That day, your, your mind, your body is under so much stress, like that that moment, like everything is going full speed.

Speaker 1: 13:06

You know your heart rate, your blood pressure's up, your anxiety's up, your the fight or flight moment is is on. You know, I mean, we don't live like that every single day, so when it's up it does seem like sometimes the brain you're hearing things, you're seeing things and that's why you know, frank, kept saying oh, the deer went this way, the deer went this way. But it wasn't from the video footage and, yeah, from the deer, the sound of the crash and everything like well, it doesn't make sense. And we had already pushed, we had pushed far, like we had kind of went to those you know that area and everything like that, and just nothing yeah and it's like all

Speaker 1: 13:47

right. Well, frank, maybe you know you're under so much stress and and squatch is like get back up in the tree and like try to go. Like try to try to go back of what happened and it was. It was just such an incredible thing of just you know also, you're, he's right like we're under so much stress at that. Yeah, and things happen on a split second decision and this is the most important reason why filming is so incredible, and I say it every time it's all we're, we're athletes we are it's like we're playing hockey, football, any other sports.

Speaker 1: 14:27

What do I all, everyone do? They go back and watch film. They go back and watch all the footage and we were able to dissect both hunts with incredible, where just it just worked out perfectly for us to do it that way.

Speaker 2: 14:44

Yeah, and it doesn't. You don't have to go out there and buy the most expensive camera. As long as you have something is better than nothing, because that little piece that you forget or that you're missing can make a world of difference.

Speaker 1: 15:01

Shout out to DJI.

Speaker 2: 15:04

We're using.

Speaker 1: 15:05

DJI action cams this year. No more gopros, where you moved away from gopros, and I mean incredible footage. I mean that was the footage that you sent over. I mean the quality, everything was. It was perfect. You don't, you know it's. You're using what you got and yep, it's a, especially the second hunt, which you know we'll be yeah thing, you know, whenever we decide tomorrow or whatever the case is, yeah I just gotta get time to do that, that right.

Speaker 1: 15:33

There was just another like, oh my gosh, you know what I mean, but I don't want to get too head to it. This was a lot of dissecting this episode, like I'm excited, like I, I love this yep, no, me too.

Speaker 2: 15:45

So I remember, yeah, I remember squatch going going back, saying getting in the tree. Try to, you know, visualize everything that happened. I was like, okay, I went up and I could, I remember seeing the luminoc at this one tree, this this one freaking tree. I'm like I remember it and it didn't follow what the video said. So I remember we got down, we were all doing at that point, we were just doing like a grid search. Everybody was just kind of trying to find something, whether it was the arrow, blood, the deer, whatever. So I just I just kept walking this direction. I had this feeling. I was like he had to go this way. You know, I don't know, there was just something inside me tell me, keep going that way. So I just I keep going. I just happen to look down and it's got a spot of red on it and I'm like is that blood? I remember I I think I either called you or or texted you, mike, and I was like I got blood. Everybody get over here. Now I'm on blood.

Speaker 1: 17:00

It wasn't a lot it was crazy because I think I just called you and I was like, hey, he has to go, and I'm like yeah, you're like hey, bring me your camera because I want to recheck everything. Yep and then you're like, oh, I just found blood, like literally. You're like it was, like I was like, okay, I'm coming right now.

Speaker 1: 17:25

And then, fair enough, the I don't know how you saw it, how you spotted this thing, and also the the four-wheeler was right there too, and like it didn't disturb anything, anything like, and it was so close but it's like, holy shit, like that was a miracle, that was a, it was a needle in a haystack type of moment right there Finding that tiny piece of blood.

Speaker 2: 17:53

Yeah, oh, cause. I remember I was like that's blood, it's gotta be blood and squash. I remember he licked his fingers Like, oh yeah, that's blood. I remember you, mike, you're like I got it, I got it from here, like like, oh yeah, that's blood. I remember you, mike, you're like I got it, I got it from here, like, and you were just gone on that blood trail.

Speaker 1: 18:09

I was impressed. It's something that I, I, um, I actually take a lot of pride in is actually tracking, um, you know, and finding the tiny, small drops of blood and after that, like, yeah, we found it was like that the whole entire way um, some like a few more drops than others, but it never got into like the blood that you really, that you really want. I mean, you were talking about hands and knees. We're using onyx marking it, but then we're also dropping literally all of our equipment, like sweatshirt, you know everything. We left everything, every little piece of blood. We just we kept marking and I mean it got to the point where I think we were.

Speaker 1: 19:00

I think we followed him as far as we could and we were. I think he was, he went on the path that where we ended up, where, first of all, guys, this property is beautiful, was absolutely insane, um, and it has everything that you can probably probably ask for for the most part, um, but I don't, I don't see what, what else we could have done, and I don't, I don't remember where you made the decision of. I mean, everything was a group discussion and we all came to agreement.

Speaker 1: 19:51

But it was finally to the point where you're like, yeah, like.

Speaker 2: 19:56

Yeah, we got to call it.

Speaker 1: 19:59

And we agreed. We're pretty sure this deer is still alive, like we're 95% sure this deer is still alive, like we're 95 sure this deer is still alive, after watching the footage, after watching the penetration and yet again, and that's that video footage of taking it frame by frame and then matching it with blood right, and that was the thing that all of us, I think, were trying to see where the arrow hit.

Speaker 2: 20:25

And actually, when we were in the woods, we then we started watching how the arrow penetrated, because we were all focused on how this arrow, you know like where exactly it hit on the deer. None of us even realized that.

Speaker 1: 20:42

I bet, like I, didn't get much penetration yeah, after, after, like literally we tracked probably, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 20:51

We probably walked all in together probably at least a couple miles oh, yeah, easily when we, where your stand was, to where I think we we found the last drop of blood was just under a mile, but we had already walked for like two and a half hours before that, just walking all over grid searching, um, yeah, I would definitely say probably a couple miles, um, and you're 100% right, and that's something that the shot placement looked great, I mean, yes, you could say it was, it was a tad high, and I mean a tad high.

Speaker 1: 21:30

I don't think it was anything like crazy, but it looked like if it would have penetrated the way that we were expecting, that would have a hundred percent have been dead deer.

Speaker 1: 21:42

And I think it came down to how much I uh, you know, frank and frank, and I have been talking non-stop this week, um, you know, on phone calls and and everything like that, and I think that was just that one. You needed to wait one more, second right, one more, but yet again, it's a high pressure situation. You thought that deer had taken that step where it didn't. And you know, before we get into a second on everyone, like I told frank, I was like I had that same situation. What a day or two ago, where, you know, I found the hot sign, I found acorns, everything that I wanted, the freshest sign, just the perfect, perfect spot, and I had the eight and ten pointer come out and the eight pointer just needed to take one more step right and he didn't take that step and that deer needed to take probably a half a step for you, because he was literally in the verge.

Speaker 2: 22:38

It looked like he was taking a step, but I think what actually really haven't was he was actually kind of pivoting, yeah, yeah and that's that yep, and that's what I saw, because I was so busy, focused on what I was doing, making sure, you know, I got my anchor point, my peep sites, ready. All this, all this shit was running through my head and I seen a move and in my mind I thought he stepped and I just released.

Speaker 1: 23:08

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 23:09

You know, and it really I think he was just in that beginning of process of of stepping, but you know what that's hunting everyone, that's, that's the ball game, that's that's what we do, especially bow hunting, like I still think you, you, like I said a lot of valuable information, learning lesson for you, learning lesson for for us. It helped us get better with tracking and just learning the, the anatomy of a deer, and it's something that we talked about. I think I don't, we're, we're both using the new severs and I I still really think you know it's a, it's a hybrid, and a big part why we never saw that arrow is because that thing buried probably into that shoulder yep right and I think maybe if it was a different angle, it actually probably would have penetrated you know I

Speaker 1: 24:08

agree. I think if it was just a different angle would have penetrated. You're running a heavier arrow that that broadhead is solid because we have a lot of people saying on you know, oh, you know the fix for its mechanical listen, yeah, that's a hybrid. It did everything that it was supposed to do. It's got the best of both worlds. Um, you know, and I just think it was just one of that instances where you know what, if it was maybe a few inches lower, maybe it probably would have gone through. You know what I mean. And maybe just hit the things happen. You know, and absolutely you didn't, you didn't let it get, you get you down and you got right back on the saddle get you down and you got right back on the saddle, literally.

Speaker 1: 25:00

And yeah, let's head over to New York.

Speaker 2: 25:03

Yeah. So I decided that. I think that happened on I think it was a Wednesday when I shot that buck. So I was like, all right, so Friday comes along and I knew that I was going to go upstate and hunt our property. I went in there not high hopes, because I wasn't. I ran some cameras during the spring and summer and I had like the same two or three bucks on there Nothing crazy, but you know, two decent bucks. I was like, right, you know, just pull them out, I need them for Jersey, it'll be fine.

Speaker 2: 25:43

So I remember we're just, we're just pulling in there. And then our neighbor's field. He's got like a bean field with there's like a pond in the middle and I don't even get there yet and I could. This buck lifts up his head and I'm like Holy shit, that that buck is a stud. And I remember I pulled over the truck and I'm just watching him and he's eating and I'm like, man, that that buck I don't like. I'm like that is a beautiful buck. I'm like that is a beautiful buck, I'm like I think.

Speaker 2: 26:20

I remember I looked, I looked over at my uncle, my uncle Angelo. I said I think I'm gonna shoot that deer this weekend. He's like. He's like, oh my god, I hope you do. I'm like, well, I definitely want to, but you know, I'm like, but, uh, I'm like I'm feeling pretty confident, like I'm feeling pretty good. You know, after what happened, you know which real quick. I'd like to thank everybody because I had nothing but good things from everybody and the support was a, you know was amazing, and you know it's an honor to be part of amazing team team. You guys were all very supportive and stuff, so I appreciate every second of it. Honestly, I'm honored to be on this team. Mike, I really appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 27:04

I appreciate the kind words, brother. We're a big family and I'm very happy to have been there too. Like I said, I wish I could have gone to New York and everything like that and helped you.

Speaker 2: 27:18

No, listen, I get it. Listen, we all try to be, you know. Yep. So I see this buck, I'm watching. For a little bit I was like, all right, it's getting dark now. I was like, all right, let's go to the house. I remember texting you guys like, guys, I just saw a stud out in the field. Yes, you did, he's a beauty. Like I might get him, we'll see what happens.

Speaker 2: 27:43

So, fast forward all the way to my morning hunt. I'm like, alright, I didn't know where I was going because I have stands in there but they're all ladder stands. I knew I didn't want to hunt them because everything that comes by like they're, basically they're set ladder stands. I knew I didn't want to hunt them because everything that comes by like they're basically they're set up for gun season. So I'm like, all right, let me figure this out. Didn't didn't pick a tree, nothing, one in there in the dark, just to wing it.

Speaker 2: 28:13

So I knew I wanted to get on this one ridge and I was like I'm walking, I'm looking around and I don't know how I did it because I hunted that property so much. But I got actually got turned around and I ended up higher than I wanted to be? I was actually. We have a power line that comes on the top of our property and I was almost on that power line, didn't realize it until it got daylight and I'm like shit, like this is not where I wanted to be, but hey, like you never know, like I'm not moving. Now I saw a shit ton of deer like I was seeing does crazy, no bucks. In the morning. I think I told you.

Speaker 1: 29:01

I think it was like I was up to 25 does or something in the morning which is for everyone who either didn't listen to that episode or knew whatever right before, like a month before the season or whatever. Frank had found out that the whatever Fish and Wildlife up there, or whoever is in charge, granted permission to the neighboring farm to basically kill as many does as I guess they want, or whatever the case is and killed a lot which all of us were extremely upset about, very just couldn't believe it, um, but now obviously I I think I'm going to kind of take back what I said.

Speaker 1: 29:50

Yes, it I don't. I still don't fully believe in it, but if you saw that many does in a hunt, obviously they must know they do know what they're talking about.

Speaker 2: 30:00

It's still like yeah, it's one of those things, yep yeah yep, no, I agree.

Speaker 2: 30:10

So I was like all right.

Speaker 2: 30:11

So I saw a whole bunch of those. My uncles call me oh, oh, there's a buck over here because he doesn't bow hunt. So he's just kind of driving around looking for deer and he's like, oh, there's a buck in this field and there's a buck in that field and this buck's beautiful. And I'm just like, yep, not seeing much of them, and you know I'm seeing a lot of does. So I think I stayed up there till like 10, 30, 11 o'clock. I was like, all right, like I'm done, let me get down, get down, go back to the house, said, all right, you know, trying to figure out my game plan for at night. Um, I actually set up on my neighbor's bean field, like borderline of our, our property and Cause he also lets me hunt it as well and not too many people bow hunt it, so I was like, all right, let me set up at the edge of his bean field. Again, saw a whole bunch, a whole bunch of deer, no bucks. I think I saw like 16, those, no bucks. And I was like, well, I mean it's, it's not like I'm not seeing anything, you know, at least like I'm still out here I'm having a good time, like we're doing good. So actually let me just back up real quick.

Speaker 2: 31:28

When I got down from, uh, from my morning sit, I went and picked the tree and marked it on onyx. This is where I want to be tomorrow morning. There's a cold front coming in and I kind of over all the years of hunting it, bow hunting it, gun hunting it, I almost see the deer do the same thing they walk. We got like three different ridges that go in our property. They always come through the middle and drop down to the first ridge. The bucks do. The does always stay, tend to stay up on the higher ridge. So I'm like, all right, I know I want to be in this middle ridge somewhere. So I just pick a tree, set on onyx, we're good. So I'm like all right, so I'm walking in the morning. I think I went into like five in the morning. So, all right, here we go, going to the tree, walking it. Yep, all right, here we go and as I'm trying to pick, find the tree, the onyx keeps moving on me. So I must have did two or three circles and I'm like where the hell is this tree I picked? But there was something I picked out probably around the second or third time and, mike, I didn't even tell you guys this there's this one tree that was in the middle of everything, had the perfect cover behind me, everything. I'm like you know what? Maybe it keeps bringing me this way for a reason. So I'm going to set up in this tree. The hell, we're going to find the other tree.

Speaker 2: 33:07

So I set up, I'm getting all and I'm like I'm pumped for it to get daylight, because I'm like oh, it was cold morning. Like I think up there it was like in the 40s. I'm like here we go, here we go. So I'm just waiting. I'm waiting for these bucks to come in our woods. I see deer coming in. These all start funneling. Does Just doe after doe after doe. I'm like all right, we're going to start this again.

Speaker 2: 33:37

All of a sudden my phone rings. It's my uncle, frank. You're never gonna believe this. There's two bucks fighting across the street from the house, one's innate and the other one's I don't know how big. I'm like fantastic, he's like you should have stayed home. Like so I was just like, ah, I'm like well, nothing I can do now. Like I'm up here, I'm just gonna wait.

Speaker 2: 34:01

So then I see, um, probably like 25 minutes after I got for him, I see a five pointer, a small five pointer, coming in, like all right, like we're getting some action now. Here he goes, he comes in, he walks by, had a whole bunch of does they come by? I happen to look up and, right where I thought they were going to come from, I see a big deer coming. So I like, so I like look around the tree and I grab my binos and I put them on it and I'm like, holy shit, that's the buck that was out in that field on on Friday night and I know he's going to come to me like I. I knew it in my body because I knew what the. I know what these, what these deer do there. So I'm like he's coming, give him a few minutes. And he, he did. He ate the acorns. He went back and forth. At one point he even he even stood up on his hind legs. It was grabbing acorns off the trees. And he was he.

Speaker 2: 35:09

He put on a show. I gotta show you the, the actual footage, mike, there's a lot more than what I I sent you. And he was, I mean, he's raking his horns on the tree and he's just coming like textbook. I'm like, here we go, so I turn. You know, before I actually turn my camera on, before I grab my bow, I'm right, and right away I started ranging like the yardages. This tree is this much that way.

Speaker 2: 35:37

It was like fresh in my mind and I'm like, all right, here he comes all of a sudden. He's the only, he's the only deer that went down that path. He walks by me. I think he was like 18 yards, no, I think he was like 21 yards, 21, and uh, he walks. He's just walked by me and it's just open woods, it's just perfect. I even have to stop him. He starts walking. He just stops because he hears, I guess, all the acorns hitting the trees and he's just looking around to see what's going on. He stops, I come the full draw and I, you know, the first thing was like what I went through my mind is stay away from that shoulder.

Speaker 2: 36:27

Even if you have to aim for the middle, just stay away from that shoulder. So I remember staying away from the shoulder, I aim right for the middle of his body and I just touch off and wouldn't you know it, I hear smack again and he drops and I see that the arrow hits him high by his spine. So he's rolling around, flopping around. I'm like, oh man. So I like turn around to go, get to actually go grab another arrow. By the time I turn back around I see him like hobbling and he's just tripping over things. He's falling. I see him he hits this one tree, snaps the arrow and then all of a sudden he books it, like you can see who's hunched over. But he's.

Speaker 2: 37:22

He starts booking it and there's actually a, a like, a like a drop off that he gets to right before our field. He hits that and I watch him tumble and fall again. So I was like, yes, like he fell down the hill, like I'm gonna find them there. So I start making phone calls and I was like, look, I know it wasn't the greatest shot, but you know I feel pretty good about it. So I'm like maybe it just like touched his spine, but I still got high lung, like Like it'll be fine.

Speaker 2: 37:57

So I waited up there an hour and I think I even I think maybe Mike, that's when I might have sent you guys the video to ask you guys what you think but he, so I go down there and I'm like, all right. So I finally get down after an hour I go to check where he fell and there's just blood everywhere. I was like, well, this is a good start, because I didn't have this last time. So I'm following the blood, following the blood get to the, to where he drops off. I'm expecting him to be there and nothing, don't see him.

Speaker 2: 38:40

My heart started racing, my mind started going. I was like he can't be serious, like not again. So I'm like calling my uncle. I'm like, do you see him out in the field? Like he's like no, like at one point my uncle came up to our hedgerow to look with binoculars. He's like Frank, I don't see him out here. I'm like, oh no. So I walked down.

Speaker 2: 39:10

Now the blood's getting like spotty, like I'm finding drops, and then I find, once I get right to our field, I found out, or I found right where he must've stopped, because there was a puddle of blood and then nothing, another two drops. And then he hits the field and he was gone. And I'm like, oh shit, like which way did he go? Did he go left? Did he go right? Did he go straight down?

Speaker 2: 39:54

Like I call, I call, uh, I call Squatch and I'm like what do you think he's like man, I don't know. Like you know, I'm replaying everything to him. He's like send me the address, let me see how far away hour and 30 minutes he was away. He's like you know what, get yourself together, don't go, look for him. Get go to the house, relax and wait for me. I'm like, all right, well, it's easier said than done, but sure.

Speaker 2: 40:17

So get to the house and my mind starts racing. I'm, I'm calling Mike, I'm showing them the videos. I'm like, I'm I'm texting the group, chat the blood, and I'm like what do you think? Like, and I mean, I just I couldn't believe it, it was happening again. I was like how did I shoot high, like I even aim low, and I just I couldn't put two and two together because I was so I guess it was still like a little open wound from the last hunt. So I was like all right. So, um, I'm like all right. So, um, I'm like just relax.

Speaker 2: 40:58

So now we hit like the four hour mark. So, um, squat shows up. He goes all right, show me everything. I'm like all right. So we jump in my truck, my uncle, we drive all the way up to our field. I'm like this is where I shot him, this is where he dropped, this is where he went. He's like, all right, let's try to stay on the blood. Same thing.

Speaker 2: 41:19

We tracked the blood all the way through the woods. We hit the field. Nobody knew where he went, so we were only at that point guessing, cause there's actually, like um, a power station that that's got heavy shit, and I've seen the deer run there time and time again. So I was like he might've ran that way, let's go check. So, but before we did all that, we decided to go check the um, like the rock wall, thinking maybe he crossed over into our neighbor's field, couldn't find no blood, nothing. I was like, all right, we go check that power station, everything come back. I was like, all right, we go check that power station, everything come back, nothing.

Speaker 2: 42:00

Then I noticed there's a couple of vultures circling this one area of that field and I'm, and I'm like Squatch, what do you think? Like I've been watching them for an hour circling that same spot. He goes well, let's go check. I'm like all right, so we go. And it's let me remind you, it's it's high grass, like I knew it was high, but I didn't think it was that high, like like this stuff was like six, seven feet, like you couldn't see nothing. So we're just kind of like we start grid searching now this, this, you know it's, it's almost like a strip of grass. We start grid searching it. So I'm like, well, let me go higher and I, that way I could see down.

Speaker 2: 42:51

My uncle goes oh, I was already up there. I didn't see nothing. I only kicked up a doe. I'm like, well, I'm still gonna go up here. So I go up there, probably about 75 to 100 yards down that field. I look over and I see his back laying there. I see his back, I see the blood. I know it's my deer. And I'm only 10 yards away from him. I'm like he's dead. I'm ready to like jump up and start shouting and start celebrating. I happen to take another step. I look over. He lifts his head up. He lifts his head up. I turn to my uncle and Squatch and I'm like stop, stop, like don't make no noise.

Speaker 2: 43:43

I start backing up to grab an arrow or actually I called Squatch over. He like swung all the way around. He comes over I. I'm like, should I shoot him again? Like what do you think I should do? He's like, well, I mean, if you can get a good shot, like I would try to put another arrow in them. I'm like, okay, I try to pull. When I go to pull my arrow out of the quiver, he, he hears us, he jumps up and takes off. There's this little drop off, it's like a little ditch, and nobody's seen him leave. So we're like, okay, like maybe we should back off. You know, give them. You know, maybe and I think we gave him another two hours we go back, we grid search that whole, the whole thing. The rest of the night All we did was grid search this, this field, nothing.

Speaker 2: 44:45

I'm like, when we looked in his bed and there was blood on both sides, squatch is like this deer is gonna die. Like you, it's up to you, but you know, I don't know if you want to come back or whatever. I'm like Squatch is like this deer is going to die. Like you, it's up to you, but you know, um, I don't know if you want to come back or whatever. I'm like, heck, yeah, I'm coming back. So I asked my uncle. I was like actually, I asked my uncle. I said do you want to spend the night. He's like I can't, I got to go to work. So I'm like, ah, so Squatch leaves, I have to drive all the way back to Jersey, jump in my truck, drive all the way back to Jersey, drop my uncle off and I'm like at that point I'm like, well, I'm not driving back, like I'll go in the morning.

Speaker 2: 45:29

So I wake up in the morning and I wake up bright and early and I just haul up there. I remember texting you guys, I'm out. Or I text you. Mike says, look, I'm on my way up. Hopefully I find them, but it's going to be a long shot by myself with this grass. So I call.

Speaker 2: 45:50

Actually, when I get up there, I pull my truck into the field and I call the landowner. I said listen. I said I said I shot the this buck. He was oh, I know he was uh, because we actually ran into his nephew. He was yeah, he goes. Uh, I know all about it. He goes, do whatever you gotta do. Take your trucks, your four wheelers, whatever. Find that there. I'm like, thank you, I appreciate it. So I didn't even want to go to where we were searching that night because we had grid searched it.

Speaker 2: 46:22

Pretty well, I start walking the second part of the field, which is also high grass. So I just start grid searching myself. I put on Onyx and I just go up the field, down the field, up the field, down the field, by myself. This field's huge. It took me two and a half hours just to do that little piece. I get halfway I find another bed with blood in it. I'm like it threw me off. Cause I'm like why is there a bed with blood here and he's not in it? Like, is this his first bed? And maybe we call him on his second? Or when we jumped him, did he run uphill and butt bed down? Cause I know in theory people say deer always travel downhill, which is true, but I mean I've had had plenty experiences where I've seen them go uphill. I'm like is he trying to go back to where I shot him? So now I'm thinking maybe he's back on our property right.

Speaker 2: 47:29

As I'm thinking that I come out to my truck, the landowner pulls up with his tractor, goes hey, frank, like how you making out? I'm like not good man, I can't find them. Like, I showed him non-x, this is what I did. He's like you did all that by on foot. I'm like, yeah, like, and I didn't find them. I was like I found like blood. He goes. Well, won't you hop on the tractor and I'll drive you around? That way you have a higher vantage point, maybe you can see. I'm like, all right, so we drive around, we go to the first spot, or, um, we actually go to where I found the other bed. We go all the way to his top of his hill so I can glass down in the field, nothing. So he drives me back down. I told him. I said, drive me back down by my truck. I want to do that section that we did last night. Again, he was sure thing he was. You know, stay up high. So I was basically on this guy's shoulders, like looking both ways. He's like looking in front of us, like looking both ways. He's like looking in front of us. We did our first pass. On our second pass, coming back towards my truck, he goes frank, there's your deer. I look over and I just see a rack sticking out of the grass. I'm like, oh, my god, that's him. I must.

Speaker 2: 49:00

I jumped off that tractor so fast. I think I did a somersault or, you know, a cartwheel. Whatever I did, I did something and I was like man, I can't believe we found them. I was so stoked. But when, when I got to him, I realized that the coyotes tore the whole back of him up. So I was like, ah, but I remember I'm texting the group chat. I thought, or I don't think, I texted the group chat. I think I called you guys first or texted you guys, I found them. I found them and then I texted the group chat, the pictures once I got back to the house after he's all tagged and all that and yeah, man, I mean it's been a roller coaster for the past week for me and absolute.

Speaker 1: 49:53

Like, yeah, I, you've been through everything the last couple days. Yep, yep, I mean the blood on this one. It was like how are you?

Speaker 2: 50:05

Yeah, I was like how did he live?

Speaker 1: 50:08

Yeah, yeah, these things are just resilient, that's all. They're just very resilient animals, and that's all. Yeah, they're just very resilient animals, um, and that's like, that's the bottom line. I mean, there's nothing else more that you can say about that. But these things are, they're meant to survive. They all they do is survive. Um, so I'm happy as hell that you found him. It must be crazy to think of how many times you passed that deer.

Speaker 2: 50:41

Yeah, he was only. Yeah, he was only like 30 yards from where we last saw him go and my arrow was still sticking out of them. I mean, he broke off. Yeah, he broke off part of the you know like mostly the back where the fletching was, but most of it was sticking out of them and real quick. I just want to say these sever hybrids are insane because the bra head is still like brand new. I pulled it out of his spine. It's like brand new. I just got to put a band on it like it's still sharp, like I'm like there ain't no way. But when I pulled it out, I'm like the thing's like brand new love to hear it love crazy here.

Speaker 1: 51:34

I listen, I haven't. I've been preaching about them for for a long time yeah, no, I listen, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 51:42

So it was, it was definitely. And the hole it put in them was was massive, because I actually it kind of poked through the other side. I come to find out when I found them because I noticed what at the um, at the beds, both sides of the bed had blood on it and I'm like huh, is he just like moving around? Or but it actually went through. It just didn't go all the way through because I think the blades must have caught just enough, because as soon as I pulled the arrow it came out. So but yeah, I mean it was just crazy. I mean I just want to give another shout out to Squatch, like I couldn't have found it without him, like he knew what he did. So I appreciate him coming out and giving me a hand and yeah, man, I mean he's, he's a, he's a beautiful, he's a beautiful buck, so we're sure he's a stud first, one of the of the buck down.

Speaker 1: 52:43

For for the guys here at Boondock Sunning, I mean an absolute insane week. The rollercoaster continues. I mean what? What a season so far it's been, and I still think you're going to get another shot at that New Jersey buck. But if not him, I mean there's going to be more. We're still we're not even a. We haven't even reached the month mark yet of the deer season here in in New Jersey.

Speaker 1: 53:10

So we are, we're flying high, everyone I mean. So so much, we're so happy, we're so excited. I mean it's been a great start to the season, even for me, who you know. I haven't killed anything yet and you know I I've had two close encounters with mature bucks and hunting a bunch of new places and areas of just finding hot sign of where I think these deer are bedded and everything like that. So new goals for me already achieved. Now it's just time to put one down on the ground Now moving forward, this week we may not, we may not be doing a field notes eight until after bear season.

Speaker 1: 53:53

Now, if I kill something this week, we'll, we'll do one before the bear season starts. But bear season here starts October 14th, so one week away, and we're all going to be chasing bears up in northwest Jersey area and we are extremely excited. I actually think Peyton actually just hit me up and he wants to do camping. So, frank, I don't know if you'd be interested or you can even get off, or you know, I have a wife and the kids and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 54:26

But yeah, I think we're going to do a campsite. I got a.

Speaker 1: 54:29

I got a text back but yeah, I mean I I think it'd be pretty cool that I mean we're all gonna be there. He's got um, got a couple of people, I think, that are coming and everything, so we're gonna have a good crew. We're excited. So, you know, um, you may get a week off from us for for the field updates, unless I kill something or one of the guys kill something. But I think, um, I know frank's here getting ready for for bear season and after these next two hunts um, tuesday and wednesday.

Speaker 1: 55:07

For me it's. I think I'm gonna shift my focus back to, uh, to the bears up in here in new jersey and try to get a bear down on the ground with the bow. Um, but yeah, everyone, I hope you guys enjoy this episode. Also, our Brett's cancer awareness shirts are here. We're going to be sending them out shortly. So if you did order one, um, send me a DM. If you didn't, we do have a few extra, but, um, we, we don't have that many left left, um, most of them already are sold out and everything like that. So, um, yeah, be on the lookout for that. And we're closing in on episode 200 and also almost 4 000 instagram followers as well, so a big giveaway is in the books, um, but you know, like I said, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Frank congratulations, brother.

Speaker 2: 55:57

We brother, we are, we're happy for you.

Speaker 1: 55:59

Listen, it's going to continue to be a great season and everyone out there. I hope you guys are having a great season and, um, if you got any pictures or anything like that that you want to send to us, please feel free to reach out and we'll we'll give them a post. Um, we'll see you guys, um, in a week or two. And, yeah, have a. Have a.