Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoors and Podcast presented by Boondock Hunting.

Speaker 2: 0:04

That's why your tagline JCL Mullen is perfect.

Speaker 3: 0:09

You don't know what you're mowing for the game. You don't know what you're mowing for the game.

Speaker 1: 0:13

I accidentally drifted my canoe between a sow and a cub and she charged and hit the back of the canoe.

Speaker 4: 0:23

His head hit the ground before his ass did All right guys.

Speaker 1: 0:41

Field Notes, episode 2. We are back. It is September 10th. First of all, for everyone, tomorrow is going to be September 11th, so definitely want to give a tribute to everybody who was affected by that still to this day.

Speaker 1: 1:03

I think I was in first grade, so I I'll never, like I'll never forget, forget that. I know a bunch of people that in my town that were were, you know, directly involved in and unfortunately lost, lost people and everything like that. So condolences out there to all the families, and I also not, you know, craig, and I literally just spoke on it, you know condolences to Charlie Kirk's family and everything like that. Really unfortunate to see, no matter what your stance is and everything like that A guy who I think did a phenomenal job just on talking and being able to just have these conversations, didn't matter what background you were from, what you believed in or whatever. You know I I loved what, what he was doing, and it's gun violence is definitely never, never the answer, but you know it's, it's definitely unfortunate, but we'll, we'll, we'll see what, what happens now.

Speaker 1: 2:03

But you know, besides that guys like it's time, it is literally time, I know, for Zach and I, which we'll get into a little bit like we've already gotten that itch and everything like that. But the jersey opener, with everyone listening, is today, and so is the Wisconsin opener. But before we get into that, zach, I mean we got there on Sunday and I'll tell you we were boots on the ground. I think the average amount of time that I spent on my feet I think almost every hunt, except for like the one where I slept until 7 30 was about like average, like six miles a day.

Speaker 1: 2:54

Um, we were, we were all over, literally all over the place, driving all over, walking all over, um, you know, but for you, you know, I'll let you. You started off, you know, go over, you know, our, our delaware trip yeah, man, it was fun.

Speaker 2: 3:10

Uh, like you said, we put in a lot of miles on foot, probably put about 10 000 miles on the truck going back and forth this summer and, uh, yeah, we had a good trip. We, you know, we know we got on some deer. We, we were hunting a lot of bean fields. You know, like you said, opening morning we got down there and just covered a bunch of ground, scouted a bunch of fields, trying to see what fields had the most browse pressure, where, you know where the deer were coming out and what, what corners of the field and whatnot, what, what corners of the field and whatnot. Um, we ended up finding that they were hitting, uh, the fields with the shorter beans, like the beans that got planted later, for whatever reason, were the ones they were really hitting hard. Still, um, the more mature beans. Some of the fields we were hunting, you know the beans were chest high so you could have a deer standing out there and you can't even see. All you can see is their antler sticking out or their you know those ears, um, and they're just out there tunneling through those beans. Um, which makes it hard, because you know, to get a shot at one in that tall of beans. You're shooting through all that stuff, um, so we were kind of trying to focus on those fields that had the shorter beans.

Speaker 2: 4:25

Still, we found one I guess it was opening morning that looked, it had a lot of sign on it and we were walking the edge and there was a bunch of white oaks that had a lot of acorns. They weren't they weren't quite dropping yet, but they were loaded. And uh, we got into the corner of that field, into one corner of that field, and we could hear some acorns falling in the woods. So we, we uh slipped in there and found a little cluster. It was like four or five oaks that were dropping pretty good and a ton of fresh feed sign on it. You know notched a bunch of acorns on the ground. So we marked that spot and backed out and went and scouted some more stuff, found another good spot that evening it was a similar, you know short beans and we ended up hunting those spots. That evening I sat where those acorns were dropping and Mike sat the other field. Did you end up seeing?

Speaker 1: 5:32

any deer that night, mike? No, so like to go on from that. Like you know, we we kinda the night before we were we went out in glass, and every single time we went out in glass we're like.

Speaker 4: 5:50

Oh man, like this is going to be easy, be easy like there's, there's deer everywhere.

Speaker 1: 5:52

I mean we, yeah, we're driving down, and zach would be like I wouldn't be surprised if we saw like 100 plus deer tonight just in driving through all all the spots, which is which was very accurately and was I think we got, if we didn't hit that 100 mark, like we got close to the 100 mark every single time. But that night before it was like we're, like we're where the hell are all all the big bucks? Um, and I, I will say, and I and we, we talked about this a lot. It rained, I think so much early part of that summer and even leading into August, august dried up a little bit, but it was raining constantly and even here in New Jersey. But once we noticed like, like Zach said, like those high, high beans, they were bedded in it, but they it didn't seem like they were really focusing on that and they wanted the, the small, probably, what ankle, ankle high.

Speaker 2: 6:50

Yeah, you know, six to 12 inches. Yeah, yeah, those those younger beans are. They're definitely more palatable for them and they're more nutritious too.

Speaker 1: 7:00

So yeah, and and and and. That was a big and that causes to have a big shift. And then also the fact and I haven't found anything yet like that in new jersey, but the acorns were definitely dropping before and ready to drop I mean the, the white, the young white oaks that we found in very immature trees, not those big giant trees that you say uh, all had acorns on it that were like literally a probably a good gust of wind probably starting now it's probably gonna gonna start knocking them down and everything like that. So we went in there completely like all right, like we need to come up with a, a new game. And, yeah, we found spots. I didn't see anything, anything in that hunt, but I think that's the hunt that you had. Is that the hunt that you had, the wild one, or was it the next day?

Speaker 2: 7:55

It was the next night.

Speaker 2: 7:55

So I went into that spot with the Oaks dropping on opening night and we had like a weird inconsistent win. That night we all had the same thing, where it was blowing like complete opposite of what it was forecasted for, and then it switched, like you know, a couple hours before dark and blow started blowing the way it was supposed to. So I ended up setting up in three different trees in there, um, and I didn't see any deer until about a half hour before dark. I had one come in about 40 yards and start blowing at me. It was a doe and uh, so I got. I was like let me just get down and go look at this bean field and see what's out there. So I had a half hour daylight left. I climbed down, got out in the field and I worked my way down the edge of the field and so I could see the far back corner and there was a buck out there. He was a. It was weird he had. He only had one antler. I don't know if he damaged it, if he knocked one of them off in velvet or if he just had a damaged pedicle or something. He didn't grow one on that side, but he just had one big four point side and nothing on the other side, um, but he was a nice. He was a nice, you know, really nice buck, um, and then there was a couple does out there with him. So I was debating like trying to put a stalk on him, because you know there was tall grass and it was like short, you know ankle to knee height beans, but there was like some tall patches, a lot of tall grass in that field, like um, like more like waist high. So I thought about trying to put a stalk on them. But as I'm sitting there thinking about it and like kind of planning my route, more and more deer just keep popping out of the woods there.

Speaker 2: 9:45

So there ended up being, I think, probably like eight to ten does and two more nice bucks came out. There was a nice eight point and a really big seven. So I just watched them till dark, kind of. I saw where those, the, the two, the, the eight point and the seven point came out, and so I figured I'm just going to get right in there the next evening, right where they came out, and so that's what I did. The second evening I got back in there and set up on the ground. There was a blown down tree that fell into the field right in that corner where they came out. I was about 75 yards from the corner where they came out and, uh, where I watched them work the edge, right in front of this tree that I was sitting in the night before. So, uh, it was probably an hour before dark that second night and, uh, bucks start pouring out into that corner.

Speaker 2: 10:45

There was the first. Two came out. There were a little small, like probably two year old bucks, a little smaller like a seven point and a six point, and then, uh, a couple, a couple of spikes, and then four or five you know solid bucks bucks I would have shot any one of them came out into the field and, uh, they're kind of working their way down this edge towards me. They're probably at about 60, you know 65, 60, 65 yards. And uh, I hear a noise and all these deer kind of like one of them jumps, takes a few bounds and stops and they're all kind of like looking around, like trying to figure out what this noise was. And I am too and I'm like I think someone just took a shot at him. It sounded like a crossbow went off or it's, someone took a shot. I'm like, and I'm so I start glassing the field edge trying to see if I can see this guy where he's set up, and I can't see anything. On the one field edge there's a little island of timber out in the field and it turns out that guy was set up in there. I couldn't see him, but he was set up in a climber in that island of timber and he had a crossbow so it took him. So those deer didn't really spook, they just kind of ran back into the corner and then like kept, they just went back to feeding and uh, I guess, because the guy was in in a climber with a crossbow, it took him a while to get another bolt loaded.

Speaker 2: 12:19

But about 10 minutes later I hear another shot and the deer all take off running into the woods and uh, now I'm like, where is this guy? I'm like he, I'm thinking he's you know, cause I didn't. I didn't even think that he would have been in that little Island of trees, cause it didn't look like there was any trees you could get in in there, but I guess he was tucked on the other side a little bit. I couldn't see him. So I'm thinking this guy's shooting you know a hundred yards or something down the edge of this field. So I texted, I texted them. I'm like you know, someone just shot, shot at these deer. He's, he's gotta be a hundred yards away.

Speaker 2: 12:52

And, long story short, they end up 15 minutes later working their way back out into the field Cause they don't really know what happened. They just heard something and they start working closer to the edge now and they're coming right towards me. I think it was four of them. The two in front were it was a big eight, you know, probably a three-year-old eight-point full of velvet and like a seven-point right behind him. That was hard-horned and he was the seven-point, was real wide and he was the seven point was real wide. And they're both working their way toward me.

Speaker 2: 13:28

They get to about 50 yards and they kind of split where the velvet buck is coming parallel to me down the field edge and the hard horn buck cuts back toward the woods and so I kind of focus on the velvet buck out in front of me.

Speaker 2: 13:47

I ranged him at 37, I think it was, and he's got his head down feeding in the beans.

Speaker 2: 13:57

So I get the bow ready and I'm like getting ready to draw back. I have the bow like kind of out in front of me, like ready to draw, and he like looks over and sees me, but he doesn't. He's just kind of he's looking my way I don't think he really saw it like he didn't know what I was, but he was looking my way and he's you know, we had a stare down for like two minutes where I'm stuck holding the bow out like this and uh, so after a couple minutes I'm like starting to get fatigued and I'm like shaking a little bit and he finally puts his head down, goes back to feeding and I get drawn back and then he looks up at me again as I'm at full draw and uh, yeah, I took, I took, took the shot at 37 and the arrow went right over his back and uh, I don't know, I think I was a little shaken up from having to hold a bow up like that for two minutes straight.

Speaker 2: 14:56

And then I just, you know it's a 37 is a longer shot than I usually like to take. But uh, before the trip I was shooting really, really good in the yard out to like 45, 50. So I told myself you know 40 and in, I think I'm good, but, yeah, shot right over his back, they took off and that was that. And then, you know, ended up talking to the guy that took a shot at him. He got down and was looking for his arrows and, uh, he was a, he was a, he was actually a cool guy. He was a newer hunter. He said it was just like third year hunting and uh, he was like. You know, I basically the same thing. I just said, you know, he's like that was a longer shot than I usually like to take or whatever. But you, you know he said those were the biggest bucks he's ever seen. So he got, you know, a little anxious and but yeah, so that was that.

Speaker 1: 15:56

I think, like when you look at and what you said when we were, I think when we were back at camp with Andrew, I can't remember who you said, where he were. I think when we're back at camp with andrew, I can't remember who you said, um, where he got it from. I think it was, uh, chris or cody.

Speaker 1: 16:10

I think it's like you you need to, maybe I'll, I think, hunt your, your strengths and everything like that and you know, and when you said that I was like, you know that's like a very like, that's such a smart thing to do and say, especially like when you're like when you go to do these out-of-state hunts or hunt environments that are, you know, situations that are not like what you're you're accustomed to here at home. Like you know, for most of us here in jersey and, and you know, possibly for for craig and and wisconsin, everything like that, like for at least for us, like especially that Northwest Jersey it's all up close and personal, it's your, your hunting swamps and everything like that. You know you're not really typically getting a 40 yard or 37 yard yard shot. I mean, man, typically I don't even think you can. A lot of these places you're going to get like a 25 yard shot, especially in the early season. Here I mean you're going to you're going to get like a 25 yard shot, especially in the early season.

Speaker 1: 17:05

Here I mean you're going to you're going to get that window of 20 yards and in and you may only have have one, one shooting lane, but you know, going down to to Delaware or hunting maybe a property, that, where it's mostly ag and everything like that, it's, it's a new challenge because it's now it's like all right. Well, I spent my whole, you know, hunting career.

Speaker 1: 17:27

You know, yeah, we practice out to a longer range, but we don't typically take those longer, longer shots, you know. So when it actually does happen, especially that's night number two of the of the season and I always say, like Delaware is like preseason, it's like all right, well, I got to get out the kicks. You know, Zach and I were joking. I was like Zach, I got to get to the woods a little early because I know in the beginning of the season, like I'm a mess, setting up my saddle where it takes me, I feel like 45 minutes to get into the saddle and have everything set up correctly.

Speaker 1: 18:01

You know, and that goes to to, in my opinion, that also goes to you know what it's like when you finally have that deer in front of you that you can kill, and it's like it's it's adrenaline rush and we just spent six months of you know, of the off season not having that that adrenaline rush and all these different things. And you know there's, it happens. You know, and, and I told zach, I was like listen, at least it was a clean mess. Like you you can for sure say like at least it was a it was a clean mess and you know it, it would have been heartbreaking if you know it wasn't. You know what I mean. And you still had the opportunity at those deer, you know, or in that area, moving, moving forward yeah so I mean delaware's fun, I mean I, I love it.

Speaker 1: 18:52

You know we were talking about it. We plan on going back down, um, I, I think a big thing that just threw us off, and you know, was just how high the beans were really. Um, you know, um, and that's something that we're gonna have to take into consideration, I think next year too. Um, just in case, if you know, the beans do get that high again. It's like all right, we know, we now know where we kind of have to go and kind of have to we want to find, you know, those smaller, shorter beans and everything like that. But beautiful weather too. I mean it was great, great. And let me tell you guys something Now anybody who knows me and knows that I do not mess with lightning when it's lightning's on the radar, I freak the hell out.

Speaker 1: 19:38

So you know I had my. This was the last day of our long weekend there. I think we spent what. Spent what?

Speaker 1: 19:44

four, three or four nights there I think, um, and this was the last night and I'm not even thinking that a storm is coming. It was the hottest of the of the day. It's definitely a little more humid, but not not thinking of it. I'm looking at the map. I don't see anything. Zach gets set up, I I get set up, I'm in the tree and then also my phone like goes oh, there's, there's a lightning alert, probably like I think 25, 30, 30 miles out. So from then on I'm like every five minutes I'm checking my phone, checking my phone and you can see the storm just getting closer and closer and closer, and then it starts getting dark and everything like that. And then finally, I think it got in within five, five miles and I was like, oh, but I'm too far to like. I was like, oh shit, like I'm not walking out on an open field now, like I'm just going to sit and ride this thing out, and right behind me was a down tree that was perfectly like like wide, thick enough and also like three or four feet off the ground. So I was able to slip underneath this tree and I laid there for like I think almost an hour while it just absolutely downpoured and the lightning and the thunder and I, you know, I think Zach and I were on the phone at some point. Zach's like, yeah, like I'm already, I'm already heading to the. You know Zach was think Zach and I were on the phone at some point. Zach's like, yeah, like I'm already, I'm already heading to the. You know, zach was in a. Zach was in the field. He wasn't even the tree. He like he was in the center or or whatever in an open field. So he was like, yeah, I'm just getting out out of here, like which I would have done the same thing too if I was in an open field, like now, like I'm not, I'm not messing with that, but I mean it was. It was crazy.

Speaker 1: 21:33

I like I was and me, you know like, so I'm on the phone with Bianca, like the whole entire time, like I have her in my ear, like I'm getting absolutely soaked at this point because it was just raining for so long and it was just coming down that water was just getting getting everywhere. I was able to use my, my backpack. I have a? A rain cover for getting everywhere. I was able to use my, my backpack. I have a? A rain cover for it. Basically, I was able to use it as a pillow and everything like that. So I'm laying down like with the pillow, like this, laid fully back, I'm like all right, like you know what it's.

Speaker 1: 22:03

Once the lightning stopped and it was just raining, I was like all right, like this is I could do this, like I'm I'm not, you know, too scared. Right, like this is I could do this. Like I'm not, you know, too scared right now, like I can do this, you know. But the temperatures dropped. I saw a bunch of deer. I was hoping I was going to see one of the shooters and, you know, it just didn't happen like that. And I think that was it that day, that morning before is when we're driving, and we spotted those bucks.

Speaker 2: 22:33

Yeah, it might've been that morning or the morning before is when we're driving and we spotted those bucks.

Speaker 1: 22:35

Yeah, it might have been that morning or the morning before. Yeah, I think it. I think it was that morning, but we put on a couple of stalks on on some deer I mean payton on on day one where we were sitting watching him. He was going to scout a field and we're just me, zach and and Andrew are just in the beans, like all the way in the front, like by the road, and you know Peyton's walking in and all of a sudden, like you could tell, like he just like something just switched and I and I posted a video on Instagram. But he started stalking and there were two bucks bedded in the in the beans and he put a stalk on and everything like that and fortunately he didn't get it done. Bedded in the beans and he put a stalk on and everything like that. Fortunately he didn't get it done.

Speaker 1: 23:15

But that was a big part of our mornings too was getting out, trying to cover as much ground as we could in the vehicles and glassing what we can see and hoping that we can find something and go get a stalk on. I've got to turn around some projects. Yeah, I was just reading Peyton's text.

Speaker 1: 23:34

Yeah, peyton just texted us. He's got some projects to do and he's heading for the beach tomorrow. Oh yeah, he's got a. Peyton will be missing the Jersey opener this year because he has a bachelor party to go to. I think it came down to either mrs delaware's opener or he misses new jersey's opener and he picked new jersey's. What I I'm not gonna lie I think was the was the right decision. I mean, we have a blast down there. We found an amazing campsite um that we. That was beautiful, the bathroom was really nice, the people were great. Um, they have animals on it. They'll, you know, they'll sell you chickens, eggs, I think they have pork and everything like that. Um, so we, it was really fun. We just didn't get a chance, really, especially at night. Every night we're getting home.

Speaker 2: 24:25

What time zach, like 9, 9, 30, 10 o'clock sometimes it's getting dark at 8, 15, you know, and then by the time we get back and cook dinner and everything, you're getting to bed at like 11, midnight yeah.

Speaker 1: 24:40

So anything else on the Delaware trip I mean it was a blast, we had a lot of fun. We plan on still going down and getting after it down there. The cool thing about Delaware, what we both agreed that we like a lot, is the fact it's a two-buck state and any weapon, I think, any time throughout the year and it goes until February. So we have the whole season to go down and it's only a two-hour drive for me and I think like an hour 30-hour for you. For Zach.

Speaker 2: 25:10

Yeah, we got plenty of time. That's what I keep telling myself. Like we're only a week in and it feels like I've been hunting for a month.

Speaker 1: 25:20

My body, is my body. I feel great, like you know, but I have since Delaware I barely I haven't slept that much. We've done so much driving and walking and hunting and and then I got home that night on I think Thursday, Thursday night, wednesday, I can't remember what, what night, I think it was Thursday and got home at 11, like 11 something, jumped into bed, passed out, woke up at six to go to work, left all my camping gear in the truck because I worked a whole weekend. I did non-stop, but but work worked a. Then sunday is the start of our work week did a 15 hour shift from seven to uh to ten and literally got home, fell asleep, woke up, took the tent stuff out and everything that I didn't need and drove off the way back down to Delaware to give it a, give it another shot.

Speaker 1: 26:19

And you know we, we just you know it was a full moon. It was tough, still saw some deer, but the deer sign was was phenomenal. But yeah, that's for our first week. I mean, besides killing something, you know we we did really great and I didn't see that many people kill stuff like I. I think we saw those, that one group, um, I think they go by the, the first state, or something like that yeah, hunting the first state, um, and those I think were the only two velvet bucks that that we saw.

Speaker 1: 26:53

I don't know, uh, zach, if you saw anything, and then the other groups or anyone from delaware, you know, I imagine there there are some more, probably killed.

Speaker 2: 27:00

But like we didn't, we didn't see, like really that much on social media no, I saw, uh, one other one that I think was killed on public, pretty close to where we were hunting, um, but oh, and then the guy, the guy that missed those deer, then in the field near me he ended up shooting a doe last night uh, last night I think it was. I went back down there yesterday again and, uh, I actually had a good hunt yesterday, good scouting trip slash hunt. Yesterday morning I went and checked out some stuff down a little further south. I was scouting a field mid-morning. It was probably about 10, 30, 11. It's a spot I've hunted a lot in the past years, um, but it's a.

Speaker 2: 27:52

The crop rotation was different this year. Usually it's corner beans that down there and they had, like, uh, some I think it was. So I don't know what what this stuff. It was some other kind of plant that I've never seen planted in these fields before, and uh, so I just wanted to go check it out and see if the deer were eating it or what, and uh, it looked like like there was a lot of tracks in the field. It looks like they were definitely on it, and I kind of scouted my way back into a bedding area back there and I had a nice nine-point, a young nine-point, he's probably a two-year-old, worked off that field and he came right by me at 30 yards um, at like 10, 30 in the morning, um didn't have the bow oh, I had the bow.

Speaker 2: 28:40

Yeah, I don't know if he was legal, he was, he was like right kind of borderline is it, is it so?

Speaker 1: 28:45

I'm guessing it's a. You have to get the yeah, it's yeah.

Speaker 2: 28:49

Yeah, they got to be 15 inches wide.

Speaker 1: 28:53

Which we've talked about a lot, and you know we talked about it a little bit last year, zach, before you joined up with us, and everything like that. I don't know if Frank remembers or anything like that and.

Speaker 1: 29:05

Craig, to kind of give you a scope, like, especially in the one area the genetics are like, so they're all like in tight, like basically, like literally touching each other. And you know, I had these bucks work out last year and the biggest and the most mature out of the group was not a legal deer because he was just his antlers were basically, I think they were, were like this close to touching. Uh, last year I think zach saw him this year where they are, I believe, touching his main beams cross each other and beautiful, beautiful deer.

Speaker 1: 29:45

I mean, this is a deer that I would kill in a heartbeat and he's technically not legal. And we saw a few bucks like that where it's like, wow, like you could see, these genetics are really and that's the only tough thing about that 15 inch across is well, if you get a mature deer that doesn't grow out and just grows up, that deer is never going to be legal.

Speaker 2: 30:11

Um, you know, and it's and you're just going to keep spreading that genetic yeah, and it keeps that genetic growing.

Speaker 1: 30:17

Well, I think we at least like five or six, maybe even more bucks that are like that uh, one or two that were legal, that were were actually grew a little little wider, and everything like that. But like that, that's the one. Like the tough thing about, about delaware, that I would say like, yeah, that's a deer that should be shot at some point yeah, I saw a spike down there the other day.

Speaker 1: 30:41

That was like he must have had 15 inch spikes see, I'm not gonna lie and I don't know if any of you guys feel this way. Like I, would love to shoot like almost everything. I haven't killed a spike yet. I would love to kill like a giant spike that just has really long spikes, literally like that would like if he came charging at you would easily kill you with, you know, with with one of his spikes if it got into you like.

Speaker 1: 31:15

I feel like that'd be so freaking cool and you know I don't do sick of deer, is that? How do their antlers grow? Isn't it kind of like short, like spikish, or right? They don't grow like the full, full antlers and everything like that. Yeah they don't grow out wide.

Speaker 2: 31:30

They kind of grow straight up. They have a big Sika deer is like a six point. It'll have a grout tied and then a big fork gotcha, gotcha, gotcha well.

Speaker 1: 31:45

Craig, since this will be our first time in the group having somebody from from Wisconsin. Now we got two people. You know kind of go over for you what kind of what your offseason went, went like and you know, kind of leading into the season, what you expect for for, uh, you know, the start of the season.

Speaker 3: 32:06

Um, probably I mean ever since I started bow hunting to getting big, you know, serious into it. This is probably probably the first summer I actually fucking worked my ass off to where there was a few times setting stands. You know doing the food plot, putting cell cameras up, taking cell cameras down, moving them, you know, just finding the right spots, the right cores, and I literally told myself I'd rather right now fucking do a Murph workout, like my body was just withering away constantly out there. You know this, back and forth, back and forth from my urban spot to the country land that we have in our family and it's just like it took a fucking lot on me and working a shit ton of hours, getting up at sometimes 3 am in the morning, 2 am in the morning, going to work early, just to get done at 1 o'clock and then come home, take a quick nap, if I can, and then go coach CrossFitfit and then try to somehow get a workout in and just, it was a lot of like, it was a lot of fucking wear and tear in my body this year. But same time I look back at, you know, all that grinding, all that summer prep and just like really looking at my onyx and really just figuring out the pinch points and crockle and stuff like that, help my brother-in-law and sister-in-law out, because you know they're hunting with me out there this year too and I got a lot more time than they do. They got four little ones and mine's 16 years old, so it's just like I got a little bit more, you know, free time. So then I just put the time in and effort and after all my cameras being out there, like I'm running, I'm running four. My brother-in-law has two cells and it we did it right. I mean, from what the cameras are showing, to where the placements are, to where they're funneling, coming out to the bean field or whether it's the cornfield um, down to the lower bowl where his ground line is, or to the food plot hang on, stands, his deer are religiously in there every hour of the day, daylighting, always in and out.

Speaker 3: 34:12

Fawns. I mean I gotta like today I got a fawn on camera. I swear to god it was just fucking born. This, this fawn is it's, it's ungodly. It's so freaking small, like I just I don't know. Like this year it was like here in wisconsin we didn't have, we barely had a freaking winter. I mean, we barely had any snow. It was above um average um temperatures. We had one week of freeze, that was it. So I don't know if these does held on to these fawns for longer than because they weren't. I don't know. I don't know if these does held on to these fawns for longer than cause they weren't. I don't know. I don't think they were stressed cause winter time they didn't have any. It wasn't hard for them to find food, man, there was no snow. So it's like some of these fawns that I have on a cell camera right now is just. It blows my mind how fricking tiny these things are.

Speaker 2: 35:02

Do you guys have a low buck to doe ratio? Like a lot more does than bucks.

Speaker 3: 35:09

So crockle right now. I will say, right as of right now, yes, yeah yeah I.

Speaker 2: 35:15

I can see that, yeah, because because we we see that here a lot, like some of the places I hunt have a lot. Like you know, we'll have 10 does for every buck. Yeah and um, you'll have that, that rut stretching out. I've seen bucks breed does in february and march. When I'm shouting, but yep and then you know those fawns aren't going to be born until. Sometimes around now, like early september, I've seen fawns that were born like late september yeah, it's just, it's crazy.

Speaker 3: 35:44

I know, like I said, like my main focus too, you know, like this step this coming, this coming saturday, wisconsin opener, like my main focus is to get one or two does out of there fast because, like, like, like you were saying, last year I mean I, I had run activity. I mean I can't say I didn't. But I know, like back in like 2020, where I sit all day in my hang on stand and I would have all day long different bucks coming in, all day long send, checking and searching, and now it kind of felt like it kind of tapered off a little bit. They're still doing it, but they're not as a as aggressive as they were back in 2020 because they don't.

Speaker 1: 36:24

They don't have they don't have to. They don't have to be. They don't have to have that they know that they can, just instead of fighting, instead of doing this instead of doing that they can.

Speaker 1: 36:35

It's what we have here and a lot of places in New Jersey, the Bucks and I always say this and I know you're a little more Midwest than everything I know it's high're a little more midwest than everything I know it's it's high up midwest for for you and wisconsin, everything like that. But like I always ask people like in iowa and kentucky and kansas and I was like you know, grunting antler rattle that works so much because they have to like, they have to fight. There's so much more competition with bucks versus here. You may get that response, I feel like, but it's not as popular as you hit those rattles and you're going to get deer coming in to respond. You will, you'll get them here and there, but I don't think they're as vocal and everything like that. Here, at least on my point on properties that have a lot of does to compare to bucks, um, so that that that makes complete sense yeah.

Speaker 3: 37:35

So I know, I know I I mean hell. I mean I've been so damn busy I haven't bought my tag yet, which doesn't matter, I'll just buy it tomorrow or friday or whatever. But um, I know, like um, in the county we're in is Oconto County, we actually get three doe tags and one state buck tag and then we only get one buck through the whole archery season. So you shoot your buck, you're done, and now it's just doe hunt the rest of the way. But then now Wisconsin gun season starts the weekend before Thanksgiving and what I usually do is I go buy a gun tag, then I just use my bowl and that. So theoretically I can shoot two bucks with my bowl. I just gotta buy a bow tag and then a gun take for the seven day gun hunt here in wisconsin.

Speaker 1: 38:15

But gotcha, gotcha yeah, that's good, well, um, I saw that, I saw that buck, and that's what you're going to. I listen, you guys are so lucky, you guys don't have to do freaking, earn a buck. It's the biggest pain in the ass. So literally Saturday morning you get to go out and you could hopefully, or while this episode is dropping, everyone is listening that you've already killed said buck. But is that your number one buck?

Speaker 3: 38:45

You've already killed said buck but is that your number one buck, With him still being in velvet with that? You're talking about the buck that I had that I posted the other day, right?

Speaker 3: 38:55

The velvet one, so he's only a six yeah he's only a six but he has that curve and he's just tall Like I, like I just unique, I like him and if he's in velvet yet and like I kind of want to take him. Yesterday morning he hit that bean field and then just now the bean field went off again. He just came up there again on that bean field as we're doing the live right now and he's still velvet. I hope the guy holds that for Saturday morning so I know right where I'm going to go.

Speaker 1: 39:24

I don't think I have now a single buck in New Jersey. I mean, I imagine there's some, but all the bucks are selling right and everything like that you do.

Speaker 4: 39:32

Yep.

Speaker 1: 39:35

Maybe, one Really.

Speaker 3: 39:38

I had a good buck coming today into the river bottom and he's a good eight, I would say 15-inch maybe, but he's all hard-horned too. Which is that that tall six with that, with that, that hook on his um last time is just, he's still in velvet. I, just, I, I want to get. I, I mean, if I can shoot a velvet buck opening weekend here, wisconsin, I not even a question on my taxidermist, I don't care I don't care, I'll pay this man.

Speaker 3: 40:04

Blame me long story short. Um three years ago it was opening weekend of no second to last day of gun season, wisconsin. Um, I had my boat on crackle on, then my buddy. Um, just annoying facetime it was due. I just shot a big nine. I'm like congratulations. You know that was more like 210 yard shot. I'm like congratulations, you know that was more like a 210 yard shot. I'm like whatever, like okay, like well.

Speaker 3: 40:27

I hope you find your deer. You know, like whatever. And he walked up to the deer. He goes dude. You are not going to fucking believe this right now. I'm like what? He goes dude. Look at this. So November, it was November 20. It was November 20th. He found his deer. He found his deer, pure velvet and that was the coolest buck I've seen. Like honestly he got his shoulder mounted. Obviously that thing looks badass and ever since I've seen that shoulder mount of his velvet buck I'm like I want one.

Speaker 3: 40:57

I just gotta have one, I gotta have one. So that's the plan this weekend. If I don't see him in velvet and I don't know then I probably didn't. I'm just going to be very, very patient because I have a lot of time this year to hunt.

Speaker 1: 41:11

And then you're going to come to Delaware. Then you're going to come to Delaware next year with us, where you'll have an opportunity on plenty of velvet bucks. I can make that happen. Now, frank it is. It is time for the for Jersey. What, what, what's your? I know you told me some news that you won't be out the whole opening day but, morning you got a goal in mind you know it's, it's happening, it's here. You're finally ready. What's going through your, through your head with that?

Speaker 4: 41:48

Yeah, I mean, my goal is to get a deer on the ground by like 7.30, 8 o'clock. By the look of the pictures and the amount of does I have in there, it looks very promising, I should say. I have been running a lot of cameras. This year has been, believe it or not, it's been a little tough for me since, you know, compared to last year, I've been doing a lot of moving cameras, trying to figure out um this property a little better, checking out a lot of new spots. So, um, but I'm just not, not, I'm not seeing what I was seeing last year.

Speaker 4: 42:28

But again, I know it's still early, so I'm not too worried about it. But you know, I think, I think I'm gonna pull it off eventually. So, um, I think I'm gonna probably go in either tomorrow or friday. I was telling you, mike, on the phone I think I'm gonna go in throw down some bait, because I just kind of want to get my dough out of the way, so I can, so I can start getting after my buck. So I'm gonna go in there throw down some bait. I already have, um, a couple trees in mine already, but I I'm gonna pre-hang my saddle beforehand, that way saturday morning. I don't have to sit there and fuck with it too much. I can.

Speaker 3: 43:12

Yeah, that's why that's right up and climb, yep, yep.

Speaker 4: 43:15

So that that's my plan. Get my camera arm set up. Everything will be ready to go. All I gotta do is climb, strap in, put the camera on and we're ready to roll. So I'm hoping I could pull it off, but I think I could.

Speaker 1: 43:30

Man, I'm ready I mean I, I think you'll, you won't have a problem. You got big shoes to fill after, after last year. I mean yeah I I think what? Three, three bucks, three or four bucks.

Speaker 4: 43:43

I I kill four bucks. Some were. I think two were with the bow, two or with the gun, yeah yeah, frank.

Speaker 1: 43:50

Frank was on fire last year with yeah the bucks, I mean he, he, and it was close to you know, one, two inches off of of having bucks on the ground and everything like that you know.

Speaker 1: 44:06

so it's looking for and I can even say too, I haven't found the bucks that I usually normally find. I think I found a good one today and I think I'll be going to glass a field on Friday before the season, where I think I found a big eight or ten-pointer. Before the season, where I think I found a big eight or or ten pointer, um, and I set up a camera and a thicket where I definitely know where he's going from and I tried getting through to his bedding, going a completely different way. It was just so thick I couldn't even get through it, like, and I'll be hands and knees and I was just like you know what I will blow way more deer out going in through this way and I won't be able to get in there with the bow with the saddle and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 44:49

So I'm going to have to find a different way in once the season starts and the camera was doing great. I still get pictures of deer, but I think either a squirrel or raccoon knocked it down.

Speaker 1: 45:01

So now it's just facing directly to the ground and all I'll see every once in a while is a deer's back, like walking by and everything like that. I had a big body deer on the camera, I think, two nights ago, which could have, could have easily been him, but I, I just have no idea. Um, you know, I I have a big. I I'm 90 sure that I know where he's betting. It's just going to be the access and how can I get to him, you know? And what is he going to do? Velvet, because of the brand new piece. I've never hunted this, this piece before. So where is he going to go once he, you know, once the velvet comes off and everything like that. So a lot of factors in that. But I'm already I set up. I pre hung my, my set today. I'm looking forward to get a doe. I imagine like, like all of us you know are are looking to get that. I mean, crap for you, you don't have to get that doe, so like for us if we even want to sniff a buck.

Speaker 1: 46:00

You know, we we have to. I think we have to. We can't shoot a buck until we get a doe, until, I think, well, october 1st or something, something like that?

Speaker 2: 46:09

Yeah, I think it's October 1st.

Speaker 1: 46:11

Yeah, which is whatever I don't want to get into. But you know and I know, zach, I think you're the one that said that there are some state does that great program where you have to shoot a certain amount of does the year before and that unlocks your earn a buck for the next year so when you go to hunt the opening day, you can shoot your buck.

Speaker 1: 46:34

I'm gonna imagine the same thing again. You, then you can, once you shoot your buck, you can just shoot your does and then it'll unlock. You know the earn a buck for next year. I would love to see that yeah, I would love to have that yeah.

Speaker 4: 46:45

I would love to have that. Yeah, that would be pretty cool, man.

Speaker 1: 46:47

This is crap.

Speaker 4: 46:49

Literally, literally.

Speaker 1: 46:55

But, guys, how about we'll go one by one before we get off, and everything like that? You know what are your early predictions for yourself, or you know we can, instead of putting ourselves in the hot seat. I don't know if you guys jinx each other. Each one of us can give an early prediction on each one of us and how we're going to how we're going to do this year. Frank, I'll let you start.

Speaker 4: 47:21

I love when Frank starts first, I'll go first. I think I think Mike's going to get, I think you're going to get a deer within I would say. I would say probably by like 10, 1030,. You'll be texting me that you got a deer Probably before. Oh, I think it will probably be before. I got a lot of confidence in you, mike, because you literally you always hustle and, like you fucking put the time in and shit. So I know you're going to get one on the ground. I'm pretty confident.

Speaker 1: 47:57

I've. I've done well, except for last year. Last year I just I don't know what the hell happened to me where I could not get a safe my wife last year. Yeah, I mean, but you did it, I did it yeah, right before bear season I was like I'm not going into bear camp without a freaking dough. The only thing I was seeing was bucks Like every one was bucks, bucks, bucks.

Speaker 1: 48:22

It is a great thing, but not when you have to earn a buck and a half. So all right, I'll take that one. Craig the new guy, how about you? What's your prediction for one of the guys?

Speaker 3: 48:35

All right, zach, like honestly, just hearing the stories of like how, like, how many miles you put on, you know the trekking through the beans stuff, like that, it sounds like you really know you know the trekking through the beans stuff, like that. It sounds like you really know that the land, obviously, that you're in and out of, I can see you being, I can see you being done by it's either going to be morning or evening or opening day, I can see you being done I hope so.

Speaker 3: 49:02

I really can Like that. Yeah, it sounds like you guys have a lot of deer out there and I think you'll be just fine.

Speaker 2: 49:09

I haven't shot one opening morning in a while. Really, really.

Speaker 1: 49:15

I was shooting one every year opening morning, but it's the only shot one Same with me opening morning, I think for like four years in a row. I think my quickest, I think, was either between like 19 minutes in or like that 30-minute mark within, but I think it was 19 because it was still dark as shit and then two years in a row, I've struggled with shooting toes in opening day.

Speaker 2: 49:45

Yeah, me too. I know where some white oaks are dropping. Good right now.

Speaker 1: 49:52

Yeah, and they've been all over.

Speaker 2: 49:54

Peyton's been sending me videos. I don't have any cameras out this year, just kind of Old man, it must be nice.

Speaker 1: 50:03

You must save a lot of money on batteries and subscriptions. I got so many out. I just love setting cameras out.

Speaker 2: 50:10

I I'm obsessed, yeah I used to be, I used to run, I used to run up. I think one year I was up to 40 and uh oh shit I don't know, especially once I started using cell cameras and stuff I I felt like I was just chasing my tail all the time and that's the problem. So I just gave them up completely. I haven't used them in two years now.

Speaker 1: 50:35

Zach, what's your prediction for one of the guys?

Speaker 2: 50:44

I think, I think Mike's gonna shoot one. He's gonna, you're gonna shoot one Shit.

Speaker 4: 50:53

A lot of pressure, you're gonna shoot one Hell yeah.

Speaker 2: 50:56

Before you know, sometime in fall bow, and then we're gonna get back Down to Delaware and we're both gonna kill Bucks down there, jeez.

Speaker 1: 51:04

I like it. That's a lot of pressure. All right For all you guys. Zach, this is going for you're going to kill your first bear this year. I think that that's going to be. I mean, I think you're going to do great in the deer woods and everything like that. But I know how much you know now. Bear means to you and like I got really good feelings about for you with Bear Frank, it may take a little bit this year just because you haven't, but I think you will get your redemption on a Jersey bow buck this year.

Speaker 1: 51:43

You know, I think you'll get the does and everything like that, I think the success in upstate New York, which I cannot wait for us to go to New York, and everything like that. But I think New Jersey, archery, fall bow, you will get one down and I'm going to throw in a bonus because, like I'm feeling, I'm feeling it this year, if that big, big, big buck that you post, that you sent us that beautiful, I think eight or 10, I can't remember- what it was, but just just like when you picture just a typical white tail deer.

Speaker 1: 52:21

This was just a giant, typical white tailtailed deer that had, I think, daylight, if I remember correctly a lot day dilated a bunch of times if he is on the same pattern and still alive. You will see him and get a very good opportunity at him in permit season. Um cra, I think the sky's the limit for you. I think both buck tags will be filled this year and you will kill one of those bucks opening weekend hopefully opening weekend.

Speaker 1: 52:58

Those are my early season predictions for you guys. I got some in the rest for the other guys. When they come on I will tell everyone. Peyton said he was holding out for a really, really, really big bear this year, a really big bear. He's killed two big bears already. He's holding out for a really really big, big one.

Speaker 2: 53:20

He told me the other day he changed his mind on that. Oh, did he really? He said, since his buddy's coming down, he's like I don't know, maybe I'll just shoot, I don't know he's not gonna shoot a small one but oh god he's on.

Speaker 1: 53:36

He's on a roll. He's on a roll with with bears. Um, yeah, we, we got a good, good camp for for bears. Um bobby, um zach, you met him last year. He'll be out for the he took the whole week off and everything like that for for bear.

Speaker 1: 53:51

Uh, craig, I mean there's still time to tell the wife that you're you're coming to new jersey and everything like that too, on bears, um, but um, yeah, I I think pe, peyton and Jesus Christ I'm having just a mental breakdown right now of freaking Ethan. Jesus Christ, ethan did not go last year with shooting a buff. I believe they both. Ethan is getting married, so I know he doesn't have nearly as much time.

Speaker 1: 54:25

He said this year, I think Peyton for sure will get a lot of PA rifle season and I think if he's going to kill one, it's going to probably be in PA rifle season, because he's very invested in that one too as well.

Speaker 2: 54:41

So those are the early predictions.

Speaker 1: 54:44

I'll talk about the other guys when they get on and come up with some for them and everything like that. But, guys, I think this will leave it here for today. Good luck to everybody heading out from whatever season's opening up for you, whether it's New Jersey, whether it's Wisconsin, I'm not sure which other states open up, but anyone heading out into the woods, good luck. Be safe. Um, you know where your harness is, where you're, you know, make sure your saddle's strapped in, everything like that. Um, and if, and anyone you know, if, you ever want to, you know, send over a picture of your harvest or anything like that, feel free to do it. We'll, we'll post it and and share it on our page and everything like that. But it's here, it's go time.

Speaker 1: 55:31

2025-2026 hunting season is here. It's going to be tons of action. We will be back every single week from now till probably for December, january. We may slow down. You know we're going to be hitting it hard with deer with their multiple different states. We have white waterfowl coming up. Unfortunately, they screwed us a little bit with the goose situation, moved the limit down to one again instead of three. The limit down to one again instead of three, but the plan is to still hit um duct and maybe grab a goose here or there. Not quite what we did last year, but we're really looking forward to it. Um, everyone, uh, stay safe. Any last words from you guys. Have fun. Um, be safe, like the boy said. I know words of uh inspiring words from the boys over there, but we'll see you guys next time.

Speaker 3: 56:36

All right, see you boys.