Speaker 1: 0:00

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

Speaker 2: 0:04

That's why your tagline, JCL, known perfect. You don't know what that man is going to bring. You don't know what that man is going to bring.

Speaker 1: 0:12

I accidentally drifted my canoe between a sow and a cub and she charged and hit the back of the canoe. His head hit the ground before his ass did.

Speaker 1: 0:25

Begging, begging and crying to go with my grandfather go with my father on these gear drives. You know, the last trip over I shot a great Cape Buffalo with my bow, charging the bluegrass and then the whooping. And then you hear All right, guys, we are back. Field Notes, episode three. New Jersey season opener is one week past us now. We are back. Field Notes, episode 3. New Jersey season opener is one week past us now. We have Wisconsin's opener was one week ago and then also, I believe, zach down in Virginia. I know he hunts a lot of times the border, but I believe Virginia opened up and everything like that. So the Boondocks Henning team we've been hitting it hard this last week. We have six does down with this week. And then we also have our special guest, ryan. He's been on before. Always love having him on, and last night yeah, last night he shot his buck and he is tagged out in New Jersey with also having two does, I believe as well One doe right now One doe.

Speaker 2: 1:35

One doe. Maybe Sunday I'll get out or tomorrow I'll get out and try and get one.

Speaker 1: 1:38

We'll see All right one doe, All right, but still, I mean still, that's pretty great.

Speaker 1: 1:44

You know it feels good to be back and you know going like. So for us, for for me, zach and Peyton, like our season started September 1st on Delaware, which you know a lot of, a lot of you guys know who follows along, know that, but it's different, like it's, it's's, it's weird because like you're the only ones hunting and then everyone you know on instagram and and all these things they're, they're sitting at home, they're doing, or you know they're getting, they're, you know they're doing all their work and you know all the these different things that they need to get done for the season. It's like, yeah, it's hunting season and that's why I keep using it as like it's pre-season, like it's not like pre-season, like these are pre-season hunts, but the minute saturday first light you get up into, it's like whoa now you go on instagram and then everyone like it's like, oh, happy, opening day's out.

Speaker 1: 2:43

Then you see the first dough get knocked and you see the bloody arrows and then all the group chats start blowing up and it's like, okay, yeah, now, it's like, now it's really fully here, you know. So I, I mean it's been an incredible week and the weather has taken quite of a. You know, we were having all that cold weather, which was great down in Delaware. It was really nice and and and chilly, and then, yeah, we've just been going up and down. The mornings have been beautiful, but the uh, the evening hunt's been a little, a little warm and a little stormy.

Speaker 1: 3:20

For for Craig over there in Wisconsin, yeah, it was bad. It was bad for for craig over there in wisconsin, but yeah, it was bad. It was bad. Um, you know so. But before we get, you know, really going, you know, one thing I I definitely want to want to talk on real quick is, you know, unfortunately, those two, uh, those two boys, uh, the two 25 year olds out and, um, I believe it was it was colorado I don't want to yeah, doing, doing the elk hunt.

Speaker 1: 3:44

Um, you know where it's very unfortunate um. You know prayers to, to their families and and everything like that, and that's, you know, one of the thing as, as outdoorsmen of of what we do, it's listen, thunder you. You just never know, um, and it could be a simple hunt. You know, just like craig said craig said earlier like he was out in the tree and you know lightning is not the thing to mess with. Mother nature is a, is a bitch and it's um, it's very unfortunate, it happened, um, you know. So our condolences to the families and everything like that. Um, yeah, tough, tough to see Um, and yeah, it's been a that. That was a, that was definitely a tough one. And you know we're all here hoping that there was going to be good news and everything like that.

Speaker 2: 4:36

Not totally. I mean, we saw that first announcement about it and everybody was kind of like posting about it and everybody's hoping for the best. But that's you know, it's never a good scenario.

Speaker 1: 4:45

All right no, no, and that's like the like. I can't wait to go to alaska one day. Or, you know, I do eventually want to go to colorado or some state to do like an elk hunt and everything like that. But the more you hunt in these remote areas, yeah, it's different.

Speaker 2: 5:03

It's not hunting in new jersey where you can like, you can hear a road, you know you can hear a road where you're sitting right, you're miles out, no service.

Speaker 1: 5:11

It's different it's, it's it's it's crazy to think of. You know, for me, you know, my experience is main and everything like that. That is always something like in the back of my mind being out in, like the middle of nowhere, maine, with no cell service, then like you're just on back roads of like I think the closest like hospital is an hour 45 minutes away on dirt road.

Speaker 2: 5:33

Like it's like like shit really hits the fan. What are you gonna do? I mean here you go right.

Speaker 1: 5:40

um, so you know, uh, with that being said, you know let's get into some happy. Well, actually there's one more news coming out in New Jersey. I want to go over it real quick. Frank texted in the group chat the other day Ryan, did you see that bear, that bit, that woman in the oh up in Vernon or whatever it was in the dollar store walking around, and I think some of the boys that are not from jersey and I'm like that is the most jersey thing you can like vernon and like nowhere.

Speaker 1: 6:14

Yeah, that's, that's 100 county through and through yeah, like you know, craig, well, I think we were talking about last week, like I kid you, not West Jersey, especially that Sussex area. You could be hunting and you could throw a rock and your odds of hitting a bear is just like it's insane.

Speaker 2: 6:34

So seeing, one in a it's ridiculous.

Speaker 1: 6:36

Yeah. Hearing a story about a bear going in the convenience store and then biting a woman on the hand, that is like that's not surprising at all. These bears.

Speaker 2: 6:46

They're smart man I'm. He knew what he was doing, walking in there looking for something to eat. I was in uh gatlinburg, tennessee, last year two years ago for a bachelor party and we're in like the smoky mountains there and we're sitting on the balcony at like the airbnb and for whatever reason, I walk out. I look down at my truck. There's a bear inside my truck. I walk down there, smack on the window on the other side, takes off, running out and just stops like 15 feet away. I'm like all right, run over, shut my door. He walks to the next car, pulls on the handle locked. Walks to the next car, pulls on the handle Third car, finds another open one and goes inside. Went around the entire parking lot.

Speaker 1: 7:26

That's insane. Yeah, black bears, they are very, they're, very intelligent and when they and you know, that's it, that's a thing I always see on social media is people who go to these, these places are camping or you know, to airbnb or whatever. They're trained, they're I mean yeah yeah, it's, it's, it's just one of those things, and I guarantee you how many people probably feed them, and that's that's the big problem exactly yep, one of the biggest problems there is you know, and it's funny you say that because, um, I was, like two years ago, the wife and I and our daughter, we went on to seaverville, tennessee, and we also had.

Speaker 2: 8:00

We had a wedding out there, yep and um. We stayed in the cabins and the smoking mountains there, whatever, yeah like we didn't.

Speaker 3: 8:08

I personally didn't see no bears out there, but, um, the people that are in the condos, like next to us, they were literally dumping like the leftover foods out into the driveways and then and I personally I was just curious, you know, like whatever, yeah, what's going on? Yeah, like, um, do you? I mean I'll eat I'll eat the leg over, because that looks pretty fucking good, I'm not, don't.

Speaker 3: 8:26

Don't waste leftovers so then they're like oh no, no, we heard there's a lot of bears out here. We want to get me coming close. I go, oh, jesus, like okay, that's great, I'm gonna sleep with my eyes open because we're gonna get mauled tonight by bears.

Speaker 1: 8:37

Yeah, but that's the person who's gonna get bit most of the time, well, exactly yeah, 100 no, I, I definitely agree, and we're not too far away out from from the bear season, everything like that. But that will be on a later episode, a couple weeks. But we're here. How's it? How's it feel, boys? Like how, how'd you feel opening day? How how was it? Like the weather was real nice, um, especially that morning, like, like we said, you know, did you guys get some of those kinks out and everything like that, like I always swear.

Speaker 3: 9:02

Like we said, you know, did you guys get some of those kinks out and everything like that, like I always swear, like opening morning, it's like you always have that kink of just like you're a little slower, you forget something, your setup isn't, it isn't as nice as like you, you know, you're, you're rusty and you guys feel that way, oh yeah 100% like that opening, opening morning I went, I was go sit at the cornfield stand and I literally, like two weeks prior to that, put the stand up, like I know right, I haven't pinned on Onyx man, like I know right where it is, and I got up and I was so amped up to go sit, I freaking walked right by it 100 yards. I'm like, oh fuck. So I turn around and there's my stand. If I had a hundred yards.

Speaker 3: 9:45

I'm like, oh, so I turn around and there's my statement, like I was just so amped up to get in the stand and get out there to see the sunrise and I walked right by my set like I just spaced out. But it feels good. Like I honestly like I love it. Like it's even like tonight sitting tonight I thought tonight was gonna be the night. I mean we had deer on camera insanely and then all of a sudden that thunder came and it didn't rain at all, it was just thunder and all of a sudden the freaking two lady bulls hit. I'm like, yeah, I'm good, I'll sit tomorrow morning, but I'm jacked up. I love it. Like wisconsin that's here now and there's some big deer in that, in that property that I'm on, so just a matter of time that game.

Speaker 2: 10:22

No, I totally agree, the season's here got to be fired up and that, like you're saying, before that group chat that we got going with like a little competition man just seeing everybody out and like the banter in it just gets you going big oh yeah 100.

Speaker 2: 10:36

But yeah, to the other question, quick. I don't ever expect my first hit of the season to even go like half planned. What it could be like, just throw your stuff together, get out there and like after a couple hunts I'm like, all right, I'll get in a groove, I'll have all my pieces where I need it. I won't forget this and forget that in the truck you can. I mean, personally, I never expect my first time to go how, how?

Speaker 1: 10:58

I wanted to right, right, um, you know, and it started like, I feel like it was a little slow, like instagram, wise, like, because usually, like you see, does just drop and then you know if you guys got it. Um, I think, ryan, I think you did you get one opening morning? Uh, no, I think it was.

Speaker 2: 11:17

I didn't shoot, I had. I had a heck of a morning. I had people walking around the woods and the foxhounds and all the horses came riding through and yeah, I mean that happens down where we're at. It's pretty popular thing. Like I could have probably worked around it, but sometimes it helps to my favor too. So I just don't. But yeah, not my first morning Suck. The second night, sunday, I went out sucked too, I think. Monday morning I shot Monday or Tuesday morning out suck too, I think monday morning I shot.

Speaker 1: 11:45

Monday or tuesday morning I shot that one. Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Um, yeah, it was, I'll tell you.

Speaker 1: 11:50

So I I got in and I don't know what it was like in here, and you know, obviously, craig, you being from from wisconsin, and you know ryan, I mean you're, you're much closer, but I got in and the moon was so bright and I didn't realize it was going to be like that and so, like, when I got up, I got in and I told myself like I'm going to get in extra early, like I was in like at least an hour before shooting light.

Speaker 1: 12:16

Um, just because of how close, like I knew, walking in, there was a lot of oaks dropping early and I had a huge feeling like the deer were in the right there, but it was too close, I couldn't hunt it because it's too close to to the road. Um, so I get in and maybe five, like 10, 15 minutes of me being in the tree, I just hear a deer, like you know, in the back of me, just just must have gotten up from bed and started walking and everything like that, and I think was eating on some acorns. And I heard another deer and like I had deer and I didn't want to move because the moonlight was shining bright like I could see perfectly in front of me.

Speaker 2: 13:00

I knew like I was like you're good to go I'm like what the hell?

Speaker 1: 13:04

like I was like I never, like it's never. Usually it's like pitch black, like yeah, I feel like the last couple years it's been cloudy or rainy and and all these things and it was a perfect clear, like night and everything like that, and then the moon would get covered real quick by the cloud and like, oh shit, like it got dark and then it would get light again. So for the whole whole time like I couldn't move, of course, when shooting light came. Not a damn thing. No, not not a damn thing.

Speaker 1: 13:33

Opening day so, oh yeah, opening day, and then you start seeing some people shoot some stuff. You got the group chat. It's like all right, like your blood is starting to like all right, you're getting that itch even more now. And then I I went to a whole different spot just because so where I was hunting was a wma. Where I was going is no hunting on on sunday. So I was like I want to get it a hunt, a hunt in there. I kind of knew leaving I was like I guarantee there's going to be does at this spot later. But I was like you know, I can hunt it all day tomorrow. Get there another thing, nothing like I'm like I was so confident like I had deer all over that you know I was like, oh, I'm gonna get nothing. I'm like I go out to one of the fields because I'm I'm getting antsy. Now I got into the field to go see if I can go stalk something. Not a thing in the field, mind you, the same field.

Speaker 1: 14:24

I went out on Monday during, uh, the storm, and I saw like 40 plus deer. So like I don't know what the hell it was. There was no pressure. No, no, nothing. I just one of those things. I goes at the spot I was at. So I was like, all right, let me go out in the morning again. It it's Sunday, like it's great, nothing against Sunday. And I'm like what is going on? So I'm like, all right, I go, I'm not going to change my approach.

Speaker 1: 14:53

I told myself I'm going to hunt this spot the whole day, like there's going to be a doe here. There has to be a doe, like I know, there's a doe here, doe's here, no-transcript. And I'm just chilling there and all of a sudden this doe comes out and she had me. I was using my Matthews bow, which is set at 70 pounds, but my arrows are lighter than my Hoyt. So she gave me a frontal shot and I was like, if it was with the Hoyt I probably would have done it. But she took 15 minutes to finally give me a broadside shot and it pulled back, let it go. And I absolutely just smoked her and she ran. I heard her crash. I was like all right, like this is, I haven't shaked that bad for a doe in years, years. You would have thought I shot like the biggest buck, like I was.

Speaker 1: 15:55

The minute I shot that thing I was like let's go, like I'm so pumped. I'm like I'm like what's like, I don't know what it like. Usually I get pumped, but not that pumped like I was. It felt just so good like I was just was itching to do it shot. It went to go track it. This girl ran through. I was on my hands and knees at one point to get through, like she ran through the thickest stuff but then died Literally. She went straight and then curved this way. If I would have just went from my stand around Right on the edge, I would have found it.

Speaker 2: 16:33

I had to right on the edge, I would.

Speaker 1: 16:33

I would have found it, no I had to go through the most difficult thing in the world finally got her. She was much bigger than than I thought and everything like that got her, got her home, and I'm like I've missed this so much, like there's nothing else better than than hunting. I don't care what anyone says. Uh, I've I'll say it again like I've played hockey at a super high level where I've had 20 000 people watching a game. It doesn't, it doesn't compare to to hunting.

Speaker 2: 17:04

Yeah, there's that adrenaline rush when you.

Speaker 1: 17:06

There's nothing like it no, no, not, not at all. Um, but you know, for for you, ryan, you know you got it done. I mean, and you're doing it with the recurve and everything like that, um, yeah, it's pretty big that's first buck with the recurve too.

Speaker 2: 17:24

I know it's last year we talked last year. I shot a good one last year, but I hit him right in the shoulder and just didn't get the preparation I needed. And I mean I, but it was a couple of months later after the season, like he, went down, but just left a bad taste. And to get it done in September. I mean, this is only the second buck in 20 something years that I've been hunting that I've tagged out in September, so that that feels good too.

Speaker 1: 17:48

Yeah, it's gotta, you know, so kind of go over and and that's something I would like to start with actually, because you know we did talk last year you know you should do that that buck and everything like that. You know, and doing something, I feel like you know the recurve and everything like that now you're, you're completely just doing the stick. It was like how did you go from from that the preparation into the offseason and then, when you have that buck in front of you, this time like what's going through your mind?

Speaker 2: 18:23

practice, practice, practice. I mean I think I shot almost every day since April, like even if it was a dozen arrows, three arrows, like, and then the last couple weeks it's been one arrow at a time. Any chance I get, I'll just go out, shoot an arrow and then put it down for a half hour, because that's really the only shot that counts is your first, your first one. But uh, yeah, a lot of practice, a lot of. I mean, I was doing like deep breathing exercise the whole time I was in the stand like I knew a good buck was gonna show up.

Speaker 2: 18:54

I had a couple good ones in the area and like I was in the stand probably four o'clock and I was like shaking, sweating, I mean it was 80 degrees. I'm like, come on, like my heart's going. I'm like there's not even a deer here, like nothing's. I'm like just the anticipation of like the trail cam set up over the last like couple of weeks. I was like Jesus Christ, what's going on? But yeah, I mean my one buddy who I've told you about before. He's gotten me into the recurve stuff. He's like goes over his kind of gameplay and strategy and he just aim, anchor, shoot and he just like replays that in his head. So I kind of started going over that and I tried to zone out and put it where I needed. Yeah, perfect shot. Like the whole setup of the hunt was yeah, it's beautiful. I watched he came out of the edge of the field on the other side, probably I don't know, 80, 85 yards on the side of the hill, a little like clear cut. As soon as he steps out, I hear like a little crunching behind me and I just like my heart sunk and I see a doe and a fawn like 25 yards back and like the mugwort behind me, straight downwind, straight behind me. But this is like first sit in that stand, so my scent hasn't really been in there. I like showered, wiped down, sprayed down, had the ozonics out like tiptoed, had mugwort and plants in my bin with my clothes, like I went OCD as much as I could and these does came in, in, got out to the pile before the buck, but they walked right under me, didn't flinch, didn't bat an eye, so like that made me feel great. As soon as I saw that and this buck, he just single file that pretty much straight across, right at me soon. And then I had a lot of cover. I was in a big hickory tree so I really only had like two I don't know, maybe five foot circles that I was shooting out of cover. I was in a big hickory tree so I really only had like two I don't know, maybe five foot circles that I was shooting out of, like I was. I was buried in there so I didn't think they were gonna see me at all either.

Speaker 2: 20:41

He came in and as soon as he got close he pushed that doe and fallen off the pile and it wasn't. I mean, he was in by the time he was in range. He was only there a minute or two before I let that arrow fly and 15 yard, just slight, quartering away shot and a best shot I think I've ever made on a deer, to be honest. Like double lung blew the top of the heart out. Uh, it didn't quite pass through but the like. When he ran off he took like that second step and just saw blood pouring out the entrance and then the arrow snapped when he ran into the woods. But when I got to him I found probably like I don't know, six, eight inches of the. The knock and the fletching end of the arrow was still in him but it was like in his heart and in his lungs, like just had to been rattling around. He only went maybe 40, 50 yards and just piled up.

Speaker 1: 21:29

That's so, and, and you had got it on trail camera too.

Speaker 2: 21:33

Yeah, dude the video. I videoed it on trail cam. Like I sat there, I slowed it down, like after I shot, I like pulled my phone out and like sent the video. I'm like download, download, download and like replayed it and as soon as I saw the shot I was like, yes, that was awesome it was so sick watching, Like that's great and the story is 100 times better, Like that's incredible.

Speaker 1: 21:58

How far was that shot? I mean, I know with you, know it's 15. I mean, 15 yards.

Speaker 2: 22:04

That's like my sweet spot with the recurve, like the way you aim or the way I aim, how I shoot without sights. I'm kind of using the end of my arrow as like a point of reference and then you're kind of shooting instinctually after. You kind of get your point of aim, so that 15 yards I'm my arrow point is just underneath where I want to hit, so it's like I can see my vitals, I can see everything and it's an easier shot. Once I get past like 25, I'm having to aim like over that deer and it's hard to see my sight playing. So I start getting a little weary after that. But like anything, 15 to 20, like pull and shoot with my recurve that's the sweet spot.

Speaker 1: 22:44

Oh, I love it. Yeah, it gets me, gets me fired up. Um, yeah, definitely mature deer.

Speaker 2: 22:52

I mean I saw him last year. He's basic mainframe eight. I thought he was three, maybe four last year but his like main beams almost touched. He only maybe had like inch and a half, two inch gap and I'm like, oh, this year it's gonna come around and wrap and like full, like close off, full basket. But something must have happened to him. His back left foot had like a big club foot and his nose had like a big gash, like split in it. So that's why his right side had like just main beam and that kicker just went straight out. He was kind of messed up on the one side. But I like those funky looking deer. He's cool.

Speaker 1: 23:24

Yeah, that's legit. Yeah, no, he's the stud of a deer for sure.

Speaker 2: 23:29

Thanks, very much.

Speaker 1: 23:34

And then you know, we, we go all the way to wisconsin, craig, kind of run us through your, your whole opening week and everything like that. And I know you know we talked a little bit before and everything like that. But this is a prime example for, like, this is just hunting. As as it is, I didn't kill my first deer last year until october, something, yeah, um, right before bear season, um, you know, and I didn't take a buck last year until till the rut, um, so you know it's, it's one of those things where you know, I've I've had situations where the off-season prep is like, even even me right now, yeah, yeah, I shot my doe, but I'm like, oh, the doe's going to be done opening morning, I'm going to get the doe out the way and then, you know, I'm going to shoot a big buck, you know, that evening which, if it wasn't for Jersey's, you know, earn a buck. I probably could have done it that morning and everything like that. But like for us, it's you never know Once, everything like that.

Speaker 2: 24:36

But like for us, it's you never know once you step foot in those woods, you just never know what's gonna happen.

Speaker 3: 24:40

Yeah, um, yeah, I mean, like I said, it reopened up last weekend. Um, we saw deer. I saw deer every night. Um, I did have a couple young does come through and I I'm not gonna lie, I I know we're in the tournament, you know something like that, but like I, just I couldn't do it, like I I'm if I'm gonna shoot a doe, it's gonna be a mature doe. Like I'm, I'm gonna wait out for one, whatever.

Speaker 3: 25:01

Um, the biggest, the biggest doe I've shot out here was, uh, three years ago and I didn't shoot her until the youth hunt. Actually I didn't. You know, obviously I wear orange and stuff like that, but I strictly just use my bowl, like I, and she came walking in at like 15 yards to the food plot and I drilled her. She literally ran 12 yards and piled up and that's the biggest doe I've ever shot. Like she feels, dressed out at like 137 pounds. She was a big, big mama.

Speaker 3: 25:30

Um, I honestly, like I, in all the years since I started dating now my wife and now all of my in-laws house hunting their property the earliest I've shot a doe is probably early to mid-October. I mean it's, it's not that it's tough, it's just that, I guess I don't know. I guess it's just my preference, like I'm just very, very picky and like now, like my brother-in-law and sister-in-law are hunting with me on here now too, and I told them that this is your first time hunting like I want you to get a deer under your belt. Like get it under your belt so you have that buck fever out of you. Well, for one, that buck fever never leaves you, because I still have it like I get it.

Speaker 3: 26:08

I mean, for christ s, I freaking see a doe and I freaking start shaking like a little schoolgirl, like I don't know how to control it. But that's, I guess that's the point of hunting, you know what I mean? That's, if I'm not going to. I always told myself too I'm not going to shake when I see a doe, or I get jacked up and I shoot one or whatever. I'm done doing it then. But I don't think deer down yet. But it feels different. Last year our neighbor Frank, his field was just all hay field, like the whole entire field was just hay. He ended up retiring, retiring, and now he just basically does whatever he wants. Well, now they have a farmer, now that he that rents out his property, that does his crops whatever.

Speaker 3: 27:03

This year they put all corn in and it's just a, it's a massive cornfield property yeah, and I text frank I got a good connection with our neighbor, which is a good thing to have, you know, and I text frank okay, how long is this guy gonna leave this corner? For he goes, the guy's a very big hunter and he's actually gonna hunt my property because I'm allowing him to like, which is perfect. And then, um, the guy goes um because I'm, I'm able to hunt your property. This is, this is crazy. Because, like, when he said, yes, you don't have the property, the guy goes, okay, well, this corn is just basically for whatever, so this will not come off until four, three days before gun season.

Speaker 3: 27:41

I'm like, when I heard that, I was just like, thank god, because this property that I hunt if you look like on an onyx map of like where I'm at, I'm not in a, I'm not in a like a 40, 80 or 120 acre like piece of property it's basically like you got the massive cornfield here, my mother-in-law's mom's um top soybean field which is already browned out, and then all it is is just a big stretch of woods running along the river, the pisaki river, so it's more of a woods funnel than it is actual an acreage of like land to hunt. So I'm not saying it's tougher to hunt it, but it's more of a travel core than anything. Um, but I what I've noticed in the past like three years now that I've been, you know, really studying stuff like that that come that halloween week, that travel core is used literally every single day. It's stupid how much we see in that travel core. It's just it's ridiculous.

Speaker 3: 28:42

So it's like makes sense, makes sense, yeah and I guess, like right now, like me being very, very, very patient, it's like grandson, second weekend here in wisconsin. But I mean, do I want to get door right away? Absolutely, because I'm just having venison. I'm out of venison, so I do want to shoot one. But like, and now for the past, well, I want to say, like, out of the, let's say, the seven days we've had that big one come on camera five out of seven days and he's daylighted four, four times.

Speaker 3: 29:09

And I thought tonight, like I just had that weird feeling. Okay, tonight's the night, he came in at 2 30 this morning, hit my mock scrape. He came back through at 4 30, hit the mock scrape, but then it started down for me all this morning. So then I was like god damn it. You know, it's like I fuck. So I went to my food plot stand instead and then, um, he didn't come back through at all. I had a, I had a basket eight come up to the bean field this morning, um, but there's a, there's just a lot of deer in there. And I like, like you said, like that cornfield is this year's game changer, 100 game changer, because for one.

Speaker 3: 29:47

There's bedding right there for you now, like they can hang it up exactly and some of those stands that we have on this property are tucked up against the river, right off the ridge to that cornfield, which is like the ground blind that we had that small little buck coming tonight. They take that cornfield cut down to that low. I mean, the river is so low right now I can walk through there on top of the rocks with crocs on and my feet aren't going to get wet. Well, they cross that river off a main trail and they're using that every single day and night. It's like I just need to be patient, sit the right wings and just let it all basically fall into place. As much as I want to sit every single day now that my daughter has her license, you know, and stuff like that, I don't have to worry about school pickups and stuff like that.

Speaker 3: 30:29

Like yeah, I want to sit every day, like when I'm done, when I don't work at one o'clock. That was I want to go but I'm getting better, as I guess an individual of like looking at the winds and stuff like that, and I just don't want to screw up what I know. I how I say like I don't want to screw up what I know, the future of positive is going to be come right now, you know, and I don't you know, and I look at it this year, you know, I don't shoot no this year.

Speaker 3: 30:58

Hey, that's it's because probably because I'm being too picky. But I know that if I do this right, like I am now, I will. I'm a believer that I'm going to shoot the biggest buck that I've ever shot in my life. I know I can because we have some bucks on there this year that are they're. They're big, they're, they're good deer. You know, and I, I guess you know, everyone has their own preference of big deer. You know, obviously you know social media world, they'll let you know that too. Um, but like to me, it's a big deer. When I have the shoulder mount on the wall, I ain't gonna sit here sugarcoat. That deer ain't even 100 inches.

Speaker 3: 31:34

But that deer had something that had a meaning to me. Like I first started dating my wife and I asked my mother-in-law and father-in-law hey, can I have the property? They're like, yeah, I sat at it October 27th. I grunted come across the freaking river and I shot him and like, hey, it's my first year on my girlfriend's family's land, I'm going to put it on the wall. And I mean, I mean, and the thing is funny, cause, like I, I got a lot of heat from some friends Like, oh, I can't believe you put that, I can't believe you wasted that money on them and put that on the wall, blah, blah, blah. And I, you know what it is, what it is. But I tell you what these new phones, and you put that in 0.5. You, you can make that deer 90 inches. You make them look 180 inches, you know, but it's like it's just, I'm just, I'm just enjoying it and I guess, like the biggest thing of it is is that I brought along matt, assistant law courtney, now that they have joined me in the bow hunting, you know, and stuff like that. It's just, I don't know, it's just, it's more fun and we're creating more memories now, you know, and deep down, yeah, I want to be successful.

Speaker 3: 32:38

100. I want to shoot a big buck this year, but I think I want to see either my brother-in-law, matt or courtney shoot a buck this year, because it's going to be on video, it's going to be, you know, it's. I want that. I want that the most out of everything this year is for one of those two to shoot a big buck this year, and I have more, way more time than they do so. I'm not in no hurry to shoot one like I. I really just not, because I think this is so crazy too and I know it gets in the guys heads like this and I shouldn't let it get into my head.

Speaker 3: 33:09

But last last year, november 9th, but last last year, november 9th, my brother-in-law, matt, was sitting in the ground blind and he was. I gotta go home, I gotta get up to the house, take a shit. I'm like, okay, do it, but, dude, pop a spot on the freaking river, let it fall down the river. Man, you gotta be in that freaking ground blind because those deer are moving all day long. He goes, oh I know, but I'll be right back out there, all right. Man sure shitets up to the house. He's doing his things. All of a sudden you hear him yelling in the ground blind.

Speaker 3: 33:37

Mike, the camera went off so I knew something came through there at 1230 in the afternoon. He goes you got to be effing shitting me right now. I go well, how's that poo feeling now? A buck came through, a buck that came. A buck came through. We have never had the summer all fall, never had him on camera. I told him it's the rut this deer could have been how many miles away. And now he's hot on a dough, whatever. And it was this buck, you guys, it was, um, yeah, it was freaking huge, um it's. I told him that's what happens, like you don't know. When it comes to halloween week and up until gun season, if you can sit all day long, you need to be sitting all day long but no, I, I definitely agree with that.

Speaker 1: 34:25

I mean, I especially a property like that, where you know you're you're gonna get those transitions and those deer just cruising through. Yeah, that's a property you got to hunt all day long because they're going to be using it all day long. And yeah, you know what, if I had a property like that, I would 100% probably be doing the same exact thing. There's no reason to rush stuff when you have a property like that. For us here in new jersey, we have no choice but to shoot a toe, you know, um you gotta do your part and step down.

Speaker 2: 35:06

We're kind of out of luck and that's what they like.

Speaker 3: 35:09

What you guys said too, like wisconsin used to be that, wisconsin used to be earn a buck yep, it used to be that. And wisconsin they they changed their the rules, which I'm actually happy they did. Um, but yeah, they changed the rules. I think I don't know, maybe, like I think it was like five, six years ago maybe. But now it's just, we get go buy our tag in the county that we're in. If it's private or public land, you get your tags and go out there and hunt so now, ryan here, because I I think craig heard this, uh, on the last show.

Speaker 1: 35:41

If, if you're on, I can't remember if you were or not days are going going by now, um, so one of our guys, zach, um, he was telling me about a state, um that does their earn a buck, where you earn it this season before. Yes, so basically, to get to unlock your, your buck tag for the next year, for you know, say, for us in New Jersey the first, you know, whatever you would have to shoot a certain amount of does the year before. I would love and I know it's probably never going to happen, but I would love for even if it was five, even if New Jersey did something ridiculous, you have to shoot five does a year. I one would every, I think almost every hunter, especially serious, like a serious, serious bow hunter, would love the minute they kill their buck. That's the only thing that they would be doing is going out and shooting does, right, and you get people that probably shoot one, and I do it too.

Speaker 1: 36:45

I shoot one to two because that's usually what I need. Um, you know, including, you know, including a buck and everything like that. But then I, I, yeah, I would shoot five, no, no problem. And I would go donate like a dough or two, like here, take it to the donation, go feed the hungry, and there you go. If it was five, if it was three, that's even easier to get. But like you understand, like that's a pretty cool principle.

Speaker 1: 37:13

I'm going to have to ask Zach again what state does it? But yeah, it's like, come on, like I mean that changes.

Speaker 2: 37:22

Like the buck I shot this year, I wouldn't even go to that stand, like to even think about shooting my doe there, and I had plenty of them. But like you, end up trying to like pick different stands.

Speaker 1: 37:33

But yeah, I can't blow these two out yeah, I, I think that's the most, I think that's one of the most frustrating things for me. Um, you know, and talking to a lot of guys in new jersey and stuff like that, like you have to like, so for craig, like you know, for you you get to go to that property and like you get to hunt a buck, so you get to actually sit that property where, like our spots, where we have our mature deer on, or you know, you don't even want to think about going there, like you don't, you don't want to do anything.

Speaker 2: 38:08

What good is seeing that deer going to do me if I can't shoot it Exactly?

Speaker 1: 38:12

And it does happen Like it's. It has happened, it's happened to me, it's happened to other guys, where that opening morning you're, you're up there and you're there is your hit list buck right in front of you, 20 yards. You know, I had once a hit list buck stand out there for a good like probably 30 to 45 minutes like and give me a. I could have shot him a thousand times over right and it's like, uh, like what? What do I do? And I didn't know like. This was years ago, so like I wasn't you know how I hunt. Now wasn't how I was doing. I was kind of putting up a stand and boom that was, that was my stand, and I would hunt that thing, didn't know the winds, didn't know like any, and I would just, I would just go out. This was the glory, glory days of just being dumb and just like not overthinking things. Now it's like I have to know the way I got to do it yourself.

Speaker 1: 39:05

Yeah Right, but man, I would love I told, I told one of my buddies who's a warden, he's been letting me park at his house to go hunt, um, and everything like that. I I told me he goes that's a really good idea and it's like, yeah, like I think that would that would help them want to, because yet again we're a state where it's unlimited does. You can do this, you can do that, like you would really put an emphasis on shooting does if you could unlock your buck tag the year before?

Speaker 2: 39:39

yeah, that would. That would definitely change up the population dynamics a bit, if you because, like you said, who wouldn't want to do that? If you could walk out first day of the season when you could shoot a buck, then yeah, I'll put it in those days in january and february, no problem and then here's even more wishful thinking.

Speaker 1: 39:57

Then you knock the buck, buck numbers out of how many weeks you shoot. You're like, if you, if you, if you, to get your butt like have to shoot, just say yet again, five does, yeah, you're not going to. Then go shoot. I think what is it? Five to seven does that we can shoot? I think I know, I think it's five with the bow for sure, for sure that we're allowed to kill. And then I think, however it works, you have your muzzleloader, you have your shot. I don't really know the whole. Yeah, so I think it's any. It's like six to seven bucks that we can kill in new jersey if you hunt throughout the whole entire year with, with every weapon. Right, that's insane, that is just absolutely insane. Knock that down to even three, three bucks, any weapon. Five does unlock your unlock, your unlock, your buck tag. That would, that would make. But you know, never have we can, um, but yeah, I mean it's, it's been a real good start for the season. So for for everyone um, curious, and I, and I have it right here um, we, we've been doing a, a archery competition. We've been doing it for the last couple years, um, and I've kind of opened it up a little more, um to to some other people and just to grow it a little bit. I yet again don't want this thing to get crazy big everybody. So you know, I I trust the guys that are that are in in that. So, like there are a couple of rules that we have. Like if you shoot a deer and you don't recover it, you know I can't just trust a random person from you know, whatever that they're gonna hold where everyone in here, you know, pretty truthful, we're all on social media, we do all these things. So it's like all right, like well, this is what we're gonna do. But, um, we got 10 teams of three, um, and I think let's see we have. We even had a bear kill too, which was pretty cool, but the earliest we've had a bear killed too, which was pretty cool, but the earliest we've had a bear. So we have 15 deer killed already. That's crazy 15. One bear, one raccoon. So we are our earliest we've ever had a bear killed and the first raccoon to ever be killed with a bow. It's an Archie. Only competition, everyone else.

Speaker 1: 42:27

So Instagram, I'll probably be putting the teams and everything like that up on as you guys are listening, it would be today, you know, and in first place, you know, we got um the diehard team here, with our very own ryan over here, um, and just absolutely killing it with two deer. And then so how we do it is, a deer is five points and then the buck is whatever the antlers are are each point. So he was, uh, what we say, it was an eight pointer, I think. We said yep, so I think, just off that, that deer alone, I think what? Um, it was 13 points, right, yeah, yeah, 13, that's 13 points, um, you know. So his, his team is in first place. Then we have the second place team is the Tagout Tribe, which would consist of our guys, echoes of the Hunt. Then we have Craig here, and then we have your buddy too as well, right, craig? Is that your buddy or is that? No, that's, but that's um that was exactly that's yeah that's the thing.

Speaker 3: 43:42

I don't even need to shoot gear.

Speaker 1: 43:43

It was still in second place yeah, well, you got, you got zach. Zach is three, what yeah?

Speaker 3: 43:51

down there yeah, he knows already so I if I could have been right, if I'm wrong here, but but are turkeys on there?

Speaker 2: 43:58

I think so yeah, Turkeys are on here.

Speaker 1: 44:00

Yes, and we have yet to have a turkey killed, because I haven't come out with a turkey hunting competition yet for the next part of the season, but I tried shooting one last year. If you would have popped one you would get on the floor.

Speaker 3: 44:17

Now I'm thinking about something like this morning I had 13 of those damn things around me. Then I'm sitting in my ground sitting my hang on stand. You know, wife was texting me, hey, how's it going? And I was the next thing.

Speaker 2: 44:26

All I hear is what the?

Speaker 3: 44:30

I look back and I'm like candy, I'm like shit, and then I went, I went on my go wild. I'm like I don't even have a freaking fault. What am I doing?

Speaker 1: 44:39

What am I doing? Can you get one still or no?

Speaker 3: 44:42

I can still buy one right now, if I want. Which I probably after this podcast.

Speaker 2: 44:48

I'm probably going to go on my app and buy a buy one You'll never see a turkey again.

Speaker 3: 44:51

That's why I'm not buying one. Here's the thing with Wisconsin, which I don't agree with it, but whatever, but like the only thing, wisconsin there is a rule that so if you don't buy your archery tape before season, you have to legally wait three days to hunt. But now I can sit here in my freaking bow stand and go buy a fall tag. Oh, I got birds coming in by before day. She went two minutes later and it's fine, so it's.

Speaker 2: 45:21

I don't understand, I don't get it, but that's weird, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make.

Speaker 3: 45:24

no, it doesn't.

Speaker 2: 45:25

No, Trust me guys, you guys come up here for a year to stay in Wisconsin, and you, I, actually the whole my mother's, whole side of the family's out there.

Speaker 3: 45:37

Oh, okay, so I'm right now. I'm out in O'Connell County, in Crockwell, wisconsin, right now, but what?

Speaker 2: 45:43

What about, like Northwest, Southeast? What corner are?

Speaker 3: 45:45

you North, maybe Northeast.

Speaker 2: 45:48

Okay.

Speaker 3: 45:49

Yeah, so then I, my wife and I like 10 minutes from Lambeau Field.

Speaker 2: 45:56

Okay, I got you. So they were on the other side, like southwest of Madison, like Blackberry, Prairie du Chien area, Yep yep. Yeah, I remember going out as a little kid and seeing like my grandpa's box or some of the deer my cousins shot like 180s 190s.

Speaker 3: 46:11

Just crazy. It's stupid dude. And it's funny that you say that, because I have one of my coworkers, his father-in-law, and then, um, his, then his brother-in-law. They actually have property on buffalo county, which is, that's the matter. Yeah, it's stupid dude, because here's the thing last year james came to me at work. He goes dude, look at, my father-in-law just shot. He showed me the picture of the deer. I swear it on my life, I'm like there I.

Speaker 3: 46:38

This is not real I go, there is not any fucking mule deer in wisconsin? Where the hell did he even shoot this thing? The fucking ears on this thing was like this the horn is I. I'm like you know what good for them, like it must be nice to build that you all have the whatever they have in the water out there, because those years are.

Speaker 2: 46:55

It's not the water, it's the dirt, it's the soil, dirt there you go dude.

Speaker 3: 46:59

It's stupid how big those deer are out there. It's crazy, it's stupid.

Speaker 1: 47:03

I mean it, I don't know, it's just I mean, hey, next year we're going, we're going to wisconsin next year. Um, you know, I I already told the fiancee about. I was on the phone with her the other day. I was like, oh, just to let you know, like there's a huge, I mean high, chance that we go to Wisconsin. Now we got two guys from team guys that are from Wisconsin, so like Zach, zach and I um, he's basically like my now like traveling buddy, he's down to go anywhere to go hunt, you know.

Speaker 3: 47:35

If you guys are coming to Wisconsin, I I will be flat out honest with you right now. We will get a hotel in Buffalo County and we are going to go on public land out there, Without a doubt.

Speaker 2: 47:51

Not even a question. I could imagine regionally, in the state as you go from east to west, where the deer changes just because the soil and the content like different species. It's stupid, it's just stupid.

Speaker 1: 48:09

Oh yeah, Then it's game on.

Speaker 2: 48:11

They're like your northern Michigan deer up there as opposed to like your reindeer down.

Speaker 3: 48:17

Yeah, it's just dumb, it's just dumb, it's just dumb.

Speaker 1: 48:23

And then I'll finish this and then we can get going. In third place right now we have Mountain Titans Media. A big part is because they shot that damn bear. I did not look at the exact point total that they had, but they shot a bear. I think it came in weighing 216 pounds dressed. So I think that's like 10 points for a bear. And then fifth so I think that was 12 points, I think 14, whatever it is and then in fourth place your truly own. You know, we got our two does on the ground. And then in third place is Kyle's team, which actually I think Kyle is actually ahead of luck because I think I messed up and forgot to put Travis his dough and everything like that. So actually they're in fourth place and we'd be in fifth place, but we're gonna get there.

Speaker 1: 49:25

Um, the I love doing this, like I. You know, before the season it's always like, oh, like it's a lot of work, like organizing it, everything like that. Um, but then once it actually starts, it's like all right, this is what's so fun about it. Like that group chat is, when somebody gets something, it just it just blows up where, like that's what I like so much about the camaraderie, everything like that. It's like you're at camp. It's like you're at camp. It really is virtual deer, you know, um, and it's a lot of fun, um, you know, I think next year we're gonna change. We're gonna change some stuff around. I think I'm gonna take away a few of the bonus points and everything like that, keep it a little simpler, um. But also, I think the big game plan is to actually take the winnings and just do donations and donate it to you know any, whoever wins, they'll get to decide, kind of where the winner chooses yeah that's cool.

Speaker 1: 50:22

Yeah, winner chooses and we'll do that. I think, do it for a great cause and everything like that. I just want to brag. Yeah, that's all I want to say I'm in, works we all, if we all chip, which I'm going to bring up if we all chip in $'m going to bring up, uh, something, if we all chip in five dollars I am down to get a whole trophy and I'll shoot every time somebody wins or whatever we should get the or the belt, we ship it out and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 50:49

Or when you guys come to the game, dinner and everything like that.

Speaker 2: 50:51

Well, yeah, add a name to the belt every year.

Speaker 3: 50:53

Yeah, yeah I love that you said bragging rights, because my ultimate goal every year because he trash talks me so fucking much every year and honestly it gets under my skin once in a while but I know that I would beat his ass so I don't care. But bragging rights 100%, because when I do shoot a bigger buck in a season than Quinton, he will never hear the end of it until the next year of fucking opening day.

Speaker 2: 51:19

I tell you that right now.

Speaker 3: 51:20

Mark my fucking words. I love the guy to death. He's one of my close friends. How far are you?

Speaker 1: 51:26

from Quinton how far?

Speaker 3: 51:27

do you?

Speaker 1: 51:27

guys live from each other.

Speaker 3: 51:29

He now lives in Milwaukee, so about an hour and a half away now.

Speaker 2: 51:34

Okay, yeah, I love the guy to death.

Speaker 3: 51:37

Like I said, he has my back. I always have his back. I see his, his stir up on social media once in a while, but I tell you what? The day I shoot a bigger buck than him, he ain't gonna fucking. It ain't just gonna be a week trash talk, it's gonna be a whole fucking year until opening weekend. I tell you that right now, for the, for the whole year he will. Every day he wakes up and the thing is he knows, oh yeah, I'll make sure he puts my name, my face, my buck, on his freaking damn backdrop of his phone, and he knows it's coming to him. He knows it's gonna happen.

Speaker 1: 52:13

I love it. Hey, hey. Maybe next year we come up with stipulation whoever has the least amount of points?

Speaker 3: 52:19

they're freaking like we kind of yeah, like like we should do something a fear factor rather than the bragging rights.

Speaker 1: 52:29

Yeah, here we shoot. Then you're right, that's awesome, um, but guys, um, everybody, you know it, it's. It's been a hell of a week for for week one here and you know, in in our areas and everything like that, I know the rest of the states are going to be opening up in the next coming week, I think.

Speaker 1: 52:51

I think pa is open today I I think pa is open today, or certain zones of PA open today. I know New York is the October 1st and then after that every, everywhere should be open and everything like like that. Now, but really looking forward to really things are really going to start heating up. You know, as as time goes on the leaves already in my area are in some of my areas are already starting to change everything like that acorns are dropping like crazy people.

Speaker 1: 53:27

Um, white oats, get on them, find, find those white oats and it. It's tough being in western uh, like the west jersey, because the the oak flats are so damn big and they're just all dropping all at the same time.

Speaker 2: 53:41

They'll be dropping like 50 reds to like two white oats and then, if I know, everywhere I found, I found I found some whites.

Speaker 1: 53:50

Um, finally found some whites the other day and, yeah, it's literally one white and then it's like everything else is like reds around it. But if you can find it, people get, get on it. And yeah, like we're, we're super excited for the, for the season and you know, can't, can't wait to see what what else brings in. And, ryan, it was an absolute pleasure. Yet again, congratulations on that.

Speaker 2: 54:16

Yeah, thanks guys, it's awesome.

Speaker 3: 54:19

Oh, I know what I'm doing tonight I'm buying my turkey steak.

Speaker 1: 54:22

Get on it. Hey, listen, if you kill one this week, we are clipping what we said and that is going to be, on your like. We're going to be clipping that Fair enough, alright, boys, there you go Everyone. I hope you guys Enjoyed this episode and we'll literally See you guys next week. Yeah Bye, See ya boys.