SPEAKER_02: 0:39

All right, everyone. It is it's been a while. It's been quite some time since we we recorded. We kind of taken the holidays off. Um, and we are back. It is gonna be our holiday, Christmas, New Year's Eve episode. Uh, but before we get into anything, I want to give a huge round of applause to our boy Remy on toughening out today on a cold, windy day. Um, Frank, I mean, just an absolute magical, I mean, no better moment for you. Um, you know, taking taking him out. So why don't why don't we get into your our little uh New Year's Eve hunting story?

SPEAKER_01: 1:24

Yeah, absolutely. Um watch out I'll back up first. I'll start at our first hunt, then I'll I'll work over. So um he's been so he just turned five. And um he's he's been asking me, Daddy, I want to come out with you. I want to go out with you. I'm like, all right, you know, like I did pretty good this year. I got you know my my two nice bucks on the ground. I got a bear on the ground. I was like, you know what? Yeah, you know, I haven't been out in a while. So I was like, you know what? I'm gonna go set up our um, we got one of those big um, I think they're the primal ground blinds you could.

SPEAKER_02: 1:57

Yeah, the one you can see through, right?

SPEAKER_01: 1:59

Yep. So I was like, yeah, I was like, yeah, I was like, I'll go set it up, throw out some corn on it. Actually, it's the same spot where I put um Squatch where he shot his buck, because I haven't really hunted this side of the farm that much, so it doesn't have a lot of pressure on it. So I just really wanted him to see some deer, so I was like, you know what? I'm gonna go in there, I'll I'm gonna set it up a few days before so the deer can get used to it because everything's bare now. Brushed it up as as best as I can and um threw out some corn about like about like 40, 45 yards away. And uh you know, we just we started getting pictures, you know, that it started blowing up. There was I had very consistent, like the same five doughs coming in. We had a few smaller bucks. So I was like, all right, I'm like, you ready? Like it's time to go. He's like, yeah. So we went in there, we packed all his snacks, and I bought one of those uh electric propane uh heaters just in case it got too cold in there for him. I want him to be comfortable. Charge up his tablet, and you know, we had all right, I'm gonna drive up to the blind, take everything off, you know, because uh of course we used a four-wheeler, so we took everything off, and as soon as I get off the four-wheeler, we get to the blind. Our first hunt, we I see four of those run almost right away. I was like, ah, I'm like, well, I've seen it happen before. They usually you know, they'll usually come back, you know, like right that last light type of thing, like they'll be back. Yeah, yeah. So uh as we we get everything set up, you know, I turn on the propane heater, he he gets in, he's having a blast. He's he's eating MMs and Pringles and all kinds of snacks. He's having in there, right? He's having a blast. Ask me, Daddy, when are the deer gonna come? I'm like, they're they're coming, big man, they're coming. So uh all of a sudden it just it starts getting windy. Our first day, it's windier than hell. And I'm like, oh I'm like, well, you know, hopefully we we can pull one out around four o'clock. I see a dough coming from a different direction. So I tell him I'm like, Remedy, like it's coming. So I like I turn on the camera, I put his little headphones on. He's like, I can't see it. I'm like, I'm like, you're gonna see it, it's right there. It's gonna come into the bay pile. He's like, okay. So he's got his little binocular binoculars, he's looking, he's like, I see it, I see it. I'm like, all right, just like stay quiet, just don't move. And once you know it, like by sure luck, that wind picks up, the tree start like snap, like you can hear him start creaking, the deer gets nervous and takes off, goes back to where it came from. I'm like, oh I'm like, all right, I'm like, well, I told him I was like, listen, like stay quiet because odds are it's gonna come back. So I seen it start to circle and then it disappeared and this loud noise, like something get murdered, right? He's going, Daddy, what is that? I'm like, well, it's either a fox got something, a coyote, or a bobcat, because this thing was screaming. And I was like, just relax, like it's it's okay. About like 20 minutes later, we have this beautiful red fox run by us, like 100 miles an hour, just takes off. And that was pretty much it. We stayed in the until uh till shooting light was over. I was like, Alright, man, and like we got a skunk today, we're gonna have to come back. He's like, Oh man, he's like, Alright, we'll come back tomorrow. Like, we'll see. So we go to go back, and I mean we wake up in the morning and it's windier than the first day. I told him, I was like, hey, bud, like, you know, not tonight because I'm worried if like a tree falls or something, god forbid. I'm like, I don't I don't want to bring you. I was like, listen, I was like, it's gonna get a little colder, but I'm gonna take you out. So first thing he wakes up this morning, he ru he runs in my you know, my room, he says, Daddy, daddy, can we go deer hunting now? I'm like, yeah, we're gonna go this afternoon, you know. So uh I get my coffee and I'm just relaxing on the couch. Around like one o'clock, my phone starts going off. The deer are there ready. I'm like, oh I'm like, all right, I'm like, well, I'm like, so I tell him, I was like, listen, get dressed, we're gonna go, we're probably gonna chase them, but I know they're gonna come back. He was like, okay, so we get everything ready, we jump in the truck, we meet up with uh my buddy Jay. He was he was going out as well. So he was going, he was probably like 150 yards away from us on the other side. And uh, you know, we pull the quad in there, we get the propane heater on, turn everything up. He starts playing uh actually, he wanted to have like a squishy fight. He brought some of it of his toys. So me and him are sitting there, and we weren't we weren't in the blind a half hour. I didn't even get to make a post yet on Instagram to say we were out nothing. And I look up and I see a big doe standing there coming into the bait. So I'm like, so I tell him, I was like, hey, like, you know, I was like, there's a deer, don't move, we gotta put your headphones on. He's like, but daddy, I didn't even I didn't even finish my snacks. He's still eating MMs. He's eating peanut butter MMs. I'm like, all right, well, you know, you can't keep eating your MMs, just you know, just don't you know, um, don't crinkle the bag too much.

SPEAKER_03: 8:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 8:10

So he's like, okay. So he puts it on and he's like sitting there looking. And uh I'm like trying to like pull down than usual to like keep the heat in for him. So I start I like pull down the window a little bit and uh I try to turn on I got the new I think it's the I forget what it is now. I think it's the X4 or something by Insta360. I'm trying to turn it on and it won't record. I'm freaking out. I'm going start recording like 15 times. I'm going start recording, start recording. It it's doing something, but I don't know what it's doing. So, but I have the um I also set it to where like if you wave your hand in front of it, it'll it'll turn on. I'm waving my hand and it's doing the same thing. And I'm just like, I'm like, what the heck? I look and I look out the window, one of the deers is literally staring right at me, and I'm just like, oh my god. So I look, I look at my son, I go, I go, Remy. I said, don't move, I'm gonna have to shoot one. He goes, he's like, okay, daddy. I was like, it's gonna be quick. He was like, okay. So the deer like starts that one kind of like starts walking back a little bit, but there was still like three or four there that had their head down. So I was able to to get the gun up, stick it out the window, and and make the shot. And I couldn't tell when I shot, obviously, with you know, with the muzzle odor, all you see is smoke, and I seen all the deer running. I was just like, Huh. So I called my buddy Jay. I was like, Hey, did you see those deer? He goes, Yeah, they they ran down. He goes, I saw I definitely saw three. I I saw one go in this gully, then it stopped, and I didn't see it no more. I'm like, all right. He's like, Did you hit it? I'm like, I was run on it like I should have. And he was like, he was like, okay. So we wait, he was just all pumped. He was like, Daddy, can we go look for blood now? I was like, give it a little bit. Like, we're gonna go look for blood, just relax. I wanna go now. I want to go now. I'm like, we're we're going. So we start slowly packing everything up. We gave it probably about like 15-20 minutes. I'll probably say closer to 15. We we get out and um I start walking, walking up to where I shot it. I mean, before I even got there, I could already see all the blood on the snow.

SPEAKER_02: 10:53

I was like, Oh, we got I was like, Yeah, when we saw the pictures, I was like, like, damn, did you shoot it with a bow? Like, yeah, it looked it looked like a a blood trail that you would use with a you know with the you know, with the broadhead or something like that.

SPEAKER_01: 11:06

Yeah, and it I mean that picture did no justice because there was literally there was meat and fur in the trees behind it where I shot, like it was I drilled it pretty well.

SPEAKER_02: 11:16

How far was the shot? How far was the shot?

SPEAKER_01: 11:18

Like 40, 45 yards. Now my muzzle odor sighted in for 50.

SPEAKER_03: 11:23

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 11:24

But I mean, I just put it you know, like right behind the shoulder, and you know, I just I just let it have it, you know. And I use um I got the Thompson Center Omega 50 cal with um I use the Hornity 240 grain XTP bullets. And I mean, I've always had good luck with those things. I mean, you could just we didn't even have to track it, but I I let him track it. He loved following the blood trail. I'm behind him as he's walking daddy, deer went this way. I was like, all right, let's go that way then, you know. Like, I mean, it was it was a blast, man. He was so pumped when he found it, that smile on his face and everything. And I'm texting you guys, I was like, yo, we got a deer down, like you know, it was it was awesome, man. It was my favorite hunt of the year. It was something I really wanted to accomplish before the year ended with him. It was my next goal I set for myself. Yeah, and it was almost like a Hail Mary at the last second, but I mean, I pulled it off, man. I couldn't be happier.

SPEAKER_02: 12:24

I mean, yeah, no, I I I know it's a goal, uh, it's been a goal of yours and everything like that. And you know, that's gonna answer, you know, one of the topics of you know your hunt of 2025, and yeah, you know, best best belief so. Like I all the boys were extremely pumped, um, you know, to hear that and everything like that. I you know, I know you and I, me, you and Squatch, we we've been talking about this for for a little bit now and keep asking, you know, when you know, when you guys are gonna decide to take Remy out. You know, I know he's been going on like all the the tracks or not even the tracks, but you know, to see the deer after and everything like that, see the bear, everything like that. So, you know, he's been actually like for he's been pretty involved, you know what I mean? And yeah, I think that's something that a lot of you know outdoorsmen uh mint whether it's a man or woman, you know, do very well getting their kids uh into the outdoors and and getting them one first comfortable with everything like that. And I think that's part of the big reason why, because you know, you got uncomfortable with it at such a young age, and now uh it's gonna be and it's it's gonna be that thing of when he starts hunting, it's gonna be just like, oh, like can we go to the next day? Like, he's gonna be like, All right, let's go to the next day, let's go. He's gonna you're gonna say no, and he's gonna text uh Squash and I he's like, Hey, can I go hunting with you guys?

SPEAKER_01: 13:45

Dude, I'm serious. He was already asked. He's like, He's daddy's like, I want to kill all the deer. Like, we just got done with this one. I was like, all right, like relax, like you know, like you know, but uh he he he had a blast. He he actually I'd even I forgot to tell you, he actually brought one of his own little like fake little toy guns with him, too.

SPEAKER_02: 14:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 14:06

And I was trying to get him to pose with it in a picture, and he wouldn't do it. So, but uh he had it with him in the blind. He was, you know, I love it.

SPEAKER_02: 14:15

I love it.

SPEAKER_01: 14:16

He was something, man. I had so much fun on these last two hunts, and yeah, I couldn't be happy. I was waiting until he turned five, and even when I shot, I I turned around, I looked at him, and I'm like, Are you okay? Like, you didn't get scared, was you? He's like, He's and I got it on film too. He was like, He's like, Daddy, no, I'm not, I wasn't scared, like you know, like I was like, All right, we're good. You know, he's like, Hell no, give me more deer. I want more bang, bang, bang. Yep, he said, Daddy, did we shoot a buck or was it a doe? So we shot a doe. He's like, Okay, we gotta shoot buck next time. I was like, next time, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 14:53

It's that simple, right?

SPEAKER_01: 14:54

Yeah, literally.

SPEAKER_02: 14:56

Oh man, well, I I absolutely love it, and that you know, that's a great way to end um the 2025 season personally for you, um, and also for for boondocks hunting and everything like that. We we actually had a really good end of the year, I think just in total in 2025. 2024 was great, and I think this year we yet again blew it out, blew it out the park and everything like that. Um, yeah, you know, it's I know um Zach got a big buck down. Um I think on Christmas on Christmas Day. Um Zach uh our other Zach got a got a coyote and everything like his first coyote with the bow. You got this year your first um bear with a bow. Um I got my first out-of-state deer this year um out in out in PA, still having the uh the bucks in in uh Delaware lewd me, but you know what, 2026 that that's it's it's gonna happen. Um, but I mean but before we get into our hunts and everything like that, let me, you know, we always go over this. It's always, you know, you know, we we talk about the podcast. We created a brand new show this year. Um, Chase the Unknown. Um, we of course have our OG show, the the Garden State Outdoorsman going uh strong. Frank did a phenomenal job um this year with that. And right now we actually well, a huge, huge uh you know, everyone knows we do the 2025 fan vote um episode of the year, and it's two shows from the Garden State Outdoorsman and out competing like ASIO and like I got a couple of like big named um guys for um for the uh Chase the Unknown and everything like that, and it has been a whirlwind with dude. I'll I'll tell you this. I've checked this post for the finals. So the finals today, ladies and gentlemen, is from Iowa to New Jersey and and sit stay retrieve. And every time I checked, we get a new person in the leaderboard. I was we got four more hours left to to figure it out. I was hoping that it we would have been able to do it by now, but it's still going strong. But um, so you guys are gonna have to tune in tomorrow and we'll make a post. But a lot of great episodes this year. Usually, I don't know what the hell's going on with Bus Rout because usually they have the two the you know their your yearly recap already done, and it says it won't be ready until uh January this year, hopefully tomorrow and everything like that. But it's usually done, so we won't be able to go over. I mean, I could I could go and take a look at the top five most downloaded episodes this year. Um, and I am pretty sure that is the Marsh Boys episode. Um, I I think that's the number one uh downloaded, and I think number two or three is from uh Iowa to New Jersey. Um, but I mean it it's been a great year. How how was it, you know, Frank? Your first year you're doing the Garden State. Now you guys got your own show um as well. Um still gonna be doing stuff here, uh, you know, with us and everything like that. Um how how was 2025 in the podcast world for you, Frank?

SPEAKER_01: 18:22

No, I mean for the most part, it was it was good, you know. I I had a lot to learn, obviously, because it's a lot different having you kind of run the show and I just kind of you know chirp in here and there, but uh it's a little different when you're the host, which I had to get used to. And at times, like you know, I did get overwhelmed. I mean, you you know that.

SPEAKER_02: 18:41

Um I get overwhelmed still, but good.

SPEAKER_01: 18:46

Yeah, I mean, and like you know, for the most part, like you know, I think I did pretty good. I'm I'm proud of myself, you know. And it was just I think I think what I was overwhelmed with was trying to balance everything too, getting to do you know, the family time to get ready for hunting and trying to you know get people set up for the podcast as well. I think that's where I got more overwhelmed, I think. Um, but you know, for the most part, I mean I I had a blast no matter what, man. I you know, I enjoy every time we go on, and now I'm doing the the Frank and Squatch show with him, and you know, as everybody knows he he's a talker, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 19:25

So it's kind of like you know, you guys are co-hosting, um, you know, but yeah, squatching, and you know, that's why I love squatching. I love when he comes on, and you know, because you don't have to really like you get to chime in and everything like that, but you get to sit back and be like, all right, and like just listen to him talk and listen to the story, you know what I mean? It it it's um love, love listening to uh to the guy tell his stories. Like I really do, and I you know it is something it's always like you know, he's he's our He's our like our OG. Like he is, yep, you know, when we need any advice or anything like that, he's our go-to guy, almost for everybody. You know, for for Boon, I could talk just off of Boondocks. He is, you know, he's our um our guy to go to. He has the most experience. I think still, even out of all of us on the team, I imagine he's still have me, you know. I imagine with you, you know, I you've been hunting for for a long time and everything like that, but for the most part, like I think I'd be third, third longest on on boondocks uh hunting and everything like that. So um just tons of experience. Um, so he's our go-to.

SPEAKER_03: 20:37

I know he's your go-to uh guy uh for for everything like that, too.

SPEAKER_02: 20:42

Um but yeah, I I I get you on that to the 2025. I mean, hey, we we figured out Frank's boat issue, and I know we talked about this on yeah uh other episodes and everything like that, but it was um good that we finally figured it out. It's not going to be lingering into 2026. Um we're we're we're happy about that.

SPEAKER_01: 21:09

Yeah, no, definitely. And you know, like I said, I'm thank thankful that we got it all figured out with me. It's it's never a dull moment, it's always something. But uh I always somehow pull my rabbit out of the hat when he when it needs to count at some time, you know, but uh you know, I'm just I'm just glad that that's you know one less hurdle, and that's why like a lot of people um flock to Squatch as much as they do, because there's not a lot that he hasn't seen. And even even like my one buddy Jay now, like um one of the neighbors shot a deer, asked him if he could come track it, and he sent the blood to Squatch and was like, Hey, like, what do you think? Now these guys are also experienced hunters, but you know, he was like, Hey, like, what do you think? And Squatch was like, Nope, let it lay, wait until the morning, you know. So a lot of people do go to him because, like I said, there's there's not much that he hasn't seen, and even me, like I seen a lot, but there's a lot of things that I don't catch or you know I don't see, and you know, he does, and that's why we make a hell of a team, man, all together. The whole boondocks. There's always somebody that knows that knows something or picks up the slack for the rest of us, so yeah, and I I I think that's honestly kind of been like something that we've been really good at this year.

SPEAKER_02: 22:32

Um, where we started out strong, you know, we we knocked a bunch of deer, you got a little cold, I got a little cold. Um our other Zach got a little cold, like um Echoes of the Hunt. That that that's our that's that's we'll call him. I mean, I don't know how many of you guys know his last name. So um, you know, he's Zach too. Uh, you know what I mean? Um so Zach too was able to to carry it um for us. I mean, I think he shot like four or five deer in that first in that first week. Um, yeah, and then you know October we we hit a lull. We we I don't think we really knocked down too many deer. I think Connor at the end. Um and then November we just a couple of just got on fire, and then Zach one got on fire in December, like in December, and then Zach again, and then you with the bear, and then you know I mean where when somebody's picking up the slack, uh like you said, we we've been able to someone has been able to step up and you know produce and and and do stuff. Uh so that that's another thing for 2025 that we've been really happy about. And 2000, it's only gonna get better, you know what I mean? It's it's only gonna get better um in 2026. Um, you know, for for me, I would say listen, this was a great year for me. Um another, you know, stellar year. Um I can't I'm trying to think of what my favorite hunt was of the year, and I it probably has to as much as I want to say where I killed my my buck, right? I think it's one or two things, and it was within like a few-day time period. It was in October, was when I had that giant buck come out from behind me at 12 yards, worked out in front of me. Instead of making a right, he went left and straight, and then I had that coyote come in from a couple hundred yards out, and yet again, the two the my two top hunts are gonna are two hunts that you could say were were failures, but they were just extreme learning lessons, you know. I mean, with the coyote, I thought he was walking, he was actually trotting, should have you know, should have let him a little more with the bell, you know. And then I I think the number one lesson or you know, hunt for me has to go to when I shot that that giant buck and I just hit him too low. And I think it's just because of the lessons that I learned. Like it was a great hunt. Deer really responded very well to grunting and snort wheezing uh this year for me. It it it worked like a charm. It's usually snort wheezing, is usually one of my favorite things, go-to things to do. I was having some fun grunting and snort wheezing a buck out in front of me. Um, I wasn't gonna shoot, he was on that like borderline, um, and that's where I the giant buck from behind me, and I could hear him grunt. That's what got it, and you know, he worked out almost picture perfect. He comes right, you know, probably at 20 yards, and like you guys know who who listened to to the show and everything like that. You hit the man and he bounces out to probably 45-50 yards. I let it fly, and he doesn't drop into the shot like you're you're kind of taught that deer are going to do. Um, yep, was very unsure. Video was hit or miss. Like, I could see how we said that. Yes, it could have been a lethal shot, and then the initial blood was very like so and something that you know was uh Zach One and I talked about a lot this year. We saw a lot of deer get shot that had bubbles in it, but they're all low shots. So to us, we were wondering is is that just oxygenated blood? Are we hitting a like a vein or or something like that where because it's so low, you know, that's just where the most oxygen rich blood is just flowing close to that to that heart area, I I guess. And maybe because you know, you're taught yet again when you see good blood, especially with bubbles in it, all right. That that's a dead deer.

SPEAKER_03: 27:08

You're golden, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 27:10

Golden, not nothing, you know, nothing really to worry about, you know, and that's not really the case, especially if you know I think you hit you hit too low, and it wasn't a lung shot. I we we've I think we established that um it was not a lung shot, you know what I mean? Uh where it hit and everything like that. It it just was not a lung shot. Um you know, so I I think that one's gotta that one's gotta go to it, you know. And of course, then the runner up would have to be my buck. Uh I mean just an absolute crazy time. Um, and I will still never forget just walking out there and just seeing deer, deer, deer, deer chasing every like it. It was insane. I had no I had no intentions on hunting that spot. Um, and I I remember texting you guys, like, boys, I'm like, this is absolutely crazy. Like, I'm trying to pull, you know, a set. I'm up in the tree, deer just running all over the place. Um, you know, all you guys were like, yeah, you definitely gotta hunt that spot. And it was a no-brainer, it's like that was the hottest spot. You you have to be there to to hunt, and you know, probably like three, four hours, probably like three hours later, after yet again now just seeing non-stop action, smoke the bucket five yards, you know what I mean? And he went 10-15 yards and died right in front of me, you know what I mean. So that one's hard, hard to beat too. Um, but just a a crazy year for the boys. And I mean, you know, I wish you know Zach 2 sick, uh, Squatches out to dinner, like a lot of the guys are they're MIA today, um prior engagements, but everyone probably has I think almost everyone, I think, has killed a buck this year, except I think maybe one person, you know, our other Connor, um, who um younger who's been working a lot and everything like that. So I know he told me he didn't have enough time to really get out this year, but um absolutely just yeah, killer killer 2025 for the boys.

SPEAKER_01: 29:14

Yeah, no, not 100%, man. Like I said, I went I went in there and I'm just like, yep, hopefully today, you know, this year will be my year. I I know I did good, you know, in the previous year, but you know, this year topped it, man. I mean, I did eventually get a big buck on the book.

SPEAKER_02: 29:29

Which is hard to do. Yeah, which is which was hard to do, especially for you. Yeah, especially for you.

SPEAKER_01: 29:36

Very hard. Um like I said, I put my focus on killing a bear. I achieved that goal, and then one of my other bucks, I mean Taylor, I finally met up with him during during the six-day firearm season. I got him, and yeah, man, it's just been it's it's I mean, you know the deal. It's always like a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs, but yeah, man, it's I I I feel like we all killed it this year, man. Everybody did awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 30:05

I agree. Um, Frank, did you have a piece of equipment in 2025 you used the most, whether it was clothing, equipment, like like did you have anything that really stuck out to you this year?

SPEAKER_01: 30:19

Uh yeah, actually all basically I'd probably say about 90, probably like 97% of my hunts, um, was was out of my saddle. You know, I used the the hunt arsenal, the mag 2 platform, and and their sticks. Yeah, and I mean I was just most of the time I left my set up there unless I had to move it or something, but I I really really focused out of out of the saddle this year. I had a few pre-hung sets. I hunted them like if I got out of work late and I didn't feel like dealing with it or whatever. But I mean, I even shot like um Halo. I shot him out of the saddle. He was he was the first deer ever I shot out of the saddle with a gun.

SPEAKER_03: 31:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 31:08

But yeah, I'd probably say that that was probably my biggest piece of equipment this year.

SPEAKER_02: 31:13

Yeah, um, for me, I I'll I'll tell you, it was clothing for me, and I mean there's a lot of stuff that I use you know, over I was rocking two bows this year and everything like that. Um but was the leafy jacket from Ossio. I um from literally from September 1st all the way to September 1st in Delaware all the way to mid-November in Delaware, um, I used the leafy suit. Now I I haven't you know during six days, um, I went with you know just my late season gear from from uh Sica and everything like that. Um, but I mean I used Ossio through the whole entire rest of the the season, everything like that. But the leafy suit stood out to me. And I for somebody who um hang and hunts who gets it a lot of nasty places and stuff like that, it actually held up really well. Is it a little bit pain in the butt? Yeah, so like my recommendation, anyone who has a leafy suit or who's going to get it or the leafy jacket from Ossio, um unless you know you're going to be spot and stalking going through thorn the like thicket and thorns and and and stuff like that, I would pack it away in in my pack, and that's something I'm gonna do next year. Um now, if I'm just going out to scout or you know to go move something where I really am not going to be in that like killer mindset, it's it's going in my pack. Now, yet again, if I'm trying to spot and talk, you gotta do what you gotta do, you know what I mean? And and I would I would 100% wear it in through that, and it held up pretty well. I just would have stickers and and all these things over me, which I would just take off and everything like that. Um, yeah, but that's that's something first year using Ossio. That's that's something that really stuck out to us, and you know, I think for for just the team in general, I think most of our deer were killed with several broadheads yet again. I mean, you are not you and all of our deer were killed with several broadheads. Um, I think Craig Craig's buck was killed, I'm pretty sure, with sever um broadheads.

SPEAKER_01: 33:33

Yeah, it was. Yep.

SPEAKER_02: 33:36

I don't want to mistake, I think at least two of Zach two's deer, maybe even three were killed with a sever. I'm pretty sure the buck was killed with a sever, and I think some dope killed with a sever, could be more. Um, you know, so um yeah, uh yet again for that's that's kind of our team's broadhead. It's either that or or you know, wreck or something like that.

SPEAKER_01: 34:01

Um, yeah, I know people make wreck.

SPEAKER_02: 34:05

Yeah, I know Zach One is a fixed blade guy. I know Peyton bumps back and forth between fix and and um mechanical and everything like that. Um, the bear was killed with a sever.

SPEAKER_01: 34:18

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02: 34:19

Um you know, I'll I'll be using yet again sever. These are I have probably I think like nine or ten severs just sitting right here, but these are all to our team guys um for like a little incentive and everything like that. Hey, anyone out there, if you're looking to join the team, you know, these are some of the things that you do, you do get from us, um, you know, things things like that. Um, but you know, that's one of the things I gotta get that sent out. Um, but uh before I forget everyone, March 7th is 100 officially our wild game dinner. It's it is going to be March 7th, it's going to be earlier this year before uh trout season, before lacrosse season, things like that. So we are going to go earlier this year. Um, we are really looking forward to we've done this, will be our third annual wild game dinner. So the information will be out probably hopefully by January 7th. Um, I've been a little bit busy. I actually have not hunted that much myself because I am one of the high school hockey coaches. So hockey has been uh pretty busy the last month, month and a half for me, but I plan on getting that that done uh pretty soon. We will also be at the Empire State Show yet again this year. Um we will that is between uh give me one second February 20th to the the 22nd. We'll we'll be up there in Sussex, uh or yeah, Sussex, Suffolk, whatever the hell it is. Suffering.

SPEAKER_01: 36:00

No, uh Suffron.

SPEAKER_02: 36:02

Yeah, suffering. Suffering, that's one. Yeah, suffering, uh, New York. We'll be there for for a couple days. Um plan to go to Great The Great American Outdoor Show again for at least hopefully two days. Yet again, my hockey schedule. I I took a look. It's going to be a tight one to but yeah, we're yeah, extremely busy. Um, but I still hope to be there for for at least two days um out there. Um so yeah, like those are those are some of our events coming up. Uh looking looking forward to the game dinner. So I hope to see you guys there. Um anything, anything else that I'm forgetting on like the new stuff that that we have going on. Um I don't think so. I I think that's that that's that's really it for for for news new stuff. Um oh Gerard uh for RackEder will be our guest speaker at the um at the game center. Yeah, yeah. Um he's gonna be our guest speaker. I you know was like, yeah, I I love talking to him, love listening to him. So like I think that'd be a pretty cool one to experience. Um, I'm there for sure. Um hopefully we could plan our devils New Jersey Devils trip where you know the boondocks guys, whoever can make it. I know that we got a bunch of out of state guys. I know Frank and I, and you know, the family definitely uh talked about it for for a couple years. So hopefully we'll have our night soon for a devil's game, things like that. Um but yeah, that's that's really about it on on that front. Frank, uh, what is what is one of your 2026 goals?

SPEAKER_01: 37:48

Um, to be honest with you, I haven't really thought about it much. Um, you know, I kind of was so focused on accomplishing what I wanted to do this year, I really didn't think too far ahead. Um but I think I'm just gonna kind of just like wing it this year, man, see what happens. You know, I know one of the things on my to-do list is actually I want to get also a fixed head option for myself. Um, I absolutely love Severs, but I've been kind of eyeing up the new um Annihilator katanas I will I would like to try out just to see how they perform.

SPEAKER_02: 38:31

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 38:31

Um, so I might give them a shot. We'll we'll see what happens.

SPEAKER_02: 38:35

Which hold on, people. Frank and I have said this now for the last couple years, and we keep not doing it. And I've said it like a hundred times. Yeah. Right. That's what that's what we did with that's what we did with Iron Wills two years ago. We're both gung-ho, Sever came out with something, you know, the the hybrids and everything, and then we're like, yeah, never mind. And we uh raffled up, we raffled those off and everything like that. Um but yeah, I mean I I think it's cool, especially if you know you're shooting a lot of deer, like uh, I and I don't want to say I'm gonna do it. Um, you know, I'm I'm probably not, uh, you know what I mean? Um probably so I don't I think you know, and well, obviously we'll this will be something that we really discussed, you know, um in August when we're getting ready to the season. But uh, you know, for me, I'm gonna try not to think too far ahead. I'm gonna go with a winner bow thing. I want to get a buck down for a winter bow. Um haven't done that yet. That's the one this is the one time of the year that has eluded me. And we haven't been waterfowl hunting, you know what I mean? Because that's right. Our limit with geese is only one. So, you know what I mean? Uh it's been this thing where. Like yet again, I was out today and could have shot a limit, you know. I could have I would have been done in like a minute, you know what I mean? Um opening day, it was snowing, it was beautiful out. You know, there's a couple hundred birds in the field when I pulled up to go check a pond to see if there's any ducks in it, and I'm there for maybe 20-30 minutes. At least a couple like 200 birds had flown in. Oh, and that's another deal or another list, the buck. And since the limit here um in Jersey is one for geese, why not knock one with the with the bow? So I think I think that's gonna be something that I'm gonna try. Um, yeah, because it's not a challenge with with the gun. Like it, it's it's not just shooting. One is, you know, we plan on getting out for maybe one or two hunts. I'm gonna try to get out with a couple of the guys and and stuff like that in for the North Jersey, like late, late season, where the limit is back up to five and everything like that. Um, so I'm hoping if I can get to maybe four or five waterfowl hunts this year, I'll I'll be pretty pretty happy with that. So in the meantime, that means going after a winter bow buck to start off 2026 is is top of the list. And I'm not really um unless it's like a spike or something, you know what I mean. If it's it's six or eight, like and it doesn't have to be big, you know what I mean? Um that is a that's that's the bucket list for me. You gotta start somewhere, you know what I mean? Um and and that's what I'm looking looking at for for 2026, you know. We'll get back in again six, you know, like six, six to eight, yeah, six months, and we'll we'll go over the whole new list of what we we got going on for for 2026.

SPEAKER_01: 41:53

But I did actually I actually did think of one because I haven't killed a cop uh a Tom Turkey in freaking forever, bro. So I think that's gonna be my new goal is to get my spring tom turkey as early as I can. Because it's been a couple years since I shot one. I mean, I was out there obviously last year and the bird the bird came in, and you know, I I told uh Uncle Squatch pull the trigger on that one, but uh I think that that's my goal, man. I had a lot of close encounters, and I love just hearing them gobble and you know the chase is on and stuff, and I think that that's gonna be one of my goals to get another one. No, I'm gonna be with the bow goer.

SPEAKER_02: 42:39

I I like that. I like that. I'm not gonna I'm still learning birds, I would love to get one, but you know, I'm not gonna not gonna stress myself. I think that stresses me out way more than than any other does. Um, so I don't even want to talk about that right now. Uh but can you believe it's it's the end of 2025? Everyone sitting at home listening or driving or something like that, like how I feel like first of all, I feel like the the hunting season just started, you know what I mean? And we're actually a lot of states already one a either closing um or about to close, um, maybe have closed already. I know a big part of you know there are gonna be zones in Jersey by the end of January that are closed and and stuff like that. But like, yeah, that's by me. Yep. I I don't get it. Like, I generally don't like this time of year, it goes too fast, and then the summer's gonna drag on, and it's gonna be like, oh, we gotta wait all over again to hug, and then it's gonna season will go quick. It's it's absolutely crazy.

SPEAKER_01: 43:46

Yep, no, it always is. Man, it's always like said with me, it's never a dull moment. There's always something that happens to me. I got bad luck, then I got good luck, then I got bad luck. But uh, you know, we'll we'll see what happens for 2026. But um, but what I gotta tell you is that bear jerky I made the other day. Oh, yeah, yeah. Next time I see you, I will bring you some because I want your opinion on what you think.

SPEAKER_02: 44:13

So our first round of bear jerky. I might have to take a drive up there to get my hands on this.

SPEAKER_01: 44:19

Hell yeah, man. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_02: 44:21

Um now I know it's early. Have you figured out what do you have? You had any thought of what you're gonna be cooking for the the game dinner? Um you had a anger last year.

SPEAKER_01: 44:33

Yeah, we're probably gonna do the same thing. Um, yes, but you know, we we do the venison parm every year. Um, but we might throw something else in there. We might we might decide to you know bring some jerky or whatever. Um haven't really discussed it with the wife yet and see what her thoughts are on it.

SPEAKER_02: 44:51

Well, we already know that she has to bring the cookies, so the cookies is non-negotiable. So she already knows that the cookies will be there, everybody. Yeah, this venison parm. We we've talked about I don't know how much we've talked about really on the podcast, but we have talked about it in person. Um one of my favorite, like, so freaking good. The fact, like when I was found out you could do venison parm, which obviously should have been a no-brainer. Um, yeah, I'm a huge, huge, I'm a huge chicken parm person. So now you make venison parm like all right, that's that's that's the stuff right there. That's it. Absolutely. Yeah, I don't I don't know. I mean, I know that I leave that up to Bianca. She doesn't people, you know, I'll leave that up. We already kind of know what what we're gonna, you know. Usually the big one is her mac and cheese, and obviously the um the shepherd's pie that she makes, usually those are the two that people recommend and and everything like that. Um, I don't know, we'll see. We gotta see who you know who's coming, who's bringing what, and and things like that. But I'm excited. I like guys, if if you have not made it and you're on the fence, I highly recommend, and not just because obviously we will we want people there, but you know what, like if whether you're new, experience or whatever, you get to like it's a pretty neat brotherhood. Uh, yet again, and like for for me personally, like I don't want this thing to grow into, and we've talked about it before. We don't want this thing to grow into something that's gonna be a couple hundred people, you know what I mean. I I think we are very well where we are now and at the max of being at a hundred people because then the food quality and things like that. Like, I've been to to game dinners where there's so many DMP, and the food quality definitely is that we want to be able to one keep our food quality there, and two to keep the the brotherhood, the fan very family or uh oriented and and organized and and things like that to a thing. But if you are on the fence about it, you love eating, you know, you love just literally talking about hunting like I think the almost the whole entire time, you know, you get drinks, you have drinks and and things like that. That's that's us. And honestly, you become you know part of something that is that is big, pretty big because you know, almost everyone who goes once or just hangs out with the whole crew when we do events and stuff like that ends up sticking around and coming uh through multiple stuff. Um doing the the archer tournament that that we host um every year for hunting season, um, coming to the game dinner, coming to the Bo Show shoot, which we hopefully will be getting back uh this year that we'll that we'll be doing again this year. Um, you know, coming on like hey, come to to group hunts and stuff like that. And that's some of my favorite stuff. And we uh Zach Zach one and I, we were talking um like we would like to get an opening weekend like camp kind of going. Um, you know, I know we've talked about that, Frank and everything like that, doing something in you know, the water gap or something like that, doing a few day thing. Um, you know, uh Zach is has been on the you know, wants the there's something that's available to be bought that is you know gives us access to I think two different pieces close by him that are like humongous pieces. And he was like, dude, we can come down here every weekend, we got a place to stay, we can camp out, whatever, and we just hunt the whole entire entire weekend. And we're looking to add one more camp at least through the year. We have our Delaware camp, we have our bear camp that that we do this year. Too much rain, you know what I mean. But it it was fun, so that's something that we we plan to add, and you know, we love when guys come if anyone's looking to join the team and everything like that. You know, we're we're very open and stuff like that. Um, and would love you know to to add uh you know new people in it and everything like that, and it's gone pretty well for us. And we I can't say enough about you know the boondocks team. Um, I I really can't and really wouldn't be here, you know, without you guys, or maybe I would, you know, wouldn't it be enjoying myself and you know, like it is like it is a brotherhood, it's a very family-oriented. Uh, we are literally all family. Um, you know what I mean? And I I think I talk to these guys more than I think honestly, really anybody else. I think we're we at least talk, I think, almost every single day in that group chat, um, you know, and you know, giving each other updates and and and things like that. So, you know, from my you know, my number two right here, Frank, you know, I appreciate you, brother. I appreciate everything that you know that that you've done. Um, you know, I appreciate the family and and everything like that. You know, I I love you know getting to see the kids and you know, getting to you know watch them grow up. And you know, your your wife is uh absolutely amazing. And me and Bianca, we you know, we we love her and we love you guys. Um we appreciate it to Uncle Squatch, you know what I mean. Um, you know, can't be about him. Um, he's an absolute, you know, legend, and you know, we love we love him coming around and like we said earlier, the storytelling and the knowledge and everything like that, and just all around just a a great human being. Um, you know, I you know, Zach won Pete and and those guys, like I I hunt with those guys a lot, uh, especially Zach. I I talk to Zach a lot. You know, he's he's been great. Um, he plans on getting into the filming game next year.

SPEAKER_01: 50:37

Um, you know, I that'll be awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 50:39

Because that guy is I'll I'll tell you, Zach is like the hunting public Zach. Like, literally, except for in here, they have the same hairstyle. They hunt like this guy is an absolute killer when it comes to hunting. Um, you know, and I gotta give a huge shout out to one of our our intern, also, um, John. The stuff that he's been able to film for us this year has been absolutely unreal and it's gonna continue. I I you know, work our with our work skeleton and stuff like that, it does get a little busy and stuff like that. But the things that he's committed to and done, uh, you know, for us, like I absolutely love it, and I can't wait to see uh what he's gonna come up with for 2026 and everything like that. Um, to all our our our three wait three or three new guys, four new guys from both Connors to Zach and to uh Craig. Um, you guys have been absolutely unbelievable. Um, you know, you guys have put in a lot of work and a lot of time and you know um have been there uh grinding away, you know what I mean. And you you come in, you came into you know the boondocks winning team and you know immediately embraced the the you know the family-oriented um side of of boondocks. Um, you know what I mean? And we're we're really looking forward to what's to come from you know in the next year and hopefully eventually, you know, yeah, you know what I mean, and and spend some time. We plan on, you know, hopefully they can be make the game dinner. That that's gonna be a little hard, but we're gonna try to get out there for Wisconsin this year to hunt, and hopefully, you know, the boys can get down here for for bear season and stuff like that. Um, and then yeah, you know, that's I think that's that's our team. People are like, how does he not know?

SPEAKER_01: 52:35

We we've grown so much.

SPEAKER_02: 52:38

Um, you know what I mean? It's it's it's a it's a great thing. Um but without the boys, you know, we we appreciate you and all our listeners, you know, we can't say enough uh about you guys. Um you guys are absolutely incredible. Um obviously you you make doing this like fun too. You know, I and yet again, I don't me personally, I don't care if we get if we just got one episode download, you know, and per per episode. You know, we we have fun, but the fact that people really actually listen, and I mean we're about to be at 250 episodes that that we've done. And you know, one of my favorite things um from you guys is like one day, and you know, the randomly, you know, Frank and he'll he sees it too. Like, I'll get an email on our week, and like we're we had in like one day, like three or four, like three hundred downloads in just one day, and it's like, oh my god, like what is you know what I mean? Like it it's it's so rare, like without even dropping an episode, like it's people playing catch up or seeing somebody, you know, you know, finding our our show and everything like that. Like, I I I really can't say enough. Like, that's one of my favorite things to see from is people actually listening and wanting to listen because they're continuously listening to to more and more episodes. Um, you know, and people like, yeah, you know, I love that, you know, reaching out, I love this episode, or you're from the that's like shit. Like sometimes I forget that we're actually talking to people, not just talking to ourselves, and like people are actually at home listening or going to work or or doing whatever and and listening. So I can't thank you guys enough. Um, you know, some big things coming to 2026. Um, our um well, we are gonna continue the Chase the Unknown. We're gonna do it one more year on its own personal um platform. So right now we have the how it works for for our podcast is we have the Garden City Outdoorsman on one um basically network or whatever, how that whatever, and then we have the Chase the Unknown. Depending on what we kind of see on the Chase the Unknown, right? We either may leave it where it is or bring it to where the garden state is and kind of break it up where we'll have it. Well, it'll just say boondock's hunting, you know, podcast, you know, network. And then, you know, every time we drop on just one network, it'll be either the garden state, chase the unknown, or we also do. I gotta do remember that we did one episode, we plan on doing more uh segments, and we can kind of make into a show is um zach's uh twos uh stuff where it is echoes of the hunt, like a um more in depth with with the podcast and everything like that. That did very well um for the one episode that we did. We are bringing back more roundtable segment episodes this year. We are bringing back more trivia night episodes. We only got to do one last year, and we were really busy. We're really bummed out that we only got to do one. That is going to be a big, big uh thing for us uh next year. Um, also every single episode from the starting when we start putting these out from the garden state from everything is going to be on our um what the hell is it called? Our uh Patreon account. So the video version of this is always going to be on Patreon. We're not gonna put it on YouTube. Um we'll put clips and stuff like that out onto YouTube, but it's gonna everything's gonna go on our Patreon. Yes, you do have to pay. It's five dollars a month. Once we get up to a certain amount of followers on our paid paid paid followers on our Patreon, we will be doing um probably monthly or bi-monthly drops where you can get maybe some I'll send out some merch to a random uh subscriber, maybe some you know, racket or stuff, um, maybe some sever stuff. So we'll and that's something, but that is something that that we're gonna do to thank you guys also. Hey, for you know, if you're coming and spending five dollars a month on our show and everything like that, and if we continue and you guys want, we can either either do uh special episodes that are only posted on our Patreon. Um, you I would even like to do an episode, maybe even where fans kind of get to listeners get to take control of an episode or a game or something like that. Um, you know, so big things coming for it for 2026. Actually, our we're dropping this tonight, literally on New Year's Eve. I'm about to really quick do this. Um our next episode is a big one. Um, I will give the little hint. It is with Get Sauce New Jersey. If you have if you've not seen who he is, uh go look him up right now. Um I we recorded a couple weeks ago. I love the great great guy. Him and I, we we we really hit it off. Um but before I even followed him and even asked him, Bianca was sending me stuff that he was making. So he's a food account. Uh, he makes wild game dinner and food and everything like that, and simple for to do at home. And Bianca was sending me stuff. I had no idea he was from New Jersey, like so. She was sending me stuff, and then all of a sudden he started popping up on uh on you know the uh for you page and everything like that. And I'll so then I'll send stuff to Bianca and everything like that. And then I was looking at his name, I was like, that says NJ at the end of it. I'm like, what are the odds that he's from New Jersey? I'm like, he's not, there's no way he's from New Jersey. Maybe it stands for some other like that. And then I finally realized he watched so I hit him up, great guy. Um, you know, King came on and everything like that, and we chopped it up. So that is going to be the first episode of the year that's gonna come out next week. Um, that is gonna come out next week. Um, it is gonna come out on our Patreon account first, um, and then it will come out on on audio and and everything like that, like like usual. Um, so we're look really looking for that. Also, guys, we are going to have a Shopify account to a store where you can buy merch and everything like that. I want to get rid of all the all the sweatshirts and shirts that that we have. Um, they're gonna be set up at price. Um, I will be doing um once the Empire State show is done, they're gonna we're gonna have a huge uh discount and everything like that. Um going through through that through the shop and everything like that. The hats are gonna stay the same. The hats are something that we will always focus on and everything like that. Um once the hats are gone from the shop, the only way uh once the shirts and sweatshirts are gone, the only way they come back is if if they're it's gonna be like a really high demand. Like it would have to be like a really really high high demand and it might we might just do pre-orders where it's already paid for then we'll order them and then we'll get them we'll get them sent out something like that. That's something that Frank and I talked about a lot. And then even um I've talked about it with other companies and everything like that um as well and they're kind of on the same board where it's the hats is where it's at the shirts it does make it more difficult and we can just take that money that we're spending and and putting on um some other stuff. So um Frank I and any any last words for 2025 we're we're done it's over um team USA is playing right now world juniors team usa is about to kick ass at the olympics new jersey devils are depressing me so hopefully go to the game they're back to being good about to say that you know what I mean it's it it's it's been tough the Super Bowl is right around the corner um and deer season is either at an end for a lot of you guys or coming close to a an for you uh just like this 25 2025 uh year pretty much well I wish everybody happy new year I mean thanks again again Mike for everything that you do and you know again thanks to all the listeners we appreciate all you guys and anybody who ever if you have ever any questions because I have tons of people that actually reach out to me whether it's a bad shot placement whatever feel free to reach out to any of us we're always here for you guys we want to see everybody successful and we hope everybody has a safe and amazing 2026 man yes uh perfectly said exactly what he said uh everyone I hope you guys have a great 2026 um cheers to to everyone out there cheers cheers let's get after it stay safe everyone drink responsibly do not drink and drive um and we'll see you guys next time