SPEAKER_04: 0:00

This is the Garden State Outdoors Podcast. Built on early alarms, muddy boots, and stories that only the woods can write. New Jersey is one of the most underappreciated states in the outdoors, and little do they know what it really holds. From hard-earned public land deer to waterfowl, predators, and everything in between. This state produces more than people give it credit for. Now let's dial in with the men and women around the state of New Jersey who live this life every day. In New Jersey, excuses don't survive. Only the grinders do. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are back. Holy shit, what a day we've had. Today is September September, Jesus Christ. February 22nd, and it was a big historic day. First of all, I just want to tell you, for those of you who don't know, it was George Washington's birthday. Then we won our what 46 years ago, right? 19 we won the first gold medal. And now we started off our day. America versus Canada. And I'll tell you, I have never been prouder of like everything from waking up this morning was America, America, America, America. Still my timeline is nothing but America. But you know, before before we get into that, we had the Empire State show, right? So, you know, we had the event, we had the booth, whatever, had the TV. And I was like, and usually I put on like you know our YouTube stuff, and I'll like I'll dab them, put some hunting shows on, but I was like, I was like, no. Canada's playing right now. Turned on the Canada game. Everybody started stopping at the booth, right? Everybody, it was a huge break, like day one. Everyone's like, oh standing there watching the game. Canada was down at the at this point, too. They're they're losing. They come back, they win. Right? Everyone's like, oh, you can have the the American game on. Yeah, of course. I had to leave because I had high school practice. I had to drive all the way home, go skate with the boys for a couple hours, and then drive back up. But I made sure I was like, listen, don't worry, we'll have the game on. I'll I'll make sure the TV set for USA. USA played, USA kicked ass. I think it was 6-2. Um and you know, everyone's like, all right, cool, like Sunday, you're gonna have the USA game on, of course. Right? So we get into the show Saturday, we you know, Frank Squatch, the whole crews there that are within driving distance of us, and you know, we had ourselves a great freaking time there, but they unfortunately canceled the show because right now we are getting hit with an absolute hammer of a northeastern right now. We're what projected, I think two to three feet of snow. Yeah, holy shit and our snow after a whole month and a half finally just disappeared, just started disappearing by me. You know, for for Frank, yeah, for Frank, where he lives, the snow just started disappearing. Like finally, like we just had our snow disappear here, but now we're about to we're we're getting hit all over again right now. So they cancel the show for Sunday. I drive home, I'm celebrating, and I texted the boys. Bianca was out for her friend's birthday, so I I stopped at a bar, um, had myself a couple drinks. We're we're not gonna get into what I was celebrating just yet until everything is a hundred percent official, signed, dotted, dot on the line. We do have big news coming out for you guys very shortly. Um, but I was celebrating, you know, the success and and everything like that of boondocks hunting of the team and and everything like that. We didn't go to bed until like four or five o'clock in the morning, but don't you freaking worry? Eight o'clock hit, that alarm went off, and the boys are already texting in the chat. Let's go USA and everything like that. And from there on, it was fucking on. I I have to say, hands down, the greatest, I think the greatest hockey game I have I've ever had uh uh so far.

SPEAKER_03: 4:14

Dude, and that's games that third period was unreal. Yeah, says Halibuck had one of the best games in that I've seen in a long time.

SPEAKER_01: 4:25

I I missed all of third quarter. Was Canada just breathing down our necks the whole time?

SPEAKER_03: 4:30

Dude, even yeah, before the second, they were all they dominated the the second 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_04: 4:38

We were uh, you know, we things started out good. Uh Canada had the first like three shots, and you know, extremely fast-paced game. Like it you could just tell right off the bat, like it's a whole different level. And I think we went in after the first period, tied in shots. Um, and then things were okay. I wouldn't, I I didn't like our start in the second, but it wasn't panic mode yet until we went down five on three, and they had a two-man and two-man advantage. And then from there on, Canada just just took over the game. And Hellibuck absolutely stood on his head. I mean, although the one paddle save with the empty net, it was just absolutely incredible. Um, and then I I gotta say, I'm I am you know being Jersey guy, you know, big devils fan, you know. Frank, we've gone over with Frank. Frank's uh daughter was probably freaking out that that everything like that. But I'll tell you, this is the difference between hockey players and and everybody else. Jack Hughes takes a stick to the mouth, broke broke the uh the top teeth, broke some of the bottom teeth, bloodied, didn't miss a fucking shift, and then in the overtime, freaking nets a goal. And I'll tell you, boys, I was so far. Bianca goes, I've never seen you jump so high. I ran all the way upstairs, I freaking jumped into my mom's arm, like I was celebrating, like we won freaking gold medal and the and and the Stanley Cup and everything like that. And it was it was such a big thing for one USA hockey, but then also just for I think uh USA in just uh in general, because the amount of people are just so connected, and you know, and then it was just great with Jack Hughes's speech of you know, basically this is all about America, I love America, like everything like that. We've all seen the bullshit. Where we're I'm not gonna get into the pot, but we've seen the bullshit of what's been going on, and for that was just like a big like, yeah, fuck yeah, like we're we're here, let's love it. We're we're America first, and 100% in Canada, we we we got the dub on them.

SPEAKER_03: 6:47

Yeah, I I absolutely loved it. You know, after Jackie Hughes put that in net. Um, I mean, you if you're watching, there were sticks and helmets that actually went over the boards.

SPEAKER_07: 6:59

I mean, it was fan.

SPEAKER_01: 7:10

I just hope that there's like Canadian fans just standing in all setting up freaking stickers in the face.

SPEAKER_03: 7:18

Yeah, that was awesome.

SPEAKER_04: 7:20

Well, and yeah, what what a day. I mean, the only thing that I I wish could have been a little better that we started at like 10, 11, 12 o'clock just so I can get into a bar, or maybe like it was cool having it start off your day, especially because we won. That would have been a huge bummer. Could you like starting off the day with the loss? Fuck you, Canada. You that's how it um, you know, growing growing up hockey like that that that was always the dream, you know. They they talked about it, Jack talked about it, like they all talked about it, but like even for me, like there is no bigger rivalry in in hockey than uh USA Canada. And you know, we've we've been the little brother for one two gold medals, you know what I mean? So this meant so much, you know, so much to me. And and I imagine every single hockey, you know, Connor, Connor can tell you, like, every single hockey player in the state of or in the the whole country, like doesn't matter if you're 50, 60, 70, you know, unless you won the the gold medals, like there's always a grudge and always uh what's face towards Canada because you know, yeah, they've they've beaten us in in every stage, but you know what?

SPEAKER_01: 8:32

I yeah, like the Worlds game when we had the massive when they booed our anthem. Oh they just went out there and brawled and just beat the living, like literally physically beat them. I was like, oh god, yes.

SPEAKER_03: 8:45

Well, and that was so cool when you read the backstory that the Kachuk brothers they literally planned that like the second the puck was dropped to drop the mitts right away. Like they they knew they were doing that the second that game got out of the way.

SPEAKER_04: 9:00

Yeah, you gotta set the tone.

SPEAKER_01: 9:03

Yeah, and then but it just sucks because at the championship game, like we didn't win, but it was just like God that that other game felt like the championship. Yeah, like I was it was just awesome, and then now we got gold, and that's just even better. Yeah, I was flipping.

SPEAKER_03: 9:19

Oh, go ahead. No, no, no. I was saying I was flipping channels last night uh when we got into town here, and it just so happened like literally it was a scene before where uh Kurt Russell was doing the herd Herb Brooks speech. I mean, yeah, I I love that he's like tonight. I mean, just phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01: 9:42

Yeah. No, he actually they're talking about having them do like a narrating for uh the entire Olympics afterwards if they won and they did. So I think they're actually gonna do like a narrating story, like documentary with him narrating it. Oh, no way. Yeah, so that's gonna be pretty freaking sweet. That's awesome. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_04: 10:03

Yeah, so I my bad boys. I had to see if I can the the the computer is rapidly dying here. So I'm trying to see if I can get a different charger, and maybe that will that will help.

SPEAKER_03: 10:16

So uh Frank uh is squatch like well, if he's not plowing and takes is he like uh coloring in his coloring book in a parking lot, or what's he doing?

SPEAKER_02: 10:26

Usually, usually he's crying over there somewhere.

SPEAKER_01: 10:34

I bet you he's like hammered.

SPEAKER_02: 10:37

I literally I talked to him just before. It was probably around like he said probably around 6 30 here that they were gonna call him in, and then I haven't heard from him, so they probably called him in. Because it I mean it's fucking bumping over here. Actually, I just got a text message from my job. The first time ever they fucking closed. Wow. First time ever. It's about time.

SPEAKER_01: 11:00

Yeah, I'm still waiting on a call for a delayed start tomorrow because there's already an inch outside right now. Yeah, and everything closes around here. Like if it's like thin ice, yeah, like, oh my god, we can't support anything.

SPEAKER_03: 11:13

Man, we have to get four feet of snow for Craig and I for anything to shut down uh in Wisconsin except for the People's Republic of Madison.

SPEAKER_04: 11:25

Yeah, well, you know, you you guys are used to, you know, you know, all those like real like northern northern states, like we we get shut down for. I mean, it's gotta it's not gonna be anything small, but like obviously, like this is supposed to be like something, yeah. What I really hear is like the wind is supposed to really hit, like they said it like up to 80 miles per hour and everything like that. So that I think is what and it's it's going from tonight all the way into until tomorrow. Like, I think tomorrow's supposed to drop like another 15 inches from you know, from what I heard, you know, these are these are speculations and and everything like that.

SPEAKER_03: 12:01

So some of those properties like on the Jersey shore and all that could get absolutely destroyed, right?

SPEAKER_04: 12:07

With those waves, and again, like you know, it that's I mean that that was the issue during what um her what sand not sand all those you know hurricanes and everything that were like um that yeah, that's what be happening down there. Um hopefully, you know, it's all it's all right for for this one, and you know we'll but we'll see. But um boys, um yeah, I I can't believe we're here. Season's over. Um it went by like that, you know. You know, it's so crazy how different. And I I love that that we now have teams so so spread out and everything like that. Like, especially for you Wisconsin boys. Like it's it's gotta be. I I don't know, and and you you guys get to correct me if I'm wrong. Like I as much as I would love to move out there and hunt there and everything like that, like you guys start after us, you end before us. You you had the whole entire chat of yo, Zach shooting deer, both Zach continuously kill deer. You got like uh everyone, and then you you guys really like like we've talked about in other episodes. You gotta play the waiting game. It's all right, you know, we we this is what we gotta do. And I mean, you know, we're talking about hunts over like we can get into 60s, 70s, and 80 hunts, and we could shoot five, six, seven. Well shit in Jersey, you can shoot unlimited dose. You know, um yeah, it's it's it's absolutely increasing. Seven bucks unlimited dose. Um and it's such a different thing, but we got to actually see the dynamics of uh you know being in other states and everything like that, and really loved having you know, having the Wisconsin guys here for the first year, having Zach down in in the south, and let's get a little, you know, even though he's not too too south, but yeah, we get a little southern, you know, southern uh hunt down there and everything like that. So I mean, phenomenal hunts for from all you guys, but you know, Wisconsin boy, what what what was it like for you guys being in a chat and even the competition, the archery competition, oh geez, but a bunch of fucking killers.

SPEAKER_03: 14:17

Yeah. I'll let you start, Craig. It's tough. It's tough to see that like another one down, another one down.

SPEAKER_00: 14:25

Yeah, it was like within I don't know, like throughout the season. Obviously, you all know like I only shot that one buck, but like it was it was tough seeing like you know, Instagram posts all deer down, deer down. I'm thinking myself like fuck you guys. Like I'm all you know, like fucking grinding on crocodile, fucking nocturnal fucking deer, and uh that was the toughest I've ever hunted out there ever. And it's just like then all of a sudden you know, I wake up the next morning, fucking deer down, Frank got another one, this and that. I'm like, fuck this. I'm like I was to the point where it's like, all right, I'm gonna fucking go high fence, fuck this shit, I'm done.

SPEAKER_04: 15:02

No, I see.

SPEAKER_00: 15:11

And then like it got down to like the season where I adapted and I took the time and went to the urban piece in DePyr. And with all that construction going on there and fucking I see him here every night. So then in my head, I'm like in my head, I'm like, no, I'm gonna be one of these guys, I'm gonna be able to fucking post something dead on Instagram for once, and it fucking happened. So I mean it was and honestly though, too, like it wasn't like it wasn't like frustrating, obviously, because we're all teaming all we're all family and stuff, but like it it kept the drive going. Like it it made me feel like it's okay, fuck it. My time's coming, it's gonna happen for this team, and sure shit. And then when Connor, when Connor shot his and like just watching the video of him tracking and shit like that, like like in my head, I'm like, oh, I need to fucking live this fucking moment. Like, it's gonna happen. It's been too long, and not more than because you shot yours, Connor.

SPEAKER_03: 15:59

Uh October October 28th.

SPEAKER_00: 16:01

Okay, so I literally shot mine.

SPEAKER_04: 16:03

Started started that like we we kicked off the season hot. Yeah, and then everyone slowed down. Yep. And then Connor really kicked off with that kill of just like the 28th. Then we had that storm come in, so like 29, 30, Halloween's kind of washed and everything like that. And then literally that next day, November 1st, I think there was two two big bucks, I think, down. I shot my doe the next day, then I shot my buck the the day after that. I think Frank somewhere oh, it's like the week after one, and then I know Zach. Then you you know, Craig got one, and Zach went out and got another, and like, but kind of really kicked off like that this momentum of momentum. Yeah, we're rolling into November, just hotter, hotter.

SPEAKER_01: 16:53

No, Rudd just yeah, it just got it going. That was perfect.

SPEAKER_04: 16:56

100%.

SPEAKER_01: 16:57

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 16:58

So yeah, I mean, it like like Craig said, it uh you know, it I I like, I guess. I mean, yeah, it gets frustrating for us at times, but it's also cool to see the you know the realities, and and it all comes down to obviously that you know, state rules and regulation bullshit. But um, in terms of, I mean, let's be honest, I mean, you know, New Jersey and all that, the populations are just absolutely out of control. So I I understand why the thing things are the way they are. Um but who knows? I mean, the the DNR here is is pretty tough. Um I don't know for Craig and I, like I'd love to see some changes. Uh you know, we can take an additional buck with the bowl.

SPEAKER_00: 17:42

Yeah, um, but don't even get and don't get me started up to fucking Spring Turkey, how fucked up like that. That is the absolute most it's still you know, and I still, you know, it's funny thing is I piss a monoboard every year and it pisses me out, but yet I still do it. But like it's just like how the DNR works for Spring Turkey, Wisconsin is absolutely it blows my mind how stupid they can actually be with it.

SPEAKER_03: 18:06

Yeah, and and it it's like it I mean like everywhere. I mean, there's so many birds in the state, it's just ridiculous. And I don't know. I wish you could pound them all year round, but um, but yeah, no, I mean just get going through this season, I think we all had um some extremely memorable hunts, but you know, I I will say, like, you know, and all your guys' stories are special, you guys all you know mean a lot to me, but one of the stories this year that I thought just because you know, with Craig, like I know the struggles and all that, and like your story of putting that one down, you know, community. I mean, that that was that was freaking awesome, dude. So props to you for sticking with it, not giving up. And that's I know that's one of your big things on your page is just preaching, believing yourself, never quit. And so that that was awesome, just like the smile on your face to see, you know, when whoever was taking the picks for you. Uh that was that was a highlight of my season and all you guys like shooting, and then when Zach started knocking stuff down um in Oklahoma, I mean that that was freaking cool.

SPEAKER_01: 19:16

So sick, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 19:18

Everybody's stories. And then when uh Squatch sent me, because I had been asking him about that uh insta cam that I mean to see his knock light up when that arrow left. I mean, that was awesome. So everybody's stuff, and then you know, the the video with uh with you, Mike, when you I think you said you were only 10 or 11 feet off the ground and that big boy came into that cut corn, and we've all been there, you know, where you send the arrow, and it's like uh fuck. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 19:50

Yeah, I mean it it it was a it was that was such a fun time, and it it was just like you know, the chat was never really like dead, like we were always talking to each other every single day, right? But it was just like every single time you would look at your phone, somebody shot something, yeah. Especially during that time period, it was like, oh my freaky, like you're like, all right, you know, cool, this so-and-so got down, you know. Uh squash killed what like and it was like, oh shit, boys, like you know, I got it, it was so much it was so much fun. Um, you know, it it's you just keep reliving the moment, and then you know, you're just going over all the things and everything like that, and you know, really the the team success. Um you know, over really the last couple years, you know what I mean. I think last year we're like 50, close to 50 deer last year. Um I think we're we're pretty close this year too. I I'm calculating the numbers right now, but you know, Frank Frank got his bear too, you know what I mean. Ethan went down to Florida, he shot a hog. Um like you said, Zach went out and and traveled to Texas and and all these other places and shot a couple of freaking absolute killer animals and and everything like that, you know. Um the the waterfowl was lacking this year, you know what I mean? That for for me, uh, but that's what happens when you only have a one bird limit in in New Jersey, so you're not gonna really go out. Uh and and you know, uh the other Zach uh got a he got a coyote and everything like that too. Um you know, so like the the animals were were getting getting knocked down, and it was it wasn't just like everyone's like, oh, you guys were just shooting everything. Like we have that mix of both of like, all right, you know, we shot our does because we needed meat. Um Zach um the other Zach um shot a couple of smaller bucks and everything like that, and then he, you know, he killed a absolute stud. And it it's kind of like a mix of what we want to do, where yeah, we're we're chasing a specific. But then also like you know, when we're down in Delaware and you know, anyone hey, we we're we're chasing a specific thing, we're hunting spots that we've never hunted before. So whatever walks out is is kind of you know within it legal, you get two tags down there in Delaware. Hey, if it's a spike or a four-pointer or five point, listen, it's getting an arrow, especially later in the season. And it kind of shows, you know, everyone, like, yeah, we shoot, we shoot a lot of deer, we shoot big deer too, but we also shoot for meat as as well.

SPEAKER_01: 22:34

Yeah, you know, I mean it's also just not meat for us, it's meat for other people. Like there's families in need around here, and and coming across, especially with now with how much beef costs, it's ridiculous. And so being able to an arrow a deer, not just from yourself, but for other people, it just means so much to them. Like dropping off meat to them and seeing their faces is just like like the sigh of relief that comes from their voices, it's just like, man, it's like I thought I had it bad, but man, they have it so much worse. Yeah, so it's like we're just trying everything we can to make ends meet, and that's what it's all about is we're not just shooting a kill, like we're doing it for ourselves, we're doing it for others, and then of course, we're praying to God that that monster 10 point that just comes through, and you're like, here's the tank, this is what I've been waiting on.

SPEAKER_04: 23:22

Right, and you know, it's it's another thing of why we do the podcast, why we do all these things is show you the up and ups and downs of the season because we're not gonna sit here and tell everybody hey, you know what, it was a perfect season, it was a really good season, you know what I mean? But we all had our issue, you know, Frank had a bow issue that has been lingering for for two seasons now, you know what I mean. Um I shot that deer low, you know. Um I shot over two deer, like shot shot over, yeah. I shot Miss the Coyote, like you know, these these things happen. You know what I mean? Um, you know, Frank or uh God Craig had to had to grind the whole entire season, you know what I mean, and keep toughing it out. And even like you know, we've talked about it, those are when doubt starts to creep in, and it's like especially like we're talking, you start seeing everything else pop up on Instagram, and and everyone's killing stuff, and it's like, well, what what the hell am I doing wrong? Yeah, and you start getting on yourself, like that right there is I think something a lot of hunters don't like talking about too, or like admitting, where it's like man, the pressure just builds and builds. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 24:33

I mean, and that's and that's just it, like you know, the pressure builds and stuff too, you know. And then you look like like you just said, like you've seen everyone's success, success, success, and then you look at like where you are with nothing, but like at the same time, it's like you can't stop grinding. And if you if you start not believing yourself, then yeah, you're just gonna be done. But no, it's like you just gotta keep telling yourself your time is coming. If you keep believing that your time is coming, it's gonna come. And look, look what all happened, it all right.

SPEAKER_03: 25:02

And I think that's a tough thing. I I think that's a lesson for all of I think that's anything in life. Like, you know, when we want something to happen, sometimes it's not always on our timeline.

SPEAKER_00: 25:12

Exactly, it ain't just gonna avoid that.

SPEAKER_03: 25:14

Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, and to Craig's point, um, you know, there were so many times this year, and over the past few years, I can remember, remember looking back in my log and you know, putting 80 plus hours on stand, and you know, you come home those nights and just nothing. And you know, my wife, and you know, you get frustrated because like you're the one that's out there, and yeah, she totally supports me, you know, but the feeling of you know going out there and not being successful, but I mean, I can't tell you how many times she said it to me. She's like, Connor, like you're blessed to be able to do out there, be out there doing what you love. It's you know, and I know we all know that that's not what it's all about is putting an arrow through something. And you know, I I think all of those, I don't want to say failures, I mean those days when stuff just hasn't gone my way or Craig's way or all you guys, you know, it's like it every single hunt makes us a better hunter.

SPEAKER_00: 26:13

And you know, like you just said too, like I can remember, well, I don't know, I think maybe three, four years ago, whatever, it doesn't matter, but like it was I bought the one year I ended up getting granted the turkey tag that we get in Wisconsin that we apply for, and you can go and get your leftover tags for what's left over. And I remember that one year I I think I think I had four tags and I had zero birds, and it was week six. And it was my my wife had a bachelorette party, and then that morning, that Sunday morning, I went over there to help clean up a little bit, you know, pack up whatever, and got home. And I still could go and hunt. I mean, it's turkey. I go there at one o'clock, set up a ground line in a plow of the field, and I who knows, you know, you can probably kill one. But I was so burnt out and worn out that's like you know what? I'm okay with defeat. I didn't get it, but this year it is what it is. And we're sitting up in the living room, and I remember Tammy and Cyber going, Go, you don't know what's gonna happen, just go try it. So I'm like, whatever. So I rushed to get everything in my truck. Long story short, got the pier set up literally in the middle of the open, like gravel road on a high point. I was such in a hurry that I forgot my ground stake, so I have a ground lineup. Thank god it wasn't windy, because otherwise I'd be able to shit out of buck. And within, and then again, it goes back to like the success pictures you get, stuff like that. Well, when the owner at Red Door where I coach, and he was just turkey hunting for the first time this year. Fucker sends me a picture of fucking wearing a blue hoodie and blue jeans. Oh, this ain't that hard. He holds up a bird. I'm like, you know what? Fuck you, man. Like, for how hard I bust you sending me looking like you're wearing a fucking care beer costume and you're killing birds, yeah. Like, so then also I'm like, screw this. So I just hit the call, and not more than 25 minutes later, I look up, fucking strutter comes running, marriage by decoys, kill him at six yards. So it's like, holy shit, you know. And if I went to listen to Kyler or Tammy saying, No, go and try, you still have time. And if I went to one, I would have went to had a bird, and I'd kill in 25 minutes.

SPEAKER_01: 28:12

Isn't that funny though? Like the the most successful hunt is starts off with like the most ridiculous, yeah. You're just like this, nothing is going my way today. Like, this is exactly how I'm driving me nuts.

SPEAKER_04: 28:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just funny how that happens. It's a what what is one of the most like when that's happening is I always find myself where I'm tripping on stuff.

SPEAKER_06: 28:37

The fans are getting me, like, you know, are killing me or eating me alive.

SPEAKER_04: 28:42

You know, I've I've in and everyone knows this is a joke kind of like me dropping stuff, like I constantly are dropping stuff. Like you know, I I get like especially during the rut, like I went through I think four grunt tubes this year. I broke, I think I broke one, lost two, mom, like it was it was crazy. And and listen, part of it is the style of hunting that that I that I do, right? I need it to be easily accessible to myself, so put it like in a pocket or something. And when you're trying to be all stealthy and all badass and everything like that, and then the next thing you do, you look and it's freaking gone. And you try like I I tried the hunt where I killed my buck, I was walking in with my grunt tube. I don't I don't think I I don't think I told it the story, right? So walk in, you know, see all this deer, fuck it, going back to hunt. I go back, I get all my gear, right? I'm walking in, I got my racket or stuff, and I see a buck across the the river, like maybe a couple hundred yards in. So, you know, I'm grunting everything like that. So I put it in like one of my pockets, but I don't get it out of pocket. And I start walking, you know, and I'm spraying, you know, hot to trot and everything on the boots. I'm spraying every, you know, so I'm like kind of bending down and everything like that. And somewhere within that that time frame, this thing must have just fell right over when I was bending down, right? Get to the stand, get up, get all set. Buck comes comes in. Looking, looking all over. I'm like, all right, and now, and this is like I this is how bad I get. The deer leaves, and I'm early, still super early in the hunt. I mean, I still got hours. So I'm like, all right, do do I get down? Do do how so I get down and I walk maybe a couple hundred yards. I'm like, all right, I don't find anything, like, I don't want to miss the action. I get back in and I'm and then I'm sitting there for like 10, 15, 20 minutes, nothing comes by, and the only thing on my mind is his buck tube. And I'm like, all right, I'm gonna get back down and I'm gonna go down. I get back down and I start walking it. I'm trying to like now I'm trying to remember the exact path that I walked in on, and I'm just like, I'm like, yo, what are you doing? You're now you're starting to sweat, you're working yourself fucking up, you're getting angry, right? You know, you're cutting yourself up in all the thorns and everything like that. And I I finally like I think I walked almost back to my truck. I am not gonna lie, and I don't even I can't even tell you if I was on the right path or not. I didn't see it. I get back in the tree and I'm like, this is gonna be the hunt where like I see a freaking giant deer and I need to like grunt and snort wheeze at him. I'm not gonna be able to, I'm gonna be so pissed, and like it's all like bad shit. The deer kept moving, and I mean that and that deer like worked out in front of me and shot I shot him at five yards and everything like that. But like I yeah, you guys know like when it comes to losing shit, if you find like anything like that in the woods and you hunt near me, it's it it's a good chance it's my on one of the waterfowl hunts, same thing. Put my uh my uh DGI camera in my pocket, same thing. It fell exact because I was belly crawling in it and it fell out. Thank god I found that one. I was getting a little nervous with that. You know, that's a couple hundred dollar uh yeah camera. I didn't I didn't want to lose that, but it's like things are going wrong. Everything, you know, you feel like everything's going wrong, you know, you step on a puddle that's way deeper than you thought. You're now your socks all wet and you gotta sit there.

SPEAKER_03: 32:22

I I still I still remember earlier the season, like you know, shortly after I had done the interview with you, all the join the family. And I remember uh Mike, you had maybe brought it up, but then of course, you know, Squatch and uh Frank chime in and you know, 10. So then I think I may had made a comment to you in our chat uh, you know, about losing something and sure shit. Like it was probably I don't know, five or six days before I shot my bow buck, got up on stand, got all set, and uh you know, got knocked the arrow. And then, you know, I had not put my quiver up on the hook yet, did something or whatever. Quiver with my four remaining arrows, falls down to the ground. And I literally at that moment I thought right of you know, Mike, and I literally it was literally like Ralphie in a Christmas story.

SPEAKER_04: 33:18

I was like, it is it's crazy how much I there's so many things I didn't tell you guys this year because I knew exactly what you guys were going through. Oh, we would be shit behind. I dropped so many things out the fucking tree this year. I did the same thing. I've dropped the whole quiver out. I've dropped arrows somehow where I dropped arrows and it went flying down, and the it, you know, my severs opened up and everything like that. Um, I'm pretty sure I've dropped my I dropped my phone out the tree this year. Oh lord, I've done that. Everything it's usually, and I I will say, and I don't know if anyone else out there experienced this, it's usually not later in the hunt. It's usually right in the beginning, right? So after you've hiked in, after you got all sweaty, and you finally like settle down for the second, and then you drop something, you're like, Fuck, I actually need that down there. Yeah, just got all set up, got comfortable. I'm freaking sweating. Like, I'm like, I probably made so much damn noise that deer is not gonna like you know, and then you you have to get back down. It's a it's just an absolute disaster. I need John to just walk around with me and film every little the amount of times I get caught going through thick stuff and I absolutely bust my freaking ass and go flying or something like that. I am the utter mess in in the woods.

SPEAKER_01: 34:46

Dude, I was out in Oklahoma with my buddy Rob, and we're in the blind, and it's our last night. He still hasn't gotten anything. Well, this we see off in the distance this buck is scraping on this tree, and I'm like, oh sweet, like he's finally gonna get something. This buck comes in, he's drawn. I'm pulling up my phone like this to film, and it just out of my head, it just makes the loudest noise. He's just sitting here at his anchor point, and he just goes like, you motherfucker. And I'm just like, dude, I'm so sorry, but I get it up, the butt doesn't hear if I get it up again, and you're not gonna believe it. One more time, I drop it. I'm like, I just sit there and I'm like, this can't get any any better. And then I finally get it, I'm filming, not thinking like, okay, I have to I have to range it for him. I get my finder up, and of course, thank God I have my lander on it, but I lays it, and I'm trying to get back into my pocket and tell him it's at 26 yards. I think I have it in it, and it falls between my legs and ding my chair. And he's just like, at this point, he's dropping back for like this is all within like 30 seconds. He finally like he like puts it back in, he's like, Will you stop? Just a little stop. And I'm like just looking straight ahead and I'm like, we're good, dude. Just go. I got I'm poor filming. We're rolling. And I'm like, mess with the camera, and he's just like, You sure? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 36:12

But this is like his first Zach, you were you were that meme when you're when you're with your significant other in the blind, and it's her first time in there, and she has all the smack and she did that.

SPEAKER_01: 36:32

This was his first bubble hunt. Like he he's never killed a deer with anything, so like he's like already like tripping out. But when he's when he sends that arrow, it is like the most perfect both double heart and or sorry, double lung and heart, and I was like, dude, that was perfect. Locked up like 15 yards, he was running dead, he was just laying over, and I was like, dude, yes. But it was like it's just one of those stories, like, yeah, my first buck, my buddy almost ruined it for me.

SPEAKER_03: 37:02

Like that's one of the stories always gonna start off yep.

SPEAKER_02: 37:13

Is the record button on?

SPEAKER_01: 37:17

He literally goes like, are you done? Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03: 37:24

But it's a basic like Mike had said earlier, and I don't know what it is, how it just gets in your head, but it it was the exact same thing for me whenever we've all dropped something. I can't tell you in that first 20 minutes that I was looking through the webbing on my hang-on stand, just looking at the quiver, and it's like in my head, I'm like, Connor, it's not going anywhere. But you you that's just like you're supposed to be focusing and you know, glass and whatever, and all I keep doing every five minutes is looking down at my quivers. Should I get down and get it? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 37:57

I feel that pain that goes to show you guys when you hunt with Mike, I'm just gonna walk behind him because if I don't get anything, at least I get all new hunting equipment, but I'll take my leave.

SPEAKER_04: 38:08

Right. So Frank, they they don't know this story. So last year, right? When uh Frank shot his one of one of his bucks and the one that we couldn't, you know, we didn't end up finding, right? So we go up there, yada yada, we're we're grid searching like crazy. Finally, like I don't know how like what do you I think we stopped to eat like the the four-wheeler at some like random spot, and then we someone randomly found a small tiny drop of blood, right? Yeah, it was me. Yeah, so we're we're we're tracking this deer, and I'll tell you, we're now starting to throw everything out. Like, we get the hat here, we got this here. You know what I mean? We don't we we weren't prepared. For some dumb reason, I go, Hold on, let me put my knife there. I put my knife there to to mark the blood. I'm pretty sure. Did we ever find no? We did find it, but it I was it was my Montana uh uh knife uh 200 something dollar knife, I put it in the in the ground. It took me like 45 minutes to freaking find later. I was flipping a shit of I was like, I fucking knew it. I fucking I should have done it. I was about to start blaming Frank.

SPEAKER_02: 39:21

I find one drop of blood. I call Squatch, I call Mike, he comes over. Before I even knew Mike's like, I'm on the blood, Frank. He's following all of a sudden he he's like half undressed, his shirts over here, his drugs over here. He's like, just follow this way, he went this way.

SPEAKER_06: 39:37

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04: 39:38

Listen, if if we would have kept going, I probably would have been butt naked by by the end of it. So yeah, listen, I'll tell you, I love tracking deer. Like, I that's one of my like for me when I'm doing it for myself, it's you all you all know. You're you're nervous when you're doing it for yourself. You know, I mean, when when you're doing it for somebody else, as much as listen, I I want Frank, I want all of you guys when I when I go on out, like you want to find this deer, right? But you don't have that same type of exit, it's not the same type of anxiety because you didn't shoot the deer. So you're just going in like I was like, oh, you found it. Boom. I I love tracking other deer. I don't like tracking my deer because I get fucking nervous as shit. Yeah, but I love tracking other people's deer um for them, but yeah, we can I fucking I I was telling Frank, I was on the phone with him a couple weeks ago, and you know, when we went up to PA, you know, I shoot the 30 odd sixes, and I guess I I left them in my pocket. Went out on the phone, we're crying.

SPEAKER_01: 40:40

Don't go to the airport with Mike.

SPEAKER_03: 40:41

Got it for a hunting trip.

SPEAKER_05: 40:43

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03: 40:45

Sir, we're gonna need you to come with us.

SPEAKER_04: 40:49

Literally, during hunting season, it's just a mess, right? So we're we're we're trying to figure out you know the dates to go to the great American Outdoor Show. This is pre-before my truck, you know, right? Got a big corn. Absolutely take a sh fucking, I just eat it. I go flying, the corn goes flying. I'm pretty sure Frank hears me. Oh fuck, god damn it, hands are all in the snow, everything like that. Well, I guess the rounds, the rounds fell out and they were just buried in the snow. I freaking found them like a week later when I'm walking in through pitch black at night to go drop some corn, and I just see freaking just something a little shiny.

SPEAKER_07: 41:27

I'm like, oh shit, look at there, they go the 30 out six rounder right there.

SPEAKER_06: 41:36

Good lord.

SPEAKER_04: 41:39

But uh a phenomenal season, you know, and it's gonna it's just gonna get better, you know. We we we hope to have you guys out next year for for bear camp and everything like that, and do some, you know, hope to get uh Zach and everything like that down, and hopefully Frank and and stuff like that down in Delaware at camp and everything like that. Um, you know, those are doing everything together, you know. Look at how much fun we have on on just like a computer screen and everything. Yeah, we're texting. So, you know, one thing where we're really um looking forward to the wild game dinner and everything like that. Um can't can't absolutely wait to to meet uh Connor and also you know, Johnny who's who's coming from uh Michigan over from Whitetail Advantage and everything like that. And for any of you guys who are who are coming out, um really looking forward to that. But the group hunts and like all the memories and and things like that is is just what we what boondocks hunting is is really about of you know family and brotherhood and and everything like that. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_03: 42:40

I tell you what, it's uh it's a shame that uh Squatch isn't here because when I get to I'm gonna put him in a full Nelson like he's never fucking seen.

SPEAKER_01: 42:52

I can't wait to see that. Yeah, right. I'll have to cancel my back surgery just to be there for us.

SPEAKER_02: 43:03

You're definitely gonna test our friendship because you'd be like, Frank, why aren't you doing that?

SPEAKER_04: 43:09

Listen, I'm I'm gonna tell you it was yesterday. Uh it's a riot being with them, right? First of all, when it's me, him, and Frank, Frank gets bullied so freaking bad. When Frank kept disappearing for for forever, I was then getting it from Squatch, right? And I was like, no, I was like, no, no, no, no. I was like, Frank needs to come back because I was like, we need to gang up on everybody. I was like, whoa. I was like, relax there, you know. Uh, but no, it's it's so much fun. Like, we just we just absolutely rip on each other, like all throughout the time. I felt bad because you know, John John was, you know, our filmer. He he was there and he's so nice and laid back, and just like he doesn't do any of that.

SPEAKER_02: 44:00

He wasn't ready for us.

SPEAKER_04: 44:01

You know, I was like, listen, this is this is what it is 24-7. I was like, We're we're across from the pickle stand, right? And for six hours, they had a long ass line of just people just getting pickles. And we're like, could you imagine Frank freaking behind there by himself? You'd be done in 20 minutes. I died. I don't know.

SPEAKER_07: 44:26

Do it yourself.

SPEAKER_04: 44:27

He's like, come on, just do it for yourself. And I was like, Yeah. I was like, Yeah, Frank would be in there with this pink, uh, pink thong and everything. Like, and I think I think John just kept looking at us and we're like, what the fuck are these guys talking about? Every other second was like, yeah, pink thong here, pink thong off.

SPEAKER_03: 44:49

I tell you what, that's one of the best things during the shitty work week when you're like, God, I wish I was doing something else. And yeah, once somebody has something come up on our on our chat, and then Squatch makes a comment, and then Frank gets in, and then it's off to the races.

SPEAKER_04: 45:05

Like yo, these two bicker with each other so much. People do not understand, like the chat could be dead for the whole day, and yeah, you could literally send a random thing in, and it's never I will I have to say, it's never Frank starting, and this is why what makes Squash so fucking funny is the minute his first words usually out of his mouth is something about the situation Frank and all the shots at Frank. There's a situation now. And some and you could tell when everyone's working too, because nobody else answers, but they have a full-on freaking conversation with themselves.

SPEAKER_02: 45:54

Yeah, then Frank, I don't think then he'll he'll text and be like, Frank, why'd everybody leave the chat?

SPEAKER_04: 46:04

I'll be like, I'll I'll be I'll be dealing with the patient, and like I'll look later and I'm like 50 unread messages from and it's literally Frank and Squatch just talking shit to each other.

SPEAKER_01: 46:16

I'm testing a theory right now to see if Squatch will reply to this. I'm sure he will.

SPEAKER_00: 46:27

He's gonna pop in now.

SPEAKER_04: 46:30

He's gonna be in the truck. He's in the truck with Frank's picture right there.

SPEAKER_02: 46:36

Just in my face time in me right now.

SPEAKER_01: 46:42

You have him on mute, he's just talking supposed to watch.

SPEAKER_03: 46:48

Oh man, that's funny. That poor dude. Oh, this is what it's all about, boys.

SPEAKER_04: 46:54

Yeah, yeah. This is this is I love this. I could do this all day. And you know what? We we uh the the and this is what the season wrap-up needs to be about. You know, this is really camaraderie, like, yeah, we we shot a bunch of deer, we we we knocked out the fucking park, but you know what? It's just the shit talking of what makes it just so much better. Um and just all of us like getting together and and just talking about it and having fun. Did somebody answer? Oh, well, yeah, he's there.

SPEAKER_01: 47:30

Yeah, it's it's common, it's common. Oh, yeah, yeah. He's he's pondering, he's he's pondering.

SPEAKER_02: 47:36

He's a little frustrated because he's at work right now, but trust me, he's gonna think about it. Yeah, all over it.

SPEAKER_04: 47:42

And you you know he's upset too. Listen, you know he's upset because I know yes, sir, he was like, God damn, he was not happy that he had to go back out and plow.

SPEAKER_01: 47:51

So you'd think the snow would be over by now, but nope.

SPEAKER_04: 47:55

Oh, wait, nope, never mind, that didn't last long.

SPEAKER_03: 48:01

Frank, how long until you come into the conversation here?

SPEAKER_02: 48:05

Well, I'm gonna let him ponder and wonder where I'm at first. Yo, what the fuck? Where are you at? Like, well, he just proved my theory.

SPEAKER_04: 48:20

It's literally like big brother, little brother of like, yo, why aren't you fucking answering? Oh, you know, boy, so real quick, we'll we'll get on a little more uh hunting talk before we get back to the shenanigans and everything like that. Um goals everyone's goals met for 2025-2026, you know, season for for the most part. Um, you know, I I think you know, our our pre predictions that we had at the at the season, at the preseason were pretty damn accurate. I'll I'll say that. Minus, you know, me shooting a bear and everything like that. You know, Frank, Frank got that, um, got that. I I think, you know, I usually I've done this the last couple years. I I'm gonna save it actually for when we have our big meeting and and everyone's together. But I do a hunter, a boondocks hunter of the of the year from the team and everything like that. So I'm gonna save that one for when we do our meeting and and everything like that of who it's gonna be. Um you know, but or I might just have everyone vote and see who who gets it. But um, that might be a good idea too. Um, so uh 2026, we we got the turkeys coming up, you know, we got some off season. Any uh we know Mr. Connor right now is down on on vacation and everything like that. What do you guys kind of do after the season? Like how long is it till you're you're back out in the woods, you know, you're it we know the grind really it never ends, it's it's a 24-7 thing and everything like that, but having a nice little break and everything like that is nice doing some family stuff, catching up the family because the wives and our significant others are stepping up in a in a big way and taking a lot of of the slack during the season and everything like that. So, what are some of the things that you guys are one looking forward to and some of the things that you guys are getting into with this offseason?

SPEAKER_01: 50:13

I was saying I'm trying to do more of like editing of the filming that I did this year and then trying to get my YouTube channel up and stuff, but I gotta go out and uh help my buddy cut some trails and stuff so we're like getting his property really set up for next year because this year is just a crapshoot on this property. But we had some big bucks running through there, but we could just never get the paths down. But now that we know their patterns, like we're really gonna be hitting his area hard. So like we've already started prepping. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03: 50:43

Yeah, I mean, I I think kind of on my buddy's farm, kind of the same thing, like Zach was saying, like it's so thick in some areas that got to open the bedding up. Um, you know, doughs might pop in there during the rut or when they start getting harassed, or when that first one is starting to come in the heat. But the big boys, if you were to look at all this bramble and uh it's just terrible. No big buck is is gonna walk through there. So I think I'd do a lot of that. Usually my buddy and I will go out there, you know, it would be around now. Um, we took a family trip early this year with my oldest daughter going away to school here in the fall. So we wanted to do a last trip with just us four and not with other friends or whatever. So it just so happened this is when it worked out. But uh yeah, normally um we're out there with you know, just on Amazon, those like 20-inch machetes and just cutting new trails and and whatever. Um so yeah, I'm looking forward to that, but also now, as you guys know, um, as I just am starting to get into saddle hunting, like I I cannot frickin' wait to saddle hunt. I mean, just like and then how Mike, how do you always say you're like always on the move, and just how mobile that style of bow hunting. I mean, I remember when I even got my first climber after having only do hang-on stands, and I was like, holy shit, like this is unbelievable how this changes the game, and now saddle hunting. So one of the things that I'm excited about on our friend's farm is just I'm scoping out trees that I never even would have given a second thought to before to put a hang-on stand. Now there's areas that I think I can spots that I know that are heavy runways that now I can you know post up and you know multiple trees. You know, they always say your first time in a set is usually your best. So now it's like it goes from you know six to eight big trees in the property where we've always had hang-on stands. Now that multiplies to whatever just by trying based on what the cameras are showing, the right wins or whatnot. So, yeah, along with trimming, I'm just I'm really doing a lot of just walking around and looking based off of Onyx about where we know now the biggest bedding area is, um, especially during the rut for the big bucks, and trying to find, you know, obviously everything, all the variables that come into it for us bow hunters, you know, work in the wind, uh uh pressure, all that stuff. So it's kind of fun. I'm excited once we get back to before turkey season to to start looking at trees that you know maybe possibilities for this year.

SPEAKER_04: 53:39

So yeah, and I I I'll tell you, I I like that a lot, and I think that's something that a lot of people don't do if they don't have the opportunity. Like, I I do that a lot. Like, um, and even with the saddle, like there are certain times where yeah, you have to like I pre- when I when I go to a lot of my spots, I'm always making mental notes of like, all right, cool, that that's that tree looks good. All right, like right now, if I'm going out in a especially a new spot, like okay, this is what you see the sign, you look at the trees, but it's like, all right, I'll come back in, you know, middle of the summer and now see what it looks like when everything's grown out. You know what I mean? And then that's another thing where it's like, all right, cool. This is you know, I'm looking for a lot of cover, you know, what we we talked about the last time. I'm looking for a lot of cover, you know what I mean? Um, I'm looking for uh trees that yeah, you can't really get a hang-on into, or you couldn't get a a climber into and stuff like that. Like the really awkward or trees that look almost impossible where listen, I I the my two biggest pieces for saddle is actually my handsaw and my clippers, and I use those constantly 24-7 during during the hunting season because I'm getting in these freaking trees where you have to cut stuff so you can actually fit and also you're not keeping hitting the branches and alerting stuff that that you're there. Um so I actually like that a lot. That you know, getting that idea of like trees that you you can already get into or you want to get into and everything like that is a is a phenomenal idea. Um, and something that if the people aren't doing it, like add it to uh your off-season um you know scouting. You know, what about you, uh, Mr. Frank?

SPEAKER_02: 55:24

Oh, well for me, so you know, all the snow just kind of fucked everything up because I was kind of hoping to get out and start, you know, looking for sheds, you know, doing some mineral sites, but that's obviously not gonna happen if we're getting like two to three fucking feet. So uh you know, right now um I'm just gonna hang out, spend some time with the family. Basically, probably after turkey season I'll start hammering that that one property um that I hunt pretty good. I I know um my one buddy who owns the farm, he wants more comfort for himself. So a box blind or something like that could be in store for him. We actually we found not for Frank though. Hold on, not for me.

SPEAKER_04: 56:10

Not for Frank, Frank is on a very strict hunting schedule next year. He's gonna hunt once a week because he's gotten too lazy.

SPEAKER_02: 56:25

Um I told him he wants picture proof. I told him, I said, listen, if you see me, you know, either if I hunt State Land or Federal land, I'll take you a picture, but I'm only gonna be like 50 yards away from the truck. But uh no, he we actually we found a lot of um old stands that he wants to get out of there. He we actually found actually I found it last year, uh a nice old tripod stand that you know was from the one of the previous owners. So he wants to pull out everything, see what we can salvage, fix up, make some permanent sets, you know. Mostly I hunted this year. I think I hunted maybe two or three times out of my lock on. Everything was out of the saddle this year. I only I hunted out of the ground blind once or twice with my son that and that was it. So um that's basically our plan. You know, I'm gonna start hitting it hard because I him as being the landowner let me hunt there, like he's never killed like a nice mature buck. Everything he's killed was always small, so like that's one of my main goals is to really try to put him on a good one and hopefully it can happen, you know, this upcoming season. Uh there is potentially I could have another farm with him. Probably what I won't know until like around like mid summer, but it's on the horizon. There is a potential we can have two farms now, so we'll we'll see what happens with that.

SPEAKER_06: 57:59

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02: 58:00

Yeah, I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_04: 58:02

That is awesome, but I'm just hearing Frank is gonna be 300 pounds next year.

SPEAKER_02: 58:06

Yeah, I'm I mean, I'm at my heaviest right now that I've never been. I was telling Mike at the show, I said, listen, I said, I've never been this fucking heavy in my life. I'm like, dude, I'm like 207, and I was always like, you know, tops maybe like 180, like my whole life. I'm like, I'm 207 already, man. I was like, I don't even know if I'm gonna be able to climb the fucking tree this year. So I gotta get my ass back into it. But uh there's one more thing I didn't tell you guys, I guess I'll say it now. Um next week, there could be a potential, Mike, that we are going to look at uh campers next week, because my brother just bought one. So it might just be on the horizon too, where we might end up with a camper and traveling a little bit this summer and nice. So, Mike, if if we go down, if we decide to go down with you guys in Delaware or whatever, I might have a little something for us.

SPEAKER_04: 59:04

The place that we stay at has it, and you know, you know, it's got what happens.

SPEAKER_03: 59:10

Hey, Mike, Mike, that could get really weird for you if Squatch goes along on that trip.

SPEAKER_02: 59:16

He's got it. He's he's gonna come. Listen, you're probably gonna bite him, he's gonna show up. But trust me, he's gonna want to stay camper with my book him somehow can join them.

SPEAKER_04: 59:31

You know what I mean? So um I'll have to worry, I'll have to worry more if Bianca doesn't go. Then, you know, there might be some spooning in involved. But I have I have my options though. I go Frank and go squatch, you know. Hey, I got I got I got the options.

SPEAKER_03: 59:48

Um nothing wrong with a little family time, right?

SPEAKER_04: 59:51

Right?

SPEAKER_02: 59:53

You gotta keep the team close, right?

SPEAKER_04: 59:55

You're right, right close and warm.

SPEAKER_00: 1:00:00

How about you, Craig? Well, I'm not doing no fucking spooning, but um basically right now, it's like I just focus it's all it's all turkey right now. Um, it's I don't mean wrong, white tail is uh obviously be the top top of my list, but something with the bow and turkey hunting, it just fucking gets my heart going like crazy. So damn hard. It's um we barely have. I mean, we got little flurries today here and there, but we don't really have much snow here on the ground in Wisconsin, so I'll probably start scowing, take the camera out, glass in the field, and just start doing a lot of door knocking and get um permission on properties because here in Wisconsin, you can go knock on 15 doors, 14 of them are gonna say yes. They just they don't fucking care about turkeys around here. And I got a couple individuals I'm taking out this year to hopefully get their first birds, and then myself, and then um I plan on getting some extra tags as well. And but um, I know like um daughter's boyfriend, he uses the gun, which like last year we had a last year was a fucking blast. Like, did we get one? No. Um, but we should have got one. But um, it that was probably the most like I was I didn't even have a bow in hand just sitting behind with the camera and just like listening to that bird gobble for fucking two hours straight on top of the ridge. We couldn't pull him in, so we didn't look at Noah and I was like, Well, we gotta do it now if we're not gonna do it. So we army crawled across like a dusty field, sat in some long ass grass, and all of a sudden we were going, and I picked our head up. And as soon as I picked my head up, fucking bird picks his head up. He freaking blasted twice. We we didn't get it, and then you kind of find out that choking the gun and stuff, so it's like uh, but he's he's prepared this year, and like this year with him being prepared, I guarantee you right now, the first bird we see at 67 yards. That bird's dead. I mean, this kid, he um he's shot in a lot of big ass whitale with his bowl more than I ever have, and he's it's gonna be fun. I'm excited for it. Um, another one taking out, she's using her bowl. And last year we had one come in at like 40 yards, but we opened Crockle again, so it's like those birds, I think, they're just so fucking decoy shy, or there's just been so pressure out there that he came in full strut and just zigzagged 40 yards out. And obviously, I was not gonna let her take the shot at 40 yards. I mean, 20 yards, I she would have been just fine. Um, but that bird zigzagged, and he's looked at the decoys, studied them, gone. And any bird, any bird we got on, they just those decoys are just they killed us out there. So I'm gonna door knock some more this year, get some more property set up, and then just talk to the landowners and say, say, no one hits out there. I think we'll have better chances of obviously those birds not being decoy shy. Um, it's just it'll make it a lot easier. I'm not saying turkey hunting is easy, but yeah, there's been times. I mean, hell, I mean, like I said, long story short, I was getting fucking long beards on camera in December last year, um on my urban piece, and I'm like, I'm gonna try it, you know, buy a quick fall tag and go out there, and the hunt lasted nine minutes. I mean, I had the bird come in off the roost literally in December. He gobbled and full started and came into my freaking decoys in seven minutes and it was done. But at that point in De Pierre, no one's ever turkey hunted him, so it's like it makes sense now, you know. But right now, my main focus is it's all turkey hunt, it's all birds. Um, after Memorial Day weekend, trees start getting green, you know, budding up. Uh slipping the crocodile. Then and um, I got a spot in Crocolo this year that it's gonna be a brand new spot. And after what I seen shed hunting out there this year, this past couple weekends ago, I'm gonna make sure this spot is gonna be set perfectly. There's gonna be a lot of trees I gotta trim down, cut some big lanes, but this one might be a good encounter to get these deer knocked to be not nocturnal, so it's it's gonna be good because I said I mean I I will never give up on Craco because of the the deer we've had come in there, the size of the bucks we've had come in there. I mean, we've we've had uh an a-point come in this year at like midnight. It was one of the biggest typical eight-pointers I've ever seen in my life out there. But all the big bucks were all nocturnal. There was nothing, you know, and I can't control what this other guy does out there on the on the land hunts. I don't know if he's always constantly in there walking around or what he does. So I don't know if that hurts at all out there, but there I'm telling you guys, there are some big F and deer out there, and now I know, but um, both fields in Crocco, because like I said, it's like I'm not hunting an 80, 120-inch, you know, hardwood. It's it's a it's a travel core, you know, it runs it along the Pasaki River. So on each side of the river, you got all kinds of fields. Well, I already know that Frank is doing um corn, and then on um grandma's side is gonna be also corn this year. So I I think this year's gonna be good because I know every year out there that's been bull corn fields, they actually daylight a lot more than when there's actually beans out there. It's crazy. So yeah, yeah, right now my main my main focus right now is is uh smacking some bird with the bowl.

SPEAKER_04: 1:05:15

Um yeah, for me, I mean first of all, I gotta get done with my hockey season. So I got roughly two weeks left. It's winter go home at the at this point. Um you know, so season could be over, you know, next game, or it can go another couple two weeks. So um I'm looking forward to hope we can win the championship states, but also really looking forward to uh getting back to a normal work schedule. Um, you know I've definitely now saw I talked to Frank and you know I've talked to Bianca a lot and like kind of like saw my schedule. Like, you know, Frank knows this. Like I usually can hunt almost all winter and birds and you know everything like. that and this year I mean I I didn't really get to do that. Hockey became you know after the you know the rut and everything like that and you know I'm I'm already kind of set like yeah hockey completely took over so now going into the next year of you know being able to like all right from September to end of November is like I gotta hunt even more I want to hunt even more because coming into you know December January February it's gonna be mostly hockey season everything like that for me with with coaching and everything like that. So that's the one thing but right now it's probably actually finally going to kick back and go back to my normal work hours relax a little bit catch up on with some stuff with Bianca figure out my my truck situation everything like that um we are trying to to move and and things like that uh but can't go too far away from my grandma and everything like that just you know she's at the at that age where I don't gosh forbid something happens I don't want to be an hour plus away like we kind of originally intended so we're trying to find something that close by um and yeah really just decompress and then probably get right back into it of just like session of of wait till like I'll be out turkey season turkeys is just something I do just to pass the time you know I mean I still haven't like I've I have that like itch a little bit but I haven't gotten that full obsessive itch yet like it is fun to do and everything like that I'm a rookie when it when it comes to turkey hunting so I that's kind of what I like about it is like I'm learning everything new and from scratch and and and everything like that. So that's the fun part but you know I gotta get me and uh Zach we got to get down to Delaware we want to do some scouting and some shed hunting down in Delaware and everything like that. And then yeah you know the our big focus is really going to be probably Delaware and um PA you know where we want to go to PA for bow hunting um you know and doing just a lot of scouting like there Jersey for me is kind of set. Like I really don't think I need to scout that much just like Frank said earlier pop out minerals. Usually minerals already started by now um we're we're a bit delayed with with you know winter and everything like that so we're about to get delayed even a little more so um the minute we can get out there I was talking Gerard same thing you know the minute we can get out there and put those minerals in drip bags and everything out there they're they're gonna be going out in the next couple weeks um pulling the rest of the shell cameras letting them ease and also less money being taken out of my account because I'm 12 to 15 freaking uh cameras I've already cut like half of them off so that that that was that was good and everything like that and yeah just you know I I think resting too is is a pretty big thing uh for me something I've noticed in the last couple years you know I'm averaging you know this year was low but I was at 63 hunts and I still have a couple more hunts with with um with predators and stuff like that um but I really look to be in that 75 to 100 sits a a season uh is what I'm looking at but it's it's it's pretty exhausting when you're going you know full throttle from September 1st all the way to let's just say even you know mid-November end of November December your body gets tired you're you're mentally get tired and everything like that and you know I think it is good for that reset so you know get back into my my habits of you know I started already working out again and just light movement skating you know I'm skating every day so that helps soon the I'll be weightlifting again getting up the cold plunging doing all the things that I usually do so I can get myself mentally back of being at my tip and physically at my tip top shape and then you know just going from there you know I don't know how Craig does it Craig freaking hunts and does all this all at all at the same time listen I gotta give you credit after I hunt I'm like the last thing I want to freaking do is wake up in the morning and go work out. I'm like uh if I get a chance to sleep in I am sleeping in during during the hunting season so give you give you tons of tons of credit for for that oh yeah but yeah and you know it's and you know we got some shows and events and and things like that coming up so focus on those and and things like that. But yeah besides that rest get the body back to where it needs to be and then we'll we'll start the process all over again and I'll tell you probably in a month I'm gonna be sick and tired of being at home and the only thing I'm gonna be able to think about is hunting anyway so you know it it's it that's how it works. That's how it works for you guys too you know Craig's already thinking about only turkeys so like that itch for him never really goes away. You know and and I'm gonna try I'm gonna try to get a little more fishing done this year. That is a goal that I actually want to do this year is to I that's I've I think a lot of us you know even on the team of like everyone I talk to we've a lot of us have uh neglected the fishing aspect of outdoors because we are so with hunting and just like we just want to chase chase chase chase chase and the only thing that we could think about and then yet again your time off you got to make up with the family and the loved ones and go on vacation and if the wife says hey can we go do this you know I tell I I tell people I can't really say no because she gives me my whole entire time for for hunting season I can't be like oh no we're not gonna go do that you know I mean it's kind of like she was like hey can we go do this all right yeah let's go this fishing yeah fishing is the one thing that gets knocked down I think in the majority of our lives because we don't you know we'd much rather save the time for for hunting season for sure so but boys I I don't want to keep you much longer um everyone we got our game dinner march 7th um it is fastly approaching we cannot wait we're super excited i can already tell you we're raffling away a dozen koolet coolet Koolet arrows we are raffling off sever some sever broadheads we are raffling off a tide we um ground blind the one where you can actually see it through and um I believe I I got a couple other people that are that are bringing some stuff and everything like that too as well we have a bunch of osseo stuff here to to raffle uh as well um and pretty sure we're we'll have some more things and everything like that the food is going to be amazing I cannot wait to to to get some you know Frank will be coming with his uh his venison parm which I never knew you could do with with venison and had it last year for the first time and it's phenomenal Bianca is cooking her og shepherd's pie and her baked mac and cheese we'll have goose quesadilla as long as it doesn't snow or anything like that I believe American Mike said he's going to be doing a whole turkey for for us as as well. So we look really looking forward to the food looking forward to to meeting everyone if I have not met you are already and also getting with uh with the old with the with the crew and everything like that. We know Craig and his his wife they're gonna be at the Wisconsin show uh Craig give us the dates to that please uh February 27th through March 1st so anyone in the Wisconsin area go check them out they're gonna be at the uh Wisconsin show um we are also gonna be at a jersey show June 7th and 8th I believe or 6th and 7th I will confirm that once we get a little closer um and anything else that we got going on I will I will fill you guys in that is going to be a wrap for the boondocks hunting 2025 2026 season this is the field notes wrap up over for this year can't wait to get back with it with you guys Connor we hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation thank you brother we'll see you soon Frank as usual I will I will talk to you boys it's been a pleasure this season weck yeah to see what's coming uh next year everyone we hope you guys enjoyed this episode and we'll see you guys next time