New Jersey Outdoors Mindset

SPEAKER_01 0:03

This is the Garden State Outdoors and 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, everyone. Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoors and Podcast. We are brought to you by someone. I think you're on the first time you're on was I want to say almost two years ago. It was our 200th episode. We just got done with bear season like a couple weeks ago. You shot that that absolute monster. Yes, sir. Um Brian, welcome back to the show. Now, for everyone who doesn't know you, guys, Timber Life Outdoors on Instagram shot the giant uh bear in New Jersey. And really, I want to just say uh how you guys have done so much for the bear hunting community. And I'm not even talking about outside of what what you've done, just you know, you you know, one of your guys just shot a I think what 600-pound bear uh this year again. You guys are big bear hunters. Um, very always excited about talking about bear and and everything else that you guys got going on. But welcome back to the show.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Thanks, man. Glad to be here. Appreciate you back on with me.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Oh no, of course.

Turkey Plans And Fewer Birds

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Well, before we get into all of that, we are almost in turkey season. We're about two weeks away. By the time this drops, we'll probably be on in turkey season. What do you guys have going on for you guys for turkeys this year?

SPEAKER_00 2:06

So I've been hammering a lot of filming lately, right? I've been uh spending a lot of time behind the camera. So this season's gonna be a little different for me. Um, probably I don't know if I'm actually gonna shoot a bird because I got a bunch of hunts that are planned to be behind the camera, which I'm pumped about. But we got a bunch of tags, guys. Uh, you know, played the lottery, did the game, and up north we've just been our numbers have been hurting like crazy. Just they're not what they were. I know I'm I'm beating a dead horse and everybody talks about it, but so we got some tags for down south as well. I might be going out of state a couple times in New York, uh, South Carolina, maybe down to Delaware. Uh jumper MPA, actually. A couple of the guys that were on the uh did film the hunk course with me out west. They're in PA, they're filming some stuff. So we're gonna do some collaborations out there, hopefully. But you know, knock some birds down and uh hopefully lay down some good footage. We'll see what happens if a couple birds cooperate.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's something that we we've talked a lot here about New Jersey is the birds up in up in uh the north. I I saw my first bird. Um I got a um up at up in uh you know one of the areas I hunt up in north northwest Jersey, and like the the turkey numbers, you know, they've they've fallen off completely. And I'll I got a notification and it said on on my multi cam and it said turkey, and I was like, that can't be right. It must be like just some random bird or like flying or something, whatever. And I actually when I finally checked, because I wasn't wasn't rushing to check at all, and I was like, oh shit, it's actually a turkey. Like, oh my god, like I I I used to see them all the time, and now it's it's slowly just yeah, weathered away, and now so it's like it's not even for me personally, it's not even worth getting the the turkey tag and everything like that. So, you guys are gonna be more south uh this year with the with your guys.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Yeah, we're definitely gonna spend some time down south a little bit just because the numbers are just way better, like you're saying. I mean, up here and you know, anything Sussex or uh even in our area, Morris, Essex, or whatever, numbers are just six, eight years ago. We'd see flocks of 20, 30 birds. Uh, we'd always have gobblers around this year. You know, in the last few years, it's like, oh hey, I saw one. It's like, what one? Um, but yeah, down south I got a couple pieces that I'm lucky enough to have some friends that have some spots again. I'll I'll be filming, I don't even care about shooting, but they have you know a dozen birds every year easily.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

So yeah. Well, you you're you're

Filming Add-On And Creative Bug

SPEAKER_01 4:35

this is what you're mostly gonna be doing for for turkey season. You just got done with the like you said, with the film The Hunt. Yeah, how is that transitioning from you know being a hunter, you know, doing both the self-filming and now being the man behind the camera and and and filming everything that uh behind the scenes?

SPEAKER_00 4:53

Uh people ask a question like, don't you don't you feel like you're missing out on the hunt a lot? And I'm like, honestly, no. I mean, I've killed some good animals. I still love to hunt. That's I'm not by any means giving up hunting, but I really got addicted and got bit by the bug of the creative side of being behind the camera and kind of laying things down and kind of jumped in with both feet. I'm not getting any younger. There's a little bit more gray every day. So I might as well do it now while I can and uh and run around and see if we can lay down some good stuff. A lot of people don't, you know, obviously you know, but a lot of people don't know that Jersey has some decent hunting and see if we can't throw out some good good footage about it. But yes, it is it is a transition. All my friends are still killers and they're like, forget the camera, forget the camera. And then I bring the camera and I lay down the footage, they're like, Oh, that was kind of cool after the video's done, right? So that that part of it's I've gotten used to, uh, but it is definitely something you have to prepare yourself for because a lot of times are gonna go bad, a lot of times you're gonna be brutal and you're not gonna bring the camera out every time.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

I I I think it it's funny that you say that. Like, yeah, everyone's like, Oh, yeah, don't bring the camera, don't bring the camera. But then, like, once you see, especially the finished product, yeah, they're like, Oh, wow, okay, I get why you bring the camera so much, right? You know, and it it's there is that bug. It there is it's a it's a whole other side of hunting that even my guys they're starting to get into and and want to get into more. And you know, I use I use filming for so many different reasons for different ways for for my hunt. It's it's one to I love doing the creative side of it, you know, where you you basically you take what you have from scratch and build a completely finished video. I mean, I you know, we we know about this, you know. I mean, everyone listening who who does that whole thing and everything like that, but the memories and everything that you have, and you get to show your kids and things like that is the um is a really fun part, and then learning too. Like, I don't know about you, but for me, like I learned so much, like just going back and watching film of just like, oh wow, I didn't even notice like whatever happened in the moment. And when you actually go back and sit there, you become a better hunter, I think for sure. Well, with you know, especially when it comes to the failures and the things that you mess up, and you actually get to see what you're messing up.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

So true. I've I've definitely helped out a couple buddies that I filmed, and unfortunately, you know, things didn't go right, they missed, or whatever. And I'm like, all right, uh, this is why, you know, you dropped your bow arm, you shot six inches over the deer. We're gonna watch that in real time right now. So definitely, like you said, it's a good learning curve.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Yep. So, how when you know, like you said, you you got the bug and everything like that. I you know, I know with you know Timber Life and and everything like that. So when did you really start filming?

SPEAKER_00 7:41

Like, was it was this a couple years ago now, like, or you know, I had my first like handy cam probably eight years ago, and I've been laying down footage, if you will, from that point forward, and then you know, kind of jumped up to a slightly better camcorder style maybe six years ago, uh, right when COVID hit. And then probably two years ago, yeah, it was about two years ago, two and a half years up. I actually was like, okay, and I spent some real money and uh dumped you know over 20 grand into some serious, some good cameras. And yeah, and it it it makes it, it really does. I know people are like, no, you don't need all that, but it it helps a lot, especially we do a lot of waterfowl and stuff, like the better cameras and the low light. We don't forget into all that stuff, but yeah, I would say two and a half years ago, three years ago is really when I kind of got what I would consider more serious and started investing in it and uh took a bunch of the classes. I still got a bunch more to go, and uh you know, really took it on as a not just a hey, I'll bring a camera, we'll see if there's something gets killed on it to planning every hunt has a camera behind it.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Yeah, no, I it's it's a it's a very big investment, you know. Um build the whole filming aspect of it, and you know, we're not even talking about the whole editing aspect of it and and and things like that. Um, you know, the the filming aspect and the cameras and the lenses, and you know, you're right, it's with waterfowl and deer, you know, deer hunting, bear hunting, whatever, shooting in low light is extremely important. Um, you know, I I have a couple cameras that I use. I I'm a big Sony guy. Um one of my cameras, um my my more expensive camera, shoots phenomenal, phenomenal in in low light. And this year I moved to another Sony camera, but it's uh it's a handy cam because I freehand a lot of my my filming. I like to take yeah, so like when I I don't know why I like to take my camera like off of the and I will freehand and and move around it and kind of get into that aspect. Yeah, for me, I could feel I have more control and I can I can just move a lot easier um in the tree and everything like that. Um once a I think a deer is getting into a range where I think it you know a deer is gonna commit or whatever animal's gonna commit, then I gotta put it back and you know, and all those things. But the handy game I was in Delaware did not shoot like it did well up until yeah, the last like probably 15-20 minutes, yeah, where there was a little bit of a drop off because I didn't want to spend the full price of what I spent on my first camera, right? Um, and you could see right there was the difference of mass price range of the yeah, of low light.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Man, it that last 20 minutes is it drops out fast.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Yeah, so um I I completely get it. I you know, I know a bunch of guys that yeah, they spend good money on their on their cameras, and the finishing product shows like you definitely it's a huge difference in in the product, and that's really what it what it's about. You know what I mean? If you're gonna do this, you want the product to look just as nice as the you know as everything else.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

So and I'll make a note before we jump to another thing. If you're gonna self-film someone's listening, if you're self-filming only and you're not gonna film anyone else, you definitely are only self-filming, then the camcorder style versus like the mirrorless type of stuff, yeah, might make more sense because running a mirrorless by yourself and running it manual while an animal's in front of you is rough. But a camcorder is a lot easier. You can use a lank, a lank controller, and stuff like that. So if anybody has any questions of that, you know, hit me up or hit up uh or hit mic and we'll go through the details.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

And that that's uh right there. I was running um mirrorless forever and I loved it, but I was like, I can't, it's a lot it's a lot to do while you're self-filming. Um now, I yeah, it's great point. I I actually do love that. So yeah, and if anyone is looking to get into filming and everything like that, and you're going to be starting self-filming and everything like that, yeah, I would definitely go to like a camcorder, that'd be my recommendation uh first, and then you know, if you if you like it too, because there's so much work that goes into it, you know, I always tell people I give myself extra time to get into the woods because I gotta set up everything, you know what I mean? And if you if you're doing b-roll too, you know what I mean? Things you you gotta get your b-roll in and and everything like that. And let's be honest, how much does not actually go to plan when you're especially when you're self-filming all the time, things never go to plan, and it it's it could be a real, real frustrating thing. Um, yep, you know, I've listened I once I'll never forget, I think this year, I usually run have a bunch of SD cards and batteries. I don't know what I did. I think I had to move some some footage to the camera, running on no sleep, completely forgot, get to the woods, no SD card. Yeah, you know, so um it's it's definitely one of those things.

New Jersey Public Land Reality

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Now, one thing you touched on is especially what you guys do uh extremely well, is everything like that, and bringing notice to New Jersey and what New Jersey has to offer and everything like that, from deer hunting to bear hunting to to waterfowl and you know, um everything like that. You know, I always see you guys running running the dogs for waterfowl, and I think um upland for for pheasant and everything like that, too, as well. Um, you know, kind of go into that in you know what New Jersey, because this is what the show's about, this is what we all really like to do, which is showcase New Jersey, you know. Yeah, kind of go into that of of what it's like to be in New Jersey and to hunt Jersey and the amazing things that we have to offer.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yeah, uh, you know, I had the I just had this conversation out at that class, and a lot of guys from out west, and they're like, Oh, you're from Jersey? They're like, Hunt? Like, what do you hunt? I'm like, All right, here we go. So I heard I hunt pretty much the same thing you guys do, guys. Um, and then I start showing them some pictures, like, what? We never knew that was even capable out there. And then we, you know, of course, talking about the bear hunting, we have world-class bear hunting for a two dollar non-resident tag, which is ridiculous when you think about it. Um, but you know, everything else, uh, you know, deer hunting. The way the I'm not gonna get into the details, but the way the state does it limits our quality. But we have a ton of deer, like that. We could do a podcast on that itself. Um uh, you know, we have turkey hunting. Turkey hunting could be a little better, but I think that's across the whole country right now. From everything I'm hearing, the numbers are down. So that's just what it is. But uh upland hunting is great for what the state is doing, and then waterfowl, we have phenomenal waterfowl, whether it's sea duck hunting or or you know, or puddle ducks. As long as you do the work, it's not for everybody. You know, duck hunting is kind of a grind. Uh, but yeah, no, what we're it's almost like you know, people are like, keep quiet, like, don't talk about it because we have such we do really do have a lot of great hunting opportunities, and we have a lot of public land. People you know kind of complain about not getting properties, not getting at areas to hunt. Like, I I don't want to be negative in any connotation, but I would just want to say, like, just do a little bit more homework because there are some spots, there's plenty of opportunities out there that you can get out.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Yeah, I I I will a hundred percent agree on that. You know, me and my you know, because all my guys, we talk about it all the time. Like, we're especially for for like that bear season, even for deer hunting for bow hunting and stuff like that. I can understand probably more during the gun season, everything like that. Sure, six-day, yeah, the busiest time of the year and everything like that. But for for us, like I'm kind of by myself for the most part on a lot of these public lands. Like, I don't really like, yeah, it's my dream to get private land, of course. It's probably almost every hunter's dream to get private land, but there is no rush when you're hunting a state like Jersey. Um, you know, if you do your research and you do your scouting, and if you're willing to put in the miles, I think that that's a big part problem there too. Yes, is if you're willing to actually put in the miles. So, yeah, you got to get away from people 100%, and you're gonna have to go a little further. Yeah, you know, if you look at it this way, how what I do is I say I'm just gonna out hunt people. Yeah, I get a very flexible schedule, I'm gonna use that to my advantage. You you know, same with same with you guys, and and you know, a lot of the guys that find success in Jersey and fight and especially on public land, that's exactly what they're doing. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 16:28

They're they're they're taking the time. I was gonna say they're figuring out a way not to be out there every Saturday. Maybe work on a Saturday and give yourself a Wednesday to hunt where no one's got no pressure, the deer have been haven't been pressured since Sunday or whatever it is, yeah. Things like that.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

I'm I'm a big weekend worker guy, like I like working on my weekends because everyone else is hunting, and I know it's if I'm gonna pick anything, I'm gonna pick during the week when everyone is at work, you know what I mean? Right. And I don't know about you guys, but like for the bear season, even you know, and again, there might be some people like, oh, why you talk why are you guys telling us and everything like that? It's two dollars. We don't really run, we don't really run into people. Like, I generally don't I think you know, we hunt basically the whole entire week. I think me and my guys between two different zones and different areas, but like I don't think we ran into one single other other hunter.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

Uh uh, yeah, it's again to hear people say, Oh, you know, I can't find any spots, I can't find again. The last thing I ever want to do is kind of like get on somebody for that. But I'm like, guys, it's out there, you just gotta look a little harder. It's there, it's there, it's there. Oh, I'm gonna tell you there's um there's not 600-pound bears behind every tree, there's not 160s behind every piece in public. That's not true, but there are opportunities pretty pretty well pretty much across the board in the state.

SPEAKER_01 17:49

Yeah, I I generally think for at least from what I've seen, and you know what a lot of our guys see, like they're they're there, like, yeah, you just have to you might have to go into the swamp. Yeah, I mean, then that's that's the thing. Like, if your area has a swamp, where we are looking to go is we're looking to go into the swamp. Not many people are gonna go into the swamp, and that's where the big ones are at.

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Yep, deer and bear.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

Yeah, no, it's it's a um it's a very well-known thing. You allow you ask a lot of the you know, even bear hunters and or deer hunters in other states, like it's it's really the same thing, you know. You look across the board, you you have to put in the work, especially in this day and age where uh we have onyx and all these other things, yeah. And also the woods are shrinking every year, they're taking more and more land every single day. So that just means that yeah, you have to get out of your comfort zone, and you're gonna have to do stuff that you know if you really want it, you're you're just you just have to work for it. Yep, I agree 100%. So uh with with all that, and you know, the success you guys have have been having with the hard work uh and and the time it and everything like

Waterfowl Dogs And Redhead Trip

SPEAKER_01 19:08

that. What is your guy because you guys do so much, so what is your favorite animal to chase? Oh like if you can only chase one, right? You personally, well, we'll say you personally, we'll we won't even do the team, like you personally, me personally, or film, or like have like one of the guys go out and you're just filming what whichever one, right? What what are what are you personally doing?

SPEAKER_00 19:30

If I had to just do one, it would probably be waterfowl. Waterfowl. Because I'm a huge dog guy, my dog is my man, like there's a lot of aspects to it. Uh, waterfowl, I can run the dog, I can bring kids. Filming is a lot harder, but when you do it right, it's really cool with waterfowl. You get a bigger group of people with waterfowl, don't say a deer hunt. Again, I love all those other things, but you're saying pick one, I can just do one forever, that would be it. Waterfowl. Yeah, waterfall is that it's a lot harder in our area just because you gotta really follow the birds and cover a lot of ground. We have a pretty good crew that covers a lot of ground, but that would be my number one.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Yeah, it's I I always tell the same thing. Like, I if I was to get anybody new into hunting, I would show them waterfowl hunting first, whether it's ducks, geese, I mean, besides this year, like geese has been one of my favorite things.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

It looks like we're going back to three, thank god.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Listen, I every time we went out and just to scout or like whatever, just thousands on top of thousands of birds, and it it was just like that thing where it's like uh you take a picture, you send it to your buddy, and you're like, look, and it's like, yeah, like of course, there's yeah, it's annoying, right?

SPEAKER_00 20:51

But are you gonna go and set up you know three dozen full bodies and put out four layouts and shoot four birds in one?

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Yeah, and then we we did we did it for one day, one day, and I'll tell you, and it we didn't even put out everything, like it was evening. We're like, all right, cool. We dicked around mostly the the whole entire time up until but like we would just have all these birds come in, and it's like all right, one guy's shooting, and and that's it, and you you have to get it right, yeah. And it just wasn't fun at all. Like, I generally yeah, it takes it out, yeah. So um waterfowl has and just ducks and everything like that. Like, of course, like end of the season, me and the fiance were driving, and we get to this, it's just a little water hole that was created from the rain and the snow and everything like that. Literally, and I mean I'm pretty sure it was filled with like 30 or 40 mallards, and I was just like, Come on, like, why can't this be during the season? Like, this would be so cool, you know what I mean? And it's it's just one of those things that that's what hunting is, you know, and and that's what. I think, in my opinion, is makes it fun is the chase. And just yep, I agree. You never know what you're gonna come across. You never know, you never know if you're gonna even, you know, whatever animal you're hunting that day, if you're gonna even kill something.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

So I wonder if I was even bigger on that.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

You never know what what bird you might check off the list that day, you know.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yeah, yeah. I I will I will definitely say, like, yeah, that's more the widespread of like unknown, or if you're gonna you're gonna shoot one that has a band, or or the that's even more like you know, the the jewelry and what everyone kind of you know really wants to be.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

We went up and did uh a first time I ever did them was a redhead hunt up in uh Finger Lakes this year, and that was cool. Different way of hunting for us, and it was uh it was pretty cool. We had a lot of fun, did really well. Got guide was amazing, and uh they're cool birds, they fly in ridiculous numbers. But uh that we just you know, we every year we try and take one or two trips outside of our comfort zone to birds that we're checking off the list. And this year was pretty cool. Those are fun birds to hunt if anyone is questioning whether to go, go.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Yeah, so what why don't you tell, you know, tell the list a little about that and you know how they can do it, or you know, um more into into the hunt itself, too, as well.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Yeah, so I so redheads are known for up by like the St. Lawrence and the Finger Lakes. They're um I mean it looks like a basically looks like a ringneck with uh a redhead on it, same kind of body. It's a medium-sized duck, but they fly in ridiculous numbers. They could have rafted of you know 5,000 birds or bigger out in the middle of the lake, and it's it's pretty crazy to see. And then they fly in groups of 30, 40 or more, you know, hundreds. Uh, we have groups of 20 or 30 at a time, which is more than we're used to seeing if we're shooting mallards or whatever, we're not seeing 40 mallards dump in at one shot, like they're coming in in one ball, almost like teal, but bigger ducks. Uh they're cool though, but you set up you know in blinds, either boat blinds or ground or you know, land blinds, if you will. We were in a boat blind and you're just sitting in there coming in. But the amount the big difference in that kind of hunt is the decoys. You're putting out like a hundred decoys in upplenty of real.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

Oh man, you're putting out a lot of decoys because they can because they fly in such big numbers that you're correct. It's kind of like with snows and everything like that. Everyone's like, you need so many just to pull them and everything like that.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

Yes, exactly right. So, yeah, the bigger numbers, I I I forget the number we put out, and we put out like a lot, and the guy's like, Yeah, I think that's good enough. He's like, I still have like another 80 or 90 we could put out, but we're just gonna go with this what? Like, dude, that's a lot. Uh, but it was really great hunt, a lot of fun shooting, great dog work, and uh it is it's really exciting when it goes right. So, anyone that's looking to do it, definitely you know, check out the finger legs. There's a couple good guides out there. If anyone wants information, who we uh shoot me a medicine, we can uh I can get you that details. I don't want to take up time here talking about public business, but can you so like in a in a hunt like that?

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Is it are you allowed to bring your dog or do they just have their dog because it's you know, obviously it's their guided and everything like that. I'm not 100% sure, but it's their dog.

SPEAKER_00 25:13

Generally speaking, any waterfowl water hunts like sea ducks, or if you're gonna be on a lake or stuff like that, if you're gonna be out of a boat, the guy that's gonna have their dog that's dialed into that boat, and having two dogs on the boat is gonna be just too much, and yada yada. So I totally respect that. Again, I'm a big dog guy, I compete with the dog and the love training it, but I respect the hell out of someone that says, Listen, I'm I know your dog's great, whatever, but you know, my dog runs, I spend the money on my dog. This is what the dog does all day. Totally get it. Understand where it's different is sometimes if you're gonna do like a goose field hunt or if you're gonna do a dry field hunt with uh with a with a guide for green heads in the corn or something like that. Some guides will be like, no problem, bring your dog. We can run two hides, you know, side by side from the ground line or whatever we're gonna do from the A-frame, and we'll just interchange the dogs as we go, as long as your dog's good with that. That works out too. That's great. So, but usually anything water-based is gonna be a no-go.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Gotcha, gotcha. That may that makes sense, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:07

Yeah,

Training Major The British Lab

SPEAKER_00 26:08

it does.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

Um now, you know, on on the dog topic and and and hunting, you know, birds and everything, and you you love your dog, everyone loves loves their dogs and everything like that. You know, how how how old is your dog? How long have you been doing this and kind of what the what the process of that is? We actually got um, I think um we're gonna have somebody on uh sometime soon where we'll go into more depth and everything like that. Um but you know, kind of go over for you of being the owner and and of the of the dog and everything, what that was like.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

Um, so Major, the one that you guys will see on the page now, uh, is going to be six this summer. And he's he's yeah, I know it's fly, it's flying by me, but actually, it feels like I just got him, but um, but he's yeah, he's you know fully trained, he's a great dog. He he does a lot of like does all our waterfowl. You know, there's nothing he hasn't done in regards to waterfowl at this point, except for maybe like you know, jetty hunting. He hasn't, he's never done that. Like if you brought him up to like Maine and shot either off the jetties, he's never had to deal with that. So maybe we check that off his list one day, but he has never been trained for that right now. That's something the dog needs to know how to handle. Um, but outside of that, yeah, no, he's just uh he's a great dog. He's out of wild roast kennels and it's a British lab. He's a monster in the field and then comes home and curls up on my three-year-old. So it's the perfect, perfect blend of uh, you know, that dichotomy that you're looking for on a dog. Um, but yeah, it's it's definitely a lot of work. I mean, anyone that's looking to train their own dog, you know, it takes a year and a half to, well, my opinion, which doesn't mean anything, but I think I don't hunt my dogs early. I I don't we hunt a lot of timber, as you guys know, and stuff and all kinds of tight and stuff. So I need a dog that's quiet and it's totally steady. No, no breaking on shots, no getting out early, no running around, none of that stuff, and it's good in the boat. And I don't think you can really get a dog really steady at under a year old. Maybe you can, um, but I've never seen it. But so we're usually waiting until they're a year and a half, maybe two, and then they're usually finished, good to go. And you can get, but that's a whole, like you said, you're gonna talk to someone about the dog training side of it, and I'm yeah, by no means a professional by any means, yeah. Um it's a it's it's a it's a that's a whole other ball game in itself, but it is a beautiful process, and they're a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

I I imagine for you, and you know, same thing, you know, you have you have your kids, and um, you know, when your kids get into hunting and everything like that, like the joy for from that, but you know, looking back at it now with your dog, which is everyone will say that's another essential part of the family, and just like your your kid and and everything like that. Um when you first start training him, and then you know, he really started picking stuff up, or his first hunt, and where he everything just went perfect and everything like that. Um it must be some some proud moments of just watching your dog just work. Um, it's awesome. Yeah, right. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

I like I said, I don't even really shoot anymore. My guys last, like, why do you even buy ammo? Because I am just filming and I'm running the dog and calling. I don't even care anymore. I really don't care. As long as I can bring my dog, I have no problem filming and calling. I care less about shooting and people. I know a lot to a lot of other people that I'll say, I'll come and film you, and I'm like, listen, guys, I don't need to bring my gun. I will bring my gun just so you have my limit and you can shoot it.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

But yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

I am I just want to bring my dog, let him work, and I will film. They're like, Yeah, yeah. I'm like, No, I'm serious. And then after hunt, they're like, Where's your gun? I'm like, Yeah, it's in the case, it's underneath everything. I told you, I don't care. I don't I have no interest in it. I mean, not that I don't have an interest in it, but I'd rather run the dog and film, and I'm happy.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

Yeah, so I think I think it it's a whole other, like you know, one of my buddies, he he loves his his waterfowl and everything like that, and he's he's good at what he does. We don't, you know, he doesn't have the dog. I think he's looking to eventually get get into that and and everything like that, but you know, just the whole call, and that's a cool thing about waterfowl is the whole calling, it's the action, it's you know, you really have to get everything right when to call, you know, do do all these different things, and and then one of my favorite parts is watching like you know, a couple of my boys and when when they're doing it, is you know, is when they they call the shot and then everyone just pops up and you know they just start shooting and everything like that. But it's it's this different feeling, obviously, than than hunting, but it's a different adrenaline rush, it's a different, you know, happiness or achievement because you're getting everybody else, yeah, you know, the success. You get to watch your dog, you know, yep. This is what he loves to do, and you know, he's gonna work himself until he's completely exhausted, like you said, and go home and and cuddle with your with your son and everything like that. But um it's people don't understand until they actually do it.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Yep, you know, they don't, they really don't. We've taken a lot of guys on their first times and they're like, oh, okay, I got it. I got it. I understand.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

Oh man, yeah, no, I I I love that that whole part of it. Um, you know, for for you know, working with the dog and and doing the the waterfowl hunts and and and everything like that, like obviously he loves it all, and it's almost impossible. But how excited do you know when what are the words where how are you prepping him the day before? How about that? Like, how are you prepping him? Does he kind of know like yeah, there's no prepping it at this point?

SPEAKER_00 31:33

There's no that I wouldn't say there's any prepping. That dog, as soon as that you know, alarm goes off at three o'clock in the morning, he's uh you know, I get to his kennel and he's rocking and rolling, man. He's he's good to go. But the funny thing is, I one thing he does know now is if I'm if he's in the kennel in the back of my pickup, um he knows if we're going to one of our you know spots that we go to a lot of time, he'll kind of pick up on some areas, and as soon as we're like 30 seconds from a boat ramp or somewhere, and he starts whining and he knows. So that's always funny. He started doing that when he was like three years old. I'm like, man, he remembers all these spots because he he won't he will not whine for like an hour and a half or an hour, 20 minutes, whatever it's but it's that last minute, and he starts blinding. Yeah, it's funny.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Oh, I love that. That's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 32:18

It's great, it is great. But yeah, to watch them progress is a lot of fun. Just like, I mean, my kids are young, I got a three-year-old and a and a seven-month-old, so they're not quite into it yet. But yes, watching the dog progress is uh, I would think would be the stepping stone into watching the children progress. Watching the children, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

That that makes sense.

Deer Season Highs And Lows

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Um now we'll we'll we'll shift a little bit to to the deer and everything like that. Sure. Um, you guys had yourselves a another great year. You personally, you know, had a had a great year and and everything like that. Kind of take us through your your deer season. Do you were you just was it just in Jersey this year, or did you guys have any other states too?

SPEAKER_00 32:55

No, just in Jersey for me, yeah. Two of the guys, um yeah, two of the guys were last date, but they struck out. Um, so yeah, it was pretty much just Jersey.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

Now, yeah, why don't why don't you go over and kind of go over your your season this year?

SPEAKER_00 33:10

Yeah, so it was again love the success that I had. I got two you know good bucks, so I had some history with both of them. Unfortunately, my two bucks that I were really after, like my hit listers, one got popped by let's call it uh group of individuals that don't agree with their motives, um like a week into the season or four days into the season, and it was a deer that was, I mean, it's a big deer, it was a really big deer. And uh unfortunately, whatever they technically did it legally, but yeah, not the way I would do it. Let's leave it then. Yeah, and the next year got hit by a car. So then I was like, oh man, yeah. So this was like this was like four weeks apart. I'm like, geez, you guys killing me, and then uh kind of scrambled. But then I got on that uh that big six-pointer, which was a huge six-pointer that I'd seen for two years, and he was an older buck, and I was like, you know what? He's only in that area for a short period of time every year. I'm like, let me just see if I can get in there when I knew he was in there. Like, he wouldn't really hit bait uh once the season started. He just in the summer I had some pictures of him in velvet, and then he just would not really come to bait in daylight. Like he knew what was up, and uh I found out that he had been shot last year and this year before I got to him. He had more he had pieces, he had big wounds in him. So obviously depression. But uh, if you saw that hunt, he uh you know it was a cool hunt watching the dogs chase and everything and all the animals chase. It was a good that was a good one. I enjoyed that. That was a lot very exciting, really like perfect rutt hunt, the quintessential rut hunt for me. So that was really cool. And uh and then the second buck was a buck that actually got smaller. I had him for three years. I just posted that hunt. I've had three or four years of history with him, three years of pictures of him, and he was getting bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger. And then this season he got smaller on me. And I was like, oh man. And I knew he was six and a half, at least six and a half. So I was like, you know what? Let's go for him, let's see what we can do. And he uh again, another deer that did not hit beaten daylight, really. He uh he was just locked down with the dose and got lucky, spent enough time in the area, and and he broke loose the day that I actually went in for that morning hunt, which was like my ninth sit for that deer. Yeah, and uh and got lucky and put it down and was able to put some good footage on it.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

It was good it it it's pretty cool. You you look at both those deers, first of all, obviously very unfortunate about those two others. Yeah, that's gotta that that's gotta hurt, especially early on in the season when you when you're just getting going and everything like that. That that's always devastating news. Um, but the cool thing about these two deer is also just how unique and different they are, too. Like you know, you the the one that uh most recent, I think that was what November around a November wider buck, yeah, you know, um real real cool looking, and then you the six-pointer, yeah freaking who doesn't love a big six. That's what that's what I was chasing this year. Like there was a big six that I was chasing the deer the day I killed my buck. I actually saw him across the river, and you know, he he never came back and everything like that. He saw me, he he ran and everything like that, hoping fingers crossed that that he's still he's still alive and breathing. But um, two really unique deers, and and I it's crazy. You always hear the stories about deer being shot and you know, stuff like that years prior, everything like that. But when you actually kill a deer that has the wounds, or maybe even has the broadhead or uh whatever in inside it, and everything, then it's like wow, like it hits you a little differently because it's like, yeah, man, someone could have killed this deer, I would have never had the no never would have killed this deer, and it's also like they go through everything. They run they run a gauntlet, they do. They they they literally do. I found um I found one of the bucks that that I'm I was after. I really wanted him to make it, so I was like, I wanted to kill him, but I also didn't want to to have him come in front of me because I wouldn't have been able to pass him. I found him dead freaking, I think like a week into the season. Yeah, um, and I'm pretty sure he got hit and he went to die by by the river. I it wasn't EHD for my I didn't find any other deer, so I wasn't worried about that. Um I'm pretty sure somebody shot him opening. Got shot on the couldn't find him, and he went to water and died right there. Yeah. Um, but it's like, yeah, these these deer just put up with with everything. Um and then you you know, you're you're looking back and and kind of you know when when those two deer are you know you know are dead and you're now you're you're looking for for other deer, maybe scrambling and everything like that. Good thing. One it sucks that it's early, but it's also a good thing it's still early because you can still you can change your you know your strategy and go go look for for new deer.

Bowhunting Grit And Bad Shots

SPEAKER_01 38:14

But for a lot of outdoorsmen and you know, people maybe listening, like it may set them back. And this is why I think, and it's been a common theme of this year talking on the show with the last couple episodes, is you know, the mental toughness in in the outdoors, and you have to be, especially as a bow hunter and everything like that. And you know, believe us people, you know, if if you experience this, don't let it control you or or break your season. Because look at you know, you know, look at look at Ryan here. He he was able to kill a beautiful six and then you know killed a kill another older buck, um, good buck after, yeah, a a not so great start to to your season.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Yeah, especially if you're gonna bow hunt if people are listening to this that you know haven't really dove into it fully yet, or or just you're starting off, it's not a matter of if, it's just when you're gonna have some you know low spots and just gotta dig them out. Just bow hunting's not easy and it's not it's not easy for a reason. Um, and just gotta kind of grind it out. That's what makes it fun.

SPEAKER_01 39:17

Yeah, no, bow hunting is not for the for the weak of fainted heart at all. It's um it's the I don't I don't know how to explain I guess I know how to explain it. I don't it takes mental toughness, physical toughness. Like you are putting yourself through the ringer, and at least if you're a diehard bow hunter, like if you're a crazy fiend, like you know, like a lot of us are and everything like that, where that's the only thing you can obsess about, um, you know, then it then these these things are gonna they're gonna eat at you and you're gonna just obsess. And yeah, when when things go wrong or you go or you take a bad shot and you, you know, you gut shot a deer, you shoulder a deer and you don't find him, and something like that, like you, you know, after you take your time to to try to find him, like you gotta get right back in the saddle, you gotta get right back into it and and push yourself and not let it break you who break the hunter that that you are.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Yeah, agreed, 100%. And it's gonna happen again. I had this conversation a couple weeks back with a guy, and uh, he's like, I've never taken a bad shot. I'm like, never taken a bad shot with Bo on it. How long have you been on Bo Hunting? 60 years. I'm like, all right. I was like, you're lying. I just met you, but I'm telling you right now, you're lying. I was like, or you just never shot at animals. Maybe you just target practice, and I still then you had to take a bad shot because I was like, I just I don't believe you, and I think that's a bad thing when people say, you know, uh you're going to take a bad shot, it's not gonna be on purpose. Something's gonna happen, and it's just not gonna work out the way you want. Whether it's a perfect shot, and the deer just ducked you, or you hit a branch you didn't see, everything you executed was perfect, it's going to happen, and you just gotta kind of roll with it, learn from it, and move on.

SPEAKER_01 41:03

Too too many variables in in bow hunting, yeah. Like too many, too many. Yeah, um, you know, and I I think it's yeah, no matter you could be, there's no such thing as perfect, but you could be, yeah, one of the best shots in the world. And you know what? When it's not your day, it's just not it's just not your day. Um you know, so that yeah, that that's that's one of those those things that's definitely tough.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

Um and you guys bring a camera, when you bring a camera involvement, it just makes it exponential.

SPEAKER_01 41:41

Yeah, guys, bringing bringing a camera into it, it's yeah, bow hunting, like is yeah, you're just you're adding in. Listen, I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you straight up, and you know, I imagine Brian will all agree. If you're getting into bow hunting, do not bring the camera right away. No way, you know, or if you're getting if you're getting into maybe you're a bow hunter, but if you're trying something new, like maybe saddle hunting or something, make sure you practice in the summer. Whatever, if you're doing something new, make sure you practice and don't really make things more complicated, like unless you're really prepared to to make your life very complicated when it comes to bringing in all the all the extra gear. I I think, and you know, I don't know about you, I carry more camera gear in now than I think I do my hunting equipment.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

As in no hunting equipment at this point, I have a bowl hunting. I'm like, I got a release, I might have a grunt tube, and like my and then like my my gunning bag that's in my camera bag, and then everything else is camera gear. Then we got 20 pounds of camera gear.

SPEAKER_01 42:48

Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's all about your camera gear. Like, I have my yeah, I have my platform, my sticks for for my saddle and everything like that. But the most important thing I will say that I would even if you're just filming, right? Is I always make sure I have my clippers and my little handheld saw. Make sure I always have one of those. Oh, and maybe dude wipes or toilet paper or whatever you gotta do. See that's a that's a that's a very important thing. But then, yeah, after that, yeah, it's batteries, SD cards,

Multi-Camera Angles And Saddles

SPEAKER_01 43:20

camera, lens, maybe uh running to I run like two or three, and I I saw some of your angles. First of all, that that you set it up, and yeah, I got we're back onto the filming topic, but you have your cameras on the trees. That I love that angle. Um always been a big fan of it. I know like people used to do it, and then it kind of went away, I think, because it got so yeah, yeah. And and now, like, especially with the quality of of the video and and everything like that, I love that that you're bringing that you're bringing it back. Um and then also I love the the your POV when the cameras out in front of you.

SPEAKER_02 44:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:01

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That that one's a that one's a really cool angle. Um and that's that's yet again what it's about. And I imagine what you learned and everything like that is, you know, all the angles are are, you know, they're big. You know, it's not just having one angle. It's it's the multiple POVs and the B uh the B role and and everything that that you're doing is extremely important in I think everyday filming doesn't matter if you're hunting or or not.

SPEAKER_00 44:31

That's supporting footage. You 100% need that supporting footage. And the industry as a whole is kind of getting not getting away. You're going to need some recreates which are like you know the fake shots if you will but I like to run a lot of cameras just so I don't have to use them as much. I mean I might use them for product placement or whatever it may be but uh but the the actual drawing of the bow is actually happening in real time. You got a camera over the shoulder you're showing the actual shooter and you're showing the animal I got the POV on the ground so you're seeing the actual animal from the animal's point of view back to the hunter. You cannot recreate those there's no recreates there.

SPEAKER_01 45:04

So I I it's a lot more work and people like oh my god dude that's insane you're getting out of the tree you're doing this yeah but when it works it works that's great and and and that's saying when it works it's a hundred percent worth it when it doesn't work or something goes wrong it's like damn I just spent all that time doing that and you know um it's how long for for you you know not not when you're you're self-filming for yourself when you're filming for other people you know kind of like how long does it take for for you to set up you know as you as you're going like kind of break down your setup.

SPEAKER_00 45:39

If I let's say we're going to a totally new tree right I have no mounts uh if I'm going to a brand new tree no mounts it would probably take me about 15 minutes yeah yeah that would take me from start to well that's not including a stand if a stand's already up then it'll take me about 15 minutes. If we got to put stands up and sticks that's a different ballgame um but if I'm just doing camera gear then about 15 minutes for me to get my my shoulders on and stuff like that my POE setup I'll I usually have an idea of what I'm looking for once I get to the area pretty quick after doing a little bit now but there's always some tweaking you get up in the tree and something doesn't lay right or you know you're gonna move some things around but yeah if I have 15 to 20 minutes extra I can pretty much know I will be able to set up in any tree. A lot of my sets I have stands and I have uh like mounts already on the tree the fourth arrow shoulder mounts that are already up and I can just click in and it'll take me about seven minutes from start to finish. So streamline it a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 46:33

Yeah that no that that that's about right I mean I I think obviously when you have to do everything else and you're self-filming or you're setting up stands or you're in the saddle for anyone listening like yeah it it's going to take you it's gonna take you some time um especially yet again when you're on the self-filming portion of it you know because yet again you don't you want to make it look real as as possible.

SPEAKER_00 46:56

Absolutely you know count you got to check them you got to make sure where the sun is and where it's gonna end if you're just you know all those things to think about you're gonna get back lit the we get the list goes up. Yeah yeah um I know one one a big question you know I've noticed you guys are still hanging in the in the stands you ever think about the saddle everybody keeps asking me I'll be honest every I'm I just had like four people talk about it I I have nothing against saddle hunting I think it's cool I have not dove into it um I have a climber that I love and I just and I just got a new set of sticks with a a really nice XOP fly stand that's awesome. Yeah um I probably will be leaning towards that because I am I I just I don't know I probably could do it out of a out of a out of a saddle probably could um I just have a lot of gear like I'm running two mirrorless and I'm running four POVs so I got like three camera arms I got all the things and then yeah yeah it's a lot to be hanging off the side of a tree might try it very possible that is just not I just haven't gotten there yet I I think if you're if if I was just I mean with that much gear I think it might be easier for setup wise with the tree stand.

SPEAKER_01 48:15

Yes you know I mean and you have the bigger platform and everything like that. I I do love a saddle I'm so committed on the saddle I'm not right like I have my camera gear but everything has to be so small. So like my I run the lone of pocket arm. Right that's and that's a big part also why I freehand a lot of my my filming because I'm limited you know the the fourth the fourth arrows they're much bigger they're much more sturdier and and everything like that and you can get around trees and things like that. But they're bulky but they're bulky but they're but they're bulky. So there's always going to be a give and a take a hundred a hundred percent um you know but for me like I don't have to like I have the DG DGI my DGI stuff and everything like that. I could put those in there but I'm not running three camera arms you know what I mean it and the bulkier the bulkier the thing the equipment yeah 100% I think a stand is your is your go-to situation. Now maybe if you're self-filming and you only wanted to bring like as light of a setup which usually people who run saddle in my opinion they want as light of a setup as possible.

SPEAKER_00 49:23

So sure it's yet again you're gonna you're gonna think about what you're bringing and you're not gonna bring your all your bulkiest camera gear or your camera gear because then that would just defeat the whole the whole yeah I totally get it I completely understand and if I get you know if I'm doing a run and gun which I did not do a lot of last year um I might lighten the load and maybe not run a second mirrorless and whatever it is but I I have nothing against saddle hunting I just haven't gone that route yet very possible in the future even though the cat I just bought some new cameras I just invested more money into some even crazier cameras um and they're even more bulky but they throw some insane footage um so we'll see what happens but it may happen in the future we'll see what happens what um do you have like a and because I do I have a specific how I set everything up you know what is like some of your favorite setups for your cameras for yourself or or for other people when you're when you're filming uh you know I I'm always the well we're talking about like how I'm setting up my camera arms and stuff like that. Is that what you're asking? Yeah okay so that's uh man we could do a whole show on this but uh so I mean camera arms we we will one day one day we will we'll we'll dive deep one day in into this because it it is literally a whole show where it would take obviously I'm a righty um so the biggest thing is you're gonna pick a tree or you pick your spot in regards to where your animal coming so that you have your left side to be what I would consider your dominant side because that's where your bow is going to be hanging out. But if you're gonna be setting up your big tree arms and big cameras they got to be able to be able to be you know freely moved quickly and fluidly so you're not gonna be you know going around your body it may happen but again without going into too much detail it's going on your hip and I'm setting up to stand. I'm not sitting I have to be able to move so that shoulder is going on my hip height and it's gonna be on my right side and it's going to be you know so that'll put the the camera more or less like mid-stomach to a little bit higher. So my hand is perfect that I can if I have my bow in my hand I don't have to drop my hand I don't have to lower my hand to just bring my hand over my bow and draw and it makes it really fluid and easy. The rest of them kind of all depend on the tree more or less but the one that's always there is that main camera and then actually the second angle I always try to have over my outside shoulder so it would be my right shoulder so that you see through the bow into the animal instead of having the left side of my body which would kind of close the shot off. Yeah so I try to have that right angle if I can if you can't you can't um and then the POVs you kind of lay out in each individual situation. That's the quick run now.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

Yeah yeah yeah no I I I think my favorite my favorite camera angle no matter at least when I'm filming myself and for probably watching videos is always that POV above you. Yeah when you get to you get the wide angle of everything of you shooting the deer and the like that is probably my favorite like obviously the main shot is extremely important. Sure but I think whenever you're going through it and you see your you you know you see yourself and it's like oh wow and it when you drill a deer or a bear or whatever it is it's like great you get fired up all over again and you're just like reliving it and you you get to see it because through your eyes you're seeing it basically through the you know it's different you actually get to see like you're actually a guest or you know someone watching and everything it it's a pretty cool I think that's my favorite camera angle by far.

SPEAKER_00 52:52

Great perspective I get a lot of messages on that angle specifically because it kind of encompasses everything. You can see the shooters' movements you can see the deer's movements yeah so I agree with you 100% yeah yeah yeah definitely um any uh what's the what's the plans for this upcoming season you know obviously

Next Season Plans And Bear Prep

SPEAKER_00 53:10

we're still early we're still getting through through turkey and everything like that but yeah you know what are we doing the kind of the same thing you're still gonna just be more involved just with the guys and everything like that yeah or are you you're gonna do some more hunting yourself for deer too as well as well going out west for a couple deer this year probably illinois i i did i pushed off a year i got eight points in iowa but i'm not i'm not going for this summer i've been not gonna try and draw for uh for this year that's gonna get pushed off um i got offered to film a couple hunts uh a sheep hunt in alaska and a yeah and a couple and a moose hunt as well and uh so i we'll see how that shakes out a little bit that those are filming not hunting for me those are filming yeah yeah yeah uh filming again deer hunt uh illinois and then obviously jersey and then uh hook it up with some other guys that are doing some good content and try maybe do a deer camp or something like that out west uh i don't know if you ever heard of mad hunts um you have yeah yeah yeah so cade is uh awesome guy met him out at film the hunt and they're doing some really good stuff with a bunch of guys and he's gonna try and put together some hunts that we all go out so everyone's hunting everyone's running a camera and then put it all together and it'll be interesting if it works out. Um waterfowl we're going back up to the Great Lakes to do a field hunt with uh some with the greenheads and the corn which we don't get to do down here really so I'm hoping to hopefully that goes well and then uh what am I missing what am I missing that's kind of everything I have and then of course I turned down a filming because of bear season we got some big up we got some big things that we're working on already we're already starting our bear prep right now yeah and uh we're already you know baits already coming running in or we go through probably somewhere between 14 or maybe 12 000 14 000 pounds and yeah it gets a little gnarly uh so we start we start loading up now and prepping trails and already things are already starting right now for that so we have some big we got some big uh some big targets this year that we're after and we'll see what how that shakes out and yeah it's it's when bear season's over I sleep for like a week that's I believe it that makes sense I believe that it's a blessing and a curse man it that season is rough if you do it if you like really do it it is rough but I it's fine I think it's I can't say it's the my biggest thing that I look forward to but it it it might just be I'm not including opening day in in that of like for us for Delaware opening jersey and stuff like that we're not but it might be one of the most important weeks of our season just because it's only a week here in New York and it's well six days not even a freaking full week and the weather yeah plays a like this year you know what I mean like pouring rain I think you got did you guys get it done in in the storm right I think I think or was the day Monday out of pouring rain for freaking five hours yeah it it was and that's the thing like now we're how we are for bear is like all right rain sun slot as long as my thing as long as there's no lightning yeah I will be out there that that's my only thing I'll I'll be out there so but a lot of people yet again how many people didn't actually go out that Monday majority yes majority I would rather probably say that our crew your crew maybe the back damn productions and like a few other guys so you're looking at probably one percent right of the bear hunters were were actually out in the woods in that in that storm and I we had a blast like it we we were we we had a blast but it's like depending on the weather is gonna make out how the one week of our season goes the one week totally totally it's like you said because it's a week that's why we push so hard I take a couple weeks off of work beforehand and we double down on the pressure and we double down on the baiting and so forth and then we are all off during that week. So when bears get when bears go down we all roll and everybody's family knows you know we're leaving at six o'clock or seven o'clock in the morning or you know for home that morning we're leaving at four and we probably won't get home till ten.

SPEAKER_01 57:37

Yeah we we're gonna we're gonna do something this year where all of us we'll we'll do a podcast like we'll try to get your whole crew on and do a big bear podcast before bear season because like it's one of our favorite like yeah me and me and our our guys we've been talking about I think we have uh Connor um he's gonna be I think flying from Wisconsin to nice to come hunt here because we know yet again we like we talked about earlier two dollars two dollars when he found out that it was two dollars and I was like and like there's certain parts of the state where you could throw a rock like Sussex Jersey and you may hit a freaking bear yeah and you know there's there's at any point like I would say we're we're gonna be chasing anywhere up to two I think every bear that we've killed has been at least been 200 pounds and plus yeah you know I mean and you know you look at your bear I I had a bear on camera that um yet again its stomach was was touching the ground right you know I mean and those are those are giant bears but us in North Carolina are the only states that have bears on a regular PA basis. PA PA too yeah well we're we can't count PA because you look at us and you look at North Carolina and PA is such a big state they're they're huge huge so I'm not I'm not yeah I'm not counting PA because they they don't count when it when it comes to that they are just they that's a full blown hunting state and things are just way different over there and everything like that. But yeah we we yet again everything that we have here is just absolutely remarkable um and if anyone's not doing it I do highly recommend that you you come and come to Jersey and and try it out at least once at least once you really should and again I I I know I mentioned it before I was out at that that class and I was talking to a guy who regularly hunts Maine he's from Maine and they bear hunt a lot and they're going around showing pictures and awesome and then he they're like yeah you gotta see the picture of this guy frickin' bear and and I showed him he's like wait what he's like you shot that where and then I showed him we shot three at 600 last year and I was like dude they're you we there's bad big bears like we have a lot of good bears and he had no idea it's amazing how many people don't have any clue yeah it was it was I forget we're we're talking to one of your guy uh guys I can't remember if it was Eddie or I right yeah and he was yeah he's a big main bear hunter and I was like dude I've still I've spent almost my whole entire life in the summer in in Maine and I've still yet to see a main black bear really never every and it's it's this crazy thing where I just don't think it's in my plans like if we go up and my family gets there before me they usually will see the bear before I get there. Okay like it's always I always get up there and I miss it. Like it's generally like what I've seen I've seen everything else obviously moose uh bobcat lynx like I I've seen everything else there never seen a main bear and my my other cousin the youngest the youngest out of her her siblings she's a little older than me I don't think she's and she lived in Maine up until she moved to Texas probably like 10 years ago um I don't think she's ever seen a main bear either that's surprising wow it is very vast I mean the woods are very different but that's surprising that you never see when you spent that much time never never like literally deep deep deep out in the heart like up and we're up out in uh Moosehead Lake um weeks on weeks on just never wow never never it's the one thing that I see and you'll you'll you'll see one in freaking at least three days of hunting in Sussex for sure guarantee you're gonna see one listen I I I tell people I see bears in Jersey and I don't even really get it if I'm not hunting I don't really get much of a reaction I'm just like oh cool all right with the Jersey bear like that's another bear if it if when I see one in Maine I am probably gonna freak the hell out you would pop you would probably if people are are anywhere near me or whatever they're like that person's never been in the woods before little do they know I guess in the woods that's funny that's great that is oh my god I love but um all right Brian we are we're hitting our hour mark we definitely are going to get you back on for you know we probably have to do two at least probably have to dive more into the filming and and kind of like that and then definitely got to get you on and you and the whole crew on for a big bear podcast would would love to do that uh with you and everything like that. So

Where To Follow And Final Thanks

SPEAKER_01 1:02:20

um any any last words no man I again I appreciate being back uh you know love talking about what we have available here for New Jersey a lot of people aren't aware of it if anyone has any questions anything we talked about today you know shoot shoot me a message or shoot microwave anything we can yeah no definitely everyone we hope you guys enjoy this episode the link to uh Brian's Instagram the whole team the YouTube everything like that is going to be down in the description below make sure you go check out Timber Life Outdoors make sure listen if you have not watched their YouTube I do highly recommend watching their YouTube videos I've actually become a a a big fan and now it's easier now if we've talked and everything like that but the the footage just is absolutely incredible I do love and you know for me too I'll I will say this like I get to learn I love watching other people's stuff because you get to learn about sure how to to uh to just what you're doing and the whole I think a lot of us plan to go out to film the hunt I think next year we're gonna we're gonna try to go out we wanted to go this year but where there wasn't it just didn't have enough time but I think next year we're gonna we're gonna try to go out there and and everything like that as well. Yeah great so well everyone thank you guys and we'll see you guys next time