October 7, 2024 • 41 mins
Join us on this episode of the Butcher's Bow podcast where I am joined by Austin Kirby hunting for California Blacktail in Unit D-9 Public Land. Day 1 Recap
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to the Butcher's Boat Podcast where the hunt meets the harvest.
(00:03):
I'm your host Jake Dilger and I'm excited to share my passion for hunting and butchering
with you.
With 12 years of experience in the field and in the shop, I've learned a thing or two
about what it takes to be successful in both pursuits.
On this podcast, we'll dive into the grit of hunting, from scouting, tracking to shop
placement and recovery.
(00:25):
We'll also explore the art of game processing, from field dressing to final cuts and everything
in between.
But it's not just about the technical stuff, we'll also share stories of adventure from
hunting trips as well as my friends and experts and guests.
From the industry, we'll talk gear, strategy, and we'll talk about the lessons learned along
the way.
Whether you're a seasonal hunter or just starting out, whether you're a butcher or an outdoorsman
(00:50):
or someone who enjoys a good steak, I hope you'll join me on this journey.
We'll explore the intersection of wildlife management, sustainable hunting practices,
and the art of transforming wild game into delicious meals.
So tune in, subscribe, and let's get started on this adventure together.
I'm excited to share my knowledge, experience, and passion with you.
And I look forward to hearing from you too.
(01:11):
Let's get into it.
So we are in D9 and today was day one of a two day hunt.
We were basically targeting black tail deer and possible newly crosses.
And I'm here with Austin Kirby, my best friend.
(01:34):
Yeah, I'd like to say thanks for inviting me to this trip, man.
Been having a great time so far.
Always a good time to get out with buddies and just enjoy the wilderness.
Yeah, definitely.
Happy to have you along.
I'm super stoked, especially with the events that happened today.
We're going to get into that.
Starting off, this was a draw tag for me, a third choice.
(01:57):
Had other choices, definitely above this one.
However, I am super happy that this worked out this way.
So we basically had minimal planning on this trip.
Yeah, it was very last minute.
I was able to get an over the counter.
They had some additional tags left over for this unit.
So worked out really good that we plan to come over here already to try to bag one for
(02:20):
Jake.
I was able to get an additional tag and come out and see what we can make happen.
Little bit of e-scouting done beforehand.
A little bit of prior knowledge from other people, other sources that we've had.
Just talking to people and seeing what the deal was with this area.
Because I've never been here before.
I've driven by it.
(02:40):
You've been here somewhere.
Yeah, I'm familiar with the area.
We do come out camping with our family riding out in the desert and stuff.
We're about 30 miles, the bird flies from here where we camp quite a bit.
So it's nice to finally make it up over to this mountain range and kind of explore a
little bit of a new area.
Minimal planning for the trip, but maximum amount of stuff that we brought with us for
(03:05):
sure.
Definitely.
We loaded the old Chevy down for this trip.
Brought everything that we could.
Definitely traveling heavy.
Not regretting it though.
Definitely working out in the way it should.
And all our prior experience has been limited to mostly localized in a zone.
And it is much different terrain than we're used to.
(03:28):
So we're basically in high desert area.
Trying to look in higher elevation.
Basically glassing.
Long time.
But seem to work out well.
So basically what we did this morning is we got up before first light at a camp.
We got as mobile as possible and hiked into National Forest.
(03:54):
Started glassing from ridges to ridges and moving further away from the road as possible.
Trying to find areas that people weren't going to be mostly in.
Trying to get away from people.
The entire time being completely devoured by mosquitoes.
Yeah, that was interesting.
I had a lot of gnats.
Only heard maybe one mosquito not wearing bug spray and poor Austin was getting eaten
(04:19):
alive.
Yeah, and so as we made our way over another ridge line, found a nice glassing area.
Jake got all set up with his spotting scope and I decided to layer up to try to reduce
some of the impact of the bugs.
And Jake was actually able to hear some grunting coming from a canyon below us.
(04:39):
I don't like it was only maybe 60 to 100 yards away, but it was through some thick timber
that I couldn't see through.
Try to get a better vantage point.
Still couldn't see.
Team back up with Austin and we made another move towards those sounds, which I felt like
was a good move, but definitely risky.
Didn't want to bump those deer out.
(05:03):
But we made it to another vantage point, a better one, much closer on the big rock ledge.
And ended up seeing a doe walk out.
Pretty quick, I think we spoke to her.
She was definitely on the move, heading up the other canyon wall.
Yeah, working up.
And then luckily a nice buck was following her.
(05:25):
That's where the excitement definitely started.
Pure chaos.
Pure chaos.
A little back story here.
This is my sixth season of deer hunting.
Up until this point, it's all been a zone.
And I was able to actually put my first buck down this year.
I'm super stoked on that.
So being over here today with Jake was just a blessing.
(05:47):
You know, get another opportunity at a great deer hunt.
When we saw that buck come out, I think Jake would be in a grance.
He just knew that he was going to let me pull the trigger on that one today and got very
excited.
Definitely got a buck fever rolling.
He was able to get his tripod set up for me fairly quickly.
(06:07):
Just positioned on a rock ledge up above him, able to get down.
I had plenty of time.
It was a fairly open canyon face on the other side where they were working their way up.
But the nerves definitely took over.
I got a real shaky foot, almost like I was tap dancing.
But I had nerve too.
But luckily they just posted up and stayed right there in a spot for about 30 seconds
(06:29):
and we got set up.
Yeah.
They were probably out about what, 2, 2.15?
Yeah, about 200, 220 yards.
And was able to get in position and got a shot placement off and run my bill.
Yeah.
Yeah, Jake wasn't quite prepped for that.
Oh good.
I had the deer in my binos and then lost it right away.
(06:51):
And then as soon as I got them back up, the shot right off.
Yeah.
And that's that.
But as I was reloading, you know, had a chamber, another one just to be sure.
So I'm kind of going into some thick brush near where he was.
I wasn't sure how far he took off, but we had a general understanding of the surrounding
area and didn't think that he made it out of this brush pile.
(07:14):
The doe definitely took off right away.
Yeah, I watched her run over the next ridge.
As soon as that went off, I started looking, making sure that that buck wasn't running
somewhere else that we had to go track.
He was kind of set to an isolated bush with some deadfall.
And it was, I just kept looking to make sure it wasn't going to go anywhere.
(07:35):
Luckily, we had some radio communication.
So Austin set off and I stayed at their vantage point to keep an eye out to see if he didn't
push the buck out anywhere and kind of guide him to the right place, which I think was
hugely helpful.
Definitely a great way to, you know, travel over some rough countryside, you know, having
him up on a nice vantage point.
He's able to put me through some good trails up to where I needed to be and, you know,
(07:59):
put me right on location where we saw him last take off from, you know, and got up to
the site and started kind of scanning around looking for blood in the area.
Look back up.
You can see Jake on the other peak, you know, had him on radio comms trying to figure out
where this guy went.
I saw you looking down for blood and I was hoping you were going to give me a thumbs
(08:19):
up.
Man, I was stressing.
I won't lie, you know, with all the nerves that took over after the shot and everything,
you know, there's always in the back of your mind, did I miss?
Was it a good shot placement?
You know, how long are we going to be tracking this thing?
Definitely.
And, you know, all this stuff's going through your head and, you know, about 30 seconds
later I was able to locate him in that deadfall right where we saw, right where the shot placement
(08:42):
was.
He didn't make it probably more than five yards.
Yep, just piled up.
Yeah.
Couldn't have been a better spot.
Honestly, yeah, he, that bush caught him.
He didn't roll down hill.
He stayed right where he was.
Yeah.
So, yeah, Jake started making his way over.
He got packed and started making preparations and, you know, we were able to get him up
on a decent flat area to start working.
(09:05):
Beautiful little fork.
I was so excited, man, to, you know, six seasons of really, really hard work.
I mean, we put mile after mile in trying to make this happen and be not only successful
in A-zone this year, but to be successful over here in a new unit first day within two hours
being out.
I mean, really came into this one super blind.
(09:27):
It felt like it was longer glassing, but yeah, we checked the time and it had only been about
two hours before the shot went off.
Yeah, definitely a lot of joy and excitement in the moment, man.
We were overwhelmed.
It was fun.
Definitely.
Yeah.
So, took some pictures, tried to document that moment and enjoy it too.
We weren't in too much of a rush, but knew that the weather was going to get a little
(09:51):
bit warm.
So, we started breaking down the deer just one side at a time.
A big body deer definitely.
Yeah.
Definitely had some mass to him.
A lot of body fat.
He's definitely prepping up for winter.
Yeah, definitely carried it throughout, even into his rib section and his chest.
Even some of the back legs had a decent amount of fat on him, more than I expected, because
(10:15):
it doesn't seem like they have a huge food source up here in the high desert, but they
are definitely hard to, already in surviving.
Yeah.
But overall, so far today, I mean, we've probably put in, I don't know, a decent 10
miles, maybe.
And as far as water sources go, we haven't seen much.
I'm not really sure where they're moving around for water.
(10:37):
Food's pretty sparse up here too.
It's definitely a different environment than we're used to.
The high elevation has definitely been a challenge.
Oh, I've been sucking wind.
Yeah.
It's definitely harder than expected, especially during the pack out, which was only a mile
and a half, something like that.
Heavy pack.
Underprepared.
Definitely.
(10:58):
On my end.
Still got it done.
That's what's important.
Saved all the meat that we could.
Got it a nice chest ice down, especially because we're hopefully going to be going out again
tomorrow for another egg.
Hopefully mine this time.
We'll see.
We hunted this afternoon too, and kind of tried to go higher in elevation into the thicker
(11:18):
timber.
Didn't see much sign, saw a doe and a couple of fawns, no bucks around.
A lot of people rode hunting, riding motorcycles.
Yeah, your typical public lamb hunting that we kind of see back even in the NAZone.
Yeah, even got off the road a bit into some seeper country and some canyons and just still
(11:40):
didn't see much sign.
Last little bit in the thicker stuff.
Very challenging.
Don't understand all that too much.
Didn't find any game trails or any other kind of sign like that, but tried to look around
water sources, and it is definitely not as hot as expected, but still hot enough that
they wouldn't need water.
So we're going to probably try to pick through the same area tomorrow, look and see if that
(12:07):
does still around.
I think there's some pretty good chance.
I mean, we've definitely seen movement in the ones that we have seen cruising around.
Even on our first night on our way in, we saw a doe down on the desert floor, probably
a couple thousand feet lower in elevation than we are here.
With the weather change and the cooler nights, they're definitely starting to drop down in
elevation.
(12:28):
I think there's a good chance.
Definitely see more movement, hopefully tomorrow.
Yeah, just fine.
Same area, more sign, look and see if anything's moving up.
Hopefully with the cooler morning and the shade, they'll start stirring once the sun
comes up.
It seems like it's very challenging to find any bedded deer around here at the moment,
because the stuff that is ambient is very thick and down low.
(12:52):
Just too dense.
Plenty of places to hide, hard place to move and be quiet.
That's definitely a challenge.
Not what we're used to.
Yeah, not what we're used to at all.
Did see a little bit of other wildlife today too, last morning.
Last and bobcat.
Yeah, going into the sagebrush, got excited for a second, but then realized it was a long
(13:15):
speech.
Definitely some other life up here moving around.
Curious to see what else we run into tomorrow.
Yeah.
So what was going off in your mind when we saw that bucking started to try to make a
shot?
You know, just the initial, trying to determine, is this a legal buck?
Is he of good size and in a good location to recover?
(13:39):
You know, are we going to be able to break him down where he is and pack him out?
Definitely was a struggle for me today.
My rifle performed well.
I was able to make great shot placement once we got him opened up.
Yeah, you took off the top of his heart.
I couldn't ask for a better shot.
Solid shot placement today.
(13:59):
I feel very grateful for that.
But the nerves start building up once you decide that you're going to pull that trigger.
Excited and nervous and anxious to see what's going to come from it.
But definitely blessed to put more meat in the freezer for the family and enjoy these
wonderful trips that we don't get to do quite as often as we used to, but really enjoy getting
(14:23):
to still go out and do it every once in a while.
And on that note too, equipment wise, my bag is not quite prepped for this kind of hunting.
We have a day pack because we're used to short stints back in A zone.
Put a lot more distance and steep terrain today.
(14:46):
I would definitely recommend investing in a solid pack for anyone that's going to actually
get out and cover some ground.
Yeah, I did travel a little heavier than I'd like to, but the Kefara Reckoning really took
that and stride.
I did have to take plenty of rest stops on the way back.
Not as conditioned as I'd like to be uphill the whole way, especially with higher elevation
(15:10):
and belly fever.
But anyways, yeah, definitely got the job done in a reasonable amount of time.
We're able to run back to town and get resupply, get a tag validated, which is awesome.
Don't worry about that on the drive out tomorrow.
Yeah, I mean, all said and done from the time that we left camp till we got back to camp
with meat in the coolers.
(15:31):
We were at about six hours, made it back to camp just before noon.
Definitely got again.
Definitely covered some ground in some good time.
Jake worked his magic, getting the meat processed and broke down and loaded in the game bag.
It's a full experience.
You really got to appreciate every aspect of the hunt.
(15:55):
Just e-scouting was minimal, but looking at maps on on X, we had somewhat of a game
plan, but not a full one.
And it really changed once we kind of got here and got boots on the ground and able to see
the lay of the land.
There's only so much you can see through Topo lines and looking at water sources.
Especially sometimes you have to just call an audible when you find a large group of
(16:20):
hunters camping out and a lot of people on the roads, a lot of traffic.
It's definitely been a challenge this weekend.
I mean, you can go into a new area with a game plan, but you know, a lot of other people
could be in that same spot with the same plan.
So always have a backup or another location that you want to try.
Yeah, don't be afraid to be mobile.
Yeah, on a trip this far away, it's good to just kind of get a little bit of a lay of
(16:45):
the land in the first morning and get out and put boots on the ground.
Yeah, especially when you're...
Well, that's fun.
Yes, Pop.
Yeah, something like hearing good.
Yeah, a bunch of people out here and a lot of locals.
Safety Orange is not a bad idea hunting in some areas like this.
Yeah, I'm glad I brought my orange cap.
(17:08):
We did actually hear another shot one canyon over this morning.
Probably 40 minutes after yours was down.
Yeah, not sure if they were successful or not, but that's not cool.
Be aware of other people around you for sure.
Yeah, safety is definitely important out here when hunting public land.
Yeah, because it's what, 8.40 at night and we're hearing handgun shots ring off.
(17:30):
Hopefully, no one's approaching deer.
Hopefully it's not in our direction either.
Yeah, I don't think it is.
It's the part you're going to come down by.
It'll sound like it's going the other way.
And hopefully no one's having to send themselves from a bear.
Yeah.
Got a bear tag for this trip too, just in case.
Yeah, who knows?
You might see a bear tomorrow and put that nice just too.
Yeah.
(17:50):
And be a little bit heavier, but we'll see.
That'll be something to back out for sure.
I haven't seen much bear sign, maybe a couple of scat piles, but not really any tracks.
And hunting bear for me is very limited.
I had one bear tag before and saw some scat, but that was about it.
Yeah, it's a new one for me too.
I mean, I knew we were coming up this way.
I've heard that there's bear in the area.
(18:12):
Bigger, you know.
Not bad to have a tag, even just if you had to defend yourself at least.
You know, getting to use and enjoy the meat and make it worthwhile.
You know, it never hurts to have additional tags when you're going out because you never
know what you're going to see out there.
My first year of deer hunting, I believe it was.
(18:33):
Spent quite a few days out, you know, hiking some hills and glassing and it's able to actually
get my first wild pig that year.
It was a lot of fun.
Jake helped me out.
We made some sausage and, you know, it's more than just the hunt too.
I mean, the meat that you take home turns into time spent with family, friends, barbecuing.
(18:55):
You know, it's really rewarding when you go out and put the work in yourself.
Definitely just being able to share what you did with others after the hunt is very rewarding.
And it just reminds you of that experience all over again when you're eating it for dinner.
For sure.
I'm going to go over like some equipment stuff that we have.
(19:15):
Definitely.
To start, what would we do differently maybe next season or another upcoming hunt?
I would try to travel a little lighter.
Yeah.
A better pack for me for sure.
That would help.
Something with a frame, something that we can load a little bit more meat into securely.
(19:37):
The trip back was rough, man.
It was just pendulum, like a pendulum off my back.
The saddlebag method, while effective, is grueling.
Yeah.
I'm definitely feeling it today or this evening.
Definitely recommend a pack with some sort of head belt.
Yeah.
That would help a lot.
Your hiking stakes, those were super beneficial on the way back.
Definitely.
I only slipped once.
(19:57):
Yeah.
And that was before I had them out.
But, you know, a good pair of boots is always a must when we're out in this kind of terrain.
I think we're both pretty squared away there.
Yeah, that definitely helped.
Yeah.
I mean, it's always a challenge.
How much do you take?
Do you take enough that you can stay out overnight if you have to?
Do you pack light because you know you're only going in a mile or two?
(20:21):
Do what's best for you, but try to be prepared for the uncertainties.
You can get injured while you're out.
Yeah, I carried a first aid kit.
Luckily, did not have to use it today.
Yeah.
You take a shot just before sunset.
You're going to have a lot of time out there after dark.
Have a good headlamp.
Have a good flashlight.
It's bare batteries, you know.
(20:43):
Yeah, a little breakdown of my pack.
You know, I've got some extra ammo.
We always carry plenty of water, extra pair of socks.
You know, my skin and knives.
You know, some weatherproof matches.
I'm trying to think what else I have.
(21:07):
You know, I try to pack as light as I can, but you just have some extras in there just
in case.
Yeah, I'm trying to think of things I can eliminate.
It's getting difficult.
That tripod was definitely a huge help today.
Yeah, it was my first time using it and I really enjoyed glassing off it with a spotting
scope.
It's nice to have something to really steady you up.
(21:28):
Super stable and it makes glassing way more effective.
You can really pick apart terrain, whereas just with binos and at least mine, I can't
hold them steady enough.
I'm just, you know, within 200 yards.
And you're never going to be in a perfect spot to glass either.
You just find the place of the best vantage point and make do with what you got there.
(21:49):
If you don't see anything, just try to move to a new area quietly and set up again.
And then as far as firearms go, I've got my dad's 270.
He's been a great gun for me.
It's put two deer down now and that pig shoots nice and straight, been super reliable for
me.
(22:09):
And it's proof that you can get into hunting with a relatively inexpensive gun, you know.
I want to say he picked it up for probably around $450,500.
It's been great.
It's been really effective.
Yeah.
I can't complain.
It's been consistent for me.
It's definitely a true caliber, flat shooting and very effective with good shot placement.
For sure, and I'm currently shooting the Hornaday.
(22:34):
It's a 130 grain round polymer tip out of there.
I just got some new Winchester ammo for it.
Same grain.
Haven't ran any through there yet.
You know, not a bad idea to, at the beginning of season, you know, put a couple rounds
through your gun, make sure it's still shooting straight.
Be confident in your equipment when you're going to go out, especially going into a
new place where you're going to have to possibly reach out a little farther than you're used
(22:58):
to.
Yeah, definitely prepare.
Try to get sighted in, especially with copper here in California.
Don't be afraid that if you have the means to shoot out at further distances and just
get comfortable with all your equipment.
That was a larger caliber.
Yeah.
That's concerning.
Yeah.
It's pitch black right now.
(23:21):
That's something that I think you and I are looking at doing more frequently maybe is,
you know, trying to get out to a little bit further range, get comfortable.
You know, we do see an animal out 5,600 yards being able to make that shot with confidence
and, you know, not run the risk of injuring something that we're not going to be able
to recover.
Yeah, I've definitely shot my three-way out to long distances, you know, 800,000 yards,
(23:46):
but only with lead ammo and usually custom loads, not factory copper.
So that is going to be something I need to work on getting more effective with.
With copper loads to make sure they're more consistent.
I definitely, talking about reducing weight, I probably should be adding weight because
I need to more effectively carry a handgun and find a good way to do that that's comfortable.
(24:13):
Still trying to figure that out because it would definitely come in handy here on public
land with reckless people, but also predators and just have my own populations.
Just wild here.
Yeah, and just having something that's effective at close range that you can quickly deploy
that's not a bold action rifle is, I feel like, a good safety feature to have, especially
(24:36):
if you're not carrying bear spray.
For sure.
And I mean, there's a lot of carry options too, you know, a lot of the binaurinuses have
different holster options on them now.
I know you've always ran some sort of belt rig in the past with yours, you know, hard
polymer holster for it.
Something that's going to protect it from the dirt dust and all that stuff.
(24:59):
Find what's comfortable for you and what you're going to be effective in using.
Something that's secure and safe for the carrier, but also easy to deploy.
You don't want it in your pack or anything like that.
Yeah, for sure.
Another thing that pre-season, when you're prepping to get ready for deer season, we
always go through our equipment, make sure vehicles are in order to make these travel,
(25:24):
make these trips and stuff.
Something that I always struggle with every year is prepping for cardio.
It's a killer man, but yeah, getting weight on your back and hiking, putting those miles
in is definitely beneficial.
I need to do more of that.
I started a little bit with a 40 pound pack, but it is mostly just flat ground, a couple
miles a, you know, every couple days, but definitely the more, the better.
(25:47):
Yeah, the more prep you got, the better off you're going to be when you're out here because
it is a struggle, especially if you're going for us.
This is a way higher elevation than we're used to.
Everything's a factor to think about when you're coming out.
Well, and especially if you're planning on hunting solo, plan on making multiple trips
if you're not prepared to carry that weight that far distance for sure.
(26:12):
Something that I found useful on this trip, I got a Garmin in-reach mini.
It's prior to the mini two that they came out with now, but it's a satellite communicator.
It can track your location.
There's very few cell service spots up here.
Yeah, it's pretty limited.
So that's been a really cool way for me to communicate with the family back home, make
sure that, you know, back to camp safe and just keep them in the loop, keep them informed.
(26:36):
And then also it offers an emergency service response.
Yeah, something bad was there.
If something does really go wrong or even equipment breakdown or anything like that,
you need to reach people for assistance.
Yeah, definitely, you know, plan for the worst, hope for the best.
And I stumbled upon a new feature of my iPhone texting via satellite, which has been very
(26:58):
effective and useful.
Did not know that it did that until this trip.
I had a small little preview of it maybe a week before with a new update.
And I've been really happy with it.
It's a little cumbersome when you just try to find the satellite and track it.
However, they made the user interface very simple, very self-explanatory, gives you directions,
(27:22):
what to do.
And it seems to be a really good way to communicate.
I don't know if it would work everywhere.
I think the area we're in, it's useful.
Can get blocked by trees a lot.
So you have to find an open spot to link up with that satellite.
And of course they move and they move pretty quick.
So you can, you know, get a good conversation out there, you know, pertinent information,
(27:44):
but you might lose that satellite and have to regain after a few minutes and wait for
another one to come by.
So that's been fun, but interesting and glad that that's working.
The redundant means of communication to the rest of the world.
Always have a contingency plan for everything.
I mean, the more prepared you are, the better off you'll be in a bad situation.
(28:04):
And stuff does happen out here.
You know, you hear about it on the news all the time.
So, well, we were in town and we saw a brand new pickup that looked like it had been involved
in a rollover crash.
And totally believable coming up these mountain roads.
The whole part, the roof of the cab and windshield was all cracked and starting to cave in.
I'm surprised they were still even driving it.
Pretty steep and nasty back here.
(28:25):
So yeah, a lot of people with jeeps, a lot of motorcycles, not many full size trucks
going off the road or into the more sketchy trails, but we did all right.
Yeah, definitely handled it well.
A little truck did it.
What it's supposed to.
Yeah.
It's supposed to be safe is the main thing.
Getting to those areas, we don't have to walk everywhere, but helps you stay mobile, helps
(28:48):
you come up with a new plan if your current plan's not happening.
And yeah, and on that note too, you know, public land, you know, it could be challenging.
There's people in a lot of locations.
We got back into a spot that we wanted to hike in tonight and, you know, put some time
back in their glass and stuff.
(29:08):
And we ran into another hunter we had to interact with, which is always, at least for me, been
kind of a touchy subject just because I don't know, I'm nervous you hear horror stories
about it.
Yeah, it's definitely.
Angry people if they're on their spot.
Luckily that guy was super cool and he talked to him and he was willing to back out and
let us go in.
(29:29):
Yeah, he's like, Hey, you guys are here first, man.
It's all you and, you know, he went his own way and found another path to take off on.
So, you know, just a little bit of general courtesy goes a long way out here.
Yeah, he was super respectful.
Even came by our camp on the way back out and talked to us and shared information was
a nice guy.
You just got to think, you know, if you be disappointed if someone ruined your hunt,
(29:52):
bumped your hunt, you know, so try to show that same courtesy to others out here.
Yeah, to the best he can.
Yeah.
Sometimes it inadvertently happens, but it's a challenge for sure.
Yeah, just trying to be aware of other people and their program and try to communicate with
them in a respectful and effective way without letting anyone get upset.
(30:13):
That's the main thing.
Just try to enjoy it because we're at the end of the day, we're all hunters.
We all enjoy this and want to bring it in the best light possible without any conflict
or issues.
Yeah, I mean, it's a fun, family friendly, you know, sport.
We want to pass it on to generations and, you know, got to take care of our lands and,
you know, be respectful to each other and make sure that our kids and their kids can
(30:36):
enjoy this too.
And present it in the best light we can possibly just so we can keep these rights that we have
currently and hopefully they don't get infringed on further.
Yeah, it's always a challenge, man.
Balance of life, right?
Definitely.
But now I'm definitely looking forward to putting some more miles in tomorrow morning.
Hopefully, you can get back in there and, you know, get your tag filled also.
(31:00):
Get a nice, dead buck down.
Hopefully, hopefully find something.
There's going to be more miles, more glassing.
Hopefully, hopefully see them on some doze.
And then if not, we do have a trip planned for the last weekend of closing.
Yeah, closing weekend up here too.
So yeah, might bring on colder weather, might push them down all the mountains of higher
(31:20):
elevations.
We'll see.
Might even get down into some of that desert floor hunting and the Joshua trees and stuff.
Yeah.
The Joshua trees are interesting, especially at night.
Not a fan.
Jake wondered where the heck I was bringing him as we were coming in the first evening.
You know, by the time we got it past Lake Isabella, it was already pretty, pretty well dark and
(31:41):
couldn't see anything.
Got out into the desert floor and yeah, the Joshua trees can be a little intimidating
at night.
It's a weird, weird scenery if you're not used to it.
I definitely feel more comfortable in the pines.
Yeah, I mean, I'm super familiar with the area we're in down in the desert floor.
Done a lot of riding back there over the years, but we decided to push up the hill last night,
you know, found a nice little campside of ways in and it was in the general vicinity
(32:05):
of what we wanted.
And we were able to come back here.
Luckily no one was here.
Yeah, this afternoon.
Gonna stay here another night.
I had some nice strip steak for dinner on the two.
Got the barbecue out and some steaks and pork and beans.
Yeah, all the major food groups are represented.
Good old cowboy dinner, jerky for lunch.
(32:25):
Lot of jerky.
Yeah, yeah, been good.
Trying to drink all the water we can.
Yeah, definitely been, you know, tough to stay hydrated.
Went through my entire bladder this morning on our first hunt out.
I probably came back with a quarter of it.
I probably should have drank more while I was out there.
Yeah, so I mean, it's something to consider if you're going to hotter climates, do your
(32:48):
best to bring additional water, you know, have other options, especially if you don't
know about the ambient water sources around or you don't have any filtration or sterilization
system.
Yeah, you can't rely on what you don't know if you can and you're going to be really camping
out of the truck just pack water.
Yeah, but I mean, I know you and I both carry some sort of water filtration.
(33:12):
So you know, depending on what zone you're hunting in, if we're, you know, a little bit
north of here, there's always some good water sources up there.
Yeah, I don't know.
Something that we can filter through.
Last time I was in D8, I would just filter it from those glacier melting streams, super
cold, super crisp water, very delicious.
Yeah, just putting it through a filtration first, even though it's crystal clear, you
(33:35):
never know what's going to be in it.
Yeah.
Make sure you stay safe.
You'd rather be safe than sick.
Yeah, sick out in the forest, man, it's not fun.
It just ruins your whole hunt.
You're not effective anymore.
Yeah, you're buddy, yeah, you're losing your hunting buddy for the weekend.
You didn't run out of mountain money.
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah, no, no springs or creeks or anything that we're able to locate up here.
(33:57):
Some grassy meadows where there's moisture, but nothing that I've seen.
No standing water.
No water, yeah.
And put back into the pack.
Had to rely on good old well water from home.
Yeah, I brought my stereo pin, hoping that I could fill up a cup and try it out, but
haven't used it yet.
I haven't seen any of that water, but I feel like that would be a small means, lightweight.
(34:21):
It is electronic though, so if your batteries run out, you're kind of screwed.
The Sawyer Mini has always been good to me, hard to mess up unless you get like a hole
in your dirty bag.
And even then you can kind of make that do still.
Yeah, I'm interested to see what the stereo pin's like.
It's good for like, you know, one liter Nalgene for like, I think it's 20 seconds.
(34:44):
So it takes it to sterilize it.
So it's pretty impressive with UV.
But yeah, I'm interested in using that.
I've been sleeping in my tent, small backpacking tent, comfortable for one person in a pack.
You could fit two people in there if needed, like an emergency.
However, you've been sleeping in the truck.
(35:04):
I've been roughing it in the backseat of my truck.
Little small, I feel like you're kind of cramped.
Little snug, definitely little nicer when we take the full size truck out.
I wonder if it's warmer than night tent though.
I was extremely hot in there last night.
Unfortunately, the breeze didn't come through until a little bit later, but definitely comfortable.
I've got a few poles and a blanket back there.
(35:27):
And there's definitely worse sleeping situations.
I know we've talked about just camping out on the trail before, definitely doable.
Just kind of have a game plan of what you want to do on your trip.
Talk to your hunting partner, figure out what you both want to do, and try to make the best
plan possible.
Yeah, for this trip, you know, we're just unsure of what the terrain was going to be
(35:48):
like, the area.
So we decided to do our best just to stick within, you know, a 10 mile range of camp,
something where we can get back by the end of the day.
Try to avoid being out at dark, but if it happens, it happens.
Like you said, you know, in the worst-case scenario, we could have made do with the equipment
(36:09):
that we had.
Exactly.
But no, it's been pretty nice.
We had no complaints.
Nice little campsite, plenty of good food.
We put a deer down today, man.
That was awesome.
Yeah, it was completely unexpected.
You never know.
You never even see one while you get a shot opportunity and a successful harvest.
(36:29):
Coming into it, you know, there was no expectation at all, you know, very uncertain what we were
going to see, what was going to occur on this trip.
But you know, to be out here with, you know, such a good friend and just the whole experience
has been absolutely amazing.
I couldn't ask for a better weekend, you know, and looking forward to putting another
(36:51):
one down tomorrow, hopefully too.
Hopefully.
We're going to put the work in.
We're going to go find them.
I know there's more out there.
We got most of tomorrow morning before we head out of here and head back home.
Then, you know, we got that other trip coming up too.
So we'll see.
Even if we don't get one tomorrow, I'm going to be super satisfied with what we've done
here today.
I mean, brand new unit, never been here before.
(37:13):
First day, got a deer down.
And couldn't ask for much more.
It seems like not a lot of people are having luck.
I heard a couple other shots, but haven't seen any other camps with a deer.
Yeah.
And I mean, you made quick worker that thing.
Once we located them, got them propped up.
You had a broke down so fast, man.
(37:34):
It's so impressive.
You really sharpen your skills over the years with butchering and come so far.
It's really cool.
And it's so beneficial, man, to not as easy as working in the shop.
But to know what you're doing or have someone that knows what they're doing when you're
going into it, you know, it could be intimidating.
Your first time getting into an animal trying to in the middle of nowhere and you're trying
(37:56):
to keep it clean and you're trying to use all the meat.
For sure.
Yeah, definitely having skills being that we couldn't drag this out to a good location
to no way.
No, it's something that this one was broke down in the field and work was put in for
sure to get them out.
So that makes it that much more rewarding.
My first year was a little bit easier.
(38:19):
We were able to get up to them with the side by side and get them hung from a tree and
made a lot easier work of it.
But man, this was definitely rewarding.
Just put so much time in over all these seasons.
What is it for you now?
You said eight seasons.
Yeah, eight seasons.
Yeah, just to see some success and friends too.
(38:42):
It's not always about the success.
It's about getting out and put boots on the ground and just enjoying yourself.
The more time you put in out here, the more successful you're going to be.
It's definitely a steep learning curve.
You can only learn so much from reading and from YouTube.
It really helps if you have someone that's experienced it already as a mentor.
(39:05):
I've had the luck of having good experienced friends talk me through it.
A lot of learning trial by error and learning the hard way and just trying to earn it.
Yeah, man.
A lot of great friends that love this sport and helped me along the way also.
It's what's so cool about hunting and fishing.
(39:25):
It brings people together.
It's something that we can all get out and enjoy together.
Growing up wasn't really into hunting a whole lot.
More fishing.
We did a lot of freshwater fishing.
We were going through high school, getting out of high school, you and I really got into
the saltwater stuff.
Getting out in the kayaks and doing some charter boats here and there.
(39:46):
Really dove into hunting for a large game about six years ago for me.
I did some bird hunting when I was younger.
Just the reward of bringing something home to the family.
So fun.
Well, when you struggle for it and really earn it, it just takes that much better.
Absolutely.
And then you can share it with other people and utilize that whole animal to the best
(40:08):
that you can.
For sure.
Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.
Yeah, it should be interesting.
Hopefully, we'll see the same good weather that we saw today and be able to make it happen
again.
Yeah, I just hope that made space and we'll find some new area where there's more deer.
All right.
(40:29):
So we're going to get to bed because it's getting late.
We've got to get up in six hours.
Something like that.
Yeah, try to get some sleep.
Try to lick our wounds.
Yeah, definitely.
Get some rest.
Yeah, rest the back and legs because they've been working hard.
Yeah.
I just want to say thank you again for this awesome weekend, man.
It's been a lot of fun and glad that we still get to get out and do this.
(40:51):
Definitely looking forward to the kids get a little bit older, bring them out here and
share these experiences.
Definitely.
Yeah, hopefully we can get a little bit better at it to make it easier for them and pass that
on to them.
Super excited for our kids to hopefully show some interest and enjoy this with us for years
to come.
For sure, man.
Thanks again, buddy.
No problem.
Thanks for coming out.
(41:11):
It's been a great weekend.
Thanks for being on the podcast.
Absolutely.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah, episode number one in the books.
So on that note, all I can say is this has been Butchery Vote podcast.
Sharpen your skills, elevate your game, and we'll see you on the next one.
Welcome to the Butcher's Boat Podcast where the hunt meets the harvest.
(00:03):
I'm your host Jake Dilger and I'm excited to share my passion for hunting and butchering
with you.
With 12 years of experience in the field and in the shop, I've learned a thing or two
about what it takes to be successful in both pursuits.
On this podcast, we'll dive into the grit of hunting, from scouting, tracking to shop
placement and recovery.
(00:25):
We'll also explore the art of game processing, from field dressing to final cuts and everything
in between.
But it's not just about the technical stuff, we'll also share stories of adventure from
hunting trips as well as my friends and experts and guests.
From the industry, we'll talk gear, strategy, and we'll talk about the lessons learned along
the way.
Whether you're a seasonal hunter or just starting out, whether you're a butcher or an outdoorsman
(00:50):
or someone who enjoys a good steak, I hope you'll join me on this journey.
We'll explore the intersection of wildlife management, sustainable hunting practices,
and the art of transforming wild game into delicious meals.
So tune in, subscribe, and let's get started on this adventure together.
I'm excited to share my knowledge, experience, and passion with you.
And I look forward to hearing from you too.
(01:11):
Let's get into it.
So we are in D9 and today was day one of a two day hunt.
We were basically targeting black tail deer and possible newly crosses.
And I'm here with Austin Kirby, my best friend.
(01:34):
Yeah, I'd like to say thanks for inviting me to this trip, man.
Been having a great time so far.
Always a good time to get out with buddies and just enjoy the wilderness.
Yeah, definitely.
Happy to have you along.
I'm super stoked, especially with the events that happened today.
We're going to get into that.
Starting off, this was a draw tag for me, a third choice.
(01:57):
Had other choices, definitely above this one.
However, I am super happy that this worked out this way.
So we basically had minimal planning on this trip.
Yeah, it was very last minute.
I was able to get an over the counter.
They had some additional tags left over for this unit.
So worked out really good that we plan to come over here already to try to bag one for
(02:20):
Jake.
I was able to get an additional tag and come out and see what we can make happen.
Little bit of e-scouting done beforehand.
A little bit of prior knowledge from other people, other sources that we've had.
Just talking to people and seeing what the deal was with this area.
Because I've never been here before.
I've driven by it.
(02:40):
You've been here somewhere.
Yeah, I'm familiar with the area.
We do come out camping with our family riding out in the desert and stuff.
We're about 30 miles, the bird flies from here where we camp quite a bit.
So it's nice to finally make it up over to this mountain range and kind of explore a
little bit of a new area.
Minimal planning for the trip, but maximum amount of stuff that we brought with us for
(03:05):
sure.
Definitely.
We loaded the old Chevy down for this trip.
Brought everything that we could.
Definitely traveling heavy.
Not regretting it though.
Definitely working out in the way it should.
And all our prior experience has been limited to mostly localized in a zone.
And it is much different terrain than we're used to.
(03:28):
So we're basically in high desert area.
Trying to look in higher elevation.
Basically glassing.
Long time.
But seem to work out well.
So basically what we did this morning is we got up before first light at a camp.
We got as mobile as possible and hiked into National Forest.
(03:54):
Started glassing from ridges to ridges and moving further away from the road as possible.
Trying to find areas that people weren't going to be mostly in.
Trying to get away from people.
The entire time being completely devoured by mosquitoes.
Yeah, that was interesting.
I had a lot of gnats.
Only heard maybe one mosquito not wearing bug spray and poor Austin was getting eaten
(04:19):
alive.
Yeah, and so as we made our way over another ridge line, found a nice glassing area.
Jake got all set up with his spotting scope and I decided to layer up to try to reduce
some of the impact of the bugs.
And Jake was actually able to hear some grunting coming from a canyon below us.
(04:39):
I don't like it was only maybe 60 to 100 yards away, but it was through some thick timber
that I couldn't see through.
Try to get a better vantage point.
Still couldn't see.
Team back up with Austin and we made another move towards those sounds, which I felt like
was a good move, but definitely risky.
Didn't want to bump those deer out.
(05:03):
But we made it to another vantage point, a better one, much closer on the big rock ledge.
And ended up seeing a doe walk out.
Pretty quick, I think we spoke to her.
She was definitely on the move, heading up the other canyon wall.
Yeah, working up.
And then luckily a nice buck was following her.
(05:25):
That's where the excitement definitely started.
Pure chaos.
Pure chaos.
A little back story here.
This is my sixth season of deer hunting.
Up until this point, it's all been a zone.
And I was able to actually put my first buck down this year.
I'm super stoked on that.
So being over here today with Jake was just a blessing.
(05:47):
You know, get another opportunity at a great deer hunt.
When we saw that buck come out, I think Jake would be in a grance.
He just knew that he was going to let me pull the trigger on that one today and got very
excited.
Definitely got a buck fever rolling.
He was able to get his tripod set up for me fairly quickly.
(06:07):
Just positioned on a rock ledge up above him, able to get down.
I had plenty of time.
It was a fairly open canyon face on the other side where they were working their way up.
But the nerves definitely took over.
I got a real shaky foot, almost like I was tap dancing.
But I had nerve too.
But luckily they just posted up and stayed right there in a spot for about 30 seconds
(06:29):
and we got set up.
Yeah.
They were probably out about what, 2, 2.15?
Yeah, about 200, 220 yards.
And was able to get in position and got a shot placement off and run my bill.
Yeah.
Yeah, Jake wasn't quite prepped for that.
Oh good.
I had the deer in my binos and then lost it right away.
(06:51):
And then as soon as I got them back up, the shot right off.
Yeah.
And that's that.
But as I was reloading, you know, had a chamber, another one just to be sure.
So I'm kind of going into some thick brush near where he was.
I wasn't sure how far he took off, but we had a general understanding of the surrounding
area and didn't think that he made it out of this brush pile.
(07:14):
The doe definitely took off right away.
Yeah, I watched her run over the next ridge.
As soon as that went off, I started looking, making sure that that buck wasn't running
somewhere else that we had to go track.
He was kind of set to an isolated bush with some deadfall.
And it was, I just kept looking to make sure it wasn't going to go anywhere.
(07:35):
Luckily, we had some radio communication.
So Austin set off and I stayed at their vantage point to keep an eye out to see if he didn't
push the buck out anywhere and kind of guide him to the right place, which I think was
hugely helpful.
Definitely a great way to, you know, travel over some rough countryside, you know, having
him up on a nice vantage point.
He's able to put me through some good trails up to where I needed to be and, you know,
(07:59):
put me right on location where we saw him last take off from, you know, and got up to
the site and started kind of scanning around looking for blood in the area.
Look back up.
You can see Jake on the other peak, you know, had him on radio comms trying to figure out
where this guy went.
I saw you looking down for blood and I was hoping you were going to give me a thumbs
(08:19):
up.
Man, I was stressing.
I won't lie, you know, with all the nerves that took over after the shot and everything,
you know, there's always in the back of your mind, did I miss?
Was it a good shot placement?
You know, how long are we going to be tracking this thing?
Definitely.
And, you know, all this stuff's going through your head and, you know, about 30 seconds
later I was able to locate him in that deadfall right where we saw, right where the shot placement
(08:42):
was.
He didn't make it probably more than five yards.
Yep, just piled up.
Yeah.
Couldn't have been a better spot.
Honestly, yeah, he, that bush caught him.
He didn't roll down hill.
He stayed right where he was.
Yeah.
So, yeah, Jake started making his way over.
He got packed and started making preparations and, you know, we were able to get him up
on a decent flat area to start working.
(09:05):
Beautiful little fork.
I was so excited, man, to, you know, six seasons of really, really hard work.
I mean, we put mile after mile in trying to make this happen and be not only successful
in A-zone this year, but to be successful over here in a new unit first day within two hours
being out.
I mean, really came into this one super blind.
(09:27):
It felt like it was longer glassing, but yeah, we checked the time and it had only been about
two hours before the shot went off.
Yeah, definitely a lot of joy and excitement in the moment, man.
We were overwhelmed.
It was fun.
Definitely.
Yeah.
So, took some pictures, tried to document that moment and enjoy it too.
We weren't in too much of a rush, but knew that the weather was going to get a little
(09:51):
bit warm.
So, we started breaking down the deer just one side at a time.
A big body deer definitely.
Yeah.
Definitely had some mass to him.
A lot of body fat.
He's definitely prepping up for winter.
Yeah, definitely carried it throughout, even into his rib section and his chest.
Even some of the back legs had a decent amount of fat on him, more than I expected, because
(10:15):
it doesn't seem like they have a huge food source up here in the high desert, but they
are definitely hard to, already in surviving.
Yeah.
But overall, so far today, I mean, we've probably put in, I don't know, a decent 10
miles, maybe.
And as far as water sources go, we haven't seen much.
I'm not really sure where they're moving around for water.
(10:37):
Food's pretty sparse up here too.
It's definitely a different environment than we're used to.
The high elevation has definitely been a challenge.
Oh, I've been sucking wind.
Yeah.
It's definitely harder than expected, especially during the pack out, which was only a mile
and a half, something like that.
Heavy pack.
Underprepared.
Definitely.
(10:58):
On my end.
Still got it done.
That's what's important.
Saved all the meat that we could.
Got it a nice chest ice down, especially because we're hopefully going to be going out again
tomorrow for another egg.
Hopefully mine this time.
We'll see.
We hunted this afternoon too, and kind of tried to go higher in elevation into the thicker
(11:18):
timber.
Didn't see much sign, saw a doe and a couple of fawns, no bucks around.
A lot of people rode hunting, riding motorcycles.
Yeah, your typical public lamb hunting that we kind of see back even in the NAZone.
Yeah, even got off the road a bit into some seeper country and some canyons and just still
(11:40):
didn't see much sign.
Last little bit in the thicker stuff.
Very challenging.
Don't understand all that too much.
Didn't find any game trails or any other kind of sign like that, but tried to look around
water sources, and it is definitely not as hot as expected, but still hot enough that
they wouldn't need water.
So we're going to probably try to pick through the same area tomorrow, look and see if that
(12:07):
does still around.
I think there's some pretty good chance.
I mean, we've definitely seen movement in the ones that we have seen cruising around.
Even on our first night on our way in, we saw a doe down on the desert floor, probably
a couple thousand feet lower in elevation than we are here.
With the weather change and the cooler nights, they're definitely starting to drop down in
elevation.
(12:28):
I think there's a good chance.
Definitely see more movement, hopefully tomorrow.
Yeah, just fine.
Same area, more sign, look and see if anything's moving up.
Hopefully with the cooler morning and the shade, they'll start stirring once the sun
comes up.
It seems like it's very challenging to find any bedded deer around here at the moment,
because the stuff that is ambient is very thick and down low.
(12:52):
Just too dense.
Plenty of places to hide, hard place to move and be quiet.
That's definitely a challenge.
Not what we're used to.
Yeah, not what we're used to at all.
Did see a little bit of other wildlife today too, last morning.
Last and bobcat.
Yeah, going into the sagebrush, got excited for a second, but then realized it was a long
(13:15):
speech.
Definitely some other life up here moving around.
Curious to see what else we run into tomorrow.
Yeah.
So what was going off in your mind when we saw that bucking started to try to make a
shot?
You know, just the initial, trying to determine, is this a legal buck?
Is he of good size and in a good location to recover?
(13:39):
You know, are we going to be able to break him down where he is and pack him out?
Definitely was a struggle for me today.
My rifle performed well.
I was able to make great shot placement once we got him opened up.
Yeah, you took off the top of his heart.
I couldn't ask for a better shot.
Solid shot placement today.
(13:59):
I feel very grateful for that.
But the nerves start building up once you decide that you're going to pull that trigger.
Excited and nervous and anxious to see what's going to come from it.
But definitely blessed to put more meat in the freezer for the family and enjoy these
wonderful trips that we don't get to do quite as often as we used to, but really enjoy getting
(14:23):
to still go out and do it every once in a while.
And on that note too, equipment wise, my bag is not quite prepped for this kind of hunting.
We have a day pack because we're used to short stints back in A zone.
Put a lot more distance and steep terrain today.
(14:46):
I would definitely recommend investing in a solid pack for anyone that's going to actually
get out and cover some ground.
Yeah, I did travel a little heavier than I'd like to, but the Kefara Reckoning really took
that and stride.
I did have to take plenty of rest stops on the way back.
Not as conditioned as I'd like to be uphill the whole way, especially with higher elevation
(15:10):
and belly fever.
But anyways, yeah, definitely got the job done in a reasonable amount of time.
We're able to run back to town and get resupply, get a tag validated, which is awesome.
Don't worry about that on the drive out tomorrow.
Yeah, I mean, all said and done from the time that we left camp till we got back to camp
with meat in the coolers.
(15:31):
We were at about six hours, made it back to camp just before noon.
Definitely got again.
Definitely covered some ground in some good time.
Jake worked his magic, getting the meat processed and broke down and loaded in the game bag.
It's a full experience.
You really got to appreciate every aspect of the hunt.
(15:55):
Just e-scouting was minimal, but looking at maps on on X, we had somewhat of a game
plan, but not a full one.
And it really changed once we kind of got here and got boots on the ground and able to see
the lay of the land.
There's only so much you can see through Topo lines and looking at water sources.
Especially sometimes you have to just call an audible when you find a large group of
(16:20):
hunters camping out and a lot of people on the roads, a lot of traffic.
It's definitely been a challenge this weekend.
I mean, you can go into a new area with a game plan, but you know, a lot of other people
could be in that same spot with the same plan.
So always have a backup or another location that you want to try.
Yeah, don't be afraid to be mobile.
Yeah, on a trip this far away, it's good to just kind of get a little bit of a lay of
(16:45):
the land in the first morning and get out and put boots on the ground.
Yeah, especially when you're...
Well, that's fun.
Yes, Pop.
Yeah, something like hearing good.
Yeah, a bunch of people out here and a lot of locals.
Safety Orange is not a bad idea hunting in some areas like this.
Yeah, I'm glad I brought my orange cap.
(17:08):
We did actually hear another shot one canyon over this morning.
Probably 40 minutes after yours was down.
Yeah, not sure if they were successful or not, but that's not cool.
Be aware of other people around you for sure.
Yeah, safety is definitely important out here when hunting public land.
Yeah, because it's what, 8.40 at night and we're hearing handgun shots ring off.
(17:30):
Hopefully, no one's approaching deer.
Hopefully it's not in our direction either.
Yeah, I don't think it is.
It's the part you're going to come down by.
It'll sound like it's going the other way.
And hopefully no one's having to send themselves from a bear.
Yeah.
Got a bear tag for this trip too, just in case.
Yeah, who knows?
You might see a bear tomorrow and put that nice just too.
Yeah.
(17:50):
And be a little bit heavier, but we'll see.
That'll be something to back out for sure.
I haven't seen much bear sign, maybe a couple of scat piles, but not really any tracks.
And hunting bear for me is very limited.
I had one bear tag before and saw some scat, but that was about it.
Yeah, it's a new one for me too.
I mean, I knew we were coming up this way.
I've heard that there's bear in the area.
(18:12):
Bigger, you know.
Not bad to have a tag, even just if you had to defend yourself at least.
You know, getting to use and enjoy the meat and make it worthwhile.
You know, it never hurts to have additional tags when you're going out because you never
know what you're going to see out there.
My first year of deer hunting, I believe it was.
(18:33):
Spent quite a few days out, you know, hiking some hills and glassing and it's able to actually
get my first wild pig that year.
It was a lot of fun.
Jake helped me out.
We made some sausage and, you know, it's more than just the hunt too.
I mean, the meat that you take home turns into time spent with family, friends, barbecuing.
(18:55):
You know, it's really rewarding when you go out and put the work in yourself.
Definitely just being able to share what you did with others after the hunt is very rewarding.
And it just reminds you of that experience all over again when you're eating it for dinner.
For sure.
I'm going to go over like some equipment stuff that we have.
(19:15):
Definitely.
To start, what would we do differently maybe next season or another upcoming hunt?
I would try to travel a little lighter.
Yeah.
A better pack for me for sure.
That would help.
Something with a frame, something that we can load a little bit more meat into securely.
(19:37):
The trip back was rough, man.
It was just pendulum, like a pendulum off my back.
The saddlebag method, while effective, is grueling.
Yeah.
I'm definitely feeling it today or this evening.
Definitely recommend a pack with some sort of head belt.
Yeah.
That would help a lot.
Your hiking stakes, those were super beneficial on the way back.
Definitely.
I only slipped once.
(19:57):
Yeah.
And that was before I had them out.
But, you know, a good pair of boots is always a must when we're out in this kind of terrain.
I think we're both pretty squared away there.
Yeah, that definitely helped.
Yeah.
I mean, it's always a challenge.
How much do you take?
Do you take enough that you can stay out overnight if you have to?
Do you pack light because you know you're only going in a mile or two?
(20:21):
Do what's best for you, but try to be prepared for the uncertainties.
You can get injured while you're out.
Yeah, I carried a first aid kit.
Luckily, did not have to use it today.
Yeah.
You take a shot just before sunset.
You're going to have a lot of time out there after dark.
Have a good headlamp.
Have a good flashlight.
It's bare batteries, you know.
(20:43):
Yeah, a little breakdown of my pack.
You know, I've got some extra ammo.
We always carry plenty of water, extra pair of socks.
You know, my skin and knives.
You know, some weatherproof matches.
I'm trying to think what else I have.
(21:07):
You know, I try to pack as light as I can, but you just have some extras in there just
in case.
Yeah, I'm trying to think of things I can eliminate.
It's getting difficult.
That tripod was definitely a huge help today.
Yeah, it was my first time using it and I really enjoyed glassing off it with a spotting
scope.
It's nice to have something to really steady you up.
(21:28):
Super stable and it makes glassing way more effective.
You can really pick apart terrain, whereas just with binos and at least mine, I can't
hold them steady enough.
I'm just, you know, within 200 yards.
And you're never going to be in a perfect spot to glass either.
You just find the place of the best vantage point and make do with what you got there.
(21:49):
If you don't see anything, just try to move to a new area quietly and set up again.
And then as far as firearms go, I've got my dad's 270.
He's been a great gun for me.
It's put two deer down now and that pig shoots nice and straight, been super reliable for
me.
(22:09):
And it's proof that you can get into hunting with a relatively inexpensive gun, you know.
I want to say he picked it up for probably around $450,500.
It's been great.
It's been really effective.
Yeah.
I can't complain.
It's been consistent for me.
It's definitely a true caliber, flat shooting and very effective with good shot placement.
For sure, and I'm currently shooting the Hornaday.
(22:34):
It's a 130 grain round polymer tip out of there.
I just got some new Winchester ammo for it.
Same grain.
Haven't ran any through there yet.
You know, not a bad idea to, at the beginning of season, you know, put a couple rounds
through your gun, make sure it's still shooting straight.
Be confident in your equipment when you're going to go out, especially going into a
new place where you're going to have to possibly reach out a little farther than you're used
(22:58):
to.
Yeah, definitely prepare.
Try to get sighted in, especially with copper here in California.
Don't be afraid that if you have the means to shoot out at further distances and just
get comfortable with all your equipment.
That was a larger caliber.
Yeah.
That's concerning.
Yeah.
It's pitch black right now.
(23:21):
That's something that I think you and I are looking at doing more frequently maybe is,
you know, trying to get out to a little bit further range, get comfortable.
You know, we do see an animal out 5,600 yards being able to make that shot with confidence
and, you know, not run the risk of injuring something that we're not going to be able
to recover.
Yeah, I've definitely shot my three-way out to long distances, you know, 800,000 yards,
(23:46):
but only with lead ammo and usually custom loads, not factory copper.
So that is going to be something I need to work on getting more effective with.
With copper loads to make sure they're more consistent.
I definitely, talking about reducing weight, I probably should be adding weight because
I need to more effectively carry a handgun and find a good way to do that that's comfortable.
(24:13):
Still trying to figure that out because it would definitely come in handy here on public
land with reckless people, but also predators and just have my own populations.
Just wild here.
Yeah, and just having something that's effective at close range that you can quickly deploy
that's not a bold action rifle is, I feel like, a good safety feature to have, especially
(24:36):
if you're not carrying bear spray.
For sure.
And I mean, there's a lot of carry options too, you know, a lot of the binaurinuses have
different holster options on them now.
I know you've always ran some sort of belt rig in the past with yours, you know, hard
polymer holster for it.
Something that's going to protect it from the dirt dust and all that stuff.
(24:59):
Find what's comfortable for you and what you're going to be effective in using.
Something that's secure and safe for the carrier, but also easy to deploy.
You don't want it in your pack or anything like that.
Yeah, for sure.
Another thing that pre-season, when you're prepping to get ready for deer season, we
always go through our equipment, make sure vehicles are in order to make these travel,
(25:24):
make these trips and stuff.
Something that I always struggle with every year is prepping for cardio.
It's a killer man, but yeah, getting weight on your back and hiking, putting those miles
in is definitely beneficial.
I need to do more of that.
I started a little bit with a 40 pound pack, but it is mostly just flat ground, a couple
miles a, you know, every couple days, but definitely the more, the better.
(25:47):
Yeah, the more prep you got, the better off you're going to be when you're out here because
it is a struggle, especially if you're going for us.
This is a way higher elevation than we're used to.
Everything's a factor to think about when you're coming out.
Well, and especially if you're planning on hunting solo, plan on making multiple trips
if you're not prepared to carry that weight that far distance for sure.
(26:12):
Something that I found useful on this trip, I got a Garmin in-reach mini.
It's prior to the mini two that they came out with now, but it's a satellite communicator.
It can track your location.
There's very few cell service spots up here.
Yeah, it's pretty limited.
So that's been a really cool way for me to communicate with the family back home, make
sure that, you know, back to camp safe and just keep them in the loop, keep them informed.
(26:36):
And then also it offers an emergency service response.
Yeah, something bad was there.
If something does really go wrong or even equipment breakdown or anything like that,
you need to reach people for assistance.
Yeah, definitely, you know, plan for the worst, hope for the best.
And I stumbled upon a new feature of my iPhone texting via satellite, which has been very
(26:58):
effective and useful.
Did not know that it did that until this trip.
I had a small little preview of it maybe a week before with a new update.
And I've been really happy with it.
It's a little cumbersome when you just try to find the satellite and track it.
However, they made the user interface very simple, very self-explanatory, gives you directions,
(27:22):
what to do.
And it seems to be a really good way to communicate.
I don't know if it would work everywhere.
I think the area we're in, it's useful.
Can get blocked by trees a lot.
So you have to find an open spot to link up with that satellite.
And of course they move and they move pretty quick.
So you can, you know, get a good conversation out there, you know, pertinent information,
(27:44):
but you might lose that satellite and have to regain after a few minutes and wait for
another one to come by.
So that's been fun, but interesting and glad that that's working.
The redundant means of communication to the rest of the world.
Always have a contingency plan for everything.
I mean, the more prepared you are, the better off you'll be in a bad situation.
(28:04):
And stuff does happen out here.
You know, you hear about it on the news all the time.
So, well, we were in town and we saw a brand new pickup that looked like it had been involved
in a rollover crash.
And totally believable coming up these mountain roads.
The whole part, the roof of the cab and windshield was all cracked and starting to cave in.
I'm surprised they were still even driving it.
Pretty steep and nasty back here.
(28:25):
So yeah, a lot of people with jeeps, a lot of motorcycles, not many full size trucks
going off the road or into the more sketchy trails, but we did all right.
Yeah, definitely handled it well.
A little truck did it.
What it's supposed to.
Yeah.
It's supposed to be safe is the main thing.
Getting to those areas, we don't have to walk everywhere, but helps you stay mobile, helps
(28:48):
you come up with a new plan if your current plan's not happening.
And yeah, and on that note too, you know, public land, you know, it could be challenging.
There's people in a lot of locations.
We got back into a spot that we wanted to hike in tonight and, you know, put some time
back in their glass and stuff.
(29:08):
And we ran into another hunter we had to interact with, which is always, at least for me, been
kind of a touchy subject just because I don't know, I'm nervous you hear horror stories
about it.
Yeah, it's definitely.
Angry people if they're on their spot.
Luckily that guy was super cool and he talked to him and he was willing to back out and
let us go in.
(29:29):
Yeah, he's like, Hey, you guys are here first, man.
It's all you and, you know, he went his own way and found another path to take off on.
So, you know, just a little bit of general courtesy goes a long way out here.
Yeah, he was super respectful.
Even came by our camp on the way back out and talked to us and shared information was
a nice guy.
You just got to think, you know, if you be disappointed if someone ruined your hunt,
(29:52):
bumped your hunt, you know, so try to show that same courtesy to others out here.
Yeah, to the best he can.
Yeah.
Sometimes it inadvertently happens, but it's a challenge for sure.
Yeah, just trying to be aware of other people and their program and try to communicate with
them in a respectful and effective way without letting anyone get upset.
(30:13):
That's the main thing.
Just try to enjoy it because we're at the end of the day, we're all hunters.
We all enjoy this and want to bring it in the best light possible without any conflict
or issues.
Yeah, I mean, it's a fun, family friendly, you know, sport.
We want to pass it on to generations and, you know, got to take care of our lands and,
you know, be respectful to each other and make sure that our kids and their kids can
(30:36):
enjoy this too.
And present it in the best light we can possibly just so we can keep these rights that we have
currently and hopefully they don't get infringed on further.
Yeah, it's always a challenge, man.
Balance of life, right?
Definitely.
But now I'm definitely looking forward to putting some more miles in tomorrow morning.
Hopefully, you can get back in there and, you know, get your tag filled also.
(31:00):
Get a nice, dead buck down.
Hopefully, hopefully find something.
There's going to be more miles, more glassing.
Hopefully, hopefully see them on some doze.
And then if not, we do have a trip planned for the last weekend of closing.
Yeah, closing weekend up here too.
So yeah, might bring on colder weather, might push them down all the mountains of higher
(31:20):
elevations.
We'll see.
Might even get down into some of that desert floor hunting and the Joshua trees and stuff.
Yeah.
The Joshua trees are interesting, especially at night.
Not a fan.
Jake wondered where the heck I was bringing him as we were coming in the first evening.
You know, by the time we got it past Lake Isabella, it was already pretty, pretty well dark and
(31:41):
couldn't see anything.
Got out into the desert floor and yeah, the Joshua trees can be a little intimidating
at night.
It's a weird, weird scenery if you're not used to it.
I definitely feel more comfortable in the pines.
Yeah, I mean, I'm super familiar with the area we're in down in the desert floor.
Done a lot of riding back there over the years, but we decided to push up the hill last night,
you know, found a nice little campside of ways in and it was in the general vicinity
(32:05):
of what we wanted.
And we were able to come back here.
Luckily no one was here.
Yeah, this afternoon.
Gonna stay here another night.
I had some nice strip steak for dinner on the two.
Got the barbecue out and some steaks and pork and beans.
Yeah, all the major food groups are represented.
Good old cowboy dinner, jerky for lunch.
(32:25):
Lot of jerky.
Yeah, yeah, been good.
Trying to drink all the water we can.
Yeah, definitely been, you know, tough to stay hydrated.
Went through my entire bladder this morning on our first hunt out.
I probably came back with a quarter of it.
I probably should have drank more while I was out there.
Yeah, so I mean, it's something to consider if you're going to hotter climates, do your
(32:48):
best to bring additional water, you know, have other options, especially if you don't
know about the ambient water sources around or you don't have any filtration or sterilization
system.
Yeah, you can't rely on what you don't know if you can and you're going to be really camping
out of the truck just pack water.
Yeah, but I mean, I know you and I both carry some sort of water filtration.
(33:12):
So you know, depending on what zone you're hunting in, if we're, you know, a little bit
north of here, there's always some good water sources up there.
Yeah, I don't know.
Something that we can filter through.
Last time I was in D8, I would just filter it from those glacier melting streams, super
cold, super crisp water, very delicious.
Yeah, just putting it through a filtration first, even though it's crystal clear, you
(33:35):
never know what's going to be in it.
Yeah.
Make sure you stay safe.
You'd rather be safe than sick.
Yeah, sick out in the forest, man, it's not fun.
It just ruins your whole hunt.
You're not effective anymore.
Yeah, you're buddy, yeah, you're losing your hunting buddy for the weekend.
You didn't run out of mountain money.
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah, no, no springs or creeks or anything that we're able to locate up here.
(33:57):
Some grassy meadows where there's moisture, but nothing that I've seen.
No standing water.
No water, yeah.
And put back into the pack.
Had to rely on good old well water from home.
Yeah, I brought my stereo pin, hoping that I could fill up a cup and try it out, but
haven't used it yet.
I haven't seen any of that water, but I feel like that would be a small means, lightweight.
(34:21):
It is electronic though, so if your batteries run out, you're kind of screwed.
The Sawyer Mini has always been good to me, hard to mess up unless you get like a hole
in your dirty bag.
And even then you can kind of make that do still.
Yeah, I'm interested to see what the stereo pin's like.
It's good for like, you know, one liter Nalgene for like, I think it's 20 seconds.
(34:44):
So it takes it to sterilize it.
So it's pretty impressive with UV.
But yeah, I'm interested in using that.
I've been sleeping in my tent, small backpacking tent, comfortable for one person in a pack.
You could fit two people in there if needed, like an emergency.
However, you've been sleeping in the truck.
(35:04):
I've been roughing it in the backseat of my truck.
Little small, I feel like you're kind of cramped.
Little snug, definitely little nicer when we take the full size truck out.
I wonder if it's warmer than night tent though.
I was extremely hot in there last night.
Unfortunately, the breeze didn't come through until a little bit later, but definitely comfortable.
I've got a few poles and a blanket back there.
(35:27):
And there's definitely worse sleeping situations.
I know we've talked about just camping out on the trail before, definitely doable.
Just kind of have a game plan of what you want to do on your trip.
Talk to your hunting partner, figure out what you both want to do, and try to make the best
plan possible.
Yeah, for this trip, you know, we're just unsure of what the terrain was going to be
(35:48):
like, the area.
So we decided to do our best just to stick within, you know, a 10 mile range of camp,
something where we can get back by the end of the day.
Try to avoid being out at dark, but if it happens, it happens.
Like you said, you know, in the worst-case scenario, we could have made do with the equipment
(36:09):
that we had.
Exactly.
But no, it's been pretty nice.
We had no complaints.
Nice little campsite, plenty of good food.
We put a deer down today, man.
That was awesome.
Yeah, it was completely unexpected.
You never know.
You never even see one while you get a shot opportunity and a successful harvest.
(36:29):
Coming into it, you know, there was no expectation at all, you know, very uncertain what we were
going to see, what was going to occur on this trip.
But you know, to be out here with, you know, such a good friend and just the whole experience
has been absolutely amazing.
I couldn't ask for a better weekend, you know, and looking forward to putting another
(36:51):
one down tomorrow, hopefully too.
Hopefully.
We're going to put the work in.
We're going to go find them.
I know there's more out there.
We got most of tomorrow morning before we head out of here and head back home.
Then, you know, we got that other trip coming up too.
So we'll see.
Even if we don't get one tomorrow, I'm going to be super satisfied with what we've done
here today.
I mean, brand new unit, never been here before.
(37:13):
First day, got a deer down.
And couldn't ask for much more.
It seems like not a lot of people are having luck.
I heard a couple other shots, but haven't seen any other camps with a deer.
Yeah.
And I mean, you made quick worker that thing.
Once we located them, got them propped up.
You had a broke down so fast, man.
(37:34):
It's so impressive.
You really sharpen your skills over the years with butchering and come so far.
It's really cool.
And it's so beneficial, man, to not as easy as working in the shop.
But to know what you're doing or have someone that knows what they're doing when you're
going into it, you know, it could be intimidating.
Your first time getting into an animal trying to in the middle of nowhere and you're trying
(37:56):
to keep it clean and you're trying to use all the meat.
For sure.
Yeah, definitely having skills being that we couldn't drag this out to a good location
to no way.
No, it's something that this one was broke down in the field and work was put in for
sure to get them out.
So that makes it that much more rewarding.
My first year was a little bit easier.
(38:19):
We were able to get up to them with the side by side and get them hung from a tree and
made a lot easier work of it.
But man, this was definitely rewarding.
Just put so much time in over all these seasons.
What is it for you now?
You said eight seasons.
Yeah, eight seasons.
Yeah, just to see some success and friends too.
(38:42):
It's not always about the success.
It's about getting out and put boots on the ground and just enjoying yourself.
The more time you put in out here, the more successful you're going to be.
It's definitely a steep learning curve.
You can only learn so much from reading and from YouTube.
It really helps if you have someone that's experienced it already as a mentor.
(39:05):
I've had the luck of having good experienced friends talk me through it.
A lot of learning trial by error and learning the hard way and just trying to earn it.
Yeah, man.
A lot of great friends that love this sport and helped me along the way also.
It's what's so cool about hunting and fishing.
(39:25):
It brings people together.
It's something that we can all get out and enjoy together.
Growing up wasn't really into hunting a whole lot.
More fishing.
We did a lot of freshwater fishing.
We were going through high school, getting out of high school, you and I really got into
the saltwater stuff.
Getting out in the kayaks and doing some charter boats here and there.
(39:46):
Really dove into hunting for a large game about six years ago for me.
I did some bird hunting when I was younger.
Just the reward of bringing something home to the family.
So fun.
Well, when you struggle for it and really earn it, it just takes that much better.
Absolutely.
And then you can share it with other people and utilize that whole animal to the best
(40:08):
that you can.
For sure.
Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.
Yeah, it should be interesting.
Hopefully, we'll see the same good weather that we saw today and be able to make it happen
again.
Yeah, I just hope that made space and we'll find some new area where there's more deer.
All right.
(40:29):
So we're going to get to bed because it's getting late.
We've got to get up in six hours.
Something like that.
Yeah, try to get some sleep.
Try to lick our wounds.
Yeah, definitely.
Get some rest.
Yeah, rest the back and legs because they've been working hard.
Yeah.
I just want to say thank you again for this awesome weekend, man.
It's been a lot of fun and glad that we still get to get out and do this.
(40:51):
Definitely looking forward to the kids get a little bit older, bring them out here and
share these experiences.
Definitely.
Yeah, hopefully we can get a little bit better at it to make it easier for them and pass that
on to them.
Super excited for our kids to hopefully show some interest and enjoy this with us for years
to come.
For sure, man.
Thanks again, buddy.
No problem.
Thanks for coming out.
(41:11):
It's been a great weekend.
Thanks for being on the podcast.
Absolutely.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah, episode number one in the books.
So on that note, all I can say is this has been Butchery Vote podcast.
Sharpen your skills, elevate your game, and we'll see you on the next one.
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