Field Notes: From First Light To Last shot

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This episode reflects on the highs and lows of the recent hunting season, revealing unexpected challenges and triumphant successes. We discuss personal stories that highlight the bond of the hunting community, the importance of preparation and respect for wildlife, and the lessons learned from various experiences throughout the season.

• Reflections on unexpected workplace challenges due to hunting activities 
• Celebrating collective successes and the bonds formed in the hunting community 
• The importance of preparation and skill development for hunting 
• Lessons from the season that apply to both hunting and life 
• Anticipation for upcoming spring hunting opportunities and future adventures

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Hunting just got tactical.
Welcome back to the GardenState Outdoors and Podcast
presented by Boondock Hunting.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
That's why your tagline, my GCL known perfect.
You don't know what that manshould have been.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
You don't know what that man should have been.
I accidentally drifted my canoebetween a sow and a cub and she
charged and hit the back of thecanoe.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
His head hit the ground before his ass did.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Begging and crying to go with my grandfather, go with
my father on these deer drives.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
You know the last trip over I shot a great Cape
Buffalo with my bow chargingthrough the grass, and then the
whooping.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
And then you hear a body drop Boys, boys, boys.
We are back.
It is a pleasure.
It has been a long season, verylong season, yeah, and it's
come to an end officially.

(01:37):
I mean, at least the deerhunting part has come to an end.
We still have a little bit oftime left with predator season.
But, boys, what a hell of ayear.
I think the total what did Isay the total was 31 deer.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
One bear, half an elk , one mule, deer doe, a couple
of foxeses and a whole bunch ofgeese and ducks.
Yep, yeah, congratulations,boys.
We, we had ourselves a hell ofa year.
Yeah, we did so before we getinto the breakdown.

(02:21):
Ever since I gotta tell a storyfrank knows this I didn't get a
chance yet to tell it on here.
I talked about it on theBuckdown podcast, which hasn't
dropped yet, so this will be theofficial first news of it.
So I had a little hiccup atwork two weeks ago.
They suspended me for a week.

(02:43):
I went out waterfowl hunting,killed a bunch of geese,
breasted them out and and atleast in the state of new jersey
I'm not sure what the rule iseverywhere else you can't dump.
You know, your, your animalswhere you hunt, basically.
So you know we put them in thebag and everything like that,
and I meant to go take them homeand throw them out in the
garbage at home, and we got yeah, it was, it was Ethan.

(03:10):
So when I Ethan, I'm just gonnamute you until you, until you
start talking, because we canhear the, the feedback coming
from your, your sound.
It's probably because you havethe phone.
It's all good, though.
No, don't worry about it.
So we, I, I, I completelyforgot.
I got home late, whatever, yada, yada, yada, didn't get to do

(03:31):
it.
Went to work the next day, right, and I was like, oh shit, have
the geese in the back of thetruck.
Like they're in, they're in thetrash bag, and everything like
that.
Like, let me just throw themout in the garbage real quick,
boom, threw them.
And everything like that.
Like, let me just throw themout in the garbage real quick,
boom, threw them out in thegarbage.
Three days go by no problems atall.
All of a sudden I wake up to atext on that Monday of one of

(03:54):
the janitors or whatever wentinto the garbage and dumped them
all on the ground right infront of the hospital, just took
them and dumped them.
I don't know why he did that,just dumped them all on the
ground right.
So I'm like, ah, yeah, I'm likehere, here we go.
No, I, I was getting phonecalls and everything like that,

(04:19):
and I talked to you know, the,the vp of, of hr, and everything
like that, and yeah, it was the.
The weird thing is I explainedthe story and it seemed like
they cared more, that I washunting, and they're asking me
if I had a valid hunting license.

(04:39):
Where was I hunting?
Who?
Who was I hunting with?
One of the questions was whatweapon did you use?
Like, which weapon did you use?
And listen, I answered it.
I'm legally hey, listen, I'mlegally allowed to do this.
I have no issues, you know, youknow.
So I answered all that andthey're like well, we have to do

(05:00):
an investigation.
So you can't come back to workuntil investigation's over Holy
cow, holy cow, mind you.
You know they called theelizabeth police department and
they called fish and wildlife,right, so I give fish and
wildlife a call, my buddy, I'mlike, hey, like I want to make
sure I'm covered, like I'm good,hey, you know this happened.

(05:21):
And he goes.
Oh, that was you, he goes.
Yeah, I was the one supposed torespond to that.
But I told them I go, it'seither a hunter getting throwing
out his, his, the remains, orit's somebody who's paranoid
about the bird flu and justdumped a whole bunch of geese,
like whatever.
So after I talked to him, I waslike all right, like I, like I

(05:42):
was, I was confident, like I wasconfident going before.
But now, after talking to him,like okay, like I was more
worried about making sure Ididn't get a ticket from fish
and wildlife, to be honest,because what I did was legal.
And he even said and he goes,it's legal.
You did everything that you'resupposed to do.
He goes.
You threw it in the garbage,right, hey, we, he goes.

(06:03):
We get calls it in the garbage,right, hey, we, he goes.
We get calls.
We get calls like this, a lotlike it is.
This happens pretty often.
Um, so this dragged out for aweek.
On wednesday they asked me toprovide my hunting license and
if I could provide documentationon the hunt.
So I was like, listen, I know Idon't have to do this, but I'm

(06:23):
going to just make my life alittle easier.
So I provided, you know, my, myhunting license, but I told him
I go, listen, I don't.
We don't have documentation onwhen I, once I get my hunting
license and my tags, whateverarea you could legally hunt like
, you just go out and hunt Like,I can't provide you

(06:44):
documentation on that huntbecause that's not how it works.
I said I took a screenshot of,like the area that I hunted,
said you're allowed to deer hunthere, turkey, like, and
everything like that.
This is where I was hunting.
I'm legally allowed to be there, right, I legally did nothing
wrong.
I hunted all those birdscorrectly in the group.

(07:05):
I'm allowed three birds myselfand it's three birds per per
limit.
So everyone you know killedtheir birds and everything like
that and all I did was was throwthem out.
So Friday I get a phone calllike okay, you can come back to
work.
I'm like all right, cool, Iknew that this wasn't the end.
I got a write-up.

(07:29):
The other day.
They wrote and they gave me awrite-up for dumping on private
property and so I told my boss Igo.
One, I I get that as private,but I work there.
And two, the garbage can that Iuse wasn't it's not a private
garbage can, it's for thepublic's use, right, if I went

(07:53):
into the back of the buildingand threw it out in the dumpster
, then no one can just go usethat dumpster, like that's
actually a private dumpster, youknow.
So my understanding and from theunderstanding I'm getting
around from like a lot of peoplewho work there and everything
like that, like I I did say likehey, I just want to just, uh,

(08:14):
clarification, you know this,this trash bin is for public use
, like I've used it before youknow.
You have random people, whodon't even work there by
standards, that use a trash canif it's private and I'm not
allowed to use it.
Yeah, I was never told this,and also like, of course, me,
can you at least put a signthere so I know not to use it,

(08:37):
you know?
So there's a lot of things thatI'm hearing about this and I'll
probably fill you guys in after.
Like, I don't want it to, Idon't want to talk about certain
stuff on the podcast andeverything like that.
You know, um, but that's what Iwas dealing with two weeks ago,
right before I went to the greatAmerican outdoor show.
I was off for a week.
I was going crazy.
I was so bored.

(08:57):
Of course, waterfowl season hadalready ended and I had dropped
my truck off at the shop.
So I was sitting in this housedoing absolutely nothing
worrying about, first of all,what are they going to try to do
to me?
Like who's?
Because you just never know,and a big part of how I feel is
these are people that they don'tlike hunting.

(09:18):
They're not used to.
They're not used to hunting.
So if their agenda, especiallybeing more on the liberal side
of things, is that I'm a hunterand they don't like that and
they're in a higher positionthan me.
I'm going targeted, a hundredpercent, especially like you
couldn't.

(09:45):
They were trying to think, doeverything in their power to get
rid of me because I, like I,hunted you're you're going after
, like asking me about myhunting license and all that.
That has nothing to do with myjob, that has nothing to do with
work.
Right, everything I did waslegal and I'm pretty sure even
the warden told those everythingwas done legally.
So once that point was made,like it's done legally, why are

(10:09):
we still continuing?
I was expecting to be back atwork on Wednesday.
I was so mad I had to miss likethree days of work.
I was not happy at all, butyeah, that was what I was
dealing with for a week.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
Wow yeah, that's unbelievable man.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
It's crazy we're good now, guys.
Yes, we're, we're good.
Now.
I'm back to work.
Um, you know, every likeeveryone was like, all my
co-workers are just like are youserious?
Like this is what they'refocused on.
Yeah, like, out of out ofeverything, this is this is what
they're focused on.
So, like, out of out ofeverything, this is this is what
they're focused on.
So, um, I think they're moreupset that somebody dumped the

(10:49):
geese out on the ground.
But that wasn't me and I madethat very clear.
Like, I did every.
I did everything I needed to do.
They were in the trash bag.
I covered, you know, I tiedthem.
Why the hell would somebody goout and dump them all?
Okay, you look in the bag, yousee one.
It's like okay, you know I'mnot going to touch these, but
why would you take it out anddump it right in front of a
hospital?
That made that made no sense tome.

(11:10):
That one right there was justlike what the hell?
No, um, yeah, that was.
I just had to tell that thatstory.
Um, I kept that one on the onthe down low for a little bit
yeah, I'm actually probably kindof surprised that they didn't.

Speaker 4 (11:26):
They didn't bring in like the hazmat crew or
something yeah, so they?

Speaker 1 (11:29):
they did well, no, they did call um uh, I'm
completely blanking on the nameright now um health, what's this
?
They just had to contact mejust to make sure um everything
was was good I think, humanservices and that.
Yeah, and I think part of itwas like they're one.
They're not used to seeing this, but like the paranoia of the

(11:52):
bird flu, oh, yeah, and thenthey then.
Then they thought, like apatient was doing this, like I
was here, like I had co-workersand like my friends, like, like,
yeah, people are saying thatthis was a patient and they were
putting some type of voodoospell on the hospital and
everything, like like I washearing it.
All people like, of course,people know, they're like, oh,
you know, this guy's crazy.

(12:14):
Like no, I'm just like just I,and I told, I told my boss too,
and I was like, listen,generally I did not want these
geese to sit in my truck for aweek or two, like that's why,
like, when I remembered, I waslike, oh crap, let me just go do
this right now.
Like there's a garbage there,like, yeah, we, you know the we,
we use the garbage.

(12:35):
I'm allowed to throw it in inany garbage can.
Right, let me just do this now,let me, let me get rid of it
instead of it sitting in mytruck gosh forbid.
Knowing myself, I probablywould have left it in there for
like a week or two before I evenrealized.
Okay, so you know, we've, we'veall been there.
So I don't, I don't want to dodo stuff like that.
I wanted, I wanted to get ridof it.

(12:55):
Um, you know there's nothing.
And I had to tell him likethere's nothing malicious about
this, like this is me doing, andlike the emails that I had to
write, and I'd like listen.
I talked to like two or threelawyers too, like I was and
still am, like because, like I'mnot, I don't, I'm not signing

(13:16):
this right up, that's for onething.
Um, you know, and I've made itvery clear, um, and I think they
kind of made it clear too andkind of figured like I wasn't
going to sign this write-up.
And then, you know what thecrazy thing is, I actually got
hit, hit with like two otherwarnings for being on my phone
and like these.
So to me it felt like they werereally trying to get me.
And you know, I had a buddylike listen, they're, they

(13:37):
really can't get you on thegeese thing, but watch, they're
gonna give you a write-up on onother stuff, yeah, and that
Friday, when they clear me, Iget, they're like, oh well, you
know, we, we saw you on yourphone, on the camera and this,
this and that.
So I'm on, I'm on 90 dayreevaluation because of that,
because, of course, our evalsare up Right, never had an issue

(13:58):
.
Seven years I've been there.
Seven years, right, seven years, right.
You know, I I was prettydisappointed, um, and this is
the only thing like I kind ofever had to like deal with as a,
I guess as a hunter, I guess inin a sense, um, so I wasn't not
too happy about it, a littlelittle salty, but you know, at

(14:20):
the end day I gotta make moneyand there's things and honestly,
my most important thing ishelping the kids.
I'm not there to please otherpeople and if you don't like me
or if you don't like the factthat I hunt, that's really not
my goddamn problem.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
I'm surprised they didn't ask you.
I'm surprised they didn't askyou Do you carry firearms in
your truck?

Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah right.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
I want to say, I think in the beginning, when, so
on Monday, when they firstoriginally asked me how I killed
them and I said shotgun, like Iimagine that probably went
through their, through theirhead, but at the end of the day,
like what can they?
They can't do anything aboutthat.
Like, obviously I don't.
You know what I mean.
What I mean they could call thecops and what are the cops?

(15:01):
Good.
But at that point, like you'rereally targeting me, at that
point, and it's like you'regoing to that length, like I'm
not bringing my guns to work,like even if I decide to go hunt
after, say, like I want to godo a waterfowl hunt after work,
like I'm going to go stop home,for I would never bring a
freaking gun to Elizabeth gosh,forbid, freaking targets broken

(15:26):
into us.
You know, know, I mean I'm Iwould never, you know, so I, I
would just go home and and stufflike that.
Are there knives in my truck?
Yeah, yeah, you know what Imean.
Like that, that's in my truck,you know.
But guns, no, I'll keep my bowin my truck, though I'll be very
honest about that.
Like my bows in my truck, youknow.
But no, but no, no guns and youknow, there was a few people
that a bunch of people that areon my side, and then there was a

(15:48):
bunch of people who who weren'ton my side.
I heard people wanted to say,okay, boom, it happened.
And then there's other peoplethat were just trying to get me.
So you know, that's yeah, justa just an interesting,
interesting couple of weeks forme there, and that happened at
the right at the end of theseason, but wanted to fill the
boys in yeah, so now we canreally get into it.

(16:16):
How's everyone feeling?
Like, is anyone like bored outof their mind yet?
Like it's only been like one ortwo days and I'm excited for
turkey season, but to me there'sstill nothing like deer season.
Like I'm just going over allthe plans of what I want to do
and accomplish and all the dataand everything like that.
So how are you guys feeling?

Speaker 2 (16:38):
I'm feeling good.
I've been out predator huntingkeeping myself busy.
Uh, I got that new 45 70, uh,henry rifle, uh, for next, for
next season, and uh, I just putthe scope on that.
So, uh, did a little icefishing here and there.
You know keeping myself busyand uh, you know, between the
storms and everything else, youknow I've been going crazy with

(16:59):
work and and, uh, you know, justlooking forward to the spring,
got some ideas ready for.
You know how I'm going toattack the turkeys this year and
you know different setups andyou know I'm actually starting
to ride around a little bit andlook for where they're roosting.
You know, try to get a winterroost and maybe something I can
catch them in the early, earlybeginning of the spring, maybe

(17:22):
coming off of that winter roost.
You know spot.
Yeah, that's all.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
Ethan quick question Are you dialing into the turkeys
this year?
I know it feels like the lastcouple of years yet again you
haven't been able to, but isthat something that you're going
to do so?

Speaker 5 (17:39):
this year.
I didn't even apply for theturkey lottery for the permits.
I'll probably grab a tag for aweek, if I can uh.
When everything goes on salefor the over-the-counter, I'm
hopeful to get out opening day.
Outside of that I'm probablynot going to get out much.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
Unfortunately got a big wedding to plan what was
that got a big wedding to plan?

Speaker 5 (18:05):
yeah, and we have, uh , we have a lot of stuff going
on over here, a lot of awesomestuff.
Uh, the wedding.
Everyone knows about a fewother things.
I have to keep uh under wrapsfor now, but hopefully I'll be
able to bring all that to youguys in the next month or so.
Um, yeah, so this whole year isgonna be.
I got an idea, but I'm notgonna say it.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
I'm gonna wait for you to tell.

Speaker 5 (18:25):
Wait, but I got an idea I'm pretty sure you know
what it is, brother but uh, yeah, so this whole year is going to
be fantastic and, uh, you know,thank god I got a super
supportive family, that uh wasbacking me every step of the way
, so that that obviously helpsthings a lot.
But I'm gonna try and get outone day maybe.
Maybe two days outside of thatI got to stay on the grind.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
Yeah, yeah, I got that.
We know I listen.
I don't even got to ask aboutSteve, since he's been.
We've been talking the lastcouple of days about birds and
everything like that, so I knowSteve's out out there.
I know Frank is going to be outthere hungry, but real quick
since we haven't.

(19:10):
You know Steve has been a busy,busy man.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
You know how did the season shape up for you.

Speaker 1 (19:22):
We lost you.
Nope, still can't.
We'll go to Frank while we tryto fix the uh technical
situation.
Frank, I mean, I'm gonna giveyou this honor I think.
I think next year we're gonnado a vote, a team vote, but this
year I got to give you the forthe, for the team.
The hunter of the year has togo to you this year.

Speaker 3 (19:44):
Appreciate it, brother.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
I mean, it's an.
It's not only cause you.
Yes, you shot four bucks, youshot six in total, but I think
it had to do like also yourfirst buck shoulder.
You know, we Scotch and I werethere for that, you know, and
you could have easily justgotten so down on yourself.
And then what?

(20:05):
The next?
The next hunt out you.
You get another buck.
But what's going through yourmind at that point?
Um, it's a high shot too aswell, and you know it took you
basically 24 hours to to findthat deer.
So, like a absolute whirlwindof a lot of emotions, but it
wasn't the perfect start.

(20:28):
Like it's like damn, what'sgoing on?
What's going on with my belt?
Is it me?
Is it this?
Like everyone knows what it'slike hitting animals and not
recovering them right away.
It's a sickening feeling, butyou overcome to, and I mean, and
had is that your mostsuccessful season so far?

Speaker 3 (20:46):
yeah, oh, hands down.
You know, like it actually theseason started off pretty good
when I shot that though I mean Ihit her perfect, watched her
drop, everything was good.
So I had, like, I already hadall my confidence going into it
and I mean, I think, you know, Ipretty, I'm pretty sure I sent
you guys a text when that buckshowed up that morning.

(21:06):
It's a guy's like I have toleave work, like I'm pretty sure
I'm going to shoot this bucktonight, and I think it was like
wasn't even like five o'clock,I think I, you know, I started
calling, texting everybody, likeI shot, you know, but you know
it was unfortunate.
You know, like, and you knowthat's one of the important

(21:27):
things about filming is because,like, we all watch the film,
like I sent it to all you guys.
It was like what's your guysopinion?
Because I was so like Back andforth when I watched, when I
first watched him, like handsdown, he's dead.
When I watched, when I firstwatched him, like hands down,
he's dead, 100%, I got him.
And you know, I'm pretty sureeven you guys are like, no, like

(21:48):
we think the shot's good, let'sjust just let him lay.
Like you know, the only thingthat I remember worried me was
like I didn't find any bloodwithin the first like 30, 40
yards.
But I'm like you know what,like I've had this happen before
.
So I was like all right, likedon't get too much in your head,
you know.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
But I mean I killed, I barely Found impact.
I mean, good thing Is I foundthe impact, but I saw exactly
when she went, but I didn'tafter the impact, like I didn't
really.
There was a point where Ididn't find Blood for like 30,
40 yards, but then she was justpiled because I think I told you
guys her it was a quarter andaway.
So actually you know, herinsides actually plugged up the

(22:29):
hole, you know.
So I wasn't getting good bloodand everything like that.
But I'll never forget, like Ithink that was probably one of
my favorite, uh, memories of theseason, obviously me killing my
buck and everything like that.
And then Peyton's bear, butthat's gotta be a top three
because we literally was earlyin the season, the first book,
but that one of us shot and justthe the group conversation, but

(22:53):
then going actually to theproperty and all of us, you know
, just analyzing the shot overand over again and then just
piecing every detail from tryingto track this animal to OK, you
know, this is where it actuallyhit, or we thought he went this

(23:14):
way and this way.
It was actually really aremarkable experience and such a
learning lesson, um, so I wasreally happy.
I decided to go up therebecause that was one of the most
challenging uh track jobs Ithink I've ever had to do.
But it was a huge satisfactionbecause we actually were finally
able to find the blood and getonto the trail and then realize,

(23:37):
okay, you know what, thiswasn't what we initially thought
it was.
Yeah, and you know, let's aftera couple hours like all right,
we're going to call it.
And I know that buck did comeback out and unfortunately
somebody else shot it much later.

Speaker 3 (23:53):
All the way through the season he was like a week
left.

Speaker 1 (23:57):
Exactly what we thought was going to happen,
though, was that deer was goingto completely survive and be
good and everything like that,so I imagine he got his, his
genes out there and everythinglike that.

Speaker 3 (24:07):
So you know is uh, the future is going to be, is
going to be strong that property, just the future of that
property yeah, it's insane it'sinsane, like I said, and like I
guess, looking back at the shotI was going, based off of that
buck's reaction, like you guysall saw, like I've shot a lot of
deer with the bow and I'venever had them do that reaction,

(24:29):
ever Still one of the coolestthings I've seen.
I thought that thing was prettycool.
That's why I think I put it inmy head Like he's dead, we're
going to find them, like waitfor you guys and just go to
sleep and your your hands, hands, you know your hands are going
to be on tomorrow, but uh, youknow, it was just one of those
things.
You know, like I said, thankgod he made it.
I actually I almost got anothershot at him during the rut.

(24:52):
He was like at 50 yards and Ijust didn't want to chance it,
you know.
So you know what happens andsomebody else got him.
You know, like the last it waslike the last week of
muzzleloader up here Somebodyended up getting them.
But it's the way it goes, youknow, and you know.
Then I kind of had to reset mymind because I knew I was going

(25:14):
upstate and I knew I was goingto, you know, I kind of, you
know, with us, knowing theproperty, I was like I know I'm
going to have anotheropportunity, maybe not that
weekend, but I know I'm going tohave another chance.
So, like you got you kind ofjust got to get back in the
saddle, so to speak, and just,you know, be ready.
I was practicing all week, Ifelt started building my

(25:37):
confidence.
I remember telling myself, likejust aim low, like just relax,
like take your time.
And I remember sending you guysthe text again as soon as I got
up there I'm like, guys,there's a stud out in the field,
like I'm pretty sure I'm gonnashoot this buck.
And I think it was the thesecond morning me up there I
ended up shooting them.

(25:57):
So you know again, I didn'tmake the greatest shot.
You know again, I don't know ifit was me, but actually no, I
do remember because I ended upshooting the bow and I remember
I think I told some of you guysthat it was actually off, just I
mean just a little bit.
It was just enough to where,since I was high on this ridge

(26:19):
and I didn't compensate for Iwas, he was way below me.
So I was shooting such a steepangle that I hit him like right
on the top of the back anddropped them and I couldn't
believe he got back up.
To be honest with you guys, ittook him a long time to get back
up.

(26:39):
You know, he got up, he ran, heup and he ran.
I'm just like huh, well, thatwas weird, you know, and I
remember texting you guys likesending you guys pictures of the
blood.
I'm calling squats.
I'm like yo man, I hate to dothis to you, but you're going to
have to come up here, you know,cause, like you know, I don't
know what's going on and weended up waiting no-transcript

(27:28):
that every text or phone call Igot while I was at work I
literally said oh, there'sanother dead deer, oh, there's
another dead deer.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
Like I knew what Frank was calling for when I was
getting calls, like even mypatients knew it, I was like oh
there I go, did someone killsomething?
I go?
Yep, I go.
This is a good phone call,right yeah.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
It got to the point where he wouldn't even be like
hey brother, what are you up to.
He'd be like what did you killnow, you know.
So it was definitely a goodyear for me, you know.
And then I ended up going backup there back upstate with the
during the rifle season, youknow, got a decent six and uh,

(28:11):
came back to jersey back on thatproperty and ended up shooting
another.
Uh, I think I shot a doe firstand then I think a week later
Shot that eight pointer On there.
Then Six day firearm comesaround and the weather was shit,
you know, for the first coupledays and I was like Alright,

(28:32):
whatever.
And for some reason the pastcouple years I've noticed I've
always had luck Like Saturdaymorning Of six day firearm.
I've always was luck likeSaturday morning of six day fire
on.
I've always was prettysuccessful for the past couple
of years.
And sure enough, here I thinkit was like seven o'clock here
comes that nine walk like 20yards from me.

(28:54):
I couldn't even shoot himbecause he came in from behind
me, so I basically had to lethim pass me.
He came in so quiet and he wasso cautious but I ended up
shooting him.
I think he was only like 30yards and he'll think he only
went like five yards, but youknow it was a good season, man.
It was one, one of my best.

(29:14):
Definitely you know somethingto remember.
Like you said, that propertythat you know I was fortunate
enough to get because you knowthe guy was my best friend and
you know his brother ended upbuying it and stuff.
So I mean that property isincredible.
I can't wait till next year tosee what it brings.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
So, oh yeah, I agree, steve, we got you back.
Oh yeah, that is.
Oh, I don't know how to explainthat one.
It sounds like Speak one moretime.
What's that?
Can you hear me?
Yeah, you sound like crap.

Speaker 5 (29:55):
You sound like a robot that's dying.

Speaker 1 (29:58):
You sound like a dying robot.
Oh my god, this is so muchbetter.
This is so much better.
Now sound like a dying robot.

Speaker 3 (30:06):
we are having a lot of technical difficulties the
one podcast he can make in awhile has to happen to him we'll
get to Ethan now.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
I mean another incredible eight does on the
ground.
I mean just another incredibleseason from you two as well, and
just high numbers.
But you know your seasonstarted out in Colorado and
everything like that.
Go through your season and how,how do you feel?
Uh, finally getting back intointo the swing of things like

(30:45):
you used to this season was alot of highs and lows for me,
you know.

Speaker 5 (30:50):
You know, like you said, starting off in Colorado,
uh, the high of tagging thatmule deer doe, then the extreme
low of, you know, losing my bull, to then two weeks later having
someone find the bull out thereand then coming back to jersey
shooting seven deer in jersey.
All those you know awesome highmoments.

(31:14):
But I broke three separate bowsthis year.
I went, my vxr went through av3x went through a lift, all of
which had to get sent back forwarranty repair, um, so it was a
ridiculous.
It was an absolutely ridiculousyear just in terms of, uh,
highs and lows.
Um, I know, I mentioned it oneof the last episodes I was on of

(31:36):
the seven deer that I shot injersey, I shot six with the bow
and of those six deer, I think Ishot them with five different
broadheads, if I remembercorrectly yep yep.
So that was super interesting touh to really gather all that
data and, uh, the overall mangets super blessed, super

(31:57):
blessed to be able to have afull freezer full of meat.
And uh, the last two to threeyears have been really rough for
me.
Now I haven't shot a rackedbuck and by september it'll be
three years.
Just the car.
The stars haven't aligned.
But uh, at the very least toget back to having a full

(32:17):
freezer.
And the last couple of years Iwas shooting one or two deer max
.
And I know last year I kept ajournal on every hunt that I
went on and I was, uh, I wasaround 85% of my sits I didn't
even see a deer.
So last year was beyond brutalto this year, where it was
pretty much the opposite.
I was covered up in deer almostevery single sit and to be able

(32:39):
to bring home as much meat as Idid, I'm definitely super
blessed about that nice that'sawesome nice.

Speaker 1 (32:49):
Yeah, no, speak on that too.
I I mean I'm I gotta give youonce, I do mine, I gotta give
you guys.
But I I have all the details ofthe breakdown of of my season
season and I do journal too andI kind of love, I love doing the
whole journal thing and youknow, just really look at the
information.
But I mean whether it's a hey,at the end of the day you didn't
get a racked buck, but eight,eight, eight makes up a a big

(33:12):
time for for not getting a abuck.
I mean if I go, uh, anotheryear, say next year, without
getting a buck, I mean I wouldlove to have at least eight
notes on the ground.
That would definitely make upfor it.
So I think that's a.
I think that's a a faircompromise.

Speaker 5 (33:30):
You, you would have to say I would say, of the six
deer that I shot this year atthe bow, I think four of them
were days that I was going outspecifically hunting for a buck,
and it was just one of those.
All right, she's sitting at 12yards and now she's starting to
do the foot stomp, starting tobob the head.

(33:50):
Well, I either shoot her and gohome with some meat or not
shoot her and the spot getsblown out anyway.
And it just seemed like everyday I was going out I was like,
well, I don't really have muchof a choice here, but, like you
said, definitely I'm notcomplaining.
I had a killer season, um, onethat I would love to have again.
Uh, and then also I know Imentioned it, uh, I think, last

(34:13):
time um, I have sold all.
I have now officially sold allof my compound bows.
They all sold, they all sold.
I have my lift sitting in thecorner and I have a deal already
made with a guy.
It's probably going to be goneby the end of the week.
I'm going 100% in on the tradbow next year.

Speaker 4 (34:34):
You could have just chosen a different compound
company if you didn't have to.

Speaker 5 (34:50):
He went full blowed.
I'm such an obsessive personthat if I I know for myself if
I'm going to get into trad, thenjust with how my brain works, I
have to dive into it 100, orelse I'm I'm gonna half-ass it
and I'm never gonna geteverything out of it that I can.
Well, that means you're goingall lone wolf custom gear and
umo flannel too, and all thatright, or else I'm going to
half-ass it and I'm never goingto get everything out of it that
I can.

Speaker 4 (35:04):
Well, that means you're going all Lone Wolf
custom gear and Umo flannel too,and all that right One million
percent.

Speaker 5 (35:10):
But no, I will say just in the last month or so of
shooting that the improvementsthat I've seen in the shooting
have been pretty dramatic andit's a lot of fun.
So I'm very excited to see whatthis next year uh, what this
year brings well, that's awesome.

Speaker 4 (35:28):
I got a couple buddies that, uh they are.
They are on me to get into tradbow and I don't think I can
take another, bring a differenttype of bow into the house
without my wife giving me anygrief.
So I'm not going to make thatplunge just yet.

Speaker 5 (35:44):
It works out well If you're able to sell a compound
set up for $1,500 and then youbuy the $100 Amazon long bow.
I mean, the math works, brother, it works, yep.

Speaker 4 (36:05):
Let me put it this way I have a recurve in the
garage that a friend gave me andI still.
It's not so much the money it'sthe time to divest into another
, another form of shooting thatI don't have time for, but I
want to yeah, no, I, I mean it's, I think I'm, I think we're all

(36:28):
going to be there at some point.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
You know, um, I love, like I, I love it, I think it's
going to be cool, I love thatyou're doing.
I'm really excited for theupdates and see firsthand of
kind of what you're going to begoing through and the experience
and everything like that.
Um, yeah, I definitely agree.
Like that is a crazy thing tojust like let me just do this,

(36:56):
um, you know, and get rid ofeverything.
Um, but I also do remember,from now knowing you for a while
, you always have been somebodywho you do go full in and just
look at what you've done nowwith gun hunting.
I mean, look at how much youdove into that.
I mean it went from you're allabout bow, bow, bow, bow,

(37:17):
nothing, guns, and now you'refully obsessed with guns and
everything like that too.
So you know that's, that isjust your personality, so it's,
it's gonna be a fun thing, youknow, and you know what you're
gonna have to definitely killsomething big yeah, and full of

(37:38):
transparency.

Speaker 5 (37:39):
Um, I was also looking at it from a financial
perspective.
I did a lot of research and thelong bow I ended up picking up
was $100 off Amazon and I got tosay it shoots lights out.
It's a lot of fun to shoot.
I'm happy with that purchase,but I knew that I could sell my
rig over a grand and between thewedding and everything else

(38:02):
going on, I didn't mind having alittle extra cash in the bank.
This year it made sense on alot of different levels.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
Oh, for sure, For sure, I definitely get that.
How about Can we get Steve herenow?
I don't know.
It's three times the charmthere you go good.

Speaker 4 (38:25):
Good, I don't know.
I've never had that, never hadthose kind of issues before, but
uh, anyway, yeah, this has beena good season.
It's been a different kind ofseason than uh previous.
It's the first time in fouryears that I didn't take a buck
and I'm okay with that.
Well, I'm now okay with that,so it has to be right, the

(38:48):
season's over.
But no, I think the biggestthing for me this year was just
the amount of opportunities,obviously, and experiences that
I had, not only in differentstates, but also just close
encounters and mental mind shiftas far as how I approach

(39:09):
hunting, the amount of time thatI've spent um and finding new
joys in it because of that.
Um, this was the first yearthat I got to hunt with other
people and probably spent moretime obviously more time out of
state hunting with other peopleand people that I now call close

(39:29):
friends than I ever have beforesince back in the days when I
hunted with my dad and my uncle.
So that was a huge blessing anddefinitely really enjoyed that.
So, spending the openingweekend in Maryland with uh, one
of my good buddies, uh, albertand um, and then the time I

(39:50):
spent out in the Midwest withtethered.
Actually that was the companythat I was able to go out and
shoot with uh for 10 days outthere in November for rut was
just really, really incredibleand got to make some great
relationships and learned a ton.
Being able to spend time withsomebody like Greg Godfrey for

(40:12):
10 days, just learning andabsorbing just a metric ton of
information, was really great.
And to be able to come home andapply that knowledge
immediately in the woods eventhough I didn't capitalize but
just seeing the immediatedividends that were paid from

(40:33):
hopefully absorbing even aportion of what I was exposed to
in that time was really great.
And so I think that's I'mdefinitely looking forward to
hopefully in the next couple ofweeks, being able to get out and
explore the properties that Idid hunt this year.
Uh, I hunt all public, so it'sdefinitely uh, and it was a new

(40:57):
area that I hunted so I got toscout some of it.
I didn't get to put as muchtime boots on the ground as I
wanted, but I'm hoping todefinitely get more time in the
woods and the off season, dosome shed hunting in there and
and really pick apart and figureout where the bucks and um all

(41:21):
the movement is, and actuallyjust the other night I was
reviewing trail cam footage.
Obviously, we all know thatwhen you have cell cams out you
don't get every photo or everyvideo that comes back.
So it's always fun to retrievethose cameras and be able to see
the things that maybe youmissed, have a pretty good
feeling about one or two bucksthat I thought maybe had been

(41:43):
taken on this public and as Igot to the end of, I guess
middle, middle of the waythrough January, uh, they were
still coming up on camera.
So that was very reassuringbecause I hadn't seen, I didn't
receive those videos or photosfrom the trail cam before I
retrieved it.
So little things like that weredefinitely encouraging about

(42:05):
next season that there's stillgoing to be some, some good
animals around and um.
So yeah, it's, it's, it's beendifferent.
Obviously, I only took one deerthis year, so it wasn't a whole
lot of meat in the freezer anddefinitely have caught some
flack from my wife about that.
But we're, we're gonna changethat next year.

(42:26):
We're gonna get some more, moredeer.
But but it also was a bigchange too, because I hunted
about.
Actual hunting days was probablyabout a quarter of the hangs
that I got last year.
So it was eight days in NewJersey, uh, two days in.

(42:46):
Well, eight hunts in New Jersey, actual hangs, and it was four
hangs in Maryland on two days,and then I didn't actually hunt,
I was just filming when I wasout in the Midwest Um, but I've
never hung that many days inthat a period of time like 14
hangs in seven days, night andday, so some of which were, all

(43:08):
you know, basically all day justmoving positions.
So, yeah, a lot of really goodexperiences.
And, and now on to turkey.
It's just, it's a revolvingdoor, right, so some shed
hunting.
I've already uh, it was prettycool Got permission on a
property that's pretty close tomy house where I saw some big
toms strutting opening weekperiod A last year in the zone

(43:30):
that I live in.
So it's very cool to be able tothink about putting boots in
the ground in that area and dosome scouting, maybe even get
some cameras up in that area anddo some scouting, maybe even
get some cameras up.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
And.

Speaker 4 (43:46):
I'm getting more aggressive even about asking
permission for turkey hunting indifferent areas.
I mean I sent Mike a videoyesterday.
I had 18 Jakes and Toms out inthis one field near my house,
about four miles from our house,just on the side of the road,
in the rain, which is best timeto look for turkeys, in my
opinion.
But um so yeah, so pretty cool,a lot of good things coming

(44:08):
this year, and I'd say it wasdefinitely a good season overall
yeah for I mean for sure.

Speaker 1 (44:15):
I mean, I think, just the experience of learning
alone, going out to the midwestand seeing and hunting with
those guys, and everything likethat, like you, like you said
you got to take what you learnedand you applied it back home
and I mean, yeah, you didn'tkill, you know, get the kill.
But I mean the buck that yousent me the the other day, I
mean just absolute stud.

(44:36):
And I think you you said likeyou just weren't able to get a
shot opportunity, but you were,you were there and that's,
that's a pretty big win and Ialways count that, like man, if
you could see a, a you know abuck that you're after, and I
mean you can get.
You know, even within 50 yards,or whatever the case is, you
gotta take things as wins, youknow.

Speaker 4 (44:56):
And absolutely and that's exactly what hunting's
about yeah, if there had beenbecause that's the thing if
there had been more time, if Ihad had more time, more hangs as
long as someone else didn't geton that deer as well, which I
know nobody else was in thatarea that I was hunting in that
time, in that november period,into december like if I just had

(45:20):
more hangs I probably wouldhave been able to capitalize.
So those are definitely thethings that you take away in
those in those moments.
So, yeah, 100%, yeah, it was,uh, it was very cool stuff.
So, and just even being outwith those, the guys that
tethered, and learning how torun my gear more efficiently,

(45:40):
like that was a huge thing, thatwas awesome.
Like I went from you knowclimbing up and you know
sticking up and sticking down tonow I repel out of the tree,
like it's a huge savings of time, it's possibly even more secure
and safer running that way, Idon't know.

(46:01):
Just a lot of cool stuff likethat for sure it's cool yeah no

Speaker 1 (46:07):
that that's definitely amazing.
Um, and brother squash I meananother one you're yours started
early, just like, uh, like mineand and steve's.
And yeah, you know you startedearly with with the bear hunt,
with with frank and everythinglike that in new york.
But, um, you know you startedearly with the with the bear
hunt, with with Frank andeverything like that in New York
.
But you know kind of go overwhat, what your season for for

(46:27):
me you're.
You know, on a you reallyheated up in the in the back
half of the season andeverything like that and got a
lot of killing done there.
Did that play in any like howwas that mentally?
You know that challenge andeverything because I've been
there too.
Especially you know when you're, when you're you're in a group,

(46:49):
you know everyone's killing.
You know, and then you'reyou're now in another group and
you know people are killing andstuff like that.
Like I know how hard that getsand how frustrating that gets.
So like, what did it do for youmentally?

Speaker 2 (47:05):
well, you know, the season had its up and downs and
uh, you know when you're, whenyou're in it this is the first
year is really in any kind ofcompetition with anybody.
I usually don't do stuff likethat, um, but being it was all
good people and I I knew it wasjust you know something that I

(47:25):
could deal with it, but I Ialways feel like it jinxed me,
kind of like, you know, becauseyou're, I don't know, it's
always on the back of your mindwhen you're out there hunting
and you're trying to say, well,you know, I could shoot this
deer and get on board or I coulddo this, I could do that.
But my season started outreally awesome.
I saw great bucks here.
I mean sending pictures backand forth to Frankie and you

(47:49):
guys on the text and, um, I havetargeted really two, two really
beautiful deer.
A third one had showed up.
They had a drop tine and uh, hebeat the crap out of my one
buck that I was really after mrperfect, broke a lot of his
tines off and uh, I actuallytargeted another deer that I

(48:10):
liked with his.
I called him clyde and he was abig mainframe mate and uh, he
ran with mr perfect for a while,but then he split up when the
rut started.
Um, so season started out.
We had the first cold snap,with the full moon rising.
It was around october 12th or15th.
Um, I had pictures of a reallygood buck, got in my stand, I

(48:35):
had a 10 yard shot and Ifreaking blew it.
I hit him high in the front ofthe shoulder.
Um, yeah, I don't, I thought itwas a kill shot, I really did.
I just thought it.
The angle would have took theother lung out.
I heard him gurgling when heran away.
Uh, called deer search in, hadthem come in with the dog and uh

(48:55):
, we kicked the deer up aroundsix o'clock that night, still on
its feet, feet still going.
So I think I was in thatnowhere area and, um, you know
it was just the way it went.
So that was a kick in the teeth, a real kick in the teeth to me
.
Being a seasoned veteran, youknow you don't screw up at 10
yards.
Um, I had to reset.

(49:16):
Thank God I had Frankie to talkto and uh, you know we confide
in each other quite a bit and umtook me a little bit but I, I
got over it.
You know you can't, you can'tmove on by looking behind you,
gotta, you just gotta get on,get on it and keep hunting and
realize those things happen.
I mean, I made every effort Icould to find that deer and you

(49:38):
know what it just things happen.
It's shitty, shitty.
It makes you feel like crap,but it happens to all of us,
unfortunately.
Um season went on, I had anothereight come in, shot at that
eight, uh, running directlybasically at me, and then he
made me.
I was in a two-man stand andthere's not much cover, it's

(49:59):
more of a rifle stand.
He made me, took off, runningaway from me.
I grunted at him.
He stopped, turned and shot andI was about a foot over his
back when I shot and I'm likelooking up and I'm like what did
I do?
Did I do something wrong?
That you're just like oh, Iknow it's that contest.
Yep, it's a freaking contest.

(50:21):
Yeah, okay, okay.
So, oh, here we go.
You know, texted frankie, yeahand uh I.
I got upstairs here in the housebecause it, you know, it's
about the same height I canshoot out of my stand.
I let one rip out the window tobathroom and I missed the
target.
The same way I missed thebucket.
I'm like what in the holy hellhappened to my bow?

(50:43):
So I'm like I don't get it, soI tune it in.
Now I'm dead on.
I'm like, okay, somethinghappened to the bow and I ain't
making up excuses.
I might have bounced it aroundon my truck or something.
I I have no idea.
Put that crap behind me.
I go back out.
Here comes Mr Perfect with thebroken rack.

(51:05):
He walks directly behind me ona doe.
I pull back and draw back,shoot over his back.
I'm like I'm giving up.
I'm like I'm going to take upgolf.
This hunting stuff is justafter like 30-something plus
years of doing it.
I'm done.

Speaker 4 (51:23):
I've had it Came back home shot the bow again.

Speaker 2 (51:27):
I was dead on.
So it was me.
I hiccuped when I shot.
But out of all this I'm seeinggreat deer.
I'm seeing incredible deer.
Every time I go out I'm on adeer.
I'm seeing different bucks.
Things are showing up on camera.
Fast forward a little bit.
Now we're getting into the verylast day of season.
Frankie and I had talked in themorning.

(51:48):
He's like brother, just let meknow if you got something please
.
I said yeah, I'll give you ashout.
11 o'clock.
I look to my left and herecomes an eight pointer and I've
got literally eight secondsbefore he hits my shooting
window.
And this thick stuff that I'min to decide, is this the buck?

(52:10):
I want to shoot with the bow?
And I said, well, I'm in thatcontest.
So I got to shoot somethingwith the bow.
Always I'm going to look like aputt.
So I drew back, hit the buck.
Beautiful, he didn't go 20yards, he was dead.
So that was my eight-pointer.
Felt really good.

(52:31):
Rifle season started, seen acouple of bucks here and there.
You know some stuff I justreally didn't care for.
And you know things went on andon and you know, back and forth
with Frank and the group andwe're all having fun and people
are getting stuff and happy tohear it.
And I said you know what myseason's gonna heat up in
muzzleloader.

(52:51):
I usually I love muzzleloaderhunting.
I it's like one of my favoritetimes of the years.
And, uh, I got out with themuzzleloader and I killed two
nice heavy doe with thatmuzzleloader in the end of the
season.
So I ended up taking three deerand you know I couldn't be

(53:11):
happier man.
It was just.
You know, getting amuzzleloader kill is just
awesome.
It's, it's.
It's not as like gratifying asbow, but it's, it's still fun,
man, because you know you gotone shot and you know it's just
really cool.
You know you're just out there,it's later in the season, you
know you don't have to rush tocut the deer up.
You know, worrying about howwarm it is out and that's when I

(53:34):
tend to kill my heavier doesand that that ended the season.
So, uh, it was great.
You know, I supplied, got meatfor us and the family and, uh,
you know I'm just really lookingforward to next year.
I got a lot of ideas.
There's some new places I'mgoing to go.
Um, you know, of course we gotTurkey season right around the
corner of trout season starts,you know, april 1st.

(53:57):
So I'll be doing that before Iget to the turkeys in may and uh
, just looking forward tobringing some good quality
videos out on my channel andsharing stuff with you guys on
the podcast, like we always do.

Speaker 4 (54:10):
Yep, yep for sure that bill you killed is bigger
than most of the bucks that aredown here in south jersey.
Man, it's insane's insane.
Yeah, it's crazy.

Speaker 2 (54:21):
Thanks.
I'm blessed, man, blessed, tohave really, really quality
whitetails around here.
We got some big animals, that'sawesome.

Speaker 1 (54:28):
Yeah, that's, that's you guys sure do.
Thank you, before we get intomy season and everything like
that, I want to.
This is the.
This is the uh.
This is the last episode thatI'll be hosting on on the show.
Um, our boy, frank, is going tobe taking the reins and we're
going to be getting back to um,just talking about new jersey

(54:52):
hunting and fishing on the showand officially announced not
officially announced, but thenew show, uh, the chase, the
unknown podcast that is going tobe officially dropping.
I am going to have that episodeprobably right after our game

(55:13):
dinner the next week on the 11th, um, on april 11th.
It's going to be a friday.
That's the idea.
That's where we're gonna.
We're gonna do a whole bunch ofother stuff over there and have
all the people that are not newjersey are going to come on to
to that show and everything likethat.
But I will say trivia night isstaying on the garden state

(55:36):
outdoorsman podcast.
We're going to keep that here,um, so I'm really, I'm really
looking forward to that, reallylooking forward to um, the
guests that that Frank's gonnahave on and and getting us back
to that.
Um, that a whole, actually whatthe name of the show is
actually called uh-huh.

(55:57):
We've definitely gotten awayfrom that.
And then, and whatever guysthat are going to come on and
help Frank whether it's going toSteve, and all the guys are
welcome to come on, andeverything like that or if
there's specific guests theywant on, and things like that.
So I'm really excited aboutthat.
We are going to be in upstateNew York in literally what?

(56:19):
Two weeks Two weeks FromFebruary 28th to march 2nd um at
the um.
Damn what?
The why am I having a absolutethe empire state having a, yeah,
having a, a break.
We're gonna be at booth 208.
So, if you guys want to comecheck us out, right next to us
is going to be the back damnproductions crew and then right

(56:39):
down from us is going to be daveand chris.
Uh, they're actually, I think,just doing uh, pursuit live.
It's not going to be urbanpursuit and only bows um,
they're doing a pursuit livebooth um combining all.
Now, yes, they'll be havingsome merch there from their um
separate brands, but they aregoing to be doing one, one big

(57:00):
thing, and then what buckshottaxidermy is going to be there
as well.
So there's going to be a wholebunch of other stuff, and then
also, our tickets are sale forour second annual game dinner.
We got Woodsy.
Woods is coming, him and his,his crew's coming.
We.

(57:20):
Mr Reaper is going to be anattendance and in the building.
Woods is coming, him and hiscrew is coming.
Mr Reaper is going to be inattendance and in the building.
Really looking to seeing abunch of people who are going to
be traveling outside of ourcore and everything like that,
just because we are all prettyclose to each other and
everything like that.
Really looking forward to that.

(57:41):
I guess we can.
Megan posted in the group thevenison ice cream that is going
to be at the minute.
She put that in the group.
I personally I go.
Can you make this for us?
She said yes.
I said okay, what do you need?
I said I will make it happen.
Whatever way.

(58:03):
I want to try this so badly.
Like me, I don't see how it canwork.
Yeah, but supposedly it, andthis isn't the first time I
actually heard that it's likethis is good, um.
So I'm really interested onthat.
Trying also to get raccoon.
For those who are going to bebold enough to to try some
raccoon, I'm trying to get someraccoon at the.

(58:25):
At the event, I don't not ahundred percent.
Sure, american Mike saidthey're a pain in the butt to
clean.
Yeah, but he does.
If he does one have leftovers,he will be bringing it.
And two, I got like one or twotrappers who, if obviously right
now it's warm but it's raining,we're supposed to get another

(58:45):
cold streak, it's supposed tosnow and everything like that,
if they can trap a couple andget them done and cleaned quick
enough, they will bring me, um,some raccoon and everything like
that.
But there's no guarantees, justbecause, yeah, I you know from
everyone I've talked to theirhuge pain in the butt to to
clean.
Obviously, squash said yeah, sothat's definitely got to be

(59:07):
true.
But really, looking forward tothat, we have a bunch of, we
have we've actually had a bunch,I think, woods they're looking
to to donate something to theraffle.
Um, we're gonna have a wholewaterfowl setup.
Um, that's gonna be donated,that's gonna be raffled off.
I'm probably, we're probablygonna do a turkey a raffle.
Then we're gonna, you know, doa bunch of other stuff.

(59:27):
I know the guys have a bunch ofbroadheads and everything like
that.
I have a stan thumb thumbrelease that we're gonna be um,
raffling off.
So, really looking forward tothat.
Um, I know it's still a littlebit timed out, but probably come
March we're gonna.
We're gonna get a good idea ofwho's gonna be coming and and

(59:48):
things like that.
So really looking forward to it.
I know we're gonna miss Stevethis year and and and things
like that, which sucks, but Icompletely get it.
Vacation it's.
It's a tough thing aboutplanning these things.
Someone's always going to havevacation, but all right, guys, I
mean I think I think that's allthe news that we have for now.

(01:00:11):
So for for myself and my seasonI mean an absolute incredible
season I mean I had one of thebest seasons I I can really say,
especially after my crappy,terrible season last year.
Um, you know it started off indelaware and that was, first of
all, the coolest thing.

(01:00:32):
Like I was so happy to do that.
And now, knowing that's goingto be our yearly annual trip,
like I'm I'm really excited tokeep hitting uh, delaware.
Um, I think I got 58 hunts intotal so far this year.
Um, hoping to get that to atleast 60 with uh, two more
waterfowl hunts, I mean two morewaterfowl, two more predator

(01:00:54):
hunts, but we'll see.
Um, but just just an absolutegreat year.
So, like I take notes ofeverything I did.
So what I did was shout outchad gpt um, threw that into the
and told them to give me allthe stats and everything like
that and break it down for me.

(01:01:15):
So here is my 2024 2025 huntingrecap, my 2024 2025 hunting
recap.
Obviously, total hunts were 58,seven of them, seven of those
were waterfowl hunts, 47 weredeer hunts, I think three bear
hunts, um, and then one predatorhunt.

(01:01:35):
Roughly 259 deer spotted, 76 ofthem were bucks, 123 were does.
I mean, that's a rough estimateof what I put in the notes and
everything like that.
There could have been a littlemore, could have been a little

(01:01:56):
less.
You know, I killed two deer,two deer, one doe, one nice buck
um.
Geese spotted, well over athousand, I mean.
I think we saw a thousand inthe first couple hours of the
season, um, you know, so I'dprobably say anywhere between
probably 10 000 ge geese spottedduring during the year.

(01:02:19):
We harvested every.
Between the groups that wouldgo out 112 geese and seven hunts
.
I think there was four ducks inthere spotted, you know, only
two foxes.
No, no coyotes this year Didn'tsee any coyotes and probably
roughly spotted about between 50and 100 turkeys during the deer

(01:02:43):
season, which is everyone knowsthat, like in the beginning,
that's all I was freaking.
Seeing were turkeys, turkeys,turkeys.
And, of course, the last deerhunter of the year.
What do I see?
A bunch of long beards, so youknow which, which was really
cool, like I was fired up seeingthat because you know that's
the next thing.
So, and it's exactly where Iplanned on, I plan on um turkey

(01:03:05):
hunting and everything like that.
So, and I know they stay therebasically all year around.
Uh, just because that habitatthere is, it's just perfect for
them.
Um, it's a perfect transitionyeah, it's a, it's a perfect
transition, um, you know.
And then of course that thefunny thing is like one, the
last day of turkey season, yeah,I saw, like I saw a few turkeys

(01:03:26):
, but I saw probably like 50deer and all I was seeing was
deer, deer, deer, deer.
So I feel like once one thinggets pressured too much, there
you just start seeing the nextthing that you're going to be
able to hunt.
So that that was pretty cool.
Um, it broke down my average,my hunting conditions.
So my average temperature ofhunts I was in was a 57.3

(01:03:47):
Fahrenheit.
My coldest hunt, it says here,was 18 degrees.
I know that's not true.
There was a waterfowl huntwhere I think it was like eight
degrees or maybe even lower, andthen my warmest hunt was 82
degrees, which I was reallysurprised about.
Um, that's not with thehumidity, counting the humidity,

(01:04:10):
but that was two hunts thatwere 82 was down in delaware and
one at um here in new jersey.
Uh, windiest days were was four.
I don't know how accurate thatis.
It says 14 miles per hour.
I think it was definitely morethan that.
And it was during bear seasonwhen I'm pretty sure everyone I
was talking to agreed that itfelt like we were flying and

(01:04:32):
that we were gonna come, come,yeah, like everything, like I
literally thought I was batman.
So, yeah, um, and then theaverage uh pressure was for me
was 30.15 um.
On stable pressure days, the 60of my hunts wait, what is that?
Oh, 60 of my hunts at stable orrising pressure, um, most.

(01:05:00):
My most productive day wasobviously when we shot 24 geese,
yada, yada, yada.
My best deer hunting day was onwhat is that?
October 9th um, where I saw, Ithink, six bucks and like six
does and I ended up killing adoe.
Um, and then it what it gets.

(01:05:22):
Even better, and this is what Ilike doing this for.
Best days of deer moment uhmovement was when the pressure
was above 30.2 and they werecalm, windy days under five
miles per hour.
Um, most deer spotted in asingle hunt was 19 down in uh.
Delaware.

(01:05:42):
Uh, same with most bucks seenin a single hunt was six in
delaware.
Um.
Full moon hunt showed lowersuccess.
Full moon nights had lowerevening deer activities.
Obviously, like it gave stuffon my rut rut activity.
Um, and it says pressurematters.
Highest deer movement occurredwhen pressure was above 30.15

(01:06:04):
and rising Evening huntsoutperformed morning hunts.
Most deer sighted were after5.30 PM.
Hunts with a north or west windwere more successful.
For me, deer hunting washighest on these wind directions
.
Audit says for predator hunts,hunt need work.
That's what it says.
Predator hunt need work.

(01:06:25):
Only two foxes spotted during,you know.
Granted, I only went out oneday so far, but I love how it
says it needs work.
Um, waterfowl hunts were mostsuccessful in december and
january.
Obviously um and it basicallysaid you know I spotted over 250
, like this was a.
This is a really good tool umto use and obviously I'm going

(01:06:49):
to still look how I can makethis approach better um and it
really starts with me not beinglazy when I'm actually hunting
and really putting more detailand everything like that into my
notes.
So it's going to help betterthe the ai with the algorithm
and everything like that.
But, like I love the breakdown,I love what this does um next

(01:07:14):
year, obviously I got to get abear um and be more successful
during during bear season andeverything like that, and that's
going to be one of my, my maingoals obviously continuing um
the success with deer huntingand get a deer down in Delaware
and, you know, maybe a coupleother States can't wait to head
to to the property with Frankand Squatch and go up there and

(01:07:36):
have a good time.
But you know, at um, at the the, at his property over there,
shout out to you know, frank'sfam and everything like that.
We're really looking forward tothat.
Like I, and I think I'm gonnago up for rifle too, but just,
uh, be the video man, because Ithink their tradition, that they
got there is just absolutelylike that's what hunting really
is, you know, and that's whatit's all about.

(01:07:57):
So, really looking forward tothat, but, you know, looking
forward to getting you guys onsome waterfowl too, like,
hopefully you guys can come out.
We had a blast, uh, this year.
I, I wish zach could have madeit.
But, um, you know, he, he gotout there for his first and I
mean that's another guy I thinkhe killed like another big group
.
I think he called like five orseven deer too as well, one buck

(01:08:17):
and the rest, rest of those, sothat that guy knows how to hunt
too.
But pretty damn good season.
Now it's time to turn the tidesand time to get my first turkey
.
Yeah, that's, that's, that'swhat it is.
Um, but boys, any.
You know I I don't want to makethis one too long is this is

(01:08:37):
the perfect farewell, notfarewell.
Farewell, because I'm stillgoing to be on the show, but
this is going to be the first.
Frank, how are you feeling?
Are you going to be nervous atall?
Headlining this show now?

Speaker 3 (01:08:49):
Probably.
There's probably going to be alittle nerves at first.
Definitely some anxietyprobably.
I got big shoes to fill.

Speaker 1 (01:08:57):
You're going to be practicing in the mirror.
Absolutely, don't fuck this upon.
You got this.
You got this exactly.
You're gonna have to have thewife, uh, help you and and and
get ready.
You're just like, oh babe, waitwe, we gotta practice.
We can't go to bed withoutpracticing that's it.

Speaker 3 (01:09:14):
no, I get it, man, like I said, probably the first
couple will probably be a littlenervous, but uh, after that,
I'm sure you know I've been ondoing it with you guys for a
while now, so I'll be all right,you can always.
That's true as well, and Iwon't have to do nothing there

(01:09:36):
you go.

Speaker 1 (01:09:45):
We just have to name it to the empire state uh
podcast, that's all um, you know.
So, looking looking forward to,to seeing you guys.
Uh, hopefully, ethan you, youcan make it to the to the game
dinner and everything like that.
We'd love to see you and it'sbeen.
I don't think I've seen yousince we went fishing, right
well, no, we were uh in december.

Speaker 5 (01:10:07):
We were out in pa for that one day oh yeah, duh.

Speaker 1 (01:10:09):
How how can I forget that amazing hunt?
Yeah, I completely forgot for asecond that honestly, I I was
telling the guys about it likethat is something that I hope we
can all do, uh, next year.

Speaker 5 (01:10:19):
That was such a fun hunt yeah, that was a crazy fun
hunt.
I do think, uh, you get acouple guys together that are
really willing to push all day,you'll definitely get a couple
deer down for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:10:30):
At the very least get some opportunity yeah, I'm
gonna have to get into some andthe.
The crazy thing is like I getinto really good shape going
into the year but by that time Istopped doing like a lot of my
my workouts and everything likethat, and that was like doing
the without having to draganything or like whatever.

(01:10:50):
It was really doable.
If we're going to shoot someshit, it is going to be like I'm
going to have to stay.
I'm going to have to get myselfa bike down here and just start
biking and biking and bikingand biking just to get my cardio
.
It's the cardio that just goesaway from me when all we're
doing is hunting, eating,freaking quick check or wawa or

(01:11:11):
whatever and little debbies andjust snacking like a.
And then it's holiday.
So, from when halloween tobasically new year's, like the
only thing I'm eating is anddrinking is alcohol and desserts
.

Speaker 5 (01:11:25):
It's not.
It's not good.
I feel like crap right now.

Speaker 1 (01:11:29):
So I'm going to have to like remember the.
This is where we're going to beand you know we're not gonna be
able to drive a truck backthere.
We were, we were five, whatfive?
Six miles in.

Speaker 5 (01:11:38):
Yeah, we, we got in pretty far, we got in pretty far
, we got in pretty far.
That was a beautiful day,though, especially because it
just snowed and some of thosehills were a little steep.

Speaker 1 (01:11:50):
Yeah, I forgot to tell the boys it was funny.
So we're leaving and we'regetting like, basically right at
the front, and we come up offthis ridge and then we, we're
walking and we see a groundblind and we're like, oh, like,
I think we're trying to figureout if there are people in here
or not.
We're like, oh, like, there'sno.
No, we're like, oh, wait, thereis someone in it.
So like, we go around and thenethan goes on, um, we get to the

(01:12:15):
diner and he goes on facebook,his facebook, and in the group,
like where the zone that we'rein, someone literally like said
hey to the guys that are walkingaround this area, like,
basically, like shit talking usbecause we blew their hunt and
everything, like that, meanwhile, dude, you're hunting PA rifle

(01:12:37):
right at right by the parkinglot.
What do you expect is going tohappen?
Like they were literally what,maybe I don't know 500, 600, 700
yards away from the parking lotat most they were right off the

(01:12:59):
road.

Speaker 5 (01:13:00):
Yeah, and they were chirping us in the freaking
group chat.
At most they were right off theroad.

Speaker 1 (01:13:01):
Yeah, and they were chirping us in the freaking
group chat.

Speaker 2 (01:13:05):
That's funny.

Speaker 1 (01:13:06):
Wow, little do they know.
We were literally just likefive or six miles in like doing
some serious hunting andprobably saw the only good buck
of the day between all the guys.
Like we saw one nice buck andlike five or six does.
I didn't even see the does.
I was so on on the bucksfreaking.
Ethan noticed, noticed the does.
He was bedded with with allthese does.

(01:13:28):
Um, and yeah, like we, we had agreat encounter and we were
really getting after it andwe're getting chirped by guys,
our guys, sitting five or sixhundred yards away from the,
from the parking lot, in a blindwith during pa.
So that that was fun.
Great food too.
That diner was great and if wego, we got to go back next year
Cause that was phenomenal.

Speaker 5 (01:13:50):
That whole trip was was a blast, and I think that
that zone opening day rifle is,I think, the last Saturday of
November and, for those of youwho don't know, my wedding is
going to be December 7th.
That would be like the perfectsendoff Cause.
Then we're getting married downin Austin, texas, so that'd be
like before the big day, so thatmight work out phenomenal.

Speaker 1 (01:14:18):
And I, I think, I definitely think, um, I told
Ethan, told ethan we should um,because I plan on joining that,
that hunting lodge, we couldjust stay, we can all just stay
there, because I think it's it'sactually we passed by it.
Going home we're taking theback one.
We passed by it so it'd be alot better, because it was a lot
and we said we probably wouldhave stayed out there even
longer.
But it was sunday, we alreadydrove.

(01:14:41):
Like ethan had to drive anextra hour to my house, yeah,
and then I, we had to drive frommy house, like a little like
what hour?
15, hour, 30, something likethat from my house and we get up
into pa and we get, and it wasso cold.
We were literally both like,yeah, is this the right decision

(01:15:03):
?
Like, mind you, we have no ideawhat we're doing.
Like the, the people weresupposed to go with they, they,
they couldn't come andeverything like that.
So even I, no prior knowledgeof this area, just like little
what we saw on um, on x and Ithink some of the
recommendations he's gotten fromfrom those other guys and
everything like that.
But like it was brutally cold,fresh snow, and we, we get, we

(01:15:29):
get there, we're like, all right, well, let's not just walk in
blind.
So we actually waited till graylight and everything like that.
And then what walked in, whichactually worked out, really fell
up.
Uh, perfect for us.
We saw a lot of deer sign, likea lot of deer sign.
We saw a lot of turkey sign.
We saw some bear tracks too.
I, I believe, like I thinkthat's going to be a spot, even

(01:15:50):
if we're like, hey, like let'sgo up there for a deer hunt,
like let's go for a weekend deerhunt up there, I think we would
do really well, yeah, deerhunting that during the, during
the bow season, there's so muchland up there and I can imagine,
like, just with that cover andeverything like that, those deer
just moving so much earlier andeverything like that, and we we

(01:16:11):
get back kind of like where wewere gun hunting.
We'd be the only people, Ithink, up there bow hunting.
I don't think people wouldreally like from what we're
getting, like, people are amazedthat we traveled that far.
So it's definitely something tolook at.
But I think he's and Idefinitely will be doing it
again next year.

Speaker 5 (01:16:30):
So, um, you know, we're looking forward to that
I'll just never forget the factthat I have been talking with
this dude for like six months,six months of planning and
prepping and like whatever.
And then I get up at like two,30 in the morning, the day of,
literally the day of oh, sorryman, uh, my friend's wife wants

(01:16:54):
me to take his daughter out.
So, yeah, not going to be ableto go out with you, sorry, bud.
So now I'm blowing up his phone2, 30 in the morning, like dude
.
There's no way I'm slumped and Iwas like you still want to do

(01:17:18):
this.
I remember we parked at the gasstation right down the road
we're like this sucks it wascold, it was, it was really cold
.

Speaker 1 (01:17:25):
My beard, told, turned into, just like, I think
ethan goes.
I thought you had great grayhair for a second because my
whole entire beard was justfrozen, solid and and icy.
Um, but it, yeah, it was, itwas just beautiful, it really
was beautiful.
Um, you know, it's, it's just,it's so different up there, like
it's like being in jersey'scool, like it reminds me of the

(01:17:47):
delaware water gap, but stilleven like another level above
that, and everyone knows, if youhunt at the delaware water gap,
like that's jersey's equivalentof being in the middle of
nowhere, you know.
So you go to pa and this islike I don't even know how big
the property that we're on.
It was huge, like humongous inmiles just, yeah, it's gonna be

(01:18:10):
fun.
We're gonna kill one there nextyear, for for sure.
But, boys, I mean hell of aseason for our crew.
It's gonna going to kick backoff.
We're going to get it doneduring turkey season.
We're going to kill some birds.
I'm projecting at least an 80%success rate for us.

(01:18:31):
At least.
I think Zach is going out forhis first turkey hunt as well
this year too as well.
So I'm going 80% success ratefor us this year.
It's going to be fun, it'sgoing to be nice.
It is a nice break now that wehave to then, and I'm going to

(01:18:53):
try to do my trapping course too, because that's something I
really want to get into istrapping.
So I'm going to try to do thatwhile while we wait and where
you have some downtime.
But, guys, I appreciate it, Iwill all be seeing you very soon
in the next two weeks.
Most of you guys.
You know, frank and and Squatch.
I'll definitely be seeing youguys.
I know for the South Jerseyguys, there is too far out there

(01:19:16):
out there zone, but I will.
I'll be talking to you guyssoon and, you know, have a good
night.
Hope everyone enjoyed thisepisode good night guys.